[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 8/30/10: World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Presenter, Male #1
The United Nations has said that millions of children, who survived the floods that hit Pakistan, are facing deadly water-borne diseases.

Presenter, Female #1
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, said that member states have pledged to provide close to one billion dollars in aid for the flood-afflicted people.

Reporter, Male # 2
Promises were made to provide Pakistan with one billion dollars in aid. This is what Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu announced.

Guest, Male # 3
In today’s meeting, the participating delegations pledged to continue providing aid for relief and rehabilitation efforts. I am happy to announce that the total pledge is nearly 1 billion dollars. In addition, an agreement was reached to create a unit, associated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to monitor and coordinate relief operations.

Reporter, Male # 2
Islamic governments and relief organizations will provide this amount; however, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference says that Pakistan still needs many multiples of that amount. The scene is becoming darker, day after day, as new difficulties and threats are discovered, in both the evacuation of the victims and the prevention of the increasingly propagating diseases and epidemics. Children, as usual, are the most affected by the catastrophe. The delay in receiving help and the limited resources have made it nearly impossible to receive medical aid.

Guest, Male # 4
The floods came along with dirty water, which is why two of my children were hit by an inflammation. But the hospital only received one of them, because places are limited.

Reporter, Male # 2
And even for those lucky enough to receive medical attention, they are still in danger of catching some disease. The sanitation infrastructure was completely destroyed. In different regions, dirty and potable water are mixed, which increases the spread of a number of diseases. Local authorities, backed by government and international relief organizations, are not capable of doing much. According to preliminary predictions, the rivers will recede to their normal levels in two weeks. In addition, there are concerns that the floods will destroy entire villages, a concern that led to the evacuation of more than 400,000 people from the Sindh Valley region. They evacuated towards the unknown. There is no way for them to choose between what is bad and what could be even worse.

Presenter, Female #1
On the eve before heading to Washington to launch direct talks with the Israelis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly pushed for the negotiations option. He reassured the Palestinians that the negotiations will encompass all final-status issues, which are Jerusalem, the refugees, the borders, the settlements, security, water and the prisoners. However, Abbas warned of the collapse of the negotiations if Israel’s settlement policy continues.

Guest, Male # 1 (Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president)
Today, I must frankly and clearly talk about what we warned all parties against, including the American sponsor, prior to our agreement to participate in the talks. Israel’s government will bear the sole responsibility for the collapse or failure of these negotiations if it continues the settlement expansion, in all shapes and forms, across the Palestinian territories that have been occupied since 1967.

Presenter, Female #1
Chief negotiator of the Resistance Organization, Saeb Erekat, said that the Palestinians have alternatives to the negotiations, agreed upon with Arab states in case Israel continues its settlement construction after the freeze expires on the 26th of September. Yesterday, in a ministerial meeting of the right-wing Likud Party, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he did not promise Washington to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank, and that his government has not yet taken any decision related to the matter. Netanyahu added that the future of the settlements will be discussed, alongside the rest of the issues, during the final-status negotiations. Important parties will be absent from Washington’s discussions, most important of which is the Arab League. The American administration did not invite the League to attend the launching ceremony of the talks. Another absentee is European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Her absence did not please France, which wants the European Union to play a political, and not just a financial, role in the peace process. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is visiting France today, to discuss the direct negotiations with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Reporter, Female # 2
Prior to the start of the talks, a controversy was stirred, on the sidelines, by extremist statements issued by Hakham Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual head of the Shas Party, a partner in the Israeli government. The Hakham hoped for the disappearance of the Palestinians from the face of the earth, and that they be struck with a plague. These statements were not condemned by the Israeli government, but were described by Washington as hindering the efforts of the peace process. From Jerusalem, our correspondent Shorouk Assad.

Reporter, Female # 2
The prominent religious leader Ovadia Yosef invites his followers and other Israelis to hold more extreme and hateful views.

Guest, Male # 2 (Ovadia Yosef, spiritual head of Shas movement)
May Abu Mazen and all the evil Palestinians vanish from the world, may God smite them with the plague.

Guest, Male # 3 (Mahmoud al-Habash, Palestinian Minister of Religious Endowments)
These statements only worsen the situation, and increase Israeli incitement against the Palestinian people. This is incitement for killing, violence, and hatred, and is incompatible with any intention to accomplish peace with the Palestinian people.

Reporter, Female # 2
The statements were ignored by most on the Israeli political scene. As for the Israeli prime minister, he did not comment on or condemn these statements. His office merely issued a brief statement, outlining that they do not represent the government’s position. This event added to the Palestinian leadership’s pessimism prior to the launch of direct talks, which cannot accomplish peace amidst all the Israeli incitement.

Guest, Male # 4 (Nabil Shaath, Palestinian negotiator)
We are not expecting quick accomplishments; rather, we have limited expectations. What matters is that the situation on the ground remains the same, and that Israel does not continue to judify Jerusalem and deepen the occupation with settlements.

Reporter, Female # 2
It seems that Netanyahu does not want to anger a large segment of Israel’s population that supports the views of Ovadia Yosef, which are not limited to the Shas Party, but also extend to Likud and others. The Shas movement received 11 seats in the Knesset’s last elections, and is a partner in the Israeli government, alongside Likud, Labor and Yisrael Beiteinu. The majority of which agree on having a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reject the return of Palestinian refugees and demand the resumption of settlement construction. So, before the start of direct negotiations, there’s Israeli incitement, while the Palestinians keep a close eye on the American position.

Reporter, Female #1
US President Barack Obama is expected to announce tomorrow the official end of US combat operations in Iraq. With this, Washington will end the more than 7-year-old war. However, the future of Iraq remains uncertain, especially in the absence of an Iraqi government.

Reporter, Female #2
These are some of the most highlighted images of the 2003 US strike against Baghdad. Then, the Americans were very confident of achieving victory, prompting former US President George W. Bush to hastily announce an end to the war within weeks of its launch. However, this confidence was quickly shaken, as US forces engaged in warfare against armed sectarian and ethnic groups. Now, 7 years later, US President Barack Obama is about to announce an end to the Iraq war. It’s not time for a celebration as much as it’s time for assessment and accountability.

Guest, Male #1 (US President, Barack Obama)
On Tuesday, after more than 7 years, the US will end its military mission in Iraq, and it will take an important step to end the war there. This is what I vowed to do as a presidential candidate, and as president, this is what I’m doing.

Reporter, Female #2
So, more than anything else, it is a fulfillment of an election promise. While Washington believes that its military mission has ended in Iraq and that the Iraqi forces are capable of taking control of security there, the country’s future is still uncertain. So far, the March elections have not led to the formation of a new Iraqi government. In addition, US pressure mounted on outgoing Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and head of the Iraqiya coalition, Iyad Allawi have failed to bring them closer.

Guest, Male #1 (Frank Wisner, former US Ambassador)
I think it’s a problem. I don’t think it’s a crisis. However, the absence of a government will be a problem. Let’s remember that the elections were fair and free. Since then, Iraq has been moving forward. There’s now an administration in Iraq, and we were able to complete the withdrawal of our forces. Despite the political crisis, we didn’t witness a collapse of the regime, the legal system or the country’s economy.

Reporter, Female #2
The formation of the government crisis has renewed security fears in the country. While the level of violence witnessed a decline, as confirmed by statistical data, the last few months have witnessed a new wave of suicide bombings. Washington has announced that it was able to uproot armed al-Qaeda fighters, who entered Iraq after 2003. However, activities of armed local groups are still intensifying. While the US administration may consider Iraq’s security crisis to be a local issue from now on, any deterioration in or collapse of the country’s security institution will likely negatively reflect on the already distorted image of US intervention in Iraq. Dima Hamdan, BBC.

Reporter, Female #1
The deputy secretary general of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Yasir Arman, said that the referendum on Southern independence, set for January 9th of next year, is a definite choice that can’t be wavered. In a conference held in Cairo over the secession of the South, Arman said that the SPLM supports the ‘voluntary unity’ initiative, but that it must be based on a new set of principles. Arman added that in the event the South votes to secede, it’s because its people oppose the national project, which further marginalizes the southerners and deprives them of their civil rights. Elsewhere in Africa, Somalis continue to endure harsh living conditions due to the escalating inter-fighting witnessed in the country. In order to make a better life for them and their children, many Somalis have fled to the Saudi territories. However, the Saudi authorities have expelled thousands of Somali refugees under the pretext of lacking the proper official documents allowing them to legally reside and work in the Kingdom. Many of the deportees have no choice but to return to Somalia and live in remote and makeshift refugee camps, amidst extreme and deplorable living conditions.

Reporter, Male #1
Mrs. Ashwa Ahmad left Mogadishu nearly 6 years ago to escape chaos due to armed conflict witnessed in the country. Ahmad relocated to Saudi territories, where she opened a home and got married until she was recently expelled by the Saudi authorities.

Guest, Female #2 (Ashwa Ahmad, Somali refugee expelled by Saudi authorities)
I was arrested on the way to wash clothes for people I used to work for. After my arrest, I was taken to a deportation center.

Reporter, Male #1
After her detention, Ashwa found herself in this makeshift camp near Mogadishu, where she lives in a shelter she built of sticks and rags, among the other 150 deported refugees. This woman’s story is not much different than Ashwa’s.

Guest, Female #3
I have bitterly endured the worst. As I was being deported to Somali, I was pregnant and holding another child in my arms. My husband got very sick, and then died. Now, I live in the wild at this refugee camp. We have suffered tremendously.

Reporter, Male #1
Ashwa lives alone in her shelter, as her husband went into hiding in Saudi Arabia, where he used to work. He is being pursued by the Saudi authorities because he doesn’t have the official documents allowing him to legally reside and work in the Kingdom.

Guest, Female #4
If peace returns, I will be happy to stay in Somalia, which is dearest to my heart.

Reporter, Male #1
Meanwhile, conflict continues to rage in Somalia, threatening to displace more than one million people, with many starting to seek refuge in other countries. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that over the last year, Saudi Arabia has expelled some 4,000 Somali refugees, with many being left on the brink of uncertainty amidst dire humanitarian conditions.

Presenter, Female #1
In the Algerian town of al-Bulaida, Bouqalah is a Ramadan tradition that is notably more popular among families and women. Bouqalah focuses on the recital of poetry that deals with pure love or separation.

Reporter, Male #1
Bouqalah is a traditional Algerian game, most notably popular among women. Its popularity increases during the holy month of Ramadan. Algerian women meet in homes or on rooftops to play Bouqalah, while eating traditional sweets and drinking mint tea. Once everyone is present, the eldest woman collects rings in a copper container filled with water, which marks the beginning of Bouqalah.

Guest, Female #3 (Khaira Girjaj, Algerian Heritage activist)
During Ramadan, we hold evening gatherings. Instead of just sitting and talking behind people’s backs, we gather and play Bouqalah. The women take turns in reciting poetry. We have a lot of fun playing the game. It’s an interesting way to pass our time.

Reporter, Male #1
Playing Bouqalah requires participants to set the appropriate stage to inspire the women and let their imaginations go wild, while some unlock their hearts for good omens and heavenly dreams. Bouqalah is a traditional game that revolves around popular Algerian poetry, with special emphasis on pure love or separation.

Guest, Female #4 (Shafiya Mitawai, cultural heritage activist)
Bouqalah expresses the notion of cultural coexistence. It also carries noble messages, including words of wisdom, proverbs, hopes, and aspirations. It’s a way for women to express their feelings and dreams.

Guest, Female #5 (Haraz Fatehiya, Head of Association for Women’s Dignity)
Women in the town of al-Bulaida don’t go on evening outings. They hold evening gatherings at home. At the beginning of the meeting, the women are introduced to each other. It’s also an evening where families and neighbors meet. Each woman brings a tray of traditional sweets.

Reporter, Male #1
At the end of the 1960s, the Bouqalah started to lose momentum year-by-year. However, the game has been increasingly gaining momentum in the past 5 years, particularity in popular Algerian neighborhoods. Jamal Airabi, Arabiya, from al-Buliada, west of the Algerian capital.

Presenter, Male #1,
The Muslim Brotherhood has attacked the Egyptian TV series “al-Jama’a”, and called for its ban.

Reporter, Female #1,
Al-Jama’a, the TV series which started broadcasting at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, depicts the origins of the Muslim Brotherhood community from the perspective of its author, Wahid Hamid. Just like every other series that involves a certain religious or political belief in the Arab World, al-Jama’a is bound to become problematic, especially in the eyes of the involved parties. The Muslim Brotherhood sees the series as a failed attempt to distort its image as the parliamentary elections approach.

Guest, Male #1 (Jamal Nasar, media consultant for chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood)
This is an attempt to distort the image of the Muslim Brotherhood. They chose to air it before the parliamentary elections and during the month of Ramadan, when they get the highest viewership numbers. Essentially, they want to distort the image of the Muslim Brotherhood. But as I see it, the series will actually become a natural medium that further spreads the Brotherhood’s influence.

Guest, Male #2 (Mohsan Radi, member of the people’s committee of the Muslim Brotherhood)
They want to distort the image of the Muslim Brotherhood community. In my opinion, the situation will be turned around and people will empathize with us, because they won’t believe that a good person can be as superficial and deviant as depicted by Wahid Hamid.

Reporter, Female #1,
For their part, Hassan al-Banna’s family protested the series saying that the producers did not try to get their consent, nor inform them of the content of the series. The son of Imam Hassan al-Banna, lawyer Ahmed Saif al-Islam, submitted a request to the Economic Courts to consider the case that he filed, asking for the series to be banned. The series, which was written by Wahid Hamid and directed by Mohamed Yassin, contains the history of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It shows the origins of the group and the biography of its founder Hassan al-Banna. But its first episodes are set in 2005, in opposition to the group’s quest to overturn the power struggle and its attempt to attain authority.

Direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis are scheduled to commence in Washington on September 2, a decade after the last real final-status talks, and nearly two years after the last direct talks. Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu will come face to face for dinner and talks in Washington as guests of President Obama after 18 months of shuttle diplomacy and indirect "proximity talks" headed by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell.

President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan, along with Tony Blair, the special representative of the Middle East Quartet are also due to join the inaugural session in Washington.

While much hope has been placed on these talks culminating in an agreement within a year, most Palestinians and Israelis remain skeptical of their success. More importantly, hopes and expectations have been inflated in some media reports, adding confusion and creating myths about what might turn up only to be yet another photo op in DC.

Here are some of the myths:

Myth No.1- They're not talking

Although Abbas and Netanyahu have not sat face to face for the past eighteen months, contacts and cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government have not ceased on several fronts, most notably in commerce and security.

Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, spoke at the Herzliya Conference in February alongside Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at a time when his boss, President Mahmoud Abbas was insisting on a total halt to settlement construction before peace talks could resume. Also, Shin Bet and Israel Defense Forces senior officials have made several visits to Ramallah for meetings with senior PA officials and members of the Palestinian security services. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Shin Bet security service head Yuval Diskin recently spent a day in the West Bank city of Jenin as a guest of the Palestinian Authority's security service.

This is Diskin's second visit of this kind to Palestinian Authority territory in recent months, the aim of which is to coordinate security ties between Israel and the PA. The first visit was to Ramallah.

Myth No. 2- Settlement Freeze

Settlement construction is "business as usual" in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Although a few projects were pushed back, construction on existing projects continues unabated. Close to half a million Israeli Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. More importantly, settlers have accelerated their activities taking over Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, in Arab neighborhoods in Sheikh Jarrah, Shu'fat, and Silwan. Furthermore, in 2010, more than 240 Palestinian homes have been destroyed in Area C of the West Bank compared to 182 in all of 2009.

Myth No. 3- Security Fears

Israel's concern over security in the West Bank is exaggerated. Today the Palestinian Authority is policing the West Bank on behalf of the IDF. Very few Israeli deaths, only two in 2010, have been registered due to attacks in the West Bank. In comparison, far more Palestinians have been killed and injured by settlers and the IDF in 2010. Rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip have also subsided. Israel's main security concern these days is Iran.

"The threat that Iran poses is very grave for the state of Israel, for peace in the Middle East and the whole world," Netanyahu said in November 2009, repeating variations on this statement on several occasions.

Myth No. 4- Abbas & Netanyahu can deliver peace

Neither Prime Minister Netanyahu nor President Abbas have the mandate to deliver a peace agreement. Netanyahu would face strident opposition from within his Likud party and fierce opposition from his own foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman who has the ability and influence to unravel his fragile coalition.

Abbas also faces a complex problem of legitimacy. His term as President has expired, and under his watch, Palestinian unity was fractured when Hamas managed to route out his forces from Gaza.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said recently that Abbas was too weak to stand up to Israel and negotiate a just deal at the talks in Washington.

"If the talks succeed they will succeed to Israeli standards and liquidate the Palestinian cause. They'll give us parts of 1967 lands. They'll draw the borders as they want and they'll confiscate our sovereignty," said Meshaal

Myth No. 5- No preconditions

Prime Minister Netanyahu insisted for many weeks that he was ready to come to the negotiating table in Washington, but without "preconditions." In fact both he and President Mahmoud Abbas have already announced preconditions, raising expectations and laying the groundwork for failure.

Among the preconditions laid out by Netanyahu for peace with the Palestinians is recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Palestinians consider this condition as a non-starter, instead they'd like to delve into sensitive areas such as the construction of Jewish settlements on occupied territory, the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a future Palestinian state and the right of return, issues that will be difficult to overcome.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas has declared that he will withdraw from negotiations if settlement activity resumes. The settlement moratorium is due to expire on Sept. 26. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, seems unlikely to extend it.


** Mosaic News is produced by Jamal Dajani. Contact: mosaicnews{at}linktv{dot}org