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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Transcript:Trump’s National Security Speech

Transcript:Trump’s National Security Speech
Donald Trump delivers remarks on the National Security Strategy at the Ronald Reagan Building on Monday [Joshua Roberts/Reuters]

Transcript:Trump’s National Security Speech
18 Dec 2017

The following is a White House transcript of US President Donald Trump's speech on Monday on his administration's national security strategy:

We're here today to discuss matters of vital importance to us all: America's security, prosperity, and standing in the world. I want to talk about where we've been, where we are now, and, finally, our
strategy for where we are going in the years ahead.

Over the past 11 months, I have travelled tens of thousands of miles to visit 13 countries. I have met with more than 100 world leaders. I have carried America's message to a grand hall in Saudi Arabia, a great square in Warsaw, to the General Assembly of the United Nations, and to the seat of democracy on the Korean Peninsula. Everywhere I travelled, it was my highest privilege and greatest honour to represent the American people.

Throughout our history, the American people have always been the true source of American greatness. Our people have promoted our culture and promoted our values. Americans have fought and sacrificed on the battlefields all over the world. We have liberated captive nations, transformed former enemies into the best of friends, and lifted entire regions of the planet from poverty to prosperity.

Because of our people, America has been among the greatest forces for peace and justice in the history of the world. The American people are generous. You are determined, you are brave, you are
strong, and you are wise. 

When the American people speak, all of us should listen. And just over one year ago, you spoke loud and you spoke clear. On November 8, 2016, you voted to make America great again. You embraced new leadership and very new strategies, and also a glorious new hope. That is why we are here today.

But to seize the opportunities of the future, we must first understand the failures of the past. For many years, our citizens watched as Washington politicians presided over one disappointment after another. Too many of our leaders - so many who forgot whose voices they were to respect and whose interests they were supposed to defend - our leaders in Washington negotiated disastrous trade deals that brought massive profits to many foreign nations, but sent thousands of American factories, and millions of American jobs, to those other countries.

Our leaders engaged in nation-building abroad, while they failed to build up and replenish our nation at home. They undercut and shortchanged our men and women in uniform with inadequate resources, unstable funding, and unclear missions. They failed to insist that our often very wealthy allies pay their fair share for defence, putting a massive and unfair burden on the US taxpayer and our great US military.

They neglected a nuclear menace in North Korea; made a disastrous, weak, and incomprehensibly bad deal with Iran; and allowed terrorists such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) to gain
control of vast parts of territory all across the Middle East.

They put American energy under lock and key. They imposed punishing regulations and crippling taxes. They surrendered our sovereignty to foreign bureaucrats in faraway and distant capitals.

And over the profound objections of the American people, our politicians left our borders wide open. Millions of immigrants entered illegally. Millions more were admitted into our country without the
proper vetting needed to protect our security and our economy. Leaders in Washington imposed on the country an immigration policy that Americans never voted for, never asked for, and never approved - a policy where the wrong people are allowed into our country and the right people are rejected. American citizens, as usual, have been left to bear the cost and to pick up the tab.

On top of everything else, our leaders drifted from American principles. They lost sight of America's destiny. And they lost their belief in American greatness. As a result, our citizens lost something as
well. The people lost confidence in their government and, eventually, even lost confidence in their future.

But last year, all of that began to change. The American people rejected the failures of the past. You rediscovered your voice and reclaimed ownership of this nation and its destiny.

On January 20th, 2017, I stood on the steps of the Capitol to herald the day the people became the rulers of their nation again. Thank you. Now, less than one year later, I am proud to report that the
entire world has heard the news and has already seen the signs. America is coming back, and America is coming back strong.

Upon my inauguration, I announced that the United States would return to a simple principle: The first duty of our government is to serve its citizens, many of whom have been forgotten. But they are
not forgotten any more. With every decision and every action, we are now putting America first.

We are rebuilding our nation, our confidence, and our standing in the world. We have moved swiftly to confront our challenges, and we have confronted them head-on.

We are once again investing in our defence - almost $700bn, a record, this coming year. We are demanding extraordinary strength, which will hopefully lead to long and extraordinary peace. We are
giving our courageous military men and women the support they need and so dearly deserve.

We have withdrawn the United States from job-killing deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the very expensive and unfair Paris Climate Accord. And on our trip to Asia last month, I announced that we will no longer tolerate trading abuse.

We have established strict new vetting procedures to keep terrorists out of the United States, and our vetting is getting tougher each month.

To counter Iran and block its path to a nuclear weapon, I sanctioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its support of terrorism, and I declined to certify the Iran Deal to Congress.

Following my trip to the Middle East, the Gulf states and other Muslim-majority nations joined together to fight radical Islamist ideology and terrorist financing. We have dealt ISIS one devastating
defeat after another. The coalition to defeat ISIS has now recaptured almost 100 percent of the land once held by these terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Great job. Great job. Really good. Thank you. Thank you. We have a great military. We're now chasing them wherever they flee, and we will not let them into the United States.

In Afghanistan, our troops are no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies of our plans. We are beginning to see results on the battlefield. And we have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They
have to help.

Our efforts to strengthen the NATO Alliance set the stage for significant increases in member contributions, with tens of billions of dollars more pouring in because I would not allow member states to be delinquent in the payment while we guarantee their safety and are willing to fight wars for them. We have made clear that countries that are immensely wealthy should reimburse the United States for the cost of defending them. This is a major departure from the past, but a fair and necessary one - necessary for our country, necessary for our taxpayer, necessary for our own thought process.

Our campaign of maximum pressure on the North Korean regime has resulted in the toughest-ever sanctions. We have united our allies in an unprecedented effort to isolate North Korea. However, there is much more work to do. America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearisation and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world. Thank you. This situation
should have been taken care of long before I got into office, when it was much easier to handle. But it will be taken care of. We have no choice.

At home, we are keeping our promises and liberating the American economy. We have created more than two million jobs since the election. Unemployment is at a 17-year low. The stock market is at
an all-time high and, just a little while ago, hit yet another all-time high - the 85th time since my election. 

We have cut 22 regulations for every one new regulation, the most in the history of our country. We have unlocked America's vast energy resources.

As the world watches - and the world is indeed watching - we are days away from passing historic tax cuts for American families and businesses. It will be the biggest tax cut and tax reform in the history of our country. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And we are seeing the response we fully expected. Economic growth has topped three percent for two quarters in a row. GDP growth, which is way ahead of schedule under my administration, will be one of America's truly greatest weapons.

Optimism has surged. Confidence has returned. With this new confidence, we are also bringing back clarity to our thinking. We are reasserting these fundamental truths:

A nation without borders is not a nation.

A nation that does not protect prosperity at home cannot protect its interests abroad.

A nation that is not prepared to win a war is a nation not capable of preventing a war.

A nation that is not proud of its history cannot be confident in its future.

And a nation that is not certain of its values cannot summon the will to defend them.

Today, grounded in these truths, we are presenting to the world our new national security strategy. Based on my direction, this document has been in development for over a year. It has the endorsement of my entire Cabinet.

Our new strategy is based on a principled realism, guided by our vital national interests, and rooted in our timeless values.

This strategy recognises that, whether we like it or not, we are engaged in a new era of competition. We accept that vigorous military, economic, and political contests are now playing out all around
the world.

We face rogue regimes that threaten the United States and our allies. We face terrorist organisations, transnational criminal networks, and others who spread violence and evil around the globe.

We also face rival powers, Russia and China, that seek to challenge American influence, values, and wealth. We will attempt to build a great partnership with those and other countries, but in a manner that always protects our national interest.

As an example, yesterday I received a call from President Putin of Russia thanking our country for the intelligence that our CIA was able to provide them concerning a major terrorist attack planned in
St Petersburg, where many people, perhaps in the thousands, could have been killed. They were able to apprehend these terrorists before the event, with no loss of life. And that's a great thing, and the way it's supposed to work. That is the way it's supposed to work.

But while we seek such opportunities of cooperation, we will stand up for ourselves, and we will stand up for our country like we have never stood up before. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We know that American success is not a foregone conclusion. It must be earned and it must be won. Our rivals are tough, they're tenacious, and committed to the long term. But so are we.

To succeed, we must integrate every dimension of our national strength, and we must compete with every instrument of our national power.

Under the Trump administration, America is gaining wealth, leading to enhanced power -- faster than anyone thought - with $6 trillion more in the stock market alone since the election -- $6 trillion.

With the strategy I am announcing today, we are declaring that America is in the game and America is going to win. Thank you.

Our strategy advances four vital national interests. First, we must protect the American people, the homeland, and our great American way of life. This strategy recognises that we cannot secure our
nation if we do not secure our borders. So for the first time ever, American strategy now includes a serious plan to defend our homeland. It calls for the construction of a wall on our southern border;
ending chain migration and the horrible visa and lottery programs; closing loopholes that undermine enforcement; and strongly supporting our Border Patrol agents, ICE officers, and Homeland
Security personnel.

In addition, our strategy calls for us to confront, discredit, and defeat radical Islamic terrorism and ideology and to prevent it from spreading into the United States. And we will develop new ways to
counter those who use new domains, such as cyber and social media, to attack our nation or threaten our society.

The second pillar of our strategy is to promote American prosperity. For the first time, American strategy recognizes that economic security is national security. Economic vitality, growth, and
prosperity at home is absolutely necessary for American power and influence abroad. Any nation that trades away its prosperity for security will end up losing both.

That is why this national security strategy emphasises, more than any before, the critical steps we must take to ensure the prosperity of our nation for a long, long time to come.

It calls for cutting taxes and rolling back unnecessary regulations. It calls for trade based on the principles of fairness and reciprocity. It calls for firm action against unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft. And it calls for new steps to protect our national security industrial and innovation base.

The strategy proposes a complete rebuilding of American infrastructure - our roads, bridges, airports, waterways, and communications infrastructure. And it embraces a future of American energy
dominance and self-sufficiency.

The third pillar of our strategy is to preserve peace through strength. We recognise that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unrivalled power is the most certain means of defence. For this reason, our strategy breaks from the damaging defence sequester. We're going to get rid of that. 

It calls for a total modernisation of our military, and reversing previous decisions to shrink our armed forces - even as threats to national security grew. It calls for streamlining acquisition, eliminating bloated bureaucracy, and massively building up our military, which has the fundamental side benefit of creating millions and millions of jobs.

This strategy includes plans to counter modern threats, such as cyber and electromagnetic attacks. It recognises space as a competitive domain and calls for multi-layered missile defence. This strategy outlines important steps to address new forms of conflict such as economic and political aggression.

And our strategy emphasises strengthening alliances to cope with these threats. It recognises that our strength is magnified by allies who share principles - and our principles - and shoulder their fair share of responsibility for our common security.

Fourth and finally, our strategy is to advance American influence in the world, but this begins with building up our wealth and power at home.

America will lead again. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but we will champion the values without apology. We want strong alliances and partnerships based on cooperation and
reciprocity. We will make new partnerships with those who share our goals, and make common interests into a common cause. We will not allow inflexible ideology to become an obsolete and
obstacle to peace.

We will pursue the vision we have carried around the world over this past year - a vision of strong, sovereign, and independent nations that respect their citizens and respect their neighbours; nations
that thrive in commerce and cooperation, rooted in their histories and branching out toward their destinies.

That is the future we wish for this world, and that is the future we seek in America.

With this strategy, we are calling for a great reawakening of America, a resurgence of confidence, and a rebirth of patriotism, prosperity, and pride.

And we are returning to the wisdom of our founders. In America, the people govern, the people rule, and the people are sovereign. What we have built here in America is precious and unique. In all of
history, never before has freedom reigned, the rule of law prevailed, and the people thrived as we have here for nearly 250 years.

We must love and defend it. We must guard it with vigilance and spirit, and, if necessary, like so many before us, with our very lives. And we declare that our will is renewed, our future is regained, and our dreams are restored.

Every American has a role to play in this grand national effort. And today, I invite every citizen to take their part in our vital mission. Together, our task is to strengthen our families, to build up our
communities, to serve our citizens, and to celebrate American greatness as a shining example to the world.

As long as we are proud - and very proud - of who we are, how we got here, and what we are fighting for to preserve, we will not fail.

If we do all of this, if we rediscover our resolve and commit ourselves to compete and win again, then together we will leave our children and our grandchildren a nation that is stronger, better, freer, prouder, and, yes, an America that is greater than ever before.

God bless you. Thank you very much. Thank you. 

After elections, Nepal back on frontier market investor radar


NEPAL ANALYSIS

CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’
After elections, Nepal back on frontier market investor radar

By GARY KLEIMAN DECEMBER 20, 2017

After disappearing from early emerging-market investor radar screens in the 1990s with a prolonged plunge into civil war and political instability, followed by an epic earthquake and a border closure with traditional ally India two years ago, Nepal is back in view, having just completed local and national elections won handily by the leftist alliance of the nominal Communist and Maoist parties.

According to initial results, the alliance took control of six of seven provinces and 70% of parliament, crushing the Nepali Congress formerly in power and an array of fringe opponents including anarchists and royalists.

Workers abroad in the Middle East and Asia, whose remittances account for one-third of output, did not vote despite court authorization, but likely would have reinforced the pro-left margin, since the
coalition’s campaign focused mainly on infrastructure development and economic modernization rather than revolutionary rhetoric.

Following provisions of the new constitution, no-confidence motions, a staple of the previous system that resulted in endless cabinet and government reshuffles, will not be allowed for two years to offer unaccustomed calm.

Lowland Madhesis, among the country’s poorest citizens, continue to advocate for more rights and support under the charter, but the incoming administration, to be headed again by veteran former
prime minister K P Oli, has vowed to be more inclusive both of ethnic and income groups and neighbors in the subcontinent.

In his 2015 term, Oli signed trade and investment agreements with China, and recently signaled that a stalled hydropower joint venture may go ahead to diversify from historic Indian dominance.

In his victory speech, K P Oli promised ‘never-witnessed private-sector cooperation’ alongside a higher social-spending agenda, as the sleepy Nepal Stock Exchange index stayed flat after the poll
awaiting concrete economic growth and reform breakthroughs

In his victory speech he promised “never-witnessed private-sector cooperation” alongside a higher social-spending agenda, as the sleepy Nepal Stock Exchange index stayed flat after the poll
awaiting concrete economic growth and reform breakthroughs.

Nepal’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry have been dubious in the absence of an “implementation framework” for the socialist economy enshrined in the constitution, amid talk of double taxation at the federal and provincial levels to cover increased social-welfare payments.

Oli and his team plan public-private partnerships for large projects and small business, commodity and tourism promotion without specifying policies, as capital flight may spike while the vacuum lasts, according to critics.

They also worry about an expected rise in domestic borrowing, which has been capped at 5% of gross domestic product annually, and favoritism toward cooperatives associated with ruling-coalition
leaders.

Independent economists argue that the government should focus on better managing earthquake reconstruction after 650,000 homes and more than one-third of output were destroyed, the World

Bank estimated. This month it approved a US$300 million credit to follow on the $200 million approved in the quake’s immediate aftermath, to pick up the pace for the more than 350,000 residences still slated for rebuilding.

Economists urge renegotiation of ventures such as the $2.5 billion dam suspended with the Chinese over contract irregularities on more concessional rather than commercial terms, even though
foreign debt is low compared with other low-income economies, in the view of the International Monetary Fund’s latest Article IV report in March.

The IMF described Nepal as “trapped in a low growth and investment equilibrium,” with GDP expansion averaging 4% the past decade as a regional laggard. Inflation and the fiscal deficit are under control, but state banks and enterprises got almost 2% of GDP in equity support in recent years which should be curbed, the analysis advised. Decentralization under the new constitution could raise budget risks, and without electricity tariff adjustment power supply will stay compromised, it added.

On monetary policy, the Nepalese currency’s peg with the Indian rupee was praised as a “transparent anchor” as demonetization fallout continues to hit local households and firms, but Nepal has been “overly accommodative,” with annual credit growth reaching 30% to spur recent tightening.

The central bank introduced an interest-rate corridor in 2016 to keep medium-term inflation within the 7% target range, and uses repos as a liquidity instrument, with banks experiencing shortages
around the election period. Financial-sector reform was jointly identified as a priority by the IMF and regulatory officials, with plans to modernize prudential standards and enforcement for lending,
securities and insurance.

On the stock exchange, this month the government revived a pledge to divest its 35% ownership and finalized rules for margin trading, but frontier-market investors after decades out of the action will
hold off for at least another few months waiting for clearer weather before mounting a daring expedition.

Source: Asia Times
-------------------------
ENB is not responsible for the opinions, facts or any media content presented by contributors.

GUJARAT - Narendra Modi has won, but not really.


INDIA GUJARAT ELECTIONS

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi managed to barely hold on to his home state of Gujarat despite a vigorous election campaign. Photo: Reuters / Amit Dave
In victory, BJP smells defeat, while Congress tastes an opportunity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi managed to barely hold on to his home state Gujarat, but the main opposition Congress party is now energized

By DARSHAN DESAI DECEMBER 18, 2017

Rahul Gandhi has lost, but not really. Narendra Modi has won, but not really. In a nutshell, that is what the Gujarat election verdict was all about. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday huffed and
puffed its way to a difficult victory in Prime Minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat in an election where his policies during his three years as Prime Minister and 12 years in the State took center stage.

As results trickled in, the BJP was struggling with 99 seats ahead of the main opposition Congress Party, which was leading in 83 constituencies. This is only a shade better than a simple majority of
92 in a State Assembly of 182 seats.

Just 48 hours ago, all exit polls had predicted a massive victory for the ruling BJP. But the results left Congress tantalizingly close to victory. The BJP had set a dream target of Mission 150. But their
hopes of dominance were dashed as the day unfolded.

A narrow victory

The story of the day was not about the BJP’s sixth consecutive term since 1995, but about a revived Congress coming so close to victory. This was evident during the campaign forcing the Prime Minister to junk a “development” platform and instead polarize the vote on sectarian lines.

The biggest consolation for the BJP in this victory was the monumental effort to ensure that Gandhi, the newly appointed President of the Congress party, didn’t get to walk away with a clear win in
their tallest leader’s home state.  To add to the BJP’s woes and Congress’ advantage, there was 24-year-old Hardik Patel’s pitched two-year-old Patidar caste agitation seeking reservation in government jobs for his community. A similar move by Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, led to a rare and powerful alliance for the Congress. This
is a unusual since Patidar, OBC and Dalit leaders have rarely come together in the past.

Under the name of caste assertion, the three, as well as Gandhi, tapped into the growing disenchantment over unemployment, expensive privatization of education, farmers revolting over the collapse of key crops, and the poor state of Gujarat’s fabled small-scale and medium scale industries. The demonetization and the Goods and Services Tax proved to be twin blows for voters in the rural and semi-urban areas, while the cities continued to firmly back Modi.

The overall vote share of the BJP nosedived from 60.11% in the 2014 general elections to 49%, in a state the party considers invincible. The Congress, on the other hand, clocked a share of 41.5% against 33.45% in 2014.

As vote counting started earlier, Congress briefly took the lead and sent stock markets plunging by 850 points. Although the BJP recovered, it barely passed the half-way mark of 92 seats required for
a simple majority.

The major takeaway for the Congress was the victory in the Saurashtra and Kutch regions, where it picked up 15 seats more than the 2012  state elections to win 30 out of 54 seats, leaving one to BJP and another to a Nationalist Congress Party candidate.

All the issues of the influential Patidar community, the widespread anger among farmers, and effects of the ill-conceived demonetization and GST were more pronounced in this region than other parts
of Gujarat. The Congress victory here also indicated that the BJP was losing its grip over the rural areas of Gujarat.

This fact coincides with the recent victory of the BJP in the elections to local self-government bodies in India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling party won the majority of urban centers
even as rural areas slipped away.

The major takeaway for the BJP is that it won in spite of the Modi Government’s record, which had become the major election issue for Congress. In response, Modi shrewdly played the “son of the
soil” card, which probably helped ease the damage.

Modi converted every attack on his government’s policies as though it was a collective insult of the people of Gujarat, and asked voters, “Do you wish to tolerate an insult to your son of the soil? Can

you tolerate it? Can you tolerate it if someone calls me a ‘neech’ (lowly) man? It is an insult of entire Gujarat.” It had the desired impact and the fence-sitters voted for him, if not for the party.

Congress could not convert the anger against the Modi Government at the national level, and by proxy, in Gujarat, mostly because it could not present a credible Chief Ministerial candidate. Had they done so, the results could have been different.

An energized Congress

Gandhi carried himself with uncanny dexterity during the campaign. He made the right noises at the right time and, for a change,  connected with the masses. However, he failed to counter Modi’s
“Insider-versus-Outsider” strategy.

Modi’s BJP has every reason to celebrate this much-needed victory in the Prime Minister’s home state. A failure here could have meant a country-wide loss of face, even as three crucial states go to
the polls next year.

For Congress, this is yet another loss in Gujarat as well as one more for Gandhi. The big consolation for Gandhi and his party is that for the first time they put the previously invincible Modi on the
back-foot over his policies.

So one lost, but not really. Another won, but not really.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Sri Lanka Offers Wide Investment Opportunities To Malaysia


Sri Lanka Offers Wide Investment Opportunities To Malaysia

Last update: 19/12/2017

From Azeman Ariffin

COLOMBO, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak describes his official visit to Sri Lanka as very successful in opening investment opportunities to Malaysia as that country is now on the eve of economic recovery.

He said that during his meeting with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday, several consensus had been reached including the efforts to realise the International Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
"I see Sri Lanka as a nation that has many similarities with us and they are now on the eve of economic recovery (after the civil war), this is the right time for us to grab the opportunity, when a nation is about to take off, this is the time we can gain opportunities," he told Malaysian journalists when commenting on his three-day official visit to this country, today.

Najib is scheduled to leave for the Maldives for an official visit to that country this evening.

The Prime Minister said the FTA between Malaysia and Sri Lanka is expected to be finalised at the end of next year or in early 2019 at the latest.

He said the latest development was achieved during his meeting with his counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe today.

"Consequent to my discussion with Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena earlier, the meeting (with Wickremesinghe) today focused on several follow-up actions and in detail on what we can do.

"These include the continued commitment to take follow-up actions to finalise the FTA. Hopefully, at the end of 2018 or early 2019 it can be finalised. Sri Lanka must resolve the FTA with Singapore first before focusing on Malaysia," he said.

He said Sri Lanka perceived Malaysia to be a very suitable trading partner because Malaysia was not a large nation but was also not a small nation and did not threaten (the economy of) that country.

The Prime Minister said, as an example, the Malaysian telecommunication company that is successful in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata not only succeeded in making lucrative profits and creating employment opportunities to more than 350,000 people of that country, but it also implemented its corporate social responsibility programmes including assisting smart schools, providing technical information data for farmers and so on.

Najib said he had also received a courtesy call from the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka's Northern Region, C.V.Wigneswaran who provided the latest information on the situation in the region which is under pressure after the civil war.

He said, Jaffna was under pressure after being affected by the civil war and 45,000 women had become single mothers without any source of income while 11,000 former soldiers were now without any job.

He said Malaysia would try to help the region with the cooperation of non-governmental organisations to send a special mission and to see what aid could be given based on he country's capability.

The Prime Minister said Malaysia had more than 200,000 people of Sri Lankan descent and many of them were successful and could possibly cooperate with the government to send an aid mission.

Replying to another question on the suggestion by certain quarters that all Muslim countries open up their respective embassy in Palestine, Najib said the matter must be studied and discussed at the Cabinet level before hand.

"We also need the opinion from Palestine and so far, we have not received any opinion from the Palestinian authorities.

Malaysia has so far set up the Egyptian and Palestinian embassy in Egypt.

Najib said Malaysia remained committed to champion the rights of the Palestinians and opposed the move by the United States in recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"This means that our stand is firm on this matter," he added.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1420897
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மலேசிய உலகமய அந்நிய முதலீட்டுக்கு பூசப்படும் தமிழ்ச் சாயம்! ENB
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மலேசியப் பிரதமர் வடமாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சீ.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரன் சந்திப்பு

மலேசியாவில் இருந்து குழு ஒன்றினை அனுப்பி, வடமாகாண மக்களின் தேவைகளின் தரவுகளைப் பெற்று உதவிகளை செய்வதாக மலேசியப் பிரதமர் வடமாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சீ.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரனிடம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இலங்கைக்கு விஜயம் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள மலேஷிய பிரதமருக்கும் வடமாகாண முதலமைச்சருக்கும் இடையில் நேற்று ஷங்கரில்லா ஹோட்டேலில் இன்று(19.12) காலை 8.30 மணியளவில் நடைபெற்றது.

சுமார் 45 நிமிட நேரம் இருவரின் சந்திப்பும் இடம்பெற்றது. பிரதமருடன் வந்திருந்த அமைச்சர்கள் வைத்திய கலாநிதி சுப்ரமணியம், டாடோ சாமிவேலு, தனிப்பட்ட அவரின் வைத்தியர் வைத்தியகலாநிதி ஜெயந்திரன் சின்னத்துரை உட்பட அவரின் அலுவலர் குழாமும் கலந்துரையாடலில் கலந்துகொண்டனர்.

வட இலங்கை மக்களுக்கும் மலேஷியா நாட்டுக்கும் இடையில் பாரம்பரியமாக இருந்து வந்துள்ள உறவை வலியுறுத்தினர். இந்தியத் தமிழர்களும் இலங்கைத் தமிழர்களும் மலேஷியாவில் ஒருமித்து தமிழர்கள் என்றே அழைக்கப்பட்டாலும் இருதரப்பாரின் முன்னோர்களும் வித்தியாசமான பின்புலத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் என்றும் ஆங்கிலேயர் காலத்தில் தென்னிந்திய தமிழ் மக்கள் தொழிலாளர்களாக வேலை பார்க்க வந்தார்கள் என்றும் யாழ்ப்பாணத் தமிழர் இலிகிதர் வேலை பார்க்கவே வந்தார்கள் என்றும் கூடிய கல்வித் தகைமைகளைக் கொண்டிருந்த அவர்களின் மூன்றாந் தலைமுறையினரே இன்று தம் நாட்டில் மிக உயர்ந்த பதவிகளை வகிக்கின்றார்கள் என்றும் பிரதமர் கூறினார்.

சுதந்திரம் கிடைத்த காலத்தில் இலங்கையில் சகல தொழிற் துறைகளிலும் பெருவாரியான தமிழர்களே இடம் பிடித்திருந்ததாகவும் அதைப் பொறுக்காத பெரும்பான்மை இன மக்கள் அப்பொழுதிருந்தே தமிழர்களுக்கு எதிரான சட்டங்களைக் கொண்டு வந்து பாரபட்சம் காட்டி இன்று கைவிட்டு எண்ணக் கூடியவர்களே அரச சேவையில் கடமையாற்றுவதாகவும் கூறினார்.

தமிழர்கள் நவீன மலேஷியாவை உருவாக்க முன்னின்றிருந்தார்கள் எனில் இன்று அங்கிருந்து அதே புலம்பெயர்ந்தோரின் வாரிசுகள் எம் நிலையை மேம்படுத்த முன்வர வேண்டும் என்று முதல்வர் கேட்டுக் கொண்டார்.

இராணுவத்தினர் சுமார் 62000 ஏக்கர்கள் நிலத்தில் குடியிருந்து வருவதாகவும் வணிகம், மீன்பிடி, விவசாயம், சுற்றுலா போன்ற இன்னோரன்ன துறைகளில் படையினரின் கையே ஓங்கி இருப்பதாகவும் சுட்டிக் காட்டியுள்ளார்.
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மலேசியப் பிரதமரைச் சந்தித்தார் வடக்கு முதல்வர் – இணைந்து செயற்பட இணக்கம்

DEC 19, 2017 புதினப் பலகை

மலேசியப் பிரதமர் மொகமட் நஜீப் ரசாக் இன்று வடக்கு மாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சி.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரனைச் சந்தித்துப் பேச்சு நடத்தினார். கொழும்பில் இன்று முற்பகல் இந்தச் சந்திப்பு இடம்பெற்றது.

இந்தச் சந்திப்புத் தொடர்பாக கீச்சகப் பதிவு ஒன்றை இட்டுள்ள மலேசியப் பிரதமர் அப்துல் ரசாக்,

“வடக்கு மாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சி.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரனுடனான சந்திப்பு மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதாக இருந்தது.

மாகாணத்தின் மீள் அபிவிருத்திக்கும் அங்குள்ள தமிழ்ச் சமூகத்தை உயர்த்துவதற்கும், ஆதரவளிப்பதில், இணைந்து செயற்படுவதற்கு நாம் இணங்கியுள்ளோம்.” என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
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`தமிழ் மலேசியாவில்` தொழிலாளர் குடியிருப்புப் போராட்டம்!


பொறுமைக்கும் எல்லையுண்டு.  புக்கிட் பெருந்தோங் தொழிலாளர்களின் 26 ஆண்டு போராட்டம்

திங்கள் 18 டிசம்பர் 2017 
 
(ஆர்.குணா) உலு சிலாங்கூர், 

உலு சிலாங்கூர், புக்கிட் பெருந்தோங் தோட் டம், 1991-ஆம் ஆண்டில்  பண்டார் புக்கிட் பெருந்தோங்  மேம்பாட்டிற்காக எடுத்துக் கொள்ளப்பட்ட போது அதன் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு மாற்று வீடுகள் வழங்க வாக்குறுதி அளிக்கப் பட்டது. ஆனால், இன்று 26 ஆண்டுகள் கடந்து விட்ட நிலையில் அத்தோ ட்டத்தின் 54 தொழிலாளர்கள் கேட்கும் கேள்விகள்: 1) எங்கள் வீடுகள் எங்கே 2) எங்களுக்கு கொடுத்த வாக்குறுதி என்ன வானது என்பதுதான். நேற்று அவர்கள் இங்கு மறியலில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

புக்கிட் பெருந்தோங் தோட்டத் தொழிலாளர்களின் வீட்டுப் பிரச்சினை இன்றும் இழுப்பறியாக இருப்பதைக் கண்டு 54 தொழிலாளர்கள் கொந்த ளித்துள்ளனர். நேற்று  தோட்ட நிறுவனத்தின் அலட்சியமான போக்கை எதிர்த்து பிஸ்ஆர்எம் சிவராஜன் தலைமையில் தொழிலாளர்கள் மறியல் நடத்தினர். 

தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு வீடு கட்டித்தரப்படும் என்று தோட்ட நிறுவனம் தந்த வாக்குறுதி காற்றில் பறந்துவிட்டது. வீட்டுடமை திட்டத்தை மேற்கொள்ள விருந்த துணை நிறுவனம் ஒன்று திவாலாகி விட்டது என்ற கட்டுக் கதையினை கட்டவிழ்த்துவிட்டதில் உண்மையில்லை. உண்மையில் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நிறுவனம் செழிப்பாகவும் செழுமையாகவும்  இருக்கிறது. கைவிடப்பட்டுள்ள வீடமைப்பு திட்ட பகுதியினை தொழிலாளர்கள் பார்வையிட்டனர். அங்கே மற்றொரு அதிர்ச்சி காத்திருந்தது. தோட்டத்தின் குடியிருப்பு பகுதியில் அத்துமீறி  செம்பனை கன்றுகள் நட்டு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது.

Read More: MALAYSIA NANBAN NEWS PAPER on 18.12.2017
http://nanban2u.com.my/news_detail.php?nid=3119


Monday, December 18, 2017

US outnumbered 14 to 1 as it vetoes UN vote on status of Jerusalem



The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, says a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is 'an insult which will not be forgotten'. The US used its veto in order to stop the resolution passing, after every other security council member supported it. US outnumbered 14 to 1 as it vetoes UN vote on status of Jerusalem.

US outnumbered 14 to 1 as it vetoes UN vote on status of Jerusalem
Published on 18 Dec 2017



A UN security council resolution calling for the withdrawal of Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has been backed by every council member except the US, which used its veto.

The unanimity of the rest of the council was a stark rebuke to the Trump administration over its unilateral move earlier this month, which upended decades of international consensus.

The Egyptian-drafted resolution did not specifically mention the US or Trump but expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem”.

A spokesman for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, responded to the veto by saying it was “unacceptable and threatens the stability of the international community because it disrespects it”.

The UK and France had indicated in advance that they would would back the text, which demanded that all countries comply with pre-existing UNSC resolutions on Jerusalem, dating back to 1967, including requirements that the city’s final status be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The resolution was denounced in furious language by the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, who described it as “an insult” that would not be forgotten. “The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy,” she said.

“It’s scandalous to say we are putting back peace efforts,” she added. “The fact that this veto is being done in defence of American sovereignty and in defence of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the security council.”

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, tweeted: “Thank you, Ambassador Haley. On Hanukkah, you spoke like a Maccabi. You lit a candle of truth. You dispel the darkness. One defeated the many. Truth defeated lies. Thank you, President Trump.”

The tabling of the resolution followed a weekend of negotiations aimed at securing the widest consensus possible on the issue. The vote has underlined once again the widespread international opposition to the US move, even among some of its closest allies.

It came ahead of a trip by the US vice-president, Mike Pence, to Jerusalem on Wednesday that will take place amid a deep rupture in US-Palestinian relations.

The Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party has called for a day of demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories to coincide with the Pence trip.

Palestinian officials had warned that in the event of a US veto on the security council, they would also seek a resolution at the general assembly.

The push for a vote – which came in the knowledge that the US would use its veto – followed Trump’s decision to upend decades of policy by declaring that the US recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and that he plans to move its embassy there.

Speaking before the vote, the UK’s ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, said the text was in line with London’s position on Jerusalem as an issue that must be resolved through negotiations.

In an apparent rejection of the authority of the security council, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Dann, said ahead of the vote: “Members of the council can vote again and again — for a hundred more times. It won’t change the simple fact that Jerusalem is, has been, and always will be the capital of Israel.”
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U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution rejecting Trump’s decision on Jerusalem
By Carol Morello December 18



The United States blocked a Security Council resolution Monday at the United Nations that would have rejected President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s vote marked the Trump administration’s first Security Council veto. All 14 other members supported the resolution, underscoring the U.S. isolation on the issue.

Haley said she cast the veto “in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process.”
''Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in reversal of long U.S. policy''

The draft of the resolution, called for by Egypt, did not name the United States or Trump. It expressed “deep regret at certain decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem,” and asserted that “Jerusalem is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations.” It further declared as null and void “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition” of the city, and urged countries not to establish diplomatic missions in the city.

Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital and start lengthy preparations to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv has been criticized by all the Arab countries and many U.S. allies, including fellow Security Council members France and Britain.

It comes as Vice President Pence is preparing to visit Israel later this week. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has refused to meet with him because of the decision, a move the White House called “unfortunate.” Israeli media reported Monday that the rabbi with authority over the Western Hall declined to grant Pence permission to hold a news conference at the site. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation said they were in “discussions” in advance of Pence’s visit.

Jerusalem’s status is one of the most thorny and emotional issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967, annexed it and has since expanded the city’s boundaries. It considers Jerusalem its undivided and eternal capital. The Palestinians desire to make East Jerusalem the capital of an eventual Palestinian state. In deference to the principle that Jerusalem’s status be determined in the final stages of negotiations — which have been frozen since 2014 — all countries have situated their embassies in Tel Aviv, a roughly 45-minute drive from Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted his gratitude for the U.S. veto.

“Thank you, Ambassador Haley,” he wrote. “On Hanukkah, you spoke like a Maccabi. You lit a candle of truth. You dispel the darkness. One defeated the many. Truth defeated lies. Thank you, President Trump.”

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, called the U.S. veto a “provocation” that he said “will not help in creating peace in the region.”

During the Security Council session, U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said that since a 2016 resolution demanding a halt to settlement activity in East Jerusalem, construction had continued unabated, and there has been an increase in violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The resolution passed with 14 votes, and an abstention by the United States under the Obama administration. Mladenov warned against more unilateral actions, saying the lack of a peace proposal is “undermining moderates and empowering radicals.”

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Security Council resolutions criticizing Israel’s actions in Jerusalem will not change history.

“It’s time for all countries to recognize that Jerusalem always was and always will be the capital of the Jewish people and the capital of Israel,” he said.


Ruth Eglash, in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.

UN Security Council to weigh resolution on Jerusalem

The leaked Egyptian-drafted resolution affirms "that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council".
The resolution, however, is widely expected to face a US veto, which would render it futile.  

UN Security Council to weigh resolution on Jerusalem

The draft resolution calls on all UN member states not to move their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem [File: Richard Drew/AP Photo] 
The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Monday on a draft resolution rejecting the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump made the announcement.

Trump declared the move on on December 6, saying at the time that the US would be moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The leaked Egyptian-drafted resolution obtained by Al Jazeera, however, does not mention the United States by name, saying it "deeply regrets recent decisions regarding the status of Jerusalem".

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York, said it was understood that countries such as Egypt and the UK "wanted to try and keep the language as neutral as possible in a - possibly vain - attempt to keep the US from exercising its Security Council veto".

This caused "a degree of anger" to Palestinian delegates who "wanted to single out the US by name", added Hanna.

As it stood by Sunday night, the leaked text was a restatement of the UN's position on Jerusalem as outlined through decades of Security Council and General Assembly's resolutions, our correspondent noted.

It affirms "that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council".

The text also calls on all UN member states not to move their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem.

Unlikely to pass

The resolution, however, is widely expected to face a US veto, which would render it futile.

The Security Council consists of five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, as well as 10 non-permanent members.

A veto from any of the five permanent members would block the resolution from passing.

Hanna said that the there may be efforts by the Palestinians and Turkey to take the issue to the UN General Assembly if the US vetoes the resolution.

"It would appear that that veto is likely to happen with Israel's enthusiastic backing, which describes the resolution as a Palestinian attempt to reinvent history, despite the fact that it is routed on UN resolutions as they stand at present," added Hanna.

Mass rallies

Trump's declaration fuelled widespread anger and protests within Palestine and across the world, with the latest and largest demonstration  taking place on Monday in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, where some 80,000 people rallied outside the US embassy in the city.

Since the decision, nine Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,900 people have been injured in protests in the occupied territories.

Due to Jerusalem's importance to the three Abrahamic religions - Islam, Judaism, and Christianity - the city's status has long been the main sticking point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

After occupying the city's eastern part in the 1967 War, Israel annexed the territory. In 1980, it proclaimed it as its "eternal, undivided capital."

Israel's control and sovereignty over the city are not recognised by any country in the world and, as of now, all embassies in Israel are based in Tel Aviv, although some countries have based their consulate offices in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, however, see East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

They have warned that any change to the status quo would mean the end of the peace process premised on a two-state solution.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

Catalan election to return hung parliament - poll



File Photo: pro-secession Demo
Catalan election to return hung parliament - poll
Sonya Dowsett

MADRID (Reuters) - An election in Catalonia will fail to conclusively resolve a political crisis over an independence drive in the region, the final surveys before the Dec. 21 vote showed on Friday.

Ciudiadanos party leader in Catalonia, Ines Arrimadas (C), walks under umbrellas during a campaign stop in Figueres, Spain, December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Albert Gea
The ballot will result in a hung parliament, a Metroscopia poll showed, with parties favouring unity with Spain tipped to gain a maximum of 62 seats and pro-secession factions 63, both short of a majority in the region’s 135-seat legislature.

Spain’s worst political crisis since its transition to democracy four decades ago erupted in October, when Madrid cracked down on an independence referendum it had declared illegal and took control of the wealthy northeastern region.

The standoff has bitterly divided society, led to a business exodus and tarnished Spain’s rosy economic prospects, with the central bank on Friday blaming events in Catalonia for a cut in its growth forecasts for 2018 and 2019.

Both the Metroscopia poll, published in El Pais, and a second survey in another newspaper, La Razon, predicted a record turnout for a Catalan election.

But the vote looks likely to trigger weeks of haggling between different parties to try to form a government.

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is campaigning from Brussels, where he moved shortly after he was fired by Madrid following a unilateral declaration of independence by the region.

With Friday the last day polls were permitted before the ballot, the El Pais survey - which questioned 3,300 people in Catalonia between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13 - showed his party winning 22 seats.

Pro-unity party Ciudadanos, which has backed the minority central government of Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party (PP) in parliamentary votes, will win most seats, closely followed by pro-independence ERC.

But at a maximum of 36 for Ciudadanos and 33 for ERC, both fall far short of the 68 seats needed for a majority.

The survey’s inconclusive split between pro-unity and pro-independence parties would leave the regional offshoot of left-wing party Podemos, which supports unity but wants a referendum on independence, as potential kingmaker.

Further muddying the waters, its leader Xavier Domenech favours a left-wing alliance across parties that both back and reject independence.

The La Razon poll, which surveyed 1,000 Catalans also between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13, showed parties in favour of independence winning 66 seats and unity supporters 60, leaving the Catalan Podemos arm with nine.

Editing by Paul Day and John Stonestreet

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

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الشعبية تؤبن الشهداء وتدعو إلى التصعيد في مواجهة جرائم الاحتلال


الشعبية تؤبن الشهداء وتدعو إلى التصعيد في مواجهة جرائم 


 صادر عن الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين

الشعبية تؤبن الشهداء وتدعو إلى التصعيد في مواجهة جرائم الاحتلال

توجهت الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين بتحية الفخر والاعتزاز والشموخ والكبرياء إلى الشهداء الأبطال الذين ارتقوا اليوم في كل من غزة والضفة المحتلة في المواجهات الدائرة مع الاحتلال دفاعاً عن عروبة وفلسطينية القدس، متمنية الشفاء العاجل للجرحى ومصابين الاشتباكات.

واعتبرت الجبهة أن استمرار تدفق شلال الدم الفلسطيني الهادر من خيرة أبناء شعبنا ليروي ثرى الوطن من أجل فلسطين والقدس والثوابت، وفي مقدمتهم الشهداء الأربعة الذين ارتقوا اليوم محمد عقل، وباسل إبراهيم، وياسر سكر، والشهيد إبراهيم أبو ثريا الذي لم يغادر ساحة المواجهات شرقي غزة منذ أيام رغم فقدانه أطرافه حتى لحظة استشهاده، لهو تأكيد على إرادة وعزيمة وصلابة وعطاء هذا الشعب، كما تؤكد على حجم الجريمة التي يرتكبها هذا الاحتلال المجرم




ووقفت الجبهة أمام حدث استشهاد الجريح المناضل أبو ثريا هذا العامل الكادح في ساحة الاشتباك المفتوح مع الاحتلال، مجسداً إرادة الطبقات الشعبية الفلسطينية الكادحة التي تدفع دائماً ضريبة التحرير.

كما وجهت الجبهة تحية تقدير واعتزاز وتثمين إلى جماهير شعبنا الفلسطيني الذين نزلوا اليوم بالآلاف إلى شوارع القدس والضفة وغزة في جمعة الغضب، ليؤكدوا بأن القدس كانت وستبقى وستظل عاصمة دولة فلسطين الأبدية.

كما حيت الجبهة الجماهير العربية التي عبّرت عن رفضها للقرار الأمريكي بنزولها إلى الشوارع والميادين العربية وخصوصاً في الأردن وسوريا وعمان، داعية إياهم إلى المزيد من مسيرات الغضب دعماً لفلسطين والقدس، وإلى ملاحقة وفضح رموز التطبيع.

وقالت الجبهة: " لقد وحدت مدينة القدس أبناء شعبنا في أقوى رسالة للعدوين الصهيوني والأمريكي بأن هذا الشعب الأبي مصمم على النضال وعلى التمسك بالثوابت وبالقدس عاصمة أبدية له وبالتصدي للقرار الأمريكي بشأنها، كما وحد هذا القرار الأحمق أيضاً الجماهير العربية التي عادت من جديد لتملأ الشوارع من أجل قضيتهم المركزية".

وحيت الجبهة سواعد الانتفاضة الفتية والتي حوّلت الطرق الالتفافية ومواقع التماس مع الاحتلال والمستوطنات إلى نار وجحيم على جنود الاحتلال والمستوطنين، داعية إياهم إلى المزيد من الضربات ضدهم وإلى الاستمرار في إمطارهم بالحجارة والزجاجات الحارقة.

كما دعت الجبهة جماهير شعبنا إلى مزيد من الوحدة والتلاحم واستمرار الحراك الشعبي والجماهيري وتصعيد وتائره وزخمه، وصولاً لانتفاضة شعبية شاملة ضد الاحتلال، فهي الوسيلة الكفيلة لمواجهة جرائم الاحتلال وتحطيم عربدة الإدارة الأمريكية وتجبرها على التخلي عن قرارها المتعلق بالقدس.

كما توجهت الجبهة بالتحية إلى أحرار العالم والمتضامنين مع قضيتنا والذين خرجوا إلى الشوارع تعبيراً عن رفضهم للقرار الأمريكي، وتأييداً ودعماً للقضية الفلسطينية وللقدس، داعية إياهم للاستمرار في تفعيل المقاطعة  الشاملة للاحتلال، وإلى محاصرة السفارات الأمريكية والصهيونية.

وختمت الجبهة بيانها بتجديد دعوتها لضرورة المضي قدماً في إنجاز المصالحة والوحدة، ومطالبة القيادة الفلسطينية بالتقاط رسالة الجماهير الشعبية التي خرجت بالآلاف دعماً للقدس، وإلى اتخاذ إجراءات ترتقي لمستوى تضحيات شعبنا، وعلى رأسها سحب الاعتراف بالكيان الصهيوني، والتحلل من اتفاقية أوسلو والتزاماتها الأمنية والاقتصادية والسياسية.

الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين

قطاع غزة

15/12/2017

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