Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 30 March 2017
Israel slashes dues to UN following anti-Israel votes

IAN DEITCH following votes critical of Is- Under Article 19 of the U.N. lion of its dues will put the an entrenched U.N. bias
EDITH M. LEDERER rael at the Geneva-based Charter, any country in ar- country in arrears, but it against the Jewish state
Associated Press Human Rights Council. rears of its dues payments won’t immediately lose its and an obsession with the
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel The General Assembly re- in an amount that equals vote in the world body. Palestinian issue at the ex-
announced Wednesday it quires all 193 U.N. member or exceeds the contribu- Nahshon said the money pense of other crises and
is reducing its required pay- states to pay a percentage tions due for two preceding held back from the United human rights issues around
ment to the United Nations of the United Nations’ regu- years can lose its vote in the Nations will be used for the globe.
by $2 million following re- lar budget, based on their General Assembly. As of development projects in But Israel is especially criti-
cent “anti-Israel” votes. GDP. According to the U.N. March 15, three countries countries that support Israel cal of the makeup of the
Foreign Ministry spokesman Secretariat, Israel is expect- were banned from voting in international organiza- Human Rights Council
Emmanuel Nahshon said ed to pay about $11 million because of arrears — Lib- tions. whose members include
the decision to reduce the this year, or 0.43 percent of ya, Sudan and Venezuela. Israel and the United States Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Chi-
annual payment was taken the regular budget. Israel’s refusal to pay $2 mil- decry what they see as na and Cuba.q

Arab leaders ready to work with Trump on Mideast peace deal

K. LAUB some Arab countries would
M. DARAGHMEH precede a deal with the
Associated Press Palestinians. Abbas has
DEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) — vehemently opposed this
Arab leaders on Wednes- idea, fearing it would fur-
day relaunched a peace ther weaken Palestinian
plan that offers Israel full negotiating positions.
ties in exchange for Pales- The Palestinians want to set
tinian statehood, signaling up a state in the West Bank,
to President Donald Trump Gaza Strip and east Jerusa-
that they are ready to en- lem, lands Israel captured
gage if he tries to broker a in 1967. Israeli Prime Minister
broader Mideast peace. Benjamin Netanyahu has
Host Jordan said the one- said he is willing to negoti-
day Arab summit held on ate the terms of Palestin-
the shores of the Dead Sea ian statehood, but rejects
sent a “message of peace” a partition of Jerusalem
— though one that could and, like his predecessors,
put new pressure on Israel has expanded Israeli settle-
to withdraw from lands it ments on occupied lands.
occupied in the 1967 Mid- Netanyahu has not formal-
east war. ly abandoned his stated
The gathering came ahead support for the two-state
of White House meetings in A section of twenty one kings, presidents and top officials from the Arab League summit pose for solution, but has stopped
coming weeks between a group photo, at a gathering near the Dead Sea in Jordan on Wednesday, March 29, 2017. With mentioning it in his speech-
the exception of Syria, whose chair sits empty, all Arab states are participating in the annual event
es since Trump was elect-
Trump and three Arab lead- aiming to work on regional solutions to conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Syria while tackling ed. Instead, he has made
ers — Jordan’s King Abdul- extremism, poverty and worries over the new American administration. vague statements about
lah II, Egyptian President (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) seeking a region-wide
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and including a campaign have since endorsed the reverberate positively peace agreement.
Palestinian President Mah- promise to move the U.S. two-state solution. throughout the region and Israeli Cabinet minister Is-
moud Abbas. The trio met Embassy in Israel to con- Trump’s international en- the world,” the U.S. Em- rael Katz suggested after
on the sidelines of the sum- tested Jerusalem and sug- voy, Jason Greenblatt, at- bassy in Jordan said. The the summit ended that Is-
mit to consolidate positions gestions that there are al- tended the summit and envoy focused on making rael is ready to cooperate
ahead of the White House ternatives to a two-state held talks with Abbas and tangible progress, a state- with Arab states, including
meetings, officials said. solution, caused alarm the foreign ministers of Jor- ment said. in countering shared se-
Trump hasn’t yet formulat- among some Arab leaders. dan, Egypt and Qatar. In reaffirming the 2002 Arab curity threats, while “also
ed a policy on the Israeli- However, an embassy Greenblatt affirmed Peace Initiative, the sum- advancing initiatives to im-
Palestinian conflict, but has move no longer appears Trump’s belief that an Is- mit undercut Israel’s pro- prove the conditions of the
said he is eager to broker a imminent, and some Trump raeli-Palestinian deal “is not posal of a regional peace Palestinians” in the West
deal. His initial comments, administration officials only possible, but would in which normalization with Bank and Gaza.q
Iraqi officials: Suicide truck bombing kills 15 in Baghdad

MURTADA FARAJ and hospital officials said, the attack, but the Islamic have liberated eastern Mo- A number of airstrikes in
Associated Press speaking on condition of State group has carried out sul, which is separated from western Mosul have result-
BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide anonymity under regula- similar attacks as their terri- the city’s western neighbor- ed in high civilians casual-
truck bomb targeted a po- tions. torial hold in Iraq weakens. hoods by the Tigris River. ties, according to residents
lice checkpoint in southern Three policemen were Iraqi forces are fighting IS in Western Mosul is densely interviewed by The Associ-
Baghdad on Wednesday among the dead while the western Mosul, where some populated and has proven ated Press.
night, killing 15 people and rest were civilians, and a 2,000 IS fighters are launch- to be a much more difficult The U.S.-led coalition says
wounding 45, according to number of policemen were ing fierce counterattacks. fight for Iraqi and coalition
Iraqi officials. also wounded, the officials After the beginning the op- forces, which have resort- a strike in western Mosul on
The bomber detonated the said. eration to retake Mosul in ed to greater use of artillery March 17 likely resulted in
vehicle, an oil tanker laden No one immediately October, Iraqi authorities and airstrikes to clear and civilian casualties and is in-
with explosives, security claimed responsibility for in January declared they hold territory. vestigating the incident.q