Embassy of the State of Palestine

(Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel and the Palestinians on Monday to revive stalled peace talks, warning that the alternative was a "negative spiral of responses."

PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, strongly condemned the Israeli Supreme Court's decision to allow an Israeli construction company to move forward with the construction of 700 new housing units in the illegal settlement of Alei Zahav:

BRUSSELS : The European Union on Friday condemned Israel’s reported plans to build more than 1,000 new settler homes in east Jerusalem as a threat to the peace process.

Palestinian refugee Mohammed Assaf almost didn't get to audition for Arab Idol, but when a fellow competitor heard Assaf sing they let him take their spot.

Arab Idol is an over-the-top TV ratings smash in the Middle East, and a young crooner from a Palestinian refugee family, whom admirers have nicknamed "the Rocket", is stealing the show.

The surprise breakout of the second season is a 23-year-old Gaza Strip resident named Mohammed Assaf, whose patriotic folk songs and romantic ballads - with their themes of grit, longing and love - have propelled him into the final rounds.

In response to yesterday’s opening statement at the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said:
“We welcome High Commissioner Pillay’s opening statement at the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council, her concern for ‘the widespread detention of Palestinians – nearly 5,000 of whom are currently detained by Israel, many without charges,’ and the condemnation of Israel’s continued illegal settlement campaign which is “a blatant violation of international law.’”

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a report on the state of global education and MSN.com used that report as the basis of this top 10 ranking of the smartest countries in the world. In the last twenty years the number of people pursuing a post-secondary education has risen some 200%. In the World Happiness Report, education and the opportunity to pursue education factored greatly into the happiness of citizens in any given country. This means that education has added impact than just the obvious opportunities it represents for students’ futures.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A group of 80 international aid agencies urged the European Union on Saturday to follow through on pledges it made last year to back Palestinian communities seen as vulnerable to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

Not enough action has been taken since EU foreign ministers last May urged Israel to ease curbs to growth on Palestinian villages and criticised its settlement policies, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) said in a report.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced $4.6 million to help Palestinian refugees, including those affected by the conflict in Syria.

Senator Carr announced Australian support during a meeting with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi in Lebanon today (overnight May 24-25 AEST).

In response to Israel’s most recent unilateral violations of international law, including plans to legalize settler ‘outposts,’ and the increase in settler violence against the Palestinian people and their resources, PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said:
“Such an announcement to legalize four settler outposts in the territory of the State of Palestine (that were supposed to be demolished in2003) shows the truth of an ongoing Israeli policy to create facts on the ground. It preempts the Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the region next week, and makes a mockery at any attempt to launch viable negotiations. These actions send a clear message to both the Obama administration and to the Palestinian people that Israel is committed more to land theft than to peacemaking.”

The statement declares, “We, the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, watched with sorrowful hearts the horrific scenes of the brutal treatment of our clergy, people, and pilgrims in the Old City of Jerusalem during Holy Saturday last week. A day of joy and celebration was turned to great sorrow and pain for some of our faithful because they were ill-treated by some Israeli policemen who were present around the gates of the Old City and passages that lead to the Holy Sepulchre.”