WEST BANK: Palestinians protest against the visit of United States Secretary of State John Kerry to West Bank city of Bethlehem

Record ID: 564730

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians protest against the visit of United States Secretary of State John Kerry to West Bank city of Bethlehem
  • Date: 6th November 2013
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 6, 2013) (REUTERS) PALESTINIANS PROTESTING AGAINST KERRY'S VISIT TO BETHLEHEM PROTESTERS CARRYING POSTER READING IN ARABIC 'NO FOR NEGOTIATIONS AS BUILDING SETTLEMENTS CONTINUE' MAN CARRYING PALESTINIAN FLAG PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AHLAM SAMHAN, PROTESTER, SAYING: "Palestinian factions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization oppose Kerry's visit to Palestine and to the Jesus's birthplace of Bethlehem. We tell him today that we, the Palestinian people, we want peace and we want negotiations but peace should be fair, and guarantee the right of return, self-determination, Palestinian state, release of all prisoners, and settlements expansion should stop." PROTESTERS CARRYING PALESTINIAN FLAGS PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES MAN CHANTING SIGN READING IN ENGLISH 'NO NEGOTIATIONS AS THE SETTLEMENTS EXPANSION' MORE OF PROTEST
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA9VJ6EB5XS9IY1AYKXYRDOQM7C
  • Story Text: Palestinians opposing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to West Bank held a small protest in Bethlehem on Wednesday (November 6) ahead of his arrival for talks with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
    The protesters accused the U.S. of being biased in the ongoing peace talks and demanded a complete stop of settlements expansion by Israel.

    "Palestinian factions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization oppose Kerry's visit to Palestine and to the Jesus's birthplace of Bethlehem. We tell him today that we, the Palestinian people, we want peace and we want negotiations but peace should be fair, and guarantee the right of return, self-determination, Palestinian state, release of all prisoners, and settlements expansion should stop," said a female protester Ahlam Samhan at a rally in Bethlehem.
    Kerry is due to meet Abbas later in the afternoon in Bethlehem after a brief visit to the church of Nativity.
    Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said peace talks with the Palestinians had failed to make real progress and that he hoped Kerry could get them back on track.
    The grim picture painted by the right-wing leader was similar to the one sketched by top Palestinians who have said an Israeli plan for 3,500 more settler homes in the occupied West Bank was a major obstacle to the success of the negotiations.
    The settlements that Israel has built in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories it captured in a 1967 Middle East war, are considered illegal by most countries. Israel cites historical and biblical links to the areas, where about 500,000 Israelis now live alongside 2.5 million Palestinians.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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