T. Belman. Bottom line is that Israel is ready to allow such a port so long as it is managed my the PA. Discussions along these lines have been going on since 2011 at least. Israel, who recently released NIS500 million in tax receipts collected by Israel, to the PA, obviously has a plan for future relations with the PA that has not been publicly debated.
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories rejects Hamas statements about imminent deal on construction of sea port in Gaza, saying such an agreement can only be reached with PA.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai, stressed on Friday that there are no negotiations with Turkey on the construction of a sea port in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to Saudi media, Mordechai said any possible agreement on the construction of a sea port in Gaza will be reached with the Palestinian Authority and not with Hamas.
Israel and Turkey have been holding talks on normalizing ties after a 2010 IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla trying to break the blockade on Gaza, left 10 Turkish citizens dead.
The COGAT’s statements came in response to a series of comments and declarations made by Hamas officials over the past few weeks, claiming that the construction of a sea port in Gaza was part of the reconciliation talks between Israel and Turkey and that the sides were not far from reaching an agreement on the issue.
The latest Hamas official to make these claims was Khalil al-Hayya, who claimed on Thursday that the only obstacle left in the way of Jerusalem and Ankara reaching an agreement on the normalization of ties was the Turkish condition to lift the Israeli blockade over Gaza. Al-Hayya tied that to the construction of a sea port in the Strip.
The fact Israel has set a condition that a future Gaza sea port will be controlled and managed by the Palestinian Authority creates a problem for Hamas, as it will force it to reach its own reconciliation agreement with Fatah, which rules the PA.
So far, Hamas has rejected out of hand the condition to give the PA control over Gaza’s border crossings, including a sea port, as it would detract from the organization’s power in the Strip.
Reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah have been stagnant even after the latest round of talks held in Qatar last month.
A Palestinian official told Ynet recently that the top officials in the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah are not putting their hopes in the Qatari effort to restart the reconciliation talks. A Fatah delegation arrived to the talks merely out of respect to the Qataris, and not because they see any importance in the process.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/352719#.VtJZJ-ZGh2A
@ watsa46:
No One has made any concessions on the port with Turkey it is they wanted to settle our differences and potentially buy gas.
There are several things on the table.
At El Arish it would still need to go via Israel inspections at the Karem HaShalom crossing. Israel might agree to this. Gazans would not. Israel is insisting on Israeli inspection of cargo. Guess what they will not agree to.
So what they want Israel will not agree to. What Israel would agree to perhaps they will not agree to. That is why this is all talk and will not happen in the real world. Yaalon and the Prime Minister insist on it this way.
Since when is there a significant difference btw PA and Hamas?
Both have identical goals. Why make one way or any concessions to Turkey of all? Set-up or deception are the 2 only choices offered by Erdo!
I would never trust even El Arish.
@ bernard ross:
The Turks wanted this and we are talking them.
take note folks, they just extended the detention orders on jews with no evidence and release hamas terrorists while jews are knifed and hamas builds tunnels. Who can take this MO seriously? Obviously whatever is “not being publicly debated” supersedes all possible existential dangers to the Jewish people. Perhaps folks here will start to wake up to the massive effect of that which “hasn’t been publicly debated” on the safety and lives of the people of Israel.
Of special note: within a few minutes this story was removed from the main headlines section of the first page of the website to further down the page.
Bear Klein Said:
why would anyone in gov be discussing it while jews are knifed by pals in YS and hamas builds tunnels in gaza….???????
In other words in the real world this is not happening!
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.705082
Gosh Ted, that is one step shy of what I have been saying for years only instead of calling it “not publicly debated” I called it “understandings under the table” AND it was not future but already in existence. If you go back now to all those things I mentioned since Pillar of defense cease fire you will see that so much of what BB did that makes no sense, in terms of his right wing image, only make sense when you factor in these….ahem….factors which were not “publicly debated”. You will find that they are surprisingly consistent predictable models for what he will do next. That is why I can easily tell which announcements will dribble to nothingness: levy, deporting terror families, withholding taxes, labeling, soft touch on PA, soft touch on gaza, eu building, etc etc.
sometimes even a brick on the head is not enough to see clearly.
I dont necessarily agree on the island port with Turkey. BB will do what is agreeable to the GCC and right now they appear to instruct egypt to leash and starve hamas. Also, any island port is big money… and folks want their cuts…. follow the money. I suspect that big money is made with abbas and sisi and the PA working in tandem.
Which may be never! Will they disarm this was part of the criteria last time I checked. This is just talk and hot air at this point.