US Mideast peace plan will not pass: Palestine president
Ramallah, July 9 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said in a meeting of his Fatah Party's Central committee that US President Donald Trump's Mideast peace deal, also known as the deal of the century, "will not pass".
Abbas, who chaired the meeting on Sunday, held at his office in Ramallah, said "we won't let the deal of the century pass", Xinhua news agency reported.
He said "the Arab states also oppose the deal," which aims at resolving decades long of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We informed the world that we are against the deal of the century, we won't accept it and we won't let it pass," Abbas told the committee's members, adding "we would like to reiterate that our Arab brothers asserted to us that they are against it."
He added that "countries in the world, in Europe, Asia and Africa started to realise that the deal of the century will not pass," in reference to the peace plan Trump administration is intending to declare soon.
Ties between the US and the Palestinian Authority deteriorated when Trump declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Ties worsened after the US embassy to Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
Last direct US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in 2014 after nine months without any breakthrough due to deep difference on issues of settlement, security and borders.
Meanwhile, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian rejection to the Israeli decision of cutting the PA fund, or allowances the PA pays to the families of the prisoners and those killed by Israel in the Palestinian territories.
"We are still waiting and we will take the proper measures that fit with our interests," Abbas said. "Those are our prisoners and martyrs, and we have been paying them their allowances since 1965."
Talking about moving up the stalled file of reconciliation with rival Islamic Hamas movement, which has been controlling the Gaza Strip since 2007, Abbas said that there are talks that Egypt is holding with Hamas movement "in this respect".
"We told Egypt that if Hamas really wants to make reconciliation, it should transfer all power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian consensus government, and if not, they should bear the full responsibility of Gaza," said Abbas.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
