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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

Boy, 11, killed in border shooting The Guardian 1/23/2004 An 11-year-old Palestinian boy has been killed and two other youths wounded by Israeli soldiers in a highly sensitive area close to the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The boy's family claimed that Mohsan Daur, from the Jebaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, was out hunting birds with a group of friends when he was shot and killed by soldiers on alert for Palestinian militants attempting to cross into Israel. Kin: Dead Palestinian Boy Was Hunting Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2004 Gaza's border fence said his nephew and several other boys were just hunting birds, but the Israeli army said troops opened fire because they believed militants were trying to sneak into Israel. The boy killed Thursday, Mohsan Daur, was from the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Troops shot toward the boys, who turned out to be unarmed, in an area where Palestinian militants have repeatedly planted explosives or tried to sneak into Israel, the army said. The area, along the fence between Gaza and Israel, has been off limits to Palestinians during more than three years of fighting. Israeli general urges rethink on West Bank roadblocks Middle East Online 1/23/2004 JERUSALEM - The general who heads Israel's "civil administration" in the West Bank called Friday for a major rethink on the scores of army roadblocks that impede Palestinian movement across the territory. "The attitude of the soldiers who man the roadblocks must be completely changed and some must be removed," General Ilan Paz said in an interview with Israel's top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot. Hamas remains defiant Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 22 - 28 January 2004 Israeli threats to assassinate Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, leave Hamas leaders unimpressed. Khaled Amayreh reports from the West Bank -- After a series of bloody incursions by the Israeli occupation forces into Palestinian population centres had left scores of Palestinians dead and injured, Hamas retaliated on 14 January by carrying out its first suicide bombing in more than two months. In response to the attack, which killed three soldiers and a security guard, Israel threatened to assassinate Hamas leader and founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Israel introduces 'anti-human bomb' buses Middle East Online 1/23/2004 JERUSALEM - Israel has come up with a new system aimed to stop suicide bombers boarding buses before blowing themselves up, by detecting the explosives they are carrying. The system, developed by Israeli Military Industries, takes the form of a turnstile fitted with shields that contain sensors which can detect explosive materials and metals at a distance of up to a meter (yard) from the bus....Maariv also revealed that Israel's foreign ministry had decided to back an initiative by Zaka - the religious organization in charge of collecting human remains after bombings - to send the charred carcass of a bus to the International Court of Justice in the Hague. UN likely to continue peacekeeping mission in Lebanon Daily Star 1/23/2004 BEIRUT: The “fragile stability” along the Lebanon-Israel border is likely to ensure that the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon will face no obstacles in having its mandate renewed for a further six months when the UN Security Council meets next week, diplomats say. News Briefs: Settlers protected by army International Middle East Media Center 1/23/2004 Settlers in Nablus protected by the army: Hundreds of settlers entered Nablus last night protected by the military claiming that the want to visit the holy site of Joseph's tomb in the city. Sources mentioned that they did some constructing in the site.

Diplomacy..

Weissglas to Rice: Israel won't annex territory Jerusalem Post 1/23/2004 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weissglas guaranteed US national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, in their meeting Thursday that Sharon's disengagement plan does not include the annexation of territory. The two met to review Israel's security fence and an impending discussion of the matter at The Hague, prospects for reviving the road map, and Sharon's possible plan of unilateral disengagement from the Palestinians in the event talks breakdown completely. Security fence likely to be rerouted Maariv 1/23/2004 The PM’s bureau chief met with NSA Condoleezza Rice on Thursday. They discussed the security fence and Sharon’s disengagement plan. -- Dov Weisglas, head of the Prime Minister’s office, met with U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice Thursday night. The meeting focused on the route of the security fence and the Prime Minister’s disengagement plan. Israel’s ambassador the the U.S Danny Ayalon and Shalom Turgeman, the Prime Minister’s political advisor, were also present. U.S. Advice To Israelis: Don't Start Syria Talks Forward 1/23/2004 WASHINGTON — The Bush administration recently advised the Israeli government against taking up the offer of Syrian President Bashar Assad to resume peace negotiations, Israeli and American diplomats in Washington confirmed. The administration, according to sources, voiced several concerns regarding Assad's recent public claims that he is willing to resume peace negotiations with Israel. Veteran US Diplomat Djerejian to Explore Syrian, Israeli Intentions Virtual Jerusalem 1/23/2004 At its wits’ end to pierce the thicket of rhetoric emanating from Damascus and Jerusalem, the White House has plucked the veteran Middle East hand, Edward P. Djerejian, from academia for a fresh initiative to try and decode the conflicting signals broadcast by the Assad regime on whether or not and under what conditions they are prepared to resume peace talks. FM Shalom: ties with Arab states improved since Iraq war Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 DAVOS, Switzerland - Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Thursday that one of the benefits of the Iraq war and the capture of Saddam Hussein was that Arab moderates were no longer afraid to have contacts with Israel. Shalom listed a series of recent meetings with a half-dozen Arab leaders and foreign ministers and suggested he would be meeting "some" Arabs on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, although he did not name any. Sharon to make case for West Bank barrier Middle East Online 1/23/2004 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who faces a bribery scandal at home, will most likely visit Washington next month ahead of an International Court of Justice hearing on the legality of his government's controversial West Bank separation barrier, an Israeli official said Friday. The official, who asked not to be identified, said Sharon had been given "an open invitation" to visit the United States for talks with President George W. Bush. Armitage: Mideast peace efforts at 'stalemate' Middle East Online 1/23/2004 WASHINGTON - Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Thursday that Middle East peace efforts were "at a bit of a stalemate" as two senior US diplomats prepared for a mission to the region to press Israel and the Palestinians to resume talks. Armitage placed blame for the lack of progress on the US-backed roadmap for peace on both Israel and the Palestinians, saying neither side was meeting their obligations under the once-vaunted, but now floundering plan. Sharon Aide: U.S. 'Indifferent' To Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Forward 1/23/2004 JERUSALEM — The Bush administration, while focused intensely on its "grand plan" for remaking the Middle East, is "indifferent to the situation" between Israel and the Palestinians and is unlikely to re-engage until after the November elections, according to Israel's defense minister, Shaul Mofaz. Speaking to the Forward in an exclusive interview this week, Mofaz said the war in Iraq and the U.S. war against terrorism had set off a "domino effect," resulting in "very conclusive" changes in places such as Libya. U.S. pushes for greater NATO role in Middle East Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 BRUSSELS, Belgium - A prominent Republican senator added his voice Friday to an intensifying U.S. drive to persuade NATO to expand its role in the "greater Middle East," with more military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq - and an eventual engagement in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. "The strategic focus of NATO's efforts in the first half of the 21st Century will be the greater Middle East," Sen. Chuck Hagel, of Nebraska, told a seminar attended by ambassadors from the 19 NATO allies and several Arab nations. Israeli-Sudan detente in the works Maariv 1/23/2004 A-Siasa: Israeli delegation visited Sudan to facilitate the immigration of 18,000 Ethiopian Jews. -- An Israeli delegation visited Sudan this week in order to facilitate the immigration of 18,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel, according to a report by Kuwaiti newspaper A-Siasa. European diplomatic sources in Geneva told the newspaper that the delegation, comprised of Foreign Ministry and IDF representatives, was allowed to visit following US intervention. Hague lawyer: ICJ not biased against Israel Jerusalem Post 1/22/2004 Veteran lawyer at The Hague, Philippe Sands, said Thursday that he does not believe that the International Court of Justice is biased against Israel and that the court will issue a ruling that does not disregard political considerations surrounding the West Bank security fence. "There are interests on the court that will be sympathetic to the Palestinian view and there are interests that will be sympathetic to the Israeli view," Sands told The Jerusalem Post. "There may be judges with predispositions one way or another, but I hope these will be set aside and that the court will proceed independently." Annan says UN won't take part in Hague court proceedings Virtual Jerusalem 1/23/2004 Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met Friday morning with United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan. At the meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Shalom raised Israel's objections to the International Court of Justice taking up the security fence issue....The secretary general said that the UN would not be participating in the court proceedings that are due to begin in February in The Hague. Shaath: Talks with Israel need international interference Jerusalem Times 1/22/2004 Nabil Shaath, Minister for Foreign Affairs, called Tuesday for an immediate resumption of negotiations with Israel. Shaath in an official visit to Moscow, said the Palestinians are ready for immediate talks with Israel. [If unable to access this page, go to: http://www.jerusalem-times.net- then enter or paste this address: http://www.jerusalem-times.net/article/news/details/detail.asp?id=4689 - Ed.] Lebanon rejects U.S. demand to rein in Hezbollah Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's government on Friday said a Hezbollah rocket attack that killed an Israeli soldier along the border was an act of self-defense, brushing aside demands by the U.S. ambassador that the government clamp down on the guerrillas. Foreign Minister Jean Obeid, reacting to the U.S. comments, said that "Lebanon and the resistance are engaged in self-defense and are responding to Israel's daily aerial, naval and territorial violations." On fence case at The Hague, U.S. likely will not back Israel Virtual Jerusalem 1/23/2004 The Bush administration does not like the International Court of Justice at The Hague, but it likes the route of Israel’s West Bank security barrier even less. That’s why the administration plans to stay out of a case at The Hague over the security fence — unless Israel demonstrates beforehand that the fence will hew to the West Bank boundary line....Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s top adviser, Dov Weisglass, is in Washington this week to try to persuade the White House to change its mind and come down on Israel’s side in opposing the court’s jurisdiction. Fence may be rerouted at US request Virtual Jerusalem 1/23/2004 An Israeli official present at Thursday's meeting between Prime Minister's Office bureau chief, Dov Weisglass, and U.S. national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, said the route of the West Bank fence was being seriously reconsidered to fall in line wilth U.S. requests. Dov Weisglass is in Washington to hold talks with Condoleezza Rice on the security fence and the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. Crisis Brewing up Between Jordan, Israel over Apartheid Wall Virtual Jerusalem 1/23/2004 A diplomatic crisis is brewing up between Israel and Jordan, bound by a peace treaty signed in 1994, ahead of Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom 's upcoming visit to Amman next week as a result of the Apartheid Wall that Israel is building on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank. Silvan Shalom has confirmed he would be traveling to Jordan next week, expectedly on January 28. Shaath: Possible charges against Sharon impede peace bid Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 DAVOS, Switzerland - Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said on Friday it would be hard to make progress on peace while Israel was preoccupied by a bribery scandal unsettling Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government. "It's very difficult to produce deeper decisions, especially now that the Israelis are going through this period of corruption charges against Mr. Sharon and a possible change of the Israeli government," he told reporters at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Ruling: 56 Islamic states can testify on fence Jerusalem Post 1/23/2004 Fifty-six countries, including Afghanistan and Cameroon, can testify against Israel's security fence through the Organization of the Islamic Conference when the case comes before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on February 23, the court ruled on Thursday. This decision, which follows an ICJ ruling last week that Arab League members may testify, only further cements the deeply held belief by Israelis that the proceedings are biased and it is Israel, not the fence, which ultimately will be on trial. Battle calls for calm after border clashes Daily Star 1/23/2004 US ambassador holds talks with Hariri -- US Ambassador Vincent Battle visited Prime minister Rafik Hariri Thursday and said that contacts have been made with leaders in Israel, Lebanon and Syria in order to guarantee that all sides exercise the maximum degree of self control. He added that there is no use in escalation and it is in the interests of all sides to contain the situation. Facing up to the wall Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 22 - 28 January 2004 Israel's separation wall and threats of transfer have sparked a flurry of Arab diplomatic activity, reports Dina Ezzat-- With just a few weeks to go till the Arab Summit the region faces escalating military tensions with Israel alongside old and new political and legal battles in the occupied territories. Whether the Arab Summit, expected to take place in March in Tunis, can deliver on stability for the Arab world largely depends on developments on the military and political fronts. And no one is being optimistic. Israeli Official Discusses W. Bank Fence The Guardian 1/23/2004 DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Friday that the Palestinians should return to the negotiating table because Israel is ready to make changes in the controversial barrier Israel says is being built in the West Bank to prevent terror attacks. ``The fence is movable,'' he said. Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, Shalom said Israel had pulled back similar fences on the borders with Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon and could do it again. Jordan opposition to rally against wall Al-Jazeera 1/23/2004 Jordanian opposition parties are to protest against the threats to Jordan by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Jordan and to denounce the West Bank separation wall. They have announced that they are organising a march on 19 February in Amman. Shalom in Davos: We expect better contacts with Arabs Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 DAVOS, Switzerland - Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said yesterday that Arab leaders are now more willing to maintain contact with Israel following last year's war in Iraq and the capture of former dictator Saddam Hussein. Shalom said he would travel to Amman next week to meet King Abdullah in what would be the first visit to Jordan by an Israeli foreign minister in three-and-a-half years. Abed Rabbo Rules out Bi-national State Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2004 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and co-author of the Geneva Initiative Yaser Abed Rabbo on Wednesday ruled out a bi-national state in historic Palestine, saying that Palestinians were not interested in becoming “second-class citizens in one state.” Abed Rabbo made the remarks during a panel session last Tuesday at the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland....Seated alongside Abed Rabbo, former Israeli Knesset Speaker and Geneva Accord signatory Avraham Burg criticized Israel's peace-making efforts.

Human Rights..

Palestinian Prisoners Crave More Attention Islam Online 1/19/2004 GAZA CITY, January 19 (IslamOnline.net) - Families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails staged Monday, January 19, their "weekly" sit-in before the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters in Gaza City, crying that the prisoners crave for more care and attention.The weekly march included mothers and children of detainees as well as a number of representatives of national and Islamic powers, shouting slogans in support of releasing their loved ones. Prisons Authority seeks six months isolation for Barghouti Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 The Prisons Authority sought on Thursday to hold jailed Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti in isolation for another six months, saying it would limit his ability to direct attacks from behind bars. A Prisons Authority official said Barghouti had not stopped "his terrorist activity" since arrested by Israeli commandos in the West Bank last year. He is on trial accused of orchestrating Palestinian attacks that killed 26 people. Eyes Wide Open B'tselem B'Tselem has produced a song and music video as part of the organization's campaign against Israel's siege policy. The song - "Eyes Wide Open" - is a remake of a popular Israeli song, featuring well-known Israeli artists. The song's lyrics speak of the need to acknowledge the reality around us. "You have to see the wrong in order to fight it... Don't put on glasses/Rose colored or gray/Look with your eyes/Eyes wide open." The music video features footage taken at roadblocks and checkpoints within the West Bank and shows the daily reality of Israel's siege policy. 700 People To Be Left in Legal Limbo: Nationality Revocation Attacked as Inhumane Palestine Chronicle/Daily Star 1/23/2004 [Lebanon] At least 700 people will find themselves in legal limbo following an announcement last week by Interior Minister Elias Murr that they will be stripped of their nationality. This was the first batch of people whose nationality will be revoked after the Shura Council issued a unanimous ruling last May on a petition presented by the Maronite League challenging the controversial 1994 naturalization decree. Restrictions on visitors to the OPT - more information International Solidarity Movement 1/23/2004 Friends, Many of you have written concerned about the action alert we sent out last week regarding the new restrictions on entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/palsolidarity/message/844 For clarification and further information... Budrus demonstration / Abu Ahmed released International Solidarity Movement 1/22/2004 TREES NOT WALLS! Hundreds March to Plant Trees -- Budrus, RAMALLAH] Hundreds of Palestinians - men and women, old and young, Israelis and Internationals from at least 12 different countries* braved the pouring rain today and marched to plant olive tree saplings where the Israeli government has destroyed trees to build what it calls a "Security Wall." The aims of today's action were: - To take back the land illegally and unjustly bulldozed for the wall (two weeks ago, a beautiful family olive grove) - To call for the International Court of Justice in the Hague to rule against the Wall - To show the Israeli Occupation Forces that the village will not stop their peaceful resistance, despite being shot, beaten and jailed.

Economy..

Palestine Economy in brief Jerusalem Times 1/22/2004 Court orders PIB former chairman to pay debt: Ramallah’s First Court ordered on January 18 that Issam Abu Issa, former chairman and general manager of Palestine International Bank, should pay back over $34 million for money he took from the bank, as well as for damages and court fees.... / PA faces economic crisis: The Palestinian Authority is facing an unprecedented economic crisis and may be unable to meet its February payroll, said Minister of National Economy Maher Masri..../ Alaqsa Fund allocates $11m to cushion adverse effects of separation wall: The Management Committee of the Alaqsa and Alquds Funds has endorsed an allocation of US$ 20 million to finance educational, health and water supply projects for the people of Palestine affected by the separation wall....[If unable to access this page, go to: http://www.jerusalem-times.net- then enter or paste this address: http://www.jerusalem-times.net/article/news/details/detail.asp?id=4679 - Ed.] The economy is treading water Maariv 1/23/2004 Stocks may be on a high, but the economy is still in the doldrums. --We are sorry to ruin the big party in the stock market, but it turns out that as yet there is no reason to celebrate, and the recession is still lurking. We are no longer in deep recession, but the economy is standing still, and at best moving at the speed of a decrepit turtle. Ireland, UNDP form partnership to provide assistance to communities affected by wall Jerusalem Times 1/22/2004 While a great deal has been said and written about the separation barrier constructed by the Government of Israel, and its horrendous effects on the lives of many Palestinians, the Government of Ireland has formed a partnership with UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) to do something about it. [If unable to access this page, go to: http://www.jerusalem-times.net- then enter or paste this address: http://www.jerusalem-times.net/article/news/details/detail.asp?id=4678 - Ed.] Court dismisses Paz - Africa-Israel, Amisragas petitions against gas pipeline cancellation Globes 1/22/2004 Tel Aviv District Court Judge Michal Rubinstein ruled that the tenders committee decision was reasonable and free of unrelated considerations. -- The Tel Aviv District Court today dismissed petitions by the Paz Oil Company - Africa-Israel Investments (TASE:AFIL) consortium and Amisragas against the inter-ministerial tenders committee for natural gas to call off the international tender for the natural gas pipeline project infrastructure. The tender was published in April 2001. Tourist entries from France up 47% in 2003 Globes 1/22/2004 Tourist entries from Great Britain rose 26% to 13,341 in December 2003. -- The number of tourists visiting Israel from France rose 47% in 2003, and the number of tourists from the US rose 28%, compared with 2002. Russian co Altek to own 60% of Dimona silica factory Globes 1/22/2004 Construction of the factory will take two years. 1,200 workers will be employed in construction, and the factory will have 200 employees. -- Sources inform “Globes” that that Russian industrial concern Altek will own 60% of the new silica factory to be built in Dimona. Altek has 15,000 employees. Ephraim Feinblum, who initiated the venture, will own the other 40%.

People..

Tom Hurndall The Guardian 1/22/2004 An aspiring photojournalist and committed peace activist -- In the spring of 2002, Tom Hurndall made a journey around Europe, which then took him on to Egypt and Jordan. He was young, a soon-to-be student, interested in philosophy - and most interested in the contrast between cultures. It was a formative experience. Indeed, an abiding image for his friends is of Tom, who has died aged 22, on his motorcycle, cigarette in hand, riding into the Egyptian desert. Can dialogue bridge Arab-Israeli divide? Daily Star 1/23/2004 2 israeli rabbis attend cairo conference hosted by muslim clerics - ‘As people of faith, we need to talk to and see each other as human beings rather than animals’ -- RAMALLAH, West Bank: On the same day that some 30 Muslim leaders wrapped up a conference in Cairo attended by two senior Israeli rabbis, Canon Andrew White, co-director of the International Center for Reconciliation and the Middle East representative of the Anglican Archbishop, and the Armenian Patriarch in Jerusalem filed a complaint of Jewish harassment of Armenians with the Israeli interior minister. Controversial artist hits back in row with Israel over artwork Middle East Times 1/23/2004 An Israeli-born artist at the centre of a row between Israel and Sweden over an art exhibit hit back Friday at the Israeli government, accusing it of trying to silence critics of its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. In an article published in Swedish daily Expressen Friday, artist Dror Feiler defended his controversial installation at Stockholm's Museum of National Antiquities, claiming that people calling it anti-Semitic were attempting to silence criticism of Israeli policy in the occupied territories. Right of Reply / I do not support expulsion By Benny Morris, Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 ....A central accusation in the letters to Haaretz Magazine ("The judgment of history," January 16) concerned the issue of "ethnic cleansing." I will repeat my words, which apparently did not register (perhaps because of the misleading title on the cover): I do not support the expulsion of Arabs from the territories or from the State of Israel! Such an expulsion would be immoral, and is also unrealistic. What I said was, that if in the future, these communities were to launch massive violence against the State of Israel in combination with a broad assault on Israel by its neighbors, and endanger its survival, expulsions would certainly be in the cards.... Palestinian Student Discusses Barrier Los Angeles Times 1/23/2004 NAZLAT ISSA, West Bank — Mohammed Hussein is surrounded by walls. His family's village in the northern West Bank is outlined in concrete. Workers are putting the last touches on a barricade overlooking his university campus, 45 miles to the south. And last week, he woke up to find 25 feet of towering concrete rising up next to his apartment outside Jerusalem. "That's my new view -- wall," the 19-year-old nursing student says. Palestinian Resistance Activists Yearn For Hajj Islam Online 1/22/2004 GAZA CITY, January 22 (IslamOnline.net) – Probably what afflicts Palestinian resistance activists more than Israel’s state-of-the-art war machine, is their inability to make it for Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. Said Siam, a 47-year-old Palestinian activist, is one of hundreds yearning for the spiritual journey, which physically and financially able Muslims should make once in a lifetime. The major obstacle standing in the way of the long-cherished dream is the decade-old Israeli occupation. Former PLO "Terrorist" Rejects Palestinian Violence and Anti-Semitic Indoctrination SFIndyMedia 1/23/2004 ..."The world does not see the truth about what's happening in the West Bank," Shoebat told a Toronto reporter. "My purpose is to tell the West that they aren't getting the real picture, that what they're seeing is propaganda. I know the truth because I was there, I was part of it. And the truth is, we wanted to kill Jews long before the occupation. I wanted to kill Jews." In the US, Shoebat had worked as a counselor for the Arab Student Organization at Loop College and supported anti-Israel activities. Now he wants to help provide a greater understanding of what is really happening in the Middle East with realistic suggestions on how the situation can improve. As an unlikely ally, Shoebat chose New York-based Rabbi Tovia Singer to aid in his quest. Palestinians rally for Sheikh Yasin Al-Jazeera 1/23/2004 Some 2500 sympathisers of the Islamic group Hamas have taken to the streets of the northern West Bank city of Nablus in support of its spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, whom Israel has threatened to kill. The crowd departed from Nablus' Old City al-Nasir Mosque on Friday and marched towards the centre of town. Khair el-din Haseeb: The key to Arab unity lies in democracy Daily Star 1/23/2004 Secretary-general of Center for Arab Unity Studies speaks up on challenges facing region’s development -- BEIRUT: It’s been a long day for Khair el-din Haseeb, who leans back in his brown leather armchair with a tired smile. Aides are scurrying in and out of his spacious Hamra office,which is replete with large paintings, plush sofas and walls lined with books. Next to Haseeb’s desk are portraits of each of his three children ­ a black and white picture of a serious young boy, two fading pictures of his smiling daughters. Israeli Innovator Eyes American Schools Forward 1/23/2004 Yaacov Hecht helped transform the school system in Israel. Now he has come to the United States to talk about the state of education in America. As the director of the Tel Aviv-based Institute for Democratic Education, Hecht has long been pushing the idea of "democratic education" — schools and classes that are more participatory and progressive than in traditional educational models.

International..

British MP backs Palestinian suicide bombers Middle East Online 1/23/2004 'I think if I had to live in that situation… I might just consider becoming one myself,' says Jenny Tonge. -- LONDON - A British politician sparked outrage Thursday by saying she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she was a Palestinian. Jenny Tonge, the former opposition Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for international development, was addressing a pro-Palestinian lobby when she remarked that life under Israel could be intolerable. Tonge sacked over bombing comments The Guardian 1/23/2004 Charles Kennedy has asked Jenny Tonge to step down as the Liberal Democrats' spokeswoman for children following her claim that she might consider becoming a suicide bomber if she lived in the Palestinian territories. The MP made her remarks at a meeting of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign [PSC] on Wednesday, and has subsequently insisted she did not mean to condone suicide bombings. 'Janes': US gearing for showdown with Syria Jerusalem Post 1/22/2004 LONDON – US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is considering provoking a military confrontation with Syria by attacking Hizbullah bases near the Syrian border in Lebanon, according to the authoritative London-based Jane's Intelligence Digest. In an article to be published on Friday, the journal said multi-faceted US attacks, which would be conducted within the framework of the global war on terrorism, are likely to focus on Hizbullah bases in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon. Israel Advocacy Coalition Targeting High Schools Forward 1/23/2004 In response to what many are calling the sad state of Israel advocacy on college campuses, prominent Jewish communal officials and educators have settled on a new approach to teaching undergraduates how to defend the Jewish state: Start in high school. About 60 juniors and seniors from Jewish high schools in the New York metropolitan area turned out during a snowstorm on January 15 to attend a half-day seminar on the nuts and bolts of Israel advocacy. World Bank loans may be in jeopardy  Daily Star 1/23/2004 Lebanon might well lose roughly $60 million in foreign loans- the majority from the World Bank ­ as a result of muscle flexing by top politicians. A nation-wide project that has been in the pipeline for four years and has cost Lebanon about $1.5 million in planning might be lost if Parliament does not pass a law to approve the grant before the Jan. 31 deadline. Jordanian private sector committed to enhance trade with the US MENAFN.com 1/23/2004 AMMAN (JT) — To enhance the private sector's opportunities in implementing and capitalising on the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement (JUSFTA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the USAID-funded AMIR Programme held the third Jordan-US FTA Executive Retreat for the executives of the member organisations of the TIJARA Coalition, a public-private partnership created to promote the opportunities of the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement. Review of the Arab press UPI 1/23/2004 The United Arab Emirates' al-Bayan daily Friday accused U.S. President George W. Bush of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to "do as he pleases" by purposely leaving out any mention of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in his State of the Union speech Tuesday.... / The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi also commented on Bush's annual address, but on his call for democratic reforms in the Middle East. The independent Palestinian daily wrote Bush was "not serious in his threats on changing the Arab regimes and turning the Middle East into an oasis of democracy and respect for human rights."... Arab Press Review: Bush avoids confrontation with Zionist lobby Daily Star 1/23/2004 A daily selection of views from the Middle East and North Africa, compiled and translated by The Daily Star Israeli Not Allowed Out in Nuclear Detonator Case Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2004 DENVER - An Israeli citizen accused of illegally conspiring to send 200 U.S.-made nuclear weapons detonators to Pakistan was ordered on Thursday to remain in custody while a Washington D.C. judge takes over his case and decides whether he can be freed on bail. Asher Karni, 50, was arrested on Jan. 1 at Denver International Airport after he arrived for a ski vacation on charges being made by federal prosecutors in Washington. Jordan’s MPs reject ‘foreign pressure’ Middle East Times 1/23/2004 Jordanian members of parliament have accused the government of introducing reforms to the education system at the behest of foreign powers, and instructed a committee to look into the changes. The committee will meet after the Muslim feast of Al Adha, which starts in early February, “to examine the reform program and make its recommendations,” according to chairman Adnan Hassuneh. The decision came after 51 deputies in the 110-seat parliament fumed against the proposed reforms in a heated four-hour debate last Sunday, attended by education minister Khaled Tuqan. Iran Vote Crisis ‘Partially Defused’ Islam Online 1/23/2004 TEHRAN, January 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The head of Iran’s Guardian Council said Friday, January 23, the watchdog is willing to be more lenient and reverse any “mistakes” made when it banned thousands of reformist hopefuls from standing in parliamentary elections. Iran to Prosecute Al Qaeda Network Washington Post 1/23/2004 U.S. Calls for Suspects to Be Turned Over to Countries of Origin -- Iran said for the first time today that it would try a dozen suspected members of the al Qaeda terrorist network, but Iranian officials declined to identify the suspects, and the United States demanded that they be turned over to their countries of origin. Former detainee sues U.S. for allegedly sending him to Syria, where he was tortured San Francisco Chronicle 1/22/2004 A Syrian-born Canadian who the U.S. government said had links to al-Qaida sued American officials on Thursday, accusing them of sending him to Syria, where he was interrogated and tortured. The civil rights lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court says Mahar Arar was illegally seized at Kennedy International Airport in September 2002 while he was changing planes on his way to Canada from Tunisia. Egypt's Akef calls for opposition to US Middle East Online 1/23/2004 CAIRO - The new spiritual leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood called on Arabs and others in the Muslim world Thursday to oppose the United States, which he said was threatening Syria and Iran after having occupied Iraq. Mohammed Mehdi Akef, 76, and a member of the authoritarian old guard, was appointed last week following the death of Maamoun al-Hodeibi, who died a week earlier at the age of 83. Bush Losing Support of Arab-American Voters By James Zogby, Palestine Chronicle 1/23/2004 WASHINGTON - With the US presidential elections now under way, a new poll shows President George W. Bush losing substantial support among Arab-American voters. The poll, conducted in mid-January by Zogby International (ZI) for the Arab American Institute (AAI), surveyed 500 Arab-American voters nationwide, and had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent. According to the ZI/AAI poll, if the elections were held today, only 28 percent of Arab-Americans would vote to reelect the president. American Democrat hopefuls sticking to pro-Israel policies Ha'aretz 1/23/2004 WASHINGTON - Surprising results this week in the Iowa caucus have caused the American Jewish community, and supporters of Israel in the United States, to take a closer look at Democratic candidates who have up to now been trailing the pack. In past months, the Jewish community was preoccupied with then front-runner Howard Dean. It monitored closely what appeared to be worrisome comments made by Dean, particularly his reference to an "evenhanded approach" toward the Middle East conflict. Though the obsession with Dean obscured the other candidates, the other Democratic Party hopefuls did not forget the Jewish community. Campaign Confidential Forward 1/23/2004 O'Neill Observations: A story about President Bush told by former Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill in a new tell-all book is drawing fire from Jewish Democrats, including Howard Dean's campaign chairman...According to O'Neill, at the first National Security Council meeting of his presidency, Bush expressed doubts that America could accomplish much on the Arab-Israeli front, saying, "I think it's time to pull out of that situation." When informed by Secretary of State Colin Powell that American inaction could lead to more bloodshed, Bush said, according to O'Neill, "Maybe that's the best way to get things back in balance." Dean's national campaign co-chairman, Steve Grossman, pounced on the alleged Bush remarks.

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