Nine
Palestinians killed in Gaza Strip, Jenin as Israelis cast their
votes
Al-Bawaba, January 28, 2003
As Israelis began voting in a general election Tuesday there was
new bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, when a blast tore through the
home of a Palestinian member of Hamas, killing three people.
Sharon's
Likud seen sweeping to victory
Ha'aretz, January 29, 2003
Labor's Mitzna, conceding defeat, rules out joining Sharon-led
unity government; Polls give Likud 35 seats, Labor 18, Shinui
15-17, Shas 9-12.
Voter
turnout 45% at 4 P.M.; lowest since creation of state
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Voter turnout was 45 percent as of 4 P.M. Tuesday, according to
figures released by the Central Elections Committee - the lowest
figure for Knesset elections since the creation of the state.
U.S.
Economic Aid Found to Subsidize More than Half of Israeli Settlements
Costs
Common Dreams/OneWorld.net, January 27, 2003
WASHINGTON - The Israeli government spent well over US$533 million
in sustaining Jewish settlements in the occupied territories in
2001, more than half the amount provided it by the United States
as direct economic assistance during the same year, according
to a report released Thursday by the Israeli Peace Now movement.
View
the report
Police
detain Arabs who called for boycott of elections
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Police detained Tuesday the secretary general of the "Sons of
the Village" movement, Mohammed Kna'ani, who started a movement
calling for an elections boycott.
Weapons
of light construction
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Residents of Gaza scorn IDF claims that their workshops are bomb-making
factories for Hamas. -- Adnan Ismail, 45, stood at the door
to his destroyed printing shop on Sunday morning and shook hands
with visitors expressing their sympathies. His eyes were bloodshot,
his smile of thanks fragile.
U.S.
Scrutiny of Overseas Charitable Donations Lax
Washington Post, January 27, 2003
Israeli Probe of Money Funneled Into Political Campaign Highlights
Problem -- Wealthy donors sent large checks in recent years to
several little-known American charities that said they were financing
Israeli academic studies and cultural exchanges. But more than
a million dollars was instead funneled secretly into a political
campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, sparking an embarrassing
probe by the Israeli attorney general on the eve of Tuesday's
Israeli parliamentary election.
High
Court orders IDF to explain curfew for victims of funeral riots
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Three justices of the High Court of Justice yesterday vehemently
criticized the army's practice of keeping Palestinians under lengthy
curfews, and gave the Israel Defense Forces a week to provide
a full explanation of both the curfew practices and why Palestinian
neighbors of the Hill 26 settlement north of Kiryat Arba have
been under curfew since Kach supporters rampaged during a funeral
for Netanel Ozeri on January 19.
Cairo
talks conclude without cease-fire
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Palestinian factions were due to wind up their talks in Cairo
last night without agreeing to a cease-fire. Reports said the
representatives were working on an joint formula for their continued
activities.
US
Jews continue to fear anti-Semitism above all
Jerusalem Post, January 25, 2003
Though intermarriage and assimilation rates are sky-high and the
first Orthodox Jew just announced his bid for president, the American
Jewish Committee's 2002 Survey of Jewish Opinion reports that
anti-Semitism is the community's number one concern.
Commanders
chided for officer's 'moral' refusal to provide data
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
A colonel in Intelligence Corps Unit 8200 has been reprimanded
for his part in the affair of a first lieutenant's refusal on
moral grounds to provide intelligence for a military operation
in the territories.
Polls
booths empty as Israelis go on shopping spree
Globes, January 28, 2003
Election day has led Israelis to storm the malls. Azrieli Group
VP shopping centers Pe’er Nadiv told “Globes”
that 250,000 people are expected to visit the company’s
seven malls today, more double the daily average of 100,000.
EU
‘Seriously Concerned’ at IOF Deadly Incursion into
Gaza
Palestine Media Center, January 28, 2003
The European Union (EU) said Monday it was “seriously concerned”
at the deteriorating situation in the Middle East after Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) killed twelve Palestinians during a deadly
incursion into the heart of Gaza City Sunday night.
Palestinian
Cairo Talks to Resume February 4
Palestine Media Center, January 28, 2003
Palestinian national dialogue concluded in Egypt late Monday,
but delegates withheld issuing a final statement, saying they
would give their response to an Egyptian proposal for a Palestinian-Israeli
truce until after the Israeli elections.
Arab
Knesset candidate Ghanayim survives assassination attempt
Jerusalem Post, January 28, 2003
Police have launched a full-scale inquiry into an attempt to kill
Hussein Ghanayim, second on the United National Progressive List
(UNPL) in Kafr Kana, near Nazareth, early on Monday morning. Ghanayim
was driving through the village in the early hours of the morning
when shots were fired at his car.
Shalom:
Iraq war will be good for Israel
Globes, January 28, 2003
Minister of Finance Silvan Shalom tells CNN: There is no US pressure
about loan guarantees. -- “Immediately after the elections,
we’ll activate a growth-encouragement plan, by cutting taxes
and investing in infrastructures, while waiting for war in Iraq.
Everything will be better after the war,” Minister of Finance
Silvan Shalom today told CNN today.
"Only
following orders." ISM Activists Dismantle Roadblock in Gaza Strip
International Solidarity Movement, January 27, 2003
At 10am on Saturday morning ISM activists based in Rafah (a town
at the southern extremity of the Gaza Strip) set out to clear
a military roadblock that cuts the road between Rafah and
the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. They were accompanied
by ambulances from Rafah that have been forced by the roadblock
to take a circuitous eastern route to Khan Yunis extending the
journey from 7 minutes to up to half an hour.
Christian
Family goes to Israeli supreme Court
Come and See, January 28, 2003
The Nassar family is one of the few Christian families left in
the Bethlehem area that owns hundreds of dunums of land. The transfer
of their land to nearby Israelis settlements in contradiction
to international law would deal a great blow to the dwindling
Christian population in the Bethlehem area in these already very
difficult times.
Palestinians
killed as Israelis vote
BBC, January 28, 2003
Seven Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank,
keeping tension high in the besieged Palestinian territories as
the citizens of Israel go to the polls.
Palestinians:
Four Palestinians killed in Jenin
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Palestinian sources reported Tuesday morning that four Palestinians
were killed by IDF troops in the West Bank city of Jenin. The
sources added that a French correspondent, Seif Dahala, was also
wounded.
Five
killed in Israeli election day violence
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
Three Palestinians died overnight in an explosion and two more
were shot dead by the Israeli army today as it closed down Palestinian
areas for the duration of Israel's general election day.
7
Palestinians Die in West Bank Violence
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Three Palestinians were killed in
an explosion at a Gaza City house while four more Palestinians
were shot dead in confrontations with Israeli troops in the West
Bank town of Jenin during a security crackdown before Tuesday's
Israeli elections.
Israel
Kills 4, Wounds 9 Palestinians in Jenin, Gaza City
Islam Online, January 28, 2003
JENIN, West Bank, January 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies)
- A Palestinian was killed Tuesday, January 28, by Israeli gunfire
in the autonomous West Bank town of Jenin, hours after three others,
including a teenage girl, were killed and nine wounded in Gaza
City.
Washington
Post claims U.S. organizations violated tax law by misrepresenting
donations to Sharon
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
WASHINGTON - U.S. organizations that donated money to Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's election campaign for leadership of the Likud in
1999 allegedly contravened American tax laws, saying they were
financing academic studies and cultural exchanges, which are exempt
from tax under U.S. law.
Equivalent
of Over Half of US Economic Aid to Israel Spent on Settlement
Movement, According to New Peace Now Study
Americans for Peace Now, January 23, 2003
Washington, D.C.—Americans for Peace Now (APN) today announced
the release of a new study from the Israeli Peace Now movement
that found that the equivalent of over half the amount of annual
U.S. economic aid to Israel is spent on settlers and settlements.
A complete review of this study can be found on the APN web site,
www.peacenow.org.
APN’s mission is to enhance Israel’s security through
peace and to support Peace Now in Israel.
Palestinians
expect new government, same policy
Jerusalem Post, January 28, 2003
Palestinian officials say they expect more of the same after Israel's
general election, particularly from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
and his favored Likud Party.
Palestinians
End Cairo Talks without Agreement
Islam Online, January 28, 2003
CAIRO, January 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – After
four days of talks in the Egyptian capital, Palestinian factions
from across the political spectrum failed to reach an agreement
on a common formula satisfying to all parties concerned as differences
on the demarcation of the hoped-for Palestinian state and halting
Palestinian operations against Israeli targets grew higher.
Rights
group appeals stiff sentence for bereaved father
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel yesterday
asked the Supreme Court for permission to appeal against a stiffer
sentence that had been imposed on Abed el Munam Abu Salah, a Sakhnin
resident who punched police superintendent Guy Reif in the face
during the latter's testimony before the Or Commission last March.
Work
starts on 45-kilometer fence from Salem checkpoint to Gilboa
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
The Defense Ministry began work yesterday on the section of the
seam-line fence between the Salem checkpoint near Jenin in the
west and the Gilboa communities in the east.
Israeli
Army seals off Palestinian territories
Arab News, January 28, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 28 January 2003 — The Israeli Army yesterday
imposed a total closure on the Palestinian territories on the
eve of elections, in which hard-line Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
is due to emerge the overall winner.
Sharon
on course for fragile success
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
Israelis go to the polls today knowing that Ariel Sharon is assured
of a second term as prime minister, but uncertain what kind of
government will emerge, or how long it can survive.
Israelis
set to boost Sharon
BBC, January 28, 2003
Israelis are casting their votes for a new parliament - their
third election in four years, which is almost certain to return
incumbent Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to office.
Yesha
rabbis try to tie Sharon's hands
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Rabbis of the Yesha Council of Jewish Settlements of Judea, Samaria
and the Gaza District and a number of council leaders have reportedly
been trying to establish a right-wing bloc of parties to work
together in coalition negotiations with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
after the election.
The
war within
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
Israelis are not only in conflict with the Palestinians. They
are also bitterly divided among themselves over race, religion
and politics. As the country goes to the polls, Jonathan Freedland
reports on how deep - and hateful - those divisions really are.
Shinui
expecting big election gains
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Surrounded by bodyguards and dozens of journalists, Shinui chairman
Yosef (Tommy) Lapid went cafe-hopping in Tel Aviv on Monday.
Israeli
Voters Likely to Keep Sharon
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party appeared
headed for a convincing victory in elections Tuesday, but the
difficulty of forming a stable government amid the turmoil of
the Palestinian uprising will give him little time to savor victory.
Arab
parties make final push to bring out the vote
Jerusalem Post, January 28, 2003
The Arab parties will focus today on last-minute efforts to win
over undecided voters and persuade others to go to the polls.
What
it means: Ha'aretz analyst Yossi Verter on the elections
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
When Ariel Sharon wakes up in his Negev ranch Wednesday morning
to the coalition mess created by these elections, he will ask
himself, and not for the first time, if he didn't make a mistake
by single-handedly pushing for early elections.
Return
to single ballot leaves Katsav with power to determine PM
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
The traditional march to the president's house - in which representatives
of parties that had been voted into the Knesset submit to the
president the name of the Knesset member they think should be
appointed to form a ruling coalition - disappeared from Israel's
political scene during the 1996 elections for the 14th Knesset.
The
day after: Sharon's coalition options
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reiterates at every opportunity -
whether in public or private, at Likud meetings and in election
campaign materials - that he intends to form a national unity
government. As usual, Sharon sounds determined, but this time
his work will be harder than it was two years ago.
Laboring
under illusions they lost the tribes of Labor
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
In a despairing moment, an Amram Mitzna advisor agreed it might
have been a mistake to turn the election race into a getting-to-know-you
campaign for Labor's anonymous candidate. It turns out, he said,
that the more the voters were exposed to Mitzna, the more support
for Labor slumped.
When
you vote from the gut
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
If Ariel Sharon wins today, as the surveys predict, he'll be able
to gloat not only about his political achievement but over the
fact that Netanyahu has lost his magic touch.
Israel
goes to polls to elect 16th Knesset
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
An unprecedented number of undecided voters in yesterday's final
public opinion polls indicate a possible turnout as low as 70
percent as the country goes to the polls today to vote for the
16th Knesset.
Cartoon
in UK paper draws Israeli protest
Ha'aretz, January 28, 2003
LONDON - The Israeli Embassy in London has sent a strongly worded
letter of protest to The Independent, following an editorial cartoon
yesterday by Dave Brown, depicting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
biting the flesh of a Palestinian baby.
International
Solidarity Movement, January 27, 2003
Reports: 1) Threats of Torture and Rape of 65 year old British
Grandmother_Anne Gwynne, ACTION REQUESTED, 2) Internationals Can
Make a Difference, by Kathryn, 3) At the Theatre, by Annie Higgins
IDF,
Health Ministry sign agreement on autopsies
Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2003
Institute director Prof. Yehuda Hiss has been investigated following
allegations by a team of Yediot Aharonot journalists about "illegal
sales of organs" to research institutes, and packing bodies with
broomsticks and cotton wool to fill in the cavities before burial.
-- Health Ministry Director-General Dr. Boaz Lev and OC Manpower
Maj.-Gen. Gil Regev on Sunday formalized new guidelines for dealing
with the bodies of deceased soldiers, including autopsies and
storage of tissue samples.
Mofaz:
Terrorists want to disrupt election
Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2003
Mofaz said that in response to recent incursions in communities
along the seam line and in the territories, the IDF has decided
to step up distribution of IDF-issued weapons to citizens in these
areas. -- The Palestinians are stepping up efforts to carry out
terror attacks in advance of Tuesday's election, Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet Sunday.
Fatah,
Hamas trying to abort talks - PA officials
Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2003
Palestinian Authority officials said Sunday they believe extremist
elements in Hamas and Fatah are doing their utmost to foil the
inter-Palestinian talks in Egypt.
As
inquiry continues, French rabbi denies rumor that he stabbed himself
JTA, January 27, 2003
PARIS, Jan. 26 (JTA) — The investigation into the recent
stabbing of a Paris rabbi has taken an unusual turn, with allegations
in the media that the rabbi may have stabbed himself.
Palestinians
defy curfew for interfaith retreat
Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2003
As clashes continued in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the
weekend, a group of Israelis and Palestinians spent the time together
looking for common ground. Though denied travel permits by Israeli
authorities, some 20 Palestinians from Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron,
and Bethlehem joined 35 Israelis in Jerusalem by evading curfews
and checkpoints and traveling at times on foot through muddy back
lanes.
Jibril:
Arafat should leave West Bank
Jerusalem Post, January 26, 2003
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat can't continue to
represent the Palestinian people while he's bottled up in two
rooms in Ramallah, the leader of a Palestinian faction participating
in inter-Palestinian talks in Cairo said Saturday.
Hizbullah
gunmen fire several anti-aircraft shells over Galilee
Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2003
Hizbullah gunners fired several anti-aircraft shells over Upper
Galilee on Sunday, less than a week after the organization's unprovoked
cross-border bombardment of IDF outposts in the Mount Dov region.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine, January 28, 2003
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed nine Palestinian civilians
in the occupied Palestinian territory, five in Gaza and four in
the northern West Bank town of Jenin. Three of the victims were
killed in an air strike that destroyed at least five houses in
northern Gaza, including a father and his teenage daughter. /
Three Civilians Killed in Gaza Air Strike / IOF Kill Two Citizens
in Gaza / IOF Invade Jenin, Kill Four Civilians / IOF Impose Curfew
on West Bank Villages, Detain Seven Citizens / Israel Begins Work
on a New Stretch of Segregation Wall
Jewish
group urges linkage of loan guarantees, settlements
JTA, January 27, 2003
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (JTA) — A Jewish organization is publicly
urging the Bush administration to link Israel’s request
for loan guarantees to a freeze on Jewish settlements in the West
Bank. Americans for Peace Now is calling on the Bush administration
to withhold the $8 million in loan guarantees until there is a
complete freeze on settlement growth and a pledge to dismantle
settlements constructed since Oct. 1999.
Anger
and Islam Rise in Jordan
Washington Post, January 28, 2003
BAQAA CAMP, Jordan -- In this warren of cinder blocks, cement
and corrugated tin roofs where 120,000 of Jordan's Palestinian
refugees live, the slogans speak to the converted.
Cautiously,
Saudis trying out democracy
Times of India, January 28, 2003
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia may be one of the world's most conservative
polities but even here, the rulers have found it impossible to
do without the formal trappings of a 'parliament'.
Iran
to lift house arrest of Khamenei fierce opponent
Al-Bawaba, January 27, 2003
Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has decided to
lift house arrest Tuesday of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri who
is based in the religious city of Qom, an interior ministry official
told IRNA Monday.
Ban
on Iranian newspaper lifted
Al-Bawaba, January 27, 2003
Iran's judiciary lifted a ban on the country's largest-circulating
newspaper after a union leader withdrew his complaint against
the paper, state-run Tehran television reported Monday.
audio
Iraqis
feel "a sense of something terrible"
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
photos
March
to Iraq War
The Guardian, January 28, 2003
