Bush Unveils Roadmap “For Iraq War”: Experts
Islam Online, March 14, 2003
CAIRO, March 14 (IslamOnline.net) – As all American diplomatic maneuvers to win support for a new Security Council resolution paving way for war on Iraq failed, President George W. Bush showed up in a hastily arranged press conference to talk about the unexpected, reviving the long-delayed roadmap peace plan for Middle East peace.

Israeli forces kill 10 Palestinian militants in Jenin attacks
The Independent, March 15, 2003
At least 10 Palestinian militants were killed in Israeli operations inside the West Bank yesterday.

Father, son shot in Jerusalem 
Haaretz, March 14, 2003 
A Be'er Sheva father and son were seriously wounded in a shooting attack in Jerusalem's Musrara neighborhood yesterday, not far from the Old City, to which the gunman was reportedly seen running after the shooting.

Muted Response to Bush Promise
Arab News, March 14, 2003
WASHINGTON/JENIN, 15 March 2003 — US President George W. Bush said yesterday that a long-awaited international peace plan to resolve the conflict in the Middle East will be delivered to the Palestinian and Israeli governments as soon as a new Palestinian prime minister takes office.

Full text: Bush statement
BBC, March 14, 2003
The full text of US President George W Bush's statement on the Middle East conflict.

Palestinians react with skepticism to Bush's affirmation of road map
Jerusalem Post, March 15, 2003
Senior Palestinian officials said George W. Bush's speech on Friday amounted to a setback, saying the US president should be pushing to implement the "road map" to Palestinian statehood instead of calling for another round of consultations.

ISM Updates of 14 March 2003: Rafah
International Solidarity Movement, March 14, 2003
Rafah:  Israeli Army Uses Indirect Artillery Fire Against ISM Activists at Tel e-Sultan -- On Thursday night the Israeli Forces in the occupied Gaza Strip escalated their campaign of intimidation against the ISM activists working in the Rafah area.

Palestinian man dies in unclear circumstances near W. Bank village
Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2003
A Palestinian man died Friday night in unclear circumstances in a clash with IDF soldiers near the West Bank village of Azzoun, adjacent to Kallilya.

JAG: 'Pinpoint prevention' could end up in new International Court
Haaretz, March 14, 2003 
Judge Advocate General Maj. Gen. Menachem Finkelstein predicted yesterday that "as far as the international criminal court is concerned, there is no fear of prosecution of mid- and low- ranking soldiers. If there is a problem, it will be about the system and not a particular case."

Red Cross: Stop killing civilians
Haaretz, March 14, 2003 
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday expressed alarm and dismay at the increasing number of civilians being killed or injured in terrorist attacks as well as in Israeli military operations in the occupied territories.

IMF releases 2002 report on Israel
Alternative Information Center/International Monetary Fund, March 14, 2003  
The Israeli economy is in the midst of a deep recession. Waning exports and investment, combined with stagnant private consumption, led to negative growth in 2001 and 2002. The stagnation can be attributed to the burst of the technology bubble, the global slowdown, and the deterioration in the security situation. Recently, some indicators suggest that economic activity is stabilizing, but there are no signs of recovery in sight.

Arafat postpones decision on prime minister post
Arabic News, March 14, 2003
The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has postponed the ratification of the special law providing for the establishment of the post of the prime minister in the Palestinian authority.

Army will replace police in protecting some Israeli towns near Palestinian areas
Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2003   
The IDF reports in its "Bamahane" weekly that it will, for the first time, take over from the police in defending some Israeli towns along the Green Line.

Settlers refused to accept Druze soldiers as guards at their outpost 
Haaretz, March 14, 2003
Settlers in an illegal West Bank outpost refused to accept Druze IDF troops as part of the security detail at their settlement, citing "Halakhic considerations," which they said forbid the use of gentile soldiers to protect a Jewish family.

Breaking News: IDF and Settlers Establish New Settling Post
International Press Centre, March 14, 2003
Israeli occupation forces assisted by a group of Jewish settlers established a new illegitimate settling post to the east of the illegitimate Jewish settlement of "Nahal Naghoun", which is built on the lands of the Palestinian town of Doura located to the west of Hebron city, IPC.

Christians in Middle East have suffered losses
Come and See, March 12, 2003
Saddam Hussein's Middle East region is home not only to 150 million Muslims but to a minority remnant of 10 million to 12 million Christians. Their heritage extends to the biblical beginnings depicted in the Book of Acts. The new faith quickly spread to Syria, where "the disciples were for the first time called Christians" (Acts 11:26), across present-day Turkey and into Europe and points eastward. But in modern times, Christians' status in the region has long been precarious. The Iraq situation makes matters worse.

11 Palestinians killed in the West Bank
Al-Bawaba, March 13, 2003
Israeli troops on Friday opened fire on a house in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, killing six Palestinians.

Five Palestinians Killed By IOF During Invasion of Jenin
International Press Centre, March 14, 2003
JENIN, West Bank, March 14, 2003, IPC—Five Palestinian citizens were killed by Israeli occupation forces Friday morning in the refugee camp of Jenin, Palestinian medical sources at the hospital of martyr Dr. Khalil Suliman reported.

10 Palestinians Killed By Israel In The West Bank
Islam Online, March 14, 2003
Making use of world focus on Iraq, Israel stepped up its military crackdown on the Palestinians -- JENIN, West Bank, March 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Five Palestinians were killed early Friday, March 14, in an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, upping the death toll among Palestinians to 10 in less than 24 hours.

Bush wants powerful Palestinian PM before unveiling Middle East ''road map''
Al-Bawaba, March 14, 2003
"And the Arab states must oppose terrorism, support the emergence of a peaceful and democratic Palestine and state clearly that they will live in peace with Israel." -- President George W. Bush announced Friday that he would unveil his "road map" for Middle East peace once a new Palestinian prime minister with real governing authority takes office.

Five Palestinians, two Israelis killed in West Bank confrontations
Arabic News, March 14, 2003
The Israeli soldiers banned anyone from approaching the bodies of the Palestinians to check their identity and whether they were armed. Palestinian sources said that the clashes took place after the Israeli forces cordoned the town's municipality and a school.

Bush to renew Mid-East peace push
BBC, March 14, 2003
The US will push for an Israel-Palestinian deal as soon as a Palestinian prime minister is confirmed.

France Welcomes Bush's 'Words on the Middle East'
Reuters, March 14, 2003
PARIS (Reuters) - France welcomed a move by President Bush on Friday to kick start the Middle East peace process, but stressed that Paris had been calling for such a development for months.

Arabs Skeptical About Bush's Promises
Reuters, March 14, 2003
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arabs and analysts of the Arab world treated U.S. and British promises on the Middle East on Friday with deep skepticism and said they doubted Arab public opinion would believe President Bush would work now for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.

Russia praises Bush's promise to unveil Mideast road map
Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2003 
MOSCOW - Russia praised US President George W. Bush's plan to unveil recommendations for a path to the creation of a Palestinian state, with Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov saying late Friday that it "creates the preconditions for overcoming the current dead-end in Middle East affairs."

Dramatic night at Labor Party central committee meet
Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2003   
An evening that began with victory for Labor Party leader Amram Mitzna ended with calls for his resignation after many of his supporters Thursday had left the central committee meeting in Tel Aviv.

Mitzna snubbed again by Labor
Haaretz, March 14, 2003
Amram Mitzna's precarious position as chairman of the Labor Party grows ever more shaky, while rank-and-file members are becoming increasingly concerned that the party is on the verge of a split.

Powell faults Palestinians for lack of progress in Mideast peace moves
Jerusalem Post, March 13, 2003   
Palestinian attacks on Israel and a lack of Palestinian proposals for peacemaking were singled out Thursday by Secretary of State Colin Powell as the main reasons the United States has not made much headway toward a Mideast settlement.

Analysis / Accidents are inevitable - but not ones like this
Haaretz, March 14, 2003 
Had yesterday's incident near the settlement of Pnai Hever ended with the death of two Palestinians, the story would probably not have merited more than a few lines in this morning's papers.

Analysis / Not the first incident of its kind 
Haaretz, March 14, 2003 
The incident south of Hebron yesterday, in which IDF soldiers accidentally killed two Israelis, is not the first of its kind. About a year ago, soldiers wounded an Israeli in the Kfar Beit Omer area, north of Hebron, mistaking him for a terrorist.

Alert bars Israeli Arabs from J'lem tunnel road
Haaretz, March 14, 2003
Arabs were prevented from using the tunnel road south of Jerusalem yesterday after an alert warning of a possible terrorist attack from the Judea area aided by Israeli Arabs.

Refugee family given three months to prove Jewish roots
Haaretz, March 14, 2003
The Interior Ministry is reconsidering its decision to deport a family from Armenia, following its initial refusal to recognize their right of return as Jews, it was announced yesterday.

Three-month freeze imposed on Egyptian state imports
MENA Report, March 14, 2003
The cash-strapped Egyptian government imposed a three-month restriction on all state imports, excluding food and products of a strategic nature. Other measures include fixing the price of 15 basic food products and a $10,000 daily limit on hard currency withdrawals state-owned bank.

March 15 World Day For Protesting U.S.-Led War
Islam Online, March 14, 2003
LONDON, March 12 (IslamOnline.net) – Anti-war protesters are expected to demonstrate their solidarity with the Iraqi people on March 15, in a new wave of mass worldwide rallies worldwide one month after the February 15 world day for protesting war on Iraq, on which some 10 million peace-loving people took to the streets of 600 cities all over the world.

Thousands demonstrate against war; Lebanese cleric says war is plot of 'Zionist lobby'
Jerusalem Post, March 14, 2003   
CAIRO, Egypt - In what has become a weekly ritual, thousands of people protested after Muslim prayers Friday, chanting anti-American slogans and demanding that Arab leaders take diplomatic action to avert a war in Iraq.

Democracy domino plan won't work: secret report
Sydney Morning Herald, March 15, 2003
A classified United States State Department report expresses deep scepticism that installing a new regime in Iraq will foster the spread of democracy in the Middle East - a claim President George Bush has made in trying to build support for a war - according to intelligence officials.