Israeli
Troops Withdraw From Bethlehem, but Don't Go Far
New York Times, July 2, 2003
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- Palestinian police moved Wednesday into the West
Bank town of Bethlehem, the second area handed over by Israel under a U.S.-backed
Mideast peace plan. President Bush hailed the progress, saying he is ``happy with
what we've seen so far.''
PM
Abbas: Resolving All Final Status Issues is Basis for ‘Just Peace’
Palestine Media Center, July 2, 2003
July 2, 2003 - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) briefed President
Yasser Arafat on his third meeting with his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon in
Jerusalem on Tuesday, in which both premiers agreed to meet again within a week
and to set up four joint committees on security, detainees, incitement and finance,
despite their disagreement over Arafat’s freedom of movement.
Abbas:
truce will fail if Israel does not free prisoners
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas warned Wednesday that the three-month
truce announced by militants Sunday would collapse if Israel failed to free a
significant number of Palestinian prisoners. "If we wait for three months without
any release of the prisoners, the cease-fire will break down. If they assassinate
anybody... it will collapse," Abbas told Reuters in an interview from his Ramallah
office.
PM
to respond to Abbas prisoner request at meeting next week
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
PM Sharon will hold another meeting next week with Palestinian PM Abbas, following
yesterday's talks at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Sharon promised
Abbas an answer regarding the release of prisoners at next week's talks.
Jewish
settlers desecrate mosque in Balata
Palestinian Information Center, July 2, 2003
Nablus - Fanatic Jewish settlers a couple of nights ago broke into a mosque in
Balata refugee camp to the east of Nablus city and wreaked havoc in the holy shrine.
The settlers stormed the Yousef Tomb Mosque under protection of Zionist occupation
troops and offered their racist and provocative rituals in the shrine, which is
one of the historical Islamic shrines in the city and the region.
Israeli
Troops Wound Two Civilians, Arrest Others
International Press Center, July 2, 2003
KHAN YUNIS, Palestine, July 2, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)--Two Palestinian civilians including
a child were wounded Tuesday evening by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in the
southern Gaza Strip Khan Yunis City.
IOF
Destroys a House in the Occupied Jerusalem
International Press Center, July 2, 2003
JERUSALEM, Palestine, July 2, 2003, (IPC+ Agencies)- - Israeli occupation forces
(IOF) destroyed Wednesday one house, owned by Palestinian citizen, in the neighborhood
of Bait Haifa, in the occupied East Jerusalem.
U.S.
resumes direct aid to PA with transfer of $30 million
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
The United States resumed direct economic aid to the Palestinian Authority on
Wednesday with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) transferring
$30 million for rebuilding infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israel
to fight for U.S. visa exemption
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Israel has launched a diplomatic offensive to persuade the United States to exempt
Israelis from requiring a visa to enter the country. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom
raised the issue with Secretary of State Colin Powell two weeks ago and has ordered
the ministry's North America desk to prepare a plan of action. Powell advised
Shalom to exploit Israel's good relations with Congress in the case.
Industry
Ministry considering Israel Bonds financing for Israeli R&D
Globes, July 2, 2003
Israel is negotiating with New York State to establish a joint R&D fund. --
Sources inform “Globes that senior Ministry Industry, Trade, and Labor officials
are considering a State of Israel bonds (Israel Bonds) issue in the US to financing
Israeli R&D projects. Chief Scientist Dr. Eli Opper is negotiating to set
up a joint Israel-New York State fund to encourage industrial R&D. Under the
proposed agreement, the two sides will each allocate $1.5 million a year for five
years.
New
Middle East: Israel will Amend Law to Permit Export of Goods to Iraq
Alternative Information Center/Maariv, July 2, 2003
Short summary: Today exports to Iraq are a violation of the 'regulation for trading
with the enemy'; despite this: Israelis are already trading with Iraqis via intermediaries.
The Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs
and Justice and the Institute of Exports are proposing an amendment to the 'regulation
for trading with the enemy', which will permit Israeli companies to export to
Iraq.
Joint
Palestinian-Israeli Public Opinion Poll
Alternative Information Center, July 2, 2003
Press release: PSR and the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement
of Peace -- Majority support amont Palestinians and Israelis for road map and
for a mutual recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people and Palestine
as the state of the POalestinian people, but each public mispercieves the position
of the other.
Knesset
panel told dioxin levels are dangerously high
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Large quantities of dioxin - considered one of the most toxic substances in the
world - can be found in the air in Israel, the Knesset committee on environmental
hazards was warned yesterday. The panel also heard how dioxin, which has been
found to cause radical increases in various strains of cancer and endometriosis
and to drastically reduce sperm count, is virtually unmonitored in Israel.
Refuseniks'
claim: IDF is releasing us to pretend we don't exist
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces has recently begun to release soldiers from reserve
duty when they refuse to serve in the territories, activists in the Courage to
Refuse movement claim. This new policy, the group claims, is aimed at creating
the false impression that the refusal movement has waned.
Troops
in Nablus come under fire; no injuries
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
Palestinians opened fire Wednesday afternoon on IDF vehicles north of Nablus on
the West Bank. Palestinians also fired on troops inside Nablus. There were no
injuries in either incident and troops returned fire in both cases. In the Gaza
Strip, IDF forces have been told to relax their open-fire regulations, reported
Army Radio. Open-fire regulations have been brought back to their pre-Intifadah
levels.
Palestinian,
Israeli PMs to Meet Within Week, Set up 4 Joint Committees
Palestine Chronicle, July 2, 2003
Sharon insisted on maintaining the siege imposed by Israel on President Arafat
-- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) briefed
President Yasser Arafat on his third meeting with his Israeli counterpart Ariel
Sharon in Jerusalem on Tuesday, in which both premiers agreed to meet again within
a week and to set up four joint committees on security, detainees, incitement
and finance, despite their disagreement over Arafat’s freedom of movement.
PM
to respond to Abbas prisoner request at meeting next week
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hold another meeting next week with his Palestinian
counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), following yesterday's talks at the Prime
Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Sharon promised Abbas yesterday that he will give
him an answer regarding the release of prisoners at next week's meeting.
IDF
kills gunman at Tul Karm roadblock
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Israeli soldiers killed an armed Palestinian near Tul Karm yesterday after the
man opened fire at them. There were other shooting incidents in the territories
yesterday, but there were no Israeli casualties.
18
new settlements since Aqaba summit
Palestinian Information Center, July 2, 2003
Tel Aviv - Jewish settlers in the West Bank have built 18 new settlements in various
areas since the Aqaba summit three weeks ago in which Zionist premier Ariel Sharon
pledged to halt “illegal” settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian
lands.
Powell
Determined to Dismantle Terrorist Structure
Al-Hayat, July 2, 2003
Following the declaration of truce and the agreement on Israeli redeployment tomorrow
in Bethlehem and another city in the West Bank, talks are now focusing on the
next steps stipulated in the Roadmap, mainly the release of Palestinian detainees.
This is supposed to be the main topic of today's meeting between Palestinian Premier
Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon, in Jerusalem.
Oxford
Probing Treatment of Israeli
The Guardian, July 2, 2003
LONDON (AP) - Oxford University is investigating a professor who rejected an Israeli
student's job application because of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.
Shin
Bet chief: PA must defeat Hamas
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Shin Bet security service head Avi Dichter yesterday said the Palestinian Authority
will be unable to continue in existence if Hamas preserves its size and strength.
He said Hamas is "a strategic threat to Israel and an existential threat to the
PA," but said there would be no civil war between the PA and Hamas.
US
to announce $30 million direct aid to the Palestinian Authority
MENA Report, July 2, 2003
Against the backdrop of a fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians,
the United States is expected to announce a $30 million aid package to the Palestinian
Authority (PA) Tuesday, reported the US consulate in Jerusalem. Until now, the
US has not provided any financial assistance directly to the PA, the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO), or affiliated groups.
Israel
Igniting Muslim-Christian Strife: Nazareth Mayor
Islam Online, July 2, 2003
GAZA CITY, July 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israel’s
demolition of the foundations of a mosque in Nazareth on Tuesday, July 1, was
condemned by Arab Israelis and the town residents who accused Israel of trying
to pit Muslims and Christians against each other.
20
Palestinian prisoners to be released
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
Twenty Palestinian prisoners are to be released by Thursday, ten of whom were
apparently due to be released soon, Israel Radio reported Wednesday. More prisoner
releases are expected soon. Shin Bet head Avi Dichter said in a biannual appearance
before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that of the 6,000
Palestinians held by Israel, some should not be released, and the Shin Bet has
laid down 'red lines' for the government.
Israel
to lobby ABC over nerve gas documentary
Sydney Morning Herald, July 1 2003
The Israeli government will lobby Australia's national broadcaster to ditch plans
to screen a controversial BBC documentary on the Jewish state. The program, Israel's
Secret Weapon, asserts that Israel has used nerve gas against Palestinians and
possesses an arsenal of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine July 2, 2003
Palestine Media Center
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot and wounded two Palestinians, including a
child, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. IOF also detained 3 Palestinians
in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and held for several hours a journalist
and religious men near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Hear
Palestine July 2, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Bethlehem: 5 Main Entrances to Eastern Villages Closed / Jerusalem: Occupation
Authorities Demolish Home / Hebron: Israeli Army escalates Military Measures in
City / Nablus: Home Raids in Beit Forik; 7 Arrested from City / Salfeet: Vast
Areas of Land Bulldozed for "Isolation Wall" / Jenin: Arrests in Surrounding Villages
/ Tulkarem: Military Reinforcements in Surroundings of City FEATURES:
181 Arrested in Hebron in June 2003 / Agricultural Losses in Beit Hanoun: 3684
Dunums Demolished / All Roads to Living Closed in Surroundings of Tulkarem / Residents
of Beit Iksa and Beit Sorik Call for International Help
ISM:
Camp Against the Occupation / Protest tomorrow
International Solidarity Movement, July 2, 2003
Founded by a coalition of the International Solidarity Movement, the National
and Islamic parties of Palestine, the Wall Defense Committee and over ten villages
within the Tul Karem region of the West Bank, Camp Against the Occupation stands
as a meeting place for all those in opposition to the Israeli military occupation
of Palestine.
Palestinians
Take Charge Of Security In Bethlehem
Islam Online, July 2, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, July 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The Israeli
army announced Wednesday, July 2, that it had completed the transfer of security
control in the West Bank city of Bethlehem to Palestinian authorities. Al-Jazeera
said that although the handover had been achieved, Israeli troops still besiege
the city's peripheries.
Bush
Happy With Progress in Mideast Peace
The Guardian, July 2, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush said Wednesday he is ``happy with what we've
seen so far'' of peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but
cautioned that peace still could be stymied by Hamas and others who hate Israel.
Skepticism
Lives on Scarred Jerusalem Street
New York Times, July 2, 2003
JERUSALEM, July 1 — Walk along Jaffa Road, the badly scarred commercial
artery that runs through downtown Jerusalem, and you can scarcely travel a block
without passing the scene of a previous Palestinian bombing. Ask Israelis who
work, shop and ride the buses along this strip if they have any faith in a Palestinian
truce declaration, and they express a knee-jerk pessimism that seems somewhat
at odds with the glimmer of hope that has been generated in recent days.
Israel
Withdraws From Bethlehem, Keeps Closure on the Holy City
Palestine Chronicle, July 2, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Israeli occupation army began withdrawing its troops
from the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem Wednesday following an agreement
reached between the two sides earlier this week. The Israeli Occupation Forces
(IOF) will leave the city but the siege will continue to be imposed on it.
Israel
pulls out of Bethlehem
BBC, July 2, 2003
Palestinian security forces have fanned out through the West Bank town of Bethlehem
after Israeli troops pulled out and handed over control to them. Bells sounded
from Bethlehem's ancient churches, and cheering residents applauded members of
the security forces as they marched and drove into town.
Palestinians
assume security control in Bethlehem
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Israel transfered security control over the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem
to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday afternoon, days after the PA assumed
control in the Gaza Strip as part of the internationally-brokered road map to
Middle East peace.
Israelis
agree to pull out of Bethlehem but prime ministers' smiles mask fresh tension
The Independent, July 2, 2003
Israeli troops are to withdraw from the West Bank city of Bethlehem today. The
withdrawal is the second under the United States-backed road-map peace plan, and
follows Israel's pull-out from the Gaza Strip on Monday. If soldiers stay out,
it will bring to an end a year of reoccupation by the Israeli army that has devastated
Bethlehem's economy, prevented tourists and pilgrims from reaching the city, and
left buildings in ruins.
Israeli
troops move out of Bethlehem
Financial Times, July 2, 2003
Israeli troops withdrew on Wednesday from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, handing
control over to Palestinian police in the latest important step of the US-backed
plan for peace in the region. Residents of the town cheered and rang church bells
in celebration but Israeli armed forces continued to surround and restrict movement
in and out of Bethlehem.
Palestinian
security forces back in Bethlehem
Al-Bawaba, July 2, 2003
Israel transfered security control in the West Bank city of Bethlehem to the Palestinian
Authority on Wednesday. Details of the transfer were finalized Tuesday at a meeting
between senior security officials from both sides. Following the meeting, the
participants conducted a joint tour of potential friction spots in the area.
Palestinian
Police Take Over Bethlehem
The Guardian, July 2, 2003
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) - Sirens blaring, Palestinian police moved Wednesday
into the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the second area handed over by Israel under
a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan.
Palestinians
move to regain Bethlehem
The Guardian, July 2, 2003
Palestinian authorities prepared to assume control of the West Bank city of Bethlehem
from Israeli forces today, a key step in the peace road map. Under the deal, which
is expected to be in place by late afternoon, Israeli troops are to halt curfews
and patrols as armed Palestinian police begin curbing militants behind suicide
bombings and other attacks.
Mid-East
peace: false dawn or new day?
BBC, July 2, 2003
The handshake by the Israeli and Palestinian Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon and
Mahmoud Abbas inevitably brings reminders of two other notable encounters between
Israeli and Arab leaders. It is not yet clear which model this meeting will follow.
Israeli
Tanks Leave Ruins and Anger in Their Wake
Los Angelese Times, July 2, 2003
Palestinians take control around Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. Families return
to wrecked homes and devastated fields. -- BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip — The
morning after Israeli tanks crunched out of the Gaza Strip in the first step to
implement the latest U.S.-backed peace plan, Palestinian families returned Monday
to wrecked homes and flattened orange groves.
Truce
Violations Fail to Dampen ME Hopes
Arab News, July 2, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 2 July 2003 — The leaders of Israel and the Palestinian
Authority addressed their peoples together for the first time from Jerusalem yesterday,
delivering a commitment to peace from the city at the heart of the Middle East
conflict.
Israelis
leave, Gazans pick up the pieces
Christian Science Monitor, July 2, 2003
BEIT HANOUN, GAZA STRIP – Faisal Shawwa, Palestinian olive grower and US
citizen, is a man in search of compensation.
In late May, Israeli bulldozers plowed under 1,524 of his five-year-old olive
trees - leaving a lone tree standing. The Israelis also destroyed an automated
well and the irrigation system that delivered water to the trees. "It's not for
security, it's just hate," Mr. Shawwa says. He plans to sue the Israeli government.
Islamic
Jihad chief: truce to end soon, ''road map'' doomed to fail
Al-Bawaba, July 2, 2003
The Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shallah was quoted Wednesday as saying
that he believes the truce with Israel "would not last long." "The ceasefire's
lifespan depends entirely on Israel's conduct. The agreement will be cancelled
immediately if any of our conditions are breached," Shallah told the Lebanese
A Safir newspaper.
Profile:
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
BBC, July 1, 2003
The group has attacked soldiers, settlers and civilians -- The al-Aqsa Martyrs'
Brigades is an armed Palestinian group associated with Yasser Arafat's Fatah organisation.
The group, which emerged shortly after the outbreak of the current Palestinian
intifada, has carried out operations against Israeli soldiers and settlers in
the West Bank and Gaza, and suicide attacks on civilians inside Israel.
The
subtle campaign to bolster Abbas
Christian Science Monitor, July 2, 2003
Bush tries to solidify Palestinian leader's position without making it look like
he's tool of Washington. -- WASHINGTON – The White House is increasing its
efforts to try to help a person it considers indispensable to Middle East peace:
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Of necessity it's a subtle campaign,
as Mr. Abbas would lose support at home if he's judged to be too too close to
Washington.
Analysis
/ First Fatah, then Hamas
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Palestinian Minister for Security Affairs Mohammed Dahlan is facing two tests
on his way to implementing the security agreement with Israel: one is dealing
with Fatah in the immediate term, and the second is disarming Hamas and other
terror groups in the slightly longer term.
Focus
/ All eyes turn to the prisoners issue
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has placed the issue of Palestinian prisoners
on the top of his agenda, since he believes that a large-scale prisoner release
will bring calm to the Palestinian street and boost support for his government.
Reduction
in UK Arms Licenses Issued for Israel
Palestine Chronicle, July 2, 2003
"It followed concern after Foreign Secretary Jack Straw revealed in March 2002
that he had evidence that Israel was using British military equipment against
the Palestinians .." -- LONDON - The number of Standard Individual Export Licenses
(SIELs) issued to end users in Israel declined last year by more than the 50 percent
increase recorded in 2001. But new figures from the British Foreign Office suggested
that the dramatic fall from 276 to 161 approvals last year was reversed in the
last two months of 2002.
Ministry
of Tourism and Antiquities Celebrates the Accomplishment of “Al Basha Palace”
in Gaza
International Press Center, July 2, 2003
GAZA CITY, Palestine, July 2, 2003, IPC- - Palestinian Ministry of Antiquity and
Tourism celebrated Wednesday the inauguration of “Al Basha Palace Museum”,
previously known as Napoleon Castle in Gaza City neighborhood of Al Daraj, as
a project implemented in 2003 under grand aid of $50,000 by the German government
in cooperation between the ministry and the UNDP.
Patch
Adams: Clowning around in Gaza
Electronic Intifada/PCRF, July 1, 2003
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) hosted a fundraiser in Washington,
D.C. on June 21, 2003 featuring special guest Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams. Dr. Adams
-- a medical doctor, professional clown, social activist, and D.C. native whose
life was celebrated in a 1997 motion picture starring Robin Williams -- led a
clown delegation into Israel and the occupied Gaza Strip in December 2002 on a
tour of schools and hospitals.
Shalom
urges Jordan, Egypt to restore ambassadors
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom urged Egypt and Jordan on Wednesday to appoint
ambassadors to Israel as a result of the progress made in relations between Israel
and new Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
Analysis
/ Hopes for peace are finally reawakened
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday set a new landmark in the peace process:
the first time a Palestinian leader has ever openly visited the
Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.
Leftist
Norwegian party wants Sharon arrested during visit
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
A small, left-wing political party in Norway wants Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
arrested when he visits this month, the group said Wednesday. Sharon is expected
to visit Norway July 16 during a short stopover to meet Norwegian officials and
discuss peace efforts in the Middle East.
Army's
5-year plan cuts manpower, boosts technology, intelligence
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
The IDF General Chief of Staff Headquarters completed a five-year work plan, dubbed
Kela 2008. Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Moshe Ya'alon will present the plan for approval
to government officials in the coming days. The plan drastically cuts manpower
costs, does away with old combat methods and technologies, and introduced new
methodologies based on advanced technology, strengthened intelligence capability
and continued development of strategic capabilities.
Lupolianski
to form predominantly haredi Jerusalem coalition
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski will announce the formation of an almost exclusively
haredi and religious municipal coalition Thursday, that will exclude his former
chief mayoral competitor, Nir Barkat, municipal officials said Wednesday.
June
budget deficit hits NIS 6.3 billion
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
The government posted a mammoth NIS 6.3 billion deficit in June, according to
preliminary treasury estimates. This means the government is close to reaching
its own target for the entire year only half way through.
$500
million tourism development for Aqaba
Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2003
Developers are aiming to turn the Red Sea port of Aqaba, near Eilat, into a major
tourist destination, pumping US$500 million into the project in coming years.
Project manager Sahl Dudin of Zara Consultancy said Wednesday that a Saudi-based
investor along with the Arab Supply and Trading Corporation will start the project,
called the Aqaba Lagoon Tourism site.
Survey:
Israelis rank among world's weakest students
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
One-third of Israeli 15-year-olds with 9-10 years of schooling lack basic reading
skills, according to an international survey released yesterday. It also revealed
this to be the most polarized Western country for the gaps in reading skills and
knowledge of math and science between top students from better off homes and weak
students from the poorer ones.
Iraqi
Jews mulling compensation lawsuits against Iraq
Globes, July 2, 2003
The World Jewish Congress and the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries
are preparing compensation initiatives. -- A campaign by Iraqi Jews for compensation
for property looted after Israel’s independence in 1948 is gathering momentum.
In addition to initiatives by the Israeli government, the World Jewish Congress
(WJC), and the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries (WOJAC), wealthy
Iraqi Jews are contemplating private legal action against Iraq.
Turks
seek to involve Israeli cos in Iraqi reconstruction
Globes, July 2, 2003
The Israeli companies involved are infrastructures, water, construction, and energy
subcontractors. -- Turkish companies wish to involve Israeli companies in tenders
for reconstruction in Iraq. Many Turkish companies have recently contacted Israeli
industrial concerns regarding this matter. Manufacturers Association foreign trade
and international relations division director Moshe Nahum said today that the
Turkish companies were interested in Israeli infrastructures, water, construction,
and energy subcontractors.
The
fading bloom of Israel’s desert
Gloibes, June 26, 2003
Haifa Technion researchers warn that there will be no plants, clean water, place
to live, or air to breathe. -- “The Ministry of the Environment and the
environmental organizations must fight to prevent waste and inappropriate use
of land, the building of new cities, the suburbanizing of Israel, and the use
of open spaces for construction,” write Prof. Yoram Avnimelech and Dr. Ofira
Ayalon.
Netanyahu:
subsidies in daycare for low-income single parents
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday a government plan to set
aside NIS 25 million to subsidize day care centers for children of single parents
receiving income supplements, which he said was designed to enable the parents
to return to work. He did not, however, indicate the source of the money.
Knesset
rejects bills aiming to grant social rights to workers
Haaretz, July 2, 2003
The coalition defeated Wednesday four private member's bills aimed at introducing
a Basic Law that would have guaranteed certain social rights to workers. The bills
were proposed by MKs Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor), Haim Oron (Meretz), Amir Peretz
(One Nation) and Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash).
US
military aid stopped in international court dispute
EU Obnserver, July 2, 2003
The US has stopped military aid to 35 countries, several of them future EU members,
after their refusal to sign bilateral agreements with Washington exempting US
nationals from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This latest move, in an
increasingly bitter tussle between the US and the Court's strongest allies, the
Europeans, came directly after the deadline set by Congress for signing bilateral
agreements expired at midnight on Monday (1 July).
Japan
shelves $2-billion oil deal with Iran as US pressure mounts
MENA Report, July 2, 2003
American pressure has reportedly compelled Japan to suspend a two billion dollar
investment in the Azadegan oilfield, considered Iran’s largest, with reserves
of over 26 billion barrels of oil. "Suspicion about Iran's nuclear development
is not an issue affecting only our country," stated Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuo Fukuda. "We can't sign the crude oil accord ignoring it."
US
uses aid threat to block court
The Guardian, July 2, 2003
The US yesterday threatened to stop aid to countries which refuse to exempt American
soldiers from prosecution by the new international criminal court (ICC). The threat
includes close allies such as Colombia, where a US delegation is trying to cajole
President Alvaro Uribe to issue a waiver.
Annan
Praises Re-opening of Ibn Khaldun Centre in Egypt
Palestine Chronicle, July 2, 2003
NEW YORK - With the Arab region displaying enormous potential for growth and development,
the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised the re-opening of the
Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies and emphasized its influential role
in the region.
Group
of Muslims Charged With Plotting Against India
New York Times, June 28, 2003
WASHINGTON, June 27 - Federal authorities today charged seven men in the Washington
area and an eighth in Philadelphia with stockpiling weapons and conspiring to
wage "jihad" against India in support of a terrorist group in Kashmir....Although
the officials said there was no evidence of a plot against the United States,
they charged that members of the group pledged support for pro-Muslim violence
overseas, hoarded high-powered rifles and received military training in Pakistan.
Arab-Americans
one of the smallest minorities in Congress
Jordan Times, July 2, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) — The first US officials to meet Syria's president in the
tense atmosphere after the Iraq war were two relatively unknown congressmen, Rep.
Nick Rahall, a Democrat from the coalfields of southern West Virginia, and Rep.
Darrell Issa, a conservative Republican from southern California.
