Israeli
Landmine Explodes, One Palestinian Killed, Another Wounded, and Third Missing
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
KHAN YUNIS, Palestine, July 5, 2003 (IPC+WAFA) -- A Palestinian civilian was killed,
another was wounded and a third went missing early Saturday, when a landmine left
by Israeli occupation forces exploded in Abu Taima area, northeast of Khozaa Town
near the city.
Palestinians
make first Gaza arrests
International Herald Tribune, July 5, 2003
JERUSALEM Palestinian security forces have arrested at least four militants accused
of firing anti-tank grenades at an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip, in the
first enforcement of a new security agreement with Israel, Palestinian officials
and militants said Friday. There was no immediate response to the Palestinian
assertions from the Israeli Army.
12
Palestinians arrested in West Bank
Middle East Online, July 5, 2003
Palestinian PM meets Hamas leaders on truce in Gaza as unrest continues in Gaza
Strip, West Bank. -- JERUSALEM & GAZA CITY - The Israeli army said Friday
it arrested 12 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight, mostly activists from
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah group suspected of involvement in anti-Israeli
attacks.
Exchanges
of fire between PA and Palestinian factions in Gaza
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Exchanges of fire took place overnight Friday in the Gaza Strip refugee camp Shati,
as Palestinian security forces cracked down on popular resistance committees in
an attempt to arrest several senior members, Israel Radio reported. Palestinian
sources said that one security officer and one resistance committee member were
wounded. All told, four Palestinians were arrested.
Abbas
meets Hamas founder Yassin in bid to shore up truce
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met with Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
for the first time Saturday, in an apparent bid to shore up the three-month cease-fire
declared by Palestinian militant groups last week. Abbas and Yassin declined to
speak to reporters after the 35-minute meeting at Yassin's Gaza home.
PM
Abbas Talks with Islamic Jihad Senior Leaders
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
GAZA, Palestine, July 05, ,2003 (IPC + AGENCIES)- - The Palestinian Prime Minister
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) held a meeting Friday evening with Islamic Jihad delegation,
involving Mohammed Al Hindi, Nafez Azam, and Abdullah Al Shami, in the PLO headquarters
in Gaza City.
Breaking
News: IOF fires on homes in Deir El-Balah
18:30--Israeli occupation soldiers, stationed at the illegitimate Jewish settlement
of Kfar Darom, opened heavy fire on the Palestinian houses in the city of Deir
El-Balah, in the middle of the Gaza Strip. No wounded were reported, (IPC).
IOF
Razes Palestinian Arable Land in Tulkarem
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
TULKAREM, Palestine, July 5,2003, (IPC)-- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) razed
Saturday vast areas of arable land and destroyed water network in the neighborhood
of “Marj Bin Amer” north of the West Bank city of Jenin. Tens of almond,
olive and fruit trees were uprooted while water network was sabotaged by Israeli
tanks and armored vehicles.
Top
Gaza security man among 53 prisoners freed
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Israel yesterday freed a senior Palestinian security official who is suspected
of having been involved in terror attacks, apparently under a tacit agreement
with the Palestinian Authority. Another 52 prisoners were released as well.
Divide
and destroy
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 3 - 9 July 2003
Sharon sends bulldozers into Nazareth, but with an eye on Jerusalem. -- Hundreds
of heavily armed special forces sealed off the centre of Nazareth, Israel's only
Arab city, yesterday, as the foundations of a large mosque being built next to
one of the Middle East's holiest churches was demolished. The invasion began shortly
before 5am, as Nazareth was still sleeping. The first warning was the drone of
a police helicopter overhead followed at about 5.30am by a voice -- quickly cut
short -- calling over the mosque loudspeakers on Nazarenes to defend their city.
Nablus
is Hurting: Special Report
Palestine Chronicle, July 3, 2003
NABLUS, West Bank (PC) - They come at night, determined to shatter the dreams
of the sleeping thousands. Israeli soldiers frequently move through the dark Nablus
streets with stealth and a grim efficiency. By morning, another few Palestinian
homes will lie in ruins.
Children
Death Toll on the Rise: Special Report
Palestine Chronicle, July 4, 2003
"Many of them are in fact proud of their bullet wounds, while others are just
determined not to let Israeli army bullets crush their fighting spirit .." --
NABLUS, West Bank (PC) - Israel’s deadly campaign in Nablus is killing or
wounding hundreds of young Palestinians each year. Youths across the district
are regularly hit with rubber bullets and live ammunition. The death toll is constantly
rising. DCI
Report
Rafah
Border Crossing: Endless Suffering
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
The gate that was established by the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) in Rafah crossing
terminal in the face of 1,500 Palestinian citizens, waiting to travel to their
businesses, studies and hospitals, was built on the only border crossing point
in Gaza Strip to the outside world.
Palestinian
elections possible by Oct.
USA Today, July 4, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinians could have general elections by October if
Israel withdraws from major population centers, with Yasser Arafat likely to be
the only major candidate for president, the Palestinian foreign minister said
Friday.
Soldiers
indicted in Palestinian's death
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Elderly man shot in throat while sitting in a `special security zone' --
Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were indicted in a military court yesterday
over the death of an elderly Palestinian man in Gaza. One of the two was charged
with manslaughter, and the second with illegal use of weaponry and obstruction
of justice.
Israeli
claim of victory denounced
The Guardian, July 4, 2003
Israel's army chief claimed victory over the Palestinian intifada yesterday, saying
the ceasefire announced by Hamas and other groups was an admission of defeat.
Palestinian
Killed by Explosive Device Left Behind by IOF
Palestine Media Center, July 5, 2003
July 5, 2003 - A Palestinian died and another was injured on Saturday in an explosion
in the Gaza Strip, one day after Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) raided the northern
West Bank town of Jenin and shelled Palestinian residential neighborhoods in the
central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah.
Zionists
attack Jenin, kill Palestinian in Khan Younis
Islamic Association for Palestine, July 5, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem: 5 July, 2003 (IAP News) -- The Israeli occupation army
reinvaded the Northern West Bank town of Jenin Friday night, apparently for the
purpose of killing or arresting suspected Palestinian freedom fighters. Eyewitnesses
said several Zionist tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled into Jenin amid
intensive gunfire which kept the town’s 80,000 inhabitants awake all night.
Gaza
Strip: One Palestinian killed in blast; Activists resist PA arrests
Al-Bawaba, July 5, 2003
Exchanges of fire took place overnight Friday in the Gaza Strip refugee camp Shati,
as Palestinian security forces cracked down on activists of the Popular Resistance
Committees. Palestinian sources said that one security officer and one resistance
committee member were wounded. Four Palestinians were arrested.
Palestinian
prisoner taken to hospital twice
Palestinian Information Center, July 4, 2003
Bethlehem - The prisoner Amr Abdul Aziz Harmas (27) from Bethlehem was taken to
the hospital twice because of malicious torture he experienced in the Atsiun millitary
prison south of Bethlehem.
Report:
Palestinian Children in the Judicial System, end-June 2003
Defence of Chidren International - Palestine
Arrests of Palestinian children remained at high levels in the first half of 2003,
as Israeli forces continued their repression and harsh tactics in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip. The announcement of the Road Map to Peace had resulted in few
changes on the ground by end-June 2003, and child arrests had actually accelerated
through May-June when the Road Map was being discussed in earnest.
Report:
Breakdown of Palestinian Child Deaths, end-Sept. 2000 to mid-June 2003
Defence of Chidren International - Palestine
There has been a continuous increase in child deaths compared to previous years.
-- As of 15 June 2003, DCI/PS has documented the deaths of 75 children as a direct
result of Israeli army and settler presence and activity in the occupied territories.
These deaths bring the total number of Palestinian children killed since the beginning
of the Intifada to 459.
PLO’s
Executive Committee Discusses Israeli Violation of Al-Aqsa Mosque
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
RAMALLAH, Palestine, July 5, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- The Executive Committee of the
Palestine Liberation Organization PLO viewed Friday the latest Israeli decision
to provide access for Jewish settlers and foreign tourists into the holy mosque
of Al-Aqsa as an indication of the Israeli government’s willingness to continue
judaizing the city and provoking the Muslim’s feelings around the world.
Back
to the drawing board
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
This week, the World Bank published its report for the year 2002-03 on the state
of the Palestinian economy, reflecting the picture in all its bleakness. There
were structural problems in the Palestinian economy even before the intifada.....
But all these, it emerges in the report, were merely the prelude to the economic
strangulation caused by the intifada.
Occupation
Chronicle Events in Palestine July 5, 2003
Palestine Media Center, July 5, 2003
A Palestinian man was killed by an explosive device left behind by the Israeli
occupation army in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Meanwhile, Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) shelled the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah.
IOF also prevented Muslim worshipers from praying in al-Aqsa mosque compound in
occupied east Jerusalem. IOF Raid Jenin, Khan Younis.
Hear
Palestine July 5, 2003
Hear Palestine
NEWS: Khan Younis: Resident Killed in Israeli Booby Trap / Jenin: Israeli Army
Withdraws this Morning after Military Invasion / Provocative Measures Escalated
in Jerusalem; Major Settlement Plans / Tulkarem: Military Order for Confiscation
of More Land / Hebron: Curfew Imposed on Old City / Bethlehem: Tight Military
Siege and Oppressive Measures at Roadblocks FEATURES: Israeli Soldiers
Attack Children and Patients at Na'alin Military Roadblock / Dividing Wall. Humanitarian,
Economic, Environmental, Social Catastrophe / 23 Students and Teachers Killed
in Hebron during Intifada
What
Happened in Beit Hanoon?
International Press Center, July 5, 2003
Early on Monday, June 30, soon after the Israeli redeployment in Beit Hanoun,
thousands of Palestinian citizens backed to the streets, factories and fields.
If you tried to realize their feelings, surely you would fail. Mixed and complicated
moods the residents of Beit Hanoun lived in, not knowing how to express their
deep sorrow for losing tens of their sons and properties or for being skeptical
of the Israeli troops redeployment, or some sort of doubtful rest.
Bethlehem
deportees' demonstrate in front of Abu Mazen's office
Palestinian Information Center, July 4, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem - Palestinian sources stated that around 20 Palestinian deportees'
from the Church of Nativity demonstrated in Gaza in front of the Palestinian premier
(Abu Mazen)'s office during his presence in Gaza.
1st
resistance to Palestinian security
MSNBC, July 5, 2003
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, July 5 — A Palestinian suspected of ordering
a mortar attack on a Jewish settlement fired on policemen who came to arrest him,
a Palestinian police source said Saturday. The shooting was the first show of
resistance to Palestinian security forces enforcing a fledgling truce, a key step
in the U.S.-backed Mideast “road map” to peace.
Palestinians
protest against PA security Gaza arrests
Jerusalem Post, July 4, 2003
Gunmen fired volleys into the air to protest the arrests of militiamen who are
accused of violating a truce with Israel, the first time Palestinian security
forces took action against renegades refusing to lay down their arms. Seven terrorists
were arrested in Gaza City and the town of Khan Younis, apparently for firing
anti-tank rockets at the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom on Wednesday. The rocket
fire injured four people.
PA
fights to maintain cease-fire after renegade rocket attack
Daily Star, July 5, 2003
Authorities want radical groups to join government institutions -- The Palestinian
Authority battled to keep the fledgling peace process afloat Friday, arresting
the alleged perpetrators of a rocket attack on a Jewish settlement and talking
to Islamic radical groups in a bid to lure them into mainstream government institutions.
PA,
Palestinian armed groups strive to avoid confrontation
Jerusalem Post, July 5, 2003
Efforts were under way in the Gaza Strip Saturday to prevent a wide-scale confrontation
between the Palestinian Authority security forces and members of two armed groups
affiliated with Fatah. Attempts by PA officials over the weekend to persuade gunmen
from the Aksa Martyrs Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees to stop their
attacks against IDF soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have
failed, resulting in increased tension between the two sides.
Abbas
meets Palestinian groups
BBC, July 4, 2003
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is having talks in Gaza with leaders
of Islamic Jihad, as part of his efforts to reinforce a ceasefire declared by
militant groups. On Thursday, Mr Abbas - widely known as Abu Mazen - held discussions
with Hamas and Yasser Arafat's Fatah organisation.
Zahhar:
We are monitoring enemy violations of truce
Palestinian Information Center, July 5, 2003
Gaza - Palestinian Authority premier Mahmoud Abbas has conferred with a delegation
representing the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, on Thursday evening in Gaza.
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, a Hamas leader and member of the delegation, described
the two hours meeting as “positive” and that agreement was reached
on future meetings.
Al-Aqsa
Brigades Sees Little Point in Truce
Arab News, July 5, 2003
JENIN, West Bank, 5 July 2003 — Seated in the courtyard of a house in the
Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin, local leader Zacharia Zubeidi insists there
is no question of the militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades suspending attacks on
Israeli targets. “What is the point of this ‘hudna’ (Arabic
for truce) if the Israeli Army continues to kill our people?” demanded Zubeidi.
Palestinian
Prime Minister to Meet with Islamic Jihad Leaders in Gaza
Palestine Chronicle, July 4, 2003
"Yedioth Ahronot, published an opinion poll Friday indicating that only 24 percent
of Israelis questioned believe that Israel has won the conflict with the Palestinians
.." -- JERUSALEM (VOA) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is in Gaza,
where he is expected to meet with Islamic Jihad leaders Friday, in an effort to
shore up a five-day-old, but still fragile cease-fire. At the same time, Israel
is reported drawing up a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released, possibly
by next week.
Al-Ahram:
Palestinian discourse has changed from no to yes
Arabic News, July 5, 2003
With the "Roadmap" being put into effect, the Palestinian concepts, and the philosophy
of the resistance have changed. In an exclusive interview with Al Ahram, Nabil
Amr, Palestinian Minister of Information, dealt with the most significant question,
now under consideration in the Arab and Palestinian arena,on the suspension of
the resistance weapon to help the Palestinian negotiator in the peace talks. Excerpts..
Rabbi
charged with racist incitement
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
A prominent rabbi is being charged with incitement to racism against Arabs. Rabbi
Yitzhak Ginsburg was indicted yesterday in the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on
charges of encouraging racism against Arabs in his book, "Tsav Hasha'a - Tipul
Shoresh" ("Order of the Day - Radical Treatment"), published in 2001.
Violent
Haredi shabbat protests continue in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post, July 5, 2003
For the third week in a row, violent haredi protests broke out anew Saturday afternoon
at a major Jerusalem thoroughfare, as hundreds of protesters pelted police and
motorists with stones in an ongoing effort to close the road to traffic on Shabbat.
Policeman
wounded in Jerusalem protests; seven arrested
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
One policeman suffered light wounds Saturday after being struck in the head by
a rock hurled by ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting in Jerusalem over Israelis driving
on the Sabbath. Seven ultra-Orthodox men were arrested for throwing garbage and
rocks at policemen.
Leveraging
Oslo
Globes, July 2, 2003
Equipped with experience and connections in Washington, Yuval Rabin, Shimon Sheves,
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, and Gil Birger became the first non-Americans to lobby the
US administration on behalf of foreign countries.....“The dream of every
Israeli diplomat in Washington, upon their tiniest exposure to Congress, is to
become a Congressional lobbyist upon retirement, but almost none of them actually
do it,” a diplomat, who did not act on that dream, once told me.
Tempers
Rise as Peace Effort Sputters
Los Angelese Times, July 4, 2003
Israel blocks a reopened road in Gaza after missiles are fired at Jewish settlers,
and a group of militants vows vengeance for a killing. -- JERUSALEM — Horns
honked and tempers flared Thursday as Israeli troops blocked Palestinian traffic
for six hours on the main north-south road in the Gaza Strip — only three
days after the thoroughfare's reopening had been hailed as one of the first tangible
signs of progress in implementing an American-backed peace initiative.
Israeli
Army Lays Siege on Bethlehem Following Token Withdrawal
Islamic Association for Palestine, July 4, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem: 3 July, 2003 (IAP News) -- No sooner had the Israeli occupation
army made its token "withdrawal" from Bethlehem, then Israeli tanks and armored
personnel carriers took position around the town, with their huge guns trained
toward the traditional birthplace of Jesus. The reimposition of the harsh closure
on Bethlehem meant that the city would be effectively under siege and that the
residents would be confined to their town, with nobody allowed in or out.
New
Iranian missile threat worries Israel
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Friday he hoped the International Atomic Energy
Agency and international powers would pressure Iran to allow weapons inspectors
into the country and to sign additional nonproliferation agreements guaranteeing
that it has no intention to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran's
successful missile test puts Israel within range
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Iran has successfully tested a Shihab-3 missile, which has a range that can reach
Israel. The launch last week was the most successful so far of the seven or eight
tests of the missile over the last five years, and has increased worries in Washington
- which spotted the test with its tracking mechanisms - and in Israel.
Israel
to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners
Jerusalem Post, July 4, 2003
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are scheduled for release pending government
approval next week of a list of names compiled by the Shin Bet. Security officials
said the list contains "less than a thousand" prisoners' names, and said none
of them have blood on their hands.
Zionists
to keep Palestinian POWs as “bargaining chips”
Islamic Association for Palestine, July 5, 2003
Occupied Jerusalem: 5 July, 2003 (IAP News) -- The apartheid Israeli regime said
Saturday it would keep thousands of interned Palestinian political prisoners and
resistance activists as bargaining chips to extract concessions from the Palestinian
Authority. The Israeli state-run radio quoted Zionist sources close to the “Prime
Minister’s Office” as saying that Israel wouldn’t agree to release
the bulk of Palestinian political prisoners.
PFLP
denies news on release of Sa’dat
Palestinian Information Center, July 5, 2003
Gaza - Jamil Majdalawi, politburo member of the Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine, has denied media reports that PFLP secretary general Ahmed Sa’dat
would be released. Majdalawi said that the news report was “baseless”
and noted that Ismail Jabr, Palestinian Authority’s security commander of
the West Bank, had denied that he ever voiced such statements.
Families
of MIA's call on government not to release Palestinian prisoners
Jerusalem Post, July 5, 2003
The Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers in Action called on Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and government officials not to release any more Palestinian prisoners
until information regarding all the Israeli MIA's is received and the missing
boys are brought home.
Israeli
Military Chief Admits to ‘Blunders’ in Intifada Suppression
Arab News, July 5, 2003
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 5 July 2003 — Israeli Army Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon
has admitted to a number of bad calls during the intifada, in an interview published
yesterday in Yediot Aharonot newspaper to mark his first year in office. “We
made a certain number of mistakes, such as the recent strike on the car of a Hamas
terrorist, not knowing that his wife and girl were with him,” he told Israel’s
top-selling paper.
Some
Israelis think intifada may be over, but others are not so sure
International Herald Tribune, July 5, 2003
TEL AVIV Israeli officials are expressing growing confidence that after 33 months
they have defeated the Palestinian uprising, or intifada. The Israeli chief of
staff, Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, told Israeli reporters that the developments
this week may eventually be seen "as the end" of the conflict. "It is certainly
a victory" for Israel, he was quoted as saying.
Who
won the intifada?
The Guardian, July 4, 2003
Press review: Papers divided as Israeli army withdraws from Bethlehem --
Although the international press saw the big event as having been the Israeli
Defence Force's withdrawal from Bethlehem, the Israeli press opted uniformly for
a different story for their front pages. Yedioth Ahronoth, Maariv, Haaretz and
Hatzofe all led with the words of the Israeli chief of staff, Lt Gen Moshe Yaalon,
who told a group of reporters that Israel had "won" the intifada.
Overseas
students start returning to Israeli universities
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
A significant rise has recently been recorded in the number of foreign student
applications to Israeli universities. The master's degree program in Middle Eastern
history at Tel Aviv University, taught in English, has already accepted more than
three times as many students as last year, while the master's programs for overseas
students at Hebrew University have seen applications begin to return to pre-intifada
numbers.
Sharon:
`We will have peace and prosperity'
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
The government intends to make additional painful decisions in both the
diplomatic and economic arenas, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the final session
of the annual Caesarea Conference yesterday. "We will not miss any opportunities,
either diplomatic or economic," he told the conference, which took place in Jerusalem.
White
House Critical of West Bank Fence
Forward, July 4, 2003
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration surprised Israel this week by expressing
strong opposition to the route of Israel's security fence, which most Israelis
see as an essential tool in Israel's defense against terrorism. As currently planned,
the fence loops and winds deeply into the West Bank, restricting the freedom of
movement of tens of thousands of Palestinian villagers and creating the impression
of a unilateral Israeli attempt to prejudge the eventual border separating the
Jewish state from the future Palestine.
Right
To Fight Bush Palestinian Aid Plan
Forward, July 4, 2003
WASHINGTON — Right-wing groups are gearing up to fight a Bush administration
plan to increase American aid to the Palestinians and channel it directly to the
Palestinian Authority. The Zionist Organization of America and several Christian
evangelical groups are planning to "try to convince Congress not to finance the
evolution of a terrorist state," said the ZOA's national president, Morton Klein.
However, Capitol Hill sources say that an administration request for a direct
infusion of increased aid to the authority is likely to win easy approval on Capitol
Hill.
Klein
hopeful on economy, cites new financial leadership
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
"Over the past year, since we last met at this conference, there has been a significant
change in the picture of the economic situation. First of all, there is leadership
in the economic arena," said Bank of Israel Governor David Klein at the Caesarea
Conference in Jerusalem yesterday.
Norwegian
PM: Sharon won't be arrested upon arrival in Oslo
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said in an interview to Channel
One to be broadcast Saturday that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will not be arrested
upon arrival to Oslo on July 16, because he has immunity as a national leader.
Labor
faction to discuss road map with PLC's Abu Ala
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Labor's Knesset faction is planning to meet later this month with Palestinian
Legislative Council Chairman Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) to discuss the road map. Dan
Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and a cabinet minister - probably Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom - will also take part.
Israel
sees signs of thaw in EU relations
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
Israel sees signs of thaw in EU relations. But over-optimism would be a mistake,'
official says, noting suspicions still remain. After nearly three years of cooling
relations between Israel and Europe, a series of recent steps shows Europeans
are trying to improve ties with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government.
Learning
Hebrew with an Iraqi accent - at Baghdad U.
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
`I've studied Hebrew for 25 years, and I've never spoken with a native Hebrew
speaker,' says the department head -- BAGHDAD - It's the end of the academic
year at Baghdad University. Amid the rubble and dirt from the recently looted
and burned buildings, several couples sit in the shade and groups of boys watch
girls walking by and vice versa.
Oxford
'appalled' as professor 'inflames' boycott row
The Guardian, July 4, 2003
Oxford University today began disciplinary action against a professor which could
ultimately lead to his dismissal after he refused an application from a student
because he is Israeli, reigniting the argument over an academic boycott.
Now
Available - Full Colour Map: "The Bantustanisation of the Palestinian Territories"
Alternative Information Center, July 4, 2003
This map is a geographic resource and an illustration of the political reality
lived by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. It shows how the network of illegal
Israeli settlements, bypass roads that serve the settlers, checkpoints and blocked
roads immobilise Palestinians and confine them into isolated cantons, or bantustans....The
map may be ordered: US $10 for international orders....
A-Watan:
Djerjian underlines Syria 's role in ME peace
Arabic News, July 5, 2003
Former American Ambassador in Damascus and the Director of the James Baker Institute
for Strategic Studies, Edward Djerjain, underlined Syria's important role in the
Mideast peace process stressing the impossibility of achieving peace without Syria.
Talibani:
the next Iraqi government will not establish relations with Israel
Arabic News, July 5, 2003
In a press interview, the chairman of the Kurdistani National Federation, Jalal
al-Talibani, said the attacks against the American occupation forces in Iraq "are
not organized resistance" and are limited to certain areas of Sunni majority,
while the Kurdish areas in the north and the Shiite in the south are characterized
of being calm.
Mission
American hearts and minds
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 3 - 9 July 2003
Last week's US tour by Gamal Mubarak and a high-level Egyptian delegation was
meant to explore and reinforce the strategic relationship between Egypt and America.
-- The Egyptian press kept close tabs on last week's US tour led by Gamal Mubarak,
the 39-year-old son of President Hosni Mubarak and chairman of the ruling National
Democratic Party's (NDP) influential Policy Secretariat. The visit took place
in the midst of an intensified focus on Egyptian-US relations, both in light of
the transformations occurring in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, and with regards
to the strategic interests of both Washington and Cairo.
IDF
unable to confirm report about MIA skeletons
Haaretz, July 5, 2003
The defense establishment was unable last night to confirm or deny a Hezbollah
radio report that three skeletons "from the era of the Israeli invasion" have
been found in the western part of the Lebanese Bekaa and that they might be missing
Israeli soldiers from the Lebanon War.
Pakradouni
cautions against abandoning Hizbullah
Daily Star, July 5, 2003
Lebanese Minister of Administrative Development Karim Pakradouni [president of
the Phalange Party] refused calls for dismantling Hizbullah Friday, saying it
was an Israeli demand. In an interview with Black and White, a Syrian magazine,
Pakradouni warned against abandoning Hizbullah, describing the group as a “winning
card” for Lebanon and Syria in regaining occupied territories and preventing
the settlement of Palestinians here.
U.S.
judge awards $116 million in terror suit against Hamas
Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 3, 2003
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 3, 6:36 p.m. CDT) - A federal judge has ruled the Palestinian
militant group Hamas must pay more than $116 million for murdering two Jewish
settlers near the West Bank seven years ago. The lawsuit was filed in 2000 by
David Strachman, a Providence attorney designated by an Israeli court to manage
the estate of Yaron Ungar, an American citizen, and his Israeli wife, Efrat. They
were killed as they drove home from a wedding in June 1996. Four Hamas members
already have been convicted in an Israeli court; one remains at large.
U.S.
Forces Detain Turkish Special Forces In Northern Iraq
Al-Hayat, July 5, 2003
Americans forces raided a Turkish special forces office in northern Iraq and detained
11 soldiers, Turkish officials said Saturday. A Turkish newspaper said the detentions
came amid reports that Turks were plotting to kill the governor of the oil-rich
city of Kirkuk.
General
Assembly Adopts Landmark Resolution on Preventing Armed Conflict
Palestine Chronicle, July 4, 2003
NEW YORK (United Nations News Wire) - After three years of preparation and five
months of intensive negotiation, the United Nations General Assembly today adopted
by consensus a resolution on the prevention of armed conflict, hailed as a landmark
in efforts to move the world body from a culture of reacting to crises to one
of preventing them from reaching critical mass.
Pilger
& Fisk on Iraq Coverage: The Real Danger Lies Within
CommonDreams, July 3, 2003
OSLO - If the reality in Iraq is one thing and the reporting of it remains another,
it is because much of the media wants it that way, say two leading journalists
who have been reporting the 'other' side of the Iraq story. The level of self-censorship
in the media has risen not just during the Iraq war but also since 9/11, says
Robert Fisk from The Independent newspaper published in Britain and John Pilger,
Australian broadcaster and film-maker.
US,
Egypt and others undermine the International Criminal Court agreement
Arabic News, July 5, 2003
Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Maher has stated that the US and Egypt have signed
an agreement providing for preventing the handing over of convicted persons of
the two countries citizens to the International Criminal Court for war crimes
trials, extermination and crimes against humanity.
Libraries
quietly sound alarm against PATRIOT Act
LA Weekly, July 4 - 10, 2003
Libraries throughout Southern California are quietly but determinedly fighting
against the federal law that makes it easier for authorities to find out what
patrons are reading.
Muslim
Camp Gets ‘Go-Ahead’ by US Army Corps
Arab News, July 5, 2003
WASHINGTON, 5 July 2003 — The US Army Corps of Engineers has approved a
plan to build the nation’s first summer camp for Muslims — with the
condition that the organizers reduce the size of their original proposal.
Force
down rogue state jets, say US, Australia
Sydney Morning Herald, July 5, 2003
Australian and United States officials meeting in Brisbane next week will discuss
an aggressive military operation to force down aircraft and board ships suspected
of carrying prohibited weapons from North Korea, Iran, Syria and Libya. "This
is something very different from what we've done before," the US Under Secretary
for Arms Control, John Bolton, said in Washington before leaving for the Brisbane
meeting. "It's a much more robust approach to interrupting the flow of commerce
in weapons of mass destruction."
Bush:
"God Told me to strike Afghanstan and Iraq"
Come and See, July 4, 2003
Ari Fleischer: "It's an invention. It was not said." -- According to Israel's
Haaretz, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas quoted Bush saying that the
next step is to solve the problem in the Middle East....According to Abbas, immediately
thereafter Bush said: "God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and
then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined
to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not,
the elections will come and I will have to focus on them."
Cited article: 'Road
map is a life saver for us,' PM Abbas tells Hamas, Haaretz, June 24, 2003
