Map
of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush
Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The
Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of
the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center
and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based
on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.
IOF Kills Four Palestinians in Askar Camp, Wounds Eight
International Press Center 8/8/2003
NABLUS, Palestine, August 8, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) invaded dawn today Askar refugee camp, in Nablus City, and killed four Palestinians, and wounded eight. People living around the targeted building told IPC correspondent that massive Israeli forces invaded the refugee camp's downtown area, and surrounded a four-floor apartment building there. Military bulldozers and tanks squashed the cars around the building, turning them into heaps of metal, and removed them from the area, while military helicopters hovered above the area.
Hizbullah, Israel Trade Fire in Lebanon
Islam Online 8/8/2003
RASHAYA, Lebanon, August 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli warplanes bombed the fringes of villages in south Lebanon Friday, August 8, after Hizbullah resistance group attacked Israeli army posts in the occupied Shebaa Farms border region, Lebanese police said. Israeli fighter bombers swooped four times to fire missiles at targets on the outskirts of Kfarshuba, Hebbariyeh, Slamiyeh and Kfarhamam near the Shebaa Farms, they said.
Israeli plan to enhance settlement in Jordan Valley, provocative marches in Jerusalem
Arabic News 8/8/2003
Israeli reports disclosed yesterday a plan to be conducted at a cost of 95 million dollars to enhance settlement in the Jordan valley, while extremists Jews organized provocative marches in occupied Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of al-Haikal ( the temple ) destruction amid tough security measures taken by the Israeli police.
Israel's Military Raids Jericho, Jenin
Middle East Newsline 8/8/2003
RAMALLAH [MENL] -- Israel's military has raided two West Bank cities in a rare operation since Palestinian insurgents announced a truce on June 29. Palestinian sources said Israeli troops raided PA installations and nearby homes in the West Bank city of Jericho on Wednesday. The sources said 18 PA security officers were detained in a large house in the city.
Hamas Threatens Revenge After Israel Raid
The Guardian 8/8/2003
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Israeli troops raiding a West Bank bomb lab killed three Palestinians on Friday, including two Hamas members, prompting threats of revenge from the Islamic militant group's military wing. An Israeli soldier also died. However, the five-week-old truce between Israelis and Palestinians was thought likely to survive. Hamas political leaders suggested privately they would not call off the cease-fire, and in public statements refrained from making threats against Israel.
Behind the barrier
Christian Science Monitor 8/8/2003
Israelis say a new partitioning of the West Bank is critical to security. Palestinians say they'll be prisoners on their own land. -- QALQILYA, WEST BANK – Yusif Josef Ramsi is still farming, if you can call it that. The West Bank farmer, never a major landowner, once tended his seven-acre plot of fig and olive trees with pride. Now, what's left of his patrimony sits in a few dozen black plastic buckets.
Jewish terror suspects indicted for transporting explosive material
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Yitzhak Pas and Matityahu Shabo were indicted Friday for carrying and transporting explosive material in mid-July. They are suspected of involvement in a Jewish terror cell. The State Attorney's office also asked the Jerusalem District Court to extend their remand, saying they pose a “threat to the security of the public and the state.”
It Takes Seven Tanks
International Solidarity Movement 8/8/2003
Update on incursion by the Israeli Military into the Askar Refugee Camp near occupied Nablus, West Bank: It Takes Seven Tanks to Rape a Village -- From inside the Askar refugee camp, one ISM international and two Palestinians have filed the following report to the ISM office. The Israeli Military stormed into camp this morning with seven tanks, several jeeps and helicopters. None of three we spoke to knows why the military suddenly invaded, but they do know that one Palestinian, Amees Abu Salim, is dead and lying in the street. In addition, two homes are burning, and the occupation forces are denying entrance to the firefighters.
...And it takes a bulldozer to finish the job
International Solidarity Movement 8/8/2003
August 8, 2003, 11:30 am -- In Askar, the large refugee camp just outside of occupied Nablus, a bulldozer is now demolishing a house. After tanks shot at it and a fire began to destroy it, the bulldozer has is busy finishing the job. This house is four stories high, and, according to the eyewitnesses, little or no time was given to the inhabitants of the house to flee. At this writing, three additional people have been injured, and the tanks are still shooting down the street.
Ambulance stopped at Surda checkpoint, Palestine Medical Relief staff detained
Palestine Monitor 7/31/2003
On the morning of Thursday the 31st of July, the Israeli occupying army stopped a Palestine Medical Relief ambulance at gunpoint, at the Surda checkpoint in Ramallah. The soldiers got into the ambulance and searched it, interfering with its medical equipment. Luckily the ambulance was not carrying a patient, however the soldiers handcuffed Palestine Medical Relief’s Dr Khalid Abu Taha and detained him. He was released after one hour.
Israeli soldier, four Palestinians killed in Nablus raid
Middle East Online 8/8/2003
Palestinian militants vow revenge after deadly Israeli army raid in Nablus, Israel rejects truce has been violated. -- An Israeli soldier and four Palestinians, including two local leaders of the hardline Hamas movement's armed wing, were killed here Friday in an Israeli army raid which dealt the most serious blow yet to the truce declared by Palestinian militants six week ago. Senior Hamas leaders said the group was still committed to its decision to halt anti-Israeli attacks for three months but that it would answer this latest Israeli "violation".
Police keep MK off Temple Mount
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Police officers physically blocked Likud MK Yehiel Hazan from going up to the Temple Mount twice yesterday morning. The second time came after police spent half an hour explaining to him that he would be endangering himself as well as the people gathered to pray at the Western Wall, below the Temple Mount.
Israel Kills Palestinian, Hamas Would "Not Stay Silent"
Islam Online 8/8/2003
NABLUS, West Bank, August 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - At least one Palestinian was killed Friday, August 8, when Israeli troops attacked a house containing members of the resistance Hamas group in the northern West Bank town of Nablus, Israeli military sources said, as Hamas vowed it would "not stay silent" in response to the killing of its member. A series of explosions had earlier destroyed the third floor of the building situated inside the Askar refugee camp, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Israeli Troops Invade Askar Refugee Camp, Palestinian Killed, 2 Homes destroyed
International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2003
Israeli Troops invaded Friday 2:00 A.M Askar Refugee camp east of the City of Nablus, imposed a curfew, clashed with resistance groups and started a home to home search. Israeli soldiers are surrounding and constantly firing at a three story building that is owned by Dewikat family. Eyewitnesses reported that the third story of the house was completely destroyed. As an exchange of fire was reported, it is likely that Palestinian resistance men are sheltering inside the house.
Violence flares in West Bank
Financial Times 8/8/2003
Israeli soldiers have killed a Hamas militant in a raid on a Palestinian refugee camp that rocked a ceasefire and violence erupted along the Israel-Lebanon border, shattering months of calm. An Israeli military source said the troops had mounted a "pinpoint operation" in Askar refugee camp in the city of Nablus to detain a senior wanted Hamas member and returned fire after gunmen shot at them.
IDF, Hezbollah trading mortar fire on northern border
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Israeli artillery and fighter planes struck at Hezbollah positions north of Mount Dov on Friday, after the Lebanese group fired mortal shells and missiles at the Israel Defense Force along the northern border. The exchange of fire lasted over an hour. An IDF spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there was "massive Hezbollah fire," during which the militant group "fired anti-tank missiles, light weapons fire and mortars at several IDF posts."
IDF soldier, wanted Hamas gunman killed in Nablus raid
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Israel Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Ro'i Oren, 20, was killed early Friday morning during an arrest operation in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus. A wanted Hamas activist was killed during the raid itself and another, buried beneath the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli missile, died later. Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza said Friday that in light of the raid, the militant Palestinian organization will not maintain the quiet of the cease-fire, Israel Radio reported.
Hezbollah and Israelis Trade Fire in Lebanon
New York Times 8/8/2003
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah guerrillas shelled Israeli positions in a disputed Lebanese border region for the first time in eight months Friday, drawing Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, security officials said. Hezbollah said in a statement that its attack, which began at 9:45 a.m., was in retaliation for the killing of a Hezbollah security official Saturday south of Beirut. Hezbollah blamed Israel for killing Ali Hussein Saleh, who died when a bomb tore apart his car.
Soldier and 2 Guerrillas Die as Israelis Raid West Bank City
New York Times 8/8/2003
JERUSALEM, Aug. 8 — The Israeli Army raided the West Bank city of Nablus before dawn today in what it called a pursuit of Palestinian bombmakers, touching off a firefight that left two Hamas members and one soldier dead and put new strain on the fragile cease-fire. From Lebanon, for the first time since January, Hezbollah guerrillas fired antitank missiles and mortar bombs across Israel's northern border at Israeli military posts in an occupied area of the Golan Heights.
Hamas vows Israel raid payback
BBC 8/8/2003
The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, has called on members to avenge the death of two of its leaders killed in an Israeli army raid. Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades identified their dead as Fayez Assader, 26, a leader in the West Bank city of Nablus, and Khamis Abu Salem, 22.
Hamas member, Israeli soldier killed in Nablus clash
Al-Bawaba 8/8/2003
At least one Hamas activist and an Israeli soldier were killed during an early Friday clash, in a refugee camp near Nablus. Israeli sources said troops raided the Askar refugee camp, near Nablus, at 4:30 A.M. (local time) to arrest Palestinians, and the soldiers came under fire, which killed one soldier. In return, occupation troops fired a missile at a building in the camp. The anti-tank missile was directed at the third floor of a building in the camp. The missile set off a series of explosions, destroying the third floor.
2 Hamas, 1 Israel Soldier Killed in Fight
The Guardian 8/8/2003
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Israeli troops battled gunmen from the Islamic militant group Hamas early Friday in a raid on a suspected bomb lab that killed one soldier and two militants following a month of relative calm in the region. The firefight in the Askar refugee camp came as an Israeli official said the course of a security barrier might be altered to encompass less West Bank land than initially planned.
Hezbollah, Israel Trade Fire in Lebanon
The Guardian 8/8/2003
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Hezbollah guerrillas shelled Israeli positions in a disputed Lebanese border region for the first time in eight months Friday, drawing Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, security officials said. Hezbollah said in a statement that its attack, which began at 9:45 a.m., was in retaliation for the killing of a Hezbollah security official Saturday south of Beirut. Hezbollah blamed Israel for killing Ali Hussein Saleh, who died when a bomb tore apart his car.
Diplomacy..
Bush waives sanction on PLO office in Washington
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
CRAWFORD, Texas - U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday allowed the Palestinian Authority to maintain an office in Washington by waiving for another six months a law that would require it to be closed. The law, which mandates the "downgrade in status of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) office in the United States," has been waived every six months since its passage.
Powell toughens stance on Israeli security fence
San Francisco Chronicle 8/8/2003
Toughening his stand on construction of an Israeli security fence, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the Bush administration would abide by congressional provisions for reducing U.S. aid to Israel for settlement activity on the West Bank. "We have identified some problems" with the project and the administration will keep talking to Israel about them until there is a solution, Powell said at a news conference. "We have concerns about that fence," Powell said. "We have problems with it."
Bush Says Israel Cooperating With Fence
The Guardian 8/8/2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush was sympathetic Friday to the Palestinians' position on an Israeli security fence and said ``the Israelis are willing to work with us'' to reroute it. Israel is building the barrier between it and Palestinian-held areas in an effort to screen out Palestinian terrorists who have carried out deadly attacks against cafes and marketplaces. Recognizing Israel's position, Bush said the fence was built in reaction to terrorism.
Israel Reportedly Willing to Delay Portions of Barrier
New York Times 8/7/2003
JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 — Acknowledging American concerns about segments of the West Bank barrier it is building, Israel has agreed not to construct those segments until it reaches a compromise with the Bush administration, a senior Israeli official said today. One of the disputed lengths would reach eastward into the West Bank to encompass the large Israeli settlement of Ariel. Construction was not scheduled to begin there for months, even before the Americans objected, Israeli officials said.
Israeli Declarations about prisoners: far from the truth
Palestine Monitor 8/6/2003
In a bid to boost public relations, Israeli Governmental sources are once again distorting the facts. Data released about the Palestinian prisoners illustrates this. Although the number of prisoners arrested over the last few weeks is greater than the number of prisoners released today (as a goodwill gesture regarding the implementation of the ‘Road Map’), Israel insists on its “generosity”.
Powell tells PA and Israel: `Do more'
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday that the cease-fire declared by Palestinian militant groups was not enough and that the Palestinian Authority must make a concentrated effort against terror organizations. "We need to see a more concerted effort against the capacity for terrorist activity on the Palestinian side," Powell told reporters in Washington. "It's not enough just to have a cease-fire."
Precarious hudna
Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 7 - 13 August 2003
Amid rising Palestinian anger over Israel's foot-dragging on the prisoners' issue, resistance groups threaten to end their truce with Israel. - Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders, like most Palestinians, reacted coolly to the Israeli decision to free some 424 Palestinian prisoners. PA Chairman Yasser Arafat described the decision as a "scandalous deception". "This is a scandalous deception. They [Israel] arrested twice as many people during the past few days, 239 in Hebron alone," said Arafat, while addressing supporters in Ramallah on Monday.
Palestinians languish in Israeli jails
BBC 8/8/2003
Thousands of Palestinian political prisoners are being held by Israel - and many thousands more have passed through Israeli jails during nearly three years of the current Palestinian intifada. The fate of these detainees is not mentioned in the US-backed peace plan for the Middle East, known as the roadmap. But it remains a significant bone of contention that from time to time has the capacity to bring peace negotiations to a screeching stop.
Austrian MP Calls for Inquiry Into Sharon's Vienna Dealings
Forward 8/8/2003
An Austrian lawmaker is calling for a formal inquiry into charges that Vienna is blocking an Israeli investigation of alleged campaign finance violations by Prime Minister Sharon — purportedly in exchange for Jerusalem's agreement to restore diplomatic ties with the alpine nation. The lawmaker, Peter Pilz of the Green Party, formally requested a parliamentary investigation last week, just before Parliament recessed for the summer. Pilz told the Forward he is planning to ask Austrian authorities to explain their attitude when Parliament reconvenes in mid-September.
Boycott of Arafat has slowed down Israeli diplomacy
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
The new European Union envoy to the peace process, Belgian diplomat Marc Otte, was recently appointed to the position but is stuck in Brussels not knowing when he will come to the region. The reason: Otte is subject to EU policy, which requires him to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. However, if he visits Arafat, who is holed up in the Muqata, he knows he will not be able to meet with high-level Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who regard the isolation as one of the jewels in their foreign policy crown. However, Israel's official policy against meeting foreign statesmen who meet with Arafat appears to be backfiring, preventing several foreign leaders from visiting the area for talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Report: Israeli official says disputed parts of fence on hold
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
In light of American concerns about segments of the barrier it is building to separate itself from the West Bank, Israel has agreed not to construct those segments until it reaches a compromise with the Bush administration, Friday's New York Times quoted a senior Israeli official as saying. The official said the Bush administration did not object in principle to the barrier but did express "a great deal of concern" about what he described as very limited portions, particularly the planned branch around the settlement of Ariel.
Bush Eases Pressure on Both Sides Over Peace Plan
Forward 8/8/2003
WASHINGTON — Seeking to prevent the unraveling of its so-called "road map" to Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Bush administration is scaling back its demands on each side in hopes of making it easier for each of them to comply. The apparent aim is to ease domestic political pressures on the leaders, as well as to defuse charges from each side that the other side is failing to comply.
Mahmoud Abbas in Saudi Arabia, cancels visit to Kuwait
Arabic News 8/8/2003
The Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas canceled a visit to Kuwait that was decided on within a Gulf tour he had started yesterday in Saudi Arabia. Abbas arrived yesterday evening in Saudi Arabia, the first leg in a Gulf tour covering the United Arab Emirates.
Government..
Hawks Circle Israeli PM as Scandals Widen
Forward 8/8/2003
Likud Politicians Seen Preparing For Battle of Succession -- JERUSALEM — Israeli politicians have begun gearing up for a battle of succession as Prime Minister Sharon struggles against a mounting wave of legal investigations and charges of corruption that could potentially drown his political career, perhaps in the coming months. During the last two weeks, hardly a day has gone by without another serious blow to Sharon's image and standing. The prime minister is described by ministers, officials and close observers as increasingly preoccupied and short-tempered, as befits a man who, so goes the growing speculation among insiders, has begun to fear that the end is nigh.
Appel says will answer questions on 'Greek Island' affair
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Contractor David Appel said Friday that he intends to answer questions on the Greek Island bribery affair, when he faces officers from the International Crimes Unit on Friday. Appel is suspected of trying to bribe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 1999, by employing his son, Gilad Sharon, and paying hundreds of thousands of shekels into the Sharon family farm in the Negev. Police believe that Appel was trying to influence Sharon, who was Foreign Minister at the time, over several key overseas projects, including the purchase of a Greek island, which Appel planned to turn into a tourist resort.
Police question Appel for five hours on 'Greek Island' affair
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Officers from the International Crimes Unit on Friday questioned contractor David Appel for five hours on on the "Greek Island" affair. Earlier Friday Appel said that he would answer their questions. Appel is suspected of trying to bribe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 1999, by employing his son, Gilad Sharon, and paying hundreds of thousands of shekels into the Sharon family farm in the Negev.
Pressure on PM to hand over Kern loan documents
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
National Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky of Shinui became the first member of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government to openly call on him to hand over all the documents the police are seeking in their investigation of the Cyril Kern affair.
Human
Rights..
UN Report Calls Israel to Revoke New Discriminatory Citizenship Law
International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2003
A UN report regarding Israeli implementation of the international treaty for political and civil rights, to be published Friday, calls Israel to revoke the new citizenship law denying citizenship to Palestinians who marry Israelis.
Israel pleased with a UN report - despite pointed criticism of new citizenship law
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Israel must "revoke" the new citizenship law denying citizenship to Palestinians who marry Israelis, according to a periodic UN report due out today regarding Israeli implementation of the international treaty for political and civil rights. The Foreign Ministry, however, is pleased with the report - the first written on civil rights issues inside Israel since the start of the intifada - noting that alongside criticism, it praises progress in civil rights for the country's minorities. But the report also is critical of the status of Palestinians' rights in the territories: Israel believes those issues are beyond the purview of the report's mandate.
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 24 July - 6 August
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/7/2003
Israeli Forces Continue Violations of Human Rights in the OPT between 24 July – 6 August 2003: 3 Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank / 1 Palestinian died from a wound he previously sustained by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip / Indiscriminate Israeli shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued / Israeli forces willfully fired at Palestinian civilians, wounding 5, including a woman / Continued Israeli restrictions on Palestinian civilians at friction points in the Gaza Strip / Israeli forces denied Palestinian farmers access to their agricultural lands / The siege of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the partial siege of the Gaza Strip continue
Economy..
Treasury: Government debt balloons to 103 percent GDP
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
The government's debt ballooned from NIS 448 billion at the end of 2001 to NIS 502 billion at the end of 2002, according to a report released Thursday by the Finance Ministry's debt management unit. Putting this in personal terms, every citizen, including children, owes some NIS 76,100. For international comparisons, government debt is measured as a proportion of the economy (or gross domestic product), and this debt-to-GDP ratio in Israel jumped last year from 94.8 percent to 102.9 percent. The Masstricht Treaty, which lists the criteria for European states to join the common currency, stipulates that a member country must not allow the debt-to-GDP ratio to top 60 percent.
Israel Aircraft Industries sees profits plummet by 65%
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Israel Aircraft Industries netted a profit of $9 million in the first half of 2003, 65 percent down from the same period last year. Sales of the defense company during the first half of the year fell 11 percent to $904 million, compared to $1.017 billion during the same period in 2002.
Consumer durables sales down 28.7% in first half
Globes 8/7/2003
Israelis traveling abroad dropped 37% to 718,000 in the second quarter. -- The weakness in private consumption is persisting, belying reports or higher retail sales in recent months. The greatest drop in retail sales in the first half of 2003 was for appliances and durable goods, which fell 28.7%, compared with the first half of 2002. Sales of household and kitchen utensils fell 20.4%; clothing and textiles 6.3%, and footwear and leather product 3.8%.
Economic plan will reduce 2004 tax receipts by NIS 1.1-1.4b
Globes 8/7/2003
The economic plan is expected to cut tax revenue by NIS 540 million in the second half of 2003. -- The emergency economic plan to restore Israel's economy, the implementation of which began in July, will reduce the state's tax revenues by NIS 1.1-1.4 billion in 2004. The decline in tax revenues will be partly offset by stricter enforcement of tax laws, including special tax collection campaigns announced this week by Ministry of Finance department of customs and VAT director-general Eitan Rub.
Boeing to manufacture Arrow missile from 2004
Globes 8/7/2003
The aims are to reduce production costs and enable the IDF to procure the anti-ballistic missile system using US military aid. -- Manufacture of the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system will be transferred to the US in the first half of 2004. Boeing (NYSE:BA) will produce the missile at its California plant. Senior Boeing executives said the company was still negotiating with subcontractors to manufacture the missile in the US, and that negotiations with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), the Arrow's original manufacturer, were not yet complete.
IAF intends buying 100 JSF planes
Globes 8/7/2003
Delivery of the Joint Strike Fighter is scheduled to begin in 2012. Each plane is expected to cost only $35 million. -- Israel plans to buy 100 next-generation Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), built by Lockheed-Martin (NYSE:LMT), according to widespread estimates in the defense industry. Israel paid $20 million to join the JSF program last month. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that Israel plans to acquire the plane. A ministry source said, "Israel plans to procure 100 planes. Assuming that the JSF timetable proceeds on schedule, Israel will procure the planes in the next decade, depending on the defense budget constraints and the composition of needs at the time."
Single Mothers' Protest Losing Support
Forward 8/8/2003
JERUSALEM — When single mother Vicky Knafo set out on foot from her home in the Negev July 1, she was alone. When she finished her 125-mile protest march — intended to bring attention to proposed economic measures that would hurt single mothers — in Jerusalem one week later, she had attracted a throng of supporters. As the protest enters its second month, 180 people are still camped out along the boulevard facing the Finance Ministry. Yet there may not be strength in numbers. Polls in Israel show support for Knafo's cause declining dramatically.
Vicki Knafo vows: I'll never say die
Ha'aretz 8/8/2003
Vicki Knafo, who heads the group of single mothers protesting opposite the Knesset in Jerusalem, said yesterday that she had no intention of ending her campaign against the government's economic decrees. "I have no intention of going home. They must understand that even if everyone despairs and I am left here on my own, I will not go home. I am prepared for the start of the school year and the winter," Knafo said...
Boeing: Israeli UAVs suit battlefield of the future program
Globes 8/7/2003
Boeing is expected to ask IAI and Elbit Systems to bid on an upcoming tender. -- Israeli-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are expected to be part of Boeing's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, Boeing EVP and Integrated Defense Systems president and CEO James (Jim) F. Albaugh said yesterday while on a working visit to Israel. Boeing heads the FCS team together with customer the US Army, partner Science Applications International Corporation and other subcontractors and suppliers.
Israel targets foreign investors with MTS bond platform
Globes 8/7/2003
The government will soon be listing its bonds on the major pan-European trading platform EuroMTS. -- Soccer's powers that be consider Israel part of Europe, but they're pretty much all alone in that respect. Not for much longer, though. Even as the Israeli national soccer team fights to land a place in the 2004 European championship, the country's government will soon be listing its bonds on the major pan-European trading platform EuroMTS.
People..
Palestinian Youth Mobilize Against Human Rights Abuses in the West Bank
Common Dreams/Madre 8/5/2003
NEW YORK - August 5 - On August 6, members of the Ibdaa Youth Dance Troupe will attend an all-day photography workshop, aimed at empowering Palestinian youth to document their life experiences in a refugee camp. Twenty Palestinian girls and boys, aged 15-18, will attend the training on the Lower East Side of New York. Since 1995, youth from the Ibdaa Cultural Center in Palestine have taken proactive measures to document and condemn human rights abuses. The photography workshop will further their cause, creating a positive space for the youth to learn skills, develop their creativity, and find constructive ways to channel their fears and frustrations into progressive demands for change.
Refugees question roadmap as springboard to right of return
The Jordan Star 8/6/2003
"All the efforts made towards peace are useless"; those are the words echoing these days among the vast majority of Palestinians living in Amman’s refugee camps. When asked to what extent they trust that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will be able implement the roadmap peace plan, the refugees replied dejectedly "the roadmap is a waste of time, we do not believe peace can be achieved."
Journey to Azzoun: Feature Story
International Press Center 8/8/2003
WEST BANK (PC) - The Israeli soldier at Qalandia checkpoint used a megaphone as he called the Palestinians forward one-by-one. For the men and women waiting their turn it was like they were suddenly animals under the control of a farmer or young children being watched over by a strict parent. Everyone was crammed together in the sweltering heat and no one could move forward until the next person was called.
International..
ADL Rebukes Knesset Law
Forward 8/8/2003
In a rare rebuke of Israel, the Anti-Defamation League is criticizing the Knesset for passing a bill that denies residency permits to Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens. The decision to speak out, albeit gently, puts the ADL in the unusual position of joining the European Union and international human rights organizations in criticizing Israeli policy. The group's director, Abraham Foxman, has long argued that American Jewish groups should generally defer to the democratically elected Israeli government on security-related matters.
Rice Advocates ‘Democratic Renaissance’ in Mideast
Arab News 8/8/2003
WASHINGTON, 8 August 2003 — US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, from the pages of The Washington Post, advocated yesterday a democratic renaissance in the Middle East similar to that of post World War II in Europe. Reiterating the anti-terrorist, foreign policy goals of the Bush administration, Rice voiced the hope that by introducing Iraq to democracy a domino effect could be created in the region.
Napalm by another name: Pentagon denial goes up in flames
Sydney Morning Herald 8/9/2003
The United States military has admitted it used napalm-type weapons in Iraq. A Pentagon spokesman had told the Herald it did not have any stocks of napalm, but it seems the denial was a quibble. The Pentagon no longer officially uses the brand-name Napalm, a combination of naphthalene and palmitate, but a similar substance known as fuel-gel mixture contained in Mark-77 fire bombs was dropped on Iraqi troops near the Iraq-Kuwait border at the start of the recent war.
Iran holding al-Qaida men 'as bargaining chip with US'
The Guardian 8/8/2003
Iran is using the senior members of the al-Qaida network it has detained as a bargaining chip in its war of nerves with the US, and will only allow their extradition in return for substantial concessions, sources in the political establishment said yesterday.
Of walls and triangles
Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 7 - 13 August 2003
Press review: The Separation Wall in Palestine and continued resistance to the US occupation of Iraq preoccupied the Arab press this week -- What Abu Mazen and the Governing Council in Iraq have in common was the riddle with which Hazem Saghiya began his column in the London- based Lebanese daily Al-Hayat on 5 August. The answer was that they both enjoy American support, or that they were both American-made, or even, Saghiya argued, that they both announced the end of an era, one in which politics was characterised by violence. However, no one in the Arab world had had the courage to admit the end of this era, which would have been seen as tantamount to "surrender", Saghiya said.
Jordanian Seeks Early Release Over Israeli Airline Plot Conviction
Palestine Chronicle 8/8/2003
LONDON - A Jordanian, sentenced to 45 years in jail for allegedly trying to blow up an Israeli airliner in 1986, has been granted a judicial review over the refusal by the British government to be allowed early release. Nezar Hindawi, serving what is believed to be the longest prison term imposed by an English court, was convicted of planting a timer bomb in his girlfriend's luggage on an El Al flight at London's Heathrow airport.
FAIR USE NOTICE:
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are
making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding
of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific,
and social justice issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use'
of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of
the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section
107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those
who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information
for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html If
you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes
of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission
from the copyright owner.
