Barghouti in Israeli court: ''I am a peaceful man''
Al-Bawaba, August 14, 2002
Marwan Barghouti, the outspoken leader of the Palestinian uprising, appeared in an Israeli court Wednesday morning to stand trial on charges he orchestrated widespread attacks against Israel, and said only a peace deal would bring Israelis security.

Israel Attempts to Present Marwan Barghouti As Criminal: Release
Palestine Chronicle, August 14, 2002
RAMALLAH: This morning, Israeli prosecutors presented a charge sheet against Marwan Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, who was arrested on April 15, 2002. Since his arrest Marwan Barghouti has spent prolonged periods in solitary confinement in the Russian Compound detention and interrogation center ('Moscowbiya') and Petah Tikva detention center, where he has been subjected to position abuse and sleep deprivation.

Israeli court stops expulsion of Palestinians
Army must give reasons for targeting attackers' relatives
Guardian, August 14, 2002
Israel's supreme court yesterday ordered the Israeli army to delay expelling to Gaza three relatives of West Bank Palestinians who were suspected of organising and planning suicide bombings in Israel.

U.S.: Int'l task force on PA reform to meet next week in Paris
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002
WASHINGTON - A task force which hopes to promote Middle East peace through Palestinian reforms will meet in France this month, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday. "It's a step that can assist the Palestinians in their efforts to achieve civil reform," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker told a news briefing as he announced the task force's next talks would be in Paris on Aug. 22 and 23.

PA, Israel resume talks; Powell: Tenet is working on new security plan
Al-Bawaba, August 14, 2002
Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is expected to meet Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat Wednesday. Erekat said the new talks would discuss security, political, economic and humanitarian issues. The sides are due to discuss the possibility of releasing another NIS 70 million of frozen PA tax revenue and the easing of travel restrictions on Palestinians in some areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Powell: talks between CIA, Palestinians 'on track'
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday plans for Palestinian security reforms were on track despite a negative report about recent talks between the Palestinian interior minister and Central Intelligence Agency chief George Tenet.

Hamas implicitly rejects Palestinian political manifesto
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002 
Hamas implicitly rejected Tuesday the draft of a political manifesto drawn up by representatives of all the Palestinian organizations and stipulating the foundation of a Palestinian state in the territories captured by Israel in 1967 as the national aim of the Palestinians.

Women at barricades keep an eye on their defenders
Guardian, August 14, 2002
With her steely blue-grey eyes drilling him from under the brim of her sun hat, Yehudit Elkana approaches the armed Israeli border policeman at the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Israel convenes committee to encourage Jewish families to have more children 
Alternative Information Center, August 14th, 2002
In 1996 the Israeli government determined that "an atmosphere conducive to encouraging reproduction" should be created and that "artificial abortions" should be restrained. In the wake of this government determination, the Public Committee for Demography was established. The committee garnered public criticism for its recommendations, particularly its stance against abortions. Four years ago the committee ceased to function, but will meet at the beginning of next month to draft recommendations for encouraging reproduction amongst Jews in Israel. The committee's recommendations will be presented to the government.

Israeli writer calls on 'cowards' to act
The end to the Middle East conflict is obvious and inevitable, says novelist Amos Oz, but its leaders lack nerve
Guardian, August 14, 2002
Amos Oz, Israel's leading novelist, yesterday called Israeli and Palestinian leaders gutless cowards and said that the Middle East would eventually be divided "into two separate family units, like a semi-detached house".

Immigration to Israel down 27% 
Alternative Information Center, August 14th, 2002 
Immigration to Israel was down by 27 percent in the first half of 2002, according to figures released Tuesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The decrease was due in large part to a 46% drop in immigration from the former Soviet Union.

Labour left puts hope in ex-general
Guardian, August 14, 2002
Israel's chronically divided Labour party hailed a potential saviour yesterday - a dovish ex-general and popular mayor who said he was prepared to lead the party into the next election and is flying high in the polls.

Arafat Faces French National For President
Middle East Newsline, August 14, 2002
AMMAN [MENL] -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat faces a French national in planned presidential elections. Hussam Nazal, a Palestinian physician who has lived in France since age 15, has announced his candidacy for Palestinian president. Nazal, 41, has called for the establishment of a democratic state governed by a constitution and blamed the PA for the current insurgency war against Israel. 

Measure for measure
Guardian, August 14, 2002
- "Listener thinks programme was biased against Israel."
- "Listener thinks programme was biased against Palestinians."
It's entirely possible - indeed likely - that you'll see these two comments side by side on the listeners' log - the internal BBC document which details what people who have called in to say about programmes. My bosses get a lot of mail about the subject, and spend a lot of their time responding.

Israel's middle men
Washington Times, August 14, 2002
 UMM EL-FAHM, Israel — In this border town populated almost exclusively by Israeli Arabs, the citizens are determined to remain Israelis. In poll after poll, most Israeli Arabs say they would object strongly to their towns being incorporated into the West Bank in any land swap — if and when a Palestinian state is created. Now, though, the citizenship status of some Israeli-Arab residents of Umm el-Fahm is in jeopardy.

Detained Palestinian Threatened with Rape
Palestine Chronicle, August 13, 2002
TEL AVIV: An investigating team in the Israeli military police has instigated an inquiry into a heinous incident carried out by an officer, in the rank of a lieutenant, who threatened a Palestinian detainee with rape, Israel's daily, Yedioth Ahronot revealed.

MI chief: terror groups trying hard to pull off mega-attack
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002 
Terrorist organizations are making every effort to carry out as many attacks as possible, including "mega-attacks," inside Israel, the head of Military Intelligence, Major General Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash), told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday. There are currently six warnings of attacks that are about to be perpetrated, he said.

Israel to Sign Second Agreement to Bypass ICC with Russia
Palestine Chronicle, August 13, 2002
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PMC): After signing an agreement with its closest ally to restrict the extradition of their citizens to the newly established International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Israel is now turning to Russia to sign a restriction agreement similar to the one it signed with the US last week, Israel's Yedioth Ahronot newspaper relayed.

Poll: PM's Likud would crush Ben-Eliezer's Labor
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002 
A public opinion poll released Wednesday showed that if elections were held now, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud would reap 31 percent of the total vote, and Benjamin Ben-Eliezer's Labor would receive just eight percent.

Don't Succumb To U.S. Blackmail: HRW to Nations
Islam Online, August 14, 2002
Human Rights Watch: U.S. administration’s warning to cut military aid “an empty threat”: UNITED NATIONS, August 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The New York-based group Human Rights Watch urged recipients of U.S. military aid on Tuesday to resist what it called U.S. “blackmail” over cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Security cabinet okays path of 1st stage of West Bank fence
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002 
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet Wednesday approved the route of the first phase of the barrier dividing Israel from the West Bank in an effort to curb Palestinian attacks. The move was briskly condemned by the Palestinian Authority, with Minister Saeb Erekat saying that Israel was trying to set up the world's biggest prison. 

Bush delays supplemental aid package
Jerusalem Post, August 14, 2002
Israel suffered a financial setback on Tuesday when US President George W. Bush rejected a proposal to add $5.1 billion, including $200 million for Israel, to a supplemental spending package.

Israel to transfer NIS 140 million to PA; sides to meet Wed.
Ha'aretz, August 14, 2002 
Israel and the Palestinian Authority are slated to resume contacts Wednesday evening following the return of the Palestinian delegation from talks with U.S. officials in Washington.