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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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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.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

Israelis kill Hebron militant chief BBC 8/14/2003 Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian militant leader who was holed up in a house in the West Bank city of Hebron. The militant was named as Mohammed Seder, the local head of Islamic Jihad's armed wing. Witnesses said Israeli troops first surrounded a building in search of Mr Seder, and a gun battle then ensued, involving explosions.  IOF Kills a Palestinian in Hebron, Grips Control Over Jenin and Ramallah International Press Center 8/14/2003 HEBRON, Palestine, August14, 2003,(IPC +Agencies)- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed Thursday a Palestinian youth in the West Bank city of Hebron. Mahmoud Seder was instantly killed earlier on Thursday morning by Israeli troops, local Palestinian sources said....Concurrently, Israeli troops invaded Thursday morning Jenin refugee camp, north of West Bank, Palestinian security sources said. Eyewitnesses said that more than 30 Israeli tanks and convoys advanced deep into the camp under indiscriminate barrage of fire, steering from all directions that followed by houses to house search campaign....In Ramallah, the Israeli occupation forces blocked today morning all the entrances of Rammallah& Al Birah city of the West Bank, WAFA said. At 6:00 AM the Israeli forces sealed off the west-northern entrance of Rammallah-Briziet road and the intersection of Serda town, as the soldiers ordered all the Palestinian vehicles and passersby to come back....A similar Israeli escalation was also applied on Gaza strip. The Israeli occupation forces have incurred into south west of Rafah city today morning. Eyewitnesses said that 5 Israeli tanks backed by 2 military bulldozers invaded into al Brahma neighborhood, south west of Rafah city. Islamic Jihad promises to avenge killing of Hebron leader Al-Bawaba 8/14/2003 The Islamic Jihad vowed on Thursday to avenge the death of its leader in Hebron, Mohammed Sider, who was killed earlier in the day by Israeli army forces. "The Jerusalem Brigades reserve the right to respond to the Zionist...assassination of mujahid leader Mohammed Sider despite the truce declared by the factions," the Neda al-Quds Web site, closely affiliated with Islamic Jihad, said. "The response will be quick, like an earthquake and in the depth of the Zionist entity," it added. Hezbollah fires at IAF planes over Lebanon - but not toward Israel Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Hezbollah fired anti-aircraft shells at Israeli planes flying over Lebanon yesterday, for the first time since Haviv Dadon was killed by one such shell in Shlomi on Sunday, but the Lebanese Islamic guerrilla organization made sure to fire the shells away from the direction of Israel. Later, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, visiting Shlomi, said there is a "balance of deterrence" on the northernborder. 3 Hebron settlers arrested on suspicion of security crimes Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Police and Shin Bet officers on Wednesday night arrested three settlers from the Hebron-Kiryat Arba area of the West Bank on suspicion of committing security crimes, Israel Radio reported. News of the arrests was made available for publication Thursday afternoon and a gag order was placed on all details of the investigation. The Jerusalem Magistrates' Court on Thursday extended by six days the remand for the three suspects - Sela Tor, Isaschar Peretz, and Ronen Arusi. Military Aircraft hover over Ramallah as IOF closes the city International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2003 Israeli military aircraft, observed circling the city of Ramallah since Wednesday midnight, were continuing their heavy presence at the time of going to press. Local residents fear an assassination attempt is about to take place, especially after a spy plane has been spotted flying at low height. This kind of plane is frequently seen before assassinations occur. The Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO) has informed its Palestinian counterpart that no Palestinian may leave Ramallah or Al-Biereh. PA security men fire and wound activist and four kids Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Gaza - Palestinian Authority security men last night fired at a member of the Islamic Jihad Movement in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza wounding him and four kids who were passing by. A statement for Islamic Jihad said that elements of the PA preventive security apparatus last night launched a “cowardly” step when they arrested one of the commanders of the Quds Brigades, military wing of the Movement, and wounded another. Zionist settlement scheme on Arab lands in Negev Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Tel Aviv - Arab Knesset member, Abdul Malek Dahamsha, has denounced the “Israeli” authorities’ step of demolishing ten houses in Sa’wa village in the Negev. The village, which is east of Hawra village, was one of the so-called villages “unrecognized” by the Zionist authorities. Dahamsha condemned the “Israeli” policy of razing Arab houses in general and in the Negev in particular, pointing out that 130 houses in the Negev were demolished so far in 2003. Israel Upgrades Incitement against Arafat, Escalates Aggressions Palestine Media Center 8/14/2003 IOF Seal off Ramallah on Days of Mourning, Condolences -- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Thursday escalated their military aggression against the Palestinian people, assassinated extra-judicially an anti-occupation activist, tightened siege and closures of more West bank cities, and the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon upgraded its incitement against President Yasser Arafat, only a day after a visit by the US top Middle East envoy William Burns. Security chief remanded for sexual extortion Jerusalem Post 8/14/2003 He is suspected of extorting sexual relations with "many" Arab women -- Barak Cohen, the head of security at the east Jerusalem branch of the Interior Ministry, was remanded Thursday for five days by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on suspicion of extorting sex from Arab women in exchange for a better place in the waiting line. Israeli Troops Invade Nablus, Demolish a House, Arrest a Palestinian International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2003 Israeli forces raided several areas in Nablus in the early hours of Thursday morning. Dr. Hafez Al-Sadder, director of the Solidarity Clinic, said the Israeli army broke into the building after blowing up the doors. Once inside, they ransacked the clinic. Israel's new barrier cuts old ties Christian Science Monitor 8/14/2003 An 87-mile-long West Bank barrier has left more than 200,000 Palestinians on the Israeli side. -- JAYYUS, WEST BANK – It's no dream house, the cinderblock hut Sharif Omar now calls home, but he won't leave it anytime soon. When the West Bank farmer and his wife married 36 years ago, they moved in with his brother. Mr. Omar promised one day to build her a house of her own. This year, he finished it, moved the family in and promptly left for this squat shed in his olive groves, not far from 31 other families camping on their own farms. Video: "Fires broke out after shooting and explosions" BBC 8/14/2003 The BBC's James Rodgers reports from Jerusalem Hezbollah Fires on Israeli Jets Arab News 8/14/2003 BEIRUT, 14 August 2003 — Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it fired anti-aircraft rounds at Israeli jets that roared over Lebanon yesterday, three days after Israel struck southern Lebanon in response to the killing of an Israeli teenager by similar fire. “The air defense unit of the Islamic Resistance confronted...Zionist enemy warplanes that violated Lebanese sovereignty over central areas of south Lebanon,” a statement from the militant group said. Observers fear escalation as Hizbullah fires on F-16s Daily Star 8/14/2003 EU adds to international pressure -- Hizbullah anti-aircraft batteries opened fire Wednesday on Israeli fighter jets that had violated Lebanese air space and broken the sound barrier numerous times around the country, prompting international concern over the deteriorating border situation. A Hizbullah statement said the group’s anti-aircraft batteries targeted the Israeli planes over the central and western sector of the border zone. Islamic Jihad, To Avenge Assassination of Hebron Leader International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2003 Islamic Jihad Leader Sheikh Bassam Sadi warned Thursday that the Israeli assassination of the groups’ leader in Hebron endangers the cease-fire agreement an promised that Islamic Jihad will avenge his death. “I assure you that this crime in Hebron will not go unpunished” he said. A special Israeli army unit operating in Hebron killed Mohammed Sider, 25, who was hold up in a store in the city center. Israeli army source claimed that Sider threw a grenade at Israeli troops who in return fired anti-tank missiles at the building causing his death and a large explosion. Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Leader, Triggering Revenge Vows Islam Online 8/14/2003 GAZA, August 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In a fresh violation of the fragile temporary truce, Israeli army killed a local leader of the Islamic Jihad faction in the West Bank on Thursday, August 15, triggering the group's vows of "harsh" revenge. Israeli troops launched a rocket attack on a house in the southern West Bank city of Al-Khalil, killing Mohamed Al-Sedr, Palestinian sources told IslamOnline.net. Guard arrested for sexual bribery at East J'lem Interior Min. Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 The head of the security guards at the East Jerusalem Interior Ministry was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of asking for bribes - including sexual favors - from citizens who wanted to shorten their waiting time. Police suspect him of telling Palestinian women they could move forward in line if they granted him sexual favors, and telling the men they could wait for less time if they paid him NIS 500. Israel denies not allowing Arafat to attend sister's funeral Jerusalem Post 8/14/2003 Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will not be able to attend the funeral of his sister Youssra al-Qudwa, 77, on Thursday because of the IDF siege of his Ramallah compound, former PA cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said Wednesday....A senior official in the Prime Minister's Office, however, said Israel has not received a formal request from Arafat, or from the PA, for permission for the PA chairman to travel to Gaza for the funeral. If such a request were forthcoming, the official said, Israel's policy would remain the same as it is today: Arafat is free to leave his Ramallah compound, but Israel will not guarantee that he will be allowed back in. Israel Assassinates Senior Palestinian Activist in Hebron Palestine Media Center 8/14/2003 IOF Detain More Palestinians, Raid More Cities and Towns -- In a deadly blow to the Hudna (truce) announced by Palestinian factions on June 29, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) extra-judicially assassinated a senior Jihad activist in the southern West Bank city of Hebron after demolishing the house in which he was hiding in, Palestinian security and medical sources confirmed. IOF troops bulldozer destroyed the building where Mohammed Sider, the leader of the Islamic Jihad in Hebron, was hiding witnesses said. Israeli Army Demolish 6 More Palestinian Homes Miftah/Palestine Monitor 8/14/2003 This morning, having invaded and imposed a curfew on the Palestinian village of Al-Walaja, Israeli armed forces proceeded to the northern side of the village where they demolished six Palestinian homes they claimed had been built without permission. Situated 6.5km north west of Bethlehem the village of Al-walaja comes under the municipality of Bethlehem. Infrastructure and all health and social services to the community are provided by the Palestinian Authority, - who in the last few months have built new roads in the village. Despite the fact that there are no services provided by Israel, Israeli opinion is that the area should be considered part of a "greater" Jerusalem. Occupation forces damage hundreds of dunums for fence construction Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Qalqilya - Zionist occupation forces have been using tractors in the past couple of days to destroy hundreds of Palestinian cultivated lands in the West Bank Qalqilya district for the sake of constructing the segregationist fence. Palestinian sources said that the farmlands were owned by citizens in Qalqilya city and nearby Jayous town....The sources said that the occupation forces also uprooted more than 1,500 olive trees in the process in addition to hundreds of dunums cultivated with citrus and fruits and destroyed the irrigation networks in the area. Zionist army invades West Bank cities Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Jenin - Large Zionist army forces stormed the West Bank city of Jenin at dawn today backed by more than 30 armored vehicles that cordoned off the city’s refugee camp. The Zionist invading forces opened gunfire indiscriminately while advancing into the camp from various axes....Meanwhile, another army force stormed at dawn today the West Bank city of Al-Khalil in a way similar to the campaign against the Asker refugee camp in Nablus last Friday. Hizbullah radio station jams Zionist army broadcast Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - The Zionist ministry of communications recently decided to allocate an alternative broadcasting wave for the Zionist army radio in northern occupied Palestine. The step followed the success of the Lebanese Hizbullah party in jamming the earlier wave over the past few weeks. Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine August 14, 2003 Palestine Media Center 8/14/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) assassinated a senior Jihad activist in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. IOF also detained three Palestinians in the northern West Bank town of Qalqilia and raided Jenin refugee camp after surrounding it. IOF Demolish Palestinian House in Nablus. Occupation Troops Detain 3 Palestinians in Qalqilia.

Diplomacy..

69 Palestinians to be freed Fri.; Mofaz, Dahlan meeting Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Israel on Friday will free 69 Palestinian prisoners whose release scheduled three days earlier was halted by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon following separate suicide bombings in Rosh Ha'ayin and Ariel, the Justice Ministry informed the office of President Moshe Katsav. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Security Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan were meeting Thursday evening to discuss the road map, Israel Radio reported. Respect Truce, Dahlan Urges Hard-Liners Arab News 8/14/2003 JENIN, West Bank, 14 August 2003 — Palestinian Authority security chief Mohammed Dahlan urged hard-liners yesterday to continue their adherence to a truce a day after twin bombings which left two Israelis dead. “The Palestinian Authority is interested in continuing the truce and considers that stopping the truce is following (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon’s agenda in continuing the cycle of violence initiated by the Israeli government,” Dahlan said in a statement received here. PA: IDF killing of Jihad leader in Hebron threatens hudna Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Senior aide to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Nabil Abu Rdeineh, said Thursday that the IDF operation earlier in the day that killed the Islamic Jihad leader in Hebron was a new violation of the cease-fire by Israel, an escalation and a threat to the hudna, Israel Radio reported. Earlier, a senior Islamic Jihad leader warned that the killing of the leader in the West Bank city was endangering the cease-fire agreement between the Palestinian Authority and militant groups declared on June 29. Wall places the Palestinians in ghettos, says Arafat Jerusalem Times 8/14/2003 President Yasser Arafat lashed out at the Israeli government for continuing to build the controversial security barrier- part concrete wall and part fence with razor wire- inside the West Bank. The Palestinians say the fence is no security-motivated initiative as Israel claims but an attempt to unilaterally determine the borders of a future Palestinian state and a form of ethnic cleansing, grabbing some of the West Bank's most fertile lands. John Wolf Stunned at the High Price Paid By Palestinians due to Segregation Wall International Press Center 8/14/2003 QALQILIA, Palestine, August 14, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- American peace envoy to Palestine and Israel, John Wolf, stunned Thursday at the high price paid by Palestinian inhabitants of Qalqilia city due to Israeli building of a segregation wall around the West Bank city of Qalqilia. In his special visit to the city of Qalqilia to closely watch the impact of the segregation wall being built by Israel around such a city and other Palestinian cities, John Wolf was reported as saying “the hand over of Qalqilia by Israel to the Palestinian Authority is meaningless as local Palestinians have been denied access to their lands and villages”. UN Envoy Calls on Israel to Stop Over-Flights of Lebanon Palestine Chronicle 8/14/2003 "These aerial violations of the so-called Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel are not conducive to helping restore peace and security to this area .." -- NEW YORK/BEIRUT - Terming them "violations," the United Nations envoy for Southern Lebanon has called on Israel to stop its over-flights of Lebanese territory following a large number of such air incursions yesterday, "which were very visible and loud and appear to have taken place over large parts of Lebanese territory." US will likely ignore demand to ease Tel Aviv travel warning Daily Star 8/14/2003 State department still urges citizens to avoid Jewish state - Despite tourism minister’s campaign and plenty of angry rhetoric, American officials stick to the line that ‘It’s a dangerous world out there’ -- Israeli Tourism Minister Benny Elon on Wednesday angrily demanded that the US State Department ease its travel warning for Israel, but his call appeared likely to fall on deaf ears. Elon, who begins a private tour of the United States on Thursday, said he was “angered and outraged” that the State Department has not seen fit to change the warning that he and other Israeli officials have long complained is crippling Israel’s tourism sector. Iran: Gov't okays second phase of constructing nuclear plant Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 One of the heads of Iran's atomic energy program announced Thursday that the government had approved the implementation of the second stage of plans for constructing a nuclear power plant in the city of Bushehr, Israel Radio reported. Iran claims that the nuclear power plant in Bushehr will be operational in two years time. Most of the world is of the opinion that the plant will notbe used as a power plant, but rather as part of Iran's plan to acquire nuclear weapons. Officials: Sharon did not mention possibility of attack on Iran: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not mention the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities during his meeting with U.S. President George Bush last month, Israel Radio on Thursday quoted Israeli officials in Washington as saying. Washington Post: U.S. fears Israel may strike Iran's nukes Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 A senior Washington Post columnist yesterday reported that after the latest meeting between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington, there is mounting concern in the administration that Israel might be planning to attack Iranian nuclear facilities....Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn adds: Sharon still enjoys a reputation in Washington as a wild card, a reputation that the prime minister put to good use leading up to the war in Iraq when his semi-veiled threats to take action if Baghdad struck Israel made Washington provide both a defensive umbrella for Israel and a hefty aid package. IDF, Shin Bet at odds on whether the PA can `deliver the goods' Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Security sources in Israel yesterday appeared somewhat pessimistic about the continuation of the hudna after Tuesday's suicide bombings in Rosh Ha'ayin and Ariel. "If the current trend continues, the hudna will merely have been a temporary interlude before the next round of violence," a senior source said. "At the moment, the likelihood of another round seems high." Declaration by the EU Presidency on the new violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories Relief Web/European Union 8/14/2003 The European Union expresses the strongest condemnation of the recent suicide attacks by some Palestinian terrorist organisations, by which innocent people lost their life. The EU extends its condolences to the families of the victims and expresses its sympathy to those injured. Israel continues with military retaliation, Burns meets Abbas Jerusalemites 8/14/2003 US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns said on Wednesday when he met Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan that Washington was committed to implementing the Middle East peace process despite then recent escalation of violence. Palestinian Leadership: the Latest Israeli Escalation Aims at Fueling the Conflict International Press Center 8/14/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, August 14, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- In the shadow of the latest Israeli military operations in different parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, the Palestinain leadership stressed Thursday that Israel intends to fuel the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a statement issued today and reported by WAFA News Agency, the Palestinian leadership regarded the offensives, carried out by the Israeli troops, over the past few days in a number of Palestinian areas, as a flagrant violation of the cease-fire, aiming at drawing the region back to the cycle of violence. PM Abbas Meets Burns, Discuss US Commitment to Middle East Peace Process International Press Center 8/14/2003 AMMAN, August 13, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) met today with the US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, William Burns in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The meeting tackled the latest stalemate in the "Road Map" peace plan, which backed by the US administration. Prime Minister Abbas also discussed the United States' commitment to the peace process in the region, in light of the Israeli daily aggressions on the Palestinian people. Israel agrees to ease Palestinian daily conditions, but IDF to continue raids in Nablus and Jenin Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Israel remains committed to the peace process with the Palestinians and will do everything to make it succeed, especially easing day-to-day conditions for the Palestinians. This decision came following an assessment made yesterday by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, together with senior IDF officers and the Shin Bet security services, one day after Tuesday's suicide bombings in Rosh Ha'ayin and Ariel. Ranteesi: Ceasefire does not mean yielding to Zionist terrorism Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Gaza - Dr. Abdul Aziz Ranteesi, political bureau member of the Hamas Movement, has affirmed his Movement’s commitment to the declared truce despite launching the Ar’il settlement operation. Ranteesi told Palestinian Information Center’s correspondent that Hamas issued a statement ten days ago in which the Movement affirmed that it was committed to suspending resistance operations but that it would retaliate to Zionist enemy crimes.

Human Rights..

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 7 - 13 August 2003 Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/14/2003 Israeli occupying forces continue to conduct illegal actions and human rights violations against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including collective punishment measures and shelling of and incursions into Palestinian areas. This week, Israeli occupying forces sustained the siege imposed on the OPTs, raided Palestinian houses and arrested more Palestinians. Israeli forces also continued to establish the “security fence” in the West Bank. Thus far, Israeli forces have confiscated large areas of Palestinian agricultural land, and have isolated 14 Palestinian villages in Tulkram and Jenin from their Palestinian surroundings in order to construct the “fence” This week, 7-13 August 2003, 4 Palestinians were killed and 10 others, including a number of children, were wounded by Israeli occupying forces. Despite court ruling, Israeli Army refuses to release innocent man after 16 months in jail International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2003 Mohammad Kenaneh, 36, was arrested 16 months ago when Israeli forces invaded Jenin refugee camp. Kenaneh is still detained without any charge in Ofra Military Prison. Despite the fact that the court has ruled that his arrest was a mistake, Israeli security refuses to release him. Bedouin protest house demolition policy Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 Dozens of people demonstrated outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem yesterday against the demolition of houses in Bedouin settlements in the Negev, in Arab villages around the country and mixed towns. Among those demonstrating where families whose homes were demolished in the Negev earlier this week, some of whom have already begun rebuilding the houses. Palestinians plan hunger strike for better prison conditions Jerusalem Post 8/14/2003 Former prisoners as well as relatives and friends of current Palestinian prisoners will meet this Saturday in Ramallah to work out the strategy of a hunger strike planned to take place in several Israeli prisons later this month. The prisoners and their families, many of whom have not seen each other for almost three years, are asking the prison services to help them obtain checkpoint passage so that they can use their visiting privileges. Zionist authorities still refusing return of Ajouri deportees Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Gaza - The Zionist military appeals committee has decided to adjourn its hearing yesterday held at the Aires crossing to the north of the Gaza Strip to review the deportation order against the Palestinian young woman Intisar Ajouri and her brother Kifah to the Strip without taking a final decision. The Palestinian human rights center expressed fears that the committee might pass another arbitrary verdict allowing the continuation of the Ajouri banishment for another period, which would be a flagrant violation of international laws. Palestinian Health Minister Calls for Immediate Release of Wounded Palestinian Prisoners International Press Center 8/14/2003 GAZA, Palestine , August 14, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- Palestinian Minister of Health, Kamal Alsherafi, called Thursday on the international community and human rights organizations to pressure the Israeli government to release wounded Palestinian prisoners. In a press release issued Thursday, Alsherafi stressed that Palestinian prisoners, jailed in Israeli prisons, suffer from inhumane treatment at the hands of the Israeli authorities to the extent that their health conditions have increasingly become worse. Palestinian detainees in Beer Sheba to declare hunger strike Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Gaza - The Palestinian Authority’s ministry of prisoners affairs has said that tensions were still mounting in the Zionist Beer Sheba prison after 50 of them were poisoned from food offered by the prison administration. The ministry in a statement a copy of which was sent to Quds Press said that the prisoners had started protest and warning steps represented in sending back their food meals in preparation for a hunger strike under the slogan “We want an urgent solution.” UN Panel Criticizes Israeli Non-commitment to International Conventions International Press Center 8/14/2003 GENEVA, Switzerland, August 14, 2003 (IPC + WAFA) - - A United Nations Panel for Civil and Political Rights strongly criticized Wednesday the Israeli failure to abide by the International Convention for civil and political rights. The panel, which held discussions in the Swiss capital Geneva, found out thirteen significant Israeli breaches of the said convention, particularly concerning treatment of the Palestinian people in both Israel (Historic Palestine) and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. PA health ministry demands delivery of Palestinian bodies Palestinian Information Center 8/14/2003 Gaza - Palestinian Authority minister of health, Dr. Kamal Al-Sharafi, has charged the Zionist occupation forces’ inhuman practices against detainees, wounded and martyrs were the main reason for the Palestinian people’s sufferings....Sharafi expressed utter dismay at the Zionist forces’ practices against Palestinian martyrs especially those still detained at the Abu Kabir center. He wondered what law allowed the occupation forces to detain bodies of Palestinian martyrs for a few days, months or years and prevent their relatives from burying them.

Economy..

Netanyahu mulls raising NIS 2b more taxes, expanding deficit Globes 8/14/2003 The Ministry of Finance is considered a NIS 2 billion tax hike, and increasing the budget deficit by 0.5% of GDP. The ministry wishes to reduce its 2004 budget cuts by NIS 5 billion. Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu will decide on this difficult question in another 10 days, after returning from his vacation. The macroeconomic debate including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was postponed. UN holds seminar on assistance to Palestinians Jerusalem Times 8/14/2003 A United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People held a panel discussion on priorities for humanitarian and economic assistance for Palestinians with experts speaking of the need to support the Palestinian Authority's budgetary needs, to restore essential services in the occupied territories, to rehabilitate the physical infrastructure and agricultural land, to reduce unemployment and poverty, to alleviate the plight of refugees through the support of UNRWA, and to boost the recovery of the private sector. D&B Israel procurement managers index for July still below 50% Globes 8/14/2003 The July D&B Israel Procurement Managers Index was below the 50% line separating economic expansion from contraction for the seventh consecutive month. The index rose 0.4% to 48.7%, its highest level in the past six months, compared with 48.3% in June. Yediot Ahronot: An Israeli delegation for Dubai in September Arabic News 8/14/2003 The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said yesterday that the Israeli finance minister Benjamin Netaniahu, will preside over the Israeli delegation which will head for Dubai to take part in the conference of the International Monetary Fund. The annual conference of the IMF will be held in September in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to be attended by hundreds of senior economists in the world. Including finance ministers, and governors of central banks for more than 120 countries. Jerusalem tourism up 47% in July Globes 8/14/2003 Hotel occupancy was 38%, compared with 27% in July 2002. -- The Israel Hotel Association and the Jerusalem municipality today reported that tourism in the city had significantly improved. Their figures showed a 47% increase in foreign tourist hotel overnights in July 2003, compared with July 2002, and a 13% rise in Israeli overnights. July CPI tomorrow - minus 0.5% expected Globes 8/14/2003 The CPI for 2003 is expected to be 0.3%. Inflation is expected to rise to 2.3% in 2004. -- Economic ministries in Jerusalem predict that the July CPI will be minus 0.5%. Banks and private forecasters predict the CPI will be between minus 0.3% and minus 0.6%. The Central Bureau of Statistics will publish the July CPI tomorrow. Budget to be cut by NIS 15B in '04; new taxes considered Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 The treasury is now planning to cut NIS 13-17 billion from the 2004 budget, an unprecedented one-time budget cut. The treasury is also considering new taxes and increasing existing taxes as part of the budget cut. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will decide on the new cuts during the last week of this month, ahead of two government sessions on the budget slated for September 1 and September 14. Analysis / We'll miss the edicts of 2003 Ha'aretz 8/14/2003 If the predictions of the expected deficit in 2004 are realized, we'll live to miss the economic edicts of 2003. At present, these are early estimates, coming just a few weeks before the opening of debates over next year's budget. The picture is very grim and may reflect the expected reality. However, one should take into account that in any case, cuts will be required, and perhaps some people think "psychological" preparation, either by the ministries whose budgets are to be slashed or by the broad public, is necessary in anticipation of the edicts.

People..

Sharon should resign if investigations find him tainted - survey Globes 8/14/2003 Globes-Smith survey: No optimism about the economy - the stagnation will persist. Terrorist attacks should be met with a stronger response. --The main topics were at the forefront of public interest this past month: terrorism, the scandals involving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his sons; and where the economy is heading. Following the terrorist attacks this week, interviewees in the latest Globes-Smith survey were asked the following question: Q: How long do you think the hudna (truce) with the Palestinians will last? A: Another 2-3 weeks only - 40%; the full three-month period - 24%; much more than three months - 20%; no answer/no opinion - 16%. Haddad: 48 Artists Suffer Ignorance Jerusalem Times 8/14/2003 The Palestinian artist Khalil Haddad from within the green line, has recently visited Jordan to present several new songs. In an interview with the press, Haddad expressed his disappointment that the Palestinian artists inside the green line can't find anyone who can support them in their steps. He added that the Palestinian artists inside the green line complain that the Arab countries ignore them and don't give them the required support to help them develop. Ja'fari: Cartoonist on the Net Jerusalem Times 8/14/2003 The Palestinian cartoonist Nasser Ja'fari has declared launching his own internet web site, carrying as a first step more than 250 cartoons on different issues. These cartoons were already published in the two newspapers that Ja'fari has been publishing his cartoons in for several years the Jordanian newspaper The Arab Today and the Palestinian Al Quds Daily....Ja'fari pointed out that his site: www.naserjafari.com will be developed to include cooperation with other local and Arab writers. Arafat Unable to Attend Sister's Funeral The Guardian 8/14/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Yasser Arafat's sister was buried with a simple, quiet ceremony at a public cemetery in Gaza City on Thursday. Arafat, isolated in the West Bank by Israeli travel restrictions, did not attend. Yousra Abdel Raouf Al Kidwah died at a hospital in Egypt on Wednesday. She had been under treatment for various illnesses for a month and the exact cause of death was not known. She was 77.

International..

Lawyers oppose Al-Arian requests St. Petersburg Times 8/14/2003 A judge will decide on the list of privileges Al-Arian says will help build his case. -- TAMPA - Over the last few months, Sami Al-Arian has asked for a number of changes to his living conditions in federal prison to help him defend himself against charges that he supported terrorism. Al-Arian, awaiting trial at Coleman Correctional Facility in Sumter County, wants access to a better library, extended visiting hours, unlimited access to audio and videotapes related to his case, unmonitored telephone privileges from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. and contact visits with prospective witnesses. Now, federal prosecutors have weighed in, saying Al-Arian should get none of the above. New Jordanian govt gets parliamentary backing Middle East Online 8/14/2003 AMMAN - The newly formed government of Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb got an overwhelming vote of confidence Thursday from the country's new parliament after five days of often bitter debate. The 110-member parliament endorsed the veteran premier's team by 84-23, with one abstention. Libya agrees Lockerbie deal BBC 8/14/2003 Lawyers acting for families of the Lockerbie bombing victims say they have reached agreement with Libya on the payment of compensation. The deal to set up a $2.7bn (£1.7bn) fund was struck with Libyan officials after negotiations in London. Once the money is in place, Libya is expected to write to the United Nations saying it takes responsibility for the attack on Pan Am flight 103. France To Block Lockerbie Deal If U.T.A Excluded Islam Online 8/14/2003 PARIS, August 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The financial terms of a deal for Libya to compensate the families of victims in the 1988 Lockerbie aircraft bombing in return for the lifting of U.N. sanctions should also extend to the kin of those killed by a blast aboard a French U.T.A airliner in 1989, the French foreign ministry said Thursday. Human shields face 12 years' jail for visiting Iraq The Guardian 8/13/2003 Anti-war activists who visited Iraq before the US invasion have discovered that they could face up to 12 years in prison and $1m in fines. Although travel firms now tout adventure tours to a country that is a temporary home to 150,000 US troops, scores of American protesters have been warned they risk fines or imprisonment for violating a prewar travel ban. US military pioneers death ray bomb The Guardian 8/14/2003 Pentagon project brings fear of new arms race -- American military scientists are developing a weapon which kills by delivering an enormous burst of high-energy gamma rays, it is claimed today. The bomb, which produces little fallout, blurs the distinction between conventional and nuclear weapons, and experts have already warned it could spark a new arms race. The science behind the gamma ray bomb is still in its infancy, and technical problems mean it could be decades before the devices are developed. But the Pentagon is taking the project seriously. Devastating weapon which uses no explosive will transform tank warfare The Herald (UK) 8/13/2003 THE United States has been working for almost three decades on a project to create a hyper-velocity supergun whose shells could be fired without chemical propellant or a high-explosive warhead. It appeared to be in the realms of science fiction until Ronald Reagan pumped billions of dollars into the abortive Star Wars missile defence programme and financed the breakthrough into electro-magnetic technology. The biggest barrier until recently was the size of the propulsion unit needed to hurl a solid projectile, at five times the speed of a Concorde jet, by harnessing and focusing the force from magnetised electrical coils along twin rails....Quantum leaps in miniaturisation have now enabled a transatlantic consortium, headed by the Lockheed Martin corporation, to produce a weapon which could revolutionise tank warfare. Bringing girls 'Back to Schools', a Syria- UNICEF initiative Arabic News 8/14/2003 The project's document stated that the Mosque Imams, and the concerned parties should make a campaign to enlighten the girls families, and convince them of the importance of their girls education, and the necessity of sending them to schools. The educational supervisors, and school directors stated that they visited the families, and incited the parents to send the girls to schools. President Bush Sidesteps U.S. Senate, Bypasses Democracy Common Dreams/Interfaith Alliance 8/13/2003 Expected 'Recess Appointment' of Daniel Pipes Is Familiar Tactic of White House -- WASHINGTON - August 13 - The Interfaith Alliance has learned that Daniel Pipes, an outspoken critic of Islam, will be seated as a Director of the U.S. Institute of Peace through a Presidential Recess Appointment. After languishing in the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for several months, the Senate Committee indefinitely postponed a vote on the nomination of Daniel Pipes six weeks ago. Could the Next Election Be Stolen at the Ballot Box? Democracy Now! 8/13/2003 A Look at the Electronic Voting Machine Controversy -- Millions of voters will be using electronic voting machines for the first time in upcoming elections and questions about their security are rife. We speak with computer science professor Dan Wallach and author Bev Harris. [Includes transcript] -- Many people believe that the last presidential election was stolen by the Supreme Court. Voting rights activists think the next election could be stolen at the ballot box. Millions of voters will be using electronic voting machines for the first time in upcoming elections and questions about their security are rife. Islamabad Slams US Nod to India-Israeli Radar Deal Arab News 8/14/2003 ISLAMABAD, 14 August 2003 — Pakistan yesterday lashed out at a US decision to let Israel sell a long-range radar warning system to India, saying it would undermine hopes of establishing a regional arms balance. The United States, which counts Pakistan as a key ally in its 20-month war on terror, confirmed Monday that it had given Israel the green light to sell Phalcon Airborne Early Warning System (AEWS) to India.

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