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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..

IDF flattens north Gaza grove after Qassam hits Ashkelon Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 An IDF tank and two armored bulldozers entered the northern Gaza Strip yesterday evening to flatten a grove in the Beit Hanoun area after a Qassam rocket fired by Hamas operativse from the area landed on the southern outskirts of Ashkelon for the first time since the intifada began. Witnesses said that the bulldozers began felling trees in the Beit Hanun area, from where the rockets were fired.  IOF Invades North Gaza, Wounds Palestinians in West Bank International Press Center 8/28/2003 BEIT HANUN, Palestine, August 28, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) started invading the north of Gaza Strip today and bulldozed lands there. Palestinian security sources said that two Israeli military bulldozers, escorted by tanks, invaded the town of Beit Hanun, north of the Gaza Strip, and started razing vast areas of arable land, planted with citrus, located southwest of the Beit Hanun industrial zone....Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Hebron, at least three Palestinian citizens were wounded and three others were detained, as IOF troops opened indiscriminate fire at Palestinians so as to force them to close their shops....As for the situation in the city of Nablus, IOF opened heavy random fire at Palestinian citizens in the down town area, wounding nine Palestinians seriously, according to medical sources in the city. IOF troops also detained 48 Palestinians working in a new mall in the down town area.      A Palestinian Teen Boy Dies of Israeli Missiles in Gaza, Israeli Troops Invade Balata Refugee Camp International Press Center 8/28/2003 GAZA, Palestine, August 28, 2003 (IPC+Agencies)-- A Palestinian teen boy died late at Wednesday night of wounds he sustained on Tuesday when Israeli warplanes fired a number of missiles on a civilian car, targeting Hamas resistance activists in a Gaza neighborhood. Mohammad Ibrahim Ba’lousha,17, of the Ebbad Elrahman neighborhood, just north of Gaza city, died Wednesday overnight after sustaining critical wounds in his head due to being hit with missile shrapnel, officials at the local Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza told IPC. IOF Shoot Dead Palestinian Civilian in Bethlehem Palestine Media Center 8/28/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot dead a Palestinian civilian, claiming he was about to stab soldiers near Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque (Rachel’s Tomb) in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. Witnesses said they had seen the body of the victim lying on the road before he was driven away in an Israeli ambulance. Palestinian security officials said they were in contact with their Israeli counterparts to establish the identity of the victim who did not appear to have been carrying identification papers. Israel: missile attack on Ashkelon crossed 'red line' Jerusalem Post 8/28/2003 Palestinian terrorists fired four Kassam-2 missiles into Israel Thursday afternoon, one of which landed in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon. The IDF reported that no causalities were sustained in the attack. This is the first time that Kassam missiles have landed as far north as Ashkelon, which has a population of 116,000. The missile landed near the Carlsberg brewery in the port city's industrial zone ,and caused no damage...."The Palestinian Authority and all of the terror organizations who were involved with the attack on Ashkelon today, have no understanding as to the extent of how the IDF will respond," a senior military source told The Jerusalem Post.  The new “Berlin Wall” in Rafah Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 Whilst attention remains focused on efforts to prevent completion of the Apartheid wall in the West Bank, residents of Gaza are afraid that there, the subtle construction of a similar structure, will pass unnoticed. Already stretching a distance of seven kilometers and like the West Bank wall, reaching eight meters into the sky, the wall under construction in Rafah is the continuation of a gradual process initiated by agreements made between Israel and Egypt at Camp David. Israeli settlers running terrorist organizations Palestine Monitor 8/26/2003 Recent discoveries have revealed a shocking new dimension to the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Not only do Palestinian civilians experience attacks by the Israeli armed forces, but Jewish illegal settlers are also contributing to their inhumane oppression through terrorist attack. Whilst the Israeli armed forces continue to impose “security” measures upon the Palestinians, underground Jewish terrorist cells seem to be flourishing. PM orders 'all necessary steps' after Qassam hits Ashkelon Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Thursday he had ordered Israel's army to take "all necessary steps" against Palestinian militants after they fired a Qassam rocket that landed in the coastal city of Ashkelon, the northernmost target rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have reached to date. "Today (brought) another escalation in the terrorist activity of the Hamas movement when for the first time, they launched a rocket into a town in the southern part of the country, Ashkelon, making an effort to hit a strategic target that is one of our largest power stations," Sharon said. Jewish terror suspect under house arrest Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Zuriel Ami-Or, suspected of belonging to a Jewish terrorist group, was released from detention yesterday after being interrogated. But he was to remain under house arrest by court order because of suspected involvement in another Jewishterrorist group, the Bat-Ayin cell, whose members tried to place a bomb in a girls school in the A-Tur neighborhood of Jerusalem in April of last year. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court has imposed a news blackout on the investigation of the alleged Jewish terror groups.      Two Islamic bodies slam authorizing extremist Jews into al-Aqsa mosque Arabic News 8/28/2003 Two Islamic organizations have slammed the permission issued by Israeli occupation forces to tourists and extremist Jews to visit, under police protection, on Aug. 20, 21 and 24 the Muslim holy mosque of Al-Aqsa in Al-Quds (Jerusalem). The High Islamic Instance and the Waqf (endowments), Islamic Affairs and Holy Shires Council called on all international organizations concerned to assume their responsibilities and put an end to the aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel tightens grip over Palestinian areas Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 The Israeli army continued to tighten its grip over the Palestinian areas stepping up its daily military operations, arresting more Palestinians, and imposing a curfew on the cities of Nablus and Hebron in the West Bank since last week. Palestinians criticize the Israeli measures as collective punishment that violates international law. Waqf: Jewish extremists pray in Al Aqsa Mosque under police protection Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 Waqf and Palestinian government officials warned Tuesday that Israeli police are allowing Jewish extremists to pray in Al Haram al Shareif "Al Aqsa Mosque" for the first time since it occupied the city in 1967. Israel announced last week its decision to allow non-Muslims into the compound, but it denied allowing them praying. One Dead, Three Injured in Gaza Blast The Guardian 8/28/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - An explosion in the Gaza Strip Thursday killed one person and injured at least three others, witnesses and medical sources said. The cause of the explosion in a residential area in southern Gaza was not immediately clear. Israeli warplanes were heard flying overhead around the time of the blast, witnesses said. [extent of story] IOF Prepares for Wide Invasions in Gaza Strip International Press Center 8/28/2003 TEL AVIV, August 28, 2003 (IPC)-- The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) is preparing for a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip, and that plans have been made for that purpose, a senior Israeli military officer said. The officer, who spoke under anonymity, said that the Israeli forces' southern command has been preparing plans to invade large parts of the Gaza Strip, and that the invasion might start any day. He also added that it would dependent on what will the Palestinian security bodies do about what he called 'terror attacks', Israeli daily “Yedeot” reported. Police restrict entrance to Muslim Friday prayers at Temple Mount Jerusalem Post 8/28/2003 For the third time in last two months, Jerusalem police announced Thursday night that they were imposing restrictions on entry to Friday Muslim prayers at the Temple Mount, after receiving intelligence alerts over possible violence at the site. Breaking News: Palestinian youth critically injured in Nablus International Press Center 8/28/2003 13:50-- A 16-year-old Palestinian child was critically wounded in the neck after being shot by Israeli soldiers in the refugee camp of Balata, near Nablus, (IPC) / 13:10-- Palestinian photojournalist of WAFA, Bilal Mostafa, 14, was wounded after being shot by Israeli occupation soldiers in the down town of Nablus, (IPC).... Israeli Army Vehicles Enter Gaza Strip The Guardian 8/28/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli troops on Thursday cleared bushes in a Palestinian-controlled area of the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire toward an Israeli city, as the Palestinian Authority froze 39 bank accounts of nine Islamic charities in an apparent clampdown on militants sought by the United States. Massive Israeli operation in Gaza Strip seems imminent after Hamas launches upgraded rockets Al-Bawaba 8/28/2003 Hamas gunners fired four Qassam rockets into Israel on Thursday, one of which landed in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone. This marked the first time that rockets have landed as far north as the coastal city of Ashkelon. The rocket landed next to a Carlsberg beer factory in Ashkelon, but caused no injuries. The rockets were fired from the vicinity of Beit Hanun, in the Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported in the incident, Israel Radio reported.  Four arrested in Negev as Hamas accomplices Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 The police and Shin Bet have arrested four Bedouin from the Negev and a Hamas activist from near Hebron for allegedly planning to carry out attacks on Israeli civilian and military targets in the south of Israel. Three of the Bedouin were indicted yesterday on the charges in Be'er Sheva District Court. Security forces detained Hamas activist Yussuf Nakaira on July 8, and subsequently arrested the four Bedouin he recruited on August 11. One of the four has been released from detention. Israel kills one Palestinian, 16 wounded, houses demolished Arabic News 8/28/2003 The government of Ariel Sharon following the air raid on Gaza which caused the death of one Palestinian and wounding other 23rd, escalated its attacks against the Palestinians in several cities and towns in the West Bank. This resulted in killing one Palestinian, wounding 16 and demolishing one house and detaining 20 Palestinians. Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine August 28, 2003 Palestine Media Center 8/28/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot dead a Palestinian civilian in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. IOF also wounded several Palestinians after raiding Ramallah city and dynamited a house in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. Yassin: Abu Shanab’s martyrdom great gain for Hamas Palestinian Information Center 8/28/2003 Gaza - Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has affirmed that none could strip the Movement of its weapons and that no truce would be declared until occupation paid the price of assassinating Hamas political leader Ismail Abu Shanab. Rafah Today Reports from Rafah - Palestine 8/28/2003 An old women died at the checkpoint near the airport, as she was on her way to Egypt for an open heart surgery. After waiting more than 5 hours at the checkpoint, she died. On Monday, the Palestinian Authority attacked more than 4 houses in Rafah. According to what the IDF leaders told the Palestinian Authority that there were four families in Rafah who had illegal tunnel entrances concealed inside them. In response, the Palestinians Authority fought with those four families.

Diplomacy..

U.S., Hamas Rebuff Arafat Truce Call, Israeli Raids Intensify Islam Online 8/28/2003 GAZA, August 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – As the United States pointedly ignored Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's call for resistance groups to reinstate a shattered truce on Wednesday, August 27, the Israeli army stepped up its raids on Palestinian-ruled areas. Arafat appeal was also rejected by Islamic resistance movement Hamas. The White House dismissed Arafat’s call and said peace efforts should focus on dismantling resistance networks. US Undercuts Arafat’s Call for Reinstating Truce Palestine Media Center 8/28/2003 Bush officials echo Israeli Incitement, Fatah Warns of ‘Consequeces’ -- President Yasser Arafat criticized US intervention in Palestinian internal affairs and called on all Palestinians to reinstate the Hudna (ceasefire) declared on June 29, a call hailed by the PNA government of PM Mahmud Abbas, but dismissed by the US and Israel, amid a new American and Israeli campaign of incitement against Arafat, which the Palestinian mainstream ruling party blasted on Wednesday. Israel says won't recognize gov't set by Arafat if Abbas ousted in vote Jerusalem Post 8/27/2003 If Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is ousted from power in a parliamentary confidence vote set for next week, Israel will not recognize or negotiate with a new government appointed by Yasser Arafat, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. Solana to tour Mideast, will focus on boosting peace process Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is to embark on a Middle East tour seeking to revive the peace process battered by the recent upsurge of violence, the EU announced Thursday. "He will reaffirm the EU's commitment to the Middle East peace process and to the road map, for which there is no alternative," a statement by the EU, one of the brokers of the road map to Middle East peace. Background / Chairman aims to show who's boss Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Yasser Arafat called yesterday for the hudna (cease-fire) to be renewed in an attempt to show that he's in control, and he has serious intentions. Arafat has been encouraged by the recent public appeal made to him sent by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, asking for his Help in the struggle to put an end to terror. Since Powell made this appeal, there has been a series of declarations in the territories about how Arafat is the only person who can stop the bloodshed. EU tries to soften dispute with Israel over Arafat meetings Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 The European Union is trying to soften its dispute with Israel over foreign diplomats meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. In May, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom set a new policy not to meet with foreign statesmen who meet with Arafat. Marc Otte, the new EU peace envoy to the region, met yesterday for his first working session with Foreign Ministry Director-General Yoav Biran and with Dov Weisglass, Sharon's bureau chief. Over the weekend, Otte's boss, EU foreign policy coordinator Javier Solana, is due here after an absence of a few months as a result of the dispute over Arafat. Optimism grows as MIA's family meets Red Cross envoy Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 The family of one of the Israeli soldiers missing in action in Lebanon yesterday expressed guarded optimism after meeting with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross' delegation to Israel. ICRC delegate Francois Bellon met with the family of MIA Benny Avraham for more than an hour at their Petah Tikva home. Bellon stressed, however, that he was not party to thenegotiations, being conducted by a German envoy. PLO political department denies replacing al-Qaddoumi by Shaath Arabic News 8/28/2003 The Political department of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO has denied news which indicated replacing the foreign affairs minister Nabil Shaath by the chairman of the department's chairman Farouk al-Qaddoumi in the post of the Palestinian authority representative at the Arab League. Hamas dismisses Arafat call to declare new ceasefire Al-Bawaba 8/28/2003 Hamas rejected on Thursday an appeal by Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat to renew a cease-fire with Israel after it was called off following the assassination of one of its leaders last week. “Hamas rejects the appeal (by Arafat) to resume the ceasefire as the Zionist occupation has torpedoed the truce with its assassinations of women, children and Palestinian political leaders,” Hamas political leader, Dr. Abdelaziz al Rantissi told AFP. U.S.: Arafat is 'part of the problem' Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 The White House criticized Palestinian Authority Chairman as an obstacle to peace and reiterated a United States position that Palestinian security forces must be consolidated under PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas as a step to implementing the road map. "Arafat has once again shown himself to be part of the problem. He is not part of the solution, and the security forces need to be consolidated under Prime Minister Abbas," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said Wednesday. The White House discounted a call Arafat made Wednesday for militant groups to reinstate the cease-fire they formally broke off last week, saying that peace efforts should focus on breaking up the militant networks.  Arafat's ceasefire call rejected BBC 8/28/2003 Hamas has rejected calls by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for militant groups to renew the truce they abandoned last week. Hamas political leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi said the group would not consider a truce while Israel continued targeting its followers, and warned against any attempt at a crackdown by Palestinian security forces. Arafat calls for renewal of cease-fire Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 In his first public stance on the matter, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat yesterday called on Hamas and Islamic Jihad to renew the recently-collapsed hudna. The militant Palestinian groups publicly abandoned commitments to the truce last week, in response to the Israel Defense Forces killing of Hamas leader Ismail Abu Shanab in the Gaza Strip. US ignores Arafat truce call Middle East Online 8/28/2003 The United States on pointedly ignored Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's call for militant groups to renew a shattered truce and instead stepped up criticism of his refusal to give prime minister Mahmud Abbas full control of security. The White House and the State Department both said Arafat -- declared persona non grata last year by President George W. Bush -- had no business in conducting peace efforts with Israel and should move aside to make way for a more empowered Abbas. Arafat’s Efforts to Contain the Crisis Dismissed by Washington International Press Center 8/28/2003 RAMMALLAH, Palestine, August 28, 2003, (IPC + Agencies)-- President Yasser Arafat called in a statement Wednesday Palestinian resistance factions to restore the ceasefire agreement "Hudna", but Washington dismissed Arafat’s call, claiming that the Palestinian President has shown himself to be "part of the problem".

Human Rights..

Palestinian Mother Gives Birth at Israeli Checkpoint, Baby Dies International Press Center 8/28/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, August 28, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Though the skies were clear over the city of Nablus today, but the people wore gloomy faces, as they marched in the funeral procession of a Rula and Dawood's baby that hasn't been given the chance either to be named or to see the daylight. Rula Al Ghoul, 32, the mother of the baby, and resident of the village of Salem, was going to the city of Nablus with her husband, Dawood Eshtayyeh, in order to give birth to her baby girl in the hospital. They were stopped at the Israeli military roadblock placed on the entrance of their village, and were prevented from crossing. The poor and the orphans stage an impromptu sit-in protesting PA decision Palestinian Information Center 8/28/2003 Gaza - Thousands of poor and needy Palestinians chanted “We are not terrorists we want to live freely” during a tumultuous demonstration in Gaza today protesting the Palestinian Authority’s decision freezing assets of Islamic charitable societies in Palestinian banks. Thousands of men, women, orphans, handicapped and relatives of martyrs and detainees squatted in front of the Palestinian legislative council decrying the PA decision. Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 21–27 August 2003 Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/28/2003 4 new extra-judicial assassinations were perpetrated by Israeli forces, killing 10 Palestinians, including a child and an old man / One of the victims was a prominent leader of Hamas movement, Isma’il Abu Shanab / In an apparent willful killing, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian in Bethlehem / Israeli occupying forces invaded the northern West Bank towns of Nablus and Jenin / Israeli forces broke into a hospital in Nablus and kidnapped two Palestinians from the intensive care unit / Indiscriminate Israeli shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued / Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip / A number of houses were raided in the West Bank and a number of Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces / 8 donums[1] of agricultural land were razed in Rafah / 7 houses in the West Bank were destroyed as Israel continued its campaign of retaliation against the families of wanted Palestinians and those who allegedly carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets / Construction on the separation wall in the West Bank continued PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority to cancel its decision to freeze funds of charitable societies Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/28/2003 PCHR is deeply concerned with regard to the latest measures taken by the Palestinian Monetary Fund against dozens of charitable societies and NGOs, including freezing their accounts in all banks inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. PCHR asserts that these measures violate human rights standards, and warns of the tragic consequences for thousands of poor Palestinian families which receive social, educational, health and relief services from these organisations. PCHR calls for transfer of registration of NGOs to PA Ministry of Justice to protect independence of Palestinian civilian society Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 8/28/2003 On 19 August 2003, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) approved in a first reading a draft law submitted by the Palestinian Authority cabinet. This draft legislation included amendments to the Law of Charitable Societies and NGOs which provided that the authority to register and supervise such groups would be transferred to the Civil Work Affairs Bureau. PCHR expresses its concern that the authority for registering and supervising NGOs must be given only to the Ministry of Justice and that the transfer of this authority to the Civil Work Affairs Bureau seriously compromises the work of these groups and Palestinian civil society as a whole. Rights group: Israeli firms abuse migrant workers Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 PARIS - A Paris-based human rights group says Israeli bosses routinely violate the rights of the 300,000 migrant workers making up 13 percent of the country's workforce, with conditions in some cases "equivalent to slavery." Workers brought in from Asia and Eastern Europe as a cheap replacement for displaced Palestinian laborers are underpaid and treated as their employers' property, the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) said in a report this week. [Full report, Acrobat format (PDF)] GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! International Solidarity Movement 8/28/2003 Palestinians and Internationals detained in occupied house near Nablus, Police say "not yet arrested," but confiscate internationals' phones -- Four activists (two UK, two USA) with the International Solidarity Movement are being detained without charge in an occupied house on the outskirts of the Old City. Update: Internationals released from occupied house near Nablus. Peace Activists Deported With Haste International Solidarity Movement 8/27/2003 Scottish & Swedish Activists Deported -- Andrew Muncie from Scotland and Andreas Koninek from Sweden, two peace activists with the International Solidarity Movement, were deported early Wednesday evening. The two men were taken into custody on the 17th August after they chained themselves to a house which the Israeli military had scheduled for demolition. Mofaz nixes meet between Peace Coalition and Dahlan Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz will not permit a planned exchange of views between heads of the Peace Coalition and Palestinian Security Minister Mohammed Dahlan to take place. The meeting was scheduled to take place today at the Erez checkpoint, with the planned Israeli group to have included four Knesset members. Amnesty International condemns execution Jordan Times 8/28/2003 LONDON (AFP) — Human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the execution in Jordan of an Iraqi-born Jordanian for the murder of one of the country's diplomats in Lebanon nine years previous.

Economy..

Finance Ministry sees unemployment rise despite fewer foreign workers Globes 8/28/2003 Ministry of Finance: A massive influx of Palestinian workers will cause a surge in unemployment. -- Under Ministry of Finance forecasts, the government will slash the number of foreign workers in Israel by deporting 61,200 illegal foreign workers in 2004-06. Including the deportations in 2002-03, a total of 124,100 illegal foreign workers will have been deported by the end of 2006. Palestinian Economy in brief Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 USAID and PWA officials tour Hebron Industrial Wastewater Project: Officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) toured the Hebron Industrial Wastewater demonstration project located in Hebron City August 19. Funded by USAID, this pilot project is a working model for future industrial wastewater treatment facilities, demonstrating how environmental damage can be minimized while at the same time reducing production costs for local businesses by reusing the recycled water.     Swiss charity warns conditions will deteriorate with Israeli roadblocks, wall: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians under Israeli occupation since 1967 are in a grip of humanitarian crisis despite a United States-backed peace plan, a Swiss charity warned. School year to start Sunday as teachers decide against strike Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Teachers will not strike and schools will open as scheduled Sunday for the first day of classes, Teachers Union Secretary General Yosi Wasserman announced Thursday evening, Israel Radio reported. Wasserman convened the Teachers' Union central committee Thursday evening to discuss a proposal to forego the strike in favor of petitioning the High Court of Justice against the government decision to cancel a number of incentives for teachers. Fall in industrial output indicates deepening recession in economy Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 Industrial output fell in the period of May-June 2003 by 2 percent (all figures are in annual terms against the corresponding period of last year), while product in the high-tech industries slumped in June by 8 percent, according to figures released yesterday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The figures indicate a continuation of the recession and, in many aspects, it is deepening. IAI Reports Drop In Ssales Inter Press Service 8/28/2003 TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel's largest defense contractor reports a drop in sales and earnings during 2003. The state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries said sales reached $904 million in the first half of 2003. This represented an 11 percent decrease from sales during the same period last year. Defense Ministry official warns against 2004 budget cuts Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 A senior Defense Ministry official said Thursday that it would be impossible to cut spending any further in 2004 to stem the budget crisis without causing long-term damage to security. "There is no way to do such a major cut in the budget for next year," the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters, in response to Finance Ministry plans to slash overall 2004 government spending, with a large chunk from defense.

People..

Diary: Divided Jerusalem BBC 8/28/2003 A day of two halves - the first in West Jerusalem canvassing Israeli views of the current state of the peace process, and the second in East Jerusalem with Palestinians on the receiving end when that process has broken down....In the last few days, about half a dozen Israeli bulldozers and diggers have come to cut a swathe through Abu Dis, part of the "security barrier" project that Israel has been implementing - against a chorus of international protest from friend and foe alike. "Mawafi Family": Successive Tragedies Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 The family of Al-Haj Misbah Mawafi from Rafah city suffered greatly, for the Israeli occupation had drawn for them a life filled with sadness, displacement and starvation. Al-Mawafi's suffering began during the first uprising when Saleem, the middle son of Al-Haj Misbah became "wanted" by the Israeli troops and what followed of daily searches of the family home with the arrest of its members many times. His wife, Um Mousa said, "We were surprised to find Israeli soldiers inside our home many times and do not know how they came. They destroyed our furniture, beat us many times and constantly asked us: Where is Saleem, where is Saleem?" Dancing for Peace World Press Review 8/25/2003 The Ibdaa Dance Troupe -- Manar Faraj’s wail reverberates through the packed auditorium in New York, her shrill lament piercing the darkness. “Tell me the tale of our country,” she calls out in Arabic, her slight body trembling with the force of her voice. Standing in the shadow behind her, another young woman, Tamara Abulaban, sings along in a soft, sad echo. As members of the Ibdaa Dance Troupe, based in the Dheisheh refugee camp just outside Bethlehem, they have performed in dozens of European and U.S. cities, dancing and singing about their lives in a war zone. Settlers vacation with Palestinians Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 A group of settlers and Palestinians have, for the first time, spent a short vacation together in a hotel in the north. The recreation was organized by the Gush Etzion Regional Council which took dozens of its workers and their families to the hotel. They were joined by the families of two Palestinian men who are employed by the council. The Palestinians, who live in the Bethlehem area, required special permits from the Israel Defense Forces to enter Israel. One of the Palestinians told Haaretz: "The settlers were very friendly. We sat down together in the evening, ate nuts and spoke about everything except politics ... We meet every day ... so why not enjoy ourselves together?"      Exchanging ideas with local Imams International Solidarity Movement 8/26/2003 Recently our group has been meeting with a group of imams from the community who approached us and asked if we could exchange ideas and discuss ways of working together with the community. We have met with a total of four imams in three meetings. They are young - 17, 18, 21, 25. Apparently about half of the imams in Rafah are young men who have been pulled closer to religion during this Intifada. Here is a transcript from our second meeting, which was our turn to ask questions after they had taken the first meeting to learn about us. It was translated and then transcribed by two people in our group. Sharon's popularity dives Globes 8/28/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has not received such a low rating since Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002. Respondents: The conflict with the Palestinians will continue and recovery from the recession is still far off. -- Two weeks have passed since the previous Globes-Smith survey, during which a dark shadow has been cast over the country by the disintegration of the hudna (truce), and escalating terrorism, particularly the shock from the murderous suicide bombing of the bus in Jerusalem last week....Q: How has Sharon performed as prime minister? A: Very well - 10%; quite well - 33%; poorly - 34%; badly - 19%; no answer - 4%. Aggregate: Positive grade - 43%; negative grade - 53%. One in 1,000 Palestinians on the Net Jerusalem Times 8/28/2003 Electronic commerce relies heavily on the Internet in completing transactions of buying and selling and interaction between supplier and consumer. So said Rami Afifi, Public Relations coordinator at a firm specializing in electronic systems and commerce, adding that electronic commerce is new and restricted in the Arab World despite the existence of all requirements. He said that electronic commerce would be beneficial in Palestine to overcome the military roadblocks and the siege. Digital gap: Afifi attributed the meagerness of e-commerce in Palestine to what he called a digital gap—the unavailability of Internet connectivity in several areas in the Arab World and the restricted scope in which Internet is used, mainly recreation. Nine former SLA militiamen return to Lebanon from Israel Jerusalem Post 8/28/2003 Nine former Israeli-allied militiamen and 12 family members returned to Lebanon Thursday after fleeing to Israel following the Jewish state's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, security officials said. Emotional relatives greeted the 21 returnees after they alighted from a United Nations bus that brought them across the Israeli-Lebanese border to the coastal town of Naqoura. Lebanese military officials detained the nine former South Lebanon Army members for interrogation on charges of collaboration with Israel, the officials said on condition of anonymity. Their relatives were released. The gaping hole in the south Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 While the security establishment invests efforts to combat terror, dozens of Palestinians from the southern Hebron Hills area arrive in Israel on a daily basis, without permits. The Palestinians are aided by a large fleet of taxi drivers from the Bedouin sector in the Negev who, over the past years, have turned the transportation of Palestinians into their principal source of income. Ex-Israeli Minister: Ya'alon's Behavior Identical Fascist Mussolini, Sharon and Mofaz are War Criminals International Press Center 8/28/2003 TEL AVIV, August 27, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Israeli former Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Shulamit Aloni, shook the Israeli society on Tuesday, when she said that the behavior of the Israeli Chief of Staffs, Moshe Ya'alon, are absolutely similar to those of the former Italian fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, who was an ally to Adolph Hitler, the famous Nazi dictator, an article published by “Al Quds Al Arabi”, London-based reported on Wednesday.

International..

U.S. Asks Arab States To Participate In Potential Peacekeeping Force Al-Hayat 8/28/2003 Through its tour to the Gulf, Egypt and other member states of the Arab League, the delegation representing the Iraqi transitional ruling council managed to impose itself at an official level. A source from the Arab League announced that a representative of the council might participate in the next meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo, while Oman, Jordan and the Emirates have confirmed their recognition of the council. Furthermore, the head of the council confirmed that he has requested that Iraq be accepted in the Gulf Cooperation Council. U.S., Israel Block Arab League Participation In WTO Meeting Islam Online 8/28/2003 GENEVA, August 28 (IslamOnline.net) – It was confirmed on Wednesday, August 27, that the Arab League will not participate as an observer in the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting due in Mexico, on September 10-14 after being blocked by U.S. and Israel. The WTO procedures require the agreement of all members countries to the attendance of any regional groups as observers.      Political disputes block Lebanon privatisation plans Middle East Online 8/28/2003 Mobile phones, electricity, telecommunications projects blocked after intense opposition of privatization. -- A privatisation programme eagerly planned by Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri to help salvage the ailing Lebanese economy may never see the light of day due to disputes among the country's leadership. The premier, a billionaire businessman, is adamant the programme will go ahead as promised by his government at a donors' conference in Paris last November in return for some 4.4 billion dollars in aid to help service Lebanon's crippling public debt of some 32.2 billion dollars. Egypt cleric sacked for demanding boycott of Iraq's US-appointed council Middle East Online 8/28/2003 CAIRO - The Egyptian government-appointed head of Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning Thursday suspended a senior cleric who had called on Muslim states to boycott Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council. Al-Azhar chief Sheikh Mohamad Sayyed Tantawi said Egyptian cleric Sheikh Nabawi Mohamad al-Ish "does not represent Al-Azhar." Jordan's senate ratifies two bills upgrading women's rights Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 AMMAN - The Senate passed two bills Thursday that substantially upgrade the rights of Jordanian women, sending them back to the lower house of parliament which rejected the draft legislation as contrary to Islam. The bills grant women the right to file for divorce and capital punishment for men who kill women who are alleged to have violated family honor.  Convicted spy Pollard back in court to challenge life term Ha'aretz 8/28/2003 WASHINGTON - Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard will be seen in public next week for the first time in 16 years, when a federal judge considers whether to allow him to continue appealing his life sentence. Pollard, a former civilian analyst for the U.S. Navy, was convicted of espionage for giving Israel tens of thousands of top-secret documents. Israel has acknowledged that Pollardwas its agent and has repeatedly asked the United States to release him. Pollard admits giving classified information to Israel, but contends his sentence was too harsh and violated a plea agreement with prosecutors.       Nuclear evidence in Iran forces proliferation questions Christian Science Monitor 8/28/2003 Discovery of traces of weapons-grade uranium may give US leverage if it seeks world sanctions on Tehran. -- WASHINGTON – International inspectors haven't proved that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program - but they're getting close. In one of the most troubling disclosures yet about Tehran's atomic intentions, a new International Atomic Energy Association report says that an IAEA team recently found traces of two types of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian facility.      ADL urges Annan to skip Palestinian conference Jerusalem Post 8/28/2003 The Anti-Defamation League has strongly urged UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to refrain from having his office participate in the upcoming UN International Conference of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People, saying that the conference would again serve as a forum for anti-Israel propaganda. Classified Spending On the Rise Washington Post 8/28/2003 Report: Defense to Get $23.2 Billion -- "Black," or classified, programs requested in President Bush's 2004 defense budget are at the highest level since 1988, according to a report prepared by the independent Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The center concluded that classified spending next fiscal year will reach about $23.2 billion of the Pentagon's total request for procurement and research funding. When adjusted for inflation, that is the largest dollar figure since the peak reached during President Ronald Reagan's defense buildup 16 years ago.

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