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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..

Israel strikes at Shaikh Yassin Al-Jazeera 9/6/2003 The spiritual leader of the Islamist resistance group Hamas has been injured after Israeli missiles slammed into a Palestinian apartment block in a densely populated area of Gaza City. Shaikh Ahmad Yassin was slightly injured following the attack on Saturday, Hamas spokesman Abd al-Aziz al-Rantissi told Aljazeera. The wheelchair-bound Yassin, a co-founder of Hamas and its spiritual leader, has been treated at Shifa Hospital....Seventeen people, mostly women and children, were wounded in the raid. Two dead in Nablus gun battle BBC 9/5/2003 An Israeli soldier and a senior Palestinian militant have been killed during an army raid in the West Bank town of Nablus. Shooting broke out after Israeli forces tracked a group of wanted men to a seven-storey building in the town, the Israeli army said. Troops ordered residents from the apartment block which was then blown up. 28 families Became Homeless in a Glance International Middle East Media Center 9/6/2003 The feeling was shock and rage for residents of Nablus’ Makfiah neighborhood early Friday morning. Entire families lined the street to watch as their homes were demolished. Amid the sounds of people sobbing, a massive cloud of dust rose into the air, replacing the seven-story building that was once home to the onlookers. The 28 families who lived in the building are now homeless. Residents filled the yard of the nearby school waiting for the military operation to end. Soldiers surrounded the building late on Friday and asked everyone to leave the premises. In Violation of Roadmap, Israel Expands Illegal West Bank Settlement of Efrat Palestine Media Center 9/6/2003 Israel said on Thursday it will expand an illegal Jewish settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and announced a bid to build 102 new settler units in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, in spite of the US - backed “roadmap” peace plan requiring a construction freeze. The units are to be built south of Jerusalem in the settlement of Efrat, which is one of the largest in the West Bank, with 7,000 settlers. Since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967, the Jewish state has built more than 162 illegal settlements in both areas, which are populated by more than 4,000,200 settlers according to the Palestinian central statistics department. Israeli army raids Rafah neighborhood, destroys buildings, uproots trees ReliefWeb 9/5/2003 GAZA CITY, Sept 5 (AFP) - Several Israeli army tanks, bulldozers and jeeps rolled into the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah at dawn Friday at dawn destroyed a two-storey house, part of a reception hall, greenhouses and razed several hectares (acres) of agricultural land, Palestinian security sources said. Israel’s Collective Punishment Leaves 28 Families Homeless Palestine Media Center 9/6/2003 IOF Kill Palestinian, Injure 3 Children in West Bank -- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian man on Friday and leveled the seven-story building he was in, leaving tens of families homeless in a condemned act of collective punishment. An IOF soldier was also killed, while three others were injured, one seriously, in the gunfight which had erupted. 26-year-old Mohammed Yousef Hanbali, who is a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” was killed during a gunfight with IOF troops in a Nablus City apartment building, which soldiers later pulverized without allowing any of its 100 inhabitants to retrieve personal belongings....Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, columns of Israeli tanks, jeeps and bulldozers invaded the southern town of Rafah and demolished a two-storey house, part of a reception hall and several greenhouses. They also razed several hectares of planted agricultural land. Random Shelling Against Residential Homes in Rafah International Middle East Media Center 9/6/2003 Seemingly without reason, Israeli soldiers shelled houses in the southern Gaza Strip area of Rafah on Friday, resulting in burning two houses. Eyewitnesses from the area reported that Israeli forces shelled randomly at the residents’ homes from the military location Tal Za'rab, which is on the Gaza-Egyptian border. According to the eyewitnesses, no injures were reported but t major damage was done to the property. Israel's vision: an unbreachable wall against terror Christian Science Monitor 9/5/2003 Zvi Weiss was returning from one last night of prayer at the Western Wall before his trip home to Brooklyn. He remembers seeing three tired children sitting beside him, their mother squeezing her way to the back of the bus, then the light-obliterating roar. The young American rode Jerusalem's Bus No. 2 the night a Palestinian, disguised as a fellow worshiper, detonated 11 pounds of explosives packed with bolts and ball bearings. Mr. Weiss survived, but 21 men, women, and children riding the bus home did not. Netanya man becomes 22nd victim of Jerusalem bus bomb Jerusalem Post 9/6/2003 Mordechai Laufer, 27, from Netanya, died Friday from wounds he received in the August 19th Hamas suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The number of victims of the bus bombing has now risen to 22.  BREAKING NEWS: Palestinian dies of wounds suffered in Aug 26 Gaza missile strike International Press Center 9/6/2003 14:20-- Khaled Masoud,28, of the Gaza city, dies of wounds he sustained on August 26, 2003 as Israeli missiles hit the car he was traveling in, medical sources told IPC. Video: "He was carried out of the building by his bodyguards" BBC 9/6/2003 The BBC's Debbie Tubby - "He was carried out of the building by his bodyguards" "Anti-Terrorism" Leaflets Followed by Invasion International Middle East Media Center 9/5/2003 One Palestinian was killed Friday morning and local reports said that one Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded in clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian resistance in Rafidia, west of Nablus. Israeli military sources said that the Palestinian killed was Alqasam Brigades leader in Nablus Mohammed Al-Hanbali. Palestinian sources reported that Mohammed’s father, Dr. Abdul Rahim Al-Hanbali, failed to identify the body as his son....Soldiers took over two local schools, Umar Ben Alkhatab and Saed Ben Amer, and both Almasri and Alahmad buildings after blowing up their doors with explosives....Preceding the invasion Thursday night, planes were dropping leaflets over the eastern side of Nablus that said Israeli troops are in Nablus as peacemakers to the region, and that the people of Nablus should resist terrorism. Video: "Yassin was lightly injured" New York Times 9/6/2003 AP Video - "Yassin was lightly injured" Video: Missle strike targets Yassin New York Times 9/6/2003 AP video Israeli Troops Blow up a Nablus Building, 100 Palestinians Left Homeless International Middle East Media Center 9/6/2003 Blowing up the home of a Palestinian family whose family member took part in attacks against Israeli targets has become a common procedure. But today, the homes of 15 non-engaged families were blown up leaving more than 100 people with no shelter. Israeli troops invaded Nablus early Friday morning and surrounded the Almasri building in which West Bank Hamas leader Mohammed Al-Hanbali sheltered. After, evacuating the building’s residents to a nearby school, soldiers fired two rockets destroying two floors of the structure. Hamas commander killed in West Bank raid The Guardian 9/6/2003 Believing other militants might be hiding on the top floors, troops then blew up the building, bringing down the tall structure that housed 28 families. -- Israeli troops killed a Hamas commander in the West Bank city of Nablus today, in a raid that could further undermine the troubled leadership of Mahmoud Abbas. An Israeli soldier was killed and four wounded in the operation, which targeted Mohammed Hanbali, leader of Hamas's military wing in the city. Palestinian gunmen opened fire as the Israeli commandos entered an apartment block where Hanbali was holed up, according Major Sharon Feingold, an Israeli army spokeswoman. The army fired several rockets at the building, from which residents had been evacuated, before arresting three of the militants. Israel Murders Hamas Activist Arab News 9/6/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 6 September 2003 — In another blow to the Middle East road map, Israeli commandos yesterday killed a West Bank commander of Hamas. An Israeli soldier was also killed and four wounded in the operation in Nablus. The Israeli operation ended when soldiers blew up a seven-story apartment building where Mohammad Al-Hanbali had been holed up. The destruction of the building made 28 families homeless. Hamas founder 'hurt in attack' BBC 9/6/2003 Israeli helicopters fired missiles in a strike on Gaza City on Saturday, reportedly targeting the co-founder of the radical Palestinian Hamas group, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Hamas officials said the group's spiritual leader was slightly injured and at least 10 other people, including several children, were hurt....Hamas officials said Sheikh Yassin - who is confined to a wheelchair - was lightly injured in the hand. Hamas leader Yassin lightly hurt in IAF assassination attempt Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was lightly wounded Saturday afternoon when an Israel Air Force F-16 fighter jet dropped a quarter-ton bomb on a building in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian sources, 15 others, among them children, were wounded in the air strike which came on the same day as a decision by European Union foreignministers to move to outlaw the group's political wing.  Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine September 6, 2003 Palestine Media Center 9/6/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians as a third died of wounds sustained earlier and wounded 16 others in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since September 3. The occupation troops also demolished a 7-storey building in Nablus and a 2-storey house in Rafah. Five Palestinians Detained in Burqeen.

Diplomacy..

EU Nations Agree to Freeze Hamas Assets The Guardian 9/6/2003 RIVA DEL GARDA, Italy (AP) - The European Union will declare all wings of the militant Palestinian group Hamas a terrorist organization and freeze its assets after dozens of deadly attacks in Israel, the bloc's foreign ministers said Saturday. The EU previously had blacklisted only the group's military arm, Izzedine al Qassam. But - taking a cue from Washington - it agreed Saturday to block funding to Hamas political offshoots, fund-raising charities and social welfare groups, after a suicide bus bombing last month that killed 22 people. Palestinian truce talks in Cairo end in failure: press ReliefWeb 9/5/2003 CAIRO, Sept 5 (AFP) - Talks mediated by Egypt between members of the Palestinian Authority and the militant group Hamas to secure a truce in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have ended in failure, the London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat reported Friday. The Palestinian Authority's representative, culture minister Ziad Abu Amr, and Hamas representative Osama Hamdan both left Cairo on Wednesday after a meeting that produced no results, said Al-Hayat. Hamdan had asked for guarantees from the Palestinian Authority before Hamas would agree to a new ceasefire, but Abu Amr was unable to offer anything concrete, the paper said. Israel says road map goes with Abbas resignation Jerusalem Post 9/6/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Office responded to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's resignation Saturday by saying Israel would not accept a situation where the PA is controlled by Yasser Arafat or someone who does his bidding. At the same time, Israeli diplomatic said the move is likely just a tactical maneuver by Abbas. While one official said Abbas resigned in order to bring massive international pressure on Arafat to take him back and give him real power, other officials said it was a tactical move to get Israel and the US to reduce pressure on Abbas to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. Palestine Wants India to Take Up Its Cause With Israeli PM Arab News 9/6/2003 NEW DELHI, 6 September 2003 — During the first-ever India visit of the Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon, Palestine wants New Delhi to raise the issue of Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza strip. “We ask the government of India, its people to ask him (Sharon) when he will end the Palestinian occupation and killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians,” Palestinian Ambassador Osama Musa Ali Musa said yesterday in New Delhi. Resistance to choose ‘time and place’ of retaliation Daily Star 9/6/2003 Beirut to protest Israeli bombardment -- While the government is preparing to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council against Israel for its bombardment of Hizbullah positions and continued violations of Lebanese airspace, the resistance movement reiterated Friday that it reserved the right to retaliate “in the right place and time.” Foreign Minister Jean Obeid has instructed the country’s UN representative to lodge the complaint following a Cabinet meeting Thursday, government sources said. PMO: Israel won't accept PA government headed by Arafat Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 Israel will not accept a situation in which the Palestinian Authority is again ruled by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat or anyone of his choosing, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement issued Saturday after Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas submitted his resignation. According to Army Radio, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that the Israeli government will not negotiate with Arafat, because he is "part of the problem and not a part of the solution." Health Minister Dan Naveh said that Abbas' resignation proved that Arafat's terror regime would continue, and urged for Israel to expel Arafat immediately.       Crumbling peace process in turmoil as Palestinian premier hands in resignation The Independent 9/7/2003 The Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas plunged the already tottering Middle East peace process into fresh turmoil yesterday by handing in his resignation to Yasser Arafat after weeks of conflict with the Palestinian Authority President. The fresh crisis swiftly intensified when hours later Israeli Air Force helicopter gunships injured Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, designated the spiritual leader of Hamas, in a missile attack on a flat in Gaza City which left 15 others reportedly injured. Hamas immediately vowed vengeance as spokesman Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi said the Israelis had attacked a "big symbol" and added: "This coward enemy will pay dearly for is crimes." Saudis call for pressure on Israel Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 MOSCOW - Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz yesterday ended a three-day official visit to Russia with a call to the world community to pressure Israel into adhering to the road map peace plan for the Middle East. "Israel must be made to stopstalling on fulfillment of its obligations under the road map and all related documents, including the Arab peace initiative adopted at the Arab summit in Beirut," the prince told the Interfax news agency. US Rebuke IOF Military Offensive in West Bank International Press Center 9/6/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, September 6, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, gave Friday a mild criticism to Israel for the aggression in Nablus, especially the destruction of the apartment building. Powell, who was giving a speech in George Washington University, said that the United States will keep on exerting its efforts to revive the "Road Map" peace plan, and will continue supporting the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas....Shortly after Powell's speech, State Department's spokesman, Richard Boucher, blamed Israel for the attack on Nablus yesterday, saying that they must consider the effect of its actions on innocent Palestinian civilians. Sharon looks to strengthen ties on historic visit to India Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 The Indian defense establishment has become, over recent years, the main client for Israel's security industries. -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaves for India on Monday, for the first visit of an Israeli premier to the subcontinent since the two countries established formal diplomatic ties 11 years ago. During his five-day visit, Sharon will meet with government leaders, prominent members of the business community and representatives of the Indian Jewish community. He will also try to promote several major economic and security deals between Israeli concerns and the Indian government. New Delhi rallies planned in protest at Israeli visit Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 NEW DELHI - The Israeli delegation that will accompany Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India next week will be met by protest rallies by opponents, who are labeling Sharon "an oppressor." Thousands of people plan to hold a demonstration outside theIsraeli Embassy in New Delhi next Tuesday, when Sharon is scheduled to arrive in the capital, said Pushpinder Grewal, secretary of the New Delhi chapter of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), yesterday.  Abbas' Resignation Casts Deeper Doubts Over Peace Islam Online 9/6/2003 WORLD CAPITALS, September 6 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas Saturday, September 6, stirred a dusty atmosphere over an already-tense and bloody situation and drew strong reactions from all parties concerned with the Middle East crisis. The European Union, for its part, considered the resignation a serious blow to the faltering Middle East peace process. Palestinian Leadership Condemns Yasin's Assassination Attempt International Press Center 9/6/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, September 6, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Palestinian leadership condemned today the assassination attempt that targeted the life of the spiritual leader and founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ahmad Yasin. In a press release issued today from the Palestinian presidential headquarters in the city of Ramallah, the Palestinian leadership condemned the assassination attempt, which lightly wounded Ahmad Yasin, as well as his aide, senior Hamas figure Ismail Abu Haniya, as well as Sheikh Marwan Abu Ras, owner of the house where Yasin was visiting. UN: Road Map is Indispensable to Achieve Peace International Press Center 9/6/2003 New York, September 6, 2003, (IPC) - - “I have called on the parties to exercise utmost restraint – to break the cycle of violence and counter –violence. I repeat that call today. And I urge both sides to deepen their commitments to security cooperation to allow the political process to move forward.” Mr. Kieran Prendergast, Under Secretary for Political Affairs in the United Nations, delivered a massage to the United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in support of the Palestinian people on Thursday. EU blacklists Hamas Al-Jazeera 9/6/2003 European Union foreign ministers have reached a consensus to include the political wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on the EU's "terrorist" blacklist. “A consensus has been found to decide to include Hamas on the list of terrorist organisations." French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin told reporters on Saturday on the margins of an EU foreign ministers' meeting at Riva Del Garda in Italy. Analysis: Farewell to the roadmap? BBC 9/6/2003 The departure of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas, would mean the rolling up of the Middle East roadmap for the foreseeable future. It is already a document lying virtually unread on the table. The Palestinians have failed to crack down on the militants as they are supposed to. Israel has begun an all-out war on Hamas, including its civilian leadership. Hamas has ended its ceasefire. Israel welcomes EU decision to outlaw Hamas political wing Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 RIVA DEL GARDA - Israel praised European Union foreign ministers, who agreed on Saturday to take the first step towards outlawing the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist organization. "Foreign Minister Shalom said recognizing the Hamas as aterrorist organization removes it from the circle of legitimate negotiating partners, shuts down its financiers and is an importantcontribution to the war on terrorism and not only in our region," his office said, and added that "there is a clear statement here bythe European Union foreign ministers that anyone who uses terrorism does not have a place in the family of nations."

Human Rights..

Writer Batya Gur arrested for insulting border police Ha'aretz 9/5/2003 Writer Batya Gur was arrested by Border Police in Jerusalem on Thursday night, on charges that she insulted border police and obstructed them in fulfilling their duties after they stopped an elderly Palestinian man for a security check. Gur said on Friday that she was unable to control her anger after witnessing the rude and offensive behavior of the policewomen toward the old man. She was held for questioning and later released on bail. According to Gur, who lives on Emek Refaim Street in Jerusalem, she saw three border policewomen acting disrespectfully towards an old Palestinian, "who looked as if he did not know where he was."      Building and Breaking the Wall, Layer by Layer, Barrier by Barrier International Middle East Media Center 9/6/2003 After nearly a full year of being separated from their farmland, over 140 villagers from the northern West Bank village of Faroun successfully opened one of the two gates in the Israeli wall system that has divided them from their livelihood. The villagers removed sections of razor wire and opened a primary barrier gate, then began to vigorously shake the electrified fence at the wall’s vehicle access point in an attempt to gain access to their farmland.  Imprisoned in a shrinking world Sydney Morning Herald 9/6/2003 Palestinians say the new Israeli barrier is no more than a land grab -- Close one eye and there is something darkly comical about the way fate is closing in on Rageh Ayyad. In 1967 the Israeli government seized his home, leaving him, like hundreds of thousands of other Palestinians, a stateless alien in his own land. Mr Ayyad's house was one of only four in the Arab village of Abu Dis to remain within the new city borders of Jerusalem. Under Israeli law he was living there illegally, but for many years it was just a matter of talking his way past policemen when crossing the Mount of Olives, a dodge here and a weave there. The concrete wall that Israel is building around Arab East Jerusalem has changed all that...."Technically, if I go out in this yard I could be arrested," he said in a tired voice, sitting in the garden of his three-storey home. Israeli Senior Officials Face War Crime Charges in Swiss Courts International Press Center 9/6/2003 Geneva, September 6, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- A Swedish lawyer has brought to the Swiss courts a war crime indictment against the Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz and his predecessor, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, for crimes they perpetrated against unarmed civilians in Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps. Marcel Bosonnet, the Swedish lawyer, told the press that he filed complaints concerning the destruction of Palestinian homes in the southern Gaza Strip in early 2002 as well as the torture of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli soldiers. Face-Off in Faroun International Solidarity Movement 9/6/2003 [Faroun, TULKAREM] Over 140 villagers from the northern West Bank village of Faroun, accompanied by 15 ISM volunteers (American, British, Canadian, Palestinian and Spanish) successfully opened one of the two gates in the Israeli Wall cutting farmers off from their land. The villagers removed sections of razor wire and opened a barrier gate, then began to vigorously shake the fence in an attempt to gain access to their farmland. Israeli Forces arrived at the small village with an overwhelming force of six jeeps and many soldiers, surrounding the nonviolent protesters and demanding they leave the area. Palestinian victims submit legal complaints against Israeli authorities in Switzerland Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/6/2003 Yesterday, Swiss attorney, Marcel Bosonnet, and Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Raji Sourani, submitted two complaints to the Swiss Military Attorney General in Berne on behalf of Palestinian victims. One complaint is in respect of Palestinians whose homes were demolished by Israeli occupying forces; the second complaint is in respect of Palestinians who were subjected to torture and ill treatment in detention by the Israeli security services. The complaints call for investigation and prosecution of those responsible for these acts. Bad Fences Make Bad Neighbors - A Report By NAD (Part III ) Palestine Media Center 9/4/2003 “There is only one thing I can do. I will buy a tent and move with my wife to live on the other side of the fence among my trees. I don’t know if the Israelis will let me do it. They certainly won’t let me build a house. But perhaps I can live in a tent.” [1] –Sharif Omar, Palestinian Farmer -- FACT SHEET: Israel’s goal in building the “security” wall is twofold: (1) to confiscate Palestinian land in order to facilitate further colony expansion and unilaterally redraw geopolitical borders and (2) to encourage an exodus of Palestinians by denying them the ability to earn a living from their land, by denying them adequate water resources, and by restricting freedom of movement to such extent as to make remaining in the town or village an unviable option. THE CASE OF JAYYUS – FORCED IMPOVERISHMENT THROUGH LAND CONFISCATION... Bad Fences Make Bad Neighbors - A Report By NAD (PART IV) Palestine Media Center 9/6/2003 “The Israelis made a fence around the settlement, then they put in a small gate so we could get to our olive trees. They gave us the key and let us come and go for the first year. Then they changed the lock and put a guard on. But he doesn’t come on the Sabbath and holidays and when he is sick. Then one day he doesn’t come at all and you can’t get to your land. Then they declare you are not working on your land and seize it.” –Abdul Karim Ahmad, Palestinian Farmer. -- THE CASE OF DABA – PALESTINIANS TRAPPED BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE GREEN LINE... 50 Palestinians, mostly children, are homeless after Israeli occupying forces destroy an apartment building in Nablus Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/6/2003 On Friday morning, 5 September 2003, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a 7-storey apartment building in Nablus in which 8 families lived. The destruction took place following an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and a Palestinian gunman. The gunman was killed during the fire-fight after sustaining several gunshot wounds. The destruction of the apartment building appears to have been an act of collective punishment and retaliation against Palestinian civilians, an act prohibited under international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. According to an investigation carried out by PCHR fieldworkers, Israeli occupying forces destroyed the building after the military operation had ended, and without having given the inhabitants the opportunity to evacuate their belongings. New UN aid official calls obstacles to humanitarian assistance 'moral outrage' ReliefWeb 9/4/2003 It is "a moral outrage" that United Nations humanitarian operations are forced out of countries or cut back because of violence, turmoil and lack of security, the new Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Humanitarian Relief Coordinator said today. Jan Egeland, formerly head of the Norwegian Red Cross and a Norwegian state secretary, told a news briefing in New York that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was struggling to maintain a presence in Iraq and would not be deterred.

Economy..

NII chief resigns Ha'aretz 9/6/2003 The head of the National Insurance Institute (NII), Israel's social-security system, resigned his post yesterday, declaring that he could no longer reconcile himself to government budget cuts that, he said, were forcing "more and more of the nation's citizens below the poverty line." The director-general of the NII, Yohanan Stessman, announced his resignation in a letter sent yesterday to Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Zevulun Orlev. "Social policy is effectively being dictated by those who believe that strengthening the highest percentiles in the society is a worthy goal, even at the cost of widening economic gaps, which are already intolerable," Stessman wrote in the letter.       First Israeli business delegation to South Africa, Mozambique in 7 years Globes 9/4/2003 The visit is aimed at creating cooperation agreements in Africa with South African companies. -- A delegation of 16 Israeli companies arrived this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the first time in seven years. The companies are part of a business delegation visiting South Africa and Mozambique.

People..

Internet use by Arab women low Al-Jazeera 9/6/2003 Arab teenagers and women make little use of the internet, described as "a worrisome sign" by a study due to be published in October by a major Arabic-language digital library. Alwaraq.com, based in the United Arab Emirates and one of the largest Arabic digital libraries, carried out the web survey of 6300 participants this summer in an effort to persuade governments and companies of the importance of Arabic cultural and scientific websites. In Arafat's Gaza, No Warmth for a Rival New York Times 9/5/2003 GAZA, Sept. 5 — It is people like Ayman Nahal, a burly vegetable vendor who works surrounded by the sweet smell of mangoes at the market in Gaza's dismal refugee Beach Camp only a short sprint from the Mediterranean, whom Mahmoud Abbas has failed to convince. "This man was brought to us to bring a solution, but so far there are no solutions," said Mr. Nahal, 32, of Mr. Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, also known as Abu Mazen, as young people near him shouted out, "Abu Mazen the Jew." "He has not brought anything new. A lot of people love Arafat more than before. Because he has correct thoughts." "But especially," Mr. Nahal added, " because he is under siege, like the people, like us." Painting a wall in Jenin (not The Wall) By Sam, International Solidarity Movement 9/5/2003 Jenin. The sky sets with shadow somewhere around seven or eight in the summertime. I’m about to head down Mostashfa Street to the ISM Flat. I have a headache from constantly focusing on my Arabic Listening Skills, and my arms are tired from all of the spastic pantomiming I do to express the other 90% of my thoughts to my newfound friends and family in Jenin Camp. Across the street from me -– a friend in the doorway -- Abid motions with a wheel at his mouth that it is time for me to put down my paints, come in and eat. I have been painting a mural in the Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Jenin, in the West Bank, on a wall of the home that belongs to Abu Rakis. No ordinary concert Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 4 - 10 September 200 Last week the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the musical group set up by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said, played at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Tania Tamari Nasir tells the story of two powerful experiences in Jerusalem and Birzeit, the backdrop to this unique project where Arab and Israeli musicians play together, transcending conflict and war, extending a hand for peace. Profile: Mahmoud Abbas The Guardian 9/6/2003 After just four months in the job, the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, had had enough of the constant wrangling with Yasser Arafat. Every step of the way, the two had argued over the division of authority, particularly over who should control the security forces, a key tool in implementing a US-backed peace plan.

International..

Clashes between Amal, Hizbullah leave 1 dead, 6 wounded Daily Star 9/6/2003 Police and troops patrolled a Beirut suburb Friday after an overnight clash between Amal and Hizbullah supporters left one man dead and six people wounded, security sources said. Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor Joseph Khalil started investigations with witnesses to define the identities of the shooter and those who provoked the incident. He denied that people were arrested in the case, adding that he had asked the security forces to conduct the necessary inquiries. Peace Front Faces Schism Over 'Right Of Return' Forward 9/5/2003 Arab groups are threatening to quit the country's largest anti-war coalition unless it does more to support the Palestinian cause, but Jewish members say that such a move would lead them to break ranks. Several Arab and Muslim groups announced last week that they would drop out of United for Peace and Justice, a leading American-based coalition opposed to the Iraq war, unless the umbrella group explicitly endorses the Palestinian "right of return" to Israel. But Rabbi Michael Lerner, founding editor of Tikkun Magazine and chairman of the Tikkun Community, which is part of the anti-war coalition's steering committee, said he would quit if such a position is adopted. France warns Libya over payoff delay Al-Jazeera 9/6/2003 France is blaming Libya for holding up a compensation deal for a 1989 airline bombing, warning Paris could still use its veto to stop UN sanctions against Tripoli being lifted. France has not received "sufficient guarantees" from Libya on behalf of the families of victims of the bombing of a French airliner over west Africa, warned Deputy Foreign Minister Renaud Muselier on Friday. Dubious in Dubai Al-Ahram Weekly on-line 4 - 10 September 200 Regional conflicts have undermined participation in the upcoming World Bank and IMF meeting. -- The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Dubai 2003 Organising Committee are all worried about sinking outlooks for participation in the 23 and 24 September annual meetings of the boards of governors of the two financial institutions. According to sources close to the organisers, some 6,000 of the 16,000 economic experts who were expected to attend in official and non-official capacities are excusing themselves due to regional security fears. The backdrop for these fears includes growing resistance to the US occupation of Iraq, escalating violence on the Israeli-Palestinian arena and the militancy of Islamist groups throughout the Arab world and Asia. Al-Jazeera Reporter Held in Spain Arab News 9/6/2003 DOHA, 6 September 2003 — Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera said yesterday that Spanish police had arrested one of its most renowned war correspondents on charges of belonging to Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. Al-Jazeera said police detained Tayseer Alouni, who shot to fame in the Arab world covering the US-led war on Afghanistan and then the Iraq war, at his home in Granada in southern Spain. It said Alouni and his wife were Spanish citizens. Auschwitz anger at Israeli fly-past BBC 9/4/2003 Israeli fighter jets have staged a fly-past at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, despite objections that the display was inappropriate. Three F-15 aircraft - piloted by descendants of Holocaust survivors - circled over the railway tracks which transported more than a million Jews to their deaths during the Holocaust. But in a statement earlier, the museum that runs the site deplored "the demonstration of Israeli military might in this place". Russia and Saudi seal key energy deal Al-Jazeera 9/4/2003 The world's two largest oil exporters, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have signed a key energy cooperation agreement worth up to $25 billion. Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Abd Allah bin Abd al-Aziz, wound up a historic three-day visit to Russia on Thursday by signing a five-year oil and natural gas accord. The visit, the first by a Saudi ruler since 1926, marks a rapprochement between the two countries who, between them, control a substantial proportion of the world's hydrocarbon resources. Sadr dispute widens as Arab League joins fray Daily Star 9/6/2003 Moussa offers to mediate with Libya - Relations tense as Tripoli closes embassy following accusations that Gadhafi helped cover up disappearance of Shiite imam -- There are signs that the issue of leading Shiite cleric Imam Musa Sadr, who vanished during a 1978 visit to Libya, is on its way to becoming an Arab issue. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has expressed readiness to engage in mediation between Lebanon and Libya after the latter closed its embassy in Lebanon. Needy families depend on Hizbullah shopping fairs Daily Star 9/6/2003 But competing businesses cry foul -- For decades, the start of the school term has been a financial burden for economically beleaguered families. In addition to high school fees, the shortage of proper public schools and high prices of schoolbooks and stationary have made the season costly. For the last few years, stores have offered back-to-school sales and specialized fairs have been set up, trying to ease the burden on families by offering discounts and reduced prices on items including bags, clothing, shoes and other accessories. Russia ready to sell air defense systems to Iran RosBusinessConsulting 9/6/2003 Russia could start supplying advanced air defense systems to Iran, Rajab Safarov, General Director of the Russian Center for Contemporary Iranian Studies, told the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun. According to Mr. Safarov, the sensational proposal was voiced by late Lev Rokhlin, during a meeting with Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani, within the framework of the visit to Iran by the State Duma’s official delegation in February 1997. Rajab Safarov was also a member of this delegation, as the Deputy Defense Minister. US's 'private army' grows Christian Science Monitor 9/3/2003 In Colombia and around the world, civilians are doing work formerly done by the military. -- BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA – Flying over the vast jungle here, a joint Colombian-American crew trolls for suspicious aircraft that could be smuggling tons of cocaine onto American soil. When their radar locks onto a suspect plane, the crew attempts to make radio contact. If there is no response, they may fire warning shots in an attempt to get the suspect plane to land. Only as a last resort may the multinational crew seek permission from the ground to shoot the plane down. BBC Report on Missile Seizure False: Saudi Official Palestine Chronicle 9/6/2003 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - A high-ranking official at the Saudi Ministry of the Interior yesterday denied a report on the BBC English language news website claiming that a consignment of surface-to-air missiles was intercepted last month on a desert road near Jeddah. Remarkably, the denial was reported by BBC Arabic, the BBC’s Arabic language news site. US Muslims See Advantages in Bloc Vote Palestine Chronicle 9/6/2003 WASHINGTON — The annual four-day Labor Day weekend is a highpoint for Muslim-Americans, particularly in the Midwest and Canada. Attendance estimates at the 40th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) event, held at McCormick Place in Chicago from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, range from 30,000 to 40,000. Interestingly, a parallel event was held by the American Society of Muslims, led by Warith Deen Mohammad, on the same weekend and also in Chicago with about the same attendance figures by African-American Muslims.

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