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| Conflict |
8 killed in Gaza violence
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Palestinian sources say five terrorists killed in Gaza’s Zeitun neighborhood in apparent Israeli airstrike on jeep traveling in area; three civilians killed by IDF shell in northern Gaza Strip - Five members of a small terror group linked to the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier last year were killed Wednesday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. Missiles fired by an Israeli aircraft slammed into a jeep as it traveled in the Zeitun neighborhood carrying members of the Army of Islam, the terror group implicated in the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit and BBC journalist Alan Johnston. In a seperate incident, three Palestinians, including a kid, were killed and 20 others were injured when a tank shell hit a house in the Beit Hanun neighborhood in northern Gaza. more..
Barak: Gaza operation near
Ynet, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Defense minister says in radio interview that clock is ticking on extensive operation in Strip, but adds ’such an operation is not easy in terms of forces, time frame or challenges to be met’ - "We will use all our diplomatic means to weaken the Hamas leadership and its effectiveness, but the truth must be told, we are nearing an extensive operation in Gaza," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told army radio Wednesday morning. The minister explained there were many reasons why the operation was not carried out in the past few weeks, and added that an operation in Gaza "is not easy in terms of forces, the amount of time that the IDF would have to stay there, or in terms of the operational challenges the fighters will be met with. more..
Israel closes Palestinian borders
Haroon Siddique and agencies, The Guardian 9/26/2007
Israel today announced it had sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of a Jewish holiday because of the "significant terror threat". The shutdown means Palestinians cannot enter Israel unless they have an urgent humanitarian need and includes travel bans within Palestinian areas. The restrictions will stay in place at least until the end of the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which begins at sunset, and would be lifted only "in accordance with security assessments". "In light of the significant terror threat during the Jewish holiday... a general closure will be implemented... during the holiday period," a the military said. Blanket closures are usually imposed on Jewish holidays, and restrictions are eased, though not lifted, once the holidays are over. more..
Settlers plan five new West Bank outposts during Sukkot holiday
Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Right-wing activists are planning to set up five new settlement nuclei throughout the West Bank this Sunday, during the interim days of Sukkot. The operation, details of which were announced yesterday, will include taking possession of the land at the following locations: Givat Ha’eitam near Efrat, Hill 1013 near Halhoul in the Hebron region, Nofei Hashmonaim near Hashmonaim, "Harhivi" outpost near Elon Moreh, and "Shvut Ami" outpost in Samaria. The extra-parliamentary right-wing movements participating in the operation are also planning a major march to Homesh, a northern West Bank settlement vacated in 2005 as part of the disengagement from Gaza. "This is the only way to get out of the alleyways and back to the main road, through the Land of Israel," one movement leader, Arye Yitzhaki, told Haaretz. more..
Israeli forces seize Palestinian ’wanted’ in connection with killing two soldiers
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Wednesday apprehended Fatah activist, twenty-three-year-old Ayman Zibin, from Nablus, in the northern West Bank. Zibin works in the armament department of the Palestinian police. Palestinian security sources stated that Israeli soldiers raided Zibin’s home in Rafidia, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and seized him on charge of involvement in the killing of two Israeli soldiers at the beginning of the Second / Al-Aqsa Intifada, in Ramallah. The sources added that Zibin had not been included in the amnesty list of Fatah activists to be exempt from pursuit by Israel. Israeli radio announced on Wednesday morning that Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has fulfilled the pledge he made as prime minister; to arrest all Palestinians ’wanted’ in association... more..
Palestinian resistance fighters drive Israeli troops out of Qabatiya
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, on Wednesday claimed that it hurled grenades at Israeli forces which had set ambushes in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya. Early on Wednesday morning, eight Israeli military vehicles invaded Qabatiya and deployed infantry units in four areas of the town. The troops set ambushes in an attempt to seize Palestinian resistance fighters, but they were discovered and attacked with grenades. The Israeli forces subsequently withdrew from Qabatiya. [end]
Israeli forces seize seven Palestinians
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Wednesday morning seized seven Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank. Israeli sources said that the army conducted raids in search of ’wanted’ Palestinians in Jenin, in the northern West Bank, and in Ramallah, in the centre. [end]
10-kilogramme explosive device discovered near Hebron
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Hebron – Ma’an – A 10-kilogramme explosive device ready to explode, was found in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the town of Durasouth west of Hebron on Tuesday, a high-ranking officer in the Palestinian intelligenceservice told Ma’an on Wednesday The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Palestinian security surrounded the area and began interrogating local people. The Palestinian security force was then surrounded by an Israeli military force. An Israeli bomb disposal unit detonated the explosive device safely. He added that no suspects have yet been arrested. [end]
IDF: Qassam rockets discovered in West Bank were not operational
Mijal Grinberg and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Service and The Associated, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
The two Qassam rockets found by Palestinian Authority security forces near Bethlehem on Wednesday were not operational, an Israel Defense Forces official said Wednesday. Upon their discovery, the rockets were transferred to IDF inspectors who said that the rockets "looked more like a pile of pipes than rockets that are about to be launched." An IDF official added that there is no evidence showing that the owners of the rockets had launching capabilities. PA forces who found the Qassam rockets said militants were intending to fire them on Jerusalem. It is unclear to whom the rockets belong, and the PA has launched an investigation. Qassam rockets are regularly fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel, but the mostly rural nature of the western Negev region prevents massive casualties. more..
Nablus: IDF arrests last participant in Ramallah lynching
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Paratroopers apprehend 36-year-old Tanzim member who was part of angry mob that brutally killed two Israeli reserve soldiers in 2000 - IDF forces in Nablus on Wednesday arrested 36-year-old Tanzim member Hayman Zaban, who was involved in carrying out the lynch in Ramallah some seven years ago in which Israeli reserve soldiers Vadim Nurzhitz and Yossi Avrahami were killed. Zaban is the last of the suspects in the incident to be arrested, and was transferred to defense forces for investigation. "Zaban was shocked when the soldiers came to arrest him," an IDF official said, adding that the Tanzim member was unaware that Israeli security forces were still on his trail. The military said Zaban had eluded IDF forces up until now by moving from one West Bank city to another. more..
Qassam lands in Kibbutz near Gaza
Tovah Dadon, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for rocket fire toward Shaar Hanegev where no casualties are reported - A Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in the Shaar Hanegev Kibbutz on Wednesday, causing no injuries. The attack came hours after nine Palestinians were killed by the IDF in two separate incidents. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. About 20 rockets and mortar shells were fired towards Israel on Wednesday, but only 10 made it across the border. The remainder fell in the Gaza Strip. Five members of a terror group were killed in an airstrike that targeted a jeep in Gaza City on Wednesday. The Palestinians said the five were members of the Army of Islam, a small group linked to the kidnappings of Corporal Gilad Shalit and BBC Journalist Alan Johnston. more..
Five Molotov cocktails thrown at Israeli car; no wounded or damage
Jerusalem Post 9/27/2007
Palestinians threw five Molotov cocktails at an Israeli car traveling south of Nablus Wednesday evening. None of the car’s occupants were wounded and no damage caused. The IDF conducted a sweep of the area, and discovered two additional Molotov cocktails. [end]
Two Palestinians kidnapped near Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Israeli military forces kidnapped two Palestinians from Hebron and the nearby town of Athana, after clashes broke out between troops and Palestinian youths across the area. The two kidnapped Palestinians were later identified as Mohammad Al Batran, 17, and Yousif Abu Jihesha, 22. In related news, eyewitnesses reported that several neighborhoods in Beit Omar and Halhoul witnessed massive nighttime clashes with Israeli troops. While Israeli soldiers used rounds of rubber-coated bullets and tear-gas, Palestinian youths retaliated with stones. No injuries or abductions were reported. [end]
Resistance factions retaliate to the death of Eight residents in the Gaza Strip
Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Several Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip exchanged fire with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and fired Rocket Propelled Grenades(RPG) at them in retaliation to the death of Eight Palestinians killed by invading Israeli forces in the coastal region on Wednesday. The two armed groups stated that the attack comes part of the natural response to the ongoing Israeli invasion to several parts of the Gaza Strip, and "in retaliation to the crimes carried by the invading forces against the Palestinian people. The two groups added that their fighters will not hesitate in defending the people against these invasions. EightPalestinians were killed by the invading Israeli forces in several areas in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Medical sources reported that five of the slain residents were identified... more..
Exclusive: Ynet reporter visits site of ’Syria operation’
Ron Ben-Yishai, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Ynet reporter and commentator Ron Ben-Yishai visits Syria, speaks to residents about Israel’s alleged overflight. Deir Ezzor is a city located in the Syria’s northeast region close to the Turkish border, and home to what Syria claims to be an agricultural research station. It was there that residents heard the sound of jets overhead on the night between the fifth and sixth of September. It was there that Israel allegedly carried out an air raid two weeks ago. At a checkpoint in the city, a Syrian soldier refused us access to the agricultural research station. “Mam’nua!” he said firmly, and signaled a warning sign with his hand upon noticing the camera. The farm was four or five kilometers away from us. From a distance, we could see some pits that looked like part of a mine or a quarry. more..
Palestinians: Shelling caused power outages in northern Gaza
Jerusalem Post 9/27/2007
Power has failed in some parts of the northern Gaza Strip due to shelling, the Palestinian Ramatan news agency reported Wednesday evening. The report was not confirmed by any other source. [end]
Eight killed and 20 wounded in Israeli invasion of Gaza Strip
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Eight people were killed and at least 20 others injured in Israeli air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Medical sources have said the injured are in a critical condition. Four people died instantly and another was seriously injured when the Israeli airforce bombed a car in which they were travelling, south of Gaza city. Ma’an’s correspondent said that an Israeli airplane launched at least two rockets at the car, carrying the four armed men, thought to be members of the Army of Islam. Three other bystanders were also injured. All the dead and injured were taken to Al-Shifaa Hospital in Gaza City. The army of Islam denied that their leader Khattab Al-Maqdisi was among the dead, but confirmed that four members of the group were killed. more..
Palestine Today 092607
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 74MB || Time 3m 0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday September 26th, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces storm several cities kidnapping a number of Palestinian civilians. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, Israeli warplanes shell the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, injuring two. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. Israeli military forces kidnapped one Palestinian from the northern West Bank city of Nablus in the early hours of Wednesday morning. After besieging several dwellings in the city, civilians were forced from their homes and one man, later identified as Ayman Al Zaben, was kidnapped. more..
15 Palestinians arrested across the West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – An explosive device was thrown at an Israeli force, operating in Nablus in the northern West Bank, on Tuesday morning, according to Israeli radio. No casualties were reported. Israeli radio also reported that Israeli forces arrested 15 Palestinians in different cities across the West Bank. Four of those arrested were from the village of Beit Iba, west of Nablus in the northern West Bank, and another from the Balata refugee camp, east of the city. [end]
Seven Palestinian civilians kidnapped in Hebron and nearby village
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
The Israeli army attacked and searched Palestinian homes in the southern west Bank city of Hebron and the nearby Sourif village on Tuesday morning, kidnapping seven civilians, Palestinian sources reported. The four were kidnapped when the army attacked and searched homes in the village, witnesses reported. Another three were kidnapped from Hebron city center after the army stormed and rasnaked a number of homes. The civilians were later identified as Mo’tasem Jaber, 17, Mazen Jaber, 18, and Ashraf Idrees, 21. All three were taken to unknown detention camp. [end]
Brigades launch attacks against Israeli targets
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The National Resistance Brigades (NRB), the armed wing of the Democratic front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claimed responsibility on Monday evening for launching a homemade projectile at the Western Negev Israeli town of Sderot. They said in a statement sent to Ma’an that the shelling came was in revenge for the suffering of the Palestinian people injured by Israeli forces and for those detained by Israel. They also said that the attack was proof they intended to continue their policy of resistance. In a separate incident, the NRB, along with Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for launching a projectile at the Nir ’Am Israeli Kibbutz. The Al-Aqsa Brigades, and Al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad on Monday evening claimed responsibility for launching two... more..
Israeli forces seize Hamas operative in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – An undercover Israeli force arrested a Hamas operative in southern Nablus in the West Bank on Tuesday, Nablus’ Ma’an correspondent reported. Eyewitnesses said that an undercover Israeli force besiged the home of thirty-two-year-old Zahi Al-Kusa, a Hamas activist, in the Al-Dahiya neioghbourhood of Nablus before military back up arrived and apprehended the man taking him to the Huwwara military post south of Nablus. Hamas sources confirmed that Al-Kusa had been arrested, saying he was the fourth Hamas operative to be arrested since last Friday. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades hurl bombs at Israeli military jeeps in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – A unit of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for hurling three explosive devices at Israeli military jeeps in the centre of Nablus in the northern West Bank. The group told Ma’an via telephone that one of the devices directly hit one of the jeeps near the Balata Taxi station in the centre of Nablus. [end]
Two armed Palestinians arrested on the Israeli/Gaza border
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested two armed Palestinians who were trying to cross into Israel from the Gaza Strip near the Kisufim crossing on Tuesday, Israeli sources said. Israeli security sources said that a patrol operating in the area apprehended the men who were found to be carrying weapons. Israeli security announced a state of alert in the neighbouring settlements, fearing there could have been other Palestinian militants. [end]
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades in Nablus receive threatening voice messages from Israeli intelligence
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Activists within the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades in Nablus in the northern West Bank said on Tuesday that they have been receiving voice messages on their cell phones, allegedly, from the Israeli intelligence threatening to kill them and demolish their families’ homes. A spokesperson from the Brigades commented on these messages saying they are part of the psychological pressure the Israeli occupation uses to break the spirit of the brigades’ fighters aiming to get them to abandon resistance. He said the Israelis were using this tactic in Nablus because they have recently been hit hard in the city by the Palestinian resistance. A few days ago, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades escalated their actions against Israeli... more..
Islamic Jihad activist arrested
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Tulkarem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested an Islamic Jihad activist, on Tuesday. Twenty-six-year-old Nadir Ajaj was arrested during an incursion into the town of Sayda, north of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, Ma’an’s reporter said. [end]
Israeli forces storm home of Islamic Jihad member
Ali Samoudi, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
Israeli military forces on Tuesday morning invaded the Rumana village, located west of Jenin, targeting the home of an Islamic Jihad member identified as Ameed Amoor, 22. In related news, the Israeli army kidnapped 3 Palestinians on a flying checkpoint, located west of Jenin city, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Eyewitnesses reported that the kidnapped Palestinians were handcuffed and forced into an Israeli patrol vehicle, after which they were taken to an unknown destination. [end]
Kassam rocket strikes western Negev; none wounded
Jerusalem Post 9/26/2007
A Kassam rocket struck an area of the western Negev near the border of Gaza and Israel late Tuesday night. Nobody was wounded in the attack, and no damage was reported. [end]
Palestine Today 092507
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 74MB || Time 3m 0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday September 25th, 2007. The Israeli army invades several West Bank cities and kidnaps civilians while the Palestinian resistance in Gaza attacks Israeli targets, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. The Israeli army attacked and searched Palestinian homes in the southern west Bank city of Hebron and the nearby village of Sourif on Tuesday morning, kidnapping seven civilians. Four people were kidnapped when the army attacked Sourif village. Among them was the Mayor, Mohamed Al Houar. Another three were kidnapped in Hebron city center after the army stormed and ransacked a number of houses. more..
Israel constructs 40 new roadblocks in the West Bank despite repeated promised to reduce their numbe
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
A U. N. Investigation has found that the Israeli administration has established approximately 40 new roadblocks in the West Bank in spite of previous promises to reduce their number. During his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised to lighten the Israeli restrictions imposed on Palestinians, included the removal of 24 roadblocks and other additional lightening of movement restrictions. Despite such guarantees, the number of the roadblocks has increased to 572, compared to 376 roadblocks in August 2005. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the increase in number represents a percentage increase of 52%. In the southern region of the West Bank, specifically in the Hebron area, while Israeli... more..
Israel considers cutting off Gaza’s electricity if homemade shells fired
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
The Israeli security committee, installed by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, in the wake of the Israeli cabinet’s announcement ‘Gaza is an enemy entity’, recommended that Israel should cut off an Israeli power cable, feeding Gaza, once a Palestinian homemade rocket lands in Israel. The committees’ recommendation would include five main power supply cables, feeding Gaza with the needed electricity. In case the Israeli defense minister approves the recommendation, he will have to submit it to the minister of infrastructure, Fouad BinElaizer, for final approval by the Israeli power company, the Israeli Maareef Daily reported. Quoting an Israeli security source, the Maareef newspaper said “ it is not anticipated that the international community would criticize Israel for imposing such a punishment”. more..
Israeli forces seize 22 in ongoing raids throughout the West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli forces seized 22 Palestinians during raids in in the West Bank Monday morning. Ten of those detained were taken from the area around the city of Nablus. Separately, Israeli forces stormed the village of Deir Al-Hatab, east of Nablus, laying siege to the home of Ahmad Mash’ati, a leader in the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), threatening to demolish the building if he did not surrender. Local sources said Israeli military vehicles invaded the village of Beit Furik, east of Nablus seizing seven PFLP supporters. The Israeli forces also stormed the village of Awarta, south of Nablus, and seizing one Palestinian. Another resident was taken by Israeli soldiers from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus. more..
EF officer dies of wounds sustained in Ash-Shati refugee camp
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Twenty-one-year-old Palestinian citizen, Al Matar, from Ash-Shati refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Sunday night died of a gunshot wound he received to his chest a week ago. The spokesperson of the Hamas-affiliated Executive Force, Islam Shahwan, said that Matar was a member of the EF and was injured performing his duties as a guard for the military medical services in Ash-Shati. The EF seized three citizens from the camp, allegedly Fatah loyalists, who were accused of shooting Matar and his colleague. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades shoot at Israeli hitch-hiker
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Fatah movement, on Monday claimed responsibility for firing at an Israeli hitch-hiker near the Shilo settlement intersection in northern West Bank. The brigades said in a statement, received by Ma’an, that Israeli forces hurried to the scene and tried to chase the assailants, but failed to catch any. [end]
National Resistance Brigades shell Nahal Oz
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), claimed responsibility on Monday morning for launching two mortar shells at the Israeli military post at Nahal ’Oz. The brigades explained in a statement that the shelling came as natural response to the Israeli policy of siege and incursions in the Gaza Strip. They reiterated their "adherence to resistance until the Palestinian territories are freed from occupation." [end]
Israel considers collective punishment of Gaza Strip
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli security committee entrusted to examine how to deal with Gaza as an "enemy entity" on Monday recommended cutting the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip from Israel whenever a homemade projectile lands in Israeli territories. The Gaza Strip is supplied with five electricity lines from Israel, each providing seven megawatts. The Israeli security has formed a committee to provide recommendations to Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, on the most suitable form of punishment for the Gaza Strip. If Barak accepts the recommendation, he will submit it to the Minister of Internal Infrastructure, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who will ask the electricity company to cut supply to Gaza Strip. An Israeli security source told Israeli daily Maariv that the international community... more..
Resident dies of wounds sustained after being attacked by gunmen
International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
Palestinian medical sources in the West Bank reported on Monday that resident Ali Sa’id Matar, died on Sunday of wounds sustained on Thursday after being attacked by unknown gunmen. He added that internal violence and conflicts serve "the interests of the enemies of the Palestinian people", and called on all Palestinian factions and the Palestinian people to reject any calls for internal violence and to remain united in their struggle against the Israeli occupation. Majdalawi also said that those groups that are trying to create further tension and internal clashes should be exposed and prosecuted regardless of their political claims or preferences. [end]
Israeli army kidnaps 22 Palestinians
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
The Israeli army kidnapped 22 Palestinians in the early hours of Monday morning from different parts of the West Bank. In Deir al-Hattab village, east of Nablus, Israeli forces besieged the house of Ahmad Mash’ati, a local leader of the Abu ali Mustafa brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Meanwhile, Israeli armored vehicles invaded the Beit Foreek village, also east of Nablus, where Israeli troops rounded up a number of PFLP supporters. In Awatra village, south of Nablus, one Palestinian civilian was kidnapped by invading Israeli forces. A second resident was taken from the Balata refugee camp, located in Nablus. Further kidnappings were also reported in Jenin, Ramallah and Hebron. [end]
LEBANON: Fields of Fire: Cluster bombs in Lebanon
Manoocher Deghati/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 9/25/2007
Towards the end of the Second World War German technicians developed a new type of bomb which, when fired, would open up and release hundreds of smaller bombs that would then rain down on targets spread over a wide area. These weapons were further advanced during the Cold War and have since become standard weaponry for most conventional armies. There are many types but collectively, they are known as cluster bombs. Play Film by clicking Below - Federic Gras: "So you have one sub-munition here with a local marking - it’s a pile of stones to warn people. You have one impact here - you can see the crater. You have another sub munition here, and another one over there. So it’s quite heavily contaminated here. It’s not only in the olive groves; it’s in all the village. more..
Israeli bulldozers raze arable lands in Rafah
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/23/2007
Israeli army bulldozers, accompanied with tanks, incurred on Sunday some hundred meters into the Shuka village, to the east of Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses in the area said that the Israeli bulldozers razed the arable land of Samir aL-Masri, thus depriving about 50 farmers of their source of income. aL-Masri family member added that the bulldozers also damaged a number of green houses after they have razed the area. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said that an Israeli army undercover special unit stormed late at yesterday night the Sufa crossing area, to the southeast of Rafah city. The reports said about 40 Palestinian residents were taken prisoners during the yesterday night attack [end]
Israeli forces raid four Palestinian towns, attacking Muslims during prayer
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – Israeli forces raided residential areas in at least four separate attacks on the West Bank and Gaza Strip this weekend. Eyewitnesses said eight Israeli military vehicles invaded the West Bank town of Qabatiya’s old city. Israeli soldiers occupied rooftops and roamed the streets. The incursion came after an explosive device was reportedly thrown at an Israeli military patrol near the town. Israeli forces blocked the street, held up passing vehicles and searched the residents of the area. In a separate incident in the Al-Far’a valley in the northern West Bank Israeli soldiers threw tear gas canisters into the Al-Isra mosque during the evening prayer. Soldiers occupy West Bank home - Approximately 50 Israeli troops occupied a residential building in the West Bank town... more..
Israeli forces seize two in Nablus raids
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli forces stormed the town of Kafr Qallil, south of the the West Bank city of Nablus Sunday evening, seizing an activist affiliated with the armed wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. The detained man, twenty-two-year-old Faris Mansur, had been one of the fighters who received amnesty from Israel in July. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli forces seized a Hamas activist named Ahmad Abu Al-Iz from Al-Ayn refugee camp, also near Nablus. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth alleged that Abu Al-Iz was arrested after he attempted to hide in a weapons cache under a pregnant woman’s bed. Nasser Salman, head of the municipal council of the town of Qawsin, south of Nablus, said that Israeli forces invaded during Iftar, the daily breaking of the fast during Ramadan. more..
’No alternative to ground operations’
Roi Mandel, YNetNews 9/23/2007
Reports of IDF raid on secret military site spark debate regarding necessity of ground operations. ’No technology can replace people when it comes to intelligence gathering,’ former commando and current Meretz MK Vilan says - Reports in the foreign press regarding a raid by an elite IDF commando unit on a secret military site in Syria that took place prior to the alleged IAF overflight this month have once again sparked a debate regarding the necessity of ground operations in the modern battlefield. In a conversation with Ynet on Sunday, Meretz MK Avshalom Vilan, a former commando, said there was no alternative to collecting intelligence on the ground. "No technology can replace people when it comes to intelligence gathering," he said. more..
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades claim fight with Israeli forces in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed to have clashed with Israeli forces in the eastern Gaza Strip on Saturday night. The brigades said they fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns in an "operation … to emphasize our adherence to resistance as our choice to retaliate for Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people." [end]
Headquarters of Fatah Al-Yasser set ablaze in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The central Gaza headquarters of the Fatah-offshoot movement Fatah Al-Yasser were set ablaze Sunday evening. Witnesses said the building caught fire around dusk. Fighters rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire. The building, located near the entrance of Al-Bureij refugee camp was nonetheless damaged. They added that the building was set ablaze at the Iftar time, and that figher fighter hurried to the scene and extinguished the fire which caused material damage to the building near the entrance to Al-Buraij refugee camp. In July explosive device was detonated at the entrance of one of the movements offices in Gaza City [end]
Palestinian fighters fire at Israeli bus stop
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli sources said that Palestinian fighters opened fire atan Israeli bus stop near Shile settlement in the northern West Bank Sunday. No injuries were reported in the incident. The sources added that the shots came from a speeding car. Israeli forces began to comb the area in an attempt to find the assailants. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades launch two homemade projectiles at Sderot
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, launched two homemade projectiles at the Israeli border town of Sderot, near the Gaza Strip Sunday. Israeli sources said that one projectile landed on an open area, and another landed near a highway. No damage or injuries were reported. [end]
IOA claims capturing Palestinian with explosive belt
Palestinian Information Center 9/23/2007
NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Israeli policemen have arrested a Palestinian worker after finding a booby-trapped belt in his apartment in Tel Aviv where he was residing illegally, according to the Israeli police claim. It added that the policemen quarreled with the workers who lived in that apartment before arresting the young man, who intended to carry out a human bombing operation against an Israeli target. Meanwhile, IOF troops blasted their way into several Palestinian homes in Nablus and wreaked havoc in them at dawn Sunday. In Bizaria village, north of Nablus, the IOF soldiers kidnapped Mohammed Salem, 23, from his family home at an early hour on Sunday. Locals in the village noted that Salem was released from Israeli occupation jails only six month ago. more..
UN: Roadblocks up 52% over last 2 years
Jerusalem Post 9/22/2007
The number of West Bank roadblocks has increased by 52 percent in the last two years, according to a report released Friday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It was released two days after Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he would remove 24 road blocks in the West Bank. The UN report, however, argued that the situation is getting worse, not better. In just the last month an additional 40 roadblocks were added, for an increase of 7. 5 percent, from 532 to 572. Out of those roadblocks, 76 are manned and 19 are partially manned. Separately the United Nations Relief and Works Association complained that some 300 of its Palestinian workers were barred from entering Jerusalem from the West Bank on Friday. more..
Israeli forces attack a Mosque near Jenin
Ali Samoudi, International Middle East Media Center 9/22/2007
Several worshippers were overcome by tear gas on Friday night when the Israeli army attacked the Wad Al Fare’a Mosque, located south of Jenin. Also near Jenin, Palestinian resistance fighters fired an explosive device at an Israeli military unit as it patrolled the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya. In the aftermath of the operation, Israeli forces called for reinforcements, searching and ransacking the town and detaining several civilians for interrogation. [end]
Army invades east of Rafah, demolished houses and abducts 45 residents
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/22/2007
Local sources in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, informed the IMEMC that Israeli troops, supported by armored vehicles and jeeps, invaded an area east of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Saturday at night. As the offensive is still ongoing, 45 residents were kidnapped by the invading forces and some houses were demolished by military bulldozers. Several resistance groups exchanged fire with the invading forces. [end]
Explosives belt designated for holiday attack found in Tel Aviv apartment
Amos Harel Avi Issacharoff and Roni Heruti-Singers, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
A suicide attack in Tel Aviv was thwarted on Saturday when security forces found an explosives belt in an apartment in the city, designated to be used in an attack over the Yom Kippur holiday. The belt was found Saturday morning in an apartment near the southern end of Allenby Street by the Shin Bet security service, operating with Yarkon District Police. The apartment was occupied by Palestinians residing there illegally. It was apparently smuggled in parts from the West Bank City of Nablus. The residents attempted to resist arrest, and, in the process, one officer was wounded and needed medical attention. They were ultimately arrested and taken in for questioning. Sappers came to the scene and blew up the belt in a controlled explosion. more..
Police, Shin Bet foil suicide attack in Tel Aviv
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/22/2007
(Video) Officers discover explosive belt hidden in residential building following arrest of Nablus resident during last week’s operation in West Bank city. Sappers conduct controlled-detonation of belt - VIDEO - Police and Shin Bet officers foiled a suicide attack which was meant to take place in Tel Aviv Saturday after discovering an explosive belt hidden in a residential building in the city’s southern area. The belt was found following the arrest of Mahadi Ashur, a Palestinian from Nablus who worked in Tel Aviv. The man was apprehended during last week’s operation in Biet llma, a refugee camp in the West Bank city. Sappers conducted a controlled-detonation of the belt. The belt was the same one IDF forces in Nablus failed to locate after arresting a would-be suicide bomber,... more..
Military wing of Hamas announces death of leader
Ma’an News Agency 9/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, on Saturday announced the death of one of the brigade’s leaders, thirty-five-year-old Imad Abu Hujair. Abu Hujair was killed in clashes with invading Israeli forces east of Al-Bureij refugee camp on Friday. The Qassam Brigades said that Abu Hujair was the field leader of the Juhor ad Dik area, in the eastern Gaza Strip. [end]
PRC fighters shell Israeli town as part of operation ’Death Messages’
Ma’an News Agency 9/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, on Saturday morning claimed responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at the Israeli town of Sha’ar Hanegev, to the east of northern Gaza. The brigades issued a statement declaring that the operation was part of campaign ’Death Messages’, launched in retaliation for Israeli atrocities against Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [end]
UN: Israel has added dozens of new roadblocks in West Bank
Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
Despite repeated promises to reduce the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, Israel has in fact added dozens of new ones, according to the United Nations. Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week to remove 24 roadblocks and consider additional alleviations of movement restrictions on the Palestinians. This followed a similar promise to alleviate movement restrictions that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, the number of roadblocks has now reached 572, an increase of 52 percent compared to 376 in August 2005, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the past two months alone, Israel put up 40 new roadblocks, OCHA said. more..
Israel imposes complete closure on West Bank and Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel imposed a complete ’security’ closure starting from Thursday evening on the whole of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip which will last until Sunday morning. The reason given for this measure is the Jewish Festival of Yom Kippur. Israel said that they would not permit anyone to enter Jerusalem, except for emergency health care and then only with the coordination of the Israeli District Co-ordination Office (DCO). Muslim worshippers will also not be allowed to enter Jerusalem for Friday prayers even if they have a special permit to do so. The Israeli authorities also said they will deploy thousands of police in the streets of East Jerusalem especially in the Old City to ensure the safety of both Muslim and Jewish worshippers. more..
Israeli forces pull out of Al-Ain Camp
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hebrew sources said on Friday that the Israeli forces have finished their three-day operation in the Al-’Ain refugee camp, east of Nablus. The sources also said that during the operation the Israeli forces arrested 49 ’wanted’ Palestinians and have taken them to an interrogation centre. The Israeli operation in the Al-’Ain camp resulted in the death of two Palestinians and a number of others injured, in addition to the demolition of a number of houses. [end]
Nablus invasion ends with the abduction of Al Qassam brigades leader
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 9/21/2007
The Israeli army ended its military offensive into Al Ein refugee camp, in Nablus, after kidnapping Nihad Shqeirat, 34, leader of the Al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. During the three-day military offensive, two Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed, and at least 49 Palestinians, including two members of Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh, were kidnapped. Eyewitnesses reported that Shqeirat exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers for several hours and when he ran out of ammunition he attempted to escape from a house he barricaded himself in, but the soldiers managed to surround and kidnap him. An Israeli military source stated that Shqeirat ran the infrastructure of the Al Qassam brigades in Nablus area. Hamas sources reported that Shqeirat was previously imprisoned by Israel... more..
Qassam Brigades leader arrested in Al-Ain Camp
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli Forces early on Friday morning arrested a Palestinian man who Israel accuses of being a leader of the Az-Adin Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas in the Ain Bayt Al-Ma refugee camp in Nablus. Eyewitnesses in the camp said that thirty-four-year-old Nihad Rashid Shqirat was trying to get out of the house where he had taken up position after using all his ammunition. The Israeli forces arrested him after a long search. The leader of the Israeli army in the West Bank announced that Shqirat was a part of the infrastructure of the Qassam Brigades in the Nablus area. Shqirat has previously spent a number of years in Israeli prisons and around three years ago his family’s home in the Al-’Ain refugee camp was destroyed by Israeli forces. [end]
IDF arrests head of Hamas cell in Nablus
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/21/2007
Military operation in West Bank city ends with foiled suicide attack, arrest of 49 wanted Palestinians - A senior Hamas leader in Nablus was arrested Friday morning by IDF forces completing an operation in the Beit Ilma refugee camp in the West Bank city. Duvdevan unit forces arrested Niyad Shkirat at the end of a long operation which lasted for the past few days. Forty-nine other wanted Palestinians were also captured during the operation, and all suspects were trasfered to defense forces for investigation. Nablus Raid 2 pardoned Fatah members detained, then released/ Ali Waked Palestinians say al-Aqsa members apprehended during IDF operation in refugee camp released by Israel for fear their arrest would jeopardize amnesty deal Full story The Hamas official... more..
Salah Ad-Din Brigades launch rockets at Ashkelon
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Nasser Salah Ad-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for bombarding the Israeli town of Ashkelon, near the Gaza Strip, with four rockets. The Brigades said in a statement the operation was in response to the crimes perpetrated by Israeli forces in the cities of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, saying they will continue to bombard Israeli towns. Israeli sources confirmed that Palestinian rockets had landed in an open area without causing any injury or damage. [end]
Palestinian arrested in Qalqiliya
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Qalqiliya – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian man in the early hours of Friday morning in the West Bank town of Qalqiliya. Israeli forces burst in to the home of Ali Mazooz Abd Al-Rahim Daoud and searched it before arresting him. Palestinian security sources said that a number of military vehicles invaded the city at dawn, entering a number of neighbourhoods and carrying out house to house searches. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades in Gaza vow to continue armed fight against Israeli occupation
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The leaders of Fatah’s military wing in the Gaza Strip in the Gaza Strip reaffirmed their commitment to armed struggle against the Israeli occupation. In a press conference the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades said Israelis will not live in peace until all Palestinians do. They said they will never be involved in any truce with Israel until the occupation is removed. They said they would not be stopped from taking military action, including firing homemade projectiles at Israel, to defend the land and rights of Palestinians living in Gaza. They did not reveal any specific plans for their operations in order to protect their fighters. [end]
This Week In Palestine – Week 38 2007
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/21/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 11. 9 MB || Time 13m 0s This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for September 15thst through September 21st, 2007. The Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip an “enemy entity,” while the army kill eight Palestinian this week, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. Bethlehem - On Friday at midday, the residents of Al Walaja village to the north of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, joined by International and Israeli supporters marched against the building of the illegal Israeli wall on village land. Shortly after Friday prayers were held on the construction site, by main road leading into the village, the protesters marched along the hillside to reach a road which used to connect Al Walaja to Bethlehem. more..
Israeli Air Force lays an egg with false alarm
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 9/22/2007
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s air force scrambled warplanes on Friday after radar spotted a potential airborne enemy flying from Syria - only to discover the culprits were migratory birds, Army Radio reported. Israeli radar picked up the birds over the Syrian border but officers were unable to rule them out as enemy aircraft from the screen, the radio said. Tensions have soared on Israel’s northern border with Syria since Damascus said its air defenses fired on Israeli warplanes that dropped munitions deep inside its territory in the early hours of September 6. The Israeli government has maintained a total blackout on the operation, but the Army Radio report said that military commanders were preferring not to take any risk. http://www. more..
Palestinians: Three civilians killed in IDF raid in Gaza Strip
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoffs and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/21/2007
Israel Defense Soldiers soldiers killed three Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip during an incursion on Thursday, hospital officials said. Gunmen confronted the IDF force and set off explosives, and an Israel Air Force helicopter also took part in the clashes in Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. According to Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Health Ministry in Gaza, 17-year-old Mahmoud Kassassi was hit by shrapnel from a tank shell, then run over by an army bulldozer. On Thursday afternoon, 22-year-old Mohammed Abu-Hajir was killed by IDF fire. Palestinian sources said he too was unarmed and was not a member of any militant group. 17-year-old Yunis Abu-Hujeila’s body was found after troops withdrew from the Strip on Thursday evening. more..
Full closure on West Bank, Gaza
YNetNews 9/20/2007
Full closure imposed on Gaza and West Bank ahead of Yom Kippur, IDF to allow passage only for humanitarian needs - A full closure has been imposed on the West Bank and Gaza starting Thursday at midnight for the duration of the Yom Kippur holiday. The closure will be lifted on Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s orders following a renewed security assessment after the holiday ends. During the closure Palestinians will only be permitted to enter Israel for humanitarian reasons. International organization workers, lawyers, medical professionals, clergymen, and other populations will also be permitted entry, under the coordination of Israeli security forces and the Palestinian Authority. A similar closure was imposed on the West Bank during Rosh HaShana due to intelligence information warning of several possible planned terror attacks. more..
Two killed in Israeli incursions in Gaza, one crushed by bulldozer
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian youth was crushed by an invading bulldozer and another was killed by gunfire during an Israeli incursion east of Al-Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday. The corpse of seventeen-year-old Mahmoud Al-Kafafi has been transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza. The other young man, twenty two year old Muhammad Abu Hujair died from a gunshot wound in his head. Medical sources said Hujair succumbed to his wounds after he was transferred to the intensive care unit of a Gaza hospital. Under fire Two other Palestinians were injured when Israeli helicopters opened fire at Palestinian citizens east of Al-Bureij, Palestinian medical sources reported. more..
Israeli forces seize nine Palestinians from different regions of the West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Thursday seized nine Palestinians from different regions of the West Bank. Israeli sources stated that the military apprehended three ’wanted’ Palestinians from Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, four in Ramallah, in the centre, one in Nablus, in the north, and one in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. [end]
Nine Palestinians abducted in pre-dawn invasions
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 9/20/2007
Israeli forces kidnapped at least nine Palestinians from different areas of the West Bank in the early hours of Thursday morning. [end]
Palestinian brigades launch projectile at Israeli military post
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the DFLP and the Al-Aqsa Brigades of Fatah movement on Thursday claimed responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at the Israeli military post of Nahal ’Oz east of the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood in Gaza city. [end]
Brigades launch projectiles at Sderot
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades on Thursday claimed responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at theIsraeli town of Sderot in the Western Negev. They said in a statement that the operation was in retaliation for Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In a separate incident the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades also claimed responsibility for targetting Sderot with a homemade projectile. [end]
Suicide bombing in Israel thwarted
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/20/2007
IDF forces operating in Nablus arrest would-be suicide bomber and his two collaborators; men planned to launch terror attack in heart of Israel Paratrooper and Haruv units arrested a would-be suicide bomber and two of his collaborators in the Beit Ein Ilma refugee camp in Nablus Thursday; the three men were planning to carry out a terror attack in the heart of Israel in the next few days. The ongoing operation in the area in the last three days has already led to the arrests of 36 wanted Palestinians, including senior Hamas and Popular Front members. Earlier, Palestinian sources in Gaza reported that the IDF detained two prominent al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leaders in the al-Ein refugee camp in town. The two were said to be on the list of wanted gunmen granted amnesty by Israel. more..
Soldier filmed minutes before his death
YNetNews 9/20/2007
(Video) Staff Sergeant Ben-Zion Haim Henman who was killed in action in Nablus Tuesday was filmed by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit just minutes before his death. ’We have a great country, a great army, good luck to all,’ he says - VIDEO - Chilling documentation: Staff Sergeant Ben-Zion Haim Henman, the soldier killed Tuesday during an IDF operation in the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp in Nablus, was filmed by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit cameras just minutes before his death . On Thursday, Paratroopers Brigade commander Herzi Levy and a representative of the IDF Spokeperson’s Unit arrived at the Henman family home on Moshav Nov to give them the film of their son’s final moments. Video: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit Ben-Zion, 22, who served in the Paratroopers Brigade, was filmed... more..
Israelis press attacks in Gaza, West Bank
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 9/21/2007
Residents of a crowded refugee camp outside the Occupied West Bank city of Nablus said they were running out of food and water Thursday, as an Israeli Army attack against Palestinian militants raged for a third day. The Israelis arrested two suspected Islamist leaders on Thursday, while Israeli troops in Gaza killed a 17-year-old boy and a Hamas fighter. The militant group Islamic Jihad also pledged to continue firing rockets into Israel. The army is allowing food, medicine and ambulances into the Ein Bet Ilmeh camp outside of Nablus, military spokesman Zidki Mamman said. But with a tight curfew clamped on the camp since Tuesday, some of the 5,000 residents said they could not leave their homes to buy food. Hussam Hamdan, 30, said troops had marched him out of his own apartment early Thursday and forced him to enter a neighbor’s apartment to bring them out. more..
Yiftah Spector: I was the man who shot ’Liberty’
Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Until his dying day, Moorer believed the version of the malicious Israeli plot to attack the spy ship Liberty. Many Americans share that belief. Their view is bolstered by former classified documents that are slowly being made available by the electronic information gathering agency NSA [National Security Agency], in whose service the U.S. Navy operated the Liberty. In a forthcoming book, Brigadier General (res. ) Yiftah Spector claims he was the leader of the air attack, although his partner is identified only as Y. The two were flying Mirage planes, on intercept readiness, armed with missiles and shells for dogfights. Thus, in the absence of bombs, the "Liberty" was not sunk, only damaged. "Both of us had sharp eyes," Spector writes. more..
’You get the planes, we’ll deal with Congress’
Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
One day in October 2003, three elderly men met in a hall on Washington’s Capitol Hill and read out the findings of their commission of inquiry in front of the cameras. It was their private commission, not a state or judicial body. The three were the former judge advocate general of the U.S. Navy, a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Thomas Moorer - the group’s most senior member. The Moorer commission investigated the June 1967 attack on the U.S. S." Liberty," a spy ship, by the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy. The Israelis who have probed the affair, and some American researchers, too, are no longer in doubt: The attack was carried out by accident, due to faulty identification and the general chaos that prevailed during the Six-Day War (see box). more..
Palestine Today 092007
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/20/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 66 MB || Time 4m 0s Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Thursday September 20th, 2007. In the West Bank, the Israeli army continues to impose its siege on the el-Ein refugee camp in Nablus. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy is crushed by an invading Israeli bulldozer. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Israeli army continued its assault on the el-Ein refugee camp in Nablus for a third consecutive day, further tightening the siege on the residents. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli reinforcements arrived in the area on Thursday morning, banning medical crews from entering the camp. more..
’Syria attack’ caused TV disturbances
Arieh Egozi, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Costumers of Yes Satellite Television complain ofbroadcast disturbances. Investigation reveals espionage ships, aircraft responsible Espionage ships and aircraft have been causing disturbances in satellite company Yes’ broadcasts, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Thursday. "The disturbances began on September 6, on the day Damascus announced that IAF aircraft flew in its territory," an Israeli expert said on Wednesday. "Everyone wants to know what is happening, and this is the result," he said. Investigations carried out by Yes satellite experts revealed that the disturbances, which caused the images on the screen to freeze, were caused by radar transmissions. "There is a jungle of powerful transmissions out there," said one of the experts, who claimed that ships cruising... more..
IDF kills 2 gunmen in Nablus
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Army operation in Nablus refugee camp continues; two gunmen killed and 12 wanted Palestinians arrested since forces entered area. Abbas spokesman says ’Israel is responsible for continuing the cycle of violence and bloodshed’ The IDF continued to operate Wednesday in the Ein Beit Ilam refugee camp in Nablus, where Sergeant Ben-Zion Haim Henman, 22, of Moshav Nov in the Golan Heights was killed the day before and another soldier was moderately wounded. A Hamas operative, Adiv Salim, was killed by IDF fire during the morning. Adiv is the brother of Jamal Salim, one of Hamas’ prominent leaders, who was killed at the beginning of the intifada. On Tuesday, forces killed a Popular Front gunman in the refugee camp. The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday condemned the ongoing operation in Nablus. more..
Israeli forces kidnap 3 Palestinians from Qalqilia, one from Hebron, two from Bethlehem
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/19/2007
Israeli forces kidnapped three Palestinians from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The abducted Palestinians were later identified as: Ala Al Far, Abed Al Rahman Kasho’wa and Mohammad Abu Mariam. They have been transferred to an unidentified detention center. In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, during a military operation in the area, Israeli forces kidnapped one Palestinian, summoning another to Israeli Intelligence. WAFA sources reported that the kidnapped man is Shadi Abu Tu’ma. He was taken from his home in the Al Fuwar refugee camp while it was being searched by the army. Israeli sources reported that military operations around the Al Fuwar refugee camp have been stepped up from Tuesday night when the area was closed and civilian movement prohibited. more..
Israeli forces abduct three and beat two Palestinians in Qalqilia
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2007
Qaliqilia – Ma’an – Israeli forces withdrew from Qalqilia, in the northern West Bank, on Wednesday after seizing three Palestinians and ransacking several homes. Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli forces raided Qalqilia at 1am and withdrew at 4am. The seized Palestinians were Abed Al-Rahman Qashu, Alaa Al-Far and Radwan Abdul Latif. Beating - In a separate incident in Jit village, east of Qalqilia, Israeli soldiers abused and beat two Palestinian youths. Ahmad Abu Baker and Bilal ’Ulayyan were attacked by a group of soldiers. Medical sources said their injuries were moderate; they were beaten with clubs and sustained severe bruises and trauma. [end]
Israeli forces arrest 7 West Bankers
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested seven ’wanted’ Palestinians in the West Bank on Wednesday. Israeli sources said that the army arrested two of the men in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, three in Qalqilia, also in the northern West Bank and two in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. [end]
Deaths in Israeli Raid on Nablus; Hamas to Maintain Truce
Palestine Chronicle 9/19/2007
An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian fighter have been killed during an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Nablus. The Israeli military said another of its soldiers was wounded after they were fired upon as they entered the Ein Bet Ilmeh refugee camp on Tuesday. Smoke rose from the camp and loud booms and gunshots could be heard as a helicopter gunship hovered overhead. Medics said the fighter, who was the fourth Palestinian killed by Israeli troops in the past three days in the West Bank, belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Aqla said Israeli forces opened fire at a building in the centre of the camp, saying that there were wanted fighters inside. Israeli soldiers also prevented Palestinian worshippers from leaving a mosque inside the camp, Abu Aqla reported. more..
IDF hunts Hamas cell planning suicide bombing inside Israel
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Israeli forces are hunting a Hamas cell based in the Nablus area, as they suspect Hamas of planning to dispatch a suicide bomber on a mission inside Israel. Staff Sergeant Ben-Zion Henman, whose unit was participating in the hunt, was shot and killed yesterday in clashes with Palestinian gunmen in Nablus. Also yesterday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the security forces’ operations in the West Bank will continue, because they contribute to preventing attacks against Israelis. He also said that the decision to remove roadblocks and ease travel restrictions on the Palestinian population will depend greatly on security considerations. The gun battle occurred in the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp in Nablus soon after 8 A. M. A force from the Paratrooper Brigade had entered the camp in search of a militant... more..
Palestinian killed as IDF hunts for Hamas cell in Nablus raid
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoffs, Ha’aretz 9/19/2007
A Palestinian man was killed Wednesday morning in the West Bank city of Nablus, as Israeli forces continue their hunt for a local Hamas-led cell believed to be planning a suicide bombing in Israel. Palestinian eyewitnesses identified the man as 35-year-old Adib Salim, and added that he was disabled, unarmed, and not involved in the fighting. Palestinian sources said Salim was, however, a Hamas member and the brother of Jamal Salim, a top Hamas commander killed by the Israel Defense Forces. Family members told Reuters that Salim had been disabled in a 2001 Israel Air Force strike in Nablus. Israel Radio quoted military sources as saying Salim was killed during a firefight between soldiers from the Heruv Battalion and three armed militants. more..
For the second day the army continues to attack Nablus, killing one
Ameen Abu Wardah & Ghassan Bannoura & Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 9/19/2007
Israeli forces continued, on Wednesday, the military operation in El-Ein Beit Al Ma refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus for the second consecutive day. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a disabled Palestinian man in his home during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The man, Adeeb Al Damouny, received serious injuries to his head and neck. Eyewitnesses reported that he was shot at 7am and died of his wounds half an hour later. Al Damouny is thought to be the second Palestinian killed by the Israeli army in its continuing operation against the El –Ein Beit Al Ma refugee camp. Witnesses added that the military is still bringing in reinforcements through the Beit Iba and Huwarra checkpoints. According to Israeli sources, this military offensive is intended to target a group of resistance men who were planning attacks against Israeli targets. more..
Palestine Today 091907
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/19/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - || File 3. 66 MB || Time 4m 0s - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday September 19th, 2007. The Israeli army continues to attack Nablus, killing another civilian, and the Israeli government declares the Gaza strip an "enemy entity", these stories and more coming up stay tuned. Today Israeli forces continued its military operation in El-Ein Beit Al Ma refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus for the second consecutive day. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a disabled Palestinian man in his home during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The man, Adeeb Al Damouny, received serious injuries to his head and neck. more..
Sderot waiting for Israel to cut off electricity to Gaza
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Residents of rocket-battered city call on government to implements its declaration of Strip as ’hostile entity’, respond to Qassam, mortar shell barrage launched at their city Wednesday evening Two Qassam rockets were fired at the southern town of Sderot on Wednesday evening, a few hours after the national security cabinet declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity". One of the rockets landed near apartment buildings and the other hit an open area outside the city. There were no reports of injuries or damage. Concerned UN chief urges Israel to reconsider decision on Gaza/ Associated Press Ban Ki-moon warns that any cutoff of vital services to Strip would violate international law, punish already suffering civilian population Full story The declaration, which was made. more..
Deaths in Israeli raid on Nablus
Al Jazeera 9/18/2007
An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian fighter have been killed during an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Nablus. The Israeli military said another of its soldiers was wounded after they were fired upon as they entered the Ein Bet Ilmeh refugee camp on Tuesday. Smoke rose from the camp and loud booms and gunshots could be heard as a helicopter gunship hovered overhead. Medics said the fighter, who was the fourth Palestinian killed by Israeli troops in the past three days in the West Bank, belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Palestinian ambulances were barred from entering the camp, witnesses said. The PFLP and Islamic Jihad groups claimed responsibility for killing the soldier in attack using explosives. more..
Israelis step up airspace violations
Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 9/19/2007
TYRE: Israeli warplanes made low-altitude passes over Southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in defiance of the United Nations cease-fire resolution that ended the summer 2006 war, Lebanese security officials said. Six aircraft violated Lebanese airspace starting at 10:00 a. m. , swooping low and breaking the sound barrier over the port cities of Sidon and Tyre, police said. The planes also overflew the Bint Jbeil region, Lebanese Army reports said. Bint Jbeil is considered a stronghold of Hizbullah. Israeli warplanes have violated Lebanese airspace on a near-daily basis in the past two weeks, but Tuesday’s intrusions were lower in altitude and caused sonic bangs. Israel has drawn intense international criticism by continuing overflights after the August 14, 2006, cease-fire based on Security Council Resolution 1701 that put an end to the 34-day war. more..
Hamas and Islamic Jihad clash outside Gaza mosque
Ma’an News Agency 9/18/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Four members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad were injured during clashes which broke out between them on Tuesday evening in one of the mosques in Gaza City. Eyewitnesses said that the clashes happened in the square outside the Askalan mosque which is under the control of Islamic Jihad. The reason the clashes broke out is unclear. Three Hamas members and one member of Islamic Jihad were treated at the scene for injuries sustained from being beaten, according to eyewitnesses. Ma’an has learnt that the leadership of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad tried their utmost to contain the situation. Sheikh Nafidh Azam, an Islamic Jihad leader told Ma’an that the clashes broke out after a misunderstanding. But he did not explain what the misunderstanding was about. more..
Teenager shot dead in West Bank
BBC Online 9/17/2007
A Palestinian teenager has been shot dead by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah, officials have said. Local residents said Mohammed Jabbarin, 16, had not been armed and had been shot after he threw rocks at a patrol. The Israeli military said its soldiers had identified and killed an armed man handling an explosive device which he was planning to use against them. The youth was the third Palestinian to be killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank in the past two days. On Sunday, two militants from the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades were killed in Hebron and Nablus. In other violence, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired three mortars into southern Israel, the Israeli military said. No injuries or damage were reported. more..
Israel thwarted Hamas plan to attack Israelis in Jordan in 2005
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
Israeli authorities have foiled a plot by a Hamas militant to attack Israeli tourists at a hotel in neighboring Jordan, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office announced Tuesday. A statement said Khader Shkeir, from the West Bank village of Ein Arik, was arrested on July 31. It gave no reason for the delay in announcing the arrest. The statement said Shkeir admitted to planning the attack during a visit to Jordan in 2005 with an accomplice. It said the suspects chose the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman and a second hotel as their targets. According to the statement, the pair planned to board a bus carrying tourists to the hotels and carry out a mass shooting attack. It said they bought two AK-47 automatic weapons for the attack, but the plan went awry when Jordanian authorities arrested Shkeir on suspicion of militant activity and deported him to the West Bank. more..
Israeli forces attack Jenin and Qabatiya
Ali Samoudi, International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2007
Israeli military force stormed the northern West Bank city of Jenin and the town of Qbatiya town, located near Jenin, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Troops broke into the area while randomly opening heavy fire on the areas. Local sources reported that a huge Israeli force invaded the area, randomly opening fire, besieging homes, carrying out house-to-house searches, confiscating properties, and capturing and interrogating residents. [end]
Two groups claim joint responsibility of killing an Israeli soldier in Nablus
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2007
The Al Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, and the Abu Ali Mustafa brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed joint responsibility of killing an Israeli soldier during an Israeli military invasion into Ein Beit Al Ma’ refugee camp, west of the northern West Bank City of Nablus. He stated that one Israeli soldier was killed and two were injured when the two resistance groups detonated an explosive charge near a military force as it was trying to break into a home in the camp. One fighter, identified as Mohammad Khalid Rida, 18, member of Abu Ali Mustafa brigades, was killed during ensuing clashes with the invading forces. Abu Hamza stated that fighters of different factions are ready to counter any military assault and warned that if Israel... more..
Soldier killed in W. Bank clash laid to rest in Golan
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoffs, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
The funeral for Israel Defense Forces paratrooper staff sergeant Ben-Zion Henman, killed Tuesday morning in the West Bank during clashes with Palestinian militants, was held at 11:30 Tuesday night at the southern Golan regional cemetery in the Golan Heights. The Palestinian gunman responsible for 22-year-old Henman’s death was also killed in the exchange of fire, as was a trained IDF dog. Several Palestinians were wounded, among them two men wanted by Israel. The militant groups Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility for the incident. An additional IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a separate clash nearby. The incident occurred at around 9 a. m. as IDF paratroopers were carrying out a routine operation in the West Bank camp of Ein Beit Ilmeh near Nablus. more..
Palestinian killed during Israeli incursion in northern Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/18/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian citizen was killed on Monday evening in the northern Gaza Strip when Israeli forces opened fire at him. Director of the ambulance and emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health, Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, said that Israel sources reported that the military had killed a Palestinian in the north of the Gaza Strip. Coordination is ongoing to transfer the corpse into the Gaza Strip; it is currently being detained by the Israeli army, which is attempting to discover whether the deceased was a combatant or a civilian. Radio Israel said on Tuesday that the Israeli forces opened fire at a group of Palestinian fighters in the northern Gaza Strip, none of whom were injured. Palestinian sources revealed that the Israeli forces launched two missiles at a Hamas training base in northern Gaza, injuring three people. more..
Palestinian youth and Israeli soldier killed during clashes in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 9/18/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – A Palestinian youth and an Israeli soldier were killed in Al-’Ayn refugee camp, western Nablus, as fierce clashes erupted between invading Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance fighters on Tuesday morning. Another soldier is reported to have been injured after the Israeli military incursion sparked armed confrontations in the refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. An activist from the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades; eighteen-year-old Muhammad Khalid Rida, was shot to death in the central neighbourhood of the refugee camp. Director of medical relief in Nablus, Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, said the youth received several bullets to his body. The Israeli troops prohibited ambulances from reaching him. more..
Israeli forces raid Qabatiya
Ma’an News Agency 9/18/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Tuesday morning invaded Qabatiya, east of the northern West Bank town of Jenin, and set up several ambushes and military posts in the western and eastern neighbourhoods. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that Israeli military vehicles were deployed throughout the town and snipers were stationed in deserted homes. Undercover forces stormed homes, gathered families in one room and took over the buildings. The Israeli forces withdrew at 6am; there were no reported injuries or apprehensions. [end]
Israeli court jails 2 for Islamic Jihad membership
Ma’an News Agency 9/18/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – The Israeli military court at Salem on Tuesday jailed two men for being affiliated to Islamic Jihadi, the office for prisoners affairs in Jenin said. Mahmoud Tahaynah from Silat Al-Harithiyya near Jenin in the West Bank was jailed for six years and Ashraf Ibrahim from the city of Jenin was jailed for 5 and a half years. [end]
Soldier injured during Nablus arrest raid
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/16/2007
IDF soldier lightly injured in exchanges of fire with wanted suspects in West Bank city - IDF soldiers and wanted terror suspects exchanged fire Tuesday morning during an arrest raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, the army said. A soldier was lightly injured from shrapnel during the operation, which was launched to quell terror attacks against Israeli targets over the holidays. The soldier was transferred to the Sheba Medical center in Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv, for treatment. Troops have been in the city since late Monday night in preparation for a sweep against Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) gunmen in the city. The IDF thwarted a suicide bombing attack last week when they arrested a Palestinian teenager and defused three explosives devices... more..
Palestine Today 091807
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2007
Click on Link below to download or play MP3 file - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday September 18th, 2007. In the West Bank, clashes between invading Israeli forces and Palestinians resistance fighters leave one civilian and one Israeli soldier dead in Nablus. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, one man is killed by Israeli gunfire in the north of the region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. Israeli forces launched a wide scale military invasion of the el-Ein refugee camp, located in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. One Palestinian civilian and one Israeli soldier are reported to have been killed in the attack. -- See also: || File 2.74MB || Time 3m 0s || more..
Two Jihad militants hurt in IAF strike on car en route to attack
Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Service and Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/14/2007
Israel Air Force aircraft fired a missile at a car in a Gaza refugee camp Thursday, wounding two members of the militant Islamic Jihad group, the military and a spokesman for the group said. The car was struck while driving in the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement confirming that the IAF hit a group of militants on its way to fire rockets at Israel. Islamic Jihad said two of its activists were lightly injured in the strike. Palestinian hospital officials earlier said they were treating a man who had been seriously wounded in the strike. The car was burned, with nothing remaining of the seats or the car’s interior. The missile seems to have hit from the driver’s side, and the doors were shut, indicating that the militants fled before the missile hit. more..
CNN: Israeli gov’t ’very happy with success’ of IAF strike on Syria
Yoav Stern and Assaf Uni, Ha’aretz 9/13/2007
The CNN television network reported Tuesday that Israel is happy with the results of an alleged Israel Air Force strike last week in Syrian territory. Quoting sources in the United States and the region, CNN said, "The Israeli government is very happy with the success of the operation." European diplomats quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem as saying Monday that the IAF warplanes that violated Syria’s airspace fired missiles at targets on the ground, but did not cause any damage. According to the CNN report, the sources said the IAF indeed carried out a strike on a target in Syria, adding that the operation "may have also involved Israeli ground forces who directed the air strike." CNN quoted the sources as saying the strike, which possibly targeted an arms transfer from Iran to Hezbollah through Syria, "left a big hole in the desert. more..
Israeli forces kidnap three Palestinians in Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
Israeli military forces kidnapped three Palestinians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron in the early hours of Thursday morning during a number of separate operations. The Prisoner’s Society in Hebron reported that soldiers broke into the homes of those abducted, confiscating items of property. The army claiming they were searching for illegal materials. Security sources reported that the abducted Palestinians who were later identified as Mustafa Al Qawasmi, Ibrahim Amer and Adnan Abu Turky were transferred to unnamed detention centers. [end]
Resistance fighters survive an Israeli aerial attack in northern Gaza
Rami Almeghari, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
Four Islamic Jihad resistance fighters survived on Thursday an Israeli aircraft attack in the northern Gaza Strip, while two bystanders were wounded. Palestinian medics said that the two wounded locals have been evacuated to the Kamal Edwan hospital, while no more injuries have been reported. Witnesses said that a car, carrying members of the aL-Quds brigades, an offshoot of the Islamic Jihad group, has been hit with a missile and that the car escaped the attack. This attack is the first after the aL-Quds brigades fired two homemade rockets on an Israeli army base in southern Israel on Sunday, resulting in dozens of injuries, among them, many by shock. An Israeli cabinet’s meeting took no decisions regarding the base attack, amidst Israeli senior military officials’ warnings of launching a large-scale offensive on Gaza to prevent the homemade shells fire. more..
Palestine Today 091207
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday September 12th, 2007. In the West bank, Israeli forces invade a number of towns and cities, kidnapping several Palestinians. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, at least six home-made shells are launched from the northern part of the region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The West Bank - A Palestinian News Agency on Tuesday published a document which they claim to be a draft agreement of principles between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. In the immediate aftermath of the document’s publication, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat questioned the validity of the document, with both stating that no such agreement existed. more..
Palestine Today 091307
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Thursday September 13th, 2007. Palestinian resistance fighters escape an assassination attempt in Gaza and the Israeli army continues to attack civilians in the West Bank, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. The West Bank - Palestinian detainee, Hasan Salamah, sustained injuries when he was attacked by five Israeli soldiers on Thursday. The soldiers, guards at the solitary confinement wing of the Ishel detention facility at Beer Sheva, beat him severely as he was being taken to the prison clinic to be checked by a doctor. His attackers used their feet and batons on Salamah who sustained severe bruising to his back and chest causing him breathing difficulties. -- See also: File 2.74MB || Time 3m 0s more..
Israeli army fires flare bombs over Gaza amidst fear of imminent attack
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
The Israeli army fired Thursday night flare bombs on different areas of the Gaza Strip, witnesses said. IMEMC’s correspondent in Gaza said that a number of these flare bombs lit the skies of central and southern Gaza Strip, mainly on areas known previously as Jewish settlements of Nitsarim and Kfar Darom. The firing of these bombs came amidst fears by the Gaza Strip’s population of an imminent Israeli army massive attack on the costal region, after many senior Israeli military officials hinted at the possibility of attacking Gaza, in a bid to ‘ halt homemade rocket fire’. On Thursday, Palestinian resistance groups including the Islamist Hamas’s military wing, Ezzildin Elqassam, warned of unprecedented confrontation with the invading Israeli forces, once Israel makes its threats into effect. more..
Israel holds back from rocket attack retaliation
Sarah Bridge and agencies, The Guardian 9/12/2007
Israeli officials have ruled out a large-scale military retaliation to yesterday’s Palestinian rocket attack which injured dozens of Israeli soldiers. The rocket exploded early yesterday morning at the Zikim army base north of Gaza, wounding 69 soldiers, some critically. Another rocket struck last week near a nursery school in a town near the Gaza border. The latest strike compounded calls by Israelis for retaliation. But officials said Israel was holding off from taking major military action for the time being, although it might step up attacks on militants. Meanwhile, Israeli armoured vehicles and tanks were reported to have crossed from southern Israel into Gaza today. Israel also closed its borders with the West Bank and Gaza ahead of the Jewish New Year holiday, which begins this evening. more..
IDF arrests Palestinian youth with 3 bombs, thwarting T.A. attack
Mijal Grinberg and Yuval Azoulays, Haaretz Service and The Associated, Ha’aretz 9/12/2007
The Israel Defense Forces thwarted a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on Sunday, arresting a Palestinian youth who was carrying three explosive devices at the Beit Iba checkpoint on the outskirts of Nablus. The youth was supposed to transfer the bombs to individuals inside Israel, whose job it was to assemble them so they could be used for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Border Police sappers carried out a controlled detonation of the bombs, which were connected to one another with electric wires. Earlier Sunday, a Qassam rocket struck an open area near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council on Sunday morning. There was no damage or injuries in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip. more..
Police chief: There are dozens of neo-Nazis active in Israel
Jonathan Lis Revital Levy-Stein, Ha’aretz 9/12/2007
Police Commissioner David Cohen said Monday that he believes there are dozens of people currently involved in neo-Nazi activities in Israel. Cohen added that they apparently operate in small groups or alone, and not in large, organized groups." The police will act with the utmost severity and zero tolerance," Cohen said at a ceremony at police headquarters Monday in honor of the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday. He also praised the investigators who exposed the neo-Nazis now on trial. Meanwhile, graffiti with Nazi overtones, such as "Hitler is the Messiah" and "Long live Hitler and Jesus Christ," accompanied by crosses and swastikas, were discovered Monday evening on the walls of the synagogue of the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Eilat, Rabbi Moshe Hadaya. more..
Livni: Hamas could have prevented Qassam attack on IDF base
Haaretz Service and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/12/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, responding to a Tuesday Qassam rocket attack that wounded 69 soldiers at a Negev army base, said Hamas bore ultimate responsibility for the strike. Livni added that Israel could also use non-military means to respond to ongoing rocket attacks against it from the Gaza Strip, a possible reference to proposals to curb the supply of utilities to the population of Gaza. The rocket strike was carried out by the radical Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees. But Livni said, "It doesn’t really matter which organization took responsibility. Gaza is entirely controlled by Hamas. Hamas has the ability to stop it [the rocket fire] and has decided not to do that." One soldier was very critically wounded in the attack on the base. more..
Rocket injures dozens in Israel
BBC Online 9/11/2007
At least 69 Israeli soldiers were injured when a rocket fired from Gaza exploded in an army camp in southern Israel, the military has said. The rocket hit an equipment store at the Zikkim training base, sending shrapnel flying through surrounding tents where soldiers were sleeping. Four of the wounded soldiers were in a serious condition, the military said. It is the largest number of injuries sustained in a single rocket attack against Israel from Gaza. The wounded soldiers were all recent recruits undergoing basic training. Correspondents say both the government and the army will come under strong pressure to retaliate forcefully. Later, a Palestinian man and three of his children were wounded by Israeli shell fire in Beit Hanoun, Palestinian medics said. more..
Palestinian rocket injures 50 Israeli soldiers
Associated Press, The Guardian 9/11/2007
A Palestinian rocket exploded in an Israeli army base early today, wounding 50 soldiers and prompting Israeli calls for a major military operation against rocket squads in the Gaza Strip. The wounded soldiers were all recent recruits undergoing basic training at a base just north of the Gaza-Israel border, and were asleep when the rocket hit an empty tent, the army said. Eleven soldiers in nearby tents were seriously wounded in the attack, another 39 were lightly injured, and several others were suffering from shock. It is the largest number of injuries ever sustained in a single Palestinian rocket attack, and comes at a time when Israeli politicians and defence officials have been calling for a more aggressive Israeli response. "Long ago, several years ago, we should have responded strongly. more..
Suspected neo-Nazis remanded; indictments expected Monday
Roni Singer-Heruti Anshel Pfeffer and Yair Ettingers, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
Eight young men suspected of neo-Nazi activities were remanded to custody for another three days by the Ramle Magistrate’s Court Sunday. They are expected to be indicted Monday in the Tel Aviv District Court. The eight cannot actually be charged with neo-Nazi activities, because, paradoxically, such activities are not illegal under Israeli law. However, they will be charged with incitement to racism, causing grievous bodily harm and various other crimes. Handcuffed and covering their faces, the eight arrived at the court Sunday to find a large crowd waiting, shouting abuse and spitting. "It is not us in the photos," shouted Arik Bunyatov, who is suspected of being the leader of the neo-Nazi cell, in response. "I am not a Nazi!" The other suspects, however, have admitted to being involved in neo-Nazi activities, police investigators said. more..
Despite casualties in Qassam strike, IDF says Zikim base properly fortified
Haaretz Staff and Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
Israel Defense Forces officers said yesterday that the Zikim basic training base is adequately fortified compared to other places near the Gaza Strip, in spite of the early-morning Qassam rocket strike that wounded 69 soldiers, one critically. This was the largest number of people injured in any single Palestinian rocket attack. The rocket hit an empty tent used for administrative purposes during the daytime, but many soldiers were hit by shrapnel while sleeping in adjacent tents. While a warning alarm sounded moments before the rocket struck, many of the soldiers were sleeping and did not reach a bomb shelter in time. Of the 69 soldiers injured, one was critically wounded, four were seriously hurt, and another 10 were moderately wounded. more..
Israeli neo-Nazi ring caught after attacks on synagogues
Conal Urquhart in Jerusalem, The Guardian 9/10/2007
Police in Israel have uncovered a neo-Nazi ring which was responsible for vandalising synagogues and carrying out attacks on Jews and foreign workers in Israel, a court was told yesterday. The group of eight Russian immigrants aged between 18 and 21 appeared in court following an 18-month investigation into attacks on two synagogues in which swastikas were painted on the walls of the buildings. The men covered their heads with their shirts during the hearing, revealing arms tattooed with Nazi imagery. More than a million people from the former Soviet Union have emigrated to Israel, which has a population of seven million, since 1990, taking advantage of Israel’s Law of Return which allows anyone to claim citizenship if they have a Jewish grandparent. more..
’Neo-Nazi’ gang arrested in Israel
Al Jazeera 9/9/2007
Israeli police have arrested eight suspected members of a neo-Nazi cell responsible for painting swastikas and assaulting religious Jews and foreign workers. All eight are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, police said on Sunday. Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily newspaper, published on its front page, a photograph of six young men raising their arms in a Nazi salute, the headline read "Unbelievable. The suspects denied, during a court hearing, involvement in any neo-Nazi activity. None of the suspects were born to a Jewish mother, the Orthodox definition of a Jew, but qualified for citizenship in Israel under civil law because each had at least one Jewish grandparent, said. Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman." The cell members adopted Hitler’s ideology and created their own unique language which. more..
Violence in Gaza as Hamas breaks up Fatah demonstrations
Rory McCarthy in Gaza City, The Guardian 9/8/2007
Hamas forces arrested four senior leaders from the rival Fatah movement in Gaza yesterday after violent confrontations with Fatah supporters who tried to hold prayers outside a mosque. Thousands of men from the Hamas Executive Force carrying weapons and wooden batons deployed across Gaza yesterday in an effort to head off Fatah demonstrations. At least 20 people were injured, some with gunshot wounds, in a a renewal of factional violence. Hamas, which won elections last year, seized full security control in Gaza in June after months of near civil war with Fatah but in recent weeks Fatah has tried to rebuild its support. Yesterday marked the most serious confrontation for nearly three months. After Fatah demonstrations at Friday prayers for the past two weeks, Hamas issued a ban on open-air prayers, saying they were being used for political purposes. more..
Israel accused over Lebanon war claims
183, The Guardian 9/7/2007
Israel was accused yesterday of firing indiscriminately during last year’s 34-day war in Lebanon in a report by Human Rights Watch which challenged Israel’s claim that the high number of civilian casualties resulted from Hizbullah shielding itself among the Lebanese population. In a 249-page investigation, the New York-based group said its research showed that even though the militants were also guilty of serious violations of the laws of war, there was no evidence that they systematically fought from among civilians. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, dismissed Israel’s claim to have killed 600 Hizbullah fighters. He said the best estimate was that there were 250 Hizbullah fighters among the 1,109 Lebanese deaths. About 160 Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed. more..
The barrier is breaking all links between Israelis and Palestinians
The Guardian 9/7/2007
Many British communities are forging links with Palestinian towns and educational establishments. Reciprocal visits and friendships help us develop our knowledge and understanding of the humanitarian plight of the Palestinians under occupation. (There are links to the many groups organising tours - see below) Beit Surik residents had their own victory, working with nearby Israelis to get the wall moved away from their gardens to allow them use of their farming areas. Some lands remain on the Israeli side of the wall, and although the Israelis say they can farm it, restrictions on many days (such as only allowing old women to go through the gates) make this difficult. Previously the Israelis would come to buy the wonderful organic fruit, vegetables and olives grown here, and the men would work in the nearby Israeli communities and factories. -- See also: Twinning network website more..
Tension rises after Syria opens fire on Israeli planes
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 9/7/2007
Syria yesterday said it had opened fire on Israeli aircraft after they crossed into Syrian airspace, broke the sound barrier and "dropped ammunition" over the desert. The claim comes after several months of shifting and sometimes tense relations between Israel and Syria. A Syrian military spokesman was quoted on the state news agency as saying that shortly after midnight the Israeli aircraft had crossed into north-east Syria from the Mediterranean, close to the Turkish border. Reports said the incident happened near al-Abyad, close to the border." Air defence units confronted them and forced them to leave after they dropped some ammunition in deserted areas without causing any human or material damage," the spokesman said. "We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant aggressive act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate way. more..
Israel accused of indiscriminate attacks during Lebanon war
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 9/6/2007
Israel was accused today of firing indiscriminately during last year’s war in Lebanon in a report by Human Rights Watch that challenged the country’s claim that the high number of civilian casualties resulted from the militant group Hizbullah deliberately shielding itself among the Lebanese population. In a 249-page investigation, its most detailed inquiry into the war, the New York-based rights group said its research showed that even though Hizbullah was also guilty of serious violations of the laws of war, there was no evidence that the militant group systematically fought from among civilians. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, dismissed as "simply false" Israel’s claim to have killed 600 Hizbullah fighters. Mr Roth said his group’s best estimate, based on research in Lebanon, was that. more..
Israeli forces kill 10 in Gaza clashes
Mark Tran and agencies, The Guardian 9/6/2007
Israeli troops backed by tanks and bulldozers today killed at least 10 Palestinian gunmen in Gaza in the fiercest clashes in months in the Hamas-controlled territory. In the deadliest incident, at least six men died when they approached Israeli soldiers carrying out "routine activity" in an area where militants have been firing rockets at Israel and digging tunnels near the border fence. Local residents said a small Israeli commando force crossed into the territory near the Palestinian town of Khan Younis, sparking the gun battles. Israeli tanks then moved into the area, in the southern part of the Gaza strip, and the fighting intensified. Israel’s security cabinet yesterday decided against a broad offensive, opting for "pinpointed attacks" in response to rocket fire. more..
Call for major Gaza incursion after rocket wounds 69 soldiers
183, The Guardian 9/3/2007
Israeli politicians stepped up calls for a major military assault on the Gaza Strip today after Palestinian militants fired a rocket into an army base in southern Israel, injuring dozens of soldiers. The Israeli military said 69 soldiers were injured in the attack early this morning. Hospital staff said many were suffering shock, but 11 soldiers had moderate to severe injuries and one was critically ill. The soldiers were all new recruits undergoing basic training at the Zikim army base just north of Gaza. When the rocket struck they were asleep in tents in the open. As news of the attack broke, parents of the soldiers arrived at the entrance to the base looking for news. The soldiers were due to complete their training today before heading home for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which starts on Thursday. more..
A Fresh Israeli air strike on Khan Younis leaves five bystanders injured
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
In a new fresh Israeli air strike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, five bystanfers were reportedly injured as resistance fighters of the Al-Quds brigades, an offshoot of the Islamic Jihad, escaped the attack. Local hospital sources and witnesses said that the air strike targeted a Volvo-type car in Khan Younis, while driving along the Rafah-Khan Younis road in southern Gaza Strip. An Israeli missile hit the car, while attempting to enter the Maan village on the said road, as those inside survived, yet five passersby were wounded. Moa’wiya Abu Hasanain, chief of emergency at the health ministry, confirmed that five moderately and lightly wounded, arrived at the Naser hospital in KhanYounis. Israeli air strikes have been on rise over the past two weeks, as at least 12 Palestinians including... more..
Violence at Gaza border rally
Al Jazeera 9/1/2007
One protester has died and another seven were injured when members of the Hamas Executive Force fired into the air in an attempt to control a rally of the group’s supporters on the Egyptian border. Tens of thousands of Hamas loyalists, many waving flags, had gathered on Saturday at the Rafah border crossing to demand it be reopened. The border, Gaza’s only gateway to Egypt, is only sporadically opened, and has been shut since Hamas took full control of Gaza in June. Hamas says that the government of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president from the rival Fatah faction, does not want the crossing opened. "This is a peaceful protest to voice our message that we are looking for freedom," Issa Mashar, a senior Hamas leader in Rafah, said." We came to send a message from the people who are suffering. more..
Palestinian resistance fighters ambush and set ablaze invading Israeli jeep in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 9/2/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – The Bashar Hanany group of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, in coalition with the Al-Aqsa Brigades of Fatah, on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking an invading Israeli military jeep in Balata refugee camp, in Nablus. The brigades issued a joint statement announcing that "the Palestinian resistance were able to entrap the Israeli jeep on Market Street in Balata and then bomb the jeep, in addition to shooting at it." Ambulances were seen rushing to the area." The brigades declared that "this operation is a response to the Israeli crimes against Palestinians in the villages, cities and refugee camps of the West Bank and Gaza." This operation also marks the sixth anniversary of the death of Abu Ali Mustafa, [late] Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. more..
An Israeli military court remands detention of 26 Palestinians
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
An Israeli military court remanded on Sunday detention of 26 Palestinians from various occupied West Bank cities, towns and refugee camps. The Tulkarem-based Palestinian prisoners’ society confirmed that an Israeli military court remanded the detention of the prisoners from 8 to 22 days. Israeli army continues to launch arrest campaigns on daily basis in different parts of the occupied West Bank, as approximately 12. 000 Palestinians including women and children are being detained in various Israeli detention facilities. [end]
One Palestinian killed in Khan Younis
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
Palestinian resident Majed Qaider, 30, from the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, was shot dead on Sunday in mysterious circumstances, medical sources and locals said. Medics stated that the slain resident was hit with several bullets in the abdmen and foot, and that severe bleeding rendered him dead. Witnesses said that a group of masked gunmen opened fire at Qaider, while the latter was driving in the Hadidiya quarter in Khan Younis city. Similar shootings have taken place in Khan Younis over the past several months as sporadic fighting have flared up between the Islamist group Hamas and the secular Fatah party. The city also has seen many family feuds. [end]
Two blasts hit Gaza city
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
Two blasts ripped through Gaza city yesterdaa night with no causalities reported, Palestinian security sources reported. Witnesses said that an explosion was audible at a local market in the Shijaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza city, while a second hit an open area in north of the city. The Shijaiya blast caused severe damages to a vegetable shop as the interior ministry’s executive force, made up of Hamas elements, arrested three suspects during searches. Hospital sources said no casualties were reported. Clashes have recently broke out between supporters of Fatah and the executive force, following protests against what Fatah termed repression by the force of press freedom and mosques’ campaigns. As of yesterday, a teen was killed and several others injured in confrontations in the southern Gaza Strip... more..
Palestinian resistance fighters attack Israeli targets bordering Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/2/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, and the military wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, on Sunday claimed responsibility for an allied shelling operation against Israeli military targets bordering the Gaza Strip. The brigades said that they shelled Israeli army bases near Karni Crossing and Nahal Oz. On Saturday, the military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for shelling Israeli military vehicles east of Gaza with four mortars. The brigades declared that the operations are just reprisals for ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as adhering to the path of resistance. The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for shelling... more..
Israeli forces come under fire and botch assassination attempt in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/2/2007
Gaza – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian sources revealed that resistance fighters opened fire at an Israeli helicopter flying low over central Gaza on Sunday. Ma’an was informed by reliable sources that the gun used was a machine gun and not any kind of anti-aircraft weapon. The sources revealed that the helicopter departed from the area and appeared to be undamaged. Spokesperson of Hamas’ Executive Force, Islam Shahwan, told Ma’an that the EF had no connection to the operation. Initial reports stated that the Israeli forces opened fire at an old marine police station near An Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. However, these reports were later proven false when eyewitnesses revealed that the gunfire was towards the Israeli forces and not from them. more..
Islamic Jihad cell escapes airstrike
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/2/2007
IAF missile narrowly misses car carrying Islamic Jihad rocket squad in southern Gaza Strip - An Islamic Jihad rocket cell narrowly escaped an airstrike Monday afternoon when a missile fired by an IDF drone missed the vehicle carrying the cell’s members, Palestinian sources said. Eyewitnesses said the missile hit within meters of the vehicle as it traveled in the Khan Younis neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip. An Islamic Jihad gunman was lightly injured from shrapnel, but all of the cell members managed to escape. The IDF confirmed that the Air Force had carried out an airstrike in the area but gave no further details. Two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah’s military wing, were injured earlier Sunday in an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip. more..
DFLP and Fatah fighters carry out reprisal attacks against Israeli targets
Ma’an News Agency 9/1/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Fatah movement, the Al Aqsa Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at the Israeli Western Negev town of Sderot on Friday evening. The brigades said in a statement that they shelled Sderot as part of their ongoing military operation ’Hole in the Wall II’, and as a reprisal for Israeli crimes against Palestinians. Israeli sources acknowledged the shelling, but said there were no injuries. Another group of Fatah, the Al-Buraq Army, announced that they shot at an Israeli military vehicle east of Gaza, on Saturday morning. The brigades announced that it was a retaliatory act for Israeli violations against Palestinians. The National Resistance Brigades of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) along with the Fatah’s... more..
Unknown assailants bomb Hamas car in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/1/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – According to local sources, anonymous gunmen bombed a car belonging to a Hamas member in the Al-Sabrah area of western Gaza City, completely destroying it, on Saturday morning. The Hamas website reported that an explosive device was planted in the car in the early hours of Saturday morning. The incident marks the first attack against a Hamas member since the movement established control over the Gaza Strip on the 14th of June. [end]
Rockets land near Sderot on first day of school
Anat Bereshkovsky, YNetNews 9/2/2007
As two Qassams land outside southern town of Sderot, parents in rocket-battered town say, ’We’re gambling on our lives. ’ Islamic Jihad’s military wing claims responsibility; no injuries or damage reported. Sderot mayor: Rockets will be part of school year - Some 1. 5 million students returned to school Sunday after a two-month summer break. They were greeted by 120,656 teachers and school workers. About 134,500 children began first grade. State officials also left their offices in honor of the new school year. President Shimon Peres visited an elementary school in Jerusalem, while Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter visited Sderot in order to examine the security arrangement in the rocket-battered town. Stop for Inspection New school year puts police on high alert / Efrat Weiss In... more..
Hamas says fired at Israeli chopper
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/2/2007
Gunmen fire at helicopter flying near movement’s naval base at Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, source in Palestinian group’s special security force tells Ynet - Hamas gunmen opened fire at an IDF helicopter in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, Palestinian sources reported. The army said in response it was unaware of any unusual incident in the area. A source at Hamas’ special security force told Ynet that members of the organization’s naval force fired at an Israeli aircraft flying over a naval base in the central Strip, near Nuseirat refugee camp. At first the Palestinians reported that the IDF struck the naval force’s post, but it was later discovered that the Hamas gunmen had fired at the helicopter. The Palestinians reported that the force commanders instructed their men to search the area, as the aircraft may have been damaged. more..
Armed Palestinians open fire at an Israeli warplane in central Gaza
Rami Almeghari - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
Armed Palestinians fired on Sunday morning at an Israeli warplane, while hovering- in a low altitude- over the central Gaza Strip refugee camp of aL-Nuseirat, near Gaza coast. Witnesses said that Palestinian fighters opened machine guns at an Israeli warplane, while hovering-in a low altitude -over the Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian sources confirmed that the fire was shot from machine guns, not from anti-rocket weapons, saying the warplane left the space unharmed. Spokesperson of the Hamas’s interior ministry ‘the executive force’, Islam Shahwan, told Maan News Agency that his force had nothing to do with the incident and that he had only information that a fire was opened at the Israeli warplane. No details were reported. Witnesses said earlier in the day that Israeli aircrafts fired a missile at... more..
Right-wing group announces 5 new planned outposts
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/2/2007
Ne’emanei Eretz Israel movement responds to renewed government talks on settlement evacuation by declaring intention to establish five new outposts during Sukkot holiday - In response to the renewed government talks regarding the evacuation of illegal outposts, the right-wing Ne’emanei Eretz Israel movement announced Sunday that it would establish five new outposts in the West Bank during Sukkot. "We don’t agree to any compromise that requires the removal of settlements and outposts in the Land of Israel. Whoever starts with concessions and agreements will continue to give up all of Judea and Samaria," a statement by the group said. "Instead of hearing on the news that the Yesha Council was reaching agreements regarding the outposts, we should have heard that they were preparing for a struggle... more..
LEBANON: Southern Lebanese await compensation to repair damaged homes
Lucy Fielder/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 9/3/2007
Many southern Lebanese lost their homes in last summer’s war - GHANDOURIEH, 2 September 2007 (IRIN) - Four walls and a roof bristling with concrete pillars are all that remain of Faten Muslimani’s house on the hill. Israeli bombs flattened her old home, in the village of Ghandourieh, southern Lebanon, in last summer’s war with Hezbollah’s armed wing. Government compensation arrived with the spring, but covered only the foundations and shell. For now, work has stopped. "The only ones in the village who can afford to finish their homes are the ones who can pay from their own pockets. We can’t and we have no idea when the second payment will be," she says. Those who lost homes in the war receive compensation in two parts to a maximum of US$40,000, or one if under $8,000. more..
Bedouin feud drives pupils to makeshift school
Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews 9/2/2007
Feud between rival Bedouin clans over headmaster appointment forces one clan to open school in large tent A feud between two rival Bedouin tribes over the appointment of a headmaster at the Abou Krinat village’s only school drove its 250 pupils into a large tent that served as a classroom as they returned to school on Sunday. The Abu Krinat family opened the facility after the Ministry of Education named Hassan Al-Anami as the school’s headmaster. Al-Anami was attacked after the appointment and had to be hospitalized. Members of the Abu Krinat clan say the land on which the school was built belongs to them, which made it their natural right for one of the clan’s members to run the school. Parents opposed to Al-Anami’s appointment slept in the school overnight and prevented pupils from entering the premises on Sunday morning. more..
Border Guard officer accidentally kills friend
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews 9/2/2007
Initial investigation finds policeman believed M-16 rifle was not loaded. Friend’s death pronounced at the scene - A 19-year old Border Guard policeman from Kfar Kanna accidentally shot and killed one of his friends Sunday. The shooting occurred when the policeman shook his M-16 rifle. The young man shot suffered a fatal wound to the chest. Magen David Adom emergency services received a report of a gunshot victim at around 7:30 pm. "When we arrived there was no one in the house but the wounded man"¦ we performed CPR for about an hour, but eventually had no choice but to pronounce him dead," told Ynet Elad Bachar, the paramedic who arrived at the scene. Chief Superintendent Avi Haliwa told Ynet that "an initial investigation revealed that the shooter, a Border Guard policeman serving in the... more..
Diplomacy
Syria willing to transfer disputed Shaba Farms to UN custody
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Syria is willing to transfer the Shaba Farms to the custody of the United Nations as part of an effort to resolve the sovereignty dispute over the area, which is currently under Israel’s control. The new Syrian position was outlined in a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who visited Damascus last month. Israeli political sources said Tuesday that Syria’s offer is meant to put pressure on Jerusalem, which opposes any withdrawal from Shaba at this stage. Moratinos sent the letter to the UN secretary general two weeks ago, after discussing the matter with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus. In it, Moratinos, who was the European Union’s special envoy to the Middle East before becoming Spain’s foreign minister, wrote that Syria is willing... more..
Palestinian experts hold Israel responsible for water shortage in the Palestinian territories
Ameen Abu Wardah, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
A forum headed by Majed Ketanah, and was organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Information, was held on Wednesday in the West Bank city of Nablus, and held Israel responsible for the water crisis which the Palestinian territories are suffering from, and warned of the consequences of this crisis. The forum was headed by Palestinian experts and officials. In addition, the Israeli authorities had dug more than 500 wells to draw every drop of water in the land. He clarified that the Palestinians have the right to receive around 750 million cubic meters of water, but only 120 million cubic meters of water are pumped. Ka’wash held the Palestinians as the other side of the crisis which is according to him is due to their inability to properly manage the existing water networks and their inability to distribute water in the right way. more..
PLC in Gaza slams Israeli military attack against the house of a Gaza legislator
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Dr. Ahmad Bahar, the acting head of the Legislative Council (PLC), issued on Wednesday a press release slamming the Israeli military attack against the house of female legislature Dr. Mariam Saleh, and the arrest of her son Abdul-Rahman. He also stated that Israel continues to hold captive 45 legislators, and the head of the legislative council, Dr. Aziz Dweik. In his statement, representing the PLC, Dr. Bahar said that Israeli soldiers broke into the house of Dr. Saleh and searched it causing considerable damage, in addition to detaining her and her family in a small room before confiscating her computer and several documents. The attack ended by the kidnapping of her son Abdul-Rahman, a local journalist, and taking him to an unknown destination. more..
Lahoud urges ’full implementation’ of Resolution 1701 at meeting with Ban
Nafez Qawas, Daily Star 9/27/2007
NEW YORK: UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon said the international community was determined to help Lebanon regain "prosperity and stability," adding that assassinations which have dominated the political realm in the past three years were an "unhealthy and shameful sign." Speaking during a meeting with President Emile Lahoud late Tuesday night, Ban said the cooperation between the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has was "and exemplary one and has born fruit." Lahoud had urged Ban to have Resolution 1701, which put an end to the summer 2006 war with Israel, "fully implemented so as to prevent anymore Israeli attacks on Lebanon and violation of Lebanese airspace and seas." The UN has circulated a draft statement that restates support for free and fair presidential elections in Lebanon. more..
IDF downplays J’lem rocket threat
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Military officials say rockets reportedly seized by Palestinian security forces near Bethlehem pose no real threat to Israel, but admit terror groups in West Bank are bent on mimicking Gaza gunmen "The rockets supposedly found by the Palestinians near Bethlehem are not rockets but makeshift pipes that do not threaten Jerusalem," IDF sources told Ynet on Wednesday in response to reports that PA officers had seized rockets meant to be fired toward Jerusalem. IDF sources added that Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank are bent on mimicking their partners in the Gaza Strip by firing makeshift rockets towards Israel but still lack the know-how. The IDF has been so far successful in thwarting attempts to fire rockets from the West Bank but attacks from the Gaza Strip have tormented Israel’s government and military. more..
Feteh movement: "Israeli crimes prove Israel in not interested in peace"
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fateh, issued a press release on Wednesday stating that the Israeli military attacks and crimes carried against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, prove that Israel is not interested in peace, and that it is acting to foil any attempts to revive the peace process. Fateh spokesperson, Fahmi Za’areer, said that "these crimes against the Palestinian people require a serious international response to stop these attacks and to foil the Israeli plans to cause further tension in the area. Za’areer added that Israel is not willing to perform its duties in the peace process, and that the Palestinians will keep defending themselves and their land. He also stated that the international idleness, the idleness of the Quarter Committee, and the idleness of the International... more..
Israeli, Palestinian cops to resume cooperation
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Senior Israeli and Palestinian police officers will participate in a conference organized by the European Union next month as part of efforts to renew cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Colin Smith, who heads EUCOPPS, the EU team advising the PA’s police force, said that the purpose of the conference will be to renew ties between the forces and begin formulating working procedures on issues of common interest. The main aim of the conference, which will take place in Jerusalem, is cooperation in efforts to fight traffic accidents and traffic violations. But Smith, a British police officer who gained counterterrorism experience during six years of service in Belfast, Northern Ireland, believes that ties developed at the meeting will also contribute to cooperation in other areas of policing. more..
Livni eyes ’gradual normalization’ with Arab states
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni yesterday told the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, that Arab countries should strengthen ties with Israel via "normalization in stages." At a meeting in New York, Livni and Sheikh Al-Thani also discussed the talks between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of the regional meeting due this fall in Washington, and Qatar’s possible support for the talks. Earlier in the day Livni met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, saying that to contribute to the success of the diplomatic process, Egypt had to stop the smuggling of arms and money from Sinai into the Gaza Strip in tunnels under the Philadephi Route. Livni also said "recent developments are turning the West Bank into a test case" where "the success of the process" would be measured. more..
FM Livni meets her Tunisian counterpart for talks on peace process
Shlomo Shamir and Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
NEW YORK - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met Wednesday with her Tunisian counterpart Abdelwaheb Abdullah at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in what was the first meeting between Israeli and Tunisian officials since then foreign minister Silvan Shalom visited Tunisia approximately three years ago. The meeting was held at Livni’s request, despite the fact that the countries do not have diplomatic relations. The two foreign ministers discussed the negotiations with the Palestinians. Livni stressed the importance of moderate Arab states providing support for and getting involved in the peace process, including through direct negotiations with Israel. The foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with her Moroccan counterpart Mohammed Ben Aissa. more..
Resistance want prisoner exchange - Marwan Barghouthi and others for Gilad Shalit
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The popular Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouthi, currently held in an Israeli prison, is one of the Palestinian leaders the resistance want released in exchange for the captive Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, the spokesperson of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Mujahid, told London-based newspaper, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, on Wednesday. But he said Barghouthi is not the only leader the resistance are demanding be freed in the prisoner swap. Abu Mujahid’s comments came in response to Israeli Minister of Infrastructure Ben Elazer’s suggestion of exchanging Gilad Shalit for Marwan Barghouthi. He described the suggestion as unreasonable because he said Shalit could not be released in exchange for just one Palestinian prisoner. more..
Hamas calls on Arab states to skip US peace meet
Middle East Online 9/26/2007
GAZA CITY - The democratically elected Hamas movement ruling Gaza called on Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries on Wednesday to stay away from a US-sponsored Middle East peace meeting expected in November. "The [Palestinian] government warns that the autumn conference will be a new occasion for negotiators to make concessions," it said in a statement. "We thus call on our Arab brothers not to venture into this obscure tunnel. In particular, we call on Saudi Arabia not to participate in this conference," it said. Israel’s main ally the United States has called an international Middle East peace meeting for later this autumn as part of its efforts to jumpstart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Washington has not officially announced the date or venue of the meeting, but it is widely expected to take place in November. more..
Tony Blair Launches his Middle East Plan
Tim Butcher, Aislinn Simpson, MIFTAH 9/26/2007
Tony Blair last night said he has an "ambitious but achievable" plan to get the Middle East peace process back on track by the end of the year. The former prime minister was speaking ahead of his meeting with President George W Bush for talks on salvaging the Middle East peace summit due in November. The pair whose alliance did so much to change the recent history of the region by invading Iraq in 2003 will focus their attention on peacemaking when they meet in New York on Monday. At a UN press conference last night Mr Blair, now Middle East envoy for the Quartet of the United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia, said he aims to put "real hope" back into the peace process in the region. He said he intended to gain a sense of how a Palestinian state would look by the end of this year. more..
EU demands end to collective punishment of Gaza
Maisa Abu GhazalahNews, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
The European Union has demanded immediate steps to end the Israeli government’s collective punishment of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. It is destroying the economy, obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid and impeding development projects. It also demanded a halt to Palestinian attacks against Israeli targets and called for Israel to remove checkpoints and road blocks, restore freedom of movement for people and goods and cease military attacks against Palestinian civilians The EU delegation visited agricultural projects in the Gaza Strip and the al Shefa local hospital. Meetings were held with a number of officials including the Minister of Planning and the Mayors of Gaza city and the West Bank city of Hebron. Several human rights activists and representatives of the civil and business communities were also present. more..
Writers’ petition ’counterproductive’
Colin Bell, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mark Regev, branded a petition urging a negotiated ceasefire with Hamas as counterproductive. "Israel has in the past negotiated with its worst enemies," the petition said, "Now, the appropriate course of action is to negotiate with Hamas to reach a general ceasefire to prevent further suffering for both sides. We believe Israel is facing an opportunity to promote peace ahead of the regional summit planned for November." In dismissing the proposal, Regev said that, "Giving recognition and legitimacy to Hamas can only strengthen the extremists and undermine the moderates." Israel has no contact with Hamas as it considers it to be a terrorist group. [end]
Sharon’s aides sought Barghouti’s backing for Salam Fayad
Avi Issacharoff and Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s aides inquired whether imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti would support Salam Fayad for prime minister should Fatah win the January 2006 elections, Haaretz has learned. MK Haim Oron (Meretz), who visited Barghouti in his Israeli prison, served as the liaison between Barghouti and Sharon’s bureau. Barghouti told Oron that he would support Fayad and objected to forming a coalition with Hamas. Sharon’s staff concluded that Barghouti had the power to help Fatah win the elections, and therefore, the authorities improved his prison conditions: After more than two and a half years in solitary confinement, he was moved to an ordinary cell, and later transferred from Ohalei Kedar Prison to Hadarim. more..
Peace Day – Powerful stories
Ron Taylor, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
September 21st is International Peace Day and events to mark the day take place all over the world. The Middle East, where news of peace talks on the Israel - Palestine conflict is in the air, was no exception and last Thursday evening more than 100 people, Israelis and Palestinians plus a sprinkling of internationals, attended the ’Middle East International Day of Peace’. The theme of the evening was not just the need for peace in the region, but how it can be achieved through dialogue and co-operation across the Israeli - Palestinian divide. After the preliminaries, which included a minute’s silence, workshops on non-violence, and food prepared by Chefs for Peace, came the main event of the evening, ’Personal Stories’. The first story was that of Boaz Kitain of The Parents Circle. more..
Report: Israel asks atom export changes
Reuters, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Official at UN nuclear watchdog say Israel has asked nuclear exporters to adjust non-proliferation rules to help it build safe civilian atomic plants - Israel has asked nuclear exporters to consider adjusting non-proliferation rules to help it build safe civilian atomic plants, a senior official said. Some diplomats in Vienna, headquarters of the UN atomic watchdog, said Israel recently approached the Nuclear Suppliers Group about a possible exemption from NSG technology controls, like that sought by Washington for an accord with India. Such a waiver could raise a storm in the Middle East where Israel’s Arab neighbours and Iran have long condemned its presumed regional monopoly in nuclear arms, never confirmed or denied, and its shunning of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). more..
Ahmadinejad snubs wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier
Reuters, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Iranian president ignores accusation by Karnit Goldwasser claiming his involvement in Hizbullah kidnapping of IDF soldiers - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad refused to address an Israeli woman who asked him at a news conference on Tuesday about her husband, one of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah last year. As he has done at previous appearances at the United Nations, where he addressed the General Assembly earlier on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad also ignored a question asked by an Israeli journalist, saying only, "next question." The Iranian president, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, is accused by Washington and Israel of supporting the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah. Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were seized by Hizbullah militants in a July 12, 2006, raid across the Israeli border. -- See also: Goldwasser recounts confrontation with Ahmadinejad more..
Goldwasser recounts confrontation with Ahmadinejad
Ynet, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Wife of kidnapped IDF soldier Ehud Goldwasser tells Ynet of Iranian president’s reaction to her question ’why don’t you allow Red Cross to visit captives? ’ at New York press conference, saying, ’Now he knows I can reach him too, he does not scare us’ - "During the questions we made eye contact, we looked at each other more than once. The look on his face changed the moment he realized who was facing him and what I wanted from him," Karnit Goldwasser, wife of kidnapped soldier Ehud Goldwasser, said after her meeting with Iranian President Goldwasser managed to enter Ahmadinejad’s press conference at the United Nations building in New York on Tuesday, and told Ynet that the she was surprised by the treatment the Iranian leader received upon his arrival. more..
Jewish community in Iran slams US protest against Ahmadinejad’s visit
Dudi Cohen, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Heads of Iran’s Jewish community ’outraged by the disrespect’ shown to the Iranian president during Columbia visit - The Jewish community in Iran published a statement Wednesday, slamming the disrespect shown to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by human rights and freedom activists on his recent visit to the United States. The Iranian president visited the US earlier this week, where he attended a forum at Columbia University and addressed the United Nation’s General Assembly. "Mr President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," said Columbia President Lee Bollinger to loud applause, as he invited Ahmadinejad to take the stage. "The constant disrespect and disturbance demonstrated (during Ahmadinejad’s speech at Colombia) prove once more that those claiming to be peace loving people have no real grasp of the concept," said the statement. more..
Israel delays ’goodwill’ release of Palestinian prisoners
Daily Star 9/26/2007
Israel delayed on Tuesday the release of 87 Palestinian prisoners - touted as a goodwill gesture to bolster the Palestinian government - while as US President George W. Bush promoted an upcoming peace conference in talks at the UN. An Israeli minister proposed the exchange of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti for an Israeli soldier captured by militants more than a year ago. The prisoners’ release had been expected this week, after an initial two-week delay, butthe Israelis said arrangements could not be completed before the start on Wednesday night of a Jewish religious holiday. "The release will be on Monday barring last-minute changes," a Prisons Authority spokesman said. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Cabinet approved the step in principle on Sunday and a ministerial panel finalized the roster the same day. more..
Bank Hapoalim to sever ties with Palestinian banks in Gaza
Reuters, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s biggest bank, said on Tuesday it was severing business ties with Palestinian banks in the Gaza Strip, a step that could deepen economic hardship in the impoverished territory controlled by Hamas Islamists. Israeli currency is used by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ government in the West Bank to pay salaries to tens of thousands of its employees in the Gaza Strip, home to 1. 5 million people. A Palestinian banking official said Bank Hapoalim’s move could force Gaza banks to shut down if other Israeli institutions follow suit and stop transferring shekel notes to them. "In light of the (Israeli) government’s decision to declare the Gaza Strip hostile territory, Bank Hapoalim has decided to terminate its banking activity with banks and branches in the Gaza Strip," the Israeli bank said in a statement. more..
Documents show Israel lobbying to import nuclear material
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Israel is looking to a U.S. -India nuclear deal to expand its own ties to suppliers, quietly lobbying for an exemption from nonproliferation rules so it can legally import atomic material, according to documents made available Tuesday to The Associated Press. The move is sure to raise concerns among Arab nations already considering their neighbor the region’s atomic arms threat. Israel has never publicly acknowledged having nuclear weapons, but is generally considered to possess them. The new push is reflected in papers Israel presented earlier this year to the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group - 45 nations that export nuclear fuel and technology under strict rules meant to lessen the dangers of proliferation and trafficking in materials that could be used for a weapons program. more..
Hamas urges Saudis not to go to U.S.-led Mideast conference
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Hamas on Tuesday called on Saudi Arabia and other nations not to attend the upcoming U.S. -sponsored Mideast peace conference, the first time it has appealed directly to Arab states to stay away. The Islamic militant group also warned Arab countries against offering concessions to Israel. Hamas has spoken out consistently against the conference, called by U.S. President George W. Bush to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Hamas has said any decisions made there would not be binding. Hamas overran Gaza in June. Moderate Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led government after the takeover, naming a new cabinet that runs the West Bank. Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have been meeting to work out proposals for the conference, set tentatively for November, despite Hamas objections. more..
Livni: A secure Israel a Palestinian interest
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/25/2007
Foreign minister meets with Palestinian PM in US, says Palestinian state will be built on foundation of Israel’s safety. Livni also meets with Russian counterpart to discuss mutually cancelling requirement for tourism visa for both countries - NEW YORK - "Israel’s security must be in the interest of Palestinians and on the foundation of that security, a Palestinian state will be established," said Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York City. "Just as a strong Palestinian economy is in Israel’s interests, so should Israel’s safety be in the Palestinian’s interests," reiterated Livni during a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Fayyad echoed Livni’s statements in his own speech to the assembled journalists. more..
FM Livni meets Arab leaders in N.Y. in bid to normalize ties
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, met with a number of Arab leaders and diplomats in a bid to normalize ties between Israel and some Arab states. Livni met Tuesday in New York with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, stressing to him the importance of strengthening the ties between Arab countries and Israel on the basis of a "staged normalization". Livni and the Qatar leader also discussed the ongoing talks between Israel and Palestinians leading up to the U.S. -led November peace conference and Qatar’s willingness to support the negotiations. The foreign minister met earlier with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and told him that in order for diplomatic efforts to be successful, Egypt must put a stop to weapon smuggling into Gaza from tunnels dug in Sinai. more..
Abbas and Bush discuss establishment of Palestinian state
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Agencies – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, on Tuesday called on US President, George W. Bush, to accomplish his vision of establishing a Palestinian state. In a meeting between the two presidents, Abbas said," we would like this meeting to address the major issues so as to be able to negotiate a permanent peace treaty with Israel. Bush stated he would do everything possible to establish a Palestinian state which will coexist with Israel. He met Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in New York in talks aimed at pushing forward the US-sponsored peace conference, scheduled for mid-November. Bush said, "I strongly support the establishment of a Palestinian state." Bush said he believed that Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, truly want... more..
Bush vows to work for Palestinian statehood
Middle East Online 9/25/2007
US President promises Abbas that America will work hard to achieve two-state solution. NEW YORK - US President George W. Bush promised to strive for the creation of a Palestinian state, after meeting with the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmud Abbas Monday over a planned peace summit. "The United States of America will work as hard as we possibly can to help you achieve the vision" of a two-state solution to the Palestinians’ historic conflict with Israel, Bush told Abbas at a news conference after their talks. "I believe that the vision of two states, side by side in peace, is achievable. And we want to help you realize that goal." The two leaders discussed a planned peace conference aiming to map a future Palestinian state, on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly. more..
Ereikat: Bush’s comments reflect the true nature of the Palestinian position
Rasheed Hilal, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
Dr. Sa’eb Ereikat, the director of the negotiations department at the Palestinian liberation organization, stated on Tuesday that the statement made by the American president Bush reflects the true nature of the Palestinian position which looks for real political solution in the region. Ereikat assured that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas focuses in his meeting with the international leaders on enforcing the idea of the establishment of a Palestinian stated with Jerusalem as its capital. The comments of the Palestinian chief negotiator come one day after the Palestinian president meeting with his American counter part Bush during the annual UN General Assembly conference in News York on Monday. Bush also met the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad who attended the meeting with Abbas. more..
Middle East Peace Mission Threatened by Power Cuts
James Hider, MIFTAH 9/25/2007
The Middle East Quartet appealed to Israel last night not to carry out its threat to cut off electricity to Gaza after a senior Palestinian official warned that it could destroy Tony Blair’s mission to rebuild the shattered Palestinian economy. The Quartet - the United Nations, European Union, America and Russia – issued a communiqué after a meeting in New York calling “for the continued provision of essential services” to Gaza. The group also voiced “urgent concern” over the closure of important crossing points into Gaza, while strongly criticising the continued rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. The Israeli Cabinet last week branded Gaza, which is run by the Islamist group Hamas, an “enemy entity”. The move cleared the way for Israel to turn off power to the area if Hamas does not crack down... more..
Syria to weigh joining Mideast conference
Roueida Mabardi - DAMASCUS, Middle East Online 9/25/2007
Syrian participation in a US-sponsored peace conference could ease its troubled ties with the international community but Damascus is unlikely to back down on its terms, diplomats and officials say. "Syria will decide on whether to participate after it receives an invitation," Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said on Monday, while stressing that Damascus wanted a. He said the conference must be focused on "the imperatives for a just and comprehensive peace" such as the creation of an independent Palestinian state, the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and the Golan’s return to Syria. "The United States and Israel are very mistaken if they are trying with this meeting to bring about a normalisation" between Syria and Israel, the minister warned. more..
Israeli minister: Barghuti for Shalit
Middle East Online 9/25/2007
Ben-Eliezer proposes trading imprisoned Palestinian leader for captured soldier Shalit. TEL AVIV - An Israeli minister said on Tuesday the Jewish state should exchange jailed Palestinian intifada leader Marwan Barghuti for an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza militants more than a year ago. "Marwan Barghuti has a good chance of becoming the next Palestinian leader," Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, infrastructure minister and member of Israel’s powerful security cabinet, told army radio. "His release could allow the political negotiations to advance and bring about the liberation of Gilad Shalit," the Israeli serviceman seized in a deadly cross-border raid by Palestinian militants on June 25, 2006. "All those who are thinking of Israel’s security realise that there is no alternative to liberating Marwan Barghuti, as he is the strongman on the Palestinian side," he said. more..
Israeli Infrastructure Minister supports Barghouthi release
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
Israeli Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer on Tuesday announced that he would support the future release of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi. "I would consider releasing him. I think it’s a legitimate move, though I believe that his actions were sinister, and I don’t take them lightly at all," the Infrastructure Minister stated. Marwan Barghouthi was imprisoned in 2002. He is currently serving five life sentences for alleged involvement in a series of attacks against Israel. [end]
Thousands of Israeli settlers ready to evacuate the West Bank, new report reveals
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A report from the Israeli peace association, Gush Shalom revealed on Tuesday that thousands of Israeli settlers are ready to evacuate their settlements in the West Bank as soon as financial reimbursement is available from the Israeli government. The report, published on the Independent Israeli news website Inyan Merkazi, adds that many of the Israeli settlers who live close to the separation wall would move immediately inside the Green Line (inside Israel) if the Israeli government agrees to compensate them financially. The report indicates that Israeli premier Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate the settlements is echoed amongst Israeli settlers. The report also highlights that 80,000 Israeli settlers, who live close to the eight metre concrete wall, are ready to leave the West Bank immediately... more..
Blair: Conference a stepping stone to peace accord
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
JERUSALEM - An upcoming Mideast conference in the U.S. should serve as a stepping stone toward a peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians, international envoy Tony Blair told an Israeli TV station Monday. Blair’s interview with Channel 2 was his first with local media since he became Mideast envoy for the Quartet, the international coalition of Mideast mediators made up of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, in July. The former British prime minister said he hoped to help build a strong, moderate Palestinian government able to exercise law and order. The key question for Palestinians, Blair said, is whether moderates who want the right vision for Palestine - and want it to live side by side in peace with Israel - are able to take charge. more..
Hamas to Saudis: Don’t show up for Mideast summit
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/25/2007
Group urges Saudi Arabia, other Arab nations not to attend US-sponsored regional peace conference scheduled for November, fearing it would be a way for Arab world to establish ties with Israel - Hamas on Tuesday called on Saudi Arabia and other nations not to attend the upcoming US-sponsored Mideast peace conference, the first time it has appealed directly to Arab states to stay away. The group also warned Arab countries against offering concessions to Israel. Hamas has spoken out consistently against the conference, called by US President George W. Bush to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Hamas has said any decisions made there would not be binding. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have been meeting to work out proposals for the conference, set tentatively for November, despite Hamas objections. more..
Opportunity exists to rebuild mutual confidence between Israelis, Palestinians
United Nations Secretary-General, ReliefWeb 9/24/2007
Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting is important step, Secretary-General says - Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s opening remarks to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in New York, today: Let me begin by thanking you, [Norwegian] Foreign Minister [Jonas Gahr] Støre, for arranging this meeting at such a crucial time. I am honoured to co-chair this important meeting here at UN Headquarters. I particularly want to welcome Prime Minister [Salam] Fayyad and Foreign Minister [Tzipi] Livni. I say to both of you that you and your citizens have my support and solidarity as you try to restore confidence in the possibility of peace. All of us here today share a common goal: two States living side by side in peace and security. more..
Renewed commitment to the Palestinian Authority in New York
Government of Norway, ReliefWeb 9/24/2007
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) chaired by Norway met at UN Headquarters today. - I am pleased that the meeting confirmed commitment by the international community to supporting the Palestinian Authority to build strong and viable institutions and to encourage intensified cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis, says Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway. - Efforts to strengthen the Palestinian economy are vital for the ongoing political process between Israel and the Palestinians, says the Foreign Minister. - I welcome the Quartet’s statement of 23 September which urges all countries to provide immediate financial support to the Palestinian Authority. Preparations for a pledging conference in December need to begin as soon as possible, Mr Støre said. more..
PM: Neither Syria nor Israel want military conflict
Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Neither Syria nor Israel are interested in a military confrontation, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee yesterday. "Both sides are now on guard, but I hope that gradually, the tension will dissipate and calm will be restored on this front," Olmert told the panel. He also told the committee that the recent violence in Lebanon, in which an anti-Syrian member of parliament was assassinated, is very troubling. "This is a very serious development that threatens stability," he said. With regard to the international conference scheduled to take place in Washington in November, Olmert insisted that it is not a peace conference, but rather a gathering meant to offer international support to the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. more..
Iranian president: If the Holocaust happened, why must Palestinians pay?
Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
NEW YORK - Even if the Holocaust really happened, the Palestinian people must not be forced to pay the price, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told students and faculty at Columbia University in New York yesterday. The Iranian leader defended his calls for more research into the Holocaust, saying it has been abused as a justification for Israeli mistreatment of the Palestinians. "Why is it that the Palestinian people are paying the price for an event they had nothing to do with?" he asked. "You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated," Columbia President Lee Bollinger said in response to Ahmadinejad’s questioning of the Holocaust. "Will you cease this outrage?" The Iranian leader ducked a question about his repeated calls for Israel’s destruction, declining to either reiterate or deny them. more..
Livni: Ahmadinejad has no place in the community of nations
Jerusalem Post 9/26/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni responded Tuesday night to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmdinejad’s speech at the UN, saying, "We have reached a decision not to be an audience to [his] performances and his attempts to receive legitimacy for his twisted opinions." He should not have been given a stage in the first place, no matter what trappings and backdrop he uses"¦We know who this man is, the things he stands for and the actions he carries out, and he has no place in the community of nations." She also stressed that, "Israel will continue to do whatever’s needed to reveal his positions and the threat that his plans hold for the entire world. [end]
N. Korea accuses U.S. of helping Israel develop nuclear weapons
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of actively providing nuclear weapons assistance to Israel while seeking to deprive other countries of the right to peaceful nuclear programs. North Korea’s top nuclear negotiator, meanwhile, denied accusations that his country had cooperated with Syria on a secret nuclear project. "The United States is shutting its eyes to the nuclear programs of its allies while taking issue with the rights to nuclear activities of other countries for peaceful purposes," North Korea’s communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "As an illustration, the U.S. has long actively promoted and cooperated with the Israeli nuclear armament plan," the newspaper said. more..
Britain warns of Iraq ’contagion’ in Mideast
Middle East Online 9/25/2007
British Foreign Secretary underlines need for urgent solution to Israel-Palestinian conflict. BOURNEMOUTH, England - Britain’s foreign minister warned Tuesday that "contagion" could spread from Iraq across the Middle East, urging the West to talk to all the country’s neighbours to head off the threat. Foreign Secretary David Miliband also underlined the need for an urgent solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict to remove an "excuse" for Al Qaeda to foment unrest in Iraq and elsewhere. "Al Qaeda are using the suffering of the Palestinians as an excuse for violence," he said in a keynote address to the ruling Labour Party’s annual conference. "We need to remove the excuse. We need urgent progress to address Israeli security and Palestinian rights through the only solution, a two-state solution in the Middle East," he added. more..
Giuliani’s Proposal for Endless Middle East Wars on Behalf of Israel
Glenn Greenwald, MIFTAH 9/25/2007
In London this week, Rudy Giuliani proposed what is probably the single most extremist policy of any major presidential candidate, certainly this year and perhaps in many years: Rudy Giuliani talked tough on Iran yesterday, proposing to expand NATO to include Israel and warning that if Iran’s leaders go ahead with their goal to be a nuclear power "we will prevent it, or we will set them back five or 10 years." . . . . While Giuliani did not explicitly address the implications for Iran of adding Israel to NATO in his speech, his aides later highlighted a 2006 Heritage Foundation paper by Nile Gardiner, a former Thatcher aide who was announced as a new Giuliani adviser yesterday. That step would "leave the mullahs with no illusions about the West’s determination to respond to Iran’s strategic threat to the region," Gardiner wrote. more..
Neturei Karta: Ahmadinejad wants peace
Ynet, YNetNews 9/25/2007
’We have found the Iranian president to be a deeply religious man, dedicated to a peaceful world, based on mutual respect, fairness and dialogue,’ spokesman for Jewish organization says ahead of meeting with Ahmadinejad in US - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants peace and is a friendly leader, Neturei Karta International spokesman Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss said in a statement issued ahead of a meeting between the Jewish organization leaders and the Islamic republic’s hardline president. Although Ahmadinejad received a blistering welcome from the Columbia University president, who said the hard-line leader behaved like "a petty and cruel dictator", and from thousands of demonstrators protesting the fact that he was invited to speak at the university, it appears that there are some Jews who welcome his visit. more..
Peres slams Columbia for hosting Ahmadinejad
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 9/25/2007
President says prestigious New York university gave stage to ’world’s biggest lying leader’. Meanwhile, Iranian officials say ’enemies don’t have ability to attack’, mock Israel’s alleged flight over Syria - President Shimon Peres on Tuesday harshly criticized Columbia University for hosting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and giving a stage to "the world’s biggest lying leader". Peres told reporters he felt "ashamed" due to Ahmadinejad’s appearance. "I am all for the freedom of expression, but what happened there is giving a stage to lies that harm the world. After all, there is no one that doesn’t know that Iran is building an atomic bomb and is a hotbed for global terror, out of the aspiration to impose radical-religious hegemony over the entire world. more..
Bankers off to Washington for IMF-World Bank meeting
Eran Peer, Globes Online 9/25/2007
Stanley Fischer will also head a large Bank of Israel delegation. Israel’s top bankers will meet in Washington in mid-October to attend the 2007 World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting. Governor of the Bank of Israel Prof. Stanley Fischer will also head a large delegation from the central bank. Fischer served as First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF in 1994-2001. The participating Israeli bankers include new Bank Hapoalim chairman Dan Dankner and the bank’s CEO Zvi Ziv; Bank Leumi CEO Galia Maor, and possibly chairman Eitan Raff, too; Discount Bank chairman Shlomo Zohar; Mizrahi Tefahot Bank CEO Eli Yones; and new First International Bank CEO Smadar Barber-Tsadik and deputy CEO Zeev Guttman. In addition to Fischer, the Bank of Israel delegation will include Deputy Governor Prof. more..
Syria: Report on commando unit operation fabricated
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Information minister denies report that elite IDF unit seized nuclear material of North Korea origin during discreet raid on secret military site in Syria. According to minister, Damascus wants peace while Israel violates international law - Syrian Information Minister Muhsin Bilal has denied the reports that an elite IDF commando unit seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before the reported IAF overflight this month. "These reports are not true. This is a baseless fabrication like the ones that have been spread against Iraq," Bilal said in an interview with the London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat published Monday. Invitation Rice hopes Syria will attend peace conference/... more..
MIDEAST: Border Impasse Arises Again
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani, Inter Press Service 9/24/2007
CAIRO, Sep 24(IPS) - The border crisis that had appeared to subside last month is back, with an estimated 2,000 Palestinians marooned on Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip. A new security arrangement between Cairo, Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority (PA) has effectively sealed the last sovereign transit point in or out of the troubled territory, which has been governed by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas since mid-June. "Israel has succeeded in replacing the Egypt-Gaza Rafah border crossing with a crossing under Israeli control," Hatem al-Buluk, a journalist and human rights activist, told IPS. "This is in order to choke Hamas and tighten the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip." The Rafah border crossing, which has historically served as the sole transit point between Egypt and Gaza, was sealed Jun. more..
Olmert welcomes Syrian role at peace talks - under Washington’s conditions
Daily Star 9/25/2007
Israel does not oppose Syria and other Arab states’ attending an international conference on Palestinian statehood provided they support the US-led peace process, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday. The Arab League welcomed the US plan to invite Syria to the conference but doubts remain among Arab states. Olmert said the countries that were invited to the US-sponsored conference would be those that accepted what he called "international parameters" and the long-stalled "road map" peace plan, which Syria has long opposed. It is unclear if Syria would agree to attend the conference if conditions were imposed on the participants. Any US invitation to Syria could be further complicated by a reported Israeli air strike on September 6 on Syria, which some US officials have linked to apparent Israeli... more..
Syrian official: After IAF raid, Israel can forget about peace
Reuters, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
An Israeli raid on Syria has all but finished off chances for resuming peace talks between the two foes, Syrian officials said on Monday. In the first clear reaction to the reported September 6 Israeli air strike, officials told Reuters Syria was wary of retaliating against Israel given the military superiority of the Jewish state and because of lack of Arab support. Another reason was Damascus’s changing relationship with Russia, an ally during the Communist era. The officials were dismissive about any new peace talks, which collapsed in 2000 over the scope of an Israeli pullout from the Golan Heights, a 1,750 square km (676 square mile) plateau which the Jewish state captured from Syria in 1967. "After this raid, you can forget about peace. more..
Syria plays down peace chance after Israeli raid
Reuters, YNetNews 9/24/2007
In first clear reaction to reported IDF air strike, Syrian officials say Damascus wary of retaliating against Israel given military superiority of Jewish state, lack of Arab support - A reported Israeli raid on Syria has all but finished off chances for resuming peace talks between the two foes, Syrian officials said on Monday. In the first clear reaction to the September 6. Israeli air strike, officials told Reuters Syria was wary of retaliating against Israel given the military superiority of the Jewish state and because of lack of Arab support. Another reason was Damascus’s changing relationship with Russia, an ally during the Communist era. The officials were dismissive about any new peace talks, which collapsed in 2000 over the scope of an Israeli pullout from the Golan Heights, a 1,750 square... more..
Olmert: Syria, Israel on guard
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Prime minister tells Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee he hopes ’tension on northern border will gradually dissipate’; adds US-sponsored meeting scheduled to take place in fall will be an international summit aimed at offering international support to Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic process - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday briefed the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on recent diplomatic developments. Addressing the Syrian front, Olmert said, "We have been in the same situation for the past few weeks. We see the deployment of the Syrian forces and they see ours. They are not interested in a violent conflict, and neither are we." Denial Syria: Report on commando unit operation fabricated/ Roee Nahmias Information minister denies report that... more..
List of 87 Palestinian prisoners published
Raanan Ben-Zur, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Members of Fatah, DFLP, PFLP to be released from Israeli jails. Knesset members criticize decision; ’Olmert has knowingly forsaken the safety of citizens,’ MK Sa’ar says - None of the 87 Palestinian security prisoners slated for release as a goodwill Ramadan gesture has "blood on their hands," according to the list published on the Israel Prison Service website Tuesday. Twenty-nine of the detainees reside in the Gaza Strip and 58 live in the West Bank. The convicts received sentences ranging from one to 12 years and most of them have already served half of their sentences. The inmates were sentenced to jail terms in military courts for various crimes including: shooting at Israelis, placing explosive devices, throwing Molotov cocktails, attempted murder, arms trafficking, and contact with a foreign agent. more..
Bush meets with Palestinian leaders in New York
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/24/2007
President meets with Abbas, Fayyad in New York ahead of upcoming peace summit, reiterates US support of two-state solution - Trying to breathe new life into the Mideast peace process, President George W. Bush got an immediate reminder Monday of the difficulty of his task when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insisted a US- brokered conference should deal with ’’issues of substance. ’’ Appearing before reporters with Abbas after an hour-long meeting that also included Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Bush did not mention the conference. He promised the United States ’’will be a strong partner’’ in establishing an independent state for Palestinians. ’’I believe that the vision of two states side by side in peace is achievable,’’ Bush said. more..
Quartet announces new peace summit
Al Jazeera 9/24/2007
The Quartet of Middle East negotiators has pledged support for another Middle East peace conference, with the US indicating Syria would be one of the "natural invitees". Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said the summit would be "substantive and serious" and deal with the core issues of Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem and borders. But Arab diplomats, already sceptical about US efforts this year to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace after six years of what critics regard as relative neglect, said they saw no use for the new conference unless it had clear goals and a realistic chance of meeting them. The Palestinians want the conference to produce an outline for a peace deal; the Israelis want more vague declarations. more..
The Popular Committees Slams settler and soldier attacks against residents in Hebron and Bethlehem
International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
The Palestinian Popular (Folk) Committees issued a press release on Monday slamming the repeated attacks carried by Israeli soldiers and settlers against the Palestinian residents in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, and several other Palestinian areas. Azmi Shiokhy, Secretary-general of the Committees, stated that Israeli soldiers detained on Sunday morninga group of Palestinian children who were visiting the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. The children were on a trip organized by Al Salaam kindergarten in the city. Soldiers detained and searched the children for several hours, Shiokhy stated. Furthermore, Shiokhy added that these illegal practices are part of the ongoing Israeli attempts to bar the residents from entering the mosque. more..
Kadima MKs vow to thwart any withdrawal from Jerusalem
Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
Israeli Ynetnews reported on Monday that four members of the Kadima Party, the ruling political body in Israel, vowed to thwart any proposals by the Israeli Prime Minister, head of the party, Ehud Olmert, to withdraw from parts of Jerusalem as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians. The Ynetnews added that Barkat stated after the meeting that this forum would act in order to remove the issue of Jerusalem from any peace talks with the Palestinians. MK Elkin said that he expects Olmert to reject such a plan since it is considered a deviation from the platform of the party, the Ynetnews added. In a meeting for the party last week, several Kadima cabinet ministers also slammed such a proposal and stated that Jerusalem should always remain the unified capital of Israel. more..
Israel publishes list of Palestinian prisoners to be released during Ramadan
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel has published a list of 87 Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to be released from Israeli jails during the month of Ramadan. Most of the prisoners belong to the Fatah movement, along with a few from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Some of the prisoners had not been due for release until the year 2013 whilst others only had a short time left to serve. Israel has not yet announced the exact date of their release. [end]
Russia, Israel to sign deal on removal of visa requirements
Barak Ravid and Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her Russian counterpart Segei Lavrov will meet on Monday in New York to sign a paper okaying on principle the mutual removal of VISA requirements for tourists. In recent weeks, the cabinet and a special ministerial committee have discussed the benefits of such agreement in a series of meetings. While the Ministry of Tourism supported the deal saying it would promote tourism and business, the Interior Ministry opposed it, claiming it would facilitate criminals’ entrance to Israel. In a compromise, the Foreign Ministry proposed it first ascertain whether Moscow would be willing to remove its travel restrictions before Israel reaches its decision on the matter. [end]
One Voice gathers half million pro-peace signatures
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/24/2007
In a petition, supervised by the Ramallah-based One Voice movement, about half million signatories voiced their support to the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Signatories, comprised of Palestinians and Israelis, called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to begin immediately final status talks, based on the two-state solution, until November18, 2008. Top Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Eriqat, declared his support to the signing campaign, saying “ if both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples opt for peace, there should be further moves like promoting moderate elements”. A part of the movement’s moves is organizing a simultaneous public gathering, involving Palestinians, Israelis and internationals in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli city of Tel-Aviv and in London, by October 18, 2007. more..
Detained Israeli ’was here for gay sex, not espionage’
Daily Star 9/25/2007
BEIRUT: An Israeli man arrested last week in Lebanon on suspicion of involvement in murder and espionage does not appear to be involved in spying, a Lebanese security official said on Monday. Daniel Sharon, a 32-year-old who holds German and Israeli citizenships, was arrested Thursday on tips from security and judicial authorities over his frequent visits to Lebanon using his German passport. Israelis are not allowed to visit Lebanon because the two countries are technically at war, and authorities here turned Sharon over to military police for interrogation. But the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said interrogations have not shown that he is involved in security work or espionage. He said the investigation was ongoing to reveal the full aspects of the case. more..
Report: Lebanon may deport Daniel Sharon
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Lebanese newspaper cites security sources as saying detained Israeli citizen cleared of any suspicion of espionage. Paper says that if authorities further withdraw suspicions linking him to murder investigation - Lebanon would likely prefer to have him deported - Israeli citizen Daniel Sharon, who was arrested last week in Beirut on criminal charges and suspected of espionage on behalf of Israel, may be deported by Lebanese authorities - said Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar. According to the paper authorities in Beirut have cleared Sharon of espionage charges but have yet to determine his possible connection to the ongoing murder inquiry that originally led the police to him after a photocopy of his Israeli passport was found in the apartment of the murder victim. more..
Kadima MKs vow to fight Ramon’s withdrawal plan
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Four members of ruling party discuss ways to thwart vice PM’s proposal to cede parts of Jerusalem as part of peace agreement with Palestinians - Four Knesset members from the ruling Kadima party met in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss ways to thwart Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon’s proposal to cede parts of Jerusalem as part of a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians. Following the meeting, which took place at the home of Jerusalem city council member Nir Barkat, MKs Otniel Schneller, Eli Aflalo, Ze’ev Elkin and Marina Solodkin announced the establishment of forum in support of a "unified Jerusalem". Barkat said following the meeting that the forum would work toward "removing the issue of Jerusalem from the political agenda and emboldening the government’s official position on the capital’s unification". more..
Israeli writers urge Hamas truce
BBC Online 9/24/2007
A group of prominent Israeli academics and writers have urged the government to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas, the militant group in control of Gaza. In a petition, they said this would help bring an end to the suffering of Israelis and of Palestinians. Internationally-acclaimed authors Amos Oz, David Grossman and AB Yehoshua were among the signatories. Israel rejected the petition, saying a group dedicated to Israel’s destruction could not be a partner for any talks. ’Counterproductive’ - "Israel has in the past negotiated with its worst enemies," the petition said. Giving recognition and legitimacy to Hamas can only strengthen the extremists and undermine the moderates Mark Regev Israeli foreign ministry spokesman "Now, the appropriate course of action... more..
Delegation from Barcelona visits Gaza City
Ma’an News Agency 9/24/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A Spanish delegation from the Spanish city of Barcelona in Spain on Monday condemned "the tyrannical Israeli conduct against the Gaza Strip" which they said was aimed at depriving people of food, medicine and freedom. The delegation is currently on a visit to Gaza City, which is twinned with the city of Barcelona. The delegation met on Monday with the Mayor of Gaza City, Majid Abu Ramadan and handed over a letter of solidarity from the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, who expressing the solidarity of the district of Catalonia with Gaza City and its residents. Commenting on the letter of solidarity, the Mayor of Gaza city requested that the people of Spain be informed of the suffering of the people of Gaza City. [end]
Israel’s Harder Line on Gaza Complicates U.S. Push for Talks
Ilene R. Prusher, MIFTAH 9/24/2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday wrapped up another round of shuttle diplomacy in the Bush administration’s push to get Israeli, Palestinian, and other Arab leaders to come to a US-sponsored Middle East peace summit later this fall. Her trip promises to be first of many as Washington continues to lay the groundwork for the mid-November conference. But the short distances she traveled while here – moving from meetings with Israelis in Jerusalem and Palestinians in Ramallah – belied the growing divide between how each of the sides sees the road ahead. On Wednesday, Israel declared the Hamas-run Gaza Strip a "hostile entity" and has made an official warning that it may soon turn off gas and electricity to Gaza as a way to respond to the daily rocket-launches from there without rushing into a full-on military campaign. more..
U.S. Summit Needs Palestinian Unity
Tanvir Ahmad Khan, MIFTAH 9/24/2007
The opening session of the Washington conference of Arab and Israeli leaders should be held on November 15. Even the most optimistic observers of the Middle East scene know the great gap that separates the minimum Arab expectations from it from what the agenda Israel has in mind. In the United States itself, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has attracted criticism for the insufficient investment of time and energy required in the light of the past experience of negotiations to launch a meaningful and result-oriented initiative. The effort made by her so far is a fraction of what it took to convene the Madrid conference in 1991, the Wye River summit in 1998 and the Camp David parleys that president Bill Clinton organised in the sunset hours of his presidency. more..
Ahmadinejad: Iran will not attack Israel
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/24/2007
Iranian president says his country never sought to expand its territory, says reported IAF attack in Syria stemmed from ’Israeli expansionism’ and had nothing to do with Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that Iran would not launch an attack on Israel or any other country, and he does not believe the United States is preparing for war against Iran. "Iran will not attack any country," Ahmadinejad told The Associated Press. Iran has always maintained a defensive policy, not an offensive one, and has "never sought to expand its territory," he said. Asked whether he believed the US is preparing for war, he responded: "That is not how I see it... I believe that some of the talk in this regard arises first of all from anger. more..
Israel to release 90 Palestinian prisoners for Ramadan
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – By a vote of 16 to six, the Israeli cabinet approved a list of 90 Palestinian prisoners Sunday to be released as a goodwill gesture for the month of Ramadan, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. The prisoners are to be released on Tuesday. The Israeli public has until then to appeal composition of the list. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had promised to release more prisoners for Ramadan during his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on September 10th. Olmert hesitated to follow through on the promise last week due to resistance from his cabinet. Israel’s unilateral decision - Ashraf Ajrami, the Palestinian minister of prisoner affairs expressed disappointment at what he said was a one-sided move on the part of Israel. more..
PA: Police deployed in Nablus before receiving Israeli okay
Barak Ravid Avi Issacharoff, Ofer Aderet and Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Palestinian Authority sources said Sunday that the PA had already begun policing the West Bank city of Nablus without Israeli approval, following Israel’s announcement that it had agreed to a PA request to allow the deployment of 500 police officers to enforce law and order in Nablus during daylight hours. The government also approved Sunday the release of 91 Palestinian prisoners, as a goodwill gesture for the holiday of Eid el-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, roughly one-third of the prisoners to be released are Gaza Strip residents. In response to the prisoner release, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said there can be no peace agreement while thousands more Palestinians remain in Israeli jails. more..
U.S. to invite Syrians, Lebanese to peace summit
Avi Issacharoff Barak Ravid and Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
The U.S. was going to accede to the Palestinian Authority’s demand to invite Syria and Lebanon to the November regional peace conference in Washington, the political advisor to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has told Haaretz. Political advisor Nimer Hamad also said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged during a meeting with Abbas on Thursday that the U.S. would invite the monitoring committee of the Arab League to the November peace conference in Washington. Hamad specified that this included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, and that members of the Middle East Quartet and the G-8 would also take part. Hamad added that talks were underway between the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams ahead of their first official meetings. more..
Report: Cheney may have mulled pushing Israel to hit Iran
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Newsweek Magazine reported Sunday that Vice President Richard Cheney may have considered a plan for Israeli missile strikes against an Iranian nuclear site in an effort to draw a military response from Iran, which could in turn spark a U.S. offensive against targets in the Islamic Republic. Citing two unnamed sources the magazine called knowledgeable, the magazine quoted David Wurmser, until last month Cheney’s Middle East advisor, as having told a small group of people that "Cheney had been mulling the idea of pushing for limited Israeli missile strikes against the Iranian nuclear site at Natanz - and perhaps other sites - in order to provoke Tehran into lashing out." According to the report, "The Iranian reaction would then give Washington a pretext to launch strikes against military and nuclear targets in Iran. more..
Authors call for truce with Hamas
Shiri Lev Ari and Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
A long list of prominent intellectuals recently signed a petition calling for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas. The signatories of the petition - which was organized by the sponsors of the Geneva Initiative and will be published today - include the novelists Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, Meir Shalev, Judith Katzir, Eli Amir, Savyon Liebrecht, Yehoshua Sobol and Dorit Rabinyan. The petition, titled "Agreement with [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas, cease-fire with Hamas," reads: "Israel has in the past negotiated with its worst enemies... Now, the appropriate course of action is to negotiate with Hamas to reach a general cease-fire to prevent further suffering for both sides." "We believe Israel is facing an opportunity to promote the peace process... more..
Intellectuals urge Olmert to talk to Hamas
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/23/2007
Ahead of November peace conference, Israeli intellectuals sign petition calling for negotiations with Hamas in an attempt to reach a ceasefire "We believe an opportunity to promote the peace process ahead of the international conference in November has been created. We urge the prime minister to make the greatest effort to reach substantial agreements with the PLO head and not miss this opportunity," prominent Israeli intellectuals wrote in a petition addressed to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The petition, which called on Olmert to reach an agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was written in cooperation with the Geneva Initiative organization and was signed by AB Yehoshua, Amoz Oz, David Grossman, Meir Shalev, Yehudit Katzir, Eli Amir, Yeshua Sobol, Esti G Chaim, Professor Alice Shalvi and Dorit Rabinyan, Savion Librecht. more..
Mid-East peace conference backed
BBC Online 9/24/2007
The four key sponsors of the Middle East peace process have given strong backing to a November summit and say an Arab League panel will be invited. The Quartet - the US, EU, Russia and the UN - were meeting in New York to discuss the US-led peace summit plan. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the invitees would include Syria. The Quartet’s new envoy, former UK PM Tony Blair, said that by the end of the year there could be a sense of how a Palestinian state could look. The Quartet issued a roadmap in 2003 for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but little progress has been made. ’Natural invitees’ After Sunday’s meeting, the Quartet issued a statement expressing its support for the proposed international meeting that the Americans have been in the forefront of promoting. more..
Rice hopes Lebanon, Syria attend November summit
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed hope Sunday that key Arab nations, including Syria, will attend a Mideast peace conference this fall hosted by U.S. President George W. Bush. Rice said "invitations have not been issued yet but we would hope that the invitations would include the members of the Arab follow-up committee, charged by the Arab League with following up with the international community on an Arab Peace Initiative to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." The committee members are Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Only two, Egypt and Jordan, have peace deals with Israel and some, notably Syria and Saudi Arabia, remain technically at war with Israel. more..
Khan Younis governor meets with UNRWA to discuss plans for potential Israeli invasion
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Khan Younis – Ma’an – Khan Younis Governor Usama Al-Farra met with UNRWA’s emergency department in Gaza to discuss a joint plan to prepare for a potential major Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip. Since Israel’s labeling of the Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity" last Tuesday, there has been speculation that Israel is planning an escalation of military operations there. Governor Al-Farra said cooperation amongst municipal councils in the district will be critical in dealing with an emergency situation resulting from Israeli aggression. He also warned that an attack on Gaza would make Israel less secure, not more UNRWA, the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, administers numerous social services to Gaza Strip residents. more..
Palestinian PM of Hamas discusses lifting siege with Iranian President
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/23/2007
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismaail Haniya, of Hamas, discussed over phone on yesterday night the latest developments in the region including the international boycott of the Hamas-dominated government in Gaza. The Iranian president, Ahmad Mahmoud Nejjad, stressed on the ‘strength’ of Palestinian-Iranian ties, making clear he would work on lifting the siege being imposed on the Palestinian people, during the United Nations meetings, scheduled for early this week. Nejjad reiterated his government’s support to the Palestinian people by helping alleviate the Palestinian people suffering. The Islamic republic of Iran is said to be a supporter of the Islamist Hamas government in Gaza, which has been outlawed by the ‘moderate’ Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, since the Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in June. more..
Rokob: Forcing Gaza pilgrims through Jordan meant to spoil their Hajj
Palestinian Information Center 9/23/2007
GAZA, PIC-- Dr. Saleh Al-Rokob, the under-secretary of the PA Awkaf (endowment) ministry has warned Saturday that the alleged coordination between the "illegitimate" PA government in Ramallah city and the IOA to let Gaza pilgrims pass through Jordan was meant to spoil the Hajj season for this year. Rokob’s remarks were prompted by press statements of Jamal Bawatneh, the Awkaf minister in the "unconstitutional" government of Salam Fayyadh alleging that everything was arranged with the IOA to allow Gaza pilgrims pass to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Jordan by land. Batayneh claimed that PLO’s chief negotiator Saeb Erikat was the one coordinating with the Israelis in this regard, and that he (Erikat) had received the Israeli approval for that scenario. more..
Israel rejects Hamas’s offer for cease-fire in Gaza Strip
Jerusalem Post, ZNet 9/23/2007
(September 21, 2007) Israel has rejected an offer by Hamas to renew a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported Friday. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s office reportedly contacted a senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem through a third party before the cabinet decided on Wednesday to declare Gaza a "hostile territory." After the cabinet decision, the source responded to Hamas’s proposal, saying Israel would not hold talks with the group at this time. On Thursday, Haniyeh met with representatives of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza and asked them to abide by any cease-fire agreement Hamas would strike with Israel. The groups expressed willingness to assent, but wanted to wait for Israel’s response. more..
Olmert to meet with Sarkozy, Brown
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris and with Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London at the end of October. He will brief the two leaders on his meetings with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the peace conference in Washington in November, and will discuss ways of stopping Iran’s nuclear program. Olmert was last in Paris and London in June 2006. His talks with the previous leaders of France and Britain focused on the convergence plan, which has since been taken off the political agenda. Olmert has met with both Sarkozy and Brown in their previous posts. [end]
Hamas: Palestinians have right to oppose occupation by all means
Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
"Palestinians have the right to oppose Israeli occupation by all means available," Hamas said Saturday, following media reports of a thwarted suicide attack set for Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur. (For more, click here "We must put in place a balance of retaliation for Israel’s violent actions. This is not a new policy, but a clear stance that Hamas has opted to take. It concerns the right of every Palestinian to defend his or herself by any possible means," Barhoum concluded. Palestinian Authority officials said that the Nihad Shkirat (whose arrest last week led security forces to explosives in Tel Aviv) acted as head of Iz al-Din al-Qassam, Hamas’ military wing, in Nablus. The officials said the attack was meant to disrupt plans for the November peace summit in Washington, D. more..
Evangelicals disturbed by rabbis’ call to Jews to shun joint Sukkot event
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
The Chief Rabbinate has abruptly called on Jews to shun a major Christian tourism event, baffling and upsetting evangelical groups that traditionally have been big supporters of Israel. More than 6,000 Christians from more than 90 nations are expected to arrive in Jerusalem this week to take part in the 28th annual Christian celebration of the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, according to the event’s organizers, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Thousands of Christians take part in the celebration annually, as do Israeli lawmakers, government representatives and ordinary Israelis. Rabbi Shlomo Goren, a former chief rabbi, personally welcomed participants one year. But this year the Chief Rabbinate urged Jews to stay away from the event, saying some of the groups want to convert them to Christianity. more..
Egypt says teen arrested for trying to join militants in Gaza
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
An Egyptian teen was arrested Sunday as he tried to sneak into Gaza to join suicide bombers and attack Israel, the Interior Ministry said. The 16-year-old was arrested for the second time in six months at the Sinai Rafah crossing. The teen confessed he wanted to meet with Palestinian militants in Gaza in order to blow himself up in a suicide attack on Israelis, the ministry said. After his prior arrest, the teenager was handed to his family rather than punished by the state due to his young age. It was not immediately clear how Egyptian authorities would deal with the teen’s most recent arrest as he is under 18 and still considered a minor. Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979, and the border has never been heavily fortified. more..
Pardoned Fatah militant detained for planning terror attacks
Avi Issacharof, Yuval Azoulay and Mijal Grinbergs, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Border Police special forces Sunday arrested a Fatah militant that had been pardoned by Israel some two months ago, on suspicion that he had resumed militant activity. Fares Mansour, a member Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, was found in possession of explosives and weapons. He was one of around 180 Fatah militants granted amnesty by Israel two months ago in a deal with the Palestinian Authority. Mansour, like all prisoners pardoned in the July deal, had signed an affidavit renouncing terror acts, however he was suspected of involvement in shooting attacks on Israel Defense Forces troops. Explosives, a rifle and a handgun were found in his home. Three Palestinian militants were arrested Sunday after trying to snatch weapons from IDF troops in Hebron. more..
Barak approves 500 armed Palestinian police for Nablus
Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to the deployment of 500 armed Palestinian police officers on the streets of Nablus, to enforce law and order in the West Bank’s largest city. Defense Ministry officials said the officers would be deployed within two weeks and will only be permitted to operate during daylight hours. Barak’s decision followed a request made by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad in a recent meeting with Barak. The matter was also discussed at Barak’s meeting last week with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In preparation for the deployment, the officials said, security coordination meetings will be held between IDF officers operating in that sector and Palestinian police officers. One source in Barak’s office said that if the Nablus model is successful, it could be extended to other West Bank cities. more..
North American immigrants "worth" $200,000 each
Lilach Weissman, Globes Online 9/23/2007
The government will provide various aliya support organizations with aid. Beginning in 2008, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption will provide organizations supporting aliya (immigration) with NIS 18 million a year. At today’s meeting, the cabinet approved by majority vote a proposal by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Minister of Immigration Absorption Jacob Edery to provide support for these organizations. Under the decision, the government will recognize immigrant aid organizations. The cabinet also decided to set up an advisory committee headed by the immigrant absorption minister, and also including the director generals of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and the chairman of the Jewish Agency. more..
Nativity Church deportees may not return home by the end of Ramadan as pledged
Ma’an News Agency 9/23/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A group of Palestinians who were deported from the West Bank after a 2002 standoff in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem are worried that they may not return home before the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as had been suggested by Israeli authorities. The 42 deportees, 28 in the Gaza Strip and 14 in Europe, hoped to return after a breakthrough in negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli authorities this year. Deportees in Gaza told Ma’an Sunday that if they are not permitted to return to Bethlehem by the end of Radan, they will begin a hunger strike to protest their continued exile. One of the deportees, Jamal ’Ubayyat said that the Palestinian minister of interior, Abdur Razzaq Mahmoud al-Yahya had told him that the deportees will return home during the last days of Ramadan, without giving an exact date. more..
Lebanon arrests Israeli for murder, espionage
Yoav Stern, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
A dual citizen of Israel and Germany has been arrested in Lebanon on charges of espionage, a Lebanese judicial source said yesterday. Security officials said the man, Daniel Sharon, has been handed over to military intelligence for questioning. According to Lebanese publication Al-Akhbar Wa-Sapir, Sharon was arrested on Thursday as part of an investigation into the murder of a Lebanese citizen. During questioning, it emerged that Sharon had visited Lebanon 11 times on his German passport over the last two years. He denied allegations that he was on an espionage mission and said he was in Lebanon for leisure purposes, according to the source. Media reports said that police in the Merje area, a hotbed of the Lebanese Shi’ite Hezbollah movement in Beirut’s southern suburbs, were investigating the killing of Moussa al-Shalaani when the probe led them to Sharon. more..
Official insists Israeli arrested in Beirut wasn’t working for gov’t
Yoav Stern and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Israel said on Sunday that an Israeli man who has been arrested in Lebanon is not a spy, and his father said the young man converted to Islam several years ago and immersed himself in Arab culture. Lebanese officials announced the arrest of Daniel Sharon on Saturday and said they had handed him over for military interrogation because he visited Lebanon frequently. A government official insisted Sunday that Sharon was not working with Israeli authorities in any role. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive diplomatic nature of the case. Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz told Israel Radio Sunday that "Sharon had entered Lebanon on his own accord and in doing so had crossed the line," apparently referring to the ban on Israelis visiting countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations. more..
German official to meet with Israeli held in Lebanon
Yoav Stern and Jack Khoury, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
A representative from the German Foreign Ministry is scheduled to meet today with the dual citizen of Israel and Germany whom Lebanese security forces arrested last week for alleged espionage and murder. "I know the Germans are in the loop and are trying to help," Daniel Sharon’s father told Haaretz. "I’m also in contact with the Foreign Ministry’s team in Jerusalem, so I have no intention of speaking to the media so I don’t damage their efforts." Sharon’s mother, who is also German and currently living in Australia, is also said to be in contact with the German Foreign Ministry. According to uncorroborated media reports from Lebanon, the Israeli national may have been connected to terrorist attacks in Israel’s northern neighbor. more..
Israeli arrested in Lebanon is a Muslim convert
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 9/23/2007
German-Israeli citizen arrested in Beirut converted to Islam over 11 years ago, visited Lebanon on numerous occasions - Daniel Sharon, the Israeli citizen arrested in Beirut on Thursday, converted to Islam over 11 years ago. Sharon was interviewed by Yedioth Ahronoth upon his conversion to Islam. He said he was a devout Muslim who fasted on Ramadan and attended Friday prayers. Sharon’s father’s ex-wife, Orli, told Ynet on Saturday that the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the German Consulate in Beirut were working on his release. "The Foreign Ministry and the German Consulate are working on the issue. We know nothing beyond that and we do not want to harm the chance of ending this problem fast," Orli said. more..
Father of Israeli arrested in Lebanon says his son is no spy
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 9/23/2007
Moshe Sharon whose son Daniel was arrested in Lebanon on Thursday says he is concerned for his son’s safety - The father of the Israeli citizen arrested in Lebanon rejected reports on Sunday that his son was a spy and said he was concerned for his safety. Moshe Sharon’s son Daniel was arrested in Beirut on Thursday after Lebanese police found a photocopy of his Israeli passport at the scene of a murder. Daniel Sharon entered Lebanon 11 times in the course of last year using his German passport, Lebanese newspapers reported Saturday. "I believe my son encountered a problematic situation because he holds dual citizenship - German and Israeli," Moshe Sharon told Ynet. "I believe it will soon become clear that my son is neither a spy nor a criminal. more..
Report: IDF raid seized nuclear material before Syria air strike
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Israel Defense Forces commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a raid on a secret military site in Syria before the Israel Air Force allegedly bombed it this month, British newspaper The Sunday Times reported Sunday. The report, based on what the newspaper called "informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem," said the air strike was carried out with United States approval after Washington was shown evidence the material was nuclear related. The paper quoted Israeli sources as saying Israeli special forces had been gathering intelligence for several months in Syria, and had located the nuclear material at a compound in the country’s north. In another report, Newsweek quoted Uzi Arad, a former senior Mossad official and ex-policy advisor to then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu,... more..
Livni: UN should be ashamed
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/23/2007
Iranian president lands in New York for UN General Assembly amidst fierce protests against his visit, Israeli foreign minister calls platform being offered to Ahmadinejad ’shameful’ - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in New York on Sunday for the 62nd annual UN General Assembly as critics protested his planned speech at Columbia University and UN visit. Behind the scenes US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice continues working to promote a possible third round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran as a response to its advancing nuclear program. Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also in New York, has spoken out harshly against the divisive visit. "In a just world, his visit would never have been authorized and Iran would not be a member of the United Nations," said Livni. more..
Jordan allocates $1.5m to rebuild "Temple Mount"
Yoav Stern, Ha’aretz 9/24/2007
Jordan will allocate 1. 113 million Jordanian Dinars ($1. 5 million dollars) to the Jordan Hashemite Fund for the Reconstruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, King Abdullah II announced yesterday during a meeting of the trustees of the new fund. The king also instructed a bonus salary to be given to employees of the Waqf, as a gesture of thanks for their commitment and work. The new fund will be headed by Prince Ghazi, a cousin of the king. At the opening session, Ghazi proposed that Jordan offer passports to 90,000 residents of East Jerusalem. Reports of the proposal were made on the Arab satellite news organization, Al-Arabiya, but were omitted from the official release on the fund’s activities, reported on Petra, the kingdom’s news agency. more..
Sderot residents: Prisoner release? We’re the real prisoners
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 9/23/2007
Two more Qassam rockets hit Sderot area, while many residents were outside building sukkahs. No damages were caused, but residents complain: Public ignores our situation until tragedy strikes - After another day of relative quiet, two Qassam rockets were fired at western Negev communities from the Gaza Strip Sunday evening. One landed in Sderot and the second landed on a highway outside the city. Both landed in what the media refer to as "open areas". However, this term doesn’t quite manage to accurately represent what happens when a rocket falls, and residents end up feeling that the public only acknowledges their plight when tragedy strikes. Ilana Azran was at home with her five children when the rocket hit right outside her house. more..
Hamdan holds Arab world responsible for Gaza suffering
Palestinian Information Center 9/23/2007
BEIRUT, (PIC)-- Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, held the Arab world fully responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, calling on Arab states, especially Egypt and Jordan, to open up to the Strip and assist it to come through adversities, instead of closing the doors at the Palestinians. In a televised statement, Hamdan revealed that Ismail Haneyya, the premier of the caretaker government in Gaza, had many contacts with Arab and Islamic countries to explain the current Palestinian situation, pointing out that the Arab countries are unanimous in the need for immediate dialogue between Hamas and Fatah. Regarding the Israeli decision which classified the Gaza Strip as a hostile entity, the Hamas representative stated that it is a multi-dimensional decision... more..
’Commandos captured nuclear materials before air raid in Syria’
Jerusalem Post 9/23/2007
Soldiers from an elite Israeli unit captured nuclear material originating in North Korea from a secret Syrian military installation before IAF jets bombed it, a report by Britain’s Sunday Times wrote Saturday night, quoting "informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem." According to the sources quoted by the report, the alleged IAF attack was sanctioned by the US on September 6, after the Americans were given proof that the material was indeed nuclear related. The sources confirmed that the materials were tested after they were taken from Syria and were found to be of North Korean origin, which raised concerns that Syria may have been trying to come into possession of nuclear arms. The report said that the commandos, from the legendary General Staff’s Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal), may have been disguised in Syrian army uniforms. more..
IAF dispatches jets as Syrian plane disappears from radar
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
The Israel Air Force dispatched several fighter jets toward Syria Saturday, after a Syrian airplane disappeared from the Israeli radar screens, army sources said. The jets returned to base after they ascertained that the Syrian plane had crashed following an accident. The incident - which occurred amid record-high tension between Jerusalem and Damascus - ended with the Israel Air Force pilots returning to their base within minutes of being dispatched, after it transpired that the plane had crashed on Syrian soil. Both the Syrian Army and the Israel Defense Forces are reportedly on a heightened state of alert, following reports of an IAF aerial strike on Syrian soil early this month. Upon noticing the sudden disappearance of the Syrian plane, the IDF radar operators informed the chain of command. more..
IAF sends fighter jets after Syrian aircraft
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 9/22/2007
Jets sent out in search of aircraft after it disappeared from IDF radar. Aircraft found crashed on Syrian side of the border, not believed to have been on hostile mission - The IDF sent Israeli Air Force fighter jets after a Syrian aircraft that disappeared from IDF radar Saturday. According to IDF sources, the Syrian aircraft was later found on the Syrian side of the border, after it had crashed. The IAF jets found no evidence of the aircraft attempting an attack and proceeded to return from their mission safely. Sending IAF jets after unidentified aircraft which fall off the radar is a standard method of operation in the IDF, the sources said. Saturday’s incident was the height of the recent tensions between Israel and Syria, following Israel’s breach of Syrian airspace... more..
Israel to release 100 prisoners for Ramadan
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/22/2007
Government expected to approve list of 100 Palestinian prisoners to be released as goodwill gesture for Muslim holy month - The release of some 100 Palestinian prisoners is expected to be approved by the government Sunday, as a goodwill gesture for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Once the list of names is approved, a 48-hour waiting period will begin, during which objections can be made. Should no significant delays occur, the 100 prisoners are expected to be released on Tuesday. The Justice Ministry decided to release only prisoners who did not have blood on their hands. The list includes mostly Fatah members, as well as a few members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. No Hamas or Islamic Jihad members are included. more..
Dr. Barghouthi: "There is no real peace partner in Israel"
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/22/2007
In a press conference held in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian legislator, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, stated that Israel is ongoing with its assaults against the Palestinian people and is not interested in being a real partner for peace. Dr. Barghouthi said that Israel is barring Muslim worshippers from reaching the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a step which is considered part of the Israeli measures to isolate Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian areas in an attempt to impose Israel’s position regarding rejecting talks on Jerusalem in the final status peace talks. He also said that the current harsh measures and the increasing number of roadblocks are not due to the Jewish feasts as Israel claims, but are part of the Israeli policies of isolating Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian area. more..
President Abbas to meet George W. Bush next Monday
Ma’an News Agency 9/22/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an –United States President George Bush is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas next Monday in New York, the White House announced on Friday night. Spokesperson of the White House, Gordan Johndroe, said that President Bush will continue negotiations with Abbas regarding ways to achieve a two-state solution, with Palestinians and Israelis living side-by-side in peace and security. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades unit calls for cessation of negotiations with Israel
Ma’an News Agency 9/22/2007
Khan Younis – Ma’an – One Gaza-based unit of Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday to halt meetings with Israeli officials and boycott the US-sponsored international peace conference slated for November. The fighters argued that Abbas could begin negotiations only when Israeli officials put a stop to their "tyrannical" policies toward Palestinians. In particular they called for the removal of Israeli military checkpoints between West Bank cities. While the Al-Aqsa Brigades in the West Bank formally gave up armed struggle with Israel last July in exchange for amnesty, the brigades’ Gaza-based units have continued to launch attacks on Israeli targets. The brigades also called for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority... more..
Iran shows off new missile, taunts Israel
AFP, YNetNews 9/22/2007
Islamic Republic displays long-range Ghadr-1 missile during parade that calls for ’death to America and Israel’; head of Revolutionary Guards says ’enemy will regret any attack on us’ - Iran on Saturday showed off a longer-range missile in public for the first time and proclaimed a string of anti-Israel slogans, in a military parade held amid warnings of conflict with the West. The missile -- labeled Ghadr-1 (Power) -- was said to be in development by Western experts, but its appearance at the annual military parade to mark the start of Iran’s 1980-1988 war with Iraq was its first public showing. The official announcer at the parade told reporters that the weapon had a range of 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles), sufficient to put US bases in the Middle East and Iran’s arch enemy Israel within reach. more..
Iran, Israel clash at IAEA conference
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/22/2007
Alluding to claims that Olmert acknowledged Israel’s nuclear weapons program, delegate says, ’ Those who call for the elimination of Israel have no moral standing when they criticize Israeli policies aimed at defending Israel’s very existence’ - Israel accused Iran of lying Friday while Tehran challenged the international community to send UN inspectors to probe its arch-rival’s nuclear capabilities, in a rare and unusually bitter direct confrontation. UN officials at a 148-nation meeting of the International Int’l Atomic Energy Agency Rice swipes at IAEA, urges bold action on Iran / Reuters US secretary of state scolds UN’s atomic watchdog agency over Iran strategy; calls for diplomacy with ’teeth’ against Tehran, states ’all options’ remain on the table Full Story said... more..
Israeli in Lebanon under investigation in muder case and on espionage charges
Yoav Stern and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
An dual citizen of Israel and Germany has been arrested in Lebanon on charges of espionage, a Lebanese judicial source said on Saturday. Security officials said the man, Daniel Sharon, has been handed over to military intelligence for questioning. According to Lebanese publication Al-Akhbar Wa-Sapir, Sharon was arrested on Thursday during an investigation into the murder of a Lebanese citizen. During questioning, it emerged that Sharon had visited Lebanon 11 times on his German passport over the last two years. He denied allegations he was on an espionage mission and said he was in Lebanon for leisure purposes, according to the source. Media reports said that police in the Merje area, a hotbed of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement in Beirut’s southern suburbs, were investigating the killing of Moussa al-Shalaani when the probe led them to Sharon. more..
US, Israel shared intel before Syria raid
Middle East Online 9/21/2007
WASHINGTON - Israel warned the United States that North Korea might be sharing nuclear know-how with Damascus before it carried out an air strike deep inside Syria, the Washington Post reported Friday. Washington was "deeply troubled" by the Israeli intelligence showing North Korean nuclear personnel were in Syria, but US President George W. Bush decided against an immediate response out of concern it could derail delicate talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to abandon its own nuclear program, the Post said, citing unnamed US officials. After Israel shared its intelligence with the Bush administration in recent months, which included satellite imagery, the United States provided Israel with some confirmation of the original information before Israel went ahead with the night air raid on September 6, the Post reported. more..
UN human rights chief urges Israel to exercise restraint on Gaza
Reuters, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on Friday urged Israel to exercise restraint in its dealings with the Hamas-led Gaza Strip. In a statement voicing concern at Israel’s decision on Wednesday to declare Gaza a "hostile territory," Arbour said that reducing fuel and power to the tiny territory would place an "unbearable burden" on its 1. 5 million people. The former United Nations war crimes prosecutor and Canadian Supreme Court judge also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Arbour reminded Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law not to use disproportionate means or resort to collective punishment. Gaza had already paid a "heavy price" from daily violence, isolation and deprivation,... more..
Former Israeli defense minister warns of war on Gaza
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/21/2007
Former Israeli defense minister and current transportation minister, Shaol Mofaz, expected that an Israeli army attack on Gaza is coming up sooner or later. Mofaz was quoted as saying on Friday that “ day will come when Hamas and Fatah will be reunited in a time rockets are still falling on Sderot and nearby Israeli farms, in addition to continued capture of soldier Gil’ad Shalit. Therefore, we anticipate that a large-scale military offensive is coming soon”. Israeli media sources said Mofaz’s remarks were in response to a plan by deputy-prime minister, Haiem Ramon, in which he called for withdrawing from some parts of the occupied West Bank. Mofaz stated “ Jerusalem is not a realestate deal, and no single official can divide the city while the time is not due to discuss final status issues with the... more..
Arab states condemn Israel’s nuclear arsenal at IAEA conference
Daily Star 9/22/2007
Arab nations condemned Israel for having nuclear weapons on Friday, the final day of a general conference of the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Omani envoy Salim Mohammad al-Riyami presented the agenda item "Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat," saying there was concern over the "failure of the universality" of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since Israel refuses to sign it. Israel neither confirms nor denies it has nuclear weapons, although it is believed to have some 200 warheads. "Israel still benefits from total freedom to develop its nuclear capacities," Riyami told the 144 member states of the IAEA. Riyami had said in a document submitted along with the agenda item: "The policies of successive Israeli government have obstructed the peace process in the Middle East and all initiatives to free the region. more..
Israel ’warned US about North Korea-Syria link’
Daily Star 9/22/2007
Israel warned the United States that North Korea might be sharing nuclear know-how with Damascus before it carried out an air strike deep inside Syria, the Washington Post reported Friday. Washington was "deeply troubled" by the Israeli intelligence showing North Korean nuclear personnel were in Syria, but US President George W. Bush decided against an immediate response out of concern it could derail delicate talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to abandon its own nuclear program, the Post said, citing unidentified US officials. After Israel shared its intelligence with the Bush administration in recent months, which included satellite imagery, the US provided Israel with some confirmation before Israel went ahead with the night air raid on September 6, the Post reported. more..
Barak: Israel shouldn’t appease U.S. president with one year left
Mazal Mualem and Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week warned against forsaking Israeli diplomatic principles to gain favor with the Bush administration. In statements made to Haaretz, Barak warned against a "withdrawal from Israeli principles that have stood for 40 years, merely to gain favor in the eyes of an American president who is leaving office in a year." Barak also leveled harsh criticism on recent efforts by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Vice Premier Haim Ramon to advance diplomatic progress with the Palestinian Authority, stating that even if PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad wanted to sign a peace agreement with Israel, they don’t have the power to implement it. Barak’s words paint a strong contrast to statements made by Olmert speech to a Kadima Party gathering... more..
Ma’an Exclusive - Hamas media spokesman contacts Israeli deputy defence minister to discuss ceasefire, Israel refuses
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Ma’an news agency has learnt from unofficial Israeli sources that contact between the offices of the de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and that of the Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak was made last week. The contact occurred before the Israeli cabinet meeting declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" and threatened to cut off electricity and water supplies. The Israeli radio station, the Voice of Israel, mentioned that a prominent member of Haniyeh’s office contacted a prominent Israeli in the Defence Ministry, through an intermediary, to negotiate the ceasing of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel. However, Ma’an can reveal that some form of communication took place between Ghazi Hamad, media spokesman for Haniyeh’s office and Matan Falna’i, deputy defence minister. more..
Report: Israel appeals to Hamas in bid to reach truce
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/21/2007
Israeli sources approached Palestinian organization officials with offer to launch direct dialogue, al-Sharq al-Awsat reports. According to report, Norwegians acting as mediators, Gilad Shalit issue may also be discussed between parties Sources on behalf of the Israeli government have approached Hamas officials with an offer to launch a direct dialogue in order to bring upon a mutual truce, the London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Friday. The report has yet to be confirmed by Israeli sources. Rafah Operation Report: IDF kidnaps senior Hamas official / Ali Waked Palestinians report Israeli troops disguised as members of Hamas’ security force kidnapped Muhawesh al-Kadi, senior member of group’s military wing in Rafah. more..
Israel Pressure Hamas Ahead of Rice’s Arrival
Sreven Erlanger, Helene Cooper, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
Hours before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived here for talks on resolving the Middle East conflict, Israel increased the pressure Wednesday on Hamas, the militant Islamic group in control of the Gaza Strip, by declaring Gaza “hostile territory. ” The move opened the way for further restrictions on the supply of crucial goods like electricity and gasoline to Gaza. Israeli officials said the purpose of the declaration, by Israel’s security cabinet, was to hold Hamas accountable for any further rocketing or other attacks on Israel from Gaza, which Hamas took over when it routed Fatah forces in June. Asked about the Israeli decision, Ms. Rice said, “Hamas is a hostile entity to us as well. ” Both Israel and the United States, as well as the European Union, classify Hamas as a terrorist... more..
UN for nuclear-weapons-free Mideast
Middle East Online 9/21/2007
VIENNA - The UN atomic agency adopted a non-binding resolution on a nuclear weapons-free-zone in the Middle East with Israel and the US voting against and EU states except Ireland abstaining. The lack of consensus weakened the impact of the measure, at a general conference of the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), diplomats said. The Egyptian-sponsored resolution was backed by 53 votes, with two against and 47 abstentions. The IAEA has a tradition of adopting resolutions by consensus but the Middle East issue is an exception. The Iranian speaker blasted the vote as putting into question the views of "some members that full-scope safeguards" need be complemented by wider inspection measures, as Israel, which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) seemed to be exempt from this. more..
For first time, Iran directly confronts Israel on alleged nuclear arms
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
Israel accused Iran of lying, while Tehran challenged the international community to send inspectors to probe of its arch-rival’s nuclear capabilities, in an unusually bitter and rare direct confrontation on Friday. United Nations officials at a 148-nation meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna said they had no memory of the two rival nations ever engaging each other directly at previous meetings, and noted that development - and the unusually harsh tone of their statements - in part reflected Middle East tensions. The exchange came after chief Iranian delegate Ali Asghar Soltanieh - like Arab delegates before him - said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had acknowledged earlier this year that his country possessed nuclear weapons - something that Israel says Olmert never did. more..
Israel consulted US before Syria strike, report says
Mark Tran, The Guardian 9/21/2007
Israel’s decision to launch an air strike against a suspected nuclear site in Syria allegedly set up with the help of North Korea came after Israel shared intelligence with the US, it was reported today. The attack on September 6 has been shrouded in mystery, although the Israeli opposition leader, Binyamin Netanyahu, yesterday confirmed in a TV interview that such an attack did take place. His admission came despite a news blackout over the incident. The Washington Post today shed more light on the raid, which has sparked widespread speculation that it was a dry run for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The paper said the Bush administration was initially circumspect about Israel’s claim that North Korea was helping Syria, and decided against an immediate response because of negotiations aimed at persuading Pyongyang to ditch its nuclear programme. more..
Bush to hold first direct talks with Blair as Mideast envoy
Reuters, Ha’aretz 9/21/2007
U.S. President George W. Bush will meet Tony Blair in New York on Monday, for their first direct talks since the former British prime minister became international Middle East envoy, the White House said. Bush’s meeting with Blair will follow a separate session with U.S. -backed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad, also in New York, a day before Bush and other world leaders address the United Nations General Assembly. The round of talks could help lay the groundwork for a U.S. -sponsored Middle East peace conference scheduled for November. Bush played an instrumental role in last June’s appointment of Blair, his close ally in the 2003 Iraq invasion, as special envoy for the Quartet of Middle East mediators, the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. more..
Ramon: "Israel will not find a negotiator better than President Abbas and his PM"
PNN, International Middle East Media Center 9/21/2007
Haiam Ramon, first deputy of the Israeli prime Minster, stated on Friday that Israel will not find a negotiator better that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and his premier Salam Fayyad. He also described annexing Palestinian neighborhoods to Jerusalem as a bad mortgage deal saying that it is similar to annexing the Gaza strip to Israel. Ramon’s statements were made during a radio interview on Friday morning, as he was commenting on what was published over his suggestion to transfere Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem to the Palestinian territories. The Israeli legislator of the Likud party, Gideon Saar, said that in case Israel handed over Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem the situation of the residents will be worse than those of the Israeli city of Sderot. more..
Israel Minister’s Plan to ’Divide Jerusalem’ Sparks Outrage
Agence France Presse, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon sparked uproar across the political spectrum on Wednesday with a proposal to divide Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a peace deal. Ramon, a close ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, had written to a member of the Jerusalem city council proposing that Israel cede control over the occupied and annexed eastern sector to the Palestinians. But his comments triggered outrage even among members of Olmert’s governing coalition. "Jerusalem is a city that has been bringing together the Jewish people for thousands of years, and is not a bargaining chip or piece of real estate," said Eli Yishai, trade and industry minister of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. "Jerusalem is the Jewish people’s right of existence and there is no one who is able to... more..
Kadima members disagree over how J’lem should be divided
Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 9/22/2007
Serious differences of opinion have erupted in Kadima over the possibility that the agreement of principles Israel is now negotiating with the Palestinians will determine the final-status deal on Jerusalem. Seven years after the Camp David summit in 2000 and the cabinet’s subsequent decision to adopt, with reservations, then U.S. president Bill Clinton’s plan to divide the capital, no one in Kadima is asking whether Jerusalem will be re-divided. The only question is how it will be re-divided. Vice Premier Haim Ramon is promoting a plan to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad in which almost all Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem would be subtracted from the Israeli city and become part of a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem. more..
Olmert to provide cabinet with list of Palestinian prisoners considered for release
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, announced that he will provide his cabinet at their next meeting on Sunday with a list of Palestinian prisoners who "have not got blood on their hands," and may be considered for release. However, Olmert did not mention in Thursday night’s speech made to members of his Kadima party, the number of Palestinian prisoners that Israel has promised to release. Olmert told his party that he trusts the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, indicating his goodwill towards strengthening the Palestinian leadership. He added that he will meet with President Abbas after the end of the Jewish holiday at the beginning of next month. [end]
Erekat urges EU countries to increase efforts to move supplies into Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Jericho – Ma’an – Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization asked European representatives on Thursday to make more concerted efforts to supply the Gaza Strip with food, medicine, water, electricity, and other basic goods. Erekat said he was meeting with ambassadors, consuls, and other representatives of European Union countries, in hopes of sending a strong message to members of the Middle Eastern diplomatic Quartet of the US, Russia, European Union, and UN. Erekat also warned that Israel’s proclamation labeling the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" will result in further clashes between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. He also suggested that singling out Gaza makes little sense, as both it and the West Bank are occupied by Israel, citing the definition of occupation from the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. more..
Gaza City’s mayor urges European delegation to take action against Israeli seige policies
Ma’an News Agency 9/21/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A delegation from the European Parliament visited the municipal government of Gaza City on Friday. Gaza’s mayor, Majid Abu Ramadan, urged European not to tolerate Israel’s actions to further incarcerate and isolate the Gaza Strip. The meeting focused on Gaza’s humanitarian situation, which is worseningwith Israel’s decision to close border crossings even more tightly. Abu Ramadan condemned the Israeli pronouncement of the Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity," warning that the label represents an intention to "starve, torture, and deprive" the people of the Gaza Strip. He said these actions are war crimes, and should not be tolerated by the international community. He called on the European officials to pressure the Israeli government to stop these policies. [end]
Rice Meets Abbas in Search of Conference Accord
Sue Pleming, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confronted critics within his own party who fear he may concede too much to Palestinians and urged them on Thursday to seize an opportunity to make peace after 60 years of conflict. Addressing his centrist Kadima party hours after the latest round of meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Olmert said he would free more Palestinian prisoners as part of "measured gestures" toward President Mahmoud Abbas as they try to agree terms for a U.S. -sponsored peace conference. Few details filtered out from Rice’s 24 hours of talks in Jerusalem and Ramallah although Rice assured Abbas the gathering pencilled in for November near Washington should put the Palestinians firmly on the path to establishing their own state. more..
Just Another Empty Threat
Aluf Benn, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
There have been calls for cutting off the Gaza Strip’s electricity supply for some time now as a response to the frustrating and incessant Qassam rocket attacks. Until recently, however, they were viewed as heavy-handed proposals by ministers on the right. Only after Vice Premier Haim Ramon called for cutting off Gaza’s electricity supply two weeks ago, thereby making front-page headlines in Yedioth Ahronoth, was the idea manifested in a cabinet decision. Yesterday’s decision is an attempt by the government to throw a bone to residents of Sderot and other members of the public who are angry at the rocket attacks. But it contains any operational elements, only declarations - namely, the usual threats against Hamas. The electricity supply will continue, at least until a Qassam claims casualties. more..
The Court Decided: Menachem was Born in Jerusalem, but not Israel
Shmuel Rosner, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
It’s been a while since I wrote about this case, but now, when it seems to be concluded, an update is due. It is the case of Menachem Binyamin Zivotofsky of Jerusalem and his parents, suing the government over its refusal to write is his passport that he was born in Israel. The bottom line is simple: for the time being, Zivotofsky lost. The U.S. administration, as a matter of policy, is not willing to confirm that U.S. citizens who were born in Jerusalem were indeed born in Israel because, as was argued by the state’s representative in court, the issue is "the subject of profound dispute" and Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the city has never been decided. Zivotofsky petitioned the court based on a law passed by Congress in 2002 demanding that the secretary of state list Israel as the country of origin for U. more..
UN report: "Israel increased the number of roadblocks in the West Bank"
Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/21/2007
The United Nations issued a report revealing that Israel has increased the number of roadblocks in the occupied West Bank despite promises to reduce the number of roadblocks. The UN stated in its report that despite promises made by the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to remove 24 roadblocks and consider easing restrictions imposed on the movement of the Palestinians in the West Bank, the number of roadblocks has increased. Barak’s promise followed a similar promise by Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, during talks with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas. The UN report revealed that the number of roadblocks reached 572, which is a 52% increase compared to 376 roadblocks in August 2005, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported. more..
Shots in the dark over Syria’s skies
Sami Moubayed, Asia Times 9/22/2007
DAMASCUS - Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, while becoming the first official of that country to admit that it did conduct an air raid into Syria on September 6, sheds no further light on the escapade, thus adding to the mountain of speculation that already exists on the incident. Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had given Prime Minister Ehud Olmert his support for "an attack", and promptly drew a rebuke from the premier for speaking out of turn. Israel has imposed a media blackout on the events of the night of September 6, when Syria claimed its airspace in the northern province of Raqqa had been violated and that its defenses forced Israeli F-15 jets to flee, dropping "munitions" and fuel tanks in the desert near the Turkish border. more..
UNIFIL peacekeepers in South Celebrate International Day of Peace
Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 9/22/2007
NAQOURA: UN peacekeepers from 28 different national contingents that make up the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) celebrated the International Day of Peace in a ceremony held at the mission’s headquarters on Friday. "As we gather in our assembly of peace messengers, let us resolve to promote peace, to prevent violent conflict and to raise awarness of the International day of Peace. Today is meant to get people not just thinking of peace, but doing something about it. Let us pledge our direct support for a worldwide cease-fire," said UNIFIL’s commander, General Claudio Graziano. Twenty-six years ago, the UN General Assembly established the International Day of Peace as a day of global cease-fire and nonviolence and urged everyone to do their part and lay down their weapons in a day of peace. more..
UN finds 40 new W. Bank roadblocks in two months
Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Despite repeated promises to reduce the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, Israel has in fact added dozens of new ones, according to the United Nations. Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week to remove 24 roadblocks and consider additional alleviations of movement restrictions on the Palestinians. This followed a similar promise to alleviate movement restrictions that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, the number of roadblocks has now reached 572, an increase of 52 percent compared to 376 in August 2005, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the past two months alone, Israel put up 40 new roadblocks, OCHA said. more..
ISRAEL-OPT: Aid groups, UN protest Israeli sanctions move on Gaza
Tom Spender/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 9/21/2007
The Israeli cabinet decision would allow the state to cut fuel and electricity supplies to Gaza Strip JERUSALEM, 20 September 2007 (IRIN) - An Israeli cabinet decision on 19 September, which declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity" and which would allow the state to cut fuel and electricity supplies to the enclave, has been immediately condemned by aid and human rights organisations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was concerned "such a step would be contrary to Israel’s obligations towards the civilian population under international humanitarian and human rights law". The people of Gaza are "already suffering from the impact of prolonged closure" and they should not be punished for the "unacceptable" actions of militants who fire rockets into Israel, Ban said. more..
EU calls on Israel to reconsider sanctions against Gaza Strip
Barak Ravid, News Agencies and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/21/2007
The European Union joined on Thursday a United Nations call for Israel to reconsider its move to declare the Gaza Strip "hostile territory" and appealed for it not to cut key services to the Hamas-run territory. Israel announced the move on Wednesday, saying it would disrupt electricity and fuel supplies to the coastal strip as a step to prevent continued rocket fire at Israeli civilians. Following the cabinet’s decision, Israel Defense Forces officials on Thursday morning began formulating plans to limit services to the civilian population in Gaza. "Our first reaction is one of deep preoccupation... We think the Gaza people should not be deprived of basic necessities," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said. "We join the call by the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Israel... more..
Hanieyah and Suliemen discuss Gaza
PNN& agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/20/2007
The deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismaiel Haneyah, has spoken by phone to Amer Sulieman, head of the Egyptian Intelligence. During Thursday’s conversation the two men discussed Israel’s decision to regard Gaza Strip as a "hostile entity" and the necessity for Egypt to oppose any Israeli actions against Palestinians in the Strip. Sulieman confirmed that Egypt has an interest in the issue and has already had contact with the Israeli side. Haneyah informed Sulieman of the outcome of meetings he has had with some of Palestinian factions regarding the need for calm, saying he will meet other factions over the same issue. Haneyah told Sulieman that the factions intends to behave calmly as they appreciate the consequences for the Palestinian people in the current situation. more..
US ’urges Israel to end airspace violations’
Compiled by, Daily Star 9/21/2007
The United States has asked Israel to curtail its activities in Lebanon until the presidential elections there, scheduled to take place on September 25, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday. "American officials conveyed to their Israeli counterparts that Israel should avoid any steps that may affect the domestic situation in Lebanon, referring specifically to overflights of Lebanese airspace," the daily said. In talks with senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem two weeks ago, David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, stressed that the elections are a domestic Lebanese matter, and that it is important to avoid any actions that may influence the elections. A senior Israeli official said Wednesday that "in any case, Israel had no intention of intervening in Lebanon’s elections. more..
Haniyeh requests Egypt intervene to prevent Israeli invasion of Gaza Strip
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Isma’il Haniyeh has requested immediate Egyptian action to prevent expected Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh telephoned the chief of the Egyptian intelligence, Umar Sulaiman, on Thursday requesting Egypt intervene. This comes a day after Israel designated the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity." Sulaiman said that Egypt has already contacted the Israelis to try and prevent the massive Israeli incursion that has been threatened. Over the last two days, Haniyeh has met with leaders of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the mutual ceasefire. [end]
Israel’s decision won’t weaken Hamas, say Gaza residents
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Gazans believe Israel’s decision to declare Gaza hostile entity, impose sanctions won’t last long, say it is unlikely situation can get any worse Gaza residents seemed unmoved Thursday by Israel’s security cabinet’s decision to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile entity and launch economic sanctions against it. According to Abu Muhammad, a taxi driver from Beit Lahiya, the Israeli decision was the talk of the day in town Wednesday. "Everybody was saying Gaza was going to become one big prison and that it would be very difficult here. But they also said that Gaza was already a big prison and that the situation was dire as it is." Abu Muhammad believes that the decision will not affect Hamas, and that the ordinary people will be the ones to suffer. more..
Israel Grants Gaza ’Enemy’ Status, to Cut Vital Services
Palestine Chronicle 9/20/2007
Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, said the Israeli cabinet "made this decision according to our legal advisers, so it is according to international law". GAZA STRIP - The UN has urged Israel to reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity", warning that cutting vital services would violate international law. The Israeli move to cut off the power, water and fuel supplies on which Gaza is almost entirely dependent was backed by the United States on Wednesday. The Israeli prime minister’s office said Ehud Olmert’s security cabinet had approved the "enemy entity" classification and there would be "limitations on imports to the Gaza Strip and a reduction in the supply of fuel and electricity". The move is seen as retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire. more..
Report: Israel to pardon dozens of gunmen
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Palestinian sources tell Ynet Israeli military has agreed to pardon dozens of Fatah gunmen from Nablus, as well as dozens more across West Bank - Israel has agreed to pardon dozens of wanted terror suspects affiliated with President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, Palestinian sources said Thursday. The sources said that the IDF approved a list of 41 gunmen from Nablus as well as dozens of wanted terror suspects in the West Bank affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah’s military wing. Israel has yet to confirm the decision. About 300 wanted suspects were granted amnesty by Israel in late August in a goodwill gesture to Abbas. A Palestinian security official told Ynet that IDF commanders said that these would not be chased by the military if they surrender to Palestinian security forces. more..
UN warns Israel over ’enemy’ Gaza
Al Jazeera 9/19/2007
The UN has urged Israel to reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity", warning that cutting vital services would violate international law. The Israeli move to cut off the power, water and fuel supplies on which Gaza is almost entirely dependent was backed by the United States on Wednesday. The Israeli prime minister’s office said Ehud Olmert’s security cabinet had approved the "enemy entity" classification and there would be "limitations on imports to the Gaza Strip and a reduction in the supply of fuel and electricity". The move is seen as retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said Wednesday’s declaration intended to interrupt essential services could exacerbate the Palestinians’ difficult conditions. more..
Iran issues Israel attack warning
BBC Online 9/19/2007
Iran has drawn up plans to bomb Israel if it launches an attack on Iranian soil first, military officials say. The deputy commander of Iran’s air force said that in the "unlikely event" of an Israeli attack, Tehran could respond with air and missile raids. Israel’s foreign ministry said the comments were alarming and showed that the international community should take a "very firm stance" on Iran. The US dismissed Iran’s remarks as "unhelpful" and "not constructive". Iran denies the claims by Israel and the West that it is trying to acquire nuclear weapons, insisting it wants nuclear power to generate electricity for civilian use. ’Silly mistake’ Both Israel and Washington were responding to the comments made by Iran’s air force deputy commander Gen Mohammed Alavi. more..
Congress aids frequent flyers to Israel
Ran Dagoni, Washington, Globes Online 9/20/2007
US frequent flyers to Israel had been considered higher risk and paid higher premiums. Frequent flyers from the US to Israel will no longer face higher insurance premiums, implies a Life Insurance Fairness for Travelers section of the Terrorism Insurance Revision and Extension Act of 2007, which the US House of Representatives passed yesterday in a 312:110 vote. The travel fairness provisions included in bill protect travelers from denial of life insurance, simply because they may plan international travel or have traveled internationally in the past. The bill is designed to protect passengers against insurance companies that refuse to sell life insurance policies on the basis of an applicant’s past travel or future plans, or which charge a high and unwarranted premium on passengers with certain flight patterns. more..
Middle East talks ’must bring Palestinian state closer’
Mark Tran and agencies, The Guardian 9/20/2007
A planned Middle East conference must be "substantive" and bring a Palestinian state closer, the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said today. Speaking at a joint news conference with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at Ramallah, in the West Bank, she said participants must not "simply meet for the sake of meeting". Ms Rice is holding talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an attempt to convince them of the usefulness of the US-backed meeting, scheduled to take place in November. Mr Abbas told the news conference that some Arab countries were hesitant to confirm their attendance because the objectives of the talks were unclear. "I think many issues need to be clarified, and I think it’s the duty of the hosts of the conference," he said, referring to the US. more..
Likud MKs defend Netanyahu over Syria slip
Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Likud members rallied to the side of party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in an effort to contain the political damage that his statements acknowledging an Israeli operation in Syria may have caused. Likud MKs who were interviewed in the media yesterday went on the offensive against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his aides, whom they blamed for using the incident to make political capital at Netanyahu’s expense. MKs Limor Livnat, Gilad Erdan and Yuval Steinitz all maintained that Netanyahu’s statements did not undermine national security. On Wednesday, Netanyahu said in an interview with Channel One television that he had been privy to the Israeli operation in Syria, was a party to the decision and praised the prime minister for his action, which bolstered Israeli security. more..
Netanyahu ’admits Israeli strike’
BBC Online 9/20/2007
The Israeli opposition leader, Binyamin Netanyahu, has made the first apparent admission of Israel’s involvement in an alleged air strike against Syria. In a live interview on Israeli TV, Mr Netanyahu said he had congratulated Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the raid. "I was a partner in the issue from the start, and I gave my backing," he said. Mr Netanyahu was criticised for his remarks, after Israel had maintained an official policy of silence on the reported incident two weeks ago. This is simply very dangerous conduct and the man is not worthy of leading Labour party secretary general Eitan Cabel Speaking on Channel 1 news, Mr Netanyahu said: "When a prime minister does something that is important in my view and necessary to Israel’s security. more..
No one in Kadima is asking if J’lem will be divided, just how
Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Serious differences of opinion have erupted in Kadima over the possibility that the agreement of principles Israel is now negotiating with the Palestinians will determine the final-status deal on Jerusalem. Seven years after the Camp David summit in 2000 and the cabinet’s subsequent decision to adopt, with reservations, then U.S. president Bill Clinton’s plan to divide the capital, no one in Kadima is asking if Jerusalem will be redivided. The only question is how it will be redivided. Vice Premier Haim Ramon is promoting a plan to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in which almost all Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem would be subtracted from the Israeli city and become part of a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem. more..
Syria tells IAEA: Israeli nukes sparking arms race
Haaretz Staff and News Agencies, By Yossi Melman, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Syria’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that Israel’s nuclear capabilities were sparking an arms race in the region. "The fact that UN and IAEA decisions regarding Israel’s nuclear capability are not implemented increases the frustration of the Arab states and threatens to expand the arms race that could threaten the peace and security of the region and entire world," said Ibrahim Othman at IAEA’s annual conference. According to reports in the American and British media, the target of an alleged Israel Air Force strike on Syria earlier this month was a nuclear facility built with North Korea’s assistance. Syria has said IAF planes violated its airspace and fired missiles at targets on the ground, but both Damascus and Pyongyang have vehemently denied reports of nuclear cooperation. more..
IDF: Syrian attack unlikely, but alert still high
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
The likelihood of a general conflagration with Syria as a result of the air attack reported in the international press two weeks ago is unlikely, IDF sources told Haaretz yesterday. However, readiness on the Golan Heights remains high on the eve of Yom Kippur due in part to concerns Syria may try to retaliate for the alleged attack on a nuclear installation. Foreign media reported North Korea had helped construct the installation. Battalions of the Givati Brigade, which normally operates in the south, were moved to the Golan Heights so that they could participate in a major exercise that ended yesterday. Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi watched the final day of the exercise yesterday, and on Wednesday, Givati was visited by GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant, under whose command the brigade falls. more..
PM sees ’partner’; Barak doubts PA can deliver on deal
Aluf Benn and Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a gathering of Kadima yesterday that "there is a partner" for dialogue in the Palestinian Authority. However, Defense Minister and Labor leader Ehud Barak said during meetings in recent days that despite the goodwill of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayad to move toward a settlement, it is doubtful they would be able to implement one. The Kadima gathering at the party compound in Petah Tikva yesterday evening was the first of its kind and followed demands from party ministers and MKs who wanted updating on the discussions Olmert had been having with Abbas. Some senior party members had criticized the efforts of Olmert and Vice Premier Haim Ramon to move forward in talks with the Palestinians, expressing concern that they were leading Israel into a rash diplomatic scenario. more..
Barak: Israel wants peace but knows how to fight wars
Yonit Atlas, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Defense minister says during commemoration ceremony for fallen paratroopers, ’ We want peace even when voices of war arise in Syria and swords are being readied in Iran’ Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that Israel was not interested in war but is strong enough to defend itself should its neighbors attack. "We can win in every situation. We want peace even when voices of war arise in Syria and swords are being readied in Iran," Barak said during a ceremony at the Har Nof air force base to commemorate fallen IDF paratroopers. "I promise to continue to defend the state of Israel. The threats are now different in nature and are more dangerous. It is now the 60th year since Israel’s inception, and are still conspiring to wage war against us, but we are not resting - we are dreaming of peace, building, sowing and fighting," he said. more..
Syrian official: Damascus eager to respond to Israel flyover
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Senior Ba’ath official tells Arab-Israeli reporter there is growing consensus among Syrian leadership for need to retaliate to reported Israeli violation of Syrian airspace - A senior official in the ruling Syrian Ba’ath party said Thursday there was growing consensus among the Syrian leadership for the need to launch a military response to Israel’s reported airstrike in Syria two weeks ago. The official said the Syrian air force has been placed on high alert. The official made the remarks to a reporter from the Arab-Israeli newspaper Al-Hadath during a visit to Jordan. The official said Israel ordered the flyover in Syrian airspace to test air defense systems newly acquired from Russia. more..
Olmert: We have partner for peace
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/20/2007
’For many years we were content to say that ’there is no partner’ (for peace), but now all signs indicate that there is,’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declares. Recent meetings with PA leader Abbas have achieved progress, he says "For many years we made do with declaring that ’there is no partner’ (for peace), but now all signs indicate that there is," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday during a Kadima faction meeting. "We aren’t deluding ourselves. We all saw what happened and is still happening in Gaza. The moderate forces must withstand complicated tests in the intra-Palestinian arena. However, we can’t and don’t want to ignore the moderate voices in Ramallah. We can’t be blind to the fact that the elected leader of the Palestinian people, President Mahmoud Abbas, believes as we do that the solution to the conflict is only through negotiation. more..
Mofaz: Jerusalem not piece of real estate
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Kadima members slam Ramon’s proposal to cede control of Arab neighborhoods in capital as part of peace agreement with Palestinians. ’This is not the time for concessions,’ transportation minister says. Ramon: Jerusalem no longer Zionist Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz disparaged Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon over his call on the government to cede control of Arab east Jerusalem to the Palestinians and establish joint sovereignty over the city’s holy sites. Ramon’s Proposal Ramon: Give parts of Jerusalem to Palestinians / Ronny Sofer Vice premier authors position paper proposing transfer of Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods to Palestinian Authority Full Story Speaking at a Kadima party convention on Thursday, Mofaz said, "Jerusalem is not a piece of real estate, and no one has the authority to redivide it. more..
144-nation atomic energy conference criticizes Israel
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Conference censures Israel for refusing to put its nuclear program under international purview A 144-nation atomic energy conference criticized Israel Thursday for refusing to put its nuclear program under international purview, with the United States alone in supporting the Jewish state. Besides Washington, only Israel voted against the resolution, while 53 nations backed it and 47 abstained. The remaining nations were absent for the highly unusual vote "” only the second in the 16 years the issue has been on the agenda of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Up to last year, the resolution on "Application of IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East" had been adopted by consensus, but in 2006, and again this year, Israeli objections forced a vote. more..
Nablus: 2 pardoned Fatah members detained, then released
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/20/2007
Palestinians say al-Aqsa members apprehended during IDF operation in refugee camp released by Israel for fear their arrest would jeopardize amnesty deal - Two senior members of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades were released a few hours after being apprehended by IDF forces operating in the Ein Beit Ilam refugee camp in Nablus, Palestinian sources reported Thursday. According to the sources, the arrest of Ibrahim and Jamal Ismail angered senior Palestinian Authority officials who claimed the brothers were well-known for their activity against Hamas in the West Bank city and were recently pardoned by Israel in the framework of the amnesty deal. Palestinian sources said the two were released by Israeli authorities for fear their arrest would cause dismay among the al-Aqsa Brigades and jeopardize the amnesty deal. more..
UK High Court of Justice to Hear Legal Challenge on UK Sale of Arms-Related Equipment to Israel
Al-Haq, MIFTAH 9/20/2007
A full public hearing will be held before the UK High Court of Justice in London on 10 -11 October 2007 in the case of R (Saleh Hasan) v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Following the blanket refusal by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to respond to the claimant’s request for a justification of UK policy on arms-related sales to Israel, the High Court will hear arguments in a claim filed on 15 November 2006 by UK Solicitor Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), in cooperation with Al-Haq. PIL will argue that the UK’s sale of arms-related equipment to Israel is in breach of UK obligations under international law as well as UK statutory law, specifically, the UK Export Control Act of 2002, which incorporates the “consolidated criteria” governing the export of military equipment. more..
Israel trying to permanently separate Gaza Strip and West Bank, Barghouthi warns
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s declaration that the Gaza Strip is an "enemy entity" is a declaration of war against all Palestinian people and a form of collective punishment for all Gaza residents, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), said on Thursday. Mustapha Barghouthi, stated that Israeli hostilities towards Gaza are "part of its overall strategy to fragment the Occupied Palestinian Territories," adding that this underlines Israel’s determination to continue its full scale military occupation. He said that this demonstrates "the emptiness" of Israeli claims that it will assist in the setting up of a viable Palestinian State. Barghouthi condemned Israel’s attempts to separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, adding that the Palestinian government should... more..
Israeli officials question "enemy entity" pronouncement
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A high-ranking official in the Israeli defense ministry said the declaration of that the Gaza Strip is an "enemy entity" would result in more attacks on Israelis and the further radicalization of the Palestinian public in Gaza against Israeli policy. According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the anonymous official said, "The cabinet, with such a decision, is just antagonizing the average Palestinian citizen, while the real enemy is the launcher of the projectiles." The paper reported that the defense ministry is gauging official and public reactions to the decision, which was announced yesterday. The ministry is reportedly concerned that cutting electricity off from the Strip will result in more homemade projectile attacks. more..
Abbas says peace summit set for mid November
Ma’an News Agency 9/20/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – "The international US-sponsored conference on the Middle East will be held in mid November," Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday. He was speaking at a press conference with US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice in Ramallah in the central West Bank. Abbas said he believed those Arab countries that have not yet committed to attending the conference would do so if "the ambiguity of the conference details" was ironed out. "The situation is ambiguous for the Arab countries, and the sponsors of the conference need to explain several ambiguities. When that is achieved, I believe the Arab countries will attend the conference," he said. Abbas also pointed out that the Palestinian teams are ready to begin a series of meetings with the Israeli teams to ensure the success of the conference. more..
Hamas and the PFLP in Nablus organize a protest against the military invasion into Nablus
Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center 9/20/2007
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, PFLP, organized on Wednesday a protest in Nablus city against the Israeli military invasion into Al Ein refugee camp, west of the city. The protesters, including a very noticeable presence of women, marched from Nablus towards Al Ein refugee camp. Sheikh Maher Al Kharraza, one of the prominent leaders of Hamas in Nablus, and Zaher Al Shishtry, representative of the PFLP at the Political Factions Coordination Committee, participated in the protest. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans demanding stopping any security coordination with the Israeli occupation and demanding the Palestinian Security devices to protect the Palestinian people "instead of arresting the political figures and fighters". more..
American journalist criticizes American Media coverage of Palestinian issues
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/20/2007
In a lecture organized by the Al Najah University of Nablus on Wednesday, Alison Weir, founder of the ‘If Americans knew’ organization, criticized the biased American Media coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In the course of the speech, Weir spoke about the activities her organization and analyzed American media coverage of the conflict, arguing that it misrepresents what is, in essence, a brutal war of oppression against the Palestinians. A study conducted by her organization revealed that US media reported on Israeli victims of the conflict 15% more than Palestinian children victims, despite the fact that many more Palestinians have been killed – a fact supported by the research of various human rights groups in Israel and abroad. more..
British-born academic sent to U.K. to fight university boycott
Daphna Berman, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
The anti-Israel boycott movement in the U. K. has woken up Britain’s Jewish community, Israel’s new official academic representative in the U. K. on the issue said during a recent interview. "They are more laid back than the American Jewish community, and the boycott was the straw that broke the back of the camel. They’ve poured in their resources," Prof. David Newman characterized the British Jewish community. "There has been a gradual growth in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment. It’s been a war of attrition, another bit here, another bit there. But the proposal of the [University and College Union], the fact that it was aimed at universities - a place for open, liberal discourse - this really woke them up." Jewish communal organizations like BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research... more..
Syria: Israeli nuclear weapons are sparking Mideast arms race
Yossi Melman, Haaretz Service and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/21/2007
Syria’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that Israel’s nuclear capabilities were sparking an arms race in the region. "The fact that UN and IAEA decisions regarding Israel’s nuclear capability are not implemented increases the frustration of the Arab states and threatens to expand the arms race that could threaten the peace and security of the region and entire world," said Ibrahim Othman at IAEA’s annual conference. According to reports in the American and British media, the target of an alleged Israel Air Force strike on Syria earlier this month was a nuclear facility built with North Korea’s assistance. Syria has said IAF planes violated its airspace and fired missiles at targets on the ground, but both Damascus and Pyongyang have vehemently denied the reports of nuclear cooperation. more..
Israel declares Gaza ’enemy entity’
Mark Tran and agencies, The Guardian 9/19/2007
Israel’s security cabinet today declared Gaza an "enemy entity", paving the way for possible cuts in fuel and water to the Hamas-controlled territory. The decision, described by Hamas as a "declaration of war", follows almost daily rocket attacks from Gaza at southern Israel. So far, Israeli air strikes and limited incursions against the rocket launchers have failed to stop the rocket fire. Gaza is almost entirely dependent on Israel for vital supplies. "It is a declaration of war and continues the criminal, terrorist, Zionist actions against our people," a Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, said. The increase in tension between Israel and Hamas Islamists, who seized control of Gaza from their Fatah rivals in June, coincided with a visit to the region by the US secretary of state, Condoleeza Rice. more..
Rice says US also views Hamas as hostile group
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/19/2007
US Secretary of State says during press conference with Foreign Minister Livni in Jerusalem that her country will not ’abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza’ - Hamas is a hostile group in the eyes of the United States," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday during a Jerusalem press conference with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Rice’s remarks came hours after the Israeli cabinet declared the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip a hostile entity and pledged to curb energy supplies to the 1. 5 million Palestinians living in the coastal territory. Gaza Crisis Abbas: Israeli sanctions on Gaza ’oppressive’ / Associated Press Palestinian president condemns Israel’s plan to cut fuel, electricity supplies to Gaza Strip, says it will only strengthen chocking embargo imposed on 1. more..
Former Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei’ to head Palestinian negotiating team
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed the former Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei’, to preside over the Palestinian team which will negotiate with the Israelis over the final status issue, Ahmad Abdul- Rahman, the formal spokesperson of the Fatah movement, told Ma’an on Wednesday. The secretary of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo, and the chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, were also appointed to the team. Spokesman, Abdul-Rahman categorically denied that Abbas has entrusted a Palestinian intellectual to rewrite the Palestinian national charter. The spokesperson explained that a legal committee within the Palestinian National Council (PNC) is in charge of implementing any such decisions. more..
Feature - Gaza on war footing as Israel declares it "enemy"
Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, Sept 19 - Reuters, ReliefWeb 9/19/2007
The Hamas-run Gaza Strip is bracing for a major incursion by Israeli forces after the Jewish state labelled the territory an "enemy entity" on Wednesday, a move the Islamist group described as a declaration of war. Wearing brightly coloured headbands, hundreds of militants have taken up positions along the border fence with Israel and in Gaza city whilst ordinary people shovel sand into bags to use as barriers to block any invading troops." The preparations by militants gave us the feeling the Israelis are about to invade any minute," said taxi driver Khaled Ali, as militants flagged him down at a checkpoint. "God forbid, if Israel invaded there would be a massacre. ". Israel said on Wednesday it would reduce its fuel and power supplies to Gaza and would continue military activity and "targeted killings" in. more..
Hamas: Cabinet’s decision - a declaration of war
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Organization slams Israeli cabinet’s decision to declare Gaza hostile political entity. Decision carries dangerous ramifications, warns Hamas The security cabinet’s decision to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile political entity "constitutes a declaration of war" as far as Hamas is concerned, a spokesman for the organization said Wednesday. The cabinet’s decision was carried unanimously and effectively authorized the government to impose economic sanctions against Gaza, so long as they do not affect the civilian population. Enough Cabinet votes Gaza a ’hostile entity’ / Ronny Sofer Security cabinet approves economic sanctions against Gaza in response to incessant Qassam attacks, ministers in consensus against retaking Gaza. more..
Israel bars students from leaving Gaza at last minute
Amira Hass, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
On Monday night, the Defense Ministry telephoned the Israeli liaison office for the Gaza Strip and delivered surprising news: Despite lengthy prior coordination, civilians would not be allowed to leave the strip through the Erez and Nitzana crossings. But the Ministry for Civilian Affairs in Ramallah, the Palestinian body that coordinated the passage through the crossings, did not receive this message. Thus the ministry, which is the liaison office’s Palestinian counterpart, could not inform its Gaza office - which is manned by Fatah loyalists. As a result, the ministry’s head, Hussein al-Sheikh, had already announced the happy but false news on Tuesday: Students from Gaza would be allowed to go through the crossings to study abroad. There are currently several thousand Palestinian students who have been accepted... more..
US-sponsored autumn conference will fail without guarantees, Abbas aides say
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an – Two of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’ advisors on Wednesday said they doubted the US-sponsored autumn conference will achieve anything. Nabil Amr told Ma’an that the conference will not succeed unless decisions are taken to reactivate the final status’ issues, along with meetings between both sides aiming to implement the already signed agreements. Abbas will ask the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who is currently visiting the region, to impress upon the Israelis the necessity of beginning the final status negotiations, according to Amr." Abbas will also state to Rice the necessity of all concerned Arab countries taking part in the conference," he added. Amr denied that Abbas will ask Rice not to set the date for the conference until the Israelis and the Palestinians reach a joint formula. more..
Report: Abbas has reservations about summit
Roee Nahmias, Reuters, YNetNews 9/19/2007
London-based al-Hayat reports Palestinian Authority president not eager to attend Mideast conference in November if no concrete political results can be guaranteed. Meanwhile, Rice makes her way to region, promises real progress towards two-state solution US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday "critical issues" would be tackled at a US-led peace conference and called on Israelis and Palestinians to do more to bridge their differences. Speaking en route to Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Rice said she hoped her brief trip would build up momentum ahead of the conference. "We can’t simply continue to say we want a two-state solution, we have got to start to move towards one," Rice told reporters before a refueling stop in Shannon. more..
Rice to arrive today to prepare for regional summit
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will arrive in Israel today for a 24-hour visit. She will also visit the Palestinian Authority. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will try to set a timetable for progress with Rice in advance of the regional conference scheduled to be held in Washington in November. He will try to convince Rice that "joint declarations," including a mention of the core issues, are sufficient for the conference, and that a full "agreement of principles" is not needed. Rice will land in Israel this afternoon and go straight to the Foreign Ministry, where she will meet with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hold a press conference. Afterward, she will meet with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. more..
Dutch church to reexamine policy of solidarity with Israel
Cnaan Liphshiz, Ha’aretz 9/19/2007
After 37 years of boasting of "inalienable solidarity" with the people of Israel, the Netherlands’ second largest church plans to reexamine its stance this fall. A group of notables from the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN) warned last week that the organization, which has over two million members, is in danger of being "hijacked" by pro-Palestinian activists. The warning - coauthored by Dr. Jan van der Graaf, who served for 35 years as general secretary within one of the three churches that make up the PCN, and three other prominent church figures - was an open letter against changing the reference to Israel. It was addressed to Minister Henri Veldhuis, a General Synod member who said the clause made the church adopt a biased view that ignored Israeli actions against Palestinians. more..
UN chief: Cutting off fuel to Gaza is violation of international law
Barak Ravid, and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 9/19/2007
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel on Wednesday to reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile territory, warning that any cutoff of vital services would violate international law and punish the already suffering civilian population. In one of his toughest statements aimed at Israel since taking the reins of the UN on January 1, Ban said he was very concerned at the Israeli government’s declaration earlier Wednesday and its announced intent to interrupt essential services such as electricity and fuel to the civilian population." Such a step would be contrary to Israel’s obligations towards the civilian population under international humanitarian and human rights law," he said." I call for Israel to reconsider this decision," the secretary-general said in a statement read by UN spokeswoman Michele Montas. more..
Al Khaldi: Peace conference success depends on Israeli goodwill gestures
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 9/19/2007
Majdi Al Khaldi, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Wednesday that there is an Arab and Palestinian consensus that the success of the American peace conference scheduled for this November depends on making solid principles for the conference, and on the goodwill gestures by Israel. These gestures include stopping the construction of the wall and settlements and lifting the road blocks that are restricting the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank. The statement of the Palestinian official came in response to reports that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is being pressured by his party, Fatah, not to attend the Peace conference unless he can guarantee a sure outcome and the participation of international Arabic states. more..
Arab League ’should join Middle East peace talks’
Paul Owen, The Guardian 9/19/2007
The Arab League would join international negotiations on the future of Israel and the Palestinians under a new peace plan adopted by the Liberal Democrats today. The so-called "Quartet" of the US, the UN, the EU and Russia would become a quintet under the proposals. The controversial barrier built by Israel roughly along its border with the West Bank would be dismantled or re-routed as part of the plans, which would also halt the construction of new Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas. In return, the Lib Dems said, the Palestinians and Arab countries should recognise Israel. The proposal to include the Arab League in negotiations was the most controversial point in a lengthy and wide-ranging debate. An amendment limiting the League’s involvement to those members who recognised Israel - Egypt and Jordan - was rejected. more..
PLO and PA denounce ongoing Israeli aggression in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 9/19/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Wednesday denounced the ongoing Israeli aggression in Nablus which has resulted in the deaths of two Palestinian citizens, and the injury and apprehension of several others. The condemnation came in a formal statement by the presidency’ spokesperson. "This aggression and unleashing the Israeli military might to kill the Palestinian people and destroy their properties represents a continuation of the same criminal policy. This also leads us to enquire whether the assault was a plot prepared in advance by the Israeli government, aimed at deliberately spoiling the efforts of US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice to reach positive results between the Palestinians and the Israelis before the US-sponsored autumn summit," he said. more..
Rice wants ’serious’ Mideast conference
Sylvie Lanteaume - SHANNON, Ireland, Middle East Online 9/19/2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she wanted to organize a "serious and substantive" international conference to advance the cause of Palestinian-Israeli peace. She had departed Washington Tuesday for Jerusalem and Ramallah, for meetings which aim to revive long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks and prepare for the conference this autumn. "This meeting has to, in a substantive way, support the activities and the efforts of the parties to lay the foundations for the negotiation of a Palestinian state as soon as possible," she told journalists in the plane taking her to the Middle East. "I think everybody expects it to be serious and substantive. I think everybody expects it to address critical issues and we do not expect anything less," Rice said before stopping over in Shannon, Ireland. more..
Syria rejects Israeli talks offer as ’trickery’
Middle East Online 9/19/2007
DAMASCUS - Syria on Wednesday rejected as "trickery" a call by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to hold unconditional negotiations with Damascus, with whom the Jewish state is technically still at war." What is new in Olmert’s proposals is the respectful tone, but the rest is only a repetition of old proposals aiming to trick and divide," the official Tishrin newspaper said in an editorial." If Israel were truly committed to peace... it would return to negotiations at the point where they were halted," the paper said. Peace negotiations broke off in January 2000, largely over the Syrian Golan Heights, occupied by the Jewish state in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Talks have remained frozen ever since." If Olmert were a man of peace, he would not have launched the war last year against the people of Lebanon, nor. more..
NY Times: Israel informed U.S. before Syria raid
Yossi Melman and Anshel Pfeffers, and AP, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
American and Israeli sources say the Israeli government informed the Bush administration of the planned raid in Syria shortly before the attack, The New York Times reported yesterday. It remains unclear whether the Americans expressed support for the raid or were opposed to it. Nor is it known whether U.S. intelligence agencies shared the Israeli assessments regarding the facility targeted. According to the newspaper report, some officials questioned Syria’s financial and scientific ability to initiate a nuclear program. In an indirect reference yesterday to the Israeli air incursion over Syria on September 6, President Shimon Peres said that tensions between Syria and Israel have subsided and that Israel is ready for direct peace negotiations with Syria. more..
Netanyahu offers first confirmation of Syria operation
Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
In what appears to be the first confirmation by a senior politician of foreign media reports of an Israeli operation in Syria two weeks ago, opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel One television last night that he was party to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s decision. In an interview with Channel One news anchor Haim Yavin, Netanyahu said that he briefed on Olmert’s decision to carry out an operation in Syria, gave him his backing and congratulated him." When the prime minister take action in important and necessary matters, and generally when the government is doing things for the security of Israel, I give it my endorsement," he said. "I was party to this matter, I must say, from the first minute and I gave it my backing, but it is still too early to discuss this subject. more..
Netanyahu says was in on Syrian mission plans
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/19/2007
In first comment by Israeli official following reports on IDF overflight in Syria, opposition leader claims he was informed about operation ’from the start’. Netanyahu praises Prime Minister Olmert for Syria mission but slams him over willingness to negotiate on Jerusalem. ’The Western Wall isn’t real estate; the Temple Mount is in our hands only as long as the IDF is there’, he tells Ynet Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he had been informed about the reported IDF operation in Syria "from the start" and praised Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for carrying out the mission. He was the first Israeli official to break the silence and admit that the overflight in Syria did take place. Netahyahu’s office said in response that he was not referring to a specific operation and that he did not reveal any details. more..
UN chief urges Israel to reconsider decision on Gaza
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Ban Ki-moon warns that any cutoff of vital services to Strip would violate international law, punish already suffering civilian population UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel on Wednesday to reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity," warning that any cutoff of vital services would violate international law and punish the already suffering civilian population. In one of his toughest statements aimed at Israel since taking the reins of the UN on Jan. 1, Ban said he was "very concerned" at the Israeli government’s declaration earlier Wednesday "and its announced intent to interrupt essential services such as electricity and fuel to the civilian population." US Support Rice says US also views Hamas as hostile group / Ronny Sofer US Secretary... more..
Barak: Israel could partially hand over security to PA
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Defense minister says Jewish state willing to transfer security matters to Palestinian security forces in one or two of West Bank towns Defense Minister Ehud Barak told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday evening that Israel would be willing to allow the Palestinian Authority to oversee day-time security in one or two West Bank cities. Barak also presented Rice with plans to erase 24 checkpoints in the West Bank part of government assurances to Washington and President Mahmoud Abbas to ease the living conditions of the Palestinians. Ashkenazi, Barak and Rice meet in Jerusalem (Photo: Ami Shabi) "I believe we need to build a political horizon with the Palestinians and ease their daily lives, but the security of Israel’s citizens is our utmost priority," Barak told Rice during their meeting in Jerusalem. more..
Meretz: Cabinet can’t whitewash war crimes in Gaza
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Left calls cabinet decision to declare Gaza a hostile entity ’dangerous and foolish. ’ Right dismisses cabinet vote as ’lip-service’, too little and too late - Both sides of the political spectrum slammed the security cabinet’s decision Wednesday to declare Hamas-controlled Gaza a "hostile entity." "The Olmert-Barak government, elected on a platform of peaceful promises, seems in reality to specialize only in declarations of war," said Meretz MK Ran Cohen. ’Hostile Entity’ Hamas: Cabinet’s decision - a declaration of war / Ali Waked Organization slams Israeli cabinet’s decision to declare Gaza hostile political entity. Decision carries dangerous ramifications, warns Hamas Full Story "The cabinet’s statement contributes nothing to the security of residents of the Israeli... more..
Abbas: Israeli sanctions on Gaza ’oppressive’
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/19/2007
Palestinian president condemns Israel’s plan to cut fuel, electricity supplies to Gaza Strip, says it will only strengthen choking embargo imposed on 1. 5 million people, increase their suffering - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday condemned Israel’s plan to cut fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip, calling it ’’an oppressive decision. ’’ The security cabinet approved the sanctions as a response to continuing Palestinian rocket fire out of the Gaza Strip. It says the sanctions are meant to pressure Gaza’s Hamas rulers to halt the rocket attacks. Meretz: ’Cabinet can’t whitewash war crimes in Gaza’ / Amnon Meranda Left calls cabinet decision to declare Gaza a hostile entity ’dangerous and foolish. more..
Israel to remove 24 barriers across West Bank
JERUSALEM, Sept 19, 2007 - AFP, ReliefWeb 9/19/2007
JERUSALEM, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Israel is to remove 24 barriers across the West Bank in a bid to ease the hardships of Palestinians living under occupation and boost president Mahmud Abbas, the defence ministry said Wednesday. Defence Minister Ehud Barak presented the plan during a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who arrived earlier in the day for a series of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to discuss efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process. "The defence minister presented during their meeting the removal of 24 barriers across Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), in order to ease the movement of Palestinians," his office said in a statement. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week pledged to present a plan to remove some of the more than 500 West Bank roadblocks... more..
U.S. Officials: Israeli Border Authorities Harass Arab Americans
Barak Ravid, MIFTAH 9/19/2007
American officials have complained recently that Israeli immigration authorities harass American citizens of Arab origin at Israeli border crossings. During meetings between senior State Department officials and their counterparts in Israel, the Americans said that in recent months there has been a troubling increase in the number of complaints by American citizens of Palestinian and Arab origin, regarding the treatment they receive at border crossings and airports in Israel. The Americans complained about long delays, a suspicious attitude, and degrading security checks. The State Department officials stressed that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very perturbed by this issue and said they expected immediate improvement. more..
Uproar over plan to split Jerusalem
Al Jazeera 9/19/2007
Israel’s deputy prime minister has sparked uproar with a proposal to divide Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a peace deal. The proposal by Haim Ramon, reported on Wednesday, was made in a letter to a member of the Jerusalem city council. In his letter, Ramon suggested that Israel cede control over the occupied and annexed eastern sector to the Palestinians." Jewish neighbourhoods will be recognised as Israeli," local media quoted Ramon’s letter as saying. "Accordingly, Arab neighbourhoods... will be recognised as Palestinian." "There will be special sovereignty over the holy sites, taking into account Israel’s unique interests in overseeing them." He said that the Western Wall, a holy site in Judaism, would remain under Israeli control. more..
Gillermann implores U.S. to prevent Ahmadinejad visit to UN
Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman has urged the U.S. administration to deny the participation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the opening session of the United Nations 62nd General Assembly next week in New York City. "It is the obligation of the American legal authorities to prevent his entrance into the United States and if he does enter, to arrest him and try him for incitement to genocide and aiding and abetting terrorists who kill American soldiers in Iraq,"Gillerman told Haaretz Wednesday. Gillerman also protested to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon over Ahmadinejad’s plan to attend the session. The Iranian president is to address the General Assembly on September 25, the first day of the general debate, which is to be opened by President George W. more..
Going green could bridge West Bank-Israel gaps
Shlomi Vruner, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
In another month and a half, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will go to the peace conference in Washington to be held under the aegis of the American administration. There are some who say that the conference will not produce any results or achievements beyond what has already been achieved. What is sure is that the well-known core subjects - the borders of a Palestinian state, the evacuation of the settlements, the division of Jerusalem into two capitals and the issue of the refugees - will be discussed with sensitivity and determination. An important issue that will not be discussed, and which has never been discussed in talks with the Palestinians, is the effort to find a joint solution to the environmental problems of the region. Dealing with environmental issues crosses borders and political inclinations. more..
Iranian diplomat enlists Israeli help
Yair Ettinger, Ha’aretz 9/20/2007
PHUKET, Thailand - In the midst of the tragedy in Phuket an interesting diplomatic exchange unfolded yesterday. Like other diplomats who are here in order to assist their nationals, Sfader Shafi, counselor for consular affairs at the Iranian embassy in Bangkok, is here because 24 Iranian nationals were registered on the passenger manifest of the fateful flight. So far, he found six in hospitals on the island. He believes that 18 are dead. However, the Thai authorities are reluctant to release bodies without DNA proof of their identities. Shafi said that his government is trying to get blood samples of relatives of the missing to the Thai authorities, but in some cases it is impossible. So, Shafi asked the head of the Israel police forensic team, Yaki Oved, for help, in getting the bodies from Phuket to Bangkok,... more..
Report: Iran draws up plans to bomb Israel
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/19/2007
’We have drawn up a plan to strike back at Israel with our bombers if this regime (Israel) makes a silly mistake,’ Iran’s deputy air force chief says - The deputy commander of Iran’s air force said Wednesday that plans have been drawn up to bomb Israel if the Jewish state attacks Iran, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Opinion Prepare for Iranian response / Zaki Shalom Past experience shows Iran likely to retaliate for Syria incident Full Story The announcement comes amid rising tensions in the region with the United States calling for a new round of UN. Sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program and Israeli planes having recently overflown, and perhaps even attacked, Iranian ally Syria’s territory. more..
Abbas under pressure to stay away from peace conference
Daily Star 9/19/2007
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is under pressure from his Fatah faction not to attend a US-led Middle East conference, aides said Tuesday, citing uncertainty over its participants and outcome while theArab League chief said Arab states were not interested in the conference as a "gimmick." In the Occupied West Bank, a Palestinian fighter and an Israeli soldier were killed in a shootout Tuesday. Aides said Abbas believes preparations for the gathering, expected around mid-November, must continue. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives on Wednesday for talks with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert, who has met regularly with Abbas in a bid to find common ground ahead of the conference on Palestinian statehood, has sought to lower expectations, saying Israel wanted a joint declaration out of the deliberations rather than a binding deal. more..
U.S. official says Syria should be barred from regional summit
Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
The United States is opposed to Syria attending Washington’s regional peace summit in November, Israeli academics Monday told Haaretz, based on their conversation with a senior U.S. official. The academics say the official described Syria as "a vicious, brutal regime allied to Iran strategically," which subscribes to "the most barbaric anti-Semitic views." But after eleven days of speculations regarding the alleged Israel Air Force strike on Syria, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he respects Syrian President Bashar Assad and is ready, given the right conditions, to launch peace talks with Damascus." I have a lot of respect for the Syrian leader and for Syria’s conduct. They have internal problems, but we have no reason to rule out dialogue with Syria," Olmert said in a briefing for Russian-language media outlets in Israel. more..
Israel to remove roadblocks in W. Bank ’slowly and gradually’
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
Israel will alleviate traffic restrictions in the West Bank slowly and gradually if the security situation allows it, a defense source told Haaretz Monday." We will start by removing 10 to 20 roadblocks in the periphery, gradually and prudently," the source said. The Central Command is due to present Defense Minister Ehud Barak with a paper Tuesday on removing roadblocks in the West Bank. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed Barak and the defense establishment to prepare a plan of traffic alleviations among the Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank. Olmert is still waiting for the defense establishment’s suggestions, after promising the United States and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that he would facilitate traffic in the West Bank. more..
Olmert prepared to talk to Syria after airstrike
Middle East Online 9/18/2007
TEL AVIV - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he was prepared to talk to Syria to try and defuse tensions following an unconfirmed Israeli air strike on a Syrian target. "The prime minister reaffirmed during a meeting Monday with Russian-speaking journalists that he is ready to begin talks without preconditions," Olmert’s spokeswoman Miri Eisin said. She said Olmert had tried to open talks with Damascus several times. Public radio meanwhile quoted Olmert as saying that "Syria faces internal problems." On Sunday, Israel’s military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin boasted that Israel had recovered its "deterrent capability" in reportedly alluding to the strike. Damascus said that its air defences fired on Israeli warplanes which dropped munitions on its territory on September 6, and has protested to the UN Security Council. more..
Peres says recent tensions with Syria ’over’
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/18/2007
President tells foreign correspondents Israel ’clearly ready to negotiate directly with Syria for peace’, expresses optimism about upcoming Mideast peace conference in WashingtonIsrael’s Nobel Prize-winning president, Shimon Peres, on Tuesday said recent tensions between his country and Syria were now "over" and expressed optimism about an upcoming Mideast peace conference in Washington. In his first appearance as president before foreign reporters, the 84-year-old elder statesman blamed Islamic militants for harsh Israeli restrictions that have severely disrupted life in the West Bank and Gaza. "It’s not that Israel has introduced this situation," he said, pointing to Gaza militants who keep firing rockets into Israel in the two years since Israel withdrew from the coastal territory. more..
Syria: Western reports ’an orchestra of lies’
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/18/2007
Official spokeswoman for Syrian government accuses Israeli, US media of spreading lies, denies reports North Korea is helping her country build a nuclear reactor - Allegations of nuclear cooperation between Syria and North Korea which led to the reported Israeli overflight "are an orchestra of lies", Syrian Expatriate Affairs Minister Bussaina Shaaban said Tuesday. In an interview with the Iranian Fars news agency, the minister denied reports in Israeli and American media that suggested Pyongyang was helping Damascus build a nuclear installation in the country. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel was interested in holding peace talks with Syria under the right conditions. "We want to make peace"¦ we are willing to make peace with Syria unconditionally and without demands. more..
MIDEAST: Neocons Tie N. Korea to Israeli Strike on Syria
Analysis by Khody Akhavi, Inter Press Service 9/8/2007
WASHINGTON, Sep 18(IPS) - Nearly two weeks have passed since Israeli warplanes conducted a mysterious raid against an as yet unidentified target in northeast Syria. Details of the incident have been slow to come, as officials from both countries have remained tight-lipped. In the absence of a clear picture of what happened in the early hours of Sep. 6, speculation in the U.S. mainstream media has grown as to what exactly the Israelis targeted, and why Damascus -- assuming it was the target of an unprovoked attack -- has been so muted in its response. Was Israel's attack aimed at testing Syria's radar defences? Did the air strike seek to disrupt arms shipments to Lebanon's Hezbollah? Was it a dress rehearsal for a possible future strike on Iranian nuclear facilities? Feeding the speculation, a familiar clutch of George W. more..
World Bank: Gaza must form part of development plan
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2007
A World Bank report distributed Tuesday has warned that the Gaza Strip must be included in any future development of the Palestinian economy if peace, security, and the future stability of the economy are to be ensured. In light of the prevailing conditions, the report recommends the immediate implementation of three initiatives: 1. The restoration of law and order by the Palestinian Authority, in addition to the PA achieving self-sufficiency. 2. Future aid should be based on both economic considerations and implementation of suggested reforms. 3. Israeli implementation of 2005 agreement regarding freedom of movement and goods. Elsewhere, the Abbas-appointed West Bank government on Tuesday estimated that it would require at least $1. more..
PLO Executive Committee: Israeli crimes aim at dismantling the peace process
Rasheed HilalNews, International Middle East Media Center 9/18/2007
During its Wednesday meeting, the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) affirmed the necessity to guarantee the success of all conditions for the coming peace conference, including affirming the Arab Peace Initiative, and the rest of the resolutions of the International legitimacy, and stressed on the importance of the attendance of all of concerned countries without any obstacles or preconditions. According to Dr Abu Ghoushah, the committee had affirmed on the continuity of efforts and coordination between both the Palestinian and Arab sides on one hand and international side on the other to guarantee that the International conference will be held on the bases of the international legitimacy resolutions. The Committee strongly denounced the Israeli army’s attacks including killings,... more..
Israel Lowers Hopes for Mideast Talks
Amy Teibel, MIFTAH 9/18/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert indicated on Sunday that there would be no major breakthroughs in peacemaking ahead of a U.S. -sponsored peace conference this fall, prompting a Palestinian threat to skip the gathering. The crisis erupted just days before the arrival of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is expected in the region Tuesday to gauge progress on preparations for the conference. U.S. officials have said little about the meeting’s agenda, and the list of participants has not been set. At a meeting of his Kadima Party, Olmert dismissed recent reports that he and Abbas had agreed on binding principles to guide peace talks, officials said. Instead, he said he and the Palestinian leader would go no further than a non-binding declaration of intent. more..
Palestinian Leaders Threaten to Boycott Washington Summit
Avi Isacharoff, Aluf Benn, Barak Ravid, MIFTAH 9/18/2007
Palestinian authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not attend Washington’s regional peace summit in November unless Israel agrees to a reach an agreement with the Palestinians there, Abbas’ associates told Haaretz yesterday, adding the summit could "prove dangerous". With U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expected to arrive in Jerusalem tomorrow, the Saudis also submitted some preconditions for their attendance. The Palestinian sources were reacting to Olmert’s statement that afternoon that Israel and the Palestinians will not present an Agreement of Principles on final status issues at the summit, but issue a joint declaration instead. "We are formulating a joint declaration to headline the regional meeting, should it take place," Olmert told ministers from his party, Kadima, in Jerusalem. more..
Call to boost Palestinian economy
Al Jazeera 9/17/2007
The British government has published a report laying out an economic roadmap for the Palestinian territories which said kick-starting growth was crucial to establishing peace. The report analysed the necessary conditions for economic progress in the Palestinian territories. Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, had commissioned the report in September 2005 while he was the finance minister. It was meant for finance ministers from the Group of Seven countries, but its publication was delayed by the deterioration in the Middle East peace process. Growth stressed - "It is absolutely clear that sustainable political and economic progress in the Middle East peace process require the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government to work together," Brown, Britain’s longest serving finance minister, wrote in the foreword. more..
Ramon: Give parts of Jerusalem to Palestinians
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/16/2007
Vice premier authors position paper proposing transfer of Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods to Palestinian Authority - Vice Premier Haim Ramon outlined his official political agenda on Tuesday, acknowledging that he believes Israel should cede control of the Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem to the Palestinians and establish joint sovereignty over the city’s holy sites. Ramon went on record with his personal viewpoint in a letter to Nir Barkat, a member of Jerusalem’s municipal council on behalf of Kadima. "The Jewish neighborhoods will be recognized as Israeli and under Israeli sovereignty. Accordingly, the Arab neighborhoods (like Shoafat) will be recognized as Palestinian. Passages between the Israeli neighborhoods will be open and secure - accordingly the same will be true for the Palestinian neighborhoods," writes Ramon. more..
Ministers speak out against Ramon plan
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/16/2007
Several ministers express outrage at vice premier’s letter proposing ceding parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian Authority. Kadima MK warns party could turn into Meretz; Olmert’s office says plan does not obligate prime minister - "The government does not have a majority (to support) Haim Ramon’s opinions on anything to do with Jerusalem," Pensioners Party Chairman Rafi Eitan said Tuesday following the exposure of the vice premier’s letter calling for the division of Jerusalem and the establishment of joint sovereignty over the city’s holy sites. "He does not have a majority in Kadima, not in Labor, not in Shas, and not in Yisrael Beitenu, and certainly not with Rafi Eitan," the minister of pensioner affairs added. Rice Visit Rice may present US draft for deal/ Yizthak Benhorin US... more..
North Korean bust-up over Syrian ’links’
Donald Kirk, Asia Times 9/19/2007
WASHINGTON - The recent Israeli air incursion over Syria appears the most likely reason North Korea has postponed six-nation talks due to begin on Wednesday at which it was to have revealed all the details of its nuclear-weapons program. The postponement came as US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill prepared to take off for Beijing with high hopes of hearing everything there is to know about all North Korea has done to become a nuclear power. North Korea agreed in February to a complete rundown on its nuclear activities as part of the agreement to abandon the entire program - something Hill believes can happen by early next year. While neither Syria nor Israel has given full details, speculation is high that the Israeli air incursion might actually have been a raid on a base at which Syria may... more..
U.S. officials: Israeli border authorities harass Arab Americans
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
American officials have complained recently that Israeli immigration authorities harass American citizens of Arab origin at Israeli border crossings. During meetings between senior State Department officials and their counterparts in Israel, the Americans said that in recent months there has been a troubling increase in the number of complaints by American citizens of Palestinian and Arab origin, regarding the treatment they receive at border crossings and airports in Israel. The Americans complained about long delays, a suspicious attitude, and degrading security checks. The State Department officials stressed that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very perturbed by this issue and said they expected immediate improvement. They also warned their Israeli counterparts that unless there was a change,... more..
Report: India to launch Israeli spy satellite this week
Yossi Melman, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
In a joint military effort which will improve Israel’s reconnaissance abilities, India will launch an Israeli spy satellite in the upcoming days according to a report in the American weekly magazine "Aviation Week". Israel’s first Polaris/TecSat military imaging radar satellite will be launched from India’s launch site on an island in the Bay of Bengal. The satellite will have night vision capabilities and will be able to see at a resolution of 1 meter. The satellite, according to "Aviation Week", will join the Ofek-7 military spy satellite which was launched from Israel in June following the failure to launch Ofek-6. Israel and India have established strong military and strategic ties, with the joint launching of a satellite marking the upgrade of this cooperation into space. more..
Madonna ’talks peace with Peres’
BBC Online 9/17/2007
Pop star Madonna has met Israeli President Shimon Peres during a spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to mark the Jewish New Year. The pair exchanged gifts and discussed world peace during the meeting on Saturday, a spokeswoman for Peres said. Madonna, who is not Jewish, also attended a conference on Jewish mysticism - or Kabbalah - and plans to visit sites sacred to Kabbalists. Some Rabbis have criticised interest by non-Jewish celebrities in the subject. Jewish tradition - Madonna, who was raised a Roman Catholic, has taken the Hebrew name Esther and has been seen with a red thread on her wrist - as sometimes worn by followers of Jewish mysticism to ward off the evil eye. She arrived in Israel last week with her husband Guy Ritchie for a conference on Kabbalah. more..
Graziano decorates peacekeepers
Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 9/19/2007
TIBNIN: commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said late Monday that the international community "appreciates Lebanon’s determination to instate peace and stability on its territories." "The results of the large cooperation between the UNIFIL and Lebanese authorities have borne fruit and Lebanon’s commitment to preserve peace on its land is known and appreciated by all," Major General Claudio Graziano said during a ceremony to decorate the Belgian troops serving as part of the UNIFIL with honorary medals. "Tonight I have the honor of giving the peacekeepers from Belgium and Luxembourg the UN medal as a reward for their outstanding services, showing both their medical know-how for the well-being of the Lebanese population, and their technical skills when it comes to de-mining operations," Graziano said. more..
U.S. warned N. Korea not to help Syria with nukes
Barak Ravid Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 9/14/2007
United States President George W. Bush warned North Korea last year against transferring nuclear material to Syria, Iran or a terrorist organization, saying such a move would be perceived as a "grave threat," a former U.S. official recently told Haaretz. In a telephone conversation, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said North Korea may be using Syria and Iran as "safe havens" for its nuclear activity. Bolton, now affiliated with the "American Enterprise Institute" in Washington, served Bush in his first term as Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. In that capacity, as well as later, he clashed with other officials, most notably from CIA, regarding Syria’s nuclear plans. On Thursday, a U. more..
Foreign Minister urges tougher UN sanctions against Iran
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/14/2007
The UN Security Council should adopt more and tougher sanctions against Iran to try to halt Iran’s nuclear program, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in a radio interview broadcast Thursday. Livni also said private groups and businesses should stop dealing with Iran, despite possible economic losses. The U.S. is to press for tougher UN sanctions when diplomats hold a strategy session next week with the five other nations that have sometimes reluctantly used the world body’s punitive powers against Iran. Two rounds of milder sanctions have not slowed or stopped Iran’s nuclear program. Livni told Israel Radio that the world must act quickly. "There must be no delays," she said. "The world must take all the necessary action... While we are talking, Iran is trying to obtain nuclear weapons. more..
Palestinian Popular Committees slamsIsraeli decision to close the Ibrahimi Mosque
International Middle East Media Center 9/14/2007
The Palestinian Popular (Folk) Committees slammed on Thursday an Israeli decision to close the Ibrahimi Mosque (Mosque of the Patriarchs) in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, as the Muslims started the holy month of Ramadan. The Committees called on the residents to challenge this decision and to flock to the mosque to hold prayers in it and in every mosque in the Old City of Hebron. The Committees stated that the Israeli decision is part of the ongoing violations practiced by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian residents and their holy places. Azmi Shiokhy, secretary-general of the Committees stated that Muslims should also try to reach the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem for prayers, especially during the month of Ramadan, as prayers at the Al Aqsa are part of the teachings of Islam. more..
Hamas welcomes the Russian role in internal Palestinian talks
International Middle East Media Center 9/14/2007
Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesperson of Hamas movement, stated on Thursday that Hamas welcomes any role carried by Russia in order to solidify the efforts aimed at resuming internal talks between Hamas and Fateh, and the rest of the Palestinian factions. Abu Zuhri stated that the Russian vice- Foreign Minister, Alexander Saltanov,during his recent visit to Cairo,said that internal talks between Hamas and Fateh movement are the only means which could overcome the current conflict between the two movements. Abu Zuhri added that these statements reflects adequate Russian understanding of the situation in Palestine, and prove that more international countries are willing to hold talks with Hamas. Hamas movement stated that president Mahmoud Abbas, and his movement (Fateh), are still rejecting any talks with Hamas. more..
Lebanese Army, UNIFIL team up for emergency drill
Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 9/13/2007
NAQOURA: Units from the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) conducted an emergency drill to rescue survivors of a mock helicopter crash in the Southern village of Hanawiyeh on Wednesday." The drill is aimed at reinforcing ties and collaboration between the UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army," UNIFIL spokesman Enricho Mattini said. "Ties of friendship and respect exist between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL and we hope to be able to cooperate on all levels: military, social, and developmental. Lebanese Army infantry, engineering, and telecommunications units joined UNIFIL in the drill. Two helicopters, one Lebanese and one owned by the peacekeeping force, were used during the course of the two-hour exercise. Meanwhile, Lebanese Army Commander General Michel Suleiman made a surprise visit to the South on Wednesday. more..
Yishai: Shas will quit government if Temple Mount is relinquished
Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 9/13/2007
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai said Tuesday morning that his ultra-Orthodox Shas party will leave the government if Israel relinquishes the Temple Mount as part of a peace deal. Yishai was referring to the possibility of an agreement of principles being reached with the Palestinian Authority based on a plan recently proposed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, whereby Israel would pull out of 70 percent of the West Bank, and would begin negotiations for a final-status agreement. The minister said: "Unequivocally, Shas will not sit in a government that creates a Palestinian state on the Green Line [1967 border] and within Jerusalem municipal land." Yishai said a division of Jerusalem’s Old City and the transfer of the Temple Mount to international control is something he is not ready "even to dream about in [his] worst dreams. more..
U.S. officials confirm IAF carried out strike in Syria
Barak Ravid Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 9/13/2007
Reuters reported Wednesday that U.S. officials had confirmed Israel launched air strikes against Syria last week, but would not discuss the intended targets." The strike I can confirm. The target, I can’t," said one U.S. official, adding that there had been more than one strike. Another official called reports on the likely targets "confused." While Israel remained silent, media reports began surfacing Tuesday of U.S. officials confirming the IAF had indeed carried out an air strike. The New York Times on Wednesday said likely targets were weapons caches that Israel believes Iran has sent through Syria to Hezbollah. The New York Times quoted a Defense Department official as saying the IAF struck at least one target in northeastern Syria, but said it was unclear what the target was and what was the extent of the damage. more..
Ending a year of apathy
Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 9/13/2007
What event best characterized the past year, a veteran political observer with a great deal of public and diplomatic experience was asked this week. The man thought for a while and replied: "The August 6 meeting of Olmert and Abu Mazen in Jericho." "The meeting in Jericho, of all things? " was the stunned reaction. "Who even remembers it? Why is it important? ""That’s exactly it," he replied. "In the days preceding the meeting, they wrote that the core issues - Jerusalem, refugees, borders - would be discussed. The next day, the whole meeting was reported on the inside pages, much less prominently than the Heftsiba affair. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated because he was about to return a few neighborhoods in Hebron. Today the public doesn’t get excited, and doesn’t hold its breath before and after every meeting. more..
French FM: Mideast summit must be tackled with caution
DPA, Ha’aretz 9/13/2007
Cairo - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Thursday that the issue of an international Middle East peace conference should be tackled with caution in order to be effective, especially after the disappointments of earlier conferences." We should play an efficient role for realizing [a] comprehensive, fair peace in the region," Kouchner said during a joint press conference Thursday with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. Moussa said that so far, the Arab side has not been informed of any preparations for the conference, which is to take place in November, which raised "question marks about the goals of the conference and its agenda." He said no Arabs would take part in a peace conference whose agenda was "unclear," denouncing the recent Israeli statements about reducing Palestinian expectations. more..
aL-Qassam Brigades say they are prepared to defend Gaza
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
The aL-Qassam brigades, the armed offshoot of the Islamist Hamas, announced on Tuesday it is prepared to defend the Gaza Strip, once Israel attempts to attack the Gaza Strip largely. The armed group warned of capturing Israeli soldiers, Abu Obaida, aL-Qassam’s spokesman in Gaza told reporters today during a press conference. “Invading the Gaza Strip will mean more friends for Shailt”, Abu Obaida was referring to corporal Gil’ad Shalit, being captured by Hamas since June2006. The spokesman announced that a Qassam’s plan for defense would ‘embarrass the occupation’, referring to no details. The aL-Qassam’s personnel and logistics have been mobilized in preparation for any Israeli attack, the aL-Qassam’s spokesman revealed. Abu Obaida’s statements came after some Israeli military seniors called on Tuesday... more..
Al Khalidi: tough missionawaiting Rice ahead ofpeace conference
Rashid Hilal, International Middle East Media Center 9/13/2007
The American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, will visit the region for three days from September 18th. Dr. Majdi Al Khalidi, an aide of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said the visit comes ahead of the peace conference called for by American President Bush. The conference will take place this autumn and Ms Rice will be discussing ways in which it can be a success. She will be listening to the views of Arab, Palestinian and Israeli interests. In an interview with IMEMC, Dr. Al Khalidi said that it is expected that Ms Rice will try to overcome a number of obstacles facing the participants. He expressed the view that the chances of her making the conference a success depends on her ability to convince Israel of the need to meet certain conditions. more..
Syria complains to UN over Israel
BBC Online 9/12/2007
Syria has formally complained to the United Nations about an alleged raid by Israeli aircraft over its territory. The Syrian ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, said Israeli fighter planes had dropped munitions after crossing Syria’s frontier last Thursday. Mr Jaafari described the incident as a flagrant violation of Syrian airspace. Israel has repeatedly refused to comment but US officials said Israeli fighters had carried out an attack on an unspecified target. Mr Jaafari said the planes had come under Syrian anti-aircraft fire. "They were fleeing and in order to speed up the planes they dropped the munitions," he said, quoted by the Associated Press news agency. "Israel is seeking military escalation. We are exerting efforts so that we don’t fall into this trap. more..
Israel’s Syria ’raid’ remains a mystery
Jonathan Marcus, BBC Online 9/12/2007
Israel has kept up a careful policy of silence over the accusations. During the early hours of last Thursday morning, a number of Israeli jets appear to have entered Syrian air-space from the Mediterranean Sea, possibly penetrating deep into the country. Later unidentified drop tanks, which may have contained fuel for the planes, were found on Turkish soil near the Syrian border, indicating perhaps the Israeli jets’ exit route. The Syrian authorities are livid. They say that the aircraft were driven off but that they fired their weaponry into a deserted area. The implication is that the planes effectively dumped their munitions so better to manoeuvre during their escape. The Syrian government has briefed Western diplomats and complained to the United Nations. more..
Saudis question Middle East talks
BBC Online 9/12/2007
Saudi Arabia has said that a US-backed Middle East peace conference will be pointless unless it tackles key issues and sets a timetable for a final deal. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said a failure to do so would result in endless negotiations. The prince also cast serious doubt on whether his country, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, would attend the talks later this year. His comments echo doubts recently expressed by other regional leaders. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Sunday that the talks were doomed to failure without proper preparations or a clear agenda. Last week Arab foreign ministers demanded that the conference work toward a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians rather than simply be a diplomatic show. more..
Citing Holocaust, Shas ministers to boycott German-made cars
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/12/2007
Shas Minister Itzhak Cohen said Monday that his party’s ministers would be boycotting new German-made cars offered to members of the cabinet. The government recently announced that its ministers would part with their Swedish Volvos after German car makers Skoda and Audi won the tender to provide the officials with new cars. In response, Cohen is calling on all government ministers to refuse to drive German cars out of respect for the Holocaust and in light of what he said was a new wave of people who deny the Holocaust took place. After World War II ended in 1945 and the State of Israel was founded in 1948, it was common for Israelis to boycott German goods. However, as time as passed since the Holocaust and ties between the two countries developed, the phenomenon has faded. more..
The year assimilation took a backseat
Yair Sheleg, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
The most noticeable aspect of the first international gathering of the Jewish People Planning Policy Institute (JPPPI) in Jerusalem two months ago was the change in focus of Jewish concern - from the issue of assimilation, which was the crux of all Jewish conferences in recent years, to the physical threat to the Jewish people’s existence, especially the Iranian threat against Israel. The Iranian threat also seems to have been the most important item of Jewish news for the entire year of 5767: the existential threat has returned to the headlines, and concern over assimilation has increasingly turned into a luxury left for educators and philanthropists. Now, says Prof. Sergio Della Pergola, one of the JPPPI’s heads, this change of focus could also affect another important issue - the question of Israel’s centrality in the Jewish world. more..
Washington conference to include declarations, but no negotiations
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
The United States will host a Middle East peace conference in Washington, D. C. , in November, the week before Thanksgiving, to back its diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-sate solution. The meeting will seek to win support for arrangements being drafted by prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, but will not have any negotiating role. The U.S. is delaying sending out invitations to the conference, which President George Bush announced in his July 16 speech on the Middle East, as its existence depends on the results of talks between Olmert and Abbas over the next few weeks. Both Olmert and the Americans see Saudi Arabia’s and the United Arab Emirates’ participation at the conference as the primary goal. more..
Syria affair / The secret that can’t be kept
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
At six in the evening yesterday, and while Christiane Amanpour was dropping her CNN bomb, Major General Eliezer Shkedi, chief of the air force, was milling about the yard at the air force center in Herzliya, shaking hands with airmen who excelled during the Second Lebanon War. The media had come in numbers but they did not succeed in getting anything out of Shkedi, besides a lukewarm greeting for the New Year. Will the new year really be better than the last one? A lot depends on the impact of that air strike that Syria claimed occurred in the north of the country six days ago. Even if Amanpour’s report is not completely accurate, the fog surrounding the circumstances of the attack is beginning to lift. Even more important than the details of the incident is the fact that CNN, an international media outlet, has lifted the gauntlet and tried to solve the mystery. more..
N. Korea condemns Israeli ’provocation’
Yoav Stern, Ha’aretz 9/11/2007
North Korea yesterday lashed out at Israel for invading Syrian airspace last Thursday, its official news agency said." This is a very dangerous provocation little short of wantonly violating the sovereignty of Syria and seriously harassing the regional peace and security," a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency." The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly denounces the above-said intrusion and extends full support and solidarity to the Syrian people in their just cause to defend the national security and the regional peace," he added. Syrian air defenses opened fire on Israeli aircraft after they flew over northern Syria and dropped ammunition on September 6, according to Syria’s official media. more..
Choose your family
Moshe Gilad, Ha’aretz 9/9/2007
Tel Aviv has 23 sister cities; Haifa has 20 in Europe, the United States, the Philippines, South Africa and China. Eighty Israeli cities have twinned with more than 300 cities worldwide. Rishon Letzion has 10 siblings; Tiberias has 4. Some European cities have twinned with two different cities in the greater land of Israel. The Hague, Holland, for example, has twinned with Nazareth and Bethlehem, and Lyon, France, has twinned with Be’er Sheva and Jericho. These triplets, of an Israeli, European and Palestinian city, are often formed to make the cities eligible for financing from European Union cities, which condition their cooperation on such triplings. The Italian city of Pisa has twinned with both Acre and Jericho, forming warm ties that could herald a new role for sister-city arrangements. more..
Israeli press fears new Syria tension
BBC Online 9/7/2007
Papers in Israel are unanimous that a reported incursion into Syrian airspace by their country could lead to a serious ratcheting up of tension, with some warning of the possibility of war. There is little doubt in the papers that the incident took place, and most say it threatens to destabilise an already fragile situation. One writer thinks Israel is hoping to avoid "a Pandora’s box" of international involvement by keeping silent. REUVEN PEDATZUR IN HA’ARETZ The person who decided to send the planes is well aware of the high level of tension and misunderstood the significance of penetrating Syria’s airspace... Just like 40 years ago [before the Six-Day War] both sides could lose control over developments and war could break out. more..
Israel accused of air raid on Syria
Staff and agencies, The Guardian 9/6/2007
Syrian air defences opened fire on Israeli aircraft that violated Syrian airspace overnight, a Syrian military spokesman said today. The Israeli planes broke the sound barrier and "dropped ammunition" over deserted areas of northern Syria, the official Syrian Arab news agency quoted the official as saying. "We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant aggressive act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate way," the spokesman said. Syria said the Israeli aircraft entered its territory through the northern border, coming from the Mediterranean and then heading east. "Air defence units confronted them and forced them to leave after they dropped some ammunition in deserted areas without causing any human or material damage," the spokesman said. more..
American Film Festival in Nazareth features movies and workshops
Daphna Berman, Ha’aretz 9/6/2007
The first American Film Festival in Nazareth will be held this weekend, as part of the American Film Institute’s "Project 20/20," designed to create cultural exchange, understanding, and collaboration through film. The festival will feature films and workshops by Jay Craven and Mohammed Naqvi, U.S. and Canadian-Pakistani filmmakers, respectively. Craven’s "Disappearances," kicks off the festival, which will run at the Nazareth Cinematheque through September 14. This is the first official American film festival in Israel for ten years. [end]
Palestinian construction endangers settlers’ lives - Lieberman
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 9/3/2007
Strategic affairs minister demands establishment of new committee to examine ’illegal Palestinian construction in Area C - In an official letter written to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman demanded the establishment of a new committee to examine what he referred to as illegal Palestinian construction in Area C. Area C refers to all West Bank territories under full Israeli control. Lieberman such a committee should also be set up to examine the "illegal construction by Bedouins in the Negev and Israeli-Arabs in the Galilee region". Lieberman’s demand came just a few hours after Vice Premier Haim Ramon, chairman of the ministerial committee responsible for illegal outposts, determined that only the prime minister, defense minister... more..
RIGHTS: Call to Halt EU Trade with Israel
David Cronin, Inter Press Service 9/2/2007
BRUSSELS, Sep 1(IPS) - Trade between the European Union and Israel should be halted in protest at human rights violations in the Palestinian territories, a United Nations conference has heard. Under a so-called association agreement, Israel currently enjoys free trade in industrial goods, and preferential treatment of farm produce entering the European Union. Luisa Morgantini, a vice-president of the European Parliament, said that her institution has called for this agreement to be suspended. So far, however, these calls have been rejected by EU governments and by the Union’s executive, the European Commission. This is despite how article 2 of the agreement, which entered into force in 2000, commits both sides to respect human rights. more..
Egypt recently rejected Israeli request to renew Shalit negotiations
Avi Issacharoff and Jack Khoury Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 9/3/2007
Egypt has decided, for now, to turn down Israel’s request to reprise its role in mediating the negotiations for abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit’s release. A few weeks ago, Haaretz reported that Vice Premier Haim Ramon and the coordinator for missing soldiers, Ofer Dekel, met in Cairo on August 5 with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. They asked Suleiman to renew talks with Hamas for Shalit’s release. The negotiations were suspended in mid-June following Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip. Egyptian officials believe renewing talks with Hamas would reverse the recent slippage in the group’s standing - particularly if Israel releases Palestinians prisoners as part of a deal. They fear that renewed negotiations with Hamas would jeopardize Egypt’s relations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. more..
Egypt rejects renewal of talks on Shalit, say Israeli sources
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 9/2/2007
Egypt has turned down an Israeli request to resume talks on the release of Israeli soldier Gila’d Shalit, who has been held by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza since last June, Ha’aretz Israeli online daily reported Sunday. Negotiations on Shalit had reached a deadlock when Israel refused to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Palestinians wanted to see released, claiming that the list included prisoners whose hands are ‘stained with blood’. Hamas, which has been in complete control of Gaza, since June, has been calling on Egypt to renew negotiations on a prisoner swap deal, as sources of Hamas in exile, believed in recent weeks that a prisoner swap was likely. Cairo has cut off relations with the governing Hamas in Gaza and acknowledged President Abbas’s government in Ramallah, calling upon both Fatah and Hamas to return to dialogue and stop incitement. more..
Livni warns Rice: Summit could fail due to unreasonable goals
Barak Ravid Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 9/3/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has begun formulating "realistic" goals for the Washington Mideast summit scheduled for November. In recent conversations with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and in a meeting last Monday with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad, Livni said that all of the parties would serve to benefit from reasonable expectations for the summit. Unreasonable goals would cause the conference to end in failure, she said. Jerusalem officials say Rice seems to be taking the opposite approach, believing that setting the bar high will lead to greater achievements. Livni warned Rice against acting too hastily, saying that expectations must be in keeping with developments on the ground. September will be a busy month for Israeli officials involved in the summit. more..
Without concrete preparations, International Peace Meeting is pointless, says Abbas
Ma’an News Agency 9/2/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday emphasized the necessity of concrete preparations for the International Peace Meeting that is expected to be held in November. Abbas said "I am afraid that the date of the meeting will arrive without any specific issues to talk about and in this case the meeting will fail". Abbas said that he and EU policy chief Javier Solana discussed the basic issues to be addressed in the meeting. Abbas said that it is integral that the meeting is given a specific date, names of participants and that the possible results that can be achieved through the meeting are clearly stated. [end]
Abbas wants framework accord at Mideast conference
Reuters, YNetNews 9/2/2007
Palestinian president says framework, timeline for implementation of peace agreement vital for success of upcoming conference - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants a planned Middle East conference to result in a framework agreement for peace with Israel and set a timeline for implementation, a senior aide said on Sunday. "We are concerned that November 15 will come - if this will indeed be the date for this international conference - without arriving at a specific agreement on all the issues, and that this meeting will be described as a failure," Abbas said. Abbas has been pressing a reluctant Israel to discuss in depth matters at the core of any future agreement on Palestinian statehood - the shape of final borders and the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. more..
PM under fire from Kadimaover peace initiatives
Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 9/2/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s efforts to reach an agreement of principles with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the international summit scheduled to take place in Washington in November is stirring considerable dissent in the ranks of his party, Kadima. According to party sources, a number of MKs and ministers have raised concern that Olmert is proceeding without sufficient backing inside Kadima, which they warn may pose a threat to the party’s future. Among the Kadima MKs and ministers who have expressed concern, mostly over press reports on developments in the Olmert-Abbas talks, are MK Marina Solodkin, MK David Tal, MK Otniel Schneller, MK Ze’ev Elkin, MK Shaim Hermesh, and Minister of Public Security Avi Dichter. Dichter was particularly concerned about the possibility of changes to... more..
OPT: Humanitarian aid to the Palestinians - walking the tightrope
EU, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 9/3/2007
JERUSALEM, 2 September 2007 (IRIN) - Recent concerns that Hamas might profit from revenues of the Gaza power company prompted the European Union (EU) to cut funding to the plant. Parts of Gaza were plunged into the dark for several days until the EU agreed to resume its fuel payments. Heavily reliant on foreign aid for basic services, the Gazan economy continues to plumb new depths. Conservative estimates from UN sources say at least US$1. 3 billion in aid went to the Palestinians in 2006. However, after Hamas’s election victory in early 2006, giving aid through the Palestinian Authority (PA) became problematic, as the Islamist movement is widely seen as a terrorist organisation. Its government was boycotted by the West. As development aid and support to the PA ran into trouble, humanitarian needs were expected to rise. more..
Palestinian Trade Stiffed by Israeli Control
Laura MacInnis, MIFTAH 9/1/2007
Israeli restrictions on Palestinian trade have imposed heavy costs on traders and created a "bleak" outlook for Palestinian economic development, a United Nations agency said in a report released on Thursday. Goods shipped to and from the Palestinian Territories should in future use ports in Egypt and Jordan and reduce traders’ dependence on Israeli facilities, the U. N. Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said. Israel’s control of the main borders and transport routes to the West Bank and Gaza Strip mean Palestinian enterprises trying to take part in international trade are "totally dependent on political considerations," the report said. "The Palestinian economy’s development prospects are bleak under the Israeli internal and external movement restrictions," it added. more..
’Stop IDF ops’
Yaakov Lappin, YNetNews 9/2/2007
UN conference concludes by calling on Israel ’to stop military operations against Palestinians’ - A two-day UN conference of non governmental organizations, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, concluded on Friday with a call to "stop military operations against the Palestinian people". The conference, organized by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), has been condemned by UN watchdogs, Israeli diplomats, and members of the European Parliament (MEPs) as an anti-Israel gathering intended to spearhead a political war against Israel, rather than promote peace. In a closing statement, the CEIRPP’s Chairman, Paul Badji, who is also Senegal’s Permanent UN representative, said his Committee "joined the European Parliament in calling on the Israeli... more..
Rice thought Abbas weak - biography
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/2/2007
A new biography of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reveals she thought Palestinian president is ’ineffective,’ unworthy of the investment in trust and money the US is placing in him - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thought Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a weak disappointment, and she once judged President Bush’s signature Mideast peace program unworkable, according to a new biography. Months into her term as secretary of state in 2005, Rice considered Abbas "a nice man but ineffective," and she worried Abbas was unworthy of the investment in trust and money the US had placed in him, the book says. At the time, Bush and Rice were publicly trying to bolster Abbas as the more palatable alternative to the late Yasser Arafat. more..
Solana: No reason for conflict to erupt between Israel, Syria
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 9/2/2007
In an interview last night with Haaretz, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he saw no reason for any forthcoming military conflict between Israel and Syria. After arriving in Israel last night, he met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Solana said that Israel took several measures recently aimed at reassuring Damascus, noting that the decision by the Israel Defense Forces to move the location of a major military exercise from the Golan Heights to the Negev was a sign that Israel does not want Syria to misinterpret its actions. The main item on Solana’s current agenda is preparing for the Mideast summit scheduled for November in Washington. Solana cautioned that the parties must be realistic about their expectations but said many things are moving forward. more..
Armenian Genocide Crisis Tests Tight Ties Between Turkey and Israel
Marc Perelman, MIFTAH 9/1/2007
Turkish, Israeli and American Jewish officials held frantic consultations in the past week in an effort to defuse a diplomatic crisis prompted by the Anti-Defamation League’s recent description of the Ottoman massacre of Armenians during World War I as “tantamount to genocide. ”Senior Israeli and American Jewish officials went out of their way to restate Jerusalem’s long-held view that the historical dispute should be resolved between Turkey and Armenia, a position shared by Washington as well as most major American Jewish organizations. The ADL itself tried to calm tensions by issuing a statement opposing a congressional resolution recognizing that a genocide took place and by sending a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing “deep regret” and the desire to “deepen our friendship. more..
Muslim group hacks Likud website
Niv Lillian, YNetNews 9/1/2007
Group by the name of Hell Teams breaks into Likud website over weekend, replaces homepage with logo, message saying party ’kills Palestinians’ - The Likud party’s official website was hacked over the weekend by a Muslim group that goes by the name of Hell Team. The site’s homepage was replaced with the group’s logo and the words, "You are killing the Palestinians and we are killing your servers," in Hebrew. Writing in Arabic and poor English, the group "sanctified" the hacking to Palestinian and Lebanese children, and called for an end to the killing of Palestinian children. The page was signed by a hacker by the name of Cold Zero. This was not the first time the Likud’s website has been infiltrated. The site was hacked several times between 2003 and 2004, and in one of the cases, pictures of party members were defaced. -- See also: Likud website more..
The mistake that cost the country
Yossi Melman, Ha’aretz 9/2/2007
"I was wrong," admits Prof. Alexander Keynan, the first director of the Israel Institute for Biological Research in Nes Tziona, 50 years after the event that changed history. The mistake he’s referring to is hiring Prof. Marcus Avraham Klingberg. In a phone interview last week, Keynan made his first public statement about the Klingberg case. The interview coincided with the publication of Klingberg’s autobiography, "Marcus Klingberg: the Last Spy" (Maariv Books). Klingberg’s memoir documents his experiences being sentenced in 1983, behind closed doors, to 20 years in prison for spying on Israel for the Soviet Union. To this day, Klingberg is considered the greatest asset the Soviets had in Israel and the Israeli who most betrayed the Jewish state. more..
GovernmentMilitary employees demonstrate outside Fatah’s Gaza office
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Dozens of Palestinian military employees, whose salaries have been cut by the Hamas-led de facto government in Gaza, staged a demonstration in front of a Fatah office in Gaza city on Wednesday, demanding their salaries. The head recruitment and media for Fatah, Ibrahim Abu Al-Naja, addressed the demonstrators pledging to do his best to address their problem. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also condemned "the policy of suspending salaries, discrimination and expulsion." They stated their absolute support for the right of military employees to receive their salaries. They called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to implement the decision of the Ramallah-based caretaker government to resume payment of salaries for military employees. more..
Palestinian Security forces find two home-made shells near Bethlehem
Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2007
Palestinian Security forces on Wednesday to located two home-made shells in the city of Beit-Jala, located in Bethlehem. Security sources reported that the words "Yassen 1" and "Yassen 2" are written on the shells. Israeli sources indicate that the two shells were found between the Aida refugee camp and the Beit Jala municipal building, in an area facing the Jewish neighborhood of Gilo, in East Jerusalem Several observers were quick to declare the discovery a success for the Palestinian Security services. Analysts have suggested two possibilities for the discovery. On the one hand, it may be possible that the groups were intending to attack nearby Israeli neighborhoods. On the other hand, the shells may have been hidden the area some time ago, specifically during the Al Aqsa Intifada. more..
Report: Arafat aide seriously ill
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/26/2007
Palestinian Web site reports that Arafat’s aide Nabil Abu Rudeineh may have been poisoned - Arafat aide A top advisor of former PA chairman Yasser Arafat is suffering from similar symptoms to those diagnosed in the deceased Palestinian leader before his death, a Palestinian Web site reported Wednesday. Doctors at a London hospital treating Nabil Abu Rudeineh had to remove one of his kidneys and implant instead a kidney donated by his sister, the Web site said. Rudeineh’s family told the PNN Web site that the former aide was recovering and would return to the territories in the near future. Rudeineh has been feeling unwell for some time now and doctors told his family that the liver malfunction he suffered may have been caused by poisoning. more..
J’lem advancing building plan for Arabs
Jonathan Lis, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
The Jerusalem municipality is moving forward with a plan to build some 1,900 apartments for Arabs in the Issawiya neighborhood as part of the city’s master plan. First proposed by the Bimkom - Planners for Planning Rights organization, the plan is intended, among other things, to retroactively legalize illegal construction in the neighborhood and enable new housing units to be built to accommodate its natural growth. The municipality’s planning authorities approved it back in 2005. Issawiya’s population is estimated at 12,000, and is expected to grow to some 18,500 by 2020. The neighborhood’s shortage of land and building permits is acute, and as in other Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem, the city has issued numerous demolition orders for its illegally constructed houses. more..
Rabbis move to protect consumers, farming in shmita year
Yair Ettinger, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Religious-Zionist rabbis yesterday announced they have established an alternate kashrut authority to provide certification for produce in several cities during the shmita, or sabbatical, year. The alternate authority, founded by Tzohar rabbis, is intended to bypass the Chief Rabbinate’s hard-line approach, which critics blamed for leaving several cities without certified produce. Rabbi David Stav said religious-Zionist rabbis of all streams and business owners had appealed to Tzohar for help. He said Tzohar’s move is also intended to prevent damage to farmers and consumers due to the increase in produce prices, and to protect some two million consumers whose cities lost their kashrut permits. "Beyond the farmer’s plight, there is a desperate need for kashrut certification," said Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein, group chairman. more..
Court orders Education Min. to explain lack of core curriculum enforcement
Or Kashti, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
The High Court of Justice told the Education Ministry yesterday to respond within 60 days to a petition demanding it enforce the core curriculum in ultra-Orthodox schools. The petition, submitted by the Israel Religious Action Center and the Association of Secondary School Teachers, also demands the ministry cease funding schools that do not teach required subjects. The High Court, however, has allowed for funding to continue at ultra-Orthodox institutions until the next hearing in mid-October. Three years ago the High Court ordered the state to stop funding, as of this school year, to schools that do not teach the core curriculum. The Education Ministry told the court it intended to allow ultra-Orthodox boys’ high schools a two-year exemption from compliance and to provide 55 percent of the funding. more..
Israel ranked 30th out of 180 countries in Corruption Index
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/26/2007
Israel is ranked 30th out of 180 states in the 2007 "Corruption Perceptions Index," released Wednesday by Transparency International, a global NGO committed to fighting corruption. The ranking represents a slight improvement from 2006, when Israel came in at 34th, receiving a score of 5. 9 out of 10, as opposed to this year’s 6. 1. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for first place on the list, scoring at 9. 4, and Singapore and Sweden followed them at 9. 3. Britain is ranked 12th and the United States 20th, with scores of 8. 4 and 7. 2, respectively. India and China are both ranked 72nd on the list, with scores of 2. 3. Russia is 143rd, with a score of 2. 3, ranked below Iran, which is 131st on the list. The list is taken from 14 different surveys carried out by 12 research institutions. more..
Hamas says Palestinian security seized 4 loyalists
Ma’an News Agency 9/25/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – The Hamas movement said on Tuesday that the Palestinian security services have seized four of the movement’s loyalists in the West Bank. The movement said in a statement, received by Ma’an, that Palestinian security forces arrested one Hamas loyalist in Nablus in the northern West Bank and three others in Ramallah in the central West Bank. The statement added that the Palestinian security also stormed a warehouse belonging to Hamas’ students in the American University in Jenin, and confiscated its contents before burning it to the ground. [end]
Police: We won’t be able to investigate PM properly
Yuval Yoaz and Jonathan Lis, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has ordered the police to initiate a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in connection with allegations of corruption in the case of the Cremieux Street apartment in Jerusalem acquired by Olmert and his wife, Aliza. However, yesterday’s decision by Mazuz has been received with great pessimism and frustration in senior police circles, who doubt their ability to carry out an investigation against the prime minister because of the amount of relevant information that has already been published in official documents and in the media. "It is very difficult to run an investigation a year and a half after all the information on the case has been published in the media," senior police sources said yesterday, expressing their frustration with the order. more..
National Fraud Unit to probe Olmert
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 9/25/2007
Team led by unit’s deputy chief Nahum Levy to head investigation into Olmert’s Jerusalem apartment; PM to appear for questioning in connection with Bank Leumi case after High Holydays - Major General Yohanan Danino, head of the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Office, on Tuesday commissioned a special investigation task force from the National Fraud Unit to look into Prime Minister Olmert’s acquisition of his apartment on Jerusalem’s Carmieux Street. The unit’s deputy chief, Commander Nahum Levy, is to lead the investigation. On Monday, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz created a political firestorm when he made public his plans to launch a criminal investigation into Olmert’s apartment. The prime minister stands accused of acquiring his apartment... more..
Bigwigs under investigation
Yuval Yoaz, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz’s decisions yesterday to launch a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and to place former finance minister Avraham Hirchson on trial, pending a hearing, were made almost against his will. Mazuz was led to make these two decision in light of the solid evidence collected in both cases: in Hirchson’s criminal investigation and in the series of preliminary reviews regarding Olmert, and in the light of the categorical opinions submitted by his people at the State Prosecutor’s Office. Ultimately, Mazuz had no choice. When it comes to criminal cases involving the most senior officials - prime minister, president - Mazuz keeps getting further from the basic principle of one justice for the little guy and for the rulers of the land. more..
Zelekha accuses Kadima of rot in local authorities
Moti Bassok, Ha’aretz 9/25/2007
Yaron Zelekha set another snarling cat among Israel’s political pigeons yesterday by alleging corruption involving officials from Kadima, the ruling party. The accountant general charged that local governments run by Kadima officials got preferential treatment from the Interior Ministry when it was run by Roni Bar-On, who is today the finance minister. Specifically, the preferential treatment involved inflated "rehabilitation" (restructuring) payments, according to Zelekha. Deputy Attorney General Sarit Dana told Zelekha yesterday that she had checked the grants transferred to local authorities and found no truth in his claims that Interior treated certain local governments preferentially. In response, Zelekha wrote to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and attacked his office’s procedures: "It is... more..