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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Archives

Conflict..

Fifteen wounded in Israeli strike Al-Jazeera 9/8/2003 About 15 Palestinians have been hurt after at least three Israeli missiles struck the home of a member of the Islamic resistance group Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip. The victims, all of them civilians, were wounded in the strike on the house in the Khan Yunus refugee camp, medics said. Before the strike, Palestinian residents said helicopter gunships had been flying over the Gaza Strip. Abd al-Salam Abu Musa, a known member of the armed wing of Hamas, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam, lived in the house, witnesses told Aljazeera. But Abu Musa escaped from the house four minutes before the missiles struck, they added. Israel’s Soldiers Kill a Palestinian in Northern Gaza as its Warplanes Strike a Home in the South International Press Center 9/8/2003 BIET HANOUN, Palestine, September 8, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies)-- At least one Palestinian citizen was reportedly killed by Israeli troops in northern Gaza Strip as 15 others, including children and women, were wounded as Israeli warplanes struck a Palestinian home in the south....Israeli occupation forces closed yesterday all crossings in the Gaza Strip, including the Erez, denying access in and out of the area, including medical crews, workers and others....In the meantime, two Palestinian civilians including a man and a woman were wounded yesterday night in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah....In the West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem, Israeli occupation forces blew up Sunday the house of Palestinian citizen Sharif Farhana after placing explosives in different corners of the house and forcing its inhabitants out. Palestinian Killed In Gaza, Failed Assassination Injures 10 Islam Online 9/8/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, September 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Ignoring increasing world condemnation against its policy of assassinations, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at the home of a Hamas activist in central Gaza late Sunday, September 7, wounding 10 civilians as another Palestinian resistance activist was shot dead by Israeli troops early Monday, September 8. The Israeli troops shot the Palestinian near the main Erez crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israel, according to an Israeli military spokesman. Zionist occupation police arrest Palestinian chief judge Palestinian Information Center 9/8/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Zionist occupation policemen today arrested the chief judge in occupied Palestine while on his way to offer prayers at the holy Aqsa Mosque. The chief judge’s bureau said that a group of policemen arrested Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, secretary of the higher Islamic authority in Jerusalem and the chief judge of Palestine, along with Sheikh Tayseer Al-Natshe while heading to offer the noon prayers at the Aqsa Mosque. Occupation forces kidnap five Palestinians in central Ramallah Palestinian Information Center 9/8/2003 Ramallah - A special Zionist occupation army force kidnapped five Palestinian citizens in downtown Ramallah today after breaking into a supermarket in the heart of the city. Eyewitnesses said that the special force that was hiding in a civilian car broke into the “Dream” supermarket and arrested five citizens there. The general security department said that the force targeted the arrest of two activists affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in addition to a Palestinian Authority police trainer that trained policemen on combat arts and two civilians who were in the same area. Boy of 17, shot by Israeli soldiers, left bleeding overnight to die Palestine Monitor 9/8/2003 The bullet ridden corpse of Mohammad Abdullah Abu al-Husni, was found yesterday morning near the town of Jabaliya, where he lived in Gaza. According to local medical sources, 17 year old Mohammad was shot several times in his legs on Saturday evening, while walking past an Israeli military post in Gaza. As he lay on the ground Mohammad used his mobile phone to call an ambulance, however, Israeli soldiers held back the ambulance, preventing the medics from attending the boy. Shaikh Yasin vows retaliation Al-Jazeera 9/7/2003 Shaikh Ahmad Yasin, the founder of Hamas, has responded with characteristic defiance to an Israeli air strike that wounded him and 14 others on Saturday. The spiritual leader of the Islamist resistance group was injured after a quarter-tonne bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 slammed into a Palestinian apartment block in a densely populated area of Gaza City. “The Israeli enemy have lost their minds completely,” he told Aljazeera in an exclusive interview later in the day. Hamas Leaders ‘Walking Dead’ Arab News 9/8/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 8 September 2003 — Israel yesterday said it wanted to wipe out the Islamic resistance movement Hamas and that all group leaders were “dead men.” “We intend to liquidate all of Hamas, without any distinction between the political and military branches of this organization,” a source close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said a day after the Jewish state failed to kill three top Hamas leaders, including its founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Israeli Troops Continue Random Gunfire in Palestinian Residential Areas International Middle East Media Center 9/7/2003 Israeli troops opened fired Saturday night and wounded a Palestinian in the leg east of Gaza city. The Palestinian general security department reported that Mohammed Abu Alhasan, 17, was hit in the leg and moved to Alshifa hospital for treatment when Israeli troops randomly fired at the residential homes east of the city of Gaza close to the Martyrs Graveyard. The same source claimed that Israeli troops delayed the transfer of the wounded to the hospital by preventing ambulances from arriving to the scene. IOF Arrest Four Brothers in Rafah, One Palestinian Dies of Wounds in Gaza International Press Center 9/7/2003 The Israeli incursion dawn today into Tal Al Sultan neighborhood of Rafah City resulted in the injury of a number of Palestinian civilians and scores were detained. Palestinian medical sources at Yousef Al Najar hospital announced that Hani Ismael Abu Al Aoud, 19, was shot and wounded in the head. His wounds were described as moderate. Locals witnessed that more than 20 Israeli military vehicles advanced from the IOF posts at the borderline with Egypt deep into Tal Al Sultan neighborhood, southwest of Rafah, under a burst of heavy shootings and the hover of copters.... In a separate incident, a Palestinian had died of wounds he sustained in an extrajudicial execution by the Israel warplanes...on August 26 in Ebad Al Rhman neighborhood of Gaza City, ...[bringing] the number of killed people in that particular raid to four. Occupation forces demolish house of detained commando Palestinian Information Center 9/8/2003 Tulkarm - Scores of Zionist armored jeeps stormed into the eastern areas of the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank at 1 am today opening intensified machinegun fire in all directions. Tanks and armored personnel carriers then followed into the camp covered with Apache helicopters and reconnaissance planes. The army unit encircled the house of Sharif Farhana then forced its occupants out along with inhabitants of nearby houses. Israeli FM Says Israel does not Target Civilians as Palestinian Civilians Victimized by Israeli Warplanes International Press Center 9/7/2003 Salvan Shalom, Israeli Foreign Minister, was quoted as saying Sunday to Israeli Radio, Arabic Service, that Israel does not target Palestinian civilians when striking Palestinian Intifada activists. Shalom was speaking to the radio after Israeli fighter jets struck a Palestinian residential building in a Gaza neighborhood yesterday, attempting on the life of Shaikh Ahmad Yassin, Spiritual leader of Hamas, and other key political leaders. Palestinian convicted in October 2000 lynching of IDF reservists Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 A Palestinian resident of the Ramallah area was convicted yesterday by the Yehuda Military Court for his involvement in the lynching and murder of two Israel Defense Forces reservists in the West Bank city in October 2000. The man, Raed Sheikh,was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Sheikh, who was arrested by the IDF some two years ago, was convicted of beating the soldiers, Vadim Norzhich and Yosef Avrahami, with an iron bar during the lynching at a Palestinian police station between Ramallah and El Bireh. Israel on alert for Hamas attacks BBC 9/7/2003 Israeli security forces are on a heightened state of alert for possible reprisals by Palestinian militants after Israel tried to kill the spiritual leader of the radical Hamas movement. Hamas has vowed to avenge an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Saturday which slightly injured Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and wounded at least 14 other people. Extra police and security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas of Jerusalem, while the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been sealed off to prevent Palestinians from entering Israel. Attack on founder spurs Hamas militancy Daily Star 9/8/2003 Armed wing ‘can strike deep’ inside Israel -- Hamas’ armed wing is capable of striking deep into Israel despite a clampdown on Palestinian territories following the failed attempt on the life of the Islamic movement’s founder, the group’s political leader said Sunday. “Yes, our military wing can strike deep into the Zionist entity despite the shutdown of entry points” to the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the Israeli Army, Abdelaziz al-Rantissi told Lebanon’s LBCI television. Israel launches fresh Gaza raid BBC 9/8/2003 Israeli helicopter gunships have fired missiles at a building in the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip, reportedly injuring at least 12 people. The Israeli military described the building as a weapons store used by the militant Palestinian group Hamas and said explosions were heard after the attack, indicating the presence of explosives. But Palestinian witnesses quoted by the AFP news agency said the missiles on Sunday targeted the home of a Hamas member, Abdul Salem Abu Musa, who had left the building moments before the attack. IDF wants to continue striking in Gaza, despite failed attack Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 The fact that the Hamas leadership escaped unharmed from an Israeli assassination attempt in the Gaza Strip Saturday would not prevent the Israel Defense Forces from targeting them again, a high-ranking military source told Haaretz yesterday. "The decision of the political echelon was to hunt down every terrorist to the bitter end. We intend to continue to do so," the source added. An Israeli Live Bullet Ends a Palestinian Teen Boy’s Life as IOF Keeps on Practices against Palestinians International Press Center 9/7/2003 GAZA, Gaza Strip, September7, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies)--Mohammad Abu Alhasna, 18, of the northern Gaza city, died Sunday of wounds he sustained yesterday night when Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at him, Palestinian medical sources said. The sources added that Abu Alhasna sustained a live bullet and was denied access to hospitalization by the Israeli soldiers who held him bleeding till he died early on Sunday. In the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, IOF opened heavy fire on Palestinian civilian houses near the Egyptian-Palestinian borders, mainly at the Qeshta and Al Shaer neighborhoods, Palestinian security sources told IPC....In Al-Qarara town, just close to Khan Younis city, Israeli bulldozers, backed by armored vehicles, razed vast areas of arable Palestinain lands owned by the Abu Jme’an family, WAFA reported. Meanwhile, armed Jewish settlers set into fire tens of olive trees in the West Bank village of Kufr Eldiek, near Salfiet city, local Palestinian sources said. BREAKING NEWS: IOF arrest Islamic Supreme Judge in E J'lem International Press Center 9/8/2003 18:00-- Israeli occupation forces arrest three Palestinian civilians in the West Bank village of Dier Mash’al, (WAFA) / 16:00-- Israeli occupation forces arrest Islamic supreme judge in the Occupied East Jerusalem, Shailk Tayseer Altamimy, (WAFA) / 14:30-- Israeli occupation forces raze vast areas of arable Palestinian lands in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, (WAFA)... Excessive Israeli measures leave 15 families homeless Palestine Monitor 9/6/2003 15 Palestinian families have been left homeless after the Israeli army blew up a seven story residential building in the West Bank city of Nablus, yesterday evening. The families were all forced to leave the building and wait in a near by school where they witnessed the demolition of their homes happen before their eyes. Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine September 8, 2003 Palestine Media Center 9/8/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian near the “Erez” checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, a Palestinian activist escaped an assassination attempt after Israeli Apache gunships fired several missiles at his house in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. IOF Dynamite House in Tulkarem.

Diplomacy..

Palestinian PM-nominee Seeks US, EU Guarantees for Peacemaking Palestine Media Center 9/8/2003 Powell: US Will Negotiate with Premier of the Palestinian People -- President Yasser Arafat has officially nominated the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Ahmad Qurei (Abu Alaa) as the new Palestine National Authority (PNA) prime minister to succeed the caretaker premier Mahmud Abbas, who resigned on Thursday. Qurei has reportedly demanded US and EU guarantees of support for peacemaking, and has yet to confirm his acceptance of the post after sorting out his political agenda with the Palestinian leadership. Israel's Sharon Paying India First Visit The Guardian 9/8/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Ariel Sharon flew to New Delhi on Monday for the first-ever visit to India by an Israeli prime minister, hoping to cement blossoming defense and trade ties that have led to talk of a three-way strategic alliance with the United States. Analysts expect Sharon's meetings with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and other Indian officials to put the seal of approval on the sale of an advanced Israeli airborne radar package. PM in India for talks on counter-terrorism, defense systems Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 EW DELHI - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived Monday in India, a prime defense client, for a visit underscoring a mutual struggle with Islamic militancy. The prime minister made no comment to the media at the high-security airport in New Delhi, where he was greeted by 25 Israeli children waving flags and singing a song about peace. Sharon's four-day trip to New Delhi and Mumbai is the highest-level Israeli visit to India since ties were established 11 years ago....Sharon's huge entourage can also expect street protests by left-wing and Muslim groups that note India has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinian struggle for self-rule and claim Sharon has no place in the land of Mahatma Gandhi. Indian opposition slams Sharon's visit Ha'aretz 9/7/2003 NEW DELHI - Before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has set foot on Indian soil, his historic visit - the first by an Israeli premier to the country - is sparking a raging controversy here. Demonstrations by the Muslim community on Friday at the Minara Mosque in Mumbai were a clear indication of the tension. Demonstrators strung up a dummy in Sharon's image, its head wrapped in a blacksack. One of the demonstrators posters said "Sharon is the enemy of the people." Others branded him "the enemy of humanity."  U.S. objects to Israel's Arrow deal with India Ha'aretz 9/7/2003 The defense establishment has advised Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to propose selling the Arrow anti-missile missile system to India during his visit there this week. Preliminary talks between Israel and India on the sale of the Arrow missile system have been suspended following opposition from the U.S. The U.S. financed most of the system's development and Washington'sconsent is a necessary condition for the deal. Powell pledges renewed Mideast effort as US frowns on Israeli Nablus raid Yahoo! News 9/8/2003 WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged renewed US efforts to revive faltering Middle East peace efforts as the United States gave a mild rebuke to Israel for the destruction of a West Bank apartment block. Powell kept up the steady US drumbeat against the militant Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, urging the world at large to isolate them and cut off their finances and restated criticism of Yasser Arafat for frustrating the implementation of the so-called "roadmap" for peace with Israel. EU to ban Hamas political wing The Guardian 9/8/2003 EU officials will move today to ban the political wing of Hamas and place its leaders on a terrorist blacklist.Diplomats meet in Brussels to thrash out practical moves after foreign ministers agreed at the weekend to follow the US and outlaw the group and freeze its assets. The ban is likely to hit fund-raising and social welfare activities the EU now says are indistinguishable from terrorist cells. Israeli-U.S. Pressures Behind E.U. Move On Hamas: Experts Islam Online 9/7/2003 CAIRO/PARIS, September 7 (IslamOnline.net) - The European Union decision to blacklist the Palestinian resistance group Hamas political wing, drew varied reactions from experts, with some citing mounting Israeli-American pressures as the main reason and one arguing that Hamas itself may have been partially to blame. "The European decision was the natural result of pressures laid by Israel and Washington on European countries since the bus bombing attack which killed 20 Israelis in West Jerusalem last month and was claimed by Hamas," Stephanie Emberque, a Paris-based professor of political science in Paris Saint Denis university, told IslamOnline.net. Palestinian Leadership: Its Time for the International Community to Stop Israeli Crimes International Press Center 9/8/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, September 8, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)--The Palestinian leadership asserted Monday that its time for the international community to intervene to stop Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. In a statement issued Monday, the Palestinian leadership, in light of the latest Israeli military escalation, held Israel responsibility for the collapse of the peace process. The statement said that the Israeli government continues to perpetrate crimes and assassination attempts in Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps, disregarding innocent civilians being victimized by its warplanes. Jordan's King Abdullah receives credentials of 4th Israeli envoy Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 AMMAN - King Abdullah II yesterday received the credentials of Israel's new ambassador to Jordan, the official Petra news agency said. Yacov Hadas, 46, arrived in Jordan Thursday to replace David Dadonn, who has been appointed Israel's ambassador to Mexico. Hadas, who was formerly the head of Israel's trade mission to Qatar, is Israel's fourth ambassador to Jordan since the countries established relations after signing a peace treaty in 1994.  Berri: Lebanon will not rest until Libya admits Sadr role Daily Star 9/8/2003 Country ‘should have fought for its dignity 25 years ago’ - Speaking in Sidon, Amal leader calls on US to hold back loans to Israel  -- Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated his calls on the Libyan regime to assume responsibility for concealing the Higher Shiite Council’s president, Sayyed Musa Sadr, in 1978, stressing that Lebanon had to cut relations with Libya at the time....“If the United States was keen on the establishment of a Palestinian state and pressuring Israel into stopping a plan to build a dividing wall, they would have delayed the loans,” he stressed. Israel takes aim at Hamas but nothing can halt steady stream of respectful followers to the founder's door The Independent 9/8/2003 The man the Israelis had gone after with an F-16 aircraft and a 250kg laser-guided bomb was stretched out benignly on a bed yesterday, his robe as white as his beard, receiving a steady stream of respectful visitors, in apparent total unconcern at his dramatically confirmed status as a top target for Ariel Sharon's assassination policy. The Israeli Prime Minister proclaimed yesterday that the leading members of Hamas, which among other attacks has claimed responsibility for the 22 deaths in the Jerusalem suicide bomb on 19 August, were all "marked for death". The Bond Between India and Israel Grows New York Times 9/7/2003 NEW DELHI, Sept. 6 — Ariel Sharon plans to become the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit India since both nations were carved from the former British empire more than 50 years ago. For India, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992, Mr. Sharon's plans for a visit — scheduled for Monday, though it is not yet known how today's developments in the Middle East will affect his plans — will be the most public acknowledgment yet of how far its foreign policy has shifted from its once unequivocal support for Palestinian self-determination. Israel threatens to expel Arafat Al-Jazeera 9/7/2003 Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat should be thrown out of the country for causing the resignation of his prime minister, Israel’s foreign minister has said. "The expulsion of Arafat is, as I have already said, the inevitable result of what he has done to provoke the fall of Mahmud Abbas," said Silvan Shalom in an Israeli radio interview on Sunday. Zionist official discusses in Tunis resumption of diplomatic relations Palestinian Information Center 9/8/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Head of the Zionist North Africa and Arab Maghreb section in the foreign ministry, Shalom Cohen, recently conferred with the director general of the Tunisian foreign ministry, according to a Hebrew paper today. ‘Yediot Ahronot’ said that Cohen delivered a personal message from Zionist foreign minister Sylvan Shalom, the content of which was not disclosed. U.S. Aides Want Power for Palestinian PM The Guardian 9/8/2003 WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is making clear to Yasser Arafat and others in the Palestinian Authority that it wants the next Palestinian prime minister to have the political and security muscle to crack down on terrorist groups. Only after the groups are disrupted and dismantled, President Bush's top foreign policy aides contend, will the U.S.-backed plan to achieve an independent Palestinian state by 2005 be back on track. Video: "Arafat may be all powerful in the Palestinian arena but the Americans won't speak to him" BBC 9/7/2003 Video: The BBC's Jeremy Cooke -- "Arafat may be all powerful in the Palestinian arena but the Americans won't speak to him" Powell attacks Israel, but clings to road map The Guardian 9/8/2003 Senior figures in the Bush administration swiftly reiterated their support for the "road map" to peace in the Middle East yesterday, following the resignation of the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, also attacked the Israeli policy of assassinating leading Hamas figures, warning such action inevitably provoked a violent reaction. Qurayaa demands US support Al-Jazeera 9/8/2003 Ahmad Qurayaa will only agree to become Palestinian prime minister if he can rely on guaranteed support from Washington and the European Union. Qurayaa also said Monday that he wanted to see a change of policy from Israel which is currently engaged in "all-out war" against Palestinian military groups. “I've been nominated but have not accepted yet because before that I want to see what kind of support I will receive from the Americans and the Europeans to change things on the ground for the Palestinians,” Qurayaa told reporters. Pressure breaks Abbas as road map leads only to more violence The Observer 9/7/2003 Bush and Blair's hopes for peace have been dealt a massive blow -- As Israeli missiles ploughed into Gaza City last night, apparently targeted at the founder of the Hamas Islamic militant organisation, hopes of progress towards peace in the Middle East looked further away than ever. It had been a tumultuous day in which Mahmoud Abbas, recently appointed Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, had offered his resignation to Yasser Arafat, the President and leader of the Palestinian people, after less than six months in office. Sharon set for historic India visit BBC 9/8/2003 Fifty-three years after India recognised Israel and 11 years after establishing diplomatic ties, an Israeli prime minister will visit India. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will arrive on Monday to begin a three-day official visit from Tuesday to institutionalise relations with India. Co-operation between the two countries in various fields has improved in the last decade. Security issues though remain the focus of ties between the two countries. U.S. sees no point to exiling of Arafat International Herald Tribune 9/8/2003 WASHINGTON Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. national security adviser, said Sunday that "no good would be served" if Israel were to force Yasser Arafat into exile, even though Rice said the Palestinian leader remained an "obstacle to peace." Israel's foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, said last week that Arafat's expulsion would be the "inevitable result" of the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister. Abbas resigned on Saturday after a power struggle with Arafat that has plunged the Middle East peace process into uncertainty. Middle East peace plan in disarray Financial Times 9/7/2003 Palestinian leaders were holding emergency talks on Sunday to choose a successor to prime minister Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned at the weekend after a power struggle with Yassir Arafat over control of security forces. Mr Abbas (pictured) is expected to stay on as caretaker after confirming on Sunday that his decision to quit was final. Mr Arafat, Palestinian Authority president, has nominated Ahmed Qurei, speaker of the Palestinian parliament, as Mr Abbas's successor. The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee and the leadership of the Fatah faction approved the nomination, Nabil Abu Rdainah, Mr Arafat’s adviser, said. Arafat bids to salvage peace process with moderate PM The Independent 9/8/2003 Yasser Arafat sought to extract the Palestinian Authority from a crisis threatening to destroythe peace process last night by nominating Abu Ala, the parliamentary Speaker, as the next prime minister. He announced the appointment to the Fatah central committee, while Israel was on a heightened security alert after an attack by F-16 jets on the Hamas founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, at a house in Gaza on Saturday. Sheikh Yassin was only slightly hurt. Sha’th, Solana and Muasher Assert No Substitute for the Road Map International Press Center 9/8/2003 AMMAN, Sep 8, 2003 (IPC +Agencies)--The Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha’th met Sunday night with EU foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana and his Jordanian counterpart Marawan Muasher, in Amman. The three-way meeting tackled developments in the Middle East peace process, and the Israeli military escalation against the Palestinian people, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. EC wants Hamas to turn into political party Palestinian Information Center 9/8/2003 Cairo - Coordinator of the European Community’s foreign relations, Javier Solana, has said that the EC had addressed a message to Hamas Movement a few months ago asking it to turn into a political party. Solana said that the message warned Hamas that if it did not give up armed operations then the EC would adopt certain measures.

Human Rights..

Israel must end its policy of closures and restriction of movement Amnesty International 9/7/2003 "Israel must put an end to the imposition of disproportionate and discriminatory restrictions on Palestinians' movement in the Occupied Territories which have crippled the Palestinian economy and caused widespread poverty, unemployment and increasing health problems," Amnesty International said in a report published today. Closures, blockades, checkpoints, curfews and a barrage of other restrictions imposed by the Israeli army on Palestinians have made even short journeys between towns and villages difficult, dangerous and often impossible - effectively confining some three and a half million Palestinians to a form of town arrest. Surviving under siege: The impact of movement restrictions on the right to work Amnesty International 9/7/2003 Full Report -- Introduction: The ceasefire reached in the context of the Roadmap peace initiative has resulted in a marked reduction in violence and killings, and has brought a welcome respite to the Israeli and Palestinian civilian populations. Even though the overwhelming majority of Palestinian detainees remain behind bars in Israeli prisons and military detention centres, the release of some detainees who had been held without charge or trial has raised hopes for further releases. However, hopes that, as part of the implementation of the Roadmap, Israel would lift the closures and movement restrictions which have paralyzed life and the economy in the Occupied Territories have not materialized. By the beginning of August 2003, the Israeli army had lifted only some four checkpoints, out of a total of more than 300 checkpoints and roadblocks. High Court tells rights group to improve its petition against secret Facility 1391 Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 The High Court of Justice instructed the Center for the Defense of the Individual yesterday to submit a revised petition that raises the question of whether the state may hold security detainees in a secret prison. Justices Eliahu Mazza, Mishael Cheshin and Miriam Naor reached their decision after reviewing a petition submitted on behalf of Palestinians who have served time in Facility 1391, a closed military prison. Advocacy on the Separation Wall Churches for Middle East Peace 9/2/2003 During recess, over sixty members of Congress embarked on Aipac-endorsed trips to Israel and many now view the wall as “necessary” and a “good thing” for Israel’s security. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who was part of a delegation to Israel, said, “Many in Congress feel the fence is an important contributor to preventing acts of terror” and the wall’s route should “absolutely not” be linked to loan guarantees. If your Congressional representative was one of those who went on a trip to Israel, your call is especially important. A list of those who went to the region can be found at the bottom of this [page]. ACTION.... Druze win reprieve from merger of local authorities Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 After a month-long public campaign against the plan to unite four Druze local authorities in the Galilee, the government has agreed to reconsider the plan. In a meeting with Druze leaders yesterday, the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, Avigdor Yitzhaki, said that the elections scheduled for the unified council would be postponed for three to four months in an effort to reach a compromise solution. Jamal Huwail Receives 3 Month Extended Detention International Middle East Media Center 9/8/2003 The Israeli military court extended Jamal Huwail’s detention period by three months in Salem village today without giving any reason. Huwail, a Fattah activist in the West Bank who was arrested on the last day of the Jenin massacre during Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002, has been in an isolation cell since the day of his arrest. He was arrested with a group of fighters after the camp had been devastated by the siege. Amnesty: Separation Wall Crippling Palestinian Economy International Middle East Media Center 9/8/2003 A new report titled “Surviving under Siege” published by the London based human rights group Amnesty International, concluded that the construction of the separation wall was deepening the crippling economic impact on Palestinians. The report stated that the separation wall has serious economic and social consequences for over 200,000 Palestinians in nearby towns and villages, especially when 60% of Palestinians live below the poverty line and unemployment is close to 50%. “The barrier/wall cuts off scores of Palestinian villages from the rest of the West Bank or from their farming land. The land in these areas is among the most fertile in the West Bank, with better water resources than elsewhere” the report stated. Amnesty Slams Israel’s Collective Punishment, Apartheid Wall Palestine Media Center 9/8/2003 New Israeli Extra-Judicial Assassination Bid Leaves 15 Wounded -- The continuous choking Israeli policy has had a disastrous effect on the lives of Palestinians, who are struggling against sweeping closures and a crippled economy, Amnesty International said Sunday, while it slammed the unilateral “apartheid” wall being built east of the green line—along with curfews and roadblocks—as human rights violations.....Yesterday, at least fifteen Palestinians were injured during a failed assassination attempt on the life of Hamas member Abdel Salam Abu Mousa. Several women and children were wounded when Israeli fighter gunships attacked a densely-populated residential area in the Gaza Strip.

Economy..

Netanyahu unveils proposal for full tax for early retirees Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 Netanyahu's plans propose that 60-year-old men and 55-year-old women who take retirements before the legal age (65 and 60, respectively) will be obliged to pay full taxes on the benefits they receive until they reach the legal age of retirement. -- Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled his proposal Monday to cut tax breaks for early retirees and streamline the public sector. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that his proposal, which is part of the 2004 State Budget, would lead to economic growth of 0.5-1 percent by the end of next year. The finance minister said that the plan would improve the quality of life in Israel, strengthen the weaker sectors of society and create a tax environment very attractive to foreign investors. Egypt Petroleum Minister: We won't sell gas to Israel Globes 9/8/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided last month in favor of Egypt as Israel's second natural gas supplier. -- There was a dramatic development today in the selection of a second supplier of natural gas for the Israeli economy. After it appeared that Merhav, controlled by Joseph (Yossi) Maiman, and a group of Egyptian investors would be the second supplier, the Arab press quotes Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmi as saying that his government will never sell natural gas to Israel. The statement is a slap in the face of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who last month chose Egypt over the Palestinian Authority (PA) as Israel's second natural gas supplier. British Gas was offering to supply Palestinian gas. Veritas Israel providing disaster recovery planning systems to Palestinian Authority Globes 9/8/2003 Veritas Israel CEO Daniel Daniel: The moment the IDF bombs the PA, it should be ready for a computer crash. -- Veritas Israel is providing computer security and database back-ups to the Palestinian Authority (PA), as part of its disaster recovery planning (DRP) solutions. The products provided are meant to go into operation in case initial infrastructures collapse. Veritas Israel CEO Daniel Daniel said the company had been providing the DRP systems to the PA and to private companies operating in the PA for the past year. Indian Defense Ministry shopping list for Israeli security products Globes 9/7/2003 The list was prepared for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to India. -- Israel is expected to be one of India’s main suppliers for its new defense modernization and procurement program. The program was approved this week. In advance of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to India next week, India has prepared a shopping list of defense products, for which Israel’s defense industries will be among the principal suppliers. The procurement program runs through 2010. Average wage falls to NIS 6,936 Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 The average wage in the economy dropped 6.4 percent in the second quarter of 2003, compared to a year earlier, to NIS 6,936 a month. The drop in average wage was evident across the board in the economy, with the exception of salary earners in food and hotel services, according to figures released yesterday. Eight single parents declare hunger strike Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 Vicki Knafo and seven other single parents camping outside the government complex in Jerusalem began a hunger strike yesterday. The hunger strike is aimed at pressuring Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate with them on the government's employment plan for single-parent families that receive supplementary income assistance. "We are not aiming to bring back the allowances that were cut. We just want places to work, but there are none," Knafo declared. Retail sales up 7.6% in April-July Globes 9/8/2003 Retail sales at malls and retail chains rose by 7.6% and the number of Israelis traveling abroad rose by 9.2% in April-July 2003, according to internal figure obtained by "Globes". The number of restaurant, café, and catering workers rose by 1.3%, or 1,000 people, to 75,100. The number of hotel employees remained unchanged from a year ago at 22,100. Data for January-July 2003 nevertheless indicate a 3.6% drop in retail sales at malls and retail chains, compared with the corresponding period in 2002. The number of Israelis traveling abroad declined by 6.6% in the period to 1.67 million. Finance Ministry plans to raise water rates, cut health basket Globes 9/8/2003 Other measures in the 2004 budget include a deep cut in defense spending. -- It's now official: the 2004 budget deficit target will be raised 1% to 4% of GDP, amounting to NIS 20.5 billion. In order to meet the new deficit target, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu proposes a NIS 10 billion budget cut. The main measures proposed by the Ministry of Finance are as follows... Banking Innovation Arab News 9/8/2003 LONDON — Who says Arab and Islamic banking is not innovative. Some banks are “Islamizing” conventional products, others are playing safe with traditional trade finance, equities, and real estate products. Bank Negara Malaysia (the central bank), the Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), are pioneering the Sukuk Al-Ijara (Islamic leasing bond), which has its limitations. But an investment company in Kuwait has recently come up with a unique $400 million BOT (build-operate-transfer) cum timeshare project which has become the hot topic in the Middle East and Islamic banking sector. Israel widens budget gap BBC 9/8/2003 Israel has given itself more room for manoeuvre in next year's budget in plans that call for another round of painful spending cuts. The target of a 4% budget deficit is bigger than this year's 3% - but well short of the 6% shortfall that this year's spending plans are expected to produce. During a press briefing broadcast on Israel Radio, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he was aiming for 10bn shekels ($2.25bn; £1.4bn) in spending cuts, including 3bn shekels sliced off defence. Budget includes 2,500 public service lay-offs in 2004 Globes 9/8/2003 The number of public administration employees increased by 2.6%, or 2,600 people, within a year, while 4,000 teachers were fired in the same period. -- The Ministry of Finance proposes laying off 2,000-2,500 public sector employees as part of the streamlining measures outlined in the 2004 budget. The lay-offs would be in government ministries, local authorities, and affiliated agencies. Under the agreement signed with the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) six months ago, the Ministry of Finance promised to lay off only 700 public sector employees. Israel-India trade to total $1.5-1.6b in 2003 Globes 9/8/2003 India became Israel's second largest trading partner in Asia in 2003, after Hong Kong, having overtaken trade with Japan. -- Israel and India are in preliminary negotiations to sign a financial protocol to jointly aid Israeli and Indian companies in Israeli projects in India. The bilateral financial arrangement will allow Israel Foreign Trade Risks Insurance Corp. (IFTRIC) and its Indian counterpart, Ministry of Foreign Affairs director of Southeast Asia Desk Mordehai Amihai told "Globes". Chambers of Commerce: Trade with EU improved January-July Globes 9/8/2003 Trade with the European Union increased 2.8%. Exports, excluding diamonds, amounted to $3.6 billion. -- The Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce published a survey today, showing that trade with the European Union (EU) increased 2.8% in January-July 2003, compared with the corresponding period last year. The figures show that exports to the EU, excluding diamonds, dipped by a moderate 1% to $3.6 billion. Imports surged 9.5% to $6.1 billion.  3,000 industrial workers laid-off in Q2 Globes 9/8/2003 Industrial output fell 1.1% and work hours fell 1.6%, compared with the first quarter of 2003. -- The crisis in industry is continuing, according to the monthly analysis on industry by the Manufacturers Association Economy Division. The analysis found that 3,000 industrial workers were laid off in the second quarter of 2003, part of a renewed 1.1% drop in industrial output, compared with the first quarter of the year. The decline in work hours in industry also accelerated, falling 1.6% in the second quarter, compared with 0.5% in the first.

People..

Profile: Ahmed Qureia - Palestinians' new hope The Guardian 9/8/2003 Following the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, we profile Ahmed Qureia, the man most likely to succeed him as Palestinian prime minister -- Ahmed Qureia has served for years as number three in Yasser Arafat's ruling Fatah party, and as Palestinian parliamentary speaker he has had a front row view of the animosity that developed between Mr Arafat and Mr Abbas.Though his reputation as an Arafat loyalist will not appeal to some in the Israeli administration, Mr Qureia, 65, is seen as a moderate and a pragmatist. He is considered one of the few Palestinians who have credibility with Israel, but who also count on the important support of Mr Arafat. Israeli and Palestinian Youth meet in Germany Come And See 9/8/2003 Musalaha is a ministry of reconciliation between Arabs and Jews. They held a very successful Youth Leaders Conference in Germany between August 24-29. -- The story of this conference begins weeks or even months before the conference itself took place. The months beforehand were spent recruiting participants, and the Lord formed a group of dynamic youth leaders from across Israel and Palestinian areas. The group included students, a teacher, a policewoman, an engineer, an accountant, a soldier, and most were involved in youth and other ministries in their congregations. They ranged in ages from 18 to 45. Profile: Ahmed Qurei BBC 9/8/2003 Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, is the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council and seen as a loyal ally of Yasser Arafat. A leading member of Mr Arafat's mainstream Fatah faction, he was one of the architects of the Oslo peace accords signed with Israel in 1993, which led to Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Regarded as a moderate and a pragmatist, he is a banker by trade. Lebanese festival sparks controversy Al-Jazeera 9/7/2003 n annual arts festival in the ancient city of Tripoli, Lebanon, is ruffling the feathers of the religious community. The festival, held at the Rashid Karame International Fair Centre until 14 September, will host performances by Arab artists, including Iraqi heart-throb Kazim Sahir and raunchy Lebanese rising star Nancy Ajram. “The festival is necessary. The city's leading economic, political and cultural figures have decided to go ahead with the event," Tripoli municipality president Samir Shaarani told AFP. Documentary on Hadassah ER earns an Emmy Ha'aretz 9/8/2003 An NBC documentary on the trauma unit at Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karen was last week awarded an Emmy at the News & Documentary Awards Ceremony in New York. The documentary, entitled "Jerusalem ER," focussed on Prof. Avi Rivkind, the director of the hospital's Surgery and Trauma Unit.

International..

Why India wants Israeli radar BBC 9/8/2003 ...it is against Pakistan that the Phalcon might transform Indian superiority in numbers into a technological supremacy. -- One issue likely to be high on the agenda during Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's forthcoming visit to India is the sale to Delhi of Israel's Phalcon early warning airborne radar system. The two countries have been negotiating the purchase of the system for several years but until recently US restrictions prevented a sale. Last month, Washington endorsed an Israeli transfer of the highly sophisticated technology and equipment to India. Iran 'has nuclear bomb project' The Guardian 9/8/2003 Atomic energy inspectors' findings stoke suspicion and put Tehran at top of agenda -- UN inspectors have concluded that Iran has used nuclear materials to test uranium enrichment machinery despite Tehran's repeated declarations to the contrary and its obligations to report such practices to the UN. The conclusions reached by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency during visits to Iran in June and last month fuel suspicions that Iran is far advanced in a clandestine nuclear bomb project. UN demands Iran nuclear details BBC 9/8/2003 The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has demanded that Iran provide all details of its nuclear activities. IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei said Iran has been showing showing increased co-operation, but that his experts still do not have enough information to determine the nature of Tehran's nuclear activities. Protests at arrest of al-Jazeera reporter The Guardian 9/8/2003 Arab human rights groups expressed concern yesterday about Spain's detention of a former al-Jazeera correspondent in Kabul as a suspected al-Qaida member. Tayssir Alouni, who is a Spanish citizen, was arrested by anti-terrorist police at his home in Alfacar, near Granada, on Friday, the day before he was due to fly to Qatar, where the TV station is located. Top Middle East Scholar Protests Pipes Appointment Forward 9/5/2003 WASHINGTON — A top Middle East scholar is suspending his ties with the United States Institute of Peace to protest the recent appointment of Daniel Pipes to the board of the federally funded think tank, sparking fears of a wider boycott. Former presidential adviser William Quandt told the Forward that he is suspending work on several projects to protest President Bush's appointment of Pipes, who has been accused by Arab groups and Middle East scholars of harboring an anti-Muslim bias. Pipes and his defenders have vehemently rejected such characterizations, but institute staffers worry that more scholars will follow Quandt's lead, undermining the institute's reputation for impartiality. UN civil society conference demands destruction of Israel's apartheid wall Electronic Intifada 9/5/2003 Civil society organizations committed themselves to pressure their governments to condemn the construction of the “wall” by Israel as part of its pattern of illegal settlement activity, according to the Plan of Action adopted this afternoon at the conclusion of the United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People. Pro-Israel, pro-India lobbies now working together in U.S. Ha'aretz 9/8/2003