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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..

IOF Wounds Two Palestinians and Arrests Another in West Bank International Press Center 9/28/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, September 28, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded two Palestinians in the city of Nablus, while arresting another one in the city of Tulkarem, during its continued aggression on the Palestinian territories. In the city of Tulkarem, Palestinian security sources told IPC correspondent that IOF troops opened random fire at Palestinian houses in the city dawn today, wounding Citizen Mohammed Al Qeisi. Local eyewitnesses added that another Palestinian, Mohammed Hashaykeh, 42, was shot and wounded by the occupying forces stationed at Mount Belal Ben Rabah, while he was driving his car on Al Bathan – Nablus main road. Two Israelis killed in holiday attack on Negohot settlement Ha'aretz 9/28/2003 A seven-month-old girl and a man were killed Friday night, Rosh Hashanah eve, in a terror attack on the Negohot settlement, southwest of Hebron. Two other Israeli civilians were lightly injured in the infiltration. The terrorist, from Islamic Jihad, was shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces. The attack occurred hours after the start of the Jewish New Year holiday, around 9:30 P.M. The terrorist, who was armed with an M-16 rifle and two hand grenades, infiltrated the settlement from the northwest. Israel wrecks Palestinian town Al-Jazeera 9/27/2003 The Israeli army on Saturday wreaked havoc on the Palestinian town of Dura near Hebron in retaliation for an attack on a nearby Jewish settlement the previous night. Israeli army bulldozers ravaged all roads to and from the town, completely isolating it from the outside world. Bulldozers also dumped huge mounds of dirt across intersections leading to the town, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded on both sides of the roads. Israeli soldiers manning armoured personnel carriers were seen pointing their heavy machine guns at Palestinian civilians. IOF Wounds A Palestinian Woman, Arrests Eight Citizens International Press Center 9/29/2003 JENIN, Palestine, September 29, 2003, (IPC + Agencies)-- Tarb Darya, 30, was wounded today morning in the left foot when the Israeli occupation soldiers opened random fire towards the civilian houses in Al Sybatt neighborhood and the old town of Jenin City, IPC Correspondent said. Witnesses said that Darya has been wounded while standing at the steps of her relative’s house. She is a resident of Al Reina Village inside the Green Line and came to Sybtta to visit her relative. Furthermore, eight Palestinians were arrested today in the cities of Hebron and Jenin in the West Bank, WAFA said. In Jenin, the Israeli occupation forces arrested dawn today six Palestinians from Jenin City, which is under strict curfew for the second consecutive day. Israeli heavy armour invades Jenin Al-Jazeera 9/28/2003 Palestinians in Jenin have woken up on the third anniversary of al-Aqsa Intifada to fresh street clashes between Israeli soldiers and Arab youths. The disturbances broke out when an Israeli army unit on Sunday carried out its latest raid in the West Bank town, where a curfew was imposed, Palestinian security sources said. They said about 15 jeeps or armoured vehicles took part in the operation, which triggered stone-throwing protests by Palestinian youths.  Haifa resident found guilty of planning bus bombing in March Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Haifa District Court on Monday found an Arab resident of the city guilty of helping to plan a suicide bombing on a bus in the Moriah neighborhood in March 2003 that left 17 people dead. Munir Rajbi, who has lived in the northern city for 15 years, is the brother of Hafez Rajbi, who planned the attack on bus 37. According to the indictment, Munir Rajbi had been in touch with his brother, Hafez, who lived in the West Bank city of Hebron. Palestinian Senior Citizen Dies of Wounds in Gaza Refugee Camp Palestine Chronicle 9/27/2003 GAZA STRIP - An elderly man died Friday of wounds sustained during the Israeli incursion a few days before into Al Nasseirat refugee camp, south of Gaza City....In a separate incident, a Palestinian, whose identity was not yet known, was killed Friday overnight when he infiltrated the illegitimate Jewish settlement of "Negohot", southwest of Hebron and shot dead two Jewish settlers as well as wounding two others, Israeli sources said....The attack took place while IOF tightened its grip and imposed a strict siege for three days on the occupied Palestinian territories....In a further escalation, Israeli occupation authorities denied Palestinians below 40 years old access from the West Bank and Gaza Strip to East Jerusalem in order to pray at Al Aqsa mosque.      IDF arrests Hamas men in Ramallah Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 The Israel Defense Forces detained 25 low-ranking members of Hamas-run militia groups in the Ramallah area over the weekend. The goal of the IDF operation was to seize top Hamas operatives, including Sheikh Ibrahim Hamad, a figure Israel has long pursued. Hamad is considered to have masterminded the successive Tzrifin army base and Jerusalem Hillel Cafe attacks in which 15 Israelis were murdered. Aside from the Ramallah arrests, the army arrested 10 Palestinians in the Jenin, Bethlehem and Hebron areas. Three year old girl dies from shock following Israeli shelling attack Palestine Monitor 9/24/2003 Israel’s violent escalations leave five Palestinian men dead - Israeli forces raid UN hospital in Qalqilya -- Three year old Dina Iesa from the Bureij refugee camp in Gaza was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Dier al Balah city this morning. Dr Ibrahaim al Mosadar head of the Hospital said the little girl had died after entering a state of shock when Israeli forces began shelling houses around hers. Because of the heavy shelling an ambulance was unable to reach the area for some time and despite attempts to give the girl first aid at home she was dead upon reaching the Hospital. Closure Unnoticed by Palestinians International Middle East Media Center 9/29/2003 Israeli security forces lifted Monday morning the closure imposed on Palestinian territories during the Jewish holidays. A full closure of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip took place Thursday morning up to Sunday evening during Rosh Hashana.IMEMC interviewed Palestinians who move daily from one West Bank city to another. All of the interviewed agreed that both imposing and lifting the closure went unnoticed. Samir Jaqaman, who lives in Bethlehem and works at Birzeit University near Ramallah told IMEMC that he faced the same difficulties while traveling from Bethlehem to Ramallah both on Saturday, while the total closure was in effect, and on Monday, after it was declared lifted. Occupation and resistance: The blood price Al-Jazeera 9/29/2003 Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories and resistance to it has been costly. About 3500 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured, according to new figures released on Sunday. Since the first deaths in al-Aqsa Intifada on 29 September 2000, 3497 people have been killed, according to the news agency AFP. Reflecting the unevenness of the conflict and their relative armed strength, Palestinians have borne the brunt of fatalities and casualties. Palestinians Mark Intifada Anniversary, Vow Resistance Palestine Chronicle 9/28/2003 GAZA CITY - The three-year-old Intifada has managed to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli occupation forces and should go non-stop, because it is the one and only way to liberate Palestine, Palestinians said, as thousands took to the streets to mark the third anniversary of the Intifada. "When the (second) Intifada was sparked, analysts reckoned that it would last for a couple of weeks, but thank God it enters now its fourth year and the enemy has sustained heavy losses," said Mo'men Al-Dalw, 21. Three men arrested in case of murdered soldier Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Three Israeli Arab residents of the village of Kafr Kana, suspects in the July kidnap and murder of Corporal Oleg Shaichat, were arrested in August. It was released for publication Monday by Nazareth Magistrate's Court judge Tawfiq Qteili that the three men - Tarek Nujeidat, Yussuf Sabih and Sharif Eid - will be indicted Tuesday on separate counts of kidnapping, murder and conspiracy to carry out a terror attack. 3,000 dead yet peace remains elusive The Guardian 9/29/2003 It is three years since Ariel Sharon took a fateful walk on the Temple Mount and the Palestinian intifada reignited. Few would have predicted the result: 3,000 Israelis and Palestinians dead, cities wrecked and reoccupied, the prospects for peace seeming to retreat by the day. Amidst the carnage and suffering on both sides, the suicide bombing of the Dolphinarium disco in Tel Aviv by a young man from Qalqilya stands out as symbol of the horror and desperation that mark the conflict. Chris McGreal reports from both cities on how those touched by the attack view the intifada after three years, and on a desire among both Israelis and Palestinians to see the other side suffer. Dr. Al Shrafi: 3,338 killed and 46,647 Wounded within 36 Months of Al Aqsa Intifada International Press Center 9/29/2003 GAZA, September 29, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Dr. Kamal Al Shrafi, the Palestinian Health Minister, stated in a press briefing marking the third anniversary of the Al Aqsa Intifada, that the death toll of Palestinians killed during the last 36 months estimated about 3,338 including 594 minors below 18 years old and 410 were assassination victims. The above mentioned figures excluded those killed and buried without informing the hospital due to their relatives’ fear of Israeli occupation soldiers’ intimidation....“The permanent physically handicapped Palestinian amounted 6,188, ranging from quadriplegia to hemiplegia or eye- puncture, which needed intensive care by specialized care centers,” Dr. Al Shrafi remarked. IOF Troops Thrust into Jenin City International Press Center 9/28/2003 PALESTINE, September 28,2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) thrust dawn today into Jenin City and its camp and used loudspeakers to impose strict curfew on its residents, IPC reported. Israeli patrols also were rattling the street of the city and threatened the residents not to dare and break the curfew whatever the reason was, IPC correspondent said....To the east of Rafah city [Gaza], the Israeli occupation forces positioned at illegitimate Jewish settlement of “Morag” opened indiscriminate fire towards the Palestinian civilian houses east of A’raba area, resulting in the wounding of a citizen, Palestinian security sources said. Three Years on: Mounting fears, distant dreams Palestine Media Center 9/29/2003 With the Intifada for independence beginning its fourth year, Palestinians are bracing themselves for more bloodshed, fear and an inherent feeling that dreams are nothing but a distant figment of their imagination. Palestinians commemorated the third anniversary of the uprising to end the 36-year-old occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with apparent signs that violence would predominate the upcoming period. Thousands marched in Nablus—the West Bank’s largest city—while their compatriots burned signs which have come to symbolize Israel’s war machine, namely the US-made F-16 fighter jets used by the Jewish state to carry out numerous extra-judicial assassinations of Palestinians. News Briefs International Middle East Media Center 9/29/2003 Against Israeli Boycott, Blair’s Special Envoy Met Recently with Arafat / Islamic Jihad Claimed Responsibility For Negohot Attack / More than 2 dead Palestinians every day / Israeli Troops Invaded Villages, Searched Homes, Arrested Palestinians Near Hebron Occupation Chronicle Events in Palestine Palestine Media Center 9/29/2003 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed 8 Palestinians, including a 3-year-old girl and a 68-year-old elderly, wounded 18 more, 5 of them seriously, detained 38 and demolished 4 houses completely and 5 partially since September 23....

Diplomacy..

PM: Ariel to be included in fence, despite U.S. opposition Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 The fence separating Israel and the West Bank will be built east of the settlement of Ariel, despite opposition by the Bush administration to the route, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced during a meeting of Likud faction Monday. The United States has repeatedly expressed concern that the fence will cut into Palestinian land, and pressure from the White House recently led to the government putting off any decision on the route around Ariel, which is located deep in the West Bank. "Controversial” Section of Wall Near Ariel On Hold International Middle East Media Center 9/29/2003 The Israeli cabinet will convene on Wednesday to discuss the construction of the separation wall near the Ariel settlement, an area where the wall is facing strong American opposition. According to the modified plan, the section will extend east of Ariel and Kedumim settlements, leaving the controversial parts unfinished. According to a PMO source, Israel will invest more efforts in convincing the American administration of security needs to complete those gaps. Until then, the Israeli prime minister will suggest that construction only proceed along the green line. Israel, UK, US, Demanding Harsh Treatment against Jericho Prison Inmates International Middle East Media Center 9/29/2003 UK & US officials, who have external supervision over Jericho Prison, protested to the PA about the “relatively comfortable” conditions which allow inmates to communicate freely with the outside world. Under the agreement signed to end the first siege over Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, US and UK officials were offered “external supervision” of prisoners who were transferred from inside the Presidential compound to Jericho prison. Americans, PA clash over prison terms in Jericho Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Officials from the United States and Britain have clashed during the past week with Palestinian Authority representatives over supervision of terror operatives being held in the PA's Jericho prison. The Americans and British are furious about lax enforcement in the facility; the Palestinians have provided relatively comfortable conditions to the inmates, and allowed them to communicate freely with the outside world. Quartet Envoys Statement Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre 9/26/2003 Representatives of the Quartet - UN-Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, High Representative for the European Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten - met today in New York. The Quartet Members view with great concern the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, which has stalled implementation of the roadmap. The Quartet reminds both parties of the need to take into account long- term consequences of their actions, and the obligation for both parties to make rapid progress toward full implementation of the roadmap for peace. PLO Urges Quartet to Shoulder Its Responsibilities Palestine Media Center 9/29/2003 The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization on Saturday reconfirmed the commitment of the Palestinian side to all its obligations stipulated in the internationally – adopted “roadmap” plan and the signed accords with the Israeli side, and urged the Quartet of the US, UN, EU and Russian peace mediators to shoulder their “roadmap” responsibilities and to oblige Israel to implement its obligations. Sharon: Hizbullah Prisoners in Europe May be Included in Swap An Nahar 9/28/2003 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says prisoners held in Europe may be part of a swap between Hizbullah and Israel, but he gave few details and did not name them. Sharon said the deal is "moving toward a solution" but has not been completed. The emerging exchange reportedly has Israel freeing 19 Lebanese and 400 Arab prisoners, including about 200 Palestinians. Hezbollah meets with Palestinians Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Hezbollah said on Saturday it had met in Beirut with Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to discuss an exchange of prisoners with Israel. The Lebanese organization has also held talks with Fatah, the Palestinian movement led by Yasser Arafat. In Ramallah, Palestinian parliament member Kadura Faras said that Israel would release some 700 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal. Faras heads the parliamentary committee on Palestinians incarcerated in Israel and is a close associate of Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Fatah leader held in Israeli custody. Gov't: No final decision this week on prisoner swap Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be briefed this week by the head of the MIA negotiating team, Ilan Biran, on the progress of talks held last week in Germany. Israeli is offering to release Lebanese prisoners it holds, as well as other Palestinian, Jordanian and Syrian prisoners in exchange for the release of Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannebaum and return of the bodies of three MIAs - Adi Avitan, Benny Avraham and Omar Suad. The government has promised the High Court not to make any final decisions on the deal this week in order to give the family of missing IAF navigator Ron Arad - who is not including in the pending deal - a chance to review the Winograd report's information on the missing navigator. U.S. to review asylum ruling for Israeli Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 The U.S. Department of Justice announced last week that it plans to appeal a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which granted political asylum to an Israeli Arab on grounds that he suffered economic persecution in his homeland. The decision to appeal the ruling follows several months of pressure from the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem. Iranian FM warns Israel not to strike nuclear plants Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 WASHINGTON - Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, denying his country has "any program to produce weapons of mass destruction," warned Israel that Iran would respond to any strike on its nuclear facilities. In an interview aired on Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Kharazi said the possibility of an Israeli military strike on its nuclear program was "a threat, no question." Iran says Israel engineered arrest of ex-envoy Reuters 9/28/2003 TEHRAN, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Iran on Sunday accused Israel of being behind Britain's arrest of a former Iranian diplomat, following a press report that the ex-envoy could be used as a bargaining chip to get information on a missing Israeli airman. Hadi Soleimanpour, Iran's ex-ambassador to Argentina, was arrested in Britain in August in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people....Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, speaking in a TV interview on Thursday, said Israel had some bargaining chips for prisoner swaps that the Iranians would be very keen to get. When asked to elaborate, Sharon said: "All I can say is that it is not here in Israel, it is in a European state." Palestine UN Ambassador Disappointed of Quartet Statement Palestine Chronicle 9/29/2003 NEW YORK - Nasser Al Qedwa, permanent observer of Palestine at the United Nation voiced Friday pessimistic and disappointment of the Quartet statement, equating the Palestinians with the Israelis in the responsibility for the recent escalations....He made clear that the Quartet’s statement avoided including the new ideas that were debated during the Quartet (United Nation, Russia, European Union and USA) session in New York. The proposal put forward the possibility that the UN Security Council played a proper role to push the peace process ahead. Background / If Nasrallah's OK, what about Arafat? Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 The conclusion that Yasser Arafat is no longer a partner to negotiations is acceptable not only in Israel and the United States, but also in some European countries. The question is: What are the alternatives? Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said over the weekend that the U.S. administration must recognize the fact that there is no option but to negotiate with Arafat....The editor of the Palestinian Authority's periodical Al-Khayat Al-Jadida, Hafez Barghouti, asked why Israel is willing to negotiate with Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah, but not with Arafat and his people. What is the difference between them? Is Nasrallah less of a terrorist than Arafat?

Human Rights..

Three Years of Israeli Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Need for Accountability Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/29/2003 Today, on the third anniversary of the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, PCHR submitted a memorandum to the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949, summarizing violations of the Convention over the last three years and calling for immediate action to protect Palestinian civilians. The memorandum presents updated information on Israel’s systematic violations of international humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) since 29 September 2000. The memorandum highlights in particular grave breaches of the Convention, providing statistics and information on willful killings, assassinations, torture and inhuman treatment, closures and curfews, unlawful deportations and transfers, wilfully causing great suffering and serious injury, and extensive destruction and expropriation of civilian property. Download the report      Apartheid wall to spare Arab university Al-Jazeera 9/29/2003 The Palestinian al-Quds university will not be ripped apart by Israel’s growing barrier around east Jerusalem thanks to US pressure and a deal with the Israeli defence ministry. While Israeli officials hailed the decision as a magnanimous gesture, a spokesman for the university said the concession had come as a result of non-violent activism. Short-of-Cash UNRWA Forced to Slash Aid to Palestinian Refugees Palestine Media Center 9/29/2003 The world’s biggest relief agency said yesterday it would have to significantly cut back on aid to more than half of refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory because of severe budget shortfalls. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) — the UN body responsible for thousands of Palestinian refugees both in the occupied territory and in exile — said it would have to slash its assistance because donors were not providing the necessary funds. Speaking at a meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Peter Hansen said that the lack of response by donors to the emergency appeal the agency made earlier in the year will mean not meeting even half of the refugee’s needs. One pilot joins refuseniks, another bails Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 An Israel Air Force fighter pilot joined the 27 signatories of the pilots' letter of refusal, in which they stated they would not participate in operations in the territories against civilian targets. Meanwhile, one of the signatories has retracted his support, admitting that the pressure was overwhelming. Lieutenant Colonel Eli, an ace fighter pilot, announced that he was adding his signature to the refusal letter.  Palestinians Filed 531 Abuse Complaints against Jewish Settlers International Press Center 9/29/2003 TEL AVIV, September 29, 2003 (IPC + Ha'aretzdaily)-- A recent report revealed that Palestinian citizens in the occupied Palestinian territories have filed 531 abuse and assault complaints against Jewish settlers at the Israeli District Attorney's office. The report, published by Ha'aretz and titled "the Price of the Settlements", revealed that the number of complaints filed by Palestinian citizens against Jewish settlers, after a series of abuses and lynching committed by them in the year 2001. Barghouthi tells court “One can’t be a Palestinian leader if he doesn’t fight the occupation” Islamic Association for Palestine 9/29/2003 Occupied Jerusalem: 29 September, 2003 (IAP News): Imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi told an Israeli court Monday that Palestinians have an inherent right to resist the Israeli military occupation of their homeland. “We have been suffering under your sinister military occupation for the past 36 years, you killed us, you tortured us, you destroyed our homes, you seized our land, you made our life an enduring hell. We have a legal and moral right to resist your occupation. If you were in our shoes, you would do the same as we are doing, you would resist,” Barghouthi told the District Court in Tel Aviv. Aid agencies slam roadblocks BBC 9/28/2003 On the third anniversary of the Palestinian intifada, international aid agencies have called on Israel to end the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians. The group of more than 20 aid agencies has issued a statement urging Israel to allow Palestinians to move freely in the West Bank and Gaza. The agencies say Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints are severely limiting Palestinians' access to basic services like medicine and schooling. INTERNATIONAL AID AGENCIES CALL FOR FREE AND UNRESTRICTED MOVEMENT FOR ALL - (Acrobat format) Palestinian Centre for Human Rights/Assn of International Development Agencies 9/28/2003 September 28, 2003 will mark three years of the "Al Aqsa" Intifada. In that time several political initiatives have failed to stop the cycle of violence and destruction. Even today, closure and curfew continue to prevent millions of Palestinians from moving freely within the West Bank and Gaza strip. The latest political initiative, the “Road Map to Peace”, has not improved the situation despite the fact that it calls on Israel to “take all necessary steps to help normalize Palestinian life.” There are still more than450 barriers in the West Bank1 that severely limit Palestinian access to health, education and other basic services. Ambulances still face unacceptable delays at these barriers. Education has been disrupted and students and teachers waste hours crossing checkpoints. Harvest in the shadow of the gun Al-Jazeera 9/24/2003 Travelling from Pimlico to Jericho is a quantum leap, but it is one that the twenty or so activists crowded into a leafy south London youth club are preparing to make. They are of all ages, all religions, all united by a commitment to the work of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which mobilises international activists to witness, record and protest against Israeli human rights abuses....Crucially, new recruits learn about the Olive Harvest Campaign that will run from 5 October to 20 November.  Marwan Barghouti Refuses Closing Arguments International Middle East Media Center 9/29/2003 In protest of his trial, Marwan Barghouti utilized his allotted time for his closing arguments to discuss the political agreements between Palestine and Israel, and to reaffirm the urgency of continued resistance. Barghouti has been accused with 26 counts of murder for his alleged involvement in the planning of a series of attacks against Israeli targets. Defending himself in the trial, Barghouti’s appearance today was meant to give a closing argument to the case.      Barghouti presents closing argument in trial for murder Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Former Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti used his closing argument at his murder trial in Tel Aviv District Court on Monday morning to deliver a speech slamming Israel's occupation of the territories. Barghouti, one of the Palestinians' most popular figures, has been accused of 26 counts of murder for his alleged role in attacks against Israelis. He said that within four or five years, Israel would have to deal with the creation of an independent Palestinian state, or be forced to accept a binational state on its own territory, Army Radio reported. Intifada leader defiant at trial BBC 9/29/2003 One of the Palestinian uprising's leaders has defended the revolt at his trial in Israel on murder charges. Marwan Barghouti, West Bank leader of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, said he was proud of the uprising - known as the intifada - which is now in its fourth year. In his closing statement before a three-judge panel in Tel Aviv, Mr Barghouti - who has refused legal representation and had previously presented no defence of his own - spoke for nearly an hour. Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/25/2003 3 Palestinians, including 2 children, were killed by Israeli forces / 1 of the children died in Nablus from a previous injury, while the other was killed in an Israeli incursion into Rafah / Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip / 22 houses were destroyed by Israeli forces in Rafah and Khan Yunis leaving dozens of Palestinian families homeless / Houses were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians were arrested / Areas of agricultural land were razed in the southern and central Gaza Strip / 2 houses in Jenin and Hebron were destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the continued campaign of retaliation against the families of wanted Palestinians and those who allegedly carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets / Construction of the separation wall in the West Bank continued / Indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued / 3 schools in Rafah were shelled, injuring a teacher and a student / Israeli forces continue to impose a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Economy..

Mid-East economic gloom bites deep BBC 9/28/2003 Three years of the Palestinian uprising - or intifada - have laid waste to the region's economy. While Israelis have seen their way of life compromised, 60% of Palestinians have slipped below the poverty line. In Arabic, the word intifada means a struggle, or a shaking off of fear. It can also mean a sudden waking from sleep.      Civil Service chief: Striking workers to have pay docked Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Civil Service Commissioner Shmuel Hollander on Monday instructed the directors-general of government ministries to dock the salaries of public sector workers for the days on which they participate in industrial action. Some 50,000 workers in government ministries and agencies launched an open-ended strike Monday, during which they are not admitting the public, answering telephone calls, delivering the mail or rendering any other service. The strike is in protest over further planned cuts and lay-offs in the civil service. Civil service strike closes ministries Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 Some 50,000 workers in government ministries and agencies will launch an open-ended strike today, during which they will not admit the public, answer telephone calls, deliver the mail or render any other other service. The strike will encompass the National Insurance Institute, whose workers will not allocate unemployment payments, the Employment Service, which will close to job seekers, and customs agents at Ben-Gurion Airport, who will hold up incoming passengers by examining every bag and suitcase that goes through. In addition, flights taking off from Ben-Gurion Airport may be disrupted. Latest budget cut plan completed Ha'aretz 9/29/2003 The Finance Ministry on Friday completed the NIS 1.075 billion budget cut plan for the 2004 state budget, instead of the NIS 1.1 billion cut approved by the cabinet on September 15. The alternative budget cut will be submitted for cabinet approval on Wednesday. According to the treasury proposal, about NIS 600 million will be cut from National Insurance Institute child allowances; NIS 275 million will be cut from Interior Ministry grants to local authorities; NIS 125 million will be cut by downsizing the Israeli mission in New York; NIS 50 million will be cut from the treasury budget; and NIS 25 million will be cut from other NII commitments.

People..

Tribute to Edward Said Palestine Monitor 9/29/2003 Biography of Edward Said - Testimonials - Condolence and Tributes - Articles on the late Edward Said - Memorial Services The West's greatest Palestinian advocate Al-Jazeera 9/28/2003 Edward Said was the most passionate and eloquent defender of the Palestinian cause in the most pro-Israeli country in the world, the United States. After an 11-year battle with leukaemia, Said passed away aged 68 in New York on Thursday. A professor of comparative literature at Colombia University, Said straddled a huge range of subjects, from opera and politics to the media and classical music. But he will ultimately be remembered as an unstinting critic of Israel and, more surprisingly, of Yasir Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. Anti-U.S., Israeli Occupation Rallies Sweep World Palestine Chronicle 9/29/2003 PARIS - Thousands demonstrated Saturday, September 27, against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the Israeli polices against the Palestinians in several European countries. The largest rally took place in London, where the police counted 10,000 demonstrators, but the organizers' tally was ten times higher, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Arafat in Bed Suffering from 'Crowd-Meeting' Fatigue An Nahar 9/29/2003 Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was reported Monday to be suffering from fatigue after the influx of huge crowds into his Ramallah headquarters to declare solidarity against Israel's threat 'to remove' him. Al-Quds newspaper said a medical team was set to examine the condition of the 74-year-old leader at his offices later on Monday. Palestinians Demonstrate to Mark Third Anniversary of Intifada An Nahar 9/29/2003 Thousands of Palestinians have marched through the streets of the West Bank in support of Yasser Arafat as they marked the third anniversary of the intifada, which has claimed thousands of lives. The demonstration of support on Sunday came as the Palestinians appeared set to appoint a new Cabinet filled with Arafat loyalists, despite efforts by the United States and Israel to sideline the Palestinian leader, whom they accuse of fomenting terror attacks. Dershowitz Accused Of Plagiarism Harvard Crimson 9/29/2003 Law school professor denies he relied on another’s work -- A DePaul University professor has charged Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitz with committing plagiarism in his recent bestselling book The Case for Israel—an accusation that has set off a furious back-and-forth about what does and does not constitute plagiarism. Norman G. Finkelstein first accused Dershowitz of plagiarism last Wednesday, when both professors were on a talk show called “Democracy Now!” to debate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The charge has also surfaced in the October edition of The Nation, in a column called “Alan Dershowitz, Plagiarist,” which cites Finkelstein’s research.      Palestinians Mark Intefadeh Anniversary The Guardian 9/29/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Palestinians were better off before they launched their uprising against Israel, the ousted Palestinian security chief said Monday, as thousands marched to mark the three-year anniversary of the revolt. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mohammed Dahlan also said the Palestinians misread the dramatic changes brought by the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States, and that hurt their aspirations of statehood....In Tel Aviv, a prominent leader of the uprising, Marwan Barghouti, said he had no regrets about the past three years. ``To die is better than living under occupation,'' Barghouti told an Israeli court, delivering closing arguments in his murder trial. Israel accuses him of involvement in attacks that killed 26 Israelis....Also Monday, Yasser Arafat's aides said the Palestinian leader has a severe case of the flu, as a result of which he has unable to keep down food for three days and has sent for his personal physician, Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, who was en route from Amman, Jordan. Beirut protesters march against occupation in Iraq, Palestine Daily Star 9/29/2003 Hoss slams Arab League, Arafat phones in to commend ‘brave’ resistance -- Several thousand demonstrators marched from the Barbir area in Beirut to Riad Solh Square at the weekend to protest the US occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation in Palestine, and in support of freedom of expression in the Arab world. The demonstration was among numerous protests held around the world against US and British policies and Israeli aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories. Peres at 80: peace can be grasped The Guardian 9/29/2003 After three years of incessant bloodshed, Israel's Labour leader tells Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv that he still sees a chance for a two-state solution -- Every corner of the office of Shimon Peres is filled with optimistic images. By the reception desk stand two bronze statuettes of a Jewish woman and an Arab woman bearing olive branches. In one of the many photographs on the walls, Peres - the former Israeli Prime Minister - stands with Yasser Arafat, the late King Hussein of Jordan, the then Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, and Bill Clinton, their joined hands raised as if dancing the hokey-cokey.      Thousands around the World Rally against the Israeli Occupation International Press Center 9/29/2003 LONDON, September 28, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Thousands of protestors in several European countries took to the streets yesterday and today to join rallies against the Israeli and US occupation of Palestine and Iraq. The largest rally took place in London, where the police estimated the protestors of nearly 10,000 but the organizers said that the total was ten times higher, AFP reported. The demonstrators rallied at the famous Hyde Park, and marched to confluence point at Trafalgar Square. Among the main speakers in the demonstration was London's Mayor, Ken Livingstone, who said that the British government must reconsider its policies in both Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

International..

Prominent U.S.-Muslim Scholar Detained Islam Online 9/29/2003 CAIRO, September 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The U.S. federal authorities detained a prominent Islamic leader overnight, his lawyer told IslamOnline.net Monday, September 29. “Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi was detained in a Virginia airport apparently on his way back from London,” said Ashraf Nobani told IslamOnline.net on the telephone. Nobani said that indictment against his client “was sealed, and it is premature to make any judgment” as to the detention. The lawyer dismissed as baseless press reports that Amoudi had been earlier arrested before.....Reuters quoted Muslim activists as describing Amoudi as one of the founders of a group called the American Muslim Armed forces and Veteran Affairs Council which the Defense Department uses to certify Muslim chaplains for military duty. NATO eyes Mideast, Africa as new 'center of activity' SpaceWar 9/29/2003 Prodded by the US doctrine of preemption, the North Atlantic alliance signaled Sunday its determination to refocus its activities on the developing world in order to root out suspected terrorist cells in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. "The center of gravity for the last 50 years in the alliance has been in Western Europe," NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General James Jones, told Newsweek magazine. "But the center of activity is, in my perspective, moving east, and I think its not an understatement to say that the geo-strategic center of interest for the foreseeable future has to be the greater Middle East." U.S. Probing Syria's Possible Engagement in Anti-American Espionage The Bush administration is trying to determine whether Syria is engaged in espionage against the United States in light of an investigation of possible security breaches at a prison camp in Cuba, a top White House aide said Sunday. "We're looking into it, and we'll see what's there," said Condoleezza Rice, Bush's national security adviser. Senior Airman Ahmad I. al-Halabi, a Syrian-born supply clerk, is charged with espionage for allegedly e-mailing classified information about the camp at Guantanamo Bay to an unspecified enemy and planning to give other secrets about the prison to a person traveling to Syria. Jordan Arrests Terrorist Mastermind Linked to Anti-U.S. Attacks An Nahar 9/28/2003 AMMAN, Jordan (AP) _ Police arrested an Islamic militant Saturday wanted on suspicion of planning terror attacks against Jordan-based U.S. troops and the American Embassy, Information Minister Nabil al-Sharif said. Al-Sharif said police arrested Mohammed Ahmed al-Chalabi and an aide, Omar Ghazi Bazay'ah, in Mafraq, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Jordan's capital, Amman. The minister told The Associated Press that the operation to arrest the men went smoothly and nobody was injured. Press Review: Arab press mull intifada anniversary BBC 9/29/2003 The third anniversary of Ariel Sharon's visit to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, widely seen as a trigger for the Palestinian uprising known as the intifada, is on the minds of the regional Arab press. Other newspapers are still concerned with the New York meeting of the Quartet earlier in the week. Iran Acknowledges Enriched Uranium Found The Guardian 9/29/2003 TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran acknowledged Monday that traces of highly enriched uranium have been found at a second site in the country, but insisted the source was contaminated equipment purchased from another country. Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said enriched uranium has been found at the Kalay-e Electric Co., just west of Tehran. Egypt's ruling party adopts reforms Al-Jazeera 9/29/2003 The son of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has won over the ruling National Democratic Party with members adopting all his ideas for economic and political reforms. Gamal Mubarak, appointed by his father last year to head an influential NDP committee on policymaking, welcomed the supportive vote from delegates at the NDP's annual convention on Sunday....On the final day of the three-day congress, delegates adopted a package of reform proposals with a broad sweep, including democratisation and human rights, accelerating privatisation and encouraging investment, improving public transportation and addressing the status of women in Egypt.           Egypt Frees Islamic Militant Leader The Guardian 9/29/2003 CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - An Islamic militant group leader who helped plot the assassination of President Anwar Sadat but later expressed regret for the Egyptian leader's killing has been released from prison after nearly 22 years, officials said Sunday. Jordan tries Islamists for plotting attacks Al-Jazeera 9/29/2003 A court case has begun in Jordan involving 13 people who are accused by the kingdom of planning military attacks on US interests. The group of defendants include three Saudis – who are to be tried in absentia – Jordanian Muslim cleric Muhammad Chalabi, also known as Abu Sayyaf. According to state security prosecutor, Colonel Mahmud Obaidat, Abu Sayyaf was captured by authorities on Saturday. US eyes Israeli software as training tool for forces in Iraq Christian Science Monitor 9/29/2003 JERUSALEM – For US soldiers wondering what they should and should not do in their role as occupiers of Iraq, help may be on the way from the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli military has developed a software program to teach junior commanders 11 "codes of conduct'' when operating among civilians - fight only those fighting you, respect the dignity of the local population, don't pillage, and so forth.... While analysts speculate that Israel may be providing intelligence or other kinds of military support, officials refuse to comment on the matter. "It's a closed door," says one Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. U.S. Wants No Role in Whether or Not to Keep Lahoud in Office An Nahar 9/29/2003 The United States and Syria are not on a collision course over either the extension of President Lahoud's term in office or electing a new president in November next year, An Nahar reported on Monday. As far as Syria is concerned, the Assad regime is bent on maintaining its current stance of withholding the final decision on whether Lahoud would stay or bow out to clear the way for a new president to be elected before his term expires on Nov. 24, 2004, wrote An Nahar's analyst Nicholas Nassif. US ‘does not interfere’ in Beirut’s domestic affairs Daily Star 9/29/2003 While politicians here often disagree on the extent of the US role and influence over the Lebanese political scene, US officials reportedly assert that their administration does not interfere in Lebanese domestic affairs, in particular when it comes to the choice of president. Local politicians in contact with officials in the US administration have been dealing with the delicate issue of the Syria Accountability Act, currently under examination by the US Congress, while insisting on the “bilateral” nature of US-Lebanese relations and their positive aspects, despite US concerns regarding Hizbullah. Immigrants Travel to Washington to Rally for Broadened Rights New York Times 9/29/2003 EL PASO, Sept. 26 — As the bus sped through the New Mexico desert and into West Texas, Federico González talked of his dream, an odd dream for an immigrant from Colombia. He wants to be an F.B.I. agent. Back home, he had been studying to be a police investigator, but he dropped out of college because he was too poor to pay all the expenses. Eager to support his girlfriend and infant son, he moved to Arizona and took a job as a roofer, attracted to the relatively high pay by immigrant standards: $9.50 an hour. But the work was grueling, 10-hour days in 100-degree heat. He soon learned there could be a price for protesting harsh conditions. Superbomb ignites science dispute San Francisco Chronicle 9/28/2003 Pentagon advisers challenge experiments behind nonnuclear weapon -- The Pentagon's pursuit of a new kind of nonnuclear super-weapon has sparked a behind-the-scenes revolt among its elite scientific advisers, some of whom reject the scheme as pseudoscience. The military's goal is to develop a bomb that might be far more powerful than existing conventional weapons of the same size. Precisely targeted, such a weapon could take out targets -- such as underground caverns that conceal weapons of mass destruction -- without posing the severe political risks of using nuclear bombs.

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