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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 Six Citizens, Arrests a Mother and Five Daughters and Dynamites a House in Hebron International Press Center 9/30/2003 HEBRON, Sep 30, 2003, (IPC+Agencies)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot and wounded six Palestinian citizens and arrested a mother and her five daughters after blowing up their house in Al Tabaqa village of Hebron on Tuesday. The house of Mahmoud Nassar Yousef Hamdan, 23, has been dynamited today morning by the Israeli occupation forces in Al Tabaqa village in Doura town, south west of Hebron. Hamdan has been killed by Israeli fire in the illegitimate Jewish settlement of Negohot late Friday....While bulldozers were flattening the house, Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinian citizens and injured six, Palestine News Agency (WAFA) said.... In the village of Jeoss, near Qalqilia, Israeli occupation soldiers beat up Majdi Abed Al Haleem Khureisha, 19, WAFA said. Eyewitnesses said that Khureisha was in the company of other farmers as were heading to their farms when the Israeli soldiers at the gate beat him. Palestinians hurt as Israelis dynamite house Al-Jazeera 9/30/2003 Israel has continued its controversial demolition policy, destroying the house of a resistance fighter and leaving his family homeless. And several Palestinians were injured as Israeli troops cleared the area firing rubber-coated bullets and teargas. The Israeli occupation army on Tuesday dynamited the home of Mahmud Nasir Hamdan, a 21-year-old Islamic Jihad activist who shot dead two Jewish settlers at a nearby settlement three days ago. Hamdan was killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the attack. Israel's Navy Chases French Ship off S. Lebanon's Territorial Waters An Nahar 9/30/2003 The Israeli navy has banned a French scientific research vessel from operating inside Lebanese territorial waters near the border town of Naqoura and forced it to leave under a hail of machine-gun fire in the air, Premier Hariri's Al Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Tuesday. The French ship Le Suroit was beginning a month-long mission to survey the Lebanese seabed seismatically for causes of earthquakes on Sunday when it was intercepted in broad daylight by Israeli gunboats five kilometers north of the Israeli border. Study slams Israeli soldiers Al-Jazeera 9/30/2003 Israeli occupation troops have admitted to firing live ammunition at Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip because of a shortage of non-lethal weapons. The shocking revelation is detailed in a highly critical 108-page report on the Israeli military released on Tuesday. The state comptroller’s report found that previous recommendations had not been implemented, such as developing new kinds of non-lethal arms. Israeli Assassination Bid Against Hamas Leader Thwarted Islam Online 9/30/2003 CAIRO, September 30 (IslamOnline.net) - An Arab country has recently arrested a terrorist cell affiliated to the Israeli intelligence (Mossad) which was plotting to liquidate senior Hamas political leaders abroad, including the head of the movement politburo Khaled Mashal, a senior Hamas official confirmed Tuesday, September 30. In exclusive statements to IslamOnline.net over the phone, Mohammad Nazal, himself a member of Hamas politburo, said officials in the said Arab country, which he declined to name, notified the movement leaders they must take utmost precautionary measures in their movements. Higher council of Islamic courts warns of targeting Aqsa Mosque Palestinian Information Center 9/30/2003 Nablus - The Palestinian higher council of Islamic courts has warned the Zionist entity that targeting the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem would lead to an enormous catastrophe. The chief judge in Palestine and chairman of the council, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Al-Tamimi, has urged the Arab and Muslim Ummah to shoulder its duty in defending the first Qibla and the third holiest shrine in Islam. Tamimi in a statement affirmed that the Aqsa Mosque with all its area, yards, domes, gates and skies was the sole property of Muslims and Jews had no right to infringe on it. Jewish terrorist cell from Bat Ayin gets 12 to 15 years Jerusalem Post 9/30/2003 Three men convicted of attempted murder for planning to bomb an Arab girls' school on the Mount of Olives last year were sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison by the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday. Shlomo Dvir-Zeliger, 27, and Ofer Gamliel, 44, were sentenced to 15 years each, while Yarden Morag, 26, was given a reduced 12-year term because he cooperated with investigators. The three had faced up to 20 years in prison. Attorney Naftali Wertzberger, who represented Morag and Dvir-Zeliger, said he would appeal the "harsh" sentences. Israeli army chief says murderous assassinations will continue Palestinian Information Center 9/30/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - The Zionist army’s chief of staff, Moshe Ya’alon, vowed Tuesday to continue the policy of assassination against Palestinian political leaders and intifada activists. The Israeli state-run radio quoted Ya’alon as saying that Israel didn’t and wouldn’t stop murdering Palestinian leaders. Kafr Kana residents believe murder wasn't terrorist act Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Over the last month, the village of Kafr Kana had seen a trickle of Jewish visitors returning to the shops and restaurants, and there was even talk that the Shin Bet had reached the conclusion that three men who have been held since early August as suspects in Corporal Oleg Shaichat's murder were not the killers. The news that charges will be presented today shocked the village....According to their boss, all three were good workers. "We're all in shock," Dahamshe said. "Nobody can understand this, they weren't the type to hurt flies," said Dahamshe. He said that Sabih and Eid didn't even talk to each other, because of some fight they had in the past, so they didn't even work the same shifts, unless there was no choice. Haifa resident convicted of helping suicide bomber Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Munir Rajbi of Haifa was convicted in the city's District Court yesterday of conspiring to help the enemy at war. Rajbi, who has been a Haifa resident for 15 years, is the brother of Hafez Rajbi, of Hebron, who planned the bus bombing in Haifa in March this year. The suicide bomber blew himself up on bus No. 37, killing 17 people. According to the charges, Hafez Rajbi told his brother Munir that he was involved in many attacks, including one in which a number of Israeli soldiers were killed, when he was a member of a Hamas cell in the Hebron region. Terrorists involved in Trans-Israel Highway shooting arrested Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service arrested three of six members of the Islamic Jihad cell that murdered Noam Leibowitz, 7, three months ago on the Trans-Israel Highway, it was released for publication Tuesday. Leibowitz was shot dead while travelling with her family near the West Bank city of Qalqilyah on a highway within Israel proper. They were returning from a bar mitzvah in Jerusalem. Her younger sister suffered moderate-to-serious wounds, her brother, 11, was lightly wounded and her grandfather also sustained light wounds. Intifada's terrible toll leaves peace a distant dream The Independent 9/29/2003 Palestinians marked the third anniversary of their uprising against Israeli occupation yesterday, but there was no sign either side has a strategy to end the violence that has so far killed at least 3,163 people, 502 of them children. While Israelis were marking the Jewish New Year yesterday, Palestinians marched through the streets of Nablus and Gaza. But for both sides, the occasion was muted by fear of what is to come. Three years to the day after Ariel Sharon's visit to Haram al-Sharif, or the Temple Mount, sparked the intifada, peace seems far off. Breaking News: Random IOF Fire In Hebron Wounds Civilian International Press Center 9/30/2003 19:50 Israeli occupying forces (IOF) open random fire at civilian houses in the village of Al Tabqa in Hebron, wounding a 50-year old Palestinian citizen moderately, Palestinian medical sources said, IPC / 14:30 Israeli occupying forces (IOF) close the Wadi El Hamam road that links the city of Nablus with the village of Al Bathan, using barbed wire, WAFA...

Diplomacy..

US Diplomat Criticizes Israel on Settlement Policies International Press Center 9/30/2003 DETROIT, September 30, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- A senior US diplomat said Monday that the Israeli refusal to halt its settlement activities in the Palestinian territories endangers its future as a democratic state. US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, William Burns, said during a speech at the US-Arab Economic Forum in Detroit that it would be difficult to realize two states for two peoples in the region with the Jewish settlements expansion and their population growth, Reuters reported. EU, after Quartet, Falls Short of Condemning Israeli Assassinations Palestine Media Center 9/30/2003 US, UK Blast Israel’s Settlement Activities -- Two days after the Palestinian leadership’s assertion of its commitment to the “roadmap”, EU foreign ministers on Monday expressed deep concern at the “stalemate” in the Middle East peace process, pressing both Israelis and the Palestinians to meet their “obligations and responsibilities”, but their statement, which fell short of condemning Israel’s extra-judicial assassinations, reinforced the Quartet’s stance on Friday that adopted the Jewish state’s right to “self defense,” which the Palestine National Authority (PNA) received with “disappointment.” EU Ready to Help Qurei’ Government International Press Center 9/30/2003 BRUSSELS, September 30, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The European Union welcomed Monday the designation of Ahmed Qurei' as the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and said it stands ready to assist his new cabinet. EU Foreign Ministers issued a statement after their meeting in the Belgian capital Brussels, urging Israel not to expel the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and saying it would be "counter productive to the efforts at reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict." Expressing concern at stalled Middle East peace process, speakers in UN GA call for resumption of dialogue, implementation of "Road Map" United Nations General Assembly 9/29/2003 In wake of the diplomatic Quartet's high-level meeting at United Nations Headquarters on Friday, 26 September, at which it expressed "great concern" that recent Israeli and Palestinian attacks had stalled the Middle East peace process, several speakers in the General Assembly today stressed the importance of resuming negotiations for the implementation of the "Road Map" peace plan. State Department: No immediate cuts in loan guarantees Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department is notifying Congress it plans no immediate reductions in loan guarantees for Israel, despite settlement construction on the West Bank, the department spokesman said Tuesday. With the fiscal year ending at midnight, the department was obliged to advise Congress of its intentions. Israel is due $9 billion in loan guarantees over three years and in August issued bonds for $1.6 billion. PM: When fence reaches Ariel, we'll deal with U.S. objections Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 The separation fence between Israel and the West Bank will be built east of the settlement of Ariel, and if this creates a problem with the Americans, the matter will be discussed with them when it arises, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the Likud Knesset faction yesterday. He said that the cabinet will formally approve the fence's route at its meeting today. "The separation fence will be built east of Ariel and east of Kedumim," Sharon said, referring to two West Bank settlements. "If we reach a point where the matter once again creates a dispute, we will sit with the Americans again." Nuclear watchdog 'ignores Israel' BBC 9/30/2003 Arab states have accused the United Nations nuclear watchdog of holding back from criticising Israel. Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was ignoring Israel's alleged weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, they said, the agency was putting pressure on other countries to give up their nuclear programmes. Hezbollah prisoner deal with Israel delayed Middle East Online 9/30/2003 JERUSALEM - The Israeli High Court postponed Tuesday a ruling on a petition against a prisoner-exchange deal between Israel and Hezbollah brought by the family of a missing air force navigator. Ron Arad's family wants an interim injunction to prevent Mustafa Dirani, a member of Hezbollah who is in Israel custody, being released as part of the agreement. The family claims that Arad, who was captured in 1986 when his plane came down over Lebanon, was locked up by Dirani in the boot of his car and handed over for questioning to Russian and Syrian agents who abused him. Jordan calls for US intervention Jerusalem Post 9/30/2003 If the road map is to succeed, the US needs to "micromanage" the process to ensure progress, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said Tuesday. In an address to the Council on Foreign Relations, he also voiced concern that the policy of transferring Palestinians to Jordan, advocated by some right-wing parties in Israel, may gain steam if peace talks fail. "I don't want to sound bells of alarm on the transfer issue," he said, but "despite all the assurances we are given from Israel and the United States, we are not convinced the transfer issue has disappeared from peoples' thinking. Unless a two-state solution develops, it will become an option." Powell makes new call for reform in Mideast Middle East Online 9/30/2003 DETROIT - US Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Arab-American leaders to push for major reforms in the Middle East that can bring about peace and prosperity, citing post-war Iraq as an example of the road to follow. Speaking in Detroit late on Monday, Powell told the first US-Arab Economic Forum that "without a transformation of the Middle East, the region will remain a source of violence and terrorism fueled by poverty, by alienation, and by despair. Colombian ELN kidnappers: Sharon is an imperialist Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 The National Liberation Army (ELN), which has claimed responsibility for the September 12 kidnapping in Colombia of eight tourists, including four Israelis, accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of "partnership in global imperialism" in a communique sent to a local Colombian radio station on Tuesday. "Allende's murderers are the real terrorists," the communique said. "Imperialism and the extreme-right are present today in the White House - yesterday it was Pinochet, and today it is Bush, Sharon, Blair and Uribe."  Colombian rebels admit to holding tourists Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 BOGOTA, Colombia - The rebel National Liberation Army yesterday claimed responsibility for the September 12 kidnappings of eight foreign backpackers from an archaeological site in the mountains of northern Colombia. A statement from the group, known as the ELN, marked the first time anyone has taken responsibility for the abductions. Desperately seeking Mideast peace three years on ReliefWeb 9/30/2003 JERUSALEM (Reuters) - After three years of unsuccessful diplomacy, world leaders are running out of ideas for ending Middle East violence and concern is growing that a window of opportunity for making peace is closing fast. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan called for "bold steps" in New York on Friday after a meeting of the Quartet of major powers who have drawn up a "road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. But the conflict is entering a fourth year with none of the new ideas Annan demands in sight and hope fading, particularly as U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration are expected to be distracted by a looming presidential election. Asked what the Quartet can do, a senior Western diplomat said: "Bluntly, not a lot...There is a sense of real despair." Burns Warns Israel Against Continuing With SettlementActivities in The WB International Middle East Media Center 9/30/2003 Wiliams Burns, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East affairs warned Israel on Monday that its refusal to stop building settlements in the West Bank threatens its future as a democratic Jewish state. Burns' warning came while addressing the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum held in Detroit to foster economical relations and trade between the United States and the Arab World.

Human Rights..

Israel's West Bank barrier 'illegal' BBC 9/30/2003 A United Nations human rights investigator has denounced a controversial barrier Israel is building in the West Bank as illegal. John Dugard, a South African law professor, said the wall was tantamount to an "unlawful act of annexation" which should be condemned by the international community. Israel, which says it is building the wall to stop suicide bombers crossing from Palestinian areas, dismissed the findings as "one-sided, highly politicised and biased". Israel uses excessive force and annexation in Palestinian territories – UN report United Nations News 9/30/2003 30 September – Israel is using excessive force in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), violating human rights in the name of counter-terrorism, and its building of a “separation wall” and expansion of settlements bear the hallmarks of annexation and illegal “conquest,” according to a United Nations human rights report released today. While acknowledging Israel’s legitimate security concerns and its right to take strong action to prevent suicide bombings and other forms of terrorism, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights for the OPT, John Dugard, says the lawfulness of Israel’s response is to be measured in accordance with the principle of proportionality. Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on HumanRights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories UN Commission on Human Rights 9/8/2003 The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) continues to be a matter of grave concern. Although the road map promoted by the Quartet offers some prospect of peace in the region, it is important to record that the past six months have seen continued violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Hendel: Ban authors who called for probe into IAF strike Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Deputy Education Minister Zvi Hendel (National Union) said Tuesday he will work for the removal from the education curriculum works by Israeli writers who petitioned the High Court of Justice earlier in the day for a criminal investigation into the Israel Air Force assassination of senior Hamas leader Saleh Shehadeh in July 2002. The strike by F-16 warplanes saw a one-ton bomb dropped on a residential building in Gaza City, killing Shehadeh and his aide, and 15 others, including his wife and three children, and eight other children. Pilots Refuse, Authors and Yesh Gvul demand probe into civilian deaths during Gaza strike Yesh Gvul/Haaretz 9/29/2003 Authors demand probe into civilian deaths during Gaza strike: The Yesh Gvul movement and a bevy of literary figures and intellectuals including authors Izhar Smilansky, Sami Michael, Ronit Matalon and poet Natan Zach will file a petition with the High Court of Justice on Tuesday, demanding a criminal investigation into the deaths of the 14 Palestinian civilians killed during the Israel Air Force assassination of senior Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh. American couple does not accept Israeli explanations of daughter's death N ewJersey.com 9/29/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) -- Parents of an American activist killed earlier this year in Gaza by an Israeli army bulldozer called Monday for an independent U.S. investigation of her death. Rachel Corrie, 23, from Olympia, Wash., was crushed to death March 16 while trying to block a huge army bulldozer destroying a row of Palestinian homes in a refugee camp near the Gaza-Egypt border. The Israeli military conducted an internal investigation and said the bulldozer driver could not see Corrie because of the size of the bulldozer and its limited view due to heavy armor plating. Peace activists have disputed that. Israel/occupied territories: No one is safe - the spiral of killings and destruction must stop Amnesty International 9/29/2003 "No one feels safe in Israel and the Occupied Territories. As the intifada enters its fourth year there appears to be no end in sight to the growing spiral of killings, violence and destruction", said Amnesty International. Since the beginning of the Palestinian uprising on 29 September 2000 the Israeli army has killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, including 400 children, and Palestinian armed groups have killed some 800 Israelis, including 100 children. Tens of thousands have been injured, many maimed for life.  Unhappy New Year - Rosh Hashana at Jbarra International Solidarity Movement 9/29/2003 Tulkarem - Radhika S. 28 Sep 03 -- As Israeli Jews celebrated Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) just a few kilometers on the other side of the Green Line, villagers from the Jbarra area south of Tulkarem received orders for a home demolition, and 88 children were barred by Israeli Forces from going to school. REFUGEES ALL OVER AGAIN: The Israeli army served the Dameri family, whose house is located on the Israeli side of the separation Wall, with a home demolition order last Wednesday, September 24. The military road of the Wall runs through the family of twelve’s backyard, separating the home from the village of Ar Ras and annexing much of the village’s land to Israel. According to the order, the family had 3 days to evacuate their home. From the Nakbah to the Intifada: Refugees Twice Displaced International Middle East Media Center 9/23/2003 The repeated and massive scenes of home destructions in Palestinian West Bank refugee camps brings back the memories the what Palestinians call the Nakbah, or catastrophe, of 1948, when around a million Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and ended up living in refugee camps. Displaced families struggled for dozens of years to go from living in tents to building homes that provided them with a concrete roof, separate living spaces, a semblance of normalcy. The family of Shakir Abu Aiash went through these years of hardship after they were forced out of their village, "Jamasin," near Tel Aviv in 1948. They were relocated to the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, leaving behind their home, rich groves, and herds of cows and sheep. MP Barghouti: End of Occupation Key to Israel’s Peace Palestine Media Center 9/30/2003 Court Adjourns Until Mid-November -- The Palestinian Member of Parliament kidnapped by Israel in April 2002 and lingering in jail ever since, warned that the price of peace for Israelis is independence for the Palestinian people from the 36-year-old Israeli occupation. As Palestinians marked the third anniversary of the Intifada, Marwan Barghouti made his last court appearance in Tel Aviv, saying “the occupation cannot continue over the Palestinian people who want freedom and independence like every other people in the world.” Speaking in Hebrew as he gave his own defense, the senior Fatah leader warned that if Israel continued its occupation, it would have to accept a one-state solution, which is something the Jewish state would never agree to. Yesh Gvul petitions court on assassinations Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Yesh Gvul, the draft resisters movement, as well as writers S. Yizhar, Sami Michael, Ronit Matalon, Natan Zach and Amos Keinan are bringing a petition to the High Court of Justice today asking the court to order the judge advocate general and the attorney general to investigate whether crimes were committed in the planning of the July 2002 Saleh Shehadeh assassination when a one-ton bomb was dropped on his Gaza house in a densely populated neighborhood, killing him, his aide and 15 Palestinian civilians, including 11 children.

Economy..

Slew of positive economic data product of 'Hudna' Jerusalem Post 9/30/2003 The slew of positive economic data, released by the Central Bureau of Statistics Tuesday, which reveals a rise in retail sales, trade and services income, and a sharp 20 percent rise in hi-tech exports, is a product of the Palestinian Authority - Islamic Groups cease fire, known as the Hudna, said head economist of Bank Hapoalim Professor Leo Leiderman. "We readjusted our 2004 gross domestic product growth forecast last month from 2.5% to 1.5% after the Hudna fell through." Number of firms in danger of collapse continues to rise Jerusalem Post 9/30/2003 Some 17.8 percent of Israeli companies are considered to be in great danger of collapse in September, according to Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Israel's monthly survey which tracks the stability of Israeli companies released on Tuesday. The figure translates into some 47,500 companies which are believed to be in danger of closing their doors by the end of 2003. The September figures represent a 0.1% increase over the previous month. Israel weighing use of Egypt, Jordan ports to bypass strike Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 The treasury and the Transportation Ministry decided Tuesday that it may take unprecedented steps to counter a strike by seaport workers, and could ask for use of Egyptian and Jordanian harbors for imports and exports. Goods could in the next two days begin to travel to and from Port Said in Egypt and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and Nitzana in the Negev, and to and from Aqaba in Jordan and the Arava crossing. Egypt 'resumes gas talks' with Israel Al-Jazeera 9/30/2003 In a controversial move, Egypt has reportedly restarted talks with Israel on supplying it with gas after a three-year break in negotiations because of the Intifada. Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) is ready to supply Israel Electric Company (IEC) through its intermediary, East Mediterranean Gas, according to the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) in its Monday weekly report.  Olmert: Continue economic cooperation with Palestinians Globes 9/29/2003 Prime Minister's Office director-general Avigdor Yitzhaki will head a ministerial committee to establish joint industrial parks. -- In a meeting today with government ministry directors general, Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert said that efforts at economic cooperation with the Palestinians should continue, regardless of diplomatic timetables. Perez to Sharon: Summon parties to settle port strike ASAP Globes 9/30/2003 Histadrut chairman MK Amir Perez was responding to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's call to the ports workers to return to regular work. -- "I am pleased that the prime minister has intervened in the country's labor relations, particularly in view that he was personally involved in formulating the agreement with ports workers in 2001, an agreement that is now being violated," said Histadrut chairman MK Amir Perez today.

People..

Arafat given a clean bill of health after flu scare Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 The private physician of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, rushed from Amman to Ramallah yesterday, to examine the 74-year-old leader. It would appear that Arafat is not suffering from any serious ailment, although Dr. al-Kurdi's visit was far from routine: he was summoned by the chairman's closest aides, who could not help but notice that he was exhausted and was visibly unwell. Father's `peace convoy' splits bereaved families Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Amiram Goldin, whose son Omri was killed in a suicide attack on a bus at Meron Junction in August 2002, set out yesterday morning from the site of the attack to Jerusalem, under the slogan "A peace convoy during the Days of Awe." ....Yesterday, he set out on a protest convoy from Meron Junction to Jerusalem, in an attempt to persuade the government to change its policies, "to stop the cycle of revenge and killing, to herald in an era of peace and a cessation of violence." No-shows at Paris concert for peace demonstrate pitfalls of Mideast politics Daily Star 9/30/2003 Fans applaud Israeli, Palestinian, African and French performers, but Marcel Khalife stays home -- PARIS: The concept of peace in the Middle East is a polarizing subject to say the least. Organizing a concert to promote peace in the area has proved to be polarizing as well. Concert for a Just Peace in the Middle East, the Parisian mega-event in the world of happenings dedicated to the Palestinian cause, did indeed take place on Sept. 27 to mark the third anniversary of the intifada, with no fewer than 15,000 people attending. But two significant no-shows ­ Leila Shahid, the Palestinian Authority’s representative in Paris, and Marcel Khalife, one of Lebanon’s premier musicians ­ were indications of the contentious nature of the concert’s organization. Mission improbable The Independent 10/1/2003 It was one of the unlikeliest groups ever to visit a Palestinian refugee camp: a society beauty, a fashion designer and a cult novelist. An eye-opening trip to set up a children's charity -- Jemima Khan isn't kissing these babies. Instead she's crouched down beside them, beaming in admiration, and something approaching awe. Anyway, they're not, strictly speaking, babies. They're little girls, four years old, adorable in apricot-coloured overalls, and producing artwork that is breathtaking in its sophistication. Around them on the walls is a mural, rendered in poster paint, but otherwise, with its blocks of pure colour and thick, black outlines, resembling the work of the American graphic designer, Keith Haring. Vicki Knafo drops candidacy for Mitzpeh Ramon local council Ha'aretz 9/30/2003 Vicki Knafo has decided to drop her candidacy for Mitzpeh Ramon local council and will instead start work in the coming days at a tomato packing plant at Moshav Kmehin, more than an hour's journey from her home. In an announcement released Tuesday, Mitzpeh Ramon regional council said that Knafo had decided to act as an example and go to work rather than be a distant symbol of the single mothers who wish to make an honorable living and not be a burden on the state. Knafo will begin work at the packing plant after Yom Kippur. Through the holes in the garden roof - Barbera Refugee Camp International Solidarity Movement 9/30/2003 Gaza - Laura 30 Sep 03 ..His aunt receives me with open arms, she is in the garden preparing spinach leaves for lunch. Like every refugee I’ve met who can remember beyond ’48, she fondly recounts the times when Jews were her neighbors....As my friend walks me home, he points out the doorway shot full of bulletholes from the incursion several days before. Within these few holy minutes, the border is quiet. If I turn my head to the afternoon breeze and the children playing with tires in the street, I don’t have to think about the terror of the night. Last letter from a land without a State International Solidarity Movement 9/30/2003 Jenin - Aaron 30 Sep 03....As with almost every adult I’ve met who has spoken of his origins, our host’s family came from Haifa, where his father owned and farmed land as large as the entire Jenin camp. His family fled, or was driven from, their home and lands in 1948. To this day, however, his mother has kept the key to their house in Haifa, as well as the legal deed to their property (a rarity, unfortunately, among Palestinian refugees). Israelis' despair revealed in annual survey The Telegraph 9/30/2003 Israelis are in a state of open despair about their country's future, according to a deeply pessimistic opinion poll released yesterday. The annual survey by the best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth daily also showed the public split down the middle over its view of Ariel Sharon, the prime minister. With the collapse of the American-backed "road map" peace plan, the chances of the Palestinian intifada coming to an end have never seemed lower. Two thirds of those questioned predicted the intifada would continue or worsen in the coming year. Asked whether their children would enjoy a better future, 73 per cent replied "no". Asked to describe their feelings about the country's situation, 43 per cent said they were in "despair".

International..

Professor sues for libel damages Oregon Daily Emerald 9/29/2003 Sociology Professor Douglas Card seeks more than $1 million from the authors of a New York Post column -- University adjunct sociology Professor Douglas Card is suing two New York Post columnists for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress after months of wrangling to get allegedly libelous statements about him retracted. Card filed a lawsuit on Sept. 12 in Lane County Court against defendants Daniel Pipes and Jonathan Schanzer. Card is seeking $1.35 million in damages. Pipes and Schanzer wrote an article -- "Extremists on Campus," published June 25, 2002, in the New York Post -- stating Card and three other professors were "left-wing extremists" and taught material that was anti-Israel. U.S. Detains Prominent Muslim Activist For Libya Visits Islam Online 9/30/2003 WASHINGTON, September 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A prominent U.S. Muslim political activist has been arrested for making unauthorized trips to Libya and violating sanctions Washington had imposed on the Arab country, according to newly released court documents Monday, September 30. Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi made a brief appearance at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, one day after he was arrested at Dulles International Airport upon his return from an extended overseas trip....Al-Amoudi was specifically charged with violating the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, which prohibits U.S. citizens from visiting Libya without special approval. He was also charged with violating a portion of the act that forbids U.S. citizens from receiving money from Libya. Saudis to push privatisation Al-Jazeera 9/30/2003 Saudi Arabia is set to embark on an ambitious privatisation drive, unveiling specifications for 21 water and power projects. Worth nearly $13 billion, details of the projects will be revealed on Monday to local and foreign investors attending a conference of the 100 top companies in the Gulf region. Saudi women join reform call BBC 9/30/2003 A number of women in Saudi Arabia have signed a petition calling for radical reform to tackle growing extremist Islamic influence in the country. The document, signed by more than 300 people including 51 women, was handed in to Crown Prince Abdullah. Called "In Defence of the Nation", it highlights the absence of popular participation in decision-making. EU trade threat to Iran BBC 9/30/2003 The European Union has threatened Iran with economic repercussions unless it restores international trust in its nuclear programme. EU foreign ministers said a lucrative trade accord could be in danger if Iran fails to meet international concerns over nuclear non-proliferation, fighting terrorism, human rights and the Middle East peace process. Jordan to train Iraqi police force The Telegraph 9/30/2003 Jordan announced yesterday that it would train 30,000 Iraqi police and troops, the first such pledge of aid from an Arab country in support of the American-led reconstruction effort in Iraq. The offer means Jordan will train a third of the 90,000-strong forces preparing for action in post-war Iraq. "There will be eight-week courses, and every course will be attended by 1,500 Iraqis. Soon we will receive the first batch of 3,000," said King Abdullah II. IMF wants to know what happened to privatization Daily Star 9/30/2003 Lebanese delegates try to explain delays -- What happened to privatization? This was one of the questions that International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials asked when they met with Finance Minister Fouad Siniora and other senior officials in Dubai. Siniora responded that the government is still determined to pursue privatization, but added that the delay was attributed to administrative and technical reasons. Human Rights Group Complains of Lebanon's Intimidation of Activists An Nahar 9/30/2003 Solida, a self-styled human rights group campaigning against the detention of Lebanese at home and abroad, is complaining of a "policy of oppression" by the government. In a statement published Tuesday in An Nahar, Solida noted that Mohammed Moghrabi, a leading human rights lawyer, was detained in August and Samira Trad, another activist, was detained for a day in September in clear indications of a new government attempt to silence campaigns against violations. Media leaders see need for fresh, focused campaign to change women stereotyping Jordan Times 9/30/2003 Group notes importance of targeting men as well -- AMMAN — A second day of brainstorming by Arab media leaders on methods to change cultural misconceptions and stereotypes affecting women in the region focused upon the impact a fresh and comprehensive media campaign could have to effect change. Monday's gathering, chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania and held as part of the Arab Women's Summit strategy to advance women's status in the Arab world, centred on granting women greater freedom of expression on serious issues affecting their lives and the region's future as a whole. Islam Not A Threat To Secularism: French Orientalist Islam Online 9/30/2003 PARIS, September 30 (IslamOnline.net) - Islam does not pose a threat to secularism and French Muslims are taking initiatives in coping with the country's secular laws, French orientalist Bruno Etienne maintained. Speaking to IslamOnline.net, he said that France's five million Muslims, a recognized minority, are expected to comply with the country's secularism, which is rather a positive challenge for them. Guantanamo Worker Held in Security Probe The Guardian 9/30/2003 WASHINGTON (AP) - A civilian translator at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was arrested at a Boston airport after authorities found classified information in his possession, officials said Tuesday. The arrest was the third involving someone who worked closely with the largely Muslim, non-English-speaking population of about 660 suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fighters being held at the Guantanamo Bay camp. Two military personnel are also in custody. Jewish communities split over Berlusconi BBC 9/30/2003 A US Jewish lobby this week gave Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi its annual award - only days after he said Mussolini was a benign dictator. The remark sparked a wave of outrage among Italy's Jewish community. But the New York-based Anti-Defamation League said Mr Berlusconi deserved its Distinguished Statesman Award for his help to fight a revival of anti-Semitism in Europe, his support for Israel and his commitment to the war on terror. Billionaire Soros Attacks Bush ‘Extremist Policies’ Islam Online 9/30/2003 WASHINGTON, September 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Launching a grass-roots initiative to raise up to $75 million to prevent President George W. Bush from being re-elected, famous billionaire George Soros said Washington would only stop pursuing “extremist” policies if there was a change in the White House. "It is only possible if you have a regime change in the United States - in other words if President Bush is voted out of power,” Soros told BBC Radio 4's United Nations Or Not? Program Monday, September 29.

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