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Thousands rally in support of kidnapped IDF soldiers
Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 10/30/2007
International solidarity events organized by Jewish Agency, World Zionist Organization, span mass rallies in 90 locations. ’This proves the Jewish people stand untied in efforts to bring our boys home," say organizers - - Thousands of people all across the world rallied as one on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit. The rallies, orchestrated by the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, spanned some 90 locations, including the US, Chile, the Ukraine, Venezuela, Holland and Uruguay. Along with the rallies, special prayer services were held in synagogues around the world. Rallying in New York (Photo: The Jewish Agency) The solidarity events were kicked off with a special ceremony held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. more..
Gaza: Palestinians say civilians wounded in IDF strike
Ali Waked, YNetNews 10/30/2007
IAF targets terror cell launching Qassams in northern Gaza, Palestinians say army missed and hit residential home nearby. Three Palestinians reported wounded, one a child - - Three Palestinians were wounded on Tuesday evening after an IDF airstrike near Jabaliya apparently missed its intended target. The army said it was targeting a terror cell launching Qassam rockets from the area, Palestinians say the airforce hit a residential building instead. One of the wounded people is reportedly a young boy. The IDF said it was investigating the claim and an initial probe into the incident indicates a possible malfunction with the rocket used in the attack. Girl wounded in Jabaliya attack (Photo: AFP) The army said that the type of rocket used this evening has proven itself... more..
Grandmother and her granddaughter nearly hit by mortar round
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Five mortar rounds fired from northern Gaza slam into Netiv Ha’asara. Family members run to bomb shelter and escape injury - - A grandmother and her granddaughter, residents of Netiv Ha’asara, were almost hit by a mortar round fired by Palestinians in northern Gaza into Israel Tuesday evening. A total of five mortar rounds and four Qassam rockets were fired from the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday. The al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing claimed responsibility for the barrage. The mortar rounds landed in the center of the community of Netiv Ha’asara and caused damage to the windows and the living room of the house where the grandmother and granddaughter were staying. "We heard the explosion and realized immediately that it was a result of mortar fire," Aviva Poled, a resident, said. more..
Muhammad Deif: We’ll strike in heart of Israel
Ali Waked, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Senior Hamas member says commander of organization’s military wing ’planning an attack against the Israeli occupation, and will not settle for the defensive fighting policy’; adds ’organization has completed its preparations and is only waiting for orders’ - - Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing, has said that the movement will strike in the heart of Israel in the near future, a senior Hamas member said Tuesday. The man, Sheikh Ahmed Hamdan from the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, said that he recently met with Deif in his hiding place, and heard from him that Hamas will soon replace its defensive fighting policy with an offensive one. Muhammad Deif Presents: Hamas’ military academy / Roee Nahmias In al-Jazeera interview, senior wanted... more..
Police launch inquiry into clashes with Druze
Ynet reporters, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Druze community leaders convene urgent meeting following clashes in Galilee town of Peki’in which left more than 30 injured; demand commission of inquiry into incident, personal apology from Prime Minister Olmert for security forces’ entry into prayer house - - Twelve of those wounded in the clashes that took place in the Galilee town of Peki’in between local residents and police officers remain hospitalized as of late Tuesday night. Meanwhile the police have already launched an inquiry into the controversial incident and investigators pointed to a series of difficult questions, particularly pertaining to the use of live fire. Leaders of the Druze community asked the State to appoint a commission of inquiry into the clashes and to prosecute police officials responsible for the violent incident. more..
Jihad enabler sent to 7 years in prison
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Husam Hafez Suaftma convicted of purchasing fertilizer for his brother to create explosives - - The Haifa District Court sentenced Husam Hafez Suaftma to a seven-year jail term and a two-year suspended sentence for aiding the enemy during wartime. Suaftma was asked by his brother, an Islamic Jihad member, to purchase fertilizer for him to create explosives - but was arrested before making the purchase. Suaftma, a Palestinian resident of the town of Tubas, converted to Judaism and took the name Assaf Ben David, but recently converted back to Islam. In his charge sheet, Suaftma-Ben David’s life story is detailed. He was born in 1968 in the village of Tubas in the district of Nablus. In the early 1990s, aged 25, he began a process of converting to Judaism and in 1996 he received Israeli citizenship. more..
MKs: Probe police aggression in Peki’in
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Arab factions condemn security forces’ response to riots in Druze town over installation of cellular antenna. ’I am astounded by the police’s violence toward civilians,’ says MK Tibi - - Arab Knesset members on Tuesday morning slammed the police’s conduct in response to the riots which broke out in the Druze town of Peki’in following the installation of a cellular antenna in the area. Twenty-seven police officers and about 10 local residents and Magen David Adom paramedics were injured in the clashes. One of the rioters was shot in the stomach by a policeman. MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) said that he was "astounded by the police’s violence toward civilians." He called on Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter to remove all the special police forces from the village and launch an investigation into the incident. more..
Dozens injured in Galilee clashes
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Cellular antenna installed in Druze town of Peki’in prompts riots; 27 police officers and about 10 local residents and MDA paramedics hurt, two of them in serious condition. Police to investigate use of live ammunition against protestors - - Twenty-seven police officers and about 10 civilians and Magen David Adom paramedics were injured early Tuesday in clashes which broke out at the Upper Galilee town of Peki’in, following the installation of a cellular antenna in a nearby community. One of the injured was shot in the stomach by a policeman. Some 200 police and Border Guard officers arrived at the area early Tuesday and were met with resistance on the part of hundreds of young residents. Police are expected to launch an investigation into the violent incident. more..
OPT: IOF kills three Palestinian and start fuel cuts in Gaza
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, ReliefWeb 10/29/2007
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched its eighth incursion into the Gaza Strip in eight days today, Monday 29 October 2007. IOF penetrated the towns of Beit Hanoun and Rafah and killed three Palestinians; of whom one is disabled. Nine others were injured and one school bombarded. This military escalation coincides with IOF’s commencement of reducing fuel supplies to the Strip. According to field investigations by Al Mezan, at approximately 5. 30am on 29 October 2007, eight Israeli armored vehicles penetrated Ashobaki area north Beit Hanoun town and took positions under helicopters cover. They opened arbitrary fire as a special force sneaked into the Agricultural Collage of Al Azhar University in the north of the town. The force took positions inside the College and opened fire killing a 44-year-old disabled man; Farid Ibrhim Abu Udeh. more..
Israeli forces seize Palestinian near Jenin
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Tuesday seized a Palestinian man in the northern West Bank village of Silat adh Dhahr, south of Jenin, after beating his brother. The family of Fatah activist Iyhad Rahhal, aged 22, said he was taken by an undercover Israeli unit, which stormed their home. His brother was evacuated to hospital for treatment. [end]
Unidentified gunmen kidnap son of former Palestinian Attorney General
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday afternoon broke into the house of the former Palestinian Attorney General Hussain Abu Asi in Gaza city and kidnapped his son, Ma’an’s reporter said. Asim Abu Asi, another son of the former attorney general told Ma’an’s reporter that the assailants attacked his mother and sisters when they asked the reason why they stormed into their home. He added that the assailants came back later and seized his brother, Atallah, who was not at home during the first break in. [end]
Israeli forces storm Al-Araqa and Qabatia arresting nine
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested on Tuesday morning nine Palestinians from the town of Al-Araqa, west of Jenin on Tuesday morning and stormed homes of wanted Palestinians in Qabatia in southern Jenin district. Ma’an’s reporter said that 15 Israeli military vehicles invaded Al-Araqa and ransacked several homes before arresting the nine, who are allegedly ’wanted’ by the Israeli authorities. In a separate incident in Qabatia, 18 Israeli military vehicles stormed homes belonging to Palestinian activists affiliated to the An-Nasser Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees and the Al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad. Eyewitness said the Israeli soldiers handed over letters to the families of the Palestinian activists threatening to assassinate them if they do not surrender to the Israeli authorities. more..
Israeli forces arrest two Palestinain women in Qalqilia
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Qalqilia – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested two Palestinian women on Tuesday morning from the city of Qalqilia in the northern West Bank. One of the women is the mother of a ’wanted’ Palestinian man and the other is the mother of two Palestinian detainees currently held in Israeli jails. Two men were also arrested in the raid. [end]
Palestinian military groups continue to launch homemade projectiles at Israeli targets
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The National Resistance Brigades affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine(DFLP), and Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility in a joint statement on Monday evening for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli settlement of Yad Murdakhai. On Tuesday morning, the Al-Aqsa Brigades said they launched two more projectiles at the Israeli military post of Nahal ’Oz in the eastern Gaza Strip. After the shelling, the groups issued statements emphasizing that their activities were in retaliation for the frequent Israeli atrocities committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the apprehension campaigns in the West Bank. In a separate incident, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility on Tuesday... more..
Palestinian gunmen survive Israeli air strike
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A group of Palestinian gunmen from the Al-Mujahidin Brigades, affiliated to Fatah movement survived an Israeli air strike on Monday evening in eastern Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, a spokesperson from the Brigades said in a statement. Abu Bilal added, "An Israeli drone shelled the group of gunmen while they were trying to launch homemade projectiles at Sderot." [end]
Fighters exchange fire with undercover Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip
IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Palestinian fighters, members of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, exchanged fire of Wednesday with undercover Israeli forces invading Al Qarara, in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the incident, armored military vehicles invaded the area and fired rounds of live ammunition in several directions, no injuries were reported. [end]
Fateh fighter dies of wounds sustained in an Israeli attack two weeks ago
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Palestinian medical sources reported on Tuesday thatOmar Shinnawi, 24, member of Night Knights group, one of the wings of the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fateh died of wounds sustained two weeks ago, in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank. Shinnawi was seriously injured when the army assassinated Bassim Abu Sarriyya, leader of the group. [end]
Settlers flood Palestinian orchards with sewage
Amin Abuwardeh – IMEMC - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Palestinian sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, reported on Tuesday that Israeli settlers of the illegal settlement of Alon Moreh, flooded Palestinian orchards with sewage water causing damage to dozens of olive trees. Abdul-Karim Hussein, head of Dir Al Hatab village council, stated that the army barred the residents from reaching their orchards for six years and that recently when they were allowed into their lands, the resident found out that the settlers are using the orchards for dumping sewage from the settlement. Hussein added that the settlers also uprooted dozens of olive trees and that the orchards are now flooded with sewage. He stated that the settlers carried repeated attacks against the residents and their lands, and that in many cases soldiers did not even attempt to stop the settlers. more..
Ten homemade shells strike western Negev
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Approximately ten homemade shells fired from the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening landed in the western Negev. Two of the shells landed in an open area near the Israeli town of Sderot, causing neither damage nor injury. The remainder of the shells struck near the town of Nativ. Israeli media sources reported that one house was lightly damaged and several people were treated for shock. The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and Islamic Jihad claimed repsonsibility for the attacks. [end]
Palestine Today 103007
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file File 2. 75 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday, October 30th, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces kidnap at least 15 Palestinians in pre-dawn raids across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, the al-Qassam Brigades claim they will strike within Israeli territory should the policy of targeted assassinations continue. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday morning, kidnapping at least 15 Palestinian civilians. Of those kidnapped, Palestinian security sources reported that nine were kidnapped from al-Arkka, near the northern West bank city of Jenin, with the remainder being abducted from Nablus, Qalqilia and Hebron. more..
Israeli settlers release waste-water on Palestinian land
Ameen Abu Wardah - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Israeli settlers from the illegal settlement of Alon Mureh, located near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, on Tuesday released a quantity of waste-water on Palestinian-owned land in the area. The waste-water was released onto lands owned by residents of the nearby Dier al-Hattab village, the result being that a number of olive trees were completely destroyed. Dier al-Hattab residents are subject to constant attacks and intimidation from nearby Israeli settlers. Translated by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News Room [end]
Israeli soldiers kidnap one Palestinian near Jenin
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Israeli forces on Tuesday attacked a Palestinian home in the village of Siliat al-Thaher located near Jenin city in the northern part of the West Bank, kidnapping one civilian and reportedly stealing 2500 JD from the house. One brother was released two hours later, while the other remains in Israeli custody. The Rahal family also reported that some 2500 JD had gone missing during the attack. [end]
Israeli forces kidnap 10 Palestinians from West Bank
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
At least 10 Palestinians were kidnapped by Israeli forces across the West Bank in the early hours of Tuesday morning. [end]
Two pipe bombs detonated in east Jeruslaem
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Two pipe bombs exploded near Nablus Road in east Jerusalem on Monday night. No-one was reported injured in the incident. No further information has been released by police. [end]
Israeli military kidnaps 10 Palestinians from Al ’Arqa village in Jenin
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Israeli military forces kidnapped ten Palestinians from al-’Arqa village, located near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, in the early hours of Tuesday morning Security sources reported that about 15 military vehicles invaded the village at 3:00am, ransacking homes and confiscating properties. Sources added that Troops kidnapped ten Palestinians during the military operation, taking them to unknown detention centers. Among those kidnapped were Jabr Mustafa, 28, Aysar Yahya, 23 and Murad Saleh, 22. [end]
IDF kills 2 Palestinians following rocket barrage
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Five Qassams fired at western Negev on Wednesday evening, one landing inside southern town of Sderot; two people suffer from shock. Shortly afterwards, IAF aircraft fires missile at cell launching rockets - - Two Palestinians were killed Wednesday evening and another three were injured from a missile fired at them by an IDF aircraft. The missile is believed to have been fired at an Islamic Jihad cell launching Qassam rockets at Israel. The airstrike took place several minutes after the Palestinians fired five rockets at the southern town of the Sderot. One of the rockets landed near a WIZO day care center not far from the home of the town’s mayor, Eli Moyal; two people suffered from shock. Several mortar shells landed near the border fence, starting a fire in a hothouse in one of the Negev’s kibbutzim. more..
Olmert: Bullets won’t stop peace
Neta Sela, YNetNews 10/24/2007
President, prime minister address ceremony at Mount Herzl marking 12 years since former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. ’Israel is stronger than any shock or crisis,’ Peres says. Rabin’s grandson talks of personal price - - A state ceremony commemorating the 12th anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was held Wednesday afternoon at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem "Twelve years have passed by rapidly since that terrible night in which the prime minister of Israel was killed by the lowliness and abomination that exists in murderers - by the son of injustice who undermined the integrity of Israeli democracy, and plotted to topple it with three bullets, which he fired into the exposed back of Yitzhak," President Shimon Peres said at the ceremony. Chilling Memory Special: Video of Rabin's murder as more..
Terrorist drive-by leaves 2 Israelis injured
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Palestinians open fire from passing vehicle on Israeli civilians at the Ariel Junction in the West Bank; one man sustains moderate to serious injuries, another lightly wounded from shrapnel - - One person sustained serious injuries in a drive-by shooting attack in Ariel Junction, in the West Bank. A second person was lightly injured in his foot from shrapnel. According to reports, one of the injured stood at a hitchhiking post exiting Ariel when a large number of shots were fired from a passing vehicle carrying at least two terrorists. The man was struck by a number of bullets, and collapsed. A civilian who witnessed the attack and noticed a passing ambulance called the ambulance to the scene of the attack, and medical treatment was immediately provided. Video: Tapuach task force The second person was injured when the terrorists opened fire at his vehicle. more..
Church damaged in fire in central Jerusalem
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Holy books in sanctuary burned; no suspects arrested - - A church in central Jerusalem was set afire before dawn Wednesday and suffered extensive damage, police said. Holy books in the sanctuary were also burned, police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said. Those who set the building afire apparently threw something flammable inside the windows, Ben-Ruby said. No suspects have been arrested, he said. The church formerly belonged to a local Baptist community, but is now shared by several congregations, including a group of Russians and some Messianic Jews. The church had been set afire in the past. It is located on Narkiss Street, a main road in central Jerusalem that runs near ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. more..
Occupied Palestinian Territories: Torn apart by factional strife
Amnesty International - AI, ReliefWeb 10/24/2007
CONTEXT In 1994 the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA), with jurisdiction over parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT - the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) occupied by Israel since 1967. The establishment of the PA did not change the status of the OPT under international law as territories under Israeli military occupation, and Israel retains effective control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their population and their natural resources. The Oslo Accords gave the PA jurisdiction for civil affairs (such as health, education and internal security) in some 40 percent of the West Bank, fragmented into some 230 separate enclaves each surrounded by areas under full Israeli military administration. more..
Palestinian resistance fighters retaliate for Israeli atrocities; fire 23 projectiles
Ma’an News Agency 10/24/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestinian resistance on Tuesday night launched at least 18 homemade projectiles at Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip. The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for firing three projectiles at the Israeli Western Negev town of Sderot, three at Kisufim and another two at Kfar Aza, just east of the strip. The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees said that its fighters launched three projectiles towards Ashkelon, one at Sderot and four mortar shells at the Israeli military post at Nahal ’Oz. The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades also launched five mortar shells at Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossing points between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The operation was retaliation for the assassination of Deputy Secretary General of the brigades Mubarak Al-Hasanat. more..
Jewish extremists set a church on fire in Jerusalem; no one charged
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Israeli media sources reported on Wednesday that a group of extremists had set a church on fire located in the central of the occupied city of Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday morning. This is not the first time this church in attacked. It was burned down in 1982 by a group of Jewish extremists. Israeli police told media that no arrests had been made yet but there is an indication that the assailants may be Jewish extremists. The official story that was published by Israeli media says that attackers entered the church after destroying the front doors and windows then set fire inside the church in three different locations. [end]
Israeli police attack mosque near Haifa
Maisa Abu Ghazala - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
On Tuesday morning, a group of Israeli Special Police damaged the Sarafand Mosque and stole artifacts from the mosque. Israeli bulldozers, under the supervision of the Israeli police, gutted the road in front of the Mosque. The prayers were disliked by the Israeli government, who are trying to cut any Palestinian connection with this mosque. Sarafand mosque was demolished by the Israeli forces in 2000. Since then, the Islamic movement in Israel and the Al Aqsa organization have tried to revive the mosque by holding prayers in the location. During the holy month of Ramadan, the road to the mosque was repaired by a group of volunteers, to facilitate the worshippers being able to reach the mosque. On Tuesday morning, members of the Israeli land department, called Al Menhal or the "Green patrols" brought a bulldozer accompanied by Israeli policemen forces to the mosque location to bulldoze the road leading to the mosque. more..
Three Israeli settlers lightly injured in drive-by shooting
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Israeli media sources reported that three Israeli settlers from the illegal settlement of Ariel, located in the northern part of the West Bank, were lightly injured in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday morning. [end]
21 members arrested across West Bank, Hamas claims
IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Sources in the Hamas movement on Wednesday stated that Fatah-allied security forces had kidnapped least 21 members of the Hamas movement during dawn attacks in several parts of the West Bank. In the northern part of the West Bank, 11 people were arrested in Nablus, Salfit, and Jenin. The Hamas statement also reported that Palestinian security forces attacked a demonstration in Jericho that was organized by school students against the Israeli attacks on the political detainees in Israeli jails. The statement added that security forces arrested five students from the protest. Translated by: Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC. org News Room. [end]
Israel moves closer to cutting power in Gaza
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/25/2007
The Israeli government will take further measures against the population of Gaza on Wednesday in hopes of deterring Palestinian militants from firing rockets, defense officials said, vowing to cut off electricity to the territory every time one of the projectiles hits Israeli territory. Israel oversees more than half of Gaza’s electricity, and any power cutoff would make life more difficult for residents of the already impoverished territory - and possibly draw criticism for violating international law. The Israeli government last month declared Gaza a "hostile territory," clearing the way for the Jewish state to tighten its siege. That decision followed the June takeover of the territory by the Islamist Hamas grpup and rocket fire by Gaza militants at towns in southern Israel. On Wednesday, Israel’s deputy defense minister, Matan Vilnai, said it was time to increase pressure on the militants. more..
Jewish state to educate public on war readiness
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 10/25/2007
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel will launch a public awareness campaign in the coming days focused on telling people what to do in the event of missile attacks, the Israeli Army said on Wednesday. Citing "lessons learned" from the 2006 war against Lebanon, in which Hizbullah fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel, the army said it is now focused on preparing people in advance of actual conflicts. "The home front command has established a new method of raising awareness based on an information campaign to prepare the population to face emergency situations," an army spokesman told AFP. The army will soon begin distributing recommendations to municipalities, including advice related to nonconventional attacks, according to Israel’s Yediot Ahronot newspaper. "We have no concrete information about an imminent chemical attack, but it is worth taking advantage of a period of calm to prepare for it," the paper quoted the circular as saying. more..
Palestinian children killed in Gaza
Al Jazeera 10/24/2007
Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian children in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials have said. They said the two boys, aged 12 and 13, were killed on Wednesday while they were in an area used by fighters to fire rockets into southern Israel. Medics described them as civilians. An Israeli army spokeswoman said Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who had just launched three rockets into Israel. Earlier on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli soldier was shot and injured while driving near a Jewish settlement, ambulance services said. Source: Agencies [end]
Heavy rocket barrage follows targeted killing
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 10/24/2007
At least 10 Qassams launched Tuesday at Israel. One rocket hits apartment building in southern town of Sderot; several people suffer from shock. Earlier, IDF assassinates senior Popular Resistance Committees member - - Five Qassam rockets were fired at the southern town of Sderot on Tuesday evening. One of them hit an apartment building in the city, and several people suffered from shock. Two additional rockets landed in open areas. The Salah al-Din Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees’ military wing, claimed responsibility for firing the rockets. In total, more than 10 rockets were launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Most of them landed in open areas. One of the rockets hit an area near a strategic facility in Ashkelon’s southern industrial zone, another landed near southern kibbutzim, and the others landed near communities in the Sdot Negev regional council, not far from the town of Netivot. more..
Yigal Amir’s wife calls for probe against police chief
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Larissa Trimbobler writes to attorney general, State comptroller demanding they investigate Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen for leaking videotape of Rabin killer’s interrogation. ’The criminal statute prohibits leaking such material,’ she says - - Larissa Trimbobler, Yigal Amir’s wife, appealed to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Tuesday, and demanded he open an investigation against Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen for leaking the videotape of her husband’s interrogation to the press. The tape in question documented Yigal Amir’s first interrogation, just a few hours after he shot former Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin. The police chief gave a copy of the tape to Rabin’s daughter, Dalia, during a ceremony marking the assassination’s 12th anniversary. more..
Qassam lands near strategic facility
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Rocket fired from northern Gaza lands near Ashkelon’s southern industrial zone; three more rockets fall near Sderot. No injuries or damage reported. Islamic Jihad’s armed wing claims responsibility - - A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians in northern Gaza Tuesday landed near a strategic installation near Ashkelon’s southern industrial zone. Three more rockets landed near the western Negev city of Sderot. No injuries or damage were reported in the attack. Around 8 am Tueday morning, the "Color Red" alert system was activated in the Sderot area, and three loud explosions were heard in the city shortly thereafter. A half-hour later another rocket was fired toward Ashkelon. The Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s military wing, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out in response to the killing of two of the group’s members by IDF forces in the West Bank town of Jenin. more..
IDF kills 2 senior Jihad members in Jenin
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Terrorists killed by special unit soldiers while trying to flee encircled building in West Bank city; 19 wanted Palestinians arrested - - IDF forces operating in the West Bank city of Jenin in the early hours of Tuesday morning killed two senior Islamic Jihad members who had been on Israel’s most wanted list. An IDF officer was lightly injured during the activity. The Jihad members were identified as Khaled Hussein, the most wanted Islamic Jihad member in north Samaria, and his deputy, Taeiq Abu Ali. During the operation, which took place in the Sabah al-Hir neighborhood in north Jenin, soldiers belonging to a special army unit encircled a building in which the Palestinians were hiding. The Jihad members were killed during the heavy exchanges of fire that erupted as they attempted to flee the scene. more..
PRC fighter killed in Israeli air strike near Gaza beach
Ma’an News Agency 10/23/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A leader of the Popular Resistance Committees’ An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, thirty-year-old Mubarak Hasanat, was assassinated on Tuesday when Israeli fighter jets shelled his car on the beach road, south of Gaza City. The shell struck Hasanat’s jeep near the Al-Zahra junction on Gaza beach. Director of Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health Dr Muawiya Hassanein said the body was transferred to Al-Zahra clinic. [end]
Israeli forces invade northern Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/23/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Eight Israeli military vehicles invaded the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanoun on Tuesday morning. Eyewitnesses said that four bulldozers razed farmland, reinforced by four military vehicles. [end]
Several students injured in Hamas-Fatah clashes at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/23/2007
Khan Younis – Ma’an – Several students were injured on Tuesday when fierce clashes erupted between Hamas and Fatah students at Al-Aqsa University in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that students attacked each other with clubs and stones, and at least five students required medical treatment. Palestinian medical sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that at least two students arrived at hospital with head injuries. Following the clashes, the administration of the university suspended study and evacuated all students from the campus. [end]
Israeli forces storm West Bank village; seize one Palestinian
Ma’an News Agency 10/23/2007
Hebron – Ma’an – The Israeli forces on Tuesday morning seized a Palestinian from the southern West Bank town of Idhna, west of Hebron. Palestinian police sources said that the Israeli forces stormed the town at dawn and ransacked several homes in the town centre, before seizing Ibrahim abu Jheisha. [end]
’Number one resistance fighter’ killed by Israeli forces
Ma’an News Agency 10/23/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – An Israeli undercover unit on Tuesday morning assassinated prominent leader of Islamic Jihad’s armed wing the Al-Quds Brigades and his associate during armed confrontations in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. A group of resistance fighters were besieged by the undercover force. An Israeli officer was reportedly injured in the clashes. The Israeli forces also seized nine Palestinians in the area. The assassinated leader was identified as forty-three-year-old Sheikh Khalid Al-Rayiq, also known as Abu Al-Saqir (father of the falcon), from Tulkarem. His associate was named as Muhammad Jawabra, from the town of Kafr Ra’i, south of Jenin. Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli officer was moderately wounded and that the two Palestinians were killed by an Israeli shell which was launched at the besieged building where they were stationed. more..
Kidnapped Palestinian boy released
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
[Ma’anImages] Qalqiliya – Ma’an – Palestinian security services rescued six-year-old Hamza Abdul Hafith, a boy from the West Bank town of Qalqilya who had been kidnapped Sunday evening. Qalqiliya Governor Rabeih Khandaqji said security forces in Qalqiliya and neighboring Tulkarem worked together to free the child and arrest nine suspects. The governor said Hafith’s family reached an agreement with the kidnappers to settle a financial dispute between them. He said no ransom had been paid to the kidnappers. According to Khandaqji, the motive behind the abduction was financial dispute between the boy’s farther and a group of merchants who hired someone to kidnap the child and take him to Israel territories in an Israeli-plated car. more..
PFLP claim attack on Sdrerot
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility on Monday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Western Negev Israeli town of Sderot. It is not clear if any damage was caused in the attack. [end]
Police officer injured by roadside bomb in Gaza City
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian police officer was injured when a roadside bomb detonated near a police jeep in Gaza City. Director of Ambulances and Emergencies in the Palestinian Ministry of Healt Dr Muawiya Hassanein stated that twenty-five-year-old Ahmad Abu Mghaidib was critically wounded and evacuated to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City. Hassanein said that Abu Mghaidib was injured by shrapnel, which hit his head and upper body. [end]
Israeli forces fire missiles at ’launch pads’ in northern Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Israeli forces on Monday launched a number of missiles towards what they believed to be a homemade projectile launch pad in northern Gaza. Sources from within the military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, said that the shelling targeted a group of fighters who launched seven homemade projectiles at Sderot. None of the fighters were harmed in the attack. The Al-Quds Brigades on Monday also claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles towards the Israeli town of Ashkelon, also bordering Gaza. The brigades issued a statement declaring that the shelling is part of the natural retaliation for Israeli aggression. [end]
Israeli forces seize four Palestinians in the northern West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Monday seized two Palestinians from Nablus, in the northern West Bank, during an incursion into the city. The invading forces also raided the home of leader of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades Ja’far Samhan. Ja’far’s sister Ahlam said that the soldiers demolished the contents of the home, claiming they were searching for an explosives-manufacturing workshop. In Qalqilia and Tubas, also in the northern West Bank, the Israeli forces also seized two Palestinians. The apprehensions took place at Hamra checkpoint near Tubas and a flying checkpoint near Qalqilia. One of the detainees was identified at twenty-three-year-old Bilal Shiekh Ibrahim. more..
Al-Aqsa Brigades shell Israeli military post
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Fatah movement, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, on Sunday evening claimed responsibility for launching two mortar shells at the Israeli military post in Kisufim, bordering the Gaza Strip. [end]
Islamic Jihad fighters confront invading Israeli troops near Jenin
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – The Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad on Monday morning confronted an invading Israeli force in Qabatiya, south of the northern West Bank town of Jenin. More than 12 Israeli military vehicles stormed the village at around 3. 30am, from the east and west sides, and raided several homes, turning them into military posts. The invading forces also cut electricity in some areas of the village. Clashes erupted between Palestinian resistance fighters and invading troops. The Al-Quds Brigades reported that the clashes were fierce, but that there were no injuries [end]
Four Hamas fighters injured in Israeli missile attack
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Palestinian medical sources reported that four Hamas fighters were injured in an Israeli missile attack on Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. One of the wounded is in a critical condition. Director of Ambulances and Emergencies in the Palestinian Ministry of Health Dr Muawiya Hassanein said that the Israeli forces launched a surface-to-surface missile at the Hamas combatants, who were close to the Gazan border. Yasser Rantisi, who was critically injured in the attack, was transferred from Kamal Udwan Hospital to Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to the severity of his condition. [end]
Palestinian dies of wounds inflicted by Gaza police
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Muhammad Al-Diri on Sunday night died of wounds he sustained during clashes with the Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip in September His family issued a statement saying he died in an Israeli hospital of injuries incurred on the 28th of September. [end]
Schoolboy kidnapped in Qalqilia
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Qalqilia – Ma’an – Six-year-old Palestinian boy Hamza Abdul-Hafith was abducted while on his way to school on Sunday morning in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. The family of Abdul-Hafith said he did not return home after school. A relative of the family received a telephone call from an unknown group alleging that they have the boy and want a ransom of 2. 4 million NIS ($600,000 US) for his release. Eyewitnesses reported that men in a car kidnapped the boy as he walked to school and then sped away. [end]
Palestinian man killed by Israeli settler’s car
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Israeli settler’s car Sunday [Ma’anImages] Tulkarem – Ma’an – A forty-year-old Palestinian man named Kamal Abdul-Qadir was killed on Sunday when an Israeli settler ran him over on an highway near Kufur Qasim, a Palestinian village inside Israel. Abdul-Qadir was traveling from his home in the West Bank city of Tulkarem to his place of employment in Israel. Eyewitnesses said a group of Palestinian workers were crossing the road when the Israeli vehicle, traveling "very swiftly," struck Abdul-Qadir, killing him instantly. Israeli police stopped the car and called an ambulance. The man’s body was taken first to the United Nations hospital in the West Bank city of Qalqilia, and then to the government hospital in Tulkarem. Abdul-Qadir is survived by a wife and five children. more..
Gaza funeral honors lifeguard killed by Israeli forces
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Palestinians took part in a funeral procession Sunday in Gaza City for lifeguard Nizar Abu Arab, who was killed Saturday evening by Israeli forces off the Gaza coast. Members of Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades at the head of the procession fired into the air. Abu Arab was an Islamic Jihad activist. [end]
Israeli forces seize seven Palestinians from West Bank bakery
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Qalqilia – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Sunday seized seven Palestinians from the northern West Bank town of ’Azzun, near Qalqilia. The Israeli forces claimed that one of the detainees was ’wanted’. An undercover Israeli force besieged a bakery in the centre of ’Azzun and apprehended everyone present. Israeli military vehicles invaded the area to reinforce the undercover unit. [end]
Fatah fighters force retreat of invading Israeli unit in northern Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Brigades of the Fatah movement on Sunday reported that its fighters clashed with an undercover Israeli force, which penetrated a hundred metres into the northern Gaza Strip. The brigades issued a statement alleging that "fierce fighting erupted between Al-Aqsa Brigades gunmen and the invading undercover force. […] The Israeli force withdrew and fighter jets flew over the area forcing gunmen to leave, fearing air strikes." [end]
Several residents injured by Palestinian gunfire in a Hebron protest
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Palestinian sources in the southern West Bank city of Hebron reported on Monday at night that Palestinian security men clashed with Hamas members and supporters after Hamas organized a protest, doomed by P. A security as illegal, in the city in support to the Palestinian detainees in the Negev Israeli detention facility. Several residents were injured. Archive Photo Hebron governor, Dr. Hussein Al A’raj, stated that Palestinian security men fired rounds of live ammunition into the air after the “lives of the security personnel were en daggered by the protesters”; several residents were injured. He added that Hamas did not attempt to apply for a permit to hold the protests, therefore “this protest is illegal and the police asked the residents to leave peacefully”. Hamas legislator in Hebron, Hatim Qfeisha, stated that the security men fired at Hamas supporters as they left a local mosque. more..
Palestine Today 102307
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/23/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 75 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces kidnap 14 civilians across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, the Israeli Finance Minister urges the World Bank to suspend all activities in the coastal region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. Palestinian security sources reported Tuesday morning that the Israeli army had invaded several areas of the West Bank in pre-dawn raids, kidnapping at 14 Palestinian civilians. In the northern west bank city of Jenin, two Palestinian resistance fighters were killed when the Israeli army invaded in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Nine Palestinians, including three brothers, were also kidnapped in the invasion. more..
Israeli missile kills a resistance fighter in central Gaza.
Rami Al-meghari - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/23/2007
An Israeli missile on Tuesday killed Salah Eldin Hassanat, a senior member of the Salaheldin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, as he drove along the central Gaza coastal road. Israeli drone Witnesses said that Hassanat was driving a white jeep along the Gaza-Nusierat coastal road in central Gaza Strip when the missile struck his vehicle. Eyewitnesses reported seeing an Israeli drone launch the missile. [end]
Israeli military abducts two Palestinians from Nablus
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2007
The Israeli military abducted two Palestinians from the northern west Bank city of Nablus in the early hours of Monday morning, transferring them to an unknown detention center. Security sources reported that several military vehicles invaded the city from the Beit Iba checkpoint, opening fire as they patrolled the streets. After searching and ransacking their homes, local sources reported that Muntaser Al Masri and Omar Al Minawe were kidnapped by the army and moved to an unknown detention center. [end]
Israeli air strike injures four
John Smith - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2007
Palestinian sources have reported that four people were seriously injured when Israeli war planes attacked the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. [end]
Persona non grata in Gaza
The Guardian 10/11/2007
Nuns pray in the Deir al-Lateen Catholic church in Gaza City. Photograph: Khalil Hamra/AP At the end of the afternoon, Rami Ayad said goodbye to his fellow workers at Gaza’s Bible Society and headed home. He never got there. In the hours after Mr Ayad’s failed to return home, his wife and his brother spoke to him on his mobile phone. Both were concerned that something was wrong. His brother, Ramzi, said he had heard fear in his voice. Later, Rami called his wife and told her he was in a faraway place and would be very late; the next morning, his body was found in a street. He had been stabbed several times and shot in the head. His friends and family are convinced his only crime was that he was a Christian - and his murder, on October 7, has persuaded many in the 3,000-strong Christian community they are no longer welcome in Gaza. more..
Man killed in Palestinian clashes
BBC Online 10/22/2007
At least one Palestinian has been killed during clashes in the south ofGaza between members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups. At least seven people have died in Gaza in the last few days as tensions between the rival factions have spilled over into street battles. The clashes are the heaviest fighting since the Hamas Islamist movement seized control of Gaza in June. Reports say mediators have been trying to broker a deal to end the violence. The AFP news agency has reported that rival groups in Gaza have agreed "completely and immediately end all sources of tension, including withdrawing armed men and lifting checkpoints". A joint statement seen by AFP said the groups have also decided to appoint a joint commission to "establish why the incidents happened and come up with a radical solution". more..
Israeli strike kills Gaza official
Al Jazeera 10/23/2007
Israeli forces shot dead two Islamic Jihad membersin Jenin on Tuesday [AFP] An Israeli air attack in the Gaza Strip has killed a member of a Palestinian armed group who also worked as an interior ministry official, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. The Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella orgaistaion of Palestinian armed groups, identified the dead man as Mubarak al-Hasanat. Al-Hasanat, besides being a commander of an armed group, also worked as an official in the Hamas-run interior ministry. An Israeli army spokesman confirmed Israel had carried out a strike in Gaza that targeted a "senior terrorist in the infrastructure behind rocket attacks on Israel". Witnesses said an Israeli missile destroyed a car on a coastal road in Gaza, killing al-Hasanat and wounding another person on Tuesday. more..
Yesha rabbis: Majadele is like a fifth column
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/19/2007
Science, culture and sport minister slammed over his demand to prevent ongoing Mugrabi Gate dig in Jerusalem. Majadele in response: It is sad that those who see themselves as settlers’ leader preach hatred - - Raleb Majadele is operating as a fifth column inside the government, Dov Lior, chairman of the Yesha Raabis Committee, wrote Friday in a manifesto against the science, culture and sport minister. "Majadele’s ongoing attempts to halt the excavation works at Jerusalem’s Mugrabi Gate raise the great fear that he is serving our enemies’ interests. This behavior questions causes us to question his loyalty to the Jewish state," Rabbi Lior continued in the letter. "We were shocked to hear of the intentions of enemies from the inside and the outside, who speak out loud about handing over and abandoning the Temple Mount and parts of the Jewish people’s eternal capital. more..
Israel’s Moviemaker in Shades of Grey .
Jessie Emkic, Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-19, Last Updated 2007-10-19 15:54:23 Amos Gitai’s films, both fictional and documentary, are about ambiguity, complexity and compromise. And he believes that peace will come between Israelis and Palestinians. As a Palestinian mayor once told him: One must be optimist; to be a pessimist will make one a nihilist, says Amos Gitai was born in Haifa in 1950, the son of a Bauhaus architect from Berlin, Munio Weinraub Gitai, who had worked with Mies van der Rohe. Amos Gitai also studied to be an architect; and, although he didn’t go to film school, he began to shoot short documentaries. He was called up during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, took part in helicopter rescue missions and used his Super-8 camera to take footage of combat. On his birthday, his helicopter was shot down on the Golan Heights; that became his inspiration. more..
Brigades launch RPG at Israeli unit
Ma’an News Agency 10/19/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah and the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for launching a rocket propelled grenade at an Israeli army unit east of Gaza International Airport. The brigades said in a statement that the operation was in response to Israeli assassinations of Al-Aqsa Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades leaders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. [end]
Israeli forces abduct Palestinian in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/19/2007
Rafah – Ma’an – Palestinian sources said on Friday that special Israeli forces burst into the home of Palestinian citizen, Jihad Abu Shawasha in the Jaradat neighbourhood, south east of the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The forces invaded the area at 6. 30am and abducted Abu Shawasha, taking him to an unknown destination. Abu Shawasha’s political affiliation is still unknown. The Palestinian resistance said they clashed with the Israeli special forces. One of the resistance members was injured before the withdrawal of the Israeli forces. [end]
Fighters exchange fire with under-cover forces in southern Gaza
IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
The Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, reported on Friday that its fighters exchanged fire with undercover units of the Israeli army invading Al Qarara town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Quds Brigades - Logo Moreover, the group also claimed responsibility for firing “Quds” homemade shells at the Sofa Israeli crossing, east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Brigades stated that one of its units fired two Quds shells at the Crossing on Friday evening. Earlier on Friday, Quds Brigades fighters fired RPG shells at Israeli forces topping a building near the Gaza International Airport in Rafah. The brigades said that its fighters will retaliate to any Israeli attacks, and will retaliate to the ongoing invasions and assassinations carried by the army. more..
Three injured in Bil’in weekly anti-Wall protest
Manar Jibrin - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
The residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in, west of the city of Ramallah, joined by international and Israeli peace activists, took to the streets on Friday carrying Palestinian flags, anti-Israel banners and chanting slogans. The march was to protest against the construction of the Wall on village land,preventing the people of the village from reaching their olive groves for the start of the olive harvesting season. This week’s demonstration was joined by a group of cyclists, members of the Palestine Cyclist Club, who travelled on their bicycles from Bethlehem. The protestors marched to the site of the Wall where the Israeli army had placed barbed-wire. The soldiers fired teargas, sound bombs and rubber-coated bullets. Two cameramen, identified as Ghassan Banoura, from the International Middle East Media Centre and George Halata, and a Danish peace activist were injured more..
Israeli operation in Rafah ; one Palestinian kidnapped, another injured
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
In the early hours of Friday morning, according to Palestinian sources, special forces of the Israeli army invaded house in the Al Jaradat neighborhood of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza. The sources report that the special forces invaded the home of Jihad Abu Shousha. They then kidnapped him and took him to an unidentified unknown detention center. Meanwhile, a group of Palestinian resistance fighters say they clashed with the soldiers and one of the group was wounded in an exchange of gunfire. The Israelis then withdrew from the area. [end]
Ministers nix bid to compensate settlers who choose to evacuate
Akiva Eldar Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs last week voted down a private proposal which would grant economic compensation to settlers who voluntarily evacuate their homes in contested areas east of the Green Line. The proposal will be brought before the cabinet plenum, due to an appeal by Minister Ami Ayalon over the committee’s decision. According to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s recent policy, the areas in question are designated to be transferred to Palestinian control under the framework of a final status agreement. The details of the initiative were recently brought to the attention of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Prime Minister’s Office responded by saying it did not recognize the proposal, adding that such a bill could be approved only within the framework of government law and not as a private proposal. more..
Bomber kill over 100 in Pakistan
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Twoblasts hit near former premier Bhutto after she returns from 8 year exile - - A suspected suicide bomber detonated himself Thursday night near a truck carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on her triumphant return to Pakistan after eight years in exile, killing at least 115 people, an official said. Party workers and police said Bhutto was unhurt. Associated Press photographer B. K. Bangash at the scenesaid he saw between 50 and 60 dead or badly injured people. Scene of the deadly explosions (Photo: AFP ) He said some of the bodies were ripped apart. An initial small explosion was followed by a huge blastjust feet from the front of the truck carrying Bhutto during a procession through Karachi. The blast shatteredwindows in her vehicle and set a police escort vehicle on fire. more..
Palestinian collaborators to be granted permanent residency
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Cabinet to decide on fate of 31 Dahaniya families in next week’s meeting; expected to grant financial aid, find permanent place of residence in six months - - The cabinet is scheduled to decide Sunday on the request made by families of Palestinian collaborators from the Gaza Strip village of Dahaniya for permanent residency in Israel. The cabinet is also expected to award each family a NIS 45,000 (some $11,200) grant with an additional NIS 9,000 ($2200) for each child under the age of 18, and find them a permanent place of residence within six months. In August 2005, the village of Dahaniya – near the Palestinian city of Rafah – was evacuated and later leveled. The families of 31 Palestinian collaborators were brought to Israel, where the coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories was supposed to see to their needs. more..
Israeli forces seize Fatah and Islamic Jihad leaders in Tulkarem
Ma’an News Agency 10/18/2007
Tulkarem – Ma’an –Israeli forces stormed the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday morning, seizing a political leader in the Islamic Jihad movement an activist affiliated with Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades. Islamic Jihad’s Abdul-Nasser Sweis and the Al-Aqsa Brigades’ Bilal Rajab were detained. Sweis’s wife said Israeli soldiers pelted the family’s house with stones before breaking in an abducting her husband. Rajab’s brother said that the Al-Aqsa activist had been granted amnesty by Israel last summer as a part of a deal between Fatah and the Israeli government. He said Rajab works in the Palestinian intelligence services and had signed a pledge to renounce violence, as required by the amnesty agreement. more..
Top army officer reprimanded for using Palestinian Civilians as Human Shields in Nablus
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Israeli army Chief Of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, decided on Thursday to reprimand Israel Army brigadier general Yair Golan, for allowing soldiers under his command to use Palestinian civilians as human shields during in Israeli military invasion into the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Child used by Israeli soldiers as a human shield - Archive Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that “Golan was the most senior officer to be questioned in the probe, which the army launched last March”. Haaretz added that the incident took place after soldiers were captured on film forcing a young Palestinian man at gunpoint to lead them from house to house during an arrest sweep in Nablus, Haaretz added. Haaretz also stated that the army said the Golan will not be promoted for at least nine months. The usage of Palestinians civilians as human shields led to dozens of casualties more..
Israeli settlers attack campaign to help farmers in Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/18/2007
On Thursday morning,Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked scores of Israeli and international activists and Palestinian olive growers in the area around the Atna’el settlement. The Israeli settlement of Atna’el was constructed on Palestinian land which is owned by the people of the village of Al Samou’a, in the southern part of the district of Hebron. The General Committee for the Defense of Land in Hebron District reports that settlers, together with Israeli soldiers, attacked as volunteers helped Palestinian farmers pick olives on land adjacent to the settlement. Settlers used force to stop farmers and volunteers from reaching the olive groves and then attacked and beat them. Musa Makhatra, head of the Committee, said that despite the attacks, they had been able to pick scores of trees. The campaign to ensure that olives near Israeli settlements are picked was taking more..
Bacteria close Knesset kitchens
Zvi Zrahiya, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The Health Ministry ordered the closure of the Knesset cafeteria kitchen yesterday as the possibility of a Listeria bacteria infection arose in the course of standard hygiene testing. The bacteria were found in two vegetable shipments from an outside source. One of the shipments included cucumbers. The staff immediately started cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen as well as the two cafeterias, one dairy and the other meat - proper cleaning will kill the bacteria. As a result of the closure, the cafeterias sold pastries and hot and cold beverages instead of the regular menu. The bacteria were found in the course of regular, weekly food testing conducted in the cafeterias and kitchen. After the preliminary results came up positive for the bacteria, other samples were taken - but the results have not yet been received. more..
Top IDF officer censured over use of ’human shields’
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
A senior military officer was reprimanded yesterday for allowing soldiers to use Palestinians as "human shields" during military operations, in violation of a Supreme Court ban on the practice. IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi reprimanded Brigadier-General Yair Golan, who formerly served as commander of forces in the West Bank. Ashkenazi is also withholding Golan’s promotion following a probe by the Israel Defense Forces’ criminal investigation division into the army’s use of human shields on raids in Nablus. Golan was the most senior officer to be questioned in the probe, which the army launched last March after IDF soldiers were filmed forcing a young Palestinian at gunpoint to lead them from house to house during an arrest sweep in Nablus. In a landmark decision in 2005, the Supreme Court banned the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in general and specifically outlawed taking them on searches. more..
Driver of suicide bomber gets 5 life terms for ’05 attack
Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The Tel Aviv District Court yesterday imposed five life sentences plus an additional 20 years on an Israeli Arab who drove a suicide bomber to the scene of his attack. Ashraf Keisi, 28, of Baka al-Garbiyeh transported a bomber to the Stage Club in Tel Aviv in February 2005. The attack killed five Israelis and wounded dozens. "The defendant did all this in exchange for filthy lucre, knowing full well the catastrophic results of his acts, both for the victims and for the public and the state," the three-judge panel wrote in their sentencing decision. "Instead of exposing the terrorist cell, he joined it and its goals, even though he had numerous opportunities to repent while there was still time." The court noted that Keisi had met frequently with Nidal Abu Sa’ada, the Islamic Jihad operative who linked him up with the cell that carried out the bombing. more..
Top IDF officer censured over use of ’human shields’ in Nablus
Amos Harel Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel Defense Forces Brigadier-General Yair Golan was censured on Thursday for allowing soldiers to use Palestinian civilians as "human shields" during military operations in the West Bank. IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi decided to reprimand Golan - who formerly served as commander of forces in the West Bank - following a probe by the IDF’s criminal investigation division into the army’s use of human shields during raids in the town of Nablus. Golan was the most senior officer to be questioned in the probe, which the army launched last March after IDF soldiers were filmed forcing a young Palestinian man at gunpoint to lead them from house to house during an arrest sweep in Nablus. The army said in a statement that Golan would be passed over for promotion for at least the next nine months. In a landmark 2005 decision, Israel’s Supreme Court banned the use of more..
Golani suffers second casualty this year
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
An Israel Defense Forces soldier, Staff Sergeant Ben Kobani, 20, from Hadera, was killed during an operation in the Gaza Strip yesterday. The incident is not expected to affect the type of operations being conducted by the army in the Strip, at least until after the Annapolis summit scheduled for late November. Kobani, of the Golani Brigade, was killed when his unit came under gunfire from close range during an operation east of Khan Yunis, supported by armor and military engineers. The incident occurred around 9 A. M. , close to the village of Abisan. The IDF force had entered the Gaza Strip several hours earlier and pushed about one kilometer into the Strip from the border fence. It faced heavy resistance. One of the units on the flanks, operating in the village’s built-up area, came under fire from Palestinian gunmen at close range. more..
The families that still await a knock on the door
Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Ravit Notar has been waiting for the phone to ring, for the door to open, for any sign of life from her mother, Yehudit. Yehudit Notar disappeared one morning, 11 years ago, at the age of 51. "I will continue to believe that she is out there somewhere, that she chose to disappear, until her body is found," Notar said. Shira Ginsberg, on the other hand, has come to terms with the fact that she will never see her father again. Although Shmuel Ginsberg, who was last seen at the Bet Yehoshua train station in March 2005, is still classified as a missing person, she is convinced that he killed himself and that his body has simply not been found. "I have no hopes of him being alive, it’s simply not logical. The only logical conclusion is that despite the searches carried out by thousands of people, we simply didn’t find his body," she said. more..
Four die as Gaza factions clash
BBC Online 10/18/2007
Fighting in Gaza between the militant Islamist group Hamas and a clan allied to its political rival Fatah has left four dead, reports say. At least 20 people were wounded in the battle in Gaza City which erupted when Hamas security forces tried to arrestmembers of the Heles clan. Rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine-guns were used in the fighting. Correspondents say it is one of the fiercest clashes since Hamas took over Gaza by force in June. Two of the dead were Hamas Executive Force security officers and two were from the Heles clan, Hamas spokesman Ihab al-Ghusain told the AP news agency. Fighting broke out on Wednesday evening when Heles clan members opened fire on Hamas security forces, Mr Ghusain said. A Fatah official said Executive Force officers were trying to confiscate a car that belonged to a clan member. more..
Man who assisted Hadera market bomber convicted
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Haifa District Court finds Fakri Mantzur guilty of being accomplice to murder and of aiding the enemy in time of war - - The Haifa District court on Wednesday found 28-year-old Fakri Mantzur, from the northern town of Jat in Wadi Ara, guilty of being an accomplice to six counts of murder and of aiding an enemy in time of war for his role in transporting a suicide bomber to a market in Hadera in 2005, where six Israelis were killed and 30 more injured. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack at the time. A Shin Bet investigation led to the arrest of Fakri, a Palestinian who moved to Israel due to the Family Reunification Law. Fakri drove the terrorist, a resident of the West Bank town of Qalqilya, from the Jat area to Hadera. Judge Yael Vilner, who wrote the verdict, said the testimony of Said Kashua, who accompanied the terrorist from the Palestinian Authority to Hadera, was key in convicting Fakri. more..
IDF soldier killed in south Gaza operation
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 10/17/2007
IDF Golani, Armored Corps troops enter suburbs of Khan Younis to search for terror infrastructure; soldier identified as Ben Kubany of Hadera killed during heavy exchanges of fire - - An IDF soldier was killed during the early hours of Wednesday morning in an operation near Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The soldiers was later identified as Ben Kubany, 20, of Hadera. An initial investigation revealed that the Golani Brigade soldier was severely wounded by a single bullet during an encounter with a terror cell. He died of his wounds en route to Beer Sheba’s Soroka Medical Center. One of the terrorists was also killed in the fighting, which took place in a built up area. The terrorists apparently opened fire as the IDF soldiers approached. The IDF force, which includes troops from the Golani’s 51st Battalion and the Armored Corps, entered the Khan more..
Israeli soldier, Palestinian killed in Gaza
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 13:34:21 Palestinian Hazem Asfur, 21 Israeli bulldozers tear up Palestinian agricultural land amid new attack against Gaza fighters. GAZA CITY - An Israeli soldier and Palestinian fighter were killed in gunbattles in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after the military pushed into a southern part of the Hamas-run territory, officials said. Backed from the air, Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian fighters from the Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the democratically elected movement that controls the Gaza Strip, in open areas to the east of Khan Yunis, witnesses said. One soldier sustained critical wounds in the clashes and was flown by helicopter to hospital, where he was declared dead, an army spokesman said. Islamic Jihad, which has claimed nearly all anti-Israeli attacks in the last two years, said it more..
The Mother of all Pretexts .
Uri Avnery, Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 12:21:01 How did it happen that the wonderful Western culture gave birth to the Inquisition, the pogroms, the burning of witches, the annihilation of the Native Americans, the Holocaust, the ethnic cleansings and other atrocities without number? Asks When I hear mention of the "Clash of Civilizations" I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. To laugh, because it is such a silly notion. To cry, because it is liable to cause untold disasters. To cry even more, because our leaders are exploiting this slogan as a pretext for sabotaging any possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. It is just one more in a long line of pretexts. Why was the Zionist movement in need of excuses to justify the way it treated the Palestinian people? At its birth, it was an idealistic movement. more..
16-year-old boy injured near Tulkarem
Ma’an News Agency 10/17/2007
Tulkarem – Ma’an – A sixteen-year-old Palestinian boy was moderately injuredon Tuesday when Israeli soldiers fired at him in the northern West Bank town of Anabta east of Tulkarem, Ma’an’s reporter said. Anas Abu Al-Asal was shot in the foot after clashes erupted between Israeli troops and young Palestinian men in the town. [end]
Stones thrown at bus near northern town; none wounded
Jerusalem Post 10/18/2007
Stones were thrown at a bus traveling on the road between Nazareth and Yafia, near Migdal Haemek on Wednesday evening. No one was wounded in the attack on the bus which was empty of passengers. The windshield was damaged in the attack. [end]
Dichter hints larger military offensive is needed in Gaza
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
Israeli Internal Security Minister, Avi Dichter, hinted on Wednesday that the army needs to carry a large-scaled military offensive in the Gaza Strip. His statements came hours after an Israeli soldier was killed in an invasion into the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Avi Dichter Israeli Security Devices claim that more weapons and ammunition are being smuggled into the Gaza Strip. According to Dichter, Hamas managed to obtain 200 tons of explosives, and that most of these explosives were obtained from the Palestinian Authority. Dichter stated that weapon transfer into Gaza is a very serious issue, and that the Palestinian Authority is not taking any action against it. He added that unless this issue is dealt with, the West Bank will be next. Earlier on Wednesday, one soldier was killed as soldiers invading the Gaza Strip exchanged fire with resistance fighters. more..
One Soldier Killed in Khan Younis
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
Israeli military sources reported on Wednesday that one soldier was shot and killed in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip as the army invaded the area earlier on Wednesday morning and exchanged fire with resistance fighters. Photo by Reuters Haaretz added that the soldier was seriously injured and died of his wounds at Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva. The National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claimed responsibility for killing the soldier. The Brigades stated that its fighters fired a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) at the invading forces in Al Faraheen area, in Khan Younis. Also, fighters of the National Resistance Brigades and the Al Quds Brigades, hurled grenades at invading forces in Al Fareheen and exchanged fire with them, on Wednesday morning. more..
Palestine Today 101707
IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 75 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday, October 17th, 2007. US Secretary of State Rice visits the city of Bethlehem while the Israeli army continues to attack Palestinians killing one in Gaza and kidnapping many more in several parts of the West Bank, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. Early on Wednesday the Israeli army attacked the southern Gaza Strip village of aL-Faraheen, killing one resistance fighter, wounding three and abducting 15 others. Medics confirmed that Hazim Asfour, had been killed and three others wounded during the said attack on the aL-Faraheen, earlier in the day. At least 15 others have been arrested by an Israeli undercover special unit, which swept into the area prior to the attack, witnesses said. more..
Israeli army attacks a Gaza rural area, kills a fighter and abducts locals
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
The Israeli army attacked early on Wednesday the southern Gaza Strip village of aL-Faraheen, killing one resiastance fighter, wounding three others and abducting 15 others. Locals of aL-Faraheen escorting one of the wounded to a local hospital on Wedensday (Iyad Albaba) Medics confirmed that Hazim Asfour, has been killed and three others wounded during the said attack on the aL-Faraheen, earlier in the day. At least 15 others have been arrested by an Israeli undercover special unit, which swept into the area prior to the attack, witnesses said. Witnesses added that the Israeli tanks fired a number of shells as a cover for the special unit, killing a Hamas resistance fighter and wounding three others. The aL-Faraheeen area, which lies about 800 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border line, has been frequently attacked by the Israeli army over the past year and half year, at least for sixth times yet, locals told the IMEMC. more..
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers
Colin Bell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
The Ma’an news agency reported on Wednesday that Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian farmers near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. According to Palestinian sources, settlers blocked the way of farmers in several locations in the district of Nablus, as they tried to reach the olive groves and harvest their crops. It was reported by one farmer, from the town of Awarta, that settlers from Eytamar threw stones at Palestinian families as they gathered olives from their fields. The Israeli army intervened when Palestinians started to throw stones in return. Another farmer in the town of Azmut said that Israeli settlers from Alon Moreh, east of Nablus, had attacked farmers and that clashes had broken out near the town of Salem. more..
A cousin pays tribute to his bunkmate, who fell in Gaza
Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
The parents of the Israel Defense Forces soldier who was killed in action yesterday in the Gaza Strip did not wish to speak with the media. Instead, Margalit and Rahamim Kubany grieved in private in their Hadera home for Ben, who died at the age of 20. As news of his death spread, dozens of friends and family gathered at the family home to comfort his parents and Ben’s 17-year-old brother and 27-year-old sister, Ido and Sarit. Ben’s friends from the Golani Brigade also came. "He would laugh a lot and make others laugh in his own special way," Ben’s cousin, Shlomi Tzubri, said. Shlomi served with Ben in the same platoon. The two cousins shared a bunk bed. "It’s weird for me. It’s hard to understand," he said. Ben’s friend, Yehiel Gayda, said: "Ben had presence. Wherever he went, people would know that he was there. more..
Two drivers killed, 3 injured in collision north of Jerusalem
Jonathan Lis Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
Two people were killed and six others injured on Wednesday when two cars collided north of Jerusalem. According to an initial inquiry, the accident occurred when a vehicle driven by an Israeli woman veered from its lane and crashed into a car driven by a Palestinian. A Magen David Adom medical crew arrived at the scene and declared both drivers dead. Two Palestinians were seriously hurt, a hitchhiker suffered moderate wounds and the three children of the female driver were lightly hurt. They were taken to Jerusalem’s Haddassah Ein Karm medical center for treatment. On Tuesday, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz proposed a bill that would require drivers whose license was revoked to retake a theory test and a driving test. Mofaz introduced his legislation at a meeting of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee in honor of traffic safety day. more..
Dichter hints at broadening IDF action after soldier dies in Gaza
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Wednesday hinted at the need for an expansive Israel Defense Forces operation in the Gaza Strip, Army Radio reported, hours after an IDF soldier was killed by Palestinian fire during a raid in southern Gaza. "Either we keep the army in Gaza or we meet the explosives belt in Tel Aviv," Dichter was quoted as saying. IDF Sergeant Ben Kubany, 20, from Hadera, was killed Wednesday morning by Palestinian fire during an operation in the Gaza Strip. Kubany, from the Golani infantry brigade, was shot from close range while his unit was maneuvering between Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. He was critically wounded, and succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva. In a separate incident during the operation, a Hamas militant was killed and at least six other Palestinians wounded by an IDF tank shell. more..
Two killed in clash in Gaza Strip
BBC Online 10/17/2007
An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant have been killed in clashes in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli raid in the south of the territory. Israeli army radio reported that the soldier had been shot at close range. The militant group Islamic Jihad said it killed the soldier. The armed wing of the militant Hamas movement said the dead Palestinian was a member of its armed wing. Several other Palestinians were reported wounded in clashes. The Israeli army said it had entered Gaza to target what it described as terrorist threats and rocket-launching infrastructure. Palestinian medical sources said the Hamas gunman was hit by tank fire near the town of Khan Younis. Israeli military sources said the soldier was shot by Palestinians during the fighting in the town but did not give further details. more..
Oil prices pull back from highs
BBC Online 10/17/2007
Oil prices have pulled back from record highs after a minister for producers’ cartel Opec said the group may now consider boosting output. Following the comments by Nigeria’s oil minister Odein Ajumogobia, US light crude fell 27 cents to $87. 34, while Brent pulled back 51 cents to $83. 04. Earlier on Wednesday, US light had touched as high as $89, while Brent crude had hit $83. 80. Oil prices had risen due to tensions between Turkey and Kurdish rebels. Mr Ajumogobia said Opec leaders could now meet as early as 17 November, three weeks ahead of their next planned meeting. "We are still a month away and it depends what transpires before then," he added. A report showing higher than expected US crude reserves also helped take the heat off oil prices. Turkish deaths The Turkish parliament has now authorised the use of force against Kurdish militants more..
Deaths in Israeli army raid on Gaza
Al Jazeera 10/17/2007
A Palestinian fighter and an Israeli soldier have been killed after Israeli army troops raided the southern Gaza Strip, officials have said. Israeli troops shot dead Hazem Asfur, 21, of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, during the raid east of the town of Khan Younis on Wednesday, Palestinian medical sources said. The Israeli soldier was critically injured in later exchanges of gunfire and was declared dead after being taken to a hospital, an Israeli army spokesman said. Four Palestinians were also wounded in the incursion, nearly one kilometre inside Palestinian territory. Houses raided Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza reported that a number of Israeli military vehicles, backed by helicopters, raided Khan Younis’ eastern Farahin district. The vehicles raided the area amid intensive and indiscriminate gunfire at Palestinian citizens’ houses, he reported. more..
Israeli forces invade central Gaza Strip
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/16/2007
Israeli forces on Tuesday morning invaded the Juhr al-Deik area, located in the central Gaza Strip, razing arable lands and kidnapping a number of civilians. [end]
Parents of soldier killed by car protest handling of traffic offenders
Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
Matan Baskind was run over and killed in April. He was standing at the Deviriya Junction on Road 40 on his way from his army base to his home in Mevasseret Zion. A truck swerved from its lane, hit him and killed him. The truck driver was Iad Abu Iyash, 27, from Lakiya. He was driving behind a bus, which according to the indictment he swerved to avoid hitting. He appeared yesterday at the Be’er Sheva District Court to hear the indictment read out, on charges of negligent homicide, deviating from a traffic lane and not keeping his distance. Baskind’s parents, Yaron and Idit, came to the court to protest. Yaron Baskind told Haaretz they were protesting against a list of systematic failures that allowed the many traffic accidents to continue. He also protested against the light punishments imposed on such drivers, criticizing the judicial system and prosecutors. Iyash had previously been convicted of 34 traffic offenses. more..
Dutch police kill man linked to plan to blow up El Al plane
Cnaan Liphshiz, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
A Dutch man of Moroccan descent was shot dead on Sunday by police in Amsterdam after stabbing two officers, the Netherlands’ justice ministry said. Dutch media reported that police previously used the 22-year-old assailant as a witness after he had been suspected of plotting to blow up an El Al plane. The director of the Hague-based Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) told Haaretz that the authorities had brought the attack on themselves by allowing the attacker, known to the media as Bilal B. , to walk free. On Monday, Dutch Channel 2 quoted an October 2005 report by the Netherlands’ intelligence service saying that Bilal B. and a group of young Moroccans in Amsterdam were planning to shoot down an El Al plane at Schiphol Airport. In the report, an informant is quoted as saying that Bilal’s brother, Abdullah, was involved. more..
Israeli and Palestinian tourism ministries meet after long break
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/16/2007
After a long break, the Israeli and Palestinian tourism ministries are again exploring ways to cooperate, the two sides said Tuesday, the latest sign of the warming political atmosphere. Israeli Tourism Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch and Palestinian Minister Of Tourism and Antiquities Khuloud Daibes met recently in Jerusalem to discuss promoting joint tourism projects, the two ministries said. They agreed to reactivate the Joint Committee on Tourism, which suspended operations after Islamic Hamas militants took power in the Palestinian Authority after sweeping a parliamentary in early 2006. Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, and Israel shuns the Islamic group, which has killed more than 250 Israelis in suicide bombings. The equation changed after Hamas violently wrested control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June, and moderate Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ousted the group from power. more..
Two Palestinians, including one militant, killed in IDF Nablus raid
Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
One Palestinian civilian and one militant were shot and killed before dawn on Tuesday during an Israel Defense Forces raid on the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian witnesses and doctors said. Troops patrolled the Old City, known as a militant stronghold, taking up points on roofs and detaining at least five suspected militants, the witnesses said. At least two exchanges of fire broke out, and three gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades militia were injured, two seriously, the group said. One, a local leader of the group, later died of his wounds, doctors said. He was named as Bassem Abu Saria. The civilian, 72-year-old Abd al-Wazir, was shot just as he left his house in the area and later died of his wounds, his family and doctors said. It was not immediately clear if there was an exchange of fire at the time. more..
Court convicts murderer of soldier Oleg Shaichat
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews 10/16/2007
Muhammad Anbetawi found guilty of shooting soldier to death in olive grove near Kfar Kana in 2003 - - The Nazareth District Court on Monday found Muhammad Anbetawi, a 23-year-old resident of the Arab-Israeli village of Kfar Kana, guilty of the murder of IDF soldier Oleg Shaichat. Shaichat was shot to death in August 2003 by members of the Free People of the Galilee organization. Anbetawi drove the car in which Shaichat was abducted. His accomplice, Muhammad Hatib, strangled the soldier during the drive and then the two shot and buried him in an olive grove near Kfar Kana. Members of the terrorist group were caught in 2004 after they carried out a series of shootings. According to the verdict, the members of the Free People of the Galilee armed themselves with an M-16 assault rifle, a handgun and other various makeshift weapons in order to carry out terror attacks. more..
Israeli forces invade West Bank cities on the third day of Eid
Ma’an News Agency 10/15/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – At dawn on the third day of Eid, on Monday, Israeli forces stormed the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus and Jenin and seized several Palestinians. Security sources reported that fifty-year-old Ahmed Al-Khader was taken from his home near the University of Hebron. The Israeli military also raided Yatta, south of Hebron, and seized twenty-five-year-old Jibril Ebeid. Israeli soldiers stationed at the military barrier south of Bethlehem seized Hamada Ibrahim Al-Qawasmi and Firas Abu Al-Dab’at. [end]
Israeli radio says Islamic Jihad activist planning knife attack in Hebron
Ma’an News Agency 10/15/2007
Jerusalem – Ma’an - Israeli security sources said on Monday that they had apprehended a Palestinian man carrying a knife near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the centre of the city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank. During a routine inspection an Israeli soldier discovered the knife under the clothing of a young Palestinian man, Israeli army radio reported. Israeli forces claimed the man was an Islamic Jihad activist who intended to use the knife to attack Jews near the adjacent synagogue. [end]
Palestinian child shot in the jaw in Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/15/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A fourteen-year-old child sustained a bullet wound to his jaw on Monday morning, east of Deir al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. In addition, Israeli soldiers released four Palestinian fishermen after detaining them for several hours. Medical sources reported that Jaber Nahed Abu Saed, aged fourteen, was shot in the jaw and was transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah and then Ash Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to receive treatment. Israeli sources reported that at 9am on Monday morning, four fishermen were released after being seized while fishing in the sea off Gaza on Sunday. The sources added that the four fishermen were returned to Gaza through Erez Crossing in the northern strip. They were in Israeli military uniforms and had been seized wearing swim suits. more..
LEBANON: What A ’Safe’ Cluster Bomb Did
Rebecca Murray, Inter Press Service 10/15/2007
TYRE, Lebanon, Oct 15(IPS) - The explosion ripped through the tiny garden in rural south Lebanon, hurling Naemah Ghazi to the ground. The shrapnel from the bomb sliced through her legs, and she rapidly lost consciousness. "There was a lot of blood," her mother Khadija recalls. "All her body was bleeding." Naemah, 48, lived quietly with her mother in the border town Blida since her father passed away nearly 30 years ago. She was still a teenager when she gave up a future of marriage and kids to take care of her mother full time. On the morning of Sep. 11, Naemah was out picking vegetables for the evening meal when the bomb -- an Israeli-made M85 cluster munition with a ’self-destruct’ mechanism, buried a mere ten metres from her back door -- exploded under her feet. Naemah was rushed to Sidon’s Labib Medical Centre two hours drive away. more..
Resident injured, home demolished, as army invades Qalqilia
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/16/2007
The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported on Monday at night, that one resident was shot and injured, and one house was demolished, as Israeli forces invaded the northern West the Bank city of Qalqilia. ISM Photo - Archive Also, under-cover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated into Qalqilia before additional troops invaded it and fired rounds of live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets. One resident, identified as Yahia Mohammad Abu Awwad, 20, was injured by a rubber-coated bullet. Earlier on Monday morning, Palestinian security forces shot and killed two residents, including a five-year old boy in Qalqilia. The two were killed after security forces personnel opened fire at a vehicle carrying the two casualties. more..
Palestine Today 101507
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 74 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday, October 15th, 2007. The West Bank An Israeli governmental committee on Monday approved the resumption of development of a controversial bridge running from the ancient Mughrabi Gate to the Dung Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. The bridge, when completed, will come within meters of the grounds of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. The construction of the bridge is perceived by many Muslims as a plot to undermine the foundations of the mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple. Israeli military forces invaded the northern West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin in the early hours of Monday morning. Security sources reported that 17 Israeli military vehicles patrolled the main streets and several neighborhoods in the area. more..
Senior Fatah official attacked in southern Gaza
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
A number of gunmen attacked a senior member of the Fatah movement in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday morning. Wael al-Ghalban was severely beaten, taken to an unknown destination, and then released two hours later by masked gunmen who attacked his house earlier in the day, al-Ghalban’s brother Ayman told the press. Ayman said that his brother had been transferred to a local hospital for medical checks. Prior to the Hamas group takeover of the Gaza Strip in June, both Fatah and Hamas had been engaged in ferocious fighting that claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, including members of the two factions and many other bystanders. [end]
Palestinian child wounded by Israeli army fire in central Gaza
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
A Palestinian child has been reportedly shot and wounded by the Israeli army on the Gaza-Israel border line, to the east of Deir Elbalah town. Medics confirmed that Jabber Abu Said, 14, was transferred to the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza for treatment. Abu Said suffered a fracture and bleeding in his mouth after having been wounded, the medics added. In the meantime, the Israeli army released early on Monday four Palestinian fishermen it had taken priosner on Sunday night. Witnesses said that the four fishermen were released at the Israeli-controlled Eretz crossing (Beit Hanoun crossing point). Israeli army actions on the Gaza Strip territories, airspace and sea have been continuous since Israel disengaged from Gaza in September 2005. more..
Palestinian Authority forces kill two Palestinians, including one boy, in Qalqilia
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
Palestinian Authority forces on Saturday killed two people, one a five-year-old boy, in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, media sources have reported. Palestinian Police Both the driver and his passenger, five-year-old Yazid Obid, were killed by the gunfire. [end]
Israeli military invades several parts of the West Bank, kidnapping four Palestinians
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News& agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
Israeli military forces invaded the northern West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin in the early hours of Monday morning. The same sources reported that the Israeli forces established a military post in the al-Harsh area. In the southern part of the West Bank, Israeli forces invaded the cities of Hebron and Bethlehem, kidnapping two. Security sources reported that troops kidnapped Ahmad Al Ghazawe, 50, and Mohammad Jebrel, 20, from Hebron after invading their homes, searching them and confiscating properties. Both were taken to unknown detention center. Israeli military forces kidnapped two Palestinians near the Azion settlement on Monday morning. Security sources reported that Hamada Al Qawasmy and Firas Abu Al Dab’at, both from Hebron, were abducted while passing through the checkpoint. Both were taken to unknown destination. more..
The Mother of all Pretexts
Uri Avnery - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/15/2007
WHEN I hear mention of the "Clash of Civilizations" I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. To laugh, because it is such a silly notion. To cry, because it is liable to cause untold disasters. To cry even more, because our leaders are exploiting this slogan as a pretext for sabotaging any possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. It is just one more ina long line of pretexts. [end]
News / Israel, Hezbollah carry out first swap since Second Lebanon War
Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 10/15/2007
Haaretz. com/Channel 10 news roundup for October 15, 2007. In this edition: Israel and Hezbollah carry out a first swap since the Prime Minister Olmert avoids commenting on the three probes against him. The jailed killer of Yitzhak Rabin requests a leave to attend his unborn son’s circumcision. [end]
Israeli Arab member of Galilee terror group convicted of killing soldier
Eli Ashkenazi Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/16/2007
The Magistrate’s Court in Nazareth on Monday convicted Mohammed Anbatawi of murdering IDF soldier Oleg Shaichat in July 2003. The panel of judges headed by Nazareth District Court President Menachem Ben-David ruled that Anbatawi, a 23-year-old from Kafr Kana, is also guilty of other crimes which he committed while a member of the terrorist group known as "Hofshiyei Hagalil" (Liberated Ones of the Galilee). Authorities say the group has been active in the Lower Galilee, and that its goal was to harm the security of the state in retaliation for what it terms "the killing of the residents of the West Bank and Israel’s actions in the territories." Immediately following his arrest on April 19, 2004, Anbatawi confessed to the killing and reenacted the events which led up to Shaichat’s abduction and murder. Following his arrest, authorities released three other youths from Kafr Kana who were accused in the murder. more..
Terror suspects on trial in Europe
Al Jazeera 10/16/2007
Thirty men have gone on trial in Spain for terror-related charges including allegedly trying to blow up a court considered to be the country’s hub of anti-terror investigations. They face charges of being members of a terrorist organisation, conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack and forgery. The indictment said the attack plotted by the group of 19 Algerians, five Moroccans and the rest from Spain, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mauritania and the Palestinian territories could have killed up to 1,000 people. Moroccan Abderrahmane Tahiri, is accused of masterminding the plot to ram a truck loaded with 500kg of explosives into the National Court in downtown Madrid. The indictment said Tahiri was the leader of an "organised and structured terrorist group" committed to waging jihad on Spanish targets, including the court. more..
Popular Resistance Committees claim attacks
Ma’an News Agency 10/14/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed to have launched two mortar shells at the Israeli military installation at Nahal Oz border crossing on the Gaza Strip at dawn on Sunday. The An-Nasser Salah-Addin Brigades also claimed that they fired five shells at an Israeli town north of the Gaza Strip. The group said the shelling was a response to Israeli crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza strip. [end]
Two Palestinians arrested after forces discover knife in their car
Jerusalem Post 10/15/2007
Two Palestinians were arrested north of Ramallah at the Beit Zayit checkpoint on Sunday evening after troops discovered a 10-centimeter-long knife in their car. The knife was confiscated and the two were transferred to security interrogations. [end]
A Muslim-Arab MK in Ehud’s court
Akiva Eldar, Ha’aretz 10/15/2007
When Ghaleb Majadele took up the cabinet post previously held by Ophir Pines-Paz, who had resigned over the entry into the government of a man who wants to transfer Baka al-Garbiyeh to Palestine, he did not imagine what a mess he was getting himself into. Israel’s first Muslim-Arab minister (and apparently, the same goes for the person who appointed him) did not, for instance, consider that the science, culture and sport portfolio includes responsibility for the Antiquities Law. The uproar over the archaeological dig at the Temple Mount’s Mughrabi Gate, which broke out on the very eve of his historic inauguration, did not set off even the faintest of warning bells. His job mandated Majadele’s inclusion on the ministerial committee on the Mughrabi Gate. This committee is supposed to approve the plan for a new bridge leading to the Temple Mount’s western entrance. more..
Israeli historian wins German Book Trade’s 2007 peace prize
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/14/2007
Israeli historian Saul Friedlander was awarded the top prize at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair on Sunday in recognition of his narratives documenting the Nazi Holocaust. "Saul Friedlander gave a voice to the grievances and cries of those human beings who were turned to dust - he gave them memory and a name," the German Book Trade association said in awarding Friedlander its 2007 peace prize. "The acknowledgment of human dignity forms the basis for peace among mankind, and Saul Friedlander returned to the murdered millions the dignity of which they had been robbed," it said. Friedlander’s family emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1939 to France in a bid to escape the Nazis. While Friedlander himself managed to avoid arrest by staying at a Catholic boarding school under an assumed name, his parents were captured and deported to Auschwitz, where they died in 1942. more..
Israeli tourist held in Lebanon jail recounts two-week ordeal
Jack Khoury Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/14/2007
"Danny al-Alamani" (Danny the German) was the nickname that Daniel Sharon was given during his brief incarceration in Lebanon. To him, the nickname reflected the German patronage that aided in his release after 22 days in detention. Sharon, who holds dual Israeli and German citizenship, was arrested on September 18 on suspicion of involvement in a murder case and released last Thursday. Early Friday morning he was returned to Frankfurt, and by Saturday afternoon he was already on his way to Turkey. In a telephone conversation with Haaretz, Sharon chose to speak the Arabic of the Gulf states, in which he is fluent. Although the interview focused on his well-publicized arrest and release, Sharon often veered from the main topic to describe the beauty of Lebanon and his love for its people. His favorite subject, though, is the wild nightlife of Beirut. more..
Unmanned, armed vehicles to secure Ben Gurion Airport fence
Zohar Blumenkrantz Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/14/2007
Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) equipped with weapons and cameras will soon be involved in perimeter security at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Haaretz has learned. Such vehicles would help prevent terrorist infiltrations similar to the incident Saturday morning in which a disturbed man jumped over the airport’s perimeter fence. The UGV, made in Canada, is to begin three days of demonstration use today for the Israel Airports Authority. The vehicles will be put into service to assist jeep-mounted security personnel in their patrols of the perimeter fence. Saturday, at around 8 A. M. , airport security personnel apprehended a 31-year-old man who had managed to scale the perimeter fence and was running toward planes. Security guards identified him as someone they had seen acting strangely in the terminal the night before, and they stopped other security guards from shooting to kill the intruder. more..
Adler-Chomsky ad agency heading for the stock market
Sharon Shpurer, Ha’aretz 10/15/2007
So far 2007 has been a great year for advertising agency Adler, Chomsky and Warshavsky. Even the coma of former prime minister Ariel Sharon, Reuven Adler’s long-time friend, has not seemed to hurt the firm. In fact the agency has seen its business grow dramatically. In August the company, owned by Adler and Eyal Chomsky, rocketed into the number-two spot, and is now breathing down the neck ofMcCann-Erickson. It looks like the two will reach a new record if the stock market keeps on its optimistic ways: They will issue the agency on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the first advertising agency in Israel to do so. According to estimates, the agency makes NIS 20 million to NIS 30 million a year in profits after taxes. The company will be valued at NIS 250 to NIS 350 million for the initial public offering. The value is slightly less than the owners hoped for a few months ago, before the drops in world stock markets this summer. more..
Unmanned, armed vehicles to secure B-G Airport fence
Zohar Blumenkrantz, Ha’aretz 10/15/2007
Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) equipped with weapons and cameras will soon be involved in perimeter security at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Haaretz has learned. Such vehicles would help prevent terrorist infiltrations similar to the incident yesterday morning in which a disturbed man jumped over the airport’s perimeter fence. The UGV, made in Canada, is to begin three days of demonstration use today for the Israel Airports Authority. The vehicles will be put into service to assist jeep-mounted security personnel in their patrols of the perimeter fence. Yesterday, at around 8 A. M. , airport security personnel apprehended a 31-year-old man who had managed to scale the perimeter fence and was running toward planes. Security guards identified him as someone they had seen acting strangely in the terminal the night before, and they stopped other security guards from shooting to kill the intruder. more..
Hamas says Palestinian security forces storm mosque in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 10/12/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas said on Friday that the Palestinian security forces arrested a Hamas party member in Jenin on Thursday and stormed a mosque in Nablus. They gave the man’s name as Abd Al-Rahim Hafez Rabay’a, from Jenin. Security forces surrounded the Abu Bakr Al-Sadiq mosque in Nablus after the evening prayer. They then stormed the mosque and removed all the banners belonging to the Islamic brigade. [end]
Israeli soldiers arrest four West Bank citizens
Ma’an News Agency 10/12/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested four citizens from different cities in the West Bank at dawn on Friday. Israeli sources reported that troops stormed Bethlehem, Ramallah and Hebron and arrested the fourbefore taking them to unknown area. The identites of those arrested has not yet been released. [end]
Jaradat, one of the detained Islamic Jihad leaders released
IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/12/2007
Three years after he was kidnapped by Israeli troops in Sielet Al Harithiyya village, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Sheikh Hani Jaradat, one of the political leaders of the Islamic Jihad was released on Friday. Jaradat was not sentenced but was imprisoned under administrative detention orders as the Israeli authorities kept renewing these orders without pressing any charges. Jaradat was received in his hometown by hundreds of residents, and his family members, in addition to leaders and representatives of several factions. He was repeatedly arrested by the Israeli army and spent a total of ten accumulative years behind bars. [end]
Troops kidnap a resident near Salfit
IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/12/2007
Israeli soldiers manning Za’tara military roadblock east of the West bank city of Salfit, kidnapped on Friday one resident as he was trying to cross the checkpoint, and took him to an unknown destination. Eyewitnesses reported that the resident was kidnapped after the soldiers compared his identity card number with lists of “wanted” residents. Meanwhile, the army intensified its military procedures and tightened security checks in roadblocks across the West Bank despite Israeli promises to ease restrictions, especially as Muslims started the Fitir holidays. There are at least 500 roadblocks spread across the occupied West Bank. [end]
This Week In Palestine - Week 41 2007
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/12/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 12. 8 MB || Time 14 m 0s|| This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for October 6th sec. through October 12th, 2007. Palestinians mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan while the Israeli army continue to attack the Gaza strip and the West Bank, killing two this week, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. Friday marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, celebrated by the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr. Throughout the course of the month, the Israeli government has repeatedly reneged on promises made prior to the outset of the period. In Jerusalem, entry to the al-Aqsa mosque was severely restricted, with many Palestinians refused access to the city either to worship or spend the holy month with family and friends. more..
Israeli army kidnaps four Palestinians
John Smith - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/12/2007
The Israeli army kidnapped four Palestinians from different areas of the West Bank in the early hours of Thursday morning. [end]
Witnesses: IAF strike kills Hamas militant in Gaza
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 10/13/2007
An Israeli air strike killed a Hamas militant and wounded five others in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanounon Saturday, Hamas and local residents said. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the strike was aimed at a group of Gaza militants that had launched a Qassam rocket at Israel. Israel’s military frequently conducts raids and air strikes in the Gaza Strip to try to stop militants from firing rockets into southern Israel. On Thursday, Border Police troops killed a militant from the armed wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement in the West Bank. Palestinian security officials said the man was killed by undercover forces operating near the West Bank city of Jenin. They said he was shot while driving a wanted Islamic Jihad militant. Also Thursday, Israel Defense Forces tanks and infantry units were operating in the central Gaza Strip. more..
Orthodox rabbi beaten with baseball bat in New Jersey town
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/13/2007
LAKEWOOD, New Jersey - A man wielding an aluminum baseball bat attacked an Orthodox Jewish rabbi walking to synagogue last week, critically injuring the 53-year-old man and threatening to strain the already tense ethnic relations in a New Jersey city, officials and residents said. The beating of Mordechai Moskowitz, reportedly at the hands of am African-American man, has put residents on edge in Lakewood, a diverse city of 70,000 near the Jersey Shore that is home to a large Orthodox Jewish population, as well as black and Hispanic communities. An Orthodox Jewish middle school teacher was found not guilty this summer of assaulting a black teenager. And a few weeks ago, a group of Orthodox Jews was pelted with eggs by teenagers from another town, The New York Times reported Thursday. Authorities have arrested no one and have no motive in the beating of the rabbi, police Lt. more..
Police: Alperon family hired foreign hitmen to kill mob boss Abergil
Uri Blau and Roni Singer-Heruti Haaretz Correspondents, Ha’aretz 10/12/2007
The two foreign hit men believed to have arrived in Israel to kill leading mob boss Itzik Abergil were hired by people from the competing Alperon crime family, police investigators believe. Last week, Haaretz reported that the police had warned Abergil that they have "credible" intelligence that the hit men have entered the country. Advertisement P olice learned recently that at least two contract killers, believed to be from the Commonwealth of Independent States, had come to Israel at the behest of a rival crime family, which is embroiled in a vendetta with the Abergil crime syndicate. Investigators had until recently regarded the Alperon family and the Abergils as close allies. The relationship, police sources say, has apparently deteriorated in the recent months. The latest vendetta of the Abergil family apparently involves the Alperon crime organization. more..
Second Al-Aqsa militant killed by IDF in as many days
Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
One Palestinian was killed yesterday and at least four others were injured during separate incidents in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. A member of Fatah’s militant wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, was killed during an incident involving a patrol of undercover Border Police in Jenin yesterday. The dead man is Mohammed Abu Sarur, 20. The incident occurred when the undercover unit traveled in two unmarked vehicles in the eastern neighborhoods of Jenin, and stopped the car in which Abu Sarur and another militant, Hilal Sa’adi, were traveling. Security sources said that Abu Sarur, who was driving, drew a pistol and was shot dead. The other man was arrested and taken for questioning. There were no injuries to the Border Police patrol. This is the second time in as many days that an Al-Aqsa Martyrs militant was shot and killed during an encounter with Israeli undercover security forces in the West Bank. more..
Police: Foreign hit men were hired to kill mob boss
Uri Blau and Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
The two foreign hit men believed to have arrived in Israel to kill leading mob boss Itzik Abergil were hired by people from the competing Alperon crime family, police investigators believe. Last week, Haaretz reported that the police had warned Abergil that they have "credible" intelligence that the hit men have entered the country. Police learned recently that at least two contract killers, believed to be from the Commonwealth of Independent States, had come to Israel at the behest of a rival crime family, which is embroiled in a vendetta with the Abergil crime syndicate. Investigators had until recently regarded the Alperon family and the Abergils as close allies. The relationship, police sources say, has apparently deteriorated in the recent months. The latest vendetta of the Abergil family apparently involves the Alperon crime organization. more..
David’s sling: Israeli arms developers display a new missile to intercept Katyusha rockets
Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 10/13/2007
Haaretz. com/Channel 10 daily feature for October 11, 2007. Israe li arms developers display a new missile to intercept Katyusha rockets and other high-tech weapons at a U.S. arms fair [end]
The honeymoon is ending on ’mission impossible’
The Guardian 10/11/2007
It was early afternoon and still uncomfortably hot when the convoy rolled up, sirens wailing, outside the town hall. Machine-gun toting Palestinian policemen in blue mottled camouflage gear surrounded a white four-wheel drive as the VIP stepped out, his familiar features creased into a broad grin of welcome for the waiting dignitaries." Welcome to Hebron, Mr Blair," declared the mayor, Khaled Osaily, before they disappeared into the sand-coloured building, screened by security men as headscarved schoolgirls giggled their way past Ramadan fairy lights. The Israeli army jeeps that escorted the visitor in had hung back discreetly for the final stretch. Large parts of the West Bank’s "city of the patriarchs" were ceded to Palestinian control a decade ago when Yasser Arafat was enjoying the mixed blessings of the Oslo self-rule agreement - which left 400 hardline, armed Jewish settlers in Hebron’s ancient centre. more..
Palestinian dies in Israel air raid
Al Jazeera 10/13/2007
A Palestinian man has been killed and five people wounded in an Israeli air raid in Gaza, witnesses and Palestinian medical staff have said. Hassan Naem, 20, a fighter from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, died and five other people, including at least two fighters, were wounded in the pre-dawn raid in Beit Hanoun. The Israeli army said the attack was in response to a mortar fired from the town, which is situated near the barrier separating Gaza from Israel. "There was an attack against a launching cell," an Israeli army spokesman said. "They launched a mortar shell, and after they launched we attacked, and identified a hit." In recent months, Israel has carried out near-daily air and ground raids in the Gaza Strip attacking those it accuses of firing mortars and homemade rockets into Israeli territory. Source: Agencies more..
Lebanon releases Israeli national
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 10/11/2007
Daniel Sharon, arrested in Beirut four weeks ago on suspicion of involvement in murder, released on bail, German magazine Der Speigel reports. Sharon’s father tells Ynet his son expected to leave Beirut, head to Frankfurt - - Daniel Sharon, the Israeli-German national arrested in Beirut, has been released, the website of German magazine Der Spiegel reported Thursday evening. Sharon was arrested about four weeks ago after the main suspect in the murder of a Lebanese man told the police that he was with a German friend when his roommate was murdered. Police officers arrested Sharon in his room at the Sheraton Hotel in the Lebanese capital and discovered that the photocopy of the Israeli passport seized at the murder scene was his. According to the report, Sharon said during his questioning that he was visiting Beirut "for tourism purposes" and denied any involvement in intelligence gathering activity. more..
Bedouin youth target cars on Negev roads
Yonat Atlas, YNetNews 10/11/2007
After Bedouin youth throw stone at bus which shatters windshield and injures two passengers, Metropolin bus company is putting its foot down and pressing charges. ’We’re doing this for deterence’, Metropolin’s CEO says - - In the past two months cars driving on Negev highways have become a target for Bedouin youths. On Wednesday night youths threw stones at a bus belonging to the "Metropolin" bus company causing serious damages, and the company said it wouldn’t let the incident slide and would file a damage complaint. The bus was driving from Beer Sheba towards the small community of Meitar in the Negev. Two Bedouin youths hurled stones towards the bus, breaking its windshield and lightly wounding two passengers. Local police arrested the suspects, and on Thursday they had a remand hearing at the Beer Sheba District Court. more..
Restraint policy must end, deputy IDF chief says
Alex Fishman, YNetNews 10/11/2007
In interview to Yedioth Ahronoth, Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky says Israel can’t keep ignoring Hamas’ strengthening in Gaza, continued rocket attacks; says ground operation is a matter of timing. Adds better preparations before disengagement could have prevented attacks - - "The IDF will have to enter parts of the Gaza Strip and stay there for a few months," outgoing Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky told Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper in an interview published on Thursday. In the interview, Kaplinsky discussed the mistakes made in the Second Lebanon War , the General Staff’s performance, and the deterioration of his relationship with former Chief of staff Dan Halutz. On the situation in Gaza, Kaplinsky said Israel’s restraint policy against the Qassam rocket attacks must come to an end. more..
Report: IDF kills Fatah member in Jenin
Ali Waked, YNetNews 10/11/2007
Palestinian sources claim special IDF force opened fire at vehicle in Jenin, killed Fatah member, arrested friend - - An IDF force shot and killed a member of the al-Aqsa Brigades, Fatah’s military wing in Jenin Wednesday, Palestinian sources reported. According to the sources, another Fatah gunmen in the area seemed to be injured in the shooting, but his condition was not known. IDF sources said the claims were being investigated. The Palestinian sources said a special IDF force riding in a black Mercedes blocked the vehicle of Mohammed Abu-Srur, and opened fire towards it. Abu-Srur attempted to escape, but was killed by the IDF fire. Hilal al-Sa’adi was, who was also in Abu-Srur’s vehicle, was arrested and taken to Israel for questioning. Al-Sa’adi’s brother, a former commander of the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, was killed by the IDF last year. more..
Israeli cluster bomb kills Brit deminer in Lebanon
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-11, Last Updated 2007-10-11 12:23:36 Israel’s cluster bombs have killed many indiscriminately 36-year-old Briton killed in accident while supervising team clearing cluster bombs near Tyre. TYRE, Lebanon - A British member of a demining team was killed on Thursday by a cluster bomb dropped by Israeli forces during last year’s war in Lebanon, officials said. The 36-year-old was killed in the village of Kunin, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of the city of Tyre, said Dalya Farran, spokewoman for the Mine Action Coordination Centre. "He was the supervisor of a team that has been clearing cluster bombs in that area and there was an accident with a cluster bomb that resulted in his death," Farran said. The munitions dropped by Israel during its devastating air war against Lebanon last year included at least a million cluster bomblets, according to the United Nations. more..
Man injured in Gaza Strip car bomb, Hamas blames Fatah
Ma’an News Agency 10/11/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian man named Zayid Al-Qudra was injured when a bomb went off in a car belonging to a Hamas supporter. A spokesperson for the Hamas interior ministry, Iyhab Al-Ghussain, told Ma’an that the explosion was one of a series of attacks in Gaza Strip. He said Fatah loyalists were arrested following the incident. [end]
Palestinian man found dead near Hebron
Ma’an News Agency 10/11/2007
Hebron – Ma’an – The Palestinian police found the body of twenty-five-year-old Ja’far Abu Salihin front of his home in the town of Surif north of Hebron Wednesday evening. A police source said the man had been shot dead. The corpse was riddled with bullets. [end]
Israeli forces kill Al-Aqsa Brigades activist in Jenin
Ma’an News Agency 10/11/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Undercover Israeli forces killed an activist affiliated to the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, in the West Bank city of Jenin Thursday morning. Muhammad Abu Sorur was killed in the operation. Israeli forces seized another Al-Aqsa Brigades activist named Hilal Sa’di. Eyewitnesses said the men were driving through an industrial area of eastern Jenin, trailed by the undercover forces in a truck with Palestinian license plates. One witness said: "Israeli forces stormed the area after the undercover unit killed Abu Srur. They imposed curfew and arrested Sa’di." Abu Srur’s body was transferred to a hospital in Jenin. [end]
Palestine Today 101107
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/11/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 74 MB || Time 3m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Thursday October 11th, 2007. The Israeli army kills a Palestinian resistance fighter in the West Bank and injures civilians in the Gaza strip, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned. Mohammad Waleed Abu Soror, who was 20 years old and one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, was assassinated in the early hours of Thursday morning. The incident took place in the northern West Bank city of Jenin during a military operation by Israeli Special Forces. The Israeli army conducted a wide-scale abduction campaign in the early hours of Thursday morning, abducting seven Palestinian men and one young woman from the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the village of Sura. more..
British UN worker killed by Israeli bomb in southern Lebanon
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/11/2007
A British man, working for the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) in Lebanon, was killed on Thursday when an Israeli cluster bomb exploded near him. Bint Ijbail village shortly after the Israeli attack – File 2006 Lebanese news sources said that the incident took place in the village of Bint Ijbail in southern Lebanon. The village is close to the border with Israel and was the scene of fighting during the Israeli war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Security sources have not released the man’s name as his family has not yet been notified. In 2006 Israel attacked Lebanon in a war which lasted for over a month. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon and attacked it from the air, including strikes on the capital,Beirut. Hundreds of Lebanese civilians were killed as a result of the Israeli attacks. more..
Israeli military attacks Beit Fourik: one Palestinian injured
Ameen Abu Warda - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/11/2007
Israeli military forces invaded the village of Beit Fourik, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, on Thursday morning and opened fire with tear-gas near a girl’s school, causing students breathing difficulties. Over the last two weeks, the area of Beit Fourik has been subjected to three Israeli attacks. The reason for Thursday’s attack is not yet clear and the operation is still going on. Translated by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News [end]
Israeli military abducts 8 Palestinians including young woman from Nablus and Sura
Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News& agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/11/2007
The Israeli army conducted a wide-scale abduction campaign in the early hours of Thursday morning, abducting 7 Palestinian men and one young woman from the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the village of Sura. Security sources reported to Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, that troops backed by a large number of military vehicles invaded the area from several directions and opened fire randomly at local people. The same sources reported that Israeli forces intensified their presence in several neighborhoods in the area. Homes were ransacked, property was confiscated and people were forced from their homes. During the operation the army kidnapped four Palestinians from Nablus and four from Sura village. They were identified as Ayat Waleed Al Salty, 18, Ahmad Shqerat,19, Tayseer Abed Al Haq,17, Huthyfa Abu Mustafa,22, Mohammad Turaby,34, Ahmad Ghanim,34, Ala Turaby,23 and Hassan Turaby,30. more..
French official: Police on trail of suspect in 1980 shul bombing
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
French police are on the trail of a suspect in a deadly bombing outside a Paris synagogue, a case that has gone unsolved for 27 years, a judicial official said Thursday. A bomb in the saddlebag of a motorbike killed four people and wounded nine on October 3, 1980, at the synagogue on Rue Copernic in central Paris. The case has remained open since then. Investigators working off a recent lead believe the suspected bomber is a 55-year-old Lebanese-Canadian of Palestinian origin who spent time after the attack in the United States before moving to Canada, where he still lives, Le Figaro newspaper said. A judicial official confirmed some details of Le Figaro’s report, while saying investigators were angry that word had been leaked to media, fearing it could jeopardize the investigation. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a Paris anti-terrorism more..
Palestinians: Border Police troops kill Fatah militant near Jenin
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
Border Police troops killed a militant from the armed wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement in the West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian security and hospital officials said. Palestinian security officials said the man was killed by undercover forces operating near the West Bank city of Jenin. They said he was shot while driving a wanted Islamic Jihad militant. Also Thursday, Israel Defense Forces tanks and infantry units were operating in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF said four Palestinian militants were hurt in the fighting, while Palestinian sources reported five wounded. The officials identified dead Fatah man as Mohammed Abu Tsror, 21, and said the Islamic Jihad activist with him in the car escaped unharmed from the pursuit by undercover soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. more..
UK company ICAP buys Israel startup Traiana for $247m
Eran Gabay, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
Its first foray into buying Israeli companies: The Sequoia venture capital group can chalk up a major accomplishment. Traiana, an Israeli company that develops software for the financial markets, has been sold to the British corporation ICAP for $247 million. Almost all the proceeds will be paid in cash. The acquisition is ICAP’s first in Israel. Founded by Gil Mandelzis, who also serves as the company’s CEO, and others in 2000, Traiana has since raised $40 million, in part from the Gemini venture capital fund, which provided the company’s seed money. Other investors include Evergreen, Sequoia Capital and Pitango Venture Capital. Adi Pundak-Mintz of Gemini said Israel was headed toward becoming a superpower in financial technology. That is exactly where Traiana comes in. Traiana has 110 employees in Ramat Gan, Yew York, London and Chicago. more..
Israelis kill Fatah militant in West Bank
Middle East Online 10/10/2007
Israeli soldiers shoot 13-year-old Palestinian boy in head for throwing stones. - NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli forces killed a gunman from a group linked to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s party during a series of shootings and arrests in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, officials said. Palestinian security officials said Omar Ainabussi, 22, from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is affiliated to Fatah, was killed during clashes with the Israelis in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. A local chief of the same armed faction was wounded, they added. An Israeli security source confirmed that security forces identified hitting two Palestinian gunmen during an operation in Nablus overnight. Ainabussi’s death brings to 5,887 the number of people killed since the start of the second... more..
Israeli settlers block road in southern Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
Israeli settlers on Wednesday blocked a road in southern Hebron, while the military invaded the area, confiscating private vehicles and ransacking homes. Local sources reported that a group of armed settlers closed the road between Kherbet Salameh and Dora town, harassing those in the area as Israeli soldiers looked on. Later, in the same area, in the same area, 20 military vehicles invaded the region, ransacking homes and confiscating private property. [end]
Israeli army invades northern Gaza
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
Israeli army tanks and bulldozers invaded the northern part of the Gaza strip on Wednesday afternoon, Palestinian sources reported. Local sources indicated that at least 10 tanks and some bulldozers invaded Palestinian farm lands located around the town of Beit Hannon. Eyewitnesses stated that army helicopters alsio took part in the attack. While bulldozers razed arable land in the area, no injuries were reported. Beit Hannon town is frequently subjected to Israeli military attacks and invasions due to its location near the Israeli - Gaza borders. [end]
Israeli forces enter northern Gaza and raze farmland; Hamas retaliate
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – A number of Israeli military vehicles on Wednesday morning conducted a limited incursion into Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses reported that five bulldozers began the demolition of agricultural land around the Agricultural College, near the Erez Crossing. Military vehicles and helicopters reinforced the bulldozers during the incursion. Beit Hanoun has sustained the majority of damage in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli forces’ erosion of land and destruction of trees. Hamas retaliate - The military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, claimed they launched four mortar shells towards invading Israeli troops in Beit Hanoun. The Qassam Brigades issued a statement alleging that they also shot an Israeli soldier in the area. [end]
Islamic Jihad fighters clash with invading Israeli forces in Qabatiya
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, on Wednesday claimed responsibility for launching three bombs at an invading Israeli force in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya. There have been no reported casualties from the attack. A source from the Al-Quds Brigades said that fighters set ambushes and planted mines for the Israeli forces, which stormed the town from the north and south. The brigades said the mines were detonated as the Israeli military vehicles passed. The source also said that Al-Quds Brigades combatants clashed with Israeli forces in eastern Qabatiya. [end]
Palestinian fighters shell Israeli areas surrounding Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for launching four mortar shells at an Israeli infantry unit in eastern Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. The brigades said in a statement that the shelling took place while the Israeli forces attempted to lay cement blocks in the area. The Al-Aqsa Brigades of the Fatah movement, and the military wing of the DFLP, the National Resistance Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching three homemade projectiles at the Israeli Western Negev town of Sderot in a joint operation. The Al-Aqsa Brigades also claimed responsibility for launching a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli monitoring tower in Khuza’a, near Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. more..
Israeli forces seize five Palestinians in the West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – The Israeli forces on Wednesday seized three Palestinians from Al Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah, in the central West Bank. Palestinian security sources said that the Israeli forces stormed the camp and raided several homes, before seizing three Palestinians in their twenties. The Israeli forces also seized two Palestinians from the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem; member of Bethlehem municipal council Yousif Natsha, aged 50 and Ahmad Sharif, 18. [end]
Three injured in large-scale Israeli military invasion of Qalqilya
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Qalqilia – Ma’an – Three Palestinians were injured, one seriously, and more than ten others were arrested in a large-scale Israeli military operation in Qalqilia in the northern West Bank. Palestinian medical sources said that thirteen-year-old Mu’min Abu Sharib received a bullet wound to the head, and was taken to hospital in Nablus. More than 50 Israeli military vehicles are taking part in the operation, which is considered the biggest incursion into Qalqilia since operation "Defensive Shield" was launched against all Palestinian cities in 2002. During the current incursion, Israeli forces distributed a statement saying that the operation will continue until a "Hamas affiliated cell", stationed in the city’s centre, is apprehended. [end]
Palestinian militants target Israeli sites
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades on Wednesday afternoon claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli military vehicle with a rocket propelled grenade in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. In a separate incident, the An-Nasser Salah Addin, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed that they clashed with an Israeli infantry unit east of Abasan Al-Jadida in eastern Khan Younis. [end]
Two arrested in Israeli raid in Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested two of Palestinian citizens in the Al Mawaleh area of Bethlehem, close to the Nativity Church, after surrounding a house for some hours. Eyewitnesses said that more than ten military vehicles surrounded the area before attacking the home of Adel Issa Awad, 40, and Isam Odeh Awad, 25. Shots were heard as the two men were arrested. They were taken to an unknown destination. The Israeli forces said that those arrested were suspected of being members of Hamas. [end]
Deminers run heavy risks to carry out urgent work in South Lebanon
Nayla Razzouk, Daily Star 10/11/2007
Despite warnings, farmers ’insist on going into the plantations because their livelihoods’ depend on it - HOSH, SOUTH LEBANON: With sweat trickling down his temples, Hossam Mustafa froze as the metal detector sounded in a banana plantation riddled with unexploded bomblets left over from the summer 2006 war with Israel. The young deminer treads on dangerous ground as he clears fields and residential areas in South Lebanon of the unexploded cluster bombs dropped by Israel during the conflict. But as he seeks out the deadly crops in the coastal region of Hosh, farmers go about their work in the fields. "We inform them their safety is at risk, but they insist on going into the plantations because the livelihoods of such poor people depend on the harvest," said Magnus Rundstrom, a Swedish manager for the Mine Advisory Group, a British-based non-governmental organization. more..
Palestinian-born Jewish convert convicted of aiding Islamic Jihad
Fadi Eyadat, Ha’aretz 10/10/2007
The Haifa District Court convicted Asaf Ben David, a Palestinian who converted to Judaism, of contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to aid the enemy. The 39-year-old Ben David (originally Hussam Sawatmeh) was convicted of trying to help his brother Salah, an activist in Islamic Jihad, attain nitric acid for the purpose of preparing explosives. Ben David was born in the West Bank town of Kfar Tuba. However, after converting to Judaism he married a Jewish woman and moved to the Haifa area. The youngest of his four children is currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces. According to the court’s ruling, Ben David was in contact with his brother regarding the supply of nitric acid between October 2006 and until his brother’s death in December of 2006. more..
19 Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli forces
John Smith & agecncies, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
Israeli forces kidnapped at least 19 Palestinians from areas across the West Bank in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Israeli media sources have reported. [end]
Israeli forces kidnap member of Bethlehem Municipal Council
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
Israeli military forces kidnapped Yousif al-Natsha, 49, a member of Bethlehem’s Municipal Council, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In a separate operation, Ahmad Al Sahreef, 18, was kidnapped from the al-Doha area of Bethlehem. [end]
Al-Quds Brigades clash with Israeli forces in Qabatiya
John Smith & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
The al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, on Wednesday claimed responsibility for attacking invading Israeli forces in Qabatiya, located in the northern west Bank. No one was reported injured in the clashes. [end]
Al-Qassam brigades claim successful attack on Israeli soldier
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
The al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a sniper attack on an Israeli soldier in northern Gaza. In a statement faxed to press, the al-Qassam brigades claimed that the soldier was hit was Israeli troops invaded the al-Mazra’a area in Beit Hanoun. The statement added that the brigade’s fighters fired a number of mortars on Israeli armored vehicles. [end]
The Popular Committees Slam attacks against medical facilities, residents
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
The Palestinian Popular (Folk) Committees slammed on Wednesday an attack carried by Hamas members against the Medical Council in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, a statement by the Committees said. The Committees also accused Hamas of attacking several medical institutions in the Gaza Strip, and of seizing documents from those facilities. Moreover, Azmi Shiokhy, secretary-general of the Committees, slammed an attack carried by an unknown group against a child, identified as Aa’ed Sharab, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Shiokhy demanded that the assailants should be arrested and prosecuted, and appealed Human Rights groups in the Gaza Strip to expose such crimes. more..
Israeli undercover force kills Fatah fighter in Nablus
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Member of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades Ammar Aynabusi was killed on Wednesday morning and another, Sufyan Qandil, was injured as an Israeli undercover unit infiltrated the old city of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli military invaded Nablus from several directions to reinforce the undercover unit, which travelled in a Palestinian-plated car and wore the uniform of the Palestinian police. The undercover agents opened fire at a group of Al-Aqsa Brigades fighters in the old city. According to eyewitnesses, the target of the operation was Sufyan Qandil. [end]
PRC leader: Israel fails to end projectile launching
Ma’an News Agency 10/10/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Al-Said, said on Wednesday that Israel has failed in its endeavours to cease projectile launching from the Gaza Strip. Abu Al-Said says that the Palestinian attacks strike a balance between Israeli and Palestinian abilities to instil fear into each other. Israeli threats to invade the Gaza Strip, says Abu Al-Said, will not crush the Palestinian resistance. The PRC leader said that the Israeli occupation has exhausted all means to prevent Palestinian projectile launching. While Israel attempted to halt projectile launching, there was an increase in the number of projectiles launched and their range expanded, said Abu Al-Said. On Sunday, Israel alleged that a Katyusha rocket was fired from Gaza which struck Netivot, fifteen kilometres away. more..
Palestine Today 101007
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/10/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 66 MB || Time 4m 0s|| Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday October 10th, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces invade several areas, killing one and kidnapping at least 19 others. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, the Israeli army invades the north of the coastal region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday outlined his precise demands regarding the borders of a future Palestinian state, calling for a complete Israeli withdrawal from those territories occupied in 1967. Speaking in an interview with Palestine TV, Abbas declared the Palestinian negation team would settle for no less than all of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, in addition to areas inside the so-called "no man’s land". more..
Israel to seize Arab land near Jerusalem
Agence France-Presse - AFP, ReliefWeb 10/9/2007
JERUSALEM, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Israel has ordered the confiscation of Arab land outside east Jerusalem, a newspaper and Palestinian officials said on Tuesday, reviving fears that the occupied West Bank could be split in two. Issued late September, the order covers 110 hectares (272 acres) in four Palestinian villages between east Jerusalem and the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, said Hassan Abed Rabbo, a senior official at the Palestinian local government ministry. The land could create a bloc of settlements incorporating Maale Adumim and nearby Mishor Adumim and Kedar, and "prevent Palestinian territorial continuity" between the West Bank and Jordan Valley, he said. The army orders given to landowners, a copy of which was seen by AFP, justified the expropriation on "military grounds" and for "measures designed to stop terrorist acts". more..
Army attacks Bethlehem village
Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center 10/9/2007
A resident of the West Bank village of Nahaleen, twenty kilometers west of the city of Bethlehem has told of the attacks on the village by the Israeli army over five consecutive days. Soldiers have broken into homes randomly and without any warning during these raids. Ibrahim Ali, who lives in the center of the village, came home late on Tuesday after finishing work in his store and was surprised to find his children in a very scared state and windows broken. Soldiers had entered and ransacked the house. Ali took photographs of the scene and has threatened to file a complaint against the soldiers responsible. Soldiers also attacked the home of Safi Najajrah on Wednesday at dawn and destroyed the front door with an axe, causing structural damage. more..
Hundreds of Israeli settlers gather to throw stones at Palestinian cars
Ma’an News Agency 10/9/2007
Qalqilia – Ma’an – A group of Israeli settlers from Qedumim settlement, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, on Monday afternoon threw stones at Palestinian cars on the main road between Qalqilia and Nablus. Palestinian citizen Mahmoud Allam said that the windscreens of two taxis were smashed in the assault. Allam said that more than two-hundred settlers amassed near Qedumim at around 4pm and threw stones and metal instruments at taxis, demolishing the windows of many. The assault took place in the presence of Israeli police who were inactive, said Allam. Israeli sources reported that the Israeli military evacuated a settlers’ outpost near Qalqilia on Monday. [end]
Israelis grab more land near East Jerusalem
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 10/10/2007
Washington refrains from comment, but Cairo condemns ’extremely worrying’ move - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel has ordered the confiscation of Arab land outside East Jerusalem, officials said Tuesday, reviving fears that the Occupied West Bank could be split in two and challenging peace overtures. The appropriation orders come with Israelis and Palestinians preparing for a US-sponsored peace summit widely expected near Washington next month, and were immediately criticized by Arab authorities. Hassan Abed Rabbo at the Palestinian Local Government Ministry said the late September order covers 110 hectares in four Palestinian villages between East Jerusalem and the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim. The land could create a bloc of settlements incorporating Maale Adumim and nearby Mishor Adumim and Kedar, he said,... more..
Israeli army orders confiscation of Palestinian land in West Bank
Conal Urquhart in Jerusalem, The Guardian 10/9/2007
The Israeli army has ordered the seizure of Palestinian land surrounding four West Bank villages apparently in order to hugely expand settlements around Jerusalem, it emerged yesterday. The confiscation happened as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met to prepare the ground for a meeting hosted by President George Bush in the United States aimed at reviving a diplomatic solution to the conflict. However, critics said the confiscation of land suggested that Israel was imposing its own solution on the Palestinians through building roads, barriers and settlements that would render a Palestinian state unviable. The land seized forms a corridor from East Jerusalem to Jericho and is intended to be used for a road that would be for Palestinians only. more..
Barak: Israel soon to be able to block 90% of missile launches
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 10/9/2007
Within a few years Israel will be able to defend itself against 90 percent of missiles fired against it, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday according to Army Radio. Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi appeared Tuesday morning before the State Control Committee to address the State Comptroller’s report on the home front. According to Barak, once development of Israel’s anti-missile system is complete, the defense establishment will be able to prevent nearly all missile attempts from enemy states, from Qassam rockets to the Iran’s Shihab missile. Still, IDF Chief Asheknazi warned that the threat of missiles on the home front would not shrink in the near future. "We have been working for a long time to implement all matters of interest to the IDF and the Homefront Command. more..
Homemade shell lands near Sderot
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 10/9/2007
A homemade shell launched from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday landed in area near the Israeli town of Sderot. Neither damage nor injures were reported. [end]
Palestinian gunmen fire at ’polluting’ Israeli industrial zone
Ma’an News Agency 10/9/2007
Tulkarem – Ma’an – Palestinian gunmen on Tuesday morning shot towards an Israeli factory west of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. A group called ’Al-Aqsa’ claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to continue operations against the Israeli industrial zone, west of Tulkarem, as it pollutes the city. [end]
PRC combatants launch projectiles at Israeli Negev towns
Ma’an News Agency 10/9/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, claimed responsibility on Monday evening for launching a homemade projectile at the Israeli town of Shuva, bordering the Gaza Strip. The An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades claimed responsibility on Tuesday for launching a homemade projectile at Israeli town of Sderot, also bordering the Gaza Strip. The brigades said in a statement that Israeli admitted that the projectile landed in Sderot and as a result a cotton field was set ablaze. [end]
Israeli forces seize Palestinian near Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency 10/9/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli sources stated on Monday that the military seized a Palestinian near the central West Bank city of Bethlehem, alleging that he threw stones at an Israeli vehicle. The car was undamaged and the Israeli soldiers apprehended a bystander and took him to an interrogation centre. [end]
IOA officials worried over upgraded Palestinian rockets
Palestinian Information Center 10/8/2007
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The fall of a Palestinian home-made missile at the Israeli settlement of Netivot in the occupied Negev desert on Sunday has apparently disturbed officials of the Israeli occupation government who expressed deep concern over the Palestinian resistance factions’ capability to upgrade their "simple" rockets. On Sunday, a locally improvised Palestinian rocket was unleashed, for the first time ever, at the Netivot settlement which is located 20 km away from the tiny Gaza Strip, spreading panic among the settlers although Israeli police alleged that the rocket caused no damage." Israel is deeply concerned over the Palestinian resistance capability to upgrade its missiles and to hit areas in the western Negev" said Amos Yadlin, the head of intelligence department in the Israeli occupation army. more..
Palestine Today 100907
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/9/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 15 MB || Time 3m 26s Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday October 9th, 2007. In the West Bank, several Hamas members are arrested across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, the Hamas movement has announced that it will fully implement its ban on unauthorized outdoor prayers. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday met with Quartet Special Envoy Tony Blair. In a meeting described by both sides as "positive," the two officials are thought to have discussed economic and political issues, in addition Palestinian preparations for November’s peace summit. more..
Seven Palestinians wounded in Israeli air raid
Agence France-Presse - AFP, ReliefWeb 10/8/2007
GAZA CITY, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Seven Palestinian civilians were wounded overnight during an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip, witnesses and medics said Monday. An Israeli aircraft fired several air-to-surface missiles following an attempt to launch rockets or fire mortars by members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, to the east of Gaza City near the border with Israel, witnesses said. But instead of the Hamas militants the missiles struck unarmed civilians, seriously wounding two. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid, saying the missiles "struck an armed group preparing to fire mortar shells into Israel." az-ms/rl/rlp Mideast-unrest-Gaza Copyright (c) 2007 Agence France-Presse Received by NewsEdge Insight: 10/07/2007 22:43:47 ©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. more..
Army to annex 1130 Dunams of Palestinian land near Jerusalem for Wall construction
Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center 10/8/2007
Head of the Israeli Army Forces in the occupied West Bank, Gadi Sheemny, issued on Monday a military order annexing 1130 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Al Sawahra Al Sharqiyya and Abu Dees towns, near Jerusalem, for the construction of the Annexation Wall. The residents were informed that they have 21 days to file appeals against these orders. Abed-Rabbo added that according to this plan, the annexed lands will not only be used for Wall construction, but also for paving a new road for settlers. This plan, Abed-Rabbo stated, will create a link between different settlements around Jerusalem, such as Maali Adumim, Qidar, Mishor Adomim and several other settlements in the area which will block any geographical contiguity of the Palestinians areas and will isolate thousands of Palestinian lands which will be behind the Wall. more..
Israeli army invades several West Bank cities; 5 Palestinians kidnapped
Nisreen Qumsieh & Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 10/8/2007
The Israeli army invaded several areas across the West Bank on Monday morning, kidnapping at least five Palestinian civilians. During the invasion of the camp, local resistance fighters clashed with Israeli troops. Israeli sources said that one soldier was lightly wounded. Meanwhile, in the central West Bank, Israeli troops attacked and searched homes in Qadoura refugee camp, located near Ramallah. One man, later identified Tamier Shawamrah, 18, was kidnapped in the invasion. Elsewhere, the Israeli army attacked a village near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Monday morning, kidnapping two civilians. Local sources reported that troops entered the village of Beit Fajjar, searching homes and kidnapping Hanny Taqatka, 30, and Mohamed Taqatka, 37. more..
Israeli tanks roll into eastern Gaza city
Deutsche Presse Agentur - DPA, ReliefWeb 10/6/2007
Gaza_(dpa) _ Israeli ground forces accompanied by tanks and Apache helicopters entered eastern Gaza city at noon Saturday, witnesses said. According to witnesses, three bulldozers, backed by four tanks, started to raze installations in the industrial zone near Karni commercial crossing in the east of Gaza city. Residents in the area said the helicopters opened machine gunfire to provide cover for the forces on the ground while children threw stones at the tanks. Palestinian fighters, carrying mines and RPG launchers, have started to arrive in the place to face the sudden incursion. Earlier, the Israeli army rolled into the eastern parts of central Gaza Strip and clashed with Palestinian militants before withdrawing in the morning, residents of al-Maghazi and al-Burij refugee camps said. more..
An Israeli shell wounds three Palestinians in southern Gaza
International Middle East Media Center 10/8/2007
Three Palestinians have been reportedly wounded in southern Gaza after an Israeli shell landed on a local house near the Sofa crossing in eastern Rafah city, media sources said. Palestinian medics confirmed three people have been wounded including two lightly while the third’s hand has been amputated. No further details have been reported. Earlier in the day, eight Palestinians were injured in several attacks carried by the army in the Gaza Strip. source: Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), Palestine News Network (PNN) [end]
Army kidnaps three Islamic Jihad leaders in Jenin
International Middle East Media Center 10/8/2007
A spokesperson of the Islamic Jihad movement reported on Monday that Israeli soldiers kidnapped three leaders of the movement in Sielet Al Harithiyya village, west of Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank. Soldiers broke into houses and interrogated dozens of residents for several hours, local sources reported. The spokesperson stated that one of the kidnapped Salah Zyoud, 42, head of the movement in Jenin. Zyoud had been wanted by the Israeli forces since several years. [end]
IDF officer lightly injured in Nablus gunfire
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 10/8/2007
Palestinians open fire at soldiers operating in Balata refugee camp; forces apprehend 10 wanted terror suspects - An IDF officer sustained mild injuries in the early hours of Monday morning when Palestinians opened fire at soldiers operating in Nablus’ Balata refugee camp. The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment. Other IDF forces operating in the West Bank on Monday apprehended 10 wanted Palestinians in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah. Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told the cabinet Sunday that said that the ongoing efforts of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the police were behind the apparent calm in the country recently, adding that security forces had thwarted seven suicide bombings in Israel in the last month-and-a-half. more..
Israeli forces seize 10 Palestinians
Ma’an News Agency 10/8/2007
Nablus - Ma’an – Israeli forces seized 10 Palestinians from various West Bank cities on Monday, claiming they were "wanted." Israeli sources said the arrests took place in Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah. [end]
Palestinian resistance fighters take military action against Israeli targets
Ma’an News Agency 10/8/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, on Monday morning claimed responsibility for hurling a bomb at an invading Israeli military jeep in Qabatiya, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The brigades alleged that the bomb hit the jeep directly. On Sunday night, the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees said that they launched two projectiles at the Israeli Western Negev town of Ashkelon. The brigades also claimed that they launched eight mortar shells at a residential block east of Kerem Shalom military base, near the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades also claimed responsibility on Monday for launching three mortar shells at the Israeli military post of Nahal ’Oz, east of Gaza City. more..
Officer who commanded Gilad Shalit’s brigade to be promoted
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
The brigade commander under whose watch Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped will be promoted to senior commander of the Golani Brigade. The decision to promote Colonel Avi Peled was made by IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi during a special general staff meeting. Peled’s promotion was met with some reluctance due to his role as commander of IDF forces in the Southern Gaza Strip when Corporal Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. An investigative team probing the kidnapping found operational failures on the part of Peled and the brigade he commanded, but did not recommend disciplinary action. Shalit was abducted on June 25, 2006 from the area of Kerem Shalom by Hamas gunmen who crossed under the Gaza security fence into Israel. more..
Israeli car stoned near Bethlehem; no casualties or damage
Jerusalem Post 10/9/2007
An Israeli car was stoned near Bethlehem Monday night, the IDF said. There were no casualties or damage. IDF soldiers caught the Palestinian stoner and arrested him. He was transferred to security forces for questioning. [end]
Court orders Border Police to pay NIS 30,000 to right-wing activists
Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Monday ordered Border Police to pay NIS 30 thousand to three of the daughters of extreme right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Noam Federman. The three sued the Border Police after they were assaulted by Border Policemen who arrested them during a demonstration against the evacuation of the Gush Katif settlements. Yiska Federman, Sapir Federman andRachel Marzel were arrested in July 2005 for blocking a road at the entrance to Jerusalem during an anti-disengagement rally. According to lawsuit they filed, a Border Police officer beat them, threatened them, pulled their hair and twisted their arms after they were placed in a police car. The lawsuit also details how another Border Policeman sapir’s head against a wall, and how Marzel was deprived of food and water for several hours, and handcuffed in an illegal manner. more..
Police to compensate right-wingers’ daughters
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 10/8/2007
Police and policeman to pay NIS 30,000 to daughters of Baruch Marzel and Noam Federman, after court finds they were beaten during demonstration against pullout two years ago - The Jerusalem Magistrates Court ordered the police and a Border Guard officer to pay NIS 30,000 in compensation to the daughters of right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Noam Federman, for hitting them during a protest two years ago. On July 13 2005, the girls participated in a protest against the disengagement in Jerusalem, during which they sat on the road and blocked it. The three girls were arrested by Border Guard policemen and placed in a police car with two officers. The court ruled that in the course of the drive to the police station, one of the officers brutally assaulted the girls. more..
IAF presents UAVs of the future
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 10/8/2007
Next generation of drones revealed by IDF includes Eitan, largest UAV to be used by air force, and Efroni - the smallest - The Israel Air Force presented Monday its next generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Eitan, the force’s largest UAV, and Efroni - the smallest. Eitan, a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAV is in the final stages of development and should be operational within a year. According to Major Eli Katz, the officer in charge of the craft’s development, Eitan is equal in size to a Boeing 737 and can carry up to 1 ton of equipment. "This is the biggest, most sophisticated UAV built in the country," he stated. The UAV weighs 4. 5 tons and can climb to an altitude of 45,000 feet. It can stay in the air for up to 24 hours and travel very long distances. more..
Palestine Today 100807
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio, International Middle East Media Center 10/8/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - || File 2. 74 MB || Time 3m 0s - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday October 8th, 2007. In the West Bank, the Israeli army invades a number of cities across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, at least eight Palestinians are injured by two separate Israeli air strikes. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Israeli army invaded several areas across the West Bank on Monday morning, kidnapping at least five Palestinian civilians. In the northern part of the West Bank, at least 10 military vehicles invaded the al-Ein Beit Al Ma’ refugee camp, located in Nablus. Soldiers searched homes and kidnapped two civilians. more..
Palestinian Christian activist stabbed to death in Gaza
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
A Palestinian Christian activist who had received repeated death threats was found stabbed to death in a street in Gaza City early Sunday. Rami Khader Ayyad, 32, was director of the Teacher’s Bookshop, Gaza’s only Christian bookstore, which is run by the Bible Society of Gaza Baptist church. Health Ministry officials confirmed his death. Ayyad had been missing since Saturday evening. Over the years he had received repeated death threats from unidentified people displeased with his missionary work. The Interior Ministry run by Gaza’s Islamic militant Hamas rulers condemned the killing and said it launched an investigation. "This grave crime will not pass without punishment," the ministry said in a statement. About 3,200 Christians live in Gaza, most of them Greek Orthodox. more..
Palestinian police forces besiege a West Bank refugee camp
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/7/2007
Palestinian police forces in the West Bank besieged early on Sunday morning, the aL-Am’ary refugee camp, within the ’pursue’ of what police sources called ’wanted for the police apparatus". Media sources said that scores of police personnel cordoned off the entrance of the refugee camp. Witnesses said that trade of fire broke out between armed men and the Palestinian police forces at the entrance. Palestinian security sources reveled that the said operation on the aL-Am’ary, had nothing to do with any political issues, referring implicitly to the struggle between Fatah and Hams. Hamas has recently accused the Palestinian security bodies in the West Bank of arresting Hamas members largely. Hamas has been outlawed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah after the Islamist group took over Gaza in mid June. more..
Israeli military fires missiles at Palestinian school in northern Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/7/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli drones on Sunday morning launched two missiles at a school in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties have been reported. Israeli navy squadrons also opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, west of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya. Director of the Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health Dr. Muawiya Hassanein said there were no reported injuries among Palestinians. [end]
Police say Katyusha hit Negev
Yonat Atlas, YNetNews 10/7/2007
Rocket fire from Gaza continues, house in kibbutz damaged in mortar shell attack, no injuries reported - Eight mortar shells and three Qassam rockets landed in the Negev Sunday morning, as residents continued to suffer the brunt of Palestinian munitions fired at the country. Initial reports said four Qassam rockets landed in the area, one not far from Netivot. Hours later, sappers located the rocket’s remains, and transferred them to an explosives lab, which determined the rocket was in fact a Grad-type Katyusha rocket. The Salah-al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for the mortar shell attack, and claimed the rocket that landed near the Netivot cemetery was a new and improved type of mortar shell. more..
Palestinian man dies of wounds sustained during Israeli operation in Jenin
Ma’an News Agency 10/7/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – A Palestinian man, forty-five-year-old Ali Abu Rmaila, from Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank, on Sunday morning died of wounds he sustained a month-and-a-half-ago during an Israeli incursion. The Israeli military operation was conducted by undercover forces which assassinated Islamic Jihad activists ’Ala’ Abu Surur and Mustafa Atiq. Three other bystanders were injured. According to Ata Abu Rmaila, brother of Ali, Ali’s injuries were extremely critical and he was hospitalized in Tel Hashomer, an Israeli hospital. The family was informed of the death of Ali by telephone. [end]
Israeli forces seize five Palestinians during West Bank incursions
Ma’an News Agency 10/7/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli forces on Sunday morning seized five Palestinians from the southern West Bank city of Hebron and Qabatiya, in the north. Israeli radio reported that the soldiers manning a military checkpoint near a settlement in Hebron seized a man and two women after pursuing a taxi. Palestinian sources added that the Israeli authorities seized a Palestinian youth from Bani Na’im, east of Hebron. In the area of Jenin, Islamic Jihad activist Husni Zakarna was apprehended after the Israeli forces stormed the village of Qabatiya. Another Islamic Jihad activist in Jenin Abdul-Fatah Khuzaima reported that Israeli soldiers set ambushes near his home and near the home of Qusay Zakarna, a PRC activist. Islamic Jihad claimed that its fighters clashed with invading Israeli forces in Qabatiya. more..
IDF says Hamas responsible for Katyusha fired from Gaza Strip
Amos Harel and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that Israel held Hamas responsible for the firing of a Katyusha from the Gaza Strip at the Negev town of Netivot earlier in the day. The rocket, identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, caused no damage or injuries. IDF spokesman Captain Benjamin Rutland said, "Hamas bears responsibility for all the terror attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip regardless of who actually fired the rocket." He said that use of longer range rockets meant that they could be fired from deep inside Gaza, including from within heavily populated areas. The Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack, which coincided with a number of mortar attacks on the Negev on Sunday. The mayor of Netivot said that the government had denied the town funds intended for civil rocket defense. more..
Katyusha on Netivot / Israel to launch harsh response to attack, but only on paper
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
Nearly three weeks have passed since the cabinet decided to declare the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip a "hostile territory." It initially announced that the decision was meant to enable levying severe economic sanctions - punishment for the continued Qassam rocket attacks. Furthermore, there were strong hints that the prime minister and the defense minister were considering cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip for set periods of time, in response to the attacks. For the time being, this idea is still only on paper. The mortar and rocket barrages against the western Negev yesterday were accompanied by an unusual attack against Netivot, which involved a Grad - an improved Katyusha rocket. So far, Israel has not really responded. It is unlikely that the reason for this stems from the fact that the government had not anticipated a Katyusha attack. more..
IDF: Steep rise in Gaza arms smuggling
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 10/8/2007
There has been a sharp increase in the quantity of explosives, including various types of rockets, smuggled into the Gaza Strip from Egypt over the last few weeks, say senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces. The officers said Hamas now has complete control over the smuggling routes from Egypt, having forced the clans that previously controlled these routes to take orders from it. They added that the arms smuggling has expanded markedly since Hamas seized control of the enclave this summer and ousted forces from the rival Fatah party that had previously been stationed along the Gaza-Egypt border. Yesterday, a Grad Katyusha rocket fired from Gaza landed near Netivot, a town out of reach of the shorter-range Qassam rockets. The rocket caused no casualties, and Israel is not expected to respond militarily. more..
The Gaza-based resistance fires homemade shells onto southern Israel
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/7/2007
Some Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups fired on Sunday a Katyusha rocket onto the southern Israeli town of Nitivot, Israeli media sources said. The sources added that the rocket landed in an open area in the said Israeli town, causing no casualties. Palestinian resistance groups, including the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, known as the Salah Eldin Brigades, claimed their responsibility today for the firing of some mortars onto nearby Israeli towns. One of the mortars hit the western part of the Negev desert in southern Israel, inflicting minor damages to one of the houses, causing no causalities. The Israeli army has recently warned of a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip under what Israel said, a ’bid to stop homemade shells fire’. more..
President Abbas orders a probe into the death of a Christian Gaza resident
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 10/7/2007
Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, advisor to the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Sunday that the president ordered a probe into the incidents that led to the death of a Christian resident of Gaza, who was found stabbed to death on Sunday. Abdul-Rahman delivered the condolences of president Abbas to the family of Ayyad, and accused members of Hamas movement of killing him. He added that president Abbas ordered a probe into the crime. Meanwhile, Hamas movement also slammed the crime and stated that this attack is considered an "attempt carried by vandals who seek chaos in any possible way, even if this includes killing Christian brothers". Also, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), dominated by Hamas, slammed the murder of Ayyad and accused unnamed parties of acting to inflame internal conflicts in the Gaza Strip. more..
Prominent Christian killed in Gaza
Al Jazeera 10/7/2007
A prominent Palestinian Christian in the Gaza Strip has been found dead after being abducted near his home. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing of Rami Ayyad, director of the Protestant Holy Bible Society. The religious bookshop that Ayyad ran was blown up six months earlier. Medical officials in the Hamas-controlled territory on Sunday said Ayyad had been stabbed and shot. Ismail Haniya, leader of Hamas, condemned the killing and said the movement "would not allow anyone to sabotage" Muslim-Christian relations. About 3,000 Christians live among 1. 5 million Muslims in the Gaza Strip and relations between two communities have generally been good. "We are one people waging a single struggle for independence and freedom," Haniya, dismissed as prime minister... more..
This Week In Palestine - Week 40 2007
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/5/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for September 29th sec. through October 5th, 2007. This week saw a daily in the Upcoming Middle East Peace Conference until November 26. Elsewhere, the Israeli continued to attack Palestinian killing at least three in the Gaza strip, these stories and more coming up stay tuned. Lets begin our report with the nonviolent actions in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah. Bethlehem - On Friday about 70 people gathered for a non-violent demonstration against the confiscation of land belonging to the residents of the village of Wadi-An-Nis, south of the southern West bank city of Bethlehem. more..
Diplomacy
White House: We’ll use diplomacy vis-a-vis Iran
AFP, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Bush administration spokeswoman says US president ’committed’ to using diplomacy to solve Iran crisis, despite recent rhetoric that may make it seem otherwise - - After weeks of escalating US rhetoric on Iran, the White House vowed on Tuesday to "pursue every possible diplomatic means" to defuse the volatile dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. Spokeswoman Dana Perino sought to quiet fears that US President George W. Bush plans to attack the Islamic republic over its refusal to freeze sensitive nuclear work that can lead to the development of atomic weapons. "There’s no reason for people to think that the president is about to attack Iran. I think that we need to make that clear," she said. "He doesn’t want people to fear that, because what he is doing is pursuing a diplomatic track. more..
Interior minister against automatic citizenship for olim
Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Meir Sheetrit tells audience of Jewish Agency officials time has come to change Law of Return, condition Israeli citizenship on five-year consecutive residence for immigrants - - "It is inconceivable that people who immigrate to Israel are awarded citizenship in so short a period," said Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit on Tuesday in a controversial speech before the Jewish Agency Board of Trustees. Sheetrit proposed that Israel amend the Law of Return, one of the nation’s founding principles which allows anyone of Jewish parentage to immigrate freely to Israel and be eligible for citizenship. The amended law, said Sheetrit, would require new immigrants to reside in Israel for five years before being considered potential citizens. more..
Egypt arrests terror operatives planning suicide attack in Israel
Reuters, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Egyptian police detain three Palestinians caught with explosives, weapons while en route from Gaza though underground tunnel. Officials say men, belonging to group involved in abduction of Gilad Shalit, planning to enter Israel via Egypt to carry out attacks - - Three Palestinians caught entering Egypt through a tunnel from Gaza this month are members of an al Qaeda-inspired group who planned to enter Israel to carry out suicide attacks, police sources said on Tuesday. The sources said the men told police they were from the Palestinian group Army of Islam, which took part in the abduction of Israeli solider Gilad Shalit in June 2006 and kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston in Gaza in March. One of the three men was caught wearing explosives around his waist and the group also had other explosives and hand grenades, the sources said. more..
Palestinian opponents to Annapolis: We’ll elect new president
Ali Waked, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Palestinian ’opposition’ to hold conference in Damascus next week to protest Annapolis conference. Senior Palestinian official: We’re considering electing alternate governing body to PLO - - Palestinian organizations in opposition to the Annapolis peace conference are weighing the possibility of electing a replacement body for the PLO in order to present an alternative to the leadership of current Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinians official has told Ynet. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the PFLP-General Command as well as others are planning to participate in an assembly in Damascus next week to protest the Annapolis summit, the source claimed. According to these ’anti-Annapolis’ bodies, the peace conference "will lead to catastrophic results for the Palestinian people. more..
Barak: We informed Syrians of IDF drill
Haggai Einav, YNetNews 10/30/2007
In visit to northern communities, defense minister says clear message was passed to Syrians regarding nature of ongoing IDF training maneuver, pledges he will secure tax breaks for reserve soldiers - - In a meeting with security chiefs of communities situated along Israel’s northern border Tuesday morning, Defense Minister Ehud Barak discussed the current state of affairs with Syria and the status of soldiers serving in reserves. "Compared to the tension that we felt at the end of the summer, we are currently experiencing a cooling-off period. In preparation for the army exercises that will be conducted this week, we passed on clear messages to the Syrians, in order to prevent any other interpretations of the nature of the drill," Barak said. more..
Livni: Iranian clock quicker than sanctions
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/30/2007
Foreign minister tells Chinese leaders, ’It is time to take stronger, more significant, immediate steps against Iran’ - - Any hesitation is interpreted by the Iranian regime as weakness and the moderate countries will try and satisfy Iran in order to minimize the danger they are facing, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Tuesday during her visit to the Chinese capital of Beijing. Livni met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jieche, with whom she discussed ways to strengthen the economic, cultural and trade relations between Israel and China. The foreign minister also focused on the Iranian nuclear crisis, saying that "in order for the diplomatic moves to be effective - and there appear to be effective signs in the moves taken so far - it is time to take stronger, more significant and immediate steps. more..
Junior academics join lecturers’ strike
Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews 10/30/2007
As act of solidarity with senior academics, junior ranks hold one-day strike Tuesday - - Junior-level Lecturers joined the strike being held by their senior colleagues on Tuesday as an act of solidarity with their struggle, in addition to the strike being held by middle and high school teachers. The strike is a one-off and will last just one day, during which junior lecturers will disrupt studies for a number of hours, hold explanatory conversations with students, and discuss the difficult state of academia in Israel. The university lecturers’ strike has entered its ninth day, and in the meantime meeting between senior academic staff representatives and the Ministry of Finance have failed to deliver results. more..
Israel, Palestinians form committee for "road map" implementation
Deutsche Presse Agentur - DPA, ReliefWeb 10/30/2007
Ramallah_(dpa) _ Israel and the Palestinians have established a joint committee to oversee implementation of the long-dormant international "road map" peace plan, Palestinian negotiating team head Ahmed Qureia said Tuesday. The 2003 road map, authored by the so-called "quartet" of the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, calls on the sides to take confidence-building steps to enable a staged return to final peace negotiations. Qureia said the committee is headed by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Acting Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and includes also representatives of the quartet. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed in their last meeting Friday to revive the long-stalled plan, and mention it in the joint document... more..
Palestinian census carries sobering subtext for Israelis
The Christian Science Monitor, ReliefWeb 10/30/2007
An expected spike in population could loom large in future negotiations with Israel. By Joshua Mitnick | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monito Ramallah, West Bank - The field worker matches the villa at 5 El Balu’a Street with a building survey map, scribbles a number in blue crayon, and then offers a brief introduction to the homeowner on what the counting means. "I’m a representative of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and we’re doing preliminary work for the census," says Raniah Haseebah, a youthful, bright-eyed statistician. "I’m giving you this questionnaire." Palestinian survey-takers this month started going house to house for a tally that is likely to loom large over the renewed peace negotiations with Israel. more..
Abbas calls for six-month Mideast peace deadline
Lamia Radi - CAIRO, Middle East Online 10/11/2007
Abbas: ‘Six months is enough time. Palestinian president says will not accept leaving final status questions open forever. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called Tuesday for a six-month deadline for a final status deal with Israel following a US-sponsored international peace meeting due later this year. Abbas made the call after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and as Palestinian and Israeli teams seek to draft a joint document outlining the parameters for an agreement to be discussed at the peace meeting." This document must... set an adequate timeframe to complete negotiations on a final resolution after the next meeting," Abbas told journalists." We have proposed a maximum timeframe of six months. Until now, we haven’t reached an agreement with the Israelis or the Americans on this timeframe but we feel it is sufficient," he said. more..
FM Al-Maliki hosts EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner in Ramallah
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – Foreign Minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian government Riyad Al-Maliki on Tuesday met European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner in his office in Ramallah, in the central West Bank. Al-Maliki updated Ferrero-Waldner on the Palestinian situation and the goals of the government led by PM Salam Fayyad. He said the government’s main priorities are the restoration of the Gaza Strip to its state prior to Hamas’ takeover, the imposition of law and order, improving the standard of living of Palestinians and making preparations for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Ferrero-Waldner asserted that there are strong ties between the EU and the Palestinian Authority and assured that the EU is striving to accelerate the Middle East peace process in order to end the suffering of Palestinians. more..
Three police officers injured in violent attack in Hebron
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Hebron – Ma’an – Three Palestinian police officers were injured on Monday night in the southern West Bank city of Hebron when unidentified attackers ambushed their patrol. Director of Hebron police Majid Hawari informed Ma’an that the assailants acted with intent to kill, but the vigilance of the police officers prevented them from being assassinated. Police searched the area and on Tuesday claimed to have arrested the perpetrators. Local residents in Hebron urged President Abbas and PM Fayyad to end the state of chaos in the area. Governor of Hebron Hussain Al-A’raj affirmed that the security plan in Hebron, announced last month, is in implementation and in accordance with its timetable. Al-A’raj said that several suspected criminals have been arrested and had their weapons confiscated. more..
Interior Minister: Hamas could not seize control in the West Bank
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Interior Minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian government Abdul-Razzaq Al-Yahya said on Tuesday that Hamas’ takeover in Gaza will not be repeated in the West Bank because "the PA in the West Bank is strong enough to prevent it." Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday morning in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Al-Yahya said security will be imposed and nobody will be permitted to violate it. Al-Yahya also claimed that the issue of the Israeli list of ’wanted’ Palestinians is soon to be resolved. In addition, he reiterated that the Palestinian security forces will be deployed intensively throughout the West Bank, particularly in Nablus. Al-Yahya is to begin the implementation of a comprehensive security plan, including visits to security headquarters in Nablus... more..
Bush requests Congress to donate $400 million to Palestinians
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – United States Consul General in Jerusalem Jacob Walles on Monday announced that President Bush asked Congress to approve the donation of 400 million US dollars in aid to Palestinians. The donation would be in addition to the annual aid package of 77 million US dollars to Palestinians. Israeli radio stated that Walles affirmed in his meeting with correspondents of Palestinian newspapers that Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to visit the region on the 14 November to make preparations for the autumn summit. [end]
Hundreds of thousands of shekels stolen in Nablus robbery
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Nablus – Ma’an – Hundreds of thousands of Israeli shekels (NIS) were stolen in a robbery at the home of a trader in Nablus in the northern West Bank. Kamal Kalbouna revealed to Ma’an’s reporter that the robbery happened on Saturday but was not announced at the request of Palestinian detectives for security reasons. He said there were hundreds of thousands of NIS from a safe in addition to 70,000 Jordanian Dinars (100,000 dollars) and jewellry worth 400,000 NIS (100,000 US dollars). The robbers carried off the iron safe complete with its contents after they broken into the house when there was nobody at home. Kalbouna has offered a 50,000 US dollar reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of the robbers. more..
Al-Qassam Brigades preparing attacks inside Israel
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Al-Qassam Brigades are preparing to start attacking the Israelis inside their territories if the Israelis do not stop targeted assassinations against Palestinians, a Hamas leader announced on Tuesday. Sheikh Ahmad Hamdan said that he had met with the general commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement, Muhammad Daif. He said Daif told him, "The Al-Qassam Brigades are preparing within a few weeks to start attacking the Israelis inside their territories instead of taking a defensive position only." The electronic website of Palestine Live stated that Hamdan quoted Daif as saying that "The Al-Qassam Brigades will strike the Israeli occupying entity very strongly if the targeted killings against Palestinians and the incursions into West Bank and Gaza Strip do not stop. more..
Fayyad wishes Olmert speedy recovery from prostate cancer
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday evening after it was announced that Olmert has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fayyad wished his Israeli counterpart a speedy recovery. [end]
Israeli forces arrest 10 West Bankers
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli forces said on Tuesday that they arrested ten Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank on Monday night, claiming they were "wanted" by the Israeli intelligence services. According to the Israeli announcement,the arrest campaign focused on the northern West Bank cities. Two were arrested in Jenin, four in Qaalqilia, and three in Nablus, while one Palestinian was arrested in Ramallah in the central West Bank. [end]
Hamas leaders slam Abbas
Ma’an News Agency 10/30/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Two Hamas leaders slammed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas during a festival for Hamas in Jabalia in the northern West Bank on Monday. Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan said, "President Abbas will fall in autumn like the leavess from the trees." "We said in the past that we would pray in Al-Muntada [Abbas’ headquarters in Gaza], and we say today that we will pray next autumn in the Muqata’a [the presidential headquarters in Ramallah]," he added. Another Hamas leader, Musheer Al-Masri said, "Abbas has lost the Palestinian legitimacy and representation, and the supporters of the Bush conference will be slapped." This campaign against Abbas came after his comments on Monday when he said that Hamas plans to take control of the West Bank as they did in the Gaza Strip. more..
Hamas: We will not take over West Bank by force
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
The spokesman for the Hamas party in Gaza responded Tuesday to Israeli media claims that the group planned a violent takeover in the Gaza Strip, saying that this was absolutely not the case. In the Gaza Strip, it was only this June, nearly 18 months after the election, that the Hamas party was actually able to begin governing. The Israeli media report issued Tuesday stated that Nizar Rayyan, supposedly a leader in the Hamas party, had made a statement implying that Hamas would be taking over the Palestinian presidential compound sometime this fall. But Mahmoud Zahhar, a leader in the Hamas party who was originally named as the Foreign Minister, until Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas government in February, denied the claim, saying "Hamas will not carry out military action to bring back order in the West Bank, as we were forced to do in Gaza. more..
US may give $150 million to bolster Abbas
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
The Bush administration in the US has requested Congress to provide the Palestinian Authority with $150 million to bolster the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Bush has also requested an additional $250 million for project assistance for the friends and colleagues of Mahmoud Abbas. The US government currently provides $6 billion of direct aid to Israel per year, funding at least half of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories - an occupation that is currently budgeted at $12 billion per year by the Israeli government. Abbas has recently been the subject of widespread criticism among Palestinians for being what many call a ’spokesperson for the USA’. This has led to a questioning of his legitimacy as a negotiator for the Palestinian people. more..
Barak warns again of imminent Gaza attack
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday again warned of the likelihood of an imminent wide-spread invasion of the Gaza Strip. Speaking to Israeli army radio, Barak remarked "every day that passes brings us closer to a broad operation in Gaza," adding that the invasion would not be launched until the time was right. We are not happy to do it, we’re not rushing to do it, and we’ll be happy if circumstances succeed in preventing it,but the time is approaching when we’ll have to undertake a broad operation in Gaza," the Defense Minister stated. Barak has previously made such statements, and while the likelihood of an attack on the Gaza Strip seems high, it remains unclear when such an invasion will be launched. more..
Qureia: Negotiations serious, but slow
Maisa Abu Ghazalah - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
Chief Palestinian Negotiator Ahmad Qureia on Tuesday claimed that negotiations with Israel remained ongoing and serious, but criticized a perceived lack of haste on the part of the Israeli negotiating team. In order to achieve such a quantitative leap, Qureia argued that a clear and precise document dealing with the final status issues of borders, Jerusalem, settlement, refugees, security, and water was required. Qureia also expressed a level of dissatisfaction with the lack of progress made in formulating such a document, and called on the Israeli government to implement the commitments laid out by the U.S. -backed road map plan, such as placing a moratorium on settlement construction, dismantling of illegal outposts, and the reopening of forcibly-closed organizations in east Jerusalem, adding that while Palestinians. more..
Archbishop Hana: Jerusalem should be placed at top of agenda
Ameen Abu Wardah - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/30/2007
The Christian Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Attallah Hana, on Tuesday called on the Palestinian negotiating team to place the status of Jerusalem at the top of the agenda at the upcoming Annapolis conference. Indeed, Hana’s call comes just days after a group of fourteen Jewish organizations in the United States issued a statement meant to pressure Israel to keep Jerusalem off the negotiating table, so that the city could be turned into a Jewish-only area. Jerusalem has historically been a mainly Palestinian city, although in the last two decades Israel has made continuous efforts to rid the city of its Palestinian inhabitants, using a variety of legal and illegal methods. The Archbishop also called for Palestinian unity, arguing that the conference was doomed to fail if the Palestinians could not speak with one voice. more..
Israel warns of impending ’broad operation in Gaza’ as criticisms of fuel cuts to territory mount
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/31/2007
Israel escalated its threats on Tuesday to invade the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket fire after a plan to impose economic sanctions drew objections from legal experts and foreign powers. Since unilaterally disengaging from Gaza in 2005, Israel has mounted regular commando raids and air strikes on rocket crews but the salvoes have not ceased. Hamas’ takeover of the territory in June stoked calls in the Jewish state for a big military sweep. "Every passing day brings us closer to a broad operation in Gaza," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told reporters. "We are not looking forward to it [and] we would be happy if circumstances prevented it." Israel, which controls official Gazan border crossings, began reducing the amount of fuel pumped to Gaza this week. more..
Jerusalem: an embodiment of the Middle East conflict
Ghassan Khatib Commentary by, Daily Star 10/31/2007
It is not known yet whether the Annapolis meeting is going to deal with final status issues. Indeed, until now the main area that is being worked out between the parties is what level of substance this meeting should deal with and whether it is going to present a document that marks political progress on final status issues or just repeat the already existing commitment of the parties to negotiate these issues, already stipulated in the Oslo Declaration of Principles as Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security, water and borders. The American suggestion to ensure that Annapolis marks a new achievement and not just an inauguration of the resumption of final status negotiations is to declare an independent Palestinian state whose components will all be negotiated later, including borders, capital, etc. more..
Arab police conference tackles issue of terrorism
Attendees stress need for cooperation By Hani M. Bathish, Daily Star 10/31/2007
Daily Star staff Wednesday, October 31, 2007 BEIRUT: The 31st Police Commanders Conference of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, held in Lebanon for the second year running, kicked off Tuesday at Le Royal Hotel in Dbayeh. On the agenda was a proposal for a joint Arab strategy to thwart money laundering and terror funding. The conference was attended by police chiefs from across the Arab world. Also at the meeting was a police delegation from Palestine headed by Brigadier Kamal al-Sheikh. Also present were Palestinian representative in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, and Fatah commander in Lebanon, Sultan Abu al-Aynain. Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, who presided over the opening session, stressed the need to further develop Arab security organs and equip them properly to allow them to better combat terrorism. more..
UNIFIL, Lebanese Army hold joint maneuvers in South to boost cooperation
Mohammed Zaatari Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/31/2007
SOUTH LEBANON: Members of the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) carried out a joint maneuver in and around the Shebaa Farms on Tuesday in an effort to promote cooperation between the two forces as envisioned in UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Resolution 1701, drafted during the 2006 war with Israel, ended the 34 days of hostilities and obliged all parties concerned to respect the international "Blue Line" separating Lebanon from Israel. The resolution also called for tactical cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces. Entitled "East Gate," the joint maneuver, which was the first of its kind, included members of the French, Belgian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Indonesian contingents as well as certain Lebanese Army personnel. more..
Israel denies preventing entry of nitrous oxide into Gaza
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
(MaanImages) Bethlehem – Ma’an – Spokesperson of the Israeli liaison department at Erez Crossing, between Israel and the Gaza Strip, on Monday denied allegations that the Israeli authorities have prevented the entry of vital nitrous oxide gas needed for surgeries in Gaza. The spokesperson said, "On Sunday afternoon the liaison coordinator of the Palestinian Authority came to us to ask that gas for surgery is permitted to enter and his request was approved immediately. "Vehicles loaded with gas passed through Erez Crossing on Monday into the Gaza Strip." He added, "Unfortunately the Palestinians informed us about the urgent need for gas at the last moment, after the depletion of their reserve." Spokesperson of the de facto Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza Khalid Radi refuted the claim of the Israeli liaison spokesperson, stating that gas has not been permitted to enter Gaza for the surgery rooms and that the depletion of nitrous oxide is severely endangering medical patients. more..
PA: Israel thwarting security efforts
Ali Waked, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Palestinian security source says Jewish state prevented entry of 500 police officers into West Bank city of Nablus, several days after Defense Minister Barak told US Secretary of State Rice that Palestinians are unable to deploy security personnel - - Israel is hindering the Palestinian Authority’s security plans, a Palestinian security source told Ynet on Wednesday. According to the source, Israel prevented the entry of some 500 Palestinian police officers into Nablus through the Hawara checkpoint on Tuesday. The officers were meant to deploy in the West Bank city as part of a Palestinian security plan, which was included in the understandings between the Palestinians, Israel and the United States. During US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s last visit to the Middle East, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told her that the Palestinians were unable more..
PLO’s ambassador to Poland visits Auschwitz
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Khaled Soufan arrives at concentration camp as Israeli ambassador’s guest. Visit meant to show solidarity with Jews’ suffering during WWII, he says - - A rare visit: The PLO’s ambassador to Poland visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on Wednesday. Khaled Soufan was accompanied by David Peleg, the Israeli ambassador to Poland. The two spent some two and a half hours in the camp, during which Soufan told Peleg that only when one visits Auschwitz, can one grasp the scope of the Holocaust. Soufan, a former PLO ambassador to Hungary, befriended the Israeli ambassador in Budapest and expressed his interest in visiting the concentration camp. Soufan seemed impressed by the number of the Jewish youth groups visiting the camp, and was moved by the memorial ceremony held by the Birkenau monument. more..
Syria: Israel did not target nuclear facility
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Foreign ministry official denies reports that satellite images taken of site struck by Israeli warplanes last month show it might have been a nuclear facility, saying they are part of campaign of accusations against Damascus - - A Syrian foreign ministry official on Wednesday denied reports that satellite images taken of a site struck by Israeli warplanes last month showed it might have been a nuclear facility, saying they are part of a campaign of accusations targeting Syria. The renewed denial follows the publication of some news reports that quote experts as saying that satellite imagery taken before the secret September 6 airstrike showed buildings under construction similar in design to a North Korean reactor capable of producing nuclear material. more..
Olmert says committed to bring peace closer
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 10/24/2007
In Knesset session marking 12 years since former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, prime minister says he will give negotiations with Palestinians a chance. Knesset Speaker Itzik slams murderer’s family: ’Your country is not our country. You have no place among the people of Israel. Opposition leader Netanyahu says Yigal Amir must never be released from jail - - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday dedicated his speech at a special Knesset session marking the 12th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination to the difficulties in seeking peace. Addressing the upcoming US-sponsored peace conference, Olmert promised to give a chance to a dialogue with the Palestinians, just like Rabin had done at the time. more..
Israel to receive new Patriot system
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 10/24/2007
(Video) PAC-3 type missile defense system with 16 launch barrels to serve as second defense shield - - VIDEO- A test of the Patriot PAC-3 type missile system, which Israel is supposed to receive from the US according to various reports, was presented during a conference of the Jerusalem Center for Public and State Affairs, and the Israeli Missile Defense Organization. The new system, which comes with 16 launching barrel, forms a significant improvement in its ability to deal with ballistic missiles, when compared to the current system which has just four barrels. Video courtesy of the Jerusalem Center for Public and State Affairs The Patriot system is designed to act as a second defensive layer, in case the Arrow anti-ballistic missile (ABM) fails to strike its target. more..
Attorney convicted of stealing millions from Holocaust survivors
Vered Luvitch, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Court says Israel Perry pocketing large sums of money by arranging bad loans for survivors from companies under his control. Judges: This is a case of systematic, well-planned fraud - - Following a six-year trial, Attorney Israel Perry was convicted on Wednesday of stealing hundreds of millions of Deutsche marks from Holocaust survivors who were represented by the Association for Implementing the Social Security Covenant (AISSC), which he headed. Tel Aviv District court judges convicted Perry of aggravated fraud, embezzlement, obstruction of justice and violation of insurance laws. In 1973 Israel and West Germany signed a compensation agreement under which eligible Israel citizens would be permitted to join the West Germany’s Social Security Authority’s pension plan. To sign up a one-time payment was required to cover monthly premiums. more..
Ahmadinejad denies rumors of FM’s resignation
Dudi Cohen, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Two Iranian members of parliament claim Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki resigns - - The Iranian Mehr news agency quoted Wednesday two unnamed MPs from the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee as saying that Mottaki is said to have submitted his resignation. Although no official confirmation has been made to this report, repeated rumors have been alluding to the possibility of Motakki’s resignation. Prior to this post Motakki, 52, served as deputy foreign minister and the Iranian ambassador to Turkey and Japan. Assumptions are that Motakki’s resignation stems from his affiliation to Ali Larijani, the former leader of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), who also submitted his resignation at the end of last week. Larijani also ran for the presidency during the last elections and Motakki served as the head of his campaign headquarters. more..
Experts: Site attacked in Syria similar to N. Korean nuclear facility
Reuters, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Washington Post says Institute for Science and International Security has satellite photos taken before Air Force strike showing buildings similar in design to North Korean reactor - - Independent experts have satellite imagery of what they believe to be a Syrian nuclear site targeted in an Israeli air strike last month, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said the photographs taken before the Israeli attack show buildings under construction similar in design to a North Korean reactor, the newspaper reported. They also show what could have been a pumping station used to supply cooling water for a reactor, the Post said, citing experts David Albright and Paul Brannan of ISIS, a research group that tracks nuclear weapons and stockpiles. more..
Special: Video of Rabin’s murder as never seen before
Ynet, Yedioth Ahronoth, YNetNews 10/24/2007
(Video) Twelve years after, new technology enables viewers to get a clear view of what transpired on November 4, 1995: The three bullets that changed history - - VIDEO - "On November 4th, 1995, the prime minister was murdered." This was the headline we awoke to, as if toa nightmare. The three bullets fired at the prime minister during the peace rally changed the face of Israel forever. Each of us harbors that moment within us, the moment we heard of the murder at the square. Twelve years on, the enhanced video now clearly shows the moments of the murder. It was 9:40 pm, and the security personnel accompanied the participants of the peace rally down the back stairs of the municipality building on the way to the prime minister’s car. At first, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres descended the staircase waving to the crowd with a smile. more..
Palestinians say denial of supplies to Gaza is a war crime
Deutsche Presse Agentur - DPA, ReliefWeb 10/24/2007
Ramallah_(dpa) _ A decision by Israel to cut back on electricity and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip was a "war crime" and "collective punishment," Palestinian officials said Wednesday. "This is not acceptable under any circumstances," chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said. He called on the international community to intervene to stop such measures. Israel said Wednesday morning it would start gradually implementing the cut backs next week, if near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages from the Gaza Strip did not stop. Erekat said he has sent a message to all members of the Mideast quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - urging them "to put a stop to even Israeli threats to use fuel and medicine against unarmed civilians. more..
Israel marks 12 years since Rabin killing
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-24, Last Updated 2007-10-24 11:29:01 Dalia Rabin: I think that [the assassin] should have been killed Rabin’s daughter says father’s assassin should be executed amid calls of for his early release. TEL AVIV - Israel will on Wednesday commemorate 12 years since prime minister and Nobel laureate Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by an extremist Jewish gunman, with a series of nationwide memorial services. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres will attend an official ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl Cemetery at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) along with senior military officials and other dignitaries. Olmert will then address the Knesset during a special anniversary meeting in honour of the former premier, widely revered as a national hero both for his storied military career and his peace efforts in the 1990s. more..
De facto Interior Ministry in Gaza uncovers "most dangerous network of collaborators"
Ma’an News Agency 10/24/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The de facto Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday announced the discovery of what they described as "the most dangerous network of collaborators in the Gaza Strip." The cell had allegedly been involved in the abduction of a leader of Hamas’ Executive Force in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Muhawish Al-Qadi, two months ago. Al-Qadi was taken into Israeli detention. The collaborating group also monitored the activity of the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Sources from within the Interior Ministry reported that the cell comprises of four collaborators from the Gaza Strip, all of whom have been taken into custody. The ministry said that the collaborators were all recruited in the West Bank and then sent to the strip after the abduction of Shalit. more..
The show goes on ... and on
Ali Abunimah - The Electronic Intifada, International Middle East Media Center 10/25/2007
The "Middle East Peace Process" is like one of those big budget Broadway extravaganzas; they go on for years, but with each revival the cast changes. What may seem like a tired production to some nevertheless manages to remain fresh to the gullible throngs willing to hand over the price of admission. Condoleezza Rice and Tzipi Livni Unlike a few hours of theatrical escapism, however, the producers of the Middle East Peace Process hope that the audience will actually believe that what they are viewing on stage, whether performed in Madrid, Oslo, London, Washington or Sharm al-Sheikh is real-life and even has the potential to end the conflict caused by a century of western-supported Zionist colonization in Palestine. Other key actors include Mahmoud Abbas, a colorless quisling whose only power base is the American and Israeli guns that keep him installed in his more..
Two Palestinians killed by Israeli artillery fire in northern Gaza
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Two Palestinians were reportedly killed Tuesday in northern Gaza, after Israeli artillery, stationed in the area, fired a shell at the vicinity of Sheikh Zayed residential neighborhood in Beit Lahia city. an Israeli artillery/ archive photo Palestinian medics confirmed that two people’s bodies arrived completely dead at the local hospital of Kamal Edwan. Witnesses said that an Israeli shell landed in the area, hitting two locals severaly, before medics announced them dead. The Shaikh Zayed neighborhood is very close to the northeastern Gaza-Israel border line, where the Israeli army has been attacking since the outbreak of the aL-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. Israel declared the Gaza Strip a ‘hostile entity’ in September 2007, when the democratically-elected Hamas party took control of the internal part of the Gaza Strip. more..
Israeli Minister: Destroy Hamas by inviting them to summit
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
The former head of the Shin bet and current Minister without Portfolio, Ami Ayalon, on Wednesday called on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to invite the Hamas movement to the upcoming Annapolis peace summit, with the hope that this would destroy the Hamas party from within. Ami Ayalon Ayalon's logic goes something like this: Invite Hamas to the Summit, requiring that they attend as subordinates to Mahmoud Abbas (the Hamas party defeated Abbas' party as the democratically-elected government of the Palestinian people in January 2006, but have not been recognized by Israel); require that Hamas capitulate on its core demands, and when that doesn't happen, watch Hamas disintegrate in internal arguments and fighing. Arguing that the "internal conflict which would occur" could bring about the "disintegration" of Hamas, Ayalon on Wednesday told Israeli more..
Israeli FM: both Israelis and Palestinians have a joint vision for peace
Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
The implementation of the first phase of the U. S-backed Road Map should be viewed as a precondition for final status negotiations, both Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak stated yesterday. Israeli Foreign Minister, Tsibi Livni/ archive photo Livni revealed that there has been a joint Israeli-Palestinian vision towards a two-state solution, adding that the current negotiations are aiming to bridge the gap between the two sides. The Israeli minister called on the Palestinian leadership to work more on wresting control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip alike, adding that it should continue to refuse to negotiate with the Gaza-based Hamas government until the movement changes its rhetoric. For his part, at a separate conference, Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak voiced his support of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s position, more..
Palestinian Resistance fighters shell Gaza-adjacent areas
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Various Palestinian groups on Tuesday night announced the shelling of Israeli areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the events at the Negev detention center and the assassination of a senior member of the Popular Resistance Committees. Emblem of the Popular Resistance Committees Shells were fired at the Israeli towns of Sderot and Ashkelon, the military post of Kisufim, and the border checkpoints of Kerem Shalom and Sufa. Israeli media reported that one shell struck a house in Sderot, but no other damage or injuries were reported. [end]
Commemorations mark 12th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination
John Smith - IMEMC & agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/24/2007
Wednesday marks the commemorations for the 12th anniversary of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. The event will be marked by a series of events across Israeli territory, culminating in Tel Aviv. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin The former Israeli Prime Minister was the first Israeli official to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and agreed to turn control over parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the newly-created Palestinian Authority. Rabin was, however, far from universally popular with both Israelis and Palestinians. Within Israeli society, many on the right viewed him as a traitor for his participation in the formulation of the Oslo accords, arguing that he had given away land which ’belonged to Israel. more..
Israel to cut off power to Gaza Strip
James Orr and agencies, The Guardian 10/24/2007
Israel’s military is to cut off electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip in response to continued rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory. The plan, formulated by a senior team led by the deputy defence minister, Matan Vilnai, is expected to be approved by the defence minister, Ehud Barak, tomorrow. Speaking on Israel’s Army radio, Mr Vilnai said he intended to "dramatically reduce the flow" of power to the territory for some weeks. It was not immediately clear exactly when the decision would take effect." It’s clear that we have to cut off... the supply of electricity and the supply of fuel," said Mr Vilnai. "We will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity from Israel over several weeks." Last month, Israel’s government declared the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip a "hostile territory", clearing the way for sanctions to be imposed in the area. more..
Ban urges dialogue in Beirut, frets rearmament
Mirella Hodeib and Christian Porth Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/25/2007
BEIRUT: UN chief Ban Ki-moonWednesday warned all Lebanese groups against rearming and conductingmilitary training, calling for the presidential election to go ahead to put an end to the almost one-year-old political standoff. In a report issued to the United Nations Security Council, the sixth of its kind, the secretary general addressed the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 and current political realities in Lebanon. Over the course of the past six months, Lebanon has continued to experience "political crisis and instability" which have "constituted significant obstacles to the further implementation" of 1559, the report found. The emergence of Fatah al-Islam earlier this year, as well as reports of Hizbullah rebuilding its arsenal following the summer 2006 war with Israel indicated that 1559 "remains to be fully implemented. more..
Why Morocco receives nuclear help and Iran receives threats
The Daily Star, Daily Star 10/25/2007
Editorial French President Nicolas Sarkozy used a speech in Morocco late Tuesday to buttress Western objections to Iran’s nuclear program. Announcing an agreement to help his country’s former colony develop civilian nuclear energy, Sarkozy said the deal "is a way of saying to Iran that cooperation is possible and we are not condemned to confrontation." Therein, of course, lies the problem: Cooperation is in fact mandatory under the terms of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and Western countries, led by the United States, began their campaign against Iran’s program by openly flouting their obligations and threatening confrontation. This obtuse and patently illegal stance has since been attenuated by statements acknowledging Iran’s right to nuclear energy under the NPT - but only if it gives up control of the fuel cycle, a condition nowhere to be found (and in fact specifically prohibited) in the document. more..
’Lebanon war upgraded Foreign Ministry’s status’
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Ministry director-general tells employees in letter, ’We are now increasingly involved in diplomatic-security decision making processes’ - - The Foreign Ministry’s activity has been upgraded following the Second Lebanon War , Foreign Ministry director-general Aharon Abramovitch said Tuesday in a letter sent to the ministry’s employees. "Following the Foreign Ministry’s activity during the Second Lebanon War, the conclusions of the Winograd Commission and the Shahak Committee, and particularly in light of the quality of the ministry’s products, the ministry is now increasingly involved in the diplomatic-security decision making processes," Abramaovich said. "The ministry is involved in this process since the stage of the preparations for cabinet discussions, the preparation of position papers, discussions at the National Security Council, and taking an active part in the cabinet meetings. more..
JNF bill challenged by Arab proprietary database
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews 10/24/2007
MK Hanna Swaid forms database for Arab-owned land as part of sector’s fight against JNF bill. Arab public asked to submit ownership papers for inquiry regarding land in northern Israel - - MK Hanna Swaid (Hadash) announced Tuesday that he has formed a database for Arab-owned land in Israel. The database, he said, will be able to help the Arab public to prove ownership of allegedly confiscated land in northern Israel. The notion behind the database came about after MKs Uri Ariel (National Union) and Ze’ev Elkin (Kadima) proposed a bill calling for Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael) owned land, to be allocated to Jews only. "Not all the lands in Israel are owned by the Jews and the database will help prove that," said Swaid, who claimed that some 80% of JNF lands were taken from the Arabs by force. more..
Peres: Head shot, goal alive
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Twelve years after standing on the same stage with Yitzhak Rabin, singing ’A Song for Peace’ and climbing down the same stairs the prime minister was shot on, president recalls that dreadful evening - - Twelve years after standing with Yitzhak Rabin on the same stage, singing ’A Song for Peace’ and climbing down the same stairs the former prime minister was shot on, President Shimon Peres recalled that dreadful evening. "I remember that night. It began as an exciting beam of light. It opened with a rally filled with people at the Malchei Israel Square. The stage we stood on was flooded with a huge wave of hope, which strongly flowed from the giant and excited crowd, toward the stage," Peres said Tuesday evening at a ceremony at the President’s Residence which launched the events marking the murder’s 12th anniversary. more..
UK’s Brown says he backs further sanctions against Iran
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/24/2007
British prime minister says in joint press conference with Israeli counterpart that his government will seek further sanctions against Tehran through UN, EU to discourage Islamic republic’s nuclear ambitions. Olmert: Economic sanctions are effective but not sufficient - - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that his government will seek further sanctions against Iran through the United Nations and the European Union to discourage Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. "We are absolutely clear that we are ready, and will push for, further sanctions against Iran," Brown said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "We will work through the United Nations to achieve this. We are prepared also to have tougher European sanctions. We want to make it clear that we do not support the nuclear ambitions of that country. more..
Palestinian workers smuggled in decoy ’police cars’
Sharon Roffe-Ophir, YNetNews 10/24/2007
East Jerusalem residents install police car flashers, sirens on commercial vehicles carrying illegal workers, allowed to pass through checkpoints by unsuspecting soldiers - - Palestinians from east Jerusalem managed to smuggle 40 illegal workers into Israel by installing police car flashers, antennas and sirens on their commercial vehicles. Soldiers manning IDF checkpoints on the smugglers route mistook the vans for Israeli security vehicles and allowed them to pass through. The method was exposed early Tuesday when two vehicles carrying illegal workers were pulled over by police near a checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley. Van used by smugglers (Photo: Israel Police) Using the loudspeaker, one of the van’s drivers called on four Shai District police officers to move to the side of the road. more..
IDF demands warning letters from Winograd Commission
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Military legal rep demands warning letters be issued to officials set to be harmed by war report - - Chief Military Defense Council Colonel Orna David submitted a petition against the Winograd Commission Tuesday morning, in which she demanded that the commission send warning letters to those it expects to be harmed by its conclusions, not only from the committee’s recommendations, but from the its findings and report expected to be published by the end of the end of the year. David has also demanded an intermediate decree to prevent the report from being publicized. In its first petition, the IDF’s legal council demanded that the Winograd Committee, which probed the failures of the Second Lebanon War, announce whether it plans to release warning letters to those affected by the final report. more..
Afghan official replaced over Israeli invite
Reuters, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Official at Afghanistan’s embassy in Germany replaced for inviting Israeli diplomat to function - - An official at Afghanistan’s embassy in Germany has been replaced for inviting an Israeli diplomat to a function, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. "He was a political employee of the embassy and has been replaced because of inviting the Israeli diplomat," said Sultan Ahmad Baheen. Like the majority of Muslim countries, Afghanistan does not recognize the Jewish state. The invitation to a function celebrating Afghanistan’s Independence Day in August was issued to the Israeli diplomat due to a "technical mistake", Baheen added. Baheen said official was removed because Afghanistan had no diplomatic ties with Israel. more..
Syria’s top general to pilots: Be prepared for war
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 10/24/2007
In a speech at flight school graduation, Syrian chief of staff tells new pilots ’we’ll never relinquish our right to return occupied land’ - - "Be prepared to fend off all external aggression that seeks to harm the homeland," General Ali Khabib, the Syrian chief of staff, instructed pilots at a ceremony marking their graduation from flight school Monday. He also told the pilots to "maintain a high level of readiness and always be ready for the homeland’s calling". " Syria will never relinquish its right to return occupied land," the general continued. "As President Bashar al-Assad emphasized, Syria is interested in gaining back of all of its rights – including the return of all of its territory and sovereignty." During his speech—a month-and-a-half after an IAF raid deep into Syria—Khabib also attacked the US: "The mask has been removed from more..
MK: Nuclear bomb won’t destroy Israel
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Maj. -Gen. (res. ) Isaac Ben-Israel tells Ynet, ’Just like earthquakes we’ve seen, a nuclear bomb can’t destroy a state in which seven million people live. Adds: Iran 3 to 5 years away from bomb - - "An atomic bomb, of the type being developed by Iran, can’t destroy Israel, period. It causes death in a 500 meter radius, but can’t destroy Israel ," that was the calming message given to Ynet Tuesday by Knesset Member Prof Isaac Ben-Israel, a major general in the reserves. "A nuclear Iran," the Kadima MK said, "is an intolerable threat to Israel – and Israel must do everything so that Iran will never have such a bomb." A nuclear Iran has a long line of consequences, the first of which is not necessarily a firing of a nuclear weapon at Tel Aviv. "There’s no chance in the world that if Iran will have a bomb the Arab Sunni states won’t follow suit," Ben-Israel said. more..
Evangelicals bring Iranian Jews to Israel
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Evangelical Christians in US convince dozens of Iranian Jews to move to Israel offering cash incentives of $10,000 and claiming Iran’s tiny Jewish community in grave danger - - Evangelical Christians in the US have helped convince dozens of Iranian Jews to move to Israel in recent months, offering cash incentives and claiming that Iran’s tiny Jewish community is in grave danger. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a charity that funnels millions of dollars in evangelical donations to Israel every year, is promising $10,000 to every Iranian Jew who comes to Israel, said the group’s director, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. The project is another example of the alliance between the Jewish state and evangelical American Christians, many of whom see the existence of Israel and the return of Jews to the Holy Land as a realization of biblical prophesy that will culminate with Christ’s Second Coming. more..
Italy doubles its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in, ReliefWeb 10/23/2007
Jerusalem, 23 October, 2007: The Government of Italy has announced it will double its contribution to UNRWA, bringing to ten million euros its assistance to the Agency in 2008. The funds will support UNRWA’s regular programmes, with a special emphasis on health projects. They will also be used to strengthen the Agency’s internal management reform process, which improves the quality of services the UN Agency delivers. The announcement comes in advance of the visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ms. Patrizia Sentinelli, from October 22-24. While in the region, she will visit a refugee camp and see first hand the essential work carried out by UNRWA, which serves some four and a half million Palestine refugees. "We are grateful to the people and government of Italy for this generous contribution," said UNRWA Commissioner General, Karen AbuZayd. more..
PFLP rejects fall summit for peace, calls for boycotting
Xinhua News Agency, ReliefWeb 10/23/2007
GAZA, Oct 23, 2007 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) rejected on Tuesday the peace summit due to be held on fall in Annapolis in the United States and called for boycotting it. The left-wing group, member in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said in a leaflet that the summit, determined to he held next month "is deceptive, and we call on all Arab and Palestinian participants to boycott it. " U.S. President George W. Bush announced earlier that he is intending to invite the Middle East parties, including Israel and the Palestinians, as well as representatives of the international community to the United States on fall. "All is illusive, since Madrid Peace conference held in 1992 in Spain until now, Israel is still occupying the Palestinian territories and uses all kinds of repression and torture against them," said the PFLP leaflet. more..
Palestinian president optimistic Middle East crisis can be solved
Voice of America - VOA, ReliefWeb 10/22/2007
By Nancy-Amelia Collins Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he hopes peace negotiations to establish a Palestinian state will be successfully concluded by the end of 2008. On a visit to Indonesia, he also stressed the importance of reconciliation with Hamas in order to end the Middle East crisis. VOA’s Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a joint news conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta Monday he was confident the Middle East crisis would be solved by the end of 2008. Mr. Abbas is on an Asian tour to win support from Muslim leaders ahead of a U.S. -sponsored meeting with Israel. Due to be held in the U.S. state of Maryland later this year, that meeting aims to find a way for the two sides to return to the negotiating table after seven years of bloodshed. more..
Work stoppage in Gaza strip surgery room threatens the lives of hundreds of patients
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - PCHR, ReliefWeb 10/21/2007
PCHR calls upon the international community, the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, UN bodies, WHO, and the ICRC to pressure Israeli authorities to allow passage of medicine and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip, especially the anesthetic gas nitrous oxide used in surgeries. The Centre also calls upon all diplomatic missions in the OPT and Israel to work to ensure the timely flow of essential medical supplies to hospitals and healthcare centers in the Gaza Strip in order to maintain the provision of healthcare to the Strip’s 1. 5 million population. Today, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced the closure of surgery rooms in the Strip’s hospitals and healthcare centers due to the exhaustion of the nitrous oxide anesthetic as a result of restrictions on the entry of the anesthetic by Israeli occupation forces (IOF). more..
Ban Ki-moon, Israeli official stress importance of upcoming Middle East meeting
United Nations News Service, ReliefWeb 10/19/2007
Next month’s United States-sponsored international meeting will be critical to the Middle East peace process, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ehud Barak emphasized today during talks at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Mr. Ban and Mr. Barak also discussed recent developments in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, according to a readout provided by the UN. The US-sponsored meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Washington, is designed to bring together key members of the international community, especially in the Middle East, to mobilize their support behind recent peace moves. Last month the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, which comprises the UN, the US, the European Union and Russia, issued a statement calling for the Washington meeting to be "substantive and serious" so that more..
Palestinian detainees in Israel on hunger strike
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-23, Last Updated 2007-10-23 12:47:28 ‘No peace, no surrender, while our prisoners are behind bars’ Family members of prisoners hold demonstrations in West Bank demanding relatives’ release. TEL AVIV - Palestinian prisoners held in Israel went on hunger strike on Tuesday to protest against what they condemned as heavy-handed repression of a prison riot that left one inmate dead, officials said. The Prisoners Club, the main group representing Palestinians held in Israel, said the one-day hunger strike was being observed by most of the some 11,000 Palestinian security detainees in the Jewish state. "This is a one-day hunger strike to protest against what happened at Ketziot," said Palestinian member of parliament Issa Qaraqi. A spokeswoman for Israel’s prison service, Yarona Zamir, said some prisoners refused their breakfast but denied there was a widespread hunger strike. more..
Fayyad meets with Swiss envoy
Ma’an News Agency 10/22/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met with Swiss presidential envoy Didier Pfirter in the West Bank city of Ramallah Monday. Fayyad updated the Swiss envoy on the situation in the Palestinian territories, particularly the deterioration of the Palestinian economy resulting from the ongoing siege imposed on Gaza Strip. The meeting also addressed Palestinian negotiators’ preparations for the US-sponsored international peace summit to be held in the US city of Annapolis in November. [end]
Georgian foreign minister visits Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The foreign minister of Georgia, Gela Bezhuashvili, toured the Nativity Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Sunday The Georgian ambassador to Israel and the country’s representative to the Palestinian Authority accompanied the foreign minister on his visit. They were received by the Palestinian minister of local governance, Ziad Abdullah Al-Bandak and the deputy governor of Bethlehem, Marwan Khadir in addition to PLC members Isa Qaraqi and Muhammad Lahham among other dignitaries. [end]
Three Gaza judges strike after non-payment of salaries
Ma’an News Agency 10/21/2007
Gaza – Ma’an – Three Palestinian judges from the Gaza Strip on Sunday announced a general strike in protest of the non-payment of their salaries by the Ramallah-based Palestinian government in the West Bank. Head of the appeals court Hasan Juju, member of the appeals court Salah Hashish and judge of the Sharia court in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, ’Umar Nofal all went on strike to protest the suspension of their salaries. The judges appealed to Palestinian Supreme Judge Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi without response. The three judges called on President Abbas to eradicate the intervention in the operation of the independent judiciary by any party. [end]
Abed al-Raheem meets Russian Foreign Affairs Deputy
Rasheed Hilal - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/23/2007
Al-Tayeb Abded al-Raheem, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Presidency ,held talks on Tuesday with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Sulatanuv,in the Presidential compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Nabeel Abu Rudienah, the President’s spokesperson said that "The meeting was very important because it is part of the consultation process between the Palestinian and Russian leaderships. Russia is a member of the Middle East Peace Quartet and has a good relationship with the Palestinians". He added that during the meeting views were exchanged on many topics and that they will continue to take place in the belief that they can make a positive contribution to the November peace conference. Abu Rudeinah indicated that the Palestinian stance was clear as it has been set out by President Abbas and the Palestinian leadership. more..
Barghouthi calls for Palestinian unity
Ameen Abu Wardah - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/23/2007
Dr Musrafa Barghouthi, Palestinian legislator and Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, on Tuesday called on Palestinians to conentrate upon the estblishment of national unity, rather than continuing to fight one another. He added that all the indications point to the suggestion that the Israeli government is far from seriously intent on making peace, and prefers to play for time by imposing a situation on the ground where the establishment of a viable Palestinian state is impossible. Barghouthi also indicated that recent statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert show he underestimates the importance of the outcomes from the November conference in the United States. "Olmert is weak, and unable to make peace, there is no real peace partner in Israel", he concluded, "but Palestinians must strive for unity, instead of chasing dreams." more..
Palestine Today 102207
IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 67 MB || Time 4m 0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday, October 22nd, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces kidnap three Palestinians across the region. In The Gaza Strip meanwhile, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements have agreed a ceasefire in the hope of bring an end to the recent spate of inter-factional violence. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Israeli military abducted three Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank in the early hours of Monday morning. In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli forces abducted Muntaser al-Masri and Omar al-Minawe after invading the city. Israeli forces also kidnapped one man from the al-Hamra checkpoint, located southeast of the northern West Bank city of Jenin. more..
At last, consensus in the Middle East: all agree these talks are bound to fail
The Guardian 10/11/2007
It takes a special kind of genius to unite the warring parties of the Israel-Palestine conflict, but George Bush may just have pulled it off. His proposal for what the US administration calls a "meeting", rather than a peace conference, in Annapolis, Maryland, before the end of the year has elicited a unanimity unheard of in the Middle East. From the hardmen of Hamas to the hawks of Likud, there is a rare consensus: Annapolis is doomed to failure. "On the Palestinian street, no one has a good word to say for this exercise," says the analyst and longtime negotiator Hussein Agha: "At best people are sceptical, at worst they are calling for a boycott." Two recent opinion polls on either side of the divide show emphatic majorities of both Israelis and Palestinians convinced that success is impossible. That sentiment is shared at the highest level. more..
Fresh violence feared if peace talks collapse
The Guardian 10/11/2007
Palestinians are warning that the failure of a coming Middle East peace conference, convened by the US, could undermine chances of a two-state solution and may threaten a return to violence. Ehud Olmert, Israel’s prime minister, reiterated after talks with Gordon Brown in London yesterday that the conference, scheduled for Annapolis, Maryland, next month, would focus on core issues rather than detailed negotiations, fuelling fears that it carries unacceptably high risks." We can live without a conference but we can’t live with a conference that fails," said a close adviser to the Palestinian president and Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas. "It will be good not just for Hamas, but for al-Qaida too." Hamas, the Islamist movement in control of the Gaza Strip, says the conference is an American-Israeli trap. Mustafa Barghouti, a former Palestinian information minister, said Mr Abbas would be badly hit by failure. more..
Three Hamas militants wounded in Gaza
Mark Tran and agencies, The Guardian 10/22/2007
A car carrying Hamas militants exploded in Gaza today, injuring at least three people, Hamas officials and medical workers said. Hamas said it believed the blast was caused by a roadside bomb, although it had claimed earlier that the explosion was caused by an Israeli air strike. An Israeli army spokeswoman said Israel was not involved in the attack. The incident followed deadly clashes between Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups four months after Islamists took control of the territory. In recent days, differences between rival factions in Gaza have boiled over into violence. Fighting yesterday left one person dead and 13 injured. The clash in the southern town of Rafah took place between members of Hamas and its smaller rival Islamic Jihad, a day after an outbreak of violence between the two groups left three people dead, including a woman and a 13-year-old boy. more..
Inside Gaza: the main players
The Guardian 10/11/2007
Hamas supporters celebrate in July after capturing the headquarters of the Preventative Security Force, which was loyal to the Palestinian president and Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in Gaza City. Photograph: Abid Katib/Getty Images Hamas Hamas leaders have seemed genuinely surprised by their successes in recent years: they won the 2006 elections for the Palestinian legislative council and, earlier this year, when they attacked some of the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, the whole apparatus crumbled, leaving them in sole charge of the Gaza Strip. However, success has been bittersweet because it has brought them positions of responsibility for which they were ill prepared. Their attempts at government have foundered on their inability to bridge gaps with Fatah and the international community. While it remains the dominant force in Gaza, Hamas has discovered the limitations of power. more..
At last, consensus in the Middle East: all agree these talks are bound to fail
The Guardian 10/11/2007
It takes a special kind of genius to unite the warring parties of the Israel-Palestine conflict, but George Bush may just have pulled it off. His proposal for what the US administration calls a "meeting", rather than a peace conference, in Annapolis, Maryland, before the end of the year has elicited a unanimity unheard of in the Middle East. From the hardmen of Hamas to the hawks of Likud, there is a rare consensus: Annapolis is doomed to failure. Article continues "On the Palestinian street, no one has a good word to say for this exercise," says the analyst and longtime negotiator Hussein Agha: "At best people are sceptical, at worst they are calling for a boycott." Two recent opinion polls on either side of the divide show emphatic majorities of both Israelis and Palestinians convinced that success is impossible. more..
Abbas expects meaningful progress at peace confab
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/24/2007
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday during a visit to Indonesia that he was optimistic of a "concrete outcome" from a conference on peace in the Middle East. The talks on the Palestinian-Israeli crisis were called by US President George W. Bush and are expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, by the year’s end. "We are going into this conference with optimism that we will reach a concrete outcome that is going to be positive for our people, which is long overdue," he said in a speech to Indonesian scholars and diplomats. The president is in the midst of a tour of key Muslim powers in Asia to drum up support ahead of the conference. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation and has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle for nationhood. It has no diplomatic relations with Israel. more..
America’s policy in the Middle East ignores basic facts
The Daily Star, Daily Star 10/24/2007
Editorial According to the numbers available, the US military has achieved positive results in Iraq in the past few months. The "surge" strategy of having more troops in the country - and of having those troops operate more proactively - seems to have reduced the number of attacks carried out by insurgents. But a persistent flaw of US policy-making threatens to render those results meaningless in the long term - just as it imperils another American project in the Middle East, the revival of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. The defect in question is a propensity to ignore transitions from one phase of a problem to another, leading in turn to warped perceptions of reality. In Iraq, for instance, the short-term progress made possible by heavier military pressure will evaporate unless the Americans follow it up by implementing the recommendations made in last year’s Baker-Hamilton Report. more..
Palestinian inmate dies of wounds
BBC Online 10/23/2007
A Palestinian prisoner has died of wounds he suffered in a riot at a jail in southern Israel. Israeli prison officials said the man had been hit by what they called non-lethal objects fired by guards during Monday’s riot. They did not disclose the precise devices used on security grounds. Palestinians say the guards provoked the riot by searching sleeping quarters at night, and then used unacceptably violent methods to regain control. The Israeli authorities described the search as routine and said guards had used the correct response in view of the danger to their lives. Fifteen Palestinians and 15 guards were hurt in Monday’s riot, Israeli officials said. More than 2,000 Palestinians are held in Ketziot Prison, in the Negev desert in southern Israel. There are more than 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, many being held without ever having faced trial, the BBC’s correspondent in Ramallah, Aleem Maqbool, says. more..
Iran: Ready for nuke cooperation with other nations
Reuters, YNetNews 10/19/2007
Iranian foreign minister says Teheran ready for collaboration ’with peaceful purpose’ - - Iran is ready to establish nuclear energy cooperation with other countries, based on the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday. He was speaking during a visit to the western Afghan city of Herat for a conference of the Economic Cooperation Organization. "Under the watch of the agency (the IAEA), the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to cooperate with other countries in the nuclear field with a peaceful purpose," Manouchehr Mottaki said when a journalist asked if Iran was prepared to cooperate on nuclear energy with ECO member countries. "... I emphasize that this (cooperation) will have to be in the framework of the supervision of the international atomic agency," he added. more..
French support for IDF captives
Sharon Roffe-Ophir, YNetNews 10/19/2007
Photos of abducted Israeli soldiers displayed in Paris park; captive’s father lauds gesture - - Paris joins struggle for release of IDF captives: Municipal officials in Paris inaugurated Friday a site dedicated to three abducted IDF soldiers Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud Goldwasser. T he site was inaugurated at a park named after former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and features large photos of the three captives along with a caption that details the circumstances of their abduction. Inauguration ceremony in Paris (Photo: Erez Lichtfeld) "This is a nice gesture on the part of the Paris city hall, an important capital in the free world, which will assist in raising awareness to this issue," said Gilad Shalit’s father, Noam, in a conversation with Ynet from France. more..
IAEA examines Syria bombing site photos
AP and Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 10/19/2007
Diplomatic sources say UN experts scrutinizing satellite photos of site attacked by Israeli Air force jets in September; no conclusive results yet. Earlier, Washington Post reported Syria eliminating evidence at site of attack - - UN experts have been provided satellite imagery of the site struck last month by Israeli warplanes and are analyzing it for signs that it might have been a secret nuclear facility, diplomats said Friday. One of the diplomats indicated that the photos came from US intelligence. Another said the images, which have been studied by experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency since being received on Thursday, do not at first examination appear to substantiate reports that the target was a nuclear installation, but emphasized that the images were still being looked at. The diplomats, who were briefed on the agency’s receipt of more..
Olmert: I returned from Moscow reassured
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/19/2007
Prime minister concludes visit to Russia on positive note. ’I am very satisfied with my meeting with the Russian president,’ he says. Olmert’s associates explain he got the impression that Putin administration is not interested in seeing Iran turn into nuclear super-power - - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday that he was very satisfied with his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Olmert and his small entourage returned to Israel on Friday morning following a one-day visit to Moscow. "There is someone to talk to in Moscow, and there are things to talk about. The last word on the Iranian nuclear issue has yet to be said," one of the entourage members noted. The prime minister met with the Russian president for three hours on Thursday, a day after the latter’s return from a meeting with more..
Report: Israel withheld information on Gabriel Dwait
Ynet, YNetNews 10/19/2007
IDF’s intelligence branch knew what happened to man who drowned three years ago and whose body was returned this week in exchange deal with Hizbullah, but State did not bother to update his family, Yedioth Ahronoth reports - - The IDF’s intelligence branch had known for years what happened to Gabriel Dwait, whose body was returned to Israel this week as part of an exchange deal with Hizbullah , but did not update his family, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday. According to the report, the army received information that Dwait had drowned in the Mediterranean Sea and that his body had been swept away to the shores of Lebanon. Some of the people who had dealt with the information and had waited to see how the State would handle the sensitive issue, expressed their surprise this week at the fact that no one had bothered to update the Dwait family members on their son’s fate. more..
’Serious’ Israeli-Palestinian talks ahead of US meeting
Agence France-Presse - AFP, ReliefWeb 10/19/2007
JERUSALEM, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators tasked with drawing up the outlines of a peace deal before a US-sponsored conference held serious talks on Friday, a Palestinian official said. "We had a serious and in-depth meeting," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP after the talks at a luxury Jerusalem hotel. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei who head the teams met privately on Thursday, officials said. "We are working hard to make this process work," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said. Israel and the Palestinians are trying to formulate a joint document that will serve as a basis for negotiations on the creation of a Palestinian state earmarked for after the US-sponsored conference. more..
Israel PM takes Iran fears to EU capitals
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-19, Last Updated 2007-10-19 15:27:13 Olmert (L), sharing his worries with Putin Russian President briefs Israeli leader on Iran trip, says understands Tel Aviv’s worries. TEL AVIV - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert heads to Europe next week to meet the new leaders of France and Britain for the first time and press his campaign against arch foe Iran’s nuclear drive. Olmert returns to Paris and London for a second time in two years, fresh from talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who distanced himself from Western warnings on the atomic question while in Tehran this week. Israel wants to shore up support on Iran and peace efforts with the Palestinians in the two EU countries with permanent seats on the UN Security Council that also have large Muslim and significant Jewish communities. more..
Ilham Al-Madfai denies refusing to appear at Jericho OneVoice concert
Ma’an News Agency 10/19/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an - Renowned Arab musician Ilham Al-Madfai on Friday refuted the allegation made by a boycotting group that he had refused to join the concert “One Million Voices To End the Conflict” organized by Souhtuna Falestin/OneVoice Palestine in Jericho. An article by Najib Farraj had indicated that Madfai had “stressed his withdrawal from the festival because of the lack of clarity in the political slogans and objectives of this festival. ” Madfai categorically denied stating anything of the sort. “I have been very clear to all those who have been calling that I regretted not being able to participate in OneVoice Palestine’s effort to raise the voice of the Palestinian people for an end to the occupation, and for peace in the region,” he said. “I call upon all boycott groups to stop threatening and intimidating artists and to respect the freedom of all,” he added. more..
3 Palestinians seized near Ramallah
Ma’an News Agency 10/19/2007
Bethlehem – Ma’an – At dawn on Friday Israeli forces seized three Palestinian citizens in Beituniya and Qibya, near Ramallah in the West Bank. Israeli radio announced that "the men were arrested in a general security operation and were taken for investigation." [end]
Army Radio: "Positive atmosphere during Friday the Israeli-Palestinian talks"
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Israeli Army Radio reported on Friday that Palestinian and Israeli negotiations teams met in Jerusalem to prepare for the upcoming Fall Conference in the United States, and that the atmosphere of the meeting was positive. Ahmad Qorea Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that the talks were described as successful and that the Palestinian and Israeli teams achieved progress in many issues. Haaretz added that Palestinian officials denied reports which claimed that there is a crises in the talks, and that these talks are still in the initial stages. Haaretz also said that Qurea denied media reports which stated that the talks collapsed and that he said that there is no crises in the current talks. Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Dr, Saeb Erekat, stated that current stage of talks is essential since its prepares for the Peace Summit which will be held in Maryland – USA in November. more..
Eighteen Eritreans arrested while attempting to sneak into Israel
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Israeli online daily, Haaretz, quoted the Associated Press reporting that the Egyptian Authorities arrested on Friday eighteen Eritreans while travelling on a tourist bus in the Sinai desert after suspecting that they were attempting to illegally cross into Israel. This year, a noticeably increasing number of Africans seeking work in Israel has been reported. The Israeli Authorities urged Egypt to impose tougher measures to control the border to stop such infiltrations. Also, Haaretz reported that Egyptian border guards have killed and injured several persons who tried to infiltrate into Israel, and that on Friday a Turkish man was shot and killed as he tried to cross the border. On the same day, Egyptian police said that they arrested a 30-year old Ethiopian woman as she was trying to cross a barbed wire on the Egyptian-Israeli border. more..
This Week In Palestine - week 42 2007
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 12. 8 MB || Time 14m 0s || This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for October 12 through 19, 2007. This week the Israeli army escalated its attacks and invasions into various parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip while in the meantime, diplomatic efforts to hold a peace conference under American supervision continue, these stories and more, coming up, stay tuned. Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine. The villagers in Bilin and Al-Ma’asara area organized their weekly anti-wall demonstration to which the Israeli army responded with tear gas and rubber bullets wounding a number of Palestinians including journalists. Bilin The residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in, west of the city of Ramallah, joined by international more..
Dr. Barghouthi: "Right now, there is no partner for peace in Israel"
Ameen Abowardeh – IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Palestinian Legislator, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Marghouthi, stated on Friday that Israel is trying void fundamental issues from the negotiations agenda,and that it is interested in causing failure to the upcoming peace conference. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi He added that the ongoing illegal settlement activities and the daily invasions and attacks are direct indications that Israel is attempting to sabotage the upcoming conference in the United States before it is held. Dr. Barghouthi added that there cannot be any peace agreement if it is not based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy, and if this agreement does not end the occupation and achieve liberation to the Palestinian people. Furthermore, he said that any agreement should also include the right of return of the Palestinian refugees. more..
President of Austria has no high hopes for Annapolis summit
Nisreen Qumsieh - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/19/2007
Heinz Fischer has let it be known that he has no great expectations that the Annapolis conference to be held in November will produce a major breakthrough in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The conference is sponsored by the United States and will be hosted by President George Bush. It is scheduled to be hold in November but precise date has been arranged. Fischer’s statement came during a reception for the Al Fitir feast held in Austria. He said he welcomed the American initiative to sponsor a peace summit on the Middle East, but he is not confident that there is the political will to conduct an open dialogue which would be enough to make the conference a success. In his statement Fischer said that no judgment on the peace conference should be made until there is an announcement on its results. Fischer then talked about the importance of his tour of Egypt which begins on Sunday. more..
Eight-time world surfing champion in Israel to promote peace
Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Israel’s shores may not have the same size waves to offer as Australia but eight-time surfing champion Kelly Slater tested the Mediterranean waters Friday in a visit to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. Slater, an American of Syrian descent, was visiting Israel for three days to join activities of the groups Surfing for Peace and One Voice. An 86-year-old Jewish member of Surfing for Peace, Dorian Paskowitz, asked Slater to come to Israel to promote the group’s efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians together through the sport, said his son, David. Advertisement "My father asked him if he was ready to be not only great surfer but a great man as well," David Paskowitz said. Paskowitz, a retired doctor who has been surfing for 75 years, donated 12 surfboards to Gaza’s small surfing community during his visit in August. more..
Egypt arrests 18 Eritreans planning to sneak into Israel
Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Egyptian police arrested a group of 18 Eritreans traveling on a tourist bus through the Sinai desert Friday on suspicions that they were intending to illegally cross into Israel, a Sinai security official said. The Eritreans, among them a woman, were arrested after crossing the Suez Canal by ferry into the Sinai on a tourist bus, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. During questioning, the Africans admitted that they paid U.S. $300 for a middle man to take them to Sinai as tourists, where they were to meet a smuggler to help them cross the borders illegally, he added. Advertisement A flood of mostly Africans seeking employment opportunities across the border in the past year has prompted Israel to call for stricter Egyptian controls on the frontier. more..
Report: Syria dismantling facility targeted by IAF
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Syria has begun dismantling the ruins of a site that was bombed by the Israel Air Force on September 6, the Washington Post reported Friday. According to the report, which quotes senior U.S. officials, this could be an attempt by Syria to avoid an international inspection of the bombed facility. Media reports have speculated that the IAF targeted a North Korean nuclear facility in its air strike on Syria last month. Neither Israel nor Syria has confirmed these speculations. The Washington Post quoted top U.S. officials as saying that photos taken from the air reveal that that the site had the characteristics of a small but significant nuclear reactor, similar to those found in North Korea. The dismantling of the facility, a process which appears to be underway, could make it difficult for inspectors to determine the exact nature of the facility, and what Syria’s intentions for it had been, the paper reported. more..
UN chief: Peace conference decisions must get UN okay
Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday that decisions reached at the upcoming U.S. -sponsored Mideast peace conference should be brought before the UN Security Council for approval. Ban made these remarks during a meeting with Meretz Chairman Yossi Beilin in New York, and added that he hopes that Syria will send a delegation to the summit. He said that he was pleased U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has expressed her intention to invite Syria to the conference as part of the Arab League monitoring team. Tensions between Israel and Syria have escalated over recent months, and Syrian President Bashar Assad has said that his country would refuse to attend the summit unless Syrian concerns were on the agenda, referring to conquered lands Syria considers to be occupied by Israel. Beilin told Ban during their New York meeting that the chances for this more..
Rights group: Steep rise in violence against Hebron Palestinians
Nadav Shragai Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Violent attacks and against Palestinian residents of Hebron, carried out by both settlers and security forces, have risen sharply over recent months, according to a report published by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. The report maintains that the rise in violence and violations of human rights of the Palestinian residents began in March, when Jewish settlers began living in a disputed house in Hebron after several years of negotiating with the Palestinian owners. The settlers maintain that they own the property, while the Palestinian residents of the city claim the deal was a scam. Moves to evict the settlers have so far been unsuccessful. Since then, B’Tselem reports, dozens of assaults against Palestinian residents of the area have been documented, which include the hurling of garbage and bottles filled with urine at them, urinating from the house toward them, spitting, threats and verbal abuse. more..
From Israel, it looks different
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
This is the assessment of the situation at the top diplomatic and military levels in Israel: Iran is moving, unhindered, toward a nuclear bomb. Blocking it with economic sanctions has failed, mainly because Russia, Germany and Italy refuse to stop doing business with the Iranians. Two options remain on the table: to come to terms with Iran’s nuclearization because there is no alternative, or to stop it by force. The United States has military capability, but there is opposition within the administration to an action in Iran. The chances of an American attack appear small; the final decision will be taken by President George W. Bush. In Jerusalem they are finding it difficult to assess what will weigh most in the president’s thinking - the strategic and political considerations against another war after the imbroglio in Iraq or his belief it is incumbent upon him to free the world from more..
Not every kidnapped person is a prince
Zvi Bar'el, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
We must, of course, welcome every captive, every kidnapped person, alive or dead, whom the Israeli government succeeds in bringing back from the enemy. We should also welcome the fact that we are not forced to go to war again to bring back kidnapped soldiers. It turns out it’s also possible to conduct negotiations. Moreover, after Israel went to war against Hezbollah last summer to bring back kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, another important lesson should be noted: The excuse that we must not pay whatever price necessary to bring back captives is no longer valid. Because when the government decides it is allowed to endanger the citizens living in the North in the name of some sacred goal, the claim that Israel’s security is endangered by releasing prisoners in an exchange for kidnapped soldiers loses its validity. more..
Men in a trap
Lily Galili, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Detective Hercule Poirot, the Agatha Christie hero, used to say about such things: "There are too many coincidences here for it to be a coincidence." You don’t have to be a detective to notice the coincidence that all the prime ministers who embark on diplomatic steps involving concessions reach their goal without public, parliamentary, party or moral legitimization. That is what happened to Yitzhak Rabin in Oslo, Ehud Barak at Camp David and Ariel Sharon in the disengagement. That is what is happening to Ehud Olmert on his way to the Annapolis conference. Men in a trap, which they helped to set for themselves. It is hard to assume that this is only a coincidence, so we should seek an explanation for the phenomenon. An inevitable explanation is that Israeli prime ministers chronically lack legitimacy. The public does not actively recognize representative democracy and rejects the leader’s right to adapt his actions to a changing reality. more..
The education struggle must not fail
Yossi Sarid, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
If it’s true, as the Hebrew saying goes, that "a lie has no legs," how is the lie still wandering from one end of the country to the other, and how is it skipping over the mountains and leaping over the hills without tiring? In Israel, when you cut off a lie’s legs, it sprouts new ones and keeps going. How many times has it been argued, for example, that spending per student in Israel is inferior compared with most developed countries? It has been argued again and again, to no avail. Year after year, the treasury’s bureaucrats, aided by a battery of academics, launch an all-out assault and aren’t satisfied until the education budget has been trimmed once more. Not long ago the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a report that contained the following "shocking" information: Annual spending per high school student in Israel is $6,066 compared with an international average of $7,276. more..
Israel refuses to open talks with Lebanon over Shaba Farms
Barak Ravid Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Israel has refused a recommendation by a United Nations ambassador to begin negotiations with Lebanon over the disputed Shaba Farms area. According to the envoy, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations is becoming increasingly convinced that Shaba Farms belongs to Lebanon. During a meeting recently with Amos Gilad, the head of the Political-Military Bureau at the Defense Ministry, Pedersen said that "the UN believes that there is merit in the Lebanese claims of sovereignty over Shaba Farms." T he Norwegian diplomat stressed it would be beneficial if Israel initiated negotiations over this issue. During the coming weeks the UN Security Council is expected to receive another report on the implementation of its Resolution 1701, which brought the Second Lebanon War to an end. Pedersen authored the first report, which made no mention of Shaba Farms following intense Israeli pressure. more..
Israel refuses to recognize Greek Orthodox patriarch amid battle over J’lem property
Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Haaretz. com/Channel 10 daily feature for October 18, 2007. Israe l refuses to recognize Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox patriarch, amid a battle over Jerusalem real estate [end]
Israel rejects UN call to negotiate on Shebaa Farms
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 10/20/2007
Israel has rejected a recommendation by a United Nations ambassador to begin negotiations with Lebanon over the disputed Shebaa Farms area, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Friday "According to the envoy, Geir Pedersen, the UN is becoming increasingly convinced that the Shebaa Farms belong to Lebanon," the daily said During a meeting recently with Amos Gilad, the head of the Political-Military Bureau at the Defense Ministry, Pedersen, who is the UN Secretary General’s personal representative in Lebanon, said that "the UN believes there is merit in the Lebanese claims of sovereignty over Shebaa Farms." According to Haaretz, Pedersen stressed that it would be beneficial if Israel initiated negotiations over this issue. During the coming weeks the UN Security Council is expected to receive another report on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which put an end to the summer 2006 war. more..
Olmert meets Putin over Iran
Al Jazeera 10/19/2007
The Russian president, just back from a visit to Iran, has spoken to the Israeli prime minister on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Vladimir Putin told Ehud Olmert at the Kremlin on Thursday: "We know how much you are worried by the situation about Iran’s nuclear programme. "I am ready to share with you the results of my visit to Tehran." Olmert made a short visit to Russia and met Putin for over three hours before heading back to Israel, Miri Eisin, his spokeswoman, said in Jerusalem. "The main topics of discussion were the situation surrounding Iran and the Middle East peace process," the Kremlin said without elaborating. Call for sanctions Eisin said the two men spoke "extensively and in great detail" about the Iranian nuclear issue in talks which she described as "very warm". more..
’Israel’s handling of Iranian threat a debacle’
Meital Zur, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Former Foreign Ministry head Bentsur says Olmert’s snap visit to Russia result of ’failed policy that defined Iranian threat as being a global one’ - - Eytan Bentsur, the former director general of the Foreign Ministry, said Thursday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s snap visit to Russia to discuss the Iranian threat with Vladimir Putin was the result of a "severe diplomatic failure". Bentsur, who served as deputy head of Israel’s negotiation team during talks with Jordan and the Palestinians, told Ynet the PM’s trip and the discussions held between Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak with American and Chinese officials were the result of a flawed approach, which he described as a "failed policy that defined the Iranian threat as being that of the entire international community, not only Israel’s". more..
Professors: Academic year won’t open Sunday
Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews 10/18/2007
University lecturers to launch strike due to ’erosion of salaries’. Representative: Finance Ministry may save a few shekels on wages, but we will not be able to bring back the thousands of scientists who have already left the country - - Representatives of universities’ academic staff officially announced that they would go on strike this coming Sunday, when the academic year is scheduled to begin. Among the universities expected to remain closed are Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan, the Weizmann Institute and the Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Technion). Unlike previous strikes, MA and advanced studies classes will also remain closed. Professor Zvi Hacohen, head of the academic staff’s coordinating committee, said Thursday following a meeting with Finance Ministry officials that the university lecturers’ salaries had been eroded by more than 15% in recent years. more..
Rice lowers expectations ahead of peace conference
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 10/18/2007
US Secretary of state tells reporters on flight from Tel Aviv to London declaration of principles won’t resolve core issues of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says Israel’s apprehensions regarding West Bank withdrawal legitimate - - WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that Israel and the Palestinians would have to implement the diplomatic plan known as the road map en route to a permanent peace agreement. Speaking to reporters on her flight from Tel Aviv to London, Rice hinted that to advance the peace process, Israel would have to freeze settlement growth and dismantle illegal outposts, while the Palestinians would have to take apart terror infrastructures. Peace Conference Rice sees opportunity in Mideast talks/ Associated Press Appearing to be moving to lower expectations, US secretary of state says US-hosted Mideast peace conference will be a 'stop in a process'. more..
Israel, EU to hold Holocaust conference in 2008
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Minister Herzog initiates conference to discuss recent findings on Holocaust, find ways to educate European youths on subject. ’Anti-Semitism and Islamic extremism in Europe are cause for concern,’ he says - - Israel and the European Union will hold a joint Holocaust conference at the beginning of 2008, according to an agreement reached Thursday between Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog and EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini. Herzog is currently in Brussels, where he is meeting with members of the European Parliament and senior EU officials. Frattini, who is also in charge of the fight against anti-Semitism in Europe, informed Herzog of a recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, some due to Islamic extremism. According to Frattini, the EU has waged a major campaign against the Holocaust denial phenomenon as part of the ongoing confrontation with Iran. more..
Putin to Olmert: We know how worried you are over Iran
Reuters, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Russian leader tries to allay Israel’s concerns about Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, tells Israeli PM during Moscow meeting that he is ’ready to shareresults’ of recent visit to Tehran - - President Vladimir Putin sought on Thursday to allay Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear program after the Russian leader visited Tehran earlier this week. "We know how much you are worried by the situation about Iran’s nuclear program," Putin told Olmert at the start of their talks in the Kremlin. "I am ready to share with you the results of my visit to Tehran." Olmert, paying a snap visit to Russia which will last just a few hours, replied: "I will be glad to hear about the results of your visit to Tehran and to talk about all the concerns we have regarding this situation, as well as about other issues. more..
Belarus president attacks Jews
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/18/2007
In live radio broadcast, Alexander Lukashenko says ’Jews turned city into pigsty’; Livni reprimands ambassador - - "This is a Jewish city, and the Jews are not concerned for the place they live in. They have turned Bobruisk into a pigsty. Look at Israel – I was there," the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, said during a live broadcast on state radio in his country. On Thursday, he was severely rebuked by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Belarus’s ambassador, Igor Laschenya, has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a harsh protest. Last Friday, Lukashenko held a special press conference broadcast on state radio. The president of Belarus made blatant anti-Semitic comments and attacked the State of Israel. Addressing the miserable state of the city of Bobruisk, Lukashenko said: "This is a Jewish city. more..
Olmert: Only sanctions on Iran will prevent deterioration
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/18/2007
PM lands in Moscow, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, tell him to help impose sanctions on Iran to prevent ’regional deterioration’ - - The international community must impose economic sanctions on Iran and continue with diplomatic steps in order to prevent deterioration in the Middle East, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is planning to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting Thursday in the Kremlin. The prime minister landed in Moscow during the afternoon, for a lightening visit which was only reported on Wednesday. The topic for the discussion will be the Iranian nuclear program. "The sanctions imposed up to now have affected Iran and they should be continued," the prime minister said. After landing in Moscow, the prime minister came to the official residence of the Russian government. more..
Peres on Iran: Similar thing happened with Hitler
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/18/2007
President issues special statement warning against Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear arms, says history has proven it may become too late to prevent bloodshed - - "The world must open its eyes before it is too late," President Shimon Peres said Thursday in reference to the Iranian nuclear threat. "Many times in history it was too late to prevent horrors and bloodshed, for instance with Stalin and Hitler. We are nearing a similar turn of events with Ahmadinejad. We must not ignore Iran’s aspiration to become a religious, extremist Persian empire that would rule the entire Mideast," Peres said in a special statement issued by his office. "The Iranian leader is publicly calling for Israel’s destruction and investing billions of dollars in developing long-range missiles with the clear intent of loading them with nuclear warheads," the president stressed. more..
Death threats made against President Peres
Itamar Eichner, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Shin Bet decides to up president’s security due to imminent threats from extreme Right, Palestinian terror groups. ’These decisions are made according to leads at hand,’ says president’s aide - - The Shin Bet has decided recently to increase the security around President Shimon Peres , Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday. The decision was made after several intelligence leads indicated that right-wing extremists or Palestinian terror groups may try to harm Peres. The president, it was reported, had already received several death threats. Peres is considered "an obvious target" by many, due to his direct involvement in the Oslo Accords; many extreme political right websites refer to him as "a traitor" and "a murderer". "Peres is a symbol and extremists might try to harm him as ways to bring the peace process to a halt," a senior political source told Yedioth Ahronoth. more..
France to host donor conference for Palestinians
Reuters, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Conference set to be held in December, after US peace summit, and hosted by French Foreign Minister Kouchner, will focus on ’improving the daily life of Palestinians and creating the basic foundations for a stat’ - - France will host a major donors’ conference for the Palestinian Territories in December, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Wednesday. The conference, held at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, aims to mobilize donors to provide political and financial support to the Palestinian Authority after a separate peace conference in the United States, he said. It will be chaired by Kouchner, Middle East envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. The United States is seeking agreement between Israel and the Palestinians on key issues for a Middle East conference more..
Barak, Cheney discuss security issues
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 10/18/2007
Defense minister meets US vice president to talk about security problems faced by Israel, particularly rocket threat, and American aid package to country - - WASHINGTON – Defense Minister Ehud Barak met Thursday with US Vice President Dick Cheney to discuss the cooperation between the two countries on defense and security issues. Upon leaving the meeting, Barak said that Israel had no objections to the NIS 2 billion weapons deal that was recently signed between the US and Saudi Arabia, and which included the sale of JDAM laser-guided bombs to the Arab country. "We’ve reached understandings and arrangements that enable us to maintain our quality advantage. We have no intention to oppose the deal," Barak declared. Barak and Cheney also discussed the installment of defense systems to protect Israel against rockets fired from Gaza. more..
Joint press conference: FM Livni and Secretary of State Rice
Government of Israel, ReliefWeb 10/17/2007
Joint Press Conference with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: I would like to welcome Secretary Rice once again and express our appreciation for efforts to promote the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. I have long been an advocate of dialogue with pragmatic leaders on the Palestinian side, and I believe that despite all the difficulties we must take advantage of this opportunity. As you know, I was appointed this week by Prime Minister Olmert to lead the negotiating team with the Palestinians. The teams have held one initial meeting this week and plan another one later this week. Our goal is to reach understanding on the widest possible common ground in the time available in order to enable progress on the way forward toward the realization of President Bush’s two-states vision. more..
Nongovernmental groups seek peaceful solution to Mideast conflict
United States Department of State, ReliefWeb 10/18/2007
Organizations offer numerous outreach programs addressing a range of challenges Washington -- Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working to bring peace to the Palestinians and Israelis have relatively simple objectives -- end violent extremism and foster a resolution to the conflict. Many groups have formed largely because efforts among governments have been less successful in reaching a peaceful resolution. Even though NGOs recognize they might not be able to resolve all the issues, they believe they can help create a better environment for seeking an end to hostilities. "The majority of the people living in the conflict want to do just that, live their lives, have business, provide for their families, and move on," says Darya Shaikh, executive director of the nongovernmental organization OneVoice US. more..
Israel PM heads to Russia over Iran
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-18, Last Updated 2007-10-18 12:47:59 A headache from Iran? Olmert aims to win President Putin’s backing for new sanctions against Iran over Tehran’s nuclear drive. By Ron Bousso – JERUSALEM TEL AVIV - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert flew out for urgent talks in Moscow on Thursday to try to win President Vladimir Putin’s backing for new sanctions against archfoe Iran over its nuclear drive. Olmert’s office announced the one-day trip on Wednesday, just a day after Putin paid the first visit to Iran by a Kremlin chief since World War II, and distanced himself from Western warnings over Tehran’s atomic programme. "This is a last-minute, urgent meeting," a senior Israeli official said, explaining the 11th-hour announcement of Olmert’s travel plans, which come with Israel and the Palestinians in talks ahead of a US-sponsored peace summit. more..
Israel agrees to include core issues in peace document
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-18, Last Updated 2007-10-18 08:36:36 Is it a genuine change in stance? Israeli premier says to outline solutions to outstanding issues dividing Israelis, Palestinians. TEL AVIV - Israel has agreed to touch on core issues of the Middle East conflict in a statement that will form the basis of a planned US-sponsored peace meeting, a senior official said on Thursday. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert retracted his insistence on only a vague document after a meeting on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who wraps up a tour of the region on Thursday, the official said. The premier agreed to outline solutions to all the outstanding issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians -- refugees, Jerusalem and borders -- in the joint statement to be presented at the conference. more..
New Brazilian representative to the PA
Ma’an News Agency 10/18/2007
Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian foreign and information minister, Riyad Al-Maliki on Thursday received the credentials of the new Brazilian representative to the Palestinian authority, Ligia Maria Shearer, Ma’an’s correspondent reported. Al-Maliki explained to the new representative the situation in the Palestinian territories and the Palestinian efforts to hold negotiations over the final status permanent settlement in addition to the Palestinian Prime Minister’s efforts to restore security and control in the Gaza Strip. The new Brazilian representative stated that Brazil wishes to attend the US-sponsored peace conference in November. [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades claim attacks on Israeli forces
Ma’an News Agency 10/18/2007
Jenin – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the Armed wing of Fatah, announced that they fought with Israeli troops on a road south of the West Bank village of Anza, near the city of Jenin, Wednesday night. The Brigades issued a statement claiming that their fighters planted a decoy bomb on the road, and fired on the Israeli soldiers when they stopped to examine the bomb. The statement said on Al-Aqsa Brigades fighter was injured. Israeli paratroopers landed near Jenin later on Thursday to search for the fighters. In a separate incident on Wednesday, the Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed to have fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. ***Updated at 11:10 local time more..
Four killed in Gaza fighting
Ma’an News Agency 10/18/2007
[Ma’anImages] Gaza – Ma’an – Four people were killed and dozens injured in a firefight between Gaza City police and members of the Hillis family in the city’s Shuja’iyya neighborhood Wednesday night. The battle began when members of the family threw explosives and fired at the police, immediately killing one officer and injuring two others. In the ensuing fighting, two civilians were killed and 30 people were wounded, including 14 police officers. Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry, said that some of the injured were in critical condition, including a woman named Dalia Hillis and a man named Ahmad Abu Ni’ma. The dead were identified as Yousef Abu Tuha, Husam Hillis, Samir Hilis, Iyad Hillis. Some of the injured were transferred from Ash-Shifa hospital to Al-Quds hospital for surgery. more..
UN to take immediate action against interpreter for false Syrian report
Jerusalem Post 10/19/2007
The United Nations said Thursday action would be taken against the interpreter responsible for an erroneous report that Syria has a nuclear facility. Syria denied that one of its representatives told the UN General Assembly’s committee that deals with disarmament on Tuesday that Israel had attacked a Syrian nuclear facility. It said the representative was misquoted, demanded a correction, and insisted that "such facilities do not exist in Syria." After more than seven hours of investigation Wednesday, UN officials agreed the Syrian delegate was misquoted. "There was an interpretation error," UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said. "There was no use of the word nuclear." The UN expressed regret for the incident. more..
Dr Mustafa Al Barghuthi: ’No peace partner in Israel’
Manar Jibrin - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/18/2007
The Palestinian legislator and the Secretary General of the National Palestinian Initiative said on Wednesday that no one should dilute Palestinian issues or remove any of them from the final status list, whether it is the position of Jerusalem, the dismantling of the settlements or the Seperation Wall. Al Barghuthi added that the continuing Israeli policy of creating more settlements and the daily attacks on Palestinians can only point to the fact that Israel wants to scupper the November conference before it is convened. He believes that it will not be possible to reach an agreement which does not rely on the resolutions adopted by the international community, including the rights of the Palestinians to end the occupation, achieve freedom, self-determination and the Right of Return. Dr al Barghuthi said that people should wake up from their illusions and realize that Israel is no peace partner. more..
Organizers see mayors’ conference as investment
Cnaan Liphshiz, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
After listening to Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik reminisce about her childhood during a formal parliamentary dinner on Tuesday, the mayor of Dublin, together with his wife and several of his fellow mayors, decided they wanted a drink. And so, straight from the Knesset’s reception for the 25th Jerusalem Conference of Mayors, Paddy and Margaret Bourke and a few colleagues headed for O’Connell, a snug Irish pub in Jerusalem’s center. The staff had no idea their establishment was about to face the ultimate test for an Irish pub. Political investment At the Knesset, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski told them he was sure some of those present would use their municipal posts as a steppingstone into national politics. That seems to be one of the primary reasons for inviting mayors of capital cities from countries as far away as Uruguay, Malawi, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Peru. more..
Biased and proud of it
Cnaan Liphshiz, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel-bashers used to have the court pretty much to themselves in South Africa, says Steve Magid, 28, of Johannesburg. He is explaining what compelled him, three years ago, to create It’s Almost Supernatural, a pro-Israel political Web site that has become an on-line news agency of sorts for the local Jewish community. It’s Almost Supernatural (IAS to its devotees) began modestly, as a political blog on Israel. From relative anonymity, Magid’s political blog has grown to attract hundreds of daily readers. Magid, an information technology consultant, visited Israel last month with other Jewish compatriots to find new ideas for explaining Israel’s position back home. In keeping with its South African identity, much of IAS is geared toward countering claims that Israel is an apartheid state. For Magid, this agenda has meant taking on one of Israel’s harshest critics, South African more..
He’s got one foot in his shul, the other in a hip-hop club
Daphna Berman, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
When Marc Schneier first ventured into the African-American community, 20 years ago, colleagues warned that he was being used and detractors called him the "white Al Sharpton." Now, the rabbi - who has since risen to prominence for his work with prominent black Americans and has numerous ties with the hip-hop world - is trying to replicate the same model with Jewish-Muslim relations. This newest endeavor, which will include a summit of 20 Jewish and Muslim clerics next month in New York, will also use the entertainment world to forge ties between the two communities. Schneier has located prominent Jewish celebrities who are willing to speak out against "Islamophobia" for a public service announcement that will be broadcast throughout the United States. He is waiting for final confirmation from the Beastie Boys rap trio, who are of Jewish heritage. more..
Anglo freelancers form union
Daphna Berman, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
A group of mostly Anglo freelancers in a range of fields met with national union leaders last week as part of their efforts to form a trade union. The meeting at Histradut headquarters, which included talks in English by union leaders, will be followed up by briefings for those whose Hebrew skills are not up to deciphering Israel’s labor laws. The 20 or so members of the core group seeks to negotiate maternity, unemployment and other benefits, as well as electronic rights and competitive life insurance plans for freelancers who work for an extended period at a company. The eventual plan is to recruit about 1,000 freelancers. Additional sessions are planned for Jerusalem later this month. "Freelancers have it tough all over the world," Laura Goldman, a freelancer from Tel Aviv who approached the Histadrut to form the new group, said. more..
Football / American Registry, Moshiko win big
Anglo File Sports Staff, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Tackle league to open in Jerusalem American Registry and Moshiko cruised to doubleheader sweeps in the 50-team Moshiko AFI men’s contact league last weekend at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem. American Registry defeated IDT Machine 26-0 and 25-0, and Moshiko shut out Tivuch Shelly 19-0 and 25-0. American Football in Israel announced this week that the new Israel Football League, the first-ever fully-equipped tackle football league in the country, will hold a preseason game and its first official game at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem. The preseason exhibition will be on Thursday, October 25, while the new IFL will open its inaugural season on Friday, November 16, at Kraft Family Stadium. The eighth season of the Tuesday Night Football League, which is co-ed and non-contact, opened on Tuesday as defending champion Kfar Zippori defeated a new team for 2007/08, Jerusalem more..
It’s worth getting angry: Yes gives more
Barr Hayoun, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The Yes satellite television broadcaster has been giving client compensation according to customer service representatives’ discretion. However, now that it has decided on a sweeping solution for all subscribers, this option has been cancelled. But despite such official announcements, Yes customers who stubbornly insist on more compensation - get it. Yes decided to compensate customers by offering them a package of premium channels for free for three months. However, the Israel Consumer Council and others are demanding Yes provide refunds. Yes responded: "We know nothing about such cases. There is a unambiguous directive on the matter." [end]
Market Report / Worldwide losses keep TA-25 under 1,200
Nathan Sheva, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Despite hopes that the TA-25 would end the week at above 1,200 points with another record high, and break the psychological barrier, world markets yesterday dictated otherwise. Losses in international markets kept the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange near its opening level. The TA-25 blue-chip index dropped 0. 4 percent yesterday to close at 1,190 points, completing a 0. 5 percent drop for the week. The TA-100 index lost 0. 5 percent yesterday to close at 1,151 points, off 1. 1 percent for the week. The TelTech-15 lost 0. 7 percent. Turnover was a bit above average at NIS 2 billion for the day. Makhteshim Agan was unchanged yesterday, despite indications of a good third quarter announced by the world’s largest agrochemical firm, its Swiss rival Syngenta. Joining the growing number of firms making third quarter earnings warnings due to unexpectedly high inflation was Migdal Insurance. more..
PM to Putin: Increase sanctions against Iran
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Economic sanctions against Iran are working, but it is necessary to go further with them to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow yesterday. Israel fears that both Iran and Syria are seeking to acquire nuclear arms, Olmert added. According to a senior defense official involved in the Iranian issue, the prime minister’s hastily scheduled visit to Russia stemmed from a situation assessment two weeks ago that discerned a "significant retreat in Russia’s position on continued diplomatic activity to impose sanctions on Iran via the Security Council." But senior government officials said yesterday that Putin expressed great understanding for Israel’s positions on all the issues discussed, and especially on the Iranian issue. Olmert and Putin met privately for three hours. more..
Legal analysis / Winograd to issue final report by end of year; MAG to petition High Court
Amos Harel and Yuval Yoaz, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The Winograd Committee will issue its final report on the Second Lebanon War at the end of this year, according to an official statement issued yesterday. This announcement will not prevent the Military Advocate General from petitioning the High Court of Justice to force the committee to meet its commitment to allow those individuals whose reputations may be tarnished by the final report to respond before the report is published. The Winograd Committee’s announcement came in letters responding to MAG, MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), the Movement for Quality Government and The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, who petitioned the High Court with similar requests. The committee stated that presenting the final report by the end of the year would be of supreme importance, and justified its decision with the need to "give utmost priority to the need to complete its work, because more..
Israel rejects UN envoy’s idea for talks on Shaba Farms
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The United Nations is becoming increasingly convinced that the Shaba Farms area belongs to Lebanon, according to UN envoy Geir Pedersen. During a meeting recently with Amos Gilad, the head of the Political-Military Bureau at the Defense Ministry, Pedersen said that "the UN believes that there is merit in the Lebanese claims of sovereignty over Shaba Farms." The Norwegian diplomat stressed it would be beneficial if Israel initiated negotiations over this issue. During the coming weeks the UN Security Council is expected to receive another report on the implementation of its Resolution 1701, which brought the Second Lebanon War to an end. Pedersen authored the first report, which made no mention of Shaba Farms following intense Israeli pressure. However, the several months hiatus this pressure bought Israel may be coming to an end following a series of meetings more..
Moscow, now your center of Jewish studies
Anshel Pfeffer, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Limmud draws participants from all over Commonwealth of Independent States The largest Jewish studies and cultural event ever to take place in Russia opened in Moscow yesterday. The program, entitled Limmud FSU, is the fruit of cooperation between dozens of Jewish organizations around the world. It offers a wide variety of classes and workshops, from academic lectures to lessons in Israeli folk songs and folk dancing, taught by Jewish instructors from Russia and numerous other countries. Some 700 Jews, mostly young people, are attending the program. They have come from all over the Commonwealth of Independent States, including the far east of Russia, a nine-hour flight from Moscow. All of the participants came at their own initiative and at their own expense. The lecturers are also all donating their services. more..
News in Brief
Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Villagers who collaborated with Israel to get visas The cabinet will approve on Sunday issuing collaborators from Dahaniya village visas for staying in Israel. The Palestinian families were evacuated during the disengagement for their own safety. The cabinet also intends to award each of the 31 families NIS 45,000 and a NIS 9,000 grant for each child. The authorities will help the evacuees locate a site for a community. The families have settled temporarily in the Negev. (Barak Ravid) Defense Min. won’t let 4,500 calves into Gaza The Defense Ministry is refusing to allow 4,500 calves, imported from Australia several weeks ago, to enter the Gaza Strip. The calves were intended to feed the Gazan population during Ramadan, which is now over. Recently, after a long delay, 1,500 calves were allowed into Gaza. Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon urged Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnay not to deprive Gazans of food and to let the calves in. more..
Environment Ministry data / It pays to keep the noise down
Zafrir Rinat, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel spends some NIS 1 billion a year to prevent or reduce noise, according to Environment Ministry data. Prof. Satilian Gelberg, who presented the data yesterday at a conference on health and the environment at Tel Aviv University, also revealed that the value of an apartment declines by an average of two percent for every one-decibel increase in the ambient noise level. Most noise prevention expenditures are for acoustic walls, sunken roads, "quiet" asphalt and storm windows. "Today, it pays well to be in the acoustic business in Israel," said Gelberg, who heads the ministry’s noise prevention division. While noise does not cause serious health damage, it greatly reduces quality of life and is a leading cause of complaints to local governments and the Environment Ministry. The foremost cause of noise pollution in Israel is vehicular transport, followed by airplanes. more..
The best option
Daniel Levy, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
It may sound counterintuitive, even heretical, but it could just be that Israel is overlooking - or worse, helping to block - what is possibly the best option available for avoiding a nuclear Iran. Direct American-led negotiations are not in play, and Israel is complicit in this omission. The United States looms largest in Iranian threat perceptions and only the U.S. - not the EU, UN, or the International Atomic Energy Agency - can deliver a deal for verifiable re-suspension of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. In Jerusalem there is a perhaps understandable tendency to imagine that Tehran has an Israel obsession. Indeed, the Iranian president does have a particularly vile reverse infatuation with the Jewish state. But this should not be confused with the map of real threats and interests occupying Iran, in which Iraq, the Gulf, even Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region all normally feature more prominently than Zion. more..
The teachers’ strike / Why I was singing yesterday
Laurie Ornstein, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Yesterday, if you passed the Education Ministry offices in Be’er Sheva, and saw a woman with a guitar singing about the teachers’ fight to improve the school system - that was me. I know it’s a retro-1960s way to express protest, but I’ve got a lot on my mind these days. I haven’t been on full strike, as I work as an English teacher and counselor in both Jewish and Bedouin schools, and the strike in Arab schools only went into effect on Wednesday. But my experience in both sectors has convinced me that our problems are systemic, and they’re not just about money. The problem is deeper, but money is a reflection of it, because in our society we show how much we value something by how much we’re willing to invest in it. Thus, despite all the lip service paid to the importance of education, it would seem that Israel places minimal value on its schools. more..
The teachers’ strike / Victim or active partner?
Daphne Benvenisty, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The teachers’ strike did not take us by surprise. Already from the beginning of the school year, many of our regular 12th-grade classes had turned into an arena for heated discussions about the possible strike and the underprivileged status of teachers in the State of Israel. The strike threatens to be a long one, but even after a week, if you couple it with the Jewish holidays, the truth is that we have had barely one uninterrupted week of studies since the beginning of the school year. In principle I support the teachers’ struggle for better conditions of employment and a higher level of education in Israel. But I am not sure their actions are totally justified or that they will lead to the desired changes. Beyond that, my fear is that we, the students, may find ourselves being the actual victims of the struggle. more..
Back to the Iranian arena
Aluf Benn Jerusalem) and Shmuel Rosner Washington, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona began his remarks with a joke about erstwhile movie star Zsa Zsa Gabor. After her wedding to her fifth husband, the guests had gone home and the husband was perplexed. I know what I am supposed to do now, he said to her, but as husband No. 5, I’m not certain I can do it in an interesting way. McCain had got up to speak before a Republican Jewish audience. He had been preceded by two other candidates for his party’s presidential nomination: Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. How could he succeed in being interesting after them, and how could the subsequent speakers - former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, and actor and former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee - be of any interest after him? After all, the message they had chosen to convey was pretty much the same: On the issue of Iran, Israel can trust us, the Republican candidates. more..
Complex, but not impossible
Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
In the middle of the week, Brigadier General Yohanan Locker donned an olive-green uniform with blue field insignia and set out for the Golan Heights to visit one of the anti-tank battalions there. As Locker, head of the Israel Air Force’s air directorate (in effect, deputy commander of the IAF), sees it, it is important for the force to examine not only the extent to which it is prepared for its own missions, but also its ability to cooperate with the ground forces. According to Locker’s graph, the IAF is approaching one of the high points of a year, declared at the end of the war in Lebanon, of polishing up its level of preparedness. Another climax is already behind him, but this he and his colleagues are still not talking about: the action undertaken deep within Syria on September 6. The IAF is now preparing for three kinds of missions: a potential war with a country that borders more..
How does he do it?
Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Ehud Olmert’s aides were at great pains this week to get the message across: The prime minister did not change his schedule by one iota. He held meetings, oversaw the deal with Hezbollah, visited the army, dealt with the budget, met (twice) with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for talks about the agenda of the Annapolis conference, spent hours in the Knesset, wrapped up the problem of the allocations to Holocaust survivors - and then flew off urgently to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Precisely during a week like this, any reasonable person who found himself burdened by yet more police investigations, which involve weighty issues of a different kind, would have wanted only to hide under the blanket, but Olmert showed up for work as though nothing had happened. The results are also visible: This week he was again photographed at a press conference looking more..
AG to comptroller: Allow cabinet to dismiss accountant general
Yuval Yoaz Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Thursday wrote to State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss asking to him to reverse an order that prevents the cabinet from dismissing Accountant General Yaron Zelekha from his position. Mazuz cited as the reason for his request the express positions of Finance Ministry Director General Yarom Ariav and other senior treasury officials, who last week held a press conference calling for Zelekha’s immediate dismissal. Ariav said at the press conference that was "severely harming the productivity of the ministry, and consequently the economy of Israel." Ariav’s remarks were a direct response to the order issued the previous day by Lindenstrauss preventing the cabinet from appointing a replacement for Zelekha. In his letter, Mazuz quoted Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer as saying that Zelekha’s continued employment in the position of accountant general is endangering Israel’s economy. more..
FM Tzipi Livni condemns Belarusian President’s anti-Semitic remarks
Barak Ravid Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Thursday harshly criticized anti-Semitic remarks made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a press conference last week. Lukashenko said during a press conference last week that the problems in the Belarusian town of Bobruisk were a direct result of Jewish activity in the city. "This is a Jewish town, and Jews do not look after the cities in which they live. Take Israel for example, I was there and I saw it myself," the Belarusian leader said. He added that the status of the city improved only after the Jews left, while simultaneously urging "Jews who have money" to return to Bobruisk. Livni condemned Lukashenko’s remarks, saying "it is the responsibility of world leaders to battle anti-Semitism, which rears its ugly head in various places around the world, not promote it. more..
Barak: System for shooting down short-range rockets to be ready by 2010
Reuters, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
An Israeli system for shooting down Palestinian short-range rockets could be ready by 2010, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday. Palestinian militants have escalated rocket salvos from the Gaza Strip in the years following Israel’s withdrawal from the territory in 2005, and Barak has argued that better countermeasures must be in place before any West Bank withdrawal is considered. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are to attend a U.S. -sponsored peace conference expected next month to address Palestinian demands for a state in the West Bank and Gaza. Barak, who had talks in Washington this week on a joint U.S. -Israeli system for countering ballistic threats, said the project’s lowest tier -Iron Dome - was near completion. "If all goes well, in two and a half years we can do our first trials," he told reporters. more..
PM Olmert urges Putin to back new Iran sanctions
Barak Ravid Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pressing Moscow to support new sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear activities and urging Russia not to sell arms to Iran or Syria. Hosting Olmert for a brief, abruptly announced visit, Putin promised to brief the Israeli leader on his talks with Iranian leaders earlier this week and acknowledged his guest’s dismay over Tehran’s nuclear program, which Israel and the United States say is aimed at developing atomic weapons. A senior official in the prime minister’s entourage said that Olmert was pleased with the results of the meeting. "Russian President Vladimir Putin exhibited great understanding of the Israeli position regarding all matters on the agenda, especially with the Iranian issue," the official said after the talks. "There was an open and serious atmosphere [in the meeting] and the prime more..
Zionist rabbis consider independent conversions
Anshel Pfeffer, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Forty-five rabbis from the national-religious movement have agreed to serve in proposed independent conversion courts that would operate without the recognition of the Chief Rabbinate. This challenge from within the Orthodox establishment to the Rabbinate’s control of the process of converting to Judaism in Israel is a response to a long-standing perception that the rabbinical establishment is in thrall to the ultra-Orthodox tradition of making conversion difficult. That position ignores the plight of the more than 300,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish according to halakha. If the recommendations of the interministerial committee on conversion to expedite the process are not implemented soon, the rabbis are expected to establish the proposed conversion courts. That would represent another stage in the undermining of religious-Zionist rabbis of the Rabbinate, more..
Zionist rabbis agree to serve on independent conversion courts
Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
45 rabbis from the national-religious movement have agreed to serve in proposed independent conversion courts that would operate without the recognition of the Chief Rabbinate. This challenge from within the Orthodox establishment to the Rabbinate’s control of the process of converting to Judaism in Israel is a response to a long-standing perception that the rabbinical establishment is in thrall to the ultra-Orthodox tradition of making conversion difficult. That position ignores the plight of the more than 300,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish according to halakha. If the recommendations of the interministerial committee on conversion to expedite the process are not implemented soon, the rabbis are expected to establish the proposed conversion courts. That would represent another stage in the undermining of religious-Zionist rabbis of the Rabbinate, more..
University professors to strike after talks with government fail
Tamara Traubmann, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The union of senior academic professionals on Thursday announced that university professors would begin striking on Sunday after negotiations with the Treasury and the Education Ministry over a new wage agreement failed to yield results. The strike will delay the opening of the academic year, which was scheduled to begin October 21. "The negotiations failed and the strike is on its way," said Professor Zvi Cohen, chair of the Coordinating Committee of Faculty Associations in Israel. Professors have held consecutive meetings over the last three days with the Treasury’ssupervisor of wages, Eli Cohen, and Education Minister Yuli Tamir. Ahead of Thursday’s decision, university presidents were reviewing a proposal for an NIS 300 million addition to the higher education budget. But the professors have additional financial demands. more..
Olmert to confer with Putin on Iranian threat
Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters, By Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel is launching a new diplomatic effort to lobby United Nations Security Council members for tougher sanctions on Iran. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will leave today for a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin. In announcing the trip yesterday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Olmert will stress the need to keep up pressure on Iran to stop enriching uranium. Olmert’s visit comes days after the Russian president met with Iranian leaders, discussing Russian support for the Iranian uranium enrichment program. Olmert will return to Israel this evening after his meeting with Putin, the PMO said. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni yesterday called for a new Security Council resolution on Iran, aimed at preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons. "We must not underestimate Iran’s statements about annihilating Israel or moving it to Alaska," more..
Joint Israeli, Palestinian statement will address ’core issues,’ sources say
Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies, By Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel is prepared to make a joint declaration with the Palestinians at the international peace conference scheduled to take place next month in Annapolis that will address the core issues of Jerusalem, refugees and permanent borders, a senior government official told Haaretz yesterday. Palestinian officials demanded Israel commit to a timetable for negotiations. The senior source in Jerusalem said that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is currently visiting the region, had reached an agreement with the Palestinians stating that "the declaration will address all core issues and point to certain avenues to be pursued through negotiation." The official added, however, that the declaration will not offer solutions to any of the aforementioned core issues. But Rice’s dealings with the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah seems to have hit a bump, after she reportedly told more..
Israel maintains demand that Hezbollah supply information on Ron Arad
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Israel has not withdrawn its demand that Hezbollah provide clarification on the fate of Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad, who has been missing since his plane went down over Lebanon 21 years ago, government officials in Jerusalem told Haaretz yesterday. The sources reiterated the official stance that Samir Kuntar, convicted of murdering the Haran family in Nahariya in 1979, will not be released unless Hezbollah provides information on Arad. Kuntar is not part of the proposed deal for the release of the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers whose abduction last year by Hezbollah sparked the Second Lebanon War. Sources involved in the negotiations for the release of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev said the media was prone "to jump to far-reaching conclusions, not always reality based." Future developments might bring additional information on Arad, said the sources. more..
Former Mossad chief downplays Iranian threat
Yair Ettinger, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
The Iranian threat to Israel is substantive but not existential, according to former Mossad Chief Ephraim Halevy. During a lecture in Jerusalem yesterday, Halevy said "the State of Israel cannot be destroyed." He also called on the government to follow Washington’s lead and offer Iran a diplomatic option, in parallel with stepping up efforts to foil Tehran’s nuclear plan. Halevy’s lecture presented a less-disturbing picture from the one offered by President George W. Bush. "Israel cannot be destroyed for many reasons, some of which are known and others you can presume, Halevy said. "There is a chance that something serious will happen here, but I tend to say the following when I am abroad: Israel cannot be destroyed. If you do not believe this, the don’t, but I suggest that you do not try it." According to Halevy, during the Second Lebanon War, Israel managed more..
Hundreds attend funeral of drowned Israeli returned by Hezbollah
Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Gabriel Dawit, whose body was returned Monday as part of an exchange between Israel and Hezbollah, was buried yesterday in Be’er Sheva. No official representative from the government attended the funeral, however hundreds of friends and relatives came to the city’s New Cemetery to bid farewell to Dawit, who drowned off the coast of Haifa in January 2005, aged 28. Several family members expressed anger at the absence of government representatives. They are also infuriated at not having been told about the circumstances of Gabriel’s disappearance, the finding of his body or the months-long negotiations with Hezbollah until Monday. Unofficial sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said yesterday that a meeting will be scheduled with the family to clear up their lingering questions. more..
Eye on the situation / What about national pride?
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Russian President Vladimir Putin was always impressive to the Israeli leaders who met him. The Israelis liked his unabashedly open forcefulness, an appreciated his policy for being based on interests and not ideology and principles. Former prime minister Ariel Sharon was particularly impressed by his insistence that Russia preserve her national honor. "We must learn from them," he told the reporters who accompanied him on his visit to Moscow. Apparently Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not learn this lesson from Sharon. His rushed trip to the Kremlin today, for a meeting with Putin immediately following his visit to Iran, does not reflect Israeli national pride. It hints of pressure and concern and bowing before Russian power. And if Olmert thought that Putin does not pay attention to these details, he had an opportunity to hear yesterday from U. more..
’Without education, our nation is nothing’
Nehemia Shtrasler, Ha’aretz 10/18/2007
Last night Stanley Fischer flew to the International Monetary Fund conference in an optimistic mood. Barring a major shock, the Bank of Israel that he heads should be able to meet its inflation target for the year without raising interest rates any more this year, he says in conversation (in Hebrew) with TheMarker. "However, taxes are too high, investment in education is too low, and Yaron Zelekha is just getting in everybody’s way," he says, that last referring to the Finance Ministry’s combative accountant-general, a valiant warrior against corruption whose abrasive ways have aroused opposition throughout the nation’s financial leadership. It isn’t every day that a central bank governor from a tiny country wins an honor like this. Just before his flight to Washington, Fischer was named one of the seven most prominent central bankers in the world by Global Finance, which gave him an more..
"A central banker should never say he’s not worried"
Eran Peer, Avi Temkin, and Irit Avissar, Globes Online 10/18/2007
As he sets off for the annual meetings of the IMF in Washington, Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer voices guarded optimism about Israel’s economic prospects. "Globes" talked to him. "The economic situation in Israel is good, says Governor of the Bank of Israel Prof. Stanley Fischer in an interview with "Globes "but a central banker should never say he isn’t worried. I see several risks, we export 45% of GDP, and global recession will affect us, as will a global financial crisis. There’s always a risk of adopting incorrect economic policy, and above all, we live in the Middle East." With this optimistic approach, Fischer is leaving the Middle East for a few days to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which opened this week in Washington. Fischer will be moderator of one of the key seminars taking place there, on "Trends and Challenges in Globalization. more..
Barak in D.C.: Money no object in missile defense
Ran Dagoni, Washington, Globes Online 10/18/2007
The Minister of Defense added that an Israeli-made Kassam rocket interception system would be ready within two-and-a-half years. "We will reach operational deployment of the Iron Dome system for the interception of Kassam and other short-range rockets within two and a half years," Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said in a briefing to Israeli reporters in Washington yesterday. Sources within the defense establishment and at Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. , which is jointly developing Iron Dome together with US defense technology company Raytheon Inc. (NYSE: RTN) , hinted off the record at the beginning of 2007 that the project would take between two and two-and-a-half years to complete, but this is the first time the Minister of Defense has announced a clear timeline for the system’s deployment. more..
Barak in D.C.: Money no object in missile defense
Ran Dagoni, Washington, Globes Online 10/18/2007
The Minister of Defense added that an Israeli-made Kassam rocket interception system would be ready within two-and-a-half years. "We will reach operational deployment of the Iron Dome system for the interception of Kassam and other short-range rockets within two and a half years," Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said in a briefing to Israeli reporters in Washington yesterday. Sources within the defense establishment and at Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. , which is jointly developing Iron Dome together with US defense technology company Raytheon Inc. (NYSE: RTN) , hinted off the record at the beginning of 2007 that the project would take between two and two-and-a-half years to complete, but this is the first time the Minister of Defense has announced a clear timeline for the system’s deployment. more..
Lebanon keeps losing ground in race for foreign investment
2006 saw country's share fall for third straight year By, Daily Star 10/19/2007
Friday, October 19, 2007 BEIRUT: Lebanon again missed a chance to lure badly needed foreign direct investment (FDI) due to the summer 2006 war with Israel and endless political bickering, a senior Lebanese official said Thursday. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD) World Investment released at UN House in Beirut, Lebanon has fallen to fourth place among recipients of FDI in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The country was ranked third in 2005, second in 2004 and first in 2003. Speaking at a news conference organized by the UN, Ali Berro, director of the Ministry of Economy and Trade’s Quality Program, said Lebanon managed to attract $2. 3 billion in FDI in the first six months of 2006, before the war broke out in July, but none on the second half He added that the unstable security situation in Lebanon is continuing to restrict the flow of FDI to the country. more..
When it comes to diplomatic contests, Israel tends to win by default
The Daily Star, Daily Star 10/19/2007
Editorial Israel offered a free lesson to its Arab and Islamic neighbors on Thursday, launching a diplomatic offensive designed to gain Russian and Chinese acquiescence in new UN sanctions against Iran over that country’s nuclear program. Immediately following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Tehran for a summit of Caspian Sea littoral states, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert headed for Moscow, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reportedly will travel to Beijing on Saturday. The gambits stand in stark contrast with the habitual inactivity of Arab regimes, and the effect of these very different levels of performance could not be more obvious: It is true that Israel derives tremendous benefit from the slavish backing it receives from the United States, but it supplements this by missing no opportunity to state its case to other nations around the world as well. more..
Gaza absent in conference build-up
Martin Patience, BBC Online 10/18/2007
BBC News, Jerusalem US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been in the Middle East working to try and bring the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams closer together ahead of a planned Middle East conference in the US next month. Her current trip includes meetings with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as trips to Egypt and a meeting in with Jordan’s King Abdullah in London. The US is working hard to bolster Fatah at the expense of Hamas The agenda for discussion is likely to include borders, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Palestinian refugees and the possible division of Jerusalem. But the one issue that appears to be on no-one’s lips is that of Gaza, and the territories control by the militant Islamist group Hamas. Despite holding over a third of the Palestinian population in the more..
Abbas says Israel blocking peace
Al Jazeera 10/17/2007
Rice said her visit to Bethlehem was "moving and special" [AFP] The Palestinian president has accused Israel of blocking the Middle East peace process, saying Israeli aggression and plans to build another settlement in Jerusalem were obstacles to peace. Mahmoud Abbas said he would not attend forthcoming US-sponsored peace talks unless they looked like they would yield results. "Time must not be lost because that’s not in anyone’s interest. We cannot go to the meeting at any cost. It is unacceptable to go there at any cost," he said after talks with Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, for the second time in two days. Rice completed her visit to the Middle East with little progress made over setting a date for a summit the US hopes could provide a serious step towards Palestinian statehood. more..
Bush intensifies anti-Iran rhetoric
Al Jazeera 10/18/2007
George Bush has escalated his rhetoric about Iran saying the very knowledge of how to make nuclear weapons could trigger a third world war. The US president said on Wednesday that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a "dangerous threat to world peace" and should be barred from nuclear weapons. "We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel ," Bush said. "So I’ve told people that, if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon." Your Views "The countries that feel threatened... should prepare for defense, and even counterattack" Adolfo Talpalar, Stockholm, Sweden Send us your views Bush’s language appears to be a reaction to remarks by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who said he has not seen any evidence that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. more..
Chief Rabbi Amar to demand stricter conversions during U.S. visit
Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar is expected to demand stricter criteria for conversions to Judaism, during a visit to the United States this week. Amar is visiting the U.S. in order to approve the appointment of religious court judges (dayanim) to the conversion courts of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA). The agreement reached between the RCA and Amar gives the Israeli Chief Rabbinate practical control over the conversion process in U.S. It will also create new problems for those wishing to convert to Judaism there, similar to the kind that exists today in Israel. For years, the religious councils in Israel accepted conversions performed by rabbis of the RCA, the largest body of Orthodox rabbis in North America. But in recent years, marriage registrars in local religious councils here have refused to recognize conversions by the RCA, and refused to allow those converted to marry in Israel. more..
Olmert to discuss Iranian nukes in Moscow
Roni Sofer, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Prime minister set to leave Thursday morning on day-long visit to Russian capital, to meet with President Putin for two hours at Kremlin. Topic of discussion: Iran’s nuclear program, warmly adopted by Putin in his recent meeting with Iranian President Ahmadinejad - - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is set to leave for Moscow on Thursday morning to meet with Russian President Vladmir Putin for discussions on Iran’s nuclear program. Olmert will meet with Putin a day after the Russian leader returned from a visit to Iran , where he discussed future plans for Iranian-Russian nuclear cooperation with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Olmert decided to make the visit only on Tuesday and preparations for the meeting were made the following day. The prime minister will be accompanied by four advisors: His chief of staff Yoram Turbowitz, more..
Israel cannot be destroyed, says former Mossad chief
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Ephraim Halevy believes Iran was the big loser in Second Lebanon war, says Russian President Putin ’not interested in a nuclear Iran’ - - Israel cannot be destroyed, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said Wednesday evening. "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not interested in a nuclear Iran ," Halevy said, adding that there was a big chance the Iranians would not achieve what they were after. Talking at an event organized by the Lander Institute in Jerusalem, a day before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s visit to Moscow and a day after Russian President Putin’s visit to Tehran , Halevy said that "all the problems Israel had were not the result of unidentified threats. "Iran must be dealt with in two simultaneous ways: They must be pressured through the global economy, and they must be given an opportunity to talk once they change their ways. more..
UN: Syrian delegate never referred to nuclear site
AFP, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Report wrongly suggesting that Syrian delegate said nuclear site in his country was hit in Israeli air strike last month was due to ’interpretation error’ a spokesman says - - A UN report wrongly suggesting that a Syrian delegate had said a nuclear site in his country was hit in an Israeli air strike last month was due to an "interpretation error", a UN spokesman said Wednesday. "There was an interpretation error" (in the English translation) while the Syrian delegate was addressing the General Assembly’s disarmament committee in Arabic Tuesday, Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, told reporters. "Although the interpreter suggested that the Syrian delegate had referred to an attack on a nuclear facility, what he said was ’like what happened on the 6 of September against my country’," Haq said after UN officials reviewed the Arabic tape of the remarks. more..
Dichter: Hamas obtained 200 tons of explosives
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Internal security minister says most of explosives originated in Palestinian Authority, expresses his concern over possibility of similar situation in West Bank - - Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter warned Wednesday that over the past three months Hamas has equipped itself with 200 tons of explosives, most of which were obtained from the Palestinian Authority. Speaking at Tel Aviv University, the minister said he expected the PA to fight terror. "When they do that, I hope we will be able to express our appreciation for their efforts, rather than lose our heads," he added. Dichter expresses his concern over the possibility of a similar situation taking place in the West Bank. "I am mentioning this issue of the weapon transfers in Gaza, sometimes from one street to another, so that we can understand the risks we are taking in the Judea and Samaria, unless we demand that they enforce the law. more..
Rice sees opportunity in Mideast talks
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Appearing to be moving to lower expectations, US secretary of state says US-hosted Mideast peace conference will be a ’stop in a process’. Foreign Minister Livni says goal of current talks with Palestinians is to reach understanding ’as wide as possible in time available’ - - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that Israelis and Palestinians are facing a "moment of opportunity" to forge peace, but new tensions erupted when the Palestinian leader accused Israel of hampering preparations for a US hosted Mideast conference. Wrapping up four days of shuttle diplomacy, Rice said that the proposed peace conference would be a "stop in a process," and appeared to be moving to lower expectations. Pessimism MKs tell Washington: Annapolis conference doomed / Yitzhak Benhorin Senior MKs cast woeful projections for success of upcoming peace summit they say was forced on Israel. more..
Bush warns of World War III if Iran goes nuclear
AFP, YNetNews 10/17/2007
We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel, US president says at White House press conference after Russia cautions against military action against Tehran’s suspected atomic program - - US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he had warned world leaders they must prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons "if you’re interested in avoiding World War III." "We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel ," Bush said at a White House press conference after Russia cautioned against military action against Tehran’s suspected atomic program. "So I’ve told people that, if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," said Bush. more..
Olmert to make surprise visit to Russia
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Prime minister to leave Thursday for one-day visit in Moscow, where he is set to meet with Putin following Russian president’s visit to Tehran - - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will leave Thursday for a one-day visit to Moscow, where he is set to meet with Russian President Valdimir Putin, who returned from a visit to Tehran on Wednesday. The surprise visit was announced Wednesday afternoon, and reporters will not be allowed to join the trip. Putin met Wednesday with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to senior officials in Tehran, the Russian president suggested that the Iranian halt all uranium enrichment activities in return for a removal of the sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic. Putin returned from Tehran on Wednesday where he attended the Caspian Sea summit. During his visit, the Russian president said that more..
Peres: No intention to divide Jerusalem
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 10/17/2007
’Only thing the State of Israel must ensure is a Jewish majority in Jerusalem,’ President says during visit to Safed. ’In any case it is clear that the holy sites must remain under our control’ - - Israel’s President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that Israel had no intention of dividing Jerusalem. During a visit to Safed, the president said, "The only thing the State of Israel must ensure is a Jewish majority in Jerusalem. To the best of my knowledge, there is no agreement on Jerusalem, but in any case it is clear that the holy sites must remain under our control. Currently we all want a unified Jerusalem." Shimon Peres praying at the Western Wall (Photo: Gil Yochanan) Peres said he hoped the negotiations with the Palestinians would yield results soon, adding that economic steps were vital to the advancement of the process. more..
’Nasrallah provided exact information on kidnapped soldiers’
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Saudi newspaper Al-Watan sheds light on sensitive intelligence provided to Israel by Hizbullah on fate of Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev as part of recent exchange of bodies; Nasrallah disclosed additional information on Ron Arad, report says - - Hizbullah has provided Israel with exact information on the fate of kidnapped troops Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev as part of the exchange of bodies and the release of a Hizbullah prisoner carried out at the Nakura crossings two days ago, according to the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan. On Monday, Israel received the body of Gabriel Dwait in exchange for the release of a Lebanese prisoner and the transfer of the bodies of two Hizbullah terrorists. On Tuesday, during a speech broadcast on the Al Manar television network, Hassan Nasrallah said advancements were made in negotiations over an exchange of the captive soldiers and prisoners. more..
Syrian officials admit site attacked by Israel nuclear
Ynet, YNetNews 10/17/2007
Israeli reps at UN Disarmament Commission meeting overhear Syrian official say facility targeted by Air Force last month nuclear - - Syrian officials have admitted that the site attacked by the Israeli air force last month was a nuclear facility, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday. According to the newspaper, three Israeli diplomats present at a recent United Nations Disarmament Commission meeting overheard the Syrian representative clearly say that Israel’s attack targeted a nuclear facility. The Israeli delegation to the talks, headed by Miriam Ziv, the Foreign Ministry’s deputy director general for strategic affairs, accused Syria of smuggling mass amounts of weapons into Lebanon in violation of the UN Security Council’s resolution. In response a Syrian representative said Israel was the aggressor and mentioned its attack on a "nuclear facility. more..
Palestinian Fatah rules out Hamas peace talks
Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 10/11/2007
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction ruled out talks with Hamas on Thursday as Israel warned any such dialogue with the Islamists could "torpedo" a peace deal with the Jewish state. Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said members of Hamas and Fatah had discussed holding peace talks, but Fatah leaders said they had not backed any meeting and rejected dialogue with Hamas unless it cedes control of the Gaza Strip, which it seized in fighting with Abbas’s forces in June. "What happened in Gaza was a military coup against legitimacy and against democracy," Abdallah Franji, who is close to Abbas and a member of secular Fatah’s central committee, told Reuters. "If they retreat then we can talk. Now we cannot. " Abbas dismissed the Islamist Hamas-led Palestinian government in June after the violence in Gaza, ushering an easing of U. more..
No Mideast summit ’at any cost’: Abbas
Agence France-Presse - AFP, ReliefWeb 10/17/2007
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday he would not attend a forthcoming US-sponsored Middle East meeting at any cost, calling for a timetable on reaching a deal with Israel. "Time must not be lost because that’s not in anyone’s interest. We cannot go to the meeting at any cost. It is unacceptable to go there at any cost," Abbas told reporters following talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He said Israel and the Palestinians should reach agreement on a "clear document" that would provide the basis of a future peace treaty to end their decades-old conflict. "We want to reach a clear document that will help us to start negotiations under a definite timetable. We need a clear document and a deadline to reach a definitive result," Abbas added. more..
An action plan for the Middle East
Government of Germany, ReliefWeb 10/15/2007
Given the intensive discussions under way between Israel and the Palestinians, there is a real prospect of a negotiated solution to the conflict. The EU should support this new dynamic in every way it can. Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has proposed an EU action plan for the Middle East. For years the EU has been lending active backing to the Middle East peace process. It consequently has close relations with the relevant parties and countries in the region and is the main source of funding for reconstruction and development. At this juncture, the German Foreign Minister urged, the EU should use this position to support the current dynamic in the peace process. "In order to swiftly generate the required momentum following an Israeli-Palestinian accord and the Middle East conference planned for the autumn, Europe needs to clearly spell out what contribution it intends to make to taking this process forward. more..
Report on UNCTAD’s assistance to the Palestinian people (draft)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD, ReliefWeb 10/11/2007
TD/B/54/L. 3/Add. 4 Trade and Development Board Fifty-fourth session Geneva, 1–11 October 2007 Draft report of the Trade and Development Board on its fifty-fourth session Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, from 1 to 11 October 2007 Rapporteur: Mr. Mohammad Ali Zarie Zare (Islamic Republic of Iran) II. President’s summary (continued) (1) 1. There was unanimous agreement on the importance of UNCTAD’s role in assisting the Palestinian people in UNCTAD’s areas of competence and delegations urged UNCTAD to step up its assistance despite the adverse field conditions. One delegation drew attention to the secretariat’s efforts to present its report (TD/B/54/3) without apportioning blame to any particular party. 2. Deep concern was expressed about the devastating impact on the Palestinian economy of the Israeli closure policy and mobility restrictions. more..
OPT: Protection of civilians weekly report 03 Oct - 09 Oct 2007
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA, ReliefWeb 10/9/2007
Of note this week Gaza Strip: - The IDF killed three Palestinians and injured 12 others including, two Palestinian children (aged 14 and 15 years) who were shot and injured while approaching the Gaza border fence. They were shot at by IDF soldiers stationed at an observation post east of Karni (Gaza). - A 22-year-old Palestinian bystander was killed when ten IDF tanks and two bulldozers entered 2 km east of Al Fukhari area and levelled and excavated agricultural land (Khan Yunis). - Five Palestinians were injured in factional violence. - 13 Qassam rockets and 25 mortars were fired towards Israel, two of which landed in Palestinian areas. In addition, 5 mortars were fired towards IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip. - The IAF carried out three air strikes during the reporting period. - 30 Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the Gaza Strip border (due to the closure of Rafah crossing since 9 June) returned to Gaza. more..
Abbas wants timetable for Israel deal
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 15:42:57 Abbas (R): ‘We need a clear document and a deadline’ Palestinian president says cannot go to US-sponsored Middle East meeting at any cost. RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday he would not attend a forthcoming US-sponsored Middle East meeting at any cost, calling for a timetable on reaching a deal with Israel. "Time must not be lost because that’s not in anyone’s interest. We cannot go to the meeting at any cost. It is unacceptable to go there at any cost," Abbas told reporters following talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He said Israel and the Palestinians should reach agreement on a "clear document" that would provide the basis of a future peace treaty to end their decades-old conflict. more..
Anti-Palestinian comments go unpunished
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 14:28:20 Swedish foreign ministry: comments escaped the notice of Bildt (L) Prosecutor drops inquiry into Swedish foreign minister’s blog after posting hatred-inciting comments. STOCKHOLM - A Swedish prosecutor has dropped an inquiry into Foreign Minister Carl Bildt’s blog after allegations it carried anti-Palestinian comments, news agency TT reported on Wednesday. The comments, posted by readers of Bildt’s blog, were alleged to have "incited hatred against a people," but prosecutor Joergen Lindberg said there was not enough evidence to conduct an inquiry. The comments were posted on Bildt’s blog from March 20 to June 8 this year, TT said. One of the postings said it would take 24 hours to make Palestinians disappear and "regain 100 percent of Israel. more..
Arabs Won’t Be Rice’s Rabbit-in-the-Hat .
Rami Khouri, Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 12:29:02 Despite Condoleezza Rice’s sudden earnestness, the Arabs will not come to Annapolis to resolve magically all the disastrous policies and actions perpetrated on the Middle East by the United States and Israel during the Bush years, says BEIRUT -- What does it mean when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says it is time to establish a Palestinian state within a year, for the sake of Palestinian, Israeli and US national interests, and that, “We are not going to tire until I have given my last ounce of energy and my last moment in office [to working for a two-state solution]”? There is an unreal yet intriguing quality to America’s newfound enthusiasm for an instant Palestinian state. That is a welcomed goal -- if it were sincere. Rice’s first big problem is that few people in the Middle East believe the United more..
Rice calls for peace after prayer in Bethlehem
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 15:43:33 Can ‘Saint Rice’ help in answering their prayers? US Secretary of State says great monotheist religions have opportunity to overcome differences. BETHLEHEM, West Bank - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prayed at the Biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ on Wednesday, promoting religion in the quest for Middle East peace on a break from intense talks. "Being here at the birthplace of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ has been a very special and moving experience," said the top US diplomat, a devout Christian whose father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers. Blanket security was clamped across the West Bank town of Bethlehem, whose tourism lifeline has been hard hit by the Israeli occupation. Armed Palestinian security officers lined the streets as her armoured convoy swept past shuttered more..
Barak, Gates discuss joint anti-missile system
Middle East Online 10/11/2007
First Published 2007-10-17, Last Updated 2007-10-17 15:31:17 Iran in sight Israeli Defence Minister, US counterpart study measures to counter ‘any Iranian attack’. TEL AVIV - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has held Washington talks with his US counterpart Robert Gates on the joint development of a missile interception system, his office said on Wednesday. On his first trip since taking office in June, Barak and Gates also discussed regional issues on Tuesday, including Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, which Israel and the United States say is cover for the development an atomic weapon, something Iran strongly denies. The two men discussed the continuing cooperation in the development of a "multi-layered missile interception system," seen as a measure to counter any Iranian attack on the Jewish state, Barak’s office said in a statement. more..
The Israeli planning committee in Jerusalem approves the construction of Bridge near Al Aqsa
Maisa Abu Ghazala - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
The Israeli Planning and Construction Committee of Jerusalem district approved on Tuesday a new plan to construct a bridge that leads to the Mughrabi gate, the main entrance to the Al Aqsa Mosque. This bridge will be 95 meters long and 2. 5 meters wide, and will be composed of metal and wood with a number of columns. Shiekh Azzam Al Khateeb, head of the Islamic endowments (Waqf) department of East Jerusalem, affirmed that his department does not recognize the decisions of the district committee and does not approve them. He added that the Mughrabi gate is an entrance to the al Aqsa mosque and the Islamic Waqf is in charge of renovating the hill. Khateeb indicated that his department is holding contacts with the UNISCO and the Jordanian Ministry of Waqf to stop the Israeli authorities from implementing its plans in the Mughrabi gate. more..
President Abbas: most important thing is agreement on document
Rasheed Hilal - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Wednesday that the most important thing prior to the peace conference is to reach an agreement on a clear and specific document that will help to start the negotiations within a fixed period of time. He added that "Matters can not be left to circumstance. There should be a specific document and specified times to reach a final solution." The president’s statement came after he met the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice in the presidential compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He said that he had discussed with Rice the continuing Israeli attacks, whilst pointing out that Palestinian security forces are making concerted efforts to restore security in the Palestinian territories. He clarified that such attacks, in addition to the land confiscation policy, would obstruct the work which is going on to reach an agreement on the document to be presented to November conference. more..
Hamad : Hamas has no objections to negotiations
Colin Bell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
According to Hamas spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, in statement made to the Ramatan news agency on Tuesday, the Islamic movement has no objections to negotiations with Israel. Hamad is quoted as saying that Hamas has made it clear that negotiations "are in the political interest of the Palestinians." The conditions for any talks would be that Israel declares its willingness to end the occupation and recognizes the right of return for Palestinian refugees. He stressed, however, that Hamas and Israel were not engaging in any kind of talks at the moment nor would he go into detail about the nature of the talks it would agree to join. He also denied that there was any connection between his statement and the planned November peace conference to be held in the United States. more..
Amer: Rice’s tour may develop political formulas for joint document
Rasheed Hilal - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2007
In a press statement issued from the presidential compound in the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday ,Nabl Amer , President Abass’ media advisor, expressed his hopes that the US Secretary of State’s current regional tour would lead to the development of political formulas between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and overcome the obstacles in the way of the production of a document prior to the forthcoming peace conference. In the statement he also said that up to now, Israeli rhetoric towards the peace conference has been vague and negative, indicating that the stance would have a negative affect on the atmosphere of the conference and its participants. Amer demanded that the Israeli side be more open to the ideas that will help to make the conference a success, as this would be in the interest of both the Palestinians and the Israelis. more..
UN blames interpreter’s error for report Syria has nuclear facility
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
The United Nations on Wednesday blamed an interpreter’s error for an erroneous report that Syria said an Israeli airstrike hit a Syrian nuclear facility, a mistake that made headlines in the Middle East and heightened concerns over Damascus’ nuclear ambitions. Syria denied on Wednesday that one of its representatives told the UN General Assembly’s First Committee, which deals with disarmament issues, on Tuesday that Israel had attacked a Syrian nuclear facility and added that such facilities do not exist in Syria. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, quoting an unnamed Foreign