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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Archives

Conflict..

Israeli army kills five Palestinians Al-Jazeera 10/22/2003 Five Palestinians have been shot and killed by Isreali troops in different parts of the West Bank and Gaza and nearly 20 others have been arrested. Aljazeera reported two Palestinians were killed early on Tuesday in Hebron and Qalqilya. Quoting Palestinian sources, the station said Israeli forces detained and then killed two other Palestinians in Gaza Strip. It said the the dead bodies were found near al-Buraij refugee camp, south Gaza. 23 Wounded in Ramallah Invasion International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2003 More than 40 army vehicles invaded the West Bank city of Ramallah and the neighboring towns of Albeirah and Birzeit. Soldiers attempted to impose curfew and clashed with hundreds of young stone throwers. One resident was killed and 23 wounded, 9 seriously. Troops surrounded Jamal Abdul Naser Mosque, the largest mosque in Albeirah, and forced residents who were gathered for the evening prayer out onto the street where their identity cards were checked by security men.Meanwhile, soldiers searched the mosque. Palestinian killed after shooting two settlers in Hebron Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Two settlers from the West Bank city of Hebron were wounded Wednesday afternoon when a Palestinian gunman opened fire in Tel Rumeida, the Jewish neighborhood of the divided city. Witnesses said that the gunman came from the direction of the ancient Jewish cemetery and managed to fire off a number of rounds of ammunition. The two sustained light-to-moderate wounds, but nonetheless managed to overpower the gunman and shoot him dead. Civilians pay with lives under Gaza's skies of death The Independent 10/22/2003 When Dr Zein al-Abedin Shahin heard the first missile hit, he immediately ran to help the wounded. Outside the clinic where he was working late, on Abu Bakr al-Siddiq street, he found 12-year-old Mohammed al-Barood lying injured. According to colleagues at the clinic who rushed out after him, Dr Shahin was holding the boy in his arms when the second missile hit. Both doctor and child were killed in Monday night's attack, the fifth Israeli air strike in Gaza in 24 hours and the most devastating in terms of civilian casualties. A piece of shrapnel pierced Mohammed's heart. Israeli Troops Raid West Bank Town, Clashes Erupt Reuters 10/22/2003 RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces swooped into the West Bank city where Yasser Arafat is based on Tuesday, encircled a mosque and fired weapons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of stone-throwers, witnesses said. Medical officials said at least 16 people were wounded, one critically, in the raid in Ramallah which lasted about four hours and came shortly after the Palestinian president asked for international help to stop what he called Israel's "military madness." Arafat made his appeal after Israel killed 10 Palestinians -- most of them civilians, according to medical officials -- and wounded another 100 in five air strikes in Gaza on Monday. Five Palestinians Killed and A House Blown up by the Israeli Occupation International Press Center 10/22/2003 PALESTINE, Oct 22, 2003, (IPC+Agencies)-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) killed Tuesday four Palestinians in separate incidents, as the fifth died of his wounds he sustained after being shot and blew up one house in Hebron. Ahmed Khameis Atteia, 29, was shot dead Wednesday morning by the Israeli occupying forces in Qulqelia city of the West Bank, IPC correspondent said. A contingent of Israeli occupation troop invaded Qulqelia city from several axis under a volley of machine gun fire towards the civilians’ houses, resulting in the instant killing of Atteia. Afterwards the soldiers abducted his corpse to unknown destination, IPC correspondent said. Israeli forces raid mosque and Al-Jazeera office in Ramallah Electronic Intifada 10/21/2003 The Arab news channel Al-Jazeera reported that Israeli forces have launched a major raid on Ramallah. Israeli forces entered the city shortly after 16.30 GMT and imposed a curfew on residents of the center of the city. They surrounded the Abd al-Nasir Mosque and people inside were told to leave in groups of four and present identity papers, the Arab news channel reported. Israeli airforce kill 7 Palestinians and wound 58 others in two other aerial strikes Electronic Intifada/PCHR 10/21/2003 Following 3 aerial attacks earlier on Monday, Israeli occupying forces conducted a further 2 aerial attacks yesterday evening in the Gaza Strip. In the fourth aerial attack in 24 hours, 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child and an on-duty doctor, were killed in Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. The attack was an assassination attempt by Israeli occupying forces targeting 2 members of the Palestinian resistance. The two targeted individuals escaped but 50 Palestinians civilians were wounded in the attack, including 11 children. Israelis, Palestinians Differ on Strike Washington Post 10/22/2003 JERUSALEM, Oct. 21 -- The Israeli military and Palestinian witnesses offered conflicting versions Tuesday of an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as thousands of mourners called for revenge for the deaths of seven Palestinians purportedly killed in the attack....The grainy [IDF] video showed a crowd gathering around the car about two minutes after the second strike, and the video ended 40 seconds later. The Palestinians said a third missile caused the deaths. The military said 10 more minutes were recorded but did not release the footage. Palestinians call Israeli attacks `sign of weakness' Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 The bombing of Gaza, like the operations in Rafah, is evidence of weakness and helplessness on the part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who lost their self-control after the successful Palestinian ambush of Israeli soldiers at Ein Yabrud. That sentence more or less sums up the analyses, announcements and comments made by the various Palestinian spokesmen yesterday. As far as it's possible to judge feelings in Palestinian society, there was a consensus of satisfaction with the success of the Hamas gunmen who managed to kill three soldiers and take their weapons. News Briefs: Man Dies of Wounds in Jenin, IOF Raids Nablus International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2003 Young man died of his wounds in Jenin / Two injured in Balata Refugee Camp Invasion / Female Laywer arrested in a village near Jenin / Four arrested in Nablus, invasion in Balata Refugee Camp... Israeli Minister Makes "Provocative" Visit To Al-Aqsa Islam Online 10/22/2003 GAZA CITY, October 22 (IslamOnline.net) - Palestinians branded as "provocative" a visit to Al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, by Israel's Interior Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi on Wednesday, October 22. "This is a provocative visit aimed at inflaming the already tense situation and find an excuse to ban Muslims from praying at the blessed mosque," Mufti of Al-Quds and occupied Palestine Sheikh Ekremah Sabri told IslamOnline.net. Breaking News: IOF Raids Balata, Jenin, Qalqilya International Press Center 10/22/2003 13:25-- A contingent of Israeli troop backed by 20 military convoys incurredBalata refugee camp , east Nablus city and wounded three Palestinians, among were Eman Zuhdi,20, and Ahmed Saber, 12 aged, IPC reported./ 12:00-- Mahmoud Afeif Mohmmed Al Mugheir, 25, was arrested by the Israeli occupying forces from Araba town, south west of Jenin city. The soldiers also deployed in the streets of the town and used dynamites to blast the stores’ doors open and wrecked all their contain, IPC said./11:10-- Sameih Hassen Nassar and Osama Ibraheem Zaharan were arrested during the Israeli incursion into Qulqelia city by the Israeli occupation forces, witnesses said Public Security Min. Hanegbi makes low-key Temple Mount trip Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi toured the Temple Mount on Wednesday, for the first time since the site was reopened to non-Muslim visitors. The visit to the site in Jerusalem's Old City ended without incident, but Muslim clerics who oversee daily affairs at the compound criticized the tour."This is not a visit, it's an attack," said Adnan Husseini, the head of the Waqf Muslim religious council. "This is an unjustified escalation and provocation." Video: "The Palestinians... accuse the Israelis of grabbing land and restricting their movement" BBC 10/22/2003 The BBC's James Ingham"The Palestinians... accuse the Israelis of grabbing land and restricting their movement" Investigation into the death of director and cameraman James Miller By Chris Cobb-Smith, Justice For James Miller 1. James Miller, a film director and cameraman was killed in the Rafah Area of the Gaza Strip on 2nd May 2003 while filming a documentary. Rafah is at the southern end of the Gaza Strip adjacent to Egypt. 2. Andrew Macdonald of ITN recommended that an investigation was instigated into his death. Chris Cobb-Smith (CCS) has been contacted to conduct the investigation and on Sunday 4th May 2003 he flew to Israel. AIM: The aim of the investigation was to collate as much information and evidence as possible pertaining to the events associated with the death of James Miller on Friday 2nd May 2003 in Rafah, Gaza and produce a written analysis to determine the precise details of the incident and likely culpability. Israeli troops raid Ramallah BBC 10/22/2003 Israeli forces in jeeps and armoured vehicles have entered the West Bank town of Ramallah, where exchanges of fire have been reported. One Palestinian man is reported to have been killed in the exchange and about a dozen wounded. Eyewitnesses said the troops had imposed a curfew and surrounded a mosque where the Israelis said wanted militants were holed up....The Israelis also entered the offices of the Arabic satellite television channel, al-Jazeera, on the outskirts of Ramallah. Five Palestinians Killed By Israeli Gunfire Islam Online 10/22/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, October 22 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Five Palestinians were killed and 25 others injured in fresh Israeli raids on the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. Two resistance activists were shot dead overnight by Israeli troops in different parts of the West Bank, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted an Israeli military source as having said Wednesday, October 22. They were killed in Al-Khalil and Qalqiliya respectively as they tried to escape after being told to stop for identity checks, he claimed. Three Palestinian militants killed in West Bank Middle East Online 10/22/2003 JERUSALEM - Two Palestinian militants were shot dead overnight by Israeli troops in different parts of the West Bank, a military source said Wednesday. They were killed in Hebron and Qalqiliya respectively as they tried to escape after being told to stop for identity checks, the source said. The man gunned down in Hebron was identified by his family as Abdelhadi Annatsheh, 35, and a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - an armed group linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah party.

Diplomacy..

UN condemns West Bank 'wall' BBC 10/22/2003 The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a resolution demanding that Israel halt construction of a huge barrier in the West Bank. The resolution also calls for existing stretches of fence to be removed. It says the barrier contravenes international law, but falls short of meeting Arab-led demands that the entire matter be referred to the International Court of Justice in the Hague for a legal ruling. But Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said construction of the barrier would continue. UN resolution Condemning Israel’s Construction of the Wall Palestine Media Center 10/22/2003 Text of the General Assmebly resolution, Tuesday October 21 2003 - ILLEGAL ISRAELI ACTIONS IN OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM AND THE REST OF THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY Erakat Calls the Vote a “Victory for Peace” but Israel Slams It and Vows to Continue the Apartheid Wall International Press Center 10/22/2003 NEW YORK, Oct 22, 2003 (IPC+Agencies)-- The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution demanding that Israel "stop and reverse" construction of its apartheid wall in the West Bank on Tuesday with 144 votes in favor, four including the US and Israel against, and 12 abstentions. Saeb Erakat, Palestinian Chief Negotiator, called the vote "a great victory for peace." "We favorably welcome the General Assembly resolution. This is a very important resolution; politically, juridical and morally." He added it is “a "complete rejection of the arrogance of might." Arafat demands action to stop ‘military madness’ CounterPunch 10/22/2003 Powell to meet Mubarak for talks -- Palestinian President Yasser Arafat demanded immediate international action Tuesday “to stop this military madness” after Israel killed 10 Palestinians, most of them civilians, in air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s military, echoing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said there would be no let-up in its hunt for Islamic militants despite the civilian deaths, which drew unusually tough criticism in Israel and opposition calls for an investigation. Israel defiant over 'wall' BBC 10/22/2003 Construction of a huge barrier in the West Bank will continue despite a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the project, a senior Israeli government minister has said. Members of the UN forum overwhelmingly backed a resolution demanding that Israel halt building work and remove existing stretches of the concrete and steel fence. The resolution adopted late on Tuesday says the barrier contravenes international law. But it falls short of meeting Arab-led demands that the entire matter be referred to the International Court of Justice in the Hague for a legal ruling. Zionists pressure for Palestinian state on Egyptian and Jordanian lands Palestinian Information Center 10/21/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - The Zionist entity was trying to convince the American president George Bush to pressure both Egypt and Jordan into accepting a Palestinian state to be established on parts of their national territory. Zionist sources said that the plan envisaged annexing large areas of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula to the proposed Palestinian state in addition to establishing five cities on Jordanian lands to accommodate Palestinian refugees. Symbolic Israeli-Palestinian peace pact stirs controversy Daily Star 10/22/2003 Right-wing mp says leftists committed treason - ‘I am not saying we must take them to the gallows. I am saying they broke the law’ -- An Israeli MP demanded an investigation on Tuesday into whether Israeli opposition politicians had committed treason in declaring a symbolic, unofficial “peace deal” with Palestinian officials. The demand highlighted growing controversy around an initiative dubbed the “Geneva Accord” by its chief Israeli architect, Yossi Beilin. In contrast, the initiative has been lauded in many European countries. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Tuesday he planned to meet this week in Paris with the Palestinian and Israeli backers of the unofficial Geneva initiative. Beilin takes initiative to France Jerusalem Post 10/22/2003 Yossi Beilin, undeterred by harsh government criticism, will take his Geneva Initiative to Paris Wednesday and meet with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel in an effort to gain international support. Former Palestinian Authority information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, who headed the Palestinian side in drawing up the initiative, will also take part in the meeting. A spokesman for Marc Otte, the European Union's newly appointed special Middle East envoy, said the EU is not involved in the meeting in any way. The Geneva Accord Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 The text of the Geneva Accord, obtained exclusively by Haaretz. Israel to defy U.N. Resolution and Continue with the Construction of the wall International Middle East Media Center 10/22/2003 Israel defied Wednesday U.N. General Assembly resolution that condemned the construction of the separation wall as a violation of international law and demanded it be halted; deputy of prime minister, Ehud Ulmert said that told Israel radio that his government will continue to build the fence despite of the resolution. The General Assembly passed the resolution with an overwhelming majority 144-4, with 12 abstentions. Once again Israel, U.S., Micronesia, and Marchall Islands opposed the resolution. G.A. resolutions, different from Security Council ones, are not binding. Israel vows to go on with fence, despite UN condemnation Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Israel vowed Wednesday to press on with building the separation fence in along its border with the West Bank, despite a U.N. resolution condemning the project as a violation of international law and demanding it be halted. Palestinians oppose the barrier - which is comprised of an electronic fence in most places and concrete barricades on several spots - as a land grab that prejudges borders that should be negotiated. Tannenbaum lured to Abu Dhabi, drugged, shipped to Lebanon Jerusalem Post 10/22/2003 Retired Col. Elhanan Tannenbaum, who has been missing for three years, was delivered into the hands of Hizbullah in October 2000 by an Israeli Arab masquerading as a business partner, according to newly released material. Heavily in debt and subject to underworld threats, Tannenbaum was lured to Abu Dhabi under pretense of a lucrative business deal by Kais Obeid, formerly of the Israeli village of Taiba and intimately tied to the Lebanese Guerrilla group, acording to reports Wednesday. Tannenbaum suspects met while visiting jailed relatives Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Kais Obeid, a resident of the Arab town of Taibeh in the north of Israel, was a friend and business partner of kidnapped Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum. Obeid is suspected of convincing Tannenbaum to travel to Abu Dhabi for a potentially lucrative business deal. Qayd Byro is the youngest son of well-known Lebanese drug dealing Mohammed Byro and is closely linked to the militant Hezbollah and is suspected of acting as the go-between for Hezbollah and Obeid. Tannenbaum family: Details of case show we had nothing to hide Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 The children of Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum said Wednesday that the release of details surrounding the October 2000 abduction of their father proved that they had nothing to hide from the Israeli public, but warned that the move would put his life in further danger. Israeli Media Sensationalizes Tannenbaum's Capture by Hizbullah An Nahar 10/22/2003 Drug-trafficking, weapons-smuggling, or a female Hizbullah agent may have lured Israeli reservist Col. Elhanan Tannenbaum to Lebanon before he was kidnapped by Hizbullah, according to a fresh report published Wednesday on the front page of Israeli daily Haaretz. The report says Kais Obeid, an Israeli Arab, played a key role in convincing the 'debt-ridden' Tannenbaum, who squandered much of his money in casinos, to travel to Brussels, Abu Dhabi, and later to Beirut, to conclude a $150,000 deal. Haaretz adds that the deal was likely related to drugs or weapons. The colonel's family denies the charges. Ex-Arab envoys to UN gather in Beirut Daily Star 10/22/2003 ...The three-day conference, which commenced Tuesday, will focus its discussions on possible solutions to the current political crisis in the Arab world. The conference was attended by high-profile figures such as former Arab League Secretary-General Osmat Abdel-Magid on behalf of its current head, Amr Moussa, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, a number of ministers as well as local and foreign diplomats. Palestinians happy with UN vote on wall Al-Jazeera 10/22/2003 The Palestinian Authority has welcomed a UN resolution calling on Israel to stop building its apartheid wall along the West Bank.The UN General Assembly passed a resolution late on Tuesday demanding that Israel "stop and reverse" construction of its controversial separation barrier. The 144-4 vote said the wall contradicted international law. The United States and Israel were joined by Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in voting against the resolution. Twelve nations abstained. Background / Mideast peace as cause celebre Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Driven to distraction by the tragedies of eternal warfare and the burdens of economic strife, Israelis woke Wednesday to a peace initiative so outlandish as to accomplish the impossible - defy immediate condemnation. Heralded by a literally star-spangled flourish in the popular press, an organization called OneVoice Israel announced that a red carpet list of marquee actors - Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Alexander, Danny De Vito and Rhea Pearlman - had signed on for a decidedly unorthodox mission: coming to the Holy Land in an effort to make peace. MI boss: Tehran is trying to gain time Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 In the wake of reports of Iranian readiness to sign the additional protocol in the the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, Military Intelligence chief Major General Aharon Ze'evi yesterday said "the Iranians' tactic is to try to drag their feet and skip the demands the UNis making of them." Worries about Saudi planes cloud U.S.-Israel strategic talks Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 The Joint Political-Military Group, a forum dealing with U.S.-Israeli cooperation on strategic matters, will meet next week in Tel Aviv to discuss current regional developments and the aftermath of the war in Iraq. Participants will also discuss ways of maintaining the Israel Defense Forces' strategic edge in the region. The IDF General Staff's Plans and Policy Directorate will review threats posed to Israel; American delegates will discuss various plans to sell new weapons systems to other countries in the region. But lurking in the background are Israeli concerns about the positioning of planes in Saudi Arabia's air force. PM Qurei’: Harming President Arafat Ends Peace, Quartet Committee Must Intervene to Stop Israeli Crimes International Press Center 10/22/2003 RAMALLA, Palestine, October 22, 2003 (IPC+WAFA)-- Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei’, said Tuesday that if Israel harms president Yasser Arafat, peace in the region will come to an end and a comprehensive chaos is likely to breakout. In a press release issued yesterday in Ramallah shortly after the Israeli invasion of the city and other Palestinian towns, Qurei’ considered such Israeli action as a ‘practical interpretation of Israeli PM Sharon government’s plan to devastate any hope towards peace’. Yassin: Hamas holding remains of IDF soldier killed in Gaza Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin has confirmed that the militant organization is holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed during an IDF operation in the central Gaza Strip in July, Israel Radio reported Wednesday. The radio quoted an interview with Yassin published in the Palestinian Authority's al-Ayyam newspaper, in which the Hamas founder and spiritual leader said "We are holding remains of the body of an Israeli soldier that belongs to the special forces." Video: "There's no stopping the barrier" BBC 10/22/2003 The BBC's Barbara Plett - "There's no stopping the barrier" Arafat urges Quartet to end Israeli folly Al-Jazeera 10/22/2003 Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat has urged the international community to bring pressure on Israel to end the "military folly" after a series of deadly air strikes in Gaza. The Palestinian movement Hamas has vowed to avenge the deaths caused by five separate air strikes across Gaza on Monday. This latest wave of Israeli violence has deepened the gloom over the prospects of progress in the Middle East "roadmap".

Human Rights..

Israel ranked 44th in world for a free press Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Israel is ranked 44th in the world for freedom of the press inside the country, but is 146th out of 166 when it comes to freedom of the press in the territories, according to a world survey conducted by Reporters without Borders. The Palestinian Authority is 130th on the list of 166 countries, according to the report released yesterday. Last year, when the survey was conducted for the first time, Israel was ranked 92nd in the world, without any distinction made between it and the territories. Israeli Troops Assault on Journalists International Press Center 10/22/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, October 22, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies)-- Israeli occupation forces assaulted Tuesday night on a number of journalists and held others under curfew in separate incidents in the West Bank. Majdy Mohammad,23, of Nablus city, Associated Press News Agency’s cameraman, has been injured with bruises in his face after being beaten severely by Israeli soldiers in the Nablus’s village of Salem, local sources said. Eyewitnesses accounted that Mohammad was hospitalized in a local clinic after Israeli troops have denied access of ambulances to the scene for providing aid. Meanwhile, Mohhamd Alsayied of the Ramallah city, Arab News Network (ANN) TV’s correspondent has been hit by the Israeli soldiers’ rifle buts after having been stopped at the Biet Eil checkpoint, east of Ramallah, a press release issued by the Arab TV confirmed.

Economy..

Strike grinds on, at cost of NIS 650 mil. to economy Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 Public sector workers will continue with their strike today, the fourth consecutive day since renewing labor sanctions after the Sukkot holiday. They will not however step up sanctions as planned, as talks continue between treasury wage director, Yuval Rachlevsky, and the secretary-general of the Civil Servants Union, Ofer Eini. Rachlevsky and Eini met for three hours yesterday, along with Civil Service Commissioner Shmuel Hollander, to discuss the conditions for negotiations to end the stand-off. Though little progress was made, the talks are set to continue today. NIS 15.9b tax shortfall expected in 2003 Actual tax revenues are 10% below the original forecast. TThe deficit is expected to reach 5.5-6% of GDP, double the official target. -- Tax revenues stabilized during the summer, after falling continuously since the end of 2000. It is not yet clear if this is a turnaround or a one-time increase in the collection of advance taxes, withholding taxes, and tax arrears from companies. Summer seasonal factors were also partly responsible for the stabilization in tax collection. Real unemployment rate - 14.2% Globes 10/22/2003 Aside from the official unemployment figures, there are an additional 93,400 persons a month unable to find work. -- Although the Central Bureau of Statistics reported a 10.6% unemployment rate in August yesterday, the actual unemployment is 14.2% of the civilian labor force. Incoming tourism down 32% in September Globes 10/22/2003 Only 90,500 tourists entered Israel in September, 9% fewer than the June-August average. -- Tourist entries plummeted 32% in September, due to the worsening security situation. Only 90,500 tourists entered Israel in September, compared with 130,600 in August, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures published today. Companies survey: Fourth quarter slowdown in all sectors feared Globes 10/22/2003 Business expanded moderately in the first quarter, except for real estate. -- Business expanded moderately in most sectors in the third quarter of 2003, for the second consecutive quarter. Construction was the only sector that showed no improvement, with sharp declines in both building construction and infrastructure work. The results were from a Bank of Israel survey of 660 companies and businesses for the third quarter.

People..

Poll: 59% of Palestinians support continuation of terror after state is created Jerusalem Post 10/22/2003 Fifty-nine percent of Palestinians believe that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad should continue their armed struggle against Israel even if Israel leaves all of the West Bank and Gaza, including East Jerusalem, and a Palestinian state is created, a new survey shows. Similarly [sic], 80 percent of Palestinians say that, under those circumstances, the Palestinians should not give up the "right of return." The poll of Palestinians, Israeli Jews, and Israeli Arabs was released in Washington on Wednesday by Itamar Marcus, founder of Palestinian Media Watch and written by pollster Frank Luntz. It was conducted by two polling firms, the Public Opinion Research of Israel and The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion. Palestinian gays flee to Israel BBC 10/22/2003 A number of gay Palestinian men are risking their lives to cross the border into Israel, claiming they feel safer among Israelis than their own people. According to some estimates, there are now 300 gay Palestinian men secretly living and working in Israel. Their willingness to live there - despite the risk of being detained and deported as a security threat - is due to Palestinian attitudes towards gay men, they claim. Jordanian political activist walks fine line between regime, reform Daily Star 10/22/2003 AMMAN: Political activist Mustafa Hamarneh has no fear of having to pay the price for being a voice of moderation and political reform in tribal-dominated, conservative Jordan as it undergoes a measured process of democratization. But the director of the Center of Strategic Studies (CSS) at the state-run University of Jordan sees himself working from within the system to impact change. A former Georgetown University professor, Hamarneh returned home in 1989, when the late King Hussein began his reform drive. Arab university opens in Galilee Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 A festive ceremony yesterday in Ibilin village in the Western Galilee marked the official opening of what participants described as the "first Arab university in Israel." Under the terms of an operating license received this year from Israel's Council of Higher Education, the university, part of the Mar Elias Education Institutions, will also operate as an overseas branch of the University of Indianapolis. Initially, the institution will have three departments: computer studies, environmental studies and communications. It is authorized to confer B.A. degrees in professional studies that are recognized in Israel and the United States.

International..

U.S. warns against traveling to Israel Ha'aretz 10/22/2003 The State Department yesterday warned U.S. citizens to avoid Israel because of the risk of terror attacks. In an unusual step, the State Department stepped up its travel warnings to Israel, which in the past focused on specific areas, and now covers all of Israel. The travel warning noted that violence has caused numerous civilian deaths and injuries. American tourists, students and government contract workers have been among the casualties. Jordan's king asks minister to form government Jerusalem Post 10/22/2003 Jordan's king asked Faisal al-Fayez, a royal court minister, to form a government Wednesday, urging him to build a democratic Muslim nation that would serve as a model for others. King Abdullah II appointed al-Fayez shortly after receiving the resignation of Prime Minister Ali Abul-Ragheb and his Cabinet, the official Petra news agency reported. 'Islamaphobic' general to be investigated Al-Jazeera 10/22/2003 The US Defence Secretary has agreed to a top general's request for an official review of his remarks casting the war on terrorism as a religious struggle. Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday that Lieutenant General William Boykin's request, which followed a furore over his allegedly "anti-Muslim" comments, was "appropriate". Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defence for intelligence, denied he was anti-Muslim after being quoted as saying the so-called war on terrorism was a Christian struggle against Satan. Europe builds bridges across the Med Al-Jazeera 10/19/2003 The European Union is trying to debunk the "erroneous" theory of a clash of civilisations by reaching out to its Mediterranean neighbours. "European people don't believe in the clash of civilisations," European Commission chief, Romano Prodi, said at a conference in Egypt this week on how higher education can build bridges between peoples. The conference at the Alexandria Library drew delegates from 27 countries involved in Tempus-MEDA, a scheme created months after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States to promote inter-cultural understanding.

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