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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..

Israel Dynamites Housing Project For Palestinians Islam Online 10/26/2003 GAZA CITY, October 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israeli troops Sunday, October 26, dynamited three under-construction 13-storey buildings in the southern Gaza Strip town of Al-Zahara, a move denounced by Palestinian officials as a "war crime." Some 2,000 Palestinian residents living nearby were evacuated from their homes before the Israelis destroyed the buildings at around 2:30 am (0030 GMT) in a single massive explosion, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The explosion was as strong as it shook the ground several kilometers away, witnesses said. Several hundred Jewish residents of the adjoining Netzarim settlement also took refuge in bomb shelters during the operation. Israeli security sources claimed that the partially-constructed buildings had been used by Palestinians to spy on Israeli troop movements in Netzarim. IDF kills three militants in Gaza; Qassam lands near Sderot Ha'aretz 10/26/2003 An armed Palestinian militant was shot dead overnight Saturday by Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip, during an attempt to infiltrate into a Gush Katif settlement. There were two more attempts to infiltrate another settlement and an IDF outpost, which were apparently coordinated to take place at the same time. IDF troops said they hit two other Palestinians in these attempted attacks. Palestinians sources said Sunday that they were told that the IDF was holding the bodies of three Palestinians who were killed overnight in infiltration attempts. Israeli troops kill Palestinian bird-catcher Al-Jazeera 10/27/2003 Israeli occupation soldiers have shot dead a Palestinian man near the Israel-Gaza Strip border on Monday. An Israeli ministry official said troops suspected the man was part of a group trying to infiltrate into Israel or plant land mines against Israeli forces in the border area. Palestinian security sources, however, said Karim al-Kafarna, 28, was killed as he engaged in his hobby of bird catching. The sources said al-Kafarna was carrying nets and related tools when he was killed. Israeli forces opened fire on two peace activists Electronic Intifada 10/26/2003 An Australian and American peace activist were shot in the legs at Balata refugee camp and were taken to Rafidia Hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Within hours of the shooting, the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera released details, but witheld the identities of the injured until their families could be contacted. Representatives from the International Solidarity Movement said that the two peace activists were shot after accompanying Palestinian children away from Israeli soldiers who entered the refugee camp near Nablus at 8 pm. Two Palestinian boys were hit by rubber-coated metal bullets. However, according to reports, the American and Australian peace activists were shot at with live ammunition. One of the boys was hospitalized and later released. Hizbullah-Israeli Border Flare-up Threatens Major Mideast Blow-Up An Nahar 10/27/2003 Hizbullah said its fighters were attacking three Israeli army positions in the Shebaa zone of the border, marking the advent of Islam's Holy Fasting Month of Ramadan. A party statement issued in Beirut said Hizbullah militiamen who were shelling the Israeli positions of Rweissat el Alam, Sammaka, and Ramtha with mortars and missiles as of 3:20 Beirut time, 13;20 GMT. The statement said all three targeted positions took direct hits. There was no further elaboration and no reference to casualties or to a response from the Israelis. Israel to Service West Bank Outposts The Guardian 10/27/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's Defense Ministry confirmed Monday it will provide services to eight West Bank settlement outposts, despite the government's earlier pledge to remove them as part of a stalled U.S.-backed peace plan. Dismantling dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts was one of Israel's obligations under the ``road map'' peace plan, which was launched in June with great fanfare, but quickly bogged down over disagreements and violence. Palestinians complained that Israel is systematically undermining the road map. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, meanwhile, said he welcomed the prospect of talks with Hamas on halting attacks on Israelis. The Eastern Route of the "Wall" Turns Peace Efforts Meaningless International Middle East Media Center 10/26/2003 In an interview with Israel TV Channel two, on Friday , Prime minister Ariel Sharon confirmed that his security devices are studying the construction of the eastern part of the separation wall deep inside the West bank and parallel to the Jordan river. Sharon added that upon completion, the proposal would be presented for the government for approval. Even when, information about the government intention to build the wall around the West bank at the eastern side, including publishing proposed maps, were not new, Sharon's public confirmation of his cabinet intentions to go ahead with the construction, created an uproar among Palestinian Authority officials. Israeli troops kill Palestinian near Gaza fence Sydney Morning Herald 10/27/2003 Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian suspected of trying to sneak into Israel yesterday, an Israeli military official said. The man was killed after failing to heed calls to stop when he was spotted before dawn in an area off-limits to Palestinians about 150 metres from the fence that divides the Gaza Strip from Israel, the official said. Soldiers arrested four other Palestinians who were with him and were questioning them, the official said. Israel to ease closure on territories Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has decided to accept the army's recommendation and will announce tomorrow that the tight closure on the territories will be relaxed in several areas. Mofaz has received conflicting advice from top Israel Defense Forces officers, who advocate this change, and the Shin Bet security service, which recommends keeping unabated pressure on the territories. The defense minister is likely to chart a middle path, easing fewer restrictions than the IDF has recommended. Death of a town The Guardian 10/27/2003 With ruthless efficiency, the Israeli army has been crushing and rocketing the Palestinian refugee town of Rafah in a manner which rivals the destruction of Jenin last year. But it is all in the name of stopping terrorism so the international community has remained silent. Chris McGreal reports -- The moment al-Brazil plunged into darkness, Amjad Alweda knew what was coming. He grabbed his wife and three young children and bundled them down a pitch-black stairwell to a room at the back of their small block of flats. And then he stopped and listened. The sound of the tanks echoes along the streets around here so it seems they are coming from every direction at once and you never know which way to run," says the 32-year-old Palestinian man. Israel creates 'world's most scenic prison' The Telegraph 10/27/2003 The village of Jbara nestles on a hillside, overlooking a fertile valley lined with olive groves. Its 300 Palestinians believe they inhabit the most scenic prison in the world. A new Israeli military order forces them to seek permission to live in their own homes. It declares Jbara part of a "closed zone" and states that all movement in and out of the area requires a permit. Any visiting relative needs a licence. All of these permissions are granted at the whim of the Israeli army and are routinely denied. Fourteen other villages, where 12,000 Palestinians live, are trapped in this zone, where every aspect of life comes under Israeli military control. Revenge strike in Gaza flattens tower blocks The Telegraph 10/27/2003 More than 2,000 Palestinians were ordered out of their homes early yesterday when Israeli forces used explosives to demolish three tower blocks in the Gaza Strip as a punitive measure. Israel said the empty, unfinished 13-storey towers - intended to relieve overcrowding in nearby Gaza City - had been used by militants as observation posts for planning Friday's attack on the nearby Jewish settlement of Netzarim that killed three Israeli soldiers. A Palestinian police post was also demolished yesterday. Israelis Blow Up Gaza Buildings Near Isolated Settlement New York Times 10/27/2003 ERUSALEM, Oct. 26 — The Israeli Army blew up three vacant apartment buildings in the Gaza Strip on Sunday near a settlement where a Palestinian gunman killed three soldiers early Friday, as a debate sharpened in Israel over whether the isolated settlement was worth keeping. Soldiers evacuated more than 2,000 Palestinians from surrounding buildings before demolishing the apartment houses, 12-story structures that the army said Palestinians had used to spy on the nearby settlement, Netzarim. Israeli soldiers also shot and killed at least three Palestinian gunmen in clashes in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian security officials said. News Briefs: Journalists assaulted, Qabatia invaded International Middle East Media Center 10/27/2003 Journalists assaulted at Qalqilia chekpoint / Troops invade Qabatia and arres five When Army Become the Investigator, Judge and an Executer International Middle East Media Center 10/26/2003 Army blew up Friday evening using dynamite three 13-story buildings over looking Netzarim settlement after evacuating more than 2,000 residents out of their homes. The sound of the huge explosions echoed across the entire Gaza Strip. The three central Gaza Towers were built for the families of the pre-emptive security device members, headed by former internal security minister Mohammed Dahaln, who was considered to be one of the few PA leaders that Israel is ready to talk to. At the same time soldiers raided a nearby police station, temporarily detained the small police unit, and blew up the station with dynamite. Israeli jets bomb Hizbollah targets Sydney Morning Herald 10/27/2003 Israeli warplanes bombed Hizbollah positions today after their forces came under fire from the Lebanese Shi'ite militia in the disputed Shebaa Farms border area. "The IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) returned fire at Hizbollah targets and the sources of fire," an Israeli military source told AFP. "Israeli aircraft were used in the operation," he added without giving details about the numbers of planes involved. Another Israeli source described the ongoing exchanges between the two sides as "pretty intense", raising fears of a new spiral of violence in the region after a period of relative calm. ‘We expect Israel to attack’ Daily Star 10/27/2003 Qassem defends Hizbullah’s presence in South - Leading official touts resistance’s state of military readiness -- Hizbullah has been preparing for the next round of conflict with Israel non-stop since May 2000 and is now better prepared to fight the Jewish state than at any time in the 21-year history of the resistance, the party’s deputy secretary-general says. Sheikh Naim Qassem said that Hizbullah expects further attacks by Israel, that a Syria-Israel war is a possibility and that Lebanon would be involved if such a conflict was to occur. “We expect Israel to attack continuously,” Qassem told The Daily Star in an interview. Hezbollah fires shells at IDF positions on Lebanese border Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Hezbollah attacked Israel Defense Forces positions Monday afternoon in the Har Dov border area near Lebanon, witnesses and security sources said. They said Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah fired rockets and artillery rounds at the two IDF positions in the Har Dov area named "gladiola" and "hadas," near the border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah also fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF base outside of the Har Dov region, for the first time since April 2002. There were no immediate reports of casualties, according to security sources. Peace workers shot by Israelis Al-Jazeera 10/26/2003 Two international peace activists have been shot by Israeli soldiers at a Palestinian refugee camp near Nablus. Details of the shooting were released to Aljazeera.net within hours of the incident on Friday evening, but the identities of the injured are being witheld until their families can be contacted. The Australian and American men were both shot in the legs at the Balata refugee camp and were taken to Rafidia Hospital where they are now undergoing treatment.

Diplomacy..

Qureia, Hamas signal readiness for new hudna Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) has asked to meet with Hamas leaders on a new cease-fire (hudna), a senior official in the militant Islamic organizations declared yesterday. "Abu Ala sent a letter expressing his wish to meet with top leaders of the organization," Ismail Haniyah, the bureau chief of Hamas's spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, said. "There is no reason not to meet with Abu Ala and preparations are already being made. We'll listen to what Abu Ala has to say and we'll tell him our views." The meeting is expected to take place soon after Qureia returns from consultations in Egypt. Israel Legalizes Settlements, Spoils Peace Initiative Islam Online 10/27/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, October 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Continuing its violations of the internationally-backed roadmap for Mideast peace, Israel granted Monday, October 27, "permanent settlement" status to a number of illegal outposts in the West Bank, a move denounced as "blatant" by an Israeli peace activist. The move came as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon instructed his foreign minister Sunday, October 26, to lobby other governments not to support an alternative peace blueprint for the dormant roadmap. Sharon Says He Has No Arafat Death Plans The Guardian 10/27/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said for the first time Monday that Israel would not kill Yasser Arafat. Last month, Israel's Cabinet decided to ``remove'' the Palestinian at an unspecified time, prompting speculation it would either expel or assassinate him. ``I don't see any plans to kill him,'' Sharon said Monday, while accusing Arafat of orchestrating attacks on Israelis during three years of fighting. ``You don't have to worry, he's alive and not only is he alive but very active in taking all the ... steps ...that bring to murder of children, civilians, the old,'' Sharon told a group of European parliamentarians. Israel to open talks with PA cabinet Ha'aretz 10/26/2003 Israel intends to begin talks with the Palestinians but at cabinet level, and not with prime ministers meeting, following Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia's request to avoid such meetings at present. The Israeli delegation, headed by Dov Weisglass, director of the Prime Minister's Bureau, will try to establish what are Qureia's intentions and whether the implementation of the road map can be advanced, Israeli sources said. The Palestinian side will probably include Finance Minister Salam Fayad. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon assumes that Qureia (Abu Ala) will not resign and remain in office after his temporary appointment expires on November 4. U.S. calls tenders for West Bank housing units 'provocation' Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The United States government has issued a harsh condemnation of Israel's decision to issue tenders for 153 housing units in the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron, calling the move a "provocation." U.S. officials relayed the government's warning, adding that Washington was likely to get the impression that Israel is not fulfilling its commitment regarding the settlements, and said this could lead the U.S. to cut the loan guarantees to Israel by the amount of money Israel is spending on the West Bank security fence. Syria threatens to attack Golan settlers if Israel strikes again The Telegraph 10/26/2003 Syria has threatened to attack Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights if Tel Aviv launches another assault on its territory. In a move that will raise tension after Israel struck a suspected terrorist training camp near Damascus earlier this month, Farouk Sharaa, Syria's foreign minister, warned that further "aggression" would prompt Syria to use "other cards". Mr Sharaa's threat, in an interview with The Telegraph, raises - for the first time since the Israeli raid - the prospect of Syria attacking the area seized from it by Israel in 1967. Annan: Israeli destruction of Gaza towers illegal Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused Israel on Monday of violating international law in destroying three Gaza apartment towers and urged it to end actions making a Middle East peace deal harder to reach. "The secretary-general reminds the Israeli authorities that house demolitions amount to collective punishment, which is a clear violation of international humanitarian law," a UN spokesman said. "During the past month, some 200 buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, rendering more than 2,000 people homeless. In this connection, he deplores the destruction by the Israeli military of three 13-story buildings in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night," the spokesman said. Powell: Fence's disruption of Palestinian life is 'troublesome' Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Two ramifications of the West Bank separation fence - its disruption of daily Palestinian life and its seeming determination of the borders of a future Palestinian state - are "troublesome" for the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday. "It's one thing to put up a security fence, a barrier that is clearly on your property - the dividing line, so to speak - in order to protect yourself, and that would be understood," Powell said in a CNN interview. PM Qurei’: Apartheid Wall Most Hideous Breach Ever Known In History International Press Center 10/27/2003 Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon formed a delegation, headed by Dove Weisglass, Director of PM Bureau, to investigate the intentions of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's intentions and to look at the possibilities to advance the implementation of the road map. Sharon's consultation with his security and army heads on Wednesday was concluded with stressing the need for Israel to prevent a complete collapse of the Palestinian Authority, fearing that it would create a state of chaos and strengthen even more President Yasser Arafat. Arafat, Roed Larsen Deplore Israel’s Home Demolitions Palestine Media Center 10/27/2003 Rights Group: Israel Violating Geneva Convention -- Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Sunday slammed Israel’s demolition of three multi-storey residential buildings in the Gaza Strip as a “catastrophe” after more than 2000 Palestinians were rendered homeless. In a meeting at his battered Ramallah compound with a French delegation visiting the occupied territory in solidarity, the veteran leader condemned Israel’s destruction of three tower buildings, consisting of 144 apartments and housing more than 2000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip city of Al-Zahra’. The Executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which met with Arafat following the French delegation’s visit, also vehemently condemned the Israeli destruction of homes—close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Netzarim—and called upon the international community to rebuke Sunday’s vast demolition spree. Qureia cancels meeting with 150 European lawmakers Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The 150 members of the European Parliament who arrived in Israel yesterday on a Mideast mission ("A Moment for Peace") were in for an unpleasant surprise. The MEPs began their four-day tour on Saturday with a quick visit to Amman, where they met with King Abdullah, Queen Rania and the speaker of Jordan's senate, Ziad Rifai. Soon after their buses crossed the Allenby Bridge and began the ascent to Jerusalem, the tour guide informed the European dignitaries that their meeting scheduled later that day with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) had been canceled at the last moment "because of the start of Ramadan." Some of the shocked MEPs were not prepared to accept this explanation. Israel accused of breaching roadmap Middle East Online 10/27/2003 Chief Palestinian negotiator accuses Israel of killing off roadmap after legalising settlement outposts in West Bank. -- Israel was accused Monday of breaching the terms of the Middle East peace "roadmap" after granting "permanent settlement" status to at least five illegal outposts in the West Bank. A senior advisor to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the decision would allow the settlements to obtain grants for education and infrastructure projects as well as making them eligible for protection by security forces. Syria warns Israel against fresh attack Al-Jazeera 10/26/2003 Syria has threatened to attack Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights if Israel launches another attack on its territory. According to a British newspaper on Sunday, Syria’s foreign minister warned it would not remain silent if attacked again. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Faruq al-Shara said: "If we are attacked again our people will not stand for it and we have to carry out the will of the people."He added: "We have many cards that we have not played. Don't forget there are many Israeli settlements in the Golan. I am not exaggerating but I am describing things as they might happen." Berri Wonders About a U.S. Accountability Act in Arab Parliaments An Nahar 10/27/2003 Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri issued a stinging rejection of Syria's Accountability Act in the U.S. Congress, wondering whether President Bush would respond if Arab parliaments asked him to pull out U.S. armies to withdraw from Iraq."The presence of the Syrian army in Lebanon is a matter for the governments of Lebanon and Syria to deal with. President Bush has no right to interfere," Berri said in a speech he delivered from the podium of the Syrian parliament in Damascus Sunday. Berri mused about Bush's reaction if Arab parliaments passed a U.S. Accountability Bill telling Washington it has no right to occupy Iraq and meddle in its political and economic affairs. Israel duped Washington over settlements Al-Jazeera 10/27/2003 Israel has been accused of breaching the terms of the Middle East "road map" for peace after granting "permanent settlement" status to at least five outposts in the West Bank. One of the biggest critics is an Israeli settlement monitoring group which says the move is totally illegal. Peace Now says it proves Sharon lied to Washington earlier this year when he promised to remove dozens of small,isolated outposts under the peace plan. "Sharon promised to take down the outposts and has lied to the Israeli public and to thePalestinian partners," said Yariv Oppenheimer, director of Peace Now. Shalom: France, Belgium offering $7 million to promote Geneva accord Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The French and Belgian foreign ministers have offered Yossi Beilin $7 million to aid him in marketing the Geneva accord, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told the cabinet yesterday. Beilin's spokesman denied this charge. "We hope that the other reports reaching the cabinet table are much more accurate than these fairy tales of the foreign minister," he said. Shalom said that Jerusalem had made its displeasure over this involvement in Israel's internal affairs known to both countries, but had refrained from submitting a formal protest for fear that this would ascribe undue importance to the draft Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, which was negotiated by opposition figures without the government's knowledge or consent. Israel is looking at Resuming Talks with PA at Cabinet Level International Middle East Media Center 10/26/2003 Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon formed a delegation, headed by Dove Weisglass, Director of PM Bureau, to investigate the intentions of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's intentions and to look at the possibilities to advance the implementation of the road map. Sharon's consultation with his security and army heads on Wednesday was concluded with stressing the need for Israel to prevent a complete collapse of the Palestinian Authority, fearing that it would create a state of chaos and strengthen even more President Yasser Arafat. Israeli sources reported that the discussion within the security and defense establishment followed the Wednesday meeting in Cairo between Qurei and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, in which Qurei sounded optimistic about his ability to form a new cabinet and unit security forces under his command. One More Attempt for another Truce International Middle East Media Center 10/27/2003 Hamas leader in Gaza Abdul-Aziz Rantisi confirmed that Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei requested a meeting with the Leadership of Hamas, but denied that his movement would be interested in a new cease-fire. Ismail Haniyah, the bureau chief of Hamas's spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, said. "There is no reason not to meet with Abu Ala and preparations are already being made. We'll listen to what Abu Ala has to say and we'll tell him our views." Palestinian sources reported that few Hamas officials are visiting Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on a suggested new cease-fire agreement. Sharon Says No Plans to Kill Arafat New York Times 10/27/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said for the first time Monday that Israel has no plans to kill Yasser Arafat, even as he accused the Palestinian leader of continuing to orchestrate attacks on civilians....Sharon was also asked whether it is right to build new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas where the Palestinians hope to establish an independent homeland. ``We do not build now. We do not aid a new settlement there or Jewish communities there,'' Sharon said. ``If sometimes it happens, the army removes them.'' Sharon spoke hours after the Defense Ministry confirmed that residents of eight West Bank outposts would be given some services...Separately, an Israeli parliamentary committee gave final approval to transfer what opposition lawmakers estimated as $20 million in extra funding to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. The funds are earmarked for constructing infrastructure for public buildings and to supplying temporary buildings to outlying outposts. Sharon tells EU lawmakers that there is no plan to kill Arafat Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said for the first time in public on Monday that Israel had no plans to kill Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. "I don't see any plans to kill him although the man is responsible for the deaths of hundreds, of thousands of mostly civilians because his strategy is a strategy of terror," Sharon told a group of some 150 European parliamentarians visiting Jerusalem. Israel has said it would seek the "removal" of Arafat, whom it accuses of fomenting violent attacks since the launch of a Palestinian uprising for statehood three years ago.

Human Rights..

Permits ordered for Palestinians The Guardian 10/27/2003 The Israeli military has ordered thousands of Palestinians living near the steel and concrete "security fence" through the West Bank to obtain special permits to live in their own homes. Palestinian officials said the order breached a pledge by Israel to the UN security council a fortnight ago that the barrier would not change the legal status of those who live near it, and was another step towards the annexation of tens of thousands of hectares of Palestinian land. The order, signed by the Israeli army's commander in the West Bank, Major General Moshe Kaplinski, said Palestinian land between the fence and the 1967 border, known as the green line, was to be a "closed military zone". International Volunteers Beaten By Settlers International Solidarity Movement 10/27/2003 International and Israeli volunteers were beaten by a group of young Israeli settlers while they were accompanying Palestinian farmers picking olives at midday today. As a result of the destruction of approximately 250 trees by settlers, farmers from the Einabus area were afraid to harvest their olives without the presence of observers from Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Palestinian farmers are frequently attacked on their land by settlers who are not held to account for their actions. Hundreds of Palestinians blocked at Gaza-Egypt border ABC News 10/27/2003 Nearly 1,100 Palestinians have been stranded at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip after Israel tightened security measures, Egyptian border guards said. Egyptian merchants offered the first meal of the Muslim Ramadan holiday to many of the 500 who ended up spending Sunday night outdoors as Israeli troops permitted only a trickle to cross into the Gaza Strip, guards said. Jayyous Women’s March International Solidarity Movement 10/27/2003 Qalqilia - Huwaida -25 Oct 03 -- The Village Resistance : A dozen local women gathered at the Jayyous Charitable Society yesterday morning to march down to the gate in the Apartheid Wall that separates the Palestinian farmers of Jayyous from their farmland. The goal of the women was to send a message, first and foremost to the soldiers that daily prevent them, their husbands and their sons from getting to their land that “walls are not the way to peace.” There was another message, to the international community and to women all over the world, that “we are being denied the right to feed our children; this is a crime that must stop.” Israel frees Lebanese man captured on weapons ship Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Israel handed over to Lebanon on Monday a Lebanese prisoner arrested on a weapons boat in the Mediterranean, Lebanese security sources said. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Lebanon confirmed it had been asked to repatriate a Lebanese prisoner but gave no further details. The man was captured aboard the Santorini weapons ship in May 2001, but a military court cleared him in December 2002 of involvement in the attempt to smuggle arms. The Interior Ministry issued an expulsion order against the man. IDF probes Gaza shooting of British pro-Palestinian activist Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 LONDON - The Israel Defense Forces has launched an inquiry into the shooting of a British pro-Palestinian activist who lies clinically dead in a London hospital after being shot by troops in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli embassy said on Monday. An embassy spokeswoman said the inquiry will be headed by Israel's military controller general, Major General Menachem Finkelstein, and will be completed as quickly as possible, although it could take months. The news met with a lukewarm response from Tom Hurndall's family members, who believe he was shot deliberately and are seeking prosecution of the soldier involved. Israel arrests Pro-Palestinian Belgians Expatica 10/27/2003 BRUSSELS – Four Belgians were arrested by Israeli security services at Tel Aviv airport while on a mission to support the Palestinian cause, the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed Sunday. All four were detained at Ben Gurion airport late on Saturday and held until their expulsion from Israeli territory the following day. ISM Journals: Women's March / Gun to My Head and more... International Solidarity Movement 10/26/2003 1) Jayyous Women's March Report2) Gun to My Head, Saved on a Whim, by Radhika in Tulkarem 3) Day Off, by Ben J. in Jenin 4) Words Leave My Heart Dry, by Laura G in Rafah Rafah movie and Jayyous photos now online International Solidarity Movement 10/25/2003 Links to Lisa Nessan's photographs of Jayyous and Palestine and "ISM Rafah - Solidarity Under Occupation", a twenty-minute documentary about ISM's work and life under occupation in Rafah.

Economy..

Strikers hang up on Sharon Al-Jazeera 10/27/2003 Israeli civil servants are refusing to transfer telephone calls to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office as part of ongoing strike action against the governments budget cuts. Union leader Yaakov Seltzer, head of the employees union told news agencies that Sharon might have to bring his own sandwiches to work, since members were taking strike action. Unions had been angered by budget cuts announced by Sharon, enabling the Israeli government to take control of pension funds. No progress in Histadrut-Finance Ministry talks Globes 10/27/2003 They will meet again on Wednesday. The Ministry of Finance rejected the Histadrut's key demands out of hand. -- The Ministry of Finance-Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) meeting today to try to prevent a general strike ended without results. The parties agreed to meet again on Wednesday. The Histadrut team, lead by chairman MK Amir Perez, submitted three key demands that must be fulfilled for the strike to be called off. “Yediot Ahronot”: Every third child in Israel below poverty line Globes 10/27/2003 The figures were included in the National Insurance Institute’s 2002 annual report on poverty, to be published next month. -- The “Yediot Ahronot” Hebrew daily reports that tens of thousands of children have joined the ranks of the poor, and are suffering from malnutrition, inadequate clothing, and a lack of textbooks. The National Insurance Institute said that the number of poor children in Israel had reached 600,000 for the first time, signaling that almost every third child in Israel was below the poverty line. The number of poor families has jumped to 350,000, compared with 319,000 in the preceding year. The number of poor people now stands at 1.3 million, compared with 1.1 million in the preceding year. Workers step up sanctions; general strike looms larger Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut labor federation chairman Amir Peretz will hold their third meeting of the last five days today, in an effort to prevent a general public-sector strike, even as the civil servants, who are already on strike, significantly ramp up their sanctions. Among other measures, the civil servants decided that as of today, they will no longer provide computer services to the Finance Ministry, enforce value-added tax collection, transfer telephone calls to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, renew gun permits, even for professional security companies, or transfer any funds from the Interior Ministry to local authorities, other than those needed to pay workers' salaries. IDF civilian workers declare labor dispute Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The Israel Defense Forces' 9,000 civilian employees declared a workdispute yesterday, raising the possibility of the first strike by IDFworkers since the establishment of the state. By law, workers are allowed to begin sanctions two weeks after the declaration of a work dispute....In a prelude to the planned sanctions, some 400 employees of the IDF'srehabilitation center at Tzrifin burst yesterday into a meeting whereofficers were discussing the merger of the Tzrifin and Tel Hashomer centers and disrupted it until it broke up. Mortgage arrears up 23% in 12 months Globes 10/27/2003 Total arrears reached NIS 3.2 billion at the beginning of September.-- The cumulative payment arrears by mortgage bank borrowers has risen 23% within a year, reaching NIS 3.2 billion at the beginning of September, indicating that the residential construction crisis is continuing. The payment arrears constitute 2% of total credit to the public. Bank of Israel cuts lending rate for November by 0.5% Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 Bank of Israel Governor David Klein on Monday announced a 0.5 percent cut in nominal Bank of Israel lending rates for November. The cut reduces nominal lending rates to 5.6 percent, the lowest level since May 2002. In the last 11 months, the central bank has reduced the rates on its sources nine times, accruing to a cut of 3.5 percent. For October, Klein had lowered the nominal rate by 0.4 percent. With Monday's move, he has slightly stepped up the pace of rate cuts, as expected in view of the decline in consumer prices.

People..

Muslims in Israel, PA begin fast of Ramadan Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The Ramadan fast month began yesterday in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as in Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, after the new moon was sighted in those countries. The Muslim fast will begin in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf countries only today. The signs of the times were evident in the territories, where preparations for the fast were minimal and fewer shoppers were seen than in previous years. Members of the chambers of commerce in the territories said that most people did not have the money to spend on hosting large numbers of visitors as was customary during the fast month. Israeli Writer Living in Palestine Offers Insights on Suicide Bombers Daily Californian 10/27/2003 The only Jewish-Israeli journalist living in the Palestinian territories mesmerized a packed auditorium on campus Thursday night, dispelling widespread images that all Palestinians families see suicide bombers as martyrs. Amira Hass pulled together an amalgam of stories from the families of Palestinian suicide bombers she had encountered, weaving a tale of a rising phenomenon spawned by years of desperation that has deeply divided people across the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “The moment of explosion is the moment of omnipotence for these people,” Hass said. Project Humanity: Sending Love and Relief to Children in Palestine Palestine Chronicle 10/27/2003 DALLAS/SEATTLE - The Palestine Chronicle is teaming up efforts with the staff at KinderUSA, (www.kinderusa.org) one of the most reputable US charities working in Palestine, to launch a month long fundraising effort, titled: “Project Humanity: Sending Love and Relief to the Children in Palestine”. During this month, we are aiming to raise $20,000.00, to provide food and other basic necessities to needy families during Ramadan. In referring to the ongoing anguish endured by Palestinians, Dr. Riad Abdelkarim chairman of KinderUSA said, “We must not only consider the humanitarian consequences of this devastation, but also the psychological affect it is having on the children. Our children are our greatest assets and KinderUSA has made a commitment to do all within our means to enable these innocent children to survive.” Son of Rehavam Ze'evi blasts Sharon for failing to lay hands on father's assassins Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 The son of assassinated cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi yesterday attacked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for failing to apprehend his father's murderers. Speaking at the memorial service on the second anniversary of his father's death, Palmach Ze'evi declared that "the murderers are smoking cigars and having fun 30 minutes from Jerusalem." Turning to Sharon, he added: "You promised two years ago that you would leave no stone unturned," and said that Sharon no longer had any deterrent power. From Bethlehem, via Bilbao and Saint Denis, to Mombay: Material and Practical Modes for Internationalising and Globalising the Palestinian Struggle Alternative Information Center 10/28/2003 A Middle East without Wars and Oppression is Possible: an International Seminar on the Palestinian Struggle and Globalization" PART I: Evaluation of the Political Seminar Organized by the Alternative Information Center (AIC), Bethlehem City, Friday-Sunday 29-31 August 2003: Attended by 290 individuals from 17 countries, the AIC's Political Seminar was an exceptional success in almost all respects. The end product turned out as such as a direct result of many months of outstanding personal and collective work of staff members, activists, and volunteers linked to the AIC collective.

International..

Oxford Univ. suspends academic who rejected an Israeli's job application Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 LONDON - An Oxford University professor who refused to hire an Israeli grad student because of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians has been suspended without pay for two months, the university said Monday. In a statement, the university said the suspension of Nuffield Professor of Pathology Andrew Wilkie "reflects that there can be no place for any form of discrimination within the University of Oxford other than on the grounds of merit." Dutch Documentary Exposes Bias Towards Israel Palestine Chronicle 10/27/2003 The HAGUE - The clear and long-established forms of bias towards Israel in the Netherlands' politics and media was exposed in a rare documentary aired by the Dutch TV. Admitting close links between the two countries, a number of prominent politicians, media specialists and activists gave testimonies to the role played by the Jewish community to serve Israel's interests in the European country. Jerusalem Summit Aims to Alter Ideas on Middle East Peace Crosswalk.com 10/17/2003 Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - President Bush's 'road map' to an Israeli-Palestinian peace is just as dead as the many other peace plans the U.S. has sponsored over the last decade -- primarily because it was based on the wrong values, Israeli and American conservatives said this week....Palestinian schoolbooks and rhetoric must be changed and the Palestinians must admit that they have "lost the war," Pipes said. "There can be no diplomacy until there is what I call a Palestinian change of heart." Libya ends 24-hour isolation Al-Jazeera 10/27/2003 Libya has restored international telephone links and reopened its ports after isolating itself for 24 hours to mourn thousands who were deported during the Italian occupation and never returned. On Sunday, flags flew at half mast, black banners hung from public buildings and civil servants wore black armbands, while state television broadcast only in black and white. In the schools, teachers began the day with a speech reminding pupils of the "drama of their grandparents." Both airports and sea ports were closed, but have since reopened. No role for women in Saudi council Al-Jazeera 10/26/2003 Saudi Arabia has quashed hopes that women could be elected to its shura (consultative) council. Saleh bin Humaid, the council's speaker, said talk of women members was premature after suggestions by an Austrian official that women could enter the 120-member council. Bin Humaid "told me that the issue of women joining (the council) was on the table but that the mechanisms that would ensure the success of this move are still under discussion," Andreas Khol told the daily al-Riyadh on Sunday. But al-Madina newspaper quoted bin Humaid on Monday as saying "this is groundless, and what was attributed to the (Austrian) guest was the result of a mistake in translation because the issue was not brought up in the first place". Aoun warrant raises doubt over judicial integrity Daily Star 10/27/2003 The arrest warrant issued Friday against former Army Commander General Michel Aoun triggered a series of reactions over the weekend and left many pondering the [Lebanese] judiciary’s integrity. In a telephone interview from Paris, where Aoun is in exile, he lamented the condition of the judiciary. “The whole state has fallen with the fall of the judiciary,” he told The Daily Star. Saudis Agree to Expand US Defense Ties Middle East Newsline 10/26/2003 WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Saudi Arabia is said to have agreed to expand defense and military cooperation with the United States in what could pave the way for major U.S. weapons sales to the Arabian kingdom. U.S. officials said Saudi Arabia has agreed to the expanded cooperation after more than two years of deteriorating defense and military ties accelerated by the Sept. 11, 2001 Al Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. Bill Would Tighten Sanctions on Iran, Libya Middle East Newsline 10/26/2003 WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Congress will examine legislation that will tighten sanctions on Iran and Libya. Under the bill sponsored by House subcommittee chairman on the Middle East and Central Asia, many of the exemptions and waivers on the ban of energy investment in Iran and Libya would be eliminated. The bill by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen seeks to penalize companies that invest $20 million or more in Iran and Libya under the 1996 Iran-Libya Sanctions Act Enhancement and Compliance Act, also known as ILSA. U.S. Senate targets Malaysia over Mahathir comments Ha'aretz 10/27/2003 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Monday placed restrictions on some U.S. aid to Malaysia to show its displeasure over Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's recent assertions that Jews control the world by proxy. The Senate unanimously agreed to condition $1.2 million in military training assistance to Malaysia on a determination by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that the country supports and promotes religious freedom, including for Jews. Bush Seen Bound To Lose Jewish Vote in Next Elections An Nahar 10/27/2003 With the presidential election year round the corner, U.S. President George W. Bush's chances of a re-election are diminishing, partly because Jews have learned not to trust a second-term president, irrespective of the sympathy he might have shown them the first time around, An Nahar's analyst, Wafic Ramadan wrote Sunday. U.S. Muslim Groups Consider Boycotting Bush Iftar Islam Online 10/27/2003 WASHINGTON, October 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. Muslim organizations are considering to boycott an annual White House Iftar in protest at President George W. Bush's internal and foreign policies. The boycott calls are sponsored by four small Muslim organizations, including Project Islamic H.O.P.E, and Muslim Electorate's Council of America. "If we attend the dinner, this will be used to validate all for President George W. Bush's policy at home and abroad, which the best words to describe are harmful and disastrous," Rashad Ali, of the Project Islamic, told IslamOnline.net Monday, October 27. 'Smart stamps' next in war on terrorism Washington Times 10/26/2003 Sending an anonymous love letter or an angry note to your congressman? The U.S. Postal Service will soon know who you are. Beginning with bulk or commercial mail, the Postal Service will require "enhanced sender identification" for all discount-rate mailings, according to the notice published in the Oct. 21 Federal Register. The purpose of identifying senders is to provide a more efficient tracking system, but more importantly, to "facilitate investigations into the origin of suspicious mail."...But what has privacy advocates concerned is a report by a presidential commission that recommends the post office develop technology to identify all individual senders, which is directly referenced in the Federal Register notice. The proposed regulations are open for public comment through Nov. 20 to the Postal Service.

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