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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Wounds 12 Palestinians and Two Peace Activists, Attacks Journalists International Press Center 11/5/2003 NABLUS, November 5, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) have invaded the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus City, shot and wounded 14 citizens, including two international peace activists and six children. IPC correspondent said that large forces of Israeli troops and vehicles besieged the refugee camp early on Monday, and started opening heavy indiscriminate fire towards the citizens' houses. Heavy confrontations were reported between the Palestinian inhabitants of the camp and the Israeli troops, who fired rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters....Meanwhile, the Israeli attacks on journalists in the Palestinian territories continued, as IOF troops invading the Balata refugee camp ordered two journalists, Naser Eshtayeh and Abdel Rahman Khbeisa, both working for the Associated Press news agency, to place their armored agency car as a shield between them and the Palestinians confronting the soldiers....In Hebron governorate, IOF arrested seven Palestinian citizens in the city of Hebron and nearby town of Beit Kahel. Palestinian Resistance Activist Killed , Israeli Troops Wound Several Civilians, Jewish Settlers Take over Lands International Press Center 11/4/2003 PALESTINE, November 4, 2003 (IPC+ Agencies)-- Sobaih Abu S’aud, 18, of the West Bank city of Nablus, has been killed Monday, after having been attempted to carry out a resistance operation against Israeli soldiers stationed at the military checkpoint of near the Azoun area of Nablus, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades statement, reported by Aljazeera.net, said.... Concurrently, Israeli occupying forces (IOF), continued over the past 24 hours, opening fire on Palestinian civilians and attacking residential buildings...Meanwhile, two Palestinain civilians have been wounded in Tulkarem city and two others in Jenin in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses in both cities said that the injuries took place after Israeli tanks and armored vehicles, under a barrage of heavy gun fire, incurred yesterday into some parts of the Tulkarem and Jenin. In the meantime, an Israeli occupying force, accompanied by a bulldozer, broke yesterday into the West Bank city of Qalqilia and detonated a Palestinain-owned house then bulldozed it completely, WAFA reported. Jewish settlers destroy olive groves Al-Jazeera 11/5/2003 Jewish settlers have gone on a rampage in occupied West Bank towns and villages, hacking down hundreds of olive orchards just as they were about to be harvested. Settlers uprooted, chopped and burned trees overnight in the villages of Sawia, Beta, Yitma, Bait Furik, Hawwara and Tal, said Palestinian witnesses on Wednesday. One witness said Israeli soldiers in Tal, about six kilometres southwest of Nablus, fired into orchards, sparking a fire and leaving 200 trees charred. Israeli troops shoot peace activist Al-Jazeera 11/5/2003 Israeli occupation soldiers have invaded the Balata refugee camp near Nablus and fired rubber bullets at international peace activists and also injured six children. A Swedish peace activist told Aljazeera.net that she was hit by a rubber bullet as she stood by the side of a road recording the activities of the army. Ulrika Andersson, 25, said that she had been speaking to a soldier a few minutes before being shot. Israel destroys US-built wells The Independent 11/5/2003 The US has reportedly complained after the Israeli army destroyed wells built for civilians in Gaza by an American government aid agency. Huge areas have been demolished by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, including more than 150 homes. The wells had just been dug by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). A few months ago the agency announced a $20m (£12m) project to rebuild infrastructure including roads, electricity supply lines and sewers in the occupied territories. The agency was reporting good progress. But its workers were dismayed when they turned up to finish the wells and found that their work had been destroyed. A source at the American embassy said that when USAid complained, the Israelis told them that they demolished the wells because Palestinian militants had been hiding in them. IDF conducts exercise on northern border Jerusalem Post 11/5/2003 IDF forces are holding maneuvers in the Har Dov region on the Lebanese border. Explosions will be heard throughout the day in the region. Meanwhile, the Syrian Government Spokesperson said in an newspaper interview Wednesday morning that Syria would not "sit idly by should Israel attack targets in Syria once again." "We have a legitimate right to defend ourselves using any means possible," she said, and demanded once again that the US vacate Iraq, since it is causing terrorism. Occupation forces wound four Palestinians in Rafah Palestinian Information Center 11/4/2003 Rafah - Zionist occupation troops continued their systematic terrorism in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah wounding four Palestinian civilians at dawn today half of them little kids. The general security department in the Strip said that soldiers stationed at Tal Al-Sultan fired at civilian houses to the west of Rafah at dawn today wounding the 11 years old boy Mohammed Jamal Klob in the thigh and the citizen Mustafa Salem Abu Shallouf in the head. Zionists use intensive teargas in attacking worshippers Palestinian Information Center 11/5/2003 Nablus - Zionist occupation forces last night fired intensive teargas canisters at Palestinian worshippers in the Ebadurahman Mosque in the Balata refugee camp to the east of Nablus. Eyewitnesses said that the Mosque was full with Muslims offering evening prayers when teargas canisters fell inside it causing panic among the worshippers. They said that more than 30 of the worshippers fainted as several ambulance cars rushed to the vicinity to evacuate the fainted worshippers to various Nablus hospitals. Soldiers can shoot Gazans spying on Netzarim Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Soldiers stationed near the Gaza settlement of Netzarim may shoot to kill if they spot a Palestinian observing Israel Defense Forces activity via binoculars, according to new rules of engagement recently issued by the IDF for that area. The new rules are apparently a response to the attack on Netzarim two weeks ago, in which three IDF soldiers, including two women, were killed. The subsequent investigation revealed that the two terrorists, one each from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, had conducted lengthy observations of IDF activity in the area before the attack. Defense seeking NIS 200m. more to protect settlements Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The defense establishment recently asked the Finance Ministry to add hundreds of millions of shekels to its budget for next year in order to fortify certain settlements. Since the Knesset is expected to approve both the 2004 budget and the accompanying Economic Arrangements Bill in first reading this afternoon, any such funds would presumably have to be added during the committee debates on the budget prior to its final reading....While "defensive measures" can include simple items such as bulletproof cars for local security officers, the defense establishment's goal for the extra funds it is requesting is far more ambitious. It wants to create "special security zones" around certain settlements, which Palestinians would be forbidden to enter. Arms sales to Israel breach guidelines The Guardian 11/5/2003 Government turning blind eye to human rights abuses -- Large quantities of British arms and internal security equipment are being sold to Israel despite the government's public criticism of the country's human rights record and growing violence there, the Guardian can reveal. Export licences for weapons are being cleared even though Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, has admitted that Israel has breached assurances that British equipment would not be used in the occupied territories. Exports approved by the government this year cover categories including leg-irons, electric shock belts and chemical and biological agents such as tear gas. They also include categories covering mortars, rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, military explosives, and infrared and radar sensors. Molotov cocktails hurled at bus on J'lem-Hebron road Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Palestinians hurled two Molotov cocktails at an Egged bus travelling on the Jerusalem-Hebron road on Wednesday, causing no injuries. The bus was only slightly damaged and continued travelling to its destination. Also Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces troops found a weapons cache containing mortars, M16 rifles and bullets in an olive grove in West bank city of Hebron. Lack of jail space curtails IDF arrests Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 During the last week, the IDF Central Command has sharply reduced arrests in the West Bank, limiting operations to stopping "ticking bombs," because it has run out of jail space to hold detainees, to the dismay of the Shin Bet. Overcrowding is contributing to growing tension among Palestinian security prisoners in detention centers. In recent days only a handful of Palestinian suspects have been arrested and there were no arrests over the weekend. Defense sources told Haaretz that the reason is lack of space in detention centers at the divisional level and army prisons, while the Prison Service's jails are "flooded." Israeli MK Calls to Destroying Palestinian Radio Stations International Press Center 11/4/2003 TEL AVIV, November 4, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- An Israeli Knesset member suggested yesterday to destroy all the Palestinian radio stations, and giving their frequencies to Israeli pirate stations instead. Arieh Eldad, Knesset member from the rightist "Ha-ichud Ha-leumi" (the National Union) party, presented on Monday a proposition to the Knesset's agenda that Israel demolish Palestinian radio stations, take their broadcasting equipment and give their air frequencies to Israeli stations. Eldad also proposed giving the frequencies to the extremist "Arutz 7" (channel 7), a former pirate station run by Jewish settlers, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported. Palestinian resistance attacks Zionist outpost Palestinian Information Center 11/5/2003 Tulkarm - Palestinian resistance fighters last night opened machinegun fire at a Zionist army roadblock installed to the southern entrance of the West Bank city of Tulkarm. Zionist soldiers retaliated to the source of fire and an armed clash continued for a few minutes after which the attackers managed to retreat safely from the scene without suffering casualties while the Zionist enemy losses were not declared. Settlers Warn DM against Removing Outposts International Middle East Media Center 11/5/2003 Settlers warned Tuesday Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz against his planned attempt to remove a dozen of settler’s “unauthorized” outposts, saying that it would arm the government relation with the public and would trigger reactions, similar to the ones during earlier attempts. Israeli defense ministry sources reported that Mofaz intends to remove 10 to 20 illegal outposts in the coming few days. Yesha rabbis: Do not damage Palestinians' olive harvest Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The Yesha rabbinical council issued an announcement Wednesday to say that the Palestinians' olive harvest and olive trees must not be damaged, Army Radio reported. The announcement came after reports that settlers had sawed up hundreds of olive trees in the West Bank. The only situation in which destroying the crop is acceptable is in a special case of war, and that can only be decreed by the government, the rabbinical council for the West Bank and Gaza Strip announced. 261 martyrs, 2,500 wounded in Rafah during intifada Palestinian Information Center 11/5/2003 Rafah - A Palestinian report has asked the local and international media to shed light on the suffering of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah in face of the vast Zionist destruction. The Gaza information and data center issued a report a couple of days ago highlighting that the number of martyrs in the city of Rafah since eruption of the Aqsa intifada in late September 2000 till end of October 2003 had reached 261 martyrs including 56 children under 18 years old. Zionist court sentences Palestinian youth to 17 life sentences Palestinian Information Center 11/4/2003 Bethlehem - A Zionist court passed 17 life sentences against the Palestinian youth Mahmoud Sarahna for driving a number of Palestinian commandos into occupied Jerusalem where they carried out their lethal attacks....Relatives of a juvenile in the same camp said that another Zionist court passed two life sentences and 30 years against Ali Yousef Al-Moghrabi, 17, over the same charges. Palestinian shot dead; Report: Hamas ready for truce if Israel stops ''aggression'' against Palestinians Al-Bawaba 11/4/2003 Israeli troops who entered the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus killed a Palesinian, Israeli security sources said on Tuesday. According to Israeli reports the man was armed. Hamas is prepared to respect a truce if Israel stops its "aggression" against the Palestinians and if the deal is backed by international guarantees, a leader of the Movement was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Diplomacy..

Israel Eases West Bank Restrictions The Scotsman 11/5/2003 In a gesture to the new Palestinian Prime Minister, Israel has started to ease West Bank travel restrictions and officials were discussing the removal of unauthorised settlements. But Palestinians said little had changed on the ground and that Israel had even confiscated some Palestinian land in the West Bank. In other developments, a meeting of Palestinian officials failed to resolve a stalemate between Premier Ahmed Qureia and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Their dispute, over the appointment of a security chief, has prevented Qureia from forming a new government and resuming dormant peace talks with Israel. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon returned home from Russia today after expressing hope in a new Palestinian government. PA forces cooperate with Shin Bet Ha'aretz 11/4/2003 Despite the collapse of the Mahmoud Abbas government and the highly public lack of open communication between the Palestinian Authority and Israeli officials, for the last few months there has been growing cooperation between Palestinian security services and the Shin Bet in preventing terrorism inside Israel. The cooperation also has apparently led to the elimination of key Islamic Jihad and Hamas operatives. Security Cooperation Paves Way to Political Talks International Middle East Media Center 11/4/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei is racing against time to form a new government, arrive at an agreement with President Yasser Arafat on the interior portfolio, and go ahead with talks around his cease-fire proposal. Hassan Abu Libdeh, the director of Qurei's office, said the prime minister wanted his Interior Ministry to have strong security credentials, as his first order of business was to try to get militants to agree to a truce with Israel. Gov't eases boycott of envoys who meet Arafat Jerusalem Post 11/5/2003 Foreign Ministry Director-General Yoav Biran is expected to meet European Union special envoy Marc Otte on Thursday, signifying the beginning of a thaw in the government's policy of shunning diplomats who meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Otte, who was appointed in July, has been unable to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, or top Foreign Ministry staffers, because of a meeting with Arafat early last month. Diplomatic officials said they have recently received hints from Brussels that if the top leadership refuses to receive Otte, the EU will either take reciprocal action against Israeli diplomats or take other sanctions. Cease-fire is Priority of New Palestinian Government: FM Shaath Palestine Media Center 11/4/2003 IOF Tighten Siege on Tulkarem, Nablus -- The Palestine National Authority (PNA) on Monday confirmed that the new Palestinian government’s priority was to work out a ceasefire with the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) as these forces tightened their siege of the northern West Bank cities and refugee camps of Tulkarem and Nablus. The new government, which is expected to be take office next week under prime minister Ahmad Qurei, “will launch immediately into discussions with the Israelis to obtain a strong and lasting ceasefire,” Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Sha’ath said Monday in Madrid after a four-day meeting with Palestinian ambassadors in Europe, the first of its kind in 10 years. Refugee institutions in Gaza demand penalizing Palestinian signatories of “Switzerland document Palestinian Information Center 11/5/2003 Gaza - Institutions representing Palestinian refugees in various Gaza Strip districts have said that Palestinian signatories to the so-called “Switzerland document” should be brought to account. The institutions said that they would ask the legislative and national institutions employing those signatories to penalize them for the harm done to the national cause of refugees. Ramzi Rabah, refugees affairs researcher and member of the preparatory committee for the national congregation defending the right of return, said that his committee and the refugees’ popular committees were planning a nation-wide campaign within the few coming days against the “Switzerland document”. Israel and Russia at odds over Arafat Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Differences of opinion emerged between Israel and Russia over Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov yesterday. Ivanov complained that Israel is shunning the Russian envoy in the region because he meets with Arafat. Russia Snubs Sharon’s Roadmap Appeal Islam Online 11/4/2003 MOSCOW, November 4 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Russia rebuffed Tuesday, November 4, an appeal by visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to scrap its efforts to turn the internationally-endorsed roadmap blueprint into a binding U.N. resolution or brand Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups as terrorist. Israeli officials said Sharon met only cautious understanding but no compliance during talks of Russian officials including a three-hour meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin Monday, November 3. Israel to Conclude Swap Talks with Hizbullah: Cabinet Votes Sunday An Nahar 11/5/2003 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will ask his Cabinet next week to approve a deal to swap prisoners with Hizbullah, signaling that months of negotiations could be coming to an end, his office said Wednesday. The Cabinet will be asked to approve the deal at its meeting on Sunday, the statement said. Germany has been mediating the Israel-Hizbullah talks for several months, but a breakthrough occurred in the summer. Since then, the emerging deal has been shrouded by speculation, uncertainty and controversy. PM to present prisoner swap details for cabinet okay Sunday Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will Sunday ask his cabinet to approve the details of an emerging prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah, signaling that months of negotiations mediated by Germany could be coming to an end, his office said Wednesday. The actual deal has not been finalized, and the cabinet will only approve the principles of the Israeli proposal. Prisoner swap highlights German role Daily Star 11/5/2003 Close bonds with israel are balanced by trust on arab side - Federal Republic, perhaps surprisingly, is a natural candidate for mediator -- In 2001 when German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer got Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres to agree to a meeting in Berlin, not only the EU Commission perceived it as a great paradox that out of all nations the Germans were now trying to become peace brokers in the Middle East conflict. It could have been Germany’s first step to take on a more important role in the region ­ if the meeting had taken place. But other powers were not amused. U.S. experts doubt need for airport fence Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The American experts who examined the planned route of the separation fence near the settlement of Beit Aryeh were not convinced by Israel's claim that this route is necessary to protect flights landing at Ben-Gurion Airport from an assault by a shoulder-launched missile. According to reports received from Washington, the experts' findings are likely to result in an administration request to Congress over the next few days to deduct at least part of the costs of building this portion of the fence from U.S. loan guarantees to Israel. U.S. Places Syria's Departure from Lebanon on its Mideast Priorities An Nahar 11/5/2003 John Negroponte, Washington's ambassador to the United Nations, has assured a delegation of Lebanese expatriates that the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon has been added to the U.S. list of priorities to end tensions in the Middle East, An Nahar reported on Tuesday. An Nahar's Paris correspondent, Pierre Atallah, said Negroponte's assertion was made in response to a petition handed recently by the immigrants who visited him in New York. U.S. Ambassador to Syria Wants Lebanon's Occupation Ended An Nahar 11/5/2003 The U.S. newly designated ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, says Syria has not taken positive steps to end its "occupation" of Lebanon, stop supporting terrorists and discontinue its quest for acquiring mass destruction weapons. That was the gist of Scobey's testimony she made in Washington on Tuesday before the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate, which is expected to endorse her appointment sometime Wednesday. Israeli cabinet set to approve prisoner swap deal with Hizbullah Al-Bawaba 11/5/2003 Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will Sunday ask his cabinet ministers to approve the details of an emerging deal to prisoner swap deal with Hizbullah, indicating that months of negotiations mediated by Germany could be coming to an end, Sharon's office said Wednesday. UN Committee Debates Nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East United Nations 11/3/2003 Four Resolutions Recommended to General Assembly; Others Address Middle East, Environmental Norms, Small Arms Traffic -- Background:When the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this afternoon to continue its third and final phase of work, namely, action on all draft resolutions and decisions, it had before it texts related to nuclear weapons; conventional weapons; and other disarmament measures. Expected to be acted on under cluster 1, which concerns nuclear weapons, are three draft resolutions dealing with the following topics:a conference of States parties and signatories of nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties; the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East; and nuclear disarmament. Kissinger: Sharon could make 'astonishing' concessions Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger said in remarks broadcast Wednesday that he was quite optimistic that the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock can be broken, and that despite Israel's "tactical stiffness," past experience has shown that even Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would make "astonishing" concessions if there were an opportunity for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The former American foreign policy chief said that if some positions are changed, "especially on the Arab side," progress will be made in the current period. World Bank freezes visits over B-G flap Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The World Bank has temporarily frozen delegations to Israel because of a flap at Ben-Gurion International Airport between one of its officials and a security officer. According to foreign sources, a World Bank official arrived at the airport last Tuesday after a visit to Israel and the territories over the previous few days. The official, who carries a UN diplomatic passport, which grants their carriers free passage through border controls, was held up for more than an hour. Israel Seen Planning Sudden Withdrawal from Shabaa Farms An Nahar 11/5/2003 Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was quoted on Tuesday as saying there are "reports from European sources" that Israel has begun erecting a security wall separating the Shabaa farms from the rest of the Galilee panhandle opposite South Lebanon. "These reports could not be confirmed, yet," Nasrallah said in an interview splashed by Premier Hariri's Al Mustaqbal newspaper. "At any rate, they are certainly designed to strip Hizbullah's resistance from justifications." Palestinian resettlement plan ripped Daily Star 11/5/2003 Lahoud: us-based proposal would have ‘catastrophic consequences’ -- A proposal recently put forward by a Florida congresswoman to resettle Palestinian refugees in host countries and to compensate Jews who migrated to Israel was condemned on Tuesday by several officials and politicians. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen had called on the United Nations to prepare the necessary studies for such a plan and urged the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which takes care of Palestinian refugees, to “start making arrangements for the Palestinian resettlement.” She also said that the Jews of Arab countries who went to Israel fleeing terror attacks, should be compensated. Russia unmoved by Israeli pressure: Nuclear cooperation with Iran to continue Al-Bawaba 11/5/2003 Russia declared on Wednesday that it was against politicizing Iran's nuclear program and that it did not plan to end its atomic cooperation with Tehran. The Russian Foreign Ministry website on the Internet quoted the deputy of the permanent Russian envoy to UN, as saying that "too much political propaganda is underway on Iran's nuclear program." Speaking at the UN General Assembly, the Russian official hoped that Iran's nuclear activities would soon be listed among the usual activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Egyptian FM ridicules reports about Israeli plan to build alternative to Suez Canal Al-Bawaba 11/5/2003 Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher was quoted as saying on Wednesday that press reports over Israel's plans to build a canal linking the Aqaba Bay with the Mediterranean as an alternative to the Suez Canal were a mere "illusion." Israeli Pipeline to Move Russian Oil The Guardian 11/5/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Russian oil will begin flowing through an Israeli pipeline in late November, the pipeline's director said Wednesday, signaling a new chapter in rapidly improving relations with Moscow. The announcement came on the same day Prime Minister Ariel Sharon returned from a three day visit to Moscow, where he discussed political and trade ties, and the Middle East peace process with President Vladimir Putin. The Russian oil will move through the Eilat-Ashkelon Oil Pipeline Co., according to its director, Emmanuel Sakal. He said the oil was earmarked for markets in the Far East, a major focus of Russia's developing export strategy. Palestinian lawmaker: Israeli, PA officials to hold truce talks in Egypt Al-Bawaba 11/5/2003 A top Palestinian official, speaking to Al Bawaba, on Wednesday expected Israeli and Palestinian officials will resume US-endorsed negotiations in Egypt over a new truce. Hatem Abdel Qader – a Fatah representative and a PLC member – said Wednesday , “there are serious discussions going on, backed by the US and led by the head of the Egyptian intelligence – Omar Suleiman – over the possibility of a meeting that is scheduled to take place with both sides in the upcoming days.” Israel says blockades on Palestinian cities eased, wants to resume talks with PA Al-Bawaba 11/5/2003 The Israeli Army announced Wednesday that it had relaxed the blockades on Palestinian cities with the exception of Nablus and Jenin. It said that Palestinian public transportation service would also be expanded, and that a limited number of permits would be issued for travel in private cars....Also on Wednesday, Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel was better prepared to foster diplomatic progress with the new government of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei than it had been with that of former premier Mahmoud Abbas, and that it had plans to quickly and smoothly make concessions to foster renewal of peace talks. Israeli anger as relations hit new low EU Observer 11/3/2003 EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Israeli government has reacted angrily to an EU sponsored poll which labelled the country the biggest threat to world peace. In an exclusive interview, the Israeli Ambassador to the EU, Oded Eran, told the EUobserver that the affair "questions the ability of Europe to play a legitimate role in the [Middle East] peace process". The poll, which was conducted last month, asked 7515 Europeans which country posed the biggest threat to world peace. Israel came top of a list of 15 which included Iran, North Korea, the US and the EU itself. The Israeli government has been angered by the way the question was posed, which Mr Eran described as "guiding". Strong Support Expressed for Palestine Refugee Agency as Fourth Cmttee Continues Discussion of Annual Report United Nations 11/3/2003 Speakers expressed their strong support for the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and called for the lifting of the financial and logistical obstacles that hindered its work in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, as it continued its consideration of the Agency's annual report.The representative of Malaysia highlighted the UNRWA's efforts to provide education, health and social services to the refugees and to improve their socio-economic conditions.Its operations, he continued, were more crucial than ever for addressing the mounting humanitarian crisis among the Palestinians and the international community should remain committed to providing vital support for the Agency, so that it could fulfil its mandate. Mofaz, pilots to Texas for unveiling of new F-16 I fighter Jerusalem Post 11/5/2003 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz flies to Washington next week for key meetings with top US officials. Mofaz was to have visited Washington in September but that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked him to postpone the trip following the suicide bombings in Jerusalem's Cafe Hillel and army bus stop in Tzrifin. It was rescheduled so that the defense chief can participate in the rollout ceremony for the first new F-16 I fighter jet that aerospace giant Lockheed Martin will deliver next week in Texas.

Human Rights..

Palestinian Orphans Left Out In Ramadan Islam Online 11/5/2003 GAZA CITY, November 5 (IslamOnline.net) – As the holy fasting month of Ramadan enters its 11th day in the occupied Palestinian territories, thousands of orphans continue to bear the brunt of the Palestinian Authority (PA) decision to freeze the assets of charities and NGOs. Deprived of the charities' aid and money that were supporting them during hard times, the mothers of Palestinian orphans can neither provide for their children nor meet their demands during Ramadan. The PA froze on August 28 the assets of some 18 charities under the pretext of having links with Palestinian resistance movements. The move came days after U.S. President George Bush froze the assets of five pro-Palestinians charities abroad, depriving Palestinian orphans of their much-needed aid. UN Accuses Israel of Annexation by Stealth Palestine Monitor/The Telegraph 11/3/2003 A hard-hitting United Nations report has warned that Israel will effectively annex large tracts of Palestinian territory by ordering thousands of Arabs living near the new security wall to apply for a permit to stay in their homes. The wall has been built inside the internationally recognised Green Line, encroaching on about 18,000 acres of Palestinian land and cutting them off from the rest of the West Bank. They have now been declared a "closed military zone"..."The prohibitive effect of the permit system raises serious concerns of effectively causing thousands of Palestinians to leave these areas," said the report by the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "These areas would be effectively annexed to Israel." World Campaign Staged Against Israel's 'Apartheid Wall' Islam Online 11/5/2003 CAIRO, November 5 (IslamOnline.net) - A campaign against the Israeli separation wall marked Saturday, November 9, as the international day against the barrier, largely criticized across the world for snaking through Palestinian territories. Special activities marking the day, the same marking the anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989, will be held in cities in Europe, Canada, the United States, Latin America and Australia, the organizers of the Grassroots Palestinian anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign said on its website. Israeli coalition formed against the separation wall Alternative Information Center 11/4/2003 A coalition of Israeli organisations, movements and individuals has been formed to act against the separation wall being built by the Israeli government. The coalition calls for an immediate cessation of building of the wall and an end to the occupation. A website (Hebrew-language only) has been created at: www.gader.org which includes information on the wall aimed at the Israeli public, a petition and list of coming coalition activities. Israel Detains Wives To Get "Wanted Husbands" Palestine Media Center 11/4/2003 NABLUS, November 4 (IslamOnline.net) - Israeli occupation forces have adopted a new tactic in detaining what they call " Palestinian suspects", based on detaining their wives to get them to surrender in return for releasing their women, IslamOnline.net was told by Palestinian wives. Tamam Abdel Wahid, wife of Anad Salah El-Refae, who is one of those wanted by the occupation forces, told IOL her detention story when Israeli soldiers broke into her house and arrested her on October 25. Nablus: Israeli Occupation Forces Attack Three Palestinian Medical Relief Ambulances Palestine Monitor/Palestinian Medical Relief Society 10/30/2003 At 9.30 am, an ambulance containing two Palestinian health workers and two International health workers, was delayed by the Israeli occupation forces for one hour. The soldiers searched the vehicle and threw out all medical supplies and equipment. Severe damage was caused to the equipment as well as to the ambulance itself. The soldiers also physically and verbally attacked the health workers. No reason was given for the attack. At 10.30 am, another Palestinian Medical Relief ambulance was also stopped at the Zaartara checkpoint. Again, all medical equipment and supplies were thrown out of the ambulance, whilst staff were physically and verbally abused. Similar to the first incident, despite being held for an hour, no reason was given for the attack. Award of peace prize to Palestinian activist divides Sydney The Independent 11/5/2003 The Palestinian activist Hanan Ashrawi will address a Sydney audience tonight on the subject of Middle East peace, with the city deeply divided over a decision to award her its prestigious peace prize. Prominent Australian Jews have deplored the choice of Ms Ashrawi as recipient of a prize that, in the past, has honoured the South African archbishop Desmond Tutu and the former UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson. Lucy Turnbull, Sydney's Lord Mayor, has announced she will boycott tomorrow night's ceremony, despite the city being a principal sponsor. Israeli High Court approves the transfer of Palestinian detainee from Hebron to the Gaza Strip Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 11/5/2003 On Tuesday, 4 November 2003, the Israeli High Court approved the transfer of Kamal Mohammed Hussein Edris from Hebron to the Gaza Strip for a period of 2 years.PCHR received this decision on Wednesday morning, 5 November 2003. This comes after the Israeli High Court issued a temporary decision on 24 October 2003, halting the transfer of 5 Palestinian detainees, including Kamal Mohammed Hussein Edris and Taha Ramadan Dwaik, from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, in response to an appeal submitted on the same day by PCHR and Ad-Dameer Association for Human Rights on behalf of Edris and Dwaik. Israeli refusenik soldier jailed Al-Jazeera 11/5/2003 A reservist Israeli staff sergeant who is refusing army duty on political grounds has been sentenced to military prison for 28 days. Tom Mehager told a military tribunal that he was no longer prepared to participate in the ''harassment'' of Palestinians in villages near the Rimonim checkpoint, northeast of Ram Allah. Mehager, 27, refused to serve at the military outpost close to the Ofra settlement in the West Bank. In an interview from his prison cell, he told Israeli military radio he was no longer prepared to carry out orders which in his opinion had ''no military value''. Urgent action: Palestinian female prisoner Amneh Mounah on 7th day of hunger strike after attack by prisoner guards Alternative Information Center/Addameer 11/5/2003 Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association is gravely concerned for the health of Palestinian female prisoner Amneh Mounah, whohas begun her seventh day of open ended hunger strike, protesting against physical attacks against her and her continued isolation. Addameer’s lawyer, Adv. Mahmoud Hassan, was able to take a full account of the attack against Mounah during a visit on Thursday 30 October 2003, and able to see the physical effects of the attack. Mounah is suffering from extreme pain in her lower back, left hand, and eyes as a result of injuries sustained from the attack. She has to date not received adequate medical attention. Immediate Release Demanded For Youngest Palestinian Political Prisoner After Sexual Assault and Threats of Torture Defence of Chidren International - Palestine 11/1/2003 Rakan, a 12 year old boy from Jericho, was arrested on 29/9/2003 at Container checkpoint in Sawahreh village, close to Qeda settlement while traveling from Bethlehem to Jericho. From this checkpoint he was taken by Israeli soldiers to the police station inside Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Here the soldiers threatened him with electric shocks. Then he was transferred to Atzion detention center near Bethlehem where he was put in solitary confinement for twelve days in a cell measuring 2m2 only. During this period he tried to commit suicide twice. After these 13 days he was moved to Ofer military prison camp where he was sexually assaulted by a soldier and tried to commit suicide for a third and even fourth time. Child Prisoners Briefing, Nov 2003 Defence of Chidren International - Palestine 11/3/2003 Increasing levels of violence and mass arrest campaigns in the West Bank and Gaza Strip continued into October 2003, with little improvement in the situation of child prisoners. The arrest campaigns are usually arbitrary, involving the arrest of tens or hundreds of young men and boys from specific areas or at specific checkpoints. This mass arrest process is intended to terrorize the local population into submission and weed out potential sources of opposition, but involves the repression of thousands of Palestinians. Needless to say, these tactics are forbidden under international human rights law, but are practiced on a daily basis by the Israeli army. Lawyers warn of explosion in Zionist jails Palestinian Information Center 11/5/2003 Bethlehem - Lawyers of the Palestinian prisoner’s club have warned after visits to Palestinian prisoners in a number of Zionist occupation jails of an imminent explosion in those prisons as a result of Zionist harsh measures. The club issued a statement saying that its lawyers visited the Zionist desert prison of Negev (grouping 1,250 prisoners) and the detention centers of Hawwara, Salem and Maskobeh. It said that the common complaint was of the Zionist cruel measures represented in bad quality and quantity of food especially during the current holy fasting month of Ramadan. Brief on the Ramadan popular solidarity campaign with Palestinian prisoners Alternative Information Center 11/4/2003 There is a universal agreement among Palestinian Civil Society organizations that the question of Palestinian prisoners that are jailed in the host of Israeli incarceration facilities has been long neglected on the official level since the beginning of the "peace process." The number of prisoners is increasing on a daily basis. At the present time there are no less than 7,000 Palestinian women and men imprisoned by Israel's occupation authorities. Hundreds among them are under 18 years old. UN agency helping Palestinians says much better financial support needed Electronic Intifada/UNRWA 11/4/2003 Although 60 per cent of the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza fall below the poverty line, aid programmes have had to be cut back drastically because of the low response to appeals for donations, the chief of the main United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees said today. Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), told a news briefing at UN Headquarters in New York that despite a 25 per cent malnutrition rate in Gaza and a rate almost as high in the West Bank, the Agency had had to cut back on food distribution. Invasion of Balata Camp International Solidarity Movement 11/4/2003 Nablus - Danielle - 4 Nov 03 -- Today, the Israeli Army entered the Balata Refugee Camp around 3:30am and began building roadblocks on the southern and eastern entrances to the camp. Throughout the day, the army has shot both live and rubberammunition, tear gas, and sound grenades. The military presence in the camp is made up of three jeeps, one hummer, one armoured bulldozer, and two tanks, although there were eyewitness reports recieved from Huwara cheackpoint of five more tanks entering Nablus. Soldiers have consistently engaged in provacative behavior, taunting groups of rock-throwing, Palestinian youth by driving their vehicles closer to them and then retreating a few dozen meters after attacking with their weapons. Lowdown from Jenin International Solidarity Movement 11/4/2003 Jenin - Ben J - 4 Nov 03 -- Greetings from Jenin!! I am so happy to be back here!! I made it in yesterday afternoon after a 7 hour commute from Jerusalem {should take 90 minutes} along with 3 new people from the training I helped facilitate over the weekend. It took so long because of the .....what’s it called again?.....oh yeah, the completely illegal and immoral Israeli Occupation ofthe beautiful land and people of Palestine. But we made it! We were twice turned away at checkpoints by jaish {soldiers} and finally went off-road, which I suggested from the beginning. So, I have once again snuck into Palestine, and I’m damn proud of it.

Economy..

Palestinians struggle to survive in crippled economy Daily Star 11/5/2003 Military restrictions push half below poverty line - While siege, curfews continue to wreak havoc, UNRWA warns it must cut aid to refugees as donors fail to come through with funds-- RAMALLAH: The Palestinian economy slides daily further into a deep slump that has put over half the population below the poverty line. Stringent Israeli restrictions, curfews and a military siege in the Occupied Territories have contributed heavily to the economic decline, say analysts, and there are no signs of an imminent revival. Up to the end of 2002, the economy had lost over $5 billion, according to the World Bank. The bank says this is equivalent to all the wealth created by Palestinians last year. A recent study by the World Food Program (WFP) voiced fears over the deteriorating humanitarian and economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Average Israeli wage shrinks by 3% in August to NIS 6,968 Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The gross average salary in Israel experienced another fall in August, with a drop of 3 percent from July to rest at NIS 6,968, according to figures released Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. July's gross average salary for Israelis stood at NIS 7,188. When workers from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and overseas are factored in, the average wage falls to NIS 6,864 in August, as opposed to NIS 7,074 in July. Peretz-Netanyahu make no progress Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut Chairman Amir Peretz met yesterday in an attempt to reach a compromise that would end work sanctions at government ministries and lift the threat of a general strike, but to no avail. However, they will meet again today, as they are under orders from National Labor Court President Steve Adler to report back on their progress in his courtroom tomorrow. Manufacturers expect renewed fall in domestic sales, lay-offs - survey Globes 11/5/2003 27% of the respondents plan to reduce their workforce in the fourth quarter. -- Manufacturers expect a renewed fall in domestic sales, more and faster lay-offs, a very modest rise in industrial productivity, higher exports, and a modest increase in investment. These are the results of a preliminary analysis of a manufacturers expectations survey conducted by the Manufacturers Association Economics Branch among 170 manufacturers in September and early October. Central bank sees 2004 deficit below projections Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 The government budget deficit for 2004 will be lower than forecasted, according to Minister in the Finance Ministry, Meir Sheetrit. The deficit target for next year is 4 percent of GDP, or NIS 20 billion, Sheetrit told the Bar-Ilan University Business Forum. The treasury expects economic growth next year, which will lead to increased tax revenues and a lower budget deficit. Protest strikes halt the Jewish state The Guardian 11/4/2003 The Israeli government, banks and trains were halted by a national strike yesterday against plans to revive the economy by curbing welfare state provisions. Early yesterday the labour court limited the strike to four hours, but since it did not say which four hours the unions spread their stoppages throughout the day, causing additional disruptions and confusion. Intense efforts by the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, on the telephone from Moscow, failed to get the strike called off. The labour court blocked an open-ended walkout, ordering further negotiations between the government and the unions, and set a further hearing for Thursday.

People..

Poll reveals dissatisfaction in Arafat performance Sydney Morning Herald 11/5/2003 Many Palestinians are dissatisfied with Yasser Arafat's performance, yet he remains the political personality who commands most confidence, a poll published yesterday found. About 48.6 per cent of people surveyed by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre said they were either somewhat or very dissatisfied with Mr Arafat's performance while 47.2 per cent said that they were satisfied. The rest expressed no opinion. About 61.4 per cent rated the performance of the Palestinian Authority, of which Mr Arafat is president, as bad or very bad while 36.1 per cent said it had either performed well or very well. But despite the negative evaluation of the Palestinian Authority and its 74-year-old president, Mr Arafat remained the political leader in whom the Palestinians place most confidence. Tales of Tel Aviv The Guardian 11/4/2003 In the first of a fortnightly series of columns about everyday Israeli life, Linda Grant has her computer fixed - and gets a lesson in rightwing politics -- A few months ago Ehud, sitting in an Israeli coastal city, managed, with my permission, to take control over my PC in London and fix a software problem....Last week he came to the apartment I have rented in Tel Aviv to connect me to the internet. He arrived with his boss, a friend of mine who told me that Ehud was one of the country's top Microsoft specialists.Ehud turned out to be a tall, rangy guy still dressed in shorts and sandals at the rainy start of the Israeli autumn. Stern, unsmiling, 27 years old. "There are six million people in this country and six million opinions about how to solve our problems," he said. So what are yours? I asked recklessly. Background / Multitalented, and controversial Ha'aretz 11/5/2003 Yossi Ginossar, who recently ceased his business activities for personal reasons, will no doubt be delighted by the decision to close the investigation into those activities. Since December 2002, when the daily Ma'ariv published, in great detail, his extensive business dealings with the Palestinian Authority, his demeanor spoke of a quiet self-confidence in his own propriety. The publications only served to clarify some of the hazier details. For years it was known that Ginossar was close to senior PA officials, especially to Yasser Arafat's economic adviser Mohammed Rashid. Ginossar's flourishing business dealings with Rashid are believed to have netted him millions of dollars. The difficult story of Arabic children’s books Daily Star 11/5/2003 Appealing offerings with colorful, culturally relevant illustrations are hard to find -- Have you ever got frustrated trying to buy a book for your child in Arabic? Beirut’s book stores are full of beautifully illustrated books for children in French, and almost as many in English. But checking the Arabic books sections often ends in disappointment by comparison. Thin paperbacks telling fairytales and historical stories dominate. With their cheap binding and few appealing illustrations, they look very much like schoolbooks. A glance through the book reveals in fact that almost half of it is taken up by questions about the story with blank space for the students to fill in answers. Goodbye Barbie! Hello Razanne! Al-Bawaba 10/23/2003 ...Recently, the Saudi Kingdom's religious police have declared Barbie dolls a threat to morality, complaining that the revealing clothes of the "Jewish" toy - already banned in Saudi Arabia for over a decade - are offensive and insulting to Islam. Goodbye Barbie. Hello Razanne! Instead, an alternative doll, named Razanne has taken Barbie's traditional place and is marketed and sold throughout the United States, Canada, Singapore and Germany and soon will be sold in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Razanne, whose name means Islamic beauty and modesty, makes a pleasant playmate and provides the ideal role model for little Muslim girls. Parents are pleased to have an Islamic alternative to the flashy and provocative Barbie doll.

International..

Prodi reassures US Jewish leaders after poll EU Observer 11/5/2003 The US Jewish Community is going to organise a seminar in Brussels following recent survey results which saw a majority of EU citizens name Israel as the biggest threat to world peace. The results published on Monday, sparked outrage in Israeli government circles and sent the Commission, which organised the poll, into a diplomatic tailspin. European Commission President Romano Prodi had a hastily arranged meeting with representatives from the Anti-Defamation League and the World Jewish Congress, during a visit to New York on Tuesday (4 November). Syria, Lebanon Seal off Illegal Border Crossings at U.S. Behest An Nahar 11/5/2003 Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, backed by Syrian and Lebanese army units, have sealed off more than 50 illegal border crossings dotting the frontier north of Tripoli and along the Hermel mountain range in east Lebanon's Bekaa vall