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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..

Eleven Palestinians killed by IDF fire since Thursday night Ha'aretz 11/8/2003 Eleven Palestinians have been killed by Israel Defense Forces troops in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since Thursday night. Another Palestinian, Ramzi Jarada, 22, died in a Ramallah hospital of wounds sustained in a shooting incident with IDF soldiers two weeks ago. Four Palestinians were killed Saturday in two separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Troops in Jenin shot dead Muhammed Salah, 17, who according to military sources was trying to climb on an armed personnel carrier during riots in the West Bank city. The sources said the man was a member of the Hamas militant group. Mahmud, 10, went looking for songbirds ... and died in hail of bullets The Independent 11/8/2003 Mahmud al-Qayed was out doing what he did every Friday - catching songbirds in cages to sell in the markets of Gaza. But yesterday the remote olive groves where the birds nest led him close to the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. Too close for the soldiers guarding the fence. They shot Mahmud, 10, four times, killing him as he tried to run. The boy's father, Mohammed, was with him, and, at the funeral, he told how he took the bloodstained sweater from his son's dead body, and buried his face in it. Israeli Soldiers Slaughter Five Palestinians Including a Child International Press Center 11/8/2003 JENIN, Palestine, November 8, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) killed noon today five Palestinian citizens including a 14-year-old boy in separated incidents in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian security and medical sources in Jenin City told IPC correspondent that IOF troops opened heavy and indiscriminate fire towards the Palestinian houses in the town of Burqeen, east of Jenin, killing 14-year old Mo'taz Amoudi and wounding three other citizens critically....Meanwhile, in Bethlehem governorate, IOF troops stationed at the military checkpoint at the entrance of the Al Khadr Town detained dozens of Palestinian citizens for several hours, preventing them from reaching the city of Bethlehem....Earlier in the Gaza Strip, the general security directorate stated that two Palestinian citizens were killed by IOF gunfire in the are of Abu Safeya, east of the town of Beit Hanun....In the governorate of Jenin, one Palestinian was murdered and two other children were wounded by Israeli fire. IOF Kills Two Palestinians, Wounds Two Children and Dynamites a House in Jenin International Press Center 11/8/2003 JENIN, Palestine, November 8, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Israeli occupying forces rampaged in the city Jenin, killing two Palestinians, wounding two children, one critically, and dynamiting a house while another died of his wounds in Rammallah. Mohammed Salah, 19, was shot dead Saturday morning in Tale’t Al Gibss area of Jenin City by Israeli machinegun fire, and two other children were wounded, Palestinian medical sources stated....The same sources added that the an eight-year old child was shot and wounded with a live bullet in his head, he is in critical conditions while another 11-year old child was moderately wounded in his feet. The house of the citizen Khetam Mara’ba has been dynamited today morning in Ta’lt Al Gibss, between Jenin City and its camp, following the Israeli incursion, Palestinian security source said.....At the same time, the Israeli occupying forces thrust Saturday morning into Al Yamoun Town, west of Jenin City, IPC Correspondent said. Witnesses mentioned that the Israeli soldiers moved from house to house and forced by menace its dwellers out in the open air and took up positions inside some of the Palestinian houses and turned them into..military posts. Israeli Troops Kill Six Palestinians Including a Child and Wound Scores International Press Center 11/8/2003 JENIN, Palestine, November, 08, 2003, (IPC+Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces killed Friday six Palestinians in separate incidents; four in Gaza Strip including a child, and two other resistance activists in the West Bank. Two Palestinian resistance activists of the "Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade", the military wing of Fateh movement, were killed by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin and Balata refugee camps of the West Bank....In the village of Khoza’a, east of Khan-Younis City, two more Palestinians were killed and at least ten others were wounded in the early dawn of Friday. Israeli tanks, stationed at the eastern borderline with the Israeli territories, opened fire at Palestinian houses, killing two citizens and injuring several others in the neighborhood of Al-Najjar, in Khoza’a Village. Israeli occupation army kills two children in Jenin Palestinian Information Center 11/8/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Israeli occupation soldiers on Saturday shot and killed two Palestinian boys in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. Medical sources said soldiers manning an armored personnel carrier opened fir on a group of children and minors who were hurling stones toward Israeli tanks, killing two young boys. The latest killings bring to eight the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation troops in the past 36 hours. On Friday, Israeli troops killed at least six Palestinians, including a child and a bystander, during wanton bombardment of residential neighborhoods in Gaza. Israeli army raids refugee camp in central Gaza ReliefWeb/Xinhua 11/7/2003 GAZA, Nov 7, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Israeli army, backed by tanks, special undercover troops, armored vehicles, jeeps and attack helicopters, raided a Palestinian refugee camp in central Gaza Strip at pre- dawn on Friday, witnesses said. The witnesses said they saw a column of Israeli army tanks moving out of the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom towards the north, and raided Al Messader village and the southern part of Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. Occupation forces storm three villages north of Ramallah Palestinian Information Center 11/8/2003 Ramallah - Zionist occupation troops stormed three villages to the north of the west Bank city of Ramallah and arrested a number of citizens after breaking into their houses. Inhabitants in Beit Reema said that occupation forces stormed their village at 2 am Friday and broke into many houses and arrested a number of citizens in the process. The same scenario was repeated in the village of Deir Ghassana as occupation soldiers said they were looking for wanted activists but did not arrest anyone. Occupied Jerusalem turns into army barracks in second Friday in Ramadan Palestinian Information Center 11/8/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - The occupied holy city of Jerusalem has turned into an army barracks in the second Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan as Zionist security men deployed in all corners of the city ordered back Gaza Strip and West Bank Palestinians wishing to pray at the Aqsa Mosque. Zionist policemen were deployed on scores of roadblocks at entrances to the holy city in addition to many others set up in various areas and suburbs and Aqsa gates. News Briefs: Troops Invade Yamoun Town, Burn a Home, Arrest 10 International Middle East Media Center 11/8/2003 Troops invaded Saturday early morning hours the town of Yamoun west of the west bank city of Jenin, forced a curfew, and searched few homes that belonged to the relative of Ibrahim Abaherah, claimed by security to be a leader in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (the military wing of Fatah). News from Gaza Reports From Rafah 11/7/2003 In less than 8 hours, the number of people who were killed increased to 4, one of whom is Mahmoud al Kiad, a 10 year old child, murdered in cold blood. There are over 11 injured people in AL Magazi Refugee Camp in the middle of Gaza Strip. Even now, people are still bleeding and TV channels are broadcasting political conferences and the new play which is called a "Road Map" ... this map that died in the heart of every Palestinian because of the Israeli violation of all the human laws.. Bloody Friday, Soldiers Killed 8, Including a Child International Middle East Media Center 11/8/2003 Troops operating in the West bank city of Jenin wounded and captured Amjad Abeidi, a senior Islamic Jihad leader. Army source reported that soldiers threw a grenade at stockpile under a house where Abeidi were hiding. Abeidi was lightly wounded and handed himself over. Security sources accuse Abeidi of planning and standing behind a series of suicide attacks inside Israel, including the attack on Maxim restaurant in Haifa which took the lives of 21 Israelis. Boy, 10, killed in Gaza Strip The Guardian 11/7/2003 Israeli troops killed a 10-year-old boy and three Palestinian gunmen in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, security officials said today. The incidents came as the Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, continued his struggle to form a permanent government in the face of objections from the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. The 10-year-old, Mahmoud Kayed, was shot east of Gaza City early today as he trapped birds near the border fence with Israel, hospital officials said. A 12-year-old companion suffered a wounded leg. Four Palestinians shot dead in Jenin, Gaza Strip as Arafat, Qurei reach agreement on new cabinet Al-Bawaba 11/8/2003 Four Palestinians were killed Saturday by Israeli fire in two separate incidents in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. In Jenin, troops shot dead two Palestinians and wounded two children, one critically. They also razed a house in the city. Mohammed Salah, 19, was shot dead Saturday morning in Tale’t Al Gibss area of Jenin City by Israeli machinegun fire, and two other children were wounded, Palestinian medical sources stated. WAFA said that a massive contingent of the Israeli occupying forces via loudspeakers confined the residents of Jenin City in their houses under curfew early Saturday morning and deployed its soldiers, tanks and armored personnel carriers in its streets and outskirts. Israelis kill four Palestinians Al-Jazeera 11/8/2003 Four Arabs have been killed and at least four wounded in several clashes with occupying Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers early on Saturday near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun. Details are still emerging of the clash, which took place close to the fence separating Gaza from Israel. Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Jenin, Israeli troops killed a 19-year-old Palestinian man and wounded two boys, local security and medical sources said.

Diplomacy..

U.S. to dock Israeli aid for cost of security fence World Tribune 11/8/2003 The United States has deemed that Israel's security fence does not protect the Jewish state and plans to impose sanctions in connection with the project. U.S. officials said a State Department team that examined the fence has dismissed the Israeli argument that the fence is required to protect the country from surface-to-missile attacks against civilian airliners that land and take off from Ben-Gurion Airport. Israel protests Hizbullah bombing attempt to UN Jerusalem Post 11/7/2003 Israel has lodged an official protest with the UN over Hizbullah's attempt to attack soldiers and civilians along the northern border by means of a sophisticated string of roadside bombs near the security fence. Some of the devices were safely detonated by sappers on Thursday, although not all of them were destroyed. The IDF said UNIFIL troops had confirmed that a string of bombs had been laid in the area. Arabs tell Bush to stop US bias toward Israel Middle East Online 11/8/2003 Arab commentators say Bush speech on democracy missed the point: Ending Israel's occupation of Arab land. -- US President George W. Bush should seek to end Israel's occupation of Arab land if he wants to lend credibility to his drive to promote democracy, Arab politicians and commentators said Friday. "There is a lack of democracy but democracy cannot be imposed from outside," said Mohammed Faeq, head of the Cairo-based Arab Organization for Human Rights. Geneva Accords Gathers a Growing International Support International Middle East Media Center 11/8/2003 U.S. Secretary of state Collin Powell sent Friday a letter of support to the initiators of the Geneva Accords. The letter addressed to former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Belein and Former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo described the Geneva accord as "important for sustaining hope and understanding". "The president remains committed to a two state solution… but also believe that projects such as yours are important for sustaining hope and understanding" Powell wrote in the letter. Geneva Initiative Receives US, British, UN and Jordanian Support Palestine Media Center 11/8/2003 The Palestinian and Israeli figures who launched the so-called Geneva initiative met in Jerusalem Friday and announced that they had received a letter of encouragement from US Secretary of State Colin Powell, following British, UN and Jordanian support for the peace plan. Powell’s letter was addressed to the leaders of the initiative, former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo and former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, the two told a news conference in Jerusalem Friday. Swedish FM says West Bank security fence is illegal Ha'aretz 11/8/2003 STOCKHOLM - In her first extensive comments on the Mideast conflict since assuming her post as Swedish foreign minister, Laila Freivalds on Saturday called on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and said the building of an Israeli security barrier violated international law. Freivalds, who replaced slain Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in October, also called on the Palestinian leadership to crack down on terrorist attacks. Officials reject plan to settle Palestinians Daily Star 11/8/2003 Country ‘lacks means to absorb 350,000 refugees’-- US and EU proposals to settle Palestinian refugees on a permanent basis in host countries, including Lebanon, continued on Friday to trigger strong denunciations and expressions of concern by leading politicians. Two European MPs, Emilio Menendez and Jannes Skillariou, alongside US Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen have made separate proposals to resettle Palestinians in their current host countries. The prospects for the permanent settlement of Palestinian refugees is especially sensitive in Lebanon because it may further tilt the demographic balance in favor of Muslims and impose a burden on the ailing economy. UN adopts resolution on protection for Palestinian children Ha'aretz 11/8/2003 UNITED NATIONS - An Egyptian-sponsored resolution demanding that Israel protect Palestinian children was adopted by a UN General Assembly panel on Thursday, while a corresponding measure on Israeli children was postponed until next week. Israel, the target of hundreds of critical UN resolutions, on Tuesday introduced its first assembly draft in more than a quarter century, mirroring the Egyptian measure. But diplomats said chances were slim that of approval for the bill that would condemn attacks on Israeli children by Palestinian suicide bombers. Syria says Bush sincere in seeking Middle East stability Ha'aretz 11/8/2003 DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria does not doubt that U.S. President George W. Bush is sincere in demanding a more stable Middle East but believes his policies are spoiling American relations with Arabs and Muslims worldwide, a Syrian Cabinet minister said Saturday...."We do not doubt your intentions (that) you are really desirous to make the Middle East a safer and more stable place," Minister of Immigrant Affairs Buthayna Shaaban wrote in an article in the daily Al-Thawra. But, she added, "please allow us to tell you that your policy throughout the past years as raised the level of ... hatred, closed all peace horizons and caused big damage to the reputation of the United States," the article said. Syria attacks US Mid-East actions BBC 11/8/2003 The US president is sincere in urging a more stable Middle East but his actions risk bringing more hatred into US-Arab relations, a Syrian minister has said. Immigrant Affairs Minister Buthayna Shaaban's comments are the first official Syrian reaction to Mr Bush's vision for greater Mid-East democracy. Mr Shaaban said solving the region's problems required abandoning "bias". Analysts say her comments are a repetition of Damascus' routine charge that the US favours Israel over Arabs. U.S. Makes Dramatic Shift in Mideast Stance An Nahar 11/8/2003 WASHINGTON (AP) _ Frustrated by a stalemate in Mideast peacemaking, the Bush administration is encouraging Israelis and Palestinians who are trying to bypass their leaders with a peace plan that calls for large territorial concessions by Israel. After dismissing the private, largely symbolic negotiations for weeks, the administration suddenly is eagerly endorsing the effort, and by implication the dovish terms. Some American analysts said they view the surprising U.S. move as a way of prodding Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to get busy on a moribund U.S.-backed road map for peacemaking with the Palestinians. Hassan Nasrallah Seen as 'Most Intelligent Enemy' Israel Ever Faced An Nahar 11/8/2003 Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has proved to be "the most intelligent enemy" the Jewish state has confronted since its creation in the clever handling of prisoner swap negotiations that divided Ariel Sharon's Cabinet and the Israeli society, according to Israeli media reports that were published Saturday by An Nahar. The impending exchange of Elhanan Tennenbaum and three missing Israeli soldiers – whether dead or alive is anyone's guess – for hundreds of Arab prisoners is dominating the news in Israel, whose Cabinet will decide Sunday whether to go for the deal, negotiated through German mediators.

Human Rights..

9 Palestinians killed by Israeli occupying forces in the last 48 hours Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 11/8/2003 PCHR strongly condemns the escalation of crimes perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which have left dead 9 Palestinians, including 1 child, in the last 48 hours. PCHR is concerned that the number of dead may increase due to ongoing military operations in Jenin town and refugee camp. Israeli Troops Bar Sick Palestinian Children From Leaving Gaza Strip Palestine Chronicle 11/7/2003 GAZA (Xinhuanet) - Israeli security forces prevented two Palestinian children who have congenital heart diseases from going abroad for urgent surgeries, Palestinian medics said Thursday. The Israeli soldiers at Rafah terminal on the border with Egypt asked the families of the two children and the accompanying doctor to return to Gaza without giving any reasons, they said. Abdel Rahman Al Barqawi, director general of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, told the Ramallah-based Al Hayat Al Jadeeda Daily that the two children are in great need of heart surgeries. Red Cross Calls Halt to West Bank Aid Miftah 11/8/2003 About 50,000 Palestinian families in the West Bank are currently receiving their last vouchers and parcels from the International Committee of the Red Cross, providing only enough food until the end of the year when the emergency distribution programme will end. The anticipated cut in services is sharpening the debate about how far the international community should help finance Israel's occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through aiding the Palestinians. Supreme Court to Hear Petitions Challenging New Law Banning Family Unification Adalah 11/6/2003 On Sunday, 9 November 2003 at 10 a.m., the Supreme Court of Israel will hold the first hearing on petitions challenging the constitutionality of a new law, enacted on 31 July 2003, prohibiting the granting of any residency or citizenship status to Palestinians from the Occupied Territories who are married to Israeli citizens. The new law will adversely affect thousands of families, comprised of tens of thousands of individuals. Palestinians lead global anti-wall protest Al-Jazeera 11/8/2003 On the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, Palestinian campaigners will be joined by peace activists across the world to denounce the construction of Israel's so-called apartheid wall. Organised by the one-year-old Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, the Palestinian events are scheduled to take place primarily in the West Bank and Gaza from 9 November. That day of protest will herald a week of events that include demonstrations near the barrier construction site, a nationwide strike and informative exhibitions. Popular committee denounces Zionist shooting of paramedic Palestinian Information Center 11/8/2003 Nablus - The popular services committee in the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus has denounced the Zionist shooting of one of its paramedics. Committee sources said that the paramedic Mahmoud Abu Mirsal was wounded while attending to the wounded in the camp a couple of days ago. They noted that Mirsal was shot in his leg despite wearing the distinctive white robe of ambulance workers. Journalists' group blasts GPO revamp of media security Ha'aretz 11/7/2003 The International Federation of Journalists protested Friday against government plans to force journalists to undergo stringent checks by the Shin Bet security service as a requirement for accreditation. "What is being proposed is tantamount to the press control of a totalitarian state," said Aidan White, general secretary of the IFJ. "Once these rules are in place, political and military interest will take over and that is a disaster for the press." Media Watchdog Condemns Israel over 'Police State' Policy for the Press Palestine Chronicle 11/8/2003 BRUSSELS - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest journalists` organization, Friday condemned plans by Israel to hand over control of press accreditation to the security service from January 1st 2004. "When it comes to the press it now seems that Israel has the characteristic of a police state. First, the Palestinian journalists are humiliated and derecognized, and now all journalists are regarded as terrorist suspects; it is a long way from any recognizable democratic process for granting press accreditation," said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ. New GPO application forms arrive: applicants asked for grandpa's name Ha'aretz 11/7/2003 As part of the Government Press Office's reform of the procedure for obtaining a press card, journalists will not have to sign a waiver allowing their personal details to be handed to the Shin Bet security service for vetting. The new forms that journalists seeking to be recognized by the GPO will have to sign were delivered yesterday to all the media outlets with representation in Israel. On the new forms, applicants are asked to provide many new details that were previously not required, including religion and nationality, the name of the father and grandfather, a summary of previous places of employment and a statement regarding the use of pseudonyms.

Economy..

Economy in brief Jerusalem Times 11/6/2003 Imports from Israel $1132m, export $305m in 2002: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said in a new report on Palestinian trade with Israel in 2002 that imports amounted to $1132 million while exports amounted to $305 million. Imports retreated by 41% relative to 1999 while exports declined by 34%. Trade with Israel amounts to 75% of the overall Palestinian trade with the world. / Jenin told electricity may be cut off city: The Israeli Electric Company informed the city of Jenin that it is going to cut power to this northern West Bank city if it does not pay overdue bills to the company....more

People..

Najla Said continues her father’s legacy with performance of ReOrientalism Daily Star 11/8/2003 Production tackles seminal work -- NEW YORK: Desert sand runs deceptively through the hourglass. From full to empty to full again, time turns the hourglass on its head. Only the watchful notice that although everything appears the same, everything differs ­ up has become down and the sand has shifted. Najla Said, daughter of the late Palestinian author and academic Edward Said, has seen the hourglass tip many times. From the 1991 Gulf War, to Sept. 11, 2001, to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, she has watched the sands shift from the Orientalism her father identified, to “ReOrientalism.” In a small New York City theater, five musicians, a belly dancer and an actress, 29-year-old Najla, reclaim, reshape and redirect the West’s image of the East in the performance titled ReOrientalism. Five Characters in Search of a Leader Los Angeles Times 11/8/2003 In Gaza, a Palestinian play takes aim at corruption and public apathy. "It was daring," says a former minister. -- GAZA CITY — A man in a spacesuit preaches the virtues of robots. Frustrated characters argue while pushing blocks aimlessly around the checkerboard stage. A young woman belts out a song of hope and revolution as she waits for somebody who never shows up.This may not seem the most propitious time for a bit of experimental theater here in the violence-torn Gaza Strip, where missiles fall from the sky and bullets fly in the street. Ramadan festivities are few in occupied Gaza Strip Daily Star 11/8/2003 Air strikes, curfews, worsening poverty cast pall over celebrations for holy month -- GAZA CITY: When ammarideen and apricot paste, attayif pastries, dates, dried figs, hibiscus flower and carob seed syrup make their welcomed appearance in the souqs and supermarkets of the Middle East, it can mean only one thing: Ramadan has arrived. It is an anticipatory time for consumers and vendors alike. The former indulge their sweet tooth and show off their culinary skills at extravagant dinner parties, while the latter benefit from the season’s typical hoarding of goods. Mosques are frequented as often as fancy restaurants, with their special buffets and nightly entertainment. The power and beauty of Al-Mutanabbi Daily Star 11/8/2003 Writer’s theme was nexus between poetry, politics -- “I am the one, whose art was seen by the blind, And whose words were heard by the deaf.” When poets talk about themselves, people should think twice before believing what they have to say. Yet Ahmed Ibn al-Hussein al-Mutanabbi, the author of the lines above, is an exception. Mutanabbi is by far the most famous and influential poet in the history of Arabic literature. Born in the late Abbasid period, in the 10th century, Mutanabbi was witnessing a rare situation, similar in a sense to the situation in which the great philosophers of ancient Athens found themselves; culture flourished, but the political system was crumbling. Israel calls Iran the 'threat' News24.com 11/8/2003 Jerusalem - Iran is the greatest threat to the world, according to an Israeli poll published on Friday in response to an EU survey which was released earlier this week and awarded the title of most dangerous country to the Jewish state. The opinion poll carried by the top-selling Yediot Aharonot said 83% of Israelis considered the Islamic Republic of Iran to be a threat to world peace. Israel's northern neighbour Syria came second in the ranking, with 73% of those polled giving a positive answer to the same question. Alwan: redefining Arab culture in New York Daily Star 11/8/2003 After establishing a venue for film and the arts, Middle Eastern group presents multimedia show to sell-out audience -- NEW YORK: On this fairly warm October night in New York, deep in the heart of the financial district, Alex Khalil and Ahmed Issawi are hurriedly trying to accommodate the throng of eager men and women milling outside their new space. As the founders of Alwan for the Arts, the city’s longest-running and, until recently, only, Middle East cultural organization in New York, Alex, who was born and raised in Lebanon, and Ahmed, who hails from Egypt, know how to deal with crowds.

International..

Millions Worldwide to Demonstrate Tomorrow against Apartheid Wall International Press Center 11/8/2003 GAZA, November 8, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- As part of the international activities that would be held to celebrate the 13thanniversary for the tearing down of Berlin Wall, which has separated Eastern Berlin from Western Berlin for decades, millions of participants will participate in demonstrations and activities dedicated against the Israeli construction of its Apartheid Wall cutting off the Palestinian territories. Bush’s vision for Mideast freedom fails to convince critics Daily Star 11/8/2003 Aridi says interests, not democracy, set superpower’s agenda -- US President George W. Bush’s statement that Washington will be adopting a new “forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East” was not given much credence in Lebanon, as most observers agreed that it would make no significant change in the superpower’s foreign policy in the region. Analysts React Cautiously to Bush Mideast Policy Speech Palestine Chronicle 11/7/2003 CAIRO - President Bush's call for greater democracy in the Middle East is drawing a cautious response from commentators in the region, who say the United States must first show it is honestly moving to resolve regional conflicts. Tawfiq Abu Baker is the head of the Amman-based Jenin Center for Strategic Studies. He says, many in the Arab world welcome what he calls invitations toward democratic forms of government. But he says many distrust Washington, which is widely perceived among Arabs as leaning in its Middle East policy toward Israel. Iraqi Minister Denies Cooperation With Israel Palestine Chronicle 11/7/2003 BAGHDAD - Iraqi interim Trade Minister Ali Allawy denied concluding any trade agreements with Israel, ruling out also any intention to import products from Israel. In statements to the Iraqi TV information network, he dismissed as "rumors" reports about trade accords with Israel. The minister admitted that some Israeli commodities may have found their way into Iraqi market, citing the absence of restrictions on imports. Meanwhile, Allawy said a special tribunal would be set up – in collaboration with the U.S.-sanctioned interim Governing Council – to prosecute merchants who deal in invalid commodities. Iran's security chief aims to head off nuclear crisis The Guardian 11/8/2003 Iran's national security chief is expected in Vienna today to try to defuse the crisis over Tehran's suspected nuclear bomb project, 48 hours before a report from the UN's nuclear watchdog which will reveal further details about Iran's covert nuclear programme. In a signal of how seriously Tehran is taking the international crisis over its suspected nuclear weapons programme, Hassan Rohani, the hardline director general of Iran's supreme national security council, is expected in Vienna for the first time for talks with Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran Rejects Argentine Court Accusations as ‘Political Plot’ Arab News 11/8/2003 TEHRAN, 8 October 2003 — Iran said yesterday that testimony its diplomats were behind the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina is a “political plot against the Islamic Republic”, state news agency IRNA reported. A former Iranian agent testified Wednesday that Tehran carried out the attack, repeating accusations that have led to the indictment of several former Iranian diplomats and soured relations between the two countries. In rare Jewish appearance, George Soros says Jews and Israel cause anti-Semitism JTA 11/7/2003 NEW YORK, Nov. 7 (JTA) — It’s not often that George Soros, the billionaire financier and philanthropist, makes an appearance before a Jewish audience. It’s even rarer for him to use such an occasion to talk about Israel, Jews and his own role in effecting political change. So when Soros stepped to the podium Wednesday to address those issues at a conference of the Jewish Funders Network, audience members were listening carefully. Many were surprised by what they heard. When asked about anti-Semitism in Europe, Soros, who is Jewish, said European anti-Semitism is the result of the policies of Israel and the United States. ISU-Caterpillar tie protested Des Moines Register 11/7/2003 Relatives of Rachel Corrie, killed by a bulldozer, lead the demonstration. -- Ames, Ia. - Relatives of a 23-year-old peace activist who was killed by a Caterpillar bulldozer in the Gaza Strip led a protest march Friday on the Iowa State University campus. About 12 protesters, five of whom were relatives of Rachel Corrie, the peace activist killed March 16, marched from Memorial Union to Hoover Hall. Officials with Iowa State and Caterpillar Inc. met in Hoover Hall at 3:30 p.m. to dedicate the Caterpillar Mechatronics Lab, paid for in part by Caterpillar. During the march, the protesters carried signs and shouted, "Caterpillar, stop bulldozing homes," and "ISU, give back the money." Pipes defends website amidst protests The Yale Herald 11/7/2003 Yale is considered by many to be one of the most politically active colleges in the country. Thursday's speech by Daniel Pipes, the director of the Middle East Forum (MEF) and newest member of the United States Institute for Peace, proved no exception to evoking displays of activism as he addressed a crammed Linsly-Chittenden Hall on the current situation in the Middle East at the inaugural event of the Middle East Forum at Yale College. The event did not go unprotested, however, as over 30 students wearing black gags challenged Pipes's controversial views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and freedom of speech on his website, campuswatch.org. Until recently the site listed college professors who spoke out against the war in Iraq, including several Yale professors. Pressure builds on Ford Foundation to stop supporting anti-Israel groups JTA 11/4/2003 NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (JTA) — From the halls of Congress to the State Department, pressure is building on the Ford Foundation to stop supporting groups that engage in anti-Israel agitation and anti-Semitic activities. The pressure comes in the wake of a recent JTA series, "Funding Hate," which revealed that one of the country´s most prestigious foundations has spent millions of dollars on Palestinian and other non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that agitate against Israel. First Arab-American Comedy Festival to Be Held in New York Arab News 11/8/2003 NEW YORK, 8 November 2003 — The New York Arab-American Comedy festival, the first-ever of its kind in the United States, will be held Nov. 17-19 in New York City. The three-night festival will focus on comedic plays, stand-up comedy and short films, and will showcase Arab-American performers, writers and filmmakers. Panel backs 'battlefield' nukes; Bill would remove prohibition on smaller low-yield warheads San Francisco Chronicle 11/7/2003 A House-Senate conference committee finalized an agreement Thursday that will reverse a decade of self-imposed restraint on the development of so- called battlefield nuclear weapons, repealing a law that had prohibited the production of smaller, more usable warheads. Although the repeal has not been announced officially yet, lawmakers hammering out a final defense authorization bill said that it had completed language that will remove the limits on the development of the low-yield weapons. Republicans tried but failed to repeal the law last year. FBI to Website Owner: "We Are Watching You" CounterPunch 11/7/2003 Cryptome is a web site dedicated to investigating and publishing accounts of government improprieties, particularly as they relate to secrecy and First Amendment violations. On November 4, FBI agents visited the website's New York City office and met with site owner John Young. Both agents, who are identified on the site and who left their official cards, said that they had information that Cryptome was a source of information that could be used to "harm the United States." Prior investigations by the FBI, the agent admitted, had not found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, but the FBI was fearful that information on the site would end up in the "wrong" hands.

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