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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..

Man Fires on Tourists on Israeli Border The Guardian 11/19/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - A gunman opened fire on tourists entering Israel on Wednesday, wounding five Ecuadorean pilgrims, in a rare attack on the border with Jordan. The shooting came as an Egyptian mediator and the Palestinian prime minister tried to persuade Islamic militants to call a truce with Israel. The gunman, identified as a Jordanian truck driver, was shot and killed by Israeli guards. He hid among cattle trucks crossing the border before opening fire on tourists dealing with entrance procedures, Israeli officials said. Two Palestinians killed in attack near Eilat Middle East Online 11/19/2003 JERUSALEM & GAZA CITY - Two Palestinians were killed Wednesday after opening fire at the Arava border crossing terminal near the southern Israeli town of Eilat, according to Israeli military sources. The attack comes as the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the mainstream Palestinian movement Fatah, said Wednesday it would reject any agreement for a suspension of anti-Israeli attacks. IOF Wound Four Palestinians, Destroy Houses International Press Center 11/19/2003 RAFAH, Palestine, November 19, 2003 (IPC + WAFA)-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded Tuesday overnight three Palestinian civilians in the Al-Qasas area in the southern part of Rafah City, south of Gaza Strip, as another civilian was wounded in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Palestinian hospital sources told IPC correspondent that three Palestinian civilians have been admitted to the local hospital of Abu Yousef Al Najjar after being shot and wounded with heavy Israeli bullets....Also in Rafah, Israeli troops opened their heavy machineguns indiscriminately at Palestinian houses, just close to the Palestinian-Egyptian borders, south of the city...Meanwhile, another Palestinian civilian was reportedly shot and wounded by the Israeli soldiers at the military checkpoint of Surda in the West Bank city of Ramallah, WAFA reported. WAFA said that the citizen is from the West Bank city of Salfit and that he was shot, for no reason, while traveling in a taxi along with three other civilians from Salfit City. Israelis wound 10 in pre-dawn raid on Gaza Daily Star 11/19/2003 Soldiers searching for weapons smuggling tunnels take over Rafah, demolish 2 homes -- Ten Palestinians were wounded Tuesday, one critically, during an Israeli Army operation in the southern Gaza Strip and twosoldiers were killed in a separate ambush at a West Bank roadblock, jarring fresh efforts to broker a cease-fire. Twenty-five Israeli tanks drove into Gaza’s Rafah refugee camp before dawn, firing as they advanced and drawing return fire from local gunmen, said a resident, Ahmed Abu Gezer. They demolished two houses, including one belonging to a man whose 14-year-old son had been killed by army fire 10 days ago, residents said. Soldiers also took over houses, set up rooftop sniper positions and searched the area with dogs, residents said. IDF troops seriously wound Palestinian near Netzarim Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 IDF troops Wednesday shot and seriously wounded a Palestinian near the perimeter fence of Netazarim settlement in the Gaza Strip, Army radio reported The settlement, a focus of violence throughout the three-year intifada, was the scene of a recent infiltration in which a gunman killed an unarmed IDF soldier and two women soldiers sleeping in their beds. Five Palestinian civilians shot in Gaza Strip as truce talks set to resume Al-Bawaba 11/19/2003 A Palestinian civilian on Wednesday was seriously wounded by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers opened gunfire at a Palestinian tractor near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim, seriously wounding the man. Earlier, on Tuesday night Israeli occupying forces shot and wounded three other Palestinian civilians in the Al-Qasas area in the southern part of Rafah City, south of Gaza Strip, as another civilian was wounded in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Palestinian hospital sources said that three Palestinian civilians have been admitted to the local hospital of Abu Yousef Al Najjar after being shot and wounded with heavy Israeli bullets. One killed in shooting at Israel-Jordan border Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 A terrorist opened fire on Wednesday in the Jordanian border crossing terminal north of the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, killing one woman and wounding four other people. The victims were members of a South American tourist group that was in the process of entering Israel from Jordan, en route to Eilat. The gunman, who slipped through the Jordanian border terminal, fired a number of bursts of automatic fire before Israeli security guards at the site killed him in no-man's land some 20 meters from the Israeli side of the terminal, known as the Yitzhak Rabin Crossing. MK Sarid may release details on IAF bombing Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 Meretz MK Yossi Sarid is considering publishing classified material regarding the army's use of certain munitions during helicopter attacks on the Nusseirat refugee camp a month ago, in which 10 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. According to Sarid, the Israel Defense Forces used special, very powerful munitions with an unusually large radius of impact, which is what caused the large number of Palestinian casualties. Sarid: “Israeli Occupying Army Uses Illicit Weapons Against Palestinians” International Press Center 11/19/2003 GAZA, November 19, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Former Israeli Minister of Education and current Knesset member, Yossi Sarid, warned Tuesday of publishing confidential information on the missiles used by Israeli warplanes while perpetrating extrajudicial executions of Palestinian resistance activists in the Nusseirat refugee camp, middle of Gaza Strip, three weeks ago. Sarid, the leader of the "Merez" leftist party, was quoted by the Israeli radio service as saying that the Israeli army used illicit and deadly weapons in the Nusseirat strike, leading to the killing of 14 Palestinians. Israeli Army Engaged in Fight Over Its Soul Washington Post 11/19/2003 Doubts, Criticism of Tactics Increasingly Coming From Within -- JERUSALEM -- The hunt for suspected militants sent Sgt. Lirom Hakkak bashing his way through a wall into a Palestinian family's threadbare living room, his slender frame sweating under nearly 35 pounds of body armor and combat gear, his M-16 rifle ready. He noticed the grandmother first, her creased face so blanched with terror that she appeared on the verge of collapse. A middle-aged couple huddled close by, trembling. "They could be my parents," Hakkak, the 22-year-old son of an Israeli poet, recalled thinking. In that split second of recognition, he said, "you really feel disgusting. You see these people and you know the majority of them are innocent and you're taking away their rights. You also know you must do it." Shooting attack in Israeli-Jordan border terminal wounds five tourists; Amman condemns Al-Bawaba 11/19/2003 A shooting attack took place Wednesday morning at the Arava terminal, also known as Rabin terminal, located on the Israeli-Jordan border some three kilometers north of the Israeli port city of Eilat. A gunmen opened fire in the border crossing terminal, injuring five people, one of them critically, Israel Radio reported. The critically injured person was reportedly a foreign tourist. According to Israeli sources, the attacker was shot dead by security men deployed in the terminal. Israel violates national airspace again Daily Star 11/19/2003 Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon’s airspace and broke the sound barrier in several areas for the second day in a row, an official statement by the Lebanese Army said Tuesday. Two Israeli aircraft entered the country from the sea and flew deep into Lebanese airspace as far as the central Bekaa Valley. They subsequently turned back and overflew the Western Bekaa, Toumat Niha and the Jezzine area at low altitude before leaving the country. Breaking News: Curfew continues in Nablus, Buqai'a hills to be closed by IOF post International Press Center 11/19/2003 10:40-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) continue to impose a strict curfew on the town of Assira Al Shamaliya in Nablus for the ninth consecutive day. Nearly 2,300 students have been banned from going to school in the town, IPC / 10:00-- Israeli occupying forces (IOF) erect a military post on the edge of the Buqai'a hills, west of the city of Tubas, which are considered the largest natural pastures in the Palestinian territories. Many shepherds and farmers would be banned from entry after the military post is complete, IPC

Diplomacy..

Quraya to meet resistance groups Al-Jazeera 11/19/2003 The Palestinian prime minister is due to hold talks with Islamic resistance groups to try to persuade them to halt anti-Israeli attacks. Ahmad Quraya will meet representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza City on Wednesday, as well as Egyptian intelligence officials who helped broker a previous truce with Israel. Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad al-Hindi said his group was ready to meet with Quraya and discuss a suspension of bombings. Palestinian PM Talks Truce With Militants The Guardian 11/19/2003 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Egyptian mediators and the Palestinian prime minister met separately Wednesday with Islamic militant leaders, trying to persuade them to halt attacks on Israel as a step toward jump-starting the stalled U.S.-backed peace process. As the Palestinians held cease-fire talks, Israel signaled some willingness to scale back military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the southern Israeli resort of Eilat, meanwhile, a gunman wounded five people at a border crossing terminal with Jordan. The attacker leapt from the back of a truck and fired on a crowd that included foreign tourists before being shot dead by security personnel, the military said. Security Council approves resolution adopting road map Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved on Wednesday a Russian-sponsored resolution to formally adopt the road map peace plan as a means of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The American government had made clear to Israel its intention to back the resolution, but senior U.S. officials told their Israeli counterparts they would attempt to make alterations to the Russian proposal. Stop humiliating the Palestinians warns Bush Al-Jazeera 11/19/2003 George Bush has called on Israel to rethink it's controversial policy of building the apartheid wall across the West Bank. The US president has also urrged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to bring to an end the humiliation of the Palestinian people. Delivering a key note speech to an invited audience at London's Banqueting House, Bush urged Israel to ''not prejudice peace talks with walls and fences.'' He also took a strong stand against the building of settlements, seen as a major stumbling block to any future peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Bush: EU must distance Palestinian leaders with terror ties Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 U.S. President George W. Bush, during a speech in London on Wednesday, called on European nations to withdraw all favor and support from any Palestinian ruler who has connections with terror organizations and who fails his people and betrays their cause. He also called on European states to strongly oppose anti-Semitism, "which poisons public debates over the future of the Middle East." Outlining his strategy to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, Bush issued a to-do list for the United States and other nations. Bush urges Europe to shun Arafat Middle East Online 11/19/2003 LONDON - US President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged Europe to join the United States and Israel in shunning Yasser Arafat to encourage the rise of a new Palestinian leader. He also renewed US calls for both Israel and the Palestinians to move toward peace, telling the Jewish state to halt settlement activity and demanding that the Palestinian Authority clamp down on violence. "Leaders in Europe should withdraw all favor and support for any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause," Bush said in a speech in London on the first full day of his state visit to Britain. Sharon downplays Bush's criticism of Israel Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon downplayed suggestions of tension with his key U.S. ally on Wednesday after President George W. Bush toughened criticism Israeli's settlement policy and over the West Bank security fence being erected. "I don't advise anyone to see it as a sign of new tension," he told reporters in Rome. "It's true that there are some subjects upon which we disagree but this does not create any tension." Qureia is no Arafat puppet, says Israel as Cairo seeks truce Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 A senior source in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's entourage in Italy last night said that Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia "will not be a puppet nor a rag doll nor a spitting image of Yasser Arafat." The source emphasized "we don't know if he'll be good or bad, but clearly he's a very independent fellow." An Egyptian security delegation is due in Gaza today for a round of talks with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Palestinian Authority officials ahead of a planned Cairo summit of all the Palestinian factions with Qureia following Id al Fitr, the end of the Ramadan holiday, next week. PM aide: Israel to halt targeted killings if PA maintains hudna Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 A senior source close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said late Tuesday that Israel would agree to halt its policy of targeted assassinations, and cease military operations in the territories, if the Palestinians would reach and maintain a new cease-fire agreement, Israel Radio reported Wednesday. The source added that Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia would meet in several days, and said that Qureia "will not be a puppet nor a rag doll nor a spitting image of Yasser Arafat." EU Harshly Condemns the Israeli Apartheid Wall International Press Center 11/19/2003 GAZA, Palestine, November 19, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- the European Union harshly condemned today the Israeli policy of continued building of the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank, calling the Israeli government to immediately stop its construction. In the aftermath of its meeting in Brussels, the closing statement of the EU member states said that the construction of the wall "undermines the international peace efforts" in the region and "increases the plight of the Palestinian people." EU Tells Israel To Dismantle Apartheid Wall, Settlements Palestine Media Center 11/19/2003 Powell Lambastes Israel Over "Rogue" Settler Outposts -- The European Union has vehemently condemned Israel’s unilateral separation wall, which it is building on occupied Palestinian land. In a strongly - worded statement, the EU lambasted Israel for building the wall it is building east of the Green Line — the internationally - recognized border between the West Bank and Israel —saying it is making life intolerable for Palestinians. Although the EU said it recognized Israel’s right to protect itself, it nonetheless said the "fence" would not be the way to achieve this purpose. Declaration: EU raises pressure on Israel Electronic Intifada 11/18/2003 After the fourth meeting of the Association Council, the European Union issued a statement, saying its wants Israel to halt the construction of its wall through the West Bank. Below is the text of the statement issued by the European Union on the fourth meeting of the Association Council EU-Israel, held in Brussels, 17-18 November 2003. Declaration: 1. The EU welcomes this fourth meeting of the Association Council with Israel. The Association Agreement offers the framework for strengthening bilateral ties and the EU is committed to continuously deploying efforts to this effect. This session follows the last meeting of the Association Committee on 9 July 2003 in Brussels, which enabled us to make good progress in several areas of co-operation.... Qurei Set for Palestinian Dialogue on ‘Permanent Hudna’ Palestine Media Center 11/19/2003 Egypt Invites Factions for Talks in Cairo after Eid -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei denied Tuesday's announcement by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom that a date was set for a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon next week, but welcomed such a summit meeting. "There is no fixed date for the meeting, but there is serious talk on it," Qurei said, adding "We do not reject the meeting, but we welcome it." Qurei reiterated that a meeting with Sharon should be very well prepared and lead to "opening a new page" in Palestinian–Israeli relations. Prince Charles: ''American policy on the Middle East is complete madness'' Al-Bawaba 11/19/2003 Prince Charles has not been to the US for the last six years on the advice of the British Foreign Office, The Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales has strong pro-Palestinian views and is privately critical of US policy in the Middle East conflict, according to the report. British diplomats fear that Prince Charles's views might have created embarrassment on a visit to Washington. US cancels entry visa of Lebanese leader after he described Wolfowitz ''virus who needed to be destroyed'' Al-Bawaba 11/19/2003 The United States has withdrawn a five-year entry visa from Lebanon's socialist leader Walid Jumblat for his remarks about the US architects of attack against Iraq, whom he often labeled as "Israeli operatives" in the Bush administration. The chief of the Progressive Socialist Party received from the U.S. embassy in Beirut a message on Tuesday, informing him the State Department has found him ineligible any longer to carry an entry visa to the United States, the Beirut-based Al Mustaqbal daily reported in its Wednesday's edition. US embassy strips Lebanese leader of visa Al-Jazeera 11/19/2003 The US embassy in Beirut has revoked a visa for a Druze leader and member of parliament following his comments about a senior US politician. Walid Jumblatt had expressed regret that US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was unhurt in Baghdad attack last month. Jumblatt confirmed he had received a letter from the US embassy in Beirut cancelling the visa. The letter said the visa had been cancelled in line with a law saying it could not be granted to a foreign dignitary who used his position to support or encourage “terrorism”. Israel Urged to Aid Palestinians Washington Post 11/19/2003 Ways to Push Peace Process Forward Discussed With U.S. -- White House officials have held intense discussions with Israeli officials in recent weeks on ways to ease the plight of the Palestinians, lift roadblocks in the occupied territories and deal with other vexing issues that have created a chill in the generally warm relations between President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, U.S. officials said yesterday. A key goal is to encourage the Israeli government to take steps that would help the new Palestinian government establish itself, or at least not take actions that would undermine it. Senior PA official: Positive atmosphere in Gaza truce talks Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 Cease-fire talks on Wednesday between Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) and representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip were described as "positive" by a senior participant. The meeting precedes a Egyptian-mediated summit slated for next weekend in Cairo. PM Qurei' Kicks Off Truce Talks Wednesday Amidst Factions Consent International Press Center 11/19/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, November 19, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei' along with the Egyptian mediators will head to Gaza on Wednesday to kick off the truce talks with the Palestinian resistance factions, as hopes increase in a prospected meeting between him and his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon. Palestinian sources confirmed that Prime Minister Qurei' and an Egyptian delegation would arrive Wednesday to the city of Gaza to discuss the possibility of a new ceasefire with the Palestinian resistance factions. Israel Declared Readiness to Halt Attacks In Exchange For a Cease Fire International Middle East Media Center 11/19/2003 A senior source close to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday that Israel would halt its policy of targeted killings, and cease military operations in the “territories”, if on the Palestinian side it would be possible to reach and maintain a new cease-fire agreement. The same source confirmed that Sharon will meet Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in few days, calling the Palestinian Prime minister as a very independent fellow. Both Palestinian and Israeli official sources confirmed that active coordination is on going to prepare for a soon meeting between Sharon and Qurei. Europeans fret escalating Israeli threats Daily Star 11/19/2003 Several European countries have expressed concern over escalating Israeli threats against Syria, which, according to the Jewish state’s army chief of staff, may receive “messages of a different nature” if it “ignores the message” sent by last month’s air strike near Damascus. Several ambassadors based in Lebanon have officially enquired about the aim of such threats, and more than one European ambassador in Beirut said that “there is no plan or program to launch war on Lebanon, but Israel should not be given any pretext or excuse leading to such a move since the atmosphere is ripe enough for this,” diplomatic sources said Tuesday. Truce talks in Cairo after Ramadan holiday; two Israeli soldiers killed Arabic News 11/19/2003 The Egyptian government has started contacts with the Palestinian groups leaderships abroad in order to convene another round of talks on the inter-Palestinian national dialogue and means of declaring a new truce. Egyptian officials notified Palestinian leaderships that invitations will be extended shortly to them in order to hold the talks in Cairo after Eid al- Fiter holiday. Palestinian PM in truce efforts BBC 11/19/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei is meeting leaders of militant factions in Gaza to discuss the possibility of a new ceasefire with Israel. Mr Qurei and Egyptian mediators are holding talks with leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups. It is his first attempt to secure an end to attacks on Israelis since his cabinet was sworn in last week. Bush Outlines Strategy for Mideast Peace The Guardian 11/19/2003 LONDON (AP) - Outlining his strategy to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in a speech here on Wednesday, President Bush issued a to-do list for the United States and other nations: - United States: Seek a viable, independent state for the Palestinian people ``who have been betrayed by others for too long'' and seek security and recognition for Israel, which ``has lived in the shadow of random death for too long.'' - Israel: Freeze settlement construction, dismantle unauthorized outposts, end the ``daily humiliation'' of the Palestinian people, and do not build walls and fences that prejudice final negotiations. - Palestinians: Withhold support for Palestinian rulers who tolerate and profit from corruption and maintain ties to terrorist groups, adopt peaceful means to create a stable democracy. - Europe: Withdraw all favor and support from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause and strongly oppose anti-Semitism, ``which poisons public debates over the future of the Middle East.'' Key points: Bush's speech BBC 11/19/2003 Here are the key points from President George Bush's keynote speech in London on the first day of his state visit. UN pushes Middle East 'roadmap' BBC 11/19/2003 The UN Security Council has passed a Russian-led resolution endorsing the stalled Middle East peace plan. Russia said it wanted the resolution to give "extra momentum" to the roadmap, calling on all parties to fulfil their obligations under the plan. The roadmap calls for a Palestinian state by 2005, but has come close to collapsing amid continuing violence.

Human Rights..

Israeli School Expels Student For Embracing Islam Islam Online 11/19/2003 NABLUS, November 19 (IslamOnline.net) – An Israeli boarding school has kicked out a female student for embracing Islam and wearing hijab. The students and teachers of the 'Zionist Youths' boarding school came to their classes to find their 15-year-old Jewish colleague wearing the Muslim headscarf in a sign that she has converted to Islam, according to the Israeli daily Maariv newspaper. The school's headmaster tried in vain to dissuade the student from her decision and get her taking off hijab and decided to expel her. Human Rights Leaders Advocate Urgent Repeal of State Laws that Infringe Human Rights Palestine Monitor 11/18/2003 Meeting at The Carter Center in Atlanta last week, prominent human rights defenders gathered to address the troubling backsliding on human rights since the beginning of the so called “war on terrorism”. Concluding that Governments must repeal urgently all emergency legislation that infringes upon the work of human rights defenders, the activists called for the human rights programs of the United Nations, and other international bodies, to be strengthened to ensure the autonomy and impartiality needed to monitor and report on violations without undue political influence. The Atlanta Declaration “Human Rights Defenders on the Frontlines of Freedom” - Acrobat format The Carter Center 11/12/2003 History reveals that there have been moments in time when the world’s leaders and peoples made fateful choices and embarked on paths that were sometimes beneficial to humanity and sometimes catastrophic. Mindful of this we, human rights defenders from 43 nations have gathered in Atlanta because of our alarm at the direction and implications of what has come to be known as the “war against terrorism”. While recognizing the responsibility of states to secure peace and security for their peoples, we believe strongly that these goals can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the problems that afflict humanity....

Economy..

Israel emerges as top defense exporter for 2003 Al-Bawaba 11/19/2003 Defense experts are now ranking Israel as an arms export heavyweight with growing sales to Turkey and India topping the scale.According to an Israeli arms expert, the Jewish state will remain one of the world’s top five defense exporters for 2003, reported AP. The state was ranked third for 2002 by Defense News in June. The United States and Russia held the top two positions. According to the Director of Tel Aviv's BESA Center for Strategic Studies Efraim Inbar, the world’s current top five defense exporters are the United States, Russia, France, Britain and Israel, but not necessarily in that order. Government figures show that Israel’s defense export contracts totaled $4.1 billion in 2002, up from $2.6 billion from the previous year. GDP per capita 3.3% lower than in 2000 Globes 11/19/2003 Central Bureau of Statistics: Positive third quarter figures cannot hide the damage of the past three years. -- Israel's GDP per capita is 3.3% lower in the third quarter of 2003 than at the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, despite the unexpected 7% rise in the third quarter. The Central Bureau of Statistics reports that GDP per capita has fallen from NIS 18,510 to NIS 17,340 in the past three years. Labor Court bans Histadrut mega-strike Globes 11/19/2003 The National Labor Court allowed the Histadrut to hold a so-called virtual strike. -- The National Labor Court issued an injunction last night banning the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) from launching a mega-strike. The National Labor Court ruled that the Histadrut may not strike the Israel Airports Authority, Israel Railways, Israel Ports Authority, the banks, the Manufacturers Association, the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and essential services. Analysis / His optimism is premature Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 "There's no doubt that we've emerged from the recession," Benjamin Netanyahu declared yesterday after hearing that the economy had expanded at an annualized rate of 2.7 percent during the third quarter of 2003. It's true that the economy shrunk (by 1.7 percent) during the previous three-month period and that the year-end growth figure will be very low, about 1 percent. But this didn't stop the finance minister from announcing: "The economy that was on the verge of collapse is now on its way up." These remarks do not reflect great political wisdom. After all, Netanyahu is still in the midst of a difficult battle to change the face of the economy. Histadrut leaders angered by court injunction on strike Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 Histadrut labor federation leaders expressed anger early Wednesday, after the National Labor Court on Tuesday issued an injunction preventing the Histadrut from launching a general strike during the next week, Army Radio reported. The court ruling is effective until a hearing scheduled for Tuesday of next week. It is the second ruling by the court that bars the Histadrut from launching a general strike. Israel placed in top five weapons exporting countries Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 With an arsenal ranging from the Uzi to attack drones and airborne early warning systems, Israel has quietly transformed itself into one of the world's top defense exporters. Defense News has ranked Israel as No. 3 based on 2002 contracts, and an Israeli expert told The Associated Press the country was now considered to be in the top five. Growing sales to Turkey and India, two major new markets for Israel, have driven the surge. Camel Grinding Wheels exporting $500,000 in cutting wheels to Iraq Globes 11/19/2003 The exports to Iraq are indirect, through a US company via Jordan. -- Camel Grinding Wheels (CGW) has contracted to export metal and stone cutting wheels and abrasives to Iraq. The agreement is worth an initial $500,000. CGW, owned by Kibbutz Saird, manufactures abrasives and vitrified and resin cutting wheels for the metal and stonecutting industries. The company's CEO is former Israel Export Institute director general Israel Shotland, who told "Globes" the exports to Iraq were indirect, through a US company via Jordan.

People..

Ford Transit: A West Bank van driver living by his wits Daily Star 11/19/2003 Palestinian road movie with laughter and heart at the DocuDays Film Festival -- Ford Transit is a Palestinian road movie about Rajai, a young van driver who takes people from East Jerusalem to Ramallah and back. During his journeys, Rajai confronts Israeli soldiers, checkpoints, roadblocks and sometimes fellow drivers. His point of view of his people’s intifada, the Israeli occupation, the suicide attacks and life in general is mirrored to that of his passengers, ordinary people ­ but also the politician Hanan Ashrawi, who travels on his bus. The unimaginably difficult daily life in the West Bank crystallizes in the different situations that take place inside and outside of Rajai’s van ­ it is a mini-stage, so to say. A bullet, a war and 20 years of photographs Daily Star 11/19/2003 Acclaimed Lebanese-born photojournalist looks back at a career that began the hard way -- The sniper’s bullet entered Maher Attar’s head just beneath his right eye causing a small hole in the bone and damaging his mouth. It flew out the other side of his neck two millimeters from his spinal cord. He fell from the second floor of a half-constructed building in Choueifat. Six months later he was up and about, ready to pursue his dream. His resolve was not damaged. His mind was made up. Even when he took another bullet ­ this time in the leg in downtown Beirut ­ a year later. That was in 1983. Attar, a 20-year-old kid with a camera in the midst of the Lebanese civil war and Israeli invasion, had decided to ditch plans to study business management ­ “like every Lebanese” ­ and pursue his idea of being a photojournalist. 760,000 Israelis have left the Promised Land Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 Colette Avital, chair of the Knesset Immigration Absorption Committee, called a meeting yesterday to protest the Finance Ministry's intent to cancel financial benefits to Israelis returning from abroad after a stay of two years or longer. But the statistics about Israelis abroad presented by Nadia Prigat, in charge of returning Israelis at the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, "stole the show." Rabbi Druckman Says Burn the Geneva Booklets Middle East Peace 11/18/2003 (IsraelNN.com) After rabbis and a spokesperson affiliated with the Habad Hassidic sect today announced they do not endorse the burning of the Geneva plan pamphlets distributed to all Israeli homes, Kiryat Motzkin Chief Rabbi David Druckman announced they should be set ablaze. Rabbi Druckman is a distinguished Habad rabbi in Israel, and has ruled in accordance with Torah law, the pamphlet containing the details of the Geneva plan should be burned, explaining it is backed and supported by “anti-Semites of the world”. Scholars plan catalogue of contemporary Arab literature Daily Star 11/19/2003 Existing lists ‘are not useful’ -- It’s easy to loose track of what’s been written in contemporary Arab literature. Each country has hundreds of authors, some who have only written a few poems. A standardized cataloguing system doesn’t exist. “If you want to find an Arabic book you have to go to the publishing house or hope that they know about it in the bookstore,” says Leslie Tramontini, a research fellow for modern Arab literature at the German Orient Institute in Beirut. She wants to put modern Arab literature into order, and she wants to do so quickly ­ before next year’s Frankfurt Book Fair when the Arab world will be the regional theme. 5,000-year-old burials discovered in Jordan Daily Star 11/19/2003 Initial find of well preserved dolmens was made in 1994 -- AMMAN: A team of archaeologists has discovered the skulls and bones of 20 people within the confines of a stone burial structure constructed over 5,000 years ago. Along with the human bones were 20 pottery vessels, a scatter of beads, mace heads, and flint tools. Located at Tall al-Umayri on the Queen Alia International Airport Highway just 13 kilometers south of the Seventh (Zahran) Circle at the entrance of Amman National Park, the ancients, whose nationality can no longer be determined, built the dolmen during the Early Bronze Age IB, about 3200 BC.

International..

'Health Crisis' Interrupts Mubarak Speech The Guardian 11/19/2003 CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak interrupted a nationally televised speech to parliament Wednesday for more than 30 minutes because of a ``health crisis'' before resuming the address amid cheers from lawmakers. The 75-year-old Mubarak - the only president a generation of Egyptians has known - coughed, sneezed and wiped his face with a handkerchief before leaving the podium. His face appeared puffy, his voice weakened, and his speech sounded slightly slurred. Lahoud makes journey to Damascus Daily Star 11/19/2003 Talks come amid rumors of syrian displeasure with Hariri -- President Emile Lahoud and Syrian President Bashar Assad held a summit in Damascus on Tuesday amid speculationsabout Syrian discontent with Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. While official statements by the presidential palaces here and in Damascus focused on bilateral relations, political sources insinuated that a Cabinet reshuffle is out of the question for the time being. Assad Pledges to 'Tidy Up' Lahoud-Hariri Power Struggle An Nahar 11/19/2003 President Lahoud has returned from summit talks with President Assad in Damascus with a Syrian pledge to help 'contain' his frequent power clashes with Premier Hariri coupled with a veto against a change of government in Beirut, An Nahar reported on Wednesday. It said the government issue in Lebanon was not tackled in the Damascus summit from an angle of change but within a concept of energizing the performance of the current government to cope with the problematic situation in the region. Beirut to begin talks on EFTA trade deal Daily Star 11/19/2003 Hamade seeks pact similar to eu association agreement - Meeting to take place with Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland -- Lebanon and the four nations of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) began in Beirut on Monday a second round of negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement along the lines of Lebanon’s association agreement with the European Union. Economy and Trade Minister Marwan Hamade opened a three-day round of talks with representatives from Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland at the Social and Economic Council. Alleged Hizbullah Financier Extradited by Brazil to Paraguay An Nahar 11/19/2003 A man suspected of financing Hizbullah fighters from his business in the shadowy "Triple Border" area where Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil converge has been extradited to Paraguay to face tax evasion charges, Brazilian officials said. Assaad Ahmad Barakat was quietly flown to the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, on Monday, said Marina Oliveira, a spokeswoman for Brazil's justice ministry. The extradition was highlighted by the Beirut press on Wednesday. New American ambassador to Saudi Arabia Arabic News 11/19/2003 The White House on Monday announced that the US President George W. Bush chose one of the major industrialists working in the field of oil to be the US ambassador in Saudi Arabia. The new ambassador who is very close to the Bush family is Jim Oberwetter, who currently occupies the post of the vice president for Public and Government Affairs in the Hunt Oil company. He is also a member in the general company for telecommunications at the American Oil Institute and one of the most important pressure centers ( Lobby) of oil industry in the USA. Aljazeera's English experiment in trouble Asia Times 11/19/2003 The recent shock firing of star journalist Yvonne Ridley - the last of nine journalists to leave the struggling website in as many months - has raised the question of whether Aljazeera's high-profile English news service will fold. "A lot of people are holding their breath to see what will happen in the next few days," one Aljazeera Net journalist told Asia Times Online. "Decisions will be made according to these developments." EU expected to back UN resolution condemning anti-Semitism Ha'aretz 11/19/2003 European Union ambassadors to the United Nations met Wednesday and considered backing a proposed Irish-sponsored resolution condemning anti-Semitism. If passed, it would mark the first time EU nations back a UN resolution pertaining to anti-Semitism. Ireland annually submits a resolution condemning religious intolerance through the UN Human Rights Committee. Protesters Jeer Bush Over Foreign Policy The Guardian 11/19/2003 LONDON (AP) - Watched by circling helicopters, rooftop snipers, and thousands of police, a few hundred noisy protesters derided President Bush in a mock procession as he officially began his state visit to America's staunchest ally Wednesday. Outside Buckingham Palace, where Bush was welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II with pageantry and a 41-gun salute, police kept a smattering of demonstrators and Bush supporters behind metal barriers several dozen yards from the gates. Buckingham 'Security Scandal' Exposed During Bush Visit Islam Online 11/19/2003 LONDON, November 19 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - In what is seen as a "security scandal" for Britain, a British reporter who worked undercover for two months at Buckingham Palace revealed on Wednesday, November 18, that the security was so lax the he could easily have assassinated U.S. President George W. Bush during his state visit to the kingdom. "Had I been a terrorist intent on assassinating the Queen (Elizabeth) or American president George Bush, I could have done so with absolute ease," Journalist Ryan Parry wrote in the Daily Mirror. Iraq protesters descend on Palace BBC 11/19/2003 Hundreds of protesters have charged down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace in a day of protests against US President George Bush. Police moved swiftly to stop the activists - who had broken away from a rally in Trafalgar Square - before allowing them closer to the palace. A short sit-down protest in the Mall was followed by a good-natured protest near a statue of Queen Victoria. UK Bought Israeli Cluster Bombs Ahead of Iraq War Palestine Chronicle 11/18/2003 LONDON - The British army started to buy Israeli-made cluster munitions for the first time during the months leading up to the Iraq war, Arms Forces Minister Adam Ingram has revealed. The Defense Ministry has previously admitted that British troops fired over 2,000 Israeli L20 artillery shells that each contains 49 bomblets, including in built-up areas, far more than the number of cluster bombs dropped by the UK air force. In reply to a written question in parliament on Monday, Ingram said that 6,000 L20 shells were purchased from Israeli Military Industries in the year ending March 2003. US and Europe clash over Iran The Guardian 11/19/2003 Europe and the US clashed last night when Washington said publicly that it disagreed with the EU's position on the nuclear threat posed by Iran. Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, who joined President George Bush in London last night at the start of the state visit to Britain, had been seeking to mend fences after months of disagreements over Iraq. But talks on Iran, described by Mr Powell as "very candid", revealed fresh disagreement over what many consider to be the next big international crisis. GIs razing homes of suspected Iraqi insurgents NewJersey.com 11/19/2003 Families say they were given 5 minutes to get out -- TIKRIT, Iraq -- In a tactic reminiscent of Israeli crackdowns in the West Bank and Gaza, the U.S. military has begun destroying the homes of suspected guerrilla fighters in Iraq's Sunni Triangle, evacuating women and children, then leveling their houses with heavy weaponry. At least 15 homes have been destroyed in Tikrit as part of what has been dubbed Operation Ivy Cyclone II, including four, leveled Sunday by tanks and Apache helicopters, that allegedly belonged to suspects in the Nov. 7 downing of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed six Americans...."This is something Sharon would do," said 41-year-old farmer Jamel Shahab, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "What's happening in Iraq is just like Palestine." Future's bright for terror betting The Guardian 11/18/2003 A futures market first proposed by the Pentagon that allows speculators to bet on assassinations, coups and acts of terrorism is to be set up without government involvement, it emerged yesterday. The project, abandoned in August after political criticism, will be launched next month by the San Diego-based technology company Net Exchange - the firm the Pentagon worked with on the idea. "At present, we aren't making any of that public," said the company president, Charles Polk, yesterday. "Given the treatment this received in the political machine in July and August, and in much of the press, we are being a little guarded in our approach."

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