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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Archives

Conflict..

Israeli forces attack Jenin Al-Jazeera 11/25/2003 Israeli forces have launched a fresh attack in eastern Jenin city, opening heavy fire randomly. The forces surrounded a group of Palestinian houses in the area and searched them. They claimed they were looking for “wanted Jenin activists”, eyewitnesses told our correspondent in Jenin. Armed al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades resistance fighters had attacked Qadeem settlement, near the eastern area of Jenin a few hours before the Israeli attack. Occupation Forces Shoot Dead Two Palestinians, Including 11-Year-Old Palestine Chronicle 11/24/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Saturday shot dead two Palestinians, including an 11-year-old boy, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as two Israeli security guards were killed near Jerusalem by the Apartheid Wall Israel is building on occupied Palestinian land. Eleven-year-old Palestinian boy Ibrahim Jalamna was shot dead on Saturday during an IOF military incursion into the northern West Bank city of Jenin. During the incursion, carried out by ten Israeli armored vehicles and a bulldozer, IOF troops opened gunfire on stone-throwers, killing Ibrahim Jalamna, Palestinian medical sources and witnesses said. IDF kills 2 armed Palestinians and boy, 11 Ha'aretz 11/23/2003 Israel Defense Forces troops killed two armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. An 11-year-old boy was also reportedly killed in clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Jenin. Palestinian security sources said the boy, Ibrahim Jalameh, was shot dead by troops yesterday as he threw stones at them. Two Israelis killed in attack near J'lem Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 Two Israeli security guards were shot dead at a construction site along the route of the separation fence, in East Jerusalem's Kidron valley at around 8:00 P.M. last night. "The Jenin Martyrs' Brigades," which is affiliated with Fatah, claimed responsibility for the attack. Gunmen opened fire from a nearby wadi, while the two guards were in a car. Three additional security guards, who were nearby, returned fire. Palestinian woman seriously wounded in Zionist shooting Palestinian Information Center 11/24/2003 Khan Younis - Zionist occupation forces last night opened heavy machinegun fire and tank shells at Palestinian residential houses in the western outskirts of Khan Younis seriously wounding a Palestinian woman. Medical sources said that Fawziya Al-Farra, 43, was hit in the back in front of her house in central Khan Younis city and that she was in critical condition. IOF Kills Two Palestinians Including 10-year Old Child International Press Center 11/23/2003 BEIT HANUN, Palestine, November 23, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot dead two Palestinian citizens Saturday, including a 10-year old boy who was killed after a stone-throwing clash in the city of Jenin. Palestinian medical and security sources said that an unidentified body of a young Palestinian arrived Saturday afternoon to the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, and was riddled with bullets....Earlier,in the city of Jenin, a 10-year old boy was shot and killed by IOFduring a stone-throwing clash. Eyewitnesses and medical sources in Jenin said that Ibrahim Jalamna, 10, was shot with a live bullet in the chest as IOF invaded the city of Jenin. Several youngsters and children hurled stones at the occupying forces, which in turn opened heavy and indiscriminate fire on them , killing Jalamna. Meanwhile, IOF arrested four Palestinian citizens in the villages of Kofr Ein and Deir Ghassana, northwest of Ramallah and ElBireh governorate. Rafah Mayor: Israeli Troops Destroyed 2000 Houses and Displaced 30000 Inhabitants International Press Center 11/23/2003 RAFAH, Palestine,November,23,2003, (IPC+Al Sharq Alawsat)-Said Zu’rob, mayor of Rafah municipality, revealed that the Israeli occupying forces had completely destroyed 1500 houses and partially damaged500 others inRafah city, south of Gaza Strip,within the last 38 months of Al Aqsa Intifada....The houses demolition made around 30,000 people homeless. At present, the displaced people aresheltered inside tents, playgrounds and schools,Zu’rob was quoted as saying. Zu’rob emphasized that the assistance being provided by the Palestinian National Authority, UNRWA, donors and humanitarian organizations are insufficientto wipe problem away. Mundane Life in and around Nablus International Solidarity Movement 11/23/2003 2 nights ago the army came to Balata camp at around 2-2:30 AM. I awoke to the sound of sirens and thought I was in Asira listening to a new low in the army’s presence there, declaring curfew. As my mind cleared and I remembered I was in Balata, I heard a loud explosion; everyone in the room heard it. We wondered what it was, a house demolition? A tank shell? A bomb? Later after several hours wondering it turned out to be of Israeli military origin, maybe a grenade thrown in the street. Soldiers proceeded to shoot around the camp, throw sound grenades, switch on and off their sirens, shout over their loudspeakers, etc. Palestinians imprisoned in their village for Al Eid holiday Palestine Monitor 11/24/2003 Two days ago Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the small West Bank village of 'Asira ash Shamaliya yet the village is still suffering under a strict closer, and remain fearful that curfew may once again be imposed at any time. Saturday, October 22, the Israeli military jeeps left the village (5 kilometers north of Nablus city), having finally lifted a 12 day curfew. The army have however simply redeployed around the village, blocking all five entrances and preventing any one from entering or leaving. Continuous Attacks on Palestinian Medical Relief Ambulances Palestine Monitor 11/21/2003 At Za’tara checkpoint - Nablus, 1.30 pm on Monday the 17th of November, Morayad Mahmoud Saleh, a Palestinian Medical Relief Member of Staff, was traveling in an ambulance with an International member of Staff. The purpose of the journey was to carry out a field visit to a patient. Israeli soldiers and border police stopped the ambulance; physically and verbally threatened the members of staff, searched the ambulance and then proceeded to damage it. Despite holding the ambulance for four hours, they gave no reason for their actions. Updated Map Reinforces the Apartheid Wall’s Devastating Path Palestine Monitor/PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign 11/21/2003 The Apartheid Wall’s path is accelerating rapidly with destruction continuing daily in the northern West Bank as well as the Jerusalem and Bethlehem areas. New information suggests that recent projections by international organizations have greatly underestimated the Apartheid Wall’s current and coming devastation on Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank. The Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign’s most recent map of the Wall’s path, finalized November 2003, reveals that if completed in its entirety, nearly 50% of the West Bank population will be affected by the Wall though the loss of their land, imprisonment into ghettos, isolation into de facto annexed areas by Israel. Fears that Iran may supply Hezbollah long-range rockets Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 Iran has recently made efforts to boost the range of the short- and medium-range rockets that it produces, sparking fears in Israel that Tehran may ship the improved rockets to Hezbollah for deployment in south Lebanon. The rockets in Hezbollah's current arsenal have a range of some 75 kilometers. If fired from locations near the northern border, they could hit targets as distant as Haifa and beyond. According to some assessments, the northern town of Hadera could also be within the current range of the rockets. Hamas tests new Qassam rocket Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 Hamas conducted a test recently on a new model of the Qassam rocket with a supposed increased range. The rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip toward the sea, with the test organizers sending a fishing boat out in an attempt to determine the rocket's landing point. News Briefs: Israeli Forces Attack Nablus, U.S. Handed PA a List of Security Demands International Middle East Media Center 11/24/2003 Israeli forces invaded the old city of Nablus earlier this morning turning roofs and tall building into sniper posts from which they shot at houses. The invasion began as special forces snuck into the Old City to grab a “wanted” man from the Hamas political party. He was one of 12 people taken from throughout the West Bank to unknown locations this morning. // Palestinian sources reported that U.S. officials handed the Palestinian Authority a list of demands, including the collection of illegal arms, banning public show of power, and closing down tunnels. Ten-Year Old Brahim Jalamni Shot and Killed in Jenin International Solidarity Movement 11/23/2003 On the afternoon of November 22, at approximately 2:30 PM, Israeli military forces launched an incursion into east Jenin that resulted in the death of ten-year old Brahim Ahmed Ali Jalamni. The Israeli incursion coincided with a pre-planned anti-Apartheid Wall demonstration in the Barta village region of the Jenin district that took ISM Jenin volunteers several kilometers away from the scene of Brahim’s death.

Diplomacy..

U.S. to trim Israeli loan package over settlements, fence Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced Tuesday night that it will trim $289.5 million from a $9 billion package of loan guarantees for Israel, penalizing Israel for its settlement activities in the territories. In talks held Tuesday morning between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass, U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Danny Ayalon, it was agreed that the cut would also set off Israel's investments in several segments of the West Bank security fence, but these investments would be defined in a separate clause of the U.S. decision. Qorei, Sharon spar over conditions for summit Daily Star 11/25/2003 Palestinian PM wants guarantees; Israeli leader rules them out -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said Monday that his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, must come up with serious proposals to kickstart the peace process, as Sharon sought backing for “unilateral measures.” In an interview with AFP, Qorei said he hoped “that there will be serious and tangible steps, steps that will have a positive impact on the peace process and the whole situation and that it will not be mere public relations.”Qorei was responding to comments by Sharon at his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday that he “does not rule out unilateral steps.” Exports to EU will indicate whether from territories Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 The labels of Israeli goods exported to Europe will from now on indicate the city where they were produced, so that the Europeans can easily determine whether or not they were made in the territories, Industry Minister Ehud Olmert promised European Union officials during a visit to Brussels yesterday. The EU has been demanding for the last five years that goods made in the territories not be labeled "made in Israel," as it argues that the territories are not part of Israel, and goods produced there are therefore not eligible for the customs reductions that Israeli goods enjoy under the free-trade pact with Europe. Sheikh Yassin says no point in holding truce talks Al-Bawaba 11/25/2003 Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader and founder of Hamas, expected new violence and said there was no chance for a cease-fire unless Israel withdrew from Palestinian territories. "Without an Israeli withdrawal there can be no talk of stopping the fight," Yassin told Germany's Die Welt daily in an interview published on Tuesday. "There can be no talk of a cease-fire at this point in time." "As long as Palestinian civilians are victims of Israeli attacks, Israeli civilians will be victims." Asfour: Hamas will not accept hudna similar to the previous one Palestinian Information Center 11/23/2003 Nablus - Adnan Asfour, political bureau member of the Hamas Movement in the West Bank, has affirmed that his Movement was not seeking a new hudna or ceasefire with the Zionist enemy that would serve as a replica to the previous one. Asfour, in an interview with ‘Al-Quds’ newspaper, said that Hamas was ready to discuss any offer on condition that it should include ending the Palestinian people’s sufferings and oppression. Sharon ‘Supervises’ Bids To Halt Iran's Nuclear Program Islam Online 11/24/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, November 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is personally supervising efforts to stop Iran from acquiring an alleged nuclear arsenal, Israeli army radio said on Sunday, November 23. Sharon has also instructed the foreign ministry to lobby other countries to act to stop Iran's nuclear activities, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Mossad, Israels's overseas intelligence service, which is directly answerably to Sharon, has been put in charge of "all other aspects" of efforts to foil the Islamic republic's alleged covert nuclear program, the radio said. Report: Hizbullah to give German broker ''three weeks'' before declaring collapse of negotiations Al-Bawaba 11/25/2003 Hizbullah sources informed the al Sharq al Awsat daily that after Eid al Fitr, German broker Ernest Orlaw will arrive in Beirut, carrying with him new Israeli proposals regarding the swap deal that was stalled due to cabinet's refusal to release Samir Kuntar.Kuntar is jailed in Israel since a 1979 attack in the northern city of Nahariya, in which he killed three members of the same family and an Israeli policeman. U.S. Presses Israel to Stop Work on New Settlements and Barrier New York Times 11/25/2003 WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 — The Bush administration has sent new signals to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel demanding that his government stop its expansion of settlements and the construction of a barrier in the West Bank, administration officials said Monday. The officials said the administration's concern was conveyed last week in a meeting in Rome between Mr. Sharon and the White House's top Middle East adviser, Elliott Abrams. The session was disclosed in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. PA Warns; Sharon Intendeds to Escape Road Map Obligations International Middle East Media Center 11/25/2003 Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said a Monday that Sharon's hint of unilateral steps is a political maneuver to escape obligations stated in the road map peace plan. Meanwhile, his Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei urged Sharon to take serious and significant steps in order to renew political talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Sharon said Monday that he was more convinced that there was no reason to wait for a new Palestinian government, therefore he was considering "unilateral steps "for the good of the state of Israel". More than Half Back Two-State Israel Plan Miftah/The Independent 11/24/2003 Support is growing among Israelis and Palestinians for a two-state solution based on mutual recognition, an almost total Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the 1967 war, division of Jerusalem and an end to the conflict. A poll published yesterday revealed that 55.6 per cent of Palestinians and 53 per cent of Israelis backed the principles of the Geneva Accords, an unofficial peace plan drafted by the ex-Israeli minister Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo, formerly a senior figure in the Palestinian Authority. Report: Berlin rejects Israeli request for submarines Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 BERLIN - The German government declined to comment Monday on a magazine report that the country has decided not to export more submarines to Israel for fear they could be armed with nuclear warheads. Without citing its sources, Germany's Focus weekly magazine reported on Sunday that the government had rejected a request by Israel for two Dolphin submarines after it gave the country three new submarines almost free of charge in the late 1990s. The magazine said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his European Union partners were worried the craft could be armed with nuclear warheads and wanted to stop a potential arms race in the Middle East. Israel embraces Italian neo-fascist Al-Jazeera 11/24/2003 Israeli government officials and opposition leaders have met the leader of Italy's neo-fascist National Alliance party, Gianfranco Fini. Fini, who is also Italy’s deputy prime minister, arrived on an official visit to Israel on Sunday night. The visit has drawn harsh criticism from leftist politicians and Palestinians. On Monday, he met with Israeli President Moshe Katsav, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom as well as opposition leader Shimon Peres. Jordanian king receives Qrei and American delegation: The Palestinians have to abide by obligations Arabic News 11/24/2003 The Jordanian King Abdullah II who received yesterday in al-Aqaba a delegation representing the US Congress and the Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qrei, urged the Palestinians to execute their security obligations, as stated in the Roadmap. The Jordanian news agency Petra said that the Jordanian King discussed with the American delegation "the current situation in Palestine and Jordan and Jordan's view to find a just and permanent solution for the two cases." Sources: Palestinian Prime Minister delays expected meeting with Israeli counterpart Al-Bawaba 11/24/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, accepted a recommendation by participants of the Geneva Accords to postpone his meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon until after the official ceremony of the signing of the accords in December, Palestinian sources said. According to the sources, Qurei accepted the viewpoint according to which the signing of the accords would generate international and internal pressure on Sharon that may benefit the Palestinians ahead of the meeting. EU states guilty of anti-semitism, says Sharon The Guardian 11/24/2003 European states are not doing enough to combat anti-semitism and their policies are influenced by an "ever-strengthening Muslim presence", according to Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. In an interview published today by the website EUpolitix.com, Mr Sharon also accuses Europeans of being inherently anti-semitic and says their views on the Middle East are "unbalanced". "I would say, in my opinion, EU governments are not doing enough to tackle anti-semitism. What we are facing in Europe is an anti-semitism that has always existed and it really is not a new phenomenon," says Mr Sharon. He insists that European criticism of the Israeli state reflects this fundamental bias and endangers Jews. Fresh nod to peace process in Israel? Christian Science Monitor 11/25/2003 In interview, deputy prime minister says Sharon is considering unilateral steps. -- JERUSALEM – Following sharp internal and external criticism of his policies, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is indicating that he is contemplating "unilateral measures" intended to ease Palestinian suffering and perhaps to invigorate a moribund peace process. In a Monitor interview Sunday, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Mr. Sharon had told him and other ministers that "we have to make every possible effort to take notice of the human needs of the Palestinian population ... and this is unconditional to the question [of] whether there is terror or not. Because if we will condition it to terror then we will never take these measures because terror will continue." Obeid rips US proposal to resettle refugees Daily Star 11/25/2003 Plan would lead to ‘permanent conflict’ - Minister says American insistence on intervening in internal Lebanese affairs is not helping peace process -- Foreign Minister Jean Obeid denounced the petition signed by members of the US Congress that proposes the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in their host countries arguing that “it infringes upon Arab national rights and Lebanese sovereignty.” “The petition is in violation of UN resolutions and the right of return,” Obeid said during a news conference at his office on Friday. Obeid said that such policy on the part of the US would push the region into a state of permanent conflict. Passports for Gaza's refugees in Jordan Arabic News 11/25/2003 Jordan's prime minister Faisal al-Fayez announced that his government intends to offer passports to Palestinian refugees living in Jordan who are from Gaza in order "to facilitate for them measures, but without giving them the Jordanian nationality." The Jordanian prime minister said this during his meeting with the secretary general for parties on Saturday. Is a single binational state possible in Palestine? By Samira Kawar, Daily Star 11/25/2003 Some believe point of no return has already been reached - Living patterns in many towns and villages are already taking on new shapes because of Sharon government’s military siege -- LONDON: Debate is heating up about the possibility of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the establishment of a single democratic binational Jewish-Palestinian state in the whole of historical Palestine that would grant full civil and political rights to its Jewish and Palestinian citizens.The idea has gained some currency given the collapse of the Oslo peace accords, the absence of progress on the “road map” to resolve the conflict and Israeli changes on the ground in the West Bank that have made Israeli occupation there virtually “irreversible,” according to some arguments.“Israel and the Palestinians are sinking together into the mud of the one state,” says leftwing Israeli researcher Meron Benvenisti in a recent article in Haaretz newspaper.“The question is no longer whether it will be binational, but which model to choose,” he adds. ....Afif Safieh, Palestinian general delegate to the United Kingdom, who was not at the discussion, says the idea of one binational Jewish-Palestinian state is “unrealistic” and “utopian” because no more than 1 or 2 percent of Israeli society is willing to discuss it. With no option of defeating Israel militarily and imposing a one-state solution on it, or of democratically convincing a majority of Israelis to accept it, Safieh believes it is an impossibility. It is invoked by some Palestinians and some Israelis as a “scarecrow” to warn the Israeli government and Israeli society at large of the “disaster” that awaits them if Israel does not cease its military activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, pull back its troops and stop settlement activity, he adds.He criticizes such scare-mongering as a “racist approach playing on the prejudices which exist among a majority within the Jewish community who would like to have a state of their own, not with us.” Sharon Vows Arab State if Attacks Stop Yahoo! News 11/24/2003 JERUSALEM - The Palestinians are assured of a state if they halt attacks on Israelis and dismantle armed groups, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) said Monday. But he also tried to ease fears among his right-wing backers that he will dismantle settlements as a concession to peace. Sharon also told legislators from his right-wing Likud party Monday that he would not agree to preconditions to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, who wants guarantees a summit will yield results before agreeing to a date. Sharon Scored PR Success without Presenting a Substantial Plan International Middle East Media Center 11/24/2003 Responding to a proposal from the side of Justice minister Tomy Labid, who demanded a cabinet decision on a new fence route that is less costly and quicker to build, Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon lashed at ministers who publicly criticized the existing plans, but did not rule out a renewed discussion on the route of the separation wall in the West Bank. In the Sunday cabinet meeting, Sharon confirmed that he was considering a package of unilateral positive steps towards Palestinians, but said that he was not yet decided on what steps to take. Sharon promised to bring the intended package to the cabinet for approval. National conference to counter “Switzerland document” Palestinian Information Center 11/24/2003 Gaza - The Islamic and National forces in the Gaza Strip were preparing for a massive conference to oppose the so-called “Switzerland document” signed by a number of Palestinian and Zionist figures in Jordan last month as the basis for a final settlement to the Palestinian-Zionist conflict. Abdullah Al-Hourani, head of the Palestinian legislative council’s political department, said that a preparatory committee was formed for the conference slated to be held on 1st December 2003. He noted that the document was to be officially signed in Geneva on that same date. He told the London-based Arabic language newspaper ‘Ashark Al-Awsat’ that the conference would be called the Palestinian national congregation for the defense of the right of return. Palestinian Officials: Sharon’s Willingness to Dismantle Settlements is Misleading International Press Center 11/23/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, November 23, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Palestinian officials Saturday underestimated the recent Israeli Prime Minister statements regarding the dismantling of Jewish settlements, saying these statements were misleading and intended at pre-empting current political developments. Sa’eb Eriqat, the Minister of Negotiations Affairs, was quoted as saying “such statements by Sharon are merely public relations moves as moving forward requires actual implementation of the Road Map peace plan.” Sharon Considers Dismantling "Isolated" Outposts: Reports Islam Online 11/23/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, November 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling "isolated" Jewish settlements in the occupied territories as part of a series of "unilateral gestures" towards the Palestinians, according to reports Sunday, November 23. The settlements which face dismantling are on the Palestinian side of a controversial separation barrier being built by Israel across the West Bank or in areas which are considered difficult to defend, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Intensified contacts to prepare for Qrei-Sharon meeting Palestinian Information Center 11/24/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Officials in the Palestinian Authority and the Zionist entity along with American diplomats have been holding intensified contacts over the past few days to prepare for a meeting between PA premier Ahmed Qrei and his Zionist counterpart Ariel Sharon. Well-informed sources expected the meeting to take place either Thursday or Friday immediately after the Muslim feast of Eidul Fitr that follows the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Qureia Sets Terms for Summit Talks with Sharon An Nahar 11/25/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said he was ready for a summit with Ariel Sharon, but only if the Israeli premier agrees to move on some tough Palestinian demands, including halting the construction of a contentious West Bank barrier. Sharon said Monday he would not accept preconditions for a summit, and the dispute threatened hopes for a decisive effort to end three years of violence and jump-start long-stalled peace talks. In recent days momentum seemed to be building toward a renewal of talks on implementation of a U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, after the main Palestinian militant groups agreed to a meeting in Egypt in early December to discuss a cease-fire with Israel. Qureia hopes PM takes `serious steps' Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia yesterday urged Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to "take serious and significant steps to renew the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians." Responding to statements Sharon has made in recent days regarding his plan to implement "unilateral measures" in the territories, Qureia added: "I hope that Sharon's statements are not merely a public relations campaign devoid of content, since the current situation does not permit such statements to be made but not fulfilled in practice. In any case, unilateral measures will have significance only if they constitute part of the implementation of the road map and UN resolutions." Qorei Urges Serious Measures From Israeli Premier Sharon Arab News 11/25/2003 RAMALLAH, West Bank, 25 November 2003 — Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said yesterday that his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon must come up with serious proposals to kick start the peace process, as Sharon sought backing for “unilateral measures”. Qorei said he hoped “that there will be serious and tangible steps, steps that will have a positive impact on the peace process and the whole situation and that it will not be mere public relations”. Qorei was responding to comments by Sharon at his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday that he “does not rule out unilateral steps”. Israel offers EU trade row deal BBC 11/25/2003 Israeli Trade Minister Ehud Olmert has offered the European Union a compromise plan to resolve a long-running dispute over "made in Israel" export labels. Mr Olmert's plan would see products labelled by their town of origin, bypassing Brussels' concerns over exports from the West Bank and Gaza. The EU has a free trade agreement with Israel, but says it should not cover exports from West Bank settlements.

Human Rights..

Israel Banishes More Palestinians from West Bank Palestine Chronicle 11/25/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The Israeli occupation army Sunday night expelled at least three Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. The expulsion was carried out promptly and without charge or trial. Palestinian sources said an Israeli army jeep drove Ahmed al Mushkah, 27, from the northern West Bank town of Jenin to an Israeli roadblock in northern Gaza where he was ordered to walk southward and not look backward....The fresh expulsions, considered a war crime under international law, bring to six the number of West Bank Palestinians banished to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of this month. Israel releases 10 Jordanian prisoners Al-Bawaba 11/24/2003 Israel on Tuesday released 10 Jordanian prisoners, including four that were connected to attacks against Israelis, as gesture to Jordan on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr holiday. Zionist occupation forces close down Ibrahimi Mosque Palestinian Information Center 11/23/2003 Al-Khalil - Zionist occupation forces yesterday closed down the Ibrahimi Mosque before Muslim worshippers in the holy month of Ramadan at the pretext of celebrating a Jewish feast. The Palestinian Awkaf department said that the occupation forces informed it of the intention to close down the Mosque. Office of the chief justice of Palestinian religious courts, Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, issued a statement quoting the Sheikh as denouncing the Zionist step. Indian American ISM Activist to Sue the State of Israel International Solidarity Movement 11/25/2003 International Solidarity Movement volunteer Radhika Sainath, from Orange County, California is suing the state of Israel on Thursday, November 27 for unlawful imprisonment, negligence and breach of obligations. Leading human rights lawyer Shamai Liebowitz will be representing Ms. Sainath, who was seized by Israeli soldiers last November in the olive groves of the West Bank village Jayyous. Letter: Israel's contempt for Tom - Jocelyn Hurndall The Guardian 11/22/2003 If my intelligent, courageous son, Tom, had not been left severely brain damaged by an Israeli soldier, he would have vouched for the fact that I am not prone to speechlessness. Words now fail me. Two days ago, I received notification from my bank that the cheque sent by Israel's ambassador, for a fraction of the expenses incurred by the family for Tom's repatriation and for which we have had to wait five months, had not been honoured by the Bank of Israel. "Insufficient funds" was the reason given. Three More West Bank Palestinians transferred to The Gaza Reservation International Middle East Media Center 11/24/2003 Ahmed al-Mushkah, 27, from Jenin, Alla Hassuna, 28, from Nablus and Samer Bader, 27, from Ramallah were deported Sunday to the Gaza Strip and banned from returning to the West bank for two years. The three were among 18 West bank residents slated for expulsion to Gaza. The three deportees were held behind bars for administrative reasons. None of them was officially accused or convicted with any security offence. Sharon peace nod amid expulsions BBC 11/24/2003 Israel has expelled three more suspected Palestinian militants from the West Bank. The men, who have not been charged, were moved to the Gaza Strip after losing appeals to the Supreme Court. The expulsions came as Israeli leader Ariel Sharon said he was considering taking "unilateral steps" to advance the peace process with Palestinians....The measure has been condemned by Palestinians and human rights groups, but Israel says the men cannot be tried because it would jeopardise intelligence sources.

Economy..

Palestine’s first mall: challenge to Israel’s occupation Daily Star 11/25/2003 $10.2 million venture defies stranglehold on economy - After 4 years of delays, Western-style shopping center opens to Ramallah public -- RAMALLAH: It took four years, a total investment of $10.2 million and a miracle of business perseverance to bring to the occupied Palestinian territories its first-ever shopping mall at a time when the war-torn economy keeps taking repeated blows from Israeli onslaughts and choking restrictions. The man behind the new commercial venture, established with a share capital of $6.3 million, is a Palestinian-American who firmly believes that the Israeli occupation has rendered all aspects of life here, especially business, a “constant challenge” that should be tackled. Finance Ministry to raise $1.4b in early December with US guarantees Globes 11/25/2003 14 investment houses received initial notification of the upcoming issue in September-October. -- The Ministry of Finance will raise a further $1.4 billion with the US loan guarantees in early December. The issue will exhaust the $3 billion in guarantees allotted for 2003. The announcement was made to foreign underwriters, and published in “Globes” 10 days ago. Israeli government tackles unions BBC 11/24/2003 Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing anti-strike laws in an escalating confrontation with unions over economic reforms. The proposals would force unions to give 60 days notice before staging a walkout, while public sector workers would need a secret ballot to strike. Mr Netanyahu's action follows a spate of industrial action in protest against the planned 2004 budget. Perez, Netanyahu to hold marathon talks Globes 11/25/2003 The 48-hour non-stop talks will take place in a secluded location. The National Labor Court will be asked to postpone the hearing about negotiations. -- Negotiating teams headed by Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut chairman MK Amir Perez will begin 48-hour marathon talks starting tomorrow. The parties will try to resolve the outstanding issues over pensions and the civil servants' labor sanctions. Indian Navy to sign $100M. deal for IAI's Barak missiles Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) is about to sign a $100 million deal to supply India with missiles to protect Indian warships. Thus far, IAI has sold some $260 million worth of Barak missiles to the Indian army. This will be the third missile deal between the company and the Indian Navy. In a recent test-launch conducted by India's Navy, the Barak missile veered off course and fell into the sea, India media reported Monday. Egypt, Israel may clinch energy deal Daily Star 11/25/2003 Lucrative gas agreement on the table -- ATHENS: Three years of talks between the Egyptian and Israeli governments over a historic gas deal seem set to conclude at the end of this month. Should the two sides come to an agreement, it would promote Egypt into a major Israeli trade partner and make Cairo the second-largest supplier of natural gas to Tel Aviv. Although the arrangement is potentially lucrative, the delay over securing the deal is largely being attributed to Egyptian political concerns at being seen as collaborating with a country widely reviled in the Arab world. A joint venture involving British Gas ­ a 10 percent share of which is owned by an Athens-based Arab construction company with firm Palestinian links ­ is another strong contender for the contract. Officials slam ban on local fish sales Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 The Health Ministry yesterday ordered that all fish raised by local fish farmers be removed from supermarket shelves as a "precautionary measure," due to fears about the continued use of a banned chemical in fish-breeding ponds. It also ordered all inventories of such fish to be destroyed, and warned the public not to buy such fish or to eat any fish already bought from local companies, such as Amnon, Carpion, Bori, Admonit, Forel, Emor and Bermondey. Gov't ministries, public sector employment down 4.1% Globes 11/25/2003 At the same time, the total number of public sector workers rose by 12,100 to 777,600 in this period, a 1.6% increase. -- The government is cutting the number of workers employed in government ministries and public administration, even before the implementation of the new economic plan for 2004. The number of those employed in government ministries and public administration fell 4.1% to only 130,000 in January-September 2003, 5,500 fewer than in the corresponding period in 2002, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures. Propper: France told Osem to pay for exports from territories Globes 11/25/2003 Golan Heights Winery CEO Shalom Blyer: Olmert's action was economically correct. -- "We'd have lost Israel's political-diplomatic struggle against Europe if tariffs and customs duties were imposed on all the goods exported to Europe," Osem (TASE:OSEM) CEO Dan Propper told "Globes". He was responding to the decision to label the city or community where goods are manufactured, thereby resolving Israel's dispute on the origin of goods with the EU.

People..

Despite Tight Closure, 200,000 Joined Holy Friday Prayer in Jerusalem Miftah 11/22/2003 Starting Thursday morning, Army, police, and security forces tightened the closure around Jerusalem and security measures inside the holy city, especially around Al-Aqsa mosque compound. Thousands of local residents, mostly women and elderly, gathered at the hundreds of military check posts around Jerusalem demanding the right to join the holy Friday prayer (last Friday in Ramadan) in Al-Aqsa mosque. Soldiers and border police refused to allow any of them access to Jerusalem, yet thousands started climbing mountains, walking through field roads, and looking for alternative routs to by pass check posts and arrive to the mosque. Interview with an Accidental ISMer International Solidarity Movement 11/25/2003 Jenin - Ben J - 25 Nov 03 -- This interview is with a fairly new ISM volunteer. I am interviewing him because he’s a great person, but also because he didn’t come here {Palestine} specifically to do ISM work; he was just traveling. He was not ever an activist, or particularly aware of the situation here. He had few preconceived notions about the Israeli/Palestinian issue and is thus a fairly untainted mirror for viewing the situation here, or at least his impressions of it are untainted. Most of us in ISM have formed our own opinions prior to coming to Palestine specifically to do solidarity work with Palestinians and support their {non-violent} opposition to the Occupation. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, he has been particularly effective in the field, and his abilities stand out. Ghassan Rahbani: exploring life and the universe through the lens of Oriental rock and dance Daily Star 11/25/2003 Lebanese composer’s show at Casino du Liban takes audience to heaven, hell and purgatory ­ and then brings them back to earth -- It could be that Lebanese rock star Ghassan Rahbani’s continuing musical message of critiquing society is more popular than anyone might have realized if the packed audience at the Casino du Liban on Friday night was anything to go by. "Nitzarim: the Death Trap" movie wins the Silver Award in Tunisia International Press Center 11/23/2003 "Here my mother was killed… by a tank… fallen died with me between her arms… I hate Jews because they gunned down my mom." with these words the Palestinian award-winning documentary film "Nitzarim: the death trap", for director Fareed Shahin, premiered screeningby quoting the words of the child Sa'eed Al Hajeen, who lost his mother, two brothers and a cousin by an Israeli tank guarding the illegitimate Jewish settlement of "Nitzarim"....Shahin's film received the silver award in the 9th Arab radio and television festival, which was held in Tunisia a month ago... Video: Palestinians Celebrate Eid Holiday Yahoo! News 11/25/2003 Palestinians Celebrate Eid Holiday

International..

U.S., Europeans Reach Deal on Iran Nukes The Guardian 11/25/2003 VIENNA, Austria (AP) - A proposed resolution condemning Iran's past nuclear program warns that the U.N. atomic agency would use ``all options at its disposal'' if the country violates its nuclear obligations again, but makes no specific mention of Security Council sanctions. The decision not to mention the Security Council in the draft, agreed to by U.S. and European negotiators, was a key concession by the United States. Iranian officials had said they would have rejected any direct mention of Security Council action - and the implicit threat of sanctions. The 'new' anti-semitism: is Europe in grip of worst bout of hatred since the Holocaust? The Guardian 11/25/2003 Jewish leaders claim rising Muslim influence has altered mood of continent -- Sixty years after the Holocaust, European Jews and Israelis are increasingly wondering if Europe is being sucked into the worst wave of anti-semitism since the second world war. In the past few weeks, a German MP was forced to resign after saying that Jews were responsible for Soviet atrocities, and the commander of the German army's special forces was sacked for agreeing with him. Then came the observation by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis that Jews are at the root of all evil, and the firebombing of a Jewish school in Paris. US renews travel ban on Libya Al-Jazeera 11/25/2003 The United States has said it will renew the ban on its citizens visiting Libya for a year but would review it every three months. Monday’s announcement may signal that Washington could ease some sanctions if Tripoli addressed US allegations of terrorism and alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Libya is a country “where there is imminent danger to the public health or physical safety of United States travellers”, in a notice published in the US Federal Register. Christian group frets emigration Daily Star 11/25/2003 But crisis also plagues Muslim communities - Elderly villager warns: ‘In the end, we will all find ourselves losers’ -- The US-based International Maronite Foundation recently published a report saying that the emigration of young people and middle-class families from Lebanon was a major concern of the Christian leadership. The foundation claims that many Christian communities have been marginalized in their own areas and overwhelmed by surrounding demographic changes that have minimized their influence in the community. “It is estimated that throughout the recent war, close to 900,000, the vast majority of them Christians, left Lebanon. Only a fraction has since returned,” the report said. “If naturalization of the remaining Palestinians in the country, who are overwhelmingly Muslim, goes through as part of an overall peace settlement, then the Christians will be in even more dire straits.” Libya’s industrial sector slated for privatization Al-Bawaba 11/25/2003 The Libyan government has announced plans to privatize over 300 state-owned companies by 2008. Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem said on Sunday, November 23, 2003, that heavy industry will be a target sector. "The program calls for the privatization of heavy industry, particularly steel mills, chemical plants, truck and bus assembly lines, textile and shoe factories, as well as state farms," Ghanem said to local media. Ghanem, former economy and trade minister, replaced Mubarak Abdallah Al-Shamikh as prime minister this past June following Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s decision to reform the country's socialist-based economy. Among Kadhafi’s main priorities is the privatization of the oil sector. Canadian Sent to Mideast Files Suit Washington Post 11/25/2003 Deportee Alleging Torture Seeks Redress From Jordan, Syria, U.S. -- TORONTO, Nov. 24 -- Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who was deported from the United States to Syria last year, is suing the governments of Jordan and Syria for kidnapping, false imprisonment and torture, his attorney said Monday. Arar also called on the Canadian government to change a law that prevents its citizens from using Canadian courts to sue foreign governments for torture. Bank Data For Saudi Embassy Subpoenaed Washington Post 11/23/2003 FBI Investigating Riyadh's Spending for Terrorist Ties -- The FBI, in an unprecedented move that has strained relations with a close ally in the war on terrorism, has subpoenaed records for dozens of bank accounts belonging to the Saudi Embassy, part of an investigation into whether any of the hundreds of millions of dollars Riyadh spends in the United States each year end up in the hands of Muslim extremists, U.S. and Saudi officials said. Hezbollah, in Iraq, Refrains From Attacks on Americans New York Times 11/23/2003 WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 — Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite group, has established a significant presence in Iraq, but is not taking part in attacks on American forces inside the country, according to current and former United States officials and Arabs familiar with the organization. Iran is believed to be restraining Hezbollah from attacking American troops, and that is prompting a debate within the Bush administration about Iran's objectives, administration officials said. Russian Press Implicates U.S. In Georgia Events Islam Online 11/24/2003 MOSCOW, November 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - While Washington granted the new Georgian government de facto recognition, Russian newspapers worried Monday, November 24, that the former Soviet republic could move sharply into the Western sphere of influence after the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze. "The history of the conflict between the government and opposition in Georgia did not start with the attack on parliament Saturday," Kommersant said. "The catalyst for the crisis was the visit to Georgia of former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker in July and the Americans' efforts to unify the forces opposed to the President in the months that followed," it added..."The new leaders could take an anti-Russian stance and Russia risks losing its position in the Caucasus and the possibility of taking part in developing gas and oil in the Caspian," foreign policy expert Alexander Rar said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). There are more than 20 million Muslims in Russia Muslim News 11/25/2003 MOSCOW,(Oana/Itar-Tass) - According to the Council of Muftis of Russia (CMR), more than twenty million people of different nationalities now profess the Muslim religion in Russia. CMR Chairman Ravil Gainutdin told a press conference here on Monday that the number of Russian Muslims had increased in recent years due to the large influx of migrants from the former republics of the Soviet Union, as well as from Afghanistan and some other countries. ELN frees 2 hostages; 4 Israelis still captive Ha'aretz 11/25/2003 The Colombian guerilla group ELN yesterday released two of the seven hostages it had been holding since September 12. The two tourists are a German woman and a Spanish man. One British and four Israeli tourists - Benny Daniel, Ido Guy, Erez Atawil and Orpaz Ohayon - remain held by the group. 3 MPs condemn French call for Syrian pullout Daily Star 11/25/2003 Three MPs criticized on Monday a French petition calling for the withdrawal of the Syrian Army from Lebanon as “blatant interference into Lebanese affairs.” Sources at the Foreign Ministry, however, tempered this response by saying that the petition was “not aggressive toward Syria and Lebanon.” Some 110 French MPs signed a petition urging President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin to work with the international community to implement UN Resolution 520 stipulating the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon. Profile: Al-Arabiya TV BBC 11/25/2003 Al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based satellite TV channel banned from reporting from Iraq by the country's interim government, is consistently rated among the top pan-Arab stations by Middle East audiences, although it was only launched in February this year. The US-installed Governing Council banned the channel for what it called "incitement to murder" after it broadcast an audio tape on 16 November purportedly made by the deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Al-Arabiya rejected the allegation that its broadcast incited murder, and insisted its news coverage was "objective and precise". Media watchdogs said the ban raised questions about the future of a free press in Iraq. Uncle of Jordan's King Abdullah: Many Muslims depressed due to ''lack of true leadership'' Al-Bawaba 11/25/2003 Prince Hassan of Jordan on Tuesday said that many Muslims felt depressed by the lack of true leadership shown by their rulers, the role of the military and the extent of corruption. In an interview with the German Tagesspiegel daily, the prince, the uncle of Jordan's King Abdullah, said civil society was in many cases under-developed and the role of women played down. Mubarak recovers, hopes inter-Palestinian talks to succeed Al-Bawaba 11/25/2003 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday made his first public appearance since a health problem last week. Mubarak appeared on live TV to mark Eid al-Fitr. Mubarak had been out of sight since last Wednesday. Local newspapers said the president was suffering the effects of flu and the dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan. On Tuesday, the Egyptian leader shook hands with Cabinet ministers and answered questions from reporters. 'Dead Man Walking' Author Gives Rousing Speech at Rally Common Dreams/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer 11/23/2003 Sister Helen Prejean on Saturday kept a promise she made to fellow Louisianian Roy Bourgeois 13 years ago: She took part in the annual SOA Watch demonstration outside the gates of Fort Benning. Sister Helen, a staunch opponent of the deat