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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Troops Reinvade Balata, Launches Onslaught on Occupied Jerusalem International Press Center 12/20/2003 WEST BANK, Palestine, December 20, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Israeli troops reinvaded and wounded today morning three Palestinians during a wide military offensive on the Balata refugee camp for the sixth days in a row. Palestinian medical sources said that the citizen Mohammed Ghazi, 18, was shot with a live bullet in the head. He was urgently rushed to Raphedia hospital in critical condition. Meanwhile, the Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters towards the school students of a UN-run school in Balata camp, causing suffocation cases among the students. Bethlehem to be encircled in steel as 'security fence' snakes its way around holy city The Independent 12/20/2003 "We're not celebrating Christmas this year," says Yaqub Kasis, a member of Bethlehem's dwindling community of Palestinian Christians. It should be a time of celebration for the city where Christ was born. Unlike last year, this Christmas there are no Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem's streets and the tanks have gone. "This Christmas is quieter than before," Mr Kasis says. "But it's worse. It's worse because of the wall." Israel's "security fence" has arrived in Bethlehem. It snakes through the suburbs, close to the old stone houses. But the term "fence" is misleading. The section built in Bethlehem is made up of a triple layer concrete wall and two metal fences, one equipped with electronic sensors. Breaking News: Youths arrested in Housan village International Press Center 12/20/2003 12:25 Mohammed Essa Sabateen, 14, Mohammed Raji Sabateen ,15, and Mustafa Hamarara,15, has been held during the Israeli incursion into Housan village , west of Bethlehem, WAFA reported. / 10:14 Three Palestinians were wounded during the Israeli raid into Balata refugee camp, Palestinians medical sources said. Occupation forces arrest six construction workers claiming they were Hamas activists Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Ramallah - Zionist occupation forces arrested six Palestinian construction workers at dawn yesterday in one of the apartments in Beitonia town near the West Bank city of Ramallah, eyewitnesses reported. The local sources said that Zionist army troops broke into the six workers’ apartment near Ein Uraik crossing point at the western entrance to Ramallah city and took them to an unknown destination. The sources said that the arrestees were apparently villagers from north of the West Bank and settled in Ramallah to work in the field of construction. Locals deny Zionist arrests of prominent activists Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Nablus - Inhabitants of the Balata refugee camp to the east of the West Bank city of Nablus have denied Zionist occupation forces’ success in arresting any of the prominent Palestinian resistance activists in the camp yesterday. The inhabitants asserted that the occupation forces’ operation yesterday in which scores of Palestinian young men were detained at random ended up in complete failure. IDF nabs 16 wanted Palestinians in W. Bank, raids Gaza camp Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 Israel Defense Forces troops arrested a total of 16 wanted Palestinians in a series of overnight raids on West Bank villages north of Ramallah that ended early Saturday, an Israeli military source said. Troops also entered the Balata refugee camp about 7:30 A.M. Saturday and began conducting house-to-house searches. The soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of stone throwers, the Israeli military and Palestinian witnesses said. Israel Destroys 4000 Palestinian Houses in Three Years: Official Palestine Chronicle 12/19/2003 GAZA STRIP (Xinhua) --The number of Palestinian houses that were destroyed by the Israeli army in the West Bank and Gaza during the past three years has reached 4,000, a high-ranking Palestinian official said on Thursday. Deifallah El-Akhras, director general of the Housing Ministry said that the financial losses out of the 4,000 completely destroying houses had exceeded 115 million US dollars over the past three years. He told reporters that the houses that were partially damaged during tanks and aircraft shillings as well as opening fire had reached 50,000 Palestinian houses, with losses of 40 million dollars. Zionist court passes 13 years imprisonment verdict against Syrian Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Nazareth - The Zionist central court in the city of Nazareth on Thursday passed a 13 years imprisonment term against a Syrian youth on charges of assisting Lebanese resistance fighters. The court found Sha’em Shams, a resident of the Buk’atha village in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, guilty of assisting the Lebanese Hizbullah party. Jewish settlers - crux of a deepening existential quandary for Israel San Francisco Chronicle 12/20/2003 Miriam Levinger was ecstatic. She and her husband had just driven to Hebron in a truck loaded with supporters and checked into a small Palestinian-owned hotel. It was Passover 1968, a year after Israel captured the West Bank, and Levinger and her rabbi husband believed they were on a holy mission -- to renew a Jewish presence in a biblical city where Jews had lived for centuries until the Arab-Israeli conflict drove them out in 1929....Apart from the worldwide disapproval, the billions spent to build and protect the settlements, and the nearly 200 settlers killed in the past three years of violence, there is budding recognition of a paradox: The settler movement that sought to make Israel's hold on the West Bank and Gaza irreversible in the name of nationalism may instead have planted the seeds of Israel's destruction as a Jewish state. A look at the Jewish settlements in the West bank and Gaza San Francisco Chronicle 12/20/2003 By Associated Presss -- [A brief, conservative and limited review of settlements and settlement expenditures - Ed.] The settlers' struggle BBC 12/19/2003 Jewish settlers have reacted angrily to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's announcement that unauthorised outposts and some Jewish settlements will be abandoned. Mr Sharon made his comments while outlining a "disengagement plan" in case the "roadmap" for peace with the Palestinians fails. Many settlers say they feel betrayed by the man who was seen as the champion of the settler movement. Israel's "Security" Wall: Another Land Grab - Acrobat format Arabic Media Internet Network December 2003 Includes updated map, charts -- Israel's goal in building the "security" wall is twofold: (1) to confiscate Palestinian land in order to facilitate further colony expansion and unilaterally redraw geopolitical borders and (2) to encourage an exodus of Palestinians by denying them the ability to earn a living from their land, by denying them adequate water resources, and by restricting freedom of movement to such extent as to make remaining in the town or village an unviable option. Israelis Arrest 16 Palestinians in Raids Al-Bawaba 12/20/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli troops arrested a total of 16 wanted Palestinians in a series of overnight raids in the West Bank that ended early Saturday, an Israeli military source said. The raids took place in five villages north of the city of Ramallah, the military said. No other details were immediately available. Troops also entered the Balata refugee camp about 7:30 a.m. Saturday and began conducting house-to-house searches. The soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of stone throwers, the Israeli military and Palestinian witnesses said. Five people were injured lightly and several others detained, witnesses said. PA releases Mossad agent Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 London - The Palestinian Authority has recently released Adnan Yassin, the Palestinian agent who worked for the Zionist foreign intelligence agency known as the Mossad. Yassin was working as deputy to the Palestinian ambassador in Tunisia, Hakam Bala’wi, who is the current PA interior minister, when he was arrested in October 1993. Yassin was responsible for arranging travel of PLO officials in and out of Tunisia, which hosted the PLO main headquarters then, in addition to furnishing houses of those officials in that north African Arab country. News Briefs: Islamic Jihad and Fatah claim attack on IOF convoy in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/20/2003 The Resistance attacks a Military Convoy East Gaza: The Military wing of the Islamic Jihad and Fattah's Military wing, announced yesterday night their responsibility of attacking a military convoy east the city of Gaza. / Javier Solana expresses European rejection of Sharon's Unilateral Plan: EU High Representative for common and Security Policy, Javier Solana criticized the speech presented by Sharon which calls for unilateral disengagement....

Diplomacy..

Little Joy at Sharon Speech By Jim Lobe, Antiwar.com 12/20/2003 U.S. peace activists have denounced Thursday's long-awaited speech by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on his plans to "disengage" from the Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories, even as the White House offered a more nuanced reaction. Americans for Peace Now (APN), a largely Jewish group that strongly supported the 1993 Oslo Accords, said the implementation of any unilateral "disengagement" plan as outlined in Sharon's 19-minute speech, would amount to the unilateral annexation of Palestinian territory....Most analysts believe that the "new security line" would correspond precisely to the path of the barrier that Israel has been erecting at a furious pace along and inside the West Bank, a path which they also believe Sharon hopes will become Israel's permanent border. U.S. official: Sharon speech 'a very positive development' Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 The White House on Friday said that it was "very pleased" with much of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's speech Thursday in Herzliya in which he offered to remove some settlements on the West Bank and make other concessions. "We were very pleased with the overall speech," spokesman Scott McClellan said in an apparent effort to offset published accounts that focused on his admonition Thursday that Sharon should not try to impose a settlement without negotiations. Meanwhile, citing sources close to the prime minister, Channel One reported that Sharon is willing to declare early elections in order to get a mandate for his "disengagement plan," if right-wing parties in his government resign, although he would prefer that the present government remain intact. PNA Refuses Sharon’s Ultimatum, Seeks US Clarification of U-turn Palestine Media Center 12/20/2003 EU: There Is No ‘Unilateral Solution’ to Palestinian–Israeli Conflict -- The Palestine National Authority (PNA) has blasted Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s ultimatum to resort to unilateral disengagement from Palestinians as an “unacceptable,” “disappointing” and “dangerous” attempt to bypass the “roadmap” peace plan and to impose a solution, and demanded the United States to clarify Washington’s U-turn reaction to Sharon’s Herzilya speech on Thursday. White House spokesman Scott McClellan on Friday stated that the White House was “very pleased with the overall (Sharon) speech,” in a U-turn to his criticism a day earlier of Sharon’s unilateral plan for disengagement. Solana: Quartet to meet at beginning of year on road map Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 The architects of the road map to Palestinian-Israeli peace hope to meet early next year to press for its implementation, the European Union's top diplomat said Friday. The road map was drafted by Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union - known as the Quartet - and aims to end more than two years of Middle East violence and establish a Palestinian state by 2005. But it has failed to make much progress. Israeli and Palestinian PM's to Meet - Report Reuters 12/20/2003 JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie plan to meet this week, Israel Radio said on Saturday. Palestinian officials said preparations for the meeting were not completed and no date had been set. Israeli officials had no immediate comment on the report. The much-anticipated meeting would be the first between the two leaders and would come days after Sharon announced a plan to unilaterally separate Israelis from Palestinians within months if peace talks fail. Arafat: Sharon coordinated 'disengagement plan' with U.S. Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat said Saturday that he has no doubt that the comments on unilateral disengagement, made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Herzliya Conference on Thursday, were coordinated with Washington, the Itim News Agency reported. Speaking to reporters in Ramallah, Arafat said that in light of what he knows of the U.S. position regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he believes that prior to the speech, the "disengagement plan" was presented to United States National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, as well as other senior administration officials. Sharon Threat Seen as Major Problem Washington Post 12/20/2003 Unilateral Steps by Israel Could Disrupt U.S.-Backed Peace Plan, Analysts Say -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's threat this week to unilaterally separate Israelis and Palestinians, if negotiations falter, poses a new and significant challenge to U.S. diplomacy in the region, administration officials and analysts said yesterday. While Sharon professed that he is committed to the U.S.-backed peace plan known as the road map -- which he has disdained for months -- the long-stalled peace initiative could well be buried by the steps he outlined in the speech, analysts said. In fact, Sharon significantly shortened the timetable for action -- "a few months" -- on a plan that is supposed to take effect over three years. Sharon to explain his plan in Washington Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Zionist premier Ariel Sharon is to travel to Washington next month to explain to president George Bush his separation plan, according to sources in his office yesterday. Sources in Washington said that Sharon had sent a copy of his speech before delivering it but the Americans waited for his actual delivery before welcoming Sharon’s commitment to the roadmap plan but reiterated rejection of any unilateral steps. Palestinians call on world to condemn racist Zionist remarks about Palestinian demographic growth Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Occupied Jerusalem - Palestinian leaders in Israel have called on the international community to condemn fascist remarks made by a number of Zionist leaders over the weekend. Several Zionist leaders, including former Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu voiced anxiety at the growing size of non-Jewish population in Israel, calling for measures to keep the Zionist state’s Jewish majority. “I don’t know why western leaders don’t strongly condemn these Nazi-like remarks. Imagine a European leader calling during a speech for curtailing the Jewish population growth in some EU countries. He would be stigmatized as neo-Nazi, and anti-Semite. But here we have an Israeli minister and former Prime Minister who is hounding the indigenous people of this land for no reason other than them being non-Jews,” said Knesset member Talab al Sanei. Lahoud reaffirms support for Palestine Daily Star 12/20/2003 President Emile Lahoud said that Lebanon would continue to support the Palestinians’ right of return and reject their settlement in host countries until their demands are realized. Lahoud was addressing the visiting chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) political department, Farouk Qaddoumi, who met with him at the Presidential Palace in Baabda for a briefing on his plans to convene an international forum to support the cause of Palestinian refugees and their right of return. Mussa calls on Israel to follow Tripoli's lead and renounce WMDs SpaceWar 12/20/2003 Arab League chief Amr Mussa urged the world Saturday to put pressure on Israel to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), following Libya's decision to renounce weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Libya's "important" decision, which was announced late Friday, "comes as part of serious Arab efforts to make the Middle East a WMD-free zone," Mussa told reporters. "It is important, during this period, that the international community put pressure on Israel to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Mussa said. Protests over Sharon threat fail to derail summit hopes The Independent 12/20/2003 Israeli and Palestinian officials began laying the groundwork for a summit yesterday despite widespread protests over the threat by the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to take unilateral action to separate their communities. Israeli officials said they intended to renew contact with the Palestinians as early as tomorrow to arrange a summit between their respective prime ministers, Mr Sharon and Ahmed Qureia....[Palestinians] were particularly incensed by his promise to speed up construction of the West Bank security barrier. But Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said yesterday: "We are ready to resume the preparatory meetings. If Mr Sharon accepts his obligations under the road map, it can be done." Sharon’s unilateral threat draws fire from all sides Daily Star 12/20/2003 Settlers, Palestinians, washington oppose Israeli premier -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon failed to win many hearts Friday with Washington leading the opposition to his planned unilateral peace moves, Jewish settlers in the Occupied Territories accusing him of betrayal and Palestinians vehemently rejecting his “threatening” language. The United States “would oppose any unilateral steps that block the road toward negotiations under the “road map” that leads to the two state vision,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Hamas and Jihad reject Sharon’s plan Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Gaza - The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has described the Zionist plan of unilateral segregation between “Israel” and the Palestinians as nonsense and pledged continued armed struggle. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Hamas founder and spiritual leader, has said that mass-murderer Sharon wanted the Palestinians to raise the white flags and surrender, which is completely rejected. For its part, the Islamic Jihad Movement said that Sharon’s plan was a “recipe” for more violence. Ranteesi: Few coming years to witness greater Islamic victories Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Ramallah - Dr. Abdul Aziz Ranteesi, one of the prominent Hamas Movement leaders in the Gaza Strip, has asserted that his Movement would never give up any of the Palestinian legitimate rights including the right of resisting occupation. Ranteesi, speaking over the telephone from the Gaza Strip to a rally in the West Bank town of Birzeit, said that the Zionist enemy was reeling under resistance strikes. “All efforts to halt resistance will fail,” the Hamas leader emphasized in his statement on the occasion of the Islamic Wafaa bloc’s victory in the Birzeit University students’ elections. Israel welcomes Libya's decision to dismantle WMD program Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 Israel on Saturday welcomed Libya's declaration that it is to scrap its banned weapons program as "very positive," but said it is still examining the surprise move. Libya's move Friday to drop its weapons program and allow unconditional inspections drew praise from Washington and London. Tripoli on Saturday expressed its desire to focus on developing itself and normalizing ties with the United States and Britain. PM Qurei' "Disappointed" of Sharon's Plans, EU Warn as USA “Very pleased” of Unilateral disengagement International Press Center 12/20/2003 RAMALLAH, Palestine, December 20, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - In response to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's speech in the city of Herzliya Thursday, the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei' expressed disappointment of Sharon's speech and the plans he declared. PM Qurei' told reporters outside his office in Ramallah City that the plans Sharon declared were disappointing and that he might be able to achieve peace faster if he would go back to the negotiations table with the Palestinians....We were very pleased with the overall speech," [White House] spokesman Scott McClellan said. Hard sell By Aviv Lavie, Ha'aretz Friday Magazine 12/19/2003 Advertising man and peace campaigner Dror Sternschuss tells how an aggressive and celebrity-studded campaign succeeded in putting the Geneva Accord at the center of the public debate. Dror Sternschuss, director of the most significant Israeli ad campaign in recent years, the Geneva Initiative campaign, goes to noticeable effort to assemble the materials needed for making coffee. The volunteer manning the telephone has a hard time dealing with his request that she hold all calls during our meeting....The distinction between image and reality is becoming increasingly blurred, and professional advertisers like Sternschuss are being rallied to the cause in order to sell a peace plan as if it were a new kind of scented soap. Sharon warns he will 'sever' Israelis from Palestinians The Independent 12/19/2003 The Israeli Prime Minister has warned that he would implement a unilateral policy of "severing" Israelis from Palestinians, if they failed to act against the gunmen and the bombers as part of a negotiated peace within months. In a policy speech in Herzliya near Tel Aviv, Ariel Sharon said this would entail redeploying the army to a line determined by Israel's security, and the evacuation of isolated settlements. He would not specify where the line would be drawn, or how many settlements would be removed, but said that "Israel will not remain where it is today". Analysis / A plan of his own Ha'aretz 12/19/2003 Four weeks ago, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tossed out the somewhat vague statement "I don't rule out unilateral steps," almost as an afterthought at a business conference, setting in motion a flurry of trial balloons, previews and speculations. Yesterday, the big moment came and Sharon provided the merchandise. For the first time since he became prime minister, he presented a political initiative of his own, in his voice, without hiding behind an American plan or lofting vague hints about "a chance for change."...Sharon has always claimed to be a practical Zionist, of one dunam and one hill after another. Only when he grew older did he add to his repertoire coordination and understandings with the Americans. But he has always preferred bulldozers to the top hats of the diplomatic world.

Human Rights..

World Court to study apartheid wall Al-Jazeera 12/20/2003 The World Court has said it will hold hearings in February on the legal consequences of the building of the controversial apartheid wall by Israel in the West Bank. The Amsterdam-based court will open the hearings on 23 February and set a 30 January deadline for the submission of written statements. It was set up to settle legal disputes between states and give advisory opinions. Occupation authorities extend detention of Palestinian schoolteacher Palestinian Information Center 12/20/2003 Ramallah - The Zionist military court in Ofer prison has extended the detention of a Palestinian schoolteacher after charging her with providing shelter for wanted Palestinian activists. Legal sources said that Fidaa Al-Rumahi, 29, who works as a teacher in a secondary school in the West Bank city of El-Bireh, was charged with assisting Palestinian activists. The charge specifically referred to the Qassam Brigades captive Emad Al-Sharif, who is still suffering under violent interrogation in the Zionist Maskobeh detention center in occupied Jerusalem since his arrest almost three weeks ago. Syrian refugee camp breaks stereotypes Daily Star 12/20/2003 Neighborhood hosts commercial center -- YARMOUK, Syria: When a people think of refugee camps, they tend to have an image of sub-standard living conditions, weak economy, and more people leaving than coming in to live. The Yarmouk Palestinian “camp,” on the outskirts of Damascus, breaks all of these stereotypes. Western clothing stores and jewelry shops line the streets, in what is the third largest market in Damascus (after Al-Hamra and Salhia). Though street signs pointing to Yarmouk read “camp” in Arabic, it is not an official camp, meaning that Syria ­ and not the UN ­ provides municipal facilities, such as sewer networks. However, it is still commonly known as a “camp” and it is the largest gathering of Palestinians in Syria. ICJ Hearing on Building of Apartheid Wall in Palestinian Territories Set for February 24th International Press Center 12/20/2003 GAZA, December 20, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - The principle judicial body of the United Nations today decided to open hearings next 24TH February on the legal consequences of Israel's construction of the Apartheid Wall in the occupied Palestinian territories. Issuing an order in response to a request from the General Assembly for an advisory opinion on construction the Apartheid wall, in effect to the UN General Assembly resolution with 90 member state in favor, 8 against and 74 abstained, including the European Union. Int'l Court hearings on separation fence to begin Feb. 23 Ha'aretz 12/20/2003 THE HAGUE - The International Court of Justice, asked to give its opinion on the legality of an Israeli-built security barrier in Palestinian territories, set a deadline of next month for submitting arguments and said it would begin hearings on February 23. The court announced the timetable with unusual speed, 11 days after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution asking the UN's highest judicial authority to render an urgent opinion on the issue.

Economy..

November consumer price index up by half percentage point Jerusalem Times 12/20/2003 Consumer price index (CPI) for the Palestinian areas for the month of November 2003 increased by 0.50% compared to the previous month, said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in its monthly report on inflation in the Palestinian areas. The index became 139.40 compared to 138.70 in October 2003. Ecobriefs 19 December Jerusalem Times 12/18/2003 Larsen at UN says 40% of Palestinians suffer from food insecurity: The UN Middle East Envoy Terje Roed Larsen said December 13 in a briefing before the Security Council session over the Middle East that more than 40% of the Palestinian population has plunged desperately in dire poverty and food insecurity. “Two-third of the Palestinians, nearly 60% of the Palestinian population are under the poverty line,” Larsen said. / UNIDO adopt resolution supporting Palestinian industry: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) adopted a resolution early in December supporting the Palestinian industrial sector. / EC provides more humanitarian aid: The European Commission (EC) will provide 13 million euros in additional support to vulnerable population in the Middle East, but mainly to Palestinian refugees, stated a press release. Donors link more aid to progress in peace process Jerusalem Times 12/18/2003 International donors to the Palestinians meeting in the Italian capital Rome announced December 10 at the conclusion of a high-level meeting that they will explore establishing a special trust fund to help alleviate a $650 million shortfall in the Palestinian Authority (PA) budget. The PA has asked for $1.2 billion in aid, according to PA Minister of Finance Salam Fayyad. However, the donor countries linked any further assistance to the Palestinian people on progress in the peace process, according to Muhammad Shtayyeh, director of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR).

People..

Christmas tunes that are more than just music Daily Star 12/20/2003 Orient (meets) Occident will be performed by 90 young musicians from more than 10 countries -- Christmas music differs from one part of the world to the next. In Europe, Bach and Handel are preferred, and in the Middle East, old religious songs. Ninety young musicians representing more than 10 different countries will offer us a taste of what Christmas sound is like in both regions. They will perform both Western and Oriental classical music, as well as old Syrian Christian songs in a big charity concert at St. Joseph Church entitled Orient (meets) Occident. Prior to the concert, the musicians, from Germany, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon, among others, rehearsed, lived and traveled together to Jordan and Syria for 10 days. Things that make you go hmmm... Ha'aretz Friday Magazine 12/19/2003 Dozens of Israeli backpackers are under arrest at the moment in various places in the world on suspicion of drug trafficking. Most of them are ordinary 20-somethings seeking to get away from it all, but as far as the Interpol and local police are concerned, they are just the tip of the iceberg.He (or she) is a backpacker in his mid-twenties, who grew up in a good socioeconomic environment, in an upper-middle-class family. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was discharged without any special problems, saved a little money and went off to see the world....This is the profile of the "Israeli drug dealer" that was prepared by Interpol and the Israel Police and distributed among police forces the world over. 10,000 Palestinians to attend Haj this year Jerusalem Times 12/20/2003 Ministry of Waqf and Religious affairs announced Tuesday the names of pilgrims that will travel to Mecca to do Haj after two monthssaying that around 10,000 Palestinians were picked from its registry by random choice. Sheikh Youssef Salama, undersecretary of the Ministry, congratulated the anticipating pilgrims saying they are the guests of Allah and wished them an accepted Haj. They will rock you Ha'aretz Friday Magazine 12/19/2003 In two languages, without pretense but with a lot of authenticity, a new musical production in Jaffa sparks both actors and audiences to say what they really think about Jewish-Arab coexistence -- ....The theater can help, she feels. "I discovered that the theater is a useful tool for bridging conflicts, for raising issues and resolving problems, for people who find it difficult to speak directly." On the other hand, when it comes to the Jewish-Arab dialogue, she finds that the tensions that exist in reality do not disappear on stage. For these artists, ‘tis the season for having fun Daily Star 12/20/2003 You’ll find no dark themes in exhibit hosted by Amal Traboulsi -- Whenever Amal Traboulsi visits an artist in his workshop she finds abandoned objects in some corner. “When I ask what it is, the answer is always the same ­ ‘I was having fun,’” says the owner of the Gallery Epreuve d’Artiste who has now rented a new venue in Saifi Village. “I always found those objects very beautiful.” Thus, 20 years ago, she created a yearly art event, Quand les artistes s’amusent (When the artists have fun). Traboulsi’s guiding principle in creating the show was that when artists are having fun, they necessarily create a work of art. Today, though, the event does not feature abandoned pieces anymore, but the artists create things specially for it.

International..

Blair hails Libya deal on arms The Guardian 12/20/2003 Secret negotiations end with Gadafy giving up weapons of mass destruction -- Tony Blair dramatically announced last night that Libya has agreed to give up hitherto undisclosed weapons of mass destruction after nine months of clandestine negotiation between Colonel Muammar Gadafy and diplomats from Britain and America. Acting in the greatest secrecy, diplomats and weapons experts had been shown by the Libyan authorities evidence of a well advanced nuclear weapons programme in 10 sites as well as chemical weapon agents. Libya also disclosed that it was working to produce a nuclear fuel cycle to enrich uranium. Syria Seizes Six Arab Couriers, $23 Million Washington Post 12/20/2003 At least six Arabs believed to have links to al Qaeda and carrying what some intelligence reports estimated was $23.5 million were seized by Syria last week, according to administration officials. It is believed to be the first time in the global war on terrorism that couriers have been apprehended with such a large amount of money, said the counterterrorism officials, some of whom monitor terrorist financing. Jumblatt speaks mind for last Europa episode Daily Star 12/20/2003 Talk show assesses achievements of EU - Druze leader says European-Arab partnership is virtually impossible due to region’s economic weakness, lack of democracy, independence -- The last episode of Europa, a talk show assessing the achievements of the European Union (EU) here, will be aired Saturday night on the National Broadcasting Network (NBN). Filmed last week in Gemaizeh, the show brought together Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, EU Ambassador Patrick Renault, Czech Ambassador Marek Skolil, Qornet Shehwan Gathering member MP Samir Franjieh, Zghorta MP Nayla Mouawad, French Ambassador Philippe Lecourtier and Lebanese Industrialists’ Association president Fadi Abboud. “Let’s assume that a partnership between Europe and the Arab world would emerge,” Jumblatt said. “Which Arab world? Palestine is occupied by Israel, Iraq is occupied by the United States and the rest of the Arab countries are occupied by their regimes.” Muslim women seek their own mosque Washington Times 12/20/2003 MADRAS, India — A group of Muslim women in India, fed up with what they say are sexist decisions by male religious authorities, particularly in divorce cases, have decided to build their own mosque. The women in the village of Parambu in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have formed a group called Chaaya (Shadow) and acquired land to build the mosque. Blair accused of Egypt hypocrisy BBC 12/20/2003 The wife of a British man allegedly tortured in a Cairo jail has accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of "hypocrisy" by holidaying in Egypt. The Blairs will return to the Red Sea area for the third year running this Christmas, according to reports. Hodan Pankhurst, whose husband Reza is one of three Britons being held for promoting a banned Islamic group, says Mr Blair is "endorsing" their torture. Tapes Show Abuse of 9/11 Detainees Washington Post 12/19/2003 Justice Department Examines Videos Prison Officials Said Were Destroyed -- Hundreds of videotapes that federal prison officials had claimed were destroyed show that foreign nationals held at a New York detention facility after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were victims of physical and verbal abuse by guards, the Justice Department's inspector general said yesterday. U.S. Report On Religious Freedom Selective: Analysts Islam Online 12/20/2003 CAIRO, December 20 (IslamOnline.net) – The new U.S. report on international religious freedoms was rather selective and politically motivated, American and Arab analysts concluded. "The report was affected by political factors, as it launched a harsh attack on states having poor relations with Washington, and praised others enjoying good relations with the country," said David Mack, the vice-president of the Washington-based Middle East Institute. Released by the State Department on Thursday, December 18, the fifth annual International Religious Freedom Report described Iran and Saudi Arabia as two of the worst offenders of religious freedom rights. France's Hijab Ban Draws World Criticism Islam Online 12/20/2003 LONDON, December 20 (IslamOnline.net) - A planned French legislation to ban hijab in public schools has drawn a barrage of Muslim criticism worldwide, with British Muslims saying such laws are only issued by "authoritarian governments and not liberal democracies". The Chairman of the Union of Islamic Organizations in Europe, Ahmad al-Rawi, said the move is evidence that France has misinterpreted secularism and tailored it for its own requirements in a sharp contrast to the situation in other secular European countries, notably Britain. America Needs Muslims, Says Cohen Palestine Chronicle/Arab News 12/19/2003 JEDDAH - America needs Muslims, says Stanley Cohen, the Jewish-American attorney who represents Muslims and Arabs like terror suspect Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi. Cohen gave a speech at the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) here on Tuesday on the abuse of Muslim rights in America. He cited several examples of discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in America. “Muslim leaders like Al-Amoudi are being harassed and arrested. Al-Amoudi was arrested for traveling to Libya and accepting $10,000 from the Libyan government without a license. In the past, most people were fined for such a violation, but Al-Amoudi was prosecuted and imprisoned,” Cohen said. UN General Assembly measures aim to enhance its authority Arabic News 12/20/2003 The UN General Assembly yesterday voted for measures aimed at revitalizing its work and enhancing its authority amid concerns from Member States that other United Nations bodies, including the Security Council, are reducing its traditional role. In a two-part resolution adopted unanimously, the Assembly decided to take steps to increase its efficiency and raise its profile so that its decisions might have greater impact.

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