An Intray
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Israel seeks to silence Nuclear weapons whistleblower after 18 years in jail: CIA estimates nuclear arsenal as #6 in the world
Excite News: "Israel Is Concerned About Whistleblower | Dec 30, 1:23 PM (ET) | By GAVIN RABINOWITZ
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel is concerned that a whistleblower who spilled Israeli nuclear secrets to a newspaper two decades ago might have more to say after his imminent release from prison, and is looking for ways to silence him, officials said Tuesday.
Mordechai Vanunu, a former nuclear technician, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for espionage after giving dozens of pictures and a description of alleged weapons from Israel's top-secret Dimona nuclear reactor to London's Sunday Times in 1986. He is due to be released in April.
Israel's official policy about nuclear weapons is purposely ambiguous: Officials say only that Israel will not be the first to introduce them into the Middle East.
But based on Vanunu's pictures, experts concluded Israel had the world's sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. The CIA estimated more recently that Israel has between 200 and 400 nuclear weapons.
...
A few months after the story in the Sunday Times, Vanunu was lured into a trap by a female agent from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and spirited from Europe back to Israel, where he was tried and jailed.
Since his incarceration, Israel has treated Vanunu harshly, forcing him to spend long periods in solitary confinement and denying his repeated parole requests.
Excite News: "Israel Is Concerned About Whistleblower | Dec 30, 1:23 PM (ET) | By GAVIN RABINOWITZ
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel is concerned that a whistleblower who spilled Israeli nuclear secrets to a newspaper two decades ago might have more to say after his imminent release from prison, and is looking for ways to silence him, officials said Tuesday.
Mordechai Vanunu, a former nuclear technician, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for espionage after giving dozens of pictures and a description of alleged weapons from Israel's top-secret Dimona nuclear reactor to London's Sunday Times in 1986. He is due to be released in April.
Israel's official policy about nuclear weapons is purposely ambiguous: Officials say only that Israel will not be the first to introduce them into the Middle East.
But based on Vanunu's pictures, experts concluded Israel had the world's sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. The CIA estimated more recently that Israel has between 200 and 400 nuclear weapons.
...
A few months after the story in the Sunday Times, Vanunu was lured into a trap by a female agent from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and spirited from Europe back to Israel, where he was tried and jailed.
Since his incarceration, Israel has treated Vanunu harshly, forcing him to spend long periods in solitary confinement and denying his repeated parole requests.
Gaza City: helicopter attack: 11 Pal wounded [shoots down informal arrangement with Hamas]
Excite News: "Israeli Copter Fire Hurts 11 in Gaza | Dec 30, 11:19 PM (ET) | By IBRAHIM BARZAK
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - An Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a car carrying militants from the Hamas group late Tuesday, wounding at least 11 people and raising fears of an intensification of Middle East violence.
Israel's military issued a statement saying the targets were "senior Hamas terrorists ... actively engaged in planning terror attacks."
Hamas officials said one of the people in the car was a midlevel commander, Jamal Jara. It was not clear if he was among the wounded.
Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin said Israel would pay a heavy price for the attack. "These massacres and crimes prove that Israel is seeking violence and not looking for peace, security and stability," he told Associated Press Television News.
The strike undermines an informal arrangement in which Israel avoided trying to kill Hamas militants as long as the group halts attacks on civilians inside Israel. Neither side had acknowledged that such an agreement existed. ...
...
Dr. Jomma Saka of Gaza's Shifa Hospital said 11 people were taken to the hospital. One was in critical condition, another suffered moderate injuries, and the rest were lightly wounded, he said.
During three years of fighting, Israel has frequently carried out airstrikes against militants, most recently last Thursday when Israeli helicopters struck killed three Islamic Jihad militants and two civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Excite News: "Israeli Copter Fire Hurts 11 in Gaza | Dec 30, 11:19 PM (ET) | By IBRAHIM BARZAK
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - An Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a car carrying militants from the Hamas group late Tuesday, wounding at least 11 people and raising fears of an intensification of Middle East violence.
Israel's military issued a statement saying the targets were "senior Hamas terrorists ... actively engaged in planning terror attacks."
Hamas officials said one of the people in the car was a midlevel commander, Jamal Jara. It was not clear if he was among the wounded.
Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin said Israel would pay a heavy price for the attack. "These massacres and crimes prove that Israel is seeking violence and not looking for peace, security and stability," he told Associated Press Television News.
The strike undermines an informal arrangement in which Israel avoided trying to kill Hamas militants as long as the group halts attacks on civilians inside Israel. Neither side had acknowledged that such an agreement existed. ...
...
Dr. Jomma Saka of Gaza's Shifa Hospital said 11 people were taken to the hospital. One was in critical condition, another suffered moderate injuries, and the rest were lightly wounded, he said.
During three years of fighting, Israel has frequently carried out airstrikes against militants, most recently last Thursday when Israeli helicopters struck killed three Islamic Jihad militants and two civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel to double settlers in Syria's Golan Heights
Excite - News: "Syria Condemns Israel Golan Settlement Plan | Dec 31, 5:24 am ET | By Inal Ersan
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria denounced Wednesday plans by Israel to double the number of settlers in the Golan Heights to tighten the Jewish state's grip over the plateau seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.
'There is no recognition for this measure. Israel is deluded that it can achieve something by relying on power and occupation,' Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Isa Daweesh told Reuters."
...
Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz said Wednesday the right-wing government had agreed on the plan to solidify its hold over the strategic heights before opening any peace negotiations with Syria.
Asked if Israel's move was a step to pre-empt any future peace negotiations between the two countries, Daweesh said: "Conflicts are not resolved through power, they should be resolved under international law."
Israel conquered the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed it in 1981, a move condemned internationally. About 17,000 Jewish settlers now live in the Golan.
Syria rejected Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981 and demands all Israeli-occupied lands be returned before any peace agreement. U.S.-brokered negotiations between Syria and Israel broke down in 2000.
Excite - News: "Syria Condemns Israel Golan Settlement Plan | Dec 31, 5:24 am ET | By Inal Ersan
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria denounced Wednesday plans by Israel to double the number of settlers in the Golan Heights to tighten the Jewish state's grip over the plateau seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.
'There is no recognition for this measure. Israel is deluded that it can achieve something by relying on power and occupation,' Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Isa Daweesh told Reuters."
...
Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz said Wednesday the right-wing government had agreed on the plan to solidify its hold over the strategic heights before opening any peace negotiations with Syria.
Asked if Israel's move was a step to pre-empt any future peace negotiations between the two countries, Daweesh said: "Conflicts are not resolved through power, they should be resolved under international law."
Israel conquered the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed it in 1981, a move condemned internationally. About 17,000 Jewish settlers now live in the Golan.
Syria rejected Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981 and demands all Israeli-occupied lands be returned before any peace agreement. U.S.-brokered negotiations between Syria and Israel broke down in 2000.
Ramallah: IDF rubber bullets: 10 Pal wounded, 1 Israeli protester wounded
Excite - News: "Eleven Wounded in West Bank Barrier Protest, Witnesses Say | Dec 31, 5:35 am ET
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops on Wednesday shot and wounded at least 10 Palestinians and one Israeli involved in a protest at a construction site for Israel's controversial barrier in the West Bank, a witness said.
Military sources said one border policeman was lightly wounded after protesters threw stones and interrupted building work on the barrier. They said soldiers used "non-lethal means" to disperse the protesters and did not use live ammunition.
The incident, outside the Palestinian village of Budrus near Ramallah, was the second time in five days that the army fired at demonstrators gathered by the barrier. On December 26, troops shot and wounded a young Israeli and an American with live fire.
Jonathan Pollak, a member of the Israeli Anarchists against the Wall group, said soldiers fired toward around 500 Palestinian, Israeli and foreign protesters near bulldozers turning over ground for an extension of the barrier.
He said 10 Palestinians were hit and taken to hospital while an Israeli woman was slightly wounded in the leg.
Ted Querbath, a foreign protester from New York, told Reuters:
"I saw six people who were wounded when the army started shooting rubber bullets and tear gas. A Palestinian woman was severely beaten up and bleeding on her head." ...
Excite - News: "Eleven Wounded in West Bank Barrier Protest, Witnesses Say | Dec 31, 5:35 am ET
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops on Wednesday shot and wounded at least 10 Palestinians and one Israeli involved in a protest at a construction site for Israel's controversial barrier in the West Bank, a witness said.
Military sources said one border policeman was lightly wounded after protesters threw stones and interrupted building work on the barrier. They said soldiers used "non-lethal means" to disperse the protesters and did not use live ammunition.
The incident, outside the Palestinian village of Budrus near Ramallah, was the second time in five days that the army fired at demonstrators gathered by the barrier. On December 26, troops shot and wounded a young Israeli and an American with live fire.
Jonathan Pollak, a member of the Israeli Anarchists against the Wall group, said soldiers fired toward around 500 Palestinian, Israeli and foreign protesters near bulldozers turning over ground for an extension of the barrier.
He said 10 Palestinians were hit and taken to hospital while an Israeli woman was slightly wounded in the leg.
Ted Querbath, a foreign protester from New York, told Reuters:
"I saw six people who were wounded when the army started shooting rubber bullets and tear gas. A Palestinian woman was severely beaten up and bleeding on her head." ...
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Ferocious policy of settlement expansion and reducing the Palestinian population to a state of desperation that can only ensure continued conflict
Editorial: The Spiral of Violence: "
29 December 2003 | Arabnews
The year in the Middle East ends with Palestinians and Israelis thinking not of peace but revenge.
...
Sharon has now said out loud what he has been working on for a long time: the consolidation of Israel’s illegal seizure of 58 percent of land across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and with it the total subjugation of the Palestinian people.
With the eyes of the world focused on Iraq and George W. Bush otherwise occupied, Sharon found the opportunity to discard the remains of the road map. The result has been a reoccupation of the entire West Bank and 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, and a ferocious policy of settlement expansion. In 2002-2003 alone, 56 new settlements were erected, and of the mere eight Sharon claimed to have disabled, five have been covertly rebuilt.
Sharon’s construction of the separation wall in the West Bank continues. If completed, the wall — the other big bang of 2003 — will stretch for at least 1,000 kilometers, achieving Sharon’s ultimate aim of a strategic destruction of any possibility of a Palestinian state. The West Bank will be reduced to clusters of ghettoes and prisons, with access, security and resources remaining under Israeli control, and the Palestinian population locked away.
But the recent suicide bombing, and 35 attempted Palestinian attacks in the past two months, show that a mere wall cannot contain opposition. ...
...
... it should be clear to Israelis that their prime minister cannot guarantee their safety. In reducing the Palestinian population to a state of desperation that can only ensure continued conflict, Sharon is jeopardizing the lives of his own citizens.
Sharon has also failed to break the strength of Palestinian resolve, and in attempting to rob them of a country and livelihood, he is breeding generation upon generation of Palestinians whose sole purpose will become opposition to the Israeli occupation. That way the spiral of violence is bound to keep on turning.
Editorial: The Spiral of Violence: "
29 December 2003 | Arabnews
The year in the Middle East ends with Palestinians and Israelis thinking not of peace but revenge.
...
Sharon has now said out loud what he has been working on for a long time: the consolidation of Israel’s illegal seizure of 58 percent of land across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and with it the total subjugation of the Palestinian people.
With the eyes of the world focused on Iraq and George W. Bush otherwise occupied, Sharon found the opportunity to discard the remains of the road map. The result has been a reoccupation of the entire West Bank and 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, and a ferocious policy of settlement expansion. In 2002-2003 alone, 56 new settlements were erected, and of the mere eight Sharon claimed to have disabled, five have been covertly rebuilt.
Sharon’s construction of the separation wall in the West Bank continues. If completed, the wall — the other big bang of 2003 — will stretch for at least 1,000 kilometers, achieving Sharon’s ultimate aim of a strategic destruction of any possibility of a Palestinian state. The West Bank will be reduced to clusters of ghettoes and prisons, with access, security and resources remaining under Israeli control, and the Palestinian population locked away.
But the recent suicide bombing, and 35 attempted Palestinian attacks in the past two months, show that a mere wall cannot contain opposition. ...
...
... it should be clear to Israelis that their prime minister cannot guarantee their safety. In reducing the Palestinian population to a state of desperation that can only ensure continued conflict, Sharon is jeopardizing the lives of his own citizens.
Sharon has also failed to break the strength of Palestinian resolve, and in attempting to rob them of a country and livelihood, he is breeding generation upon generation of Palestinians whose sole purpose will become opposition to the Israeli occupation. That way the spiral of violence is bound to keep on turning.
Number of settlers rises 16 percent during Sharon's tenure [Complete opposite to "road map"]
Haaretz Article: "30/12/2003 14:54 | Number of settlers rises 16 percent during Sharon's tenure | By Haaretz Servicehalf of the 145 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip grew by more than the 3 percent natural growth rate,
The settler population has increased by 16 percent on average since Prime Minister Ariel was elected to office in February 2001, according to updated information released Tuesday by the Interior Ministry. [The "road map" requires a halt to all settlement, including natural growth, and dismantling of all settlements under Sharon.]
The rate of population growth in settlements was three times higher than in the Negev and Galilee regions. [Inside 1967 Israel]
According to the report, there were more than 236,000 people living in settlements in the end of 2003.
In some isolated settlements the population increased significantly: in the Gaza Strip settlement of Kfar Darom, the population increased by 52 percent over the past three years; the population of Netzarim grew by 24 percent during the same period of time; the number of settlers in the West Bank settlement of Tapuah, near Nablus, grew by 50 percent and in Yitzhar – by 30 percent.
In August this year Haaretz released Interior Ministry data according to which more than while 30 settlements recorded an overall drop in population.
A further 30 settlements grew, but by less than the natural growth rate, according to the ministry data.
...
There was also a significant rise in the number of "ideological" settlements, deep in the heart of Palestinian territory. Yitzhar grew by 15.4 percent, Revava by 11.2 percent and Shavei Shomron by 9.8 percent - all way above the 5.75 percent average growth in the West Bank.
Haaretz Article: "30/12/2003 14:54 | Number of settlers rises 16 percent during Sharon's tenure | By Haaretz Servicehalf of the 145 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip grew by more than the 3 percent natural growth rate,
The settler population has increased by 16 percent on average since Prime Minister Ariel was elected to office in February 2001, according to updated information released Tuesday by the Interior Ministry. [The "road map" requires a halt to all settlement, including natural growth, and dismantling of all settlements under Sharon.]
The rate of population growth in settlements was three times higher than in the Negev and Galilee regions. [Inside 1967 Israel]
According to the report, there were more than 236,000 people living in settlements in the end of 2003.
In some isolated settlements the population increased significantly: in the Gaza Strip settlement of Kfar Darom, the population increased by 52 percent over the past three years; the population of Netzarim grew by 24 percent during the same period of time; the number of settlers in the West Bank settlement of Tapuah, near Nablus, grew by 50 percent and in Yitzhar – by 30 percent.
In August this year Haaretz released Interior Ministry data according to which more than while 30 settlements recorded an overall drop in population.
A further 30 settlements grew, but by less than the natural growth rate, according to the ministry data.
...
There was also a significant rise in the number of "ideological" settlements, deep in the heart of Palestinian territory. Yitzhar grew by 15.4 percent, Revava by 11.2 percent and Shavei Shomron by 9.8 percent - all way above the 5.75 percent average growth in the West Bank.
Monday, December 29, 2003
Effort to Promote U.S. Falls Short, Novak call for "an end to the deceptive public relations favored by the inner circle at the Pentagon"
Effort to Promote U.S. Falls Short, Critics Say: "By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS | Published: December 29, 2003
...
The government's public-relations drive to build a favorable impression abroad — particularly among Muslim nations — is a shambles, according to Republican and Democratic lawmakers, State Department officials and independent experts. They say the effort, known as public diplomacy, lacks direction and is starved of cash and personnel.
Washington has failed to capitalize on the ouster of Saddam Hussein, those critics say, and did not maintain the sympathy generated by the Sept. 11 attacks. In Iraq, occupation officials routinely place blame for their miscalculations on pessimistic American news media, a reflex that even some hawks denounce as deceptive.
...
A senior State Department official, who is active in public diplomacy, says he starts his day pondering the antipathy to the United States.
"Why, in Jordan, do people think Osama bin Laden is a better leader than George Bush?" he asked. "It's not just Arabs who are angry with the United States. It's worldwide."
...
The capture of Mr. Hussein, and the announcement by the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, that he will forswear unconventional weapons, evinces a grudging respect for the administration's military strategy, but even some hard-liners voice doubts about the plan and how it is being promoted. Robert D. Novak, a syndicated columnist, recently cited the need for an overhaul of the American leadership in Iraq and "an end to the deceptive public relations favored by the inner circle at the Pentagon." ...
Effort to Promote U.S. Falls Short, Critics Say: "By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS | Published: December 29, 2003
...
The government's public-relations drive to build a favorable impression abroad — particularly among Muslim nations — is a shambles, according to Republican and Democratic lawmakers, State Department officials and independent experts. They say the effort, known as public diplomacy, lacks direction and is starved of cash and personnel.
Washington has failed to capitalize on the ouster of Saddam Hussein, those critics say, and did not maintain the sympathy generated by the Sept. 11 attacks. In Iraq, occupation officials routinely place blame for their miscalculations on pessimistic American news media, a reflex that even some hawks denounce as deceptive.
...
A senior State Department official, who is active in public diplomacy, says he starts his day pondering the antipathy to the United States.
"Why, in Jordan, do people think Osama bin Laden is a better leader than George Bush?" he asked. "It's not just Arabs who are angry with the United States. It's worldwide."
...
The capture of Mr. Hussein, and the announcement by the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, that he will forswear unconventional weapons, evinces a grudging respect for the administration's military strategy, but even some hard-liners voice doubts about the plan and how it is being promoted. Robert D. Novak, a syndicated columnist, recently cited the need for an overhaul of the American leadership in Iraq and "an end to the deceptive public relations favored by the inner circle at the Pentagon." ...
Palestinians Critical of Israeli Order on Outposts: sick and tired of these public relations stunts
Excite - News: "Palestinians Critical of Israeli Order on Outposts | Dec 29, 3:02 pm ET | By Gwen Ackerman
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority on Monday criticized Israel's decision to remove four unauthorized settlement outposts, saying the move was a publicity stunt that falls below the requirements of a U.S.-backed peace 'road map.'
"I think the world is sick and tired of these public relations stunts -- Israelis moving a caravan here and a caravan there," Palestinian Negotiating Minister Saeb Erekat told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Two members of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet said the Israeli government was moving too slowly in carrying out a commitment to remove dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts from occupied territory.
The ministers spoke on Israel Radio after Sharon signed an order to accelerate the removal of the four outposts -- only one of them inhabited -- in accordance with the road map.
...
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat appealed to Israel's security concerns in denouncing the settlement expansion.
"I ask the Israeli side to stop...this settlement assault that will not provide security for the Israelis, because the road to security is through the recognition of our rights," he said in remarks broadcast on Palestinian television and radio.
...
Earlier in the day, Meir Sheetrit, a minister without portfolio and member of Sharon's right-wing Likud party, said the government was dragging its feet on the issue.
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid, leader of Shinui, a key coalition partner, added that the unauthorized outposts were "ruining our relations with the Americans, with Europe" and must be taken down.
...
In a statement, legislators from the far-right National Union party said the decision to remove unauthorized outposts "tramples democratic values, and we will not agree to the uprooting of Jews from their land."
...
Yossi Sarid, a leading left-wing member of parliament, said that at least two of the encampments had been removed in past operations but settlers had rebuilt them.
Excite - News: "Palestinians Critical of Israeli Order on Outposts | Dec 29, 3:02 pm ET | By Gwen Ackerman
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority on Monday criticized Israel's decision to remove four unauthorized settlement outposts, saying the move was a publicity stunt that falls below the requirements of a U.S.-backed peace 'road map.'
"I think the world is sick and tired of these public relations stunts -- Israelis moving a caravan here and a caravan there," Palestinian Negotiating Minister Saeb Erekat told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Two members of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet said the Israeli government was moving too slowly in carrying out a commitment to remove dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts from occupied territory.
The ministers spoke on Israel Radio after Sharon signed an order to accelerate the removal of the four outposts -- only one of them inhabited -- in accordance with the road map.
...
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat appealed to Israel's security concerns in denouncing the settlement expansion.
"I ask the Israeli side to stop...this settlement assault that will not provide security for the Israelis, because the road to security is through the recognition of our rights," he said in remarks broadcast on Palestinian television and radio.
...
Earlier in the day, Meir Sheetrit, a minister without portfolio and member of Sharon's right-wing Likud party, said the government was dragging its feet on the issue.
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid, leader of Shinui, a key coalition partner, added that the unauthorized outposts were "ruining our relations with the Americans, with Europe" and must be taken down.
...
In a statement, legislators from the far-right National Union party said the decision to remove unauthorized outposts "tramples democratic values, and we will not agree to the uprooting of Jews from their land."
...
Yossi Sarid, a leading left-wing member of parliament, said that at least two of the encampments had been removed in past operations but settlers had rebuilt them.
'Don't Call Me Osama,' Iraqi Imams Tell U.S. Troops
Excite - News: "'Don't Call Me Osama,' Iraqi Imams Tell U.S. Troops" | Dec 29, 8:30 am ET | By Robin Pomeroy
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's Sunni Muslim imams have a message for U.S. troops -- don't call us Osama.
As the U.S. curries support with Iraq's religious leaders, some soldiers are undermining the battle to win Muslim hearts and minds by accusing local clerics of links to al Qaeda, imams in Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland said on Monday.
"Some of the coalition forces describe us as an Osama Bin Laden group because of the beard," said Abaas Zedaan, an official at the Committee of Religious Advocation, the official body which represents the clergy in the region of Tikrit.
...
"Coalition forces say we are an Osama Bin Laden group, why are we not considered a friend?" one asked Major Derek Jordan through an army interpreter, saying he had been verbally abused by soldiers at a roadblock.
...
On the issue of soldiers accusing the imams of links to bin Laden, Jordan said: "That's the first time I've heard that." He would instruct soldiers not to say it, he added.
"It's one of those insensitive items," he said. "We have to communicate that that is improper behavior."
Excite - News: "'Don't Call Me Osama,' Iraqi Imams Tell U.S. Troops" | Dec 29, 8:30 am ET | By Robin Pomeroy
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's Sunni Muslim imams have a message for U.S. troops -- don't call us Osama.
As the U.S. curries support with Iraq's religious leaders, some soldiers are undermining the battle to win Muslim hearts and minds by accusing local clerics of links to al Qaeda, imams in Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland said on Monday.
"Some of the coalition forces describe us as an Osama Bin Laden group because of the beard," said Abaas Zedaan, an official at the Committee of Religious Advocation, the official body which represents the clergy in the region of Tikrit.
...
"Coalition forces say we are an Osama Bin Laden group, why are we not considered a friend?" one asked Major Derek Jordan through an army interpreter, saying he had been verbally abused by soldiers at a roadblock.
...
On the issue of soldiers accusing the imams of links to bin Laden, Jordan said: "That's the first time I've heard that." He would instruct soldiers not to say it, he added.
"It's one of those insensitive items," he said. "We have to communicate that that is improper behavior."
Zionism, the Highest stage of Imperialism By Hassan El-Najjar: [contains Concise history]
Zionism, the Highest stage of Imperialism By Hassan El-Najjar: "5/15/2002
Zionism is the political ideology that has created the state of Israel and has dominated its government ever since. It has called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine on the expense of the Palestinian people. It has pressured and has been capable of influencing many world governments, particularly in Western Europe and North America, to support its imperialist project. In doing so, it has abused the Old Testament, particularly using the idea of 'the promised land' to convince the general Christian public opinion to be quiet about its crimes against Arabs and Muslims generally, and the Palestinian people in particular. [1] However, the fact is that wherever and whenever 'the promise' was mentioned in the Bible, it was a promise from God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was also called Israel) and their descendants. Thus, the promise was not for Jews per se. The difference between the two words should be crystal clear. Anybody can be a Jew, by converting to Judaism, but this does not make him or her a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. This has been the biggest deception that Zionism and its adherents have been perpetuating. [2] Consequently, if Zionism is not based on a true religious principle, what is it based on? What is its reality?
...
In 1897, a group of European Jewish intellectuals and financiers got together in Basle, Switzerland, under the leadership of an Austrian lawyer called Theodore Herzl, in what became known as the first World Zionist Conference. They discussed the establishment of a colony that targeted European Jews as its colonists. Three geographic locations for the prospective Jewish homeland were proposed. Argentina and Uganda were quickly rejected and the Holly Land of Palestine (which was also referred to by Muslims as Beitul Maqdes, or the House of Holy) was approved as the most appropriate of the three locations for the establishment of the European Jewish colony. The developments that followed were to a great extent a replica of European colonization of the New World. These included massive population transfers of Jewish populations from Europe to Palestine and massive population transfers of Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) from their villages, towns, and cities to refugee camps. [8] The Zionist project was facilitated by the assistance that Zionists received from the British and US governments. In 1917, the British government promised to help establish the Jewish homeland in Palestine, through what became known as the Balfour Declaration. In 1947, the US influenced the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to pass Resolution 181, which partitioned Palestine between the Arab (Muslim and Christian) population and Jewish immigrants. Thus, the Partition resolution gave birth to the Zionist state. [9]
In 1948, the Jewish colony became a state but with ever expanding borders. Israel launched six major wars against the Palestinian people and the neighboring Arab states. These were launched in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, and 2002. In all these wars, Israel expanded its borders. In 1948, it annexed the Galilee, Auja area, and the Jerusalem corridor, which were Palestinian territories according to the 1947 UN Partition Resolution 181. [10] In 1956, Israel collaborated with the imperialist European powers of Britain and France in invading Egypt and the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip. Only a firm stand from President Eisenhower forced the Zionist Israelis to withdraw from Gaza Strip and Sinai. [11] In 1967, Israel invaded and occupied the Arab territories of Sinai, Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. In 1978, Israel invaded and occupied South Lebanon. Then, it invaded Lebanon, including its capital, Beirut, in 1982. When it withdrew, few months later, it expanded its occupation of South Lebanon. In addition to these wars, Israel launched major air raids on Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, and Tunisia. [12]
Zionism, the Highest stage of Imperialism By Hassan El-Najjar: "5/15/2002
Zionism is the political ideology that has created the state of Israel and has dominated its government ever since. It has called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine on the expense of the Palestinian people. It has pressured and has been capable of influencing many world governments, particularly in Western Europe and North America, to support its imperialist project. In doing so, it has abused the Old Testament, particularly using the idea of 'the promised land' to convince the general Christian public opinion to be quiet about its crimes against Arabs and Muslims generally, and the Palestinian people in particular. [1] However, the fact is that wherever and whenever 'the promise' was mentioned in the Bible, it was a promise from God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was also called Israel) and their descendants. Thus, the promise was not for Jews per se. The difference between the two words should be crystal clear. Anybody can be a Jew, by converting to Judaism, but this does not make him or her a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. This has been the biggest deception that Zionism and its adherents have been perpetuating. [2] Consequently, if Zionism is not based on a true religious principle, what is it based on? What is its reality?
...
In 1897, a group of European Jewish intellectuals and financiers got together in Basle, Switzerland, under the leadership of an Austrian lawyer called Theodore Herzl, in what became known as the first World Zionist Conference. They discussed the establishment of a colony that targeted European Jews as its colonists. Three geographic locations for the prospective Jewish homeland were proposed. Argentina and Uganda were quickly rejected and the Holly Land of Palestine (which was also referred to by Muslims as Beitul Maqdes, or the House of Holy) was approved as the most appropriate of the three locations for the establishment of the European Jewish colony. The developments that followed were to a great extent a replica of European colonization of the New World. These included massive population transfers of Jewish populations from Europe to Palestine and massive population transfers of Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) from their villages, towns, and cities to refugee camps. [8] The Zionist project was facilitated by the assistance that Zionists received from the British and US governments. In 1917, the British government promised to help establish the Jewish homeland in Palestine, through what became known as the Balfour Declaration. In 1947, the US influenced the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to pass Resolution 181, which partitioned Palestine between the Arab (Muslim and Christian) population and Jewish immigrants. Thus, the Partition resolution gave birth to the Zionist state. [9]
In 1948, the Jewish colony became a state but with ever expanding borders. Israel launched six major wars against the Palestinian people and the neighboring Arab states. These were launched in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, and 2002. In all these wars, Israel expanded its borders. In 1948, it annexed the Galilee, Auja area, and the Jerusalem corridor, which were Palestinian territories according to the 1947 UN Partition Resolution 181. [10] In 1956, Israel collaborated with the imperialist European powers of Britain and France in invading Egypt and the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip. Only a firm stand from President Eisenhower forced the Zionist Israelis to withdraw from Gaza Strip and Sinai. [11] In 1967, Israel invaded and occupied the Arab territories of Sinai, Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. In 1978, Israel invaded and occupied South Lebanon. Then, it invaded Lebanon, including its capital, Beirut, in 1982. When it withdrew, few months later, it expanded its occupation of South Lebanon. In addition to these wars, Israel launched major air raids on Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, and Tunisia. [12]
Biblical promise of land was from God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants:.not to Jews per se
Zionism, the Highest stage of Imperialism By Hassan El-Najjar: "5/15/2002
Zionism is the political ideology that has created the state of Israel and has dominated its government ever since. It has called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine on the expense of the Palestinian people. It has pressured and has been capable of influencing many world governments, particularly in Western Europe and North America, to support its imperialist project. In doing so, it has abused the Old Testament, particularly using the idea of "the promised land" to convince the general Christian public opinion to be quiet about its crimes against Arabs and Muslims generally, and the Palestinian people in particular. [1] However, the fact is that wherever and whenever "the promise" was mentioned in the Bible, it was a promise from God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was also called Israel) and their descendants. Thus, the promise was not for Jews per se. The difference between the two words should be crystal clear. Anybody can be a Jew, by converting to Judaism, but this does not make him or her a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. This has been the biggest deception that Zionism and its adherents have been perpetuating. [2] Consequently, if Zionism is not based on a true religious principle, what is it based on? What is its reality?
Zionism, the Highest stage of Imperialism By Hassan El-Najjar: "5/15/2002
Zionism is the political ideology that has created the state of Israel and has dominated its government ever since. It has called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine on the expense of the Palestinian people. It has pressured and has been capable of influencing many world governments, particularly in Western Europe and North America, to support its imperialist project. In doing so, it has abused the Old Testament, particularly using the idea of "the promised land" to convince the general Christian public opinion to be quiet about its crimes against Arabs and Muslims generally, and the Palestinian people in particular. [1] However, the fact is that wherever and whenever "the promise" was mentioned in the Bible, it was a promise from God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was also called Israel) and their descendants. Thus, the promise was not for Jews per se. The difference between the two words should be crystal clear. Anybody can be a Jew, by converting to Judaism, but this does not make him or her a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. This has been the biggest deception that Zionism and its adherents have been perpetuating. [2] Consequently, if Zionism is not based on a true religious principle, what is it based on? What is its reality?
The US is not serious about helping Middle East democracy: US wants to sell one idea: Israel is only democrayc which justifies favoritism
The US is not serious about helping Middle East democracy: "12-27-2003 Opinion
Despite the stated desire of US President George W. Bush's administration to democratize occupied Iraq and other nations in the Middle East, a long-term commitment to transforming the political perspectives of the region and introducing democracy have never been a pillar of US foreign policy, and it is hard to imagine they will become one.
Aside from the fact that democracy has almost never been imposed from outside, the Bush administration does not seek democracy in the Middle East, but rather agreement with its policies. There is a large gap between the rhetoric of democratization to justify American policies and actual US behavior directed at supporting authoritarian regimes. Washington prefers dealing with ruling figures, families or tribes in the region, and the predictability they represent, to getting involved in the domestic and foreign policy complexities inherent in democratic government. One recalls how the US spluttered when Turkey’s Parliament voted to deny American soldiers access to Iraq before the war there.
...
... The establishment of regional democracies must also be linked to fair international trade policies. It is ironic, then, that the most populous Middle Eastern state, Iran, which has made genuine strides toward representative government, is also under the greatest burden of US trade sanctions.
...
Doubt is also in order when looking at past US behavior. American administrations have usually undermined democratic movements in the region, for example ousting Iran’s prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953. They have sought the paradox of “democracy without democrats.” Washington has long understood that democratic movements in the Middle East would not be pro-American. Consequently, the United States would have never enjoyed under democratic regimes the support it has in the region, with all the ensuing advantages, such as military bases.
...
The low credibility of the US in the Middle East is a significant obstacle to real engagement for democratization from abroad, if that were possible. Even elites in the region cannot seem to trust American intentions. At the same time, the US is not ready to advance democratization because this might empower Islamist groups. That’s why, for example, Washington sided with the Algerian government in 1991, when elections were “canceled” because of the possibility of an Islamist victory.
...
At the end of the day, the US wants to sell one idea to the American public, namely that Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East, which justifies American favoritism toward it. This is an essential part of the neoconservative strategy, which has sought to reshape the region in line with Israel’s perceived ideological and material needs.
The US is not serious about helping Middle East democracy: "12-27-2003 Opinion
Despite the stated desire of US President George W. Bush's administration to democratize occupied Iraq and other nations in the Middle East, a long-term commitment to transforming the political perspectives of the region and introducing democracy have never been a pillar of US foreign policy, and it is hard to imagine they will become one.
Aside from the fact that democracy has almost never been imposed from outside, the Bush administration does not seek democracy in the Middle East, but rather agreement with its policies. There is a large gap between the rhetoric of democratization to justify American policies and actual US behavior directed at supporting authoritarian regimes. Washington prefers dealing with ruling figures, families or tribes in the region, and the predictability they represent, to getting involved in the domestic and foreign policy complexities inherent in democratic government. One recalls how the US spluttered when Turkey’s Parliament voted to deny American soldiers access to Iraq before the war there.
...
... The establishment of regional democracies must also be linked to fair international trade policies. It is ironic, then, that the most populous Middle Eastern state, Iran, which has made genuine strides toward representative government, is also under the greatest burden of US trade sanctions.
...
Doubt is also in order when looking at past US behavior. American administrations have usually undermined democratic movements in the region, for example ousting Iran’s prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953. They have sought the paradox of “democracy without democrats.” Washington has long understood that democratic movements in the Middle East would not be pro-American. Consequently, the United States would have never enjoyed under democratic regimes the support it has in the region, with all the ensuing advantages, such as military bases.
...
The low credibility of the US in the Middle East is a significant obstacle to real engagement for democratization from abroad, if that were possible. Even elites in the region cannot seem to trust American intentions. At the same time, the US is not ready to advance democratization because this might empower Islamist groups. That’s why, for example, Washington sided with the Algerian government in 1991, when elections were “canceled” because of the possibility of an Islamist victory.
...
At the end of the day, the US wants to sell one idea to the American public, namely that Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East, which justifies American favoritism toward it. This is an essential part of the neoconservative strategy, which has sought to reshape the region in line with Israel’s perceived ideological and material needs.
Shooting of activist spurs Israeli scrutiny: army regularly shoots, and often kills Palestinians, when soldiers' lives are not endangered
Shooting of activist spurs Israeli scrutiny | csmonitor.com: "December 29, 2003 edition | By Ben Lynfield | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
JERUSALEM � With more than 2,200 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and Gaza and a great many more injured by army gunfire during three years of fighting, the wounding of a young man during a demonstration would not be expected to make headlines in Israel.
But Sunday, hardly a newscast went by without mention of the man's condition, and his shooting ignited calls for an independent inquiry. This time, the soldiers had shot an Israeli, a kibbutznik who himself was wearing an army uniform until a few weeks ago.
Human rights groups argue that the shooting of Gil Naamati Friday during a demonstration against the separation barrier in the West Bank confirms what they have been charging for three years: that the army regularly shoots, and often kills Palestinians, when soldiers' lives are not endangered. The army has consistently denied the charge, stressing that soldiers take pains and even put themselves at risk to avoid harming noncombatants....
The army has often stressed that this is primarily a shooting war and that the Palestinian fighters use civilians as cover.
Soldiers involved said during initial debriefing that until they fired, they thought the demonstrators were all Palestinians [i.e. legitimate targets] , Israeli media reports said. Israeli demonstrators from the group Anarchists against Walls dispute this, saying they chanted slogans in Hebrew to the soldiers, including calls on them to refuse to perform military service in the West Bank.
"Who we were was clear," says Jonathan Pollack, one of the Israeli demonstrators. About 50 Israelis were joined by 20 internationals and 200 Palestinians, he says.
"There were no crowd control measures, no tear gas and no concussion grenades," he says. "I cannot say if there were shots in the air." ...
Shooting of activist spurs Israeli scrutiny | csmonitor.com: "December 29, 2003 edition | By Ben Lynfield | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
JERUSALEM � With more than 2,200 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and Gaza and a great many more injured by army gunfire during three years of fighting, the wounding of a young man during a demonstration would not be expected to make headlines in Israel.
But Sunday, hardly a newscast went by without mention of the man's condition, and his shooting ignited calls for an independent inquiry. This time, the soldiers had shot an Israeli, a kibbutznik who himself was wearing an army uniform until a few weeks ago.
Human rights groups argue that the shooting of Gil Naamati Friday during a demonstration against the separation barrier in the West Bank confirms what they have been charging for three years: that the army regularly shoots, and often kills Palestinians, when soldiers' lives are not endangered. The army has consistently denied the charge, stressing that soldiers take pains and even put themselves at risk to avoid harming noncombatants....
The army has often stressed that this is primarily a shooting war and that the Palestinian fighters use civilians as cover.
Soldiers involved said during initial debriefing that until they fired, they thought the demonstrators were all Palestinians [i.e. legitimate targets] , Israeli media reports said. Israeli demonstrators from the group Anarchists against Walls dispute this, saying they chanted slogans in Hebrew to the soldiers, including calls on them to refuse to perform military service in the West Bank.
"Who we were was clear," says Jonathan Pollack, one of the Israeli demonstrators. About 50 Israelis were joined by 20 internationals and 200 Palestinians, he says.
"There were no crowd control measures, no tear gas and no concussion grenades," he says. "I cannot say if there were shots in the air." ...
Hundreds protest IDF Shooting of Israeli protester: apparently shot by a sharpshooter
Haaretz Article: "28/12/2003 05:19 | Hundreds protest IDF use of shots to disperse demonstrators | By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Some 300 demonstrators gathered late Saturday opposite the Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, to protest the army's use of live ammunition Friday to disperse a demonstration against the separation fence near the West Bank village of Meskha. An Israeli demonstrator was seriously injured and an American was lightly wounded Friday when IDF troops opened fire on protestors.
...
Video footage taken by a demonstrator shows Israelis on the Palestinian side of the fence violently shaking it, others trying to cut the feNce with wire cutters, and an IDF soldier, apparently a sharpshooter, opening fire.
...
"Left wingers and Palestinians are easy prey for [Defense Minister] Mofaz and Ya'alon," Sarid said, and added that "no shots have ever been fired at settlers despite the fact that they have endangered the lives of soldiers on numerous occasions."
...
The soldiers claimed that Na'amati was wearing a mask when he was shot. ...
Haaretz Article: "28/12/2003 05:19 | Hundreds protest IDF use of shots to disperse demonstrators | By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Some 300 demonstrators gathered late Saturday opposite the Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, to protest the army's use of live ammunition Friday to disperse a demonstration against the separation fence near the West Bank village of Meskha. An Israeli demonstrator was seriously injured and an American was lightly wounded Friday when IDF troops opened fire on protestors.
...
Video footage taken by a demonstrator shows Israelis on the Palestinian side of the fence violently shaking it, others trying to cut the feNce with wire cutters, and an IDF soldier, apparently a sharpshooter, opening fire.
...
"Left wingers and Palestinians are easy prey for [Defense Minister] Mofaz and Ya'alon," Sarid said, and added that "no shots have ever been fired at settlers despite the fact that they have endangered the lives of soldiers on numerous occasions."
...
The soldiers claimed that Na'amati was wearing a mask when he was shot. ...
Debate Over Israel's Barrier Heats Up: barrier [concrete Wall] cuts Palestinian farmers off from their fields
Yahoo! News - Debate Over Israel's Barrier Heats Up: "Sun Dec 28, 8:49 AM ET | By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - The army's shooting of an American and an Israeli peace protester has angered Israelis and sparked renewed debate over a controversial West Bank barrier and the army's rules of engagement.
...
Israeli soldiers fired Friday at a group of peace protesters who tried to cut through a fenced portion of the barrier, moderately wounding an Israeli demonstrator in his legs and lightly injuring an American protester.
Although Israeli soldiers often fire at Palestinian demonstrators — with both rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition — the incident Friday appeared to be the first time Israeli troops have fired at a Jewish-Israeli protester.
...
Tal Cohen, a photographer from the Yediot Ahronot newspaper who was at the protest, said one soldier repeatedly asked for permission to fire at protesters' legs, a request that was granted by his officer.
In some areas, such as the West Bank village of Mascha where Friday's protest took place, the barrier cuts Palestinian farmers off from their fields. The gate leading in and out of the village is open twice a day for a few minutes.
"It's not possible to make people live this kind of life ... this is intolerable," Cheska Katz, an Israeli peace demonstrator, told Army Radio. ...
Yahoo! News - Debate Over Israel's Barrier Heats Up: "Sun Dec 28, 8:49 AM ET | By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - The army's shooting of an American and an Israeli peace protester has angered Israelis and sparked renewed debate over a controversial West Bank barrier and the army's rules of engagement.
...
Israeli soldiers fired Friday at a group of peace protesters who tried to cut through a fenced portion of the barrier, moderately wounding an Israeli demonstrator in his legs and lightly injuring an American protester.
Although Israeli soldiers often fire at Palestinian demonstrators — with both rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition — the incident Friday appeared to be the first time Israeli troops have fired at a Jewish-Israeli protester.
...
Tal Cohen, a photographer from the Yediot Ahronot newspaper who was at the protest, said one soldier repeatedly asked for permission to fire at protesters' legs, a request that was granted by his officer.
In some areas, such as the West Bank village of Mascha where Friday's protest took place, the barrier cuts Palestinian farmers off from their fields. The gate leading in and out of the village is open twice a day for a few minutes.
"It's not possible to make people live this kind of life ... this is intolerable," Cheska Katz, an Israeli peace demonstrator, told Army Radio. ...
Shooting of Israeli Stirs Debate: Yaalon says protesters to blame: "They masqueraded as Arabs" [who Israel is entitled to shoot indisriminately...]
Excite - News: "Israeli Army Shooting of Israeli Stirs Hot Debate | Dec 28, 6:35 am ET | By Jeffrey Heller
...
"Today they shot my son, tomorrow they'll shoot yours," Naamati's father, Uri, told Israel Radio.
The army said it had begun an investigation. Its chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, visited the wounded Israeli protester -- a member of a fringe Israeli group called "Anarchists Against the Fence" -- in a hospital.
"I explained to him that it wasn't right that they shot me and he said it also wasn't right that I cut the fence," Naamati, speaking from his hospital bed, said on Army Radio.
...
"In a law-abiding country, you don't shoot civilians," said Avshalom Vilan, a legislator from Meretz, a dovish party whose land-for-peace message has been drowned out by more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
A news photographer at the scene said on Israel Radio that he and other journalists had told the soldiers they were shooting at fellow Israelis, but the troops ignored him.
Yaalon [Israel's highest General] said the protesters had only themselves to blame. "They masqueraded as Arabs, mingled with Palestinians and entered the ... Palestinian side of the fence (area) illegally," he told Israel radio. ..
...
Israel's biggest newspaper, the mainstream Yedioth Ahronoth, said the soldiers' behavior was a symptom of the "bestiality which the continuing occupation and war situation...has created within the army and the Israeli consciousness as a whole.
"Let's not kid ourselves...if a Palestinian (had been shot), it probably would not have got even one line in the newspaper," the editorial added.
Excite - News: "Israeli Army Shooting of Israeli Stirs Hot Debate | Dec 28, 6:35 am ET | By Jeffrey Heller
...
"Today they shot my son, tomorrow they'll shoot yours," Naamati's father, Uri, told Israel Radio.
The army said it had begun an investigation. Its chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, visited the wounded Israeli protester -- a member of a fringe Israeli group called "Anarchists Against the Fence" -- in a hospital.
"I explained to him that it wasn't right that they shot me and he said it also wasn't right that I cut the fence," Naamati, speaking from his hospital bed, said on Army Radio.
...
"In a law-abiding country, you don't shoot civilians," said Avshalom Vilan, a legislator from Meretz, a dovish party whose land-for-peace message has been drowned out by more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
A news photographer at the scene said on Israel Radio that he and other journalists had told the soldiers they were shooting at fellow Israelis, but the troops ignored him.
Yaalon [Israel's highest General] said the protesters had only themselves to blame. "They masqueraded as Arabs, mingled with Palestinians and entered the ... Palestinian side of the fence (area) illegally," he told Israel radio. ..
...
Israel's biggest newspaper, the mainstream Yedioth Ahronoth, said the soldiers' behavior was a symptom of the "bestiality which the continuing occupation and war situation...has created within the army and the Israeli consciousness as a whole.
"Let's not kid ourselves...if a Palestinian (had been shot), it probably would not have got even one line in the newspaper," the editorial added.
Shooting of Israeli Protester Spurs Debate: [Is shooting Palestinians normally acceptable in Israel?]
Excite News: "Shooting of Israeli Protester Spurs Debate | Dec 28, 3:20 PM (ET) | By RAVI NESSMAN
JERUSALEM (AP) - The shooting of an unarmed Israeli peace activist during a demonstration has set off a debate among Israelis over the military's response to protesters during the last three years of conflict with the Palestinians.
While some say Friday's shooting was legitimate, critics say it finally forced Israelis to confront the kind of treatment Palestinian demonstrators have long faced.
'The fingers of (Israeli) troops have been quick, too quick on the trigger when dealing with Palestinians. It was only a matter of time until it would trickle inward and produce a similar pattern of action against Israeli demonstrators as well,' dovish novelist David Grossman told the daily Yediot Ahronot newspaper.
The incident occurred Friday afternoon, when about 100 protesters gathered at the West Bank separation barrier Israel is building."
...
On Friday, the protesters were demanding that the gate near the West Bank village of Mascha be opened so farmers could tend their fields. When it was not, they cut the fence with pliers, eventually creating a hole large enough for a person to walk through, according to an Associated Press photographer on the scene.
On the other side, about half a dozen Israeli soldiers, who appeared panicked and unprepared, demanded they stop, fired several bullets in the air and then shot at their legs, moderately wounding an Israeli and lightly injuring an American.
Military sources said the soldiers were not equipped with rubber bullets or tear gas, traditional means of crowd dispersal.
...
Israel has routinely used live ammunition against Palestinian demonstrators who sometimes pose a threat and sometimes do not, according to Yariv Oppenheimer of the dovish Israeli group Peace Now.
But the shooting Friday appeared to be the first time Israeli troops fired live rounds at a Jewish Israeli protester.
The wounded Israeli, Gil Naamati, 21, served for three years in an artillery unit before finishing his mandatory military service last month.
"We didn't want to threaten soldiers and we didn't threaten soldiers. All we hurt was the fence," said Naamati, who was shot in both legs.
"I was in the army, and I am familiar with the rules of engagement and what I did was not even close to something that I think would warrant opening fire," he told Army Radio from his hospital bed.
...
"The tempest was created only because the severely injured individual was an Israeli," commentator Ofer Shelah wrote in Yediot. "Had he been a Palestinian, the incident probably would not have received even a single line in the newspaper."
Like many, Shelah questioned whether the soldiers knew - or should have known - the demonstrators were Israeli, "as if Palestinian demonstrators can be shot at indiscriminately."
...
If shaking the fence is a crime punishable by death or injury, one can easily see why "dozens and hundreds of Palestinians are killed and injured all year long," analyst Doron Rosenblum wrote in the Haaretz daily. ...
Excite News: "Shooting of Israeli Protester Spurs Debate | Dec 28, 3:20 PM (ET) | By RAVI NESSMAN
JERUSALEM (AP) - The shooting of an unarmed Israeli peace activist during a demonstration has set off a debate among Israelis over the military's response to protesters during the last three years of conflict with the Palestinians.
While some say Friday's shooting was legitimate, critics say it finally forced Israelis to confront the kind of treatment Palestinian demonstrators have long faced.
'The fingers of (Israeli) troops have been quick, too quick on the trigger when dealing with Palestinians. It was only a matter of time until it would trickle inward and produce a similar pattern of action against Israeli demonstrators as well,' dovish novelist David Grossman told the daily Yediot Ahronot newspaper.
The incident occurred Friday afternoon, when about 100 protesters gathered at the West Bank separation barrier Israel is building."
...
On Friday, the protesters were demanding that the gate near the West Bank village of Mascha be opened so farmers could tend their fields. When it was not, they cut the fence with pliers, eventually creating a hole large enough for a person to walk through, according to an Associated Press photographer on the scene.
On the other side, about half a dozen Israeli soldiers, who appeared panicked and unprepared, demanded they stop, fired several bullets in the air and then shot at their legs, moderately wounding an Israeli and lightly injuring an American.
Military sources said the soldiers were not equipped with rubber bullets or tear gas, traditional means of crowd dispersal.
...
Israel has routinely used live ammunition against Palestinian demonstrators who sometimes pose a threat and sometimes do not, according to Yariv Oppenheimer of the dovish Israeli group Peace Now.
But the shooting Friday appeared to be the first time Israeli troops fired live rounds at a Jewish Israeli protester.
The wounded Israeli, Gil Naamati, 21, served for three years in an artillery unit before finishing his mandatory military service last month.
"We didn't want to threaten soldiers and we didn't threaten soldiers. All we hurt was the fence," said Naamati, who was shot in both legs.
"I was in the army, and I am familiar with the rules of engagement and what I did was not even close to something that I think would warrant opening fire," he told Army Radio from his hospital bed.
...
"The tempest was created only because the severely injured individual was an Israeli," commentator Ofer Shelah wrote in Yediot. "Had he been a Palestinian, the incident probably would not have received even a single line in the newspaper."
Like many, Shelah questioned whether the soldiers knew - or should have known - the demonstrators were Israeli, "as if Palestinian demonstrators can be shot at indiscriminately."
...
If shaking the fence is a crime punishable by death or injury, one can easily see why "dozens and hundreds of Palestinians are killed and injured all year long," analyst Doron Rosenblum wrote in the Haaretz daily. ...
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Media Lull: first suicide bomb attack in Israel in almost three months:
News Analysis: Bombing After Lull: Israel Still Believes the Worst Is Over: "By RICHARD BERNSTEIN | Published: December 27, 2003
...
JERUSALEM, Dec. 26 — The day after the first suicide bomb attack in Israel in almost three months, senior Israeli officials were offering what might seem a paradoxical assessment: Despite the bombing, the worst of the terrorism is already over because Israel is winning its war against the terrorists.
The basic official position of Israel is that since the Palestinian Authority has not been able, or willing, to dismantle what Israel calls the terrorist infrastructure, the Israelis have been doing the job themselves, using two techniques. One is to step up work on the barrier they are constructing along a twisted north-south axis on the West Bank; the other is to undertake almost constant nighttime military operations in the centers of militant activity, most recently in and around the town of Nablus.
...
"It is no coincidence that a group like Hamas decides to stop attacks within Israel," the general said. "It comes from the realization that their organization is in danger." Responsibility for Thursday's bombing was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
...
"Our operations are aimed at the people who design the attacks," he said, describing a series of nightly incursions that have been taking place in Nablus for the last 10 days or so.
"We've captured a lot of labs and a lot of engineers," he continued, meaning bomb-making labs and bomb-making engineers. "Now there are almost no bombs in Nablus."
He spoke just before the suicide bombing, which claimed four Israeli lives. The bomber was from a village near Nablus.
...
Palestinian spokesmen, by contrast, say the relative lull that had lasted until Thursday was a result of to restraint among the militant Palestinian groups, not to Israeli military operations.
"I think there were no suicide bombings because these factions are for a while trying to give a chance," Ghassan Khatib, the minister of labor in the Palestinian Authority, said in an interview on Friday. "My view is that these factions can carry out suicide bombings, unfortunately, whenever they want."
...
In addition, the Palestinians say, the constant Israeli pressure only intensifies the hatred that prompts the attacks in the first place.
That is the fundamental question: Will the measures taken by Israel to stop extremist attacks have long-term success, or will they, in the long term, lead to more violence?
For the Israelis, the likelihood that the measures aimed at stopping terror will produce more terror is the crux of the dilemma. An example: A few days ago, in the operation in Nablus, a 5-year-old boy, Muhammad Naim Isryda, was shot dead, and Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops, who are commonly described as shooting indiscriminately, were responsible. The senior commander in Nablus hotly disputed the Palestinian account on Thursday.
"There are a lot of stories like this," he said, "and most of the time you can't prove it, because they bury the body before there is an investigation." ...
News Analysis: Bombing After Lull: Israel Still Believes the Worst Is Over: "By RICHARD BERNSTEIN | Published: December 27, 2003
...
JERUSALEM, Dec. 26 — The day after the first suicide bomb attack in Israel in almost three months, senior Israeli officials were offering what might seem a paradoxical assessment: Despite the bombing, the worst of the terrorism is already over because Israel is winning its war against the terrorists.
The basic official position of Israel is that since the Palestinian Authority has not been able, or willing, to dismantle what Israel calls the terrorist infrastructure, the Israelis have been doing the job themselves, using two techniques. One is to step up work on the barrier they are constructing along a twisted north-south axis on the West Bank; the other is to undertake almost constant nighttime military operations in the centers of militant activity, most recently in and around the town of Nablus.
...
"It is no coincidence that a group like Hamas decides to stop attacks within Israel," the general said. "It comes from the realization that their organization is in danger." Responsibility for Thursday's bombing was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
...
"Our operations are aimed at the people who design the attacks," he said, describing a series of nightly incursions that have been taking place in Nablus for the last 10 days or so.
"We've captured a lot of labs and a lot of engineers," he continued, meaning bomb-making labs and bomb-making engineers. "Now there are almost no bombs in Nablus."
He spoke just before the suicide bombing, which claimed four Israeli lives. The bomber was from a village near Nablus.
...
Palestinian spokesmen, by contrast, say the relative lull that had lasted until Thursday was a result of to restraint among the militant Palestinian groups, not to Israeli military operations.
"I think there were no suicide bombings because these factions are for a while trying to give a chance," Ghassan Khatib, the minister of labor in the Palestinian Authority, said in an interview on Friday. "My view is that these factions can carry out suicide bombings, unfortunately, whenever they want."
...
In addition, the Palestinians say, the constant Israeli pressure only intensifies the hatred that prompts the attacks in the first place.
That is the fundamental question: Will the measures taken by Israel to stop extremist attacks have long-term success, or will they, in the long term, lead to more violence?
For the Israelis, the likelihood that the measures aimed at stopping terror will produce more terror is the crux of the dilemma. An example: A few days ago, in the operation in Nablus, a 5-year-old boy, Muhammad Naim Isryda, was shot dead, and Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops, who are commonly described as shooting indiscriminately, were responsible. The senior commander in Nablus hotly disputed the Palestinian account on Thursday.
"There are a lot of stories like this," he said, "and most of the time you can't prove it, because they bury the body before there is an investigation." ...
Karbala: three coordinated attacks: 4 coalition dead, 35 Coalition wounded; 7 Iraqis dead, 135 Iraqi Police wounded
Excite News: "4 Troops Among 11 Killed in Iraq Attacks | Dec 27, 10:10 AM (ET) | By SAMEER N. YACOUB
KARBALA, Iraq (AP) - Armed with car bombs, mortars and machine guns, insurgents launched three coordinated attacks in the southern city of Karbala on Saturday, killing 11 people - including six Iraqi police officers and four coalition soldiers, military and hospital officials said. An Iraqi civilian also was killed.
The attacks also wounded at least 172 people, with U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt saying 37 of them were coalition soldiers, including five Americans. Some 135 Iraqi police officers and civilians also were wounded, said Ali al-Arzawi, deputy head of Karbala General Hospital.
...
One car bomb detonated in front of the main Iraqi police station in Karbala, wounding five soldiers from the U.S. Army's 18th Military Police Brigade and a number of Iraqi police, said Lt. Col. Tom Evans, deputy commander of the brigade.
...
Col. Mariusz Michalski, another coalition spokesman, told the Polish news agency PAP that two soldiers died at the Bulgarian camp. He did not confirm their nationalities.
Bulgarian soldiers were being evacuated from their two bases in Karbala because it was destroyed. Deputy Defense Minister Ilko Dimitrov told Bulgarian state television that 15 soldiers were wounded slightly.
...
Iraqi witnesses said a water truck contained one of the bombs, and that coalition soldiers sprayed it with gunfire as it drove toward a military base beside the university and exploded. Casualties were removed in stretchers, and soldiers fired in the air to disperse the crowds.
Stasinski said a logistics base where soldiers of different nationalities serve also was targeted. No Poles were killed, he said.
Thai soldiers also operate in the area, but Jakrapob Penkair, a government spokesman in Bangkok, said there were no reports of Thai casualties. ...
Excite News: "4 Troops Among 11 Killed in Iraq Attacks | Dec 27, 10:10 AM (ET) | By SAMEER N. YACOUB
KARBALA, Iraq (AP) - Armed with car bombs, mortars and machine guns, insurgents launched three coordinated attacks in the southern city of Karbala on Saturday, killing 11 people - including six Iraqi police officers and four coalition soldiers, military and hospital officials said. An Iraqi civilian also was killed.
The attacks also wounded at least 172 people, with U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt saying 37 of them were coalition soldiers, including five Americans. Some 135 Iraqi police officers and civilians also were wounded, said Ali al-Arzawi, deputy head of Karbala General Hospital.
...
One car bomb detonated in front of the main Iraqi police station in Karbala, wounding five soldiers from the U.S. Army's 18th Military Police Brigade and a number of Iraqi police, said Lt. Col. Tom Evans, deputy commander of the brigade.
...
Col. Mariusz Michalski, another coalition spokesman, told the Polish news agency PAP that two soldiers died at the Bulgarian camp. He did not confirm their nationalities.
Bulgarian soldiers were being evacuated from their two bases in Karbala because it was destroyed. Deputy Defense Minister Ilko Dimitrov told Bulgarian state television that 15 soldiers were wounded slightly.
...
Iraqi witnesses said a water truck contained one of the bombs, and that coalition soldiers sprayed it with gunfire as it drove toward a military base beside the university and exploded. Casualties were removed in stretchers, and soldiers fired in the air to disperse the crowds.
Stasinski said a logistics base where soldiers of different nationalities serve also was targeted. No Poles were killed, he said.
Thai soldiers also operate in the area, but Jakrapob Penkair, a government spokesman in Bangkok, said there were no reports of Thai casualties. ...
US statement has no comment on alleged Israeli military activities that injure 13 bystanders -- But strongly urges Palestinians to act to end violence
Yahoo! News - US condemns suicide bombing, urges Palestinians to act: "Fri Dec 26, 4:05 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States called the latest suicide bombing in Israel a 'wanton act of terror' and said there was an 'urgent need' for Palestinians to act to curb terrorist activities.
Five people, including three women, were killed and 15 others were injured in a northeastern suburb of Tel Aviv on Christmas Day, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a bus stop.
"The United States strongly condemns the December 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims of this wanton act of terror and their families."
The bombing at Petakh Tikvah was the first suicide attack in Israel since a female bomber killed herself and 22 others in a Haifa restaurant on October 4.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headquartered in the Syrian capital of Damascus took responsibility for Thursday's attack.
The blast came shortly after Islamic Jihad military leader Moqled Hamid was killed in Gaza City by a missile fired by a helicopter gunship at his car. Four other Palestinians, including Jihad activists, were also killed while 13 others were wounded, according to Palestinian sources.
Boucher's statement contained no comment on alleged Israeli military activities. But the State Department strongly urged Palestinians to act to end violence.
Yahoo! News - US condemns suicide bombing, urges Palestinians to act: "Fri Dec 26, 4:05 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States called the latest suicide bombing in Israel a 'wanton act of terror' and said there was an 'urgent need' for Palestinians to act to curb terrorist activities.
Five people, including three women, were killed and 15 others were injured in a northeastern suburb of Tel Aviv on Christmas Day, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a bus stop.
"The United States strongly condemns the December 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims of this wanton act of terror and their families."
The bombing at Petakh Tikvah was the first suicide attack in Israel since a female bomber killed herself and 22 others in a Haifa restaurant on October 4.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headquartered in the Syrian capital of Damascus took responsibility for Thursday's attack.
The blast came shortly after Islamic Jihad military leader Moqled Hamid was killed in Gaza City by a missile fired by a helicopter gunship at his car. Four other Palestinians, including Jihad activists, were also killed while 13 others were wounded, according to Palestinian sources.
Boucher's statement contained no comment on alleged Israeli military activities. But the State Department strongly urged Palestinians to act to end violence.
US statement has no comment on alleged Israeli military activities that injure 13 bystanders -- But strongly urges Palestinians to act to end violence
Yahoo! News - US condemns suicide bombing, urges Palestinians to act: "Fri Dec 26, 4:05 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States called the latest suicide bombing in Israel a 'wanton act of terror' and said there was an 'urgent need' for Palestinians to act to curb terrorist activities.
Five people, including three women, were killed and 15 others were injured in a northeastern suburb of Tel Aviv on Christmas Day, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a bus stop.
"The United States strongly condemns the December 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims of this wanton act of terror and their families."
The bombing at Petakh Tikvah was the first suicide attack in Israel since a female bomber killed herself and 22 others in a Haifa restaurant on October 4.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headquartered in the Syrian capital of Damascus took responsibility for Thursday's attack.
The blast came shortly after Islamic Jihad military leader Moqled Hamid was killed in Gaza City by a missile fired by a helicopter gunship at his car. Four other Palestinians, including Jihad activists, were also killed while 13 others were wounded, according to Palestinian sources.
Boucher's statement contained no comment on alleged Israeli military activities. But the State Department strongly urged Palestinians to act to end violence.
Yahoo! News - US condemns suicide bombing, urges Palestinians to act: "Fri Dec 26, 4:05 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States called the latest suicide bombing in Israel a 'wanton act of terror' and said there was an 'urgent need' for Palestinians to act to curb terrorist activities.
Five people, including three women, were killed and 15 others were injured in a northeastern suburb of Tel Aviv on Christmas Day, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a bus stop.
"The United States strongly condemns the December 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims of this wanton act of terror and their families."
The bombing at Petakh Tikvah was the first suicide attack in Israel since a female bomber killed herself and 22 others in a Haifa restaurant on October 4.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headquartered in the Syrian capital of Damascus took responsibility for Thursday's attack.
The blast came shortly after Islamic Jihad military leader Moqled Hamid was killed in Gaza City by a missile fired by a helicopter gunship at his car. Four other Palestinians, including Jihad activists, were also killed while 13 others were wounded, according to Palestinian sources.
Boucher's statement contained no comment on alleged Israeli military activities. But the State Department strongly urged Palestinians to act to end violence.
12-Week Lull in Mideast Ends [i.e. Palestinians start killing Israelis again]
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
12-Week Lull in Mideast Ends [i.e. Palestinians start killing Israelis again]
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
12-Week Lull in Mideast Ends [i.e. Palestinians start killing Israelis again]
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
12-Week Lull in Mideast Ends [i.e. Palestinians start killing Israelis again]
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
12-Week Lull in Mideast Ends [i.e. Palestinians start killing Israelis again]
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Yahoo! News - 12-Week Lull in Mideast EndsFri Dec 26,12:15 PM ET | By Ken Ellingwood Times Staff Writer
JERUSALEM — An Israeli military airstrike killed a Palestinian militant leader and four other people in Gaza City on Thursday, and less than an hour later, four Israelis were slain in a suicide bombing at a bus stop outside Tel Aviv — back-to-back spasms of violence that shattered more than two months of relative quiet and dealt a fresh setback to peace efforts.
Officials said the Gaza missile strike by an Israeli helicopter killed Makled Hamid, leader of the military wing of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has carried out suicide bombings inside Israel. Hamid was riding in a car with two other militants, who also died in the surprise attack.
Two bystanders were reported killed as well, and at least two dozen others were injured, according to officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a bus stop at a busy crossroads in Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, killing three Israeli soldiers, a 17-year-old Israeli girl and the bomber, who later was identified as an 18-year-old from Beit Furik in the northern West Bank. At least a dozen other passengers and bystanders were injured. ...
Friday, December 26, 2003
Released after 2 months in Coalition captivity: 'Guilty of Being a Palestinian in Iraq'
Kathy Kelly: the Two Troublemakers: "December 22, 2003 | 'Guilty of Being a Palestinian in Iraq' | The Two Troublemakers | By KATHY KELLY
Saturday evening, in Amman, we met with Fadi Elayyan and Jihad Tahboub, two Palestinian young men who were imprisoned for two months, without charge, by US Occupying forces who seized them, in Baghdad, on April 10, 2003
They are trying to help four of their companions who are still held by the US military, presumably in a prison compound at Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq.
'On April 10, the US Marines kidnapped us,' Jihad began in a matter of fact tone. 'We were students, and we stayed in Baghdad during the war because we did not want to give up our studies or leave our friends. The
Marines wanted to occupy our building because it is high and gives a good view of the area. '
Some of the students had Palestinian passports. When they asked what they were guilty of, the soldiers said, 'You are guilty of being Palestinian.' The soldiers told them, 'You are not studying education in Baghdad. You are studying terrorism.'
'We said that we had citizen IDs and we are students,' said Fadi, but the soldiers insisted, with guns pointed at their heads, 'You are in Iraq and you are terrorists.'
...
Fadi and Jihad were released from a prison in Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq, two months later, on June 10, after a US military Tribunal issued each of them signed but undated documents stating that there was no evidence to support a claim that he committed a belligerent act against the Coalition forces. Before being released, they had to sign a document stating that the US military bore no responsibility for what had happened to them while they were in custody.
"It was inhuman, the way they treated us," said Fadi. "For the first seven days we were given no food or water." On the first day, they were handcuffed and taken to the Hasan Al Bakr Palace where they stayed overnight on wet ground, outdoors. "We tried to bury ourselves in the sand to keep warmer," Fadi recalled. "All the time they were pointing their guns at us. They made us feel that we are going to die now, they gonna kill us now." ...
Kathy Kelly: the Two Troublemakers: "December 22, 2003 | 'Guilty of Being a Palestinian in Iraq' | The Two Troublemakers | By KATHY KELLY
Saturday evening, in Amman, we met with Fadi Elayyan and Jihad Tahboub, two Palestinian young men who were imprisoned for two months, without charge, by US Occupying forces who seized them, in Baghdad, on April 10, 2003
They are trying to help four of their companions who are still held by the US military, presumably in a prison compound at Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq.
'On April 10, the US Marines kidnapped us,' Jihad began in a matter of fact tone. 'We were students, and we stayed in Baghdad during the war because we did not want to give up our studies or leave our friends. The
Marines wanted to occupy our building because it is high and gives a good view of the area. '
Some of the students had Palestinian passports. When they asked what they were guilty of, the soldiers said, 'You are guilty of being Palestinian.' The soldiers told them, 'You are not studying education in Baghdad. You are studying terrorism.'
'We said that we had citizen IDs and we are students,' said Fadi, but the soldiers insisted, with guns pointed at their heads, 'You are in Iraq and you are terrorists.'
...
Fadi and Jihad were released from a prison in Umm Qasr, in southern Iraq, two months later, on June 10, after a US military Tribunal issued each of them signed but undated documents stating that there was no evidence to support a claim that he committed a belligerent act against the Coalition forces. Before being released, they had to sign a document stating that the US military bore no responsibility for what had happened to them while they were in custody.
"It was inhuman, the way they treated us," said Fadi. "For the first seven days we were given no food or water." On the first day, they were handcuffed and taken to the Hasan Al Bakr Palace where they stayed overnight on wet ground, outdoors. "We tried to bury ourselves in the sand to keep warmer," Fadi recalled. "All the time they were pointing their guns at us. They made us feel that we are going to die now, they gonna kill us now." ...
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Shooting Samarra's Schoolboys in the Back
Robert Fisk: Shooting Samarra's Schoolboys in the Back: "December 19, 2003 | Phantam Insurgents in Fantasyville | By ROBERT FISK
Schoolboy Issam Naim Hamid is the latest of America's famous "insurgents". In Samarra--for which read Fantasyville--he was shot in the back as he tried to protect himself with his parents in his home in the Al-Jeheriya district of the ancient Abbasid city.
It was three in the morning, according to his mother, Manal, when soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division came to the house, firing bullets through the gate. One of the rounds pierced the door, punched through a window and entered Issam's back, speeding on through an outer wall. His father was hit in the ankle and was taken to Tikrit hospital yesterday in serious condition. Issam cries in pain in the Samarra emergency hospital ward, a drip-tube sticking into his stomach through a wad of bloody bandages.
The Americans claimed to have killed 54 "insurgents" after a series of guerrilla ambushes in the city last month, and the only dead to be found in the mortuaries were nine civilians, including an Iranian pilgrim to the great golden-cupolaed Shia shrine that looms over Samarra. Four days ago, they boasted of a further 11 "insurgents", but the only dead man who could be found was a vegetable seller. At the Samarra hospital, doctors also have the names of a taxi driver called Amer Baghdadi, shot dead by the Americans on Wednesday night.
Then there is the case of 31-year-old farmer Maouloud Hussein who was trying to push his five young daughters and son into the back room of his two-room slum home a few hours earlier when yet another bullet came whizzing through the gate and the outer wall of the house, and smashed into Maouloud's back. His son Mustafa, bleary-eyed with tears beside his father's bed yesterday, and his daughters Bushra, Hoda, Issra and Hassa, were untouched. But the bullet tore into Maouloud's body and exited through his chest. Doctors have just taken out his spleen. ..
Robert Fisk: Shooting Samarra's Schoolboys in the Back: "December 19, 2003 | Phantam Insurgents in Fantasyville | By ROBERT FISK
Schoolboy Issam Naim Hamid is the latest of America's famous "insurgents". In Samarra--for which read Fantasyville--he was shot in the back as he tried to protect himself with his parents in his home in the Al-Jeheriya district of the ancient Abbasid city.
It was three in the morning, according to his mother, Manal, when soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division came to the house, firing bullets through the gate. One of the rounds pierced the door, punched through a window and entered Issam's back, speeding on through an outer wall. His father was hit in the ankle and was taken to Tikrit hospital yesterday in serious condition. Issam cries in pain in the Samarra emergency hospital ward, a drip-tube sticking into his stomach through a wad of bloody bandages.
The Americans claimed to have killed 54 "insurgents" after a series of guerrilla ambushes in the city last month, and the only dead to be found in the mortuaries were nine civilians, including an Iranian pilgrim to the great golden-cupolaed Shia shrine that looms over Samarra. Four days ago, they boasted of a further 11 "insurgents", but the only dead man who could be found was a vegetable seller. At the Samarra hospital, doctors also have the names of a taxi driver called Amer Baghdadi, shot dead by the Americans on Wednesday night.
Then there is the case of 31-year-old farmer Maouloud Hussein who was trying to push his five young daughters and son into the back room of his two-room slum home a few hours earlier when yet another bullet came whizzing through the gate and the outer wall of the house, and smashed into Maouloud's back. His son Mustafa, bleary-eyed with tears beside his father's bed yesterday, and his daughters Bushra, Hoda, Issra and Hassa, were untouched. But the bullet tore into Maouloud's body and exited through his chest. Doctors have just taken out his spleen. ..
Courts Rebuke Bush for Trampling the Constitution: Padilla cannot be held after 2 years in "enemy combatant" limbo
Elaine Cassel: Courts Rebuke Bush for Trampling the Constitution: "December 19, 2003 | By ELAINE CASSEL
Thursday, December 18, brought some good news for those among us who thought the judicial branch of government was asleep. An independent judiciary is alive and well in two federal circuits--the Second Circuit (New York) and the Ninth Circuit (California). Both appeals courts rejected the Bush administration's claims that President Bush has unlimited power to trample the civil rights of Americans and prisoners in its control under the guise of fighting a global war on 'terror.'
The Second Circuit ruled in the case of Jose Padilla that President Bush wrongly ordered his detention as an enemy combatant. The opinion found that there was no legal basis for the presidential act; in fact, it found law to the contrary, the Non-Detention Act (18 U.S. Code, Sec. 4001 (1), that prohibits the military from detaining an American citizen without an Act of Congress. The law, enacted in 1971, repealed the 1950 Emergency Detentions Act, that empowered the Attorney General to detain, during an invasion, insurgency, or declared war, individuals whom the Attorney General thinks might commit sabotage (sounds a little like the Patriot Act, doesn't it?). As the court notes in its opinion, every Senator who voted for the Non-Detention Act did so because of the disgraceful internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II.
The Court further found that Bush overstepped the Joint Resolution to wage war against terrorism, passed overwhelmingly by the Congress shortly after September 11. The government's attorneys argued that the resolution gave the President the power to detain persons in order to prevent future attacks of terrorism. The Court said that the plain language of the resolution did no such thing.
Elaine Cassel: Courts Rebuke Bush for Trampling the Constitution: "December 19, 2003 | By ELAINE CASSEL
Thursday, December 18, brought some good news for those among us who thought the judicial branch of government was asleep. An independent judiciary is alive and well in two federal circuits--the Second Circuit (New York) and the Ninth Circuit (California). Both appeals courts rejected the Bush administration's claims that President Bush has unlimited power to trample the civil rights of Americans and prisoners in its control under the guise of fighting a global war on 'terror.'
The Second Circuit ruled in the case of Jose Padilla that President Bush wrongly ordered his detention as an enemy combatant. The opinion found that there was no legal basis for the presidential act; in fact, it found law to the contrary, the Non-Detention Act (18 U.S. Code, Sec. 4001 (1), that prohibits the military from detaining an American citizen without an Act of Congress. The law, enacted in 1971, repealed the 1950 Emergency Detentions Act, that empowered the Attorney General to detain, during an invasion, insurgency, or declared war, individuals whom the Attorney General thinks might commit sabotage (sounds a little like the Patriot Act, doesn't it?). As the court notes in its opinion, every Senator who voted for the Non-Detention Act did so because of the disgraceful internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II.
The Court further found that Bush overstepped the Joint Resolution to wage war against terrorism, passed overwhelmingly by the Congress shortly after September 11. The government's attorneys argued that the resolution gave the President the power to detain persons in order to prevent future attacks of terrorism. The Court said that the plain language of the resolution did no such thing.
Iraq: US Shoots: at least 18 Iraqis
Kurt Nimmo: Bush Gets Serious About Killing Iraqis: "December 20 / 21, 2003 | No More Mr. Nice Guy
When Robert Dreyfuss of the American Prospect asked an unspecified Bush neocon 'strategist' how best to deal with the resistance in Iraq, the response he received was chilling, 'It's time for 'no more Mr. Nice Guy.' All those people shouting, 'Down with America!' and dancing in the street when Americans are attacked? We have to kill them.'
...
"While Washington and London were still congratulating themselves on the capture of Saddam Hussein," writes Robert Fisk in Baghdad, "US troops have shot dead at least 18 Iraqis in the streets of three major cities in the country. Dramatic videotape from the city of Ramadi 75 miles west of Baghdad showed unarmed supporters of Saddam Hussein being gunned down in semi-darkness as they fled from Americans troops. Eleven of the 18 dead were killed by the Americans in Samarra to the north of Baghdad."
...
As Robert Fisk notes in his report about the Ramadi mass murder video, masked gunmen have appeared in Baghdad and at road checkpoints outside of Samarra. "They wear militia uniforms and, although they say they are part of the new American-backed 'Iraqi Civil Defense Corps', they have neither badges of rank nor unit markings," writes Fisk.
It's no secret the CIA has assassinated numerous Iraqis since Bush set his sights on their country. Recently leaked plans to kill even more, possibly many more, in much the same way the CIA killed 40,000 Vietnamese under the Phoenix program. ...
Kurt Nimmo: Bush Gets Serious About Killing Iraqis: "December 20 / 21, 2003 | No More Mr. Nice Guy
When Robert Dreyfuss of the American Prospect asked an unspecified Bush neocon 'strategist' how best to deal with the resistance in Iraq, the response he received was chilling, 'It's time for 'no more Mr. Nice Guy.' All those people shouting, 'Down with America!' and dancing in the street when Americans are attacked? We have to kill them.'
...
"While Washington and London were still congratulating themselves on the capture of Saddam Hussein," writes Robert Fisk in Baghdad, "US troops have shot dead at least 18 Iraqis in the streets of three major cities in the country. Dramatic videotape from the city of Ramadi 75 miles west of Baghdad showed unarmed supporters of Saddam Hussein being gunned down in semi-darkness as they fled from Americans troops. Eleven of the 18 dead were killed by the Americans in Samarra to the north of Baghdad."
...
As Robert Fisk notes in his report about the Ramadi mass murder video, masked gunmen have appeared in Baghdad and at road checkpoints outside of Samarra. "They wear militia uniforms and, although they say they are part of the new American-backed 'Iraqi Civil Defense Corps', they have neither badges of rank nor unit markings," writes Fisk.
It's no secret the CIA has assassinated numerous Iraqis since Bush set his sights on their country. Recently leaked plans to kill even more, possibly many more, in much the same way the CIA killed 40,000 Vietnamese under the Phoenix program. ...
No Christmas cheer in caged-in Bethlehem
No Christmas cheer in caged-in Bethlehem: "By Arnon Regular and Amos Harel | December 25, 2003
Bethlehem, encircled by its occupation army, woke up to another bleak Christmas Eve. 'It's a little better than last year, but only just,' said Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Jesus' birthplace. 'Pilgrims come for a few hours and leave, and there's no holiday spirit. The town is under closure and its north is paralyzed, because of the building of the separation fence,' he said.
Nasser said 1,200 pilgrims spent last night in Bethlehem, compared to 50,000 for every day of the holidays in 2000, when they packed hotels newly built for the Millennium. Around 15,000 tourists are expected to visit Bethlehem between the present Catholic Christmas and the Armenian festival on January 18, he said.
Five months ago IDF troops retreated from the city and the PA assumed security authority. But army roadblocks still cage in Bethlehem's 140,000 residents and adjacent villages. The massive barrier going up along the northern part have left the residents with little hope of deliverance from isolation and impoverishment. All this has also kept away all but a few of the most intrepid pilgrims.
...
The shops at Manger Square, starved of customers, were draped in protest banners saying "Stop the Wall," "Don't turn Bethlehem into a Ghetto" and "The Holy Land Doesn't Need Walls, but Bridges." Alongside hung a huge portrait of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
About 50 Palestinians added to the somber atmosphere in Manger Square with a sit-down protest to demand the return of their relatives Israel expelled in May 2002, as part of a deal to end the IDF siege on Church of the Nativity. ...
No Christmas cheer in caged-in Bethlehem: "By Arnon Regular and Amos Harel | December 25, 2003
Bethlehem, encircled by its occupation army, woke up to another bleak Christmas Eve. 'It's a little better than last year, but only just,' said Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Jesus' birthplace. 'Pilgrims come for a few hours and leave, and there's no holiday spirit. The town is under closure and its north is paralyzed, because of the building of the separation fence,' he said.
Nasser said 1,200 pilgrims spent last night in Bethlehem, compared to 50,000 for every day of the holidays in 2000, when they packed hotels newly built for the Millennium. Around 15,000 tourists are expected to visit Bethlehem between the present Catholic Christmas and the Armenian festival on January 18, he said.
Five months ago IDF troops retreated from the city and the PA assumed security authority. But army roadblocks still cage in Bethlehem's 140,000 residents and adjacent villages. The massive barrier going up along the northern part have left the residents with little hope of deliverance from isolation and impoverishment. All this has also kept away all but a few of the most intrepid pilgrims.
...
The shops at Manger Square, starved of customers, were draped in protest banners saying "Stop the Wall," "Don't turn Bethlehem into a Ghetto" and "The Holy Land Doesn't Need Walls, but Bridges." Alongside hung a huge portrait of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
About 50 Palestinians added to the somber atmosphere in Manger Square with a sit-down protest to demand the return of their relatives Israel expelled in May 2002, as part of a deal to end the IDF siege on Church of the Nativity. ...
Bush s selective hearing: cleaving to the road map as if it were scripture: chances for realization are negligible
Bush s selective hearing: "Bush's selective hearing | By Aluf Benn | December 25, 2003
The American response to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Herzliya speech was characterized by selective hearing. The administration related only to the section in which Sharon reiterated his promises to stick to the road map, to dismantle the outposts and to ease life for the Palestinians.
The other sections, which attracted much attention in Israel, encountered explicit disregard in Washington. There no one gets excited over the talk about evacuating isolated settlements, and even ignores the intentions to "reinforce the hold" on other areas in the territories.
...
There is much hypocrisy in the American position. The administration is cleaving to the road map as if it were scripture, even though it is well known that its chances for realization are negligible, and no one is lifting a finger to save it. The administration is pinning its hopes on Qureia. Despite his considerable experience, his wit and his demonstrations of power opposite Sharon, Qureia is not convincing in his seriousness and his ability to move forward, and is perceived as an insubstantial and useless figure.
Even in such a situation, however, "We still have not reached the point at which we will change our policy toward [Yasser] Arafat," said one senior American official this week, "even though we have not succeeded in our efforts to remove him from center stage."
Sharon is disappointing, too. It is hard to tell how much U.S. President George W. Bush is really angry at him for not fulfilling his promises regarding the evacuation of outposts. It is clear that Bush is not pleased. According to one of the president's friends, Bush views the terror attacks, and not the settlements, as the main obstacle to peace. But he is sick of hearing the complaints and grumblings of his European colleagues about the settlements, when he has no answer, and Sharon is not helping him. Bush apparently also understands the security need for the separation fence, and is not moved by his aides' contentions regarding the suffering it is causing the Palestinians.
...
American activity centers on futile talks between U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer and the Defense Ministry, in an attempt to move the fence and to draft a list of outposts.
...
After Israel complained about the initial, lukewarm response to Sharon's speech, the U.S. administration hastened to publish some positive spin. ...
Bush s selective hearing: "Bush's selective hearing | By Aluf Benn | December 25, 2003
The American response to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Herzliya speech was characterized by selective hearing. The administration related only to the section in which Sharon reiterated his promises to stick to the road map, to dismantle the outposts and to ease life for the Palestinians.
The other sections, which attracted much attention in Israel, encountered explicit disregard in Washington. There no one gets excited over the talk about evacuating isolated settlements, and even ignores the intentions to "reinforce the hold" on other areas in the territories.
...
There is much hypocrisy in the American position. The administration is cleaving to the road map as if it were scripture, even though it is well known that its chances for realization are negligible, and no one is lifting a finger to save it. The administration is pinning its hopes on Qureia. Despite his considerable experience, his wit and his demonstrations of power opposite Sharon, Qureia is not convincing in his seriousness and his ability to move forward, and is perceived as an insubstantial and useless figure.
Even in such a situation, however, "We still have not reached the point at which we will change our policy toward [Yasser] Arafat," said one senior American official this week, "even though we have not succeeded in our efforts to remove him from center stage."
Sharon is disappointing, too. It is hard to tell how much U.S. President George W. Bush is really angry at him for not fulfilling his promises regarding the evacuation of outposts. It is clear that Bush is not pleased. According to one of the president's friends, Bush views the terror attacks, and not the settlements, as the main obstacle to peace. But he is sick of hearing the complaints and grumblings of his European colleagues about the settlements, when he has no answer, and Sharon is not helping him. Bush apparently also understands the security need for the separation fence, and is not moved by his aides' contentions regarding the suffering it is causing the Palestinians.
...
American activity centers on futile talks between U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer and the Defense Ministry, in an attempt to move the fence and to draft a list of outposts.
...
After Israel complained about the initial, lukewarm response to Sharon's speech, the U.S. administration hastened to publish some positive spin. ...
Christianity in the Holy Land: Bethlehem, Christian Zionists scriptural basis for the state of Israel prevails over compassion
The Seattle Times: Opinion: Christianity in the Holy Land: "Christianity in the Holy Land | By Floyd J. McKay | Special to The Times | Wednesday, December 24, 2003
If there were a Christian pilgrimage tradition in the mode of Islam's hajj, Christians would descend in huge crowds today on Bethlehem and the birthplace of Christ.
Instead, those few who make the journey will find again a besieged city, controlled by Israeli soldiers and tanks, major buildings leveled by shelling and very few surviving Palestinian Christians.
And others, sometimes described as Christian Zionists, actually contribute to the decline of Christianity in the Holy Land, through their unwavering support of hard-line Israeli policies.
In a land of incredible political and religious complexity, the decline of Christianity is one of the great tragedies.
Palestinian Christians were historically concentrated in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. But the 1947 creation of Israel forced some 50,000 Christians from West Jerusalem and into exile or the West Bank, where they made up 20 percent of the Palestinian population. By 1966, that percentage was down to 13 percent, and it is now only 2.9 percent in the occupied territories. Muslims have a higher birth rate, but the major factor is emigration to America and elsewhere.
Christians who remain have done so because they identify with Palestinian nationhood, in common with their Muslim neighbors. As they freely point out, Christians and Muslims lived together in peace for centuries. Shared opposition to Israel is greater than any religious differences between Palestinians. The occupation is strangling Christianity in the Holy Land.
Israeli settlements ring Christian villages and settlement roads bisect Christian farms and towns, olive groves are bulldozed, and Israeli retaliation for Palestinian attacks have in the past two years increasingly hit Christian targets. Bethlehem was virtually locked down much of 2002.
...
Some of the fault for this lies with American Christians, particularly those who see scriptural basis for the state of Israel that prevails over compassion for their fellow Christians in occupied territory. This point of view has adherents among conservative Republicans in Congress, mirroring in some ways historic liberal Democratic support for the state of Israel. As a result, Palestinian Christian leaders have all but stopped lobbying Congress, faced with a combination of religious and political obstacles.
...
Food for thought on Christmas Eve.
The Seattle Times: Opinion: Christianity in the Holy Land: "Christianity in the Holy Land | By Floyd J. McKay | Special to The Times | Wednesday, December 24, 2003
If there were a Christian pilgrimage tradition in the mode of Islam's hajj, Christians would descend in huge crowds today on Bethlehem and the birthplace of Christ.
Instead, those few who make the journey will find again a besieged city, controlled by Israeli soldiers and tanks, major buildings leveled by shelling and very few surviving Palestinian Christians.
And others, sometimes described as Christian Zionists, actually contribute to the decline of Christianity in the Holy Land, through their unwavering support of hard-line Israeli policies.
In a land of incredible political and religious complexity, the decline of Christianity is one of the great tragedies.
Palestinian Christians were historically concentrated in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. But the 1947 creation of Israel forced some 50,000 Christians from West Jerusalem and into exile or the West Bank, where they made up 20 percent of the Palestinian population. By 1966, that percentage was down to 13 percent, and it is now only 2.9 percent in the occupied territories. Muslims have a higher birth rate, but the major factor is emigration to America and elsewhere.
Christians who remain have done so because they identify with Palestinian nationhood, in common with their Muslim neighbors. As they freely point out, Christians and Muslims lived together in peace for centuries. Shared opposition to Israel is greater than any religious differences between Palestinians. The occupation is strangling Christianity in the Holy Land.
Israeli settlements ring Christian villages and settlement roads bisect Christian farms and towns, olive groves are bulldozed, and Israeli retaliation for Palestinian attacks have in the past two years increasingly hit Christian targets. Bethlehem was virtually locked down much of 2002.
...
Some of the fault for this lies with American Christians, particularly those who see scriptural basis for the state of Israel that prevails over compassion for their fellow Christians in occupied territory. This point of view has adherents among conservative Republicans in Congress, mirroring in some ways historic liberal Democratic support for the state of Israel. As a result, Palestinian Christian leaders have all but stopped lobbying Congress, faced with a combination of religious and political obstacles.
...
Food for thought on Christmas Eve.
Inidan - Israeli 'Lost Tribes' Living in W. Bank: 1953 dream, orthodox conversion: "Israel needs to think more creatively" to boost "Jewish" numbers
Yahoo! News - Israeli 'Lost Tribes' Living in W. Bank: "Wed Dec 24, 5:24 AM ET | By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer
SHAVEI SHOMRON, West Bank - Some 2,700 years ago, 10 of the 12 biblical tribes of Israel were driven from the Holy Land into exile and the mists of history. Now, a group claiming descent from one of the lost tribes can be found sitting in a bomb shelter in a West Bank Jewish settlement, learning Hebrew.
...
The return of the "lost tribes" to their ancient homeland is viewed by some as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a herald of the Messiah.
Others see the return as an opportunity to boost the numbers of Jews living in Israel in what they see as a demographic war with the Palestinians.
...
"Israel needs to think more creatively. We need to reach out to groups around the world who have a historical connection," Freund said.
...
Living in the northeastern Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur, the Bnei Menashe, who number about 6,000, were originally animists who were converted to Christianity by British missionaries in the 19th century. In 1953, a tribal leader named Mlanchala had a dream in which his people would return to Israel, which led the tribe to adopt Jewish tradition.
However, their links to the Jewish people could not be proven, so they were not eligible to emigrate to Israel under Israeli law, which gives Jews the right to automatic citizenship.
Nevertheless, Freund's group, Amishav — or "my people returns" — brought about 800 of the Bnei Menashe to Israel in the last decade and helped them undergo Orthodox conversions to Judaism. ...
Yahoo! News - Israeli 'Lost Tribes' Living in W. Bank: "Wed Dec 24, 5:24 AM ET | By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer
SHAVEI SHOMRON, West Bank - Some 2,700 years ago, 10 of the 12 biblical tribes of Israel were driven from the Holy Land into exile and the mists of history. Now, a group claiming descent from one of the lost tribes can be found sitting in a bomb shelter in a West Bank Jewish settlement, learning Hebrew.
...
The return of the "lost tribes" to their ancient homeland is viewed by some as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a herald of the Messiah.
Others see the return as an opportunity to boost the numbers of Jews living in Israel in what they see as a demographic war with the Palestinians.
...
"Israel needs to think more creatively. We need to reach out to groups around the world who have a historical connection," Freund said.
...
Living in the northeastern Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur, the Bnei Menashe, who number about 6,000, were originally animists who were converted to Christianity by British missionaries in the 19th century. In 1953, a tribal leader named Mlanchala had a dream in which his people would return to Israel, which led the tribe to adopt Jewish tradition.
However, their links to the Jewish people could not be proven, so they were not eligible to emigrate to Israel under Israeli law, which gives Jews the right to automatic citizenship.
Nevertheless, Freund's group, Amishav — or "my people returns" — brought about 800 of the Bnei Menashe to Israel in the last decade and helped them undergo Orthodox conversions to Judaism. ...
Life in Bethlehem: Sales at 1%, cut off from 80 acres of olive trees: blocked by Israelis who burnt nativity scenes for firewood
Unhappy to Be Home for the Holidays (washingtonpost.com): "Struggle of Family Nativity Carving Business Reflects Bethlehem's Woes | By Molly Moore | Washington Post Foreign Service | Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Page A10 | BETHLEHEM, West Bank "
Four years ago, Christmas shoppers waited in line to enter the Giacaman family's shop and buy their coveted olive-wood Nativity carvings, family members recall.
...
Today, theirs is one of the few wood carvers' shops still open in a city economically and psychologically devastated by more than three years of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. With most of their neighbors' stores shuttered and only a handful of browsers during what was once the busiest week of the year, it has been difficult to summon Christmas cheer in the place revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus.
...
The majority of Bethlehem's residents have been trapped in the city by Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks since the uprising began. Forty percent of the workforce is unemployed, according to city officials. Four hundred shops -- most of the city's small businesses -- have had so little income that they have not paid city taxes in three years, municipal authorities said. Bethlehem's well-known defiance of and resistance against Israel has been replaced by despair, many residents said.
In an effort to demonstrate the city's isolation, a community group called the Civil Committee in Arab Sawahreh tried on Tuesday morning to send a man and a donkey-borne woman -- symbolizing Mary and Joseph on their Christmas journey to Bethlehem -- through one of the Israeli military checkpoints.
"When we arrived at the checkpoint, the Israeli soldiers prevented us from passing," said Osama Zahaikeh, one of the organizers. "We knew they would not let us through. The whole thing was a symbolic act to show we lack freedom of movement."
...
... Sales are about 1 percent of the volume they were in 2000, one of Bethlehem's best years for tourism, said Jack Giacaman, 32. He estimated that about five or six customers a week, most of them foreign diplomats posted in Israel, visit the shop.
In the spring of 2002, when Israeli forces surrounded the Church of the Nativity and laid siege to Palestinian gunmen and others inside, soldiers lived in the family's workshop for 38 days. They used boxes of the carved Nativity figures for firewood, said Angela Giacaman, 53, Jack's aunt, who produced photographs showing the damage.
Since Israel began construction of a barrier around Bethlehem -- a complex of multiple fences and patrol roads that will eventually encircle the town -- the family has lost nearly 80 acres of olive groves to the project, Jack Giacaman said. ...
Unhappy to Be Home for the Holidays (washingtonpost.com): "Struggle of Family Nativity Carving Business Reflects Bethlehem's Woes | By Molly Moore | Washington Post Foreign Service | Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Page A10 | BETHLEHEM, West Bank "
Four years ago, Christmas shoppers waited in line to enter the Giacaman family's shop and buy their coveted olive-wood Nativity carvings, family members recall.
...
Today, theirs is one of the few wood carvers' shops still open in a city economically and psychologically devastated by more than three years of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. With most of their neighbors' stores shuttered and only a handful of browsers during what was once the busiest week of the year, it has been difficult to summon Christmas cheer in the place revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus.
...
The majority of Bethlehem's residents have been trapped in the city by Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks since the uprising began. Forty percent of the workforce is unemployed, according to city officials. Four hundred shops -- most of the city's small businesses -- have had so little income that they have not paid city taxes in three years, municipal authorities said. Bethlehem's well-known defiance of and resistance against Israel has been replaced by despair, many residents said.
In an effort to demonstrate the city's isolation, a community group called the Civil Committee in Arab Sawahreh tried on Tuesday morning to send a man and a donkey-borne woman -- symbolizing Mary and Joseph on their Christmas journey to Bethlehem -- through one of the Israeli military checkpoints.
"When we arrived at the checkpoint, the Israeli soldiers prevented us from passing," said Osama Zahaikeh, one of the organizers. "We knew they would not let us through. The whole thing was a symbolic act to show we lack freedom of movement."
...
... Sales are about 1 percent of the volume they were in 2000, one of Bethlehem's best years for tourism, said Jack Giacaman, 32. He estimated that about five or six customers a week, most of them foreign diplomats posted in Israel, visit the shop.
In the spring of 2002, when Israeli forces surrounded the Church of the Nativity and laid siege to Palestinian gunmen and others inside, soldiers lived in the family's workshop for 38 days. They used boxes of the carved Nativity figures for firewood, said Angela Giacaman, 53, Jack's aunt, who produced photographs showing the damage.
Since Israel began construction of a barrier around Bethlehem -- a complex of multiple fences and patrol roads that will eventually encircle the town -- the family has lost nearly 80 acres of olive groves to the project, Jack Giacaman said. ...
Cut off from vineyards: five different buses and nearly two hours to get to a school that's just 15 minutes down the Israeli settlers' road
Grapes of Wrath (washingtonpost.com): "By David Ignatius | Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Page A21
HALHUL, West Bank -- The Palestinians in this simple farming town just south of Bethlehem like to boast that they produce the best grapes in the world. So when I first visited Halhul in 1982, Hammadeh Kashkeesh made a point of showing me his little plot of vines on a sun-bleached hillside outside town.
When I returned recently, I asked to see the vines again, but Kashkeesh said it wasn't possible. His land is on the other side of a road that's now reserved for Israeli settlers, and the farmers aren't allowed to cross. So the vines have grown wild.
...
You have to see the West Bank to understand how Israeli settlements and the network of special roads for them have turned the area into a checkerboard, where Palestinians feel like outsiders in the land where they were born. That doesn't in any way excuse terrorist attacks on Israelis, but it helps a visitor understand why this conflict is so intractable.
Since the Palestinian intifada that began three years ago, the Israelis have reimposed controls that were relaxed during the years after the 1993 Oslo Accords. A dirt barrier now blocks the main entrance to Halhul, and until recently there was a gate at the other entrance where Palestinians had to show their papers when they came and went.
Travel is difficult, even within the West Bank. Kashkeesh's 21-year-old daughter, Leila, who is studying physics at Bethlehem University, has to take five different buses and nearly two hours to get to a school that's just 15 minutes down the Israeli settlers' road. ...
Grapes of Wrath (washingtonpost.com): "By David Ignatius | Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Page A21
HALHUL, West Bank -- The Palestinians in this simple farming town just south of Bethlehem like to boast that they produce the best grapes in the world. So when I first visited Halhul in 1982, Hammadeh Kashkeesh made a point of showing me his little plot of vines on a sun-bleached hillside outside town.
When I returned recently, I asked to see the vines again, but Kashkeesh said it wasn't possible. His land is on the other side of a road that's now reserved for Israeli settlers, and the farmers aren't allowed to cross. So the vines have grown wild.
...
You have to see the West Bank to understand how Israeli settlements and the network of special roads for them have turned the area into a checkerboard, where Palestinians feel like outsiders in the land where they were born. That doesn't in any way excuse terrorist attacks on Israelis, but it helps a visitor understand why this conflict is so intractable.
Since the Palestinian intifada that began three years ago, the Israelis have reimposed controls that were relaxed during the years after the 1993 Oslo Accords. A dirt barrier now blocks the main entrance to Halhul, and until recently there was a gate at the other entrance where Palestinians had to show their papers when they came and went.
Travel is difficult, even within the West Bank. Kashkeesh's 21-year-old daughter, Leila, who is studying physics at Bethlehem University, has to take five different buses and nearly two hours to get to a school that's just 15 minutes down the Israeli settlers' road. ...
Bush has thrown open Pandora's box in a paradise for international terrorists
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush has thrown open Pandora's box in a paradise for international terrorists: "David Hirst | Tuesday December 23, 2003 | The Guardian
2003 has been a crucial year for the Middle East, with war in Iraq and the continuing intifada in Israel. The Guardian's acclaimed commentator on the region assesses what happened, what it means, and where it might lead next year
---
This was the year the Middle East became the undisputed, tumultuous centre of global politics. When, at dawn on March 20 the US and its British ally went to war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, they were intervening in the region on such a scale that Arabs everywhere compared the invasion, in its potential geopolitical significance, to that seminal upheaval of the last century: the collapse of the Ottoman empire. That led to the arbitrary carve-up of its former Arab provinces by the European colonial powers and, in 1948, to the loss of one of them, Palestine, to the Israeli settler-state.
In Arab eyes, it was a final mortal blow to the so-called 'Arab system' through which the component parts of the greater Arab 'nation' collectively strove to protect the territorial integrity and basic security of the whole. To the disgust and shame of the Arab peoples, it was not merely incapable of preventing the conquest and occupation of what, properly governed, would have been one of the most powerful and prosperous Arab lands, it was largely complicit in it.
It simply stood and watched as the world's only superpower embarked on its hugely ambitious, neo-colonial enterprise: to make Iraq the fulcrum for reshaping the entire region and, with regime change and "democratisation", cure it of those sicknesses - political and social oppression, religious extremism, corruption, tribalism and economic stagnation - that had turned it into the main threat to the existing world order. It did not formally envisage a full-scale redrawing of state frontiers, but it looked as though by an inexorable momentum that might come to pass.
It was seen as a second Palestine, not so much because it was a foreign conquest of another Arab country, but because, via the Bush administration's neo-conservative hawks, it was at least as much Israeli in inspiration and purpose as it was American. The mighty blow struck in Baghdad would so weaken other Arab regimes that the Palestinians, more than ever bereft of Arab support, would submit to that full-scale Israeli subjugation and dispossession of all but a last pitiful fragment of their original homeland.
...
"By pretending that Iraq was crawling with al-Qaida," the New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd put it, "Bush officials created an Iraq crawling with al-Qaida." ...
...
Ariel Sharon staged Israel's first air raid on Syria in 30 years. Ostensibly it was retaliation for a particularly atrocious Palestinian bombing, but it was also a blatant bid to cast Israel as an operational ally of the US in the "reshaping" of the region and the punishing of that other Ba'athist dictatorship which, in the neo-conservative scheme of things, was next in line for the Saddam treatment.
Then it was revealed that in Iraq US forces were adopting counter-insurgency techniques the Israelis had taught them. This could only deepen the Arab and Muslim conviction that what the American soldiers were now doing to Iraqis was what the Israelis had been doing to Palestinians for the past 50 years. Resistance in one place could only inspire and reinforce it in the other. ...
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush has thrown open Pandora's box in a paradise for international terrorists: "David Hirst | Tuesday December 23, 2003 | The Guardian
2003 has been a crucial year for the Middle East, with war in Iraq and the continuing intifada in Israel. The Guardian's acclaimed commentator on the region assesses what happened, what it means, and where it might lead next year
---
This was the year the Middle East became the undisputed, tumultuous centre of global politics. When, at dawn on March 20 the US and its British ally went to war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, they were intervening in the region on such a scale that Arabs everywhere compared the invasion, in its potential geopolitical significance, to that seminal upheaval of the last century: the collapse of the Ottoman empire. That led to the arbitrary carve-up of its former Arab provinces by the European colonial powers and, in 1948, to the loss of one of them, Palestine, to the Israeli settler-state.
In Arab eyes, it was a final mortal blow to the so-called 'Arab system' through which the component parts of the greater Arab 'nation' collectively strove to protect the territorial integrity and basic security of the whole. To the disgust and shame of the Arab peoples, it was not merely incapable of preventing the conquest and occupation of what, properly governed, would have been one of the most powerful and prosperous Arab lands, it was largely complicit in it.
It simply stood and watched as the world's only superpower embarked on its hugely ambitious, neo-colonial enterprise: to make Iraq the fulcrum for reshaping the entire region and, with regime change and "democratisation", cure it of those sicknesses - political and social oppression, religious extremism, corruption, tribalism and economic stagnation - that had turned it into the main threat to the existing world order. It did not formally envisage a full-scale redrawing of state frontiers, but it looked as though by an inexorable momentum that might come to pass.
It was seen as a second Palestine, not so much because it was a foreign conquest of another Arab country, but because, via the Bush administration's neo-conservative hawks, it was at least as much Israeli in inspiration and purpose as it was American. The mighty blow struck in Baghdad would so weaken other Arab regimes that the Palestinians, more than ever bereft of Arab support, would submit to that full-scale Israeli subjugation and dispossession of all but a last pitiful fragment of their original homeland.
...
"By pretending that Iraq was crawling with al-Qaida," the New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd put it, "Bush officials created an Iraq crawling with al-Qaida." ...
...
Ariel Sharon staged Israel's first air raid on Syria in 30 years. Ostensibly it was retaliation for a particularly atrocious Palestinian bombing, but it was also a blatant bid to cast Israel as an operational ally of the US in the "reshaping" of the region and the punishing of that other Ba'athist dictatorship which, in the neo-conservative scheme of things, was next in line for the Saddam treatment.
Then it was revealed that in Iraq US forces were adopting counter-insurgency techniques the Israelis had taught them. This could only deepen the Arab and Muslim conviction that what the American soldiers were now doing to Iraqis was what the Israelis had been doing to Palestinians for the past 50 years. Resistance in one place could only inspire and reinforce it in the other. ...
Family waits to bury boy, 7, as camp scorns Sharon's 'propaganda'
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Family waits to bury boy, 7, as camp scorns Sharon's 'propaganda': "Israel Army action breeds fresh hatred | Conal Urquhart in Balata refugee camp | Tuesday December 23, 2003 | The Guardian
Mohammed was eating beans and bread when he heard the soldiers outside. He stood up and ran to close the door, but stopped and turned back when he saw the soldier.
It is not clear what threat the soldier identified from the seven-year-old, but he fired and Mohammed fell dead, still clutching his piece of bread.
...
Mr Sharon said: "Israel is taking steps to significantly improve the living conditions of the Palestinian population. Israel will remove closures and curfews and reduce the number of roadblocks. These measures are aimed at enabling better and freer movement for the Palestinian population not involved in terror."
His words were met with incredulity in Balata.
The army moved in on Monday last week and has not yet left. A tank watches over the camp from the road above, its cannon pointed at the heart of the settlement.
...
But Mohammed's sisters were seething with rage by the spot in the hallway where he died. "Who are the terrorists - the people who kill a boy as he is eating?" said Aya, 17. "All Palestinians should join the resistance, because it does not matter whether you are holding a bomb, a stone or a piece of bread, they will still kill you.
"May God give us vengeance against the Jews."
She pointed to Adnam, Mohammed's red-haired friend, who said as if coached: "I am going to kill Sharon."
...
Ibrahim Sharia, a clan leader and former teacher, said the past three years had destroyed the people of Balata: "Sharon deludes the world with his political propaganda. He has put us in a cage and it is only natural for people to try and free themselves and defend themselves."
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Family waits to bury boy, 7, as camp scorns Sharon's 'propaganda': "Israel Army action breeds fresh hatred | Conal Urquhart in Balata refugee camp | Tuesday December 23, 2003 | The Guardian
Mohammed was eating beans and bread when he heard the soldiers outside. He stood up and ran to close the door, but stopped and turned back when he saw the soldier.
It is not clear what threat the soldier identified from the seven-year-old, but he fired and Mohammed fell dead, still clutching his piece of bread.
...
Mr Sharon said: "Israel is taking steps to significantly improve the living conditions of the Palestinian population. Israel will remove closures and curfews and reduce the number of roadblocks. These measures are aimed at enabling better and freer movement for the Palestinian population not involved in terror."
His words were met with incredulity in Balata.
The army moved in on Monday last week and has not yet left. A tank watches over the camp from the road above, its cannon pointed at the heart of the settlement.
...
But Mohammed's sisters were seething with rage by the spot in the hallway where he died. "Who are the terrorists - the people who kill a boy as he is eating?" said Aya, 17. "All Palestinians should join the resistance, because it does not matter whether you are holding a bomb, a stone or a piece of bread, they will still kill you.
"May God give us vengeance against the Jews."
She pointed to Adnam, Mohammed's red-haired friend, who said as if coached: "I am going to kill Sharon."
...
Ibrahim Sharia, a clan leader and former teacher, said the past three years had destroyed the people of Balata: "Sharon deludes the world with his political propaganda. He has put us in a cage and it is only natural for people to try and free themselves and defend themselves."
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Christmas Cheer Elusive in Bethlehem: income drops from $2,400 to only $400 in 3 years
Yahoo! News - Christmas Cheer Elusive in Bethlehem: "Christmas Cheer Elusive in Bethlehem
Tue Dec 23, 9:56 AM ET | By Megan Goldin
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Christmas joy was as scarce in Bethlehem on Tuesday as the few tourists intrepid enough to visit the war-torn West Bank town revered as the birthplace as Jesus.
...
"So far today there have been no tourists," said Joseph Giacaman as he sorted yellowing postcards that have sat on his shelves since before the Palestinian uprising erupted more than three years ago.
...
"So far we've had around 20 today," said Rami the policeman. During the heyday of Middle East peacemaking in the 1990s, Bethlehem was visited by as many as 6,000 tourists a day, he said. A modern bus station built then now stands empty.
...
Once, pilgrims would queue for hours for a brief glimpse of the manger. These days there is no wait.
Bethlehem Mayor Hannah Nasser blamed Israeli military roadblocks for the dearth of tourists and the town's dire economic troubles, although the army said it would ease restrictions over Christmas.
"Factories are closing. Souvenir shops are going bankrupt," he told Reuters. "Tourists are not coming and Bethlehem depends on tourism."
Nasser said the per capita income of Bethlehem people had dropped from $2,400 a year before the uprising to only $400, while unemployment had risen to 60 percent. Local Palestinians stared dejectedly as the few tourists who had braved the Israeli military checkpoints briefly visited the Church of Nativity and then left quickly.
"The people of Bethlehem are not laughing. They are not smiling," said Rami the tourist policeman.
Yahoo! News - Christmas Cheer Elusive in Bethlehem: "Christmas Cheer Elusive in Bethlehem
Tue Dec 23, 9:56 AM ET | By Megan Goldin
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Christmas joy was as scarce in Bethlehem on Tuesday as the few tourists intrepid enough to visit the war-torn West Bank town revered as the birthplace as Jesus.
...
"So far today there have been no tourists," said Joseph Giacaman as he sorted yellowing postcards that have sat on his shelves since before the Palestinian uprising erupted more than three years ago.
...
"So far we've had around 20 today," said Rami the policeman. During the heyday of Middle East peacemaking in the 1990s, Bethlehem was visited by as many as 6,000 tourists a day, he said. A modern bus station built then now stands empty.
...
Once, pilgrims would queue for hours for a brief glimpse of the manger. These days there is no wait.
Bethlehem Mayor Hannah Nasser blamed Israeli military roadblocks for the dearth of tourists and the town's dire economic troubles, although the army said it would ease restrictions over Christmas.
"Factories are closing. Souvenir shops are going bankrupt," he told Reuters. "Tourists are not coming and Bethlehem depends on tourism."
Nasser said the per capita income of Bethlehem people had dropped from $2,400 a year before the uprising to only $400, while unemployment had risen to 60 percent. Local Palestinians stared dejectedly as the few tourists who had braved the Israeli military checkpoints briefly visited the Church of Nativity and then left quickly.
"The people of Bethlehem are not laughing. They are not smiling," said Rami the tourist policeman.
In Battle Over a Settlement, It�s Israelis vs. Israelis
In Battle Over a Settlement, It�s Israelis vs. Israelis: "By RICHARD BERNSTEIN | Published: December 24, 2003
MIGRON, West Bank, Dec. 23 � The Hebrew signs posted along the road to this hilltop settlement in the West Bank say, 'The Battle Begins in Migron,' and on Tuesday as a thousand or more people arrived in a caravan of cars and vans and buses, ostensibly to put a Torah scroll into the synagogue, it was clear that the battle had begun.
...
Hence the widespread feeling in Israel that Migron is indeed going to be a battleground, not between Israelis and Palestinians but between Israelis and Israelis, or, more specifically, between the government and a settler movement that is powerful, well organized and determined not to give an inch.
"To bring a Torah here is the opposite of evacuating a community," said Pinchas Wallerstein, an official of the local Israeli administration who is regarded as a sort of father of the settlement movement in this region, shouting over the clamor of the Torah installation ceremony. He was asked what would happen if the government, as many people expect, sent the army to take Migron down.
"First, we are acting through the courts, and we believe we will have the support of the courts," Mr. Wallerstein replied. "If not, we'll ask thousands of people to be here, and if we have 10,000 people, they will need 40,000 police and soldiers, and there's no such force in Israel." ...
In Battle Over a Settlement, It�s Israelis vs. Israelis: "By RICHARD BERNSTEIN | Published: December 24, 2003
MIGRON, West Bank, Dec. 23 � The Hebrew signs posted along the road to this hilltop settlement in the West Bank say, 'The Battle Begins in Migron,' and on Tuesday as a thousand or more people arrived in a caravan of cars and vans and buses, ostensibly to put a Torah scroll into the synagogue, it was clear that the battle had begun.
...
Hence the widespread feeling in Israel that Migron is indeed going to be a battleground, not between Israelis and Palestinians but between Israelis and Israelis, or, more specifically, between the government and a settler movement that is powerful, well organized and determined not to give an inch.
"To bring a Torah here is the opposite of evacuating a community," said Pinchas Wallerstein, an official of the local Israeli administration who is regarded as a sort of father of the settlement movement in this region, shouting over the clamor of the Torah installation ceremony. He was asked what would happen if the government, as many people expect, sent the army to take Migron down.
"First, we are acting through the courts, and we believe we will have the support of the courts," Mr. Wallerstein replied. "If not, we'll ask thousands of people to be here, and if we have 10,000 people, they will need 40,000 police and soldiers, and there's no such force in Israel." ...
An economic avalanche threat: Israeli minorities represent heavy burden thru un- and under-employment
An economic avalanche threat: "An economic avalanche threat | By Amnon Rubinstein
A number of the political and security issues raised at the recent Herzilya Conference won extensive coverage. But the conference also hosted economists - Dr. Yaakov Sheinin and Yossi Hollander, for example - whose data and analyses are no less significant than the questions of politics and defense.
...
... He divided the Israeli population into two parts - the majority and the minorities. The minorities are the Arabs, most of them Muslims, and the ultra-Orthodox Jews. The majority is anyone else.
...
High natural increase and low employment rates among the Arabs and ultra-Orthodox damage the economy. Among the majority, the average number of children per woman 2.3. Among the ultra-Orthodox it is 5.8 and among the Arabs 4.4. The data show that from 1975 to 1999, 58 percent of the majority was working, as opposed to 45 percent of ultra-Orthodox and 39 percent of Arabs. Thus the per capita GDP of the minorities is about one-third that of the majority.
...
... If the present trend continues, the majority will decrease from 75 percent of the total population to 63 percent by 2030, and its participation in the work force will decrease from the already relatively low 54 percent at present to 52.6 percent.
...
... The unemployment rate among Arab males increases after age 45 - because most of them work at physically debilitating jobs. The employment rate among young Arab women remains low because of their high birth rate and lack of day care.
...
In other words, the real demographic danger for Israel is economic. It is clear and it is present and it cannot be ignored. Without some encouragement for the minority to move to the majority - an avenue that is now blocked - an eventual economic avalanche cannot be avoided.
An economic avalanche threat: "An economic avalanche threat | By Amnon Rubinstein
A number of the political and security issues raised at the recent Herzilya Conference won extensive coverage. But the conference also hosted economists - Dr. Yaakov Sheinin and Yossi Hollander, for example - whose data and analyses are no less significant than the questions of politics and defense.
...
... He divided the Israeli population into two parts - the majority and the minorities. The minorities are the Arabs, most of them Muslims, and the ultra-Orthodox Jews. The majority is anyone else.
...
High natural increase and low employment rates among the Arabs and ultra-Orthodox damage the economy. Among the majority, the average number of children per woman 2.3. Among the ultra-Orthodox it is 5.8 and among the Arabs 4.4. The data show that from 1975 to 1999, 58 percent of the majority was working, as opposed to 45 percent of ultra-Orthodox and 39 percent of Arabs. Thus the per capita GDP of the minorities is about one-third that of the majority.
...
... If the present trend continues, the majority will decrease from 75 percent of the total population to 63 percent by 2030, and its participation in the work force will decrease from the already relatively low 54 percent at present to 52.6 percent.
...
... The unemployment rate among Arab males increases after age 45 - because most of them work at physically debilitating jobs. The employment rate among young Arab women remains low because of their high birth rate and lack of day care.
...
In other words, the real demographic danger for Israel is economic. It is clear and it is present and it cannot be ignored. Without some encouragement for the minority to move to the majority - an avenue that is now blocked - an eventual economic avalanche cannot be avoided.
Selective refusal to serve: leftists refuse to oppress, rightists refuse to dismantle outposts
Selective refusal to serve: "By Ze'ev Schiff | Wed., December 24, 2003
Two refusenik movements originating at opposite ends of the political spectrum are now threatening the unity of Israeli society and the Israel Defense Forces. The refusenik movements, from the left and from the right, are embraced in a sort of bear hug, but one should not mistakenly think that each exists as a result of the hostility between the two. As soon as one side permits itself to refuse, it effectively grants the same right to the other side.
...
If the left's refuseniks are saying they will no longer agree to occupation and war for the settlements, then the right is saying they will not obey any orders to uproot settlements and concede parts of the Land of Israel. ...
...
Before the reserve pilots refusenik case ever became a subject of public discussion, a Paratrooper officer whose battalion serves in the territories was suspended. ... His battalion had been ordered to dismantle a settlement outpost in the territories.
The battalion commander was aware of the political sensibilities of the young officer and therefore assigned him to command a roadblock on the way to the outpost, and not be part of the evacuating force proper.
It was assumed that this consideration, which had not been the subject of any prior discussion, would permit the officer to follow orders. But the officer refused to man the distant roadblock and be part of an action that was intended to dismantle the outpost. He was therefore dismissed from the army. ...
Selective refusal to serve: "By Ze'ev Schiff | Wed., December 24, 2003
Two refusenik movements originating at opposite ends of the political spectrum are now threatening the unity of Israeli society and the Israel Defense Forces. The refusenik movements, from the left and from the right, are embraced in a sort of bear hug, but one should not mistakenly think that each exists as a result of the hostility between the two. As soon as one side permits itself to refuse, it effectively grants the same right to the other side.
...
If the left's refuseniks are saying they will no longer agree to occupation and war for the settlements, then the right is saying they will not obey any orders to uproot settlements and concede parts of the Land of Israel. ...
...
Before the reserve pilots refusenik case ever became a subject of public discussion, a Paratrooper officer whose battalion serves in the territories was suspended. ... His battalion had been ordered to dismantle a settlement outpost in the territories.
The battalion commander was aware of the political sensibilities of the young officer and therefore assigned him to command a roadblock on the way to the outpost, and not be part of the evacuating force proper.
It was assumed that this consideration, which had not been the subject of any prior discussion, would permit the officer to follow orders. But the officer refused to man the distant roadblock and be part of an action that was intended to dismantle the outpost. He was therefore dismissed from the army. ...
Monday, December 22, 2003
Palestinians Throw Shoes at Egyptian Envoy
Palestinians Throw Shoes at Egyptian Envoy: "By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Published: December 22, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Muslim extremists lunged and threw shoes at Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher at Islam's third-holiest site Monday during a trip to Israel to urge resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. He was rushed to a hospital but was not injured.
...
Muslims remove their shoes at the entrance to mosques. In Islamic culture, showing someone the bottom of your foot or the sole of your shoe is a great insult.
...
In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel. But relations have often been cool, and Israel has perceived Cairo as favoring the Palestinians.
Egypt withdrew its ambassador in protest against Israeli actions shortly after the current round of violence erupted in September 2000, and the ambassador has not returned since.
Egypt has continued to play a mediator's role, however.
...
Egypt, which has often played a mediator's role between Israel and the Palestinians, has been pressuring Palestinian militants to halt attacks on Israel.
The militants have so far rebuffed the Egyptian efforts. Israel has also largely dismissed talk of a cease-fire, saying that the militant groups must be dismantled, as required by the road map.
But in a potential shift that could breathe new life into the efforts, Sharon indicated to Maher on Monday that Israel would halt activity against the militants if there is a cease-fire.
``We will respond to quiet with quiet,'' said a senior source in the prime minister's office, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Palestinians Throw Shoes at Egyptian Envoy: "By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Published: December 22, 2003
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Muslim extremists lunged and threw shoes at Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher at Islam's third-holiest site Monday during a trip to Israel to urge resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. He was rushed to a hospital but was not injured.
...
Muslims remove their shoes at the entrance to mosques. In Islamic culture, showing someone the bottom of your foot or the sole of your shoe is a great insult.
...
In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel. But relations have often been cool, and Israel has perceived Cairo as favoring the Palestinians.
Egypt withdrew its ambassador in protest against Israeli actions shortly after the current round of violence erupted in September 2000, and the ambassador has not returned since.
Egypt has continued to play a mediator's role, however.
...
Egypt, which has often played a mediator's role between Israel and the Palestinians, has been pressuring Palestinian militants to halt attacks on Israel.
The militants have so far rebuffed the Egyptian efforts. Israel has also largely dismissed talk of a cease-fire, saying that the militant groups must be dismantled, as required by the road map.
But in a potential shift that could breathe new life into the efforts, Sharon indicated to Maher on Monday that Israel would halt activity against the militants if there is a cease-fire.
``We will respond to quiet with quiet,'' said a senior source in the prime minister's office, speaking on condition of anonymity.
If Libya can do it, why not Israel? Ariel Sharon probably has more than 200 nuclear warheads ...
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | If Libya can do it, why not Israel?: "If Libya can do it, why not Israel? | Peter Preston | Monday December 22, 2003 | The Guardian
We can no longer turn a blind eye to the fifth largest nuclear power
There's a logic to these things. Muammar Gadafy, growing older, and his isolated Libya, growing poorer, were getting nothing worthwhile from the atomic bomb they hadn't built yet or chemicals they had scant residual use for. Logic - and common sense - meant changing tack. Good for logic. But logic doesn't stop there.
What next? If weapons of mass destruction are a menace in unstable regions such as the Middle East, if their availability must be reduced, then logic begins to move us closer to the confrontation we never seek with the nuclear power we - let alone Messrs Bush and Blair - seldom mention: Israel.
Nobody, including the Knesset, quite knows what happens inside the Dimona complex, but if you put together a compote of usually reliable sources (the Federation of American Scientists, Jane's Intelligence Review, the Stockholm Institute), a tolerably clear picture emerges. Ariel Sharon probably has more than 200 nuclear warheads this morning - more if the 17 years since Mordechai Vanunu's kidnapping have been devoted to building stockpiles.
That makes Israel the world's fifth largest nuclear power, boasting more bangs from Washington's bucks than Blair's Britain. And over in the other WMD basket, nobody much dissents when a report by the office of technology assessment for the US Congress concludes that Israel has "undeclared offensive chemical warfare capabilities" and is "generally reported as having an undeclared offensive biological warfare programme". Bombs, missiles, delivery systems, gases, germs? Tel Aviv has the lot. We only forget to remember because it's not a suitable subject for polite diplomatic conversation. ...
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | If Libya can do it, why not Israel?: "If Libya can do it, why not Israel? | Peter Preston | Monday December 22, 2003 | The Guardian
We can no longer turn a blind eye to the fifth largest nuclear power
There's a logic to these things. Muammar Gadafy, growing older, and his isolated Libya, growing poorer, were getting nothing worthwhile from the atomic bomb they hadn't built yet or chemicals they had scant residual use for. Logic - and common sense - meant changing tack. Good for logic. But logic doesn't stop there.
What next? If weapons of mass destruction are a menace in unstable regions such as the Middle East, if their availability must be reduced, then logic begins to move us closer to the confrontation we never seek with the nuclear power we - let alone Messrs Bush and Blair - seldom mention: Israel.
Nobody, including the Knesset, quite knows what happens inside the Dimona complex, but if you put together a compote of usually reliable sources (the Federation of American Scientists, Jane's Intelligence Review, the Stockholm Institute), a tolerably clear picture emerges. Ariel Sharon probably has more than 200 nuclear warheads this morning - more if the 17 years since Mordechai Vanunu's kidnapping have been devoted to building stockpiles.
That makes Israel the world's fifth largest nuclear power, boasting more bangs from Washington's bucks than Blair's Britain. And over in the other WMD basket, nobody much dissents when a report by the office of technology assessment for the US Congress concludes that Israel has "undeclared offensive chemical warfare capabilities" and is "generally reported as having an undeclared offensive biological warfare programme". Bombs, missiles, delivery systems, gases, germs? Tel Aviv has the lot. We only forget to remember because it's not a suitable subject for polite diplomatic conversation. ...
Matkal veterans' letter to Sharon refusing to serve in the territories
Israel News : Jerusalem Post Internet Edition: "Dec. 21, 2003 | Matkal veterans' letter | By JPOST.COM STAFF
To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
We, citizens who serve in active reserve duty, fighters and officers, Sayeret Matkal veterans, have also chosen to join the forward guard in the manner we have been trained. With grave concern for the future of Israel as a democratic Zionist and Jewish state, and with concern for her moral image –
We can no longer stand asside.
We tell you today:
- we shall no longer lend our hand to the subjugation taking place in the territories.
- We shall no longer lend our hand to the quelling of human rights of millions of Palestinians.
- We shall no longer serve as a defense shield for the settlements campaign.
- We shall no longer deface our human image as an army of occupation.
- We shall no longer deny our commitment as fighters in the Israel DEFENSE forces.
We fear for the destiny of the children of this land, exposed to an evil that is unnecessary, and to which we have lent our hands. We have long transgressed the border of soldiers, just in their ways, and have become warriors suppressing another nation.
We shall cross this border no more!
We stress and state: We shall continue to protect the State of Israel and the security of its people from all enemies.
"He who dares – wins."
Israel News : Jerusalem Post Internet Edition: "Dec. 21, 2003 | Matkal veterans' letter | By JPOST.COM STAFF
To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
We, citizens who serve in active reserve duty, fighters and officers, Sayeret Matkal veterans, have also chosen to join the forward guard in the manner we have been trained. With grave concern for the future of Israel as a democratic Zionist and Jewish state, and with concern for her moral image –
We can no longer stand asside.
We tell you today:
- we shall no longer lend our hand to the subjugation taking place in the territories.
- We shall no longer lend our hand to the quelling of human rights of millions of Palestinians.
- We shall no longer serve as a defense shield for the settlements campaign.
- We shall no longer deface our human image as an army of occupation.
- We shall no longer deny our commitment as fighters in the Israel DEFENSE forces.
We fear for the destiny of the children of this land, exposed to an evil that is unnecessary, and to which we have lent our hands. We have long transgressed the border of soldiers, just in their ways, and have become warriors suppressing another nation.
We shall cross this border no more!
We stress and state: We shall continue to protect the State of Israel and the security of its people from all enemies.
"He who dares – wins."
72.3% of West Bank have difficulties getting medical care. Births in hospitals halved in 3 years
Haaretz Article: "22/12/2003 14:30 | Report: Restriction of movement harming Palestinians' health | By Haaretz Service
According to a report published Monday by the human rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, Israel's siege policy and restriction of Palestinians' movement is disrupting every aspect of Palestinian daily life and especially harms people seeking medical treatment.
According to the report, at least 38 Palestinians, including 14 minors, have died after IDF soldiers delayed or denied them passage at checkpoints. Seven of the deaths were of newborns whose mothers were prevented from reaching the hospital in time.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics published in September 2002 a survey according to which 84% of West Bank Palestinians report that they are harmed by the restrictions on movement imposed by Israel. 64.9% of them define the harm as "substantial". According to the survey 72.3% of the residents of the West Bank reported difficulties in reaching medical care. Of these, 51.4% rated the difficulty as "difficult to impossible".
The Red Crescent ambulance service said that in 70% of calls to the Palestinian service, the ambulance is unable to reach the patient's house, and the individual has to make his or her way to a checkpoint to meet the ambulance.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reduced its services in 2002 by 30% as compared with 2000 due to the lack of equipment and medicine and difficulties in moving around the West Bank, the report says.
The report adds that before the intifada, 95% of Palestinian births were in hospitals. As of September 2002 fewer that 50% of births occurred in hospitals.
53.3% of West Bank Palestinians reported that it was difficult or impossible for them to reach their agricultural land. Of these, 36.4% rated the difficulty as "difficult to impossible", the report said.
According to data provided by the World Bank, the number of Palestinians living below the poverty line (less than $2 per person per day) rose from 21% in September 2000 to almost 60% in December 2002.
Haaretz Article: "22/12/2003 14:30 | Report: Restriction of movement harming Palestinians' health | By Haaretz Service
According to a report published Monday by the human rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, Israel's siege policy and restriction of Palestinians' movement is disrupting every aspect of Palestinian daily life and especially harms people seeking medical treatment.
According to the report, at least 38 Palestinians, including 14 minors, have died after IDF soldiers delayed or denied them passage at checkpoints. Seven of the deaths were of newborns whose mothers were prevented from reaching the hospital in time.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics published in September 2002 a survey according to which 84% of West Bank Palestinians report that they are harmed by the restrictions on movement imposed by Israel. 64.9% of them define the harm as "substantial". According to the survey 72.3% of the residents of the West Bank reported difficulties in reaching medical care. Of these, 51.4% rated the difficulty as "difficult to impossible".
The Red Crescent ambulance service said that in 70% of calls to the Palestinian service, the ambulance is unable to reach the patient's house, and the individual has to make his or her way to a checkpoint to meet the ambulance.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reduced its services in 2002 by 30% as compared with 2000 due to the lack of equipment and medicine and difficulties in moving around the West Bank, the report says.
The report adds that before the intifada, 95% of Palestinian births were in hospitals. As of September 2002 fewer that 50% of births occurred in hospitals.
53.3% of West Bank Palestinians reported that it was difficult or impossible for them to reach their agricultural land. Of these, 36.4% rated the difficulty as "difficult to impossible", the report said.
According to data provided by the World Bank, the number of Palestinians living below the poverty line (less than $2 per person per day) rose from 21% in September 2000 to almost 60% in December 2002.
Recoring implicates Sharon in Greek Island affair
Haaretz Article: "22/12/2003 16:41 | PM's [Sharon's] son: if Greek isle succeeds, there'll be money for us all | By Baruch Kra, Haaretz Correspondent
Omri Sharon told security firm owner David Spector in October 1999, that if the Greek Island project succeeded, 'there would be enough money to pay us all and get out of here,' according to a videotape acquired by 'Haaretz' and released for publication on Monday.
The recording contradicts Sharon's claim when investigated by police on the issue, according to which he was never involved in the Greek Island affair.
In the course of the conversation, Sharon mentions dubious real estate transactions in which contractor David Appel was involved, going so far as to name them as corrupt.
Sources in the judicial system believe that the recorded conversation implicates the entire Sharon family in the Greek Island affair. Sharon's meeting with Spector was held several months ahead of a meeting that Spector was to hold with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's other son, Gilad.
Police suspect payments made to Gilad Sharon were given as indirect bribes to then foreign minister and national infrastructures minister Sharon to help Appel win permission from the Athens government to develop a Greek island tourist resort. The permission never materialized.
Omri Sharon was questioned for several hours last week at the police's International Crimes Unit, on suspicion of involvement in the alleged bribery transaction between his father, the prime minister and contractor Appel.
Haaretz Article: "22/12/2003 16:41 | PM's [Sharon's] son: if Greek isle succeeds, there'll be money for us all | By Baruch Kra, Haaretz Correspondent
Omri Sharon told security firm owner David Spector in October 1999, that if the Greek Island project succeeded, 'there would be enough money to pay us all and get out of here,' according to a videotape acquired by 'Haaretz' and released for publication on Monday.
The recording contradicts Sharon's claim when investigated by police on the issue, according to which he was never involved in the Greek Island affair.
In the course of the conversation, Sharon mentions dubious real estate transactions in which contractor David Appel was involved, going so far as to name them as corrupt.
Sources in the judicial system believe that the recorded conversation implicates the entire Sharon family in the Greek Island affair. Sharon's meeting with Spector was held several months ahead of a meeting that Spector was to hold with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's other son, Gilad.
Police suspect payments made to Gilad Sharon were given as indirect bribes to then foreign minister and national infrastructures minister Sharon to help Appel win permission from the Athens government to develop a Greek island tourist resort. The permission never materialized.
Omri Sharon was questioned for several hours last week at the police's International Crimes Unit, on suspicion of involvement in the alleged bribery transaction between his father, the prime minister and contractor Appel.
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Timeline summary: Death Toll in 3 Years of Mideast Violence by AP
Excite News: "Death Toll in 3 Years of Mideast Violence | Dec 20, 2:09 AM (ET) | By The Associated Press
Here is a breakdown of 3,481 deaths in more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The Associated Press reviewed data from the third year of fighting, figures that reveal a 50 percent drop in casualties from the previous year. The numbers are based on information compiled in interviews with relatives, witnesses, doctors and visits to hospital morgues.
TOTAL: 2,583 on the Palestinian side and 898 on the Israeli side. The Israeli figure includes several foreigners, migrant workers, tourists, students on study-abroad programs and staff of international bodies killed in Palestinian attacks. It also includes at least 43 U.S. citizens, most also holding Israeli citizenship.
The Palestinian figure includes an American peace activist crushed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home, a British U.N. official killed by Israeli fire during a gunbattle in the West Bank, a German doctor killed by Israeli fire as he tried to help Palestinians wounded when a rocket slammed into their home, several Egyptians killed in Gaza and two journalists - one Italian and the other British - both fatally wounded while working in Palestinian areas.
---__
PALESTINIANS KILLED PREPARING OR CARRYING OUT ATTACKS: 289.
This figure includes suicide bombers, gunmen and Palestinians who died while preparing explosives.
---__
PALESTINIAN MILITANTS TARGETED AND KILLED BY ISRAELIS: 117.
BYSTANDERS KILLED IN TARGETED ATTACKS ON MILITANTS: 88.
---__
PALESTINIAN SUICIDE BOMBERS: 108.
VICTIMS OF SUICIDE BOMBERS: 436.
DEADLIEST SUICIDE ATTACK: A Palestinian from the West Bank town of Tulkarem killed 29 Israelis on March 27, 2002, during a Passover hotel dinner.
---__
DEADLIEST TOLL FOR PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS: An Israeli F-16 warplane bombing on July 23, 2002, hit a Gaza City apartment building and killed a Hamas military leader, Salah Shehadeh, his bodyguard and 13 bystanders, including his wife, daughter, and eight other children.
---__
ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED: 244.
---__
JEWISH SETTLERS KILLED IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA: 146.
---__
FATALITIES UNDER AGE 18:
Israelis: 92.
Palestinians: 319 (excludes suicide bombers or others killed in attacks on Israeli targets).
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SUSPECTED PALESTINIAN COLLABORATORS KILLED: 60
Excite News: "Death Toll in 3 Years of Mideast Violence | Dec 20, 2:09 AM (ET) | By The Associated Press
Here is a breakdown of 3,481 deaths in more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The Associated Press reviewed data from the third year of fighting, figures that reveal a 50 percent drop in casualties from the previous year. The numbers are based on information compiled in interviews with relatives, witnesses, doctors and visits to hospital morgues.
TOTAL: 2,583 on the Palestinian side and 898 on the Israeli side. The Israeli figure includes several foreigners, migrant workers, tourists, students on study-abroad programs and staff of international bodies killed in Palestinian attacks. It also includes at least 43 U.S. citizens, most also holding Israeli citizenship.
The Palestinian figure includes an American peace activist crushed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home, a British U.N. official killed by Israeli fire during a gunbattle in the West Bank, a German doctor killed by Israeli fire as he tried to help Palestinians wounded when a rocket slammed into their home, several Egyptians killed in Gaza and two journalists - one Italian and the other British - both fatally wounded while working in Palestinian areas.
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PALESTINIANS KILLED PREPARING OR CARRYING OUT ATTACKS: 289.
This figure includes suicide bombers, gunmen and Palestinians who died while preparing explosives.
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PALESTINIAN MILITANTS TARGETED AND KILLED BY ISRAELIS: 117.
BYSTANDERS KILLED IN TARGETED ATTACKS ON MILITANTS: 88.
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PALESTINIAN SUICIDE BOMBERS: 108.
VICTIMS OF SUICIDE BOMBERS: 436.
DEADLIEST SUICIDE ATTACK: A Palestinian from the West Bank town of Tulkarem killed 29 Israelis on March 27, 2002, during a Passover hotel dinner.
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DEADLIEST TOLL FOR PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS: An Israeli F-16 warplane bombing on July 23, 2002, hit a Gaza City apartment building and killed a Hamas military leader, Salah Shehadeh, his bodyguard and 13 bystanders, including his wife, daughter, and eight other children.
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ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED: 244.
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JEWISH SETTLERS KILLED IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA: 146.
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FATALITIES UNDER AGE 18:
Israelis: 92.
Palestinians: 319 (excludes suicide bombers or others killed in attacks on Israeli targets).
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SUSPECTED PALESTINIAN COLLABORATORS KILLED: 60
Monday, December 15, 2003
Dec 11 list of 43 evacuated outposts: "a combination between a joke and a lie."
Yahoo! News - Leftist Israeli Lawmakers Visit Outposts: "Sun Dec 14, 4:41 PM ET | By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer
HAVAT GILAD, West Bank - Dovish lawmakers and peace activists visited unauthorized Israeli outposts on Sunday to refute claims they were demolished by the Israeli government under terms of a U.S.-backed peace plan.
Among the outposts visited by lawmakers from the opposition Meretz Party was Havat Gilad — number 33 on the list of 43 outposts the Defense Ministry said were dismantled since December 2002.
According to a Defense Ministry demolition list, Havat Gilad was evacuated July 13-15, 2002.
But the settlement was alive and well Sunday, with several trailer homes occupying a dusty hilltop. Residents carrying pistols confronted the group of unwanted visitors. "These are biblical lands!" they shouted.
Meretz leader Yossi Sarid said the whole list of 43 evacuated outposts, which he received on Dec. 11, is "a combination between a joke and a lie."
...
In a statement, the Defense Ministry insisted that Havat Gilad had been evacuated and no one had returned to the site.
In several well-publicized operations, Israeli soldiers have dragged settlers and their backers off hilltop sites, and in recent days the Defense Ministry has reported dismantling other sides, all of them uninhabited and consisting of a shipping container or an abandoned vehicle.
The group also visited East Yitzhar, number 24 on the Defense Ministry demolition list, where settlers were busy building permanent housing on Sunday.
...
"Our demand now is that the minister of defense and the prime minister and the deputy prime minister will admit the fact that it was a lie ... and apologize," Sarid said.
Yahoo! News - Leftist Israeli Lawmakers Visit Outposts: "Sun Dec 14, 4:41 PM ET | By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer
HAVAT GILAD, West Bank - Dovish lawmakers and peace activists visited unauthorized Israeli outposts on Sunday to refute claims they were demolished by the Israeli government under terms of a U.S.-backed peace plan.
Among the outposts visited by lawmakers from the opposition Meretz Party was Havat Gilad — number 33 on the list of 43 outposts the Defense Ministry said were dismantled since December 2002.
According to a Defense Ministry demolition list, Havat Gilad was evacuated July 13-15, 2002.
But the settlement was alive and well Sunday, with several trailer homes occupying a dusty hilltop. Residents carrying pistols confronted the group of unwanted visitors. "These are biblical lands!" they shouted.
Meretz leader Yossi Sarid said the whole list of 43 evacuated outposts, which he received on Dec. 11, is "a combination between a joke and a lie."
...
In a statement, the Defense Ministry insisted that Havat Gilad had been evacuated and no one had returned to the site.
In several well-publicized operations, Israeli soldiers have dragged settlers and their backers off hilltop sites, and in recent days the Defense Ministry has reported dismantling other sides, all of them uninhabited and consisting of a shipping container or an abandoned vehicle.
The group also visited East Yitzhar, number 24 on the Defense Ministry demolition list, where settlers were busy building permanent housing on Sunday.
...
"Our demand now is that the minister of defense and the prime minister and the deputy prime minister will admit the fact that it was a lie ... and apologize," Sarid said.
Saturday, December 13, 2003
One Meal a Day for Most Palestinians
One Meal a Day for Most Palestinians: "by Jim Lobe | Dissident Voice | November 13, 2003
Most Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank are eating only one meal a day, leading to malnutrition at levels found in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new United Nations report.
The area is 'on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe,' adds the document released Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Commission's special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler.
The report, based on a visit to the territories in July, as well as statistics accumulated over the past year by UN and US agencies, describes the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as a 'horrifying tragedy,' and stresses that Israel has the right to take defensive measures to protect its citizens against attacks.
But Ziegler, a recognized authority on international law and human rights from Switzerland, charges Israel with failing to uphold its legal obligation to ensure the right to food of the civilian Palestinian population.
The result � more than one-half of Palestinian households are currently eating only one meal a day and are fully dependent on international food aid.
'Many Palestinians who the special rapporteur met spoke of trying to subsist on little more than bread and tea,' Ziegler wrote in his 24-page report.
'Severe malnutrition reported in Gaza is now equivalent to levels found in poor, sub-Saharan (African) countries, an absurd situation as Palestine was formerly a middle-income economy' with a rich agricultural base.
'The consequences of the ways in which current security measures are applied in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) are entirely disproportionate in the"
One Meal a Day for Most Palestinians: "by Jim Lobe | Dissident Voice | November 13, 2003
Most Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank are eating only one meal a day, leading to malnutrition at levels found in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new United Nations report.
The area is 'on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe,' adds the document released Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Commission's special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler.
The report, based on a visit to the territories in July, as well as statistics accumulated over the past year by UN and US agencies, describes the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as a 'horrifying tragedy,' and stresses that Israel has the right to take defensive measures to protect its citizens against attacks.
But Ziegler, a recognized authority on international law and human rights from Switzerland, charges Israel with failing to uphold its legal obligation to ensure the right to food of the civilian Palestinian population.
The result � more than one-half of Palestinian households are currently eating only one meal a day and are fully dependent on international food aid.
'Many Palestinians who the special rapporteur met spoke of trying to subsist on little more than bread and tea,' Ziegler wrote in his 24-page report.
'Severe malnutrition reported in Gaza is now equivalent to levels found in poor, sub-Saharan (African) countries, an absurd situation as Palestine was formerly a middle-income economy' with a rich agricultural base.
'The consequences of the ways in which current security measures are applied in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) are entirely disproportionate in the"
