Monday,
August 25
Israel
Condemns Mumbai Blasts
The Government of Israel is deeply
shocked and outraged by the bomb explosions in Mumbai, India
that occurred on August 25th and caused the loss of many
innocent lives. Israel strongly condemns such despicable
acts of violence and terror. There is no moral, political
or religious justification for terrorism. We extend our
condolences to the Indian Government and families of those
who were killed or injured in the attacks. Israel, as a
victim of terror, calls upon all civilized nations to join
in the effort to combat terrorism and put an end to this
plague. |
Targeted
IAF Strike Prevents Double Suicide Bombing
Four Hamas terrorists were
killed in an Israel Air Force missile strike on a car in Gaza
City Sunday. They included a senior member of the organization
- Ahmed Aishtawi, two would-be suicide bombers, and a forth militant
- all members of the group's military wing, Iz a Din al-Kassam,
according to security sources. Security sources said the strike
was carried out in order to thwart a double suicide bombing planned
by Hamas in the near future. Aishtawi, 24, coordinated Hamas activities
between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and was on top of the
IDF's most wanted list. He is credited with transferring funds
to Hamas terror cells in the West Bank, and planning many terror
attacks against Israeli citizens, Israel Radio reported. A Hamas
spokesperson said Aishtawi was the head of a cell that fired home-made
missiles, and specialized in attacks on IDF tanks.
In other news, earlier Sunday, Palestinian militants fired a Qassam
rocket that landed on the Zikim beach, just south of Ashkelon.
This is the furthest distance north a Qassam rocket has reached
inside Israel, and security officials believe that Hamas has increased
the range of its rockets during the cease-fire to about 10 kilometers.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Olmert:
Peace Talks Possible Only After Terror Organizations Dismantled
"The only chance for
the future of the political process is dependent on Israel's ability
to wipe out Hamas and Islamic Jihad," Deputy Prime Minister
and Industry, Trade, and Labor Minister Ehud Olmert said."If
we succeed in critically wounding them [the terror organizations],
perhaps the conditions will be created which will allow Abu Mazen
[Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas] and [PA Security
Minister Muhammad] Dahlan to fulfill their obligations and crack
down on terror," he said.
Israel suspended its policy of targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad
leaders at the end of June, as part of an accord between Israel
and the PA, but reinstated it last week following the Hamas bus
bombing in Jerusalem that killed 21 people. Olmert stressed that
Israel is still committed to the internationally backed peace
plan known as the road map, which also stipulates a complete settlement
freeze and a Palestinian state within two years. But, he added,
Israel must adapt to the new situation at hand, with the three
major terror groups declaring an end to their unilateral cease-fire.
"The hudna did not die; it was never born, and from its inception
was only followed on a virtual level," Olmert concluded.
S ecurity officials released figures Sunday indicating the IDF
has foiled some 54 terror attacks and arrested more than 100 terror
suspects since the hudna was declared on June 29. Since the hudna,
there have been about 280 different attacks, of which 192 were
shooting incidents. During this period, 27 Israelis and a foreign
worker were killed, and 152 people were wounded. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Israel
Returns Bodies of Two Hezbollah Guerrillas
Israel handed over the bodies of Ammar
Hammoud and Ghassan Zaatar, two Hezbollah fighters killed in clashes
with the Israel Defense Force, to representatives of the Red Cross
at the Lebanese border on Monday afternoon. A security source
in Jerusalem, said that in exchange for the bodies, Israel would
get information on the fate of some of the Israeli soldiers and
citizens believed to be held by Hezbollah. Both Hezbollah and
Israeli sources said the move came in the context of talks between
them that could lead to further developments. Israeli sources
called the handover a goodwill gesture intended to promote prisoner
exchange. (From Ha'aretz) more
U.S.
Rejects Israeli Request to Join Visa Waiver Plan
The United States has rejected Israel's
request to join the Visa Waiver Program, which would exempt Israelis
from the need to obtain visas to enter the U.S. The Bush administration
has also refused to exempt Israelis from the new visa requirements
that took effect worldwide this July, meaning that Israelis must
still undergo personal interviews in order to obtain a visa. They
will also need to be fingerprinted once that requirement goes
into effect - a move expected in the near future. However, Washington
did agree to try to ease bureaucratic hassles for Israelis born
in Arab countries who have encountered numerous delays in obtaining
visas ever since the first changes in U.S. visa policy took effect,
shortly after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom asked the administration to add Israel
to the Visa Waiver Program during his visit to Washington last
month. (From Ha'aretz) more
More
Israelis Choose US Colleges
More students from Israel learn in the
United States than from any other Middle Eastern country, according
to a new study by the Princeton Review, the world's largest company
specializing in preparing students for academic admission exams.
Since 2000 the number has been growing gradually, with 3,458 Israel
students, nearly half of them undergraduates, enrolled in American
universities in 2003. Columbia was one of the three most popular
universities along with UCLA and UC Berkeley among Israelis, who,
according to the study, chose them mostly for their central location
and proximity to Jewish communities. Galit Alon, advisor for the
Fulbright Education Foundation, reports that Israeli students,
known for remarkable scholastic achievements and highly regarded
at the best universities in the USA, "stand out mainly because
they are older than the other students. Many of them come from
the elite forces in the Israeli army and are therefore more mature
and have more life experience. Israelis are also known for their
motivation and diligence and many of them make it to the Dean's
Honor List." (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israeli
Scientists Harness Sunlight to Replace Medical Lasers
The sun may offer a cheaper alternative
to traditional medical lasers, Israeli researchers have discovered.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University
in Negev, Israel, who led the study, solar-powered lasers can
kill tissues as well as medical lasers, but at a lower cost. The
solar system uses a collector called the Tracker outside the laboratory
window. A mirror gathers sunlight, transfers the rays to a small,
flat mirror above the dish and sends the solar energy through
a fiber optic cable in the laboratory's floor. Traditional medical
lasers can cost up to $150,000 apiece, which has made it prohibitive
for all but those who can afford advanced medical treatments.
While its is becoming increasingly rare to see a scalpel in operating
theaters in the Western World, as they are replaced by lasers,
virtually all surgery in the Third World is done with knives.
Even in Israel, most hospitals have only a few laser devices.
"Based on conversations I've had with manufacturers, I would
project that if the solar surgery prototype could be mass produced,
it has the potential to cost around $1,000 per unit," Gordon
said in a statement. (From Israel 21c) more
Tuesday,
August 26
German
Mediator Met Israeli Citizen Abducted by Hezbollah
The German mediator who
orchestrated Monday's handover of two Hezbollah men killed in
clashes with the IDF has confirmed that Elhanan Tannenbaum, an
Israeli man captured by Hezbollah three years ago, is still being
held by the Shi'ite organization. Channel One reported that mediator
Ernst Uhrlau, co-ordinator of the German secret services, said
that Tannenbaum was in reasonable health. Hezbollah is holding
four Israelis, including three soldiers and a retired colonel.
The Israeli soldiers were captured in the disputed Har Dov area
near the border with Lebanon in October 2000, while the reserve
colonel was seized overseas during a "complicated operation."
Israel is holding about 18 Lebanese detainees, among them Hezbollah
official Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid. Earlier this month, Nasrallah
threatened to kidnap more Israelis if the Jewish state does not
move on the issue of the prisoner swap. (From Ha'aretz) more
Editorial:
Face the Terrorists
The fundamental reason Israelis
and Palestinians now face another descent into open warfare is
the same one that wrecked the Oslo peace process three years ago
- the practice of terrorism by Palestinian extremists and the
failure of moderate Palestinian leaders to confront it. No peace
process is possible while suicide bombers are slaughtering Israeli
civilians in the heart of Jerusalem; the current thaw began only
because of Mr. Abbas's emergence as a leader committed to ending
such crimes. Unless Mr. Abbas can now deliver on that promise,
there can be little hope of avoiding the plunge off the cliff.
Hamas's return to suicide bombs was inevitable: The idea that
a group that aims at the extinction of Israel and exults in the
slaughter of small children could be quietly converted into a
peaceful political movement, as Mr. Abbas suggested, was a dangerous
illusion. The real imperative for action remains, as it has for
three years, with the Palestinians. If they will not act against
the evil in their midst, the outside world can do little to help
them. (From Washington Post) more
FM
Shalom Discusses Iranian Nuclear Arms and Road Map with Japan
Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom lobbied Japan Tuesday to put a pending $2.2 billion business
deal with Iran on hold as a means of pressuring Tehran not to
produce nuclear arms. Shalom, the first Israeli foreign minister
to visit Japan in six years, met separately Tuesday with Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and Japan's Foreign Minister
Yoriko Kawaguchi. Iran and Japan are in the final stages of putting
together a deal whereby Japanese companies would develop Iranian
oil fields. Shalom asked Koizumi and Kawaguchi to freeze business
deals with Iran until the Iranians commit themselves to signing
the "additional protocol" to the nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). Tehran is under strong international pressure to
prove it is not secretly developing atomic weapons by signing
the "additional protocol," which would allow snap UN
inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.
Shalom also pressed Japan to place Hamas on the country's list
of terrorist organizations. Japan has provided the Palestinian
Authority with $680 million dollars more than any other country,
giving it leverage with the Palestinians. "The time has come
for Japan to stop solely being a source of money, but also to
take advantage of the situation to influence the PA to dismantle
the terror infrastructure," Shalom said. Shalom also asked
Japan to work to change automatic, anti-Israel voting patterns
in international organizations. (From Jerusalem Post) more
New
York Mayor Makes Solidarity Trip to Israel
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid
a solidarity visit to Israel on Tuesday, a week after a Hamas
suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus killed 21 people, and urged
it not to talk peace until such violence stopped. "You can
see that America is not letting the terrorists win. We are striking
back and that's I think what Israel has always done and what I
would urge you to continue to do," Bloomberg said during
a visit to Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital, where wounded from the
attack are being treated. "You have to stop the violence
first and then men and women of good faith can do anything,"
he said. Bloomberg said he wanted to "walk the streets and
ride the buses and show that the people of New York stand united
with the people of Israel against terrorism." (From Ha'aretz)
more
Israel
Comic Festival Gives Amateurs Opportunity to Showcase Their Work
This year, for the first
time, the Israeli Comics Cartoon and Animation Festival's management
decided to give the alternative comics their own space in order
to enlarge the variety of cartoon styles on display at the festival.
"It is important for us to provide a stage for the youngsters
who are fresher and uncensored, who cannot publish professionally,"
says Nissim Hizkiyahu, the festival's art director. The cartoonists
sold their creations during the the three days of the festival.
"Part of our concept is the fanzine look," explains
Yuval Caspi, one of the independent
A4 comics group's founders and coordinator of festival activities
for the alternative exhibition. "We are a group of pluralists
that accepts anyone who draws cartoons. We never refuse anyone."
Each comics page sells for a shekel, and every 16-page comic book
costs NIS 15. "We already have about 150 cartoonists,"
says Caspi. "One or two new ones join each day. We have sold
about 3,000 A4 pages so far." Caspi notes that all revenues
are used toward printing costs and for hosting events at which
the comics are sold. Alongside known artists who are members,
the group includes young artists, mostly aged 15-16. (From Ha'aretz)
more
Wednesday,
August 27
Third
Bomb Factory Discovered in Nablus
IDF
soldiers in Nablus continued searching for fugitives and weapons
on Wednesday. Soldiers operating in the city uncovered a storeroom
of weapons and explosives hidden in one of the apartments in the
buildings they searched. It was the third bomb factory discovered
by security forces in the city since the operation was launched
last week. Soldiers found weapons, explosives, fertilizer, chemical
substances, bolts and screws and a bomb comprised of several kilograms
of explosives. In addition soldiers found equipment used to manufacture
bombs, and leaflets belonging to the Islamic Jihad that contained
inciting material. Soldiers removed all the weapons and explosives
and blew them up. IDF forces have focussed operations on Nablus
and Jenin in recent days where the terrorist infrastructure continue
to flourish and cells continue to plot and plan further attacks
against Israeli targets. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Nablus
Residents Welcome IDF Curfew
Speaking off the record,
residents in Nablus admit that they welcomed the curfew that Israel
Defense Forces troops enforced in their city on Thursday. The
curfew prevented, or at least delayed, a collapse of internal
order and security in the large West Bank city, a locale which
in recent months has been convulsed by a series of killings and
reprisal murders and by shooting sprees on the street perpetrated
by gunmen whose aim is to intimidate the locals or to carve out
turf for themselves. And this reign of terror, local residents
emphasize, has not been caused by Israel's army: the problem is
roaming, armed Palestinians who claim they belong to the Fatah
movement. Just let some Palestinian leader do something about
these gunmen, the locals say. It's not easy for residents to admit
that they were happy about the curfew. Yet on Thursday, city residents
also asked this same Israeli army to impose a curfew on Salam,
a village east of Nablus - a feud between two families from the
village led to the killing of one person followed by a series
of violent reprisals (including the burning of 16 homes). (From
Ha'aretz) more
Shin
Bet Arrests Beduins Working With Hamas to Attack IDF Soldiers
Three Israeli Beduins
from the Negev district recruited by a Hamas operative in the
Hebron region to compile information to be used in attacks against
IDF soldiers in the south were arrested by Israel's internal security
agency, the Shin Bet, on August 11. A fourth Beduin is suspected
of training the group in the use of weapons but was unaware of
the planned terrorist activities. Details released for publication
on Wednesday revealed plans to abduct a former military governor
who maintains business ties with the Beduin sector, a Border Policeman
and murder an IDF soldier in the Hebron area in order to snatch
his weapon and perpetrate a combined shooting and car bomb attack
on a bus transporting soldiers. Officials said the cell had reached
advanced planning stages of attacks they planned to perpetrate
when they were arrested. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Jerusalem
Gets Switched on to Renewable Energy
A joint Israel-US conference on renewable
energy sources kicked off on Tuesday in Jerusalem with the first
ever demonstration of a commercial hydrogen fuel cell in Israel.
The Energy Independence of Democracies in the 21st Century conference
focuses on developing renewable energy resources to enable national
energy independence. Former US senator Rod Grams, addressing the
conference, stressed the importance of energy independence to
both Israel and the United States. "We have faced energy
crises and Israel has no natural energy resources of its own,"
Grams said."By gaining independence we lessen the chance
of energy being used as a weapon." "Israel does have
brain power, so let's turn that into energy," Grams said.
Hydrogen fuel cells, which use hydrogen gas to generate heat,
electricity, and water, are gaining popularity as the answer to
environment friendly vehicles powered by home-grown resources.
(From Jerusalem Post) more
Eco-Zionism
Kibbutz Lotan is promoting
Ben-Gurion's legacy by greening the desert Kibbutz Lotan in the
Arava is turning green. "We're in the process," says
Alex Cicelsky, one of the kibbutz founders in 1983. "The
sustainability attitude has to come from within - we're making
an internal change." The kibbutz's revised mission statement,
points to a community based on Reform Zionist Jewish values: Jewish
renewal, equality, economic cooperation, and ecology. "We
strive to fulfill the biblical ideal to 'till the earth and preserve
it,' in our home, our region, the country, and the world. We are
working to create ways to live in harmony with our desert environment,"
reads the statement. Lotan still functions as a classic kibbutz,
whose members meet daily at mealtimes in the communal dining room.
The first obvious difference is that they separate their organic
waste (for compost) before offloading dishes to be washed. As
part of the gradual transition, the kibbutz is phasing out its
once-rambling lawns, replacing grass with less-thirsty undergrowth.
Instead of asphalt (which burns the feet in the afternoon sun),
paths are being covered in mulch. Eco-tourism is an increasing
element in the kibbutz's income, now accounting for about 10 percent,
according to Nitzan. Every day, busloads of Eilat- or northern-bound
Israelis and tourists disembark for two hours of rest and inspiration
at Lotan's Center for Eco-Tourism and Creative Ecology. Opened
in 1998, Lotan's holistic health center, Neveh Briut ("Oasis
of Health"), combines health programs, wholesome food, and
recreation, while providing employment for the several alternative
therapists who live on the kibbutz. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Thursday,
August 28
Israel:
Missile Attack on Ashkelon Crossed 'Red Line'
Palestinian terrorists fired
four Kassam-2 missiles into Israel Thursday afternoon, one of
which landed in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon. This
is the first time that Kassam missiles have landed as far north
as Ashkelon, which has a population of 116,000. The missile landed
near the Carlsberg brewery in the port city's industrial zone.
The rockets were fired from Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas terrorists use this area to fire Kassam rocjets and mortars
at the northern Israeli town of Sderot, and also at Jewish settlements
in the Gaza Strip. "The Palestinian Authority and all of
the terror organizations who were involved with the attack on
Ashkelon today, have no understanding as to the extent of how
the IDF will respond," a senior military source told The
Jerusalem Post. "No democratic country in the world would
ignore a terror missile attack on one of its major cities. We
will respond and when we do we expect to have the support of all
countries who are engaged in a war against global terrorism which
threatens innocent civilians," the source said. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Man
Dies From Wounds Sustained in Ariel Attack 2 Weeks Ago
Amatzia Nisevitch, 22, died
from wounds he sustained in the terrorist attack in Ariel two
weeks ago. Nisevitch was hospitalized in Petah Tikva's Beilinson
hospital with very serious wounds all over his body, and especially
his lungs. Hamas took responsibility for the Ariel attack. (From
Jerusalem Post) more
IAF
Honors Auschwitz Victims With Flyover
Three F-15 fighter jets, some piloted
by sons and grandsons of Holocaust survivors, take off Thursday
for an historical booming fly past over the Auschwitz concentration
camp in Poland. Proudly displaying the blue Star of David, the
three jets, the most lethal aircraft in the IAF's arsenal, will
swoop down low in next week's September skies and jet straight
over the train platform where the Nazis held their infamous selections
that sent hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths in gas
chambers. "It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.
I have dreamt of this for 15 years. It will be very moving for
me," Brig.-Gen. Amir Eshel told The Jerusalem Post. Eshel
will lead the fly past scheduled for September 4. "We will
fly past over Auschwitz and we will show the most powerful might
of the IDF where the most awful tragedy happened to the Jewish
people. This symbolizes so much where we came from and where we
are going," said Eshel, whose mother's family was wiped out
by the Nazis in Poland.
The idea for the fly past came about after the Polish air force
invited the IAF to participate in their gala celebrations marking
their 85th birthday. The IAF agreed and will be sending a large
delegation and small fleet of aircraft to Poland next week. The
IAF will be joining other air forces from around the world at
the celebrations to be held at the Radom airbase some 250 kilometers
from Warsaw. The trio of IAF F-15 jets will perform aero-acrobatics
at the base. (From Jerusalem Post) more
New:
The full text of all the news summaries featured in this Week
in Review are now available on the Consulate's web site. To access
them, simply click on the article headline or "more"
link.
This
Week in Review was prepared by Joy Powers at The Consulate General
of Israel in San Francisco.
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