Tuesday,
September 2
Mofaz:
Israel Declares War Against Hamas
At the weekly Cabinet
meeting on Monday, Defense Minister Mofaz said that the murderous
Hamas attack of August 19, 2003 in Jerusalem, in which 21 people
were murdered, had opened a new and different chapter for Israel
in its relationship with the Palestinians. He added that the
attack had broken the track that was supposed to give the diplomatic
process a chance and referred to the Palestinian Authority's
passivity regarding the war on terrorism and the infrastructures
of terror. In response, the security establishment has changed
tack and adopted the following principles:
-
An
all-out war against Hamas and other terrorist elements, including
continuous strikes at the organization's leaders;
-
Increasing
the pressure on foci of terror in Judea and Samaria;
-
Freezing
the diplomatic process with the PA and making it clear that
Israel will neither return to it nor move it forward unless
it sees that the PA is taking tangible steps to deal with
the infrastructures of terror.
Defense
Minister Mofaz said that since the terror attack in Jerusalem,
Israel cannot return to the previous "rules of the game."
He asserted that the international community, along with the US,
understands that there can be no going back to the rules of the
'hudna', but that an aggressive policy must adopted against Hamas
for the sake of future regional stability. (From
Israel Foreign Ministry) more
Morocco
May Soon Reopen Diplomatic Offices in Israel
Israel and Morocco will soon
renew their diplomatic activities in Rabat and Tel Aviv, sources
accompanying Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in Morocco said
Tuesday afternoon following Shalom's meeting with King Mohammed
VI in Tetouan. The king has already instructed Moroccan Foreign
Minister Mohamed Benaissa to renew the issuing of travel visas
to Israelis wishing to visit the country, the sources said.
After the 90-minuted meeting in the king's palace, Shalom said
that the monarch "viewed in a positive manner" Israel's
request for renewed diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Making his first visit to the country, the foreign minister
praised the Moroccans for allowing the meeting to take place,
saying that it showed "that Morocco is indeed interested
in new ties with Israel, and their desire to be active partners
in the peace process." Shalom called on other Arab leaders
to follow the example of King Mohammed VI "and to create
open relations with Israel." When asked if this meant that
full diplomatic ties would be established and Israelis would
be allowed to visit Morocco, Shalom said, "Of course these
matters were raised in the conversation. The king and the government
view these issues in a positive manner." (From Ha'aretz)
more
Tel
Aviv Light Railway Gets Green Light From Planning Council
The National Council for
Planning and Building on Tuesday approved the first section
of the Tel Aviv light railway. The first line (to be known as
the Red Line) will start at the Petah Tikva central bus station
and pass adjacent to Beilinson Hospital then run along Jabotinsky
Street in Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan. Upon entering Tel Aviv, the
line will meet up with the Arlosorroff train station, run past
the defense complex and head down to Jaffa, where it will run
along Jerusalem Boulevard. Some 9.8 kilometers of the 22-kilometer
Red Line, which will end in southern Bat Yam, is to be routed
underground. Twenty-two stations will be built along the above-ground
tracks and nine stations will be built on a parallel line running
underground. The final selection of the private interest that
will build the line is expected to be made in the fourth quarter
of 2004 and the light railway is expected to be operable by
2010. The total cost is estimated at NIS 6.8 billion. (From
Ha'aretz) more
Technion
Scientists Crack Encryption System of the GSM Cellular Network
Cryptology experts at the
Technion in Haifa have managed to crack the code used by 850
million cellular phones, finding faults that could be used by
thieves to steal calls and even to impersonate phone owners
in the middle of an ongoing call. The researchers -- Prof. Eli
Biham of the Technion's computer sciences faculty, doctoral
student Elad Barkan and master's degree graduate Nathan Keller
-- discovered a basic flaw in the encryption system of the GSM
(global system for mobile communications) network, which is
used by 71 percent of all cellular cellular phones in the world.
As a result of their discovery, during the past year the Technion
researchers developed a method that made it possible for them
to crack the GSM encryption system at the initial ringing stage,
even before the call begins. Later on, they could listen in
on the call. With the aid of a special device that can also
broadcast, they found it was possible to steal calls and even
to take on the identity of one of the phone owners even in the
middle of an ongoing call. Biham sent a free copy of the research
to GSM Association in Dublin so their member companies could
correct the problem if they wished. "They now have enough
information to do so." (From Jerusalem Post) more
Wednesday,
September 3
IAF
Destroy Anti-aircraft Cannon Following Hizbullah Attack
Israeli fighter jets
attacked a Hezbollah base in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, destroying
the artillery position which hours earlier had fired anti-aircraft
shells in the western section of the northern border. An IDF source,
speaking on condition of anonymity, said about five shells landed
in open areas near Zar'it on Wednesday. An IDF official in Jerusalem,
Major Sharon Feingold, said the Israeli raid was in retaliation
to Hezbollah shells that landed in northern Israel, adding that
the air action destroyed a Hezbollah anti-aircraft cannon that
fired the shells some 4 kilometers north of the Israeli border.
(From Ha'aretz) more
IDF:
Battered Hamas Turns to PA, Egypt in Bid to Renew Truce
The
Israel Defense Forces believe that if Hamas could live the last
two weeks over again, it would skip the deadly suicide bombing
in Jerusalem that sparked the current wave of assassinations.
Over the last few days, Hamas leaders have sent messages to both
the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in an effort to revive the
cease-fire. The answers they have received sound almost like Israel's
demands: First they must agree to disarm, and then it will be
time to talk about a cease-fire. Journalists have been having
trouble finding senior Hamas officials over the last few days.
Abdel Aziz Rantisi and his colleagues are reluctant to come to
television studios, and they are even cutting down sharply on
their use of the telephone. But beyond the real fear for their
lives that Hamas members at every level are feeling (a fear that
Israel is encouraging through repeated declarations by Ya'alon
and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz about their intention to continue
the assassination policy), the organization is facing a serious
dilemma. The problem with the Jerusalem attack, from Hamas's viewpoint,
is that it was too successful. The large number of people killed,
and the large number of children among them, aroused American
and European anger at the organization
(Europe is even considering declaring its "political"
wing a terrorist organization) and provided a rare moment of international
legitimacy for Israel's forceful response. Hamas is still hesitating
to carry out another attack inside the Green Line. Instead, it
is focusing on less "problematic" targets - soldiers
and settlers in the territories. The IDF believes that Hamas has
not yet figured out how to escape from this trap, since it knows
that a mass-casualty attack, even in the territories, would supply
Israel with an excuse for a major ground operation in the Gaza
Strip, as well as enabling it to further escalate its assassination
campaign. (From Ha'aretz)
more
Israel
Tries to Stop Critical UN Resolutions
Israel has launched a campaign to get the United Nations to declare
a moratorium on all resolutions that denounce Israel or demand
that it change its policies without parallel denunciations or
demands regarding Palestinian terrorism. Israeli Ambassador to
the UN Danny Gillerman presented the idea Tuesday at a special
meeting with the UN ambassadors of 25 European states who either
are, or are slated to become, members of the European Union. Israel
is arguing that a moratorium on one-sided anti-Israel resolutions
is required by the road map peace plan, of which the EU and the
UN are cosponsors, along with the United States and Russia. The
road map calls for an end to anti-Israel incitement. A UN source
told Haaretz on Tuesday that the European diplomats were surprised
by the proposal and declined to respond immediately, and Israeli
officials refused to speculate on the likelihood that they will
ultimately accede. However, Gillerman plans to continue pushing
the issue via individual talks with key UN players in the two
weeks remaining until the start of the UN's next session. The
initiative refers specifically to 21 resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict that are discussed by various UN committees every year
and then forwarded to the General Assembly, where they enjoy an
automatic majority. Israel is proposing that the committees not
discuss these resolutions this year and that the General Assembly
postpone a vote on them until next year. (From Ha'aretz) more
Israeli
Scientists Come Up with Drug to Combat West Nile Fever
Two Israeli scientists have
come up with a revolutionary new drug which they believe will
slow down the spread of West Nile fever among those already infected
by the virus. The drug - Omr-IgG-am - was developed jointly by
Professor Bracha Rager, former Health Ministry chief scientist
and senior staff member at the Health Science Faculty's Department
of Microbiology and Immunology at Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev in Be'er Sheva, and David Ben-Natan, of the Nes Tziona Biological
Institute. Omr-IgG-am is based on immunoglobulin, a protein group
found in the blood's liquid component. "This group contains
all the antibodies that a human develops in his lifetime once
he is exposed to bacteria, viruses and the like," Rager said.
The researchers succeeded in isolating the "defensive antibodies"
produced from a group of proteins taken from Israeli blood donors
who had come in contact with the virus. The antibodies were injected
into rats who had been infected with the West Nile virus. The
fact that the rats survived the disease proved the effectiveness
of the antibodies as a pharmaceutical treatment even among patients
who have already been infected by the virus. The results of the
study proved the original findings of doctors at Netanya's Laniado
Hospital, who succeeded in improving the condition of a female
West Nile patient using the antibody treatment. (From Ha'aretz)
more
Thursday,
September 4
IDF
Soldier Killed in Fatah Ambush
An
IDF soldier was shot dead Thursday by Palestinian gunman from
the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with Yasser Arafat's
Fatah faction, near the West Bank city of Jenin. The soldier was
later identified as 20-year-old Sergeant Gabriel Uziel from Givat
Ze'ev. In the early morning attack, Palestinian gunmen ambushed
a group of IDF soldiers patrolling the West Bank city. In recent
days there has been an increase in shooting attacks between Palestinian
terrorists and IDF forces operating in the north Samaria area,
where they have arrested wanted Palestinians involved in terrorist
activities. The security establishment has registered 37 terror
attack warnings per day. (From Jerusalem Post) more
UN
Conference Turns into Israel Bashing Campaign
A United Nations annual
conference in New York meant to bolster Palestinian civil society
turned into anti-Israel forum. Setting the tone for the conference
(themed "End the Occupation" and supported by UN Secretary
Kofi Annan) Palestinian observer to the UN Nasser al-Kidwa urged
delegates to overlook terrorism and focus on Israeli self-defense
policies. "Violence in self-defense in the occupied Palestinian
territories is not terrorism. It is a reaction to the odious Israeli
crimes committed against the Palestinian people. It does not run
counter to international law," he said.
In reaction to developments of the conference, Israel's ambassador
to the UN Dan Gillerman said, "the event sabotages whatever
positive developments there may be on the ground and derails the
road map and the peace process."(From Jerusalem Post) more
Israeli
Company Develops Portable Key Chain Data Storage
An Israeli company M-Systems,
which is a leader in developing flash-based data storage products,
is the brain behind DiskOnKey, the first (and the most powerful)
portable keychain storage on the market. The DiskOnChip and DiskOnKey
line of products are small, lightweight, durable, reliable, tamper-proof,
and consume very little power. The first, and still the fastest,
most reliable, pen-sized computer storage system on the market,
DiskOnKey can be clipped on to a shirt pocket or to your keychain.
Depending on the model, you can save and transfer the data you
need - Word documents, songs, pictures, PowerPoint presentations,
digital video. You can plug into any PC and laptop with a USB
port and begin work. It works on Macintosh, Linux and Windows-based
computers. High speed (it has its own processor), large capacity
(up to 1 gigabyte), no need to worry about losing data in a power
failure - are all benefits. The award-winning, power-packed, key-chain
sized computer storage product was barely off the manufacturing
line in 2001 when it was selected as 'the Best Product of the
Year', by Electronic Products and PC Magazine. Among its fans
are Business Week which gave it the Industrial Design Excellence
Award in 2001, and CBS News.com, which put it on its Holiday Wish
List for 2002. The Wall Street Journal cited it as the 'leader
in the keychain modules category.' Fortune Magazine's Peter Lewis
chose DiskOnKey for storage for the most powerful PC, nixing a
floppy disk. (From Israel21c) more
Friday,
September 5
IDF
Naval Commando Killed in Nablus
Sgt. Maj. Ra'anan Komemi,
a member of the Israel Defense Forces' elite Naval Commando unit,
was killed before dawn Friday in clashes with armed Palestinians
in the West Bank city of Nablus. Four other soldiers were wounded
in the incident, one of them seriously. A senior Hamas bomb-maker,
Mohammed Hanbali, who orchestrated several fatal suicide bombings
and was responsible for dozens of Israeli deaths, was also killed
in the clashes. (From Ha'aretz) more
Number
of Jerusalem Bus Bombing Victims Rises to 22
The number of victims of
the mid-August Jerusalem bus bombing rose to 22 when Netanya resident
Mordechai Laufer, 27, died from his wounds Friday morning. Laufer
fought for his life for over two weeks. Laufer was a student at
the neighborhoods Sanz yeshiva. Laufer was ordained last summer
as a rabbi, and his teachers at the yeshiva described him as one
of their outstanding students.
More than 118 people were wounded, 40 of them children and infants,
when a Hamas bomber detonated a five-kilogram device packed with
ball bearings on a crowded bus on August 19, a short while after
entering the Shmuel Hanavi neighborhood near Jerusalem. The No.
2 bus was packed with mostly ultra-Orthodox passengers returning
from prayers at the Western Wall. The militant wings of Hamas
and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility for the bombing.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Abbas
Says Will Not Use Force Against Terrorists
In his speech to parliament
Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas reiterated
that he would not use force, only persuasion, in dealing with
militants. Abbas told legislators he must be given full power
to carry out reforms required by the "road map" peace
plan. If the demand is met, Abbas would have a stronger hand against
militants carrying out attacks against Israelis. Summing up his
first 100 days in office, Abbas only hinted at his conflict with
Arafat, saying there were "problems" between his government
and the Palestinian leadership. In Washington, U.S. State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher praised Abbas for pursuing progress
on the peace plan and seeking to unify security forces. The Palestinians,
Boucher said, "can only get a state by ending terrorism."
The road map requires that the Palestinians dismantle militant
groups. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Korea,
Israel to Cooperate on Satellites
Korea and Israel are expected
to sign a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in satellite
and space technology this year, according to sources. "There
is a high possibility that an MOU will be signed at a meeting
of science ministers between the two nations to be held in November
in Seoul," Lee Ok-gyu, an official from the Korea Aerospace
Research Institute, said. Bilteral cooperation in the satellite
industry has been under way between the two nations. Israel's
Elop Electro-Optics Industries Ltd. and AeroAstro Inc. is developing
high capacity cameras to be loaded on Korea's KOMSAT-II. The satellite
will be launched in November next year. (From Korea Herald) more
Lawn
Bowls for Special Sportsmen
By Leah Abramowitz
I was amazed one afternoon to find a beautiful field with people
playing lawn bowls. Somehow the sport brings to mind sedate English
gentry. As I looked more closely at the small crowd at the Tzipori
Center in the Jerusalem Forest, I realized that half were blind.
I spoke to the coach, Gerry Myers, who told me he volunteers his
assistance once a week. From him I learned that the green was
established more than 12 years ago by Anglos who were keen on
this gentlemanly sport. There are 55 paying members in Jerusalem,
and half a dozen blind players. A management committee maintains
the green and sets rules. They have markings on the elliptical
black balls indicating their weight. A string along each lane
marks the path, and the coach, standing in front of them, calls
out directions. I was amazed at their skill. Rafi Elmaliah explains
that they sometimes participate in inter-city contests. There
are blind bowlers all over the country, and their central green
is in Kiryat Ono. There are also international contests. Last
year the Israeli team earned two medals. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
New:
The full text of all the news articles featured in this Week in
Review are now available on the Consulate's web site. To access
them, simply click on the summary 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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