Monday,
July 28
Sharon
Arrives in US as Israel Implements Goodwill Gestures
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
was meeting with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice Monday
evening at his Washington hotel room. Sharon arrived in the U.S.
early Monday, ahead of talks with President George W. Bush on
Tuesday. Sharon and Rice were expected to review the agenda for
Tuesday's talks with Bush, just four days after Bush hosted Palestinian
Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Sharon is also expected to meet
Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday. Channel Two news reported
Monday that Sharon will tell Bush that Hamas and Islamic Jihad
are planning a major terror attack as soon as the three-month
hudna, or cease-fire, expires to justify Israel Defense Forces'
operations during the truce. The White House responded favorably
Monday to Jerusalem's decision to release 540 Palestinians held
in Israeli jails, saying that such steps "facilitate progress
toward peace." The cabinet voted 14-9 to approve Sharon's
proposal to free Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners, hours before
Sharon took off for Washington. In a further sign of concessions,
some 18,000 Gaza residents were expected to pass through Gaza's
Erez terminal for jobs in Israel on Monday, Israel Radio reported.
In the West Bank, 4,500 work permits were granted to Palestinians.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Body
of Missing Soldier Found in Near Arab Villages
The
body of IDF soldier, Corporal
Oleg Shaichat, who has been missing for a week, was found
on Monday buried in an olive grove between the Arab villages of
Kafr Kana and Mashad, northeast of Nazareth in the north of Israel,
police announced. According to the initial police investigation,
Shaichat, 20, was abducted at the Beit Rimon Junction and was
then taken to a nearby field where he was murdered. On Monday
night, the IDF reissued its ban on Israeli citizens entering Palestinian-administered
areas in the West Bank. The renewed ban follows increased warnings
that Palestinian militants plan to kidnap Israelis. Shaichat's
body was uncovered by a 67-year-old Bedouin, Salah al-Hayab, who
had served in the IDF as a tracker. (From Ha'aretz) more
Shin
Bet Foils Weekend Double Suicide Bomb Plot
Kamal Ghanem, a Fatah activist hiding
in Yasser Arafat's Muqata offices in Ramallah, allegedly orchestrated
an Iranian-financed attempt to send two women suicide bombers
into Israel this weekend, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's
Office in the name of the Shin Bet security services said yesterday.
Information about the plot and the activist behind it came from
the Shin Bet's interrogation of Issam Faruh, an Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigade member arrested last Thursday in Ramallah by the IDF and
Shin Bet. Faruh allegedly admitted he was involved in preparing
the two women for the bombings in either Tel Aviv or Netanya.
The plan was for the women to go to two night clubs on a Thursday
or Friday night, when clubs are crowded. Both women who volunteered
for the mission live in the Nablus area. They were supposed to
go to Ramallah and from there to Israel. According to Faruh, the
explosives belts prepared for them were already in Ramallah. (From
Ha'aretz) more
Israeli,
Palestinian Peace Activists to Open New 'Voice of Peace' Radio
Station
A joint Israeli-Palestinian
initiative will see the re-establishment of the Abie Nathan's
Voice of Peace radio station. Yesterday, Israeli and Palestinian
peace activists signed an agreement to begin the new broadcasts
on November 4, the anniversary of the assassination of former
prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The station will use archive material
of the original Voice of Peace station; and in order to refrain
from breaching Israeli law, it will split its operations: The
station's studios will be located in East Jerusalem, while its
transmitters will be positioned in the West Bank town of Bitunia,
near Ramallah. From day one, the station will broadcast 24 hours
a day, dedicating three hours each day to programs dealing with
coexistence and serving as a mouthpiece for associations and organizations
involved in promoting such issues. The station's presenters will
include Israelis and Palestinians who will broadcast both in Hebrew
and Arabic. The original Voice of Peace was a legendary pirate
radio station run by Israeli peace activist Abie Nathan. It broadcast
from a ship anchored just outside Israeli territorial waters and
its slogan became something of a catchphrase in Israel - "From
somewhere in the Mediterranean, we are the Voice of Peace."
(From Ha'aretz) more
Hebrew
University's Foreign Enrollment Rising
One year after a bomb exploded
in Hebrew University's Mount Scopus Frank Sinatra Student Center,
foreign student enrollment is up 10 percent for the 2003-4 school
year. Prof. Steve Kaplan, director of the Rothberg International
School (RIS) at the university, noted that enrollment was already
down in 2002-3 because of security concerns spurred by the ongoing
violence. In 2000-1, enrollment topped 1,100 students and plummeted
the following year to 707 students. Following the bombing on July
31, 2002, which killed seven and wounded more than 80, "Not
one of the 581 students enrolled for 2002-3 withdrew," Kaplan
said. Attendance in July's Hebrew language courses rose from 100
to 190 this summer. Kaplan attributed the increase to the fact
that "people are getting used to the situation in Israel.
There are also signs that things are calming down politically."
"Students will continue to come to Hebrew University because
Jerusalem is a city different than any other city in the world.
Jerusalem has a special feel to it, a spiritual climate that people
are naturally drawn to," graduate student David Greenockle
said. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israel
Recognizes 'Black Hebrew' Community
Israel has given permanent
resident status to the "Black Hebrews," a community
of black Americans, some of whom have been in the country since
1969, the Interior Ministry said Monday. The government granted
the new status to the group of about 2,000 American citizens,
who followed Chicago bus driver Ben Ami Carter to the southern
Israeli desert town of Dimona in the belief that they are descended
from the 10 lost tribes of Israel. As permanent residents, the
Black Hebrews will be able to serve in the Israeli army and establish
their own residential communities, an Interior Ministry statement
said. (From Seattle PI) more
Christopher
Reeve Visits Israel in His Quest for Paralysis Treatment
Calling Israel the "world
center" for research on paralysis treatment, Christopher
Reeve set off for his first visit to the country this week. Over
the course of his visit, Reeve will learn about Israeli advancements
in the field of stem cell research related to paralysis and spinal
cord injuries. The theater and film actor who portrayed 'Superman',
suffered a horseback-riding accident in 1995 during an equestrian
event which left him paralyzed from the neck down. "I am
looking forward to visiting Israel to learn more about their cutting
edge paralysis research as well as their approaches to addressing
the quality of life of those living with paralysis," said
Reeve. "Israel is the center of some of the world's leading
research related to paralysis. There are many new therapies in
the pipeline as well as care strategies being employed that may
also benefit millions of people around the world living with paralysis.
This includes therapies derived from stem cell research."
According to his spokesperson Juda S. Engelmayer, the four-day
trip is a scientific, fact-finding mission to learn about Israel's
research on treatments for spinal injuries and to visit with people
living with disabilities in the region. Reeve plans to meet with
Israeli doctors and researchers working on remedies for paralysis
caused by spinal cord injuries and other central nervous system
disorders. (From Israel 21c) more
Six
Jews Airlifted to Israel from Iraq
Six elderly Iraqi Jews were
airlifted on a Jordanian jet from Baghdad to Israel in a secret
immigration mission this weekend. The mission, entitled Ezra Me'Zion
[Help from Zion], was jointly coordinated by the Jewish Agency
and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which have been investigating
the status of the Jewish community in the country since the American
war against Iraq. Upon arriving in Israel just before the start
of the Sabbath, 82 year old Ezra Levi, speaking in fluent Hebrew,
said, "My father was a Talmud teacher in Iraq, but I haven't
spoken Hebrew in thirty years. I am very happy to be speaking
Hebrew now. In our community there is no one who knows how to
read or speak in Hebrew, and that is very sad. I haven't seen
my family for 52 years." Levi was reunited with his younger
sister Dahlia, who was overwhelmed by emotion. (From Israel Insider)
more
Tuesday,
July 29
PM
Sharon Meets with President Bush
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a news
conference Tuesday after his meeting with President George Bush
that Israel would continue to build the West Bank security fence,
which has become a disputed issue between the two countries. Bush,
who called the fence a "sensitive" issue and said the
two sides would "continue to discuss" it. If there was
some discord over the fence, Bush was firmly in the Israeli camp
on the issue of fighting terror. Calling terrorism "the fundamental
obstacle to peace," he said that "the Palestinian Authority
must undertake sustained, targeted and effective operations to
dismantle the terror infrastructure." Sharon cautioned that
while "relative quiet" prevailed, "terror has not
yet completely ceased" and the PA was not moving against
armed groups. "We are thankful for every hour of increased
quiet and less terrorism, and for every drop of blood that is
spared," he said. "At the same time, we are concerned
that this welcome quiet will be shattered any minute as a result
of the continued existence of terror organizations which the Palestinian
Authority is doing nothing to eliminate or dismantle." The
prime minister said that Israel would continue to dismantle illegal
outposts in the West Bank. Bush thanked the Israeli leader for
taking steps - like the removal of roadbocks in the territories
- that make it easier for Palestinians to work in Israel and to
travel to their jobs and their families. "I thank the prime
minister for this," he said. (From Ha'aretz) more
Video,
audio, and transcripts from press conference
11-year-old
Israeli Girl Shot in West Bank Terror Attack
An 11-year-old Israeli girl was shot
inside a car as she was traveling with her parents in the West
Bank last night, a military source said. "The terror attack
took place near the Jewish settlement of Itzhar, west of Nablus
at 1:30 a.m.," the source said. "She was lightly wounded
in her legs and the IDF evacuated her by helicopter to Belinson
hospital in Petah Tikva where she is now receiving medical treatment."
There were four other passengers, including children, in the car
who escaped injury, the source said. The car was damaged with
numerous bullet holes penetrating its side. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
Inquiry:
US Intelligence Should Strengthen Ties with Israel
The US should study Israeli
intelligence-gathering techniques and team up with Israeli intelligence
services as part of its overall effort to improve its terrorist-fighting
capabilities, a joint Senate-House inquiry into the September
11, 2001 attacks says. The inquiry, which was completed last December
and released to the public last week, calls for the creation of
a "small, agile and adaptive" intelligence organization
that would aggressively use agents to pursue terrorists. "This
new agency should endeavor to learn from both the successes and
failures of Israeli HUMINT (human intelligence) efforts,"
the report says. "Their aggressive tactics and inventive
use of non-official covers may serve as a useful guide for this
new agency. "The Israelis have had notable successes in penetrating
terrorist organizations and we should learn from their efforts.
The new agency may also want to consider some level of partnership
with the Israeli HUMINT services, in light of the amount of overlap
in the terrorism and proliferation threat to both our national
interests." (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israel
Helps Palestinian Children Fly Abroad for Medical Treatment
While violence continued
on the ground despite the cease-fire declared by the Palestinian
terror groups, Civil Administration officials in Judea and Samaria
facilitated the flight of seven Palestinian children ages 5 to
10 to Italy for lifesaving medical treatment. Six of the children
suffer from thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder, and one has
a heart defect. The four boys and three girls from Ramallah, Jenin,
Nablus, and Hebron, were accompanied by 23 family members, some
of whom will donate bone marrow to the children. Civil Administration
official Dalia Bassa, who is in charge of the health division
unit responsible for coordinating the assistance, worked around
the clock for two weeks in order to arrange the children's trip.
"I received their names two weeks ago from the Avineer Center
in Ramallah and immediately began working to organize the travel
plans. It took time to arrange all the necessary permits and documents,"
Bassa said. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Wednesday,
July 30
US
House Leader: Militant Truce is 'Paper Thin'
A truce by Palestinian militants
is "paper thin" and Yasser Arafat must be further isolated
if a new peace effort is to succeed, US House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay told members of the Knesset Wednesday. On a tour of
the Middle East, DeLay, repeated calls for Palestinians to disarm
militant groups as required by the U.S.-backed "road map"
plan for Middle East peace. Speaking in a reception hall at the
Knesset, DeLay said that liberating Israel from Palestinian violence
is part of the worldwide campaign against terror. Dismissing the
truce called by main Palestinian groups a month ago, he said,
"And it's a liberation we are determined to secure, not merely
a paper-thin cease-fire." "Murderers who take 90-day
vacations are still murderers," DeLay said. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Click
here for a transcript of DeLay's speech
Blair
Echoes Bush: Dismantle Terror, Then Dismantle Fence
British Prime Minister Blair
has joined Israel and the United States in stating that the Palestinians
must first dismantle the terror infrastructure before Israel dismantles
its new security fence, which is still under construction. "I've
got no doubt at all that the only way of dealing with this ultimately
is to get the agreement on the security measures that need to
be taken by the Palestinian authority, on the Israeli side as
well, in cooperation together," the British prime minister
said. "That is the only way that we are going to take away
the pressure on the Israeli government to carry on doing what
it can to protect its citizens." (From Jerusalem Post) more
Police
Halt Jewish Visits to Temple Mount
Just
weeks after opening the Temple Mount to Jews and Christians for
the first time in nearly three years, Jerusalem police on Wednesday
abruptly suspended the limited visits in the face of rising Palestinian
anger. Jerusalem police spokeswoman Sigal Toledano said Wednesday
that the decision to again close off Judaism's holiest site to
non-Muslims was made for "operational reasons," and
declined to say when the curtailed visits would be renewed. Over
the last month, more than four hundred Jewish and Christian visitors
visited the holy site under police escort, without going into
any of the mosques on the area, police said. There was no violence
during the visits. (From Jerusalem Post) more
UEFA
Delays Decision on Lifting Israeli Soccer Teams' Home-game Ban
European soccer's governing body, UEFA,
announced yesterday that it was delaying a decision on allowing
Israel teams to host their continental matches on home soil, over
a year after the ban was first imposed. UEFA decided that the
ban, imposed after a series of suicide bombings, would remain
in force for at least another two weeks, despite massive international
pressure to have the ban revoked. As a result of the decision,
Israeli champion Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be able to host its
Champions League game against Slovakian champions Zilina at its
Ramat Gan stadium. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told UEFA secretary-general
Gerhard Aigner that a cease-fire and the peace process in the
Middle East have brought stability back to the country, and security
can be guaranteed. Shalom brought with him letters of support
from eight European foreign ministers, including Germany's Joschka
Fischer, Franco Frattini of Italy and Ana Palacio of Spain. (From
Ha'aretz) more
Dialing
for a Peaceful Future
More than 210,000 Israelis
and Palestinians have taken advantage of the 'Hello Shalom, Hello
Salaam' hotline, established to facilitate dialogue between people
and to begin conversations about peace and reconciliation. "The
pain on both sides is identical," says Roni Hirshenson of
the Parent's Circle. "Our goal is to increase the empathy
on both sides. Right now, our images of each other are controlled
by the media and our leaders. Israelis see Palestinians as terrorists,
and Palestinians see Israelis as soldiers and settlers. This must
change." The stated purpose of the project is to encourage
large numbers of Israelis and Palestinians to begin conversations
about peace and reconciliation in order to increase pressure on
their leaders to follow suit, and to demonstrate to their leaders
and the world that there is a "hunger for dialogue"
on both sides. Another member of the Parent's Circle, Aharon Barnea
added that "The moment you are able to make people understand
that they are dealing with people who have hopes, dreams, and
problems just like you do - and who demonstrates no desire to
kill you - things change, and this is very important. The only
way to a better future is by building these bridges." (From
Israel 21c) more
Thursday,
July 31
Officials:
Cease-fire Healing Economy
Following the one month anniversary of
the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire, the Israeli economy is starting
to show serious signs of improvement, senior government sources
said. "Early indicators such as lowered interest rates, a
healthy stock exchange, Israelis going abroad and tourists coming
in and the implementation of the emergency economic plan all point
to positive movement," the source said. Government officials
warn that it is still premature to judge in the most solid terms
whether the "hudna" or cease-fire is truly having a
long-range impact on the economy. Sources point out that foreign
investors are watching the situation here very closely and know
the distinction between political sound bytes and reality on the
ground. "In the past month, there have been 167 Palestinian
terrorist attacks which have been prevented by the IDF and security
forces," the source said. "The investor in New York,
London or Paris knows that it only takes one successful attack
to get through which would bring us back to the economic situation
we had before the cease-fire. If one only read the newspaper headlines,
one would think that Palestinian terrorism has ceased - and that
simply is not true." (From Jerusalem Post) more
PM
Sharon Completes US Visit, Returns to Israel
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
arrived in Israel Thursday morning after a three-day visit to
the United States. Concerns the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister
Mahmmoud Abbas' to the US capital last week would force Sharon
on the defensive went unrealized, and senior officials in Sharon's
entourage said the meeting with US President George W. Bush went
smoothly. The officials were pleased that the president stressed
the need for the Palestinians to dismantle the terror organizations,
and did not publicly pressure Israel on the fence issue. After
meeting Bush on Tuesday, Sharon met with US Secretary of State
Colin Powell and dealt with some of the details raised in the
meeting with Bush, such as specifics regarding the removal of
settlement outposts. Sharon told Bush that 22 outposts have been
removed, those that went up in their place will also be dismantled,
and that another 12 will be taken down in the near future. Sharon
also raised the issues of the stricter US visa requirements on
Israeli citizens, and the State Department advisory on travel
to Israel still in place, According to Israeli sources, Powell
said he will "look into" the matter. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Minister
Held Three Weeks in Lebanese Prison for Crime of Visiting Israel
Lebanese authorities arrested
Canadian minister Bruce Balfour, 52, earlier this month on charges
of the crime of visiting Israel and "collaborating with the
enemy," Lebanese Prosecutor General Adnan Addoum acknowledged
Wednesday. Addoum said Balfour is now being held at the suburban
Roumieh prison northeast of Beirut. Canadian newspapers have reported
that Balfour is a native of western Canada who was in the Middle
East directing an evangelical project, Cedars of Lebanon, to help
replant the biblical cedar forests in northern Lebanon. News of
his arrest only become known after Balfour managed to get a message
out his cell to the Canadian Ambassador in Lebanon. In the message
he wrote, "After 11 days of hell in Lebanese prisons, I am
finally allowed to make contact with you...My freedom has been
taken away and I have been treated horribly. This is against all
international law and moral code of every civilized country in
the world. I need to get out of here now." (From Israel Insider)
more
Friday,
August 1
PM
Sharon: Palestinians Must Honor All Details of Agreements
Citing historical precedents
of where failure to abide by the letter of diplomatic agreements
led to disaster, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged Thursday
to ensure that the Palestinians fully carry out their obligations
under the road map. "The experience of the past shows that
the worst mistake, after reaching an agreement, is ignoring violations
in implementation, even if they appear small," Sharon told
a graduating military class. The lack of Palestinian implementation
of certain road map obligations, specifically dismantling the
terror organizations, was an issue that came up in Sharon's talks
in Washington, including his meeting with President George. W.
Bush. Sharon said the worst historical example of overlooking
violations of diplomatic agreements took place in Europe in the
1930's, when the democratic world, led by France and Britain,
looked the other way as Nazi Germany "systematically violated
all the agreements and arrangements that were signed with it."
Ignoring these violations, Sharon said, did not lead to quiet,
but rather to additional violations and then to war.
Likewise, Sharon said for the past three years Israel has paid
a very high price for overlooking Palestinian violations of the
Oslo and Wye accords, including the Palestinian failure to dismantle
the terror organizations, confiscate and remove illegal arms,
and stop the "unbearable incitement" against Israel
in the PA media and educational system. This time, Sharon pledged,
things will be different. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israeli-Arab
Summer Camp Investigated for Incitement
Israeli police arrested
on Thursday eight of the organizers of a summer camp believed
to be engaging in political incitement against Israel in the Arab
village of Kabul in the Galilee. The camp began to disperse, but
it has not yet been closed down. The police may ask that the suspects
be remanded today. Shfaram police came to the camp on Thursday
morning in response to reports that anti-Israel propaganda programs
were being held at the summer camp. While searching the camp the
police officers found and confiscated materials suspected of being
used in inflammatory activities. As a result of testimonies taken
from witnesses, two camp counselors were summoned for questioning.
The police acknowledged, however, that "although the incitement
and rebellious activities have allegedly been halted," in
practice it is impossible to prevent anti-Israeli activities at
the camp. These include singing of anti-Israeli songs and reading
materials whose purpose is to incite the youth. Authorities believe
that Israeli-Arab children in the camp are taught about Palestinian
terrorists ("martyrs"). The children sing songs that
praise homicide attacks and express the hope for a return to Jaffa,
Ashdod and Haifa and the building of a Palestinian state from
the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. (From Ha'aretz) more
PM's
Advisor Working on Ways to Protect Against Bus Bombs
The prime minister's counterterrorism
advisor, Brigadier General (reserves) Dan Arditti, is currently
compiling a list of suggestions that would offer protection against
explosives on buses. The plan, which will be presented to the
government in a few months, will focus on technological solutions
and calls for raising the level of security checks and - if the
terrorist succeeds in getting through this first layer of protection
- reducing the damage caused by an explosion.
About 10 years ago, Brigadier General (reserves) Yigal Pressler,
then the prime minister's advisor on terrorism, initiated an extensive
project to make buses traveling in the territories bullet-proof.
Those were the halcyon days after the signing of the Oslo agreements,
but Pressler succeeded in pushing the program through. Hundreds
of millions of shekels were invested in fortifying buses traveling
in the territories. During the three years of the present confrontation,
these buses saved the lives of hundreds of Israelis in the territories
and made regular transportation to the settlements possible even
during the most difficult days of shooting attacks on West Bank
roads.
Although 250 Israelis have been killed in terror attacks on buses
over the past few years, the government, other than setting up
a unit for protecting public transportation has made no concerted
efforts to deal with this threat. Now, those in charge of counterterrorism
have finally decided to walk the gauntlet. (From Ha'aretz) more
Israel
to Hold Joint Naval Exercises with US, Turkey
Israel will hold joint naval
exercises with the United States and Turkey in August, an IDF
source said Thursday. The exercises are the sixth to be held by
the three navies, the military said, and will take place in international
waters off the Turkish coast. Bilateral military relations between
the US and Turkey and the US and Israel have been strong, but
only since the early 1990s have defense links between Israel and
Turkey developed. They feature joint Israeli-Turkish air force
exercises in Turkish air space and regular intelligence cooperation
on Islamic terrorism. The joint naval exercises in August will
focus on emergency search and rescue procedures. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Oryx
Out of Africa - and Back Again
Thanks to some leading and intensive efforts in Israel, and with
international cooperation, the endangered scimitar-horned oryx
is returning to Senegal, Africa. The oryx, once native to the
northern stretches of Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic coast,
was all but made extinct by hunting and habitat loss. It has been
listed as Extinct in the Wild by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) since 1997. Scimitar-horned oryx have been raised
in Israel, on the Hai-Bar Nature Reserve in the southern desert,
and eight of the herd have recently been delivered to the Guembeul
Fauna Reserve in northwestern Senegal. The reintroduction of the
animals - four adolescent females, three adolescent males, and
one adult female - was carried out by a team of Israelis, assisted
by wildlife specialists from the United States and Taiwan. (From
Arutz Sheva) more
