News and Media - Israeli Consulate, SF - Week in Review - March 29

March 29 - April 2, 2004

SECURITY

Hamas Planned to Assassinate MK David Levy

Palestinian Boy Confesses He Was Recruited For Suicide Mission

Palestinian Terrorists Planned Assassination of Israeli Ambassadors

IDF Arrests 12 Fugitives Preparing Attacks from Bethlehem Hospital

DIPLOMACY

Israel Needs to Free Itself from the Gaza Strip, Sharon Says

Qurei Says Sharon's Plan Could Bring Peace Process to Life

U.S. Envoys Meeting with Top Israeli, Palestinian Officials

U.S. Envoys Press PA to Crack Down on Terror

SOCIETY

Sunday Could Become a Day Off in Israel

Tannenbaum to Be Released to House Arrest

POLITICS

Disengagement Plan to Be Brought to Likud Members' Vote

PALISTINIAN AFFAIRS

Former Palestinian Premier Abbas Hints Arafat Failed Him

CULTURE

Madonna to Give Two Concerts in Tel Aviv

SECURITY

Hamas Planned to Assassinate MK David Levy
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Security services arrested a month and a half ago a Hamas terrorist planning to murder MK David Levy, MA'ARIV reported. Security around Levy has been boosted about a month ago following warnings that Palestinian terrorists were planning to hurt him. Majdi abu Hamis, 24, from the Jenin area, admitted to planning to assassinate MK Levy while working in a seafood shop located in a commercial center in Beit Shean where Levy is used to shopping. Abu-Hamis got Hamas's approval for the plan which was at an advanced stage before his arrest some six weeks ago.
In other security-related news, two Palestinians were shot dead early this morning when they were spotted crawling toward an Israel Defense Forces outpost in the Gaza Strip. Soldiers spotted the two men approaching the outpost in Neveh Dekalim around 3 A.M. The soldiers opened fire when the two were some 50 meters from the post, killing both men.

Palestinian Boy Confesses He Was Recruited For Suicide Mission
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Three hours before attempting a suicide attack against Israel, Tamer Khawireh, a 15 year-old from Nablus, confessed to his elder brother Raed that Islamic Jihad had recruited him for the mission, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Tamer said that the terrorist group promised him sex with virgins in heaven in exchange for martyrdom. Crying to Raed, the boy admitted: "I want to stay here with you, I want to be part of this life."
Islamic Jihad lured Tamer with $20 of pocket money, a new set of clothes, a cell phone, and a pack of cigarettes. Raed found out about the cell phone and cigarettes, and upon learning that his younger had not shown up for school, he started questioning him. Tamer ended up admitting Islamic Jihad had enlisted him for a suicide attack.
Khawireh is the fourth boy of his age to be arrested in Nablus in recent weeks for planning to carry out an attack. Last week, Husam Abdu, 16, was detained at the Huwara checkpoint south of the city with an explosive belt strapped to his body.
On March 16, another boy, Abdallah Quran, 11, was caught at the same checkpoint as he was carrying a bomb in a backpack. On March 25, a Nablus girl, Reem Salah, now 18, was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for planning to launch a double suicide attack along with a classmate.

Palestinian Terrorists Planned Assassination of Israeli Ambassadors
Thursday, April 1, 2004

A military court sentenced Hader Mahmoud Koka, a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, to 18 years in prison for planning multiple terror attacks, including the assassination of Israeli Ambassadors, MA'ARIV reported. The charges included: Conspiring to murder Israeli ambassadors, plotting to poison drinking water reservoirs and planning a large-scale attack at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Jerusalem. The 18-year-old terrorist was apprehended by security forces three months ago. According to the verdict, Koka had in his possession a plane ticket to China where he organized the killing of Israel's ambassador in Beijing, Yehoyada Haim. Koka's terror cell is also accused of conspiring to murder Shimon Stein, Israel's ambassador to Germany.
Meanwhile, a Hamas operative from Nablus was indicted today for attempting to smuggle bombs and explosives hidden in stuffed animals into Israel. About a month ago the security forces apprehended the operative, and learned from the interrogation that he was to deliver a stuffed teddy bear doll concealing a bomb to a suicide bomber in Jerusalem.

IDF Arrests 12 Fugitives Preparing Attacks from Bethlehem Hospital
Thursday, April 1, 2004

In an early morning operation at a psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem's Dehaisha refugee camp today, Israel Defense Forces soldiers arrested a dozen wanted Palestinians living in the hospital's administrative buildings, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Military sources said that among those detained was Jamal Hamara, a Palestinian intelligence officer suspected of being behind a series of suicide bombings in Jerusalem, including the bombing of bus number 19 on January 29th of this year, in which ten people were killed. Also arrested was Hamara's deputy, Rabia Rabia, who, like Hamara, was an officer in the Palestinian intelligence service.
The IDF said nine top members of Fatah's Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades were caught. Troops surrounded the hospital before dawn, and called on the men to surrender. They responded by opening fire. The soldiers returned fire. The fire exchange lasted for about an hour before the Palestinians gave themselves up. There were no casualties.
The IDF commander of the unit that carried out the operation, Colonel Nadav, said that the operation had averted large-scale attacks the group was preparing.

DIPLOMACY

Israel Needs to Free Itself from the Gaza Strip, Sharon Says
Monday, March 29, 2004

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today that he would form a new government if coalition parties objected to his plan to unilaterally disengage from the Gaza Strip and certain parts of the West Bank, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Sharon said he hoped his government would eventually support the plan. Otherwise, he warned, he would form a new government "that very same day."
"Israel must be freed of her responsibilities in the Gaza Strip," Sharon told committee members. "The nation will not remain without a government, but I would prefer the coalition to include the parties on the right," the prime minister added.
Sharon is scheduled to go to Washington next month to present his disengagement plan to U.S. President George W. Bush. Upon his return, he will present the plan to his own government for approval. Right-wing party leaders have said in past weeks that if the Prime Minister depicts a pullout plan that is contradictory to their parties' respective platforms, they will leave the government and join the opposition. Sharon has said he will try to convince the National Religious party and the National Union party to support his policy.

Qurei Says Sharon's Plan Could Bring Peace Process to Life
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei voiced hope for the first time today that an Israeli pullout from Gaza could revive peace talks, but added it had to be accompanied by a withdrawal from the West Bank, HA'RETZ reported. "The Gaza pullout proposal could be a chance [to revive peace moves] and we all should work together to seize this chance in a wise and courageous manner," Qurei told lawmakers in the West Bank city of Ramallah in his most positive comments to date on the Israeli plan. However, "for this pullout to be meaningful, it should open the way for resuming the peace process and completing it by fully pulling out from the West Bank as well," he added. Qureia also stated that any West Bank pullout should not replace the road map, "but rather be a step on the way to implementing it."
Qurei condemned Palestinian suicide attacks on Israeli civilians, saying they had damaged the Palestinian fight for an independent state by turning the international community against them.

U.S. Envoys Meeting with Top Israeli, Palestinian Officials
Thursday, April 1, 2004

U.S. envoys Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, and National Security Council members Steven Hadley and Elliot Abrams held talks this morning with the Prime Minister Ariel Shaon's bureau chief, Dov Weisglass, and national security adviser, Giora Eiland, in Jerusalem, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. The envoys are set to meet Sharon this evening.
This afternoon, the U.S. officials are holding talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Jericho - a meeting that will be attended by Palestinian cabinet ministers Salam Fayad, Nabil Saath and Saeb Erekat.
The talks are focusing on the current impasse in the peace process, and Sharon's disengagement plan calling for the unilateral evacuation from the Gaza Strip. Speaking at the high-tech conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Sharon explained his plan was "an initiative that will prevent political collapse." The Prime Minister stressed that there were several reasons behind the initiative, including the danger of pressures on Israel to accept diplomatic plans that were harmful, and the threat that international bodies stop assisting the Palestinians, which would lead to a "humanitarian collapse" and to "pointing an accusing finger at Israel."

U.S. Envoys Press PA to Crack Down on Terror
Friday, April 2, 2004

American diplomats held discussions with Palestinian officials on Thursday and explained that Israel's plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip brought an opportunity to revive the peace process provided the Palestinian leadership crackdown on terrorists, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The U.S. envoys delivered the message in a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in the West Bank town of Jericho. The U.S. team is now in talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem. Sharon is to present his disengagement plan to President George W. Bush in Washington on April 14.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, rejected on Thursday Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's appeal to end suicide attacks against Israel and vowed to continue their fight. The two groups were reacting to comments made by Qurei on Wednesday at a special session of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Qurei said suicide bombings were "morally unacceptable," turned the international community against the Palestinians, and caused extensive damage to the Palestinian cause.

SOCIETY

Sunday Could Become a Day Off in Israel
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Likud MK, Leah Ness, is proposing a new bill aimed to shorten the Israeli workweek from 5.5 to 4.5 days by making Sunday a day off, MAARIV reported. The bill recommends barring the opening of shops and companies on Saturdays, turning Sunday into a day of shopping and entertainment. "In reality, the 1951 Work and Rest Hours Law, which prohibits work on Saturdays, is non-existent, so that Saturday, which was supposed to be the day of rest, turned into the day of shopping", Ness said. "This law can significantly improve the quality of life for all of us". If turned into a law, the legislation will convert the workweek to four nine-hour days (Monday-Thursday). Friday, which for many Israelis is a day off, will become a 5-hour workday with Sundays off. The school system will also adopt the 5-day schedule with longer school days. MK Nahum Langental of the National Religious Party proposed a similar plan in the last Knesset.

Tannenbaum to Be Released to House Arrest
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court ordered today the release to house arrest of former Hezbollah hostage Elhanan Tannenbaum, HA'ARETZ reported. He will be held under house arrest (at his sister's home in Herzliya) for two or three weeks at the end of which the police will decide on how to proceed in the case. Tannenbaum will not be allowed to speak to or contact anyone connected to the probe against him, or discuss his case with relatives. His access to newspaper reading will be restricted, and he will not be permitted to speak to the media or leave the country.
It will be up to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to decide whether to honor the immunity deal reached between Tannenbaum and the state. According to the deal, he would not be indicted for security or criminal infractions, unless found guilty of lies regarding his trip and the military information he gave his captors. Mazuz is expected to order the state to honor the deal, and release Tannenbaum without any restrictions. Defense sources said earlier in the week that the Tannenbaum affair was winding to a close, after security services failed to substantiate the suspicions against him.

POLITICS

Disengagement Plan to Be Brought to Likud Members' Vote
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Prime Minister Airel Sharon has made a decision to bring his disengagement plan to a vote among Likud party members, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Sharon's decision will be voted on tonight at the Likud party convention at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv. The move is intended to bypass the "hawkish" Likud central committee and the troublesome Likud Knesset faction, and instead turn to the party's relatively moderate 300,000 grass-roots members, who would be more likely to give the plan the party's stamp of approval.
The purpose of tonight's convention is to appoint a committee to examine how to vote on hundreds of requests for changes in the party's constitution. Hawks in the Likud want to introduce amendments that would restrict the head of the party's power to relinquish land or dismantle settlement without the central committee's consent.

PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS

Former Palestinian Premier Abbas Hints Arafat Failed Him
Monday, March 29, 2004

Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has dismissed the widely accepted notion that it was Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's lack of gestures that forced him to resign, hinting that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and his inner circle had "thwarted" his mission, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Abbas, who resigned last year following a fierce power struggle with Arafat, described his experience as "painful and bitter" and said he would never consider taking the job again. He was speaking to local journalists in Ramallah for the first time since he quit. "I have no intention of repeating this experience," he said in response to a question whether he would be prepared to accept the post of prime minister again. Abbas lashed out at the PA for failing to enforce law and order and called for implementing security, administrative, and financial reforms in all PA institutions. "The PA must prove its existence, and there's nothing that prevents it from doing so," he said. "There are certain things it must do, first and foremost the unification of all the security forces under one command. We accepted the road map [which calls for security reforms in the PA] and we must implement it so that we can demand our rights."

CULTURE

Madonna to Give Two Concerts in Tel Aviv
Monday, March 29, 2004

Madonna will perform twice this coming September at Tel Aviv's Bloomfield Stadium in front of an expected crowd of 16,000 people at each concert, MA'ARIV reported. The legendary Madonna will be stopping in Israel as part of her world tour. Guy Ritchie, Madonna's husband and manager, will land in Israel next week to check out the stadium. Madonna's Israeli producer, Shuki Weiss, has already hammered out the details for the performances with the Sports Center's managers in charge of Bloomfield Stadium. Most of the audience will stand on the stadium's grass, but seating will be available on the balcony. Some 16,000 tickets will be sold for each performance.