IDF Foils Suicide Bombing Planned for Tel Aviv
Monday, May 10, 2004
Monday, May 10, 2004
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May 10 - 14, 2004
Juma'a's family then contacted the Palestinian Preventive Security and reported that the bomb was at home. Security forces arrived at the scene and blew up the device, which was hidden in a washing machine.Gunmen Open Fire on Memorial Service for Slain Hatuel Family
Monday, May 10, 2004Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Sunday at a memorial service being held on the Kissufim road for Tali Hatuel and her four daughters, who were killed last week in a terror attack on same road, HA'ARETZ reported. The attack caused no casualty. Some 200 people, most of them Gush Katif residents, showed up Sunday evening at the scene of last week's attack to hold a memorial service for the Hatuels. Toward the end of the service, at around 6:45 PM, terrorists hiding in nearby Palestinian homes opened fire on the mourners from a distance of some 300 meters.
Israel Defense Forces soldiers returned fire, killing two of the terrorists.Six Soldiers Killed in Gaza
Tuesday, May 11, 2004Six Israel Defense Forces soldiers from the Givati Brigade were killed in the Gaza Strip this morning, when their armored personnel carrier (APC) was blown up by a bomb, HA'ARETZ reported. IDF sources said the potency of the blast had been compounded by the fact that the APC was carrying explosives used for the demolition of weapons manufacturing workshops run by Palestinian terrorists.
The troops were taking part in a large-scale operation in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitoun, aimed at destroying Qassam rockets production facilities.
In the aftermath of the attack, the IDF split the Gaza Strip into three sections, sealed off the Zeitoun neighborhood and sent in massive reinforcements to assist in the operation to recover the soldiers' bodies and the burned-out APC. GOC Southern Command Major General Dan Harel said that troops looking for the soldiers' bodies were conducting house-to-house searches in the area.
Islamic Jihad and Hamas claimed responsibility for planting the explosive device, weighing dozens of kilograms.
This morning's attack is the deadliest blow dealt to IDF troops since November 2002, when terrorists killed nine soldiers and three security guards in an ambush in the West Bank city of Hebron.Israel Remembers its Fallen Soldiers
Wednesday, May 12, 2004The names of the six Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed when their Armored Personnel Carrier rode over a large explosive device planted by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza early Tuesday morning have been released Tuesday evening, MA'ARIV reported.
> Sergeant Kobi Mizrahi was a resident of Matar near Jerusalem. Kobi is survived by his mother and five older brothers. "Kobi was a very modest person", recalled his cousin Haim Ganon. "We spent our whole lives together. He was supposed to come home on leave this weekend", Ganon said. "Kobi was given the honor of receiving his commander's beret after basic training, we only heard about that now because he was so modest. He was never scared even during the toughest times and always said that we have to contribute as much as possible to this country. We didn't even have the chance to say good bye properly", eulogized Ganon.
Mizrahi's close friend, Hila Avitan, said that Kobi insisted on serving in a combat unit despite all the difficulties involved.
> Sergeant Eytan Newman's family last saw him two days ago when he was granted a short leave to attend his brother's engagement party. On the wall of Eytan's bedroom is a picture of his friends from the army taken during a training exercise. Attached to the photograph is the chilling legend: "Only those that know how to protect their freedom deserve it". Eytan's friends relate how he would use much of his time on leave to volunteer at organizations that provided assistance to people in distress and how he would deliver food packages to those less fortunate when out of uniform.
> Sergeant Aviad Deri, who celebrated his 21st birthday last week, is survived by his parents, Tamar and Hayim, and three younger brothers and sisters. Deri's family moved from Jerusalem to Maaleh Adumim about a month ago.
Ten days ago Aviad was involved in a serious traffic accident but only suffered light injuries. He received several leaves from the army but called his commander and insisted to come back to the unit. Even though he was ordered to stay home, he showed up back at his camp.
> Staff Sergeant Ofer Jerby, from the community of Ben Zakai was the commander of the APC that was destroyed by the bomb. He is survived by his parents Tzipi and Itzik, and three brothers and sisters.
Ofer's mother Tzipi related that she had gotten up on Tuesday with a bad feeling, but couldn't explain why. After hearing of the IDF operation in Gaza she knew that the worst had happened.
Ofer's brother, Shlomi, who also serves in the same Givati Palhan unit, was in the middle of reserve duty at another Gaza sector when he heard that an explosive device had blown up. "I didn't pay much attention to it, " he said. "I knew my brother's unit had been hit but I didn't believe anything had happened to him".
> Sergeant Adaron Amar, from Eilat, is survived by his parents and three younger siblings, an 18-year-old sister and 13-year-old twins. Last Saturday, Adaron didn't come home for vacation and his family instead went to visit him at his Gaza base. It was the last time they saw him. "His mother was always scared, she was very worried something would happen to him", Adaron's friends recalled. "His father supported him and was very proud his son was a member of an elite unit".
His friends added that aside from his unusual name, Adaron also had an unusual personality. He was the genius of his class and graduated with honors. In addition, Adaron volunteered with social organizations and spent many hours tutoring deprived students.
> Staff Sergeant Yaakov (Zelki) Marvizeah, aged 25, was from Kibbutz Hama'apil. He immigrated to Israel two years ago from Serbia. His mother and sister, who still live in Serbia, were only located last night. Yaakov grew up in war struck Yugoslavia. His girlfriend for the last two years, Ma'ayan, recalled, "the civil war was very hard for him. He lived in uncertainty, fear and hunger. In spite of the hardships he took care of his mother, who was a Holocaust survivor, and his sister. He risked his life many times when he swam across the river to bring food home. That was the kind of person he was, responsible and dedicated".
Yaakov, who lost his father at a young age, made aliyah two years ago. "He loved Judaism and Israel, and since he was 16 he read and knew everything there is to know," Maayan said.IDF Searches for Body of Six Slain Soldiers
Wednesday, May 12, 2004Israeli forces are searching for the remains of six of their comrades who were killed on Tuesday in a bombing attack in Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Following the explosion of the army vehicle carrying them, the soldiers' body parts were spread over a 300-meter radius and some of them were confiscated by Palestinians in the area. Security services, which have worked feverishly to locate those in possession of the body parts, confirmed that most of the soldiers' remains had been recovered and passed over to the Israel Defense Forces' Rabbinical Corps. Military operations to collect the remaining parts are underway.
Egypt is reportedly talking to representatives of Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza in an effort to convince them to hand over the remains of the Israeli soldiers. Israel said it would not negotiate for the return of the bodies with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.Five More Soldiers Killed in Gaza
Thursday, May 13, 2004Five Israel Defense Forces soldiers died on Wednesday when their APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that set off the ton of explosives they were carrying in their vehicle, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The force of the blast scattered parts of the APC over a 400-meter radius into the town of Rafah. The five soldiers were identified as:
- First Lieutenant Aviv Hakani, 23, of Ashdod;
- Sergeant Lior Vishinski, 20, of Ramat Gan;
- Sergeant Za'ur Smeilev, 20, of Ofakim;
- First-Sergeant Major Aiman Gadir, 24, of Bir Makhsur;
- Corporal Elad Cohen, 20, of Jerusalem.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack which took place along the Philadelphi Corridor in the southern Gaza Strip. The soldiers were on a mission to detect tunnels dug by Palestinians deep underneath the ground to smuggle arms to terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The APC was carrying over a ton of explosives used to blow up tunnels at the time it was hit. The five soldiers were killed instantly. Three others were wounded.
For the second time in as many days, Israeli troops are searching the Gaza Strip for remains of their fallen comrades. Large IDF forces, including units of the Rabbinical Corps began searching Rafah on the Egyptian border for the remains of five of their comrades. Searches ended in Zeitun, where 6 soldiers were killed on Tuesday in a similar blast. Both searches were conducted under fire from Palestinian gunmen.IDF Searches for Soldiers' Remains in Rafah under Palestinian Fire
Thursday, May 13, 2004A day after five soldiers were killed when their APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) was blown up on the Philadelphi route, the Israel Defense Forces is carrying out large-scale counter-terrorism operations in Gaza, MA'ARIV reported. Early this morning, infantry and armored corps forces, accompanied by Israel Air Force gunship, entered Rafah and took over areas in the outskirts of the city. The operation was intended to separate combat zones from the area where remains of the five soldiers killed could be found. The search in Rafah is continuing under heavy Palestinian fire. During the operation, IDF forces have demolished several structures, as they continue to exchange fire with the Palestinian shooters. Sixteen Palestinians were reportedly killed during the military operation.
Meanwhile, a search is also being conducted on the Egyptian side of the border. The Egyptians have already transferred to Israel body parts recovered on their territory. This afternoon, Prime Minster Ariel Sharon called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and personally thanked him for his assistance in recovering the body parts of the six soldiers killed on Tuesday in Gaza's Zeitun neighborhood. Sharon also asked Mubarak to thank Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who held the contacts with the Palestinians. Mubarak replied that he would be happy to further tighten the cooperation between Egypt and Israel.IDF Reports Casualties as Troops Fight Gaza Terrorists
Friday, May 14, 2004The Israel Defense Forces said that it had suffered casualties during heavy fighting today between troops operating on the Philadelphi Route in the southern Gaza Strip, and Palestinian terrorists in the adjacent Rafah refugee camp, HA'ARETZ reported. Earlier, IDF armored bulldozers began demolishing buildings in the Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Philadelphi Route where five soldiers were killed in a Palestinian attack on an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) on Wednesday. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon explained the APC had been hit by a projectile fired from one of the camp's houses. "There's a process whereby the first row of houses is abandoned and used for digging tunnels for smuggling weapons and cover for shooting," Ya'alon said. "We've been forced to destroy houses here in the past and apparently we'll have to destroy more houses in the future."
The IDF has plans to widen the flashpoint corridor it controls in southern Gaza along the Egyptian border in order to prevent additional terror attacks in the area.
Meanwhile, three Palestinians carrying explosives and approaching soldiers near the Egyptian border were killed overnight. One other Palestinian was killed when a bomb he was carrying exploded in his own hands just outside the Jewish town of Rafah Yam. In addition, one Palestinian man was hit today in an IAF helicopter missile strike on the Rafah refugee camp.Bush Calls on Palestinians to Support Gaza Withdrawal Plan
Wednesday, May 12, 2004U.S. President George W. Bush sent a letter on Tuesday to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, in which he asked him to support Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, MA'ARIV reported. "If the plan is implemented," Bush said in the three-page letter to the Palestinian Prime Minister, "there is a real chance to move forward toward peace and toward the realization of Palestinian national aspirations. The building of the institutions of a Palestinian state could then begin in earnest, in Gaza."
The letter came amid signs of renewed contacts between Washington and the Palestinians, who are furious at unprecedented assurances given by Bush to Israel last month in a bid to support the Gaza Strip pullout plan. But, according to Bush, "the United States will not prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations, including on the borders of a Palestinian state."
"I urge you and your cabinet to seize the moment and undertake practical, positive steps that will meet your road map commitments, will make an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank a turning point, and will truly improve the lives of Palestinians living there", the president added.
Meanwhile, according to HA'ARETZ, Qurei is scheduled to meet U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on May 17 in Berlin. He will travel to Cairo on Friday for a meeting with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, where they will discuss the framework for negotiations between the prime minister and Rice, the highest ranking member of the U.S. Administration to meet with a Palestinian official in recent months. Additionally, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said on Monday he was slated to meet U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell during the coming weekend in Amman.Israel's Growth in 2004, One of Highest Among Western Countries
Monday, May 10, 2004A new projection by the economic weekly "The Economist" reveals that Israel's growth in 2004 (3.4 percent according to the Bank of Israel) is expected to be among the highest amid Western nations, ranking immediately after Australia (3.9 percent) and the United States (4.7 percent), MA'ARIV reported. The projection is based on a comprehensive study prepared by the largest investment houses in the world, including Deutsch Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.
According to GLOBES, Ministry of Finance Accountant General Dr. Yaron Zalika said Israel's current growth rate was already exceeding preliminary projections and should go beyond 4 percent within a year. Zalika said that additional measures to encourage growth and private consumption were likely this year. He declined to give details about the specific measures, but he implied that the Ministry of Finance planned to announce more tax cuts in June-July, provided that tax receipts are higher than originally forecasted.Intel Israel Launches its New Pentium M Processor
Tuesday, May 11, 2004Intel announced the launching of three new Pentium M processors that were developed at Intel's Israeli development center in Haifa under the code name 'Dothan', THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The new chips are the first mobile processors built on Intel's 90-nanometer Intel technology - the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process in the industry. They are faster, and have more cache memory, which increases performance. The 90-nanometer production process produces smaller and faster transistors, and uses strained silicon technology which accelerates the speed of the transistors in order to achieve higher performance- a 17% increase from Intel's last generation of processors.
"Without a doubt, mobile and wireless computing has already reached business users, and this makes Intel's Centrino technology a critical anchor in the deployment of Organizational IT," Dadi Perlmutter, Corporate Vice President and Co-Chairman of Intel's mobile product sector, said. "Intel's Centrino mobile technology will expand and enhance the mobile unwired lifestyle beyond that of the enterprise, and will reach private consumers in the home
and on the go," he added.6 Israeli Start-ups Among Red Herring 100 Top Private Companies
Thursday, May 13, 2004International technology and business magazine Red Herring included in its annual listing of "100 Top Private Companies" six Israeli start-ups, GLOBES reported. According to Red Herring, "the list once again sets the standard as the industry's definitive list of private technology companies impacting the market place, revealing where new fortunes are likely to be made." The Israeli companies are:
- Actimize, which develops a platform for managing financial risk and identifying money laundering in financial organizations and telecommunications companies.
- Allot Communications, which develops solutions for quality of service assurance on communications networks.
- BigBand Networks, which develops solutions for broadband network operators and multimedia services companies.
- Digital Fuel, which develops enterprise services management software.
- Mellanox Technology, develops data aggregation software.
- HyperRoll, which develops InfiniBand semiconductors.
Economy Will Grow at 5 Percent in 2005, Says Netanyahu
Thursday, May 13, 2004Speaking at the Israel Bar Association conference in Eilat on Wednesday, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu predicted a 5 percent growth of the economy for 2005, GLOBES reported. All the treasury senior officials estimate that growth will top 4 percent by the end of the year, and that 2005 will see even better results. Netanyahu said that the tax cuts would continue, and the free market would be strengthened.
In addition to the positive economic growth predictions, Netanyahu also indicated that the government would approve the opening of a casino in the Eilat area and build railway stations in every city with a population above 50,000 within five years. According to HA'ARETZ, part of Netanyahu's economic reform plans includes an emphasis on privatizing Israel's ports. "We will privatize the ports, either by agreement or by legislation," he said.Turkey to Ship Water to Israel this Year
Friday, May 14, 2004Israel will purchase 50 million cubic meters of water each year for 20 years from Turkey beginning later this year, HA'ARETZ reported. The total purchased water from Turkey will account for roughly three percent of Israel's annual fresh water consumption of 1.5 billion cubic meters. Price and cost issues will be handled after Turkey privatizes its Manavgat water business. Giant, specially built tankers will most likely be used as the method to transport the water.
If critics argue that shipping water from Turkey is too expensive and that some of Israel's waters needs can be met by opening up desalinization plant within the next two years, Israelis officials have explained that spending more on water from Turkey is worth it to strengthen ties with the country, which enjoys close military and commercial ties with Israel.Israel Salutes its Army Reservists
Monday, May 10, 2004The nation held its first ever tribute to reservists on Sunday, by honoring exemplary army units, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Eighteen units - mainly combat battalions serving in the West Bank and Gaza as well as two Home Front units and intelligence units - received recognition at the Beit Hanassi presidential residence. The Jerusalem District's reserve battalion of the Home Front was chosen for special recognition for its work, particularly rescuing people following the Versailles wedding-hall collapse in May 2001. The Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Unit of the Central Command in the Home Front was praised for its duty during the Gulf War, when many reservists volunteered their time.
"We can't give them all they deserve, but we can put aside a special day and acknowledge their contribution," Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz said.
Reservists' Day, henceforth an annual event, is celebrated on Lag Ba'omer, the day that traditionally commemorates the cessation of a plague that claimed the lives of the pupils of Rabbi Akiva.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon attributed the extraordinary willingness of reservists to serve in the IDF to the realization that Israel's battle for survival is not yet over, and "that we have no other country, no other army."Israelis to Head to Cleveland for Children's Olympics
Tuesday, May 11, 2004Several hundred of 12 to 15-year-old Israelis from eight different cities will be heading to Cleveland, Ohio at the end of July to take part in the international Children's Olympics, a four-day Olympic-sanctioned event, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The children's games, which began in 1968, are being held in the United States for the first time, with 3,000 children coming from 145 cities around the world.
Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell is presently in Israel to take part in the 22nd Jerusalem Conference of Mayors. Sharing her experience with reporters, Campbell said, "people should understand that you can still see almost everything in the country and be safe. For me, to see the places were Jesus walked is always a very emotional experience."
The mayor, who counts among her residents both an 80,000 strong Jewish community and an equal number of Arab-Americans, said that during this time of tension in Israel the city had been trying to bring its Jewish and Palestinian communities together. The project, termed the Ishmael and Isaac Initiative, has raised money for ambulance services that treat both Jews and Arabs alike in Israel, she said.
