November 15-19, 2004

• SECURITY
  • Submarine Entered Israeli Waters
  • Ghaleb Awali Martyrs' Group Fires Two Katyushas Rocket at Israel
  • Lebanon Describes Katyusha Fire As Terror; Sets Roadblocks in South
  • Saddam Hussein's Representative in West Bank Convicted on Terror Charges
  • PM Sharon Apologizes After IDF Mistakenly Kills 3 Egyptian Troops
• PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
  • Fatah Gunmen Storm Arafat's Mourning Tent, Kill Two of Abbas' Bodyguards
  • Israel Fears Extremists Backed by Iran May Try to Kill Abbas
  • Abbas Attempts to Restore Order Ahead of Palestinian Elections
• DIPLOMACY
  • NATO Invites Israel for Joint Exercises for First Time
  • Quartet Foreign Ministers Travel to Mideast Next Week to Revive Road Map
  • Palestinians Reject Sharon's Offer to Resume Peace Talks
  • Bush Says Mideast Peace Is His Top Priority
• WORLD
  • Turkish Jews, Muslims Mark First Anniversary of Istanbul Bombings
• DISENGAGEMENT PLAN
  • More than 25 Percent of Gaza Settlers Asked for Pullout Info
• HOME
  • Israel Has Highest Birth Rate in West
  • Yad Vashem to Launch Web Database of Holocaust Victims

 

SECURITY

Submarine Entered Israeli Waters
Monday, November 15, 2004

The Israeli Navy said today that it believes the submarine detected last week inside Israel's territorial waters off the shores of Nahariya belongs to a Western navy, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Overnight on November 9-10, the Navy detected a submarine off the northern coast of the country, after it had penetrated two nautical miles into Israel's territorial waters, about 11 miles from shore.
Military sources said today that the submarine had probably been on an espionage mission, but that it could also have "strayed" into Israeli waters before it was detected. Navy defenses detected a "submerged" object, which they later classified as a submarine, but sources refused to reveal further details about its size. Israel's Navy immediately dispatched surface vessels to intercept the submarine. The Navy's 'Satil' and 'Dabur' boats could not reach their target in time, and the submarine slipped out of Israeli territorial waters before the confrontation. The IDF reacted to the penetration of Israel's territorial waters as a "hostile act". Helicopters and other measures were also deployed in the hunt for the submarine. "The main thing is that it was detected, and therefore it failed in its mission," a senior military officer said.

 

Ghaleb Awali Martyrs' Group Fires Two Katyushas Rocket at Israel
Tuesday, November 16, 2004

A little-known organization, the Martyr Ghaleb Awali Group, has claimed responsibility for the firing from Lebanon of two katyusha rockets on the western Galilee Monday night, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. One rocket landed near the town of Shlomi and the second landed in the sea, causing no casualties. The group, which claimed responsibility for a similar attack several weeks ago, vowed to launch more attacks in the future. The group is named after senior Hezbollah member Ghaleb Awali, who was killed in Beirut. Awali was the main linkman between Hezbollah and the Palestinians, coordinating Hezbollah's support of Palestinian terror against Israel since the outbreak of violence four years ago.
Following the katyusha attack, Israel has again warned the Lebanese government that it holds it responsible for attacks emanating from Lebanese territory. Security officials said the attack was likely carried out by Palestinians operating out of Lebanese refugee camps. The officials said that Hezbollah controlled Lebanon's border with Israel and that all security events are coordinated with the Shi'ite terrorist group.

 

Lebanon Describes Katyusha Fire As Terror; Sets Roadblocks in South
Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Lebanese Information Minister Eli Firzli said today that the Katyusha attack that hit Israel on Monday night was an act of terrorism, and indicated that the army had erected roadblocks in the southern part of Lebanon in order to deter terrorists from firing more rockets across the border, HA'ARETZ reported. In an interview to the London-based A-Shark al Awsat newspaper, Firzli said the Katyusha fire was terrorism and that whoever was behind it was responsible for the anticipated Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
Two Katyusha rockets were fired at Israel on Monday night, by a previously unknown Lebanese group. One of the rockets fell in the sea off the Lebanese coast, and the second landed close to the northern town of Shlomi. There were no injuries or damage caused. Hezbollah denied any connection to the strike.
There has been no Israel Defense Forces response to the rocket attack. Three weeks ago, a Palestinian group had fired a Katyusha a northern Israel.

 

Saddam Hussein's Representative in West Bank Convicted on Terror Charges
Wednesday, November 17, 2004

A former representative of Saddam Hussein in the West Bank has been sentenced to eight years in prison and fined NIS 5 million, MA'ARIV reported. Rakad Salameh, a resident of Ramallah, was convicted of felonies that included arms dealing and bringing in funds from enemy states into Israel. According to the indictment, when Salameh served as the leader of the pro-Iraqi "Arab Liberation Front" in the West Bank and Gaza, he received over $15 million from Iraq, which had been given to families of suicide bombers and terrorists engaged in attacks against Israel. Salameh was arrested by an elite Israel Defense Forces unit in an office building in central Ramallah two years ago. According to defense officials, he was the representative of the former Iraqi dictator on the West Bank and financially supported many families of suicide bombers.

 

PM Sharon Apologizes After IDF Mistakenly Kills 3 Egyptian Troops
Thursday, November 18, 2004

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon apologized to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today after an Israel Defense Forces tank crew mistakenly fired on and killed three members of the Egyptian security forces near the Israel-Egypt border in the Rafah area of Gaza early this morning, HA'ARETZ reported. Mubarak told Sharon that Egypt accepted the apology and understood that the incident had been a mistake. However, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned what it called irresponsible Israeli conduct and demanded an immediate investigation.
Sharon said in his phone call to Mubarak that the shooting was a mistake and promised the IDF would conduct an investigation and share any findings with Egypt. He also said Israel would help Egypt with anything it wanted.
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim called the incident "regrettable and grave in its outcome."
The Israeli tank crew, operating near the Philadephi Route border strip that runs between the Palestinian and Egyptian halves of the divided border town of Rafah, apparently believed the three Egyptians were terrorists planting a bomb, and then opened fire.

 

PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS

Fatah Gunmen Storm Arafat's Mourning Tent, Kill Two of Abbas' Bodyguards
Monday, November 15, 2004

Fatah gunmen stormed a tent set up for the mourners of Yasser Arafat in Gaza City on Sunday evening and opened fire to protest against the presence in the tent of PLO Head Mahmoud Abbas and former security minister Muhammed Dahlan, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Two Palestinian policemen - who were among scores of security officers guarding Abbas and Dahlan - were killed in the ensuing gun battle, which lasted for more than 10 minutes. Abbas was unhurt, but his bodyguards threw him to the ground as the shooting intensified.
Palestinian security officials revealed today that this was not the first incident of its kind to erupt in the Gaza Strip since the death of Arafat last week.
The Sunday attack occurred shortly after Abbas and Dahlan arrived at the tent to receive condolences for the death of Arafat. Eyewitnesses said a group of 30 gunmen, clad in green and belonging to one of Fatah's splinter groups, raided the tent while chanting, "Abbas, Dahlan, go away, you American agents." The gunmen, who were not masked, also chanted slogans in praise of Arafat.
"When they came close to Abbas, some of them opened fire from their automatic rifles," said a Palestinian journalist who was in the area. In addition to Abbas and Dahlan, a large number of senior Palestinian officials were inside the tent when the gun battle erupted. They included General Musa Arafat, overall commander of the National Security Forces in the Gaza Strip; General Amin al-Hindi, head of the General Intelligence; Saeb al-Ajez, commander of the Civil Police; and Nasser al-Kidwa, the PLO's representative to the UN, who is a nephew of Yasser Arafat.

 

Israel Fears Extremists Backed by Iran May Try to Kill Abbas
Tuesday, November 16, 2004

The defense establishment is worried that extremist Palestinians under Iranian influence might try to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas, the new head of the PLO, in the near future, HA'ARETZ reported. Defense officials do not believe that Sunday's incident, in which armed Palestinians fired at Abbas's entourage, killing two guards, was aimed at Abbas himself. Rather, said one senior defense official, it was meant as a warning: that Abbas should not leave armed Fatah activists from Gaza, who are identified with Mussa Arafat and Tanzim leader Ahmed Hilas, out of the circle of power.
Abbas, the official noted, has openly opposed terrorism and the anarchy in the territories ever since violence began in September 2000, and tried to implement this approach during his half-year stint as Palestinian prime minister, under Yasser Arafat, in 2003.
Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, however, are vehemently opposed to even a temporary Palestinian reconciliation with Israel, and they are therefore pressing terrorist organizations in the territories to step up attacks against Israel. The Israel Defense Forces are bracing for a spate of such attacks in the coming days, after the Id al-Fitr holiday.
Iran's first move, defense officials said, will be to try to foil Abbas's plans for a cease-fire. However, they added, Iran views Abbas as a threat, and would therefore not hesitate to target him personally, along with his close associate, Mohammed Dahlan, if efforts to reach a truce seem likely to succeed.

 

Abbas Attempts to Restore Order Ahead of Palestinian Elections
Thursday, November 18, 2004

Mahmoud Abbas, the new PLO chief, promised Wednesday to ensure calm and to take steps to halt the use of illegal arms and stem the chaos prevailing in some Palestinian areas, ahead of the January 9th elections for president of the Palestinian Authority, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. In his first media interview since Yasser Arafat's death last week, Abbas, a likely candidate for the presidency, said that Israel had to cease military action in the West Bank and Gaza. He said steps would be taken to end the public display of arms, and that the PA would act firmly against anyone who violates the law. The new PLO chief, however, stopped short of saying whether action would be taken against those planning attacks on Israel.
Meanwhile, three men, all from the West Bank, announced Wednesday their intentions to run in the January election. Sheik Talal a-Sidr, a 51-year-old from Hebron and a co-founder of Hamas, said he would campaign on a program for continuing the policies of Yasser Arafat. A-Sidr left Hamas and served as a minister and adviser to Arafat.
Another candidate is Abdel a-Sattar Kassam, 56, who lives in Nablus. He is a lecturer in political science at a-Najah University. Kassam was a strong critic of Yasser Arafat's policies and the Palestinian Authority security services. He was jailed for two years by Israel and expelled from Amman University in Jordan for political militancy. Ghassam Barham, a lawyer from Jenin, has also announced his intention to run. Abbas is likely to shortly announce his candidacy for the PA presidency.

 

DIPLOMACY

NATO Invites Israel for Joint Exercises for First Time
Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Israel has received an unprecedented invitation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to take part in a series of multinational military exercises and anti-terror maneuvers, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. As part of NATO's efforts to rejuvenate the decade-old Mediterranean Dialogue program, members from Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania and Jordan have been attending a two-day NATO meeting in Brussels since Tuesday. It is the first time the aforementioned countries take part in a NATO project. NATO is hoping to receive assistance with its counter-terror patrols monitoring shipping in the Mediterranean Sea.
Meanwhile, while on an official visit to Poland, Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz invited today Poland's Minister of Interior Ryszard Klisz to send a delegation to Israel to study the steps and technologies used by the Israel Defense Forces to secure Israel's borders, including the security fence separating the West Bank from Israel. Mofaz's offer came during a meeting with Klisz who stressed the importance of securing his country's eastern border and setting up border control checkpoints and 30 control centers, which he described as necessary steps Poland must take in light of its recent acceptance as a member of the European Union. Earlier today, Mofaz signed a memorandum with Jerzy Hausner the Polish Minister of Finance, to enhance industrial ties between the two countries. At an official ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday, Mofaz handed over to his Polish counterpart the first of 2765 Israeli-made Spike LR antitank rockets Poland has purchased for its army over a 10-year period.

 

Quartet Foreign Ministers Travel to Mideast Next Week to Revive Road Map
Thursday, November 18, 2004

Foreign ministers from countries backing the stalled road map initiative for Middle East peace - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week in hopes of restarting peace talks in the wake of Yasser Arafat's death, HA'ARETZ reported. The announcement sent a strong sign that the international community is ready to dive back into Middle East diplomacy and get the road map back on track. The plan, which aims to create an independent Palestinian state by 2005, has been stalled almost since it was signed in June 2003.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would visit the West Bank next week, after a visit Monday by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Spanish and German foreign ministers are also expected in the coming weeks, Sha'ath said.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev confirmed the upcoming visits by the foreign ministers, saying the talks would focus on how to move forward in the post-Arafat era. "Everyone is very excited. Now that he's not there, there is renewed momentum," Regev said, adding: "We want the road map back on track too."

 

Palestinians Reject Sharon's Offer to Resume Peace Talks
Friday, November 19, 2004

The Palestinian Authority has rejected a gesture made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday aimed at facilitating the resumption of peace talks between the sides, HA'ARETZ reported. Speaking before a crowd of Likud members, Sharon said he did not expect the new Palestinian leadership to immediately dismantle terrorist organizations - something he has previously made an absolute condition - before Israel could enter negotiations. Instead, the Prime Minister requested that the PA end incitement against Israel and change its education system.
"I don't intend to waste time and my plan is to find any way, when the new Palestinian leadership is ready to open talks, to begin to advance our relations with the Palestinians," Sharon said.
The PA rejected Sharon's offer, saying he should drop all conditions for dialogue. "(The Israelis) should begin by abandoning their policy of setting conditions and stop their incitement (against the Palestinians)," Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said in response.

 

Bush Says Mideast Peace Is His Top Priority
Friday, November 19, 2004

U.S. President George W. Bush told Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom on Thursday that promoting peace in the Middle East was the top priority of his administration, MA'ARIV reported. The two met during the inauguration of the Bill Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. According to Bush, the appointment of Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State is a positive signal on the continuation of the U.S. involvement in the region. Shalom told Bush that he had spoken to Rice, who said that her first visit in her new position would be to the Middle East.
Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic visits is planned for next week. Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive in Jerusalem on Monday. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is slated to arrive, while on Wednesday Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu El-Gheit and Egyptian chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman will hold a round of talks in the PA and Jerusalem. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw will close the busy week on the following day.

 

WORLD

Turkish Jews, Muslims Mark First Anniversary of Istanbul Bombings
Monday, November 15, 2004

Turkish Jews and Muslims cried in the rain and recited prayers of mourning today as they marked the first anniversary of suicide bombings that struck two Istanbul synagogues in attacks blamed on a local Al-Qaida cell, HA'ARETZ reported. Some 60 people were killed on Nov. 15th, 2003 in attacks on the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues and in similar attacks five days later on the British Consulate and a London-based bank. Most of the dead were Turkish Muslims.
Today local officials, religious leaders, and family and friends holding photos of the victims laid red and white carnations on the streets where the suicide truck bombers detonated their explosives. A ceremony was held outside each synagogue and about 100 people attended each service.
"We're here today to show our national unity," Silvyo Ovadya, president of Turkey's Jewish Community, said at the memorial services. "Those who aimed to hurt Turkish Jews actually hurt Turkey." Outside Neve Shalom, Nermin Sahin, whose son Murat, a Muslim shopkeeper was killed, loudly shouted, "damned be the terrorists who killed my son."
Turkish prosecutors have said that Osama bin Laden suggested targets for an attack in Turkey and that his al-Qaida network later funded the Turkish Islamists who carried out the attacks.

 

DISENGAGEMENT PLAN

More than 25 Percent of Gaza Settlers Asked for Pullout Info
Tuesday, November 16, 2004

The head of the Disengagement Administration, Yonatan Bassi, said today that between one quarter and one third of Gaza Strip settlers slated for removal under the terms of the disengagement plan had requested information on the compensation packages they are entitled to receive, HA'ARETZ reported. Speaking a press conference in Jerusalem to mark the launch of the administration's Web site, Bassi said he believes that there will be a significant increase in the number of people requesting information on the evacuation once the Knesset passes the legislation for the disengagement plan ("Evacuation-Compensation" bill). He refused, however, to identify the settlements in which a large concentration of residents had asked for information. The Web site provides information on the details of the disengagement plan, which calls for the evacuation of every settlement in the Gaza Strip and four others in the northern West Bank.

 

HOME

Israel Has Highest Birth Rate in West
Wednesday, November 17, 2004

A report on the status of women in Israel in 2004 presented recently by the Israel Women's Network to the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women indicates that Israeli women have the highest average number of children in the Western world, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The Israeli average is 2.89 compared to 2.5 in Turkey and 2 in the United States. Of mothers in Israel, some 97,000 are single parents, and 64 percent of them are Jewish. Single mothers head 10 percent of families in Israel compared to 17 percent in other Western countries.
Women represent 50.7 percent of Israel's population, meaning that for every 100 men there are 103 women, whereas in the world at large there are 99 women for every 100 men.
The average marrying age for Jewish women is 24.5, and for Muslim women 20.5. In Europe the average marrying age for women is 27.

 

Yad Vashem to Launch Web Database of Holocaust Victims

Yad Vashem will inaugurate Monday an Internet database listing the names of three million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, THE JERUSALEM POST. The online "Central Database for Shoah Victims' Names" - which will be accessible free of charge via a link on Yad Vashem's Web site, www.yadvashem.org - will be the largest database of Holocaust victims in the world, the chairman of Yad Vashem's directorate, Avner Shalev, said.
The introduction of the state-of-the-art $22 million database, which was originally slated to be up and running last spring, is one of the major events Yad Vashem is planning to mark its jubilee year, which is to culminate with the opening of a new ultra-modern Holocaust History Museum in March.
The database includes the names of some 3.2 million Holocaust victims, 2.2 million of which were compiled from "Pages of Testimony" filled out by survivors and relatives of Holocaust victims over the decades.
An additional 1 million names were taken from deportation and census lists in Yad Vashem's archives.
Internet users will be able to submit unrecorded names of Holocaust victims via the site. Yad Vashem hopes to get as many as 5 million names of Holocaust victims into the database in the coming year.

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