Monday,
April 7
FM:
Israel Will Accept Road Map Only if PA Stops Terror
Israel will not accept the Middle
East road map for peace as long as the Palestinians do not make
an effort to prevent terrorism and cease incitement against Israel,
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom warned Monday. We are not ready to
compromise our security," he told the Knesset Foreign Affairs
and Defense Committee, while briefing the MKs on his meetings last
week in Washington with administration officials. Shalom, who met
with President George Bush, who emphasized America's commitment
to the road map and asked Israel to make gestures to help the designated
Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). (From Ha'aretz)
more
Palestinian
Authority: If Israel Won't Accept Unaltered Road Map, Palestinians
will Continue 'Resistance'
Palestinian Authority Cabinet Secretary
Ahmed Abdel Rahman lashed out at Israel for reportedly making 15
remarks about the road map, saying failure to implement the plan
would prompt the Palestinians to pursue the "resistance to
liberate their homeland." The Palestinians have also expressed
some reservations concerning the road map. But this is the first
time that a top Palestinian official threatens to resort to violence
unless Israel accepts the plan unconditionally. Abdel Rahman is
one of Yasser Arafat's most trusted aides and his statements often
reflect thinking in the Palestinian leader's immediate circle. (From
Jerusalem Post) more
Palestinian,
Jordanian Gunmen Fighting in Baghdad
Military sources are saying that they
know from prisoners of war that the Palestinian and Jordanian fighters
are attempting to reorganize Iraqi resistance in Baghdad. Two journalists
and two military personnel were killed in the coordinated attack
by the Palestinian and Jordanian fighters. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
Palestinians
Boycott US, UK Products
Palestinians have launched a boycott campaign
aimed at American and British products. The decision is clearly
linked to the fatwa, or religious edict, issued Saturday by Sheikh
Ikremah Sabri, who was appointed to the senior post by PA Chairman
Yasser Arafat in 1996. The fatwa bans Muslims worldwide from providing
any kind of assistance to the US and Britain in their war on Iraq.
In Gaza City, hundreds of Fatah activists took to the streets to
celebrate the "defeat" of the US and British troops at
Baghdad Airport. Calling for the launching of suicide attacks against
the invading forces in Iraq, Fatah demonstrators, who were joined
by many passersby and policemen, announced the beginning of an initiative
to boycott all American and British-made products. Some of the activists
later raided shops in Gaza City and confiscated US-made cigarettes
and other goods found on shelves. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Two
Security Guards Attacked Near Kibbutz Metzer in West Bank
Palestinian youths attacked and
injured two Israelis security guards stationed at the separation
fence near Kibbutz Metzer on the West Bank Monday evening. One of
the security guards was stabbed and is in a moderate to serious
condition, reports Army Radio. Two of the attackers fled the scene
into Palestinian territory. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Barak
Speaks at Terrorism Conference
For former Prime Minister Ehud
Barak, the war on terrorism is World War III, and a highly-coordinated
international effort is needed to defeat rogue regimes and halt
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "This war
is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, with success and setbacks.
It may take a generation. But we must destroy world terror or be
destroyed by it," said Barak on Sunday at a conference on global
terrorism organized by Netanya College's International Center for
Strategic Dialogue. Addressing an array of former world leaders
and security officials and intellectuals in New York, Barak said
that the current military action in Iraq could mark a turning point
in this war as a other despots around the globe heed the warning
to shape up or face international wrath. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israeli
Researchers Find Clue to Breast Cancer Treatment
In an important breakthrough, Israeli
biologists have demonstrated that a specific protein causes breast
cancer cells to invade other tissues and acquire properties that
are characteristic of metastatic tumor cells. They hope that chemicals
that block or inhibit this protein may be developed in the near
future could be developed into possible treatments for preventing
the spread of breast cancer. The protein was identified by a team
at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. (From Israel
21c) more
Tuesday,
April 8
FMs
Shalom and Fischer Focus on Improvement of Israeli-European Relations
German Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer told Israeli officials on Monday he was worried by Israel's
deteriorating relationship with Europe. Minister of Foreign Affairs
Silvan Shalom told Fischer he had made improving relations with
Europe a top priority.
Fischer raised the road map issue and asked Shalom about Israel's
reservations. Shalom explained that "the Palestinians expect
to get a state at too early a stage and not at the end of the process."
He added: "We need the concession on the right of return early,
and not at the end of the process, as opposed to the [1993] Oslo
accords, which also put the Palestinian state at the end of the
process."
Shalom criticized Fischer's slated meeting with Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat, warning that it would "not contribute
to the peace process and only give Arafat the feeling he is in control
and thus weaken Abu Mazen." (From Ha'aretz) more
Military
Intelligence Chief: Abu Mazen Intends to Take Action Against Terror
Newly appointed Palestinian prime
minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) intends to bring about a shift
from terror and armed resistance to a diplomatic process, Military
Intelligence Chief Brigadier General Aharon Ze'evi said Tuesday
at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. According
to Ze'evi's estimate, alongside the chances of success for the new
Palestinian government there are chances that Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat will underminine Abu Mazen. The military
intelligence chief said that another threat to the Palestinian government's
success is that lessons learned in the past will be forgotten, and
that Palestinians will not halt terrorist attacks or dismantle terror
bases. (From Ha'aretz) more
IDF
Uncovers Weapons Smuggling Tunnel Under Israel-Egypt Border
An IDF force uncovered a tunnel used for
smuggling weapons under the Israel-Egypt border, between the Egyptian
and Palestinian parts of Rafiah. The tunnel was discovered during
an IDF operation in which holes were dug and blown up in order to
collapse other tunnels in the area. (From Jerusalem
Post)
Arab-Israeli
Judge Appointed to Supreme Court
Minister of Justice Yosef Lapid
appointed Haifa District Court judge Salim Joubran as acting Supreme
Court Justice until the end of the year. Joubran's appointment -
Lapid's first judicial appointment - will help reduce the workload
of the other Supreme Court Justices and serve as a good-will gesture
toward the Arab population of Israel. Joubran was recommended by
Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak who said he was a suitable
candidate for the position.
Upon taking office, Lapid had said he would appoint an Israeli-Arab
to the Supreme Court at a permanent position. Legal sources believe
that if Joubran's 'trial' period were successful, he would become
the first Israeli-Arab to become a permanent Supreme Court Justice.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Wednesday,
April 9
IDF:
4 Terrorists Killed Attempting Kassam Missile Launch
IDF elite Golani troops successfully
prevented the launching of Kassam missiles from Gaza today. The
IDF spokesperson said that an anti-terror operation went into effect
in the area of Beit Hanoun early Wednesday after IDF intelligence
learned that members of Hamas were about to attack the Negev town
of Sderot. An IDF force intercepted four terrorists as they were
about to launch Kassam missiles and killed the Palestinians in a
gun battle. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Study
Shows Coexistence Programs Help Ease Jewish-Arab Tensions
Coexistence programs are an effective
means of helping to reduce tension between Jews and Israeli Arabs,
despite the violent events of the past two and a half years. This
is one of the main findings of a survey conducted by the University
of Haifa's Center for Research on Peace Education among Jewish and
Arab teenagers who participated in such programs and others who
had not and acted as a control group. The survey found that participants
had more positive feelings towards the other community and to peaceful
coexistence even a year after taking part in a program. These teenagers
expressed more trust in their counterparts than those in the control
group, and were more prepared to make contact or become closer to
one another. Those who took part in coexistence programs also showed
more willingness to learn the language of their Arab or Jewish counterparts,
while expressing greater readiness to act as peace ambassadors and
recommend joint meetings to their friends. Only one of the issues
examined went contrary to expectations. Jewish participants felt
Arabs hated the Jewish people more than did those in the control
group. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Histadrut,
Treasury Reach Agreement, Planned Strike Postponed Indefinitely
The general strike that was set
to begin Thursday morning has been indefinitely postponed, it was
announced Wednesday evening following a meeting between the Finance
Ministry and the Histadrut Labor Federation. The 10-day-old public
sector work stoppages will also come to a halt and government employees
will return to work Thursday morning. Notice that the strike was
will be called off followed hours of negotiations between the Histadrut
and the treasury. (From Ha'aretz) more
Last
Jew to Leave Iraq?
"Jacob," a 55-year-old
Iraqi Jew from Baghdad, escaped to freedom in Europe last month,
becoming the last member of the country's dwindling Jewish community
to flee Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In an interview with Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society (HIAS) officials in Europe, Jacob said he crossed the
border days before the US-led coalition began bombing Baghdad. Jews
are forbidden to emigrate legally from Iraq, but Jacob said he had
recently received a passport from the government after retiring
from his job as an engineer for the state. He also told HIAS that
given the chance, he believes most Iraqi Jews will jump at the chance
to leave Baghdad. "It's ironic and sad that this is the cradle
of Jewish civilization, this where it all began," said a HIAS
official. According to the JDC's executive vice president, Steven
Schwager, 35 Jews remain in Iraq today, down from a pre-1948 population
of more than 100,000. Several more Jews are thought to reside in
Kurdish areas in the North. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Thursday,
April 10
Terrorists
Kill Two Sleeping Soldiers; Top Islamic Jihad Man Killed
In
the West Bank, Palestinian gunmen of the Al-Aksa Brigades and the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine infiltrated an IDF
Golani training base in the Jordan Valley early Thursday. They killed
two soldiers, Staff Sergeant Yigal Lipshitz, 20, of Rishon Lezion
and St. Sgt. Ofer Sharabi, 21, of Givat Shmuel, and wounded nine
others before the troops subdued the attackers, killing one at the
camp and another after a chase.
A senior Islamic Jihad terrorist was killed Thursday in a targeted
strike on his vehicle in Gaza City. The Islamic Jihad man killed
was identified by Palestinian sources as Mahmud Zatme, 30, of the
southern Gaza town of Rafiah. (From Jerusalem Post) more
New
Book Chronicles the True Stories of IDF Soldiers who Fought in Jenin
In the spring of 2002, Palestinian terrorists
initiated an unprecedented terror bombing campaign against Israeli
civilians, including the Passover eve bombing of Netanya's Park
Hotel, in which 29 Israelis were killed and 140 people were injured.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Defensive
Shield, with the intention of destroying the infrastructure of terrorism
in Palestinian towns and villages. The stories of the Israeli soldiers
who fought in Jenin, where 13 of their comrades were killed in one
deadly burst of Palestinian bomb blasts and gunfire exactly one
year ago today, have never been properly told - until now.
In A Psalm in Jenin, a just-released book, written by Brett
Goldberg and published by Modan Press, the reader can at last follow
the soldiers into the field and read of their experiences, their
hard-fought victories and their painful losses. Goldberg, an Israel
Insider columnist, writes of the melting pot of IDF reservists from
all walks of life, looking out for buddies and maintaining their
sanity and humanity as they take on the Palestinian terrorists in
the city of Jenin, rigged with booby-traps and known throughout
Israel as Suicide City. (From Israel Insider) more
SLU
Nurses Learn Anti-Terrorism Techniques in Israel
When nurses want the truth, they
call other nurses. So when St. Louis University nurses wanted to
know how to handle the aftermath of a terrorist attack, they called
on nurses in Israel. The result was a whirlwind trip to Jerusalem,
the first online anti-terrorism training course for nurses in the
United States, a partnership between a Jesuit university and Jewish
teaching hospital. Now, 55 nurses from 16 states and Mexico are
enrolled in the online program. (From St. Louis Post-Dispatch) more
Friday,
April 11
Experts:
Saddam's Fall Alters Israel's Strategic Situation
From depriving the families of
Palestinian suicide bombers of a $10,000 dividend, to placing Syria
in a geographic vice, to removing the threat of a hostile eastern
front, diplomatic officials and experts believe Saddam Hussein's
fall will have immediate strategic ramifications for Israel. "Today
the Arab countries will realize more than ever that Israel has the
strongest ally in the world, and this will have an impact on our
standing in the region," said former Foreign Ministry director-general
Eitan Bentsur. One Foreign Ministry official said one of the likely
U.S. demands of Syria now will be to rein in Hizballah. In addition,
the fall of Saddam will reduce the need for Israel to prepare for
biological and chemical warfare, and it could also limit regional
nuclear proliferation, with Iran perhaps now thinking twice about
whether it is worth developing weapons of mass destruction. This
development could also save Israel billions of shekels in defense
costs. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Arabic
Daily Rails Against Israeli Arab Terror
The Al-Ahali Arab-language
daily, published independently in Sakhnin in the Galilee and distributed
throughout Israel, called Tuesday on the Israeli Arab leadership
"to deal seriously" with the growing involvement of Israeli
Arabs in terror, following the recent arrest of six Israeli Arabs
and the sentencing of five others on terror-related charges. "For
how long will the Palestinian catastrophe continue under the shadow
of various unrealistic and inhuman ways of thinking that provide
Israel with excuses?" said an editorial, quoting figures released
by the Shin Bet security service that show that 77 Israeli Arabs
were involved in terror in 2002. "On the moral, political,
and religious planes, is there any reason to kill civilians in terror
attacks? With what right can a person bomb a coffee shop, school,
or club in the name of Palestine?" (From Ha'aretz) more
Jerusalem
Museum Helps Jewish, Arab Children Find "Common Ground"
Jewish
and Arab schoolchildren, residents of western and eastern Jerusalem
who normally wouldn't have anything to do with each other, are afforded
an opportunity to meet on neutral ground in a program initiated
and developed by the Bible Lands Museum of Jerusalem. The young
participants in "The Image of Abraham" are able to utilize
the museum's rich educational resources to focus on the role of
Abraham as Patriarch and trace the common elements in Arab and Jewish
heritage, the bases of contemporary Arab and Jewish cultures. One
hundred and thirty Arab and Jewish children, ages 9 - 10, from the
Paula Ben-Gurion School in Jerusalem's Rehavia neighborhood and
from the El-Tzal'a school in the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of east
Jerusalem took part in this year's program. The Director of Programming
described the project as a powerfully effective coexistence effort
in desperately difficult times in Jerusalem" and noted that
the atmosphere of the project is "positive, happy and festive."
(From Israel Insider) more
Electronic
Version of Israel Campus Beat (ICB) Launched
The Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations and Israel on Campus Coalition announced
the launch this week of Israel Campus Beat (ICB), an electronic
newsletter for college students. Already distributed to thousands
of students every Sunday, the ICB, which is compiled by the Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs, includes news and opinion pieces from
the US, European and Middle East news sites, think tanks and college
newspapers; student-authored articles and links to Israel-related
websites. A subscription to ICB, which is free, is available at
www.israeloncampuscoalition.org.
(From Jerusalem
Post)
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