Monday,
April 14
Israel
Lowers Alert - Israelis Dismantle Sealed Rooms, Store Gas Mask Kits
Israel on Sunday lowered its state
of alert regarding a feared attack from Iraq, telling citizens they
no longer need to carry gas masks and keep a sealed room in their
homes, the Defense Ministry said. But Patriot and Arrow anti-missile
systems will remain in place for now, the ministry said. 12,000
reserve soldiers called up at the start of the war, many for manning
air defense units, will be able to go home. (From Ha'aretz) more
Arafat
Rejects Abu Mazen's Cabinet
On Sunday, Palestinian Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat ejected a reformist cabinet proposed by incoming Palestinian
prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), a step which may delay
and further complicate efforts to launch the internationally sponsored
"road map" for Middle East peace. A Fatah Central Committee
meeting Sunday evening in the West Bank city of Ramallah exploded
over the cabinet list. Arafat, who attended the meeting, is demanding
changes to the appointments. Arafat's opposition to the ministerial
list was likely to disappoint Washington, which has repeatedly tied
the release of the long-awaited peace "road map" leading
to the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005 must await the installation
of an Abu Mazen-led cabinet. (From Ha'aretz) more
Muslims
Rescue Baghdad's Jewish Community Center
Iraqi Muslims came to the aid of
Baghdad's tiny Jewish community on Saturday, chasing out looters
trying to sack its cultural center in the heart of the capital.
"At 3:00 a.m., I saw two men, one with a beard, on the roof
of the Jewish community house and I cried out to my friend, 'Hossam,
bring the Kalashnikovs!'" said Hassam Kassam, 21. Neither Hassan
nor Hossam, who is the guard at the center, was armed at the time
but the threat worked in scaring off the intruders. Two hours later,
the looters returned again and Hassan Kassem used the trick once
more. "We are defending the synagogue like all houses on the
street and we will not let anyone touch it," said Edward Benham,
a 19-year-old computer science student. The young Christian said
Jews normally come each Saturday. In the Batauin district near the
Saddun commercial artery, the entrance of a large synagogue is blocked
by an immense iron portal. The way onto the street is obstructed
by trees and chairs. A self-defense militia formed Friday to fight
back against bandits. (From Ha'aretz) more
Shooting
at LA Airport El Al Counter Ruled Terrorist Act
An Egyptian immigrant's deadly
attack on an Israeli airline ticket counter last year has been ruled
a terrorist attack related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
an FBI spokesman said Friday. "Given his political views and
the fact that El Al is an Israeli government-owned airline, that
met the criteria for a terrorist attack," said Matthew McLaughlin,
a spokesman for the Los Angeles field office of the FBI. Hesham
Mohamed Hadayet, 41, opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport's
El Al ticket counter on July 4 last year, killing two people before
being shot dead by an airline security guard. "The investigation
developed information that he openly supported the killings of civilians
in order to advance the Palestinian cause," McLaughlin said.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Tuesday,
April 15
Two
Israelis Shot Dead at Gaza Border; IDF Officer Killed in Nablus
Two Israelis were killed Tuesday
at the Karni terminal, where goods move between Israel and the Gaza
Strip, when a Palestinian gunman entered the terminal hurling hand
grenades and spraying automatic weapons fire. Seven other Israelis
were also injured. The gunman, Mohammed Yunis, an 18-year-old from
the Jabaliyah refugee camp, was killed by security personnel. Hamas
claimed responsibility for the attack. "Palestinian terrorists
are totally dedicated to attacking Israelis at absolutely any location
and at any moment, and we saw this today at the Karni terminal,"
said David Baker, an official in the prime minister's office. Baker
also stressed the importance of the Karni terminal for both Palestinian
commerce and the Palestinian economy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lt. Daniel Mandel, 24, was killed and two soldiers
in his Nahal unit were injured, one seriously, in an exchange of
gunfire in Nablus. (From Ha'aretz) more
PM
Sharon: Israel Will Not Miss Peace Opportunity with Palestinians
Addressing the Likud party at a
ceremonial toast before the Passover holiday, Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon said that he would not miss an opportunity to make peace
with the Palestinians. "We will decide which way we go, but
I have no intention of missing this opportunity. If we see that
the Palestinian partner learned the lesson and is takes serious
action against terror, it will be possible to move forward faster
than you think," he said. Sharon added that Israel would not
compromise the security of its citizens.
"I am confident the U.S. will give serious consideration to
our views as the process moves forward," Dov Weisglass, Sharon's
chief of staff, said in a statement late Monday. "The Americans
will consider taking into account the long-standing commitment of
the U.S. to the security of the state of Israel and the need to
end terror in order to realize peace in the Middle East," the
statement said. (From Ha'aretz) more
Afghan
FM Interested in Normalizing Ties with Israel
Afghanistan's foreign minister
has approached his Israeli counterpart, expressing interest in normalizing
relations between the two countries, an Israeli Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ron Prosor said Monday. Prosor said the Afghan foreign
minister, Abdullah Abdullah, informed Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom
that Afghanistan was interested in working together with all "peace-loving
countries". The two countries have never had diplomatic relations,
but in informal talks in Kazakhstan last June, interim Afghan President
Hamid Karzai told then-Israeli Housing Minister Natan Sharansky
that a formal dialogue could get under way after Afghan elections,
which the international community wants to see held next year. After
the fall of the Taliban, Afghan factions set up a transitional administration
during December 2001 talks in Bonn, Germany. They also set out to
purge themselves of their country's recent Islamic fundamentalist
past. (From Ha'aretz) more
Wednesday,
April 16
94%
of Israeli Jews to Attend Seder; Rice, Fleischer Join Israeli Ambassador
Some 94 percent of Israeli Jews
will be at a seder to mark the first night of Passover on Wednesday,
according to a poll by Gesher, the secular-religious dialogue group.
Some 100,000 of them will do so at a hotel, says the Israel Hotel
Association. Eilat hotels are expecting a 80-90 percent occupancy
rate this Passover, while Dead Sea hotels look set to be 85-90 percent
full.
U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and White House spokesman
were to attend a seder at the home of Israeli Ambassador to the
U.S. Danny Ayalon, Israel Radio reported. (From Ha'aretz) more
Sharon:
'After Abu Mazen Forms his Government, I Plan to Begin Talks With
Him'
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
will invite his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, for talks
once he has been sworn in, the Israeli leader said in an interview
published Wednesday. However, Sharon said that if Abbas, also known
as Abu Mazen, is not granted broad authority it would hurt chances
of reaching a peace deal. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat should
not be the one still "pulling the strings," said Sharon.
"After Abu Mazen forms his government I plan to begin talks
with him. I will not wait for any mediators," Sharon said in
an interview with the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Two
Suicide Terrorists Captured
IDF anti-terror troops captured
Tuesday night two Arab terrorists who were preparing to depart for
suicide attacks. An explosives belt that was to be used by one of
the Arabs was confiscated. The first arrest occurred at the IDF’s
Tamun checkpoint, some 28 miles east of Netanya. The terror suspect
was identified as Mohammed Besharat of the Islamic Jihad group.
Besharat’s explosives belt included 15 explosive charges surrounded
by over 1,000 nails, packed in to increase injury. The second arrest
took place in Tul Karm, located 10 miles east of Netanya. Abbed
El Rachman Achmud of the Hamas terrorist organization was apprehended
and according to military officials, he too was preparing for an
attack in a nearby Israeli city. (From Arutz Sheva) more
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