from The Spectator.co.uk: by Rod Liddle (these are brief exerpts only,- follow this link to the full 3-page article) ...
...According to the Daily Telegraph, a Muslim barrister who ‘advises’ the Prime Minister has said that Mr Blair is the victim of a sinister conspiracy between the Freemasons and the Jews, who control him and took us to war in Iraq. ...in Britain you can believe such paranoid, irrational gibberish and not merely be tolerated and excused the eponym ‘barking madman’ but actually be invited to divulge your stupidity to the Prime Minister personally. Because you are a Muslim and such poisonous paranoia is sort of expected from you...you get to have your fantasies indulged.
...Mr Blair’s other Muslim advisers have reportedly told him to scrap the Holocaust Memorial Day because it is offensive to Muslims. ... Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, refused to attend the events organised for Holocaust Memorial Day...his views are bang in line with those of almost all ‘moderate’ Muslim spokespeople. And again, rather than worry a little about Sacranie’s mental health when he boycotts the memorial day or speaks of Osama bin Laden as a respected ‘scholar’, we knight the bugger.
These are strange and disquieting double standards. I can think of no male politician who has been more steadfast in his determination to uproot the ‘hate crime’ of homophobia than the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. ...But he will share a platform with and offer kind words to a stone-age Muslim cleric who is comfortable with the notion of homosexuality being classed as a capital offence....
When Islam appears on the agenda, the goalposts are moved: the normal rational thought processes are not applied. Suddenly those Left-liberal shibboleths are not very important: they can be forgotten. Append the description ‘Muslim’ to anyone and all bets are off; he or she can get away with pretty much anything, be it the execution of homosexuals or the idea that Jews and Freemasons are running the government....
Monday, September 19, 2005
Arab public scorns relations with Israel
From Ynet News 19/9/2005...
Some Arabs reject their government's friendliness to Jewish State; Egyptian man says Israel can never be trusted, 'treason runs in their blood' Associated Press
While some Arab and Muslim governments may be ready to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel following the Gaza withdrawal, many in the Arab world scorned the idea Friday.
Israel has been reaping diplomatic benefits since it began its now-completed withdrawal weeks ago. Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have held high-level public meetings with Israeli officials. On Friday, the king of Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel, met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the sidelines of a U.N. world summit.
After Qatar's foreign minister said Wednesday that Arab nations should reciprocate Israel's Gaza pullout with greater peace steps, many Arabs responded by rejecting any rapprochement with Israel as long as it occupies Palestinian and Syrian land.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss called for an Arab League meeting to take measures to "check this sweeping, ominous tide."
. . .But Qatar's overt gestures may be part of a growing momentum to improve ties with Israel.
'Most would do the same'
Hazem Saghieh, a senior Lebanese columnist with the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper, said "most Arab countries, if they can be sure that public reaction can be controlled, would do what Qatar is doing. Some countries who are against this may take a different stand when their turn comes — and have justifications ready for their actions," he said, speaking from London.
Since the Gaza pullout, Arab countries are encouraging efforts to renew and expand peacemaking as a way to ease the Palestinian conflict and blunt the influence of Islamic militants, who are using discontent about the Palestinians and the war in Iraq to stir up unrest worldwide.
At an Arab summit in March, Jordan proposed normalizing relations with Israel before it makes any concessions on Arab land — a major change to the current policy of promising normalization only after a full peace. Arab leaders quickly shot down the idea, but there were reports that several countries, particularly Morocco, Qatar and Oman, were considering moving ahead with ties anyway. . . .
Warming up
On Thursday — a day after his speech in New York praising the Gaza withdrawal — Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani told reporters it was possible to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel before the formation of a Palestinian state. Then he held a closed-door meeting with his Israeli counterpart. Some in the Arab world questioned the motives of Qatar, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, saying it was pandering to American wishes.
The United States is making efforts to "end the Arab and Muslim political and economic boycott of Israel" at this week's U.N. General Assembly, said Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric, during his Friday prayer sermon. "The only condition for America's friendship with any country goes through relations with Israel," he said.
In Yemen, Marwan al-Absi, a 28-year-old photographer, said Qatar is "a tiny nation that wants to be great. ... Qataris love the limelight and they love to please the Americans."
Nadira Omran, a prominent Jordanian actress, said the move was a result of "the absence of Arab values. The Palestinian cause is no longer an Arab priority" . . .
In Egypt — the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel in a 1979 treaty — Sayed Mohammed, a 58-year-old museum employee, rejected any gestures to Israel over the Gaza pullout. "These people can never be trusted. Treason runs in their blood," he said, forcefully shaking his head. "They were occupying a land they're not entitled to. ... It was resistance and foreign pressure that prompted them to withdraw."
Mohsen al-Awajy, an Islamist lawyer in Saudi Arabia, said Arab governments' actions do not reflect their people's wishes. "The masses have chosen their own tools of expression, and Iraq is the best example of that," he added, referring to the anti-U.S. insurgency.
Some Arabs reject their government's friendliness to Jewish State; Egyptian man says Israel can never be trusted, 'treason runs in their blood' Associated Press
While some Arab and Muslim governments may be ready to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel following the Gaza withdrawal, many in the Arab world scorned the idea Friday.
Israel has been reaping diplomatic benefits since it began its now-completed withdrawal weeks ago. Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have held high-level public meetings with Israeli officials. On Friday, the king of Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel, met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the sidelines of a U.N. world summit.
After Qatar's foreign minister said Wednesday that Arab nations should reciprocate Israel's Gaza pullout with greater peace steps, many Arabs responded by rejecting any rapprochement with Israel as long as it occupies Palestinian and Syrian land.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss called for an Arab League meeting to take measures to "check this sweeping, ominous tide."
. . .But Qatar's overt gestures may be part of a growing momentum to improve ties with Israel.
'Most would do the same'
Hazem Saghieh, a senior Lebanese columnist with the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper, said "most Arab countries, if they can be sure that public reaction can be controlled, would do what Qatar is doing. Some countries who are against this may take a different stand when their turn comes — and have justifications ready for their actions," he said, speaking from London.
Since the Gaza pullout, Arab countries are encouraging efforts to renew and expand peacemaking as a way to ease the Palestinian conflict and blunt the influence of Islamic militants, who are using discontent about the Palestinians and the war in Iraq to stir up unrest worldwide.
At an Arab summit in March, Jordan proposed normalizing relations with Israel before it makes any concessions on Arab land — a major change to the current policy of promising normalization only after a full peace. Arab leaders quickly shot down the idea, but there were reports that several countries, particularly Morocco, Qatar and Oman, were considering moving ahead with ties anyway. . . .
Warming up
On Thursday — a day after his speech in New York praising the Gaza withdrawal — Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani told reporters it was possible to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel before the formation of a Palestinian state. Then he held a closed-door meeting with his Israeli counterpart. Some in the Arab world questioned the motives of Qatar, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, saying it was pandering to American wishes.
The United States is making efforts to "end the Arab and Muslim political and economic boycott of Israel" at this week's U.N. General Assembly, said Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric, during his Friday prayer sermon. "The only condition for America's friendship with any country goes through relations with Israel," he said.
In Yemen, Marwan al-Absi, a 28-year-old photographer, said Qatar is "a tiny nation that wants to be great. ... Qataris love the limelight and they love to please the Americans."
Nadira Omran, a prominent Jordanian actress, said the move was a result of "the absence of Arab values. The Palestinian cause is no longer an Arab priority" . . .
In Egypt — the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel in a 1979 treaty — Sayed Mohammed, a 58-year-old museum employee, rejected any gestures to Israel over the Gaza pullout. "These people can never be trusted. Treason runs in their blood," he said, forcefully shaking his head. "They were occupying a land they're not entitled to. ... It was resistance and foreign pressure that prompted them to withdraw."
Mohsen al-Awajy, an Islamist lawyer in Saudi Arabia, said Arab governments' actions do not reflect their people's wishes. "The masses have chosen their own tools of expression, and Iraq is the best example of that," he added, referring to the anti-U.S. insurgency.
Sharon set to defend his leadership
From Ynetnews - News 19/9/2005...
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaves New York on way back to Israel, prepares for Likud battle against Benjamin Netanyahu. PM's associates confident Sharon will win, dismiss reports he has decided to leave ruling party
Attila Somfalvi, New York
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was scheduled to leave New York Sunday on his way back to Israel, after a week of diplomatic success and a warm reception by world leaders.
. . . Sharon will return . . . to Israel's internal political swamp, which the prime minister left last week, allowing his Likud rivals Benjamin Netanyahu and Uzi Landau to take the stage uninterrupted.
Meanwhile, Sharon's close associates dismissed reports suggesting the prime minister has already decided to leave the ruling Likud party, saying such decision was never taken.
. . . On September 26, members of the Central Committee will be asked to vote on pushing primaries for the party’s leadership forward, in what is seen as a direct challenge aimed at toppling the prime minister.
Sharon’s associates criticized those quoted in the Israeli media as saying the PM decided to leave the Likud and said their comments stemmed from personal motives and caused damage.
. . .During his first days back in Israel, Sharon is expected to mainly deal with political matters and is set to prepare for the Central Committee battle, with the main objective being an attempt to curb the momentum in favor of Netanyahu.
Shalom to back PM
. . .Sources close to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he too will undertake efforts to prevent a Likud split and will help Sharon win the upcoming Likud vote. Shalom associates told Ynet the main objective is to reject the proposal to push forward the primaries, thus leaving Sharon as head of the party and the country.
. . .Meanwhile, despite Sharon’s trip, his close advisors and activists within the Likud continued to act intensively in order to ensure his victory. According to estimates, if voter turnout rates are high enough, the Prime Minister will be able to defeat the early primaries proposal on September 26.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaves New York on way back to Israel, prepares for Likud battle against Benjamin Netanyahu. PM's associates confident Sharon will win, dismiss reports he has decided to leave ruling party
Attila Somfalvi, New York
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was scheduled to leave New York Sunday on his way back to Israel, after a week of diplomatic success and a warm reception by world leaders.
. . . Sharon will return . . . to Israel's internal political swamp, which the prime minister left last week, allowing his Likud rivals Benjamin Netanyahu and Uzi Landau to take the stage uninterrupted.
Meanwhile, Sharon's close associates dismissed reports suggesting the prime minister has already decided to leave the ruling Likud party, saying such decision was never taken.
. . . On September 26, members of the Central Committee will be asked to vote on pushing primaries for the party’s leadership forward, in what is seen as a direct challenge aimed at toppling the prime minister.
Sharon’s associates criticized those quoted in the Israeli media as saying the PM decided to leave the Likud and said their comments stemmed from personal motives and caused damage.
. . .During his first days back in Israel, Sharon is expected to mainly deal with political matters and is set to prepare for the Central Committee battle, with the main objective being an attempt to curb the momentum in favor of Netanyahu.
Shalom to back PM
. . .Sources close to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he too will undertake efforts to prevent a Likud split and will help Sharon win the upcoming Likud vote. Shalom associates told Ynet the main objective is to reject the proposal to push forward the primaries, thus leaving Sharon as head of the party and the country.
. . .Meanwhile, despite Sharon’s trip, his close advisors and activists within the Likud continued to act intensively in order to ensure his victory. According to estimates, if voter turnout rates are high enough, the Prime Minister will be able to defeat the early primaries proposal on September 26.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Officials fear Hamas terror from Gaza
From Ynetnews - News
Hamas cells may come in through porous Gaza-Egypt border, stage attacks on Israel, security officials warn
Ronny Sofer
Large quantities of weapons, including anti-tank missiles, have been pouring into the Gaza Strip through the porous Egyptian border, IDF and Shin Bet officials warned Friday.
Security officials are concerned that in the coming weeks terror cells will launch Qassam rockets from Gaza and also fear an increase in attempted terror attacks by Hamas cells originating from Rafah that would attempt to reach Israeli population centers through the Egyptian border.
According to intelligence assessments, terror experts are being brought into the Gaza Strip in a bid to recover Palestinian terror capabilities in the near future. According to a senior security official, individuals possessing in depth terror-related knowledge may have entered Gaza in recent days through Rafah.
The security establishment is also concerned about the transfer of raw materials earmarked for the Qassam rocket industry, a move that could boost the range of Qassams and allow them to hit the southern town of Ashkelon, north of Gaza.
“We have prepared and warned this could happen,” sources in the IDF Southern Command said. “To our regret, for the time being the border in Rafah remains porous. If the Egyptians wanted to, they would completely seal off the border within an hour.”
“For the time being, the Egyptians are not doing enough, and in our estimate the quantity of weapons and terror experts who are moving in constitutes a threat that could see a rise in terror from Gaza,” one source said. “Unfortunately, this threat could materialize in the near future.”
Border mayhem continues
Thousands of Palestinians broke through Egyptian and Palestinian Authority lines on the Gaza border for a second day Friday, pouring into Egypt in defiance of government attempts to secure the frontier.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas toured the Rafah border Friday and met with senior Egyptian officials.
“We are working with our brothers, the Egyptians, to close the openings so the situation will be under control in 2-3 days,” he said.
Witnesses reported that armed Palestinians, mainly Hamas and Popular Resistance Committees members, have recently managed to create an additional opening in the fence by ramming a truck into it. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands of Palestinians were able to cross the border before PA police forces were able to control the scene.
Ali Waked contributed to the story
Hamas cells may come in through porous Gaza-Egypt border, stage attacks on Israel, security officials warn
Ronny Sofer
Large quantities of weapons, including anti-tank missiles, have been pouring into the Gaza Strip through the porous Egyptian border, IDF and Shin Bet officials warned Friday.
Security officials are concerned that in the coming weeks terror cells will launch Qassam rockets from Gaza and also fear an increase in attempted terror attacks by Hamas cells originating from Rafah that would attempt to reach Israeli population centers through the Egyptian border.
According to intelligence assessments, terror experts are being brought into the Gaza Strip in a bid to recover Palestinian terror capabilities in the near future. According to a senior security official, individuals possessing in depth terror-related knowledge may have entered Gaza in recent days through Rafah.
The security establishment is also concerned about the transfer of raw materials earmarked for the Qassam rocket industry, a move that could boost the range of Qassams and allow them to hit the southern town of Ashkelon, north of Gaza.
“We have prepared and warned this could happen,” sources in the IDF Southern Command said. “To our regret, for the time being the border in Rafah remains porous. If the Egyptians wanted to, they would completely seal off the border within an hour.”
“For the time being, the Egyptians are not doing enough, and in our estimate the quantity of weapons and terror experts who are moving in constitutes a threat that could see a rise in terror from Gaza,” one source said. “Unfortunately, this threat could materialize in the near future.”
Border mayhem continues
Thousands of Palestinians broke through Egyptian and Palestinian Authority lines on the Gaza border for a second day Friday, pouring into Egypt in defiance of government attempts to secure the frontier.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas toured the Rafah border Friday and met with senior Egyptian officials.
“We are working with our brothers, the Egyptians, to close the openings so the situation will be under control in 2-3 days,” he said.
Witnesses reported that armed Palestinians, mainly Hamas and Popular Resistance Committees members, have recently managed to create an additional opening in the fence by ramming a truck into it. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands of Palestinians were able to cross the border before PA police forces were able to control the scene.
Ali Waked contributed to the story
Ynetnews - News - Hamas: Sharon's efforts will only make us stronger
From Ynetnews - News 17/9/2005
The prime minister's warning to exclude Hamas from the Palestinian elections will make it stronger, says spokesman
Ali Waked
Hamas spokesman Moshir al-Masri told Ynet that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's warning to the Palestinian Authority not to include Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian elections would 'only strengthen us.'
Masri was responding to comments made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who said that Israel would 'make every effort' not to help the Palestinian Authority hold elections if Hamas took part in them.
Invasion Threats
Masri also said that Hamas's participation in the elections would not spell the end for its war on Israelis.
He added that Hamas was a large and powerful movement, and that no party could ignore it.
"Sharon's words only make us stronger," he said. "We reject this despicable interference by Sharon, and no one will tell us what to do. These things only strengthen our determination and our devotion to our rights," said Masri.
He added: "Sharon's strategy is to split the Palestinian street, but this won't affect our nation which understands that these things were not said out of concern for Palestinian interests. These comments will only make us stronger among our people. We are determined to take part in the elections out of a will to build a new political life, and to build what the Israeli occupation destroyed."
Not giving up on "resistance"
The Hamas spokesman also emphasized that "under no circumstances would we give up on the resistance option, which is our strategic choice. Our people know that this strategy of resistance is what brought us the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, after long years of useless negotiations."
While meeting foreign journalists in New York, Sharon said that if Hamas were to take part in the elections, "We would make every effort not to help them (the Palestinian Authority). I don't think they can hold elections without our help.
The prime minister's warning to exclude Hamas from the Palestinian elections will make it stronger, says spokesman
Ali Waked
Hamas spokesman Moshir al-Masri told Ynet that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's warning to the Palestinian Authority not to include Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian elections would 'only strengthen us.'
Masri was responding to comments made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who said that Israel would 'make every effort' not to help the Palestinian Authority hold elections if Hamas took part in them.
Invasion Threats
Masri also said that Hamas's participation in the elections would not spell the end for its war on Israelis.
He added that Hamas was a large and powerful movement, and that no party could ignore it.
"Sharon's words only make us stronger," he said. "We reject this despicable interference by Sharon, and no one will tell us what to do. These things only strengthen our determination and our devotion to our rights," said Masri.
He added: "Sharon's strategy is to split the Palestinian street, but this won't affect our nation which understands that these things were not said out of concern for Palestinian interests. These comments will only make us stronger among our people. We are determined to take part in the elections out of a will to build a new political life, and to build what the Israeli occupation destroyed."
Not giving up on "resistance"
The Hamas spokesman also emphasized that "under no circumstances would we give up on the resistance option, which is our strategic choice. Our people know that this strategy of resistance is what brought us the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, after long years of useless negotiations."
While meeting foreign journalists in New York, Sharon said that if Hamas were to take part in the elections, "We would make every effort not to help them (the Palestinian Authority). I don't think they can hold elections without our help.
Iranian president attacks West, Israel
From Ynetnews - News 17/9/2005
Tells U.N.: 'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent others from being armed with peaceful technology,'; says 'Palestine should be freed'
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country had 'the inalienable right to produce nuclear fuel' and accused the United States of violating global nuclear treaties.
'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent other countries from being armed with peaceful technology. There are a few sides who are using threats, and their power to abuse others with the help of their control of the press,' said Ahmadinejad
He did not suffice with attacking Israel, and condemned the host nation, saying that the "the United States violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Saddam's regime used chemical weapons against Iran. Who armed him with these weapons?"
Returning to his verbal attack on Israel, Ahmadinejad said, "When the people of Palestine resist the occupation they are accused of terror, while the oppressors are supported, the ones claiming that they are fighting terror. The land of Palestine should be liberated and a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital should be established," said the Iranian president.
He defended his country's nuclear policy, and didn't forget to attack the 'Zionists' here too, saying, "all nations should be allowed to have nuclear fuel. Iran has a right to a nuclear program. A committee should investigate how nuclear means were obtained by the Zionist regime."
"Bad Intentions"
Earlier, the Iranian president told CNN that "the United States has bad intentions towards Iran," an hour before his scheduled address to the United Nations.
The Iranian president said he would defend his country's "right" to enrich uranium, and called for the creation of a special U.N. committee to limit the spread of atomic weaponry.
He added that Iran planned to "guard its rights."
Asked whether Iran would use the oil weapon as a political tool in the nuclear dispute, Ahmadinejad said, "I think any intelligent, healthy, smart human being should use every resource in order to maintain his or her freedom and independence."
The foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France met with Ahmadinejad on Saturday on the sidelines of the U.N. conference in New York.
During the meeting, British secretary of state Jack Straw said that the countries of the European Union hoped to avoid a need to submit the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security council.
Straw also added that the European countries would decide their next step only after hearing Ahmadinejad's U.N. speech.
There had been some speculation that the Iranian president will, in the course of his speech, suggest new ways to solve the nuclear crisis with the United States and European Union.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said that if diplomatic attempts fail, the Security Council would deal with the crisis.
Yizhak Benhorin contributed to this report
Tells U.N.: 'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent others from being armed with peaceful technology,'; says 'Palestine should be freed'
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country had 'the inalienable right to produce nuclear fuel' and accused the United States of violating global nuclear treaties.
'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent other countries from being armed with peaceful technology. There are a few sides who are using threats, and their power to abuse others with the help of their control of the press,' said Ahmadinejad
He did not suffice with attacking Israel, and condemned the host nation, saying that the "the United States violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Saddam's regime used chemical weapons against Iran. Who armed him with these weapons?"
Returning to his verbal attack on Israel, Ahmadinejad said, "When the people of Palestine resist the occupation they are accused of terror, while the oppressors are supported, the ones claiming that they are fighting terror. The land of Palestine should be liberated and a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital should be established," said the Iranian president.
He defended his country's nuclear policy, and didn't forget to attack the 'Zionists' here too, saying, "all nations should be allowed to have nuclear fuel. Iran has a right to a nuclear program. A committee should investigate how nuclear means were obtained by the Zionist regime."
"Bad Intentions"
Earlier, the Iranian president told CNN that "the United States has bad intentions towards Iran," an hour before his scheduled address to the United Nations.
The Iranian president said he would defend his country's "right" to enrich uranium, and called for the creation of a special U.N. committee to limit the spread of atomic weaponry.
He added that Iran planned to "guard its rights."
Asked whether Iran would use the oil weapon as a political tool in the nuclear dispute, Ahmadinejad said, "I think any intelligent, healthy, smart human being should use every resource in order to maintain his or her freedom and independence."
The foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France met with Ahmadinejad on Saturday on the sidelines of the U.N. conference in New York.
During the meeting, British secretary of state Jack Straw said that the countries of the European Union hoped to avoid a need to submit the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security council.
Straw also added that the European countries would decide their next step only after hearing Ahmadinejad's U.N. speech.
There had been some speculation that the Iranian president will, in the course of his speech, suggest new ways to solve the nuclear crisis with the United States and European Union.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said that if diplomatic attempts fail, the Security Council would deal with the crisis.
Yizhak Benhorin contributed to this report
Sharon threatens to hamper Palestinian elections
From ABC News Online: Sunday, September 18, 2005. 6:08am (AEST)
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has threatened to withhold Israeli cooperation if the Islamic militant group Hamas takes part in Palestinian legislative elections, which are due in January.
---Mr Sharon says Israel could choose to leave roadblocks in place in the West Bank, making it difficult for voters to reach polling stations. . . .we completely oppose Hamas's participation in the elections as long as they haven't given up their weapons,' he said. 'In Gaza, we can no longer influence Hamas' participation ... but in other places, we won't cooperate with anything.'
He also says the radical movement, which has been behind most of the suicide bombings in the last five years of violence, needed to change its charter which calls for the destruction of Israel.
The Palestinian leadership has reacted angrily to Mr Sharon's threat. "The Palestinian election is an internal Palestinian issue," Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
"All Palestinians have a right to participate in this election and in our political life. I think this is another Israeli tactic to stop the progress in the peace process."
. . .The US appears reluctant to get involved in the dispute, with US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack saying the issue needs to be resolved by the Palestinians.
"Palestinian people will need to resolve the fundamental contradiction of groups wanting to keep one foot in the political process and one foot in the camp of terror," he said. However, he stresses that under terms of the US-backed peace road map, which aims at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Palestinian Authority was obliged "to dismantle terrorist networks".
But he says the US administration will work with both sides "to bridge any differences concerning the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections".
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has threatened to withhold Israeli cooperation if the Islamic militant group Hamas takes part in Palestinian legislative elections, which are due in January.
---Mr Sharon says Israel could choose to leave roadblocks in place in the West Bank, making it difficult for voters to reach polling stations. . . .we completely oppose Hamas's participation in the elections as long as they haven't given up their weapons,' he said. 'In Gaza, we can no longer influence Hamas' participation ... but in other places, we won't cooperate with anything.'
He also says the radical movement, which has been behind most of the suicide bombings in the last five years of violence, needed to change its charter which calls for the destruction of Israel.
The Palestinian leadership has reacted angrily to Mr Sharon's threat. "The Palestinian election is an internal Palestinian issue," Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
"All Palestinians have a right to participate in this election and in our political life. I think this is another Israeli tactic to stop the progress in the peace process."
. . .The US appears reluctant to get involved in the dispute, with US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack saying the issue needs to be resolved by the Palestinians.
"Palestinian people will need to resolve the fundamental contradiction of groups wanting to keep one foot in the political process and one foot in the camp of terror," he said. However, he stresses that under terms of the US-backed peace road map, which aims at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Palestinian Authority was obliged "to dismantle terrorist networks".
But he says the US administration will work with both sides "to bridge any differences concerning the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections".
Friday, September 16, 2005
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Hamas: Haifa, Jaffa are next
From Ynetnews - News 14/9/05 by Ali Waked
Tens of thousands attend huge Hamas celebration in Gaza Strip; group leader al-Zahar vows to continue liberation journey until Islam's flag is raised over Jerusalem, . . .says Hamas would never agree to disarm. 'Zionist enemy only understands language of force,' he says
Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told tens of thousands of excited Palestinians at a Gaza Strip rally Tuesday his organization would continue to fight Israel following the withdrawal from Gaza, and vowed to liberate Haifa and Jaffa from the hands of its Zionist occupiers.
Al-Zahar, who was the keynote speaker, said the victory was achieved thanks to the blood of assassinated Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin, Abdul Aziz Rantisi, and other martyrs. “We know our people is expecting us to continue the liberation journey, until the flag of Islam is raised over Jerusalem,” he said. Al-Zahar also said his group would continue to refuse calls to disarm.
“This is the weapon we used to crush the heads of the Zionist enemies. This weapon is at the service of the people and homeland…we won’t use it against anyone, but it must be in our hands because Jerusalem awaits us,” he said.
“The Zionist enemy knows no other language aside from the language of fire directed on him by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades,” he said. “We’ll continue to develop our arms industry.”
Al-Zahar’s remarks came several hours after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, in a televised speech, vowed to end the weapons anarchy in the PA.
The Hamas leader added that according to his group’s strategy, “This land should not have any Zionists in it,” and said the Palestinian people and his movement would never renounce the right of refugees to return to Palestine.
“If we cannot complete the victory, we’ll hand over the flag of the struggle to our sons, who will complete the journey,” he said.....
Tens of thousands attend huge Hamas celebration in Gaza Strip; group leader al-Zahar vows to continue liberation journey until Islam's flag is raised over Jerusalem, . . .says Hamas would never agree to disarm. 'Zionist enemy only understands language of force,' he says
Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told tens of thousands of excited Palestinians at a Gaza Strip rally Tuesday his organization would continue to fight Israel following the withdrawal from Gaza, and vowed to liberate Haifa and Jaffa from the hands of its Zionist occupiers.
Al-Zahar, who was the keynote speaker, said the victory was achieved thanks to the blood of assassinated Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin, Abdul Aziz Rantisi, and other martyrs. “We know our people is expecting us to continue the liberation journey, until the flag of Islam is raised over Jerusalem,” he said. Al-Zahar also said his group would continue to refuse calls to disarm.
“This is the weapon we used to crush the heads of the Zionist enemies. This weapon is at the service of the people and homeland…we won’t use it against anyone, but it must be in our hands because Jerusalem awaits us,” he said.
“The Zionist enemy knows no other language aside from the language of fire directed on him by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades,” he said. “We’ll continue to develop our arms industry.”
Al-Zahar’s remarks came several hours after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, in a televised speech, vowed to end the weapons anarchy in the PA.
The Hamas leader added that according to his group’s strategy, “This land should not have any Zionists in it,” and said the Palestinian people and his movement would never renounce the right of refugees to return to Palestine.
“If we cannot complete the victory, we’ll hand over the flag of the struggle to our sons, who will complete the journey,” he said.....
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Antiglobalism's Jewish Problem
"Antiglobalism's Jewish Problem" by Mark Strauss Foreign Policy, was published on 12 November 2003 on YaleGlobal Online. This review and exerpts are even more relevant today...
Review
Anti-Semitism is again on the rise, says Mark Strauss, a senior editor for Foreign Policy. Globalization is being pinned on the Jews, the traditional 'villain' of capitalism, and thus the Jewish people are being blamed for all perceived negative effects of increased market integration, Strauss writes. In the Middle East especially, where economies are stagnant everywhere but Israel, 'Islamists and secular nationalists alike portray globalization as the latest in a series of US-Zionist plots to subjugate the Arab world,' says Strauss. Israelis now have to defend their right to sovereignty against not only Arab activists but also anti-globalization figureheads like the French farmer Jose Bove. Within the rhetorical war against globalization, neo-Nazis have links on their websites to the writings of Noam Chomsky and other leftist intellectuals. Even more disturbingly, some leftist anti-globalization activists have been willing to advertise books that promote both anti-globalization and anti-Semitic principles. This willingness to allow anti-Semitism within the anti-globalization movement has scared some intellectuals, but, Strauss argues, too few pay it enough attention.
Exerpts
Anti-Semitism is again on the rise. Why now? Blame the backlash against globalization. As public anxiety grows over lost jobs, shaky economies, and political and social upheaval, the Brownshirt and Birkenstock crowds are seeking solace in conspiracy theories. And in their search for the hidden hand that guides the new world order, modern anxieties are merging with old hatreds and the myths on which they rest.
...The time frame for this resurgence of judeophobia corresponds with the intensification of international links that took place in the 1990s. "People are losing their compass,...A worldwide stock market, a new form of money, no borders. Concepts like country, nationality, everything is in doubt. They are looking for the ones who are guilty for this new situation and they find the Jews."
The backlash against globalization unites all elements of the political spectrum through a common cause, and in doing so it sometimes fosters a common enemy ...The new anti-Semitism is unique because it seamlessly stitches together the various forms of old anti-Semitism: The far right's conception of the Jew (a fifth column, loyal only to itself, undermining economic sovereignty and national culture), the far left's conception of the Jew (capitalists and usurers, controlling the international economic system), and the "blood libel" Jew (murderers and modern-day colonial oppressors).
...Jews have always aroused suspicion and contempt as a people apart...But modern anti-Semitism made its debut with the emergence of global capitalism in the 19th century. When Jews left their urban ghettos and a small but visible number emerged as successful bankers, financiers, and entrepreneurs, they engendered resentment among those who envied their unfathomable success, especially given Jews' secondary status in society.
....With familiar anxieties come familiar scapegoats. ...Modern-day resentment against the perceived power of international financial institutions has merged with old mythologies. The 19th century had its Rothschilds; the current era has had Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin at the U.S. Treasury Department, Alan Greenspan at the U.S. Federal Reserve, James Wolfensohn at the World Bank, and Stanley Fischer at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad once lashed out against "Jews who determine our currency levels, and bring about the collapse of our economy."
The spokesman for the Jamaat-i-Islami political party in Pakistan complained: "Most anything bad that happens, prices going up, whatever, this can usually be attributed to the IMF and the World Bank, which are synonymous with the United States. And who controls the United States? The Jews do."
Economic chaos in Zimbabwe, where a once thriving Jewish community of 8,000 has dwindled to just 650, prompted President Robert Mugabe to deliver a speech declaring that the "Jews in South Africa, working in cahoots with their colleagues here, want our textile and clothing factories to close down."
...Opposing the policies of the Israeli government does not make the new left anti-Semitic. But a movement campaigning for global social justice makes a mockery of itself by singling out just the Jewish state for condemnation.
...The consequences of embracing a double standard toward Israel are all too apparent at antiglobalization rallies. ...Worldwide, protesters carry signs that compare Sharon to Hitler, while waving Israeli flags where the Star of David has been replaced with the swastika. Such displays portray Israel as the sole perpetrator of violence, ignoring the hundreds of Israelis who have died in suicide bombings and the role of the Palestinian Authority in fomenting the conflict. And equating Israel with the Third Reich is the basest form of Holocaust revisionism, sending the message that the only "solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is nothing less than the complete destruction of the Jewish state.
...Some Jewish groups sympathetic to many of the antiglobalization movement's goals have mistakenly chosen to remain on the outside. Jewish voices need to be raised when the shouting of the militants threatens to drown out other issues. ...In that spirit, Rabbi Joseph Klein told his congregation at a synagogue in Michigan ..."We will have to develop a strategy that allows us to participate in the effort to bring social equity and economic justice to all people, while at the same time distancing ourselves from these newest purveyors of (anti-Semitism)...."
He concluded his sermon by quoting from Pirkei Avot, the Jewish book of ethics: "It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to withdraw from it."
Follow this link to the full article.
Also see this transcription of a Symposium: Leftist Anti-Semitism, By Jamie Glazov FrontPageMagazine.com September 19, 2003
Review
Anti-Semitism is again on the rise, says Mark Strauss, a senior editor for Foreign Policy. Globalization is being pinned on the Jews, the traditional 'villain' of capitalism, and thus the Jewish people are being blamed for all perceived negative effects of increased market integration, Strauss writes. In the Middle East especially, where economies are stagnant everywhere but Israel, 'Islamists and secular nationalists alike portray globalization as the latest in a series of US-Zionist plots to subjugate the Arab world,' says Strauss. Israelis now have to defend their right to sovereignty against not only Arab activists but also anti-globalization figureheads like the French farmer Jose Bove. Within the rhetorical war against globalization, neo-Nazis have links on their websites to the writings of Noam Chomsky and other leftist intellectuals. Even more disturbingly, some leftist anti-globalization activists have been willing to advertise books that promote both anti-globalization and anti-Semitic principles. This willingness to allow anti-Semitism within the anti-globalization movement has scared some intellectuals, but, Strauss argues, too few pay it enough attention.
Exerpts
Anti-Semitism is again on the rise. Why now? Blame the backlash against globalization. As public anxiety grows over lost jobs, shaky economies, and political and social upheaval, the Brownshirt and Birkenstock crowds are seeking solace in conspiracy theories. And in their search for the hidden hand that guides the new world order, modern anxieties are merging with old hatreds and the myths on which they rest.
...The time frame for this resurgence of judeophobia corresponds with the intensification of international links that took place in the 1990s. "People are losing their compass,...A worldwide stock market, a new form of money, no borders. Concepts like country, nationality, everything is in doubt. They are looking for the ones who are guilty for this new situation and they find the Jews."
The backlash against globalization unites all elements of the political spectrum through a common cause, and in doing so it sometimes fosters a common enemy ...The new anti-Semitism is unique because it seamlessly stitches together the various forms of old anti-Semitism: The far right's conception of the Jew (a fifth column, loyal only to itself, undermining economic sovereignty and national culture), the far left's conception of the Jew (capitalists and usurers, controlling the international economic system), and the "blood libel" Jew (murderers and modern-day colonial oppressors).
...Jews have always aroused suspicion and contempt as a people apart...But modern anti-Semitism made its debut with the emergence of global capitalism in the 19th century. When Jews left their urban ghettos and a small but visible number emerged as successful bankers, financiers, and entrepreneurs, they engendered resentment among those who envied their unfathomable success, especially given Jews' secondary status in society.
....With familiar anxieties come familiar scapegoats. ...Modern-day resentment against the perceived power of international financial institutions has merged with old mythologies. The 19th century had its Rothschilds; the current era has had Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin at the U.S. Treasury Department, Alan Greenspan at the U.S. Federal Reserve, James Wolfensohn at the World Bank, and Stanley Fischer at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad once lashed out against "Jews who determine our currency levels, and bring about the collapse of our economy."
The spokesman for the Jamaat-i-Islami political party in Pakistan complained: "Most anything bad that happens, prices going up, whatever, this can usually be attributed to the IMF and the World Bank, which are synonymous with the United States. And who controls the United States? The Jews do."
Economic chaos in Zimbabwe, where a once thriving Jewish community of 8,000 has dwindled to just 650, prompted President Robert Mugabe to deliver a speech declaring that the "Jews in South Africa, working in cahoots with their colleagues here, want our textile and clothing factories to close down."
...Opposing the policies of the Israeli government does not make the new left anti-Semitic. But a movement campaigning for global social justice makes a mockery of itself by singling out just the Jewish state for condemnation.
...The consequences of embracing a double standard toward Israel are all too apparent at antiglobalization rallies. ...Worldwide, protesters carry signs that compare Sharon to Hitler, while waving Israeli flags where the Star of David has been replaced with the swastika. Such displays portray Israel as the sole perpetrator of violence, ignoring the hundreds of Israelis who have died in suicide bombings and the role of the Palestinian Authority in fomenting the conflict. And equating Israel with the Third Reich is the basest form of Holocaust revisionism, sending the message that the only "solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is nothing less than the complete destruction of the Jewish state.
...Some Jewish groups sympathetic to many of the antiglobalization movement's goals have mistakenly chosen to remain on the outside. Jewish voices need to be raised when the shouting of the militants threatens to drown out other issues. ...In that spirit, Rabbi Joseph Klein told his congregation at a synagogue in Michigan ..."We will have to develop a strategy that allows us to participate in the effort to bring social equity and economic justice to all people, while at the same time distancing ourselves from these newest purveyors of (anti-Semitism)...."
He concluded his sermon by quoting from Pirkei Avot, the Jewish book of ethics: "It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to withdraw from it."
Follow this link to the full article.
Also see this transcription of a Symposium: Leftist Anti-Semitism, By Jamie Glazov FrontPageMagazine.com September 19, 2003
Blair advisers urge that U.K.cancel Holocaust Day
From Haaretz - Israel News: 20:34 11/09/2005 By Haaretz Service
Advisers appointed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair are proposing that Britain get rid of Holocaust Memorial Day because Muslims find it offensive, the British Sunday Times reported.
The draft proposals - which provoked a backlash from British Jewish leaders - want to replace Holocaust Memorial Day with a Genocide Day that would include recognition of Muslim deaths in the West Bank and Gaza, Chechnya and Bosnia, the Times said.
A Home Office spokesman said it would consider the proposals but said it regarded the Holocaust as a 'defining tragedy in European history,' according to the report.
...'There are 500 Palestinian towns and villages that have been wiped out over the years,' Ibrahim Hewitt, chairman of the charity Interpal, told the Times. 'That's pretty genocidal to me.'
...Britain's Holocaust Memorial Day was first held in January 2001, and has been held on January 27 every year since then.
Advisers appointed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair are proposing that Britain get rid of Holocaust Memorial Day because Muslims find it offensive, the British Sunday Times reported.
The draft proposals - which provoked a backlash from British Jewish leaders - want to replace Holocaust Memorial Day with a Genocide Day that would include recognition of Muslim deaths in the West Bank and Gaza, Chechnya and Bosnia, the Times said.
A Home Office spokesman said it would consider the proposals but said it regarded the Holocaust as a 'defining tragedy in European history,' according to the report.
...'There are 500 Palestinian towns and villages that have been wiped out over the years,' Ibrahim Hewitt, chairman of the charity Interpal, told the Times. 'That's pretty genocidal to me.'
...Britain's Holocaust Memorial Day was first held in January 2001, and has been held on January 27 every year since then.
David Frum in (sad) France
From David Frum's Diary on National Review Online: 12/9/2005
...Adam Gopnik had a piece in The New Yorker about three weeks ago about the all-pervasiveness of the sense of crisis in France. Any doubts I had as to the accuracy of his perceptions have been dispelled today. I have been on French soil now for less than 12 hours, stumbling along in my miserable high-school French--and in that short space of time, three different French people--one a defense intellectual, one a teacher and translator, and one a cafe owner ...initiated conversations about the utter hopelessness of France's condition.
The only available consolation seems to be the hope that maybe things are even worse somewhere else--and it is on that hope that French television pundits make their careers (...by criticising the US...). It's irritating at first. But on second thought, it's rather sad.
France is a country that wants to be great. ...much about France truly is great...Certainly it is true that France stands with Britain as the only western European country that does not treat its own national defense with careless frivolity.
It makes me wonder: Maybe there should be some kind of American program to cheer the French up, help them regain their self-confidence, develop their self-esteem. ...while the French may be difficult when they feel successful, (...perhaps...) it is their sense of failure and disappointment that renders them hostile and aggressive.
...Adam Gopnik had a piece in The New Yorker about three weeks ago about the all-pervasiveness of the sense of crisis in France. Any doubts I had as to the accuracy of his perceptions have been dispelled today. I have been on French soil now for less than 12 hours, stumbling along in my miserable high-school French--and in that short space of time, three different French people--one a defense intellectual, one a teacher and translator, and one a cafe owner ...initiated conversations about the utter hopelessness of France's condition.
The only available consolation seems to be the hope that maybe things are even worse somewhere else--and it is on that hope that French television pundits make their careers (...by criticising the US...). It's irritating at first. But on second thought, it's rather sad.
France is a country that wants to be great. ...much about France truly is great...Certainly it is true that France stands with Britain as the only western European country that does not treat its own national defense with careless frivolity.
It makes me wonder: Maybe there should be some kind of American program to cheer the French up, help them regain their self-confidence, develop their self-esteem. ...while the French may be difficult when they feel successful, (...perhaps...) it is their sense of failure and disappointment that renders them hostile and aggressive.
John Bolton's "editing" is very welcome...
Exerpts from the Wall Street Journal OpinionJournal - Featured Article: Sunday, September 11, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT (this is edited for brevity - follow the link for the full article)
The U.N.'s prose--and policy--finally gets a close look.
... new U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton has taken a red marker to (...Kofi Annan's vision for a reformed U.N. and to which world leaders are supposed to affix their names when they meet this week in New York. It is a product of an opaque U.N. process...) and dozens of other misbegotten statements and suggested new language in their place. This is causing consternation in predictable quarters, but we hope Mr. Bolton keeps at it.
On foreign aid, for example, he wants to stress ...that the aid should go "particularly for countries that are making efforts to use resources wisely, strengthen governance, and reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth." That is, the aid should go to countries that aren't corrupt and will do something useful with it.
By the way, the U.S. has increased its development assistance by 90% since President Bush took office, to $19 billion from $10 billion--a point rarely mentioned by those who carp about U.S. "stinginess."
There's more. In the section on nonproliferation, ... Mr. Bolton rightly wants to strike ...language, which is often used by Iran and other rogue states as an alibi to skirt their nonproliferation commitments. In its place, he suggests: "The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and the possibility that terrorists might acquire such weapons, remain the greatest threats to international peace and security." As Henry Kissinger likes to say, that has the added advantage of being true.
Some of Mr. Bolton's edits seem small but are literally worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The U.N. draft "commends" the Secretary General "to modernize the United Nations, in particular its headquarters." Mr. Bolton deletes the language about headquarters. ...millions in savings could be realized if the U.N. alters existing plans.
He also focuses on management reform, which came into special focus with the release last week of Paul Volcker's fourth report on the Oil for Food scandal. The report stressed Mr. Annan's multiple supervisory failures, yet Mr. Annan wants the world's leaders to accept his reform plan as a fait accompli before Mr. Volcker's findings are even read, much less considered.
...Mr. Bolton is doing (...the UN...) the favor of taking its words seriously. Those who want something more than a feckless and corrupt world body should welcome his efforts.
The U.N.'s prose--and policy--finally gets a close look.
... new U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton has taken a red marker to (...Kofi Annan's vision for a reformed U.N. and to which world leaders are supposed to affix their names when they meet this week in New York. It is a product of an opaque U.N. process...) and dozens of other misbegotten statements and suggested new language in their place. This is causing consternation in predictable quarters, but we hope Mr. Bolton keeps at it.
On foreign aid, for example, he wants to stress ...that the aid should go "particularly for countries that are making efforts to use resources wisely, strengthen governance, and reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth." That is, the aid should go to countries that aren't corrupt and will do something useful with it.
By the way, the U.S. has increased its development assistance by 90% since President Bush took office, to $19 billion from $10 billion--a point rarely mentioned by those who carp about U.S. "stinginess."
There's more. In the section on nonproliferation, ... Mr. Bolton rightly wants to strike ...language, which is often used by Iran and other rogue states as an alibi to skirt their nonproliferation commitments. In its place, he suggests: "The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and the possibility that terrorists might acquire such weapons, remain the greatest threats to international peace and security." As Henry Kissinger likes to say, that has the added advantage of being true.
Some of Mr. Bolton's edits seem small but are literally worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The U.N. draft "commends" the Secretary General "to modernize the United Nations, in particular its headquarters." Mr. Bolton deletes the language about headquarters. ...millions in savings could be realized if the U.N. alters existing plans.
He also focuses on management reform, which came into special focus with the release last week of Paul Volcker's fourth report on the Oil for Food scandal. The report stressed Mr. Annan's multiple supervisory failures, yet Mr. Annan wants the world's leaders to accept his reform plan as a fait accompli before Mr. Volcker's findings are even read, much less considered.
...Mr. Bolton is doing (...the UN...) the favor of taking its words seriously. Those who want something more than a feckless and corrupt world body should welcome his efforts.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Palestinians set fire to Morag synagogue and vow to "destroy all the synagogues"
Palestinians celebrate the Gaza Strip pullout while on top of a burning synagogue AFP (from ABC News Online)
From Jerusalem Post Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: "Sep. 12, 2005 3:23 Updated Sep. 12, 2005 3:28, By MARGOT DUDKEVITCH AND AP ...
Only hours after IDF troops left the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians entered the former settlement of Morag and set its synagogue on fire early Monday morning. Eyewitnesses said Hamas flags were carried around the former Jewish community.
Following Sunday's cabinet decision against the demolition of synagogues, ...Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman, Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, told The Associated Press...that the PA intends to destroy all the synagogues.
The PA who claimed that the Gaza synagogues symbolized Israel's occupation earlier Sunday boycotted the ceremony marking the handover of the Gaza Strip in what was widely viewed as a protest against the cabinet's decision. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of 'throwing problems' in the Palestinians' faces. 'It's really unfair,' Erekat said."
Israeli army ends Gaza occupation
from The Australian: Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem, September 12, 2005
THE last Israeli soldier is due to leave the Gaza Strip today, ending 38 years of military occupation of the Palestinian territory. The departure will finally give the Palestinians control of a stretch of land - albeit minuscule - they can call their own.
But the ability of the Palestinian Authority to control militant groups in Gaza and suppress incipient chaos appears questionable in view of mounting signs of anarchy in the area.
... Palestinian leaders say Palestinian statehood will be achieved only after Israel departs from the West Bank as well.
The Israeli commander in Gaza, General Aviv Kochavi, was to participate in a handover ceremony with his Palestinian counterpart late yesterday, when the Israelis were to turn over maps detailing the water, electricity and sewage systems of the areas being evacuated. But Palestinian officials indicated they would not take part in the ceremony because of a continuing dispute over the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
At Israel's request, Egyptian troops began deploying over the weekend along the 14km border between their territory and Gaza to prevent smuggling of arms. As the Egyptian forces moved in and Palestinian security forces deployed in strength on their side of the border, Israeli troops pulled back from the area, which has been the scene of intense clashes during the intifada...
THE last Israeli soldier is due to leave the Gaza Strip today, ending 38 years of military occupation of the Palestinian territory. The departure will finally give the Palestinians control of a stretch of land - albeit minuscule - they can call their own.
But the ability of the Palestinian Authority to control militant groups in Gaza and suppress incipient chaos appears questionable in view of mounting signs of anarchy in the area.
... Palestinian leaders say Palestinian statehood will be achieved only after Israel departs from the West Bank as well.
The Israeli commander in Gaza, General Aviv Kochavi, was to participate in a handover ceremony with his Palestinian counterpart late yesterday, when the Israelis were to turn over maps detailing the water, electricity and sewage systems of the areas being evacuated. But Palestinian officials indicated they would not take part in the ceremony because of a continuing dispute over the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
At Israel's request, Egyptian troops began deploying over the weekend along the 14km border between their territory and Gaza to prevent smuggling of arms. As the Egyptian forces moved in and Palestinian security forces deployed in strength on their side of the border, Israeli troops pulled back from the area, which has been the scene of intense clashes during the intifada...
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