From Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: 21:48 Oct 26, '05 / 23 Tishrei 5766, By Nissan Ratzlav-Katz ...
Iran's president told attendees of a conference in Teheran on Wednesday that 'Israel must be wiped off the map.' ...
'The creation of the occupying regime in Jerusalem is a strong action by the ruling arrogant world order against the world of Islam. There continues a historic war between the [powers of] World Arrogance and the Islamic world, the roots of which go back hundreds of years,' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared. 'The Islamic nation will not allow its historic enemy to exist in its heartland.'
Ahmadinejad was addressing a Teheran conference entitled 'A World Without Zionism'.
"I have no doubt that the new wave [of attacks] which has started in dear Palestine and which we witness today all over the Islamic world will soon wipe this scourge of shame from the Islamic world. This is do-able," Ahmadinejad encouraged the audience, which included thousands of Islamic students, as well as representatives of Arab terrorist organizations and their supporters. He noted his belief that the turn towards Islamism in the Palestinian Authority has brought the Arabs success against Israel.
Western Civilization, the Iranian leader said, "turned the Zionist regime occupying Jerusalem into a staging-ground to dominate the Islamic world. ...They have created a base, from where they can expand their rule over the entire Islamic world; it has no other purpose other than this."The goal of a world without the United States or Zionism, Ahmadinejad said, is "attainable and could definitely be realized. ...Our dear Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] ordered that the occupying regime in Jerusalem be wiped off the face of the earth. This was a very wise statement." Compromise over the elimination of Israel, the Iranian president said, is tantamount to the defeat of the Islamic world, as "the central and command base of the enemy... is the occupying regime in Jerusalem." ...
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Suicide bomber kills five in Israel.
From ABC News Online: Thursday, October 27, 2005. 5:07am (AEST). (Note how Abbas's "condemnation", as usual, refers to how it "harms the interestst of the Palestinian people..." but expresses no sympathy for the Israeli people.) ...
A Palestinian suicide bomber has killed five people in a crowded market in an Israeli coastal city (Hadera). Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was avenging Israel's killing of a top West Bank commander on Monday.
'It was chaos, bodies and blood on the ground, people running everywhere,' said Eduard Khanukai, 49, owner of a money exchange shop. ...The bomber blew up in front of a sandwich stand in the main outdoor market in Hadera, a frequent target of attacks in a five-year-old Palestinian uprising.
Medics say five people have been killed and 30 have been wounded in the blast, which blew out shop windows and shattered nearby parked cars. It is the first bombing inside the Jewish state since August 28, when a suicide attacker wounded 20 people in Beersheba. Israeli officials have noted that the Hadera attack follows remarks in Tehran by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - carried by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday - that Israel should be 'wiped off the map'. 'What makes these people dangerous is that their violent language is transformed into violent action,' Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the bombing and has pledged to try to salvage the truce he had engineered. "It harms the interest of the Palestinian people and leads to expansion of the cycle of violence," he said in a statement.
Reaction
The bloodshed threatens to unravel an already shaky ceasefire and has cast a shadow over international hopes of a revival of peacemaking since the Gaza pullout.
"The Palestinians need to prepare some real action to stop terrorism if they want to move the process forward," a top Israeli official said. "They condemn every attack and we bury our dead."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan has called the bombing "a heinous attack on innocent civilians. The Palestinian Authority needs to do more to end the violence and prevent terrorist attacks from being carried out..." ....
Reuters
A Palestinian suicide bomber has killed five people in a crowded market in an Israeli coastal city (Hadera). Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was avenging Israel's killing of a top West Bank commander on Monday.
'It was chaos, bodies and blood on the ground, people running everywhere,' said Eduard Khanukai, 49, owner of a money exchange shop. ...The bomber blew up in front of a sandwich stand in the main outdoor market in Hadera, a frequent target of attacks in a five-year-old Palestinian uprising.
Medics say five people have been killed and 30 have been wounded in the blast, which blew out shop windows and shattered nearby parked cars. It is the first bombing inside the Jewish state since August 28, when a suicide attacker wounded 20 people in Beersheba. Israeli officials have noted that the Hadera attack follows remarks in Tehran by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - carried by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday - that Israel should be 'wiped off the map'. 'What makes these people dangerous is that their violent language is transformed into violent action,' Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the bombing and has pledged to try to salvage the truce he had engineered. "It harms the interest of the Palestinian people and leads to expansion of the cycle of violence," he said in a statement.
Reaction
The bloodshed threatens to unravel an already shaky ceasefire and has cast a shadow over international hopes of a revival of peacemaking since the Gaza pullout.
"The Palestinians need to prepare some real action to stop terrorism if they want to move the process forward," a top Israeli official said. "They condemn every attack and we bury our dead."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan has called the bombing "a heinous attack on innocent civilians. The Palestinian Authority needs to do more to end the violence and prevent terrorist attacks from being carried out..." ....
Reuters
Monday, October 24, 2005
The Palestinians Must Start Helping Themselves
A good news story, from DEBKAfile October 21, 2005, 10:00 PM (GMT+02:00) ...
Smiles, yes; state, no
The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas did not get much chance to lay down his usual list of demands and gripes in his talks at the White House with US president George W. Bush Thursday, Oct. 20. Instead, in contrast to the jovial mood of their joint news conference, Bush crushed his visitor's hopes of a Palestinian state in the foreseeable future. "Not during my term," the president declared firmly, according to DEBKAfile's Exclusive sources Washington.
Abu Mazen is described as coming out of the meeting pale and shaken, with nothing to show for his Washington trip. Most of their 45-minute conversation was one-sided. Bush scarcely let Abu Mazen get a word in edgeways, cutting him short several times.
According to our sources, the US president laid down a new set of rules, unfamiliar to the Palestinians. In a word, no one will help the Palestinians if they don't help themselves " and that goes for me, the US President, too. If you think you can disarm Hamas by letting them take part in elections, go ahead, but you are on your own. We think you are making a big mistake, but we don't interfere. But there is a price to pay. A regime dominated by terrorists cannot expected to be treated as a democracy. "
He reminded Abbas that he was the first American president to envision an independent Palestinian state and make it a strategic goal of his foreign policy, but the Palestinians had not risen to the challenge. He informed Abbas that to achieve statehood, they must meet three categorical conditions:
A. A Palestinian state must live in peace with Israel.
B. Peace alone is not enough. The Palestinians must demonstrate they are capable of being good neighbors.
C. The Palestinian state must be clean of terrorism.
As matters stand now, said Bush, I see no prospect of Palestinian statehood coming into existence before I leave the White House. The US president said he continued to support the Palestinian leader. However, his terms were the reverse of what Abbas wanted to hear.
1. Final-status negotiations must not begin yet. (This knocked on the head Abbas’ most cherished goal which is to skip the road map preliminaries and jump to the final stage.)
2. Washington is holding back the timeline for progress towards Palestinian independence. (This was a stunning setback for Abbas’ plans and his standing at home.)
3. The Middle East road map for peace will not for now be activated. It will remain on paper as long as Palestinian “armed gangs” are in charge.
Abu Mazen tried to put in a word on Palestinian demands, such as the unresolved status of the Egyptian-Gaza border crossings, a direct, sovereign Gaza-West Bank link, a halt on the Israeli defense barrier and various complaints, but Bush brushed him off, saying he is familiar with the problems and he leaves them to advisers – “Jim Wolfensohn,” or “General Ward.”
He gave some ground on the Palestinian demand for weapons and ammunition to arm their security forces, but said this would have to wait until a new military coordinator takes over from General Ward. The US president said he was still looking for a suitable candidate, a military man with the right intelligence background who worked well with the CIA. He also agreed to raise the granting of more economic concessions with Ariel Sharon.
All in all, the meeting ended without results or decisions.
Outside, when they both faced reporters, President Bush took advantage of a question put by a Palestinian correspondent to drive home his new message. Asked if a Palestinian state would come about during his term as president, he replied: "My purpose is to lay the foundations for a state. Whether it comes about or not is not my problem; is up to the Palestinians. "
Clearly the US president has taken several steps back from his first concept of Palestinian statehood as a top American policy goal. He is leaving it to the Palestinians to make the running. For the first time, they have been put clearly and firmly on notice that as long as they harbor terrorists, they can forget about attaining their own state.
Smiles, yes; state, no
The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas did not get much chance to lay down his usual list of demands and gripes in his talks at the White House with US president George W. Bush Thursday, Oct. 20. Instead, in contrast to the jovial mood of their joint news conference, Bush crushed his visitor's hopes of a Palestinian state in the foreseeable future. "Not during my term," the president declared firmly, according to DEBKAfile's Exclusive sources Washington.
Abu Mazen is described as coming out of the meeting pale and shaken, with nothing to show for his Washington trip. Most of their 45-minute conversation was one-sided. Bush scarcely let Abu Mazen get a word in edgeways, cutting him short several times.
According to our sources, the US president laid down a new set of rules, unfamiliar to the Palestinians. In a word, no one will help the Palestinians if they don't help themselves " and that goes for me, the US President, too. If you think you can disarm Hamas by letting them take part in elections, go ahead, but you are on your own. We think you are making a big mistake, but we don't interfere. But there is a price to pay. A regime dominated by terrorists cannot expected to be treated as a democracy. "
He reminded Abbas that he was the first American president to envision an independent Palestinian state and make it a strategic goal of his foreign policy, but the Palestinians had not risen to the challenge. He informed Abbas that to achieve statehood, they must meet three categorical conditions:
A. A Palestinian state must live in peace with Israel.
B. Peace alone is not enough. The Palestinians must demonstrate they are capable of being good neighbors.
C. The Palestinian state must be clean of terrorism.
As matters stand now, said Bush, I see no prospect of Palestinian statehood coming into existence before I leave the White House. The US president said he continued to support the Palestinian leader. However, his terms were the reverse of what Abbas wanted to hear.
1. Final-status negotiations must not begin yet. (This knocked on the head Abbas’ most cherished goal which is to skip the road map preliminaries and jump to the final stage.)
2. Washington is holding back the timeline for progress towards Palestinian independence. (This was a stunning setback for Abbas’ plans and his standing at home.)
3. The Middle East road map for peace will not for now be activated. It will remain on paper as long as Palestinian “armed gangs” are in charge.
Abu Mazen tried to put in a word on Palestinian demands, such as the unresolved status of the Egyptian-Gaza border crossings, a direct, sovereign Gaza-West Bank link, a halt on the Israeli defense barrier and various complaints, but Bush brushed him off, saying he is familiar with the problems and he leaves them to advisers – “Jim Wolfensohn,” or “General Ward.”
He gave some ground on the Palestinian demand for weapons and ammunition to arm their security forces, but said this would have to wait until a new military coordinator takes over from General Ward. The US president said he was still looking for a suitable candidate, a military man with the right intelligence background who worked well with the CIA. He also agreed to raise the granting of more economic concessions with Ariel Sharon.
All in all, the meeting ended without results or decisions.
Outside, when they both faced reporters, President Bush took advantage of a question put by a Palestinian correspondent to drive home his new message. Asked if a Palestinian state would come about during his term as president, he replied: "My purpose is to lay the foundations for a state. Whether it comes about or not is not my problem; is up to the Palestinians. "
Clearly the US president has taken several steps back from his first concept of Palestinian statehood as a top American policy goal. He is leaving it to the Palestinians to make the running. For the first time, they have been put clearly and firmly on notice that as long as they harbor terrorists, they can forget about attaining their own state.
3 large suicide bomb trucks in Baghdad
From DEBKAfile October 24, 2005, 4:41 PM (GMT+02:00) ...
Many casualties in Palestine and Sheraton hotels in Baghdad after three large suicide bomb trucks crash into buildings. Many foreign journalists stay in the heavily damaged hotels enveloped in black smoke.
Heavy shooting in area followed. Sirens sound in Green Zone
Many casualties in Palestine and Sheraton hotels in Baghdad after three large suicide bomb trucks crash into buildings. Many foreign journalists stay in the heavily damaged hotels enveloped in black smoke.
Heavy shooting in area followed. Sirens sound in Green Zone
PA announces disarming of al-Aqsa Brigades - Israeli officials skeptical
From Ynetnews 23/10/05 ...
'The most important thing is to see what kind of action we have,' says Dore Gold, adviser to PM Sharon
Ali Waked
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday announced plans to disarm the military wing of the ruling Fatah party, known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
...The Palestinian Authority has been under increasing international pressure to disarm terror groups and enforce law and order following Israel’s evacuation of 8,000 settlers from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.
...Following the meeting Yousef told reporters that his security forces have already taken moves to prevent armed groups from displaying their arms during mass demonstrations, in line with a PA ban on carrying arms in public.
Yousef hinted that Israel is partly responsible for the chaos in PA areas, saying “the anarchy on the streets reflects a political anarchy and difficult economic conditions, which originate from Israel’s policies. We need the effort of all the factions and security forces in order to enforce the law in our territory.”
...Israeli officials received the announcement with skepticism. "There have been a lot of declarations before. The most important thing is to see what kind of action we have," said Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
... previous attempts by Abbas to control terrorists have had little success, and it was unclear whether the latest effort would work. Over the last months many members of the al-Aqsa Brigades were integrated in the PA security forces, but the hard core of Fatah’s armed wing have resisted moves towards complete disarmament.
Although al-Aqsa is linked to Fatah, its thousands of members have fragmented loyalties, and it is unclear whether terrorists would agree to give up their autonomy....
The Associated Press contributed to this report
'The most important thing is to see what kind of action we have,' says Dore Gold, adviser to PM Sharon
Ali Waked
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday announced plans to disarm the military wing of the ruling Fatah party, known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
...The Palestinian Authority has been under increasing international pressure to disarm terror groups and enforce law and order following Israel’s evacuation of 8,000 settlers from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.
...Following the meeting Yousef told reporters that his security forces have already taken moves to prevent armed groups from displaying their arms during mass demonstrations, in line with a PA ban on carrying arms in public.
Yousef hinted that Israel is partly responsible for the chaos in PA areas, saying “the anarchy on the streets reflects a political anarchy and difficult economic conditions, which originate from Israel’s policies. We need the effort of all the factions and security forces in order to enforce the law in our territory.”
...Israeli officials received the announcement with skepticism. "There have been a lot of declarations before. The most important thing is to see what kind of action we have," said Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
... previous attempts by Abbas to control terrorists have had little success, and it was unclear whether the latest effort would work. Over the last months many members of the al-Aqsa Brigades were integrated in the PA security forces, but the hard core of Fatah’s armed wing have resisted moves towards complete disarmament.
Although al-Aqsa is linked to Fatah, its thousands of members have fragmented loyalties, and it is unclear whether terrorists would agree to give up their autonomy....
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Friday, October 21, 2005
Vatican wants to control parts of David's Tomb
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: 16:21 Oct 20, '05 / 17 Tishrei 5766 By Naomi Grossman . . .
An official Vatican newspaper has reported that during his upcoming visit to the Vatican, President Moshe Katsav will sign an agreement giving parts of David's Tomb over to papal control.
If such an agreement is signed, it will put an end to drawn out negotiations that began in 1998. . . . discussing issues of jurisdiction over certain sites around seven years ago. . . .Among the places under debate is an area that the church refers to as the site of the 'last supper,' which is situated at the burial site of Kings David, Solomon, Rechavam, Assa, Chezekiyahu and Amatzia
The Vatican newspaper, El Messagero, reports that President Katsav is expected to sign an agreement during his visit that will give the church control over the upper part of David’s Tomb. The church has already shown Israel a trial agreement, according to which the Vatican will receive control over this part of David’s Tomb in exchange for the ancient synagogue in Toledo, Spain, which was converted into a church after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.
In response to the newspaper’s report, an official from the Foreign Ministry states “Israel is not prepared to relinquish its jurisdiction over this area.” At the same time, they admit that a blueprint of a possible agreement with the Vatican has been received.
An official Vatican newspaper has reported that during his upcoming visit to the Vatican, President Moshe Katsav will sign an agreement giving parts of David's Tomb over to papal control.
If such an agreement is signed, it will put an end to drawn out negotiations that began in 1998. . . . discussing issues of jurisdiction over certain sites around seven years ago. . . .Among the places under debate is an area that the church refers to as the site of the 'last supper,' which is situated at the burial site of Kings David, Solomon, Rechavam, Assa, Chezekiyahu and Amatzia
The Vatican newspaper, El Messagero, reports that President Katsav is expected to sign an agreement during his visit that will give the church control over the upper part of David’s Tomb. The church has already shown Israel a trial agreement, according to which the Vatican will receive control over this part of David’s Tomb in exchange for the ancient synagogue in Toledo, Spain, which was converted into a church after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.
In response to the newspaper’s report, an official from the Foreign Ministry states “Israel is not prepared to relinquish its jurisdiction over this area.” At the same time, they admit that a blueprint of a possible agreement with the Vatican has been received.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Anti-Semitic poem in UK school book
From EJP News UK Anti-Semitic poem in children's school book: By Jeremy Last Updated: 16/Oct/2005 20:04 ...
A poem which praises the murder of Jews by the Nazis has been included in a book of children's poetry to be distributed amongst schools in the UK.
The publication, entitled Great Minds, features the work of school children aged 11 to 18 who won a nationwide literary competition.
But one poem has generated outrage amongst Jewish groups, politicians and Holocaust charities for its anti-Semitic content.
The entry by the 14-year-old Gideon Taylor is apparently written from the viewpoint of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
It includes the lines 'Jews are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the darkest places, evil looks upon their faces.'
Another part reads: 'Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger. I'll be happy Jews have died.'
Publisher defends poem
The book was produced by Forward Press who ran the Great Minds competition through its youngwriters.co.uk website. ... the poem was the only entry in the entire book not to include the writer’s school or location. ...editor Steve Twelvetree...said the poem was included as it illustrated how the writer was able to empathise with the infamous Nazi Fuehrer.
...Twelvetree told the Telegraph: "... his poem shows a good use of technical writing and he has written his poem from the perspective of Adolf Hitler....The poem clearly states 'I am Adolf Hitler' and it recounts a historical fact, something Young Writers and Forward Press are not willing to censor."
Widespread outrage
However, communal leaders were less than impressed with the poem’s inclusion in a book which they said could be influential on youngster’s views of Jewish people.
It is totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to appearspokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust Chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Jon Benjamin said: "It is the duty of the publisher to consider the consequences of the poem." Jewish Labour MP, Louise Ellman, who represents the constituency of Liverpool Riverside, spoke of her concern. She said said: "It's an incitement to racial hatred. The words are absolutely outrageous and appalling." And a spokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust echoed Ellman’s views. The charity is now urging the publishers to issue a formal apology for the book and remove the offending poem. A spokesman said: "It is totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to appear. "It is also immensely insulting to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and to those who survived."
A poem which praises the murder of Jews by the Nazis has been included in a book of children's poetry to be distributed amongst schools in the UK.
The publication, entitled Great Minds, features the work of school children aged 11 to 18 who won a nationwide literary competition.
But one poem has generated outrage amongst Jewish groups, politicians and Holocaust charities for its anti-Semitic content.
The entry by the 14-year-old Gideon Taylor is apparently written from the viewpoint of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
It includes the lines 'Jews are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the darkest places, evil looks upon their faces.'
Another part reads: 'Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger. I'll be happy Jews have died.'
Publisher defends poem
The book was produced by Forward Press who ran the Great Minds competition through its youngwriters.co.uk website. ... the poem was the only entry in the entire book not to include the writer’s school or location. ...editor Steve Twelvetree...said the poem was included as it illustrated how the writer was able to empathise with the infamous Nazi Fuehrer.
...Twelvetree told the Telegraph: "... his poem shows a good use of technical writing and he has written his poem from the perspective of Adolf Hitler....The poem clearly states 'I am Adolf Hitler' and it recounts a historical fact, something Young Writers and Forward Press are not willing to censor."
Widespread outrage
However, communal leaders were less than impressed with the poem’s inclusion in a book which they said could be influential on youngster’s views of Jewish people.
It is totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to appearspokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust Chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Jon Benjamin said: "It is the duty of the publisher to consider the consequences of the poem." Jewish Labour MP, Louise Ellman, who represents the constituency of Liverpool Riverside, spoke of her concern. She said said: "It's an incitement to racial hatred. The words are absolutely outrageous and appalling." And a spokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust echoed Ellman’s views. The charity is now urging the publishers to issue a formal apology for the book and remove the offending poem. A spokesman said: "It is totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to appear. "It is also immensely insulting to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and to those who survived."
IDF may build Palestinian-only roads
From Jerusalem Post Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: Oct. 19, 2005 22:21 Updated Oct. 20, 2005 1:30 By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN ...
Senior officers in the Central Command were working on a plan to permanently separate Israeli and Palestinian traffic on main roads across Judea and Samaria, security sources said Wednesday.
The plan would be similar to the present ban on private Palestinian vehicles on highway 60, a measure implemented this week to make drive-by shootings more difficult for Arab terrorists.
For the moment, the plan is still on the drawing table. A military source in the Central Command said that the idea was to gradually separate the road systems to reduce friction between Israeli and Palestinians residents in the West Bank...
Once the plan was completely drawn up it would be brought before defense ministry officials for final approval.
...Meanwhile Wednesday, Palestinians threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli car traveling northwest of Ramallah near Dir Mashal. The bottle exploded on the road, and no one was injured. IDF forces swept the area in search of the perpetrators....
Senior officers in the Central Command were working on a plan to permanently separate Israeli and Palestinian traffic on main roads across Judea and Samaria, security sources said Wednesday.
The plan would be similar to the present ban on private Palestinian vehicles on highway 60, a measure implemented this week to make drive-by shootings more difficult for Arab terrorists.
For the moment, the plan is still on the drawing table. A military source in the Central Command said that the idea was to gradually separate the road systems to reduce friction between Israeli and Palestinians residents in the West Bank...
Once the plan was completely drawn up it would be brought before defense ministry officials for final approval.
...Meanwhile Wednesday, Palestinians threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli car traveling northwest of Ramallah near Dir Mashal. The bottle exploded on the road, and no one was injured. IDF forces swept the area in search of the perpetrators....
Abbas, Bush to meet in Washington on Thursday
From Jerusalem Post Oct. 19, 2005 22:52 Updated Oct. 20, 2005 1:26 ...
US president George Bush is likely to insist Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas bar Hamas from participating in the January Palestinian elections but would not force him to disarm the terrorist group when the two leaders meet Thursday in Washington, US sources told The Jerusalem Post.
While Abbas is focusing on demands that Israel stop all construction in the settlements and allow for freedom of travel in Gaza and the West Bank, the Americans want to talk about questions of reforms and fighting terrorism in the PA.
The main issue in dispute between the Palestinians and US is the participation of the Hamas in the political process, a stand that the US seemed reluctant to take in September when Israel first spoke out strongly against the presence of Hamas in the January elections.
'It's Hamas or us,' Prime Minister's Office spokesman Ra'anan Gissin told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, explaining that he expects Bush to tell Abbas the same thing. Israel cannot move forward on the peace process with Hamas, he added.
US sources said in recent days that the administration is not in a position to coerce Abbas into disarming Hamas before the elections, but that it will demand that the Palestinian Authority move to reform its election law, in a way that will make clear that candidates who support violence or racism, will not be able to take part in the elections. Such a provision is spelled out in the Oslo agreements and can be enacted if the Palestinian parliament adopts it.
...Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told Israel Radio Wednesday that Abbas' ability to disarm Hamas and prevent them from participating in the elections was critical to his survival both personally and as a leader... He warned that should Hamas succeed in the elections it would move Israel's relationship with the Palestinians back by years.
Both Shalom and Gissin insisted that acting against Hamas was not the same as interfering in the internal matters of the Palestinian Authority. "Terrorism is not an internal issue," said Gissin, adding that you cannot have a democratic party that engages in terrorism. Shalom said that Israel has long waged a campaign in the international arena, asking world leaders to add Hamas to their list of terrorist organizations.
...The Americans, according to US sources, are supportive of the Palestinian demands regarding freedom of passage in and out of the Gaza Strip and within the West Bank, and would like to see these issues resolved before the Palestinian elections.
Both Gissin and Shalom said they are supportive of the right of Palestinians for free movement but can not do so at the expense of Israel's security, particularly in light of the three Israelis killed by a Palestinian terrorist in a drive-by shooting on Sunday. Each time Israel makes a gesture, said Gissin, the response is terrorism.
Bush is expected to reject a request from Abbas that he take issue with Israeli settlement activity.
...On Wednesday, Shalom said that ...a meeting between Sharon and Abbas should only be held when it could yield results, something that is unlikely to happen at this stage.
US president George Bush is likely to insist Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas bar Hamas from participating in the January Palestinian elections but would not force him to disarm the terrorist group when the two leaders meet Thursday in Washington, US sources told The Jerusalem Post.
While Abbas is focusing on demands that Israel stop all construction in the settlements and allow for freedom of travel in Gaza and the West Bank, the Americans want to talk about questions of reforms and fighting terrorism in the PA.
The main issue in dispute between the Palestinians and US is the participation of the Hamas in the political process, a stand that the US seemed reluctant to take in September when Israel first spoke out strongly against the presence of Hamas in the January elections.
'It's Hamas or us,' Prime Minister's Office spokesman Ra'anan Gissin told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, explaining that he expects Bush to tell Abbas the same thing. Israel cannot move forward on the peace process with Hamas, he added.
US sources said in recent days that the administration is not in a position to coerce Abbas into disarming Hamas before the elections, but that it will demand that the Palestinian Authority move to reform its election law, in a way that will make clear that candidates who support violence or racism, will not be able to take part in the elections. Such a provision is spelled out in the Oslo agreements and can be enacted if the Palestinian parliament adopts it.
...Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told Israel Radio Wednesday that Abbas' ability to disarm Hamas and prevent them from participating in the elections was critical to his survival both personally and as a leader... He warned that should Hamas succeed in the elections it would move Israel's relationship with the Palestinians back by years.
Both Shalom and Gissin insisted that acting against Hamas was not the same as interfering in the internal matters of the Palestinian Authority. "Terrorism is not an internal issue," said Gissin, adding that you cannot have a democratic party that engages in terrorism. Shalom said that Israel has long waged a campaign in the international arena, asking world leaders to add Hamas to their list of terrorist organizations.
...The Americans, according to US sources, are supportive of the Palestinian demands regarding freedom of passage in and out of the Gaza Strip and within the West Bank, and would like to see these issues resolved before the Palestinian elections.
Both Gissin and Shalom said they are supportive of the right of Palestinians for free movement but can not do so at the expense of Israel's security, particularly in light of the three Israelis killed by a Palestinian terrorist in a drive-by shooting on Sunday. Each time Israel makes a gesture, said Gissin, the response is terrorism.
Bush is expected to reject a request from Abbas that he take issue with Israeli settlement activity.
...On Wednesday, Shalom said that ...a meeting between Sharon and Abbas should only be held when it could yield results, something that is unlikely to happen at this stage.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Fatah activists resign en masse
From Jerusalem Post : Oct. 18, 2005 19:54 Updated Oct. 18, 2005 20:00 By KHALED ABU TOAMEH ...
Citing the lack of accountability and democracy, dozens of Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip resigned on Tuesday in a move that is likely to deepen division in the ruling party that is led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The mass resignations of over 240 activists come as Fatah prepares to hold primary elections to choose its candidates for next January's parliamentary elections. The activists who quit represent the young guard in Fatah and their resignation is seen in the context of an ongoing power struggle with the party's veteran leaders.
'We have spent the last 10 years trying to improve conditions in Fatah,' the activists said in a letter addressed to Abbas. 'During the past five years of the intifada we also made precious sacrifices to reform the party and lead it to a better path. Today we are submitting our resignations in protest against the lack of democracy and accountability in the party.'
...The latest crisis is regarded as a severe blow to Abbas's efforts to unite Fatah ahead of the parliamentary elections in a bid to prevent Hamas from making a strong showing. "The divisions in Fatah and the deepening crisis between the young guard and the old guard play into the hands of Hamas," a top Fatah official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post.
Meanwhile, a public opinion poll showed that Fatah will win in the parliamentary elections. According to the poll by the Birzeit University Development Studies Programme, 45.6 per cent of Palestinians will support Fatah in the vote as opposed to 23.1 per cent for Hamas.
The Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine came in third, with only 2.3 per cent. The People's [Communist] Party got 1.6 per cent.
Citing the lack of accountability and democracy, dozens of Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip resigned on Tuesday in a move that is likely to deepen division in the ruling party that is led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The mass resignations of over 240 activists come as Fatah prepares to hold primary elections to choose its candidates for next January's parliamentary elections. The activists who quit represent the young guard in Fatah and their resignation is seen in the context of an ongoing power struggle with the party's veteran leaders.
'We have spent the last 10 years trying to improve conditions in Fatah,' the activists said in a letter addressed to Abbas. 'During the past five years of the intifada we also made precious sacrifices to reform the party and lead it to a better path. Today we are submitting our resignations in protest against the lack of democracy and accountability in the party.'
...The latest crisis is regarded as a severe blow to Abbas's efforts to unite Fatah ahead of the parliamentary elections in a bid to prevent Hamas from making a strong showing. "The divisions in Fatah and the deepening crisis between the young guard and the old guard play into the hands of Hamas," a top Fatah official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post.
Meanwhile, a public opinion poll showed that Fatah will win in the parliamentary elections. According to the poll by the Birzeit University Development Studies Programme, 45.6 per cent of Palestinians will support Fatah in the vote as opposed to 23.1 per cent for Hamas.
The Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine came in third, with only 2.3 per cent. The People's [Communist] Party got 1.6 per cent.
PA has no intention of disarming terror groups
Jerusalem Post: Oct. 18, 2005 18:54 Updated Oct. 18, 2005 19:59 By KHALED ABU TOAMEH ...
On the eve of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Washington, the PA announced that it has no intention of disarming Hamas or other armed groups.
Abbas is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Thursday for talks with US President George W. Bush on the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli disengagement. Sources close to Abbas said earlier this week that he would brief Bush on the PA's plan to confiscate 'illegal' weapons that are in the hands of various factions and militias, including Hamas.
However, Abbas's national security advisor, Jibril Rajoub, denied on Tuesday that the PA was planning to disarm Hamas or any other armed group. "We haven't called for disarming anyone," Rajoub said. "There is no decision to collect [illegal] weapons and we haven't taken any steps in this direction." The weapons of the "resistance" groups, Rajoub added, should remain intact and should not be used on the streets or to terrorize the PA and civilians. He admitted that the PA and its security forces had failed to deal with the state of anarchy that has swept the Gaza Strip after the Israeli withdrawal...
On the eve of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Washington, the PA announced that it has no intention of disarming Hamas or other armed groups.
Abbas is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Thursday for talks with US President George W. Bush on the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli disengagement. Sources close to Abbas said earlier this week that he would brief Bush on the PA's plan to confiscate 'illegal' weapons that are in the hands of various factions and militias, including Hamas.
However, Abbas's national security advisor, Jibril Rajoub, denied on Tuesday that the PA was planning to disarm Hamas or any other armed group. "We haven't called for disarming anyone," Rajoub said. "There is no decision to collect [illegal] weapons and we haven't taken any steps in this direction." The weapons of the "resistance" groups, Rajoub added, should remain intact and should not be used on the streets or to terrorize the PA and civilians. He admitted that the PA and its security forces had failed to deal with the state of anarchy that has swept the Gaza Strip after the Israeli withdrawal...
Main suspect: Assad's brother-in-law
from Ynetnews (10.18.05, 20:09)...
According to German Magazine Stern, five top Syrian officials questioned by U.N. investigator 'not as witnesses, but as suspects'
Ynet and news agencies
A U.N. investigator has named the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad as a suspect in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a German report said on Tuesday.
Stern Magazine, in extracts from an article due to appear on Thursday, named Syrian military intelligence chief Asef Shawkat as a suspect in the probe led by chief United Nations investigator Detlev Mehlis. Shawkat is widely seen as the second most powerful man in Syria after Assad.
Mehlis, a German prosecutor, had questioned Shawkat "not as a witness, but as a suspect”, said Stern, without giving the source of its information. Mehlis is due to present his report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday on the February 14 killings of Hariri and 20 others in a truck bomb blast in Beirut. ... for him to point the finger at a member of Assad’s inner circle would be political dynamite...
According to German Magazine Stern, five top Syrian officials questioned by U.N. investigator 'not as witnesses, but as suspects'
Ynet and news agencies
A U.N. investigator has named the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad as a suspect in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a German report said on Tuesday.
Stern Magazine, in extracts from an article due to appear on Thursday, named Syrian military intelligence chief Asef Shawkat as a suspect in the probe led by chief United Nations investigator Detlev Mehlis. Shawkat is widely seen as the second most powerful man in Syria after Assad.
Mehlis, a German prosecutor, had questioned Shawkat "not as a witness, but as a suspect”, said Stern, without giving the source of its information. Mehlis is due to present his report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday on the February 14 killings of Hariri and 20 others in a truck bomb blast in Beirut. ... for him to point the finger at a member of Assad’s inner circle would be political dynamite...
All but two Iraqi provinces say yes
from The Australian: Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent October 18, 2005 ...
A HIGHER than expected turnout by Sunni voters appears to have failed to stop passage of Iraq's draft constitution, with early counts suggesting a yes vote in all but two of the country's 18 provinces.
The likely victory seems certain to spark more violence and raises the prospect of Iraq being divided along ethnic and sectarian lines. The Sunni Arab minority, which violently opposed the new charter, lives largely within four provinces in the centre of Iraq and needed to muster a two-thirds no vote in three of the provinces in order to defeat it. Sunnis held a majority in all four of the provinces. But Iraqi and US officials were confident last night that the no vote in the Sunni strongholds had not reached the crucial two-thirds benchmark.
. . .Iraqi legislators and the troubled nation's pan-Arab neighbours were yesterday preparing for the implications of the new constitution which they feared may have spin-offs for their own regimes.
The constitution enshrines Iraqi Kurdish rights for the first time, and neighbouring Turkey, Iran and Syria -- which are already struggling to accommodate the aspirations of their own Kurds -- were bracing for a fresh push for an autonomous Kurdish homeland.
Jordanian politicians warned that a weakened Sunni minority in Iraq could also have implications for the Sunni majorities in the rest of the Arab world. Jordan fears the newly emboldened Iraqi Shi'ites could align with the dominant Shi'ites of Iran to form a regional power base.
But of more concern in the short term is a return to raging Sunni-led violence aimed at Shi'ite communities and the US-led coalition. Sunnis had realised their boycott of parliamentary elections in January had effectively handed over power to the other two blocs, leaving them with a tiny presence in the Iraqi legislature. They had been determined to defeat the ballot, and with that bid now likely to have failed, Middle Eastern analysts believe the insurgents will opt for continued violence as their only hope of maintaining influence. . . .There are fears the insurgency could grow into a civil war fought along sectarian lines that could drag in other nations.
. . .If final counting confirms passage of the constitution, parliamentary elections will be held in late December.
A HIGHER than expected turnout by Sunni voters appears to have failed to stop passage of Iraq's draft constitution, with early counts suggesting a yes vote in all but two of the country's 18 provinces.
The likely victory seems certain to spark more violence and raises the prospect of Iraq being divided along ethnic and sectarian lines. The Sunni Arab minority, which violently opposed the new charter, lives largely within four provinces in the centre of Iraq and needed to muster a two-thirds no vote in three of the provinces in order to defeat it. Sunnis held a majority in all four of the provinces. But Iraqi and US officials were confident last night that the no vote in the Sunni strongholds had not reached the crucial two-thirds benchmark.
. . .Iraqi legislators and the troubled nation's pan-Arab neighbours were yesterday preparing for the implications of the new constitution which they feared may have spin-offs for their own regimes.
The constitution enshrines Iraqi Kurdish rights for the first time, and neighbouring Turkey, Iran and Syria -- which are already struggling to accommodate the aspirations of their own Kurds -- were bracing for a fresh push for an autonomous Kurdish homeland.
Jordanian politicians warned that a weakened Sunni minority in Iraq could also have implications for the Sunni majorities in the rest of the Arab world. Jordan fears the newly emboldened Iraqi Shi'ites could align with the dominant Shi'ites of Iran to form a regional power base.
But of more concern in the short term is a return to raging Sunni-led violence aimed at Shi'ite communities and the US-led coalition. Sunnis had realised their boycott of parliamentary elections in January had effectively handed over power to the other two blocs, leaving them with a tiny presence in the Iraqi legislature. They had been determined to defeat the ballot, and with that bid now likely to have failed, Middle Eastern analysts believe the insurgents will opt for continued violence as their only hope of maintaining influence. . . .There are fears the insurgency could grow into a civil war fought along sectarian lines that could drag in other nations.
. . .If final counting confirms passage of the constitution, parliamentary elections will be held in late December.
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