High Court rejects petitions against fence
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Supreme Court President Beinish declares 'route is based on security considerations, need to protect the residents of Efrat; military commander is authorized to build a security fence for that purpose' - The High Court of Justice rejected petitions against separation fence works in the area of the Efrat settlement in Gush Etzion. The petitions were filed by Palestinians who claimed that the state's decision to build the fence in that area expropriated residents from the land that is their source of livelihood. Supreme Court President Judge Dorit Beinish wrote in the verdict that "the question of the legality of the settlement of Israeli residents in Efrat is not up for discussion today. This question does not effect the military commander's responsibility to protect the lives, security and honor of each...
Bush freezes assets of persons undermining Siniora Cabinet
Daily Star 8/3/2007
In a message to the Congress of the United States, US President George W. Bush declared on Thursday a national emergency to deal with the threat to undermine Lebanon's legitimate government. The message reads: I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, determine that the actions of certain persons to undermine Lebanon's legitimate and democratically elected government or democratic institutions, to contribute to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, including through politically motivated violence and intimidation, to reassert Syrian control or contribute to Syrian interference in Lebanon, or to infringe upon or undermine Lebanese sovereignty contribute to political and economic instability in that country and the region and constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to...
Israeli troops invade Jenin and surrounding areas; searching for "wanted" Palestinians
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Jenin – Ma'an - Occupying Israeli troops invaded Jenin city and Wade Al Far'a, south of the city, today at dawn, breaking into many houses. Palestinian security sources reported that Israeli forces invaded Jenin and broke into many houses, shooting at homes and searching many houses, claiming that they were searching for "wanted" members of Palestinian resistance brigades. In Wadi Al Far'a, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces invaded the area and established a flying checkpoint, stopping many cars, but made no arrests. In Yamoun town, west of Jenin, Israeli forces arrested two citizens; Majde Hamdeia, 25, and Mohammad Sa'aeed Abu Sefein, 27, taking them to an unknown location. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces besieged the home of Bajes Hamdeia, allegedly an operative in the Islamic Jihad-affiliated...
Expose reveals concrete allegations of voter fraud in Labor primaries
Amir Shoan, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Yedioth Aharonoth unmasks tape of observer testimony of threats, bribery in Arab town polling station; Barak's office: These are old accusations that were dismissed - "Sixty votes were legal, the rest were not," Moti Zaguri, an observer during Labor primaries said of the polls in the Arab town of Shaab, an expose in a Yedioth Aharonoth supplement revealed. He was recorded shortly after run-offs between Ehud Barak - now party chairman and Defense Minister - and Ami Ayalon on June 12. "People were threatened"¦ Vote counters tallied the votes"¦ young children arrived and started to vote. They said, if you are with us, we'll beat you and kill you"¦ Zidan Ganaim, chairman of the polling station, began to cooperate. "He received NIS 5,000 (about $1190) from the vote counters"¦ I have no party affiliation, but...
Bulldozed: UK Mom Tastes Palestinian Suffering
Palestine Chronicle 8/2/2007
The 32-year-old British mother woke up in shock at 5:00 AM to two Israeli bulldozers tearing down their two-bedroom house. - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Waking up to bulldozers pulverizing her home into rubble, British mother Jessica Barhum got a glimpse of what Israel has been doing with Palestinians for decades. "You can't believe a country like this would make a law against its own citizens," tearful Barhum told Agence France-Presse (AFP. The 32-year-old mother and her Israeli Arab husband woke up in shock at 5:00 AM to two Israeli bulldozers tearing down their two-bedroom house in the village of Ein Rafa, west of occupied East Jerusalem. Pregnant Barhum was given just five minutes to vacate before implementing a demolition order against the house her husband Moussa spent eight years building on land owned by his family.
Settlers attack UN workers in Hebron Hills
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Two residents of an illegal settlement outpost near Hebron attacked United Nations workers yesterday. The UN personnel were driving in the South Hebron Hills area when one of the settlers jumped on the car and smashed the windshield, sending shards of glass into the driver's eye. A Haaretz reporter and photographer were in the car at the time, along with three members of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The settlers, residents of Mitzpeh Yair, claim that the OCHA workers were trying to uproot the outpost's olive trees. The OCHA workers had been visiting the nearby Palestinian town of Bir al Eid. As they were leaving, they spotted a man approaching. The driver braked in order not to hit him and the man drew near, as if to speak to the occupants.
Three Palestinians die in clashes between Hamas Executive Forces and members of Islamic Jihad
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Three Palestinians have died on Thursday, during clashes between what appears to be members of the Hamas Executive Forces and the Islamic Jihad movement in the Gaza Strip. Seven people were wounded. Among the dead are Nidal Ad Daya, 20, from the Islamic Jihad movement, and Salah Amoudi, 37, from the Fatah movement. The identity of the third casualty remains unknown as of yet. The Ministry of Internal Affairs from the deposed government said that it is conducting an investigation into the killings, especially the death of Amoudi. He was gunned down by unknown gunmen after he left a local mosque at dawn, in the Sabra district. The An Nasser Salah Ad Din Brigades, affiliated to the Popular Resistance Committees, succeeded in mediating between Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
Israeli troops withdraw from Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, after 24 hours, leaving two dead and many wounded
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Israeli military forces have withdrawn on Thursday from the Beit Lahia area, in the northernmost part of the Gaza Strip, after almost a full day of incursions. During the 24-hour siege, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, one a member of the National Resistance Brigades and the second from the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades. 8 others, including a child, were injured. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces bulldozed large areas of agricultural lands and farms, especially in the Ash Shaymaa area, before they withdrew. Many houses in Beit Lahia were also ransacked. The soldiers arrested many Palestinians in the process, taking them to unknown destinations. [end]
Israeli military kills 17 year old Palestinian at Bir Zeit checkpoint, north of Ramallah
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Ramallah – Ma'an – Sources within the Ramallah hospital said Thursday that Mohammad Orieb Ahmad, a young Palestinian man, was admitted to the hospital morgue today, after being shot dead by Israeli forces near Bir Zeit checkpoint, to the north of Ramallah. Israeli sources claimed that they had shot the youth because he was trying to attack them. According to the 17-year old's uncle, Marwan, Ahmad was shot while he was driving his car. Israeli soldiers contradict this account, saying, "the young man was arrested by Palestinian policemen, but he jumped from the police car and ran to the barrier." The soldiers then shot him, as they thought he was going to attack. An Israeli army spokesman did not clarify why the soldiers did not aim for the legs, but chose to shoot him dead.
Israeli troops shoot Palestinian policeman at checkpoint outside Nablus
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Nablus - Ma'an – Occupying Israeli troops have shot at a Palestinian police patrol on Thursday near an Israeli military checkpoint, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Policeman Yousef Abu Mustafa Bata, 28, was injured when he was shot by the Israeli soldiers stationed at the Beit 'Iba checkpoint, north-west of Nablus. Eyewitnesses said that many shots were fired at the man, before an Israeli military ambulance arrived on the scene, and transported him to an unknown destination. Israeli sources said that the man is a "wanted" Palestinian, and, when attempting to escape from the Israeli soldiers, he was shot. His injuries have been described as "between moderate and serious", according to Israeli sources. Bata is from Balata refugee camp, and works in the Qalqilia city police. [end]
Report: Amnesty deal between Israel and Fatah falls through
Haaretz Service, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Pan-Arab satellite television network Al-Arabiya reported Thursday that the agreement between Fatah militants and Israel promising amnesty to militants who turn in their weapons has fallen through. According to the report, Israel informed the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, affiliated with Fatah that the amnesty offer is no longer on the table as half of the Fatah militants who signed documents promising to refrain from terrorism failed hand over their weapons. The offer to clear the Fatah men from the lists of wanted fugitives was part of a package of measures which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formally presented to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting last month. The gestures also included the release of 256 Fatah prisoners.
Amnesty deal for wanted Fatah gunmen in jeopardy - PA official
Ali Waked, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Talks between Israeli, Palestinian representatives have run into difficulties due to Israel's insistence not to expand list of pardoned al-Aqsa gunmen, PA security official says - "The agreement according to which Israel will stop chasing dozens of wanted Fatah gunmen in the West Bank if they agree to disarm is on the brink of collapse," a senior Palestinian security source told Ynet on Thursday. According to him, talks between representatives for both sides have run into difficulties due to Israel's insistence not to expand the list of gunmen eligible for amnesty under the deal. As published by Ynet in mid-July, Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed on the granting of amnesty to 178 wanted activists affiliated with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's military wing in the West Bank.
Condoleezza Rice promises 80 million USD for Palestinian security bodies
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Ramallah – Ma'an – On Thursday, US Secretary of State Rice met with Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, in Ramallah. Secretary Rice also attended a meeting with the Palestinian caretaker government, during which the government laid out their security plan for the West Bank. The caretaker government is hoping it can persuade Rice into making sure that Israel will help with the implementation of the their plan, instead of hindering it. Furthermore, they want Rice to urge Israel to withdraw from certain areas, and to remove checkpoints, in order to relieve some of the traveling restrictions. Rice and the government representatives also spoke about the economic plans for the Palestinian territories, asking Rice's support for its implementation.
Rice: Israel ready to discuss peace fundamentals
Compiled by Daily Star staff, Daily Star 8/3/2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel was ready to discuss "fundamental issues" to advance stalled Middle East peace efforts, as she wrapped up her tour to the region. "The Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] said to me that he will support new discussions with you and that he is ready to discuss the fundamental issues that will lead to negotiations soon for the creation of a Palestinian state," Rice told Abbas at a joint news conference in Ramallah. When asked to elaborate, she said: "I think the word fundamental speaks for itself... I think the desire to move toward a two-state solution seems to be there on both sides." "The president of the United States has no desire to call people together for a photo opportunity.
Troops assassinate a resistance fighter in Nablus
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 8/3/2007
Palestinian medical sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank reported on Thursday night after midnight that Israeli troops shot and killed the leaders of the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad in the city. One resident was injured and another was kidnapped. Eyewitnesses reported that under-cover forces of the Israeli army driving a local Palestinian vehicle infiltrated into Al Daraj neighborhood in the Old City of Nablus and opened fire at Raed Abu Adas, 34, causing instant death. The eyewitnesses added that at least thirty military vehicles invaded the areas after the under-cover forces assassinated the fighter. The army was also accompanied by military bulldozers, and also invaded Al Qaisariyya neighborhood adjacent to Al Daraj.
Gov't may resurrect laser-based missile protection system
Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
The government is considering resuming funding for the advanced laser-based Skyguard missile protection system, security officials told Haaretz. They added that if the system is approved, it can be operational within 18 months. The project was dropped about a year and a half ago, despite several successful tests and in spite of repeated rocket attacks from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, but Public Security Minister Avi Dichter has been enlisted to spearhead the effort to resurrect Skyguard by a strong lobby group, including former defense ministry officials, that has developed. To address the threat from Palestinian Qassam rockets, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then-defense minister Amir Peretz approved the development of an alternative missile-defense system which is based on intercepting rockets rather then laser beams.
Israeli army kidnaps two from Jenin, threatens to liquidate Al-Quds Brigades
Ali Samoudi, International Middle East Media Center 8/2/2007
Residents of Jenin told IMEMC that the Israeli army threatened to harshly punish those who help wanted members of the Al Quds brigades during an invasion into the area on Thursday morning - Israeli soldiers carried out a wide-scale invasion and search campaign in Jenin camp and the town of Al Yamoon, west of Jenin. The army vowed to liquidate wanted members of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, who announced their rejection of a previous pledge to cease attacks against Israel. The same sources reported to IMEMC that armed clashes took place on Thursday morning in Jenin refugee camp, where Al Quds Brigades fighters fired an explosive device on Israeli patrols. Meanwhile, the Israeli army kidnapped two Palestinians from Al Yamoon; one of them, Majdi Hamdiyah, is a brother of a senior Al Jihad leader.
Israeli army carries a wide-scale abduction campaign in several areas of West Bank
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 8/2/2007
The Israeli army abducted a number of Palestinians in different areas of the West Bank on Thursday morning. The first abduction was carried out in Beitunia, west of Ramallah city in the central West Bank, where Israeli forces kidnapped one Palestinian. Palestinian security sources in the area reported that Israeli soldiers surrounded and searched the home of Yousef Kefaya before kidnapping and transferring him to an unknown destination. The second abduction took place in the northern West bank, where one Palestinian was kidnapped from Nablus and seven were kidnapped from the nearby village of Burqa. The kidnapped residents of Burqa were identified as: Nadeem Amer, Habeeb Ja'far, Samer Daghlas, Nojood Abu Amer, Tareq Sayef, Ameen Desoqi, and Tamer Daghlas.
Israeli forces arrest 24 citizens in Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli forces on Thursday arrested 24 Palestinian citizens in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin. Israeli media stated that the men were "wanted". Israeli sources said that, during the operation, Israeli soldiers were shot at, but no injuries were reported. [end]
Abu 'Ali Mustafa brigades claim responsibility for attacking an Israeli military jeep in Balata refugee camp
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Nablus - Ma'an - The PFLP-affiliated Abu 'Ali Mustafa Brigades have claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli military jeep at dawn today, in Balata camp, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. In a statement received by Ma'an, the Brigades declared, "this attack is a response for the Israeli crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip". [end]
Mujahideen Brigades claim destruction of Israeli tank in Gaza
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The Mujahedeen Brigades, which were formerly affiliated to Fatah, but now operate independently, have claimed responsibility on Thursday morning for targeting of an Israeli tank in Beit Lahia. The brigades assured that they destroyed the tank. Israeli military sources did not mention any casualties or injuries. [end]
Lebanon Crisis: Health Cluster Bulletin No. 27, 01 Aug 2007
World Health Organization - WHO, ReliefWeb 8/1/2007
The Lebanon Crisis Health Cluster Bulletin aims to give an overview of the health activities conducted by the health cluster partners in relation to the latest Lebanon conflict as well as the crisis in the Palestinian camps. It compiles health information received from the different organizations working in the most affected areas. The Health Cluster Bulletin will be issued every other Wednesday. Highlights- - No outbreak was reported through the Early Warning and Response system (EWARS). - Two New landmines/UXOs/cluster bombs' casualties were registered last week as per the National Demining Office (NDO) and UNDP Mine action report. Nahr El-Bared Crisis - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is leading the Humanitarian and Relief interventions in response to the Nahr El-Bared Crisis.
Palestinian militants botch attack on IDF troops
Amos Harel, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
An apparent attempt by Palestinian militants to blow up a house in the Gaza Strip while a Golani Brigade force was in it failed on Wednesday. An explosion occurred in the house after the troops had already left, and nobody was hurt. A Palestinian youth was killed and another injured yesterday by IDF and Border Police fire at roadblocks in two separate incidents in the West Bank. A Golani reconnaissance regiment entered Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip in the middle of the week and occupied several houses. Two armed Hamas men were killed in an exchange of fire with the troops, military sources said. Several hours after the soldiers left on Wednesday, an explosion destroyed a floor of the house they had stayed in. IDF sources said this was probably a botched attack on the Golani troops.
Missile-launcher aimed at Gaza
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Group from central Israel makes improvised projectile-launcher, lobs organic eggs, vegetables at Beit Hanoun to raise awareness of situation in Sderot - A number of Israelis from the Tel Aviv vicinity drove south and fired improvised missiles towards Gaza, in an effort to raise awareness of the difficult situation in Sderot. The group used a projectile-launcher built by Yahav Michaeli - a stunts and pyrotechnics expert - to lob organic eggs and vegetables towards Beit Hanoun. "The idea was to draw attention to what's going on with a little bit of humor, because we thought it could relieve the pressure a little," said members of the group. "When you wander around Sderot and notice the atmosphere there, you understand that a sort of emotional stagnation has taken hold of the State.
Palestine Today 080207
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 8/2/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - || File 4. 11MB || Time 4m29s|| - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday August 2nd , 2007. As US Secretary of State visited the West Bank today to allegedly show support for Abbas and to push for peace talks, the Israeli army carried out several invasions in the West Bank, kidnapping twelve Palestinians, These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Gaza Strip - A member of the Executive Force of the Hamas Ministry of Interior was killed and seven persons were injured in clashes with Islamic Jihad members east of Gaza city on Wednesday night Islam Shahwan, spokesperson for the Executive Force, claimed that three of its members were shot while trying to apprehend a civilian who was breaking the law.
Soldiers break into the house of a female detainee in Ramallah
IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 8/3/2007
Palestinian sources reported on Thursday that Israeli soldiers broke into the house of detainee Nada Al Jayyousi, head of the Al Huda society for women in Al Biereh town, near the northern West Bank city of Ramallah, and searched the house causing damage in addition to terrifying her children. Abu Obaida, the husband of Nada, stated that soldiers broke into the house of Thursday at dawn and violently searched it while deliberately destroying and sabotaging the furniture and belongings of the house. Abu Obaida added that soldiers also confiscated two computers and several private documents including his identity card and family photo albums. He stated that soldiers deliberately confiscated pictures of their his children in order to practice physiological pressures on their detained mother during interrogation.
Israeli army invades home of imprisoned head of women's society
Ameen Abu Warda, International Middle East Media Center 8/2/2007
The Israeli army invaded the house of the Nada Al Jayousi, the imprisoned head of the Al Huda Society for women in Ramallah, destroying furniture and taking photographs early on Thursday morning. Abu Obiedah, the prisoner's husband, reported that the Israeli force refused to speak to him during the invasion. The soldiers damaged furniture and took two computers, personal documents, the husband's identity card and a photo album. The Israeli soldiers also took photographs of Al Jayousi's children, presumably to be used to impose pressure on Al Jayousi during interrogations. This action came shortly after Israel issued a law which prevents the use of psychological torture on prisoners during interrogations. Abu Obiedah appealed to the Red Cross and the Human Rights Association to work for to release his...
Israeli military storms home of imprisoned head of Al Huda woman's association
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Nablus – Ma'an – A large contingent of the Israeli army on Thursday raided the house of Nada Al Jyousi, the head of the Al Hudna women's association, currently in prison. During the raid, Israeli soldiers demolished much of the furniture. Al Jyousi's husband declared that the soldiers did not address him or explain why they were there. The troops confiscated two computers, much of the husband's papers, and his ID. The soldiers took pictures of Al Jyousi's children that will, according to the husband, be used to put pressure on Al Jyousi during interrogation. Nafha, the Palestinian Association for the Defense of Human Rights, said that "these inhuman actions of putting psychological pressure on prisoners during investigation are against the law." [end]
Israeli forces deny citizens of 'Anin near Jenin access to farmlands behind the Wall, saying permission is revoked
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Jenin – Ma'an – Israeli forces are preventing the citizens of 'Anin, a village close to the northern West Bank city of Jenin, from reaching their farm lands, isolated by the Israeli separation wall. The Israeli authorities have closed that gate that connects the village to the farm lands. The inhabitants have permission to use the gate, but Israeli troops have now closed the gate, saying that the farmers must obtain new permissions, "as the old one have been revoked". [end]
Head of Nafha Prisoners Association arrested by Israeli forces
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Nablus – Ma'an – Israeli military forces on Thursday arrested the head of the Nafha prisoners association, Mohamad Bsharat. At dawn, they stormed his home and took him to an unknown location. In reaction, the Nafha society condemned his arrest. According to Nafha, the arrest comes as "revenge for the association's activities in defending the rights of prisoners." The association assured they would reveal all crimes the occupying forces commit against Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Nafha appealed to humanitarian associations to intervene for the release of Bsharat. [end]
Under siege: drug shortage 'is killing patients in Gaza'
Eric Silver, MIFTAH 8/2/2007
Shifa hospital, the biggest in the Gaza Strip, is running out of drugs. It is performing emergency operations only. The CAT scanner is out of service for want of spare parts. The orthopaedic department no longer has plaster of Paris. Hospital managers appealed yesterday to the international community to lift the siege on Gaza, which imposed after Hamas seized control in June. Dr Juma al-Saqa, a hospital spokesman, told reporters they needed 150 tons of medicines urgently. On Monday, Israel allowed the Red Cross to bring in 50 tons. That was not enough. Dr Moaya Abu Hasnein, the director of accident and emergency, said dozens of cancer and kidney patients were slowly dying because of the boycott. While the Rafah crossing, formerly manned by European Union monitors, remained closed, it was impossible to transfer patients to Egypt.
IDF court releases suspect in Hebron kidnapping
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Military court releases soldier suspected of opening fire on Palestinian bystander during unauthorized raid in village near Hebron - The Military Court released a soldier involved in last week's kidnapping of a Palestinian taxi driver and the shooting of a bystander in the village of Dahariya near Hebron. The soldier, who is suspected of shooting and injuring a Palestinian bystander, has been allowed to return to his unit while the court reviews all the evidence in the case. The remand of the officer who headed the unit accused of the kidnapping has been extended by five days. On Sunday the Military Prosecution appealed a military court's decision to release five soldiers who were involved in incident. The officer is suspected of having issued orders to four soldiers to kidnap a taxi driver and enter the village where a bystander was shot and injured.
Weekly Report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 26 Jul - 1 Aug 2007
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - PCHR, ReliefWeb 8/1/2007
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) - 10 Palestinians killed by IOF. • 1 Palestinian youth beaten to death in Bethlehem • 3 of the victims killed in IOF extra-judicial executions. - 12 Palestinian civilians, including 1 woman, were wounded by IOF gunfire. • 3 were injured in a failed extra-judicial execution. - IOF conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. • IOF arrested 18 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 2 in the Gaza Strip. • IOF raid the Union of the Handicapped and Islamic Club in Qalqilya. • IOF raid El-Zuhur Kindergarten and desecrate the Islamic Cemetery in Dura near Hebron.
Truck load of medical supplies to reach Gaza shortly, according to Palestinian Ministry of Health
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Ramallah – Ma'an – The Ministry of Health has on Thursday sent a truck full of medicine and supplies from Ramallah to the Gaza Strip. The general manager of public relations and information of the ministry, Dr. Omar An Nasr, said that the transport contains over 70 kinds of medicine, especially for those who suffer from kidney inflammation. The delivery is meant to alleviate the shortage in medicine that many hospitals in Gaza are dealing with, due to the blockade imposed by Israel after the Hamas takeover of power. An Nasr said that, according to the instructions given by the Minister of Health, Fathi Abu Maghli, the medical supplies will be evenly distributed. He added that the ministry is working hard in providing more medical supplies for Gazan medical centres in the near future.
IDF probe finds gross misconduct in Dahariya rampage
Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
A probe by the Israel Defense Forces indicates gross misconduct in the Lavi Battalion after an officer and five soldiers went on a rampage last week in Dahariya, south of Hebron. The officer and soldiers took over a Palestinian taxi and bound its driver, and while driving with him shot and injured a Palestinian in the town they said looked suspicious. They abandoned him bleeding and left Dahariya without reporting the incident to their commanders. The affair, following reports by Palestinians, prompted GOC Central Command Gadi Shamni to conduct a rapid probe after which the entire company was barred from taking part in operations. Shamni has also ordered an investigation on the norms and values in the battalion. On Friday a military court extended the remand of the lieutenant and the soldier allegedly involved...
Hamas bans Gaza TV program, angering journalists' union
Reuters, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Hamas has ordered a Gaza television station to take a political affairs show off the air, a move the Palestinian journalists' union Thursday called an attempt by the Islamist group to suppress freedom of the press. The weekly "Red Line" is broadcast by Palestine Television, which moved to alternate studios in Gaza after Hamas seized its main facility after taking over the Strip six weeks ago. Hamas took control in Gaza after days of violent clashes with security forces allied to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. Hassan Abu Hasheesh, deputy minister of information in a Hamas-led government in Gaza, said the decision to ban the program was not related to its content. Abu Hasheesh said broadcasts of "Red Line," hosted by an unaffiliated political commentator, would not be allowed...
High Court backs route of West Bank fence near Efrat
Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz 8/3/2007
The High Court of Justice on Thursday rejected petitions against the route of the West Bank separation fence in the area of Efrat, saying the route of the fence was determined for security reasons. After rejecting the petition, the court lifted an injunction prohibiting construction of the fence from continuing in the area, allowing the fence to be erected on the originally planned route. Residents of the West Bank village of Umm Salamuna, whose lands were expropriated by the state in order to allow for the route of the fence to include Efrat on the Israeli side, had petitioned the High Court against the move. The petitioners demanded the court reject the route, on the basis that the fence would be built in part on 272 dunam of grapevines, fig and almond trees.
Mayor of Gaza City calls for payment of municipal workers and employees
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The mayor of Gaza City, Majid Abu Ramadan, has expressed his hope that the municipality's employees will be paid at least part of their salaries, which they have been expecting now for seven months. The mayor urged all sides and parties concerned to support the workers and employees of the Gaza City municipality, in order to "enhance their steadfastness". Ramadan added, "we are in need of urgent presidential support, in order to aid the employees and workers of the municipality, so that we can develop the municipality projects." The mayor has been promised a grant from the presidency for the payment of the employees, but it is yet to materialise. [end]
Former Minister of Education announces Tawjihi exam results in the Gaza Strip
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The minister of education in the deposed government, Dr. Mohammad Al Agha, yesterday announced the results of the pre-university Tawjihi exams in the Gaza Strip. In a press conference also attended by the acting speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Ahmad Bahar, and many other officials, Dr. Al Agha stated that all suggestions to announce the results from one place, Ramallah, and in one day, were rejected and refused; "that's why we are announcing them from Gaza today." The minister expressed his hopes that the educational system will not become entangled in the internal debate and conflict. The minister revealed that the number of students who participated in the exams was 34,535. While the names of the top ten in each faculty were also announced by the minister to the assembled press.
West Bank scholars push for spiritual reply to Hamas extremism
Joshua Mitnick, MIFTAH 8/1/2007
Standing before his class on Islam and Society at Al Rawda College, Sheikh Sad Sharaf cites the Koran to land a not-so-subtle jab at Hamas's recent takeover of the Gaza Strip. When Muhammad died, explains Sheikh Sharaf, who is a member of the rival Fatah Party, burial was delayed until a successor could be agreed upon in order to avoid a power struggle over the Islamic caliphate. "This proves that infighting is illegal in Islamic terms," he concludes. As Fatah struggles to contain the spread of Hamas in the West Bank, Palestinians like Sharaf are pushing for an Islamic critique to compete with the militant brand of religion practiced by the new rulers of Gaza. Some advocate a liberal brand of Islamic politics that would support territorial compromise, while those with a strict interpretation of the Koran...
Middle East peace conference likely in November
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Sources close to US secretary of state say Mideast peace conference may take place in three months. Exact date, place, participants still undecided. A peace conference which would include Israel and moderate Arab states may convene in Washington in November, sources close to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday. Rice's Wednesday meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resulted in the decision that the US would continue to use its influence on moderate Arab countries, to convice more of them to take part in the conference. Morocco, Tunis, Qatar and Bahrain were named as potential participants, but no actual date and location have been set, nor has Rice announced the conference's agenda. Olmert toldRrice he welcomed Saudi Arabia's support of a Middle East peace conference, adding he hoped more Arab nations would do the same.
Framework agreement to assist Palestinian security sector reform
United States Department of State, ReliefWeb 8/2/2007
Washington, DC - President Bush, in his July 16 statement, announced the United States is strengthening its financial commitment to the Palestinian people and the government led by President Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The President announced the intention of the United States to provide $80 million to help the Palestinians reform their security services and improve the lives of the Palestinian people. Today, Secretary Rice and Prime Minister Fayyad signed a Framework Agreement to establish a mechanism to move forward with the President's commitment. The Framework Agreement formalizes the intention of the United States to provide assistance to the Palestinian Authority to promote law and order by strengthening and reforming the Palestinian security sector.
US and Palestinians Sign $80m Deal
Palestine Chronicle 8/2/2007
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be receiving millions of dollars of US money; in exchange he declared his readiness to discuss 'declaration of principles' with Israel. - RAMALLAH - The US Secretary of State has met with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, in Ramallah and signed an agreement granting the Palestinians $80 million for reform of their security services. The move follows Washington's recent pledge of at least $86m to Abbas. Condoleezza Rice said after talks with Abbas on Thursday that Israel was ready to discuss "fundamental issues" on creating a Palestinian state. In return, Abbas said he is ready to work with Israel on a "declaration of principles" as a step toward a full peace agreement.
Rice arrives in Ramallah
MIFTAH, MIFTAH 8/2/2007
On Thursday, US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, arrived in Ramallah for talks with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, his cabinet and President Mahmoud Abbas. Ramallah is to be the last stop on her diplomatic tour of the region, which has taken her to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, and is the first time she has visited the Middle East since infighting between Hamas and Fatah broke out in the Gaza Strip. While Hamas have assumed control of Gaza, the US and Israel have firmly stood by Abbas, endorsing his government in the West Bank with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert condemning any dialogue with Hamas if a solution is to be achieved. Israel and the US have therefore taken steps to consolidate Abbas' position by displaying various so-called gestures of goodwill.
Israel ready to talk fundamental issues
P. Parameswaran - RAMALLAH, West Bank, Middle East Online 8/2/2007
What are these fundamental issues? - Rice says Olmert will support new discussions with Abbas for creation of Palestinian state. - RAMALLAH, West Bank - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Thursday that Israel was ready to discuss "fundamental issues" to advance the stalled Middle East peace. "The prime minister (Ehud Olmert) said to me that he will support new discussions with you and that he is ready to discuss the fundamental issues that will lead to negotiations soon for the creation of a Palestinian state," Rice told Abbas at a joint press conference in Ramallah. When asked to elaborate, she said: "I think the word fundamental speaks for itself... I think the desire to move towards a two-state solution seems to be there on both sides.
POLITICS: US Evangelicals at Odds on Embracing Israel
Bill Berkowitz, Inter Press Service 8/2/2007
OAKLAND, Aug 2(IPS) - It was business as usual during Christians United for Israel's recent "Israel Summit," its highly-publicised second summer sojourn to Washington. There were thousands of supporters in attendance, including an impressive array of Republican Party elected officials and political leaders. There were a series of seminars and workshops aimed at solidifying pro-Israel talking points, and growing the organisation's political effectiveness. And there was Pastor John Hagee, the head of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), once again proclaiming that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was this generation's Adolph Hitler. Hagee, leader of the 19,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, is a wealthy, world renowned television evangelist.
Letter: Brown and Israel
The Guardian 8/2/2007
Even before his visit to Washington, Gordon Brown made clear where he aligned himself on the world stage so far as the Middle East is concerned (Brown stresses shared values, July 31). Having agreed soon after he became prime minister to become a patron of the Jewish National Fund (UK), it is already startlingly clear where his sympathies lie. The JNF has just pushed through the Knesset the first reading of a bill which would allow the Israel Lands Authority to lease land owned by the JNF to Jews only. If passed, the bill will effectively prevent any of the thousands of Muslims and Christians living in Israel from leasing or buying outright any land owned by the JNF. Brown's patronage has at a stroke already removed any hopes of perceived even-handedness in any dealings he may enter into over the Arab-Israel situation in general and the Palestine-Israel situation in particular.
Doubts over US Mideast strategy
BBC Online 8/2/2007
As two senior US officials tour the Middle East, the BBC's Roger Hardy finds experts are downbeat about the prospects for reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In a speech in mid-July, President George Bush reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. Now, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates are trying to give some substance to this pledge. The aim of their visit to the region is, first, to create an alliance of "moderates" to counter the influence of Iran and Syria and the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. And, second, they are trying to breathe life into the peace process. Few optimists - They want to persuade the Arab states to attend a proposed regional meeting - the White House is avoiding the word "conference" - which Ms Rice will host in the autumn.
Iran denounces Israel's 'horrific' human rights record
The Associated Press, Ha'aretz 8/3/2007
Iran denounced what it called Israel's horrific human rights record in a letter to the United Nations secretary-general while denying recent Israeli accusations of widespread rights abuses in the Islamic republic. In the Iranian letter, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the country's UN ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said his government would not respond to baseless allegations and distortions about the situation of human rights in Iran. "Israel's futile attempt to raise allegations against others' human rights situation is nothing but a preposterous, and indeed tired, practice to distract the international community's attention from its shameful human rights record," he said. Khazaee was responding to a June 19 letter from Israel's deputy UN ambassador Daniel Carmon to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,...
Jewish-Christian group renovates private shelters
Eli Ashkenazi, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
A year after the Second Lebanon War, renovations have finally begun on private shelters in the North. As Haaretz reported two months ago, the 2,443 private shelters, which are located in apartment buildings and serve their residents, are being renovated by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which has raised NIS 43 million for the purpose. At the same time, the state is renovating some 3,300 public shelters north of the line running from Acre to Amiad. Those renovations will cost some NIS 60 million. By law, a public shelter is the municipality's responsibility, while private shelters are the responsibility of each building's residents. However, many northern apartment dwellers cannot afford to renovate their shelters themselves, so IFCJ volunteered to fill the gap.
An end to long lines at E. J'lem consulate?
Daphna Berman, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Americans living in Jerusalem and the territories will now need to schedule appointments in advance at the U.S. Consulate in the capital. According to consular officials, the new arrangement, which goes into effect Monday, is intended to improve service to U.S. citizens. Under the new system, all U.S. citizens seeking a passport, a consular report of a birth abroad or notary services must make an appointment through the consulate's Web site. "Unfortunately, in the summer, the lines have been very long, sometimes as long as four hours," American Citizen Services consul Tiffany Bartish said in a briefing this week announcing the changes. "Overall, this will benefit everyone." The change comes one month after American citizen services at the U.
AACI slams insurance discrimination for Israel-bound Americans
Daphna Berman, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI) has expressed outrage at U.S. insurance companies that deny life insurance coverage to Americans who plan to visit Israel or have done so in the past. "AACI is appalled at this terrible treatment," AACI Executive Director David London said this week. According to recent reports, insurance carriers in several states have denied life insurance coverage to policyholders on the basis of past travel to Israel or plans to visit Israel in the future, on the grounds that such travel constitutes risky behavior. The Tourism Ministry, which had been unaware of the phenomenon, has announced plans to look into the matter. "The ministry views the removal of all restrictions on tourists interested in coming to Israel with great importance," ministry spokesperson Shira Kaveh said.
Syria 'plans war of attrition in the Golan Heights'
Smadar Peri, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Assad encouraging army officers to settle in Syrian side of disputed region in preparation for possible confrontation. 'We have an answer in case Israel attacks our cities,' says senior official in Damascus - In a secret message relayed to Jerusalem, Syria warned the Israeli government that should it continue to reject Damascus' peace overtures, a war of attrition may break out in the Golan Heights, according to a report published Thursday. Yedioth Ahronot has learned that in recent days Israel received reports of increased Syrian presence on its side of the Golan Heights in preparation for a possible war. During the past year the Syrian government has encouraged its citizens to settle in the Syrian side of the Golan Heights; Israel has recently learned that many of those who have made the Golan their new...
MK says ready to blow up Western Wall for peace
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Israel Our Home MK David Rotem says if blowing up Western Wall can save a life, he would do it - Israel Our Home MK David Rotem says he is ready to do everything to reach peace, including blowing up the Western Wall. Cohen's answer came in response to a question during an interview with Voice of Peace Radio about how his hawkish party can justify remaining in a coalition with a government who is holding talks with the Palestinians, something his party opposed. Rotem emphasized that even so-called rightists, in Israel, were pro-peace, adding that he himself would do almost anything to ensure it." If they guarantee to me that by blowing up the Western Wall I can save the life of one person, I will place an explosives device near it and destroy it because I am really ready to do everything for peace if I have a real partner for peace," he added.
Labor impeaches party secretary implicated in brawl, police row
Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
The Labor Party on Thursday impeached its disgraced party secretary, MK Yoram Marciano, and decided to hold elections to replace him at a still to be determined date. Associates of party Chairman Ehud Barak filed the motion to remove Marciano, who was recently implicated as a participant in a pub brawl and pulled over by police when he was caught. Barak allies said Labor needed a party secretary worthy of the party leader's trust and respect, and not an "unpredictable" and potentially rebellious figure. Lead candidates to replace Marciano include the chairman of the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, MK Ophir Pines-Paz; former presidential hopeful Colette Avital and MK Orit Noked. Pines-Paz is seen to be the leading the race, but many fear his outspoken opinions against the party's participation...
Winograd Commission refuses to grant PM's attorneys access to records
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Commission refuses to release records relating to conclusions against Olmert. PM's legal reps say access needed to decide if, how to proceed - The Winograd Commission has informed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's attorneys Thursday that it does not intend to grant their request to disclose the records and materials on which the conclusions against him were based. Olmert's attorney, Eli Zohar, requested access to the commission's records two days ago. Olmert had many reservations regarding his portrayal in the commission's interim report on the Second Lebanon War, said a source close to the prime minister, and his attorneys simply want to view the relevant material before deciding how - and if - to proceed. On Wednesday, former Defense Minister Amir Peretz sent the commission a letter asking to reappear before it before his matter is decided.
Attorney: Subjects should see all evidence
Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
The Winograd Committee should allow senior officials who are liable to be harmed by its conclusions to study all the relevant evidence and cross-examine witnesses, says attorney Amnon Zichroni, a veteran lawyer who has represented people facing investigative panels since the 1970s. In 1973, Zichroni lambasted the refusal of the Agranat Commission, which investigated the Yom Kippur War, to accord these rights to the officials it criticized, and his arguments prompted the Knesset to pass an amendment that required state commissions of inquiry to grant such rights from then on. The Winograd Committee is a government panel rather than a state commission of inquiry, and is therefore not bound by this law. "But even though this it not a commission of inquiry, it is acting like one in practice, and it can make recommendations...
MKs oppose deporting Darfur refugees to Egypt
Mijal Grinberg, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Dozens of legislators from across the political spectrum have urged the government to refrain from deporting to Egypt Sudanese refugees who enter Israel through the Sinai Peninsula. Channel 10 reported yesterday on Israeli soldiers who said they had witnessed Egyptian security officers executing several refugees. "The refugees need protection and sanctuary, and the Jewish people's history as well as the values of democracy and humanity pose a moral imperative for us to give them that shelter," the MKs said in a petition. The document has been signed by 63 MKs including Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, Labor's Amir Peretz, Hadash's Dov Khenin and the National Religious Party's Effi Eitam. The legislators propose to keep the refugees here until they are transferred to a safe haven abroad.
Gloves are off as tensions rise in judicial system
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Spokesman for justice minister slams 'orchestrated' attacks from Supreme Court president, former justices. Former Justice Heshin calls on minister to resign, says 'I would tell Friedmann to go back from whence he came' - "The orchestrated attacks against the justice minister, from Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish's letter and on to the public appearances by former justices, are characterized by failing to address the matter at hand and excelling at never actually examining the proposals made by the minister in a serious manner," said a spokesman for Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann on Thursday morning. "The minister's proposals are for the good of the judicial system, they solidify its power. The proposal on the agenda does not impair the authority of the Supreme Court president," he wrote.
'This is the bankruptcy of Zionism'
Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Planned budget cut to aid for new immigrants sparks outrage amongst aliyah organizations. Absorption minister pledges to stop Finance Ministry's plan, says cut of even 1% to funding sends wrong message to Diaspora - An emergency meeting was held in Tel Aviv Thursday to protest the planned cut in a number of clauses of the Absorption Ministry's budget. Absorption Minister Jacob Edery of Kadima, Knesset members and several representatives of various aliyah organizations all said the proposed cut would harm the new immigrants. It was recently reported that the Ministry of Finance intends to submit a budgetary plan for 2008 that would see a steep drop in State funding for aid to new immigrants. According to the proposal, the absorption packages would shrink by 20%, the customs grant would be canceled and benefits for immigrant scientists and academics would also be canceled.
Barak's vision for 2008
Attila Somfalvi, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Labor Party Chairman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlines plan for 2008 budget, says will fight for old-age pension, Holocaust survivors and rehabilitating IDF - Chairman of the Labor Party Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday addressed the demands his party would make in the upcoming cabinet discussion on the 2008 budget. Speaking at a Labor party convention, Barak said his party would demand improving the old-age pension, the treatment of the Holocaust survivors and rehabilitating the Israel Defense Forces. Earlier, the Labor Party's team responsible for handling budget negotiations convented and stated that the party would insist on allocating budgets to three main areas: A reform in education, the Social Affairs Ministry and a defense establishment budget to rehabilitate the IDF following the Second Lebanon War.
Olmert presses Winograd for explanations
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Prime minister's lawyers argue he is entitled to have access to findings, testimonies that fault his handling of last summer's war - After the Winograd Commission's refusal to allow Prime Minister Ehud Olmert access to all of the evidence it collected during its investigation of last summer's war, Olmert's lawyers have demanded the commission explains its stance. The Supreme Court of Justice is set to rule on a petition by the Military Defense Attorney that the commission releases all evidence collected during its probe of the handling of last summer's war. The petition also demands that soldiers and officers who are likely to be harmed by the commission's findings be protected. Olmert's lawyers do not plan to petition the High Court but have pressed the commission to supply clear explanations for...
OPT: Gaza Humanitarian Situation Report 24 - 30 Jul 2007
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA, ReliefWeb 7/30/2007
SUMMARY POINTS - Gazan Economy: 1. The Gazan economy continues to deteriorate as a result of the limited opening of the Gazan crossings. The vast majority of import-dependent industries – notably the wood, construction and garment sectors – have temporarily closed down. Only 10% of Gaza's industries, those depending on previously-stored raw materials, remain partially functional. 2. If the closures continue, the Palestinian Association of Businessmen expects that at least 120,000 workers in Gaza will lose their jobs. 3. The total accumulative and direct losses since the closure of the Gaza crossings in mid-June is now reaching about $23 million, with an average daily loss of about $0. 5 million. 4. Production capacity in the furniture sector, one of the most important sectors in Gaza,...
Heftsiba on verge of collapse
Ron Paz and Golan Fridenfeld, Globes Online 8/2/2007
Electra Real Estate has cancelled its acquisition deal. Heftsiba faces over NIS 1 billion in debt, as buyers overrun apartments and move in. - Amid deepening questions regarding Heftsiba Building Development & Investments Ltd. 's financial stability, and reports of hundreds of apartments being overrun by worried buyers, the real estate firm appears to be on the verge of collapse. Earlier today, Electra Ltd. (TASE:ELTR) announced that it has cancelled its acquisition of Heftsiba Building Development & Investments Ltd. and will try to recover both the NIS 30. 1 million it paid for the company as well as $12. 5 million in Heftsiba bonds in its possession. The company added that its maximum exposure to Heftsiba is NIS 170 million. Pangaea Real Estate Ltd.
Thu: Heftsiba crash reverberates in the market
Roy Meltzer, Globes Online 8/2/2007
The Tel Aviv 25 index fell 0. 36% and Real Estate 15 index fell 1. 9% today. Rises by the banks and Teva could not buoy up the market. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) fell today. The Tel Aviv 25 index fell 0. 36% to 1091. 20 points, the Tel Aviv 100 index fell 0. 20% to 1073. 32 points, while the Tel-Tech rose 1. 76% to 422. 72 points. Turnover was NIS 1. 69 billion. The TASE ended the week on a mixed note, as the trading continued under the influence of developments on international markets. The markets seesawed today, rising at the opening, then slumping at mid-morning, before recovering in an afternoon rally that petered out towards the close. The Real Estate 15 index was the day's major mover, falling 1. 9%, mostly in the late afternoon under the impact of the collapse of one of Israel's largest real estate companies Heftsiba Building Development & Investments Ltd.
Over NIS 2b withdrawn from mutual funds
Irit Avissar, Globes Online 8/2/2007
Fund manager: People are abandoning investments indiscriminately. - Israel's mutual fund industry has begun August on the wrong foot, with an estimated NIS 500 million in withdrawals. Paralleling the sell-off on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), investors in mutual funds have been manic-depressive: on Tuesday, the withdrawals from mutual funds almost completely halted as the markets rose, but the withdrawals resumed yesterday. Although high, yesterday's withdrawals were only a third of the NIS 1. 5 billion withdrawn on Sunday. Altogether, NIS 2 billion has been withdrawn from mutual funds this week, almost a tenth of the total amount deposited in them since January. A mutual fund manager said, "Investors are abandoning their investments in mutual funds indiscriminately and without trying to restructure their portfolios.
"Globes" Consumer Confidence Index fell in July
Noga Shavit-Raz and Avi Temkin, Globes Online 8/2/2007
The index fell four points to 86 points. - The "Globes" Consumer Confidence Index fell four points in July 2007 to 86 points, possibly indicating that the index's rise since January may be over. The index was unchanged in June and rose by five points in May. The main reason for the drop in the Consumer Confidence Index in July was the public's doubts about the future both of the economy as a whole and their personal economic situation in six months. The public's assessments about the current economic situation rose, despite declines in some current data for the second consecutive month. It seems that as far as assessments about the current economic situation are concerned, the public is still influenced by positive macroeconomic figures.
IDF may fire servicemen for drunk driving
Yuval Azoulay, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
The Israel Defense Forces is considering dismissing career servicemen guilty of drunk driving. A senior officer said yesterday that the head of the IDF's Personnel Directorate, Major General Elazar Stern, was seriously considering such an initiative. The army plans to consult with the Military Advocate General about the legality of these disciplinary measures, which would equate punishment for inebriated driving to drug use. "A commander who drinks and drives is not worthy of being in the IDF," the officer said. The Defense Ministry spends over NIS 100 million annually on the rehabilitation and treatment of soldiers who have been injured in traffic accidents and on compensating relatives of soldiers killed in accidents. In 2008, the IDF plans to spend NIS 7 million on educating soldiers to drive safely while on leave.
3 arrested in Blue Square blackmail scheme
Noam Sharvit and Ilanit Hayut, Globes Online 8/2/2007
The Ministry of Health may still investigate the evidence that they brought. - Another storm has hit Israel's retail market. At the request of "Globes", the Ramle Magistrates Court today lifted a gag order that the Israel Police have arrested three men on suspicion of trying to blackmail Blue Square Israel Ltd. (NYSE:BSI; TASE:BSI) for NIS 25 million. Blue Square, Israel's second largest supermarket chain, is a subsidiary of Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd. The three men allegedly told Blue Square that they would file a class-action lawsuit against the company in this amount and even release a video they had taken at the Mega supermarket in Ra'anana, which they claimed that the supermarket was not destroying meat whose sell-by date had expired.
The environment, at a crossroads
Michael J. Caduto, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
News from the Middle East usually describes conflicts and their root causes in politics, religious fundamentalism and the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians for a homeland. Threats to peace and security are indeed a backdrop for daily existence, but that is only part of the story. In April the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) invited me to experience the area's environmental problems - the first step of a collaboration coordinated by the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, an NGO based in Ipswich, Mass. The program brings together conservationists from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, who will use traditional folk stories to teach about the environment. After I met with the Palestine Wildlife Society in the West Bank, INNPPA staff led a tour of Israeli sites that embody key environmental issues.
30 Palestinians without permits arrested by Israeli police at construction site in Natania
Ma'an News Agency 8/2/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli sources have revealed that Israeli police have arrested 30 Palestinians, because they don't have permission to work in Israel. The sources added that they were found, sleeping in a construction area, and were transferred to the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli contractor responsible for them is being taken to court. [end]
Gaydamak: Invest in Israel out of solidarity
Moran Zelikovitch, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Billionaire says Jewish business community has duty to help Israel; holds press conference to clear his name following media reports of illegal conduct - Arcadi Gaydamak invests in Israel primarily to express solidarity for the state and to encourage other members of the Jewish business community in the world to do so also, he said at a press conference on Thursday. "We live in a Jewish state. Every Jew in the world is responsible for Israel, even if they have never been here," the billionaire stated. Gaydamak held the press conference in order to clear his name and refute recent media reports of allegedly illegal conduct, including weapons dealing and tax evasion. "As a public figure, it's my duty to inform the citizens that, for many years, various sources have spread false rumors about my activities, particular regarding my past in France.
Rabbis issue edict banning mixed shows
Neta Sela, YNetNews 8/3/2007
Edict bans religious men and women from attending theaters together even if seated separately - Rabbis issued an edict on Wednesday barring men and women from attending mixed theaters even though most facilities have segregated entrances and seating. The edict took effect as early as Thursday when a concert in honor of 82-year-old cantor Ben-Zion Shenker at the Wohl Center in Ramat Gan was canceled. Organizer David Zaira told Ynet that he had planned to sell over 200 tickets for religious women for whom a separate section was designated. The edict drove Zaira, after consultations with rabbis and other organizers, to cancel the show for fear that making it a men-only event would insult religious women. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amr backed the edict, saying that although men and women were seated separately, there was a danger that they mixed outside theaters.
Smells like racism
David Regev, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Religious newspaper claims 'Yemenites walk around with cloud of pungent odor' because of certain spices dominant in their cuisine. Two men of Yemenite descent demand apology and $11,500 in compensation - "Yemenites walk around with a cloud of pungent odor that lets people know they're coming from five feet away. This is also true in winter," wrote the strictly Orthodox Yated Ne'eman newspaper this week. The reason cited by the paper for this "phenomenon" is the frequent use of the fenugreek spice in traditional Yemenite cuisine. The article, penned by nutritionist Yael Kariv, focused on the recent heat wave as it related to sweat, and the connection between perspiration and diet. Social activist Haim Ezer and spice merchant Sagiv Mahfud - both of Yemenite heritage - were angered by the article...
Haredim visiting Majdanek vandalize death camp
Itamar Eichner, YNetNews 8/2/2007
Only intervention by Israeli ambassador to Poland prevented indictment of group of 35 strictly Orthodox men who ripped out entrance gate. Ambassador David Peleg: 'These incidents are a stain on Israel's good name' - Israel has denounced before the inappropriate behavior of visitors to former Nazi concentration and extermination camps, but when a group of Israeli citizens cut loose inside a camp, the shame is immeasurable. On Tuesday evening, a group of 35 strictly Orthodox young men arrived at the Majdanek death camp near the city of Lublin in eastern Poland. The camp museum site closes at 6 pm and the barracks preserved inside it close an hour earlier. The group arrived to the camp some 15 minutes before it was due to close and though no reason has been given to explain the urgency that propelled the...
News in Brief
Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
A 12-year-old boy who was playing "road roulette" with friends Wednesday night was saved from death by a policeman's quick action. The game involves lying down in a road and waiting until the last possible moment to flee as a car approaches. In this case, however, a policeman snatched the boy from Moriah Boulevard, one of Haifa's main roads, seconds before the car passed. That part of the road also has a sharp curve that limits visibility. The boy and one of his friends were detained for questioning and their parents were summoned. The other three fled, but police said that they have been identified and will be called in as well. (Fadi Eyadat)
Three Lebanese troops killed in camp battle
Middle East Online 8/2/2007
Only ruins left - Fighting rages on between Lebanese troops and Islamists who still control small area of Nahr al-Bared. - NAHR AL-BARED, LEBANON - Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Thursday at a refugee camp where the army has battled Islamists for more than two months, a military spokesman said. "Three soldiers were killed in the confrontations today," the spokesman told AFP. He earlier said one of the dead was an officer. The deaths brought to 128 the number of soldiers killed since the fighting between the army and the Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group began in northern Lebanon on May 20. "The battles continue... and the soldiers continue to progress very slowly because there are a lot of mines and booby-traps" left behind by the Islamists, the spokesman said.
Islamist militants hit Lebanese power station with Katyusha rocket
Reuters, Ha'aretz 8/2/2007
Al Qaida-inspired militants battling the Lebanese army for more than 10 weeks hit a main power station in north Lebanon with Katyusha rockets on Thursday, disrupting electricity supplies to wide areas. Security sources said Fatah al-Islam militants, holed up in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, fired half a dozen rockets at Deir Amar power station. At least two rockets hit the plant. Kamal Hayek, the chairman of the state-owned electricity company, told Lebanon's official news agency that production at the 400 megawatt facility was halted while damage was assessed. In Beirut, military experts defused a Katyusha rocket wired to a timer and set to explode, security sources said. The device was found near the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra. At least 253 people, including 127 soldiers, have been killed in fighting between Fatah al-Islam and the army which erupted on May 20.
Gates: US underestimated depth of Iraq divisions
Middle East Online 8/2/2007
ABU DHABI - Washington underestimated the difficulty of getting Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites to agree on key national reconciliation measures, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates admitted on Thursday. At the end of a regional tour, he called the withdrawal of the main Sunni bloc from the Baghdad government "discouraging." Gates told reporters as he flew back to Washington that gains made in security in western Iraq's Anbar province and at the local level were cause for optimism, but he also acknowledged they were offset by divisions at the top. "In some ways we probably all underestimated the depth of mistrust and how difficult it would be for these guys to come together on legislation, which let's face it is not some kind of secondary thing," he said.
Lebanon top Shiite cleric bans 'honour killings'
Middle East Online 8/2/2007
'Honour killings are a repulsive act banned by Sharia' - Fadlallah issues religious edict amid increase in honour killings across Arab world. - BEIRUT - Lebanon's top Shiite Muslim cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah on Thursday issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning so-called honour killings as repulsive acts that contradict Islamic law. "Honour killings are a repulsive act banned by Sharia," said Fadlallah, the spiritual leader of Shiite fundamentalists whose influence extends beyond Lebanon. Fadlallah said in a statement that he was issuing the edict amid reports of an increase in the practice across the Arab world, particularly in "Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon." He denounced "honour crimes in which men kill their sisters, daughters or other (female) relatives on the pretext of committing acts against decency and honour.
US marine guilty of Iraq murder
BBC Online 8/2/2007
A US court martial has convicted a marine squad leader of murder over the killing of an Iraqi grandfather. Sgt Lawrence G Hutchins III was also convicted of conspiracy to murder Hashim Ibrahim Awad in April 2006. Mr Awad was pulled from his home in Hamdaniya and shot, with an assault rifle placed nearby to make him look like an insurgent. Another member of Sgt Hutchins' squad, Cpl Magincalda, was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiracy to murder. Plea bargains - The military jury found Sgt Hutchins guilty of unpremeditated murder rather than the premeditated murder he had been charged with. He was also convicted of larceny and making false official statements but was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking. Sgt Hutchins faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Concern over UN's wider Iraq role
Matthew Wells, BBC Online 8/2/2007
For almost four years, the United Nations has kept itself at arms length from the turmoil of Iraqi politics - but next week, that could all change. The death of a revered senior official - seen by many as a future secretary general - and 21 others, in a devastating attack on their Baghdad headquarters in 2003, led to almost total withdrawal. Since then, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has consisted of just a few hundred staff, providing logistical support mainly for elections and monitoring human rights. But following the relative success of a Security Council resolution on Darfur earlier in the week, Anglo-American diplomats at the UN are confident they have the votes to empower a new "heavyweight" mission. The only credible light for the Iraqi people is to see a timetable...
Iraq, Afghan wars taking toll on troops' psyche
Middle East Online 8/2/2007
The duration of deployment should be made 'clear' - Study: the longer US-British troops serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, the more they will suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. - PARIS - British and US troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq face rising pressures on their mental health and family life, according to two investigations that shed light on a key aspect of military "overstretch". Doctors at King's College London assessed regular British military personnel, asking them to fill an anonymous questionnaire about their general health, alcohol use, problems at home and symptoms relating to psychological distress or post-combat stress. Of the 8,686 regular personnel who were randomly selected, 5,547 replied, from all branches -- the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force (RAF).
Pablo Ouziel: Running for Change
Pablo Ouziel, Palestine Chronicle 8/2/2007
Three young Americans are running across the country to declare their anti war stance; the efforts are noble, but will more Americans join in? - In the 1994 drama film based on a novel by Winston Groom, the world was captivated by a simple man called Forrest Gump and his journey through life. In a famous scene, he starts running and he explains his reasons for running in the following way: " That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road' to the end of town' across Greenbow County... across Alabama' clear to the ocean. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going." Forrest Gump was running because of a broken heart, and along the way thousands of people began to join him; one man with a broken heart and a whole march for hope was started.
MEDIA-US: Murdoch's Expanding Empire Seen as "Ominous"
Khody Akhavi, Inter Press Service 8/2/2007
WASHINGTON, Aug 2(IPS) - Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch added one of the most respected brands in journalism to his already vast media empire this week, gaining enough support from the deeply divided Bancroft family to buy Dow Jones & Company, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, for 5 billion dollars. In the midst of a very public negotiation which had much of U.S. journalism recoiling in horror, Murdoch also announced his intention to launch Fox Business Network, which will begin broadcasting this October. And it appears the News Corp. Chairman has every intention of using the journalistic resources of Dow Jones to bolster his fledgling business channel. "Murdoch has a long and sordid history of discarding the accepted norms of honest journalism in order to advance his own political and corporate...
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After Gaza
International Crisis Group - ICG, ReliefWeb 8/2/2007
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Hamas's takeover of Gaza and President Abbas's dismissal of the national unity government and appointment of one led by Salam Fayyad amount to a watershed in the Palestinian national movement's history. Some paint a positive picture, seeing the new government as one with which Israel can make peace. They hope that, with progress in the West Bank, stagnation in Gaza and growing pressure from ordinary Palestinians, a discredited Hamas will be forced out or forced to surrender. They are mistaken. The Ramallah-based government is adopting overdue decisions to reorganise security forces and control armed militants; Israel has reciprocated in some ways; and Hamas is struggling with its victory. But as long as the Palestinian schism endures, progress is on shaky ground. Security and a credible peace process depend on minimal intra-Palestinian consensus. Isolating Hamas strengthens its more radical wing and more radical Palestinian forces. The appointment of Tony Blair as new Quartet Special Envoy, the scheduled international meeting and reported Israeli-Palestinian talks on political issues are reasons for limited optimism. But a new Fatah-Hamas power-sharing arrangement is a prerequisite for a sustainable peace. If and when it happens the rest of the world must do what it should have before: accept it.
The events in Gaza have given rise to wholly conflicting accounts. For Fatah and those close to Abbas, they were a murderous, illegitimate coup that exposed the Islamists' true face. The plan, they say, was premeditated and carried out with Iranian backing. They claim to have video proof of a Hamas-led plot to assassinate Abbas. Hamas, too, denounces an attempted coup, though one planned by Fatah elements determined to rob the Islamists of their electoral victory and overturn the Mecca Agreement between the two rival organisations. They say those elements were fostering lawlessness in the Gaza Strip and that the U.S., Israel and several Arab countries conspired to isolate Hamas as well as arm and train forces loyal to Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan in anticipation of a showdown. Hamas's actions, they insist, were preemptive.
Abbas to the rescue
Ayman El-Amir, Al-Ahram Weekly 8/2/2007
As Bush scrambles to save face from his bloody presidency, Palestinians should not be fooled into accepting what their so-called leaders deem the best peace on offer.
Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo recently to reconfirm the Riyadh land-for-peace initiative which their colleagues from Egypt and Jordan, the two Arab states that signed formal peace treaties with Israel, had presented to Israeli officials one week earlier. Israel did roll out the red carpet and organised meetings with all the powers that be in the Israeli political and legislative spectrum, though did little beyond that. The generalities in which Israeli officials spoke, and the semblance of positive spirit exhibited, reflected Israeli awareness of the severe limitations on the mandate of the two foreign ministers, and the fact that talking alone does not hurt anyone. The Arab peace initiative has been broached to Israel time and again; it is aware of its rhetorical bluntness, nuances and weaknesses and is waiting for more Arab concessions. That ushers in the Bush initiative for a Middle East peace conference.
Arab governments are under increasing pressure to revive the deceased peace process. The Palestinian national movement has been split into two camps and Arab governments are divided in their support. Incessant Israeli aggression and assassination of Palestinians, regional tensions arising from the deteriorating situation in Iraq and the confrontation with Iran, the looming spectre of civil war in Lebanon and the showdown between Turkey and the Kurds in northern Iraq are fuelling seething domestic dissent in several Arab countries. Moreover, the failure of half-hearted democratic reforms in key Arab countries is creating a volatile political environment that is being addressed by iron-fist police state repression. To make things worse, Al-Qaeda has made sporadic but lethal appearances in some Maghreb Arab countries. Arab regimes feel the need to make some progress on the Palestinian front to take the wind out of the sails of fundamentalist
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