Israeli army demolishes animal sheds and farmers' huts in the Jordan valley
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
Israeli army bulldozers on Monday morning demolished Palestinian-owned animal sheds and farmers' huts in the Jordan valley, located in the eastern part of the West Bank. The Israeli army stormed the Al Bak'a valley area, demolishing the huts and sheds, barring farmers from removing their belongings and forcing them to leave, local farmers stated. The farmers added that they had been living on and working the land for hundreds of years. The Israeli army justified their actions by stating that the area is a closed military zone and is therefore closed to Palestinian access. [end]
OPT: Egyptian aid trucks allowed into Gaza to relieve humanitarian crisis
Xinhua News Agency, ReliefWeb 8/13/2007
CAIRO (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Fifteen Egyptian trucks carrying flour crossed into the Gaza Strip via the Karam Salem crossing on Monday, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported. The trucks were loaded with 270 tons of flour for the Palestinians living in Gaza who are running short of daily food, Palestinian Affairs Director for the Egyptian Red Crescent Mohammed Abdullah was quoted as saying. The Egyptian relief body is making further efforts to allow more aid trucks into the Palestinian territories via the Karam Salem crossing, Abdullah said, adding the aid offered by the Egyptian Red Crescent totalled 1,500 tons of flour, rice, sugar and medical aid. Gaza has been now facing a deeper humanitarian crisis since the takeover of the coastal strip by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)...
Hamas forcibly breaks up Fatah rally in Gaza, confiscates cameras
Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Hamas security forces clubbed and slammed rifle butts into opponents taking part in a rare protest rally in the Gaza Strip on Monday, seizing the cameras of newsmen covering the event and raiding media offices to prevent news footage from getting out. When Fatah and other allied groups announced plans to hold the rally Monday, Hamas banned all demonstrations and public gatherings that did not have special permission. Buses carrying protesters to the Gaza City protest site were halted by Hamas officers who beat passengers, driving them away and confiscating Fatah flags. Nevertheless, about 300 protesters got past the cordon and demonstrated for 20 minutes, shouting "We want freedom... We want to raise our voice," before dispersing. Hamas arrested several of the demonstrators and confiscated equipment...
Israeli forces seize 20 Palestinians in the West Bank at dawn
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Israeli forces launched a widespread apprehension campaign in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, seizing twenty Palestinians. Israeli soldiers seized an Islamic Jihad activist, 22-year-old, Feisal Mahmoud Abdullah Khalifeh, from Nur Shams refugee camp, in Tulkarem. Twelve members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees were abducted by Israeli troops in the Jenin area, in the northern West Bank. In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, seven Palestinians were seized and taken to an undisclosed destination. One of the abductees is a council member of a local municipality, 65-year-old As'ad Sha'ban. Other citizens apprehended in Hebron were named as: Khaled Abu Hashash, aged 15, Jihad Abu Daieh, 45, Medhat Abed El Majied Al Qesieh, 35, and Yaser Mahmoud Al Wreidat, 32.
Israel, PA sign agreement on role of int'l observers in Hebron
Barak Ravid Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Monday afternoon signed an agreement in Jerusalem that redefines the mandate of international observers in Hebron. The agreement represents the first deal signed between Israel and the PA since their renewal of civilian and security relations this July, and is the first official agreement on the role of the observers in Hebron since the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000. The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), which has operated in the West Bank city for 10 years, includes members from Turkey, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, and Denmark, and focuses mainly on relations between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents of the city. Israel returns Area B law and order to PA - The Palestinian police recently resumed its law-enforcement...
British Committee of Foreign Affairs calls for dialogue with Hamas
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an – The British Government's Foreign Affairs Committee has called for the opening of dialogue with moderates from the Hamas movement. In a report published on Monday, the committee asked the British government to begin dialogue with Hezbollah, Syria and Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood in addition to moderates within Hamas. The policy of exclusive dialogue with the Fatah movement is endangering the peace process and efforts must be made to restore a government of national unity in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the report said. The report recommended that former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, now Middle East envoy for the Quartet (UN, EU, US and Russia) should contact Hamas and instigate dialogue with them. He should also put pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to form a government of national unity, the report said.
IDF backtracks on criminalization of illegal W. Bank construction
Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
The Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces have moderated an order issued roughly six months ago, which declared that unauthorized construction in the West Bank would be considered a criminal offense. The order would not have required a warning be issued against the construction, as is common practice inside Israel proper. The defense establishment revoked the decision after a request made by the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, a group of right-wing attorneys advocating for West Bank settlers. The organization threatened to petition the High Court of Justice against the decision. The order that has been moderated is one of four orders issued in January by former GOC Central Command Yair Naveh, after a report written by Talia Sasson on illegal outposts built by settlers in the West Bank.
Eight Palestinians kidnapped in Hebron
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
Palestinian sources have indicated that the Israeli army attacked homes and kidnapped eight civilians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and nearby towns on Monday. The sources said that the attack was focused on the old part of Hebron, Dora, Al Arop, and Al Thahria towns near the city. Witnesses stated that soldiers attacked and ransacked homes, forcing families to leave and taking eight civilians to unknown detention camps. [end]
The Israeli army kidnaps four Palestinians near the Gaza strip borders
Ghassan Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
Israeli army sources reported on Monday afternoon that the Israeli army has kidnapped fur Palestinians as they were trying to cross the borders from the Gaza strip into Israel near the Kitsufeem crossing between the costal region and Israel. According to the Israeli army radio the four men said that they are members of Fatah movement and that they escaped the Gaza strip after being targeted by Hamas which took total control of the costal region two months ago after one week of violent clashes with the Fatah movement. The army sources added that soldiers found knifes and one hand-grenade with the men. The Israeli army made a search in the area of other people who may crossed the borders. Palestinian sources did not yet confirm the report [end]
IDF captures 4 armed Gazan infiltrators
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Israel Defense Forces troops captured four Palestinians who infiltrated Israel yesterday from the Gaza Strip, close to the Kissufim border crossing. The four men, who claimed to be Fatah members fleeing persecution by Hamas, are being held for further questioning. An IDF spokesperson said their motives are still unclear. Soldiers from the Golani Brigade detained the men shortly after noon. A search of their belongings yielded a hand grenade and a number of knives. Army Radio reported that the IDF expressed concern that other armed men had successfully infiltrated the country, and subsequently conducted routine searches in the area. A Fatah official said that Hamas is holding 120 Fatah members in Gaza Strip jails. This is the first time the faction has given a figure on detainees in its custody since the takeover in June.
Israeli forces detain three Palestinians suspected of planting incendiary bottles
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians at Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied Palestinian West Bank on Sunday, claiming that they had incendiary bottles. Israeli forces claimed they found three planted explosive devices and, after a short investigation, arrested three Palestinians. [end]
Palestinian combatants launch reprisal attacks for Israeli crimes
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, and Fatah's Al Aqsa Brigades, claimed joint responsibility for launching a homemade projectile at an Israeli army base north of Beit Hanoun on Sunday night. Israel has not acknowledged the incident or announced any injuries from the operation, north of the Gaza Strip. A smaller armed group affiliated to Fatah, the Al Mujahideen Brigades, announced that they "hunted" an Israeli soldier near Kisufim Crossing, in the central Gaza Strip, on Sunday. Israeli sources reported that a female Israeli settler was wounded after her vehicle was attacked by stone-throwers, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. In statements, the various brigades said that their assaults are a response...
Israeli forces arrest weapons dealers in E. Jerusalem, suspected of connection to Al Sheikh Sa'id operation
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Israeli security services published information on Monday revealing that the Israeli forces have launched an arrest campaign of Hamas members and weapons dealers in East Jerusalem. Israeli media said that the Israeli police, in coordination with the interior intelligence service Shabak, seized several members of Hamas and weapons dealers in the Jabal al Mukabbir area. The information alleged that those apprehended had had relations with two Hamas activists, responsible for an operation in Al Sheikh Sa'id, southern East Jerusalem, in May 2007. In the operation, two Palestinians opened fire at Israeli border police guarding the separation wall. As a result, three Palestinians were killed; the two assailants and a bystander, and five Israeli soldiers were injured. [end]
Israeli Arab group claims responsibility for J'lem shooting
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 8/13/2007
'The Free People of Galilee', organization responsible for kidnapping and murdering of IDF soldier Oleg Shaichat, says in statement its members were behind Friday's shooting incident in capital; Israeli sources reject report, say it is likely terrorist acted on his own - An Israeli Arab organization, The Free People of the Galilee, has claimed responsibility for the shooting incident which took place in the Old City of Jerusalem on Friday afternoon. In a statement published on the Palestinian news agency Maan, a spokesman for the group said that its members were behind the incident, in which an Israeli Arab from the Galileee snatched a security guard's weapon and was killed in an exchange of fire with another guard. Defense establishment officials rejected the report, noting that a number of organizations had already claimed responsibility for the incident.
Kfar Manda residents: Don't defame all of us
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Most residents of Galilee village which was home to Jerusalem shooter boycott his funeral; three years after another resident was involved in murder of IDF soldier, they once again try to return to routine - "I don't believe that this organization really exists or that the guy belonged to it," Muhammad Zidan of Kfar Manda said Monday morning, after an Israeli Arab group, 'The Free People of the Galilee' claimed that one of its members was responsible for the shooting incident in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday. Zidan, who served for many years as head of the Kfar Manda local council and as chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, expressed the feelings of many residents who had voiced their doubts regarding the reliability of the organization's statement.
Family demands the release of her underage detained son
International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2007
The family of detainee Mohammad Al Jada', from Borqeen near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, demanded the release of their 17-year old son imprisoned by Israel since several months after the Israeli army broke into their home and abducted him. The family stated that two other brothers of Mohammad are also detained by Israel for membership in the Islamic Jihad movement. Lawyer Ahmad Shawahna, who is active in the issue of the detainees' rights, stated that Ashraf, the brother of Mohammad, was kidnapped by the army four years ago, and that he was only 18 years old. The army claims that Ashraf planned to carry a suicide bombing in Israel. He was sentenced to eight years and was severely tortured which caused a fracture in his jaw, and that he currently needs medical intervention but deprived from his medication rights.
Blast at Negev plant leads to hazardous leak
Anat Bereshkovsky, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Explosion at Ramat Hovav's industrial zone injures seven workers, leads to emission of phosphoric acid cloud over the area. Route 40 closed off, police push local residents a mile north of site. Firefighters eventually gain control of fire - An explosion at the Makhteshim factory at Ramat Hovav local industrial council on Monday injured seven workers, who were taken to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba. Following the incident, the factory's workers and residents of the nearby Bedouin town were evacuated. "At about 11:45 am an explosion was heard at the Makhteshim-Agan factory. It was followed by emission of a gray cloud over the area. The factory's workers were ordered to enter reinforced rooms," a Ramat Hovav spokesman told Ynet.
Bedouins want to relocate after chemical blast
Anat Bereshkovsky, YNetNews 8/14/2007
Residents of temporary housing near Negev plant renew requests to move away from industrial area following explosion, say their lives are 'in danger' - Hundreds of Bedouins living in temporary structures in Wadi Na'am, adjacent to the Ramat Hovav industrial area in the Negev, renewed requests to be relocated following a chemical explosion at a nearby factory on Monday. "Any minute, there could be a catastrophe here. We want to run away as quickly as possible, because it's dangerous," area resident Ibrahim abu-Afash told Ynet. "We could be killed at any moment," he added. While he noted that the State had moved Bedouin families to the area before the Ramat Hovav industrial council was established, he explained that since factories have cropped up, "living near Ramat Hovav is like being a Bedouin sentenced to death."
Environment Ministry to examine explosion near planned IDF base
Zafrir Rinat and Mijal Grinbergs, Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
The Environmental Protection Ministry is expected Tuesday to examine the preliminary findings of a probe into a chemical explosion near where the Israel Defense Forces would like to build a huge training complex. The accident involving hazardous materials in the Negev on Monday lightly injured nine people and prompted environmentalists to protest plans to build the complex. The incident occurred at noon at a Makhteshim Agan chemical plant at the Ramat Hovav industrial zone. Preliminary investigations by hazardous material units revealed that the cause was overheated organic phosphate deposits stored at the plant - Israel's main producer and exporter of crop protection chemicals. Emergency services evacuated nine workers to the hospital after they had inhaled toxic fumes, which could cause respiratory problems and nerve damage.
Industrial pollution / We don't have to put up with it
Zafrir Rinat, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The industrial zone at Ramat Hovav in the Negev has been the subject of many newspaper articles on pollution in the region and protocol violations. The compound houses the facilities of international petrochemical firms that manage to qualm the fears of Dutch, Danish and German communities near similar complexes in Europe. Ramat Hovav, by contrast, is repeatedly giving its neighbors cause for concern. European chemical plants use the same production and treatment methods as their Israeli counterparts. They use the same raw materials and make much the same products. Malfunctions occur there, but not as often. They do not emit chronic pollution and noxious smells. European chemical plants often border on luxury neighborhoods, where homeowners have no special reason to worry.
Israeli forces abuse Palestinian workers near illegal Wall in Jerusalem
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
An Israeli force unit has carried out a widespread abduction campaign against Palestinian workers near the illegal Wall, locates in front of Dahiyat Al Bareed and Al Ram town to the north of Jerusalem city, banning them from crossing to the other side of the Wall and from entering Jerusalem. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli soldiers abused the workers by chasing them as they were trying the escape through gaps in the Wall. Eyewitnesses also assured that Israeli soldiers kidnapped several civilians, aggressively attacked them and moved them to a nearby checkpoint where they were detained under the sun. The same sources stated that the Israeli force deployed military patrols in the area and banned Palestinians from entering or exiting the locale.
MIDEAST: A Village Makes Its Own Protest
Nora Barrows-Friedman, Inter Press Service 8/13/2007
BILI'IN, West Bank, Aug 13(IPS) - Amidst acres of twisting olive trees in front of the Israeli apartheid fence, eight protesters in a weekly non-violent demonstration were injured and three arrested on Friday when Israeli occupation soldiers fired rounds of tear gas, smoke bombs, sound grenades and rubber bullets at the crowd in the West Bank village of Bili'in. Five Palestinian children and a paramedic were also wounded as over one hundred protesters, including village residents, Israeli activists and international campaigners took part in a weekly demonstration that has been planned every Friday for more than two years. Villagers first initiated the weekly demonstration in February 2005 when Israeli military forces began uprooting trees and levelling the terraced hillsides in preparation for the fence, an...
Israeli forces kidnap Palestinian child as she tends her sheep
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The Palestinian security forces revealed on Monday that Israeli troops abducted a Palestinian girl, Amina Abu Mandeel, aged 14, from the central Gaza Strip on Sunday. Amina was tending a herd of sheep near the border fence between Gaza and Israel, east of Al Maghazi refugee camp, when she was seized. [end]
Freed BBC journalist Alan Johnston thanks Palestinian journalists for their part in campign to free him
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Former BBC Gaza correspondent, Alan Johnston has thanked Palestinians for their part in the campaign to get him released. Forty-five-year old Johnston was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group called the Army of Islam on March 12 and held for 114 days before being released. Ina statement issued on Monday he said, "I was lucky enough to have a radio during my captivity, and I was able to follow the development of the campaign that you mounted on my behalf. I heard about the demonstrations staged by journalists and civil society organisations across the Palestinian Territories, as well as the petitions and the various other means used to keep attention focused on my plight. And your campaign was hugely successful in that it ensured that my case was always a priority in the eyes of the authorities.
Israeli, Palestinian men seek family unification
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Israeli man files application to Interior Ministry to be unified with married man from Tulkarm. Despite unusual nature of case, Interior Ministry promises to treat the application as all others - Interior Ministry clerks recently received an unusual family unification request from an Israeli citizen wishing to unite with his male Palestinian lover from the West Bank city of Tulkarm. The man, in his 50s resides in central Israel and wrote in his application that he only wishes to live with his life partner on weekdays, since the Palestinian, who is 20 years younger has to return to his wife and kids on the weekends. The application was sent to a special committee which discusses humanitarian applications for granting a resident status to Palestinian partners of Israelis.
OPT: Death of a 75 year old Palestinian woman
Palestine Red Crescent Society - PRCS, ReliefWeb 8/6/2007
Privet Israeli Security Guards Denied a PRCS Ambulance Access which contributed to the Death of a 75 Year Old Palestinian Woman - Barta'a Gate, 06. 08. 2007, 06:50am: A PRCS ambulance was stopped by Privet Israeli security guards at Barta'a military gate, in the Jenin area, while on route from Arraba PRCS Emergency Medical Station to Barta'a village to transport a 75 Palestinian woman in critical condition who suffered from heart attack. The security guards denied the ambulance access, although the medical team explained to them the condition of the patient and the urgency to reach the hospital. After 95 minutes had elapsed the patient arrived at the gate by a privet car, and was then pronounced dead after being checked by the medical team.
Hamas' Executive Force outlaws demonstrations, weddings and celebrations without permission
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Hamas' Executive Force on Monday banned any form of demonstration in Gaza unless its organisers obtain permission. Spokesperson of the EF, Saber Khalifeh, issued a statement announcing that "for the sake of the general benefit and to secure the rule of law, it is totally forbidden to demonstrate without getting permission from the Executive Force." He added, "This decision is part of the security plan that the Executive Force has put together in order to preserve the rule of law." Opposition rally - The Palestinian factions called a rally on Monday in protest against EF actions in the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses at the rally of Palestinian factions said the Executive Force banned journalists from covering the events.
Hamas' EF detains 5 Nativity Church deportees in Gaza
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Hamas' Executive Force on Sunday evening arrested five of the deportees from the siege of the Nativity Church in Gaza City. The Nativity Church in Bethlehem was besieged by Israeli forces in 2002 during 'Operation Defensive Shield'. Following a 39-day siege, 26 Palestinians were exiled to the Gaza Strip and 13 to Europe. The five arrested deportees were attending a party in Gaza City when they were apprehended. One party-goer told Ma'an, "The EF raided our party; their cars damaged the chairs, before they arrested five people." The five detainees have been identified as; Yasin Al-Hreimi, Ali Alqam, Muhammad Khleif, Iyad Adawi and Issa Abu 'Aahoor. The detainees were later released.
Gaza bank freezes Hamas accounts
BBC Online 8/13/2007
A Palestinian bank has frozen the accounts of Hamas' security force after mistakenly paying the wages of 3,000 of the group's members, officials say. The Gaza branch of the Palestine Islamic Bank says it acted at the request of the Palestinian Authority. A spokesman for Hamas Islamist group described the move as illegal. Tensions between Hamas and its rivals from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction have been high since Hamas seized control of Gaza in June. The Palestine Islamic Bank on Monday froze the accounts of at least 3,400 members of Hamas' Executive Force. Hamas immediately denounced the move. Hamas spokesman Ehab al-Ghsain said that "legal procedures could be taken against the bank in the coming hours," Reuters news agency reported.
LEBANON: 'Army Torturing Palestinian Refugees'
Anand Gopal and Saseen Kawzally, Inter Press Service 8/13/2007
BADDAWI CAMP, Northern Lebanon, Aug 13(IPS) - Palestinians displaced by the fighting at the northern Lebanese refugee camp Nahr al-Bared have accused the Lebanese Army of torturing and abusing civilians. As the fighting between the Sunni Islamist group Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army enters its 12th week, thousands of Nahr al-Bared residents have sought refuge in the nearby Baddawi camp. Many give detailed descriptions of days spent in detention under harsh interrogation. Fadi Wahbi, 36, told IPS that he was detained for questioning by the Lebanese army as he fled Nahr al-Bared with family members. He was held for two days at the nearby Kobbeh military base and then transported, along with other young and middle-aged men who fled the fighting, to what he believes was the Ministry of Defence in Beirut.
Hamas force condemned for political arrests, press restrictions
Report, Al Mezan, Electronic Intifada 8/13/2007
According to investigations by Al Mezan, at approximately 5pm on Friday members of the EF arrested four of Fatah's high ranking members in Beit Hanoun. They were identified as 41-year-old Faris Nai'm, 45-year-old Maher Abu Harbid, 40-year-old Issa Al Mughrabi, and Shihdeh Abu Zreiq. The latter is the headmaster of Hail Abdul Hamid Secondary School. Provoked by this conduct, citizens from the town gathered and marched toward the police station, which is run by the EF, and called for the release of those who were arrested. As the march approached the station, EF members opened fire in the air and beat many demonstrators to disband them, eyewitnesses told Al Mezan. The EF's attack on one of the weddings was widely covered by the local and international media as Ramattan's cameraman, Raed El Kafarneh, filmed it.
PFLP leader says there will be no Fatah - Hamas negotiations until Hamas withdraws control over Gaza
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Vice-chairman of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Abed Al Rahim Malooh, said on Monday that there is no possibility of negotiations between Fatah and Hamas until Hamas end its dominance over the Gaza Strip. Malooh issued a statement demanding that the security services "end its forbidden actions on the Palestinian streets". He also called for a comprehensive dialogue between all factions and an agreement on the formation of a new government within a defined timeframe. Malooh appealed to both Fatah and Hamas to reassess some of the laws that have been passed recently and without the approval of the Palestinian Legislative Council. In addition, Malooh suggested that the Palestinian factions investigate the possibility of finding an agreement or "compromise" with Israel.
Abd Al-Rahman: "What Hamas has done in Gaza today exposes the true nature of the movement"
Rashid Hilal, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
Ahmed Abd Al-Rahman, advisor to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and official spokesperson of Fatah, stated on Monday afternoon that the attack by Hamas security forces on a PLO demonstration in Gaza on Monday morning exposed the "criminal" nature of the movement. Speaking to IMEMC, Abd Al-Rahman stated "Today, the Hamas movement continues its military coup against all Palestinian political factions in Gaza," clarifying that Hamas is attempting to enforce military rule in the coastal region, overriding all civil liberties and Palestinian laws. According to the Fatah official, the actions of Hamas in the Gaza Strip exposes the organization's true face and contradicts their public pronouncements of adherence to democracy and the language of dialogue, adding that Hamas is using force to rob legitimacy from the other Palestinian factions.
Local Bethlehem court releases 10 Hamas supporters
Najeep Faraj, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
The Palestinian local court in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Sunday released 10 Hamas members. The men were arrested by Fatah forces shortly after Hamas took total control of the Gaza strip approximately two months ago. The president of the court, Judge Mohamed Abu Sondos, released the 10 owing to a lack of evidence. The Palestinian security forces had previously refused to release the prisoners, and families of the detainees told IMEMC that on Sunday evening they went to welcome their sons but were told that they needed the approval of the Palestinian interior minister before the prisoners would be released. Fareid Al Atrash, a layer working for the independent committee of civil rights, stated that the Palestinian security forces should comply with the court decision and release the 10 residents.
DFLP slams Executive Force decision to bar protests in Gaza
International Middle East Media Center 8/14/2007
A senior source at the Democratic Front For the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) stated on Monday that the Executive Force of Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, issued a decree barring protests in the Gaza Strip unless these protests are approved by the force. The source stated that this decision is considered an attempt to bar public protests against the violations carried by the Executive Force in the Gaza Strip. He added that this decision is also aimed at baring a protest called for by factions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the Gaza Strip. In spite of the decision which was issued on Sunday evening, August 12, PLO factions carried their protest on Monday afternoon, but ended soon after it stated after Executive Force members, carrying clubs and batons, intercepted the protestors and barred them...
Professor says leftist 'terrorists' made him apologize for comments
Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Professor Hillel Weiss, soon after submitting a written apology for disparaging remarks he made on an Israel Defense Forces commander last week, said on Monday that leftist "terrorist" pressure forced him to do so. Weiss, a professor at Bar Ilan University, sent a letter apologizing for wishing death on IDF Hebron Brigade Commander Yehuda Fuchs during the forced evacuation of the Hebron wholesale market last week. The apology was addressed to IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Police Commissioner David Cohen. Soon thereafter, he told Israel Radio that he had been forced to apologize by the president of the university, who in turn was being pressured by "Mapai terrorists." Mapai was Israel's dominant left-wing party until the 1960s.
Cursing professor apologizes to army chief
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Prof Hillel Weiss apologizes for cursing Hebron Brigade commander in letter to IDF chief of staff, police commissioner, but later says apology was due to 'terrorist Mapainic pressure'. IDF reject apology citing lack of sincerity - A week after sparking a row after he was caught on video by a Ynet cameraman cursing Hebron Brigade commander and IDF soldiers during the evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Hebron wholesale market, Professor Hillel Weiss of Bar-Ilan University took back his harsh remarks Monday morning. However, IDF sources told Ynet the military rejected Weiss' apology, saying it lacked sincerity. The IDF, added the sources, in considering recommending to its officers not to peruse their education at Bar Ilan, until Weiss recants his words in full.
Man apologizes to Wiesel over alleged attack
Associated Press, YNetNews 8/14/2007
During court hearing, Eric Hunt turns to Holocaust survivor and apologizes for scaring him - A man charged with dragging Holocaust scholar Elie Wiesel from a hotel elevator apologized in court Monday to the Nobel laureate over the alleged anti-Semitic attack. Eric Hunt, 22, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery, stalking, elder abuse and hate crimes following the February incident at Argent Hotel in San Francisco. The apology came in the midst of a hearing to determine whether Hunt, who originally pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but later changed his plea, should stand trial. Hunt raised a shaking hand and spoke up suddenly from his seat next to his lawyer just as Wiesel had finished describing his ordeal in Nazi death camps, where his parents and sister died.
Haredim deliver population boom to West Bank
Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The settler population is growing twice as fast as the rest of the country every year, and the ultra-Orthodox community is responsible for approximately half its annual growth, according to Haaretz's analysis of Interior Ministry figures for 2006. In the last year, the settler population has grown by 5. 45 percent, from 260,932 to 275,156. Without the ultra-Orthodox community the West Bank settlements's growth is 3. 7 percent, only a little more than the natural growth the settlements would see, which stands at 3. 5 percent. The growth rate in the ultra-Orthodox Beitar Ilit and Modi'in Ilit is higher than most places in Israel. Modi'in Ilit's population, some 40,000, grows annually by about 11 percent (this year it has grown by 12. 5 percent).
Weiss' colleagues denounce his statements
Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Bar Ilan professors publish petition strongly condemning Prof Weiss' statements against IDF officer and calling on police to investigate incident. 'Weiss' statements stand in contradiction to university's values,' petitioners say - Some 60 senior professors from Bar Ilan University signed a petition Monday calling for disciplinary measures to be taken against Professor Hillel Weiss who cursed an IDF officer during the evacuation of two families in Hebron last week. "The undersigned, faculty and research members at Bar Ilan, strongly reject the slanderous statements made by Prof Weiss against a senior IDF officer in particular, and against the State of Israel and its institutions, elected officials and representatives in general," the petition said.
Bodies of 5 soldiers missing in 1948 identified
Roi Mandel, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Fifty-nine years after being killed in Tel Arish battle, advanced DNA test identifies remains of 5 out of 7 Israeli soldiers who fell in War of Independence - The bodies of five of the seven Israeli soldiers who were declared missing after the 1948 battle of Tel Arish have been identified, the IDF's Unit for Soldiers Missing in Action announced on Monday. The men have been identified as First Lieutenant Yehiel Rosenfeld, Private David Kochavi, Private Itzhak Hamami, Private Yehoshua Lustig and a fifth soldier, whose family has not yet been notified. The identification of the soldiers was made possible due to advanced DNA tests that took place in a special lab in the United States. The battle of Tel Arish was part of Israel 's War of Independence and was fought to gain free access to the Jerusalem-Jaffa road.
Palestine Today 081307
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dep, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - || File 3. 66 MB || Time 4m 0s || - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday August 13th, 2007. In the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out a series of attacks, kidnapping at least 19 Palestinian civilians. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, the Hamas-affiliated Executive Force attack a PLO demonstration in Gaza City. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The West Bank - Israeli forces carried out a widespread invasion of the Jenin and Qabtyia areas on Monday morning, kidnapping 11 Palestinians. Eyewitness and local sources in the area reported that Ahmad Sa'eed, 50, Tareq Z'eeter, 29, and Ahmad Ya'akpa, 45 were kidnapped in the invasion.
British MPs call into question UK's failure to halt war on Lebanon
Iman Azzi Daily Star staff, Daily Star 8/14/2007
BEIRUT: Britain's failure to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities early in the 2006 summer war between Lebanon and Israel caused "significant damage" to the UK's reputation around the world, a multi-party committee of British MPs said in a report issued Monday. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), in its 200-page report entitled "Global Security: The Middle East," also concluded that it was "counterproductive" not to talk to the Palestinian political group Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. This stance was echoed on Sunday by Italian Premier Romano Prodi, who said there was a need for dialogue with Hamas to help the Palestinian Islamist group develop politically. On the eve of the first anniversary of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,...
Israeli ambassador slams British MPs' call to end Hamas boycott
Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Israel's ambassador to Britain Zvi Heifetz on Monday condemned comments by a British parliamentary committee, which said that the boycott of the extremist Palestinian Hamas was counterproductive. "It is saddening that a UK Parliamentary Committee is suggesting rewarding an extremist group, committed to destroying any hope for peace in the Middle East, by granting it international legitimacy" said Heifetz in a statement released by the Israeli mission in London. "The timing of the report is particularly unhelpful, coming just as the peace process is showing signs of renewed life. At this critical point in time, the international community has a moral obligation to continue its support for... [Palestinian Authority Chairman] Mahmoud Abbas, and those who wish to bring peace to the region.
Hamas expresses willingness to engage in dialogue with Europe
Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Hamas expressed readiness Monday to open dialogue with the West aftercalls by Italy's prime minister for it to do so. Romano Prodi suggested in an address that Hamas' existence was a fact and that the group must be integrated into the political process rather than excluded. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded by saying "Prodi's statements coincide with other positive European officials' statements." Zuhri noted that several British parliamentarians had criticized London's negative position on Hamas." Such positive stances came after Europe and the West realized how fatal their mistake was when they decided to boycott the movement," said Zuhri. Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid June when it defeated Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and security forces.
British lawmakers say UK should talk to Hamas, Hizbullah
Associated Press, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Committee of diplomats slam current boycott of Hamas, say Britain should engage in direct talks with Hizbullah, include Syria and Iran in regional talks since their influence must be acknowledged - Britain should begin talking directly with three of the Middle East's most prominent radical Islamic groups - Hamas, Hizbullah and the Muslim Brotherhood - a committee of lawmakers said in a report released Monday. British diplomats should speak with moderate elements from such groups and continue engaging Iran and Syria because their influence can no longer be discounted, Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said. ''The Muslim Brotherhood is strong in Egypt, and Hamas and Hizbullah cannot be ignored,'' the report said. The report criticized Britain's role in the international boycott of Hamas,...
Israel asks EU not to host UN panel on Palestinians' rights
Associated Press, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Israeli envoy to European Union sends letter to parliament president requesting he prevent panel to be held by UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People - Israel has asked the European Parliament not to provide space this month for a two-day UN panel meeting on the rights of Palestinians, saying the UN group co-hosting it has an anti-Israel record. Ran Curiel, the Israeli envoy to the European Union, wrote a letter last week to EU parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering asking him to prevent the planned August 30-31 conference from taking place at the EU assembly's building in Brussels, Israeli officials said. They said Curiel also wrote to a few dozen EU parliamentarians to complain about the planned conference, which is to be held under the auspices of...
Exchange of Notes concerning Grant Aid (Food Aid) through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for Palestinian Refugees
Government of Japan, ReliefWeb 8/13/2007
1. The Government of Japan has decided to extend grant aid of 500 million yen (equivalent to 4. 3 million US dollars) as food aid through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Notes to this effect were exchanged on August 13 (Mon) (the same day local time) in a suburb of Amman, the capital city of Jordan, between Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Filippo Grandi, Deputy Commissioner-General of UNRWA. 2. The living conditions of the refugees remain difficult due to the problem of the Palestinian refugees. Many refugees in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer great hardships including poverty, even after Hamas seized control the Strip in June 2007. From a viewpoint of easing such a situation, Japan has decided to implement this food aid as humanitarian assistance, in response to the request of the UNRWA.
UAE Red Crescent gives WFP US$100,000 to help Palestinians
United Nations World Food Programme - WFP, ReliefWeb 8/13/2007
ABU DHABI - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a US$100,000 donation from the United Arab Emirates' Red Crescent Society to help the UN food aid agency assist the growing number of impoverished people in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). "It is always encouraging to work together with major organizations such as the UAE Red Crescent, which sets an example that we hope would be followed by others in the region," said Arnold Vercken, WFP's Country Director in the oPt. The cash donation will be used to help assist 665,000 of the most vulnerable non-refugee population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who have been dramatically affected by escalating political violence, stagnating economy and rising unemployment.
Funded by the Islamic Development Bank: The Palestinian Authority and UNDP/PAPP launch a US$30 million micro-finance programme for deprived Palestinians
United Nations Development Programme - UNDP, ReliefWeb 8/9/2007
Jerusalem, August 09th, 2007 - In a concerted effort to combat poverty in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) joined with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Labour and UNDP's Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People launched the "Deprived Families Economic Empowerment Programme" (DEEP). Dr. Mahmoud Al Habbash, Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Samir Abdullah, Minister of Planning and Labour, Mr. Mazen Sonnokrot, IDB Representative, and Mr. Jens Toyberg Frandzen, UNDP Special Representative attended the ceremony along with several NGO representatives. This US$30 million pilot programme, funded by the IDB and executed by UNDP/PAPP in partnership with the Palestinian Authority, is a comprehensive and innovative poverty alleviation initiative that harnesses global expertise and knowledge.
Prisons Service nixes entry to Sudan refugees at Ketziot jail
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The Israel Prison Service (IPS) on Monday refused to admit a group of 30 Sudanese refugees who infiltrated Israel from Egypt into Ketziot Prison in the south. In light of this development, the Israel Defense Forces is planning to move them to a lodging complex for soldiers in Be'er Sheva, where a group of 70 Sudanese refuges who arrived in Israel over the weekend is currently housed. The IPS has yet to comment on the details of the event, but an IPS spokesperson told Haaretz on Saturday that there was no room for any more men at the facility. [end]
33 Palestinians return to Gaza through Erez Crossing
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Palestinian sources revealed on Monday that thirty-three Palestinians were transported through Al-Awja Crossing in the Egyptian Sinai to the Israeli-controlled Erez Crossing to pass into the Gaza Strip. Among the returning residents of Gaza were ten from Al Arish airport in Egypt. The head of the Palestinian coordination at the Rafah Crossing, Hani Al Jabour, said that twenty-seven Palestinians remain at Al Arish airport. They refused to enter the Gaza Strip through the Israeli-controlled crossings. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced that three of its prominent leaders returned to Gaza through Erez Crossing; Jamil Majdalawi, Rabah Muhanna, and Kayid Al-Ghoul. Thousands of Gazans had been stranded on the Egyptian side of the border since the internecine fighting...
2.5 million euro project to improve Palestinian customs
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the European Union (EU) are to implement a 2. 5 million Euro project to improve Palestinian customs operations and border management. In a press release they said the move comes as part of broader efforts to strengthen the capacities of Palestinian institutions. UNCTAD and the EU signed the deal on Monday. It be funded by the EU and implemented by UNCTAD, under the patronage of the caretaker government's Prime Minster and Finance Minister, Salam Fayyad. According to the press release, a new computerised system "will serve as the backbone of the modernised Palestinian Customs and Border Management and spearhead trade facilitation efforts." With it, Palestinian policy-makers can continuously monitor up-to-date-information...
Peres proposes release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an end to resistance
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday proposed a plan to release all Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails in return for a Palestinian comprehensive ceasefire agreement. Peres presented a timeframe of five years for the staggered release of the prisoners. In exchange, Palestinian combatants would commit to the cessation of all military operations against Israeli targets. Israeli sources revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other political leaders immediately rejected the proposal. Under the heading 'Prisoners for Peace', Israeli newspapers said the plan would be a pivotal deal between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. According to the plan, if the PA succeeds in implementing Israeli security demands within five years, Israel will release all Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.
Release of Palestinian prisoners is first priority of caretaker government, says Ajrami
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Qalqilia – Ma'an – The Palestinian minister of detainees' affairs, Ashraf Ajrami, said on Sunday that "the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is the first priority for the Palestinian government." Ajrami stressed the importance of freeing female detainees, children, those who need medical treatment and political leaders such as Marwan Barghouthi and Ahmad Sa'adat. Ahmad Sa'adat is Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Marwan Barghouthi is a popular Fatah leader, both are widely believed to be political prisoners. Ajrami on Sunday attended an honour celebration for detainees' families in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. During the celebration he said that the new Palestinian caretaker government has succeeded in ending the financial siege imposed...
Military Intelligence attempts to clarify Assad's intentions
Amos Harel, Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Israeli intelligence may be able to pinpoint Syrian President Bashar Assad's intentions on a possible war, over which uncertainty has recently heightened defense officials' concerns about a conflict in the North. A senior security source told Haaretz Monday that "as far as we can assess, Assad does not really want war with us. He is concerned about a scenario that will drag us and them [Syria] to war, either through mutual escalation on the Golan Heights, or through growing tensions between the United States and Iran." The source added "We do not know what will happen in the end, but after the performance of the IDF in the Second Lebanon War, we are obligated to prepare in a much better way." Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi have discussed the issue in a special ministerial committee on the northern front.
IDF: Syria's antiaircraft system most advanced in world
Alex Fishman, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Israeli military source says that after studying IAF's performance during Second Lebanon War, Damacus has purchased most advanced ground-to-air missiles from Russia. IDF fears Assad's arms race may be sign of possible conflict with Israel - Syria possesses the most crowded antiaircraft system in the world following its continued purchase of Russian weapon systems, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday, quoting a senior Israeli military source. According to one estimate, the Syrians hold more than 200 antiaircraft batteries of different types. In a bid to respond to the Israel Air Force's supremacy, Damascus has been exerting great efforts in the past few years to improve its ability in terms of ground-to-ground and ground-to-air missiles.
Tunisian president withdraws Suha Arafat's Tunisian citizenship
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has withdrawn Tunisian citizenship from the widow of the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily newspaper reported on Monday. Suha Arafat received notification of the withdrawal last September, but the news has only just been made public. According to the formal publication of the Tunisian republic, the decision bears the number 1976, and was issued in August. The Tunisian government did not give the reason behind the decision. Suha Arafat has been living in Tunisia with her daughter since the death of her husband. She was a close friend of the Tunisian president's wife, Layla. There were rumours of a marriage to the president's brother-in-law last year.
Likud primaries to be held Tuesday
Attila Somfalvi, YNetNews 8/14/2007
Netanyahu's control of party not expected to change; officials posit there will be low voter turnout - The Likud party will hold primaries Tuesday, featuring contenders incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu, World Likud Chariman Danny Dannon and the Jewish Leadership faction leader Moshe Feiglin. Some 300 polling stations will open at 10 am Tuesday morning and close at 11 pm the same day. Although approximately 100,000 Israeli citizens are registered as members of the Likud, officials in the party estimate that voter turnout will be low. This is thought to be due partly to the heat and the primaries' timing during summer vacation and partly to the fact that neither Dannon nor Feiglin are considered a serious challenge to Opposition Leader Netanyahu's control of the party.
Netanyahu urges Likudniks to vote in today's primary
Mazal Mualem, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The small group of radicals that has infiltrated the Likud despite not believing in the party's ways and values will not alter the movement's course, Likud Chair Benjamin Netanyahu pledged yesterday, the day before today's party's primary. Netanyahu, who according to polls is expected to win the race by a large majority, is urging party members to vote for him to contain more hawkish, right-wing elements in Likud. The party's so-called radicals are headed by Moshe Feiglin, who heads Likud's religious faction. According to the polls, Feiglin can expect a high voter turnout from his supporters. This apparently prompted Netanyahu to urge all potential voters to cast a ballot. Political sources said Netanyahu was concerned that a low turnout by supporters of other candidates, coupled with a heavy vote by Feiglin supporters, might create a distorted image of Likud.
Winograd panel seeks private attorney instead of AG Mazuz
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The Winograd Commission approached the Prime Minister's Office on Monday requesting authorization to hire a private attorney, rather than being represented in the High Court of Justice by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz. The Winograd panel, charged with investigating the failures of the political and military echelons during the Second Lebanon War, has hired Zvi Agmon to defend its members against a petition filed by the Israel Defense Forces Military Advocate General. Two weeks ago, the office of the Military Advocate General petitioned the High Court of Justice, demanding it order the Winograd Commission to provide those affected by the report an opportunity to review the evidence against them and respond to it prior to the release of the final report.
Chief Rabbi Amar moves to resolve conversion issues
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Israeli chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar has decided to appoint a committee of rabbinical court judges (dayanim) to examine the array of religious issues that have been delaying the conversion of thousands of immigrants. The committee of three dayanim will look into the requirements for religious observance - which have proved a stumbling block for many would-be converts - and try to formulate clear rules in the matter. Amar's decision followed an agreement with the director general of the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, Erex Halfon, to accept the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee established five months ago and headed by Halfon, which dealt with reorganizing the entire field of conversion. Halfon's committee is scheduled to present its conclusions in a week.
Who's in charge?
Yoel Marcus, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Do you remember the scene when Ehud Barak (now defense minister) leaped onto the stage and grabbed the microphone from Moshe Shahal? Do you remember the wording of the laconic official letter Barak sent Labor MK Eitan Cabel: "I've erred, I've learned and I'm running?" Do you remember the interviews in which he said that he had learned the lessons of his mistakes and that he has changed? Has he? Not really all that much. Except perhaps for the prolonged absence from political life and the significant improvement in the standard of his private life. But the most outstanding change is in the method of maintaining a modest demeanor he employed when he returned to his post as defense minister, which was manifested mainly in his prolonged and surprising silence.
Beilin: Gov't has brought about piggish capitalism
Attila Somfalvi, YNetNews 8/13/2007
Meretz chairman slams Kadima, Labor parties over across-the-board cuts in 2008 budget - Meretz Party leader MK Yossi Beilin censured the government over the 2008 budget which he said was "anti-social." "The joining of forces between Kadima, Labor and the Pensioners brought about a piggish capitalism of the year 2008 which easily outdoes the capitalism of the Netanyahu years," Beilin said referring to former Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The budget is a slap in the face for many who believed in government promises to narrow social gaps," Beilin added. He slammed the Labor Party for sitting in a government that plans 3 percent across-the-board cuts. He said Labor should have at least insisted that the Ministries of Education and Welfare be spared the cuts.
Peres to relinquish work at Ben-Gurion Center
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 8/13/2007
President Shimon Peres decided Monday to withdraw his request from the Knesset's House Committee to continue his role in various associations dedicated to commemorating Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Peres' decision came in wake of the Knesset's legal council, Attorney Nurit Altstein's recommendation the committee deny his request. Shortly after taking office, Peres approached the House Committee, requesting he be allowed to hold his position as head of the David Ben-Gurion Research Center and several of its associations "In all my years as a minister I asked - and had received - a special permit to keep an active role in this association"¦ this role does not require constant attendance but rather my taking part in the association's annual meeting," wrote Peres in his request to the House Committee.
Teachers' Union, treasury reach agreement on education reforms
Or Kashti, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The Teachers' Union signed an agreement with the Finance and Education Ministries late Sunday over proposed elementary education reforms. The reforms include a longer work week for teachers, a requirement to work with smaller groups of students during some of those hours, and a 25 percent hike in the teachers' salaries. These reforms will be implemented at some 300 schools during the next school year, and at some 700 additional institutions during the following year. Finance Ministry officials reported that time cards would also be mandatory alongside the reforms. In contrast to the agreement with the Teachers' Union, the Secondary School Teachers' Association announced Sunday it would delay the opening of the next school year, due to the failure of wage negotiations with the Finance Ministry over recent months.
For J'lem's mixed Jewish areas, cooperation may be the thing
Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
One of the most loaded questions about Jerusalem's future revolves around the exodus of the secular and Modern Orthodox communities from the city's neighborhoods. In recent years, ultra-Orthodox communities gained control over a number of neighborhoods in the capital that were once bastions of the secular or Modern Orthodox. Since the construction of the separation fence, we have also seen Arab families move into Jewish neighborhoods, particularly in the northern parts of the city where rents are relatively low. A new study by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies offers a glimpse into the future of Jerusalem neighborhoods. According to its authors, most people in the capital are not Zionists, being either Arab or ultra-Orthodox. Furthermore, for the first time, there are signs that the city's secular middle class is moving to the suburbs.
Satmar rebbe to lay Jerusalem cornerstone
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
The grand rabbi of the Satmar Hassidim, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, is slated to arrive in Israel tomorrow to lay the cornerstone of a new community housing project that will rise on the plot where Jerusalem's Edison Cinema once stood. The Satmar Hassidim are known for their anti-Zionist stance, and the event is considered by them to be a major victory in their campaign to safeguard the sanctity of Jerusalem - free of lay symbols. The movie theater site, which is situated close to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of Mea Shearim and Geula, was the site for decades of violent clashes between Haredim and police. It was closed 15 years ago, and the plot was sold three years ago to the Satmar Hassidim. The Satmar community is the largest ultra-Orthodox community, which distinguishes itself from other Haredi groups...
Novel posits fictional village as emblem for a lost Lebanon
Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, Daily Star 8/14/2007
Jad el-Hage's 'The Myrtle Tree' pits urban against rural, present against past, political against practical and cosmopolitan against provincial. - Review - BEIRUT: If Jad el-Hage's novel "The Myrtle Tree" were ever adapted to the stage, two props would be required to transform his written narrative into live theater. Framing the performance would be the myrtle tree of the books' title on one side - symbolizing enduring nature, timeless beauty and the resilience of rural life - and a haunted castle on the other - representing meddlesome man, civilization and its discontents and the destructive legacy of an interfering empire. The structure of Hage's novel rests rather uneasily on such pairings. He pits urban against rural, present against past, political against practical and cosmopolitan against provincial to such as extent that bad against good cannot be far behind.
Prominent law professors sign petition slamming justice min.
Yuval Yoaz, Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
Twenty-two law professors from leading Israeli universities on Monday officially published a petition slamming Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann's recent reforms. The petition was released soon after Friedmann decided on Monday to cancel a planned meeting with two of the signatories. The meeting was called a few days ago by Friedmann in order to clarify issues that had raised the ire of the professors and led to the drafting of the petition, which is highly critical of the Justice Minister. Details of the petition were released last week. The document states, "We expressed our protest at the modus operandi of our colleague Professor Friedmann as justice minister, and our deep concern for severe and irreparable damage to the rule of law in Israel as a result of the proposals he is promoting.
General Motors set to open R&D center in Israel
Dubi Ben-Gedalyahu, Gali Weinreb, and Shay Niv, Globes Online 8/13/2007
The government will probably provide grants for the center, which will employ hundreds of engineers and researchers. Sources inform "Globes" that General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM) is in advanced negotiations to establish an R&D center in Israel with an initial investment of tens of millions of dollars. The center is expected to employ hundreds of engineers and researchers in various fields related to GM's activities worldwide, including the development of alternative driving systems, vehicle electronics and communications systems, robotics, advanced materials, imaging systems, and safety. The R&D center will probably be set up in Ra'anana and will have branches in outlying areas and development towns. GM has been discussing the subject with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor's Industrial Cooperation Authority.
Buyer beware!
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Justice has been done. The police issued an arrest warrant for Boaz Yona, Heftsiba owner and CEO, on suspicion of committing severe offenses: fraud, money laundering, breaking the securities and real estate laws and pocketing the money of people who purchased apartments. The only problem is that the warrant was issued a week after the bird had flown. Boaz Yona is now somewhere in a country that doesn't have an extradition agreement with Israel, padded with the tens of millions he had stolen and transferred there in advance. A day and a half before Yona fled, buyers invaded and occupied the unfinished apartments. The police could have issued an order banning Yona from leaving the country a day after the squatters' invasion, but they were resting.
Heftsiba head had joint account with money launderer
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Heftsiba owner Boaz Yona had held a joint bank account with "gray market" figure Shally Narkis, Channel 10 reported yesterday. Moreover, Yona siphoned money from the construction company, now in receivership, to the account, according to the TV report. Yona fled Israel as his housing development company foundered and is thought to be in Russia. Narkis was convicted two years ago of money laundering and tax evasion, amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels. He did 33 months pursuant to a plea bargain and paid a NIS 27 million fine. The two had their joint account at Bank Discount's Ein Karem branch in Jerusalem. Yona is suspected of transferring money from Heftsiba to Narkis' account at JPMorgan in New York, whence the money traveled back to Israel, to that joint account in Jerusalem.
Zelekha: Report theft of intellectual property
Ran Reznick, Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Finance Ministry Accountant General Yaron Zelekha announced an unprecedented, three-month campaign yesterday, in which employees of the state and government ministries are being called on to report stolen intellectual property such as patents, copyrights, commercial secrets and investigations. According to the announcement, no legal steps will taken for the duration of the campaign. The law requires state employees to report intellectual property acquired in the course of their work, and these are to be registered to the state. This is the first time that the state has undertaken a campaign to regain stolen property, as is often done in IDF units. The campaign includes all government authorities, but was instigated following an audit report submitted to the accountant general, which revealed suspicions that...
Hughes satellite division bids $12 per share for Gilat
Ha'aretz 8/13/2007
Gilat has become a hot item. For two years the company's results have been picking up and now the satellite division of Rupert Murdoch's Hughes isbidding to buy the Israeli firm for a high $12 per share. Just three months ago Meir Shamir's Mivtach Shamir also set its cap at Gilat. The bid reflects a 37 percent premium above Gilat's closing price on Wall Street last Friday, pricing Gilat at $465 million. Gilat started trade in New York yesterday with a 12 percent jump. News of the offer, about which dual-listed Gilat made no announcement, sent its share price rocketing more than 10 percent on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange yesterday. Hughes' satellite division is Gilat's arch-rival in the United States. The two are considered leaders in the U.
Hackers protest US, Israeli actions on UN website
Middle East Online 8/13/2007
CyberProtest says its message is: 'the powerful have no right to oppress the powerless'. - UNITED NATIONS - The official website of the United Nations appeared to have been hacked on Sunday and briefly displayed a message protesting US and Israeli policies in the Middle East. The section of the site reserved to statements by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon showed a message, repeated several times, that read: "Hacked By kerem125 M0sted and Gsy That is CyberProtest Hey Ysrail and Usa dont kill children and other people Peace for ever No war." The message also appeared on other web pages that usually display quotes and speeches from the secretary general. The pirate message disappeared from the UN website, www. un. org, at about 9:15 am (1315 GMT).
Qaddafi begins legal proceedings against Ma'an for coma gaffe
Ma'an News Agency 8/13/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – President of Libya Muammar Qaddafi has begun legal proceedings against Ma'an News Agency and its Chief Editor Nasser Lahham for falsely reporting that he was in a coma last May. The Libyan official for foreign contacts deputised a Palestinian lawyer, Hasan Salih Nasrallah, to instigate legal proceedings. Nasrallah said that Ma'an exclusively published a news report on its website claiming that Qaddafi had suffered a brain clot on the 14th of May 2007 and had, as a result, gone into a dangerous coma. Ma'an's report added that his children were immediately called to his bedside due to his critical condition. The prosecution also said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Qaddafi to check his health condition and learned that he was in full health and the reports were false.
OCHA-oPt protection of civilians summary data tables: Reports to the end of July 2007
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA, ReliefWeb 7/31/2007
1. Overview - The Protection of Civilians database contains information collated from the published OCHA Protection of Civilians - Weekly Briefing Notes. OCHA-oPt has compiled and published these weekly reports since May 2003. The reporting format underwent several revisions since this time and the current content and structure was introduced in March 2005. From this time there has been comprehensive and detailed reporting of individual incidents, particularly those concerning physical protection. Quantifiable data from the Weekly Briefing Notes from 1st January 2005 onwards have been compiled into a Protection of Civilians database from which these tables have been developed. They present information, reported on a daily or weekly basis, as monthly figures with geographical breakdowns to the governorate level.
Several injured in Turkey after fight between an Egyptian and Israeli soccer players
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/13/2007
During a soccer mach that took place in the Turkish city of Turfizion on Sunday, several people were injured when an Egyptian player for the Turfizion team fought with an Israeli player from the Siba Sinor team. Sources told IMEMC that after the initial fight, further fights broke out between members of the opposing team. After the game was cancelled by the referee, an angry crowd rushed to the field and attacked Siba Sinor and their supporters, leading to several light injures. [end]
US army mounts major Iraq assault
Middle East Online 8/13/2007
American troops launch 'Operation Phantom Strike' but US military declines to elaborate on operation. - BAGHDAD - US troops in Iraq launched a major assault against militants and alleged Iranian-aided extremist groups on Monday. Operation Phantom Strike, the military announced, was being waged nationwide to disrupt Shiite extremist operations and insurgents affiliated to Al-Qaeda. "It consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq) terrorists and Iranian-supported extremist elements," the military said. "My intent is to continue to pressure AQI and other extremist elements throughout Iraq to reduce their capabilities," said Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of US forces in Iraq.
British MPs: US 'surge' in Iraq 'likely to fail'
Middle East Online 8/13/2007
Parliamentary committee says UK 'damaged' by Lebanon war delay, Hamas boycott 'counterproductive'. - LONDON - The US "surge" of troops in Iraq is likely to fail, a British parliamentary committee said Monday as it delivered a critical report on London's foreign policy in the Middle East. "It is too early to provide a definitive assessment of the US 'surge' but it does not look likely succeed," the House of Commons Foreign Affairs committee said in a wide-ranging document. The Commons is Britain's lower parliamentary chamber. "The committee believes that the success of this strategy will ultimately ride on whether Iraq's politicians are able to reach agreement on a number of key issues." Instead, it called on the government to set out what action it was taking to foster political reconciliation between Sunni and Shia Muslims and Kurds in Iraq.
IRAQ: Iran Ties Weaken Government Further
Ali al-Fadhily, Inter Press Service 8/13/2007
BAGHDAD, Aug 13(IPS) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's increasing ties with Iran have triggered a splintering of his government. Several groups, both Sunni and Shia, have followed the Sunni al-Tawafuq bloc (Iraqi Accord Front) in quitting the U.S. -backed government. But Maliki refuses to make the concessions necessary to bring his "unity" government back together. Spokesman Iyad Jamaliddin said on behalf of the Iraqi National List led by former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi that the ministers of his group would now boycott government meetings. The party claims both Shia and Sunni following. "We will inform the President, his deputies and the Prime Minister of the essential happenings and needs (of Iraqis) when necessary," Jamaliddin told IPS in Baghdad.
Iraqi leader accuses Iran of 'genocide' campaign
Sabah Jerges - BAGHDAD, Middle East Online 8/13/2007
One of Iraq's top Sunni leaders on Monday accused Iran of waging an unprecedented campaign of genocide against his community and urged Arabs to confront a war threatening their entire world. Adnan al-Dulaimi, a senior politician who heads a party in the main Sunni bloc that resigned from the Iraqi government two weeks ago, made the accusations in a written plea to the wider Arab world. "Your brothers in Baghdad are facing an unprecedented campaign of genocide carried out by militias and death squads under Iranian direction, planning, support and weaponry," said the statement issued by his office and written in the name of Iraqi Sunnis. "Your brothers are facing the most ugly injustice and persecution in the ancient and modern history of Iraq.
Fatah al-Islam 'al-Qaeda branch'
Al Jazeera 8/13/2007
Lebanon's army commander has said that the group battling troops in a northern Palestinian refugee camp is affiliated with al-Qaeda, the first high-ranking official to make such a statement. Fatah al-Islam, a previously unheard of group, has been fighting Lebanese soldiers in Nahr el-Bared near the northern port city of Tripoli since May 20. General Michel Suleiman said on Monday to the state-run National News Agency: "It is a branch of the al-Qaeda organisation that was planning to make Lebanon and Palestinian camps a safe haven from which it would launch its operations in Lebanon and outside. "This organisation is not the creation of Syrian intelligence, nor it is supported by pro-government Lebanese groups." Anti-Syrian Lebanese government officials have accused Damascus of being behind...
Lebanese Army commander willing to head interim government if MPs fail to choose new president
Hani M. Bathish Daily Star staff, Daily Star 8/14/2007
BEIRUT: Army Commander General Michel Suleiman has indicated he would accept to head a transitional government in the event MPs are unable to choose the next president before the end of President Emile Lahoud's term in office in November, provided all sides accept his nomination. Former Defense Minister Albert Mansour, told The Daily Star. Monday that he has put the idea of heading a transitional government personally to Suleiman, who agreed to head such a government in the event a new president is not agreed upon. "Such a government would be in keeping with established practice, which is for a president to hand over power to a Maronite prime minister, it happened twice before," Mansour said. Mansour said being appointed prime minister of a transitional government would allow Suleiman to bypass constitutional...
Security forces crack Fatah al-Islam sleeper cell
Michael Bluhm and Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 8/14/2007
BEIRUT, SIDON: Four Sidon men confessed on Monday to being members of a Fatah al-Islam sleeper cell that had detonated three bombs in the Jezzine area on July 18 and had delivered about $40,000 to Fatah al-Islam deputy commander Abu Hureira in Tripoli, security sources said on Monday. Meanwhile, a Fatah al-Islam sniper killed a Lebanese Army soldier and militants fired five Katyusha rockets into civilian areas around the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in North Lebanon on Monday, as army commander General Michel Suleiman said the Islamist group was a branch of Al-Qaeda and not part of the Syrian intelligence apparatus. The four Fatah al-Islam members from Sidon included two Palestinian brothers, Youssef and Younes Khaled Shibli, and two Lebanese men, Ismail Ali Sayyad and Mohammad Mahmoud Shabban, the security source said.
U.S. adds Islamic group in Lebanon to terrorism blacklist
Ha'aretz 8/14/2007
The United States on Monday placed on its terrorism blacklist an Islamist group in Lebanon blamed for major fighting at a Palestinian refugee camp there. The State Department announced that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has designated the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah al-Islam, which is suspected of having links with Syria, as a specially designated global terrorist group under an executive order aimed at cutting off finances to extremist organizations. The step, which had been expected, cuts off Fatah al-Islam from the U.S. financial system and freezes any assets it or its members may have in the United States or under U.S. jurisdiction, the department said in a statement. It comes as Washington steps up efforts to free Lebanon from Syrian influence and amid serious clashes between Lebanese troops and Fatah...
Study highlights Somalia war crimes
Al Jazeera 8/13/2007
There were serious violations of human rights during the fighting in Somalia earlier this year, a rights group has announced. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Monday that both fighters for the Islamic Courts Union and Ethiopian-backed government troops broke the law. Infringements included aerial bombing and the use of human shields. HRW also said the international community ignored the war crimes suffered by residents of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, in what it described as a "year of hell". It said Ethiopia's army had indiscriminately bombarded populated areas, looted hospitals, and summarily executed civilians. The report, Shell-Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu , said residents suffered multiple war crimes.
Iran replaces key ministry chiefs
Pam O''Toole, BBC Online 8/13/2007
BBC News, Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has replaced his key oil and mines and industry ministers. Mr Ahmadinejad's press advisor, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, said it was necessary to make changes to meet the interests of the people and improve things. On Sunday, Iran's state media announced the ministers' resignations. Iran's press has speculated that Mr Ahmadinejad might be seeking to bring the oil ministry more closely under his own control. 'Oil mafias' - Outgoing Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh was appointed two years ago. A technocrat, he was Mr Ahmadinejad
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