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Archives: Jewish&Israel Politic Headlines&News Section. October .2005. Part 1.

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*Israeli Chief Rabbi Amar's High Holiday Prayer For Jonathan Pollard

*SYRIA PREPARES FOR S-18 DELIVERY

*Poll of Likud members: Landau 37.2% Netanyahu 29.1% in head to head

*PM Ariel Sharon's Rosh HaShana Greeting

*Travel Warning for Sinai

*PM Sharon to Abu Mazen: "We Will Meet Soon."

*Sec'y Rice: eventually have to disarm Palestinian terrorists, ultimately can't participate in politics

*PM Sharon's Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet Meeting

*USAID to Upgrade Four Gaza- Israel Border Crossings

*President Moshe Katsav will make the first official visit to Vatican

*Israel threatens renewed attacks on Gaza

*In one week, Egypt-Israel security ties change as border turns 'hot'

*FM Shalom meets with Jordanian FM

*Israel Cabinet Communique

*Over One Million Support Israel in Philippines. Christian leaders promote prayer for the peace of Jerusalem

*Three wanted Islamic Jihad terrorists killed in IDF activity

*Jerusalem businessman Sasson Nuriel kidnapped and slain by a Hamas terrorist cell

Palestinian woman stabs Israeli soldier at checkpoint outside West Bank city

JERUSALEM - A Palestinian woman brandishing a knife stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday before other soldiers shot and killed her, the army said. The attack came as Israel beefed up security throughout its towns and cities to prevent attacks during Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which began Monday night. Israeli troops also barred Palestinians from entering Israel from the West Bank and Gaza during the holiday. Also Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said the Hamas militant group was setting itself up as a shadow government to the Palestinian Authority and needed to be dismantled. Mofaz demanded that the Palestinian Authority disqualify Hamas from running in parliamentary elections scheduled for January. "We cannot under any circumstances, not us or any other country, support a move where a terror organization is a part of the Palestinian Authority," he told Israel Radio. Israel has demanded Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dismantle Palestinian militant groups. Abbas has refused, fearing a crackdown could spark a civil war. Hamas gunmen and Palestinian police engaged in a series of gun battles across Gaza City on Sunday that killed three people, including a police officer, and increased fears Gaza was devolving into chaos following Israel's withdrawal last month. Abbas has tried to bring some order to Gaza by ordering a ban on carrying weapons in public, but Hamas has become increasingly brazen in its defiance of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas said Monday that the authority would not tolerate the chaos and would "use all means to prevent the public display of arms." However, Palestinian security officials say police are no match for the armed groups. Mofaz described the Palestinian fighting as an isolated incident that did not signal a crackdown on militant groups. "I unfortunately don't see the Palestinian Authority taking any serious steps to disarm the terror organizations," he said. Mofaz accused Syria of encouraging Palestinian militant attacks against Israel. He predicted that the United States, angry over the infiltration of militants into Iraq through Syria and allegations that Syria was behind the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, could try to force Syrian President Bashar Assad from power. In the attack Tuesday morning, a Palestinian woman wearing a long Islamic dress approached the Hawara checkpoint outside Nablus and pulled a long knife out of her handbag, said Muad Abu Siadi, a Palestinian man who witnessed the attack. She then charged a female soldier, knocked her to the ground and stabbed her, Abu Siadi said. A second soldier grabbed the knife and threw it to the side and the attacker ran away, he said. When the soldiers, thinking she might be carrying a bomb, took cover behind concrete blocks, the attacker picked up the knife and charged at them again, Abu Siadi said. They shot her in the legs, he said. The attacker later died at the scene. The female soldier sustained moderate wounds to her face, the army said. On Monday, Palestinian officials announced a major shake up in their foreign representations, replacing dozens of their representatives around the world, including in Washington, London and Paris. They also announced a mandatory retirement age of 60 for foreign representatives. When former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was alive, he appointed cronies as foreign envoys. The unprecedented housecleaning was seen as an effort to fight corruption and professionalize the foreign service. By Ravee Nesman

Sharon and Abbas agree to meet as Israel suspends Gaza Strip offensive

Photo: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon removes his reading glasses during the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office Sunday.

JERUSALEM - Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas agreed Sunday to hold their first summit since Israel's pullout from Gaza as part of their efforts to restart the stalled Middle East peace process, officials from both sides said. The announcement came as a new flare-up in fighting - blamed for the cancellation of a previously scheduled summit - eased in recent days. Israeli officials said Sunday they were suspending the wide-ranging offensive against Palestinian militants following a lull in rocket attacks against Israeli towns, but said they would restart the operation if the rocket fire resumed. The officials said the operation succeeded in weakening militants' ability to attack Israel from Gaza. As the offensive wound down, Hamas militants waged gun battles with Palestinian police across Gaza City on Sunday night that killed three people - two bystanders and a police officer - and wounded at least 50 others, including 10 police officers, according to the Palestinian Interior Ministry. Egyptian mediators worked to negotiate an end to the gunfights, Palestinian officials said, and Gaza residents called in to a local radio station pleading with Hamas to stop the fighting. The gunfights came just three days after Hamas agreed to respect a ban on carrying weapons in public as part of an effort to bring order to Gaza's chaotic streets. Earlier Sunday, Abbas called Sharon to send him holiday wishes ahead of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which begins Monday night. During the conversation the leaders decided to meet soon, though no date for the summit was announced, and also "agreed to tighten co-operation and to work together to advance the peace process," Sharon's office said. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said preparations for the summit would begin in the coming days. Sharon and Abbas originally had been scheduled to meet Sunday, but that meeting was cancelled after Israel launched its offensive two weeks ago in response to a barrage of rockets fired by Gaza militants. Israeli air strikes during the offensive killed four militants in pinpoint attacks and destroyed buildings purportedly used to produce and store weapons. Israel also arrested more than 400 suspected militants in the West Bank. Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet the offensive had dealt a tough blow to Hamas, and was meant to send a stern message that Israel will not tolerate attacks from Gaza, which it withdrew from last month after 38 years of occupation. Militants haven't fired rockets into Israel since Tuesday, the army said. Israeli forces remained on high alert, Mofaz told the cabinet. "The operation is not over," he said, according to participants in the meeting. However, security officials said the operation was informally halted over the weekend and will only restart if the rocket attacks resume. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of security regulations.

Israel has not carried out an air strike since Thursday. But Gaza was wracked by internal fighting Sunday. Hamas blamed the Palestinian Authority for the violence, saying it started after police attempted to arrest the son of Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the former Hamas leader who was slain in an Israeli air strike last year. A gun battle broke out, and Hamas claimed Mohammed Rantisi's car was riddled with bullets but he was not injured. Angry Hamas militants armed with rifles, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades then stormed the police stations in the Shati refugee camp and in two other Gaza City neighbourhoods, according to Palestinian officials. "Hamas bears full responsibility for the result of these acts and the serious violation of law and order and playing with the blood of our people," the Interior Ministry said in a statement. "We are determined to move ahead with our plans to implement law and order and we will not let anyone be above the law." Abbas is under heavy international pressure to disarm Hamas and other armed groups, but has refused to confront the militants, fearing civil war. Instead, he has tried to co-opt them by inviting them to participate in Palestinian legislative elections. Sharon opposes Hamas' participation in the election and told the cabinet it violated the internationally backed "road map" peace plan, which calls on the Palestinians to dismantle militant groups, Israeli media reported. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week said Hamas cannot participate in Palestinian politics if it remains armed. "You cannot simultaneously keep an option on politics and an option on violence," she said in a speech at Princeton University. But Rice stopped short of calling for a ban on Hamas' participation in the elections. "We do, I think need to give the Palestinians some space to try and reconcile their national politics, but they're going to eventually have to disarm these groups," she said. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Rice's comments reflect "American aggression" against the Palestinians and are part of an "international conspiracy." Also Sunday, Israel urged its citizens not to travel to Egypt's Sinai peninsula during the upcoming Jewish holidays because Arab militants were planning to kidnap Israeli tourists there. "We've had incidents in the past in Sinai and this time I can say that we have very substantial information," Mofaz told Israel TV. "I strongly recommend and ask in every possible way to take this information under consideration and take this threat very seriously." During the holiday season last year, more than 30 people died in bombings at a luxury hotel in the Sinai resort area of Taba, just over the Israeli border, and in a nearby beach camp. At least 64 people were killed July 23 in terrorist attacks in Sinai's main resort of Sharm el-Sheik. By Ravie Nesman

Over One Million Support Israel in Philippines Christian leaders promote prayer for the peace of Jerusalem Manila, Philippines- One million Christians will assemble on October 2 at the open air Luneta Grandstand to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to declare and sign the five-point resolution of Jerusalem Summit Asia I and II. The event marking the 27th anniversary of the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide (JILCW) will be led by Rev. Eddie Villanueva, the spiritual head of the JILCW, and other Filipino Christian leaders. The JILCW is the second largest independent church in the world with a membership of seven million. It has chapters in 38 countries. The Israel segment of the event will also feature the symbolic presentation of a golden key to Guy Feldman, First Secretary of the Israeli Embassy in Manila. The gesture signifies that Asian prayer and praise watch over the Golden Gate or East Gate in Jerusalem. The five point resolution to be backed by the Christian leaders and the over one million attendees include: the petition to move Asian embassies to Jerusalem, the petition for Asian governments to oppose anti-Israel resolutions in the United Nations, the petition for Asian governments to ensure funding measures not be diverted to terrorist activities against Israel, the petition for the media to provide balanced coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the encouragement of Asian governments to respect Judeo-Christian values. The resolutions are motivated by the biblical mandates for Christians to support Israel. Jerusalem Summit Asia I was held in Manila last year and a second summit was held in Seoul, Korea this August. Five hundred top Asian Christian and government leaders, together with an Israeli delegation of academics and members of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, attended the event. The Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide, together with Kol Adonai Foundation, Jerusalem East Gate Foundation, Jerusalem Summit Asia and the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus are promoting the October 2 pro-Israel initiative. By Marisa Luisa Albert President, Jerusalem East Gate Foundation Kaf_vol@hotmail.com SYRIA PREPARES FOR S-18 DELIVERY MOSCOW - Syria has been finalizing arrangements for the receipt of S-18 surface-to-air missiles from Russia. Russian industry sources said a Syrian military delegation headed by Chief of Staff Gen. Ali Habib has concluded arrangements for the delivery of the S-18 Igla-S missiles. The sources said the Syrian delegation, scheduled to complete a three-day visit to Russia on Friday, discussed such issues as delivery, training and maintenance of the S-18 as well as the procurement of other weapons. "The two countries have agreed that [SA-18] delivery would begin no later than early 2006," an industry source said. During his visit, Habib and his delegation toured Syrian defense facilities, including the production line of the S-18, manufactured by KBM Engineering Design Bureau. Industry sources said Habib discussed such issues as support and training for the Igla-S with his Russian counterpart Yury Baluyevsky as well as representatives from the Russian state arms export agency Rosoboronexport. Israeli Chief Rabbi Amar's High Holiday Prayer For Jonathan Pollard Shlomo Moshe Amar Rishon LeTzion and Chief Rabbi of Israel. With the Help of G-d Almighty, on the Eve of Rosh HaShana 5766. My Brothers, Friends, Colleagues, Rabbis of Israel and of Every Place: May the grace of G-d be upon you. Please be so kind as to add the attached prayer to the prayers concerning opening and closing of the ark and removing the Sifrei Torah, so that we might on this Holy and Mighty Day make our entreaty for a dear man, Yehonatan ben Malka Pollard, who did so much for our nation and for the land of our forefathers. May the Holy One Blessed Be He redeem him from captivity and return him to the bosom of his People, to a life of goodness and peace, along with all the captives and prisoners of Am Yisrael. With blessings for a Ktiva v'Chatima Tova, (signed) Your loving, Shlomo Moshe Amar, The Rishon LeTzion and Chief Rabbi of Israel				PM Ariel Sharon's Rosh HaShana Greeting Dear Friends, As we stand at the dawn of a New Year, I send you my best wishes for a happy New Year from Jerusalem, the eternal and united capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. The Jewish people have a long and unique history. We have overcome long periods of persecution and suffering, while at the same time achieving many magnificent and important accomplishments - the modern and vibrant State of Israel being the greatest of those. In its short history, the State of Israel has faced many challenges. Through the good times and the bad, our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora have always stood beside us and sustained us. My Government firmly believes in strengthening the ties between the Diaspora and the State of Israel, and is working to achieve that goal. We consider your support and commitment to be an invaluable asset in our efforts to safeguard Israel's vital interests. The past few months have not been easy for the citizens of Israel. However, I believe that we will emerge from this experience united, and that Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state will be strengthened. Together with you, we look forward with hope and optimism. I wish us all a New Year of peace and quiet, health, prosperity and happiness. I hope that you will celebrate the coming year with us here in Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. Poll of Likud members: Landau 37.2% Netanyahu 29.1% in head to head By Dr. Aaron Lerner. Representative sample of 512 Likud members surveyed 27 September, 2005. Sample error: +/- 4.34 percentage points. In the wake of the Likud Central Committee vote (not to advance the primaries), if primaries for the head of the party took place today and there was a second round in which Binyamin Netanyahu ran against Uzi Landau who would you vote for?Landau 37.2% Netanyahu 29.1% Don't know 22.8% Neither 10.7%. In the wake of the Likud Central Committee vote, do you think that Netanyahu should drop out of the race for the head of the Likud? Yes 26.1% Think yes 10.9%. Think no 18.2% No 41.8% Don't know 2.9%. Do you think that the outcome of the Likud Central Committee vote will prevent a break-up of the party? Yes 12.3% Think yes 23.0%. Think no 31.3% No 19.9%. Don't know 13.5%. Do you think that the three ministers who supported advancing the primaries and the deposing of Sharon - Katz, Livnat and Naveh - should resign from the Government in the wake of Sharon's victory? Yes 20.8% Think yes 11.5%. Think no 23.6% No 39.2%. Don't know 4.8% Jerusalem businessman Sasson Nuriel kidnapped and slain by a Hamas terrorist cell The participation of Hamas in the PA elections would be nothing more than a bid by this group of Islamist extremists to seize power from moderate Palestinians who are interested in coexistence with Israel. Hamas video of Sasson Nuriel: www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/9134C352-786E-469B-93B5-FD19B09C38E5/0/Nurielkid napped.mpeg. Israeli security officials announced today that Jerusalem businessman Sasson Nuriel was kidnapped and slain by a Hamas terrorist cell last week. His bound body was found in Beitunya, near Ramallah. Nuriel, 55, was the owner of a candy factory in the Mishor Adumim industrial zone near the capital. Hamas claimed responsibility for his abduction and murder in a video it broadcast worldwide on Tuesday. This terrorist organization is responsible for the kidnap-slayings of nine other Israelis since 1989 and is thought to be resuming them for use as a bargaining tactic against Israel. Nuriel's gruesome slaying comes against Hamas's declaration on Sunday that it would halt its Kassam rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, apparently in a bid to win inclusion in the upcoming Palestinian Authority elections. This declaration (since violated by rocket fire on Tuesday) should be seen as it is - a ploy to gain political power while continuing to pursue terrorist violence. Hamas must be made to decide whether it is a political party or a terrorist organization. It cannot be both. There is no difference, except in name, between the "military" and "political" wings of Hamas - they are run by the same people and operate under the same ideology. Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, and has done everything in its power to undermine the peace process. Its founding charter calls for the death of Jews, and vows to confront Israel through armed struggle until it is utterly destroyed. The participation of Hamas in the PA elections would be nothing more than a bid by this group of Islamist extremists to seize power from moderate Palestinians who are interested in coexistence with Israel. It would be an abuse of democracy, in order to promote terrorism and violence as political tools. No international legitimacy can be granted to Hamas as long as it refuses to accept the basic criteria necessary to be considered a legitimate political player - first and foremost the renunciation of terrorism, the acceptance of the principle of a negotiated solution, and the recognition of Israel's right to exist. Without these, Hamas constitutes a dangerous Trojan horse in the Palestinian democratic process, gravely jeopardizing the aspirations of both Israelis and moderate Palestinians for the peace and security which these two peoples deserve.
Travel Warning for Sinai (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser) The National Security Council Counter-Terrorism HQ issued the following statement: "Information has been received about the intention of terrorist elements to kidnap Israeli tourists on the Sinai beaches during the October holidays, effective now. Therefore, the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism HQ emphasizes the severe travel warning in effect for Egypt in general and all of Sinai in particular and recommends that Israelis refrain from visiting Egypt, including Sinai. Israelis already there should leave immediately." INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CONVERTS (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser). One year after the special rabbinical conversion courts were transferred to the Prime Minister's Office, a large number of converts (to Judaism) has been reported. Rabbi Druckman, the director of conversion affairs in the Prime Minister's Office, reports that one year after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authorized him to sign conversion certificates, he has overseen the issuance of approximately 5,800 certificates, of which approximately 5,360 were in the first nine months of 2005 (as opposed to 3,599 certificates which were issued in all of 2004). PM Sharon to Abu Mazen: "We Will Meet Soon." (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser). Sunday, 02 October, 2005 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spoke this afternoon (Sunday), 2.10.05, with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who had telephoned in order to wish the Prime Minister a good and successful New Year. Prime Minister Sharon greeted PA Chairman Abbas and the Palestinian people on the occasion of Ramadan. The two leaders expressed the hope that the New Year will be more successful, as well as a year of peace and hope. They agreed to enhance cooperation between them and to work together in order to advance the process. They also agreed to meet soon in order to advance various issues on the agenda. PM Sharon's Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet Meeting (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser). Following are Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting today: "Today, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, Acting Finance Minister Ehud Olmert and I will present the Cabinet with the principles of the new Bank of Israel Law. In these principles, the Government has adopted the approach taken by all developed countries regarding the status of the central bank in the government. I ascribe great importance to these principles. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who dealt with the issue, especially the Governor, for their fruitful cooperation. The detailed draft law will be submitted by a joint team composed of the Governor, Prime Minister's Office Director-General Ilan Cohen, and Finance Ministry Director-General Dr. Yossi Bachar according to the principles that we will adopt today. On behalf of the Government, I want to wish everyone a good and happy New Year. USAID to Upgrade Four Gaza- Israel Border Crossings Source: United States Agency for International Development (USAID). OPT: American government investment will ease border crossings. GAZA-WEST BANK -The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has approved an investment of several millions of dollars in advanced vehicular scanning technology and streamlined customs procedures to be implemented at four crossing points between Israel and Gaza. This multi-million dollar contribution will permit the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Ministry of Defense to drastically reduce truck inspection time while enhancing border security. USAID will provide technical support to the Palestinian Ministries of Economy, Transportation, and Finance through the Palestinian Integrated Trade Arrangement (PITA). PITA is a three year activity designed to boost the security and transit time of Palestinian goods into and out of the West Bank and Gaza. The break-through trade facilitation program improves the consolidation, routing and inspection of the cargo, as well as the management of the supplies. Currently, all Palestinian trucks are unloaded for inspection leading to long delays and substantial financial loss due to spoiled produce. In addition, clear service standards and efficient communication channels will be developed between Palestinian and Israeli customs agencies. Karni, Erez, Sha'ar Efraim and Turquimiya are the first four crossings proposed for this upgrade effort. New agricultural transit truck lanes will be added at the Karni terminal in the next few months to accelerate passage of cargo to high-value international markets. While Karni currently processes only about 50 truckloads of goods per day, the truck-container scanning technology will permit volumes of 400-600 trucks per day. Each site will receive a package of inspection equipment, including one relocatable and one mobile scanner. The mobile scanners can be easily moved to other crossings in response to changing traffic volumes. The scanner can inspect a fully-loaded 20 foot container on a truck at maximum penetration in 20 seconds. Imaging analysis may require several minutes but can be distributed among a team of specialists at computer terminals. USAID has spent more than $1.7 billion to combat poverty, create jobs, improve education, build roads and water systems, construct and equip medical clinics, and promote good governance in the West Bank and Gaza during the last decade. President Moshe Katsav will make the first official visit to Vatican JERUSALEM- Israeli President Moshe Katsav has accepted an invitation from Pope Benedict to make the first official visit to the Vatican by an Israeli head of state, officials said Sunday. Katsav will visit Italy for about a week in mid-November, said Katsav's spokeswoman, Hagit Cohen. The Foreign Ministry said the visit was "unprecedented." Israel and the Vatican established diplomatic relations in the 1990s, and Pope John Paul hosted Israeli prime ministers and other officials as part of his effort to build ties with the Jewish state. The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial office, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the visit was "of great symbolic value." "We have every reason to believe that the new Pope is building on the foundation that the previous pope already built, and we will see a further strengthening of our relationship," Regev said. Since becoming pope in April, Benedict has visited a synagogue in Germany, met Israeli chief rabbis and warned of a rise in anti-Semitism around the world. The synagogue visit was the second time a pope had entered a Jewish house of worship. The visit follows a diplomatic spat that erupted in July when the Pope did not include Israel in a list of countries that suffer from terrorism. Israel complained about the omission, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wrote a letter to the Vatican. Israel says the matter has been resolved.				Sec'y Rice: eventually have to disarm Palestinian terrorists, ultimately can't participate in politics [IMRA: While official Israel celebrates this response, interpreting it as a clear and straightforward stand requiring Hamas to be immediately disarmed and otherwise barred from the PLC elections, Secretary Rice's statement is the absolute opposite. 1. Instead of calling on the PA to immediately disarm the terrorists, she shows understanding for this taking an open-ended period of time - "eventually" they have to be disarmed. 2. Instead of calling to bar Hamas from running in the PLC unless it first disarms, she says that "you cannot have armed groups ultimately participating in politics with no expectation that they're going to disarm" - a requirement that could just as easily be met by Hamas saying that they "expect" to "ultimately" disarm. It is doubtful that Ms. Rice's Good Friday Agreement was intended to add irony to her response. The Good Friday Agreement, a poorly written text (a critical phrase made it possible for the IRA to claim it didn't have to disarm until the very end of the process), was prepared by the same Senator Mitchell who went on to prepare the "Mitchell Report" - a similarly botched job.] Questions Taken at Princeton University's Celebration of the 75th Anniversary Of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Princeton University New Jersey DEAN SLAUGHTER: Secretary Rice has agreed to take questions. Please raise your hand and then wait for the microphone. QUESTION: I'd like to thank you for coming, first off. I've just been curious -- seems to me that there's been some sort of disconnect with a lot of the rhetoric that you've been presenting here today and with a lot of our actions in the Middle East. One example is that it seems that we've started to take a lot of a softer line with Hamas in Palestine, which is an organization that I think really doesn't fare with the ideals that you've been promoting here. I was wondering if you could try and explain that disconnect we've been seeing. SECRETARY RICE: Thank you. It's a very good question. We've been very clear that Hamas is a terrorist group and it has to be disbanded, both for peace and security and in the Middle East and for the proper functioning of the Palestinian Authority. After all, it is a roadmap obligation of the Palestinian Authority to disband militias and armed resistance groups. There are periods of time of transition in which one has to give some space to the participants, in this case the Palestinians, to begin to come to a new national compact. But I cannot imagine, in the final analysis, a new national compact that leaves an armed resistance group within the political space. You cannot simultaneously keep an option on politics and an option on violence. There simply isn't a case that I can think of internationally where that's been permitted to happen. For instance, in the Good Friday Agreement it was understood that when Sinn Fein came into politics and eventually the IRA would disarm and perhaps, hopefully, that process is now underway. We did not permit the Afghan warlords to keep their weapons and participate as candidates in politics. They had to make a choice. And so it is absolutely the case that you cannot have armed groups ultimately participating in politics with no expectation that they're going to disarm. But we are very clearheaded about Hamas. Hamas stands for one-state solution, not a two-state solution. Hamas, therefore, stands for the destruction of Israel. Hamas is an organization that asks Palestinian mothers and fathers to give their children up to make themselves suicide bombers. And it is a real detriment and block to further peace in the Middle East, so we're not at all confused by this. We do, I think, need to give the Palestinians some space to try and reconcile their national politics, but they're going to eventually have to disarm these groups. They can't have it both ways... Israel threatens renewed attacks on Gaza JERUSALEM - Israel has suspended its offensive in the Gaza Strip following a lull in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants but is ready to continue the operation if the rocket fire resumes, officials said Sunday. The officials said the operation, which included a series of air strikes last week, achieved its goal of weakening militants' ability to attack Israel from Gaza. Militants have not fired rockets into Israel since Tuesday, the army said. With the break in fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas spoke by telephone Sunday and agreed to meet soon, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. The leaders "agreed to tighten co-operation and to work together to advance the peace process," Sharon's office said in a statement. It did not give a date for the meeting, though Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said preparations would begin within days. Sharon and Abbas had been tentatively scheduled to meet Sunday, but the summit was cancelled after Israel launched its offensive last week. Responding to a barrage of rockets, Israel carried out a series of air strikes in Gaza, killing four militants in pinpoint attacks and destroying buildings it said were used to produce or store weapons. Israel also arrested more than 400 suspected militants in the West Bank. Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet the offensive dealt a tough blow to the Hamas militant group and was meant to send a stern message that violence from Gaza will not be tolerated now that Israel has withdrawn from the coastal territory. Mofaz told the ministers that Israeli forces remain on high alert. "The operation is not over," he said, according to meeting participants. However, Israeli security officials said the operation was informally halted over the weekend and will only continue if the rocket attacks resume. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under security regulations. Israel has not carried out an air strike since Thursday, two days after the last rocket was fired. The militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad last week both declared a halt to the rocket attacks. The fighting broke out just weeks after Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza - a move that raised hopes around the world that peace talks could soon resume. Erekat said a halt in the latest fighting "serves the interests" of Israelis and Palestinians. "As Palestinians we are fully committed to the cessation of violence against Israelis anywhere, and I hope the Israeli announcement today constitutes a full cessation by Israel of violence against Palestinians anywhere," he said. But Hamas rejected the halt in the offensive as a "political manoeuvre aimed at blackmailing our people and putting pressure on the Palestinian Authority to confront the resistance factions," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. Abbas is under heavy international pressure to disarm Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups. Abbas refuses to confront the militants, fearing civil war, and instead has tried to co-opt them by inviting them to participate in Palestinian legislative elections. In a prelude to January parliamentary elections, Hamas participated in a round of municipal polls last week. The group captured control of just 13 of 104 local councils, less than expected. Sharon reiterated his opposition to Hamas' participation in the parliamentary election, telling the cabinet that it violated the internationally backed "road map" peace plan, Israeli media reported. The peace plan calls on the Palestinians to dismantle militant groups. Also Sunday, Israel said Arab militants are planning attacks against Israelis in Egypt's Sinai resorts and urged its citizens not to travel to the popular vacation spot for the upcoming Jewish holidays. Danny Arditi, an adviser to Sharon who leads the government's Counterterrorism Bureau, told Israel Radio there was information that the militants planning attacks already were located in Sinai. By Joseph Fiederman.

MAGAZINES PUBLISHED BY THE WORLD JEWISH NEWS AGENCY

CLICK HERE TO READ "FANCY LIVING" MAGAZINE: ISSUE No.2. OCTOBER 2005

OCTOBER 2005. VOLUME 1, No. 2 NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS. INTERNATIONAL EDITION

FANCY LIVING

ROCHELLE KRICH

AMERICA'S CRIME FICTION KEY PLAYER

BIZARRE OR ULTRA-CHIC? 2006 SPRING-SUMMER FASHION DESIGNERS

OUTSTANDING JEWISH WOMEN OF THE MONTH

MAJOR JEWISH AND ISRAELI EXHIBITIONS OF THE MONTH

SUCCESSFUL NEW YORK JEWISH WOMEN

AMERICAN NOUVELLE HIGH SOCIETY VERSUS THE INTERNATIONAL ELITE. Brief Analogy: Differences and Similarities: The bizarre, the real and the incomprehensible

FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE

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112 REASONS WHY SINCE 1944, THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND THE PENTAGON SECRETLY HATED THE FRENCH...AND MUCH MORE!

Attack of terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip

IMRA: "Israel Radio military correspondent Carmella Menashe reported this morning that the shooting of artillery at an empty field constitutes what military sources term the "strong harsh response" that is to serve as a warning to the Palestinians that they must cease shooting Qassams into Israel."

This is not a parody - she said it without a hint of humor/irony. It should be noted that prior to the retreat both politicians and military officials warned of the devastating Israeli response the Palestinians would face if attacks were launched against Israel after the retreat. Retreat supporting politicians, academics and others spoke with confidence that Israel would enjoy a free hand to respond after the retreat and that the fierce response would have a strong deterring effect. It does not appear, at this point that any of the retreat supporting politicians, academics and others have any interest of considering if the absence of any correspondence between reality and their projections should serve to cause them to reevaluate their policy recommendations. As of now, the ever popular call for "cheshbon nefesh" [soul searching] made with particular gusto from time to time against the national camp - and in particular against the religious national camp - does not apply to retreat supporters. IDF stated that an attack of terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip this morning , the IDF targeted an access route near Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip, used by terrorists to reach the areas from which Qassam rockets are launched at Israeli targets. This is part of the operation targeting infrastructure used by terror organizations. The objective of targeting this route is to prevent the passage of terrorists to the launch zones, from which they have launched repeated rocket attacks at Israel. The IDF will continue to act with determination in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel.

In one week, Egypt-Israel security ties change as border turns 'hot'

For more than 25 years, Egyptian-Israeli defense relations have been characterized by one word: stability. Diplomatic relations were icy, tourism was sporadic, but Israel could count on Egypt to honor the military terms of its peace treaty with the Jewish state. Egyptian military forces remained out of demilitarized zones in the Sinai Peninsula and the Multinational Force in the region verified this. Over the past week, however, everything has changed. Israel's military left the Egypt-Gaza border in the hands of Egyptian commandos and the Palestinian Authority. The result has been massive weapons infiltration from the Sinai to the Gaza Strip, a breakdown in security and Israeli alarm over Egypt's intentions. Israeli military commanders said the Egyptian-Israeli border has turned "hot." Palestinian terrorists have been entering Sinai from the Gaza Strip in an attempt to infiltrate Israel and attack cities in the south. This time, the terrorists could be armed with Katyusha rockets, surface-to-air missiles and anti-tank rockets. Only two weeks ago, Israeli leaders were touting the agreement to deploy 750 Egyptian police commandos along the 14-kilometer Egypt-Gaza border as heralding new security relations with Israel. They envisioned strategic cooperation in the Middle East between Egypt and Israel as well as tactical cooperation that would ensure security along their border. Instead, Israel, after its pullout, has been virtually ignored by Egypt. Israel has no influence over the Egypt-Gaza border. The command and control center that was to have included Egyptian and Israeli officers remains a fiction. For Israeli and U.S. consumption, Egypt last week reported the discovery of an arms-smuggling tunnel under the Gaza border. They said the tunnel was located south of the Rafah terminal and contained 38 rifles and pistols as well as three rocket-propelled grenades. The Egyptian assertion brought a cynical smile to the faces of Israeli military intelligence officers. As the officers put it, who needs tunnels, when huge amounts of weapons could be smuggled in openly? Over the past week the PA has obtained weapons that could change the balance of power with Israel, the intelligence officers said. They include extended-range Ka yusha rockets, SA-7 surface-to-air missiles and RPG-7 anti-tank rockets. These weapons could threaten such major Israeli cities as Ashkelon as well as Israeli civilian and military aircraft in much of southern Israel. Data: Geostrategy.

Opening of Military Police Investigation into Death of Palestinian Youth in Nablus

Dr. Aaron Lerner: " It is not clear from the report if IDF soldiers can today open fire against armed Palestinians who are part of a group of rioting Palestinians or if they have to wait for the armed Palestinians to take aim - or perhaps even shoot."

Opening of a Military Police investigation into the incident in which a Palestinian youth was accidentally killed in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus on September 30, 2005. Today, October 2, 2005, the Head of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Neve conducted an inquiry into the incident in which a 13-year-old Palestinian youth was killed during an IDF activity in the Nablus refugee camp of Askar. Head of the Judea and Samaria Devision, Brig. Gen. Yair Golan, head of the Samaria Regional Brigade, Col. Yuval Bazak, head of the Paratroopers Division, Col. Yossi Bachar and the relevant battalion and company commanders also participated in the inquiry. The inquiry revealed that during a routine patrol in the refugee camp of Askar, the IDF force encountered a number of violent riots in which Palestinians hurled stones, bottles, and paint at the soldiers. In one of the riots, a soldier identified one of the rioting Palestinians as being armed and proceeded to open fire at the gunman. The Palestinian was injured and later died of his wounds. After reviewing the conclusions of the inquiry, the Head of the Central Command recommended the opening of a military police investigation into the incident. The commander of the force operating in the area was suspended following the orders of the Head of the Command, who conveyed his criticism on the manner in which the force was prepared for the mission. In the inquiry, the Head of the Central Command stated the following: "This is a grave incident in which an innocent 13 year old youth was killed. This does not comply with the morals and standards that the IDF inculcates to its soldiers." The Military Advocate General, Brig. Gen. Avichai Mendelblit accepted Maj. Gen. Neve's recommendation and ordered the opening of a military police investigation. The IDF expresses its sorrow for the incident and for any incident in which innocent civilians are harmed. These incidents must be and are investigated thoroughly to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

All work on Jerusalem's roads postponed in order to prevent severe traffic jams during the holidays

The New Year in Jerusalem: Apples and Honey instead of Traffic. Good news to those who visit Jerusalem: Towards the upcoming holidays mayor Uri Lupolianski to postpone all works being done on Jerusalem's roads in order to prevent severe traffic jams during the holidays. Instead, municipal representatives will distribute apples and honey to the drivers. During the coming holidays approx. 1 million visitors are expected to visit Jerusalem and take part in dozens of events throughout the nation's capital. In order to avoid traffic jams at the entrance to the city, the mayor has ordered to stop all works that may cause those jams or create disturbance. For example, all the works on Agripas street and Machane Yehuda market will stop a few days before New Year's Day and will resume only after Sukkot. All construction works on the Caltrava Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem will also be put on hold during the holidays. Regarding this bridge, it should be noted that the dark predictions were not fulfilled and and recent inspections show that the construction had almost no effect on the traffic in that area. On top of that, the mayor has also ordered to speed the work on other projects in order to finish them ASAP and allow organized re-opening of roads toward the holidays. One of the major areas where the work will end by the new years is Kern Hayesod st. and Shmuel Hangid st. In addition, mayor Lupolianski has instructed that in order to prevent future un-necessary disturbance, contractors will fined for any delay in meeting deadlines and rewarded with bonuses when they finish the work before the deadline. In order to encourage the people of Jerusalem to go attend the many events and entertainment centers in the heart of Jerusalem, the municipality will offer discount parking in two central parking lots in the city center. In "Gan Haazmaut" lot the price will be 10 NIS for unlimited parking every day from 16:00 until 07:00 the following morning. In "Safra Square" parking garage the price of admission will be 12 NIS for unlimited parking between 17:00 and 06:30 the following morning. Business owners in the city center will also be able to provide free parking to their customers using special coupons. Mayor Uri Lupolianski met last week with Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco and the two agreed to re-enforce the police forces in Jerusalem during the holidays. The Jerusalem municipality calls on everyone to visit Jerusalem during the holidays and be a part of the prosperity and development of the city.

SHURAT HADIN'S NOVEMBER 2005 MISSION TO EXPLORE THE CONTINUING TERRORIST THREAT TO ISRAEL'S SURVIVAL
Mossad Agents, Arab Operatives, Hamas Trials, Front-Line IDF Positions

Following the overwhelming successes of our eight prior "Ultimate Missions To Israel," Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center will host another high-impact tour of Israel in mid-November. The Ultimate Mission is a first hand investigation of the challenges of the terrorist threat to Israel's survival. The Ultimate Mission will be held on November 14th thru November 21st, 2005. Registration is still open! Shurat HaDin is inviting doctors, attorneys, accountants, programmers and other professionals from around the world to participate in an intensive and action-packed series of briefings and field tours with Israeli security, military and intelligence officials. The Mission will explore the strategic dangers to the Jewish state from Arab violence and Islamic extremism. Participants will experience a dynamic, hands-on and intensive eight day investigation of Israel's struggle for security and survival in the Middle East today. Mission participants will receive briefings from senior commanders of Israel's intelligence and security services, as well as the other strategic decision-makers who shape and lead Israel's multifaceted war on terrorism. The Mission will also present a rich program of exciting recreational and cultural events.
The eight day program will include the following highlights:
* Briefings by present and past officers in the IDF Intelligence and Operations branches, including the senior commanders of the Shin Bet security service and Mossad.
* An exhibition by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) undercover soldiers who carry out targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists and deep penetration raids in Arab territory.
* Observing the trial of Hamas terrorists in an IDF military court.
* Discussions with Israel's Arab agents who infiltrate the terrorist groups and provide real-time intelligence.
* A first hand investigation of the controversial "security fence" that has enraged the world.
* Intensive, hands-on tours of the front line military positions, the border check-points and intelligence bases.
* Small airplane tour of the Galil, water activities on Lake Kinneret, a cook-out barbecue and a Shabbat enjoying the rich religious and historic wonders of Jerusalem's Old City. "Our six prior missions received such positive responses from both the large group participants and the intelligence service presenters that we feel compelled to offer another Mission this November14, 2005. Participants will be
able to view Israel through the eyes of those actually calling the shots - the real policy makers" states Shurat HaDin Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, "The briefings by the Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF officials amazed our earlier groups and exhibited the extreme challenges Israel is facing in the war against the terrorists. No other tour has ever presented the hard-core realities of Israel's struggle for survival like the Ultimate Mission."

ISA and Israel Police Arrest Senior Hamas Terrorist
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Office)

Yakub Muhammad Yakub Abu Etzev, born in 1972, a resident of Sawana in Jerusalem, and who holds an Israeli identity card, was arrested in a joint ISA-Israel Police operation on 29.8.05. During his investigation, it arose that he was a senior Hamas terrorist. He was in contact, via the internet, with the Hamas command in Saudi Arabia, coordinated the activities of the Hamas command in Judea with the Saudi Arabian command and served as a main conduit in the financing of the Judea command. Abu Etzev exploited his mobility and legal status as a resident of Jerusalem and bearer of an Israeli ID card in order to carry out his activities. Abu Etzev confessed that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Hamas HQ in Saudi Arabia as well as instructions that he passed on to Hamas field operatives. He updated the Saudi Arabian HQ on local Hamas actions. The aforementioned funds were received by various means including via special couriers and money-changers. From Abu Etzev's investigation, it arises that before the Hamas leadership's decision to participate in the Palestinian Authority general elections, field operatives were canvassed through special committees in each community. The committees' decisions regarding for or against participating in the elections were sent to Hamas's Saudi Arabian HQ. Abu Etzev was a member of Hamas's supreme coordinating committee and was involved in the organization's logistical preparations ahead of the elections. He also founded Hamas committees in various towns and financed all of the foregoing with funds from the Saudi Arabian command. Abu Etzev admitted that passed the Saudi Arabian HQ's email address on to Omar Natshe, one of Hamas's main operatives in Hebron, who was also arrested. Natshe was also in contact with Hamas's Saudi Arabian HQ, updated in on the views of Hamas's members in Hebron on the elections and - via a money-changer - received funds, a portion of which he gave to Abu Etzev. The funds that Abu Etzev received from Hamas's Saudi Arabian command also served to finance other Hamas activities in both Judea and Jerusalem, including support for the families of suicide terrorists and imprisoned terrorists, support for Hamas institutions, etc., often under the cover of charity work. Among the Hamas-affiliated institutions that received these funds was one on the Temple Mount. Hamas's Saudi Arabian command instructed Abu Etzev to open a communications office to report on matters of interest - such as the security fence, the demolition of terrorists' homes, etc. - to Hamas operatives abroad. The Saudi Arabian HQ transferred large sums of money to cover the costs. On the basis of information obtained from Abu Etzev, as well as from other sources, the Israel Police, on 22.9.05, closed the offices of two Hamas-affiliated institutions. The ISA has also arrested additional Hamas operatives in Jerusalem and Hebron. The security establishment views with utmost gravity the participation of Jerusalem residents in terrorist organizations dedicated to perpetrating attacks against Israelis.

IDF attack of two structures in Gaza Strip

In a security forces operation early this morning, the IDF targeted two structures in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The structures targeted are an office used by the "Fatah" movement for terror activity, and a structure used by the "Hamas" terror organization as a money changing office. The IDF will continue to act with determination in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel.