I FRONT PAGE I  JEWISH SOCIETY & STYLE SECTION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  I  JEWISH ARTS, CULTURE, STARS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10   I JEWISH & ISRAEL POLITIC HEADLINES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  I  NEWS & GOSSIPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  I  FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  11 12 I  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  I CONTACT US  I ARCHIVES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I TO ADVERTISE...SEE RATES I TO DONATE I

ARCHIVES AUGUST 2005. PART 2

Russian expert: Israeli withdrawal could provoke regional war. Expert criticizes organization of Jewish settlement withdrawal.  The withdrawal of Jewish settlements from the Gaza strip will only cause a new round of confrontation, Moscow-based Middle East Institute President Yevgeny Satanovsky told a press conference Friday...Read the full article. 

Middle East quartet to meet in Jerusalem. MOSCOW, Russia - Special envoys of the Middle East quartet (Russia, the United States, UN and EU) will meet in Jerusalem Saturday. Foreign Ministry's Ambassador at Large Alexander Kalugin will represent Russia. .Read the full article.  

Rice Warns: Israel Should Take Steps in the West Bank. The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, called on Israel immediately after Israel’s Gaza withdrawal plan was due to end to loosen travel restrictions in the West Bank and to continue withdrawal from more Palestinian cities. In the US newspaper...Read the full article. 

Jordanian PM: Plans for joint zone with PA on border, ready to arm PA forces. AMMAN, Jordan. (Petra-Jordan News Agency)-- Premier Adnan Badran expressed Jordan's welcome over Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, affirming the Israeli withdrawal should be part of the road map and should ...Read the full article.   In Internet format

[Repeat lie about fire] Minister Salama on 36th Anniversary of its Burning: Muslims Unremittingly Adhered to al-Aqsa Mosque. By Dr. Aaron Lerner. IMRA: "On August 29,1969 when a deranged Australian tourist, twenty-eight-year-old Denis Michael Rohan, a fundamentalist Christian, set fire to the al-Aksa Mosque." Martin Gilbert in "Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century" p.308. - that's "fundamentalist Christian" - not  "extremist Jew"]...Read the full article. 

Palestine gets total control of Gaza, West Bank territories after Israel's pullout. DAMASCUS, Syria. On Saturday Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree on the situation in Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which are witnessing the withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlements...Read the full article.  

Al-Kidwa: Gaza Pullout Defeats Israel's Project of Colonization. GAZA, (WAFA-PLO news agency)- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Al-Kidwa, said that the Israeli pullout from Gaza and the evacuation of the colonies is a defeat of the Israel's project of colonization. During statements to the representatives of Egyptian media institutions...Read the full article.  
 

U.S. Department of Defense - Israeli Ministry of Defense Joint Press Statement. The strategic alliance between the United States and Israel reflects common understandings of the global security environment.  In this cooperative relationship, the United States and Israel share information and consult on possible threats to U.S. and Israeli defense interests...Read the full article.

Qurei Rejects Mofaz Statement. GAZA, (WAFA-PLO new agency)- Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, rejected Tuesday the statement of the Israeli Minister on keeping six colony blocks in the West Bank....Read the full article.


Another Kidnapping as UN Evacuates. On the day on which the UN announced its intention to evacuate "all non-essential" staff from the Gaza Strip another international has been kidnapped inside the Gaza Strip. ...Read the full article.
 

Briefing by Head of Gaza DCO. Key Points from the press briefing held earlier today by Colonel Yoav Mordechai, Head of the District Coordination Office: Over the past two months, there have been intensive negotiations between the IDF and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which started with meetings between defense ministers Shaul Mofaz and Nasser Yusef...Read the full article.

IDF SPOX and Israeli Police Update: Summary of Today's Events in Gaza. Dr. Aaron Lerner: "For some reason the "scorecard" doesn't indicate how many civilians were wounded by police. MK Michael Eitan (Likud) who chairs the Knesset Law Committee (and supports disengagement) complained today that police dealing with crowds at Gush Katif were not wearing their ID tags in violation of the rules.  Eitan noted that the apparent decision of the officers to send their men in without the required ID's gives the policemen the message that they can use brutal force as they cannot be identified by their victims - while at the same time sending the message to the civilians that the police intend to go on the rampage with the consequence that emotions can rise on both sides. Before the operation there were reports that the police planned to wear special vests with their names on them and that the vests would be issued at the last minute so that civilians would not be able to disguise themselves as police during the expulsion."

VPM Peres: What terrorists say doesn't matter - hurting themselves more than us. By Dr. Aaron Lerner. VPM Shimon Peres was asked by Israel Radio anchor Arieh Golan in a live interview broadcast this morning about the various Palestinian leaders who have called from continued attacks against Israel. Peres replied that "what terrorists say doesn't matter - they are hurting the Palestinians more than they are hurting Israel." Golan declined to remind Mr. Peres that he used virtually the same argument during the entire course of Oslo to defend Yasser Arafat and others who, as an old Foreign Ministry information campaign used to put it "mean what they say".

Commander of Arafat's Presidential Guard Munir Al-Zu'bi: Arafat May Have Been Poisoned by a Laser Beam, a Handshake, or a Kiss. The following are excerpts from an interview with the commander of the Palestinian Presidential Guard, Munir Al-Zu'bi, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on August 13, 2005. Al-Zu'bi: I rule out (poisoned food). People think that Abu Ammar (Arafat) used to get his own special plate...Read the full article.

Israel: Hizbullah funding missiles that could reach airport. TEL AVIV - Israel's military reports Hizbullah has poured tens of thousands of dollars to fund development of Palestinian missiles in the West Bank. Israeli security sources said the missiles were meant to be used against Israeli cities in wake of the military's withdrawal from the northern West Bank in September.

Photo: Palestinian Kassam missiles. frequently launched by Palestinians  against Israelis villages and towns.

They said targets of the Hizbullah-financed missiles would include Israel's international airport at Lod.  So far, Hizbullah has been funding operatives of the ruling Fatah movement and the Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad to develop and produce the missiles. The sources said these operatives were based in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Middle East Newsline reported. [In the United States, two employees of a shipping company have pleaded guilty in connection with a planned shipment of night-vision goggles and infrared sights to Hizbullah...Read the full article.
 

Head of Manpower: Soldiers residing in the Gaza Strip may help their family members. Head of the manpower branch, Major General Eliezar Stern, has decided to permit soldiers residing in the Gaza Strip to help their families pack, and to stay in their homes up until they are evacuated. This decision revised a previous one allowing soldiers to have a special leave of absence in order to help their families pack, but they would have had to return by the 15th August. This decision was made after a special meeting with the Commander of the Southern Command, Major General Dan Harel, Head of the Ground Forces Command, Major General Yiftah Ron Tal and Major General Eliezar Stern. The IDF believes that soldiers will not actively resist the evacuation, even if it is likely that their families will. As such the soldiers will be a calming force in the settlements. The IDF condemns all illegal acts of resistance against the evacuation, and will prevent any attempt to attack the evacuating forces.
 

Two Soldiers Accused of Looting. The military police have opened an investigation into the two soldiers accused of theft in P'at Sade, a community in Gush Katif. The alleged thieves were spotted by a third soldier as they were trying to steal household air conditioners. She reported the event to their commanders, who then called the two in for an inquiry by the battalion commander, during which they admitted to all the charges. In response to the incident the military prosecutor decided to request that the Military Police investigators open an investigation into the activity of the two soldiers. The final report will be passed on to the military prosecutor. Incidents of this nature are contradictory to the moral values and lessons taught by the IDF. Should the charges be substantiated, the IDF will handle the matter with the utmost stringency and resolution, and the soldiers will be punished to the full extent of the law.

London Islamist Who Moved to Lebanon, Omar Bakri: We Don't Know Who Carried Out 9/11. I Don't Have Any Opinion, Negative or Positive, about Al-Qa'eda. The following are excepts from an interview with Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad Fustuq, a London Islamist who left for Lebanon, which aired on Al-Mustaqbal TV on August 11, 2005. Fustuq: After the events of 9/11, there was much harrassment, especially of Muslim preachers in the UK. Since then I have been thinking about returning (to Lebanon). When I disbanded the Al-Muhajirun movement in London last year, in October, 2004...Read the full article.

IDF SPOKESPERSON AND ISRAELI POLICE UPDATE: Throughout the day security forces have continued handing out the notices signed by the Head of the Southern Command to the residents of the following Israeli communities: Gadid, Gan-Or, Bdolach, Shalev and Tel-Katifa and assisted the residents in packing their belongings. Over 50 containers and moving trucks took part. Additional containers and moving trucks are making their way to Gush Katif communities. Throughout the course of the day security forces have faced incidents of civil disobedience instigated by infiltrators into Gush Katif and who disrupted the exit of residents who wished to leave the communities. 2 Israeli Policemen were wounded lightly. The Israeli Police have arrested 217 lawbreaking citizens inside the Gaza Strip and 320 citizens who entered the closed military zone near Kissufim crossing violating the order of the Head of the Southern Command.

PM SHARON CONVENES MEETING OF MINISTERIAL DISENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE. (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser). Prime Minister Ariel Sharon this evening convened a meeting of the Ministerial Disengagement Committee. Committee members approved increasing the number of hotel rooms designated to absorb settlers from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria from approximately 1,000 rooms to approximately 2,000 rooms...Read the full article.

Fateh Calls Palestinian People and Factions to Ensure National Unity. GAZA, (WAFA-PLO news agency)- Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fateh) called upon the Palestinian people and factions to ensure the national unity in light of the Israeli withdrawal. In a statement issued Monday, Fateh stressed that the Israeli withdrawal is a national and political achievement. It added that the Palestinian people must maintain and develop this achievement to form the beginning of further national achievements and further Israeli withdrawal. Fateh stressed on the necessity of the withdrawal to be comprehensive that includes the Gaza Strip (GS), West Bank (WB) and Jerusalem. Fateh clarified that this victory is a natural result of the Palestinian national struggle, saying that this national achievement will not be completed until releasing all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Minister Of Interior Receives Palestinian Delegation. Amman, (Petra-Jordan News Agency)-- Minister of Interior Awni Yarvas met on Sunday with a Palestinian delegation headed by minister of tourism Ziad Al Bandk. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the Jordanian-Palestinian coordination towards keeping the properties of Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. The meeting was attended by Secretary General of Interior Ministry Mukheimer

Rabbi Druckman rebuffs attempt to consider terming disengagement "disaster" "incitement" at President's conference. By Dr. Aaron Lerner. Amnon Dankner, Maariv's editor in chief, opened a "reconciliation" session at the President's Residence broadcast live on Israel Radio this afternoon by attacking Rabbi Haim Druckman for terming the disengagement a "disaster". Dankner labeled the term "disaster" as "incitement" and warned Druckman that by exaggerating the consequences of the disengagement he was making reconciliation difficult. Rabbi Druckman, who heads the Bnei Akiva Yeshivas, responded that President Katzav asked in his opening remarks that people be "frank". "What should I say if I think this is a disaster - if not that it is a disaster?" Druckman retorted. IDF Officer and Four Soldiers Wounded From Tank Fire at Palestinian Gunman.

Police interrogating illegals" trying to leave Gaza Strip. Israel Police Disengagement Spokesman Dr. Avi Zelba told IMRA this evening that the Israel Police are inspecting every car leaving Gush Katif to find people trying to leave Gush Katif... Read the full article.

IDF Officer and Four Soldiers Wounded From Tank Fire at Palestinian Gunman. An IDF officer was severely wounded and four additional soldiers were lightly wounded as a result of IDF tank fire at a Palestinian gunman after he opened fire at an IDF post nearby...Read the full article.

POLLARD SUES ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OVER U.S.'  BREACH OF  SECRET AGREEMENT. Imprisoned Israeli intelligence agent Jonathan Pollard has filed a petition in the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem today demanding that the government ...Read the full article.

Prohibition of entry and presence of Israeli citizens in areas due to be evacuated in accordance with the "Implementation of the Disengagement Plan 2005" law. Starting tonight at midnight, the IDF and Israeli Police will enforce the prohibition of entry and presence of Israeli citizens in the areas due to be evacuated in accordance with the order by the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister according to paragraph 22A of the "Implementation of the Disengagement Plan 2005" law. ..Read the full article.

Iranian experts on drones from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards took part in the launch from Lebanon of a Hezbollah drone that spent several minutes over northern Israel.

Al-Ghandour:  "Hamas and Palestinians goals are to draw the Islamic state of Palestine from the sea to the river and from Lebanon to Egypt. No place for Israel on the Palestinian lands!” Hamas, now refusing to disarm after Israel’s pullout, outnumbers Palestinian security forces three to one in Gaza...Read the full article.

Israel agrees greenhouse handover. An agreement has been signed to transfer greenhouses from Gaza settlers to the Palestinian Authority when Israel quits the area next week...Read the full article.

Al-Qaida's deputy threatens more attacks. CAIRO, Egypt- Al Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, threatened more destruction in London, saying in a videotape broadcast Thursday that British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be to blame. Al-Zawahri also threatened the United States with tens of thousands of military dead...Read the full article.

Allegedly Britain secretly supplied key component for Israeli nuclear reactor. LONDON --  Britain secretly sold Israel a key component for its then-fledgling nuclear program in the late 1950s, not even telling key ally Washington, a report based on British archives said on Wednesday...Read the full article.

Kissinger against early US pullout from Iraq. Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger said on Friday that military victory in Iraq was essential to any US exit strategy and warned that an early US troop withdrawal was "a potentially fateful event".

"Because of the axiom that guerrillas win if they do not lose, stalemate is unacceptable," said Kissinger, who drew parallels with the Vietnam War, while cautioning that "the military challenge in Iraq is more elusive". "American strategy, including a withdrawal process,"...Read the full article.

 "This army will continue to defend our homeland as long as one inch of Palestine remains occupied," Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters on Friday, after attending a training session of Hamas's military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. "It is criminal to claim that there is only one weapon," al-Zahar said in reference to declarations by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insisting that the Palestinian Authority was the only legitimate security tool. During a keynote speech to the Palestinian parliament earlier this week, Abbas urged all armed groups to end their rocket attacks on Israeli targets, as part of a larger appeal for calm during the pullout. Abbas met al-Zahar and Hamas's two other top Gaza leaders on Tuesday in a bid to ensure the group's fighters would not seek to scupper the historic pullout of Israeli troops and settlers. Hamas, the group behind the majority of anti-Israeli attacks during the five-year uprising or intifada, says the rocket attacks were instrumental in persuading Israel to leave Gaza after a 38-year occupation.

Iraq's Sunnis stunned by Shia autonomy demands. BAGHDAD --  Iraq's ousted Sunni Arab elite expressed alarm on Friday after the country's Shia majority made a surprise move towards Kurdish-style autonomy, just days before a crucial deadline for agreement on a new constitution.

Photo: SHOCK AND AWE: Shia leader Abdel Aziz Al Hakim’s demand that the majority Shias be given autonomy in parts of Iraq has surprised and angered Sunni leaders who say it could derail the entire political process...Read the full article.

NETANYAHU ATTACKS SHARON. Former Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza pullout plan could put Israel in mortal danger.  Mr Netanyahu, who quit the Cabinet on Sunday, said a planned port in Gaza could act as a "terrorist base" that would be a direct threat to the region. Mr Sharon hit back by labelling Mr Netanyahu's resignation so close to the pullout as "less than honourable"...Read the full article.

Implementation of the Disengagement Plan 2005: Status. As part of IDF and Israeli Police activity on the second day for the implementation of the Disengagement plan 2005, the security forces entered the community of Neve Dekalim to continue evacuating of the local residents and non residents. Also, IDF and Israeli Police Forces are now making their way to the community of Kfar Darom, in central Gaza strip in order to enter the community and begin evacuating the residents.

IRAN, SAUDIS SEEK TO IMPLEMENT SECURITY ACCORD. ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Four years after signing a formal accord, Iran and Saudi Arabia have still not launched security cooperation. Arab diplomatic sources said the memorandum of understanding on security cooperation signed by Riyad and Teheran in March 2001 was never implemented. The MOU called for cooperation in such areas as counter-insurgency, drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Over the last month, Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed discussions on ways to  implement the MOU. The sources said Saudi Arabia has sought to obtain Iranian agreement to extradite Saudi nationals deemed as fugitives by Riyad. They said hundreds of Saudi nationals, most of them Al Qaida operatives, were believed to have received haven in Iran. On July 25, the Saudi Cabinet approved the start of negotiations for a security cooperation accord with Iran. Officials said Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz would be responsible for drafting such an agreement.
 

Lawmaker Abu Amro; the National Committee to Follow Up Disengagement is not a Substitute of PNA...Read the full article. 

Dr. Aaron Lerner: "PLO News Agency uses the term "terrorist" for first time?!"

Israeli Terrorist Murders 3 Palestinian Workers. NABLUS,(WAFA-PLO news agency)- Three workers were murdered and two others wounded by an Israeli terrorist south of the West Bank city of Nablus. Security sources said that an Israeli terrorist opened fire at a group of Palestinian workers in an industrial zone belongs to the colony of Shiloh, near Nablus. The sources added that the terrorist, who works as a driver, opened fire at a group of Palestinian workers killing two and targeted other group killing one more and wounding others. Local sources said that the victims are from the two villages of Qariot and Turmos'ayya, near Nablus. On August 4, an Israeli soldier opened fire at a bus killing 5 Palestinian Israeli Arabs and wounded ten others, in the city of Shafa Amr, north of Israel.

Terrorist attack thwarted. (Provided by the IDF Spokesperson). In the past few days, the Israel Security Agency and IDF forces have uncovered an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell which planned to carry out a terrorist bombing in the upcoming days, by using an explosive belt, in an Israeli community in Gush Katif. So far, four members of the cell have been arrested, two of whom planned to carry out the bombings. Three of the terrorists live in the Muassi and the other in Khan Yunis.  On the afternoon of August 17th, 2005, security forces uncovered an explosive belt weighing approximately 10 kg., which was meant to be used by the terrorists and was which hidden inside a solar water heater, that had been transferred from Khan Yunis to the Muassi. This cell was also responsible for the digging of a terrorist tunnel, uncovered a month ago, which was meant to reach Neve Dkalim. The security forces will continue their efforts to protect civilians from terrorist attacks.

Jerusalem embraces the people of Neveh Dekalim. By Dr. Aaron Lerner. Under the heading "The people of Jerusalem embrace the people of Neveh Dekalim", the Jerusalem municipality is preparing to accept approx. 300 families (over 1,000 people) that are being evicted from Neveh Dekalim as part of the disengagement plan. Mayor Uri Lupolinaski has instructed the municipal departments not to spare any resource or effort in order to allow the people of Neveh Dekalim, following the traumatic experience they've just...Read the full article. 

Kfar Saba hospital's MDs strike over assaults. Physicians at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba struck for two hours Thursday morning to protest assaults on two doctors. The granddaughter of a patient in the hospital's Geriatrics Department assaulted a doctor after receiving a report on the condition of her grandfather. In another department, a patient refused to be treated by an Arab physician. Reka.