Intelligence Corps Chooses the University of Haifa

The University of Haifa won a nationwide tender to educate elite members of the Israel Defense Force's Intelligence Corps.  The program, which leads to a B.A. degree, is the first of its kind in Israel. Called the Havatzlot (Lilies) program, the special three-year course of  study joins the B.A. program for Israeli Navy officers officially launched  last week at the Mt. Carmel institution and its veteran M.A. program for  senior IDF officers. "The University of Haifa has a long history of cooperation with the security  forces," said University president Prof. Aaron Ben-Ze'ev in formally announcing the new program.  "It is reflected in special curricula, in absorbing students, and in research institutes that have been set up in this discipline." The University of Haifa, he continued, "attributes great importance to this cooperation and is proud to integrate this prestigious program." The Havatzlot program, the Intelligence Corps' flagship program, is one of the most prestigious that the IDF offers.  Its purpose is to train a very high quality group of intelligence research officers who will constitute the spearhead of this corps. The program will involve a double major, one in Middle East History, in the course of which students will receive broad basic knowledge of Middle East subjects, Arabic, political science, and international relations.  The students' second major will be a choice of economics, computer sciences, mathematics, or philosophy. They will also receive some military and  intelligence courses. The academic studies parallel the three years of compulsory service  incumbent on all post-high school inductees into the IDF.  They will undergo basic training and some other military training during the summer semester breaks. During their studies, the soldiers will live in the University dorms on  campus. After gaining a degree and their officer rank, the soldiers will  serve a further six years as research officers. The first class of the Havatzlot program, which begins this summer, has 25 soldier students, men and women.  They were selected from a pool of some 4,000 applicants.  Havatzlot will be conducted in cooperation with Intelligence Corps officers and a senior academic advisor, Prof. Joseph Nevo of the Dept. of Middle East History, will supervise the program academically.- A. M. Goldstein, Editor, Focus University of Haifa.  IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis.

THE MAYOR OF JERUSALEM: WE DO NOT INTEND TO ISSUE ADMINISTRATIVE DEMOLITION ORDERS TO STRUCTURES AT "KING'S GARDEN" IN SILWAN

Jerusalem Municipality Spokesman: The Mayor has Instructed to Reach Understandings with the Residents. The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, announced today that contrary to claims, the Jerusalem Municipality does not intend to issue any administrative orders against the houses built in "Kings Garden" in Silwan. Lupolianski has ordered the planning team to check the possibility of cooperation with the residents living in this area. In order to facilitate that, a joint committee with the residents will be established. The municipality will work with the authorities to locate alternative land. In cases where building violations were committed, the municipality will reach an understanding with the residents. It should be noted that currently only 5 buildings are in legal proceedings, awaiting verdicts. In those cases also the court allows the offenders to appeal to higher instances or to apply for a permit. Following the mayor's decision, the mayor's advisor for religious communities, Mr. Motti Lewy, the mayor's advisor for neighborhoods, Mr. Yosi Cohen and the city engineer, Mr. Uri Shitreet, have met representatives of the residents and agreed to examine together the current problems in Silwan. The Jerusalem Municipality categorically denies any rumors of conspiracy plans. The municipality will continue to enforce the law while promoting proper building plans in order to allow the natural development of eastern Jerusalem residents.

Public outcry in Nablus against use of teenagers for terrorist missions

Special Information Bulletin Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S) .As a result of recent events at the Hawara checkpoint, Palestinians in Nablus have condemned using of teenagers to carry out terrorist missions. The parents and friends of one of the teenagers expressed their anger at Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades while the organization's activists in Nablus deny responsibility for the events and were quick to blame Israel . The Palestinian Authority - even now, under the chairmanship of Abu Mazen - has so far not taken effective steps to stop teenagers from being dispatched on terrorist missions. (Update of  The Israeli army foils another attempt to disrupt the current lull in the fighting www.intelligence.org.il/eng/c_t/ct_may_a.htm ) On two occasions recently, Israeli army (IDF) soldiers at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus caught teenage boys with hidden weapons . In the first incident, which took place on May 22, 2005, a 15-year old boy was caught with two pipe charges attached to his belt. In the second, which
occurred two days later, a 14-year old boy was caught trying to smuggle two explosive charges through the checkpoint. Both incidents were severely condemned by terrorist organization activists in Nablus and by Nablus residents. At the same time they attempted to lay the blame on Israel for sending the boys out. Conspicuously, most of the accusations came from senior operatives belonging to Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades , the organization whose Nablus members were behind many instances of dispatching teenagers on terrorist missions. MSNBC's correspondent Martin Fletcher interviewed the parents of Muhammad [Mustafa al-Nadi], the 15-year old boy stopped by IDF soldiers at the Hawara checkpoint. His parents expressed their great anger at Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades , calling its operatives criminals and saying that Allah would punish them ( MSNBC , May 27, 2005). The correspondent spoke with the boy and read him a letter from his mother asking him to confess and to give Israel all the information in his possession about the men who had sent him. Afterwards the boy admitted that after Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades had approached him five times he finally agreed to cooperate with them. The correspondent also visited Muhammad's school and interviewed his classmates, who expressed great anger at Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades , because, they said, "we [now] have quiet and there [was] no reason to send Muhammad out and to ruin everything." The following is a selection of reactions posted on the Palestine Net Internet site on May 26 and 28, 2005). ' Alaa' Sanakreh, a senior Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades member in  Nablus denied any connection and responsibility for the two boys who were  stopped at Hawara, or the young man who was stopped on May 27 at Beit Eba at the western exit from Nablus. 1 He claimed that Israeli Intelligence was involved in sending the boys because it wanted to interfere with the Palestinian struggle. He added that the men who tempted the boys were known to Fatah and that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades would follow and kill them.

Muhammad Ghazal, a senior of Hamas' activist said that children were not to be involved in such actions because it was children who would build the future. He claimed that Israel was responsible for the "urge" prompting some children to take part in that sort of action. Nasser Juma'ah, a senior member of Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Nablus claimed that Israel was trying to tarnish the image of the "resistance." "The natural place" for children, he stated, was school. Faadi Qafisha, a senior member of Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Nablus claimed that his organization never used children. He stated that Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades sent only post-adolescents on military missions and only after they had been investigated. Nasser al-Khatib (Abu 'Aziz), a senior member of Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Nablus claimed that his organization had begun an investigation of the incidents with children because they were a very serious matter. He promised to deliver "crushing blows" to whoever was behind the actions, Israeli or Palestinian. (In an interview with an MSNBC reporter, Nasser Abu 'Aziz stated that he would never send a teenager to his death and raised the possibility that Israel had sent him.) 2. Ramadam 'Adassi , a senior member of Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus 3 denied sending children on that kind of mission and claimed that Israel was lying. He also claimed that "the actions of individuals." Ghassan al-Shaka'a, former mayor of Nablus and a member of the PLO's
executive committee called for those who sent children to the checkpoints to be brought to trial. He called upon parents to take care of their children and noted that "it wasn't a struggle for independence." The mother of the boy stopped at the Hawara checkpoint who had explosives in his possession said, "Allah will not forgive the one who deceived my son." The boy's father asked, "Why don't they send my brother, my mother or my neighbor instead of my son? Why did they do it? What sin did my poor son commit to make them deceive him?"

In a survey conducted in the streets of Nablus by Palestine Net, residents of the city agreed that to involve children in that sort of action was despicable. They said that Allah was not pleased those who make children party to such things and that the people who had sent the boys were suspect. Llip-service paid to the media, especially when it comes from senior Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades activists in Nablus , who are prominently involved in dispatching teenagers on terrorist missions. Despite their condemnation, the terrorist organizations continue using the boys , while the PA takes no effective steps to stop them. 1-The young man in question was Saer Samih Nimr Abu-Asab, a 20-year old resident of Qalqilya, who was arrested at the Beit Eba checkpoint. A bag containing an explosive belt, pipe charges and batteries (not connected) was found in his possession. 2 -Nasser al-Khatib (Abu 'Aziz) also stated that Fatah / Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades activists in the Balata refugee camp were exempt from the lull in the fighting because of Israeli killings ( Palestine Net , April 22, 2005).3 Muhammad Mustafa al-Nadi, the 15-year old boy arrested at the Hawara checkpoint lives in the Askar refugee camp.  IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis. Website: www.imra.org.il

Senior Islamic Jihad operative in the Jenin area killed in attempted arrest during a joint IDF and ISA activity

Provided by IDF Spokesperson's Office.Today, June 7th, 2005, Maruh Kamil, one of the most senior Islamic Jihad operatives in the Jenin area, was killed in a joint IDF and ISA operation after he opened fire and threw a hand grenade at the IDF force that came to arrest him. An IDF officer was lightly wounded when the operatives opened fire at the force. An M-16 assault rifle, a handgun and a hand grenade were found next to the body of Kamil. The IDF force arrived this morning at the house in Kabatiya, where Kamil and other Islamic Jihad terrorists were hiding. The terrorists opened fire at the force from several areas of the house simultaneously, wounding an IDF officer. The force returned fire at the gunmen. After several minutes, two wanted men came out of the house and turned themselves in to the force. The IDF force called upon an additional wanted Palestinian inside the house to surrender, but instead he continued to fire at the force; the force returned fire. In order to stop the firing and arrest the man, part of the house was demolished. During a search of the house, the IDF force found the body of wanted senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Haled Taufik Kamil, a member of the Islamic Jihad network in the Jenin area; he was found with an M-16 assault rifle and a hand grenade.  Maruh Hamed Tufik Kamil, 27, a resident of Kabatiya, was recruited to the Islamic Jihad terrorist network in Jenin in May 2003, and was planning to carry out a suicide terror attack in the heart of Israel. The suicide terror attack was thwarted following specific intelligence information. Kamil, who knew he was wanted by Israeli security forces for his involvement in terrorism, decided to turn himself in to Palestinian Authority security forces, and was imprisoned in the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho.  Kamil was imprisoned in the Jericho prison facility for several months, there he developed contacts with other Islamic Jihad terrorists from various networks throughout the West Bank who were imprisoned with him. In May, 2004 Kamil escaped from the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho and returned to his village, Kabatiya.  The contacts Kamil made during the period of his imprisonment in the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho helped him after his escape to solidify his status as a leading figure in the terrorist organization. After a short period of time he became involved in the Islamic Jihad's activities in the northern West Bank and Jenin, after being trained personally by senior wanted Islamic Jihad members in Jenin.  During this period Kamil was involved in strengthening the Islamic Jihad network in the northern West Bank and in Jenin, recruiting members, and planning and attempting to carry out various terror attacks against Israeli targets.

Over the course of the past year Kamil was promoted within the Islamic Jihad terror organization, maintained direct contact with the Islamic Jihad headquarters abroad and was responsible for distributing funds and weaponry to Islamic Jihad terrorists in the northern West Bank and Jenin. He was personally responsible for directing Islamic Jihad terror attacks carried against Israeli targets. After the declaration of the current period of calm, Kamil continued his activities and personally carried out a shooting attack in April 2005 in the Jenin area, during which an IDF soldier was wounded. The Islamic Jihad terror organization works relentlessly to carry out terror attacks against Israeli targets, despite the Sharm El Sheikh agreements. Special to the World Jewish News Agency by IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

THEY WILL SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN

From Peggy North, World Jewish News Agency's foreign correspondent in London.

An official Iraqi spokesman in Baghdad said that the 12 charges of crimes against humanity "were brought and filed against the former president of Iraq in complete confidence". The criminal charges were fully documented and there was no point "wasting time" dealing with all 500 charges itemized by the United States government. Would this interpretation create an atmosphere of legal confusion in the mind of Iraqi judges? Time will tell. Many Iraqi judges turned down their appointment as  panel judges in the  trial of Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi official  told  today, the World Jewish News Agency, that the government of Iraq is gearing full speed toward a public trial. He added:  "This should not take more than 2 months". Asking him about the mental condition of Hussein, he replied "Saddam Hussein's morale is very low. Hussein did not like the increasing number of charges brought against him." Iraqi government officials told the Agency that their government is "hundred per cent confident that the 12 charges brought against Saddam Hussein are more than enough to seek the death penalty." Iraqi official spokesman, Leith Koubba said "We are completely confident that the 12 fully documented and researched charges against Hussein are more than sufficient to sentence him to death." Koubba explained to us that the "Iraqi government is determined to go ahead full speed with the preliminary trial."

Attorney Issam Ghazawi, one of the lawyers representing Saddam Hussein expressed to us  his disdain for Leith  Koubba's comments. In a public statement given to the Agency, the BBC and CNN, Mr. Koubba stated: "The appropriate channel is for the accusations to come through the court and for the lawyers to receive a copy of the indictment".  In another instance, Mr. Kouba told us that that the Iraqi government is using a character assassination tactic. "Everybody knows that. The psychological condition of President Saddam is not good. Even Judge Raed Juhi, the trial judge admits that. But president Saddam is strong in spirit. He has retained all his mental faculties." Some of the most serious criminal charges brought against the former Iraqi president and dictator are the mass repression of the Shias in 1990 and 1991,  the 1988 chemical attacks on Halabja, the Kurdish village, and of course the invasion of neighboring Kuwait in 1990.

American sub spied on Israel
News Express by Dr. Aaron Lerner

Israel Television Channel Two military affairs correspondent Ronnie Daniel revealed this evening that the submarine Israel chased from its territorial waters last November was an American spy sub. The vessel was identified by the Israeli Navy 18 kilometers from shore near Haifa, and fled shortly after discovery. IDF commanders admitted it wasn't the first time a Western submarine had been intercepted spying on Israel. Daniel indicated that Israel does not know what the spy sub was focusing on.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis), International Commentator of World Jewish News Agency, Israel.

Settlers given a week to join Nitzanim relocation plan

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday gave settlers a week to sign up for the Nitzanim relocation plan a day after Prime Minister Sharon visited Nitzanim and urged contractors to speed up operations to prepare for the absorption of evacuees of this summer's withdrawal plan, the JERUSALEM POST reported. Roughly only 1/3 of the Gush Katif families in Gaza have signed up for the program. Minimums of another 24 families are needed to sign up, Livni said. The justice minister maintained that the one-week deadline was not an ultimatum but rather a direct call to all the evacuees to join the plan, without using middlemen or settler representatives. Regarding assistance in finding employment for the evacuees, it was decided to establish a project together with the Joint that would be responsible for creating job opportunities for Gush Katif evacuees. As to education-related problems, Education Ministry officials said thousands of places have been created to absorb the evacuated children in new schools in the next school year and this summer.
Jobs have already been found for the 394 teachers of Gush Katif, the officials added.

IDF targets Gaza terrorists

An IDF aircraft fired a missile at two Palestinians who attempted to launch a mortar shell at southern Gaza Strip settlements on Wednesday, critically wounding a Hamas terrorist in the first such attack since Palestinian and Israeli leaders declared a cease-fire in February aimed at ending four years of violence, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. The IDF launched the strike after soldiers spotted Palestinians in the town of Khan Yunis attempting to launch mortar bombs at the nearby settlements of Morag and Neve Dekalim - the latest in a series of increasing attacks by gunmen. The incident marks the first Israeli air strike in Gaza since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a cease-fire in February. Abbas also secured an in formal truce with terrorists in March in an effort to maintain a lull in fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. But armed groups had threatened in recent weeks to resume violence after several IDF shooting incidents that led to some Palestinian deaths. In other news the IDF is demanding with no avail that the Palestinian Authority dispatch their security officers to curb the increased rocket and mortar attacks on both Israeli military and civilian targets during the past few weeks. The army has refrained from using aircraft to target Palestinian terrorists in recent months, but military officials warned the IDF would be forced to act should the PA not take action against mortar launchers. Israel plans to dismantle all 21 Jewish settlements from Gaza this summer as well as four of 120 in the West Bank, while strengthening existing West Bank settlement blocs. Palestinian gunmen in Gaza want to portray any Israeli withdrawal as a victory. Israel has been reluctant to promise any sure coordination on the plan, its first pullout from land Palestinians want for a state, and has resisted calls to resume peace talks until the Palestinians take tougher action against terrorists.

Israel backs Qatar for UN Security Council post

Israel has decided to back the small Gulf nation of Qatar,in its candidacy for a two-year term on the world body after Asian nations endorsed it for the post, HAARETZ reported. After weighing the appeal, Israel has "decided to support Qatar's candidacy for a seat of the non-permanent members of the Security Council", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Amira Oron said. The 15-member council rules on war and peace, sanctions and peacekeeping operations. There are five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members who sit on the council for two years. Oron said it was the first time Israel had supported an Arab state with which it lacks full diplomatic relations for one of the non-permanent seats. Israel hopes Qatar will reciprocate by upgrading their low-level ties, an official said. Israel has a commercial attaché posted in the Gulf state. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom has said he wants to achieve full ties with 10 Arab countries.


U.S. group slams 'anti-Semitic' PA site

The Anti-Defamation League demanded on Wednesday that Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas remove a link on a Palestinian government Web site to an anti-Semitic forgery that details a false Jewish plan to take over the world, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. The "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", written by a German in the 19th century, remains one of the most popular anti-Semitic myths today. The forgery details a false Jewish plot of world domination. Russia's secret police used it to stir up anti-Semitism in the 19th and 20th century and Adolf Hitler used it to garner support during his propaganda war against Jews before he ordered them part of his “Final Solution.” An Arabic translation of “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion” can be found in a section titled “The History of Zionism” on the Arabic version of the Web site of the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Information. “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas should immediately have this document stricken from the Web site for which he is ultimately responsible and devote space to explaining the origins of this dastardly and dangerous piece,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement. A Palestinian official told the Reuters news agency said he was looking into the complaint. Israel has long accused the Palestinian Authority of not doing enough to stop anti-Jewish incitement in Palestinian media, which is one of the conditions that must be filled under a U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan.

Gaza Settlers Force PMO Director-General to Cancel Visit

Gaza residents forced Prime Minister's Office Director-General Ilan Cohen to cancel his visit to the Gush Katif settlement bloc this morning during which he was slated to meet with settlers’ leaders and view factories and the industrial infrastructure in the areas to be evacuated, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. As Cohen approached the entrance to Kfar Darom, residents blocked the gates leading into the settlement, forcing him to give up on his visit.  Today was the last day of a seven-day period for settlers to sign up for the Nitzanim relocation plan. Pushing to get more settlers to accept the proposal, Cohen was hoping to convince them that the government was serious about its offer to relocate them en masse. According to Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, 426 families have applied so far to move to the area. Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni said last week that if there were not enough families joining the project by today, the plan would be cancelled. So far only 99 families have submitted compensation claims to the Disengagement Authority - 69 of whom, northern Samaria residents. Some 1,500 families live in Gaza and another 200 in northern Samaria.

PA, Hamas at Odds over Date of Parliamentary Elections

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are in conflict over the possible rescheduling of the Palestinian parliamentary elections set for July 17, HA’ARETZ reported. A five-hour meeting between Egyptian mediators and Hamas leaders in Gaza ended early today with no progress toward resolving the crisis. Hamas has threatened to resume attacks on Israelis as a result of the dispute. Deputy PA Prime Minister Nabil Sha'ath said today that the Palestinians could not organize a parliamentary election by mid-July, pointing to an election commission statement Monday that it could not be ready because of a row between Fatah lawmakers and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas over electoral law reforms.
In other news, Palestinian terrorists and Palestinian Authority police engaged in a gun battle in Jenin Tuesday. One bystander was lightly wounded. The incident started when the terrorists refused to hand over the stolen car they were driving. The PA has started to confiscate stolen vehicles, but has been reluctant to confiscate weapons, as Abbas promised during his election campaign.

Abbas to Meet Bush in Washington

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who arrived in Washington today, will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday, YNEY reported. It is the first visit to the White House by a Palestinian leader in more than five years. The United States and Israel shunned Yasser Arafat, who last visited the United States in 1999, after the start of Palestinian violence in September 2000. Abbas is expected to ask Bush to press Israel to implement the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan and halt all settlement construction in the West Bank. Prior to his visit, Abbas announced that Palestinian regional elections, scheduled for July 17, would be postponed to November - a move that could enflame tensions between his Fatah faction and the terrorist group Hamas.

SHURAT HADIN'S 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 six prior "Ultimate Missions To Israel," Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center will  host  another high-impact tour of Israel in three weeks time. 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 June 27th thru July 4th, 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:  1-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. 2-An exhibition by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) undercover soldiers who carry out targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists and deep penetration raids in Arab territory. 3-Observing the trial of Hamas terrorists in an IDF military court. 4-Discussions with Israel's Arab agents who infiltrate the terrorist groups and provide real-time intelligence. 5-A first hand investigation of the controversial "security fence" that has enraged the world. 6-Intensive, hands-on tours of the front line military positions, the border check-points and intelligence bases. 7-Small airplane tour of the Galil, water activities on Lake Kinneret, acook-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 June 27, 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. Israellawcenter.org


French Culture Minister calls upon members of the European Union to join France in banning Al-Manar broadcasts

Special Information Bulletin Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S) When will the European Union join France and cease broadcasting Al-Manar? "Now.Al-Manar reaches you.all over the world" (from the lead-in to Al-Manar's broadcasts, June 10, 2004) Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, the French Culture Minister, called upon other  European Union countries to join France in banning the broadcasts of  Al-Manar , Hezbollah's satellite TV station. Al-Manar broadcasts around the  globe from Lebanon . A meeting of European Union culture ministers was held in Brussels on May  23-24, 2005, at which de Vabres asked other EU countries to follow the lead  of France, which ceased broadcasting Al-Manar on December 13, 2004, after a  Conseil d'Etat (France's highest administrative court) ruling. 1- The reason given was Al-Manar's repeated violations of treaties banning the  broadcasting of anti-Semitic programs and failure to comply with requests to  stop distributing anti-Semitic pronouncements . De Vabres strongly suggested  enacting new European legislation relating to television. 2-In response to the discussions held by the ministers, de Vabres noted that he was pleased because it was the first time the issue had been raised in such a forum. It was his opinion that the discussion was a milestone in European measures taken to prevent inciting broadcasts. He proposed that the EU use its own methods to prevent other satellite companies from broadcasting Al-Manar to the rest of Europe . When asked if he was optimistic about getting Al-Manar banned in other EU countries, he said that no country had opposed the French proposal. However, the official version of the decision, made public after the discussions, mentioned only a general call to EU countries to join the initiative to fight anti-Semitism and racism . 3-It should be remembered that so far, with the exception of Holland, other European countries have not followed France's lead in banning Al-Manar, which is broadcast by the satellite company Eutelsat . 4 In addition, Al-Manar broadcasts via other companies, particularly in the southern European countries. 5 The discussion held by the culture ministers may lead to Al-Manar's being banned in additional countries.

Appendix: The following satellite companies have ceased broadcasting Al-Manar: 6 Eutelsat : A French owned company; stopped broadcasting Al-Manar to Europe in December 2004. Intelsat : A company registered in Barbados ; stopped broadcasting Al-Manar to North America in December 2004. New Skies Satellite : A Dutch company; stopped broadcasting Al-Manar to the European Union in March 2005. TARBS : An Australian company; stopped broadcasting Al-Manar to Southeast Asia and Australia in November 2003. Satellite companies which still enable their European subscribers to receive Al-Manar: Arabsat : A Saudi Arabian company; broadcasts mainly to southern Europe . Nilesat : An Egyptian company; broadcasts mainly to southern Europe


1-In accordance with the court ruling, France removed Al-Manar from the Arabic package broadcast by Eutelstat. The reason given was that the station broadcast programs which violated the French law against incitement, thereby endangering public order. 2 -From the Beirut Daily Star , May 25, 2005; and the CRIF (the Conseil Representatif des Institutions Juives de France) , May 25, 2005, the organization of the French Jewish community. 3-In the original, "Initiatives en matiere de lutte contre l'antisémitisme et le racisme." 4-On May 17, 2005, Holland joined France and banned Al-Manar from being broadcast. 5- Using two Arab satellite companies, Arabsat and Nilesat. 6-Data from the Coalition Against Terrorist Media ( www.stopterroristmedia.org ). IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analys

 

 

 

LEBANON'S NEW LEADER AOUN: " I WANT TO MAKE PEACE WITH ISRAEL"

In his interview on Dubai Television network, former Lebanese MP General Michel Aoun  discussed the possibility of  peace with Israel.  In a second interview given to Al-Arabiya TV, Aoun explained in detail why Lebanon should sign a peace treaty with Israel. He gave examples of how other leading Arab countries sought peace tries with Israel including Egypt and the PLO. The TV interviewer asked the Lebanese new leader: "Do you want to make peace with Israel? Michel Aoun replied: Let me finish. King Abdullah or Jordan... and Jordan made peace with Israel. They have all made peace, and the peace process continues, whether we like it or not. Lebanon, which has been resisting for 35 years, cannot continue to resist Israel all by itself. It cannot go against the general Arab trend. It cannot tolerate this anymore. The Arab countries, if we sum up the two wars - the Six-Day War and the 12 or 14 day war of 1973 - fought for 20 days. We have suffered from instability from 1937 [sic] to this day. There is no stability or peace on our border. We are paying the price with continuous economic damage, because we are taking the path of resistance. We no longer have the right to make decisions on behalf of all the Arabs, and on behalf of all the Muslims, about the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine. We want more solidarity. Why should we be the only ones... I'm not calling for peace. We will be the last to sign a peace agreement with Israel. We will be the last to sign a peace agreement with Israel, but the war will not depend upon us alone."

 

Islamic Jihad tries to attack W. Bank settlements with rockets
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent 
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/584296.html

Islamic Jihad fired about five rockets at the settlements of Ganim and Kadim from Jenin in recent weeks, as part of continuing Palestinian efforts to bring to the West Bank the rocket fire that has threatened Israeli towns and settlements in and around the Gaza Strip. The rockets exploded in the air shortly after being launched. The Israel Defense Forces voiced concerns that the fire would increase after the area is evacuated under the disengagement plan. Channel 2 reported on Friday that the rockets, which were fired on several different occasions, were aimed at Ganim and Kadim, east of Jenin. They did not land near the settlements however, apparently as a result of technical failures. It is not clear whether these were Qassam rockets like those used by the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip. In the last four years Palestinians in the West Bank have been attempting to manufacture or smuggle in Qassam rockets and mortar shells. On several occasions Israel captured rockets in various stages of  development, built with knowhow from the Gaza Strip and terror groups'  headquarters in Syria. The Shin Bet has thwarted two attempts by the Hamas  and Jihad to manufacture Qassam rockets in the Jenin area. The IDF is presently engaged in detaining members of Islamic Jihad. This group also planned the suicide attack in Tel Aviv's Stage nightclub in February, in which five people were killed, and the failed attempt to send
two suicide bombers to the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Some 60 of the group's activists were arrested in the past month, but IDF sources say group leadership is still active. The sources say that the network's members in Jenin receive some $250,000 a month for their activities. The money arrives from Damascus, apparently via banks in Europe. The Jihad is preparing for the day after the IDF's withdrawal from northern  Samaria and the evacuation of the area's four settlements - Ganim, Kadim,  Sa-Nur and Homesh. At the same time the organization is continuing with its  attacks on Israeli targets and no longer sees itself committed to the cease-fire declared in the Cairo talks with the Palestinian Authority more than three months ago. The Jihad's long-term efforts include operating local networks in the south of the West Bank, which receive orders from the Jenin headquarters. It has also improved its capabilities in building bombs. Outgoing chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon warned last week in an interview with  Haaretz of the possibility of rocket and mortar fire from the West Bank  after the disengagement, voicing the fear that Afula and Kfar Sava could face security risks similar to those of Sderot. IDF forces captured six Palestinians in the area of Tul Karm, Bethlehem and Hebron over the weekend. Three of the detainees are suspected of activity  for Islamic Jihad.
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

1,000 Gaza Families Ready to Leave

About 1,000 Gush Katif families have signaled their readiness to leave Gaza and accept a Government-organized mass relocation package, YNET reported. The announcement comes days after a series of protests by right-wingers opposed to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. The Gush Katif families, Gaza’s largest settlement bloc, plan to submit a letter to the High Court of Justice stating that while they oppose the withdrawal, they would like the court to press the Government to move their whole community into Israel to ensure that they remain united.  “If, God forbid, the uprooting occurs, it is our interest to have the whole bloc moved together,” they wrote in the letter. “We shall not rest nor stay silent until a solution is found for everyone. We are interested in unity.” “We understand Nitzanim is the most appropriate area to copy the bloc into,” they wrote. “We are asking you to act so that as long as the solution is in Nitzanim, the community can be established there."

To Assist During Disengagement, 8,000 Reservists to Be Called Up

 The Israel Defense Forces plans to call up close to 8,000 reservists for the implementation of the disengagement plan, from mid-August until approximately mid-September, HA’ARETZ reported. But only a small number of officers and reservists will take an active part in the actual pullout. This number is significantly lower than the estimates mentioned over the past few months. By comparison, it amounts to merely one quarter of the number of reservists called up during Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank in April 2002. Fewer soldiers than expected will be needed because the period of disengagement has been shortened significantly, from eight weeks to four.

PA Would Destroy Gaza Homes After Pullout, if Israel Did Not
The Palestinian Authority plans to demolish settler houses in Gaza and replace them with high-rise apartment blocks to ease crowding if Israel leaves the homes intact after it withdraws in the summer, HA’ARETZ reported. "If Israel does not destroy settlers' homes, we will destroy them," Palestinian Housing and Public Works Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told Reuters. He said most Palestinian cabinet members favored the demolition. Shtayyeh said the main reason was to make efficient use of scarce land in Gaza, one of the most densely populated territories on earth. Israel is still debating whether to destroy the houses when it evacuates 8,500 settlers from the Gaza Strip in three months' time. The Israel Defense Forces is against demolishing the homes, warning that it could take months and would put soldiers in danger. Washington has also urged Israel not to destroy the homes.

British Association Cancels Decision to Boycott Israeli Universities
British Lecturers overturned their decision to boycott Haifa and Bar-Ilan universities in a vote today, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Britain's 40,000-member Association of University Teachers voted last month to boycott the academic institutions for what it alleged were actions that undermined Palestinian rights and academic freedom. Upon exiting the meeting, Scott Styles, an AUT member from the Aberdeen local branch, remarked: "It was a passionate but measured debate." He said that in the first AUT meeting, when it was chosen to pass the boycott motion, there had been no proper debate, which had upset many members. Luciana Berger, a spokesperson for the Union of Jewish Students, was elated at the outcome. "This is fantastic news," she said, pleased with the "good results today." Berger categorized the results as just. "The feeling here is not one of being triumphant, but that the right decision was made. I'm disappointed we even had to be here in the first place," she said.

Hezbollah: 12,000 Rockets Ready to Strike Israel
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said his Lebanese Shiite group had over 12,000 rockets and Katuyshas capable of hitting northern Israel, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Speaking in southern Lebanon on the fifth anniversary of Israel's withdrawal, Nasrallah said that Hezbolllah would fight anyone who tried to take away its weapons. He added that the organization did not want to drag the region into a war, but that any thought of disarming its members would be met with resistance. A United Nations Security Council resolution adopted in September demands that Syrian forces withdraw from Lebanon and that all militias in the country be disarmed.
 

High Alert at All Israeli Missions Worldwide Following Tashkent Embassy Incident

Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom instructed all Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide to go on a high terror alert after a man wearing mock explosives attached to his body tried to approach the Israeli embassy in the Uzbek capital Tashkent today, YNET reported. The man was killed by embassy security officers after he refused to obey requests to halt, and continued approaching the mission’s building after being fired in the legs. The man’s identity is still unconfirmed; it is unclear why he was heading to the embassy, or why he was wearing a fake explosive. Last July three people were killed in explosions - one near the Israeli embassy - in Tashkent. One of the victims was a bodyguard for an Israeli diplomat, Tzvi Cohen. At the time, two Islamic organizations took responsibility for the triple attacks.

FM Shalom: Iran May Have Nuclear Know-How in Less than Nine Months

Iran may develop the know-how to make nuclear weapons in six to nine months, Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom said today, HA’ARETZ reported. He called on the United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran. "Iran poses an existential threat, and that's why I think that the entire world understands that it's impossible to give such an extremist regime the possibility of having a nuclear bomb that can essentially threaten the integrity of the world," Shalom said today.  The day before, Shalom warned that Tehran was close to knowing how to make nuclear weapons. "Iran's announcement of their decision to renew uranium enrichment is, of course, a very dangerous announcement that must be viewed with appropriate concern," he told foreign diplomats at a reception at the President's Residence on Thursday. "Unfortunately, we see that indeed Iran will do everything to reach nuclear capability. The question is not whether Iran will have a nuclear bomb in 2009 or 2011. The question is when will they have sufficient knowledge [to build one], and we think that this possibility even exists in another six to nine months."
 

French Cabinet Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres asked his European colleagues to ban the Lebanese anti-Semitic satellite television channel Al Manar from the European Union.

In France, CRIF successfully petitioned the authorities who after a protracted legal battle outlawed the broadcast of Al Manar over Europe from a satellite belonging to a French-law company. Al Manar is operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah, an organization supporting terrorist actions against Jews and Israel. At a meeting in Brussels (Belgium) of the Culture Ministers of the European Union, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said, "(he was) glad the European Council discussed the issue for the very first time. We passed a milestone today, there is now a political mobilization of the 25 (member states of the EU) so that TV channels broadcasting racist talk (…) would not be allowed on the territory of Europe." The French Cabinet Minister added, "The Union should adopt measures to prevent such TV stations from circumventing the decisions of one European state and try to get a go ahead from another state of the Union in order to go on broadcasting their programs". Mr. Donnedieu de Vabres said the next step should be a new paragraph in the existing European regulation regarding television. He said he was convinced that the EU would "soon" outlaw Al Manar.

U.S. MAINTAINS MILITARY PRESENCE IN SAUDI

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- The United States has maintained an influential military presence in Saudi Arabia. U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid said the withdrawal of U.S. air assets from Saudi Arabia in 2003 did not end the U.S. military presence in the Arab kingdom. Abizaid said Central Command continues to play an important role in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the training of the kingdom's military and security forces. "Actually, our current military presence in Saudi Arabia could be described as more than merely symbolic," Abizaid said. "But it certainly is not as extensive as it was in the past." U.S. officials said the U.S. military maintains about 500 personnel to train the Saudi military and National Guard. In 2004, Riyad requested a $900 million training and equipment project for the Saudi National Guard. No contractors have been yet been awarded. Middle East Newsline.

MEGIDDO PRISON IS QUIET

Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra and Prison Service Commissioner Yaakov Ganot, a short while ago this evening (Tuesday), 7.6.05, visited Megiddo Prison in order to study the sensitive situation there.  During the visit they noted that there had been no faults in the functioning of the prison staff during the searches.  It has become clear that the entire event was a provocation.  MK Mohammad Barakeh also arrived at the prison to study the situation and speak with prisoners.  The prison is quiet and completely calm.  As of now, it is unclear whether the prisoners will receive food tomorrow. For further details, please contact Orit Shtelzer at 050-6278166.

Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi: Collateral Killing of Muslims is Legitimate

A speech titled "The Return of Ibn Al-'Alqami's Grandchildren" was posted on Islamist message forums by the media division of Al-Qa'ida in Iraq on May 18, 2005.(1) The main point of the speech was to justify collateral killing of Muslims as well as non-combatant non-Muslims, according to Islamic religious norms. The following are excerpts: Seeking Martyrdom is the Answer to the Discrepancy in Numbers and Arms between Mujahideen and Crusaders "... Ever since the beginning of creation, there has been a conflict between truth and falsehood, [and this will continue] until Allah inherits the earth and everyone on it... Another chapter of this conflict is taking place now in Iraq, represented by the worshippers of the Cross [Christians], and they have openly declared it to be a Crusade...  They violated women's honor and desecrated that which is holy and transgressed against the inviolable, and they are being helped in this by their Shi'ite brethren, who have always been the spearhead in every war against Islam. This is taking place while the rulers of this [Islamic] nation have committed apostasy and the 'ulama of evil [i.e., 'ulama who serve the government] have betrayed their duties... and faithful believers are not fully aware of the significance of this battle and its [true] dimensions... "[In view of] the frightening discrepancy in numbers and in arms, the Mujahideen found it necessary to find a way to overcome this discrepancy... So the brigades of martyrdom seekers rushed forth, competing with one another to reach Paradise, and they crushed the fortresses of heresy and destroyed the great armies of idolatry... "[Those of our people who collaborate with the Crusaders] turned their tongues and pens to criticize the jihad fighters, accusing them of grave crimes under the pretext that these [martyrdom] operations sometimes involve the killing of those described as civilians or innocents... Since I know that the jihad fighters...fully observe the obligations of Islamic law in these operations - and how could it be otherwise -  . I want here to clarify the position of the Shari'a regarding such incidents in which Muslims are killed incidentally... There is no doubt that Allah has ordered us to target the unbelievers, to kill them and to fight them, by any means that can achieve this goal, even if [those hurt] by these means include [not just] those infidels against whom war is being waged - who are the intended targets - but also those who are not intended as targets, such as women, children, and other such infidels whose intentional killing is not permitted. This is what the Muslim jurists conventionally define as 'collateral killing.' "The legitimacy of these [means] has been established even if [their use] results in the killing of a number of Muslims even if it is known that they are likely to be there at the time, for whatever reason. This is justified under the principle of Dharura [overriding necessity], due to the fact that it is impossible to avoid them and to distinguish between them and those infidels against whom war is being waged and who are the intended targets. Admittedly, the killing of a number of Muslims whom it is forbidden to kill is undoubtedly a grave evil; however, it is permissible to commit this evil - indeed, it is even required - in order to ward off a greater evil, namely, the evil of suspending jihad. To claim that [such means of war] are not permissible here, especially in light of the present form of fighting, means inevitably suspending jihad and stopping it - indeed, burying it alive and completely shutting the gate of jihad.

"This inevitably means surrendering the land and the believers to the hands of unbelievers who bitterly hate Islam and its people, allowing them to impose at will humiliation and inferior status on Islam and its people, and to drive the Muslims en masse, once they have turned them into obedient slaves, to the slaughter, or to heresy and apostasy, while falsifying Islam and totally transforming it...and reshaping it in a new form such that it becomes a religion that is different from that which was revealed by him who was sent with the sword [i.e., Muhammad]. This is their highest goal, that for which they strive, and they find those who collaborate with them in this among fools who claim to profess Islam and among the corrupt so-called 'ulama. Which evil then is the greater?..."

The Evil of Heresy is Greater Than the Evil of Collateral Killing of Muslims "Islamic law states that the Islamic faith is more important than life, honor, and property. Indeed, it is the most important of the five inalienable rights,(2) and their very basis, and safeguarding it takes precedence over safeguarding them. It should be noted that all of these inalienable rights can not be safeguarded except through assuring the observance of the Islamic faith... "Interpreting His words [in the Koran, 2:191] 'Temptation [Fitna] is worse than killing,' [the commentator] Mujahid says: 'For a Muslim, apostasy into idolatry is worse than death'... "Allah stated [in the Koran]  that heresy and idolatry, according to His law and His faith, are worse than killing. This is the Koranic basis for giving the safeguarding of the [Islamic] faith precedence over the other four inalienable rights, the first of which is life. To safeguard those [other] inalienable rights by forfeiting Islam... - this is the real temptation against which Allah warns... "The evil of the temptation of heresy and idolatry is greater than the evil resulting from the unintentional, collateral killing of Muslims [in the course of a Jihad] intended to destroy the Fitna of heresy and idolatry and to cleanse the universe of it.

"Sheikh Al-Islam ['the authority of Islam'] Ibn Taymiyya said: 'Complete piety means that man should be able to recognize the better of two good things and the worse of two evils, and that he should know that the basis of Islamic law is that one should [strive to] achieve beneficial things and perfect them and to stop evil things and diminish them... "He [Ibn Taymiyya] also said: 'Allah made it lawful to kill people as much as necessary for the good of humanity. As He said [in the Koran, 2:217]: "The temptation [of idolatry] [fitna] is worse than killing." [This is so] because, although killing is evil and wrong, there is more evil and wrong in the temptation of heresy'..."


Endnotes:
(1) Ibn Al-'Alqami, the Shi'ite vizier of the last 'Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, Al-Musta'sim, was accused of opening the gates of Baghdad to the Mongol armies. It should be noted that this is a common slur used by Sunni Islamists against the Iraqi government and its supporters. The speech appeared on www.alhesbah.com/v/showthread.php?t=23027, among other message forums.(2) The five inalienable rights in Islamic law are: religion, life, honor, property, and the right to procreate. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East.  Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request. MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
 

Other News in Brief

* The Israel Defense Forces central command recommended to Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz the transfer of the West Bank town of Jenin to the Palestinian Authority before the implementation of the disengagement plan in northern Samaria, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Senior IDF officers told the defense minister that Palestinian terror organizations were likely to take control of the area if Jenin was not transferred beforehand. Mofaz said that at this stage, there were no plans for the handover of Jenin to the PA since the latter was not fulfilling its obligations in the towns already in its control.

* "Orange Cell" university students agreed today to a request made by President Moshe Katsav to end their hunger strike launched in protest over the disengagement plan, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. For 12 days, about 50 students from across Israel did not eat, and only consumed water and juice. The students said that the democratic system in Israel failed in its handling of the painful issue.

* Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev qualified the newly published annual Amnesty International report on human rights violations, which accuses Israel Defense Forces soldiers of war crimes, as biased, HA’ARETZ reported. "This accusation of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank being involved in war crimes, that is something we reject," Regev said. "It would appear to be a very one-sided comment." Meanwhile, Yahad (Meretz) lawmaker Zahava Gal-On called today for an urgent Knesset debate following the publication of the document.

* Haifa District Court Judge Micha Lindenstrauss was elected by the Knesset as the next state comptroller this morning, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Lindenstrauss was the only candidate for the 7-year post after all of his potential rivals conditioned their application for the job on running for it without facing competition.
 

Excerpts: Temple Mount clash.
"Police disperse protesters outside Al Aqsa"
By Omar Karmi

QUOTES FROM TEXT: "Abbas denounced the visit of the    Israeli group to Al Aqsa as an 'unwarranted provocation' " "stone throwers, he said, were defending themselves from  ...'horde of extremists and criminal settlers' that 'attacked Al Aqsa and stormed the esplanade' "

EXCERPTS: OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israeli police yesterday fired tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian youths on the Haram Al Sharif ... .The clashes in Jerusalem ...  were sparked when a dozen Israelis started a tour of the Aqsa compound. According to Israeli police, hundreds of Palestinian youths started throwing stones and rocks at the group until police entered the compound and broke up the clashes with tear gas and stun grenades. One Palestinian was arrested and two Israelis injured. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the visit of the Israeli group to Al Aqsa as an "unwarranted provocation." He said the group should not have been allowed onto the compound..."The Israeli government and the international community must stop these unjustified and dangerous violations that risk reaping regrettable consequences," he said ...Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia was more outspoken ...The stone-throwers, he said, were defending themselves from  ..."horde of  extremist and criminal settlers" that "attacked Al Aqsa and stormed the esplanade." Israel unilaterally annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem in the aftermath  of the 1967 war and declared it the "eternal, undivided capital" of Israel. No country has recognised the annexation, illegal under international law. [IMRA: Prior presence by Jordan also lacked international acceptance.]
.  .  .

HAARETZ 7 June '05: PA's Abbas blames Israel for unrest on Temple Mount, By Jonathan Lis and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
QUOTES FROM TEXT:  " 'The Israeli government and the international community must stop these unjustified and dangerous visitations "  " part of repeated  attempts by Zionist settlers to assault and harm the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque' "  "Police do not believe the events were planned in advance by the Palestinians" "The clashes ... came as a surprise to police, who forecasted calm at the site"

EXCERPTS:...Chairman Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of bearing responsibility for violent clashes between police and Arab worshippers on the Temple Mount on Monday. Abbas said the Jews - who visited the site to mark Jerusalem Day - should not have been allowed into the mosque compound. "The Israeli government and the international community must stop these unjustified and dangerous violations. They are to prevent any friction with bad results," he said during a tour of a Palestinian high school in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Jordan ...denounced the violent confrontation at the Temple Mount, and urged the international community to help end "violations" against the sanctity of the Muslim holy shrine. Religious Affairs Minister Abdul-Salam al-Abadi said the police actions and the visit of Jewish visitors "represent a flagrant and an unacceptable defiance which are part of repeated attempts by Zionist settlers to assault and harm the blessed al Aqsa Mosque." Al-Abadi told the official Petra news agency that he had told workers at Al Aqsa to be "cautious and prevent the (Israeli) extremists from executing their threats which aim at harming Al Aqsa Mosque." Al-Abadi appealed to the international community to do its "utmost to end the series of violations against Al Aqsa." ...Israeli police rushed into the Temple Mount compound and faced down hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinians outside the Al Aqsa mosque on Monday as Jews visited the site on the anniversary of the capture of the Old City and East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. A police spokesman said forces moved onto the compound, ... after several hundred Palestinians threw stones at Jewish visitors near the shrine. He said two Jews were injured. In less than an hour, relative calm had been restored, with officials of the Waqf Islamic trust working to minimize tensions on the Palestinian side and Israeli police refraining from further action. The incident began when two groups entered the compound with police escorts. A first group of tourists visited the site unhindered. A group of Jews then approached the entrance to the Temple Mount. Palestinians hurled stones at the second group and the police who accompanied them. One of the Palestinians drew close to the second group, and was arrested by police who suspected that he intended to attack them. Having requested backup from forces nearby, police responded with several stun grenades toward the Palestinians throwing stones near the entrance gate to the compound, said police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby. The encounter became a standoff, as the Palestinians stood near the police, chanting slogans, but refraining from further clashes. Hundreds of young Palestinians congregated near the Al Aqsa Mosque, chanting  towards policemen and Jewish visitors at the site. Police do not believe the events were planned in advance by the Palestinians.  [IMRA: but as seen in this article's final paragraph, the police are not well-informed.]

In recent weeks, Islamic figures have warned of attempts by Jews to enter, in some instances even harm, the site. The warnings have become more amplified in the days leading up to Jerusalem Day, when Jewish far-rightists have asked to visit the site. The clashes on the Temple Mount came as a suprise to police, who forecasted calm at the site Monday. Police officials emphasize, however, that no rocks reached the Western Wall plaza. Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA
 

IDF chief urges patience after 3 killed in Gaza blast
By Nir Hasson, Jonathan Lis, Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, and Reuters 

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz characterized Tuesday's escalation in Gaza as part of the "internal Palestinian dialogue," telling reporters in Sderot that the army does not yet plan to undertake operations. Three hothouse workers were killed and five others were wounded Tuesday afternoon in a mortar shelling on hothouses in the Gaza Strip settlement bloc of Gush Katif. "I would suggest that as a state we not act like terrorists," Halutz told Channel 2. "Overreacting is not a modus operandi." "Nonetheless we must examine all the ramifications of acting against terror  organizations," the chief of staff said. "At a certain point, our patience will wear thin, but I would suggest that we decide when." Halutz hinted at Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' recent decision to postpone parliamentary elections, contrary to agreements he had made with rival Palestinian factions, as the motive behind the latest escalation.

"The fact that they are thinking the right things and saying the right things but not doing the rights things says it all," Halutz said. One of the workers killed in the Ganei Tal settlement was Palestinian and the other was Chinese. All wounded were Palestinian, two of them sustaining critical wounds and the other four sustaining moderate injuries. They were all evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. A third worker, a Palestinian, died of his wounds Tuesday evening in the hospital. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, Israel Radio reported. Later on Tuesday four Qassam rockets hit open areas near four different communities in the Western Negev, Israel Radio reported. An hour earlier Palestinians fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli Defense Forces soldiers near Rafah. There were no casualties in either incident. Earlier in the day, the military wing of Hamas fired a volley of Qassam rockets and mortar shells from the Gaza Strip at Israeli towns and settlements, threatening the fragile lull in violence in recent months. Meanwhile, an Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank and an unarmed Palestinian policeman were shot and killed in clashes with IDF troops near the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday morning, according to Palestinian sources. The Islamic Jihad leader was later identified as 25-year-old Morwah Kamil, who the IDF confirmed was the object of the raid. An IDF soldier was lightly hurt in the exchange of fire. The gun battle took place when IDF troops surrounded a house in the village of Qabatiyah during an operation to arrest suspected militants. IDF sources said the raid was targeted against members of Islamic Jihad. Chanting "revenge, revenge," hundreds of Palestinians marched through the center of Jenin after the body of Maraweh Ikmil, Islamic Jihad's commander in Qabatiyah, was brought to the hospital.

The IDF sources said gunmen in nearby alleys also fired at the soldiers, who shot two of them. Palestinian residents and medics said a uniformed Palestinian policeman, who was not carrying a weapon, was also shot and killed by Israeli forces during the fighting and that two Palestinians throwing stones at the troops were wounded. Also Tuesday, IDF troops shot and killed a man who climbed over the fence at the Egypt-Gaza border and entered southern Gaza. IDF officials said they believed the man was an Egyptian involved in weapons smuggling. No weapons were found on his body, the officials said. Later in the day, Palestinian militants fired an anti-tank rocket at IDF troops in the Rafah area in south Gaza, according to Israel Radio. No injuries were reported. Mofaz weighs response to rocket fireDefense Minister Shaul Mofaz convened a meeting of senior IDF officers Tuesday morning to discuss Israel's response to a Qassam rocket attack on the southern town of Sderot earlier in the day. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Three people - a mother and two daughters aged 6 and 18 - were treated for shock at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon in the wake of the rocket attack. Palestinian militants in the north Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun fired four rockets at Sderot, in the first attack on the town this week. At the end of May, Mofaz threatened that Israel would respond severely to any further rocket or mortar attacks. At least two of the home-made Qassam rockets fired Tuesday struck targets in Sderot. One hit the roof of a house, causing some damage. A search by security officials located two other rockets that had landed in an open area close to the town. Sderot has been plagued by Qassam fire during the four and a half years of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. The town recently introduced an early-warning siren which gives residents limited advance notice of rocket fire. The military wing of Hamas, Iz al-Din al-Qassam, said the rocket attack came in response to Israeli violations of the calm reached after February's Sharm el-Sheikh summit and to Monday's confrontation between police and Palestinians at the Temple Mount.

"Any harm that befalls Al-Aqsa Mosque will mean an open, fierce war in all of our land of Palestine, and by all means," the Hamas military wing said in a statement. But IDF sources said the attack appears to be related to internal political developments within the Palestinian Authority, primarily PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' postponement of parliamentary elections and his visit to Gaza, which is set for Wednesday. The sources said no Palestinians have been injured by IDF activities in Gaza in recent days and that the rocket strike does not appear to be a means of exerting pressure on Israel, but "fire whose intention is to cause injury." Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said one of the rockets had landed near his house. "I smelled gunpowder and my house shook," he said. "It appeared the last Qassam rocket fell not far from here." Moyal warned that the disengagement would not put an end to the rocket attacks. "I was woken up by the warning," said Shai Niv, a student who lives in the area. "There were two small explosions followed by a massive one, and people started to scream." Niv said residents of the area claimed the explosion was stronger than in  previous Qassam strikes.

Amidst Angry Reactions: "Majeddo" Prisoners on Hunger Strike Following
Desecration of Holy Quran
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=5271

GAZA, (IPC + WAFA) -[Official PA website] - The prisoners of  the Israeli "Majeddo" jail declared that they would go on an open hunger strike to protest the desecration of copies of the holy Quran by Israeli wardens on Tuesday, in addition to sub-human treatment they receive. In a phone call with El Asra Media Center, the prisoners of Majeddo said that a group of Israeli wardens raided their cells and tore up some copies of the Quran, before stepping on it with their boots, which created tensions among the prisoners, who were outraged at this grave religious violation. The prisoners warned that they will take several escalatory measures, and demanded international and human rights groups to intervene and prevent Israeli wardens from raiding and vandalizing their cells, calling on Arab and Muslim states to condemn this outrageous crime. In a first reaction to the Israeli desecration, Arab Knesset member Abdul Malek Dahamsheh revealed that the Israeli wardens attempted to hide the desecrated copies of the Quran in order to cover their crime, but the prisoners refused to give it to them. Dahamsheh called for an immediate investigation into this crime by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Minister of Internal Security Gideon Ezra, and put those responsible for this crime on trial. "What is happening at Israeli prisons and also at American detention camps proves the false democracy and freedom the USA and Israel claim to have. This indicates how much they hate Islam and its symbols," he added. On its part, the Prisoners' Supporters Association also denounced the desecration of the Quran by Israeli wardens, considering it was part of the continuous Israeli violations of prisoners' human rights.

The association held the Majeddo jail administration fully responsible for any developments in the prison due to this "horrendous crime", calling on religious institutions to join them in condemning this action. At the same context, the Fateh and Hamas movements today also condemned the Israeli measures against prisoners and desecration of the holy Quran,  considering in press statements that it would lead the area back to the cycle of violence and further retard the peace process. Furthermore, the Islamic Jihad movement said it was infuriated by the Israeli crime at Majeddo prison, calling for demonstrations in all Muslim countries to express their anger and condemnation, as with the reactions to the desecration of the Quran at the American detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. The movement said this outrageous religious transgression came concurrent with the attempts of Jewish extremists to storm and also desecrate the holy  Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, stressing that Israel would be held fully  responsible for any consequences that might result from such aggressions.


ISRAEL PRISON SERVICE STATEMENT

Communicated by the Israel Prison Service Spokesman. Tuesday, 07 June, 2005:  The Megiddo Prison warden and the Israel Prison Service(www.ips.gov.il/ShabasEng/Main/default.asp) Northern District Commander have, a short while ago today (Tuesday), 7.6.05, concluded aninvestigation in the wake of reports that a Quran was seemingly damaged. The prisoners presented the book that was damaged; a check shows that the pages in question do not belong at all from the Quran and are much larger than its pages.  At this time, the Megiddo Prison warden is still dealing with the security prisoners and the provocations that they are trying to create; he is making it clear to them that the IPS has no intention of
halting the searches in light of the contraband (including - inter alia - 81 cellular phones and chargers, dozens of smartcards, assorted tape recorders and batteries and 40 knives) that was seized earlier today.  Journalists are invited to go to the Megiddo Prison and photograph both the seized contraband and the Quran in question.  IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
 

PM SHARON: "THERE IS A SOLUTION FOR EVERY EVACUEE."
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Following are Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's remarks at the start of the meeting of the Ministerial Committee on the Implementation of the Disengagement Plan today "Recently, there has been an unbridled attack against the Government over the non-implementation of its preparations ahead of the evacuation.  Without a doubt this has been done by political elements, by groups that are working against the disengagement.  These discussions are held frequently and I have invited the media this morning in order to refute the disinformation being disseminated on these issues by bodies that want to prevent the disengagement. The Government is energetically preparing to provide solutions for each evacuee.  I emphasize that each evacuee has a solution and we will present them during the discussion.  I want to stress that the law on implementing the Disengagement Plan provides a full solution for every settler. I decided to make it easier on the evacuees to take additional steps that are mainly designed to enable the moving of entire communities since it is their desire to live in the communities that they have been living in up until now.  This point has been seen by them as important up until now and therefore, we recently held consultations and set a registration date for evacuees who want temporary housing.

We did so well aware of the last date for registration.  We cannot build everywhere in the country and the intention is for temporary housing without the evacuees having to commit themselves to living in these places.  We did this for those who are due to live in Nitzan and 426 families have registered there. The problem was that it takes time to do the infrastructure work before setting up the temporary structures and therefore we determined a date.  It  must be understood that the people from the Gaza Strip are being pressured by all kinds of bodies, both external and internal, and the registration has, therefore, been proceeding slowly.  We therefore determined a date so that it would be possible to do all the work.  The work at Nitzan is going ahead at full force despite various acts of sabotage. Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Herzog will brief us on the various possibilities.  An additional possibility is to rent apartments.
The plan provides for rent payments for up to two years, with a distinction being made between those who are building homes and are eligible for rental assistance for up to two years, and those who are not building and who are eligible for rental assistance for up to one year.  We are also making preparations at various other sites, but there the infrastructure work and the setting up of temporary structures depends on the settlers' statement that they are moving there.  The intention was to make it easier for the settlers.  For example, the residents of northern Samaria received the same $30,000 per family grant that is given in the Galilee, even to those who are moving to Afula or Gan-Ner.

We hear about an initiative to set up a tent city.  Of course this is a political tool, not a solution; there are other, better solutions.  If they want to live in a tent camp, we cannot prevent this.  We do not dictate to people where to live.  I see this as a political action, a struggle against the Government and the intention to stop the disengagement.  I repeat: We have various housing solutions. I have given instructions that within a few days, announcements will be published regarding the addresses of apartments and the number of rooms in them; it will be impossible to claim that there are no apartments or that people don't know where to go.  This is, of course, for those who haven't registered.  Those who registered for temporary housing will receive solutions from us. There are those who hope that the disengagement will not be carried out.  I want to say unequivocally that it will be carried out on schedule and in accordance with Government and Knesset approval.  No activity of any kind, including illegal activity, will delay the implementation of the Disengagement Plan.  Israel will leave Gaza and northern Samaria. I want to appeal to the settlers.  Approximately 50% of the settlers are in contact with us on some level.  I want to say that the compensation funds are waiting for you.  Disbursing compensation must be done in an orderly fashion; this takes some weeks.  Postponing things is not worthwhile.  It is worthwhile to register immediately.  There will be no grounds for post facto claims that they are not enough.  There are funds for this and you must apply, register and contact the Disengagement Authority.  I want to ask the settlers to show responsibility towards your children.  There is a solution for every child.  No child will remain without an educational framework.  It would be a pity not to get things done as soon as possible. I want to tell all those who are participating in incitement and related activities: The decision is not easy but it will be carried out in full and therefore, all of the various activities are only causing needless suffering to the settlers." IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il
 

JUNE16, 2005

8th Arab Conference on Terrorism Calls to Differentiate Terror from Struggle

SANA-Syrian News Agency: Secretary General of the Interior Ministers Council stressed, during the opening ceremony of 8th Arab Conference on Terrorism, the necessity of differentiating between terrorism and the oppressed peoples' legal right of struggle to liberate their occupied lands and gain their self-determination right in accordance with the related international resolutions. "Terrorism has neither religion nor homeland in spite of some terrorists' allegations of serving a special religion (Islam) while they absolutely are deforming the real image of it," Secretary General Mohammed Bin Ali Kouman said. He also called for deep and serious cooperation among all countries to combat terrorism "either in security field or in others", stressing the importance of establishing strong international ally against terrorism. 8th Arab Conference on Terrorism started activities in Arab Interior  Ministers council with the participation of representatives of many Arab countries including Syria. For his part chairman of the conference Ibrahim Hammmad called for moving toward an international agreement to fight electronic crimes under the umbrella of the United Nation. He condemned every attempt to exploit the international campaign on terrorism in order to achieve special aims that contradict with the international legitimacy and the values of peace and justice.

 

MEETING OF DIRECTORS-GENERAL FORUM ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DISENGAGEMENT PLAN

Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser, 15 June 2005. Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Director-General Ilan Cohen this evening (Wednesday), 15.6.05, convened a meeting of the Directors-General Forum on the Implementation of the Disengagement Plan (http://tinyurl.com/43l87). Senior Justice Ministry official Osnat Mendel briefed the Committee on the recent High Court of Justice decision on the legality of the Disengagement Plan and the compensation being offered in its framework.  The High Court determined that the Disengagement Plan is legal and that the compensation that has been set in its context is both fair and appropriate.  The judges even saw fit to commend the Government's preparatory work on the issue.  The two substantial changes in the High Court decision are: The awarding of compensation to persons under 21 and the addition of approximately one year when calculating the amount of compensation (instead of 6.6.04 being the determining day, the High Court set the date of the actual beginning of the implementation of the Disengagement Plan as the determining day).  Ms. Mendel said that the High Court decision does not require legislative amendments. Disengagement Authority representative Ami Hamtzani announced that eligibility committee professionals will soon contact the families that have already signed agreements to receive compensation and will see to it that the conditions of the compensation that will be given are in keeping with the aforementioned High Court of Justice decision.  Hamtzani said that, "The eligibility committee has been instructed to amend the amount of compensation that will be given to each family." Construction and Housing Ministry Director-General Shmuel Abuav reported that the list of available rental apartments in the preferred areas is growing daily.  He said that, "Hundreds of apartment owners have contacted the Construction and Housing Ministry and offered apartments for rent. Ministry personnel are out in the field checking the quality of the apartments and only afterwards do they add them to the list, which includes hundreds of alternative housing solutions." Education Ministry Southern District Director Amira Haim said that with the publication of the possible school alternatives for students studying in the Gaza Strip, many parents have contacted the Education Ministry in order to arrange places for their children at schools in the region.  She said that a meeting on the issue would be held soon between Education Ministry personnel and settlers' representatives.  Haim informed the directors-general that the team of psychologists active at educational institutions in the Gaza Strip was expanded today: "We decided to increase the professional staff that is dealing with the children even now, before the summer vacation." PMO Director-General Cohen concluded by saying that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would convene a meeting of the Ministerial Committee on the Implementation of the Disengagement Plan next week and that the directors-general would have to report on progress in the field. IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis.

Syria and Germany to Establish a Joint University in Syria

SANA-Syrian News Agency) Syrian-German al-Wadi University and Syrian-German Society for Sciences and Technology singed Wednesday a joint cooperation agreement to establish a university in central part of Syria to extend scientific and development services to Syrian cadres. "The ministry's efforts to improve ties with Syrian expatriates in Germany  constitutes a real bridge to enhance and develop bilateral relations between Syria and Germany," Expatriate Minister Buthaina Shabban said. For his part, Chairman of Syrian-German Society underlined that the upcoming  university "represents a bridge of civilization between Syria and Germany not only in scientific field but in developing human and friendly relations between the two people in both countries.".He pointed out that this project will pave the way for exchanging and developing joint experiences between Syrian and German scientific capabilities. Al-Wadi University, sponsored by Syrian expatriate families, is a private and non-profitable institution aims at rising level of Syrian students and moving expatriates' experiences and knowledge to mother land.
 

DR. AARON LERNER: "They simply cannot engage in activities that are supposed to somehow prejudge a final status outcome.

[IMRA: "They simply cannot engage in activities that are supposed to somehow prejudge a final status outcome." Of all the "balls" Israel has dropped over the course of Oslo, the meaning of the Oslo restriction on action that "prejudges" final status is certainly one of the biggest.  The Oslo restriction had absolutely nothing to do with Israeli construction (or for that matter Palestinian construction) it restricted the parties from unilaterally changing the sovereignty status of any area - Israel could not annex areas and the Palestinians could not unilaterally declare a sovereign entity.  One reason this "ball" was "dropped" is that many of the Israelis involved, because of their own ideological orientation, sought ways to
externally impose restrictions on Israeli settlement activity. For those who still somehow think that the "reward" for the retreat from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria is the settlement blocs, Secretary Rice reminds the reporters that Mr. Bush's position on this matter is only relevant in final status arrangements if the Palestinians accept it.

Finally, the religious conviction that "I simply don't believe that governments that are accountable to their people are going to countenance or look the other way while people within their countries plan for the day when Israel is no more, or send their children off to be suicide bombers, or engage in the kind of activities that we saw on September 11th" reflects a dangerous Western tendency to assume that there is some absolute universal set of human standards - a Western standard - that would be embraced by all and drive all nations if they were provided the opportunity to gain expression via the democratic process. And what if, as polls show, the overwhelming majority of Arabs would like to see Israel destroyed? Why would their views and aspirations miraculously change if they democratically elected leaders? (While polls certainly show that Israel is far from being a top concern of the Arab world, democratically elected leaders are no less apt to "wag the dog" than despots)].

JUNE 18, 2005

Secretary Condoleezza Rice En Route to Shannon, Ireland

BRIEFINGS OF THE PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

SECRETARY RICE: Welcome aboard. I just want to talk a little bit about the first stop on our trip, which is to go to the Palestinian territories and then also to meet with the members of the Israeli government. And the principal reason for this trip, you'll remember that the President said that he wanted me to come out before the disengagement and so this is an
opportunity to see how the process of coordination is going between the parties as they get ready for the disengagement and how we are supporting that process, through what Jim Wolfensohn is doing and through what General Ward is doing. And I expect this really to be principally about that issue. I had a phone call this morning before I left with some members of the Quartet so that we were all on the same page about what we're going to be doing. And I think we're also planning to meet in London afterwards. So this is a pretty intensive period of just trying to help the parties get ready for the disengagement.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

QUESTION: One of the big issues in the Gaza disengagement is balancing Israel's need for security with the Palestinian need for access. And are you planning to ask both sides to agree to a series of benchmarks or milestones so progress on issues such as the crossing points in Gaza can be, you know, measured and monitored?

SECRETARY RICE: I don't expect to ask them to put together a set of  benchmarks. But I do expect to have discussions that will help me to clarify and hopefully will help the parties to clarify how they can move forward on each of these issues. There's actually a quite long list of issues that they have to deal with. And I think they're actually working through them themselves, so I'm not here to try to negotiate settlement of the issues between them. But Jim Wolfensohn has had a couple of trilateral meetings. I think he will have further trilateral meetings to try and see if the parties can understand better each other's concerns about everything from, as you said, access issues to security issues on the day that the disengagement begins, to issues concerning the disposition of assets after the Israelis leave. But I don't expect myself to do that. I do expect to hear from the two sides how they think they're coming on that, and to help Jim and General Ward figure out how they can engage.

QUESTION: Maybe specifically, are you going to ask Abu Mazen to try to prevent Hamas from -- to keep amassing arms, which they seem to be doing in this period?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I'm certainly going to talk with President Abbas about the need to provide for the Palestinians to play a critical role in providing a secure environment in which the Gaza disengagement can take place. And obviously that means that the calm that he has discussed with the various Palestinian factions is going to have to hold. And, yes, I think we have to be concerned about the amassing of arms. Absolutely.

QUESTION: Yes, Madame Secretary, when the President spoke about your mission, part of it we understood was to convince the Palestinians that there was also an apre's Gaza, there was an after Gaza process there. Will you be discussing that with them and where are you going to start after Gaza?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, first we're going to get through Gaza successfully. Because the real point about Gaza is not to stop with Gaza. The President has been clear, we've been clear with the Israelis that it cannot be Gaza only; there has to be a day after the successful withdrawal from the Gaza. But as the President has said, without a successful withdrawal from the Gaza -- and I mean one that's peaceful, where the Palestinians are able afterwards to establish authority and to begin to govern, where there is some hope for the Palestinian people in terms of economic development, where the Palestinian institutions are left in better shape after the Gaza withdrawal and therefore begin to build the institutions of statehood that the successful conclusion of both conditions will lead to greater confidence between the parties, greater trust between the parties and, I believe, an ability to accelerate progress on the roadmap. That's why we really have to stay focused on the Gaza withdrawal. Now, the roadmap is a guide to the two-state solution. There are lots of steps and obligations that the parties will have that don't relate to just Gaza withdrawal. And I think what we'll be looking to do is to move forward on the roadmap. But I do not want to get the discussions distracted about what happens after the Gaza withdrawal because it's really -- I can't tell you how much I think this region has been bedeviled by a tendency to look so far ahead and not to concentrate on what's right before you and to build a foundation that then can move you ahead. And I think we just have to be determined not to have that happen this time.

QUESTION: Just following on the expectations on the security front from the Palestinians, Prime Minister Sharon is critical in saying that they have not arrested people, they have not taken control of the areas that Israel has already withdrawn from. General Ward has been quoted as saying that progress is being made. Can you be very specific about what expectations are and what you hear or what you are being told about whether the Palestinians are meeting them?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, we'll certainly have a better idea about that after I've had fuller discussions with a wide range of officials on both sides. But I do think progress is being made. Progress is being made in terms of the unification of the security forces. Progress is being made in terms of the Palestinians' apparent determination to streamline their security forces into a manageable number of forces that can then be trained and can act professionally. And I think they are making progress on that. In terms of their ability to fight terror and what they do on a day-to-day basis, frankly I do think more could be done, and we've talked about the need to deal with the fugitive issue in some of the cities so that the turnover of cities can continue. We've talked about the need not to allow arrests to become revolving door arrests. And those are all extremely important steps that the Palestinians need to take. General Ward will have very soon, I think, a pretty clear plan for exactly what needs to be done in terms of equipping of the Palestinians. It has not been all that easy, frankly, to do a kind of audit of what the Palestinians need, because the security services have been so scattered and particularistic. Now that it's become a more unified force, I think he thinks he's getting a better handle on that, including the question of what  kind of equipment they need.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice lays a wreath at The Holocaust Memorial, Yad Vashem.

QUESTION: Thanks, Madame Secretary. I wanted to follow on that, because apparently the Israelis have been very resistant to allowing the Palestinians to get weapons, trucks. And how can one expect that they're going to be able to maintain the peace after disengagement if you can't get an assurance that they will be able to get this equipment? Are you confident now? And can you tell us something about the meetings that General Ward has been having? Is he going to be able to convince the Israelis to allow this equipment to come in, and where will it come from? Thanks.

SECRETARY RICE: I don't think there will be any shortage of people willing to donate equipment to the Palestinians -- sorry, to provide equipment to the Palestinians. The question that General Ward first had to answer was what do they need. And it has actually not been that easy to establish that because this has really not been one security force. We really have to recognize the degree to which this was an extremely decentralized, particularistic, individualistic set of security forces that had to be brought together under an Interior Minister. And really the Defense Minister and Interior Minister have to be answered to by these people. I think General Ward is getting very close to an assessment of what is actually needed. And at that point, we will work at all levels with the Israeli government to make sure that the Palestinians have what they need in order to carry out the functions that they will have.

QUESTION: Thank you. You mentioned the day of the disengagement or the dayit begins. What are your concerns about that day and what would you like to see each side do ahead of that time to satisfy your concerns?

SECRETARY RICE: I think everybody would like to see it be peaceful and orderly. And, you know, this is going to be very difficult. What they're doing is moving thousands of people with their effects and families, and it's going to be complicated. And I know that the Israelis have done a lot of planning, I know that the Palestinians have done a lot of planning. Our goal has been to make sure that they're doing their planning together, in a way that everybody knows what their responsibilities will be at that time. But I think -- and, obviously, it should be peaceful and orderly so that when the Israelis leave, or as the Israelis leave, the Palestinians will be able to fill back behind them in a way that shows that they have the institutions and the capability to actually govern. I think at that point, you then have yet another element of confidence as you try to move forward on the roadmap. There is clearly a lot of planning being done, on the Israeli side, on the Palestinian side. What we've been concerned about is making sure that everybody knows everybody's plans, and it goes to Glenn's first question that there is also a clear picture of expectations about the key six or seven issues that are there, about assets, about freedom of movement and the like. So there needs to be clarity between the two sides about what to expect. That, I think, will lead to less confusion in what is likely to be, under the best of circumstances, a pretty complicated date, set of dates.

QUESTION: While the focus is clearly going to be on Gaza, will you engage the Israelis on the settlement issue east of Jerusalem? Because the back and forth, Sharon reiterated his intention to build those 3,500 homes?

SECRETARY RICE: I will certainly say to the Israelis what we've continued to say to the Israelis, which is that the United States has very clear policy on this. They also have very clear obligations under the roadmap. And we don't intend to give -- we don't intend that the Israelis try to create facts on the ground. They simply cannot engage in activities that are supposed to somehow prejudge a final status outcome. The President said to Prime Minister Sharon when he was there in April of last year that there are certain facts that -- certain realities that have been created since 1967 that will have to be taken account of at the time of negotiation. But it will still have to be a negotiation and any changes are going to have to be mutually agreed, and I will make those points clear again to the Israelis.

QUESTION: A broader question. Have you talked to the Israelis or engaged  their views on the larger goal here for the U.S. of spreading democracy and reform in the Arab world? After all, a lot of Israelis look back to 1979 and see that they had a good ally with the Shah of Iran who was pressured out by the United States talking about human rights, replaced with a regime that is perhaps the biggest problem for them. And a lot of Israelis have said they're best off dealing with reliable dictators.

SECRETARY RICE: I just don't think that the course of events supports that argument. While it is true that -- that Israel has made a peace of sorts with its neighbors, in many examples and in many cases I think it's been a colder peace than people would have liked to have seen. And in the case of the Palestinians, I think, you know, couldn't get there with Yasser Arafat. I think that was clearly a lack of accountability to the Palestinian people that was the root cause there. I do believe that as the Middle East democratizes and Israel is not, in effect, the only democracy in the region -- although Iraq is now on its way there -- that the Israelis will be in an environment in which governments would have to be accountable to their people. And I simply don't believe that governments that are accountable to their people are going to countenance or look the other way while people within their countries plan for the day when Israel is no more, or send their children off to be suicide bombers, or engage in the kind of activities that we saw on September 11th. And I believe that the President believes that it is a freedom deficit in the Arab world that leads to that kind of hatred. The continued absence of freedom is a threat to Israel too. And when you talk to the Israelis, I think that many of them recognize that. The strategic goal -- goals of peace and stability in the region have not  been realized in the absence of democracy and freedom. So it's time we tried  democracy and freedom and see if we can't get there through that course.
 

JUNE 19, 2005

Joint Statement With Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Prior To Their Meeting

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Prime Minister's Office
Jerusalem, Israel
June 19, 2005
www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/48296.htm

PRIME MINISTER SHARON: (official translation): Good morning. We are pleased to host U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice here in Jerusalem. Dr. Rice is a true friend of Israel's, and we take this opportunity to thank you for your friendship and for your efforts to advance the political process in the region. I also extend through you my warmest greetings to President Bush and thank him for his personal friendship and the steadfast support for Israel by the United States. The State of Israel stands at the threshold of a historic step. The fruits of the disengagement can already be seen, and I am confident that our political, security and economic status will improve even more as a result of the disengagement plan. This step is a very difficult one for Israel, very difficult, but we will carry out the disengagement exactly in accordance with the resolution of the government and the Knesset.

I wish to thank you, Madame Secretary of State, for the unyielding support of the United States for the disengagement plan. I believe that the smooth and successful implementation of the plan in coordination with the Palestinians will help energize the political process under the Road Map. All this on condition that the Palestinians stop the terror, violence, and incitement, dismantle the terror organizations, collect weapons and implement the needed reforms. The United States has an important role in advancement of processes in the Middle East and in facilitating the disengagement plan. I thank the special envoys who have invested considerable time and efforts promoting the processes in the region, particularly General William Ward who coordinates security issues, and the quartet envoy Mr. James Wolfensohn, who coordinates economic issues. I also thank Mr. Elliott Abrams and Mr. David Welch with whom we enjoy close and constructive working relations. Israel is a peace-seeking country. After so many years of terror and bloodshed, the achievement of security, peace and tranquility is not an easy task. We hope that terror will cease, in order that we - Israelis and Palestinians - with the assistance of the United States, will be able to start progressing toward the peace which we all yearn for.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much. Prime Minister, I am honored to be here in Israel to discuss our focus on Gaza disengagement as a key to enhancing Israeli security, as a key to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The Prime Minister is a c