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Wednesday, May 4, 2005, 25 Nissan, 5765
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Abbas endorses maximalist demands Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is widely seen as a moderate, but he has set out the same extreme demands as his predecessor Yasser Arafat. In a speech to businessmen, academics and officials in Ramallah, Abbas said the Palestinians "would not accept anything less" than an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. That scuttles the chances for peace because Israel has said it will never return to the '67 lines, which would include giving up the Old City of Jerusalem and major Jewish population centers in Judea and Samaria. |
| Abbas demands removal of settlement blocs Abbas said the settlement blocs must go. "We should not be discouraged when we see huge settlements like Ma'ale Adumim and Ariel and think that these settlements won't be removed," he said. "A settlement in Sinai was removed in Egypt after Camp David, and it is possible now." Abbas was referring to the settlement of Yamit that was dismantled in 1982 as part of the peace agreement with Egypt. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said that Ma'ale Adumim and Ariel will remain a part of Israel in any final peace agreement with the Palestinians. |
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| Abbas rejects crackdown on terrorists The Palestinian leader also rejected the key demand of the internationally-backed "roadmap" peace plan, which calls for terrorist groups to be dismantled. "Israelis want Palestinian blood to be spilled, and we don't accept that," Abbas said. "This is a red line. We run our security in our own way, for our people's protection. We work day and night, but there are obstacles and progress is slow." At the same time, he said, "The Palestinian Authority is acting to prevent chaos and a proliferation of guns on the streets and in public places." So far, he has had little success. |
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| Palestinian attacks increase by 54 percent in April A report by Israel's Shin Bet security service says there were 205 Palestinian attacks against Israeli targets in April, an increase of 54 percent. Most of the attacks involved rocket, mortar and light arms fire, but there were also several roadside bombs. The Israeli army chief said Abbas wants to restore law and order, but he cannot. Lieutenant-General Moshe Ya'alon said that while Hamas and Islamic Jihad have agreed to a cease-fire, dozens of terror cells want to wreck it. Israel supports Abbas because he is seen as a "moderate," but it fears he cannot deliver. |
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Israeli FM gets hot reception in Arab Mauritania There were violent anti-Israel demonstrations in the West African nation of Mauritania as Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom arrived on an official visit. Police fired teargas to disperse protesters who threw stones, burned tires and shouted "Down with Zionism!" and "Shalom is a dog!" Mauritania, an Islamic republic, became the third Arab League state to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999, following Egypt and Jordan. Shalom held talks with President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, the pro-Western leader of a country sandwiched between black and Arab Africa. "We believe that the good relationship we have with Mauritania can be an example of the sort of relationship we could have with the Arab world," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev. |
Tuesday, May 3, 2005, 24 Nissan, 5765
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Palestinian police clash with Hamas terrorists Palestinian police fought a gun battle with a Hamas rocket squad in the Gaza Strip. No one was hurt but two terrorists were arrested. The clash came after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ordered police to use an "iron fist" against militants violating the cease-fire with Israel. Police said they stopped a car carrying Hamas members on their way to a rocket attack, and the militants fired first. Abbas appears to be responding to US and Israeli pressure to restore law and order, but analysts doubt that he's strong enough to take on Hamas. In a sign of weakness, the arrested Hamas terrorists were released. |
| Government makes new offer to Gaza settlers The Israeli government is trying to make an offer that the 8,000 settlers slated for evacuation from the Gaza Strip can't refuse. It is promising the settlers that it will build four new towns for them in a coastal area of southern Israel, if they agree to move there. "We promised to guarantee legislation and fast-track planning," Cabinet Minister Tzippe Livni told Israel Radio. The aim is to lure the settlers away and avoid a violent confrontation when the Gaza pullout is implemented this summer. While prime beach property is a temptation, it's not clear if the settlers will take the bait. If they agree to move, the resistance against the Gaza pullout will be over. |
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| Israel opposes Hamas participation in Palestinian elections Israel is demanding that the Islamic terrorist group Hamas disarm before participating in Palestinian parliamentary elections in July. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made this demand in meetings with international envoys this week, including a US congressional delegation and the Turkish prime minister. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority fear a strong showing by Hamas in the elections. "If Hamas participates in the elections and remains an armed group, then we won't be able to advance with the 'roadmap' [peace plan]," said Sharon's spokesman Ra'anan Gissin. He added that the Palestinians cannot move toward democracy if Hamas and its "private army" participate in elections. |
Monday, May 2, 2005, 23 Nissan, 5765
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Sharansky resigns over Gaza pullout Former Prisoner of Zion and author Natan Sharansky has resigned from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in protest over the government's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer. Sharansky, a former dissident who spent 10 years in Soviet prisons, is a heroic figure among world Jewry, and President Bush once described him as an inspiration. "The Gaza pullout.is a tragic mistake for which we are paying a heavy price," Sharansky told Army Radio, adding that it's a reward for Palestinian terror. Sharon expressed regret over the decision, saying Sharansky has done a lot to combat anti-Semitism. "I want to express my appreciation to Natan," Sharon said. "I would be very happy if he continued in his post." |
| Soldier and terrorist killed in Samaria clash Israeli troops raided a village in Samaria near Palestinian-ruled Tulkarem in search of wanted terrorists. A gun battle ensued, in which an Islamic Jihad terrorist and an Israeli soldier were killed. Palestinian officials charged that the raid was a violation of the three-month-old cease-fire. "There cannot be a one-way cease-fire," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. But Israel said it reserves the right to hunt down terrorists planning attacks. The army said the dead terrorist was involved in the Tel Aviv suicide bombing that killed five Israelis in February. He was arrested by Palestinian security forces but recently escaped from prison. |
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| Israel welcomes warmer ties with Moslem Turkey Israel is hailing the visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan because Turkey is a predominately Moslem country. "We thought it was a sign for many other nations, that there's no reason why the Jewish state and Muslim countries can't have good, cordial, cooperative relations," government spokesman Mark Regev told Israel Radio. Following in the footsteps of other world leaders who have visited here in recent months, the Turkish Prime Minister wants to play a mediating role in the Mideast peace process. "Turkey is committed to peace and security in the region," Erdogan said, with Prime Minister Sharon at his side. Erdogan visited the Temple Mount mosques under tight security and then met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. |
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Israel makes symbolic announcement on Samaria college The Cabinet has decided to upgrade a college in the big Jewish settlement of Ariel to university status, underscoring Sharon's strategy of pulling out of Gaza while tightening Israel's grip on Jewish population centers in Judea and Samaria. "I attach very great importance to turning the Ariel college, which has 7,000 students, into a university," Sharon said. "This is in keeping with the government's aim of strengthening settlement blocs." Palestinian officials said the move is part of Sharon's policy of "creeping annexation." |
Sunday, May 1, 2005, 22 Nissan, 5765
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Turkish PM in Israel Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a two-day visit to Israel aimed at shoring up the strong military and trade relations between the two countries. A $400 million deal is in the works, in which Israel would upgrade 30 of Turkey's F-4 Phantom jet fighters. Israel welcomes Erdogan's visit because it shows that the Jewish state can enjoy warm ties with a Moslem country. Erdogan meets today with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and tomorrow he will travel to Ramallah for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. "In our meetings with the sides, we will remind them of our readiness to mediate or host conferences in our country," Erdogan said. "I hope our contacts will help carry our relations with both Palestine and Israel to new frontiers." |
| Abbas tries to restore law and order The Palestinian Authority is launching a new "law and order" campaign, sending more police onto to the streets in an attempt to curb lawlessness in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. The campaign falls short of Israeli and US demands to disarm terrorists; Palestinian officials say police will not confiscate the weapons of militants because they are abiding by the cease-fire with Israel. Many Palestinians see the campaign as an important step because they're fed up with the armed gangs that rule the streets. |
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Orthodox Easter Orthodox Christians are observing Easter today. In Jerusalem, festivities took place at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Orthodox priests in festive robes chanted the Easter liturgy as a cloud of incense rose above the ancient stone tomb where tradition says that Jesus rose from the dead. Pilgrims from around the world joined the celebration; a lull in Israeli-Palestinian fighting brought the best turnout in five years. The Orthodox Easter has been overshadowed by Palestinian protests against the Greek Orthodox patriarch, who leased prime property in East Jerusalem to Jews. Palestinians accused the patriarch of treason and demanded his resignation. |
Saturday, April 30, 2005, 21 Nissan, 5765
Shabbat - No News Posted
Friday, April 29, 2005, 20 Nissan, 5765
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Putin offers military assistance to Palestinians Russian President Vladimir Putin has become the first Kremlin leader to visit the Palestinian territories, meeting today with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. At a joint news conference, Putin offered equipment and training for Palestinian security forces. "We will give the Palestinian Authority technical help by sending equipment and training people. We will give the Palestinian Authority helicopters and also communication equipment," Putin said. "If we are waiting for President Abbas to fight terrorism, he cannot do it with the resources he has now." Israel must approve the assistance, but it is skeptical. It fears that sophisticated military equipment could fall into the hands of Palestinian terrorists. |
| Putin pays homage to Arafat Putin laid a wreath at the tomb of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during his visit to Ramallah. He bowed his head, and stood silently at attention. The homage to Arafat is a sore point in Israel, which considers him an arch terrorist and enemy of peace. Privately, Israeli officials said Putin's gesture was a contradiction of his statements in Jerusalem Thursday, when he said that Israel and Russia should work together to fight terrorism. |
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Barghouti says uprising forced Israel out of Gaza Jailed Palestinian terror chief Marwan Barghouti says Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer will not bring peace. "If the situation remains as it is, it will not bring peace and stability," Barghouti said in an interview with the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera." "The Gaza withdrawal has been secured not through the skills of the negotiators but by the arms of the uprising." Barghouti's comments support what Israeli critics of the pullout have been saying all along: that it will not accomplish anything other than sending the Palestinian terrorists a clear message that terrorism pays. |
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