Monday,
August 18
Sharp
Rise in Terror Incidents; Terrorists Shoot Israeli Teenager
The IDF is concerned by a sharp rise
in terror incidents in the Gaza Strip in the past few days, and
by indications that activists from Islamic organizations in the
West Bank have resumed planning attacks for the near future. Islamic
Jihad made three attempts over the weekend to fire Al Quds rockets
(the Jihad's equivalent of the Hamas Qassam) from the northern
Gaza Strip toward Sderot. Some of the rockets exploded on takeoff
and others fell in Palestinian territory. The number of terror
incidents in the Gaza Strip has increased to 6-7 per day from
one or two last week. They included sniper fire on IDF positions
in Gush Katif bordering on the Gaza Strip, and the firing of anti-tank
rockets on IDF positions and vehicles in the southern part of
Gush Katif and the Rafiah area.
South of Nablus, a young Israeli woman sustained light-to-moderate
injuries when Palestinians fired at the car she was traveling
in late Sunday night, near the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.
Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade claimed responsibility
for the shooting attack. (From Ha'aretz) more
Intelligence
Chief: Arafat Funding Terror
Military Intelligence chief
Aharon Ze'evi Farkash told the cabinet Sunday that Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is responsible for the recent
terror attacks against Israelis and is funding Palestinian terror
activity. Farkash also told the cabinet that Palestinian Prime
Minister Mahmoud Abbas and PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan do
not plan on confronting Arafat and are not fulfilling their obligation
to dismantle the terror infrastructure in the territories. (From
Jerusalem Post) more
Technion
to Offer $100,000 Anti-terror Grants
The Technion will award
prizes and research grants amounting to more than $100,000 to
promote of the struggle against terror. The aim is to improve
the capabilities of countries in the free world and Israel in
particular, to defend themselves against the wave of terror that
is engulfing the world. The prizes were contributed by friends
of the Technion in the US in the wake of the September 11 attack
two years ago. "In view of the swift development of the capabilities
of terrorists, an effective, innovative, swift and sophisticated
reaction is necessary," the unnamed American donors said.
Prof. Avi Marmur, head of Technion's Institute for Future Defense
Technologies, said that during these difficult times the Technion,
Israel's oldest university, and its leading institution in the
field of science and technology, feels obligated to help Israel
by proposing effective solutions for the defense of the state
and its citizens. (From Jerusalem Post) more
McCain
Backs Security Fence
US Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona)
on Sunday endorsed Israel's construction of a security fence as
necessary to help prevent acts of terrorism. He said the Bush
administration should not reduce US loan guarantees because of
the barrier. McCain said the fence could only enhance the peace
plan's chances of success. "There are many of us in the Congress
who feel the fence is an important contributor to reduction in
acts of terror. And it's pretty clear the Oslo Accords failed
because they were based on the premise that Palestinians and Israelis
could live peacefully together. The fence is an effort to see
if Israelis and Palestinians can live peacefully apart, at least
for a period of time," McCain, a former presidential candidate,
said after meeting with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. McCain
said the US and Israel could reach agreement on an acceptable
route for the fence. But he said final decisions about security-related
matters should be left to the Israeli government. Asked whether
he thinks loan guarantees should be linked to fence construction,
McCain said: "I absolutely do not." (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Iraq-Haifa
Oil Pipeline Could Reopen
The long-forgotten Haifa
pipeline that once transported oil from Iraq to British Mandatory
Palestine could be reopened to ship oil to Israel if a new government
in Baghdad is pro-Western, according to local experts. Israel
and Jordan have held unofficial talks about operating the pipeline
once the war in Iraq is finished, say sources in Paritsky's office.
"Obviously you would need to establish diplomatic relations
with Iraq," says Amit Mor, an energy consultant. "But
once that pipeline is in place, it could save $3 to $4 a barrel
in transportation costs." At present, about 90 percent of
Israel's oil is imported from the former Soviet Union via the
Black Sea. The other 10% comes from Egypt, West Africa and Mexico.
"It's for commercial reasons," adds Mor. "It's
good oil, at a good price." (From Jerusalem Post) more
Environmentalists
Plan to Rehabilitate Hiriya Dump
Environmental planners hope to turn the
Hiriya garbage dump, which consists of a 60-meter mountain of
trash, into a public park for the 1.5 million residents of the
Dan region. The first stage of the plan is to reinforce the steep
slopes of the mound which are in danger of collapsing onto the
adjacent Route 4. In addition, projects are nearing completion
to tap bio-gas, a by-product of decaying organic matter, from
the 16 million cubic meters of garbage. A network of pipes drilled
into the mound is already in place and when fully operational
will draw off enough gas to power a 10-megawatt generator. A recycling
plant at the site currently processes 100 tons of garbage a day.
The plant uses a unique "wet" process to separate metal,
plastic, glass, and organic waste for recycling. ArrowBio, a local
company, developed the process and operates the plant, and Yair
Zadik, its vice president of business development, said it can
redeem 90 percent of available energy from municipal trash. (From
Jerusalem Post) more
Tuesday,
August 19
SUICIDE
BOMBER KILLS TWENTY ON JERUSALEM BUS
A
powerful suicide bombing aboard a Jerusalem bus killed 20 people,
children among them, and wounded 136 others, rescue workers and
police said Tuesday night. Ambulance services said at least 30
people had been carried away from the scene. An Israeli spokesman
said 26 people were seriously and critically injured in the bombing
of the double-car bus in the French Hill section of Jerusalem.
A statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the bus was
carrying children on their way back from a visit to Jerusalem's
Western Wall. The bomb exploded aboard a double-length city bus
shortly after 9 p.m. in the crowded, largely ultra-Orthodox Jewish
neighborhood of Mea Shearim near the border between east and west
Jerusalem. The explosion damaged a second bus, Kleiman said. Video
of the scene showed metal and glass protruding from the bus that
exploded and children streaked in blood sitting in ambulances
and lying in the arms of adults. The bombing is the worst attack
since three major Palestinian militant groups -- Hamas, Palestinian
Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades -- announced a cease-fire
June 29. (From CNN) more
(Photo courtesy of http://www.sassontiram.com/)
Israeli
Report Finds Very Few Actual Reforms in PA
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas
(Abu Mazen) has done very little to promote reforms in the Palestinian
Authority since taking office, according to a report submitted
to the Israeli government in Jerusalem recently. According to
the report, prepared by government agencies responsible for assessing
events in the PA, the main obstacle to reform is PA Chairman Yasser
Arafat, who fears a decline in his status and influence and has
therefore fought the ouster of his loyalists from managerial positions.
Abbas, however, has shied away from a confrontation with Arafat
and has advanced reforms only in response to external pressure,
mainly from the United States. The report said that some Palestinian
ministers have tried to reform their own bailiwicks, but did not
receive political backing from Abbas. And while the Palestinian
public favors reform, it is not pressing the issue. The American
administration has recently stepped up the pressure on the PA
to carry out reforms, as required by the road map peace plan.
Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein recently supplied the cabinet
with his own scathing criticism of the lack of reforms in one
particular area: the PA's legal system. In the document, he described
the PA as "a legal jungle" in which "there has
been no functioning legal system - not only during the years of
difficult conflict that began in autumn 2000, but also during
better years." Unless the Palestinian government begins trying
to correct the situation, Rubinstein added, Israel is a liable
to find itself once again engaged in "a Sisyphean battle
over the transfer of terrorists and serious criminals, such as
rapists, and over cooperation in civil matters." (From Ha'aretz)
more
Israel
Leaders Discuss Transferring Four More Cities to PA Control
Prime Minister Sharon convened
security and defense leaders Tuesday morning to discuss the impending
withdrawal from four PA cities. Holding up the retreat from Kalkilye
and Jericho, according to most reports, is a disagreement on the
manner in which the PA will supervise heavily-wanted terrorists.
Israel has ceded its demand for their arrest or transfer to Jericho,
and is being pressured to give in still more. Arutz-7's Haggai
Huberman reports, however, that the problem actually is not the
terrorists, but rather the checkpoints around Kalkilye.
Asked why Israel is handing over more cities if the Palestinians
are not fulfilling their commitments, Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom said, "Both parties should implement their commitments.
One of ours is withdrawing to the place we stood on September
29, 2000. We are trying to do that. At the same time, we ask the
Palestinians to implement their commitments to dismantle the infrastructure
of terrorism, to confiscate illegal weapons and to put an end
to incitement of all kinds. Every city we withdraw from - it means
that the Palestinians give a commitment that no violence or terrorism
will emanate from those cities..." (From
Arutz Sheva) more
Temple
Mount to be Reopened by Friday
Nearly three years after
Jerusalem's Temple Mount was declared off limits to non-Muslims
visitors, Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi reiterated
Tuesday that the bitterly contested holy site will be reopened
to Jewish and Christian visitors by Friday. Fearing renewed Palestinian
violence, police have barred non-Muslims from entering the Temple
Mount since Ariel Sharon's controversial visit in September 2000.
The initial move toward reopening the site followed the unanimous
agreement by Israeli security officials, including the heads of
police and the Shin Bet, that Israel was setting a dangerous precedent
by keeping the site closed for so long. Security officials have
previously noted that the Wakf was feeling the economic burden
of the loss of tourist dollars -- a large source of their income
-- by the steep admission the Islamic Trust charges to gain entry
to the mosque and shrine at the compound. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
Bronze
Age Village Unearthed in Southern Israel
Archeologists have unearthed
an 8,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement and the remains of a 1st
century CE Jewish homestead, close to a town named for Biblical
giant Goliath's birthplace. The Israel Antiquities Authority said
Monday that contractors working on a new trans-Israel highway
asked the authority to carry out an exploratory dig at Ptora,
in the archeologically rich region east of the town of Kiryat
Gat, before earthmovers started ripping into the ground. Founded
in 1955, Kiryat Gat was named after the Philistine city of Gath,
said to be the birthplace of Goliath and believed to lie nearby.
Today, most archeologists believe Gath was sited some distance
to the northeast, near the coastal town of Ashdod. The authority
said remnants found at the 1.75-acre Ptora site showed that its
Bronze Age inhabitants engaged in agriculture, copper production
and the making of ceramics and occupied the settlement continuously
until about 3,000 BC. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Wednesday,
August 20
Israel
Decides to Hold Off on Military Response to Bus Bombing
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Wednesday to hold off
on a military response to Tuesday's deadly bus attack in Jerusalem,
giving the Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan some time
to begin cracking down on the militants, a security official said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Israel expected
to see some action already Wednesday. Israel is expected to intensify
its hunt for wanted militants if the Palestinian security forces
do not take action, but a major military strike, on par with last
year's offensives in response to bombings of a similar scale,
is not being considered, the defense official said. Immediately
following the attack, Israel froze all contacts with the Palestinian
Authority and canceled the planned handover of two West Bank towns
to Palestinian control, a move that had been expected later this
week. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Abbas
Cuts Ties with Hamas and Jihad, Orders Hunt for Perpetrators
The Palestinian Authority has ordered
its security forces to hunt down and capture the people responsible
for Tuesday's deadly bus attack in Jerusalem, Palestinian Information
Minister Nabil Amar said Wednesday. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad
militant organizations claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier Wednesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas decided
to cut all dialogue with Islamic Jihad and Hamas and instead use
security forces to take action against the groups in the coming
days, a Palestinian official said on condition of anonymity. Amer
said that Abbas would convene his cabinet later Wednesday to discuss
further measures against the militant groups responsible for the
attack. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Mini
Israel: Keeping Things in Perspective
Yoni
Shapira is a big guy who likes little things; 1:25 scale little
things, to be exact. The 50-year-old native Israeli is the creative
visionary behind Israel's newest and most popular tourist attraction
- Mini Israel - a 15-acre theme park boasting eight acres of exact
miniature replicas of over 300 of the country's most famous sites
and cities.
An example of the intricate detail invested in the park can be
seen in the exciting soccer game played at the pint-sized version
of Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium. The players run all over the field
as they pass the ball from one to another; the colorful crowd,
cheering in the bleachers, does the 'wave' as goalies block scoring
kicks. All that's lacking are the traffic jams outside of the
arena on game nights. The hotly contested match, played between
the capital's hometown Betar team and rival Haifa's Hapoel always
winds-up a tie, thanks to computerized system controlling the
player's random maneuvers. According to the amiable Shapira, the
displays at Mini Israel join 47 similar miniature theme parks
in over 25 countries worldwide. Over 60,000 people visited Mini-Israel
in July of 2003 alone, making it the most-visited tourism site
nationwide.From Israel 21c) more
Technion
Still in Space
Five years ago, students
in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering built and launched the
Gurwin TechSat II, a very small, lightweight satellite. According
to Prof. Moshe Guelman, director of the Asher Space Research Institute,
the satellite has outlasted predictions of a several-month lifespan,
orbiting the globe more than 28,000 times and successfully carrying
out six experiments, with results that in some cases represent
worldwide firsts. The Technion satellite is one of the smallest
in the world, 18 inches long and 106 pounds. With a solar panel
system that provides 90 percent of its energy, the satellite orbits
at an altitude of 820 kilometers. Having lost less than two miles
in altitude over its five-year lifespan, it should remain in space
for hundreds of years, as a reminder of Technion activity for
generations to come, says Prof. Guelman. The Technion is one of
ten universities in the world - including only three in the U.S.
- to build and launch satellites. (From American Technion Society)
more
Israel
Beats Russia 2-1 in Soccer Match
Israel's national soccer
team were handed a massive boost ahead of September's Euro 2004
qualifiers in Slovenia(6th) and Malta(13th) thanks to a 2-1 friendly
victory over Russia in Moscow. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Thursday, August 21
IDF
Nabs 4 Islamic Jihad Terrorists on Their Way to Bomb Haifa
The IDF arrested four members
of an Islamic Jihad terror cell from the West Bank town of Jenin
on Tuesday, thereby thwarting another terrorist attack on the
day a suicide bomber killed 20 people and wounded over 100 in
Jerusalem. According to security report released Thursday, the
terrorists were on their way to carry out a suicide bombing in
Haifa. An IDF unit arrested the bomber, 26-year-old Omar Utman;
his driver Ashraf Halil, and Muhammad Thana, who was in a leading
car and was meant to clear the way for the car carrying the suicide
bomber. The terrorists also led the interrogators to the suicide
bomber's explosives belt, which weighed 10kg. Army sappers detonated
the device in a controlled explosion. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Five
Americans Murdered in Jerusalem Blast
Tuesday's suicide bombing
of a No. 2 Jerusalem bus took the lives of five Americans. Goldie
Taubenfeld, the hassidic mother of 13, from New York, and her
five-month-old baby, Shmuel were killed along with three-year-old
Tehilla Nathanson of Monsey, New York, and Mordechai Reinitz,
47, and his nine-year-old son, Yitzhak, residents of Netanya who
had dual Israeli-American citizenship. (From Jerusalem Post) more
33
Still Hospitalized Two Days After Bus Bombing
The National Forensic Institute
had by Thursday morning identified 19
of the 20 fatalities in Tuesday's suicide bombing in central
Jerusalem. Two days after the devastating Jerusalem bus bombing,
thirty-three people remained hospitalized Thursday, including
nine people in serious condition, hospital officials said. The
wounded include seven children who sustained head and lung injuries,
and an 18-month-old girl who lost an eye in the blast. The bombing
was also the single most lethal attack in Jerusalem since the
Palestinians launched their so-called Jerusalem Uprising 35 months
ago. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Mubarak's
Advisor Meets with Shalom
Osama El-Baz, the political
advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, met with Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom in Tel Aviv on Friday to discuss the renewed
tension in the region since Tuesday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem.
Earlier Friday, El-Baz met with Palestinian Authority chairman
Yasser Arafat and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in
Ramallah. El-Baz brought Arafat a letter from Mubarak, and was
expected to press the PA to take immediate action against the
militant Palestinian groups, Israeli media reported. (From Ha'aretz)
more
Israel's
Youth Cricket Team Wins European Championships
The Israel U15 cricket team
returned home from France on Monday having won the European Cricket
Council U15 2nd Division Championships. The Israel Cricket Association
started their youth development program just over three years
ago, and now boasts a record of having won 14 out of 15 matches
played in European tournaments at the U13 and U15 level. Last
week's tournament, where Israel won all five games by big margins,
confirms her status as the fifth strongest European country in
junior cricket, and promotion to Division 1, which many would
have predicted would have taken years, if at all, is now a real
reality. Israel's main strength and advantage over the other teams
was their depth in both batting and bowling, together with their
good fielding. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Friday,
August 22
Palestinian
Groups Revoke Cease-fire, Vow Intensified Terror
Hamas officially declared
Thursday that it was ending its hudna (cease-fire) on attacks
against Israel in response to the targeted killing of top Hamas
official Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City earlier in the day. Hamas
called on Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to resign his
office and leave Palestinian territory. Islamic Jihad also released
a statement in Gaza saying that it is declaring an end to the
cease-fire on attacks against Israelis. A senior member of Al-Aksa
Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement,
said Thursday that his group has also decided to pull out of the
cease-fire. He told Ynet that due to Israel's assassination of
Ismail Abu Shanab, Israelis should expect "many suicide attacks".
He added that "the price will be very heavy." (From
Jerusalem Post) more
Palestinians
Slam Sederot with Kassams, Mortars
Palestinian terrorists have
been attacking the Israeli Negev town of Sderot and civilian settlements
in Gaza with a barrage of Kassam missiles and mortars. "Since
10 p.m. last night (Thursday) Palestinians have been launching
a steady hail of Kassam missiles and mortar shells aimed at Sderot
and Jewish communities in Gaza," the source said. "The
Negev town of Sderot has suffered extensive damage to homes with
28 mortars and at least 6 Kassam missiles. These are not small
rocks that Palestinian children are throwing. These are missiles
with explosive warheads whose only purpose is to kill innocent
Jewish civilians and destroy a cease-fire for which Israel desires,"
the source said. The IDF said that one of it's positions in Rafiah,
near the Israel-Egyptian border, came under automatic weapons
fire around noon. (From Jerusalem Post) more
Israel
Gives PA 24 Hours to Begin Fighting Terrorists
Israel decided Thursday
night on a 24-hour lull in military action against Hamas and Islamic
Jihad targets to see if its suspended military campaign and American
pressure leads to the PA confronting the terror organizations.
A senior defense source said that if during the 24-hour lull there
was no sign of the PA taking steps against Hamas and terror attacks
continued, Israel would step up its offensive against Hamas and
Islamic Jihad networks. On Thursday, an IDF helicopter strike
in Gaza killed Hamas co-founder Ismail Abu Shanab [number five
in the Hamas leadership and a close associate of Hamas leader
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin].
A senior officer at the General Staff said the Palestinians "talk
a lot, but they did not act because they made the mistake of believing
time was on their side. Our reaction made it clear to them that
we will not accept any more wasted time," said the senior
officer, who expressed doubt the PA would act now. (From Jerusalem
Post) more
Bush
Freezes Assets of 6 Hamas Leaders, 5 Other Organizations
U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday
announced a freeze on the assets of six leaders of the Palestinian
militant group Hamas and five organizations accused of financially
supporting the group. Bush said in a written statement that he
ordered the U.S. Treasury Department to act following Tuesday's
suicide bombing attack in Jerusalem, which killed 20 people. "By
claiming responsibility for the despicable act of terror on Aug.
19, Hamas has reaffirmed that it is a terrorist organization committed
to violence against Israelis and to undermining progress toward
peace between Israel and the Palestinian people," Bush said.
(From Ha'aretz) more
Many
Schools to Shorten Week to Five Days
Several
cities, towns and regional councils, as well as most kibbutz and
moshav schools, will take part in an experimental five-day school
week program in the coming school year, which opens on August
31. The move, which would shorten the school week from its current
Sunday-Friday schedule, is expected to save the Education Ministry
an estimated NIS 80-100 million a year and the local authorities
an annual NIS 200 million. Education Minister Limor Livnat presented
a plan for a five-day school week to the Knesset Education Committee
about a month ago. The strong objections of the two teachers'
unions and the national parents' committee initially threatened
to halt the plan. But when most of the kibbutz and moshav schools
joined the program a few weeks ago, the way was paved to launch
the experiment. The Education Ministry will allow a shorter school
week on condition that the total number of study hours is no less
than during a six-day school week. The municipalities and local
authorities whose schools operate five days a week will be required
to have extracurricular activities for the pupils on their day
off and study programs for pupils with low grades. (From
Ha'aretz) more
Jerusalem's
First Light Railway Line Moves Ahead
The national planning and
construction council's subcommittee approved the first line for
Jerusalem's light railway earlier this week. The committee approved
the route of the line and found that the light railway would actually
reduce noise and air pollution levels. The 13.8 kilometer-long
line approved by the subcommittee will run from Pisgat Ze'ev in
the north of the country, through Jaffa Street in the center of
the town, terminating at Mt. Herzl in the south of the city. Part
of the line will pass through the Arab area of Shuafat. Two light
railway lines have already been approved for the greater Tel Aviv
area. (From Ha'aretz) more
Israeli,
Palestinian Children Come Together for Soccer Game in Japan
Twenty-two children - 11 from Israel
and 11 from the Palestinian territories - put politics aside to
participate in a program hosted in Japan featuring soccer and
promoting peace in the Middle East at the grassroots level. The
week-long program of soccer matches, camping, concerts and stays
with Japanese families is the brainchild of Daitetsu Koike, a
Buddhist monk and president of Takasaki University of Art and
Music north of Tokyo. Koike was inspired by the universal nature
of soccer and decided to bring the children over from their homelands.
"All children play soccer, and through this they could communicate,"
he said. "It's now become hard for both Israelis and Palestinians
to think about peace at home." Against the background of
renewed violence at home, it was clear that changing things might
be difficult. But to those taking part, the troubles underscored
the importance of what they were trying to accomplish. Four mixed
teams of Israelis, Palestinians and Japanese played two games
as part of the program. "It was fun and I feel very happy
that we played together," Tzah Ben-Menechem, an 11-year-old
Israeli boy, said. Others, like 9-year-old compatriot Ryan Whbee,
had more complicated feelings. "This is the first time that
I meet them, I play with them, it's not easy," he said. "But
when we play and meet each other, we began to feel more easy."
"It is very important today, what we are having here,"
Waleed Siam, Ambassador at the Mission of Palestine in Japan,
said. "They take back to their own societies how important
(it is) that we have to shake hands and have peace." (From
Ha'aretz) more
