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Weekly News
For November 1 - 7, 2003Terrorism and Prevention in Israel
Suicide bombing prevented. A suicide bomber was apprehended on Monday while on his way to carry out an attack in a major Israeli city. After being stopped by an IDF patrol near Nablus, the bomber exploded himself, injuring a soldier. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Arafat's Fatah, claimed responsibility. Security forces have received 45 warnings of possible terror attacks throughout the country. More
IDF lifts closure around West Bank cities. As a result of the terrorist attacks of the past few months, and in an effort to prevent further attacks, Israeli forces remained close to Palestinian population centers. On Wednesday, in the wake of a new situation assessment by the defense establishment, Israel lifted closures around all but two West Bank towns. Jenin and Nablus remain under closure due to the terrorist warnings still received about the two cities, which were up to 45 on Wednesday. More
Possible Prisoner Swap Between Israel and Hizbullah
On Sunday, the confidential details of the impending prisoner swap between Israel and the Hizbullah will be presented for cabinet approval. In the meantime, the families of Elhanan Tannenbaum and St.-Sgts. Benny Avraham, Adi Avitan and Omar Sawaid are campaigning for the deal's approval by meeting with cabinet ministers. Once it is approved, Israel's proposal will be passed on to the German mediator who is facilitating the swap. The swap will include the release of about 400 Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab prisoners, in exchange for Tannenbaum, who is ill, and the remains of Avraham, Avitan, and Sawaid. The issue has raised a moral debate in Israel because of the exclusion of missing IAF navigator Ron Arad from the exchange. More
Israel to Submit First UN Resolution
Israel circulated its first resolution ever to the UN General Assembly as part of a new effort to engage the United Nations and determine whether the organization is capable of taking a balanced approach to the Middle East. The Israeli resolution calls for the protection of Israeli children victimized by Palestinian terrorism; it closely resembles a draft that Egypt submitted last week regarding Palestinian children affected by the conflict. Deputy Ambassador Arye Meckel said, "The test will be if they pass the Palestinian one but not ours." Over the years, the UN General Assembly has passed hundreds of resolutions sponsored by Arab states, condemning Israel's actions against Palestinians but not mentioning Palestinian terrorism against Israelis. More
Minister of Finance Binyamin Netanyahu met on Thursday with Amir Peretz of the Histadrut labor federation. The meeting took place in the office of the National Labor Court President, who suggested a compromise on the issue of pensions. The Histadrut agreed to defer striking for at least 48 hours if negotiations would continue on the issue of pensions alone. As a result, the court rescinded its order forbidding labor unions to hold strikes for longer than four hours. At the same time, some Israeli government offices are presently engaged in their own strike. More
This year marked the eighth anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was shot and killed at a peace rally on November 4, 1995, by an extremist who opposed the peace process. State events commemorating the anniversary began Wednesday afternoon and continued Thursday. An official ceremony took place on Mount Herzl on Thursday near the Prime Minister's grave. Schools across Israel included special lessons on the importance of dialogue and understanding, ideas that Prime Minister Rabin embodied. In Boston, the Consulate of Israel held its annual memorial ceremony for the late Prime Minister at Congregation Kehillat Israel. More
Israeli Technology Powers Eco-Friendly Bus
After six years of research, a joint Israeli-American project to develop an all-electric bus for urban use will be unveiled this coming week. The project was a collaboration between the Israeli Electric Fuel Battery Corporation, General Electric, NovaBus and the US Federal Transit Administration. Dignitaries and the general public will be invited to ride the electric bus in Schenectady, New York this coming week. The bus will mark a tremendous breakthrough in reducing gas emissions and saving money. More
According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Environment, the waters of the Dead Sea are receding at a rate of 3 feet per year. This has caused the adjacent ground water supplies to dry up and the surrounding land to collapse from sinkholes. In less than 50 years, the lowest point on earth has dropped even lower - from 1,294 feet below sea level to 1,360 feet. More
