Monday,
September 8
Abbas
Resigns, Arafat Picks Ahmed Qurei as Palestinian Prime Minister
Palestinian Legislative
Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) has been tapped to replace
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as Palestinian prime minister. Considered
a Palestinian moderate and a pragmatist, Abu Ala was a key player
in the secret talks that led to the 1993 Oslo accords. Abu Ala
is also considered an Arafat "loyalist" who has no
intention of doing anything to undermine the PA Chairman's authority.
In 1998 interviews, Abu Ala said that the borders of the future
Palestinian state would be based on the 1947 UN Partition lines.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom warned there would be no progress
in the peace process if Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat continued to control things from behind the scenes. "As
long as Arafat is in the region, he won't let any other leader
develop," Shalom said. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
said yesterday that whoever was appointed Palestinian prime
minister, his first mission would be to combat terror. "That
person has to have political authority and the determination
to go after terrorism," Powell said. "We did everything
we could to support" Abu Mazen, Powell said. "The
major challenge we had, and he had, was that Hamas, a terrorist
organization, would not stop its terrorist activities. And the
Palestinian Legislative Council and Mr. Arafat and other authorities
within the Palestinian community did not give Mr. Abbas the
resources he needed in order to go after Hamas. We have to change
that or else we will not find progress ahead of us," Powell
said. (From Israel Insider) more
European
Union Declares Hamas' Political Wing a Terror Organization
European Union foreign
ministers denounced the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist
organization on Saturday following the Hamas' claim of responsibility
for a truce-shattering bomb attack in Jerusalem. The decision,
long sought by both Israel and the United States, opens the
way for Europe to freeze the group's assets and place its leaders
on a terrorist blacklist. Israel hailed the EU decision. "It
is about time that the whole of Hamas was put on the terrorist
list and we hope this step and others will eventually stop Hamas's
activities," said Haim Assaraf, spokesman for the Israeli
embassy to the EU in Brussels. The EU last year put Hamas's
military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, on its terrorist
blacklist but held back from ostracizing the political wing,
with France arguing that it had a potential role to play in
peace efforts. Paris also said it provided much-needed social
services to the Palestinian people. However, recent events have
hardened attitudes within the EU, which is the largest aid donor
to the Palestinian authorities. (From Ha'aretz) more
PM
Sharon Arrives in India for Talks on Counter-terrorism, Defense
Systems
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
arrived Monday in India, a prime defense client, for a visit
underscoring a mutual struggle with Islamic militancy. The prime
minister was greeted at the airport in New Delhi by 25 Israeli
children waving flags and singing a song about peace. Sharon's
four-day trip to New Delhi and Mumbai is the highest-level Israeli
visit to India since ties were established 11 years ago. He
is to meet Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other
top officials. The prime minister's visit, the first by an Israeli
premier, dovetails nicely with the intensive Indian interest
in terror. According to the Indian press, a joint statement
will be issued during the trip announcing closer ties in the
fight against terror, increased intelligence cooperation between
the two countries - including cooperation agreements against
hijackings - and there might be a signing of an agreement about
technology sales and Israeli training of Indian special forces
against suicide attacks. Additionally, Indian officials will
put the seal of approval on the sale of Israel's Phalcon advanced
airborne radar package. (From Ha'aretz) more
Pro-Israel,
Pro-India Lobbies Now Working Together in U.S.
Last July, the pro-Israel
and pro-India lobbies in Washington, D.C. held a joint reception
for senators from both sides of the aisle, prompting a reporter
for The Washington Post to call it a "cacophony of accents"
where "women in saris mingled among men in yarmulkes."
Tom Lantos, the Democratic Congressman from California, a Holocaust
survivor, greeted the reception, emphasizing the commitment
of Jews and Indians to respecting others, rule of law and democracy,
and adding that lately the two lobbies have grown closer, because
of a shared enemy of fanatic Islamic terror. Cooperation between
the lobbies only began in recent months but has already recorded
some successes. (From Ha'aretz) more
Documentary
on Hadassah University Hospital Trauma Unit Wins Emmy
An NBC documentary on
the trauma unit at Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karen
was last week awarded an Emmy at the News & Documentary
Awards Ceremony in New York. The documentary, entitled "Jerusalem
ER," focused on Prof. Avi Rivkind, the director of the
hospital's Surgery and Trauma Unit. (From Ha'aretz) more
Basketball:
Resurgent Israel Crushes Latvia
After a narrow loss to
Germany and a 32-point drubbing at the hands of Lithuania, Israel
had to win its game against Slovenia yesterday in order to advance
to the next stage at the European Championship. Israel proved
it was worthy of the challenge with a 91-75 defeat of Latvia
on the back of a magnificent first half performance in which
it at one stage led by 24 points. Israel will face Slovenia
tonight in the elimination round, with the winner gaining a
place in the quarterfinals. (From Ha'aretz) more
Tuesday,
September 9
AT
LEAST SEVEN KILLED, 14 WOUNDED IN SUICIDE BOMB NEAR TZRIFIN
BASE
At least seven soldiers
were killed and several others were reported wounded Tuesday,
six of them seriously, when a suicide bomber blew up just before
6 P.M. at a crowded bus stop adjacent to the Tzrifin military
base near Rishon Letzion. Security officials said there were
many soldiers at the bus stop. Police investigators have determined
that the suicide bomber was a 19-year-old Palestinian man from
Rantis, in the West Bank. The bomber, who wore civilian clothes
and carried a leather bag containing a two to three kilogram
bomb, got out of a car adjacent to the bus stop and blew himself
up. "The attack today is further indication that the Palestinian
Authority is doing absolutely nothing whatsoever to reign in
terrorists or to dismantle the terror infrastructure in their
areas," said David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's
Office. (From Ha'aretz) more
SECOND
SUICIDE BOMBING DESTROYS JERUSALEM COFFEE SHOP; AT LEAST 6 KILLED
Police report that at
least six people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide
bombing at a popular coffee shop in Jerusalem Tuesday night.
A huge explosion was reported Tuesday night at at 11:20 P.M.
at the Cafe Hillel restaurant on Emek Refaim Rd. in the German
Colony in southern Jerusalem. A suicide bomber blew himself
up at the entrance to Cafe Hillel after the guard posted at
the entrance blocked him from entering the cafe. Hamas' military
wing Izzadin Al Kassam have welcomed the Tuesday's attacks but
has not taken formal responsibility for them. Their statement
said Israelis could expect more attacks. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
IDF
Chief: Al-Qaida Tried to Recruit Saudi Pilots for Attack in
Israel
Israel Defense
Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday that the Al-Qaida
terrorist network tried to recruit Saudi Arabian Air Force pilots
to carry out a suicide attack in Israel, similar to those carried
out in the United States on September 11, 2001. Speaking at
the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Ya'alon said the information
was disclosed during interrogations of Al-Qaida operatives under
arrest in the West. Ya'alon also sent a warning to leaders of
militant terror groups abroad, stating they could also be targeted
in Israel's all-out war on terror suspects. (From Ha'aretz)
more
Mofaz:
We Won't Deal with Arafat Pawn
Speaking before the Knesset's Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz
said Tuesday that Israel "will not cooperate with anyone
taking orders directly from Arafat. We expect an independent
Palestinian government, one which will renounce terrorism, conduct
political reform and stop the encouragement of violence."
Also speaking in before the committee, a senior security official
said that Ahmed Qurei, the appointed Palestinian prime minister,
is no more than Arafat's right hand. "Qurei and Arafat
are one. The appointed prime minister has no intention of acting
without the approval of the chairman." The official added
that "In Israel, we see no indications of a PA reform."
It is estimated that Arafat will hold on to the control of the
security services, and Qurei will not receive sufficient power
too fight terrorism. The official went on to state that Mahmoud
Abbas, former Palestinian prime minister, resigned, due to death
threats received from Arafat supporters. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
Israel
Victorious Over Slovenia in Basketball Championships, Advances
to Quarterfinals
A Tal Burstein
jumper with 2.6 seconds left gave Israel a hard-fought 78-76
win over Slovenia Monday night, advancing Israel to the quarterfinals
of the European Basketball Championships in Sweden, and setting
up a dream match with Spain on Thursday for a shot at a place
in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. For the second night in a row,
Israel's players gave it their best, surprising a team considered
better on paper, with consistent team defense and solid shooting.
Israel defeated Latvia 91-75 on Sunday to reach the second round,
after losing its first two games to Germany and Lithuania. (From
Jerusalem Post) more
Wednesday,
September 10
American-born
Hospital ER Chief and His Daughter Buried On Her Wedding Day
Dr. David Appelbaum, 50,
had taken his daughter, Naava, 20, to Cafe Hillel on the eve
of her wedding, which was to have taken place Wednesday night.
Both were among the seven Israelis killed in the suicide bombing.
Both were lain to rest in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Colleagues
said Appelbaum, who moved to Israel from Cleveland, Ohio, some
20 years ago, had in the past often been among the first to
reach and treat victims of terror attacks. Appelbaum's father-in-law
Rabbi Shubert Spero, of the Young Israel of Cleveland congregation,
eulogizing the slain physician and his daughter, told mourners
Wednesday, "Can there be a greater tragedy?" Noting
how Naava had done National Service by aiding child cancer patients,
Spero said, "The Jewish people has lost a devoted daughter,
the nation of Israel has lost one of its proud, loyal and courageous
sons. The world of Torah has lost a true Talmud Chochem (a brilliant
student of Jewish sources), and the world of medicine has lost
one of its most competent, one of its most creative practitioners."
(From Ha'aretz) more
IDF
Kills Dispatcher of Bomber Who Murdered 22 on No. 2 Jerusalem
Bus
The senior Hamas commander
in Hebron, Ahmed Bader, who dispatched the suicide bomber who
blew up a No. 2 Jerusalem bus three weeks ago murdering 22 people,
was identified as one of two terrorists killed in the city by
security forces on Tuesday following intensive gun battles throughout
the day. Near the bodies, security forces found a Kalashnikov
assault rifle, a handgun, a grenade launcher, ammunition clips,
and night vision equipment. Officers said the Hamas infrastructure
in the city was responsible for the deaths of scores of Israelis.
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon said that the
cell was planning to perpetrate an attack in the coming days.
(From Jerusalem Post) more
Thursday,
September 11
Arafat
Obstacle to Peace, Security Cabinet Considers His Removal
The security cabinet decided
Thursday that Arafat is "a absolute obstacle to the process
of reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians, and Israel
will act to remove this obstacle in a manner, at a time and
in ways to be decided separately." The decision came during
a meeting of the 11-minister strong security cabinet, convened
by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss Israel's response
to two suicide bombings in a Jerusalem cafe and outside an IDF
base near Rishon Letzion on Tuesday, in which 15 people were
killed. During the debate at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv,
Sharon called Arafat a "murderer," and Education Minister
Limor Livnat said that there was no moral difference the American
desire to capture ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaida
chief Osama bin Laden and Israel's attempt to strike at Hamas
leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. She added that there was "no
moral difference between them and Arafat."(From Ha'aretz)
more
Bush
Urges Aggressive Crackdown on Palestinian Militants
President Bush yesterday
called for an aggressive crackdown on Palestinian militant groups,
saying the dismantlement of those groups is "probably the
most important condition for peace to prevail." Bush placed
the onus on the newly appointed Palestinian prime minister to
wrest control of the Palestinian security services from Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat. "His job is to consolidate power
within his administration, to get the security forces under
control -- all security forces -- and then to unleash those
security forces against killers," Bush told reporters.
(From Washington Post) more
Disabled
Israelis, Palestinians bike NY to DC for 9/11
A group of 22 Israeli
and Palestinian disabled athletes from Tel Aviv, Haifa and East
and West Jerusalem arrived in New York on Monday to participate
in World TEAM Sports' Face of America, an annual, 435 km bike
ride from Ground Zero to the Pentagon that is dedicated to the
3,016 people who perished in the attacks. "This is a chance
to show everybody we can live together," said Yoel Sharon,
a 54-year old Israeli who is paralyzed from the waist down.
Injured as a 24-year old student in the Yom Kippur War, Sharon,
an award-winning filmmaker, went on to found Etgarim, the Israel
Outdoor Sports and Recreation Association for the Disabled,
which provides programming for both Jews and Arabs. "We
are here to identify with the terror victims here in the States,"
said Sharon, who is racing aboard a hand cycle. "It's a
kind of protest, to say we are here on the map and nobody stopped
us, not even your bomb," he said. (From Jerusalem Post)
more
To
the American People:
The people of Israel wish to express their most heartfelt
sympathy for the American people as they mark the tragic
events of September 11, 2001. Together, we mourn the loss
of the more than 3,000 innocent victims and valiant heroes.
The
ties of shared values and genuine friendship between our
two peoples are stronger than ever. We support you not
only in the global fight against terrorism, but also in
the battle for freedom and democracy. The world will only
know peace and security when the tyranny of terrorism
is finally defeated.
America,
Israel is with you. We share in your grief and will keep
the memory of the fallen and their families in our hearts
and prayers forever.
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Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, who visited Israel on many occasions, are shown here at Ben Gurion Airport in the company of El Al officials.
