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August 16-20, 2004
- SECURITY
- IDF to Renew Search for Missing Soldier Guy Hever
- Qassams Found in the West Bank
- Mortar Shell Hit Gaza Town, Injures Two
- IDF Teaches U.S. Soldiers Guerilla Response
- Child Injured in Qassam Attack on Sderot
- Iran Threatens Preemptive Strike to Protect its Nuclear Program
- DIPLOMACY
- Congressman Lantos: Damascus Not Interested in Talks with Israel
- POLITICS
- New Housing Construction Only in Non-Controversial West Bank Settlements
- Likud Convention Votes Against Sharon
- Labor Halts Unity Government Negotiations with Likud - Will Work on New Elections
- High Court Decision Likely to Close Case Against Sharon
- PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
- Arafat Admits to Making Mistakes
- OLYMPIC 2004
- Iranian Judoka Refuses to Compete Against Israeli at Olympics
- Israeli Tennis Pair Reaches Olympic Quarterfinal
- Israeli Judoka Ze'evi Wins Olympic Bronze Medal
- ECONOMY & HI-TECH
- Cabinet Approves 2005 Budget
- GDP Grows 4.1 Percent in First Half of 2004
- Israeli Student Wins International Prize for Water Technology
- SOCIETY
- Cave Possibly Used by John the Baptist Found
- DNA to Reveal Source of Dead Sea Scrolls
SECURITY IDF to Renew Search for Missing Soldier Guy Hever
Monday, August 16, 2004The Israel Defense Forces will renew its efforts to locate Guy Hever who has been missing since August 17th, 1997, MA'ARIV reported. Hever was last seen exiting the IDF base where he was stationed on the Golan Heights on his way home. His fate has remained a mystery ever since. Intensive searches failed to locate a body, his weapon or any other clues.
There has been speculation that he may have inadvertently crossed the Syrian border, or was kidnapped by Palestinians terrorists in Syria. However no evidence was ever collected to support these suspicions.
In an effort to determine their son's fate, Guy Hever's parents have tried to garner international support, and met with various diplomats and deal brokers, including the head of German Intelligence, who has brokered prisoner swaps with Hezbollah. The IDF is examining all possible options, including that he may have been held in Syria all these years, and is still alive there.
Qassams Found in the West Bank
Tuesday, August 17, 2004Israel Defense Force troops found today two Qassam rockets in a building in the Casba neighborhood in Nablus, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The last time Qassam rockets were found in the West Bank was in May 2002, when security forces stopped a truck that contained a rocket at an impromptu roadblock set up on a road in the Nablus area. Meanwhile, paratroopers operating in Nablus discovered a second bomb factory in which soldiers discovered two explosive belts and a bomb. It is the second bomb factory found in the city in the last 24 hours since IDF forces intensified operations in the city to hamper the terror infrastructure.
According to Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, soldiers shot two Palestinian terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Jewish town of Atzmona in the Gaza Strip Monday night. The soldiers found a 20-kilogram bomb next to their bodies.
Mortar Shell Hit Gaza Town, Injures Two
Wednesday, August 18, 2004Two people were injured this afternoon when a mortar shell hit the Gaza Strip Jewish town of Neve Dekalim in the Gush Katif bloc, HA'ARETZ reported. One of the injured, a 30-year-old migrant worker, was moderately injured, while the second person sustained light injuries. Both were taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for treatment. Two other people, suffering from anxiety, were treated at the scene.
In a preemptive strike against Hamas commander Ahmed Jabari, IDF forces set off a mysterious explosion in an olive grove near Jabari's house early today, killing five Palestinians, among them Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. The Israeli military said the Hamas leader was targeted in an operation by the air force, but provided no details. Doctors said the apparent target, Ahmed Jabari, suffered leg wounds.
In a separate incident, a Palestinian was killed after the bomb he was preparing exploded prematurely Tuesday.
IDF Teaches U.S. Soldiers Guerilla Response
Wednesday, August 18, 2004In order to improve their skills and learn firsthand tactics adopted by the Israel Defense Forces in urban and guerilla warfare in the West Bank and Gaza, U.S. Army units are undergoing training in the special anti-terror school located in the Adam base near Modi'in, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. After completing their training, the units will return to Iraq. In November last year, U.S. generals visited Israel to study tactics adopted by the IDF in its ongoing war against terror. U.S. Army officials later adopted the IDF's policy of demolishing houses belonging to terrorists suspected of attacking U.S. troops in Iraq, set up checkpoints similar to those in the West Bank, deployed sniffer dogs to seek out explosives, and in a number of cases arrested relatives of terror suspects to glean information.
Child Injured in Qassam Attack on Sderot
Thursday, August 19, 2004A child was lightly hurt and 34 people were treated for shock today after Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets at the Negev city of Sderot, HA'ARETZ reported. Earlier in the day, a Qassam rocket hit an open area near Sderot, causing no injuries.
In the West Bank refugee camp of Ein Beit Ilma, near Nablus, Israel Defense Forces troops rounded up dozens of Palestinians early today as part of an ongoing operation against the terrorist infrastructure in the city.
Meanwhile, Police said undercover agents had managed to sneak dummy bombs into seven Jerusalem hotels in security exercises conducted over the last two weeks. The hotels include the exclusive King David and David's Citadel hotels.
Iran Threatens Preemptive Strike to Protect its Nuclear Program
Friday, August 20, 2004Iran threatened today to launch preemptive strikes to protect its nuclear facilities, HA'ARETZ reported. "We won't sit with our hands tied and wait until someone does something to us," Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said to the Arabic channel Al Jazeera when asked what Iran would do if the United States or Israel attacked its atomic facilities. Shamkhani's comments come amid media speculation of a strike against Iran's nuclear program. Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981.
Many diplomats and defense experts say military strikes on Iran's atomic facilities would delay but not destroy the development of any nuclear weapons program.
The United States believes Iran is trying to acquire such weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Washington is attempting to persuade western Allies to take a harder line against Iran, but Germany, France and Britain prefer to persuade Tehran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
DIPLOMACY Congressman Lantos: Damascus Not Interested in Talks with Israel
Friday, August 20, 2004"Damascus currently does not have a genuine interest in renewing peace talks with Israel," U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) said today while visiting Israel - a stop in his current tour of the Middle East, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Lantos said that Syrian President Bashar Assad is too preoccupied at the moment with inner-Syrian problems to attend peace talks with Israel.
During his visit to Syria earlier this week, Lantos advised Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk Shara to change the country's policies if it wanted to improve its strained relations with the United States. Washington has imposed sanctions on Damascus under the Syria Accountability Act. The Act also calls on Syria to withdraw more than 20,000 troops and security personnel from Lebanon, and accuses Damascus of hosting Palestinian terrorist groups and seeking biological and chemical weapons. The Act stresses that Syria must stop terrorists and weapons from crossing into bordering Iraq.
POLITICS New Housing Construction Only in Non-Controversial West Bank Settlements
Tuesday, August 17, 2004Minister of Housing Tzipi Livni has rebuffed charges that the housing tenders issued today for construction in the West Bank undermine the disengagement the plan, MA'ARIV reported. "We are talking about non-controversial settlements, very much within the national consensus", she explained.
Earlier today the housing ministry published tenders for the construction of 1,000 homes in the West Bank. The largest one is for the construction of 602 accommodation units in the Jerusalem suburb of Beitar Elite. The others include Ma'aleh Adumim (141), Ariel (214) and 42 in Karnei Shomron.
Labor has criticized a move. MK Ophir Pines has said a cancellation of these tenders must be a pre-condition for Labor renewing coalition talks with Likud.
Source in the Prime Minister's office said there would be no diplomatic problems on the American front, and that all the towns were "consensus settlements", on which there is broad agreement in Israeli society that they should remain under Israeli control.
The US Embassy was reserved in its comments, saying that, "Israel has accepted the road map. This document includes certain obligations, and we expect Israel to abide by and honor them."
Likud Convention Votes Against Sharon
Thursday, August 19, 2004The Likud convention voted on Wednesday night against allowing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to bring Labor into the ruling coalition, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. In Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium, 2,900 convention members voted on the two proposals. The first, submitted by Minister without portfolio Uzi Landau, opposed Labor joining the government. The second proposal was submitted by the prime minister to allow him to negotiate with all Zionist parties to join a coalition. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was defeated in both votes. The proposal by Likud opponents to negotiations with Labor, had a 231-vote majority. Sharon's proposal lost by five votes.
Sharon made it known before the ballots were cast, that he would not consider the results binding. In reaction to the results, Sharon said he would pursue his efforts to form a stable government. Officials in the Prime Minister's Office said the results would not affect the disengagement plan.
Labor Halts Unity Government Negotiations with Likud - Will Work on New Elections
Thursday, August 19, 2004Labor Party leaders decided to stop negotiations with Likud on joining the government coalition, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Instead, the party will now strive to dissolve the Knesset and set up an early parliamentary election. Labor party chairman Shimon Peres was to hold a news conference this evening to explain the party leadership's decision to work for early elections.
The decision was taken in the aftermath of Wednesday night's vote rejecting a resolution by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and approving a decision put forward by Minister Uzi Landau objecting to a coalition with Labor.
The Yahad Knesset faction met this morning and called on Labor to stop negotiations with the Likud, even if the prime minister decided to defy the convention decision and go ahead with talks. Yahad chairman Yossi Beilin said that if Sharon continued to defy the Likud institutions, he was liable to cause serious damage to the Israeli democratic party structure.
High Court Decision Likely to Close Case Against Sharon
Thursday, August 19, 2004The High Court of Justice upheld today Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision not to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the Greek island case, HA'ARETZ reported. The 6-1 ruling came in response to three petitions challenging the Mazuz decision. Two months ago, Mazuz decided against filing charges in the case, despite a prior recommendation to the contrary by former state prosecutor Edna Arbel. Arbel is now a Supreme Court justice, and has been denied ruling in the matter. The decision to reject the petitions is expected to put a final close on the case, which once threatened to put an end to the Sharon premiership.
PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS Arafat Admits to Making Mistakes
Wednesday, August 18, 2004In rare acknowledgment of error, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat admitted today that the Palestinian leadership had made "mistakes" and promised to correct wrongdoings, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The remarks were among Arafat's strongest since Palestinian areas were rocked by unprecedented internal turmoil last month with numerous calls for reforms in security forces and the removal of officials accused of corruption. Arafat made the comments in an address to Palestinian lawmakers at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
"There were wrong actions by some institutions, and some were irresponsible and misused their positions," Arafat said in a speech to Palestinian lawmakers. "There is nobody immune from mistakes, starting from me on down. Even prophets committed mistakes." Arafat said, "we need to move together to correct and reform all the mistakes" but he made no promises of specific action.
OLYMPIC 2004 Iranian Judoka Refuses to Compete Against Israeli at Olympics
Monday, August 16, 2004Iranian judoka and world champion Arash Mir-Esmaeili refused to face Israeli Ehud Vaks at the Olympic Games on Sunday, preferring to give up his hope for a medal over recognizing Israel, HA'ARETZ reported. The decision was in effect made in Tehran soon after Thursday's lottery of the first-round draw. Iranian fans' disappointment was clear, but Iranian President Mohammed Khatami rushed to praise Mir-Esmaeili, who carried his country's flag in Friday's opening ceremonies. "We recognize this hero's sacrifice. He will go down in Iranian history with honor and pride." As compensation, Tehran will award him $115,000 that had been set aside had he returned with a gold medal.
In an attempt to evade punishment to athletes who opt out for political considerations, Mir-Esmaeili weighed on Sunday morning two kilos over the 66-kg weight limit in his class. The International Olympics Committee declined to comment on the incident. Olympic judo officials are investigating the issue but have reached no conclusions so far.
Israeli Tennis Pair Reaches Olympic Quarterfinal
Wednesday, August 18, 2004Israeli men's tennis doubles pair Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich will play in the quarterfinal of the Athens Olympic Games this evening against the German pair Nicholas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler, HA'ARETZ reported. The Germans upset the No. 2 seeds Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs of Australia 7-6, 6-3. Ram and Erlich advanced to the quarterfinal defeating Russian pair Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday.
Also today, Israel's Pavel Gofman will be among the 24 gymnasts competing in the men's all-round gymnastics final. Gofman reached the 12th place in the qualifying rounds, and is hoping for a similar placing in the finals.
Israeli Judoka Ze'evi Wins Olympic Bronze Medal
Thursday, August 19, 2004Israeli Judoka Arik Ze'evi won the Olympic Bronze medal in Athens today after beating Dutch judoka Elco van Der Geest, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Ze'evi's hope of a gold medal were dashed in the quarterfinals against Korean opponent Sung ho Jang. Four years ago in Sydney, Ze'evi also reached the quarterfinals before losing. He then recorded two more wins to reach the bronze-medal match, where he was defeated.
In other Olympic news, tennis pair Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich's quest for an Olympic medal came to an end on Wednesday after losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to German pair Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler.
ECONOMY & HI-TECH Cabinet Approves 2005 Budget
Monday, August 16, 2004The Cabinet overwhelmingly approved the 2005 budget in a 17-3 vote on Sunday, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Ministers Ehud Olmert, Avraham Poraz and Yisrael Katz opposed the vote. The new budget has the right balance between economic growth and social needs, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu said today, following weeks of attacks from fellow ministers as well as social organizations, claiming the budget would worsen the situation of the country's weak sectors. Netanyahu said the budget would increase the number of work places and generate "a small government and a big economy."
In order to ensure that the fiscal limit of NIS 267 billion was not breached, an additional cross the board cut in ministry budgets was needed. The final passage of the budget is seen as a personal victory for Netanyahu, who has enjoyed the ardent support of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon throughout.
GDP Grows 4.1 Percent in First Half of 2004
Tuesday, August 17, 2004Israel's economy grew by 4.1 percent in the first half of 2004 according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, HA'ARETZ reported. However, there has been a slight slowdown in growth from the first to the second quarter of the year as growth in the first quarter was at 4.9 percent and down to 4.3 percent in the second quarter. The GDP growth in the first half of 2004 reflects an increase in the export of goods and services and higher personal consumption and fixed investment.
Fixed investment rose in the first half of 2004 by 2.9 percent, after dropping in the second half of 2003 by 8.4 percent. Private consumption went up in the first half of 2004 by 3.9 percent, following a 7.7 percent increase in the second half of 2003. Spending on durable goods also increased 6.7 percent while there was a 2.3 percent rise in purchases of clothing, food, gas, electricity, education services, health and entertainment. The business sector grew by 5.9 percent, including start-up companies, which accounted for 0.1 percent of this growth. Investments in various industrial sectors increased by 4.5 percent, after a steep decline of 9.4 percent in the second half of 2003.
Israeli Student Wins International Prize for Water Technology
Friday, August 20, 2004Ron Neuman, an 18-year-old Israeli, took second prize on Wednesday in an international competition in Stockholm on water-related technologies, HA'ARETZ reported. Neuman, who began researching his project at age 15, developed a genetically engineered bacterium that detects poisons in the water, without the need for expensive laboratory tests.
Neuman said that his research began thanks to the encouragement of Carmela Ben-Zvi, a teacher at the Ohel Shem high school in Ramat Gan, where he studied.
After three years of work, Neuman finally had results. After wining the silver medal in a contest sponsored by NASA in the United States, he entered the Stockholm contest, where students from 26 countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan, competed. The contest usually awards only one prize, which was given this year to three Japanese students. But this year, the judges decided to deviate from this practice and awarded a second-place prize to Neuman, who received it from the hands of Sweden's queen.
Neuman's development will enable someone to take a testing kit to a water source and determine whether the water is safe for human consumption simply by putting a few drops of it into the kit.
SOCIETY Cave Possibly Used by John the Baptist Found
Tuesday, August 17, 2004Archaeologists announced on Monday that they had found a cave in the Judean Hills leading to the oldest baptismal site discovered to date - a huge water cistern decorated with evocative wall carvings where they believe John the Baptist anointed many disciples, HA'ARETZ reported. During a tour of the cave at Kibbutz Tzuba, south of Jerusalem, archaeologists presented the ancient wall decorations, as well as a stone they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing. They also reported sifting about 250,000 pottery shards from the cave, the apparent remnants of small water jugs used in baptismal ritual. The oldest shards are from the mid-second century B.C.E.
"The site we've uncovered is seemingly the connecting link between Jewish and Christian baptism," said British archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who heads the private Jerusalem Archaeological Field Unit and supervised the dig. However, others said there was no actual proof that John the Baptist ever set foot in the cave, located about four kilometers from Jerusalem's Ein Kerem neighborhood, birthplace of the preacher and the site where, Christian tradition holds, he baptized Jesus. The discovery, if confirmed, would be among the most significant breakthroughs for biblical scholars in memory.
DNA to Reveal Source of Dead Sea Scrolls
Wednesday, August 18, 2004Authorities are hoping that DNA testing of animal bones discovered in excavations at the Qumran plateau will reveal the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Archeologists believe the findings will resolve the debate sparked nearly half a century ago with the discovery of the biblical manuscripts in 11 separate caves on the shores of the Dead Sea. The seven bone deposits of mules eaten and buried inside cleaning pots and storage jars by the Qumran community in the 1st century BCE will undergo DNA testing this week.
Prof. Oren Gutfield of Hebrew University, who participated in the excavations, is attempting to ascertain the relationship between the scrolls and their place of discovery. "What we will do now are DNA tests to these bones in order to compare DNA results from these animals with DNA of the Dead Sea Scrolls parchment.," he explained. "If the bone deposits, which are unique to the plateau, match with the scrolls, we will be able to resolve one of the greatest debates of the archeological world today - do the scrolls originate from within the Qumran community or were they transported to the caves from outside before the siege of the Romans in 66 CE?"
