News and Media - Israeli Consulate, SF - Week in Review

Note that no Israel Line was published on April 12 & 13, 2004 due to the Passover Holiday.

DIPLOMACY

Bush Endorses Sharon's Disengagement Plan - Opposes Palestinian "Right of Return"

Sharon Provides Disengagement Plan Details to Cabinet Ministers

Israel: All Unauthorized Outposts Will Be Removed

Mideast Quartet to Discuss Road Map Future at April 28 Meeting

SECURITY

Palestinian Woman with 25-kg Bomb Arrested near Ariel

SPORTS

Basketball: Hapoel Jerusalem Wins Historic ULEB Cup

SOCIETY

Vanunu to Face Numerous Restrictions upon Release

Attorney General Orders Freeze of Settlement Funds

ECONOMIC

Israel Vows to Become OECD Member

DIPLOMACY

Bush Endorses Sharon's Disengagement Plan - Opposes Palestinian "Right of Return"
Thursday, April 15, 2004

U.S. President George W. Bush fully endorsed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan on Wednesday, calling it "brave and courageous," HA'ARETZ reported. In a letter to Sharon, Bush said that "new realities on the ground" would have to be taken into consideration during final status negotiations, and that Israel would not have to fully withdraw to the Green Line. Bush added that Palestinian refugees would return to the Palestinian state, not Israel.
In his letter to Sharon, Bush said the United States was committed to the road map and would do "its utmost" to prevent any other political plan from being imposed on Israel. The letter backs Israel's right to self-defense and combat terror from territories it evacuates.
Sharon said his plan would create "a new and better reality for the state of Israel" and emphasized it would improve the country's security and economy.
Sharon's letter to Bush promises to limit construction in the West Bank. Talks will begin shortly between Israel and the United States over what will constitute the "built-up areas" of the settlements, beyond which construction will be forbidden. In a separate letter to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Dov Weisglass, on behalf of Sharon, will itemize all the outstanding Israeli commitments, including the evacuation of unauthorized outposts and releasing confiscated Palestinian Authority money.
Talks will also begin soon on financial aid programs for Gaza, the Negev and Galilee. Israel is seeking loan guarantees for $5 billion for those purposes. National Security Adviser Giora Eiland met today with World Bank officials to discuss Gaza development.
Meanwhile, the European Union issued a statement today saying that it would support changes in Israel's borders only if they were done as part of an agreement with the Palestinian, and not as a unilateral step.

Sharon Provides Disengagement Plan Details to Cabinet Ministers
Friday, April 16, 2004

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office presented cabinet ministers with the complete and official version of the disengagement plan on Thursday night, MAARIV reported. This is the first time ministers are able to view all the clauses of the plan. The complete version is at the same time being sent to all 200,000 Likud members who will have vote in favor or against it.
The main points of the plan deal with redeployment in the Gaza Strip as well as the evacuation of four settlements in the West Bank. According to the plan, "Israel will withdraw totally from the Gaza Strip, including all the existing settlements". The withdrawal, however, will not include the "Philadelphi" route, which will remain in the hands of the Israel Defense Forces. There will be no permanent military presence in the areas to be evacuated.
Israel will also evacuate four settlements in the northern West Bank's Shomron area - Ganim, Kadim, Chumar and Sagur. The IDF will also evacuate some military installations in the region. According to the document, the pullout will allow for Palestinian territorial continuity in the northern Shomron region.
Israel also agrees that Palestinian security forces receive advice and assistance from American, British, Egyptian and Jordanian officials and other experts in fighting terror and maintaining civic order.
A new poll conducted among Likud-registered members ahead of the party's referendum on Sharon's plan, shows that 49 percent will vote in favor of the disengagement, 39 percent will oppose it, while 12 percent are still undecided.

Israel: All Unauthorized Outposts Will Be Removed
Friday, April 16, 2004

Israel's commitment to dismantle all unauthorized outposts and freeze construction in Judea and Samaria will be stated in a letter addressed by prime minister's bureau chief Dov Weisglass to National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice, MAARIV reported. In the document, Israel also promises to closely monitor the Judea and Samaria roadblocks to allow the Palestinian population as much freedom of movement as possible. In addition, construction in Judea and Samaria will only take place in the large Jewish towns of Ariel, Ma'ale Edumim, Gush Etzion and in communities near Jerusalem, which are most likely to remain under Israeli sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Sharon met with Secretary of State Colin Powell today in Washington and told him Iran was still determined to achieve nuclear capability. Powell agreed and said its armament had to be prevented. The two also discussed ways to raise funds from the international community for the purpose of implementing the disengagement plan.

Mideast Quartet to Discuss Road Map Future at April 28 Meeting
Friday, April 16, 2004

A top-level meeting of the international Quartet sponsoring the Middle East road map to peace is due to take place in Berlin on April 28, HA'ARETZ reported. In response to the U.S. backing of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan issued on Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the road map - which envisages negotiations with the Palestinians - remained the basic framework for reaching a final settlement.
Russia, which with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, is a partner in the Quartet, earlier backed Palestinian Authority calls for an urgent meeting of the peace sponsors to iron out apparent differences of opinion with Washington.
American officials said Israel's commitment to dismantle Gaza Strip and most West Bank settlements could lead to a breakthrough in long-frozen negotiations on the "road map" peace plan, which envisioned the formation of a sovereign Palestinian state by next year.

SECURITY

Palestinian Woman with 25-kg Bomb Arrested near Ariel
Friday, April 16, 2004

A 28-year old Palestinian mother of seven was arrested Thursday evening carrying a 25-kilogram explosive device outside the West Bank town of Ariel, HA'ARETZ reported. Fatan Darameh aroused suspicion after she was noticed trying to hitch a ride near the Ariel Junction at around 7 P.M. A preliminary investigation revealed that Dararmeh was not meant to serve as a suicide bomber but rather to transfer the explosive device to another person.
The woman was operating on behalf of an Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades cell in the West Bank city of Nablus, headed by wanted militant Nader abu-Leil. Abu-Leil's terrorist cell has attempted to execute several attacks in Israel, which have all been averted.
"This incident was part and parcel of an incessant and stepped up Palestinian campaign of terror geared to decimate the lives of Israeli citizens in the hearts of their own communities," David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's Office, stated. "Israeli security forces continue to make extensive efforts at preventing terror attacks, including the 10 attacks they successfully prevented during this past week's Passover holiday."
In other security-related news, the Islamic Jihad claimed to have manufactured in Gaza a new missile with a maximum range of 4 kilometers.

SPORTS

Basketball: Hapoel Jerusalem Wins Historic ULEB Cup
Wednesday, April 14, 2004

The Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team entered Israeli sporting history Tuesday night when it scored an 83-72 victory over Real Madrid to take the ULEB Cup, HA'ARETZ reported. Delighted fans of the team granted a hero's welcome to the squad on their return home this morning. Hapoel Jerusalem, who became the second Israeli team after Maccabi Tel Aviv to win a European trophy, earned the right to participate in the lucrative Euroleague next season. Throngs embraced and kissed the players on their arrival at Ben-Gurion airport, and larger celebrations were expected later during the day in the capital. After the win, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Channel One television from the United States to congratulate the team, which he said represented the capital of the Jewish people.
"This is the happiest day of my career," Kelly McCarty, the game's MVP, said after the game. "We have achieved the unbelievable."
"The victory is for Jerusalem and for the whole of Israel," Hapoel chairman Danny Klein said. "We have worked for this moment for 10 years. The triumph makes up for all the difficult times we have suffered."

SOCIETY

Vanunu to Face Numerous Restrictions upon Release
Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Israel's security services officials will visit Mordechai Vanunu at his cell in Ashkelon's Shekma Prison this week to brief the former nuclear plant technician about restrictions he will face after his release from jail next Wednesday, HA'ARETZ reported. Under the regulations, Vanunu will be allowed to choose his town of residence, but will be forbidden to leave city limits unless he reports his intentions to the local police force. Vanunu will not be allowed to be in contact with foreigners - whether in face-to-face meetings or by telephone, fax, or email - including foreign citizens residing in Israel. Vanunu also will not be allowed to approach foreign embassies and divulge details to anyone regarding the Dimona plant where he worked or the circumstances of his being kidnapped and transported to Israel. Vanunu will be informed that he will not have passport privileges, and therefore, will be unable to leave the country. Security officials will tell Vanunu that these restrictions will be in effect for six months. During that time, his behavior will be reviewed: If he does not try to circumvent the prohibitions, the restrictions might be lifted.

Attorney General Orders Freeze of Settlement Funds
Thursday, April 15, 2004

Attorney General Menahem Mazuz ordered today the Ministry of Housing and Construction to temporarily freeze the transfer of funds to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza because some of the money is being used to build unauthorized outposts, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Mazuz wrote that he took this action in the wake of findings included in the annual State Comptroller's report which is due to be released next month.
"It is inconceivable that the law enforcement system will sit idly by and do nothing in the face of illegal and unilateral actions," said Talia Sasson, the former head of the Justice Ministry's Special Assignments Department, which deals with law enforcement in the West Bank and Gaza.
Mazuz instructed Minister of Housing and Construction Effi Eitam to immediately halt the transfer of funds to the local authorities in the administered territories until the government establishes a mechanism for preventing settlement leaders from using the money illegally.
In other news, the Israel Defense Forces evacuated two unauthorized West Bank outposts early today.

ECONOMIC

Israel Vows to Become OECD Member
Thursday, April 15, 2004

Israel has launched a diplomatic campaign to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, MA'ARIV reported. Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom and Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu sent a joint letter to the foreign and finance ministers of the 30 OECD members. The letter says that Israel's involvement in the OECD's various committees is increasing, and that Israel fills the economic and institutional criteria required to join the organization.
Recently Israel asked to take part in the OECD's committees for insurance and commerce. Every year Israel's delegates take part in various meetings of the OECD on key issues. Shalom and Netanyahu write that in fact, Israel is carrying out far reaching economic reforms based on the OECD's recommendations in taxes, labor, competition, capital markets, pension funds, energy, infrastructures, communications and transport. The ministers say they believe the OECD members will also benefit from Israel's membership in the fields of science, technology and high-tech industries.