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August 30 - September 3
- BE'ER SHEVA SUICIDE ATTACKS
- At Least 16 Dead in Twin Suicide Attacks on Be'er Sheva Buses
- Be'er Sheva Buries Victims of Double Suicide Bombing
- Following Be'er Sheva Attacks, IDF Warns Syria, PA, Hezbollah
- Security Fence Construction Stepped Up
- PA Recently Released Be'er Sheva Bomber
- SECURITY
- Latest Iranian Missile may have Upgraded Warhead
- IDF Discovers Another Terror Tunnel
- International Effort to Thwart Terror Funding is Effective
- DIPLOMACY
- Syrian Occupation of Lebanon Being Challenged in Security Council
- UN: Syria Must Leave Lebanon; Hezbollah Must Disband
- DISENGAGEMENT PLAN
- Sharon Outlines Disengagement Timetable
- PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
- Hunger Strike Ends in Failure
- HOME
- Percentage of Jews in Capital Lowest since 1967
- ECONOMY
- EL AL Continues to Grow
- OLYMPIC 2004
- Israeli Olympic Delegation Returns Home
BE'ER SHEVA SUICIDE ATTACKS At Least 16 Dead in Twin Suicide Attacks on Be'er Sheva Buses
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
At least 16 people were killed and 91 others were wounded this afternoon in near-simultaneous suicide attacks on two buses in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, HA'ARETZ reported. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attacks, the first suicide bombings inside Israel in five months.
The initial investigation showed that both buses departed from the central bus station in the city, and two suicide bombers - one on each bus - blew themselves up at 2:50 P.M. as one bus was on Rager Boulevard, near Soroka Medical Center, and the other was on a street close to the municipal building.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hold an emergency meeting with top Defense Ministry officials in Tel Aviv at 7:30 p.m. to formulate Israel's response. Sharon said in response to the attack that "the war against terror will continue without letup. This is both the government's and my personal policy." Sharon will continue with the plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements by next year, his aides said.
Israel is still to build the southern route of Israel's security fence that has saved scores of lives in the areas near where it was completed. Only a few kilometers of grasslands and rocks separate the Hebron Area hills from cities like Be'er Sheva and Arad.
Palestinian terrorists have not carried out a suicide bombing inside Israel since March 14, when 11 people were killed in the port city of Ashdod.
Earlier today, Israel Defense Forces soldiers caught a Palestinian man carrying an explosives belt as he tried to cross into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Be'er Sheva Buries Victims of Double Suicide Bombing
Wednesday, September 1, 2004The southern city of Be'er Sheva is burying the victims of Tuesday's double suicide bombings on buses in the city's center in which a total of sixteen people were killed, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Three-year-old Aviel Atash was laid to rest at 3:00 p.m. at the new Be' er Sheva Cemetery. Aviel's mother, seriously wounded in the attack, only heard today that her son had been killed. Other victims who were buried today are: Tatiana Kortashenko, 49; Denise Hadad, 52; Roza Lehman, 45; Emanuel Yossef, 28; Karin Malka, 23; Shoshana Amos, 50.
Seven other victims were identified are Tamara Bodershvili, 70; Takala Tiluayint, 33; Mari a Sokolov, 58; Larissa Gormanenko, 48; Vitali Brotski, 52; Eliahu Uzan, 58; and Roman Sokolovski. The identification of two more casualties is expected by late this afternoon.
One-hundred-and-one casualties arrived at Soroka Medical Center Tuesday. Eighteen of the wounded remain hospitalized as of this morning. Most of them are suffering from shrapnel wounds and burns. Three are in serious condition; seven in moderate-to-serious conditions; and the rest are lightly injured. Twelve people died at the scene and four others died later while being treated. Sixteen children were wounded.
Police Southern District head David Cohen said both buses exited the Be'er Sheva Central Bus Station at the same time and arrived together at the Yitzhak Riger Boulevard, a central road in the city. The two explosions occurred at the same moment, as the buses were some 100 meters apart.
Following Be'er Sheva Attacks, IDF Warns Syria, PA, Hezbollah
Wednesday, September 1, 2004A day after 16 people were killed in a double suicide bombing in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon warned that Israel would "take care of those who support terror," singling out the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Hezbollah, HA'ARETZ reported. Ya'alon said that, "I don't want to get into the question of what we will do, but everyone who is responsible for terrorism against us will not sleep soundly." A senior military official said Tuesday that the Syrians continued to sponsor terror organizations operating out of Damascus, providing both logistical and financial backing.
Meanwhile, in response to the double bombing, IDF troops surrounded Hebron this morning, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The West Bank city was the home of the two Hamas suicide bombers, Ahmed Kawasma and Nisim Jabri, who blew themselves up on Be'er Sheva buses. The IDF arrested 12 Palestinians in the city overnight. Shortly after the bombings, IDF troops in the West Bank raided the bombers' homes.
Security forces were also to bolster security along the seam line between the southern Hebron Hills and the Negev - the area which the suicide bombers apparently passed on their way to carrying out the attack.
Israel has also imposed a full closure on the Gaza Strip, in the wake of Tuesday's attempt by a Palestinian to enter the Erez Crossing with an explosives device concealed in his trousers.
Security Fence Construction Stepped Up
Wednesday, September 1, 2004The security establishment is planning to step up construction of the security fence, following Tuesday's twin suicide bomb attack on Be'er Sheva city buses, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The Seam-Line Authority will begin construction of the security fence from Gush Etzion to Lehavim, north of Be'er Sheva. Construction is to be completed within nine months. "The defense minister decided several months ago that the construction of the southern sector would receive the same priority as the northern one," Authority head Netzah Mashiah said. "We have already begun to block off the region, but full operational activities will only begin in June 2005."
Police Operations chief Berty Ohayun said Wednesday morning that a fence along the southern Hebron Hills region could have prevented Tuesday's attack.
PA Recently Released Be'er Sheva Bomber
Friday, September 3, 2004Ahmed Kawasmeh, one of the two suicide bombers who carried out Tuesday's attacks in Be'er Sheva, had recently been released from a Palestinian Authority prison, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Sources in Hebron said Kawasmeh, 22, was arrested several months ago by the PA security forces in the city on charges of membership in Hamas and planning attacks against Israel. Kawasmeh was held for several weeks before he was released. A PA security source said he was not surprised when he learned that Qawassmeh was one of the suicide bombers. "He was well-known as an enthusiastic member of Hamas and he apparently talked to friends about his desire to kill Jews," he said.
SECURITY Latest Iranian Missile may have Upgraded Warhead
Monday, August 30, 2004The warhead of the Iranian Shihab-3 missile has been considerably upgraded, according to photographs published in Iranian newspapers of test launches three weeks ago, HA'ARETZ reported. It is believed that the improvements will permit slower entry into the atmosphere so the warhead, which may be chemical in nature, will be more durable and its contents will be better protected. It is also believed that the missile's range has been extended.
The operational and technological conclusions from the changes in the missile indicate that the Iranians are not resting on their laurels in developing their surface-to-surface missiles, and have shown a daring approach to their technological planning. It is very likely that the Iranians are being assisted by foreign experts from the former Soviet Union, hired by Iran under personal contracts, or by experts from North Korea.The Iranians gave the experimental launch extensive media coverage, stressing that the test was a response to an Israeli experimental launch of the Arrow missile, which intercepted a Scud missile in the U.S. at the end of July. It subsequently turned out that the reported success of the Shihab's launch was intended to camouflage a failure in the missile's flight early in the launch.
IDF Discovers Another Terror Tunnel
Thursday, September 2, 2004Israel Defense Force soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian terrorist during an exchange of gunfire in the Dir al-Balah section of Gaza today, HA'ARETZ reported. During the operation the IDF also discovered a tunnel north of the Gaza Strip settlement of Kfar Darom, which Palestinians were apparently planning to use to carry out a terror attack in the area. The tunnel, which was more than 10 meters deep, could have been used to hide weapons as well as terrorists planning to infiltrate the settlement to carry out attacks. Troops found the tunnel beneath a house in Dir al-Balah, some 500 meters from Kfar Darom.
International Effort to Thwart Terror Funding is Effective
Thursday, September 2, 2004Israeli security sources believe that, despite yesterday's terrorist bus bombing in Beersheva and the Kassem rockets being fired at Israel, the Palestinian terrorist organizations are finding it more difficult than in the past to raise money for their activity, GLOBES reported. "Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the terrorist organizations are having more trouble raising money" a security source said. He added that financial pressure was being exerted in several spheres: the US, Israel, Europe, and even in the Palestinian Authority (PA) itself. It is believed that Hamas and Islamic Jihad need tens of millions of dollars a year. Their activity is not solely military; they also maintain a widespread civilian network, including mosques, schools, sports associations, women's organizations, etc. The terrorist organizations use this infrastructure to present themselves as an alternative to the PA, to disseminate propaganda and hatred against Israel, and for recruiting potential suicide terrorists. Since the terrorist attacks in the US, the restrictions on raising money by Muslim terrorist organizations in the US have been made stricter. Under US pressure, the restrictions have been extended to Europe and Saudi Arabia. The US exerts constant pressure on Saudi Arabia to trace the exact address of donations. Compared with Hamas, the financial requirements of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with Yasser Arafat's Fatah, are much smaller, since it does not have an extensive social network. The al-Aqsa Brigades receives money directly from both the PA and Iranian and Syrian backed Hizbullah, which has assumed a dominant role in financing terrorist in the territories, mostly in cooperation with the al-Aqsa Brigades.
DIPLOMACY Syrian Occupation of Lebanon Being Challenged in Security Council
Thursday, September 2, 2004The United States, together with France, has begun to circulate a draft resolution in the UN Security Council calling for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, MAARIV INTERNATIONAL reported. Washington decided to press for a resolution after Syria engineered a move to change Lebanon's constitution to extend Lebanese President Emil Lahoud's term. The resolution calls on the council "to consider additional measures," which are not specified, if the Syrians and Lebanese don't comply. US Deputy Ambassador Anne Patterson said the United States wants the Security Council to vote on the draft resolution as soon as possible. But the draft is almost certain to face opposition from Algeria, the only Arab nation on the council, and probably from Russia and China, which traditionally oppose council interference in a country's internal affairs. In Washington, the Bush administration sharply criticized Syria for meddling in Lebanon's politics, and a senior US diplomat was likely to go to Damascus for high-level talks.
UN: Syria Must Leave Lebanon; Hezbollah Must Disband
Friday, September 3, 2004The UN Security Council narrowly adopted a resolution on Thursday night telling Syria to withdraw from Lebanon, calling for the disbanding of Hezbollah and warning against outside interference in Beirut's upcoming presidential election, HA'ARETZ reported. The council voted 9-0 with six abstentions, the minimum vote possible, to approve the U.S-drafted resolution.
Syria is the only country with foreign forces in Lebanon. This is the first Security Council resolution clearly directed against an Arab state. This is also the first time the Security Council has addressed Hezbollah. While Hezbollah is not mentioned by name, the resolution calls for the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. Diplomats and analysts said this was a direct allusion to Hezbollah.
The resolution, which also calls for "free and fair presidential elections," aims to head off a move in Lebanon's parliament to amend the constitution and extend the term of Syrian-backed Lebanese President Emile Lahoud for three years after his current six-year term expires in November.
DISENGAGEMENT PLAN Sharon Outlines Disengagement Timetable
Tuesday, August 31, 2004Prime Minister Ariel Sharon outlined today a new expedited timetable for compensating settlers who leave the Gaza Strip voluntarily, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The new timetable will start on September 14th when the security cabinet is slated to vote on a compensation bill and discuss the principles of the disengagement plan. On September 26th, a draft bill will be sent to cabinet ministers outlining the execution of disengagement. On October 24th, the cabinet will vote on the bill. On November 3rd, the bill will be sent to the Knesset for its first reading, one day after the U.S. presidential election.
Sharon hopes that some settlements will voluntarily evacuate by the end of the year. Meanwhile the IDF will prepare a plan for the withdrawal, which it will present to the government by the end of the year.
Sharon added that once all the plans are set and passed, he would bring a final vote to the government on withdrawing the first four settlements in the plan.
PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS Hunger Strike Ends in Failure
Thursday, September 2, 2004Thousands of Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons ended their hunger strike today, HA'ARETZ reported. The Prisons Service said the prisoners had begun eating, under medical supervision. About 4,000 prisoners launched the strike on August 15, but failed to draw any international attention. Israel continued to supply the prisoners with food and medical treatment throughout their strike, but never negotiated with the prisoners. Issa Karake, head of the Palestinian prisoners' association, said roughly 3,500 prisoners had halted the strike on Thursday, and that the remaining holdouts were expected to resume eating by the end of the day.
HOME Percentage of Jews in Capital Lowest since 1967
Friday, September 3, 2004The percentage of Jewish residents of Jerusalem is at its lowest since the reunification of the capital in the 1967 Six Day War, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. At the end of 2003, 67 percent of Jerusalem's 693,000 residents were Jewish, while 33 percent were Arab, according to the 'Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem' published by the 'Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.' Since 1967, when 74 percent of the city's population was Jewish, the Arab population of the city has grown by 225 percent, compared to 135 percent growth for the Jewish population. In all, some 13,200 Jewish residents left Jerusalem last year, while 8,200 Jews - including 3,000 new immigrants - made it their home. With young Jewish couples leaving the city, and young Arabs - determined to remain on the Israeli side of the security fence - continuing to move in, the Jewish population of Jerusalem is increasingly getting older, while the Arab population is both younger, and more fertile, the editor of the annual yearbook, Dr. Maya Choshen, said. "The big question is whether the borders of Jerusalem will change," Choshen said, alluding to possible modifications to the city's delimitations in the event of a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
ECONOMY EL AL Continues to Grow
Monday, August 30, 2004
Israel's national carrier EL AL is continuing its economic growth according to a report issued today which shows that the company posted a $7 million profit in the second quarter of 2004, MA'ARIV INTERNATIONAL reported. This marks the fourth straight quarter in which the carrier is reporting a profit. The company recorded a 24% rise in revenues totaling $324 million in relation to $261 million in the parallel quarter last year. The operational profit is continuing its surge by reaching $9.7 million in comparison with a $20 million loss in Q2 of 2003. According to EL AL, the rise is explained mainly by the increase in the number of passengers and in the growth of its market share.
OLYMPIC 2004 Israeli Olympic Delegation Returns Home
Tuesday, August 31, 2004The Israeli Olympic delegation returned to Israel Monday night from Athens as hundreds of people greeted the athletes at Ben Gurion International Airport, including Minister of Education, Culture and Sports Limor Livnat, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Israel's first gold medal winner, windsurfer Gal Friedman, thanked all Israelis for their support. He also said that his victory meant that all young Israeli athletes should know that nothing was impossible to achieve. Israel won two medals at the Olympics: a gold medal in the Mistral class windsurfing competition, and a bronze medal in judo won by Arik Zeevi. Israel Olympic Committee chairman Zvi Bar-Shavia said he was now looking forward to more success in the 2008 Games in Beijing, and called on the government to invest more resources in sports.
