Binnenkort aanval op Iran verwacht volgens De Telegraaf

 

Dankzij de Telegraaf staan we weer eens even in de belangstelling internationaal. Respectabele kranten zoals Haaretz hebben het verhaal overgenomen. Of het klopt is zeer de vraag, want waarom zou men zoiets aan een krant doorspelen? Wie heeft daar belang bij? Thomas Erdbrink geeft een paar verschillende opties.

RP

---------------

AIVD haalt spion terug wegens plan VS
Aanval op Iran verwacht

Joost de Haas en Bart Mos
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/1796098/__Aanval_op_Iran_verwacht__.html?p=2,1


De als uiterst succesvol omschreven operatie is onlangs stopgezet in verband met plannen voor een ophanden zijnde Amerikaanse luchtaanval op Iran. Daarbij zouden ook doelen worden gebombardeerd die in verband staan met de Nederlandse spionageactie. Dat verklaren goed ingevoerde bronnen tegenover De Telegraaf.

Atoombom

Teheran werkt vermoedelijk aan een atoombom en weigert gehoor te geven aan de eisen van het Westen om te stoppen met het verrijken van uranium.

Een van de betrokken agenten, die onder supervisie van de AIVD wist te infiltreren in de Iraanse industrie, is recent teruggeroepen omdat in de VS de beslissing zou zijn genomen binnen enkele weken met onbemande vliegtuigen Iran aan te vallen. Tot de potentiële doelwitten behoren naar verluidt niet alleen nucleaire fabrieken, maar ook militaire installaties die mede door toedoen van de AIVD in kaart zijn gebracht. Informatie uit de AIVD-operatie is de afgelopen jaren gedeeld met de Amerikaanse inlichtingendienst CIA, aldus bronnen.

Ook konden diverse leveranties worden gesaboteerd en tegengehouden. Het ging om onderdelen voor raketten en lanceerinstallaties. Iran is sinds 2006 drie keer getroffen door VN-sancties wegens het omstreden nucleaire programma. Westerse inlichtingendiensten vrezen dat het land van de ayatollahs in 2010 over kernwapens kan beschikken. De Iraanse president Ahmadinejad dreigt regelmatig Israël van de kaart te vegen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report: Holland believes Iran to be attacked soon
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3590336,00.html

 

Dutch newspaper reports intelligence service recently suspended successful operation in Islamic republic following estimate that US army will decide to launch airstrike against Iranian targets in coming weeks

Ynet
Published:  09.01.08, 09:06

 

 

Holland's military intelligence service (AIVD) recently suspended an intelligence operation aimed at infiltrating and sabotaging the Iranian weapon manufacturing industry following estimates that the United States plans to attack the Islamic republic in the coming weeks, according to a report by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, quoted by media worldwide Monday.
 
The report stated that the operation, deemed successful, was recently halted due to preparations for an American airstrike in Iran. The Dutch believe that the bombed targets will include the locations of their espionage operation.

Knowledgeable sources told the Dutch newspaper that a senior agent was recently removed from the country "due to the belief that the US is about to make a decision within weeks on a strike in Iran using unmanned aircraft."

According to the report, the information obtained by Holland due to its operation in Iran was shared with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

 The Bush administration has not ruled out the possibility of attacking Iran should Tehran continue to ignore the international community's demand to suspend its uranium enrichment.

A top Iranian general warned Saturday that any attack on his country would lead to a world war, according to the Mehr news agency.

"The unbridled greediness of the American and Zionist leadership is pushing the world to the edge of the cliff," Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said in relation to the crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Georgia, "should such a (conflict) erupt, the phony and artificial regimes will be annihilated."

Earlier last week, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that Israel would not dare launch an attack on Iran for fear of the Islamic Republic's missile array and the support of its Islamic allies in the region.

"In the event of an attack against Iran, the Israelis know that with the capabilities that the Islamic world and the Shiite world have in the region, they will suffer deadly strikes," the Mehr news agency quoted Jafari as saying, in an apparent reference to Hizbullah.

CIA documenten onthullen dat Arafat VS diplomaten in Soedan liet vermoorden

Uit prijsgegeven documenten van de CIA blijkt dat de VS met de PLO onderhandelden in 1973, ook nadat Arafat opdracht had gegeven tot het vermoorden van de Amerikaanse ambassadeur in Soedan, een feit waarvan de VS op de hoogte was.

RP
----------


Last update - 07:27 01/09/2008

CIA papers show Arafat ordered murder of U.S. diplomats in Sudan

 

By Amir Oren, Haaretz Correspondent

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016861.html

 

 

Henry Kissinger instructed the CIA to continue diplomatic contacts with Yassir Arafat's PLO representatives before the 1973 Yom Kippur War, even after Arafat ordered the kidnapping and murder of the American ambassador and his deputy in Khartoum, Sudan.

The diplomatic contacts, described only as related to security issues - which had been revealed previously but not their contents - were exposed in the papers of former CIA chief Richard Helms that were made available to the public last week.

The documents mainly relate to the period Helms was the U.S. ambassador in Iran, 1973-1976, after he completed six years as the head of the CIA.


The newly-released material contains, among other things, information on the Egyptian effort in the spring of 1973 to plead with the U.S., through Iranian channels, to reach a peace arrangement with Israel "on the basis of the Rogers plan," a withdrawal from the occupied territories captured in 1967 and placing them under international supervision.

The Shah of Iran recommended to then-Egyptian foreign minister Muhammad Hassan al-Zayyat that Egypt make do with an artillery barrage against Israeli positions on the Suez Canal instead of an attack crossing the canal.

In a telegram Helms sent Kissinger - then Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor - on July 5, 1973, Helms reported that King Hussein of Jordan told him that Jordanian intelligence had learned of a Syrian attack to recapture the Golan Heights originally planned for June, that had been delayed but could take place at any time soon. One of the Jordanian intelligence sources was the commander of a Syrian armored brigade, and the Jordanians had obtained a copy of the battle plans, which had been coordinated with Egypt and Iraq.

The most sensational revelation in the documents was the contents of the diplomatic negotiations held between Robert Ames of the CIA and the head of the Fatah's security apparatus, Ali Hassan Salameh, who was also the commander of the Fatah's Black September organization. Salameh was killed in Beirut in 1979 in an operation conducted by the Mossad and naval commandos.

Ames, who headed the CIA's Middle Eastern department, was killed in an Iranian-ordered attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983.

Since the contacts between the CIA and the Fatah were revealed, their purpose has been described as obtaining intelligence information to warn of terrorist attacks against Americans; but the Helms' documents reveal that Arafat sent Salameh to the talks without hiding his responsibility for killing American diplomats in Khartoum in March 1973. Ames also agreed to Salameh's requests and asked Washington about various diplomatic issues, such as the Nixon administration's intentions relating to Palestinian interests.

Salameh told Ames that the PLO was working to topple King Hussein and establish a Palestinian state in Jordan. The response from Washington was: If the Palestinians want to negotiate a settlement, the U.S. would be happy to hear their proposals, but the toppling of existing governments through the use of force did not seem to be the most promising way.

Arafat, for his part, was unmoved: He threatened, via Ames, that he would burn Beirut if the Lebanese government acted against the PLO.

Samir Kuntar had ontmoeting met Abbas in Beiroet

Een vreemde geschiedenis. Zou Kuntar inderdaad spontaan langs zijn gekomen bij Abbas toen hij vorige week in Libanon was? Zou hij tot doel hebben gehad Abbas zo in een lastig parket te brengen, wetende dat Israel not amused zou reageren? Maar Abbas had dat bezoek toch kunnen weigeren, en simpelweg kunnen wijzen op zijn al overvolle agenda? Bovendien feliciteerde Abbas Kuntars familie na zijn vrijlating door Israel  en in door de Palestijnse Autoriteit gecontroleerde media werd hij als held bejubeld.

 

RP

---------

Samir Kuntar: I met with Abbas in Beirut at his request

 

By The Associated Press

2 September 2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1017488.html

 

Notorious Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar on Tuesday said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas requested a recent meeting between the two that has angered Israel.

Kuntar said in a statement that the meeting last week in Beirut was in response to a direct request by Abbas. An aide to Abbas denied that, saying it was Kuntar requested the meet. The aide was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.

Kuntar was convicted of killing three people in a particularly brutal attack in Israel in 1979. Israel traded him and other prisoners in July as part of a swap with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, receiving in return the bodies of two kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

At a summit on Sunday, Olmert rebuked Abbas for the meeting. He told Abbas: "You are not a man of terror, and I didn't expect you to meet with such a despicable killer as him."

Abbas answered that the meeting was unplanned and that Kuntar had in fact invited himself. The prime minister replied that it was still possible for the Palestinian leader not to have met with Kuntar.

Palestijnse opiniepeiling: 29% achter Hamas en 43% achter Fatah

 

Interessant is dat Fatah zoveel populairder is dan Hamas, en dat als redenen o.a. worden opgevoerd:

... the fact that the Rafah crossing remained closed since the ceasefire and that the other crossings were only partially opened might have weakened Hamas's appeal. On the other hand, findings show an improvement in the perception of security and safety in the West Bank which might have been responsible in part for the improvement in Abbas's standing. Moreover, Israel's release of about 200 Palestinian prisoners at the end of August might have also played in Abbas's favor.

Volgens deze Palestijnse onderzoeksgroep werkt het (gedeeltelijk) gesloten houden van de grenzen dus niet Hamas in de kaart, zoals zovelen hier altijd graag beweren. Ook denkt men dat de vrijlating van 200 gevangenen door Israel heeft bijgedragen aan de populariteit van Fatah.

Het valt echter te vrezen dat de vrijlating van 1000 of meer gevangenen in ruil voor Shalit Hamas' populariteit een boost zal geven.


RP
-----

PSR Poll # 29 press release ( 28-30 August 2008)


1 September 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No (29)

 

While the gap between Mahmud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh widens in favor of the former, and while the overwhelming majority opposes Hamas's military action in Shijaiah in the Gaza Strip, almost two-thirds believe that Abbas's term in office expires in January 2009 rather than January 2010

 

28-30 August 2008

These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 28 and 30 August 2008. This period witnessed a relative consolidation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip and the release by Israel of about 200 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to President Mahmud Abbas. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%. This press release cover domestic Palestinian issues; issues related to the peace process and Israeli-Palestinian relations will be covered in a separate joint Palestinian-Israeli press release. For further details, contact PSR director, Dr. Khalil Shikaki, or Walid Ladadweh at tel 02-296 4933 or email pcpsr@pcpsr.org.

 

Main Findings:
Findings of the third quarter of 2008 indicate continued slow decline in Hamas's popularity while Fateh's popularity remains stable as it was during the second quarter. Similarly, findings show a slightly wider gap between the popularity of President Abbas compared to that of Ismail Haniyeh in favor of the former. Positive evaluation of the conditions of Palestinians in the West Bank remains higher than that of conditions in the Gaza Strip.

 

This applies to overall conditions as well as those of democracy and human rights. Findings show also significant opposition to Hamas's military entry into Shijaiah in the Gaza Strip in early August. They also show widespread belief that the term of President Abbas ends in the first month of January 2009, as Hamas claims, and not in the first month of 2010, as the presidency claims.

It was expected that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel would lead to improvement in Hamas's standing among the public. But the fact that Hamas continues to lose public support might be due to strong opposition to its behavior in dealing with Shijaiah incident which led to several deaths and the escape of several members of the Hillis family to Israel. Moreover, the fact that the Rafah crossing remained closed since the ceasefire and that the other crossings were only partially opened might have weakened Hamas's appeal. On the other hand, findings show an improvement in the perception of security and safety in the West Bank which might have been responsible in part for the improvement in Abbas's standing. Moreover, Israel's release of about 200 Palestinian prisoners at the end of August might have also played in Abbas's favor.

 

The Gap between the standing of PA President Mahmud Abbas and Hamas's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has increased to 14 percentage points in favor of Abbas. If new presidential elections are held today, and the only two candidates were Abbas and Haniyeh, the former would receive the support of 53% and the latter 39%. This finding represents a slight increase in the popularity of Abbas which stood at 52% last June compared to 40% for Haniyeh. Haniyeh's popularity reached its peak last March, in the aftermath of the breaching of the Rafah border, when it stood at 47% compared to 46% for Abbas. If the competition was between Marwan Barghouti and Haniyeh, the former would receive 61% to Haniyeh's 34%. Level of non-participation in the presidential elections would reach 37% if the competition was between Abbas and Haniyeh and 27% if the competition was between Barghouti and Haniyeh.

Moreover, the gap between Fateh and Hamas increases from 12 percentage points last June to 14 percentage points in this poll. If new parliamentary elections are to take place today, Hamas would receive 29% (compared to 31% last June) and Fateh would receive 43% (same as in June). Percentage of those who would vote for other factions and parties stands today at 11% and the undecided at 16%.

Satisfaction with the performance of Abbas increases slightly from 46% last June to 48% in this poll. Level of dissatisfaction reaches 47% today.

Positive evaluation of the performance of the government of Salam Fayyad remains as it was last June standing at 34% and the negative evaluation at 34%. Similarly, positive evaluation of Haniyeh's government stands today at 34% and negative evaluation at 39%. Last June, positive evaluation of Haniyeh's government stood at 37% and negative evaluation at 35%. Today, 33% say Fayyad's government is the legitimate one while 27% say Haniyeh's government is the legitimate one. Last June, belief in the legitimacy of the Fayyad government reached 31% compared to 29% for Haniyeh's. Last March, Haniyeh's government was perceived as legitimate by 34%.

Perception of personal and family security and safety increases in the West Bank from 40% last June to 43% in this poll. But the percentage of personal and family security and safety in the Gaza Strip is higher than in the West Bank as it reaches 54% (compared to 49% in Gaza last June).

By contrast, positive evaluation of the overall conditions of Palestinians in the West Bank is higher than in the Gaza Strip, with only 8% describing conditions on the Gaza Strip as good or very good and 27% describing the same conditions in the West Bank and good or very good.  Last June, positive evaluation of conditions in the Gaza Strip stood at 5% compared to 25% in the West Bank.

Similarly, 34% give a positive evaluation of the status of democracy in the West Bank while only 24% describe the same conditions in the Gaza Strip as good or very good.

An overwhelming majority (69%) opposes Hamas's armed entry into the Shijaiah neighborhood in the Gaza Strip (an event that led to several deaths and the escape of several members of Hillis family to Israel) while only 20% support it. Support for Hamas's action increases in the Gaza Strip, reaching 35% compared to 12% in the West Bank. The wide gap in support between the two areas might reflect a greater Hamas media influence in Gaza Strip compared to the West Bank. Indeed, our findings show that 21% in the Gaza Strip watch Hamas's satellite TV station, al Aqsa, compared to only 6% in the West Bank.

23% believe that Fateh is responsible for the Gaza explosion that led to the death of five Hamas members last June while 43% believe it was not responsible; 33% say they do not know.

A majority of 63% believes that Abbas term as president ends in January 2009, as Hamas claims (i.e., four years after he was elected), while only 23% believe that his term extends to five years ending in January 2010, as the presidency claims.



This PSR survey was conducted with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Ramallah

 End of  press release

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

Hamas roept Arabische landen op Jeruzalem te bevrijden

 

'Vredespartner' Hamas roept de Arabische staten op om een nieuwe oorlog tegen Israël te beginnen.

 

___________________

Hamas calls Arab countries to send armies to Jerusalem

 

1 September 2008

Website of  Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades - the armed branch of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
 www. alqassam.ps/english/?action=showdetail&fid=1194

 

Hamas movement called the Arab countries to send troops to liberate Jerusalem, In a press conference in Gaza, Hamas spokesperson, Ismail Radwan, said that the Arab countries should send its armies to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque rather than to send troops to Gaza.

Radwan's comment came as a response to a question on the Hamas attitude on an Egyptian suggestion to send Arab troops to Gaza.

In an interview with the Cairo based "October" magazine, the FM of Egypt, Ahmed Abu Al-Ghait suggested deploying Arab troops in the Gaza Strip to halt any internal Palestinian fighting and to prevent any Israeli aggression.

In the same press conference, Hamas described on Sunday that the Abbas-Olmert meeting in Jerusalem as "failed efforts and absurd meeting".

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that Hamas is "satisfied for the (PA-Israeli) failing of the negotiations."

The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, met today in Jerusalem and talked on several issues including the final status issues.

Hamas denounced the PA arrests against its members in the West Bank, asserting that such arrests restrict the efforts of launching a comprehensive national dialogue.

PA arrested several Hamas members in the West Bank under a security justification the same in Gaza in which Hamas is still detains tens of Fateh members.

Radwan criticized the PA "political arrests", while Hamas arrests several political officials including Gaza Governor Mohammed Al-Qidwa and Khanyounis Governor Osama Al-Farra.

Hamas spokesperson criticized the running strike in the civil servant sector, including Education and Health.

Fateh loyalist employees launch a general strike in response to what they say "Hamas practices and humiliation against them."

PA moet terrorisme slachtoffers compenseren met $116 miljoen

 

Dit zou kunnen leiden tot veel meer schadeclaims, en dat zou een serieus probleem voor de Palestijnse Autoriteit kunnen worden.....

 

De vraag is in hoeverre de PA voor bepaalde aanslagen verantwoordelijk is. Onder Arafat heeft de PA de terroristen actief gesteund met geld en wapens, en nog steeds worden zij als 'vrijheidsstrijders' en 'martelaren' geëerd.

 

Opmerkelijk is dat de PA volgens onderstaand bericht zelf haar aansprakelijkheid niet ontkent, maar zich alleen verweert door te wijzen op de financiële gevolgen voor haar functioneren.

 

RP/WB

----------------------------

Israeli court: PA to compensate terror victims by millions

 

JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Sep. 1, 2008
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220186502275&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Jerusalem District Court Judge Aharon Farkash ruled on Monday that it was possible to implement a 2004 US court ruling, according to which the Palestinian Authority must pay compensations of more than $116 million to terror victims' families.

In July 2004, a US court ruled that the Palestinian Authority was to pay some $116 million to the relatives of Yaron and Efrat Unger who were killed in a 1996 terror attack. But when the family asked authorities to enforce the court ruling in Israel, the Palestinian Authority objected, saying that paying the high compensations would lead to its financial collapse.

The Jerusalem District Court rejected the appeal made by the Palestinian Authority not to enforce the American ruling because the implementation would destroy it financially. The Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said that payment of such high sums would have public, political, financial and security implications for Israeli citizens.

They claimed paying the high sum would empty the Palestinian Authority's coffers and would lead to more lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority.

The petition, filed in the US because the victims were American citizens, argued the Palestinian Authority was responsible for the attack carried out by Hamas because the terrorists were controlled by the Palestinian Authority and were assisted by the Palestinian security apparatuses.

Judge Farkash said that legally, the US court ruling qualified as a verdict that was enforceable in Israel. He added that the Palestinian claim that the ruling would lead to its financial collapse was not proven, and seemed unrealistic.

 

 

Conferentie over de smokkeltunnels in Gaza

 

Enkele feiten met betrekking tot de tunnels in Gaza:

Hamas verdient ca $20 miljoen per maand door de tunnels, waarvan er nu circa 200 in gebruik zijn. Er werken 4.000 mensen, en er worden geregeld kinderen ingezet bij het graven van nieuwe tunnels. Het is gevaarlijk werk, want de tunnels storten geregeld in. Vandaar dat er vorige week in Rafah een conferentie over de tunnels werd georganiseerd.

 

RP

-------------

 

Hamas lays pipeline to supply Gaza Strip with fuel from Egypt

 

By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent

Last update - 02:52 31/08/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016585.html

 

Arab sources report that Hamas recently laid a pipeline for supplying the blockaded Gaza Strip with fuel from Egypt.

In a move that indicates that Hamas is trying to place the smuggling operation between Egyptian and Palestinian Rafah on an official footing, the pipeline was laid in one of several tunnels dug specifically for this purpose.

At a conference last week in Rafah to discuss the tunnels phenomenon, Hamas government officials made it clear that they mean to prevent any new tunnels from operating, and to increase oversight of some 200 tunnels already in use. Hamas wants to thwart use of the tunnels for drug smuggling, and the exploitation of child labor in digging the tunnels.

The conference was organized by a Gazan human rights group under the banner: "The tunnels - advantages and disadvantages." Speakers, including Rafah Mayor Issa al-Nashar and Hamas' civil defense chief Yousef al-Zahar, praised the tunnels as important conduits for weapons for the "resistance," but also pointed to the dangers inherent in their operation. Nashar noted that numerous civilians were recently hurt by the collapse of tunnels in the Rafah area. He blamed some of these incidents on Egypt, which he accused of blowing up some tunnels and flooding others.

Egypt has indeed ratcheted up its anti-tunnel efforts lately, and is making impressive strides in locating tunnels and shutting them down.

Nashar demanded that a committee be appointed to supervise the materials entering Gaza through the tunnels, as well as the tunnel diggers' workload.

Yousef al-Zahar reported that his personnel had recently participated in rescue efforts at 16 collapsed tunnels, in which 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured. He said there are four reasons tunnels collapse: a fuel leak (in which case the tunnel should not be used for six months because of flammable fumes), poison gas piped in (which Hamas accuses Egypt of doing), improper digging and water flooding.

The national security commander for the border region, Ibrahim Abu al-Najar, reported that there are 200 tunnels in operation. He said that Hamas policemen are preventing new tunnels from opening, and are keeping an eye on the others to prevent drug smuggling.

One of the tunnel proprietors at the conference estimated that the industry is providing employment for some 4,000 people.

Arab sources say that children are frequently used in the digging process, and carry birds as an early-warning system to indicate a lack of oxygen. If the bird passes out, air is pumped into the tunnel.

Various estimates put Hamas' monthly profits from the tunnels at $20 million. Hamas levies a special tax on tunnel proprietors, and also collect fees for every bit of contraband - whether goods or people (wanted gunmen, people who need to go abroad for study or medical treatments, etc.) Besides explosives and metals for fashioning rockets, the array of products smuggled through the tunnels is staggering: livestock, drugs, electrical appliances, fuel, cigarettes, clothing, toys and much more.

 

Abbas' termijn als PA president zit er bijna op

 

Niet alleen Olmert zal binnenkort vertrekken, ook Abbas' termijn zit er bijna op. Wat er dan zal gebeuren is zeer onzeker.

Volgens een recente poll van het Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) is Abbas een stuk populairder dan Haniyeh, en zou hij presidentsverkiezingen makkelijk winnen als Haniyeh de enige tegenkandidaat is.

 

RP

-----------

Last update - 21:22 31/08/2008

Shin Bet chief: Abbas' time as PA President is running out

 

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016836.html

 

 

Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin on Sunday told the cabinet that Mahmoud Abbas' time as Palestinian President was nearing its end as elections in the Palestinian Authority approach.

 

Diskin added that, "Hamas knows that Abu Mazen's time is running out,", referring to Abbas by his nom de guerre. He told the ministers that Israel has to monitor closely developments in the PA that are likely to turn into a political crisis.

 

"Given the fractious state of the Palestinian Authority, presidential elections are impossible [to hold]," Diskin said.
 
The Shin Bet chief said PA officials are mulling a number of alternatives. One option is for Abbas to retire from politics. Another is for the PA to adopt a constitutional amendment which would permit Abbas to continue his term beyond the allotted period.

 

Diskin said Abbas could also opt to come to an agreement with Hamas on an agreed upon date to hold elections. The Palestinian president could also declare the Gaza Strip as rebel-held territory, dissolve the Palestinian legislative council, and impose a state of emergency.

 

In the event Abbas resigns, the Palestinian constitution mandates that he be replaced by the speaker of the Palestinian parliament, Aziz Duek, a Hamas figure currently jailed in Israel, the Shin Bet chief said.

 

Diskin told the government ministers that the situation on the ground is complex. "I am putting this before you due to the importance of the matter because this will impact our policies vis-à-vis the Palestinians," the Shin Bet chief said.

 

Diskin also noted that the Palestinian security services have improved since July due to Israeli and American pressure. The Shin Bet chief said the PA has arrested 200 Hamas operatives in Hebron in the last month and has shut down 45 charities affiliated with the Islamist group.

 

The Shin Bet chief praised Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, crediting him with working intensely throughout the West Bank to impose law and order. Fayyad's efforts have yielded tangible results, Diskin said, though he did caution that there remain 20 warnings of possible terrorist attacks in the Gaza Strip. He added that Hamas is taking advantage of the opening of the Rafah border crossing to dispatch terrorists to the Sinai Peninsula, from which they can gain entry into Israel.

 

Diskin added that there is a growing danger that terrorists could either attack or kidnap Israeli tourists vacationing in Sinai.

 

Al-Aqsa Brigades trainen in Gazastrook voor gewapend verzet tegen Israël

 

Terwijl Abbas met Israel over vrede praat, bereidt de gewapende tak van Fatah, de Al Aqsa Martelaren Brigades, zich goed voor op de gewapende strijd met Israel.

 

Al-Aqsa Brigades asserted that the graduation of a class of fighters sends a clear message to Israel that resistance is still a valid choice for freeing Palestinian lands and the Al-Aqsa mosque.

 

Hoe verhoudt dit zich tot Abbas' toewijding aan dialoog en onderhandelingen om tot vrede te komen, en zijn officiële veroordeling van geweld?

Het feit dat het leiderschap van Fatah en de Palestijnse Autoriteit met dit soort trainingen blijkbaar geen problemen hebben geeft te denken.

 

RP

----------
 

Al-Aqsa Brigades in Gaza graduate a class of fighters

 

Date: 31 / 08 / 2008  Time:  11:21
Al-Aqsa Brigades fighters during training exercise
www .maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31634

 

Gaza - Ma'an - A class of fighters trained by the Al-Aqsa Brigades, Fatah's armed military wing, graduated on Sunday in the northern Gaza Strip.

The group stated during the graduation ceremony, that they intend to continue armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.

The fighters are part of the Brigades controlled by Fatah, the party which also controls the caretaker government in the West Bank. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is also a member of the party.

Abbas is currently taking part in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on details of a possible peace agreement before the end of Olmert's term in mid-September.

The general commander of the Al-Aqsa Brigades and leaders of the Consultation Council (senior leadership of the party who discuss Fatah policy) attended the graduation along with members of other Palestinian factions.

Trainees practiced military shows and skills such as storming buildings and kidnapping soldiers, and demonstrated the launch of rocket-propelled grenades for the ceremony audience.

Al-Aqsa Brigades asserted that the graduation of a class of fighters sends a clear message to Israel that resistance is still a valid choice for freeing Palestinian lands and the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The group also maintained that the current state of rivalry in the Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Gaza should come to an end in order to defend Palestinian rights and demand an end to the siege of the Gaza Strip.

 

 

Wat zal Tzipi Livni doen als premier van Israël?

 

Als onderstaande analyse klopt, zal Israel met Livni een stuk beter af zijn dan onder Olmert. De combinatie van een compromisloze houding tegenover Hamas en het bieden van reële vrede en een staat aan Abbas, waarbij zij duidelijk de rode lijnen voor Israel aangeeft, spreekt me aan. Uiteraard kan Livni straks het beleid niet alleen bepalen, dus een en ander is nogal speculatief. En uiteraard moet zij eerst nog de verkiezingen binnen haar eigen partij winnen...

 

RP

----------

What will PM Livni do?

 

Roni Sofer examines premiership candidate's views on key issues such as Iran, Syria, and Shalit

 

Roni Sofer - YNET

Published: 08.31.08, 10:59 / Israel Opinion
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3589918,00.html

 

Should the predications and polls materialize, and in a few weeks President Shimon Peres will task Tzipi Livni with forming a coalition in Israel, where will the next prime minister head on the diplomatic front? Will she realize the Olmert and Bush vision in respect to an agreement with the Palestinians by the end of 2008? Will she embark on a military operation in Gaza, or continue the lull? Will she release hundreds of Palestinians with "blood on their hands" and bring Gilad Shalit back home? And what about the negotiations with the Syrians and struggle against the Iranian nuclear threat?

It is important to qualify this: At this point we are talking about polls; the race in Kadima is wide open. Moreover, even if she defeats her three primaries rivals, forming a new government in the current Knesset at present would not be an easy task. Still, we decided to examine five key points based on the positions recently expressed by the foreign minister and based on conversations with her and her close associates.

Palestinian state - Livni objects to a temporary and conditioned agreement in principle, and believes that aspiring for such deal could lead to frustration and renewed violence, as happened following Camp David. She espouses "detailed negotiations, while firmly insisting on Israel's interests, until a permanent agreement is reached." In her view, now is the time to do this, as this may be the last window of opportunity where Israel would be able to formulate a diplomatic plan in line with its needs, rather than an international or pan-Arab decree. Yes, serious concessions will be required. However, she promises to insist on Jerusalem, prevent the return of refugees, keep the large settlement blocs in our hands, and other issues. Livni will attempt to facilitate cooperation between the two states on issues of water, the economy, and other civilian affairs. Progress will depend on Mahmoud Abbas' ability to implement the understandings and obligations. In Livni's view, Gaza was and remains and obstacle - without resolving it, there would be no Palestinian state.

Hamastan - The foreign minister was among those pushing for a declaration of Gaza as a "hostile entity." In her view, it is a terror entity in every way. She supports the continued Hamas isolation by the international community and laments the lack of response to violations of the current lull. Fire should be met with fire, she says; violations should be responded to, so that the other side realizes there is no forgiveness for them. No, she would not hesitate to embark on a military operation in Gaza if it would be clear that it serves Israel's goals. Yet a military operation is not the only possibility. In any case, as was proven by the Second Lebanon War, first we must clearly define the operation's objectives.

Gilad Shalit - A particularly charged and complex issue for Livni. On the one hand, she feels obligated to return the living soldier back home as part of the moral commitment of any government to its soldiers. Yet on the other hand, the question of price is very problematic in her view. It is for good reason that she was recently removed by Olmert from the committee charged with easing the release terms of Palestinians with "blood on their hands." If she serves as Israel's prime minister, she intends to continue the tough indirect negotiations vis-à-vis Hamas, as capitulation could signal giving in to radicals. In her view, any concession to radicals, and certainly when it comes to securing the release of a hostage, could prompt future abductions.

Syria - Livni doesn't like the indirect talks currently being managed via Turkish mediation. She objects both to the indirect nature of the talks and to their substance. She is highly skeptical whether the Syrians are indeed interested in peace, or rather, only in talks. Peace will require them to disconnect from the "axis of evil," end their support for terror groups, and curb arms smuggling to Hizbullah. Yet negotiations without peace, as she fears is happening in practice, would enable the Syrians to evade all those commitments. Her associates say that if she becomes PM, she would continue the talks - but demand clarifications from the Syrians before anything else. "Peace is not only about eating hummus in Damascus," she keeps on saying. "Peace means full, genuine peace."

Iran - "Livni is keeping all options on the table," her associates say, hinting that a military option is a possibility. Perhaps not now, but it's a possibility. Perhaps not by Israel alone, but it's a possibility. However, until that time comes, Livni believes there's still a long road ahead of us. If she will become PM, her associates say, she will make it clear that Israel is not on the forefront of this struggle, but rather, "part of the world fighting against nukes at the hands of a radical figure such as Ahmadinejad." So what will we be doing? Acting much more vigorously on the global level to tighten the sanctions - at the Security Council, among countries that maintain ties with Iran, and also among private bodies such as banks, companies, plants, and institutions.

Well, these are Tzipi Livni's policy guidelines when it comes to diplomacy and security. "What you see is what you get," she keeps on saying. Nothing is hidden. If we can sum it up with one sentence, then compared to Ehud Olmert's policies, Livni may give more - yet it will be more of the same.

Westelijke Jordaanoever en Gazastrook in verschillende tiidzones

Dit is een curieus maar treffend voorbeeld van de verdeeldheid onder de Palestijnen.

 

Eenheid onder de Hamasvlag, wat een zeker einde betekent aan het toch al wankele vredesproces, is echter ook geen aanlokkelijk alternatief.

 

RP

----------

West Bank and Gaza in different time zones

 

Date: 30 / 08 / 2008  Time:  15:22
www. maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31616

 

Gaza - Ma'an - Gaza ended daylight savings time at midnight on Friday, and the West Bank will change its clocks back one hour on Monday 1 September.

Even though only three days separate the time change in the two territories, (On Saturday it will be three o'clock in the West Bank and two o'clock in Gaza) the difference is disturbing Palestinian citizens.

Palestinians hope that this holy month Ramadan will put an end to the internal division. They want all citizens and politicians in both parts of the country to use one telescope to see the crescent moon that will announce the start of the month of fasting.

The decisions on when to end daylight savings time came from the de facto government in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority caretaker government for the West Bank respectively.

One university student in Gaza noted that, in terms of time, Gaza and the West Bank are as far away from each other as Saudi Arabia and Morocco, "and that is nonsense," she said.

Nieuwe Hamas Shura Council bemoeilijkt onderhandelingen over Schalit

 

Hamas neemt al een bepaald onflexibel standpunt in wat betreft een gevangenenruil met Israel, en de hardliners in Hamas, met name de in Syrie gevestigde leider Meshaal, hadden al een beslissende stem, en bovendien, ook de 'gematigde' Hamas activisten verheerlijken geweld tegen Israel, een land waar op zijn best tijdelijke bestanden mee zijn te sluiten totdat men sterk genoeg is het te verslaan.

 

Met de nieuwe adviserende raad van Hamas wordt het allemaal wellicht nog erger. Hamas heeft zijn eisen voor de vrijlating van Shalit nogmaals opgeschroefd.

 

Het valt te hopen dat Israel inziet dat de vrijlating van Shalit niet het allerhoogste strategische belang is, en men vooral goed voorbereid moet zijn op een nieuwe confrontatie. En hopelijk ziet het Westen eindelijk dat met Hamas niet over vrede valt te onderhandelen.

 

RP

----------

Hamas 'thugs' may foil Schalit release

Aug. 29, 2008
Khaled Abu Toameh , THE JERUSALEM POST

 

The results of a recent election held for one of Hamas's key decision-making bodies are likely to hinder efforts to free kidnapped IDF soldier St.-Sgt Gilad Schalit, sources in the Gaza Strip told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

The secret ballot was held about 10 days ago for the Shura (Consultative) Council, which is made up of Hamas's senior political and religious leadership and is tasked with discussing all important issues.

The names of the Shura Council members are kept secret, although it is believed that some of them are based in a number of Arab countries.

The sources told the Post the vote resulted in a major victory for representatives of the "young guard" in Hamas, most of whom are affiliated with the movement's armed wing, Izzadin Kassam.

The sources described the victory as a "coup," pointing out that the newly-elected members were far more radical than those who were ousted from the council.

"The Shura Council of Hamas is now dominated by warlords, thugs and militiamen," one source said. "The new members are not as educated as their predecessors.

Another source described the vote as a "turning point" in the history of the Islamist organization. "From now on, the armed wing of Hamas is expected to play a bigger role in the decision-making process, he said. "The political leadership of Hamas has definitely been weakened."

Given the fact that Schalit is being held by members of Izzadin Kassam, some of whom are now represented in the Shura Council, Hamas is unlikely to soften its position in the talks on a prisoner exchange agreement.

A Palestinian academic closely associated with Hamas told the Post he expected the new council members to endorse a tougher approach in the negotiations over the release of Schalit.

"The new members are less patient and less experienced," he said. "These are the guys who carry the guns and control the situation on the ground."

He said that one of Hamas's representatives in the negotiations over a prisoner release, Jamal Abu Hashem, lost his seat in the council election. Abu Hashem, he said, was a veteran Hamas official who had been carrying out political missions on behalf of the movement for many years.

Two other veteran Hamas politicians, Ghazi Hamad and Ahmed Youssef, did not even bother to run in the election because they knew they stood no chance against the young guard representatives.

Those elected to the council include Issa al-Nashar, Majdi al-Baba, Fuad al-Nahal, Atallah Abu al-Sabah, Yousef Farhat, Salem Salameh, Abu Ayman Taha and Osama Hammad. Almost all of them are described by sources in the Gaza Strip as warlords and militiamen belonging to Izzadin Kassam.

 

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1219913192489&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

 

Hamas eist 1500 gevangenen voor Shalit

 

De onderhandelingen over een gevangenenruil lijken niet erg op te schieten, omdat Hamas steeds hogere eisen stelt:

 

Initially, Hamas had demanded the release of 450 prisoners, and submitted a list of the specific prisoners it wanted. A few months ago, it raised its demands to 1,000, with the initial 450 to be freed simultaneously with Shalit and the remainder in stages thereafter. It has now upped its demands again.

Hamas recently jacked up the number of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release in exchange for Shalit, from 1,000 to 1,500, a senior government source said.

 

Israel op zijn beurt heeft zijn voorwaarden al enkele malen aangepast en versoepeld, en zal binnenkort een eigen lijst, met een aantal mensen wiens vrijlating Hamas heeft geëist, aan Egypte overhandigen.

 

Als hoofdreden voor de verharde positie van Hamas wordt het staakt-het-vuren genoemd, dat de druk op Hamas heeft verminderd.

 

Naast de gevangenendeal met Hezbollah en de vrijlating van gevangenen als 'goodwill gesture' aan Abbas, denk ik zelf dat de nieuwe samenstelling van de Shura (Consultative) Council (zie volgende bericht) hier debet aan is. Deze wordt nu, in de woorden van een Palestijnse bron uit Gaza, met name bevolkt door "warlords, thugs and militiamen".

 

RP

--------

Hamas to Israel: We won't compromise, we want 1,000 prisoners for Shalit

 

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Last update - 15:58 30/08/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016532.html

 

A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said that the Islamic group would not settle for a list of 450 Palestinian prisoners Israel will offer to release in exchange for captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, but will rather demand the release of more than 1,000 prisoners, according to a report published Saturday in the London-based Arabic language daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.

Shalit has been held captive in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas, since his abduction by militants in June 2006.

The spokesman, Abu Obeida, made his remarks ahead of a planned meeting of an Israeli ministerial panel, headed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, set to compose a list of prisoners, including those considered as having "blood on their hands", on Sunday. The Israeli list will include 450 names including 70 from Hamas' list who have already been approved for release in accordance with existing criteria, and a certain number of prisoners whose release will be approved after the panel amends the criteria in order to include them. The list will be transferred to Egypt, who will present it to Hamas at a later date.

However, Abu Obeida expressed his indifference to the planned meeting, saying "in principle, we will not discuss any list presented by the Israeli occupation; it must implement the list composed by us. It is not fathomable that a live hostage will be released in exchange for a handful of prisoners."

Initially, Hamas had demanded the release of 450 prisoners, and submitted a list of the specific prisoners it wanted. A few months ago, it raised its demands to 1,000, with the initial 450 to be freed simultaneously with Shalit and the remainder in stages thereafter. It has now upped its demands again.

Hamas recently jacked up the number of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release in exchange for Shalit, from 1,000 to 1,500, a senior government source said.

At a meeting with senior cabinet ministers on Wednesday, both Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin and Ofer Dekel, who was appointed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to oversee the negotiations, blamed the sudden increase in Hamas' demands on Israel's agreement to a cease-fire with the organization in the Gaza Strip.

Last month's deal with Hezbollah, in which Israel freed terrorist Samir Kuntar and four other Lebanese in exchange for the bodies of two kidnapped soldiers, also hardened Hamas' stance, defense officials said.

A ministerial committee headed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon is slated to discuss the Shalit deal on Sunday, and Olmert has asked it to draft a list of 450 prisoners that Israel would be willing to release in exchange for the soldier. This would be the first time Israel has prepared such a list. Until now, it has merely approved or rejected the names submitted by Hamas.

The Wednesday meeting was attended by Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and senior defense officials. Barak reported on his trip to Cairo the day before, during which he discussed the Shalit deal with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

According to the government source, Egypt told Barak that Hamas is currently demanding 1,500 prisoners in exchange for Shalit.

Both Diskin and Dekel told the ministers that the cease-fire hardened Hamas' stance by eliminating the pressure Israel had been exerting via both military operations and an economic blockade. As a result, Hamas no longers feels any urgency about concluding a deal, they said.

They therefore argued that the only way to conclude the deal was to go back to exerting pressure, even if this endangers the truce. Dekel suggested halting all fuel supplies to Gaza or closing the border crossings that were reopened under the truce.

Barak, in contrast, said Israel had to demonstrate a willingness to move toward Hamas' demands. "We embarked on the truce for Gilad Shalit's sake, and we need to utilize this period to achieve progress in the negotiations," he said. "If we demonstrate more willingness, it could be that Hamas will demonstrate more willingness."

The list the ministerial committee is expected to draft on Sunday will include the 70 prisoners requested by Hamas whose release Israel has already approved, plus an unspecified number of others on Hamas' list whose release is expected to be approved once the cabinet adopts new, more lenient criteria. The remainder will be Israel's choice. Once completed, Israel will ask Egypt to pass the list on to Hamas.

Islamitische Beweging richt nieuw Al Aqsa instituut op

 

De nieuwste islamitische bijdrage aan vrede in het Midden-Oosten?

 

--------------

Last update - 23:40 28/08/2008
Islamic Movement announces plans to establish new organization

 

By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016254.html

 

 

The Islamic Movement announced on Thursday that it plans to establish a new organization in place of the Al-Aqsa Institute after security personnel closed down one of its offices earlier in the week.

 

The Defense Ministry also issued instructions to freeze the organization's bank accounts.

 

The name of the Islamic Movement's new organ is 'The Al Aqsa Institute for holy sites and heritage' .The name was made public in a special message on Thursday.

 

According to the same notification, the organization's goals resemble quite closely the goals of the organization that was shut down earlier in the week for suspected ties to the Hamas leadership in Jerusalem. The name of the former organ, Protectors of holy places and guardians of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is also quite similar to the new one.

 

Its activity was allegedly funded in part by the "Charity Coalition," an umbrella group of hard-line Islamic foundations from around the world.

 

"The Islamic Movement will not surrender to the stupid Israeli 'Barakish' arrogance," the message read, clearly referring to Defense Minister Ehud Barak who drafted the closure order. Barak also described the organization operating in the northern town of Umm al-Fahm as an "unrecognized association."

 

The Islamic Movement also announced that the new organization and its supporters would be volunteering in the city of Jaffa on Saturday to help clean and renovate cemeteries and mosques.

 

 

Palestina: Eenstatenoplossing gevaarlijke fantasie

 

Een Arabisch pleidooi voor de twee-statenoplossing en reactie op het sentiment dat Israel een tweestatenoplossing onmogelijk zou hebben gemaakt.

 

RP

--------

Palestine: One State Fantasy turns into Nightmare

http://www.mideastweb.org/palestine_one_state_cg.htm

 

An Arab world editorial explains why Palestinians need to abandon the "One State Solution," which would turn into a nightmare. They write, "Sometimes reality, as hard as it may be, is still preferable to fantasy." Reality has the advantage of always being real.

 

------------------------

The two-state solution: better than fantasy

The National (UAE) Editorial

ABU DHABI – Every so often comes a remorseful Israeli leftist academic, a well-meaning Western peace activist, or a frustrated Palestinian official like Ahmed Qurie, the head of the Palestinian peace delegation, who pronounces the death of the two-state formula and advocates a one-state solution on the whole land of historic Palestine as a way to end the 60-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The appeal of this solution is indisputable. Imagine two people divided by decades of rancour and blood agreeing to share the same land, the same resources, the same future. Imagine reciprocal recognition of all suffering and dispossession. Imagine a new citizenship that would weave together all the complexities of Israeli and Palestinian identities. Imagine the power of this model for the Middle East and the world.

The problem with this dream? It is just that, a dream. Worse, pursuing this fantasy could deal a deadly blow to the national aspirations of the Palestinians and postpone indefinitely any peace agreement.

Those who advocate the one-state solution do so out of despair, demographics or delusion. Despair on the part of Palestinian negotiators and other peace-seekers who see the current talks going nowhere thanks to Israeli intransigence, and feel betrayed by the failure of the Oslo process. Demographics on the part of those who expect Palestinians to soon make up the majority of the population on the disputed land and thus overwhelm and then dissolve Israeli society. And delusion on the part of idealists who see potential for multiculturalism to succeed in a region where moderation is sadly on the wane and extremism on the rise.

Politically, Palestinians have much to lose from dropping the two-state outcome. Israel would use this shift to argue that Palestinians have maximalist ambitions irreconcilable with the international consensus around the two-state vision. Israel would then proceed to block any further concession to the Palestinians and in effect entrench even more its colonisation of the Palestinian territories. A one-state platform would also alienate a large segment of Israeli society that supports Palestinian statehood but insists on a separate future.

Renouncing the two-state objective would also strain relations with key outside players such as the United States and Europe on whom the Palestinians depend so much in their struggle for a state.

Practically, designing a federal power sharing system, addressing mutual grievances on land and reparations, and gaining popular acceptance of any compromise in a single state framework will be a Herculean task, compared to which the current talks will look like a children's tea party.

History shows that two people with a history of bloodshed can come together. But this must happen through free will and a genuine commitment on both sides. It must also be supported by a regional consensus.

Rejecting the two-state vision would be a mistake of historical proportions. The Palestinian people deserve the time and space to heal the wounds of dispossession, occupation, exile and infighting. A one-state solution would also deny them the opportunity to build a Palestinian identity based on other experiences and aspirations. Sometimes reality, as hard as it may be, is still preferable to fantasy.

_______________

* This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: The National (UAE), 25 August 2008, www.thenational.ae.
Copyright permission is granted for publication.

 

Abbas tegen huisvesten Palestijnen in Libanon

 

Voorkom vooral iedere poging Palestijnse vluchtelingen ergens permanent te huisvesten, hou ze in ellendige omstandigheden, en blijf eisen dat Israel miljoenen nakomelingen van de vluchtelingen op zal nemen. Dit is het beste antwoord op Israels recente vredesvoorstel, waarin het - met een landruil - bijna 100% van de Westoever aanbood of compenseerde, inclusief een corridor tussen de Westoever en Gazastrook. Stel je voor dat er anders nog eens overeenstemming zou worden bereikt!

 

RP

----------

Abbas: Don't resettle Palestinians in Lebanon

 

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/110127.html

Published: 08/28/2008

 

Mahmoud Abbas said he objects to the permanent resettlement of Palestinians in Lebanon. 

 

"The Palestinians have the right of return and this is an issue we are discussing with the Israelis," the Palestinian Authority president, meeting in Beirut on Thursday with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, told reporters.

 

About 400,000 Palestinians live in 12 refugee camps in Lebanon. Most of them arrived in Lebanon in 1948 or are descendant of those refugees. The camps are a hotbed of ferment, with occasional outbursts of violence.

 

Abbas also called for a "comprehensive" solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict, including returning the Golan Heights to Syria and resolving the dispute between Israel and Lebanon over the border-area Shebaa Farms.

*** Balanced Middle East News ***
MidEastweb http://www.mideastweb.org
Subscribe - mail to mewnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

MewBkd - Background & analysis -
mail to Mewbkd-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

News Letter -  our commentary -
mail to mideastweb-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Marranos keren terug naar Jodendom

 

Nog twee artikelen over Joden die 'thuiskomen' in Israël - min of meer.

 

----------------

Marranos - Returning to Judaism

It took a long time - 500 years - but at least some of the Marranos, victims of the Inquisition forced to convert to Catholicism, are returning to Judaism and renewing their connection with the Jewish people. This movement is all the more remarkable because the rabbinical establishment has done little or nothing to encourage this movement. The Marranos must have lifted a collective eye-brow when they heard the Pope lecturing Muslims about compulsion in religion. It would be quite interesting to see a debate between a Marrano who had returned to Judaism, and a Jews for Jesus fanatic.

 

Ami Isseroff

----------------------------

 

Descendants of Marranos arrive in Israel

Delegation of 16 Europeans, whose ancestors were forced to convert to Catholicism during inquisition over 500 years ago, seek to renew their ties with Jewish people, state

 

Ynetnews

Published:  08.27.08, 06:56 / Israel Jewish Scene

 

A delegation of 16 Bnai Anousim from Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France arrived in Israel over the weekend. Bnai Anousim (referred to as "Marranos" by historians) is the name for Mediterranean European Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism on pain of death during the Spanish Inquisition.

 

In the late 14th and 15th century, at the time of mass expulsions of Jews from Spain and Portugal, the Bnai Anousim remained behind, where they continued to preserve their Jewish identity and to practice the Jewish faith covertly.

 

As a result, this unique phenomenon is still evident even today, even though the Inquisition invested enormous efforts over the centuries to eradicate it.

 

The trip is being arranged by the Shavei Israel organization, a non-profit organization with the aim of strengthening ties between the State of Israel and the descendants of Jews around the world.

 

The organization is currently active in nine countries and provides assistance to a variety of different communities such as the Bnei Menashe of India, the Bnai Anousim in Spain, Portugal and South America, the Subbotnik Jews of Russia, the Jewish community of Kaifeng in China, descendants of Jews living in Poland, and others.

 

In the framework of their visit to Israel, the Bnai Anousim participants will travel across the country and visit places such as Jerusalem, Rachel's Tomb, Safed, Tiberias, Haifa, Beit Shearim, Kibbutz Lavi, and more. In addition, they will take part in special classes on Jewish history, culture and religion being held for them in Spanish and Portuguese as well as learn some Hebrew.

According to Shavei Israel founder and Chairman Michael Freund, large numbers of Bnai Anousim around the world have started to openly embrace their Jewish heritage in recent years and many are seeking to renew their connection with Israel and the Jewish people after centuries of preserving their identity in secret.

 

"This visit to Israel by a delegation of Bnai Anousim is part of the process of forging a renewed relationship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. I believe that we have an historic and moral obligation to reach out to the Bnai Anousim and to assist them as much as we can," Freund said.

 

---

 

Marranos come home

 

New phenomenon sweeps Portugal: Descendants of Marranos rediscover their Jewish roots and the Jewish faith. One Porto community undergoes mass conversion

 

Gabi Newman

 

 

Yosef Pero Philip is professor psychiatry at the University of Porto. Arieh Ben Avraham is a renowned film director. Yosef Eduardo Albas is a soccer player in Portugal's Second Division. All three men have recently converted to Judaism, observe the mitzvoth, and are distinctly proud of their Jewish heritage.

These three men are also representative of a noticeable recent trend among descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Marranos, that is Sephardic Jews forced to adopt the identity of Christians, who are now rediscovering their Jewish faith and reclaiming their ancient heritage en masse.

Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum of the "Shavei Israel" Foundation, which oversees the conversion process among these Marrano descendants, said that over the years individual Marranos have converted to Judaism , but now, thanks to the foundation's efforts, entire communities of Marrano offspring are converting to Judaism and reclaiming their ancient heritage.

"If you asked people in Israel, they would probably tell you that Marranos are merely a blurb on the annals of history, but here we see definitive proof that people still view themselves as Marranos and children of Marranos, and that this is a very real, spiritual phenomenon," said Rabbi Birnbaum.

Indeed, many Portuguese are now becoming reacquainted with their Jewish lineage. Aaron Ram, Israel's Ambassador to Portugal, told Ynet that "when people find out that I'm the Israeli ambassador, many end up telling me that they are Jewish, or rather that they are of Jewish descent. Many of these Marranos are not Jewish anymore, nor do they intend to convert, but they nevertheless mention their heritage with great pride. I would say that 10% of all Portuguese are offspring of Marranos of Jewish descent."
  
What led to this spiritual reawakening among these former Jews? The waning power of the church in both Spain and Portugal is a definite factor leading to this trend, as is the quest for belonging and identity so prevalent around the world today.

The Marano descendants in question tend to come from a high socio-economic background, and are typically well integrated into the Christian society that they live in. They claim that their return to their Jewish heritage does not invoke scorn or hatred in their peers, and that they are typically applauded for their resolve and bravery.

 

 

'Waarom ben je naar Israël gekomen?'

 

Wat zoekt een Amerikaanse in Israel? De ervaringen van een immigrant die 'thuiskwam'.

 

RP

-----------

 

It's all in the name

Reasons for moving to Israel are often explicable. At times it's unavoidable, your name is your fate and 'sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name'. In new column, Liat Shpigler writes about her experiences as an old-new immigrant.

 

Liat Shpigler
Published:  06.27.08, 17:17 / Israel Culture

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3561014,00.html

 

 

My family always took the term "wandering Jew" quite literally and who was I to break the pattern? Born in Israel, raised in the States and then back to Israel 11 years ago, I learned there's nothing more important to the Jews than continuity. Before moving to Israel I lived two lives, winter, spring and fall in the States and summers in the holiest of lands.

As a "tourist" in Israel there were a few instances that stood out in my mind as "Israeli" and as foreign in relation to the sheltered suburbia life I lived as an American Jew in what I call a modern-day Jewish ghetto. Israel was language, it was hearing Hebrew at the airport checkout counter and feeling at home already.

Israel was special treatment, being isolated at the airport gate, guards at every direction making you wonder if you yourself are suspicious, it was accommodating, having to switch seats on the flight as to not offend the ultra-orthodox man sitting next to you.

Israel was also proud, since after waking up for breakfast (it's nice to be blessed with the natural ability to sleep on 12-hour international flights) and shortly thereafter seeing the bird's eye view of Tel-Aviv, there were no two ways to analyze the uproar of applause. People were literally thanking the pilot for landing at their destination of choice.

As a teenager Israel was being allowed to be outside until the wee hours of the night without a curfew, at least domestically it was safe. Israel was bold' it was a motorcyclist who stopped at a traffic light and had the audacity to tickle my foot through my open car window. It was also an old woman who could barely walk but could sure as heck cut in line at the movie theater.

All the above became more apparent after moving here and undergoing rigorous investigations by random people representing all walks of life. Here in Israel, your business is everyone's, from the taxi driver, to the shoe saleswoman, to the woman at the supermarket, to the bank teller and more.

So many mistaken concoctions for one name

 

This blatant honesty was and still is apparent in questions like, "How much money do you pay for rent? How much do you get paid at work? Why did you buy that car? Why did you cut your hair, you look so much better when it's long? Why would anyone in their right mind move to Israel?" Questions asked so rapidly that confusion leaves you no choice but to share your deepest secrets with a complete stranger. But is anyone a stranger here?

 

 I can't count the amount of times random people helped me here and how many times perfect strangers became close friends, quickly. Or, the innumerable amount of invitations I received for Shabbat and holiday dinners.

But it was also the fact that people understood the meaning of my name. Liat was not just a name that people uttered and mistakenly put an emphasis on the first syllable and not the second as they do in Hebrew. I mean I can understand mispronouncing Shpigler, but Liat – who knew there were so many mistaken concoctions for one name.

Shpigler, a.k.a. – Shipliger, Spiegler, Shpiegl, der Spiegl and so on and so forth was understandable. But here in Israel, people still haven't stopped asking me if I am related to the famous soccer player, Motaleh. (Sometimes I say I am for the kicks)

 

Liat means "you are mine" in basic Hebrew and everyone in Israel knows how to say it properly. In a course I took on Jewish folklore at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem one of my professors said a sentence in Latin that completely stuck. "Nomen est Omen" - your name is your fate.

 

 Or, according to Wikiquote, "Literally Name is omen, implying that the name is fitting for the object or person."

 

 Perhaps that is a factor in why a person would uproot themselves to a place where as the show Cheers ingeniously said, "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name."

Beauty, rudeness, paradoxes, defeats, triumphs

 

In actuality I came to Israel 11 years ago just to join the army and then to go back to school in the States. What makes a person stay after serving with 120 men in the Golani Brigade can be left to interpretation or can be summed up as a certain sense of belonging to the greater good. Israel has its way of crawling into your veins for better or for worse and this series of articles will discuss just that.

 

As an old-new immigrant to Israel, who has heard the question "why did you come here?" more than "what is your name?" I have immersed myself enough in the culture to feel one with it, and 11 years later am still shocked by the beauty, rudeness, paradoxes, defeats and triumphs enough to view it from the side.

 

Most importantly, I learned that you can't be an Israeli without cynicism and you can't be an American Jew without dreamily and romantically sticking in the "Z" word (shhh, be careful not to say Zionism in Israel). Because I am a little of both, both elements will be apparent.

 

Joodse bloggers verzamelen in Jeruzalem

 

De Joodse blogosfeer is een eigen universum binnen de blogosfeer, waar ik niet echt vaak kom. Naast algemene euvels als gezever over de katten of de kinderen heb je daar ook nog te maken met jargon, inside jokes en het onbehaaglijke gevoel er niet echt bij te horen. De blogs die ik graag lees zijn van Israeli's die zich niet zozeer op andere Joden en Israeli's richten maar op een algemener publiek.

Ami Isseroff maakt zich als echte patriot kwaad over Joden die graag over Israel bloggen maar er gaan wonen - ho maar. Ik hoef me daar gelukkig niet schuldig over te voelen, en me niet uit te sloven in het verzinnen van goede excuses om in ond kikkerlandje te blijven.

 

Ratna

--------------

 

Jewish Bloggers - Israel is a nice place to visit, why live here?

This is evidently a real quote:

 

"When people ask me if I'm making aliyah I say 'not yet' in Hebrew because I feel that this is the right answer for now," says Esther Kostnovitch, who runs blogs such as 'JDaters Anonymous' and 'My Urban Kvetch'.

 

"I am very much in favor of aliyah, but I feel that I write so much about Israel and take such an interest in Israel not least because I don't yet live here."

Nothing can spoil romance worse than marriage. Nothing can spoil Zionism worse than living in Israel, right? Wrong.

 

And the bloggers were supposedly all "Kosher" - though most Israelis are not really "kosher." But this article is encouragement that in fact, we are making a difference.

 

Ami Isseroff

Non-Kosher, Israeli Jewish blogger.

 

 

First Jewish bloggers summit convenes in capital

Kosher blog writers gather in Jerusalem for conference on Judaism, Zionism, aliyah with participation of blog-savvy MK Netanyahu, who encouraged participants to immigrate to Israel

 

Adar Shalev
Published:  08.22.08, 14:16 / Israel Activism

 

 

Around 200 Jewish bloggers of all ages from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday in honor of the first Jewish Zionist blog convention, organized by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a foundation that promotes immigration to Israel from the US, Canada, and the UK.

Jewish patriots that currently reside outside of Israel named Jewlicious, West Bank Mama, Israpundit, and the like met in person for the first time since beginning their online journals. Six hundred other bloggers who couldn't make it to the event watched it live online.

 

On their way to make aliyah, 240 additional people also boarded the planes packed with bloggers. Renana Levine, one of the convention's organizers, said that Nefesh B'Nefesh has been responsible for the aliyah of around 15,000 people in its six short years of existence.

The foundation attempts to ease the new immigrants' inevitable clash with Israel's arduous bureaucracy and helps them to obtain employment. Currently their success is undisputable, as 94% of the olim who have so far arrived with the program are working citizens.

The organization decided to cooperate with the Jewish blogosphere upon discovering that there was no better way to promote Israel than through blogs. Their writers are not connected to any official agency, which makes them more reliable, and they describe their everyday lives normally, without bombs, camels, or other stereotypical images usually related to Israel.

 

There are cases in which people say they immigrated to Israel because of blogs, and I can mention Benji Levitt's blog, 'What Warzone', which has shattered a number of myths about camels and constant war in the streets. Because of him, at least three olim that we know of have arrived in Israel," Levine said.

The worldwide Jewish blogger community exists in a sphere almost totally disconnected from the Israeli and Arab blogger community, as the latter usually appear in spots such as Tapuz and Israblog, while the former use sites such as BlogPost, LiveJournal, and WordPress.

 

Within this sphere they discuss subjects such as modern Judaism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the appreciation of their ratings. The blogs incorporate old Yiddish and 'leet' (a type of internet argot), and many of the bloggers read the hip Jewish magazine 'Heeb' to keep up with the banter.

 

'This is your country'

 

Among the bloggers who spoke at the summit was former prime minister and current opposition leader, Knesset Member Benjamin Netanyahu, who posts his blog under a Creative Commons (CC) license, meaning anyone can use the contents he publishes. "I opened a blog and found it to be a great medium, but the problem is that it requires too much free time, or shadow writers," he said.

Netanyahu claimed that during his time as prime minister the internet's vast potential for the promotion of Israel throughout the world remained a vastly untapped resource, explaining that the web was not as influential then.

 

"Make aliyah, this is your country and your city – and it will remain this way," he told those present amid storming applause. But most of the bloggers who attended the conference had arrived in order to visit relatives or improve social ties rather than to relinquish their previous lives in the Diaspora.

 

"When people ask me if I'm making aliyah I say 'not yet' in Hebrew because I feel that this is the right answer for now," says Esther Kostnovitch, who runs blogs such as 'JDaters Anonymous' and 'My Urban Kvetch'.

 

"I am very much in favor of aliyah, but I feel that I write so much about Israel and take such an interest in Israel not least because I don't yet live here."

 

 

Berichtgeving over Gaza boten met activisten kritiekloos

 

Gelukkig hebben de vredesactivisten die vorige week naar Gaza voeren niet zoveel publiciteit gekregen als zij wellicht hadden gehoopt, maar van kritische of objectieve berichtgeving is nauwelijks sprake.

 

Ook bij De Pers hieronder geen woord over hoe deze mensen zich door Hamas laten gebruiken, het officiële gesprek dat men kreeg met premier Haniyeh, de medailles die hij hun uitreikte en de Palestijnse paspoorten. Men is zelfs door Hamas uitgenodigd om deze trip te maken. Het mag dan ook niet verbazen dat de demonstranten geen enkel kritisch woord hadden tegenover Hamas, diens cynische gebruik van burgers als menselijk schild, het feit dat bij explosies en militaire oefeningen geregeld burgers omkomen, de militaire trainingskampen voor kinderen en hun verheerlijking van geweld tegen Joden.

 

Het is fantastisch dat zovelen zich het lot van de Gazanen aantrekken, maar men wil de werkelijke oorzaken van hun ellende niet zien: na de Israëlische terugtrekking uit Gaza in 2005 had men in het ministaatje Gazastrook kunnen proberen iets op te bouwen (met miljarden aan internationale steun), maar in plaats daarvan werden de kassen en andere gebouwen die de kolonisten (door toedoen van enkele Joods-Amerikaanse zakenlui) hadden achtergelaten, geplunderd en werden vanaf de resten van de Joodse nederzettingen raketten op Israël afgevuurd. Men heeft erg zijn best gedaan te laten zien dat rechts in Israël gelijk zou krijgen: de terugtrekking leidde tot meer geweld, de Hamas claimde deze als een overwinning waarna de rest van Israël zou volgen, en behaalde in de verkiezingen begin 2006 een grote overwinning.

 

Het is verbluffend dat de 'vredesactivisten' deze totaal onkritische houding tegenover en zelfs actieve steun voor een reactionaire en fundamentalistische beweging totaal niet wordt aangerekend. Uiteraard ligt EAJG in katzwijm voor deze 'helden', in het bijzonder het enige Israëlische lid Jeff Halper, een notoire antizionist.

Wanneer gaan we het verschil eens zien tussen propaganda voor Hamas, een behoefte zich met alles en iedereen te verbinden die maar uitgesproken genoeg anti-Israël is, en echt activisme voor vrede, verzoening en coëxistentie? Wanneer gaan we eens inzien dat voor vrede zijn niet gelijk staat aan anti-Israël zijn, en dat de zwakkeren niet automatisch de beteren zijn? Wanneer gaan we het eigen aandeel van de Palestijnen in hun ellende eens zien, en zijn we ook bereid ze daarop aan te spreken?    

 

RP

---------------

 

Israël - Mensenrechtenactivisten varen naar afgesloten Gazastrook

 

'Dit bezoek verbindt Gaza weer met de rest van de wereld'

http://www.depers.nl/buitenland/237132/Gaza-verbonden-met-rest-van-de-wereld.html

 

Door: Godelief Swank
Gepubliceerd: zondag 24 augustus 2008 22:54

 

 

Mensenrechtenactivisten zijn dit weekend voor het eerst dwars door de Israëlische blokkade van Gaza heen gevaren. 'En dat willen we vaker doen.'

 

Alle scenario's hadden ze van tevoren doorgenomen; Israël kon op ze gaan schieten, ze arresteren, hun boot saboteren of domweg hun vertrek uit de haven van Cyprus tegenhouden.

 

Israël dreigde de twee vissersboten aanvankelijk tegen te houden, maar deed uiteindelijk niets. Met de ogen van de internationale gemeenschap op zich gericht – aan boord zaten 43 activisten uit 17 landen – kon het weinig anders. 'Bovendien deden we niets illegaals', zegt de Palestijns-Amerikaanse Huwaide Erref (32). 'We zijn niet door Israëlische territoriale wateren gevaren, hadden geen wapens aan boord en hebben ons bij vertrek uit Cyprus uitvoerig laten controleren en certificeren.'

 

De advocate zat op een van de twee schepen die zaterdagavond de haven van Gaza-stad binnenvoeren: de Liberty en de Free Gaza. Aan boord hadden ze ruim tweehonderd gehoorapparaten voor kinderen. 'Dat is niet veel, de Palestijnen vroegen ons om negenduizend exemplaren, omdat hun kinderen langzaam doof worden door alle overvliegende Israëlische gevechtsvliegtuigen. Maar deze missie draait ook niet om hulpgoederen. Onze komst laat zien dat een groep gewone burgers in staat is om de hermetisch afgesloten kuststrook van Gaza te bereiken.'

 

Israël laat normaal gesproken nauwelijks goederen en mensen toe tot Gaza, sinds de radicaal-islamitische Hamasbeweging er vorig jaar de macht overnam. Daardoor zijn er tekorten in de kuststrook en kunnen de 1,4 miljoen bewoners zich niet vrij bewegen.

 

'Israël zegt de Gazastrook formeel niet te bezetten, ze weigeren slechts een vrij verkeer omwille van hun eigen veiligheid', zegt Erref. 'Maar onder dat mom konden ze ons niet arresteren, wij vormden juridisch gezien geen enkele bedreiging. Nu dit gelukt is, zijn we al nieuwe missies aan het plannen. We willen een open verbinding creëren tussen Gaza en de rest van de wereld.' En dat is precies waar Israël huiverig voor is. De doorgang van de Liberty en de Free Gazakan een precedent vormen voor toekomstig verkeer van en naar de Gazastrook. 'Ze wilden een provocatie op zee, maar die zullen ze niet krijgen', lichtte een woordvoerder van het Israëlische ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken de doorgang toe.

 

Duizenden Palestijnen stonden de vissersboten zaterdagavond op te wachten. 'Voor hen was onze komst een symbolische', zegt Erref. 'We laten zien dat de internationale gemeenschap hen niet vergeten is.'