-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
TZEMACH NEWS SERVICE ---------- A weekly update of news and events regarding the nation and the people of Israel Week Ending: 29 September 2001/12 Tishri 5762 "Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people." Deuteronomy 32.43 This Week's Headlines: :: CEASEFIRE FALLS APART :: ISRAEL BEING USED AS A PAWN? :: ARAB EXHIBITION GLORIFIES THE MURDER OF JEWS :: US REPORT SAYS PA/PLO MAY HAVE INCITED VIOLENCE :: SHARON FAVORS PALESTINIAN STATE :: US POLICY ON DIFFERENCES IN TERRORISM :: ISRAELIS SCRAMBLE FOR GAS MASKS :: NEWS AROUND THE AREA :: IRAN IS ONE OF THE INTIFADA'S STAUNCHEST SUPPORTERS :: WHY NOT HIZB'ALLAH? :: CEASEFIRE FALLS APART: In one of the most violent weekends in recent weeks, at least 10 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded, and 12 Israelis were wounded, in various incidents. Four of the Palestinians were blown up as they were making a bomb. Marking the first anniversary of the Intifada, tens of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in angry demonstrations throughout Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza), calling "Death to America and Israel" and declaring support for terrorist Osama bin Laden as they clashed with Israeli security forces. In Gaza City, more than 10,000 Palestinians marched through the streets to show their support for the uprising against Israel. In Shechem, some 25,000 demonstrators joined a march organized by several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Arafat's Fatah. About 500 masked Hamas supporters in the crowd, including -- for the first time -- 200 women, carried large posters of suicide bombers. The Hamas contingent chanted warnings of more suicide attacks in Israel. The upsurge in unrest came despite a meeting by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat at Gaza's Dahaniya Airport on Wednesday to enable a cease-fire and the resumption of security talks in Tel Aviv on Friday. With the cease-fire shattered over the weekend, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened the security cabinet late Saturday night to reassess the situation. However, because of widespread feeling that the violence came about to mark the anniversary of the Intifada, it is seen likely that Arafat will be given another chance to implement the agreement. On Monday, Islamic terrorists murdered Sal'it Sheetreet, 28, as she and her husband were traveling on the main northern Jordan Valley highway. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the murder. The attack took place only a few hundred meters from an IDF checkpoint, but the soldiers manning the post heard nothing. Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi expressed surprise that there were any Palestinian vehicles on the Jordan Valley highway, as his proposal to forbid such travel on the road was approved by the government after the last terrorist attack there. Area residents said that they had not noted any reduction in Arab traffic on the route. Meanwhile, PA/PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Israel should forget about the Palestinians arresting wanted terrorists on lists provided by the Israelis. "This is an internal Palestinian matter and Israel should not interfere in such matters," he said. ............................ :: ISRAEL BEING USED AS A PAWN? The war on global terrorism has hardly begun, but Israel is already concerned about its aftermath. Israeli officials detect ominous signs that Jerusalem will be asked to pay the diplomatic price for the establishment of an American-led "international coalition", and that the coin will be the much-dreaded "imposed solution." Wednesday's meeting between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, which followed days of intense American lobbying, was only the first manifestation of America's heightened involvement in the region, officials said. The Americans, it appears, will back these efforts to the hilt, even if Sharon objects. 'Moderate' Arab states, led by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, are conducting an intense campaign to convince Washington that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the key to quelling international terrorism. European statesmen are growing bolder in publicly identifying Arab resentment against Israel as a root cause of terrorist tendencies, as British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw did this week. And the Americans, Israelis fear, are lending their ear to these arguments like never before. As always, Sharon's arch-rival, Benjamin Netanyahu, was waiting in the wings to pounce. Political analysts believe that, more than any other factor, the growing political shadow of Netanyahu is responsible for Sharon's erratic behavior in recent weeks. The prime minister is torn, analysts say, between his wish to accommodate Peres and the Americans, on one hand, and his fear that such a policy of "appeasement" might ultimately cost him his seat at the head of the Likud party. The bottom line is that the popular Sharon increasingly is being portrayed, at least in the press, as a leader who has lost his way. But some experts believe Sharon's predicament may be only temporary. The Israeli army, for one thing, along with a host of civilian analysts, believe that Arafat won't abandon terror, and that sooner or later even an "even-handed" American administration will have to embrace Sharon's negative view of the Palestinian leader. Nonetheless, there is a growing realization in Israel that international realities are changing, most likely for the worse. Only a few months ago, former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami's prognosis of the inevitability of an internationally imposed solution sounded like so much intellectual fantasy. Now it is considered to be a realistic scenario, highly desired by Europe, the Arabs and a minority of Israelis, but a potential nightmare for Sharon and most of the Israeli public. ............................ :: ARAB EXHIBITION GLORIFIES THE MURDER OF JEWS: A replica of Sbarro's Pizzeria in Jerusalem, complete with the "kosher" sign over the doorway, was the centerpiece of an exhibition in the PA/PLO town of Shechem, marking the first anniversary of Intifada. Fifteen Israelis were slaughtered in a suicide terrorist bombing at Sbarro's last month. As part of the exhibition, a performance artist wearing fatigues, a mask and replicated explosives enters the "Sbarro" and sets off a simulated explosion. The aftermath is imitation body parts and pizza strewn about the display. Typically, suicide bombers leave video recorded statements before setting off on their final journey. That, too, is recreated with another piece of installation art. Through dark windows visitors can see human figures wearing clothing indicating that they are suicide bombers, holding a gun and a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book. According to one of its organizers, quoted by the AP news service, the exhibition is to encourage the visitors that the Jews will suffer as long as the occupation continues. However, laying bare the deeper meaning of the exhibition is a final installation that brings to life an ancient, well-known oral Moslem tradition forming the basis of Moslem law and philosophy. Behind a large rock stands the figure of Jewish man, identified by his distinctively Orthodox clothing. A recording plays from inside the rock, "O believer! There is a Jew behind me! Come and kill him!" ............................ :: US REPORT SAYS PA/PLO MAY HAVE INCITED VIOLENCE: A semi-annual State Department report evaluating Palestinian compliance with past Israeli-Palestinian accords says senior PLO and Palestinian Authority leaders did little to prevent, and may have even encouraged, an atmosphere of incitement to violence in violation of past agreements. The report, issued in accordance with the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and covering the period of December 15, 2000, through June 15, 2001, was quietly sent to the White House and congressional leaders on September 12, the day after the terrorist attacks on the US. The document, known as the PLOCCA report, is meant to serve as a guide for the administration regarding its relations with the PA/PLO. But as coalition building for the new war on terrorism emerges as the administration's sole diplomatic goal, officials are more keen to have cooperation from Arafat in fighting terrorist cells than to penalize him in some way for violations of past Israeli-Palestinian accords. The report also takes an inappropriate qualified tone when it comes to Palestinian incitement. It stated that some programs broadcast on PA/PLO and PLO-controlled or influenced mass media had the effect of inciting Palestinians to violence. ............................ :: SHARON FAVORS PALESTINIAN STATE: P.M. Sharon stated Monday night, in an address to the Teachers Union, that Israel is willing to grant the Palestinians an independent state. "Neither the Turks nor the British nor the Jordanians nor the Egyptians" offered to create a Palestinian State, said the Prime Minister. Israel is willing to do so, he said, if the Palestinians prove that they can enforce peace in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Sharon said that Arafat has made a serious effort to reduce the warfare: "He even went to Rafiach to bring quiet to that area -- something he has never done before." [Ed. note: A CHANNEL TWO news report directly from the nearby IDF's Tarmit outpost, where at least 20 grenades were hurled at the soldiers, indicated that Arafat had not been particularly successful.] The Yesha Council reacted to the Prime Minister's comments by saying that "only a blind and callous leader" would offer the Palestinians an independent state, "as the territory already in their control has become a hotbed of terrorism and a base for suicide bombers." Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi stated that the proposal is in contradiction to the coalition agreement, and that such a radical proposal was never brought to the ministerial cabinet for approval. Deputy Minister Naomi Blumental has asked that the Likud Knesset faction convene in order to hear Sharon's explanation. Grassroots organizations have also reacted strongly to the Prime Minister's statement. The Yesha Council has embarked upon a public campaign against Prime Minister Sharon's continued military restraint, as well as his offer of a state to the Palestinians. ............................ :: US POLICY ON DIFFERENCES IN TERRORISM: "But, essentially, there are, on some planes, two different things. One is that there are violent people trying to destroy societies, ours, many others in the world. The world recognizes that and we are going to stop those people. On the other hand, there are issues and violence and political issues that need to be resolved in the Middle East, Israelis and Palestinians. But we all recognize that the path to solve those is through negotiation and that we have devoted enormous efforts to getting back to that path of negotiation... But they are clearly issues that are different, not only in geography but also, to some extent, in their nature." Richard Boucher, State Department Spokesman, daily press briefing, 27 September 2001. ............................ :: ISRAELIS SCRAMBLE FOR GAS MASKS: Nearly 20,000 Israelis daily now are scrambling for government-issue gas masks, matching the rate in advance of the 1991 Gulf War, officials said on Monday while denying reports of shortages. Since terrorists attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, the number has increased steadily with the total now at about 60,000 Israelis who have lined up to renew gas mask kits or get new ones. Israelis fear an American attack on terrorist targets could trigger Iraqi missile strikes against them with chemical or biological warheads. Over the past week, Israel has opened five extra gas mask distribution centers. The number of people lining up daily at the 28 centers has reached about 20,000, an army spokeswoman said. In quiet times, about 3,000 Israelis get new masks daily. ............................ :: NEWS AROUND THE AREA Bush Retreats Over Controls On Arms Sales: The Bush administration has backed away from a sweeping proposal that sought to end all congressional restrictions on US military sales to any country supporting the US fight against terrorism. The provision would have opened the door for US military aid to countries currently barred on human rights or other grounds. Even countries like Syria or Iran that are considered sponsors of terrorism would have become eligible for US military aid. The proposal would allow arms sales to any country deemed by the president as "important to the US effort to respond to, deter or prevent acts of international terrorism or other actions threatening international peace and security". The waiver would have lasted for five years. The initiative was one of the strongest indications yet of how far the Bush administration is prepared to go in seeking broad authority from Congress to wage the war against global terrorism. It drew strong criticism from lawmakers for usurping congressional powers. The administration, stung by those criticisms, is now proposing a more limited measure that would only lift the sanctions imposed against Pakistan after its 1999 military coup. The new administration proposal would also end the requirement that Congress be notified in advance before US military sales to either India or Pakistan. 100 Stinger Missiles In Taliban Armory: Taliban forces in Afghanistan are reported to have up to 100 shoulder-fired Stingers, the US-made missile with the deadliest record against low-flying aircraft, ironically supplied by the US to Afghanistan in the 1980s. The Reagan administration delivered several hundred Stingers to Afghan resistance groups, including the Taliban, in the 1980s, THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE reported on Wednesday. The CIA started a buy-back program to recover the Stingers, offering as much as $100,000 for each, but were unable to get back more than a few of the missiles, the report said. But despite doubts about the condition the Stingers in Afghanistan are in now, after a decade of wear and tear, a CIA source told the paper that a test-firing in 1999 in the US showed that the vintage Stingers were still working perfectly. Russia, Iran To Sign Arms Deal Worth "300m Dollars A Year": Russia expects to sign an arms deal with Iran worth "$300 million dollars a year", Russian news agency INTERFAX reported, citing "military and diplomatic sources". Iranian Defence Minister Adm Ali Shamkhani arrives in Moscow 1 October for talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Ivanov on boosting military relations. The sources said that the agreement will deal with purely defensive weapons. Iran is particularly interested in surface-to-air missile systems to defend the nuclear power plant in Bushehr and other strategic facilities. Russia is helping Iran build the Bushehr plant. ............................ :: IRAN IS ONE OF THE INTIFADA'S STAUNCHEST SUPPORTERS: One year after the start of the Palestinian Intifada, Iran continues its relentless support for the uprising against arch foe Israel, calling it the "most important issue" in today's world. Refusing to recognize the Jewish state, Islamic Iran has pleaded the Palestinian cause at international and other levels. Its ties have improved with Arafat but its closest links are with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups which also reject any compromise settlement with Israel. ............................ :: WHY NOT HIZB'ALLAH? The Zionist Organization of America strongly supports US Vice President Dick Cheney's position that the forthcoming US action against terrorists should include strikes against the Hizb'Allah terrorist group and Iraq. A ZOA press release provides a list of evidence linking Bin Laden and Hizb'Allah, and notes that Hizb'Allah is on the official US government list of terrorist groups. Hizb'Allah, according to the ZOA, has carried out numerous attacks on Americans, including: * the car-bomb attack killed 241 Americans, and 29 others, at the US Marine barracks in Lebanon on Oct. 23, 1983; * the car-bomb attack that killed 16 people at the US embassy in Beirut on April 18, 1983; * the bombing of the US embassy annex in Beirut on September 20, 1984, killing 20 people; * and the June 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847, during which the hijackers murdered a passenger, U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem. ............................ [Sources: Jerusalem Post, Arutz-7, Ha'aretz, AP, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Forward, Times of India, BBC] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::: "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest." Isaiah 62.1 Lee Underwood *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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