14 décembre 2009
Tens of thousands rally in Gaza, await Hamas birthday 'surprise'
Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters thronged downtown Gaza City Monday to mark the 22nd anniversary of the group's founding, in a massive display that showed the Islamic militants still enjoy broad support despite years of rule that have led to war, poverty and isolation.
Hamas is celebrating its anniversary with a large public rally and smaller parades. Sunday, as preparations for the festivities were under way in the Gaza Strip, the leaders of the movement spared no effort in trying to persuade Gazans to show up en masse.
The leaders promised a "surprise," although they gave no hints as to what that might be. In western Gaza, dozens of motorcyclists with green Hamas flags drove through the main street.
The main rally began at 1 P.M. and drew the large numbers expected. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and top official Mahmoud al-Zahar were on hand to address the crowd, the military wing of the movement, the Iz al-Din al-Qassam brigades, held a parade.
Hamas is expected to try to demonstrate unity and show it has massive public support, to make up for its defeat during Operation Cast Lead nearly a year ago. It is mobilizing supporters from across the Strip. School has been canceled.
Commentators on Sunday were busy trying to guess the nature of the "surprise" promised by Hamas. Some said it might be a breakthrough in the prisoner exchange negotiations, but others said it was more likely that Hamas would unveil a new weapon system allegedly able to hit key targets in Israel, such as Tel Aviv. No dramatic announcement on a reconciliation with Fatah is anticipated.
Meanwhile, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal met in Tehran with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday. The Iranian president stressed his support for Hamas, saying, "The Iranian government and the Iranian people will always stand by the Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance." (14,30)
"Today Palestine is a symbol of the world-wide front of those who seek liberty from the militants," he said. Ahmadinejad said Iran doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist, and supports Hamas and Hezbollah.
Tomorrow the PLO Central Council, which mediates between the movement's executive committee and the Palestinian National Assembly, is set to meet in Ramallah. Despite initial fears that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas might use the meeting to announce his resignation, and reports that the council would appropriate all parliamentary authority, the council is likely to extend Abbas' tenure and that of all other Palestinian institutions until the next general elections.
13 décembre 2009
Cabinet approves nat'l priority map
The cabinet approved the national priorities map by 21 votes to five on Sunday. Ashkelon was not included in the map, but many settlements were, including several settlements in isolated West Bank spots located beyond the security barrier. The ministers also decided to set up an exceptions committee that will decide within 30 days whether to add Ashkelon to the plan and whether to keep settlements east of the security fence on the map. Following pressure from Shas, Lachish region locales to which Gush Katif evacuees were relocated were added to the list. Following the vote, Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz lauded the decision, calling the map a "necessary, ethical decision that fits with the ongoing efforts of this government to recuperate the evacuees of Gush Katif." The five Labor ministers voted against the map after Defense Minister and Labor leader Ehud Barak voiced his fierce opposition to the plan saying it "disproportionately represented" residents of isolated settlements and gives a "prize" for right-wing extremism. "Labor's preference is the Galilee, Negev and periphery. Period," Barak said. "The IDF safeguards the security of Israelis everywhere and will continue to do so in every situation.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the cabinet's approval of a plan to change Israel's map of national priority areas to include more West Bank settlements did not signify a permanent stance on the future of these areas.
"We will determine the future of settlements only within the framework of a permanent agreement [with Palestinians]," Netanyahu said, according to Army Radio. "This map is intended to close rifts and this time, also to bring in our security concerns."
The cabinet approved on Sunday the controversial plan - which will pump millions of shekels into West Bank settlements - after Netanyahu decided to review the list of communities for which funds were earmarked. All of the ministers from the Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas parties voted in favor, following a five-hour debate on the matter at the weekly cabinet meeting; Labor's five ministers opposed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Labor chairman, attacked the plan during the discussion, warning that some of the money would end up in the hands of right-wing extremists.
"I don't think that we need to award them a prize in the form of including them in the national priority map," said Barak, referring to the plan.(20,19)
12 décembre 2009
Abbas: Stop settlers from running wild
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is furious over Thursday night's arson at a mosque in the West Bank village of Yasuf. Abbas met Friday afternoon with Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) in Amman, and told him, "The torching of the mosque is a despicable crime. The settlers' actions are brutal." Addressing the peace process, the Palestinian president clarified that the talks with Israel would not be resumed until the Jewish state freezes construction in all settlements, including east Jerusalem. Tibi meets with Abbas from time to time at the Palestinian ambassador's home in the Jordanian capital. This time, the two discussed various issues for about an hour and a half. "He was very angry about the mosque and the harm caused to Palestinians in their olive groves, but also determined and firm in his stance in terms of the peace process," the MK told Ynet. (01,24)
Syria, Iran sign defense cooperation deal
Syrian Defense Minister Ali Muhammad Habib and his Iranian counterpart, Ahmad Vahidi, have signed a military cooperation agreement, Iranian media reported Friday. The two countries agreed to appoint a joint committee to oversee the agreement's implementation. The deal was signed towards the end of the Iranian minister's visit to Syria. The two officials expressed their willingness to strengthen the military ties between the countries and noted that the cooperation would help expand the diplomatic, security and economic relations between Damascus and Tehran. They vowed to join forces against the regional threat posed by "the Zionist regime", referring to Israel. Vahidi met Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad and discussed the military cooperation between the two countries with him as well. During the visit, the minister was quoted as saying that Iran would strike back at Israeli weapons manufacturing sites and nuclear installations if the Jewish state attacks the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities. Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara estimated Thursday that Israel would not be able to attack Iran without the support of the United States. Speaking to heads of the ruling Ba'ath Party, al-Shara said that US President Barack Obama has tried to "restrain" Israel in order to prevent a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. "The Israelis, despite their (vast arsenal), were unable to force the Palestinian people in Gaza to surrender and wave the white flag," he stated. In another expression of the tight relations between the two countries, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili visited Syria last week in a bid to strengthen the military ties between Tehran and Damascus. He also met with Hamas leaders in the Syrian capital. (01,19)
11 décembre 2009
U.S. warns Iran of 'consequences' over nuclear program
The White House on Friday joined European Union leaders in warning Iran that it will face consequences if it does not bring its nuclear program into United Nations compliance. In a statement, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs also said the United States remained deeply concerned about the "deteriorating human rights situation" in the Islamic Republic. European Union leaders earlier said Iran had failed to meet its international obligations over its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon despite Tehran's denials. EU leaders said they would consider options for responding at their next meeting in Brussels on Jan. 21. Gibbs said the United States echoed the "grave concerns" expressed by European leaders and that Washington remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution. "However, if Iran continues to fail to bring its nuclear program into full compliance with the requirements of the United Nations Security Council and the IAEA, there will be consequences and we will be consulting closely with our partners to ensure those consequences are credible," the spokesman said. "We will continue to assess Iran's responses, and together with our partners will take appropriate measures in keeping with our common approach to the Iranian nuclear program." He was referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog. Gibbs expressed concern about the human rights situation in Iran a day after Amnesty International reported that human rights violations in Iran are as bad as at any time in the past 20 years. "We continue to call on the Iranian government to end the use of violence and persecution against those who seek to peacefully exercise universal rights, and to abide by its international obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights," he said. A statement approved by the 27 EU leaders at a summit in Brussels warned that, "Iran's persistent failure to meet its international obligations and Iran's apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations require a clear response. "The European Union stands ready to take the necessary steps," it said, ordering EU foreign ministers to prepare these steps, without elaborating on whether that would mean separate EU sanctions or support for new UN sanctions. Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, said in Brussels on Friday that, "Now if there is no response from Iran...we have always said in Britain that we are prepared to consider sanctions and that is what we are prepared to do in the new year if we don't have satisfactory responses." French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined in, saying he was reassured by what he called growing support at the United Nations for new punishment against Iran. The United States, Britain and France warned Thursday that Iran risks increased sanctions. But Russia - which as a permanent member of the UN Security Council could veto any new measures - reiterated its resistance to sanctions. (00,00)
21 left-wing activists arrested in violent East Jerusalem clashes
Six Israel Police officers were lightly wounded and 21 left-wing activists were arrested Friday during a demonstration that turned violent in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.
The demonstrators were protesting the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes.
The protesters on Friday marched from the city center to Sheikh Jarrah, where police said they tried to enter a home that is partly occupied by Jews before being stopped.
Police were instructed to disperse the demonstration, but the protesters refused to leave. Police then used force and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The entry of the Jews into the home follows a court order ruling in early December that the Arab al-Kurd family, which lives in a portion of the house, had no right to occupy an addition that they had built onto the house. The court rejected the al-Kurd family's petition seeking to prevent the Jews from moving into the building.
In recent months, three Palestinian families have been evicted from Sheikh Jarrah homes. Activists accuse settlers of trying to take over 28 homes in the neighborhood, which would allow them to create a Jewish community at the heart of the mostly Arab vicinity. (23,15)
Egypt going underground to stem Gaza smuggling
Egypt is installing a series of metal sheets some 60 feet deep along its border with Gaza in an attempt to block tunnels that serve as a key conduit to bring weapons into the Palestinian territory, border guards and area residents said Thursday. The work poses a risk to Egypt's relations with Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and could undermine its role as a regional mediator. Egypt is already under fire from Arab and Muslim groups for cooperating with Israel in its two-year blockade of the impoverished territory, with 1.4 million residents. The border project appears to be one of a series of measures Egypt has taken, some of them in cooperation with the United States, to crack down on smuggling since the end of Israel's war on Hamas last winter. The tunnels were a main target of Israel's offensive. "We in Hamas can't believe that Egypt would put barriers between us," Hamas lawmaker Yehiye Moussa told The Associated Press. "We know that Egypt is under American and international pressure, but we hope that this is not true. We demand that Egypt open its border."(22,22)
Barak slams 'extremists' who torched West Bank mosque
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday condemned the vandalization of a West Bank mosque, allegedly at the hands of of settlers protesting Israel's temporary freeze on settlement construction.
"This is an extremist act geared toward harming the government's efforts to advance the political process for the sake of Israel's future," said Barak.
Assailants vandalized the mosque in the northern West Bank village of Yasuf, torching furniture and spraying Nazi slogans in Hebrew on the premises.
incident points to the likelihood that settlers are behind the attack, police said, but the vandals have not yet been caught.
Settler extremists have recently attacked Palestinians and their property in response to Israeli government moves to curb settlement construction. These protesters have dubbed the attacks the "price tag" policy.
Israel Defense Forces officers in the West Bank have expressed concerned that settlers may escalate their acts of opposition to the temporary freeze on settlement construction by targeting the Palestinian population.
The assailants entered the village of Yasuf in the northern West Bank before dawn Friday, according to Israel Police and Munir Abushi, the Palestinian governor of the district where the village is located.
They burned prayer carpets and a book stand with Muslim holy texts, and left graffiti on the floor reading, "Price tag - greetings from Effi". Effi is a Hebrew name.
The vandals escaped. The IDF said it views the incident gravely and is investigating along with the police.
After villagers discovered the damage, they briefly threw stones at Israeli forces that entered Yasuf, Abushi said. He said two villagers were hurt in the skirmish.
Abushi met with Israeli police and army officers and expressed his dismay over repeated settler attacks.
"Israeli security forces have done little to protect Palestinian civilians from the settlers," he said.
In an apparent attempt to placate settlers over the construction slowdown, Netanyahu has proposed including tens of thousands of settlers, including many living in isolated settlements deep in the West Bank, in a government program that bestows monetary incentives on residents and businesses.
The move has drawn criticism from Netanyahu's coalition partner, the
Labor Party, which has indicated it will vote against the move at a Cabinet meeting next week.(17,17)
10 décembre 2009
Turkey warns IAF against using airspace
If Israel were to violate Turkish airspace in order to conduct reconnaissance operations on Iran, Ankara's reaction would resemble an "earthquake," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with Egyptian journalist Fahmi Huwaidi published Thursday morning. Responding to a question concerning rumors that Israel had entered Turkey's airspace for espionage purposes, Erdogan said that such a thing had never happened, but that the consequences would be dire if it did. "[Israel] will receive a response equal to that of an earthquake," he cautioned, urging Israel's leaders to refrain from "using the relationship they have with [Turkey] as a card to wage aggression on a third party." Ankara would not be a neutral party and stand aside with its arms folded, he said. Erdogan also alluded during the interview to last winter's Operation Cast Lead, saying that Israel could not reasonably have expected to participate in a joint military drill with Turkey after "sweeping" the people of Gaza. He stressed that the Turkish government's policy on Israel was both derived from and backed by the country's voting public. "We cannot challenge the feelings of the Turkish people, who were greatly affected by what happened during the aggression on Gaza," he said.
(23,14)
Hamas preparing 'offensive' tunnels
Israel is likely to face advanced Iranian weaponry, long-range rockets, large missile silos and dozens of kilometers of underground tunnels connecting open fields with urban centers in the event of a future conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the latest Israeli assessments. Since Operation Cast Lead ended almost a year ago, Hamas has increased its weapons smuggling and today operates hundreds of tunnels along the Philadelphi Corridor. It has smuggled in dozens of long-range Iranian-made rockets that can reach Tel Aviv as well as advanced anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles. Hamas is believed to have a significant number of shoulder-launched anti-tank missiles and 9M113 Konkurs, which have a range of four kilometers and are capable of penetrating heavy armor. In addition, Hamas is believed to have today a few thousand rockets, including several hundred with a range of 40 kilometers and several dozen with a range of between 60 and 80 km. Intelligence assessments are that Hamas smuggled the missiles into the Gaza Strip through tunnels, possibly in several components. Iran already supplies Hamas with 122mm Katyusha rockets that are smuggled into Gaza in several pieces and then assembled by Hamas engineers. One of the main lessons Hamas learned from Cast Lead was the need to reinforce its defenses and as a result has invested efforts in digging additional tunnels, which connect open fields with homes belonging to key operatives as well as command centers. (13,15)