Occupied Palestine:
News and Articles
News
’Olmert
could go to prison’ Aviad Glickman, YNetNews
9/8/2008
Legal expert says police indictment recommendation serious, but says
past experience shows State Prosecution may decide to ignore it - "The police
recommendation regarding the indictment isn’t binding. The police’s role is
to investigate, and that’s why this is just a recommendation, and experience
shows us that recommendations aren’t always taken into account," Professor
Ariel Bendor of the Bar-Ilan University Law Department told Ynet on Sunday
evening. Earlier in the day police recommend the State Prosecution indict Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert over the Morris Talansky and Rishontours affairs on charges
of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The final decision regarding whether an
indictment will be filed, and its nature, lies with Attorney General Menachem
Mazuz. Professor Bendor said the offenses Olmert may be tried on are "very
grave".
PA
Minister of Health says Gaza health sector about to collapse
Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Ramallah – Ma’an – The Gaza health sector is on the verge of
collapse, after enduring the blockade, restriction on movement and strikes from
medical workers evidence shows clear deterioration. Incidents of anemia in the
Palestinian population have reached 38% in women and 55% amongst children in the
Gaza Strip, indicating a collapse of the health care sector, said Minister of
Health for the Palestinian Authority (PA) caretaker government Fathi Abu Moghli
on Sunday. The deteriorating conditions of the health sector in Gaza, said
Moghli at a Ramallah press conference, are the effects of the Israeli blockade.
Citizens are prevented from moving in and out of the area, meaning that health
services from other areas cannot be provided, and goods are being prevented from
entering the area, meaning that hospitals are out of essential supplies.
Severe
water shortage in West Bank; some homes without water for
weeks Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A coalition of
Palestinian and international NGOs issued a statement on Friday calling the
water shortage across the West Bank a “humanitarian crisis†and said they
were “gravely concerned. â€The coalition said that there was a reduction in
water supplies from rainfall averaging 45% across the West Bank, which has left
200 communities not served by the municipal water sources at a loss. There is
not enough water for cooking, cleaning, agricultural irrigation, or basic
food-producing plant watering. Even in cities and villages connected to water
mains, reduction in supply means frequent cut offs for homes and offices. It is
common in many areas to not have water for a week, and others only receive water
once in a fortnight. Several aid organizations have been providing emergency
water resources so the basic needs to Palestinians can be met.
No
passports, no passage: no pilgrimage for Gazans this Ramadan
Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Gaza – Ma’an – hundreds of fasting Muslims from the besieged
Gaza Strip hoping to do the Umrah, make a pilgrimage to Mecca, this Ramadan are
waiting for the Rafah crossing to open. Palestinians hoping to make the Umrah,
or ‘minor pilgrimage’ to Mecca during the last ten days of Ramadan were
prevented from the trip on account of the violent internal fighting which lead
to the closure of the border with Egypt. Palestinians without Israeli identity
cards cannot leave Israel from Tel Aviv airport, but must first cross over to
Jordan. Compounding the closure of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is
the still unresolved issue of Passports, which are in short supply. The
Palestinian Authority in Ramallah sent supplies of official paper and covers to
Gaza, but the de-facto government said Sunday, however, that they never received
the paper.
Israeli
police detain 670 Palestinians illegally in Israel Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli border guards carried out a
campaign across Israel looking for Palestinian workers residing illegally in the
country on Saturday evening. According to Israeli sources, 670 workers without
permits were siezed during the round up. Sourcesadded that 42 Israeli employers
were detained for employing and transporting these “illegal workers. †The
campaign included the arrest of 6 Palestinians in the West Bank , who were
described as “wanted activists. â€At the same time, Israel siezed 12 cars
that had been reportedly stolen from Israel. [end]
Israel
puts off discussions on removing West Bank settlers
Agence France Presse - AFP,
Daily Star 9/8/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel postponed talks Sunday on a
plan to compensate Occupied West Bank settlers who agree to relocate as part of
a future peace deal with the Palestinians, Israeli army radio reported. Premier
Ehud Olmert had earlier insisted the issue of the voluntary relocation of some
of the estimated 260,000 Jewish settlers in the Occupied West Bank was part of
US-backed peace talks relaunched last year. "We will not bring the issue to a
decision today," Olmert said ahead of a Cabinet meeting. "But at a time when
serious and continuing diplomatic negotiations are being held, it should be
clear to everyone that they will likely - at some [point] - lead also to the
need to make decisions that will entail the relocation of residents from the
places in which they live," the Israeli premier said. "I think that it is good
to begin thinking about these issues and to see how we can prepare for them
properly," he added.
1 million
Gazan signatures sought for UN petition by Free Gaza
activists Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Gaza – Ma’an – The signatures of 1
million Palestinians in Gazawill be collected and submitted to the UN Secretary
General by the activists from the Free Gaza initiative. The document will be
delivered during an ordinary session of the UN General Assembly, said Dr Iyad
Sarraj head of the campaign, and is meant to express the Palestinian will and
exert pressure on the international community, especially the UN General
Assembly. It is hoped that the document will urge the body to make an immediate
resolution to end the siege on the Gaza Strip. The document emphasizes that
siege violates international human rights as well as international law. It also
violates the fourth Geneva Convention which maintains that civilians must be
protected during wartime while under occupation. According to the document, the
siege on Gaza has resulted in an unprecedented escalation in poverty and
unemployment rates.
Cooking
gas shortage in Gaza dropped to 30 pct Xinhua News Agency, ReliefWeb
9/7/2008
GAZA, Sep 07, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- The increase
of cooking gas shipments to the Gaza Strip has helped to overcome shortage to 30
percent, a Palestinian official said on Sunday. According to Mahmoud al-Shawa,
director of gas stations owners union, the increase of the gas has contributed
to decrease of the shortage to 30 percent, while prior to the ceasefire the
shortage was around 60 percent. Under a ceasefire agreement, the daily shipments
of the cooking gas to Gaza reached 400 tons, compared with 180 tons before Egypt
brokered the deal between Israel and Islamic Hamas movement. "Resolving the
crisis completely requires Israel to keep and remain committed to pipe the 400
tons of the cooking gas every day, " al-Shawa said. He said the union and the
Palestinian Petroleum Agency still put pressure on the Israeli companies to
increase the fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip.
Arab
activists accuse Israel of Gaza ’genocide’ Middle East Online 9/7/2008
DUBAI
- A group of Arab international lawyers and human rights activists accused
Israel on Sunday of committing "genocide" through its crippling blockade of the
Gaza Strip. "The catastrophic situation in which Gaza citizens live, which led
to the deterioration of medical, economic, ecological and humanitarian
conditions, in addition to the death of innocent people, amounts to genocide,"
said the 11 activists in a statement. By preventing food and medicines from
reaching civilians "under the pretext of besieging ’a terrorist
government’," Israel is committing "genocide" as defined in the 1998 Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court, they wrote. Israel has tightened
its blockade of the impoverished Palestinian in June 2007, when the
democratically elected Hamas movement seized power there, although a
‘lighter’ siege had already existed before.
One
million signatures to be sent to UN to urge it to end Gaza
siege Palestinian Information Center 9/7/2008
GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Eyad
Al-Sarraj, the founder of the Gaza community mental health program, announced
Saturday that the international Palestinian campaign to break the siege intends
to collect one million signatures from Gaza citizens and submit them in a
document to the UN general assembly in order to urge it to take immediate
decision to end the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip. According to Sarraj, the
document, which will be sent to the UN General Assembly on the occasion of
holding its regular session, confirms that the Israeli siege violates the
international system of human rights and international humanitarian law as well
as the fourth Geneva convention which obliges Israel to respect civilians in
time of war. The document also underlines the destructive impacts of the Israeli
siege on all aspects of life in Gaza in addition to the Palestinian people’s
right to resist the occupation, the siege and racism.
Roadside bomb detonated near an
Israeli settlement east of Nablus Rami Almeghari & Agencies,
International Middle East Media Center News 9/7/2008
In a joint statement
issued yesterday night, both the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of
Preseident Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, and the struggle and return brigades,
declared responsibility for detonating a roadside bomb near the Israeli
settlement of Etamar, east of Nablus city. The statement read that a large
contingent of the Israeli army rushed to the place and that the perpetrators
have returned bake safely to basis. The two factions asserted that yesterdays
bombing were a part of the Palestinian resistance against the continued Israeli
attacks on the West Bank. Israel continues to occupy and impose forceful
military control over the West Bank since 1967. No Israeli sources verified this
news.
Fatah’s
military wing claims responsibility for roadside bomb attack near
settlement Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The military
wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, claimed responsibility for a roadside bomb
explosion near the Israeli settlement Etamar security complex east of Nablus in
the northern West Bank. The military group said in a statement on Sunday that
several Israeli forces were seen combing the area after the incident, but that
none of the men responsible for the attack were apprehended. The group said the
explosion came as part of retaliation for ongoing Israeli assaults against the
Palestinian people. Israeli sources have not confirmed the explosion. [end]
Israeli
forces arrest 13 Palestinians in Nablus and Ramallah
Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested 13 Palestinians
from their homes in several different West Bank cities, Israeli sources said on
Sunday. According to Israeli media, 11 of the arrestees were from Nablus in the
northern West Bank and two were from Anata village near Ramallah in the central
West Bank. All arrestees were taken for questioning to interrogation centres.
[end]
’Golan
Referendum’ bill readied for final two Knesset readings
Shahar Ilan, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
A bill requiring a national referendum, general elections or a
two-thirds majority vote by Knesset members for approval of the concession of
any Israeli land is ready for the next two rounds of Knesset voting, which will
decide whether it turns into law. A special Knesset committee responsible for
the bill finished preparing it for its second and third readings yesterday,
following a marathon session over the summer recess. MK David Tal (Kadima), who
heads the committee and initiated the summer meetings, said yesterday he would
bring the bill to a committee vote in two weeks, and to the Knesset plenum as
soon as the winter session opens, on October 26. The Knesset is considered
likely to pass the proposal, which has come to be known as the "referendum law.
"Former MK Avigdor Yitzhaki, also of Kadima, spearheaded the bill, and Tal
pushed the proposal forward after Yitzhaki’s resignation from the Knesset,
last February.
C’tee
okays East J’lem referendum bill Shelly Paz, Jerusalem Post
9/7/2008
A joint panel of the Knesset House and Law committees on Sunday
approved a proposal amending the national referendum bill, so that it now states
a vote must be held before concessions on any territory under Israeli legal
jurisdiction, including Jerusalem. The committee also rejected Central Elections
Committee director-general Tamar Edri’s proposal that a public holiday be
declared for such a referendum, citing the NIS 1. 3 billion cost. "We have
decided that all territory under Israel’s jurisdiction will be added to the
referendum bill, because we believe that the current political situation has
changed and it will receive the Knesset plenum’s support," House Committee
chairman David Tal said. Tal has vigorously championed the referendum bill since
its initiator, Avigdor Yitzhaki, resigned from the Knesset.
Mishaal:
Palestinians, all Arabs and Muslims legitimate owners of
Jerusalem Palestinian Information Center 9/7/2008
DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- Khalid
Mishaal, the head of the Hamas political bureau, stated Saturday that the
Palestinian people, and all Arabs and Muslims are the legitimate owners of
Jerusalem, highlighting that there is no nation eligible to be in charge of it
except Arabs because they are the best ones to cater for divine religions and
holy places. During a reception held by the international Quds
institution on the occasion of inaugurating its branch in Syria, Mishaal added
that it is unbecoming to make occupied Jerusalem a door to capitulation,
inferiority and compromises as some people do today. The Hamas leader underlined
that there is no Palestinian, Arab or Muslim leader, no matter how much
influential he is, is able to sign an agreement relinquishing Jerusalem. He
stressed that Jerusalem is exposed to a conspiracy on the ground represented in
the apartheid wall, judaization,. . .
French President Sarkozy to brief
Tel-Aviv on his Damascus visit Rami Almeghari & Agencies,
International Middle East Media Center News 9/7/2008
French President Sarkozy
to brief Tel-Aviv on his Damascus visit French President Nicolas Sarkozy, will
dispatch on Sunday an envoy to Tel-Aviv in order to brief Israeli officials on
his latest visit to Damascus, with ongoing efforts for peace between Israel and
Syria. Israeli media sources said that Chief of Middle Eastern Affairs at the
French Foreign Ministry will be arriving in Tel-Aviv for talks with the
political advisor of Israeli Prime Minister, Shalom Turjman, and the Director
General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Aharon Abramovitch. The media sources
revealed that the French dispatch will carry assurances from Sarkozy as the
seriousness of the Syrian leadership regarding peace with Israel. Sarkozy took
part last week in a four-way summit in Damascus, which included the Emir of
Qatar , Sheikh Hammad Bin Khalifa Al-Tani, Turkish Prime Minister, Rajeb Tayeb
Ordoghan as well as the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
US may supervise renewed Syria-Israel
peace negotiations Saed Bannoura, International Middle
East Media Center News 9/7/2008
In two weeks, a new round of negotiations
will begin between Israeli and Syrian negotiators, but without the Turkish
mediators that have overseen talks to this point. Instead of Turkish mediators,
the US will step in as an authority for the next round of talks, which has
raised some eyebrows in the Middle East due to the US record in the region. The
information came from an interview conducted by the London-based paper Ashark
Alawsat with unnamed European and Israeli government sources. The talks between
Syria and Israel restarted recently after having been frozen for eight years.
Israel’s stated objective in the talks is to force Syria to move away from its
ties with Iran. Syria hopes to regain the territory of the Golan Heights, which
was seized by Israel in the 1967 war and never returned. Israel’s occupation
of the Golan Heights for the last 31 years is in direct violation. . .
The
meaning of the summit in Damascus Daily Star 9/6/2008
Regional and
international players have been meeting in Damascus for thousands of years to do
one of two things: make war, or make a deal. This week’s four-way summit of
the leaders of France, Syria, Qatar and Turkey in Damascus perpetuates the
age-old tradition of making deals, in this case bargaining over strategic assets
and positions rather than fine-thread carpets. Bargaining to strike a deal in
Damascus, whether in the world of commerce or politics, is defined by a few
basic rules: The process takes time, it often requires third parties to come in
and out of the picture like catalysts in a chemical equation, some gains are not
calculated immediately but materialize later, and a deal is consummated only if
all sides obtain their key demands in a win-win situation. This week’s
Damascus meeting testifies dramatically to the changing Middle East, which has
become incredibly complicated. . .
Minister Al-Agha of Hamas government:
Despite truce, Israel attacks fishermen Rami Almeghari & Agencies,
International Middle East Media Center News 9/7/2008
Palestinian Minister of
Agriculture of the Hamas government in Gaza, Mohammad Al-Agha said that despite
the 100-day-old ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance factions and
Israel, the Israeli naval vessels continue to attack fishermen on board of Gaza
shores. The Minister believed that such attacks appear to be an attempt from the
part of Israel to test the sustainability of the truce deal. Al-Agha’s remarks
came in response to a shoot-out against some fishing boats, accompanied by
international activists while on board yesterday. The Palestinian Minister
hailed the role of those internationals in breaking the Israeli siege on Gaza,
calling on Arab masses to take similar moves to break the ’ debilitating’
blockade. The shooting at internationals and fishermen on Saturday was not the
first sign these peace activists and human rights workers arrived by the Gaza
shores on August 23, on board of the Free Gaza Boat.
PFLP-GC:
The idea of sending Arab forces to Gaza not serious
Palestinian Information
Center 9/7/2008
DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- The Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine, the General Command, has declared its opposition to sending Arab
forces to the Gaza Strip, describing the idea as "not serious". Talal Naji, the
assistant secretary of PFLP-GC, told PIC that the idea was tabled by Egyptian
foreign minister Ahmed Abul Ghait, and said that it was not yet discussed at any
Arab platform. Naji stressed that the idea did not "mature", and added that
solving internal Palestinian problems would negate the need for such forces. He
championed a national, comprehensive and responsible Palestinian dialog that
includes all forces in the Palestinian arena, noting that current bilateral
dialogs in Cairo were meant as a transitory stage toward initiating that
comprehensive dialog. Hamas does not obstruct Palestinian dialog, he emphasized,
adding that Hamas had always expressed readiness for dialog without any
conditions.
De facto
government announces housing and tourism projects to strengthen
economy Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza’s de facto
government announced plans for a series of development projects to re-start the
industrial sector in a bid to move away from aid money to independently
generated income. Secretary General of the de facto government in the Gaza
Strip, Walid Al-Awad announced on Sunday that his government would undertake
what he called an “intermediate development plan†to increase the
independence of the Gazan people. The projects will include housing developments
for Palestinians with limited income, and several tourist projects with
entrepreneurs from abroad partnering with Gazans. “The government wants this
plan to be a message,†said Al-Awad, “telling the world that it does not
want political money as much as it wants an internal income. â€In order to
execute the projects, a political committee has been formed to distribute land
for the various developments.
Abu
Zuhri: Abbas not authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian
people Palestinian Information Center 9/7/2008
GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Sami Abu
Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, has underlined that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas was no
longer authorized to negotiate with the Israeli occupation authority in the name
of the Palestinian people. Abbas’s insistence on maintaining negotiations with
the IOA reflects the project he and his negotiating team are promulgating
regardless of the results, Abu Zuhri elaborated in a press release. He said that
there is no way that any agreement reached by Abbas with the IOA would be
applied, noting that Abbas was about to leave office. He said that any
referendum on such an agreement should be made only after restructuring the PLO
on new agreed upon basis. The spokesman, who was commenting on Israeli president
Shimon Peres’s statement that Hamas should not be allowed to participate in
any future elections, said that the statement meant nothing for his Movement.
Hamas
slams shipments of weapons from Israel to the PA Rami Almeghari & Agencies,
International Middle East Media Center News 9/7/2008
The Islamist Hamas party
in Gaza slammed yesterday recent reports on delivery by Israel of weapons
shipments to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman of
Hamas in Gaza, said in a statement " the weapons which Israel allowed in to the
security services in the West Bank, the latest were 10000 machine guns, have all
been a part of empowering such services to further undermine Hamas and other
resistance factions there". He added that such actions would help enhance
current division between Gaza’s rulers and the West Bank rulers, and that this
would suppress freedoms , pointing out that the Palestinian people rather need
weapons to defy the occupation not to protect it’. " All such attempts will
fail in the end of the day, as Gaza stands as a fine example of the Palestinian
people’s steadfastness in the face of the occupation", Barhoum explained.
Na’eem:
The strike failed after 80 percent of doctors attended their
jobs Palestinian Information Center 9/7/2008
GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Basim
Na’eem, the PA health minister, stated Saturday that the strike in the health
sector failed after 80 percent of doctors reported to their jobs in hospitals,
reiterating that the strike was politicized. These comments were
made during a meeting with a number of journalists, human rights activists,
academics and many notables held in the headquarters of the health ministry in
Gaza to discuss the latest developments about the strike in the health sector.
Dr. Na’eem underlined that the strike was aimed at spoiling the existing
inter-Palestinian dialog atmosphere and destabilizing the state of calm and
stability in Gaza. The minister pointed out that his ministry conversed
with the parties in Ramallah who instigated the strike in an attempt to end the
strike and reinstate striking health workers, but to no avail.
Egyptian
mediator meets Palestinian People’s Party delegation
Xinhua News Agency,
ReliefWeb 9/7/2008
CAIRO, Sep 07, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network)--
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on Sunday held talks with a delegation
of the Palestinian People’s Party on means of healing the current
inter-Palestinian rift. The Palestinian delegation, led by the party’s
Secretary General Bassam al-Salhi, discussed with Suleiman its views on the
Palestinian situation and means to restore Palestinian unity, the Egyptian MENA
news agency said. Suleiman’s meeting with the delegation is part of Egyptian
mediation efforts to help resume an inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.
In late August, Egyptian mediators started bilateral talks with delegations of
Palestinian factions to hammer out a unified stance among Palestinians to
overcome the current inter-Palestinian crisis, particularly between Hamas and
Fatah.
Al-Qaida
inspired group warns Hamas Associated Press, Jerusalem Post
9/7/2008
A shadowy Palestinian group inspired by al-Qaida threatened the Gaza
Strip’s Hamas rulers on Sunday, demanding that their jailed leader be
released. The Army of the Nation said that it would use its "own means" to free
Abu Hafs Makdisi, although it did not specify exactly what it would do. The
statement was posted on a terrorist Web site on Sunday. Makdisi was jailed last
week after he criticized Hamas for not strictly imposing Islamic law in Gaza.
Hamas, itself an Islamic group, has controlled Gaza since June 2007. The Army of
the Nation is one of several small groups in Gaza that look to al-Qaida as their
model, but they aren’t believed to belong to the global terrorist network, and
their capabilities appear to be limited.
Hamas:
Arming Abbas’s security reward for its role in liquidating
resistance Palestinian Information Center 9/6/2008
Gaza, (PIC)-- Hamas said that
the Israeli occupation authority’s delivery of 1,000 machineguns to the PA
security apparatuses loyal to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas was meant as a reward for
those apparatuses’ efforts in protecting Israel’s security. Fawzi Barhoum, a
Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a press release on Saturday that Israel wanted
to reward the PA security apparatuses "for their distinctive role in preserving
Israelis security and for their big role in liquidating Palestinian opposition
and resistance". He said that the step was bolstering one party against the
other, deepening internal rift and increasing quelling of freedoms in the West
Bank. [end]
Hamas
denies Shalit’s profile will be delivered to a third party
Rami Almeghari &
Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 9/7/2008
The Islamist
Hamas party in Gaza denied media reports that the profile of captured Israeli
soldier, Gil’ad Shalit will be delivered to a third party, presumably Arab or
foreign. Ismail Redwan of Hamas confirmed that his group is not in a hurry for
sorting out the Shalit case, as the whole issue is still being worked out by
Hamas and Egypt. Redwan added that Hamas does not want to reach an agreement on
the issue of Shalit, unless Israel reopens the border crossings and lift the
siege of Gaza completely. With respect to underway dialogue among Palestinian
factions in Cairo, the Hamas leader maintained that Egypt’s role to bridge the
gap between Palestinians will achieve the national unity and the recognition of
all legitimacies. Redwan explained that the Egypt’s invitation to the
Palestinian factions for dialogue is meant to explore new horizons for
discussion, in the hope of ensuring a balanced vision that all parties are
satisfied with.
Hamas:
Shalit’s portfolio remains in Egyptian hands Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Gaza
– Ma’an – Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan refuted news reports claiming
the portfolio of negotiating the return of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
was taken from Egypt and given to other Arab countries. He asserted that Hamas
was not in a hurry. “This news about transferring the Shalit case to anybody
other than Egypt is incorrect. All files remained in Egypt including
Shalit’s,†Radwan told Ma’an on Sunday. Israeli and Arab media reported
this week the possible involvement of Syria in negotiations for the return of
Shalit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was given a letter by Shalit’s father
(both men have French citizenship) to pass on to Syrian President Bashar
Al-Assad during their talks this week. Assad was then supposed to hand the
letter over to Hamas leadership in Damascus. Radwan added that Hamas was not in
a hurry, and Israel must reopen the crossing points and lift the siege imposed
on the Gaza Strip.
Israel,
US to hold first defense forum Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post
9/7/2008
Israel and the United States will hold their first-ever joint High
Technology Forum this week near Washington. It is aimed at easing regulations
for exports to Israel on dual-use products that have both a military and
civilian use. The forum will meet Tuesday at the Sheraton National Hotel in
Arlington, Virginia. It will be led by Defense Ministry director-general Pinchas
Buchris and US Undersecretary for Industry and Security Mario Mancuso. The
decision to hold the forum was made last year during a visit Mancuso made to
Israel. "Israel is a dynamic technology market and a strategic partner of the
United States," Mancuso said at the time. "The High Technology Forum will
accelerate, elevate and institutionalize a senior-level dialogue to address
bilateral high technology trade, investment and related security issues within
the context of our larger strategic relationship.
Olmert
indicted as deputy is accused of war crimes Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem, The
Independent 9/8/2008
The Israeli Attorney General has been urged to launch a
criminal investigation into whether Shaul Mofaz, a leading prime ministerial
candidate, ordered "war crimes" to be committed when he was the military’s
chief of staff. A leading Israeli law professor has written to justice
officials, calling for the investigation into claims -- highlighted by The
Independent last month -- that during a briefing to army officers in May 2001,
after the start of the second Palestinian uprising, Mr Mofaz ordered a daily
"quota" of Palestinian deaths. Last night, Israeli police recommended to
prosecutors that the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, be indicted in a corruption
investigation. With Mr Olmert committed to resigning after his Kadima party
holds a leadership vote a week today, the recommendation will have no immediate
impact on his tenure and does not guarantee an indictment by the Attorney
General.
Israeli
police urge PM’s indictment for corruption Toni O''Loughlin in Jerusalem, The
Guardian 9/8/2008
Israel’s police force has recommended that the prime
minister, Ehud Olmert, be indicted for bribery, money laundering, fraud and
breach of trust, following an 18-month investigation. Olmert is accused of
receiving $150,000 (£84,000) in cash for political campaigns over a 10-year
period, accepting tens of thousands of dollars in upgraded air tickets and
expensive hotel rooms and of double-billing Jewish philanthropic organisations,
including Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum and the Soldiers’ Welfare
Fund, to the tune of $110,000. Police are also considering whether to recommend
that Olmert be indicted for a third scandal, dubbed the investment centre
affair, in which he, while serving as industry minister, allegedly granted state
funds to a company represented by his close associate and former law partner,
Uri Messer.
Israel
Police recommends indicting Olmert Noam Sharvit, Globes Online
9/7/2008
The recommendation is over the Talansky and Rishontours affairs, and
includes charges of receiving bribes and fraud. Israel Police recommends
indicting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over two affairs, the cash-filled envelopes
received from Morris Talansky, and the Rishontours affair, on counts of bribery,
fraud, and money laundering. As far as the Investment Center affair is
concerned, the police have yet to reach final conclusions about the evidence. In
the Talansky affair, the police recommend indicting Olmert on charges of
receiving bribes, fraud, and breach of trust by a public servant, and with
breach of the Money Laundering Prohibition Law and other offences. The taxation
aspects of the affair will be dealt with separately by the Tax Authority. The
police also recommend indicting the prime minister’s former bureau chief Shula
Zaken for assisting in the commission of the offences for which they recommend
indicting Olmert.
Police:
Indict Olmert on corruption charges Efrat Weiss, YNetNews
9/7/2008
After months of investigations and political turmoil - police
recommend charging prime minister with fraud, bribery offenses related to
Rishontours, Talansky affairs. Olmert’s attorneys belittle announcement as
’meaningless,’ say will wait for attorney general’s decision - Some 18
months after the state comptroller determined there was sufficient evidence to
launch a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s dealings,
police have officially submitted their recommendation to prosecute him over two
of the affairs. After spending many long hours deliberating the matter, police
issued a formal announcement on Sunday evening in which they recommended the
state indict Olmert over the ’Rishontours’ and Morris Talansky cash affairs.
Charges related tothe Talansky affair - in which Olmert is suspected of received
illicit funds from. . .
Police
suggest indicting Israeli PM Al Jazeera 9/7/2008
Israeli police
have recommended corruption charges against the country’s prime minister.
Police said on Sunday that they possess enough evidence to charge Ehud Olmert
for accepting bribes and breaching public trust. The move to indict Olmert comes
amid allegations that he unlawfully accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from
Morris Talansky, a US businessman, before he became prime minister in 2006. "The
investigation found that Talansky transferred to Olmert over the years from 1997
and on, large sums of money in different ways, in cash and illegally," a police
statement issued said. Money ’pocketed’Olmert is also suspected of invoicing
non-governmental organisations and charities several times over for the same
overseas trips. He is allleged to have pocketed the difference or used the money
for his own private visits.
Police
recommend indicting Olmert on bribery charges Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post
9/7/2008
After months of investigations and speculation, police recommended
on Sunday evening that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should be charged with
bribery, breach of public trust, violation of anti-money laundering legislation
and fraudulent receipt of goods. According to former National Fraud Unit
investigator Dep. -Cmdr. (ret. ) Boaz Gutman, Olmert will likely be formally
charged in December. The police recommendations are based on two probes. The
first examined Olmert’s role in the Talansky cash-envelopes affair, in which
Olmert is said to have illicitly received hundreds of thousands of dollars from
Long Island investor Morris Talansky in exchange for advancing the mogul’s
business interests. Olmert’s promotion of Talansky’s business led to the
recommendation to indict him for bribery, police said.
Olmert
probes: the corruption allegations against the prime
minister Haaretz Staff, Ha’aretz 9/7/2008
Police investigations and
allegations of improprieties have dogged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in recent
years. The premier has been under investigation in the following cases:* Olmert
tours: Police suspect Olmert and his family took dozens of trips abroad that
were paid out of an account Olmert held with the Rishon Tours travel agency in
Rishon Letzion with money obtained fraudulemtly from public organizations. "We
are talking about many family trips of at least two family members at a time,
for example mother and daughter, or two of the children, whose travel expenses
were covered by the account in Rishon Tours," law enforcement sources said. "In
the Rishon Tours affair, the case is unequivocally substantiated and by all
appearances it will result in an indictment," sources said.
Prime
minister’s legal team dismisses ’insignificant’ police
recommendation Barak Ravid and Ofra Edelman, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert yesterday played down the police recommendation to indict him. His
lawyers and media adviser put out the message that "the police’s
recommendation is insignificant. "Nonetheless, Olmert decided to cancel a
planned trip to Moscow, and is expected to call off his scheduled appearance at
the UN General Assembly in New York at the end of the month. Last evening,
Olmert’s team of lawyers, Eli Zohar, Navot Tel-Tzur and Roey Belcher, released
a prepared announcement, whose timing was coordinated with the release of the
police statement. "The only person who by law can determine whether or not to
indict the prime minister is the attorney general [Menachem Mazuz]," it read.
"He has the authority and the matter is his responsibility. "Olmert’s lawyers
added: "The police’s recommendations have no legal significance.
Cabinet
approves Friedmann’s legal reforms by a single vote
Barak Ravid Tomer Zarchin
and Shahar Ilan, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
The cabinet narrowly approved a
controversial bill yesterday that would curtail judicial review of legislation
while enabling the Knesset to reinstate laws that the Supreme Court deemed
unconstitutional. Normally, cabinet approval would indicate that the bill, which
will now be sent to the Knesset, has a good chance of becoming law. In this
case, however, its future remains uncertain because one of its main backers,
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has pledged to resign after next week’s Kadima
leadership primary, and all four of the candidates to succeed him voted against
the bill. Thus by the time the Knesset reconvenes in late October, a new cabinet
with a different view may be in place. The bill passed by a vote of 13 to 12,
with one abstention. The votes in favor came from Shas, the Pensioners and seven
Kadima ministers, including Olmert and the bill’s sponsor, Justice Minister
Daniel Friedmann.
Gov’t
okays Supreme Court restrictions Herb Keinon And Dan Izenberg,
Jerusalem Post 9/7/2008
By a one-vote margin, the government on Sunday voted
in favor of Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann’s proposal to limit the
authority of the Supreme Court by giving the Knesset the right to re-legislate a
law that the court rules unconstitutional. The proposal passed by a 13-12 vote,
with one abstention. At the end of the debate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert lashed
out at Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who said the new bill ran counter to
coalition guidelines. Olmert, in his fiercest attack yet on a government
minister, said the Labor Party itself had in a serial manner been violating the
coalition agreement. Voting for the resolution were the four Shas ministers, the
two Gil Pensioners Party ministers, and Kadima’s Olmert, Friedmann, Vice
Premier Haim Ramon, Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila, Immigrant Absorption
Minister Eli Aflalo, Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra and
Construction and Housing Minister Ze’ev Boim.
Senior
IDF officers: Army ’radically’ better prepared for next
war Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
Senior Israel Defense Forces officers
have rejected criticism that the army is not ready for future challenges,
asserting that training programs are vigorously preparing the IDF for the
possibility of another war in the North. "Tremendous work has been done to
repair shortcomings revealed during the last war. The preparedness, fitness of
the units, equipment, relation to reservists - an radical improvement has been
made in all of this," sources in the general staff said. The officers were
responding to comments by Major General (res. ) Moshe Ivri-Sukenik, who resigned
as commander of the IDF Northern Corps earlier this year, who blasted the way
the army is training as flawed. Sukenik’s criticism was legitimate but the
real condition of the army was much better than he had described it, the sources
said.
Olmert
calls Barak shameful, insidious Roni Sofer, YNetNews
9/7/2008
Government meeting sparks harsh battle of words between Kadima,
Labor heads. PM: ‘Defense minister made comments that cannot refer to anyone
but me regarding honoring coalitional agreements’Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
went on an unprecedented offensive on Sunday afternoon against Defense Minister
Ehud Barak. At the end of the governmental meeting, Olmert scorned his most
official coalitional partner saying his actions are, “shameful, with an
incomparable inability to see yourself systematically violate the coalitional
agreements and leaking information from private conversations. †The harsh
incident took place at the end of a heated governmental meeting caused by
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann’s proposal. At the end of the meeting, the
government’s ministers voted 13 to 11 to transferring the discussion to the
Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
Olmert
blasts Barak for ’leaks, sabotage and broken promises’
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert lashed out yesterday at his defense
minister, Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak, calling him a saboteur, a leaker,
brazen and a serial breaker of agreements. His outburst - the culmination of
weeks of accumulated grievances against Barak - raises serious questions about
how the two men can continue to work together to address crucial security
concerns. The eruption came during yesterday’s cabinet discussion of a bill to
limit judicial review, which Olmert supports but Barak opposes. Barak argued
that the bill violates the Labor-Kadima coalition agreement, prompting an angry
response from Vice Premier Haim Ramon. "Nothing is as ridiculous, laughable and
brazen as the effrontery of the Labor Party, which violated the first and most
basic rule of a coalition agreement when it ousted the prime minister and
intended to vote against the coalition in the Knesset,. . .
The Shin
Bet’s academic freedom Gideon Levy, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
On the face of it, we are talking about a heated exchange between
the rector of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and the head of the Shin Bet
security service, but in fact the matter concerns Israeli society’s order of
priorities. Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin complained last week about the "haughty
and disparaging" attitude displayed toward his organization by Hebrew University
rector Haim Rabinowitz, after the university decided not to hold a special study
program - awarding a humanities degree to Shin Bet members in 16 months - by
virtue of their "work toward foiling terror attacks at the university," as
Diskin put it. The Shin Bet head felt that his foilers were entitled to an
academic reduction; Rabinowitz ruled that Shin Bet operatives are subject to the
same laws as any other student. He should be praised for that ruling, which in
effect confirms the Hebrew University’s. . .
Jordan
reassesses its strategic ties with Hamas and Iraq Asher Susser, Daily Star
9/8/2008
Jordan’s recent widely publicized resumption of contact with Hamas
should be seen through the wider lens of the historic and strategic context. In
the summer of 1999 King Abdullah II, shortly after his ascension to the throne,
expelled the Hamas leadership from Jordan. The recent resumption of contact with
Hamas was the first significant reversal of Jordan’s almost decade-long
confrontational stand toward the organization. Hamas’ expulsion from Jordan
was a reflection of the young King Abdullah’s shifting priorities in
comparison to those of his late father King Hussein. For Hussein, the Hamas
presence in Amman was a card to play against Yasser Arafat in Palestinian
politics, from which he never really withdrew. For Abdullah, far more focused on
Jordan proper, the presence was a political nuisance and a potential domestic
security problem.
Abbas
meets King Abdullah of Jordan, affirms importance of Arab
support Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian
official website WAFA informed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
confirmed on Sunday the importance of Arab role in negotiations with Israeli
side. The news agency quoted Abbas as saying during his visit to Jordan and
meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan that they discussed ongoing negotiations
between Palestinians and Israelis considering them as Arab interest and strategy
in general. He said that any issue of those final stage issues does concern any
Arab and Islamic country pointing to the need to declare details of those
negotiations with Arab countries and the importance to hear Arab opinions in
this domain and to discuss national Palestinian dialogue with King Abdullah. He
said: “issues of political negotiations and national dialogue in addition to
political activities and a number of issues including fruits of talks with
Israeli. . .
Peres
warns Olmert: Attack on Iran could spark wide-scale war
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
President Shimon Peres has warned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that a
military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities is likely to trigger a wide-scale
confrontation, A British newspaper reported Sunday. Peres is the first senior
politician to warn the prime minister against an Israeli attack on Iran, with
other politicians threatening an air attack if Tehran does not abandon uranium
enrichment in what the West believes is a quest to develop nuclear weapons. "The
military path will not solve the problem," Peres said in an interview with
Britain’s Sunday Times. " Such an attack can trigger a bigger war. "Peres said
he prefers the civilian path, adding that he has voiced this sentiment directly
to Olmert. However, he declined to reveal what the prime minister had said in
response.
Iran to
launch series of military maneuvers Monday Dudi Cohen, YNetNews
9/7/2008
Three-day exercise to include examination of antiaircraft systems,
aimed at upgrading army’s combat preparedness, deterring US and Israeli from
attacking Islamic Republic - Iran will launch three-day military maneuvers on
Monday, which will include the examination of antiaircraft systems, the Iranian
Students’ News Agency reported Sunday. According to the report, Iran’s
regular force and the country’s Revolutionary Guards will take part in the
exercise. No additional details on the nature of the drill were available.
According to the Tehran-based English-language newspaper Iran Daily, the
maneuvers are aimed at "maintaining and upgrading combat preparedness of the
relevant units, introducing innovation and capabilities of aircraft defense
experts and test new weapons and defense plans. " Alongside its regular army,
the Islamic Republic also has the. . .
Iran says
research satellite launched into orbit Dudi Cohen and AP, YNetNews
9/7/2008
Telecommunication minister says Iran, China and Thailand worked
together to build satellite, which would help countries deal with natural
disasters. Israeli expert tells Ynet cooperation ’aimed at presenting Iran as
an advanced country’ -Iranian state TV says a joint research satellite has
been successfully launched into orbit by a Chinese rocket. Iranian
Telecommunication Minister Mohammad Soleimani says that Iran, China and Thailand
worked together to build the satellite. In his televised remarks Sunday,
Soleimani said the three countries suffer from natural disasters and the
satellite would transmit photos to help deal with these crises. Dganit Pikovsky,
a fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Harold Hartog School of Government and
Policy told Ynet that "the aerospace cooperation between these two countries
began in 2000, together with a number of other Asian countries, and includes
scientist exchanges and cooperative conferences.
Iran army
to hold war games amid speculation over Israeli strike
Reuters, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Iran’s armed forces will begin three days of war games on Monday
involving anti-aircraft defense systems, Iranian media reported Sunday. The
exercises will be held amid persistent speculation about a possible U. S. or
Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the West and Israel say are
part of a clandestine bid to build atomic bombs, despite Tehran’s denials. The
ISNA news agency said both Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and its regular army
would take part in the drills. "Maneuvers with the participation of
anti-aircraft defense systems will be held for three days starting Monday," it
said, without giving further details. The English-language Iran Daily said the
aim was to maintain and upgrade the combat readiness of relevant units as well
as to "test new weapons and defense plans. "
Illiteracy in Palestine decreased 61% in 12 years
Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Bethlehem - Ma’an - On the Occasion of International Illiteracy
day on 8 September, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) released
a report on illiteracy rates throughout Palestine. The rate of illiteracy in
Palestine has decreased by 61%, said a report from PCBS on Sunday. According to
the report, however, 124,000 Palestinians are still illiterate, 77% of them
women. The PCBS counted the illiteracy rates for those 15 and over in the
Palestinian territories over the period 1995-2007 and found that the rates fell
from 15. 7% to 6. 1%. The rates of illiteracy for males were much lower to begin
with at 8. 5% and have dropped to just 2. 8%. While there was a huge improvement
in illiteracy rates for women, falling from23. 0% to 9. 5%, the final figure is
staggering. Literacy rates by locality saw urban Palestinians drop from 12.
Israel
budgets most for education, but kids get little Diana Bahur-Nir, Globes Online
9/7/2008
Israel tops the OECD on education spending as a percentage of GDP.
The Central Bureau of Statistics reports today that Israel tops the OECD in
spending on education as a percentage of GDP. Israel spent NIS 56. 2 billion on
education in 2007, 8. 5% of GDP, compared with the OECD average of 5. 8%.
However, in terms of purchasing power parity, Israel falls to 20th place out of
the 30 OECD member states. Spending per pupil is Israel was $6,450, compared
with the OECD average of $7,061. The figures indicate that while Israel spends
heavily on education, the situation from the children’s perspective is dismal.
The reason lies in the country’s demographics. Israel’s high birth rate
compared with OECD states (because of birth rate in the haredi (ultra-orthodox)
community) results in 26% of Israel’s total population being of school age
(5-19).
Nationalization of U.S. mortgage giants good for Israeli
banks Yuval Maoz, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
"The nationalization of Freddie Mac
and Fannie Mae is good for the local banks," says Alon Glazer, the banking
analyst at Leader Capital Markets. "The banks that today hold bonds of Freddie
Mac and Fannies Mae are Israel Discount Bank, Bank Leumi and First International
Bank. As far as they are concerned, the nationalization is a positive step
because now the bonds are those of the U. S. government - and their price can
only go up," Glazer said. "Israeli institutions do not seem to have shares in
those banks, and if so it is only marginal. " Two months ago Discount’s own
portfolio held NIS 9 billion in U. S. mortgage-backed securities, and Bank Leumi
had invested NIS 3. 4 billion. "The local banks’ holdings, as far as we know,
are in MBS [mortgage-backed securities] financial instruments.
US
schools encouraging Israeli ’brain drain’ Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews
9/8/2008
US universities are sending a record-breaking number of headhunters
to scout for Israeli scholars dissatisfied with Israel’s higher education,
amounting to a significant rise in immigration -"Studying in Israel means
you’re compromising," says Nili Lerner, an MBA student at Tel Aviv
University. Like Lerner, a great many Israeli students have their sights, and
hearts, set on America’s prestigious business schools. Next week the students
will see a record-breaking number of US college scouts at an MBA convention
aimed at creating connections between American schools and Israeli scholars. The
brain drain, it would seem, has reached a whole new level. "Israeli students
have proven themselves to be excellent scholars on an academic level, with
outstanding motivational and social skills, some of which are acquired during
army service," says Galit Edsman, and advisor for the US-Israel Educational
Foundation (USIEF).
Foreign
Ministry seeking villa for reality TV show Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Israel is currently participating in a frantic competition
transcending continents and oceans; its rivals are Dubai and New Zealand. At
stake is the privilege of hosting a giant American production of a major U. S.
television network’s "Big Brother"-style reality show. The winner in this
contest will be the country capable of providing the producers with the most
luxurious villa, possibly including a lovely view of the sea, for the filming of
the show. A few days ago, the show’s producers arrived in Israel, touring
possible shooting locations, including Eilat’s Dolphin Reef, Timna and the Sea
of Galilee. After hunting villas for rent in Eilat, Arsuf, Rishpon and Caesarea,
they did not come up with the dream house for the show. At this stage, the
show’s name cannot be publicized - at the producers’ request. They estimate
that hundreds of millions of viewers around the world will. . .
Near East
Consulting survey: 73% of Palestinians do not expect a state by
2008 Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008
Ramallah – Ma’an - 73% of Palestinian
respondents of recent survey ruled out a 2008 reunification of the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, saying division would likely last for a long period of time. The
survey was carried out by the Near East Consulting Company between 29-31 August
on a random sample of 820 Palestinians of both genders distributed in the
districts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip including the Jerusalem district.
The margin of mistake in the survey was +3. 5% and had trust average of 95%. The
results are as follows:87% of Palestinians support the resignation of the
caretaker government if it means the formation of a national unity government.
79%believe that forming a national unity government will contribute in solving
the current crisis. 56% of respondents support having Arab forces in the Gaza
Strip while 44% are against.
Fatah:
poll shows Palestinian society standing against Hamas
Ma’an News Agency
9/7/2008
Ramallah – Ma’an – Recent poll results show Palestinians are
willing to stand in the face of the de facto government in Gaza, said Fatah
spokesperson Ahmad Abd Al-Rahman on Sunday. Some results from the latest survey
done by Near East Consulting, a polling and survey company that does monthly
public opinion surveys, indicated a shift in opinion towards Fatah policies. One
of the poll questions was whether respondents preferred the strategies of Hamas
or Fatah, 76% of Palestinians questioned said they preferred Fatah’s strategy
for achieving the aims of Palestinians, while 24% preferred Hamas strategies.
Abd Al-Rahman said that the poll showed that "forces in Palestinian society
stand in the face of the Hamas coup in the Gaza Strip. â€â€œThey do so,†he
continued, “after Hamas attempted to tear the Palestinian national texture and
assault social forces.
UN chief
’urges Israel to pay Lebanon $1 billion’ Daily Star 9/8/2008
BEIRUT: UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has renewed calls for Israel to pay Lebanon around
$1 billion in compensation for damage inflicted during the summer 2006 war with
the Jewish state, news reports said on Saturday. The figure, which is based on
calculations made by the World Bank, is intended to reimburse Lebanon for
environmental and material damage it suffered during the war but most notably
Israel’s bombing of the Jiyyeh power station, said the daily Al-Akhbar
newspaper. The attack, considered to be Lebanon’s worst ever environmental
disaster, released between 12,500 and 15,000 tons of fuel oil into the
Mediterranean Sea, polluting two-thirds of Lebanon’s coastline and endangering
already vulnerable marine life. It also affected northern neighboring countries,
including Syria. Ban will present a report on the oil spill to the UN General
Assembly before October this year, said Al-Akhbar.
Salvodorian troops arrive to aid Israel’s Ghajar
pullout Daily Star 9/6/2008
MARJAYOUN: A Salvadorian contingent joined the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday and is preparing,
according to UNIFIL sources, to aid the peacekeeping force’s Spanish
contingent in facilitating the expected Israeli withdrawal from northern Ghajar.
In celebration of their arrival, the Salvadorian unit held a ceremony at the
Miguel De Servantes Spanish military base in Blat. Peacekeepers from UNIFIL’s
east sector were in attendance. The ceremony was also attended by Spanish
colonel Fernando de Brat who held talks with his Salvadorian counter part Jose
Mario Blanco before the ceremonial hoisting of the Salvadorian flag. UNIFIL
sources told The Daily Star in mid-June that 52 Salvadorian soldiers were to
join UNIFIL this August for an eight-month period. They added that the
Salvadorian authorities would evaluate the possible need to send more troops by
the end of that time.
German
naval officer outlines bilateral aid Special to The Daily Star, Daily Star
9/8/2008
BEIRUT:"We want to enable the Lebanese Navy to carry out the
necessary control tasks at [its maritime] borders on its own," German Navy
Commander Clemens Jorek told The Daily Star in an interview concerning bilateral
cooperation between the two countries’ miitaries. The stated aim of the German
assistance is to train and improve the logistical capacity of the Lebanese Navy.
Germany already has three vessels in EUROMARFOR which carries out border control
operations in the Mediterranean as part of the United Nations Interim Force in
LebanonUNIFIL’s (UNIFIL) Maritime Task Force (MTF). The deployment of
EUROMARFOR assets comes under UN Security Council Rsolution 1701, which brought
a cessation of hostilities in the 2006 summer war between Lebanon and Israel.
Its objective is to prevent arms smuggling. Several thousand ships have been
interrogated, including some that were boarded for inspection, since the war
ended.
Hezbollah
exhibit hails ’martyr’ Alexandra Sandels in Nabatiyeh, South
Lebanon, Al Jazeera 9/7/2008
In a large car park in Lebanon’s southern city
of Nabatiyeh, schoolchildren are spending the first days of Ramadan examining
the remains of a captured Israeli Merkava tank. A plume of artificial smoke
surrounds it every few minutes, mimicking battlefield explosions. Surrounding
the tank are the personal belongings of Imad Moughniyah, a Hezbollah military
commander killed in a car bombing in Damascus in February. Hezbollah blamed his
death on an Israeli operation. "These are the clothes he was wearing when he was
murdered. There are still blood stains on them if you look closely. They have
not been washed," Ali Yasseen, the curator at the Al-Imad: The Leader of the Two
Victories exhibit, tells a group of curious onlookers.
Iran
solidifies control over Hizbullah Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post
9/8/2008
Iran is consolidating its grip on Hizbullah and has instituted a
number of structural changes to the Lebanese group, under which Sheikh Hassan
Nasrallah no longer enjoys exclusive command over its military wing, top Israeli
defense officials have revealed. According to the officials, following the
Second Lebanon War, Iran decided to step up its involvement in the Hizbullah
decision-making process and has instituted a number of changes to the terror
group’s hierarchy, under which Nasrallah has to receive Iranian permission
prior to certain operations. "There is real Iranian command now over Hizbullah,"
a top IDF officer said. "This doesn’t mean that Nasrallah is a puppet, but it
does mean that whenever he pops his head out of his bunker he sees an Iranian
official standing over him. " Reports of Iranian discontent with Nasrallah had
begun to surface following the. . .
Iranian
MP touts cooperation in Sadr investigation Compiled by, Daily Star
9/8/2008
Iranian MP Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moqaddam said on Saturday that Iran
and Lebanon will jointly pursue the disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr.
Mesbahi-Moqaddam made a visit to Lebanon last week at the head of an Iranian
parliamentary delegation. "In this visit it was agreed to have a joint
cooperation to pursue the case to determine the fate of Imam Musa Sadr," he told
Mehr News Agency. "We traveled to Lebanon at the invitation of the Lebanese
Speaker Nabih Berri," the legislator added. Mesbahi-Moqaddam said he has
received no new information on the fate of the imam. The MP added that during
his visit to Beirut he held talks with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, as well as Imam Sadr’s
son Sayyed Sadreddine Sadr. "In this visit, we exchanged information regarding
Imam Sadr’s disappearance," he said.
Sidon
adds new attractions to traditional Ramadan fare Daily Star 9/8/2008
SIDON: New
customs associated with the holy month of Ramadan have begun to emerge in some
of the traditional neighborhoods of the southern coastal city of Sidon, in an
attempt to draw more customers to the city’s cafes. To catch the attention of
curious onlookers, Samir Nasr impersonates stars from the popular Syrian soap
opera "Bab al-Hara" - and performs shows with daggers. CafŽ owner Abu al-Abd
Sabbagh amuses his patrons with folkloric rituals, traditional drum playing and
sword play. His routines have become so well-liked that many of his customers
show up early in the evening to reserve their seats. Sabbagh told The Daily Star
that Sidon is a city open to all, regardless of religious and sectarian
affiliation. "Ramadan is a month of unity, forgiveness and harmony," he added.
These new traditions, coupled with Sidon’s more traditional attractions, have
managed to draw thousands of Lebanese, from all across the country.
Ephemeral
art takes root in the ruins above Beirut Daily Star 9/8/2008
ALEY: At the
edge of the town of Aley, in the hills above Beirut, a cluster of stone houses
of indeterminate age is scattered over two tracts of land. This was a
battleground after Israel’s 1982 Lebanon invasion. Today, recent structures
stand behind old ones, some tastefully renovated. Others are derelict, like
skulls, decapitated, smashed open, burnt. The cluster of properties, centered on
the family house of Lebanese artist Ghassan Maasri, is home to the Artists’
International Workshop: Aley, better known by its acronym, AIWA - as much an
enthusiastic "Yes" in Arabic as it is a Japanese electronics manufacturer.
Maasri coordinates this two-week residency program, now in its second year. AIWA
invites artists working in a range of media - painting, sculpture, installation,
video, performance and sound - to share ideas and work within a setting that,
familiar or not, is laden with the ramifications of past destruction.
Arab
terror victim’s kin funds Arabic translation of Oz novel
Shiri Lev-Ari, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Amos Oz’s autobiographical novel, "A Tale of Love and Darkness,"
has been translated into Arabic thanks to a contribution by the family of an
Arab man killed in a terror attack in 2004. George Khoury, an Israeli Arab
student, was doing his evening run in Jerusalem’s French Hill neighborhood
when a terrorist, who took him for a Jew, shot and killed him. The Khoury
family, also from Jerusalem, decided to contribute funding to translate Oz’s
book, in an effort to help the cause of coexistence. Two other books of Oz’s
have been translated into Arabic. "My Michael," translated in the 1990s,
received favorable reviews in Egypt. The other book, "Soumchi" was distributed
in Jordan. Oz’s "Tale of Love and Darkness," published in Hebrew by Keter, was
translated by Jamal Gnaim and is being published by Yedioth Books, which also
published the book’s Russian translation.
Ethereal
entertainment makes its way down Hamra Street Special to The Daily Star, Daily Star
9/4/2008
BEIRUT: You can hear Cie le SAMU making their way along Hamra Street
long before you can see them. The jazz music of the four-piece band works its
way along the boulevard, swelling the sense of anticipation among the small
crowd waiting at the Hamra Center square. A drummer leads three other musicians,
trundling her drum-kit along on a specially fitted trolley. Behind her, the
three men play brass instruments as they follow behind the beat. As they reach
the square, the performance of "A bout de Souffle" truly begins. The musicians
sit down beside customers at a neighboring cafe, playing their instruments from
the chairs lining the pavement. At this close range, it becomes possible to
notice the details in their costumes and the hair that has been powered gray
before its time - designed to give an impression of age, which the players
played upon repeatedly throughout their performance.
Dig
reveals Jerusalem’s first city wall Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Impressive remains from Jerusalem’s first city wall - built by
Hasmonean kings and destroyed by the Romans during the Jewish revolt - as well
as part of a Byzantine period wall, have been discovered at an archaeological
excavation on Mount Zion. The fortified structures, located at the edge of the
Old City, apparently delineated Jerusalem’s southern border at the time when
the ancient city was at its prime. A team of archaeologists led by Yehiel
Zelinger of the Israel Antiquities Authority has excavated at the site for the
past year and a half, in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority. A wall
along the city’s perimeter, which runs west and south of Mount Zion, was first
discovered and explored at the end of the 19th century by a British
archaeological team.
Iron Age
walls intrigue archaeologists at Ramat Rachel Will King, YNetNews
9/7/2008
German Christians, Jewish Israelis work together to discover
excavation site’s history, building lasting friendships in the process - Prof.
Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University, director of the excavations at Ramat
Rachel, south of Jerusalem, described the fourth season of digging there as
"great from any perspective. I’m very happy and proud of it. " Among the many
finds this year archaeologists discovered the continuation of the Iron Age
citadel at the site originally excavated by Yohanan Aharoni in the 1950’s, the
first proof indicating that Ramat Rachel during the last 125 years of the First
Temple Period was larger and more important than previously thought. The Iron
Age citadel is the earliest construction at Ramat Rachel, from around the latter
half of the First Temple Period.
Archaeologists unearth 2,100-year-old Jerusalem wall
Daily Star
9/6/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday they
had rediscovered rare remains of the wall that surrounded Jerusalem more than
2,100 years ago after locating the site of a 19th century dig. The Israel
Antiquities Authority said it also discovered at the same site a section of the
city walls dating from the later Byzantine period between the 4th and 7th
centuries A. D. The earlier findings include a 3. 2-meter tower and parts of the
wall built during the second century B. C. under the Hasmonean dynasty, which
was destroyed together with the Jewish Second Temple by the Romans in 70 A. D.
The two finds were at a large excavation on Mount Zion outside the limits of
today’s Old City, whose Ottoman-era walls date from the 16th century. "The
city had never been as big as it was during those two periods," said the
director of the excavations, Yehiel Zelinger.
Yurt-like
huts flag site as Khazar capital of Itil Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily
Star 9/6/2008
MOSCOW: Russian archaeologists said Wednesday they had found
the long-lost capital of the Khazar kingdom in southern Russia, which they
depict as a breakthrough for research on that other ancient Jewish state. "This
is a hugely important discovery," expedition organizer Dmitry Vasilyev said from
Astrakhan State University after returning from excavations near the village of
Samosdelka, just north of the Caspian Sea. "We can now shed light on one of the
most intriguing mysteries of that period, how the Khazars actually lived," he
said. "We know very little about the Khazars - about their traditions, their
funerary rites, their culture. "The Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic peoples
who for unknown reasons adopted Judaism as a state religion. The city was their
capital between the 8th and the 10th centuries, when it was captured and sacked
by the rulers of ancient Russia.
Olmert:
We must discuss compensation to prevent suffering Roni Sofer, YNetNews
9/7/2008
Cabinet postpones debate on bill offering monetary compensation to
West Bank settlers who will agree to leave homes, due to lack of time. ’We
were often criticized over the fact that the Gaza vicinity communities were
ill-prepared for the pullout, so we have to planning ahead,’ prime minister
says earlier - The government decided Sunday to postpone its scheduled
discussion on an initiative put forward Vice Premier Haim Ramon, proposing the
voluntary evacuation and compensation of Israeli settlers living in the West
Bank. The discussion was postponed after the debate concerning Justice Minister
Daniel Friedmann motion to limit the High Court’s legislative authority,
proved to take longer then expected. Prior to the decision to defer the
discussion Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that "we’re not about to make any
decision yet, but since there is a serious negotiation going
Gaza
evacuees: Government throwing sand in settlers’ eyes
Shmulik
Hadad, YNetNews 9/7/2008
Former Gush Katif residents angered by Sunday’s
cabinet discussion on compensation for settlers who voluntarily leave West Bank.
’This is a spin aimed at diverting the attention from the real problems,’
says woman evacuated from Neve Dekalim - Former Gush Katif residents who now
live in caravan sites in southern Israel were surprised to hear that the
government would discuss on Sunday an initiative put forward Vice Premier Haim
Ramon, proposing the voluntary evacuation and compensation of Israeli settlers
living in the West Bank. " On the other hand, we are not surprised by anything
anymore," said Hagit Yaron, who was evacuated from the settlement of Neve
Dekalim during the2005 pullout from Gaza. "This government is not leading any
ideological statement or line in any case. "Upcoming DiscussionGovernment
to discuss evacuation-compensation plan for West. . .
PM:
There’ll be need to evacuate settlers Herb Keinon And Tovah Lazaroff,
Jerusalem Post 9/7/2008
In light of the serious nature of the negotiations
with the Palestinians, there is a need to begin discussions about evacuating
some of the settlers from isolated areas of Judea and Samaria, Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert said Sunday. He spoke at the start of the cabinet meeting in which
Vice Premier Haim Ramon was scheduled to brief the ministers on statistics,
including financial numbers, regarding a proposal that would allow for the
voluntary evacuation of settlers who live outside of the security barrier. While
the controversial "evacuation compensation law" was not discussed at the cabinet
meeting, as was planned, due to lack of time, Olmert made clear in his opening
remarks that such a discussion would be necessary because of diplomatic
negotiations with the Palestinians that were in advanced stages.
Peres
says he opposes attack on Iran Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily
Star 9/8/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli President Shimon Peres said Sunday
he opposes a military strike on Iran and prefers the use of international
economic sanctions to persuade Tehran to halt its nuclear program. "A military
operation is not necessary. I do not think the Americans think in these terms
because they have many other cards to play," Peres told Israeli public radio
after a meeting with US Vice President Dick Cheney in Italy. "If the Americans
manage to form a coalition to unify their positions with those of Europeans,
they have sufficient means to exert pressure on the Iranians," Peres added.
Peres had met Cheney on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti forum on Italy’s Lake
Como, an international gathering of leaders and experts focused mostly on
economic issues. Israel and the West have repeatedly called on Iran to halt its
nuclear program, which they fear is aimed at developing nuclear weapons but
which Tehran defends as part of a peaceful energy venture.
Report:
Russia considering increasing nuclear aid to Iran Ynet, YNetNews 9/7/2008
Sunday
Times reports Kremlin discussing sending teams of nuclear experts to Tehran,
inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, in response to US
call for NATO expansion eastwards. ’Russia may respond by hitting America
where it hurts most - Iran,’ Russian source says -Russia is considering
increasing its assistance to Iran’s nuclear program in response to The United
States’ call for NATO expansion eastwards, the London-based Sunday Times has
reported. Moscow has been angered by Washington’s renewed support for attempts
by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO and by the presence of US Navy vessels in
the Black Sea delivering aid to Georgia following thewar in the Caucasus.
According to the report, the Kremlin is discussing sending teams of Russian
nuclear experts to Tehran and inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for
training.
A
revolution against the constitution Ze''ev Segal, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann succeeded yesterday in
significantly advancing a program he had previous pushed repeatedly without
success: severely undermining the Supreme Court, and thereby also good
government and fundamental human rights. The change that Friedmann is proposing,
and which the cabinet approved yesterday during its final days in office, erodes
one of the strongest foundations of Israeli democracy - the Basic Law on the
Judiciary. This law, adopted in 1984, formalized the Supreme Court’s authority
and immunized it against any emergency regulations that the government might
later enact. Since the Supreme Court is the only court whose powers are detailed
in a Basic Law, it is therefore also protected against changes enacted via
ordinary legislation. The powers of the lower courts, in contrast, are laid down
in an ordinary law, the Courts Law.
Israeli police recommend indicting
Olmert on Corruption charges Saed Bannoura, International Middle
East Media Center News 9/8/2008
The Israeli Police submitted on Sunday its
recommendations to Israel’s Attorney General, Menachem Mazuz, urging him to
indict the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, in two corruption cases. The
recommendations were submitted after a deliberation session held by the
investigation department on Sunday morning. The Israeli online daily, Haaretz,
reported that the two cases in question are the Rishon Tours double billing
affair, and the Talansky affair. The first case involves allegations that Olmert
funded personal trips abroad for himself and his family with money obtained
fraudulently from public organizations, while in the second case Olmert is
suspected of illegally receiving money over the course of 15 years from Morris
Talansky, a Jewish millionaire. Olmert and his family travelled abroad on a
number of occasions using the Rishon Tours agency.
VIDEO -
IDF lets the many Israelis hoarding weapons return them with no questions
asked Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
Haaretz. com/Channel
10 daily feature for September 7, 2008. A new military operation is giving the
many Israeli citizens unlawfully hoarding weapons in their homes an opportunity
to return them without facing charges. Because such a large percentage of the
population has served in the Israel Defense Forces, many ordinarily citizens, at
some point, have enjoyed open access to a variety of some of the world’s most
advanced weaponry. T he IDF is giving citizens three weeks to return weapons
they have illegally taken, assuring that within that period, no questions will
be asked and anonymity will be guaranteed. The response has been overwhelming,
and some of the items returned have raised more than one set of eyebrows.
Related articles:IDF begins collecting weapons from West Bank settlements IDF
NCO,. . .
What
next? / A bill that just won’t happen Shahar Ilan, Ha’aretz
9/8/2008
Legislators call private bills that are submitted despite the fact
that they have no chance of being approved "law declarations. "In all honesty,
the proposed change to Basic Law: The Judiciary is also a kind of declaration,
even though it has been submitted by the government. Though the bill has a lot
of support, perhaps two-thirds of the Knesset, its chances of being approved in
the first reading are small - and in the second and third readings, they are
minute. At the moment, it seems like one of two things can happen after the
primary in the Kadima party: General elections will be held or a joint
Kadima-Labor coalition will be formed. In any case, the Knesset will not have
time to debate and pass such a serious bill. Any attempt to fast-track it would
be considered inappropriate; you don’t mess with a constitution.
The
police announcement / Olmert should go home and hide his face in
shame Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 9/8/2008
September 7, 2008 - remember that date.
That is when the police recommended indicting a sitting prime minister for
taking bribes, aggravated fraud and other offenses. In the future, perhaps
teachers will set aside time on this day to explain the dangers posed by
government corruption and law enforcement’s responsibility to fight it
wherever it occurs. Publication of the police’s recommendation last night
formalized Olmert’s status as a suspected bribe-taker - although that charge
may not survive review by the Jerusalem district attorney, the state prosecutor
and the attorney general. It is an issue of approach: The police opted to push
the criminal charges as far as possible, whereas State Prosecutor Moshe Lador
and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz are liable to prefer lesser charges that
offer a greater chance of conviction.
Porush’s mayoral campaign still lacking haredi
unity Matthew Wagner, Jerusalem Post 9/7/2008
United Torah Judaism MK Meir
Porush continues to face difficulties in his bid to muster a united haredi front
for the Jerusalem mayoral campaign. Over the weekend, there were haredi media
reports that Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv had ordered UTJ’s Degel Hatorah
faction to suspend negotiations with Porush. A source close to Elyashiv said the
nonagenarian rabbi, considered the supreme halachic authority for
Ashkenazi-Lithuanian haredim, was concerned that Porush lacked the
requisite backing within his Agudat Yisrael faction. "How can you expect Degel
Hatorah to reach an agreement with Porush if he cannot seem to get the backing
of his own party? " said the source. " First let him get things straightened out
in Aguda, then we can talk. " UTJ, the political party representing Ashkenazi
haredi interests, is composed of two factions, the hassidic Agudat Yisrael and
the Lithuanian Degel Hatorah.
Gov’t
approves Friedmann’s bill to limit power of Supreme Court
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz
9/7/2008
The government on Sunday approved Justice Minister Daniel
Friedmann’s controversial proposal to amend the Basic Law on the Judiciary in
order to limit the Supreme Court’s power. 13 ministers voted for the bill,
while 11 opposed. The amendment is, in effect, aimed at limiting the High
Court’s judicial review of laws legislated by the Knesset. Friedmann’s
proposal would only allow the Supreme Court to strike down legislation if it
goes against one of the Basic Laws, such as on human dignity and freedom or on
the freedom of occupation. Currently, the court can rule that a law is invalid
even if it does not contradict a Basic Law. In addition, the bill would limit
the jurisdiction of other courts. The power to determine the validity of laws
will be accorded to the Supreme Court in a special procedure, unlike the present
situation whereby it is practically within the power of every court.
Government approves motion to limit Supreme Court’s power
Roni
Sofer, YNetNews 9/7/2008
Thirteen ministers vote in favor of justice
minister’s controversial proposal to regulate, limit court’s legislative
authority; 11 government members vote against it. ’This is an important stage
in restoring the government’s ruling ability and strengthening the Knesset’s
status,’ says Friedmann -The government on Sunday approved Justice Minister
Daniel Friedmann’s controversial motion to limit the Supreme Court’s
legislative leeway. Thirteen ministers voted in favor of the proposal, while 11
opposed it. The motion will next be discussed by the Knesset’s Constitution,
Law and Justice Committee. Supreme Court judges enjoy a vast legislative leeway
which allows them to annul any Knesset act they feel may contrast the Basic
Laws. Friedmann’s reform aims to limit the High Court’s ability to quash any
legislation detrimental to human rights.
Israeli
police force rounds up 670 Palestinian workers Palestinian Information Center
9/7/2008
NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Israeli border policemen have launched a
large-scale arrest campaign in lines of Palestinian West Bankers working in the
1948 areas without permits, the Hebrew radio announced on Sunday. The broadcast
said that the policemen rounded up 670 workers over the weekend, and added that
they were being interrogated. Thousands of Palestinian workers head to the 1948
areas looking for jobs as the Israeli occupation authority refuses to grant them
permits to do so and impose heavy fines on them while some of them are held in
custody for months. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces on Sunday kidnapped
8 citizens in Nablus district after wreaking havoc in their homes, including 7
from Salem village. IOF soldiers also at dawn Sunday invaded a number of
villages and towns in the Jenin district, terrorized civilians and fired bullets
and sonic and flare bombs at the pretext of looking for wanted activists but
none was arrested.
Articles
America’s
Islamophobia problem
Ghassan Rubeiz, Daily Star
9/8/2008
In a 2006 interview, Glenn Beck, the host
of a CNN talk show, looked Muslim congressman Keith Ellison straight in the eye
and said: "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." You have
to wonder where Beck got the license to humiliate someone that way because he
was connected with Islam.
Islamophobia is pervasive
in public forums in the United States. Provocative commentary Web sites,
culture-clash literature, biased reporting on the Middle East, end-of-time
theological fiction, insensitive cartoons, terror-oriented video games and
Christian Zionist sermons, all of the above and more, make many Arab- and
Muslim-Americans - especially immigrants - feel alien, if not alienated.
Beck’s obsession with Islam reflects a trend. The
US media persist in reporting on the growing numbers of American and European
Muslims. These reports have unjustifiably raised public fears of the anticipated
return of terrorism. Post-9/11 scare-mongers proclaim that America’s borders
are "open and unprotected." Agitated American communicators warn citizens
to watch out for Muslim- and Arab-Americans who may be linked covertly to
"terror cells" that have penetrated their homeland. An irrational fear of
Muslims affects the way they are portrayed and perceived. A negative overload of
information about Islam seems to overwhelm and confuse Americans. The compulsion
to stereotype, to dissect, to classify, and to caricature Muslims is strong and
growing.
The
Middle East and Russia’s return as a ’post-ideological’
power
Editorial, The Daily Star, Daily Star 9/8/2008
Russia’s bold stroke in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia last
month has added a new dimension to the resurgence under way for the past few
years. The Kremlin has signaled that it is back as major player on the world
stage, a prospect that carries far-reaching implications for many regions - the
Middle East in particular. Governments and peoples in this part of the world
have much to gain from a shakeup of the international order as it has existed
since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. To do so, however, they will have
to recognize that this new Russian challenge to American supremacy is very
different from the one that kept the Cold War going for decades.
For one, today’s Russia might be described as
"post-ideological." Its tussles with the United States (and some other
Western countries) are no longer potentially existential ones that lead
inevitably to zero-sum games. In addition, despite its growing energy wealth,
Moscow no longer has the strategic wherewithal to engage in dozens of far-flung
contests with Washington. What it retains includes a determination to protect
its own interests (especially close to home) and, increasingly, a willingness to
be assertive in doing so. It also has a relatively large population infused with
considerable amounts of ability and no shortage of national pride. In short, the
days when post-Soviet Russia could be ignored are definitively
over.
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