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February 1, 2004
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Israel's Anti-Terror Fence: Upcoming Hearings and the International Court of Justice (Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations)
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Suicide Bombing on Jerusalem Bus Kills 11 by Corinne Heller
A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus near the Israeli prime minister's official residence in west Jerusalem on Thursday, killing 11 people and wounding dozens. The bombing came in the midst of a visit by U.S. envoy John Wolf, who has met this week with Israel and Palestinian officials in an attempt to revive a U.S.-backed peace "road map" stalled by violence. (Boston Globe)
See also Israel Foreign Ministry Releases Video of Attack Aftermath
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a graphic video of the aftermath of the bloody attack on a Jerusalem bus by a PA policeman, a member of Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Pleased be warned that this is an extremely graphic presentation. (Foreign Ministry)
Powell to PA: "Ostracize These Terrorists, Go After Them"
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday, "Once again, terrorists have killed innocent people, and at the same time they have struck a blow once more against the aspirations of the Palestinian people to have a homeland of their own. This kind of action has got to stop, and I once again implore the Palestinian leaders, and especially Prime Minister Abu Ala, to do everything in his power, everything in their power, to ostracize these terrorists, to go after them, and to deal with this terrorist activity....I condemn the action of these terrorist organizations and these horrible people who would do this on a civilian bus in the middle of the day." (State Department)
Israel and Hizballah Trade Prisoners and War Dead by Ian Fisher and Greg Myre
Israel and Hizballah exchanged prisoners and war dead on Thursday, in a trade greeted in Israel by a spare ceremony for three fallen soldiers and in Lebanon by a day of national celebration. The three soldiers had been killed in an explosion while they were being captured along the Lebanese border in October 2000. In exchange for an Israeli businessman and the remains of the three soldiers, Israel released 429 prisoners, including 400 Palestinians, 23 Lebanese, 5 other Arabs, and one German accused of spying for Hizballah in Israel. Israel also returned the remains of 59 Lebanese. (New York Times)
Officials at UN: Int'l Court Hearing on Fence in Doubt by Aluf Benn and Shlomo Shamir
Officials at the United Nations indicated Friday that they cannot ignore the objections filed by more than 30 countries against the authority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on the legality of the West Bank security fence, and said that the hearing itself was in doubt. In a statement to the Hague-based court, which is due to convene February 23 to discuss the issue, the U.S. said Friday that the issue of the fence was a political dispute, and should be resolved through negotiations between the two sides. (Ha'aretz)
Grisly College Politics on the West Bank by Evan Osnos
Student politicians at Bir Zeit University no longer stump on simply better library services and cheaper lunches. They also campaign on which party claims to have killed more Israelis. "For the Islamist bloc, it is 135," says senior Rami Barghouti, a leader of the student bloc formed by militant Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Barghouti says that figure is the number of Israelis who have been killed by Bir Zeit students associated with Hamas. Young Palestinians are increasingly inclined to support radical groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad over Yasser Arafat's mainstream Fatah Party. (Chicago Tribune)
Finding Direction by Daniel Ayalon
To this day, Israel must suffer from these attacks because the Palestinian leadership has not acted to fulfill its obligations set forth by the United States and the international community. The decrease in the number of attacks on Israelis in the past few weeks is a direct result of Israeli security measures and successes in thwarting terror. Israel cannot allow its future to be determined by a corrupt and murderous Palestinian leadership. Israel has to consider a disengagement strategy in order to reduce terror and ensure its security. Such a declaration is not an abandonment of the road map; rather, we hope it will be a catalyst for its fulfillment. Ayalon serves as Israel's Ambassador to the United States. (Washington Times)
The Reign of the Thugs by Bassam Eid
How do you change chaos into order? It is obvious to the whole world that both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian government have been unable to control security in the Palestinian territories. We all know that there are several gunmen who threaten and spread fear among the Palestinians. What Palestinian interior minister would be daring enough to punish them? The writer is director of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians' Misery Self-Inflicted by Refusal to Renounce Terrorism by Craig Weiss
Palestinians have a long history of preying on Israel's humanity. Palestinians have often used Red Crescent ambulances to transport terrorists past Israeli checkpoints. Palestinian atrocities are why checkpoints were created. Palestinians continue to misdirect their rage at Israelis instead of the Palestinian terrorists within their midst who are the sole cause of their suffering. (Arizona Republic)
Making Time, Regressively by Ehud Ya'ari
Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) has turned out to be prime minister of a paralyzed, incapable and inactive government. The scope of the money transfers from Hizballah and Iran to the operatives of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - and of course, of Islamic Jihad and Hamas - already surpasses the subsidy these cadres receive from Arafat's Muqata'ah. Whoever pays the bills also has the last word regarding targets and methods. The picture emerging is one of deepening, spreading chaos. (Jerusalem Report)
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Birthright On Shaky Ground by Michele Chabin
Due to financial problems, "birthright israel" expects to bring no more than 3,700 participants this summer, compared to 8,000 during the summer of 2003. While the projected 2004 total of 15,500 is only slightly lower than the 16,500 who came to Israel last year, "we had hoped to do better this year," Michael Steinhardt, one of the driving forces behind the program, admitted. Steinhardt sounded a pessimistic tone in an interview this week with the JTA. "We hold out as a serious option closing down the program," the philanthropist said bluntly. (Jewish Week-New York)
From Here to There and Back Again, Students Tackle Israel Advocacy by Bryan Schwartzman
300 students applied to a program in Israel over winter break called "Advanced Advocacy" and about 80 students nationwide were chosen to take part in the 14-day trip, sponsored by Hillel and the AIPAC. Wayne Firestone, director of the Hillel Center for Israel Affairs, said the aim of the program was to help students develop the critical and analytical skills needed to fully articulate their views on the Middle East conflict. The issue of Israel advocacy on college campuses is also being addressed in an unrelated local program. Currently, Hillel of Philadelphia offers a small stipend to students who work as Israel advocacy interns on area campuses, including Temple and Drexel universities, and Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges. (Jewish Exponent)
Dershowitz Makes Case for Israel by Michelle Dargan
Professor Alan Dershowitz said Israel is the only country in the modern history of warfare that has not responded to attacks on its civilians by bombing enemy cities. He pointed out that most recently terrorists have made attacks on Israeli civilians by using ambulances. "There is so much misinformation about Israel on college campuses around the world," he said. "Some of it is deliberate; some of it is just ignorance. So I had to try to fill the void." The result is his new book: The Case for Israel. (Palm Beach Daily News)
UCLA: Bruins for Israel Display Draws Debate by Narges Zohoury
A small television screen on Bruin Walk showing clips of media programs featuring Palestinian children being trained for warfare has faced opposition from several students. The student group, Bruins For Israel, said it was trying to raise awareness about some of the Palestinian Authority's policies of training young children to engage in violent acts. The display was aimed at promoting a Monday campus appearance of Itamar Marcus, director of the Palestinian Media Watch, which compiles footage of the media in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its affect on the children living in those regions. (Daily Bruin)
Florida Atlantic: FAU Requests Second Check on Palestinian Professor by Brian Brandell
Florida Atlantic University asked the U.S. State Department to once again do a background check on a visiting Palestinian professor accused by pro-Israeli activists of having terrorist ties. Fulbright Professor Mustafa Abu Sway, who is teaching Islamic studies courses this academic year, denied that he was a Hamas supporter – an allegation made by Daniel Pipes and Asaf Romirowsky in a New York Sun article published Tuesday. Pipes and Romirowsky received a letter from the Israeli Consulate in Miami stating: "Abu Sway is known as an activist in the framework of the Hamas organization."
(Boca Raton News)
Stanford: Journalist Discusses Violence in Israel by Sean Harris
Herb Keinon, a journalist and diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, talked about a widespread Israeli fear of terrorist attacks and an Israeli call for heightened security. Keinon reinforced throughout his speech that Israelis' exposure to "terror happening at home," combined with the influence of the media, causes them to demand higher security in the form of security fences and road blockings, which some people feel comes at the sacrifice of human rights. "Why does the nation tolerate [fewer human rights]?" Keinon asked. "It's the perception that there are genuinely frightening, gruesome and horrible things happening just outside the door and sometimes inside the door." (Stanford Daily)
Washington U in St. Louis: 1993 Student Returns from Israel to Complete Studies by Sarah Baicker
In a lot of ways, Hadas Metzger is a typical Washington University student: Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies major. However, Metzger recently turned 29 and has just returned to St. Louis. After nearly four years in Israel, Metzger decided to return home and complete her college education. While Metzger is content to be home and excited to be completing her college education, she passionately misses Israel. "My worst day in Israel is still better than my best day in America," she said. (Student Life)
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UCLA: Israeli-Palestinian Debate Should Rise Above Trite Paradigm by Gideon Blum
The Israeli-Palestinian debate is one of the most crucial debates on American college campuses, and it probably will remain as such into the foreseeable future. However, the Israel-Palestine debate has gone into territory that few previous debates have ventured. In the struggle for the hearts and the minds of the student body, advocates in both the pro-Israel and pro-Palestine camps have chosen to use emotion over reason, sound bites and pithy facts over reasoned and sensible discussion. It is time for both sides to step up and begin the long and painful process toward meaningful dialogue and debate. (Daily Bruin)
GW: Israel Worth the Trip by Shira Lazinger
I embarked on a 10-day trip to Israel with friends and peers from GW. The trip was made possible by Hillel's Birthright Israel program. This one trip afforded me the opportunity to participate firsthand in political discussions, religious observations, archeological digs, nature hikes and major cultural experiences. A country so small geographically had so much to offer, regardless of one's background or interests. (Hatchet)
An Urgent Need for Israel Studies by Michael Kotzin
On many campuses there is instruction on various aspects of the Arab world, but there are no courses on modern Israel. Often the subject is treated only with reference to the Arab-Israeli conflict, frequently by instructors with pronounced pro-Palestinian leanings. One answer to this crisis is for members of the Jewish community to support the creation of academic courses on modern Israel, including its philosophical underpinnings in Zionist thought, its connections with a historic Jewish presence in the land, its culture and society, and its relationships and conflicts with its neighbors. Kotzin is executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. (Forward)
U of Florida: Israeli Tech Will Revolutionize the World by Roy Sasson
80 students including myself from some of the most prestigious universities in the United States including Cornell, Penn State, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Florida and others, were invited to attend a trip to Israel to educate us in respect to the technology and business within the country. I saw first hand that Israel is in fact one of the major reasons as to why our modern world has become what it is today. it was nothing short of inspiring....Let's just list the facts....80% of biotechnology in the entire world comes from Israel. The Entire World. I'm talking about technologies that will revolutionize the world. (esasson)
Israelis, Palestinians Scale Antarctic Summit
Fifteen days after setting out on its historic trek, the Breaking the Ice expedition successfully climbed to the summit of an unconquered Antarctic mountain. Declaring that "our people can and deserve to live together in peace and friendship," the four Israeli and four Palestinian participants named the peak "Mountain of Israeli-Palestinian Friendship." (Israel21c)
Michigan: Senior Swimmers Leave in Style by Anne Uible
The swim meet against Northwestern last week began with the singing of the Israel National Anthem in honor of senior Maya Mandel, who is Israeli. After the performance, all of the seniors were honored for their successes. [In 2003 Mandel received the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award.] (Michigan Daily)
Canaanite Comics Come to Stanford by Joaquin Hernandez
Comedians Scott Blakeman and Dean Obeidallah used laughter to address divisive issues facing Jewish and Arab Americans in last weeks's "Stand Up for Peace" comedy event. "By bringing everyone together to laugh, we're setting an example for what should be going on in the Middle East," Blakeman said. During the event, Obeidallah and Blakeman related their experiences growing up as Arab and Jewish Americans, respectively. (Stanford Daily)
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 - Is the Middle East “Road Map” Dead? | | The Day the Road Map Died by Aluf Benn
- The "road map" for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict died last Thursday. The funeral took place in the office of Condoleezza Rice in the White House, during a pleasant conversation among the U.S. national security adviser and her aides and Israeli negotiators.
- In its place the "Bush vision" has returned to diplomatic discourse, as the political goal of Israel and the United States. In his June 2002 speech, President George W. Bush called for a change in leadership as a condition for Palestinian independence. Israel rejoiced at the public letter of dismissal to Yasser Arafat.
- Israel was less enthusiastic about the road map, which was designed to translate the vision into a plan of action acceptable to the United States and Europe. The map called for calming things down, for establishing a Palestinian state within temporary borders until the end of 2003, and for a final agreement by 2005.
- Today the Americans blame the Palestinians for the failure. The U.S. administration is partner to the Israeli assessment that there is nobody to talk to on the Palestinian side. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Queria (Abu Ala) looks to the Americans like a washout who is doing nothing to fight the corruption that has spread in the PA.
- The administration is making sure that Israel doesn't block the future establishment of a "viable Palestinian state" that enjoys "territorial contiguity." It is willing to understand the separation fence and even to accept high-rise construction in the settlements, without expansion on the ground. (Ha'aretz)
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UN's Kofi Annan: Mideast "Road Map" in Distress, But Not Dead by John Chalmers
- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said last week the internationally backed "road map" for Middle East peace was not dead, but Israel and the Palestinians must take steps themselves to end the cycle of violence.
- "We will do our best and press on with...implementation (of the road map)," Annan told a news conference at the European Parliament. "It is in distress, but it is not dead."
- He said the onus was on both sides to show leadership and make "reciprocal and parallel concessions" and take confidence building measures to prevent attacks such as the suicide bombing of an Israeli bus that killed 11 people on Thursday.
- The road map, which envisages the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, is sponsored by the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.
- "I would once again want to appeal to the leaders, for the sake of their people and their nation, to summon the courage and the leadership to get back to the table...to move the process ahead," Annan said. "We need to...find ways of ending the cycle of violence and attacks as we've seen today."
- Annan said on Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority could collapse unless there is urgent extra international aid to relieve the plight of its people. (Reuters)
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