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Eye on Israel
June 16, 2001
Palestinian Attacks Continue Despite Ceasefire Agreement
Israel says its forces began observing the U.S. brokered ceasefire at 2 p.m. Wednesday. An Israeli general said soldiers have been told to open fire only when they feel their lives are in immediate danger. The Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad say they plan to ignore the ceasefire. The Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire went into effect Wednesday, after several rounds of meetings between CIA Director, George Tenet, and representatives from Israel and the Palestinians. Precise terms of the agreement have not been released. But State Department officials say the framework of the deal calls on the Palestinian Authority to arrest those involved in violent attacks against Israelis, and for Israel to ease its closure and economic pressure on Palestinian areas. Both sides said they essentially support the U.S. plan to end the violence, which is said to be based on recommendations of an international commission led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. Israeli media report the plan calls on Palestinians to arrest militants, confiscate weapons, and end inciting broadcasts. Israeli forces would be required to pull back from Palestinian territories to positions held before violence began last September, halt attacks in Palestinian areas, and end the closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Despite the agreement, sporadic violence has continued since the truce went into effect Wednesday. An Israeli army officer was killed Thursday near Jerusalem by a Palestinian assailant who was subsequently killed by another Israeli soldier. And three Israelis were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Thursday near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.
Powell Calls for Maximum Effort to Implement Ceasefire
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says Israel and the Palestinians must make a 100 percent effort to implement a ceasefire agreement in order to end the violence in the area. Powell made his remarks Wednesday during a meeting in Brussels with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. The two met on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. Powell also spoke by telephone to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In both conversations, U.S. officials say Powell discussed the ceasefire and ways to implement some of the confidence-building measures outlined in the report by an international committee headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. The U.S. ceasefire plan is aimed at bringing the peace process back to the point in September 2000 where negotiations between the two sides abruptly broke off, prior to the outbreak of violence that has continued for nearly nine months.
Indyk Says Mideast Violence May Have Reached Turning Point
The U.S. ambassador to Israel says Israel and the Palestinians may have reached a turning point in ending their cycle of violence. In a speech Tuesday at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, Martin Indyk said there are tentative indications the Palestinian Authority may finally be taking action to stop the violence, including turning off the inflammatory rhetoric behind it. The French news agency quotes the U.S. diplomat also as saying it is critical that Israel eases its blockade of the Palestinian territories to avoid the Palestinian people turning against Yasser Arafat's declaration of an unconditional ceasefire. Indyk was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton and will be replaced as soon as President Bush's nominee is confirmed by the Senate
Palestinian Terrorists Kill Greek Orthodox Monk Near Jerusalem
Palestinian terrorists killed a 35-year-old motorist Tuesday night near Jerusalem on the highway that runs between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Gur Pzipokatsatakis, a Greek Orthodox monk, was shot from a passing car 100 yards from a police roadblock in an area under Israeli control. Pzipokatsatakis was on his way home to the St. George monastery.
Sharon Urges Angry Mourners to Give Ceasefire a Chance
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged hundreds of angry mourners in Jerusalem to choke back their tears and give a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians a chance to work. Sharon made the statement Monday at a funeral for five-month-old Yehuda Haim Shoham, who died Monday from head injuries suffered when Palestinians stoned his parents' car last Tuesday night. The Palestinian attack came after a ceasefire ordered by Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat. Arafat's order on June 2 came in the wake of a devastating Palestinian suicide attack in Tel Aviv that killed 20 Israelis.
Hamas Vows Retaliation For Three Women Killed By Tank Fire
The latest peace effort was set back late Saturday when Israeli tank-fire killed three Palestinian women near an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip. Israel says it was responding to Palestinian fire. The killings were the first reported on either side since June 2nd when Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat ordered a ceasefire in the wake of a devastating Palestinian suicide attack in Tel Aviv that killed 20 Israelis. Palestinian officials accused Israel of failing to treat the cease-fire seriously, while the terrorist group Hamas vowed to continue its "struggle against the Zionists." The Israeli army noted that heavy gunfire erupted after Palestinians shot from four directions at Israeli soldiers in the Gaza strip. The gun battles continued for over an hour, during which a tank fired a single shell. Since Arafat announced the ceasefire, Palestinians have fired 47 mortar shells on Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip.
Lawmaker's Comments Enflame Israel's Knesset
Controversy has erupted in Israel over comments made last Sunday by an Arab-Israeli member of parliament who has called for increased resistance against the Jewish state. Azmi Bishara made his call during a memorial ceremony in Syria marking the first anniversary of the death of dictator Hafez al-Assad. Bishara, the leader of the Knesset's Balad faction, appeared at the memorial service alongside Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's anti-Israel Hezbollah terrorist group. In Israel, Bishara's comments outraged lawmakers, some of whom called for his arrest when he returns from Syria. But Israeli Justice Minister Meir Shitrit says Bishara should not be prosecuted for his remarks.
Muslim Terrorist Group Vows to Recapture Enclave from Israel
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist group vowed Sunday to "use blood" to recapture a disputed border enclave from Israel. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah made his remarks in the Syrian village of Cardaha at a gathering to mark the first anniversary of the death of former Syrian dictator Hafez al Assad. The top leaders of both Lebanon and Syria, including the dictators of each country, were present at the ceremonies in the late Assad's home village. The terrorist leader promised that Hezbollah would recapture the Sheba'a Farms, as he put it, by blood, by holy war, and by resistance. The Sheba'a is an enclave on the Israeli-Lebanese border that is claimed by both Lebanon and Syria.
Bush Delays Move of U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem
President George W. Bush has delayed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During his campaign, Bush promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem, an act that would help cement Israeli sovereignty over the city, but which is deeply opposed by the Arabs. When former President Bill Clinton first ran in 1992, he, too, advocated moving the embassy. He never acted on the promise, even though Congress several times tried to force his hand by approving money for the move. Clinton said moving the embassy would harm the peace process. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which authorized the embassy's relocation, but left the final decision to the White House. Citing national security considerations, Bush notified Secretary of State Colin Powell that he is extending an administrative ban on the move for another six months.
Syrian Troops Leave Beirut Area
Syria continued its surprise troop pullback from Christian strongholds near Beirut Friday, a possible move to blunt rising criticism of its military presence and political influence in Lebanon. Soldiers have pulled back from at least 13 positions since the operation began late Wednesday. Damascus has not yet explained the withdrawal that political analysts consider a possible concession by Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad. It is unclear if the troops are leaving Lebanon or moving to bases in the eastern Bekaa Valley. Syria has had up to 35,000 troops in Lebanon. It began sending soldiers to Lebanon in 1976 in the early stage of that country's Muslim-Christian civil war. The war ended in 1990. Opponents of the Syrian presence have stepped up their calls for a Syrian withdrawal since the end of the 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon by Israeli forces last year.
UN Chief Makes Mideast Tour
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan held talks late Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Arien Sharon in Jeruslem to discuss ways to strengthen a fragile cease-fire meant to end nearly nine months of violence. Annan earlier met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah. He urged both sides to seize what he described as a "fleeting opportunity" to resolve their differences and return to peace talks. Annan said both sides need to consolidate the cease-fire and implement recommendations made by an international commission, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. The Mitchell report called for an immediate end to the violence, a cooling off period, confidence-building measures, and a return to negotiations. Annan previously met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Egypt, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara, and Jordanian King Abdallah to discuss the new U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire agreement.
EU Tries To Boost Presence In Disputed Territories
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has condemned the existence of a European Union team to help implement the Palestinian cease-fire, according to an article in Monday's Jerusalem Post. In talks Sharon held yesterday with Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Sharon complained angrily over the existence of the four-man team, saying it was tantamount to an observer force in the territories, which Israel completely rejects. According to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, the EU is trying to set up a network of observers whose job would be to supervise any cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. According to the article in Sunday's newspaper, the action is being taken in coordination with the Palestinians without Israel's approval. Some see the EU initiative as another one of recent attempts to increase international involvement in the territories without Israel's approval. Meanwhile, Persson said last Sunday the only solution to stop the violence between Israel and the Palestinians is to maintain a ceasefire and to implement a U.S. plan to boost security. Persson made his comments after meeting separately with Sharon and Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat in Jerusalem.
© 2001
TruthNews. All Rights Reserved.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
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