Home Page

in this issue:

Egypt Considers Mideast Conference with Sharon a Joke

Bush Envoys on Three-Track Political and Security Diplomacy for Israel, Palestinians

Sharon Slaps New Conditions on Peace Talks

Arafat Signs Basic Law That Is Seen as Precursor to Palestinian Constitution

Israeli Security Cabinet in Another Debate Over Whether To Expel Arafat

Israeli Military Continues Incursions into West Bank

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Claims May 27 Suicide Bombing

Jewish Settlers Announce Plan To Recruit 1,000 New Families by Year's End

Indictments Handed Down in Case of Jewish Terrorists

Israeli Parliament Probe Reports on Water Crisis

From the Vol.1,No.13 issue of Electronic Intelligence Weekly
MIDEAST NEWS DIGEST

Egypt Considers Mideast Conference with Sharon a Joke

According to the May 26 and May 27 issues of the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, the government of Egypt considers the prospect of a Mideast conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a joke. Although there is much talk about a Middle East conference being organized on the initiative of the U.S., in the context of which there is talk of "reforming" the Palestinian Authority, according to Ha'aretz, very few Arab countries are taking the idea seriously, as long as Sharon is in place, and the U.S. does nothing to put serious pressure on him to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority.

According to the commentary, "The view being taken by Cairo at this time, is that as long as Ariel Sharon is Prime Minister of Israel and as long as the U.S. administration continues in a torpor, it will be possible to achieve only interim agreements." The author quotes an unnamed Egyptian official, "There is no foundation in Israel today on which it is possible to build a political plan. Therefore there is no direction in which to push Yasser Arafat, even if we assume that Arab leaders are capable of making him embark on a particular course of action."

The article reports that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher made it clear that the whole idea of an international conference is a "joke" as long as Israel thinks it can dictate who will take part in it, and what the agenda will be. Maher said that Israel would have to go back to positions held prior to the Al Aqsa Intifada, which in effect means the Taba conference discussions, and even Camp David, where Israel would come forward with real political proposals. Under Sharon, that is obviously not going to happen.

Ha'aretz also reports that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be visiting the U.S. in June, and will meet with President Bush. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns will visit Cairo to arrange for the summit.

For his part, President Bush, during his recent trip to Europe, was quoted in wires from Paris and St. Petersburg as saying that "Arafat has not delivered." While in St. Petersburg with President Putin, Bush stressed that Arafat is coming under intense scrutiny in the Mideast and that doubts are rising among Arafat's own people about his ability to carry out "political reforms and bring peace."

"Evidently, there is a new attitude emerging among the new leadership of the Palestinian Authority" about Arafat's capabilities, Bush said. "And the answer is, we'll see. We'll see if he can deliver." Arafat "hasn't delivered," Bush said. "He had a chance to secure the peace as a result of the hard work of President Clinton, and he didn't. He had a chance to fight terrorism and he hasn't."

Bush Envoys on Three-Track Political and Security Diplomacy for Israel, Palestinians

President Bush, who on May 30 announced the dispatch of envoys to all major world hot spots, announced that he had sent Assistant Secretary of State William Burns on a six-nation trip to the Middle East. Burns' main task will be to assist in Palestinian reform. However, he has also been instructed to urge the leaders of Syria and Lebanon to curb attacks on Israel by Hezbollah. Secretary Burns left May 29, and stopped first in Cairo, where he spoke of the suffering of the Palestinian people: "Humanitarian problems, the daily humiliations ordinary Palestinians suffer under occupation, are getting worse every day."

Burns told reporters upon his departure that the U.S. had a commitment for "a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the crisis .... which involved moving on three tracks.... First, to renew a serious political process aimed at the two-states solution. Second, to support Palestinian efforts to build strong institutions in preparation for statehood." And third, "to ensure effective Palestinian performance on security," which "was the task of the Central Intelligence Agency chief Tenet."

At the same time, President Bush is sending Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet to the Middle East with the primary task of carrying out a reorganization into one coherent body of what remains of the dozen-odd Palestinian security agencies and militias. Arafat has accepted this, as well as suggestions on the issue from Cairo.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said that "When Ambassador Burns and Director Tenet have finished their work and come back and presented their reports to the President, we'll then be in a better position to see how to go forward." Powell said the international peace conference summit is still in the planning stages.

Sharon Slaps New Conditions on Peace Talks

While European Union foreign policy head Javier Solana was in Beirut May 31 meeting with Lebanese officials to drum up support for an international Middle East peace conference, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was pounding the table with his conditions for such diplomatic initiatives.

Following a meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Burns, and Egyptian official Dr. Osama al Baz, both of whom stated talks should include Palestinian Authority head Yasser Arafat, Sharon disagreed, insisting on two conditions: The first the complete cessation of terror, violence, and incitement, and the second "carrying out comprehensive reforms" in the Palestinian Authority. Sharon insisted that the reforms could not be carried out as long as Arafat were in power. He cited Israeli intelligence sources to assert that Arafat has done nothing to prevent terror attacks.

At the same time, Israeli Labor Party leader Yossi Beilin and Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Speaker Avraham Burg were holding talks with Palestinian representatives, including Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, in northern England. British and Irish officals also attended the closed conference. On May 30, the two principals, Rabbo and Beilin, engaged in a public debate in London sponsored by the left-liberal British paper The Guardian, during which Rabbo said he and Beilin were hammering out a new peace plan.

Arafat Signs Basic Law That Is Seen as Precursor to Palestinian Constitution

On May 30, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat signed the Basic Law (intended as a precursor to a Constitution) passed by the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1997. Arafat had been elected in 1996 to a three-year term, and the law states that the people shall directly elect the President, as had been done then.

The law also calls for a separation and balance of powers between an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Some sources say that there have been complaints about the legal system, with individuals being tried, convicted, and executed within the same day. Palestinians also complain about official corruption; however, there are no specifics to substantiate the scope of this.

The Palestinian Authority was formed in 1994, and, through a U.S.-monitored election, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat was elected its President in 1996. As for new elections, the last report known to EIW is that Presidential, legislative, and municipal elections would be held sometime this winter. Arafat spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said the law is part of the reforms Arafat promised in a speech to the Legislature two weeks ago.

Israeli Security Cabinet in Another Debate Over Whether To Expel Arafat

At the May 29 Israeli Security Cabinet meeting, a sharp dispute reportedly broke out between Defense Minister and Labor Party leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz, over Mofaz's renewed calls to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The Jerusalem Post reports: "If this is not done, it will be an 'historic mistake,' Mofaz reportedly told the weekly meeting that discussed the country's military options...."

Following the meeting, Ben-Eliezer said: "It is not a secret that I am opposed to the expulsion of Arafat, since I feel this expulsion would not bring about any benefits, but actually lead to the complete opposite."

However, Mofaz was not alone on this issue. The question of expelling Arafat at the Cabinet meeting had been raised by Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, who has been calling for it for months. And National Religious Party leader Raffi "Transfer" Eitam also supported the idea, saying that "the military action should be renewed to expel Arafat, who is the head of a murderous regime. He is not a partner for negotiations, and not for reform. He is corrupt, a murderer and a liar. I will do everything so the decision to expel him will be accepted."

Meantime, at an Aspen Institute event in Berlin May 24, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared there should be no compromise towards Arafat, comparing him to Hitler, and calling for a war today against the Palestinians, Iraqis, and Iranians, along the lines of the war the West fought against Hitler.

Netanyahu also elaborated on his view about how a future Palestinian "state" should look: none of the sovereign rights that go along with a state, like armed forces, control of the air space and of the water resources, should be granted to the Palestinians, he said. They only needed a civilian government, whereas everything else would be taken care of by Israel.

Israeli Military Continues Incursions into West Bank

On May 27, the Israel Defense Force entered Qalqilya, after having entered and withdrawn on May 26. It did the same thing in Bethlehem, where it claimed it was protecting the Church of the Nativity from being taken over by Palestinian gunmen. The IDF declared Bethlehem off-limits to the press, imposed a curfew, rounded up 500 men after searching homes in the Dheisheh refugee camp, and arrested a local leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. It is conducting similar operations in Gaza, where a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed.

Although the official reason for these operations is to capture potential suicide bombers, and to "safeguard the gains" made by last month's Operation Warsaw Ghetto, the real reason is to terrorize the Palestinians. The incursions are occurring while the Israeli military continues to lay siege to the cities. Sharon has created quasi-Warsaw Ghettoes out of the eight largest towns and cities on the West Bank: They have been surrouned by barbed wire and other obstructions, allowing for only one opening to enter or leave the cities; in order to leave the city, one must obtain a special pass from the Israelis.

Imagine what it must be like living in cities you cannot leave, and then the city is invaded by tanks, armored personnel carriers, and jeeps with troops fanning out to make arrests, shooting into houses, etc. In one case, the IDF surrounded a home where they claimed a major Palestinian militant was. They demanded everyone leave the house, only to see the wife and six terrified children emerge.

In the midst of these types of operations, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is supposed to arrest "terrorists," and "reform" the PA. On May 26, Arafat demanded that Israel end the "siege of our cities and towns in the West Bank and Gaza," to facilitate preparations for an internally supervised vote.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Claims May 27 Suicide Bombing

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing May 27 in a coffee shop outside a shopping mall in the Israeli town of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv. At least 27 people were wounded, including many children; an elderly Israeli woman and her 18-month-old granddaughter were killed, while others are in critical condition. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's adviser Dore Gold called it "intolerable," but did not specify how Israel would respond.

Before this latest bombing, Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ron Kitrey had told Israel Army Radio that the number of terrorist warnings "requires us to be wound up as tightly as a spring," while Chief of Staff Gen. Shaul Mofaz had said that if there are more serious suicide bombings, "The Israeli military might go in again for a large-scale military operation," referring to the West Bank and Gaza.

Likud parliamentarian Yuval Steinitz ridiculed the idea of strengthening the Palestinian security forces while Arafat is still in control, saying that if they were strengthened, the Palestinian security forces would threaten Israel and not increase Israel's security. "I was shocked by the idea that what we need to do now is to improve the efficiency of Palestinian forces."

"I'm confident there is a military solution," Steinitz said, "and by brute force we can completely, or almost completely, eradicate terrorism."

Jewish Settlers Announce Plan To Recruit 1,000 New Families by Year's End

The Jewish settlers' movement announced plans to recruit 1,000 new families to 32 illegal settlements on the West Bank by the end of 2002, according to the Israeli paper Ha'aretz. Elazar Sela, the director of the project to vastly expand the settlements in the Binyamin area, made the (dubious) claim that they have many, many young people just waiting for a settlement to go to, as part of "Settlement 2002."

The announcement brought a storm of protest, including from Ha'aretz and even Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. The latter warned that Israelis "will pay dearly" for this, if it goes ahead. "There will be no new settlements. This will not happen, because we have to absolutely rule out new outposts. I will not allow this to occur," he promised.

Ha'aretz warns that settlement expansion is "one of the primary red-flag issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, second in sensitivity perhaps only to the fate of the holy sites in Jerusalem's volatile Old City"—and one of the biggest causes of friction with the United States. Ariel Sharon has won a degree of American, European, and even tacit Arab support, for a campaign to pressure the Palestinian Authority for reforms, the paper writes, but the settlements issue could cause the screws to turned on Israel, even by the United States.

Ha'aretz quotes an angry Knesset (Parliament) member from the Israeli Meretz Party, Mossie Raz: "Soldiers are being killed because of this!... Don't these people have a heart at all? Aren't they willing to take our security and economic plight into account?... Every single settler depletes our strength that much more. Add more settlers ... and more soldiers will have to defend them, endangering the soldiers, who will be killed in order to enable the settlers to live out there in these outposts."

According to the May 31 Washington Post, the settlements have expanded drastically under Sharon's Prime Ministership, with 36-40 new settlements launched in the past several months alone.

Indictments Handed Down in Case of Jewish Terrorists

The Jerusalem District Court has received indictments againt Noam Federman, one of the founders of the Jewish terror group Kach, concerning a recent attempt to bomb an East Jerusalem Palestinian girls' school, and including earlier cases in which Federman was allegedly involved.

The first charge relates to an explosive device that accidentally went off in Federman's car in Kiryat Arba last July. The second charge claims that last January, Federman approached fellow suspect Yarden Morag and asked him for ammunition for an Uzi submachine gun. Morag also supplied Federman with an electronic detonator and six kilograms of explosives. The third charge claims that Federman was involved in the attempted attack on the girls' school.

Federman's lawyer, Neftali Wetzberger, charged that Federman was being framed by the Israeli intelligence/security service, the Shin Beth. "This is an opportunity for the Shin Beth security service to settle accounts with Federman."

Israeli Parliament Probe Reports on Water Crisis

A parliamentary inquiry into the water crisis in Israeli handed down a 300-page report May 28; its main recommendations were the transfer of responsibility for the nation's water to the Prime Minister's office, the establishment of an independent water authority, and the declaration of a state of water emergency for the next two years. The report, a year in the making, states that in the coming three years, the water crisis will worsen, and that a lack of potable water could have a wide-ranging impact on the economy.

According to the report, the crisis is the result of years of ignoring the mounting indicators, as well as tardiness in establishing alternative water resources. Without naming specific people, it charges that Treasury officials, among others, deliberately obstructed attempts to adapt the water infrastructure to the changing needs of the country, and that the Treasury transferred some millions earmarked for water infrastructure, into other projects. One member of the Israeli Parliament, or Knesset, said that he would seek an investigation of the Treasury by the Attorney General.

Only Lyndon LaRouche, of all the international figures concerned with securing peace in the Middle East, has emphasized the central importance of water and water infrastructure, and put forth the basis for a solution which would bring together Israelis and Palestinians, around his "Oasis Plan."

All rights reserved © 2002 EIRNS