[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1365 (11 messages)

imra Wed Apr 5 02:21:09 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1365

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Excerpts: Palestinians ununified.
Cooling down on "Cartoons". 4 April 2006
The Israeli Elections: Initial Reflections
["less ideological and more pragmatic"]
1 Palestinian Citizen Dead and 2 Injured in
Incidents Involving the Mishandling of Weapons
First Ever Chartered Flight of British
Olim Expected in Summer 2006:
Nefesh B'Nefesh Expands to the UK
Iran exploits Israeli retreat from Lebanon-
monitoring stations hugging Israeli border,
spy planes over Northern Israel
[Human shields indifferent]Children Play Soccer
Indifferent to Israeli Missiles North Beit Hanoon
Saudi ambassador salutes 1981
strike on Iraqi nuclear reactor
Almost cigar - Qassam almost hit cache of
inflammable materials, could have caused disaster
Film Clip: Israeli Star Aviv Gefen Wants Pollard
US says Saudi individuals still funding terrorism
ZOA Criticizes Brandeis Univesity For
Relationship With Al-Quds University

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Palestinians ununified.
Cooling down on "Cartoons". 4 April 2006

Excerpts: Palestinians ununified.Cooling down on "Cartoons". 4 April 2006

+++JORDAN TIMES 4 April '06
Turning Palestine into another Nicaragua? by Ramzy Baroud
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"Palestinian government is now officially isolated, as many Palestinians
cannot see beyond their wn narrow ... ideological differences"

"turning Palestine into another Nicaragua"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
What is currently transpiring in the occupied territories is by far a
worst-case scenario, ironically one made possible with the direct help of
many Palestinians themselves.
The democratically elected Palestinian government is now officially
isolated, as many Palestinians cannot see beyond their own narrow - and
frankly irrelevant - ideological differences and immaterial factionalism.
Others cannot resist their total reliance on foreign, mostly European, funds
to run their mostly self-exalting NGOs, whose tangible contribution to
Palestinian life is still disputed. The final outcome is that turning
Palestine into another Nicaragua is working.
That was the intent from the moment Hamas was declared victorious in the
parliamentary elections .... US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ...
leading a campaign of defamation and coercion aimed at politically and
financially isolating the democratically elected Palestinian legislators,
further solidifying with the former corrupt political elite.
In the same way, Nicaragua of the 1960s and 70s seemed of little concern ...
.
The Palestinian case is, more or less, being handled the same way: ..that
same ... scenario which is hoped to eventually lead to diplomatic deadlock,
regional and international isolation and further deterioration in the
already unstable (read non-existing) Palestinian economy.
On the external front, the new Palestinian government was met almost
immediately with unfair demands of unilateral renunciation of violence and
the unconditional recognition of Israel. ... .
... Rather than coming together in the face of danger, Fateh intentionally
impeded Hamas' attempt to join the new government and the socialists failed
to see through their ideological constrictions.
Unfortunately, Hamas was forced to form a government and to seek its
legislative approval alone.
. . .
While a religious ideology is not the most helpful formula for any
Palestinian polity and suicide bombings were the single most tainting act
employed by Palestinians in recent years, I believe all Palestinians must
recognise that the impending fight is of greater consequence than the
dialectics of religion and politics.
... Israeli plot of denying Palestinians any say in the shaping of their
future, which is sadly growing dimmer by the day.
===
The writer, veteran Arab American journalist ...teaches mass communication
at Australia's Curtin University of Technology, Malaysia Campus. ... .

+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 4 April '06:"Products of Danish Dairy Company Return to
Supermarket Shelves" by M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan,
: QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"Products of the Danish dairy conglomwerate Aela Foods ... will be back
on the supermarket shelves in Saudi Arabia from tomorrow"
" had issued an apology to Muslims worldwide ... pledged to disseminate
awareness about Islam and make donations to charity groups"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
RIYADH, 4 April 2006 - Products of the Danish dairy conglomerate Arla Foods
... will be back on the supermarket shelves in Saudi Arabia from tomorrow.
...
... . "The unofficial boycott has been lifted and this is only for Arla
products,"... .
The move comes following a recommendation made by five Islamic organizations
...which participated in an Islamic conference in Bahrain last month to
debate the issue surrounding the blasphemous cartoons ... ..
Arla Foods had issued an apology to Muslims worldwide ... pledged to
disseminate awareness about Islam and make donations to charity groups.
Arla has a major dairy plant in Riyadh ... A new production facility planned
for Saudi Arabia has been indefinitely put on hold, ... .
"We have deferred plans to set up the multimillion dollar production plant
because of the boycott of Danish products and its adverse impact on our
sales in the region," said Pedersen.
Arla had already invested $70 million to build the new plant in cooperation
with Danya Foods of Saudi Arabia. . . .

Sue Lerner, Associate - IMRA

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: The Israeli Elections: Initial Reflections
["less ideological and more pragmatic"]

The Israeli Elections: Initial Reflections

[IMRA: It has been an going theme for retreat supporters to term a vote in
favor of retreat to be a move putting "pragmatism" over "ideology". One can
readily argue that the opposite is the case.
Is the implementation of a retreat that can be expected to leave the area
under the control of a sovereign Hamas terror state out of a desire to
immediately end the "occupation" at all costs so that at some future point
in time Israel will not find itself forced to allow the Palestinians in the
West Bank to vote in the Knesset (the "demographic threat") "pragmatism" or
the expression of an extreme of "ideology"?

Is the belief that if Israel unilaterally retreats to a line that this line
will enjoy international recognition as a final border "pragmatism" or the
wishful self-deception of an extreme "ideology"?]

Tel Aviv Notes No. 164
April 4, 2006

The Israeli Elections: Initial Reflections

Yehuda Ben Meir
Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies

The Israeli national elections held on March 28 did not yield a clear-cut
outcome and one should therefore be cautious in drawing conclusions before
all the results, including breakdowns by various criteria, have been
properly digested, analyzed and understood. However, it is already possible
to venture several observations.

The first concerns the low voter turnout - about 64% -- which represents a
decrease of 5% from three years ago and is the lowest turnout rate in Israel's
history (for Knesset elections). Voter apathy reflects a growing
disillusionment with the current political parties in particular and with
the political process in general. This disillusionment was also
demonstrated in the surprise of the election - the astonishing achievement
of the Pensioners' Party, which won seven seats (more than half of the seats
won by the Likud). The support for this party, whose political platform and
candidates were totally unknown to the Israeli electorate, can only be seen
as a massive protest vote against all the political parties represented in
the outgoing Knesset. Indeed, the party's remarkable and totally
unpredicted success may well be attributed precisely to the fact that it was
not represented in the previous Knesset and that its candidates were not
politicians. At the same time, it should be noted that growing voter
apathy, especially among young age groups, is endemic in Western democracies
and thus may be a sign - albeit not a positive one - of a growing normalcy
in the Israeli political environment. Given improved security and an upbeat
economy, many Israelis saw no real threat and felt that they could stay home
or vote for the Pensioners' Party.

As for the results themselves, two key observations are in order. First of
all, there has been a clear short-term shift in the balance of power from
center-right to center-left. The right-religious bloc has dropped from 69
seats to 50 seats - a loss of over twenty five percent. The center-left
bloc, including the Arab parties, controls 63 seats, with the remaining
seven going to the new Pensioners' Party. The political leanings of this
party remain a mystery, although there is reason to believe that it, or at
least a majority of its Knesset members, lean towards the center-left bloc.
If so, that would effectively give the bloc a total of 70 seats. No less
important, the center-left bloc, assuming the support of the Pensioners'
Party, has 60 seats even without the Arab parties. Not since before the
first Likud victory in 1977 has the center-left bloc been in such a strong
position. The significance of these numbers is that Kadima Leader Ehud
Olmert can muster a majority in the Knesset for his convergence plan even if
the Arab parties (which together have ten seats) abstain. Nevertheless, the
victory of Olmert, Kadima and the center-left bloc is far from a landslide,
and the results remain subject to different interpretations.

In the long-term point of view, however, there are two contradictory trends,
both of which may have far-reaching ramifications and consequences for
Israeli politics and for Israeli society. On the one hand, we see an
electorate far less ideological and more pragmatic. At the same, however,
we have also seen a sharp increase in sectarianism.

These elections reflect the demise of the ideological parties. Meretz on
the left and the National Union-National Religious Party on the right
suffered losses at the polls, and the Likud was all but demolished. Many
have termed these elections "the death of ideology." It would seem that the
Israeli voter has freed himself at last from a binding commitment to a given
party - be it because of ideology or a "label." Party loyalty has been
greatly weakened and there may well be wide-ranging shifts in future voting
patterns, reflecting a more pragmatic and situation-dependent approach on
the part of the Israeli electorate.

Indeed, perhaps the most dramatic and obvious result of this election is the
complete redrawing of the political map compared to that of three years ago.
Kadima, a party which did not exist six months ago, received the votes of
almost one out of every four Israelis and is now the largest party in the
Knesset, with 29 seats. Shinui, a party which had won 15 seats in 2003 and
had over 300,000 votes, vanished into thin air. The Likud lost close to 75%
of its votes and went from 38 seats in 2003 (making it the largest party,
twice as big as Labor) to just 12 seats, by far its worst showing ever. All
in all, only 17% of the voters (according to one exit poll) voted this time
for the same party they had voted for in the previous elections. In short,
political parties and their leaders can no longer take the loyalty of their
voters for granted.

Many had expected that the reconfiguration of Israeli politics would produce
a strong center party - Kadima - which would be able, with relative ease, to
form a strong and stable coalition government which could implement
clear-cut and far-reaching political, diplomatic and economic policies.
This expectation did not fully materialize. Instead, there has been a
remarkable rise in the support for sectarian parties. Shas, United Torah
Judaism, and especially the Russian immigrants' party of Avigdor Lieberman
made strong gains, and the Pensioners' Party - a classic special interest
party - is the great surprise of the elections. The Arab parties and the
National Union-NRP are also, for all intents and purposes, sectarian
parties. One single number can tell the whole story. The three major
parties which presented candidates for Prime Minister - Kadima, Labor and
Likud -- altogether could muster only 60 seats. This is the first time in
Israel's history that the three largest parties together are unable, even
hypothetically, to form a government.

Ehud Olmert now faces the formidable task of putting together a stable
coalition in a Knesset in which twelve parties are represented but none is
truly dominant. And Israel as a whole will have to grapple with the
consequences of growing sectarianism, with all the inherent dangers that
poses for a healthy democracy and a strong cohesive society.

___________________________________________________________________
Tel Aviv Notes is published by
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies www.tau.ac.il/jcss/
& The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
http://www.dayan.org/
through the generosity of Sari and Israel Roizman, Philadelphia

KEYWORD: Israel

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: 1 Palestinian Citizen Dead and 2 Injured in
Incidents Involving the Mishandling of Weapons

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms
Misuse of Weapons by Armed Groups and Security Personnel

Field Update
4 April 2006

1 Citizen Dead and 2 Injured in Incidents Involving the Mishandling of
Weapons

Hisham Ahmad Mohammad Jaber, a 30-year-old resident of the Sheikh Radwan
neighborhood of Gaza City, shot himself, after injuring his brother
(Mohammad, 24), when he mishandled a firearm.

According to the family's testimony to the police, given in Shifa Hospital
in Gaza City, the incident took place at approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 2
April 2006. At the time, Hisham Jaber, a taxi driver, was handling a weapon
at his house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. A bullet was accidentally
fired, hitting his brother Mohammad in the leg. According to the testimony,
Hisham then shot himself in the head and died instantly. Medical sources at
Shifa Hospital stated that Hisham was killed by a bullet to the head, while
Mohammad's injury was classified as moderate.

In another incident, Hani Jaber Khalil, a 27-year-old resident of Jabalia
refugee camp, was injured when he mishandled a weapon. PCHR's initial
investigation indicates that at approximately 20:20 on Sunday, 2 April 2006,
Hani Khalil was injured by a bullet to the right leg, which was fired when
he mishandled a rifle in his house. He was taken to Kamal Odwan Hospital in
Beit Lahya, where his injury was classified as moderate.

PCHR is very concerned over the continued number of deaths and injuries
resulting from the misuse of weapons, which is has become a prominent
feature of the ongoing security chaos in the region. The Centre stresses
the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring their safety in
accordance with international humanitarian law.

Public Document
**************************************
For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8
2824776 - 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
-----------------------------------
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------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: First Ever Chartered Flight of British
Olim Expected in Summer 2006:
Nefesh B'Nefesh Expands to the UK

(4 APRIL 2006 / JERUSALEM) - Nefesh B'Nefesh ( www.nefeshbnefesh.org ), the
organization committed to the revitalization of North American immigration
to Israel, working in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel,
will be launching its Aliyah (immigration to Israel) related services in the
UK this month.

Since its inception in 2002, Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) has been dedicated to
providing Aliyah assistance services to Jews from the U.S. and Canada. This
strategic expansion of services to the UK move has come as result of an
overwhelming number of requests by British Jews of NBN for assistance in
moving to Israel. NBN's headquarters will remain in Jerusalem while
providing on - site informational support throughout the UK.

At present, NBN is coordinating a specially chartered flight of British Olim
during the summer of 2006. Prior to the flight, NBN will send specially
trained Aliyah professionals to the UK to provide informational seminars,
slated to address employment, housing, governmental and numerous other
Aliyah oriented issues. The events will assist anyone seeking comprehensive
information on Aliyah planning stages.

"England is the most natural expansion for Nefesh B'Nefesh's services,
especially as result of the high interest that has been expressed from the
wonderful Jewish community there, said NBN Co-Founder and Executive
Director, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass. "The Israeli government, Chief Rabbi Sir
Jonathan Sacks and additional key British figures have given us their
blessings and together we hope to achieve great success there as well."

Nefesh B'Nefesh has built its success on removing and/or minimizing the
financial, professional, logistical and social obstacles for (North
American) immigrants to Israel. Their Olim are offered informational
seminars, pre and post Aliyah social events, employment placement services,
help assistance centers, Aliyah advocacy and a helping hand with general
adjustment issues. In addition, the organization heavily assists in removing
nearly all the 'red tape' bureaucracy before and after Aliyah. To date, 99%
of NBN's 7,000 newcomers have remained in Israel and over 94% of those
seeking employment are gainfully employed. Over 250 "Sabras" (native born
Israelis) were born and 63 weddings have been celebrated within the Nefesh
"family," including three couples who met on NBN chartered flights.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Iran exploits Israeli retreat from Lebanon-
monitoring stations hugging Israeli border,
spy planes over Northern Israel

[IMRA: Retreat supporters pointed to the "successful" retreat from Lebanon
to defend retreat from Gaza.]

Iran's spies watching us, says Israel
By Con Coughlin Defence and Security Editor, on Israel's northern border
Daily Telegraph (UK) 4 April 2006
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/04/wiran04.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/04/ixworld.html

Iran has set up a sophisticated intelligence gathering operation in southern
Lebanon to identify targets in northern Israel in the event of a military
confrontation over its controversial nuclear programme.

Senior Israeli military commanders say Iran has spent tens of millions of
pounds helping its close ally, Hizbollah, the Shia Muslim militant group
that controls southern Lebanon, to set up a network of control towers and
monitoring stations along the entire length of Israel's border with south
Lebanon.

Some of the new control towers, which are made of reinforced concrete and
fitted with bullet-proof reflective glass, are less than 100 yards from
Israeli army positions and are clearly visible for long stretches along
Israel's border.

"This is now Iran's front line with Israel," a senior Israeli military
commander said. "The Iranians are using Hizbollah to spy on us so that they
can collect information for future attacks. And there is very little we can
do about it."

The Israeli military has reported a significant increase in Hizbollah
activity in southern Lebanon since Syria came under intense international
pressure to withdraw its forces from the area last year following the
assassination of the Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Israeli military officers report that teams of Iran's Revolutionary Guards
travel regularly to southern Lebanon to help train local Hizbollah fighters
in terrorist tactics. Tensions between Iran and Israel have intensified
dramatically since the election last summer of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
as Iran's new leader. Israel has repeatedly threatened to take military
action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and the new Iranian
government has responded by calling for Israel's destruction.

Senior Israeli military officers believe Iran is deliberately exploiting the
power vacuum caused by Syria's withdrawal to intensify pressure on Israel's
northern border.

Hizbollah is aware that Israel is keen to maintain friendly relations with
the new government in Lebanon and believes it can act freely in southern
Lebanon without provoking retaliatory strikes from Israel.

Officers report a sharp increase in border incidents between Hizbollah
fighters and Israeli units on the northern border, with the main flash
points located at the disputed Druze village of Ghajar, which is divided by
the border between Israel and Lebanon, and Mount Dov, which Hizbollah also
claims should be part of Lebanon.

The situation is now regarded as so serious that many senior Israeli
officers openly admit to missing the restraining influence of Syria over
Hizbollah.

"When the Syrians were in Lebanon it was easy for us to control Hizbollah,"
said an officer with Israel's northern command. "If things got too tense we
could put pressure on Damascus and the Syrians would act quickly to calm
things down."

Although the Lebanese government technically controls the border area, its
military is not considered strong enough to control Hizbollah, which takes
its orders directly from Teheran.

"Iran is playing a very dangerous game of cat and mouse on our northern
border and it could easily spiral out of control at any moment," said the
officer.

In recent weeks Hizbollah sent unmanned aircraft on reconnaissance missions
over the border to photograph sensitive Israeli military installations. The
spy planes returned to base before being detected by air defence systems.

In addition to providing intelligence-gathering and communications
equipment, Iran has also equipped Hizbollah with improved weapons and
ammunition to launch attacks against Israel, including heavy mortars and
rockets with a range of up to 30 miles.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: [Human shields indifferent]Children Play Soccer
Indifferent to Israeli Missiles North Beit Hanoon

Children Play Soccer Indifferent to Israeli Missiles North Beit Hanoon
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=15023

BEIT HANOON, Palestine, April 04, 2006 (IPC) [Official PA website]- -Soccer
team of teens continued indifferently playing football just meters away the
thunderous boom of missiles by the Israeli tanks noisy roaming in the scene
simultaneously a crew of journalists were gearing up in a hurry to set their
cameras on rooftop of one of the houses located next to the northern
borderline of Gaza Strip, fortified with bullet proofs.

Ostensible absurd scene is previewed; uncaring children of the echo of
missiles explosions and people who mostly often are victims of such missiles
practicing their routine daily life heading no attention to danger in the
offing.

Mohammed Shabta, resident of north Beth Hanoon town, found the scene normal
as the population there used to wake up and sleep on the resonance of
missiles and whoosh of choppers and drowns overheads.

"The households and farmers did not flee their places, when the occupation
soldiers had occupied the area and played havoc," Shabat said, adding that
people insisted on keeping steadfast in their lands despite of the daily
missiles.

Tracing in finger to the vast areas opposite to the northern eastward
borders of Beit Hanoon nestled with Green Line lands; Sahabt explained "the
occupation troops aimed to empty this area from its indigenous population in
a prelude to convert it into a buffer zone totally open to their tanks and
convoys able to monitor the area round the clock."

Though hundreds of scattered houses stretching along the borders with the
green line until reaching Beit Hannon crossing " Eretz", the area is
seemingly almost bleak. Prior to the evacuation of the settlers from Gaza
Strip, the Israeli occupation forces caterpillar bulldozers conducted a
whirlwind military campaign in Beit Hanoon, destroying everything even the
citrus groves that once a day the town famed with but now craving it.

A 13 year-old Hussein was continuing his soccer adamantly said "if we fear,
we will not play, read or even get out our homes, no place for fear in our
heart any more."

He went onto saying " come and live with us a week, you will be like us,
careless to missiles and live routine life despite probable death rears its
head at any moment."

Two farmers were wounded from Beit Lahia north the Strip yesterday before by
the sprinkled shrapnel as well as a number of parking cars were grossly
damaged let alone the material damages inflicted to the houses.

Hussin's father marked out the deep holes and fissure in lands came under
firing missiles saying "the Israeli special soldiers fortified in the dark
behind tiny embankments which believed to be used by the fighters to ambush
them."

Resident Hamed Abu Harbeed, 27, sounded more willpower "life on the harmony
of missiles explosion brining anticipated killing become normal for the
population here, determined to continue normality with life semblances. The
kids whose dreams filled with violence and fear also continue to play soccer
and heed off to their classes paying no attention to the continuous firing
of missiles as de facto have to be forgettable.

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Saudi ambassador salutes 1981
strike on Iraqi nuclear reactor

Saudi ambassador salutes Israeli 1981 strike on Iraqi nuclear reactor
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3236054,00.html

Turki al-Faisal, speaking in San Francisco, says Israel's 1981 strike on
Iraqi nuclear reactor was 'certainly a positive move'

Itamar Eichner YNET 4 April 2006

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States Turki al-Faisal expressed
support for Israel's strike on the Iraqi Osirak nuclear facility in 1981.

Al-Faisal said that the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor by Israel
was certainly a positive step, during a speech on foreign relations in San
Francisco.

The prince said that a region clear of nuclear weapons would also serve
Israel and increase its security. He said that it was known that Israel had
nuclear weapons, and that that Arab world felt threatened by Israel, rather
than the other way around.

Faisal added that Israel possessed the best army, air force, and navy in the
Middle East, and that these have been well used in the past.

After becoming aware that Iraq was planning to construct nuclear weapons,
Israel launched a surprise aerial attack on June 7 1981 on the Osirak
facility near Baghdad, and destroyed the Iraqi reactor.

The move was initially widely condemned, but was widely supported in
subsequent years.

(04.04.06, 12:20)

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Almost cigar - Qassam almost hit cache of
inflammable materials, could have caused disaster

[IMRA: It remains to be seen if Israel will stray from its policy that
serious action only be taken after the Palestinians succeed in causing a
disaster. So far Israel has continued with its bombing of empty fields (and
sometimes empty structures). Curiously, if Amir Peretz does become Defense
Minister, he may actually opt for a stronger Israeli response since the
purpose of the appointment to the position of Defense Minister is to fill
out his C.V. for a run for PM in the next elections.]

5 Qassams land near Ashkelon

Rockets fired at Israel land near army base, factory in Ashkelon's
industrial zone. Employees say Qassam almost hit cache of inflammable
materials, could have caused disaster
Shmulik Hadad 4 April 2006
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3236087,00.html

Five Qssam rockets were fired Tuesday from the northern Gaza Strip at
southern Ashkelon. Two of the rockets landed in the area of kibbutz Zikim,
one fell in kibbutz Karmiya, one in the area of the Nativ Haasara community
and the fifth landed in Ashkelon's industrial zone, just south of the town.

As of now, no injuries have been reported. In response to the attack, the
IDF shelled Qassam launching sites in the Strip.

One of the rockets that landed in the area of Zikim fell near an army base.
The rocket that landed in the Ashkelon industrial zone could have caused
heavy damages, according to employees at the place.

"A great disaster was prevented today," a source at the industrial area
stated. "The rocket landed near a stockpile of highly inflammable materials.
One flare could have caused grave damages to the entire vicinity," he added.

Employees working near the Qassam's landing site at the time of the attack
said they heard a loud explosion. The Red Dawn alert system identified the
rockets' launching, and consequently all personnel were ordered to enter
reinforced rooms.

Tuesday's shooting marks the second time this week rockets have been fired
at Israel. On Sunday, a Qassam was launched at Israel's territory and landed
in an open field in the western Negev.

Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report

(04.04.06, 13:38)

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Film Clip: Israeli Star Aviv Gefen Wants Pollard

Film Clip: Israeli Star Aviv Gefen Wants Pollard
Justice4JP Release - April 4, 2006

Aviv Gefen, the immensely popular Israeli singer and entertainer, was
recently interviewed on The Yair Lapid Show (Channel 2, 3 April 2006), where
he surprised the prime time TV host by speaking of his desire to meet
Jonathan Pollard. Here is how the conversation went:

Yair Lapid: Is there any Israeli that you know of, but whom you have never
met, with whom you would like to go out to dinner.

Aviv Gefen: With Pollard!

Yair Lapid (surprised): It's a little problematic for Pollard to go out to
dinner though...

Aviv Gefen (unfazed) When he gets home to Israel!

Yair Lapid (recovers): That's right...

>> CLICK HERE to view the film clip:
www.freepollard.org/5766/nisan/Aviv-Pollard.WMV

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: US says Saudi individuals still funding terrorism

US says Saudi individuals still funding terrorism
Tue Apr 4, 2006 2:14 PM ET
By Caroline Drees
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-04-04T181412Z_01_N044564_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-FINANCIAL-SAUDI.xml&archived=False

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia must do a better job at ferreting out
major individual donors who continue to fund terrorism abroad, including in
Iraq, a top U.S. Treasury official said on Tuesday.

Stuart Levey, the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial
intelligence, said Saudi Arabia had made significant strides in
counterterrorism efforts in recent years and that the kingdom was "doing an
excellent job" fighting operatives of
Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network at home.

But he told a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee that concerns
remained, including the existence of so-called "deep-pocket donors" and the
abuse of charities to fund militants.

"Is money leaving Saudi Arabia to fund terrorism abroad? Yes," said Levey,
who has traveled to Saudi Arabia twice in the last two months. "Undoubtedly,
some of that money is going to Iraq. And it's going to Southeast Asia and
it's going to any other place where there are terrorists."

He said Saudi Arabia had taken steps to curb terrorism financing, but had
failed to set up a special charity commission to regulate the sector, as it
had pledged. He said rules implemented as a stop-gap measure in the interim
"haven't been uniformly implemented."

Levey said Saudi Arabia's fledgling Financial Intelligence Unit, set up last
year after much prodding from the United States, was still not fully
functional.

Financial Intelligence Units are government agencies that collect, analyze
and exchange financial information to help fight
money laundering and terrorism financing.

"What needs to happen is they need to do financial investigations in a
serious way in order to locate those deep-pocket donors that are still
funding terrorism abroad. And that's something which is a concern that
hasn't happened as robustly as it needs to happen," Levey said.

Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, asked
whether there was a gap between Saudi government rhetoric and the
implementation of policy.

Levey replied: "I've got to say that there's a lag. ... And we'll see if
there's a gap."

------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: ZOA Criticizes Brandeis Univesity For
Relationship With Al-Quds University

NEWS RELEASE
Zionist Organization of America

April 4, 2006
Contact Morton A. Klein at www.zoa.org
Attn: NEWS EDITOR

ZOA CRITICIZES BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY FOR RELATIONSHIP
WITH AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY, WHICH DENIES JEWISH
CONNECTION TO JERUSALEM & MORE

New York - The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized
the formal relationship that Brandeis University has developed with Al-Quds
University, a Palestinian educational institution in eastern Jerusalem,
whose website denies the Jewish historical connection with Jerusalem and
promotes other falsehoods. Brandeis is being funded as part of a $500,000
Ford Foundation Grant meant to bolster Al-Quds University through various
programs. Brandeis' International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public
Life, which has coordinated Al-Quds visitors programs, also includes Al-Quds
University President Sari Nusseibeh on its advisory board. Nusseibeh is
often falsely presented as a Palestinian moderate but, as ZOA revealed in
October 2002, Nusseibeh has actually demonized Israelis, praised jihad
fighters and justified the killing of so-called Palestinian "collaborators."
He has also explained that purely tactical reasons he once signed a petition
calling for a halt to Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.
Moreover, Nusseibeh was arrested by Israel in January 1991 for collecting
security information for Iraqi intelligence.

A perusal of Al-Quds University website page dedicated to 'Jerusalem
History' indicates that the university publicizes propaganda aimed at
denying Jewish history and especially the Jewish connection with the land of
Israel and Jerusalem, thereby fostering extremism and hatred of Israel.

The statements that appear on the Al-Quds website are similar to
claims made by Palestinian officials, including Yasser Arafat, who refused
to make peace with Israel in 20002 and told President Clinton that Jerusalem
had no connection to Judaism. Arafat also said in an October 2002 interview
that, "For 34 years [the Israelis] have dug tunnels [around the Temple
Mount].they found not a single stone proving that the Temple of Solomon was
there, because historically the Temple was not in Palestine [at all]. They
found only remnants of a shrine of the Roman Herod. They are now trying to
put in place a number of stones so that they can say 'We were here.' This is
nonsense. I challenge them to bring a single stone from the Temple of
Solomon." (Al-Hayat (London), October 5, 2002, translation courtesy of
MEMRI).

Examples of the falsehoods on Jewish history on Al Quds University's
official website include:

� The 'salem' in the name 'Jerusalem' does not come from the Hebrew
word for peace, but allegedly from 'Shalim,' a Canaanite deity associated
with the city's founding by Jebusites.

� King David never existed, except in myth and that Israeli "efforts
to connect the city with David are intended to formalize connections between
present Jews or Israelis and that idealized biblical community called
'Israelites' . [others] "now confirm that David never existed as a tribal
chief - except in the huge realm of legend . Jerusalem has no trace at all
of a person called 'King David.'"

� These facts are known among Israeli academicians, "but some are
afraid it is a threat to the legitimacy of Israel's creation."

� "Extensive Israeli excavations [under the Temple Mount] have
threatened the foundations beneath the Dome [of the Rock] complex."

� "Israel also continues to impose other changes in demography and
geography, altering facts that took millennia to accumulate. Populations are
imported and local inhabitants dislocated."

� "The 'conquest' as described in 'Joshua' never occurred."

� "The Exodus story is nothing more than Canaanite cultural memory
appropriated by 'Israelites' as their tradition."

� The Al Aqsa Mosque is not built on the ruins of the Jewish Temple.

� The First Temple never existed: " What is called the 'first
temple,' associated with the legendary Solomon, was in fact a
pre-monotheistic place where many gods were worshipped."

� The Palestinians are descended from the original Canaanites and are
thus the natives of the land: "The people of Palestine may have become more
mixed with each consecutive conquest, or may have changed religions, but
essentially (especially in villages) the population remained constant-and is
now still Palestinian, though many villagers were tragically dislocated in
the 1948 Nakba."

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, "We are shocked that
Brandeis University, which is named after one of the greatest Zionist
figures in this country, should wish to be associated with Al-Quds
University, which unashamedly promotes on its website denial of the history
of Israel and the Jewish people, thus undermining Jewish rights to the land.
Al-Quds University, as the quotes above show, essentially engages in the
same denial of Jewish history as Yasser Arafat and other anti-Semites. A
major Jewish university such as Brandeis should be especially sensitive to
Jewish sensibilities and be careful not to bestow respectability to a
university that promotes anti-Israel and anti-Jewish falsehoods.

"This is straightforward propaganda. It has nothing to do with
genuine scholarship and has no place on the website of a university. It is
deeply troubling that Al-Quds University has been able to maintain this
website and deepen its connections with other institutions, including
Brandeis University, without being held to account for promoting false
claims about Jewish history. Al-Quds University is basically saying on this
website that the Jews are a fraudulent people with no connection to their
historical homeland. Al-Quds University does not deserve an association with
any university that deals with genuine scholarship when it promotes
falsehood and hatred.

"Brandeis University should have been aware of the nature of the
Al-Quds University website before dignifying the university with a formal
association, and if it was aware, it should have refused to formalize the
relationship. We strongly urge Brandeis, which carries an honored name and
reputation, to review immediately its relationship with Al-Quds University.
It should be a matter of concern to all Brandeis supporters and alumni that
Brandeis University is lending credibility and respectability to Al-Quds
University.

"This is especially troubling in light of the fact that Brandeis
continues to employ Khalil Shikaki as a scholar in its Crown Center for
Middle East Studies, a man who participated in panels at anti-Israel
conferences such as the Islamic Conference for Palestine (ICP) and
co-founded the World & Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE) with the notorious
University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, who brought in as
speakers such outrageous figures as Omar Abdel Rahman, later convicted in
connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and Hassan Turabi, who
is generally considered the real leader of the terrorist Sudan government
and also was involved in transferring funds in the 1990s to the Palestinian
terrorist group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to both the FBI and
renowned terrorism expert Steve Emerson."

------------------------------

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End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1365 (11 messages)
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