[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1370 (10 messages)

imra Wed Apr 12 04:24:31 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1370

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Peace Index: March 2006 [41% support Olmert's retreat,
44% prerefer maintaining status quo]
Attacks on Public Institutions Continue: Gunmen Storm
the New Abasan District Court in Khan Yunis
Acting Prime Minister Olmert Authorizes
Chief Rabbis to Sell Country's Hametz
MEMRITV: Iranian Rev. Guard Air Force
Commander: Iran Capable of Blocking Oil Exports
MEMRITV: Saudi Govt-Produced TV Program:
Western Women Marry Dogs
Near East Consulting poll of Palestinians
Things Aren't What They Used To Be:
The Khartoum Arab Summit Conference
Physicians for Human Rights: Israel should condemn
rocket launchers in civilian areas - not attack them
IDF Targets ' Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' Office
Excerpts: Saudi employment policy change.
Iran successfully enriched uranium.
Trouble in Egypt.12 April 2006

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Peace Index: March 2006 [41% support Olmert's retreat,
44% prerefer maintaining status quo]

Peace Index: March 2006
Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann

About a week after the elections were held, the level of satisfaction with
their results among the Jewish public was medium and lower, with the rate
of the disappointed higher than that of the satisfied, and the prevailing
position being medium satisfaction. Not surprisingly, then, a majority
agrees with the claim that the present election system leads to an excess
of parties and hence to governmental instability and ineffectiveness, while
a minority supports the opposite claim that the present system is suitable
because it accurately reflects the plentitude of opinions among the public.
Nevertheless, nine out of ten voters would still have voted for the same
party even if they had known beforehand the election results. Among the
minority who would have voted differently, the preferred parties are Kadima
and the Pensioners.

As for the expected implications of the elections for the three areas that
recently have been in the spotlight-security, social issues, and the
economy-only regarding the social area is there a dominant public
perception that the elections will be beneficial. In the areas of security
and the economy, opinions are more or less equally divided between those
who think the elections will be beneficial, harmful, or without effect.

As for the preferred prime minister, for a clear majority of the public
Ehud Olmert is the right choice with only a small group preferring Amir
Peretz. Regarding the composition of the government, it appears that the
emerging coalition centering on Kadima and Labor is also the one that most
of the public prefers.

In the political-security domain, a decisive majority of the public does
not expect Hamas to recognize Israel's existence or moderate its
involvement in terror attacks, and there are also majorities supporting
targeted killing of Hamas leaders even though they are in power and
opposing negotiations with a Hamas-led Palestinian government. Indeed,
immediately after the Palestinian elections a clear majority said Israel
should act unilaterally to set its final borders and not wait till the
conditions are ripe for renewing negotiations. Today, though, the positions
on this issue are almost equally divided, and there is even a small
majority, mainly concentrated in the right- wing and religious parties, that
supports waiting for future developments.

Those are the main findings of the Peace Index survey that was carried out
on Monday and Tuesday, 3-4 April.

To the question: "How would you describe your overall feeling about the
recent election results on a scale from 1, very disappointed, to 5, very
satisfied?" some 34% placed themselves in the disappointed categories, 22%
in the satisfied categories, and 39% in the middle. A segmentation of the
responses to this question by voting shows that no party has a majority for
the satisfied. In other words, none of the parties' voters show enthusiasm
for the election results, though, as expected, there is a link between
degree of success in the elections and satisfaction with the results. On
average, Kadima and Labor voters are the most satisfied, but the correlation
is only partial. Thus, voters for Yisrael Beiteinu, which won a very
respectable electoral achievement compared to its electoral power in the
past, are in second-to-last place among voters for all the parties in terms
of satisfaction, with only Likud voters coming after them. Slightly above
Yisrael Beiteinu are voters for the dark horse of these elections-the
Pensioners; while voters for Meretz, whose election outcomes were quite
disappointing, show higher satisfaction with the results-in fourth place
among all the parties.

Apparently, then, apart from the actual number of mandates, a party's
voters' satisfaction with the election results is influenced by at least
three other factors. The first is the level of expectation before the
elections. This pertains especially to Likud voters and also, to some
extent, to Labor, Kadima, and Yisrael Beiteinu voters. The second factor
seems to be the elections' implications for the likelihood of joining the
coalition. This apparently applies mainly to Kadima, Labor, and Shas voters.
The third factor, as mentioned, is dissatisfaction with the current system
that encourages fragmentation into numerous parties. Indeed, only 20% of
those who prefer an election system that would reduce the fragmentation are
pleased with the results.

Yet, despite the tendency to disappointment with the election results, in
response to the question: "If you had known beforehand what the results of
the elections would be, would you have voted for the same party or for a
different party than the one you voted for?" 89% replied that they would
have voted for the same party and only 11% for a different party. Voters
seem to think their decision was right, while their criticism of the
abundance of parties applies only to others' votes. . . . As for the
minority who would change their vote, the parties that would gain a
significant number of votes are Kadima (20%), followed by the Pensioners
(13%), Labor (11%) and Meretz.(9%).

As for the implications of the election results for the vital interests of
the state in the political-security, social, and economic spheres, it turns
out that only regarding the social field does a clear majority believe the
elections were beneficial (41%, vs. 21% who claimed they were harmful or
will have no impact), while for the other two fields opinions are equally
divided. Twenty-nine percent think the elections will be beneficial from a
security standpoint, 28.5% say they will be harmful, and 24% do not expect
them to change anything. As for the economic sphere, here the numbers are
29%, 29%, and 21%, respectively.

Concerning the preferred candidate for prime minister, when the choice is
between Olmert and Peretz, 45% opt for the former and only 21% for the
latter (1.5% prefer both of them to the same extent, 21% favor other
candidates, mainly Netanyahu and Lieberman, and the rest do not know). The
clearly preferred coalition includes Kadima and Labor with other parties
(56%), whereas a coalition of Kadima and other parties without Labor, or of
Labor and other parties without Kadima, wins much lower support (13% and
16%, respectively). A cross-check between voting in the elections and
preferred coalition reveals that about 80% of the Kadima and Meretz voters
support a coalition based on Kadima, Labor, and other parties. Among voters
for the Pensioners list, 70% favor such a coalition, but only 30% of Shas
voters, 29% of Yisrael Beiteinu voters, 18% of National Religious
Party-National Union voters, and 12% of Likud voters would want it. A
coalition of Kadima with other parties without Labor is most
favored-37.5%-by Likud voters, and by 25% of Yisrael Beiteinu voters. Only
a very small minority of voters for the rest of the parties would want such
a coalition. It should be noted that in the measurement before the elections
(February 2006), about one-third of the interviewees-37%-thought it
desirable to include an Arab party in the coalition.

We checked how the public currently views the interaction between security
and socioeconomic issues. We asked: "Some claim that no economic program
will succeed to boost the economy if at the same time no political solution
is found to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Others claim that a sound
economic program can improve the economy even if no political solution to
the conflict is found. What is your personal opinion on this issue?" It
turns out that a clear majority-60%-think it is possible to improve the
socioeconomic situation even without a political solution to the conflict.
Only 32% see the two as linked, so that an economic improvement is
impossible without a political solution.

As for the political-security field, a 70% majority see the chances as
extremely low that Hamas will change its basic position and recognize
Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and an even larger
majority-75%-believe there is little chance that the organization will
moderate its involvement in terror attacks. This helps explain the majority
view-55%-that Israeli should use the targeted-killings policy even against
Hamas leaders who are serving in the Palestinian government (33% think they
should not be assassinated, and 12% do not know). Furthermore, 55% believe
Israel should not hold political negotiations with a Hamas-led Palestinian
government, though a considerable minority-40%-favors doing so.

On the question of whether Israel should act unilaterally to set its final
borders (the convergence plan) or continue the existing situation and wait
until conditions are ripe for renewing contacts, the picture is somewhat
more balanced. There is a slight advantage-44%-for those who prefer
maintaining the status quo for now, whereas 41% favor acting unilaterally
in the present. However, a segmentation of the responses by voting reveals
that support for the wait-and-see approach is pronounced particularly among
the right-wing and religious parties (Likud, Shas, National Religious
Party-National Union, Torah Judaism, and Yisrael Beiteinu), while
unilateral steps are favored mainly by the Center and Left-Kadima, Meretz,
Labor, and Pensioners voters. This division suggests that the preference to
wait till conditions enable resuming contacts does not reflect a longing
for bilateral political negotiations but rather a lack of desire for
immediate territorial concessions and unilateral steps.

Indexes:
Oslo Index-38.5 (Jewish sample-33.7)
Negotiations Index-54.1 (Jewish sampe-51.1)

The Peace Index Project is conducted at the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace
Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel
Aviv University, headed by Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann. The
telephone interviews were conducted by the B. I. Cohen Institute of Tel
Aviv University on 3-4 April 2006, and included 602 interviewees who
represent the adult Jewish and Arab population of Israel (including the
territories and the kibbutzim). The sampling error for a sample of this
size is about 4.5% in each direction.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Attacks on Public Institutions Continue: Gunmen Storm
the New Abasan District Court in Khan Yunis

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms
Attacking Public Institutions and Officials

Field Update
11 April 2006

Attacks on Public Institutions Continue:
Gunmen Storm the New Abasan District Court in Khan Yunis

A group of armed Palestinians stormed the premises of the New Abasan
District Court on Tuesday, 11 April 2006. The attack came in protest
against the Higher Judicial Council's decision to close the court.

PCHR's initial investigation indicates that at approximately 08:10 on
Tuesday, 11 April 2006, a group of 20 masked gunmen stormed the New Abasan
District Court in the town of New Abasan, to the east of Khan Yunis. The
assailants forced the court staff and the staff of the district attorney's
office to leave the premises. The gunmen, who lit tyres around the court
building, positioned themselves inside the building and on the roof.

One of the gunmen informed PCHR's fieldworker that the attack was conducted
by gunmen from the eastern towns of Khan Yunis, in protest against the
Higher Judicial Council's decision to close the New Abasan District Court
and place the district under the jurisdiction of the Khan Yunis court.

At approximately 11:15, the gunmen withdrew from the building, after taking
a number of files, as well as the official court stamps.

It is noted that the President of the High Judicial Council issued an order
on 5 April 2006 to close down the New Abasan District Court. PCHR learned
that the decision was to come into effect today.

PCHR strongly condemns this attack and expresses grave concern over the
escalating attacks against public institutions, which threaten the lives of
staff members. These attacks are a continuation of the prevailing security
chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the
Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to
investigate these attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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: Acting Prime Minister Olmert Authorizes
Chief Rabbis to Sell Country's Hametz

Acting Prime Minister Olmert Authorizes Chief Rabbis to Sell Country's
Hametz
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Acting Prime Minister, and Finance Minister, Ehud Olmert this morning
(Tuesday), 11.4.06, authorized Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger to sell the country's hametz (
http://tinyurl.com/qloh4 ), pursuant to the State Assets Law. The country's
hametz was sold to Ismail Jabar from Abu Ghosh in exchange for an advance of
NIS 20,000. The sale is valid until the end of Passover.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert wished everyone a Happy Passover and added that
he believes that the new government currently being formed will lead to the
creation of personal and economic security and a year of freedom for all its
citizens.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MEMRITV: Iranian Rev. Guard Air Force
Commander: Iran Capable of Blocking Oil Exports

The following are excerpts from an interview with General Hosein Salami,
Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Air Force, which aired on
Jaam-e Jam 3 TV on April 4, 2006.

TO VIEW THIS CLIP VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1106

*Clip # 1106 - Iranian Revolutionary Guards Air Force Commander, General
Hosein Salami: We Are Capable of Blocking Oil Export from the Persian Gulf
and the Gulf of Oman with Our Missiles

General Hosein Salami: Although the weapons we manufacture are long-range,
they are not meant for the population or countries of the region, nor for
any other country, unless it is a country that poses a threat to us. In such
a case, we will not be courteous towards anyone. We are frank with everyone.
We believe that our life as a nation depends on our defensive ability. This
is not supported to increase the concerns of the region's countries, but
unfortunately, you see superpowers that have traveled thousands of miles,
from the other side of the world and overseas. They send armies to this
region, and rob its countries of their right to political life. They disrupt
the social life and economic system of the region. [..] We believe that as
Iran's deterrence capability in the region increases, the ability to make
threats decreases. Since our weapons are for deterrent purposes, they
prevent war.

Interviewer: They increase the degree of security.

General Hosein Salami: Exactly. They increase stability in the region.

[..]

Interviewer: One of the issues [the West] and especially Fox News is making
a fuss about is that by means of this maneuver, Iran wishes to make it clear
that it can prevent oil export from the region, and that since the Hormuz
Straits are only 54 km wide, it can pose a threat to the oil export with its
missile technology. Would you elaborate on this?

General Hosein Salami: You don't need to hear this from Fox News. Iran
controls over 2,000 km of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Even
without this maneuver Iran has this ability. This is a natural ability of
our country. Iran can block oil export whenever necessary. Fox News doesn't
have to make propaganda out of this. This is a natural ability of our
country.

TO VIEW THIS CLIP VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1106

**********************
For assistance, please contact MEMRI TV Project at memritv@memri.org

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent,
non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle
East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background
information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with
proper attribution.

MEMRI TV Project
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
www.memritv.org
.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MEMRITV: Saudi Govt-Produced TV Program:
Western Women Marry Dogs

The following are excerpts from an interview with Saudi author Dr. Muhammad
Al-'Arifi, which aired on Al-Risala TV on April 6, 2006. It was produced by
the Ministry of Religious Endowments, Daw'a and Guidance.

*Clip # 1104 - Saudi Author Dr. Muhammad Al-'Arifi on Show Produced by Saudi
Ministry of Religious Endowments: Women in the West Marry Dogs and Donkeys;
54% of Danish Women Do Not Know Who Fathered Their Babies

TO VIEW THIS CLIP VISIT: www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1104

Dr. Muhammad Al-'Arifi: One of the most important things that distinguish
Man from beast is the ability to control one's desires. Allah said about
some of the infidels: "They are like cattle; nay, they stray farther off the
path." If you look at them, you will see that when they want to go to
sleep - they go to sleep, with complete disregard for the times of the five
prayers. If he feels like committing adultery - he does. If he feels like
having any type of sexual relations - he does, regardless of whether it is
permitted or prohibited. Therefore, as I said on previous shows, they have
organizations for homosexuals, organizations for people who marry animals -
she marries a dog, a donkey, and so on... The organizations exist, and
strangely enough, they are official. They have websites, and they publish
magazines with pictures.

[...]

According to statistics from Denmark, 54% of the births in Denmark are
illegitimate. In this case, the term "illegitimate" does not mean a girl
getting pregnant by her boyfriend. It refers to a woman who gives birth in a
hospital, and when the doctor asks her under whose name to register the
baby - who's the father - she says: "I don't know. It might be the
doorman... No, no, it might be the company director... It might be the
clerk, or the taxi driver... I don't know." They end up registering the
child in her own name. That's an "illegitimate" birth. But when she says
that the child is from her boyfriend, that's fine...

TO VIEW THIS CLIP VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1104

**********************
For assistance, please contact MEMRI TV Project at memritv@memri.org

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent,
non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle
East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background
information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with
proper attribution.

MEMRI TV Project
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
www.memritv.org

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Near East Consulting poll of Palestinians

A Palestinian Perceptions Update
www.neareastconsulting.com/surveys/update/out/

During the period of 6-8 April 2006, Near East Consulting (NEC) conducted a
phone survey of over 1,250 randomly selected Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
the West Bank, and Jerusalem of which 856 were successfully completed. The
survey covered a variety of issues with the aim to provide an update on
Palestinian perceptions. The issues include: factional trust (with a
close-up of Palestinians who do not trust any faction), the system of
government of their choice in Palestine, views on the international
community's understanding of the Palestinian issues and the Palestinians,
and perceptions of donors and the ability of Arab and Islamic countries to
cover for the assistance that is expected to be cut to the Palestinian
Authority.

The margin of error is +/- 3.35% with a 95% confidence level.

International donor that provided most humanitarian and developmental
assistance to Palestinian people.
47.7% The European Union
6.8% The US
27.3% Arab countries
4.2% Japan
14% Non-Arab Islamic countries

Ability of the Arab countries to cover the assistance expected to be cut to
the Palestinian Authority.
53% Able
47% Unable

Ability of the Islamic countries to cover the assistance expected to be cut
to the Palestinian Authority.
61.1% Able
38.9% Unable

Who understands the Palestinian issue most?
24.7% The Americans
33.7% The Europeans
32.3% The Asians
9.3% The Africans

Who is more understanding of the Palestinians?
9.7% The Americans
36.4% The Europeans
41.5% The Asians
12.4% The Africans

If you could choose the system of government in Palestine, which country in
the world is closest to your choice?
20.5% A European country
16.9% An Arab country
5% The US
36.9% An Islamic non-Arab country
0.7% A communist country
0.7% Japan
0.9% An Asian country
0.6% A Latin American country
14.5% Islamic caliphate
3.2% Other country

Factional trust.
39% Hamas
21.1% Fateh
1.9% PFLP
1.8% Other
36.2% Do not trust any faction

If you do not trust any faction, are you closer to Hamas or to Fateh?
29.9% Hamas
24.4% Fateh
45.7% Neither

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Things Aren't What They Used To Be:
The Khartoum Arab Summit Conference

Things Aren't What They Used To Be:
The Khartoum Arab Summit Conference

Tel Aviv Notes No. 166
April 10, 2006

Things Aren't What They Used To Be:
The Khartoum Arab Summit Conference

Bruce Maddy-Weitzman
Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies

For more than four decades, Arab summit conferences have served as
benchmarks for measuring the state of the Arab world. Some of them have
also set important baselines shaping regional diplomacy for years to come
(e.g., the 1967 Khartoum "3 No's" Summit; the 1974 Rabat Summit's
recognition of the PLO; the rejection of Sadat's initiative at the 1978
Baghdad Summit; the formulation of Arab conditions for peace with Israel at
Fez in 1982, updated in Beirut in 2002; and the establishment of a
Western-Arab coalition against Iraq in 1990 at the Cairo Summit). So no
matter how many resolutions went unimplemented and however cynical Arab
publics had grown towards these diplomatic spectacles, Arab summits still
seemed to matter.

In recent years, however, the weakness of Arab states vis-�-vis non-Arab
regional powers and the international community has reached unprecedented
levels. Their utter powerlessness in March 2003 to block American efforts
to achieve regime change in Iraq and, indeed, the quiet cooperation of Arab
Gulf states in that effort starkly highlighted this state of affairs.

Consequently, Arab summits have ceased to generate much interest, and the
routinization of these now-annual meetings has only reinforced the sense
that Arab summits have become an exercise in irrelevance.

For a brief moment, the Khartoum Summit scheduled for March 28-30 this year
seemed to promise a revival, if only because of the urgency of the issues on
the agenda. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict had entered a new phase
following the election of a Hamas government and Israel's unilateral
disengagement and leadership change. Worsening sectarian strife in Iraq had
increased calls for renewed Arab League involvement. UN Security Council
pressure on Syria following the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime
Minister Rafiq al-Hariri in 2005 and on Sudan in light of its support of
mass murder of black Muslim tribesmen in Darfur placed Arab states in
awkward positions. Iran's standoff with the international community over
its nuclear program was also deeply worrisome. The overall picture cried
out for collective Arab action.

But Arab leaders saw no possibilities for concrete achievements on any of
these issues. Moreover, their mere presence in Khartoum would serve to
legitimize the host regime's policies in Darfur, rendering them guilty by
association. Hence, they voted with their feet. No less than eight heads
of state, including Egyptian President Mubarak, Saudi King Abdullah and
Tunisian President Ben Ali delegated others to represent them, thereby
diminishing the value of whatever decisions might be taken, and in the
absence of substantive discussions, the summit was cut short by a day.

Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the summit revalidated the
Beirut summit's commitment to peace and normalization with Israel based on
the June 4, 1967 boundary lines and a solution to the Palestinian refugee
question as stipulated in UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and simply
added to the formula a denunciation of Israel's "racist apartheid wall" and
a defense of the Palestinian electoral process. To the Palestinians'
disappointment, Arab leaders renewed their financial commitment to the PA
($55m. per month, which has never been fully honored) but parried requests
for an increase. Some Hamas leaders complained that they weren't even
invited to participate, but their presence would have merely highlighted the
fact that Hamas does not accept the Beirut parameters for a peace
settlement.

Iraqi officials chastised the attendees for their less-than-full solidarity
with Iraq and called on all states to return their ambassadors to Baghdad.
But the final communiqu� noted only the efforts by Arab League
Secretary-General `Amr Mousa to promote national reconciliation in Iraq
while expressing solidarity with the Iraqi people and support for Iraqi
independence and territorial unity, reforms in the government's structure
(to accommodate the Sunni minority), non-interference in its internal
affairs and an end to attacks on holy sites. Unmentioned but hovering in
the background was concern about Iranian involvement in Iraq and possible
US-Iran contacts on the matter.

The Syrian-Lebanese impasse proved particularly embarrassing because Prime
Minister Fuad Siniora attended separately from the beleaguered,
Syrian-backed President, Emile Lahoud. Syria received full backing from the
summit in the face of US sanctions but opponents of the Asad regime could
take solace from the endorsement of the ongoing investigation into Hariri's
murder.

Strikingly absent from the final communiqu� was any direct reference to the
dispute over Iran's nuclear program, indicating the lack of Arab consensus
on the matter. True, the summit did call on the international community to
declare the Middle East "an area free from weapons of mass destruction,
particularly nuclear weapons," but only Israel was singled out in a demand
that it commit itself to signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and
opening all its nuclear activities to the International Atomic Energy
Agency. The only explicit mention of Iran came in a reiteration of the
long-standing Arab demand that Tehran return three disputed islands to the
United Arab Emirates.

All this suited Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir just fine. He had run into
difficulties hosting the African Union summit two months earlier. Now,
however, he was on friendlier ground. Facing a fresh Security Council
resolution calling for the dispatch of UN troops to replace the undermanned
and underfinanced African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, Bashir stood firm in
rejecting any imposed foreign presence, and Arab leaders lined up behind
him, pledging funding for the African Union troops for another six months
beginning on October 1st and expressing their desire to increase the number
of Arab contingents among them.

Some months earlier, Algeria had suggested that the headquarters of the Arab
League be rotated among member states, a suggestion quickly shot down by
Egypt in order to preserve its prerogatives as primus inter pares. The
Khartoum Summit reaffirmed this status; Secretary-General (and former
Egyptian foreign minister) `Amr Mousa was nominated for another term without
opposition. Saudi Arabia also confirmed Cairo's status, in a manner of
speaking, by refusing to host next year's summit, thus sending it back to
Cairo as the site of League headquarters. In effect, the Saudi action
implied that the summit was becoming an empty shell. In an effort to
salvage the situation, Egypt proposed that one-day consultative summits be
held in between the annual gathering. But that hardly guarantees that Cairo
2007 will be any different than Khartoum 2006.
___________________________________________________________________
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: Arab World

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Physicians for Human Rights: Israel should condemn
rocket launchers in civilian areas - not attack them

Dr. Aaron Lerner 11 April 2006

IMRA asked Shabtai Gold, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, after receiving
a copy of the his group's joint press release with B'Tselem (see below),
what the IDF can do if Palestinians are launching rockets from within
civilian areas and it is not technologically possible to assure that
civilians near those launching the rockets won't be hurt by an IDF action to
try and stop the launching.

Gold responded that under such conditions Israel would not be able to act
against the launchers but instead should join others in condeming the
Palestinians for violating international law.
====

11 April 2006
Press Release
Human Rights Organizations to the Chief of Staff
and Minister of Defense: Cancel the reduction
of the 'Safety Zone' for artillery fire on Gaza

Three Israeli human rights organizations and two Palestinian organizations
jointly wrote to the Israeli Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff
demanding the cancellation of the decision to reduce the 'safety zone' for
artillery fire on the Gaza Strip, due to the danger it poses to the civilian
population and its cost in human lives. The organizations, Physicians for
Human Rights-Israel, B'Tselem, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel,
the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and The Gaza Community Mental Health
Programme, stated in their letter that the massive artillery fire causes
disproportionate harm to the civilian population.

The organizations further stated that such attacks constitute a blatant
violation of the Basic Rule of the laws of armed conflict whereby civilians
and civilian objects must be distinguished from military objectives. The
fact that Israel is confronting illegal firing of Qassam missiles at its own
civilian population does not legitimize disproportionate responsive
measures, which will knowingly lead to civilian casualties.

The organizations demanded that the Israeli forces conduct their activities
with the strictest adherence to the principles of distinction, precaution
and proportionality mandated by international humanitarian law, so as to
avoid, and in any event minimize, civilian casualties.

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

---------------------
For additional information, please contact:
Shabtai Gold, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, www.phr.org.il
Sarit Michaeli, B'Tselem Communications Director, www.btselem.org

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: IDF Targets ' Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' Office

April 12th 2006
IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT

IDF targets 'Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' office in the northern Gaza Strip

Following the continuous Palestinian terror activity directed at Israeli
citizens and civilian infrastructure, including the firing of projectile
rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli communities, the IDF carried out an
aerial attack early this morning, April 12th 2006, against an office used
'Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' terror organization near the city of Gaza.
Terror organizations have launched over 60 projectile rockets at Israel
since April 1st alone.

The office was used by the 'Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigades' for the planning and
dispatching of these attacks against Israel and for recruiting terrorists to
the organization.

The IDF is determined to act against terror organizations or anybody who
supports these organizations, which are operating from within the Gaza Strip
by relentlessly firing projectile rockets against Israeli civilians, while
planning additional attacks by other means.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Saudi employment policy change.
Iran successfully enriched uranium.
Trouble in Egypt.12 April 2006

Excerpts: Saudi employment policy change.Iran successfully enriched
uranium.Trouble in Egypt.12 April 2006

+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 11 April '06:"Deadline Set for Phasing Out Men in
Lingerie Shops",P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"sales jobs at lingerie shops ... abayas and ready made dresses
restricted to Saudi women.

"30 women officials ... to implement the Council of Ministers decision.

" ruled out suggestion that foreign women could be recruited to work"

"violators of the law would be punished"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
JEDDAH, 11 April 2006 - The government's decision to replace salesmen with
Saudi saleswomen at lingerie shops will be implemented in two phases
....starting on June 18.

...next year, sales jobs at shops of abayas and women's readymade dresses
will be restricted to Saudi women ...The ministry has appointed 30 women
officials in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to implement the Council of Ministers'
decision.

...Labor Minister ... "The directive is binding and there will be no
retraction in its implementation," ...

... warned that violators of the law would be punished. He ruled out
suggestions that foreign women could be recruited to work ... ..

...Saudi salesmen working at female clothing stores would be given jobs
elsewhere while implementing the decision.

. . .

The Labor Ministry has launched a campaign aimed at employing 200,000 women.
... .. . . .

+++JORDAN TIMES 12 April '06:"Iran defies UN with nuclear breakthrough"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time"
"UN Security Council has demanded Iran stop all enrichment activity by
April 28. Iran has rejected this"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
TEHRAN (AP) - Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a
landmark in its quest to develop nuclear fuel, hardliner President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said (April 11) Tuesday, insisting his country does not aim to
develop nuclear weapons.
... The UN Security Council has demanded Iran stop all enrichment activity
by April 28. Iran has rejected this, saying it has a right to the process.
"...I declare here that the laboratory-scale nuclear fuel cycle has been
completed ...," Ahmadinejad said.
"I formally declare that Iran has joined the club of nuclear countries,"
. . .
Iran succeeded in enriching uranium to a level needed for fuel on a research
scale - using 164 centrifuges, officials said.
But the breakthrough underlined how difficult it will be for the West to
convince Iran to give up enrichment. . . .

+++AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 6-12 April '06:"Destructive Chaos"

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"represent ... the collapse of freedom and democracy in this country"
"The storm clouds that have long been gathering in the nation's political
skies are about to burst."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
The events that took place at the Wafd Party's headquarters on Saturday
...represent nothing less than a collapse in the values of freedom and
democracy in this country.
...a microcosm of the ailments afflicting society as a whole, a product of
the destructive chaos from which Egypt is suffering.
...the situation in which all of Egypt's political parties have found
themselves.
.... Who benefits from the implosion of opposition parties, and their
growing propensity to self-destruct? ... .This current crisis is the result
of ...unresolved problems, dilemmas that for decades now have remained
unaddressed ... .
.... All political parties are hostage to the deterioration of the nation's
political life.
...Their popular appeal was superseded by that of the Muslim Brotherhood
...secured 88 seats and the opposition parties just 11. ... .
The crisis, then, afflicts no single party but engulfs the entire
opposition. Nor is the National Democratic Party immune, as its own
parliamentary elections performance showed. The storm clouds that have long
been gathering in the nation's political skies are about to burst ... .

Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA

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

From: imra-owner@imra.org.il
Subject: IMRA Subscription Info

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End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1370 (10 messages)
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