[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1380 (11 messages)

imra Fri Apr 28 04:24:30 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1380

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

2 Reports - Palestinian Security Chaos
and Proliferation of Small Arms
18 Inspectors Enforce Non-Sabbath
Labor Laws In All of Israel
Excerpts: Dubai's shame: unpaid migrant workers.
Prognosis for "political Islam" 27 April 2006
MEMRI: Arab Intellectual on the Worsening
Situation of Christians in the Muslim World
Palestinian Peace Pulse #4, April 2006
Palestinian Political Pulse #4, April 2006
59.7% Support establishment of new security
force by Hamas Government
US not pressing Pakistan to end Israel boycott
Europe's Response to the Threat of Global Terror
Weekly Commentary: No Jordan Option
Israel protests Sweden's air exercise snub
[Critical assumption for withdrawal undermined]
MI: Syria poised to spend petrodollars on arms

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: 2 Reports - Palestinian Security Chaos
and Proliferation of Small Arms

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

#1 Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms
Using Weapons in Personal and Clan Disputes

Field Update
27 April 2006

3 Citizens Killed and 2 Injured in Personal and Clan Disputes in 2 Days

Over the past 2 day, 3 citizens were killed and another 2 were injured in
personal and clan clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. One of the
victims is a resident of the city of El-Taiba in Israel. He was killed in
Qalqilya over a financial dispute. The other 2 were killed in 2 separate
incidents of clan disputes in the Gaza Strip.

PCHR's initial investigation indicates that at approximately 13:00 on
Wednesday, 26 April 2006, Jihad Ali Mohammad Abu Jam', a 39-year old
resident of the city of El-Taiba and a bearer of an Israeli ID card, was
killed when an unknown assailant fired at him in the market area in
Qalqilya. The incident took place over a financial dispute with a Qalqilya
resident. The victim was immediately taken to UNRWA's Qalqilya Hospital.
Medical sources informed PCHR's fieldworker that Abu Jam'e was hit by 2
bullets in the chest and neck that killed him instantly. He was pronounced
dead upon arrival at the hospital.

And at approximately 13:30 on the same day, a number of gunmen gathered in a
disputed lot of land in the town of Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip.
The ownership dispute was between members of Abu Eida and El-Sawalha clans.
The gunmen fired at members of El-Sawalha clan in the area. Khaled Abdel
Rahim El-Sawalha (30) was killed instantly by a bullet to the abdomen. His
father (60) was injured by a bullet to the right leg; and his brother Rabie
(23) was injured by a bullet in the right arm. The injured were taken to
Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahya, where their conditions were listed as
moderate.

In the evening of Tuesday, 25 April 2006, medical sources in Shifa Hospital
announced the death of Rami Mohammad El-Najjar, a 20-year old resident of
El-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis. He died as a result of wounds sustained
in a clan dispute 4 days earlier. PCHR's initial investigation indicates
that at approximately 13:30 on Friday, 21 April 2006, a dispute erupted
between members of El-Najjar clan over the distribution of an inheritance.
Sticks and sharp objects were used in the clash, which took place in
El-Mawasi area to the west of Khan Yunis. During the clash, Rami was hit
with a sharp object over the head. He was taken to Naser Hospital in Khan
Yunis, and from there to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to the severity of
the injury.

PCHR is gravely concerned over the increase of internal violence, including
the use of weapons in personal and clan disputes. This is a continuum of the
security chaos and misuse of weapons plaguing the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT). The Centre reiterates its call to the Palestinian National
Authority (PNA), represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these
crimes, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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

Field Update
27 April 2006

3 Citizens Injured by Misuse of Weapons in the North Gaza Strip

Over the past 2 day, 3 citizens were injured in 2 separate incidents in the
town of Jabalia and the adjacent refugee camp.

PCHR's initial investigation indicates that at approximately 14:00 on
Wednesday, 26 April 2006, Nidal Jamil Darabeh, an 18-year old resident of
Jabalia town, was injured by shrapnel in both hands. The injuries were
caused by the explosion of an empty bullet case he was trying to fill with
explosives. He was taken to Kamal Odwan Hospital for treatment, where his
condition is listed as moderate.

And at approximately 22:30 on Tuesday, 25 April 2006, gunmen traveling in a
car opened fire at Maher Yousef Abu Hussein (36) and Shafiq Mohammad Murad
(53) as they were standing in front of Murad's house in Block 8 of Jabalia
refugee camp. Both were injured by bullets to the legs. There were taken to
Kamal Odwan Hospital for treatment, where their conditions are listed as
moderate.

PCHR is gravely concerned over the continued falling of victims due to the
misuse of weapons, which is a continuum of the security chaos and misuse of
weapons plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The Centre
reiterates its call to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), represented
by the Attorney-General, to investigate these crimes, 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: 18 Inspectors Enforce Non-Sabbath
Labor Laws In All of Israel

18 Inspectors Enforce Non-Sabbath Labor Laws In All of Israel

Aaron Lerner Date: 27 April 2006

IMRA asked the Spokesperson's Office in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Employment (the Ministry of Labor is now in this ministry) the following
question:

"How many inspectors now are serving to enforce the Labor laws - for example
minimum wage?
- How many inspectors served three years ago?"

This afternoon the Spokesperson's Office replied in writing:

"In 2003 the Israel Labor inspectors were together with the Foreign Worker
inspectors. They numbered in the many scores of inspectors.

Today, a year an a half since they were separated, the number of inspectors
is 22 (including 4 "Sabbath Inspectors")."
- - - -

Over the last two weeks IMRA has asked a number of spokespeople from the
Labor Party to explain why the Labor Party has not insisted on running the
ministry responsible for enforcing minimum wage laws.

So far no representative of the Labor party has responded.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Dubai's shame: unpaid migrant workers.
Prognosis for "political Islam" 27 April 2006

Excerpts: Dubai's shame: unpaid migrant workers.Prognosis for "political
Islam" 27 April 2006

+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 15 April '06: "UAE: The Dark Side of Splendor"Anthony
Shadid, The Washington Post -
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"growing unrest among the hundreds of thousands of unskilled workers"
"salaries of $4 to $7 a day and hazardous workplaces"
"The day they tell us they are not giving us our money, we'll take our
lives' "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, 15 April 2006 ... migrant workers
... an 18-month ...attempt to get paid by a now bankrupt company ...began
their trek on foot - six, maybe seven miles - to the Sharjah Federal Court.
"Either they pay us or send our corpses home," said Imtiaz Ahmed Siddiq, one
of the South Asian laborers, who has made the trek to the court more than 50
times since last year. "If they pay us, we'll go home alive. If they don't
pay us, we'll go home dead."
For a decade now, the United Arab Emirates and, in particular, its
powerhouse of a city-state, Dubai, have represented a rare success story in
a troubled Arab world, a story of breakneck, even reckless development,
investment and optimism. Nothing is too grand in the Emirates' Oz-like
vision: An underwater hotel, an indoor ski slope and man-made islands shaped
like the palms that grace Gulf beaches crowded with tourists. But there is
growing unrest among the hundreds of thousands of unskilled workers here who
have built the country's skylines, crowded with one-fifth of the world's
cranes.
Although unions are banned, workers have launched strikes over the past year
to protest living conditions, salaries of $4 to $7 a day, and hazardous
workplaces where human rights groups say deaths are sometimes covered up. In
March, workers rioted at the site of Burj Dubai - envisioned as the world's
tallest skyscraper - wrecking cars, computers and construction equipment.
Last weekend, 1,000 workers rampaged in their camp.
Siddiq and the workers of the East Coast & Hamriah Co ...pursue salaries of
hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars by trekking every few days to a
court that has become their bane and hope. "They keep us coming and going,"
Siddiq said,.. . ."It's all bad," Siddiq said, shaking his head. "The day
they tell us they're not giving us our money, we'll take our lives. Right
there," he said, pointing to the courthouse's staircase. "The same day." .
. .

+++THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon) 26 April '06:"Better mainstream Islamists than
Al-Qaeda"
By Rami G. Khouri, Daily Star Staff
QUOTE FROM TEXT:
"a coming together of five powerful forces that generally had been kept
separate: Suni Islamic religious militancy, Arab national sentiment,
anti-occupation military resistance, Iranian-Persian nationalism, and
regional Shiite empowerment among Arabs and Iranians."

...broad movement of "political Islam" has now settled down into three
general trends ... Al-Qaeda-style terror-warriors are the smallest but most
dangerous group .... Iran and allied, predominantly Shiite, Arab movements
in Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon. .... third and largest group is made up of
predominantly Sunni mainstream Islamists - Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood,
the Turkish Justice and Development Party - who are increasingly engaging in
electoral democratic politics, at the local and national levels.
...: There is a wide variety of Islamists, with different goals and
tactics... but always accountable to their home constituencies ... They are
likely to reconfigure their relationships and alliances in the future ... .
. . . The common denominator among all the Islamist trends is a shared
sense of grievances against three targets: autocratic Arab regimes that run
security states often dominated by a single family; Israel and its negative
impact on Arab societies... the U.S. and other Western powers ....
All three Islamist trends have responded to these grievances by fostering a
combination of ideological defiance against the West, armed resistance
against Israel and America, and political challenges against Arab regimes.
... .
Throughout the Middle East and other Islamic lands, citizens who seek to
become politically involved to change their world have these three options.
Two of them - Al-Qaeda terror and Iranian-led defiance - are being fought
fiercely by the West, and also by some in the region. The third option of
democratic electoral politics is at a major crossroads now, following the
Hamas victory, Hizbullah's strong governance role, and the recent solid
performance by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
. . .Should mainstream, peaceful political Islamism be killed and buried,
the subsequent landscape could very well see a coming together of five
powerful forces that until now generally had been kept separate: Sunni
Islamic religious militancy, Arab national sentiment, anti-occupation
military resistance, Iranian-Persian nationalism, and regional Shiite
empowerment among Arabs and Iranians. . . .

Sue Lerner - Associate - IMRA

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MEMRI: Arab Intellectual on the Worsening
Situation of Christians in the Muslim World

Special Dispatch - Reform Project
April 28, 2006
No. 1150

Arab Intellectual on the Worsening Situation of Christians in the Muslim
World

Arab intellectual of Palestinian origin George Kattan discusses the
discrimination against Christians in the Arab countries today, describing
their deteriorating status and diminishing numbers in comparison with
previous eras in the region's history. He warns that the Christian
population of the region may vanish as Christians emigrate to the West
rather than tolerate the backwardness and tyranny of their home countries.
Further, he calls upon the Christian communities to stay put and fight for
democracy and human rights in their own countries.(1)

The following are excerpts from the article:

The Spread of the Islamic Movement and Extremist Salafi Views Led to Copts'
Removal From Prominent Positions in Egypt

"Christians played a key role during the Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid
periods by [facilitating] mutual enrichment between the civilizations and
introducing the thought and science of the [ancient] civilizations into the
Arab world.

"During the [Arab] Renaissance, many Christians played a prominent role in
introducing concepts from the Enlightenment [into the Arab world],
reexamining the Arabic language, highlighting the uniqueness of Arab
culture, challenging Ottoman backwardness and tyranny, and calling for the
establishment of a modern state based on national, rather than religious,
affiliation...

"Their unique participation [in public life] reached its peak in the
'liberal period,' during the second half of the previous century, when there
were prominent [Christian] philosophers, intellectuals, ministers,
parliament members and party members.

"With the ascent of the semi-secular military regimes, with their pan-Arab
and socialist slogans - especially in Egypt, Iraq and Syria - there was a
decrease in the participation of Christians in the political arena. Though
these regimes did not persecute the Christians, their absolute tyranny was
the main reason for the advent of extremist fundamentalist Islamism, which
calls for [the establishment of] an Islamic state that would discriminate
against religious minorities, marginalize them and encourage them to
emigrate...

"The spreading of the Islamic movement and extremist Salafi views throughout
Egyptian society led to the removal of Copts from the Parliament,
municipalities, labor unions and [other] prominent positions, and
limitations began to be imposed on the building and renovation of churches.
Some [churches] were [even] attacked and burned down, and Christians were
accused of heresy...

"It should also be noted that the curricula [in Egyptian schools] ignored
the 600 years of Coptic history in Egypt. [Furthermore], the former supreme
leader of the Egyptian [Muslim] Brotherhood called to ban [Christians] from
the army and from the bureaucracy, to apply to them the Islamic law
concerning dhimmis [Christians and Jews living under Islamic rule], and thus
to reinstate the jizya [poll tax], turning [the Christians] into second-rate
citizens."

"Are We Moving Towards Exclusively Muslim Societies?"

"During its last years in power, Saddam's regime in Iraq gave the Salafi
movements freedom of action, and after its fall [these movements] led the
terrorist activity along with the remnants of the old regime... Among their
most conspicuous actions was the bombing of six churches on a single Sunday,
resulting in massive Christian emigration. Since the Gulf War, at least a
third of Iraq's Christian population has emigrated [to other countries]...

"In the West Bank and Gaza, armed Islamic movements regard Palestine as a
Muslim waqf [religious endowment], and call to defend the places holy to the
Muslims while disregarding places holy to the Christians... The few
Christian women living in Gaza have to wear a veil out of fear of the
extremists. A few weeks ago, the last shop selling wines in Gaza was bombed,
even though it belonged to international organizations...

"The Christians of Saudi Arabia were rooted out centuries ago. The hundreds
of thousands of Christians who now work in Saudi Arabia, arriving from the
neighboring countries or from far-away lands, are not allowed to build
churches there. [Moreover], they risk beatings, imprisonment, and
deportation, [even] if they hold their ceremonies in secret, in their own
homes. At the same time, the Saudi regime uses its oil profits to build
grandiose mosques all over 'heretical' Europe.

"The Christians in Lebanon have diminished from 50% before the civil war to
35% today. Christians comprise 3.5 million out of the 5 million Lebanese
emigrants living in the West...

"While in ancient times, discrimination, marginalization, accusations of
heresy, and persecution drove many [Christians] to convert to Islam, today
they are driven to emigrate, as long as the gates remain open. This may
cause Christianity to decline in its original home in the East...

"Are we moving towards exclusively Muslim societies? Will this deterioration
stop here, or will it lead, after the Eastern countries are emptied of
Christians, to [a state] of sectarian purity in each country? Are there
solutions that will allow coexistence without the majority hating [the
minorities] that differ in their religion and ethnicity? Will we progress
towards integrated humanist and democratic societies that accept political,
religious, and ethnic pluralism, or slide back into the darkness of old
concepts out of religious, nationalist and pan-Arab narcissism?..."

"The Fundamentalists Have Defined Their Adversaries: Modern Society, Women,
and Non-Muslims"

"The pan-Arab solution is no longer feasible now that the pan-Arab movements
have embraced Islamism, and most of them agree that the term 'Arab' is
synonymous with 'Muslim.' This excludes Christians almost completely from
the dominant Islamic Arabism - to the point where, in some countries,
Christian teachers have been banned from teaching Arabic, since it is the
language of the Koran...

"The Christians have no political plan to [establish] a local or regional
entity. The renewal of their cultural and humanist role depends on the
completion of the [cultural] renaissance... which will ensure [people's]
freedom to build places of worship, hold religious ceremonies, engage in
peaceful religious preaching, change their religion without coercion,
interpret their religious texts without accusing others of religious or
sectarian heresy... [and will also allow us to] end the discrimination in
the constitutions - which turns the presidency into a Muslim monopoly... and
the Islamic Shari'a into the basis for legislation...

"The [only] option left to the Christians is to stay put and promote [the
development of] modern democratic states that guarantee human rights by
[guaranteeing] full and equal citizenship to all sectors of society, and [by
establishing] national unity which accepts social diversity and turns it
into a factor that enriches the shared [social] fabric... In [this] interim
stage, there may be liberal democratic Christian parties that will prevent
religion from interfering with state affairs, and will protect freedom of
worship and religious education [based on] tolerance for others...

"The fundamentalists have defined their adversaries: modern society, women,
and non-Muslims. Therefore, the coalition opposing them may include secular
democratic political forces, women's empowerment organizations, minorities,
and global human rights organizations which promote freedoms and fight
discrimination against minorities."

Endnote:
(1)
www.metransparent.com/texts/george_catan_eclipse_of_christianism_in_orient.htm
, January 17, 2006.
*********************
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.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Palestinian Peace Pulse #4, April 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Palestinian Peace Pulse #4, April 2006

During the period 22-25 April, 2006, Near East Consulting (NEC) conducted a
phone survey of over 1,200 randomly selected Palestinians in the West Bank,
the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem of which 821 were successfully completed. The
survey covered a number of issues that fit into NEC's monthly "Palestinian
Peace Pulse" with the aim of monitoring Palestinian perceptions over time.
These include: factional trust, support for a peace agreement with Israel,
and opinions on whether or not Hamas should maintain its position on the
elimination of Israel. For the first time, the NEC team has included a
question in the survey that aims to find out whether Palestinians believe
that there is a partner for peace in Israel. From now on, this question will
also be monitored over time. It is worth noting that the margin of error is
+/- 3.4% with a 95% confidence level.

- In comparison with NEC's March poll, trust in Hamas has slightly
increased from 43% to 46%, and trust in Fateh has significantly increased
from 25% to 34%. The percentage of Palestinians not trusting any faction
that had been increasing since the January PLC elections has nearly halved
in one month's time, mainly to the benefit of Fateh.

- Over the past month, support for a peace agreement with Israel has
declined from 76% to 69%. (74% among those trusting Fateh compared to 55%
among those trusting Hamas) Support for a peace agreement with Israel is
lowest in the Gaza Strip (57%) and in refugee camps (55%).

- Over the past month, popular support for Hamas maintaining its position on
the elimination of Israel has slightly increased from 32% to 35%. 70% of
Palestinian peace supporters and 56% of Palestinians who are opposed to a
peace agreement with Israel believe that Hamas should change its position on
the elimination of Israel. Furthermore, while 19% of Palestinians trusting
Fateh believe that Hamas should maintain its position on the elimination of
Israel, this is the case for 50% of those trusting Hamas.

- The large majority of 87% of the Palestinian public do not believe that
Palestinians have a partner for peace in Israel. This view is even more
widespread among Palestinians opposing a peace agreement with Israel (90%)
than among those supporting a peace agreement (85%). Equally, fewer
Palestinians who do not trust any existing Palestinian faction (8%) than
those trusting Hamas (12%) or Fateh (18%) believe that there is a partner
for peace in Israel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact Jamil Rabah at NEC
HSBC Building, 3rd floor
RAMALLAH
Tel: 02-2961436
Fax: 02-2963114
info@neareastconsulting.com
http://www.neareastconsulting.com

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Palestinian Political Pulse #4, April 2006
59.7% Support establishment of new security
force by Hamas Government

Palestinian Political Pulse #4, April 2006

During the period 22-25 April, 2006, Near East Consulting (NEC) conducted a
phone survey of over 1,200 randomly selected Palestinians in the West Bank,
the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem of which 821 were successfully completed.

It is worth noting that the margin of error is +/- 3.4% with a 95%
confidence level.

Please contact Jamil Rabah at NEC
HSBC Building, 3rd floor
RAMALLAH
Tel: 02-2961436
Fax: 02-2963114
info@neareastconsulting.com
www.neareastconsulting.com

www.neareastconsulting.com/surveys/ppp/p04/

Feeling of security since Hamas won the PLC elections
25.9% I feel more secure
31.7% I feel less secure
42.5% My feeling of security remained the same

Priorities for the Hamas Government
20.8% Solving the unemployment/poverty problem
4% Reaching a peace agreement with Israel
14.9% Combating corruption
6.8% Resisting occupation
32.1% Ending chaos in security
1.6% Implementing Islamic law
2.3% The refugee issue
3.5% The wall
10.3% Prisoners
1.4% Settlements
2.4% Others

Preferred system of government for Palestine
18.7% A European country
29.2% An Arab country
0.7% The US
35.8% An Islamic non-Arab country
1.6% A communist country
0.9% Japan
1.3% An Asian country
0.9% A Latin American country
9% Islamic Caliphate

Support or opposition to the establishment of a new security force by the
Hamas Government
59.7% Support
40.3% Oppose

Correctness of Abu-Mazen's decision to reject the establishment of a new
security force by the Hamas Government
42.2% It is a correct decision
57.8% It is not a correct deceision

Correctness or exaggeration of Mashaal's insinuations that Fateh and Abu
Mazen are collaborating with Israel to weaken the Hamas Government
26.2% These are correct statements
38.4% They are exaggerated statements
35.4% These are incorrect statements

Is there a crisis between the outside Hamas leadership and the Hamas
Government inside
34.9% There is a crises
65.1% There is no crises

Trust in Mahmoud Abbas versus trust in Ismael Hanieh
52.8% Mahmoud Abbas
47.2% Ismael Hanieh

Factional trust
46.3% Hamas
33.7% Fateh
2.4% PFLP
2.5% Others
15.1% I trust no faction

If you do not trust any faction, are you closer to Hamas or to Fateh?
14.3% Closer to Hamas
14% Closer to Fateh
71.7% 99

Are you a refugee or descendant of a refugee family?
38.1% Yes I am a refugee or a descendant of a refugee family
61.9% No we have never been displaced from our place of origin

Above and below poverty level
57.6% Below the poverty line
42.4% Above the poverty line

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: US not pressing Pakistan to end Israel boycott

US not pressing Pakistan to end Israel boycott
By Michael Freund The Jerusalem Post, April 28, 2006
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961241664&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Even as the US and Pakistan move towards strengthening their commercial
relationship, Washington has refrained from pressing Islamabad to drop its
anti-Israel trade embargo, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The Post also found that Pakistan imposes a wide range of restrictions on
all types of commercial activity with the Jewish state, in some cases more
so than a number of Arab countries, leading to calls in the US Congress for
increased pressure on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to change his
country's policy.

"Products from Israel are not allowed to be imported into Pakistan," Saira
Abbas, director of the Pakistani Commerce Ministry's head office in
Islamabad, said in a telephone interview. "That is the policy of the
government of Pakistan, which prohibits items made in Israel from being
brought into the country."

Asked about products manufactured elsewhere that might incorporate
Israeli-made parts, Abbas said that, "Even an item made in America which
contains components made in Israel will not be allowed into our country."

Nonetheless, despite the possible implications of the policy for US
manufacturers of products that contain Israeli-made parts, the Bush
administration has failed to push Pakistan to end the boycott.

During a visit to Pakistan 10 days ago, Assistant United States Trade
Representative Douglas Alan Hartwick met with Pakistani Commerce Minister
Humayun Akhtar Khan to discuss a number of topics, ranging from a proposed
bilateral investment treaty to the protection of intellectual property
rights.

The question of Pakistan's trade policies vis-a-vis Israel, however, did not
come up, according to Christin Baker, the assistant US trade representative
for public and media affairs. In addition, the Post found that Pakistan's
policy of boycotting the Jewish state was ignored in the US Trade
Representative's annual report to the president and the Congress documenting
foreign barriers on trade and investment.

The report, compiled annually in accordance with US law, is called the
National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, or NTE, and the
most recent version was released at the end of March.

Although the NTE contains a section concerning the impact of the Arab League
boycott of the Jewish state, the nine-page chapter devoted to Pakistan makes
no mention of its embargo on all goods and services originating in Israel,
even though this might impact US businesses in various fields such as
computer software and telecommunications.

In response, Neena Moorjani, press secretary for the US Trade
Representative's Office, told the Post, "The NTE is required by statute to
review the most important foreign barriers affecting US exports of goods and
service, US foreign direct investment and protection of intellectual
property rights. US firms have not cited boycott activity against US goods
with Israeli components as a factor affecting their exports to Pakistan,"
she said, adding, "Hence, the issue was not covered in the NTE."
But that explanation did not appear to satisfy members of Congress involved
in overseeing US trade policy.

Rep. Ben Cardin, a ranking member of the US House of Representatives' Ways
and Means Trade Subcommittee, told the Post, "any country that maintains a
boycott against Israel should be written up in the US Trade Representative's
annual report of trade barriers. It seems incongruous to me," Cardin said,
"that senior US trade officials are not raising this issue in meetings with
senior Pakistani officials. I believe we need to accelerate our efforts to
resolve this issue in a way that leads to the ultimate elimination of the
boycott."

The Pakistani policy of prohibiting Israeli-made products is widespread and
is outlined explicitly in a series of official Pakistani documents and
regulations.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Europe's Response to the Threat of Global Terror

Jerusalem Issue Brief
Institute for Contemporary Affairs
founded jointly at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
with the Wechsler Family Foundation

Vol. 5, No. 23 - 27 April 2006

Europe's Response to the Threat of Global Terror

Jose Maria Aznar
Former Prime Minister of Spain

If we trace the line between the West and the rest, Israel is on the same
side as Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. We defend the same values
against the same enemies.

Now it is imperative to defend our values and way of life against a new
threat: Islamic extremism and terrorism. The new mission of NATO should be
clear: to combat jihadism and the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction.

If the Allies want to prevail collectively over the gathering threats, NATO
must refocus itself on fighting terror, the major threat today. Indeed, this
is an existential threat, if we bear in mind what Islamic terrorism plans
for outsiders - "the crusaders and infidels" - and for Zionism, as well.

If defending our own values against the radical Islamists is the future of
NATO, we must change the way the Alliance is conceived geographically and
open its doors to those nations that share our values, that defend them on
the ground, and that are willing to join in the fight against jihadism.
Thus, NATO should invite Japan, Australia, and Israel to become full
members.

Treating Israel as if it were not an integral part of the Western world is a
big mistake that will affect our ability to prevail in this long war against
jihadism. I think it is in our mutual interests to have Israel as a formal
ally. The West cannot fight this radical tide without Israel.

The West and the Rest

Even if it is located in the Middle East, Israel is not a Middle Eastern
country. It is a Western country. In order to survive, Israel has learned to
think strategically. This is the time that the rest of us, particularly
people from Europe, must also learn to think in strategic terms.

Israel is a Western nation in its values, heritage, and social practices,
but is also an integral part of the West according to purely strategic
logic. If we trace the line between the West and the rest, Israel is on the
same side as Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. We defend the same
values against the same enemies. It's that simple.

The threat from communism is gone, but the danger emanating from Islamic
terrorism is now a clear and present threat. We have seen the rise of
jihadism, and how fanatic Islamists strike time after time in our own soil.

Israel's strategic environment has also been changing. From fighting Arab
nationalism, Israel has been entangled in an almost perpetual struggle with
Palestinian nationalism. When Israel began moving toward a potential
two-state solution, the Palestinian cause has been dangerously overtaken by
Islamic extremists. Equally, the balance of power in the region has been
altered by many factors, from the intervention in Iraq to the threat from
al-Qaeda, to an Iranian government seeking to reinvigorate Khomeini's
legacy.

Refocus NATO to Fight Islamic Terror

I was recently in Brussels, invited by NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe
General James Jones to talk about the future of NATO, prior to the summit
that will take place at the end of the year to discuss the future direction
of the Atlantic Alliance. I told him that I believe in the Atlantic Alliance
sincerely. NATO was created to better secure the freedom, common heritage,
and civilization of the Western nations. It was built upon the principles of
democracy and individual liberties and the rule of law, and as such is
equally vital today. In my opinion, NATO has been a very successful
organization. The Alliance was able to protect our freedom and democracy
from the Soviet threat and it has been very relevant in exporting security
and stability to troubled areas.

Now it is imperative to defend our values and way of life against a new
threat: Islamic extremism and terrorism. The main purpose of NATO should
remain to collectively preserve our democracies, although its mission must
be adapted to the new environment. The new mission should be clear: to
combat jihadism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These
are slightly different threats, but they tend to merge in the Middle East.
If the Allies want to prevail collectively over the gathering threats, NATO
must refocus itself on fighting terror, the major threat today. Indeed, this
is an existential threat, if we bear in mind what Islamic terrorism plans
for outsiders - "the crusaders and infidels" - and for Zionism, as well.

In order to fight jihadism effectively, NATO must undertake a wide set of
reforms, both conceptual and structural. These would include the development
of a homeland security dimension by the Alliance. NATO must come to terms
with the new strategic realities, that we are at war, because our foes have
declared it upon us. They could be hiding in a cave far away, but their
vision is crystal clear. They want to recreate the caliphate from Spain to
the Philippines. They want a fundamentalist reading of Islam to be the
ruling law.

Islamic terror is not just a criminal activity. It's something more. To win
over terror we will need much more than just intelligence or police actions.
We will need more than defensive measures, and this is where NATO should
play a better role. We cannot say that today the front between internal and
external security has become blurred and at the same time keep all the
administrative and institutional barriers separating them. NATO must become
an integral defense and security organization, and engage the European Union
in the arena of homeland security.

Furthermore, we must understand that jihadism is a global movement in its
scope, with different levels of expression, from car bombs to radical
sermons in mosques, Internet sites, and TV stations.

Open NATO to Those Who Share Our Values - Including Israel

If defending our own values against the radical Islamists is the future of
NATO, we must change the way the Alliance is conceived geographically and
open its doors to those nations that share our values, that defend them on
the ground, and that are willing to join in the fight against jihadism.
Thus, NATO should invite Japan, Australia, and Israel to become full
members.

As you can imagine, many people in Europe and in NATO were shocked by the
idea of inviting Israel, although they took as a natural fact the
establishment of closer cooperation with Japan and Australia, which indeed
is a big change for NATO. Some people from Israel also objected to having
Israel as a formal ally in NATO.

But treating Israel as if it were not an integral part of the Western world
is a big mistake that will affect our ability to prevail in this long war
against jihadism. I think it is in our mutual interests to have Israel as a
formal ally.

In the case of Iran, no one has any doubt about the real intentions of Iran
concerning their nuclear program. The ayatollahs want the bomb, and unless
we do something to thwart their efforts, they will get it. We spent three
years in diplomatic efforts trying to get Iran to freeze their research.

I think we must do whatever is in our hands to prevent Iran from becoming
nuclear. But we should also prepare ourselves to force a nuclear Iran to
behave wisely. If Iran sees and feels that Israel is an integral part of the
West, I think our deterrent posture will be strengthened. I believe having a
NATO umbrella over Israel will have a beneficial impact. Alternatively,
having an Israel that is progressively isolated from NATO will increase the
chances that a miscalculation of some sort may happen, and engulf everyone
into a conflict of incalculable consequences.

Islamic Extremism Is Getting Closer to Israel

In the case of the Palestinians, we are witnessing how Palestinian
nationalism is being transformed into Islamic extremism. Hamas' victory is
not bringing just a different rhetoric to the Palestinian territories but a
social order based on theocracy and focused on religious intolerance. Israel
is exposed to a new threat, to one emerging from Islamic extremism and
terrorism, and as such has become another piece in the growing puzzle the
jihadists are trying to put together. Islamic extremism is getting closer
and closer to Israel.

The West cannot fight this radical tide without Israel. Israelis might
decide that for their own security they had better follow the traditional
policy of relying just on themselves. But Islamic extremism is more a
tsunami than a tide, and in front of this powerful force we better stand
together.

In Europe, more and more people better understand the Israeli position each
day. If you agree that the world faces a global threat, it is necessary to
organize a strong response to this threat. For me, Israel is a vital part of
the Western world. Israel is becoming more and more important to the Western
world for stability, prosperity, and freedom.

Now one possibility is to do nothing. Another possibility is to say that
Israel is a strange entity in the Middle East, with which we can possibly
establish a special relationship, but it is not exactly a part of the
Western world. Another position, which is my position, is to say that
Israel, in these current circumstances, is a vital part of the Western
world. I want this vital part of the Western world to be a member of an
organization working to guarantee liberty, stability, and democracy in the
world.

No Appeasement of Terrorism

For me, the decision to have the Spanish troops retreat from Iraq was a
mistake. First, this sends a very dangerous message to terrorism: if you
attack me in Madrid, I respond with the withdrawal of the Spanish troops
from Iraq. This provides a special victory to terrorists. Second, I have a
concept of loyalty to allies. Imagine, for example, in World War II after
the Allies landed on the beach in Normandy and suddenly one country decides
to send its troops home. Third, stabilizing Iraq is a necessity for the
stability of freedom in the world. But if the international coalition is
defeated in Iraq, the situation in the region will be a catastrophe.

I don't believe in appeasement against terrorism. I don't believe in
negotiation with terrorism. I believe in the necessity to fight against
terrorists. It is a very serious mistake to negotiate with terrorism.
Terrorists should be frightened and defeated, and this is possible. No other
policy exists for me.

* * *

Jose Maria Aznar was Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. Today he
heads the Foundation for Social Analysis and Study (FAES) in Madrid. This
Jerusalem Issue Brief is based on his presentation at the Institute for
Contemporary Affairs in Jerusalem on March 16, 2006.

This Jerusalem Issue Brief is available online at:
www.jcpa.org/brief/brief005-23.htm

Dore Gold, Publisher; Yaakov Amidror, ICA Program Director; Mark Ami-El,
Managing Editor. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (Registered Amuta), 13
Tel-Hai St., Jerusalem, Israel; Tel. 972-2-5619281, Fax. 972-2-5619112,
Email: jcpa@netvision.net.il. In U.S.A.: Center for Jewish Community
Studies, 5800 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215; Tel. 410-664-5222;
Fax 410-664-1228. Website: www.jcpa.org. � Copyright. The opinions expressed
herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Board of Fellows of the
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

The Institute for Contemporary Affairs (ICA) is dedicated
to providing a forum for Israeli policy discussion and debate.

To subscribe to the Jerusalem Issue Brief list, please send a blank email
message to:
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------------------------------

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Weekly Commentary: No Jordan Option

Weekly Commentary: No Jordan Option

Aaron Lerner Date: 27 April 2006

Before the retreat from the Gaza Strip Ehud Olmert was proudly clueless as
to who or what would fill the void.

But today, in the aftermath of the rise of Hamas to power, the simplistic
"RFTH" (run for the hills) approach is wearing thin.

In fact, some of the people in Prime Minister Olmert's party think that the
new withdrawal plan from most of the West Bank would actually leave the IDF
in place and only bulldoze the Jewish communities on the wrong side of the
separation fence.

Some now are suggesting that the void created by an Israeli retreat be
filled by Jordan.

After all, what could be easier for Israel to do than to dump the problem of
the security control of the West Bank on "moderate" Jordan?

But is it really such a simple and robust solution?

Bringing Jordan back into the West Bank means having a sovereign entity
stretching from the border of Iraq to the backyard of Kfar Sava.

And given the virtual impossibility to predict the future viability and/or
orientation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, putting the West Bank under
Jordanian sovereignty ultimately means that Allah-knows-what-regime would
have the sovereign right to move divisions of tanks, position heavy
artillery pieces, mobile anti-aircraft equipment etc. within earshot of my
home in Raanana and all of this without Israel being able to do much more
than go on alert.

As options go, the "Jordan option" isn't much different from "surrender and
appeasement."

These are frustrating times.

RFTH just means setting the stage for further retreats and a debilitating
ongoing war of attrition.

The "Jordan option" - if Jordan agreed - would mean a temporary respite with
a very real chance of ultimately facing an even more dangerous situation.

If it were only so simple.

But it isn't.

For better or worse, for the foreseeable future, Israel simply cannot afford
cavalier solutions.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Israel protests Sweden's air exercise snub

Israel protests Sweden's air exercise snub
(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman's Office)

Foreign Ministry Director-General Ron Prosor today (Thursday, 27 April 2006)
summoned Swedish Ambassador Robert Rydberg and expressed Israel's protest at
Sweden's withdrawal from an international air force exercise to be held in
Italy next month, under the pretext that Israel is not qualified to
participate because it is not peace seeking.

D-G Prosor stressed that Sweden's "declaring that Israel does not seek peace
puts its credibility at risk." He added that, given such a worrisome
position, doubt arises as to Sweden's ability to play a significant role in
the peace process in future.

Prosor also expressed Israel's deep concern over reports reaching Jerusalem
that Sweden intends to grant entrance visas to a number of Hamas activists.
He pointed out that such a step -- which would be the first of its kind by a
European country -- is liable to be interpreted throughout the world as
giving approval to terrorism and to terrorist organizations.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: [Critical assumption for withdrawal undermined]
MI: Syria poised to spend petrodollars on arms

[IMRA: "The Council For Peace And Security", also known by its critics as
"Ex-Brass For Supporting Any Withdrawal" as well as other various defense
experts who have supported withdrawal from the Golan in return for a piece
of paper have consistently based their analysis on the dubious assumption
that Syria will never be able to improve its army and thus the military
consequences of a withdrawal from the Golan can be readily offset by the
addition of a few gizmos that can address the current, rusting/antiquated
Syrian army.

But it turns out that Israel is not the only player who can move pieces on
the board...]

MI: Syria poised to spend petrodollars on arms
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent 28 April 2006
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/710438.html

Syria is poised to begin talks on major arms purchases in light of
expectations of increased revenue due to rising oil prices, Military
Intelligence chief Major General Amos Yadlin hinted at a lecture at the
intelligence community's heritage center in Glilot, north of Tel Aviv.
Yadlin said larger oil producers like Iran and Saudi Arabia were also
channeling their oil revenues into arms deals.

Some of the Syrian arms purchases are expected to go toward refitting its
air force, which stopped buying new planes in the 1980s. Yadlin also said
that the Syrians continued to focus their arms production on rockets and
longer-range SCUDS. Production, he said, was continuing on 200 to 300
millimeter rockets with a range of dozens of kilometers. Some of these
weapons are apparently being transfered to Hezbollah, including the array
Hezbollah has deployed along the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Israel detects a hardening of the Syrian line after a long period during
which Damamscus was on the defensive, following the French-American
initiative to push its forces out of Lebanon, and the United Nations
investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik
Hariri. Syria reportedly has pinpointed a weakness in the U.S. because of
its complications in Iraq and is urging Hezbollah not to give in to the
demand to disarm.

Meanwhile, the defense establishment is closely following tensions between
Jordan, Syria and Hamas. Jordanian accusations against the Hamas leadership
in Damascus reached a new high after the capture of a Hamas cell operating
in the Hashemite kingdom.

A spokesman for the Jordanian government said the cell was poised to carry
out a series of attacks including attacks on a senior Jordanian official.
The spokesman said the cell was operating on orders of a leader of Hamas'
military wing in Damascus.

The Jordanians also reported that their security services had uncovered a
major Hamas stockpile of weapons near the Syrian border, including rockets,
TNT and detonators.

A spokesman for the Syrian foreign minister said Jordan's allegations were
groundless. Damascus-based Hamas leader Musa Abu-Marzuk said they reflected
confusion in Jordan following the Hamas victory in the Palestinian
elections.

It is unclear how reliable the Jordanian reports are. Israeli intelligence
officials say Khaled Meshal, head of Hamas' political wing in Damascus, has
"accounts to settle" with Jordan after he was expelled from the country at
Israel's request, following a failed attempt on his life.

It is also believed that the Hamas cell may have been working under orders
from the Syrian regime. Yet another scenario is that Hamas is cooperating
with the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and this has Amman very worried.

Jordan's accusations against Hamas may also be a way of justifying the cold
shoulder it has given the organization since its election victory in the PA.

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

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

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End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1380 (11 messages)
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