[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1384 (12 messages)

imra Sat May 6 00:27:47 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1384

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Legal background on Jewish ownership
of "Beit Shapira" in Hebron
Fatah creates new armed force
2 Reports: Palestinian Security Chaos
and Proliferation of Small Arms
Text: PM Olmert's adress presenting new government
to Knesset [implies retreat will include IDF]
Weekly Commentary:
Why does PM Olmert really support retreat?
President Bush's remarks at the AJC Centennial Dinner
Israel Boycott Not on the Agenda
of US-UAE Trade Talks Despite Criticism from Congress
PM OLMERT SPEAKS
WITH PA CHAIRMAN ABBAS
Excerpts: Women Muslim clerics.
Political reform in Egypt.5 May 2006
Yuli Tamir indicates will use school
system to educate to support withdrawal plan?
Soldier who snubbed Halutz ejected
Steinberg: EU NGO"peace" projects that fuel conflict

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Legal background on Jewish ownership
of "Beit Shapira" in Hebron

Beit Shapira in Hebron - Justice at its best
by David Wilder
The Jewish Community of Hebron
May 4, 2006

Last March, just over a year ago, Hebron's Jewish community completed
acquisition of a large house in the Tel-Rumeida - Admot Ishai neighborhood.
The building, adjacent to a recently completed apartment complex and the
neighborhood's caravan homes, was something of a coup. It is extremely
difficult to obtain buildings from Arabs anywhere, but especially in Hebron.
Arabs selling property to Jews are summarily executed. Of course, first they
are tortured. So it was only a few weeks ago when Muhammad Abu al-Hawa, a 48
year old Arab, was found tortured and killed for having sold Jews property
on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem [
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2134917,00.html ].

However, where there's a will, there's a way. It is a quite complicated
process and necessitates much patience. Frequently, a successful transaction
can take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to conclude.

Upon moving into the building, security forces arrived, demanding 'proof of
purchase.' All the necessary documents were turned over to the police, army
and 'civil administration' in charge of Yesha. Everything was legal, and we
were quite sure that everything would work out.

The director of the civil administration, a wonderful man, met with his
senior staff and told them, "you have to get them out of that building!"

One of those present, an expert on such affairs, responded, "We can't. I've
gone through all the documents. They crossed all the 'tees' and dotted all
the 'iis'. It's all legal."

His boss answered, "I don't care, Find a way to get them out."

Over course the Arab owner of the building claimed that the documentation
was all forged and that he had never sold the property. These claims, for a
good reason. Arabs who sell to Jews are murdered.

It didn't take long to dismantle his story. He was lying through his teeth
and within a short time his version of things fell apart.

That was over a year ago, and despite a 'continuing investigation' the house
and property are with us. They couldn't and didn't 'get us out.'

But the appetite was there, a big appetite at that. They waited.

Exactly a month ago the Hebron Jewish community carbon-copied the Tel
Rumeida transaction. Following years of negotiations, a large building
adjacent to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood was acquired, exactly as the Tel
Rumeida property was acquired. Entrance into the building was held up until
the attorneys gave their final O.K. - everything is kosher, the papers are
in order - you have a green light. GO.

So, go we did. At nine in the evening a large group of Hebron residents
dittoed the act of a year ago, and moved in. The building had to be cleaned;
it was a real mess inside. But Hebron's population was highly motivated. Not
every day do you successfully move into a new building in the city of the
Patriarchs.

Of course, the police, army and civil administration showed up in full
force, and received explanations and documentation, as a year before. And
that was it. At least for a few days.

Several men were called in by the police for interrogation. They answers to
most of the questions were fairly standard. 'The entire deal is legal - we
have the papers to prove it - any questions concerning the details can be
addressed to our lawyers. They are the experts.'

Following a few minutes of such conversation, a senior interrogator came
into the room and started lecturing: "This time we are going to get you.
Last time, we let you get away with it, but not this time. WE ARE GOING TO
GET YOU!"

These words were repeated for about 40 minutes, over an over again, until he
thought he'd gotten his point across. And that was it.

Last week we received notification that the police and others in the
security forces 'decided' that the documentation was a complete forgery and
that our presence in the building was illegal. They gave us notification: if
you don't leave voluntarily, we will forcibly expel you.

Why now? According to the law, there is a procedure whereby tenants can be
removed from a building within 30 days of their entrance. After 30 days, it
becomes much more difficult to legally expel tenants from the home or
building. Our '30 days' ends tonight.

For the past month, three families, about 25 people, have been living in
Beit Shapira. Tonight, depending on the ruling of the Israeli High Court of
Justice (the Supreme Court), between 1,500 to 2,000 police and soldiers are
planning on throwing them out.

Here then, is a summary of the facts concerning Beit Shapira, (named in
memory of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak Shapira, killed next to the house by Arab
terrorists during Succot, 2003).

1. The Jewish presence in the building is legal.

All necessary legal documentation is available and held by the claimants.
Tremendous amounts of money were invested in the building, and the decision
to expel us, based upon empty, false complaints of the previous owners,
comprises thievery and improper utilization of authority by powers that be.

2. We accuse the previous Arab owner of false claims.

The fact that the previous owner denies the transaction is a normal and
frequent occurrence. This, due to the fact that their lives are endangered.
Such a denial is accompanied by a complaint issued with the police. The
police investigation should then take place in accordance with this fact,
which is well known to them, and they should not reach hasty conclusions.

3. We accuse the investigators of a tendentious investigation and improper
use of their authority.

The police and the civil administration hastened to draw conclusions,
without any factual basis for their conclusions, while refraining from any
objective, professional investigation of the facts. Despite the fact that
they were not able to ascertain that the documentation was forged, as
claimed by the previous owner and did not conduct any kind of true
investigation of the facts, the police reached one-sided conclusions.

We are one hundred percent convinced that, given the opportunity to present
the facts and documentation in an authorized court of law, the undisputed
conclusion will be reached that the property is legally held by the Jewish
community of Hebron. We therefore are requesting that the Supreme court
prevent the proposed expulsion and transfer the case to the proper court of
law.

4. We are facing a classic case of improper use of authority by the
authorities, who are utilizing their positions in a clearly biased manner,
without any fairness or objectivity.

5. It is only proper that the question of legal possession and tenure, and
the determination as to the authenticity of the documents, be determined by
an appropriate court as soon as possible. Such decisions should not be made
by 'field court-martial' with overtly political overtones.

6. Concerning the last point, it must be stressed that the question at hand
is not legal, rather it is strictly political. The decision to expel us from
the building was taken by outgoing Defense Minister Shaul Mufaz and Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert immediately following our entrance into the building,
prior to any examination of the legal documents or claims. The police then
began a one-sided investigation before any claims or complaints were filed
by the previous owner.

This being the case, we expect the high court of justice to accept our
petition and order the police to refrain from any and all expulsion of
Jewish families from Beit Shapira in Hebron.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Fatah creates new armed force

Fatah creates new armed force
Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST May. 4, 2006
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961275259&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Following assassination threats by Hamas and al-Qaida against top Fatah
officials, Fatah gunmen in the Gaza Strip have announced the formation of a
new security force to protect their leaders.

Members of the 80-member force staged a march in Rafah on Wednesday as their
leaders warned against attempts to harm Fatah officials.

A spokesman for the new force said its members came from several branches of
Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades. "The No. 1 mission of this
elite force is to protect Fatah members and leaders," he said.

The spokesman said the Fatah force had no connection with the new security
force recently established by Palestinian Authority Interior Minister Said
Siam of Hamas.

Hamas's 3,000-strong force has been sharply criticized by PA leaders, who
accused Siam of seeking to undermine the existing PA security forces. Siam
has refused to dismantle the force, which consists of Hamas gunmen charged
with assisting the security forces in enforcing law and order.

Khaled Abu Hilal, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, expressed
astonishment over the establishment of the Fatah force, saying he did not
understand why it was needed when 99 percent of the members of the PA
security forces belonged to Fatah.

"This is a very strange decision," he said. "Why does Fatah need
protection?"

Earlier this week the PA expressed deep concern over reports that al-Qaida
was planning to kill top PA leaders.

The threats prompted Palestinian security forces to take strict measures to
protect the leaders, including PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whose villa in
Ramallah has been completely cordoned off.

The latest measures were taken after a hitherto unknown group calling itself
al-Tawhid wa Jihad (Unification and Holy War) distributed leaflets in the
Gaza Strip threatening to "slaughter" a number of senior officials belonging
to Abbas's Fatah party.
This is the first time that the group, which is headed by Jordanian
arch-terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi, has issued a leaflet in the Gaza Strip, a
sign that al-Qaida elements have began operating there.

The leaflet lists five Abbas loyalists who - it said - would soon be
"slaughtered" as apostates. They are former PA ministers Muhammad Dahlan,
Yasser Abed Rabbo, Nabil Amr and Abu Ali Shaheen, and Samir Mashharawi, a
senior Fatah member from the Gaza Strip.

"We hereby declare that we have begun operating in Palestine," the leaflet
said, heaping praise on Zarqawi and al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden. "We have
decided to revive the ritual of slaughter against these people to avoid
dissension."

Zarqawi's followers are behind a spate of gruesome killings of foreign
nationals in Iraq over the past three years. Most of the victims had their
throats slashed while being video taped.

Dahlan, who has been accused by Hamas of spearheading a US-led conspiracy to
bring down the new Hamas-controlled PA government, warned against attempts
by "suspicious elements" to liquidate PA officials. "They are seeking to
spread confusion," he said. "We are taking these threats very seriously and
we even know the identity of those behind them."

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

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
Use of Weapons in Clan and Personal Disputes

Field Update
4 May 2006

1 Citizen Killed and 6 Injured in Clan Disputes in Gaza and Rafah

A resident of Beach Camp in Gaza City died from injuries sustained last week
during a clan dispute and 6 citizens were injured in Rafah in another clan
dispute this morning.

PCHR's initial investigation indicates that Palestinian medical sources
announced the death of Mahmoud Omar Zeidan, a 27-year-old resident of Beach
Camp, on Wednesday, 3 May 2006. He died from multiple gunshot wounds
sustained on Wednesday, 26 April 2006, during a dispute between his clan and
neighbors in the refugee camp. Due to the severity of the injuries, Zeidan
was transferred for treatment in an Israeli hospital, where he was later
pronounced dead.

And in Rafah, PCHR's initial investigation indicates that at 2:00 on
Thursday, 4 May 2006, a fist fight between members of Abu Obeid and
El-Najjar clans, in Yebna refugee camp in Rafah, escalated into armed
clashes using firearms and locally-manufactured grenades. Six citizens from
both families were injured, including two who sustained shrapnel injuries.
They were taken to Abu Yousef El-Najjar Hospital for treatment. It is noted
that the problem started with a fistfight that had taken place at 23:00 on
Wednesday, 3 May 2006.

PCHR is gravely concerned over the continuation of internal violence,
including the use of arms in personal and clan disputes that are a feature
of the ongoing security chaos. The Centre calls upon the Palestinian
National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate
these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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

Field Update
4 May 2006

Explosives Detonated in front of the Homes of Two Preventive Security
Officers in Jabalia

In two separate incidents over the past 24 hours, unknown assailants
detonated two explosive charges in front of the homes of two officers from
the Preventive Security Apparatus in Jabalia refugee camp. No injuries were
reported in the incidents.

PCHR's initial investigation indicates that at approximately 2:45 on
Thursday, 4 May 2006, an explosive stuck to the door of the house of Ra'ed
Mohammad Naser (a 33-year-old resident of Jabalia refugee camp) was
detonated. Ra'ed is a Captain in the Preventive Security Apparatus. The
door was destroyed and windows damaged but no injuries were reported.

And at approximately 3:20 on Wednesday, 3 May 2006, unknown assailants
detonated an explosive charge placed on the door of the house belonging to
Shadi Sobhi Mas'ood (a 28-year-old resident of Jabalia), who is a Lieutenant
in the Preventive Security Apparatus. The door was destroyed but no
injuries were reported. Mas'ood informed PCHR's fieldworker that this is
not the first incident of its kind. Unidentified assailants detonated three
explosive charges near his house recently. The motive remains unknown.

It is noted that according to police investigations, the explosives used in
the attack were plastic explosives and both incidents took place around the
same time, around 3:00 in the morning.

PCHR strongly condemns these attacks, which underline the continued 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
-----------------------------------
If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to
request@pchrgaza.org
and write "subscribe" in the subject line.

---------

To unsubscribe, send mail to request@pchrgaza.org
and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

For assistance: info@pchrgaza.org

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Text: PM Olmert's adress presenting new government
to Knesset [implies retreat will include IDF]

" The Security Fence will be adjusted to the borders formulated east and
west. The operational range of the security forces will not be limited, and
will be in accordance with the security reality with which we have to deal."

IMRA: The "operational range" of the security forces today reach Baghdad
when necessary - and beyond. The question is where the IDF will be
deployed/patrol on a standard basis. PM Olmert's choice of this phrase
indicates that he continues to reject the position of Avi Dichter & Gideon
Ezra that the IDF must remain deployed in the West Bank after the retreat.

Since both Dichter and Ezra have been appointed ministers in the new
government, it can be generally assumed that when faced with the dilemma of
choosing between their seats in the government and taking an uncompromising
stand against a policy that they consider dangerous for Israel's security
that they will follow the tradition of almost all Israeli ministers when
facing such challenges in the past....and opt to remain in their "vital
ministerial positions so that they may serve the Jewish State".]

Translation [Provided by the Israel Government Press Office]

Address by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
On Presenting the New Government to the Knesset
May 4, 2006

Mr. President and Mrs. Katsav,
Speaker of the 17th Knesset, MK Dalia Itzik,
Outgoing Members of the Government,
New Members of the Government,
Members of Knesset,
Distinguished Guests,

Congratulations to you, Madam Speaker, on your election to this prestigious
role. This is the first time in the history of the State of Israel that a
female member of Knesset is serving as Speaker. You are deserving of this
position. For many years, you have served in senior positions in the
Knesset and the Government. You are very familiar with the halls and
procedures of this institution, the heart of Israeli democracy. Now, you
have been given an amazing opportunity to shape its future proceedings, and
determine, together with the members of Knesset, the patterns of work,
relationships and content which will leave their mark on public life and the
system of government of the State of Israel in the coming years. I wish
you, on my own behalf and on behalf of the members of Knesset, luck in this
important and demanding position.

Members of Knesset,

On April 6, 2006, the President assigned me the task of forming the
Government. At the conclusion of the coalition negotiations, conducted with
wisdom and responsibility by teams from the various parties, agreements were
signed and the new Government's basic guidelines were drafted - they are now
before you.

At the beginning of the week, I informed the President that I had succeeded
in forming a government. In recognition of this great privilege and heavy
responsibility, in modesty and humility, I ask today for the Knesset's vote
of confidence in the Government that I am presenting.

In the outgoing Government, it was my privilege to serve as Acting Prime
Minister for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. I stood beside him in times of
uncertainty and fateful decisions, and I admired his courage, equanimity and
powerful leadership. Even when everything around him was stormy and
turbulent, Arik remained in the eye of the storm, quiet and confident, his
hand holding the wheel steady and focused. His successful term as Prime
Minister will be remembered as a founding chapter in the annals of the
State.

Unfortunately, after he led the State of Israel as a loved and admired Prime
Minister, and led us to remarkable achievements in a bold and far-sighted
policy, Ariel Sharon's health failed. From here, on behalf of the
Government of Israel, in the name of the Knesset and the citizens of Israel,
I express my hope and prayer that Ariel Sharon will live to see the
realization of his political vision.

Yesterday, the State of Israel celebrated its 58th Independence Day. How
great is the difference between the situation that the people of Israel were
in on May 14, 1948 and our situation today. At the time of the Declaration
of the Establishment of the State we stood, only three years after the
Holocaust, with our backs to the wall. With meager resources and weaponry,
we stood in a desperate military defensive against an invasion, whose
declared purpose was the eradication of the newly born state. We were but
a step away from extinction. The pages of history of the State of Israel
since then are full of heroism, sacrifice, magnificent creation,
construction, settlement, massive immigration absorption and a free and
enlightened democratic government. The cycle of hostility around us, the
war and terrorism, bereavement and pain, did not cease for one minute and
did not stop the bursting vitality and the progress and prosperity of the
State of Israel. This miracle is unprecedented in the history of nations.

From its birth, the State of Israel advocated two founding bases - the
Jewish base and the democratic base: the supreme value of a "Jewish state",
at the same time with the uncompromising demand that the democratic state of
Israel will provide "complete social and political equality to all its
citizens, regardless of religion, race or gender". These two bases embody
the core values of the renewed Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel. If
you take one and disconnect if from the state, it is as if you cut off its
lifeline.

Therefore, those wishing to look directly into our past, see the reality of
our lives and look to the future, must do so with both eyes open - the
Jewish eye and the democratic eye. Only then, with both eyes open, do the
colors of Israeli society come together into one clear, vivid and meaningful
picture.

I, like many others, also dreamed and yearned that we would be able to keep
the entire land of Israel, and that the day would never come when we would
have to relinquish parts of our land. Only those who have the land of
Israel burning in their souls know the pain of relinquishing and parting
with the land of our forefathers. I personally continue to advocate the
idea of the entire land of Israel as a heart's desire. I believe with all
my heart in the people of Israel's eternal historic right to the entire land
of Israel. However, dreams and recognition of this right do not constitute
a political program. Even if the Jewish eye cries, and even if our hearts
are broken, we must preserve the essence. We must preserve a stable and
solid Jewish majority in our State.

Therefore, we must focus on the area in which a Jewish majority is secured
and ensured. The disengagement from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria was
an essential first step in this direction, but the main part is still ahead.
The continued dispersed settlement throughout Judea and Samaria creates an
inseparable mixture of populations which will endanger the existence of the
State of Israel as a Jewish state. It is those who believe, as I do, in
Jabotinsky's teachings and in full civil equality between Jews and Arabs,
who must understand that partition of the land for the purpose of
guaranteeing a Jewish majority is the lifeline of Zionism. I know how hard
it is, especially for the settlers and those faithful to Eretz Yisrael, but
I am convinced, with all my heart, that it is necessary and that we must do
it with dialogue, internal reconciliation and broad consensus.

This does not mean that the settlement enterprise was entirely in vain. On
the contrary. The achievements of the settlement movement in its major
centers will forever be an inseparable part of the sovereign State of
Israel, with Jerusalem as our united capital. Let us come together around
this consensus and turn it into a uniting political and moral fact.

The strength of this nation is in its unity. I will not help those wishing
to cause a rift among the sectors of our nation. It is my intention to take
all future steps through continuous dialogue with the wonderful settlers in
Judea and Samaria. We are brothers and we will remain brothers.

From this podium, I again address the elected President of the Palestinian
Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas. The Government of Israel under my leadership
prefers negotiations with a Palestinian Authority committed to the
principles of the Roadmap, which fights terror, dismantles terrorist
organizations, abides by the rules of democracy and upholds, practically and
thoroughly, all agreements which have thus far been signed with the State of
Israel. Negotiation with such an Authority is the most stable and desired
basis for the political process, which can lead to an agreement which will
bring peace. This is what we desire.

The guidelines of this Government propose this. The parliamentary majority
which will back the Government policy is committed to this process. These
conditions cannot be blurred. We will not, under any circumstances,
relinquish these demands as a basis for negotiation.

The Palestinian Authority must make fundamental changes in its patterns of
behavior, its reactions and its commitments to the principles which are the
basis for any future negotiations.

A Palestinian Government led by terrorist factions will not be a partner for
negotiation, and we will not have any practical or day-to-day relations.

The State of Israel is prepared to wait for this necessary change in the
Palestinian Authority. We will closely follow the conduct of the Authority.
We will continue to strike at terror and terrorists. We will not hesitate
to reach terrorists, their dispatchers and operators anywhere - I repeat -
anywhere, but we will give the Authority an opportunity to prove that it is
aware of its responsibilities and willing to change.

That said, we will not wait forever. The State of Israel does not want, nor
can it suspend the fateful decisions regarding its future - until the
Palestinian Authority succeeds in implementing the commitments it undertook
in the past. If we reach the conclusion that the Authority is dawdling and
is not planning to engage in serious, substantial and fair negotiation - we
will act in other ways.

We will also act without an agreement with the Palestinians to create an
understanding which will, first and foremost, be founded on a correct
definition of the desired borders for the State of Israel.

These borders must be defensible, and ensure a solid Jewish majority. The
Security Fence will be adjusted to the borders formulated east and west.
The operational range of the security forces will not be limited, and will
be in accordance with the security reality with which we have to deal.

The State of Israel will invest its resources in areas which will be an
organic part of it. The borders of Israel, which will be defined in the
coming years will be significantly different from the areas controlled by
the State of Israel today.

This is the Government's plan, it is the basis for its existence, it is the
commitment made to the Israeli electorate whose trust we asked for - and
received.

The agreement to which we aspire to shape the Middle East is based on
consensus, broad consensus first and foremost within ourselves, and
thereafter with our friends around the world.

No political process, certainly not one as fundamentally decisive and
comprehensive as the one for which we are preparing, can be realized without
the understanding of many officials in the international community. We have
no intention of acting alone. We will consult, discuss, talk, and I am
certain that we will reach understandings which will create a broad base of
international backing for these steps, first and foremost with our ally and
close friend, the United States led by President George Bush, and also with
our friends in Europe.

Israel strives to improve the understandings and agreements with the
countries of Europe. Today's European leaders better understand the
complexity of the situation in the Middle East. They understand that there
are no simple solutions, certainly given the upswing in fundamentalist
religious fanaticism in various countries in the Middle East, and the
ascendancy of the pro-Iranian Hamas to the Palestinian Authority. We will
deepen dialogue with Europe and strive to include its leaders in the
dialogue process with the United States.

I aspire to deepen the ties with Arab countries. Egypt and Jordan,
countries with which we have peaceful relations, have leaders who are
inspirational. President Mubarak and King Abdullah the Second are welcome,
credible and responsible partners - for those goals which I defined. I will
do all that I can so that our relations with Egypt and the Jordanian Kingdom
will continue to strengthen, and serve as a basis for diplomatic and open
relations with additional Arab countries.

The threat emanating from Iran is casting a heavy pall over the entire
region and is endangering world peace. The pursuit by this rogue and
terror-sponsoring regime of nuclear weapons is currently the most dangerous
global development, and the international community must do its utmost to
stop it. The statements by the President of Iran should not be taken
lightly - he means what he says. The State of Israel, which is targeted for
destruction by the evil leaders of Tehran, is not helpless. However, only a
decisive and uncompromising international stand against Iran's goals can
eliminate this threat to world peace.

Members of Knesset,

The domestic arena in Israel necessitates in-depth transformation. The
State of Israel must place at the top of its agenda the good of the
citizen - the newborn baby, the pupil, the soldier, the student, the working
man and the elderly. The citizens' right to live in dignity, to receive
better service from the State institutions and to enjoy economic well-being
by reaping the fruits of their labor, should always be borne in mind.

Following the Declaration of the Establishment of the State, Menachem Begin
said: "In our nation, justice will be the supreme ruler, the ruler of all
rulers. There will be no tyranny, the public servants will serve society
and not dominate it. There will be no parasitism. There will be no
exploitation. No one in our homes - be it a citizen or a gentile - will be
hungry or homeless or unclothed or deprived of basic education. 'And
remember that thou was a servant in the land of Egypt'. This supreme decree
will determine our approach towards our neighbor. "And thou shalt pursue
justice" - this supreme decree will guide the relations between our people".

This concept will guide us in our attitude towards every citizen, either
Jewish or non-Jewish. The rights of the minority are craving to be
fulfilled, and we will act vigorously to fulfill them.

The gaps within Israeli society are unacceptable. The continued trend of
widening gaps is a sure recipe for loss of social solidarity. The State of
Israel will lose its moral standing if it evades its responsibility towards
the weaker populations - the elderly, the pensioners, the Holocaust
survivors, the disabled, the ailing, the children at risk, battered women
and those targeted for illegal trade - all those needing protection and
assistance, including the children of foreign workers who grow up among us
and love our country, and wish to be part of it. It is not only our duty
towards them. It is first and foremost our duty towards our moral
standards. The Government will act tirelessly to reduce social and economic
gaps. We will formulate a detailed plan to combat social hardship, act to
improve the health system and particularly the health basket components. We
will continue adhering to the correct economic policy, with the aim of
diminishing unemployment and creating a climate which will enable more
members of Israeli society to join the labor market and earn a decent
living.

In recent years, harsh violence has become part of our daily routine -
stabbings in places of recreation, hooliganism on Israel's roads and city
streets, rapes, robbery and murders. Israeli society must defend itself.
We must place the personal safety of the citizens of Israel at the top of
our agenda. The Government will act tirelessly to uproot violence. We will
combat crime and violence - which constitute domestic terrorism - with the
same determination with which we fight terrorism from the outside. The
Government will uphold the rule of law, and act to eradicate corruption from
all areas of our lives, including corruption in government authorities and
public apparatuses, and will protect, with all its might, those involved in
enforcing the law, first and foremost, the courts, and especially the
Supreme Court of the State of Israel.

Members of Knesset,

Road accidents are a national calamity. The Government will immediately
begin implementing the national program to combat road accidents. We will
make certain that the roads are a safe place for the citizens of Israel.

The Government will act to improve the education system, from nursery school
to higher education. The education system must provide knowledge and skills
which are instrumental to functioning in a modern world: analytical skills,
creativity and teaching of the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and
democratic state. We will also act to deepen and bolster Jewish education
in State schools. We cannot speak of a Jewish state without having its
content known to each and every student. In conjunction with formal
education, we will strive to enhance informal education, primarily the
Zionist youth movements which must regain their natural place as pioneers
leading Israeli youth.

Over the last 15 years, the State of Israel has experienced a tremendous
wave of immigration from countries belonging to the former Soviet Union.
This immigration was a great blessing to the State of Israel. The
immigrants from the former Soviet Union are now an essential component of
the total strength of Israeli society. Their contribution is dramatic -
culturally, academically, industrially, in technological innovation,
security, medicine and education. We are proud of the immigrants, and
embrace them to our hearts with love and gratitude. Continued immigration
is an important element of the growth and prosperity of the Israeli economy
and society and the consolidation of our national security. We will act to
strengthen our bond with our Jewish brothers in the Diaspora, particularly
with the younger generation.

Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will "be elevated above the chief joy" of
the Government. We will work to transform Jerusalem into the political,
cultural and business center of the State of Israel and the entire Jewish
people.

The Government will act to develop the Negev and the Galilee and consider
them as areas of national priority. The national plan to develop the Negev
and the future plan to develop the Galilee will create a real revolution in
these areas. It is a huge challenge which the Government takes upon itself,
with a sense of mission.

The Government will continue to uphold the principles which guided its
economic policy over the last few years, and will especially preserve fiscal
discipline, maintain deficit growth of no more than 3%, and an overall
spending ceiling yet be determined, which will, in any event, not deviate
from the growth rate of the population of the State of Israel. Responsible
economic management, integrating into the international economy, encouraging
foreign and local investors, and changing social priorities within the
framework of the total national expenditure - are the basis for the economic
policy which will continue in the future.

Members of Knesset,

It is my pleasure to present the Government, which is, however, not final.
I intend to expand it, and include additional partners in the coming days.
I believe I can complete the negotiations, and reach an agreement with
United Torah Judaism and Meretz. I wanted, and still want, the Yisrael
Beitenu Party to join. Thus far, this has not happened.

These are the names of the Government members and their positions:

Ehud Olmert - Prime Minister and Minister of Welfare

Shimon Peres - Vice Prime Minister and Minister for the Development of the
Negev and the Galilee, Responsible for Regional Economic Development

Tzipi Livni - Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

Amir Peretz - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense

Eli Yishai - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor

Shaul Mofaz - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation and Road
Safety

Yaakov Edri - Minister (Liaison between the Government and the Knesset)

Ariel Atias - Minister of Communications

Rafi Eitan - Minister Responsible for Pensioners

Zeev Boim - Minister of Immigrant Absorption

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer - Minister of National Infrastructures

Yaakov Ben-Yizri- Minister of Health

Roni Bar-On - Minister of the Interior

Avi Dichter - Minister of Internal Security

Avraham Hirschson - Minister of Finance

Yitzhak Herzog - Minister of Tourism

Eitan Cabel - Minister (Responsible for the Israel Broadcasting Authority)

Yitzhak Cohen - Minister (Responsible for Religious Councils)

Meshulam Nahari - Minister

Gideon Ezra - Minister of the Environment

Ofir Pines-Paz - Minister of Science and Technology

Haim Ramon - Minister of Justice

Meir Sheetrit - Minister of Construction & Housing (Responsible for the
Israel Lands Authority)

Shalom Simhon - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

Yuli Tamir - Minister of Education, Culture & Sport

I ask for the Knesset's vote of confidence in me and my Government.

And now, Madam Speaker, allow me a few personal words. It is customary to
say that the responsibility entailed in filling the role of Prime Minister
in a state such as ours is almost extraordinary when compared to a similar
role in any other country in the world. I am aware of the weight of
responsibility that I shoulder, if you place your trust in the Government,
and the immense burden involved.
I will do my utmost to be worthy of this trust. I will mobilize all my
inner strength for it, apply all the values I learned at home from my
parents, Bella and Mordechai Olmert, who taught me and my siblings that
there is nothing more important than the welfare, wholeness and prosperity
of our small, tormented, brave and talented country.

For thousands of years, the life of the Jewish people has been an unending
struggle for its right to exist. Exactly 58 years ago, we realized the
generations-long dream of our people, here in this beautiful land, which is
unlike any other. We established the State of Israel, and earned the
privilege of sovereignty over our lives in our land.

Now, the responsibility to ensure its future has been bestowed on us. I
wish my colleagues in the Government which I head and myself that we will be
deserving of this great privilege granted us, that we will be wise,
responsible and brave enough to know how make it secure, and protect it from
those who wish it harm, that we will know how to maintain proper dimensions
and necessary balances to strengthen the hope which beats in so many hearts,
and to bring joy, peace and security to our country and its citizens.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Weekly Commentary:
Why does PM Olmert really support retreat?

Weekly Commentary: Why does PM Olmert really support retreat?

Aaron Lerner Date: 4 May 2006

It remains unclear if it is possible to really determine what Prime Minister
Olmert actually has in mind with his retreat plan.

The core justification cited by Mr. Olmert for the retreat is neither the
defense nor financial burden that the Jewish communities in the West Bank
may be.

And for good reason.

The total forces deployed specifically to protect the communities that would
remain beyond the separation fence are far from massive. And as far as
budget burden is concerned, the budget burden of relocating the Jewish
communities is magnitudes greater than the costs of maintaining them in the
short and mid-term.

Instead Prime Minister Olmert returns to the argument that has provided
refuge for many withdrawal advocates when faced with the reality that
withdrawal doesn't bring peace: the "demographic argument".

The "demographic argument" - the need to withdraw so that the Palestinians
don't end up voting for and taking ever the Knesset - hinges on the
assertion that the right to self determination can only be expressed by
voting for the leadership of a sovereign state. If voting for the
leadership of an autonomy would suffice, the "demographic argument" wouldn't
exist since the Palestinians in the West Bank would never vote in the
Knesset.

It should be noted that the "demographic argument", even if accepted,
relates to a long term problem rather than something that must necessarily
be addressed this decade if circumstances are not amenable to a reasonable
and workable solution.

Simply put: if Israel doesn't retreat within 24, 36 or 48 months the
Palestinians still won't take over the Knesset, but if Israel does retreat
during this period of great instability both in the immediate area and in
the region in general the consequences may be grave.

What then drives Mr. Olmert's retreat timetable?

Is it because the prospect of a retreat is the one thing that binds the
various elements of Kadima and its coalition with the Labor Party together?

Or even worse: is Ehud Olmert trying to relieve himself of the burden to
take serious security measures by keeping the focus on retreat?

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: President Bush's remarks at the AJC Centennial Dinner

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE'S CENTENNIAL
DINNER
National Building Museum Washington, D.C.
6:57 A.M. EDT
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060504-15.html

THE PRESIDENT:
....My administration shares a strong commitment with the AJC to make sure
relations between Israel and America remain strong. (Applause.) We have so
much in common. We're both young countries born of struggle and sacrifice.
We're both founded by immigrants escaping religious persecution. We have
both established vibrant democracies built on the rule of law and open
markets. We're both founded on certain basic beliefs, that God watches over
the affairs of men, and that freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man
and woman on the face of this earth. (Applause.) These ties have made us
natural allies, and these ties will never be broken. (Applause.) America's
commitment to Israel's security is strong, enduring and unshakable.
(Applause.)

I'm looking forward to my meeting with Prime Minister Olmert in a couple of
weeks. And as he comes to America, I cannot help but think about my friend,
Ariel Sharon. Ariel Sharon is a friend who remains in our thoughts and
prayers. He is a man of courage, and a man of peace. And so tonight we pray
for his recovery; we rededicate ourselves to the cause to which he devoted
his life, the peace and the security of Israel. (Applause.)

As you know, I'm a strong believer in democracy and free elections, but that
does not mean we have to support elected officials who are not committed to
peace. Hamas has made it clear that they do not acknowledge the right of
Israel to exist, and I've made it clear that so long as that's their policy,
we will have no contact with the leaders of Hamas. (Applause.)

Democratically leaders [sic] cannot have one foot in the camp of democracy
and one foot in the camp of terror. (Applause.) Hamas must accept the
demands of the international community to recognize Israel, disarm and
reject terrorism, and stop blocking the path to peace. (Applause.)

Many of the AJC leaders who have come to know me understand how my thinking
was profoundly affected by the attacks on our country on September the 11th,
2001. The security of our nation is foremost in my mind. I vowed that day
and I vow to you today that the United States of America will stay on the
hunt and bring the killers to justice. (Applause.)

And one of the lessons of September the 11th is that this nation must take
threats seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.) And I saw a
threat in Saddam Hussein. He had invaded a neighbor, he had used weapons of
mass destruction against his own people, he had the capability of making
weapons of mass destruction, he harbored terrorists, he was shooting at U.S.
aircraft. He was a threat, and the world is better off without Saddam
Hussein in power. (Applause.)

Our goal in Iraq is to have an ally in the war on terror and to help that
young country establish an Iraqi-style democracy. Last December, 12 million
people defied the car bombers and the killers and the terrorists, and said,
that, we want to live in liberty. Recently a unity government has formed in
Iraq. They reached an agreement on their top leadership posts. This new
government represents a turning point in Iraq, a new chapter in our
engagement there, and an opportunity for progress.
We will form a new partnership with these leaders; we will adjust our
methods to support their priorities. We will strengthen our mutual efforts
to achieve victory.

But I want you to understand that the new government is yet another blow to
those who hate liberty. First, it will deny the terrorists their immediate
aim of turning Iraq into a safe haven from which they can plot and plan
attacks against the United States and our allies. And secondly, a democratic
Iraq will be a major blow to the terrorists' hateful ideology, sending a
powerful message across the region that the future of the Middle East
belongs to freedom. The only way we can lose in Iraq is if we lose our
nerve, and I am not going to lose my nerve. (Applause.)

The AJC, the American government, and most of the nations of the world are
concerned about Iran. We're concerned because the Iranian regime is
repressing its people, sponsoring terrorists, destabilizing the region,
threatening Israel, and defying the world with its ambitions for nuclear
weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats.
We're making progress. The first goal is to reach a common objective, and
the objective amongst America, our European allies, Russia and China is to
deny Iran a nuclear weapon. I spent time with Chancellor Merkel yesterday
talking about this important issue. I can assure you we have a strong ally
in Chancellor Merkel when it comes to uniting the world to speak with one
clear voice. (Applause.)

We will continue to press the Iranian government to comply with the IAEA, as
well as U.N. Security Council resolutions. America respects and admires the
people of Iran. We respect their history and culture. We respect their right
to choose their own future and win their own freedom. And America looks
forward to the day when our nation can be closest of friends with a free and
democratic Iran. (Applause.)

Before I introduce the Chancellor, I do want to talk about another subject
that I know is important to you, and it's important to me, and that's
Darfur. Last weekend, thousands rallied on our National Mall to call for
justice in Darfur. And among the speakers was a man who understands the
meaning of evil. You know him well. And it was Elie Wiesel put it this way:
"We refuse to be silent because silent helps the killer, never his victims."

America is not silent. The United States is the only country to have called
the crimes taking place in Sudan what they are: genocide. (Applause.) To end
these atrocities, we've developed a clear standard. First, there must be a
political course. Right now, as we speak, we're negotiating to bring a
political settlement so that all sides will lay down their arms, a
settlement between the government and the rebels. These conversations are
taking place in Abuja.

But, as well, we must understand that the rape and the murder and the
suffering must be stopped, and that's why I believe strongly that we must
augment AU forces with a blue-helmeted U.N. force, with a NATO overlay, so
that we can send a clear message to the leaders of Sudan: We will not
tolerate the genocide taking place in that country. (Applause.)

My remaining time in office, I look forward to working with AJC leaders. I
appreciate your steadfast strength when it comes
to dealing with terror. I appreciate your strong belief in the power of
liberty to transform the world we have. I look forward to working with you
to continue to lay the foundations of peace, so that generations after our
time will look at all of us and say, job well done.

And now it's my pleasure to introduce a leader who understands the
importance of freedom. Angela Merkel grew up in East Germany during the dark
days of the Cold War. She understands what it means to live in a free
society. She understands the power of liberty. She's a straightforward
person; she tells me what's on her mind. She's a woman of good judgment.
She's a strong leader. It's my privilege to welcome her here, and to our
friends at the AJC. (Applause.)

END 7:12 P.M. EDT

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Israel Boycott Not on the Agenda
of US-UAE Trade Talks Despite Criticism from Congress

US-UAE Trade Talks to Resume
Israel Boycott Not on the Agenda, Despite Criticism from Congress
By Michael Freund The Jerusalem Post, May 5, 2006
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961281966&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Undeterred by the collapse of its ports deal with Dubai two months ago, the
Bush administration plans to resume free trade talks with the United Arab
Emirates next week, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Despite the uproar back then in the US Congress over the Gulf Arab nation's
enforcement of an anti-Israel boycott, US negotiators may not even raise the
issue in next week's talks.

"The US and UAE will be holding the next set of free trade agreement
discussions the week of May 8," Christin Baker, the assistant US trade
representative for public and media affairs, told the Post.

The talks, she said, will focus on issues such as investment,
telecommunications and government procurement.

When asked if the boycott of Israel would also be on the agenda, Baker was
noncommittal.

"In addition to the ones which will be a focal point, there are other issues
that will be discussed, potentially including the boycott," she said.

That answer did not sit well with members of Congress, who said the US
should press the UAE to drop its boycott of the Jewish state.

Rep. Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland and a ranking member of the House
of Representatives' Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, said, "I believe the
termination of the UAE's participation in the boycott should be a priority
for US negotiators in the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations."

"The UAE's continued participation in the Arab League boycott," Cardin said,
"violates basic trading principles, limits economic growth and stability in
the Middle East, and serves only to exacerbate tensions between the United
States, Israel and the UAE."

Rep. Sander Levin, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Trade
subcommittee, was also adamant that the UAE' s boycott of Israel be brought
to an end.

"I strongly oppose the application of any boycott against Israel and
Israeli-made products, whether sponsored by the Arab League or applied on an
individual country basis," he told the Post. "Trade is a two-way street, so
it is important in our trade relations to insist that boycotts are
eliminated.

"In negotiating a free trade agreement with the UAE," Levin said, the US
Trade Representative "should make crystal clear that the US will not enter
into trade agreements with a country that engages in any aspect of this
boycott. Full repeal of the boycott is imperative for the successful
negotiation of a US-UAE free trade agreement," he said.

The trade talks, which will take place in Abu Dhabi, were originally
scheduled for March 13, but were cancelled in the wake of a public row over
the proposed purchase of US ports by a Dubai-based firm. The deal was
eventually dropped.

Dubai is a constituent state of the United Arab Emirates.

As first reported in the Post on February 28, Dubai's government actively
enforces the Arab League embargo of Israel.
"Yes, of course the boycott is still in place and is still enforced,"
Muhammad Rashid a-Din, a staff member of the Dubai Customs Department's
Office for the Boycott of Israel, confirmed in a telephone interview.

"If a product contained even some components that were made in Israel, and
you wanted to import it to Dubai, it would be a problem," he said.

At the time, the Gulf Arab state's prohibition on Israeli products prompted
harsh criticism from US legislators, with Senate Commerce Committee Chairman
Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, saying, "I for one really deplore the
position of the UAE on Israel. I don't know of any senator that doesn't."

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PM OLMERT SPEAKS
WITH PA CHAIRMAN ABBAS

PM OLMERT SPEAKS WITH PA CHAIRMAN ABBAS
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this morning (Friday), 5.5.06, spoke with
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who telephoned in order
to congratulate him on the establishment of the Government last night
(Thursday), 4.5.06. The Prime Minister thanked the PA Chairman for his
congratulations.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Women Muslim clerics.
Political reform in Egypt.5 May 2006

Excerpts: Women Muslim clerics.Political reform in Egypt.5 May 2006

+++ JORDAN TIMES 5-6 May '06:"Morocco graduates Muslim female preachers to
promote moderate Islam" by Scheherezade Faramarzi, Assoc. Press

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"50 women graduated as religious preachers ... to promote a modrn Islam
in a country grapling with extremism""
"The female religious guides ... will not be leading prayers in mosques,
which is reserved for men"
"(part of) campaign to strengthen state-controlled mosques while
undermining radical clerics who preach extremism"
:"applicants ... must have a bachelors degree"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL
TEXT:
RABAT - In an unprecedented move, 50 women graduated as religious preachers,
part of a concerted effort by authorities to promote a moderate Islam in a
country grappling with extremism.
Another 150 men graduated Wednesday as imams, or prayer leaders. The female
religious guides, or morchidat, will not be leading prayers in mosques,
which is reserved for men, but will be dispatched around the country to
teach women - and sometimes men - about Islam and its practice.
While some Moroccan officials said the appointment of female state preachers
was a rare experiment in the Muslim world, others went as far as to say it
was the first of its kind.
"Your duty... is to prevent intrusion by foreign agents trying to violate
our values and traditions," Ahmed Taoufiq, minister of Islamic affairs, told
the graduates.
"You must be committed to the faith and politics of the state which the
people have chosen. This choice includes the policies of the Amir Al
Moumenin (Commander of the Faithful) who runs deep in our veins," said
Taoufiq, referring to the religious title of King Mohammad VI. The training
of the preachers is part of a campaign launched by the young king, a
descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, to strengthen state-controlled mosques
while undermining radical clerics who preach extremism. He has vowed that no
foreign religious doctrine would be tolerated in the North African kingdom
which is a close ally of the United States and a partner in its war against
terror.
Moroccan officials say the May 16, 2003 suicide bombings in the commercial
capital of Casablanca were inspired by Muslim clerics who preached violence
to poor and disillusioned youths in the big cities' slums.
More than 2,000 people were arrested in the aftermath of the bombings,
including Mohammed Fazzazi, who is serving a 30-year-sentence for preaching
violence. Two other well-known clerics, Abu Hafs and Hassan Kettani, were
arrested prior to the bombings, and were convicted to respectively 30 and 20
years in prison for being the ideologists of the Salafia Jihadia militants.
In an interview with a Moroccan weekly six months before the Casablanca
blasts, Abu Hafs bragged that his mosque had been packed every Friday since
the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and that his taped
sermons were widely sold.
He called the September 11 hijackers heroes.
Since the Casablanca blasts, Moroccan authorities have been monitoring the
country's mosques closely to ensure that they do not recruit insurgents. At
least four mosques were shut down following the 9/11 attacks. Also,
authorities try to control - though without much success - the sale of
inflammatory books and videotapes. Friday prayer sermons now have to be
first approved by authorities before being delivered. However, underground
mosques are believed to continue to exist, though to a much lesser degree
than before the blasts.
The king's initiatives include the creation a year ago of the Mohammad VI
Koran radio station that broadcasts religious programmes, and the Assadisa
Islamic satellite TV station.
The Council of Religious Scholars, which the king established two years ago,
has been issuing religious edicts on the most pressing questions of the 21st
century - and, surprisingly, they've been well-received by both young people
and Islamists.
Taoufiq, the Islamic affairs minister, said in the coming weeks that 2,000
of the country's more than 24,000 mosques will be equipped with television
sets. Already, the ministry's website enables the faithful to chat with
religious scholars at 1,000 key mosques around the country.
The pioneer group of morchidat - who finished a 12-month course in Islamic
law, philosophy and the history of religions in early April - were trained
to give basic religious instructions in mosques and provide support to
people in prisons, hospitals and schools. Their monthly salary is about
$500.
Applicants for the course must have a bachelors degree and be under 45. Male
Koran by heart, while female applicants should know at least half of it by
heart.
Although it may be the first time in Morocco - which like many other Muslim
countries has shunned women's rise to senior religious positions - Egypt and
Iran have seen an increasing rise in women scholars of Islam.
Even though there are no restrictions in Islam for women to become Islamic
scholars, the male-dominated Muslim societies have generally disputed that
women should have a senior religious position. Any woman wishing to be an
imam, can only lead prayers for a group of women, but not for men.
Fatima Titi, 24, said she was very excited to become a religious guide.
"I am looking forward to portraying a good image of Islam, one that's
forgiving and promotes peace," she said.
"Our role will be to convince people not to choose extremism, but to be
understanding and to communicate through dialogue," said Moustapha Larbi,
32, who graduated as an imam.
"I know it's going to be a difficult task considering the influences of some
of the factions."

+++THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon) 5 May '06:"Turn up the heat on Egyptian
repression"
By Gordan Robison
QUOTE FROM TEXT:
"Egyptian officials are used to hearing diplomatic complaints behind
closed doors, accompanied by an understanding that larger issues make doing
nothing acceptable"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXCERPTS:
Last Sunday, Egypt's Parliament renewed the country's 25-year-old Emergency
Law for a further two years. This again underlined how the stifling of
democracy in Egypt remains the most insidious policy challenge facing the
Bush administration in the Middle East. Insidious because it is a problem
the United States has been able to pretend does not exist.
..., . The recent terrorist attack in the Sinai town of Dahab ...pointing to
a bankrupt political culture.
President Hosni Mubarak brutally repressed protestors calling for greater
political openness last year, ... Mubarak's allies in Parliament stacked the
system to make getting onto the ballot almost impossible for serious rivals.
Trumped-up legal proceedings ...were renewed after Mubarak's victory.
(competing candidate) Nour has since been imprisoned, on the apparently
fabricated charges that he had falsified party registration documents.
(In November elections)The Muslim Brotherhood was allowed to run some
candidates, but after their stronger-than-expected showing, and later,
following Hamas' victory in the January 2006 Palestinian elections, the
government canceled local council elections scheduled to take place later
this year.
.... A small group of judges staged a demonstration in Cairo recently in
support of two senior colleagues who are facing disciplinary action for
accusing the government of vote-rigging during last year's parliamentary
elections. An astonishing 10,000 troops and riot police descended on the
protestors. Mubarak dismissed the entire thing as an internal matter within
the judiciary. . . .
. . .. Did Mubarak really think that he could convincingly slip by that
the deployment of 10,000 soldiers and riot police was the result of
squabbling between judges? ...
.American presidents have a long history of looking the other way when bad
things happen in Egypt. The country is too large, its role in Middle East
peacemaking too central, for its feet to be held to the fire. .... . .
the U.S. wants the Egyptians to help push the Palestinians toward peace
talks with Israel, use their diplomatic weight in Iraq, and help in the
global war on terror (with many reports suggesting that Egypt is a
destination for "rendered" prisoners).
... Egyptian officials are used to hearing diplomatic complaints behind
closed doors, accompanied by an understanding that larger issues make doing
nothing acceptable. A good place to start would be this month's Middle East
regional meeting of the World Economic Forum... The U.S. should send a
high-level delegation that would be very public in its insistence that
Mubarak loosen his regime's grip. A particular target for strong questions
should be Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif, an erudite technocrat who likes to
talk mainly about investment and economic reform. He should not be allowed
to escape questions about political repression.
Promoting Arab democracy is easy in Jordan, where the government likes the
idea. It is easy in Syria and Sudan, where the governments hate the idea.
However, Egypt is where democracy matters, possibly more than anywhere else,
but where it is also difficult to advance. The Bush administration has made
some good moves, but it needs to be tougher, more consistent and more
public. ...

Sue Lerner -Associate - IMRA

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Yuli Tamir indicates will use school
system to educate to support withdrawal plan?

Yuli Tamir indicates will use school system to educate to support withdrawal
plan?

Aaron Lerner Date: 5 May 2006

"It is necessary to differentiate between party questions and political
question - and political questions certainly have a place also in our
educational system. For example, what happened during the course of the
disengagement concerned me very much, and mainly the phenomenon of
alienation that it brought about.

If a government decision is passed to continue with the evacuations, then I
expect that the educational system will prepare the students for it, that it
will talk to them about it, even if the matter is subject to deep public
dispute"
Minister of Education, Culture & Sport Yuli Tamir - interviewed in Yediot
Ahronot 5 May 2006

During the early Oslo period the Rabin and Peres governments turned the
Israeli educational system into what might best be termed "peace-plan
education camps" - with various programs and activities to educate (or as
critics put it - "brainwash") students of all ages to support Oslo.

Does Tamir want to do in the school system what she was blocked from doing
at the Rabin Center?

The following are excerpts from an article that appeared immediately after
Tamir resigned from the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies:

The following are excerpts from
Looking back in anger
By Vered Levy-Barzilai Ha'aretz (Magazine section) 15 November 2002
www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=230426&contrassID=2&subContrassID=14&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

. Tamir declared a rule that she had adopted, and that she recommended that
members of the center adopt: No one who was on the balcony in Zion Square at
the infamous right-wing demonstration in July 1994 (meaning Sharon,
President Moshe Katzav, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert) would ever stand on the stage at the Rabin
memorial service in Rabin Square.

. When Yuli Tamir was appointed as head of the center, in April 2001, she
believed that she would bring changes with her, that she would succeed in
setting a new order of priorities. She found the center involved mainly in
attempts to bridge the gaps between religious and secular, and right- and
left-wing, populations. Tamir had reservations about this activity. She
considered it a deviation from the main issue.

Tamir repeated her position: The Rabin Center must focus on the
commemoration of Rabin and his legacy by discussing the murder, the
incitement that preceded the murder, and the damage done by this political
assassination to Israeli democracy. At the same time, the center must engage
in commemorating Rabin and his activity by turning to broader sectors

."I understand that there is some cognitive dissonance here. People who were
a central part of the incitement [against Rabin] are now running the
country. One is the prime minister. One is the president. One was the prime
minister. One is the mayor of Jerusalem. It's a problem.My problem is that
they are a daily reminder of failure. Of what we don't want to remember:
that in the State of Israel, you can do something that is extremely grave,
and the public won't punish you, but rather will reward you.

"I have another problem: How will we teach children and youth what democracy
is, what democratic debate is? How will I explain to them the difference
between an opponent whom you want to confront, and an enemy you would like
to destroy, when the most basic laws of democracy are not observed by the
highest-ranking members of the state? .

"For 2003 I prepared a budget with a different order of priorities: as much
money as possible for education and for direct commemoration, no budget for
this whole story of `mending rifts.'

.But the last straw, says Yuli Tamir, wasn't Sharon's men, but the memorial
gathering for Rabin that took place on November 2.

.." What kind of an assembly did you want to see?

"A political gathering, with a clear political statement. I want there to be
political

" What do you think could be gained from such an assembly?

"A reconstruction of the pain. Tens of thousands of people who will emerge
with a broken heart and with total political commitment."

. " I presented my ideological positions from the moment I came to the Rabin
Center, and I have stuck to them all along. My political and
social-educational positions have long been known."

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: Soldier who snubbed Halutz ejected

Soldier who snubbed Halutz ejected

Hananel Dayan, an excelling soldier, who refused to shake hands with the
chief of staff at an awards ceremony, was ejected from his division
Hanan Greenberg YNET 5 May 2006
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3247401,00.html

Sergeant Hananel Dayan, the soldier who refused to shake hands with Chief of
Staff Dan Halutz during a ceremony to distribute awards for excelling, was
ejected from the Barak division, and will apparently no longer be able to
hold a position of authority.

The decision was taken late on Thursday evening by the commander of the
Barak division, Colonel Moshe Sheetrit, after he spoke with the soldier and
with the battalion commander.

The decision to eject the solder was taken due to his behavior at the
ceremony and the fact that he was unwilling to apologize to the chief of
staff at a later stage. The IDF says it sees such behavior as a political
protest which has no place among soldiers.

A hearing was held for the soldier by the IDF's Head of the Personnel
Directorate Major General Elazar Stern. The soldier detailed his feelings
and the reasons for taking the decision not to shake the chief of staff's
hand. The hearing last half an hour, at the end of which Major General Stern
said he would take a decision next week on whether to withdraw the
commendation received by the soldier.

'Mafia style'

Ayela, Hananel's mother, told Ynet in response on Friday morning that "the
army is out of its mind. Where is proportion? The chief of

staff and the army is shooting itself in the leg. Hananel himself accepts
the verdict and when he took the decision he knew he would pay a price."
Yosef, Hananel's father, said that "he didn't do anything that can be tried.
Hananel is embarrassed, he is young, and didn't do things according to the
script. He didn't want to be a hero, and the army pressured him. Major
General Stern told him that if he would apologize, nothing would happen.
This is really a mafia style."

Far-Right activist Baruch Marzel, responding to the ejection, said he "will
send flowers to Hananel."

"Dayan is an Israeli hero and all IDF soldiers should learn from him. If his
commendation is taken away and its reward, we will raise the fund for him,"
said Marzel.

A lawyer for Hananel Dayan said that if the decision is not cancelled, he
will appeal to the High Court.

Lawyer Adi Kidar said that "shaking hands is not a military order" and added
that "the soldier carried out all of the orders given to him and there is no
reason to take steps against him which are not in the legal framework."

Efrat Weiss contributed to this story

First Published: 05.05.06, 11:34
Latest Update: 05.05.06, 12:52

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Steinberg: EU NGO"peace" projects that fuel conflict

European Jewish Press

Opinion: EU NGO "peace" projects that fuel conflict
www.ejpress.org/article/7961

Gerald M. Steinberg

05 May 2006

In a number of important aspects, European policy on Israel has become both
more moral and realistic in the past year. The cash transfers to the
Palestinian Authority have stopped, and the link to corruption was
investigated, (albeit, in secret, while the EU preaches transparency to
others).

Europeans have also begun to take Israeli security requirements more
seriously, spurred by the direct experience of mass terrorism in Madrid and
London. After Hamas gained power, the EU joined Canada, the U.S. and Israel
in halting funding for the Palestinian Authority.

And in response, the Israeli government has agreed to greater European
involvement in substantive political and security activities, including the
(failed) arrangements for securing the crossings into Gaza.

In this context, the continued funding that the European Union provides for
radical groups that promote the demonization of Israel is totally
inconsistent. A few months ago, despite the policy changes in other areas,
undisclosed EU officials selected some radical non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) to participate under its Partnership for Peace Program.
These partners include Machsom Watch, the promoters of the now defunct
Geneva scheme, and a small group known as ICAHD (the Israel Committee
Against House Demolitions). ICAHD, which received EU funding in the past,
received an additional Euro 472,786 for a project entitled, in pseudo
academic jargon, "Re-Framing: Providing a Coherent Paradigm of Peace to the
Israeli Public".

The idea that officials should use money provided by European taxpayers to
propagandize citizens in another democracy is misguided. Would the citizens
of France tolerate a huge U.S.-government funded anti-abortion campaign
headlined "Re-framing: Providing a Coherent Program Against Murder to the
French Public"? Europeans view government subsidies for specially selected
politicized NGOs as part of its "civil society" philosophy. But it is
misguided in using such resources to manipulate the public debate in other
democratic countries, including Israel.

In this case, the problem is far deeper than manipulation via funding for
NGOs. Some EU officials still promoting Europe's political war against
Israel are using this funding to support radical groups under the guise of
the "Partnership for Peace" program. ICAHD is a fringe NGO, and as the
Anglican Church in England debates anti-Israel divestment, ICAHD is a
frequent supporter. An April 7 letter attempting to justify the "punishment"
of Israel was signed by representatives of a number of radical NGOs,
including Linda Ramsden, who lists her affiliation as ICAHD. In other words,
the EU is paying for ICAHD's involvement in this venomous anti-Israel
campaign.

ICAHD is run by Jeff Halper, an Israeli who often appears at pro-divestment
events with Naim Ateek, the head of the Palestinian NGO known as Sabeel. As
participants in an interfaith dialogue noted, Ateek denies "the legitimate
right of the Jewish people to live in their land, and echoed medieval
anti-Semitic canards".

With ICAHD's help, Sabeel is described as "the driving force behind the
scenes pushing mainline Protestant denominations to adopt a policy of
divestment." Halper reinforces this campaign by declaring that "A Jewish
state has proven politically and . morally untenable", calling the two-state
solution "unacceptable", and referring to "Israeli apartheid". When such
statements are quoted from the words of an Israeli Jew (whose visibility and
impact are the direct result of European funding for ICAHD), it is easier to
claim legitimacy and avoid the label of antisemitism.

For these reasons, the Israel government must place European funding for
NGOs that promote conflict high on the diplomatic agenda. There are many
other examples, including Hamoked, which as, the State Prosecutor noted,
abuses the claim to be "a human rights organization" in order to promote
pro-Palestinian positions, and refers to Israel as an "apartheid state",
Hamoked is funded by the European Commission as a "human rights"
organization. And there are dozens of additional anti-Israel NGOs supported
by European governments.

These are not secondary issues, but go the heart of the ongoing conflict,
incitement and terrorism. If Europe's bureaucrats and politicians are truly
interested in providing assistance to civil society in the framework of
Israeli democracy, there are many more worthy and far less hostile causes to
support.
===
A professor of political studies, Gerald M. Steinberg is the editor of
www.ngo-monitor.org and heads the Interdisciplinary Program on Conflict
Management at Bar Ilan University

Articles appearing in "Voices" do not necessarily reflect EJP's views.

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

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

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe@imra.org.il
Unsubscribe: imra-unsubscribe@imra.org.il

For free daily digest subscription:
Subscribe at no charge: imra-subscribe-digest@imra.org.il
Unsubscribe: imra-unsubscribe@imra.org.il

For a copy of all reports distributed for a given day please send a
message to:

monday@imra.org.il tuesday@imra.org.il wednesday@imra.org.il
thursday@imra.org.il friday@imra.org.il
saturday@imra.org.il sunday@imra.org.il
--------------------------------------------

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

End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1384 (12 messages)
**********