[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1390 (15 messages)

imra Sun May 14 00:28:10 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1390

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Chief of Staff Halutz confused on role again
- slams Supreme Court
Number Two in Labor Has Serious
Doubts About Olmert's Consolidation Plan
National Consent Memo Lays Foundation
For Joint Palestinian Agenda to Exist the Crisis
Ereikat Affirms: President Abbas
Met Beilin, But no Deals Worked out
Poll: Israelis oppose funds
to Hamas run PA 67%:13%
MEMRI: Reformist Author: Islamist Attacks on
Arab Liberals- A Sign of Distress & Defeat
Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign
- US EMBASSY TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM
Michael Rubin on the dangers of International Criminal
Court : I Was an Icelandic "War Criminal"
Syria has forced its minorities to
donate money to Hamas
PM Olmert to discuss invasion of Gaza with
Pres. Bush (along with retreat from WB)
Former IDF Chief Ya'alon: We Need Churchills, Not Chamberlains
MEMRI: Poverty Issues in the Middle East
Fatal attraction: the Hamas-Iran alliance
Israel to join UN Economic and Social Council
FM Livni meets with Asian ambassadors

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Chief of Staff Halutz confused on role again
- slams Supreme Court

Halutz: Why should my kids serve if others won't?

(VIDEO) In rare and harsh comment, chief of staff slams High Court judges
who decided not to cancel Tal Law enabling yeshiva students to defer
military service
Hanan Greenberg YNET 12 May 2006

VIDEO - IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz joined a long list
of those attacking the High Court decision to uphold the Tal Law, which
allows yeshiva students to defer military service.

Halutz speaks (Video: Channel 2)
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3249944,00.html

Halutz said that responsibility should be shared among everyone, and that
anyone who cannot be drafted should do national service (non-military
programs to aid the country.)

"There is no reason why my children should serve, but others won't serve at
all," Halutz said during a conference of the Office of Trade and Industry in
Be'er Sheva.

Halutz said that "there is a pending numerical number in terms of the
drafting of IDF soldiers from the point of view of equality and
responsibility. 24 percent of youths eligible for the draft do not get
drafted and I think everyone has to be drafted, but there is a law which is
followed. As a father, whose children serve in the army, I would want to see
all the children serving."

On a separate issue, Halutz added that by the year 2012 most of the IDF's
bases will move to the Negev.

"We are still waiting for checks to be completes in order to start moving
the IDF southwards," he said.

The High Court rejected petitions against the law for deferring military
service for yeshiva students on Thursday morning.

Anat Barshkovsky contributed to the report

(05.11.06, 21:48)

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Number Two in Labor Has Serious
Doubts About Olmert's Consolidation Plan

Number Two in Labor Has Serious Doubts About Olmert's Consolidation Plan

Aaron Lerner Date: 12 May 2006

"One must not ignore the feeling that a prize for terror is created as a
result of such processes. The question is how one neutralizes it. Some
viewpoints on the Palestinian side consider such unilateral actions as a
prize for terror and this is problematic. This is exactly what the
President of Iran was talking about when he compared Israel to a rotting
tree that can collapse in one fell swoop.

We must find the balance between the need to preserve a Jewish majority and
that it is forbiden to encourage terror.

Today it is already clear that one of the reasons for the victory of Hams in
the elections was the interpretation of part of the Moslem world of the
disengagement.

This is the reason that I have serious doubts about this matter. I don't
hide it.

To all this one must add the fact that the State prepared the disengagement
in a boorish manner and set inhuman standards with extreme bureaucratic
requirements on the families. This doesn't negate the fact that some of the
evacuees did not cooperate and were misled by the promises of their
leadership. But we have to learn from what happened."

Labor Party leader, Minister of Tourism Yitzhak Herzog

As quoted by Ben Caspit in Maariv on 12 May 2006 - page 4.

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: National Consent Memo Lays Foundation
For Joint Palestinian Agenda to Exist the Crisis

National Consent Memo Lays Foundation For Joint Agenda to Exist the Crisis
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=15919

RAMMALLAH, Palestine, May11,2006 (IPC+ Al Ayamdilay) - -In an first-time
memo, the leaders of " Fateh", "Hamas", "Islamic Jihad", "popular Front for
Liberation of Palestine", Democratic front for Liberation of Palestine,
arrestees inside the Israeli jails, agreed " the Palestinian people in
homeland and Diaspora inspire to liberate their lands and grab his rights of
freedom, return, independence, self determination including the right of
establishing a Palestinian independent state with Jerusalem the capital."

The memo titled "National consent agreement" signed by Marwan Al Burghouthi
, secretary General of Fateh in the West bank, A bed Al Khalek Al Natsha ,
from key leader of Hams, Bassam Al Saadi, prominent leader of Islamic Jihad,
Abed Al Rheem Malouh , member of PLO executive committee, deputy of PFLP
Secretary General and Mustfa Badarna, key leader of DFLP.

The prolonged talks among the leaders in the Israeli jails brought to public
a memo underlining " the Palestinian right of resistance, stick with all
form of resistance, concentrated resistance activities in the land occupied
in 1967 alongside together with the political , negotiations, diplomatic
efforts and the continuation of the mass resistance against the occupation."

In a veiled recognition by Hamas in the Arab peace summit, the memo
underscored the significance of "outlining a plan for a comprehensive
Palestinian political move, cohesion and unification the Palestinian
political address based on the Palestinian national consensus's agenda, Arab
legitimacy, equitable to our people, represented by the Palestine liberation
organization (PLO) and Palestinian National Authority; President, government
and national and Islamic factions."

Also, the memo included recognition of the International legitimacy in
referring that the attainment of the Palestinian people's rights could be
grasped "on foundation of our historic right in ancestors' land, the charter
of the United Nation, the international Law, resolution of international
legitimacy."

The memo also revealed plain recognition in the Palestinian liberation
organization as the mere and legitimate representative of the Palestinian
people. It calls for "speeding up achievement of Cairo understanding in
March 2005 in terms of developing and activating the PLO and including both
Hams and Islamic Jihad as amalgam of Palestinian factions every where and
consistent with the changes on the Palestinian arena."

Cognizant the imperative need for a coalition government, the memo called
for "making up a coalition government, encompassing all parliamentary blocs
particularly Hams and Fateh and desirous political powers, able to face the
challenges and win populace and political backing in addition to the Arab
and international's.

Abbas welcomes

On his part, the President Mahmoud Abbas adopted the "National consent memo"
sketched out by the Palestinian political factions inside the Israeli jails.

In a meeting with plethora of journalist and writers, yesterday evening,
Ababs underlined" I endorse the stance of those heroes ," adding " it brings
a deep and feasible political outlook mostly very close to my thoughts."

He also hoped that the Memo tackled on the agenda of the upcoming
Palestinian internal talks "in order to be scrutinized in depth and full
responsibility aside from narrow-minded partisan, Abbas elaborated.

On the other hand, both the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine and
Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine are in favor of such a memo as
it lays proper and comprehensive foundation to form a national consensus,
open the door widely before rebuilding the PLO's institutions

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ereikat Affirms: President Abbas
Met Beilin, But no Deals Worked out

Ereikat Affirms: President Abbas Met Beilin, But no Deals Worked out
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=6253

RAMALLAH, May 11, 2006 (WAFA - PLO news agency)- Head of PLO Negotiations
Department, Dr. Saeb Ereikat, said Thursday that President Mahmoud Abbas
met, two weeks ago in Amman with the head of the Israeli party of
Meretz-Yahad, Yossi Beilin.
.
However, Dr. Ereikat denied report published by the Hebrew newspaper
Ma'ariv, saying that they worked out a deal to be presented to Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert.
.
Dr. Ereikat, who attended the meeting said that President Abbas stressed on
refusing Israeli unilateral measures, temporary solutions, the building of
Apartheid Wall, building settlements and the policies of siege,
assassination and military operations, saying that such policies would
aggravate problems and broaden the cycle of violence.
.
Head of PLO Negotiations Department added that the President expressed
willingness to resume negotiations on final status issues, to implement the
Road Map and reaching the end of the Israeli occupation which started in
1967.
.
He added that President Abbas told the Israeli government not to take the
Palestinian government as a pretext, saying the Abbas stressed that he is
the one who is responsible for negotiation as he is the Chairman the PLO
Executive Committee.
.
"the President also asked Israel to give the government a chance and he
stressed that he would save no efforts to accept the accreditation program
which includes the Arab and international legitimacies, as well as the
commitments of the PLO and PNA," Ereikat added.
.
A.D. (23:55P) (20:55GMT)

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Poll: Israelis oppose funds
to Hamas run PA 67%:13%

Poll: Israelis oppose funds to Hamas run PA 67%:13%

Aaron Lerner Date: 12 May 2006

Telephone poll of a representative sample of adult Israelis (including Arab
Israelis) carried out by Maagar Mohot ("Brain Trust") for Makor Rishon the
week of 12 May 2006 - published on 12 May

Are you for or against the flow of funds to the Hamas administration?
For 13% Against 67% Don't know 20%

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: MEMRI: Reformist Author: Islamist Attacks on
Arab Liberals- A Sign of Distress & Defeat

Special Dispatch-Reform Project
May 12, 2006
No. 1163

Reformist Author Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi: Recent Attacks by Islamists on Arab
Liberals - A Sign of Distress and Imminent Defeat

In an article posted on the reformist websites www.metransparent.com and
www.elaph.com , reformist author Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi predicts a victory by
the Arab reformists over the Islamists. Al-Nabulsi argues that the recent
attacks by the "fundamentalist terrorist movements" on the reformists reveal
that the Islamists are in distress and that their defeat is imminent, and
presents several examples to support this assessment.(1)

The following are highlights from his article:

"[These Death Threats] Reveal the Bankruptcy of Terrorist Religious
Fundamentalism"

On the death threats received by reformists, Al-Nablusi says: "[These
threats] reveal the bankruptcy of terrorist religious fundamentalism, [which
cannot] counter arguments with arguments [...], and a word with a
[different] word, but instead deals with words by means of the sword [...],
and with life through death."

Al-Nabulsi discusses the audio tapes recently published by four prominent
Al-Qaeda members: Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Muhammad
Al-Qahtani, and Osama bin Laden. About Al-Zarqawi's tape, he says:
"Yesterday, Al-Zarqawi emerged from his hiding place like an 'American
Rambo' [...] making death threats against the (rafidite) Shi'ites, the
(secular) Kurds and the (apostate) Sunnis [...] This reveals that the
fragments of the terrorist fundamentalist religious army [are suffering
from] bankruptcy, and that their defeat is near. Would Al-Zarqawi need to
show his strong muscles on the satellite channels, like some highway robber,
if victory were on his side? [...] Where has he been for the last three
years? [...]"

"The Forces of Oppression and Darkness Draw Back Every Day, While the Forces
of Light and Enlightenment Advance"

Ayman Al-Zawahiri's statements predicting the imminent collapse of the new
Iraqi government are, according to Al-Nabulsi, "Al-Zawahiri's last dying
gasps and moans, as he sees his defeat approaching on the horizon like the
burning August sun [...]

"Muhammad Al-Qahtani(2) calls on veteran terrorists (the 'terrorist
reserves') to join the regular terrorist forces in order to drive the
Americans out of Afghanistan." Al-Nabulsi asks: "When do countries call in
the reserves [...], if not when they feel the approach of a possible
defeat?"

Bin Laden's explicit threat, in his recent audio tape, to murder
freethinkers and secularists in the Arab world is further proof that "the
forces of oppression and darkness are drawing back every day, while the
forces of light and enlightenment are advancing every day, albeit slowly."

Endnotes:
(1) www.elaph.com/ElaphWeb/ElaphWriter/2006/5/145292.htm
www.metransparent.com/texts/shaker_nabulsi/shaker_nabulsi_great_totem.htm ,
May 1, 2006.
(2)Muhammad Al-Qahtani, also known as Abu Nasser Al-Qahtani, escaped from an
Iraqi prison in Afghanistan in July 2005.

*********************
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: Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign
- US EMBASSY TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM

DEADLINE FOR US EMBASSY TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM
FAST APPROACHING
Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign
www.cipaconline.org

The June 15th 2006 deadline for moving our US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
is fast approaching.

The 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act states that the US Embassy should be there,
and President Bush promised in his 2000 campaign to put it there " as a
first order of business."

Instead, Dick Hellman, President of CIPAC (Christians' Israel Public Action
Campaign) recently wrote President Bush, urging him to follow through NOW,
pointing out that he was at this point tied with former President Clinton
for having taken 10 six-month extensions under this act, delaying this move.

He further wrote:

"No other nation ever made Israel its capital. The Koran makes no
mention of Jerusalem.
We Christians have no earthly capital. (but) The Jewish scriptures
mention Jerusalem 600 times (!).

"At heart, this involves recognizing the City of David and of the Great
King. Psalms 137:5-6 warns of
stark consequences for ignoring Jerusalem's centrality:

"If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its
ability. If I do not remember thee,
let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer
not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

"Therefore, unless you order the US Ambassador in Israel to make
Jerusalem his official location
(employing one of our existing buildings for now), we will ask Congress
to delete your authority to take more
extensions of this recognition of Israel's capital.

"Since we believe that you are a man of your word, we expect you to keep
your promise and place our
Ambassador in Jerusalem, where he belongs, before June 15, 2006.

"Respectfully yours, with our prayers for you and yours,

Richard A Hellman

CIPAC calls on its members and other friends of Israel to please email,
fax, telephone, write the President; copy your U.S. Senators and
Representatives (for details on how to do this, see www.cipaconline.org ).

For Mr. Hellman:

Bob Highland
Public Relations Director
Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign
www.cipaconline.org

================
CIPAC LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH:

March
15, 2006
Dear Mr. President:

We urge you to move our U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem now, instead of taking an
11th six-month extension in mid-June - and thereby breaking the unenviable
record you share with your predecessor, Bill Clinton, who took 10 extensions
as you now have done.

Not only does the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act state that the U.S. Embassy
should be in Jerusalem, but also you promised in your 2000 Campaign to move
our Embassy up to Jerusalem "as a first order of business."

As we have written to you, and I am sure you recognize, no other nation or
people has the biblical, historical and moral rights to Jerusalem as a
Capital that Israel has. No other nation ever made Israel its capital. The
Koran makes no mention of Jerusalem. We Christians have no earthly capital.
The Jewish Scriptures mention Jerusalem 600 times.

At heart this involves recognizing the City of David and of the Great King.
Psalms 137:5-6 warns of stark consequences for ignoring Jerusalem's
centrality: "If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its
ability. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

Therefore, unless you order the U.S. Ambassador in Israel to make Jerusalem
his official location (employing one of our existing buildings for now), we
will ask Congress to delete your authority to take more extensions of this
recognition of Israel's capital.

Since we believe that you are a man of your word, we expect you to keep your
promise and place our Ambassador in Jerusalem, where he belongs, before June
15, 2006.

Respectfully yours, with our prayers for you and yours,

Richard A. Hellman

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Michael Rubin on the dangers of International Criminal
Court : I Was an Icelandic "War Criminal"

I Was an Icelandic "War Criminal"
by Michael Rubin
National Review Online May 12, 2006
For annotated version: www.meforum.org/article/933

I looked forward to returning to Iceland. It had been seven years since I
last lectured there, and I remembered it as a beautiful, rugged country,
great for hiking and swimming. I was scheduled to deliver four lectures on
Iran, Iraq, and transformative diplomacy at the Universities of Iceland and
Reykjavik, and at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Keflavik.

This trip would not be so smooth. Word of trouble began to percolate in the
morning of the first lecture. A local antiwar activist was demanding my
arrest as a war criminal. My crimes were multifold: Writing an article
blaming Saddam Hussein-not United Nations sanctions-for Iraqi deaths, and
then advocating for Iraqi liberation. This made me responsible for
"war-crimes and violating international law by indirectly causing the
invasion of Iraq." Like thousands of others, I had also worked at the
Pentagon and volunteered for duty in Iraq. At each university lecture,
protesters worked to disrupt my speech. Some were young students, and others
were older retirees, members of a group calling itself, "The Movement for
Active Democracy." I was even accused of complicity in a cover-up of the
9/11 attacks. Among my crimes, the protesters pointed out, "[Rubin] is a Jew
and a big supporter of Israel." Guilty as charged. I do not apologize for my
religion, and I am also a big supporter of India, Turkey, Taiwan, Mali, and
other democracies. Iceland is a small country. Rather than ignore the
incidents, both newspapers and television reported it. I was already in
Finland when I got an e-mail informing me that the police commissioner
dismissed the lawsuit.

The incident would be laughable if it did not foreshadow a growing
phenomenon seeking to criminalize debate that is sweeping progressive,
libertarian, and antiwar groups at home and abroad. Blogger Juan Cole, for
example, a popular anti-Bush pundit, demanded the FBI investigate how Walid
Phares "became the 'terrorism analyst' at MSNBC." On June 1, 2004, blogger
Laura Rozen lamented that someone she disagreed with was not the subject of
an FBI investigation. On September 20, 2004, libertarian Justin Raimondo
urged the FBI to "indict the Neocon War Party for treason." Perhaps
hyperbole, but it is dangerous to smear political opponents with
death-penalty offenses.

Within the federal government, there is a similar trend toward criminalizing
interagency debate. In 2003, a principle deputy assistant secretary of State
launched an investigation of another State Department employee for leaking
an unclassified document to the Pentagon. After a Chalabi leak, one State
Department official with whom I sparred in interagency meetings told
law-enforcement officials and journalists that I was responsible, a silly
assertion given that I was not in Iraq at the time, seldom had contact with
Chalabi while I was there, and did not have access to the material allegedly
leaked (not to mention that the charges exist more in the realm of unnamed
intelligence sources than in reality). Similar cases are a dime a dozen.
Within the U.S. political debate, constitutional guarantees make such
hyperbole more immature and nuisance than dangerous, but the Iceland
incident is cause for concern.

Many U.S. diplomats-including those appointed to prominent portfolios by
President Bush-advocate privately for U.S. inclusion in the International
Criminal Court. Recently, the White House has reconsidered its position.
Just three days before the Icelandic peace activists filed suit against me,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would like to soften the U.S.
position toward the International Criminal Court. The idea that
international bodies will be neutral or operate in the cause of justice is
foolhardy and dangerous. On April 15, 2002, Austria, Belgium, France,
Portugal, Spain, and Sweden endorsed a U.N. Human Rights Commission
resolution legitimizing suicide bombing as a legitimate form of resistance.
Human-rights groups have condemned Israel's security fence, while ignoring
previous construction of anti-terrorism barriers on disputed land not only
by India, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, but also by the United Nations itself.
The same logic of indirect responsibility used to condemn former Israeli
prime minister Ariel Sharon as a war criminal could just as easily
apply-with all due respect to Jonathan Swift-to such human-rights divas as
former Irish president and UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson.

International organizations seldom live up to the noble goals of their
founding charters, and many European let alone Middle Eastern and Central
Asian politicians are venal. In September 2004, Finnish President Tarja
Halonen declared the Iraq war illegal. Halonen, like many of her European
peers, conflates personal with legal opinion and acts as judge and jury when
deciding questions of international law. Such capriciousness is dangerous.
If European states accept the idea of indirect responsibility, it is not a
far leap to fear that the calls for criminalization of debate which exist in
progressive circles could become mainstream. Write an unpopular legal
opinion regarding torture? War crime. Peacekeepers in Afghanistan transfer
detainees to the host government? War crime. Advocate for a war against
terrorism or emphasize democratization in foreign policy? War crime.

Europeans may preach multilateralism and condemn unilateralism. But,
increasingly, they seek multilateralism in action, but unilateralism in
thought. True liberals and conservatives should band together to defend free
speech. Intellectuals should understand that McCarthyism is government
censorship, not criticism of their work or labels they dislike. Professors
should not cry wolf.

Still, on an international level, Rice may want to smooth ruffled feathers.
Career State-department officers may tell her it's the right thing to do;
they have immunity. Offered a choice between mitigating opposition to the
International Criminal Court or keeping debate free, the U.S. decision
should be clear. Let's just hope Rice takes the right rather than the
diplomatic option; then again, if she doesn't, her retirement could be in an
Icelandic prison.
===
Michael Rubin, editor of The Middle East Quarterly, is a resident scholar at
the American Enterprise Institute.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Syria has forced its minorities to
donate money to Hamas

Syria has forced its minorities to donate money to Hamas

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Syria has forced its minorities to donate money to Hamas.

Kurdish sources said Syrian police have pressured Kurdish businesses near
the Iraqi border to hand over money for Hamas. The sources said the demands
ranged from $10 to $5,000.

On May 9, the Kurdish news agency, Qamsihlo reported that Syrian authorities
spent the previous two days visiting stores and factories in Qamishli. The
agency said each business was required to donate money to Hamas or face
arrest.
Qamsihlo said shopkeepers were ordered to pay 500 Syrian liras, or $10.
Major contractors were told to pay about $5,000.

====

NOTE: The above is not the full item.
This service contains only a small portion of the information produced daily
by Middle East Newsline. For a subscription to the full service, please
contact Middle East Newsline at:
editor@menewsline.com for further details.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PM Olmert to discuss invasion of Gaza with
Pres. Bush (along with retreat from WB)

[IMRA: No. This isn't a joke. PM Olmert will discuss with Mr. Bush how the
IDF wants to deal with the mess created by the withdrawal from Gaza at the
same meeting that he will discuss plans to create an even greater mess by
retreating from the West Bank.]

Israel To Discuss Gaza Invasion With Bush

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert plans to present President
George Bush with a military proposal that calls for the Israeli invasion of
the Gaza Strip.

Officials said the military's General Staff has been drafting Israeli
contingencies to Palestinian missile fire from the Gaza Strip for discussion
in the United States over the next two weeks. They said the proposals would
be presented during the visit by Olmert to Washington in late May, where he
was scheduled to meet Bush and senior administration officials.

"The most burning and critical problem is 'Hamastan' in the Gaza Strip,"
Amos Gilad, the director of the Defense Ministry's political-military
division, said.

Gilad was referring to the Israeli assessment that Hamas has established in
the Gaza Strip what officials term an Islamic terrorist regime similar to
that of Afghanistan in the 1990s. Officials said such a Palestinian entity
would endanger the interests of the United States as well as such regional
allies as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
====
NOTE: The above is not the full item.
This service contains only a small portion of the information produced daily
by Middle East Newsline. For a subscription to the full service, please
contact Middle East Newsline at:
editor@menewsline.com for further details.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Former IDF Chief Ya'alon: We Need Churchills, Not Chamberlains

FORMER IDF CHIEF YA'ALON: WE NEED CHURCHILLS,
NOT CHAMBERLAINS
by Morton A. Klein, President
Zionist Organization of America www.zoa.org

New York - A few days ago, the former Israel Defense Force (IDF)
Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Moshe Ya'alon, laid out an impressive
case in an address to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) about the
perils of a Palestinian state, further concessions to the Palestinian
Authority (PA) and the need for Israel to have a clear victory against
Palestinian terrorism.

Speaking to an overflow crowd of over 500 people at Lincoln Square
Synagogue in Manhattan, Ya'alon explained from his 37 years' military
experience, especially his term as Chief of Staff (2002-2005) in which the
IDF greatly reduced Palestinian terrorism, why he, a former kibbutznik from
the Labor movement who had initially supported the Oslo process, completely
changed his mind.

As a senior military figure during the Oslo process, Ya'alon said that
it became obvious to him by 1995 that Yasser Arafat and the PA, instead of
preparing Palestinian society for peace and reconciliation, were
indoctrinating it with murderous hatred and glorifying jihad and suicide
terrorism. As he puts it, "I needed no sophisticated intelligence to reach
this conclusion - I only had to look at their textbooks, posters and so on.
We should not be surprised, but we ignored it . In 1999, I was commander of
Central Command and I said then that we would face a war with Arafat in
2000. I knew it when Barak said that he would have a settlement with Arafat
within 15 months, which meant by September 2000. Israel and the West were
surprised."

Ya'alon believes that Israel started to win the war on the PA by
methodically cutting down the terrorists and taking the war to them but then
lost many of the gains it had made. He speaks of Operation Defensive Shield
in 2002 and especially the clearing out of Jenin as "a very necessary
operation." The result was that the terrorist organizations, including
Hamas, were on the run. But the announcement in December 2003 that Israel
would unilaterally withdraw from Gaza and northern Samaria changed all that.
Hamas and others concluded that their terrorist campaign was working, that
no concessions had to be made and that more terrorism would bring about more
unilateral withdrawals from Israel.

Ya'alon stressed that the Israelis withdrawal from Gaza was a major
factor in the Hamas election victory because it was perceived as surrender
to Islamic terrorism. "What we are doing is leaving a legacy for the next
generation who will deal with Palestinians who believe that terrorism pays,
that Israel cuts and runs under pressure," Ya'alon explained. He added that
Israel is in a "war" not merely dealing with an uprising.

Worse, Israel left Gaza saying it would fiercely retaliate against
continued terrorism launched from there, but did not. Ya'alon said that
"After the Gaza withdrawal, I would have recommended after the first Qassem
rocket fired into Israel that there should have been a strong and immediate
retaliation." But Israel did not follow this path. Instead, Israel is
following the path of facilitating the creation of a Palestinian state.

"The establishment of a Palestinian state," says Ya'alon, "will lead,
at some stage, to war. Such a war can be dangerous to the State of Israel.
The idea that a Palestinian state will achieve stability is disconnected
from reality and dangerous." He said that the Israelis must maintain a
military presence in Judea and Samaria as long as the Palestinians refuse to
make a serious peace deal, and that "Israel must brand into the Palestinians
consciousness" that terror will bring them no benefits.

In line with that, Ya'alon calls for a proactive anti-terrorist
campaign. "The best defense is a good offense, not a fence. The best way to
deal with terrorists is to arrest them or kill them in their beds . Without
dealing with the roots, we can cut down the weeds - to deal with the roots
would be to force them to reform their education and culture. I am not sure
we will succeed but we should be under no pressure to make any concessions
until this changes."

Ya'alon therefore emphasizes that, "The two-state solution has failed
and to my mind is now irrelevant. In Israel we must consolidate our Jewish
Zionist narrative. Without believing in our case, there is no way to
convince someone else. Even before the Hamas victory, a two-state solution
was a mistaken fantasy - now it's even more irrelevant. The Palestinians
knew exactly who Hamas was when they voted for them." Ya'alon also pointedly
states, "If we couldn't tame and change Arafat, we can't tame and change
Hamas. [But] if we're in Judea and Samaria we can thwart the terrorism from
there." It is for this reason that Ya'alon calls Israeli leaders who call
for more unilateral concessions as "confused" and offering the Israeli
public "illusions."

Ya'alon concluded by saying that "we don't need Chamberlains, we need
Churchills" who offer realism and optimism, warning of "blood, toil, tears
and sweat" but also the prospect of ultimate victory. "We are flooded with
lies, manipulated by Al Qaeda, but most prominently by the Palestinians"'
says Ya'alon who urges Israel and the West to cease preferring "to be
confused, to ignore reality" by adopting the "moral clarity" to see that the
"from the dawn of Zionism until this day, the source of all terrorist
attacks has been the refusal of the Arab world to recognize Israel's
existence. Until this changes we will remain the target of violent terrorist
activity. The '67 borders are neither a solution to rocket attacks, suicide
bombs nor to more conventional forms of warfare . Iran sees us withdrawing
from Gaza, Hamas is elected, they see US trouble in Iraq and because they do
not pay price for financing, supporting and encouraging terrorism, they
continue . As long as they see our appeasement policy, they will continue."

Israel is proposing to give away 95% of Judea and Samaria and declare
borders. The US has already said it will not accept these borders unless the
PA does, and the PA says it won't. Therefore, if Israel goes through with
this huge withdrawal, it would face the horrifying dilemma of having given
away all the leverage it must maintain to resolve issues such as Jerusalem,
refugees, demilitarization, etc. and finding itself in the predicament of
having nothing left to offer.
===
Morton A. Klein is National President of the Zionist Organization of
America.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MEMRI: Poverty Issues in the Middle East

Inquiry & Analysis - Reform Project
May 11, 2006
No. 274

Poverty Issues in the Middle East
By Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli*

Introduction

The World Bank has recently released a study on poverty reduction and human
development in the Middle East. The study focuses on the paradox that while
development indicators, e.g., education and health, have improved in the
last decade, income poverty has remained stagnant.(1)

Because of data constraints, the study focuses on seven Middle Eastern and
North African (MENA) countries - Algeria, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the
Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and the Republic of
Yemen. In some instances, Lebanon, Libya and Syrian Arab Republic are
included in the analysis. The ten countries account for approximately 85
percent of the total population of the region. With the exception of Iran,
none of the region's oil producing countries is included.

The World Bank study should be read in conjunction with two earlier
reports - one by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and one by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The ILO report, which focuses
on unemployment, finds that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) stands
out as the region with the highest rate of unemployment in the world, higher
even than sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world.(2)

An earlier report, by UNDP, focuses on human development, which is defined
as a process expanding "the range of human choice." In the developed
countries the choices cover a wide range of elements that affect the quality
of life - from shelter to food, education, medical services, political
association, and culminating in the exercise of the various forms of
leisure. A low level of human development indicates a paucity or even the
absence of choices that people have at their disposal to enjoy the fullness
of life and freedom.(3)

Major Findings

Absolute poverty for most international comparisons is defined as the head
count ratio of $1 PPD (Purchasing Power Parity) per capita per day.(4) When
measured at the $1/day line, poverty in MENA is relatively insignificant.
However, if the $2/day line is used the poor account for 20-25 percent of
the population. Yemen has the highest rate of poverty at 45 percent followed
closely by Egypt with 44 percent in 1998 and 1999/2000 respectively. The
comparable figures for Iran (1998), Jordan (2002) and Tunisia (2000) is 7
percent.(5) Even at the $2 poverty line, the number of poor people in 2001
in Egypt and Yemen is substantial and is significant in Algeria, Iran and
Morocco. The poverty population of the seven countries included in the
survey was almost 52 million people (at the $2 line) in 2001 rising from 40
million in 1987, an increase of 30 percent.(6)

However, the World Bank study notes that if the poverty line is raised from
$2 to $3, the result will be a doubling of the number of people who are poor
from about 52 million to approximately 95 million. Raising the bar provides
evidence that a large number of people live so close to the poverty line
that, according to the study, they "can easily drop below it as a result of
economic shocks."(7)

Welfare Employment

Some researchers have established that reasons for the low level of poverty
in MENA compared with a sample of countries from other regions include the
high level of remittances from those who live/work overseas, and from a
deliberate policy of providing what is defined as a "welfare employment" in
the public sector.

Welfare employment is not uniquely a Middle Eastern phenomenon. During the
rapid expansion of the British Empire in the 19th century, employment in
East India Company was treated as a form of welfare for the aristocracy.
Welfare employment continues to be practiced widely by most developing
countries. However, a modern version of welfare employment is not without
cost. While it can reduce poverty in the short term, it can also lower
economic efficiency at the level of the enterprise and thereby depress
growth and profitability. At the level of public bureaucracy, overstaffing
in government departments is often the cause of poor morale, low
productivity and corruption. It is not uncommon for government employees to
be asked to stay home for lack of office space or because of the
non-existent workload. One of the ironic observations in the study is that,
in MENA, the chance of being poor is much higher in the private than in the
public sector. It is because the government provides a social safety net
which the private sector in the initial stages of a full market economy is
not expected or equipped to provide.

Human Development Indicators

The UNDP, which issues an annual report on the subject, defines human
development as creating an environment in which people can develop their
full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their
needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is
thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value.
And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a
means-if a very important one-of enlarging people's choice.(8)

Education and health are two of the significant indicators of human
development. The sub-sets of these indicators are education attainment,
female education attainment, child mortality and life expectancy. Between
1960 and 2000, MENA score on all these indicators was quite impressive. For
example, years of education for people age 15 and above rose sixfold, years
of education for females age 15 and above rose ninefold, and child mortality
fell more than fivefold. During the same period, life expectancy rose by 44
percent. (9)

Education Attainment (Females)

The study shows impressive improvement in number of years of education for
females. In fact, the study notes, given the traditional social and cultural
constraints on women, the achievement is "remarkable." Judged against
comparators of similar levels of income Egypt and Libya have exceeded all
comparators, whereas Tunisia, Algeria and Iran have performed below the
comparators.(10)

Despite this achievement, the literacy rate among females in MENA, 60
percent, remains relatively low in comparison with the literacy rate of 85
percent in its comparators. On the other hand, the literacy gap between
males and females is diminishing. The study shows that while the ratio of
literate females to literate males was only 0.63 in 1980, it had risen to
almost 0.87 in 2000.(11)

Equally impressive is the life expectancy of women, which has risen from 48
years on average in 1960 to almost 70 years in 2000. The gap between female
and male life expectancy has increased in favor of women in most MENA
countries.(12)

Notwithstanding the above achievements, as well as the decline in fertility
(births per woman aged between 15 and 49 years), female labor force
participation between1980 and 2000 remained below other regions, with much
lower per capita incomes. Participation rate of women in MENA has reached
32.2 percent compared with sub-Saharan Africa (62.5 percent) and South Asia
(46.5 percent) As another World Bank study has concluded with some
disappointment, the "potential to integrate women into the regional economy,
determined by past investment in female education and recent fertility
trends, has not been realized." (13)

The Link Between Education and Poverty

One of the intriguing questions is the degree to which the acquisition of
education helps poverty reduction. The study notes that given the high rate
of unemployment in the region, especially among the educated (also
highlighted by the ILO study referred to in footnote 2) "it is debatable
whether the acquisition of education is an automatic route to employment and
higher income."(14) Reasons for the disconnect may be poor quality of
education or an education inappropriate to market demands. UNDP's Human
Development Report for 2002 underlined the propensity at the level of
tertiary (post-secondary) education to focus more on language and literature
than on mathematics and science.(15)

The failure to design the educational output to changing market needs has
created a higher rate of unemployment among the educated segment of the
population in MENA than in countries of similar level of economic
development. Data on unemployment for 12 Middle Eastern and North African
countries show that unemployment rose from an average of just over 8 percent
of the labor force in 1980 to 15 percent in 2000, compared with 9 percent
unemployment in a similar economic range.(16) This is a potent force that
could easily subvert the established political order by espousing extremist
political and religious ideologies.

Health and Poverty

The study is quite complimentary about the significant progress in improving
the average health status of the people in MENA. Between 1980-2000 the level
of progress was "above and beyond" the level which prevailed in 1980.(17)
However, the study points to health inequalities between the rich and poor.
For example, in Egypt and Morocco, under-age-five mortality rates are three
times as high as for the poorest quintile as for the richest, and infant
mortality rates are more than twice as high. Child malnutrition is also
prevalent among the poor. This leads the study to repeat a common wisdom
that "health and wealth are frequently correlated."(18)

As for the next two decades, the study highlights a new problem. While
population growth in the region has declined to about 2 percent, it is
estimated that by 2015 the number of adults in the region will have
increased by 140 percent, representing the highest adult population growth
in the world after sub-Saharan Africa. With lower birth rates, higher life
expectancy and fewer communicable diseases, the challenges of an aging
population with its demand for costly long-term care, will be a great strain
on the financial resources of the region. This demographic transition will
have implications for the poor by being squeezed out in favor of the richer
segments of the population.(19)

Conclusion: Sustaining the Gain in Poverty Reduction

While gains have been made particularly in the education and health sectors,
sustaining these gains presents a big challenge to the countries of the
region. To do so, the economies of the region must complete three
fundamental transformations:

(a) From public to private sector dominance

(b) From relatively closed to more open international trade and investment;
and

(c) From excessive reliance on oil to more diversification.(20)

The study mentions, but perhaps not forcefully enough, that for these
transformations or realignments to take place, the countries in the region
"should pay greater attention to issues of governance," which is a code word
for political reforms. More specifically, governance means political
competitiveness, reduced controls and regulations over the national economy,
independent judiciary, human rights and gender equality, particularly with
regard to the employability of women.

Perhaps equally important is improving the quality of education and
introducing changes in the curriculum that would teach practical skills more
in demand and more valued in the private sector than in the public sector.
The inevitable transition to private sector will require urgent and
sustained changes in the curriculum which few countries in the region appear
to be addressing in a systematic fashion.

Alleviating poverty goes beyond brick and mortar. A long-term solution
requires a wide range of operational economic policies and, above all, a
change in the culture of governance that would enable people to unleash
their energies for their own weal.

* Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli is Senior Analyst of MEMRI's Middle East Economic
Studies Program.

Endnotes:
(1) Farrukh Iqbal, Sustaining Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human
Development in the Middle East and North Africa. The World Bank, Washington,
D.C. 2006.
(2) MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 265, "Unemployment in the Middle
East-Causes and Consequences," February 10, 2006,
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA26506 .
(3) MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 219, "The Arab Human Development Report
III: An Appeal for Openness and Freedom," April 29, 2005,
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA21905 .
(4) The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development defines PPPs
as "currency conversion rates that both convert to a common currency and
equalize the purchasing of different currencies. In other words, they
eliminate the differences in price levels between countries in the process
of conversion." In short, it is a way to compare the average costs of goods
and services between countries.
(5) World Bank Study, Table 1.4 and p.13.
(6) Ibid., table 1.5, p.14.
(7) Ibid., p.73.
(8) UNDP, Human Development Report 2001. Oxford University Press, 2001, p.9.
(9) World Bank Study, p.21.
(10) Ibid., pp.25-26.
(11) Ibid., p.29.
(12) Ibid., p. 29.
(13) Ibid., pp.30-31.
(14) Ibid., p.33.
(15) United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2002.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
(16) World Bank Study, p.38.
(17) Ibid., p.47.
(18) Ibid., p.48.
(19) Ibid., pp.55-56.
(20) Ibid., pp.73-74.

*********************
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: Fatal attraction: the Hamas-Iran alliance

Fatal attraction: the Hamas-Iran alliance
Commentary by By Anna Mahjar-Barducci
Daily Star (Lebanon)Monday, May 08, 2006
www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=24228

The Iranian regime and Hamas are currently upgrading their alliance, which
is over a decade long. It is an alliance across the great Islamic divide,
between a Sunni group and a Shiite regional power. Radical religious
movements do not easily form alliances; they tend to fight each other, at
times over small details of doctrine. On the rare occasions they do unite,
it is generally to jointly suppress other schools of thought.

The contemporary strife between Sunnis and Shiites can be traced back to the
1979 revolution in Iran, a revolution that, once it was commandeered by the
clergy, aspired to embrace the entire Islamic world. The huge surge of pride
in, and support for, the revolution in the Muslim world, threatened Sunni
religious hegemony, led by the Saudi custodians of the two holy places in
Mecca and Medina.

The Saudi and Sunni reaction was not long in coming, and it led to two great
victories that restored Sunni predominance in the Islamic world: a 10-year
effort, where Saudi Arabia used a great deal of its resources to support the
jihad in Afghanistan, leading to the defeat of the Soviet empire; and an
equally substantial effort by the kingdom to spread Sunni, albeit Wahhabi,
Islam through its funding of Islamic centers and mosques worldwide, and
through the formation of a network of alliances. More recently, however, the
election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marked the start of a
second Islamic Revolution, and with it a revival of radical aspirations
dating back to the days of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. During the second
Intifada it was assisted by the Iranian-supported Lebanese Shiite group,
Hizbullah. This evolved into significant military support and financial
assistance. These ties were sponsored by the Iranian regime and strengthened
the relationship between Hamas and Iran. This alliance was further
reinforced by the fact that senior Hamas official Khaled Meshaal is
headquartered in Syria, so that the movement effectively became part of the
Iranian-Syrian-Hizbullah axis. However, Hamas has never submitted to the
directives of its Shiite-supported benefactors.

Western states decided to freeze financial aid to the Palestinian Authority
(PA) after Hamas' victory in the January Palestinian legislative elections.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, also chose to politically confront
the movement, in an attempt to force Hamas to honor prior agreements between
the PA and Israel. However, for Hamas changing its strategy effectively
means ceasing to exist. Survival also means securing new funding, which is
why Hamas' only real option was to turn to Iran, the one government that
officially and fully shares its goals. Improving the alliance was exactly
what Hamas needed at that critical juncture.

Iran, for its own part, needs Hamas too - maybe even more than Hamas needs
Iran. But while the Islamic Republic, in supporting the Sunni militant
movement, is pursuing its own interests, Hamas, by aligning itself with
Iran, is pursuing its own destruction.

The alliance with Iran will increase Hamas' isolation from the West. But
Hamas does not want to transform itself from a resistance movement into a
political party. The extent of the financial aid it will receive from Tehran
is also unclear: Reports range from $50 million to $100 million. But even
the higher sum is hardly enough to sustain the PA, considering its yawning
deficit. Hamas still hasn't realized the difference between governing a
country and supporting poor Palestinian refugees. Moreover, the alliance
with Iran will cost Hamas the support of its Sunni hinterland: Saudi Arabia
has already delayed the $92 million it promised the PA, releasing only $20
million at the personal request of Abbas. Thus, Hamas' only gain from its
alliance with Iran will be support for its resistance against Israel.

The Hamas-Iran alliance is a fatal attraction. Hamas and Ahmadinejad are
true "holy" warriors. As the Arabic saying goes, they are the type who fight
in the khanadiq (trenches), not the fanadiq (hotels). The Hamas leadership
identifies more with Ahmadinejad, the popular leader who wears second-hand
jackets like they do, than with the Muslim Brotherhood sheikhs who wear
expensive robes and own shares in American chain-stores, like Sheikh Youssef
al-Qaradhawi. Hamas and the Iranian president share not only religious
ideals and positions on Israel, but also, and especially, their social
outlook. Both came to power on the basis of platforms in which they vowed,
among other things, to fight corruption and respond to the needs of the
poor.

At the Al-Quds conference in Tehran in mid-April, Meshaal publicly thanked
the Iranian regime for its help, confirming the tighter alliance with Iran.
The summit took place a few days after Ahmadinejad's speech about progress
in the Iranian nuclear program. Tehran needed the conference to demonstrate
that it was not alone, and to show its deterrence capabilities. By saying
that Iran was building an army of suicide bombers, Ahmadinejad wanted to
make clear to the United States and Israel that it they decided to bomb
Iranian nuclear sites, Hizbullah and Hamas were ready to retaliate.

As in the Persian "Shahnameh" epic, Ahmadinejad is leading the battle of the
forces of good against the forces of evil - the West and Israel. In joining
this battle, Hamas is entering a long dark tunnel with no way out. Now, with
Fatah split and virtually dying, maybe it's time for the Palestinian people
to think about building a new national movement.
=========
Anna Mahjar-Barducci is a Tunis-based Moroccan-Italian journalist. She was
correspondent in the Occupied Territories during the second Intifada. Her
commentaries are regularly published in the Italian daily Il Foglio. She
wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Israel to join UN Economic and Social Council

Israel to join UN Economic and Social Council
(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman's Office)

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today (Thursday, 11
May 2006) approved Israel's acceptance to the council's committee on
non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Membership in the ECOSOC committee is
for four years, beginning in January 2007.

This development is a further step in Israel's growing role at the UN, one
that is unrelated to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel will serve on the
committee alongside Western countries such as Britain, Turkey, and the
United States, as well as countries from Asia, Africa, the Far East, and
Latin America.

The committee is responsible for awarding UN recognition to NGOs throughout
the world and overseeing their activities.

At its future meetings the council will be called upon to consider
recognition requests from two Israeli NGOs: the Women's Lobby and Shatil,
which promotes civil society and putting democratic principles into
practice.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: FM Livni meets with Asian ambassadors

FM Livni meets with Asian ambassadors 8-May-2006

(Communicated by the Foreign Minister's Bureau)

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met today (Monday, 8 May 2006) with the
ambassadors of six Asian nations serving in Israel: Japan, China, India,
Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Livni accepted an invitation to visit
several of these countries in the coming year. She expressed the hope that
joint economic projects between Israel and Asian countries would advance
while including other countries of the Middle East.

Minister Livni reviewed the situation that has arisen following the election
of the Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority and stressed the need
to maintain a unified international front that negates the legitimacy of
Hamas as long as it refuses to accept the minimal conditions set by the
international community (recognizing Israel's right to exist, abandoning
terrorism, and upholding the PA's agreements with Israel). This, she said,
should be done while preventing a humanitarian crisis in the PA, an effort
in which Israel would cooperate.

Livni pointed out that Israel has acted to advance the peace process, and
the fact that it has no partner is regretful. Israel would prefer to reach
an agreement, and in its absence it would appeal to the international
community to support the consolidation plan, which would mean advancing the
vision of a two-state solution. The plan, she said, serves the interest of
every Israeli and Palestinian who wants to live in his own country in peace.

The Palestinians could already have celebrated a number of their own
Independence Days, had they not made the wrong decisions, Livni said. The
international community should examine Israel's ideas as furthering peace
also with regard to the Palestinians.

Regarding the repeated threats by the president of Iran, Livni said that the
experience of the Jewish people teaches that even extremist threats can be
carried out, and for this reason it is forbidden for the international
community to ignore his threats. She appealed to the member countries of the
UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of
Governors, saying that time is running out against the free world and that
decisions must be made soon.

The Asian ambassadors stressed the importance of developing relations
between Israel and their countries and expressed willingness to further
them. Japanese Ambassador Jun Yokota announced that his country is willing
to take an active role in furthering and improving relations between Israel
and the Muslim nations of Asia.

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

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: 1390 (15 messages)
**********