[imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1404 (11 messages)

imra Mon May 29 00:29:44 2006 Volume 2 : Issue 1404

In this issue of the imra daily Digest:

Excerpts: Citizen as customer.Egypt
edging towards brink. 28 May 2006
Hizbullah Launches Large Scale
Attack on Northern Israel
IDF Aerial Attack on Terror Targets in Lebanon
2 Reports of Palestinian Security Chaos
and Proliferation of Small Arms
PM OLMERT TO MEET EGYPTIAN PRES. MUBARAK
PLO Executive Committee
Calls Palestinian Factions to Join the PLO
Ehud Olmert's Visit to Washington: Realignment Delayed
NEC Poll: The Palestinian National Dialogue
and call for a Referendum
Widlanski commenting on Kissinger document
PM Olmert: "We Will Strike a Painful
Blow at All Those Who Fire at the North."
President Abbas: refugees cause is the one of the
most dangerous issues faced by the Palestinian leadership

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Excerpts: Citizen as customer.Egypt
edging towards brink. 28 May 2006

Excerpts: Citizen as customer.Egypt edging towards brink. 28 May 2006

+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 28 May '06:"How Easy to Identify a Saudi in
US",Abdullah Al-Maghlouth . Al-Watan -
QUOTE FROM TEXT:
"When Saudis go to United States they get excited over the concept of
choice because they have very limted choices back home"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
A Saudi in America is often easy to identify even before he gets out of his
car. It's the license plate.
Saudis in America love the personalized license plate, a service offered in
the US where you can customize your plates for a fee. ... The customized
license plate is a perfect example of the kind of relationship American
governmental organizations, such as the US tag agency that issues car papers
and tags, have with the citizens.
In America a citizen is not just a citizen, but also a client and customer.
And the services offered - not to mention the general treatment of citizens
by officials on the other side of the counter - is a reflection of this
relationship.
When Saudis go to the United States they get excited over the concept of
choice because they have very limited choices back home. They're used to
being told what to do rather than being provided a series of options.
It's not just about license plates, of course. In Saudi Arabia, many
documents provided by the government not only lack options for the citizen,
but they're also sloppy. Documents look like they were cobbled together
willy-nilly.
Take for example driver's licenses and registration papers. These documents
are often rife with errors and typos, carelessly hand scribbled; a rush job
from a careless bureaucrat....What the government needs in terms of its
relationship with its citizenry are a corporate identity and a national
standard - not to mention more empowerment of its people through the concept
of choice.

+++AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 25-31 May '06:"Who will pick up the pieces?"

HEADING:"The continued absence of any clear vision of where Egypt is heading
can result only in more chaos, writes Galal Nassar""

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"reconsiderqtion of a host of official policies a matter of urgency"

"Have we run out of people who have the authority and sense to stop the
chaos?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS:
Egypt is in the throe of convulsions sufficiently extraordinary to make the
reconsideration of a host of official EXCERPTS:policies a matter of urgency.
... political life of the nation is progressing without the benefit of
traffic lights, sign posts or directions.
...the majority of people... wonder where the country is heading. Meanwhile,
ministers smile to the cameras in an attempt to reassure the public while
the National Democratic Party (NDP) endeavours to put a brave face on it
all. Nobody, though, is fooled.
The government desperately needs to revise its own reform programme. ... The
government says that 5.4 million new jobs must be created in the coming
period. Targets have been set for investment and for privatisation. But how
are these to be met? And if they can be met, where will they really lead?
It is all well and fine to talk up development and the need for
constitutional reform. But in the absence of any clearly set goals, in the
absence of any vision of where such reforms are intended to lead, such talk
is meaningless.
Egypt is in desperate need of a lot more than a revamped version of the
status quo. Improvements in the education and health systems are of course
essential, though they will not solve the problems we face without more
extensive change. And Egypt needs far greater international leverage. But
how is that to be engineered? This is a question the government needs to
answer; offering a list of figures is not enough.
As a nation we appear to have mislaid any sense of purpose ... The
government has a responsibility to provide the nation with a vision of its
future. .... Yet to do so the government must itself have a vision, and the
courage of its convictions to pursue those goals, and that, in turn, takes
imagination, honesty and drive.
...The Egyptian people are capable of walking that extra mile, but they must
first be told where the extra mile will lead.
Our government has managed, within months, to antagonise judges,
journalists, engineers and doctors. Who exactly are they trying to please?
Whose support are they seeking? The public is baffled and concerned. Scenes
of Central Security vehicles lining our streets are not exactly cheering for
the nation. Intellectuals, academics, political parties; they are all
disappointed, sharing a sense of powerlessness and alienation. What we are
currently facing is the kind of chaos that inevitably comes in the absence
of any sense of direction.
Only one thing is clear. There are people in this country who want to see an
Islamic state. There are people in the region who want the caliphate back.
From Palestine to Algeria, from Jordan to Morocco, Islamists are making
political inroads. Last week Muslim fundamentalists assaulted a secular
judge in Turkey. The current chaos is playing into the hands of Islamist
forces and the pressure for democracy, exerted by the US and the West, is
not helping anyone.
Last week... television cameras offered a view of a man gagged and
handcuffed, standing in front of others chanting and waving the Qur'an. Yet
the conflict between the judiciary and executive branches has nothing to do
with religion.... So what exactly were these Muslim Brotherhood members
trying to tell us?
This is only one question. There are many others. Have we run out of people
who have the authority and sense to stop the chaos? Can the government
justify its apparent confidence? Are we to get used to the sight of Central
Security forces deployed on our streets? Can the young be blamed for
rebelling against the current circumstances? Would democracy be as fruitful
here as it has been in other parts of the world? Is the People's Assembly
aware of the dimensions of the crisis but playing dumb? Are we willing to
admit -- without belittling or exaggerating -- the scope of the current
chaos?

Sue Lerner - Associate - IMRA

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Hizbullah Launches Large Scale
Attack on Northern Israel

May 28th, 2006
IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT

Hizbullah launches large scale attack on communities and IDF bases in
northern Israel

The Hizbullah terrorist organization launched a large scale attack this
afternoon on communities and military bases in northern Israel along the
border with Lebanon. Hizbullah fired Katyusha rockets, mortar shells, and
attacked with sniper and machine gun fire. An IDF soldier was moderately
wounded in the initial attack.

In response, the IDF attacked Hizbullah outposts in southern Lebanon with
air and artillery fire.

The State of Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for all
attacks emanating from its territory, and will respond severely to such
attacks.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: IDF Aerial Attack on Terror Targets in Lebanon

May 28th, 2006
IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT

IDF air strike at terror targets in Lebanon in response to rocket attacks on
Israel

In response to the launching of Katyusha rockets at Israel early this
morning which hit an IDF base in northern Israel and lightly injured an IDF
soldier, the IDF has carried out an aerial attack on two terror sites in
Lebanon.

These two command posts are used by terror organizations in Lebanon; one of
them was used as a storage facility for weaponry and ammunition.

The State of Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for any terror
attack emanating from its territory, and will respond severely to such
attacks.

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

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

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

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

Field Update
28 May 2006

Attacks on Public Institutions and Officials Continue
Car Belonging to the Minister for Prisoners' Affairs Burned in Jenin, Shots
Fired at the Stock Exchange in Nablus

In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, unknown assailants set torched the private
car of the Palestinian Minister for Prisoners' Affairs, Wasfi Qabha. And in
another incident, unknown gunmen fired shots at the Palestinian Stock
Exchange in Nablus, causing damage.

PCHR's preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 01:00 on
Sunday, 28 May 2006, unknown assailants burned the private car belonging to
the Palestinian Minister for Prisoners' Affairs, Wasfi Qabha, was parked in
front of the Minister's house in the Palestinian Housing Quarter, in the
northern part of Jenin.

The attack on the Minister's vehicle is the second attack on public
institutions and figures over the past two days. At approximately 01:00 on
Friday, 26 May 2006, unknown gunmen fired shots at the Palestinian Stock
Exchange located in the Qasr Hotel building, in the Rafedia Quarter of
western Nablus. The attack caused material damage to the exchange. Sources
from the stock exchange indicated that the attack was motivated by losses
incurred by some individuals, due to the decline in stocks of some
companies.

PCHR views with great concern the repeated attacks on public officials,
which are part of the ongoing security chaos plaguing 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.

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

Field Update
28 May 2006

7 Injured in Incidents Involving Misuse of Weapons in the Gaza Strip.

Over the past three days, seven citizens in the Gaza Strip were injured in
four separate incidents involving the misuse or mishandling of weapons. The
injured included three children and one citizen who sustained serious
injuries.

PCHR's preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 12:00 on
Saturday, 27 May 2006, Farid Awad Shahin, an 18-year-old Hamas activist, was
hit by gunshot shrapnel in the legs, when an unknown gunman fired at him
near El-Salam Mosque in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Yunis. He
was taken to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where his injuries were described
as moderate.

And at approximately 11:30 on the same day, shots were accidentally fired
from the gun of a security officer who was at a house of mourning in the
town of Greater Abasan, east of Khan Yunis. Four citizens from the Arafat
clan were injured, including three children. The injured were taken to
Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The injured are:
- Ali Mahmoud Arafat (55) injured seriously by a bullet to the
chest;
- Mohammad Ismail Arafat (7) sustained superficial wounds to the
feet;
- Anas Moussah Arafat (6) sustained superficial shrapnel wounds to
the head; and
- Kefah Amin Arafat (6) sustained superficial wounds to the legs.

At approximately 10:30 on the same day, Akram Salama Tayeh, a 26-year-old
resident of Deir El-Balah refugee camp, was admitted to Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Hospital in Deir El-Balah. He had been injured by a bullet to the right
foot. His condition was described as moderate. Tayeh was injured following
a verbal exchange with a member of the new Executive Force. The dispute,
which took place in Market Street in the refugee camp, escalated and the
Executive Force member fired shots at Tayeh.

At approximately 21:00 on Friday, 26 May 2006, unknown gunmen traveling in
two civilian vehicles (a Renault and a Subaru) fired at members of the
National Security Force deployed at Al-Azhar University intersection in Gaza
City. Mohammad Saleh Musallam, a 22-year-old resident of Maghazi refugee
camp and a member of the National Security Force, was injured by a bullet to
the right leg.

PCHR is gravely concerned over the continued number of deaths and injuries
resulting from the misuse of weapons, which has become a prominent feature
of the ongoing security chaos in the region. The Centre calls upon the
Palestinian National Authority to take preventive measures to prevent such
incidents and safeguard the safety of citizens.

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

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PM OLMERT TO MEET EGYPTIAN PRES. MUBARAK

PM OLMERT TO MEET EGYPTIAN PRES. MUBARAK
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
28 May 2006

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will on Sunday, 4.6.06, meet with Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak at Sharm e-Sheikh; further details to be announced
separately.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PLO Executive Committee
Calls Palestinian Factions to Join the PLO

On 42nd Anniversary of its Establishment,
EC Calls Palestinian Factions to Join the PLO
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=6408

RAMALLAH, May 28, 2006, (WAFA - PLO news agency)- The PLO Executive
Committee (EC) urged Sunday upon the various Palestinian organisations to
join the PLO.

In a statement issued, in Ramallah, on the 42nd anniversary of the
establishment of the PLO, the EC reiterated that the PLO is the "Palestinian
house which hosts all Palestinian factions and forces."

The EC said that all Palestinian organisations should not be out of the
frame of the PLO for any justification.

In its statement, the PLO EC welcomed the decision of the National Dialogue
Conference for its call on the High Committee for reactivating the PLO "the
sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" to hold its
meeting in June in Cairo.

The EC concluded by saying that the dangerous situation around the
Palestinian people, especially the Israeli PM Olmert's plan of
disengagement, colonisation, judaisation of Jerusalem and the annexation of
the Jordan Valley demand solidarity and joining the PLO which led the
struggle for more than 40 years.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation was established on May 28, 1964, in
Jerusalem.

S.A.S. (15:00 P) (12:00 GMT)

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ehud Olmert's Visit to Washington: Realignment Delayed

Tel Aviv Notes No. 172 May 28, 2006

Ehud Olmert's Visit to Washington: Realignment Delayed

Roni Bart
Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rushed off to Washington before his government
was even three weeks old. His visit apparently had four main aims: to hold
the launch ceremony in the White House which is necessary to entrench the
status of any new Israeli Prime Minister; to establish a personal link with
President George W. Bush; to get Bush's blessing for the centerpiece of his
policy agenda - his convergence plan; and to discuss the Iranian nuclear
threat.

The personal and media objectives were achieved. The visit went off without
a hitch, the Prime Minister was warmly received, his speech to a joint
session of Congress was greeted enthusiastically, the President allotted him
a big chunk of time, and some chemistry was established between the two men.
With respect to the Iranian threat, everything that should have been said
publicly was said: Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear capability,
the US will help defend Israel, and intelligence ties will be upgraded. If
other things were said behind closed doors, the parties obviously preferred
to keep them from the public. As expected, the question of convergence was
the most important substantive issue on the agenda and on this issue, the
visit seems to have capped a real shift in priorities and timetables.

In the early stages of planning, Olmert's aides hoped that he would get the
President's approval for the idea of convergence, on the basis of which he
could then proceed to work out details with the Administration. That hope
was based on what seemed like a joint US-Israeli assessment of Abu Mazen's
weakness and Hamas' rejectionism. However, when it emerged that the US was
not yet ready to endorse convergence before some other conditions were met,
the Prime Minister had to close ranks with the Americans.

Olmert had initially declared that he wanted to set Israel's permanent
borders, if not through negotiations with the Palestinians, then
unilaterally. But the "if" part was apparently little more than
lip-service. According to the roadmap, negotiations with the Palestinians
require them first to dismantle the terrorist organizations. Even before
the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January, Abu Mazen seemed
unable (and perhaps unwilling) to do that, and Hamas' victory in the
elections finally buried any chance that he would try. Consequently, Olmert's
tacit implicit assumption was that any attempt to negotiate would simply be
a waste of time and that he should therefore move on convergence as quickly
as possible.

The Americans rejected this approach. Both before and during the visit,
they stressed that it was too early for a presidential endorsement. As
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice explained, "The Prime Minister has no
program. He said that he wants to share some ideas with the President."
Even after her meeting with Olmert, she declared that "We don't expect to
adopt any specific points" because there are still "a lot of questions"
about the plan. Rice was referring to weighty matters such as the
redeployment lines, the fate of the Jordan Valley, freedom of maneuver for
the IDF in areas to be evacuated, settlement plans in area E1 which could
break Palestinian territorial contiguity, the implications for Jordan,
control of border passages, etc.

Apart from the fact that the focus was on an idea rather than a plan, the US
plainly preferred to focus first on the bilateral for
at least three reasons. First of all, notwithstanding agreement over Abu
Mazen's weakness, he remains the only obstacle to a complete Hamas takeover
and should therefore be strengthened rather than weakened by a unilateral
Israeli move. Secondly, the future of the Hamas government is still
uncertain; it might turn to moderation or it might collapse. Finally, the
US seeks to narrow any gaps with Europe - which opposes unilateral Israeli
action - not least because of the need for a united front on the Iranian
issue.

During the joint press conference, Bush reiterated his rejection of any
contacts with Hamas unless it changes its stance. He also described
convergence as a "daring . constructive . positive" idea which "can
constitute an important step towards peace . and can lead to a two-state
solution . if it proves impossible to advance on the basis of the roadmap."
However, most of his remarks related to his vision, the roadmap, the need to
negotiate with Abu Mazen, and the problem of Hamas. The President also
noted that permanent borders can only be set in negotiations and that the
parties should refrain from acts that prejudice the outcome of negotiations.
He was therefore unwilling to go beyond the formula in his April 2004 letter
to Ariel Sharon concerning settlement blocs ("major Israeli population
centers").

Olmert lined up with the American position. Until his visit, he had shown
no sense of urgency in meeting with a "weak" Abu Mazen and even reprimanded
his Defense Minister for suggesting otherwise, but at the press conference
he promised to meet "in the near future" and to exhaust all possibilities
for negotiations. Olmert had originally wanted through convergence to set
Israel's "permanent borders," but at the President's side he repeated the
formula elaborated during the advance work -- "secure borders" -- and he
noted that the settlement blocs would be incorporated into Israel only "in
the framework of a permanent status agreement." And while the Prime
Minister had previously planned to implement convergence within two years -
and was roundly condemned for his slow pace - in the US he spoke of "three
to four years." Finally, the term "convergence" itself was replaced by a
word connoting much less finality: "realignment."

All in all, the US expressed tentative support for Olmert's idea of
disengagement. In return, Olmert shifted the near-term focus from
programmatic planning to diplomatic engagement with Abu Mazen, he
obfuscated/conceded the element of "finality," and he extended the
timetable. According to press reports, State Department representatives
will travel to Israel in June to begin translating the idea of "realignment"
into a real plan, but the work will proceed slowly. For the US, the first
priority is to soften up Hamas and strengthen Abu Mazen in order to maximize
the chances for bilateral progress. Only when the Americans are convinced
that the potential for negotiations has been exhausted will they release the
brakes on realignment. The Prime Minister of Israel will adjust to their
pace.

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

KEYWORDS: Israel, US

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: NEC Poll: The Palestinian National Dialogue
and call for a Referendum

The Palestinian National Dialogue and call for a Referendum
28 May 2006

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
NEC
HSBC Building, 3rd floor
RAMALLAH
Tel: 02-2961436
Fax: 02-2963114
info@neareastconsulting.com
www.neareastconsulting.com

On 27 May 2006, Near East Consulting (NEC) conducted a short survey that
aimed to gauge Palestinians' opinions about issues related to the on-going
national dialogue, the Prisoner Agreement, Abu Mazen's call for a referendum
if the national dialogue does not lead to a common platform among the
factions, and the support or opposition to a two-state solution based on the
1967-borders.

The results are based on a sample of 511 successful telephone interviews.
The margin of error for this survey is +/- 4.3% and a 95% confidence level.

The NEC team would like to thank the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC) for its contribution to this survey.

Trust in Abu Mazen versus trust in Ismael Hanieh

19 May 2006 Before the call for a referendum :
Abu Mazen 51% Ismael Hanieh 49%

27 May 2006 After the call for a referendum:
Abu Mazen 62% Ismael Hanieh 38%

Support or opposition to the Prisoners Agreement

19 May 2006: Before the call for a referendum
Support 80% Oppose 20%

27 May 2006: After the call for a referendum
Support 89% Oppose 11%

Expectations about the on-going national dialogue
It will succeed 66% It will fail 34%

Support or opposition to Abu Mazen's call for a referendum
Support 81% Oppose 19%

Would you vote in favour or against the Prisoners Agreement?
I would vote in favour 85% I would vote against 15%
.
Support or opposition to a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967
borders
Support 71% Oppose 29%
[IMRA: It should be noted that the "Prisoners Agreement" calls for the right
of return of refugees, so the "two-state solution" is actually a Palestinian
state side-by-side with an Israeli state to be vanquished by the return of
Palestinian refugees and financially destroyed by paying "compensation" to
the refugees.]

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Widlanski commenting on Kissinger document

Widlanski commenting on Kissinger document

Dear Dr. Lerner,

You recently published notification to your readers of archival documents
showing promises to Iraqi officials in 1975,
www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=29418 and I wanted to add something for the
benefit of IMRA'S subscribers.

Henry Kissinger's promises to Iraqi officials to reduce Israel's size
and power to "historical proportions" were made in December 1975--only a
few months (September 1, 1975) after then-Secretary of State Kissinger and
then-President Gerald Ford had signed several secret documents promising
just the opposite to Israel.

Ford sent a secret letter to Yitzhak Rabin (then Israel's prime
minister)[IMRA: text below], while Kissinger signed at least one memorandum
of understanding, both promising additional military aid to Israel as well
as positive treatment of Israel's retaining the Golan Heights.

The Ford letter and Kissinger memorandum (made to Israeli Foreign
Minister Yigal Allon) can be found in my book "Can Israel Survive A
Palestinian State?", IASPS, 1990. They were given as a way of getting
Israel to agree to staged withdrawals in Sinai and next door to Damascus in
1975-76.

The newly found Kissinger-Iraqi document raises once again the issue of
just how valid is a promise of support from an American president or
American secretary of state.

In the Kissinger-Ford-Rabin-Allon correspondence of September 1975 there
was also a promise that the US would not make general proposals for a Middle
East settlement without getting Israel's approval. Exactly seven years
later, Ronald Reagan issued his famous Reagan Plan on September
1,1982--without consulting Israel in advance.

Sincerely,

(Dr.) Michael Widlanski
-------

Letter from President Ford to Prime Minister Rabin September 1, 1975
SECRET
His Excellency
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel

Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

I wish to inform you that the U.S. recognizes that the Israeli-Egyptian
Interim Agreement entailing withdrawal from vital areas in the Sinai
constitutes an act of great significance on Israel's part in the pursuit of
final peace and imposes additional heavy military and economic burdens on
Israel.

I want to assure you that the U.S. will make every effort to be fully
responsive within the limits of its resources and Congressional
authorization and appropriation on an ongoing and long-term basis to
Israel's military equipment and other defense requirements as well as to
Israel's economic aid needs, all of this based on the requests submitted by
Israel, joint studies and previous U.S. Presidential undertakings.

Further to those undertakings, it is my resolve to continue to maintain
Israel's defensive strength through the supply of advanced types of
equipment, such as the F-16 aircraft. The United States Government agrees to
an early meeting to undertake a joint study of high technology and
sophisticated items, including the Pershing ground-to-ground missiles with
conventional warheads, with the view to giving a positive response. The U.S.
Administration will submit annually for approval by the U.S. Congress a
request for military and economic assistance in order to help meet Israel's
economic and military needs. Realizing as I do the importance of the Interim
Agreement to the Middle Eastern situation as a whole, the U.S. will make
every possible effort to assist in the establishment of conditions in which
the Agreement will be observed without being subjected to pressures or
deadlines.

In the spirit of the special relationship existing between the United States
and Israel and in light of the determination of both sides to avoid a
situation in which the U.S. and Israel would pursue divergent courses in
peace negotiations, the U.S. will take the position that these are
negotiations between the parties. As I indicated to you in our conversation
on 12 June 1975, the situation in the aftermath of the Israeli-Egyptian
Interim Agreement will be one in which the overall settlement can be pursued
in a systematic and deliberate way and does not require the U.S. to put
forward an overall proposal of its own in such circumstances. Should the
U.S. desire in the future to put forward proposals of its own, it will make
every effort to coordinate with Israel its proposals with a view to
refraining from putting forth proposals that Israel would consider
unsatisfactory.

The U.S. will support the position that an overall settlement with Syria in
the framework of a peace agreement must assure Israel's security from attack
from the Golan Heights. The U.S. further supports the position that a just
and lasting peace, which remains our objective, must be acceptable to both
sides. The U.S. has not developed a final position on the borders. Should it
do so it will give great weight to Israel's position that any peace
agreement with Syria must be predicated on Israel remaining on the Golan
Heights. My view in this regard was stated in our conversation of September
13, 1974.

Sincerely, Gerald R. Ford

The text comes from Michael Widlanski, ed., Can Israel Survive a
Palestinian State? (Jerusalem: Institute for Advanced Strategic Political
Studies, 1990), pp. 120-21.

www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/press/appendix/appen_c.htm

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PM Olmert: "We Will Strike a Painful
Blow at All Those Who Fire at the North."

PM Olmert: "We Will Strike a Painful Blow at All Those Who Fire at the
North."
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met today (Sunday), 28.5.06, with President Moshe
Katsav in order to update him on his recent trip to the US
(http://tinyurl.com/fsdyt ). The two men held a joint press conference
after their meeting; following are excerpts from Prime Minister Olmert's
remarks:

Regarding the firing along the northern border ( http://tinyurl.com/g5eyz &
http://tinyurl.com/znaap ), Prime Minister Olmert said: "At around 04:00
this morning, a barrage of Katyusha rockets was fired approximately eight
kilometers into Israel. This assault on Israeli communities was initiated
by terrorist elements in Lebanon. We carried out an aerial attack and we
will use all aerial and ground responsive measures at our disposal in order
to strike at the terrorist elements that tried to disrupt life in the north.
We were careful. Naturally, residents in the relevant areas were asked to
go into shelters. We do not want any of our civilians to be hurt; we also
do not want any innocent Lebanese civilians to be caught up in these
exchanges of fire but I can say here that we will - without any doubt -
strike a painful blow at all those who try to disrupt life in the north of
the country. Israel's response was an important warning to Palestinian
elements in Lebanon of what they may expect if such things recur. We hope
that the response will be properly understood and that there will be no
further attempts. In the meantime, I hear that the firing is continuing,
mainly in the western Galilee and I think that the elements that are taking
part in the firing have erred in their assessments. They will receive an
unequivocal and aggressive response, without any hesitation, if they do not
stop."

Regarding his upcoming meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Prime
Minister Olmert said: "I have said several times that I am in ongoing
telephone contact with Egyptian President Mubarak. We agreed that we would
meet upon my return from the US ( http://tinyurl.com/f2sho ) and I assume
that this meeting will be held next week and that it will be an excellent
opportunity for us to consider various issues of interest to both Egypt and
to us that affect bilateral relations as well as issues of regional
interest."

Regarding Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Abu Mazen's referendum
initiative, Prime Minister Olmert said: "In my speech to the US Congress
( http://tinyurl.com/zo7do ), I said that we needed a partner that not only
makes statements but that is also active on the ground. The question does
not have to do with Abu Mazen's remarks but whether or not the PA will be
capable of meeting the commitments that it has taken upon itself - to
dismantle the terrorist organizations, to halt terrorist activity, to
recognize Israel in order to achieve peace and security and to carry out its
obligations according to the agreements that have been signed. Abu Mazen's
statement does not uphold any plan and we cannot conduct affairs on the
basis of a chance speech. We want to strengthen Abu Mazen and will do our
utmost so that elements like him are strengthened vis-?-vis Hamas and
Islamic Jihad, but we cannot proceed until their policy matches their
statements."

Prime Minister Olmert also discussed the issue of the 'medicines basket';
see http://tinyurl.com/keows for details.

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

From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: President Abbas: refugees cause is the one of the
most dangerous issues faced by the Palestinian leadership

President Abbas: Palestinian People Witnessing Genuine Crisis
http://english.wafa.ps/bodym.asp?id=6048

RAMALLAH, May 28, 2006 (WAFA - PLO news agency) - President Mahmoud Abbas
said Sunday that the Palestinian people are witnessing a genuine crisis.

In an interview with WAFA and Palestine TV on the 42nd anniversary of the
establishment of the PLO, the President said "in order to overcome the
crisis on political, economic and international levels, we are obliged to
have an internal dialogue."

President Abbas praised the Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker's call
for the dialogue, which started last Thursday at the Presidential HQ in
Ramallah and in Gaza via video link.

Regarding the calls to renovate the PLO, President Abbas said this is not
the first time to hear these calls, pointing out "claims that the PLO is
deficient because it does not embrace all the factions are untrue", adding
that the PLO will remain the sole and legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people.

He stressed that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements refused, to a near
future, to join the PLO or even recognise it, pointing out that the PLO has
commitments that must be recognised and no factional party can join it
without recognising these commitments.

President Abbas stressed that since the signing of the Oslo Accords, all
negotiations with Israel come under the umbrella of the PLO, because the
Palestinian National Authority does not represent all the Palestinian people
for it only represents those who are living in the Palestinian territories.

The President said that the refugees cause is the one of the most dangerous
issues faced by the Palestinian leadership as more than half of the
Palestinian people are refugees, stressing only the PLO can deal with this
issue.

A.D (22:56 P) (19:56 GMT)

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

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

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End of [imra] Daily digest - Volume: 2 Issue: 1404 (11 messages)
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