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Posting: November 18, 2007
“Anyone’s Guess”
Will the conference be held in Annapolis on November 27? Still possible, but looking less likely.
Khaled Abu Toameh is reporting in the Post that PA officials are saying they are doubtful that a joint statement on principles can be agreed upon before the gathering. Obviously Rice doesn’t expect this statement to materialize, because it seems she’s not coming back here before Annapolis, as she was supposed to do.
Israeli officials are being more explicit: They now say the Palestinians “have backpedaled to square one, to the first day of negotiations.”
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Abu Toameh further reports that Abbas was just in Saudi Arabia; according to Jamal Shubaki, PA representative in Saudi Arabia, Abbas told King Abdullah that he was pessimistic about chances of success at the conference and said he would rather resign than fail there. According to Shubaki, the king agreed that Israel wasn’t sincere in efforts to make peace. If the king did say this, then it would be unlikely that the Saudis would want to attend — and this was something that has been important to the Americans.
But negotiator Saeb Erekat said that while there were difficulties in the negotiations, it was too soon to talk of crisis.
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Said Olmert, during his meeting here today with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, “Annapolis cannot be a failure because the fact that it is taking place is a success unto itself.” That’s an interesting spin. A sign of expectations that it will fail.
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The Palestinians, of course, are placing responsibility for possible failure on us. Said Shubaki: “The Palestinians are unhappy with the Israeli position because Israel hasn’t done anything so far to make the conference succeed.” He speaks about the need for the US to put additional pressure on Israel. And there are ever more demands on us being put forth.
This negotiating ploy really enrages me.
What has the PA done? Made a cosmetic attempt to secure law and order with those 300 security people deployed in Nablus. The irony here is this is something they should be doing in earnest anyway as a function of their responsibility to their own people.
And we? We’re constantly making “good faith” gestures that are supposed to keep the Palestinian street happy. We’ve let out prisoners and reduced roadblocks. Now they want more:
They’ve asked for the release of 2,000 additional prisoners and word is that Olmert is thinking of letting out 450 or 500. This will be raised at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.
They want more checkpoints taken down.
They want the PLO to be able to operate in eastern Jerusalem again, which request Olmert is — most regrettably and dangerously — said to be considering.
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Under heavy pressure from the US, Israel has also frozen settlement expansion.
Kouchner said today that settlements are the “biggest obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.” But — as often as this canard is repeated — it just isn’t so. The obstacle is the refusal of the Palestinians and much of the Arab world to allow us to exist here in peace as a Jewish state.
Neither, by the way, are the settlements illegal. And when time allows I would like to return to this issue and its historical/legal background.
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Meanwhile, Al Hayat in London is reporting that Olmert has agreed in private conversation with Abbas to take in 20,000 Palestinian refugees. Is it true? Don’t know.
G-d forbid. It would be a horror. Not only the taking in of 20,000 hostile people (the refugees are the most radicalized), but the acknowledgement that we somehow are responsible for the situation of more than 4 million so-called refugees — rather than UNRWA and Arab states that have kept them in miserable limbo for 60 years. It would be a Pandora’s box.
The whole objection on the part of the Palestinians to our insisting on their recognizing us as a Jewish state is supposed to be because this precludes return.
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Something else that really irks: A report has been released by Turkey regarding a mission that came in March to see what was happening with excavations at the Mughrabi Gate outside the Temple Mount. It claims that this represents a “pre-planned effort to destroy the Muslim nature of the Old City.” We’re trying to “Judaize” the Mount, you see. (That part doesn’t irk so much as amuse, it’s so ridiculous.)
Israel ‘s response was clear and forthright: “Israel is cooperating fully with UNESCO, which had sent a professional team to the site of the dig and published a report refuting all the allegations against Israel.”
And we’re supposed to have good relations with Turkey.
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According to information leaked to the Sunday Times (London), the Winograd report will blame Olmert for the last 60 hours of the Lebanon war, and for the 33 deaths that ensued. I had just read that the report was due out in two weeks, now I read “by the end of the year.” It cannot come out soon enough for me, for it will further destabilize Olmert’s position.
There was considerable debate recently about the fact that the Winograd report wasn’t going to name names. But in this instance, it appears to not be the case. Unfortunately, the Winograd Committee is structured (on purpose) so that it does not have the authority to recommend dismissals or resignations.
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Posting: November 16, 2007
“Briefly”
Briefly before Shabbat and without knowledge of when I will next be on line…
Don’t know where the issue of demanding that we be recognized as a Jewish state is going. I’m looking for — expecting — the hedge that allows the PA to say they didn’t provide this recognition, but that allows Olmert to say he got what he demanded. PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has now said that Olmert wanted to “poke us in the eye.” But… he has also now said, “The majority of Israelis are Jews. And when we recognized Israel we recognized the composition of the state.” This is NOT the same thing as what Olmert is supposed to be demanding, which would be a right that sounds the death knell for “return” of refugees. It’s on the way to a hedge, and it remains to be seen how this plays out.
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The defense establishment is advising that no more concessions should be made to Abbas until the results of Annapolis are examined. Enough good will gestures, they say. Said one defense official — unnamed, but clearly someone with his head screwed on right — “The Palestinians will forget quickly what we gave them before the summit and it is important to create incentives for Abbas to make the summit work.”
But the Cabinet (either not knowing or not caring how this constant rush to concessions weakens our stance) will be voting on Monday regarding the release of more prisoners, which Abbas has requested.
According to a “senior official” in the government — also unnamed — “If the summit is successful and negotiations ensue, then it might be necessary to keep the Palestinians happy and quiet. One way to do that is to release more prisoners.” I was so incredulous at the stupidity of this I had to read it twice. The plan being hatched, which apparently hasn’t reached Olmert’s desk yet, is to keep the street quiet by releasing a significant number of prisoners every month so that negotiations can proceed.
Don’t they see that if we have to BUY the cooperation of the Palestinian people, if they are not happy BECAUSE we are negotiating peace, then there is no peace? Here, in a nutshell, is the whole concessions mentality, which totally fails to recognize that the other side has to genuinely want peace.
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The Shin Bet is making a prediction that Abbas might be looking for an excuse to shuttle Annapolis. Not getting enough concessions might be a hook for this: we couldn’t continue, for Israel wasn’t sincere. But this is absolutely not a reason to make those concessions, for reasons just stated. If he wants out, it wouldn’t work anyway.
And sure he wants out, because he’s not politically strong enough to compromise at all, and because he would never sign an end of conflict agreement, since the goal is to destroy us.
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Political commentator Ehud Ya’ari also thinks Abbas wants out. Says he, “The Palestinians are fuming at Rice for having trapped them in a corner.” But he talks about something else that is mightily worrisome: the Palestinians are trying to “get out of it by renewing the talk about a ‘third step’ in the Oslo process that was never implemented. What this means is an attempt to get more territory on the West Bank from Israel without having to reach any substantive agreement.” This must be monitored very closely.
Ya’ari says a great deal more: “If it were not for Israel’s regular preemptive counterterror raids, Hamas could, if it so wished and even without the use of armed force, paralyze the functioning of the Palestinian Authority. There’s no chance that things will change in the foreseeable future. The Fatah movement has in fact ceased to exist, although there are still tens of thousands of card-carrying members. There is no meaningful process of resuscitation or reform under way in either the PA, or its ruling party, Fatah. In private conversations, associates of the PA chairman, Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen), call him ‘a pensioner still going to the office.'”
And this is who we are thinking of negotiating with.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380783569&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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Posting: November 15, 2007
“Game Playing”
I don’t know what else one would call it. Consider: Olmert says unequivocally (or as unequivocally as Ehud Olmert ever says anything) that he will demand at the start of negotiations that the PA recognize us as a Jewish state. No compromise on this, he has stated: “Israel is a state of the Jewish people. Whoever does not accept this cannot hold any negotiations with me.”
And the PA is growing increasingly adamant about not giving us this recognition. Even PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad, who is supposed to be the most “moderate” of the bunch, has now rejected this demand. Pretty much makes the whole thing a non-starter. No?
But “well-placed sources” have told the Post that Olmert believes the Annapolis joint statement will address the matter satisfactorily, enabling negotiations to proceed. That’s interesting, since we’ve heard that so far there is no joint statement. And, in any event, it would seem to be possible to resolve this. What are we missing here?
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I mentioned Saudi Arabia last night, with regard to the fallaciousness of the Palestinian claim that no nation is connected to a religion. That example came to my mind because it is so glaring. But several pieces have been generated on this subject and a whole host of examples has been put forward — such as the Church of England.
But the best example was put forth by Aaron Lerner of IMRA, who pointed out that the PA draft constitution names Islam as the official religion of the Palestinian state.
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Earlier today the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram reported that Syria would be attending the conference if it would receive a proper invitation. But now Assad is saying again that the conference must deal with the Golan Heights.
He made this statement after meeting with the head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa. Said Moussa, the Arabs were going to come up with a united plan for the conference at a meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo on November 22 -23.
“What we want is a conference that deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict and starts serious negotiations under international supervision,” explained. Abbas will address the group and Khaled Mashaal of Hamas, in Damascus, will be consulted.
This makes my blood run cold. Walking into such a situation is insanity, truly. Especially as we are going from a position of weakness, as Olmert rushes always to make concessions.
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I’m not exactly buoyed by Evelyn Gordon’s piece in the Post, either. She reports that one concession Olmert has already made is to allow the US to decide when there has been compliance with the Road Map. This is of concern with regard to PA counterterrorism efforts — have they sufficiently reformed their security forces, confiscated guns, arrested terrorists. Once they have done this to determined satisfaction, we are required to pull back. And if they are not equipped to handle the situation we would see a huge increase in terrorism.
Trust the US on this? With Rice, who has a history of putting us in positions that generate security risks, in charge? And Dayton, who has turned out to be a fool, making judgment on the ground? Not a good scene.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195036608552&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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This ain’t great either (the bad news seems to come in bunches, doesn’t it?): Eighty-nine Congresspersons have written to Condoleezza Rice, saying that “current levels of US assistance are insufficient to leverage… real change and improvement by the Palestinian Authority… ” They request increased giving to the PA, and ask that Israel be “engaged” regarding the release of tax revenues to the PA.
Among those 89 Congresspersons were nine Jewish lawmakers, including — I am sorry to have to report — Gary Ackerman, chair of the subcommittee on the Middle East, Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor in the Congress, and Henry Waxman.
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Compare this with what Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Shelley Berkley (D-NV) have to say on the subject:
“The US has spent, and continues to spend, millions of dollars on programs to assist the PA…
“Despite [this], Abu Mazen and his corrupt Fatah party failed miserably at curbing terrorism and implementing government reforms…
“Yet, the US has done little to change their behavior, instead, counseling patience and offering further aid. This only encourages a culture of victimhood and unaccountability among the Palestinians, a culture feeding terror and perpetuating and deepening the present conflict. Therefore, given the history of the PA and Fatah, the Administration’s recent proposal to hand Abu Mazen hundreds of millions in additional funding is simply wrong.
.”. It is time for a new approach.
“We must pursue a policy that sets and enforces higher standards for Palestinian behavior, and provides consequences if they fail to perform. The first step is to link our support to results. Instead of disbursing millions to Palestinian leaders in the hope they will change their ways, we must link each disbursement of funds to tangible progress…
“If the Palestinians do not achieve the intended results, they must not receive US assistance or the legitimacy of political support from US officials.”
We DO have friends who get it.
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Two years ago, the American-Israel Demographic Research Group released information showing that the commonly cited demographic time bomb with regard to Arab population overtaking Jewish population in Israel — a major rationale presented for giving up Judea and Samaria — didn’t exist. Seems the figures were wrong: the PA was using projections from old figures, and those projections were wrong. Many thousands had left the area, some were being counted twice because they lived in Jerusalem, etc. All in all, said this group, there were about one million fewer Palestinians than was claimed, and if we were to keep Judea and Samaria, we would still retain a Jewish majority for the foreseeable future.
Now Bennet Zimmerman, an American member of this group, has given an interview debunking demographic arguments for dividing Jerusalem. The Arab birthrate is going down (a function of modernization or “Israelization”, and the Jewish birthrate is going steadily up. Says Zimmerman, “for the first time since 1967, Israel has a stable 2-1 majority” and “a two thirds majority in Jerusalem.”
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Coincidentally, one of the Israeli members of that team, Yoram Ettinger, a former envoy in the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, has just written a piece for YNet. It has nothing to do with demographics, but rather with “Wrong approach to peace.”
Ettinger sites Professor Majid Khadduri, now deceased, from Johns Hopkins University, who was the world’s leading authority on Arab definitions of peace and war. Peace, Khadduri had explained, is viewed as a tactical means of achieving the strategic objective of defeating the enemy. “Peace constitutes a temporary break in the ongoing war against the enemy… “
An important read on a little understood subject:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3471412,00.html
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Posting: November 14, 2007
“More of Same”
Still in that holding pattern… waiting for a grandchild who gives hints but so far has not been inclined to make that big appearance… writing as I can return to my computer…
Actually, from my son’s house yesterday, when I accessed news via his computer, I wondered if I was perhaps more at ease when I didn’t know what was going on. It remains so incomprehensible to me — this push to insanity. But there’s hope.
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Word now has it that the Annapolis conference will only last one day, that day presumably being the 27th of November. Invitations still aren’t out. Latest news is that Egyptian officials are now saying, once again, that things don’t look good for progress and they’re not sure they’re coming.
The Post reports today that Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a senior adviser to Abbas, says that not “a single word” of the joint declaration had been written. “There are still too many differences.”
This is good news because there has been concern regarding what Olmert might sign upfront, thereby committing us to things we’re best not committed to.
Seems the US is prepared to go ahead even if there is no joint declaration. They are now saying what’s going on is a process, and that the statement isn’t that important. (More on Rice below.)
Seems to me there is only going to be widening of the gaps between the two sides in the time remaining. Protests are gearing up in several quarters here in Jerusalem, and Abbas is being squeezed from his side.
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The other good news involves a first reading that passed in the Knesset today of a bill that requires a vote of 80 members of the Knesset to change Jerusalem’s boundaries. This would be added as an amendment to the Basic Law of Israel, which already identifies Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. There has been some question as to how “Jerusalem” is defined, as the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem were not the same when the Basic Law declared it to be our capital as they are now.
I’ve had several discussions on this issue with an attorney, and it would be my understanding that such an addition to our basic law, finalized, in place and publicized, would give proper legal notice internationally so that Olmert’s signature alone on an agreement that gave away part of Jerusalem would not be binding internationally.
And I do not believe there is even a remote chance that 80 of our MKs (out of a total of 120) would sign off on giving away part of Jerusalem. This, alone, might kill negotiations.
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Olmert has had a meeting with leaders of the Yesha Council — the organization that represents the residents of Judea and Samaria. Suffice it to say that it did not go well. At issue at present is a freeze on settlement building which is seen as a gesture to the US.
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One of the things I’m paying close attention to is Olmert’s pledge to demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Most recently what is being said is that he will raise this with them post-Annapolis in negotiations. My response to this was that the time to raise it was in the pre-Annapolis declaration — for if they cannot agree to this there would be no point in going to Annapolis at all, and it would certainly be unwise to sign anything absent this Arab acknowledgement. Well… seems as if there will be no declaration, although Olmert is bent on going to Annapolis.
Of course they’re never going to agree to recognizing a Jewish state. Not only is the concept abhorrent to them — as they consider this Muslim land — it would preclude the refugee’s “return.”
Said negotiator Saeb Erekat, “There is no country in the world where religious and national identities are intertwined.” And what about Saudi Arabia? This nation, which is governed by Sharia — Muslim law, doesn’t even let Jews into the country and forbids any public worship, or construction of churches, by Christians.
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If — it should only be! — Olmert would refuse to pursue negotiations if the Palestinians refuse to recognize us as a Jewish state, it would save a great deal of grief.
Olmert gave a briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday. What he told them is that there would be negotiations about the third stage of the Road Map — outlining what would define a final state (including questions of Jerusalem and borders) — but that it wouldn’t be actualized until the first stage — which requires the PA to dismantle terrorism — was implemented.
This may sound safe — we wouldn’t withdraw from anything until they dismantled the terrorist infrastructure. But it most definitely isn’t safe. Experts have been warning about this for some time. Once Olmert were to sign on to specific agreements in theory there would be enormous pressure by the international community for us to proceed no matter what. There is absolutely NO precedent for holding the Palestinians accountable. We’d be told Abbas is trying his best, or that he arrested half a dozen terrorists. Or that he will be better able to carry this out once we strengthen him by giving him a state.
Actually, last week Ahmed Qurei, head of the PA negotiating team, said they had already fulfilled their obligations under the first stage of the Road Map and could proceed. When you finish laughing, you can continue reading. But understand that their brazen gall in making such claims is considerable and part of what has to be dealt with.
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As most of you likely know, there was a Fatah-organized rally in Gaza City on Monday, which attracted 250,000, in commemoration of the third anniversary of Arafat’s death. Hamas forces fired on the crowd, killing six and wounding many more. In the words of Khaled Abu Toameh, this clash represents “the huge challenges facing… Abbas” before Annapolis.
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Last Friday Al-Quds, a London paper, reported that Abbas is leaking the information that Israel plans a major operation in Gaza to retake the Philadelphi Corridor after Annapolis. Presumably Israel shared this information with Abbas (don’t know that this is actually so) and that he is trying to block it because he’s unhappy about it. It’s important to ask WHY Abbas, our “moderate partner for peace,” would be unhappy about an Israeli action to block terrorism in territory that Hamas controls. The fact that he is speaks volumes.
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Let me turn, now, to the greatest source of political insanity: Condoleezza Rice, who gave an address in Nashville at the General Assembly of United Jewish Communities — the largest annual gathering of Jewish leadership. Said she:
“Peace between Israelis and Palestinians is in the strategic interest of the United States.”
Real peace might be. The so-called “peace” she hopes to see negotiated does not serve the US, as a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria will become a headquarters for terrorism, affecting the stability of Jordan and what goes on in Iraq.
“We will defend against any action, as we always have, that would compromise Israel’s security. “
Forgive me, but she lies through her teeth. She consistently pushes Israel to take actions that compromise our security because those actions in her mind serve other purposes. How could she ask us to release prisoners when there is a statistically large possibility of their return to terrorism? Or to remove checkpoints when they are proven to catch terrorists on their way to their crimes of horror?
“Just think back to 2001,” she advised her listeners. “Despite the extraordinary efforts of the Clinton Administration, peace negotiations had collapsed. The violence between Palestinians and Israelis was almost daily… “
Her implication is that the violence came about because Clinton failed to envision the proper parameters for a Palestinian state and thus couldn’t achieve peace. But in point of fact, the violence increased BECAUSE of the “peace negotiations.” It was thought by Arafat that he could accomplish more that way — Clinton, who invited Arafat to the White House more times than any other international leader, never held the Palestinians responsible for their commitments or obligations. (Here we go again.) He kept giving to them, and playing up to them, even (or especially) when they didn’t honor commitments.
How is this different from today — when the US gave large sums to the PA to strengthen it against Hamas in Gaza, and Fatah security people — better armed, more numerous and better trained, ran from Gaza because of lack of WILL, only to find that the US was prepared to give them huge additional sums of money for (more) arms and training? What message has been delivered?
And so, she goes on to explain: “This led the President [Bush] to try a different approach… What… needed to be addressed was the character of the Palestinian state. Would it fight terrorism? Would it govern justly? Would it create opportunity for its people? In our view, the security of the democratic Jewish state required the creation of a responsible Palestinian state.”
Now, neither you nor I can see into Rice’s head. But does it seem the remotest bit likely that she actually believes that Abbas has established a new sort of responsible, democratic state that is fighting terrorism and governs justly and creates opportunity for its people? She’s not a halfwit, which one would have to be to believe this. There is no law and order in the PA areas. Abbas and his cronies are breathtakingly corrupt, and there is no opportunity for the people. (More and more I’m hearing about Palestinians within Israeli jurisdictions who are afraid of being included within a Palestinian state — they far prefer Israeli rule.)
And, if she doesn’t believe this, exactly what is going on, and how does she have the nerve to say this?
Perhaps more to the point, how is it that American Jewish leaders sat still for this garbage and applauded her, rather than rising on their feet and challenging her? That is what is most worrisome.
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Lest you have the wrong impression on this matter: In a poll just done by Ma’agar Mohot, it was found that 65% of the population of Israel opposes a substantial withdrawal from Judea and Samaria because of what happened after the Gaza pullout, and 55% think that the Knesset should remove Olmert. Were we to leave Judea and Samaria, 65% believe there is a high or very high chance that Hamas would take control of the area, and 77% said Abbas lacked the power to prevent attacks.
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Posting: November 11, 2007
“Protest”
Still, still, I am in a holding pattern on personal matters. I cannot apologize for putting first things first — for what matters more than attending to family when a new life is imminent? — and yet I’m mindful that I do not have the time now that I routinely allot to these postings. That time will be reinstated in due course…
I was not going to post tonight, but felt compelled by certain news items to do so. What occurs to me, however, as I post, is that from day to day the situation vis-a-vis Annapolis changes radically, so that if I wait a day what I have to report becomes changed.
Two things move me now. The first is now that Sec. of State Rice has promised the Syrians that return of the Golan Heights will be put on the table at Annapolis if they attend. This news has come via Army Radio, which reports that head of Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin, informed the Cabinet of this situation today. I don’t know what the response of ministers present was or if some already knew of this.
This news is good for raising blood pressure several points. My immediate response: Who does she imagine she thinks she is? The Golan, which has been annexed by Israel, is ours; it affects not only our national rights but our security. She has no right to promise anything.
And so, good people in the US, if you agree with me, please let President Bush hear about this:
President George Bush
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461
e-mail; comments@whitehouse.gov
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Then, on our side of the Atlantic, there’s Minister Eli Yishai, of Shas. Shas should be pulling out of the coalition as I write. But instead Yishai says if he pulls out at all it will be after Annapolis, because he wants to see how things go, first. He doesn’t expect Olmert will make any significant commitments. And if Olmert signs on the dotted line in a way that does commit us? Then what good does pulling out do, after the deed is done? Both Shas and Yisrael Beitenu have to pull out to make the government fall. And of the two parties, Shas is holding back more.
And so, for Israeli citizens I offer contact information for Yishai. Best, of course, is getting religious Sephardim, who constitute the basis of the Shas party, to contact him.
phones: 02-640-8406 or 640-8407 Fax: 02-6662909
aides: David 050-624-0932; Shlomo 050-624-0933 eyishai@knesset.gov.il
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Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu) has demanded of Olmert that he hold a special meeting of the Cabinet to discuss Annapolis before it takes place.
Said Lieberman: “We are cheating ourselves. It’s clear that the Palestinians can’t provide the goods – that is the estimation of established sources. The minute we leave Judea and Samaria, it will only be left for Hamas to decide to take over.”
Additionally, he said, “”There’s nothing written in the Road Map which says the Palestinians are to fight terrorism only in Judea and Samaria. Abbas can’t fight in Gaza and already said he won’t aid a civil war. “
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And then there’s this:
According to Arutz Sheva, Olmert intends to demand that the PA recognize Israel as a Jewish state in the upcoming joint declaration. And according to YNet the Palestinians have said point blank that they will not do so. Of course they won’t. They intend to destroy us as a Jewish state.
But if it comes as no surprise to me that they won’t declare our right to exist as a Jewish state, it occurs to me that many — believing still in Abbas’s “moderation” — may be quite surprised. If so, important learning for them.
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Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat stated yesterday that there hasn’t been any agreement on the document beyond a preamble and that many disagreements remain. A main bone of contention remains the issue of who gets to decide when there has been compliance with a stipulation of the Road Map. The PA is saying Israel backed off from the idea of an oversight committee with the US deciding. Israel says there was never such an agreement.
Meanwhile Israel had indicated that in negotiations the PA had agreed to dismantle terror groups, but PA Information Minister, Riad Malki, in an interview on an American Arabic language radio show, denied that this is so.
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Over 100 investigators from the National Fraud and Investigation Unit have conducted simultaneous raids in 20 different government office sites to seize evidence related to the corruption charges against Olmert. The intention was to collect all relevant data — from the Jerusalem Municipality, the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, etc. — at one time. If only something would actually come of this.
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Yesterday Abbas unveiled a 1.75 million dollar mausoleum for Arafat in Ramallah. Isn’t that sweet? Abbas — who is playing on Arafat’s memory — said that the PA would be continuing in the vision of Arafat, who worked towards a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. It is surrounded by water, and has a segment of railway beneath the tomb, in order to signify its temporary status: the stated goal is to re-bury Arafat in Jerusalem. G-d forbid.
