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October 17, 2005 - Vol. 7, Issue 13

Peace Now Launches New Peace Initiative: The Israeli Peace Now movement presented a new peace initiative last week that calls for the evacuation of 43 settlements in the West Bank in a two-stage plan, along with the removal of illegal West Bank outposts and the renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians.

Peace Now Launches New Peace Initiative: The Israeli Peace Now movement presented a new peace initiative last week that calls for the evacuation of 43 settlements in the West Bank in a two-stage plan, along with the removal of illegal West Bank outposts and the renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians. The new campaign was launched under the banner, "The Next Evacuation, Coming to You Soon." Peace Now's secretary-general Yariv Oppenheimer said that, "The next evacuation is only a matter of time. The prime minister should look the settlers in the eye and announce out loud which settlers he will evacuate." Peace Now said that the realization of the plan would open "a window of opportunity" for the renewal of the peace process and the creation of a new reality for the Israeli and Palestinian nations. "The disengagement plan proved that Israeli society is willing and able to accept settlement evacuation, and the attempts of the Israeli right-wing to torpedo a step in which settlements are evacuated did not succeed. Israeli democracy won out," the group argued.

According to Peace Now, in order to build on the positive dynamics in the region, both sides must take a number of diplomatic and security steps and renew dialogue channels, so that a peace agreement can be reached on the basis of two states for two nations in accordance with the 1967 borders. "The price of keeping the settlements, especially those in the heart of the Palestinian territories, has become unacceptable to Palestinian and Israeli societies. The continuance of settlement evacuation is first and foremost an Israeli interest, and it can improve the security situation, along with the economic and diplomatic standing of the State of Israel in the present and the future," the group said.

Under the plan, Peace Now established the following criteria for evacuating settlements: Proximity to Palestinian population centers; distance from the Green Line; the settlement's size; and the ability to create a safe passageway. The 26 settlements slated for evacuation in Stage One of the plan include Hermesh, Mevo Dotan, Elon Moreh, Yitzhar, Itamar, Bracha, and Tapuach, as well as the Jewish presence in Hebron. Peace Now said that implementation of this stage would allow the army to withdraw from large parts of the West Bank. Stage Two of the withdrawal would include the evacuation of Shavei Shomron, Kedumim, Eli, Shilo, Ofra, and Beit El, among others. The settlements marked for evacuation are situated mostly east of the security fence and are relatively isolated within large concentrations of Palestinians. (Ynetnews.com & Ha'aretz, 10/19/05)

Hurricane Yesha: Just because Israel has evacuated its settlements from Gaza and part of the West Bank doesn't mean that its settlement activity in the rest of the occupied territories has stopped. Quite the opposite. Israel has been accelerating construction of its West Bank security barrier, expropriating more land in the West Bank than it left in Gaza, and building thousands of new settlement homes. "It's a trade off: the Gaza Strip for the settlement blocs; the Gaza Strip for Palestinian land; the Gaza Strip for unilaterally imposing borders," said Dror Etkes, head of Peace Now's Settlements Watch project. "They don't know how long they've got. That's why they're building like maniacs." At the core of the strategy is the 420-mile West Bank barrier, which many Israeli politicians regard as marking out a future border. Its route carves out large areas for expansion of the main Jewish settlements of Ariel, Maale Adumim, and Gush Etzion, and expropriates swaths of Palestinian land by separating it from its owners.

In parallel, new building on Jewish settlements during the first quarter of 2005 rose by 83%, compared with the same period last year. About 4,000 homes are under construction in the West Bank settlements. The total number of settlers has risen again this year, with an estimated 14,000 moving to the West Bank, compared with 8,500 forced to leave Gaza. Israel is also continuing to expand the amount of territory it intends to keep. In July alone, it seized more land in the West Bank than it surrendered in Gaza. It withdrew from about 19 square miles of territory, while sealing off 23 square miles of the West Bank around Maale Adumim. (The Guardian, 10/18/05)

The Brad And Jen Of Terror? According to intelligence obtained by the Palestinian security services, Hamas in the Gaza Strip has split into two camps that are fighting over the future direction of the movement, particularly over its policy vis-à-vis terror attacks. Information Israel has obtained confirms those reports. According to the information, one of the commanders of Hamas' military wing in Gaza recently resigned, saying that terror attacks in Gaza were "obsolete." Palestinian security officials said that bitter ideological differences between two main camps have divided Hamas. One camp is headed by Mahmoud a-Zahar, who takes a more extremist stance. "He wants to be like Rantisi and not to compromise on the issue of military activity," said one high-ranking officer from the Palestinian security organizations. "The younger generation gets excited by his rhetoric and goes with him, but not the senior leaders. The only one who has gone with a-Zahar is Nizar Rian, whom everyone in Gaza calls "the liar with four wives." Alternatively, Ismail Haniya, another prominent leading figure in Hamas, has taken a far more moderate approach, which enjoys the support of most of the other senior leaders in Gaza and in the West Bank as well. "Haniya realizes that a new situation has been created," underscored the Palestinian officer. "He believes that if [Hamas] wants to succeed in the elections, there is no choice but to collect its weapons. He won't agree to turn the guns over to the PA, but believes that they should be stored away on the side and that the military operations should be suspended."

The Palestinian officer said that Haniya's camp enjoys broader support. He also said that a certain degree of moderation was discernable in Hamas' military wing. According to PA information, the commander of the popular army, Ahmed Jaabri, and another two commanders, Ahmed Randud and Marwan Issa, have also come to the conclusion that military activities are not received well by the Palestinian street. The three officers were deeply influenced by the Palestinian public's reaction to the explosion of a Qassam rocket in the Jabalya refugee camp during a Hamas march in which 20 people were killed. Israeli intelligence officials have discerned a similar process under way within Hamas.

According to Israeli information, a fierce battle is being waged between the vying groups in Hamas over its future path, and even the senior commanders of Iz a Din al-Qassam are divided over these differences. "One of the senior commanders, who served for a long time as a target for assassination, recently decided to resign," revealed an Israeli intelligence source. "He informed his comrades that this was no longer the course of action he wanted to pursue any more." It has become evident that the tensions within Hamas are not restricted only to the activists in the territories. According to reports received by Israel, there are strong differences of opinion between Hamas members in Gaza and the headquarters in Damascus. Some of the most prominent activists do not talk with one another at all as a result. (Ma'ariv, 10/20/05)

The Young & The Restless: Over 240 members of the main Palestinian political faction, Fatah, resigned in Gaza last week in a sign of internal division ahead of a vote to choose parliamentary candidates. The 244 mainly young members from the southern town of Rafah signed a mass letter of resignation to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying, "We have spent the last ten years trying to improve the conditions in Fatah. During the past five years of the Intifada we also made precious sacrifices to reform the party and lead it to a better path. Today we are submitting our resignations in protest against the lack of democracy and accountability in the party." They also demanded jobs.

Fatah is divided between the young guards, members demanding reforms, and an old guard from the days of late leader Yasser Arafat that is widely seen as being tainted by corruption and incompetence. The members who resigned said they feared the primary elections would not be fair since the old guard has more influence. Fatah's primary elections were supposed to have been held earlier this month, but were delayed for several weeks because of the power struggle between the young guard and the old guard. The latest crisis is seen as a severe blow to Abbas' efforts to unite Fatah ahead of parliamentary elections in a bid to prevent Hamas from making a strong showing. "The divisions in Fatah and the deepening crisis between the young guard and the old guard play into the hands of Hamas," said a top Fatah official in Ramallah. (Jerusalem Post, 10/18/05 & Daily Star, 10/19/05)

Salad Days In Gaza: Contrary to popular belief, the greenhouses left behind by settlers in Gaza were not all destroyed when Israel evacuated the area. In fact, new crops are growing in them, but Palestinians are worried about exporting the produce through routes controlled by Israel. First harvests of tomatoes and peppers are due next month from plants that were quickly transplanted after Israeli troops pulled out on September 12th. Basil Jaber, chair of the Palestine Economic Development Company (PEDC) said that 1,500 of the 2,000 greenhouses left intact had now been replanted. PEDC plans to invest euro 33 million in developing them all. But exporting the harvest still depends on Israel, which controls all Gaza's routes for exporting goods abroad. If it is impossible to export the produce, Jaber said it would be dumped rather than sold locally so as not to damage the market for Gaza's other farmers. He said the greenhouses had created about 7,000 jobs directly and indirectly.

The international community is also getting concerned about the lack of progress on border crossings. The Quartet's envoy, James Wolfensohn, delivered a detailed letter on the matter to leaders of both sides, scolding them and inferring dissatisfaction with Israel's actions in this regard. He criticized the lack of progress made on issues related to freedom of movement and the passage of Palestinian agricultural produce through the border crossings. Israeli sources said he is frustrated by the lack of progress. While criticizing the Palestinians, he also expressed his dissatisfaction with the difficulties the Israeli defense establishment is putting in the way of implementing the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings. Sources in the international community have also voiced concerns over the fact that Israel is not taking any visible steps to make progress ahead of the Palestinian elections, and this is weakening Abbas. (Reuters, 10/19/05 & Ha'aretz, 10/20/05)

When The Happy Pills Run Low: Stones, water, and verbal abuse seem to be the order of the day for settlers and their supporters when interacting with IDF officers because of smoldering anger over disengagement. First, over one hundred religious and Haredi worshippers attacked Director of Human Resources Branch Maj. Gen. Elazar Stern in the Western Wall plaza, throwing stones and bags of water at him and shouting "Wicked man," "Closer of yeshivas," and "Expeller of Jews." In the end, Stern left the plaza with a police escort, but without injury. In Hebron, soldiers who visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs on Yom Kippur and on the eve of the holiday were attacked with shouts and reproaches from Jewish worshippers because of the IDF's role in the disengagement plan. When soldiers donned skullcaps and entered the Tomb, they encountered shouts of, "You expelled Jews!" and "Get out of here!" After soldiers entered the prayer area on Yom Kippur, the service stopped and arguments broke out among the worshippers as to whether it was permitted to continue to pray with them.

Angry settlers also assaulted Col. (res.) Menashe Goldblatt, who had come to visit his brother at the settlement of Neveh Tzuf, and tried to paste stickers on his back that read, "We will never forgive nor forget." Finally, when OC Central Command Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh arrived at the scene of the recent terror attack at the Gush Etzion junction, right-wing extremists assaulted him with shouts of, "Go take off your kippa, you low-life, expeller of Jews who has no God. Shame on you. You disgrace your kippa, you religious poodle." (Yedioth Ahronoth, 10/16 & 19/05; Hatzofe, 10/16/05; & Ma'ariv, 10/19/05)

The State Of Judea: Commenting about the surge in right-wing attacks against Israeli soldiers in the post-disengagement period, Nehemia Strasler wrote, "There are some who are intoxicated by the surprising victory of the State of Israel over the state of Judea. But those in the state of Judea regard it as a temporary setback, the loss of a single battle as they prepare for the next war. As part of their preparations they are trying to loosen the hands of the IDF officers and soldiers. They want to instill in them the fear that they dare not execute the next order that comes down for an evacuation. They want to prove that the rabbinical decrees are more powerful than military commands.The attacks and boycotts are aimed at all those who took part in the evacuation of Gush Katif.The war is also being conducted against rabbis who said on the eve of the disengagement that the rule of the state is the law, and therefore, the government decision must be accepted and military orders must be followed. Today, activists from Judea and Samaria and formerly of Gaza are trying to get those rabbis removed. Judea and Samaria residents aren't even ashamed to interrogate every soldier before they give him a hitchhiking ride. If he was at the evacuation, he can walk. True, he defended them with his body, but in the state of Judea, the end justifies all means.

"The state of Judea was established in the mid-70s by Gush Emunim, with the quiet support of the State of Israel, which embraced them warmly and flooded them with enormous budgets. While the State of Israel still doesn't have a long school day or school lunch program for all pupils, the state of Judea does. Not only is education free, but every baby gets a free day care center at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer so their parents can demonstrate without undue worries against the State of Israel that finances them. In the State of Israel, men serve 36 months in the army. But in hesder yeshivot, which graduate about 900 students a year after they have been collectively brainwashed by the state of Judea, they only serve 18 months in the army and spend the other 18 months in yeshiva. That's because the State of Israel is considerate and surrendering, makes concessions, and in general bows down to the state of Judea.

"That's how the State of Israel has behaved since 1975, when the Sebastia settlement went up. Since then, and to this very day, Gush Emunim and lately the Yesha Council have set the priorities for the State of Israel. Since then and to this very day, a religious-nationalistic minority has taken over the free majority and been the exclusive setter of the agenda: settlements and more settlements. As the holders of the balance of political power, there was no way to maintain an administration without them. They decided, in effect, who would be premier and how long he would last in office. Since the Sebastia settlement, all Israeli governments have squirmed, stuttered, and lied when it comes to the settlements, but in effect, they have executed the plans of the state of Judea: to spread as many settlements as possible throughout the West Bank to make compromise and evacuation impossible.

"While the state of the Jews gets unlimited resources for spacious bypass highways, tunnels, and huge bridges, in the State of Israel, the infrastructure is deteriorating, the roads and clover-leafs are reminiscent of the Third World. The lack of budgets is also a main reason for poverty because for 30 years, the State of Israel has not had enough money for education, welfare, vocational training, and environmental protection. It has all gone to the state of Judea, where there's money for everything. Poverty and social crisis simply does not exist there. Full of money and certain of their righteousness, the people of the state of Judea are planning the next war. They learned some things from failures during the disengagement process. Now they want to initially control the army as well as key positions in education and culture, in the press and TV, and in academia, the courts, Knesset and government. Their goal is a velvet revolution. To replace the leadership with their own people." (Ha'aretz, 10/21/05)

The Russian Front: Russian military experts arrived in Gaza to help the Palestinian security forces enforce law and order. According to Palestinian officials, the Russian experts have begun training Palestinian security forces in various fields. This was the first time that Russian officers had arrived in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas. The experts later plan to also help train forces in the West Bank. A senior Israeli official confirmed that Russian advisers were in Gaza, saying that since Gaza is no longer under Israeli control, Israel does not have a say on which country dispatches advisers to the area. Although Israel agreed to non-lethal aid being provided by Russia to the Palestinians, it still objects to Russia sending armored personnel carriers or helicopters. The Russians have begun working even as the Palestinian Authority bragged recently about preventing 17 terrorist attacks against Israel during its first month of self-rule in Gaza. In that time, the PA has also found 75 explosives, confiscated 15 Qassam rockets, and halted seven attempts to smuggle goods across the Egyptian border.

Israeli security sources confirmed that over the past month, an awakening has taken place in the activity of the Palestinian security services. There were also several cases in which explosive charges and guns discovered in various locations in the West Bank were turned over to Israel. Israeli sources said that the Palestinian security services also made arrests recently of several suspects, who were sent to prison in Jericho. "They are managing to do something within the anarchy, but we still can't talk about a battle or war against terrorism," said security sources. (Jerusalem Post, 10/16/05; Ha'aretz, 10/16/05; & Yedioth Ahronoth, 10/17/05)

Homer's Arabic Odyssey: Brian Whitaker reports in The Guardian that the Simpsons have learned Arabic and started talking like Egyptians in honor of Ramadan. In the process, their family name has been changed to Shamsoon, Bart has been re-named Badr, and Homer has been transformed into Omar and put on a strict diet that excludes Duff beer and pork sausages (so much for the Moe's Tavern episodes). As a treat for TV viewers during the month of fasting, Dubai-based MBC has dubbed into Arabic 30 episodes of the The Simpsons and is showing them twice a day. The satellite network signed up several of the most popular Egyptian actors to provide the new voices for the characters. Unlike most cartoons on Arab TV, MBC is not aiming The Simpsons at children. If the experiment proves successful, the series "will form the backbone of the network's attempt to create a new category of adult cartoons," according to MBC. Can South Park be far behind? (The Guardian, 10/17/05)