News and Observations from Israel 2.8.96 (fwd)
Brock Rozen
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Subject: News and Observations from Israel 2.8.96
News and Observations from Israel
Aaron Lerner 2 August, 1996
*** PROTESTS OF DEATH OF MAHMOUD JUMAYAL
Thousands of Palestinians participated in a demonstration in Nablus=20
protesting the death from torture of Mahmoud Jumayal, of the Fatah
Hawks. Jumayal died after being tortured by Palestinian police.=20
Protesters carried signs reading "No to Gaza Rule". Fatah
activists distributed a handbill in Nablus against "barbaric
behavior". The Palestinian police were also attacked at a meeting
of the Palestinian Council. Husan Khader, a Fatah activist from
Nablus, complained at the meeting that he was jailed by Israel 23
times but never experienced the kind of torture used now by the
Palestinian police. The Council called on the Palestinian
Authority to cleanse the Palestinian security forces of "the
sickness of sadism". An observer committee of Israeli Arabs called
on the Palestinian Authority to "put an end to political arrests
and damage to human rights in the Palestinian state, which led to
the death of more than one."=20
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** NETANYAHU TO DEAL WITH JORDANIAN COMPLAINTS
The Jordanians complain that many of the agreements with Israel
have not been followed through on - mostly in the area of economics
and water. Among other things, Jordan wants the procedure from
moving goods from Jordan into the West Bank to be simplified and
for water to be divided in accordance with the agreement. The
Labor government promised to help get international support for the
construction of new bridges on the Jordan River but so far nothing
has happened.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** IRAN SUPPLYING SPECIAL MORTAR
According to one of the leaders of the Iraqi opposition movement
against Sadam Hussein, Iraq has distributed to terrorists around
the world a specially designed mortar which can be readily smuggled
in three innocuous parts. The 320 mm diameter tube has a 650 meter
range and can load 190 kilo of explosives whose blast covers 250
square meters.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** SYRIAN INTERESTS AGAINST =B2AGREEMENT IN LEBANON
According to French sources, the Syrians oppose an agreement which
would allow Israel withdraw from Lebanon because an Israeli
withdrawal would lead to pressure on Syria to withdraw as well.=20
Another consideration is that if Israel withdraws from Lebanon this
will considerably reduce the leverage which Syria has in
negotiations with Israel.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
=20
*** NACHMAN: PALESTINIANS BUYING LAND NEAR SETTLEMENTS
Ron Nachman, head of the Ariel Council, complained that
Palestinians from outside of the country are buying up land around
settlements with the encouragement of the Palestinian Authority
(PA). The PA controls the Land Records for the area and guarantees
to register each transaction within a month. In contrast, Jews
find it impossible now to buy land. Each transaction is subject to
publication and this essentially means a death sentence to any Arab
who dares sell now to a Jew.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** MINISTRY OF HOUSING TO SURVEY BUILDING POTENTIAL IN SETTLEMENTS
Deputy Minster of Housing Meir Porush instructed his aid to prepare
a list of all development plans for the settlements with an eye
towards integrating these plans with construction plans of the
government.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** BENVENISTI: HIRSCHFELD & NETANYAHU HAVE SIMILAR IDEAS
In an Op Ed column in "Haaretz", Leftist Meiron Benvenisti points
out that the agreement which Yair Hirschfeld claims to have reached
with Abu Mazen (Mazen denies he agreed) follows the same principle
raised by Netanyahu: that settlement activity can change the
nature of the final agreement. The Hirschfeld agreement would have
Israel control areas within the West Bank in which the bulk of the
settlers live. While geographically small, the settlements are
located in positions which control water sources and make possible
the creation of a network of security roads also under Israeli
control which "cantonize" the Palestinian entity. Benvenisti
argues that if Beilin considers this proposed agreement, which is
based on the present settlement map, to be a positive development,
then he has no right to call Netanyahu's settlement plans a
"disaster for the Jewish People" since it is simply geared to
create additional settlements and thicken settlements so that the
settlement map will leave Israel with an even better deal.
("Haaretz" 2 August, 1996)
*** AVITAL & SHINHAR OUT, SHAMIR TO STAY IN AMMAN
Collette Avital (Counsel General in New York) and Aliza Shinhar,
the Ambassador to Moscow, are among the diplomats who will end
their service overseas shortly. Shimon Shamir, the Ambassador to
Amman, will keep his position.
("Yediot Ahronot" 2 August, 1996)
*** CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF UFO's
The head of Atmospheric Sciences at The Hebrew University, Prof.=20
Ariel Cohen has called on the Minister of Science to establish a
committee to investigate the many recent reports of UFO's in
Israel.
("Maariv" 2 August, 1996)
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Associate =20
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
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