Update on Three Kidnapped Soldiers
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud BaraK today said the Red Cross will visit the three IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hizb’Allah on Saturday along the Lebanese border.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Bush Administration to Steer New Course in Mideast
On his last full day in office, US President Bill Clinton gave the incoming Bush administration some unsolicited advice on how to handle foreign policy, but with the Middle East still sliding towards conflict, clearer heads are urging a complete reassessment of the Clinton approach to regional peace-making.
Palestinian Violence Still Hampering Tourism to Israel
This past weekend, the last open hotel in the town of Nazareth, an important place of Christian pilgrimage, closed its door, a sign of the sagging fortunes of the tourism business in Israel since the outbreak of the Palestinian intifada.
Europe, US Parting Ways Over Peace Process
In what appears to be a growing divide between US and European approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the European Union this week expressed support for the Palestinian position that Israeli concessions made since the Camp David talks should serve as the starting point for future negotiations.
Israel Rebuffs One-Sided UN Resolution
In an uncharacteristically strong statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the UN Security Council’s unbalanced resolution blaming Israel for using “excessive force” in the recent Palestinian uprising. The statement dated 8 October 2000 also contains veiled criticism of the US for refusing to veto the harsh measure.
PLO Plans to Flood Jerusalem With Refugees
An Arab reporter for the Hebrew-language newspaper YERUSHALAYIM recently reviewed the plans of the Palestinian Authority should Israel cede control over east Jerusalem, which includes a plot to flood the city with Palestinian refugees.
Marathon Talks Off and Running
After Prime Minister Ehud Barak gave his approval, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators launched an intense round of peace talks in Sinai on Sunday to try to reach a framework agreement before the February 6 election in Israel. Barak is playing down expectations and blaring his “red lines” to Israeli voters, but his negotiating team seemed a bit surprised by the Palestinian side’s sudden willingness to quickly ink an accord.
Arafat’s Davos Speech Nixes Positive Election Spin Out of Taba
The week-long Taba peace talks concluded on Saturday with an upbeat assessment from Israeli negotiators – backed up by a joint statement with the Palestinians – that the two sides were “closer than ever” to a final agreement, and just needed a little more time to close the deal.
The Battle for Truth: Case Study One
As is often the case in the Middle East, the first casualty in the recent wave of Arab-Israeli clashes was truth, which was baldly proven by the flagship print daily in the US this past week.
Israel, PA Giving Clinton One Last Chance
The Palestinian uprising is still raging and he may only head a caretaker government, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has decided to urgently re-engage the Palestinians in negotiating a peace agreement before the end of the Clinton Administration. While it is unclear if the apparent movement is serious, Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat is in trouble with his people for agreeing to play along.
Fatah Behind Terror Attack Inside Israel
Israel’s security services have captured the terrorist responsible for planting pipe bombs on a Tel Aviv bus two weeks ago, and it turns out he is a Fatah activist of Jordanian origin.
Hamas Films Ambush on IDF Tank in Gaza
Hamas staged a roadside bombing in Gaza on Monday that harkened back to the IDF’s long fight against Hizb’Allah in Lebanon, while the Arab woman believed to be part of a Fatah terrorist cell that lured Jewish teenager Ofir Rahum to his death in an ambush near Ramallah last Wednesday has been captured by Israeli security forces.
No Let-Up in Palestinian Uprising
Despite the announcement by both sides of a resumption of negotiations, the violent Palestinian intifada continued to claim life and limb over the weekend.
Palestinians Vow No Let Up In Intifada
Though some detected a “lull” in the three-month-old intifada due to fatigue, Palestinians used gunfire and firebombs to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians throughout Judea/Samaria and Gaza in recent days, following pledges by militant groups to continue the armed struggle with Israel until their political goals are achieved.
WAQF Still Churning Up Temple Mount
In a serious replay of past “archaeological crimes,” the Muslim Waqf on the Temple Mount has once again recklessly dug in areas rich with ancient artifacts, this time on the raised platform around the Dome of the Rock, and Israelis are upset that Prime Minister Ehud Barak refuses to stop it.
IDF Intercepts Terrorists Inside Northern Border
There has been a marked increase in Palestinian attacks following the premature break-up of peace talks in Taba on Saturday evening, while the IDF managed to intercept an armed Palestinian squad infiltrating from Lebanon, leaving two terrorists dead.
Clinton Passing Bush Hot Baton in Mideast
The renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington on Tuesday comes just as US President-elect George Bush and his growing list of apointees arrive in town to pick up the scrambled pieces of American diplomacy in the Middle East left by the Clinton Administration.
Clinton Runs Out of Time and Options For Mideast Peace
Outgoing US President Bill Clinton appears to have finally given up on his long quest to forge a landmark Israeli-Palestinian peace pact before leaving office, as his special Mideast envoy Dennis Ross on Wednesday postponed a planned trip to the region. The move is a setback to the electoral hopes of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who wanted Clinton to issue a “presidential declaration” on the status of negotiations to aid his waning chances for retaining office in early February balloting.
Israeli-Palestinian clashes center on holy sites
JERUSALEM, Israel, 11 October 2000 (Newsroom) — With more than 90 deaths and the destruction of synagogues and mosques, observers increasingly are describing the recent strife between Palestinians and Israelis as a religious war.
Are Renewed Talks Over Truce or Temple Mount?
With violence continuing and an election battle heating up back in Israel, US officials on Tuesday held preliminary discussions with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington aimed at securing a cease-fire and paving the way for resumption of final-status talks. Israeli media, however, is filled with talk of new Israeli concessions in Jerusalem.