June 18, 2004

PALESTINIAN CONTACTS WITH THE SUPERPOWERS IN FEAR FROM SUBSTITUTING THE ROAD MAP WITH SHARON'S PLAN. THE QUARTET PREPARES A PLAN TO SUPPORT THE DISENGAGEMENT IN GAZA AND ISRAEL CLOSES THE INDUSTRIAL AREA IN EREZ. SHARON'S CABINET REPRESENTS THE MINORITY IN THE KNESSET. LEBANON LODGES A COMPLAINT AGAINST ISRAEL TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE RAID WHICH TARGETED AL-NAEMA AREA. TURKEY RECALLS ITS AMBASSADOR AND CONSUL GENERAL FROM ISRAEL. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has started a wide contacts with a number of states and international authorities in order to explain the Palestinian stance regarding the latest Israeli government's decision to adopt the unilateral disengagement plan after amending it so that it was empted from its main content which is the withdrawal from the settlements. The Palestinian side fears that Sharon's plane will replace the Road Map especially with escalated US support to it, and the international Quartet's announcement of a timetable to implement it. This means that the Palestinian state will not be announced in 2005 according to the Road Map, and the US and Quartet will be satisfied with the limited withdrawal of Israel from Gaza Strip. Palestine's Negotiation Affairs Minister, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat declared that the contacts are concentrated on the Quartet members to revive the Road Map and work to implement it as a whole which means that Sharon' plan to withdraw from Gaza should be included in the Road Map instead of being a substitute to it. He wondered how long would the Israeli government take to implement its plan if they took so much time to approve it. "If approving this fragmented plan took the Israeli government this long, I wonder how much time it will take to implement it," said Dr. Erekat, The Palestinian National Authority also drew skepticisms over the Israeli cabinet "in principle" approval of Sharon's "revised" go-it-alone "disengagement" plan for withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by a 14 to 7 majority on Sunday evening. Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei' and other Palestinian officials doubted the outcomes of the Israeli approval of Sharon's disengagement plan. Qurei' told reporters following the approval of the plan, "we welcome any Israeli withdrawal from any part of the Palestinian territories, as long as it is in the course of implementing the Road Map, and as long as it will be a full and comprehensive one, including the dismantling of Israeli settlements." "We have the possibilities and ability to assume control over any area the Israelis withdraw from, and we shall cooperate with our Egyptian and Jordanian brothers to reorganize and train our security services, to be able to enforce law and order in our country," Qurei' added. Sharon placated mutinous ministers in his own ruling Likud party by agreeing "not" to vote on the evacuation of the illegal Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip for at least nine months and then only to vote on their evacuation in four phases, each requiring another vote. "The decision adopted (by the cabinet) was for more debate before settlement evacuation," Health Minister Danny Naveh of the Likud told Israel Radio. But by bowing to future votes of his unruly cabinet for each phase of withdrawal, Sharon effectively left the fate of the settlements in the air. The first clause of the Cabinet's decision states that "nothing in this decision involves the evacuation of settlements," the Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on Monday. However, Appendix A states that "the state of Israel will evacuate settlements in the Gaza Strip... and with the completion of the move by 2005 in the areas that are to be evacuated in the land area of the Gaza Strip there will be no permanent Israeli military presence," Ha'aretz added. The Israeli Cabinet also changed the name of the plan from "the Prime Minister's disengagement plan" to "the revised disengagement plan." The words "The evacuation will be complete by 2005" in the original plan were changed to read, "the intention is to complete the evacuation by the end of 2005." Nine Likud members and five ministers from coalition partner Shinui voted for the plan while five other Likud members and two ministers from National Religious Party (NRP) voted against it. Sharon told the Cabinet the preparation period would end next March 1. However, a senior source said it could end "much sooner, in November or December this year, and then we could move to a decision on evacuation," Ha'aretz reported. The 25 settlements to be evacuated will be divided into four groups, and their settlers will receive "fair and appropriate" compensation to be determined by special legislation, the Israeli daily added. Backtracking on its insistence last week that Israel sticks to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's "original" plan, the US Administration has welcomed the Israeli Cabinet's decision to postpone a vote on the evacuation of the illegal Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip until next March. Israel will be transmitting an official version of the "revised disengagement plan" to the US Administration on Monday, Ha'aretz said Before receiving the "revised disengagement plan," Washington welcomed the Israeli Cabinet's decision, calling the plan "a courageous and historic step." "As we have said, we view the Prime Minister's plan to withdraw all settlements in Gaza and certain settlements in the West Bank as a courageous and historic step," the White House said in a statement on Sunday. The United States urged "rapid" implementation of the plan. "We urge that practical preparatory work to implement the plan now proceed as rapidly as possible in Israel," the White House added. It also urged "rapid consultations" between the Quartet committee, Egypt and Jordan on one hand and Israel and the PNA on the other. "We also urge that the international community, working through the Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia) and with the governments of Egypt and Jordan, engage in rapid and continuing consultations with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to help prepare for these withdrawals and make them a successful step towards peace," the statement said. The Israeli government's decision fell far short of what Sharon originally had sought and for which he got guarantees from the US President George W. Bush on April 14, i.e. to evacuate all 21 settlements in Gaza and 4 small ones in the West Bank. The Bush Administration last week made it clear to Israel that Washington was only committed to Sharon's "original" plan. Shortly after the Cabinet's decision, Sharon gave his interpretation of what had been agreed upon. He said the Cabinet had given its backing to evacuate all Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and four from the West Bank by the end of next year. In Cairo, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over the plan of a gradual ‏Israeli pull out from Gaza Strip, said the state radio.‏ ‏ The radio added that Shalom's talks with Mubarak over the plan was within ‏efforts by Cairo and other regional and international parties to prepare a ‏"suitable condition" for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of ‏ the peace plan in the Middle East.‏ ‏ The radio also said that the talks dealt with the Israeli view over the ‏ stance in the Palestinian territories, and the efforts aiming at reviving the ‏ peace process and bringing concerned parties to negotiations.‏ ‏ Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has pledged ‏that by the end of 2005 his plan to dismantle Jewish settlements in Gaza Strip ‏will be completed, Israel Radio said on Wednesday.‏ ‏ The radio added that Sharon made the pledge as he was addressing the ‏ Knesset Foreign and Defense Affairs Committee Wednesday morning.‏ He repeated his unwillingness to compromise on the content and extent of ‏ his "disengagement" plan.‏ ‏ The Premier has also said he will not compromise on his plan to evacuate ‏all of the 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip, and four isolated ones in the ‏ northern West Bank.‏ Sharon asserted that he will not risk damaging Israeli-Washington relations ‏after receiving the backing of President Bush on the original plan.‏ ‏‏ ‏Meanwhile, Israeli Deputy ‏ Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade and Ehud Olmert decided to close the industrial area in ‏Erez north of Gaza Strip immediately, said Israeli media reports.‏ ‏ The reports added that Olmert decided to transfer factories in Erez to ‏ ‏other industrial areas south of Israel. He will also grants a governmental aid to factories seeking to move to ‏southern Israel.‏ ‏ Olmert, who is an advocate of a unilateral pullout plan, considered this ‏ step as a procedure that will provide many jobs to Israeli workers.‏ Some 3000 Palestinian workers, from Gaza, work in the industrial area of ‏ Erez, according to Palestinian statistics. The Israeli Cabinet approved Sharon's revised disengagement plan by a 14 to 7 majority on Sunday evening. In a speech in Jerusalem immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Sharon said that the Cabinet's approval of the plan shows that Israel is "taking its future in its own hands" . Sharon made clear he intends to keep to a pledge to have all the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four more in the northern West Bank evacuated within 18 months. The Israeli Cabinet decision gave the green light to the overall principle of Sharon's plan but did not set any firm timetable for its implementation. "Today the government of Israel has accepted the disengagement plan put before it and sent a clear message to the people of Israel, and to our Palestinian neighbors, and the whole world, that Israel is taking its future in its own hands," Sharon said shortly after the vote.. "Disengagement is on the way and the government decided today that by the end of 2005 Israel intends to get out of the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the West Bank." "It is a decision which ensures the future of Israel, that is good for the security of Israel, for the political standing of Israel, for its economy and for the demography of the Jewish people in the state of Israel," he said. Nine Likud members and five ministers from Shinui voted for the plan while five other Likud members and two ministers from National Religious Party (NRP) voted against it. The vote was halted earlier Sunday when Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Education Minister Limor Livnat demanded that the letters of understanding exchanged between Sharon and US President George W. Bush should not be included in the plan as Sharon asked. The demand was made because the letters that Sharon and Bush exchanged clearly state that settlements would ultimately be evacuated. The letters exchanged between Sharon and Bush in mid-April, when the US President endorsed the Israeli leader's plan. In his letter to Bush, Sharon states that the plan envisages the evacuation of all the Gaza settlements and four isolated West Bank settlements. After the vote, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he would immediately issue orders to the Israel Lands Authority to freeze any new requests for building permits in the Gaza Strip. he also added : "It allows us to keep unity in the Likud and also to put the government on a path to a political solution which gives hope to the public and, of course, will help strengthen Israel's international standing in difficult days," he told Israel private television. Meanwhile, opposition Labor party leader Shimon Peres said he did not think there should be any talks now on a national unity government, adding that neither the Likud nor the Labor had put such a proposal on the table. As for the disengagement plan, he said it is "not clear when or if" the evacuation of settlements from Gaza would begin. "Maybe the Likud has time, and maybe unity in the Likud is of the utmost importance, but Israel does not have time," Peres said. NRP leader Effi Eitam called on his party to leave the coalition after the vote, even as his NRP Minister Ze'vulun Orlev called on the party to remain in the government. Upon leaving the Cabinet following Sunday night's vote, Eitam said, "This is one of the darkest moments in Israel's history." But Orlev said the fact that the text approved by the government does not call for the evacuation of settlements allows for the NRP to stay in the government. Israel Radio said that nine Ministers, members of the Likud Party led by Sharon voted for the plan including Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and education minister Limor Levant after ‏reaching a settlement with Sharon.‏ ‏ Ariel Sharon fired ‏National Union ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Benny Elon on Friday morning in ‏a bid get the revised disengagement plan passed in the cabinet Sunday. ‏ ‏ However, Elon said Friday he would do everything he could to avoid ‏ accepting the dismissal notice so that Sharon would not have a majority in ‏ favor of the plan.‏ ‏ Speaking to Israel Radio, Elon said Sharon had called him to tell him he was fired but that the dismissal was not official until he received the letter. In any case, he said, he could not verify the phone call was actually ‏ from Sharon.‏ "I will do everything I can so that there won't be a majority," Elon said. ‏ ‏ Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon had already informed Cabinet ministers that Lieberman and Elon were being fired, as the government is required to do ‏ by law.‏ ‏ Lieberman said Friday he had no obligation to support the disengagement ‏plan because it had not been passed by the government. ‏ "I'm being fired for disagreeing with the prime minister," he told Israel ‏ ‏Radio, adding he would have resigned had the plan passed. "But as long as the ‏ government has not accepted or approved the plan, it's my right to express ‏my opinion."‏ ‏ Lieberman also accused Sharon of essentially laying the blame for his ‏ ‏failures, such as the split within his own Likud party, at the feet of the ‏ ‏National Union.‏ ‏ Shinui chairman Justice Minister Yosef Lapid said Friday that Lieberman ‏ should have been fired from the government even if there had been no vote on ‏ the disengagement plan. Lapid told Israel Radio that Lieberman's plan to deport Israeli ‏ Arabs who did not show loyalty to the state "compels his removal from the ‏ government." ‏ ‏ The Israeli Labor Party led by Shimon Perez ‏ insinuated on Friday the possibility of joining a governmental coalition to be ‏led by Ariel Sharon, in case he succeeded in winning the current government's ‏approval of the plan to pullout from Gaza Strip.‏ ‏ Member of the party and its former leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that his party will explore the issue of joining Sharon's government objectively in ‏case the pullout plan from Gaza was approved by the current government.‏ ‏ Ben Eliezer expressed his support of joining a government of national unity to be led by Sharon, "only if the alternative is to destroy the political ‏process."‏ ‏ ‏Meanwhile, Israeli Housing Minister Effi Eitam turned in his resignation to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in protest ‏against his Gaza pullout plan.‏ The resigning minister belongs to the National Religious Party (NRP), which ‏has six seats in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset).‏ ‏ "After Sunday's Cabinet decision, we can no longer be party to the ‏responsibility (of being a government member) and I hereby serve notice with ‏much regret that I resign from the government," Eitam wrote in his letter.‏ ‏ But another of the NRP's six deputies, Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, has ‏ decided to remain in the cabinet. Orlev was reported to be furious at his ‏colleagues' decision and had urged them to reconsider their move. ‏ In the meantime, Palestinian officials announced that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat notified the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he accepts his demands concerning Palestinian security reforms so as to allow Egypt to carry out a possible role in Gaza after the likely Israeli withdrawal from it. This was expressed by a message sent by Arafat to Mubarak in response to conditions set by Cairo in order to accept the help in ensuring Gaza's stability after Israel's withdrawal. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of ‏ Fateh, said Sunday its fighters attacked an Israeli personnel carrier, as it ‏was passing near Rafah on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders.‏ ‏ Spokesman of the Brigades said in several phone calls with a number of ‏ international news agencies in Gaza that members of the Brigades bombed this ‏ morning the Israeli carrier near Al-Barazil neighborhood in Rafah, which led ‏ to destroying the carrier and wounding a number of the Israeli soldiers on ‏ board. In Cairo, UN Middle East envoy Terry Larson ‏ described an Egyptian plan to activate a peace settlement in Gaza as "good," ‏ adding that the plan is supported by influential international parties.‏ ‏ Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Arab League Secretary ‏General Amr Moussa, he said the meeting covered the situation in the Middle East specifically what is relevant to the Palestinian issue and the Israeli ‏withdrawal from Gaza.‏ ‏ The officials discussed means to carry out the pullout and agreed on the ‏ ‏importance of recognizing Israel's withdrawal as one part of the more ‏ comprehensive road map peace plan.‏ ‏ Terje Roed-Larsen welcomed the Israeli Cabinet's decision to begin ‏ preparations for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. ‏ "I took positive note particularly of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's ‏ announcement that this intention is to evacuate all settlement in the Gaza ‏ Strip," Larsen said in a statement distributed here.‏ He added that the international community, led by the Quartet, has ‏repeatedly pledged its support to any Israeli plan that would lead to an end of the occupation of the Gaza Strip.‏ ‏ One Israeli soldier was hit by shelling fired by the Hizbullah party at an Israeli military position in Shebaa farms to the southern east of Lebanon. The Israeli sources said that missile shelling targeted one of the positions in the area. News reports in Lebanon said that several towns near Shebaa farms witnessed a reciprocated bombardment between the Israeli army ad the Hizbullah and the Israeli warplanes was roving the atmosphere of the area while Hizbullah anti- aircraft means intercepted them. The Israeli artillery bombarded the outskirts of Kafer Shouba town near the Shebaa farms after an attack by missile launched by members of the Hizbullah party at an Israeli occupation forces position in Rweset Al-Alam and Rweisat Al-Sammaqa. The Hizbullah operations came following an Israeli raid targeted on Monday evening Haret al-Naema area, 20 Km to the south of Beirut. A Lebanese source said that the attack targeted an area including a base for the "people's front for the liberation of Palestine- general command." However, a member in the front said that the targeted building is now used as a hospital. The raid came a short time after firing mortar shelling -- according to Israel -- was about to hit one Israeli military ship in Raas al-Naqoura to the north of Israel. The Lebanese Hizbullah party denied any links to firing the missile and Israeli warplanes carried a raid on Monday on ‏ Al-Naema hills just south of Beirut launching four air-to-surface missiles.‏ ‏ ‏Israeli warplanes on Monday launched missiles on ‏ sites belonging to the Popular Front for Liberating Palestine, led by Ahmad ‏ Jebril, at Al-Naema hills (20 km south east of Beirut).‏ A Lebanese security source confirmed that the ‏ Israeli warplanes had carried out three raids using six heavy missiles (1500 ‏pounds) at the entrance and surroundings of a big tunnel affiliated to the ‏ Popular Front.‏ ‏ ‏The attack was preceded by six illusive raids carried out by Israeli ‏ warplanes over Al-Naema hills, which are controlled by the Front.‏ The Israeli warplanes had earlier today raided the space of south Lebanon ‏ and Mount Lebanon, but were forced to withdraw by land anti-aircraft ‏ ‏resistance affiliated to Lebanese Army in Saida. A Lebanese security source said that Israeli warplanes fired a least three missiles at a base for the Palestinian resistance to the south of Beirut on Monday evening. The source explained that the attack on Al-Neima village, 20 Km to the south of Beirut "targeted an area where there is a huge base for a radical Palestinian group which has Damascus as a headquarters." A statement by the Israeli occupation forces said that " the raid came as an answer to firing missiles from Lebanon unto Israeli naval vessels sailing in the Israeli territorial waters in the Mediterranean waters earlier in the day. No reports on immediate material or human casualties were given. An official in the People's Front For the Liberation of Palestine -- the general command, called Abu Rushdi said that Israeli planes fired on Monday two missiles at previous positions for the front on the Lebanese coast facing Al-Naema town. He added " we do not know in particular the target which was bombarded." Lebanon has lodged a complaint to the General Secretariat of the United Nations regarding the latest Israeli aggressions on the Lebanese lands. "Lebanon holds Israel responsible for all repercussions of its aggressive policy and urges the UN and the international community to curb Israel's violations and aggressions on Lebanon" the complaint submitted by Lebanon's Permanent Representative to the UN Sami Qrunful included. "The Lebanese government draws the UN's attention to the dangerous results of those Israeli practices that violate Lebanon's sovereignty," it added. On the other hand, the Israeli Defense Minister Shaoul Mofaz reiterated, in a statement quoted by the website of the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, threats made by his deputy, saying that the Israeli raid was " a clear warning to that Israel will not be subjected before any violations of its lands." The Israeli Deputy Minister of Defense Zaef Bweim warned that "Israel will not permit Lebanon to be the starting point to launch terrorist attacks on its territories. " ‏In Ankara, the Turkish government has summoned its ambassador to Tel Aviv for talks, said Turkey's news agency (ANKA) on Tuesday. ‏ The Turkish Ambassador Feridun Siniioglu arrived in Ankara last night and he is expected that Turkey's Consul-General to Jerusalem Huseyin Avni Bicakli ‏ will also arrive from Jerusalem later today.‏ ‏ The reason for the summon is believed to be connected to the harshly-worded ‏ statements issued by Turkey in protest of the recent escalation of Israeli ‏aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly the events that took ‏ place in Rafah. ‏ ‏ The Israeli Foreign Ministry has said that such comments would prove to be ‏ harmful to its relations with Turkey. ‏ ‏ Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has hinted in previous statements ‏ that there was a possibility for summoning the ambassador, and also said that ‏it was possible for a Turkish ambassador to be assigned to Jerusalem instead ‏of the Consul-General, who represents Turkey to the Palestinian authority.‏ ‏ The summoning coincides with Gul's return from Cairo, which could indicate ‏coordination with Egypt on exerting additional pressure on the Israeli ‏government, according to the news agency. ‏‏ ‏Turkish-Israeli relations are now at their worst ‏as a result of the statements of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ‏and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in which they strongly condemned Israel's continuing aggression on the Palestinian people, a Turkish political expert ‏ said.‏ ‏ Mustafa Karaalioglu said that Turkey's move to recall its ambassador ‏ in Tel Aviv to hold consultations is a pivotal point in Ankara's policy ‏ towards Israel.‏ ‏ Statements of Turkish officials which clearly considered Israel's attacks ‏ ‏as "state terrorism" reflect Ankara's new approach to activate its role ‏ ‏regionally and internationally on the Palestinian issue, he said.‏ ‏ The stance of Turkish officials is based on their Islamic thinking which ‏ does not allow them to ignore the unlawful operations carried out by theIsraeli government of Ariel Sharon as previous Turkish governments had done in ‏the past.‏ ‏ The government of the Justice and Development Party in Ankara reflects ‏through its opposition of Israeli assaults the true feelings of the Turkish public of which a majority rejects the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, he said.‏ ‏ Many Turkish civil organizations have called on Ankara to boycott Israel ‏and to freeze the cooperation agreements signed between the two sides.‏ ‏ "Ankara could also be seeking to satisfy Islamic nations through its firm stance against Israel especially now that the Turkish government is trying to convince countries that are members of the Islamic Conference Organization ‏(OIC) to endorse a Turkish candidate for the post of OIC Secretary General," ‏ he said. ‏ Following his meeting with the Egyptian President Hosni Mumarak in Cairo yesterday, the Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gull played down the issue of confiscating weapons sent to Egypt from Istanbul port. He said the two sides discussed issues on Iraq, Palestine and Cyprus and Gull rejected the " Syria's accountability law " which does not fulfill its due results. Gull also considered that the content of the American reforms initiative as " is not understood and stressed the need that the reforms to stem from local needs not because somebody else asked us for that." On the ship of weapons, Gull said " I informed the Egyptian President on this matter and we will solve it very quickly. This is a technical question that should not be magnified." On Thursday, the Turkish authorities announced finding in containers in Istanbul port a missile directed by remote control and spearheads and launching base sent to Egypt. Gull said he had discussed with Mubarak the developments in Iraq, the Palestinian question and the question of Cyprus." He had handed him over a message from the Turkish President Ahmad Necdet Sezar. He also added he had asked the Egyptian President " Egypt's support for the Turkish candidate for the post of the secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference OIC." Gul also met with the secretary general of the Arab league Amr Moussa and the Middle East News Agency MENA quoted Gull as saying that " his country asked President Mubarak's help and support to abrogate the economic embargo and the isolation imposed on the Turkish part of Cyprus. "