Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations

in association with the Fairness Project
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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DAILY ALERT

June 12, 2002

To contact the Presidents Conference:
[email protected]

In-Depth Issue:

Private Enterprise in the Palestinian Authority

    Jibril Rajoub, the chief of preventive security in the West Bank, and Muhammad Dahlan, who resigned recently as Rajoub's counterpart in Gaza, both have independent sources of revenue.
    Israeli officials say that Rajoub's money comes from a casino, now closed, in Jericho and from gasoline supplies.
    Dahlan's income comes from fees -- some Palestinians call it extortion -- levied on supplies imported into the Gaza Strip from the restricted crossings with Israel.
    Each man, in his territory, has built up a large security force that receives paychecks from him, and in return offers their loyalty. (New York Times)


Request for Photos

The Conference of Presidents is seeking interesting, high-quality photos of the April 15th Israel Solidarity Rally in Washington for a forthcoming book.
    Please submit images and contact information by June 14 to [email protected].

Useful Reference:

527 people have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists since September 2000
List of names by date
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)



Key Links

Media Contact Information

Back Issues



News Resources - USA and Europe:

  • U.S. Weighs Next Mideast Moves
    In spite of the exhortations of Arab nations, the forthcoming U.S. statement on its vision of peace is expected to deal only with generalities. "It's not even going to be a U.S. plan or proposal for what we think the outcome should be. We are not prepared to go that far," said one official. Instead the White House will concentrate on maintaining the involvement of Israel's Arab neighbors, rebuilding the Palestinian Authority to focus on effective security, and staging an international conference. (Financial Times)
  • White House Drafting New Strike-First Policy
    The White House says it is developing a new strategic security policy that allows for pre-emptive attacks against terrorists and hostile states with chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. A first-strike military policy is needed because past approaches to world security will not work against terrorists, Vice-President Dick Cheney said Monday. (VOA News)
  • Poll #1: Most Palestinians Support Elimination of Israel
    According to a Palestinian-conducted poll, a majority (51%) of Palestinians believe the aim of their current uprising should be to eliminate Israel and not just end Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 68% said they approved of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. (Reuters)
  • Poll #2: Israelis, Palestinians Oppose Saudi Peace Plan
    If the plan includes relinquishing the territories, only 22% of Israelis were in favor. If the right of return for Palestinians is added, only 9% approved. Some 62% of Palestinians opposed the Saudi plan. (Guardian-UK)
  • U.S. Anti-Semitism on the Rise - ADL
    17% of respondents were "strongly" anti-Semitic, a 5% increase from 1998. 51% believed the Bush administration had tilted too far in favor of Israel. In May 2002, 626 anti-Semitic incidents were reported to the ADL, an 11% increase from the previous year. (Anti-Defamation League)
  • News Resources - Israel and Mideast:
  • Homicide Bomber Kills Young Girl, Wounds 15
    A Palestinian bomber blew himself up at the entrance to a restaurant in the heart of Herzliya Tuesday night, killing a 15-year-old girl and wounding 15 others. It was the 19th attack in the Tel Aviv area since the beginning of the Palestinian violence. Earlier, a border policeman was stabbed in the neck and seriously wounded in Jerusalem's Old City. (Jerusalem Post)
  • Two Arabs Tortured, Executed, for Helping Israel
    The mutilated bodies of two Palestinian Arabs were found in Hebron. According to Palestinian sources, they were murdered on suspicion of "cooperation with Israel." It appeared that the two had been tortured during the two weeks they had been missing from their homes. (Media Line)
  • Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

  • Middle East Reality Check - Helle Dale
    The Israeli prime minister is adamant that no peace negotiations can take place while the killings of Israeli civilians continue, and he found solid support for that position in Washington this week. (Washington Times)
  • Smart Bombs - Homicide Bombers - Suzanne Goldenberg
    None of the 56 suicide bombings of the past 20 months were solo operations. All were the products of a well-oiled Palestinian killing machine. Omar Ayam, the father of a suicide bomber from Tulkarem, adds: "To put it simply, we love martyrdom, they love life." (Guardian-UK)
  • Analysts See White House Shift on Arafat - Jeffrey Donovan
    Analysts warn that Sharon's success in convincing the White House to finally dismiss Arafat as politically irrelevant may actually open the door for increased Arab extremism in the future. Ted Carpenter, an analyst at Washington's Cato Institute, says that while Arafat is quickly becoming less and less relevant, a more radical Palestinian movement could fill the power vacuum he leaves behind. (Radio Free Europe)
  • The Challenge from Europe's Left - Ovadia Sofer
    Palestinian propaganda has infiltrated deep into intellectual circles and far left parties, exploiting their supposed sensitivity to human rights. These circles are directly responsible for the anti-Israeli decisions in European and international forums including the European parliament. (The author is a former Israeli ambassador to France.) (Jerusalem Post)
  • Poll: Only 21% of Americans Follow International News Very Closely
    Since 2000, there has been only a modest rise in the proportion of Americans who follow international news very closely - from 14% to 21%. Some 61% follow international news only when something important happens. (Pew Research Center)
  • Arafat Cannot be Negotiated With - Rachel Ehrenfeld
    Igniting another intifada enabled Arafat to redefine the economic decline in the territories as "sacrifices" necessary in mobilizing against the "Zionist enemy." Arafat's so-called "reforms" are aimed at rebuilding the PLO/PA's terror apparatus. (National Review)
  • Arabs' Love-Hate Relationship with U.S. - Frank Gardner
    At a demonstration I went to in Tripoli last year, the authorities bused in thousands of young Libyans to the center of town and handed out anti-Western placards. "Down with America," "Down with Imperialism" read the banners. As the procession went past, two Libyan demonstrators explained to me that it was their dream to go and study in America. (BBC)
  • Talking Points:

    The Other Side Is Not Ready for Peace

    Gen. Shlomo Yanai, Chief of the IDF Planning Branch, participated in the security talks with the Palestinians and Syrians at Wye, Shepardstown, and Camp David. In a recent interview in the Israeli daily Maariv, he noted:

    • In order to reach a peace agreement for such a complex conflict, both sides must deeply internalize the idea of conciliation and a willingness to live with the other side.
    • The Palestinian leadership has not prepared its people for this, and when we realized this, we ignored it because we thought that this was an internal matter of theirs.
    • In education, they continued to teach hatred and jihad, contributing to the fact that the basic foundations of agreement did not exist.
    • The upcoming Palestinian generation includes those with leadership potential. There are those with organizational abilities and when they wish, they can deliver results.


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