Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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DAILY ALERT

 April 12, 2005
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In-Depth Issues:

Unmanned Hizballah Aircraft Flies Over Northern Israel - Amos Harel, Arnon Regular, and Ze'ev Schiff (Ha'aretz)
    Lebanon's Hizballah guerrillas flew an unmanned surveillance plane over northern Israel on Monday.
    The Israel Defense Forces said the small aircraft flew for several minutes over Israeli territory before returning to Lebanon.
    Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said, "We're concerned that Hizballah is trying to deliberately torpedo any chance there is for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians," adding that Israel believes the drones are made by Iran.

Zarqawi Had a Close Call with Marines in Iraq - Rowan Scarborough (Washington Times)
    Abu Musab Zarqawi, the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, is on the run in a western border region where he was nearly caught in recent weeks, said U.S. Marine commander Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler.
    Gen. Sattler disclosed that his troops came within a whisker of capturing the terror master "within the last six weeks" and that only poor visibility in bad weather allowed Zarqawi to escape.

Sharansky: PA Still Pushing Anti-Semitism in Textbooks - Julie Stahl (CNSNews)
    Natan Sharansky, Israel's minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs, sent Prime Minister Sharon an urgent message on Sunday, telling him about a new PA high school textbook that says the Jewish people are trying to dominate the world.
    "Instead of moving towards peace, the PA under Abu Mazen is continuing the old anti-Israel and anti-Semitic line that characterized Yasser Arafat's regime," Sharansky wrote.

Hamas "Vice and Virtue Commando" Murders Gaza Woman - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
    Hamas has begun operating a "vice and virtue commando" in Gaza to safeguard Islamic values, Palestinian security officials said.
    The new force is believed to be behind the gruesome murder over the weekend of Yusra al-Azzami, a 22-year-old university student whose "crime" was to be seen in public with her fiance.
    Hamas's "morality" patrolmen spotted the young couple strolling along the beach in Gaza City, together with Azzami's younger sister.
    As they drove home, five masked gunmen in another car opened fire at Azzami, who was sitting in the front seat next to her fiance.
    The assailants then dragged the young woman's body out of the car, pouncing upon it mercilessly with clubs and iron bars.
    The fiance and sister were also brutally beaten by the attackers.
    See also Hamas Apologizes for Murder - Arnon Regular (Ha'aretz)
    Hamas published an unprecedented statement Monday apologizing for the murder of a young woman by its gunmen.
    Hamas was seen until recently as a more disciplined organization than Fatah or the PA's security arms, but the recent incident shows that Hamas too has members who engage in criminal activity.

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  • Bush Supports Plan by Sharon for a Withdrawal From Gaza - Richard W. Stevenson
    President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon differed openly on Monday over Israel's intention to expand a settlement in the West Bank, but Mr. Bush gave the Israeli leader robust backing for his plan to withdraw from Gaza this summer. Both the Americans and Israelis seemed content to leave any attempt to bridge their differences for another day. Bush gave Sharon a pledge of help for economic development in the Negev and Galilee regions, which could help the Israeli government as it resettles thousands of people. (New York Times)
        See also Sharon Dismisses Bush Warning on Settlement Expansion Prime Minister Sharon brushed off a warning from President Bush not to allow further West Bank settlement growth, indicating Israel would continue to solidify its hold on areas it considers of strategic importance. Sharon said the dispute was decades-old and did not mar the meeting between the two leaders, which he called a great success. After the meeting, Sharon said that while U.S. opposition to the settlements dated back to when Israel first captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has nevertheless continued to build communities to keep a hold on the land. "It was not to antagonize the U.S., but to keep areas that seem strategic to Israel," Sharon said. At a lunch meeting following the news conference, Bush and Sharon turned to other subjects, including European diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. (AP/USA Today)
        See also Jewish Leaders Welcome U.S.-Israel Summit Meeting
    “The leaders of two strong allies will meet at a critical time for the Middle East and in world affairs, underscoring their common goals in the fight against terrorism, for the spread of democracy in the Middle East, and in steadfast opposition to a nuclear Iran. On the major issues of the day, America and Israel are united," said James S. Tisch, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents. (Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations)
        See also below Observations: The Bush-Sharon Press Conference (White House)
  • Egypt Police Follow Islamist Trail Behind Cairo Bazaar Bombing
    Egyptian police said they have unearthed an Islamist trail behind last week's bombing in a busy Cairo bazaar that killed three foreigners, identifying the suicide attacker as a teenage Islamist student. Police said three unnamed suspects "with Islamist leanings and motivations" had been arrested. (AFP/Yahoo)
  • U.S. Aims to Spend Money in Iran - Barbara Slavin
    For the first time in a quarter-century, the Bush administration is preparing to spend government funds in Iran to promote democracy. Congress has appropriated $3 million "to support the advancement of democracy and human rights" in Iran, according to an announcement Friday by the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. (USA Today)

    • News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

  • Olmert: Ma'ale Adumim is "a Jerusalem Neighborhood" - Iris Georlette
    The West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim is a Jerusalem neighborhood located a 5-minute drive from downtown Jerusalem, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday during a visit to Japan. Olmert said the controversy over construction in Ma'ale Adumim was "out of context, unnecessary, and totally irrelevant," adding, "we never said we would pull back to the '67 lines."  (Yediot Ahronot-Ynet)
  • IDF Nabs Suspected "Ticking Bomb"
    The IDF Monday arrested Fatah Tanzim fugitive Firas Tanbour, 22, of Nablus, who planned to launch a number of bomb attacks against Israeli targets in the next few days, according to security officials. The army said Tanbour had maintained contact with Hizballah operatives and that the attacks he planned were to be carried out on their behalf.
        On Monday, four mortar shells were fired at settlements in northern Gaza and Gush Katif, damaging several cars. (Jerusalem Post)
  • Israeli Foreign Minister Presents Mubarak with Peace Plan with Arab States - Yoav Stern
    Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met Tuesday in Cairo where Shalom presented Israel's "road map" to peace with Arab and Muslim states. Under the plan, Israel will renew diplomatic ties with seven states in North Africa and the Gulf. (Ha'aretz)
  • IDF: Hamas as Legitimate Political Party Could Cause Upheaval - Margot Dudkevitch
    Israel will be forced to reckon with a new situation in the event that Hamas, while retaining its military capability, becomes a legitimate political party in the upcoming PA elections, a senior IDF commander said. "The Fatah (the PA ruling party) at least relates to the 1967 borders when calling for an end to occupation; Hamas refers to the 1948 borders," the officer said. "The movement is taking advantage of the [the truce] to strengthen itself and retain its arms and military capability and is unwilling to disconnect [from its military activities]," he said. While there is a general consensus within the ranks of Hamas to abide by the calm, the leadership abroad is pressuring to continue terror activities, he added.
        The threat of attacks in the West Bank and in Israel continues, the officer said. On Monday, 45 such threats were registered by the security establishment. (Jerusalem Post)

    • Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

  • Ariel Sharon Gets the Full Crawford - Editorial
    Bush's invitation to have Sharon join him not at the White House but at his Crawford, Texas, ranch was a sure sign that Sharon had already passed whatever test the president had in mind that put him in the category of international "friend." Tea leaf readers will have a ball deciphering what they said about settlements. But make no mistake, this is at most a quibble between friends. (Boston Herald)
  • An Elusive Opportunity - Dennis Ross
    Sharon believes there is little more he can do to ease freedom of movement for Palestinians absent Palestinian reorganization of their security forces and the disarming of some 500 fugitives from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad - fugitives who the Israelis believe are still planning attacks. Gen. William Ward, the U.S. security coordinator, should determine what must be done to accelerate the Israeli withdrawal from towns and the lifting of checkpoints. (The Israeli answer will be "disarm the 500 fugitives," and Ward will need to see what it takes for the Palestinians to do this before Abbas's Washington meeting.) (U.S. News)

    • Observations:

    The Bush-Sharon Press Conference (White House)

    President Bush said:

    • "The United States and the State of Israel have a deep and lasting friendship based on our shared values and aspirations for a peaceful world. The United States is committed to Israel's security and well being as a Jewish state, including secure and defensible borders. We're committed to preserving and strengthening Israel's capability to deter its enemies and to defend itself."
    • "We are cooperating with the Palestinians to help them fulfill all their obligations under the road map, especially sustained, effective operations to stop terrorism and dismantle terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. Building true security for Israelis and Palestinians demands an immediate, strong and sustained effort to combat terrorism in all its forms."
    • "I told the Prime Minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudice final status negotiations. Therefore, Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its road map obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank."
    • "As I said last April, new realities on the ground make it unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will be achieved only on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities. That's the American view. While the United States will not prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations, those changes on the ground, including existing major Israeli population centers, must be taken into account in any final status negotiations."
    • In response to a question, President Bush added: "Israel has obligations under the road map. The road map clearly says no expansion of settlements."

    Prime Minister Sharon responded:
    • "The people of Israel dream of a peaceful life for themselves and for all the peoples of the Middle East....We call upon our Palestinian neighbors to choose the path of democracy and law and order, so that they can establish an independent and viable state."
    • "The ongoing violence and terror must not prevail. We should all make a commitment not to accept any temporary solutions regarding terror, but to act decisively to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and to eliminate terrorism once and for all. Defeating terror is the only way to build peace."
    • "It is not in our interest to govern over the Palestinians. We would like the Palestinians to govern themselves in their own state, a democratic state with territorial contiguity in Judea and Samaria, living side by side with Israel in peace and security."
    • "The position of Israel is that in any final status agreement the major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria will be part of the State of the Israel."
    • In response to questions, Prime Minister Sharon added: "Only after the Palestinians fulfill their obligations, primarily a real fight against terrorism and the dismantling of its infrastructure, can we proceed toward negotiations based on the road map."
    • "Ma'ale Adumim is one of the blocs of Jewish population, and our position is that...it will be part of Israel. And of course, we are very much interested that there will be contiguity between Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem, but...we are too early because everything [that] happens there...might take many years."

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