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Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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To contact the Presidents Conference: [email protected]
In-Depth Issue:
Tests Confirm Sarin in Iraqi Artillery Shell - Liza Porteus
(FOX News)
Jordan: King Did Not Call for Arafat's Abdication (Gulf Daily News-Bahrain)
The Iran-Hamas Connection - Richard Z. Chesnoff (New York Daily News)
Israeli Arab Soccer Team Wins State Cup Championship (Ha'aretz)
Useful Reference:
The Demolition of Palestinian Structures Used for Terrorism - Legal Background (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Weapon Smuggling Tunnels in Rafah (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Weapon Smuggling Through the Rafah Tunnels - a graphic presentation (IDF)
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
President Bush told the AIPAC convention on Tuesday, "By defending the freedom and prosperity and security of Israel, you're also serving the cause of America. Our nation is stronger and safer because we have a true and dependable ally in Israel....A free, prosperous and secure Israel is in this nation's national interest." Israel is "a small country in a tough neighborhood. The Israeli people have always had enemies at their borders and terrorists close at hand. Again and again, Israel has defended itself with skill and heroism. And as a result of the courage of the Israeli people, Israel has earned the respect of the American people." "The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state. Israel is a democracy and a friend, and has every right to defend itself from terror." (White House) See also Bush Asserts Israel's Right to Self-Defense (New York Times); Bush Backs Israel's Defense (Washington Post) The Bush administration is softening its criticism of Israel's tactics in Gaza aimed at stopping the smuggling of weapons to Palestinian terror groups. "We understand their explanation, but we still find the violence troubling," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon said in at least 30 instances Palestinians themselves took the roofs off their houses, apparently in an effort to get compensation. (AP/San Francisco Chronicle) Arab nations Tuesday introduced a UN Security Council resolution demanding that Israel stop the demolition of homes in Rafah in Gaza, while the U.S. proposed major amendments aimed at balancing the resolution. The U.S. draft would call on Israel to respect its obligations under international law, "including its obligation not to undertake demolition of homes as a punitive measure." It would also call on the PA to take "immediate action" against terrorist groups and end the smuggling of illegal weapons into the West Bank and Gaza. (AP/Newsday) Iraq's supreme Shiite religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, demanded Tuesday that all armed forces leave the holy city of Najaf and called on fellow Shiites not to join in a bloody uprising there against U.S. forces. It was his first public effort to end a weeks-old rebellion mounted by the radical cleric Moqtada Sadr. (Washington Post) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
The current IDF operation in Gaza was sparked by an impending large delivery of antitank rockets, Katyushas, and perhaps even shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles that could be a strategic threat to Israeli aircraft - all waiting on the Egyptian side of the border for an available tunnel, military sources said Tuesday. Since the destruction of two armored personnel carriers and the killing of 11 soldiers last week was perceived by the Palestinians as a major victory, it was also important that Israel take action to prevent any military momentum from developing on the Palestinian side. Egypt, a sovereign state with powerful and effective security services, is doing almost nothing to prevent weapons shipments. Yet the exact opposite approach can be found in Jordan, which conducts extensive, intensive, and aggressive activity against smuggling and infiltrations along the Israeli-Jordanian border. Amman has made its border with Israel a closed military zone, and IDF officers have watched as Jordanian soldiers took out terrorist cells. (Ha'aretz) The IDF's anti-terrorism operation in Rafah is proceeding as planned, focused on getting as many terrorists as possible, and shutting down the tunnels used to smuggle ever growing amounts of arms and ordinance. Palestinian sources report 20 killed and 36 wounded. IDF forces are progressing slowly, for fear of explosive devices or ambushes. (Maariv International) See also IDF Destroys Home of Hatuel Family Murderer in Rafah - Margot Dudkevitch IDF troops operating in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah demolished Tuesday the home of Ibrahim Ahmed, the Islamic Jihad terrorist who murdered Tali Hatuel and her four daughters near the Kissufim crossing in Gaza on May 2. (Jerusalem Post) The Palestinians claimed Tuesday that a young brother and sister were killed by IDF fire. However, a preliminary inquiry by the IDF indicates that they were apparently killed by a bomb placed by armed Palestinians. IDF sources said, "The bombs set by armed Palestinians next to the mosque and the school strengthen our estimation that the two were hurt by a bomb of this type." IDF sources emphasized that the civilian population in Rafah also has suffered from the gangs involved in the smuggling tunnels, and some have even assisted Israel in revealing tunnels. "This operation is very important to the residents of Rafah," a senior officer said. (Yediot Ahronot-Hebrew) The IDF is in constant contact with Palestinian officials and with international aid groups to coordinate passage of ambulances, medical equipment, and other necessary supplies in Rafah. The IDF allowed the passage of trucks loaded with dozens of tons of humanitarian aid into Rafah. A special humanitarian aid center is active 24 hours a day handling Palestinian, Israeli, and international requests. (Maariv International) Palestinian terrorists fired shots at an Israeli car near Ma'ale Shomron, east of Kalkilya in the West Bank on Tuesday. Two of the vehicle's occupants were moderately wounded. According to reports, occupants of the attacking car fired at the Israeli vehicle when overtaking it. (Jerusalem Post) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
The Israeli army's massive military campaign in the southern end of the Gaza Strip is an attempt to create a buffer zone that would make it harder for Palestinian militant groups to get new weapons and ammunition via underground tunnels. The timing for the operation is bolstered by the argument that Israel can put itself in a more secure position now and prevent heavier attacks on its soil later. Israeli officials say that they are trying to minimize the number of Palestinian homes destroyed in order to clear the area, but insist they had no choice but to launch this operation. According to Israeli media reports, the weapons flowing in through the tunnels are now being used for attacks on Israeli soldiers and citizens, and also to arm a future Hamas force that may try to take over the Gaza Strip in case of an Israeli withdrawal. (Christian Science Monitor) Immigrant Muslims in the U.S., until very recently, seldom expected to find American Islam operating under the thumb of the "Wahhabi lobby." Most of them knew an Islam in which Saudi-backed Wahhabism sought to make inroads, but encountered considerable resistance from traditional Islam. When they got to America, they discovered that Islam is completely dominated by Wahhabism in only two major countries in the world: Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Some 80% of the main mosques in America are controlled by Saudi Wahhabis. Back home, from Morocco to Malaysia, the ordinary Muslim could attend a normal mosque and avoid Wahhabism. Here in the U.S., Wahhabism and its variants seemed to be shoved down the believers' throats. When anti-Wahhabi factions organize to take their mosques back, violence or the threat of it is often the result. (Tech Central Station) Observations: Chief of Staff: "Only IDF Can Secure Gaza" - Nina Gilbert (Jerusalem Post) IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday:
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