[Peace-discuss] Fwd: events in palestine-06 October

[Al Kagan]

See especially the first article, which is a response to US legislation.

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>To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:@linux.palestine-pmc.com;>
>Subject: events in palestine-06 October
>Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 15:29:12 +0200
>Organization: Palestine Media Center
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>News In Brief
>
>
>
>06 October 2002
>
>Palestine Media Center- (PMC)
>
><http://www.palestine-pmc.com/>http://www.palestine-pmc.com
>
>
>
>
>
>Find in todayâs briefs:
>
>
>
>-          Arafat Signs Law Recognizing Jerusalem as Future Capital
>
>-         Ben-Eliezer Incites EU to Halt Meetings with Arafat
>
>-         ICRC Head Begins Regional Tour
>
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>
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>Arafat Signs Law Recognizing Jerusalem as Future Capital
>
>
>
>Caged in his office for two consecutive weeks, Palestinian President 
>Yasser Arafat signed into law Saturday a bill formally declaring 
>Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian State, announced 
>Parliament member, Ahmad Qurei.
>
>
>
>ãPresident Arafat signed the ÎJerusalem The Capitalâ law stipulating 
>that Jerusalem is the capital of a future independent state and the 
>center of the legislative, judicial and executive authorities,ä 
>Qurei said.
>
>
>
>The PLC speaker said Arafat signed the 2-year-old legislation in 
>response to a new US congressional bill ratified by American 
>President George W. Bush last week implicitly recognizing the holy 
>city as Israelâs capital, sparking Palestinian and Arab anger.
>
>
>
>The law came after the Palestinian President denounced the American 
>bill as a ãcatastrophe,ä while Arab and Muslim states lashed out at 
>the bill with vehement denunciation.
>
>
>
>Most countries, including the United States, have held their 
>embassies in Israel in Tel Aviv to show that the status of East 
>Jerusalem, which was occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move 
>not recognized internationally, is still unresolved. 
>
>
>
>Although United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 
>stipulate Arab east Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory 
>taken over by Israel in 1967, Israel still occupies the eastern part 
>of the city, insisting that Jerusalem remains undivided.
>
>
>
>Noteworthy, the current American administration headed by Bush is 
>the first to pass such an unprecedented law in history. 
>
>
>
>The Palestine Legislative Council is due to meet Sunday in a special 
>session to discuss the new US law.
>
>
>
>PLC legislators also plan to discuss the formation of a new cabinet 
>and Arafatâs demand for more time to do so because of the ongoing 
>Israeli siege of his wrecked headquarters, PLC sources said.
>
>
>
>PLC members prevented by Israeli authorities from traveling from the 
>caged-in Gaza Strip will participate from Gaza City by 
>videoconference.
>
>
>
>Concerning the issue of Jerusalem, Palestinian legislators want to 
>express their rejection of the US bill, which completely disregards 
>and violates international law, PLC member Mohammed Hourani said.
>
>
>
>ãWe object that a parliament in another part of the world can decide 
>for us to whom Jerusalem belongs,ä he stressed.
>
>
>
>Meanwhile, the EUâs foreign affairs chief Javier Solana is scheduled 
>to hold talks on Sunday with Israelâs ÎDefenseâ Minister Binyamin 
>Ben-Eliezer and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and on Monday with 
>President Arafat.
>
>
>
>ãWe have to keep on pushing for the quartet agreements we agreed to 
>in New York and thatâs what I am going to do,ä Solana told reporters 
>during a meeting in Crete.
>
>
>
>He will be pushing the ãroad map for peaceä and initiatives 
>developed earlier this year by the Quartet of peace mediators, 
>comprising leaders from the EU, United Nations, US and Russia.
>
>
>
>Ben-Eliezer Incites EU to Halt Meetings with Arafat
>
>
>
>In a meeting with EU Foreign Policy and Security Chief Javier Solana 
>on Sunday, Israelâs ÎDefenseâ Minister Benyamin Ben-Eliezer claimed 
>meetings being held with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and EU 
>representatives were impeding the reform process of the PNA, 
>Israelâs Army Radio reported.
>
>
>
>The radio did not give any specifics as to how meetings between EU 
>officials and President Arafat could in fact hinder PNA reforms, 
>which have been stunted for a while now since Israelâs besiegement 
>of the Palestinian President in his Muqataâa headquarters two weeks 
>ago. 
>
>
>
>Solana is scheduled to meet Israelâs Foreign Minister Shimon Peres 
>later on in the day before meeting with President Arafat.
>
>
>
>Solana is visiting the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel as 
>part of fresh diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Israel and 
>the Palestinians and push forward initiatives developed by the 
>quartet of Middle East peace negotiators comprising of officials 
>from the EU, Russia, the EU and the UN.
>
>
>
>Next week, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East William 
>Burns is expected in the region.
>
>
>
>The members of the Quartet, media sources say, are expected soon to 
>formulate a ãmap of stepsä to ease the ongoing cycle of violence. 
>This outline will spell out ways in which measures enacted by the 
>two sides are to be monitored and will furnish details of an 
>international monitoring apparatus, Haâaretz relayed.
>
>
>
>According to Israeli official sources quoted by the Israeli daily, 
>the purpose of the Burns visit is to make it clear whether 
>Washington intends to formulate a serious plan for progress on the 
>Palestinian-Israel track, or whether Washington is playing for time 
>as it mobilizes for an anticipated attack on Iraq.
>
>
>
>In other news, Israel announced it will ãsoonä transfer NIS 70 
>million of frozen tax money due to the Palestine National Authority, 
>to Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, after being subjected 
>to heavy American pressure to release the money it has been 
>withholding since September 2000.
>
>
>
>ICRC Head Begins Regional Tour
>
>
>
>The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 
>Jacob Kellenberger on Saturday started a visit to Israel and the 
>occupied Palestinian Territory to show  ICRCâs concern regarding the 
>ãsteadily worsening situation, characterized by disregard for the 
>principles of international humanitarian law.ä
>
>
>
>The visit is aimed at ã[reminding] all sides of their obligation to 
>respect the provisions and principles of International Humanitarian 
>Law,ä the ICRC said in a statement.
>
>
>
>During his six-day official visit, Kellenberger plans to ãconvey the 
>ICRCâs humanitarian concern to the Israeli and Palestinian officials 
>he meets and will seek a clear commitment to sparing civilian life 
>and property.ä
>
>
>
>Kellenberger would alsoãseek a clear commitment to sparing civilian 
>life and propertyä during his six-day trip, ICRC sources said. 
>
>
>
>Kellenberger is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Yasser 
>Arafat, Israeli President Moshe Katsav and his Prime Minister Ariel 
>Sharon, as well as other key civilian and military leaders, both in 
>Israel and in PNA, the ICRC added.
>
>
>
>Tensions between the ICRC and Israel flared last year when the 
>former head of its delegation in Israel, Rene Kosirnik, implied that 
>Israelâs settlement policy in the West Bank and Gaza was a ãwar 
>crime.ä
>
>
>
>The ICRC has repeatedly complained against restrictions on movement 
>imposed by the Israeli occupation army and by its targeting of 
>ambulances. 
>
>
>
>ãWe hope the meetings will lead to some form of improvement in our 
>ability to work and assist civilians in the area,ä said ICRC 
>spokesman Kim Gordon-Bates of the visit.
>
>
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>
>Occupation Chronicle
>
>Events in Palestine
>
>
>
>06 October 2002
>
>Palestine Media Center- PMC
>
><http://www.palestine-pmc.com/>http://www.palestine-pmc.com
>
>
>
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>
>Israeli Occupation Troops Target Palestinian Children
>
>
>
>Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian teenage boy and 
>injured three others in the West Bank city of Nablus Saturday.
>
>
>
>Palestinian hospital officials said 15 year-old Mohammad Hesham 
>Rajab was instantaneously killed after being shot in the head by 
>Israeli occupation troops, who stormed into the cityâs streets.
>
>
>
>Three other children were injured as Israeli forces opened their 
>heavy machine guns on houses in the Ein Biet Alma refugee camp on 
>the outskirts of Nablus.
>
>
>
>The wounded- all teenagers- were identified as 13 year-old Mohammad 
>Makhlouf Haytam, 16 year-old Dwaikat, and 17 year-old Moâmen Obaid.
>
>
>
>In the meantime, Israeli occupation forces invaded on Saturday dawn 
>the Aneen village in the West Bank city of Jenin.
>
>
>
>Eyewitnesses said IOF stormed the village and forced students of a 
>preparatory school out, imposing a curfew on the villagers.
>
>
>
>In addition, LAW, a leading Palestinian human rights organization, 
>said Israeli occupation army on October 4, shot a Palestinian boy in 
>Jenin and prevented him from getting the medical attention needed 
>resulting in his death.
>
>
>
>ãThe boy was wounded in his side. Israeli forces prevented access to 
>the boy's family. He died at the Israeli military roadblock,ä LAW 
>stated.
>
>
>
>According to the organizationâs investigations and eyewitnessesâ 
>accounts, an Israeli military jeep entered the Nazlat Zeid area in 
>Jenin and imposed a curfew.
>
>
>
>Mohammad Zeid, 16 year-old, who was studying with a friend, opened 
>the window of the room where he was studying. Israeli forces, 
>located 50 meters away, ordered him to shut the window. However, one 
>Israeli soldier opened fire and wounded him in the left side.
>
>
>
>Sameer Zeid, who came to rescue the boy, carried him in his car, but 
>Israeli forces stopped the vehicle. Sameer Zeid then took another 
>road to Tora al-Gharbiya where he was stopped at an Israeli military 
>roadblock.
>
>
>
>He was forced to take another road, near the illegal Israeli 
>settlement of ãShakidä. However, Israeli forces stationed at the 
>military roadblock on that road prevented Sameer Zeid from crossing 
>and additionally prevented access to an ambulance to rescue the 
>16-years old boy. Finally, after long negotiations, Israeli forces 
>allowed an Israeli ambulance to
>evacuate Mohammad Zeid.
>
>
>
>His father told LAW that Israeli forces at the roadblock did not 
>allow Palestinian paramedics to evacuate his son and save his life. 
>The Israeli ambulance did not save his sonâs life either and 
>Mohammad Zeid died hours later.
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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