Kindgo
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- 1 Tamuz, 5763
In a rare expression of reconciliation, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas made warm public statements today, before a summit meeting here in Jerusalem. "I have no doubt that the picture coming out of here today to the people of Israel and the Palestinian people and the entire world is one of hope and of optimism," Sharon said. But he added that peace will be impossible if Palestinian terrorism continues.
Abbas said his people want an end to the conflict with Israel, and the only way to do it is "through dialogue, discussions and negotiations." "Our conflict with you is a political conflict and we will end it through political means,” he said. “We do not have hostility with the Israeli people and we have no interest in continuing the conflict with them."
At the closed door meeting, Abbas urged Sharon to begin dismantling Jewish settlements, free Palestinian prisoners (i.e. terrorists), and halt construction of the massive security barrier aimed at keeping suicide bombers out of the country. He`ll also called on Sharon to withdraw the army from all Palestinian towns in Judea and Samaria. Israel plans to pull out of Bethlehem tomorrow.
However, Israeli officials say that following the pullouts from Bethlehem and parts of the Gaza Strip, Israel will not make further troop withdrawals until the Palestinian Authority starts dismantling the terrorist infrastructure. "The real test will be in two or three weeks, when they have to deal with disarming the terrorist organizations," said Avi Dichter, who heads the Shin Bet security service. "We will not move on to transfer responsibility for the West Bank before it becomes totally clear that in Gaza the process of disarming terror groups has begun."
Abbas made it clear that he does not intend to do that. "The misuse of weapons must be prevented through dialogue and agreement, not through civil war," he told the Palestinian parliament today. In other words, terrorist groups will be allowed to keep their weapons for the next round of fighting.
In another violation of the “cease-fire” declared by terrorist groups, a Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Israeli troops at a checkpoint near Palestinian-ruled Tulkarem in Samaria today. He was shot dead by soldiers, none of whom were injured. This follows yesterday`s Palestinian roadside ambush that killed a Bulgarian construction worker, who was mistaken for an Israeli.
Yasser Arafat says the militiamen who killed the Bulgarian worker have been detained by Palestinian security forces. They are members of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, a terrorist group linked to Arafat`s ruling Fatah faction. If it`s true, it would mark a significant change in Palestinian policy. But it also shows that Arafat, who has been sidelined by the US, is still pulling the strings. For its part, Israel is skeptical about anything Arafat says.
In a bold move, Israeli bulldozers have ripped up the foundations of a controversial mosque being built next to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the traditional site where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her she would give birth to the Messiah. The illegal construction had raised tensions between Christians and Moslems in the Israeli Arab town and brought protests from the Vatican and the White House. Surprisingly, there were only minor protests from local Moslems, some of whom scuffled with police. "This is barbaric behavior, the destruction of a mosque," said Salman Abu Ahmed, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nazareth.
For the first time in nearly three years, Israeli police have been quietly escorting small groups of Jews and Christians to the Temple Mount--the holiest site in Judaism. The mosques there mark the third holiest site in Islam. Islamic authorities closed the compound to all non-Moslems, when the Palestinian uprising erupted there in September 2000. But Israel has wanted to reopen the Temple Mount, and now it`s taken the first step—unilaterally. The Islamic authorities in charge of the mount have asked Israel to stop the visits, but Israel hopes they will eventually agree to reopen the site.
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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