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Eye on Israel

June 2, 2001

Arafat Orders Ceasefire
June 3, 2001 -- Palestinian security officials say they have begun steps to implement a ceasefire ordered by Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat. Saturday's order came after Israel warned Arafat he has only a limited time to prove he is serious about halting terrorist attacks. On Friday, a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed 18 Israelis, the bomber, and wounded at least 90 people. To prevent more violence, Palestinian officials say joint units of all Palestinian security agencies will patrol areas of confrontation with the Israelis to stop any clashes or shooting. Israel has made clear that all necessary measures will be taken to defend its citizens. Palestinians have evacuated official and public buildings in the West Bank and Gaza in expectation of Israeli retaliation for the Tel Aviv bombing. Israel has already taken a number of steps to boost security. Palestinians are banned from traveling on the same roads as Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel has also sealed off the Palestinian territories, shutting down Gaza international airport.

Palestinian Suicide Bomber Kills 17 Israeli Teenagers
June 2, 2001 -- Israel has sealed off Palestinian towns in the West Bank after a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv left 17 mostly teenage Israelis and the bomber dead, and wounded more than 90 people. The closure was announced following an emergency security meeting convened by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to consider a response to the late Friday attack - said to be the deadliest in the region in years. The attack occurred when a bomb carried by a Palestinian terrorist exploded outside a beach area nightclub, tearing through a line of young people waiting to go inside. Israeli radio says the Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing. Israeli officials said they hold Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat responsible. In Washington President Bush issued a statement, condemning the bombing and calling it a "heinous terrorist attack" against innocent civilians. He urged Arafat to call an immediate ceasefire.

Philippines President Says Terrorist Leader Killed in Shootout
June 2, 2001 -- Philippines President Gloria Arroyo says the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim terrorist group has been shot and killed by government troops in the southern Philippines. She says Khadaffy Janjalani died during heavy fighting Saturday on Basilan island as security forces continued their attempt to rescue hostages kidnapped by the Muslim separatist group. Another senior Abu Sayyaf official also has been killed during the skirmish. At least seven soldiers have died so far in two days of clashes with the rebels. The Muslim terrorists kidnapped a group of 17 Philippine nationals and three Americans captured six days ago from a resort on Palawan island. The rebels also say they seized at least 200 people inside the hospital, but the government says the number is far lower. The rebels have threatened to kill the hostages unless the government breaks off its attack. But President Arroyo says the military will not stop until all the hostages are released.

Palestinian Terrorist Husseini Buried on Temple Mount
June 1, 2001 -- Faisal Husseini, a top deputy to Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat, was buried on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount today. Husseini, the senior Palestinian Authority official in charge of Jerusalem affairs, died of a heart attack during a visit to Kuwait. The Temple Mount burial came after Israel’s Supreme Court rejected a suit filed this morning by Gershon Solomon, leader of the Temple Mount Faithful movement, to block the burial. Under Jewish law, a dead person defiles the area where he is buried. Thousands of Palestinians attended today’s funeral Husseini, whose carcass arrived in Palestinian-ruled Ramallah from Amman, Jordan, escorted by Arafat. Israeli security forces were on high alert, fearing the funeral would erupt into Palestinian riots.

Israel Denies Role in Husseini Death
June 1, 2001 -- Israel is rejecting a claim by Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat that the death of Faisal al-Husseini was hastened by Israeli tear gas. Arafat said in Belgium Thursday that a recent tear gas attack by Israeli forces in the West Bank contributed to the death of Husseini, who suffered from asthma. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Raanan Gissin, called the allegation a preposterous and baseless lie that serves to incite violence.

Islamic Jihad Vows More Suicide Attacks
June 1, 2001 -- A Palestinian terrorist group has vowed to continue suicide attacks against Israel. A leader of Islamic Jihad, Abdallah al-Shami, told a rally in Gaza City that continued attacks deep inside Israel would force Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to withdraw from the Palestinian territories. Shami, who does not plan to be one of the suicide bombers himself, was joined by masked terrorists who burned models of Jewish settlements, Israeli buses, and tanks. Israeli's Ha'aretz newspaper reports the Israeli army is preparing to send special forces units into the West Bank to protect Jewish settlers from Palestinian attacks. The newspaper reports the army is also preparing for a possible decision by Prime Minister Sharon to launch a new offensive in the occupied territories if the Palestinians do not curb violence.

Israeli President Warns Arafat
June 1, 2001 -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has "a few days, no more" to end the violence among his supporters or face a sharply escalated Israeli military response, Israel's president said yesterday. "People are fed up. Our patience is not unlimited," Moshe Katsav said in an interview. Katsav said he conveyed his concerns to President Bush, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and other top administration officials in meetings yesterday. Bush also hosted a working dinner last night for the Israeli president, who is on his first official trip to Washington since his election last summer.

Israeli Government Pressured To Retaliate For Latest Violence
May 31, 2001 -- In a telephone conversation, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Secretary of State Colin Powell that Israel cannot continue its policy of restraint for much longer. Right-wing members of Sharon's government are urging him to launch a major attack against the Palestinians. Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman says in the next 48 hours Israel should, in his words, destroy the entire infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority and immediately reoccupy Palestinian-controlled areas. Housing Minister Natan Sharansky says if Palestinian terrorist Yasser Arafat does not stop the violence Israel should go to war to wipe out the Palestinian Authority. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it is time to bring down what he called Arafat's, corrupt, terrorist regime. U.S. envoy William Burns told reporters in Cairo there is a danger diplomatic efforts will be overwhelmed by the violence. He urged both sides to avoid unilateral acts that could escalate the situation.

Bush Reaffirms Mideast Commitment
May 31, 2001 -- President Bush, meeting Thursday with Israeli President Moshe Katsav, has reaffirmed his administration's determination to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Though his position is largely ceremonial, the Israeli president is a key member of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party. Both Israeli and US officials said the Bush-Katzav meeting, which was to be followed by a private dinner between the two men, was substantive. The meeting came amid stepped-up US diplomatic involvement in efforts to end eight months of Israeli-Palestinian violence, including the first talks in the region this week by the administration's new special envoy, William Burns.

PLO's Faisal Husseini Found Dead in Kuwait
May 31, 2001 -- The senior Palestinian Authority official in charge of Jerusalem affairs, Faisal Husseini, has died of a heart attack during a visit to Kuwait. Husseini, a close aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat - was found dead in his hotel room this morning. He was in Kuwait to attend a conference called to discuss cutting off Arab ties with Israel in view of the on-going Israeli-Palestinian violence. Husseini's visit to the oil-rich emirate came under fire from deputies of the Kuwaiti parliament after he declared upon arrival that Yasser Arafat is planning to visit Kuwait. Several parliament members criticized the visit, which they said was premature before the PLO apologizes to Kuwait over its support to the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. Husseini was an influential leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization and was considered among possible successors to Arafat. He was part of the Palestinian team involved in the 1991 Madrid peace conference. Husseini was 61.

Israeli Motorist Killed by Palestinian Terrorists
May 31, 2001 -- The Israeli army says Palestinian gunmen shot and killed an Israeli motorist Thursday on a road in the West Bank. An army spokesperson said the man from the Mevo Dotan settlement was shot in the head while driving this morning near the Palestinian-controlled town of Tulkarm. On Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian officials held a second security meeting in as many days, but failed to produce any breakthrough in efforts to end the on-going violence.

Israeli-Palestinian Security Talks Begin
May 30, 2001 -- Israeli and Palestinian security officials dealing with the West Bank met last night with CIA representatives in Ramallah, a Palestinian Authority-controlled city near Jerusalem, despite the shooting attacks in the West Bank yesterday which left three Israelis dead. Palestinians had threatened to boycott any meetings following the announcement. The officials met for the first time in a month, and are scheduled to hold another round of talks in Gaza today.

Putin Warns Mideast Crisis Almost Out of Control
May 29, 2001 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the situation in the Middle East is almost out of control. His comments came during talks in the Kremlin with visiting Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat. Putin sympathized with those suffering on both sides of the conflict, but warned the eight-month crisis is almost out of control. Before Putin met with Arafat, the Russian leader spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The two spoke for about 20 minutes and discussed the latest international efforts to bring an end to the violence.

Surge of Palestinian Terrorism Before Security Talks
May 29, 2001 -- A surge of Palestinian terrorist attacks has claimed at least three Israeli lives today, ahead of the first security talks between the two sides in a month. In the West Bank Tuesday, Palestinian terrorists killed three Israeli settlers and wounded several others during a string of ambushes. Gilad Zar, 40, the security officer of the Samaria Regional Council, was killed as he traveled in the West Bank early in morning. Sarah Blaustein, 53, of Efrat, a new immigrant from New York, and Esther Alvan, 20, were killed, in an attack on the Jerusalem-Gush Etzion (tunnel) road. The two were headed for Jerusalem to attend Zar's funeral.

Journalists Free After Gaza Kidnapping
May 29, 2001 -- Palestinian terrorists seized two western journalists in the Gaza Strip Tuesday but released them unharmed a few hours later. The captives were American correspondent Joshua Hammer and British photographer Gary Knight for Newsweek. The two men were detained with a Palestinian driver and translator in Rafah while interviewing members of the Fatah Hawks, an armed militia of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah terrorist faction of the PLO. The journalists were told their five-hour detention was a symbolic kidnapping aimed at protesting American and British support of Israel.

Sharon warns Assad against attack
May 29, 2001 -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel will mount a "devastating response" against Syrian targets if Hizbullah attacks Israel, according to the London-based Sunday Telegraph. The message is said to have been relayed to Assad via US and Russian diplomatic channels ahead of this weekend's anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon. In his message, Sharon reportedly warned that if Hizbullah mounted such an operation, Israel would respond with "very harsh military action" against Syrian and Hizbullah targets. The paper quoted security officials in Jerusalem as saying that Hizbullah had received the green light to resume its military operations and that Israeli intelligence believed that a large operation was imminent.

Palestinians, Israelis Expected to Resume Security Talks
May 28, 2001 -- Palestinian and Israeli officials are expected to resume security talks today in an effort to end the Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis that began eight months ago. The talks have been stalled for weeks. The two sides agreed to resume the talks after the new Middle East envoy, William Burns, held a second round of meetings Monday with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Resumption of the security talks between the two sides is the first step toward implementing recommendations made by an international commission seeking to prevent the recurrence of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed. The recommendations include an immediate end to violence, a resumption of peace talks and a freeze on Jewish settlement activity in Palestinian territories.

US Envoy Condemns Jerusalem Blasts
May 28, 2001 -- The new US special envoy to the Middle East, William Burns, has condemned Palestinian car-bomb blasts during his first mission of shuttle diplomacy. Burns met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah, before talking with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem. Burns is attempting to mediate a lasting cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians to end nearly eight months of violence. But the prospects of achieving this goal appeared to be almost immediately undermined by two car-bomb explosions in the center of Jerusalem. While no Israelis were seriously injured in the explosions, the incidents underlined the determination of Palestinian militants to continue their violent attacks, despite Israel's announcement of a unilateral ceasefire. But as Burns told reporters after his meeting with Arafat in Ramallah, the United States believes the Palestinian leader has a special responsibility to halt the terrorism against Israel. "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attacks that have taken place, and in my discussions with Arafat, urged that he do everything possible to stop such attacks," he said.

US Envoy Urges Israel and Palestinians to End Bloodshed
May 27, 2001 -- Middle East envoy William Burns is urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to implement the recommendations of an international commission for ending eight months of bloodshed. Ambassador Burns voiced the appeal in separate meetings with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Sunday. The new US envoy began his mediation efforts in a somber atmosphere following two Palestinian car bomb blasts in Jewish West Jerusalem. Although no one was seriously hurt in the blasts, Israeli officials cited them as evidence of determination by the Palestinians to continue their violent attacks. Palestinian militant groups claimed responsibility for both bombings.

Israeli Soccer Stampede Injures at Least 35
May 27, 2001 -- At least 35 Israeli soccer fans were injured, two seriously, when the crowd rushed the field minutes before the end of a league championship match. The stampede at the Kiriat Eliezer stadium in the northern Israeli city of Haifa was caused by excited supporters of the Maccabi Haifa team, who broke through a barrier to reach the field. The Haifa team had a 3 to 2 lead over Maccabi Tel Aviv when the game was halted with at least five minutes left to play.

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