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The Media Line Daily News Focus

1. ARREST ‘NOT-IMMINENT’ IN ALLEGED SPY CASE… No arrest is imminent in the case of an alleged transfer of classified documents to Israel by a Pentagon official, in large part because investigators have not ascertained whether Lawrence A. Franklin, the man at the eye of the storm, violated any laws. It is being alleged that a classified draft of a government policy memo on Iran was transferred illegally. The New York Times quoted U.S. government officials as complaining that the investigation was interrupted by the publicity that followed Friday’s leak by CBS News. In particular, those sources said it became impossible to follow the trail back to the Israeli side. Both Israel and AIPAC, the lobby that represents its interests in the United States — two of whose officials are accused of being the conduit between Franklin and Israel – have denied any involvement. Nevertheless, the story, which broke in spectacular fashion on Friday, appears not to be maintaining its level of sensationalism. American officials have downplayed Franklin’s access to important information and Israeli officials insist that spying on its most important ally would be “diplomatic suicide.”

2. ISRAEL PROPOSES LEAVING ONE GAZA COMMUNITY INTACT TO BECOME PALESTINIAN HOSPITAL… Israel is proposing that one of its Gaza communities slated for evacuation be converted into a Palestinian hospital rather than be destroyed. The Associated Press quoted Israeli officials as saying that its government would also like to sell an industrial zone to foreign interests. The information came following talks between Israel and the World Bank on matters pertaining to Israel’s impending unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. According to the sources, the World Bank had no comment on the Israeli plan. Except for the one it plans to designate as the hospital, Israel intends to bulldoze buildings in the communities it abandons in Gaza.

3. EVACUATION RESPONSIBILITY: POLICE OR ARMY? CABINET TO DEAL WITH ISSUE OF EXTREME SENSITIVITY… The Israeli cabinet will deal with one of the most sensitive issues related to the planned pullout from the Gaza Strip when it meets on Monday: whether the police or army will be responsible for evacuating Gaza’s Israeli residents. The logistics debate comes down to whether the army will have overall control as Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz wants, with police responsibility for dealings with civilians. Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi insists the police are already overburdened, but analysts for The Media Line suggest that he would prefer not to be associated with the pullout, which is strongly opposed by his own right-wing constituency. Many Israelis believe that dealings with residents – in particular those who might have to be forcibly removed – should be left to police because individual officers have the moral option of resigning rather than carrying out the task to which they object. Adherents to this theory argue that all Israelis are required to serve in the military, the purpose of which is to protect fellow citizens from external threats, and should not be forced into the potentially traumatic position of engaging in internecine fighting.

4. GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS ON THE ISRAEL/JORDAN BORDER… What has become an untenable situation for manufacturers trying to ship their goods between Israel and Jordan, bodes well for the ability of the two nations to promote mutual trade. The Peres Center for Peace in cooperation with the Israel-Jordan Chamber of Commerce is lobbying government ministers to improve the capacity of shipping across the Sheikh Hussein Bridge, the main crossing point for commercial traffic between the two countries. The situation became critical during the summer when on certain days up to fifty trucks were turned back after waiting for hours to cross due to the inability of Israeli customs agents to service the shipments. The organizations seeking to address the issue contend that the inadequacies hurt in two ways: by forcing manufacturers to seek alternative markets and by discouraging one of the conflicted region’s most positive developments.