1. BLAIR STRESSES AN END TO PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE AS CONDITION TO MOVE FORWARD… British Prime Minister Tony Blair was adamant in comments made during his one-day trip to Israel, insisting that, “There has to be a complete and total end to terrorism” in order for peace talks to proceed. Blair met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem and Palestinian leader Mahmoud ‘Abbas in Ramallah. Sharon told that he endorses his February peace conference in London, but that Israel will not be a participant.
2. ISRAELI COMMUNITY IN GAZA HIT BY 14 MORTAR SHELLS… The Israeli community of Netzer Hazani in the southern part of the Gaza Strip was hit by at least 14 mortar shells on Thursday. One man was injured in the barrage, and the community suffered some property damage. The community of Netzarim was also targeted, receiving at least five incoming mortar rounds. At the northern end of Gaza, a carpentry shop was hit by an anti-tank rocket, causing damage but no injuries. The multi-targeted attacks came as Israel again concluded a military operation aimed at quelling the launch of Qassam rockets and mortars: the second in a week.
3. PALESTINIAN LOCAL ELECTIONS PROVIDE DRY RUN FOR JANUARY 9TH VOTE… Palestinians will vote in municipal elections on Thursday for the first time in twenty-eight years. Nearly 900 candidates are vying for local municipal leadership in the city of Jericho and in 25 villages throughout the West Bank. 140,000 Palestinians have registered to vote in the election. Beyond the vote itself, the election provides a dry run for January 9th’s balloting to elect the successor to Yassir Arafat. Observers will also be watching to see how Fatah, the dominant faction until now, fares against groups such as the Hamas terrorist organization. Hamas is boycotting the presidential election, but has run candidates in today’s local balloting. While its strength in the Gaza Strip is well known, how it stacks up against Fatah in the West Bank is a matter of speculation. The last time local councils were elected was in 1976.
4. ‘ABBAS SEES POST-ELECTION TALKS WITH ISRAEL… Mahmoud ‘Abbas, the odds-on favorite to succeed Yassir Arafat as head of the Palestinian Authority, believes that talks with Israel will resume after the January 9th election. Speaking at a news conference with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, ‘Abbas said that, “Until now there are no official contacts or negotiations with the Israeli side, but it is natural the negotiations will begin after the presidential election.” Speaking of the impending unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, ‘Abbas said he had assurances from the international community that the pullout would be part of the Road Map peace plan, but that no such assurances had been forthcoming from Israel. ‘Abbas’s office announced that the Palestinian leader would attend Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem.
5. LABOR PARTY OKAYS COALITION DEAL… Israel’s opposition Labor Party has approved a deal with the ruling Likud party that will bring it into the coalition government. The final point to be ironed out was the status of Labor Party head and elder statesman Shimon Peres. A Basic Law of Israel will be revised in order to create a second deputy premiership equal to that held by Ehud Olmert of Sharon’s own Likud party. Olmert refused suggestions that he step aside in favor of Peres for the sake of unity, so the new configuration will take longer to put into effect. The legislative process has already begun in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
6. GULF LEADERS PUSH BUSH ON PALESTINIAN STATE… The Gulf Co-operation Council, comprised of Persian Gulf nations, has urged President Bush to make the creation of an independent Palestinian state a top priority, using the framework of what is known as the ‘Saudi Plan,’ a peace plan put into play three years ago. The crux of the proposal was to offer Israel normalization of ties with Arab nations in return for its abandonment of all territory captured in the 1967 War (Six Day War). The statement was issued at the conclusion of a conference held in Manamar, Bahrain, which was overshadowed by a major disagreement over the signing of a bi-lateral trade pact between host Bahrain and the United States. No Saudi representative attended the parley because it feels unilateral pacts weaken the collective bargaining strength of the Arab world and violate GCC understandings.