1. SYRIA DENIES IT FIRED ON ISRAELI TROOPS… Israel claims its soldiers were fired on from Syria while making repairs to the border fence on Monday. Syria says it wasn’t gunfire at all, but children throwing fire crackers in celebration of the anniversary of the liberation of Quneitra. Quneitra was returned to Syria as part of the 1974 treaty that ended the 1973 War. The celebration mentioned by the Syrians refers to a visit to the city on June 26 of that year by the late President Hafiz Al-Asad. Nevertheless, Israel has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations over the incident.
2. RAJOUB TELLS THE MIDEAST PRESS CLUB: MOST ATTACKS COME FROM P.A. SECURITY PERSONNEL… Referring to attacks on Israeli targets, Jibril Rajoub, the national security adviser to the Palestinian Authority, told a session of The Mideast Press Club that, “Most [security] violations take place by people who are in security mechanisms. On this basis, we are making an effort to control these mechanisms and those who belong to them.” Rajoub called on Israel to consider the P.A. its “partner” in the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in order to maximize security during and following the pullout. The Mideast Press Club, which is an initiative of The Media Line Ltd., brings Israeli and Palestinian journalists together on a professional basis. Former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, Ami Ayalon, also spoke at the event. He criticized the Sharon administration for the way it has treated the Israelis who are being removed from Gaza and other areas. Ayalon called them “pioneers of the Zionist camp” whose nation is telling them “their mission is over.” He faulted Sharon for not explaining “why that is so” and for talking about “how to uproot them and how much compensation to give them” rather than speaking about the future and the reasons for the “painful action.”
3. CHINA COMPLAINS ABOUT ‘THIRD PARTY INTERFERENCE’ IN RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL… China has responded to news that Israel has bowed to all American demands that will effectively end its military trade with China by complaining of “third party interference.” In an apparent rebuke at Israel for capitulating, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its one-on-one relations with individual countries should “overcome interference by outside parties.” The statement said China’s developing relations with Israel “will not harm any third-party,” an obvious reference to the United States. Yet, an analyst for The Media Line points out that the negative fallout from Israel canceling its second major defense contract with China in five years is apt to exceed the boundaries of the deal itself. He said, “China is not the only country that will question Israel’s reliability as a trade partner when deciding between an Israeli firm and a competitor. Uncertainty over whether Israeli companies will be able to deliver on a contract will undoubtedly enter into the decision-making process of potential customers.”
4. LEBANON ALLOWS LIMITED EASING OF WORK RESTRICTIONS ON PALESTINIANS… In a move that is being called “a very important first step” in improving the situation of Palestinians living in Lebanon, the Lebanese government says it will allow Lebanese-born Palestinians who are registered as refugees to be excluded from a ban that prohibits non-Lebanese from working in more than 50 specific trades. The ban has been in place for more than twenty years. Palestinians will still be barred from professional employment. Nevertheless, the confederation of Lebanese trade unions says the move is “a move towards granting Palestinians their civil and social rights.” The official position of the Lebanese government remains that Palestinians should ultimately “go home” –meaning returning to Israel.