Reported from Jerusalem
1. THREE ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED IN AMBUSH… Three Israeli soldiers were killed and one other seriously injured when their foot patrol was ambushed from behind near Ramallah on Sunday. The attack occurred in an area close to both an Israeli community (Ofra) and Palestinian village (Ein Yabrud). A search for the killers began immediately and is continuing. Credit for the attack was claimed by Yassir Arafat’s Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades, an arm of Fatah. [See item #7 – ed.]
2. EIGHT QASSAM ROCKETS FIRED AT ISRAELI COMMUNITIES… Eight Palestinian-made Qassam rockets were fired into Israel’s southern Negev region on Sunday. Three landed in the community of Sderot, a favorite target for the homemade weapons, while the rest fell in open fields. There were no injuries or damage reported. Meanwhile, the Israeli army is pressing on with “Operation Root Canal,” a search-and-destroy mission aimed at locating tunnels used for smuggling arms and terrorists from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Now in its ninth day, the operation has discovered and demolished only a few of at least 13 tunnels being sought. On Sunday it was reported that a captured Palestinian told his Israeli interrogators that the Palestinian Authority has already managed to bring anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles in through the tunnels. International criticism of Israel is growing as the operation continues, including charges that a large number of Palestinians are being left homeless as the result of “Root Canal.” Because they are typically hidden inside of homes, many houses have been destroyed in the course of searching for the tunnel entrances.
3. ISRAEL CONCERNED OVER U.N. EFFORT TO SEND “FENCE” ISSUE TO INTERNATIONAL COURT… Israeli diplomats at the United Nations are concerned that a “dangerous precedent” will be set if the General Assembly decides to send the issue of Israel’s security barrier to the international court in The Hague. Following an American veto of a Security Council resolution condemning the fence and demanding that Israel halt construction, the scene shifts to the General Assembly on Monday where two resolutions are being proffered by Palestinian representatives. One is a repeat of the defeated Security Council resolution and the other calls for the matter to be settled in The Hague. Israeli hopes for defeating The Hague proposal lie with the European governments, which so far appear opposed to the plan.
4. CHIRAC ACTS – BELATEDLY — AGAINST MALAYSIAN REMARKS… French President Jacques Chirac sent a letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Muhammad condemning his comments at the just-concluded Islamic conference in Kuala Lumpur, apparently satisfying Israeli officials who were angered at Chirac’s role in killing a formal condemnation in the European Union’s closing remarks. Mahatir had told the assembly that, “Today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them,” touching off world condemnation. Nevertheless, the Malaysian prime minister is standing firmly behind his statement. Chirac prevented the Europeans from issuing a condemnation as part of the conference, saying it should not be dealt with as part of the forum – a position that angered Israeli government officials. An Israel foreign ministry spokesman said that with Chirac’s letter, the “incident is over.”
5. SAUDI PRINCE RAPS INDIA-ISRAEL COOPERATION… Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Sa’oud Al-Fei’sal, has condemned the recently-concluded India-Israel military trade agreement, saying it will create instability in South Asia. He was referring to India’s purchase of an Israeli Phalcon early warning AWACS system in a deal estimated to be worth $1 billion. Al-Fei’sal’s comments were made during a visit to Pakistan which has already said that it is now forced to match the Indian acquisition, thus fueling the arms race.
6. ‘GENEVA INITIATIVE’ FAR FROM ‘IRRELEVANT’… Although members of Israel’s political right tried to dismiss the impact of what is being called the “Geneva Initiative,” the alternative peace plan drafted by members of the left wing opposition is gaining momentum. While the Knesset (Parliament) will debate the initiative in the context of a proposed law to ban freelance diplomacy, supporters of the plan are working aggressively to build public support prior to a formal ceremony planned in Geneva for November. The Swiss government funded and hosted the joint Israeli–Palestinian effort. In addition to former minister Yossi Beilin who spearheaded the effort, the Geneva plan already has the support of Labor Party leaders Amram Mitzna, former party chairman, and Avraham Burg, a former Knesset Speaker. One foreign notable has already signed on: Jimmy Carter says he’ll be in Geneva for the kick-off. A right-wing alternative plan being promoted by Tourism Minister Benny Elon was recently presented in a conference of American neo-conservatives in Jerusalem, but lacks the international interest generated by the Beilin effort.
7. MAJOR BUSH TURN-AROUND? — FATAH REPS TO MEET WITH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS… While U.S. President George W. Bush continues to say he won’t deal with Yassir Arafat, he is nevertheless allowing Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield to meet with three Arafat loyalists in Washington. The three are senior members of Fatah – a Palestinian faction ruled by Arafat that has claimed credit for numerous terrorist attacks during the past three years of unbridled violence. Apparently because of its position in the Palestinian political landscape, Fatah has largely escaped inclusion in the anti-terror rhetoric of both the Bush and Sharon Administrations. The trio, which is in the United States at the invitation of a left wing think tank, will also meet with members of Congress, leaders of both political parties and American Jews. The trip is viewed as another effort to promote the alternative peace process known as the “Geneva Initiative.”