Reported from Jerusalem
1. ISRAELI PLANES HIT HIZBULLAH BASES IN SOUTH LEBANON… One day after Hizbullah terrorists killed an Israeli soldier on the border between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli warplanes struck at two empty Hizbullah bases located about six miles inside of Lebanese territory. The soldier had been riding in a military bulldozer that was clearing explosives planted by Hizbullah along the border. A senior Israeli military officer said that in the course of the operation the bulldozer had crossed the actual border while maneuvering in order to neutralize the minefield. Although Israel blames Syria and Iran for such incidents, a four-hour meeting between the defense minister and senior military officers resulted only in the decision to raid the empty training bases and to take no action toward Syria as Israel did in August 2003, after a 16-year old Israeli boy was killed by Hizbullah shelling. The Sharon government decided that rather than take substantive action, it would settle for what a Sharon spokesman called, “a message to Hizbullah that they cannot strike at Israel with impunity.” U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned what he called Hizbullah’s “deliberate action” and again warned Syria against supporting terrorist organizations.
2. FIRST ISRAELI ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE ILLEGAL SITE ENDS IN SCUFFLE, INJURIES… Following weeks of promises of its intention to dismantle illegal outposts in post-1967 territories, the Sharon government took its first step by destroying a synagogue building in a nascent community established by followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. A scuffle between protesters – about 100 in number–, police and army troops broke out, resulting in the arrests of 25 persons on charges of violating the order to stay out of the area. As soon as the military completed their task and departed, activists immediately began to rebuild the leveled building. The official body that represents residents of the area stressed that it had no part in the demonstration or resistance.
3. ISRAEL-PAKISTAN CONTACTS REVEALED… Israel and Pakistan have been engaged in secret contacts for some time, with meetings between representatives of the two nations taking place in the United States and Europe. The budding relationship is considered significant given Pakistan’s status as the only Muslim country with nuclear power. Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz will become the first Israeli official to visit Pakistan when he attends an international agricultural forum there in March as part of a United Nations delegation. Clearly, one motivation for Pakistan is the increasingly close relationship between Israel and Pakistan’s nemesis India, particularly on defense issues.
4. ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC EMBARRASSMENT: SHARON ACCUSED OF BUGGING NORWEGIAN EMBASSY, AMBASSADOR… Norway is accusing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of bugging its embassy and ambassador’s residence. The charge follows allegations that Sharon bugged a secret meeting between Shimon Peres, the head of the opposition Labor Party and Ahmad Qurei’, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, that took place at the residence in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya. Sharon raised eyebrows when he was able to relate exact details of that meeting to the Knesset (Parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Adding to the intrigue is the un-diplomatic behavior of Terje Rod-Larsen. Rod-Larsen is not only the United Nations envoy to the Middle East, but also the husband of Norway’s ambassador to Israel. Prime Minister Sharon is livid over the fact that Qurei’ was driven to the meeting in Rod-Larsen’s car in violation of all diplomatic norms – an act Sharon characterized as “smuggling.” Although Sharon, responding to questioning, said his information came from one of the meeting’s participants, those who were present deny that they said anything to Sharon, leading to suspicions that the prime minister misused intelligence services.
5. INDICTMENT IN BRIBERY CASE INCHES CLOSER TO SHARON, OLMERT… Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s legal woes appear to have intensified to the point where many are speaking of his resignation as a realistic possibility. The latest speculation comes with word that prosecutors will amend an indictment against a politician charged with attempting to bribe Sharon and his Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The enhanced indictment reportedly implies that both Sharon and Olmert were “active participants in the bribery deals,” according to Haaretz newspaper. Olmert at the time was the mayor of Jerusalem. In recent weeks, Israeli media have been filled with coverage of several scandals involving allegations of illegal financial dealings against the prime minister and his two sons. In a move that caught most off-guard, the coalition whip, a member of Ariel Sharon’s Likud party, offered legislation to modify the procedure for succession in the event of a prime minister’s resignation.
6. HOLES IN THE FENCE THEORY… Israeli security officials have uncovered a serious flaw in the ability of the controversial security fence to prevent infiltrations – a ladder. According to a report on World Tribune.com, in one incident security forces were not able to act quickly enough to apprehend two Palestinians who used a simple ladder to scale the buffer at a point where it is a 13-foot high concrete barrier. In this case, the pair was described as just looking for work.