Reported from Jerusalem
1. HEARINGS ON ‘FENCE’ OPEN AT THE HAGUE… The International Court of Justice at The Hague has begun its deliberations on the issue of Israel’s security barrier. The Palestinians were allotted the morning in which to present their case, followed by international lawyers who will then present details pertaining to the barrier itself. Other nations that have asked to submit their views on the matter – all in opposition to Israel – will have the floor during the afternoon session. Although Israel has decided to forgo its opportunity to present a substantive rebuttal before the court, it has, however, orchestrated a public relations campaign in the streets of The Hague. Solidarity groups from around the world will protest outside the court on Israel’s behalf. Zaka, the organization most widely recognized for its work recovering body parts at bomb scenes, has brought the burned-out remnants of a bus destroyed by a suicide bomber to The Hague for a poignant show-and-tell. While not presenting its case to the court because it denies the court’s jurisdiction over the matter, Israel has nevertheless shown great sensitivity to the proceedings and the gravity of a ruling against the ‘fence.’ The case before the ICJ is considered to have played a large role in Ariel Sharon’s decision to remove an eight kilometer (13 mile) section of the buffer that had already been erected, and in the prime minister’s decision not to retaliate following Sunday’s suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed 8 Israelis.
2. ARAFAT KICKS OFF “DAY OF RAGE”… Yassir Arafat kicked off the “Day of Rage” he declared in opposition to Israel’s construction of the security barrier separating its population centers from Palestinian areas. Timed to coincide with the opening of hearings before the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Arafat said, “Today is a historic day as the ICJ deliberates the racist fence which distinguishes between the blood of one people and another, which Israel is building on Palestinian land.” Israel claims the fence is purely a defensive move to prevent suicide bombers from attacking its citizens. There have been more than one hundred such incidents since September 2000. The press conference comes just one day after the Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades of Arafat’s own Fatah faction claimed credit for a bus bombing in Jerusalem that took the lives of 8 Israelis and injured 60.
3. SHARON LOBBYING WHITE HOUSE FOR APPROVAL OF WITHDRAWAL PLAN… Negotiations between representatives of Ariel Sharon and the American Administration over the Israeli prime minister’s withdrawal plan are continuing at a brisk pace in order to facilitate a Bush/Sharon summit meeting by the end of March. Although the U.S. has made some tentatively positive remarks about the plan, it remains concerned about the details of the evacuation, the effect it will have on stability in Gaza and Israel’s intentions concerning the relocation of the evacuees. Sharon’s representatives are trying to convince the Americans that the Road Map peace plan will not be overwritten by the evacuation proposal. If the White House meeting with Sharon is granted, it would signal the American acceptance of the plan. In recent weeks, Sharon has made efforts to reduce U.S. opposition to his actions, including re-drawing sections of the route that the controversial security barrier will take, altering its course to come closer to American demands.
4. ISRAEL’S DEFENSE, TREASURY MINISTRIES SPAR OVER COST OF ‘FENCE’… Israel’s treasury places the cost of the nation’s controversial security buffer up to one-third higher than the figure given by the Defense Ministry which bears responsibility for its construction. Although security officials have been using 10 million shekels (about $2.5 million) as the cost per kilometer (.62 mile), Finance Ministry officials peg the final figure, after ancillary considerations are taken into account, as high as 15 million shekels (about $3.37 million). The ramifications of the dispute are primarily domestic since Israel is operating under a drastically reduced emergency austerity budget. Security officials had originally asked for a budget of 13 million shekels per kilometer, but were made by the treasury to shrink their request to 11 million. Defense officials know that they can push the envelope because of the importance the Sharon Administration – including Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – attributes to the fence to the international community.
5. SHARON PLAN TO BE TESTED ON HIS OWN PARTY… Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s strength with the public in regard to his plans for a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza will be on view when he meets his own Likud party Knesset (Parliament) faction on Monday. Although the ostensible purpose of the gathering is for Sharon to update his party on recent diplomatic developments, analysts contend that if the prime minister’s opponents cannot muster serious opposition within the party that elected him, it follows that even less resistance will be found among the nation-at-large, thus strengthening his ability to maneuver politically. Recent newspaper reports indicate that Sharon has told intimates of a larger plan that includes a total withdrawal from Gaza and the evacuation of Jewish communities located in other areas of the post-1967 territories. Sharon is also believed by many to be ready to bring the opposition Labor Party into his coalition to replace right wing parties that are threatening to resign if the withdrawal is carried out.