Reported from Jerusalem
1. ACTION RESUMES IN INT’L COURT, STREETS OF HAGUE, ISRAEL… The International Court of Justice at The Hague resumes its deliberations in the case of Israel’s security buffer on Tuesday. Inside the courtroom, seven nations – none of which are directly involved in the matter – will present arguments in support of the Palestinian position. Although Israel has declined to offer substantive arguments of its own before the bench, its case is being presented in the streets of The Hague by demonstrators who have come from throughout the world to show support for Israel’s position. At the same time, off-setting groups of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are expressing their opinions. Attorneys for the Palestinians and leaders of the Arab world have insisted that the ICJ does, indeed, have jurisdiction over the matter and that the involvement of the court in no way undermines the authority of the United Nations or interferes with the Road Map peace plan.
2. ABU DIS RALLY TURNS VIOLENT… While deliberations continued at The Hague, a parallel Palestinian demonstration in the Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Abu Dis turned violent yesterday. The 2,000-strong rally was part of what Yassir Arafat declared to be a “Day of Rage” – the cause of the ‘rage’ being the construction of Israel’s security barrier. Eyewitnesses said that the violence flared when media arrived to cover the event. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Five police and five demonstrators were wounded in the melee. Arafat’s rally came one day after the Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades of his own Fatah faction claimed responsibility for a Jerusalem bus bombing that killed eight and injured sixty.
3. PERES IN U.S.: SHARON PLAN NOT ENOUGH… Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres told a left-wing political group in Washington on Monday that Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal plan does not go far enough and that Israel must evacuate all of the post-1967 territories. “If you keep ten percent of the land you keep one hundred percent of the conflict,” Peres said. Following meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Peres insisted that a “four-month window” exists during which Israel must come to some agreement with Ahmad Qurei’, the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister.
4. ANTI-BOMBER BUSES UNVEILED IN JERUSALEM… A ceremony – delayed one day because of Sunday’s bus bombing – was held in Jerusalem yesterday at which buses designed to prevent suicide bombers from entering were unveiled. The system, designed by Israel Military Industries, features a turnstile at the front door of the bus that can be locked if the driver suspects trouble. The normal rear door is replaced by a one-way barrier through which passengers can exit but no one can board. Some models feature a bomb-detecting sensor and alarm near the driver, but the $20,000 price tag for the sensor makes wide distribution unlikely. Five buses equipped with the turnstiles have been placed in service.
5. JORDANIAN FACES POSSIBLE DEATH FOR SPYING FOR ISRAEL… A Jordanian government employee faces a possible death sentence if convicted on charges that he has been spying for Israel. According to Jordanian sources, Khalid Muhammad Salim Al-Hayajneh has confessed to providing Israel with information about Jordanian military installations. The indictment charges that 42-year old Al-Hayajneh, who worked in the Royal Geographic Center’s print and photography department, was recruited by Israel in 1998, and that he supplied details about Jordanian military airports and Palestinian refugee camps.
6. ISRAELI MILITARY ALTERS STRATEGY TO COMPENSATE FOR BUDGET CUTS… Israel’s army, feeling the effect of severe budget cuts, has decided to make changes in its policy in fighting Palestinian terror. According to the newspaper Haaretz, the decisions were made during joint political/defense meetings held in the aftermath of Sunday’s suicide bombing that killed eight and wounded 60 in Jerusalem. Activities in the Gaza Strip will be intensified, but will comprise short-term operations and an increase in targeted assassinations of heads of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations. A significant reduction in Israeli forces throughout the remainder of post-1967 territories is also being implemented.
7. ISRAELI AUTHORITIES THREATEN TO GROUND LUFTHANSA FLIGHTS OVER SECURITY ISSUES… The newspaper Yediot Aharonot is reporting that Israel’s Transportation Ministry has threatened to ban Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt unless it revises security precautions for Israel-bound flights emanating from that airport. The airline is accusing Israel of making the threat because Lufthansa is suing Israel to force the Transportation Ministry to reverse its decision to reduce the airline’s capacity of seats to Israel. Israel denies the charge.