1. PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS PREVENT P.A. OFFICIALS FROM ENTERING GAZA TOWN… Entry into the town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Israeli forces since a man and boy were killed by Qassam rockets launched from there several weeks ago. Now, Palestinian demonstrators have added another layer of control, preventing officials of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) through. The protest is the latest in a series of acts opposing Yassir Arafat’s control and corruption in the P.A. Gunmen are enforcing the demonstrators’ edict, so far firing only into the air. They are accusing the P.A. of ignoring the humanitarian crisis they say is caused by the presence of Israeli forces. Israel claims Beit Hanoun is the primary area from which Qassam rockets are launched against Israeli targets.
2. EGYPTIAN CIVIC LEADERS TELL SECSTATE POWELL: AMERICA TOO PRO-ISRAEL… A group of Egyptian civic leaders told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in Egypt yesterday that America lacks credibility in the Middle East because it is viewed as being biased against Arabs. Powell was told that America must appear to be pushing for a “fair settlement” of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The New York Times quoted noted Egyptian political analyst Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, as saying that movement on that front is critical, saying that, “This will make the environment easier for reform. The American image is poisoned by the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
3. DEMOCRATS FEEL SLIGHTED BY SHARON, ISRAEL: NEWSPAPER… An Israeli daily newspaper is reporting that Jewish Democrats are expressing behind-the-scenes dismay to Israeli officials over what they perceive to be a slight by Israeli officials whose preference for President George W. Bush over John Kerry is apparent. Haaretz reported that Jewish foreign policy advisers to the Democratic candidate want to see more attention from Ariel Sharon and expect it to happen once Kerry is officially nominated. The paper said that a report on the criticism has been sent to Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom. In a meeting with Kerry advisers last week, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon defended his government’s attitude, calling Israel’s position “absolutely neutral.” One specific example of Israeli bias cited was Deputy Premier Ehud Olmert’s outright endorsement of Bush in a meeting with the Conference of Presidents of Jewish Organizations.
4. WALL COVERING CAN STOP QASSAM ROCKETS: ISRAELI MANUFACTURER… An Israeli company claims its wall covering can prevent Qassam rockets from penetrating a room. Achidatex manufactures bulletproof vests and car armor. Qassams are homemade rockets developed and assembled by Palestinian terror organizations that have plagued Israeli communities inside and nearby the Gaza Strip. While hundreds have fallen into Israeli communities during the past three years, Qassams claimed their first fatalities recently when a man and a young boy were killed in the southern town of Sderot. Last week, a Qassam penetrated the roof of a home in a kibbutz and landed on a bed where a woman and her child were sleeping. Neither was harmed in the attack. Achidatex, however, says their wall covering would have prevented the rocket from breaking through the wall. The covering is said to be a weave of cotton and Kevlar that is environmentally friendly and heat resistant. It can also cover interior walls and be painted over for the aesthetically-minded.
5. HIJACK HOAX: L.A.-BOUND UNITED JET TURNED BACK TO SYDNEY… A United Airlines jet en route to Los Angeles from Sydney, Australia, was turned back on Tuesday after a threatening note was found scrawled on a motion sickness bag. The 747 was carrying 246 passengers. Although police are fairly certain the note was a hoax, it came against a background of threats by the Al-Qa’ida terrorist organization to “turn Australia into pools of blood” if its government did not withdraw its forces from Iraq. The government adamantly refused to do so. All flights in and out of the Sydney airport were suspended while the investigation was carried out.