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The Media Line Daily News Focus

1. ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN TOURISM MINISTERS MEET IN BID FOR CHRISTMAS COOPERATION… The tourism ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority met in Jerusalem on Wednesday and signed a joint declaration calling on Christians to visit the holy land during the Christmas season. It was the first time since the outbreak of Palestinian violence in September 2000 that the tourism ministers have met. Israeli Minister Gideon Ezra and his Palestinian counterpart Mitri Abu ‘Ayta said both sides would work to ensure easy access for Christians traveling between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Difficulty in moving around the post-1967 areas and in particular passing between pre- and post-1967 areas has discouraged countless potential tourists from visiting. One high-ranking Palestinian official, minister ‘Saib ‘Ariqat, dismissed the meeting as having no political significance.

2. INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO WATCH PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS… Among its list of gestures aimed at facilitating the Palestinian elections, Israel will allow international observers to watch the voting process. The election is scheduled to take place on January 9th. Normally cool toward foreign overseers of any ilk, Israel appears willing to cooperate with any effort that ensures that the election is fair and that Israel is not accused of preventing or distorting the vote. Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom confirmed the Israeli position after meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Shalom said that foreign observers will be allowed to enter the necessary areas “to ensure that these elections are fair and the results will be acceptable, not only to the international community but first and foremost to the Palestinian people.” The European Union said on Monday that it would be sending observers.

3. ISRAEL DISMISSES SYRIAN OVERTURE AS “NOTHING NEW”… Israel is dismissing the latest report of Syrian interest to return to negotiations as “nothing new.” United Nations Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen met in Damascus on Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad and Foreign Minister A-Shara’. In a statement to reporters following the meeting, Larsen said that Syria was willing to resume negotiations with Israel without conditions. A spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry told the Associated Press that, “If Syria wants to be a partner in peace we need to see a change in Syrian behavior. You can’t on the one hand say you’re interested in peace and at the same time have a partnership with a group like Hizbullah, which is antithetical to peace.” On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom said that his country will not take Syrian overtures seriously until it ceases to shelter terrorist organizations.

4. CANADIAN MUSLIM PLEADS GUILTY TO PLANNING TERROR ATTACKS IN U.S… A Canadian man has pleaded guilty in an Israeli court of planning to carry out attacks against Israeli officials traveling in the United States, as well as bombings against Jewish targets in North America. Jamal ‘Aql, 24, who was born in the Gaza Strip but is a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to four years in prison by an Israeli military court. He faced a maximum of 21 years. ‘Aql denies the charges and claims that his confession was made under duress. ‘Aql was born and raised in the A-Nu’sayrat refugee camp in central Gaza and moved to Canada in 1999, where he received citizenship. Israel accused him of receiving weapons and training from the Hamas terrorist organization. His order was to buy an automatic weapon in Michigan and attack Jewish targets in Detroit and other cities with large Jewish populations.