1. ISRAELI OFFICIALS TELL EUROPEANS THERE WILL BE NO COOPERATION WITH PALESTINIANS IF HAMAS PARTICIPATES IN ELECTION… Israeli officials notified the head of Europe’s election observer team that it will not allow voting by Palestinians in east Jerusalem because Hamas is being allowed to run in the upcoming elections. Although in previous Palestinian elections a compromise was struck whereby Palestinians voted at Jerusalem post offices rather than in polling stations, Israel appears intent on forbidding any balloting on its sovereign territory. But media reports indicate that the Israelis will bow to international pressure and withdraw troops from Palestinian towns and open roadblocks during the election regardless of Hamas’s participation.
2. SHARON RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL… Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was released from the hospital on Tuesday following treatment for what was termed a “minor stroke.” U.S. President George W. Bush was among those who phoned to wish the 77-year-old Sharon well. Bush reportedly warned Sharon to lose weight and told the Israeli leader he expects to see results the next time they meet. Sharon also received a call from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak wishing him well.
3. PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: NO RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL ON THE HORIZON… Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told the outgoing Palestinian ambassador in Islamabad on Tuesday that there are no plans to recognize Israel. Musharraf reportedly told Ahmad Abdul Razzaq that Pakistan will “continue to support the people of Palestine until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.” The Palestinians were anxious over recent signs of a thaw in relations between Pakistan and the Jewish state, including diplomatic contacts. Musharraf reiterated that Pakistan’s policy toward the Palestinians will not change.
4. THREE QASSAM ROCKETS LAND IN ISRAEL; ONE IN MILITARY BASE… Three Palestinian Qassam rockets fell inside of Israel on Tuesday. Although no damage or injuries were reported, one Qassam landed inside a military base south of the coastal city of Ashqelon. The other two landed in the town of Sderot, the most frequent target of the homemade weapons. Israel’s response to rocket barrages since its pullout from the Gaza Strip has been limited to bombing open fields that the Israelis claim are used as launch sites. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz spoke to reporters during a tour of the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel and indicated that no change in policy is imminent.
5. ISRAELI DAILY: SHARON’S CONDITION WAS WORSE THAN DOCTORS LET ON… The Hebrew daily Ma’ariv is quoting doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital who treated Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he was brought in on Sunday as saying that Sharon’s condition was far worse than the doctors who addressed the media let on. The report said Sharon was severely disoriented and for more than forty-five minutes “could not count or perform basic movements.”