Reported from Jerusalem
1. TERRORIST: “ARAFAT FUNDED ME”… A member of Yassir Arafat’s Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades told Israeli interrogators that Arafat funded his activities, including weapons purchases and shooting attacks in post-1967 territories. Ra’af Mansur, who was captured by Israeli troops in February, headed a Nablus area cell of the terrorist organization. Security forces confiscated letters from Mansur’s home detailing the money trail directly from Arafat to the cell. Mansur was receiving about $1,700 per month until the time of his arrest. An Arafat go-between would check the list of cell members and once it was verified that they were involved in “military activity” the payments would be made.
2. SATURDAY TERROR ALERT IN TEL AVIV AREA CITY… The city of Hadera, south of Tel Aviv, went on high alert Saturday afternoon following reports of an imminent terror attack. Roadblocks were set up and security forces beefed up following an intelligence tip. On Sunday morning, a wanted Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli troops in a town near Hebron. Soldiers found weapons in the home of the dead man, who was a member of Yassir Arafat’s Tanzim faction.
3. ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS, DISPUTE DEATH OF 7-YEAR OLD BOY… According to Israeli military sources, an army patrol was fired upon by armed Palestinians on Saturday afternoon in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. A firefight ensued and seven-year old Khalid Walwil was killed by a stray bullet from a Palestinian rifle. According to Palestinian sources, the boy was shot in the back while standing in the window of his home. Israeli security forces have been searching for weapons, explosives and members of Yassir Arafat’s Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades in the camp. On Friday night in Balata, a wanted Palestinian died when the vehicle he was driving exploded. Israelis and Palestinian sources agree that Ahmed Al-Abed was wearing a suicide bomb belt at the time. Also on Friday night, two terrorists attempted to reach an Israeli town in the Gaza Strip from the sea. The pair, dressed in wetsuits and carrying automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, was gunned down before they could attack residents of the beachfront community.
4. BUSH TO HOST SHARON ON APRIL 14… The White House confirmed on Saturday that President Bush will host Ariel Sharon on April 14th. The go-ahead for the long-awaited meeting is viewed as a sign that negotiations between Israel and the United States concerning the proposed unilateral withdrawal have been completed and that Mr. Bush will make a statement embracing it. Sources in Washington and Jerusalem are stressing that the meeting will take place at Camp David or another special location to emphasize the importance of the summit. The American administration is describing the agenda as “the war on terror and the search for Israeli-Palestinian peace.”
5. SPIN BEGINS ON WITHDRAWAL PLAN… Late last week it became known that President Bush had rejected Sharon’s request for an American green light to strengthen “settlement blocs” as part of the compensation Israel is requesting for the unilateral move. Once the rejection was revealed, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert quickly began the spin process, denying that Israel had requested American guarantees or declarations in exchange for the implementation of the plan – a denial that runs counter to weeks of undenied media reports. The next major hurdle for the spinmeisters is to convince the Israeli public that Binyamin Netanyahu’s conditions for his support of the plan are met by the American response. While sources close to Sharon have already felt inclined to make the point that Netanyahu would be “pleased” by the deal, it is believed that the American refusal to make guarantees and because it is unlikely that the U.S. will agree to green-lighting the strengthening of settlement blocs, the next round of negotiations will be between the present and past prime ministers to find a formula for presenting a united front through which to sell the idea to the Israeli public. At stake for Netanyahu is his position as the next leader of the Likud party and heir-apparent to Sharon.
6. PALESTINIANS CALL FOR POST-YASIN RESTRAINT… An ad appearing in a Palestinian newspaper called for restraint in the aftermath of the killing of Hamas leader Ahmad Yasin. Seventy signatories, including Palestinian intellectuals and three Palestinian Authority cabinet members, said “Palestinians would do better to adopt peaceful means.” Hamas and other terrorist organizations have vowed massive revenge. Nevertheless, the ad urged Palestinians to, “restrain their anger and rise again in a peaceful large-scale uprising.”
7. AL-JAZEERA: ‘ISRAEL TRASHING WEST BANK’… The Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera is accusing Israel of destroying infrastructure in the West Bank in “an attempt to weaken the Palestinians further before a possible withdrawal.” It charged that residents of towns throughout the post-1967 territories report that, “Israeli occupation army bulldozers were sealing off Palestinian towns and villages with huge walls of rock and dirt.” They claim that the demolition is causing interruptions in water, electricity and telephone service. The report also expressed fear for the safety of Yassir Arafat following the killing of Hamas leader Ahmad Yasin.
8. SHARON TAKES A GIANT STEP TOWARDS BRIBERY PROSECUTION… The bribery case against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will take a giant step towards realization on Sunday when State Prosecutor Edna Arbel submits her recommendation to the Attorney General that Sharon be placed on trial. Media reports indicate that even those in the prosecutor’s office that previously questioned whether the case is strong enough to bring to trial have changed their opinions in light of massive evidence including videos and tape recordings. Attorney General Menahem Mazuz, who was appointed by the Sharon Administration, will have the final word about whether to prosecute. Sharon is accused of having received bribes from real estate developer David Appel beginning from the time Sharon was foreign minister and continuing during his term as prime minister. The first issue was help from Sharon in convincing the Greek government to cooperate with the building of a proposed resort. After that deal fell through, Sharon – now prime minister — then influenced the redesignation of land in ways potentially beneficial to Appel. All the time, Sharon’s son Gil’ad was receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars as a “consultant” in areas in which he had no knowledge or expertise.
9. SHARON GETS POST-YASIN BUMP IN POLLS… In a poll taken after the killing of Hamas leader Ahmad Yasin, Ariel Sharon received a five-point bump in support for his performance as prime minister. Nevertheless, his approval rating failed to reach 40%. While only 38% approve of Sharon overall, 61% say he should not run for reelection. Among the wannabes in Sharon’s Likud party, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is in a virtual dead heat with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.
10. DÉJÀ VU AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL… The United States once again used its veto to kill what it called a “one-sided” Security Council resolution, this time one that would have condemned Israel for the killing of Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, head of the Hamas terrorist organization. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte said that, “If the Security Council is going to declare itself on this question, it must recognize the reality that Hamas has been responsible for numerous, extensive and very recent terrorist activities.”
11. ISRAELI MINISTRY OF TOURISM DISAGREES WITH HOTEL ASSOCIATION POST-YASIN ASSESSMENT… The Israeli Ministry of Tourism said that Passover and Easter cancellations in the wake of Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ahmad Yasin are “negligible.” But the Israel Hotel Association tells a different story. The group announced last week that its projections indicate that the recovery in tourism expected for these holidays will be wiped out as a result of the operation and fear of reprisals.