Reported from Jerusalem
1. ISRAEL, HIZBULLAH PRISONER SWAP DEAL COMPLETED; EXCHANGE SET FOR THURSDAY… An exchange of more than 400 prisoners being held by Israel for an abducted Israeli national and the bodies of three soldiers has been completed according to the German intermediary who brokered the deal between Israel and the Hizbullah terrorist organization. In addition to 400 Palestinians, others from Lebanon, Syria and other Arab states will be included in the swap, even though Israeli Prime Minister Sharon long insisted that such swaps would be negotiated only with those respective countries. Sharon had been under intense pressure over two final elements of the arrangement: not to abandon missing airman Ron Arad, whose return has been an Israeli cause célèbre for seventeen years and not to release Samir Quntar, a terrorist who massacred an Israeli family in the northern city of Nahariyah in 1978. In the end, the two are being co-mingled in a vague commitment to release Quntar in return for information that will be supplied about Arad. German envoy Ernest Uhrlau said the actual exchange could take place as early as Thursday. Some Israelis are accusing Sharon of using the exchange to deflect interest from his personal scandals.
2. ARAB PEACE PLAN PRESENTED TO STATE DEPARTMENT… Saudi Crown Prince ‘Abdallah presented the U.S. State Department with the latest version of the Saudi Peace Plan, which is reported to include the signing of peace treaties between “all Arab states” and Israel. In return, Israel would be required to withdraw from all territories conquered in the 1967 Six Day War – including the Golan Heights. The plan also addresses the issue of Palestinian refugees, stating that two million would relocate to the new Palestinian state while another two million will be absorbed by other Arab nations, but not to exceed two percent of any Arab nation’s population. The plan will be presented to the Arab League in March, at which time full support from the Arab nations is expected. The plan joins at least six others currently on the table, with the “official” version being the one known as the ‘Road Map for Peace’, which was advanced by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia.
3. ISRAEL ACCEPTS TURKISH OFFER TO BE INTERMEDIARY WITH SYRIA… Cautioning that his announcement does not imply an acceptance of Syrian overtures to resume negotiations, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said that his government has accepted an invitation by the Turkish government to act as an intermediary with the Syrians. Spokesman Yonatan Peled said that Israel will accept Turkey’s “offer of assistance in anything to do with the Syrian track. We are definitely looking at them playing a helpful role.” He added, however, that, “We need to see deeds and not only words and declarations from Syria. There is still a lot to be desired before we can say we are entering negotiations.” Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been under strong domestic and international pressure for refusing to take seriously overtures by Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Asad that were sent through third parties. He has insisted that the contacts are aimed at assuaging American pressure on Syria rather than for serious talks. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently offered to serve as go-between and on Saturday announced that he had received positive response from both sides.
4. JORDANIAN KING CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLUTION TO ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, ENDORSES ROAD MAP… Jordanian King ‘Abdallah II has called for the international community to settle the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the monarch backed the peace plan known as the ‘Road Map for Peace’ even though Jordan is one of the sponsors of a new plan soon to be endorsed by the Arab League. ‘Abdallah said, “The international community cannot afford to let the collective suicide of Palestinians and Israelis to feed rage and violence in the region and the world.” Concerning improvement of conditions in the Arab world, the king said, “We all know that economic remedies on their own cannot yield long-term results if they are not paired with serious political and social liberalization.”
5. NATO LOOKS AT FORMING MIDDLE EAST GROUP INCLUDING ISRAEL, ARAB STATES… NATO is looking at forming a partnership with seven countries that comprise what is called the “Mediterranean Dialogue,” according to Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO. The group is described as a “loose grouping of countries formed to provide a framework for discussions with NATO.” The countries include Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Although Burns spoke in terms of “expanding the partnership [between NATO and the participating nations],” no mention has been made of what the actual cooperation will entail or the diplomatic level that will participate.
6. ISRAELI EXPATRIATE ARTIST LASHES OUT AT CRITICS… The artist whose depiction of a female suicide bomber as the focal point of his exhibit triggered the outrage of Israel’s ambassador in Stockholm last week is accusing those who said his work is anti-Semitic of trying to silence criticism of Israel’s policies in post-1967 territories. In an article that was published in Sweden’s Expression Friday, Dror Feiler compared the actions of Israeli Ambassador Zvi Mazal to that of a “football hooligan.” Mazal pulled out wires and pulled down light fixtures that illuminated the scene of the smiling killer of 21 sailing peacefully on a sea of blood. Some have suggested that Feiler is hoping to keep the controversy – which has provided him with more publicity than he has ever received — alive.
7. CABINET TO VOTE ON NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO WILL DECIDE ON SHARON, OLMERT INDICTMENTS… The matter of approving the appointment of a new attorney general comes before Israel’s cabinet on Sunday with more attention cast upon the vote than might otherwise be expected. The first act by the nation’s new top lawyer will be to decide whether to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on charges of bribery. The indictment of the alleged bribe-maker implicates Sharon and his deputy Ehud Olmert, and the acting Attorney General has let it be known that she favors indicting Sharon. Although not confirmed at this writing, it is expected that Sharon will recuse himself from the vote while it is unknown if Olmert will do the same. Sharon is accused of knowingly accepting bribes from a real estate developer to use his influence — first as foreign minister and then as prime minister — to further two development deals.
8. MOST ISRAELIS BELIEVE SHARON INVOLVED IN SCANDAL… A new poll indicates that a majority of Israelis believe that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was personally involved in a scandal that might lead to an indictment on charges of receiving bribes. A new poll commissioned by one of Israel’s largest Hebrew dailies shows Sharon’s popularity rating nose-diving to only 33 percent, with 53% of the nation believing that he was involved in corruption. The domestic debate has turned to whether Sharon will be forced to resign if an indictment is issued. Sharon himself told a crowd of his party’s youth movement that he intends to remain as prime minister “at least until 2007” when his current term expires. He contends that he is not required by law to step aside if indicted as some insist. Legal experts have been quoted in media explaining that binding legal precedent would, indeed, require him to do so. Sharon is also facing increasing pressure inside of his coalition, with the leader of the largest coalition partner going on record insisting that Sharon must step down if indicted.
9. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES SAID TO CONFIRM SYRIA USED IRANIAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FLIGHTS TO ARM HIZBULLAH TERRORISTS… Although Syrian officials have denied earlier claims that Syria used relief flights in the aftermath of Iran’s devastating earthquake to bring arms back to Syria and then transport them from Damascus to Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon, American intelligence agencies have confirmed the charges. The New York Sun newspaper reported that U.S. intelligence agencies have photographs of Syrian aircraft that delivered the weapons and “signal intercepts” that confirm that the destination of the arms was Hizbullah. If true, the revelations could have impact on the American Syrian Accountability Act and force sanctions by the U.S. against Syria.