**June 24: Updates from Palestine

By: www.PeaceNoWar.net

Updates:

From Jerusalem Independent Media Center

http://jerusalem.indymedia.org/

Ramallah

June 24, 2002: Israeli forces have moved into the city center imposing curfew. This intrepid IMC reporter ventured out into the empty streets, narrowly avoiding run ins with tanks and APC's, trying to ascertain locations of troops. They have surrounded the Presidential Compound which still contains a large number of international civilians.

Bethlehem

June 23, 2002: Bethlehem has suffered under curfew for over five days. In Dehaishe refugee camp the youth have consistantly resisted with stones and protest the continued Israeli incursion. The IDF react with tear gas, concussion grenades and bullets.

Gaza

June 24, 2002: Israeli Occupation Forces struck a vehicle carrying four people with a missile fired from a helicopter. They have reduced the vehicle to a barely recognizable pile of rubble. Occupation Forces claim that it was carrying wanted Palestinians though it is impossible for the IOF to know who is in a vehicle at a given moment from the air as demonstrated by a similar attack in Amaari refugee camp earlier this year where a mother and her children were killed.

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1) Palestinians, Israelis, Arabs and Jews’ Reactions to Bush’s Speech



Monday, June 24 2002 @ 08:52 PM GMT

Palestine Chroniclehttp://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020624205219644The speech "is very bad. It did not offer anything new, and claims the Palestinian people bear the responsibility of what's going on." ..."(Bush) called for a change in the leadership, since Yasser Arafat was presented as a man who supports terrorism." Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat "I cannot find President Bush's statement acceptable. . President Arafat is the leader of the Palestinian people. He is the president of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian leaders do not come from Washington." "The real issue is we need is to specify a road map, as the president says, to end the (Israeli) occupation." "We need to take forward the vision that Bush spoke about in a way that guarantees the end of the Israeli occupation. The problem is the Israeli occupation, which represents the highest form of terrorism." "Palestinian leaders don't come from parachutes from Washington or anywhere else. Palestinian leaders are elected directly by the Palestinian people. President Yasser Arafat was directly elected in a free and fair election... The world and President Bush must respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people." Ariel Sharon’s Office Statement "Israel is a country that desires peace. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said on numerous occasions that when there is a complete cessation of terror, violence, and incitement and when the Palestinian Authority enacts genuine reforms, including new leadership at the top, such that a different Authority is created, then it will be possible to discuss how to make progress on the political track." Israeli Minister-without-Portfolio Dan Naveh The speech represents "the end of the Arafat era and the victory of Israel's position." Yasser Arafat’s Office "President Arafat and the Palestinian leadership have welcomed the ideas presented by President Bush. The president [Arafat] and the cabinet view the ideas as a serious contribution to pushing the peace process forward." "The leadership hopes to discuss the necessary details to secure the success of these ideas through direct and bilateral meetings with the American administration, and with the consultation of the quartet [US, European Union, Russia, and United Nations representatives] and the Arab brothers." Mahmoud Zahar, a prominent Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip "We see the speech as Hebrew words that were translated into English and spoken by Bush on behalf of Sharon." Husam Khader, Palestinian Legislative Council member The speech "is very bad. It did not offer anything new, and claims the Palestinian people bear the responsibility of what's going on." Mohamed el-Sayed, Washington bureau chief for the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram "The Arab world will not sleep tonight.” Bush “practically demanded the removal of Arafat, the symbol of Palestinian unity. The Palestinians have elected Arafat and they will elect him again. If the Palestinians re-elect Arafat, are they going to be punished?" Mostafa Bakri, editor in chief of the independent weekly El Osboa The Palestinian state "is just a temporary promise, an illusion without borders, without identity.” Bush's speech "means giving Sharon the green light to get rid of Arafat." "Arab countries, especially Egypt and Jordan, have a major role to play in implementing this initiative, including working on expelling the Palestinian leader." Reda Helal, a columnist and member of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Relations "Bush announced frankly and clearly that he is not giving Arafat a chance, which will disappoint the hopes and demands of moderate Arab regimes" Israel’s Shinui Party head Yosef "Tommy" Lapid Bush's speech is the most favorable to Israel ever delivered by an American president addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said Bush clearly called for Palestinians to replace Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, without even mentioning his name. Israel’s Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid "The goals that Bush set out are worthy and proper, but he apparently has no idea how to implement them." Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations "I think it's a very powerful address, and puts the onus where we always said it was, which is the inability of the current [Palestinian] leadership." Hoenlein lauded Bush for calling on Syria to halt “terrorism”, saying, "The real key now is the implementation and sustaining it over time." Harold Tanner, American Jewish Committee president and executive director Harris congratulated Bush on his "superb speech." It was "courageous, comprehensive, and visionary." Foxman, the head of the Israeli Lobby, AIPAC "The president on this issue has been very good since day one." "And all those who are saying it's a passing moment of fancy, I think, are wrong. He was very clear where his moral compass is on this issue." Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer “This speech is a historic step which offers a security, political and economic horizon allowing an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." He said Palestinian reforms, a change in leadership and a “renunciation of violence and terrorism” were "the key to the situation." Bush's vision for "two states, Israel and Palestine, living in peace side by side, responds to the supreme interests of Israel." Tsippi Livni, Israeli minister without portfolio "The rules of the game have changed for the Palestinians. (Bush) called for a change in the leadership, since Yasser Arafat was presented as a man who supports terrorism." The Israeli Jewish Settlers' Council (which represents illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip) Bush had "ordered the expulsion of Yasser Arafat and the eradication of terrorism." Sources: AFP, CNN, Al-Jazeera, Jerusalem Post, WAFA, the Palestine Chronicle, Arabia.com

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2) Israeli Helicopter Missiles Kill Six Palestinians, Wound 13 in Rafah



Monday, June 24 2002 @ 05:19 AM GMT

Palestine Chroniclehttp://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020624051916733Hatem Anwar, Palestine Chronicle Reporter RAFAH (GAZA STRIP): Continuing on the path of assassinating Palestinian activists, the Israeli army fired several missiles at Palestinian cars in the Rafah area, south of Gaza, killing six people, including a Palestinian activist and his two brothers. Hospital sources indicated that at least 13 more civilians were wounded in the attack, several are in serious condition. The attack was carried out near the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israeli radio says an Israeli helicopter fired several missiles into several vehicles carrying alleged “suspected militants.” The latest extra-judicial execution is one in a long chain of assassinations carried out by Israel in the last two years, a policy that resulted in the death of many civilians and generated international condemnation. The Israeli army acknowledged the murder of one Palestinian in the attack, failing to acknowledge the death of the other five. "Israeli security forces killed Yasser Rizq, 29, a senior official of Hamas in Rafah who was behind an attack that cost the lives of four Israeli (occupation) soldiers last January 9," an army spokesman alleged in a statement Monday. Palestine Chronicle reporter said that the identities of those killed are as follow; Yasser Rizq (an activist in the Hamas movement), his two brothers, Amir Ahmed (a taxi driver), Sami Amr and a sixth person whose identity is yet to be announced. Ismail Abu Shanab, a Hamas leader in Gaza condemned the attack in a telephone interview with Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar, saying that “all of those murdered by Israel in Rafah were innocent civilian in their way to the hospital.” Abu Shanab said that Hamas will retaliate to the Israeli attack, however, he indicated that the nature of that retaliation will be decided by the military wing of the movement. Eyewitnesses said that the bodies of those killed were torn to pieces, as flesh was recovered hundreds of feet away from the spot were the explosions took place. The attack came a few hours after Israeli forces invaded the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bireh, and surrounded the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Palestinian officials said scores of tanks and armored vehicles entered Ramallah from various directions, as helicopters hovered overhead. Arafat is believed to be in the compound. Israeli forces have imposed a curfew and taken control of strategic points of the city. Israeli occupation troops have moved in and out of Ramallah several times since ending a five-week incursion on May Second. Troops have sometimes closed in around Arafat's compound, which was heavily damaged by Israeli shells in late March. Israel has moved troops into several West Bank cities and towns in the past few days, tightening its grip around major West Bank cities. Meanwhile, in Gaza City, Palestinian police say they have placed the spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, under house arrest. Over the weekend, Israel called up an estimated 2,000 reservists, to take part of the West Bank invasion. The mobilization by Israel follows a decision last week by Israel's Sharon's security cabinet that major Palestinian cities and towns would be re-occupied for a lengthy period of time.

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