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07-18-02 UN Security Council Adopts Plans by USA, EU, UN, and Russia for Palestinian State (Bloomberg) Provides a summary of the agreement to support the development of a Palestinian state within three years. 07-24-02 Children Hungry in Palestinian Territory (Independent - Huggler) A preliminary report from US Agency for International Development (USAID) reveals a humanitarian disaster in Palestinian territory. "The findings say 30 per cent of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and 21 per cent from acute malnutrition – a massive increase compared to a survey for the same agency in 2000 when the figures were 7.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively." 11-27-02 U.N. Top Arafat Aid Calls Uprising a Failure (Guardian) "Yasser Arafat's top deputy [Mahmoud Abbas] said the armed uprising against Israel has been a mistake for the Palestinians and must be stopped, declaring it had held up Palestinian independence and led to a reoccupation of West Bank cities by Israeli troops." Papers -Essay - Arab American View That Palestinians Need a New Strategy (Arab American Institute - Zogby) Tawfiq Zayyad, former Mayor of Nazareth, argues that the method of armed conflict by the Palestinians has "increased suffering and done great damage to the Palestinian cause." Zayyad argues that "When facing a more powerful foe, never play into his power...." By using violence, Palestinians are playing a losing strategy, he states. Dr. Zogmy, a prominent Arab American, argues that it is now clear that the United States, Europe, United Nations, and Arab states will not come to the rescue of the Palestinians. If Palestinians continue to use violence to make their point, they will continue to lose support from those who could help. More important, Palestinian attacks give strength to Israelis who wish to use violence against Palestinians--since Israelis have more military power, they will win. 4-02 Amnesty International Denounces Palestinian Bombers (Independent - Huggler) "Amnesty International has condemned the killing of Israeli civilians in suicide bombings and other attacks by Palestinians as crimes against humanity." "Mr Barghouti crops up in Amnesty's report, which says he told the organisation's delegates that Fatah considers Israeli settlers living inside the West Bank and Gaza Strip...as legitimate targets, because they are living on occupied land. The report rejects that argument...." 7-02 Arab Ministers Give Bush Middle East Plan (International Herald Tribune) "Arab foreign ministers were giving President George W. Bush a detailed plan Thursday for establishing a new Palestinian government - with a written constitution, an elected Parliament and a prime minister - that could be recognized as a state as early as January, according to Arab sources." 7-02 Bombs - A History of Bombing Attacks by Palestinians (BBC News) Provides a brief description of each bombing attack by Palestinians against Israeli civilians, since 1994. Each year there were from none to a maximum of four--until 2001. In 2001 there were 14 bombing attacks against Israelis and in 2002 there have been many more. 4-02 Bombs - Bombing Attacks by Palestinians Since 2000 (USA Today) Provides a brief description of each bombing attack by Palestinians against Israelis since September of 2000. There were 29 Palestinian bombing attacks in 2001 and 41 attacks in 2002 (up to June 19th). Editor's Note - Palestinian attacks became intense in 2000 as a result of Ariel Sharon's defiant visit to a holy Muslim site, followed by Israeli soldiers shooting into protesting crowds and killing Palestinians. 6-02 Bush's Middle East Demands (BBC) Summarizes President Bush's demands for action in the Middle East when he spoke in June of 2002. The BBC is British. 8-02 Essay - Anarchy in Palestinian Territory - Sharon Destroys the Palestinian Government (BBC News - Plett) Describes the Israeli effort for complete destruction of the central government of the Palestinians. Rather than just rooting out terrorists, as Sharon claims he is doing, Plett reports that the military have gone into government buildings to destroy records, machines, and everything else. "After the war, Israel 'will be faced with a situation in which there is no central government in the PA and with the total anarchy that will develop in the absence of such authority,' writes Uzi Benziman in Israel's Haaretz daily." 4-02 Essay - Catholic Message to the Israeli and Palestinian People (Leadership Conference of Women Religious and Conference of Major Superiors of Men) Provides a joint statement from two Catholic organizations to express solidarity with the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. Also expresses sadness that United States leadership has not spoken out more clearly and effectively against the violence by both Israelis and Palestinians. 5-02 Essay - Israelis Keep Palestinians from Essential Medical Aid (BBC News - Westcott) Reports complaints by humanitarian and medical workers that Israeli soldiers have prevented Palestinians from gaining life-saving medical attention. According to international law (the Geneva Conventions), such actions by soldiers are war crimes. 4-02 Essay - Middle East Lacks Leadership (MSNBC News - Moran) Provides the view that neither Arafat nor Sharon can lead their people toward peace in the Middle East. Regarding Araft's leadership of the Palestinians, Moran observes that the "Palestinians may be the worst-led people on the planet...." "On the Israeli side, things are no better." Moran claims that those interested in peace find "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s policies to be disastrous." "The United States must take its share of the blame for allowing things to get so out of hand, however." 3-02 Essay - Palestinian View of Barak's Offer of Land (Gush-Shalom) Provides a Palestinian view of Barak's offer of land to Palestinians in exchange for peace. A great deal of controversy surrounds the offer and some of the current conflict between Palestinians and Israelis involves different views of what Barak offered. The offer is not available in written form, so it is difficult to confirm or deny what was offered. 4-02 Hostilities Continue Between Israelis and Palestinians (Guardian Unlimited) "There have been no suicide bombings in Israel since Aug. 4." However, Palestinians continue to attack Israelis and Israelis continue to attack Palestinians. Haim Ramon, a lawmaker from the Jewish Labor party said "the killing of innocent [Palestinian] people threatens Israeli security because it `'damages our international standing'' and `'brings into the cycle of terrorism more people who did not previously intend to join it.' '' 9-02 International Peace-Keeping Force Urged for in Middle East (BBC - Foulkes) "The UN Human Rights Commission, meeting in Geneva, has been told that the situation is now so serious that only an international force in the region can bring an end to the violence." 8-02 Israeli Camp David II Proposals for Final Settlement (Mideast Web) "These were modified in various ways by U.S. bridging poposals. The details of the proposals are still secret at this time. Israel claims that they were far reaching and generous. The Palestinians have been claiming that the proposals would have perpetuated the precise situation of the interim agreements, in which the West Bank is divided into numerous small areas of Palestinian sovereignty interspersed with a much larger area of Israeli sovereignty." 4-02 Israelis Attack Militants Among Civilians (Independent) Israeli soldiers attacked Palestinians towns, leaving 12 dead. "Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat denounced the Israeli raid as a massacre. 'Every time we witness efforts to revive the peace process and put it back on track, like those being exerted now by Mr Solana, the Israeli government moves to conduct such war crimes and murder innocent civilians because the end game of the Israeli government is to resume full occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,' Mr Erekat said." "Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Palestinian militants were to blame for the high death toll. 'We try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, but we can't say that because there are civilians there, we will not take action against the terrorists,' he said." 10-02 Mitchell Report for the Middle East (U.S. Department of State) Provides the findings of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, popularly known as the "Mitchell Report." The recommendations of the Committee were accepted by the Palestinians, Israelis, and the United States. However, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians have followed the recommendations. Instead, both sides have continued to pursue violence. 10-01 Pope Supports International Peace-Keeping Force (BBC) "Pope John Paul ll has lent his support to the creation of an international peacekeeping force to try to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." 8-02 President Bush Speaks Out (MSNBC News - Bush) President Bush presents the U.S. position on the growing conflict in the Middle East. "I call on the Palestinian Authority and all governments in the region to do everything in their power to stop terrorist activities, to disrupt terrorist financing, and to stop inciting violence by glorifying terror in state-owned media or telling suicide bombers they are martyrs." "They’re not martyrs. They’re murderers. And they undermine the cause of the Palestinian people." "Consistent with the Mitchell plan, Israeli settlement activity in occupied territories must stop, and the occupation must end through withdrawal to secure and recognized boundaries, consistent with United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338." 4-02 Saudis Debate Intolerance by Muslims (International Herald Tribune - MaFarquhar) "Prompted by the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, a cautious debate has begun in Saudi Arabia's closed society over intolerance toward non-Muslims and attitudes toward the West that are now viewed by some as inspiring unacceptable violence." 7-02 School With Both Arabs and Jews (Mr. Shivers Kindergarten) Describes the bilingual Israeli school, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam or Oasis of Peace, designed as a model for spreading peace. 4-02 Secret Federal Court Rejects Justice Department's Request (MSNBC News) "The secretive federal court that approves spying on terror suspects in the United States has refused to give the Justice Department broad new powers, saying the government had misused the law and misled the court dozens of times, according to an extraordinary legal ruling...." 8-02 Sharon Supports Some of Bush's Ideas (Guardian) Summarizes Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's comments about President Bush's proposal for peace in the Middle East. Editor's Note - Sharon initiated the call for Arafat's replacement as leader of the Palestinians. Other major portions of President Bush's plan, such as Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory, were not addressed in Sharon's comments. 7-02 Successors to Arafat (BBC) Provides profiles of Palestinian leaders who have been considered as possible replacements for Arafat, in case Arafat steps aside as the president. The article mentions Ahmed Qurei, Mahmoud Abbas, Mohammed Dahlan, Jibril Rajoub, Marwan Barghouti, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and Abdel Sattar Qassem. Tenet Report (Avalon Project at the Yale Law School) Provides the text of the plan for Middle East steps toward peace by CIA director George Tenet. 5-02 Thousands of Palestinians Defy Israeli Curfew (Guardian Unlimited) " 'People who can't find food and need medicine and treatment should break the doors of their jail,' Aloul said in an interview with The Associated Press." "Shops, banks and offices opened to accommodate the curfew breakers, who filled the streets of Nablus. 'I've been confined to my home for more than a month. I have eight children, we've eaten all we have,' said Tamer Adnan, working at his felafel stand. 'I'm just fighting to get food for my kids.' '' 7-02 USA Reassesses Weapons for Israel (Bloomberg.com - Ziegler) "The State Department is evaluating whether Israel's attack, which killed at least nine children along with its target, a Hamas mastermind of violence against Israelis, violated laws that ban the sale of weapons for anything other than self-defense or internal security." 7-02 Walling Off the Palestinians (BBC News - Hawley) Describes the conditions of Palestinians trying to travel between towns in Palestinian territory. 6-02