JANUARY - MARCH 2006 NEWS ARCHIVE

Wednesday, March 29, 2006
ISRAEL HAS NEW PREMIER
Yahoo News has the story:

“After declaring victory in Israel's elections, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party said Wednesday it would quickly form a broad ruling coalition that will carry out its plan to pull out of much of the West Bank and draw Israel's borders by 2010."

Ha'aretz reports on the Hamas reaction to Olmert's election:

"Our interest is that any party which rules in the occupation state should be brave to recognize the rights of our people in establishing their full sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital and to free male and female prisoners in their jails and to recognize the right of return," said Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh.

"Let's see how things will develop in the future, at the moment, what we see and what is declared is a unilateral separation plan from Olmert. This plan is rejected by the Palestinian people."

But the Palestinian Liberation Organization on Tuesday night expressed its readiness to negotiate immediately with the next Israeli government on the implementation of the road map peace plan, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said."

The Washington Post on Olmert:

"Only 63.2 percent of Israel's roughly 5 million eligible voters cast ballots after a low-energy campaign that belied the pressing questions facing the next government. The next prime minister must determine Israel's new relationship with the Palestinian Authority, now led by the radical Islamic group Hamas, and decide how to proceed on matters of peace.

Olmert, a 60-year-old lawyer and former Jerusalem mayor, outlined plans to withdraw from scattered West Bank settlements and draw Israel's border roughly along the line of the separation barrier due to be completed next year. Jerusalem and the largest settlement blocs would remain in Israel's hands under Olmert's plan, which he said he intends to carry out before the end of his four-year term."

PALESTINIANS HAVE NEW HAMAS DOMINATED PARLIAMENT
Reuters reports on the change in the governing structure over Gazah:

“Chanting "God is Greatest" after the 71-to-36 vote, Hamas lawmakers hugged and kissed Ismail Haniyeh, their teary-eyed prime minister-designate who vowed to not to abandon the fight against Israel.

"The Koran is our constitution, Jihad is our way, and death for the sake of God is our highest aspiration," Hamas lawmaker Hamed Bitawi said.

Tuesday's comments stood in contrast to a more conciliatory speech by Haniyeh on Monday in which he stressed the new government's push for peace and dialogue. The earlier speech drew fire from some lawmakers for not stressing resistance.

...Hamas, committed by its charter to Israel's destruction, inherits an aid-dependent Palestinian Authority that is on the brink of financial collapse.

A threatened cut in Western aid could make it more difficult for Hamas to pay the salaries of an estimated 140,000 Palestinian Authority workers, including security personnel. Aid groups say a funding crisis could lead to chaos and violence."

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
A.D.70 TUNNELS IN ISRAEL UNCOVERED
ABC News has a story about an archeological dig finding ancient Israeli defensive preparations for the Roman assaults that destroyed the Second Temple in 70 A.D.:

“Underground chambers and tunnels used during a Jewish revolt against the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago have been uncovered in northern Israel, archaeologists said Monday.

The Jews laid in supplies and were preparing to hide from the Romans during their revolt in A.D. 66-70, the experts said. The pits, which are linked by short tunnels, would have served as a concealed subterranean home."

More on this story at brietbart.com and sify.com

WILL ISRAEL ATTACK IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES?
The Jerusalem Post has a story on actions by the U.S. Pentagon and the IDF concerning a future assault upon Iranian nuclear facilities:

“Last week, former Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said in Washington that the West does have a military option against Iran and that a joint US-NATO-Israeli air strike against dozens of nuclear facilities in Iran could set back Teheran's nuclear programs for several years.

The sources stresses that Ya'alon's remarks were not the trigger for the Pentagon consultations about a possible Israeli attack but added that there is a sense in the administration that the Iranian issue is gaining urgency."

More on this story at UK Telegraph and Time Magazine Online

Friday, Feb 24, 2006
MAYOR OF LONDON SUSPENDED FOR NAZI COMMENT
This is London reports on the suspension of Mayor Ken Livingstone for insulting a Jewish reporter:

“London Mayor Ken Livingstone has been found guilty of bringing his office into disrepute by comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard.

Mr Livingstone was suspended from duty for four weeks from March 1 after being found guilty of bringing his office into disrepute.

The three-man Adjudication Panel for England unanimously ruled that Mr Livingstone had been "unnecessarily insensitive and offensive" to Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold in February last year."

“Saudi Arabia refused Wednesday to join a U.S. effort to deny foreign aid to a Palestinian government led by Hamas, the second Arab ally in two days to rebuff Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We wish not to link the international aid to the Palestinian people to considerations other than their dire humanitarian needs,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said through a translator."

What the funding will help (via yahoo.com):

"Hamas is continuing to train the mujahideen in order to pursue their task of jihad," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

68% AMERICANS VIEW ISRAEL FAVORABLY
The Jerusalem Post reports on survey results:

“Almost seven in 10 - or 68% - of Americans view Israel in a "very favorable" or "most favorable" light, a new Gallup Poll revealed Friday. In contrast, only 11% hold similar views toward the Palestinian Authority, and Iran defeated former "worst enemy" Iraq to become the overwhelmingly perceived "worst enemy" of the United States. Almost one-third - 31% of interviewees - awarded Iran the dubious title, while 22% of Americans viewed Iraq as the worst enemy, a percentage unchanged since a similar survey was taken last year.."

 

Tuesday, Feb 1, 2006
BUSH: USA WILL FIGHT IRAN OVER ISRAEL
The Jerusalem Post and Reuters both report on USA President Bush remarks about defending Israel from Iranian attack:

“The United States would come to Israel's defense if attacked by Iran said President George W. Bush Wednesday night.

Bush went on to denounce Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying, "I am concerned about a person that, one, tries to rewrite the history of the Holocaust, and two, has made it clear that his intentions are to destroy Israel.

"Israel is a solid ally of the United States, we will rise to Israel's defense if need be. So this kind of menacing talk is disturbing. It's not only disturbing to the United States, it's disturbing for other countries in the world as well," he added.

Asked if he meant the United States would rise to Israel's defense militarily, Bush said: "You bet, we'll defend Israel."

Tuesday, January 3, 2006
TEMPLE MOUNT EXCAVATIONS?
The Jerusalem Post reports on accusations of a synagogue opened "under" the Temple Mount:

“The Israel Antiquities Authority denied on Tuesday accusations that archeological excavations were currently underway below the Temple Mount and that a synagogue had opened at the site.

...Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement's northern faction, had said at a press conference earlier Tuesday that al-Aksa Mosque was in danger, and declared that if archeological excavations in the vicinity of the Western Wall tunnels were to continue, Israel "would find itself at war with the entire Muslim world."

HUGO CHAVEZ: JEWS CONTROL THE WORLD'S WATER SUPPLIES, ETC
The spanish language site judeoscope.com has a Christmas Day speech by Venezualen dictator Hugo Chavez:

(Translation from the web site)
“...Chávez declared that "the descendants of those who crucified Christ (...) have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands". Chávez also stated that "Christmas for me is the Christ; Christ the rebel, Christ the revolutionary"

TONS OF MILITARY SUPPLIES ENTERING GAZA FROM EGYPT
Yahoo.com carries a Reuters report about military hardware stockpiling into Gaza:

“Palestinians have smuggled anti-aircraft missiles into the Gaza Strip along with tons of other military hardware since Israel withdrew in September, an Israeli intelligence report said on Monday.

The missiles were smuggled into Gaza across the border from Egypt, the Shin Bet security agency's report said.

It said that Palestinian militants were acquiring anti-aircraft missiles primarily to thwart Israeli air strikes on militants in Gaza, but it said these weapons could in theory threaten civilian aircraft in Israel."

ARCHIVE OF OLD NEWS
2006 January - March here
2005 January - April here
2005 May - Sept here
2005 October - December here
2004 January - February here
2004 June - December here
2003 January - October here
2003 November - December here