ISRAEL
- -----
- PLAN FOR A REVISED ISRAEL TO BE COMPLETED BY 2005
:: A major event happened at the United Nations during this summit.
The press conference with the U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan
disclosed that a new agreement has been agreed to between Israel
and the Palestinians. The agreement was arrived at with five
Arab States, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel [Perez] and the
Palestinian team. They agreed to a plan of implementation and
final comprehensive settlement within three years. The plan has
political and humanitarian dimensions. It has three phases and
compliance is to be monitored.
- 1. The Palestinian government has to be reformed. Sharon
has issued a statement that there will be no election unless
Arafat is removed out of the election process.
- 2. Israeli withdrawal to where it belongs according to what
was agreed upon originally and they adhered to prior to 1967.
- 3. Redevelopment of the Westbank and Gaza which will be discussed
in the November meeting at the U.N.
- :: The three phases are to take place and completed by 2005.
To give Palestinians hope and an incentive to behave Israel has
agreed to include the Palestinians in their economy, return their
jobs and taxes. All settlement activities must stop. Both sides
should allow law and order to take place. Colin Powell said that
elections will take place in Palestinian territory so that Palestinians
can express their wishes. Colin Powell said that they should
not dictate whom the Palestinians should choose to lead them.
-
- ::There is a major problem developing over the river in Israel
which is to be diverted and causing much conflict. They are planning
to send American experts to Israel to help decide how to solve
that problem best.
-
- :: "Why so long to come to this conclusion," asked
a reporter and Kofi Annan said that this is just a beginning
not an end. In 1991 - 1996 we did an incredible job destroying
weapons that Iraq had stored including nukes.
- Kofi Annan said there are 65% unemployed. Israel destroyed
3000 businesses and uprooted 90,000 olive trees.
-
- :: Another reporter brought out weapons of mass destruction
in Israel, what about them. They changed the subject.
-
- :: Listening to CNNfn which is international news and I picked
up an interesting but threatening message. I don't know which
country this referred to either, but a person voiced a comment
about Islam and its stupidity and he got one year in jail and
a $50,000 fine.
- -----
- THE DECEPTION REGARDING THE "JERUSALEM BILL"
:: Lee Underwood, Editor, Tzemach News Service:
On 30 September 2002 US President George W. Bush signed the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act for fiscal year 2003. The bill provides
$8.6 billion in funding for the State Department for the fiscal
year 2003. This includes funding that President Bush needs to
use for operations around the globe.
-
- :: Included in the bill were several provisions regarding
Jerusalem. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 1646)
includes the following provisions (Sec. 214, 215):
-
- :: The Congress maintains its commitment to relocating the
United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and urges the President,
pursuant to the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, to immediately
begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem.
:: No funds may be spent on the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem,
which deals mostly with Palestinian issues, until the post comes
under the supervision of the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Currently,
the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem reports directly to the
State Department.
:: All federal documents listing countries and their capitals
must identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
:: American citizens born in Jerusalem can demand that U.S. government-issued
documents, such as passports and birth certificates, identify
Israel as their birthplace.
:: The Secretary of State is to report to Congress within 60
days on U.S. efforts to ensure and promote Israel's full participation
in the world diplomatic community.
-
- :: What Mr. Bush did was sign the bill but disregarded all
the items pertaining to Jerusalem. Following is the excerpt on
Jerusalem from President Bush’s 30 September statement [distributed
by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department
of State]. Pay particular attention to the last sentence.
-
- [--- begin excerpt ---]
"I have today signed into law H.R. 1646, the 'Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003.' This Act authorizes appropriations,
and provides important new authorities, for diplomatic and related
activities of the U.S. Government. Many provisions in the Act
will strengthen our ability to advance American interests around
the globe, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
and to meet our international commitments, including those to
the United Nations. Regrettably, the Act contains a number of
provisions that impermissibly interfere with the constitutional
functions of the presidency in foreign affairs, including provisions
that purport to establish foreign policy that are of significant
concern.
. . . .
Section 214, concerning Jerusalem, impermissibly interferes with
the President’s constitutional authority to conduct the
Nation’s foreign affairs and to supervise the unitary executive
branch. Moreover, the purported direction in section 214 would,
if construed as mandatory rather than advisory, impermissibly
interfere with the President’s constitutional authority
to formulate the position of the United States, speak for the
Nation in international affairs, and determine the terms on which
recognition is given to foreign states. U.S. policy regarding
Jerusalem has not changed."
[--- end excerpt ---]
-
- :: Quoting from a press release from the State Department:
"Noting that the section calling for U.S. recognition of
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital interferes with his constitutional
authority, the President said he would consider such provisions
to be 'advisory,' rather than 'mandatory.'"
-
- :: I am not sure if there is any precedent for a U.S. president
signing a bill whereby he accepts part of it but waves off that
which does not suit his agenda. While one part of it is a recommendation,
the other parts are clearly mandated by Congress.
- -----
- SHARON OPEN TO EXPELLING ARABS
:: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has rejected Jordan's request
that Israel issue a public declaration opposing the possible
transfer of 'Palestinians' (israeli Arabs) from the West Bank
to Jordan.
- :: Jordanian officials are worried that Israel might exploit
the american attack on Iraq by expelling masses of West Bank
Arabs across the border. Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher last
September at the United Nations in talks with former Israeli
foreign minister Shimon Peres asked for a formal assurance. Peres
promised Muasher that he would speak with Sharon about the issue.
President George Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza
Rice also raised the matter in meetings with Sharon in Washington.
Though polls taken of Israel public opinion indicate rising public
support for the idea, Sharon is neither confirming nor denying.
Full story http://www.haaretzdaily.com.
- -----
- AFTER IRAQ ATTACK OVERRUN IRAN
:: The Times - Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has called
on the international community to target Iran as soon as the
imminent conflict with Iraq is complete.
-
- :: In an interview with The Times Sharon insisted that Tehran,
one of the 'axis of evil' powers identified by President Bush,
should be put under pressure the day immediately after action
against Baghdad ends. He made clear western Iraq would be one
of the first areas targeted by the US in any invasion, saying
that lessons had been learnt from strategic mistakes of the 1991
Gulf War when Iraq successfully fired 39 Scud missiles into Israel.
The israeli Government is considering an unprecedented crackdown
on the islamic movement within its own borders. He asserted that
while Washington was focusing on Saddam Hussein, whom he called
'insane,' the White House shared his concern Iran was also seeking
weapons of mass destruction and developing missiles capable of
striking Israel and even Europe.
-
- :: 'The free world should take all necessary steps to prevent
irresponsible countries from having weapons of mass destruction.
Iran is a centre of world terror and makes every effort to possess
weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. That is a
danger to the Middle East, Israel and Europe. They are working
on a ballistic missile of 1,300km. They have almost reached this
range already. They were talking in the past about 2,500km and
even 5,000km. If Israel, and I make it very clear, is attacked
by weapons of mass destruction, Israel will react. Is it clear?
Do they imagine Israel will not be able not to defend itself?
|