New - Hebrew: Arafat

Hebrew: Virtual Reality

Palestinian State Poll -  Tell us what you think: should Palestinians declare a state unilaterally? Click to vote        

Feature - Palestinian - Israeli Media Seminar sponsored by Yakar and PACE offers insights, a chance for dialog and perhaps - improved cooperation. A first hand report.

Mideast News Sites - News Links  had been updates with links to numerous Mid-East news services and journals. Besa is an internationally recognized scholarly journal on the Middle East with in-depth analyses and news of conferences and other activitivies. JMCC provides daily translations from the Palestinian press and a subscription news service.

Palestinian State? - [April 28] The PLO Executive Council  decided to postpone their decision on declaration of a Palestinian state. It is probably that it will be postponed until after the Israeli elections. The move came after President Clinton sent Yasser Arafat a letter recognizing Palestinian rights and promissing to renew the peace process negotiations after the next elections, with a view to concluding an agreement within a year. It is probable that the deliberations of the Executive Council will continue until after the elections. If PM Nethanyahu is re-elected, they will declare a state. If Barak or Mordehai are elected, the Palestinians will allow a grace period to 'give peace a chance.''

Orient House Closing Update - According to Minister of Internal Security Avigdor Kahalani, the process of closing of Orient House offices may take until after the elections. PM Nethanyahu is anxious to get it done before the elections. He is unhappy with Kahalani for suggesting Palestinians should be allowed two weeks to appeal, and for carrying on discussions with Palestinian leaders. More

Israeli soldier wounded by PNA [April 20]- An Israeli soldier was wounded near Jenin on April 28 by PNA Police, when an IDF vehicle wandered into Area A by mistake. The PNA has admitted that their 'soldiers' fired in error, and are investigating the incident, according to Israel radio.

Settlers for Bibi - [April 29] - The Yesha (settler's) council has decided to back PM Nethanyahu and the Likud party, rather than right-wing extremists led by Benjamin Begin. Apparently, that have taken PM Nethanyahu at his word regarding non-implementation of the peace process.

Election Heats up - [April 29] - The Israeli election campaign has started and is heating up in earnest. Last night a mysterious right-wing list aired a cartoon TV commercial showing Yasser Arafat pregnant with the Palestinian state. Ahmed Tibi was at his bed-side, talking on the telephone to One Israel Party leaders Yossi Beilin and Ehud Barak, who advised Chairman Arafat to wait until after the elections, when they would give him everything. Meretz and One Israel party leaders have asked the elections commission to investigate whether this mysterious right-wing list exists, or is just a straw man used by the Likud to gain extra votes.

Rabin Assassination (April 24) - The Israel government prosecutor has decided to try former GSS double agent Yigal Raviv on the grounds that he knew of plans to assassinate PM Yitzhak Rabin and did nothing to stop it. This move comes in reponse to pressure from right-wing groups who are anxious to shift the blame away from assassin Yigal Amir and the Israeli right. Earlier, the One Israel (formerly Labor) Party released footage of scuttled election campaign commercials from 1996, which featured a smiling Yigal Amir (assassin of P.M. Rabin) and documented the incitement that preceded the assassination, in which right-wing political leaders, including Likud party members, played a role.

Israel government decides to close Palestinian offices in Orient house - (April 23) -  The Israeli government decided to close Palestine National Authority (PNA) offices in Orient House in Jerusalem, and in particular those of Feisal Husseini. The decision will be implemented after review by government counsel according to a cabinet decision announced Friday. The move came after Arab consuls met in Orient house with Feisal Husseini, a violation of Israeli sovereignty according to the government.  The real reason for the closing it seems, was embarrassment over an assessment by GSS head Ami Ayalon, showing that PNA activity in Orient House is greater than ever. PM Nethanyahu had made an issue of Orient house meetings in the last elections, claiming that he would close it. Since 1996 when Nethanyahu was elected, the government has declared that it would close PNA offices in Jerusalem several times, but the offices have stayed open. Meretz leader Yossi Sarid said Friday that the closing is an inappropriate and unecessary provocation.The move hurts moderate local Palestinian leadership, since Feisal Husseini is one of their last representatives with any influence in the Palestinian community and the PNA, and helps extremists and PLO-Tunis people. The Israeli government is preparing to cope with possible violent protests by Palestinians. Such protests, coming so soon before the elections, could actually help the changes of Bibi Nethanyahu for reelection, just as the bombings in 1996 helped him come to power. In any case, Jerusalem is an explosive issue. Nethanyahu and his Likud Party used Israeli fears about dividing Jerusalem quite well in their previous campaign, though there was no truth to their accusation that 'Peres will divide Jerusalem.' Perhaps they are hoping to do the same now. It is not clear what the Palestinians thought to gain by bringing the issue to the forefront at this particular time.

Elections - Graphs of three week moving averages of Gallup poll results since January 24  were used to examine long-term trends. They show that Center Party candidate Mordechai is losing ground in second round pairing against PM Nethanyahu and that the percentage of undecided voters is growing.

The graph at left shows the percentage point spread second round advantages of One Israel Party candidate Ehud Barak and Center Party candidate Yitzhak Mordechai. Mordechai has been steadity losing ground, from a point spread of 11 to 14 percent over Bibi down to 1.6% this week, while Ehud Barak maintains a 2 to 5 percentage point lead that may be growing. More

The graph shows a 3 week running average of the undecided vote when people are asked to choose between Barak and Bibi or Modechai and Bibi in Round II. of the elections. The undecided vote has grown slightly when Barak runs against PM Nethanyahu, and considerably more when Yitzhak Mordechai is paired against Nehanyahu in the runoff elections.

Israeli Security Versus Palestinian Security (April 16) - Israeli police ransacked a house in Area B of the West Bank and brutalized a family in a mistaken search for stolen cars. PEACE participant Adam Keller points out that this was a violation of the Oslo agreement, since PNA police have jurisdiction in Area B. Shouldn't Peace and Security be for everyone?  Click 4 more

Peace School asking for help (April 15)  - The Hope Flowers school in Al Khader, Bethlehem is a beacon of hope and decency in the Mid-East sea of hate and despair, teaching tolerance and nonviolence to Palestinian youngsters. The school has received wide media attention in the past, especially after it came to the attention of Hilary Clinton. PEACE was distressed to learn that Israeli authorities are putting difficulties in the way of the school . To learn more about it and what YOU can do to help, click here.

Kosova - There are increasingly insistent rumors of preparations for a NATO ground offensive involving 80 to 100,000 troops. It seems that this was planned all along. The role of the airstrikes is to 'soften up' the Yugoslav resistance. Yugoslav sources are claiming they have downed over 40 NATO aircraft since the bombing began, and that Western media are not reporting NATO casualties. Earlier, President Slobodan Milosevic stated that there were no refugees until the 'damned bombing' began, though refugees have been flowing out of Kosova for many months.

Stop Milosevic Petition - Click here to sign a petition to bring Milosovic to justice according to international law.

Elections and Jews Abroad - A recent article in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot alleges that Australian millionaire Yosef Gutnick has paid generous sums to Likud politicians in order to stop compliance with the Wye accords. Mervyn Cassidy explains how money from abroad is being used to influence the elections.  Murray Polner discusses how Jews in USA and elsewhere view the Israeli elections. Click 4 More

Jerusalem - Beloved and divided city - PEACE participants and guests are invited to contribute articles - your personal views of Jerusalem and how to make it a real city of peace. Click 4 More

Water and Politics - How water and politics mix poorly in the Middle East.More

Virtual Reality - As the Israeli economy declines and the 'Peace Process' heads for a bloody denouement, right wing Israeli commentators try to find a silver lining and pretend that everything is fine. A very dangerous game!