Merkel in front of Knesset - updates

Wohluend ruhig und diszipliniert und damit entsprechend der historischen Bedeutung verläuft der Besuch Merkels in Israel ab: Der israelische Präsident Schimon Peres hat den Besuch von Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel als beispiellos und als großen Beitrag zu den Bemühungen um eine Lösung des Nahost-Konflikts gewürdigt. Er danke der Bundeskanzlerin, die sich für Israel ebenso engagiere wie für den Friedensprozess im Ganzen. Europa könne im Nahen Osten eine wichtige Rolle spielen, sagte Peres nach einem Treffen mit Merkel in Jerusalem. Auf der verlinkten Webseite kann die Rede vor der Knesset im live-stream angehört werden. Dabei darf nicht vergessen werden das es sich um einen Arbeitsbesuch handelt. Sollte die Rede noch halbwegs klappen kann von einem bedeutenden Schritt für die diplomatischen Beziehungen beider Länder gesprochen werden. Unser Nahostbabe in der Knesset dagegen geht mal wieder eigene Wege: Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich said on Tuesday she intends to shun German Chancellor Angela Merkel's speech before the Knesset plenum, in protest of what she calls the "insensitive" decision to let her address the house in German. "Germany is our friend," Yachimovich said, "but in this day and age we should respect the survivors' injured soul." [Yachimovichs familiy dürfte wohl aus Tschenstochau stammen.]

Beim Damaskus-Tor in Ost-Jerusalem kommt es zu einem Messerangriff auf einen ultra-orthodoxen Rabbi, der leicht verletzt wird. In der Westbank kommt es zu verstärkten Verhaftungswellen: Nablus, Tulkarem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nur Shams, al-Jalazun. 30 Verhaftungen mit den entsprechenden looting-Nebenwirkungen, ZWEI Verhaftungen werden sogar begründet. Weiterhin wird die "Szene" des Islamic Jihad in Bethlehem aufgemischt. [...] The killing of four armed Palestinian fugitives by a special police anti-terrorist squad in Bethlehem last Wednesday was authorized at the highest levels of the General Staff, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak apparently has no regrets. A Haaretz investigation revealed that Barak was briefed about the operation in advance. As a result of the operation, Islamic Jihad violated the unofficial lull that befell the Gaza Strip after weeks of fighting, and led the radical group to resume its rocket attacks against Sderot. [...] The decision to arrest Mohammed Shahada of Islamic Jihad, the most senior militant killed during the incident in Bethlehem, was made several weeks ago. On the day of the terrorist attack against the yeshiva, army and police raided the Bethlehem home Shahada was staying in, but he was not there. On Wednesday, March 12, another attempt was made to arrest him. Barak was informed that morning of the operation. Just like the officers subordinate to him.[Bei so viel Schwachsinn fehlen fast die Worte. Nach dem Anschlag durfte die Politik noch weidlich über einen Hamas-Zusammenhang labern, nun hat sie beschlossen die Dimension des Vorfalls totzuschweigen da die unmündige Bevölkerung weder über das eigene Versagen noch über die Ungeheuerlichkeit das bekannte Terrortellen mitten ins Jerusalemer zionistische Herz treffen können informiert werden dürfen. Man stelle sich vor: Der Herr Verteidigungsminister bekommt einen Anruf am Morgen und in der Nacht darauf rückt eine wochenlang auf ein Ziel fixierte, mit mega-wichtigen Informationen, ausgefeilten Einsatzplänen und bester Vorbereitung gespickte Anti-Terroreinheit aus den Besten der Besten der Besten Israels an ... und dann ist der Gesucht nicht zu Hause. "Ääääää... sorry! Da müssen wir wohl morgen noch Mal kommen??!!?? Wann ist er denn antzutreffen?" Abr halt! HALT! Authorized by Ehud Barak, Brigadier General Noam Tivon. Approval was granted at the level of GOC Central Command, Major General Gadi Shamni, and the chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi: Israeli soldiers forced all the residents of the neighborhood out into the street and ordered them to undress. Na, Bravo! Noch besser, wie ist sie denn nun eigentlich abgelaufen, die Anti-Terror-Operation, die wochenlang vorher geplante? Man hat sich nach Nichtauffinden des zu Verhaftenden nicht nur daneben benommen, sondern mit Megaphonen in die Strassen gestellt und den Terror-Führer aufgefordert sich zu ergeben! Mission accomplished! [Instead of a Britney Spears ring tone, Shehadeh Shehadeh's cell phone emits a recording of a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. "Our entire family has turned Shi'ite," he boasts. Last week, Israeli security forces operating in the West Bank town of Bethlehem killed his father, Mohammed Shehadeh, who was a senior commander in Islamic Jihad.]

"The Palestinian presidency released a statement on Monday denying claims published on Israeli websites that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to halt the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks." + The Palestinian Authority is planning to mark Israel's 60th anniversary by calling on all Palestinians living abroad to converge on Israel by land, sea and air. [Wird dann morgen dementiert.]

Egypt's Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman has once again postponed his visit to Israel, scheduled for later this week. This is the third time that Suleiman has cancelled his arrival in the country, and a senior Egyptian official told the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that the decision was prompted by Israel's "lack of commitment to the lull in Gaza." [...] Two days after government officials told the Jerusalem Post about a package deal being formulated by Egypt which would include a cease-fire in Gaza which would end the ongoing Kassam rocket fire, the Defense Ministry's diplomatic-security bureau, Maj.- Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad set out to Cairo to forward the talks, Al-Jazeera reported. [netter Boykott von al-Jazeera] [...] Left-wing party holds internal elections to replace current chairman Yossi Beilin. Candidates Chaim Oron, Zahava Gal-On and Ran Cohen will need to secure 50% of votes to avoid second round. [...] Jailed Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti said Monday that he is considering running for the Palestinian Authority presidency in the next elections that are expected to take place in 2009 or 2010. "When the date of the elections is decided, I will make my decision," Barghouti said in a message he passed on to his attorney. [die Amtszeit endet im Januar 2009. Eine Verlängerung wäre ein diktatorisches Experiment.]

Editorial: A senior American official quoted yesterday in Haaretz predicted that despite the upcoming presidential elections, and in advance of his visit to Israel in May, President George W. Bush will increase the pressure on both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to achieve significant diplomatic progress. The American intervention will be evident already at the end of the week, with the arrival of Vice President Dick Cheney for talks in the region. Immediately after him, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to arrive here. Recently, Rice has not concealed the U.S. administration's dissatisfaction with the progress of the negotiations for a final-status agreement and the way the sides are treating the road map commitments. She has once again expressed her disappointment with the policy of expanding settlements and with Israel's evasion of its commitment to evacuate outposts and dismantle roadblocks.

Israeli stocks rebounded on Tuesday after they dropped steeply on Monday as U.S. and European shares wilted after Bear Stearns' implosion late last week and the investment bank's takeover by JPMorgan Chase & Co. The dollar, however, continued to decline and reached a new low of NIS 3.38 as traders expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to drop interest rates a full percentage point. [Nicht soo uninteressant, aber auch nicht gefährlich. Das real estate-establishment in der Westbank ist ja durch großzügige Investitionen des Staates Israel bestens abgesichert. In Amerika verrotten ganze Stadtteile,die Westbank blüht.]