News

*** Gaza-Streifen: Einige Dutzend Fatah-Angehörige die nach der Demonstration am Todestag Arafats durch die Hamas inhaftiert wurden werden frei gelassen. In Haft verbleibt eine unbekannte Anzahl von Fatahisten, gegen die weiter "ermittelt" wird. Wie die Ermittlungen durchgeführt werden, ob zB Folter zur Anwendung kommt, oder ob die Inhaftierten einen Geisel-Status erhalten um künftige Ausschreitungen zu vermeiden muß abgewartet werden. Daneben lassen die Kerninhalte der "Regierungserklärung" von Hamas-Führer Haniyeh sehr deutliche Zweifel an Theorien aufkommen das innerhalb der Hamas ein Streit entbrannt sei. Nach der Niederschlagung der Proteste sieht sich die Hamas eher in einer verbesserten Position und bedient sich kluger Schachzüge wie der Forderung nach Installierung einer überparteilichen und unabhängigen Kommission um die Ereignisse zu untersuchen. Bei weniger dramatischen, aber durchaus vergleichbaren Ereignissen in der Westbank stehen Ankündigungen der Fatah die Fälle zu untersuchen im Raum, aber Taten folgten nie. Interessant erscheint auch der Richtungswechsel in der Hamas in Punkto Annapolis-Prozeß. Die Total-Ablehnung weicht der Zeit einer stillen Teilhabe über Forderungen [Ismael Radwan gestern "Rückkehrrecht"] die momentan noch grundsätzlichen Charackter haben. In der ehemaligen Siedlung Atzmona werden zwei Hamas-Mitgliedern wohl durch eine Mine die Beine abgerissen. Wie es derzeit um die Arbeit von Minensuchern und Kriegsschrottbeseitigern im Gazastreifen bestellt ist kann man sich denken. Aus israelischen Militärkreisen wird die Öffnung des Sufa-Grenzübergangs für Sonntag für Lebensmittel aus israelischer Produktion vermeldet. Bis sonntag ... ist noch lang hin. Hingegen gibt Generalstaatsanwalt Mazuz bei dem Thema Öl/Strom-Sankionen nach: The Justice Ministry on Thursday confirmed that Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz has approved in principle a plan to reduce the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Kassam attacks, on condition that the flow is not completely cut off at any time and that residents are given ample warning to forestall any possible humanitarian crisis. Mal abwarten was der Oberste Gerichtshof dazu sagt.

*** Annapolis: Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat appeared to soften his position Thursday but still rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's call for explicit Palestinian recognition of Israel as "the Jewish state," saying he was baffled as to why Olmert wanted to "poke us in the eye" over the issue. Asked by The Jerusalem Post whether he recognizes that the Jewish nation has historic rights here, Erekat said: "Israel has rights in the Middle East and the majority of Israelis are Jews. And when we recognized Israel, we recognized the composition of the state." Erekat had told an Arabic satellite TV interviewer earlier this week that the Palestinian Authority "will never acknowledge Israel's Jewish identity." Ein anderer gibt nicht auf: A former Bush administration stalwart who has become a vocal critic told The Jerusalem Post this week that the planned meeting in Annapolis later this month to push for Israeli-Palestinian peace is "a mistake." [Damit dürfte sich Bolton den Giulianis dieser Welt als Aussenminister andienern. Eine Horrorvision!] Badil: In recent days Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has conditioned negotiations to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. At the same time resolving the long standing Palestinian refugee question is a decisive test of respect for and commitment to the fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination.

*** Jordanien: Thanassis Cambanis, "Jordan's Islamists seek offices their allies scorn": This crammed slum of four-story concrete housing blocs has given Jordan some of its biggest headaches: it is a stronghold of the opposition Islamic Action Front and the hometown of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who rose from here to the helm of the Iraqi insurgent group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Jordan's political Islamists wield their most concentrated power here in this industrial city of 834,000 just a quarter-hour's drive from the capital, Amman. The Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, commands almost unanimous support among those in this city who bother to vote in Jordan's parliamentary elections, widely regarded by Islamists as rigged in the secular government's favor. Related: Nicholas Kralev, "US engages Muslim Brootherhood": The United States has resumed contacts with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood despite Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's 2005 commitment not to "engage" with the banned group — a move that could strain relations with President Hosni Mubarak's government. U.S. Embassy officials said they are acting in conformity with a worldwide policy of dealing with political parties that are represented in their national parliaments. Muslim Brotherhood members can only run for Egypt's parliament as independents, and U.S. officials say they have met them only in that capacity.

*** Libanon: Nahernet, "Sfeir's Presidential Election List under Attack before Onset" As conflicting reports over whether a list of presidential candidates has been handed in by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to the French envoy or not, it appeared that the list had come under attack before it was even born. While Christian opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun rejected the "idea" of including his name in Sfeir's list, President Emile Lahoud deemed "unconstitutional" any list. und Daily Star, "Security Forces dismiss reports of plot to assasinate Nasrallah"

*** Israel: The negotiating team of the Secondary School Teachers Association (SSTA) will meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday in hopes of reaching an end to the month-long high school strike. Im Radio wird eben berichtet, die Lehrer-Vertreter wären ohne Olmert getroffen zu haben nach Hause gegangen. Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann's proposal which would disqualify the High Court of Justice from hearing cases on both budgetary and security matters ignited a fury of protest Friday from the Labor Party, whose faction chairman warned that Kadima's key coalition partner would veto any proposal deemed as encroaching on the court's authority.

Und natürlich: Weitere Verhaftungswellen in der Westbank. Neun Hamas-Mitglieder und zwei Fatahisten.

Aus dem Iran werden bereits Forderungen aus dem Mullah-Sektor berichtet die eine Entschuldigung von Bush fordern und in Israel ... Jerusalem is concerned that the delicate language taken by the International Atomic Energy Agency in its report against Iran's nuclear problem will delay the imposition of sanctions against the current Iranian regime, Army Radio reported on Friday. While praising Iran for answering some questions about the history of its nuclear program, the IAEA report released Thursday confirmed that Iran continues to defy the international community by ignoring its demands to stop enriching uranium, a potential pathway to nuclear arms.