In the News

December 3: A top Hamas leader said the terrorist group would accept coexistence between Israel and a Palestinian state for an undefined period. Israeli troops killed a wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist in a raid. Israel should prepare to absorb Europe's Jews, a former Israeli chief rabbi said. December 6: Israel's foreign minister predicted improved diplomatic relations with the Arab world. Some 50 European mayors joined with leaders of the Geneva initiative at a conference in Lyon devoted to Mideast peace. A key Israeli religious party dropped a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The Tel Aviv stock index hit an all-time high. December 7: Israeli president Moshe Katsav declares that one must not seriously take Syria's intention of resuming the talks with Israel. He also denied that the Syrian president addressed himself to the Israeli through the intermediary of a secret network.  The Israeli President also stated that Israel would freeze the construction of the anti-terrorist fence as from the moment the PA will put a stop to terrorism. According to a poll conducted by the Bir Zeit university, Marwan Barghutti would be favorite to the PA's presidency with 46% of the voting intentions. In second position comes Abu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) with 44% and lastly Mustapha Barghutti, independent candidate, with 7% of the potential votes.  A sizeable arrest: the terrorist arrested last night in Shehem (Nablus) by the Paratroopers is the PFLP chief (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) of the town. Mussa Bader financed the attack in the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv in which 3 Israeli were killed, a few weeks ago. December 8: A university in London hosted a conference to launch a fresh academic boycott of Israel. Israel offered $10 million for information on missing airman Ron Arad. A final verdict is expected Wednesday in a lawsuit against Islamic groups and a Hamas operative accused of culpability in the death of a U.S. teenager.

Arafat's Death Has Given Birth to New Hope

(1) Freed of the burden of a dysfunctional governing style, Palestinian officials are carefully edging their way toward cooperation. (2) Left to their own devices, Palestinians are consciously making an effort to favor the rule of law over the law of the jungle, actually using democratic procedures to resolve the battle over Arafat's succession. This acceptance of elections as the route to power has already begun to channel the energies of the competing forces. (3) Abbas is offering the diffuse terrorist gangs a deal: put down your arms and take up jobs in the security services, and you will have both salaries and amnesty from Israeli attack. (4) Adding to the new hopeful mood, the Israeli military has limited its activities against Palestinian terrorists. To help pay salaries to newly co-opted militants, Sharon's government is quietly transferring tax revenues Israel collects for the PA. (5) Peacemaking, nation-building, and democratization need to go hand in hand. What's needed now is a strategic commitment from President Bush in favor of a sustained second-term effort to redeem his two-state vision of a democratic Palestine living peacefully alongside a secure Jewish state of Israel. Martin Indyk (writing in the New York Times) is director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and was the U.S. Ambassador to Israel (1995-1997, 2000-2001).

Advocacy for Israel Committee Information

The Advocacy for Israel Committee was formed in September of 2001 to organize pro-Israeli activities and to rally support in the form of Hasbara. The A Team’s next meeting is Sunday December 12 at 9:45 am in the CBI Atrium. Please join us and make a difference for Israel! For more information, email A Team Chairmen Jay Epstein (jhe@tampabay.rr.com) or Sheldon Scheinert (Sheldo123@aol.com), or call the CBI office at 381-4900.

Speaking out for Israel so that "Never Again" shall Jewish silence lead to an indifferent world