ECONOMIC BRIEFS
TWO ISRAELIS SHOT DEAD
Two Israelis were shot dead on Thursday in separate incidents
in the West Bank, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Prime
Minister Ehud Barak convened a meeting with Israel Defense Forces
leadership today to discuss the murders. In a statement released
by the Prime Minister's Office, Barak said the attackers would
not go unpunished, and that Israel would do everything possible
to defend its citizens, including unilateral separation from the
Palestinians.
According to HA'ARETZ, 23 year-old Lior Atia of Afula was shot
at close range in Jenin, apparently in a pre-planned ambush. Dr.
Shmuel Gillis, a father of five and a senior hematologist at
Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, was killed outside the Al Aroub
refugee camp south of Bethlehem when he was overtaken on the road
and shot from a passing car. Atia went to Jenin with an
Israeli Arab friend Mohammed Zuabi, a resident of Nazareth, to
pick up a car. Upon arrival, Atia was shot in the head. Zuabi
managed to flee the scene and reported the incident at an IDF
checkpoint. Atia is the fourth Israeli who has been killed in the
West Bank in Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.
Gillis was shot to death while driving from Jerusalem to his
Karmei Tzur home. A passing Palestinian car fired at him with
automatic weapons. He was hit by eleven bullets and died on the
spot. Gillis' death marked the first shooting incident in the
Bethlehem area after several weeks of relative calm. Ester Uliel,
a neighbor of Gillis' said, "God has taken one of the best.
Shmuel was good, wise, moderate, restrained, level headed and
modest."
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said on Thursday night that two
Palestinians were killed by soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
BARAK OFFICIAL LABOR PARTY CANDIDATE
Prime Minister Ehud Barak is, as of today, the official Labor
party candidate for the February 6 prime ministerial election, HA'ARETZ reported. Pursuant to the Election Law, the deadline for
switching candidates expired on Thursday at midnight. This
followed weeks of speculation as to whether Shimon Peres would
replace him as the Labor candidate.
Barak announced today that he will not meet Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat before Tuesday's election. He is
slated to tell UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Swedish Prime
Minister Goran Persson to stop their efforts to arrange a
meeting.
Meanwhile, Barak froze contacts with Arafat on Sunday after the
Palestinian leader's attack on Israel at the Davos World Economic
Forum. On Monday, Arafat gave a conciliatory interview to Israel'
s Channel Two and Barak said he would reconsider the possibility
of joining a summit. After the increase in violence over the past
week and the murder of two Israelis in the West Bank on Thursday,
Barak decided not to meet Arafat.
Minister of Transportation Amnon Lipkin-Shahak met Arafat on
Wednesday to discuss the security situation. A Government source
said Shahak told Arafat that the two sides have a common interest
in calming the situation. Arafat promised to try, but Israel
fears that the PA is losing control in the territories. Israel
and the PA published a joint statement on Thursday calling for
both sides to avoid any damage to the water and sewage systems of
both Palestinians and settlers. The agreement was finalized at a
meeting of the Tripartite Water Committee.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is slated to meet with
Israel's Ambassador to the United States, David Ivri, today,
marking his first meeting with an Israeli official since taking
office. The administration told Israel it is taking no stand on
the Israeli election and that bilateral relations between the
U.S. and countries in the Middle East do not depend on progress
in the peace process.
HIZBULLAH CELL OPERATING IN GAZA
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the Lebanese terrorist
organization Hizbullah recently began operating a Palestinian
terrorist cell in the Gaza Strip, HA'ARETZ reported. The IDF
suspects that the cell has been involved in shooting attacks and
bombings in the Netzarim area, and has fired anti-tank weapons.
Members of the new cell are apparently linked to the Islamic
Jihad organization, which enjoys close ties with the Hizbullah
and their joint patron, Iran. Israel security sources believe
that the Gaza-based terrorists receive funds and instructions
from Hizbullah, and some may have also trained in Lebanon.
IDF sources say that the Hizbullah has recently stepped up its
involvement in the West Bank and Gaza-particularly since Israel's
withdrawal from Lebanon last May. Hizbullah's popularity has been
on the rise in the territories and its yellow flag has been
present at Palestinian demonstrations.
Meanwhile, senior Lebanese sources were quoted in al-Hayat on
Thursday saying that Syrian authorities "severely reprimanded"
the leader of the Damascus-based Palestinian Popular Front, Ahmad
Jibril, for launching an attack against Israel from the Lebanese
border last week. According to the report, Syria informed Lebanon
that it would be reining in Jibril's group. In particular, the
Syrian authorities reportedly told Jibril that the attack was
"not appropriate" and that Syria does not support Palestinian
terrorist activity originating from Lebanon.
AIR FRANCE FLIGHT LANDS IN IRAN WITH ISRAELIS ON BOARD
Three Israelis on board an Air France flight from Paris to
Bangkok were forced to land in Teheran when one of the passengers
had a heart attack on the plane, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL
reported. The Israelis remained on the plane while Iranian
security officials inspected it.
With the help of the Air France crew, the Israelis hid their
identities. Among them was a former aid to former Minister of
Defense Moshe Arens. After four hours, the plane continued its
flight as scheduled.
QUAKE SURVIVORS NAME NEWBORN "YISRAELA"
Parents of a premature baby born in the Israeli field hospital
established by the Israel Defense Forces in the wake of last week's earthquake in India named their child Yisraela after the State
of Israel, MA'ARIV reported. Yisraela's condition is improving
daily.
According to Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, more than two hundred
people were treated in the field hospital during its initial two
days of operation, and six surgeries were persformed. There are
currently 20 individuals still hospitalized. On Thursday a
special rescue team joined the emergency aid mission and helped
with rescue and evacuation missions in the city of Bouge. An
additional Israel Air Forces aid plane carrying medical and
generic reinforcements for doctors in the field hospital also
arrived in India with Chief Medical Officer Brig.-Gen. Dr. Giora
Martinovich on board to examine more closely the activity of the
Israeli medical team.
A Gallup pre-election poll published in MA'ARIV today shows Likud
leader Ariel Sharon leading Prime Minister Ehud Barak, 51-34
percent, with 15 percent of respondents undecided or saying they
will submit a blank ballot on election day. The poll, taken on
Wednesday, included 1,250 persons and has a 2.8 percent margin of
error. A poll conducted by the Dahaf agency and published today
in YEDIOT AHARONOT, gave Sharon a 21 percent lead over Barak and
predicted he would win 56 percent of the vote compared to 35
percent for the Labor incumbent, with 9 percent undecided. The
Dahaf poll, conducted on Thursday, included 1,003 respondents and
has a 3.2 percent margin of error.
ECONOMIC BRIEFS