Israel Line

Labor: Leaving government is 'done deal'
Most Labor ministers said sunday morning that the party's departure from the government was a 'done deal' but noted that the official decision to leave the government should be taken by party institutions. Some said that the path that Peretz adopted was too impulsive, and added that parting from the Likud should be done in 'good spirits', THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The announcement came three days after Amir Peretz was chosen as head of the Labor Party, and amid growing tensions between Peretz and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which hit a new high Sunday morning as Likud members lambasted the union leader, who in turn threatened to move up his deadline for breaking apart the government.

Peretz's promise to pull his party out of the coalition was part of his pre-election platform.

The initial argument began when Sharon, having discussed the possibility of meeting with Peretz as early as Sunday, decided to postpone the meeting until Thursday. In response, Peretz threatened on Saturday night to topple Sharon's government as early as Wednesday by voting for a proposal submitted by MK Yitzhak Levy (National Union) to disband the Knesset and go to elections.

"If the meeting with Sharon does not take place at the beginning of the week, we will have to topple the government already on Wednesday," Peretz said. "Sharon acted irresponsibly by delaying our meeting and stalling. I know how to play political tricks too. The era in which Sharon can treat other parties like his marionettes is over."

The initial response from the Sharon camp was mild, and even mildly apologetic, as Sharon's associates responded that Sharon genuinely does not have time to meet with Peretz until Thursday because of the large number of world leaders who came to Israel for the ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the Rabin assassination. They said that Sharon did not mean to slight Peretz, but that he would have to wait his turn to meet with Sharon after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former US president Bill Clinton, New York Senator Hilary Clinton and other dignitaries. But as Labor reiterated its threat Sunday morning to disband the Knesset if Sharon failed to advance the date for the delayed meeting between Sharon and Peretz, the mud-slinging began. "Amir Peretz did to the Labor Party what Moshe Feiglin is trying to do the Likud," unnamed sources close to Sharon said Sunday morning. "This is a case of a man who stole a party in a hostile take-over."

Rocket lands in southern community
Palestinian terrorists fired a Qassam rocket this evening at the southern community of Nativ Ha'asara, just north of Gaza, YNET reported. The rocket landed in an open area near the community's greenhouses. No injuries were reported in the strike.

Security forces were promptly dispatched to the scene in a bid to pin-point the exact landing site. The rocket apparently landed at the community around 7:30 p.m., with forces having trouble locating the landing site because of the darkness. However, it appears some greenhouses were damaged. Earlier, the Hamas head in the West Bank town of Nablus ,Amjad Hanawi, 33, was killed during an exchange of fire with IDF forces. During the operation, fire was opened at the troops several times. Soldiers responded with fire and in one of the incidences killed Hanawi, who refused to leave his house and attempted to escape. Meanwhile, the IDF is waiting to see how the Nablus operation will affect fighting on the southern front, particularly in light of the fact the army fired close to 60 artillery shells at northern Gaza overnight in response to an earlier mortar attack. "We are not certain whether we'll see a response, but we are preparing for such scenario," one high ranking officer told Ynet.

Hillary Clinton: Palestinians must change attitudes
U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed today strong support for Israel's construction of the separation fence, stating that every government has an obligation to protect its citizens and criticizing the Palestinian Authority and the residents of the territories for not doing enough to prevent terrorism against Israel, HAARETZ reported. "This fenc is not against the Palestinian people. This is against the terrorists. The Palestinian people have to help to prevent terrorism. They have to change the attitudes about terrorism," she said. Clinton spoke after a tour of an area overlooking a section of the fence in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, together with Danny Tirza, the official in charge of the fence project. Clinton is on a three-day visit to Israel with her husband, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea. The Democratic senator from New York refrained from criticizing Israel for the difficulties the fence has caused to the Palestinians in their daily lives. Rather, she expressed appreciation for the solutions Israel tries to find to ease the lives of Palestinians harmed by the barrier. "Security is a constant challenge," she said, adding that Israelis and Palestinians ought to be aware of the great sensitivity shown by those responsible for the fence. According to Clinton, both sides understand that the fence will be dismantled once there is a peace agreement ensuring Israel's security.

On Saturday, the Clinton family took advantage of their first few hours in Jerusalem to stroll through the Old City and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher - without the press. Asked whether her visit to Israel is part of a campaign for the presidency, a smiling Clinton replied, "I've already been to the White House."

Israeli armor to protect Marines
Israeli companies are renowned worldwide for their expertise in providing armor for military vehicles. Now, kibbutz-owned Plasan Sasa, which specializes in manufacturing armor protection kits for military vehicles, aircraft and naval systems, has won a deal to provide USD 100 million worth of equipment to the U.S. Marine Corps, YNET reported. The company is owned by kibbutz Sasa in the northern Galilee region. Plasan Sasa will serve as a sub-contractor for Armor Holdings, which won an American Defense Department tender to provide armor for the Marines' vehicles. The company will provide the corps with modular armoring to protect vehicles against improvised explosive charges, land mines, and various other terror threats. The add-on armors will be installed on 930 light trucks. The contract constitutes part of the Marines' plan to equip its fleet of tactical trucks, MTVR, with advanced armor. Plasan Sasa CEO Danny Ziv said the company succeeded in meeting the high technological and operational demands presented by the American navy.

"We proved that our solution substantially reduces damage and represents the most effective armor for tactic vehicles in today's modern battlefield," he added. "This contract illustrates the Marine Corps' satisfaction with Plasan's sophisticated armor solutions, since it constitutes a renewal of an identical deal between Plasen and the U.S. Navy signed the previous year," he said. Sources at Plasan explained that the company's solutions will not only provide protection for the vehicles, but would also enable easy and fast installment and dismantling of the add-on armors, to suit the changing needs of the forces.

Israeli neurologist invited to Iran
Israeli neurologist Dr. Rivka Inzelberg was invited by her Iranian colleagues to lecture on her findings about Alzheimer's during a recent conference in Istanbul, she disclosed, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. She said that she was considering the possibility of going to Iran - whose president recently called for wiping Israel off the map - and would consult with the Foreign Ministry if she received a formal invitation from Iranian researchers. "If such a visit could promote peace, I would consider taking the risk," she said. Inzelberg, of the Technion's Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, said her research was conducted entirely with 600 Israeli Arabs in the Wadi Ara area, which added to the interest of Muslim participants. The conference in Istanbul, she said, was a rare opportunity for Israeli neurologists to meet with their counterparts from countries hostile to Israel, such as Syria and Lebanon