Jordan's King to Present Bold New Peace Proposal
King Abdullah II of Jordan has allegedly drafted a new Mideast peace strategy calling for nations in the region to normalize relations with Israel even before a return to the 1967 pre-Six-Day-War borders, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The proposal, which should be presented to an Arab League summit next Monday, appears to have little support among Arab nations. However, the Jordanian initiative stands as a highly unusual move, calling for "an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict" and the establishment of normal relations "in return for a lasting and comprehensive settlement."
Though the plan is vaguely worded - unlike a Saudi peace initiative adopted at the 2002 Arab summit held in Beirut - it omits any reference to UN resolutions and Arab demands for Israel to withdraw to pre-1967 borders and absorb all Palestinian refugees.
The omission suggests the king, whose country has a peace deal with Israel, wants other Arab nations to accept the geographical changes Israel has made in the territories since 1967.
IDF Bars Israelis from Moving to Gaza Strip
The Israel Defense Forces has banned Israeli citizens from relocating to the Gaza Strip as part of its preparations for the implementation of the disengagement plan this summer, HA'ARETZ reported. The IDF issued a statement today indicating that at the beginning of May, after Passover, it would declare the Gaza Strip a closed military zone. The army will then be able to prevent people who do not have proof of residency in the Strip from entering it. The move is meant to prevent right-wing activists from entering the area and hindering the evacuation of Jewish settlements.
IDF Chief: Violence Will End Only Once Terrorists Are Disarmed
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said today that the recent lull in terror attacks was deceiving, and that violence could only fully be stopped once the Palestinian Authority disarmed the terror groups, HA'ARETZ reported. "The organizations want the period of calm, but see it as a time to regroup and rearm before the fighting is resumed, without waiving their strategic goals," Ya'alon said. "Until I see terror groups disarmed, and [PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas] fulfilling his commitments to having only one political entity and one law, I cannot say this war is behind us," he added.
Meanwhile, the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees announced today it would not abide by the terms of the agreement reached in Cairo on Thursday according to which the Palestinian factions commit to a period of calm until the end of the year.
Israeli Art Takes Off in NY
Highlighting the excellent general performance of Israeli art, more than $4 million worth of Israeli works of art was sold at an international art auction this week in New York, YNET reported. Israeli artists took home more than $4,037,100 at an auction at Sotheby's Auction House in Manhattan, organizers said. "The auction showed that Israeli art stands for itself and does not need the assistance of international artists," said auction manager Jennifer Roth. "The results will encourage Sotheby's to continue selling Israeli art in the United States."
This is the second year Sotheby's has included Israeli artwork in its international art auction. Meanwhile, Israeli art is slowly breaking new grounds in New York, with several pieces currently being presented in a contemporary exhibit at the Chelsea Art Museum and the Armory Show near the Hudson River.
Other News in Brief
* U.S. President George W. Bush has invited Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his Texas ranch in mid-April to help advance the Middle East peace process, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Invitations to the president's private ranch in Crawford, Texas, are typically reserved for top diplomatic efforts.
* The Israel Security Agency is set to launch a new website next week in a bid to attract more candidates in its ranks, YNET reported. Security officials hope the new website will enable them to shorten the process of identifying and enlisting potential employees. In addition, the site will allow visitors to take a peek at the ISA's little-known activities in a bid to make the organization more transparent to the general public. The ISA follows in the footsteps of the Mossad, which also launched an Internet site recently.
Economic & High-Tech Briefs
* Xeround Systems, a provider of signaling solutions to carriers for VoIP and next generation IP services, has raised a financing round of $6.5 million from enchmark Capital and Giza Venture Capital, GLOBES reported. Founded in 2005, the company provides scalable signaling software solutions to carriers that deploy VoIP and next generation IP services in large scale. Xeround CEO Sharon Barkai said, "This financing enables Xeround to build top quality core development, sales and marketing teams, and to focus on bringing product to market early next year."
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]