Israel marks 60th birthday still not at peace by Patrick Moser Thu May 8, 9:08 AM ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel on Thursday celebrated its 60th anniversary with displays of military might and parties as Palestinians marked the plight of hundreds of thousands who lost their land to the Jewish state. Military air shows were among the crowd-pleasers with warplanes going through their paces in sunny skies even as a dark cloud hung over the political future of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is under a corruption investigation.
Crowds also thronged military bases which opened their gates to the public to show off some of the mighty arsenal used by an army well tested in six decades of conflicts.Israelis were expected to consume an estimated 13 million burgers, steaks, sausages and kebabs during traditional picnics, barbecues and beach parties.
Security forces were on high alert amid concerns that Palestinian militants could use the celebrations to launch attacks, and the authorities imposed a security lockdown on the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad was among the dignitaries who attended the inauguration of a tented camp of return in the West Bank town of Ramallah.The exhibit features displays of photographs and documents dating back to the 1948 creation of Israel which turned hundreds of thousands of people into refugees.
Sixty turbulent years after its creation in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust, Israel remains mired in a seemingly intractable conflict with neighbours still technically at war and with the Palestinians still struggling for their own state.As the Israeli party was in full swing on Thursday, the political establishment braced for a potential shakeup amid uncertainty over Olmert's political future after he was questioned by the anti-fraud squad last Friday.Olmert, already the subject of three police inquiries into allegations of fraudulent property transactions and abuse of power, has denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he will continue his duties as premier.The potential scandal has cast a shadow over this year's independence day events, intended to showcase Israel's achievements over the years.The Jewish state enjoys a stable economy on a par with most Western states, a powerful military, a booming high-tech sector and what is thought to be the region's sole if undisclosed nuclear arsenal.Israel also enjoys strong support from the United States, whose President George W. Bush will join the birthday celebrations next week.
Obviously coming to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary is both symbolism and substance, US national security adviser Stephen Hadley said in Washington.During his trip Bush will reaffirm his personal commitment to peace, the White House aide said.Long-moribund peace talks with the Palestinians were revived at a US-hosted conference in November but have made little progress since then, and to this day neither Israel's capital nor its borders are universally recognised.Palestinians stayed away from the celebrations and marked the anniversary with commemorations of the Naqba -- Arabic for catastrophe. The term refers to the creation of some 760,000 Palestinian refugees after the shock defeat of the Arab armies which invaded immediately after Israel was established.
In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, several hundred people chanting the right of return is sacred staged a march around a truck carrying a 10-tonne metal key symbolising the homes Palestinians lost in 1948. At the same time, thousands of Israeli settlers and right-wing activists staged marches toward a wildcat settlement in the occupied West Bank evacuated in 2005 and another still used by a few dozen Israeli families. The settlers vocally oppose calls by Palestinians and the international community to freeze all activity in the settlements. The issue is one of the thorniest in efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Israel marks 60 years as political clouds gather By Rebecca Harrison Thu May 8, 3:26 PM ET
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel celebrated its 60th birthday with barbecues and military display on Thursday but the party was marred by an investigation that could unseat the prime minister and derail efforts toward a peace it has never known. Blue-on-white Star of David flags fluttered from cars, rooftops and balconies, fighter planes traced 60 in smoke trails across the sky, paratroopers dropped into the sea and a televised youth Bible quiz highlighted the place Jewish faith holds in a state mainly founded by secular Zionists.War or the threat of it has clouded every day for Israelis since David Ben-Gurion declared their state in 1948 that was destined to be a haven for survivors of the Nazi Holocaust.On Thursday, families gathered to focus on the positive and on national pride. It's an emotional day, said Tzviya Gilboa, 57, among vast crowds packing sunny beaches at Tel Aviv. Anything that is connected to Israel is exciting to me.Keren Yohanan, 35, attended a barbecue at her cousin's home near Jerusalem. I'm happy that Israel is 60, she said. There is excitement but I am simply happy for what we have in Israel.Fireworks, light shows and military fanfare launched celebrations on Wednesday and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is pursuing a deal for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, said the Jewish state craved an end to the decades-old conflict.
In the state of Israel's 60th year, we can say that God has fulfilled his promise, Olmert said on Thursday, hours before police said they expected to ease sweeping restrictions on reporting details of the investigation into his affairs.We, the descendants of Abraham, have inherited the land, we have filled it, we have made the desert bloom, built and made it glorious, he said. The spirit of sacrifice still beats within us and is still sadly setting us trials that are hard to bear.Israel's most important ally and the chief sponsor of peace talks launched six months ago, U.S. President George W. Bush, visits next week. So do top executives from Google and Yahoo -- testament to Israel's success as a technology powerhouse.Security was intense for fear of attacks and armed police guarded revellers on the beaches. Measures to stop Palestinians entering Israel from Gaza and the West Bank were tightened.Six Islamic Jihad militants were wounded in an Israeli air strike in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, medical staff said.
SOLEMN MARCH
While Israelis partied, Palestinians held a solemn march in Bethlehem to mark the nakba, or catastrophe, of the Jewish state's creation, when about 700,000 people, half the Arab population of Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes.Holding banners vowing never to give up their right to return to land now part of Israel, protesters rallied around a 10-metre-long key, a symbol of the dream to reclaim lost homes.It hurts me dreadfully to see Israel celebrating because of our suffering, our expulsion and the loss of our homeland, said Monther Amireh, as Israeli planes roared overhead.In northern Israel, thousands wearing black armbands and waving Palestinian flags rallied at a site where an Arab village once stood. It is now a Roman-era archaeological site.Israel's festivities were clouded by the police investigation into Olmert's affairs, which has aroused speculation he may have to quit, upsetting peace talks already beset by squabbles over Jewish settlements and violence in Gaza.Already the focus of a series of corruption scandals in which he has denied any wrongdoing, Olmert was questioned at short notice by police last Friday over fresh allegations.
Olmert convened a news conference at his Jerusalem residence at short notice late on Thursday night, as judicial officials discussed whether to lift a sweeping media gag order that has prevented the reporting of details of the probe. Washington said Olmert was a very important player in the peace process but noted he was not Israel's only representative. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, seen as the likeliest successor to Olmert within his Kadima party, leads Israel's negotiating team. Founded on the basis of Jewish claims to biblical land and as a haven for survivors of European persecution that culminated in the Holocaust, Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948. Israelis celebrate the day according to the Jewish calendar. (Additional reporting by Brenda Gazzar in Jerusalem, Avida Landau and Ari Rabinovitch in Tel Aviv and Mohammed Assadi in Bethlehem; Editing by Kevin Liffey) For multimedia coverage of Israel's anniversary visit: http://uk.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/middleeast?refresh=tru e
Hezbollah says Lebanon declares war after gunbattles by Jocelyne Zablit MAY 8,08
BEIRUT (AFP) - The Lebanese capital braced for more sectarian violence Friday after fierce gunbattles in Beirut left at least seven people dead and the opposition Hezbollah chief charged that a government crackdown on his group was tantamount to a declaration of war. The international community launched urgent appeals for calm in the deeply divided country after two days of clashes between rival political factions that signalled a major escalation in a bitter 18-month power struggle.Thursday's shootouts between supporters of the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition in mixed Sunni and Shiite Muslim districts of the capital also left dozens wounded, hospital and security officials said.In scenes ominously reminiscent of the 1975-1990 civil war, Beirut's streets were virtually deserted during the day as loud explosions and gunfire rang out, while gunmen, some hooded, fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.The United States delivered a blunt warning to the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah to stop its disruptive activities while UN Security Council members said they were deeply concerned over the crisis.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered his fiery speech on the second day of anti-government protests which saw supporters of the feuding factions block roads with blazing tyres and force the closure of Lebanon's international airport.The (government) decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel, Nasrallah charged during a rare press conference.The government on Tuesday launched a probe into a private communications network run by the powerful Shiite movement, which is seen in the West as a terrorist outfit and which critics say has become a state within a state.The hand that touches the weapons of the resistance will be cut off, Nasrallah warned. We have the right to confront he who starts a war with us by defending our rights and our weapons.Nasrallah said Hezbollah was ready for dialogue but demanded the government rescind its measures against his movement.Hezbollah flatly rejected proposals by the government bloc to end the clashes, the group's Al-Manar television reported after parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri demanded an end to the siege of Beirut.And an official with the ruling coalition said armed Hezbollah militants had broken into offices of Hariri's Future Movement.We have given instructions to our supporters not to engage in a civil war but we have also told them to defend themselves if attacked in their homes.Underscoring fears of continued instability, people rushed to stores to stockpile food and bread, while the United Arab Emirates began evacuating its nationals from Beirut.
Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both, said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe. They need to stop their disruptive activities now.He said US President George W. Bush would discuss the turmoil when he meets Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in Egypt next week during a Middle East tour.Regional powers Egypt and Saudi Arabia voiced support for the Siniora government, and Arab League chief Amr Mussa, who has embarked on several missions to try to resolve the crisis, urged Lebanon's leaders to avoid any further escalation.Former colonial power France described the renewed fighting as worrying and called for restraint, while the EU also told Hezbollah to start playing a constructive role.UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed Larsen told the Security Council that Hezbollah's separate paramilitary infrastructure constitutes a threat to regional peace and security.
Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hezbollah in 2006, said it had no comment on the events in its northern neighbour, with foreign affairs spokesman Arye Mekel bluntly stating: It's none of our business. The latest unrest erupted on Wednesday during a general strike over price increases and wage demands which quickly degenerated into a confrontation between political rivals. The crisis has left the country without a president since November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down. While the rival factions have agreed to the election of army chief Michel Sleiman, they disagree on the make-up of the new cabinet and so far 18 sessions of parliament to choose a president have been cancelled.
Israeli PM denies taking illicit donations from American By STEVEN GUTKIN, Associated Press Writer MAY 8,08
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied fresh accusations that he illegally accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from a U.S. citizen, but said Thursday night that he will step down if he is indicted. The latest investigation into corruption allegations involving Olmert has distracted Israel for nearly a week and has the potential to derail delicate peace talks with the Palestinians.Olmert made his statement in a nationally televised speech from his official residence after a court lifted a gag order in the case. According to police suspicions, Olmert took hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit contributions from Jewish businessman Morris Moshe Talansky.Army Radio said the suspicions concern money that Olmert allegedly received from 1999 to 2003, when he was mayor of Jerusalem and later minister of industry and trade.Olmert said a lawyer handled his finances and everything was legal. I am looking at all of you in the eye, and I say I never took bribes, I never took a penny for myself, he said.
But he said he would not fight to stay in office if he was charged.
I was elected by you, citizens of Israel, to be the prime minister and I don't intend to shirk this responsibility. At the same time, and even though the law does not require me to do this, I will resign from my job if the attorney general decides to issue an indictment against me, he said.This is the fifth high-profile probe involving the Israeli leader, whose popularity has badly suffered because of the repeated corruption allegations. He has not been charged in any case, but even before the gag order was lifted Olmert's opponents were calling on him to resign.While Olmert's office has predicted he will weather the latest storm, the case threatens to further weaken his hold on power and potentially torpedo formal peace talks with the Palestinians launched last November at a U.S.-hosted peace conference at Annapolis, Md.
The White House said the case would not alter President Bush's planned visit to Israel next week, calling the investigation a matter for the Israeli judicial system.The president looks forward to traveling to the Middle East next week to continue to encourage the Israelis and Palestinians to work together for a two-state solution, said Gordon Johndroe, the president's national security adviser.Olmert said Talansky had made contributions to him for two mayoral campaigns for Jerusalem, one campaign for chairman of the Likud Party and another to cover campaign debt retroactively.He said he has served the Israeli public in different roles for more than 30 years, and like any prime minister is now dealing with important and sensitive issues which concern our existence as a people and as a state.I am sorry about the rough times that the public is going through, as are those who are close to me. I hope that this storm, too, shall pass with the same speed by which it was ignited, he said.Olmert's statement, and the court's decision to lift the gag order on the case that first came to light about a week ago, came as Israelis celebrated their nation's 60th anniversary.Israel's Channel Ten TV said Thursday that Talansky was suspected of being a middleman for illegal campaign contributions and that he told Israeli interrogators everything he knew about the case.Channel Two TV said that Olmert received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from Talansky in a series of meetings, while Olmert was Jerusalem mayor.Talansky told Channel Two that he was in Israel visiting family for the Passover holiday when he was called in for questioning. He said that he was baffled by the case and that he did nothing wrong.
They (police) knocked on my door at six in the morning and it was the national police and they asked me to come with them and I obliged ... and it was very surprising. When they asked me details, I said whatever I know, Talansky said. Referring to his relationship with Olmert, he said, We are very, very friendly and I used to meet him all the time at dinners in New York.If Olmert is indicted, he would probably have to resign, though a decision on whether to indict is likely to take at least several weeks, if not months. Israeli law restricts how much politicians can get from donors.
US the main obstacle to Mideast peace: Iran leader Thu May 8, 9:52 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran's arch-foe the United States was the main obstacle to resolving both the crisis in Iraq and the Palestinian question. Your presence in the Persian Gulf is the source of insecurity in this very sensitive region of the world, Khamenei said to the Americans during a speech in the southern city of Shiraz carried by state television.The security of this region has to be restored by regional countries, he insisted, adding that in the case of Iraq the very presence of US forces is enough to provoke Iraqi people.In Palestine, American intervention has only worsened the situation, said the all-powerful leader, condemning US support for the Jewish state which Iran does not recognise.The situations in Iraq and in Palestine will be sorted out, but when these are resolved there will not be anything left of America's prestige and identity, the state broadcaster's website also quoted Khamenei as saying.Washington accuses Iran of supporting terrorism and fomenting sectarian violence in Iraq. Tehran vehemently denies the charge and blames the presence of US-led opposition forces for the bloodshed in its western neighbour.The two states are also at odds over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, which the United States says is cover for an atomic weapons drive. Iran denies it wants the bomb and insists that its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful.
