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Newsletter : 1fax0614.txt
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>JN June 14, 2001, Vol. 9, No. 99
200 Jews Remain in Syria
By IsraelNationalNews.com
The Jewish community in Syria has been reduced to only 200 people. Rabbi Huder Shahada Kabariti told a French news agency that 150 Jews live in Damascus, 30 in Haleb, and 20 live in Kamashili.
The rabbi said that five synagogues are in operation in Damascus, while 15 others have been closed. Of the 4,500 Jews who lived in Syria less than a decade ago, most took advantage of governmental permission to leave.
Next Two Days Crucial For Mideast Cease-fire
By VOA News
The United States says the next two days are critical in determining if the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and the Palestinians will hold. U.S. State Department spokesman Phil Reeker said Wednesday each side over the next two days must demonstrate its commitment to the cease-fire accord.
Israel and the Palestinian envoys agreed to the truce late Tuesday after meeting with CIA chief George Tenet in Israel. The cease-fire is aimed at ending nearly nine months of violence between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel says the cease-fire formally went into effect at 12 hours UTC Wednesday. It is not clear whether the Palestinians also used the same starting time to begin the cease-fire. The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad say they will ignore the truce and continue to fight against Israel.
Details of the truce agreement have not been released. But State Department officials say the framework of the deal calls on the Palestinian Authority to arrest those involved in violent attacks against Israelis, and for Israel to ease its closure and economic pressure on Palestinian areas.
In Brussels, President Bush said Wednesday he is encouraged that both Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to the cease-fire. He said all the parties must take additional steps that will place them on the road to a just and lasting peace.
Meanwhile, there were a few scattered incidents of violence Wednesday. Two Israelis were wounded in separate shooting incidents in the West Bank. A mortar shell fell in a Jewish settlement in Gaza without causing injury or damage.
Israel's defense minister has sent out orders to ease blockades around Palestinian towns and allow the entry of goods. Israel said if the situation remains quiet for 48 hours, it would start to change the deployment of its forces.
Bush Says Middle East Cease-fire is First Step
By VOA News
President Bush has urged the Palestinians and Israelis to take further steps toward peace, following their acceptance of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire.
Bush told a Brussels news conference he was encouraged that both sides have agreed to the cease-fire hammered out in talks with CIA Director George Tenet. Now, he said, Israel and the Palestinians have to implement the document with concrete actions.
Bush said they need to build trust in words, but more importantly in deeds. He said all the parties must take additional steps that will place them on the road to a just and lasting peace.
Annan Supports Israeli-Palestinian Cease-Fire
By Sonja Pace (VOA-Cairo)
U.N. Secretary-General Koffi Annan said both Israel and the Palestinians should seize the opportunity to consolidate a cease-fire and not lose the chance to return to the process of making peace. Annan is on a tour of the Middle East, which began with a stop in Cairo.
Speaking after his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Annan said no matter how fragile the current Israeli-Palestinian cease- fire is, it must be consolidated.
"The whole idea behind the international effort is to try to bring the violence to an end. Now that the cease-fire is being consolidated there should be an effort to move on to the diplomatic process in order to ensure the cease-fire also holds for the longer term. The question of settlements is also one of the issues being discussed." Annan said neither party to the conflict should miss this opportunity to halt the violence.
Israeli Army Says Controversial Ammo Use Was A Mistake
By VOA News
The Israeli army said the recent killing of three Palestinian women with controversial ammunition was a professional mistake. A military spokesman said the Israeli army chief of staff is conducting an investigation into the killings. Reuters news agency quoted Israeli military sources as saying officials are considering a military trial and reprimands are expected.
The three women were killed overnight Saturday in a Bedouin camp in the Gaza Strip by artillery known as Flachettes, shells filled with small, razor-sharp metal arrows. Military specialists said the ammunition was not designed for use in civilian areas. Israeli commanders have banned their use in the West Bank but not in Gaza, where they say the possibility of violent confrontation with armed Palestinians is much higher.
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