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Newsletter : 1fax0920.txt
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>JN Sept. 20, 2001, Vol. 9, No. 153
Israel, Palestinians Observing Ceasefire
By Meredith Buel (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israel and the Palestinians are observing a tentative ceasefire, raising hopes for renewed talks after nearly one year of bloodshed. Several shooting incidents broke out in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but no serious clashes were reported after Israeli and Palestinian leaders took measures to reduce the violence.
Calm in the region is seen as crucial to Washington's efforts to bring Arab and Muslim nations into an international anti-terror coalition after last week's attacks on the United States.
A potential threat to the ceasefire came from two Palestinian militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Both are vowing to continue their fight against Israeli occupation of land seized in the 1967 Middle East war.
Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat called on his forces to stop firing, and to show restraint even if they are under attack. Israel responded by withdrawing tanks and troops from Palestinian-controlled territory in the West Bank and promising to halt military strikes.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres says the latest developments could mark a "turning point" in the conflict. The foreign minister says if the truce holds, he expects to begin talks with Arafat soon.
Previous ceasefire declarations have failed to halt the violence that erupted nearly one year ago. More than 800 people, mostly Palestinians, have died in the conflict.
Israel-Palestinian Violence Triggers Christian Arab Exodus
By Laurie Kassman (VOA-Bethlehem)
For years, the number of Christians in the Middle East has been dwindling steadily. The last year of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians has accelerated the Christian exodus. Christians dominated the Middle East for more than six centuries. They far outnumbered the Muslims and Jews who lived there with them.
Today, Christians number fewer than 14 million in the region, compared with a Muslim population of more than 340 million. In Israel and the Palestinian territories, they number fewer than 180,000 and account for less than 2 percent of the population. And their numbers continue to decline dramatically.
Bernard Sabella runs the Palestinian Affairs department of the Middle East Council of Churches. He estimates between 500 and 600 Christian Arabs have been leaving the West Bank each month since the latest Palestinian uprising erupted a year ago. He calls it a hemorrhage.
"Historically, when you talk about people leaving from the Holy Land, usually they leave when there is a political situation characterized by insecurity, uncertainty and the impact of the political situation on the economic situation."
Father Michael McGarry runs Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Bethlehem. He says many families in Beit Jala are tired of getting caught in the crossfire in the latest Palestinian uprising against Israel. But he also said security was not the only concern.
"Unemployment in the West Bank is variously estimated at between 30 and 70 percent. Hidden within those statistics are people who are actually out of work and people who are working without getting paid. How do you describe someone who is a social worker or teacher who has been working for three months and not getting paid? They're not unemployed but they're not getting any money either."
The cleric said church leaders and Christian aid groups are doing all they can to encourage people to stay, including financial aid, work programs and charity.
"The nightmare is that perhaps there will come a time when the Holy Land will be the equivalent of a Christian theme park with all these building commemorating great events in the life of Jesus but without a living community to sustain them."
Christians in the region also express concern over the spreading influence of Muslim fundamentalists and a general lack of democratic institutions to protect their rights as a minority.
FBI Detains 5 Israelis for 'Puzzling Behavior'
Courtesy of Middle East News Online
Five Israeli citizens, working illegally in the U.S., were seen videotaping the disaster at the World Trade Center, while shouting in what was interpreted as cries of joy and mockery. The five were arrested by the FBI hours after the attacks for what investigator described as "puzzling behavior." They were later released to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Arab Israeli MP Ahmad Tibi said the Knesset deliberated the arrest of the five. He described their handover to Israel as proof of "double standard policy in U.S. media coverage." The five Israelis were employed by an Israeli-owned moving company based in New Jersey.
The five were transferred from the FBI's facility on Saturday morning and are now being held in two prisons in New Jersey by the INS. They are charged with illegally residing in the United States and working there without permits.
