Gaza family sues Olmert, Barak
A Palestinian family that claimed it lost 29 members in Israel’s offensive in Gaza filed a $200 million lawsuit against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli leaders.
The Samouni family, from the southern Gaza City suburb of Zaytoun, filed the suit in Nazareth District Court against Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported.
On Jan. 4, an Israeli tank shell reportedly hit the family’s three-story building, killing seven of its members. According to the family, their apartment burned down and the survivors took refuge in a shelter that was shelled the following day; 22 more family members were killed, they claim.
The lawsuit accuses IDF of “criminal negligence” by killing innocent civilians who were seeking refuge in their home and a shelter. — jta
Haniyeh, Hamas popularity rise, poll shows
Hamas’ prime minister would defeat Mahmoud Abbas in a presidential election, a new poll conducted by a West Bank–based Palestinian research center showed.
The survey published March 9 giving Ismail Haniyeh an edge over the Palestinian Auth-ority president also showed that Hamas’ popularity has in-creased among Palestinians in the aftermath of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Haniyeh receiv-ed a 47 percent popularity rating among the more than 1,270 Palestinians surveyed March 5 to 7 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, versus 45 percent for Abbas. A similar poll in December had Haniyeh at 38 percent and Hamas at 48 percent.
Hamas’ popularity increased to 33 percent, a 5 percent rise from December. Fatah, however, remained the more popular faction with 40 percent of support, compared to 42 percent three months ago. — jta
Netanyahu asks for silence on coalition
Benjamin Netanyahu said coalition talks are continuing and that discussing negotiations in public weaken the party’s standing.
The prime minister–designate asked party members at a Likud faction meeting March 9 not to talk about Cabinet appointments with the media.
Israeli newspapers reported this week that Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman will be named Israel’s next foreign minister and that his party also will get the public security, tour-ism, national infrastructures and justice portfolios.
On March 9, Labor leader Ehud Barak told Netanyahu that he would not join his governing coalition.
“There is no basis for opening a dialogue on the Labor Party to join a coalition due to the sweeping adoption of the demands of Yisrael Beiteinu’s chairman Avigdor Lieberman,” Barak said, according to news reports. — jta
Two synagogues in Haifa torched
Two synagogues in Haifa were set on fire in one week.
On March 3, a bookcase of prayer books was set on fire at one synagogue. A March 8 fire at a second synagogue went out on its own and caused no serious damage.
Fire investigators have classified both incidents as arson.
“These actions are reminiscent of dark days in our people’s history,” Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav told Ynet. “Haifa’s residents, who act under the banner of tolerance, will not tolerate such criminal acts.” — jta
Assad eyes regional peace with Israel
Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country will only be able to make peace with Israel if Israel solves its problem with the Palestinians.
In an interview with a United Arab Emirates daily newspaper published March 9, Assad said that no agreement with Israel will be reached until the “issue of 11⁄2 million Palestinians is solved.”
Assad told the newspaper that he is interested in pursuing a comprehensive regional peace with Israel.
Turkey has hosted four rounds of indirect talks between Syria and Israel, and has expressed an interest in launching more following a break after the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israel’s military incursion in Gaza. — jta
Police recommend Olmert indictment
Israel’s National Fraud Unit will recommend to the attorney general that Ehud Olmert be indicted in another scandal.
Police say the prime minister should be charged with fraud and breach of public trust for his involvement with the Israel Investments Center.
Olmert is accused of using his influence as minister of industry and trade to favor his supporters and friends. One case cited is his giving government backing to a project to build a joint Israeli Jordanian recreation project near Eilat and Aqaba to be managed by Olmert crony Uri Messer.
The investments center affair is one of six ongoing investigations against Olmert. The indictment recommendation comes less than a week after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced he would charge Olmert in the affair involving U.S. businessman Morris Talansky. — jta
Katsav to be indicted on sex charges
Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav will be indicted for sexual offenses, the attorney general announced.
Menachem Mazuz said March 8 that Katsav will be indicted on charges of rape and indecent assault on several women who worked closely with him when he served as tour-ism minister and president. He also will be charged with obstruction of justice.
Katsav was first accused in 2006 and stepped down as president shortly before his term ended in June 2007. He was replaced by Shimon Peres.
Katsav struck a plea deal in June 2007 under which the rape charges would be dropped, but last April he reneged on the deal. — jta
Author Alice Walker visiting Gaza
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Alice Walker is joining other female activists on a visit to Gaza.
The group was waiting to enter the Gaza Strip at the Rafah crossing with Egypt on March 8, according to the Associated Press.
Organized by the U.S. anti-war group Code Pink, the activists were making the visit to highlight destruction caused by Israel during its military offensive against Hamas, and to urge Israel and Egypt to open its borders with Gaza. They were scheduled to hand out aid, including personal items such as soap and shampoo for Palestinian women.
Walker, author of “The Color Purple,” said the United States also was responsible for the destruction in Gaza.
“I love people, and I love children and I feel that the Palestinian child is just as precious as the African American child, as the Jewish child,” Walker added. — jta
Olmert, Barak clash over Gaza offensive
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak clashed over the outcome of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
At its weekly meeting March 8, the Cabinet discussed the continued rocket fire from Gaza on southern Israel.
“What the defense minister suggests proves that Operation Cast Lead was worthless because after we crushed them [Hamas], you’re proposing that we accept their conditions offered to us before the operation,” Olmert said. “This is the truth.”
Barak disagreed with Olmert that opening the Gaza crossings should be contingent on a deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Permanent cease-fire talks have been cut off since that demand. — jta
Shalit family moves to protest tent
The parents of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit are living in a protest tent set up across from the prime minister’s residence.
Noam and Aviva Shalit say they will stay in the tent, erected March 8 in Jerusalem, until their son, captured in a cross border raid in May 2006, is re-leased or until Ehud Olmert’s term expires. Gilad Shalit is believed to be held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Olmert said March 7 that rallies calling on the government to do more to get Shalit released were “unhelpful.” — jta
Ashkelon wins long battle for rocket shelters
A drawn-out campaign by Ashkelon’s municipality and parents to erect rocket-proof shelters around schools and kindergartens in the city resulted in victory March 5, when the government approved the plan.
Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin said he was informed by Ra’anan Dinur, director-general of the Prime Ministers Office, that a sufficient budget has been found within the Defense Ministry for the shelters, and that construction could begin immediately.
Ten schools and 22 kindergartens in Ashkelon have no facilities to offer children protection from incoming projectiles. Parents in the city have challenged Home Front Command assertions that areas within other educational facilities offer pupils protection. — jpost.com