quilue: Haaretz

显示标签为“Haaretz”的博文。显示所有博文

2011年4月22日星期五

Damascus at dawn - Ha'aretz

Translate Request has too much data
Parameter name: request
Translate Request has too much data
Parameter name: request

Syrian President Bashar Assad promised this week to rescind his country's emergency regime, after nearly 48 years. Later he announced that the police commissioner of the city of Banias would be dismissed because of the killing of demonstrators there, and that new laws relating to communication and political parties, as well as legislation permitting more than five people to assemble (thus legalizing demonstrations ), would be enacted.

Boys hold a banner during a demonstration in the the Syrian port city of Banias April 17, 2011.

However, much of what has been taking place in the Syrian regime recently is reminiscent of the actions of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who used all manner of tricks to stay in power during his final days. Like Mubarak, Assad dismissed his government, used thugs in civilian dress to suppress demonstrations (in Egypt they were called baltajia; in Syria, shabiha ) and of course he also scattered promises of reforms and replacement of key officials. In any event, at this stage, Assad is still not yet where Mubarak was in the wake of the Tahrir Square protests: He has not yet been forced to appoint a deputy and to transfer his powers to him.

There is another major difference between Assad and Mubarak: In Syria, the army unequivocally stands behind the president. We can also assume that Assad, like Libyan ruler Muammar Gadhafi, has drawn what seems like the logical conclusion from Mubarak's fall: to use as much brutality as possible and ignore American protests, since that is the only way to stay in power. Assad and Gadhafi, as opposed to Mubarak, did not rely on American support and therefore consider themselves free of the restrictions that Mubarak faced.

But the key word in Syria is "still," for even Assad's military support is likely to evaporate. On his orders the army and the security services have slaughtered civilians in Deraa, Latakia, Homs and Aleppo. That can't go on forever.

Although the Alawite minority holds most of the important positions in the army there, there are enough Sunni officers in sensitive positions who will consider abandoning Assad if the trouble continues. In Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen, for example, soldiers and policemen have deserted to the opposition.

Meanwhile, Assad will continue announcing reforms and surviving from Friday to Friday, the day when major demonstrations are held, hoping they'll peter out. It is clear the president and his people are trying to keep Damascus free of riots, and they are succeeding so far. That is also a major difference as compared to Egypt: There have been almost no major protests in Syria's capital. If unrest erupts in Damascus, too, Bashar, his wife Asma and the rest of their family will be forced to start looking for refuge. Tehran might just fit the bill.

Unlike Eastern Europe in the 1980s, in the Middle East of 2011 there is no single solid cornerstone, like the Soviet Union. Not even Egypt. And yet, it is impossible to ignore the far-reaching international influences of recent events. In a world with Al Jazeera around, it is doubtful whether a young man in Damascus will accept life without certain rights while his counterpart in Cairo is having his voice heard for the first time.

Changing of the guard

The negotiations over a prisoner exchange to redeem kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit made major headlines this week, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that nothing significant has happened since December 2009. April 2011 is an era of a changing of the guard, in this realm. Senior Mossad official David Meidan will be replacing Hagai Hadas as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's special envoy for the negotiations. According to Hamas, Gerhard Conrad will resign and be replaced by another German mediator.

The spring and summer months offer the media many occasions to report on the family's suffering again: another seder without Gilad, another anniversary of his kidnapping (in June ), another birthday in captivity (in August ). Journalists, seeking opportunities to attack Netanyahu, exploit these dates to emphasize the his inactivity.

The relationship between supply (protests by the family and Shalit's supporters ) and demand (by the media ) generates phenomena that contribute nothing to the effort but another headline. These have included stopping traffic around the country for five minutes, having a seder on the sidewalk in front of the Netanyahu residence, holding a demonstration during the cabinet session, holding solidarity visits to the protest tent. But the Shalit family never really removes its gloves, and at this stage, even in light of the flood of images and gimmicks, it is doubtful whether any of the protest measures are having an effect.

According to various statements by Netanyahu, the heart of the dispute between Israel and Hamas is where to send the 450 senior terrorists that Hamas demands to be freed. The prime minister is refusing to release some of them, and is insisting others be expelled to Europe or Gaza - not to their West Bank homes. In December 2009 Netanyahu went further than his predecessor Ehud Olmert had earlier that year, but even that was not enough to close the deal.

There are two main reasons for this. The first and more important one concerns Hamas' military leadership: Ahmed Jabari and Mohammed Def are rejecting any deal that does not humiliate Israel. Sometimes it seems they would only agree if all 450 prisoners were to be released to their homes (along with 550 additional prisoners chosen by Israel ). Although Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Hamas political branch in Damascus, said this week that "Hamas will not be able to obtain the release of all prisoners" - he does not seem to have a definitive role.

Despite the fact that the political wing in Damascus and the political leadership in Gaza apparently want to close a deal, the military wing's veto is preventing this. One of Israel's significant failures in the negotiations so far involves its maneuverings between Hamas' divisions. Another is Netanyahu's behavior. Toward the very end of Olmert's term, it was reported that Netanyahu had granted his predecessor an "open ticket" to strike a deal before his new government took power. Even in his first months on the job, Netanyahu appeared willing to advance an agreement, but Jabari's stubbornness apparently changed his mind.

Last month Haaretz journalist Yossi Verter quoted Netanyahu as telling Likud MKs that he is standing "all alone" in the face of pressure to conclude an agreement that would free large numbers of murderers. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who often attacked Olmert for his refusal to be more flexible, has fallen silent. Even in the meeting with the Shalits before Passover, Netanyahu said he did not intend to be more flexible.

Are there other ways to pressure Hamas to be more conciliatory? Hadas, who was highly praised as a Mossad operative, supports such measures. There may even be some going on, as reflected in recent reports of the kidnapping of Hamas engineer Dirar Abu Sisi in Ukraine and the assassination of Tayser Abu Snima of Rafah, who was involved in Shalit's kidnapping.

In an announcement made on his behalf by the Prime Minister's Office, Hadas said he is leaving for family reasons, thus not responding to speculation that his departure is due to Netanyahu's indecisiveness.

On the other hand, Hamas and Hezbollah are apparently working to guarantee that Shalit will not be the Islamic terror groups' only Israeli captive.

Post-Goldstone

Judge Richard Goldstone's op-ed in The Washington Post expressing partial regret for his eponymous report on Operation Cast Lead was enthusiastically received in Israel, but it had only a minor effect internationally. The other members of his United Nations commission attacked him, and Netanyahu's declared intent to establish an Israeli team to have the report formally voided is no more than a public relations move. The main thing the article did is to allow Goldstone once again to attend Yom Kippur services at his South Africa synagogue.

In any case, Goldstone, who did in fact change his mind (with considerable courage ), is not really exempting Israel from condemnation and international sanctions in the next round of fighting, whether in Lebanon or Gaza, which will not differ greatly from Cast Lead.

The fact that Military Advocate General Avichai Mandelblit came to his senses and belatedly convinced then-Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi to begin a extensive investigation into the operation's alleged war crimes reduced the Goldstone report's damage and spurred Goldstone to reconsider. But the refusal by Barak and Ashkenazi to allow people outside the army to participate in the investigation - ostensibly as a show of support for IDF soldiers - damaged Israel's argument.

Article 5 in the Turkel Commission mandate for investigating the deaths aboard the Gaza flotilla examines Israel's policy of investigating violations during times of combat. Last week the commission heard testimony from several people, including Tel Aviv University Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, one of the leading Israeli experts on international law.

In a sharp, detailed and reasoned document, Benvenisti takes issue with Mandelblit's testimony before the commission, saying that he has been mistaken in refusing to recognize international law as totally binding, and that he allows himself too much freedom to decide when to open investigations and how to conduct them.

Benvenisti claims that during combat, the army has "an obligation: to intentionally not harm civilians," as anchored in the IDF's own binding ethical code. The army's obligation to investigate complaints is not limited to "the vague obligation to act in good faith," he notes. "Investigation is an inseparable part of the framework designed to ensure that essential obligations are upheld during combat."

He continues: "The obligation to investigate falls particularly on the military command, not only as a matter of principle but also due to specific instructions to prevent war crimes and to punish perpetrators.

"If these obligations are not met, the commanders may bear criminal responsibility for their subordinates' actions," Benvenisti writes, adding, "The civilian legal system is directly obliged to investigate civilians who were responsible, directly or through their orders, for combat violations."

He notes that in general, partial information about suspected war crimes is enough to require an investigation: "According to the MAG's document, the military prosecution appears to take a passive attitude ... waiting for evidence without taking steps to clear up erroneous information and is even liable to get dangerously close to the boundaries of criminal prohibition."

Benvenisti adds, "The MAG operates almost in a vacuum in constitutional terms. The civilian system inappropriately shrugs off its authority and responsibility in the field of combat rules, granting the military the exclusive authority to set the rules for warfare, examination and investigation and even the trial process."

The MAG himself has a conflict of interest because the chief of staff can decide whether he will receive the personal rank of general (as happened to the two previous MAGs ), notes Benvenisti. The MAG's rank must be determined via regulations, he says.

"It is only natural that the chief of staff will not want to give up the power to grant a rank to a potential critic," he adds.

Benvenisti believes it is not clear whether the civilian system can properly monitor whether the chief of staff has abided by proper combat rules, without discussing the IDF's de facto conduct.

He proposes a series of alternatives: establishing a Justice Ministry department to set combat regulations, manned by international law and combat experts, to help determine the IDF's operative instructions along with the military prosecution and the Foreign Ministry's legal advisers. He also proposes expanding the powers of the Justice Ministry's police investigations department to handle combat violations and investigations. He proposes that this unit advise the military police, as well, and also recommends drafting a guide with obligatory combat rules - like "every self-respecting Western army" has.

These are important and interesting suggestions, but one thing is clear even now: If the Turkel Commission even considers implementing Benvenisti's suggestions, Defense Minister Barak and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz will make every effort to prevent it.

View the original article here

2011年4月14日星期四

Report: Mubarak denies giving the order to shoot demonstrators of the Egypt - Ha'aretz

Stripped of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said investigators questioning on charges of corruption never awarded order of draw or beat protestors who demanded his eviction, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported, said Radio Israel.

When questioned, Mubarak said that he had asked the army to intervene in violent clashes to safeguard and protect the Egyptian people. Mubarak added that if someone said that he gave the order to shoot at demonstrators, while this person is a liar.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, announcing that he will leave in the next elections, in a televised speech to the nation, February 1, 2011.

Between January 25 and February 11, millions of Egyptians filled the streets of cities across the country, in protest against the railway as a rule show with 30 years of Mubarak. After 18 days, Mubarak has finally succumbed to popular pressure and abandoned the reins of power, to resign from his duties.

Since that time, Mubarak and his family have been to one of their houses located holiday in the Sinai resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. He has been banned from travelling and its assets were frozen. Many of his senior aides have already been questioned or detained pending investigations.

Mubarak also told investigators that he intended to resign as well before him. He said he was satisfied not to smoke when he wanted, four days after protests started, because he had been advised that protesters wanted only the resignation of his cabinet, and that without him, Egypt would be falling into chaos.

There were conflicting reports coming from Al-Masry Al-Youm on the health of Mubarak, Israel Radio reported. Since the arrest of Mubarak, his psychological condition began to deteriorate. But doctors say that he does not have cancer, or any other deadly disease, and that physical health is good.

Mubarak was taken to an intensive care unit Tuesday after having suffered a heart attack during interrogation on charges of corruption, AFP reported Tuesday.

Dozens of protesters picketed at the Hospital where Mubarak was taken, denouncing the President and carrying a sign reading "here's the butcher". They had with Mubarak supporters in a massive security presence.

Security two officials said Mubarak arrived under police protection heavy at the main hospital and two doctors at the hospital, he is out of his naked armored Mercedes and was taken to the presidential suite in the building in the shape of pyramid.

View the original article here

Palestinians hail international "birth certificate" of a State - Ha'aretz

The formatter threw an exception while trying to deserialize the message: Error in deserializing body of request message for operation 'Translate'. The maximum string content length quota (30720) has been exceeded while reading XML data. This quota may be increased by changing the MaxStringContentLength property on the XmlDictionaryReaderQuotas object used when creating the XML reader. Line 2, position 32419.
The formatter threw an exception while trying to deserialize the message: Error in deserializing body of request message for operation 'Translate'. The maximum string content length quota (30720) has been exceeded while reading XML data. This quota may be increased by changing the MaxStringContentLength property on the XmlDictionaryReaderQuotas object used when creating the XML reader. Line 1, position 33055.
var dclkSection = "news";var dclkChannel = "diplomacydefense"; var dclkArticleId = "1.355821";var dclkPage="article"; Palestinians hail international 'birth certificate' of statehood - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News Subscribe to the Print Edition Haaretz Store HAARETZ Toolbar Hebrew Site SEARCHAdvancedSearch Haaretz.comSearch the webBy title:By writer: Ofer Aderet Raphael Ahren Dov Alfon Gideon Alon Shulamit Aloni Nirit Anderman Moshe Arens Shaul Arieli Meirav Arlosoroff Ehud Asheri Eli Ashkenazi The Associated Press Shlomo Avineri Reli Avrahami Eytan Avriel Yuval Azoulay Emily B. Landau Anat Balint Zvi Bar'el Shlomi Barzel Moti Bassok Nir Becher Yossi Beilin Avi Beker Yehuda Ben Meir Noam Ben Zeev Dan Ben-David Kobi Ben-Simhon Aluf Benn Meron Benvenisti Uzi Benziman Doron Bergerfreund Morten Berthelsen Amos Biderman Haim Bior Daniel Blatman Uri Blau Zohar Blumenkrantz Bradley Burston Vered Cohen Ora Coren Orna Coussin Mike Dagan Uzi Dann Mohammad Darawshe Adi Dovrat-Meseritz Yehezkel Dror Yuval Dror Ofra Edelman Haaretz Editorial Ehud Ein-Gil Hagai El-Ad Akiva Eldar Yair Ettinger Fadi Eyadat Donna Feinstein Yotam Feldman Michalis Firillas Shay Fogelman Michael Fox Lily Galili Doram Gaunt Ruth Gavison Anat Georgi Dana Gilerman Avirama Golan Riva Gold Shai Golden Yuval Goren Gershom Gorenberg Carmel Gould David Green Guy Grimland David Grossman Nathan Guttman Dea Hadar Charlotte Halle Doron Halutz Michael Handelzalts Amos Harel Israel Harel Yaron Harel Zvi Harel Danna Harman Amira Hass Nir Hasson Tali Heruti-Sover Rami Hipsh Shahar Ilan Ofri Ilani Avi Issacharoff Gili Izikovich Claude Kandiyoti Or Kashti Sayed Kashua Etgar Keret Jerrold Kessel Jack Khoury James Kirchick Steve Klein Uri Klein Yossi Klein Sivan Klingbail Lior Kodner Noya Kohavi Shoshana Kordova Noah Kosharek Sefi Krupsky Ruta Kupfer Liel Kyzer Gadi Lahav Yehuda Lahav David Landau Yitzhak Laor Vered Lee Shiri Lev-Ari Alex Levac Chaim Levinson Vered Levy Barzilai Daniel Levy Gideon Levy Yitzhak Levy Revital Levy-Stein Nathan Lipson Jonathan Lis Tami Litani Neri Livneh Elka Looks Yoel Marcus Yossi Melman Liron Meroz Merav Michaeli Sara Miller Jerry Mittleman Natasha Mozgovaya Mazal Mualem Tal Niv Gonny Noy Amir Oren Ram Oren Allegra Pacheco Michal Palti Reuven Pedatzur Lisa Peretz Sami Peretz Anshel Pfeffer Adar Primor Zvi Rafiah Barak Ravid Dmitry Reider Ran Reznick Zafrir Rinat Reuven Rivlin Daniel Rogov Guy Rolnik Doron Rosenblum Tamar Rotem Danny Rubinstein Ruth Schuster Relly Sa'ar Yuval Saar Gideon Samet Yossi Sarid Hillel Schenker Ze'ev Schiff Amos Schocken Hillel Schocken Gershom Schocken, Haaretz chief editor, 1939-1990 Ze'ev Segal Tom Segev Nabil Sha'ath Aner Shalev Shlomo Shamir Ari Shavit David Sheen Gabi Sheffer Na'ama Sheffi Smadar Sheffi Yair Sheleg Ruth Sherlock Sharon Shpurer Nehemia Shtrasler Asaf Shtull-Trauring Eli Shvidler Ruth Sinai Roni Singer-Heruti Emmanuel Sivan Shahar Smooha Ephraim Sneh Norman Spiro Simon Spungin Haaretz.com Staff Rotem Starkman Yuval Steinitz Yedidia Stern Yoav Stern Zeev Sternhell Carlo Strenger Yuli Tamir Ahmed Tibi Aliyana Traison Tamara Traubman Uri Tuval Tzvia Greenfield Assaf Uni Uri Avnery Yossi Verter Orly Vilnai Dana Weiler-Polak Gidi Weitz Yanir Yagna Eldad Yaniv Oded Yaron A.B. Yehoshua Nir Zalik Tomer Zarchin Benny Ziffer Avi Zilberberg Zvi Zrahiya From date:To date:

Thu, April 14, 2011 Nisan 10, 5771 News Diplomacy & Defense National International Haaretz WikiLeaks Exclusive Mideast in Turmoil TV Features Opinion Jewish World Jerusalem & Babylon TheMarker Oligarchs of Israel Culture Travel Books Food & Wine Arts & Leisure Weekend Magazine Anglo File Week's End Special Report / The Schlaff Saga Print Edition News Opinion Features Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Sports Travel Food & Wine Books Letters Blogs Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction The Arms Race A Special Place in Hell MESS Report Haaretz Store Car Rental Jewish Singles initAutoScalingNav({menuId: "nav",sideClasses: true,liHovering: true,spacing: 3,constant: 2,minPaddings: 10}); BREAKING NEWS13:39Misrata rocket attack death toll rises to 23, say rebels (Reuters)12:47Doctors to work regularly during Passover despite ongoing strike (Haaretz) 11:58Report: Mubarak denies giving instructions to shoot protesters (Israel Radio) 11:51Libyan government forces launch rockets on Misrata (Reuters) 10:24'Document' said to show Syria permits forces to kill 20 protesters per day (Israel Radio) 10:20Amnesty calls upon Lebanon to study fate of 1000s missing from civil war (Israel Radio) 10:18U.S. National Security Advisor in Riyadh to meet with Saudi King (Israel Radio) 09:42Light aircraft crashes near Haifa, five people reported injured (Haaretz) 09:24Libya rebels urge stronger U.S. military role (AP) 08:47Gadhafi loyalists attacking civilian infrastructure, Clinton says (AP) 08:22Woman in her 50s found dead in Tel Aviv apartment in suspected murder-suicide (Haaretz) 07:57Director of Kalansua mayor's office shot to death outside his home (Israel Radio) 07:55Chief Rabbi proposes women have female advocates in rabbinical courts (Israel Radio) 07:47Spent fuel rods add to trouble at Japan nuke plant (AP) 07:45Cameron, Sarkozy hold talks on Libya ahead of NATO meetings (DPA) More Breaking News > Home News Diplomacy & Defense Published 21:13 13.04.11 Latest update 21:13 13.04.11 Palestinians hail international 'birth certificate' of statehood Donor countries meeting in Brussels say Palestinian Authority is 'above the threshold of a functioning state'. ByDPA Tags: Israel news Palestinians

Donor countries meeting in Brussels recognized on Wednesday that the "Palestinian Authority (PA) is above the threshold of a functioning state" - an assessment immediately hailed as a "birth certificate" for a Palestinian state by PA premier Salam Fayyad.

In recent months, the World Bank, the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have certified that Fayyad's state-building plans are on track for completion in mid-2011.

Palestinians enjoy an amusement park ride during Eid el Fitr in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Photo by: AP

"We can today conclude that the Palestinian Authority is above the threshold of a functioning state," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said after chairing a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liason Committee, a panel of donor countries to the Palestinians.

"It amounts to a birth certificate for the reality of Palestinian statehood," Fayyad told reporters after the talks in Brussels.

The development took place against the backdrop of deadlocked peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis and running tensions in North Africa and the Middle East which have heightened Israeli security concerns.

A meeting of the Quartet - the panel of international mediators comprising the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and Russia - scheduled for Thursday in Berlin on the margins of NATO talks was called off, diplomats said.

Speculation has been mounting that the Palestinians would ask the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to recognize their statehood in September, if no progress in peace talks had been achieved by then.

But when asked, Fayyad refused to confirm that intention.

"We are not looking for another declaration of statehood, nor are we looking for a virtual state, what we are looking for, again, is a genuine, fully sovereign State of Palestine," including East Jerusalem which Israel captured in 1967, Fayyad said.

The Quartet's envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, reiterated the need for a "negotiated solution," warning that a unilateral Palestinian move for recognition at the UNGA would split the international community.

"Probably if we are hoping for complete unity in the international community on anything to do with this issue, it would be a rather misplaced hope," he quipped.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the EU signed an agreement granting duty-free access to Palestinian agricultural produce - provided that fruit and vegetables are sold above a set price.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said the bloc had earmarked 300 million euros ($433 million) in 2011 to further support Palestinian state-building.

The trade deal is expected to give a much-needed boost to the Palestinian economy and to its trade ties with the EU, which amounted only to 57 million euros in 2009, to which exports from Palestine contributed only 6 million euros.

Fayyad called it "a very important agreement," but stressed its application depended on Israel allowing goods out of the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip over which it maintains a tight grip because it is ruled by the Islamist Hamas group.

But Irit Ben-Abba, an Israeli foreign ministry official who also was in Brussels, said "there are no restrictions ... for exports from Gaza to the international markets" since the Israeli government relaxed its embargo on the enclave in December.
?

More on this topic Palestinians to U.S.: Revive peace talks before we establish state Print PageSend to a friendCommentsShareText Size +|-Follow us on TwitterBecome a Haaretz.com Facebook friend ? Send to a friend close Recipient's e-mail Your e-mail Message Send me a copy Mandatory field alert.

Send to a friend close

Your message has been sent.

? TalkBacks Why Facebook Connect?

Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.

Add a commentName : Or login and comment using:

Click here to add an anonymous talkback

Name:

or use your name and picture

Subject: Comment:

Add your replyName : Or login and comment using:

Click here to add an anonymous talkback

Name:

or use your name and picture

Subject: Comment:

Reply again LatestMost ViewedMost RatedOpen all 29.6417View >Tony Blair Stance Toward The Peace Process Is the Same as the US John Venes 14.04.11 01:21

that is a negotiated solution. But Blair should be reminded that Israelis doing all it can to stop the negotiation. It always find reason notto negotiate and continue the settlement because it will make the Palsstop negotiating. Blair should have a better idea to stop injusticecommitted against the Palestinians and not insist on negotiation. If hedo so, then he just underscores his irrelevance to the ME problem.