News Highlights:
- Palestinian homes demolished in Hebron by Israeli military – 31 children left homeless.
- Israel accelerates the construction of the dividing wall.
- Israel daily, Maariv, reports another assassination attempt on Sheik Ahmed Yassin, Hamas spiritual leader, was aborted due to proximity of Israeli news crews.
- Palestinian Parliament postpones session to approve Ahmed Qorei as Prime Minister due to Israeli threats against Yasser Arafat.
- U.N. Representative says Yasser Arafat is the legitimate leader of the Palestinians and calls for better implementation of the roadmap.
- Arab and international officials rally behind the Palestinian President and condemn Israel’s stated intentions to exile or assassinate Arafat.
- UNRWA hands over 83 new shelters to house 474 Palestinian refugees in Gaza, left homeless by Israeli military operations.
- Jordan’s central bank, following the lead of the U.S., freezes the assets of six Hamas leaders and five Palestinian NGO’s.
Feature:
A cultural and prose tribute to the victims of the Sabra and Shatila massacres in Lebanon in 1982. September 16th marked the 21st anniversary of the horrific massacre of men, women and children in the two Palestinian refugee camps following the Israeli occupation of West Beirut. A statement from the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee from Washington, D.C. as well as an eyewitness report from Dr. Ben Aluf, a Dutch medical worker who was in the camps in September 1982, were presented and were interspersed with Palestinian music about the events.
Focus on Zionism:
Excerpts of a press release from Gush Shalom, an Israeli peace group, were read, highlighting the comments of long-time Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery. Avnery called on all Israelis of conscience to join him as a human shield in preventing “the murder of Arafat”.