Middle East Update

Barak RavidThe Israeli cabinet is expected to approve shortly the establishment of a “negotiations administration” that will include 14 working groups, before negotiations start on December 12. (Ha’aretz)

by Gil Ronen
At the ceremonial opening of the international summit at Annapolis, U. S. President George W. Bush read aloud a joint statement agreed upon by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The statement included a commitment by both sides in the conflict over the Land of Israel to “make every effort” [...]

Marie Colvin
The nights in Gaza belong to the Izzedine al-Qassam brigades. The militia that was once the underground military wing of Hamas has become a feared unofficial army controlling Gaza. Every night they patrol the streets and the border with Egypt. Each six-man unit travels with rocket-launchers, machineguns and grenades and carries a locally made [...]

Aim of Annapolis is statehood within one year
The opening of the Annapolis peace conference began Monday evening November 26, with 50 delegations sharing a banquet at the White House featuring a carefully selected dinner of beet salad and bass, according to the strictest kosher and Muslim dietary guidelines.

Due to concerns over large-scale terror attacks that might coincide with the Annapolis peace summit, Israeli police raised the security alert status to level 3, the second highest level. Road blocks were set up on access roads to Jerusalem and the western suburb of Mevasseret Zion following a warning that a Palestinian terrorist was on [...]

by Gil Ronen
The IDF is intensifying its operations against terror tunnels from Gaza to Israel, out of concern that terrorists may opt to use this weapon against Israel in order to derail the Annapolis summit. Bulldozers and other digging machinery are being used to try and locate the tunnels.

The IDF on Tuesday November 20 released rare footage of a Palestinian terror cell in Gaza preparing Kassam rockets for launch towards Israel, and the subsequent IDF strike.

The Sderot Municipality along with ZAKA, a network of voluntary community emergency response teams, are suing Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal for crimes against humanity, and will be taking him to the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands.

by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is deliberating a proposed statement calling on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to change the Fatah charter, which calls to “eradicate” Israel.

Article 19 reads : “Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People’s armed revolution is a decisive [...]

Arabs fired shots at an IDF force in Kabatya, south of Jenin.
At the Ein Beit Ilma neighborhood in Shechem, Arabs deployed an explosive charge and fired shots at IDF soldiers.
A fugitive terrorist was arrested at a-Dik east of Kalkilya in Samaria.