While Israel rapidly expands settlements in the West Bank including E. Jerusalem, Jesse Jackson takes the opportunity to expunge old ghosts:

Last update - 20:03 25/08/2005

Jesse Jackson: After pullout, onus for next step on PA
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

In a surprising move, prominent African-American leader Reverend Jesse Jackson on Thursday congratulated Israel on the completion of the disengagement, and said that the onus was now on the Palestinians to take reciprocal steps.

A report in Britain's Sunday Times details how one group of orthodox Jewish girls are preparing to possibly kill Israeli troops who by Aug. 17 will come to evacuate Gaza settlements. Dubbed the "Commando Girls," these young militants are led by Nadia Matar, of the anti-Oslo Accord group Women in Green. None of the Commando Girls are native to the Gush Katif settlement bloc, whose leaders have called for resistance to the evacuation to be non-violent in nature. The Commando Girls live in tents like many of the mostly young 4,000 evacuation resistors that have managed to infiltrate the Gaza Strip, often let in by sympathetic Israeli security forces. They are mostly settlers from the West Bank and "New York Jews from a wealthy Messianic sect." An informant said they have access to "inside information from government security forces," and that it was Matar who had earlier tipped off radicals who took up residence in a took up residence in a Gaza hotel that Israeli forces were about to raid the place. Some of the 40-odd girls say they will merely taunt the troops; others are more threatening:

We Are All Rotten Apples
by Nirit Ben-Ari

On August 4, Eden Natan-Zada, an Israeli soldier wearing a military uniform and carrying a gun given to him by the army, opened fire on passengers on an Egged bus in the Palestinian town Shfar'am in the Galilee, killing four passengers. Immediately afterwards, an angry mob attacked and killed him while he was already handcuffed by the police. Natan-Zada declared upon his army enlistment that he would refuse orders to evict Jews in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of Sharon's disengagement plan. Shortly after his enlistment, he deserted and was locked up in military jail. When he was released, he moved to the Kfar-Tapuach settlement, populated with some of the most violent religious fundamentalist Jews in the West Bank.

Well, don't this beat all. Islamic Jihad, the most rejectionist Palestinian faction, says it may recognize Israel, accept a 2-state solution:

Last update - 13:06 03/08/2005
Islamic Jihad head: We may recognize the State of Israel
By Gideon Levy, Haaretz Correspondent

An Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank, Abdel Halim Izzedine, known as Abu Qassam, has told Haaretz that his organization supports the hudna - temporary cease-fire - but is forced to respond to Israeli provocations.

"Israel forces us to react. If Israel stops the assassinations and arrests, we will observe the hudna," he said, adding that if a young Palestinian were to approach him and tell him he was on his way to carry out a suicide attack, he would try to dissuade him.

Jane Fonda, AKA Hanoi Jane, AKA Beirut Jane is back in the news. She has chosen a rather uncontroversial moment to oppose the Iraq war, doing a bus tour with Iraq veterans' families. According to the BBC,

Outrageous quote of the week goes to Israeli Agricultural Minister and rightist, Yisrael Katz:

Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz argued against leaving the greenhouses to the Palestinians. Katz said in the cabinet that doing so would lead to a tough competition between Palestinian and Israeli produce in Europe's markets.

Right, why not leave the Palestinians impovrished, then they will certainly not be able to give Israel "tough competition" economically. Sheesh, haven't they done enough to Gaza?

UK Gay Leaders Receive Death Threats From Muslim Fundamentalists Group Says
by Malcolm Thornberry 365Gay.com European Bureau Chief

Posted: July 18, 2005 8:00 pm ET

(London) A British LGBT civil rights group says its leaders have received death threats from Muslim fundamentalists and warns that gay clubs could be targets for terrorist bombers.

Talk about chutzpah:

Palestinians: Israel to steal artifacts
Orly Halpern, THE JERUSALEM POST
Jul. 21, 2005

Palestinian archaeologists say they fear that when Israel withdraws from Gaza it will also take priceless archeological artifacts. Israeli officials have acknowledged this is a possibility.

A military installation in the northwestern tip of the Gaza Strip surrounds a sixth century Byzantine church, discovered in 1999 by an Israeli archaeologist. The well-preserved 1,461-year-old church, which measures 13 by 25 meters, has three large and colorful mosaics with floral-motifs and geometric shapes. Nearby is a Byzantine hot bath and artificial fishponds.