Hizbullah denies ties to ‘spies’ arrested by “Israel”…(1)

Hizbullah denied Wednesday that it had any links with seven Arab-”Israelis” whom “Israel” arrested on charges of spying for the resistance party.
“We’ve repeated over and over again we don’t have anyone working for us outside Lebanon,” said Mahmoud Qmati, deputy president of Hizbullah’s politburo.
“Israeli” radio said that the seven, all relatives from the village of Abu Snan near Acre, were recruited by Hizbullah during a recent visit to family members residing in Lebanon.
They were said to have reported to Hizbullah on “Israeli” Army troop movements in northern “Israel”.
The seven are also charged with planning to set explosive devices, planning to kill Arabs suspected of collaborating with “Israeli” security forces, planning to kidnap “Israeli” soldiers, and recruiting other Arab-”Israelis” for the organization.
It was the first time Arab-”Israelis” have been accused of collaborating with Hizbullah.
“Israeli” radio said earlier in the day that an “Israeli” district court in Haifa allowed publication of the case Wednesday. It did not say when the arrests were made.
The accused have not yet submitted their pleas, but their lawyer said his clients insist they did not harm “Israel’s” security.
Police said the accused have admitted to the charges.
The pleas of guilty or not guilty are to be submitted at the next court session, probably next week, an “Israeli” police spokesman said.
The indictment said the accused were recruited by Hizbullah immediately following the “Israeli” withdrawal in May. It added that the accused were met by a senior Hizbullah intelligence officer, Jamal Tawfiq Salman Sirhan, who gave them Lebanese cellular phones. The telephones were later seized by “Israeli” investigators.
A senior “Israeli” security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Sirhan organized the Oct. 7 abduction of three “Israeli” soldiers who were patrolling the border. However, this was done by Hizbullah itself and did not involve the Abu Snan group. ­

Demonstrators march on US Embassy in day of protests
Calls for boycotts, meetings and sit-ins greeted the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People…(2)

Anti-American sentiment was evident Wednesday as the country marked the UN’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, but a nationwide boycott of American goods has yet to pick up any momentum.
About 100 demonstrators, many of them students from American University of Beirut, the Arab University and the Lebanese University, headed to Awkar to protest the US Embassy’s “occupying” the area.
“Under the guise of the impartial judge and the defender of democracy, the US commits the worst oppressive measures,” the demonstrators said in a statement.
The demonstrators, shouting for the liberation of Palestine and the dissolution of the Jewish state, were intercepted by Internal Security Forces some 2 kilometers short of the fortress-like embassy complex.
The demonstrators called on US Ambassador David Satterfield to leave Lebanon and demanded the “liberation” of Awkar.
The half-hour demonstration was largely peaceful, except for a brief scuffle when a few demonstrators attempted to cross ISF lines.
The students, however, settled for sitting and chanting anti-”Israeli” and anti-American slogans. The UN day for Palestinians, designated more than two decades ago, took on different meaning this year with the renewal of the intifada.
Meetings organized Saturday across the Arab world by the National Committee for Combating Normalization called for boycotting American products, but the call has fallen largely on deaf ears in Lebanon.
While McDonald’s restaurants in Saudi Arabia have decided to donate a certain percentage of their profits to hospitals in Al-Quds to encourage boycotters to buy their Big Macs, for their counterparts in Lebanon, it is business as usual.
“But we need to hear the shouts and cries of women and children in Palestine and start boycotting here,” said Syrian Social Nationalist Party member Wajeb Qanso, who spoke at the LU gathering.
Boycotts of US products in the refugee camps, however, have been going on since the first day of the intifada, according to Islah Ashwah of the Bourj al-Barajneh camp.
“We check everything we buy to see where it’s made, from cigarettes to clothes,” said Ashwah. “It’s the least we can do. If the borders were to open up, every woman and elderly person would go down and fight.”
Ashwah joined an 80-person demonstration in front of UN House in Beirut that was organized by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The demonstrators said they came to remind the international body of its obligations to implement 50-year-old resolutions, but found themselves instead “begging for our rights.”
“We all should do our best to assist the Palestinians and the “Israelis” in their truly historic quest for peace,” UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a press release. “I would like to seize this opportunity to call upon the parties once again to preserve the achievements of the past nine years.”
But according to many Palestinians, the last nine years of negotiating peace have brought nothing but more strife and further oppression.
“Oslo died under Palestinian stones,” said Ali Faisal, who heads the Lebanese branch of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, referring to the 1993 Oslo Accords signed by the “Israeli” Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
He said the United Nations has not implemented its 50-year-old resolutions because of US influence over the international body.
In a letter addressed to Annan, the DFLP demanded international protection for the Palestinian children and the prosecution of “Israelis” for war crimes.
Although a boycott staged during the first intifada that began in 1987 and lasted six years was largely unsuccessful, Faisal said he was hopeful that “a stronger Arab street” would succeed in putting pressure on their governments and ultimately on “Israel”.

Thirteen Lebanese sentenced for collaboration with “Israel”…(3)

“ Beirut's military court Wednesday sentenced 13 Lebanese suspected of "collaboration with “Israel”," a court source said.

Two were sentenced in absentia, one to be executed and the other to life in prison.

The remaining 11 were given a variety of sentences. In some cases, fines of between 330 and 660 dollars were levied while, in others, prison sentences of up to three weeks were imposed.

In total, 1,581 sentences have been ordered since the June 5 start of the trial of some 2,200 Lebanese accused of collaborating with the Jewish state before its May 24 withdrawal from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.

Most of the former fighters with the pro-”Israeli” militiamen have been sentenced to jail terms of one to two years in prison, along with a ban of the same duration against visiting the former occupied zone where they used to live.

Some have been found innocent and others, mainly women, have only been fined for going to the "enemy state" of “Israel”.

After sitting just once a week during the court holiday season, the military court has returned to holding three marathon sessions per week to wrap up the matter.

Hizbullah which spearheaded the anti-”Israeli” resistance has frequently criticised the lightness of the sentences.

Ain al-Hilweh vows support for intifada…(4)

Some 3,000 Palestinians demonstrated at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon Wednesday to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinians.
As Palestinians encouraged their countrymen to carry on the intifada, scouts and members of Fatah’s armed wing chanted: “We will sacrifice our blood for you, Palestine.”
Demonstrators raised the Palestinian flag, pictures of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and a map of Palestine.
Women from the General Union for Palestinian Women and students from the General Union for Palestinian students  condemned “Israeli” aggression. Protesters then gathered for a political rally at the Palestinian cultural club at the camp.
The participants included Oussama Saad, who represented the Popular Nasserite Organization. Representatives of Fatah and the Communist Party also attended the event.
Speakers stressed the need to support the intifada as the sole solution to liberate the land and establish a Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital.
Fatah’s top commander in Lebanon, Khaled Aref, said that Palestinians did not need the United States or European nations to solve the Palestinian issue. Aref said that victory would be achieved through the Palestinian people and Arab countries’ support.
He added that Palestinians were not afraid of “Israeli” tanks, planes, and warships because they were dedicated to protect their right to establish statehood.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine also held a demonstration. Protesters torched and trampled on the British, US, and “Israeli” flags to protest against “Israeli” aggression against Palestinians.

" Palestinian cause is going through its most critical phase" says Commission for Support of Palestinian Intifadah…(5)

The Support Committee for the Palestinian Intifadah issued a statement in Beirut saying that the Palestinian cause is passing through its most critical phase with increasing Zionist conspiracies against it supported by the U.S. .

The Support Committee asserted that the Palestinian people will not be left alone in their fight and that the time of victory and liberation is approaching.

The statement furthermore called the Arab and Islamic Nation to support the jihad and uprising of the Palestinians morally by demonstrating, going on strike, holding solidarity meetings, and materially by boycotting American products.

The Support Committee also called on Arab and Islamic leaders to support the option of resistance and intifadah and open their countries' borders for the resistance fighters and mujahedeens.

Five new Intifadah Martyrs…(6)

On the anniversary of the 1947 UN resolution to partition Palestine, Palestinians translated their anger into more clashes with “Israeli” soldiers.

The most violent clashes broke out near Kesophin Jewish settlement in Gaza strip. Four Palestinians were martyred when “Israeli” soldiers shot them to death. Six others were injured.

Moreover, thousands of mourners marched at the funeral of a Palestinian, Moussa Abu Mawassi, who died of a heart attack after inhaling tear gas fired by “Israeli” soldiers in Rafah.

Another Palestinian martyr who was killed yesterday was also buried.

In different parts of the West Bank Palestinians hurled stones at “Israeli” soldiers who in Ramallah started randomly shooting live bullets at Palestinians pelting their vehicle with stones.

On the otherhand, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on “Israeli” forces in the West Bank town of al-Khalil (Hebron) and near the Palestinian - Egyptian border.

France Press Agency reported that a Jewish settler was critically wounded when Palestinians opened fire on the vehicle carrying them, near Megdalim Settlement close to the West Bank town of Nablus.

Hamas: Relations and negotiations with Zionist enemy should be halted…(7)

Hamas political office chief, Khaled Meshaal maintained the necessity to cut all secret and open negotiations at all levels with the Zionist enemy.

In an interview with Reuters, Meshaal considered that negotiations with the “Israelis” means betrayal of the intifadah and the Palestinian people. Meshaal demanded that an announcement be made that Oslo agreement is dead.

Footnotes:

1-      The Daily Star, 30-11-2000.

2-      Same source.

3-      AFP, 29-11-2000.

4-      The Daily Star, 30-11-2000.

5-      Manar TV, 29-11-2000.

6-      Same source.

7-      Same source.