Monday, January 5, 2004

• ISRAEL TO REJECT THE HAGUE COURT'S AUTHORITY ON FENCE 
• IDF INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: SYRIA STILL BACKS TERROR BUT WANTS TO TALK 
• IDF CARRIES OUT COUNTER-TERROR OPERATION IN JENIN 
• PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE ENDS AFTER 3 MONTHS 
• OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF ECONOMIC & HI-TECH BRIEFS

ISRAEL TO REJECT THE HAGUE COURT'S AUTHORITY ON FENCE

Israel will inform the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague that it rejects its authority to deliberate on the building of the security fence, HA'ARETZ reported. Senior political sources in Jerusalem said Sunday that Israel's statement to the ICJ would however present substantial arguments to justify the security need for the fence.

On December 8, the UN General Assembly entrusted the ICJ with the task of formulating an opinion on the security fence. The opinion has no binding validity, but could bears political consequences for Israel. The ICJ hearing on the fence will take place on February 23.

A special team of jurists has been set up to formulate Israel's statement to the ICJ. The team's work is being coordinated by Meir Rosen, a former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry who also served as Israel's ambassador in Washington. The team's recommendations will be presented to the inner cabinet for approval. International jurist Prof. Daniel Bethlehem

IDF INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: SYRIA STILL BACKS TERROR BUT WANTS TO TALK

Syrian President Bashar Assad continues to assist Hezbollah and host Palestinian terrorist headquarters in Damascus, but is very serious about trying to renew negotiations with Israel, the head of Military Intelligence said Sunday, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. According to Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash), Assad has been consistent in his calls to begin negotiations with Israel since the beginning of the United States' war on Iraq.

Ze'evi told the cabinet on Sunday that continuous U.S. diplomatic pressure on Syria, including the recently passed Syrian Accountability Act, as well as Israel's attack on a terrorist base deep inside Syria in October, have played a part in the attempts to normalize relations with Israel.

Differences of opinion over Assad's intentions have emerged within Military Intelligence establishment. While Ze'evi takes Assad's comments to renew negotiations seriously, Intelligence Research Department head Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kupperwasser said the Syrian leader's overtures were merely a way to deflect U.S. anger over Syrian aid to Iraqi guerrillas.

"I'm not sure that Israel is really convinced [that Assad is serious about talking], Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim said. "There is a big gap between Assad's declarations and the Syrians' real activity in supporting terror. The best way for Syria to convince Israel of its sincerity is to stop supporting terrorism."

IDF CARRIES OUT COUNTER-TERROR OPERATION IN JENIN

Israel Defense Forces troops were operating today in the refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin - a part of Israel's ongoing efforts to destroy the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure, HA'ARETZ reported. Last Thursday, the IDF decided to lift the blockade of Jenin for the first time since the hudna (temporary cease-fire) collapsed in August 2003. The decision had followed a decline in the number of terror warnings in the area.

In other news, IDF troops uncovered two tunnels along the Israel-Egypt border next to the Palestinian airport in the Gaza Strip. One of the tunnels appeared to be booby-trapped in order to target an IDF vehicle. The second tunnel was discovered inside an abandoned building.

On Sunday, five mortar shells landed in the Gaza Strip Jewish community of Neve Dekalim. One of the shells landed on a house and caused damage, but no injury. Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar fire.

PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE ENDS AFTER 3 MONTHS

Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) chairman Amir Perez signed this afternoon the agreement that ends the work sanctions of the past three months, GLOBES reported. All civil servants will return to normal work on Tuesday. A large number of people were expected to visit government offices on that reopening day. The meeting and the signing were due to have taken place on Sunday, but were postponed because of remaining disagreements over certain sections dealing with pensions. The Histadrut and the Ministry of Finance have agreed that their respective pension teams would continue discussing investment rules for pension fund money for a further three months. The two sides are still far from an agreement on the issue. The two sides also agreed that the Histadrut would not conduct sanctions in the absence of an agreement on the issue.

OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF