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** Egypt Frees Azzam Azzam After
8 Years
** Israel, Egypt to Launch a Strategic Process
** Israel Would Only Take Part in a U.S.-Backed Peace Conference
** PA Leaders on the Way to Damascus
** Other News in Brief
** Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
Egypt Frees Azzam Azzam After 8 Years
Egypt released on Sunday Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druze businessman arrested
and jailed in Egypt eight years ago on charges of espionage, HA’ARETZ
reported. At the time of his conviction, Azzam was running a textile factory
in Egypt. Israel has always strongly denied to Egypt that Azzam had anything
to do with Israeli security agencies.
Meanwhile, Israel freed six Egyptian students who were captured in August this year on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks in the south of the country. Israel also said it would consider releasing dozens of Palestinian prisoners who do not have "blood on their hands."
Minutes after arriving in Israel, Azzam had an emotional telephone conversation with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who told him that he had promised his family to do everything he could to release him. "I love you very much," Azzam said. "I told my brothers that if I don't get out when Arik Sharon is prime minister, I never will. I am lucky to have been born in Israel and I'm proud of it."
The prisoner deal was presented as an exchange of personal gestures between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Sharon. The deal was finalized during a visit to Cairo by Israel Security Agency head Avi Dichter and Sharon's military secretary Yoav Galant
Israel, Egypt to Launch a Strategic Process
A day after Egypt surprisingly released Azzam Azzam, Minister of Defense Shaul
Mofaz said today Israel and Egypt were set to launch a strategic process that
will include deploying Egyptian forces at the Philadelphi corridor, along the
border with Israel, as well as security cooperation against world terror, THE
JERUSALEM POST reported. Egypt will also be training Palestinian officers in
the West Bank, Mofaz told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
today. MKs present at the meeting said the defense minister told the committee
members that a new period had begun, with new opportunities that could make
it possible to implement the disengagement plan "in a coordinated matter."
Cairo had vowed to aid Israel in implementing the plan. After the disengagement
is underway, Israel plans to transfer control of cities in Gaza and the West
Bank to the Palestinian Authority.
The release of Azzam on Sunday is seen by many as a tightening of the relations between Israel and Egypt. Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom, who for the last year has had contact with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to facilitate Azzam's release, said he expected that the eventual return of the Egyptian ambassador, recalled shortly after the outbreak of violence in September 2000, would lead to the opening of relations with some 10 Arab states. Azzam's release provided Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with the opportunity to personally thank Mubarak for the "humanitarian gesture."
Israel Would Only Take Part in
a U.S.-Backed Peace Conference
Israel would take part in a British-initiated international peace conference
on the Middle East if Washington supported the summit, a senior Israeli official
said today, HA’ARETZ reported. Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, quoting
unidentified senior diplomatic sources for its information, reported today that
British Prime Minister Tony Blair would discuss details with Israeli and Palestinian
leaders during a visit to the Middle East this month.
The conference, planned for late January or early February, was likely to be attended by foreign ministers but it was not yet clear whether Israel would send a delegation of that level.
The newspaper said the conference would probably be announced only after a January 9th Palestinian ballot to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat and would depend on the election of moderate former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
PA Leaders on the Way to Damascus
PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was expected to head a senior Palestinian Authority
delegation set to visit Syria today for talks on the possibility of reaching
a temporary truce with Israel and ways of restoring normal ties between Syria
and the PLO, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The delegation was to meet with Syrian
President Bashar Assad and Hamas leaders Khaled Mashal and Musa Abu Marzouk.
Abbas renewed on Sunday his pledge to honor Yasser Arafat's legacy by working to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital alongside Israel. "The true fealty to Arafat's memory would be to pursue his path to achieve Palestinian national goals, namely the establishment of a democratic state, with Jerusalem as its capital, that would live in peace and security next to Israel," Abbas said.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City, Mahmoud Zahar, a top Hamas official, denied that his movement had changed its policy towards Israel. "The strategy of Hamas is to liberate all the Palestinian lands," he said. "This is a known strategy. We believe in the liberation of al the Palestinian lands as stipulated by the Koran. In order to achieve this, we must pass through a number of phases." He also denied that Hamas was prepared for a truce with Israel.
The Shas party decided to withdraw a no-confidence motion it had submitted and that was to be examined by the Knesset this afternoon, Israel Radio, KOL YISAREL, reported. The move is seen as a goodwill gesture by Shas to Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom who has been trying to include the party in the new coalition that is to be formed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The Labor Party will decide Sunday on a date for the primary election for party chairman, Israel Radio, KOL YISAREL, reported. The convention will also convene later in the week to decide Labor's policy on the budget. Meanwhile, former General Security Service chief Ami Ayalon was to register today as a Labor Party member. He is to meet with party chairman Shimon Peres and present Peres with his registration form.
The total number of tourists visiting Israel in 2004 is expected to reach 1.5 million, HA’ARETZ reported. This represents a 42 percent increase over last year. Avi Ela of the Israel Hoteliers Association noted that the tourists who visit Israel on vacation and traveling have pushed the average spending by tourists up to $1,400 per visit.
Israel, Egypt and the U.S. are set to sign a free trade area agreement next week, similar to the qualified industrial zone (QIZ) Israel shares with Jordan, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The accord, which Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Ehud Olmert is scheduled to sign in Cairo on December 14, is aimed at boosting Israeli-Egyptian industrial cooperation, and will allow manufactured goods access to U.S. markets, which would otherwise be closed to them due to high taxes. "This is an historical breakthrough," Olmert said, adding that this was the first significant trade agreement signed between Egypt and Israel because it could substantially increase bilateral trade as well as triple Egypt’s exports to the U.S.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]
** IDF Soldier Killed and Four Wounded in Central Gaza
** Israeli-Arab Suspected of Spying for Iran Arrested
** Sharon Urges Likud to Support Entry of Labor into Coalition
** PA Leaders Meets Terror Chiefs in Damascus
** Other News in Brief
** Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
IDF Soldier Killed and Four Wounded
in Central Gaza
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and four others were wounded in
a pre-dawn attack today northwest of the Karni Crossing in the central Gaza
Strip, HA’ARETZ reported. Hamas claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.
The deceased soldier was identified as Staff Sergeant Nadav Kudinsky, 20, of
Kiryat Gat. He was laid to rest this afternoon at the cemetery in his hometown.
The four soldiers were wounded - two moderately and two lightly - in an ensuing gun battle as they moved to extricate their comrade who had been killed by the bomb blast. The two who sustained moderate wounds were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. One of the soldiers who was lightly wounded was taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
According to Israel Radio, Hamas announced at a press conference today that it had lured the soldiers to the scene of the bombing by feeding misleading information through a Palestinian known to be an informant for the Israel Security Agency. The army was lured to the scene of the attack after being told that senior Hamas officials wanted by Israel were in the area. The attack comes after several weeks of relative calm in the Strip, following the death of Yasser Arafat.
Hours later, an Israel Air Force helicopter fired a missile at armed Palestinians in the same area, killing a member of Islamic Jihad. The IDF said the terrorist was involved in the predawn attack on troops.
Israeli-Arab Suspected of Spying
for Iran Arrested
An Israeli-Arab man from northern Israel was arrested and interrogated by the
Israel Security Agency for allegedly operating as an Iranian agent, police revealed
on today, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Muhammad Ghanem, 56, from the Arab-Israeli
town of Baka al-Gharbiya, arrived in Saudi Arabia several years ago, where he
was recruited by Iranian agents for the purpose of gathering intelligence information
as well as recruiting Israeli students for aiding him in his missions. Ghanem,
arrested on September 11th, has been in the custody of the ISA and the police
international crimes unit. Charges will be brought against him Wednesday.
The ISA said Ghanem was apprehended before he managed to cause any major harm. However, security officials did not rule out that any information he transferred might have been important.
Ghanem is suspected of assisting the enemy in time of war, of passing information to Iran, and of being in contact with foreign agents. Ghanem was jailed in the 1980s for attacking an Israeli soldier and attempting to steal his weapon. It was allegedly during his time in jail that he made links with the individual who linked him to the Iranian intelligence.
Sharon Urges Likud to Support
Entry of Labor into Coalition
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned that he would be forced into early elections
if Likud party members refused to allow him to bring opposition parties into
the coalition, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL reported. The prime minister said it
was important to build as broad and stable a coalition government as possible
in order to implement the party's plan on the diplomatic and economic fronts.
The Likud Central Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to authorize
coalition talks with Labor. In August, it voted against such moves.
After firing Shinui for voting against the 2005 budget last week, Sharon is now looking to form a government with Labor and two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism.
According to HA’ARETZ, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu gave his support today to Sharon's plan to invite the opposition Labor Party into a unity government.
PA Leaders Meets Terror Chiefs
in Damascus
A Palestinian authority delegation, led by PLO Secretary General Mahmoud Abbas
met today with the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Front –
General Command in Damascus, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The Palestinian team
was also due to hold talks with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal. The delegation
was expected to arrive in Beirut today for similar talks with Lebanese leaders
and representatives of Palestinian groups in Lebanon. The talks, according to
Palestinian sources, focus on the upcoming presidential election for the PA
and the possibility of reaching a temporary truce with Israel.
Syria and the Palestinian Authority agreed on Monday to patch up their differences by ending decades of animosity and restoring normal ties. The decision was made during a 90-minute meeting in Damascus between a senior PA delegation led by Abbas and Syrian President Bashar Assad. The visit to Damascus by the top PA officials was the first of its kind since the death of Yasser Arafat and the election of Abbas as his replacement. The delegation also included Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath.
India is interested in purchasing Israel's Arraow anti-missile system in a deal potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL reported. Any deal, however, must be approved by the United States which has funded much of the Arrow development. Minister of Trade and Industry Ehud Olmert, who arrived in India Monday, said the trade between the two countries reached $2 billion annually. Indian officials said trade could quadrupled to $8 billion in 2010.
Researchers at Jerusalem's Hadassah-University Hospital have become the first in the world to show that human embryonic stem cells can improve the functioning of rats with Parkinson's disease, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Although it will be some time before the technique can be tested on humans, they have brought a step closer the eventual use of embryonic stem cells to treat neurological and other diseases. Parkinson’s is the second most common degenerative neurological disease in Israel, with thousands of sufferers in Israel alone.
Four Israeli companies made the Red Herring list of the 100 Top Innovators, THE MARKER.COM reported. The five companies are Maginik Display Technologies, Mobileye, Atrica and Crescendo Networks. The finalists were chosen out of a list of 900 entries. Criteria included revolutionary technology coupled with significant progress in marketing, sales, customer service and labor relations. The winners will see their technologies showcased at an upcoming Red Herring conference in Monterey, California. Other companies named on the Top 100 include Cisco Systems, Hewlett Packard, Google and Sun Microsystems.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]
** Egyptian
Officials Expect Breakthrough in Negotiations
** PM Sharon Defends IDF Amid Criticism of Conduct in Territories
** Shinui Files First No-Confidence Motion
** Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
Egyptian Officials Expect Breakthrough in Negotiations
According to the Egyptian News Agency, senior Egyptian officials stated that
there is a common understanding between Israel, the Palestinians and Egypt,
regarding the basis for an agreement, to be backed by the "Quartet"
- U.S., the E.U., the U.N. and Russia, MAARIV reported. The process towards
the proposed agreement will culminate in a peace summit in Wasington D.C., which
will also include a proclamation of the establishment of a Palestinian State.
According to the Egyptian sources, the Palestinians will take action and commit to stopping the terrorist attacks on Israel, while Israel will commit to refrain from military activity within the territories so long as there is no terrorism.
PM Sharon Defends IDF Amid Criticism of Conduct in Territories
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended Israel Defense Forces troops Wednesday
amid reports that soldiers have acted unethically and criminally in several
incidents involving Palestinians in the territories, HA'ARETZ reported. Sharon
expressed his trust that the IDF will probe recent faults. "if there are
faults they must be investigated. But again, we must understand who the army
is facing," Sharon said.
The IDF has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over allegations of use of excessive and improper force in operations aimed at curbing terrorists. The IDF released figures Wednesday showing that since the beginning of the year, 148 unarmed Palestinians have been killed by IDF fire in Gaza and the West Bank, at least 29 of them, by army count, innocent bystanders. Unarmed casualties include militants who launched firebombs or rocks at troops or civilians. According to the figures, militant groups tried to send 343 suicide bombers, six of whom managed to execute their missions. In comparison, in 2003 militants tried to launch 436 suicide bombers, of which 18 culminated in an attack, IDF figures indicated. More than 100 terror attacks have been averted, and about 3000 Palestinians have been arrested since the start of the year, the official said. In addition, there were 250 shooting attacks since the start of the year, 60 percent less than last year.
Shinui Files First No-Confidence Motion
The Shinui party, whose ministers were fired by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
last week, filed its first motion of no-confidence in the government on Wednesday,
the JERUSALEM POST reported. The motion, to be heard by the Knesset on Monday,
was filed against the government for signing a NIS 290 million budget deal with
the Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. The vote will be a test of the new
dynamics in the Knesset opposition, comprised of 80 MKs, while Sharon works
to establish a new coalition. The Labor and Yahad (formerly Meretz) parties
are expected to abstain, and the religious parties are likely to do so as well.
The result of the vote may isolate Shinui in its opposition.
Tel Aviv stocks are red-hot with the 5 index climbing to a record high this week, THE MARKER.COM reported. The TA-25 index gained 1.2 percent to 594 points, the TA-100 index climbed 1.1 percent to 616.1 and the TelTech-15 index surged 2.1 percent. Turnover was close to a billion shekels. Over the last three trading days more than three billion shekels worth of shares changed hands.
Savient Pharmaceuticals announced it has received FDA premarket approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its premarkel for Nuflexxa (1% sodium hyaluronate), an osteoarthritis (OA) treatment , GLOBES reported. Nuflexxa is used in the treatment of pain in OA of the knee, and is recommended for patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative non-pharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics. "We are pleased to have reached this milestone in the development of Nuflexxa. We believe its commercialization in 2005 represents additional value to our previously announced potential divestiture of our subsidiary Bio-Technology General (Israel) Ltd.," said Savient president and CEO Christopher G. Clement.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Ehud Tal at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]
** Terrorists Escape Air Strike; Palestinian Violence Continues
** Low Turnout as Likud Members Vote on Unity Government Talks
** Millions in Financial Aid to Reach PA
** Poll in PA: 52 Percent Oppose Terror Against Israel
** Other News in Brief
** Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
Terrorists Escape Air Strike;
Palestinian Violence Continues
A preventive air strike wounded four Palestinian terrorists traveling in a vehicle
between Rafah and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip this afternoon, THE
JERUSALEM POST reported. Among the targeted individuals were Jamal Abu Samahdna,
one of the two Gaza commanders of the Popular Resistance Committees, and two
of his bodyguards.
Last October's attack on a U.S. diplomatic convoy, in which three Americans were killed, is suspected to have been orchestrated by the organization. Israel has said it would not carry out offensive operations to ensure calm in the run-up to Palestinian elections January 9th, unless it was attacked or had information on a pending attack.
Also on today, an elite IDF force apprehended Fatah fugitive Faiz Abu-Safira in Tulkarm. He is wanted for allegedly planning and carrying out shooting attacks in the Tulkarm region. Earlier today, two Qassam rockets were fired towards an Israeli town in the northern Gaza Strip. This morning, six mortar shells were fired at Jewish towns in the Gaza Strip, and a seventh was aimed at an IDF post in southern Gaza.
Meanwhile, IDF soldiers killed five armed Palestinian in two separate incidents overnight Wednesday along the Philadelphi Route along the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip. The army said all five were involved in attempts to smuggle weapons and place bombs in the area.
Low Turnout as Likud Members
Vote on Unity Government Talks
Associates of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressed concern today at the low
turnout for an internal Likud vote on whether to hold unity government talks
with the Labor Party, HA’ARETZ reported. The Likud Central Committee began
voting this morning on a resolution approving the talks toward a coalition which,
according the wording of draft resolution, would be "comprised of Likud,
Labor and religious factions." The "religious factions" refer
to United Torah Judaism and Shas. By 5 P.M., however, just 30 percent of those
eligible to vote had done so.
Arriving at the ballot at the Exhibition Grounds in Tel Aviv this afternoon, Sharon called on the 3,000 central committee delegates to take part in the vote: "Either Israel progresses, or it goes to [general] elections. It is important that everyone turns up here today, votes and contributes to Israel's progress, in every sense. It's simple: Those who don't vote sink the boat. What is important is to come here and cast a ballot."
If the resolution is approved, negotiations with Labor, UTJ and Shas are expected to begin on Sunday, after Labor Chairman Shimon Peres convenes his party bureau Saturday night to obtain its formal consent to the talks. If it fails, Sharon may have little recourse but to move for early elections.
Millions in Financial Aid to
Reach PA
Palestinian officials said they were pleased with the outcome of the annual
conference of Mideast donor nations in Oslo, saying they had secured more than
$500 million in pledges and an international commitment to revive the peace
process, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. The Mideast donor nations called
for an international effort to support the Palestinian economy and revive the
peace process. Participants at the conference expressed optimism over recent
signs of reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration announced Wednesday it would be giving $20 million in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority to help it through its financial crisis. However, the administration said it would impose restrictions on the funds. Under pressure from U.S. lawmakers, the administration backed off from plans to provide the money directly in support of the January 9th Palestinian presidential elections. The move breaks the longstanding restrictions on giving direct U.S. aid to the PA.
Poll in PA: 52 Percent Oppose Terror Against Israel
A poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center indicates a
dramatic decline in Palestinian support for acts of violence targeting Israelis,
HA’ARETZ reported. For the first time since the outbreak of violence in
September 2000, a majority of Palestinians, some 52 percent, oppose actions
of terror against Israel. The figures also indicate public support among Palestinians
for a Palestinian Authority initiative to reach an agreed-upon cease-fire with
all terror groups.
Half of those polled believe that the positions of Palestinian Authority leaders would change as a result of Yasser Arafat's death, while half believe that they would not change. A clear majority among those polled (57 percent) prefer a two-state solution, while 24 percent supported the creation of a bi-national state. Only 12 percent favor the creation of an Islamic state on all areas between the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Some 32 percent of those polled said that they would vote for PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas in the January 9th election for PA chairman; 26 percent said that they would cast their ballot for jailed Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti.
A Palestinian woman who planned to carry out a suicide bombing in 2002, but changed her mind on the way, was sentenced by an Israel Defense Forces tribunal today to three years in prison, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. She traveled from Bethlehem to Rishon Letzion in May 2002 with an explosive device strapped to her body and was planning to carry out a double suicide bombing, along with a second bomber traveling with her. On the way to Rishon Letzion, southeast of Tel Aviv, Ahmed decided not to carry out the attack and returned to Bethlehem. Her bombing partner, however, continued as planned and blew himself up in the center of a crowded pedestrian district, killing two people and wounding 41.
The world's largest menorah has been built at the entrance to Jerusalem, MA’ARIV reported. The Menorah of Lights is 21 meters wide and 20 meters tall. It is made of 1800 light bulbs, each of them 500 watts strong, and weighs a total of 50 tons. The menorah produces more light than all the lights along the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway combined. The menorah will be officially entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the world.
Economic growth in 2004 is likely to reach 4.5 percent, higher than previous estimates, and 3.5 times the 2003 growth rate, GLOBES reported. Senior financial sources in Jerusalem economic ministries predict that volatility in the foreign currency market, particularly in the shekel-euro exchange rate, will have only a minor effect on Israel’s exports, growth, balance of payments, and competitiveness. They noted that certain exporters will be harmed by the steep shekel depreciation against the euro and appreciation against the dollar, while others will benefit from higher profitability in the euro and pound sterling markets. However, overall, Israeli exports will not be harmed.
Delta Galil Industries has acquired Burlen Corporation, a leading lingerie manaufacturer for $50 million, GLOBES reported. Burlen's customers are mass market and mid-market retail chains in the U.S. The company has sold goods to Wal-Mart Stores for the past 40 years. Burlen's design and marketing center is located in New York and its logistics, operating and distribution facilities are in Georgia. Delta Galil CEO Arnon Tiberg said the acquisition of Burlen was another step in the company's strategy to increase lingerie sales, especially in the mass market.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]
** Four Israelis Wounded by Mortars in Gaza
** Israelis to Receive Nobel Prize Tonight in Stockholm
** Coalition Talks Ready to Start
** Israel May Be Part of Wider Europe
** Other News in Brief
** Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
Four Israelis Wounded by Mortars
in Gaza
Four Israelis were wounded, two of them seriously, in a mortar attack on the
Jewish town of Neveh Dekalim in the southern Gaza Strip, HA’ARETZ reported.
An 18-year-old man and an eight-year-old boy were seriously wounded and two
other men were lightly wounded. The four casualties were evaucated to Soroka
Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar barrage.
In a separate incident, Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket this morning at the
border fence separating Israel from Gaza south of the Sufa crossing. There were
no casualties and no damage was caused.
In other news, Air Force planes attacked Thursday night a building in Bet Lahiya in the Gaza Strip that was used to store Qassam missiles and manufacturing weapons, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL reported. There were no reports of injuries. The building's owner is a well-known member of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the area.
IDF troops captured Fatah operative Fahad Abu Stira on Thursday. He is suspected of involvement in a number of shooting attacks on Israelis in Samaria.
IDF officers also believe he was planning to carry out terror attacks in the next few days.
Israelis to Receive Nobel Prize
Tonight in Stockholm
Professors Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion’s Faculty
of Medicine and the Rappaport Family Institute of Research in Medical Sciences
will receive the Nobel Prize for chemistry at a ceremony tonight in Sweden,
HA’ARETZ reported. The two arrived in Stockholm at the beginning of the
week for the "Nobel Week" of lectures and receptions.
Ciechanover, 57, Hershko, 67 - the first Israelis to win the prestigious chemistry prize – along with Irwin Rose, 78, were honored by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for their work in the 1980s that discovered one of the cell's most important cyclical processes, regulated protein degradation. The three scientists will share the prize of $1.25 million.
Ciechanover, Hershko and Rose found that proteins that could cause disease are "labeled" for destruction with a molecule called ubiquitin which dispatches them to the body's "waste disposal" units, called proteasomes. The marked proteins are then chopped to pieces. When such degradation fails to work correctly, the result can be diseases like cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis. Lars Thelander of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry said the trio's work was highly relevant for cancer research. Ciechanover said it had already "led to development of numerous drugs for degenerative diseases and malignancies that big pharmaceutical companies are busy working on."
Coalition Talks Ready to Start
Following a vote by the Likud Central Committee Thursday night giving him the
green light to start coalition negotiations with Labor and religious parties,
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon phoned opposition chairman Shimon Peres this morning
and invited Labor to enter into national unity government talks, HA’ARETZ
reported. Labor leaders are scheduled to meet on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. to approve
the step. Labor faction chairwomen Dalia Itzik said today that her party would
demand the portfolios of interior, education, social affairs, and environment.
Labor is expected to request the title of vice premier for party leader Shimon
Peres.
Itzik added that Labor would only sit in a government with parties that support the disengagement plan, a clear warning to Shas, whose spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has still not changed his religious ruling against the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.
MKs of United Torah Judaism are split over whether to request a minister, or to control a ministry via a deputy minister. The faction also wants the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee for MK Ya'acov Litzman.
Israel May Be Part of Wider Europe
The European Union said Thursday Israel was among seven nations that would be
part of its new European Neighborhood policy, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Israel
has pointed out it had not formally agreed to the EU's "action plan"
for membership as yet. The program offers free access to goods, services, people
and capital to countries neighboring the European Union in exchange for economic
and political reform on a country-by-country basis.
Israel has been negotiating its terms of entrance for months, with the talks stuck for weeks on one section dealing with weapons of mass destruction. A Foreign Minister spokesman said that Israel would have to decide on whether to accept the plan before Minister of Foreign Silvan Shalom attends the Israel-EU Association Council meeting next Monday where the plan will be brought for approval.
The Tel Aviv annual statistical report indicates that the city has the highest rate of single residents in the country, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. The number of single women between the ages of 30 and 34 in Tel Aviv is triple the national average. Forty-eight percent of men between 30 and 34 in the coastal city are single - more than double the national average. The number of single men between 25 and 29 in Tel Aviv reaches 74 percent, compared to 52 percent in the rest of the country.
Bet Shemesh Engines, which manufactures and renovates jet engine parts, announced that General Electric has extended its contract for buying jet engine parts for two years, 2006-07, during which GE will buy $10 million worth of products, GLBOES reported. Signed in 1999, the agreement has been worth $5 million a year over the past two years. Bet Shemesh Engines CEO Avner Shaham said the extension of the contract to sell jet engine parts to GE would strengthen the company's standing as a reliable supplier among other jet engine makers worldwide, and would boost the company's sales in the coming years.
Thirty-one Israeli companies were placed in the list of the 500 fastest growing companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), GLOBES reported. The rankings are based on revenue growth rates in the period 1999-2003. The list is topped by British internet travel and vacation booking company Lastminute.com, which posted growth of 96,512 percent, placed first. Shopping.com showed growth of 12,669 percent.
[Today's Israel
Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New
York.]