Friday

Chirac: Aid to PA Must be Resumed

French President Jacques Chirac called Friday for the creation of a World Bank fund to pay the salaries of Palestinian officials, YNET reported today. President Chirac’s words came after he met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

France and other European Union nations earlier this month cut off direct aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas' election victory. The European Union is the largest donor to the Palestinians, with aid totaling more than USD 600 million a year. International sanctions have left the Hamas-led government unable to pay salaries to 165,000 Palestinian government employees.

“For humanitarian reasons, as well as for political reasons," aid needed to continue, said Chirac before going into the talks with Abbas. "And [France] will push for this continuance (of aid) within the international community and notably within the European Union."

Reacting to the French leader’s statements, PA Chairman Abbas said through a translator that "if we do not reach a solution, it will be catastrophic. The situation is very grave, complex and sensitive."

At the same time, Chirac asked Hamas to respect the demands of the international community: to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. The militant group, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, has refused to temper its radical views.

Abbas, a moderate whose Fatah Party was defeated by Hamas in January's legislative elections, has worked to try to keep the West from shunning the Palestinians over the militant group's violently anti-Israel ideology.

IAEA reports Iran succeeded in enriching uranium

Iran has successfully enriched uranium and continues related activities in defiance of the UN Security Council, HAARETZ reported today. According to a document drawn up by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s chief Mohamed Elbaradei, Iran has continued its pursuit in the nuclear arena realtively unabated. The document also effectively reflected a standstill between Iran and agency inspectors pursuing open questions linked to possible attempts by Iran to make nuclear arms.

Iran's president said on Friday his country would pay no attention to international calls to halt its nuclear work, hours before the United Nations atomic watchdog reports on whether Tehran has met UN Security Council demands.

"Those who want to prevent Iranians from obtaining their right, should know that we do not give a damn to such resolutions," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally in northwest Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The West accuses Iran of pursuing a civilian nuclear program as a cover to acquire atomic bomb. Tehran denies it. Iran said this month it had enriched uranium to the level used in power stations for the first time and has vowed to pursue large-scale enrichment of uranium.

Speaking further on the issue of nuclear arms, Iran's UN ambassador said it was "absolutely ridiculous" that Israel was elected to be a vice-chair of the UN Disarmament Commission, claiming it has been singled out as a threat to peace and security in the Middle East.

Zarif's criticism follows Ahmadinejad's repeated questioning of Israel's right to exist and threat to wipe Israel off the map. Israel has for years regarded Iran as the primary threat to its survival, disputing Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is peaceful.

"We are not surprised that Iran is continuing in its attempt to divert the international community's attention from the real problem, which is Iran's threat to global security and stability arising from its nuclear program," said Meir Itzchaki, deputy director for arms control in the Foreign Ministry.

Israel and Iran were among eight vice-chairs elected at its current meeting, which began April 10 and ends Friday. Topics on its agenda include "Recommendations for achieving the objective of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons" and "Practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional weapons."

Battle expected on Labor portfolios

The sigh of relief that Amir Peretz heaved at the signing of a coalition agreement with Kadima was premature, unhappy party members said Thursday, promising that they would do everything in their power to ensure that the Labor leader was denied his list of ministers.

In a report issued by the JERUSALEM POST, even as Labor members gathered in a celebratory atmosphere to officially sign the coalition agreement, plans were under way to undermine Peretz's designs and reassign the seven ministerial positions he had obtained for the party.

Labor will be given the Defense, Education, Infrastructure, Tourism and Agriculture ministries and two of its MKs will be ministers without portfolios. One of those ministers will oversee Jerusalem affairs and the other will oversee the Broadcasting Authority.

MKs disappointed with their chances for ministerial positions are already frantically calling members of the party's central committee. On Sunday, the committee will meet to decide on the crucial issue of who will determine the final ministerial list.

Officials close to Peretz insisted that in all likelihood the committee would adopt his suggestions. Veteran MKs Danny Yatom and Matan Vilna'i, however, are leading the opposition to Peretz and trying to convince the committee that it would best serve the party through a vote. "If the list goes to a vote, it won't be limited to the elected MKs, and believe me, a lot of people will come out of the woodwork and run," said one Labor MK.

The current lineup suggested by Peretz will see the chairman as defense minister, Yuli Tamir as education minister, Shalom Simhon as agriculture minister, and Ben-Eliezer as minister of national infrastructure. The Tourism Ministry and two minister-without-portfolio positions are rumored to be contested among MKs Eitan Cabel, Isaac Herzog and Ophir Paz-Pines.

(Courtesy of Israel Line, Israeli Consulate, NY)