Barak pursuing unity government with Likud

Ehud Barak's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu is evidently his way of trying to ensure a decent share of the budget for the military. With Likud in the coalition, the government would not be so vulnerable to blackmail from ultraorthodox factions. In any case, it can give Labor bargaining power against the Kadima faction, allowing them to ask for more minister portfolios and other coalition perks. And if it fails? Well, there is no harm in trying, is there?

 

Ami Isseroff

 

Last update - 00:04 21/09/2008    
Barak, Netanyahu discuss 'recent political turn of events'
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters

Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Likud chairman and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu at his office in Tel Aviv Saturday evening, to discuss what Barak's office described as the "recent political turn of events."

 

The meeting came three days after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was elected chairwoman of the ruling Kadima Party, to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is expected to formally announce his resignation to the cabinet at is weekly meeting on Sunday.

 

Barak and Netanyahu are Livni's rivals in a race for the premiership if early elections are called.
 
Barak has stressed over recent days that he supports the establishment of an emergency national unity government, while Netanyahu, whose Likud party is expected to win if general elections are held, is interested in early elections which he says will result in a stable government.

 

According to reports, Barak and Netanyahu spoke for more than an hour about various topics, including the security threats facing Israel, the diplomatic processes the country is waging and economic issues on the agenda.

 

Barak's office issued a statement saying that he reiterated to Netanyahu the need for an emergency government, while the latter cited the failure of the current government, led by Kadima, as a clear reason to hold general elections as soon as possible and elect new leadership for Israel.

 

Despite disagreements between the two, they agreed to continue having regular meetings.

 

Barak is scheduled to meet with Livni on Sunday, as well as Shas Chair and Trade Minister Eli Yishai.

 

Meanwhile, a date for Olmert's resignation has yet to be set. "He will announce to the cabinet that he, as prime minister, will be resigning," his spokesman Mark Regev said on Saturday. "We have to schedule a meeting with [President Shimon] Peres for the formal resignation."

 

Once Olmert, who is facing possible indictment for corruption, officially hands in his resignation, Peres is expected to ask Livni, Olmert's designated successor, to form a government. She will need to recruit a majority of 61 MKs in order to succeed in this task.

 

Beyond that, officials said they were unaware of the precise timetable guiding the process that will see Olmert continue as premier in a caretaker capacity until a new governing coalition is formed - possibly many weeks away.

 

Livni narrowly won a hard-fought election on Wednesday to succeed Olmert as leader of the Kadima party. She faces a struggle to heal divisions within her own movement and to persuade smaller parties to join her in a new government.

 

By law, Peres can take 14 days to ask Livni, the foreign minister, to form a government and is likely to consult other party leaders. Peres is scheduled to fly out to New York on Monday to attend United Nations meetings, his office said.

 

Livni, a 50-year-old lawyer and one-time Mossad agent, would have six weeks to try to secure a new coalition deal - with Ehud Barak's Labor on the left and Jewish religious party Shas on the right, as well as with several smaller groups.

 

Should she fail - and Kadima has only a quarter of the seats in the Knesset - right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu could get his wish for an early parliamentary election, which polls indicate his Likud party would win.

PA chief of staff: Gen. Dhiab al-Ali: We must be ready to use force against Hamas

Last update - 00:54 21/09/2008       
PA chief of staff: We must be ready to use force against Hamas
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent

RAMALLAH - The Palestinian Authority must be ready to use force against Hamas in Gaza "to reunify the homeland," said the head of PA forces in the West Bank, Gen. Dhiab al-Ali (Abu al-Fatah), considered the Palestinian chief of staff.

 

"If Gaza remains mutinous, the Palestinian Authority will have no choice but to use force against it," Ali said in a recent interview with Haaretz at his Ramallah offices.

 

Ali said the PA has not ruled out using force if the territory remains in Hamas' hands.
 
"There haven't yet been consultations with the Israelis on the issue," Ali said. "We hope we won't need that option - for us it's the last choice for unifying the homeland - but we must be prepared to implement it. If you want to transport forces [to Gaza] you need different weapons and different capabilities [than those currently available]. There must be Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian agreement. But if circumstances permit then we must reunify the homeland."

 

No senior PA official close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ever expressed such views to the media, and especially not shortly before a Fatah delegation is set to attend talks in Cairo on a possible detente with Hamas. A similar Hamas delegation is scheduled to talk with Egyptian officials early next month, and Egypt may try to hold a reconciliation summit in Cairo after the holiday of Id al-Fitr.

 

Ali dismissed Hamas' threats against the PA in the West Bank. "Hamas doesn't have the power to pose a real challenge to the PA in the West Bank," he said. "Israel's declarations about Hamas' capabilities are a wild exaggeration. If the Israelis were to withdraw from PA territories today we would assume responsibility everywhere. There will be problems, but where aren't there in this region? If the Israeli army withdraws from the West Bank we'd have to increase the Palestinian forces to about 15,000 soldiers."

 

But in a conversation whose main points were published in Yedioth Ahronoth last week by journalist Nahum Barnea, Ali spoke about the Palestinian military's fear that Hamas will try to provoke mass protests in January, when Abbas' term ostensibly ends.

 

Ali, 65, was appointed head of the Palestinian forces about 19 months ago. Before that he was commander of the Jenin/Tul Karm region. He has significantly improved the capabilities of the national security organization and its popular standing.

 

At the National Security headquarters, around 30 of Ali's most senior officers, as well as administrative employees and even clerks, gathered around a dining table for Iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast during the month of Ramadan.

 

"What about the girls, have they eaten yet?," the chief of staff asks. The table groans under the weight of the food: rice and lamb, of course, as well as fish, salads and a variety of other meat dishes ¬ it's a far cry from the standard IDF dining hall.

 

Ali's military theory holds that when the Palestinian side is quiet and there are no shooting incidents, the Israelis are more receptive to the Palestinians' woes. "As long as there is killing," he says, "there'll be no [Israeli] interest."

 

Ali was born in Qadas, a village near Safed, and became a refugee at the age of 4, when his family fled to Lebanon. As a youth he joined Al-'Asifa, the Fatah army, and served in a number of positions in Lebanon. He returned to the territories in 1995.

 

"During my term we reorganized the National Security organization. Ninety percent of the officers were replaced with younger officers," Ali says.

 

His officers undergo training in Jericho, under U.S. supervision and assistance headed by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, the U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the PA. Soldiers are trained in Jericho and Jordan. Two battalions have completed the new training regimen so far. A third left for Jordan on Thursday and a fourth is scheduled to train there in the future. Ali has about 7,500 soldiers under his command.

 

He does not conceal his anger over Israel's responses to his requests for arms and ammunition, or the restrictions on the movement of PA forces in the West Bank.

 

"There is cooperation with Israel," Ali says. "We prevented dozens of terror attacks just this year."

 

The Need to Contain Iran & Hezbollah before it is too late

The Need to Contain Iran & Hezbollah before it is too late
By: Elias Bejjani*

September 21/08

Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist militant and fundamentalist organization, is now actually occupying Lebanon, controlling its government and terrorizing its peace loving people. This Iranian mercenary Army by all means and according to all standards is like a wild and cannibal beast gradually devouring Lebanon, the independent, free and multicultural state.

It is viciously annihilating Lebanon's distinguishable identity, forging its deeply rooted rich history, tarnishing its unique co-existence entity, disintegrating the basis of  its civil society, infiltrating and destabilizing sneakily its governmental and private institutions in an evilly orchestrated and systematized Syrian-Iran Scheme.

While this crime is being overtly and bluntly committed against Lebanon and the Lebanese people, the so called moderate Arabic countries, the European Union, the state of Israel, the US, The UN, and the rest of the Free World nations are all indifferently watching this horrible crime and keeping a blind eye on the whole mockery. They shamefully had limited the horizons of their stances to mere rhetoric and context-empty press releases and statements of condemnation.

They are all mainly acting selfishly, naively while deluding and deceiving themselves. They are falling easy preys to a wrong, self-centered, irresponsible and misleading political concept that hypothetically says: "As long as this beast remains far away from our backyards, let him devour whoever it can capture or hunt"!! What a juvenile, derailed, alienated, sickening and reality-history detached thinking and rationale!!

What is currently and sadly unfolding in Lebanon and Iran is a replicate of the Hitler-Nazi phenomenon. Most European nations, as well as many other influential countries had falsely deceived themselves into believing that Hitler's aggressiveness and greed could be cajoled and appeased by some kind of subjection here and there. They did not take his territorial expansionist schemes seriously, and failed to contain his madness when they were still capable of doing so. They initially did not unite to encounter his many invasions to neighboring countries, and when they decided to do so and move from the defensive to the offensive strategy, it was too late. Their appeasement forced the whole free world to sacrifice dozens of millions of lives, in addition to massive destruction, huge financial losses, and laborious years of  horrible wars, agony, and suffering, before Hitler was defeated. Luckily he could not acquire the atomic bomb before the USA, otherwise, he would have destroyed the whole globe.

The question that every sensible man and woman is asking with fear and frustration, is when would the Free World countries, specially the USA and Europe will deal with Iran, and its proxy army in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and either tam or eradicate their teeth so they can no longer be a threat to civilization, humanity and world-wide prosperity, stability and peace?

Are they going to repeat the same wait and see cowardice scenario they applied with the Hitler-Nazi phenomenon?

Are they going to wait for the emergence of another Winston Churchill to cement their scattered efforts, pinpoint the main threat, and lead them in an costly offensive war after Iran's acquisition of nuclear capabilities? Hopefully not, because extraordinary, farsighted, and Godly gifted leaders are not born every day.

While Iran is fooling and ridiculing the UN and all the whole free world, it adamantly continues its stringent evil strive to acquire its atomic bomb, and its proxy army in Lebanon, Hezbollah, is tightening more and more its military grip on Lebanon, the government and the people. One would not be exaggerating to state that Hezbollah is actually occupying Lebanon.

The most dangerous facets of this occupation can be plainly witnessed all over Lebanon in the cultural and educational domains. Hezbollah via religious decrees (Fatawa),  money, intimidation and weapons, is forcing the Iranian Mullah's life style on the whole country. Its militant ongoing endeavors to impose this stone age life style is on the rise all over the country, especially in side the canton that it rules and fully controls.

Hezbollah's education, life style and culture are totally derived from the Iranian Mullah's "Wilayat al-Faqih" religious-sectarian doctrine. The main pillars of this doctrine are zero tolerance for all others who are different in any sphere and do not fully fall under its control, mere rejection of the civil, democratic and free societies,  a systematized tireless strive to export  the "Wilayat al-Faqih"  and impose it on the whole world through "Jihad" (holy war), deeply rooted hatred for the western democracies and cultures, staunched enmity and hostility towards the USA and Israel and suicide mentality. One of its prime aims is to destroy Israel and "Liberate" the Holy city of Jerusalem.

Hezbollah, by force and terrorism is hindering Lebanon from regaining its independence, peace and stability on all levels and in all domains. It refuses to disarm or allow the central government take control over the cantons that it has erected and keeps ruling with an iron fist.

In the same realm of the on going series of orchestrated assaults against the country, the people and its institutions, on the 28th of last month Hezbollah's militants fired on a Lebanese army helicopter in the Southern region killing with cold blood one of its two pilots under the pretext that it had crossed the red lines drawn by its leadership.

Meanwhile many independent Lebanese observers strongly believe that Hezbollah is behind most of the assassinations and assassination attempts that took place in the country since 2005 and targeted members in the parliament, journalists, cabinet ministers, politicians, and army - internal security officers.

Defiant Hezbollah's General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, declared in a televised speech  earlier this month that his militant militia will keep its arms even if Shebaa farms were liberated, "Shebaa farms are not the reason to keep our weapons; if the farms were liberated, the weapons will stay," Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah leaders had repeatedly said in the past that the party's arms are aimed at liberating Lebanese occupied lands, mainly the remaining Shebaa farms in south Lebanon. Nasrallah, however, said Hezbollah will not give up its weapons "as long as Israeli threat persists," threatening that his group will destroy Israel if it launches an attack on Lebanon.  "The five brigades (which Israel said it will use) will be destroyed," he added. This comes at the heel of another statement when he promised the world "a victory that will change the face of the Middle East". 

Hezbollah has imposed on Lebanon Its own criteria for heroism, martyrdom, treason and patriotism. Recently, it glorified publicly the notorious killer, Samir Kuntar who was surprisingly released by Israel. It gave him a hero's welcome, dragging behind its leadership the country's president, house speaker, Prime Minister and the majority of the MP's and politicians.

In the realm of derailing Heroism and criminal standards, Hezbollah is portraying, Imad Mugniyah, one of its high ranging militants, that was killed in Syria earlier this year, as a great militant leader and Jihadi Martyr. it has erected an exhibition to advocate for this educational derailment and worked hard to give it an extensive media coverage. In a letter to the New York Times published on September 06/08 Abraham H. Foxman commenting on Hezbollah's war exhibition opened in the Lebanese Southern City of Nabatiye said: "Hezbollah's shrine to the slain terrorist mastermind Imad Mugniyah demonstrates how terrorist groups use and indoctrinate children into their blood-soaked culture of hatred, martyrdom and violence. It also offers a real glimpse at the stark realities facing Lebanon, Israel and the international community. It is frightening that a group that perpetrates and venerates deadly terrorism is set to take on a leading role in Lebanon's transitional government, with cabinet seats and veto power. And if there was any doubt that Hezbollah is rebuilding its arsenal in the aftermath of the 2006 Lebanon war, the high-tech rockets and other munitions on display in Nabatiye should serve as a wake-up call to world leaders about the continuing threat that this Iranian-backed group poses to Israel, Lebanon and the entire region". 

We, again and again, call on the free world and the so called "moderate Arabic Countries" to wake up from their coma of hesitation and procrastination, and take note that the Lebanese people and their government are unable under any given circumstances to contain or disarm Hezbollah militarily on their own. If Lebanon is not rescued, Hezbollah will soon turn it into a replicate of the Iranian's Mullaha's republic.

Meanwhile Iran's serious Hitler-Nazi like phenomenon threats to the world needs to be addressed as soon as possible with all available means, especially the military ones before it is too late. The battle with Iran and its Hezbollah proxy is inevitable, Accordingly the sooner the better, and lesser losses will be incurred.

*Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
 LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com

Who is worried about the IAEA report on Iranian nuclear development and why?

What worries Russia and China is not the fact of Iranian nuclear development, which can only be harmful to Western interests and help them. What worries them, as the headline states, is the IAEA report. It is becoming increasingly difficult for anyone to ignore the clear and present danger of Iranian nuclear proliferation, which is becoming a reality while the world looks apathetically on.

 

The danger, from the point of view of China and Russia, is that the report will cause the Western allies to actually do something about the Iranian nuclear program.

 

Ami Isseroff

 

Solana: IAEA's Iran report worries Russia, China

1 day ago

PARIS (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief says he believes Russia and China are "quite worried" about a new IAEA report that says Iran has blocked efforts to investigate its nuclear program.

Javier Solana says the report presented Monday by the U.N. nuclear watchdog "isn't good for Iran."

He stopped short Thursday of saying that there is support for France's push for more U.N. Security Council sanctions against Tehran.

Solana says the U.N. General Assembly will "analyze" the situation. He was speaking on the sidelines of a Paris meeting of EU foreign ministers with their counterparts from five central Asian nations.

Western nations fear Iran's program masks intentions to build bombs. Iran insists its plan is to generate electricity.

Cross posted: Israel News  Middle East Analysis

 

Who is Tzipy Livni?

Tzipy Livni may soon become Israel's second female Prime Minister, following  Golda Meir. She is determined to make peace if possible, but what is her plan B if peace is not possible.

 

Who is the Prime Minister to be? See Tzipy Livni 

The myth of al-Aqsa

The myth of al-Aqsa

Holiness of Jerusalem to Islam has always been politically motivated

 

Mordechai Kedar Published:  09.15.08, 00:47 / Israel Opinion 

 

When the Prophet Mohammad established Islam, he introduced a minimum of innovations. He employed the hallowed personages, historic legends and sacred sites of Judaism and Christianity, and even paganism, by Islamizing them. Thus, according to Islam, Abraham was the first Muslim and Jesus and St. John (the sons of Miriam, sister of Moses and Aron) were prophets and guardians of the second heaven. Many Biblical legends ("asatir al-awwalin",) which were familiar to the pagan Arabs before the dawn of Islam, underwent an Islamic conversion, and the Koran as well as the Hadith (the Islamic oral tradition), are replete with them.

 

Islamization was practiced on places as well as persons: Mecca and the holy stone - al-Ka'bah - were holy sites of the pre-Islamic pagan Arabs. The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Great Mosque of Istanbul were erected on the sites of Christian-Byzantine churches - two of the better known examples of how Islam treats sanctuaries of other faiths.

 

Jerusalem, too, underwent the process of Islamization: at first Muhammad attempted to convince the Jews near Medina to join his young community, and, by way of persuasion, established the direction of prayer (kiblah) to be to the north, towards Jerusalem, in keeping with Jewish practice; but after he failed in this attempt he turned against the Jews, killed many of them, and directed the kiblah southward, towards Mecca.

Muhammad's abandonment of Jerusalem explains the fact that this city is not mentioned even once in the Koran. After Palestine was occupied by the Muslims, its capital was Ramlah, 30 miles to the west of Jerusalem, signifying that Jerusalem meant nothing to them.

Rediscovering Jerusalem

Islam rediscovered Jerusalem 50 years after Mohammad's death. In 682 CE, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr rebelled

 

against the Islamic rulers in Damascus, conquered Mecca and prevented pilgrims from reaching Mecca for the Hajj. Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad Calif, needed an alternative site for the pilgrimage and settled on Jerusalem which was then under his control. In order to justify this choice, a verse from the Koran was chosen (17,1 = sura 17, verse,) which states (translation by Majid Fakhri):

 

"Glory to Him who caused His servant to travel by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, in order to show him some of Our Signs, He is indeed the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. "

 

The meaning ascribed to this verse is that "the furthest mosque" (al-masgid al-aqsa) is in Jerusalem and that Mohammad was conveyed there one night (although at that time the journey took three days by camel,) on the back of al-Buraq, a magical horse with the head of a woman, wings of an eagle, the tail of a peacock, and hoofs reaching to the horizon. He tethered the horse to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount and from there ascended to the seventh heaven together with the angel Gabriel. On his way he met the prophets of other religions who are the guardians of heaven.

 

Miraculous account

Thus Islam tries to gain legitimacy over other, older religions, by creating a scene in which the former prophets agree to Mohammad's mastery, thus making him Khatam al-Anbiya ("the Seal of the Prophets".)

 

Not surprisingly, this miraculous account contradicts a number of the tenets of Islam: How can a living man of flesh and blood ascend to heaven? How can a mythical creature carry a mortal to a real destination? Questions such as these have caused orthodox Muslim thinkers to conclude that the nocturnal journey was a dream of Mohammad's. The journey and the ascent serves Islam to "go one better" than the Bible: Moses "only" went up to Mount Sinai, in the middle of nowhere, and drew close to heaven, whereas Mohammad went all the way up to Allah, and from Jerusalem itself.

What are the difficulties with the belief that the al-Aqsa mosque described in Islamic tradition is located in Jerusalem? For one, the people of Mecca, who knew Muhammad well, did not believe this story. Only Abu Bakr, (later the first Calif,) believed him and thus was called al-Siddiq ("the believer".)

The second difficulty is that Islamic tradition tells us that al-Aqsa mosque is near Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula. This was unequivocally stated in "Kitab al-Maghazi," a book by the Muslim historian and geographer al-Waqidi. According to al-Waqidi, there were two "masjeds" (places of prayer) in al-Gi'irranah, a village between Mecca and Ta'if - one was "the closer mosque" (al-masjid al-adna) and the other was "the further mosque" (al-masjid al-aqsa,) and Muhammad would pray there when he went out of town.

This description by al-Waqidi which is supported by a chain of authorities (isnad) was not "convenient" for the Islamic propaganda of the 7th Century. In order to establish a basis for the awareness of the "holiness" of Jerusalem in Islam, the Califs of the Ummayad dynasty invented many "traditions" upholding the value of Jerusalem, which would justify pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the faithful Muslims. Thus was al-Masjid al-Aqsa "transported" to Jerusalem. It should be noted that Saladin also adopted the myth of al-Aqsa and those "traditions" in order to recruit and inflame the Muslim warriors against the Crusaders in the 12th Century.

 

Must Judaism defer to Islamic myths?

Another aim of the Islamization of Jerusalem was to undermine the legitimacy of the older religions, Judaism and Christianity, which consider Jerusalem to be a holy city. Islam is presented as the only legitimate religion, destined to replace the other two, because they had changed and distorted the Word of God, each in its turn.

 

Though Judaism and Christianity can exist side by side in Jerusalem, Islam regards both of them as betrayals of Allah and his teachings, and has always done, and will continue to do, all in its power to expel both of them from this city. It is interesting to note that this expulsion is retroactive: The Islamic broadcasters of the Palestinian radio stations consistently make it a point to claim that the Jews never had a temple on the Temple Mount and certainly not two temples. (Where, then, according to them, did Jesus preach?)

Yasser Arafat, himself a secular person (ask Hamas!), did exactly what the Califs of the Umayyad dynasty did 1300 years ago: He marshaled the holiness of Jerusalem to serve his political ends. He must not have given control of Jerusalem over to the Jews since according to Islam they are impure and the wrath of Allah is upon them. Moreover, the Jews are the sons of monkeys and pigs. The Jews are those who distorted the holy writings which were revealed to them and denied God's signs. Since they violated the covenant with their God, He cursed them and they are forever the inheritors of hell. So how could Arafat hand over Jerusalem to the Jews?

The Palestinian media these days are full of messages of Jihad, calling to broaden the national-political war between Israel and the Palestinians into a religious-Islamic war between Jews and Muslims. For them, Christianity is no better than Judaism, since both "forfeited" their right to rule over Jerusalem. Only Islam - Din al-Haqq ("the Religion of Truth") - has this right, and forever.

Since the holiness of Jerusalem to Islam has always been, and still is, no more than a politically motivated holiness, any Muslim leader or ruler would be putting his political head on the block should he give it up. Must Judaism and Christianity defer to myths related in Islamic texts or envisioned in Mohammad's dreams, long after Jerusalem was established as the ancient, true center of these two religions, which preceded Islam? Should Israel give up on its capital just because some Muslims decided to recycle the political problems of the Umayyads 1250 years after the curtain came down on their role in history?

Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University's eptartment of Arabic

Sexual Harassment in Egypt

Egypt voices: Sexual harassment

Seven Egyptian women talk about their experience of sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo. It is an increasingly common problem, with a recent survey suggesting more than four out of five women have been sexually harassed, while nearly two-thirds of men admitted assaulting women.

Noha Wagih TV announcer "I usually don't answer back, but this time I did"

Posy Abdou Shop worker "I get harassed 100 times a day "

Nora Khaled School pupil "I was so scared and embarrassed, I cried"

Nancy Fakhr Engineer "When colleagues asked what was wrong, I lied"

Zeinab Boulaki Auditor "My mother says I shouldn't answer back but I think this is wrong" Hoda Gallal Housewife "People gathered around but were not sympathetic" Reem Ibrahim Auditor "I try to stop it but nothing works" NOHA WAGIH Once I was out driving with my brother when he stopped at a supermarket and I waited for him outside. Two guys got out of a car and walked towards me in an intimidating way. They started commenting on the way I look and the way I'm dressed. I usually don't answer back, but this time I said: 'I'm not here to get picked up, you know.' This was too much for one of them who started shouting that I was crazy. I replied that even if I were a prostitute, I wouldn't give him a second glance. This made him mad. He came right up to me, shouting that he was a policeman and he would 'show me'. In no time three more cars pulled up, and a group of men got out and started yelling at me and my brother. I wrote down the number of the first car saying I was going to report him. He got so angry I thought he was going to beat me, so I slapped his face and started shouting 'Rape!' They all ran away, and I was left alone with my brother shaking with fear. After this experience I want to make a programme for TV about sexual harassment. Return to top POSY ABDOU I get harassed 100 times a day. I tried everything to stop it but it doesn't stop. I wear loose clothes, I don't wear make up, I spend more than an hour in front of the mirror everyday thinking of ways to hide my body. I walk home everyday. It only takes me 15 minutes, I cross the bridge. It is usually very loud and busy, but that does not stop men from approaching girls, any girl, good looking or bad looking, covered or not. I remember so many scary harassments. There was this guy who followed me and suddenly grabbed my bottom in front of everyone. I screamed but he ran away and no one interfered. Once I was shopping with my father and aunt, and this guy kept staring at me and blowing me kisses. My dad shouted at him and started hitting him. I think men are doing this because they are jobless and have no manners. Return to top NORA KHALED I get harassed everyday, during the five minutes I walk from my house to the main street to take the school bus. Also in the seconds I cross the street when I finish my swimming class at the sports club. I was waiting for the school bus once when a microbus driver followed me and kept calling me very bad names. I was so scared and embarrassed, I cried. Return to top NANCY FAKHR I don't walk a lot in the streets, because I have a car. But I get harassed by guys driving close to me, they try to grab my attention, it could lead to accidents. The worst harassment I remember was last winter. I didn't have my car and I was sleeping over at my sister's house. I got up at 0700 to catch the bus and go to work. A guy followed me and kept calling me very bad names. I was horrified and I started walking fast, even running. When he got very close to me, I was scared he would touch me, so I picked a stone from the floor and threw it at him and ran as fast as I could until I got to the main street and took the bus. I was shaking and trembling. When I arrived at work, I collapsed and cried for a long time. When my colleagues asked me what is wrong, I lied and said I have family problems. Return to top ZEINAB BOULAKI I get harassed whenever I walk down the street; even during the seconds I cross the street to take my car. Yesterday, when I was parking the car in front of my house, a guy grabbed my bottom, I shouted at him, and insulted him. At least I did something about it. My mother says I shouldn't answer back, but I think this is wrong. This way they will think they can harass anyone and get away with it. I know that shouting at someone who harasses me verbally or physically is not enough but at least it makes me feel better than doing nothing. Return to top HODA GALLAL I get harassed every day, although I am always carrying my baby. I thought being a mother would make me immune to harassment, but it made it even worse. Once I was waiting for the bus with my child and a car stopped, the guy waved his hand at me with a 20 pound note. It was unbelievable. Another time I was walking home and this guy unzipped his trousers in a car next to me. I screamed, but he shouted back very aggressively, saying 'Who do you think you are? Why would I even look at you?' People in the street gathered around us and to my surprise they were not sympathetic with me. They supported him. They all defended the guy because they do the same thing. Once I was walking with a friend and this guy suddenly grabbed her from behind. We shouted for help and he ran away. A car stopped, they asked us what had happened, had we been mugged? When we told them that we'd been sexually harassed, they drove away. Isn't this worse than robbery? Return to top REEM IBRAHIM I get harassed a lot. I can't count the number of times, especially on public transport. There was this guy who kept following me from one bus to another. If I stood up he stood by my side and if I sat down he sat beside me. Finally I shouted at him and insulted him, he left the minibus. I stopped wearing skirts, and stopped doing my hair at the hairdresser's, I also stopped wearing make up, even my fiance asks me why aren't you taking care of your looks as you used to do. But what can I do, I try to stop it but nothing works. I used to always have a smile on my face while walking down the streets, now I am always frowning, always provoked, always feeling the threat of someone approaching me physically or verbally. At a bus or a microbus, I always feel there is a hand trying to touch me. It happened so many times, that I keep looking at the seat behind me as if I am crazy.

US will sell Israel Airforce small bunker buster bombs.

The US will not sell Israel the large GBU-28 bunker-buster bombs, which could be used in an attack on Iran but it will sell Israel a smaller number of much smaller GBU-39 bombs. The $77 million shipment, which includes launchers and supporting equipment, will allow the IAF to hit many more bunkers than currently possible. Although each bomb weighs 113 kilograms, its penetration capabilities equal those of a one ton bomb, and each plane can carry four times as many bombgs.

The GBU-39 has successfully penetrated more than 1.8 meters reinforced concrete with a 23-kilogram warhead. The GPS-guided weapon is said to have a 50-percent probability of hitting its intended target within 5-8 meters, which should minimize collateral damage.

The Pentagon's announcement also said that the U.S. would help upgrade the Israel Defense Forces' patriot anti-aircraft missiles - which Israel uses as part of its missile-interception array. Israel will also receive 28,000 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) tube launchers for land forces. These were in short supply in the Lebanon war.