VARIOUS: ISRAELI POLICE ARREST 14 ISRAELI ARABS ON CHARGES OF AIDING PALESTINIAN "TERROR ORGANISATIONS"

Record ID: 400339

  • Title: VARIOUS: ISRAELI POLICE ARREST 14 ISRAELI ARABS ON CHARGES OF AIDING PALESTINIAN "TERROR ORGANISATIONS"
  • Date: 22nd May 2003
  • Summary: (W5) TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MAY 13, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF TEL AVIV DISTRICT COURT 0.03 2. MV ZOOM IN SCU SHEIKH RAED SALAH SITTING IN COURTROOM 0.12 3. MV ARAB ISRAELIS SITTING IN COURTROOM; MV LAWYERS SITTING IN COURTROOM; MV ARAB ISRAELIS WHO WERE ARRESTED STANDING IN COURTROOM (8 SHOTS) 0.46 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAWFI
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK / JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA30LF73TLPNSTVRCPKYQPB100Y
  • Story Text: Israeli police have arrested 14 Israeli Arabs on
    charges of aiding Palestinian "terror organizations". The 14
    are all members of the Arab Israeli Islamic Movement led by
    Sheikh Raed Salah, who was among those arrested.

    Earlier, the Israeli president met the Greek foreign
    minister while Palestinian President Yasser Arafat held talks
    with Russian Mideast envoy Andrei Vdovin in a renewed
    international drive towards Palestinian and Israel
    rapprochement .

    Dozens of Israeli Arabs demonstrated against the arrest
    of 14 Israeli Arabs accused of illegally channelling money to
    Palestinian Islamic militants to aid the families of suicide
    bombers, who the Israeli security forces arrested on Tuesday
    (May 13).

    Among those detained was the leader of the northern branch
    of Israel's Islamic Movement, Sheikh Raed Salah, who has often
    accused the Jewish state of trying to undermine Islamic rights
    in Jerusalem.

    The arrests came after U.S. Secretary of State Colin
    Powell's during his visit to the region urged Palestinian
    Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to dismantle militant groups
    behind attacks on Israelis during an uprising for
    independence.

    Israel's Arab minority has been mostly quiet during the
    uprising for independence in Palestinian areas, but there have
    been isolated cases of people charged with aiding militants.

    Earlier in the day, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat
    met the Russian envoy to the Middle East Andrei Vdovin in the
    West Bank city of Ramallah. The meeting was a part of an
    international effort to push forward the U.S.-backed road map
    to peace.

    Nabil abu-Rdaineh advisor to the Palestinian President
    Yasser Arafat spoke about progress between the Israelis and
    the Palestinians. Rdaineh said that the main obstacle to any
    progress between the two sides is the fact that Israel has not
    officially declared it's approval to the road map plan: "The
    only thing is the Israeli refusal to the road map. The
    Palestinians accepted and approved the road map unfortunately
    the quartet including the United States are incapable of
    forcing Israel to openly and officially their acceptance and
    approval for the road map".

    In Jerusalem, Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou, currently
    president of the European Union, met with Israeli President
    Moshe Katzav in Jerusalem Tuesday ahead of a scheduled meeting
    with the Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of
    Ramallah.

    "We support of course what he has been doing here (Colin
    Powell) and we also want to do what we can in an effort to
    move forward with the peace process. We want to see a secure
    Israel, devoid of any terror and violence, and of course at
    the same time, down the road a viable Palestinian state,
    which will be a partner. But now is an opportunity, we
    believe, which if we can be of any help, we would like to
    assist" Papandreou said following a meeting with the Israeli
    president.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register