VARIOUS: PALESTINIAN REACTION TO THE NEW APPOINTMENT OF RIGHT WING BENJAMIN NETANAYAHU AS THE NEW ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER

Record ID: 640668

  • Title: VARIOUS: PALESTINIAN REACTION TO THE NEW APPOINTMENT OF RIGHT WING BENJAMIN NETANAYAHU AS THE NEW ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER
  • Date: 5th November 2002
  • Summary: (W4) RAFAH, SOUTHERN GAZA (NOVEMBER 6, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, PALESTINIANS CARRYING BODY OF MAN KILLED DURING CLASHES ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 5, 2002) WIDE OF PEOPLE MARCHING WITH GUNS IN FUNERAL PROCESSION SLV, MORE OF PEOPLE CARRYING BODY THROUGH STREET (W4) RAFAH, SOUTHERN GAZA (NOVEMBER 5, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, YOUTH LIGHTING AND TOSSING HOME-MADE STUN GRENADE AND THEN RUNNING OFF (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) SLV TWO YOUTHS RUNNING ACROSS STREET AND TAKING COVER ( AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) VARIOUS, MEN RUNNING WITH INJURED PALESTINIAN AND PUTTING HIM IN BACK OF AMBULANCE SLV AMBULANCE DRIVING OFF AT SPEED WITH SIREN SOUNDING (W4) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 6, 2002) (REUTERS) SMV PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARFAFT BEING GREETED BY RELIGIOUS MEN AT HIS COMPOUND ON THE FIRST DAY OF RAMADAN SCU PALESTINIAN SOLDIER ON GUARD AT COMPOUND SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SAYING "He (Netanyahu) has to remember that he had signed the Wye River agreement which is part of Oslo agreement and this must be his continuity for the peace of the brave which we had started." SMV PALESTINIAN FLAG FLYING OVER ARAFAT'S COMPOUND
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM /BEER SHEBA, ISRAEL/ UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION /RAFAH, SOUTHERN GAZA / RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5U8MCVLSCBW1BBGD027I7AX8D
  • Story Text: Benjamin Netanyahu has been sworn in as Israel's new foreign minister, replacing Shimon Peres, who resigned from the coalition last week with other Labour ministers in a row over funding for Jewish settlements. In an attack on Wednesday, a Muslim militant from the Hamas group has snuck into a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and shot dead two settlers before a security guard killed him.
    Right-wing challenger Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's new foreign minister on Wednesday (November 6, 2002) after wasting no time launching a campaign to lead Israel with a get-tough policy towards the Palestinians.
    The 53-year-old right-winger, popularly known as "Bibi", took the standard parliamentary oath a day after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called an early election in the wake of the centre-left Labour Party's defection from his coalition.
    Netanyahu replaces Shimon Peres, who quit along with five other Labour ministers last week in a dispute over funding for Jewish settlements on occupied land.
    By taking the foreign portfolio in the minority government, Netanyahu returns to a political stage he largely abandoned after Labour's Ehud Barak ousted him as prime minister in 1999.
    Before the nation-wide vote, Israel's two main parties, Sharon's right-wing Likud and Labour, will hold leadership elections. Netanyahu said he would challenge Sharon for the Likud leadership in a party primary expected within a month.
    Palestinian officials and European Union diplomats voiced concern that Sharon's decision to hold elections nine months ahead of schedule would stir more turmoil in the Middle East at a time when Washington is threatening war with Iraq.
    In an attack on Wednesday (November 6), a Muslim militant from the Hamas group snuck into a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and shot dead two settlers before a security guard killed him.
    The armed wing of Hamas said it struck to avenge recent Israeli killings.
    In Rafah, Palestinians buried a man who was killed on Tuesday (November 5) during clashes which erupted when bulldozers and tanks entered the area to clear the remnants of demolished houses and trees.
    The army fired a tank shell at a house that went up in flames. Palestinian youths then threw locally-made stun-grenades at tanks.
    A military source said that Israeli soldiers opened fire at two armed Palestinians who approached the area of the Termit outpost near Rafah and saw that one of the men was hit.
    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said he hoped Netanyahu would stick to peace accords he signed with the Palestinians during his previous stints in the Israeli government.
    "He (Netanyahu) has to remember that he had signed Wye River agreement which is part of Oslo agreement and this must be his continuity for the peace of the brave which we had started," said Arafat.
    At least 1,646 Palestinians and 625 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian revolt began in September 2000 after peace talks focusing on a Palestinian state foundered.
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