MIDDLE EAST: ISRAELIS CELEBRATE PURIM FESTIVAL AND PREPARE FOR CHEMICAL ATTACK AS PALESTINIANS CONFIRM APPOINTMENT OF MAHMMOUD ABBAS AS NEW PRIME MINISTER.

Record ID: 645838

  • Title: MIDDLE EAST: ISRAELIS CELEBRATE PURIM FESTIVAL AND PREPARE FOR CHEMICAL ATTACK AS PALESTINIANS CONFIRM APPOINTMENT OF MAHMMOUD ABBAS AS NEW PRIME MINISTER.
  • Date: 18th March 2003
  • Summary: (W5) HOLON, ISRAEL (MARCH 18, 2003) (REUTERS) WS/LAS: AFRICAN MUSICIANS AND DANCERS CELEBRATING ANNUAL PURIM FESTIVAL. MV: CHILDREN CLAPPING. MV/ZOOM OUT/MLV: GIRL ON PARADE FLOAT. WS: OF CARNIVAL PROCESSION OF MEN HOLDING THE SKIRT TALES OF A YOUNG LADY. MV: SECURITY GUARDING CARNIVAL. CU/ZOOM OUT/MV: FLOAT IN SHAPE OF EGYPT'S SPHYNX AND PYRAMID.
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HOLON, RAMLEH, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL / JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9EKEP1W845TG7C5PR02W9OGUM
  • Story Text: Israelis have celebrated the annual Purim festival, despite mounting tension as a war against Iraq looks increasingly likely. Authorities are continuing their prepations for a possible chemical attack all over the country..
    In a separate development, the Palestinian Legislative Council confirmed the appointment of new Prime Minister Mahmmoud Abbas, also known as Abu-Mazen.
    Hundreds of Israelis gathered to celebrate the annual Purim festival in Holon, a few minutes away from Tel Aviv, on Tuesday (March 18) despite the fact that the US-led war against Iraq is expected to start in a few days.
    Israel, and the Tel Aviv area in particular, was struck by dozens of Iraqi Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf war.
    African drummers and dancers, fancy dressing and huge decorated parade floats where part of the show.
    Purim, which celebrates how Jews living in Ancient Persia survived a plot to exterminate them, is one of the most colourful festivals in the Jewish calendar.
    Meanwhile, Israel's defence minister Shaul Mofaz instructed the Jewish state's citizens on Tuesday to finish sealing their rooms against a nonconventional attack in case of an Iraq war.
    "Following an estimation of the situation, the army and the Homefront Command have instructed the population to prepare their sealed rooms. Even after the instructions to prepare the sealed rooms, our estimation of the situation has not changed with regard to the low chances that Israel will be attacked. The estimation stays the same. We have no new intelligence information. But along with that, our readiness is very high."
    The statement came hours after the speech of President George W. Bush in which he gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum to go into exile or face attack within 48 hours.
    Israel's hospital workers also began sealing off areas in the hospital where potential victims of a nonconventional attack on Israel would be treated.
    Also on Tuesday, the Palestinian legislative council on Tuesday (March 18) approved in a third vote the appointment of Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, as the Palestinian Authority's first Prime Minister.
    Arafat -- who has faced a U.S.-led effort to dilute his powers -- was now expected to formally ask Abbas, a prominent Palestinian moderate, to become prime minister and establish a cabinet within two weeks.
    Legislators voted 69-1 in the final reading of a bill establishing the post after Arafat agreed in a meeting of his ruling Fatah faction to drop a demand for a say in the formation of the cabinet, political sources said.
    Some PLC members, based in Gaza and prevented by Israel to cross the West Bank, participated in the vote via video conference.
    Arafat, the long-time symbol of the Palestinian nationalist cause, has rarely failed to get his way in Palestinian politics, but a band of reform-minded lawmakers has recently challenged him.
    Arafat's top aid Tayeb Abdel Rahim read a statement by Arafat.
    "We hope that all parties involved are interested in peace, and will take the initiative to push the peace process forward and end the occupation which our people are facing, and put an end to the aggression against our people taking place all over the nation. Also, we hope to get all the parties involved to take serious steps in ending violence in the region," Arafat's statement said.
    The new premier will take over day-to-day running of the Palestinian Authority.
    But Arafat's retention of overall control of security services and peacemaking -- as well as the power to dismiss the prime minister -- could meet U.S. and Israeli opposition.
    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ruled out renewed peace talks with the Palestinians until Arafat is pushed aside.
    Abbas, who has said he will accept the post only if granted significant clout, has criticised 29 months of militant violence against Israel as counterproductive to Palestinian nationalist aspirations.
    Tension has been rising in the past few days as a war against Iraq looks increasingly likely.
    In the Tel Aviv area, hit by dozens of Iraqi Scud missiles in 1991, residents queued up in distribution centres to be issued with new, upgraded masks.
    According to a local newspaper, 35 per cent of Israelis live in buildings with built-in sealed room shelters.
    According to a recent poll, some 20 per cent of the public has already started preparing a sealed room.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register