By Dr. Aaron Lerner

Excerpts: Palestinian turmoil. Saudi women drive?  Someday! 15 October 2005

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 13-19 ,"Clutching at straws". HEADING: "While rivalries continue to surface in Palestinian politics, Abbas  and the PA may need Hamas in the long run, writes Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank

QUOTES FROM TEXT: "Abbas and the entire Fatah leadership face a Palestinian public increasingly disillusioned with the  incompetent performance of the PA ; especially its failure to establish law and order"..."Israel contnues to press the PA to crack down on  Hamas, even if that would mean civil war and even though the PA lacks the means to actually do so"..."Hamas' participation could result in victory for Islamic candidates and drastically change the Palestinian political panorama. Abbas would be forced to adapt politically to a new reality"... "Israeli interference would ony vindicate groups, such as Islamic Jihad, who have long argued it is pointless to organise elections under occupation and that force must free Palestinians first"

EXCERPTS:
The long-awaited meeting between ... Abbas and... Sharon, which was to take place this week ... The PA wanted the meeting  ... not so much because ... the Israeli government was displaying unexpected goodwill, but rather to appease the Bush administration which had asked that the meeting occur prior to Abbas's visit to Washington later this month. PA officials insist that more time is needed to prepare for a successful meeting between Sharon and Abbas...the PA is eager to bank successes that can be presented to the Palestinian public prior to parliamentary elections scheduled for 27 January 2006. The PA hopes Israel will agree to release a significant number of  ... Palestinian political prisoners  ...  many as "administrative detainees" incarcerated for prolonged and renewable periods without trial or charge ... The PA also hopes that Israel will agree to withdraw troops from Palestinian population centres in the West Bank; a  ... precondition, of the organisation of legislative elections... Abbas and the entire Fatah leadership face a Palestinian public increasingly disillusioned with the incompetent performance of the PA; especially its failure to establish law and order in the Gaza Strip as well as elsewhere. This week, American envoy David Welch held talks in Ramallah and West Jerusalem focussing on one issue: strengthening Abbas's government vis-à-vis Hamas. Welch told Israeli leaders that Israel could  ... enhance Abbas's public image. He suggested that Israel should do more to improve the lives of Palestinians, removing at least some of the ubiquitous roadblocks and checkpoints that lie throughout the West Bank and which effectively throttle the Palestinian economy and kill any semblance of normalcy. Welch also asked Israel to allow the PA to import arms, which he suggested would be used not against Israel but mainly against Hamas, Israel's number one enemy. Israel continues to press the PA to crack down on Hamas, even if that would mean civil war and even though the PA lacks the means to actually do so.

[{MRA: Have teh means but not the will.] Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz voiced dismay that recent clashes between PA police and Hamas fighters in Gaza "didn't go far enough".

This week, Mofaz received bad news when the armed wings of the various Palestinian resistance groups agreed to put an end to all forms of misuse of "resistance weapons". The armed wings denounced recent inter-factional kidnappings and violence that sent shockwaves through the Palestinian society ..."We announce that all of the military wings are united in their positions and faith and that we consider any attack on one of us as an attack on us all," the eight factions said in a statement read during a Gaza press conference Saturday. The eight factions, including Hamas and Fatah military wings, denounced rampant chaos, including the kidnapping of four Hamas activists in the West Bank. "Any action aimed at spreading chaos or internal strife will be considered treason," the statement added. On Friday 7 October, gunmen believed to be associated with a PA security agency abducted the dean of the Engineering Department at An- Najah National University in Nablus, along with three other Islamic political activists.  The gunmen, calling themselves the regiments of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (after the second caliph) claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, saying they were warning to Hamas not to undermine the PA. Hamas blamed the PA's General Intelligence (GI) for the kidnapping, describing the kidnappers as "a bunch of hoodlums, gangsters and common criminals". The GI denied any involvement, blaming the kidnappings on "intra- Hamas rivalries". Hamas described the GI denial as "disingenuous and nakedly mendacious". Meantime, the Israeli army continues to arrest Hamas activists in the West Bank, with the apparent goal being to prevent Hamas from participating in the upcoming elections, or at least weakening it considerably prior to the polls. Palestinian sources have put the number of Islamic activists, including professionals and community leaders, arrested by Israel during the past two weeks at 650.Israel seemingly hopes that the wave of arrests will weaken Hamas and enhance Fatah ahead of the elections. The opposite may be true, as ordinary Palestinians are likely to identify with any party or faction targeted by Israel.... participation or otherwise of Hamas in Palestinian legislative elections presents Abbas and the PA with a real dilemma.  ...  the exclusion of Hamas would eviscerate the elections of credibility and democratic substance.  ... . On the other hand, Hamas's participation could result in victory for Islamic candidates and drastically change the Palestinian political panorama. Abbas would be forced to adapt politically to a new reality. This would certainly include a hardening in the overall Palestinian posture vis-à-vis Israel. The PA could be forced to re-assert more determinedly erstwhile Palestinian constants, especially with regard to the inviolable status of East Jerusalem and the right of millions of Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes, towns and villages in what is now Israel.. such a stance enjoys overwhelming support among Palestinians and probably would serve as a unifying rather than a divisive force. A Hamas electoral victory, in this sense, if bad for Fatah could be the best thing going for the PA. Regardless, it is doubtful whether Israel is truly interested in seeing Palestinians hold democratic and transparent elections. Israel stands against anything that would empower and strengthen the Palestinian people and therefore enhance their international standing vis-à-vis Israel. With Israel's position undeclared, coupled with increasingly vague American signals on the issue of Hamas's participation in the polls, much uncertainty remains over the elections.  ... Israeli interference would only vindicate groups, such as Islamic Jihad, who have long argued it is pointless to organise elections under occupation and that force must free Palestinians first.
[IMRA: Israel's opposition to Hamas' participation has been clear.]

ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 15 Oct.'05:"Abdullah Wins Applause for Assurance on Women Driving" Maha Akeel & Hassan Adawi
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"Saudi women yesterday applauded the statement by ... King Abdullah that they would be permitted to drive someday"..."noted that women drive on the Kingdom's deserts and in rural areas"..."does not favor conducting a survey because most people, including women who don't know too much about their rights, lack awareness and are influenced by the opinions of a few"..."dispensed with the traditional royal protocol of having his subjects kiss his hand"

EXCERPTS:

JEDDAH, 15 October 2005 - Saudi women yesterday applauded the statement by  King Abdullah that they would be permitted to drive someday.

 [IMRA: "Someday", not soon.]
Women then called for a dialogue to convince opponents of women driving to change their misconceptions. ... King Abdullah told  ... Barbara Walters that the issue required patience, and he would not impose it against the will of the people, issuing a royal decree. He noted that women drive on the Kingdom's deserts and in rural areas ."I believe strongly in the rights of women," the king said during his first television interview since acceding to the Saudi throne on Aug. 1. "I believe the day will come when women drive. In time, I believe it will be possible. And I believe patience is a virtue." Walters ...  was blunt in her questioning. "You cannot just make a decree that women drive? You're the king," she said. "I value and take care of my people as I would my eyes," Abdullah replied. "Is that an answer?" Walters queried. "Yes, I respect my people, and I value their well-being," the king said. "It is impossible that I would do anything that is not acceptable to my people."... "The king himself when he was crown prince said that within a few years many developments will happen for women, and they will receive many of their rights," said Dr. Suhaila Hammad, a senior member of the National Society for Human Rights.,,"I think our political leaders are in favor of permitting women to drive, but what is preventing it are society's perceptions and religious misinterpretations. There is nothing in Islam that states that women shouldn't drive. In fact in the olden days, women used to ride camels and horses ... " Suhaila told Arab News "We have to convince those who oppose women driving...What we need is for our religious scholars to issue a decision about it, and people will follow," she said. Suhaila does not favor conducting a survey because most people, including women who don't know much about their rights, lack awareness and are influenced by the opinions of a few. The NSHR has recently received a petition by 120 women asking for their right to drive, but there was also a  petition by 500 women forwarded to the king asking him not to grant women that right because they think it contradicts Islam. "Women should be allowed to drive," teacher Amani Badaghesh told Arab News. She also emphasized the need for employing women in the Traffic Police and Public Security to change societal attitudes about women driving.

In the interview, King Abdullah said that religious extremism is found everywhere. He doesn't deny its existence in the Kingdom, but he said he was surprised at linking of extremism with Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace and that the Kingdom is fighting terrorism. Those who accuse it of funding terrorism should present at least some type of evidence.

In his wide-ranging interview, King Abdullah also talked about the Kingdom's efforts at bringing peace to Iraq and to foster world cooperation against terrorism. He said that Saudi Arabia has its differences with American policy especially with regards to the Palestinian issue and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also said that none of the Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, should have nuclear weapons and hoped that Iran would not be an obstacle to peace in Iraq. King Abdullah said he had dispensed with the traditional royal protocol of having his subjects kiss his hand. "I have tremendous distaste for such matters ...  one only bows before God, not another human being,"