Israel Elections 2003
6 days to voting

They want Mitzna to bring the nightmare to an end
By Amira Hass

Elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council were to have been held two days ago. The date was set in the summer, at a time when the Palestinian Authority representatives were involved - under close European and American supervision - in preparations for reforms in the Palestinian Authority, of which the elections were viewed as the most important element.

The rest is history: Israel had no intention of allowing the elections to be held, the United States backed Israel, the Israel Defense Forces deployed in all the Palestinian cities and the continued policy of closure made it impossible for the Palestinians to challenge the Israeli refusal and hold elections - some say not to the great sorrow of the Palestinian leadership.
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Israeli troops devastate West Bank village market

Israeli soldiers demolished 62 shops at a market yesterday, destroying the livelihood of hundreds of Palestinians. In the early morning, about 300 troops streamed into the market, just outside the village of Nazlat Issa. They brought seven bulldozers.

Villagers poured out to protest as the bulldozers tore down the village market, the main source of income for Nazlat Issa's 2,500 residents.
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Disturbing Trends in Israel

More Israelis than ever before are thinking the unthinkable. An April poll found that 44 percent of Israeli Jews support "transfer" of the Arab population. Posters throughout the country proclaim, "Transfer = peace and security." "Us here, them there" and "Jordan is Palestine" are popular slogans. An hour of school time was devoted to the teachings of Rehavam Ze’evi, chief exponent of the idea, who was assassinated last year. "Transfer" is discussed openly on talk shows.

What is "population transfer?" The concept dates from 19th century Zionism, and refers to removal of the Palestinians from their land, in order to make room for (or enlarge) Israel. How does Israel propose to do this?
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