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Jan. 18, 2005 0:49 | Updated Jan. 18, 2005 20:50 Sharon: Kassam attacks can't continue By MARGOT DUDKEVITCH AND NINA GILBERT Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, PM Ariel Sharon, and Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon visit an army base at the Erez border crossing between Gaza Strip and Israel. Photo: AP During a visit to the IDF Gaza Division on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon discussed strategies to bring an end to the incessant Kassam rocket attacks and mortar shell fire towards Israeli towns and settlements originating from Palestinian villages in the area. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Chief of Staff...

Mofaz sets his sights high By Akiva Eldar It is possible that the next government, the disengagement government, which people mistakenly insist on calling a "unity government," will be the last government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. On the assumption that the new government is intact when it reaches the elections in November 2006, when the next Knesset completes its term, Sharon will be 82 years old. The prime minister himself generally says that he has taken it upon himself to disengage Israel from the Gaza Strip, and that he is leaving the challenge of the final status agreement to...

Israel striving for bilateral disengagement Defense minister tells Herzliya Conference that it is in Israel’s interest to try and coordinate the disengagement from Gaza with a new and hopefully more pragmatic Palestinian leadershipHaim Iserowitz Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said earlier today that Israel would rather implement the disengagement within the framework of a renewed peace process with the Palestinians, then as a unilateral step. He was speaking to the annual Herzliya Conference, the country’s major annual strategic political and economic conference, held by the Inter-disciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel’s “ivy league” university. He said that Arafat’s death opens a window...

Dec. 12, 2004 17:49 | Updated Dec. 13, 2004 16:42 Mofaz approves operational steps against 'terror tunnels' By MARGOT DUDKEVITCH AND HERB KEINON Hamas video shows Palestinians sneaking a ton of explosives through a tunnel near the Gaza-Egypt crossing The Israel Defense Forces is set to launch a series of operations in the Rafah area against tunnels used by Palestinians to smuggle weapons and attack Israeli targets. The series of operations, which are set to begin in the near future, was approved Monday afternoon by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz after an emergency meeting of security heads at his Tel Aviv...

Likud voter turnout climbs to 60 percent By GIL HOFFMANPM: "Either Israel progresses or goes to elections. It's simple: Those who don't vote, sink the boat."PM threatens to call early elections Photo: APAll 26 polling stations at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds opened on time Thursday, after Tel Aviv District Court Judge Uri Goren rejected a petition from Likud 'rebels' trying to block the vote on widening the coalition. As planned, voting began at 10 a.m., with polls scheduled to close twelve hours later. Results are expected at midnight. Low voter turnout lasted throghout Thursday, causing concern to the prime minister's...

(IsraelNN.com) Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz admits he is unclear as to what exactly Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is saying in his comments that he is not ruling out Israeli involvement in the Sinai terrorist attacks. Mofaz stated that the Egyptian leader’s comments are somewhat befuddling. The senior minister made his remarks while touring a northern district military base. A soldier asked him if he thinks the Gaza Disengagement Plan will enjoy Knesset endorsement. Mofaz rebuked him for discussing a political matter in a military facility.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz called the recently intensified IDF operations in Gaza the "proper response" against Kassam launches from the region into Israeli neighborhoods. Army procedures in Gaza will continue as long as they are necessary, Mofaz said, as reported by Israel Radio Friday afternoon. Although he admitted that army procedures in the Gaza Strip unfortunately cannot completely eliminate rocket attacks, they certainly deter them and limit terrorist activity, Mofaz said. Hamas terrorist killed in Gaza IDF forces killed a Hamas terrorist in the Jabalyia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday. The terrorist, Abdel Aziz El-Ashkar, was...

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Monday that the government remains committed to "removing" Yasser Arafat from the Palestinian territories, although there are no current plans to do so. "The state of Israel will find the way and the right time to bring about the removal of Yasser Arafat from the region," Mofaz said while answering listeners' questions on Army Radio. Mofaz noted the Israeli security Cabinet's decision last year to "remove" Arafat following a series of Palestinian suicide bombings. "I think it is still relevant," Mofaz said. At the time, officials hinted that the order could refer to expelling, killing...

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz issued a warning to Syria in comments he made to the cabinet Sunday, in which he referred to intelligence information about the growing involvement of the Damascus "terror headquarters" in terror attacks against Israel. Mofaz added that Damascus is providing terror organizations with guidance and financial support. Mofaz said, however, that there is not enough evidence to prove that Syria was involved in planning the double bombing in Be'er Sheva last week, in which 16 people were killed. Mofaz said that on the night before the Be'er Sheva attack, the Israel Defense Forces arrested about 30...

Last Update: 02/08/2004 23:02 U.S., U.K. officials slam clearance to expand Ma'aleh Adumim By Haaretz Service and News Agencies American and British government officials criticized Monday the Defense Ministry's approval of plans to expand Ma'aleh Adumim, the largest settlement in the West Bank, in apparent violation of the U.S.-backed road map peace plan. The Defense Ministry confirmed Monday that it had granted permission to build 600 new housing units in Ma'aleh Adumim, a few kilometers east of Jerusalem. Political sources said clearance for the housing was given two months ago by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz....

Summary of Editorials from the Hebrew Press 2 Aug 2004 (Government Press Office) Haaretz - http://www.haaretzdaily.com Ma'ariv - http://www.maariv.co.il Yediot Aharonot - http://www.ynet.co.il Globes - http://www.globes.co.il Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com Hazofe - http://www.hazofe.co.il Haaretz comments: "The gods of history placed Ariel Sharon at the head of a government that has decided, for the first time, to evacuate settlements from Gaza and the northern West Bank - and Sharon has run into opposition from his party and members of his government... Sharon needs therefore to expand his political basis now, so he can make decisions on the evacuation - and no...

Israeli forces searching for the remains of their fallen comrades in the streets of Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood are encountering mounting resistance from Palestinian combatants, with bombs being detonated near troop carriers and anti-tank rockets fired at soldiers. Four soldiers have been lightly wounded by Palestinian gunfire in operations since Tuesday night. IAF helicopters have fired missiles at a number of groups of armed Palestinians, attempting to place bombs in the area. Palestinians report three dead, and at least ten wounded. One Palestinians died when he exploded after being shot by IDF troops. The army will conduct a situation assessment...

Deputy Education Minister Tzvi Hendel (National Union) had strong words against Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz this morning. Following Mofaz's latest statement in favor of removing the Jews of Gush Katif, Hendel said that Mofaz is "encouraging terrorism." In light of Mofaz's remarks that Gaza is not "the inheritance of our forefathers," Hendel said that Mofaz should learn some Bible and Jewish history. Speaking at the annual conference of the Israel Law Association in a hotel in Eilat, Mofaz said that he estimates that within five years, no Jewish towns would exist in the Gaza Strip. Mofaz himself lived in a...

Translation from Hebrew to English by me IDF Lt. General Yaalon (http://www.ynet.co.il/Ext/Comp/CdaNewsFlash/0,2297,L-2904111_184,00.html): The Chief of the General Staff, Moshe Yallon, said today in a Matcal Forum at the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem: "We will continue to fight terror whereever it is, every person that sends decisions, acts and builds devices, every person who seeks to attack us - we will attack him." In his words, "these days will tell of what will be in the future. The arc-terrorist Rantisi is also one of the Holocaust deniers who said, among other things, that comparing the Nazis to the Jews hurts...

Defense Minister Mofaz: Syria aiding terrorists fighting U.S. troops in Iraq; Iraq`s WMDs may be hidden in Syria

Left Wing Protest to Remove Outposts 22:48 Dec 08, '03 / 13 Kislev 5764 (IsraelNN.com) "Peace Now" activists tonight took to the streets of Tel Aviv in a demonstration calling upon the government to remove all Yesha (Judea, Samaria & Gaza) outposts. The participants in the protest called on the government to bring an end to the Jewish presence in Yesha (Judea, Samaria & Gaza). In a related story, from the Ha'aretz Ticker:Mofaz tells settler heads 3 outposts will be removed next week, including Mitzpeh Yitzhar (Israel Radio)

Elon Demands Talks with the PA be Frozen 20:49 Nov 03, '03 / 8 Cheshvan 5764 (IsraelNN.com) Minister of Tourism (National Union) Benny Elon called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to immediately halt all diplomatic efforts with the PA following this morning’s attempted suicide bombing attack. Elon was referring to the bomber detected near Kedumim on his way into Green Line Israel, who was killed when his bomb exploded. Elon added that it is unacceptable that while Israel relaxes security restrictions on the PA and works to advance on the diplomatic level, the terrorism continues.

Oct. 30, 2003 Jerusalem Police boost presence for Ramadan prayers By JPOST.COM STAFF Jerusalem Police have bolstered their numbers and finalized their contingency plans ahead of the first Friday of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the security services to allow the entrance of about 4,000 Muslim worshippers into the Temple Mount complex for prayers. Meanwhile, Palestinians threw a grenade at an IDF outpost along the Egyptian border Thursday night near the town of Rafiah. No injuries were reported. Earlier in the day, troops spotted a suspicious boat carrying a number of Palestinians off the Gaza...

Oct. 28, 2003 Restrictions on Palestinians to ease up Wednesday By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN Shaul Mofaz Photo: AP The defense establishment is set to ease up restrictions on the Palestinians, allowing merchants, humanitarian workers and even a number of olive pickers into the country on Wednesday. The exact number was not yet decided but the decision came following a visit by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to the Gaza Strip Tuesday and recommendations from the IDF. The General Security Service opposes a lifting of restraints, arguing that attacks are being planned on both sides of the Green Line, especially as the Moslems...

Oct. 27, 2003 Mofaz to announce easing of restrictions By JPOST.COM STAFF</P Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is expected to announce Tuesday the easing of restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing several thousand Palestinian workers to enter Israel. Industrial activity and transport of goods between the PA and Israel will be partially resumed and some PA city barricades may be lifted where the threat of terrorism is low. Mofaz is attempting to walk a middle line between the IDF's proposals to grant even wider concessions and the Security Service's opposition to any lifting of restraints, arguing that attacks are...