Dear readers
Here is the digest for November 29th, 2004

1- Engagement in a military court
2-Hamas Seeks Unity Government, Ready for Truce


1- Engagement in a military court
Translated by, Saed Bannoura, IMEMC, November 29, 2004

Mona Al-Adra, 22 year old, surprised the military judge in Ofer
military court when she stood in the court and asked the judge to
allow her to be engaged to Mohammad Khalil, 22 years old at the court.

Mona stood in the middle of the court hall and addressed the judge,
"can I speak please, I know that my English language is poor, but
Mohammad and I planned to be engaged before soldiers arrested him, I
did not come to the court for trouble, I want peace, and I would like
you to allow me to be engaged to Mohammad here at the court, and
exchange rings with him"

The judge laughed in a tone filled with ambiguity and lack of words
and said; "this is not up for me to decide, it is the specialty of the
head of security at the court".

After discussion between the lawyer and the head of the court's
security, a small hall adjacent to the court's hole was prepared for
engagement.

The family of Mohammad and families of other detainees present at the
court were allowed to attend.

Mohammad and his fiancé exchanged rings and hugged each other, and for
the first time ever, there was joy in the military court!

Yousef Hasan, defence whiteness said that he saw female soldiers
clapped and a soldier took pictures of the engagement using his mobile
phone camera, but the security officer forced him to wipe the pictures
out of his phone.

The bride left the court building with signs of happiness and joy and
said: "I feel that we created a legend"

When asked about the future taking in consideration that her fiancé my
be jailed for ten years she said, "This is the main reason I did this,
Mohammad needed encouragement and a reason to look for and strengthen
his spirit in his jail, he has to know that there is someone special
waiting for him"

"Before he was arrested, we intended to get engaged, the habit here is
that when the fiancé is absent, one of his brothers of parents, put
the ring in the hand of the girl, but I decided to do it myself, and I
succeeded", Mona said.

In spite of the strict procedures, Mona managed to "smuggle" the rings
into the court, soldiers always force the families to remove any metal
or gold they have and put it in a special draw.

The father of the bride, Khaleel Zeidan, 46 year old, said that nobody
knew what Mona intended to do;

"I did not have any idea, even Mohammad didn't", Zeidan said.

Talking about his feelings when he saw his son holding Mona, Khaleel
said, "I couldn't control myself, my eyes drowned in tears, this is a
solid proof that the Palestinian people are willing to live, they
aren't seeking death of imprisonment".

Mohammad was arrested along with other youths five months ago for
security charges and is expected to be sentenced for a period between
eight and twenty years.



2-Hamas Seeks Unity Government, Ready for Truce
IMEMC & Agencies, November 29, 2004, 08:36

Hamas West Bank leader Sheikh Hassan Yusef told Israel Radio that
Hamas is willing to join a unity government with Fatah, and would
agree to a limited cease-fire during final status negotiations with
Israel.

Yusef, who was recently released from prison, called on Israel and the
international community to reconsider its characterization of Hamas as
a terrorist organization.

"Hamas is aware of the new realities and would like to take advantage
of the opportunities that it believes has been presented to it," Yusef
said.

From his side, PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas ruled out an interim
settlement with Israel, asserting that a Palestinian state in 2005 was
still possible.

Abbas, who is paying a visit to Egypt, said that the Palestinians are
working to ensure a "real democracy" through January 9 election for
the new head of the PA.

Accompanied by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and interim
Palestinian Authority Chairman Rauhi Fattouh, Abbas spoke to reporters
after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

He said the talks with Egyptian officials focused on security,
democracy and the election.

"We will not accept a temporary solution; it's a waste of time. Even a
state with interim borders is a waste of time. We're only 13 months
from [the end of] 2005, so that's enough to negotiate and put an end
to this problem." Abbas said.

Abbas affirmed Sunday that he was working to insure that only PA
security will be authorized to carry weapons.

"We want only one legally armed Palestinian force," Israel radio
quoted Abbas as saying.

Mubarak told Abbas that Egypt was ready to offer security assistance
for the presidential election, as well as legislative and local
elections, Mubarak's spokesman Maged Abdel Fattah.

Palestinian officials complained Sunday that Israel is still blocking
the opening in East Jerusalem of voter registration centers for the
Palestinian presidential election.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and intelligence chief
Omar Suleiman will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories on
Wednesday.


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