Weekend Wrap, March 4

NU-NRP campaign mocks settler image; Abbas to Iraq: Stop killing Palestinians.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
weekend wrap 88 (photo credit: )
weekend wrap 88
(photo credit: )
NU-NRP campaign mocks settler image The National Union-National Religious Party coalition has turned to using self-deprecating humor to try to rally young, secular Israelis to oppose possible future withdrawals from West Bank settlements. Abbas to Iraq: Stop killing Palestinians Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in Iraq by Iraqis belonging to various political and religious factions over the past few months, Palestinian Authority officials here told The Jerusalem Post. Maj.-Gen. Ron-Tal retires from the IDF Last May, Judge Advocate General Brig.-Gen. Avihai Mandelblit harshly criticized Ron-Tal for behavior unbecoming a senior officer and advised that regulatory measures be taken against him. Nazareth: Tense calm after attack, riots A tense calm prevailed in Nazareth Friday night, hours after a Jewish man and two Christian women who threw firecrackers in the Church of the Annunciation were evacuated from the compound by police. Hamas refuses to soften in Moscow Hamas' leader ruled out any softening of the militant Palestinian group's hostility to Israel after high-profile talks in Moscow at which Russia called on it recognize the Jewish state and abandon violence. Vehicle ban gives Baghdad a day of relative calm A driving ban brought the Iraqi capital a day of relative calm, a rare period of peaceful streets enforced, in part, by a Shiite Muslim militia - one of several armed groups the US military wants abolished. Bush expresses support for Musharraf US President George W. Bush expressed support Saturday with Pakistani President Gen. Perez Musharraf's war-on-terror alliance with the United States, a stance that is at odds with many in the Islamic nation. US to present Iran with 30-day ultimatum The United States will present a 30-day ultimatum to the UN Security Council this week, the Washington Post reported Saturday, calling on Iran to cease with its nuclear program. Chirac to Syria: Stay out of Lebanon Any Syrian attempt to destabilize Lebanon through assassinations or weapons shipments will trigger a response by the international community, French President Jacques Chirac warned Saturday. Alleged Ilan Halimi killer extradited Youssef Fofana, a Frenchman of Ivorian descent, was escorted by a dozen Ivorian paramilitary police to Abidjan's international airport, where he was handed over to French soldiers. .