Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - July 14, 2000 - Continued Attacks by the Reformist Faction on the Judiciary Over the University Dormitory Ruling

Negotiations between Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister at Camp David
Increased Casualties for Russians in Chechnya
Continued Attacks by Reformist Factions on the Judiciary Over the University Dormitory Ruling and...

For three days, [Yasser] Arafat, [Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization], and [Ehud] Barak, [Prime Minister of Israel], have been negotiating behind closed doors at Camp David with the presence of [Bill Clinton], the President of the United States, to achieve peace in the Middle East. No information has been released regarding the outcome so far. It has been stated that the negotiations could last for ten days; the main issues revolve around Jerusalem, the refugees, and the Jewish settlements. Each side is seeking to exploit the other’s weaknesses. This might be the last chance for the U.S. President to secure results from the long-standing pursuit of peace in the Middle East. There is also a risk of escalating tensions if no success is achieved, especially considering the victory of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon over Israel.

In Chechnya, clashes have intensified, and Russian casualties have increased. In Afghanistan, the war has escalated. In Fiji, after 57 days, the hostage crisis has been resolved, and an agreement has been reached. In the Philippines, a massive garbage landslide has killed, injured, and buried hundreds of people. In the domestic media, the attacks on the Judiciary by the Reformist factions over the verdicts related to the university dormitory incident, arrests, and the shutdown of newspapers have been severe. Meanwhile, support for the opposing faction, particularly regarding the university dormitory court ruling, is limited.

I spent the day at home. Most of my time was dedicated to reading—a book on territorial planning for the agenda of the Expediency Discernment Council, bulletins, reports, newspapers—and engaging in morning exercise on the treadmill, swimming in the pool, and revising the index of the Tafsir Rahnama (Guide to Quran Interpretation).