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From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, December 28, 1999
Reply-to:      netnews@a7.org

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, December 28, 1999 / Tevet 19, 5760
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. POLICE RAID ARUTZ-7
  2. REACTIONS
  3. RALLY TONIGHT

1. POLICE RAID ARUTZ-7
Hundreds of policemen stormed Arutz-7's offices and studios in Beit El at 9:30 this morning, in an attempt to shut down the broadcasts and confiscate the station's equipment.  For over two hours, the police wrenched out soundboard consoles, computers, and other equipment, leaving extensive damage in their wake.  They deposited these at the front entrance to the station, but did not attempt to transfer them to their waiting vans, as close to 1,000 residents of Beit El and other communities had gathered on the narrow street outside.  The crowd, including many dozens of students of the nearby schools and yeshivot, intermittently sang, danced, and shouted "Police State!"
  
Arutz-7 technicians continue to work intensively to appraise and repair the damage caused to doors, computers, broadcast consoles, and wiring.  All of the internet department's computers were operating within 4-5 hours after the raid, and the live internet broadcast of Arutz-7 was back on the air by 1 PM.  The police were unable, despite repeated attempts, to break down the
doors of one of the station's floors, containing a make-shift studio. Regular broadcasts continue from that studio; of the four damaged ones, highest priority will be given to repairing the Russian-language studio. During the course of the raid, Internet Director Baruch Gordon was lightly injured, requiring eight stitches in his hand, and student Aharon Amram of N'vei Tzuf had his hand broken.

Communications Ministry representative Chanan Golan, who was present during the police action today, told Arutz-7 broadcasters that the raid was initiated not by his office, but by the State Prosecution and the Attorney-General.  Jerusalem Magistrates Court Justice Rafael Yaakobi signed the court order, after approving the State Prosecution's request for the warrant.  When the police showed the search-and-confiscation court orders this morning, Arutz-7 management explained that these were based on false information, and that the Knesset had passed legislation almost a year ago permitting the station to broadcast. 
 
Some two hours after the raid began, Samaria and Judea Police District Commander Yitzchak Aharonovitch arrived on the scene.  After meeting with Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed - the station's Chairman of the Board and Rosh Yeshivat Beit El - Aharonovitch announced the sudden end of the police operation.  At approximately 11:45 AM, Rabbi Melamed used a megaphone to inform the crowd gathered outside, "The police are trying to do their work honorably, but we have a problem with the Communications Ministry.   We have come to an agreement, and the equipment is all staying here.  Please permit the policemen to leave here with honor."

Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz, speaking on Arutz-7's newsmagazine today, said:

"Police Commander Aharonovitch is a smart man, and after a short time he realized that he was sorely misled.  He saw that there are no transmitters here - even though we are allowed to have them here and use them - but he found nothing of the sort... 

"I think that what happened here today is a mark of shame for Prime Minister Barak and for Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, who claims to be a man of democracy - but what happened here was not democracy, but dictatorship, pure and simple... In the end, with the help of G-d, they finally left, and apologized, and it was agreed that they would say that
they had succeeded in stopping the broadcasts - even though the broadcasts continued throughout, because we simply phoned over to the ship.  Their claim that we are an illegal station is simply not true, especially after the passing of the Arutz-7 law in the Knesset, and that's why Beilin and Communications Ministry officials are making intense efforts to pass a different law..."

Ketzaleh announced that following the tremendous financial damages caused the station by the police violence, Arutz-7 will hold a marathon fund-raising broadcast this coming Thursday and Friday.  Outpourings of support, via phone calls, faxes, and e-mails, have already been received at Arutz-7. 

An excerpt from Aharonovitch's hastily-called press conference:
"The warrant was issued at the request of the Communications Ministry, and we were simply carrying out this order.  We have fulfilled our mission of stopping the station's broadcasts, and we are therefore leaving." Reporter: "But listen, you can hear the broadcasts on the radio right now - the antennas are not here, they are on the ship.  Arutz-7 is still broadcasting."

Aharonovitch:  "Our mission was to stop the broadcasts here in Beit El.  If they have other channels, this is not my problem."  [The afternoon newsmagazine was broadcast from Beit El as usual, from the lone operative make-shift studio, at 1 PM.]
 
Veteran Arutz-7 broadcaster Adir Zik spoke to the hundreds of Beit El residents and students who came to show their support of the station this morning.  After a rousing round of his show's theme song, "You Won't Defeat Me So Quickly," the crowd settled down to hear his speech.  Excerpts:

"When I used to remark that the State of Israel is turning into a Bolshevik state, I was called 'radical and extreme...' - but here we plainly see that with a court order one morning, the police can just come in and raid Arutz-7.  Make no mistake about it: This is a struggle for the future of this land! They are simply trying to shut our mouths!...  Truth has tremendous strength, and try as they might, they cannot vanquish our faith.  The age of internet and instant communications has arrived, and Arutz-7's Kobi Sela has just broadcast a news report [via] the ship in the
middle of the Mediterranean [in the midst of the police attempts to shut down the station]...  Don't think for a moment that this is a legal issue. It's intimately connected to the political goings-on at present. They are simply trying to shut us up."  Zik later said, "Arutz-7 has been responsible for a revolution in its media message and in its success at disseminating Torah in Israel and throughout the world.  It is part of a wider society that sends its daughters to Sherut Leumi (National Service) and its sons to the top IDF combat units, of people who have been able to
live a completely observant life while fully participating in modern society.  This is the deeper level of the conflict:  Because of the high quality of Arutz-7's news and other programming, because we insist on fully participating in the society - this has the establishment, the media, and the political establishment eating its heart out."

Reporters from Israeli television stations were at the scene.  They protested the fact that they were not allowed to enter the building, and a Channel Two reporter said, "I access Arutz-7's internet site every day for scoops.  It's important to make this information and these pictures available to the public, to see what the police came and did here!"

2. REACTIONS
Deputy Minister of Education Sha'ul Yahalom said that there is no iota of truth to the police allegations that Arutz-7's broadcasts ever disturbed airport radio transmissions.  Yahalom, speaking as a former Minister of Transportation, was reacting to statements by Police Investigations Chief Supt. Yossi Sitbon, who said that the police raid was carried out because of such disturbances.

MK Rabbi Benny Elon (National Union), a resident of Beit El, who was also on the scene together with party colleague and leading Arutz-7 proponent MK Tzvi Hendel, said, "The truth is that I think the police were led astray by Chanan Golan of the Communications Ministry and Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, who have an obsession [with Arutz-7]."

MK Rabbi Chaim Druckman (NRP) said, "The police raid on Arutz-7 is an anti-democratic scandal, an attempt to shut the mouths of the nationalist camp, the likes of which is only seen in the darkest regimes."  He recommended that his party, which reached a budget agreement with the government only two days ago, vote against the budget in protest of the raid.  Other NRP Knesset Members said that the raid was an attempt to silence those who object to a withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

MK Uzi Landau (Likud):  "This raid was a manifestation of State Prosecution violence."  MK David Azulai (Shas):  "This is a leftist government that will do anything to shut mouths."

The Yesha Council announced that the Ehud Barak government is defiling the rule of law via the shutting of its political opponents' mouth.  Professors for a Strong Israel called upon the government to cease its anti-democratic actions. 

Atty. Mordechai Haller:
"There is a general principle that when a legislature legalizes a certain behavior, all legal prosecution against this behavior is halted, and new proceedings against it are certainly not begun.  The Attorney-General simply decides that it is not in the public interest to prosecute these matters... In this case, the legislature has passed a law legalizing Arutz-7; the law has not gone into effect yet, though, such that this is a classic case in which the Attorney-General would normally exercise his discretion not to prosecute...  All the above concerns the radio.  But the internet department has absolutely nothing to do with this.  The publication of internet news is no different than any other completely legal behavior by Arutz-7 staff, such as preparing a cup of coffee.  If an Arutz-7 employee prepares a cup of coffee, the police cannot come and arrest him - just like they cannot do so for the equally-innocent act of sending news over the internet...  If a judge gave a ruling to confiscate all the equipment in a building used for allegedly illegal broadcasts, when the police knew perfectly well that some of the equipment is not used for broadcasts at all, then that order should never have been given.  I think it's shocking that a judge would give an order that was so sweeping... I think the police probably misled the judge in that they did not give him the full picture."

Yisrael Medad, head of Israel's Media Watch:
"I think that this raid was a very foolish move that puts Mr. Barak on the defensive, because he can be seen as approaching dictatorship.  We know that during the previous Labor administration of Mr. Rabin, some moves on his part led him to being perceived as someone not interested in the rule of law and citizens' democratic rights to express themselves...  I think
that Arutz-7 represents a very strong body politic, an important representative of a major cultural and religious element in Israeli society."

3. RALLY TONIGHT
Women in Green announced a rally for this evening, in protest of the raid on Arutz-7.  "In an attempt to assure approval by the voting public in the upcoming referendum on whatever Golan Agreement is reached with Syria," the organization announced, "Prime Minister Barak ruthlessly moved this morning to close down the only effective opposing media source to his policies,
Arutz-7 Radio...  Arutz-7 has had free and open discussion, informing the public of Barak's subservience to Clinton, and the many faults and failures of his policies..."  The rally will be held at 7:30 PM opposite the Yakar educational institute at 10 HaLamed-He St. in Jerusalem, where Atty.-Gen. Elyakim Rubenstein is scheduled to speak on "Law and Democracy."

Readers who would like to send their comments on today's events to various public figures are invited to find their fax numbers and e-mail addresses at  <http//www.arutzsheva.org/English/newspaper/ondisplay/ref/faxes.htm>.

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From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, December 29, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Wednesday, December 29, 1999 / Tevet 20, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. ANTI-CLIMACTIC BUDGET VOTE ANTICIPATED
  2. POLICE SUSPECTED OF "WALKING OFF" WITH ARUTZ-7 EQUIPMENT
  3. ISRAEL TO CEDE JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOODS TO PA
  4. "THE ENGINEER" HONORED BY PA PAPER

1. ANTI-CLIMACTIC BUDGET VOTE ANTICIPATED
Monday's political drama, in which Shas issued Prime Minister Barak a one-day ultimatum before bolting the coalition, has fizzled out. After marathon meetings between Finance Minister Avraham Shochat and Shas leader Eli Yeshai, the government has agreed to bail out the party's financially-troubled El-Hama'ayan educational system.  The price: Shas consent for more exacting Education Ministry financial supervision of the school system.  In light of this week's agreements with both United Torah Judaism and the National Religious Party, the government expects to pass the Year 2000 budget on time.

If MK David Tal's (Shas) words are any indication, however, the Barak-Shas budget package may not spell the end of the Prime Minister's headaches with the 17-Knesset-Member faction.  Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Tal said that the budget falls short of Shas demands in the areas of health and welfare. "These issues are at the top of our priority list.  Many Israelis are dying due to lack of medicine.  Much of the money designated for health and welfare has been stolen by the government and is being channeled to any one of a number of other needs.  We still plan to vote for the budget, though. This is the nature of coalition negotiations."  Tal also hinted that a future crisis may be in the offing over Shas involvement, or lack thereof, in the diplomatic process with Syria.  "To my sorrow, we are not true partners in these matters, and are not kept informed as to developments," Tal stated.  "Whenever we ask Mr. Barak what is going
on with the talks, he says either that he does not know, or that he cannot tell us.  This is not a true partnership."

MK Yuli Edelstein (Yisrael B'Aliyah) told Arutz-7 today that his party has not yet decided whether or not to vote for the budget. "We met with Finance Minister Shochat and expressed concerns over immigration, settlement and the Golan. We told him that to get our support for the budget, he will have to give us answers to our questions.  If he tries to pass the budget without us," Edelstein added, "it will have ramifications for our participation in the coalition...There are other problems in the coalition make-up, as well, and unless the Prime Minister gets a real handle on them, I am not sure that the current quiet will last long." 

2. POLICE SUSPECTED OF "WALKING OFF" WITH ARUTZ-7 EQUIPMENT
Although no computer or recording equipment was confiscated during yesterday's three-hour police raid on Arutz-7, the station's management today contacted the police in an effort to locate missing tools and technical supplies. A document obtained by Arutz-7 correspondent Kobi Sela indicates that yesterday's raid was initiated by the police and the State Attorney's office, and not the Communications Ministry, as police had claimed.  The document states that the police break-in was "important and urgent, given the current court case against the management and broadcasters of Arutz-7."  

Yesterday's assault on Arutz-7 prompted Women in Green to protest at a lecture delivered by Att.-Gen. Elyakim Rubenstein at Jerusalem's Yakar Center.  An additional protest was held outside of Rubenstein's residence. In his interview with Arutz-7 today, MK Yuli Edelstein refused to speculate as to what prompted yesterday's  raid, but remarked: "What is important is how such actions are perceived: as an attempt to shut people's mouths prior to a Golan referendum."

3. ISRAEL TO CEDE JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOODS TO PA
Israel has decided to award certain eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods an "Area B" status. So reports journalist Nadav Shragai in yesterday's edition of Ha'aretz.  According to Shragai, Israel negotiator Oded Eran made the offer in the latest round of final status talks with the Palestinians. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman adds that Israel has also agreed that the eastern Jerusalem suburb of A-Ram will be the capital of a Palestinian state.  Today, Yasser Arafat announced that he would formally declare the establishment of a Palestinian State in nine month's time.  Another announcement, issued today by the Interior Ministry, declares that plans have been approved for a face-lift of the Arab neighborhood of Beit Hanina in northern Jerusalem, including the building of 1,100 new housing units.

4. "THE ENGINEER" HONORED BY PA PAPER
Nothing's new under the sun, or in the Palestinian media.  In honor of the Moslem festive month of Ramadan, the official Palestinian Authority newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, has begun a new "Martyr of the Day" competition.  Palestinian Media Watch Director Itamar Marcus reports that yesterday's "Martyr of the Day" was arch-terrorist Yichye Ayash, alias "the Engineer."  According to the paper, Ayash "commanded the actions that shocked Israel at Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Center and in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market. The occupier (Israel)," writes the
paper, "paid a million dollars to the person who consented to kill this brave martyr." Ayash, responsible for the planning of terror attacks that killed 51 Israelis, was eliminated in Jan. 1996.  His image as a martyr was already evident when tens of thousands of Palestinians attended his funeral during which the PA paramilitary police accorded him a 21-gun salute.

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From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, December 30, 1999

News follows this message:

Dear Subscriber,

Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio is holding its annual Email/Telethon today and tomorrow.  As the Tuesday police raid on our radio and internet studios have proven, there are those who would like to prevent the public from hearing Arutz-7's news reports and commentary about what's happening in Israel.  Once a year, we turn to our readers and listeners for assistance.  If the Arutz Sheva E-mail/Web Service is important to you, and you would like to concretely express that, please refer to the info at the end of today's report on how to help us.

With Deep Appreciation,
The Internet Staff
ArutzSheva.org

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Thursday, December 30, 1999 / Tevet 21, 5760
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. WEIZMAN THREATENS TO RESIGN OVER GOLAN
  2. ARAB TERRORISTS WITH ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP FREED
  3. FIRST DOCUMENTATION OF BARAK'S ASSOCIATIONS SCANDAL

1. WEIZMAN THREATENS TO RESIGN OVER GOLAN
President Ezer Weizman threatens to resign if the peace agreement with Syria and withdrawal from the Golan is rejected in the national referendum. He told Ma'ariv newspaper today, "I will not be able to accept a situation in which most of the nation rejects a peace agreement reached by the government."  Deputy Education Minister Shaul Yahalom responded to the statement by observing that Weizman "continues to serve as the Labor party's Secretary General."  The opposition has even initiated a parliamentary move to impeach Weizman.  MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union) says that with this new threat, the President  "has crossed all red lines."

Aryeh Shumer, Dir.-Gen. of the President's Office, defended his superior:

"He is President of the whole nation, and that's why he says that if the nation doesn't accept this referendum then he'll resign."  Shumer added that Weizman "understands the concerns of Golan residents, loves them, but believes that Israel must pay the price of peace." 

In related news, great efforts are being made to ensure that next Wednesday's giant protest rally against abandoning the Golan Heights is a success.  The rally will be held in Tel Aviv. The Binyamin Regional Council has sent thousands of postcards to its residents, asking that they be sent to acquaintances throughout the country to inform them of the rally. Today, dozens of Women in Green Protestors - brandishing "Neville Chamberlain" - style umbrellas - demonstrated against a Golan giveaway near Ehud Barak's Kochav Yair home. 

2. ARAB TERRORISTS WITH ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP FREED
Seven imprisoned terrorists from eastern Jerusalem were freed today, following their pardon by the President.  The 26 prisoners released yesterday included two who murdered Jews, one who sat in prison for 30 years, and one for 14 years.  The Supreme Court yesterday rejected a petition against the pardons.

The seven terrorists who were freed today served less than half of their sentences as follows:

One served nine of a 30-year sentence for an attempted terrorist attack; two served 10 of 17 years for laying and manufacturing explosives, respectively; one served 10 of 25 years for placing a bomb; one served 9 out of 20 for planting a bomb; one served 5 out of 18 for attempted murder; and a 17-year old was freed after serving one year of a 16-month sentence for stoning Israeli cars.

3. FIRST DOCUMENTATION OF BARAK'S ASSOCIATIONS SCANDAL
Seven months and eleven days after the election of Ehud Barak as Prime Minister, the first formal report has been published regarding the fictitious non-profit associations connected to Barak's election. Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane says that Associations Registrar Amiram Bogat's report lists the following reasons for initiating a formal investigation against the operation of the associations:

1) None of the associations have submitted either receipts or protocols of committee meetings; 2) The registrar has received reports indicating that the associations transgressed the "Associations Law" and the "Party Financing Law"; 3) A narrow group of people are registered as both the associations' founders and as key members on the association committees, indicating a conflict of interest; 4) Several close associates of Ehud Barak took control of the associations, steering them away from their initial goals.  This conflicts with the Associations Law; 5) Barak's brother-in-law Doron Cohen tried to register five associations at one time, associations which later turned out to be fictitious; Elon Rafaeli, a businessman and close associate of Barak, founded another group.  Bogat states that "the efforts exerted by Barak confidants, who also worked on the Barak campaign,  to establish these associations - strengthens the suspicion that the associations were formed for the sole purpose of electing Barak as Prime Minister, and not for their formally-stated purposes;"  6) Lack of cooperation of figures involved, including Cohen and Rafaeli, makes a serious investigation all the more urgent.  Bogat has appointed atty. Gabriel Izaak as a special investigator, and has given him four months to complete his work.

MK Tzippy Livny (Likud), who along with party colleague MK Michael Eitan has spearheaded the call for an inquiry into the matter, is amazed by Prime Minister Barak's claim that he did not know of the associations' existence.

 "It is illogical that the Prime Minister, who was presented to us as the smartest man on earth, is now revealing himself as being the exact opposite.  The people closest to him worked tirelessly to raise massive funds, and Barak himself traveled with his brother-in-law Doron Cohen on international fund-raising trips when it was forbidden to receive even one dollar from foreign donors.  Millions of dollars were collected, and he wasn't there? He didn't see, he didn't hear...There is a limit to what I - as a citizen, and not even as an MK - am prepared to accept."  For its part, the Labor party today declared that the leak from the Registrar's office "is a very serious development."  State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg is slated to release his report on the topic of party funding in three weeks' time.

Meanwhile, the Likud Knesset faction has submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Barak, in light of the developments in the scandal.


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