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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, February 4, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Friday, February 4, 2000 / Sh'vat 28, 5760
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TODAY'S HEADLINE: 

ISRAEL PESSIMISTIC ABOUT PEACE WITH SYRIA

Israeli military intelligence believes that even following a peace treaty, Syria will resist normalization efforts and will remain a military rival of Israel.  Steve Rodan reports in Jane's Defence Weekly that the annual national assessment submitted to Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak this for the past month predicts that Syria will prevent its citizens from visiting Israel, and will foil attempts to create cultural, technical and trade links even after a peace treaty is signed.  A similar assessment has been presented by Israel's Mossad intelligence service.  "We are talking about a peace that will be colder than that between Israel and Egypt," an official source told Rodan.  Both the Mossad and military intelligence predict that the current efforts to reach a peace treaty will not extend beyond the month of April; if they do not succeed, it is felt that Syria will intensify the terrorist campaign against Israel in southern Lebanon.

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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, February 6, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
 <www.ArutzSheva.org>
Sunday, February 6, 2000 / Rosh Chodesh Adar Aleph 5760
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. BATTLES RAGE IN LEBANON
  2. ARAFAT WOULD RATHER NOT DECIDE
  3. MORE ON THE TALKS
  4. RUDE AWAKENING FOR COALITION MKS

1. BATTLES RAGE IN LEBANON
Hizbullah announced this afternoon that it had begun an artillery bombardment on the Karkom outpost of the IDF in the western sector of the security zone in southern Lebanon.  Many residents of Israel's northern towns spent parts of Shabbat in specially-secured rooms, for fear of Hizbullah katyusha attacks.  The situation began its latest stage of escalation after Israel's attempted assassination on Friday of a Hizbullah commander.  Israeli Air Force helicopters scored a direct hit on the man's car, totally destroying it, but he managed to escape unscathed.  Despite the failure, IDF sources expressed satisfaction with the deterrent effect that the display of Israel's "long arm" would likely have on Hizbullah. Subsequent events seem to have dashed this optimism.

Early this afternoon, Shas government ministers demanded, in the name of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, that the government call off all talks with Syria while battles rage in southern Lebanon. 

The fighting in Lebanon is being waged against the backdrop of a strained relationship between top figures in the IDF northern command and Prime Minister Barak.  "The lack of a significant response has northern army officials - as well as Southern Lebanese Army commanders - fuming," reports Arutz-7 correspondent Kobi Finkler.  Despite last week's claim by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz that no tension prevails between the army and the government, "One does not have to strain too hard to hear the bitterness in the voices of the IDF officials, such as when a senior officer in the Northern Command complained that Israel 'is grovelling to the Hizbullah.'"  

A rift-healing visit by Prime Minister and Defense Minister Barak to command headquarters in Metullah last week bore little fruit, Finkler says.

One IDF officer noted that Israeli restraint has cultivated a certain haughtiness within the Hizbullah, whose terrorists did not fear IDF/SLA retribution enough to descend to their bunkers last week.  "We have to return to the time when we were the pursuers, and they were the pursued," said the officer.  Brig.-Gen. Benny Ganz said that the IDF's attack on Lebanese civilian infrastructures last June was the singular most effective way to date of ensuring calm in the north.  

2. ARAFAT WOULD RATHER NOT DECIDE
The talks with the Palestinians, which broke down on Thursday but were to have resumed today, continue to be stalled.  The Palestinians refuse to accept the upcoming withdrawal from 6.1% of Yesha unless areas around Jerusalem are included.  A meeting last night between chief negotiators Oded Eran and Saeb Erekat in the home of American ambassador Martin Indyk ended without agreement.

"The deadlock in the talks is a result of what the army people say is Yasser Arafat's lack of desire to come to hard decisions," says Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman.  "He has succeeded in achieving his desire of getting the Americans involved in the talks.  When it was just him and Barak, he saw that he couldn't accuse Barak of ignoring him, but neither was he (Barak) giving in on anything..." Huberman said that for Arafat, "it's preferable to foster an atmosphere of crisis, in order to avoid compromising on issues such as the settlements or the so-called Palestinian 'right of return.'  In a recent meeting between chief negotiators Oded Eran and Yasser Abed Rabbo, there was no agreement on any of the final-status issues discussed.  Arafat wants Israel to take full responsibility for displaced Palestinian Arabs, while Barak offered only a compromise deal.  Barak wants the final-status framework agreement to include Yesha settlement blocs, and Arafat demanded that the final borders be the pre-1967 lines.  In short, not one detail of the final-status framework agreement - which was supposed to be completed on February 13 - has been agreed upon."

"These developments just seem to confirm a point always claimed by Israel's political right, that when it would come down to a final deal, the gaps would be so great that an agreement would never be reached, and that the whole process will have turned out to constitute nothing but Israeli withdrawals," Huberman concluded ominously.

3. MORE ON THE TALKS
Prime Minister Barak will visit King Abdullah in Jordan today, while Foreign Minister David Levy is headed for Egypt.  Levy will meet President Mubarak, and will take part in a session discussing the Palestinian Authority's demand that over a million Arabs who left Judea and Samaria during the Six-Day War be allowed to return.

Tourism Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, a former IDF Chief of Staff, has some criticism of the way in which the talks with the Palestinians are being conducted.  He says that the Palestinians should not have to hear on the radio of decisions made regarding the talks with them, and that they should be granted control of Abu Dis in accordance with their demands. Shachak also criticized leaks emanating from Cabinet meetings; he was reacting specifically to the leaking of his own comments last week. Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Dan Meridor (Centrist party) criticized the diplomatic efforts from another direction, saying that the talks with the Syrians must not resume while Hizbullah continues its attacks in southern Lebanon.  Meridor said that Barak must make this clear to Syria.

4. RUDE AWAKENING FOR COALITION MKS
A contingent of coalition MKs - members of the Jerusalem Lobby - toured the Jerusalem suburb of Abus Dis in eastern Jerusalem today.  Arutz-7 correspondent Effie Meir reports that, despite the name of the group, some of the Labor and Meretz MKs came to express their support for transferring Abu Dis to the PA.  Standing outside the recently-constructed building slated to house a future Palestinian parliament, three Knesset Members - Ophir Pines and Collette Avital (Labor) and Avshalom Villan (Meretz) - began to sing the praises of the peace as symbolized by the construction of the future Palestinian parliament in a Jerusalem suburb.  They were suddenly rudely interrupted, however, by none other than the deputy district governor of the PA, who told them that they could speak as much as they like, but "only outside."  When they told him who they were, he asked them if they had a permit to go in.  "If you have a permit, you may go in. If not, then outside."  Villan even tried to suggest to the PA official that the MKs who "supported this solution," such as Pines, Avital, and himself, should be treated differently than those MKs who "feel differently," but to no avail.  Voices were raised, and "take your hand off me" was heard from several quarters, but in the end, the MKs did not enter the building. 

National Religious Party MK Zevulun Orlev has an explanation for the Palestinian reticence to allow the MKs to enter:  "Very trustworthy friends of ours have visited this building, and according to their reports, this is a military building in every sense of the word.  There are bunkers here, with very thick walls, and I would not be surprised if the PLO headquarters will be stationed here."  A sign on the building says that it will house a college for economic studies.  The building is about 1.5 kilometers to the south-east of the Temple Mount.

The Knesset Members continued along their route, and suddenly, in an empty field about 50 meters away from the building, Pines declared, "This is Jerusalem, and we are not budging from here!"  Effie Meir reports that Pines' colleague Collette Avital then whispered, "He doesn't really mean it."

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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, February 7, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
 <www.ArutzSheva.org>
Monday, February 7, 2000 / Rosh Chodesh Adar Aleph, 5760
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TODAY'S HEADLINE:

DECISION IN THE MAKING

The Security Cabinet ministers are into their fourth hour of a meeting to discuss the escalation in Lebanon and decide on an appropriate military response.  It is reported that Prime Minister Ehud Barak is beginning to become convinced that his policy of restraint must be changed.  As recently as yesterday he said only that Israel will react in the place, time, and manner that it chooses.  Israel bombed terrorist targets again today, while Hizbullah continued its attacks on Southern Lebanese Army outposts.

Opposition to the policy of restraint continues to be heard from various quarters.  Following the death of St.-Sgt. Yedidya Gefen in southern Lebanon yesterday, the Likud party said that Israel is paying a heavy price for its "restraint."  National Religious Party MK Nachum Langental blamed yesterday's death on what he called the government's "cynical use of a linkage between a withdrawal from Lebanon and an agreement with Syria."  He called on Prime Minister Barak to stop "misleading the public into thinking that a withdrawal from Lebanon can only come as part of an agreement with Syria, involving a retreat from the Golan Heights." 

Likud leader Ariel Sharon, on the other hand, calls for an end to both the policy of restraint and Israel's presence in Lebanon. The opposition leader and former general demands that Israel warn Lebanon that if even one shot is fired upon Israel during its "redeployment," the IDF will destroy Lebanon's entire civilian infrastructure.  Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Sharon was asked if the unilateral withdrawal for which he is calling would not be seen by Hizbullah as a full-scale defeat and surrender.  Sharon said,

"I am not calling only for a withdrawal, but for a series of measures. First of all, the government must detach the Lebanon issue from Syria. They are two different problems.  We pay a very heavy price in Lebanon, because every time the Syrians don't get everything they want, they make sure that the terrorism in Lebanon increases.  Secondly, we must create deterrence, immediately.  We must deal them a great blow right now - Barak is showing 'restraint' because he is interested only in reaching an agreement with Syria.  Both Lebanon and Syrian interests there must be made to feel losses.  The third point is that we must get out of Lebanon right now, and not wait until July.  Barak knows that most of the public wants to get out of Lebanon, but remain in the Golan.  As bad as it sounds, he is using Lebanon as a way of influencing public opinion regarding the Golan. It must be made clear, during the withdrawal, that if they shoot on us while we re-deploy, or on the Southern Lebanese Army, or on our northern communities, nothing will be left of the Lebanese infrastructures - no roads, electric stations, bridges, or refineries.  And finally, we must stop any talks with Syria for as long as the terrorists attack us." 

When asked again if a withdrawal now would not be considered a himiliating defeat, Sharon said, "The present situation puts us to the worst scorn possible!  Barak's perceived weakness, and his kowtowing in order not to hurt the talks with the Syrians, make a mockery of Israel.  The Arabs are laughing at his weakness!  We have never had a Prime Minister who lays the honor of the State of Israel to abuse the way Barak is doing!"

Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, the previous IDF Chief of Staff, does not agree, and said that Israel should not withdraw from Lebanon at present. Shachak said that Israel has intelligence information showing that Hizbullah plans to continue to attack Israel even after an Israeli withdrawal from the security zone.  Minister Eli Yeshai of Shas said that his party is in favor of a strong strike in Lebanon: "There's a war going on, and we have to respond in kind."

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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, February 8, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Tuesday, February 8, 2000 / Adar Aleph 2, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. ISRAEL BOMBS LEBANON
  2. TOO STRONG, OR TOO WEAK?
  3. YESHA RESIDENTS PROTEST
  4. MKs BLOCKED OFF IN ABU DIS AGAIN

1. ISRAEL BOMBS LEBANON
Quiet reigns in Israel's northern communities - "the quietest it's been here in the past three months," according to Northern Command sources - following last night's limited Israel Air Force attack on Lebanese infrastructures.  Electric plants in Baalbek, Dir Nabuch near Tripoli, and Jambour, south-east of Beirut, were bombed, and electricity has been cut off to these cities.  Hizbullah broadcasting stations were also bombed. Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reports on heavy damage and large fires at the bombed installations.  Six people were lightly injured, according to Lebanese television. 

Hizbullah called it "an attack by cowards, that will only lead us to intensify our attacks on Israel."  The terrorists renewed their offensives on IDF and SLA outposts in the security zone of southern Lebanon at about 3:30 PM this afternoon. 

Gen. Giora Ayland, Operations Commander in the General Staff, appeared before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today, and warned that if Hizbullah responds with katyusha fire on Israel, "the IDF will respond even more strongly than it did in last night's bombardment."  He said that a new situation has arisen in Lebanon over the past few weeks, involving Syrian-Iranian cooperation in support of the terrorists, and detailed Syrian guidance for every Hizbullah move.  "Hizbullah shoots on our forces and those of the SLA from within villages and from near UN buildings, in clear violation of the Grapes of Wrath understandings," Ayland said.

The decision to strike Lebanon was voted on by the security cabinet after a five-hour meeting last night. Only Ministers Yossi Beilin and Yossi Sarid objected to the strike, and Shimon Peres abstained.  Prime Minister Barak briefed opposition leader Ariel Sharon following the vote, and the Likud gave the decision its blessing.  The Foreign Ministers of Syria and Jordan, as well as Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Muhammad Bassiouny, have condemned Israel's raid on Lebanon. 

2. TOO STRONG, OR TOO WEAK?
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk praised the way in which Israel attacked Lebanon, noting that Barak is making great efforts not to react too strongly.  Indyk feels that Barak wants to leave open the possibility of continued talks with Syria.  The Lebanese government convened this morning for an emergency session, while Radio Damascus said today that the Israeli air raids "have effectively torpedoed the Middle East peace process."  Minister Chaim Ramon said today that the Grapes of Wrath understandings - reached in 1996 between Israel and Hizbullah - no longer exist. 

Likud MK Uzi Landau, speaking with Arutz-7 today, said, "This was a correct step in the right direction, but what's behind it?  If it means the total cancellation of the Grapes of Wrath understandings [which "leave the northern residents vulnerable to katyusha attacks," Landau said last June], then good - and I'm glad that Minister Ramon seems to have understood this, even if a bit late.  But if the understandings still exist, and Hizbullah continues to attack us and we react only when we get hit particularly hard, then the situation remains bad.  If [last night's attack] ends with a clear victory for us, then good, but if the last shot fired is a Hizbullah katyusha, then it's bad."  Under the Grapes of Wrath understandings, Hizbullah is not forbidden to attack Israeli forces.

Former Techiya-party MK Elyakim Haetzni came out sharply against the limited scope of last night's IDF attack in Lebanon.  He told Arutz-7 today, "I'm against it.  The government said that it wanted to give a message to Hizbullah - and it did:  the message is that we have great technological capabilities, but an equally great lack of desire.  This operation was simply to quiet Israeli public opinion.  They told the Americans, 'Don't worry, we have to put on a show, but the peace process [with Syria] will continue afterwards.'  The true test will be at the next session of the international tracking committee of the Grapes of Wrath understandings; despite Ramon's announcement, I can assure you that Israel will show up.  In addition, Israel threatened today that if Hizbullah shoots on civilians, then we'll 'really' react - but what about if they shoot on soldiers?  That will be OK?!  The whole thing is one big bluff!" 

Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes that in June 1999, then-Defense Minister Moshe Arens announced that the Grapes of Wrath understandings have "no significance or value whatsoever," and withdrew the Israeli delegation from the relevant international tracking committee.  His successor in the position, Ehud Barak, rescinded the decision.

3. YESHA RESIDENTS PROTEST
Residents on strike!  Citizens of the Talmon communities in western Binyamin have announced a series of measures in protest of the removal - beginning tomorrow - of military guards from their towns.  The army plans to cut back 40% of its protection over Yesha communities tomorrow, and do away with it totally by the end of the year.  The residents plan to return their army-issued weapons, to cease their own guard duties, and not to cooperate with army security personnel.  In addition, they will not send their children to school as of Thursday.  The residents insist that the cutbacks are not based on budgetary concerns, as the army claims, but are rather politically-motivated. The towns of Talmon and Neriah (formerly North Talmon) call on the other Yesha towns to take the same measures. 

4. MKs BLOCKED OFF IN ABU DIS AGAIN
Dozens of Arabs blocked the way of the National Religious Party Knesset faction this afternoon, during a tour by the MKs of the Abu Dis neighborhood, 1.5 kilometers southeast of the Temple Mount.  The MKs attempted to make their way to the building slated to be the Palestinian Authority parliament, but were not allowed to do so by the Arabs.  MK Zevulun Orlev said that "for a shameful hour-and-a-half, a government minister, deputy minister, and Knesset Members were detained, and the police were powerless.  If this is the situation now, how much more so if we transfer the neighborhood to PA control!"

Two days ago, MKs of the Jerusalem Lobby were similarly prevented from nearing the building.  MK Orlev said at the time, "Very trustworthy friends of ours have visited this building, and according to their reports, this is a military building in every sense of the word.  There are bunkers here, with very thick walls, and I would not be surprised if the PLO headquarters will be stationed here."

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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, February 9, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Wednesday, February 9, 2000 / Adar Aleph 3, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. CABINET MEETS AGAIN
  2. DIFFERING VIEWS

1. CABINET MEETS AGAIN
If Hizbullah fires katyusha rockets on Israel, "the ground in Lebanon will burn, and years will be required to repair the damages we will inflict." So warned Foreign Minister David Levy this afternoon, following a four-hour security cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv.  No operative decisions were announced by the cabinet. 

This morning, Israel Air Force planes attacked Hizbullah targets, following similar attacks last night upon a radar station in Tyre and two Hizbullah headquarter buildings.  The terrorists fired this morning on IDF and SLA outposts in the southern Lebanon security zone - causing no damage or injuries.  A "high-ranking Israeli source" told London's Al-Hayat newspaper that Hizbullah is not expected to shoot katyusha missiles into Israel. 

2. DIFFERING VIEWS
Middle East expert Dr. Eyal Zisser, of the Tel Aviv University, was asked today how the Syrian government sees Israel's present conflagration with Hizbullah.  "With much satisfaction," was his response, "although the Syrians do not want the situation to escalate too much to the point where they themselves would suffer direct damage.  They are happy with the present wretched situation we have brought upon ourselves with the Grapes of Wrath understandings, where Hizbullah shoots at us and kills our soldiers, and we can barely respond.  Syria has no need to order katyusha attacks.  It feels proud of its ten-year policy of talking in the shadow of the fighting, where our losses keep mounting, and public opinion has increased in favor of leaving Lebanon and even the Golan - this can be chalked up as a Syrian 'success.'"

Asked what impact Israel's bombardment this week of the electric stations has had in Syria, Zisser said, "It means practically nothing to them.  We have to keep a bit of a long-range perspective:  Assad has a great thing going in most of Lebanon, north of the Litani.  He doesn't really care too much if some Lebanese have a power outage for a while...  If we want to change things, the only way to do so is to bomb Syrian interests in Lebanon directly."

Newspapers in Israel differ as to the best way to deal with the situation in Lebanon.  Ha'aretz feels that the recommended course of action is to quit Lebanon immediately.  "Why wait til July?" the paper asks, and says that a withdrawal will neutralize Syria's use of Hizbullah as a weapon against Israel.  Ma'ariv says that the solution lies in resumed talks with Syria in Shepherdstown.  Yediot Acharanot praises the recent Israeli bombardment for its morale-building within the Israeli public, but offers no practical advice for the future.  HaTzofeh feels that the best course is to continue to bomb Hizbullah, as well as to begin a massive information campaign explaining to the world "the true face of Assad, Iran, and Hizbullah" and the futility of the many efforts to reach true understandings in Lebanon.

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