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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          neteditor@a7.org
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, March 16, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Thursday, March 16, 2000 / Adar Bet 9, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. TERRORISTS TO BE FREED, IN HOLIDAY GESTURE
  2. SHARON GIVES HISTORY LESSON
  3. IN BRIEF

1. TERRORISTS TO BE FREED, IN HOLIDAY GESTURE
Israel will release 16 Arab terrorists within the next few days, as a
holiday gesture to the Palestinian Authority.  Murderers of Arabs, and
terrorists who took part in attacks in which Jews were injured, will be
freed.  In addition, some 30 Palestinian criminals, who were to be released
within three months, will also be released.  The terrorists to be freed do
not include members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, but efforts to obtain a list
of their names have so far not succeeded.

A condemnation by the Victims of Arab Terror Organization of a Supreme
Court petition filed by Meretz MK Zahava Gal'on can better be understood
against the above background.  She filed last week a suit against the early
release of Yoram Skolnik, who was convicted of killing a bound-up Arab
terrorist seven years ago.  Gal'on claimed that the release "does severe
damage to the principle of equality before the law...  and gives the
message that Arab blood is worth less than Jewish blood, and that the
murder of an Arab is not as grave as the murder of a Jew."  VAT President
Shifra Hoffman writes in response:  "The blatant hypocrisy of MK Gal'on in
remaining silent as countless Arab murderers of Jews [are] released by the
Israeli government without completing their prison sentences...  clearly
shows that her petition is not motivated by principles, but rather by
politics."

2. SHARON GIVES HISTORY LESSON
Opposition leader Ariel Sharon, touring Jerusalem yesterday, took the
opportunity to attack the predecessors of his present political opponents:
"The left was always good at inciting.  They are trying now to accuse us of
incitement, in connection with the assassination of Rabin.  There is no
connection between this very grave act and the nationalist camp...  The
incitement started in the 1930's when they falsely accused right-wingers of
assassinating [left-wing leader] Chaim Arlozoroff.  The left was thus able
to continue to lead the Zionist movement - for if not for that blood libel,
the leader of the Zionist movement would have been Ze'ev Jabotinsky
[founder of Revisionist Zionism, forerunner of the Herut movement and the
Likud party].  It may well have been that the fate of the Jewish people
would have been very different, in that the Jews in Europe may have heeded
Jabotinsky's warnings of an impending disaster there.  All of Jewish
history may have been very different."

A Labor party spokesman responded to Sharon's statements:  "Sharon and
friends have 'receipts' regarding unrestrained incitement that led to the
assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.  They should be the last ones to
rebuke us on this issue." 

Rabbi Benny Kalmanson, an Israeli historian, was asked by Arutz-'s Haggai
Segal if Sharon's historical charges regarding a possible pre-empting of
the Holocaust had any merit.  He answered,

"We can't ever say what would have happened 'If,' because everything is
dependent on much more than one factor.  For instance, would Jabotinsky
have succeeded in opening the gates of Israel [closed by the British] to
large numbers of European Jews?  This is uncertain.  It's true that
Jabotinsky warned extensively, more than the ruling left-wing coalition [in
the Land of Israel] at the time, of the impending catastrophe that he
foresaw in Europe... The coalition was thinking in a different way - I
wouldn't say they were lackadaisical, but they were rather thinking in a
more long-range manner.  Granted, it's easy for us to judge now after the
event, but the fact is that their idea was to place the needs of the Jews
of the Land of Israel ahead of those of the Diaspora - and even when the
situation changed drastically with the onset of the Holocaust, the leaders
here did not change their conception.  They did not accept various
non-Zionist proposals that were raised, such as transferring the Jews to
San Domingo.  Jabotinsky, on the other hand, saw the immediate mission as
that of saving Jews." 

3. IN BRIEF
Yasser Arafat agreed yesterday to the map of the upcoming withdrawal from
6.1% of Judea and Samaria, but said that he will demand areas closer to
Jerusalem in the next withdrawals.  The map will be ratified by the
government on Sunday, after which it will be voted on in the Knesset.  The
withdrawal is scheduled to be carried out late next week... 

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To:            arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From:          neteditor@a7.org
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, March 17, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Friday, March 17, 2000 / Adar Bet 10, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. ADDRESSING THE POPE
  2. THE NEGOHOT STRUGGLE
  3. SURPRISING OPPOSITION TO GOLAN-GIVEAWAY
  4. PALESTINIAN POLICE DON'T COOPERATE

1. ADDRESSING THE POPE
Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau held a press conference yesterday, in
English, presenting background and explaining the significance of the
upcoming visit of Pope John Paul II to Israel next week.  Dvora Cain,
of the Bnei David Organization for the Unity of Jerusalem, was there,
and a summary of her report follows:

Rabbi Lau began with a history of previous rabbinic-papal relations in
this century.  Pope Pius XII refused several requests by Chief Rabbi
Isaac Herzog to meet with him before and during the Holocaust and
discuss how the Church could help save Jewish lives.  After the war,
too, Chief Rabbi Herzog asked for the Pope's assistance in locating
Jewish orphans who were cared for by Catholic families, and again, the
Pope refused.  In 1964, when Pope Paul VI visited Israel, he refused
to meet with the Rishon Letzion Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim in Jerusalem,
and Rabbi Nissim therefore boycotted the visit altogether.  Rabbi Lau
noted favorably that the present Pope John Paul II had agreed to come
to Heichal Shlomo and meet with the Chief Rabbis in their offices.
Furthermore, the Pope has requested to visit Yad Vashem, where Rabbi
Lau said he hopes to hear a more complete apology regarding the
silence of the Church during the Holocaust.  Rabbi Lau commented that
Pope John Paul II has asked forgiveness for 1492, but has not yet
addressed the sins of 1942.

Rabbi Lau noted that the Pope told him, in a previous meeting in 1993,
that he had refused to baptize a Jewish child whose parents had died,
"because the parents had specifically requested that the child be
brought up as a Jew."  Rabbi Lau ended his long talk by expressing his
belief that the State of Israel is the fulfillment of the prophecies
of the dry bones coming to life (Ezekiel 37).  "Israel doesn't need
this visit," he said. "We don't need anyone's acceptance.  We know who
we are.  It's all in here," he said, lifting up and pointing to a
Torah.

In answer to a question afterwards, Rabbi Lau said that he would
address the Pope simply as "you," with no other titles.  Arutz-7
correspondents note that the Foreign Ministry and the Government Press
Office refer to the Pope as "His Holiness."  In response to a query,
the GPO explained that this is "what he calls himself... as such, [we]
will use it as diplomatic protocol and simple courtesy."  The GPO
Senior News Editor admitted, however, that "we do not refer to PA
Chairman Arafat as 'President,' because the Israeli government does
not recognize the PA as a sovereign state."   

MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz (United Torah Judaism) said yesterday that
Israel should receive the Pope with all due respect, "but at the same
time the Jewish People has no right to forget what the Christian world
did to us throughout history."  He said that he would not use the word
"holy" to refer to the Pontiff, but would rather refer to him as the
head of the Vatican or head of the Catholic Church.

2. THE NEGOHOT STRUGGLE
The struggle for the Negohot road continues.  The only access road to
the 13-family South Har Hevron community is due to be placed under
Palestinian military and administrative control in the course of next
week's withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.  Negohot residents erected a
protest tent outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem several
days ago, and today they arrived at Kokhav Ya'ir - the home of Prime
Minister Barak - for Shabbat. They hope to demonstrate personally to
the Prime Minister the severity of the decision to put the approaches
to their homes under the control of the Palestinian para-military
police.

3. SURPRISING OPPOSITION TO GOLAN-GIVEAWAY
A group of famous left-wing personalities who share objections to a
withdrawal from the Golan Heights will meet on Sunday to discuss how
to prevent such a retreat.  Among the organizers are former Labor
ministers Shoshana Arbeli Almoznino and Arik Nechemkin, Meretz
secretariat member Gilad Natan, radio broadcaster Alex Ansky, and
others.  Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that Peace Now plans to
demonstrate against the gathering, and a clash between the two groups
is feared.

Syria has attacked Prime Minister Barak's demand for "normalization
before a withdrawal."  The official newspaper Tishrin writes today
that this demand is "impossible...  and proves that the policy of
aggressiveness and expansionism has not changed in Tel Aviv since the
days of Ben Gurion." Barak said today that he does not know if a peace
agreement with Syria is possible. 

A delegation of Jordan Valley leaders traveled to the Golan today for
a "solidarity tour" of the area.  Among those who came to express
their opposition to the uprooting of the 18,000 residents were
Megillot Regional Council Head Mordechai Dahaman and Jordan Valley
Regional Council Head David Levy.

4. PALESTINIAN POLICE DON'T COOPERATE
There is practically no cooperation between the Palestinian
para-military police and Israel, according to a memorandum prepared by
Israel Police for the security cabinet.  The document, quoted in
Ma'ariv today, states that the Palestinians ignore the written
agreements between the sides, and act "on the ground" as they please -
including arresting, detaining, interrogating, and even torturing
Israeli -Arabs in eastern Jerusalem and other places.  The Palestinian
police often either ignore stolen cars or demand bribes for their
recovery, claims the report, and some policemen even drive stolen cars
themselves.  Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami says that the
situation is "intolerable."  He recommends cancelling the warrant for
the arrest of Palestinian Police Chief Razi Jabali - who masterminded
a terrorist cell in the Shomron - in the hope of improving
communications between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

*************************************************************************


              Sunday, March 19 2000 12 Adar II 5760

              The Jerusalem Post: Internet Edition

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/03/19/News/News.4188.html

               US: Talks with PA to aim for quick deal
               By Janine Zacharia

               WASHINGTON (March 19) - After a more than
               six-week hiatus, Israeli-Palestinian final-status talks
               will resume in Washington on Tuesday and are expected
               to last between a week and 10 days.

               "The primary focus of the negotiations will be to reach
               a framework agreement as soon as possible so that all
               permanent status issues can be resolved by September
               13, 2000," a statement issued by State Department
               spokesman James Rubin on Friday said. "The negotiations
               will also address interim issues, including the third
               phase of further redeployment," it added.

               The talks, which officials and analysts here have been
               saying are more important for their symbolic value than
               the results they will produce, will take place at
               Bolling Air Force Base in Washington and will be under
               a total media blackout.

               Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority
               Chairman Yasser Arafat agreed earlier this month that a
               framework agreement should be reached by May and the
               size of a third interim redeployment should be decided
               by June.

               The delegations, led by Israeli negotiator Oded Eran
               and Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo, will
               consist of roughly half a dozen people.

               The US is eager for breakthroughs on both the
               Palestinian and the Syrian tracks, but it reaffirmed
               that resolution of the Palestinian track is a
               prerequisite for a comprehensive peace in the Middle
               East.

               "The US will be working with both sides to facilitate
               progress. Indeed, the US has long believed that the
               Palestinian issue represents the core of the
               Arab-Israeli conflict. A solution that meets the needs
               of both Israelis and Palestinians is essential if there
               is to be a comprehensive peace," Rubin's statement
               said.

               President Bill Clinton, who via telephone diplomacy has
               been focused on prodding the Syrians back to the
               negotiating table, will not take part in the talks,
               since they are not at the top level. Secretary of State
               Madeleine Albright could take part periodically if
               necessary to help overcome stumbling blocks, officials
               said.

               The Syrians, who still have not agreed to rejoin the
               talks with Israel, are concerned about several
               outstanding issues, most prominently where the border
               will run along the eastern shore of Lake Kinneret. It
               is still not clear whether Clinton will meet Assad in a
               bid to help soothe Assad's concerns and coax him to
               allow talks to resume.

               While the US is still quietly considering an Israeli
               wish-list of military hardware and assistance that
               could accompany a deal, Robert Satloff, executive
               director of the Washington Institute for Near East
               Policy think tank, citing senior US officials, said
               Friday Syria had rebuffed US overtures to discuss
               possible aid packages.

               Syria's position as one of seven countries on the State
               Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism
               precludes it for the moment from receiving US aid. But
               it is widely assumed that, should Israel and Syria
               strike a peace deal, Syria will take the necessary
               measures to have itself removed.

               Meanwhile, the cabinet is expected today to approve
               maps for a 6.1% West Bank withdrawal likely to take
               place this week.

               This would be the second pullback called for by the
               Sharm e-Sheikh Memorandum, whose implementation has
               been delayed due to disagreements with the Palestinian
               Authority over which land should be handed over.

               The plan includes two villages in the vicinity of
               Jerusalem, Beituniya and Obadiya, but not Anata, as
               initially proposed.

               (Danna Harman contributed to this report.)

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