HHMI Newsgroup Archives
To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, May 15, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Monday, May 15, 2000 / Iyar 10, 5760 - 25th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ARABS LAUNCH WAR IN RAMALLAH, JENIN
2. CABINET APPROVES IDF PULLOUT FROM ABU DIS
3. KNESSET DEBATE
4. GIANT RALLY TONIGHT
1. ARABS LAUNCH WAR IN RAMALLAH, JENIN
The day began with Prime Minister Barak's surprise announcement of his
intention to actualize his "gesture" of transferring Abu Dis and other
Jerusalem-area villages to the Palestinian Authority, and ended with a
full-scale battle started by the Palestinians on the outskirts of
Ramallah and other places in Judea and Samaria.
The state of the hostilities at present:
Yosh Junction, between Ramallah and Beit El: The Palestinians opened
fire at IDF forces shortly after noon today, following two hours of
rock-throwing by Palestinian youths. The Palestinian-initiated armed
violence began in earnest around 2 PM. The commander of the Border
Guard police in the Ramallah region was wounded from a bullet shot by
uniformed Palestinians; he is in moderate-to-serious condition. Two
other soldiers were lightly injured. Two Palestinian para-military
policemen are reported dead, and one Palestinian journalist was shot
in the chest by Palestinian fire. A cease-fire was achieved at around
4 PM, but was quickly broken when Palestinians resumed their gunfire.
An alternate road had been opened for Israeli drivers traveling to and
from Beit El, but was closed after a while - leaving Beit El residents
confined to their community. The hostilities began to abate towards
late afternoon, but intermittent firing continued to be heard. The
alternate road in and out of Beit El was opened on and off for convoys
of cars. Arutz-7's Kobi Sela reported from the site that security
forces there "feel and are acting as if this is a war." Late this
afternoon, the IDF dispatched Cobra helicopters to the scene in an
attempt to put a cap on the Arab gunfire.
Jenin, in northern Samaria: The Israeli Deputy Commander of the
Liaison Unit with the Palestinians was wounded. The soldier, an Israeli Druze
from Usafiyah, is listed in moderate condition in Haifa's Maimonides
Hospital. His father, speaking from his son's bedside, told reporters
that Israel is to blame for today's hostilities. Residents of the
Shomron Jewish towns of Ganim and Kadim were prevented from entering
and leaving their towns.
Netzarim, in Gush Katif: The junction was closed off for several
hours after hundreds of Palestinian rioters threw rocks and Molotov
cocktails at Israeli soldiers. Three Border Guard soldiers were
lightly wounded in the attacks. Hundreds of Palestinians tried to
reach the fences of Netzarim, but soldiers were successful in stopping
them. The junction was opened at around 4 PM, following an agreement
reached between the Israeli and Palestinian forces.
Negohot, south of Hevron: Israeli cars were stoned by Arabs on the
only access road to Negohot. Half the length of the road is under full
Palestinian control, but the para-military police did nothing to stop
the stonings.
In Hevron, dozens of Arabs attacked Israeli security forces with
rocks and firebombs, and rolled four burning tires towards the soldiers.
Hundreds of rocks cover the road. A spokesman for the Hevron Jewish
Community issued the following statement: "The Israeli response to
the Arab declaration of war can only be described as humiliating
cowardice... The current administration, with Ehud Barak at the helm,
will undoubtedly be remembered in history as the most cowardly
leadership in the annals of the Jewish people. The abandonment and
division of Jerusalem on the very day that Israeli forces are being
shot at by enemy forces is pathetic, inexcusable, and unforgivable."
The number of Palestinian dead has been variously reported at between
two and fifteen, and over 300 Palestinians have been injured. The
Palestinians are commemorating the Gregorian date of Israel's
Independence Day - May 15 - as their National Catastrophe Day.
2. CABINET APPROVES IDF PULLOUT FROM ABU DIS
The Cabinet voted this morning to approve the transfer of Abu Dis and
other Jerusalem-area villages to the full control of the Palestinian
Authority. Prime Minister Barak surprised the nation late last night
with a sudden announcement that he would place the issue before the
Cabinet this morning.
Only the four Shas Ministers, as well as NRP Minister Levy and
Yisrael B'Aliyah Minister Sharansky, voted against. The other 15 ministers -
from One Israel/Meimad/Gesher, Meretz, and the Centrist party - voted
in favor of the abandonment of Abu Dis.
Barak told the Cabinet today that the retreat from Abu Dis strengthens
both the diplomatic process and Jerusalem, and that it is also correct
from Israel's security perspective. Excerpts from Barak's remarks:
"We are in the midst of a diplomatic process whose goal is to
strengthen Israel and its security. In any future settlement, Jerusalem will
remain united as Israel's eternal capital. They [the Palestinians]
will be in Abu-Dis and we will be in united Jerusalem... We are
charged with a historic and national responsibility to effect a
separation in the Land of Israel, they will be there and we will be
here.
"What we are submitting today is not the transfer of additional
territory to the Palestinian Authority but merely a change in the status of
0.25% of Area B, which is under Palestinian civil control, to Area
A... We have no interest in annexing 30,000 Palestinians to
Jerusalem or Israeli sovereignty... The entire move strengthens the
diplomatic process, strengthens our position in Jerusalem, and
strengthens our security."
Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (National Religious Party)
informed the Cabinet that his party is quitting the government, in
protest of the transfer of Abu Dis. Barak and government ministers of
Meretz attempted to convince him not to quit. Levy, who is not a
Knesset Member, said that he is suspending himself from all
governmental activity as of today, but that the official party
decision to quit the government will be made by the party's central
committee next week. The NRP's Deputy Education Minister Sha'ul
Yahalom said that the transfer of Abu Dis, "without receiving anything
in return, signifies the end of the Barak government. The Prime
Minister has made surrender to Palestinian terrorism a tenet of his
government that will lead to the crushing of his coalition into little
pieces." Levy gave his parting speech to the coalition, and his words
were praised even by left-wing ministers.
Barak attacked the NRP decision to resign from the government, saying,
"Division among ourselves is a greater danger to the people of Israel
than a withdrawal from Abu Dis." Yesha Council leaders, who refused
an offer from the Prime Minister's Office to see maps of the
withdrawal from Abu Dis, said that Barak "shows great determination at
the wrong time and the wrong place. Instead of crushing the
Palestinian violence, he encourages it with prizes in the form of
additional withdrawals."
Interior Minister Natan Sharansky, who voted against the Abu Dis
abandonment, said that today's vote is just the tip of the iceberg of
Barak's plans for Israel's capital city. "This is one small step on
the map, but one large step towards concessions in Jerusalem,"
Sharansky said. His party, Yisrael B'Aliyah, convened a special
meeting today to decide whether to leave the coalition. MK Yuli
Edelstein told Arutz-7 today, "Our first issue today will be to decide
how to vote in the Knesset. I'm fairly sure that we will all vote
against the transfer, because when Barak says that this is an
'advance,' it tells us that the main payment will be at least half of
Jerusalem. Secondly, we see that we told Barak in advance that we are
very against a particular proposal - such as the transfer of Abu Dis -
and yet he still carries it out. This shows that his approach to us
is very denigrating. I think that this type of dynamic will lead to
the dismantling of the coalition, no matter what political tricks he
may try." In the end, the Yisrael B'Aliyah party decided that its MKs
- except for Minister Sharansky, who will apparently absent himself
from the plenum - will vote against the transfer in the Knesset, but
will not quit the coalition over the issue.
The Shas party, which was particularly taken by surprise by Barak's
late-night decision to bring the Abu Dis proposal to the Cabinet
today, decided how to vote on the matter in an early-morning
consultation at the home of spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef. The
party's four ministers voted against the move in the Cabinet, and plan
to abstain - together with the three deputy-ministers - in the Knesset
vote. The other ten MKs will vote against.
3. KNESSET DEBATE
The Knesset began its deliberations on the withdrawal from Abu Dis
late this afternoon, and Prime Minister Barak's speech was
continuously interrupted by opposition heckling. Some coalition
members expect that the withdrawal vote will pass by a margin of some
four MKs - giving the expected abstention of the seven Shas ministers
and deputy-ministers extra significance, while others talk of a larger
margin. Nationalist-camp MKs appealed to Prime Minister Barak to
postpone the vote, given the military clashes in Yesha. Their request
was turned down.
Barak said, "Jerusalem was destroyed not because of Abu Dis, but
because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, and because of causeless hatred...
We will bring a separation of peoples, security, and peace to Israel,
and we will carry out the agreement, and we will pray for the 'peace
of Jerusalem.'"
Likud leader Ariel Sharon told the Knesset: "Whoever supports the
government today, or whoever abstains - which in this case is the same
thing - takes upon himself the responsibility for bringing the scenes
that we saw today in Ramallah and Jenin to Jerusalem, the capital of
Israel."
A final vote is expected at around 7:30 PM.
4. GIANT RALLY TONIGHT
Amidst the political and military developments, the preparations for
the giant rally against the uprooting of settlements, the transfer of
Abu Dis, and unrequited withdrawals continue. The rally will be held
in Zion Square in central Jerusalem tonight, and tens of thousands of
people are expected.
Two downtown streets will be set aside for the hareidi public: one
for men, and one for women.
Yesha Council spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef told Arutz-7 this
afternoon, "I was just at Zion Square in Jerusalem, and have just
arrived at the Knesset - showing that we're working hard on both
fronts: the rally, and to garner Knesset votes against the transfer of
Abu Dis... People are beginning to wake up and realize what's going
on - they will show Barak that he's on his way to leading to a split
in the nation. In addition, he will soon have a coalition like that
of Rabin-Peres, which did not last out its term."
In New York tonight, a sister rally will be held against the
government's policies in its negotiations with the Palestinians.
Thousands are expected there, as well. It will take place in
Brooklyn, at 13th Ave. and 46th Street, at 6 PM.
***********************************************************************
To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, May 16, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 / Iyar 11, 5760 - 26th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. FLARE-UPS IN YESHA
2. IN AND AROUND ABU DIS
3. GIANT RALLY IN JERUSALEM
4. AT NEGOHOT AND JOSEPH'S TOMB LAST NIGHT
5. SECRET TRACK REVEALED
1. FLARE-UPS IN YESHA
Palestinian violence flared up in several locations throughout Judea
and Samaria today, though not as severely as yesterday. Specifically,
Arabs threw firebombs and rocks, and burned tires, at the Yosh
Junction north of Ramallah, Hevron, Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem,
outside Ariel, Jenin, and other locations. One Israeli was lightly
injured by a hurled stone, while at least ten rioters have been hurt.
A woman from Efrat was attacked by three Arabs this morning in her car
on her way to Jerusalem, but she was able to escape unharmed.
Palestinians attempted to approach the city of Ariel, the Yosh
Junction, and other locations, but were repelled by IDF forces.
Fourteen IDF soldiers and Border Guard policemen were wounded in
yesterday's fighting in Judea and Samaria, including five who suffered
gunshot wounds. The army refrained from using live fire, even when
the Palestinians did not. Ten Palestinian deaths were reported. The
Palestinian Authority's ruling committee expressed "pride" in
yesterday's events, and stated, "The PLO executive committee is very
proud of this strong popular uprising which has spread throughout all
the camps in the homeland and in exile..." O.C. Central Command
Maj.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon, who will soon become the IDF's next Deputy
Chief of Staff, laid the responsibility for yesterday's fighting
squarely at the Palestinian Authority's doorstep, saying that it tried
to ignite a "supervised fire" but could not control the height of the
flames.
A front-page announcement sponsored by the "Prisoners' Welfare
Society" in yesterday's edition of the official Palestinian Authority
newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, read: "The fury of the masses must
erupt like a volcano in the face of the Israelis and the land should
explode under their feet."
2. IN AND AROUND ABU DIS
The margin of Prime Minister Barak's victory in yesterday's Knesset
vote on Abu Dis was provided by the abstention - i.e., the absence -
of the Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Shas and Yisrael B'Aliyah.
One other Shas MK was also not present. The decision to transfer Abu
Dis and two other Jerusalem-area villages to PA control passed last
night by a vote of 56-48, with one abstention. Had the eight Shas
members been present and voted the same way their party colleagues
did, the proposal would not have passed.
The transfer will not be implemented, however, until "after
yesterday's events have been clarified." Prime Minister Barak
informed PA Chairman Yasser Arafat of this decision last night. Barak
said told Arafat that he regards yesterday's events with utmost
gravity, that they must not be allowed to recur, and that the two
sides' representatives must discuss the events forthwith and draw the
necessary conclusions.
Mati Dan, a tireless activist for the cause of Jewish settlement
throughout Jerusalem, told Arutz-7, "Despite the decision to give away
Abu Dis, we must never despair, especially as Abu Dis is a place where
we have papers from 1920 showing that Jews bought lands there, and we
believe that we will be able to actualize the Jewish ownership there.
I am referring to areas of Abu Dis that are in Jerusalem's municipal
borders - Mayor Olmert has drawn up plans to build there, and we plan
to put him to the test next week." Dan said that the original papers
describe Abu Dis as being "four kilometers from the Central Post
Office [still located in the same place today, on Jaffa St.]," and
that the Jews decided to buy lands there instead of their other choice
- west-Jerusalem neighborhood Beit HaKerem - because "we can see the
Temple Mount from Abu Dis." Dan said that the Jews bought 800 dunams
(200 acres) of land there, and then made aliyah [immigrated to Israel]
from Iraq in order to live there. Dan concluded with the hope that
Barak would not actually implement the transfer of Abu Dis until the
final-status stage.
Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, in what was apparently his last
speech in the Knesset, explained yesterday why his National Religious
Party is resigning from the coalition. Excerpts follow [with thanks
to IMRA]:
"We joined the government with the goal of marching together and
acting together as much as possible... Today, from this point in
time, it appears that we have reached the limits of our ability to
cooperate. Our influence on the government, in the 11 months we were
there, was important and not a waste, and I am happy that it was so...
But today marked a milestone in Israel: the transfer of villages
around Jerusalem... Do not understate the difference between [Areas]
B and A: we have already seen attackers escaping to area A, and it is
impossible [for our security forces] to chase after them, and we have
seen the immunity that the Palestinian security forces have in area A
as compared to area B... Arafat will come tomorrow and ask for the
rest of the villages around Jerusalem. What reason will we have to
refuse? With our own hands we are creating a belt of villages armed
by Palestinian police around Jerusalem, that will stand between
[Jerusalem and] the Jewish settlements. How easy it will be for
Palestinian forces to cut off Maaleh Adumim from Jerusalem! How easy
it will be for Palestinian forces in Anata to cut off north-east
Jerusalem from Jerusalem!
"It should be known that we are talking about the beginning of a
process. I do not accept what the Prime Minister says, that it is only
a matter of 0.24%. We are talking about the beginning of a process in
which Jerusalem finds itself on the negotiating table, [with] no
agreement, and we are already withdrawing from around Jerusalem...
Abu Dis is the first village Arafat is asking for - [because] it is
the closest village to the Temple Mount. The goal of Arafat is the
Temple Mount... And the [Palestinian] parliament was built in Abu Dis
because it is the closest point to the Temple Mount. And so the next
advance payment and gesture that will be asked for will be "just" a
strip connecting Abu Dis to the Temple Mount. And the Prime Minister
will say "no" and Arafat will say "yes" and the Prime Minister will
come and say, "Why should we have friction with tens or hundreds of
thousands coming to pray at the Temple Mount?..." and then it will
happen slowly, in a predictable process, I don't know how long it will
take, but it starts today and we will lose our sovereignty over part
of Jerusalem."
"The second reason we have for leaving the government is the transfer
of parts of the Land of Israel as a free present in order to bring the
negotiations out of a dead end. The Land of Israel is a dear land.
The Land of Israel is holy land. The Land of Israel is our land. It
is not to be given away as a 'present.'"
Rabbi Michael Melchior, leader of the left-wing religious-Zionist
Meimad party, voted in favor of the Abu Dis transfer. He explained to
Arutz-7 today, "To say that this marks the division of Jerusalem is
ridiculous! It's just a little Arab village outside Jerusalem, the
control of which we already gave away a few years ago... This is part
of the complex problem of the two peoples living so close to each
other, and if we are to reach a solution - and I am among those who
want to strive for this, even though I don't know if it's possible,
and I'm not sure if the other side is willing - then we have to make
every effort to this end... It is in our interest for them to have
control over the densely-populated Palestinian neighborhoods. If it
doesn't work, then we'll have to struggle, but at least everyone will
know that there is no choice and we will be united."
"Of course, [in light of yesterday's hostilities] we have to ensure
that the other side keeps its side of the agreement, because if not,
then there's no purpose in making agreements. But on the other hand,
if there is no agreement, then there will be an all-out war, or
something close to it."
Rabbi Melchior said that for him, the main issue at present is not the
shaky state of the coalition, but the "disunity within our society.
Governments may fall and arise, but we have to sit now and solve our
internal problems."
3. GIANT RALLY IN JERUSALEM
Between 70,000 and 100,000 people showed up at the giant rally in
Jerusalem last night on behalf of Jerusalem and Yesha, which was
rendered even more poignant in light of the Palestinian-initiated
hostilities throughout the day. Minister Natan Sharansky, MKs Ariel
Sharon, Rechavam Ze'evi, Silvan Shalom, and Yuri Stern (who spoke in
Hebrew and Russian) addressed the crowd and spoke out on behalf of
Jerusalem and against the government's policies. Rabbi Zalman Melamed
of Beit El asked the tens of thousands to raise their right hands and
recite together the famous verse, "If I forget thee O Jerusalem...,"
and he was followed by the teen-age sister of a soldier killed by
Palestinian forces during the fighting of Sukkot 1996.
A survey conducted by Israeli pollster Mina Tzemach shows that 57% of
Israelis object to the transfer of Abu Dis.
Yesha Council Secretary-General Shlomo Filber, who was among the
organizer's of last night's rally, was asked today, "The rally went
very smoothly - but maybe it was a bit too toned-down?" Filber:
"I don't believe so. We set ourselves three goals for this event,
which was our first demonstration and public action in a long time:
First, to remove the stigma of the alleged 'inciteful behavior of the
right-wing' - this is why we chose Zion Square [the site of the
infamous demonstration five years ago in which Avishai Raviv played a
major role in the incitement for which it later became famous] as the
site. Second - to awaken our public, and to begin getting them
involved. Third - to help form a broad Knesset bloc that will not
allow Barak to continue along this path... This is not the end of our
activity, but just the beginning... Let's not forget that our main
struggle is not only for Jerusalem, but also for all of Yesha."
Filber related to the political implications of the rally: "It could
be that Barak is not worried by yesterday's demonstration, but we have
seen already that he is not so great at reading the political map - it
could be that he simply does not understand the significance of what
happened yesterday, but he will certainly wake up in the coming few
weeks when he finds himself with a reduced-size coalition or even a
minority-government propped up by the Arabs."
Filber did not agree that the Yesha Council had failed in its attempts
to gain the support of Shas: "We have come a long way with them. We
have been working with them intensively for a few months, and we know
that the situation in the party is not simple. Several of the MKs
support us with all their soul, but the one person who makes the
decisions is Rabbi Yosef. We have made progress - Minister Eli Yeshai
originally voted in favor of the 6.2% withdrawal, then he voted
against the corrected version, then yesterday all the ministers and
most of the faction voted against the Abu Dis transfer in the Knesset.
This is progress, and the story is not over yet. Hopefully, they
will realize that most of their public is right-wing."
In contrast, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv - considered the leading
hareidi Torah sage - had strong criticism of Shas and its leadership
today. "Why did they have to support Barak?" he asked his confidantes
rhetorically today. "Why didn't they vote against him and topple
him?... This wouldn't have happened [in Shas] in the past."
4. AT NEGOHOT AND JOSEPH'S TOMB LAST NIGHT
Among the Palestinian-initiated hostilities yesterday was the closing
of the road leading to Negohot, in the south of Hevron, for several
hours. Negohot resident Shlomit Gadot told Arutz-7 today that rocks
and blocks were thrown on the road leading to the settlement: "When
we returned from the demonstration last night - after having been
stoned heavily by Arabs on the way there, several hours earlier - we
were stopped by the army as we arrived at the section of the road that
is under Palestinian control. The soldiers said that it was dangerous
to enter, and that we were forbidden to drive home from there. That
was at 11:30 PM. We waited, and finally the army tried to usher us in
with one jeep leading the way in front, and one jeep behind our cars.
But the Palestinians continued to hurl blocks at our cars, and so the
army turned around and refused to go on. Later on, the IDF was able
to convince the Palestinians to calm down, and to let us get home -
which we did, at 1 AM. Several weeks ago, before the transfer of the
Negohot approach road to the PA, the local IDF commander told us that
the army has means of pressuring and influencing the Palestinians -
but no such means have been used. The army doesn't want the
atmosphere to heat up any more. They want peace and quiet, and so we,
the Jewish residents here, have to suffer for it."
Heavy damage was caused to the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva compound at
Joseph's Tomb in Shechem last night when Arab-thrown firebombs
exploded and caught fire there. The Arabs also attempted to break
through and take over the yeshiva compound. IDF soldiers opened fire
and repelled the attackers, and tanks and a helicopter were dispatched
to the area.
5. SECRET TRACK REVEALED
Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami confirmed today that a
"parallel" track of talks are taking place in Stockholm between
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, with the goal of reaching a
final-status agreement framework. Israel is represented by atty. Gilad
Sher, a friend of Prime Minister Ehud Barak. MK Tzvi Hendel (National
Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) has begun legal proceedings against Sher's
involvement, saying that Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein had
forbade Barak from using Sher - who is not a public-service employee -
for public missions.
Yesha Council leader Shlomo Filber said today that the main topic of
discussion in Stockholm is the future status of the Jewish residents
who will remain under Palestinian control: "This is why the PA
brought its security chief, Muhammad Dahlan, to the talks, while
representing Israel is the police minister Ben-Ami. I would not
advise the listeners to be complacent - the information that we have
on this issue is of great concern to us."
Another issue on the agenda in Stockholm is the future of the Jordan
Valley within the final-status arrangement. The area's
Political-Security Forum held an urgent meeting last night in light of
reports from military and government officials to this effect. In
addition to the 42% of Yesha already under PA control, the
Palestinians are likely to receive at least another 40%, a large
portion of which is likely to be drawn from the Jordan Valley. Until
now, reports Arutz-7's Aviad Azrieli, residents of the region have
followed a "wait-and-see" approach, in the belief that the diplomatic
plans wouldn't target their regions. At last night's emergency
gathering, local leaders decided to initiate a hard-hitting public
campaign aimed at blocking the current initiatives. Their recent
requests for a meeting with the Prime Minister have been turned down.
************************************************************************
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
©2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.