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To:            arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, May 8, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
 <www.ArutzSheva.org>
Monday, May 8, 2000 / Iyar 3, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. RIOTS IN BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH
  2. ONE MILLIONTH OLEH - AND THE CHARACTER OF THE STATE
  3. BARAK MEETS ARAFAT

1. RIOTS IN BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH
Palestinian Arab riots targeted IDF troops at both the Tomb of Rachel in
Bethlehem and the Yosh junction at the northern entrance to Ramallah, just
south of Beit El, this afternoon.  Four Palestinians were injured by rubber
bullets at the Tomb of Rachel.  The reason cited for the violence:
Israel's failure to capitulate to Palestinian demands for further releases
of Arab terrorists.  After a while, Palestinian soldiers succeeded where
IDF soldiers did not in forcefully dispersing the hundreds of Arabs who
rioted at the Yosh Junction.  Quiet has also been restored in Bethlehem.

2. ONE MILLIONTH OLEH - AND THE CHARACTER OF THE STATE
Prime Minister Barak and Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir were on hand
yesterday at Ben Gurion International Airport to welcome the one-millionth
immigrant to Israel from the former Soviet Union since the current wave of
Aliyah began in 1988.  Alla Levy, who heads the Jewish Agency mission in
Russia, told Arutz-7 today, "Dozens of people are here in our Moscow
offices at the moment, and hundreds are learning in our Hebrew-language
'ulpanim' [Hebrew-language classes] where they also take courses in Jewish
tradition prior to their immigration."  She explained that when the current
wave of Aliyah started, "people went to Israel out of panic.  The gates had
just opened, and many of the arrivals were not particularly well-planned,
even though the number of immigrants was high.  These days, some 80% of
olim [immigrants] have relatives or friends in Israel, they know pretty
much where they are going to settle, and are familiar with the Hebrew
language.  While they are planning their move, we work on strengthening
their Jewish identity and on that which will help them better integrate
into Israeli society." 

Levy said that 31,000 Russians immigrated to Israel in 1999 - more than
double the number in 1998.  When asked what percentage of new immigrants
are not Jewish, Levy answered, "The Jewish Agency is engaged in
implementing the Law of Return, but we don't have any statistics on how
many immigrants are Jewish or not Jewish.  We are of course aware that
there are non-Jews, as we see them at the ulpan programs and at the
airports as we prepare them to leave Russia...  The government determines
the immigrants' eligibility for aliyah, while we just prepare them for the
move.  ..."

A vigil of former USSR refuseniks was held last week outside the Prime
Minister's Jerusalem residence.  They were protesting the increasing rate
of non-Jews among the new immigrants from Russia and the danger to the
Jewish character of the State of Israel, and demanded that the Law of
Return be changed.  Yigal Yehudi, head of the Association for the
Preservation of the Jewish Character of Israeli Society, said that he is
not happy with the policy of encouraging immigration even among non-Jews.
"There are cities in Israel where you cannot walk without hearing
anti-Semitic epithets," he said.  "This is exactly what we hoped to leave
behind in Russia - and now we find that it's following us here!...  When an
experimental half-Jewish, half-Arab kindergarten class opens in some
far-off town, the whole country goes up in arms - but no one seems to care
that even in public-religious schools in major cities, you can barely find
a totally-Jewish classroom!"  The group demands that the Prime Minister
begin considering how to "adapt the Law of Return to the reality of the
2000's." 

The Law of Return currently allows non-Jewish relatives of Jewish
immigrants to obtain automatic Israeli citizenship, as stated:  "The rights
of a Jew under this Law... are also vested in a child and a grandchild of a
Jew, the spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of
a grandchild of a Jew, except for a person who has been a Jew and has
voluntarily changed his religion."

3. BARAK MEETS ARAFAT
Danny Yatom, Prime Minister Barak's top security aide, met several days ago
with former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu. Yatom
attempted to convince them not to oppose Barak's intended give-away of Abu
Dis to the Palestinian Authority. He was not successful.

Excerpts from the Prime Minister's remarks this morning while speaking with
listeners on Galei Tzahal Army Radio:  "For 2,000 years we prayed towards
Jerusalem, not Abu Dis...  In any event, it's already under Arab control...
Just as the fears of the right-wing were unfounded regarding the
withdrawals from Gaza and Kalkilye, so too will be with Abu Dis...
Statistics show that the withdrawals from Yesha have only improved Israel's
security... [In answer to a question:] I don't know when conditions will be
ripe for a withdrawal from Abu Dis."

It is the threat of the NRP to quit the government, the uncertainty
surrounding Shas' coalition demands, and Foreign Minister David Levy's
objections that are holding up the giveaway of Abu Dis; so say sources
close to Barak.  Following the Prime Minister's meeting with Arafat in
Ramallah last night - held because of heavy American pressure on both sides
- the diplomatic negotiations resume today on the third withdrawal and the
final-status arrangement.

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

To:            arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, May 9, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Tuesday, May 9, 2000 / Iyar 4, 5760 - 19th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. UTJ AND ABU DIS
  2. INDEPENDENCE DAY STATS
  3. LE MONDE:  ISRAEL TO GIVE OVER 80-90% OF YESHA

1. UTJ AND ABU DIS
The Rabbis of United Torah Judaism have not yet decided how to
instruct their Knesset Members to vote regarding Prime Minister
Barak's intended transfer of Abu Dis to the Palestinian Liberation
Organization.  MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, who leans towards abstaining,
denied that a decision to abstain has been made - although it may be
made by today.  Two of the party's other MKs are against the transfer,
while one - Yaakov Litzman - apparently feels otherwise (see below). 

UTJ MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz said today that although he is personally
against the transfer of Abu Dis, and can see no merit in Barak's idea
of a "gesture" towards the Palestinians in this regard, "we are
awaiting a final decision on this matter by our rabbis."  Asked by
Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson to explain the "hesitations" of the rabbis
on the matter, Rabbi Ravitz said, "The rabbis have been presented with
a picture which shows that Abu Dis is, for all intents and purposes,
not in our hands...  Only in extreme cases do our security forces
enter Abu Dis at present."

Zalmanson:  "If it is handed over, then even in extreme cases - such
as to prevent an attack on the nearby Temple Mount - we would not be
able to do even that."

Ravitz:  "Everyone knows that there is no such possibility of a real
war being started by the PA.  Whatever 'army' they have could be eaten
up for breakfast by the IDF...  At worst, there would be attempted
terrorist attacks...  In any event, the rabbis also have various
considerations, such as 'pikuach nefesh' [the value of preserving
lives]...  In the end, though, whatever decision they come to, I will
not have to explain it - we will abide by whatever they say."

Asked about reports that his party colleague MK Yaakov Litzman had
promised Barak that his party would abstain, in exchange for a
commitment to accept the Tal recommendations regarding the military
induction of yeshiva students, Rabbi Ravitz reacted sharply:  "I don't
know what any given MK said privately to anyone, but if this happened,
it is totally unacceptable.

  What, he can promise to sway the opinions of the Torah giants?!  They
are supposed to influence and instruct him, not the other way around!"

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, considered to be the most senior of the
UTJ sages, told confidantes over the past few days that the two topics
- Abu Dis and the yeshiva students - should not be connected.  He said
that he cannot sleep at night, for worry over the fate of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, who appeared in several of Barak's
campaign commercials last year - but stopped short of endorsing Barak
- said again today that he fears that the Prime Minister is about to
divide Jerusalem. He admitted last night that he was mistaken in
stating during the campaign that Barak would not divide the capital.

Zo Artzeinu has called upon the public to attend a march from Abu Dis
to the Temple Mount area tomorrow at 4 PM.  "The Palestinians want Abu
Dis so that they can turn it into their capital and be connected with
the Temple Mount," says Zo Artzeinu leader Moshe Feiglin.  "Do we not
have a drop of independence left?  The government is abandoning, while
we will hold on. On our short march tomorrow, we will show the
miniscule distance from Abu Dis to the Mount."

3. INDEPENDENCE DAY STATS

 The five biggest cities in Israel and their populations are:
Jerusalem (633,700); Tel Aviv-Yafo (348,100); Haifa (265,700); Rishon
Letzion (188,200); Be'er Sheva (163,700)

 The four most popular vacation spots in Israel are: Eilat (43% of
Israeli vacationers do so there); the Dead Sea (13%); Tiberias (12%);
Jerusalem (6%). 

3. LE MONDE:  ISRAEL TO GIVE OVER 80-90% OF YESHA
"Creative and interesting" is how Prime Minister Ehud Barak described
a report in France's 'Le Monde' newspaper today.  The paper writes
that Barak and Arafat have discussed a rough draft of a
permanent-status agreement, according to which 80-90% of Judea and
Samaria will be forfeited to the PA, with some roads that run through
PA territory to be leased to Israel. Barak said that the talks with
the Palestinians have not reached such an advanced stage.

Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane adds that the plan calls for all of Jerusalem
to formally remain under Israel's sovereignty, though not in practice:
 The Palestinian capital will be in Abu Dis and will be connected by a
corridor to the Temple Mount.  Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert said that
there is no such animal as areas that are "under Israeli sovereignty
but Palestinian control."  Le Monde adds that hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians will not return to their pre-1948 homes, but will be
compensated by Israel, "financially or morally."  Both Israel and the
Palestinians have denied the report.

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

To:            arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, May 12, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Friday, May 12, 2000 / Iyar 7, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. MASS DEMONSTRATION FOR JERUSALEM AND YESHA
  2. CALLS OF SUPPORT
  3. NEW P.A. DEMAND: MORE TERRORIST RELEASES

1. MASS DEMONSTRATION FOR JERUSALEM AND YESHA
Preparations are underway for a mass demonstration this coming Monday
night in Jerusalem on behalf of Judea/Samaria and Jerusalem.  Interior
Minister Natan Sharansky, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, and other
public figures will address the demonstrators on the issues of the
integrity of Jerusalem, the danger to the nation's unity caused by the
uprooting of settlements, and the futility of unrequited withdrawals
from Judea and Samaria. 

The police-authorized rally, which is being sponsored and organized by
the Yesha Council and other extra-parliamentary groups, is being
billed as "the first demonstration of Yesha residents since the
election of Ehud Barak as Prime Minister."  Beit El Mayor and Yesha
Council member Uri Ariel, exhorting his constituents to attend, wrote
today, "Demonstrations and rallies are an important contribution in
the campaign to win over public opinion in our country.  We recall how
the massive pro-Golan demonstration four months ago represented a
turning-point [in the negotiations over the Golan giveaway]...
Everyone is asked to do his utmost to attend..." 

2. CALLS OF SUPPORT
Rabbis Eliyahu, Shapira, Druckman, Melamed, Rabinovitch, Drori,
Aviner, Lior and others have called on the public to attend Monday
night's rally. Their declaration states,

"The rights and obligations of the Nation of Israel to the Land of
Israel are eternal, and no element has the authority to nullify the
Jewish nation's right over any part of Eretz Yisrael.  In these days,
when we hear words of weakness and the desire to give away parts of
Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem, we call on everyone to take part in [the
rally], in order to strengthen the Jewish settlement presence in Yesha
and Jerusalem!  We must be strong on behalf of the nation and the
cities of our G-d, and may we see the fulfillment of the prophecy, 'I
will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted
from their land.'"

Other bodies that have expressed strong objections to Barak's desire
to give away Abu Dis and other Jerusalem-area villages include the
National Council of Young, which wrote to Barak this week, "We wish to
express our very great fears over the fate of Yerushalayim...  While
transfer of these areas, which are just outside the city's borders,
might not violate the letter of [your] campaign promises [to retain
Jerusalem as the eternal undivided capital of Israel], they certainly
contradict their spirit in several ways..."

At around the same time as the Jerusalem rally, a similar
demonstration of solidarity will be held in New York, with the same
themes:  "Uprooting settlements tears the nation apart!" and "No
Withdrawals from Yesha, the Golan, or Jerusalem!"  The demonstration,
organized by Americans For A Safe Israel, will take place at 6 PM on
Monday, at 13th Ave. and 46th St. in Brooklyn. 

3. NEW P.A. DEMAND: MORE TERRORIST RELEASES
The Israeli and Palestinian negotiating delegations will meet on
Sunday to discuss a new demand by the latter for the release of an
additional 250 imprisoned Arab terrorists.  According to the
agreements, Israel is not required to release any more terrorists
until the achievement of a final-status agreement.

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

To:            arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, May 14, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
 <www.ArutzSheva.org>
Sunday, May 14, 2000 / Iyar 9, 5760 - 24th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. GIANT RALLY TOMORROW NIGHT
  2. COALITION SHAKES AND QUAKES
  3. RABBIS MEET
  4. ARAB VIOLENCE INTENSIFIES IN YESHA

1. GIANT RALLY TOMORROW NIGHT
Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (NRP) reacted sharply today to
verbal attacks by government ministers Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Dalia
Itzik against tomorrow night's scheduled pro-Yesha rally in Jerusalem.
 Tens of thousands are expected to protest against "unrequited
withdrawals, giving away Jerusalem-area villages, and uprooting Yesha
settlements."  Itzik has questioned the funding of the planned rally,
as well as alleged "incitement" against government figures, and
Ben-Eliezer said, "I fear that it will end bad... they must be crushed
now."   Rabbi Levy:  "There is no reason not to allow a pained sector
of the public to express its hurt and opinions...  [The ministers are
waging] a deliberate campaign to de-legitimize a significant part of
the nation."

The rally is being organized by the Yesha Council and several other
grass-roots nationalist bodies.  The rally will begin at 7 PM at Zion
Square in downtown Jerusalem.

Golan Residents Committee chairman Eli Malka is one of the
personalities slated to speak at the demonstration.  Noting the
cooperation between Yesha and Golan activists in the recent campaign
to save the Golan, he said, "My speech will stress our opposition to
the uprooting of settlements, and our support for their continued
development throughout the Land of Israel.  I also plan to stress the
historic allegiance shown to Jerusalem by the Jews of Gamla [in the
Golan] 1900 years ago."  Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Malka continued,
"I have no doubt that demonstrations such as this have a real impact.
When pessimism reigned, and many thought that a Golan giveaway was a
'done deal,' we simply intensified our activities - at intersections,
distributing stickers, hanging posters, and the like.  After our giant
rally in Rabin Square [this past January], support for the Golan has
been ever increasing, thanks in great part to the Yesha activists.
The rally gave pause to both the Americans and Assad, who became
skeptical of Barak's ability to win a Golan referendum."

Asked about today's comments by Ministers Ben-Eliezer and Itzik, Malka
said: "They are not really worried about another political
assassination. They are concerned about another public wave [against
their policies].  You don't have to be a political scientist to
realize that the government is afraid of similar results as after the
Golan rally.  Add to this Barak's problems in arriving at a deal with
Arafat, the shaky state of the coalition, the combined efforts of the
rabbis in Agudat Yisrael towards Shas - all this weighs upon them
heavily.  So, like most politicians, the ministers are lashing out.
It's a sign of weakness, not strength." 

2. COALITION SHAKES AND QUAKES
Prime Minister Barak's coalition is on most shaky ground, and even
Labor party Secretary-General Ra'anan Cohen - admittedly not one of
Barak's most ardent supporters - has called for the establishment of a
new coalition. Barak has still not settled the Shas-Meretz tensions,
and he continues to delay bringing the Abu Dis issue up for a Cabinet
vote, for fear that he will not have the necessary support.  The Prime
Minister met with senior party colleagues last night to discuss their
fears that the government will not be able to garner support for its
various bills in the upcoming Knesset session, which begins tomorrow.

Finance Minister Avraham Shochat admitted today, "We have a crisis.
Anyone who says that it's 'business as usual' here is just not telling
the truth. With such a serious crisis, nobody knows how far down it
will deteriorate. I was among those who told the Prime Minister last
night that we have to start taking action on this matter...  You can't
run a coalition when you never know if you have a majority on a given
issue or not..."

Coalition whip Ophir Pines-Paz today described the Shas-Meretz clash
and its ramifications on Barak's intention to give Abu Dis to the
Palestinians as "one huge nightmare" for the Barak government.  Shas
leader Labor and Welfare Minister Eli Yeshai today issued Barak an
ultimatum threatening that Shas will vote with the opposition
throughout the Knesset summer session unless the financial troubles of
the Shas school system are solved.

 At the same time, Meretz insists that it will bolt the government if
money is allocated to Shas.  Barak has also been unsuccessful at earning a
commitment from the opposition Shinui party that it would join the
government in the event that Meretz leaves.

3. RABBIS MEET
Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef met on Friday in his home
with leading religious-Zionist and hareidi rabbis.  Rabbi Yosef's
guests - who included former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and
Mordechai Eliyahu, Rehovot Chief Rabbi Simcha Kook, and the Grand
Rabbis of Sadigura and Boston - attempted to convince him not to
abstain on the question of transferring Abu Dis to the Palestinian
Authority, but to vote against.  No announcement was made at the
conclusion of the meeting.

Agudat Yisrael leader Rabbi Menachem Porush, who coordinated and
attended the meeting, discussed it with Arutz-7 today.  "I hope that
'words conveyed from the heart will enter the heart,'" he said. "This
was an emotional meeting, and maybe even a historic one, considering
the participants:  the former chief rabbis, seniors from the Council
of Torah Sages, Rabbi Kook, and myself.  We offered our view of the
issues.  There were moments of high emotion, and tears flowed from our
eyes as we discussed the security of Jerusalem...  We see the transfer
of Abu Dis and other villages as a danger to the security of
Jerusalem, and to the hundreds of thousands of Jews who live in and
around the city.  We also see it as the next step in the return to the
1967 lines." 

News Editor Ariel Kahane noted press reports to the effect that Rabbi
Yosef was apparently not convinced by the discussion, or at least did
not publicly say so.  "We didn't come to the rabbi to hear an answer,"
Rabbi Porush responded, "but to let him know what's in our hearts.  We
are confident that our heart-felt words will do their job."  Kahane:
"It seems strange that United Torah Judaism's Council of Torah Sages
hasn't even decided its position yet, and you are pressuring Rabbi
Yosef to take a stand."  Rabbi Porush: "We will of course do what the
Council of Sages determines, but it is important to note that senior
rabbis in that Council of Sages headed the delegation."  Rabbi Porush
authored a letter to Rabbi Yosef on this issue two weeks ago; the full
text is included at the end of this report. 

News Editor Kahane asked if Friday's encounter may represent the
beginning of efforts to unify the country's religious forces, perhaps
in time for the next national elections. "Such a proposal is being
worked on," said Rabbi Porush. "We hope that we are close to such an
era."

4. ARAB VIOLENCE INTENSIFIES IN YESHA
Palestinian rioting has broken out, as expected, in Gush Katif,
Shechem, and other locations, and Israeli officials maintain that
Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization are behind the
violence.  Some 100 Palestinians who blocked the Netzarim junction in
Katif and hurled rocks and firebombs at the nearby IDF base were
finally dispersed today by IDF soldiers using rubber bullets and tear
gas.  Similarly, violent Arab riots broke out this afternoon in
Shechem - where Arabs fired live ammunition at an effigy of Prime
Minister Ehud Barak- as well as at Yosh Junction between Ramallah and
Beit El, where a Border Guard policeman was injured. 

The Likud called on Prime Minister Barak to inform Arafat of the
freezing of all negotiations "until the intifada that he [Arafat]
called is ended." NRP Deputy Education Minister Sha'ul Yahalom said
that the violent Palestinian outbursts "must finally mark the end of
Israeli surrender and weakness in the face of Arafat's demands."

IDF forces were on alert all morning against the breakout of
Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria. Yesterday, thousands of
Arabs rioted at the entrances to Tulkarm, Jenin, Ramallah, Bethlehem,
and Hevron.  The Palestinian para-military forces did nothing to quell
the rioting.  Two IDF soldiers were injured lightly when rocks and
firebombs were hurled at them.
 Efrat resident Prof. Yossi Katz was beaten with a metal bar by
Palestinians while he was walking with his wife outside Efrat.  The
IDF Central Command is also on high alert against attempts to kidnap
soldiers, whom the terrorists may then hold hostage for the release of
Israeli-imprisoned Arab terrorist murderers.

Yediot Acharonot correspondent Roni Shaked, speaking with Arutz-7
today, explained that the issue of imprisoned terrorists is the
"trigger" by which Yasser Arafat set off the violence:  "This is a
very convenient trigger for Arafat, because the entire Palestinian
public is united on this issue... They in general are dissatisfied
with the pace of the negotiations, and Arafat can use this to his
advantage..."   Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman said that although there
seems to be no doubt that Arafat will declare a Palestinian state in
September, Israel is still unsure whether the intention is to do so by
agreement with Israel, or in conflict with it. "Arafat is intrigued by
the possibility of following in the footsteps of Ben-Gurion, who
founded a new state amidst the stormy outbreak of war..." 

Shaked said that in the end, "there is no doubt that Abu Dis will be
given over - people don't understand that this is a very petty issue.
It's an Arab village for all intents and purposes..."  Haggai
Huberman, however, disagreed:  "First of all, I believe that the
chances of Barak obtaining political support for the transfer of Abu
Dis before a final-status agreement are getting smaller and smaller...
 The claim of the Yesha Council that there is no logic to implementing
unrequited withdrawals has seeped into the public awareness...
Secondly, we should not underestimate the advantages that Israel still
retains in Abu Dis in its present status as Area B.  This means that
when necessary, Israeli forces can go in and apprehend terrorist
cells, just as it did in Tzurif and other places..." Huberman predicts
that based on the current pace of negotiations and the lack of
agreement on the main issues, "even Ehud Barak realizes that the
chances of reaching an agreement in the next few months are very
small."

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