HHMI Newsgroup Archives
To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday,June 4, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.ArutzSheva.org>
Sunday, June 4, 2000 / Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5760 - 45th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
2. ABU DIS ON THE WAY OUT
3. NATION BRACES FOR SUPER-STRIKE
4. BARAK SPEAKS
5. HITTING BACK
6. CLASHES IN THE NORTH
1. ABU DIS ON THE WAY OUT
The Yesha Council reports that Prime Minister Barak has instructed the
security forces to prepare for the transfer of Abu Dis to the Palestinians.
The IDF and the police closed off all the entrances to Abu Dis and Azariya
to Israelis yesterday, and much PA activity was noted in the area. Barak
told the Cabinet today that "although the Palestinian Authority has indeed
detained several of those who opened fire [at Israeli soldiers on May 15]
and has even taken significant steps, it has still not undertaken all
necessary measures in order to assure that such events do not recur." On
May 19, Prime Minister Barak said that he would not transfer Abu Dis to the
Palestinians until he sees that they have the made the "necessary
corrections" to ensure that the previous violence did not repeat itself.
Yesha Council leaders met separately today with Foreign Minister David Levy
- with whom they agreed to open an "intensive and direct line of
communications" - and with Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, a
leading negotiator in the secret Stockholm track of talks with the
Palestinians. The Council decided on Friday that construction would be
renewed in places where the government has frozen it, and that entire
yishuvim (communities) would demonstrate in front of the Prime Minister's
home during the coming weeks. Several dozen residents of Mitzpeh Yericho
protested today against Barak's plan to evacuate or abandon 50,000 Yesha
residents, under the theme, "Brothers must not be abandoned!" One
participant said, "Our protest is not only for ourselves, but for those who
live in the Tel Aviv region as well - if the army flees from Yesha, it will
endanger the entire country."
A tender for 86 new housing units in the Golan city of Katzrin has been
announced. Infrastructure work on another 200 units began six weeks ago.
MK Mosi Raz of Meretz expressed dismay at the news, claiming that it could
hurt the chances of renewing the talks with Syria.
2. BARAK SPEAKS
Prime Minister Barak addressed several important issues at today's weekly
Cabinet meeting. Regarding Lebanon, he said, "We are arranging for the
United Nations and the international community to [recognize] the IDF
withdrawal as the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 425. UN
personnel have already placed border stones, and are now in the final
stages of exactly demarcating the international border. It is possible
that we will have to make further decisions and adjustments in this
context..." Barak said that he had received "exceptional compliments from
U.S. President Bill Clinton regarding the decision to withdraw the IDF from
Lebanon."
Regarding the negotiations with the Palestinians, the Prime Minister stated
that they have been marked by "Palestinian foot-dragging." Barak said that
the reports that "Israel has offered the Palestinians 92% of the
territories, that Israel is prepared to either evacuate the rest or leave
50,000 settlers under Palestinian control, or that Israel has agreed to the
entry of 300,000 refugees into the State of Israel - have no basis in
reality."
Regarding the tax reform recommendations and the impending Histadrut strike
threat, Prime Minister Barak said that the current government "dares to
take 8 billion shekels annually from the top 0.7% and transfer it to the
working public." He called upon Histadrut Chairman MK Amir Peretz and the
Histadrut leadership to facilitate dialogue and added, "It is not fitting
that the Histadrut take extreme measures before thorough and patient
dialogue." Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Peretz called the new proposals a
"trap for the country's laborers," and said that they hit hard the working
woman, workers of night shifts, and those with long-term savings plans.
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To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, June 5, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.ArutzSheva.org>
Monday, June 5, 2000 / Sivan 2, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK WILL PASS NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE - BUT WEDNESDAY IS COMING
2. KNESSET MEMBERS FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL
3. "YOUTH AND DRINKING"
1. BARAK WILL PASS NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE - BUT WEDNESDAY IS COMING
The Knesset will vote today on a Likud-sponsored no-confidence motion
labeled, "The Barak Package of Concessions in the Negotiations with
the Palestinians." The votes of most of the parties are predictable,
except for Shas and the NRP:
Shas has announced that its ten MKs will support the motion, while its
seven government members will abstain. Prime Minister Barak later
instructed Finance Ministry officials to stop negotiating with the
Shas party regarding the funding of the party's El HaMa'yan school
system. Barak said that he "refuses to operate under the shadow of any
even veiled threats." Shas leader Minister Eli Yeshai welcomed the
halting of the negotiations, noting, "The Prime Minister has finally
understood that there is no point in continuing talks which have
lasted ten months with no results." Yisrael Beiteinu MK Avigdor
Lieberman's motion to dissolve the Knesset will be presented this
Wednesday.
The National Religious Party's Knesset faction convened today with
Yesha Council representatives, to decide on the party's future
political plans. The NRP's MKs will vote against the Prime Minister.
The party has already decided to quit the coalition if and when Abu
Dis is transferred to the Palestinian Authority...
2. KNESSET MEMBERS FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) has established a new
Knesset lobby called Hamal - the United Front for the Preservation of
the Land of Israel. The lobby's first meeting will be held today,
with the participation of right-wing Knesset Members and
extra-parliamentary groups such as Women in Green, Gamla Shall Not
Fall Again, and others. Hendel explained to Arutz-7 today that the
lobby is different than the previous Knesset's Land of Israel forum,
in that "we are not working with individual MKs, but with parties -
each party will send one representative. In addition, it's not only a
Knesset body, but one that incorporates extra-parliamentary groups as
well... Our goal is not necessarily to topple the government, but to
stop its defeatist policies [of giving away the Land of Israel]. I
think that if we unite all the Eretz Yisrael forces together, under
one umbrella, then where there is unity, we can win."
3. "YOUTH AND DRINKING"
An annual gathering on "Youth and Drinking" will be held today. A
survey conducted by the Ministry of Welfare found that 37% of 10th
graders admit that they drink alcoholic beverages, and that 40% of
them have gotten drunk in the past month. Among the parents, only 8%
said that they are aware that their children drink. Labor and Welfare
Minister Eli Yeshai said, "These figures are very worrisome, and
indicate a failure in the values imparted by the educational system.
We see the brutal results in the increased violence and car accidents,
like the one that caused the deaths of two 18-year olds two days ago."
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To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, June 6, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Tuesday, June 6, 2000 / Sivan 3, 5760 - 47th day of the Omer
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SHAS TO VOTE AGAINST GOV'T TOMORROW
2. SHALOM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT VOTE
3. MINISTERS, KEPT IN THE DARK, PROTEST TO BARAK
1. SHAS TO VOTE AGAINST GOV'T TOMORROW
The Knesset is abuzz with tension, in anticipation of tomorrow's vote
on the proposal to dissolve the Knesset and call new elections. Prime
Minister Ehud Barak took a strong stand yesterday against the Shas
party when he called off the negotiations regarding the funding of
Shas' El HaMa'yan school system. Shas leader Eli Yeshai welcomed the
decision - he said that the talks had "gone nowhere" for ten months -
and instructed faction head MK Ya'ir Peretz to ensure that all 17 Shas
MKs be present tomorrow to vote against the government. The proposals
to dissolve the Knesset are sponsored by MKs Avigdor Lieberman
(Yisrael Beiteinu-National Union) and Silvan Shalom (Likud).
MK Lieberman told Arutz-7 today that he feels that "this is the first
time there is a realistic possibility of the government falling...
Everything that was once within the consensus, such as Greater
Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, is now threatened. We must therefore
topple this government... and if the NRP and United Torah Judaism
both join, we will have a decisive majority for our vote - even though
there is no doubt that when Eli Yeshai returns from Geneva this
evening, emissaries will be dispatched by the Prime Minister's office
to try to bridge the gaps [on the issue of the funding of the Shas
school system]." When Arutz-7's Haggai Seri noted that even if Shas
votes against the government tomorrow, the party could still change
its mind in the coming two readings of the bill, Lieberman said,
"True, but when such a motion passes in its first reading, this stops
the diplomatic process. It becomes clear to all that this government
cannot speak in the name of the nation. A Prime Minister who is
weakened in this fashion, together with an American President
approaching the end of his term, will have a hard time pushing through
any far-reaching moves in the months ahead."
2. SHALOM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT VOTE
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) explained why he is optimistic that
tomorrow's vote will begin the ball rolling towards the toppling of
the government: "As of Sunday night, I still did not have a
guaranteed majority, and only last night could I confirm that 61 MKs
committed themselves to voting for the motion... The Knesset has been
all too patient with Mr. Barak, while the public lost its patience
with him a long time ago, with his failure to fulfil his promises and
his management of the nation's affairs... His impressive victory last
May was only on the personal level, but the breakdown of Knesset seats
following the elections shows a majority in favor of parties who take
the approach of, or sympathize with, the national camp."
MK Shalom dismissed Justice Minister Yossi Beilin's statement that
Barak "has other possible political scenarios at his disposal" as an
effort to apply psychological pressure on Shas. Rumors that the Likud
may join a National Unity government with Barak are groundless, Shalom
said, as his party wishes to see "this failing government fall."
Without elaborating, Shalom called a Barak-Arab-left coalition "not a
practical option. It's good only on paper. A vote in favor of
dissolving the Knesset tomorrow will have a snowball effect, and it
will be difficult if not impossible to stop the process towards new
elections - which would probably occur at the end of the year or the
beginning of next year."
Voices on the left were confident that the government would pass
tomorrow's vote. "Most parties in the Knesset are simply not ready
for new elections - their coffers are empty, etc.," said Labor MK
Avraham Burg. The Likud, the leading opposition party, is
particularly seen as not ready for new elections, following the vacuum
left at the helm after Binyamin Netanyahu's resignation. MK Shalom
brushed off such comments, saying this was simply a strategy of the
left to lull the public into thinking that there is no one better
suited to rule than the present government. "They tried this in the
70's as well," he said, prior to the first-ever win by Menachem Begin
and the right wing in 1977.
3. MINISTERS, KEPT IN THE DARK, PROTEST TO BARAK
The five coalition party leaders - Yeshai (Shas), Sarid (Meretz),
Shachak (Center), Levy (NRP), and Sharansky (Yisrael B'Aliyah) - have
sent a letter to Prime Minister Barak, asking for an urgent meeting
regarding the ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians. The letter,
initiated by Minister Natan Sharansky, states that their lack of
knowledge about the talks makes it hard for them to work as public
servants and government members.
Yasser Arafat will meet with U.S. President Clinton in Washington next
week. So announced U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this
afternoon, after her meeting with the PA Chairman in Ramallah.
Albright later met with Prime Minister Ehud Barak in his office, and
is scheduled to talk tomorrow with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk
A-Shara.
Residents and local leaders of the Jordan Valley closed off the
southern entrance to Jericho this afternoon. They were protesting the
government's apparent intentions to give most of the area over to the
Palestinian Authority. "The government is planning to abandon us,"
they claimed.
************************************************************************
To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, June 7, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Wednesday, June 7, 2000 / Sivan 4, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. KNESSET VOTES AGAINST ITSELF
2. REACTIONS TO THE VOTE
3. NOW WHAT?
4. WAKING UP
5. ALBRIGHT NOT OPTIMISTIC
6 . ANOTHER BILL
1. KNESSET VOTES AGAINST ITSELF
In a dramatic development, the Knesset approved today by a 61-48
margin a preliminary reading of a bill to dissolve the Knesset and
head for new elections. Coalition parties Shas, Yisrael B'Aliyah, and
the National Religious Party all voted for the bill. The opposition
anti-religious Shinui party decided to vote for the proposal after
Prime Minister Barak would not guarantee that he would fire Shas
ministers if they voted against the government. Shinui has long
maintained that it would not sit in the same coalition as a hareidi
party. The political arena has now entered a state of suspense,
waiting to see if Barak will in fact fire his coalition colleagues and
attempt to form a new narrow government based on Shinui and external
Arab support.
Prior to the vote, Barak made a last-minute threat to form such a
minority left-wing coalition. Likud MK Danny Naveh said that "a
government that would rely on Arafat-advisors and outspoken
Hizbullah-supporters has no moral right to conduct final-status
negotiations."
The bill must still pass its second and third readings, with the
support of at least 61 MKs, in order to become law. Five other
potential supporters of the bill were not present for today's vote,
after "pairing off" with five MKs who would have voted against the
bill (a common Knesset practice).
Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that Knesset Speaker Burg's announcement
of the final results prompted loud applause from the plenum "- not a
typical sight here in the Knesset... Shas party MKs were the most
exuberant, and practically burst out into a dance."
2. REACTIONS TO THE VOTE
* Shas Ministers Eli Yeshai and Shlomo Benizri said that their party's
support of the bill should be viewed only as a "protest vote" against
the government, and that Barak will likely find the way to solve Shas'
funding problems before the next readings of the proposal.
* MK Avigdor Lieberman, the sponsor of the resolution today [MKs
Shalom and Livnat sponsored similar bills today, which passed by
similar majorities]: "I want to point out that today's vote is a
signal to the Palestinians and the Americans that Barak has no
majority for his diplomatic moves." Lieberman offered his prediction
of the Prime Minister's next move: "Knowing him, Barak will become
increasingly mired in difficulties. He has no way out except to
arrange for new elections in an honorable and agreed-upon manner."
* Likud leader MK Ariel Sharon was asked by Arutz-7's Haggai Seri what
the opposition has gained by the vote, given Barak's option of forming
a minority government. Sharon: "The vote shows that the public is
sick of Barak. If he forms a government that relies on the Arabs, he
will be taking another step towards tearing the nation apart, and I
would advise him not to do it." The vote itself has "brought the end
of this government closer, but it's really only the initial stage of a
long battle."
* Shinui MK Modi Zandberg was asked by Arutz-7's Yigal Shok how the
party plans to practically deal, as a possible coalition partner in
the future, with the differing positions of its MKs on the Oslo
process. Zandberg: "We're far from in the government, of course, and
I actually think that Barak will do whatever he can to keep Shas as a
partner. He will try to buy time until the long recess that begins in
August and lasts until after the holidays [in October]. By then he
will know if he has an agreement with the Palestinians, and if so, he
will need Shas as a 'balancing' element to help him along... If he
reaches an agreement, he will likely call new elections. But if not,
he will no longer need Shas, because his agenda will mainly be a
social one."
* MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu): "Today's vote was
important in order to show that any Prime Minister who is willing to
give up on Eretz Yisrael and abandon his fellow citizens, is destined
to fall."
* One Israel MK Avi Yechezkel: "I don't think anyone knows what will
happen now, including Prime Minister Barak I told Ariel Sharon that
now is the time for a national unity government, that would include
all of the Zionist parties. In my view, this is the best course. A
narrow government is a bad thing from a public point of view, even if
it is viable numerically and politically... I think Shas will stay in
the government and receive its 'pound of meat' until it actually
decides to leave and topple the government... I don't think that
Barak will fire Shas ministers, nor do I think that Shas is ready for
elections given its own internal situation. Neither side is ready now
to actually make the final move."
* Education Minister Yossi Sarid (Meretz) called the vote a "political
maneuver" and said that it is too early to speak of new elections.
* Likud Knesset faction leader MK Ruby Rivlin: "The nation and the
Knesset voted against Barak's readiness to the transfer Eretz Yisrael
and against his social-domestic policies."
* Knesset Law Committee Chairman MK Amnon Rubenstein said before the
vote that if today's preliminary reading is approved, his committee
would deliberate on the bill as quickly as possible - even before the
August recess - and not drag it out. His Meretz colleague MK Zahava
Gal'on reacted angrily, "There's no reason to rush and play into the
hands of those who wish to see the government fall."
3. NOW WHAT?
A Dachaf Institute public survey indicates that if elections were held
now, the balance of power between right and left in the Knesset would
remain the same, and that two seats would move from Shas to the Likud.
Ma'ariv offers four possible scenarios: Barak and Shas reach an
agreement, and the bill to dissolve the Knesset fails its next
readings; early elections; a minority left-Arab government; or a
National Unity government with the Likud. The paper gives the first
option the best chances, and considers the unity government the least
likely.
One question being asked by political pundits is whether former Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu plans to return to politics. Former
Netanyahu press aide Aviv Bushinsky said today that the decision is
not up to Netanyahu himself, "but rather the police and
Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein. It's not a normal situation for
nine months to have passed since the start of the police investigation
against Netanyahu [regarding presents he received while in office, and
his relationship with a moving company], and yet there is still no
decision about an indictment. People who don't want to see him back
in politics are simply preventing him from participating. How is it
that the police investigations against [Minister Yitzchak] Mordechai
and [President Ezer] Weizman both began after that of Netanyahu, yet
finished before his?"
4. WAKING UP
Popular protests against Prime Minister Barak's intentions to give
away 90% of Judea and Samaria are beginning to gather steam. Some 250
Jordan Valley residents closed off the southern entrance to Jericho
for two hours yesterday, and even attempted to enter the city. Prime
Minister Barak has still not denied the reports that he has agreed to
transfer most of the Jordan Valley to the Palestinians, nor has he met
with Valley leaders for several months. The Golan Residents Committee
has made an official decision to join the struggle for the Jordan
Valley.
This evening, hundreds of Beit El residents will arrive at the Prime
Minister's home in Jerusalem. Some of them will hold signs reading
"Brothers Must not be Abandoned," while others will brandish posters
with their names and the words, "Barak - Look us in the Eyes." The
rally is part of the Yesha Council's "Waking-Up 2000" program,
according to which entire Yesha communities will take turns protesting
over the next few days and weeks outside the Prime Minister's home.
The Council is emphasizing that Barak's plans to transfer 90% of Judea
and Samaria to a Palestinian state means a direct and critical threat
on the Jewish residents' very lives and homes. They made this point
clear in their meeting with Knesset Members of One Israel this
afternoon.
A demonstration by "The 40,000 Mothers" will be held next Sunday
morning, June 11, opposite the Prime Minister's office, while the
weekly Cabinet meeting is in progress. Women in Green, the
organization behind the protest, writes in its promotional literature,
"When the government closes down a plant in Ashkelon, there is a
stormy protest by the workers, and the government is understanding.
Ehud Barak and his government are preparing to destroy the settlements
throughout our historic homeland, and to turn them over to the
murderer Arafat and the PLO. Should we, like sheep, go to our
predictable slaughter? Has the time not come to stop being silent and
submissive???"
5. ALBRIGHT NOT OPTIMISTIC
The Clinton-Barak-Arafat summit, which had been tentatively scheduled
to be held in Washington next week, will not be. After Barak's
meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last night -
in which she briefed him on her earlier talks with Yasser Arafat -
Barak's office announced only that the negotiations headed by Public
Security Minister Ben-Ami and Abu Ala will resume their discussions in
Washington next week. A decision to convene a three-way summit will
be made only after "consideration of the progress made in the
negotiations." Albright is reportedly "not optimistic" that
developments will occur in the very near future.
Syrian Foreign Minister A-Shara also met with Albright today, and said
after the meeting that the talk "removed many of the misunderstandings
of the last several months, especially with regards to the summit
between U.S. President Clinton and Syrian President Assad."
6. ANOTHER BILL
Another bill passed its preliminary reading today, in what some called
the "sweet revenge" of the One Israel party against the religious
parties. The bill requires the Knesset to begin actively working
towards the formulation of a national constitution within six months'
time. The bill passed by a margin of 44-19. Coalition whip MK Eli
Goldschmidt said, "We voted our consciences. We always wanted to pass
such a bill, but were prevented from doing so by our coalition
agreements with the religious parties. After today's vote on
dissolving the Knesset, we felt that we were free to vote as we wished
on this issue."
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