To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, July 6, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, July 6, 2000 / Tammuz 3, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SUMMIT IS ON
2. YISRAEL B'ALIYAH AND NRP ARE OUT
3. YESHA COUNCIL ERUPTS
4. BARAK PASSES RESPONSIBILITY TO SETTLERS
5. PROSECUTORS RECOMMEND: DON'T INDICT NETANYAHU
6. PALESTINIANS DON'T TRUST LEADERS
***SPECIAL INSERT: Interview excerpts with MK Yuli Edelstein
1. SUMMIT IS ON
Prime Minister Ehud Barak estimates the upcoming Camp David summit's
chances of success as slightly higher than 50%. Justice Minister Yossi
Beilin says that "never before have the Israeli and Palestinian positions
been so close," while Foreign Minister David Levy said today that the gaps
are "great," and that "the Palestinians are unwilling to compromise."
In
Barak's opinion, "The summit will be considered a success if the
Palestinians declare that their dispute with Israel has ended... If it
does not succeed, the situation will be worse. there will be bloodshed."
It is not clear whether Barak is still hoping to reach a final-status
agreement, or whether he will settle for an interim framework agreement
with Yasser Arafat.
Following U.S. President Clinton's announcement yesterday that the
Barak-Arafat summit would be held early next week, Palestinian officials
continued to repeat their unyielding positions: the full return of all
Arab "refugees," the dismantling of all Yesha settlements, and the division
of Jerusalem. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that these are not merely
opening positions, but represent the Palestinians' determined stance.
Other Palestinian reactions to the summit:
* Abu Ala foresees its failure "because Washington leans towards Israel.
The only reason the summit was convened was because of Israeli pressure."
* Nabil Shaath said that the Palestinians, in any event, will not change
their minds about declaring a state two months from now.
Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh met last night with Arafat in
Ramallah. They discussed issues such as water rights, electricity, the
Palestinian port in Gaza; nothing was agreed upon, reports Huberman. He
added that the PA officials he spoke with do not understand the Israeli
optimism regarding the summit, and insist that the gaps between the sides
are still great: "The Palestinians have not changed their positions one
bit - although this doesn't mean that the gaps haven't been narrowed. The
sides are in fact now closer together - because Barak has come towards the
Palestinians on many issues."
2. YISRAEL B'ALIYAH AND NRP ARE OUT
Interior Minister Natan Sharansky announced last night that his party,
Yisrael B'Aliyah, will resign from the coalition this Sunday. He spoke at
a rally of close to 20,000 new immigrants, who gathered in Jerusalem's
Safra Square to protest Barak's intentions to abandon Judea, Samaria, Gaza,
and the Jordan Valley. MK Yuli Edelstein (Yisrael B'Aliyah) told
Arutz-7's Ron Meir that this was the largest gathering ever of new
immigrants in Israel.
National Religious Party leader Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy said
today that he and Deputy Minister Sha'ul Yahalom will resign from the
government on Monday. In a Knesset faction meeting on the topic today, MKs
Langental and Orlev argued, unsuccessfully, that if the summit fails, the
party's resignation from the coalition will have been in vain. Rabbi Levy
countered that in any event, Barak will attempt to carry out his
concessions to the Palestinians - concessions that are unacceptable to the
party. The party's resignation must be ratified by the party's Central
Committee this Sunday.
The Likud is convening today to decide its reaction. Opposition leader
Ariel Sharon said that his party would "under no circumstances join a
government that is about to give up almost all of Judea and Samaria and the
Jordan Valley." Sharon also said that IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul
Mofaz must refrain from making "political statements," such as his remarks
of yesterday to the effect that "if the Camp David summit fails, a violent
clash is liable to erupt."
Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir (One Israel) sees Barak's declarations - a
united Jerusalem, 80% of the settlers under Israeli control, settlement
blocs, etc. - as merely his "opening positions," and that it is likely that
he will further compromise in the course of the summit negotiations. When
asked if she agrees with the right-wing spokesmen who say that Barak will
"cave in," she said, "Your terminology is strange. When people
negotiate
the sale of an apartment, we don't talk about one side 'caving in,' but
rather that they negotiate together and reach an agreement." She basically
admitted that Barak's plan, as intimated yesterday by his "nine ministers"
remark ["I will continue even if only nine ministers remain in my
government and only 1/4 of the Knesset supports me"], is to sign an
agreement with Arafat, even without the support of the Knesset, and then go
straight to the public with a referendum, "just as the nationalist camp
always wanted."
3. YESHA COUNCIL ERUPTS
The Yesha Council decided last night to implement a contingency plan of
unprecedented protest against the planned withdrawal. All Yesha residents
are asked to take two or three days off from work in order to participate.
The plan will include the largest-ever protest rally in Tel Aviv on Sunday,
July 16; mass hunger strikes; protest convoys on the roads; and the manning
of all major intersections. Mayors and town councils throughout Yesha are
asked to clear their schedules and work exclusively on behalf of the
struggle.
Left-wing organizations are preparing a rally of support for Ehud Barak, to
be held Saturday night, July 15.
A group of protestors staged a rally outside the home of Shas Minister Eli
Yeshai in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof today. They called upon
him to "preserve Eretz Yisrael."
4. BARAK PASSES RESPONSIBILITY TO SETTLERS
Prime Minister Barak objects to the Yesha Council campaign portraying him
as "splitting the nation," "losing the nation," and "abandoning
fellow
citizens." He told Voice of Israel Radio today:
"Who is really splitting the nation? The one doing the splitting is
someone who takes his vision - which I respect - a vision in which even I
am a partner from an emotional standpoint - who takes his dream and tries
to impose it on the rest of the nation. He is saying: 'Even if you can
create a situation in which, for the first time since the establishment of
the state, Jerusalem will be recognized as our capital by the whole world,
in which 80% of the residents of Judea and Samaria will be under Israeli
sovereignty, in recognized borders, and which can bring about the end of
the conflict - but because of my dream I want to bring about a situation in
which we continue to kill and be killed, just to remain on a hill that both
he and I are emotionally connected to - this is tearing the nation apart!
I therefore turn to our friends in Judea and Samaria - who are really
wonderful pioneers - and I say: Don't be a barrier to the unity of the
nation."
Zo Artzeinu leader Moshe Feiglin responded to Barak's call to the Yesha
residents: "What I have against Barak is not that he is splitting the
nation, but rather that he is liquidating the nation... and that he is
committing the crime of abandoning tens of thousands of Jews to the mercies
of terrorists."
Likud MK Uzi Landau had harsh criticism of the Prime Minister's policies
today. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, he said, "Barak's concessions not only
signify that he has no red lines, but are actually a withdrawal from
Zionism itself... He is going to Washington for the purpose of making
further concessions, but he doesn't realize that this will not mark the end
of the process, but rather the beginning of a process - it will lead to
more of Arafat's tried-and-true methods of terrorism to get more of what he
wants... The destruction of Israel [and not peace] is Arafat's final goal."
5. PROSECUTORS RECOMMEND: DON'T INDICT NETANYAHU
The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office recommends that Binyamin Netanyahu
not be indicted in either of the two cases being investigated against him.
Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein said that he will make his final
decision within a few days. Netanyahu is scheduled tonight to make his
first public appearance in a long while; he will speak at the 25th
anniversary celebrations of the Binyamin community of Ofrah [see article
below].
6. PALESTINIANS DON'T TRUST LEADERS
A recent public opinion poll, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and
Communication Centre (JMCC), found that over 90% of Palestinians feel that
there is still corruption within the Palestinian Authority. The survey,
which polled a random sample of 1200 Palestinian adults, also found that
55% do not trust the methods being used by the Palestinian leadership in
the negotiations with Israel, and over 50% said they are somewhat or
totally not confident in their leadership's "unwavering positions." When
asked which Palestinian figure they trusted the most, Yasser Arafat
received the highest vote - what the pollsters called a "relatively low"
31.8%.
SPECIAL INSERT:
Interview excerpts with MK Yuli Edelstein, #2 man in the Yisrael B'Aliyah
party, which announced that it will quit the government this coming Sunday:
Q. Prime Minister Barak has expressed an emotional call for you and the NRP
to remain in the government. Is there a chance that you will do so?
A. First of all, no, there is no chance, and secondly, I don't know why he
cares if we remain or not. After all, yesterday in London he explained
clearly that even if only nine ministers remain in the government and even
if only 1/4 of the Knesset supports him, he will continue on his diplomatic
path... I think that Barak has not yet internalized the fact that we are a
democracy and not a military regime. He should have made his emotional
calls a year ago by truly cooperating with us - if there had been true
cooperation with us and the NRP and Shas, it could be that we would not
have reached this situation.
Q. Is this decision unanimous among all your Knesset Members and party
activists?
A. Very much so. In fact, it is interesting to note that several months
ago, many of our members said that even though they did not agree with
Barak's policies in Judea and Samaria, the Golan, etc., we must still
remain in the government and Sharansky must remain Minister of the
Interior. Last night, however, at the rally of new immigrants in
Jerusalem, when Sharansky announced that we were leaving the government, he
received such resounding applause, and people were celebrating and wishing
us Mazel Tov - the new immigrant community knows that this government has
reached the end of its line and that we should remain in it no longer.
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To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, July 7,
2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, July 7, 2000 / Tammuz 4, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PALESTINIANS "WILLING TO COMPROMISE"
2. SHAS: RED LINES OR ELSE WE'RE OUT
3. LAST NIGHT IN OFRAH
4. TAKING TO THE STREETS
1. PALESTINIANS "WILLING TO COMPROMISE"
As the Camp David II summit approaches, Ma'ariv reports today that
Yasser Arafat demands the evacuation of the 70,000 Jews of N'vei
Ya'akov and Pisgat Ze'ev in northern Jerusalem. Arafat is, however,
apparently "prepared to permit" certain Yesha settlements along the
border to remain in place. His conditions for doing so: Firstly, the
communities must be transferred to PA sovereignty, with Israel being
permitted to lease them for "a number of decades;" secondly, the
Palestinians must receive commensurate territories within "Green Line"
Israel.
Palestinian official Muhammad Rashid announced last night that the
Palestinians are "willing to show maximum flexibility" in Camp David.
"This does not mean that we will compromise," he clarified, "but
merely that the Palestinians are prepared to show understanding for
Israel's needs." As an example, he said that the Palestinians would
be willing to push off the declaration of their state for a few weeks
"if there is substantial progress in the talks before then."
The Americans, for their part, support Palestinian sovereignty over
certain sections of eastern Jerusalem. U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright told Jewish leaders in Washington yesterday, "It is
impossible to totally ignore the yearnings of a billion Arabs for
Jerusalem."
2. SHAS: RED LINES OR ELSE WE'RE OUT
Shas Chairman Minister Eli Yeshai warned today that "if red lines are
not set [by Prime Minister Barak before he leaves for the summit], the
Shas Council of Torah Sages will meet on Sunday and decide to leave
the government." The Council convened this morning and declared
afterwards, "[We] demand that the Prime Minister tone down the
process... There is always room for territorial compromise, but our
brothers' security cannot be compromised. The Council therefore
demands that before going to the Camp David summit, the Prime Minister
set red lines that are acceptable to us."
3. LAST NIGHT IN OFRAH
The senior Yesha town of Ofrah celebrated its 25th birthday last
night, in the presence of many leading nationalist camp political and
other personalities. National Religious Party leader Minister Rabbi
Yitzchak Levy announced that he would resign from the government at
the next cabinet meeting, while Likud chief MK Ariel Sharon praised
Yesha residents as those who are "spearheading the struggle to
preserve Eretz Yisrael." Sharon later met with Yesha Council leaders
to discuss the details of the public campaign against Ehud Barak's
planned concessions.
Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke prior to Sharon. He
refrained from directly attacking the policies of Prime Minister
Barak, and instead expressed his support for the continued flourishing
of Ofrah, and called on Israelis not to engage in a "war between
brothers." Arutz-7 correspondent Kobi Sela reports that Netanyahu was
received in Ofrah with moderate enthusiasm. Some members of the crowd
shouted, "The next Prime Minister!" while others called upon him to
request forgiveness for having signed the Wye Accord.
4. TAKING TO THE STREETS
Plans are underway for what has been called the "Rally of the
Millenium" next Sunday night in Tel Aviv against Barak's plan to
abandon over 90% of Judea and Samaria and 20% of its inhabitants.
Israel's political left is also taking to the streets. Consultations
between government ministers and Labor party activists took place this
morning in the Prime Minister's Office, with the goal of counteracting
the public campaign currently being waged by Israel's national camp.
In related news, Globes reported yesterday that Ehud Barak has
urgently summoned American public relations advisors Carville,
Greenberg and Shrum to Israel in order to "discuss political, social
and diplomatic developments." The three men - noted for their efforts
on behalf of U.S. President Clinton's election campaigns - were
instrumental in the Barak election victory last year. Globes notes
that the move comes in the wake of Barak's fears of a collapse of his
government, and in preparation for a referendum and/or new elections.
***********************************************************************
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, July 9, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, July 9, 2000 / Tammuz 6, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. GOV'T CRUMBLES AS BARAK HEADS FOR SUMMIT
2. PARTING WORDS
3. BARAK HAS ALREADY GIVEN IN
4. PROTESTING THE SUMMIT
1. GOV'T CRUMBLES AS BARAK HEADS FOR SUMMIT
Prime Minister Ehud Barak is determined to depart tomorrow for the
Camp David summit, even though he now represents a government that has
the overt support of only 32 Knesset Members and the tacit support of
all the Arab minority. Shas today became the fourth party to decide
to resign from the Barak government in less than three weeks; the
coalition, which has been reduced by more than half over this period,
now comprises only One Israel and the Centrist party. Meretz resigned
almost three weeks ago, Yisrael B'Aliyah quit today, the NRP will
resign tomorrow, and Shas ministers will submit their resignations
tonight or tomorrow. The departure of Shas is expected to pave the
way back for Meretz, but this will still give the government only 42
Knesset seats.
Prime Minister Barak apparently foresaw the above developments. After
meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London last week,
Barak said that he would continue on his chosen diplomatic path with
the Palestinians "even if I have the support of... only a quarter of
the Knesset." He may not have foreseen, however, that Foreign
Minister David Levy would announce dramatically that he will not take
part in the summit. Political commentators see today's refusal of the
Foreign Minister to take part in Barak's long-coveted summit with the
Palestinians as a major slap in the face to the Prime Minister.
Barak responded to the resignation of Shas by expressing sorrow over
what he called the "narrow political considerations" of political
leaders who are "for the first time showing the world that on the eve
of crucial negotiations, Israel is not united on the issue of peace."
He said that he would continue to struggle for Israel's security
interests, and would leave no stone unturned in the quest for peace.
Shas Minister Eli Yeshai, announcing his party's decision to resign
today, said that the resignation would strengthen Barak during the
summit, in that it would show Clinton that the Israeli public does not
support an agreement that is detrimental for Israel.
Withdrawal of support in Barak began today with the submission of
Yisrael B'Aliyah leader and Interior Minister Natan Sharansky's
resignation, continued with the promise of a vote this afternoon by
the NRP's Central Committee to quit the coalition, and climaxed
dramatically with the decision by Shas ministers to tender their
resignations. Shas political leader Minister Eli Yeshai met with the
Prime Minister this morning and demanded that Barak present his "red
lines" before departing for the summit. Barak refused to do so,
explaining that this would be interpreted by the Palestinians as
merely "opening positions," but Yeshai said afterwards that he was
"not convinced;" most Shas ministers recommended leaving the
government.
2. PARTING WORDS
Natan Sharansky's letter of resignation to the Prime Minister included
the following:
"I joined the government that you headed with mixed feelings of hope
and fear... I hoped that the world-view that you laid out on the eve
of the government's formation, as well as your military understanding,
would lead the State of Israel to peace with borders and conditions
that would guarantee its physical and national existence. I feared
[though] that... for unforeseen reasons the hopes would not be met. I
am sorry that, at the end of a year of your leading the government, it
is clear that my fears have prevailed and my hopes for the most part
have proven false... Mr. Prime Minister, contrary to your promises,
you do not act as the Prime Minister of everyone. Your leadership
sharpens that which divides the people, and deepens that which tears
us apart. Under your leadership, agreements were signed with the
Palestinians that... conflict with the understandings upon which your
coalition was based, that a large portion of your coalition partners
reject, and that do not enjoy the broad support of the public."
Sharansky continued,
"You [Mr. Barak] will come to the summit conference in the USA, at a
decisive moment in the life of the Jewish People and its state,
weakened, without red lines, without the support of the government,
and without the support of most of the nation. Under such conditions,
the agreement that you can reach is dangerous from a diplomatic
standpoint and has the potential to divide the nation - a division
from which, God forbid, there will be no return.
"All of this could have been different if you had agreed to establish
a national unity government based on a consensus of red lines, with
which you would have come to the summit conference as a strong leader
supported by his government and people. Peace can only be made when
most of the government, the Knesset, and the public support it. This
was the case with the peace agreement with Egypt that was signed in
Camp David over twenty years ago, this was the case with the peace
agreement with Jordan, and this is the only way to make a durable
peace with the Palestinians. Any other path is an illusion that may
bring us to the brink of destruction.
"I turned to you a number of times in writing and verbally, warning
you about the path you are following, and I called on you to establish
a national unity government. I am sorry that you did not heed my
warnings and did not answer my call and you continued on your path.
This is too dangerous a path, and I cannot be a partner to it, and I
therefore resign from the government."
Sharansky, immediately following his resignation, set up a protest
tent outside the Prime Minister's Office, where he will work for the
establishment of a National Unity government. He told Arutz-7 today
that such a government is now his main goal, and praised Foreign
Minister David Levy for his stance.
Deputy Minister Sha'ul Yahalom of the NRP, speaking with Arutz-7 early
this afternoon, expressed enthusiasm for the decision to resign that
his party was about to make. He was asked if he plans to vote against
the Prime Minister in tomorrow's no-confidence motion, "even if this
further weakens Barak's prestige on the eve of this important summit?"
"This is exactly what I hope will happen!" Yahalom said.
"Hopefully,
tomorrow's vote will topple the government!"
3. BARAK HAS ALREADY GIVEN IN
Voice of Israel Radio reported late this afternoon that diplomatic
sources in Jerusalem say that Barak and the Palestinians are already
close to a final agreement, and that it involves "far-reaching Israeli
concessions." Details on the concessions were not provided.
Despite the resignations and threats to resign looming in the
background, Prime Minister Barak headed today's weekly Cabinet meeting
by reviewing the preparations for the Camp David summit and detailing
the main issues on the agenda. He reiterated his confidence that if
an agreement is achieved, it will be ratified by an overwhelming
popular majority. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government
is aware of the great responsibility entailed in not achieving an
agreement.
Despite the fact that the Knesset will vote on a number of
no-confidence motions against Barak tomorrow, and despite the
uncertainty over whether the government will fall as a result, Barak
at present has no plans to call off his trip to Washington. Shinui
(six seats) and United Torah Judaism (five) have not yet decided how
they will vote in tomorrow's votes.
Barak said that specifying "red lines" in exact detail is liable to
weaken Israel's negotiating position - but he did note these lines in
a general form: no return to the 1967 lines, a united Jerusalem under
Israeli sovereignty, no foreign army west of the Jordan River, a
majority of the Jewish residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza to remain
in settlement blocs, and no Israeli recognition of legal or moral
responsibility for creating the refugee problem.
Commentator Nadav Ha'etzni told Arutz-7 today, "There is some historic
justice in the fact that David Levy and Shas appear to be leaving
Barak - because in his attempt to try to be the 'Prime Minister of
all,' he thought he could bring these two elements into his coalition,
at the expense of everything he believes in... He then thought that
with their support, he could finalize agreements with the Palestinians
- but this has fallen apart specifically because these groups cannot
agree to them... His plan is apparently to ignore the coalition and
Knesset, and go straight to the nation. But if so, he will not
succeed - at least according to the latest polls, which show that
almost 2/3 of the country are against even his opening positions."
Meanwhile, the Palestinians have hardened their positions.
Palestinian "Information Minister" Yasser Abed Rabbo said today that
they would refuse any "partial" or interim deal, and they would not
agree to suspend deliberations on the status of Jerusalem or on the
refugees. The Palestinians announced yesterday that Palestine
National Council member Hanan Ashrawi would serve as spokesperson for
their delegation in Washington, and Prime Minister Barak then
countered by sending Ministers Rabbi Michael Melchior and Yuli Tamir
to serve in a similar capacity. Other senior officials will be leaving
in the coming days to join the information effort, in both New York
and Washington.
4. PROTESTING THE SUMMIT
Hundreds of women from the 40,000 Mothers group demonstrated this
morning with black umbrellas in the Rose Garden outside the Knesset.
The umbrellas symbolized Chamberlain's capitulation to Germany before
World War II, leading to the Holocaust and murder of six million Jews.
The Bnei Akiva youth movement has issued a call to all its members to
take part in all "activities on behalf of settlement in Eretz
Yisrael."
Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri took an aerial tour of the Binyamin
communities today, and landed by helicopter on Mt. Artis in Beit El.
He was accompanied by hundreds of dancing students, town leaders, and
local residents to the yeshiva, where Beit El's Rabbi Zalman Melamed
asked him for a blessing that all Yesha residents should be able to
remain in their homes. Rabbi Kaduri, who similarly blessed the Golan
residents several months ago, responded with a heart-felt prayer for
the peace and welfare of the Yesha inhabitants.
At least two cases of violence against nationalist-camp protestors
have been registered since last night. Two Yesha Council activists
were assaulted early this morning while trying to hang posters in a
gas station near Beit Lid outside Netanya. One of them suffered a
broken jaw. In the Negev city of Arad, residents of Susia were
assaulted today while staging a protest vigil.
Yesha Council activist Ariel Hazani, speaking with Arutz-7 from the
Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, recounted the first incident. He
said that at about 5:30 AM, "we were about to hang up posters, when
four men called out to one of us from a nearby gas station. The men
approached us, then began taking things out of our car, and began
punching us. One of our people was hit in the face, the other was
punched in the jaw... It lasted a total of five minutes, and at one
point a group of about ten Arabs who were working nearby joined the
scuffle and started beating us too. I was finally able get to my
phone and call the police, and the attackers fled." Labor party
sources said that the attackers could not have been organized by their
party, since their first meeting to discuss their upcoming public
campaign in support of Barak was held only last night.
IMRA noted today that during the course of the 1999 election campaign,
some of the organizations supporting Ehud Barak used illegal campaign
contributions to hire thugs who tore down Netanyahu banners and
assaulted people holding signs in support of Netanyahu. IMRA further
noted that men dressed as Department of Public Works (DPW) workers
were seen removing banners against withdrawal on the Tel
Aviv-Jerusalem highway this morning, while leaving banners in support
of the Barak government. A DPW spokesperson told IMRA that DPW
workers remove all banners. During the course of the 1999 election
campaign, teams hired to support Ehud Barak to tear down Netanyahu
banners wore DPW uniforms.
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