To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, July 14,
2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, July 14, 2000 / Tammuz 11, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CONCERN OVER SECRET CAMP DAVID TALKS
2. FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR HUGE RALLY
3. ATOP THE TEMPLE MOUNT
4. QUOTES, MISQUOTES, AND IMPLICATIONS
5. SPECIAL PRAYER
1. CONCERN OVER SECRET CAMP DAVID TALKS
"Without far-reaching concessions by Israel, there will not be an
agreement," a senior Israeli delegation member at Camp David said today.
The Likud demands that Prime Minister Barak return to Israel from Camp
David, and report to the nation on the concessions that are being referred
to. Despite the media blackout on the talks, Israeli papers report that
Barak has offered Arafat free passage from Abu Dis to the Temple Mount,
free of any Israeli presence. Arafat, it is reported, has turned down the
offer, and insists on full sovereignty over the Old City. Likud MK Limor
Livnat said today this is the first time that the issue of Jerusalem is on
the negotiating table.
Other issues being discussed include a transfer of almost 100% of Judea and
Samaria to the Palestinians; the sides are entertaining the possibility of
exchanging certain heavily-populated Jewish areas in Yesha - particularly
around Jerusalem - for other areas within pre-1967 Israel.
2. FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR HUGE RALLY
All Jewish stores in Judea and Samaria will be closed Sunday afternoon, to
enable their workers - and customers - to attend Sunday night's giant
demonstration in Tel Aviv against the give-away of Judea, Samaria, and
parts of Jerusalem. The Bnei Akiva youth movement has canceled its
Saturday night activities, so that members may plan for the rally.
Volunteers are making house-to-house rounds, reminding residents of the
demonstration, signing them up for organized transportation, and asking
them to encourage their relatives and friends to attend. The Likud has
called upon all its supporters to attend the event.
3. ATOP THE TEMPLE MOUNT
Damage to the Temple Mount caused by illegal Moslem construction continues
- although at a reduced pace. A stretch of land dozens of meters long has
been dug out, tiled, and turned into steps leading down into Solomon's
Stables; the dirt there, containing artifacts never uncovered from the
times of the Holy Temples, was hauled off by Palestinian Authority trucks
and disposed of. Photographs of the damage can be viewed at
<www.har-habayt.org>. Israel Antiques
Authority director Amir Drori said
that the government has basically turned a blind eye to the Waqf's
construction works, while preventing the Antiques Authority from acting
against them.
4. QUOTES, MISQUOTES, AND IMPLICATIONS
An article by Associated Press Writer Ron Kampeas entitled, "West Bank
Settlers Divided," quotes several Jewish West Bank settlers - who maintain
that they were misquoted. The article claims that "a division has arisen
in the settler movement between those who know they are likely to keep
their homes, and those [who are likely to be uprooted]." Kampeas quotes
"settler pioneer" David Zohar as saying, "The idea of one settlement
movement is over. We're split." As an example of this "split,"
Kampeas
quotes long-time Ma'aleh Adumim resident Shmuel Bar-Shalom as saying,
"Small settlements, 10, 20 families, were created as provocations. They
have no right to exist.''
Both of the above "spokesmen" deny the quotes attributed to them.
Bar-Shalom told Ron Meir on Arutz-7's "Now Until Midnight" program last
night that he "categorically denies" the quote, and that the word
'provocations' "never passed my lips." Kampeas, who also spoke with Meir
last night, stood by his quote, but minutes later, the second "settler"
quoted - David Zohar - also appeared on the show and similarly denied
saying that which was said in his name: "I said that the nation is split -
if he understood from this that the settlement movement is in trouble, then
he is mistaken. he took the words out of context." The interviews with
Kampeas, Bar-Shalom, and Zohar can be heard at
<http://www.israelnationalnews.com/engclips/140700/ap-ron-kampeas.ram>.
Meir Indor of the Terror Victims Association - whose researchers brought
the AP article to Arutz-7's attention - said today, "What made us sit up
and take notice is that these two people [Zohar and Bar-Shalom] are
well-known in the settlement movement, and we knew that they would not make
statements of this nature. We can only wonder how many misquotes there are
that we *don't* notice!. We have had bad experience with foreign news
agencies who assume that Israelis don't read their foreign reports and
don't check the accuracy of their quotes. Now, however, the internet helps
us keep tabs on this much more easily."
In a related item, Reuters has been cited for implying that a Yesha
resident said something he did not. Megan Goldin wrote this week that Beit
El resident Baruch Gordon "said that if Barak brings a peace deal back from
the Camp David summit, then settlers will wage the sort of protests that
tore Israel apart in 1995, the year a right-wing Jew shot Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin dead for agreeing to trade land for peace with the
Palestinians." Upon reading the article, Gordon said that he was "incensed
at the connection made between my words and the assassination of Rabin. I
said only that settlers would in fact respond with strong protests, similar
to those held when Rabin was Prime Minister, and nothing more. I am
disappointed that the writer chose to make other, more sinister
implications."
5. SPECIAL PRAYER
According to a ruling by the Rishon Letzion and former Chief Sephardic
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, the following special prayer should be added to
the Shome'a Tefillah blessing in the daily Amidah: "Respond to us, O G-d,
respond to us, and preserve the Land in the hands of the People of Israel;
and all those who plan to give away even a small part of the Land to
foreigners, thwart their plans and frustrate their plans, for You hear the
prayers of all..."
In addition, Rabbi Eliyahu said that two extra candles should be lit during
pre-Shabbat candle-lighting, and the following prayer recited:
"May it be Thy will, our G-d and the G-d of our fathers, that You will
have mercy upon us and our children and on the nation that dwells in Zion
and in the Holy Land, on the holiness of the People of Israel, on the
holiness of the Land, on the wholeness and security of the nation and the
Land - especially at this time, when a great danger hovers over us in the
Holy Land. Master of the Universe: Act for Your sake, and not for ours.
Act so that Your great and awesome Name shall not be desecrated among the
nations, and bring us deliverance.
"And all those who plan evil against Your nation, the House of Israel -
frustrate their counsel and spoil their designs, and may they be the
subject of the fulfillment of the verse, "Fear and dread shall fall upon
them, by the greatness of Thy arm they shall be stilled as a stone" (Ex.
15,16). And let the verse be fulfilled, "Scatter them, and a wind shall
carry them away, and a storm shall disperse them, and you [Israel] shall
rejoice in the L-rd, and be praised in the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah
41,16). May our eyes behold Your return to Zion with mercy, Amen, may it
be Thy will."
****************************************************************
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, July 16, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, July 16, 2000 / Tammuz 13, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LARGEST-EVER RALLY PLANNED
2. RUMORS FROM CAMP DAVID
3. TAMIR: ISRAEL TO RECOGNIZE PLO STATE EVEN WITHOUT AGREEMENT
4. ISRAEL TO GIVE AWAY MORE NEGEV AREAS
5. CLINTON PROMISES BIG BUCKS
6. P.A. TRAINS YOUTH FOR WAR
7. LETTER FROM SUPREME COURT CHIEF
8. EFRAT EVICTION
9. PLANNING OPPOSITION STRATEGY
1. LARGEST-EVER RALLY PLANNED
Much of the nation continues to make last-minute preparations for what
its planners hope will be Israel's largest demonstration ever. At
least 1,120 buses had been chartered by noon today to bring protestors
to tonight's pro-Land of Israel rally at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square.
Other participants plan to arrive by public transportation, private
cars, or by foot. Nearby roads are being gradually closed, and
meticulous traffic arrangements have been made by the Tel Aviv police.
Major efforts have been expended to ensure that bus passengers would
be able to be dropped off and picked up with a minimum of hassle and
delay. Demonstrators against Barak's planned major concessions
include Jordan Valley farmers, Golan Heights residents, families from
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and citizens from every town and city in
Israel. Separate men-and-women areas will be set up in certain parts
of Rabin Square.
The demonstration has aroused some concern in Camp David, among the
Israeli, Palestinian, and American teams. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman
reports that the wide-spread public opposition that will be voiced
against the summit tonight has aroused Barak to action: "Take note of
his behavior this past week. He hired special media advisors and
spokesmen to come with his delegation; he called for activists to head
to intersections to sway public opinion; he made a point of stressing
the religious Zionist figures who came to his office to wish him luck
prior to the summit; and he has made 'hawkish' declarations regarding
his 'red lines' such as a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty.
What's particularly vexing Barak and his aides is the non-violence and
effective information campaign employed by his opposition..."
Huberman noted that the Palestinians are similarly worried about
Israeli public opinion, and are anxious that compromises they might
make will be rejected by the Israeli public. "This is also one of the
reasons that the Palestinians announced last week that they, too,
would conduct a referendum if a deal is signed."
2. RUMORS FROM CAMP DAVID
Rumors and fragmented reports continue to be the order of the day from
Camp David. The Palestinians are reported to be optimistic, saying
that only the refugees and certain aspects of Jerusalem remain to be
resolved. Israeli sources are said to be cautious, and have been
quoted to the effect that the talks are "difficult" and that there has
been no "breakthrough." U.S. President Clinton will depart on
Wednesday for Tokyo for a meeting of the leading industrialized
countries. Barak's press aide Gadi Baltiansky said that the talks
could last another two weeks.
Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reported today, "Some
commentators have observed that Israel's spokesmen are purposely
trying to convey a sense of pessimism, as a method of taking the wind
out of the sails of the opposition's objections. If word were to get
out that the talks are in a state of crisis because Barak is standing
firm on his red lines, the rally tonight stressing his capitulation
would look somewhat silly."
Huberman said that after giving Barak and Arafat several days to calm
down and forget their respective domestic difficulties, the Americans
intend to begin submitting their compromise proposals. "One of the
ideas was to offer the PA 97% of Yesha," he explained, "but this was
rejected because it would belie Barak's pledge to retain most of Yesha
residents under Israeli sovereignty. To get around this, it was
proposed to isolate the Shomron town of Ariel as an Israeli enclave,
while leaving the Trans-Samaria Highway that links it with the rest of
Israel under Palestinian control."
So far, however, the Palestinians have rejected any offer of less than
100% of Yesha, unless it involves a meter-for-meter exchange for
territory within sovereign Israel. "They would be willing to accept
even less than a meter-for-meter exchange if they receive certain key
strategic locations," Huberman noted, "such as their own Palestinian
runway and terminal at Ben Gurion International Airport, or their own
pier at the Ashdod seaport." Regarding the refugees, too, Huberman
said, "there are no indications that the PA will accept Barak's offer
of the humanitarian resettling of 100,000 displaced Arabs; they rather
continue to insist publicly on the return of all Palestinian
refugees."
3. TAMIR: ISRAEL TO RECOGNIZE PLO STATE EVEN WITHOUT AGREEMENT
Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir, acting as an Israeli government
spokesman in Washington, told Yediot Acharonot today that even if the
Camp David talks fail, and even if the Palestinians declare a state
unilaterally, Israel will recognize it. Tamir added that even after
such a declaration, Israel will continue to negotiate with the
Palestinians on the outstanding issues. This is the first time that
an Israeli government representative has said that Israel would
recognize a unilaterally-declared Palestinian state; Prime Minister
Barak, in fact, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
this month that Israel would annex Yesha areas in response to a
unilateral Palestinians declaration.
4. ISRAEL TO GIVE AWAY MORE NEGEV AREAS
Israeli representatives in Camp David are negotiating the transfer of
parts of the Negev to the Palestinian Authority. Shmuel Rifman,
Chairman of the Negev Development Authority, in divulging this plan
today, said that he is not referring to the Halutza areas south and
southeast of Gaza that have been proposed in exchange for Jewish areas
in Judea and Samaria, but rather to "a return to the 1947 Partition
Plan." The partition plan stipulated that the Gaza Strip and another,
larger strip running perpendicular to it to the southeast would be
assigned to Egypt (see the map at
"http://us-israel.org/jsource/History/unplan47.html").
The Jewish
Agency accepted the plan, but the Arab states rejected it and declared
war on the new state of Israel. The larger strip was then captured by
Israel, and was recognized as Israeli territory in all future
agreements. Rifman claims that he has information originating with
leading negotiator Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and others that Israel now
plans to cede this five-kilometer wide strip of land to the
Palestinians as a "gesture." Rifman, a left-wing personality who
publicly supported Barak's diplomatic plans, said that he will not be
able to support a peace plan that includes the cession of these areas,
"no matter how good the peace offer is."
5. CLINTON PROMISES BIG BUCKS
Amidst the Camp David talks, Israeli, American, and Palestinian
officials are working on a parallel track to convince Congress to
approve the giant aid package to both Israel and the PA that would be
an intrinsic part of whatever agreement, if any, is reached. Several
Congressmen have expressed great concern over the tremendous amounts
of money Clinton appears to be promising the sides. A letter to the
President initiated by Congressmen Joel Hefley of Colorado and Jim
Ryun of Kansas stated:
"We believe that a peace agreement between Israel and the
Palestinians is unlikely [as long as] critically important issues remain unresolved,
such as recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital city and the
return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. Anything less would only be
a cease fire, which the U.S. should not endorse or underwrite.
Furthermore, we believe the U.S. should not pressure Israel to agree
to territorial concessions which would... prevent Israel from
defending itself in the event of war. We ask you to take into account
the demand for tens of billions of U.S. dollars to guarantee
implementation of territorial changes, the relocation of Israelis left
homeless after land withdrawals, and the long-term nature of these
dramatic changes. We urge you not to make any commitment for the U.S.
Congress before details of the agreement, the financial repercussions,
and U.S. obligations are discussed with the Congress."
Helen Freedman, Executive Director of Americans for a Safe Israel,
expressing gratitude for the Congressmen's strong stance, stated in
response,
"It is crucial that the American taxpayer understand the enormous
monetary cost involved in the promises Clinton will be making at Camp David.
These will be used to coerce Israel into giving up land vital to its
citizens, its security, and its very existence. The promises of U.S.
billions will strengthen the dictators of the Middle East, especially
the terrorist Arafat, who is continuing to use threats and acts of
violence as part of his negotiating strategy."
6. P.A. TRAINS YOUTH FOR WAR
The Palestinian Authority is offering military training to youths aged
14-18. Some 2,000 youths are being trained in six summer camps, in a
program called "Fighting Youth Course." Gen. Muhammad Harara,
responsible for the program, said that the boys will be assigned
missions appropriate for their age.
7. LETTER FROM SUPREME COURT CHIEF
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Moshe Landau is against the planned
concessions to the Palestinians by Prime Minister Barak. In a letter
to Natan Sharansky, who recently resigned from the government in
protest of Barak's policies, Landau wrote,
"At this difficult hour for the State, I wish to encourage you for
reaching the right conclusion as a public figure, in light of the
dangers to the existence of the State caused by the concessions
planned by the Prime Minister - whether the Camp David summit succeeds
or fails. These concessions are a large step forward in our enemies'
'plan of stages' towards their final goal of liquidating the Zionist
entity. Our enemies are again showing their true face and are
continuing to act according to the Palestinian charter, mixed with
diplomatic negotiations and violence...
I view with concern the lack of willingness amongst our own people to
stand up for the soul of the nation. This phenomenon is not new; the
Prophet Jeremiah wrote, 'They have superficially healed the hurt of my
people by saying, 'Peace, peace' - when there is no peace.'"
8. EFRAT EVICTION
Several dozen young citizens - from Efrat as well as from other cities
around Israel - settled on the Tamar hilltop outside Efrat last night,
and erected two huts and a watchtower there. Large army and police
forces arrived in the early morning hours, and the eviction of the
youngsters ended shortly after 1 PM. Tamar Ferenczi, who participated
in the effort, said that they plan not to give up, "as this hilltop is
an intrinsic part of Efrat. Just as we succeeded in the Dagan hilltop
here in Efrat, we hope to succeed here at Tamar as well."
9. PLANNING OPPOSITION STRATEGY
Opposition party heads are gathered at this hour in the Jerusalem
municipality for what they have termed an "emergency meeting." Shas
officials are attendance as well. The meeting was called by Jerusalem
Mayor Ehud Olmert and Likud leader Ariel Sharon. The NRP's Sha'ul
Yahalom said there that he hopes that Binyamin Netanyahu will lead the
nationalist camp in the next elections, as "he has the best chances to
lead us to victory."
******************************************************************
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, Tammuz 14, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, July 17, 2000 / Tammuz 14, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LARGEST-EVER RALLY: LAND OF ISRAEL, SECURITY, UNITY, YOKE OF
HEAVEN
2. NO-CONFIDENCE IN PM
3. CONGRESS UNLIKELY TO GRANT AID TO ISRAEL, P.A.
1. LARGEST-EVER RALLY: LAND OF ISRAEL, SECURITY, UNITY, YOKE OF
HEAVEN Organizers' hopes for the "largest-ever demonstration in
Israel" seem to have been fulfilled last night, although the exact
number of protestors appears to be a matter of dispute among various
sources. Ha'aretz reported 200,000 participants, the Yesha Council
gave a figure of 250,000, and the moderator of the event announced
"close to half-a-million." Observers noted that over 4% of the
country's population took part in the protest against the "peace" that
Barak plans to bring back to them - the equivalent of an American
protest involving 10 million people.
Speakers at the event, ranging from an 8-year-old boy from Gush Katif
to the Mayor of Emanuel, and from a mother of four residing in the
Golan to NRP head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, called on Ehud Barak not to
give away Israel's strategic and historic assets, and to stand firm in
face of Arafat's unyielding demands for all of Yesha and eastern
Jerusalem. Tsfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu led the crowd in the
recitation of "Shma Yisrael" (Hear O Israel, G-d is One) and the
acceptance of the "yoke of Heaven." Other speakers included MK
Rehavam Ze'evi, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, MK Natan Sharansky, MK
Avigdor Lieberman, and more.
Opposition leader MK Ariel Sharon told the Land of Israel faithful,
"We all want peace - but the peace that Barak appears to be bringing
us will lead to war!" Golan resident Michal Raikin spoke emotionally
of the ties that bind residents of the Golan and of Yesha:
"To the people of Yesha: In the past months, when a thick black cloud
hovered above us, when our dreams were falling apart on various
negotiating tables, you were with us - and sometimes even ahead of us
- in our most difficult hours, in our most torturous moments. You
taught us a lesson in national unity, and in mutual responsibility,
and in family ties, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
At the end of the day, you must have asked yourselves if we, those who
live in the Golan, would be here for you as the sword nears your own
throats. Well, we are here! We are here on behalf of all of our
children! We are here, because we have no other land! We have no
other land!"
Hadera Mayor Yisrael Sadan, a Barak supporter, was pressured by
government officials not to appear at the rally - he received at least
one phone call from Camp David asking him not to do so - but decided
to speak anyway. "I have come not to speak against anything," he told
the crowd, "but rather to speak on 'behalf of' - on behalf of the Land
of Israel and our continued dominion here, on behalf of the glorious
settlement enterprise, and on behalf of a united Jerusalem under
exclusive Israeli sovereignty forever!"
MK Avigdor Lieberman (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) read aloud a
letter to Ehud Barak:
"425 days ago, you won the elections. From then on, I keep asking
myself, who are you really? You ascended to power as Mr. Security -
but you have turned out to be Mr. Panic [and] a Grade A Peace Now-nik.
You promised not to divide Jerusalem, and to keep the Jordan Valley.
You promised good government, but it turns out that you don't know how
to differentiate between 'capital' and government.' The Knesset has
voted no-confidence in you. You have left your top apologists at
home, such as Chaim Ramon and Yossi Sarid, and your Foreign Minister
did not accompany you, and you rely instead on a group of businessman,
some of whom have chosen the 'right to remain silent' [in the police
investigation against the illegal associations campaign scandal]. Is
this the 'Prime Minister of everyone' that you promised?"
Also present at the demonstration were 22 hunger strikers, now into
the sixth day of their strike, who vow to continue fasting until Prime
Minister Barak returns from Camp David. The Likud Knesset faction
visited the hunger strikers - whose numbers have increased from day to
day - outside the Knesset this morning. Prof. Ron Breiman, one of the
initiators of the strike, was asked today if he thinks that the Prime
Minister is aware of his efforts. "The Americans are keeping him away
from everything that is going on, so that he will be detached from
public pressure," Breiman said, "but even when he is here in Israel,
he is not particularly attuned to what is going on in the public."
Two strikers are undergoing medical treatment - one at the site, and
one in the hospital - after feeling faint.
2. NO-CONFIDENCE IN PM
Two no-confidence motions in Prime Minister Barak were originally
scheduled for a Knesset vote today - but the sponsor of one of them,
MK Avigdor Lieberman, withdrew his shortly before the last moment.
Lieberman understood that the bill had no chance to pass, following
the decision by the Likud, NRP, and Shas not to take part in the vote;
the opposition parties accepted the coalition stance that
no-confidence motions should not be held when the Prime Minister is
abroad on a "national mission." Labor MK Ophir Pines warned that
never in the 52 years of the Knesset has a no-confidence vote been
held under such circumstances. Likud MK Michael Eitan laughed out
loud when he heard this claim, and said that Pines himself took part
in such a vote against Netanyahu when the latter was in China in May
1998.
For this and other reasons, Herut MK Michael Kleiner, the sponsor of
the other no-confidence motion scheduled for today, decided not to
withdraw it.
In the end, only a handful of MKs took part in the vote on this
motion -and it passed with a 4-2 majority, and two abstentions. The
opposition thus fell somewhat short of the 61 MKs needed to topple the
government. MK Lieberman is planning to re-submit his motion next
Monday, confident that then he'll have the required 61, "because then
all will see how Barak behaved and gave in during the summit."
3. CONGRESS UNLIKELY TO GRANT AID TO ISRAEL, P.A.
If a deal is signed at Camp David in the days ahead, the U.S. Congress
will be called upon to fund it. Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked Yoram
Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to Congress, about the chances of
securing the $15 billion-plus aid package to fund such a deal.
"Somewhere between slim and nil, in my opinion," he said. "We have to
understand that the Congress is currently preoccupied with domestic
budgets, trying to lower taxes, expanding the funds available for
social needs, etc. Asking Congress for massive funding for Israel,
the PLO and maybe even Syria at this point, is not consistent with
that body's present priorities. Furthermore, Congressmen are
currently quite busy with their election campaigns. Their goal is to
get elected come November, and the U.S. public does not particularly
favor foreign aid - especially to the PLO and Syria, still viewed in
most circles as terrorism-sponsoring entities..."
"It is hard to imagine that after a deal is signed, with all the
fanfare that can expected on the White House lawn, that Congress will
say, 'No, we are not part of this celebration,'" Segal suggested.
Ettinger: "Fifteen billion dollars is a conservative estimate of how
much this will all cost - some estimates place the price tag as high
as $100 billion for an Israel-PLO deal, including resettling and
compensating refugees. The price does not include an Israel-Syria
package, which would call for another $30 billion for Israel alone!
Congress simply will be unable to explain to its citizens why it is
cutting domestic funding while funneling monies to Israel, the PA and
Syria. "
"If what you say is correct," Segal responded, "then it turns out that
Barak's advisors are fooling him when they tell him that he will be
able to secure the necessary funds. Barak seems to be quite confident
that he will get the money!" Ettinger:
"Yes, he was also confident that he could push through the Phalcon
aircraft deal with China, but he received a rude awakening on that
issue, and Israeli interests suffered greatly as a result. Ehud Barak
is sorely lacking when it comes to reading the Washington political
environment..." Ettinger added that US politicians do not understand
why Barak would want to increase his country's dependence on foreign
aid. "I have heard many Congressmen say that by taking this approach,
Israel is digging its own grave in the Middle East," Ettinger said.
Ettinger then addressed a recent news item about advice given by a top
aide of leading Presidential contender George W. Bush to
Barak-advisors several days ago. The aide, Richard Perle, advised
them not to sign a deal at Camp David that does not include an
agreement on Jerusalem. "Look," Ettinger said, "Perle was a key
advisor to the former President Reagan on American-USSR relations, and
was a strong believer in non-capitulation to hostile enemies." This
does not mean, however, that these will be the policies of a new
President Bush, Ettinger said. "We have to be realistic. George W.'s
inner circle does not include only Perle, but also former National
Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and others who are not exactly ardent
Zionists. On the other hand, Bush Jr. is close to former Defense
Secretary advisor Paul Wolfowitz, and George Schultz, a good friend of
Israel. Best of all from Israel's perspective is the absence of James
Baker in the camp of Bush Jr., due to personal hostilities between the
two."
***************************************************************