To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, August 16, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, August 16, 2000 / Av 15, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PA OFFICIAL THREATENS TO BLOW UP ISRAELI CITIES
2. NOTED ANTI-ISRAEL FIGURE ADDRESSES DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
3. IDF DISMISSES REPORT ON ABANDONMENT OF BURIAL PLACE
4. LEGISLATION TO RESTRAIN BARAK ON THE AGENDA
5. RUBENSTEIN TO DECIDE ON NETANYAHU INDICTMENT
1. PA OFFICIAL THREATENS TO BLOW UP ISRAELI CITIES
"We are capable of blowing up Israeli cities." So said Palestinian
Authority Communications Minister Imad Faluji today. He added that the
Palestinians will not be satisfied with attacking military targets, but
would strike at "Israel's heart." Faluji made the comments in a mourner's
tent set up in Kfar Surda north of Ramallah, in the wake of the death of
village mayor Abu Mansour, who was killed by IDF gunfire last
night. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that the Arab man was killed when
a contingent of IDF Duvdevan unit soldiers entered the village to carry out
a mission. Soon after their entry, the soldiers were fired on from on top
of a roof within the village. The soldiers returned fire, fatally wounding
the gunman.
Although local Arabs claim that Abu Mansour was afraid that someone was
trying to break into his home - and Ha'aretz reported this morning that
they were attempting to arrest the man's son for suspected terrorist
activity - IDF commander Col. Gal Hirsch told Voice of Israel Radio today
that the soldiers were not headed in the direction of the house at the
time. "I have no idea why he fired on our men," said Col. Hirsch, "but when
someone fires on us, we fire back." Knesset member and Arafat confidante
Ahmed Tibi, also speaking on Voice of Israel, unequivocally blamed the IDF
for the death. He called the incident a "cold-blooded killing and a
provocation."
2. NOTED ANTI-ISRAEL FIGURE ADDRESSES DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
A speaker featured yesterday at the Democratic National Convention in Los
Angeles - Maher Hathout - is a known supporter of terrorism and harbors
clear anti-Israel views. Hathout is a senior official of the Muslim Public
Affairs Council (MPAC), an organization that has earned the criticism of
leading Jewish organizations because of its sympathy for terrorist groups.
The Zionist Organization of America notes that the President of the
American Jewish Congress wrote on June 30, 1999, that the MPAC "condones
terrorist acts;" similarly, the Anti-Defamation League announced in
December 1998 that it would not co-sign public statements with the MPAC
because of the organization's refusal to issue "a clear-cut denunciation of
terror." (Forward, Dec.4 ,1998) At the National Press Club on June 18,
1998, Maher Hathout stated that the Hizbullah terrorist organization "is
fighting for freedom...This is legitimate." In response to America's
attack on terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Sudan in August 1998,
Hathout said: "Our country is committing an act of terrorism. What we did
is illegal, immoral, unhuman, unacceptable, stupid and un-American."
Specific examples of MPAC's antagonism towards Israel abound. The MPAC
Affairs Council co-signed a public statement on September 17, 1993, which
called for Israel's dissolution. It noted that "the establishment by force,
violence, and terrorism of a Jewish state in Palestine in 1948" was
"unjust" and "a crime." MPAC thereupon vowed to "work to overturn
the
injustice." Hathout is also a member of a six-man editorial board for the
organization's paper, "The Minaret," which, in 1998 wrote: "Our pluralistic
society has become prisoner to a country that follows racism and apartheid
in its policies...The supporters of Israel have created a quiet reign of
terror in the U.S. People cannot speak loudly against the apartheid
policies of Israel."
3. IDF DISMISSES REPORT ON ABANDONMENT OF BURIAL PLACE
An official IDF spokesman has dismissed the Yesha Council's claim that the
Tomb of Joseph will be soon transferred to full Palestinian Authority
control. In response to a question posed by Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai
Huberman, the spokesman said that he "does not know of any such
initiative." The denial is not being taken seriously by Yesha leaders, who
note that a meeting has been scheduled between army officials and the
administration of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva located there to discuss the
future of the compound. According to information obtained by the Council,
Prime Minister Ehud Barak has already instructed the security establishment
to prepare for the transfer of the Tomb and the Shalom Al Yisrael Synagogue
in Jericho to PA control. The arrangement will allow for the entry of Jews
into the tomb compound, but no IDF soldiers will be permitted to remain there.
Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva director Yehuda Leibman
said that army officials have been visiting the site over the past few days
to study possibilities for further security reinforcements. "In our view,
the recent moves are consistent with reports that the army intends to
abandon the site, although nobody in an official capacity has specifically
informed us of such a plan. Joseph's burial place holds no significance for
Moslems, and handing it over to the Palestinians would essentially spell
the end of the yeshiva - since past experience has shown that handing over
full control to the Arabs would result in great damage to the site." During
the Palestinian-initiated "tunnel riots" of 1996, local Arabs set fire to
the compound, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Another
attack on the site during Arab riots this May pitted armed Palestinians
against IDF guards - and led to further damage to the site. "The sages tell
us that there are three places which the Gentile world cannot claim were
stolen by the Jewish people: the Temple Mount, the Cave of the Patriarchs,
and Joseph's Tomb," Leibman said. "It is horrifying to think that a Jewish
government would 'sell Joseph a second time.' The name of our yeshiva, 'Od
Yosef Chai' ('Joseph Lives On'), is no mere slogan; Joseph didn't die. He
lives on in the heart of every Jew."
IMRA noted in 1996 that, aside from the joint IDF-Palestinian patrols
operating at Joseph's Tomb, the Oslo II agreement puts no limit on the
number of Israeli guards who can protect the compound, as long as they do
not wear uniforms. There is also no limitation on their equipment or their
deployment inside the site.
4. LEGISLATION TO RESTRAIN BARAK ON THE AGENDA
The Likud is pressing on with its efforts to prevent Prime Minister Ehud
Barak from attending another Camp David-like summit with Yasser Arafat. So
far, the party has succeeded in signing 61 Knesset members to a bill that
would prevent Barak from signing any further diplomatic deals as long as he
does not enjoy a Knesset majority. Signatories of the bill include MK Chaim
Katz (Am Echad) and MKs David and Maxim Levy (Gesher). Egyptian Ambassador
to Israel Muhammad Bassiouny said today that his country is working towards
securing a framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, under
the sponsorship of the United States. According to Bassiouny, the
deliberations are already "at an advanced stage." PA official Nabil
Sha'ath said today that the U.S. intends to soon host another summit.
Diplomatic shorts: Prime Minister Barak will meet this evening in Jordan
with King Abdullah, where he plans to explain Israel's position on a
unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and suggest why the Camp
David summit collapsed. Minister Shimon Peres will hold a similar
discussion with Chinese officials today... Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo
Ben-Ami officially takes on his new portfolio today; tonight, he meets with
Palestinian official Abu Alla...US envoy Dennis Ross will arrive in Israel
tomorrow in an effort to pursue a second Israel-PA summit...Yasser Arafat
continued his world tour with a trip to Indonesia today...
5. RUBENSTEIN TO DECIDE ON NETANYAHU INDICTMENT
Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein today began three consecutive days of
deliberations to decide whether or not to indict former Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery. State Prosecutor Edna Arbel and
Jerusalem District Attorney Moshe Lador joined the discussion. Lador
believes that there is insufficient evidence for an indictment, while Arbel
and others feel that Netanyahu should, in fact, be brought to trial.
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To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, August 17, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, August 17, 2000 / Av 16, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PALESTINIAN CITES "IMPROVED ISRAELI OFFER" ON JERUSALEM
2. BARAK'S HOME CLAIMED BY ARAB
3. NETANYAHU CONTROVERSIES CONTINUE
4. SNEH BREAKS IT TO JORDAN VALLEY RESIDENTS
1. PALESTINIAN CITES "IMPROVED ISRAELI OFFER" ON JERUSALEM
American mediator Dennis Ross arrived in Israel this morning, with the
goal of renewing the American efforts on the Israeli-Palestinian
track. He met this morning with Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo
Ben-Ami, and later with leading Palestinian negotiators; he is
scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Barak tomorrow.
Ross said that a new summit is not presently on the agenda; he is
rather working for a "pre-summit" meeting between the delegations. A
senior Palestinian figure said today that an "improved Israeli offer"
on Jerusalem, or alternatively, an Arab willingness to defer the
Jerusalem issue to a later date, make an agreement in the very near
future "likely."
2. BARAK'S HOME CLAIMED BY ARAB
An elderly Arab from the Palestinian town of Biet Jamel in Samaria
said today that the home of Prime Minister Ehud Barak in Kokhav Ya'ir,
north of Ra'anana, sits on his land. He told Israel's Army Radio
yesterday that he had lost his land when a fence was erected between
Israel and Jordan, i.e., between the land and his village, following
the 1948 war. Despite the radio's report that the man has documents
proving his claims, the Prime Minister's Office stated that they are
groundless and that Kokhav Ya'ir was build on state-owned land. Moti
Karpel, a resident of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion and an editor of Jewish
Leadership's Lechatchila newsletter, said on the radio program, "The
purpose of Zionism was to conquer the Land. It is therefore not
surprising that many Arabs are walking around with papers proving
their ownership of lands within Israel... Barak sits on land owned by
Arabs, while he wants to evict Jews from settlements on lands that
never belonged to Arabs."
3. NETANYAHU CONTROVERSIES CONTINUE
Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues to engender
controversy. The matter of his indictment will again be debated today
and tomorrow in the Attorney-General's and State Prosecution's
offices; Jerusalem District Attorney Moshe Lador said he would refuse
to prosecute the case, if asked, because of the dearth of evidence.
In addition, there is restlessness within the Likud over the
possibility that Netanyahu will return. Yesterday, a meeting between
Netanyahu and his successor at the Likud helm, Ariel Sharon, did not
take place, because of a disagreement over the location; today, MK
Michael Eitan publicly called on Netanyahu, "for the sake of purifying
Israeli politics," not to vie for the party's top spot.
MK Uzi Landau sharply criticized Eitan's letter, saying, "At this
time, in the midst of a public campaign to besmirch Netanyahu's name
so as to prepare the way for his indictment - with the purpose of
hurting not only Netanyahu but the entire Likud - it could be expected
from any fair-minded person, and especially a Likud member, to come
out in his defense -- or at least not to fan the flames." Landau also
noted the recommendation by Lador - "who has carried out a thorough
investigation of the matter" - not to indict Netanyahu, and he
condemned the exertion of pressure by media and others upon the
officials to reject the recommendation. Landau decried the phenomenon
of "leaks" from State Attorney officials "with the clear intention of
bringing about an indictment."
4. SNEH BREAKS IT TO JORDAN VALLEY RESIDENTS
Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, meeting yesterday with the
residents of the Jordan Valley, told them that the status of their
towns would be the same as those in Judea and Samaria: Israeli
sovereignty over the towns themselves, and not the areas in between.
Some residents said afterwards that the Labor party leaders had lied
to them over the course of "years." Others, such as Shmuel Eyal, the
secretary of Kibbutz Kalya, remained optimistic; he told Arutz-7 today
that no agreement has been signed yet, and that he continues to have
confidence in the Prime Minister.
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To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, August 18,
2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, August 18, 2000 / Av 17, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. FORMER AIDE TO BARAK: NOTHING GETS DONE
2. BARAK MEETS YESHAI
1. FORMER AIDE TO BARAK: NOTHING GETS DONE
Shimon Batat, who resigned this week as Assistant Head of the Prime
Minister's Office, has scathing criticism of his former boss, Prime
Minister Ehud Barak. Batat told Ma'ariv today that "Barak runs the
country like a banana republic." Other selected quotes from the
interview:
"The office is run in an underground, unplanned nature. You can't run
a country by checking the polls every night an then acting according
to them. Barak works alone, runs everything himself. Nothing gets
decided, nothing happens. Everyone around him is in despair. He is
surrounded by ministers who don't really want him to succeed. Barak
has five press advisors, each one for something else. By the time he
gets to the third one, he is mixed up. This hurts his sharpness, his
concentration, his ability to get things done."
Batat, who served under Barak in the army, said that he originally
came to "serve the country, to do what I know best: to be a soldier of
Ehud Barak, and to help him succeed. I never thought I would have to
sit all day and memorize the public-relations tips of [Barak's public
relations advisor] Moshe Gaon."
2. BARAK MEETS YESHAI
Prime Minister Barak will meet with Shas leader MK Eli Yeshai today
for what has been said to be the "last chance" to see if Shas will
rejoin the government. Shas leaders said yesterday that there is no
chance that the party will again team up with Barak, and that the
meeting is being held only "out of respect for the Prime Minister."
The Shinui party, an anti-religious party with some right-wing
tendencies, said that it would vote against the government on every
issue if Shas joins, and that Barak is humiliating himself by
continuing to go after Shas. Meretz, too, has criticism of Barak's
efforts.
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To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, August 20, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, August 20, 2000 / Av 19, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK PROMISES CONSTITUTION WITHIN ONE YEAR
2. RELIGION AND STATE
3. MEDIA CONCENTRATES ON BATAT
4. HEVRON ARABS ATTACK JEWS
5. PA THREATENS SETTLEMENTS
6. BARAK WAITING FOR ANSWER ON OBSOLETE CONCESSIONS
7. NRP vs. GOVERNMENT
1. BARAK PROMISES CONSTITUTION WITHIN ONE YEAR
The Prime Minister's proposal to legislate a Constitution into law
within one year has successfully, if temporarily, diverted public
attention away from his troubles with the Palestinians as well as the
crisis in which his coalition finds itself. Voice of Israel Radio
political commentator Yaron Dekel said today, "Sure, we'll talk about
it [his new proposals] today, and probably tomorrow, but that will be
the end of it." Other ideas proposed by Barak in what some have
called his "secular revolution" include the abolishment of the
Religious Affairs Ministry, a civil marriage law, and a obligatory
national-service law. Barak announced his plan at a meeting last
night with government ministers.
Although political commentators say that Barak does not have a
majority in the Knesset for such a proposal - "He couldn't even pass a
Gardening Law today," said Dekel - public reactions have been both
intense and numerous. The Likud says that the idea is merely an
election ploy. "Ehud Barak does not want a Constitution at all," said
Likud faction head MK Ruby Rivlin, "but simply wishes to drive a wedge
between the religious parties [which have been traditionally against a
Constitution] and the Likud."
Other reactions
* Yisrael Beiteinu head MK Avigdor Lieberman: "It will tear the nation
apart. Barak is frantic because of his standing in the polls, and is
trying to save his skin... However, if the proposal reaches the
Knesset, we will vote on it according to its merits." * Shinui head MK
Tommy Lapid congratulated Barak on the initiative, but expressed
pessimism that it would pass in the Knesset. * NRP head Rabbi Yitzchak
Levy: "Barak is attempting to improvise a pseudo-revolution... He is
shooting in all directions, and is undermining the foundations of the
society." * United Torah Judaism head MK Meir Porush: "Moshe Gaon,
Barak's public relations advisor, should be the one running for Prime
Minister, not Barak..."
Political scientist Dr. Asher Cohen of Bar Ilan University was asked
today whether he sees a linkage between Barak's political problems and
his Constitution declaration. "I was very surprised to see that the
papers and electronic media this morning did not make this connection,
but to me, it seems obvious," said Cohen. "This is exactly what Shimon
Batat [who resigned last week from the Prime Minister's Office]
pointed out - that as long as information is flowing to the media,
then all is well as far as Barak is concerned... It appears that
Barak has concluded that Shas will not rejoin the government, and so
he is introducing other issues with the hope of attracting a new
coalition, this time without Shas. Each issue that Barak is now
raising, though, is a major one in and of itself: the issue of a
constitution has been debated over the past 50 years, and the closing
down of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the decision to work
towards 'national service' for every citizen, have also been long
debated... "
2. RELIGION AND STATE
MK Nachum Langental (NRP) told Arutz-7 today that the issues raised in
the Prime Minister's proposals are crucial and must be resolved, but
that Barak's timing and his "amateurish promise to legislate such
fundamental issues within only one year" prove that he is simply
"trying to change the public agenda, divert our attention from his
failures, and cause a rift among the opposition forces." Langental
said that the religious community must understand that it must not
simply continue to object to any resolution of issues such as religion
and state, conversion, marriage and divorce, and Shabbat, "because the
status quo is constantly changing, to our detriment. It is in our
interests to come to a clear agreement with those in the Likud and
Labor to whom Zionism is still important, in order that the Supreme
Court not continue to interpret religious laws against our interests."
Langental further said that it is clear that those who encourage
violations of the law by opening businesses on Shabbat "are engaged in
a cultural war against the religious character of the country."
Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane asked Hebrew University Law Professor Eliav
Shochatman if it might not be advisable to attempt to reach some sort
of agreement on religious issues to prevent further deterioration.
Shochatman: "The question is whether such a deal would actually
preserve a [desirable] status quo, or whether it would be subject to
the interpretation of the Supreme Court. The Knesset may formulate
the constitution, but the Supreme Court may come and interpret it in a
different fashion... Even the idea of a special 'constitutional
court' that will deal only with constitutional interpretation would
have to be composed of representatives of various sectors of the
populace, in which case it could work - but now, the notion is purely
theoretical. The questions of who would appoint such a body and the
like are very complex..."
3. MEDIA CONCENTRATES ON BATAT
The scathingly critical comments by Shimon Batat were the subject of
much public debate today. In an interview published Friday, Batat,
who resigned earlier last week as Deputy Head of the Prime Minister's
Office, said that Barak "runs the country like a banana republic" and
that his office "is run in an underground, unplanned manner... You
can't run a country by checking the polls every night and then acting
according to them. Barak works alone, runs everything himself.
Nothing gets decided, nothing happens. Everyone around him is in
despair." Barak-aide Eldad Yaniv responded today that it is
understandable that a man who leaves his job may have criticism of his
former workplace, but that Batat's words were largely "lies."
Bar Ilan University's Dr. Asher Cohen told Arutz-7 today that although
this story broke on Friday, there have been reports of the
deterioration of the situation in the Prime Minister's office for
months now: "The reports are that Barak's senior aide Gen. (res.)
Danny Yatom is not in contact with three other major security figures.
It's true that Yatom is not the Prime Minister, but let's put it this
way: It is very unfortunate that the country is being run in this
fashion... If the office of Barak - who has a more admiring media
[than Netanyahu had] - receives such harsh, critical treatment from
them, this is a sign that the situation is objectively worse than it
was under Netanyahu."
4. HEVRON ARABS ATTACK JEWS
The Hevron Jewish Community published today a list of 17 Arab assaults
and provocations upon Jewish targets that have taken place in Hevron
over the past six and a half weeks. The list, which its compilers
state does not include "dozens of cases of sexual assault and
harassment," includes many cases of throwing rocks, bottles, and metal
objects, as well as a firebombing, an infiltration, attempted
run-downs, and cases of massive shooting in the air.
Violence erupted in the city yesterday, after two Jewish women were
injured in slingshot attacks and a Jewish boy's foot was run over by
an Arab taxi. Jewish residents then filled the street across from the
Avraham Avinu neighborhood, demanding that the Arab stores and market
be closed, and that the road where the attacks occurred be closed to
Arab traffic. Several Jews accused of overturning Arab fruit stands
were arrested for a short time during the demonstration, while the
detention of another Jewish resident was prevented when several women
and children lay down under the police car and would not allow it to
take him away. Arabs rolled three burning tires down a hill into the
middle of a Jewish neighborhood; Israeli security forces extinguished
the flames. An emergency meeting between senior army officers and
leaders of the Hevron Jewish community was scheduled to take place
today.
Hevron spokesman David Wilder later released this statement:
"Exactly 71 years ago today, 67 Jews were brutally murdered in cold
blood in Hebron. The British police forces, composed of a British officer
and mostly Arab police, did absolutely nothing to stop the attacks...
[Now] Jews are still being attacked by Arabs in Hebron... It is
inconceivable that Arabs continue to attack Jews under the noses of
Israeli security forces, without any viable reaction by the police or
army... The Jewish community of Hebron was decimated in 1929 because
it had no protection. Today, 52 years after the emergence of the State
of Israel, it is incumbent on the IDF and Israeli police to ensure
that the events of 1929 are not repeated... We will not allow Hebron's
Arabs to fulfill Amin el Husseini's dream of a Judenrein Hebron. In
1967, when we returned to Hebron, we returned home. We have no
intentions of ever leaving and we have no intentions of letting Arab
violence chase us out of our homes. We are here to stay. Our very
presence in Hebron is an eternal memorial to those 67 Jews whose blood
was so horribly spilled here in 1929."
5. PA THREATENS SETTLEMENTS
So far, it's only words - but the war continues. PA Cabinet Secretary
Ahmed Abdel Rahman threatened today that the Palestinians "reserve the
right to impose a siege on the Jewish settlements" in Judea and
Samaria if Israel responds sharply to a unilateral Palestinian
declaration of a state. Rahman, speaking on Palestinian Radio, said
that the Jewish residents will find themselves in "genuine danger"
when the Palestinian army isolates them from each other and from the
rest of Israel.
6. BARAK WAITING FOR ANSWER ON OBSOLETE CONCESSIONS
Prime Minister Barak says he is still waiting for the response of the
Palestinians on the concessions he offered them at Camp David. At
today's weekly Cabinet meeting today, Barak said, "We are in a waiting
period, since we have yet to hear from them about an openness and
willingness to discuss the ideas which were raised at Camp David,
especially those regarding Jerusalem. The limited amount of time is
well-known, and in the coming weeks we will know whether Arafat is set
on an agreement or an impasse." Arutz-7's Ron Meir notes that this
conflicts with the speech Barak made to sum up the end of the Camp
David summit. Barak declared then that all the concessions he made
there were "null and void," and that future negotiations will not
begin where the Camp David summit left off.
American mediator Dennis Ross arrived in Israel last week - four days
earlier than planned, by special order of U.S. President Clinton. He
has met so far with Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, with
Palestinian negotiators, and with Prime Minister Ehud Barak. His
meeting with Yasser Arafat that was planned for today, however, may be
pushed off until tomorrow.
Arafat has said that he will not agree to declare the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict "ended" until after the Jerusalem issue
is resolved. The announcement was a disappointment to those who had
hoped that the other remaining issues could be resolved while leaving
Jerusalem for a later date.
7. NRP vs. GOVERNMENT
The National Religious Party petitioned the Supreme Court today
against the "caretaker" government of Ehud Barak. The party demands
that the Prime Minister be required to present his "new" government to
the Knesset, as is done when a new government is formed, in light of
the many new ministers and acting ministers that he has recently
appointed, and in light of the changes that have occurred in the
government's guidelines.
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