To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000 / Elul 17, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. THE DISMANTLING OF THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
2. RUNNING ROUGHSHOD OVER THE RELIGIOUS PUBLIC
3. RESPONSES
1. THE DISMANTLING OF THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Prime Minister Ehud Barak's secular revolution appears to be becoming a
reality, with the help of Justice Minister Yossi Beilin. Beilin has
already begun dismantling the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as outlined in
a four-month plan he and his staffers have drawn up. The process begins
with the closure of certain departments - a move that does not require
Knesset approval - within a month and a half.
Beilin, whose plan it is to "give other religions in Israel a greater sense
of partnership," explains his strategy in his introduction to the program
(quoted in HaTzofeh):
"Our diplomatic relations with the Vatican are improving... and the same
is true regarding the appeasement process with the Arab world. This will
require us in the coming years to increase budgetary allocations towards
developing Islamic and Christian institutions... Inter-religious
understanding and coordination will be required... The dismantling of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the transfer of its activities to other
government ministries, is indicated... It behooves us to find a way to
grant the other streams of Judaism and other religions in Israel a feeling
of greater partnership and equality..."
The Ministry's departments that are scheduled to be closed over the next
few weeks include: Diaspora; Ritual Items; Halakhic [Jewish Legal]
Research; Holy Sites; Synagogues; Mikvaot [Ritual Baths] and Eruvin [Ritual
Sabbath Domain Delimiters]; the Ministry's Northern Branch; and others.
Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson asked Yossi Beilin's spokesman Amir Abramovitz
today how the "need to increase inter-religious cooperation and
understanding" necessitates the closing of the one government ministry that
appears to be best qualified to take on exactly this task. Abramovitz
responded, "The Ministry of Religious Affairs is the one single obstacle to
the provision of proper religious services. The Attorney-General has said
that it is far from properly-run. The problem lies in its very
existence. The Minister has too much power and the control of too many
funds... The Ministry has become such a desired 'goodie' for Shas and the
NRP that recent coalition agreements stipulate that there be two Deputy
Ministers and the rotation of the Minister and Director-General every year."
2. RUNNING ROUGHSHOD OVER THE RELIGIOUS PUBLIC
The weekly Cabinet meeting was the scene of yet another front of the
"secular revolution" this morning: Three new Basic Laws were presented for
government approval. They included the Laws of Judicial Rights, Freedom of
Expression and Assembly, and Social Rights. The Cabinet in fact approved
the first two, but the third - Social Rights - was not accepted. This was
due to Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir's insistence that a special clause be
included guaranteeing equal rights for women. Meimad Minister Rabbi
Melchior objected to all three laws.
National Religious Party head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy explained to Arutz-7
today why the religious parties strongly object to at least two of the
above laws:
"The Law for Equality in Judicial Rights will pave the way for the Supreme
Court to nullify practices required by Jewish Law - and Islamic Law, in the
Islamic courts - such as the nullification of certain types of
testimony. The Halakhah [Jewish Law] will be subject to the preferences of
the Supreme Court!.. The Law of Freedom of Expression will worsen the
current situation in which there are practically no limits on immodest
speech or libel and slander. I recall that when I was Minister of
Education, I was able to stop a school from bringing in an unclothed woman
model - but with this new law, which grants broad freedom of speech, would
I be able to stop such a thing? Similarly with libel - it will be easier
for a person to publicly slander others, without fear of facing
prosecution... It's true that Chief Justice Aharon Barak always says that
new Basic Laws will protect minority groups, such as the religious sector,
but the fact is that in practice we simply do not see this. Instead, the
Court uses these Laws to erase the Jewish character of the State... These
are issues that do not enjoy a public consensus. If Prime Minister Barak
wants to destroy the delicate social fabric of our country, then let him
fly with this program. But if not, then he must wait for a consensus on
these issues."
Rabbi Levy has also written a sharp letter to Prime Minister Barak, warning
him that his policies are leading to the collapse of religious education in
Israel. "The dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry is merely a
camouflage for the lowering of the guillotine on the glorious educational
enterprise of Religious Zionism," Levy wrote, warning that the
religious-Zionist public will not accept this. "I am dumbfounded to see
that you are lending your hand to the destruction of this enterprise that
we have worked so hard to build up over the decades." The proposed budget
for 2001 calls for a cut of "tens of millions of shekels" to religious
education, Rabbi Levy said, showing the government's "disdain" for the
religious public. He elaborated on the issue for Arutz-7's listeners:
"I don't have any particular sentiments about the Ministry of Religious
Affairs per se, but I am very concerned about the substance. It's
important that the parents of the tens of thousands of yeshiva high school
and junior high school students, who already pay very high tuition, realize
what this will mean. Secondary-school religious education is in direct
danger of collapse. If now we have 70 yeshiva high schools [for boys], and
35 ulpanot [girls' high schools], with between 100 and 300 students each,
then soon there will be only 10 such institutions, and only the most
wealthy families will be able to send their children."
He explained what the closure of the Religious Affairs Ministry would mean:
"These institutions are presently funded by the Education Ministry for the
morning hours, but because of their dual-program curriculum, and the fact
that many of them have dormitories, the Religious Affairs Ministry stepped
in to provide the schools with an additional payment per student. [These
range from 80 shekels per month per junior high school student with no
dormitory, to 390 shekels per high school dormitory student. - ed. note;
figures provided by HaTzofeh reporter Moti Zaft] If these sums are now
allocated via the Education Ministry, we are in trouble; it is clear that
if the Minister is from Meretz, for instance, he is quite likely to decide
that special education in the Negev may be a higher priority for him than
religious education. For our institutions to lose these sums would be
almost a death blow. All the praise that we have received over the years
about our education and the students that we produce and the contribution
they make in every field - all this will be forgotten..."
3. RESPONSES
Rabbi Michael Melchior, Meimad's representative in the government, said
again that the way in which Barak is going about his social revolution is
harmful. "He must remember that Meimad is a partner in this coalition with
the understanding that any religious-social changes will be carried out
only after they are mutually agreed upon," said Rabbi Melchior.
Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson asked Amir Abramovitz - spokesman for the man
behind the push to close the Religious Affairs Ministry, Justice Minister
Yossi Beilin - for his response to the claim that the proposed changes will
cause severe damage to the religious high school system. "There is no
intention to hurt the educational services that are being provided,"
Abramovitz replied
Zalmanson then asked about the proposed Basic Law on Judicial
Equality: "Do you really intend to force the Religious Courts to be
conducted according to civil law? There are many ways in which the two are
simply incompatible!" Abramovitz responded, "There is no intention, at
this time, to change the way the religious courts are run."
Basic Laws must receive Knesset approval to be passed into law; Justice
Minister Beilin is confident that the required majority will be found, even
though the government does not currently enjoy Parliamentary support.
**********************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, Sept. 18, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Sept. 18, 2000 / Elul 18, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TALKS ARE STALLED
2. PA TERRORIST PRISONERS GO ON VACATION
3. CNN ON JERUSALEM
1. TALKS ARE STALLED
Prime Minister Ehud Barak told his Cabinet today that Israel opposes
not only the transfer of Temple Mount sovereignty to the Palestinians,
but completely rules out the possibility of transferring such control
to any Islamic body whatsoever. Regarding the current state of the
negotiations, Prime Minister Barak said that despite the ongoing
contacts, there is no development "worthy of mention," nor has there
been any change in the Palestinian position.
Palestinian spokesmen said again today that they reject any plan to
offer sovereignty over the Mount to the United Nations, and that they
insist on total Palestinian control over the site. Another sign of
the stalled talks was today's report that the Palestinians have
reneged on previous pledges, such as their consent to Israel's
retention of settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria.
In light of the apparent stalemate, U.S. President Clinton announced
that he would analyze the situation and decide how to proceed. It is
likely that he will dispatch a "senior official" to the region.
Arutz-7's Kobi Sela reports that in tandem with the lack of movement
in the talks, the PA is "heating up the territory." Almost every one
of the hourly convoys to Netzarim in Gush Katif was stoned this
morning by Arab rock-throwers. The army has partially closed the Erez
Checkpoint in Gaza in response, although the Karni Checkpoint further
south is open.
2. PA TERRORIST PRISONERS GO ON VACATION
Dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists have been released over
the past few days from Palestinian Authority prisons for "extended
vacations." Among the terrorists benefiting from the PA largesse are
those who were involved in major attacks against Israelis, such as the
bus bombings of early 1996. Israeli security sources said that the
revolving-door policy has "come to life."
In a related development, a senior IDF officer says that there has
been a sharp increase over the past month in the number of Arabs
arrested by the PA for collaborating with Israel. Among them are
almost 30 Israeli-Arabs, some of whom have been harshly tortured to
reveal information on their contacts with the Israeli GSS.
3. CNN ON JERUSALEM
Following CNN's website coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations can be a learning experience. Yesterday's report,
datelined "CNN-Reuters," stated, "Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem
in 1967, annexing it and declaring the entire city its 'indivisible
capital.'" The report neglected to mention that a) Israel captured it
in a defensive war, b) from Jordan - whose annexation of the city in
1948 was recognized by only two countries in the world - and c) that
the "declaration" of the city as Israel's "indivisible capital" was
merely a renewal of a situation that had been in effect until 1,900
years ago - and that no other nation ever claimed the city as its
capital in the meantime.
A CNN report on Friday, Sept. 15, quoted a Palestinian official
referring to the Temple Mount as "al-Haram al-Sharif," and then
explained, "Al-Haram al-Sharif, the Holy Sanctuary, is the Moslem term
for what the Jews call the Temple Mount, the western wall of which is
Judaism's most sacred site." In fact, of course, the Temple Mount
itself is Judaism's most sacred site, while the Western Wall is merely
an interim substitute for the Jewish nation which is prevented both
politically and Halakhically from totally actualizing its sovereignty
on the Mount.
In at least two articles last week, CNN neglected to mention the
Christian and Jewish name "Temple Mount" at all, while referring only
to "Al-Haram Al-Sharif" and calling it in one case "a sensitive mosque
compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City."
Some of CNN's website articles on the Israeli-Palestinian talks are
from Reuters, while others are CNN-originals. Reuters refers to the
PA Chairman as "President Yasser Arafat," although CNN reports
generally call him "Palestinian leader." This past Friday's CNN
report was an exception, and also gave Arafat the title "President."
**********************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 / Elul 19, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. REFUGEES BECOMING THE MAIN ISSUE
2. REVOLVING P.A. DOORS OPEN WIDE
3. 'SECULAR REVOLUTION' UNDER FIRE, TAKES THREE STEPS BACKWARDS
4. CABINET APPROVES BUDGET; KNESSET SUPPORT UNLIKELY
1. REFUGEES BECOMING THE MAIN ISSUE
Although the Israeli-Palestinian talks appear to have stalled chiefly
over the issue of Temple Mount sovereignty, other points of contention
are beginning to come into sharp focus. Ahmed Qureia, speaker of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, told Palestinian Radio on Sunday that
Israel's demand for settlement blocks - in which Barak has promised
that most of Yesha's residents would remain under Israeli sovereignty
- was unacceptable. He also rejected Israel's insistence on retaining
a Jordan Valley strip even for only 20 years.
An even sharper conflict is beginning to emerge over the issue of Arab
refugees from 1948. Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, currently
Israel's leading negotiator with the Palestinians, told the United
Nations yesterday, "It is historically misleading to claim that the
refugee problem is a result of a mass expulsion... Israel does not
and will not assume ethical, legal, or political responsibility for
the finding of a solution."
PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, however, is equally - or more -
intransigent. "I say to all the refugees that there will be neither
peace nor security if you do not return to your homeland," he told a
large audience on Sunday. "Return is a sacred right. People are
fooling themselves if they think it can be traded for a handful of
dollars," he said, rejecting a proposal to settle the issue by way of
monetary compensation.
At least one Israeli Knesset Member agrees - Arab MK Azmi Bishara
(National Democratic Alliance). Bishara feels that the Palestinians
erred when they began to weaken in their struggle for the "right of
return" for Palestinian refugees. Speaking at a "No Right of Return =
No Peace" rally in London this past Sunday, Bishara said that the
Palestinians should not be concentrating on Jerusalem or territory,
but rather on the issue of the refugees: "The Palestinian issue needs
to be returned to its root: the refugees of 1948... [This issue]
cannot be given up in negotiations. The PLO was established in 1964,
in Jerusalem - which wasn't occupied by 'Zionists' then, but was
rather under Arab control. The PLO was set up for the rights of
refugees. The rights of refugees came before the right of statehood...
We don't want a state without the right of return, but rather a state
that guarantees the right of return."
Ben-Ami, in his speech to the UN, related to this point: "It is
ridiculous to think that it is possible to establish a state in order
to return refugees to a neighboring state."
***As we go to press:
Prime Minister Barak announced that he has decided to call a
"time-out" in the talks with the Palestinians, and canceled the
meeting that was scheduled for today. He said that the Palestinian
positions have become more extreme. Palestinian negotiator Saeb
Erekat expressed "sorrow" at the decision.
2. REVOLVING P.A. DOORS OPEN WIDE
Prime Minister Barak confirmed yesterday that the Palestinian
Authority has ignored Israeli requests to arrest para-military
policemen who fired on IDF soldiers during the Nakba Day disturbances
of four months ago. Hot on the heels of yesterday's report that the
PA had granted "vacations" to dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad
terrorists, Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that after
Nakba Day, Israel submitted to the PA a list of dozens who fired on
Israelis; almost all of them were arrested, questioned, and released
shortly afterwards. Barak confirmed the information in a response to
a Knesset query by MK Nachum Langental (NRP).
3. 'SECULAR REVOLUTION' UNDER FIRE, TAKES THREE STEPS BACKWARDS
Chief Rabbis Yisrael Meir Lau and Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron informed the
religious Knesset lobby yesterday that they now object to the closure
of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. They released the following
statement: "Given the situation that has come about, in which the
dismantling of the Ministry has become an integral part of the program
known as the secular revolution, we cannot support or agree to the
dismantling of the Ministry at this time and in this connection."
Barak's "secular revolution" was the subject of a HaTzofeh editorial
today. The paper first noted the main aspects of the program:
* the nullification of the nationality clause on identity cards;
* the closure of the Ministry of Religious Affairs;
* Shabbat flights for El Al Israel Airlines within a few weeks
* public transportation on Shabbat;
* civil marriages for those who want.
The editorial stated:
"These measures will lead not only to a split in the nation, but to
the removal of the Jewish stamp from the character of the State of
Israel... This stands in absolute contradiction to the Declaration of
Independence, which states that Israel will preserve its unique
character as the State of the Jewish People... The People of Israel
hoped not for a state just like all the others, but rather a Jewish
State for the Jewish Nation... This is not a religious dispute, but
rather a national dispute: Will Israel remain the Jews' state, or it
will be just another country?... We must call upon the Prime Minister
to desist from his distorted plans, in the hope that he too will
understand that the special nature of Israel must ever be
maintained..."
Three steps were taken to slow down the pace of the so-called "secular
revolution" yesterday.
* the Prime Minister expressed support for a proposal by Rabbi Michael
Melchior (Meimad) to set Sunday as a national day of leisure -
relieving pressure for Shabbat activities;
* after meeting with Rabbi Lau, Barak froze the plans to transfer the
"yeshiva funding" department to the Education Ministry - causing
religious education leaders to breathe a sigh of relief;
* and the closure of Orthodox conversion courses was called off, in
the face of Rabbi Melchior's threat to vote against the national
budget at yesterday's Cabinet meeting.
4. CABINET APPROVES BUDGET; KNESSET SUPPORT UNLIKELY
The Cabinet approved the proposed 2001 budget yesterday. Nine
ministers supported it, Ministers Ramon and Vilnai voted against, and
Ministers Ben-Eliezer, Ben-Ami, and Tamir abstained. The budget is
not expected to pass the Knesset, under the present coalition make-up;
the Likud has advised the Prime Minister not to "embarrass himself" by
presenting the budget to the Knesset. Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg
advised Barak to "consult with the political parties" before
presenting the budget, for the same reason.
*************************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2000 / Elul 20, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN
2. JERUSALEM BILL, NEGOTIATIONS - SET TO RACE
3. ARAFAT SMUGGLES TERRORIST AROUND
4. CALLS FOR RELIGIOUS PUBLIC TO WAKE UP
5. EL AL WOULD LOSE MORE THAN IT GAINS
1. OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN
In what opposition leaders called anything from a "zig-zag" (Yisrael
B'Aliyah MK Natan Sharansky) to a "total humiliation" (Likud MK
Yehoshua Matza), Prime Minister Ehud Barak reinstated the talks with
the Palestinians last night, after calling them off only four hours
earlier.
It was originally announced shortly after 5 PM yesterday that a
scheduled meeting between Israel and Palestinian negotiators would not
be held, because Israel was unhappy with the increasingly inflexible
Palestinian positions. The Palestinian response was one of anger, and
the Americans too showed signs of bewilderment, and Israel announced
shortly afterward that the talks were back on.
Opposition leader MK Ariel Sharon (Likud), in a pre-election visit at
the Haifa market today, said about Barak, "He was a very courageous
officer, but as Prime Minister, he is very weak - everything about him
is weakness." The Prime Minister rejected criticism of his strategy,
and dismissed his Office's contradictory announcements as
"misunderstandings and mishaps." He repeated the Prime Minister's
Office's official explanation, saying that the meetings since Camp
David have not been "negotiations," but rather "contacts," thus that
the negotiations were never stopped.
Following the Israeli turnaround, the Palestinians quickly went on the
offensive - but it was similarly short-lived: Yasser Arafat said that
he would not renew the talks until he receives clarifications from
Prime Minister Barak as to why he stopped the talks yesterday. Later
in the afternoon, though, PA official Abu Mazen said that the
Palestinians are willing to resume final-status framework talks with
Israel in the coming weeks - and a meeting between Israeli Atty. Gilad
Sher and the Palestinians' Saeb Erekat is now scheduled for this
evening. Abu Mazen took the opportunity to emphasize that the
Palestinians demand full sovereignty over Jerusalem.
2. JERUSALEM BILL, NEGOTIATIONS - SET TO RACE
The relevant Knesset subcommittees will vote on Monday on Likud MK
Yehoshua Matza's proposed bill requiring an absolute Knesset majority
to approve any change in the status, area, or borders of Jerusalem.
Matza expressed confidence that the bill would pass, but agreed that
"it is a race" as to whether his bill will pass before Barak signs an
agreement giving away parts of Jerusalem. The Knesset will vote on
the bill in November, after the Knesset recess.
3. ARAFAT SMUGGLES TERRORIST AROUND
Abu Abbas, who headed the Palestinian Liberation Front terrorist
organization, says that the Israeli security limitations placed upon
his entry to Israel don't faze him. "If the Israelis prevent me from
passing from Gaza to Hevron, Yasser Arafat simply takes me in his
helicopter," he said. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports
that the Netanyahu government placed severe restrictions upon the
entry of Abu Abbas - whose organization was responsible for the murder
of wheelchair-bound Leon Klinghoffer - into pre-1967 Israel.
4. CALLS FOR RELIGIOUS PUBLIC TO WAKE UP
MK Yigal Bibi (National Religious Party), a former Deputy Religious
Affairs Minister, said that the religious public has still not
awakened to the severe consequences of Barak's secular revolution -
especially for religious education. He called on the public to hold
public protests outside ministers' homes, conduct mass vigils, and
take other forms of protest against the planned measures.
MK Natan Sharansky, leader of the Yisrael B'Aliyah party, blames Prime
Minister Barak for "enlisting half the nation against the other" in
the struggle over what has become known as the secular revolution, and
"this could destroy the nation." He did not commit to vote one way or
other regarding Barak's secular proposals, but criticized the manner
in which they were presented.
5. EL AL WOULD LOSE MORE THAN IT GAINS
A senior El Al employee told Globes newspaper today that El Al's
expected losses from the transfer to a seven-day week will be greater
than its profits from such a move. Flights on the Sabbath could net
the company an extra 50 million shekels - but at the same time it will
lose 60 million shekels from the expected religious boycott of the
airline. El Al is considering flying on Shabbat under another
commercial name.
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