HHMI Newsgroup Archives

To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday,  October  30, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Oct. 30, 2000 / Rosh Chodesn Cheshvan 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. INTENSE PALESTINIAN SHOOTING
   2. RABBI DEMANDS INVESTIGATION; DAY OF PRAYER NEXT MONDAY
   3. KNESSET WINTER SESSION OPENS TODAY
   4. NO SCHOOL TRIPS TO WESTERN WALL

1. INTENSE PALESTINIAN SHOOTING
Last night saw several intense gun battles and many isolated Palestinian shootings throughout Yesha.  Bullets hit at least three homes in Psagot, and Palestinians engaged Israeli soldiers in long
shooting matches at the Ayosh Junction and near Shechem.  They shot at the Ofer Base near Ramallah, at IDF checkpoints near Hevron and Kalkilye, at an IDF force on Mt. Gerizim near Shechem, and at the town of Vered Yericho and near other Yesha towns.

An IDF officer was lightly wounded this morning when a roadside bomb was detonated as an Israeli jeep patrolled along the Israeli-Egyptian border near Rafiah.  This was the sixth such bomb that has exploded in the area in the past few weeks.  Bullets were shot at the patrol beforehand from the direction of the Palestinian autonomy; the soldiers returned fire.  Last night, too, Palestinian terrorists detonated a bomb as an Israeli bus and IDF jeeps passed by near Morag in Gush Katif; Palestinians also fired at the convoy, injuring no one but causing damage to the bus and a jeep.

Another miracle occurred today in Gush Katif:  The security coordinator of the Gush Katif town of Netzer Hazani narrowly escaped death early this afternoon, when a heavy barrage of gunfire was directed at his car.  He was traveling at the time near the community's greenhouses.  The car was seriously damaged, but the driver was unhurt - and he even managed to fire back at the attackers.

An army bulldozer near Tarmit - an IDF outpost in Gaza that has become a regular target of Palestinian fire over the past few days - was shot at late this morning.  The driver was lightly wounded, and the soldiers there returned fire.  The Karni-Netzarim road was opened for traffic today, after the nine-hour battle that took place there yesterday.  The 15 tanks and armored vehicles that took part in the battle have been removed from the area.

Dozens of Israeli-Arabs rioted this afternoon on the Wadi Ara highway between Afula and Hadera.  They threw rocks at passing cars and clashed with policemen, who dispersed with tear gas.

2. RABBI DEMANDS INVESTIGATION; DAY OF PRAYER NEXT MONDAY
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, former Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, called last night for the establishment of a national committee of inquiry to investigate the abandonment of the wounded soldier at Joseph's Tomb, the wounded hikers at Mt. Eval, and the evacuation of Joseph's Tomb.  He spoke at a memorial for Rabbi Binyamin Herling at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook in Jerusalem; Rabbi Herling was murdered by Palestinians eleven days ago during a hike on Mt. Eval.

The Ichud HaRabbanim (Rabbis Union), led by former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, has set next Monday as a special day of prayer in synagogues all over the world.  At a gathering yesterday, the rabbis declared, "The rights and obligations of the Nation of Israel to sovereignty over the Land of Israel and to the settlement of the Land are an eternal command by the Creator to the entire Nation, for the entire Land, throughout all the generations.  The weakening of this faith and vision that has taken root among some of our people has led to the  abandonment of this way of truth, and to the abandonment of parts of the Land of our Life in the hands of foreigners - which has brought danger and catastrophe upon the entire nation.  Every concession weakens us, and gives our enemies more strength and confidence to fight us.  The eyes of many have now been opened to see that which warned about..."

Prime Minister Barak, in a letter to the town of Elon Moreh recently, promised that Israel would insist on the return of Joseph's Tomb to Israeli control.  "When we return to real negotiations [with the Palestinians]," he wrote, "we will insist that all the agreements be fulfilled, including the clause concerning Kever Yosef."

A special emergency meeting has been called for the various extra-parliamentary right-wing groups in Tel Aviv tonight.  The general public is invited; "Whoever does not show up, will not be able to have an influence," announces the publicity for the meeting.  Sponsoring organizations include Professors for a Strong Israel, Gamla Shall Not Fall Again, Cities for Israel, Women in Green, Zo Artzeinu, Pikuach Nefesh, and others.

3. KNESSET WINTER SESSION OPENS TODAY
The Knesset's winter session began this afternoon with a political statement by Prime Minister Ehud Barak.  Barak expressed confidence that Israel would "emerge stronger" from the present difficult situation in which it finds itself.  "The peace will come," Barak said, "but not at any price."  The Prime Minister said that if Clinton invites him for another summit meeting to discuss an end to the hostilities with Arafat, he will respond favorably.  His speech was widely interrupted by the Arab MKs, and sometimes even by Likud MKs.  After Barak reviewed the events of the past months, he said, "We now see that we apparently do not have a partner for peace on the other side, for the present, as they have consciously chosen the way of violence;" Arab MK Ahmed Tibi yelled out, "Neither are you our partner."

Despite a conciliatory gesture by Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, in which he read aloud an agreed-upon statement of regret over all the citizens who had died in the recent violence, the Arab MKs provocatively held up photographs of the 13 Israeli-Arabs who were killed.  Ariel Sharon, in his rebuttal to Barak, appealed for the formation of an emergency government with the Likud "right here and now."

Negotiations between Labor and Likud for an emergency government continued today.  Shas has officially decided to grant a safety net to the Barak government, for at least the next month.  At a meeting today between Labor's Yossi Beilin and Shas leaders Yeshai and Pinchasi, it was decided that Shas would not vote to topple the government in the coming month, while Labor has agreed not to expand the government without the consent of Shas.

4. NO SCHOOL TRIPS TO WESTERN WALL
The Education Ministry is stricter with its school trip guidelines than are the police.  Ministry Director-General Shlomit Amichai has issued guidelines forbidding school trips to the Old City of
Jerusalem, including the Western Wall - while Police Commissioner Yehuda Wilk said today that there is no reason not to take trips there.  The Ministry also forbids trips to Judea and Samaria, the Jordan Valley, the Hermon area, and all along the northern border.  Hiking students may also not sleep in open areas throughout the country.

**************************************************************

To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, November 1, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2000 / Cheshvan 3, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. TWO BATTLES
   2. PERES-ARAFAT MEETING IN DOUBT
   3. MOSLEM CONTRIBUTIONS
   4. SCHROEDER CONCLUDES VISIT

1. TWO BATTLES
Two major battles raged today between Palestinians and Israelis - one in Gilo-Beit Jala, and one in Al-Hader in the Bethlehem-Gush Etzion region.  The latter battle began when Palestinians shot and wounded three Israeli soldiers - two of them seriously.  The continued Palestinian firing prevented the evacuation of the wounded for at least a half-hour.  IDF helicopters were rushed to the area, and only under their protective missile-firing were the wounded able to be evacuated, with difficulty, from the area and given medical treatment.  One or two other soldiers were wounded in the battle.  At least one Palestinian military policeman was killed in the battle, and a dozen or more Palestinians were wounded.

The second battle, several kilometers north, began with intensive machine-gun firing upon Gilo from the Palestinian Authority town of Beit Jala at 4 PM today, and raged for close to four hours.  It was the first time that such shooting had taken place during daylight hours, and it followed almost a week of quiet there.  An IDF officer said that the firing was the most massive and intensive gunfire from Beit Jala on Gilo since the beginning of the current violence.  The IDF returned missile fire at the Palestinian sources of fire.  Five houses in Gilo have been damaged.

Prime Minister Barak called an urgent meeting of security mini-Cabinet meeting for this evening, following a similar meeting this morning in which no operative decisions were made.  The  meeting will be held in the shadow of media reports this morning that Barak had already resumed secret diplomatic contacts with Arafat.  Taking advantage of the political safety net afforded him by Shas, Barak had planned to explore possibilities of renewing negotiations on the issues still in dispute, and to schedule further talks in Washington.

Other targets of Palestinian gunfire this afternoon were the Dagan hilltop in Efrat, nearby IDF outposts, Atzmonah in Gush Katif, Rachel's Tomb, Shdemah, the Ayosh and Karni junctions, and a Border Guard patrol near Tulkarm.  Outside Beit El, which is separated by a valley and a road from the Palestinian village of Jelazun, hundreds of Arabs burnt tires and threw rocks and firebombs at IDF soldiers on the road.  An attempt by a similar mob to infiltrate Beit El last night was repelled by the IDF.

The Tunnels Highway between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem, as well at least two other Yesha roads, are closed to traffic, in light of the violence.  The road to Beitar, west of Bethlehem, was closed, and residents on their way home were instructed to detour through Tzur Hadassah; at 7:30 PM, a bus using the detour route was stoned, and two passengers were lightly hurt.

2. PERES-ARAFAT MEETING IN DOUBT
Shimon Peres and Barak's Office Director Gilad Sher was scheduled to meet with Arafat tonight, but neither Ehud Barak nor Arafat appear to be interested in conducting the meeting, in light of today's events, and it has apparently been called off.  Government Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak met with Arafat last night.  Arafat's Fatah forces called today for an escalation in the activities against the Israeli presence in Gaza.  The Foreign Ministry's new Director-General, Alon Liel, sharply attacked Yasser Arafat today.  "He is sabotaging the peace process," Liel said, in the official installation ceremony for his new job.  "He had the position of a statesman, but is purposely returning to that of terrorism and incitement leader."

PA negotiator Saeb Erekat will meet in Washington tomorrow with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan.  Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami is scheduled to meet with Albright in Washington a few days later.

3. MOSLEM CONTRIBUTIONS
With the American elections only six days away, the ties between Democratic Party candidates and Moslem causes continue to occupy Jewish voters there.  Evan Gahr, in a recent article on
<www.jewishworldreview.com>, has reviewed some of the recent contributions received by New York Senatorial candidate Hillary Clinton:

"First, it was $500 from American University professor Clovis Maksoud, the Arab League's former "special envoy" to the United Nations. In an open letter to PLO chieftain Yasser Arafat this summer, Mr. Maksoud urged the semi-retired terrorist to extricate himself from the Oslo peace accords...  Mr. Maksoud says he made the donation this May at a Virginia fund-raiser because of Mrs. Clinton's obvious sympathy for the "Palestinian cause." ... The New York Daily News reported on Oct. 25 that Abdurahman Alamoudi of the pro-Hamas American Muslim Council
donated $1,000 to Hillary's Senate campaign this May. Mr. Abdurahman, who calls Hamas a "freedom fighting organization," explains that, "We are the ones who went to the White House and defended what is called Hamas" (an apparent reference to the White House receptions Mrs. Clinton is known to have hosted for the American Muslim Council and like-minded groups)."

Gahr reported that Clinton's campaign has promised to return the latter $1,000, but that Mr. Maksoud told him that the campaign has not returned his $500.  Early this summer, it was reported that Ms. Clinton had raised more than $50,000 at a private fund-raising reception on May 12 at the Washington mansion of Hani Masri, a close confidante of Yasser Arafat.

4. SCHROEDER CONCLUDES VISIT
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, at the conclusion of a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority today, cautioned the Palestinians against a unilateral declaration of a state.  After meeting with Arafat in Gaza, Schroeder said that although he was sympathetic towards the Palestinians' national aspirations, "unilateral declaration would simply escalate the violence."  He had earlier said that he would demand that Arafat halt the violence.  The German leader met yesterday with President Katzav, Prime Minister Barak, and Knesset Speaker Burg, and visited in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.  He expressed his hope for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which, he said, would have to include Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

**************************************************************

To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, November 2, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2000 / Cheshvan 4, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TO OUR LEADERS:
The disturbing news of the past few weeks, and particularly of the past two days, has caused an outpouring of responses from our readers.  To ensure maximum effectiveness for your convincing, sincere, and well-written letters, the most appropriate addressees are Prime Minister Barak and other members of his office and government.  We therefore provide the following e-mail addresses, and ask that you use them often:

Prime Minister Ehud Barak - rohm@pmo.gov.il
Defense Minister Ehud Barak - sar@mod.gov.il
Prime Minister's Office Director Yossi Kucik - mankal@pmo.gov.il
Prime Minister's Office Public Relations Ruti Bait - pniot@pmo.gov.il
Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh - sgansar@mod.gov.il Defense
Ministry Public Relations Director Hadassah Klepfish -
pniot@mod.gov.ilfice of Defense Ministry Spokesman - dover@mod.gov.il
Minister of Public Security Shlomo Ben-Ami - sar@mops.gov.il Police
Commissioner Yehuda Wilk - mafkal@police.gov.il Foreign Ministry
Public Relations - pniot@mofa.gov.il Justice Minister Yossi Beilin -
sar@justice.gov.il Justice Ministry Public Relations Yehudit Begun -
pniot@justice.gov.il Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg - yor@knesset.gov.il

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. WAITING FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
   2. REACTIONS TO THE PERES-ARAFAT UNDERSTANDINGS

1. WAITING FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The world is still awaiting the simultaneous announcements by Barak and Arafat about a cessation of hostilities.  Originally scheduled for 2 PM, the announcements have been pushed off several times, and it is not known when and if they will be made.  Minister Dalia Itzik said that Israel is still waiting for Arafat to fulfill several promises he made to Shimon Peres last night, and "until this happens, Barak will not make any announcement."  She said, however, that there is no choice but to continue talking to Arafat.  "The solution [to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict] must be diplomatic, not military," she said.

The cessation-of-hostilities announcements were agreed upon at a meeting between Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat in Gaza late last night.  The meeting cut short preparations made only minutes beforehand by the security cabinet for helicopter attacks on Palestinians targets, in retaliation for yesterday's killing of three IDF soldiers.  According to the understandings of last night, Arafat is scheduled to announce in his own voice, over Voice of Palestine Radio, a call for his fighters to lay down their arms.  At the same time, Prime Minister Barak is to make a similar announcement of a ceasefire.  Gilad Sher, Barak's aide who attended the Peres-Arafat meeting, made sure to announce afterwards, "This is not a ceasefire, but just a cessation of hostilities."

Israel hurried this morning to carry out several pre-ceasefire gestures.  It removed its forces from many of the flashpoints, as disbanded its encirclement of PA cities.  In addition, the two-day-old IDF position at the Karni Junction in Gaza was handed over to PA policemen early this morning - and within a short time, was full of rioting Palestinians who closed off the road to Netzarim.  The PA police supplied them with drinks of water.  After two convoys of Israeli cars made their way safely out of the town, at 7 AM and 8 AM, the Palestinian police did nothing to ensure that the road remained open.  Three military helicopter flights were scheduled for those who wished to enter or leave Netzarim today.  In addition, the Knesset Members of the National Religious Party who arrived in Gush Katif for a pre-arranged meeting to Netzarim arrived and left via military helicopter.

2. REACTIONS TO THE PERES-ARAFAT UNDERSTANDINGS
Likud MK Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio today, "The best thing Peres can do now is to announce publicly before the world that he regrets having received the Nobel Peace Prize together with that man [Arafat], and then maybe the world will realize the situation in which we find ourselves."  Ezra, a former GSS Deputy Director, spoke earlier with Arutz-7, and said, "Arafat realized that the economic situation in the PA is deteriorating, and also he needed to replenish his ammunition and gas...  He also saw that the IDF was about to respond much more
strongly..."  Although he said that he hopes there will be no more hostilities, "the decision to meet last night was a wrong one...  We should not have passed quietly over the [killings of our soldiers]."

IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon expressed his opinion this morning that Arafat has no intention of preserving a ceasefire for more than a few days.

Barak- aide Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Peled, a former O.C. Northern Command, said this morning, "It seems to me that the Peres-Arafat meeting last night was not the right thing to do.  What we should have done was to react in a way that would have Arafat running to the Americans, begging them to 'stop those Jews, they've gone crazy.'"

MK Avigdor Lieberman (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) said that this agreement, too, will be tossed into the trashcan of history.

Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, head of the NRP, said that he hopes that nothing was promised to Arafat in exchange for his agreement, but that in any event if it leads to Camp David-based negotiations, the government will be toppled.

Center Party MK Dan Meridor said that Israel must not agree to a situation in which live fire is stopped but firebomb and rock attacks continue. This morning, senior PA figures said that the extent of the gunfire will be reduced, but that marches and rock-throwing will continue. Arafat-advisor MK Ahmed Tibi said the same; Likud MK Yisrael Katz immediately demanded that Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein order an investigation of Tibi for incitement and encouraging the enemy.

Shas leader Eli Yeshai said that he was skeptical about any form of promise given by Arafat.

Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami - who was officially named Foreign Minister today - said this morning that Israel wants the negotiations to resume from the Camp David understandings with the Americans presenting their bridge proposal.

**************************************************************

To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, November 3, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 / Cheshvan 5, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. PALESTINIAN ATTACKS INCREASE HOURLY
   2. BARAK IN FAVOR OF RESTRAINT
   3. NRP LEADER'S DAUGHTER WAS ONE OF YESTERDAY'S VICTIMS

1. PALESTINIAN ATTACKS INCREASE HOURLY
While the world continues to wait for the implementation of the Peres-Arafat ceasefire understandings, Palestinians shot at Israeli targets in at least four places today:  At Shdemah, south of
Jerusalem, at Mt. Eval near Shechem, in Hevron, and near Tulkarm; two of these occurred in the last hour.  In addition, there were many incidents of Palestinian rioting and violence against IDF forces throughout Judea and Samaria, including at the Ayosh Junction and near Tulkarm.  In Hevron, 1,000 Arabs rioted (see below), and two clashes erupted in Gaza.

An IDF convoy traveling along the Israeli-Egyptian border was shot upon today.  The soldiers returned fire; no one was hurt.  Last night,  too, the Palestinians continued their offensive: Among other violence, a grenade was thrown at a Border Guard post in Ras el-Amoud, and an Israeli motorist was shot in the leg in a drive-by terrorist shooting near Ma'aleh Ephraim.

Yasser Arafat told CNN today that he has fulfilled his part in the understandings he reached with Shimon Peres, and that he is now waiting for Israel to fulfill its part.  Several Palestinian
organizations have announced that they do not accept the ceasefire understandings.

2. BARAK IN FAVOR OF RESTRAINT
"We will not allow our 'boiling blood,' even that of some of the government ministers, to drag us into 'adventures' that are dangerous for Israel."  So said Prime Minister Ehud Barak today, speaking at a memorial ceremony on the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin.  "We are smart enough to know that there are no simple solutions," he said.  "We will stop those who call for 'Death to the Arabs.'"  Yesterday, Barak laid the responsibility for the terrorist car-bomb attack at the doorstep of the Palestinian Authority, and said that the Hamas terrorists released recently by the PA must be returned to prison.  A memorial rally for Yitzchak Rabin has been called in Tel Aviv for tomorrow night.

3. NRP LEADER'S DAUGHTER WAS ONE OF YESTERDAY'S VICTIMS
The two victims of yesterday's terrorist attack near Jerusalem's Machaneh Yehuda market have been buried:  Atty. Chanan Levy, 33, was buried in Jerusalem today, and Ayelet-HaShachar Levy, 28, was interred last night.  Many Knesset colleagues of her father, National Religious Party head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, were among the many hundreds of people who participated in her funeral.  President Moshe Katzav, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, and others eulogized her.

Rabbi Levy told Israel Radio today that "Shachar, as we called her, was just great:  Talented in art and music, as well as in performing kindness for others...  She was, as Rabbi Eliyahu said last night, a 'daughter of Jerusalem,' which is one of the reasons why she was in the midst of moving there yesterday, and this is why we buried her in Jerusalem, as she would most certainly have wanted."  Rabbi Levy was on his way back from an NRP visit to Netzarim yesterday when, he said, "as soon as I heard the name of the street and the fact that a moving truck was involved, it was clear to me that Shachar was [hurt]." Among those who paid condolence calls at his home in Kfar Maimon in the Negev were Prime Minister Barak and Meretz leader Yossi Sarid. "At times like this," Rabbi Levy said, "we don't exchange political viewpoints, but chiefly cry together, and together feel the pain of the People of Israel on its way to the final redemption."

***********************************************************

To:            arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, November 5, 2000

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Nov. 5, 2000 / Cheshvan 7, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. WHO'S IN CONTROL?
   2. BACK TO CAMP DAVID?

1. WHO'S IN CONTROL?
It has now been almost six weeks - and four days after the Peres-Arafat understandings - but still the Palestinian violence continues (see below).  A theme commonly heard today, by both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, is that Yasser Arafat does not have total control over the Palestinian public.  Likud MK Michael Eitan rejects this argument on three accounts:

 "For one thing, Israeli security evaluations have shown conclusively that Arafat is in direct control of the violence - he initiated it, and he can stop it.  Secondly, we were always told by those who sold us Oslo that one of the main purposes of the agreements is that instead of us having to endanger ourselves by chasing terrorists, Arafat and his policemen will do it for us; if it is now claimed that he has no control over them, then this shows that he is not our partner for peace.  Third, even if he is unable to stop his men from shooting, he is certainly able to stop the incitement on Palestinian media.  He can issue an order in a matter of seconds, but he has not done so - and the Palestinian incitement continues."

Marwan Bargouti, head of Arafat's Tanzim forces, called upon the Palestinians today to "increase the intifada and bring it to every street and Jewish settlement."  Itim News Agency reports that Bargouti, speaking to Bir Zeit University students north of Ramallah, said that the purpose of the uprising is clear: to enable the return of the refugees, to end the conquest, and to bring independence and Palestinian sovereignty to Jerusalem.  PLO senior Ahmed Abdul Rahman, speaking in Gaza today, said that the current Palestinian attacks on Israelis represent "the Palestinian people's response to the occupation and to settlements."  Rejecting Israeli calls for a ceasefire, Rahman asserted that the war would continue until a Palestinian state is created with Jerusalem as its capital.

2. BACK TO CAMP DAVID?
It's now set:  Yasser Arafat will meet with outgoing U.S. President Clinton this Thursday, two days after the American elections, and Prime Minister Barak will meet with Clinton a week from today - if there is no "major escalation" in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, or "serious" attacks inside "little Israel."  So reported Barak's office last night.  IMRA notes that the office did not provide guidelines to indicate how many dead/wounded would be considered a "serious" attack, nor the criteria for what would be considered a "major escalation" in Yesha.

The Women in Green organization has in fact accused Prime Minister Barak of setting a limit of 2-3 Israeli casualties a day.  Nadia Matar, co-chairman of the movement, says that Barak's stipulation that he will meet with Clinton as long as there have been no large-scale attacks means that he considers the murder of individual Jews to be acceptable.  Today's weekly protest by Women in Green highlighted this issue, as well as the fact that the Barak government continues to transfer 50 million shekels to the PA each month.

A "senior Defense Ministry source" says that a unilateral Palestinian declaration of a state would be followed by protracted violence and the danger of an all-out war - and he explains why:  "A unilateral declaration means that the coordination and communication mechanisms between Israel and the PA no longer exist, and will lead to the immediate collapse of the Palestinian economy.  This will lead to mass hunger, and hordes of Palestinians joining the Hamas and Islamic Jihad."
******************************************************************

Return to Newsgroup Archives Main Page

Return to our Main Webpage


©2011 Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.