HHMI Newsgroup Archives
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, November 12, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2000 / Cheshvan 14, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ACTION IN AND AROUND RACHEL'S TOMB
2. TALKING PAST EACH OTHER
3. IN BRIEF
1. ACTION IN AND AROUND RACHEL'S TOMB
The center of today's Palestinian violence appears to have shifted to the
Gaza area (see below), after the Palestinians marked the Bethlehem region
as their main target this morning. They opened fire in several locations
near Bethlehem this morning, and a 15-minute gun battle atop the Tunnels
Highway stopped traffic there. The highway, between Gush Etzion and
Jerusalem, was closed on-and-off to traffic all morning after shots were
fired on an Israeli vehicle; at one point, motorists driving through the
northern tunnel reported to Arutz-7 that they simply stopped their cars in
mid-tunnel when they heard the sounds of the gunfire outside.
Palestinians also fired nearby at an Egged bus near Solomon's Pools,
further south in Gush Etzion, and further north towards Jerusalem. A heavy
barrage of fire was opened from Beit Jala, immediately after the church
services there, towards Gilo. No one was hurt, and the IDF returned
missile fire towards Beit Jala.
Despite the violence not far away, the IDF allowed worshippers to arrive at
Rachel's Tomb today - but at a very slow pace. Would-be worshippers at the
checkpoint reported at mid-day that at the current rate, not all of them
would succeed in praying at the site. Some of them said they would try to
reach the Tomb on their own. Dozens of Gilo residents came to visit the
families yesterday who set up a Shabbat encampment at a roadblock not far
from Rachel's Tomb. Participants reported that the visitors included both
observant and non-observant Jews, and that the ensuing discussions "were a
great step towards greater brotherly love within Israel."
2. TALKING PAST EACH OTHER
With Prime Minister Barak on his way to the U.S. to meet with Clinton, the
Palestinians announced today that Israel's "intensified military response
of the past few days" will not allow the renewal of negotiations with
Israel. Arafat said again that the intifada will continue until the
"territories are liberated from the Israeli conquest." Hamas leader Ahmed
Yassin called for the upgrading of the intifada to an "armed struggle,"
saying, "We must turn the rock into a bomb, because the enemy only
understands force." He admitted that Hamas' military arm has passed
through a "difficult period," but expressed confidence that it would
quickly be able to return to action.
Prime Minister Barak, for his part, said today that negotiations cannot
continue until the violence is stopped. Members of Barak's entourage fear
that he may face pressure from Clinton to agree to the presence of an
international force in Yesha, in accordance with Palestinian demands.
Senior PA figures told Voice of Palestine Radio said that Israel's killing
of key Tanzim figures in El Bireh during its retaliation on the firing on
Psagot "drags the region into an abyss from which it will be hard to get
out."
A high-ranking figure on the Prime Minister's plane made some frank
observations about the diplomatic process on his way to Washington
today. He told Israel Radio reporter Yoni Ben-Menachem that it may well
have been a mistake for Israel to have pressed Arafat to come to Camp David
three months ago, but "there was no other way to clarify what exactly what
were the Palestinian positions." He further said that the government is
continuing to discuss the plans for a physical separation with the
Palestinian areas. There is practically no chance at all to reach a
framework agreement with the Palestinians before Clinton leaves office in
January, the high-ranking figure said. Regarding the Americans, he said
that they did not fulfill their Camp David obligations towards Israel, "for
fear of the Arab nations' response."
3. IN BRIEF
Leah Rabin, widow of the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin and mother of
MK Dalia Pilosoph, passed away at the age of 72. She had been hospitalized
in Rabin Medical Center for the past few weeks, and finally succumbed to a
heart attack late this morning. Mrs. Rabin died just as the country had
completed several days of memorial ceremonies for her husband; the fifth
anniversary of his death occurred just two days ago...
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To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, November 13, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 / Cheshvan 15, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK IN U.S.
2. PEACE NOW SUPPORTS PALESTINIAN CLAIMS; ISRAELI PUBLIC DOESN'T
3. LET THE IDF WIN!
4. ARAFAT TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF LEAH RABIN?
1. BARAK IN U.S.
Prime Minister Barak's meeting with U.S. President Clinton last night
ended with no concrete results. Gen. Danny Yatom, Barak's top
security-affairs aide, said afterwards that peace with the
Palestinians will not be attained during the current Prime Ministerial
term. At the same time, other sources said that a
Clinton-Barak-Arafat summit may take place before the new American
President is inaugurated. Barak departed from the meeting to meet
with American-Jewish leaders in Chicago.
Conflicting reports emanated from Washington after the Barak-Clinton
meeting. MK Ruby Rivlin (Likud) termed "very grave" the reports that
the Prime Minister has agreed to hold a three-way summit involving
himself, Clinton, and Arafat without first demanding an end to the
violence. Rivlin also predicted bitterly that the negotiations would
resume from where they left off at Camp David - despite the fact that
Barak had promised after the Camp David failure that the rejected
Israeli proposals were to be considered "null and void." Senior
officials in Barak's entourage said, however, that the government
would insist on a total cessation of hostilities, and not just a
ceasefire, before proceeding with negotiations.
2. PEACE NOW SUPPORTS PALESTINIAN CLAIMS; ISRAELI PUBLIC DOESN'T
A large front-page ad appears in today's edition of the Palestinian
newspaper Al Ayam, declaring that the main obstacle to peace is the
Yesha settlements. Sponsoring the ad is none other than the Israeli
organization Peace Now. The ad states that Peace Now promises to
report to the newspaper's readers on every shekel spent on the
settlements.
The Tanzim - the PLO's slightly-more military arm than Fatah - is
supplying weapons and ammunition to the Hamas military wing Iz A-Din
El Kassam. A senior Tanzim source told Itim News Agency today that
this is part of his organization's plans to "turn the settlers' lives
into hell, until they leave their homes."
Most of the Israeli public does not agree, however. The Yesha Council
announced today that the findings of a poll carried out this month by
Market Watch are "very encouraging." The poll shows that about half
the public feel that their admiration for Yesha residents has grown,
and about the same number feel that the settlements "provide
protection for the rest of Israel, in that they absorb the brunt of
the Palestinian violence." Four-fifths do not agree that the
settlements are the chief cause of Palestinian violence, and 60% do
not believe that evacuation of settlements will lead to calm between
Israel and the Palestinians. However, 46% would support unilateral
separation even at the expense of evacuation of settlements; 45% are
against.
3. LET THE IDF WIN!
The Yesha Council has scheduled a major rally in downtown Jerusalem
next week, with its theme, "Let the IDF Win!" This was also the theme
of a pilgrimage today by a delegation of Gush Katif (Gaza) residents
to the Knesset. They were scheduled to meet, separately, with MKs of
the Likud, Meretz, Shas, and United Torah Judaism. Gaza Coast
Regional Council head Aharon Tzur told Arutz-7's Haggai Seri today
that they will try to persuade the MKs that the IDF must be given
orders to win the battle/war against the Palestinians.
The meeting with Meretz went basically smoothly, except for one
outburst by MK Mosi Raz, who called the settlers "men of Sodom." His
party colleagues condemned him. The two groups did not reach
agreement, as the post-meeting statement by Meretz illustrated: "The
residents of Gush Katif will merit protection only within the borders
of the State of Israel."
4. ARAFAT TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF LEAH RABIN?
Leah Rabin, who passed away yesterday, will be buried next to her
husband, the assassinated Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, on Mt. Herzl
in Jerusalem this Wednesday. Dennis Ross, who has announced that he
will be resigning from his position as American mediator for the
Middle East, will attend the funeral, and will take advantage of the
opportunity to meet with Barak and Arafat. Prime Minister Barak gave
his approval - before today's murderous terrorist attack - for Yasser
Arafat to participate in the funeral; Arafat has not yet requested to
do so. Barak's approval aroused the ire of many groups. The National
Religious Party issued a statement condemning Barak's decision, saying
that it reeks of "insensitivity and stupidity." Women In Green issued
an announcement saying, "Even Ehud Barak should realize the immorality
of giving such permission to this abominable enemy of the Jewish
People... Daily our soldiers are being murdered by Arafat's use of the
guns that Peres and Beilin irresponsibly gave to this band of Arab
terrorists. To allow Arafat to attend the funeral of Leah Rabin at
Mt. Herzl, at the place where many of the soldiers whom Arafat
murdered are buried, would be a mockery of the moral values that the
Jewish People have given to the world..."
******************************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000 / Cheshvan 16, 5761
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CLOSURE ANNOUNCED BUT NOT ENFORCED
2. PRESIDENT, AND ARMY OFFICERS, SUPPORT YESHA PROTESTORS
3. BARAK RETURNS EARLY
4. SHAS LEADER EXPLAINS
1. CLOSURE ANNOUNCED BUT NOT ENFORCED
The government's decision to impose a closure on
Palestinian-controlled areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza has not been
enforced. Binyamin Region security chief Avigdor Shatz confirmed as
much to Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson late this afternoon, saying, "There
is no closure, period. All that happened is that a certain limited
area in northern Binyamin is gradually being closed off to a certain
extent..." Almost all the highways leading to major cities in Judea,
Binyamin and Samaria are open, and Palestinians are free to leave
Ramallah, Hevron, and Shechem. Palestinians were stopped at several
checkpoints, however, but Palestinian cars drove along Yesha roads
almost as on any other day.
The Yesha Council says that Ehud Barak is misleading the nation, and
is actually abandoning the residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The
army explained this morning that it takes time to prepare a full
closure, but that it should be completed by the afternoon.
Evidence of the non-closure: 48 Palestinian Arabs were arrested after
they were found to have arrived in the Sharon region of pre-1967
Israel for work. In addition, an Israeli car was fired upon this
afternoon near Hawara, south of Shechem; the shots hit the
bullet-proof car, but no one was hurt. Similarly, an Egged bus was
shot at near Tapuach this evening by a car that passed it; no one was
hurt.
2. PRESIDENT, AND ARMY OFFICERS, SUPPORT YESHA PROTESTORS
A group of IDF brigade commanders demanded last night to be allowed to
employ a stronger hand against the Palestinian violence. Chief of
Staff Mofaz acknowledged that the demand was in fact raised, but
emphasized today that the "political echelons will make the decisions
in these matters." He said that until then, the best way to deal with
the situation is "for the army to find the guilty terrorists and hit
them."
Yesha Council leaders, together with residents of Ofrah and N'vei
Tzuf, began a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence last
night - joining Likud MK Limor Livnat in her continuing sit-in strike
there - and called on the Prime Minister to "let the IDF win." The
demonstrators plan to remain there until the IDF is ordered to strike
out firmly against the Palestinian violence.
They received unexpected support from President Moshe Katzav, who said
today that after so many weeks of violence, the need to reach
"decisions" is increasing. Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony for new
judges today, President Katzav said, "The present situation - where we
show restraint, but have nothing to show for it from the other side;
where it is 'as if' ways are sought to renew the talks, while a
certain level of violence and bloodshed is constantly maintained -
this cannot continue."
3. BARAK RETURNS EARLY
After a Saturday night and Sunday full of Palestinian violence and
shooting, which did not prompt Prime Minister Barak to return from his
trip abroad - and following an almost-hijacking in Israel, which
almost *did* cause him to change his plans - Ehud Barak has now
decided that yesterday's terrorist attacks and their four victims are
reason enough to return early. He thereupon cancelled his meeting
with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and will return to Israel
tonight. Upon arrival, he will convene the security mini-cabinet,
which, IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz said, will decide on
the measures that will be taken in response to the escalation of the
past few days.
Mofaz noted that since the outbreak of fighting, the Palestinians have
opened fire on Israeli targets 1,300 times, leading to what he said
was a "relatively low" amount of casualties. [Ed. note: Fourteen
soldiers and eleven civilians have been killed since the beginning of
the violence.] Minister Matan Vilnai commented this morning that one
must not view the situation in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem,
which has been attacked by Palestinian fire from Beit Jala many times
over the past weeks, in such dismal colors. "The firing has affected
only isolated streets in Gilo, while the rest of the neighborhood is
peaceful," said Vilnai.
4. SHAS LEADER EXPLAINS
Shas leader Eli Yeshai told Arutz-7 today his understanding of current
events:
"It's clear that we, the Shas party, are against Barak's policy of
restraint, and I have made this quite clear to him, as recently as
last night. This doesn't mean that we should ignite the entire Middle
East - but we cannot continue this way... The army has many ideas of
how to deal with the violence, and it must be allowed to carry them
out... What the Palestinians want most of all is for us to fight
amongst ourselves, and this is why I said that we must all unite - but
not in a unity government. Many right-wing leaders thanked me for
[giving Barak a safety net and thus preventing the formation of a
unity government with the Likud], because if a unity government had
been formed, Barak would then come to an agreement with Arafat, the
Likud would quit the government and call for new elections, and Barak
would win because he has a peace agreement. Therefore, it looks like
we saved the right-wing from both an agreement with Arafat and from a
Barak victory. Jerusalem Mayor Olmert, for instance, said this was a
smart and correct move by Shas...
"Actually, I'm even more extremist than the Likud. I think that we
should go to elections right now. There should be an emergency
cabinet formed, with two MKs from the Likud, and two from Shas, and
one from the NRP, and from Yisrael B'Aliyah... because how can Barak,
with the backing of so few MKs, make these decisions by himself? The
mini-cabinet will sit carefully and come to the correct and courageous
decisions, and thus bring security and victory while we are united,
and then right after that we'll go to elections..."
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Reuters reported that a Lebanese newspaper apologized last Thursday
for declaring Al Gore the winner of the U.S. presidential election.
"We are used to a deep-rooted Arab tradition of democracy where
results are first declared, then elections are conducted and votes
brought in to affirm it," wrote As-Safir's editor, Talal Salman.
***************************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, November 15, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2000 / Cheshvan 17, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SHOOTING ATTACKS INTENSIFY
2. VIOLENCE AROUND THE COUNTRY
3. YESHA PROTESTS
4. RESTRAINT EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
1. SHOOTING ATTACKS INTENSIFY
The southern neighborhood of Gilo was attacked with heavy and
protracted Palestinian gunfire this afternoon - the most intense
shooting during daylight hours that the community has experienced
since the beginning of the Palestinian violence over six weeks ago.
Heavy damage was caused to a car and a building, but no one was hurt.
Elsewhere in Jerusalem there were additional flashpoints of
violence. Large groups of Palestinian children were sent to throw
rocks at the Atarot airport in northern Jerusalem this afternoon. A
Postal Authority van was attacked in an eastern Jerusalem
neighborhood; the driver fled to nearby Yeshivat Beit Orot, where he
called police for assistance. Arab rioters threw rocks and other
objects, and burnt tires, near Augusta Victoria Hospital, not far from
Beit Orot.
A mob of Arab children, led by an adult, attempted to break into the
community of Har Adar, northwest of Jerusalem. They attacked the town
with rocks and other objects. Shooting attacks were directed last
night at the communities of Bracha, Psagot, and Vered Yericho, towards
Beit Hadassa in Hevron, and at IDF posts at Tel Arus, the Jericho and
Gaza District Coordinating Offices, Nachal Elisha, N'vei Dekalim, and
near Kalkilye.
2. VIOLENCE AROUND THE COUNTRY
In and around Beitar, west of Bethlehem, stone-throwing continues
apace. Deputy Mayor Yitzchak Pindres relocated his office on Sunday
night to a site along the main road to Beitar from where Arab
rock-throwers often attack Israeli drivers. The army asked him to
remove his tent last night, and guaranteed that rock-throwing would
stop. An hour after Pindres acceded to the request, a bus and a van
were attacked by rocks - on the pre-1967 side of the road. At least
two people were injured. Resident Chezy Goldberg reported that the
army's reaction was, "This is a matter for the Beit Shemesh police."
As a result, a protest rally will be held in Beitar tonight, with the
participation of Knesset Members of United Torah Judaism and Shas.
Palestinian shooting was directed at soldiers at Ayosh Junction north
of Ramallah, at a civilian convoy from Netzarim in Gaza, and in at
least five other locations today. Two soldiers were wounded in
stoning attacks, one south of Hevron and one in N'vei Dekalim. Seven
Palestinians were killed in today's violence.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz met last night with residents
of Morag in Gaza, and heard their strong complaints about their
feeling of lack of personal safety. Hundreds of other angry Gush
Katif residents wanted to come to the meeting, but the army prevented
them; in defiance, they began walking around the barriers towards
Morag, but were soon convinced that this would be too dangerous. "He
[Mofaz] praised our patience and restraint of the past few weeks,"
Morag resident Nissim Bracha told Arutz-7 today. "The meeting was
basically calm, but some residents raised strong questions about how
we can continue in this way, with shooting every single night, and a
bomb every two or three days... To our surprise, he sounded very
determined... The army removed the tanks from around here right after
the Peres-Arafat agreement, but they were soon returned, and now the
situation has returned to exactly what it was."
3. YESHA PROTESTS
Several dozen people continue to man the protest tent at the
Gilo-Bethlehem junction, demanding that the army allow free access to
Rachel's Tomb. At present, three army-approved bullet-proof shuttle
buses leave the junction for the site every morning - at 9, 10, and 11
AM. The participants see as a victory of sorts, as prior to last
week, Rachel's Tomb had been virtually closed off to Jewish worship,
except for isolated cases. The protestors - mostly women from
Hevron, Kiryat Arba, and Gilo - continue to insist that all
worshippers be allowed in freely. The protestors also call upon the
public to take advantage of the buses. In the words of one ardent
supporter of Rachel's Tomb, "We are fighting to keep Rachel's Tomb
open the entire day, but that will only happen when so many people
show up for the buses, and the demand to pray there is so great, that
they will be forced to open the site for more and more hours every
day... Rachel's Tomb is probably one of the safest places in Israel
today! You get there with a bullet-proof bus, with an escort of two
army jeeps, and tons of army around you..."
Some 2,000 people demonstrated last night at Zion Square in Jerusalem,
demanding a tougher response to the increasing terrorism. The
participants, some of whom came straight from the funeral of Sara
Lisha, who was killed by Palestinian terrorists on Monday, held large
pictures of the recent victims of terrorism.
Other protest actions:
The Rabbis of Gush Katif set up a protest encampment there today,
saying that they will remain there until IDF policy is changed... The
National Union party set up a protest tent at the Rose Garden outside
the Prime Minister's office, as did the National Religious Party.
Both of these join the Yesha Council tent, which was begun last night;
many sympathizers are visiting... The Beit El Yeshiva High School is
on strike for the second day, after shots hit its main building;
classes have been transferred to the Rose Garden... The elementary
school in Shilo [between Ofrah and Shechem] is on strike as well,
following Monday's terrorist murder of their teacher Sarah Lisha; some
of the classes have been transferred to the Rose Garden... The
community of N'vei Tzuf, where Sara Lisha lived, plans to strike
tomorrow...
Many local protests were organized yesterday, largely by the "Cities
of Israel" movement, against the "holding-back" policy. These
included roadside vigils outside Ashdod, Kiryat Ekron, and in several
locations on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, as well as protests at
the Alonim Junction and in Jerusalem. In addition, Haifa residents
made a solidarity trip to a Yesha outpost called Hilltop 777, near
Itamar, and took their turn at guard duty there.
4. RESTRAINT EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
After cutting short his trip to the U.S. and England because of the
escalation in Palestinian terrorism and violence, Prime Minister Ehud
Barak was scheduled to convene the security mini-cabinet at 5:30 PM
today, instead of last night. It will be decided there what military
steps, if any, to take in response to the increasing Palestinian
aggression and violence. Barak's aides say that Israel "has
retaliated and will continue to retaliate," but it is expected that
the policy of restraint will continue.
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