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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
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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
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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..."

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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
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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.

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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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