HHMI Newsgroup Archives
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, December 19, 2000
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK PREPARED TO GIVE UP JERUSALEM
2. NETANYAHU PULLS OUT; SHARON TO RUN AGAINST BARAK
3. POLITICAL TALK
1. BARAK PREPARED TO GIVE UP JERUSALEM
Amidst both the continuing war with the Palestinians and the political
uncertainty, an Israeli delegation departed last night for Washington to
resume final-status talks. The negotiations will be delayed by one day, as
delegation head Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami was unable to leave until
this afternoon. Immigration Minister Yuli Tamir (Labor), a member of the
delegation, said today that a "historic moment of very painful compromise
in Jerusalem is approaching."
The transition Barak-government is prepared to give away the entire old
city of Jerusalem - excluding the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter, but
including the Temple Mount - in exchange for pushing off the refugees
issue. Ma'ariv newspaper reports that the government has already made
plans to "spin" the idea to the public by claiming that the Palestinians
already have de-facto control of the Temple Mount.
According to an editorial in the same paper, "Most of the public does not
believe that Prime Minister Barak has a mandate now to conduct peace talks
without a Knesset majority, especially after his resignation."
2. NETANYAHU PULLS OUT; SHARON TO RUN AGAINST BARAK
The political drama of the past few days ended late last night with the
following important developments:
* Shas voted against the dissolution of the Knesset, and the Knesset in
fact remained intact. The immediate consequence of this is that early
Knesset elections are not scheduled, and special Prime Ministerial
elections will be held on Feb. 6;
* the "Netanyahu bill" passed, allowing a non-Knesset Member to run for
Prime Minister. The bill soon became obsolete, however, because:
* former Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he would not run for Prime
Minister. He explained this last night by saying, "I want to be able to
*function* as Prime Minister, not just *be* Prime Minister - and if the
Knesset remains the same, I will not be able to form an effective coalition."
The Likud's primaries for today have been cancelled, and the candidates in
the Prime Ministerial elections will be Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon - and
possibly Shimon Peres. Moshe Feiglin's candidacy for Likud head was nixed
by the Likud on procedural grounds; he has been a member of the Likud for
only six months and not the required nine. Likud officials had earlier
told him that this technicality could be waived.
Low-key mutual recriminations between Shas and the Likud were heard
today. Likud MK Tzippy Livni said that "more than 50% of the public was
denied its chance to choose its candidate and his way," while Shas MK
Shlomo Benizri said that the Likud "should not be a sore loser." Livni
told Arutz-7 today that she was disappointed that Netanyahu was not running
- "but this was his personal decision; as someone who served as Prime
Minister, and whose term was cut short - he did not want to face the same
troubles again in a problematic Knesset [in which he would have the support
of only 58-60 Knesset Members]. Unfortunately, the condition that he laid
down - that he would run only if there are simultaneous Knesset elections -
has left him outside the race altogether. However, the entire Likud will
now unite behind Ariel Sharon, who is not exactly a nobody - he has many
achievements for the State of Israel under his belt."
Shimon Peres appears to be nearing a decision to run for Prime Minister, on
behalf of the Meretz party. He met with Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid, and
asked that the party grant him the necessary signatures of 10 MKs enabling
him to run. Peres said today, "I did not initiate this idea, but I am
considering this issue very seriously from both sides, as it is a public
call." Sarid said that Meretz would offer the necessary support if it
becomes clear that Peres has greater chance to beat Sharon than Barak.
3. POLITICAL TALK
The elections for Prime Minister are scheduled to be held seven weeks from
today, on Feb. 6th. The Central Election Committee feels that it may not
be have sufficient time to prepare, however, and Meretz MK Amnon Rubenstein
has proposed a new bill setting election day for 30 days later. The
Knesset will not debate the bill today, however, due to objections from
many parties:
* Barak fears that it will give Shimon Peres more time to prepare for a
race against him;
* the Likud is concerned that it will give Barak more time to reach an
agreement with Arafat; and
* other parties such as Shas and United Torah Judaism simply feel "the
sooner, the better."
Late in the afternoon, a final decision was made by Prime Minister Barak,
Knesset Speaker Burg, and the Law Committee Chairman Rubenstein that the
election would be held on Feb. 6th.
Dr. Yaakov Katz, a polling expert from Bar Ilan University, told Arutz-7
today that current findings show Ariel Sharon leading Ehud Barak by
3-4%: "Sharon, however, seems not to be able to pass the 40% mark, which
is a problem for him; if Barak does something dramatic in the next few
weeks, or if Peres enters the race, Sharon's lead could easily be turned
around." Katz said that the signing by Barak of a peace agreement, even if
it includes far-reaching concessions in Jerusalem, could get him
re-elected: "It's not because the public is crazy about Barak. But we
have bitter experience with the Israeli public, in that whenever a major or
dramatic step is taken, the public gives credit to the one who carries it
out - without paying attention to how dangerous it may turn out to be a few
months from now..."
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To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, December 20, 2000
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000 / Kislev 23, 5761
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SUPREME COURT FORCES KNESSET TO ACT
2. ISRAEL AND THE INTERNATIONAL COURT
1. SUPREME COURT FORCES KNESSET TO ACT
The 52-year-old unofficial arrangement by which full-time yeshiva
students receive yearly military exemptions has come to an end - at
least according to today Supreme Court ruling. The Court decided
against granting another extension to the existing arrangement; it has
granted three such extensions over the past two years. For lack of a
legislated arrangement, the existing one ceases to exist, and yeshiva
students must now be drafted. Nine out of eleven Supreme Court
justices ruled that even the current uncertain political and security
situation does not justify the Knesset's failure to complete the
legislation of an agreed-upon arrangement.
Political reactions were quick in coming:
* MK Tommy Lapid, whose Shinui party was founded largely on the issue
of ending the yeshiva exemptions, demanded that the Prime Minister
immediately order the army to begin drafting yeshiva students, and to
stop all National Insurance payments to the students.
* The Shas party reacted to the Court's decision with fury, saying
that the Supreme Court had "declared war on the world of Torah."
* United Torah Judaism MKs, on the other hand, reacted with derision.
MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz told Arutz-7 today, "Thousands of yeshiva
students will willingly go to jail with their Talmudic texts if they
have to... I think that the Supreme Court simply made a mistake, in
that it relied on papers and technicalities instead of taking note of
the reality outside: For one thing, the Knesset is about to go on a
pre-election break, and with the elections - and election-related
special interests - around the corner, the Court should have granted
the extension. But - it's still possible to pass an interim period
law that will put the situation on hold until after the elections.
Because everyone knows that there will not be one extra soldier from
this - the soldiers will fill the jails and will study there... The
army and the government themselves know that they will not send police
to start arresting students... Not one yeshiva student will close his
books. What, the State of Israel will be the only country in the
world not to allow yeshiva students to dedicate their lives to Torah
study?!'
As these words are being written, it appears that another temporary
solution is in the works: The Knesset began a rushed legislative
process this afternoon to extend the current situation by four months.
2. ISRAEL AND THE INTERNATIONAL COURT
Israel, the United States, and a host of other countries face a
deadline of Dec. 31 for the signing of the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. At issue is an international initiative
for a permanent court that will try individuals accused of committing
genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Sixty countries
are required not only to sign the Statute, but also to ratify it;
although over 100 have signed, only 25 have ratified. In Israel,
Justice Minister Beilin and Foreign Minister Ben-Ami are in favor of
signing; they say that ratification can be put off until later.
Atty.-Gen'l Rubenstein, however, as well as Israeli's defense
establishment, are very much against any form of approval for the
initiative. Prof. Eitan Gilboa, of Bar Ilan University's Political
Science Department, explains why:
"Israel would simply become a victim of such a court. We all know the
anti-Israel record of the world community - all the anti-Israel
resolutions that have been passed in the UN in recent years, and the
like. The Palestinians are already claiming that we are guilty of war
crimes... There is definitely the danger that the court will be
politically driven, and will not deal with the real issues... In the
U.S., there is great pressure on Clinton not to sign, and in any
event, the Senate will not ratify it. Should we then approve it and
not the U.S.? Many people in the U.S. are trying to get Israel not to
sign, partially out of genuine concern for Israel... Beilin's trick
of signing-but-not-ratifying is just that - a trick that may be good
for internal Israeli politics but not for the international stage. If
the idea of the ICC is not good - and it's not - then let's simply say
so!"
Senator Jesse Helms, Chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee, wrote recently, "Israel must stand up for its own
interests, and refuse to sign the Rome Statute, because otherwise
Israel is likely to regret supporting this flawed institution... It
would be worthwhile for every Israel to watch the news, and see the
brave Israeli soldiers defending themselves from Arab rock-throwing
mobs, and try to imagine them being tried as 'war criminals' in some
future international court..."
***************************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, December 21, 2000
-Arutz Sheva News Service-
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000 / Kislev 24, 5761
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ISRAELI OFFER NEARING COMPLETION
2. ...AND NEITHER WILL LEVY
***SPECIAL INSER: IDF ANGER AT BARAK
1. ISRAELI OFFER NEARING COMPLETION
It's now official: Israeli concessions to the Palestinians in the
Washington talks include permission for an undisclosed amount of Arab
refugees to enter Israel; the transfer of 95% of Judea and Samaria;
the transfer of Negev lands equivalent to the other 5%; and control of
the Temple Mount. Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami confirmed today that
Israel had gone further towards the Palestinians than in any previous
talks. The Palestinians have so far not accepted these terms.
Palestinian Authority official Nabil Sha'ath said that if the
negotiations fail, "there must be movement on all the Arab fronts for
the continuation of the intifada."
Pinchas Wallerstein, head of Binyamin Regional Council, discussed the
situation with Arutz-7 today:
"A most astounding thing is happening here, that a man [Prime Minister
Barak] gives precedence to his own ego and personal interests over the
interest of the People of Israel. It is unbelievable, but it is clear
that he is doing this [making such concessions in order to reach an
agreement with the Palestinians] only out of his own personal
interest... I did not believe that this could happen in the Israeli
Zionist society, but it is happening before our eyes at these
moments... There is a complete willingness on his part to give away
95% of Judea and Samaria, which means giving up the entire settlement
enterprise of Judea and Samaria. It doesn't matter that Barak once
promised that Beit El or Ofrah would never be given up... because
giving away 95% of Yesha means that communities such as Eli, Shilo,
Ofrah, Beit El will not be able to exist... It means the giving up of
every single Yesha town, except maybe for some that border on the
Green Line, and Ma'aleh Adumim, and possibly Givat Ze'ev... When he
talks about giving away the Temple Mount, it's not only the holiest
site of the Jewish nation and the target of our prayers for 2,000
years - it also has practical meaning: it means all the surrounding
neighborhoods, including Mt. of Olives and others, all the way up to
Ramallah, and it means that the large Jewish areas of N'vei Yaakov and
Pisgat Ze'ev [in north-east Jerusalem] become enclaves surrounded by a
Palestinian state. We're not just talking about 'settlers,' but the
detachment of whole neighborhoods within Jerusalem..."
When asked what measures the "leadership of Yesha" is taking in light
of the above dangers, Wallerstein admitted that of late, "we have been
almost totally occupied with the details of maintaining day to day
security and normal routine... " He said that there will have to be
large-scale popular protests throughout the country, "showing that
this is not real 'peace,' because it undermines the very foundations
of the existence of the State." He added, however, that "we have
reached the stage where stronger and sharper measures than regular
demonstrations are clearly called for. Obviously this is not the
forum in which to enumerate them, but preparations are underway for
such, and there is no other choice but to employ them."
2. ...AND NEITHER WILL LEVY
The National Religious Party has similarly decided that party head
Rabbi Yitzchak Levy will not challenge Likud head Ariel Sharon in the
upcoming Prime Ministerial election. It had been thought that a
challenge by Levy would force Sharon to take more right-wing
positions, but Rabbi Levy told Arutz-7 today that his meeting with
Sharon last night "assured me that we would pretty well be able to
identify with his positions." Rabbi Levy said that his purpose in the
meeting was to clarify with Sharon three chief issues of concern:
"The first was that of the Yesha settlement enterprise. Sharon
promised clearly that his guidelines stipulate that not one community
would be hurt. I spoke with [former Chief] Rabbis Shapira and
Eliyahu, and they also asked me to make sure of this point, and Sharon
did so distinctly - regarding not only Yesha, but also the Jordan
Valley and Jerusalem. The second point that I wanted to hear from
Sharon was his position on Israel as a 'Jewish democratic state' -
does he plan to give priority to the "democratic" part and ignore or
harm the "Jewish" part, or will he... give the Jewish aspect of the
State its proper weight? ... Finally, I was very concerned about the
issue of the national unity government that he promised to form [with
Labor] and his intentions thereof. We are aware that he has already
'given' the Defense Ministry to Ehud Barak, but Sharon promised me
that he would adhere to his own principles in forming such a
government..."
When asked whether he trusts Sharon to follow through on his promises,
Rabbi Levy answered, "I am not naive, and I know that there are often
differences between what is said before elections and what happens
afterwards. But first of all I believe that the word of a Prime
Ministerial candidate has value, and secondly -- to clash publicly
with Sharon based only on the claim that he is a liar is not something
that I would want to do... We will yet speak with him further, and he
will visit the NRP institutions, and we will ask him about these
matter, and they will become clear."
***SPECIAL INSERT
The following are excerpts from an article by Amos Harel in Ha'aretz
yesterday discussing the anger many in the IDF feel at Prime Minister
Barak for putting his political agenda ahead of security:
"As elections approach, it seems that the [army] will be left alone in
the arena. It seems that as much as the officers are angry at having
"tied hands," they are more troubled about the loss of interest - in
the government as well as among the public. Some are already
suggesting a new slogan, "this is not the way to build a wall,"
meaning: The political echelon, through its decisions, must also
contribute to the struggle.
"The resumption of negotiations in Washington cost Israel a concession
on the demand it made forcefully after the rioting started - talks
only after a cease-fire. Now they are talking and shooting at the same
time, when it seems that the PA has no real incentive to stop the
violence, which has proven to pay off. It is a fact: Ehud Barak is now
going to attend talks and his opening offer is more generous than what
he offered at Camp David, before the battles.
"Who still remembers the tense Israeli expectation for a declaration
by Arafat ending the violence at 2:00 P.M. on November 2, the day
after his meeting with Minister Shimon Peres in Gaza? That same
evening a car bomb exploded in Jerusalem and that night a record (that
still stands) number of shooting incidents was registered....
"A senior officer serving in the territories claims that the
"instructions we're receiving now border on negligence, in the best
case." According to him, "two weeks ago we said we wouldn't tolerate
shooting at settlements. Now it's a daily occurrence. We take risks
that have no purpose, while Arafat is not positioning his system to
prevent attacks."
"...No one in the IDF will specifically say so, especially when the
chief of staff cautions his generals against making any political
statement in light of the elections, but some of Barak's moves are
interpreted by many officers as a political survival tactic whose
chances of success are slim and whose results may be catastrophic. In
this context, the assessment of Military Intelligence is a sharp
one...: Arafat has no incentive nor intention of achieving a political
compromise now.
"Throughout the clash with the Palestinians, the IDF has proposed
steps aimed directly at senior PA officials, such as retracting the
VIP cards of the heads of the security agencies, Muhammad Dahlan and
Tawfiq Tirawi, whose officers were involved in terrorist attacks.
These proposals were not approved... In practice, most of the
sanctions have disintegrated or been lifted: the supply of
construction material for PA use was resumed and gasoline was allowed
to be brought in. The Karni crossing is open, as is the airport in
Rafiah and the border crossing to Egypt. The export of goods from Gaza
is resuming... Israel also recanted its decision to withhold funds
from the PA... The right-wing cry to "Let the IDF win" is still seen
as an idiotic slogan, but apparently the political echelon's denials
that the IDF's hands were tied are less strongly voiced."
*********************************************************************
To: arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, December
22, 2000
- Arutz Sheva News Service -
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Dec. 22, 2000 / Kislev 25, 5761 - First Day of Chanukah
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK GOES FOR BROKE
2. OLMERT REALIZES MISTAKE...
3. IT'S JUST SHARON AND BARAK
4. AMERICAN-JEWISH SUPPORT FOR A JEWISH TEMPLE MOUNT
5. MOSSAD CHIEF: ISRAEL NEEDS ZIONISM
6. PRAYERS FOR YESHA
1. BARAK GOES FOR BROKE
The talks between Israeli and Palestinian delegations will take a
break of a few days today, amidst reports that "progress" has been
made. The following concessions by the Barak government were reported
this morning:
* Borders and settlements: The Israeli delegation in Washington
informed the Palestinians that it was agreed that Israel would
withdraw to the June 4, 1967 borders. Barak merely asks for small
border changes that will allow Israel to retain Ma'aleh Adumim (east
of Jerusalem), Ariel (mid-Shomron), and several communities in Gush
Etzion (halfway between Hevron and Jerusalem). In exchange for these
enclaves, Barak has offered alternative territories in the Negev.
* Refugees: Barak's Israel now agrees to allow 150,000 Arab refugees
from 1948 to enter Israel - 15,000 over each of the next ten years.
* Jerusalem: The Jews will be left with the Western Wall and the
Jewish Quarter, while the Palestinians will receive - according to
Barak - Mt. of Olives, Kfar Shiloach, and other Jerusalem
neighborhoods.
The Prime Minister's Office has hurried to deny the reports regarding
the latest Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, calling them
"speculation." Palestinian spokesmen, too, say that the reports are
misleading in that there are many difficulties in the talks and the
gaps are still wide. They say, however, that Israel has offered them
full sovereignty over the Temple Mount, and not just control of the
site. Yasser Arafat said later today that an agreement appears to be
near.
The two delegations will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright today, and with outgoing U.S. President Clinton tomorrow
night.
Likud MK Ruby Rivlin said today that Prime Minister Barak "is guided
by his own personal interests of political survival, and he is going
and selling everything we have." Rivlin was asked, "Don't you
appreciate Barak's promise not to finalize any agreement before the
public approves it?" - a reference to the upcoming Prime Ministerial
election that Barak has said would be seen as a "referendum" on any
agreement that he reaches. Rivlin said, no, he does not appreciate
it: "During the election campaign, they [the government] will scare
us and threaten us about how badly the world will condemn us as
war-mongers and the like if we turn down a signed peace agreement..."
2. OLMERT REALIZES MISTAKE...
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert - a Likud member who said during the
previous elections that he had "no doubt that Ehud Barak is dedicated
to the integrity of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and that he
would never allow the city to be divided" - strongly attacked the
concessions being made now in Washington. Olmert said that what is
going on there is a "close-out sale," and that Barak is "reneging on
all his promises from the election campaign regarding Jerusalem and
the pre-1967 borders, and he therefore has no authority to sign a
withdrawal agreement before the coming elections."
Olmert was apparently misled by Barak's statements during last year's
election campaign. At the time, Barak criticized those who accused
him of planning to divide Jerusalem: "Israel is united around the
united Jerusalem, and no one can divide the nation on this matter,"
and promised the nation that "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of
Israel, period!"
3. IT'S JUST SHARON AND BARAK
Ariel Sharon of the Likud and Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Labor are
the two sole candidates in the Prime Ministerial election to be held
on Feb. 6th; the Meretz party announced yesterday that it would not
"sow discord in the peace camp" by enabling Shimon Peres' candidacy.
Sharon expressed his opinion yesterday that it will be impossible to
reach a final-status agreement with the Palestinians. Speaking at a
National Security Seminar at the Inter-Disciplinary Center in
Herzliya, Sharon explained that this is because it is impossible to
divide Jerusalem, to give up areas necessary for Israel's defense such
as the Jordan Valley, or to solve the refugees issue to the
Palestinians' satisfaction.
Persisting in his efforts to ensure that Barak not sign an agreement
in opposition to the wishes of most of the Knesset, MK Benny Elon
(National Union) continues to push his proposed legislation that would
prevent just that. Elon's proposed law states that a Prime Minister
whose government does not enjoy the support of a majority of the
Knesset would not be permitted to sign international agreements.
Barak's transition government enjoys the support of approximately 1/4
of the Knesset. MK Elon gathered a total of 61 MKs yesterday who
asked Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg (Labor) not to artificially block
the bill, as he has been doing until now. Thanks to Elon's 'reminder'
to the Knesset this week that it may not take a pre-election recess as
earlier as it wanted, the Knesset will be in session at least until
Monday, January1.
4. AMERICAN-JEWISH SUPPORT FOR A JEWISH TEMPLE MOUNT
A public statement headlined "Israel Must Not Surrender Judaism's
Holiest Site, the Temple Mount" has been signed by 25 American Jewish
leaders, from the Orthodox and Conservative movements. The statement
will appear as an advertisement in numerous Jewish newspapers
throughout the United States and Israel in the coming days. The
statement reads, in part:
"In future years, all of us will have to answer to all our children
and grandchildren when they ask us why we did not do more to protect
their heritage and safeguard Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount). The holy
city of Jerusalem, and particularly the Temple Mount, has been the
birthright, the geographical heart and the spiritual soul of the
Jewish people for 3,000 years. It is the place towards which Jews
everywhere in the world turn to pray three times a day. It is the
Zion to which we have yearned to return from exile for millennia. In
1967, when Jerusalem was reunited, and especially the Temple Mount was
returned to Jewish hands, we all rejoiced as we witnessed a true
miracle in our time - these holy places coming back to the Jewish
people... We note that public opinion polls have shown that the
overwhelming majority of Israelis and Diaspora Jews reject the idea of
surrendering the Temple Mount..." The statement was initiated by the
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), and was signed by former
Conference of Presidents chairmen, leaders of the Rabbinical Council
of America, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the
Rabbinical Assembly, and other prominent Jewish groups.
5. MOSSAD CHIEF: ISRAEL NEEDS ZIONISM
The head of Israel's CIA - Mossad chief Ephraim HaLevy - says that it
is impossible to maintain a secure Israel without Zionism. Addressing
the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, HaLevy said that the fact
that the relevance of Zionism in our day is being called into question
within the Jewish public is eroding Israel's security. "There is a
strong relationship between the People of Israel's connection to its
Land and the ability of the State of Israel to defend its security.
If we are not strong in spirit, we will not be able to be militarily
strong," said HaLevy.
6. PRAYERS FOR YESHA
Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, one of the leading rabbis of the hareidi
sector, publicized a call to all those who follow him to "come to the
aid of the residents of Judea and Samaria." He said that every
Thursday night, special prayers would be held on behalf of the
residents in the synagogues of Bnei Brak. The first such prayers were
held last night in five synagogues.
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