HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
To: <arutz-7@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2000 / Tevet 15, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. WILL BARAK STEP DOWN?
2. SHARON AND PERES
3. BARAK DENIES COLLABORATING WITH U.N.
4. KACH MEMBERS ACCUSE: "POLICE HARASSING US"
5. KLEINER VS. "PEACE CABINET"
***SPECIAL INSERT: Mayor Ehud Olmert's speech at the giant rally for
Jerusalem
1. WILL BARAK STEP DOWN?
Ehud Barak continues to face pressures to vacate his place in the
Prime Ministerial race, and allow Shimon Peres to run instead.
Barak's former aide, Chaim Mandel-Shaked, said today that Barak has
already decided to quit, but has not yet set a date; the deadline to
do so is two weeks from now. Barak's brother Avinoam Brug is also in
favor of making way for Peres, according to Mandel-Shaked, as are some
Labor MKs; others, such as MK Yael Dayan, have said only that Barak
should "consider" quitting the race. The election will be held on
Feb. 6th.
A Ma'ariv poll in Barak's hometown of Kokhav Ya'ir shows that even his
own neighbors don't want him as Prime Minister. The polls show that
Kokhav Ya'ir residents prefer Sharon by a 2-1 margin: 62% would vote
for Sharon, while only 31% would choose Barak. "Barak's a very nice
guy," one neighbor said, "but I can't accept his policies."
"Right
and left, we will unanimously support him if he wants to run for head
of our local council," another said.
2. SHARON AND PERES
How will the Likud's Ariel Sharon, who currently leads Barak by a wide
margin in the polls, deal with a Peres candidacy, in case Peres in
fact replaces Barak? MK Limor Livnat of the Likud said that her party
is prepared not only for Peres, but for every campaign trick that
Labor may come up with: "We are saying not only that Barak failed as
Prime Minister, but also that the Labor party's entire concept
[regarding the Palestinians] has failed and collapsed - as we see that
there is not only no peace, but almost-daily terrorist attacks
everywhere. Peres, too, is quite involved in the Oslo fiasco; he is
largely responsible for the Oslo approach, and when terrorism
intensified during his term as Prime Minister [following Rabin's
assassination], his strategy was to speed up the negotiations."
MK Livnat attempted to clarify for Arutz-7 listeners what exactly is
meant by the campaign motto, "Only Sharon Can Bring Peace:" "First of
all, there will be absolutely no negotiations while the violence is
raging. Then, once personal security is restored, we will demand that
the Palestinians fulfill all their previous obligations - collecting
illegal weapons, returning terrorists to jail, etc. We can then
return to the talks from a position of strength, not from weakness.
Sharon will then conduct the talks with his stated red lines:
Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley remain Israeli, etc. He has not gone
into greater detail, because it would be stupid to start negotiations
with the Palestinians publicly and during the campaign - whatever he
would say would then just be used by the Palestinians as a starting
position beyond which they will then demand more..."
3. BARAK DENIES COLLABORATING WITH U.N.
The Prime Minister's Bureau released a terse one-sentence statement
today, denying any basis to "reports [that] Prime Minister Barak
requested that US President Bill Clinton initiate an appeal to the
United Nations Security Council." The reference was to an accusation
by Ariel Sharon yesterday that Barak had pressured the Americans to
get the UN to ratify current plans for an Israeli-Palestinian
agreement.
Sharon told his party's Knesset faction yesterday that one of Barak's
staffers had asked Clinton to anchor his proposals for the division of
Jerusalem and the evacuation of almost all of Judea and Samaria and
its Jewish communities in a UN decision. "This is unprecedented in
its severity," Sharon said, "and something that could complicate
Israel for years... It could lead the UN to impose sanctions on
Israel. This is the first time in Israeli history that an Israeli
Prime Minister has agreed to allow the UN to make decisions about
Israel's future. And it is being done only for electoral
considerations..."
Despite the denial by the Prime Minister's Bureau, when Dr. Aaron
Lerner of IMRA <"www.imra.org.il"> asked Barak's spokeswoman Meirav
Parsi-Tzadok what is the Prime Minister's stand regarding the
"bringing of a summary before the UN or some other international body
before the Israeli public has had its say," she refused to provide a
direct answer.
4. KACH MEMBERS ACCUSE: "POLICE HARASSING US"
Tiran Pollack, a member of Kach (Israel's continuation of Rabbi Meir
Kahane's Jewish Defense League), says that in the past few days, ever
since the double murder by Palestinian terrorists of Rabbi Binyamin
and Talia Kahane outside Ofrah, the police have been harassing him and
other Kach activists. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Pollack said that
the police have confiscated "Torah portion sheets written by the late
Rabbi Binyamin, may G-d avenge his blood, which he used to distribute
weekly all over the country. They have even confiscated pictures of
Rabbi Meir Kahane, and even solicitation envelopes that youngsters
were distributing at the giant Jerusalem rally on behalf of the six
new Kahane orphans..." [Donations can be sent to the Kahane Fund,
Post Office Box 61379, Jerusalem, Israel.]
Pollack said, "The police are following us, photographing us, and
depriving us of our basic right to privacy... The only crimes that we
have been accused of - I'm referring to myself, Baruch Marzel, Itamar
Ben-Gvir, Noam Federman - are those of 'public protest' and the like;
why should we be treated as if we present a severe danger to the
public? We demand that this cease! Wherever I go, the people with me
are in danger of the police asking them for identification; when I go
to a protest, policemen come and ask for my identification card, as
well as that of the people accompanying me, and they write down the
details - this must stop! We plan to stand outside the police station
in the Russian Compound today, and present them with a rope and a
bulls-eye target, demanding that they either arrest us, shoot us, hang
us in the public square - or stop this harassment!"
The situation appears to be no different in the United States. A
large protest rally is planned in New York next Sunday against the
U.S. government's raid of the Hatikva Jewish Identity Center last
week. Only three days after the terrorist murder of Rabbi Binyamin
Zev Kahane and his wife Talia, some 30 FBI agents seized educational
materials connected with Rabbi Meir Kahane's teachings. The
demonstrators will claim that the raid is a blatant violation of the
group's freedom of speech, expression, and religion.
5. KLEINER VS. "PEACE CABINET"
MK Michael Kleiner, who represents the Knesset's Herut faction (which
was founded by MK Benny Begin prior to the last election, and which
later merged with Moledet and Tekumah to form the National Union
party; Begin resigned from the Knesset shortly after the election, and
Moledet and Tekumah joined up with Yisrael Beiteinu to form a 7-MK
faction), protests the use of Barak's term "peace cabinet." In a
letter to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, Kleiner writes,
"Recently the prime minister has been convening a body that has been
given the label 'peace cabinet,' and which deliberates matters
relating to Israel's peace process policies, Clinton's proposals, and
perhaps also other matters. This body, which has the appearance of a
government body and also bears the name of a government body (cabinet), has members who are also Members of Knesset. "Firstly, it
is improper that a government body should include Knesset members, as
this infringes on the principle of the separation of authorities.
Secondly, this body does not have the legal standing of a government
cabinet, and its name may deceive the public into thinking that the
decisions of this body have the same standing as government decisions
or obligate the government. Thirdly, it is possible that the
decisions reached in this forum may at least informally obligate the
Government of Israel... "I would appreciate it if you would
immediately intervene to put an end to the use of the deceptive name
'peace cabinet.' If the prime minister is interested in a political
forum of coalition members that includes both members in the
government and others who are not members of the government to advise
him and support him - this is legitimate. But the public has the
right to know that this is a political forum, and not a government
forum. I would likewise appreciate it if you would instruct the prime
minister to avoid having discussions that should rightfully take place
in the real cabinet, with the participation of people who are not part
of the government and who do not bear ministerial responsibility."
(With thanks to IMRA)
***SPECIAL INSERT:
Excerpts from Mayor Ehud Olmert's speech at Monday night's giant rally
for Jerusalem: "I have never felt deeper excitement than that which I
feel now, as I gaze upon you spread out all over the streets of
Jerusalem, crowded, enthusiastic, and emotional as you are. I am
deeply moved, because this is not a protest, or a political gathering
- this is the true manifestation of the connection that the Jewish
People feels towards its eternal capital! You have come from all over
the country tonight to say to the whole world: We are here, we will
remain here, because this city is the basis of our existence, the
subject of our longings, the unfulfilled dream throughout our
history... This city was always the center of our national longings.
What held our nation together was the hope to return to it and to stay
here forever and ever. "This gathering is not against anyone, and we
have not come to protest against anything. We have come to express in
the most clear and straightforward way our deep bonds to this city and
what it symbolizes. And standing out from amongst all its
neighborhoods is the Temple Mount, the place to which the People of
Israel always prayed thrice a day. Turning towards it, longing for
it, crying for it, giving their soul for it, the Jews always thought
of one place: this mountain, upon and inside which still lay the
remnants of our Holy Temples.... "Throughout our history, we have
always prayed for and sought peace. There is no people who wants
peace more than we do, none have sacrificed for it more than we have.
But no nation has ever been asked to sacrifice its most important
treasures in order to appease another people! And we too, no matter
how dedicated to peace we may be, we will not give up our most
precious and important national treasures of Jewish history! For us,
there is one and only one city! It will accept and tolerate all its
residents, from all nationalities and religions - but it is one city,
not divided, not in pieces - just one entire and whole city, the
capital of the Jewish People! "Dear friends, I feel that in your name
and on your behalf, I must say something to a man who in the past
eight years has been very involved in everything that is happening
here, whose friendship for Israel have learned to recognize. I allow
myself to turn from here, the heart of Jerusalem, to U.S. President
Clinton in friendship and with modesty, and say: You were a great
friend of Israel for eight years. It would be such a shame if all
that will remain of these friendship-filled years would be the fact
that you, Bill Clinton, will be the first President in U.S. history
who has proposed the division of Jerusalem! I ask you, even now, Mr.
President: Don't be the first American President to raise his hand to
divide Jerusalem! Jerusalem will not be divided! Don't be the one
who enters history as the one who proposed it. We are a nation with a
memory of thousands of years, we don't forget anything, and we don't
forgive those who don't respect our deep feelings for our capital
city... We never ever forget those who dare to raise their hand
against our most precious assets. Please, Mr. President, think about
it again." "In this greatest of all rallies that have ever convened in
this city, let us hold hands together, with a feeling of internal
unity, love, dedication, and great determination, that we will act
responsibly, with restraint, but without hesitation, so that Israel
will continue to control this city as it must be forever - one city,
united and whole! Jerusalem, I pledge!"
For pictures of the rally, plus audio and video coverage, see:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/english/newspaper/news/demonstration.htm
A press conference/rally, hosted by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
with the Mayor of Jerusalem Ehud Olmert, Health Minister Roni Milo and
MK Natan Sharansky, will be held tomorrow afternoon at New York City
Hall. The rally will "send a clear message in support of Jerusalem
remaining the undivided united capital of the Jewish people forever."
***************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
To: <arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, January 11, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2001 / Tevet 16, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. IDF BEGINS TO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON PALESTINIANS
2. ELECTION NOTES
3. RABBI DRUCKMAN: VOTE FOR SHARON
4. BEILIN HELPS PREVENT SABBATH DESECRATION
1. IDF BEGINS TO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON PALESTINIANS
The IDF has begun once again removing the closure from the autonomous
areas, beginning with Kalkilye, Shechem, and Jenin. Arutz-7
correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the Karni and Erez
checkpoints, and the Allenby and Rafiach border crossings, are now
open to the passage of permitted Palestinian traffic and goods. In
addition, Palestinians with VIP cards are once again being allowed to
travel unrestricted between the Palestinian and Israeli areas.
The easing of the restrictions were agreed upon last night in a
meeting with Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak; representing the PA were
Muhammad Dahlan, Tawfiq Tirawi, and Amin El-Hindi, who have been
responsible for most of the murderous terrorist attacks against
Israelis over the past few months. Huberman reported that the
Palestinians promised to significantly cut down on attacks. "The
ease-ups do not apply, so far, to the more southern areas, such as
Al-Hader and Bethlehem, where attacks continued intensely as recently
as yesterday," he said. Lipkin-Shachak said that the reduction of
shooting incidents in the past 24 hours is "an encouraging sign."
Israeli officials said that the PA has already issued orders to reduce
the violence, and that the true test will be this coming weekend. PA
official Saeb Erekat said that the meeting last night was "very
disappointing," and that the only results were "the same measures that
Israel takes every time." Palestinian figures said that efforts are
being made to hold another meeting with Shachak. Tanzim sources in
the autonomous areas said that nothing has changed, and that the
intifada will continue. Fatah leaders said, "Whoever thinks that a
few gestures by the Israelis will change the situation is
day-dreaming."
Aharon Tzur, head of the Gaza Coast Regional Council, told Arutz-7
that the residents are, once again, "vehemently opposed to the opening
of the main north-south road to Palestinian traffic." As of late
afternoon, the road had not yet been opened for traffic, and the army
was reported to be "unenthusiastic" about opening the road. "There
still continue to be immediate and urgent warnings of terrorist
attacks in this area," Tzur said, "and this decision will be paid for
in blood. The CIA head dictates to us what should be given to the
Palestinians! This cannot continue."
2. ELECTION NOTES
Binyamin Netanyahu last night endorsed Ariel Sharon for Prime Minister
of Israel, and called upon all Likud members to vote for him.
Netanyahu said he does not plan to serve as a minister in Sharon's
Cabinet. At the official gala opening of the campaign in Jerusalem's
Binyanei HaUmah, Sharon said that there will have to be "compromises
for peace, but we will preserve our most basic national assets. Our
capital Jerusalem will remain eternally undivided. We will also make
sure that the other side keeps its commitments."
David Levy, a former Foreign Minister in two Likud governments, is not
happy with the Likud's choice of a slogan for Ariel Sharon's campaign:
"Only Sharon Can Bring Peace." Levy, who participated in a meeting
of pro-Sharon groups in Likud headquarters at Metzudat Ze'ev last
week, said that the motto is inaccurate and will be harmful to the
campaign. He said: "Many people will not vote for Sharon in any
event, so let's not waste time on trying to attract them. We have to
talk about security, because that's the main problem today. When
Sharon says he will bring peace, people ask him what his plan is, and
how he thinks he can bring peace if he's planning to make fewer
concessions... Sharon should concentrate on his image of 'strength'
and not turn too much to the left."
Sharon seems to have taken this advice seriously, especially in his
recent famous interview with Kfar Chabad magazine. He told that
publication that when he talked of "painful concessions" required for
peace, he was referring to the fact that Shechem and Jericho would not
be re-conquered, that he would not agree to the evacuation of any
Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and that the Oslo Agreement
was "dead."
Regarding the campaign motto, Likud MK Danny Naveh told Arutz-7, "The
words are not that important."
Some of the most recent polls show that the gap between Ariel Sharon
and Ehud Barak is shrinking - while others do not. According to polls
commissioned by the daily newspapers, and by the respective campaigns,
only 13% may be separating between the two. Geocartographic and Smith
polls of last night, however, show that Barak is still trailing Sharon
by some 20%.
Shimon Peres, who returned from a visit in India today, dismissed
reports that he would replace Barak in the Prime Ministerial race. He
said today that he has not discussed this possibility with either
Barak or with other interested parties.
3. RABBI DRUCKMAN: VOTE FOR SHARON
Rabbi Chaim Druckman, a Knesset Member from the National Religious
Party, took part in the Likud's kickoff for Sharon's campaign last
night, and said today, "I have absolutely no doubt in my mind for whom
we must vote in the upcoming election [Sharon]. There are those who
say that we should abstain in the election - but this is nothing more
than support for Barak. Even forgetting about Sharon himself, all you
have to do is look at the national catastrophe that Barak wished to
bring upon us - including even just today [referring to the intention
to re-open the main north-south road to Palestinian traffic, despite
the many terrorist attacks that have occurred on the road and the
continuing warnings of more]."
Rabbi Druckman was an MK for several years until 1989, and was asked
to join the NRP list in the 1999 election. When asked if he was not
worried about the withdrawals that Sharon himself may carry out, he
said, "Our Sages have taught us that Sanctification of G-d's Name is
greater than and offsets the Desecration of G-d's Name. We are not
like [those who wish to] set themselves off from the Jewish State; we
believe in taking part in what is going on. But the enemy of 'good'
is 'best,' and sometimes we have to choose that which appears to be
the better of two choices... I am sure that with Sharon as Prime
Minister, there will be an advancement of our interests."
4. BEILIN HELPS PREVENT SABBATH DESECRATION
Prime Minister Ehud Barak had planned to begin partial implementation
of his "secular revolution" as early as next week - but was stopped in
his tracks by top government ministers. Barak met two days ago with
Ministers Beilin, Ben-Ami, Ramon, and Ra'anan Cohen, and told them
that he would like to activate several bus routes on Sabbath. Beilin
and others warned him that such a move would lead the hareidi public
to come out en-masse to vote for Sharon.
***********************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
To: <arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, January 12, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Jan. 12, 2001 / Tevet 17, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TIME IS RUNNING OUT
2. SHARON LEADS BARAK
3. BURG FOR JERUSALEM
*** QUOTE OF THE WEEK
1. TIME IS RUNNING OUT
Shimon Peres waited all morning, but Yasser Arafat did not call to
arrange today's scheduled meeting between the two. Peres and other
Israeli, American, and Palestinian figures expressed pessimism as to
the chances of reaching an agreed upon "declaration of principles"
before Clinton leaves office next Saturday. Last night's hours-long
Israeli-Palestinian meeting, for which Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami
interrupted his visit to Paris in order to attend, ended with no
results. It was reported in the early afternoon that Peres and Arafat
would meet tomorrow night.
The Palestinian Authority's airport in Dahaniye, Gaza was reopened
this morning, in accordance with the new Israeli-Palestinian security
understandings. The encirclement of Jericho and Bethlehem will be
removed today, and Palestinian sources said that joint patrols would
also continue soon. This, despite shooting that rained down from
Palestinian sources on Psagot last night, and severe clashes between
rioting Palestinians and IDF soldiers at the Ayosh Junction.
2. SHARON LEADS BARAK
The Likud's candidate in the Prime Ministerial election - to be held
in 25 days - says he is not afraid of Shimon Peres. Ariel Sharon, who
leads Prime Minister Barak in polls published today by some 15 to 20%,
trails Peres by 2%. Sharon said today that he could "beat both Barak
and Peres." Supporters of Peres and Barak clashed in Tel Aviv today;
one Peres fan reportedly assaulted a television cameraman.
3. BURG FOR JERUSALEM
Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg visited the hunger strikers at Safra
Square in Jerusalem today. They have been striking for 13 days in
protest of the government's conducting of negotiations while their
"peace partners" continue their violence, and against its intention to
divide Jerusalem. Burg declared today that Israel must not cede its
sovereignty over the Temple Mount, the Old City, and the Mt. of
Olives.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"[The late Prime Minister Yitzchak] Rabin said that there is an entire
army regiment in Hevron, where there are only a few dozen Jewish
families, and another one in Netzarim, where there are even fewer
Jewish families. Then he added, 'And I am telling you that they will
stay there.' "I told him that if he authorizes us to say these things
in his name, or if he makes them public himself, the tension [in the
Jewish communities of Yesha] will disappear overnight... But he said
it cannot be made public, because the next morning, the left would be
angry with him." - Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in
Ma'aleh Adumim, quoted in Nekudah; with thanks to Cities of Israel.
Rabbi Rabinowitz added his opinion that it is no accident that Rabin
said these things so close to his death [which occurred three days
later]: "This should be regarded as his legacy, that we should not
leave Hevron and Netzarim."
************************************************************
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