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From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
To: <arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com>;<arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, February 7, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001 / Sh'vat 14, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. ANALYZING THE LANDSLIDE
   2. SHARON'S FIRST DAY
   3. FORMING A GOV'T;  SHALOM'S PREDICTIONS
   4. LABOR PAINS BEGIN
   5. BELLIGERENT WELCOME FROM P.A.
   6. U.S.-JEWISH LEADERS WELCOME SHARON: "UNITY IS MOST IMPORTANT"
   7. EXCERPTS FROM ARIEL SHARON'S VICTORY SPEECH

1. ANALYZING THE LANDSLIDE
"Not a regular upset - it was a knockout upset."  So described Israel Television anchorman Chaim Yavin the results of Ariel Sharon's landslide election victory last night.  At the time of the announcement, it was thought that Sharon had won by 19% - but the true dimensions of the crushing victory became clear only towards the morning hours:  After 99.9% of the precincts were counted, Sharon had received 62.6% of the vote, and Prime Minister Barak only 37.4%.

Excuses and explanations from the left-wing camp were quick to come.  First on the list was, as Labor MK Collette Avital mentioned to Arutz-7 today, the low turnout - just under 60%, the lowest in Israeli election history.  Observers noted, however, that this was partly due to the limited nature of the election - only for Prime Minister and not for the Knesset parties - and to the fact that Sharon's victory was easily foreseen.  Even more significant was the fact that only 1/4 of the Arab sector - which comprises 12.3% of the population - turned out to vote; this was a show of anger at Ehud Barak, for whom it otherwise would have overwhelmingly voted.  Among the Jewish population, therefore, the turnout hovered around the 70% mark.

Shimon Peres blamed what he called the "stupid left-wing," ostensibly for not having fielded him as its candidate instead of Barak.  Others on the left, such as Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid, blamed Peres himself for not having backed out of the race earlier and more unambiguously.  Some Labor party seniors, such as Interior Minister Chaim Ramon, blamed Ehud Barak - for not having consulted with his peers and for other deficiencies.  MK Avital said that the election may have been a referendum on the "policy chosen by Barak" or, alternatively, on the "way in which he conducted his policy."

Ehud Barak himself, although he assumed personal responsibility for the loss, chose to blame the public:  "[The path that I have chosen vis-a-vis the Palestinians] requires a heart-rending sacrifice, and it could be that the nation is not yet ready for it...  On the other side, too [the Palestinians], the required readiness has not yet been exhibited... In a certain sense, we are ahead of our time..."  Chemi Shalev, an Israeli commentator for CNN, said that the Israeli public was fed up with Barak's zig-zagging and felt "humiliated" at the continuing Palestinian violence.

MK Collette Avital said, "It's hard for me to believe that the nation said 'No' to peace.  Before the current violence started, the public supported the peace process, but changed its mind sharply when the war started.  This means to me that the public wants peace, but does not think it can be reached specifically with this partner at this point in time."  She also tended to shift the focus of blame away from the "peace process" to the way in which it was carried out:  "This loss tells me that the public wants to be treated seriously, and that when serious steps are taken, they must not be taken behind closed doors, but must rather be accompanied by a serious information campaign...  I don't think they said 'No' to the peace process, but rather to Ehud Barak..."

Dr. Yossi Olmert, Middle Eastern affairs expert who served as director of Israel's Government Press Office under Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir responded, "With all due respect to Collette Avital, she and her colleagues on the left simply cannot admit the failure of their ideology, which, to put it simply, raises the ideal of peace above Zionism...  What the Israeli public said in this landslide victory is that it does not want peace at any price.  They do not want peace at the expense of dividing Jerusalem, for instance, but only under certain conditions.  This is why I believe that Sharon doesn't have to talk so much about peace, because what people are concerned about now is security."

Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA seconded this point by noting recent poll statistics.  Last month's Peace Index Project poll, conducted by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University, shows that only 27.8% of the population is in favor of the Oslo agreements, while 42.9% are opposed.  Asked about Barak's negotiations policy with the Palestinians, only 3.4% felt it was "too hard," while 70.4% felt that it was "too conciliatory;" the same number felt that the reason why the Palestinians did not sign a peace agreement with Barak is because "they are trying to get more concessions."

2. SHARON'S FIRST DAY
Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon visited the Western Wall this afternoon, after a visit to the gravesite of his late wife Lily, who passed away last year.  He was greeted at the Wall by Likud Knesset Members, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, and a large crowd of well-wishers.  He said there again that he would establish a national-unity government, "a critical need for the people at this juncture."  Sharon has already appointed a coalition-forming team, comprised of former Olmert, Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman, and Likud Secretary-General Uri Shani, with whom he met this afternoon.  Olmert doesn't rule out receiving the position of Minister of Jerusalem Affairs.

Ariel Sharon will send emissaries to several Arab countries today, reassuring them that his intentions are peaceful. The Americans are also expected to ask the Arab leaders to judge Sharon by his new government's actions and not according to his past.

3. FORMING A GOV'T;  SHALOM'S PREDICTIONS
Although his political allies hope it will take much quicker, Sharon has 45 days from the time the official elections results are announced to form a government and have it approved by the Knesset.  Until that time, Barak will remain as caretaker prime minister.  If Sharon fails to form a Knesset- approved government within 45 days, another election is called - and Sharon will not be permitted to run again. He has another reason for hurrying:  If the national budget for the year 2001 is not approved by the Knesset by March 31 - three months after the original deadline - new elections must be held three months later for both Prime Minister and the entire Knesset.  The next regularly scheduled elections are November 2003, at the end of the current Knesset term.

If he cannot form a unity government, he will have to form a narrow right-wing coalition. The 58 "naturally right-wing" seats - three short of a Knesset majority - would have to be supplemented with "outsiders" such as David and Maxime Levy, Dan Meridor, Roni Milo, and Chaim Katz, and their respective demands.

Likud MK Silvan Shalom, one of the managers of the successful campaign, was one of two Likud MKs mentioned by Sharon last night - the other was Ruby Rivlin - leading many to conclude that they would receive senior posts in the new government.  Shalom summarized the election campaign and victory today for Arutz-7:  "So many people wanted to put an end to what we have gone through in the past years. It was beautiful to see ten political parties working together, and then to get such a great achievement - a 25% gap - I don't think such a thing will ever happen again."

Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane asked, "Does this great margin of victory mean that the Likud can stick to its basic ideological positions, without a need to lean leftwards?"   Shalom answered, "We would like to do this, but we may not be able to do this because we don't have a parliamentary majority." Kahane:  "Then why not go for a right-wing coalition, and then you can stand fast on your familiar and original positions?". Shalom:  "Even then things are not exactly the way they appear.  A narrow government will be based on the Levy brothers and Meridor and Milo, as well as Yisrael B'Aliyah and Shas - whose positions are not exactly like ours...  It's not as if we have so many options.  This is why we have to begin by trying for as broad a government as possible, but if this doesn't work [i.e., if a unity government with Labor cannot be formed] then we will form a narrow government and leave an opening for Labor to join later.  At present, there is no one with whom to talk in Labor, and since we don't have time to waste - and since we have to change the outgoing government's policies as fast as possible - we have to form a government as fast as possible."

4. LABOR PAINS BEGIN
The landslide victor said last night that he still hopes to form a national-unity government, despite the vacuum created in Labor by Barak's announced resignation.  Some Laborites feel that Shimon Peres, such as Chaim Ramon, should lead the party for the next interim period, while others feel that he is largely to blame for the election loss and does not deserve to lead the party.  Avraham Burg, a top contender for the party's top spot, has only praise for Peres, but would rather relegate him to the "presidency" of the party while choosing someone else - preferably himself - to be Labor Chairman. Ramon, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and Shlomo Ben-Ami are also considered candidates to lead the party.

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who did not expect his loss to be as large as it was, announced last night that was taking a time-out from political life.  In a move reminiscent of that taken by Binyamin Netanyahu after his defeat by Barak two years ago, Barak announced that he would resign from the Knesset and from the leadership of the Labor Party after the formation of the next government: "The electorate has spoken, and I respect the democratic decision that has been made... I thank all those who voted for me, and it gives me strength to continue for the future... I just a short time ago called Knesset Member Ariel Sharon and congratulated him... No, no boos - we don't have to have unity, but we also don't need boos... We have lost a battle, but we will win the war." He was greeted very enthusiastically by the crowd at Labor campaign headquarters. One sign said, "250 Days After the Withdrawal From Lebanon - Thank You!"

With his wife by his side, the outgoing Prime Minister said, "The results of the election do not shake our faith in our way. Our way is the only true way. It is the only way to lead to peace, and to permanent separation from our Palestinian neighbors. Only a border between us will lead to peace... and to economic growth... and to the Jewish way of being a light unto the nations... This way requires a heart-rending sacrifice, and it could be that the nation is not yet ready for it... On the other side, too, the required readiness has not yet been ready... In a certain sense, we are ahead of our time, but it will come - I have no doubt. The truth will win, both on our side and on theirs, because there is no other way... I take full responsibility for our way, and I am proud of it, and I also take responsibility for this election campaign... I know that the country wants unity - but unity is not a substitute for a policy."  Barak added, however, that if a unity government based on common goals can be reached, then he would agree to it.

5. BELLIGERENT WELCOME FROM P.A.
Palestinian Authority negotiator Nabil Shaath said last night that the Palestinians would deal with Sharon, "since the Israeli people - our partner in the peace negotiations - have chosen him. But what kind of peace can he make, if he is not even willing to go as far as Barak did?" He said that he would not agree to an interim agreement, and that the Palestinians would continue to struggle for what they deserve.

PA negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the election results prove that the Israeli public is not ready for peace.  "There is no chance for peace while Sharon adheres to his positions regarding Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, and the Judea and Samaria settlements," he said, adding that negotiations will only resume from where they left off under Ehud Barak.  "The only way to work with Sharon," Fatah Secretary Marwan Barghouti said, "is to continue and escalate the Intifada."  Yasser Abed-Rabbo said that the Sharon victory represents a victory for the Fascist and extremist Right in Israel.

Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said tonight that the Arabs are no longer in the pocket of the Labor party. MK Rechavam Z'eevi (National Union Party) said in response: "What Tibi is saying is that the converse is true - the Labor party will now be in the pocket of the Arabs. They will always have the final OK on its candidate, etc."

The official Egyptian daily Al Ahbar writes that the victory of "the butcher from Sabra and Shatila" is testimony that the Israeli nation does not want peace.  The paper writes that the political platform of Sharon - who has been hated by Egypt ever since he commanded critical victories against Egypt in the Yom Kippur War - is a "declaration of war. The only hope for the Palestinian hope now is the strengthening of Arab solidarity in support of the intifada."  On the other hand, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ala el-Hatib says that his country will judge Sharon according to his actions and not by his past.

Yasser Arafat's official reaction:  "We respect the will of the Israeli nation, but we hope that the peace process will continue."

6. U.S.-JEWISH LEADERS WELCOME SHARON: "UNITY IS MOST IMPORTANT"
The leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations have conveyed their congratulations to Ariel Sharon on his election as Prime Minister of Israel.

"While there are many issues that will demand the Prime Minister-elect's immediate attention, we believe that the unity of the people of Israel and of world Jewry must be a priority," said Chairman Ron Lauder and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein. The Jewish leaders pledged solidarity with Mr. Sharon and vowed to work together to strengthen the ties between the U.S. and the American Jewish community, and Israel. "We appreciate the statements by the US administration that they will work with the new Israeli government, underscoring the importance of the special US-Israel relationship," they said. "We hope the international community will do likewise and work closely and cooperatively with prime Minister-elect Sharon. With the backdrop of on-going Palestinian violence and the disruption of peace negotiations, the strong support of the new US administration as well as the American Jewish community is vital."

Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI is delighted to welcome Ariel Sharon as Israel's new Prime Minister, and expresses its hope that he declares the Oslo process null and void, that he "undo all its mistakes," that there will be no negotiations while Palestinian violence and terror continue, that safety be restored on Israel's roads, and more.

7. EXCERPTS FROM ARIEL SHARON'S VICTORY SPEECH
Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon delivered his victory speech at 1 AM this morning at Likud election headquarters at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds.  Leaders and members of all of his potential national-camp coalition partners were there to greet him.  Excerpts from the speech, which he began by remembering his late wife Lily and expressing his sorrow over her absence: "Several minutes before I entered the hall, US President Bush called to relay his good wishes. He told me of his desire for close cooperation with the government which I will head. He recalled a tour we went on together of Samaria and the Jordan Valley, and reminded me that he had said then that one day he would be President and I would be Prime Minister.  He said, 'No one may have believed it then, but here it is, I am President and you have just been elected Prime Minister.' "Today, the State of Israel has embarked on a new path: a path of domestic peace and harmony, and a striving for security and genuine peace. Over the years, differences of opinion and divisions have grown deeper in our nation and in our society. We have had our fill of animosity and senseless hatred. The time has come to focus on that which unites us, and reach a consensus as broad as possible. I know that there is a national yearning to stand together and face the challenges of the future.  I issue a call from here for the establishment of a national unity government, with as many members as possible. I turn to the Labor party to walk with us together, on the basis of true partnership, along the difficult path to security and peace." "The government that I will lead will work towards restoring security to the citizens of Israel, and towards achieving genuine peace and stability in the region. I know that peace means painful compromises on both sides. Any settlements reached will be based on security for all peoples in the region. I call upon our neighbors the Palestinians to abandon the path of violence and return to dialogue and pursuit of a resolution to the disagreements between us in a peaceful manner. The government which I will lead will work towards a realistic settlement which will safeguard the existential and historical interests of Israel, and will be based on mutual respect and the fulfillment of reciprocal obligations." "We will open a new page in our relations with Israel's Arab citizens in an effort to create a true partnership, and a sense of equality between all citizens. The government that I will lead will raise the flag of social issues, alongside the flags of security and peace, with the top priority being education. Above these are the flag of Zionism, the flag of national honor, immigration and settlement of the Land. The government which I will establish will pursue the strengthening and building up of a united Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and the
eternal capital of the Jewish people for which we are forever obligated: "If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand lose its cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy." "We have a small country blessed with talent and rich in achievements. Let's begin tonight all of us 'as one man with one heart' on a new path. Together we can overcome all of the challenges before us. Together we can realize all of our hopes and dreams. Thank you all."

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To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News:Thursday, February 8, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 / Tu B'Shvat 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. LABOR DIVIDED AS COALITION TALKS BEGIN
   2. SHARON TURNS DOWN SYRIAN "OFFER"
   3. P.A. SAYS NO TO SHARON, AFTER SAYING NO TO BARAK
   4. SHARON MAY GIVE AWAY - BUT TO WHOM?

1. LABOR DIVIDED AS COALITION TALKS BEGIN
The coalition negotiations between Ariel Sharon's staff and the political parties began today.  The Likud team, headed by Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, met with the One Israel committee, headed by Labor MK Ra'anan Cohen.

The party's Knesset Members convened this afternoon in an attempt to come to some decisions regarding the future of the party and its leadership.  Justice Minister Yossi Beilin announced there that he backs Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg for the position of Labor Party leader. "Burg will be able to unite the party, and rebuild our bridges with the religious and with the Arabs," Beilin said. He said that he supports his mentor Shimon Peres for the as yet non-existent position of President of the party.  Peres said he is not interested in serving as either temporary or permanent party leader.

Labor party members are divided on the question of whether to join a unity government; Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, for instance, says he will quit the party if it joins Sharon's government, and Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami has also come out against the notion.  Other Laborites took a middle road.  Outgoing Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir recommends that the party not join the government for the next four months, but rather support it from the outside while Labor gets itself in order and chooses its leadership.  Tamir was brought into national politics by Ehud Barak, who plucked her from relative obscurity 20 months ago to be the second woman in his Cabinet.

Former MK Effie Oshaya, who will become a Labor party Knesset Member upon Barak's resignation, made similar comments today.  Speaking with Arutz-7 this afternoon, Oshaya said, "A new Prime Minister has been elected, so let's give him a chance.  I'm in favor of unity, but not fake unity; if the state of Israel is important, then let's stay in the opposition and fight for what we believe - but let's vote for the budget that our own party and Finance Minister proposed, and let's give the government a chance to seek peace, if it can...  Those [in Labor] who want a national unity government are just looking out for their own political careers..."

2. SHARON TURNS DOWN SYRIAN "OFFER"
Syrian President Bashar Assad has called upon Ariel Sharon to enter into negotiations with him - as opposed to positions expressed yesterday by Syrian papers.  However, Assad says that his starting position is exactly that of his father, nothing more and nothing less, and that everyone knows what they are (namely, the return of 100% of the Golan and other area captured by Israel following Syrian attacks from there during the Six Day War).  The Likud has rejected the proposal.  Zalman Shoval says that these pre-conditions set by Syria are totally unacceptable.

Zalman Shoval - a former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., and Sharon's top diplomatic advisor - has left for the United States as the head of a delegation sent by Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon. The delegation will meet with members of the new Bush Administration, and will emphasize that the new Sharon government is committed only to the signed agreements, such as those reached with the PA at Oslo, Wye Plantation, and Sharm al Sheikh, but not to other "understandings."   Sharon has also sent an emissary to King Abdullah to Jordan, and plans to send one to Egypt as well.

3. P.A. SAYS NO TO SHARON, AFTER SAYING NO TO BARAK
Arafat's Fatah organization urged the Palestinian Authority yesterday not even to negotiate with Sharon, threatening that "if the Israelis think that Sharon will make security for them, we say loudly that Israel will never have security at all."  Ignoring their rejection of Ehud Barak's peace offers, a Fatah statement said, "The Intifada and resistance are our strategic options to get rid of the occupation and to achieve freedom, return (of Palestinian refugees), national independence and sovereignty.  We call for stepping up the Intifada and resistance in the face of the butcher Sharon."  PA negotiator Nabil Shaath said that if Sharon sticks to his positions, "there can be no credible peace process."

However, as former American Mideast mediator Dennis Ross has noted several times since leaving his post - most recently, today - it was Yasser Arafat who turned down the most recent peace offer.  "During the latest round of talks at Taba, Arafat turned down former President Clinton's bridging proposals," Ross said today, referring to a package that included parts of Jerusalem and other major Israeli concessions.

4. SHARON MAY GIVE AWAY - BUT TO WHOM?
Former President Ezer Weizman, a veteran of both the Likud and Labor parties and who supported Ariel Sharon in the election campaign, said today that he believes that Sharon "will not hesitate to uproot individual settlements [in Judea and Samaria] in order to reach an agreement with the Palestinians."  Sharon himself, however, told Arutz-7 the day after receiving the Likud's Prime Ministerial nomination two months ago, "I will not dismantle a single settlement, period."

Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes that the question is essentially a moot one, since an agreement with Yasser Arafat does not appear to be in the offing, given Arafat's refusal to make peace with Israel even on the more generous terms offered by Barak.

Likud MK Ruby Rivlin said last night that Sharon might agree to turn over joint Israeli-Palestinian controlled areas to full PA control, thus leaving certain settlements in total isolation.  This is in
keeping with a plan approved by Sharon last November that was to have served as a basis for a national unity government headed by Ehud Barak.  The plan - which was not necessarily accepted by other Likud MKs - called for territorial contiguity between the Palestinian-controlled areas.

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