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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 22, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001 / Sh'vat 29, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. WANTED: LABOR PARTY DEFENSE MINISTER
2. HENDEL TO BE DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER?
3. MOSLEMS TO JEWS: DON'T TOUCH THE WALL!
4. MUBARAK JUSTIFIES PALESTINIAN KILLING
5. MORE RAIN NEEDED

1. WANTED: LABOR PARTY DEFENSE MINISTER
An anti-unity government group of Labor government Ministers and MKs met this morning at the office of Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami. They sharply attacked the party's apparent decision in favor of joining the government. Ben-Ami said, "The claim that they are joining in order to 'supervise over Sharon and make sure he does not make mistakes' is the old and nauseating Mapai-style arrogance. [Mapai is the forerunner of the present-day Labor party.] The nation sent us to the opposition and apparently thinks that Sharon is a responsible man, so why do some Labor members feel that they know better?"

Among those attending the meeting in Ben-Ami's office were Ministers Yossi Beilin and Yuli Tamir, as well as MKs Avi Yechezkel, Yael Dayan, Ophir Pines, Collette Avital, and Labor member Yuval Frankel. Beilin said that if Labor joins the unity government, the party would fall apart. He has said in the past that he would quit the party if it joins a national-unity government.

The number of Labor party candidates for Defense Minister has now risen to five: former Defense Minister Shimon Peres, former IDF General Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai, and Interior Minister Chaim Ramon. Although some Laborites are in favor of trading the Defense Ministry post for Finance, it appears that the majority is against. If Peres is appointed Defense Minister, Avraham Burg - who is running for party leader - will make a bid to become Foreign Minister.

Labor withdrew its objections last night to the appointment of MKs Rehavam Ze'evi and Avigdor Lieberman - both of National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu - as ministers in Ariel Sharon's government. The decision - Likud MK Ruby Rivlin called it a "cave-in" - came a day after Sharon announced that they would in fact be appointed. Rivlin surprised Arutz-7's Haggai Segal today by saying that although he was interested in becoming Justice Minister, he may end up benefiting from the dispute over the Interior Ministry between Yisrael B'Aliyah and Shas, and serve there instead.

2. HENDEL TO BE DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER?
MK Tzvi Hendel, also of National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, is being mentioned for the post of Deputy Defense Minister. He told Arutz-7 today, "I was surprised, but the head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council - someone whose ideas are not generally right-wing, but who knows me from the area [Hendel lives in Gush Katif, not far from Sha'ar HaNegev] said to me, 'Look, if it was up to me, I wouldn't want you guys in the government - but if you're already going to be there, you should try to be appointed Deputy Defense Minister." Others have seconded the idea, and Hendel said, "In the end, of course, Sharon will decide - I don't think that anyone has any particular objections, but it's a question of arithmetic, because each party of the coalition needs to get a certain amount of posts... It could very well work out, however." He said that the new government's military responses in its very first days will be very critical, and will determine how we will live with the Palestinians for the next coming months or years.

Regarding the possible appointment of Peres as Defense Minister, Hendel said, "Because of our bad experience with other parties attempting to disqualify us from the government, we don't want to do the same to others. My stance is that they'll be judged for their actions. But my opinions on Peres and Beilin are known: they are the ones who brought Oslo and the Oslo War upon us, and I would be happy if they would leave public life - but in the end we're not the ones to decide."

3. MOSLEMS TO JEWS: DON'T TOUCH THE WALL!
Palestinian Authority Mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri has issued a religious ruling forbidding Jews from touching the Western Wall. The edict followed the discovery of Israeli intentions to repair some stones in the Wall had become loose. The Moslems claim that the Wall is part of the Temple Mount, which they claim belongs to them. Mai Soleb, English spokesperson for Sheikh Sabri, told Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA yesterday, "The [Western] Wall is part of the Al Burak Wall which is part of the Al Aqsa mosque so the Jews have no right to the place... The whole problem is that the place does not relate to them so whatever they do with it - putting in papers, practicing their prayers, all these things are not things that we want..."

Lerner then said, "So as far as Islam is concerned, the Jews should not be putting notes in the Wall, they should not be touching the Wall, they should not be doing anything with that wall." Soleb responded, "Exactly. And we believe that this is our religious property and we will take it back from them one day."

Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau reacted with disdain to what he called the Moslems' "disgraceful effort to rewrite history." He told Ha'aretz, "In this generation there are still those who were saved from fire with numbers from Auschwitz on their arms, and yet despite everything there are Holocaust deniers - so too there is no surprise there are those who are ready to distort a 2,000-year-old historical truth."

4. MUBARAK JUSTIFIES PALESTINIAN KILLING
The cold peace with Egypt is getting colder. Government sources in Jerusalem are fuming at Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for justifying Palestinian terrorism. At a press conference in Italy this week, Mubarak said he understands the motivation of Palestinians to kill Israelis. Jerusalem sources say they expect Egypt to help bring peace between the sides, and not justify Palestinian violence.

5. MORE RAIN NEEDED
The level of the Kinneret is now 213.28 meters below sea level, or 28 centimeters below the government-mandated red line. It is a meter lower than it was last year at this time. Uri Saguy, chairman of Israel's Mekorot Water Company, said that despite the rains of the last few days, if the winter continues at its present dry rate, the water crisis would reach "unprecedented proportions." Another Mekorot official said today that even if the Kinneret fills up, "Israel is a land of milk and honey - not of water, and we must act that way." He said that desalination is an acceptable plan of action, but that barely any progress has been made in that direction. Rain is expected today and tomorrow.

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, February 23, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Feb. 23, 2001 / Rosh Chodesh Adar 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. UNITY GOV'T EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK
2. SHARP ZOA RESPONSE TO BUSH PRESSURE

1. UNITY GOV'T EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK
National Unity Government negotiations between Likud and Labor hit a snag last night over the issue of the assignment of ministerial portfolios - with Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon unprepared to hand over the Finance Ministry to Labor. Negotiators meet again today in an effort to conclude the talks. This coming Monday, Labor's central committee will convene to vote on whether or not to join a Sharon-led government, as well as to approve the list of proposed Labor ministers in such a government. Meanwhile, Y-Net reports that the battle over the party leadership between former allies Chaim Ramon and Avraham Burg has intensified. Outgoing Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer is the third self-declared candidate for the top Labor job.

After a short and dismal 18-month stint on the Israeli political scene, the Centrist party has decided to disband. So reports today's edition of Ha'aretz. MKs Dan Meridor and Roni Milo are presently "leaning right" and may return to the Likud, where they each started their political careers. MK Uri Savir, a behind- the-scenes architect of the Oslo process, and Dalia Rabin-Philosoph, the daughter of the late Yitzchak Rabin, appear headed for Labor. Former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak - who, in 1999, had his sights set on the Prime Minister, but who had to settle for a minor portfolio in the Barak government - said recently that he would likely retire from political life.

2. SHARP ZOA RESPONSE TO BUSH PRESSURE
A report in the Washington Post yesterday prompted Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton Klein to dispatch an urgent telegram to US President George W. Bush. According to the Post, the Bush administration is pressing Israel "to turn over an estimated $54-million in tax money owed to the Palestinian Authority and urgently needed to pay the salaries of its security forces and civil servants." The Post added that both Secretary of State Colin Powell and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, have also been exerting pressure on Israel to release the funds.

In his communique to Bush, Klein writes: "Arafat's Preventive Security Forces have been engaged in constant shooting attacks and other violence against Israel. How can Israel be asked to provide funds for the salaries of those who are murdering its citizens?" Klein proposed that if need be, the tax money be held in escrow pending the outcome of lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority by victims of PLO-sponsored terrorism. Four such suits are currently pending in Israel and the U.S., Klein observed, adding that ''if any of them end in judgment in favor of the victims, the Israeli-held tax money should be attached to satisfy such judgments, just as U.S law was recently amended to allow American citizens victimized by terrorism sponsored by Iran and Cuba to attach Iranian and Cuban assets held by the U.S. government."

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News:Sunday, February 25, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2001 / Adar 2, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. POWELL AND SHARON MEET
2. SHOVAL SUMS UP POWELL VISIT
3. PERES TO LEAD LABOR PARTY
4. SHARON MEETS WITH CHIEF RABBIS

1. POWELL AND SHARON MEET
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell met last night with outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and had breakfast this morning with Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon. Following a short meeting with President Moshe Katzav, Powell is now on his way to meet with Yasser Arafat; Arafat is in Ramallah for the first time since he began the current mini-war.

Sharon and Powell appear to be in agreement that the Oslo process is no longer the central issue in the Middle East, and has been replaced in large measure by Iraq and its dangerous weapons-buildup. Powell said, however, that Israel's main concern should be the Palestinian front, and not Iraq. Sharon made clear that Arafat must be made to understand that he must stop the violence, and that Israel would not conduct talks before that; Powell agreed. "Peace is supposed to bring security," Sharon said. "It must be quite clear that Israel has the ability to maintain its security."

Also participating in the Barak-Powell meeting last night was IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz. Powell was concerned by Mofaz's forecast that the Palestinian violence will only get worse. Mofaz said that Palestinians are sure to increase their attacks on IDF forces, as well as on Yesha communities and roads. Terrorism by Hizbullah and others is also expected to be stepped up, Mofaz told Powell.

Powell was also informed by "senior diplomatic sources" in Jerusalem that if the Hizbullah attacks on the northern border continue, Israel will have no choice but to react forcefully against Syrian and Lebanese targets. He concluded his Israeli visits today in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem.

Sharon said today that if Arafat makes a clear call for the cessation of all Palestinian violence, and renews security cooperation with Israel, he - Sharon - would agree to allow goods into Gaza. Regarding the transfer of monies from Israel to the PA, Sharon said this would occur only after the violence has totally ended. A Palestinian source confirmed today that Muhammad Rashid, Arafat's economic advisor, had met recently with aides of Sharon, on a series of economic and closure-related issues.

2. SHOVAL SUMS UP POWELL VISIT
Zalman Shoval, Sharon's diplomatic advisor, told Arutz-7 today that Powell's visit was "successful - and this was manifest in his remarks both in public and private. He understands that before any talks can resume, there must be a total cessation of violence. The new Administration reflects a better understanding of Israel's needs than the previous, and Powell will tell Arafat that the ball is in his court. We will not suffice with nice statements in front of foreign leaders or press - statements which have nothing behind them. We demand clear instructions from Arafat to stop the violence, and a stop to incitement that has increased over the past months. We are talking about a package of concrete steps, without which we cannot make progress neither economically nor diplomatically." When asked what will happen if Arafat does not accede to these demands, Shoval said, "Well, the Palestinian people will suffer, as they have for many years, and the responsibility will be upon him. And if he expects American support for his goals, he will not get it..."

3. PERES TO LEAD LABOR PARTY
Prospects for a national-unity government are looking up once again, after the Labor party practically decided today to appoint Shimon Peres its temporary chairman. The future of such a government appeared to be in doubt last night, following the surprise reversal by Labor Party Secretary-General Ra'anan Cohen, who said that the internal fighting within Labor does not allow for its entry into such a government. Ministers Yossi Beilin and Shlomo Ben-Ami continue to oppose joining a unity government, while Peres is strongly in favor.  Minister Chaim Ramon, a central figure in the internal Labor party disputes of the past three weeks, now says he no longer opposes joining a unity government, but that he will not take part in it.  Labor now demands that MK Benny Elon (National Union) not be named Chairman of the Knesset Law Committee. The Labor Central Committee will convene tomorrow to vote on the questions of joining the government and naming Peres the party head.

The initiative to name Peres was an initiative of Labor MK Effie Oshaya, who feels that the vacuum of leadership created by Barak's resignation is destructive to the party and must be filled. Oshaya's idea was based on the confidence that likely candidates for the party leadership such as Avraham Burg, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and Chaim Ramon would agree to this arrangement - on condition that Peres guarantee that he would not use his short stint as a springboard from which to launch a run for permanent party chairman. Meanwhile, tensions between Burg and Ramon have surfaced; the two are good friends who said in the past that they would never run against each other. Now, however, the promise appears to have been forgotten, and harsh words have been exchanged between their two camps.

4. SHARON MEETS WITH CHIEF RABBIS
Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon paid a visit to the offices of Israel's Chief Rabbis today, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron. Rabbi Lau said that they discussed three points:  "First, the strengthening of united and Israeli Jerusalem's status, as well as those of the Temple Mount and the holy sites - especially in light of the Moslem mufti's unfounded claims that the Western Wall is not Jewish... Secondly, the issue of unity within our society...  Third, a stronger emphasis on the education to Jewish values - I'm not talking about observance and 'repentance,' but rather more knowledge..."

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief:Monday, February 26, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Feb. 26, 2001 / Adar 3, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. STORMY LABOR PARTY MEETING
2. MUSICAL MINISTERIAL CHAIRS
3. NSC CHAIRMAN GEN. UZI DAYAN: IT'S TIME TO FIGHT THE P.A.

1. STORMY LABOR PARTY MEETING
The Labor Party Central Committee convened in the Cinerama building in Tel Aviv this afternoon for a stormy session on whether or not to join the Likud-led national-unity government. Outside the building, Labor party ushers used force to prevent young party members from protesting against the intention to join the unity government; police were called in to intervene. The young Laborites were infuriated at the party leadership for not letting them into the hall: "We sacrificed ourselves in the intersections during the election campaign, but now they're not letting us in. This is how they disgrace us!"

The latest positions in the Labor party, as expressed today:

Shimon Peres, addressing the Committee this afternoon, said that the nation is facing very difficult threats from Iraq and elsewhere, and "This is also our country - shouldn't we have a say in these matters? . We must not be an elitist party! Listen to the voice of the public - including within our own party - which wants a unity government!"  He quoted passages from the unity-government guidelines showing that the Likud was in favor of territorial compromise and "equal rights for minorities."

Avraham Burg said that he is now against a unity government, if the National Religious Party and the National Union are members. His father, the late Dr. Yosef Burg, headed the NRP for many years. MK Burg told the Committee today, "In a normal situation, the party that loses must go home, re-organize, and prepare to offer an alternative the next time. But in this case, the public is facing a terrible problem, and for this reason - not for any other - would we consider joining a unity government. I am in favor of Labor going towards the center of the political map, but not in this type of right-wing unity government..."

Chaim Ramon, who was booed inside the hall, said he is no longer against a unity government, but he himself will not serve as a minister. In a fiery speech, he said, "We have long ceased to listen to the public - both in the diplomatic arena, and in the economic-social sphere. Do you think that the public was ready to uproot tens of thousands of settlers from their homes? It was not, but we didn't listen..."

Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami spoke against joining the unity government, and said that if Labor joined the government, the party would fall apart. Peres dismissed this warning: "Don't threaten us - it won't fall apart."

Minister Yossi Beilin, a staunch objector to a unity government, addressed most of his remarks to his mentor Shimon Peres, and said, "Don't do this to yourself, to us, or to Yitzchak Rabin."

Former Minister Moshe Shachal told the Committee, "Did anyone ask if I agreed to divide Jerusalem? Did anyone ask if I agreed to give away the Jordan Valley? Did anyone ask if I was willing for the party to take positions way to the left of Meretz, without consulting the party membership?"

The vote will take place later tonight.

*** As we go to press: The Central Committee decided to take into its own hands the matter of who will serve as Labor party ministers in a future unity government. This means that neither Shimon Peres nor any group of ministers will be able to present Ariel Sharon with an organized list of ministers for his government; instead, each minister will be voted on separately, and whoever has more power and support within the Committee for his desired post will win it.

2. MUSICAL MINISTERIAL CHAIRS
On the assumption that a national unity government will in fact arise - an assumption that had seemed fairly safe until today - the future member-parties are anxiously awaiting the beginning of the talks that will determine what ministerial portfolios they will receive. The NRP continues to demand Education and Communications - despite the fact that Ariel Sharon promised that the former would remain with the Likud, and the fact that the latter has apparently been promised to Labor.

The National Union party continues to insist, against the demands of the Labor party, that MK Benny Elon be named Chairman of the Knesset Law Committee. The National Union is gathering the support of other future coalition parties in this demand.

3. NSC CHAIRMAN GEN. UZI DAYAN: IT'S TIME TO FIGHT THE P.A.
"It is not practical to reach a full agreement with the Palestinians at this time, even if the violence stops." So said National Security Council Chairman Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan, in an appearance before the Industrial Guild in Tel Aviv this past Friday. "We must respond to their call for war, while leaving an opening for a staged agreement."  He said that the Palestinians must be made to understand that "they cannot fight in the present while talking about the future. We must set clear goals in our war against the Palestinians."

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