Arutz-7 News: Sunday, March 4, 2001

HHMI Newsgroup Archives

To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, March 4, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Mar. 4, 2001 / Adar 9, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LIVNAT TO PUBLIC SECURITY, SHETREET TO EDUCATION, ZE'EVI TO TOURISM
2. LIKUD TO PASS LABOR'S BUDGET
3. THREAT OF WAR
4. SECURITY COOPERATION TO BE RENEWED - FOR P.A. BENEFIT

1. LIVNAT TO PUBLIC SECURITY, SHETREET TO EDUCATION, ZE'EVI TO TOURISM
The new Sharon government continues to take shape, with the Likud ministerial appointments becoming nearly final during the night. It now appears that Limor Livnat will not be Education Minister, but rather Minister of Public Security, while Meir Shetreet will take over the Education Ministry. Ruby Rivlin is designated for Communications, Tzippy Livni will be in Justice, and Silvan Shalom will be Finance Minister. Danny Naveh will be the Liaison Minister between the government and the Knesset, while Uzi Landau and Yehoshua Matza will be Ministers without Portfolio.

National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu will receive two Ministers: Rehavam Ze'evi will be Minister of Tourism, and Avigdor Lieberman will serve as Minister of National Infrastructures - a post first created for Ariel Sharon in the Netanyahu government. Ze'evi was not happy with his appointment, but agreed to it after he was assured that he would also be a member of the government's security cabinet.

The coalition talks between the Likud and Shas have all but ended, and most of the issues in dispute have been resolved. Shas - with 17 MKs, the 3rd-largest Knesset party - will have 4-5 ministers and three deputy ministers, and Shas leader Eli Yeshai will serve as Second Deputy Minister, following Shimon Peres. Regarding the Shas radio stations, a special Radio Council will be established in the Ministry of Religious Affairs - which will be headed by a Shas government minister. Still to be decided is the question of the timing of the cancellation of the direct election for Prime Minister; Shas wants to continue the status quo at least during the next Knesset election. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef will announce today his choice of Shas' ministers.

In the National Religious Party, Rabbi Yitzchak Levy will be appointed Housing Minister, but the party is still seeking a post for Sha'ul Yahalom. MK Zevulun Orlev told Arutz-7 today, "We recognize our national and religious responsibility, and we will support this government no matter what. But we may not join it. It should be clear that with all the support that we gave Ariel Sharon in the previous election, we should be treated not with extra-special consideration, but in a manner at least commensurate with our size and contribution. If Labor-Meimad (23 Knesset seats) receives eight ministers, and the NRP (5 seats) only one, then it is clear that something is wrong. If Shas (19 MKs) receives five ministerial positions, then how can we get only one?" It should be noted that the portfolios are distributed according to a formula of one for each 3 MKs.

Yisrael B'Aliyah is still not totally satisfied with that which has been offered it, but party leader Natan Sharansky said, "I will not be the cause of even a one-day delay in the establishment of this government. If we cannot reach agreement with the Likud, we will support it from the outside."

2. LIKUD TO PASS LABOR'S BUDGET
The new government will stand behind the national budget as prepared by the outgoing Barak government and Labor party Finance Minister Avraham Shochat. There is some concern in the Likud that the budget will not be passed by the end of March; such an eventuality would force new Knesset elections. Likud Knesset faction head MK Ruby Rivlin has begun coordinating with Shochat how to bring the bill for a Knesset vote.

3. THREAT OF WAR
Military historian Dr. Aryeh Yitzchaki was asked today how he reads the reported Egyptian decision to call up its reserves for "exercises." His response:

"All the classic warning signs are there, and it is clear that we are poised for war, possibly within two months. I don't want to scare anyone, but as opposed to IDF Military Intelligence, my opinion for the last two years has been that war will erupt in the spring of 2001, and it will involve not only the Palestinian Authority and Hizbullah, but also Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. The Egyptian Army does not need reserves - it's an army built on its standing force, and therefore Israel's denials of the Egyptian call-up are not relevant. The Egyptian Army is poised for war; it has created new regiments, has been training intensively, and has acquired the most up-to-date American equipment... I am happy that despite the IDF's denials of my prognosis, Intelligence Chief Head Maj.-Gen. Amos Malka is beginning to agree with me." Yitzchaki said that despite reports that Iraq and Iran will have nuclear weapons only three and five years from now, respectively, "I have reliable information that Iraq already has one nuclear bomb - and this explains his recent 'chutzpah' vis-a-vis the Americans - and that Iran will have one ready by the end of this year."

PA Communications Chief Imad Falouji told a PLO rally in southern Lebanon on Friday that the recent intifada had nothing to do with Ariel Sharon's walk on the Temple Mount. The disturbances were planned after the peace talks failed in July, according to Falouji. "It [the uprising] had been planned since Arafat's return from Camp David, when he turned the tables on the former US president and rejected the American conditions," Falouji said. PA officials rejected Falouji's statement, reiterating that it was Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount that had set off the violence. He also told the roaring crowd of supporters that the PLO is now reorganizing to escalate the violence against Israel: "We are going back to the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The Fatah Hawks, the Kassam Brigades, the Red Eagle, and all the military action groups are returning to work."

Shots were fired at an IDF jeep this afternoon near the town of Beit Haggai, south of Hevron. No one was hurt, and IDF soldiers returned fire.

An Israeli citizen stabbed four Palestinian workers at the Agron St. supermarket in Jerusalem today. They are all in light condition, and were treated on the spot by Magen David Adom workers. The police reported that the stabbings were not a reaction to today's Palestinian terrorist attack, but were perpetrated by a man who had been caught stealing.

4. SECURITY COOPERATION TO BE RENEWED - FOR P.A. BENEFIT
The PA announced on Friday that it had agreed to an American request to renew security cooperation with Israel. Amin al-Hindi, head of the PA's intelligence service, said that Arafat would agree to hold meetings on this topic in the presence of American representatives. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman notes that throughout the years of "security cooperation," the only beneficiary was the Palestinian Authority. "Although the chief purpose was the prevention of terrorist attacks," Huberman writes in HaTzofeh, "Israel never received any advance information from the Palestinians. The information always went from Israel to the PA - and then sometimes the PA would take action to stop the attackers. Israel's security levels noticed two years ago that when the PA received information from Israel, the first thing the Palestinians would do was to try to figure out how Israel got the information. Only afterwards, if at all, would they take action."

Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon denied today a report in Ma'ariv that he had sent Yossi Ginosar as an emissary to the PA. Ma'ariv reported that Ginosar, who owns a share in the PA's casino in Jericho, was sent to persuade the Palestinians to resume their security cooperation with Israel. Sharon said that Ginosar does not and did not work on his behalf, and that he will not send an emissary who has financial connections with the Palestinian Authority.

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, March 5, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Mar. 5, 2001 / Adar 10, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ARAFAT PROMISES "STRUGGLE TIL VICTORY"
2. GOVERNMENT ON THE WAY: NRP APPEARS TO BE OUT
3. HOW TO LEGALIZE RADIO STATIONS
4. STRINGENT WATER PROPOSALS
5. PURIM WEBSITES

1. ARAFAT PROMISES "STRUGGLE TIL VICTORY"
Yasser Arafat sent his blessings to the hundreds of thousands of Moslems participating in the ritual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca this week - and did not neglect to take note of the recent terrorist attacks against Israelis. "We will continue our struggle until victory," he said, "and until we wave the Palestinian flag over the walls of Jerusalem, over the mosques and churches of Jerusalem our capital." The message was broadcast over the Palestinian media this morning. Arafat also called upon the world community to "protect the Palestinians who stand vulnerable to the Israeli aggression."

Two victims of yesterday's terrorist bombing in Netanya were buried today: Shlomit Ziv was buried in Netanya, and her uncle Naftali Din was interred afterwards in Tel Mond. The third victim, Evgenia Malkin, will be laid to rest tomorrow.

Seventeen of the wounded were still hospitalized this morning. Dr. Avinoam Skolnick, Medical Director of Laniado Hospital, told Arutz-7 today,

"One thing we noticed this time is that there appear to be great fears among the patients. We noticed that the wounded are anxious to remain in the hospital, where they feel safe. When we told some of them that they could go home, they asked if it was possible to remain another day. This is a phenomenon that I do not remember from previous incidents, and the fact that people do not feel safe in their own city raises some question marks."

He said that psychological treatment of terrorist-attack victims is an important facet of the medical treatment provided the attack victims: "Usually in an attack of this type, the physically wounded arrive in the hospital immediately, and then a couple of hours later we begin to see a second wave, of those who have been affected in other ways by the blast - torn ear drums, etc. Then, even up to 48 hours later, we begin to see patients coming in with fears, trepidation, and the like."

2. GOVERNMENT ON THE WAY: NRP APPEARS TO BE OUT
Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon is racing against the clock, but it appears that he will present his government two days from now, as he announced at the end of last week. However, his most likely partner, the National Religious Party, is likely to be left out. Shas and the Likud initialed an agreement last night, and the National Union and Yisrael B'Aliyah are likely to follow tonight. Following the NRP's refusal to agree to the terms offered it by the Likud, Yisrael B'Aliyah head Natan Sharansky will apparently benefit and will assume the post originally offered to the NRP representative - that of Housing Minister.

The NRP, which had earlier agreed to waive its demand for two government ministers, is not willing to compromise on the powers its Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs was to be offered. Party leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy and MK Rabbi Chaim Druckman said that the terms offered the NRP by the Likud are less than that proposed by Ehud Barak two years ago. "We are practically the only party that worked outright for Sharon's election, and this is how we are treated," they said. Barring last-minute changes, the NRP will not join the government, but will support it from the outside.

David Levy of the Gesher party will not serve as a Minister in the new government. After a congenial meeting with his friend Ariel Sharon today, he said that to serve as a minister without a portfolio in such a large government would be akin merely to "warming the seat."

Negotiations with the National Union continue. Party leader Rehavam Ze'evi has agreed to accept the Tourism Ministry, but asks that his authorities also include the National Parks and Nature Reserves, the Antiquities Authority, and the Green Patrol (responsible for enforcing environmental regulations).

Labor MK Ophir Pines was chosen by his party today to head the Knesset Law Committee. According to the coalition agreement, he will be replaced at the end of 15 months - if the government is still in existence - by MK Benny Elon of the National Union party. Pines expressed his vociferous objections to Elon's appointment, and said that his successor was supposed to have been from the Likud.

Tourism Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak and MK Uri Savir, both of the rapidly-collapsing Center Party, will resign from the Knesset this week. They will be replaced by the next two members on the party's Knesset list: Nechama Ronen, formerly of the right-wing Tzomet party, and David Magen, formerly of the Likud.

Atty. Sinai Gilboa, a negotiator for the 17-seat Shas party, told Arutz-7 today that Shas had not received everything it wanted:

"Compared to what other parties received, our demands were definitely modest - but we showed flexibility because of the importance of forming the government. Shas will receive five ministers: Eli Yesha as Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and also Ministers of Labor, Religious Affairs, Health, and Jerusalem Affairs. In addition, we will have three deputy ministers: Education, and two others that are yet to be determined. The Tal Committee Law [regulating military exemptions for yeshiva students] will be passed, but the question of the Direct Election [of the Prime Minister] law has not yet been finalized [Shas wishes to postpone its cancellation until after the next Knesset elections]. No, we did not receive a representative on the Committee for the Appointment of Judges; this was one of the concessions we made in order to reach an agreement for a national-unity government which is so important to the country at this time."

3. HOW TO LEGALIZE RADIO STATIONS
An important feature of the coalition agreement between the Likud and Shas involves the legalization of the Shas radio stations. The agreement calls for the formation of a separate broadcast authority for religious broadcasts, which will be established for this purpose in the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Arutz-7's Media Correspondent Kobi Sela explained:

"The idea is that the Likud feared that a special religious station would not stand the test of an appeal to the Supreme Court - but an authority that is subordinate to a sectorial ministry such as the Ministry of Religious Affairs will be immune to that form of attack. The new authority will be like the Cable Stations Council, where the council sets guidelines for the type of stations it will authorize; different bodies will submit bids and proposals, and the council will select the winners and will supervise them."

4. STRINGENT WATER PROPOSALS
The Water Commissionership will recommend that the new government enact the following water restrictions: No watering of public or private gardens for the next three years; the raising of
home-consumption water prices; and further cutbacks in agricultural and industrial water quotas. The stringent proposals are a result of the drought of the past three years and the worsening water crisis. The lowering of the government-mandated "red line" - the level of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) below which it is not permissible to draw water - will also be considered. The "red line" currently stands at 213 meters below sea level; the current level of the Kinneret is 18 centimeters below that. The Kinneret has risen only some 55 centimeters since the end of last summer.

5. PURIM WEBSITES
Purim will be celebrated this year from Thursday night until Friday night; in Jerusalem, it will be spread out over the three days from Friday to Sunday. The joyous holiday commemorates the salvation of the Jews from Haman's decree of destruction some 2,350 years ago. A list of websites related to Purim can be accessed at http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaypu.htm. Sample Purim sites:

Two great articles on Purim: http://yeshiva.org.il/English/Eindex.htm

Aish HaTorah Purim Pages - http://aish.com/holidays/Purim/default.asp

Nurit's Purim Spiel - http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/purim/purimindex.html

Purim Lectures - http://www.613.org:80/purim.html

Chabad - http://www.virtualpurim.org/default.asp

Ohr Somayach - http://www.ohr.org.il/special/purim/index.htm

OU - http://www.ou.org/chagim/purim/default.htm

Purim Humor - http://www.jr.co.il/humor/purim.htm

Hebrew - http://galim.org.il/purim/

Project Genesis: Purim - http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/purim/

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com,arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor<neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, March 6, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2001 / Adar 11, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. NRP AWAITING LAST-MINUTE OFFER
2. IDF GENERAL: "NOT ONE CENTIMETER"
3. BEILIN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY TO LEAD LABOR

1. NRP AWAITING LAST-MINUTE OFFER
One of two things will apparently happen with the National Religious Party in the next few hours before tomorrow: Either it will receive a generous offer from Ariel Sharon to join his government, or else Rabbi Yitzchak Levy will announce his resignation as head of the party. As of now, the coalition negotiations between the Likud and the NRP have ended abruptly without agreement, leaving the NRP - one of the earliest and strongest supporters of the unity government - outside it.

Addressing the NRP Central Committee this afternoon, Rabbi Levy had strong words against the Likud for not including the party of Religious Zionism in its unity government: "There is no doubt that if the Likud wanted us in, it would have closed a deal with us." He implied that he is waiting a few more hours to see if the Likud will offer the party "something substantial" - such as the Ministry of Justice or Education - for its consent to join the government. Rabbi Levy is currently not a Knesset Member, and he had resigned his Housing Minister position when the NRP left the Barak government last year. He lost his daughter in a terrorist car-bombing in Jerusalem four months ago. Rabbi Levy took over as NRP chairman following the death of Zevulun Hammer four years ago.

National Union MK Tzvi Hendel, formerly of the NRP, made a last-ditch effort to negotiate a deal between the Likud and the NRP today. The NRP had originally been offered the Housing Ministry and a deputy-ministry, but demanded also the position of Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The Likud did not agree to this, and granted the position of Housing Minister to Natan Sharansky of Yisrael B'Aliyah. This afternoon, the NRP said it would accept the Justice Ministry and two deputy ministers, but the Likud again refused. As things currently stand, therefore, the Likud-headed national unity government to be presented and voted on tomorrow will not include the NRP.

Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon submitted the signed coalition agreements to the Knesset at 4:45 PM today - a bit later than he had planned - and will, in accordance with the law, present his government to the Knesset 24 hours afterwards. Sharon will make final decisions today as to which Likud MKs will serve as government ministers. At this stage, it appears that the government will include the following parties: Likud, One Israel (Labor-Meimad), Shas, National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, Yisrael B'Aliyah, Am Echad, and splinters of the Center Party, representing 78 Knesset Members. United Torah Judaism will join the coalition only after the Tal Committee law - governing yeshiva students' deferment of army service - is passed.

2. IDF GENERAL: "NOT ONE CENTIMETER"
O.C. Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Doron Almog says that the IDF is against giving even one centimeter of land to the PLO, as long as no agreement is reached with the Palestinians and their violence against Israelis continues. Gen. Almog said yesterday that evacuating any Jewish community from anywhere in Gaza would be interpreted as a sign of weakness, and would invite further aggressions from the Palestinian Authority. "It is sufficient to see how the Arabs viewed our pull-out from Lebanon," he said, and added, "there is no difference between [the isolated community] Netzarim and any other town in Israel. The IDF is obligated to protect and defend all of them."

3. BEILIN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY TO LEAD LABOR
Outgoing Justice Minister Yossi Beilin this morning announced his candidacy for temporary Labor Party chairman. He will not run against Shimon Peres, however, in the event that Peres decides to run for the post. Beilin's staffers say that many party leaders have agreed to support him, including Chaim Ramon and Avraham Burg.

Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh parted from his office staff today in Tel Aviv. He had hoped to graduate to Defense Minister, but will suffice with Transportation Minister instead. In his parting speech to his workers, Sneh said, "The Defense Ministry and incoming Minister Ben-Eliezer can expect a difficult period ahead." He listed the difficult events of his 20 months in office, among them the new intifada, the end of the Israeli war in Lebanon, and the establishment of a new northern border. One of his office's accomplishments, Sneh said, was the 10% increase in exports of military equipment: "Without a thriving defense industry, we will not be able to win in war, if it occurs."

Minister Ben-Ami also parted from his Foreign Ministry staff today, saying that Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon should be given a chance. Ben-Ami, a staunch opponent of the national-unity government, said, "We must hope that it succeeds in giving the People of Israel what it needs - security and stability. At the end of the road, there will have to be a diplomatic breakthrough, and I believe that it will be along the lines that we [the Barak-government's negotiators] spoke about." Ben-Ami said that the Palestinians must stop thinking that they will reach an agreement that will "leave the last of the refugees in Lebanon jumping for joy."

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