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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, July 16, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, July 16, 2001 / Tammuz 25, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. WORDS OF PRAISE FROM TOP ARMY COMMANDER
2. SHARON DEFENDS PERES MEETING

1. WORDS OF PRAISE FROM TOP ARMY COMMANDER
"The way the residents of Yesha are acting reminds me of the bravery and forbearance shown by the people of London during the German air raids in World War II." So says O.C. Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzchak Eitan in an interview in this month's edition of Nekudah. Nekudah is a Hebrew monthly geared to the intellectual right-wing population.

Eitan says that the decrease in the Yesha population is not significant, and that those who are moving out this summer are not doing so for security reasons. "The settlers are very strong in spirit, with a firm ideology, and this makes it easier for the army," Eitan says. "I have no doubt that in the end, the IDF will defeat the Palestinians. Our ability to penetrate deep into their territory and pluck out wanted terrorists is maddening to them."

David Monsenegro, a spokesman for the northern Shomron community of Kadim, acknowledged today that in his community, some families are in fact leaving, "but this is a result of the pressure under which they are living and the feeling that the government has abandoned them." He elaborated on some of the problems they face:

"Security is of course an important problem, but it's not the only one. We are living here as if in a bubble, with hardly anyone coming or going; we can't have servicemen come and fix our washing machines and the like; we were forced to drink water for two weeks from tanks supplied by the army; there is sometimes no electricity and water for hours or days at a time. The Yesha Council and [settlement organization] Amanah are helping us, but real solutions have to come from the government, and they are not coming."

Asked if the community is trying to bring more people to live there, Monsenegro responded,

"We have been making such efforts for years. It's always been difficult, but ever since Sharon and Netanyahu concluded the Wye Agreement and withdrew from these areas, thus turning us into an isolated enclave, it's been particularly difficult. There is just no room for us to develop... We have tried to find ideological core groups to come here, but they would have to be secular, as we don't want to change the secular character of the community, and unfortunately we don't find ideological groups of this nature to come here and help."

Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked, "Could it be that people don't want to come because you guys are sending out signals of despair?" Monsenegro:

"What do you mean, signaling despair? First of all, we are only talking about a phenomenon of the last month or two. I don't think that anyone can have any complaints against the way we stood fast all these years since Oslo, and even before that, even though everyone warned that these "non-ideological" towns would collapse very quickly, the fact is that we did not, and we even grew slightly. We were able to hold on, but now it is much harder when we sense that the government is not behind us."

On a more positive note, the Beit El Local Council reports that 40 new families will be moving in, while six will be moving out - some of them to other Yesha towns. Many other Yesha towns are also expected a signficant increase in population in the coming weeks.

2. SHARON DEFENDS PERES MEETING
The meeting between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat in Cairo yesterday continues to make waves within the national unity government. Prime Minister Sharon defended it by saying that it was never certain that the meeting would be held, and that it did not deal with diplomatic issues. Likud government ministers such as Limor Livnat dismissed both assertions out of hand: "Every intelligent purpose knew, as early as Thursday and certainly by the time Peres left for Cairo, that he would meet with Arafat. I call upon the Prime Minister to put a stop to Peres' efforts and not allow him to continue meeting with Arafat." Communications Minister Ruby Rivlin, speaking with Arutz-7 today, also said, "I can't deny that my heart is heavy. I suspect that Arafat is laughing at us, saying that he can even outsmart Sharon by using terrorism and still talk with us. This is very worrisome, and we are broadcasting a harmful double message - we tell the world, and we told our own public, that Arafat is an arch-terrorist, and then we meet with him." Ministers Ze'evi and Landau made similar objections.

Peres admitted this morning that the issue of the Arab "refugees" (up to 3.7 million people, of whom more than 95% are the children and grandchildren of those who actually left Israel in 1948) was raised during his meetings in Cairo yesterday. He said, however, "I didn't talk with Arafat about the refugees; it was Mubarak. There's a difference. Listen, in general, there's a difference between 'negotiations' and a 'discussion.'" The proposal submitted by Peres was to stop talking about the "Right of Return" and instead use the term "the problem of the refugees." On the way to Cairo, the Foreign Minister expressed his hope of creating a permanent channel of communications with Arafat - though Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane noted that since Peres is not the Defense Minister, it is hard to assume that they would be discussing security matters.

Peres and Prime Minister Sharon agreed that his meetings with Arafat would continue. Sharon and Peres met with the Likud Knesset faction this afternoon and deliver a diplomatic/security report. Before the meeting, Sharon emphasized that the principle of "no negotiations under fire" is still valid. Likud MK Yisrael Katz objected to Peres' presence, calling him a "serial diplomatic pyromaniac."

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, July 17, 2001 / Tammuz 26, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BEN-ELIEZER MEETS SHARON
2. RIGHT-WING MINISTERS FORM FRONT; HAETZNI RESPONDS
3. WHAT SHARON SAID THEN

1. BEN-ELIEZER MEETS SHARON
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer held a security consultation this afternoon with Prime Minister Sharon, in light of the increased threat of escalated violence in the region. For the same reason, Ben-Eliezer cancelled a weeklong trip to the U.S., scheduled to have begun tomorrow. He said today that the government has no intention of causing the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, "as the right wing demands," and expressed the hope that the U.S. will pressure the Palestinians to stop their attacks. In a different forum, Ben-Eliezer said that the army cannot guarantee the safety of "every single settler." For this, MK Sha'ul Yahalom demanded Ben-Eliezer's resignation.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres did not participate in the meeting with Sharon today; instead, he is on a two-day visit to England, where he will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair and other British leaders.

Deputy Minister Avi Yechezkel (Labor) has joined several Likud MKs in opposing continued contacts with Yasser Arafat. Yechezkel said that neither Foreign Minister Peres nor Omri Sharon should meet with Arafat, as the principle of "no negotiations under fire" must be absolute.

2. RIGHT-WING MINISTERS FORM FRONT; HAETZNI RESPONDS
National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu party members voted this afternoon to remain in the government, overriding objections from party leader Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. However, they have also begun forming a new right-wing front. Arutz-7 Knesset correspondent Haggai Seri reports that several right-wing ministers have now come to the conclusion that Sharon is following Peres, and that they were mistaken in thinking that Sharon's goal was to achieve unity on behalf of the ultimate goal of destroying the Palestinian Authority. Instead, they now feel that there is a real threat that Sharon may soon sign what they call an "Oslo III" agreement. In order to get Sharon to abandon this strategy, Seri reports, they will try to gather the support of government ministers such as Hanegbi, Livnat, Rivlin, Landau, Shas party ministers, and others. Minister Avigdor Lieberman will report to the group-in-formation on Sunday as to how much support he has managed to canvass, and the next steps will be decided at that point.

MK Yuri Stern (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) was asked by Arutz-7 today why his party, the most right-wing in the coalition, is remaining in the government and in effect supporting Sharon's policy of restraint, which has come under attack even from some elements in the left. Stern:

"The question is what it means to support and how we can object. We constantly look at the political map and we try to see how we can best effect the desired change. Our leaving the coalition will not weaken it, because our place will be quickly taken by the NRP, at best, or in a worse scenario, by the Center party. This will only strengthen the left-wing of the coalition."

Former Techiya-party MK Elyakim HaEtzni of Kiryat Arba participated in the discussion, and said that he is in favor of toppling the government:

"Toppling the government now would not bring the left-wing back to power [because Labor is too weak]. But what I'm worried about is that if Sharon continues his policies for another month or two, this will give the left-wing its margin of victory. Why? Because Arik Sharon is proving the left's claim that the right wing has no way to deal with the problem!.

"Something has happened over the past couple of days. There was an Egyptian threat of war. Egypt said that if we fight back against the PA, Egypt would join the war. This means that the peace agreement with Egypt no longer exists, as it is dependent on Israel's acceptance of continued terrorism. Under this threat of war, Israel did three things: It sent Omri Sharon to Arafat to tell him that we would not touch him, or his infrastructures; then it sent Peres to the threatening country itself, to Egypt, where he gave Arafat an insurance policy that we would not touch him or his territory; and third, Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer announced today the same things.  In other words, there is a total capitulation before the Egyptian threat of war. This is why, as soon as Peres returned from Egypt, we faced this attack in Binyamina. And worst of all, the Palestinian state is just around the corner. In this situation, an honest man cannot remain in this government. Instead of leaving and serving as a personal example, however, they form new committees and fronts."

MK Stern responded:

"First of all, it is not right to accuse politicians of ulterior motives for deciding not to leave the government. The fact is that a 'personal example' was shown by [HaEtzni's] Techiya party in 1992, when they brought down the Shamir government and thus led to the ascent of Rabin to the government. I agree with much of HaEtzni's sharp analysis, but not the part about the insurance policy, because nothing of that sort has been decided; we still play a major role in this government and will ensure that it does not happen."

3. WHAT SHARON SAID THEN
Over 100,000 people gathered at Zion Square in Jerusalem last Nov. 22 to protest the Barak government's policy of restraint. "Let the IDF Win!" the protestors repeatedly chanted. Opposition leader Ariel Sharon was a main speaker at the rally, and the crowd greeted his remarks with great enthusiasm. Some excerpts from his dramatic speech:

"I have confidence in the IDF, and in the security forces, who [can] provide the appropriate solutions - if only the government is determined and gives clear instructions. We don't need a 'reaction,' or 'retaliation,' or 'vengeance' - but rather the liquidation of terrorism! The liquidation of terrorism!! Not to react - but to initiate, and initiate, and again to initiate. We must make the enemy face a new situation every day, we must shake his self-confidence, make him worry about protecting himself instead of how to attack us.  We are facing a war being conducted by the Palestinian Authority. The foolish Oslo Agreement is no longer in existence. We must win against terrorism; this is possible, and this is our goal now. After the situation is calmed, we will go for a better diplomatic agreement.

"Look how the state looks now. Children can't travel safely to school, car bombs in city streets, Jerusalem residents under fire, communities are attacked, roads are frequently closed, theaters and malls are empty. Citizens of Israel - and this is possibly the worst of all - are afraid in the only place where Jews have the strength and the rights to protect themselves. For these rights and strength, we must thank G-d every day. Mr. Prime Minister [Barak], go into the street and look what is happening. What is happening to you?! This is not the way to run a country! This nation deserves security! And it is possible to do this! We, the nationalist camp, will restore security - I promise you all, we will restore security! We know how to do it, and we also know better than them to reach a diplomatic agreement, and we will do that too! There is no reason for despair!  We will win! We will win! We will win!"

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, July 18, 2001 / Tammuz 27, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

1. IDF READY TO POUNCE
Both sides in the Oslo War remained on tense alert throughout the day today, following a late-night redeployment of Israeli forces towards Bethlehem, Jenin, and Shechem. A tank battalion, accompanied by infantry forces, was deployed in Gush Etzion, and tanks were also reported moving north of Shechem. This was the largest IDF troop movement since the beginning of the violence almost ten months ago, coming in reaction to yesterday's mortar rockets on Gilo and the Tunnels Highway area. IDF sources say that a strong Israeli reaction to the attacks on the capital is required, but that at present the government is making do with yet another "signal" to the Palestinian Authority to take strong measures against terrorism. The Israeli attack was held up, according to many reports, following American pressure upon the Israeli government. U.S. President George Bush phoned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last night.

The security cabinet convened for about three hours this morning in Jerusalem, discussing possible reactions to the Palestinian escalation of the past two days. The absence of Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, visiting in London, was quite apparent, although Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh reportedly impressively defended the pro-restraint position in the face of right-wing opposition. 

The ministers did decide on an action plan for the Green Line area, entailing "stepped-up actions to foil infiltrations, increased operational activity, and vigorous enforcement efforts." Security cabinet member Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, of the right-wing National Union party, expressed his extreme displeasure today with the fact that no concrete measures are planned against the PA: "We took two mortar shells, and yet we go on as if nothing happened... The Green Line plan decided on today is expensive and requires much manpower, and I don't think it will help us stop terrorism. They will still be able to travel very freely around, and what about the mortars that can be fired above the Green Line? They're just doing it to say they did something. And I haven't even mentioned the ramifications that this has for the formation of a Palestinian state..."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today, "We are not in a situation of restraint, as some people call it. We are working according to a policy decided upon by the Cabinet, combining strong strikes against terrorists who are planning and carrying out attacks against us, while preserving Israel's diplomatic interests. True, it is hard, but this is the correct way now."

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, July 19, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, July 19, 2001 / Tammuz 28, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. G-8 FOREIGN MINISTERS "REWARD" SHARON'S RESTRAINT
2. YESHA RABBIS FOR TEMPLE MOUNT
3. MUBARAK LASHES OUT AT SHARON

1. G-8 FOREIGN MINISTERS "REWARD" SHARON'S RESTRAINT
The Foreign Ministers of the G-8 industrialized countries, meeting today in Genoa, Italy, came out with a surprising call for international observers in Israel today. This was the first time such a call merited United States support. Yasser Arafat said that the observer force must be carried out right away. Analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA commented,

"The most important function of [an international force] is to strip Israel of the ability to take action - either to thwart a terrorist attack or in response to an attack. Israel will be expected to submit information to the [force] rather than take action..."

MK Michael Kleiner said, "The G-8 Foreign Ministers' decision is a clear crash of the restraint policy, and a victory for terrorism. Sharon, who continues to prefer the Peres [line] instead of an appropriate military response, will yet lead us to [a great catastrophe]." Sharon himself said that he had not yet received a formal message from the G-8 Foreign Ministers, but said that international intervention "cannot be done by force against the will of one of the sides."

2. YESHA RABBIS FOR TEMPLE MOUNT
The Judea and Samaria Rabbis Council called last night for "increased public action" on behalf of unrestricted Jewish entry to the Temple Mount. The group held a joint gathering last night with the Movement to Establish the Temple, which, according to one of the participants, "was important if only for the voice it raised on behalf of the holy site."

Rabbi Daniel Shilo of Kedumim, one of a few dozen Yesha rabbis at the event, explained that he and his colleagues endorse entry only to the places that are "without a doubt not those of the Holy Temple itself, where Halakhah [Jewish Law] forbids us to go," only for those who rely on Halakhic opinions permitting entry to the Mount, and only in accordance with Halakhic restrictions (such as immersion in a Mikveh, ritual bath, beforehand). The rabbis expressed their objections to the modern rabbinic opinion forbidding Jewish entry to the Mount, saying that the ruling has "distanced Am Yisrael from the site of the Holy Temple." Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba urged rabbis who disagree with the Council's ruling to show respect for it nevertheless, arguing that public apathy toward the Temple Mount is one cause of the difficulties Israel is currently experiencing.

3. MUBARAK LASHES OUT AT SHARON
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that as long as Prime Minister Sharon is in power, there would be no agreement with the Palestinians. Sharon knows nothing but violence and wars." The Prime Minister's Office sufficed with a lukewarm response to the effect that Israel "has accepted the Tenet and Mitchell plans, and declared a unilateral ceasefire, and in return received an increase in incitement and violence." Israel refrained from a verbal personal attack on Mubarak.

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, July 20, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, July 20, 2001 / Tammuz 29, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS, YES OR NO
2. CONGRESS MAY TAKE ACTION TO SAVE TEMPLE MOUNT

1. INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS, YES OR NO
Russia and Israeli government sources disagree about the presence of international observers in Israel. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said today that his country objects to the stationing of observers against Israel's will. He made the clarification following yesterday's call by the G-8 Foreign Ministers for such a presence, conditional on the agreement of both sides.

On the other hand, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that if Israel were forced to accept observers, "I would prefer that they be American." The Prime Minister's Office has not yet released a statement objecting to Ben-Eliezer's remarks. Nationalist camp sources demand that Sharon take a strong stand against all forms of international intervention, noting in this connection the cooperation between UNIFIL and Hizbullah on the northern border in recent months and years.

2. CONGRESS MAY TAKE ACTION TO SAVE TEMPLE MOUNT
The Temple Mount Preservation Act, with bipartisan support, was introduced yesterday by U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Virginia).  Cantor explained that the bill calls upon the U.S. to cut off all aid to the Palestinian Authority until the Moslem Waqf stops its destructive activities on the Temple Mount. At stake for the PA is $125 million in aid this coming year, part of a $400-million, three-year package appropriated by Congress last year, and another $75 million in indirect annual aid to the Palestinians.

At a press conference yesterday, Cantor provided a background history of the Temple Mount, emphasizing that it is located in "Jerusalem, Israel." He said it "represents thousands of years of our Judeo-Christian heritage and is one of the most sacred sites to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam." Cantor presented photographs released by a coalition of Israel's leading archaeologists, authors, and public figures, showing the excavation of religious artifacts, paving, and unauthorized PA construction. Excerpts from his remarks:

"Connected with such destruction is extreme religious intolerance - contrary to the Jeffersonian principles of the free exercise of religion held dear by all Americans... This issue has implications not only for my constituents in Virginia, but for individuals across the globe... The Temple Mount is the site of the Biblical temple built by King Solomon, as well as the temple visited by Jesus as a child and again as an adult... In 1967, Jerusalem was united under Israel's sovereignty. Since that time, Israel has been legally responsible for the Temple Mount. The government has allowed equal access for all religions. Shortly after the 1967 War, the Israeli government delegated authority for the daily oversight of the Temple Mount to the Waqf, a Muslim Foundation, in tacit cooperation with Jordan. Jordan's role as custodian of Muslim religious interests was codified in the Israel-Jordanian peace treaty of 1994.

"In the aftermath of the negotiations surrounding the Oslo Accords, Chairman Yasser Arafat took control of the Waqf, bringing about a change in the policy of free access for all religions on the Temple Mount. He began by replacing the Jordanian-affiliated clergymen and officials and named Mufti Ikrima Sabri the chief Muslim administrator. Sabri, known for his anti-Semitic and anti-American views, has since declared that the Jews have no right to the Temple Mount. More recently, Arafat has denied Jewish and Christian worshipers access to the historic Temple Mount and has restricted media from visiting the site. Beginning in early 1998, Arafat's Waqf has permitted large-scale bulldozing and destruction of the Temple Mount antiquities. Thousands of tons of fill have been unearthed and simply dumped into the nearby Kidron Valley. Archeologists have verified these artifacts date from the period of the First Temple [over 2,500 years ago]. Anybody with any reasonable perspective would hold that the Temple Mount should be preserved and any disturbance thereon closely monitored. But now, there are bulldozers and stone-cutting machines hacking away every day. I know that in my District, we are known for historical sites, such as Montpelier, the home of former President James Madison. I can tell you that bulldozers come nowhere near the residence, or its estate.

"I just returned from Israel two weeks ago... I saw ancient ruins unearthed from the time of the First and Second Temples. I saw construction equipment and materials protruding from the top of the Temple Mount, visible from the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount...

"[Showing the photographs - similar photos can be viewed at  <www.har-habayt.org/newp.html> ] Attention should focus on the southeastern area of the Temple Mount, under which an area called Solomon's Stables was connected with the Second Temple. In this area, Arafat has directed the destruction of what may have been part of the Temple complex. The Waqf's action destroyed physical remnants of the religious site, including arched entranceways and colonnades believed to have played a role in religious life two thousand years ago. The pictures depict bulldozers crushing evidence of the religious site and new construction masking any trace of the temple...

"The Boston Globe in March 2001 [quotes] Sheik Ikrima Sabri: 'The Temple Mount was never there.There is not one bit of proof to establish that. We do not recognize that the Jews have any right to the wall or to one inch of the sanctuary.Jews are greedy to control our mosque.If they every try to, it will be the end of Israel.' The bottom line is, Chairman Arafat's intent is to deny access to the Temple Mount for any individuals other than followers of Islam."

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