Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, July 27, 2001

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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 27, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, July 27, 2001 / Av 7, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ANOTHER ISRAELI TEENAGER FALLS VICTIM TO ARAB TERRORISM
2. PA MUFTI, MEDIA, CALL FOR VIOLENCE
3. PERES IS READY FOR THE MAIN COURSE: DIRECT TALKS
4. U.S. ENVOY: PA, ISRAEL MUST MAKE GREATER EFFORTS
5. RE-POINTING THE FINGER

1. ANOTHER ISRAELI TEENAGER FALLS VICTIM TO ARAB TERRORISM
Another Jewish teenager was murdered by Arab terrorists in the Jerusalem area last night, the second such incident this week. Ronen Landau, 17, was driving home with father and brother to Givat Ze'ev, just north of Jerusalem, when terrorists shot at his car from a passing truck. Bullets struck his head and/or back, and he was pronounced dead on the scene by an emergency medical team. The terrorists had fired at children in the nearby community of Givon immediately before continuing north to Givat Ze'ev, but no one was hurt. Ronen Landau, the 138th Israeli victim since the start of warfare on Rosh Hashanah, will be buried in Jerusalem at 2:30 this afternoon.

In response to the murder, IDF tanks destroyed three Palestinian Force 17 "positions" on the outskirts of Ramallah - small outposts of temporary huts and sandbags.

The Yesha Council has called for an immediate end to negotiations with the PA by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, as well as a halt to the policy of restraint. The Council noted that Prime Minister Sharon should remind his Foreign Minister that Ehud Barak was voted out of office largely because of his willingness to negotiate with the PA even as murderous Arab violence continued. In a famous post-election speech earlier this year, Peres himself shouted at the Labor party membership, "Listen to the nation! You're allowed to listen to the nation once in a while!"

2. PA MUFTI, MEDIA, CALL FOR VIOLENCE
The Palestinian media and the Mufti of Jerusalem are inciting the Palestinian masses to "physically defend the Temple Mount from the Zionists." The call comes in response to a Supreme Court ruling this week permitting the Temple Mount Faithful to hold a symbolic cornerstone laying ceremony for the Third Temple near Dung Gate this Sunday, Tisha B'Av. The Mufti, Akrameh Sabri, told the Itim news agency that he would call on Palestinian masses today, in his weekly sermon in the Al Aqsa mosque, to respond with force to the ceremony. Sheikh Sabri added that the Supreme Court decision is only the first of a series of steps that will lead to the placement of "that cornerstone" on the Temple Mount itself, and that the Moslems must therefore prevent it. Similar calls were made on Palestinian media today.

3. PERES IS READY FOR THE MAIN COURSE: DIRECT TALKS
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is in favor of ending the government's long-time policy of "no negotiations under fire." The Foreign Ministry gave Prime Minister Sharon and the security cabinet this week a series of recommendations for dealing with the current warfare, both militarily and politically. As opposed to the more militant views expressed in the IDF, by Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz, Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Malka, and others, the Foreign Ministry takes a dovish approach that includes the following:

* no massive military action against the PA even in response to large-scale terrorist attacks;

* nothing that will give the appearance of seeking to capture PA territory or to depose Yasser Arafat;

* no rhetorical provocations;

* no attacks against PA infrastructure and institutions;

* initiation of direct talks with the Palestinians for a final-status agreement;

* implementation of the existing interim agreements;

* implementation of the "third withdrawal" from a significant percentage of areas in Yesha.

The Foreign Ministry document even calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in all areas currently under Palestinian control. The Ministry chiefly fears that an escalation of the hostilities could lead to regional deterioration, creating a crisis in Israel's relations with Egypt and Jordan.

Peres himself told Labor party ministers yesterday, "Until now our contacts with the Palestinians have been just the entree, but now we have to move to the main course - direct and open negotiations with the Palestinians in order to find solutions." Peres' spokesmen later denied that he made the remarks, but Labor ministers insist that he said them.

Ninety percent of Israelis support the policy of "targeted killing" of terrorists. A Mutagim Institute survey commissioned this week by the weekly Makor Rishon further reveals that 27% support the assassination of Yasser Arafat himself. 80% believe that the army has the right to forcefully enter Area A [under full PA control] in order to prevent terrorist attacks.

Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas party, is also critical of the Prime Minister's policy of restraint. In a sermon he gave last night in anticipation of Tisha B'Av, Rabbi Yosef said that Sharon is afraid of the "nations of the world," and is therefore not living up to his campaign promises to bring peace and security.

4. U.S. ENVOY: PA, ISRAEL MUST MAKE GREATER EFFORTS
US special envoy William Burns told a Congressional subcommittee yesterday that the Palestinian leadership must make a greater effort to end the violence, including the arrest of those responsible for planning or carrying out terrorist attacks. At the same time, Burns said that Israel must also stop its infiltrations into Area A and its targeted killings of terrorists - steps viewed in Israel as being the most minor it can take to counter the ongoing murderous violence. Burns said that the U.S. should not cut down on its aid to the Palestinian Authority, as "its economy is in a bad state."

The United States is threatening to boycott the UN Conference on Racism if, as some members want, Zionism is discussed as a form of racism. The conference is scheduled for two weeks from now in Durban, South Africa.

5. RE-POINTING THE FINGER
Only hours after the cold-blooded PLO-endorsed murder of yet another Jew, today's Jerusalem Post appeared on newsstands and doorsteps all over Israel, and on the internet all over the world, with a full-page feature story by Larry Derfner entitled, "A Time for Vengeance?" Media correspondent David Bedein notes that the article begins with the report of the murder of three members of an Arab family ten days ago, and implicates Jewish residents of Judea in their murder. But it took until close to the 15th paragraph - after a discussion of Jewish calls for "revenge," lists of other alleged and unproved "Jewish terrorism," and reports by the one-sided B'Tzelem organization - for Derfner to even raise the possibility that it may not have been Jews at all who committed this latest crime.

"At a time when all other Israeli media outlets have stopped pointing the finger at Jewish residents of Judea as the possible murderers of this family," writes Bedein, "the Jerusalem Post revives the witch hunt and gives it new credibility. The paper could have quoted the other directions that the Israeli police are now pursuing - that Tmeizi [a member of the targeted family] was a rival of Rajoub, that Tmeizi acted in the service of Israeli intelligence, or that in numerous instances of drive-by shootings, PLO killers have taken to wearing IDF uniforms and even Kippot [ed. note: Derfner mentions one case]." Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman notes that Israeli officials never saw the bodies, and in fact the only testimony about the murder and the murderers was provided by Palestinian witnesses.

Bedein also noted that the Post's Derfner quoted B'Tzelem, "an organization that monitors human rights 'beyond the Green Line' with questionable credibility, since it rarely cites Jews who live 'beyond the Green Line' as a source of information. The Jerusalem Post could have mentioned that B'Tzelem is funded by the European Union, which does so as part of its efforts to expel the 'colonists' from Judea."

In a related item, the head of the Shomron-Yehuda Police District Traffic Wing now wishes to correct previous announcements, leaks, and other misinformation reported on the media, and says that the accident in which 27-year-old Nirit Sakuri of Kedumim was killed earlier this week was not caused by a rock thrown by Jews. The rock found inside the Arab taxi that crashed into the victim's car was, according to all signs, used by Arabs to break the taxi's windshield and extricate the injured driver - and was not thrown by Jews, as implied in many media reports.

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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 and Op-Ed, July 29, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, July 29, 2001 / Tisha B'Av, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ARAB TERRORISTS THREATEN ISRAEL'S CHIEF RABBIS

***Arutz-7 Op-Ed: THE PROCESS AND THE PROMISED LAND

1. ARAB TERRORISTS THREATEN ISRAEL'S CHIEF RABBIS
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has published a hit-list of 32 rabbis and Yesha leaders whom it threatens to assassinate. Heading the list are former Chief Rabbi and current Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and Chief Rabbi of Israel Yisrael Meir Lau. Rabbi Lau recently came out in support of the IDF's preemptive strikes against Arab terrorists preparing attacks against Israel, while Rabbi Yosef has made some statements against Arabs in the past. In Lebanon, Sheikh Afif Al Nabulsi is offering one million dollars "to the one who will punish rabbis Yisrael Meir Lau and Ovadiah Yosef... These two rabbis are two snakes. Muslims in general, and Palestinians in particular, are called upon to exterminate these microbes which tarnish the surface of the earth," said Sheikh Nabulsi.

Arutz-7 Op-Ed: THE PROCESS AND THE PROMISED LAND
by Michael Freund

In This Article:
1. The Land Would Have Been Ours for the Taking
2. Justice Without Fear

THE LAND WOULD HAVE BEEN OURS FOR THE TAKING
The Parsha [weekly Torah portion], which opens the fifth and final book of the Torah, Devarim/Deuteronomy, begins with Moshe addressing the Jewish people shortly before his death. As the nation's greatest leader, who saw the people emerge from Egyptian bondage, travel to Mount Sinai, defeat their enemies and arrive at the entrance to the Holy Land, Moshe prepares them to face the challenges that lie ahead. As the Jewish people's elder statesman and spiritual guide, Moshe stands before them, the children of the generation that died in the desert, and teaches them the Torah while recounting the nation's history. Interestingly, he begins his overview of history with the aftermath of the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai:

"The L-rd our G-d spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'Enough of your dwelling by this mountain. Turn yourselves around and journey. See! I have given the Land before you; come and possess the Land that G-d swore to your forefathers." (Chap. 1, verses 6-8).

The question:
Why does G-d tell the Jewish people to "come and possess the Land", as if it were just waiting to be taken? Wouldn't they have to fight and struggle to seize control over it?

The answer:
Rashi says that G-d was telling the Jewish people that had they not insisted on sending the spies to scout out the Land, they would have been able to take it and possess it without a fight. No one would have questioned their right to the Land and there would have been no need to wage war for it. But, since they did send the spies, they would now have to capture the Land through force of arms. Hence, the verse uses the phrase "come and possess the Land" to emphasize how easy it would have been for the Jewish people to inherit the Land were it not for the sin of the spies.

The lesson:
This week's Parsha, Devarim, is always read immediately prior to Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. Tisha B'Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the day upon which the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed and many other calamities later befell the Jewish people. The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yochanan, in Tractate Taanit (29a), tells us that it was also on Tisha B'Av that the Jews in the desert committed the sin of the spies, weeping at the report that ten of them had brought back about the Holy Land. This connection between the two, between Parshat Devarim (which recalls the sin of the spies) and the fast day of Tisha B'Av (the day upon which the sin occurred), is instructive, because as we saw above in Rashi's comment, it was the Jewish people's lack of faith in G-d that led them to send the spies. The result was that they had to fight to win what was rightfully theirs.

That was the situation back then, when Moshe addressed the Jews as they were about to enter the Land of Israel, and nowadays it is no different. When so many Jews cast doubt on the justness of the Zionist cause, when so many of our own people sadly came to believe that in settling the Land of Israel we were acting as "occupiers" and "thieves", the result was the Oslo process, which epitomized our nation's lack of faith in G-d's promise regarding His Holy Land. And Oslo, as we now see, has endangered Israel's very existence, forcing us all to struggle to hold onto what is ours by right. The challenge contained in Moshe's address in the Parsha and the challenge presented to us by Tisha B'Av are one and the same: if we as a people would only put our faith and trust in G-d and His Torah and in His promises regarding the Land of Israel, then, as Rashi says, the Land would be ours for the taking and no one would dare to stand in our way.

JUSTICE WITHOUT FEAR
Moshe describes how the demands of leadership were so immense during the wanderings in the desert that he agreed to appoint judges over the people to streamline the system of justice that was in place. The Torah tells us, "So I took the heads of your tribes, distinguished men, who were wise and well-known, and I appointed them as heads over you. I instructed your judges at that time, saying, 'Listen among your brethren and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. You shall not play favorites in judgment, you shall hear the small and the great alike, you shall not tremble before any man, for the judgment is G-d's" (Chap. 1, verses 15-17).

The question:
What is the meaning of "you shall not tremble before any man"?

The answer: Rashi explains that the phrase means simply that when reaching a decision, judges should not fear the reaction of the parties involved. They should not be afraid to pass the correct
judgment. The law, rather than fear, must be the basis of their decision.

The lesson:
This past week, a group of Jews petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court seeking to conduct the traditional Tisha B'Av prayer service on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. As in the past, the Court decided to reject the request, citing police concerns that the "sensitive security situation" does not permit Jewish entry to the Mount at this time. Chief Justice Aharon Barak reportedly told one of the petitioners that, "Our heart is with you, but we cannot help you." And so, rather than ordering the police to prevent Palestinian protesters from interfering with the fundamental right of Jews to freedom of worship, Israel's Supreme Court is instead gripped with fear, afraid to let the law be its guide. Israel's top judges decided to reward those who riot and punish those who wish to exercise their basic civil rights. But as we saw above, a judge is admonished not to fear, but to decide based on what the law dictates to be true and right. Once fear becomes a factor, the result is that justice suffers. It is time for Israel's judges to apply this basic lesson and to permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.

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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 30, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, July 30, 2001 / Av 10, 5761
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. P.A. CLAIMS "VICTORY" ON MOUNT
2. PM SHARON CRITICIZES DANES, DICHTER
3. ARAFAT APPROVED FATAH STRIKES

1. P.A. CLAIMS "VICTORY" ON MOUNT
The Palestinian Authority declared "victory" yesterday in having succeeding in "thwarting an Israeli plan to conquer the Temple Mount." The official PA announcement congratulated the populace for defending the site, and praised the youngsters who barricaded themselves inside the Dome of the Rock for several hours and "left the site without harm to their bodies or honor, as they made sure that the Israeli police forces left before they did."

The culturally-left Shinui party condemns the behavior of the Arab MKs at the Temple Mount yesterday. Several policemen and many more Arabs were wounded during yesterday's violence there, which began when Moslems on the Mount threw rocks towards the Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall below. Jerusalem Police Chief Mickey Levy afterwards blamed the MKs for inciting the Arab masses to violence against Israelis. The Shinui Party council, which convened last night in Tel Aviv, faulted the MKs for fanning the flames of violence. Similarly, MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) filed a complaint this morning with the Ashkelon Police against MKs Tibi and Dahamshe. He accuses them of incitement and endangering human life.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, said that the police "failed" when it was forced to evacuate the Jewish worshipers from the Western Wall, "and precisely on Tisha B'Av [the day of mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temples]." He questioned whether there was more that could have been done to avoid the evacuation, and said that all the relevant bodies heard the shouts of "Allahu Akbar" and knew of the unrest stirring on the Temple Mount, "but for some reason they decided to wait outside the Temple Mount until the rocks started flying." In the event, the police stormed into the Temple Mount, blasting open a locked gate in the process. National Religious Party head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy called yesterday's events at the Mount and the Wall a "national disgrace." He said that the Arab strategy is to drive a wedge between the Jewish People and the Temple Mount.

2. PM SHARON CRITICIZES DANES, DICHTER
"No one, particularly those who have not been exposed to, or fought against, terrorism, has the right to preach to Israel regarding the fight against terrorism," said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at this morning's government meeting. Sharon said that he sees the Danish attacks on Israeli Ambassador-designate Carmi Gillon, a former director of the General Security Services, as attacks on the State of Israel and on its right to self-defense. "Even more grievous is the leniency shown to terrorists and terrorism, past and present, by those who at the same time self-righteously criticize those who fight against terrorism. This leniency towards terrorism is a danger to the free world and world order," the Prime Minister continued. In a related item, a leading Danish newspaper, Yutland Posten, yesterday ran a top story to the effect that Denmark is helping Arafat's regime torture prisoners and deprive residents of their civil rights. The story quotes Bassam Eid, head of the Palestinian Civil Rights Organization.

At another point during today's meeting, Sharon also defended the residents of Hevron in the face of criticism by GSS head Avi Dichter. Sharon rebuked him for referring to the residents of Hevron as "the extreme right-wing." Sharon said there are only a few people in Hevron who could be considered extreme, and that "we must not repeat the mistakes of the past" [an apparent reference to the post-Rabin period when the residents of Yesha were collectively blamed for the assassination]."

3. ARAFAT APPROVED FATAH STRIKES
The latest issue of the official Egyptian weekly Al Ahram, discussing possible successors to Arafat, discloses that the PLO leader insisted on approving in advance every terrorist attack carried out by his Fatah organization. The paper said that Arafat's intention was to demean Marwan Barghouti, who heads Fatah in Judea and Samaria.

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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 31, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, July 31, 2001 / Av 11, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CHIEF OF STAFF: ARAFAT GIVING ORDERS FOR TERRORISM
2. SHARON TO REFORM JEWISH LEADERS: "WE NEED YOU"
3. ARAB LEAGUE COMMITTEE DECIDES TO RENEW BOYCOTT AGAINST ISRAEL

1. CHIEF OF STAFF: ARAFAT GIVING ORDERS FOR TERRORISM
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, speaking at an army induction center this morning, reviewed the events of the current terrorist war against Israel and described his assessment of the situation:

"Over the last few days, there has been a sharp escalation in terror attacks under the direction of the Palestinian Authority. Since September, in my opinion, Arafat has given a 'green light' to mass killings in Israeli cities - this trend is being accelerated. There is now an unprecedented number of assaults against Israeli targets... I said beforehand that at least 57 of the Israelis murdered [in the current warfare] were victims of terrorist activity perpetrated by the various security arms of the Palestinian Authority and [Arafat-controlled] Fatah... We must erect an 'iron wall' to protect the citizens of the State of Israel and annihilate terrorism."

The Chief of Staff related to the PA's obligation to apprehend Arab terrorists: "The Palestinians arrest wanted terrorists just for show.the 'arrested' terrorists are kept in safe remote houses and
depart from there to carry out terrorist attacks. In short, there is no serious attempt to end the violence on the part of the Palestinians."

Since September 2000, according to the Chief of Staff, there have been more than sixty terrorist attacks inside the pre-1967 lines of the State of Israel alone, with a sharp increase in warfare since February. At the same time, the IDF and other security services have apprehended more than 1,000 Arab terrorists and killed or injured tens of others.

2. SHARON TO REFORM JEWISH LEADERS: "WE NEED YOU"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon welcomed to Israel yesterday evening a North American Reform movement solidarity mission led by Union of American Hebrew Congregations President Rabbi Eric Yoffie. Sharon called on Reform Judaism to show the necessary responsibility and, first and foremost, "to be Jewish, come to Israel, be involved in Israeli life, invest in Israel, and - at this critical time - give tangible expression to solidarity by visiting Israel. We need you now more than ever."

In the meeting at his Jerusalem office, the Prime Minister briefed his guests on the diplomatic-security situation: "Given the continuation of violence, terrorist actions and incitement by the Palestinian Authority, the attempt to drag Israel into conducting negotiations under fire will not succeed because the Israeli people and government are united in their determination not to capitulate to terrorism. To my regret, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, who has chosen a strategy of terrorism, is leading his people towards missing the peace process and the continued suffering that stems from useless violence."

The Reform community leaders expressed their support for the Prime Minister's policies and commended his success in unifying the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. According to a survey presented to Prime Minister Sharon, 60% of the members of Reform communities in the US support his policies and leadership. Rabbi Yoffie emphasized that the mission delegates will be taking back with them the willingness to act on Israel's behalf.

3. ARAB LEAGUE COMMITTEE DECIDES TO RENEW BOYCOTT AGAINST ISRAEL
Members of the Arab League Boycott Committee that met on Monday in Syria decided to renew the boycott against Israel. The resolution has, however, no practical application as the committee has no jurisdiction to compel the Arab states to act. Considering the noted absence of the Egyptian and Jordanian delegations, the decision was made "just to please the Syrians and not as a serious indication of a collective Arab will in this respect," according to an anonymous Syrian diplomat.

A similar Syrian proposal of a renewed Arab economic boycott of Israel and a Syrian-Lebanese initiative to suspend all high-level political contacts with Israel were both overruled by the Palestinians, in conjunction with the Egyptians and the Jordanians, at the Arab Summit Follow-up Committee meeting in Cairo two weeks ago.

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