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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, Sep. 6, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 / Elul 18, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. PM CALLS FOR MASSIVE ALIYAH
   2. PERES-ARAFAT MEETING STILL A MAYBE
   3. EUROPEAN THREATS FUEL EFFORTS FOR DURBAN COMPROMISE
1.  PM CALLS FOR MASSIVE ALIYAH
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calls upon Russian Jewry to immigrate en-masse 
to Israel.  Appearing before representatives of the Jewish community in 
Moscow last night, Sharon said that Israel needs another million Jews in 
the coming years in order to guarantee its Jewish majority.  He spoke of 
the success Israel has had over the past decade in absorbing the previous 
wave of a million Russian Jews, and expressed his confidence that it can be 
done again.
Meeting with reporters in Moscow this morning, Sharon strongly attacked 
Yasser Arafat, calling him a "major obstacle to peace" and associating him 
with arch-terrorist Bin Laden.  Sharon ruled out any resumption of 
negotiations at this time, saying that the PLO leader "understands only 
pressure."  He further said that Arafat cooperates with Bin Laden, Hamas, 
Hizbullah, and many other groups in his terrorism against Israel.  Foreign 
Minister Shimon Peres, on the other hand, said this morning that he intends 
to conduct a "series of meetings" with Arafat, "for the purpose of stopping 
the violence and implementing the Mitchell Report."
Prime Minister Sharon said clearly that the most important part of his 
visit was meeting with Jewish representatives.  He was in a Chabad 
synagogue yesterday, then in a Jewish Agency Hebrew-study program, and then 
met with parents who have children in Israel.  "When he met a mother with 
two sons in the IDF, who said she plans to come soon with her other son, he 
was beaming with happiness," reported Yoram Levy of Itim News Agency.
Israel's ambassador to Russia, Natan Meron, said that Israel's relations 
with Russia are better today than they have ever been, and "the Russian 
leadership is very open towards Israel."  Russian President Putin told 
Sharon that only a strong Israel can contribute to stability in the Middle 
East, said Meron.  On the other hand, Putin did not hold a joint press 
conference with his visitor, as is customary, and the Russian media had 
criticism of Sharon for his sudden cancellation of his visit to the Duma 
(Russian parliament).  Sharon staffers said that the Duma was dropped from 
the itinerary long ago.
Upon his return to Israel this afternoon, the Prime Minister convened a 
security briefing with the participation of Ministers Peres and Meridor, 
Deputy Defense Minister Rabin-Pilossof, and senior security and military 
figures.
2. PERES-ARAFAT MEETING STILL A MAYBE
Despite Foreign Minister Peres' efforts, the Palestinians have set three 
conditions for a meeting between Peres and Arafat:  Peres must come with a 
"clear mandate" from Prime Minister Sharon, "good preparations" must 
precede the meeting, and diplomatic issues must also be discussed.  Sharon 
has long held that there can be no diplomatic discussions until the Arab 
violence is stopped for at least seven straight days.  In addition, PA 
senior Nabil Shaath told reporters today that Sharon's remarks against 
Arafat in Moscow this morning have "raised doubts" with Arafat over whether 
he should meet with Peres.
3. EUROPEAN THREATS FUEL EFFORTS FOR DURBAN COMPROMISE
Efforts to find a compromise formulation of a final Durban conference 
resolution continue, with tonight's deadline looming in the offing.  The 
European Union has not withdrawn its threat to walk out of the conference 
if an acceptable compromise is not found.  At the heart of the efforts is a 
proposal by the South African delegation, which leaves out the phrase 
"racist state" in reference to Israel.  It also adds that the Holocaust 
against the Jews must never be forgotten.
The central sentence of the South African proposal reads, "We are concerned 
about the plight of the Palestinian nation that is under foreign conquest, 
and we call for a just and permanent peace in the region, in the framework 
of which all will be able to enjoy equal rights and basic civil 
rights."  The proposal recognizes the Palestinians' right to 
self-determination and an independent state.
The efforts to seek a compromise were complicated after a gathering of 
nearly 5,000 independent non-governmental groups formally branded Israel a 
"racist, apartheid state" today.  The gathering is U.N.-backed, but is 
officially separate from the main Durban conference.
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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, Sept. 7, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, September 7, 2001 / Elul 19, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TEMPLE MOUNT REPORT
The Committee to Prevent the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities
laments yet again that despite police reports, the Moslem Waqf
continues with its excavation and construction work on the Mount,
causing damage to 2,000-year-old Jewish artifacts.  The committee sent
off an urgent letter to Prime Minister Sharon, saying that the Moslems
are in the process of building a large monument on the Mount in memory
of Feisal Husseini, and are damaging ancient water cisterns while
refurbishing the Al Aksa Mosque.  The police, according to the
Committee, are not preventing them from bringing construction
materials to the site.  Two months ago, Public Security Minister Uzi
Landau informed the Committee that he had instructed the police not to
allow the Waqf to bring such materials to the Mount.
***************************************************************
To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com 
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> 
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001 / Elul 21, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. FIVE TERRORISM VICTIMS TODAY
   2. THE MILITARY RESPONSE
   3. "EXPEL ARAFAT," AND OTHER POLITICAL REACTIONS
   4. GOVERNMENT DISCUSSES SEPARATION PLAN
   5. TEMPLE MOUNT DESECRATION CONTINUES
1. FIVE TERRORISM VICTIMS TODAY
Five Israelis were murdered and dozens were wounded - ten in moderate
condition - in a grave series of three terrorist attacks this morning
and early afternoon.  The attacks took place on the Jordan Valley
highway, where a driver and his teacher-passenger were murdered; in
Nahariya, where a suicide terrorist blew himself up, killing three;
and at the Beit Lid Junction east of Netanya, wounding one person
moderately.
The morning began with a drive-by murder in the Jordan Valley at
around 8 AM.  Palestinian terrorists in a car overtook a van
transporting teachers from Beit She'an southwards to a regional school
and opened fire with automatic weapons.  One teacher - Sima Franko,
24, of Beit She'an - was killed on the spot, and the driver, Kobi
Hatzav, died later of his wounds.  A second teacher was moderately
wounded, and two others sustained light wounds.  The attack occurred
about 500 meters north of the Adam Bridge Junction.  Sima Franko was
buried this afternoon in Beit She'an, and driver Kobi Hatzav will be
laid to rest tomorrow in Kibbutz Alonim, southeast of Haifa.
Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Levy explained that the
teachers' van is not bulletproof, as the IDF requires such measures
only for school buses.  Municipality officials added that in any event
they could not afford to bulletproof all official vehicles.
At approximately 10:45 AM, a large blast shook the area near the train
station in the northern coastal city of Nahariya.  Three people were
killed in the suicide attack, and 74 others - including 20 soldiers -
were injured; eight of them are listed in moderate condition.  The
bomb included a large amount of nails, which in fact fulfilled the
murderers' intentions of increasing the intensity of the wounds and
suffering.  Elro'i Abuhatzeira, a student of the nearby Yeshivat
Hesder Nehardeah and an eyewitness to the attack, told Arutz-7 in a
broken voice that he is "Thank G-d fine, saved by a miracle."  He
recounted the seconds before the blast:
 "I had just walked out of the train station when I happened to see a
man - short, with a beard - holding a large package.  I was standing only
about five meters away from him, and suddenly I heard a tremendous
explosion...  I looked down and saw that my hands were bleeding;
someone helped me bandage them up...  It was hard for me to believe
when they told me that three people were killed, and yet I had been so
close and nothing happened to me..."
Police are searching throughout the Galilee for suspects in the
suicide attack, under the strong assumption that the suicide killer
may have come from a village in the area.  If these suspicions turn
out to be true, this would be the first case of an Israeli-Arab
suicide killer.
2. THE MILITARY RESPONSE
The IDF's reaction to today's murders included pin-pointed bombing of
terrorist targets in several locations throughout Judea and Samaria. 
In Ramallah, Tanzim, Force 17, and PA police buildings were targeted,
followed by IDF tank shelling of a Palestinian checkpoint east of
Shechem.  Targets in Jericho, Shechem, and Jenin were also hit.  Arab
sources reported eight wounded in the raids.  In addition, IDF planes
flew in the skies of Lebanon, while ground troops directed heavy fire
into Lebanon from the Shab'a farms.
Defense Ministry officials say that all evidence leads to the fact
that Yasser Arafat is behind the increased wave of terrorism, and that
he currently supports an escalation.
Prime Minister Sharon has sent what many observers consider to be a
significant message to the Palestinian Authority when he ordered the
arrest today of Ziyad Abu Ziyad.  The detainee is responsible for the
Jerusalem portfolio on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, and he was
arrested for "illegal presence in Israel."  The policemen entered his
office near Rockefeller Museum in eastern Jerusalem.  After an
interrogation, he was banished to the autonomous areas.
Former GSS official Menachem Landau told the Makor Rishon newspaper on
Friday that Israel has been effective in thwarting Arafat.  Asked to
list achievements that Arafat has attained over the past year, Landau
said,
"I have not seen Egypt sending forces; on the contrary, Mubarak's
remarks show that he has no interest in getting involved.  [An article was
written] on what the man-in-the-street in Egypt thinks, and it showed
that the Egyptian people say that they have already done their share
and don't want to get involved in any more wars.  I don't see Jordan
sending forces either.  The world's condemnations [of Israel] are only
lip service.  We went into Area A and we didn't see any ultimatums. 
We showed that we can go in wherever we want and for as long as we
want.  Arafat tried to organize an Arab summit and did not succeed. 
He did not get the UN to pass the resolutions that he wanted.  He had
some success in Durban, true, but not in terms of pressure on Israel
or internationalizing the dispute.  The world is tired of him.  I
think that he was also disappointed by the Israeli public's reaction. 
I believe in unity, in the State of Israel's inner strength.  So far,
we have withstood the tests with extraordinary forbearance and
strength."
3. "EXPEL ARAFAT," AND OTHER POLITICAL REACTIONS
The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha 
Council):  "As long as the terrorist Arafat heads the largest
terrorist organization in the world, there will be no security for
Israel, and he must be expelled from the region."
Shinui party leader MK Tommy Lapid: "If Arafat can't stop the
terrorism, then there's no point in Peres meeting with him."
National Religious Party head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy also says that all
preparations for Peres-Arafat meeting, which have in fact been almost
feverish over the past few days, be called off:  "There must be a
limit to the humiliation that Israel is willing to undergo."
Public Security Minister Uzi Landau says that a Peres-Arafat meeting
will only encourage terrorism: "After eight years of Oslo and 11
months of intifada, the conception that dialogue with Arafat can
reduce terrorism has been smashed to smithereens.  Hundreds have been
murdered because of this dialogue."
Education Minister Limor Livnat, too, said that the meeting must be
called off:  "A situation in which teachers are murdered on their way
to school on a major national highway is intolerable."
Deputy Absorption Minister Yuli Edelstein:  "Even the fathers of the
Oslo process must now see that dialogue without strong military action
cannot stop the terrorism."
4. GOVERNMENT DISCUSSES SEPARATION PLAN
The government's weekly meeting was delayed this morning because of
the attacks, but was held later this afternoon.  On the original
agenda was the Seam-Line Plan, which calls for closing off large areas
along the Green Line - the 1949-1967 ceasefire lines - to all Arabs,
and allowing only restricted entry to Jews.  The goal is to separate
between terrorists and large Israeli population centers, but it has
drawn criticism from many quarters for being either potentially
ineffective, a de-facto border, or both.  Prime Minister Sharon has
not yet publicly expressed his opinion on the matter.
Today's attack in Nahariya, far from the Shomron, is expected to
impact on the results of the Seam-Line Plan debate.  The ministers
also discussed the worsening security situation as evidenced by
today's three major attacks.  Foreign Minister Shimon Peres returned
from Italy in time to take part in the meeting.  Several ministers
said they would demand the cancellation of the Peres-Arafat meeting. 
The PA, for its part, continues to lay down conditions for the
meeting.
5. TEMPLE MOUNT DESECRATION CONTINUES
Israeli authorities, willfully or inadvertently, have allowed the
utter destruction of archaeologically important artifacts on the
Temple Mount to continue, without so much as properly investigating
the matter.  So says Dr. Eilat Mazar, of the Committee for the
Protection of Temple Mount Artifacts, in a talk with Arutz-7 today.
Dr. Mazar said that the Islamic Waqf authorities and the Israeli
Islamic Movement, who are behind the work being carried out on the
Mount, have a singular objective: "To fill the Mount with a complex of
mosques both above and below ground."  Excavation and construction to
that end are continuing without stop, she said, yet no government
agency is doing anything about it:  "The police are 'telling stories'
to the Minister for Internal Security and maybe also to the Prime
Minister, but [we have strong evidence that] in fact the illegal works
are going on."
Such construction includes a new monument in memory of Feisal
Husseini, who was responsible for PLO activities from the Orient House
and who is buried in a chamber adjacent to the Temple Mount.  When
confronted with the evidence of such construction, the Jerusalem
police explained that the Waqf was merely leveling floor tiles in the
area - yet no such floor damage had ever been observed there
previously.  Other illegal work being carried out is excavation in
ancient cisterns, something that by rights should only be done by the
Antiquities Authority.  "It is not our job to protect the Temple
Mount," complained Dr. Mazar.  "There are officers of the Antiquities
Authority and of the Jerusalem Municipality whose job it is to
[oversee the construction on the Temple Mount]. Instead they are
prevented from going up there, while the police provide excuses for
all the illegal activities. and for what?"
Meanwhile, Dr. Mazar says, the political leaders who have proclaimed
so vociferously in the past that the Temple Mount is "our soul," today
are not willing to act to prevent the destruction. Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon has yet to meet with the Committee members, and Public
Security Minister Uzi Landau continues to maintain that there is no
illegal construction being carried out on the Temple Mount.
*******************************************************
To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com 
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> 
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, Sept. 10, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Sep. 10, 2001 / Elul 22, 5761
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. ISRAELI-ARABS: A FIFTH COLUMN?
   2. JORDAN VALLEY PROTEST
   3. BUSH WON'T MEET ARAFAT - BUT PERES WILL
1. ISRAELI-ARABS: A FIFTH COLUMN?
"The loyalty of Israel's Arab citizens must be looked into."  So said
Public Security Minister Uzi Landau today in a pre-Rosh HaShanah (New
Year) briefing today.  "We should check the entire educational system
in the Arab sector, their loyalty to the State and to Israeli law,
including the teachers.  We must be sure that taxpayers' money is not
used to raise a generation that will harm the State."
Landau made the remarks in the wake of the news that an Israeli-Arab
from the Galilee was the suicide terrorist who murdered three Israelis
in Nahariya yesterday - the first Israeli-Arab to commit a suicide
terrorist act.  The police have also arrested the killer's son, Salah
Habaishi, 26, on charges of murder and attempted murder.  He was
originally arrested 11 days ago during the course of Israeli security
agencies' search for his father, and was released after a short while,
only to be arrested again yesterday.
Minister Landau also said that anti-Israel Arab movements should be
outlawed, and that the government is planning to change the law
according to which families of Arab terrorists in prison are eligible
for national insurance payments:  "It cannot be that a boy throws
rocks at Israeli cars, and his family receives child support
stipends."  Regarding Temple Mount disturbances, he had news:  "The
policy has changed, and from now on Arab disturbances there will be
met with an immediate break-in of police forces."  Landau also said
that there would be no further illegal excavations by the Moslem Waqf
on the Temple Mount, and that building materials have been banned from
the Mount.  The Committee to Prevent Temple Mount Desecration denies
the veracity of these claims.
Former senior GSS official Nachman Tal, a member of the Council for
Security and Peace and a researcher at the Jaffe Center, was asked by
Arutz-7 today if it was really so surprising that an Israeli-Arab
suicide bomber has surfaced.  "It did not surprise me at this point in
time," Tal said, "but two years ago it would have surprised me.  This
guy was part of an extremist northern-Israel Islamic Movement faction,
which does not recognize the State of Israel in any way.  There are a
few thousand of them.  Their counter-faction from the south is a bit
more practical in terms of recognition of Israel."
Tal said that in general, "attacks by Israeli-Arabs are not organized
by a movement, but are rather private initiatives inspired by the
incitement of local imams [Moslem religious leaders].  For instance,
nine years ago, the murderous Night of the Gliders, when four soldiers
were killed, was perpetrated by a few Um el-Fahm killers who heard the
imams...  The same thing with the car bombs of two years ago in Haifa
and Tiberias..."  As an example of unchecked murderous incitement, Tal
noted that this coming Friday, "there will be an annual Islamic
festival in [the Israeli-Arab city] Um el-Fahm, with the inflammatory
title, 'El Aksa Mosque in Danger.'  There will be tremendous
incitement there, including a video speech of Sheikh Yusuf al-Kardawi,
who is so extreme that he was expelled from Egypt; he is one of the
few Moslem leaders who is totally in favor of suicide for the sake of
killing Jews..." [Others say that the soul of one who commits suicide
is punished no matter what the circumstances of his death.]  Tal said
that it is not true that the GSS has stopped seeking intelligence in
the Israeli-Arab community, as claimed last week by former Northern
District Police Chief Alik Ron - but he does feel that more tools such
as administrative arrests and closure of inciteful newspapers must be
employed.
Earlier today, MK Yisrael Katz (Likud) demanded that the Prime
Minister immediately fulfill his promise to outlaw the Israel Islamic
Movement, and order the demolition of the house of the Nahariya
suicide terrorist as well.  Katz called on his fellow Knesset Members
to support his proposal to prevent terrorism supporters from serving
in the Knesset.  "The hesitation in taking necessary measures against
anti-Israeli incitement could cost much blood," said Katz.  In a
related item, the Knesset House Committee will discuss this Wednesday
the Attorney-General's request to strip Arab MK Azmi Bishara of his
parliamentary immunity; this will enable Bishara to be charged with
incitement for his anti-Israel remarks during his trip to Syria. 
Committee Chairman Yossi Katz (Labor) said that the members would not
"rubber stamp" the Attorney-General's request.
2. JORDAN VALLEY PROTEST
Hundreds of Jordan Valley residents protested outside the Prime
Minister's office in Jerusalem this morning, railing against security
and other deteriorating circumstances in their region.  Two Israelis
were murdered along the Jordan Valley highway yesterday morning, and
just last week, the residents protested their area's problematic
economic situation by turning off all lights in all of their 18
communities.  Just over 600 families now live there, following the
departure of 51 in the past months.  Regional Council head David Levy
said yesterday that he will no longer allow students and teachers to
travel in non-bulletproof cars, "even if it means that no schools will
open."
In today's protest, speaker after speaker took the stage to relate how
their life's work is now falling apart in front of their eyes.  They
demand that Prime Minister Sharon provide not only better security,
but also economic help for tourism and for businesses that have
suffered or collapsed as a result of the violence, as he promised. 
"At the very least," said David Lachayani, "no Arab traffic on the
Jordan Valley highway should be allowed."  It was later reported that
this idea will in fact be enforced by the IDF as of today.
Representatives of the protestors obtained a meeting this afternoon
with Prime Minister Sharon's Bureau Director Uri Shani.  It was agreed
that a special team of directors-general would convene this Sunday to
try and find solutions to the issues raised by the Jordan Valley,
Maaleh Ephraim and Megillot Regional Council area residents.  In
addition, representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, the Finance
Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry will visit the Jordan Valley
area tomorrow.
3. BUSH WON'T MEET ARAFAT - BUT PERES WILL
Despite previous reports to the contrary, U.S. President George Bush
has no intention of meeting Yasser Arafat in the coming month.  "The
President has said that he will meet with people when it is necessary
to meet with people to advance the cause," said National Security
Advisor Condoleezza Rice.  "At this point in time, there are no plans
for him to meet with Yasser Arafat in New York."
The State Department is in favor of such a meeting, which had been
rumored to take place during the UN General Council session two weeks
from now, but the White House, at present, does not agree.  The
meeting between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat, however, is
still on, and may even be held tomorrow night, according to a senior
military source.  The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Erez
Checkpoint separating Gaza from the rest of Israel.  Palestinian
sources said that there is no chance that the meeting will lead to a
breakthrough.
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last night that Israel has
the right to defend itself and to react to Palestinian violence. 
"Israel has a very difficult problem," Rumsfeld told Fox News.  "It
has suicide bombers going into restaurants and hotels and bus stops
and killing themselves and killing 10, 20, 30 people who are innocent
bystanders...  This is certainly terrorism and it is something that
any country has to deal with."  Israeli leaders must take action to
try to reduce or end the violence, said Rumsfeld.
Yoram Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to the U.S. Congress, told
Arutz-7 today that U.S. Vice President Cheney and Secretary Rumsfeld
"comprise the backbone of the Bush Administration, and they are not
only very supportive of Israel, they even expect that Israel should
take stronger actions against terrorism...  When Israel destroyed the
Iraqi reactor in 1981, Rumsfeld said, 'Thank G-d that Israel did
this.'"
Ettinger said that the American media are not as anti-Israel as some
might think:  "When Israel thinks of the American media, they think of
The New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN.  But these are
liberal, dovish papers.  Israel should be paying much more attention
to the Wall Street Journal, which is very influential across the
United States and in government circles, and which has been critical
of Oslo since 1993 and critical of Arafat over the past year. 
Similarly, FOX News is now ahead of CNN in importance in the U.S...."
Ettinger concluded with the following:  "When Israel destroyed the
Iraqi reactor in 1981, Israel's best friend ever in the White House,
Ronald Reagan, cut off arms to Israel for six months, and our strong
supporter in the UN, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, delivered a scathing speech
in the UN.  But I ask:  Isn't it true that six months of tension is a
fair price to pay for years and generations of protection from an
Iraqi nuclear threat?  This is what is required now as well: strong
leadership that will make the right decisions for the long-range, even
at the expense of temporary discomfort."
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