HHMI Newsgroup Archives

To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 / Kislev 14, 5762
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. ONCE AGAIN, PM SHARON AGREES TO A STATE - WITH CONDITION
   2. PERES, SHARON SQUABBLE OVER DAGAN
   3. CABINET SECRETARY: SETTLEMENTS ARE A FINAL-STATUS ISSUE
1. ONCE AGAIN, PM SHARON AGREES TO A STATE - WITH CONDITIONS
Amidst warnings from some Cabinet colleagues not to promise any concessions 
to U.S. President Bush, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon departs this evening 
for a six-day visit to the United States.  After meeting with Jewish 
leaders in New York, he will meet at length with Bush on Sunday, at which 
time he is expected to outline the concessions he is willing to propose to 
the Palestinians after they cease their violence.  The Prime Minister's 
Office denied this week a Ma'ariv newspaper report saying he would propose 
to withdraw from another 10% of Judea and Samaria.
National Religious Party head Rabbi Yitzchak Levy says that the Prime 
Minister is going to the U.S. "simply to invite pressure upon himself for 
withdrawals and gestures."  The newly-elected Secretary-General of the 
Yesha Council, Adi Mintz of Dolev, calls upon Sharon not to promise further 
withdrawals.  "He should remember that he himself called upon the residents 
of Yesha to take over as many hilltops as they could," Mintz said.
Bush and Sharon will also discuss a possible U.S. attack on Iraq, leading 
to a possible Iraqi retaliation against Israel, and what Israel's response 
might be.
Prime Minister Sharon emphasized again today that he will not give in on 
his demand for seven days of total quiet before beginning to implement the 
Mitchell Report, but then said that if in fact quiet is attained, he is 
willing to grant the Palestinian Authority a demilitarized state:
"The Palestinians are, in my opinion, wasting a precious opportunity [with 
me as Prime Minister].  For to make peace is almost as painful as war, 
because it will require very painful concessions.  It won't be easy for a 
leader to get up and tell the people what they will have to give up - but I 
think I can do it.  It will require a national-unity government, of course; 
otherwise it will be very hard.
"At the end of the process, after we pass through this period of no 
terrorism and quiet and co-existence and cooperation in various areas, at 
the end we will reach a solution that has a Palestinian state - but it has 
to be by agreement, and it has to be demilitarized, and it has to have 
other aspects that we require in order for us to exist..."
Prior to his departure, Sharon will meet with Ministers Lieberman, Rivlin, 
Landau, and Elon.  The Prime Minister called the meeting, but the ministers 
demand that he not discuss the formation of a Palestinian state with Bush.
2. PERES, SHARON SQUABBLE OVER DAGAN
The Prime Minister leaves for the U.S. on the backdrop of tension with 
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.  After originally agreeing to have Gen. 
(res.) Meir Dagan head the talks with American mediator Gen. Zinni, Peres 
later changed his mind - and his top aide Avi Gil even resigned from the 
negotiating committee in protest of Dagan's appointment, claiming Dagan is 
"too hawkish to lead the talks."  Aides of Sharon and Peres met last night 
in an effort to resolve the problems.
Peres accused Sharon yesterday of "bypassing" him and of starting a "second 
Foreign Ministry."  The Prime Minister responded, "I would like to remind 
you that previous negotiations have always been run by the Prime Minister's 
Office, not the Foreign Ministry; Uri Savir, Oded Eran, and Gilad Sher were 
named to head the negotiating teams by [Labor] Prime Ministers."  Peres 
said that PA's team would be comprised of higher-ranking officials than 
Dagan, and Sharon said, "They are trying to drag us into diplomatic 
negotiations, but I will not fall into the trap.  The talks will deal only 
with achieving a ceasefire."  Peres insisted, however, that ceasefire talks 
must also have "political, emotional, economic, and broad-view elements."
3. CABINET SECRETARY: SETTLEMENTS ARE A FINAL-STATUS ISSUE
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke today with Cabinet Secretary Gideon Sa'ar, who 
will be accompanying Sharon to the U.S.  "What will Sharon tell Bush about 
his diplomatic plans?" Segal asked.
Sa'ar: "Nothing different than what he has been saying since he took 
office, and which is acceptable to the Americans as well, namely, 'security 
first.'  No progress can be made until there is quiet."
A-7:  "There have been detailed accounts in the press about particular plans."
Sa'ar:  "The Prime Minister declared clearly that all plans of this nature 
would be considered only when the time comes in the implementation of the 
Mitchell Plan and after it is discussed in the Israeli Cabinet."
A-7:  "He won't even discuss it informally with Bush? After all, Bush will 
certainly want to know Sharon's diplomatic plans?"
Sa'ar:  "Look, the Americans have an idea of what the Prime Minister sees 
for a long-term interim agreement in which Israel retains the security 
zones, Jerusalem, the settlements --
A-7:  "--*All* the settlements?"
Sa'ar:  "Uh, yes, uh, we are not, uh, talking about, uh, about settlements 
which, as is known, is a topic for the final-status agreement.
A-7:  "I remember Sharon saying clearly before the election that not one 
settlement would be evacuated, but since he took office, I don't recall him 
repeating that promise."
Sa'ar:  "The entire subject of Yesha communities and their final status is 
a topic for the final-status talks.  To our sorrow, we don't see that a 
final status is attainable in the foreseeable future."
A-7:  "The appointment of Gen. Dagan has aroused a dispute between Peres 
and Sharon. Peres says he is not sufficiently familiar with the diplomatic 
aspects.  Why was it so important to Sharon to appoint Dagan to head the 
talks with Gen. Zinni?"
Sa'ar:  "The talks are dealing at first only with military aspects, and not 
with diplomatic issues.  The American mediator himself, Zinni, is an army 
general, and the purpose is to reach a stable ceasefire.  Dagan was a 
member of the Israeli delegation in Wye Plantation, and with him are 
diplomatic experts.  I don't see what the problem is with this 
delegation.  I'm not talking now about the Foreign Minister, but we read 
attacks in the newspapers that the delegation is comprised of "right-wing 
extremists" - it's interesting that whenever they talk about the right 
wing, they add in the word "extremist" - but actually I have seen not even 
one quote from the members to prove this contention.
A-7:  "The government resolved at one point that every terrorist attack 
would be followed by a military response, yet I haven't seen a reaction to 
the two murderous attacks of this week in Afula and Gush Katif.  Has the 
policy been changed?"
Sa'ar:  "It's changed only to the extent that our actions against terrorism 
have increased dramatically.  Everyone can see our successes of recent 
weeks.  Our reactions are not automatic, and each case is taken 
individually, but in general our proactive activity, which is concentrated 
on the terrorists and those who send them, has produced very significant 
results, thwarting more than 80% or more of the terrorist activity."
Sa'ar also noted that the image of Arafat as a terrorist is becoming more 
and more entrenched in international public opinion.  He noted "an 
important statement made recently by Washington's National Security Advisor 
Condoleeza Rice that they can't fight Al-Qaeda while at the same time 
embracing Hamas and Islamic Jihad."
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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, Nov. 30, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 / Kislev 15, 5762
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. TEKUMAH DEMANDS WAR AGAINST P.A.
   2. LARGE MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS CURRENTLY AGAINST PALESTINIAN STATE
1. TEKUMAH DEMANDS WAR AGAINST P.A.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon learned of the fatal bus attack as he
prepared to depart for meetings in the U.S. with President Bush. 
After conferring with aides and senior officials, he decided not to
cancel his trip, explaining, "I feel that what must be done at this
time is to explain our position to the United States, and make it
perfectly clear that there can be no negotiations while the violence
continues."  Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer convened senior
defense officials to discuss Israel's response.
Prime Minister Sharon's spokesman Avi Pazner said last night that
Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority bear the full
responsibility for the bus attack.  "Despite its recent calls to
extremist groups not to carry out attacks," Pazner said, "the PA is
using this terrorism as a means to ensure the failure of Gen. Zinni's
peace mission."  Many Israelis are awaiting the practical
ramifications of President Bush's emphatic statements against all
terrorists - including those who merely feed or harbor them -
regarding Yasser Arafat.
The Tekumah party decided last night to recommend that the faction
issue an ultimatum to Prime Minister Sharon:  Either he declares that
the Palestinian Authority is a terrorist entity and orders the army to
take appropriate action against it, or the party will resign from the
government.  Tekumah MKs Tzvi Hendel and Uri Ariel are the majority in
the National Union; Benny Elon of Moledet is the third MK.  Together
with the four MKs of Minister Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu
party, they form the 7-member National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset
faction.
2. LARGE MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS CURRENTLY AGAINST PALESTINIAN STATE
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told the United Nations two weeks ago
that there is broad Israeli support for a Palestinian state - but what
is the truth?  A poll carried out earlier this week shows that a full
81% of the public opposes such a state unless it can be certain that
the Palestinians would honor the agreement under which the state would
be formed.  Almost half the population - 47% - opposes a PLO state
under any circumstances.  The poll was commissioned by IMRA
(Independent Media Review and Analysis) and the ZOA (Zionist
Organization of America), and sampled 502 adult Israelis - including
Israeli-Arabs.  Only 14% of the respondents are unconditionally in
favor of a Palestinian state.
About 2/3 of those questioned said they feel that a PA state would
constitute a threat to Israel, and about the same amount said that it
would strengthen the ability of other Arab states to threaten Israel.
*******************************************************
To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com 
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> 
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001 / Kislev 17, 5762
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. 24 HOURS OF TERROR IN ISRAEL
   2. ARAFAT GAVE THE ORDERS, NOW HE CONDEMNS
   3. PERES MAY HAVE TO GIVE IN
1. 24 HOURS OF TERROR IN ISRAEL
Israel has suffered a catastrophic 24 hours of terrorism  - the worst
since the Oslo Peace War began - with the murder of 26 people in a
series of Palestinian terror attacks throughout the country.  Ten
teenagers lost their lives late last night in downtown Jerusalem at
the hands of two suicide bombers; a professor was murdered by two
Arabs as he drove in northern Gaza early this morning; and fifteen bus
passengers were murdered when a suicide bomber blew himself up in
Haifa this afternoon.
2. ARAFAT GAVE THE ORDERS, NOW HE CONDEMNS
Yasser Arafat convened the PA leadership for an emergency meeting
today, at which it was decided to declare a state of emergency, to ban
weapons in public, and to arrest those responsible for the latest
attacks.  Only five days ago, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz
told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Arafat was
directly responsible for many terrorist attacks.  Arafat did not
merely give a "green light" to terrorism, Mofaz said, but was the very
initiator of many attacks.  Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that Arafat
convened the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in February 2000, and
told them to commit terrorist attacks within pre-1967 Israel with the
purpose of getting Israel to "surrender."  Later, he gave a similar
order to Tanzim (Fatah militia) heads.
The PA issued an official statement of condolences to the "people of
Israel" following last night's attack in Jerusalem.  Although some
Israeli media termed the statement "unusually firm," media analyst
Michael Widlanski notes that it painted the PA and the Palestinian
people as the victims of the "explosions," and concentrated more on
the damage caused to Palestinian interests as opposed to the essential
evil of the murders.
Although between 95% and 98% of the Arab population in Judea, Samaria,
and Gaza are under Palestinian Authority control, this is apparently
not enough for the Arabs.  Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat continued
to make demands on Israel:  "[You] want action from us, fine, we're
taking action.  But... the Israeli occupation must come to an end!"
3. PERES MAY HAVE TO GIVE IN
Key figures in the national-unity government warn that it may not last
much more time.  Ministers Natan Sharansky (Yisrael B'Aliyah) and
Shlomo Benizri (Shas) say that the true test has come, and that if the
Labor Party does not accept upon itself the required policy changes
against the Palestinian Authority, the national-unity government has
come to the end of its rope.  Even coalition chairman Likud MK Ze'ev
Boim said, "Israel must smash the PA, even at the expense of the
national-unity government."
*******************************************************
To:            arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com 
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> 
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, December 3, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Dec. 3, 2001 / Kislev 18, 5762
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. ISRAEL SMASHES ARAFAT'S GAZA HEADQUARTERS
   2. PREPARING ISRAEL'S RESPONSE
   3. HANEGBI AND HENDEL JOIN CALLS FOR WAR AGAINST THE P.A.
**** Excerpts from Nadav Shragai's Op-ed
1. ISRAEL SMASHES ARAFAT'S GAZA HEADQUARTERS
Israel began its retaliation against the Palestinian Authority shortly
before 5 PM this evening.  Nine rockets hit Arafat's headquarters in
Gaza, destroying both of his personal helicopters and several
buildings there.  Arafat was in Ramallah at the time.  More Israeli
offensives are expected.
2. PREPARING ISRAEL'S RESPONSE
Prime Minister Sharon has made it clear that he will no longer trust
Arafat to fight terrorism, but will rather do it himself.  He returned
to Israel at mid-morning late this morning and began security
consultations immediately upon his arrival.  The Prime Minister will
address the nation this evening, and will then convene the entire
Cabinet; the meeting will be an official security-cabinet meeting,
such that the leakage of information from it will be considered a
violation of the law.  Peace Now will be holding a protest vigil
outside the Cabinet meeting.
Speculation is rife as to the exact form Israel's retaliation will
take.  Foreign Minister Peres and Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer are
against the proposals raised by some government ministers, such as
dismantling the PA or declaring it a terrorist-supporting entity (see
below).  However, it appears that Sharon will in fact "escalate" the
Israeli response.  Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam, who accompanied the
Prime Minister on his trip to the United States, said this morning
that the American leaders and public "understand that we have the
right to fight the PLO just as they are fighting the Taliban."  Eitam,
a potential National Religious Party leader who left the army over a
year ago when his way to becoming a full General was blocked, said
that a dramatic change in Israeli policy is imminent.  "The goal will
be to achieve definite results in the war on terrorism," Eitam said. 
"Sharon has decided that now is the time for action, not words.
Arafat's time is up."
U.S. President Bush and Secretary Powell specifically did not call on
Israel to show restraint in its upcoming offensive.  When asked by an
interviewer what would happen if Arafat did not take the necessary
steps to fight terrorism, Powell said, "If not, then the situation
will not improve.  If not, we are not going to move forward.  If not,
we are trapped."  He was then asked if Arafat would "have to go," but
evaded the question and said only, "The situation is that if he isn't
able to do this, if he doesn't do this, then we are not moving down a
path toward a cease-fire..."
The IDF has tightened still more the closure on all PA-controlled
areas.  No Arabs are permitted to travel on Yesha roads outside of
Area A (full Palestinian control) or outside their villages, except to
transport food and oil.
The Palestinian Authority, in response to increasing international
pressure to fight terrorism, arrested some 70 Hamas terrorists last
night - making sure to do so before the lights of television cameras. 
Judging by media reports, however, most Israelis are no longer
impressed by either Arafat's statements or his arrests, and assume
that, as in the past, the Hamas members will soon be free.  As if in
indication of such an eventuality, the PA's High Court today ordered
the immediate release of five members of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who were arrested following the
assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.  This brings to 23
the number of terrorists whose release has been ordered by the PA's
High Court.
3. HANEGBI AND HENDEL JOIN CALLS FOR WAR AGAINST THE P.A.
Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi says that Israel must wage total
war against and "completely defeat its enemy, the PLO."
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) said today that Prime
Minister Sharon must dismantle the Palestinian Authority at once and
order the army to re-take security control over all of Judea, Samaria,
and Gaza.  "If not, this government has no right to exist," he said. 
Hundreds of people demonstrated and marched in Jerusalem last night,
demanding that Sharon oust Arafat.
President Moshe Katzav has called on the world's leaders to cut ties
with the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Yasser Arafat, until he
puts an end to anti-Israel terrorism.  The President feels that Israel
can restore its security only by building a wall between the PA areas
and the rest of Israel.
Minister Avigdor Lieberman (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) said
yesterday that he would quit the government if a widespread offensive
against the PA were not carried out "within a short time."  Shinui
Party leader MK Tommy Lapid said that Israel must call off all further
negotiations with Arafat.
**** Excerpts from an op-ed by Nadav Shragai in yesterday's Ha'aretz:
"...At the head of the Israeli government stands a man who only a year
ago was 'Mr. Security' - a man who has failed the test of bringing
results...  If Palestinian terrorism were an uncontrolled malignancy
in a civilized environment, it would be possible to conduct a "tweezer
war" against it, but the war is against an enemy whose natural
environment is itself the uncontrolled malignancy.
"The population, the media and the government institutions of the
Palestinian Authority provide backing and support for terrorism. The
distinction between the PA, and Hamas, and Islamic Jihad - which the
Sharon-Peres government still preserves as a future partner - is a
failure. It is a joke to demand that the PA combat terrorism - the PA
is the terrorism. About 50% of the attacks have been carried out by
its members and its apparatus, and many of the remaining 50% have
benefited from its assistance or from the fact that it has turned a
blind eye.
"The PA media preach terrorism, PA Chairman Arafat and his associates
praise the shahids [Islamic martyrs - the suicide bombers], and PA
schools educate for hatred and murder of Jews. Despite all this, the
PA has not been defined as an enemy, or as an "authority supporting
terrorism." With his partner Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon has totally failed to create any of the
deterrence he has talked about so much. There is no strategy of
transferring the fighting to enemy territory. Even the PA's official
voices of incitement, its radio and television stations, enjoy
immunity...
"The solution to this cannot be political. A political achievement
will only encourage terrorism to continue striking at us so as to
chalk up additional political achievements. Anyone who tries to turn
the PA into a state will quickly discover he has exchanged a terrorist
authority for a terrorist state. The Oslo concept will look like a
small failure compared to the concept of a Palestinian state. It will
have access to better means of carrying out attacks and to more
protection and immunity on the part of the world, and the obstacles to
an Israeli military operation against it will only become even
greater.
"The unpopular solution, especially among those who still have a hard
time letting go of the Oslo illusion, is a military solution - even at
the price of "unity," which is becoming more of a liability than an
advantage...  The PA has to be overthrown, even at the price of a
reoccupation of some of its territories. The Israeli public has found
it hard to let go of the Oslo concept, and has paid a high price for
it. It must understand that the more we delay making this vital
decision, the higher the price we will pay in the future."
*******************************************************

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