HHMI Newsgroup Archives
To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, December 24, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Monday, Dec. 24, 2001 / Tevet 9, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. ARAFAT IRRELEVANT BUT TALKS CONTINUE 2. WILL ARAFAT ATTEND SERVICES IN BETHLEHEM? 3. ARAFAT HONORS "OUTLAWED" TERRORIST GROUP 4. US SENATE APPROVES AID FOR MIDEAST
1. ARAFAT IRRELEVANT BUT TALKS CONTINUE Despite calling Yasser Arafat "irrelevant" and the Palestinian Authority an entity that supports terror, a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres today announced that Peres is in fact holding secret talks with Palestinian representative Abu Ala in an effort to end the current violence. Today's statement, released by the Prime Minister's media advisor, is an about-face from yesterday's announcement, which dismissed the notion that such talks were taking place.
Today's statement confirms that Prime Minister Sharon knew that Peres has been meeting with Abu Ala. Tourism Minister Rabbi Benny Elon is now saying that by allowing the talks to continue, Sharon is in fact contradicting government policy decisions that there would be no negotiations with the Palestinian leadership under fire.
2. WILL ARAFAT ATTEND SERVICES IN BETHLEHEM? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said last night that he will allow PLO leader Yasser Arafat to visit Bethlehem for Christmas tonight, if Arafat arrests the terrorists who murdered Minister Rechavam Ze'evi. Israel says that the terrorist cell which perpetrated the assassination is just a few blocks away from Arafat's Ramallah office. But Ali Jada of the PFLP gang, which took credit for the crime, said their location was unknown even to him, so there was no way Arafat could find them. Much pressure has been placed on the government by the United States, the European Union and the Vatican to enable Arafat to go to Bethlehem this evening. In some countries, the media claimed to see no connection between Israel's demand that Arafat arrest the assassins, and his desire to attend midnight mass.
Earlier Arafat told reporters, "Who does Sharon think he is to prevent me from going to Bethlehem?" Arafat remains in his Ramallah office. He has been grounded there since Israel destroyed his helicopter fleet some two weeks ago.
3. ARAFAT HONORS "OUTLAWED" TERRORIST GROUP While PLO leader Yasser Arafat has recently given well-publicized promises to President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon that he is outlawing terrorist organizations, the Palestinian leadership continues to express its solidarity with terrorists when addressing Arab-speaking audiences. According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), this past Saturday the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) held a ceremony in honor of its 34th anniversary. The PFLP is the terrorist organization that murdered Israeli minister Rechavam Ze'evi. Not only did the PA permit the celebration of the "outlawed" organization, Arafat also sent his cabinet secretary Ahmed Abed Al-Rahman to deliver a speech in his name. A translation of the speech reveals that the PA praised the PFLP and lauded the unity of "all Palestinian factions."
To guarantee that the message of unity reach a wider Arab audience, yesterday's official Palestinian Authority daily newspaper published a lengthy front-page article covering the event in great detail. The article included a photo of Arafat's aide Al-Rahman speaking at the event, during which time he expressed disdain for the US and Israel. He also said that while a hard line has been adopted, [the international arena is being handled] with wisdom and caution, in order to foil the conspiracy of Sharon and his American allies."
4. US SENATE APPROVES AID FOR MIDEAST The United States Senate has approved a $15.4 billion foreign aid bill that reserves much of its help for her Middle East allies. The bill, which has already passed in the House of Representatives, will now go to President George W. Bush for his signature. Once again, Israel and Egypt will be the main beneficiaries of U.S. foreign legislation. Israel is slated to obtain $2.04 billion in military aid and $720 million in economic aid. Egypt will receive $1.3 billion in military aid and $655 million in economic assistance. Middle East policy experts both in the United States and in Israel have recently questioned whether Congress is justified in providing Egypt with vast military capabilities, since Egypt currently does not have any known enemies in the region. These experts fear that if the Arab world were to launch a war against Israel, Egypt would then use the acquired weaponry against the Jewish State.
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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, Dec. 25, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001 / Tevet 10, 5762 - Fast of Tevet ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. PLO WANTS FURTHER TALKS WITH PERES 2. ARAB INCITEMENT CONTINUES 3. ZOA LEADER: PA JAILS ARE A COMPLETE FRAUD
1. PLO WANTS FURTHER TALKS WITH PERES Yasser Arafat met with aides in Ramallah today and decided to continue diplomatic negotiations with Israel. The senior PLO leaders discussed the status of the ongoing contacts between their own Abu Ala and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Minister of National Infrastructure Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu Party) criticized Prime Minister Sharon for breaking his word by allowing Peres to negotiate with the PLO without consent from the rest of the coalition partners. It was revealed yesterday that not only was Prime Minister Sharon fully aware of the clandestine talks being held between Peres and Abu Ala, but that he expressed general support for them as well. However, Lieberman said that he did not plan to stir up a government crisis over the issue.
2. ARAB INCITEMENT CONTINUES The official Palestinian Daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, accuses Israel of stealing Arab body parts for use in Israeli hospitals. The article, translated into English by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), says that Israel defiles the bodies of Arab "martyrs" - those killed in battle with the IDF - and uses the body parts for Israeli patients in need of transplants. These allegations are the latest in a series of false claims made by the PA. Other examples include the claim that Israel systematically injects Arabs with the AIDS virus. In response to the claim that Israeli helicopters drop poisoned candy to Palestinian school children as part of a "genocide" plan, the IDF spokesman said in May, "It goes without saying that these claims are totally unfounded, and are just another aspect of the wild Palestinian incitement against Israel and another example of PA's lack of credibility."
3. ZOA LEADER: PA JAILS ARE A COMPLETE FRAUD Reacting to a recent report in Ha'aretz, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton Klein said yesterday that Arafat's "so-called jails are a complete fraud." According to Ha'aretz, the bombs that murdered two American citizens in Israel in 1997 and wounded 11 other Americans were constructed by two Arab terrorists while they were "imprisoned" in Arafat's Jericho jail.
In a press statement, Klein noted that Palestinian-Arab terrorists who have murdered Americans and Israelis are still living freely in Arafat-controlled territory. The ZOA president urged the Bush administration to demand that Arafat surrender all those involved in attacks on Americans for prosecution in the United States, just as the U.S. is demanding that the Taliban surrender Osama Bin Laden. Klein recommends that if Arafat refuses to do so, the U.S. should respond by ending all relations with his terrorist regime.
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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, Dec. 26, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001 / Tevet 11, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NAVEH CRITICIZES ARAFAT; CHAOS IN KNESSET 2. ARAFAT'S ISLAMIZATION OF BETHLEHEM 3. BEN-ELIEZER: I WILL LEAD LABOR OUT OF THE COALITION 4. SHARON REJECTS ELON/LIEBERMAN DEMAND
1. NAVEH CRITICIZES ARAFAT; CHAOS IN KNESSET Minister Danny Naveh said from the Knesset podium today: "Arafat is not a Christian saint but rather a Muslim terrorist." Naveh was delivering the government response to the Knesset inquiry into why PLO Chief Yasser Arafat was not allowed to visit Bethlehem for Christmas. Arab Knesset members heckled Naveh who pressed on to recount instances of Muslim Arabs who defiled young Christian Arab girls while the PLO police did nothing to stop or prevent the crimes. At this point, the Knesset chamber descended into chaos. Knesset members almost came to blows. The Knesset guard rushed in but, without success, attempted to calm the Arab Knesset members. In the end, five Arab parliamentarians were escorted out, and the session was temporarily suspended. When the members re-assembled, Naveh documented his charges and asked, "How can Arafat be portrayed in the world as a Christian saint, when such atrocities occur under his jurisdiction?"
Even when the agenda moved onto other items, tension hung in the air. When Arab MK Taleb A-Sana rose to the podium to address a different topic, he began a tirade against Naveh which included a long list of insults. When he refused to retract his remarks, the chairman of the session called on security guards to remove A-Sana from the podium.
Some Labor and Meretz Knesset members submitted a complaint to the Knesset Ethics committee against Minister Naveh's remarks.
2. ARAFAT'S ISLAMIZATION OF BETHLEHEM Former Israeli liaison to the U.S. Congress Yoram Ettinger said yesterday that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority have succeeded in reducing the 60% majority of Christians in Bethlehem and neighboring Beit-Jala to a 20% minority. According to Ettinger, Arafat tipped the demography by changing the cities municipal boundaries and incorporating thousands of additional Muslims into the district. Many Christians have fled Bethlehem after suffering Muslim intimidation and violation of their civil liberties by the PLO.
Ettinger charges that local Muslim Fatah gangs continue to desecrate Christian cemeteries, churches, convents, and monasteries. Also, the chant, "After we do away with the Saturday People [the Jews], we shall take care of the Sunday people [the Christians]," has been heard during anti-Israel PLO rallies. PLO terrorists shooting at Jerusalem's southern neighborhood Gilo purposely position themselves next to or in Christian homes, hotels, and churches in hopes of creating Christian casualties when Israel returns fire. The Christian casualties provide "proof" for the PLO propaganda machine to create the illusion that Israel attacks Christian property. According to the plan, Christians of the world will then condemn Israel and side with the Muslims in the current Oslo War. Ettinger's reports entitled "Jerusalem Cloakroom" are posted at: http://www.acpr.org.il/cloakrm/index.html
3. BEN-ELIEZER: I WILL LEAD LABOR OUT OF THE COALITION Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that the Labor party would quit the Sharon government if he feels that the party can't advance its political or economic agenda. According to all estimates, Ben-Eliezer will win today's re-vote for Labor Party chairman and candidate for prime minister. The initial vote, which took place on September 4, was surrounded with controversy. Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg claimed victory over Ben-Eliezer in what appeared to be one of the closest internal party votes in the nation's history. However, Ben-Eliezer's camp alleged that forgeries in the voting took place at 41 polling stations throughout the Druze sector. In one voting station, there were more ballots cast than eligible voters. The Druze community that brought Burg the victory in the September 4th vote is boycotting today's runoff. A short time before the close of the polling places, Labor officials report that less than 10% of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballot.
In a recent survey, Labor Party central committee members said that Prime Minister Sharon is more worthy to lead the country than Burg or Ben-Eliezer. The Labor members admitted that they longed to reconnect to nationalistic values of the early years of Labor and to distance themselves from today's "extreme left."
4. SHARON REJECTS ELON/LIEBERMAN DEMAND Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last night rejected a demand made by Ministers Benny Elon and Avigdor Lieberman (NationalUnion/Yisrael Beitenu) that he halt negotiations with the PLO that include talk of establishing a Palestinian State. In a letter to Sharon, Elon and Lieberman demanded that the issue of a Palestinian State first be brought for approval in the cabinet. Contrary to Sharon's initial rejection, government aide Gideon Sar later told ministers Elon and Lieberman that in fact no final decision had been made regarding their request.
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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, Dec. 27, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Thursday, Dec. 27, 2001 / Tevet 12, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. SHARON CLARIFIES POSITION ON TALKS WITH PLO 2. BIN LADEN BLAMES ATTACKS ON ISRAEL 3. BEN-ELIEZER IS NEW LABOR CHAIRMAN
1. SHARON CLARIFIES POSITION ON TALKS WITH PLO Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced today that he will not agree to a Palestinian state before the cabinet deliberates the issue. Speaking at Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv, Sharon acknowledged that there has been a decrease in terrorism, but attributed it to the IDF's initiated operations and not to a change in Arafat's policy. Sharon reiterated that there will be no "diplomatic negotiations" with the PLO under fire, rather "negotiations for a cease-fire." Regarding the Abu Ala - Peres agreement in the making, Sharon said that there are many problems with it. The Prime Minister added that in the event that a cease-fire is achieved, he himself would lead any diplomatic negotiations.
2. BIN LADEN BLAMES ATTACKS ON ISRAEL In a five-minute excerpt of newly-released videotape, Osama Bin Laden blames the September 11 attacks against the United States on its support for Israel. In the video, which was broadcast on the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television network, Bin Laden said, "Our terrorism against the United States is blessed, aimed at repelling the oppressor so that America stops its support for Israel."
On the videotape Bin Laden also accuses the United States of having an "indescribable hatred of Islam." The entire tape runs thirty-three minutes and will be shown on Al-Jazeera today. The tape was apparently filmed two weeks, ago, exactly three months after the terrorist attacks on America. Without revealing the source of the videotape, the Al-Jazeera television network claims that it has knowledge that Bin Laden is alive.
Since the September 11 attacks, Bin Laden has repeatedly tried to draw a connection between the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with US policy towards Israel. While PLO leader Yasser Arafat has publicly distanced himself from Bin Laden's comments in order not to appear in the eyes of the world as one who approves of his terrorist activity, thousands of Arabs living in the PLO areas danced in the streets as the Twin Towers in Manhattan crumbled. Since then, Arabs living under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority have held numerous rallies expressing solidarity with Bin Laden.
3. BEN-ELIEZER IS NEW LABOR CHAIRMAN Gaining about 90 percent of the vote, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer emerged victorious on Wednesday becoming the new chairman of the Labor Party. Ben-Eliezer defeated Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg for the position in an election surrounded by controversy. Less than 1 percent of the Druze sector voted in yesterday's polling stations, protesting allegations of forgeries in the initial September 4 election. Just over 3500 (27% of eligible) voters participated in the re-vote, which was held in some 40 polling stations. Concerning his victory Ben-Eliezer stated that one of his main goals includes focusing on uniting all of the different Labor Party factions.
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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, Dec. 28, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Friday, Dec. 28, 2001 / Tevet 13, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINE:
NO-PEACE TALKS CONTINUE
Abu Ala of the Palestinian Authority, who is conducting pre-ceasefire peace talks with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, expresses "cautious optimism" about their outcome. He told reporters in Cairo today that no agreement has yet been reached, but "we are exchanging ideas about the establishment of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital."
Reports until now have stated that the talks are concentrating on a Palestinian state on 42% of the area, that which was given over to the PA in the past 8 years. The state would be established after six weeks of a total ceasefire and a PA war against terrorism, including the collection of illegal weapons. Prime Minister Sharon told Knesset Members of the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu faction last night that the proposals under discussion are not acceptable to him. The talks will resume next week.
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, Dec. 30, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Sunday, Dec. 30, 2001 / Tevet 15, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NUMBER OF TERROR ATTACKS DOWN 2. SHARON CLARIFIES POSITION ON TALKS WITH PLO 3. SHARON TO POWELL: ARAFAT NOT PREVENTING TERROR 4. LEFT WING SHOWS SUPPORT FOR NUSSEIBEH
1. NUMBER OF TERROR ATTACKS DOWN Arabs have carried out fewer attacks over the last two weeks than over the same period in previous months. In today's cabinet session, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attributed the decrease in violence to the IDF's extensive counter-terror operations which have targeted numerous terror cells. Sharon further said that there is heavy international pressure on Arafat to stop the attacks. A senior IDF official told Arutz Sheva's Haggai Huberman, "The fact that IDF tanks are positioned 400 meters away from Arafat's Ramallah offices, and there is no world outcry, is bothersome to Arafat and is forcing him to limit terrorist activity."
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Saturday night that the PLO is busy training suicide bombers and preparing car bombings as part of an "infrastructure for war." He told an audience in Holon, "From their standpoint, the Arabs are engaged in all-out war with us, even though it is difficult for us to consider this a full-scale war. If they had tanks and warplanes, they would undoubtedly use them against us."
Nevertheless, Ben-Eliezer said that if the Palestinian Authority starts arresting wanted terrorists and thwarting attacks by Arabs against Jews, then Israel will "start implementing the Mitchell plan", referring to the resumption of Israeli concessions in exchange for cessation of attacks, based on an outline put together by an international commission lead by former US senator George Mitchell.
Ben-Eliezer said over the weekend that a Palestinian state would be established one day, adding that the timetable was totally dependent on the PLO. He supports the meetings that Foreign Minister Peres has been holding with PLO official Abu Ala, reasoning that diplomatic talks should not be neglected even during times of violence.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat telephoned Ben-Eliezer on Thursday night to congratulate him on winning the Labor party election. The Defense Minister told Arafat that he must do more to rein in terror groups.
2. SHARON CLARIFIES POSITION ON TALKS WITH PLO Sharon declared at the opening of this morning's cabinet session that negotiations toward a Palestinian state may not begin until the issue has been decided in the government. Talking with Arutz Sheva today, Gov't Spokesman Raanan Gissin rejected the term "negotiations" to describe the talks between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO official Abu Ala: "There are no negotiations going on. I reiterate what the Prime Minister has said many times over the last weeks and again in today's government meeting: the sole purpose of the contacts is to bring about a cessation of violence, terrorism and incitement. That is the mandate that Mr. Peres has, and that is the purpose of the continuing contacts that he conducts with the leaders of the Palestinian Authority."
But Gissin did not deny that Peres is talking about a Palestinian state even before government approval. Regarding reports in Israel's daily Yediot Acharonot that Peres and Abu Ala are nearing agreement on a Palestinian State in almost half of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Gissin said, "Any ideas that are being raised and have not been brought to the government are clearly not representing the Israeli government position." Sharon admitted last week that he is fully aware of negotiations being held between Peres and Abu Ala.
National Union/Yisrael Beitenu (NUYB) faction leaders said that they were comforted by Sharon's declaration this morning against negotiations with the PLO before government approval. MKs Tzvi Hendel and Uri Ariel, who introduced a proposal to the NUYB central committee to back out of the coalition over the ongoing diplomatic contacts with the PLO, said that following Sharon's clarification, they favor staying in the government. Deputy Minister Yuri Shtern (NUYB) said today that he trusts Sharon's statement limiting Peres' mandate to cease-fire talks only.
3. SHARON TO POWELL: ARAFAT NOT PREVENTING TERROR Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday that Yasser Arafat is not taking the necessary steps to prevent terrorism. The Prime Minister briefed Powell on the current situation in Israel and said that the PLO has not yet arrested wanted terrorists, including the murderers of the late Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
Powell phoned Yasser Arafat Friday night. PLO officials report that in the course of their 25-minute conversation, Powell praised the PLO's efforts to stop attacks. He also promised Arafat that he would pressure Israel to relax restrictions on Arab residents.
4. LEFT WING SHOWS SUPPORT FOR NUSSEIBEH Several hundred members of the Israeli left, along with other demonstrators who flew in from Western Europe, marched down Jerusalem's main streets on Friday carrying banners against Israel's policies in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza). The participants also inaugurated a center for dialog and joint activities between Arabs and Israelis. According to Michael Widlanski of TheMediaLine.org, the main goal of the demonstration was to show support for Sari Nusseibeh, Yasser Arafat's Jerusalem Affairs coordinator, who many on the left have labeled a "moderate." The demonstrators, including former Israeli justice minister Yossi Beilin, protested Nusseibeh's arrest by Israeli police two weeks ago when he attempted to hold an illegal reception at a Jerusalem hotel.
Shalom Goldstein, the Arab Affairs Advisor for the Jerusalem Municipality notes that despite Nusseibeh's "moderate" positions when addressing Israeli audiences, Nusseibeh told the Arab-language press that he is in favor of a full "right of return" by Palestinian Arabs to Israel.
In addition, Nusseibeh, was caught during the 1991 Gulf War providing Iraqi intelligence officials with information to help Iraq direct its SCUD missiles onto Israeli cities. Nusseibeh, who lived in Israel at the time, would telephone the Iraqi ambassador in a neighboring country and advise him where to fire the next scuds for best effect. Nusseibeh was arrested by Israel's counter intelligence agency (Shin Bet) and after the war ended, under pressure from the Israeli left, was allowed to voluntarily leave the country for three years.
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