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Sent: Friday, August 15, 1997 12:36 AM
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Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, August 14, 1997
From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, August 14, 1997
Arutz Sheva News Service
Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Av 11, 5757
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
1. PM REACTS TO HISTADRUT THREATS
2. EITAN RAPS HISTADRUT
3. OTHER ECONOMIC GOV'T DECISIONS
4. PA HAS ENOUGH FLOUR, THANKS
5. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY
6. ROSS GONE, WILL RETURN; ALBRIGHT NEXT
7. ASHRAWI: EXTRADITION IS UNTHINKABLE
8. YAHALOM: ONLY ONE CHIEF RABBINATE
9. WEIZMANN PAYS CONDOLENCE CALLS, MEETS WITH PM
1. PM REACTS TO HISTADRUT THREATS
Finance Minister Yaakov Ne'eman met today with Histadrut Chairman Amir
Peretz, in an attempt to ward off a crisis with the labor union. No
agreement was reached, and the two will meet again on Sunday. The
Histadrut had threatened to call nation-wide strikes next week in protest
over the "structural changes in the economy," i.e., privatization, decided
upon last night by the government. Major corporations, such as Egged, the
Electric Company, the gas companies, and the oil refineries, will be
gradually privatized. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reacted to the
Histadrut's threats by saying, "I don't understand them. More competition
will bring lower prices, which will bring a wider market, which brings more
employment. This is clearly better for everyone. We will take the needs of
the workers into account, and meet with them. I can't think of a single
pertinent reason why they would want to call strikes - although I can think
of some not-pertinent reasons."
2. EITAN RAPS HISTADRUT
Minister of Agriculture Rafael Eitan has attacked the leaders of the
Histadrut labor union for their plans to call work-stoppages again next
week. Eitan demands that Prime Minister Netanyahu begin a counter-campaign
against the Histadrut. "The Histadrut is attempting, for political
reasons, to ground the government's economic plans, because any success by
the present government decreases the chances of the Labor Party to win the
next national elections," wrote Eitan in a letter to the Prime Minister.
He added, "The Histadrut does not care about the suffering it causes the
citizens, nor the losses it causes, as long as it can stymie any positive
move of the government."
3. OTHER ECONOMIC GOV'T DECISIONS
The government approved last night another large cut in next year's annual
national budget. By a vote of 9-3, the cabinet voted to approve the cut of
2.3 billion shekels, and voted to propose a national budget for the year
1998 of 164.4 billion shekels; only Ministers Hammer and Levy (of the NRP)
and Yeshai (Shas) objected. Minister Ne'eman will meet with each of the
other ministers in the coming weeks in order to decide where and how much
to cut from each ministry's budget. The heads of the ministries of
education and defense, which have the largest budgets, say that they
require more, not less, funds. If the required cuts cannot be made, new
taxes will have to be imposed. The government also decided to set an
inflation target of 7-10% a year, more than the 6-9% proposed by Bank of
Israel governor Yaakov Frenkel; the lower target, it was feared, would
bring about a rise in unemployment.
4. PA HAS ENOUGH FLOUR, THANKS
The Palestinian Authority informed Israel today that it is not interested
in the entry of a convoy of 29 truckloads of flour to Gaza. Nasser Farej
of the Palestinian industry and trade department informed Israeli officials
at the Erez Checkpoint that the PA already has a two months' supply of
flour. Administration spokesman Lt. Avi Gambash said that this proves that
there is no starvation within the autonomy as a result of the closure, as
had been reported. Yasser Arafat said today that 100,000 Palestinians did
not receive their salaries this week, because of the economic sanctions
placed upon the PA by Israel following the Machaneh Yehuda bombing. Israel
has agreed to transmit sums of money to the PA in direct proportion to the
active measures against the terrorist infrastructure taken by the PA. The
internal closure on the city of Ramallah was removed this morning.
5. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY
The IDF is having a difficult time tightening its belt. A joint
investigation by Arutz-7 and the weekly Makor Rishon has revealed that
Israel Air Force chief commander Eitan Ben-Eliyahu recently acquired an
expensive electronic system - called AutoQueue - that allows him to read
his speeches from a text flashed to him from a distance, without the
knowledge of the audience. The remote-controlled computerized system costs
50,000 shekels (over $14,000), and includes a transparent display, two
televisions screens, and a converter. The Knesset does not own one because
of the high price, and in fact the system is unique in the country. U.S.
President Bill Clinton used one during his visit to the Knesset a year and
a half ago; it returned to the U.S. with the President. The IDF response
to the report was that the system is not for the exclusive use of Maj.-Gen.
Ben-Eliyahu, but for the entire Air Force, and could even be rented out to
outside bodies.
6. ROSS GONE, WILL RETURN; ALBRIGHT NEXT
American mediator Dennis Ross, who departed from the Middle East last
night, is scheduled to return to the Middle East in two weeks. He will
ascertain the level of security cooperation between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is
scheduled to arrive here at the beginning of next month.
7. ASHRAWI: EXTRADITION IS UNTHINKABLE
Palestine National Council member Hanan Ashrawi told a Voice of Palestine
interviewer this week, "No Palestinian will ever be extradited to Israel.
A decision has been made to this effect, and it is inconceivable to think
that such a thing would ever happen."
8. YAHALOM: ONLY ONE CHIEF RABBINATE
MK Shaul Yahalom, Chairman of the Knesset Law Committee, told Arutz-7 that
his party's objections to the recognition of Reform conversions in Israel
stem from a deep-seated dispute with the goals of the Reform movement.
"When the Reform movement says it wants equality, it is basically saying
that it wants a separation of church and state in Israel. The Reform
movement would like a Chief Rabbinate, and other religious national
institutions, of its own; but the Chief Rabbinate is involved in every
aspect of our national lives, and the State cannot have more than several
different Chief Rabbinates." He said that in the religious sphere, despite
the fact the religious parties have more MKs than they ever did before,
there has been a "turn for the worse" in the religious status-quo. When
asked whether the Prime Minister shows willingness to fulfill his coalition
obligations in this regard, Yahalom said, "Of course when we talk with him
he shows willingness and he understands our position, but the question is
how much effort and time he actually puts in to actually carrying out his
obligations."
9. WEIZMANN PAYS CONDOLENCE CALLS, MEETS WITH PM
President Ezer Weizmann paid a condolence call to the family of the fallen
soldier Ronen Cohen, who was killed in Lebanon earlier this week. The
President paid a similar call to the family of Ali Aduryan in Kfar Adumim,
who became the 14th victim of the Machaneh Yehuda bombing when he died of
his wounds on Tuesday. President Weizmann will meet in his Ceasaria home
with Prime Minister Netanyahu later this afternoon.
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