From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Friday, October 17, 1997 9:31 PM
To: Arutz-7 List
Subject: Arutz-7 News: October 15, 1997
From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Wednesday, October 15, 1997
Arutz Sheva News Service
Wednesday, October 15, 1997 / Tishrei 14, 5758
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---Arutz Sheva wishes a Happy Sukkot to the entire House of Israel! ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SUKKOT BEGINS
2. CLINTON AND WEIZMANN
3. GERMANS COMPLAIN
4. NO FAULT FOUND IN NAVAL COMMANDO TRAGEDY
5. RELIGIOUS COUNCIL LAW
6. EGYPT OUTSPENDS ISRAEL FOR ARMS, 2.5 TO 1
7. ARAFAT TO KEEP HIS DISTANCE
8. ARAB WEAPONS CACHE FOUND
1. SUKKOT BEGINS
Israel prepares for the Sukkot holiday! The seven-day holiday of rejoicing
begins at 5:11 PM tonight (in Jerusalem). Massive nation-wide preparations
are winding up as hundreds of thousands of citizens complete building their
sukkot in which to eat (and sleep) for the holiday, acquiring the Four
Species, and collecting s'chach (with which to cover their sukkot) and
other holiday necessities.
The IDF has installed another ten metal detector gates at the entrance to
the Machpelah Cave in Hevron, in anticipation of the thousands of
worshippers expected to arrive over the Sukkot holiday. The army has
agreed to allow the Jewish residents there to unfurl Israeli flags on
Sunday and Monday, when the entire Machpelah Cave will be open to Jewish
visitors. A new sound- and-light show will debut at Beit Hadassah,
Hassidic singers Moshe Giat and the Reim Duo will entertain the visitors
(on Sunday afternoon), and tours throughout the city will be conducted all
week.
2. CLINTON AND WEIZMANN
U.S. President Clinton feels that Yasser Arafat will not be able to agree
to the permanent status plan proposed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
He fears that acceptance of such a plan would ruin Arafat politically. On
the other hand, Clinton estimates that the nationalist components in the
Netanyahu government do not leave it much room in which to maneuver.
Clinton and President Weizmann discussed these issues during the latter's
visit to Washington last week. Weizmann urged Clinton to invite Netanyahu
and Arafat to Camp David-style meetings in Washington, but Clinton was not
enthralled with the idea. Journalist David Makovsky publicized the
contents of their talk in today's edition of Ha'Aretz. American mediator
Dennis Ross will return to the region at the end of the week, and will meet
with Foreign Minister David Levy and with PA senior Abu Maazen.
3. GERMANS COMPLAIN
The German government submitted a formal complaint to Israel against
Foreign Minister Levy. The Germans claim that Levy has refused to meet
with the German Ambassador in Israel since Levy came to office almost a
year and a half ago. The Foreign Ministry responded that Levy met German
Foreign Minister Kinkel recently, and that it will look into the complaint.
4. NO FAULT FOUND IN NAVAL COMMANDO TRAGEDY
The committee headed by General Gabi Ophir, charged with investigating the
catastrophe last month in which 12 naval commando troops were killed in
Lebanon, is about ready to submit its findings. It concluded that the
tragedy was caused by a chance ambush by Hizbullah, and cannot be
attributed to any specific mishap in the execution of the mission. The
committee rejected the possibility that there was an intelligence leak. It
assumes that an explosive device carried by one of the soldiers went off as
a result of the initial ambush attack, adding to the casualties.
5. RELIGIOUS COUNCIL LAW
MKs Shaul Yahalom (NRP), Nissim Dahan (Shas), and Rabbi Moshe Gafni (UTJ)
met this morning to discuss the formulation of the proposed new Religious
Councils law. The new law will apparently require all members of the
Religious Councils to affirm their loyalty to the Chief Rabbinate. Prime
Minister Netanyahu promised yesterday that the new law will be presented to
the Knesset for approval during the first week of the winter session. At
the same time, Minister Yaakov Ne'eman is attempting to enlist support for
his compromise solutions regarding conversion.
6. EGYPT OUTSPENDS ISRAEL FOR ARMS, 2.5 TO 1
The following statistics have been released by the International Institute
for Strategic Studies in London:
* Egypt spent 2.3 billion dollars last year on new weaponry, 2.5 times
more than Israel.
* Syria spent only 90 million dollars, one-tenth of that which Israel
spent. This can apparently be attributed to an economic crisis in Syria,
as it spent twice that amount in 1995.
* The largest spender in the Middle East was Saudi Arabia - 9 billion
dollars.
7. ARAFAT TO KEEP HIS DISTANCE
Palestinian photographers are now forbidden to photograph their leader,
Yasser Arafat, from up close, in order not to reveal the disease from which
he suffers. Symptoms of the sickness can be seen easily on his face, as
was evident this week during a press conference with visiting Labor party
member Oren Shachor.
8. ARAB WEAPONS CACHE FOUND
Weaponry and ammunition were found in Kfar Beit Furik in the Gush Etzion
region over the night. Two Arabs were arrested. A Kalachnikov rifle,
bullets, and hunting rifles were found.
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