From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 02:53:59 +0000
Subject: Israel News: Dec 4 - 16, 1997
From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
To: headline@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED Daily Headline News
Reply-to: newsdesk@iipub.com
THE MID-EAST DISPATCH
DAILY HEADLINES NEWS REPORT
** . ISRAEL COULD ANNEX LAND IF ARAFAT DECLARES STATE
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told members of the Tsomet party
yesterday that should Arafat declare unilaterally the establishment of a
Palestinian state, Israel would annex the Jordan Valley, and "other
territories."
Netanyahu met with Tsomet members, in connection to a law they are
proposing in favor of the annexation of the Jordan Valley. According to
the Tsomet members, Netanyahu told them: "As long as there is less
territory in the hands of the Palestinians at earlier stages, it will be
easier for us to annex in the future."
MK Modi [Eliezer] Zandberg related that during the talk with the Prime
Minister the subjects of the Jordan Valley and the Judean Desert came
up, and MK Pini Badash queried: "Why not annex them right now?"
Netanyahu, according to Tsomet members, replied: "Annexation right now
would be in violation of the agreements." Zandberg then said that "this
doesn't prevent us from forwarding a law for the annexation of the
Jordan Valley." {YEDIOT AHARONOT 12/3 P|H}
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From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
To: headline@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED Daily Headline News
Reply-to: newsdesk@iipub.com
THE MID-EAST DISPATCH
DAILY HEADLINES NEWS REPORT
** 1 PM Talks with Albright
** 2 Egypt against Israeli Proposals
** 3 PA Says Meeting was Useless
** 4 Peres Supports PA State and Golan Withdrawal
** 1. PM TALKS WITH ALBRIGHT
Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
met for a second round of talks in Paris last night. Peace envoy
Dennis Ross described the meeting as productive and noted that
Albright intends to again meet with the Prime Minister and Yasser
Arafat in ten days following Albright's trip to Africa. The meeting
will probably take place in Brussels, where Albright is to attend a
NATO conference.
US Sources agreed there had been progress over the weekend and the
sides are "talking business." Albright said both sides had much work
to do before the next round of meetings take place. "There is no
question there has been improvement in security cooperation, but there
is always more that can be done, both by the Palestinian Authority
unilaterally and in strengthening-Israeli Palestinian dialogue and
cooperation. I reminded (Arafat) that there could be no complacency,
it required 100% effort, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and that the
terrorists are unrelenting and so must the efforts against them...,
she said.
US officials accompanying Albright said she believes the sides are at
a stage where serious progress is possible. {KOL ISRAEL 12/7 H}
** 2. EGYPT AGAINST ISRAELI PROPOSALS
The Palestinians will reject all of the Israeli proposals, if Egypt
has its way. According to Arab press reports, the Israelis told
Mubarak's envoy Osama el-Baz that they propose the following points:
Immediately following the upcoming interim withdrawal, all of the
territories under Palestinian control will become one area, and new
Jewish settlements will not be built.
However, both Jewish and Arab communities will be allowed to grow
according to their basic zoning plans. In addition, a joint
Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian committee will be established to deal
with disputes that are expected to arise as a result of clashes
between Jewish and Arab zoning plans for the same areas. Netanyahu,
then, basically presented part of his permanent-status plan to the
Egyptians, who urged the Palestinians not to accept it, even at the
price of a clash with Israel.
The Secretary of the Arab League, Sa'id Kamal, said that the
Palestinians actually tend to accept the plan, because they feel that
if they do not, they will lose all their political gains that they
have achieved until now.
Egypt's Al Ahram newspaper editorializes that the Palestinians should
stall and not accept the plan, because the odds are increasing that
the "extremist Netanyahu-Sharon government" will fall. The paper
mentions, as factors that are weakening the government, the economic
situation, the desire of Foreign Minister David Levy to resign, and
the Labor party's machinations against it. {YEHOSHUA MEIRI 12/7 H}
** 3. PA SAYS MEETING WAS USELESS
Senior Palestinian Authority spokesman, Marwan Kanafani, described the
Paris meetings between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and
Prime Minister Netanyahu as "useless."
He said that despite the American efforts, there had been no progress
in resolving the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians.
Prime Minister Netanyahu returned late yesterday morning from his
short trip in Europe, in which he met with Germany's Kohl, France's
Chirac, and twice with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Albright informed the Prime Minister of the percentage of territory -
apparently a two-digit number - from which the U.S. expects Israel to
withdraw, and added that she would like a final decision within two
weeks.
Albright clarified to Netanyahu that the U.S. was not planning to act
as the guarantor for all of Arafat's Hebron-agreement commitments. On
the other hand, the tensions of the past weeks between Netanyahu and
the Clinton administration were eased during the meetings.
The Prime Minister met today with Minister Levy, Sharon, and Mordechai
- the permanent-status ministerial committee - and briefed them on his
discussions. {GALEI TZAHAL, ARUTZ 7 12/8 H}
** 4. PERES SUPPORTS PA STATE AND GOLAN WITHDRAWAL
At a Labor party convention yesterday, Shimon Peres has announced his
support for a Palestinian state and full withdrawal from the Golan, in
exchange for peace with Syria.
In response, Golan regional council head Yehuda Wolman said Peres had
not learned the lessons of the last election. Wolman said he hoped
Ehud Barak would not adopt a similar position.
At his speech to the convention, Barak called on Cabinet ministers
Avigdor Kahalani, Rafael Eitan, Ariel Sharon, Natan Sharansky and
David Levy to join the opposition and bring down the government to
facilitate early elections. {KOL ISRAEL 12/8 H|P}
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Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 16:00:46 -0500
From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
To: headline@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED Daily Headline News
Reply-to: newsdesk@iipub.com
THE MID-EAST DISPATCH
DAILY HEADLINES NEWS REPORT
** 1 Clinton Allows PLO Office in Washington
** 2 Arafat Attends Islamic Conference in Iran
** 3 Ross Praises Israel Proposals
** 4 Meetings Between Cabinet and PA
** 5 Palestinians Seek Economic Integration
** 6 Proposed Map Gives 13% to PA
** 7 Clinton Defends Reopening PLO Offices
-*-
** 1. CLINTON ALLOWS PLO OFFICE IN WASHINGTON
US President Bill Clinton signed an order yesterday permitting the
reopening of the PLO offices in Washington. The offices were closed
four months ago upon the expiration of their Congressional permit.
However, the office has continued uninterrupted operation. Congress
refused to renew the permit based on Palestinian Authority refusal to
honor the Oslo agreements. When Clinton discovered he had full
authority to issue a permit, he did. {MED 12/9 H}
** 2. ARAFAT ATTENDS ISLAMIC CONFERENCE IN IRAN
A three day summit of the fifty-five member organization of the
Islamic Conference officially opens in Iran today. The summit will be
opened by Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President
Mohammad Khatemi will sit in the Chair.
Iran is hoping the summit will prove a US drive to isolate it has
failed. It has spared no effort for the gathering, and declared a four
day holiday.
Among those attending is Yasser Arafat. This is his first visit to
Iran in fifteen years. {KOL ISRAEL 12/9 H}
** 3. ROSS PRAISES ISRAEL PROPOSALS
Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross has praised the Israeli
redeployment proposal as serious. He added that the American
administration appreciates Israel's efforts.
US officials have denied reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu was
ordered to either make meaningful steps towards the redeployment, or
face American recognition of a Palestinian state.
The officials noted that the Administration wants the final status
talks to begin as soon as possible, but recognize that the process
depends on the implementation of the three stages of the redeployment
which are to be completed by 1998. {KOL ISRAEL 12/10 H}
** 4. MEETINGS BETWEEN CABINET AND PA
Foreign Minister David Levy and the deputy to Yasser Arafat, Abu Mazen
will meet today to discuss the second stage of redeployment, the final
status arrangements and the work of the nine Israeli-Palestinian
committees to implement the Oslo interim agreement.
Benny Begin (Likud) revealed that an unnamed Cabinet minister has held
unsanctioned talks with Palestinian official Feisel Husseini. The
future of Jerusalem was on the agenda. He says Prime Minister
Netanyahu knew nothing of this meeting and promised to look into the
allegation. {KOL ISRAEL 12/10 P|H}
** 5. PALESTINIANS SEEK ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
The Palestinian Authority wishes to reach economic integration with
Israel, together forming a regional economic bloc. This announcement
was made today, for the first time, by Said Bamia, Director-General of
the Palestinian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Trade at a meeting
held by the Manufacturers Association.
"The Palestinians seek political separation and economic integration"
said Bamia, "integration in the style of the European Union or EFTA."
Bamia said trade between Israel and the Territories already amounts to
$3 billion annually.
"We in the Palestinian Authority have found that the development of
economic ties between the two private sectors is already significant,
especially for the development of the Palestinian economy," Bamia
added.
Bamia also criticized the requirements of the Israeli customs
authority for the name "Israel" to be introduced into import documents
as the destination of the products, even though products are actually
intended for marketing in the Territories only.
On the other hand, Israeli Customs requires that the Palestinian
importer sign a paper according to which the imported product will not
be distributed in Israel. Bamia noted that this demand contravenes the
Paris accords, and if the problem is not resolved during the present
negotiations, the Palestinian Authority will take retaliatory
measures.
"The Palestinian Authority will reach a decision not to permit Israeli
importers to sell in the Territories," he stated. {GLOBES 12/10 B|H}
** 6. PROPOSED MAP GIVES 13% TO PA
The map drawn by Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and Infrastructure
Minister Ariel Sharon for the second stage of the redeployment
includes the transfer of 13% of Israeli land in the West Bank to the
Palestinians.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will present the main points of the map to US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright next week in Paris.
According to the proposal, Israel will transfer 10% of Area C under
Israeli control and further areas around Shchem, Jenin and Hebron
under joint Israeli-Palestinian control to the PA. {KOL ISRAEL 12/11
H}
** 7. CLINTON DEFENDS REOPENING PLO OFFICES
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
has expressed its concern to US officials over President Bill
Clinton's order to reopen the PLO office in Washington.
Congress has the office officially closed down in August but President
Clinton has exercised his right to implement a six month national
interest waver to allow it to operate.
Clinton justified the move in a memo to Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright saying the PLO office serves to facilitate contacts between
the Palestinians and the US which "impacts on the American efforts to
broker a Middle East settlement." {KOL ISRAEL, GALEI TZAHAL 12/10 H}
******************************************************************************
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 16:00:24 -0500
From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
To: headline@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED Daily Headline News
Reply-to: newsdesk@iipub.com
THE MID-EAST DISPATCH
DAILY HEADLINES NEWS REPORT
** PM TO US: DON'T GIVE ME DEADLINES
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Likud Party caucus that the
second phase of redeployment is contingent upon the Palestinian
Authority demonstration of five full months of compliance on its
commitments.
Netanyahu said that the extent of the redeployment will be decided
within these next five months. He added that any additional
redeployment will be combined into the final status agreement and
denied reports that he promised US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright that he would be ready with the exact percentage of land to
be transferred by Israel before their scheduled meeting on December
17.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the Government will not bend to any
external pressure affecting Israel or its security. {YEDIOT AHARONOT
12/11 H}
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Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 16:01:04 -0500
From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
To: headline@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED Daily Headline News
Reply-to: newsdesk@iipub.com
THE MID-EAST DISPATCH
DAILY HEADLINES NEWS REPORT
** 1 PM to Hear NRP on Final Status
** 2 Israel Rejects US Proposal
** 3 Farrakhan Arrives from Jordan
** 4 Russo-Israeli Pact to be Signed Today
-*-
** 1. PM TO HEAR NRP ON FINAL STATUS
Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with ministers from the National
Religious Party before today's Cabinet meeting to hear their proposals
for a final status arrangement.
After his meeting, he will consult with David Levy, Yitzhak Mordechai
and Ariel Sharon on upcoming talks with assistant Secretary of State
Martin Indyk. Indyk said the US is committed to pushing the peace
process forward. In his opinion, Secretary of State Albright feels the
process is reviving, even though there is much work yet to do.
Yasser Arafat said pressure was being put on him and Netanyahu. "There
is continuous pressure from the American side. The meeting between
Mrs. Albright, Mr. Netanyahu and me was a part of this pressure" he
said.
Indyk denied America is putting pressure on either side for progress.
"Pressure is not a word that is in the American vocabulary. We are
seeking to encourage both sides and to assist them to play the role of
full partner and honest broker. The Secretary of State feels that
after the meetings she has had with (Arafat and Netanyahu) that this
process is now moving forward..." he said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel will not "bend over backwards" to
please others. He noted that the final status talks will determine the
fate of the country and the people of Israel will have to live with
the end result, not the Americans, nor the Europeans.
Cabinet discussions begins today on the further redeployment and the
final status. No decisions are expected to be made.
Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and Infrastructure Minister Ariel
Sharon will present a map detailing Israel's vital security interests.
Sharon has explained that the map which he will present to the cabinet
will insure the continued existence of all Jewish townships and
communities throughout Judea and Samaria.
According to Sharon, no community will be forced into an isolated area
which will hamper its continued development. {KOL ISRAEL, MED 12/14
H|P}
** 2. ISRAEL REJECTS US PROPOSAL
Israel has rejected an American proposal that the second stage of the
redeployment should begin next month as a good will gesture to the
Palestinians. Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk proposed that
Israel should transfer certain parts of Area C, under Israeli control,
to Area B, where Israel controls security arrangements, next month.
Government sources in Jerusalem say Israel wants the redeployment to
begin no sooner than five months time to give the Palestinians the
opportunity to demonstrate their willingness to counter terror.
Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk said Washington estimates it
will take Israel two weeks to present proposals for second stage
redeployments and final status arrangements.
Indyk spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night. Indyk said the
US understands Israel needs more time to work out its proposals. {KOL
ISRAEL 12/15 H}
** 3. FARRAKHAN ARRIVES FROM JORDAN
American black activist Louis Farrakhan, who arrived in Israel via
Jordan and the Allenby bridge yesterday, plans to visit Jerusalem
today and pray at the Al-Aksa mosque. The Foreign Ministry announced
it will not restrict his movements in Israel as long as he refrains
from incitement and respects public order.
He visited Ramallah and Gaza yesterday, weeks earlier than expected
and met with Yasser Arafat. Israeli government sources, taken by
surprise, previously said that he would not be allowed in to Israel
unless he recants and publicly apologizes for past anti-Semitic
declarations.
Cabinet Secretary Danny Naveh has asked the Interior and Public
Security Ministers to have him deported. "He is an anti-Semite, a
hater of Israel, and it is inconceivable that he should walk freely
amongst us," he said. {MED 12/15 H}
** 4. RUSSO-ISRAELI PACT TO BE SIGNED TODAY
Absorption Minister Yuli Edelstein, currently visiting Russia will
meet with the Russian minister of Immigration today. An agreement
aimed at increasing cooperation on immigration issues is to be signed.
It will include clauses on the exchange of information, developing
joint programs on immigrant absorption and ways to resolve problems of
emigres who return to their native country. {KOL ISRAEL 12/15 H}
********************************************************************
ICEJ NEWS SERVICE FROM JERUSALEM
News and comment on Middle East affairs, compiled by journalists at
the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, publishers of the
Middle East Digest.
*****
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8 1997
'US THREATENS TO SUPPORT PLO STATE'
The US has warned Israel that a failure to implement three scheduled
troop withdrawals from disputed territory will result in Washington
supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state with its eastern
border on the Jordan River, YEDIOT AHRONOT reported last week.
The report was based on information from "a senior US Administration
source", who said the White House had sent PM Binyamin Netanyahu's
office an ultimatum because of the difficulties in the negotiations
between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu's office has denied that any ultimatum had been received.
YEDIOT reports that the US source said senior American officials had
reached the conclusion Netanyahu did not intend to implement Israel's
part of the Oslo accords.
The US was therefore trying to formulate its own initiative, because
it believed the negotiations had become deadlocked. Thinking in the US
was that a permanent settlement could not be reached without the
establishment of a Palestinian state.
A senior diplomat at the Israeli Embassy in Washington expressed
concern at the shifts in US Mideast policy: "Senior Arab elements feel
these days that they are about to receive something very big as a
result of a US policy change, and they are therefore sure that if they
exert pressure and wait, they will get more."
At a weekend meeting with Netanyahu in Paris, US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright reportedly pressured the prime minister to give her
a total picture of Israel's plans regarding the next troop
redeployment and ceding of land to the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has offered to withdraw in the next stage from between six and
eight per cent of Judea-Samaria, conditional on the PA's compliance
with Oslo obligations, but PLO chairman Yasser Arafat says he expects
at least 30 per cent.
Albright reportedly told Netanyahu the size of a withdrawal which
would be acceptable to the US, and said she expected a reply within
two weeks.
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