Subject: Arutz-7 News: January 7-8, 1998
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 00:33:02 +0000
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From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
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Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, January 7, 1998
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. MEETINGS WITH ROSS
2. JEWISH DATE ON ALL OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
3. AMERICAN ORTHODOX LEADERS TO ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
4. GRASS ROOTS HELP FOR HAR HOMA
5. ARAFAT AGREES TO RE-SHUFFLE CABINET
6. ISRAEL AMONG WORLD EDUCATION LEADERS
1. MEETINGS WITH ROSS
Satisfaction in the Land of Israel front with the position presented last
night by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to American mediator Dennis
Ross. Netanyahu told Ross that he would not agree to an extensive
withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and that in any event Israel insists on
Palestinian fulfillment of its commitments. Other conditions stipulated by
Israel for the execution of a further withdrawal were submitted to Ross in
a document compiled over the last three weeks by the staff of the Prime
Minister's Office. The document also includes an extensive sampling of
sharply anti-American remarks that have appeared in the official
Palestinian press.
Palestinian sources say that Ross promised Arafat, in the meeting in
Bethlehem last night between the two, that the coming withdrawal would be
from at least 10% of Judea and Samaria. Mr. Netanyahu will meet again with
Ross tonight, after the latter meets with Defense Minister Yitzchak
Mordechai. Protest vigils organized by the Yesha Action Committee, Women
in Green, and others continue to be held outside the Laromme Hotel, where
Ross is staying, with placards reading, "Dennis Ross, you are a guest here,
not the landlord."
2. JEWISH DATE ON ALL OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
The government has given its backing to a bill submitted by MK Avner Chai
Shaki (National Religious Party) regarding the usage of the Jewish date on
official government communications. Shaki explained to Arutz-7 today that
the universal concepts of the "global village" and worldwide acceptance of
one calendar have brought about a situation where "I notice that some of my
colleagues in the Knesset and in the University do not even know the Jewish
date, and some do not even know the Jewish month." He said that the
intention of the bill is not to forbid the placing of the Gregorian date,
but rather to mandate the placing of the Hebrew date. The bill will affect
letters written from the President's House, the Knesset, the government,
government companies, schools and universities, the IDF, the police, and
municipalities.
3. AMERICAN ORTHODOX LEADERS TO ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
Over 75 leading American Orthodox Jews will arrive in Israel next week to
present their position in the conflict between Orthodox and
Reform/Conservative streams in Israel. The visit was initiated by a new
organization called "Am Echad" (One People), led by Chairman Abraham
Biderman, World Agudath Israel president Rabbi Moshe Sherer, and Young
Israel president Chaim Kaminetsky. The group, comprised of representatives
from over 20 cities in the U.S., including University of Maryland Law
School Dean Prof. Laurence M. Katz, Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Dr. Irving
Lebovics, and others, will meet with President Ezer Weizmann, Prime
Minister Netanyahu, Chief Rabbis Lau and Bakshi-Doron, Labor Party Chairman
Barak, and cabinet ministers.
The delegation is demanding that the religious status quo in Israel be left
intact, and claims that acceptance of non-Orthodox demands will generate a
schism between Israel and the majority of American Jews. "Am Echad" claims
that the Reform and Conservative movements have misled the Israeli public
and leaders into believing that they are the authentic voice of American
Jewry. In Israel, a parallel organization has been formed called "National
Accord, the Movement for the Unity of the Nation." Led by lawyer Shlomo
Vertheim, Prof. Aryeh Zaritsky and the publicist Michael Shashar, the group
has placed full-page ads and signs with the slogan "One people, one
conversion."
4. GRASS ROOTS HELP FOR HAR HOMA
"If the government can't do it by itself, then we'll have to help them,"
said a spokesman for the "Our Jerusalem" organization today, referring to
the group's plans to bring volunteers from all over the country to help
speed up the pace of construction at Har Homa. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert
recently accused the government of doing nothing on Har Homa, and in fact
only one bulldozer has been working there of late. Ronn Torossian, one of
the group's leaders, said that with the help of private donations from all
over the world, private bulldozers will be hired and will begin work this
coming Sunday at noon. He explained that "Our Jerusalem" is active in
recruiting support for the preservation of a united Israeli Jerusalem among
the non-religious sectors, whose voice in this area is not sufficiently
heard.
5. ARAFAT AGREES TO RE-SHUFFLE CABINET
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat pledged yesterday to reshuffle
his cabinet, as a result of pressure from PA lawmakers over alleged
corruption, mismanagement and foot-dragging on reforms. Arafat's
announcement, read on his behalf by a senior official to members of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, gave no date for the changes. It said,
however, that a long overdue budget would be submitted to the assembly by
the end of January. The council, sitting in the autonomous town of
Ramallah, threatened last month to hold an unprecedented no-confidence vote
in Arafat's administration in March.
6. ISRAEL AMONG WORLD EDUCATION LEADERS
Israelis are among the most educated people in the world, according to a
recent survey by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
35% of Israelis between the ages of 25-64 hold a degree above the high
school level; only Canada, with 47%, has a higher percentage. Some 20% of
Israelis have university degrees, ranking Israel third, behind the United
States (25%) and the Netherlands (22%). Close to 70% of Israelis aged
25-64 have completed high school. Israel has made striking advances in the
area of education, according to the OECD. The percentage of adults with
academic degrees rose from at 11% in the last OECD survey in 1983 to 20% in
the latest survey, based on 1995 data.
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From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, January 8, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
Thursday, January 7, 1998 / Tevet 10, 5758
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TWO-PART DECISION ON WITHDRAWAL
2. PM AND HIS PARTNERS
3. SMITHSONIAN CANCELS LEFT-WING LECTURE SERIES
4. A PALESTINIAN VIEW ON AMERICA AND ISRAEL
1. TWO-PART DECISION ON WITHDRAWAL
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this afternoon that the government
decision about an upcoming withdrawal would be divided into two parts.
A decision will first be made on the extent of the withdrawal,
according to Netanyahu. Five months later, the government will
decide, based on the degree of Palestinian fulfillment of their
commitments, whether to actually execute the withdrawal.
The Prime Minister told American mediator Dennis Ross last night that
he demands that there be no third withdrawal, and that
permanent-status talks begin immediately after a second withdrawal.
Minister Avigdor Kahalani (Third Way) expressed support for this
proposal. Netanyahu said he will not agree to any halt in Yesha
construction, and that work at Har Homa will resume shortly. The
building of 100 new apartments in Elkanah was approved yesterday, and
the construction of 500 units in Efrat was re-approved.
2. PM AND HIS PARTNERS
Prime Minister Netanyahu called upon the right-wing members of the
coalition to help him advance the diplomatic process. He said that a
freeze in the process would cause the government to fall, and will
bring the left to power. "Whoever agrees to proceed responsibly and
carefully in the peace process can remain in the government, and the
others can leave," he said. This is apparently a wink towards Defense
Minister Yitzchak Mordechai, who threatened last night to resign from
the government if a withdrawal is not carried out within the next
three months. MK Chanan Porat's response to Mordechai's threat was,
"Telling Arafat that he can receive territory from us even if he does
not fulfill his commitments is a tremendous error."
3. SMITHSONIAN CANCELS LEFT-WING LECTURE SERIES
The Smithsonian Institution has canceled a planned seven-week lecture
series that was to have commemorated the 50th anniversary of Israel's
founding. The series, co-sponsored by the left-wing New Israel Fund,
was due to begin in April, and was attacked by various American
newspapers and Jewish groups; Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) said
the program would present "a destructive, far-left, pro-Arab picture
of Israel today." The Washington Times editorialized this week, "[The
Smithsonian] has no business lending its name and prestige to the
promotion of a political agenda at the expense of a close ally of the
United States." Abby Wisse, an editorial writer for the Washington
Times, told Arutz-7, "The choice of speakers appears to be a Who's Who
of the Israeli left and critics of Israel, and is not nearly a
representative sampling of the Israeli political spectrum, although I
assume the Smithsonian did not know this." The Smithsonian Institution
is now reportedly planning an alternative program of its own for later
in the year. Lecturers scheduled for the program had included New
York Times reporter Thomas Friedman, Prof. Ehud Sprinzak of the Hebrew
University, and a panel discussion on "Palestinian Israeli citizens"
between MK Azmi Bishara (Hadash) and Labor MK Shlomo Ben-Ami.
4. A PALESTINIAN VIEW ON AMERICA AND ISRAEL
The following quote appeared in a document compiled by the staff of
the Prime Minister's Office and presented to Dennis Ross this week: *
* Arafat: A Palestinian victory over Israel and Iraqi victory over the
U.S. are mutually dependent. - Palestinian Authority daily newspaper
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 1, 1997
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject: Arutz-7 Op-Ed:
LEVY GOES, ROSS COMES
by Atty. Elyakim Haetzni
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio
Broadcast on Sept. 7, 1997 / Elul 5, 5757
In This Article:
1. ROSS MUST LEARN MANNERS
2. SOME OF MY BEST ENEMIES...
3. LEVY'S DEPARTURE: JUSTIFIED, AND WELCOME
1. ROSS MUST LEARN MANNERS
Despite the fact that our release from Mr. David Levy is seemingly the
top issue, please bear with me if I first discuss the visit of Dennis
Ross. Here he is, a guest, bursting into a house against the will of
the host! In the entire history of international relations there never
was such a thing - that a Prime Minister should request a foreign
dignitary to push off his visit for a few days, and the latter informs
him, "No! No matter what you ask, I will arrive, and not only will we
force you to do what we want *how* we want it, but also *when* we want
it!" This purposeful humiliation is purported upon us not by Ross
himself, of course, but by she who sent him, Mrs. Albright, and by the
top boss, Mr. Clinton.
A small portion of the blame must also be placed at the doorstep of
Mr. Netanyahu. For he has given up on the principle of direct
negotiations with the Arabs, which for decades had been an iron-clad
principle of Israeli policy. Netanyahu invited American intervention
and even American arbitration by such a low-standing judge as the CIA
representative. Arbitration by a spy! What, the CIA should judge
whether Arafat has fulfilled all of his commitments, and whether
Israel should then execute a withdrawal?! A Prime Minister who has so
lowered himself should not be surprised when he is stepped upon.
2. SOME OF MY BEST ENEMIES...
Interesting: the task of removing of the Land of the Jews from the
Nation of the Jews has fallen to the hands of none other than - Jews!
Starting with Secretary Albright herself, and the Russian Foreign
Minister Primakov - a KGB agent, a Stalinist of the worst type, a
long-time enemy of the Jews and friend of the Arabs - whose original
name is Finkelstein! Albright's right-hand man, who provides her with
poisonous ideas - Martin Indyk, a Jew from a traditional home. Sandy
Berger - Clinton's National Security advisor - a Jew, of "Peace Now."
Dennis Ross - the outstretched whip - a traditional Jew. And others -
Miller, Kurtzer, and others - all Jews! And even the top CIA
representative in Israel, the one who will sit in the security
committee, and will be the final arbiter of our national security -
none other than Moskowitz! Throughout the history of Jewish
persecution, the goy always held in his hand a Jewish whip. To
paraphrase a well-known adage, "Some of my best enemies are Jews."
3. LEVY'S DEPARTURE: JUSTIFIED, AND WELCOME
Regarding the departure of David Levy: It has already been said that
many of his social demands were quite justified, even if only for the
simple reason that Netanyahu promised them to him in writing. After
all, "agreements must be kept," as the Prime Minister always tells us
- but only when it comes to Oslo, apparently.
On the diplomatic front, on which Levy took a catastrophically
dangerous position, one thing can be said in his favor: In his
resignation speech, and at other times, he said that he does not want
to be the "bad man" who always appears as the dove and the one to make
all the concessions. And why not? Because these positions were said
in the name of Netanyahu! Levy was the one who was sent to Washington
- by Netanyahu! - to promise a greater-than-10% withdrawal from Yesha.
And this is why, justifiably so, he refused to travel to Paris with
"empty hands," to renege on the promise he made in the name of
Netanyahu himself. Actually, we now know, based on an American
National Security Committee document, that Netanyahu did promise such
a withdrawal to Albright in Paris; only his government and his nation
were fooled, it turns out.
David Levy was therefore right for resigning. And it is good that he
did so, for now there is one vote less against Eretz Yisrael in the
government.
For the first time, there is a chance that Netanyahu will not be able
to muster a majority within his cabinet for a two-digit withdrawal - and
anything less than that, the Americans and Palestinians will not
accept anyway. Netanyahu is now more dependent on the right-wing, if
he wants his government not to fall. And if he makes the correct
diplomatic decisions, he can even count on the two votes of Moledet,
and Michael Kleiner of Gesher - giving him a comfortable 64 votes,
much more than many previous governments had. In short: Go in
peace, David Levy, and don't come back.
* * * * * * *
Atty. Elyakim Haetzni, a former Knesset Member of the Techiyah party,
resides in Kiryat Arba.
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