Subject: Arutz-7 News: March 23-29, 1998 Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 00:47:29 +0000 To: "Arutz-7 List"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, March 23, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service Monday, March 23, 1998 / Adar 25, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday ---> See below for subscription instructions <--- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NETANYAHU DIGS IN; AMERICANS MAY GIVE WAY 2. GOLAN LAW BURIED AGAIN IN COMMITTEE 3. RABBIS MEET WITH CHURCH LEADERS 4. ANAN TO ARRIVE ***EXCERPTS FROM: "Law enforcement in Hebron: Discrimination and Perversion of Justice 1. NETANYAHU DIGS IN; AMERICANS MAY GIVE WAY Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, appearing at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this morning, explained the government's objections to the new American plan for a large Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. His aides reiterated that the plan stands in opposition to the letter written by U.S. Secretary of State Christopher at the time of the signing of the Hevron Protocol, which stipulates that only Israel may decide on the exact extent of withdrawals from Yesha. They also emphasized that the Palestinians must fulfill their obligations under the Oslo accords. Press advisor Shai Bazak said that the Prime Minister will attempt to convince the American public that a withdrawal from 13% of Yesha is a danger to Israel's security. He said that every percentage point represents an area of some 55 square kilometers (approx. 20 square miles), roughly the size of Tel Aviv. Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke today with Yoram Ettinger, a former senior official in the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Ettinger said that current domestic politics in the United States dictate that American pressure on Israel in this matter will not be tremendously great. Many members of Congress are against such pressure; Ettinger specifically noted recent statements by Sen. Brownback of Kansas and Sen. Kyl of Arizona to the effect that it would be a terrible mistake to pressure Israel to carry out actions it considers dangerous. "The Clinton administration is facing what could be the most important national [Congressional] elections of the next decade [in November], which are more important to it than the exact extent of the Israeli withdrawal," said Ettinger. The Yesha Council was to meet today to discuss the latest developments, but the meeting has been postponed. 2. GOLAN LAW BURIED AGAIN IN COMMITTEE The Knesset Law Committee did not vote today on the Golan Law, after it became clear to Committee Chairman Chanan Porat that there would not be the necessary majority required to pass it. MK Yehudah Harel (Third Way) criticized coalition MKs who were opposed to the law, even though they had unanimously supported it when they were in the opposition. The law would require 70 MKs to agree to any change in the status of the Golan Heights. The Prime Minister's Office released a cryptic statement saying that this was not the proper time to propose the bill. 3. RABBIS MEET WITH CHURCH LEADERS The two Chief Rabbis of Israel - Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and the Rishon Letzion, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron - hosted senior representatives of the Catholic Church today. They discussed the document publicized by the Vatican last week relating to the Church's attitude towards the Nazis during the Holocaust. Rabbi Lau said that he was disappointed that the Church had not seen fit to apologize for and condemn the Pope's silence during the Holocaust. "If the Church had spoken out during the Holocaust, there would have been tens of thousands of Righteous Gentiles today," he said. Rabbi Bakshi-Doron said that he was happy for the opportunity conduct a dialogue between religious leaders. 4. ANAN TO ARRIVE U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Anan arrived in Gaza this afternoon, where he met with Yasser Arafat and families of terrorists imprisoned in Israel. He will meet in Jerusalem tomorrow with President Weizmann, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Labor party leader Ehud Barak, and families of the missing-in-action soldiers. Anan declined, however, a request by Nadia Cohen, the widow of Eli Cohen, to meet with him. Nadia Cohen wished to ask Anan to intervene with Syrian President Assad to allow the remains of her husband - who was hanged as an Israeli spy in Damascus in 1965 - to be brought to Israel for burial. EXCERPTS FROM "Law enforcement in Hebron: Discrimination and Perversion of Justice" - - a pamphlet published this week by the Hevron Jewish Community and B'tzedek {from the website of the Hevron Jewish Community: <www.hebron.org.il/law/htm>} INTRODUCTION During the years 1994-95 a committee, under the direction of the previous Attorney-General, Michael ben Yair, designed "special law enforcement rules for the settlers in the territories." The aim of these "special rules", (which were not publicized, and therefore are not available to the authors of this pamphlet), was joint, synchronized action by various law enforcement agencies, including the police, the IDF, Israeli intelligence (Shabak) and the prosecutor's office, against the entire Jewish population in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha). Their goal was the suppression of all displays of opposition by this portion of the population to the Oslo Accords, and to the Rabin Government's course of action in Yesha. The basic attitude of those who put together these "special rules" (utilizing a distorted version of the Shamgar Commission results) was a reference to the entire setter population as to a society of criminals and law-breakers, which must be restrained and suppressed. A special emphasis was placed on The Jewish Community of Hebron. The present study, based on hundreds of documents and dozens of accounts, reviews and divulges the unique way in which the police behaved towards Hebron's Jewish residents. This political persecution activated large amounts of police against the community as a whole, utilizing suppression, violence, hostility, invasion of privacy, searches for needles in a haystack, and massive criminal charges, most of which are fictitious, ridiculous and outright lies. At the same time a special team in the prosecutor's office, today directed by attorney Talia Sasson, refused to allow the these cases to be closed. As a result of this conduct, the community was forced to endure inequality before the law, clear discrimination, and a blemishing of an entire community, labeled as criminals. Hebron's Jews suffered numerous and diversified damages: physical and psychological, and monetary. The community's good name was maligned. Their fundamental rights, as well as the right to bear arms for reasons of self-defense were subjectively abrogated. These are the. results of the "special rules." This report proves that even after several years of these 'special rules' the Jewish population of Hebron, statistically has one of the smallest percentages of crime in Israel, as compared to other areas in the country. This fact absolutely disproves the fundamental principals of the committee which prepared the "special rules" and obligates their immediate dismissal. The first appendix of this report reveals an ugly picture depicting the treatment by law enforcement agencies (the police and military prosecutors) to Arab criminals in Hebron. The Arab population is treated as gently as possible, even negligently. These same Arab criminals are the direct cause of daily attacks against Hebron's Jewish population. This report proves that Hebron's police take a selective approach to law enforcement... In any democratic regime, it would be appropriate for such 'special rules' if actually in existence, to be accessible to public criticism, in order to allow the public to judge them, their initiators and enforcers. B'Tzedek and The Jewish Community of Hebron demand: 1. Disclosure of all the protocols, documents, letters, and the full version of the "special law enforcement rules for the settlers in the territories." 2. Implementation of a single law enforcement policy, and total equality under the law for all of Israel's citizens, including resident of Yesha and Hebron. 3. Equal and proportionate law enforcement to the total Hebron population, Jews and Arabs alike, with a stress on severe criminal activity. 4. A delaying of all legal investigations and cases pending against Hebron's Jews, as a result of the 'special rules' and a review of all the pending cases, leading to termination of all cases resulting from the 'special rules.' 5. Changing of all Hebron's police staff and transferring of all police and officers involved in serious confrontations or who have been charged with serious offenses, in an attempt to create a normal police-citizen relationship. Excerpts from the first chapters of the report: 1. According to people in the Justice Department 'there is potential for an unhealthy relationship between the police and settlers because they are in too close a proximity one to the other.' 2. 'It is necessary to send more police investigators into the territories . even at the cost of police work in other fields.' Two items, suggested by attorney Michael Shaked, and were rejected: 1. Quick judicial hearings in military courts: This was rejected by Prime Minister Rabin and Chief of Staff Ehud Barak 2. Reduction of the punishment age for children, from 12 to 9. This was rejected because of mass public opposition. Items initiated: 1. Increase in numbers of police in Yesha 2. Most of the Jewish police identify closely with the Yesha residents who have suffered as have the settlers. One of the ways to deal with this was to hire many more non-Jewish police. 3. Formation of special police units to deal with Yesha. 4. Orders were given to deal with the settlers with an 'iron fist.' 5. Orders were given to increase the number of complaints against Jewish settlers. 6. Orders were given to make as many arrests as possible and to demand that the suspects be held in custody in all cases. 7. A special team was initiated within the prosecutor's office, led by Michael Shaked, to oversee investigations and pending cases. This team prevented the cessation of any prosecution involving Hebron residents, even in cases where the judge suggested stopping the proceedings. 8. Cases in which there was only one witness were prosecuted. 9. Cases were prosecuted in spite of the fact that serious charges were brought against the police officers involved. Results: Over 100 indictments were handed down against a population of 500, including against children under 12. The number of pending cases is several hundred. In an overwhelming majority of the cases tried, the defendants were acquitted. In the few cases of conviction, the judge chose not to punish the defendant, or to hand down a very light sentence. In many cases, the charges were lessened during the trial as a result of the prosecution's failure to prove the 'facts.' ************************************************************************ From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il, arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday,March 25, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service Wednesday, March 25, 1998 / Adar 27, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday ---> See below for subscription instructions <--- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. PALESTINIANS SPYING ON YESHA 2. URGENT MEETINGS IN YESHA 3. IDF LEADERS MEET WITH TIRAWI 1. PALESTINIANS SPYING ON YESHA Yediot Acharonot, Israel's largest daily paper, reports today that the Palestinian Authority has been carrying out wide-ranging spying activities on the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. An office in the Orient House, the PA's headquarters in Jerusalem, contains 143 thick folders for each of the Yesha communities - except for one, Itamar near Shechem. Dr. Halil Tufkaji, head of the Cartographic Department in the Orient House and of the intelligence-gathering team, told the Yediot reporters that his efforts have benefited from the cooperation of the American Consulate in Jerusalem, and even that of Peace Now. The information gathered by the PA includes photographs taken from inside and outside the communities, development plans, security arrangements, and more. The Palestinians asked Ofek, a company that provides aerial photographs, for photos of Judea and Samaria; the company complied, but blacked out the settlements in the pictures. Even after the Palestinians used intermediaries to attempt to purchase the photos of the communities from Ofek, Ehud Friedlander, Director-General of Ofek, refused to comply. The Palestinians finally acquired the photos from a French firm. The Palestinians claim they need the information to serve them during the upcoming permanent-status negotiations. Shlomo Filber, Deputy Director of the Yesha Council, is skeptical: "An archive of this magnitude, in the heart of Jerusalem, can be accessed by any number of elements hostile to Israel and the Yesha communities," he told Arutz-7 today. "I am sure that if an archive half this size with information on Tel Aviv was located somewhere in Europe, the Mossad would have long ago taken action against it." He advised the ravshatz (the person responsible for security) in each community to pay more careful attention to suspicious persons, and to use his authority to approach them and ask for identification. "This information can then be transmitted to us, and we will proceed from there," said Filber. 2. URGENT MEETINGS IN YESHA The Yesha Council will hold a meeting tonight, in light of the increasing evidence that the government will agree to withdraw from well over 10% of Area C (now under total Israeli control) in Judea and Samaria. Council Chairman Pinchas Wallerstein and Council Secretary-General Aharon Domb, who are presently in Paris with Minister of Infrastructures Ariel Sharon, will apparently return home today in order to take part in the meeting. The Knesset Land of Israel front convened at 3 PM today for the same purpose. Five coalition MKs have so far said that they will vote to bring down the government if it decides to carry out the withdrawal: Benny Begin (Likud), Nisan Slomiansky, Chanan Porat, and Tzvi Hendel (NRP), and Michael Kleiner (Gesher). 3. IDF LEADERS MEET WITH TIRAWI Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that O.C. Central Command Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan warned senior Palestinian security figures this week not to allow violent Land Day and other events that may endanger Israeli citizens or soldiers. The Palestinians asked about the investigation of the Narkumiyah incident, and were told that the soldiers acted in full accordance with standing IDF instructions and that they had full reason to believe that a terrorist attack was underway. Three Arabs were shot and killed in that incident, after their van plowed into an IDF officer. Dayan had earlier rejected a Palestinian request to participate in the IDF investigation. Participating at the meeting was Palestinian Intelligence Chief for Judea and Samaria Col. Toufik Tirawi. Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered last June that a warrant for his arrest be issued, in connection with his direct responsibility for the murder of Arab real estate agents. MK Chanan Porat, head of the Knesset Law Committee, protested Tirawi's participation in the meeting. "Tirawi is a terrorist," Porat said, "and it is foolishness to think that a terrorist would help Israel fight terrorism. He deserves to be in jail, not in an IDF command room at a meeting to fight terrorism." ************************************************************************ From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il,arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday,March 26, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Thursday, March 26, 1998 / Adar 28, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday ---> See below for subscription instructions <--- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. OPPOSITION TO WITHDRAWAL MOUNTING 2. SHAS' POSITION 3. ANAN: OOM-SHMOOM OR KLOOM 1. OPPOSITION TO WITHDRAWAL MOUNTING The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) is beginning an all-out campaign against Prime Minister Netanyahu's apparent intention to carry out a deep withdrawal from the area. Yesha Council Secretary-General Aharon Domb, in conjunction with the Land of Israel Knesset Front, set an ultimatum today: If there will be a withdrawal, there will be no coalition. In an emergency meeting held last night, it was decided that a main objective at this time would be to increase the number of Knesset Members who will guarantee to vote to topple the government in case of an additional withdrawal. A series of public demonstrations will also be held. Yesha Regional Council Heads will hold a protest vigil tomorrow while Netanyahu meets with American mediator Dennis Ross, who arrives in Israel today for the stated purpose of "reviving the Oslo process." Ross met last night in Miami with Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai, who briefed him on the government's position vis-a-vis the withdrawal. Prime Minister Netanyahu said today, "Three main points are clear: Only Israel will decide the extent of the three withdrawals; there must be full Palestinian fulfillment of their commitments; and Israel will retain those areas that are critical for its security. If these conditions are fulfilled, then we want to proceed with a safe and cautious peace. If there are people who want to stop the process altogether, and say not to withdraw at all even if the conditions are fulfilled - I tell them that we do not agree." Aharon Domb, speaking to Arutz-7 from Paris, responded to the Prime Minister's remarks saying, "He can proceed wherever he wants, but he will not have a government, and I don't know where he will proceed from there." Domb is in France, with Minister Ariel Sharon, for the annual Likud dinner there; he said that Sharon is also against a 13% withdrawal, but did not deny that Sharon's position is different than that of the Yesha Council's. 2. SHAS' POSITION MK Shlomo Benizri (Shas Party) said that his party would most likely support any withdrawal that would not adversely affect the security of the Yesha communities. "A percentage point less, a percentage point more, makes no difference in our position," Benizri said. 3. ANAN: OOM-SHMOOM OR KLOOM Knesset Speaker Dan Tichon told Arutz-7 today that he does not regret "even one word" of his speech yesterday during the visit of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Anan in the Knesset. Tichon, who accused the U.N. of taking hostile positions against Israel, said that his words will have a positive impact on future U.N.-Israel relations. Responding to criticism of his speech by left-wing MKs, Tichon said that as Knesset Speaker, he is not obliged to reflect the extreme left wing of the Knesset. Anan himself, speaking at the Knesset, said, "I know that "Oom-shmoom" - David Ben-Gurion's famous catchy rhyme - is used by Israelis from time to time to dismiss the United Nations, that some see as either irrelevant or as hostile to Israel. In the end, I think you will agree that in today's interdependent world, without Oom [the United Nations], we will all have kloom (Hebrew for "nothing")." ************************************************************************* From: "Arutz-7 Editor" <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: <ARUTZ-7@ploni.virtual.co.il>,<arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il> Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, March 27, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service Friday, March 27, 1998 / Adar 29, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday ---> See below for subscription instructions <--- TODAY'S HEADLINES 1. LEBANESE PM ISRAEL MUST FIRST WITHDRAW, AND THEN WE'LL SEE 2. NETANYAHU AND ROSS MEET 3. PALESTINIAN POLICEMAN ARRESTED FOR MURDER 1. LEBANESE PM ISRAEL MUST FIRST WITHDRAW, AND THEN WE'LL SEE Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is not very enthusiastic about chances for peace with Israel in the near future. "If Israel is interested in withdrawing from southern Lebanon, we will be very happy," he told the Washington Post. "But Israel wants more than this - it wants to place upon us the responsibility for its security on its northern border." When asked if Syrian and Lebanon would be willing to neutralize Hizbullah in case of an Israeli withdrawal, Hariri said, "These questions should bother the Israelis. They are the ones who want answers to them. Why should I have to supply the answers? They must first withdraw, and then I'll do what I have to do." Lebanese Foreign Minister Fares Boueiz also poured cold water on prospects of peace with Israel in the near future. In an interview with an Egyptian newspaper yesterday, he said, "Even if Israel implements U.N. resolution 425 and withdraws from southern Lebanon, we still have several outstanding issues of dispute." He listed water disputes, refugee problems, and seven villages allegedly captured by Israel in 1948 as problems which must still be resolved. "And of course there is Jerusalem, which is also a Lebanese issue," Bouiez said. 2. NETANYAHU AND ROSS MEET Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met in his office today with American mediator Dennis Ross. Itim correspondent Yoram Levy reports that Netanyahu told him that Israel would not withdraw from more than 9% of Judea and Samaria. Ross later met with Yasser Arafat, and will meet tomorrow with Egyptian President Mubarak. A Yesha Council protest vigil was held outside the building during the meeting. 3. PALESTINIAN POLICEMAN ARRESTED FOR MURDER The main suspect in the murder case of Voice of Israel technician Chezi Koka, who was killed two months ago, has been arrested. He is Hader Juma'a, 22, a policeman in the Palestinian paramilitary police force. He was apprehended in Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem, and confessed to the crime. The police suspect that he attempted to murder another Jerusalem resident. In a related item, the police are searching at this hour for an Arab gas station worker who attacked several Jews with a metal pipe. After lightly injuring one person in the Elah Valley gas station, the attacker escaped by car. ************************************************************************* From: "Arutz-7 Editor" <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: <arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il>,<arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, March 29, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service Sunday, March 29, 1998 / Nisan 2, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday ---> See below for subscription instructions <--- TODAY'S HEADLINES 1. NO CHANGE AFTER TALKS WITH ROSS 2. ABLRIGHT TALKS TOUGH; LABOR JOINS; ETTINGER CALMS 3. LANDAU WILL TOPPLE GOV'T OVER WITHDRAWAL 4. RABBIS UNITE OVER SABBATH 5. ISRAELI GROUP DEMANDS HAR HOMA CONSTRUCTION 1. NO CHANGE AFTER TALKS WITH ROSS Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu briefed the government ministers this morning on his two meetings - Friday morning and last night - with U.S. Mediator Dennis Ross. Sources close to Netanyahu said that the two had not yet discussed the extent of a future withdrawal, but had dealt with the issues of war against terrorism and the fulfillment of Palestinian obligations. Ross, who said that he was "pessimistic" after last night's meeting with the Prime Minister, met with Yasser Arafat after midnight, and will meet with Mr. Netanyahu again this afternoon. 2. ABLRIGHT TALKS TOUGH; LABOR JOINS; ETTINGER CALMS U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright sharply attacked Israel over the weekend. In a meeting with representatives of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, she said, "We cannot pretend that there is a peace process going on here. The process is in trouble, has not moved for over a year, and we will not be able to keep going like this. You [American Jewish leaders] must explain to the government of Israel that we are working for Israel's security, which will be endangered if we do not overcome the obstacles. You must help us. Neither we nor you want a fake peace process." She hinted that America may decide to give up its efforts on behalf of the Oslo process. Other quotes from Albright to the Jewish leaders "In the past, there were feelings of trust, which have now totally collapsed. Israel has lost its ties with all the Arab nations... As Secretary of State, I must tell you, we are losing our credibility in the eyes of everyone." The opposition attacked the government for what it called its "worsening relations" with the United States, following Albright's meeting with the American Jewish leaders. They called for a special Knesset session during its current recess to discuss the matter. The Likud, in response, attacked the opposition for offering the Palestinians a "discounted political price list" and for indirectly encouraging them to make ever-increasing demands upon Israel. The Likud challenged the opposition members to list the demands on which, in their opinion, the government should not insist. Yoram Ettinger, formerly of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, reassured Arutz-7's listeners today about American-Israeli relations. He said that Albright's attack is a result of weakness, as she knows that the Israeli public, the Israeli government, the American Jewish community, AIPAC, and Congress are all against the exertion of American pressure upon Israel during the current impasse. 3. LANDAU WILL TOPPLE GOV'T OVER WITHDRAWAL MK Uzi Landau (Likud), Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, said today that he too will vote to topple the government in case of a decision to withdraw. He thus joins a group of some seven other coalition Knesset Members who have threatened the same. When asked why he did not sign the recent letter to the Prime Minister threatening to vote against the government, Landau said that he did not want to appear to be against Netanyahu while he is under such great international pressures. Minister of Justice Tzachi Hanegbi said today that Israel would not withdraw from any part of Yesha if the Palestinian National Covenant has not been changed, or if the Palestinians do not fight against terrorism. He said that in any event, the actual withdrawal would be much smaller than that which is presently being discussed. 4. RABBIS UNITE OVER SABBATH Leading rabbis of the national-religious and hareidi camps have signed a joint statement forbidding the purchase of goods from companies that work on the Sabbath. Former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira, Mordechai Eliyahu, and Ovadiah Yosef, the Gerrer and Vizhnitzer Rebbes, and rabbis of the Eida Hahareidit called upon "all those who are in awe of the sanctity of the Sabbath to refrain from purchasing from or aiding Sabbath-violating companies, and to prefer those places that preserve the Sabbath." 5. ISRAELI GROUP DEMANDS HAR HOMA CONSTRUCTION A group of right-wing activists erected a tent-camp this afternoon at Har Homa. The protesters, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, said they will remain there until official construction begins. The police have already arrived, and have asked them to leave. ************************************************************************ To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and Non-Jew in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith. Please visit the Hebraic Heritage Ministries Web Site located at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/index.html Eddie Chumney Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l