Subject: Arutz-7 News: April 19-21, 1998 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 23:44:40 +0000 To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
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, April 19, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Sunday, April 19, 1998 / Nisan 23, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. HEVRON JEWISH COMMUNITY CRITICIZE POLICE 2. EU AND PA TO FORM SECURITY COMMITTEE 3. NEW MOVEMENT AGAINST QUITTING LEBANON
1. HEVRON JEWISH COMMUNITY CRITICIZE POLICE At the time of the terrorist attack, the Hevron Police were in the process of arresting a 13-year-old girl from the Jewish community of Hevron, who supposedly participated in a violent demonstration over six months ago. A spokesman for the Jewish Community of Hevron issued a statement accusing the Hevron police of harassing the Jewish residents and not protecting them:
"Rather than provide protection to young hard-working Jewish shepherds, [the police] arrested a 13-year-old Hevron girl. Why did the police see fit to ignore death threats, which led to this murderous attack, and instead, arrest a girl for participating in a demonstration six months ago? The reason for this murder is simple: ...The police and prosecutor's office have made themselves crystal clear: "If you shoot, regardless of the reason, even if the shooting is justified, you will be arrested and charged with illegally using your weapon. If an Arab is killed, even if he tried to kill you, you will be charged with murder. And even if you are eventually acquitted, we will make your life hell." The police, together with the prosecutor's office, are acting as a branch of the Israeli left, saying to us, "Get OUT!" ...The result is today's murder at Maon."
2. EU AND PA TO FORM SECURITY COMMITTEE Great Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived this afternoon in Israel from Jordan, and will meet tonight with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Ha'aretz reports that Blair, who will meet tomorrow with Yasser Arafat, is expected to sign a memorandum establishing a joint European Union-Palestinian panel for cooperation on security. The memorandum, according to Ha'aretz, states that the Palestinian Authority and the EU have agreed to establish a Permanent Security Committee with the aim of developing joint cooperation on security issues. Membership of the committee will include the EU special envoy's security adviser, the heads of security in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and others according to circumstances. The committee will meet on a regular basis, or as requested by either side, and at times of crisis. The memorandum concludes with the declaration that the Palestinian Authority reserves the right of control and freedom of action of its officers.
The visit of England's Blair is the first of several high-level diplomatic attempts his week to push forward the Oslo process. U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen is expected to offer Israel a package of security measures that will ensure the safe implementation of a second Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. American mediators Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk will arrive towards the end of the week, to help with further negotiations. U.S. Vice President Al Gore will be a special guest in Israel next week, for Israel's 50th Independence Day.
3. NEW MOVEMENT AGAINST QUITTING LEBANON A new movement against a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon was formed today, led by MKs Ephraim Sneh (Labor) and Uzi Landau (Likud). In a press conference today in the northern town of Kiryat Shmonah, the two warned that a unilateral withdrawal would turn Israel's northern residents into guinea pigs.
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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: Monday, April 20, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Monday, April 20, 1998 / Nisan 24, 5758 / 9 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINE: 1. NO SUMMIT PLANNED
1. NO SUMMIT PLANNED Great Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair concluded his visit in Jerusalem today, after meeting last night with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and this morning with opposition leader MK Barak, President Weizmann, and local businessmen. Blair later met in Gaza with Yasser Arafat. At an official dinner in the King David Hotel last night, Blair said that no automatic equation may be drawn between the situation here and that in Northern Ireland, where a peace agreement was recently signed. Netanyahu said that the preliminary condition for achieving peace in Ireland was the cessation of terrorism.
At today's government meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said - contrary to reports on Israel Radio this morning - that no joint Blair-Albright-Netanyahu-Arafat summit conference is planned for next month, but only separate meetings for himself and Yasser Arafat with Secretary Albright. He added that he had received a "substantive and friendly" letter from King Hussein, with no mention of the negative statements which appeared in today's press.
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From: Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il> To: arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il, arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Tuesday, April 21, 1998 / Nisan 25, 5758 / 10 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. PA POLICE IN "LARGE" VIOLATION OF OSLO 2. MOLEDET TO JOIN GOVERNMENT? 3. EXPECTATIONS LOWERED FOR LONDON MEETINGS
1. PA POLICE IN "LARGE" VIOLATION OF OSLO The Palestinian Police is 60% larger than the Israel Police, despite the fact that the number of people under Palestinian Authority control is less than 1/3 that of the Israeli population. Other statistics released today by the Government Press Office show that the PA police force is much larger than any European police force relative to its population - almost four times more than that of Spain, and over five times more than that of Germany. In violation of the accords, the PA has a total of 40,000 policemen, 16,000 over the limit set in the Oslo Accords. In addition, the GPO report states that according to the Oslo Accords, the PA must submit a list of all police recruits to Israel to forestall the possibility that members of terrorist groups will join the PA security services. The PA has thus far submitted only 18,400 names. Hence, 21,600 Palestinian policemen, or 54% of the total force, have not been approved by Israel.
2. MOLEDET TO JOIN GOVERNMENT? Talk of the Moledet Knesset faction joining the coalition appears to be premature. The Prime Minister has offered to begin talks with the party about the option, and the party leadership has authorized MKs Ze'evi and Elon to hold the talks. However, Moledet leaders have expressed skepticism about the possibility, as have some Likud MKs. Moledet MK Benny Elon said that one of the central conditions for joining the government would be freedom to vote however it chooses regarding a further withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
3. EXPECTATIONS LOWERED FOR LONDON MEETINGS Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his British counterpart Tony Blair, in a Tel Aviv press conference this morning, called for a "lowering of expectations" from the series of meetings to be held early next month in London. Both of them said they would welcome surprises in the meetings between U.S. Secretary of State Albright, Yasser Arafat, and Prime Minister Netanyahu. No meeting is planned between the latter two alone. Blair said that European help is important for the process, but added, "it is important that we not interfere in what the Americans are doing." He said that the British role is mainly in the economic sphere.
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From: Eddie Chumney To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: Israel News: April 13-19, 1998
Israel News April 13 to April 19, 1998
TEMPLE MOUNT
TEMPLE MOUNT FAITHFUL REBUFFED Itim - Ha'aretz 4/14/98
A right-wing group that wants to restore Jewish prayer to the Temple Mount attempted to access the site yesterday, but police did not permit them to advance as far as the Muslim holy sites.
Members of Gershon Solomon's Temple Mount Faithful, carrying flags and sheaves of wheat, were allowed to ascend the steps in groups of two. But they were permitted to proceed only as far as those steps, which lead to the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Solomon said that enemies of Israel must accept the fact that Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were given to the people of Israel in a permanent covenant. He added that "despite the travails that we are undergoing, the day is approaching when the enemies of Israel will leave the Temple Mount, and Jerusalem will become the true capital of the people of Israel."
The group's members had ample police protection as it walked through the Old City and as they recited Birkat Hacohanim (priestly blessings) at the Western Wall in a ceremony attended by thousands.
ISRAEL
U.S. GIVES PALESTINIANS 'GREEN LIGHT' FOR STATE IN 1999
Kahl's I&G News 4/15/98 Ma'ariv in Hebrew 10 Apr 98 p 2 Report by Raviv Drucker
The U.S. Administration has given the Palestinian Authority [PA] the "green light" to declare the establishment of a Palestinian state in May 1999, if Israel and the PA fail to reach an agreement over the permanent arrangement by that date.
Two days ago, U.S. peace talks mediator Dennis Ross informed attorney Yitzhaq Molkho, the prime minister's special adviser, that the United States rejects the Israeli demand to include in the U.S. initiative for renewing the peace process a Palestinian commitment not to declare a Palestinian state at the end of the interim arrangement stage.
ARAFAT: PALESTINIAN STATE IN 1999 IINS News Service -Israel- 4/19/98
PLO Authority (PA) Chief Yassir Arafat has announced he intends to declare the establishment of the State of Palestine in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, in1999. UPI News Agency reports that in a live interview early last week with Arab Orbit satellite television, Arafat said the commitment to this date was made in peace agreements signed with Israel.
He said the main reason peace negotiations with Israel are blocked is that the PA has rejected an Israeli plan to build a Jewish "settlement" on Har Choma, known by the Arabs as Jebel Abu Ghneim. He said, "I have information that they (Israelis) want to build up 11 tourism hotels on Abu Ghneim, in order to steal millions of tourists who will come to Bet Lechem (Bethlehem) to celebrate 2,000 years of Christ's birth."
EGYPT, SYRIA TELL ISRAEL TO QUIT LEBANON
April 15, 1998 CAIRO, Egypt AP
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Syrian counterpart Hafez al-Assad Wednesday rejected Israel's conditions for a pull-out from south Lebanon. The two leaders told a news conference after lengthy talks in Cairo that Israel had to leave the southern strip it occupies, without asking for anything in return, as stipulated in U.N. Security Council 425.
"They (Israel) entered Lebanon without permission so they can get out of Lebanon without permission,'' Mubarak said. "If Israel is going to withdraw (from south Lebanon) in accordance with resolution 425, I think no one will object. But neither Syria nor Lebanon will accept that it be negotiated.''
Assad, whose country is the main power broker in Lebanon, said: "Israel has to just withdraw from Lebanon. The Israelis entered Lebanon so they can get out of it.''
HUSSEIN MEETS NETANYAHU IN EILAT
UPI 4/16/98
Jordan's King Hussein and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held an impromptu meeting in Israel's southern resort town of Eilat. Netanyahu's office issued a statement after the two-hour meeting, saying the two leaders "talked about the peace process and the need to advance it."
It was their first meeting in four months. It follows Jordan's top-level consultations with Egypt and others in the region on how to advance the stalled peace process. There was no indication that today's talks would help jump-start the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Netanyahu spokesman David Bar-Illan told United Press International the prime minister "expressed Israel's wish to achieve progress as long as Israel's security concerns were ensured." He said both leaders "expressed satisfaction on progress in relations between Israel and Jordan and ways of advancing them." But, Bar Ilan said, "The meeting wasn't intended to reach agreements as such, except on the principles."
The meeting, which surprised Netanyahu aides, was arranged early today as Netanyahu has been with his family in Eilat for the Passover holiday. Hussein has a villa in the neighboring Jordanian town of Akaba.
Hussein sailed to Eilat on his yacht, applauded warmly by Israelis who recognized him as he passed. He returned to Akaba by car because the sea became too rough.
BLAIR CALLS FOR GREATER EU ROLE IN MIDDLE EAST
By Rachel Sylvester in Cairo - London Telegraph 4/18/98
TONY Blair wants the European Union to play an increased formal role in the Middle East peace talks in an attempt to break the deadlock.
The Prime Minister, who arrived in Egypt on the first leg of his five-day trip, will put the case for the EU to join America, Israel and the Palestinians around the negotiation table in order to "kick start" the stalled talks. He will urge Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, to allow the EU to join a series of committees to bring a new perspective to the negotiations and help smooth the way to peace.
Other European leaders have mandated Mr Blair, who is representing them in the Middle East because Britain holds the EU presidency, to ask for more influence in recognition of substantial financial support. The EU has contributed 500 million ecu (=9C325 million) since 1994, double the amount given by the United States. Britain paid 16 per cent of the European fund.
PREPARATION FOR WAR
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THREAT
Globes 4/14/98
Islamic Jihad leader Nasser Asad Al-Tamimi brought up the possibility of using biological weapons against Israel and Israelis. This was reported by the Jordanian Al-Balad newspaper. The statement was made during a memorial service arranged by Hamas in Amman. Al-Tamimi said the Islamic movements have at last found the secret of defeating their enemy, by using weapons of mass destruction.
The newspaper said the statement raised the question as to whether the Islamic movement possessed such weapons of mass destruction, especially following what Al-Tamimi said about how simple it was to acquire such weapons, and mentioning the panic caused in Britain recently following the suspicion that Iraq was trying to smuggle anthrax into the UK.
The Jordanian newspaper continued with a report based on information from within Hamas, which says it can be assumed that attempts will be made to launch a series of violent attacks in a number of Israel towns.
Attempts will also be made to capture senior IDF commanders, and attack offices of informers and agents of the Mossad, Israel's secret service, and the IDF, to avenge Muhi A-din Sharif's death.
According to the information, units of Al-Kassem were checking the best way they could get close to senior Israeli government personages. The information does not exclude the possibility that Netanyahu and Mordechai are at the top of the list.
Diplomatic circles believe Hizbullah cells in many capital cities are planning attacks on Israeli ambassadors and other Israeli targets abroad. Western security reports confirm that a number of unusual activities have been noted in recent days among Hizbullah members. It seems likely that last month's explosion near the synagogue in the Latvian capital Riga, which caused no deaths or injuries, was carried out as a response against Israel by the extremist Islamic groups.
ARABS DECIDE 'SECRETLY' TO ACT AGAINST ISRAEL'S SATELLITES
Kahl's I&G News 4/14/98 Ma'ariv in Hebrew 8 Apr 98 p 7 Report by 'Oded Granot
The Arab states secretly decided several days ago to take action against Israel's satellite program and to work out a speedy response to Israel's spy satellites, "which endanger the security of the Arab nation."
It has been learned that during the conference of Arab foreign ministers held in Cairo last month a closed meeting was held devoted entirely to a discussion on the consequences of the Israeli space program. During the meeting the Iraqi representative warned that the presence of the Ofeq satellite over Iraq enables Israel "to collect information on potential targets" and even to assess properly the effect of hitting such targets and the scope of the damage caused to them.
According to a report by an Arab diplomat who participated in the discussions, all those who attended the meeting believed that the Israeli space program constitutes "a real danger to the national security of the Arab nation, spurs the arms race in the region, and harms the peace process."
TWO US CONGRESSMEN SAY IRAN HAS NUKES
By Steve Rodan Jerusalem (April 16) Jerusalem Post
Two US House members who have closely followed Teheran's military programs say Iran has obtained nuclear weapons as well as established a ballistic missile command and control system to launch them. They have called on the Clinton administration to draft a new policy that reflects Teheran's capability.
The assertion was the first by members of Congress that deemed Iran as possessing nuclear weapons, in contrast to spokesmen of the Pentagon and State Department who maintain that Teheran has not achieved such capability. The congressional statements followed a series of Jerusalem Post articles that quoted Iranian government documents as saying that the Islamic republic obtained two nuclear weapons in January 1992 from the former Soviet Union. At the time, the memos said, the weapons were inoperable.
Rep. Jim Saxton and Rep. Bill McCollum, the two lawmakers, told the Post they have taken seriously reports that Iran has achieved nuclear capability. Several other legislators in both houses did not respond when asked for their assessments.
MILLION-STRONG ARMY PARADES IN BAGHDAD April 18, 1998 Baghdad
President Saddam Hussein watched a rare parade in Baghdad Saturday by Iraq's million-strong volunteer army, who vowed to defend their country to the death against any U.S. attack. =
Brandishing AK-47 assault rifles, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in khaki, pea green or mottled commando fatigues marched in squads of about 100 across Grand Festivities Square in central Baghdad. They ranged from graying men in their sixties to teenage boys and girls. The six-hour parade was part of nationwide festivities which Saddam decreed should include "each district and neighborhood."
Saddam, who was seen reviewing the parade, called on able-bodied Iraqis early this year to sign up for military training to face up to any "American aggression'' and end sweeping sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait
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