Subject: Arutz-7 News: April 27-30, 1998
Date:    Wed, 13 May 1998 01:34:12 +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, arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, April 27, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org> 
Monday, April 27, 1998 / Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 5758 / 16 days to the Omer
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. GOVERNMENT IS WARNED AGAINST WITHDRAWING
  2. GORE CHANGES SCHEDULE
  3. BROAD AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
  4. YESHA BOYCOTT BACKFIRES
  5. GOVERNMENT CONSIDERATION OF ARUTZ-7 IS "STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION"
  6. ARAFAT AGAIN COMPARES OSLO TO KOREISH AGREEMENT

1. GOVERNMENT IS WARNED AGAINST WITHDRAWING
Thousands of people demonstrated in Jerusalem last night against a further
withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.  They demanded a halt to American
pressure on the Netanyahu government, and warned that if Netanyahu gives in
to such pressure, his government will be toppled.  MK Michael Kleiner
(Gesher) spoke against the negotiations between Netanyahu and Rehavam
Ze'evi of Moledet regarding the possibility of the latter joining the
coalition.  Ze'evi was not present at the demonstration.  MK Benny Begin
(Likud) said, "A government that abandons portions of our homeland does not
have the right to exist!"  Yesha Council member Benny Katzover said,
"Whoever decides on a withdrawal is in essence deciding on the downfall of
his government, and on the rise of Ehud Barak to power."  MK Benny Elon
(Moledet) said, "If the public and the politicians remain strong and
forthright, then the Prime Minister himself will know how to make the
calculations - no Prime Minister wants his own government to fall."  Deputy
Education Minister Moshe Peled (Tsomet), "Binyamin Netanyahu, please don't
force me to vote no-confidence in you."

The Prime Minister met again today with American mediators Dennis Ross and
Martin Indyk, and will meet tomorrow in Cairo with Egypt's President
Mubarak.  Minister Ariel Sharon said that the map of the withdrawal from
Judea and Samaria must be drawn with a sense of great responsibility to the
lives of our descendants decades from now.  He said that a withdrawal from
more than 6% of Yesha would harm Israel's national interests, and quoted
Minister Mordechai to the effect that a 9% withdrawal would be harmful to
Israel's security.

2. GORE CHANGES SCHEDULE
In apparent reaction to the widespread anger among American-Jewish leaders
for his insensitivity to Israeli requests, U.S. Vice President Al Gore has
changed the schedule for his upcoming visit to the Middle East.  He had
been scheduled to meet with Yasser Arafat on Friday, only hours after
taking part as Israel's guest in Israel's Independence Day festivities.
This, despite Israeli government requests that he not do so.  According to
the revised schedule, Gore will meet with Arafat n Ramallah on Saturday,
arriving from Saudi Arabia on his way to Cairo. 

3. BROAD AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
A New York Times poll shows that 57% of the American public have a
generally favorable opinion of Israel.  Even more significantly, 58% - the
highest rate ever in a poll of this sort, and up 10% from last year - said
that they sympathized with Israel over the Palestinians.  13% of the
American public supported the Palestinians.  Almost half of the Americans
polled said that they see Israel as a "special place."  

On the issue of personalities in the Middle East, 77% had "no opinion" of
Binyamin Netanyahu, while the remaining 23% were evenly divided between
"favorable" and "unfavorable" opinions of him; 10% viewed Yasser Arafat
favorably, and 42% unfavorably.  The New York Times writes that its poll
proves that support for Israel does not stem only from the American Jewish
population.  "Support [for Israel] in Congress is not simply the result of
an effective lobby, but is much more deeply rooted in public attitudes,"
the paper quoted Rabbi I. Schorsch of the Jewish Theological Seminary as
saying.  Yoram Ettinger, former Israeli Embassy liaison to the Congress,
told Arutz-7 that U.S. President Clinton will certainly have to take heed
of this poll in light of the crucial Congressional elections six months
from now.

4. YESHA BOYCOTT BACKFIRES
The left-wing organizations that launched the campaign to boycott Jewish
products manufactured in Judea and Samaria are in the midst of deciding
whether to continue their campaign.  Arutz -7 has learned that a survey
commissioned by the groups showed that the call to boycott the products
apparently led to increased sales instead.  Another poll commissioned by
the groups showed that anti-religious activity on the part of the left-wing
parties causes a decrease of support for them even among non-religious voters.

5. GOVERNMENT CONSIDERATION OF ARUTZ-7 IS "STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION"
The Defense and Justice Ministries have begun accelerated proceedings to
issue a broadcasting license to Arutz-7.  According to the plans, Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza will be defined as a "region," and Arutz-7 will receive a
"regional" radio license to broadcast there.  Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the station, Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), has said in the past that
the fact that the government is considering allowing Arutz-7 to broadcast
from land is a step in the right direction, but that Arutz-7 is a national
station and not merely a regional one. 

6. ARAFAT AGAIN COMPARES OSLO TO KOREISH AGREEMENT
The Government Press Office (GPO) today released excerpts from an interview
given by P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat to the Egyptian Orbit TV on April 18,
1998.  Israel intends to lodge a formal complaint with the Palestinians, on
the grounds that Arafat's remarks constitute incitement against Israel and
are therefore in violation of the Oslo Accords and the Hevron Protocol.
Segments of the interview follow:

Question: How do you explain that you occasionally ask the Palestinian
street not to explode? 

Arafat: When the prophet Muhammad made the Khudaibiya agreement, he agreed
to remove his title "messenger of Allah" from the agreement. Then, Omar bin
Khatib and the others referred to this agreement as the "inferior peace
agreement." Of course, I do not compare myself to the prophet, but I do say
that we must learn from his steps and those of Salah a-Din. The peace
agreement which we signed is an "inferior peace". The conditions [behind
it] are the intifada, which lasted for seven years.

[GPO Note: Arafat is referring to the Khudaibiya agreement made by Muhammad
with the Arabian tribe of Koreish. The pact, slated to last for ten years,
was broken within two years, when the Islamic forces - having used the
peace pact to become stronger - conquered the Koreish tribe. His reference
to Salah a-Din is to the Muslim leader who, after a cease-fire, declared a
jihad against the Crusaders and captured Jerusalem.] 

...Q: For practical reasons, do you now suggest to maintain quiet despite
everything?

Arafat: Yes, I suggest we maintain quiet. We respect agreements the way
that the prophet Muhammad and Salah a-Din respected the agreements which
they signed.

...Q: Is Arafat still the same revolutionary fighter? Is he capable of
taking to the streets when necessary?

Arafat: This nation of giants has created 100,000 Arafats. We are a nation
of giants which has been struggling with World Zionism for 101 years, and
we are capable of beginning it all again. I say this not in the name of
Arafat but in the name of the new generals... All options are open before
the Palestinian people.

...Q: Does your position permit you to work without interruption, as you
are wont to do?

Arafat: Without a doubt. I would also like to say that I envy the martyrs
and I hope to become one of them, though it has been decreed thus far that
I continue to live."

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Subject:  Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, April 28, 1998
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 28, 1998 / Iyar 2, 5758 / 17 days to the Omer
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
  --- See below for subscription instructions ---

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. MUBARAK TALKS TOUGH TO NETANYAHU
  2. FOREIGN CURRENCY LIBERALIZATION
  3. ISRAEL GROWS YOUNGER

****NEWLY-RELEASED ARAFAT INCITEMENT

1. MUBARAK TALKS TOUGH TO NETANYAHU
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met this morning for two hours with
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.  Cabinet Secretary Danny
Naveh, Egypt's Foreign Minister Amru Mussa, and aides of the two
leaders participated in the meeting.  No details of the discussion
were divulged, although there were reports that Mubarak told his guest
in no uncertain terms the following:  there would not be a separate
peace with Lebanon; no pre-conditions would be accepted by the Arabs
for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon; Israel must agree to the 13.1%
withdrawal from Judea and Samaria proposed by the United States; and
Syria is willing to continue negotiations with Israel from the point
where they were left off by the Rabin-Peres government (i.e., an
alleged verbal Israeli agreement to withdraw from the entire Golan
Heights).

2. FOREIGN CURRENCY LIBERALIZATION
Finance Minister Yaakov Ne'eman and Bank of Israel Governor Yaakov
Frenkel announced the details of the new foreign currency
liberalization program to the Knesset Finance Committee today. 
According to the new regulations, which will take effect in the coming
days and weeks, all foreign currency limitations have been removed
from the private sector.  Israelis will now be permitted to buy and
sell foreign currency, to acquire and own property abroad, to open
bank accounts abroad, to exchange Israeli shekels for foreign currency
abroad, etc.  Frenkel said, "With this new liberalization policy,
Israel is progressing towards full integration in the worldwide
economy."  The new program enjoys across-the-board political support,
except from former Finance Minister MK Avraham Shochat (Labor), who
said that it is "nothing more than an Independence Day show."

3. ISRAEL GROWS YOUNGER
The Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the number of households
in Israel rose by 37% during the decade spanning 1986-1996.  The
number of Jewish households grew by 33% to 1.346 million, while the
number of Arab and other households rose by 67% to reach 202,000.  The
average number of children in a Jewish home is 2.22, and in Arab and
other homes - 3.08.

The total population stands at 5,940,000, a growth of more than five
million since the inception of the State in 1948.  The population
increased by 2.4% over the past year, compared with 8% a year during
Israel's first decade, and compared with 1% in North American
countries.  35% of Israel's population are children under 18, compared
with 19-25% in other industrialized countries.

****NEWLY-RELEASED ARAFAT INCITEMENT

The Government Press Office released the following today:
Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority is
obligated to refrain from incitement against Israel and to take
measures to prevent others from engaging in it. 

Despite this, senior officials of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the
PLO have made the following statements of incitement and threats of
violence in the past month:

* "Oh dear ones on the occupied lands, relatives and friends
throughout Palestine and the diaspora, my colleagues in struggle and
in arms, my colleagues in struggle and in jihad [holy war]... The
blood of the martyr is never spilled in vain! We say with complete
faith, loudly and clearly, that the song of the martyrs is etched in
the path of Palestine, and their pure blood is upon our necks....
Intensify the revolution and the blessed intifada. Reinforce the
strong stance and strengthen the faith. We must burn the ground under
the feet of the invaders."

 -- excerpts from a message to the Palestinians by PA Chairman
Yasser Arafat to mark the tenth anniversary of the slaying of PLO leader Abu
Jihad, who was in charge of terrorist operations against Israel. The
text was published in the official PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda on
April 16, 1998

* "The rifle of Fatah, the rifle carried by the Palestinian people
which ignited the revolution, will not be buried. Our rifles shall
defend our national security, our national campaign, our national
unity. Brothers and sisters, I swear, I swear, I swear by the blood of
the jihad and the blood of our nation's martyrs - Izz a-Din
al-Kassam... Yihya Ayyash and Abu Jihad...."

 --- Marwan Barghouti, head of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO in
Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank"), at a memorial ceremony for slain
PLO leader Abu Jihad (Voice of Palestine, April 16, 1998)

* "The Fatah movement has forged an alliance with death for the sake
of the homeland. The sons of the movement will continue to seek the
death of martyrs for themselves, as long as the occupation is on our
land."

   --- Abbas Zaki, member of the Fatah Central Committee
and the Palestinian Legislative Council, during a speech he delivered 
in Chairman Arafat's name at a memorial ceremony for Abu Jihad held 
in Gaza (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, April 19, 1998)

* "If Benjamin Netanyahu does not return to the path of logic, the
Palestinian people will use all means to oppose the occupation and to
liberate occupied Jerusalem."

 --- Jamal Mohassein, member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council,
delivering a speech in the name of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat at a
memorial ceremony on April 25, 1998 (Al-Ayyam, April 26, 1998)

* "We are ready for a military confrontation... The bullets of the
Black Panthers will strike at Netanyahu's soldiers."

--- from a statement issued by Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO
in Jenin announcing the re-establishment of the Black Panther military
units (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, March 26, 1998)

* "Gather together, O fighters of Karameh, Litani and Beirut... raise
your voices aloud: we shall die, we shall die, so that Palestine shall
live... our blood is your atonement O Jerusalem, and our souls are
your defenders, O Palestine... we swear unto the holy martyrs: until
victory!"

  --- statement issued by the student branch of Yasser Arafat's Fatah
faction of the PLO in Nablus to commemorate Land Day (Al-Ayyam, March
29, 1998)

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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: Wednesday, April 29, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org> 
Wednesday, April 29, 1998 / Iyar 3, 5758 / 18 days to the Omer
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
  --- See below for subscription instructions --

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. MEMORIAL DAY
  2. CONTROVERSIAL DANCE SEGMENT NOT YET RESOLVED
  3. PM STANDS FIRM
  4. AMERICANS FOR ISRAEL

1. MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial ceremonies for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of
terrorism commenced at 11 AM in 41 military cemeteries around the
country.  A two-minute siren - broadcast in its entirety throughout
the world over CNN - was sounded, and the country came to a standstill
to remember those who gave their lives for the Jewish homeland. 
Earlier, a new monument for the victims of Arab terror was unveiled at
Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.  Terror Victims Association
Chairman Dov Kalmonovitz, the first Jew to be severely injured by
intifada violence, said that the known victims of all terrorist
attacks since 1860 number over 800, but because many other victims are
not known - not all the names have ever been officially registered -
none of the names were engraved on the monument.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking at the memorial ceremony at Mt.
Herzl, said, "On Memorial Day, more than any other day, the private
and the public clash within me.  At this time, I must represent the
entire nation, bowing my head in front of the bereaved families.  At
the same time, the private pain of my family and I [at the death of
his brother Col. Yoni Netanyahu while commanding the heroic rescue of
the Entebbe hostages in 1976 - ed.] cries out.  I see before me lines
and lines of sons, and brothers, and bereaved parents.  I see you, and
I know your pain.  I see rows and rows of gravestones, from which [so
many] memories arise...  rows and rows of boys and girls, dreams that
were suddenly cut off, each of them an entire world, accompanied by
unbearable longing.  But this day has a significance that is above and
beyond our private pain.  Last week, while marching from Auschwitz to
Birkenau holding the flag of Israel, I thought of the connection
created by the calendar between the [Nazi] destruction and the
re-establishment of the State.  

"No nation can win the struggle for its existence without the
willingness of individuals to sacrifice themselves for its sake.  But
in our case, the fallen whose memory we honor today brought about a
revolution unheard of in the history of nations.  They gave their
lives to turn a downtrodden and divided nation into one that is sure
of itself...  Fifty years ago, it was not even clear that the
broken-down tree of the Jewish nation could grow new branches and new
life.  Tremendous internal resources were required in order to restore
its self-confidence, and the hope and faith in its future.
 These were restored to us by our sons and brothers buried under these
stone slabs, and it was they who gave us the real chance to live in
peace and security in our land.  In their merit, the State of Israel
arose, and in their merit, the bells of the Jubilee ring..."

Minister of National Infrastructures Ariel Sharon, representing the
Knesset at the memorial ceremony in the Negev town Ofakim today, said,
"Only a strong Israeli insistence on its just demands will bring to
true peace."

Labor party leader Ehud Barak, speaking in Kfar Saba, said, "Israel
owes its freedom to its wonderful sons.  But even today, on our 50th
birthday, our tests are not over..."  Minister of Trade Natan
Sharansky, speaking in the Druze village of Usefiyya, said that when
he was in Soviet prison, his next-cell neighbor Yosef Mendelovitz
knocked on his wall to remind him that it was Israeli Memorial Day,
and the two of them stood for one minute of silence.  "Today, Azzam
Azzam is sitting in Egyptian prison, and we will do everything we can
to free him," Sharansky said.

2. CONTROVERSIAL DANCE SEGMENT NOT YET RESOLVED
Doron Shmueli, Chairman of the Israel Jubilee Committee, has reneged
on the promise he made to the National Religious Party yesterday. 
Shmueli had promised to cancel a particular segment of the Jubilee
Bells event - in which a large group of dancers dressed as Hassidim
gradually disrobe of their garb, to the tune of the traditional
Passover song "Who Knows One" - which the NRP claimed was insulting to
religious-community sensibilities. Shmueli viewed the segment last
night, and after midnight announced that he had decided to back the
dance group and its choreographer, Ohad Naharin. In response, NRP
Knesset faction head Shmaryahu Ben-Tzur said that he had asked the
Prime Minister's Office to instruct Shmueli to adhere to his promise,
"on the grounds that the dance is insulting to the viewers and to the
event."  The United Torah Judaism party has threatened a coalition
crisis if the matter is not resolved.

Jerusalem's Deputy Mayor Chaim Miller submitted a petition to the
Supreme Court today to have the dance canceled, on the grounds that it
is insulting to the religious sector.  Shaika Levy, head of the Israel
Artists Association, said today that the religious demand must be
rejected outright.  Speaking on Voice of Israel radio, Levy said,
"It's enough that we have a religious Education Minister... [We will]
not let them interfere in our arts and our culture."

Later this morning, Shmueli told Arutz-7 correspondent Yehudah Freiman
that he is attempting to find a compromise between the two sides. 
However, as of this afternoon, the controversial segment was still
scheduled to be performed.

3. PM STANDS FIRM
"If the United States insists on a withdrawal from 13% of Judea and
Samaria, there will not be an agreement," said Prime Minister
Netanyahu last night.  He said that he will not give in to American
dictates, and that he is not concerned about being called an obstacle
to peace because he is "preserving the security interests of the State
of Israel."  Yasser Arafat announced today that he accepts the
American proposal.

4. AMERICANS FOR ISRAEL
Esther Levens, President of the American National Unity Coalition for
Israel, an alliance of 200 Jewish and Christian organizations
representing 40 million Americans, told Arutz-7 last night that it
stands squarely behind Israel in its efforts to withstand the American
government pressure being exerted upon it.  She said that a radio ad
will be broadcast to this effect over Israeli radio for the next two
weeks.  The ad states, "We represent the views of the majority of
grassroots Americans who object to the Clinton Administration's
one-sided pressure on Israel.  We agree with the 81 out of 100 U.S.
senators whose recent letter to President Clinton warned him not to
pressure Israel.  Together with the U.S. Congress, we say:  The
unilateral giveaway is over!  The time of Palestinian non-compliance
with signed agreements is over! Any formula for peace must be based on
promises made - and kept!  People of Israel, the majority of Americans
are with you! We support a strong Israel with Jerusalem as its eternal
and undivided capital, including Har Homa."

************************************************************************

From:          Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To:            arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il,arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il 
Subject:       Arutz-7 Op-Ed: A TRULY NATIONAL HOLIDAY

To our readers: 
Please accept this timely Op-ed with blessings from the Arutz-7
Internet Staff for a happy Yom HaAtzma'ut.  News reports will resume
tomorrow.

A TRULY NATIONAL HOLIDAY
by Rabbi Yaakov Ariel
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio
Broadcast on April 29, 1998 / Iyar 3, 5758 

 THE JUBILEE RETURN
Happy holiday. As Israel celebrates its 50th birthday, its Jubilee,
let us discuss the significance of the Jubilee.  The Jubilee, which
comes from the Biblical word "yovel,"  is a proclamation of freedom, a
return to roots, as is written in the Torah, "Each man shall return to
his estate and to his family."  This refers not only to the private
individual, but to the entire nation.  In the Jubilee, the People of
Israel in its entirety returns to its original roots, to the momentous
occasion at which it became a nation. "Yovel" also means shofar,
proclaiming a new message, a new era.  It was the shofar that
proclaimed the Stand at Sinai, at which a very unique message was
announced to the world:  "I am the Lord your God, who took you out of
Egypt, from the land of slaves."  The participants at that momentous
stand heard, too, that they were no longer slaves, that they were now
free to return to their true heritage. 

*          *          *          *          *          *          *
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel is the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan.

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