Subject: Arutz-7 News: May 1-6, 1998 Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 01:33:12 +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: Friday, May 1, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Friday, May 1, 1998 / Iyar 5, 5758 / 20 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- Arutz Sheva Salutes Israel on its 50th Independence Day TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. AL GORE IN ISRAEL 2. NETANYAHU PROMISES HAR HOMA CONSTRUCTION SOON 3. U.S. CONGRESSMEN ADDRESS LETTER TO ATT.-GEN. RENO 4. U.S. HOUSE OF REPS COMMEMORATES ISRAEL'S 50TH YEAR 5. DANCE COMPANY PACKED BAGS AND LEFT 1. AL GORE IN ISRAEL U.S. Vice President Al Gore continues his visit in Israel for the Jubilee celebrations. He met this morning with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for several hours and discussed issues including the negotiations with the Palestinian Arabs, Iran's nuclear capabilities, and an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. During the afternoon hours, the Prime Minister will convene the security mini-cabinet to formulate Israel's positions to be presented at next week's summit conference in London. Later in the afternoon, Netanyahu will host a festive lunch in honor of Gore at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. At a joint press conference following this morning's Netanyahu-Gore meeting, both leaders emphasized that their closed session together was not a continuation of the on-going negotiations. Vice President Gore opened his speech: "Thank you for a very stimulating and interesting and far-reaching and even philosophical discussion - one of the most interesting I have enjoyed in quite some time. I want to underscore the fact that this was not a negotiation, and I am not a negotiator. I am here to help celebrate a remarkable milestone in the history of one of the most vibrant democracies in the history of the earth." Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: "We are committed to achieving peace. It is a different peace than the one we have in western Europe or in North America. It is a peace in a predominantly un-democratized area... We have to know and be secure that we can defend the peace. A peace that cannot be defended will not hold... The determination of what Israel needs for its security - rightly the U.S. and Israel agree should be left in Israel's hands. We are grateful to the U.S. for helping us in these efforts." Speaking at last night's Jubilee Bells Independence Day celebration in Jerusalem, U.S. Vice President Gore blessed Israel that it should "achieve peace and not only a peace process." Gore also said that he sees the State of Israel as the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophesy of the Revival of the Dry Bones. Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking afterwards, spoke of the hope that has accompanied the Jewish people throughout its history. He thanked all of Israel's friends around the world for their hopes that Israel can bridge the river between annihilation and salvation. The Prime Minister ended his speech with the opening sentences of the Prayer for the State of Israel. 2. NETANYAHU PROMISES HAR HOMA CONSTRUCTION SOON Minister of Education Rabbi Yitzchak Levy stated this morning that Prime Minster Netanyahu promised representatives of the National Religious Party that construction at the Har Homa residential community would begin after Independence Day. Levy added that the Prime Minister did not obligate himself to any date or construction schedule. Close to 15,000 people participated yesterday afternoon in a cornerstone-laying ceremony at the Har Homa site in southern Jerusalem. Politicians spoke, musicians played, and participants conducted traditional Independence Day barbecues. A left-wing counter-demonstration was held about a kilometer away. One protestor managed to reach the Har Homa stage and grab the microphone from Yesha Council leader Aharon Domb for a few moments. 3. U.S. CONGRESSMEN ADDRESS LETTER TO ATT.-GEN. RENO Sixty-two U.S. Congressman have signed a letter to U.S. Attorney-General Janet Reno demanding that the Department of Justice prosecute Palestinian Arab terrorists who have murdered U.S. citizens. The letter, initiated by Reps. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ), was co-signed by both Republicans and Democrats including Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Alfonse D'Amato, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, and House Int'l Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman. Segments from the letter follow: "...The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has thus far failed to indict a single Palestinian terrorist believed to have participated in the murder of American citizens... Many of the suspects in these murders are believed to be living freely and openly in Palestinian-controlled territory. While some are serving time in Palestinian jails, this alone should not preclude the DOJ from issuing indictments, particularly given the fact that the Palestinian judicial system has often released terrorists well before their complete sentences have been served." "The DOJ should pursue these killers of American citizens abroad with the same vigor it has pursued the murderers of Americans killed in terrorist attacks here in the U.S. Americans traveling or living abroad have often been desirable targets for terrorist attacks. If we are to deter such attacks in the future, it is essential that our law enforcement agencies pursue these cases aggressively and to the fullest extent of the law. It is our view that the DOJ must investigate, indict, and prosecute these individuals without further delay." 4. U.S. HOUSE OF REPS COMMEMORATES ISRAEL'S 50TH YEAR Also in Congress, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Israel's 50th anniversary. The unanimous measure commends the "people of Israel for their remarkable achievements," and "reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation which have existed between the United States and Israel for the past half-century." House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced that he will lead a congressional delegation to Israel in May in celebration of Israel's 50th anniversary. New York Governor George Pataki is in Israel for the celebrations and signed a unique agreement of cultural cooperation with Prime Minister Netanyahu. 5. DANCE COMPANY PACKED BAGS AND LEFT The Bat Sheva dance Company did not appear at the Jubilee Bells celebration last night in Jerusalem. The dancers rejected the compromise that had been reached, according to which they would not disrobe completely from their Hassidic garb, but only partially. Head of the dance group, choreographer Ohad Naharin, announced that he will resign. A notable portion of the audience greeted the announcement with applause. Minister of Agriculture Rafael Eitan did not appear at the ceremony in protest of what he called religious coercion. ******************************************************************* 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, May 3, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Sunday, May 3, 1998 / Iyar 7, 5758 / 22 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NETANYAHU TO LONDON 2. PM GIVES GUARANTEE TO NRP MINISTERS * * *SPECIAL INSERT Excerpts from a Wall Street Journal editorial 1. NETANYAHU TO LONDON Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to depart for London early this evening, where he will meet tomorrow with his British counterpart Tony Blair and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Israeli government sources assume that the U.S. will not present its proposal for a 13% withdrawal as an ultimatum, although it will request Israel's official response to it within a matter of days. Albright has expressed pessimism about the success of the London talks. U.S. Vice President Al Gore, on his way to Egypt, held a surprise meeting this morning at Ben Gurion International Airport with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Gore apprised Netanyahu on his meetings with Yasser Arafat. 2. PM GIVES GUARANTEE TO NRP MINISTERS Prime Minister Netanyahu provided Ministers Rabbi Yitzchak Levy and Shaul Yahalom with a written guarantee at today's government meeting that he will not conclude any final agreements in London. He further wrote to the NRP ministers that he would make no decisions before bringing the issues to a cabinet debate, and that he would continue to insist on reciprocity from the Palestinians. Yesha Council leaders met all night with Knesset Members, rabbis, and other leaders of the Judea, Samaria, and Gaza communities. The issue at hand: worrisome reports that Netanyahu is prepared to agree to an 11% withdrawal, and that he may gloss over his demands for reciprocity from the Palestinians. The Yesha Council wrote to 1000 members of the National Religious Party central committee, requesting that they encourage the NRP Knesset Members to stand fast against a withdrawal. The letter, signed by Council heads Aharon Domb and Pinchas Wallerstein, reads, "The government stands before possibly the most fateful question of this generation: whether to accept international dictates to surrender parts of our homeland, or to sustain the existence of the Jewish communities in the land we have inherited from our forefathers." The letter states that if the withdrawal is carried out, the lives of thousands of Jews in almost 20 Jewish communities will become intolerable. "They will become surrounded by a hostile Palestinian entity which - according to Arafat's announcements - will become a Palestinian state next year," continued the letter. It is assumed that Netanyahu's written promise to the NRP ministers today was in reaction to the pressure exerted upon him by the Yesha Council members and others. * * *SPECIAL INSERT Excerpts from a Wall Street Journal editorial of Friday, May 1, 1998: ...After the 1967 Six-Day War, no longer were Israeli farmers and fishermen in the Galilee threatened by Syrian gunners on the Golan Heights; no longer were holy sites in Jerusalem's old city and on the west bank of the Jordan denied to Jews, and, most importantly, no longer would Israelis have to fear for the very existence of their state... As for the creation of a Palestinian Arab state, foreseen in the 1947 U.N. resolution backing Israel's creation, the task was made nearly impossible by the lack of politically moderate Arabs with whom to deal. Extremist forces had murdered many such "collaborators," while others had fled. Though Israel's military might remained unchallenged, political desperation led it eventually to recognize an organization dedicated to its own destruction--the Palestine Liberation Organization or PLO. The Oslo Accords were born. In terms of granting political independence to West Bank Arabs, the Accords have been a success; 98% now live under Palestinian Authority rule. But this is not a liberal political order, and in terms of satisfying Palestinian Arab aspirations for a viable state, large obstacles exist. PA President [sic] Yasser Arafat walked away from the bargaining table more than a year ago to protest Israeli construction near Jerusalem. He still has not removed calls for the destruction of Israel from the PLO charter, and he continues to make hateful and inflammatory statements that undermine chances for peace. It is quite understandable, then, that so many Western politicians and pundits are pessimistic about the prospects for real peace in Israel's near future. More perplexing is the instinct to blame the impasse on Israel. Perhaps it is because the circumstances of Israel's creation still raise questions of political legitimacy, including claims that all Israeli land was essentially stolen from the Arabs. But it should be kept in mind that the original Jewish state was a U.N. creation. How many of Israel's critics live in states whose boundaries were defined by anything other than conquest? In a region where corrupt, despotic government is too common, Israelis have built a liberal-democratic civilization, however vulnerable that system may be to the imperfect political foresight of political men and women. Much remains to be done, including freeing the Israeli economy to produce wealth for Arabs and Jews alike and help cement genuine peace in the region. But if Israel's anniversary should serve to remind us of anything, it is that although "peace now," or anything "now," is not the nature of politics, courage and conviction can achieve much over time. ********************************************************************** 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, May 4, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Monday, May 4, 1998 / Iyar 8, 5758 / 23 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. COUNTER-PRESSURE FROM WITHIN 2. ARUTZ-7 FILES SUIT * * * SPECIAL INSERT: Four Years to the Jericho-Gaza Agreement 1. COUNTER-PRESSURE FROM WITHIN Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with his British counterpart Tony Blair in London this morning, and afterwards with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Sources within his entourage said that he is prepared to agree to an 11% withdrawal, and possibly even 13% if the Palestinians cede their demand for a third withdrawal. David Bar Ilan, however, who serves as Director of Policy Planning and Communications in the Prime Minister's Office, told BBC today that Israel is against a withdrawal of more than 9%. The Yesha Council reiterated its threat again today to act to topple the government if it agrees to a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Arutz-7 has learned that three of the more prominent leaders of Yesha - Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), Uri Ariel, and Ze'ev Chever (Zambish) - worked intensively during the 48 hours that preceded Prime Minister Netanyahu's trip to London to organize a firm parliamentary resistance to any further concessions. After a marathon series of meetings, a solid bloc of nine MKs in the Land of Israel Knesset Front issued a public call to the Prime Minister to remain firm against American and European pressure to make further concessions to Arafat. They warned that should Mr. Netanyahu agree to any unilateral withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, they would immediately work to bring down his government. MK Michael Kleiner, Chairman of the Land of Israel Knesset Front, told the BBC that Netanyahu's remaining in power is directly dependent on his remaining firm in his negotiations with the Americans, Europeans and Arabs. Education Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (National Religious Party) said that the Prime Minister should be wary of the NRP's reaction if he does not adhere to his principles in London. He said that the NRP would formulate its reaction to the government's decisions based on the capacity of the Yesha communities to continue to thrive and live securely. 2. ARUTZ-7 FILES SUIT Arutz-7 Israel Radio has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against intentions to shut down its broadcasts. The station's attorney, Dr. Yaakov Weinroth, claimed in the suit that forcibly closing it down would be a blow to the freedom of occupation and freedom of expression. He denied that Arutz-7 broadcasts illegally, and wrote that the station must not be treated differently than Abie Nathan's Voice of Peace. Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), in the name of the leadership of Arutz-7, issued a call to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein: "You know, as does everyone else, that all the accusations against are no more than a blood libel... So why would you give an order to close down Arutz-7, against all principles of justice, when this is not done even against Palestinian radio, or against Arab radio stations in the Galilee, or against stations that broadcast illegally all over the country? Just against us?! Just us, who are not in violation of any law, and you know that this is so... We are allowed to have studios in Beit El, where we don't have any transmitters, and we are allowed to talk by telephone to the ship at sea [from where the transmissions are then broadcast]... A very large national religious public cannot understand how Elyakim - who is supposed to be its representative, for after all he graduated from Yeshivas, and is a Torah scholar - many people are asking us by phone and fax how is it possible that he is heading the effort to close us down, merely in order to find favor with the people around him and the left?! We call upon you, Elyakim, to wake up, and to stop persecuting us!" SPECIAL INSERT: In honor of the fourth anniversary of the signing of the "Gaza-Jericho" agreement with the Palestinians, the Israel Government Press Office published an article entitled "Four Years of Israeli Concessions and Palestinian Violations." Excerpts follow: At a ceremony in Cairo on May 4, 1994, Israel and the Palestinians signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement. The accord led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) shortly thereafter. Each side undertook numerous obligations, chief among them Israel's commitment to turn territory over to the PA, and the Palestinian commitment to combat terror and prevent violence. Over the past four years, Israel has made the following tangible concessions and proposals to the Palestinians: 1) Israeli forces withdrew from Jericho and most of the Gaza Strip (May 1994) 2) After the signing of the September 1995 Oslo 2 Accords, Israeli forces withdrew from six cities in the West Bank: Jenin, Tulkarem, Kalkilya, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem 3) After the signing of the January 1997 Hebron Accord, Israeli forces withdrew from 80% of Hebron, one of Judaism's holiest cities. 4) On March 6, 1997, the Israeli Cabinet approved the first phase of the further West Bank redeployments, consisting of 9.1% of the territory. This included 7% of territory that is currently Area B (Israeli security control, Palestinian civilian control) and 2.1% of Area C (exclusive Israeli control). The redeployment would have tripled the size of West Bank territory under exclusive Palestinian control. The PA rejected the Israeli Cabinet decision. 5) On March 19, 1997, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is prepared to enter final status talks with the Palestinians immediately, offering an accelerated timetable under which the negotiations would be completed within six to nine months. The PA rejected the Israeli proposal. 6) On November 30, 1997, the Israeli Cabinet approved in principle the second stage of the further redeployments in the West Bank. Subsequent meetings have been held to work out the conditions and details of the move. As a result of Israel's withdrawals, more than 95% of Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Gaza now live under Palestinian administration. >From the Palestinian side, the four years since the Gaza-Jericho Agreement have been marked by systematic Palestinian non-compliance with their main obligations under the accords. Various Palestinian commitments contained in the May 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement were recycled in the September 1995 Oslo II Accord and reaffirmed in the January 1997 Hebron Accord, yet they remain unfulfilled. Following is a summary of a table outlining Palestinian actions vis-a-vis their obligations: a. The Commitment to Eliminate Articles in the PLO Covenant Calling for Israel's Destruction: First undertaken in the first Oslo agreement in Jan. 1993, reaffirmed in the Gaza-Jericho Accord of May 1994, the Oslo II Accord of Sept. 1995, and the Hevron Protocol of Jan. 1997. In April 1996, the Palestinian National Council empowered a legal committee to redraft the Covenant. No PNC action has been taken since to effectuate changes. b. The Commitment to cease anti-Israel incitement: Undertaken and reaffirmed as above. PA officials and media regularly incite hatred and violence against Israel. c. The Commitment to Uproot Terrorist Infrastructure: First Undertaken in the Gaza-Jericho Accord, and reaffirmed in the Oslo II Accord and in the Hevron Protocol. Some terrorists have been arrested but most have been freed. Some terror attacks have been prevented, but no action has been taken against the terrorists' military infrastructure. d. The Commitment to Transfer of Terror Fugitives: Undertaken and reaffirmed as above. All of Israel's requests for 33 fugitives have been ignored. e. The Commitment to Disarm/Disband Terror Groups: Undertaken and reaffirmed as above. The PA has disbanded none of the major terror groups. f. The Commitment to Confiscate All Illegal Weapons: Undertaken and reaffirmed as above. Weapons caches have been uncovered with great fanfare, but tens of thousands of weapons are still in terrorists' hands. g. The Commitment to cease PA Activity in Jerusalem: Undertaken and reaffirmed as above. Several PA offices continue to operate in Jerusalem. ********************************************************************** 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: Tuesday, May 5, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Tuesday, May 5, 1998 / Iyar 9, 5758 / 24 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. LONDON TALKS END WITH NO RESULTS 2. PALESTINIANS THREATEN VIOLENCE 3. JUDGE ISSUES ORDER AGAINST CLOSING ARUTZ-7 1. LONDON TALKS END WITH NO RESULTS The London summit has ended, without results. The talks will apparently be continued in Washington next week. The main points of contention revolve around the exact extent of the withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and the implementation of the reciprocity principle. The Americans did not submit their proposal during the talks. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced at a press conference this afternoon that significant progress was made in several areas. This was in opposition to statements by Palestinian and American spokesmen; State Department spokesman James Rubin said, "It is hard to be optimistic about the talks." 2. PALESTINIANS THREATEN VIOLENCE Ahmed Tibi, top advisor to Yasser Arafat, said today that the Palestinians are willing to accept every detail of the American proposal for an Israeli withdrawal. Palestinian spokesmen have begun again to threaten violence throughout Judea and Samaria if Israel does not agree to their demands. Palestinian Authority Secretary Ahmed Abdul Rahman said today that the crisis in the London talks proves that the entire peace process is a plot against the Palestinians, and predicted that the region will quickly fall into a state of pandemonium. "Netanyahu must understand that when he says no to the Americans, there is a price that he must pay," declared Abdul Rahman. 3. JUDGE ISSUES ORDER AGAINST CLOSING ARUTZ-7 Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Tirkel issued a restraining order today, forbidding the government from closing Arutz-7 or taking action to prevent Arutz-7 from broadcasting. The order is in effect until the petition filed yesterday by Arutz-7 against the police, the Communications Ministry, and the Attorney-General is heard. Today's order requires the government to explain why it should not return the equipment it confiscated three years ago, and why it should curtail freedom of expression, freedom of occupation, and human dignity and freedom by closing the station. *********************************************************************** 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, May 6, 1998 Arutz Sheva News Service Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / Iyar 10, 5758 / 25 days to the Omer ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. AMERICAN PRESSURE MAY LEAD TO EARLY ELECTIONS 2. OLMERT OR LANDAU MAY RUN AGAINST NETANYAHU 3. BAR ILLAN ATTEMPTS TO CALM FEARS 1. AMERICAN PRESSURE MAY LEAD TO EARLY ELECTIONS The U.S. says that the Washington summit meeting which was discussed yesterday in London will be held only if Israel agrees beforehand to a 13% withdrawal. Prime Minister Netanyahu said today that he will not give in to American dictates, but Yesha Council members say that they have learned that he is prepared to agree to a withdrawal from more than 11% of the area. MK Michael Kleiner, leader of the Knesset Land of Israel front, told Arutz-7 today that he understands the pressures facing Netanyahu, but that the simple consequence of giving into these pressures is new elections. Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled (Tsomet), MK Tzvi Hendel (NRP), and other MKs also reiterated today their determination to bring down the government if a 13% withdrawal is in fact decided upon. NRP Minister of Transportation Shaul Yahalom said today that his party would not be able to continue in the coalition if it decides to withdraw from 13% of Yesha. Members of the Eretz Yisrael Knesset front have already begun to signal their intentions; today ten of them absented themselves from the Knesset - leading to government losses on several votes - as they toured by helicopter some of the areas that are scheduled to be included in the upcoming withdrawal. Ze'ev Chever (Zambish), a leading member on the Yesha Council, said that there still remains the hope that the Prime Minister is bringing the issue to the government not to have it the accept the American demands, but to reject them. "The coming days will tell," he said. He said that a 13% withdrawal would leave tens of thousands of Jews in Yesha surrounded by Palestinian territory, similar to Netzarim and Kfar Darom in Gaza. "It is impossible to think that such a situation, where so many people are dependent on army escorts to leave and come home every day, will last for long. Whoever brings about such a situation knows that it cannot last, and he will simply bring upon himself the fall of his government," Chever said. 2. OLMERT OR LANDAU MAY RUN AGAINST NETANYAHU Leaders of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are considering fielding a candidate of their own to run against Binyamin Netanyahu within the Likud for Prime Minister. Alternatively, the candidate may run independently in the national elections. Two names most frequently mentioned are those of Ehud Olmert and Uzi Landau. Olmert, presently mayor of Jerusalem, is well-regarded in the religious/hareidi camp "for having kept his campaign promises." Landau is the Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and has said that he will vote against the government if it decides on a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. 3. BAR ILLAN ATTEMPTS TO CALM FEARS David Bar Illan, Director of Policy Planning and Communication in the Prime Minister's Office, told Arutz-7 today that Israel is firm in its demand that the Palestinians fulfill their obligations before Israel carries out any withdrawal. He said that the Americans have agreed to 80% of Israel's reciprocity demands. Regarding the demand to extradite wanted terrorists to Israel, Bar Illan said that the U.S. has proposed that they be held in a Palestinian prison under American supervision; he did not say what Israel's position is on this proposal. "In any event," said Bar Illan, "this withdrawal will not lead to any Jewish townships being surrounded by Palestinian autonomy." ***********************************************************************