Subject: Arutz-7 News: June 10-17, 1998 Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 00:00:59 +0000 To: "Arutz-7 List"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Wednesday, June 10, 1998 / Sivan 16, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. MORE MKs THREATEN TO TOPPLE GOVERNMENT OVER WITHDRAWAL 2. RABBI SHAPIRA TO MKs AND RABBIS: ON ANY WITHDRAWAL - TOPPLE! 1. MORE MKs THREATEN TO TOPPLE GOVERNMENT OVER WITHDRAWAL The security mini-cabinet convened this morning for yet another discussion of an upcoming withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled, who met last night with Prime Minister Netanyahu, said today that Netanyahu had told him that a final agreement on the withdrawal was still far off. Peled told Netanyahu that he intends to act to topple the government if it decides on another extensive withdrawal. Similar announcements were made this morning by Knesset Members Eli Gabbai and Avner Shaki of the National Religious Party. They met last night with representatives of the new Tekumah movement on this issue. Peled, Gabbai, and Shaki thus join coalition MKs Porat, Begin, Kleiner, Hendel, Slomiansky and others who have come out publicly in favor of toppling the government in the event of a withdrawal. 2. RABBI SHAPIRA TO MKs AND RABBIS: ON ANY WITHDRAWAL - TOPPLE! Some 11 Knesset Members of the Land of Israel front met this afternoon with former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira in his home. The topic: stopping the impending withdrawal from Yesha. Also participating at the meeting were leading nationalist-Zionist rabbis such as Rabbi Zalman Melamed, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman, and Rabbi Shabtai Zelikovitz; Tekumah leaders Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh) and Rabbi Menachem Felix; and former Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir. Rabbi Shapira stated unequivocally that the Knesset Members of the Land of Israel front, including those of the NRP, must quit the government if even the smallest withdrawal is decided upon. Demonstrations against NRP Minister Shaul Yahalom's lackluster stance regarding the withdrawal will be held outside his home and opposite NRP offices in Jerusalem. Arutz-7 correspondent Yedidya Atlas reports that the list of MKs who are behind the initiative to vote the government out of office in the event of any withdrawal has grown, and is up to about eleven or twelve. ************************************************************************ Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Thursday, June 11, 1998 / Sivan 17, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- NOTE: The map of the withdrawal distributed recently by Tekumah can be seen at our website at <http://www.a7.org/disastermap.htm> TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. SENIOR OFFICERS OBJECT TO WITHDRAWAL PLAN, AS DAYAN MOVES UP 2. THE THIRD WAY - THEN AND NOW 3. NRP RABBIS 4. NETANYAHU: AGREEMENT DEPENDS ON ARAFAT 5. ISRAELIS WANT COMPLIANCE 1. SENIOR OFFICERS OBJECT TO WITHDRAWAL PLAN, AS DAYAN MOVES UP Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan will leave his position as O.C. Central Command today, and will be appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF. He will be succeeded in the Central Command by Maj.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon. Maj.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will become O.C. Northern Command, and Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiyah will remain O.C. Southern Command. Gen. Dayan said yesterday that the IDF would require a number of weeks to prepare for an upcoming withdrawal. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman said that of late he has heard increasingly strong objections by very senior military officers to the withdrawal plan. He says that the latest plans for a 13% withdrawal include small pieces of the Judean Desert and the Jordan Valley, which were always generally considered "non-withdrawable." He said that this would not be to the liking of the Third Way party, which calls for withdrawing from more of the Arab-populated areas and not from the Jordan Valley. The IDF is apparently also willing to dismantle important army bases in Judea and Samaria in order to help reach the required quota of 13%. Huberman reports that the Rama and Ofer bases near Ramallah are under consideration in this regard, as well as army bases in the Jenin area. 2. THE THIRD WAY - THEN AND NOW Correspondent Huberman has the following report on the Third Way, which has become the major proponent of continued withdrawals from Yesha. He wrote in Hatzofeh that he recently discovered a copy of an announcement released by the Third Way movement in August 1995, shortly before it became a political party. The announcement, which was formulated as the details of the second Oslo agreement were becoming known, reads as follows: "The Third Way expresses its horror at the framework being formulated for the interim agreement, and calls upon the [Rabin] government not to... bring Israel to a defective and dangerous agreement which will be a tragedy for generations. The transfer of civilian responsibilities removes vital assets from Israel, and guarantees the PLO the basic components of a state, which will ... help the PLO push Israel back to the 1949 borders. Israel is already now giving up a major part of its negotiating cards, which it will need for the permanent-status talks. When the critical subjects will be negotiated, including the threat on the Green Line and Jerusalem, Israel will have nothing left to concede. The agreement being formulated repeats the same mistake that has characterized the government's moves since the first Oslo agreement: an Israeli commitment to withdraw according to a fixed timetable, without making this contingent upon the fulfillment of the PLO obligations." Huberman notes that this stands in stark contrast to recent threats by Third Way MKs to quit the government if the withdrawals are not carried out fast enough. 3. NRP RABBIS Rabbi Shlomo Aviner of Beit El issued a clarification this morning of an opinion he expressed yesterday. Voice of Israel Radio reported his original announcement, in which he said that despite the severity of the government's intentions to "cut off parts of our flesh and give away parts of the Land of Israel," the government should not necessarily be toppled as a result. "We must consider the alternative," he wrote. "As bad as this government's actions are, a Labor government would be even worse." This morning, however, Rabbi Aviner wrote to MK Chanan Porat that he was merely expressing an opinion, but that in terms of how to act practically, "we have Rabbi Avraham Shapira [who has called for the toppling of the government if it decides to withdraw from Yesha], and who am I next to him?" Chief Rabbi Tzephaniah Drori of Kiryat Shemonah told Arutz-7 today, "The question is as follows: a withdrawal can probably be passed in the Knesset without the NRP, as Labor or others will support it. Should the NRP then continue to support the government, claiming that what happened is already done with? Or should it say that it has now lost total confidence in this government to run security and political matters, and that it will therefore vote against it and topple it? In my opinion, for us to innocently claim that 'we were against the withdrawal but what could we do?' would be a grave mistake. We have to make it 100% clear that we cannot allow the government to take the drastic move of giving away control of the strategic areas of Judea and Samaria, thus endangering the entire country, allowing a Palestinian state to stand there, and endangering Israel's water supplies, and putting the small Yesha settlement enclaves into real and concrete danger every day... we cannot allow the government to enwrap itself in self-denial, to sign an agreement that it knows will not be fulfilled." Rabbi Drori said that the question "what's the alternative?" (referring to the possibility that Labor may win the next election) is totally subsidiary, and cannot be used as a consideration in questions of this sort. 4. NETANYAHU: AGREEMENT DEPENDS ON ARAFAT Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu related today to the "optimism" expressed today by Yasser Arafat that Israel will soon reach a decision on the coming withdrawal. As he was about to begin a meeting with the visiting Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Netanyahu said, "Our ability to advance in this process and to complete does not only depend on our efforts, which we are making, but also upon the willingness of the Palestinians to fulfill their commitments towards us, and not only with promises and committees, but in concrete ways. It is not only dependent upon Israel." 5. ISRAELIS WANT COMPLIANCE A Gallup survey has found that less than one-third of adult Israeli Jews would support a further withdrawal before the Palestinians honor their Oslo commitment to seize a substantial quantity of illegal weapons. IMRA, which commissioned the poll, reports that Gaza Preventive Security Head Col. Mohammed Dahlan said that he believes it is true that "every Palestinian has a gun in his home" and "not many" have registered them. Of those who voted for Shimon Peres in the last election, 33.5% said that another withdrawal should be carried out only after the Palestinians seize illegal weapons, and 8.6% said that Israel should not carry out an additional withdrawal under any circumstances - over 42% in total. *********************************************************************** Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Friday, June 12, 1998 / Sivan 18, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NETANYAHU NOT ENCOURAGED BY RABBI 2. NRP SPLIT FEARED 3. PA REACTS TO JUDAIZATION OF JERUSALEM 4. PRO-SECURITY DEMONSTRATION 1. NETANYAHU NOT ENCOURAGED BY RABBI Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had an unsatisfactory meeting today, from his point of view, with Rabbi Avraham Shapira. Also participating at the meeting in the rabbi's home were Head of the Prime Minister's Office Uri Elitzur, and several persons close to both Rabbi Shapira and the Yesha communities. Netanyahu came to explain why his government agrees to an extensive withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, but found that the rabbi could not be convinced. Rabbi Shapira told him that it is forbidden to withdraw from the Land of Israel, especially when such a move endangers lives. He said that he has advised the Knesset Members of the National Religious Party and others to topple the government if it decides to withdraw. Following the meeting, Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), among the leaders of the new Tekumah movement, spoke to reporters and related that when the Prime Minister asked the famous question to Rabbi Shapira, "What is the alternative?", the rabbi answered, "The alternative is that you don't retreat, don't abandon Jewish communities, remain loyal to your electorate, and you continue to serve as Prime Minister for at least the next two years." Netanyahu will meet tomorrow night with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, who has expressed similar opinions to those of Rabbi Shapira. The Prime Minister claims in private discussions that he cannot halt the process of withdrawals because an international coalition would arise against Israel, and the left would return to power. He says - privately - that he will annex all of Area C (under Israeli control) to Israel if and when Arafat declares an independent state. 2. NRP SPLIT FEARED A reduced forum of the NRP leadership decided last night, at the conclusion of a stormy meeting, that it does not negate an additional withdrawal from Yesha. The decision states that the party will fight to ensure that the extent of the withdrawals be kept to a minimum. Party leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy fears that a government decision to withdraw will lead to a split in the NRP. 3. PA REACTS TO JUDAIZATION OF JERUSALEM The Jewish settlement activities in eastern Jerusalem are causing concern in the Palestinian Authority. An announcement released by the PA leadership last night stated, "We will not agree to be silent in the face of the creeping cancerous attack of settlements in our holy city, and we will not sit with our hands folded." Itim reports that the PA decided to establish committees to "protect Jerusalem against settlement activities." Of late, four Jewish families have moved into Jewish-owned buildings in Shiloach, pre-construction excavations have begun on Ateret Cohanim property near the Flower Gate in the Old City, and preliminary approval has been given that would allow the construction of some 50 Jewish apartments at Yeshivat Beit Orot on Mt. of Olives. 4. PRO-SECURITY DEMONSTRATION A demonstration is planned against the deteriorating security situation in parts of Yesha for tomorrow night. Outside the community of Adurah, on the Trans-Judea highway, residents will gather and demand that the IDF step up their protection for Yesha residents. Bullets were shot at a Jewish car on Wednesday in the latest incident; no one was hurt. *********************************************************************** Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Sunday, June 14, 1998 / Sivan 20, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NRP TO MEET WITH CHIEF RABBIS 2. AOL ACQUIRES ISRAELI COMPANY FOR $287 MILLION 1. NRP TO MEET WITH CHIEF RABBIS Following Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting on Friday with former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, he met last night with former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Eliyahu. Both rabbis gave him the same message: a decision to withdraw will mean the resignation of the National Religious Party from the coalition and the subsequent fall of the government. Minister of Education Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, leader of the National Religious Party, clarified today that if the NRP decides to quit the coalition, it will not suffice with "fence-sitting," but will also act to topple the government. Rabbi Levy said that the NRP Central Committee is the only body authorized to decide on such a move, but that the position of Rabbis Shapira and Eliyahu has decisive weight among the Committee members. The NRP Knesset faction will be invited to meet with the two rabbis this week. 2. AOL ACQUIRES ISRAELI COMPANY FOR $287 MILLION The largest on-line internet service provider in the United States, America On-Line, announced that it has acquired Mirabilis Software for $287 million, plus an additional $120 million conditional upon the latter's future operations. Mirabilis, which was founded in 1996 by three young Israelis, created a software program for the internet called ICQ (a play on the words I Seek You), which allows real-time communications between participating internet users. ******************************************************************** Arutz Sheva News Service Monday, June 15, 1998 / Sivan 21, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- See the updated Arab Press Survey page on our website <http://www.a7.org> TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. WITHDRAWAL TALKS 2. YASSIN PLANS HIS RETURN, WON'T SHARE LEADERSHIP WITH ARAFAT 3. WORRISOME DEMOGRAPHICS 1. WITHDRAWAL TALKS The security mini-cabinet convened again this morning to discuss the proposed additional withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continued in his campaign yesterday to attempt to convince right-wing Knesset Members not to topple his government if he decides to carry out the withdrawal. 2. YASSIN PLANS HIS RETURN, WON'T SHARE LEADERSHIP WITH ARAFAT Hamas terrorist spiritual leader Sheikh Yassin said today in Cairo that he plans to return to Gaza before the end of the week, "to continue the path of the Jihad." So far, no decision has been taken by the Prime Minister's Office on whether to allow Yassin's re-entry into Gaza. Yassin has rejected Arafat's offer to join him in the Palestinian leadership, saying that such a thing is totally out of the question. Arafat's offer was a "blatant violation and ridicule of the Oslo accords," according to the Prime Minister's Office, as the Palestinian Authority is obligated to "systematically fight against all expressions of violence and terrorism" - not invite them into their government. 3. WORRISOME DEMOGRAPHICS Almost half of the immigrants to Israel from the countries of the former Soviet Union last year were not Jewish according to Jewish Law (Halakhah). According to Halakhah, one born to a Jewish mother, or one who has converted, is Jewish; Israel's Law of Return, which allows any Jew to immigrate to Israel, recognizes also anyone with a Jewish spouse, father, or grandparent (if he is accompanied by the Jewish parent or grandparent). Other statistics released recently show that Jerusalem's Arab population is growing almost four times faster than the Jewish population. In 1967, Arabs made up about 25% of the city's population, while today it is approximately 30%. The Arab population in Jerusalem increased by 3.7% in 1996, while the Jewish population there increased by 1%. It was also found that the main reason for Jewish residents moving out of Jerusalem is the high cost of housing. *********************************************************************** Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Sivan 22, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. NRP DECISION 2. NETANYAHU PREPARES FOR FALL 3. MORDECHAI ECHOES ARAB THREATS 4. EASY GO, EASY COME 5. AUSCHWITZ SYNAGOGUE TO BE OPENED 1. NRP DECISION The Knesset Members of the National Religious Party have decided to "object" to the proposed withdrawal. The decision reached last night states, "The NRP will object to any withdrawal if the Palestinians do not fulfill all of their Hevron-agreement commitments... Any deviation from previous government decisions, and any damage caused to the communities in Yesha, will place in doubt the NRP's continued membership in the present coalition." The decision also includes a call for the preservation of the integrity of the religious-Zionist camp. Three members of the Yesha Rabbis Council - Rabbi Melamed of Beit El, Rabbi Lior of Kiryat Arba, and Rabbi Shilo of Kedumim - participated in the meeting. Members of Chayil - secular supporters of the National Religious Party - held a protest vigil outside the party headquarters in Jerusalem today, demanding that a public and unambiguous decision be made to topple the government if it decides to withdraw from Yesha. NRP leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, speaking with Arutz-7 today, attacked his coalition partners in the Third Way party. He said that MK Yehuda Harel's visit to the U.S. to discuss the Oslo-process negotiations with the Americans, and his comments afterwards, "cause damage to Israel's negotiating position." Harel said this morning that it is Prime Minister Netanyahu who is responsible for the halt in the negotiations, and warned that if an agreement is not signed immediately, terrorism and violence will resume. 2. NETANYAHU PREPARES FOR FALL Pre-election preparations were being made this morning at a meeting in the Prime Minister's Office. Netanyahu has apparently reached the double conclusion that the withdrawal is unavoidable and that his government will fall as a result. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the Palestinians have rejected a proposal by Israel to grant a special status to several by-pass roads in the areas that are to be transferred to them in the next withdrawal. Israel suggested that a status equivalent to that of Area H-2 in Hevron be granted to these roads, along which Israel would be permitted to establish checkpoints and maintain a permanent military presence. Prime Minister Netanyahu hoped that this would enable him to claim that the Yesha settlements are not being harmed, as the roads to and from them would be under Israeli military control. The Palestinians, however, rejected the idea. 3. MORDECHAI ECHOES ARAB THREATS Minster of Defense Yitzchak Mordechai said privately last night that the signing of the withdrawal agreement could wait "a few days, but certainly not until the end of the summer session of the Knesset in six weeks... The decision must be made now." He said that renewed Arab violence could occur if the withdrawal is put off. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded, "Of course, if we would accept the Palestinian position, we could sign tomorrow." Likud MK Benny Begin also responded to Mordechai's remarks. He told Arutz-7 today, "As the old Arab adage goes, haste is from the Satan. The Defense Minister's job is to ensure that the government is able to make decisions carefully and with proper consideration, and without the influence of our enemies' threats. Unfortunately, the Defense Minister is serving instead as a mouthpiece for the threats of the PA." Begin said, "And if we in fact transfer the land to them, then there will be no more terrorism? History has taught us they will simply use the additional PA areas as places of refuge after attacking us." 4. EASY GO, EASY COME The Palestinians have begun to rebuild three illegal buildings that were razed by the Jerusalem municipality two days ago in Jabel Mukhabar. Officials from the Orient House are backing the illegal re-construction in the south-eastern Jerusalem neighborhood. Last night, a U.S. State Department spokesman condemned the razing of the illegal buildings. 5. AUSCHWITZ SYNAGOGUE TO BE OPENED A synagogue and a Jewish cultural center will be opened soon at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp. They will be the first Jewish institutions at the site since World War II. The initiator of the idea is California Congressman Thomas Lantos - the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress - who lost dozens of relatives in Auschwitz. He said that this will be not only a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, but "a bond between the nightmares of the past and the hopes of the future." *********************************************************************** Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.a7.org> Wednesday, June 17, 1998 / Sivan 23, 5758 ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday --- See below for subscription instructions --- TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. POLICE RAID ARUTZ-7 2. MINISTERS MEET WITH PM ABOUT LICENSING ARUTZ-7 3. REACTION FROM ARUTZ-7 4. SYMPOSIUM IN OFRAH 5. WITHDRAWAL NOTES 1. POLICE RAID ARUTZ-7 The Israel Police raided the offices and studios of Arutz-7 National Radio this morning. During the two-and-a-half hour "operation," they searched the building, took documents, and questioned employees of the station. The police later explained that the raid was carried out in accordance with an opinion written by Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein. They also said that although an earlier previous Supreme Court restraining order forbade them to close the station, it does not forbid them to continue the investigation. Arutz-7 broadcasts resumed, in fact, shortly before 1 PM. The police carried out a similar "operation" at the advertising offices of Arutz-7 in Tel Aviv today. They arrived at 10 AM, and spent the day there. 2. MINISTERS MEET WITH PM ABOUT LICENSING ARUTZ-7 Transportation Minister Shaul Yahalom, together with Communications Minister Limor Livnat, Public Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani, and Education Minister Rabbi Levy, met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this morning, and all agreed that Arutz-7 must be legalized as soon as possible. Yahalom said that he understood that it could very well be only a matter of a day or two before Arutz-7 is granted a license. Rabbi Levy told Netanyahu that the government had acted like a "shlemiel" by not solving this issue during its two years in office, and he threatened to resign if Arutz-7 is not granted a license to broadcast from land. Beit El Mayor Uri Ariel criticized the government for not living up to its campaign promises to allow Arutz-7 to broadcast from land. 3. REACTION FROM ARUTZ-7 Arutz-7 Chairman Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), speaking from the United States, said, "This is another transparent attempt by the State Attorney's Office and the police to stifle freedom of speech and to harm - even to topple - the present government. In a previous police raid [during the previous government], they confiscated the transmitters from our boat, but did not find any evidence that we did anything illegal. That's why they have not brought any charges against the station or anyone at the station, and it's been almost five years now. We still have not received the transmitters back, and it cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now, again: they know that we are not in violation of any law, that there is no law against calling a boat by phone and from there transmitting to land, and yet they continue to try to shut us up..." "When we started broadcasting ten years ago," Katzeleh said, "we never expected a rose garden, and in fact the police and political elements do all they can to shut our mouths. The government promised two years ago to allow us to broadcast from land, and still has not done so. We have learned not to expect anything from the government, nor from the NRP, and we know that we have to work ourselves for whatever we want. Jut like the Jews in Egypt: the more they were oppressed, the more they flourished and grew, and the same with us - we will grow, because people want to hear us, and need to hear us. We will soon even have television broadcasts, with God's help. Their efforts will not succeed." 4. SYMPOSIUM IN OFRAH At a public forum in Ofrah last night, Yesha Council head Pinchas Wallerstein said that if the upcoming withdrawal is agreed upon without Palestinian reciprocity and if it causes damage to the Yesha towns, the government must be toppled "even if the price is the ascent of Ehud Barak to office - for there will be no longer be a real difference between him and Netanyahu." Uri Elitzur, head of the Prime Minister's Office, who has called upon his co-residents in Yesha to participate in drawing the map of the upcoming withdrawal, said, "I see only two alternatives: a withdrawal decided upon by Netanyahu, and one decided upon by Barak. I would rather have the first one, and we must do all that we can to minimize the damage." MK Chanan Porat challenged him, and said, "Answer me straight: Under the first alternative, will a Palestinian state arise, or not?" Elitzur: "I very much hope not; it is possible to attain this." 5. WITHDRAWAL NOTES President Ezer Weizmann is acting to persuade opposition Knesset Members to vote in favor of the proposed upcoming withdrawal. He wishes in this way to neutralize the threat of coalition-party members of the Land of Israel front to vote against it. In a meeting with Labor party leader Ehud Barak, Weizmann did not receive a promise that Labor would support Netanyahu on the withdrawal... Prime Minister Netanyahu met yesterday with Kiryat Arba Rabbis Dov Lior and Eliezer Waldman. He did not succeed in changing their minds... Maariv newspaper reports that U.S. Secretary of State demanded, in a phone conversation with Netanyahu, that a decision to withdraw be made by the end of next week. ***********************************************************************