Subject: Israel News: June 24-25, 1998 (Jerusalem Post)
Date:    Wed, 24 Jun 1998 23:55:44 +0000
To:      "Arutz-7 List"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

 

Wednesday, June 24, 1998       30 Sivan 5758 
Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition


                    Arafat: 'Enough is enough' 

                    By LIAT COLLINS and news agencies 

                    JERUSALEM (June 24) - Palestinian Authority
                    Chairman Yasser Arafat has urged the Clinton
                    administration to step up pressure on Israel and
                    go public with its redeployment plan, chief
                    Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said yesterday.

                    MK Haim Ramon (Labor), meanwhile, charged that the
                    updated US redeployment plan would give the
                    Palestinians more territory than the original
                    plan, introduced last January.

                    Arafat's appeal came in a letter to US Secretary
                    of State Madeleine Albright, Erekat said.

                    Arafat reminded Albright that, in a phone call
                    last month, she had assured him that her
                    negotiations with Prime Minister Binyamin
                    Netanyahu on a second redeployment would be
                    completed within two weeks, Erekat said.

                    "He said that he went all the way with her ideas
                    in meetings here and there, and now it is time for
                    the American administration to introduce its ideas
                    and proposals publicly and officially, and it is
                    time to tell Netanyahu that enough is enough,"
                    Erekat said.

                    "Netanyahu is just wasting time, just stalling,"
                    he said.

                    Ramon made his disclosures at a press conference,
                    where he presented translated copies he had made
                    of both US pullback proposals. He also distributed
                    the copies to other MKs.

                    He said that the updated plan from June 20
                    includes comments in the handwriting of US special
                    envoy Dennis Ross. The first version, from January
                    31, was apparently presented by Ross in London to
                    Yitzhak Molcho, the prime minister's adviser and
                    to Erekat.

                    Ramon said the in the latest version, the
                    redeployment would be carried in three stages over
                    a 12-week period during which 27.2 percent of the
                    area under Israel's complete or security control
                    would be handed over to complete or administrative
                    Palestinian control, compared to the 25% in the
                    first version.

                    He said, 15.2% would be transferred from Area B to
                    Area A (instead of 13.1% in the original
                    initiative) and 12% would be transferred from Area
                    C, under complete Israeli control, to Area B
                    (compared to 11.9%).

                    Both documents deal with reciprocity issues,
                    changing the Palestinian Covenant, opening
                    final-status negotiations as soon as the agreement
                    is signed, resuming security cooperation, and
                    establishing committees to deal with arms
                    smuggling, incitement, and the extradition of
                    wanted terrorists.

                    "Most of the Israeli public - including ministers
                    and MKs - have no idea about the details of the US
                    plan and have no idea how the negotiations are
                    being carried out," Ramon said.

                    "Ninety percent of the [second] agreement is based
                    on the prime minister's ideas... In effect,
                    between January and June there have been no
                    changes in the plan and if there were, they are
                    small changes for the worst."

                    Ramon said Netanyahu is acting out of coalition
                    considerations - a charge the prime minister has
                    repeatedly denied - and ruining relations with the
                    US.

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


Wednesday, June 24, 1998       30 Sivan 5758 
Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition


                    Netanyahu: Obtaining a public consensus is not a
                    joke 

                    By HERB KEINON 

                    JERUSALEM (June 24) - Proposals to hold a
                    referendum on the second-stage withdrawal gained
                    momentum yesterday, as Prime Minister Binyamin
                    Netanyahu met with a number of cabinet ministers
                    and discussed ways of holding the vote, as well as
                    a target date.

                    An official in the Prime Minister's Office said
                    that one of the ideas raised for holding the
                    referendum was to use magnetic ballots that would
                    be sent to all voters, which would then be cast at
                    post offices. One of the target dates mentioned,
                    the official said, was mid-September.

                    No final decisions were made at the meeting,
                    attended by Justice Minister Tzahi Hanegbi,
                    Communications Minister Limor Livnat, Interior
                    Minister Eli Suissa, and cabinet secretary Dan
                    Naveh.

                    Further discussions are scheduled for today, with
                    Hanegbi due to lead deliberations on regulations
                    to govern campaigning in the electronic media.

                    Speaking to reporters at the Israel Democracy
                    Institute's economics conference in Zichron
                    Ya'acov, Netanyahu said: "I think that obtaining a
                    consensus in the public is not a joke, but
                    something important."

                    In a criticism of the Rabin government, which
                    passed the Oslo 2 accords on the strength of
                    renegade Tsomet MKs Gonen Segev and Alex Goldfarb,
                    he added: "I always said that I wanted the widest
                    consensus possible for diplomatic agreements, in
                    contrast to how another government acted."

                    Netanyahu said he is confident a decision on the
                    referendum will gain ministerial support, despite
                    criticism already levelled by some ministers,
                    including Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai.

                    Netanyahu, during a separate appearance in Ramat
                    Gan, blasted Palestinian moves to upgrade the
                    status of the PLO mission at the UN. He warned
                    that if these plans are approved, they will
                    severely damage the peace process.

                    "We are hearing of plans to violate the agreement.
                    Upgrading the PLO's representation at the UN is a
                    violation of the agreement," Netanyahu said. "If
                    this is done, it will cause grave damage to the
                    peace process, and we cannot accept it."

                    Netanyahu said his government is doing everything
                    it can to "minimize the damage" of the Oslo
                    accords. "We inherited a problematic agreement and
                    we are doing everything to minimize the damage,"
                    he said. "We are not willing to give and not
                    receive. We want to give the minimum, and receive
                    what has been promised us."

                    Mordechai yesterday continued to express
                    skepticism over the effectiveness of a referendum.

                    "I never said it was a bad thing," he told
                    reporters during a visit to the Gaza Strip. "I
                    only said that I am studying the matter and will
                    continue to study it. I will state my opinion when
                    I understand the referendum and its significance."

                    "What is a referendum and what service can it
                    provide?" Mordechai asked.

                    The opposition, meanwhile, vowed yesterday to
                    fight against the referendum and foil the
                    legislation to pave the way for it.

                    Arieh O'Sullivan, Dan Izenberg, and Michal
                    Yudelman contributed to this report.


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

Thursday, June 25, 1998       1 Tammuz 5758 
Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition


                    Netanyahu pushing hard for referendum 

                    By MICHAL YUDELMAN and news agencies 

                    Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu yesterday made
                    intensive efforts, including via a telephone
                    marathon, to muster support for a referendum,
                    accusing those who oppose it with wanting to harm
                    the government.

                    By last night, however, the number of coalition
                    MKs, including many in the Likud, who oppose the
                    referendum was estimated at 48, while only 15 were
                    in favor or had not yet decided.

                    Netanyahu called a meeting of coalition party
                    leaders, putting his whole weight behind a
                    referendum.

                    He told them he could hold a referendum two months
                    after a decision is made.

                    He said the referendum is a tool intended to help
                    the government, and would help bridge the
                    differences among the population.

                    Political sources said that Netanyahu intends to
                    announce the planned referendum today, if he is
                    assured of sufficient support.

                    Those objecting to the proposal include
                    Agriculture Minister Rafael Eitan (Tsomet),
                    Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai (Likud),
                    coalition whip Meir Sheetrit (Likud), Shas,
                    Gesher, five of the seven Yisrael Ba'aliya MKs,
                    United Torah Judaism, Moledet, and two of The
                    Third Way's four MKs.

                    The objectors said their main reason is not
                    knowing whether Netanyahu wants the referendum to
                    advance the peace process or as a means to delay a
                    pullback decision.

                    Shas leader Aryeh Deri said his party tends to
                    object to a referendum, fearing it would set a
                    precedent for issues of state and religion.

                    "Tomorrow someone will get up and say they want a
                    referendum to separate state from religion. Every
                    month it will be something else. What's the
                    Knesset for? We have a principled stand that the
                    government and Knesset should reach a decision [on
                    the pullout]. This is what they were elected for,"
                    Deri said.

                    "In any case, a referendum should not come instead
                    of a decision. If there's any place for a
                    referendum, it's only to prevent a rift in the
                    nation and help reach unity.

                    "If we are convinced it would not delay the
                    pullout and contribute to unity, then we'll
                    support it."

                    Deri said Shas will not demand any political
                    benefits in exchange for its support.

                    In Washington, the US State Department urged
                    Israel again yesterday to approve a US proposal
                    for turning over 13 percent of the West Bank to
                    the Palestinian Authority and said a referendum
                    may not a good idea if it adds to the delay.

                    "If it involves significant delay of any
                    breakthrough, that would be of concern to us," a
                    statement said.

                    "Our emphasis remains on the need for rapid
                    progress to reach agreement on implementing the
                    further redeployments," State Department spokesman
                    James Rubin said.

                    He tempered the statement, though, by saying it
                    was up to Israel to decide what to do, and that it
                    was "not obvious" that a referendum would produce
                    delay in reaching an agreement and reopening
                    negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

                    By some accounts, a referendum would delay a
                    withdrawal for at least two months because
                    parliament would have to pass special legislation
                    first.

                    Arafat is urging the administration to step up
                    pressure on Israel. In a letter to Secretary of
                    State Madeleine Albright, Palestinian negotiator
                    Saeb Erekat called for public disclosure of the US
                    withdrawal plan.

                    But Rubin said "it wouldn't be helpful at this
                    time to take that step. And so we're not going to
                    do so."

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

Thursday, June 25, 1998       1 Tammuz 5758 
Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition


                    Israel threatens to spurn UN bodies if PLO
                    upgraded 

                    By HERB KEINON 

                    JERUSALEM (June 25) - Israel would retaliate
                    against a UN decision to upgrade the status of the
                    PLO by cutting back on cooperation with UN bodies
                    interested in becoming more involved in the Middle
                    East, a senior Foreign Ministry official warned
                    yesterday.

                    The official said the Palestinian move to upgrade
                    its UN status is a violation of the "spirit of
                    Oslo," since the accords state that neither side
                    should take dramatic unilateral actions that alter
                    the status quo prior to a final-status agreement.

                    Although Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said
                    the resolution would "severely damage the peace
                    process" if passed, the Foreign Ministry official
                    did not say what action Israel would take against
                    the Palestinian Authority.

                    A debate in the General Assembly on the proposal
                    was scheduled for Friday, but has been postponed.
                    Israel has been lobbying intensely against the
                    move.

                    US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called PA
                    Chairman Yasser Arafat on Tuesday and discussed
                    the issue. Netanyahu also spoke with British Prime
                    Minister Tony Blair about the matter.

                    The Foreign Ministry official said the
                    Palestinians are interested in the upgrade because
                    it will provide them with the status of "a state
                    minus," and enhance their position in the
                    international community.

                    Such a move, he said, would not only have symbolic
                    consequences, but tangible ones, since the
                    Palestinians would be able to draft resolutions
                    and participate in all debates on the Middle East.

                    "Their ability to maneuver against us at the UN
                    will be radically enhanced," the official said.

                    Yitzhak Lior, the Foreign Ministry's deputy
                    director-general for international organizations,
                    noted that since Israel has been boxed out of
                    regional groupings at the UN, it can never dream
                    of full representation on the Security Council or
                    other prestigious UN bodies.

                    An enhanced status for the Palestinian delegation
                    could paradoxically give "Palestine" more clout at
                    the UN than Israel, he said.

**********************************************************************
1