Arutz-7 News: July 3-8, 1998

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, July 3, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Friday, July 3, 1998 / Tammuz 9, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ISRAEL YIELDS TO PALESTINIAN DEMANDS
2. REACTIONS
3. PA NEWSPAPER DENIES HOLOCAUST

1. ISRAEL YIELDS TO PALESTINIAN DEMANDS
The government gave in to the Palestinian demands early this morning, and
allowed a convoy of trucks to pass through an Israeli-controlled road. In
return, the Arabs removed the blockade of cars that they had placed on
several intersections in Gush Katif, and enabled Jewish travel in and out
of Morag, Netzarim, and Kfar Darom.

The incident began late yesterday afternoon, when Abdal Aziz Shahin - a
Palestinian Authority official known for his extreme anti-Israel rhetoric -
demanded that a convoy of supply trucks be allowed to pass through.
Contrary to news reports, the road had not been "closed for security
reasons two months before," but is rather in Area C and is under the
permanent and exclusive control of Israel. The Israeli soldiers were
willing to allow Shahin to pass through, due to his senior status, but
refused to allow the entire convoy to pass. At that point, Shahin and
others with him broke into a nearby Jewish foodstand and took it over,
while Palestinian police and military forces streamed into the area and
blocked other junctions at Morag, Netzarim, and Gush Katif. Hundreds of
Arab cars also arrived to help with the blockade, which cut off all traffic
to and from the Jewish communities.

Following almost 12 hours of negotiations, involving O.C. Southern Command
Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiyah, Gaza Region IDF Commander Brig.-Gen. Yoav
Galant, and PA Intelligence Chief Muhammad Dahlan, and including
consultations with American mediator Dennis Ross and others, the Arabs
began to clear the intersections. During the blockade, hundreds of Gush
Katif residents were stranded at the checkpoints, and hundreds of Jewish
workers who work in the Jewish communities were unable to return to their
homes in the Negev. The community of Kfar Darom reported a loss of tens of
thousands of shekels worth of agricultural produce that was not able to be
distributed. The IDF offered to fly stranded Netzarim residents to their
homes, but the residents rejected the offer, and demanded that the army
clear the intersections. One woman was flown from Netzarim to a Be'er
Sheva hospital to give birth.

A Palestinian official said today that Israel had caused an unnecessary
provocation by refusing to allow the convoy to pass through, "and the proof
is that in the end, the trucks were allowed to pass." Shlomo Kustiner,
head of the blockaded community of Netzarim, told Arutz-7 today, "His logic
is correct. The IDF totally caved in, and showed the Palestinians that
they can achieve whatever they want by the use of force." Cabinet
Secretary Danny Naveh told Voice of Israel Radio today that Israel forced
the Arabs to clear the intersections, and that they learned that they
cannot achieve anything via threats and violence.

2. REACTIONS
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: "The events in Gush Katif were a blatant
violation of the Oslo agreement and a planned provocation on the part of
the Palestinian Authority. We attempt to solve problems like this without
violence, and we succeeded this time, but it must be clear to all that
Israel will not cede its right to control these roads, and nothing will be
gained by violence. Israel will respond to Arab violence, and this will
lead to a regression of the peace process."

Gush Katif Regional Council Head Aharon Tzur: "I cannot believe that the
IDF allowed the Palestinian convoy to pass through a road on which they
were not allowed to travel."

O.C. Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiyah, responding to criticism
against the IDF and the government: "The army could have acted at any
second, at any minute, in any way... There was no helplessness here. These
words are baseless. I could have taken a decision on any matter, and I had
full backing from the government."

Minister of Education Rabbi Yitzchak Levy said that the events in Gush
Katif teach us that Israel should skip the next withdrawal, and proceed
directly to permanent-status negotiations.

Transportation Minister Shaul Yahalom: "The events in Gush Katif serve as
a general rehearsal of what is likely to take place in Judea and Samaria if
the second withdrawal is actually carried out. The government must
understand that every concession in the upcoming withdrawal is likely to
lead to a Palestinian takeover of strategic locations in Yesha."

MK Rehavam Ze'evi (Moledet): "The government has again given in to
Arafat's terrorists, and the Israel Defense Forces are now the Israel
Restraint Forces."

MK Yosi Sarid (Meretz): "It is good that the incident ended without
bloodshed."

3. PA NEWSPAPER DENIES HOLOCAUST
An article denying the Holocaust was published yesterday in the official
Palestinian Authority newspaper, Al Hiyyat al-Jadida. Author Ali Sayyif
Al-Jeroen wrote, "The atrocities of the Holocaust are an invention of the
Jews, designed to arouse affection for them." He claims that the Jews made
up the story of the gas chambers, and cynically distributed photos of Nazi
soldiers shooting women and children. "It is clear," the article
continued, "that Hitler killed some Jews, but he did them a service, the
fruits of which they are harvesting up til this very day."

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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: Sunday, July 5, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org> Sunday, July 5, 1998 / Tammuz 11, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. THE ARAB BLOCKADE, THREE DAYS AFTER
2. FUTURE MINISTER SHALOM RELATES TO BLOCKADE, WITHDRAWAL
3. ARAB LEADERS MEET, CONDEMN ISRAEL

1. THE ARAB BLOCKADE, THREE DAYS AFTER
The government convened for its weekly session today, with last
Thursday's events at Gush Katif at the top of the agenda. The
Palestinians blockaded three Jewish communities for 12 hours until a
convoy of trucks was allowed to pass through a road that was closed to
Palestinian traffic. Ministers Limor Livnat, Yitzchak Levy, and Shaul
Yahalom said before the meeting that they view the blockade imposed by
the Arabs as a "warning light" when considering any further withdrawal
from Judea and Samaria.

Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the IDF (Israel
Defense Forces) is certain beyond any doubt that the events of
Thursday were a premeditated Palestinian provocation. The Arab
trucks, which set out originally from Rafiach [a city in Gaza], were
bound for no place other than back to Rafiach; in fact, after they
were allowed to pass through the road, they turned around and returned
to Rafiach. IDF sources reacted to the criticism against the army by
saying that the main goal of preventing bloodshed was achieved. Gush
Katif civilian leaders say, however, that the army caved in, and thus
paved the way for the next Palestinian threat of the same, or a more
extreme, nature.

Huberman reports that the Palestinian Authority sees the gains of
Thursday as a great achievement, in that Israel was forced to give in
and open a road for its trucks. The Prime Minister's Office warns the
PA that is the last time such a thing will happen, and that "if the PA
tries this trick again, the IDF will open the blocked roads with
force." Huberman notes the surprising development that PA Security
Chief Muhammad Dahlan, generally considered one of the PA's "strong
men," took orders throughout the incident from a PA Minister, Ali Abu
Shahin, who instigated the entire incident.

2. FUTURE MINISTER SHALOM RELATES TO BLOCKADE, WITHDRAWAL
Deputy Defense Minister Sylvan Shalom, who is scheduled to be promoted
to Science Minister this week, in accordance with a rotation agreement
with incumbent Science Minister Michael Eitan, related today to the
Arab blockade on Gush Katif. He told Arutz-7, "The events can teach
us what may happen if another withdrawal in fact takes place in areas
that are close to Jewishly-populated areas. The roads will be able to
be blocked off by Palestinians. Whenever we talk about a withdrawal,
we are not talking about one where Jewish communities will remain
isolated, or will be able to be reached only with difficulty; rather
they will be able to continue to exist and develop."

Arutz-7's Arik Kahane then asked, "But you see that even in places
where the Palestinians have no control, they blocked off the roads -
how much more so will they be able to do this if extensive areas are
given over to them. How will you then be able to guarantee the safety
of isolated communities under these circumstances?"   Shalom
responded, "That's why we are working on this matter, that our
security interests, which are real and vital, will be integrated into
the broader picture of national interests, in which the entire picture
of the existence of the Yesha communities will be taken into account.
This will of course be taken into account when the Cabinet decides on
a withdrawal."

Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai held a meeting today in his office
to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions on Abu Ali Shahin,
the instigator of last week's blockade at Gush Katif. In addition,
Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan and O.C. Southern Command
Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiyah will meet today with Palestinian Authority
Security Chief Muhammad Dahlan to discuss the events of last Thursday.

3. ARAB LEADERS MEET, CONDEMN ISRAEL
A tripartite summit of Jordan's King Hussein, Yasser Arafat, and
President Mubarak of Egypt was convened today in Cairo. The three
issued a statement condemning Israel for its plan to expand the
municipal borders of Jerusalem. Mubarak warned that the plan to
"Judaize Jerusalem," as he called it, "is like playing with fire."
When asked about the planned Arab League summit meeting, Mubarak said
that there is no need for it at present, and that they wish to give a
chance for the American initiative to run its course. Arutz-7's
Yehoshua Meiri reports, however, that the Arab League summit is being
held up for other reasons: disagreements among the participants over
the locale and objectives of the summit. The three leaders blamed
Prime Minister Netanyahu for the stalled Oslo process.

In other inter-Moslem news, Pakistan's Interior Minister is currently
visiting Damascus. His meetings with Syrian government leaders are
meant to find ways to further cooperation between the two countries in
various fields.

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From:          Arutz-7 Editor <editor7@virtual.co.il>
To:             arutz-7@ploni.virtual.co.il,arutz7-b@ploni.virtual.co.il
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, July 6, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Monday, July 6, 1998 / Tammuz 12, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. YESHA COUNCIL CONTINGENCY PLAN
2. KNESSET MEMBERS VIEW PALESTINIAN INCITEMENT
3. NETANYAHU IN KNESSET
4. MORE WEAPONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO PA
5. YESHA BILL PASSES FIRST STAGE; GOVERNMENT AGAINST

1. YESHA COUNCIL CONTINGENCY PLAN
The Yesha Council has formulated a plan to block all the roads in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, which will be put into effect if the
Palestinians again blockade Jewish intersections and communities. A
final decision to this effect was made at an emergency session of
leaders from the Yesha Council and Gush Katif in Kfar Darom last
night. The participants also called upon the government to refrain
from carrying out another withdrawal from Yesha, in light of what they
called the "failure of the Oslo agreement" in Gush Katif last week.
Gush Katif Regional Council head Aharon Tzur said today, "We were
asked to refrain from acting Thursday night, in order to allow the IDF
to act. We agreed, and were happy that the IDF would carry out the
job. Later, it turned out that the higher-ups gave the officers there
different orders."

The IDF re-closed the controversial coastal road in Gush Katif last
night, after it had been freely opened to Palestinian traffic for a
short time during the afternoon. The road was re-closed after the
Jewish residents of Gush Katif threatened to close it themselves. An
IDF spokesman later claimed that the road had only been opened to
Palestinian V.I.P.'s.

2. KNESSET MEMBERS VIEW PALESTINIAN INCITEMENT
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee viewed video
cassettes showing Palestinian children's incitement to violence and
hatred against the State of Israel today. The cassettes were prepared
by the Shalom LeDorot (Peace for Generations) organization. A
spokesman for the organization said that these tapes show how the PA
is teaching the new generation to hate and to continue the armed
struggle, and that this is the first time many of the MKs have seen
examples of this. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also viewed the
videos, and said afterwards to reporters, "We saw videos today of what
can be called a Palestinian version of Sesame Street. We saw child
after child get up and talk about the blood that he or she is willing
to spill, including his or her own, and all for one purpose: to
destroy the State of Israel. These things have been said since Day
One of the Oslo agreement... This must change! We are demanding not
only reciprocity, not only Palestinian fulfillment of their
obligations, and a war against terrorism, but also that their charter
calling for our destruction be nullified, and that this terrible
incitement be stopped! What, do we want to close our eyes? I call
upon the opposition, What are you doing? Who are you criticizing?
Stand together with me, against Arafat, and tell him that this must
stop! That he must stop poisoning the hearts and minds of their
children! Start teaching them about peace! This is what a responsible
opposition head should be doing - standing by the government and the
Prime Minister of Israel and telling Arafat and the PA, enough! Enough
excuses! Now it is time to go towards peace!"

3. NETANYAHU IN KNESSET
The Prime Minister also spoke in the Knesset today, for the first time
in over six months, and repeated the above sentiments. He discussed
the videos that he saw, attacked the opposition for attacking him
instead of demanding that the Palestinians fulfill their commitments,
and emphasized that the agreement with the Palestinians is being held
up because of their refusal to fulfill their end of the agreement.
Netanyahu said, "It would be easy to be a Prime Minister who gives and
gives without receiving anything in return, and all the world leaders
would pat me on the back, but this is not what I promised the voters."
He attacked the Labor party for calling him a "liar," and said that
it was they who had acted deceitfully when they passed the Oslo
process in the Knesset, when they announced that the PLO covenant had
changed, and at other opportunities. "We will not tolerate the
Palestinians promising again and again that they will fulfill their
obligations - this time we want to actually see them do it," he said.

4. MORE WEAPONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO PA
The IDF will begin to supply the Palestinian Authority with dozens of
mini-Ingram submachine guns in the coming weeks. O.C. Central Command
Maj.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon has already given the order to begin the
process, in accordance with the Hevron agreement. The guns that the
Palestinian para-military police will receive are 9-mm offensive
weapons, and are especially effective against moving targets. They
are less accurate, however, than the Kalachnikov, which is currently
the official Palestinian Authority weapon. Just this past weekend,
Gen. Yisrael Tal (res.) said in a newspaper interview, "I believe I
made a mistake when I agreed to the giving of weapons to the
Palestinians. I realized this after the opening of the Hasmonean
tunnel in Jerusalem, when the Palestinians shot upon our soldiers."

5. YESHA BILL PASSES FIRST STAGE; GOVERNMENT AGAINST
The Knesset Law Committee has approved a preliminary reading of a bill
to impose Israeli law on the Jewish citizens in Judea, Samaria, and
Gaza. The approval was achieved by a narrow margin, when at the last
minute MK Michael Kleiner of Gesher joined sponsor MKs Benny Elon
(Moledet) and Chanan Porat (NRP), against MKs Yossi Beilin (Labor) and
Dedi Tzucker (Meretz). Elon explained that the purpose of the bill is
for residents of Yesha not to be "second-rate citizens in their
country. If they need a building permit, the local council should
decide the matter, and not the army commander. If a worker is injured
while working on a construction site, he should have the same rights
as any other citizen in Israel." Porat echoed these remarks, but also
admitted, "Of course, this bill also has indirect ramifications
regarding our overall approach to these areas in Yesha."

Prime Minister Netanyahu, in reaction to the passage of the proposal
in the Law Committee, said, "Such an important decision will not be
made by a handful of MKs, but rather by the government. The
government will object to a decision of this sort being made in this
manner."

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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: Tuesday, July 7, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, July 7, 1998 / Tammuz 13, 5758
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. JEWISH RESIDENTS ACT, AS IDF PREPARES TO OPEN ROAD FOR ARABS
2. MORDECHAI AND SHARON DISAGREE
3. KAHALANI READY TO ACT AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES
4. NETANYAHU PROMISES "NO COMPROMISE" ON TERRORIST EXTRADITION

1. JEWISH RESIDENTS ACT, AS IDF PREPARES TO OPEN ROAD FOR ARABS
The Gush Katif story continues to make headlines. It was learned
today that the IDF is planning to open the coastal road in Gush Katif
to Palestinian traffic within a short time. Gush Katif spokesman
Shlomo Kustiner told Arutz-7 today that a tour of the area is
scheduled for tomorrow by O.C. Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov
Samiyah and PA Security Chief Muhammad Dahlan. "We are very worried,"
he said, "that the government plans to cave in to the Palestinian
demands, and the 'sinner will have profited.'" Kustiner then said,
"As we speak, I have just received word that Dahlan is planning to
take the American consuls on a tour of the area this afternoon." In
fact, a group of Jewish residents refused to allow the group to pass
on the controversial road for close to an hour, until the IDF
convinced them that the consuls had received advance permission to
travel on the road with Dahlan.

The road in question is Israeli-controlled, on which the Palestinians
demanded free passage last week. They blockaded three Jewish
communities for 12 hours last Thursday, until the IDF granted them a
one-time permit to use the road, as well as a promise to discuss the
matter in the future. The Jewish residents of Gush Katif say they will
act to prevent the opening of the road to Palestinian traffic.

2. MORDECHAI AND SHARON DISAGREE
Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai said today that "the moment of
truth is approaching to make decisions and to progress in the
diplomatic process with the Palestinians." However, Minister of
Infrastructures Ariel Sharon said, "We are dealing with questions of
our very existence, and we cannot hold a stopwatch to the Prime
Minister." Sharon said, "I continue to hold that a withdrawal from
more than 9% of Yesha presents a real danger to Israel, and even a
smaller withdrawal is dangerous." He said that if an agreement cannot
be reached, "possibly another approach should be tried, one which
involves a smaller withdrawal but with other advantages for the
Palestinians." At Sunday's government meeting, Sharon said, "The
attempt to portray the withdrawal from 13% of Yesha as a '9%
withdrawal plus another 3-4% that will be in a "special status"' is
merely a trick to make it easier to approve it by the government. It
doesn't matter what status the territory is, or what color it is on
the map or whether it's called Area D or E - whatever is given over to
the Palestinians will in the end remain under their control."

3. KAHALANI READY TO ACT AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES
"This government is causing illegal Arab construction to increase,"
according to Public Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani. Speaking
yesterday at a closed session of National Religious Party Knesset
Members, Kahalani said that the police are constantly on the ready to
serve the Jerusalem Municipality and the Interior Ministry in razing
illegal structures, but "the Prime Minister's Office always has
another excuse: either Ross is coming, or Albright is on her way, or
something else, and at the end the structures are left standing."

On the other hand, Kahalani noted that the only Palestinian Authority
office that remains open in Jerusalem is in the Orient House. "That
too must be closed, but now is not the time," he said. Relating to
the plague of car thefts, Kahalani said, "the Palestinians want to
steal the country from us, in two senses of the word. This is their
holy mission."

4. NETANYAHU PROMISES "NO COMPROMISE" ON TERRORIST EXTRADITION
In a meeting today with family members of Jews killed by terrorists,
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would not agree to the American
compromise regarding the extradition of wanted terrorists. The
Americans have suggested that the Palestinians arrest and incarcerate
the terrorist murderers, and that they (the Americans) would make
surprise visits to the jails to ensure that the terrorists have not
been released. Netanyahu told Yoel Tzur, Segal Megidish, Joyce Boim,
Yehudit Shachor, and Aryeh Bachrach that he would not agree to any
compromise on this issue. He said, however, that there is an
alternative plan to which the PA has not yet responded: a pre-set
schedule of PA arrests of terrorists, together with a phased
withdrawal by Israel, over a three-month period.

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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, July 8, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / Tammuz 14, 5758
------------------------------------------------
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S. STILL ABOUND
2. PA VIPs SMUGGLE WEAPONS, PEOPLE
3. PALESTINIAN U.N. STATUS MODIFIED

1. DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S. STILL ABOUND
The Clinton Administration still has not accepted Israel's demand for
the PA to nullify its charter calling for the destruction of Israel.
So reported Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the members of the
security mini-Cabinet today. He also said that the U.S. does not
support the Israeli demand for the extradition of 33 Arab terrorists.
Yet another disagreement exists between the two countries on the third
withdrawal; the U.S. has not accepted Israel's proposal to transfer 3%
of Judea and Samaria to a status-D area, which would be under
Palestinian administrative control on issues other than planning and
construction. Contrary to press reports today and yesterday, the
negotiations between Israel and the PA are still stalled, and not "on
the verge of a breakthrough."

2. PA VIPs SMUGGLE WEAPONS, PEOPLE
A special Israeli intelligence report tells how Palestinian Authority
V.I.P.'s smuggle weapons and wanted persons into the autonomous areas.
In addition, terrorists who have been involved in murders of Israelis
serve - in violation of the Oslo accords - in the PA para-military
police, and even bear arms. "There continues to be a significant
deviation in the number Palestinian policemen serving without Israeli
approval," according to the report. The report reveals efforts by the
Palestinian Authority itself to smuggle illegal arms into its
territory, including anti-tank weapons.