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 Brief: Friday, July 24, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Friday, July 24, 1998 / Rosh Chodesh Av, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. KLEINER THREATENS
2. QUOTABLE QUOTES
1. KLEINER THREATENS
MK Michael Kleiner (Gesher), head of the Land of Israel front in the
Knesset, told a Makor Rishon reporter that he will meet with the Prime
Minister on Sunday. Kleiner said that he will make it clear that if
Netanyahu will not allow a no-confidence vote during the Knesset
recess in case of a withdrawal, he and several other members of the
Land of Israel front will vote against Netanyahu in this week's
no-confidence vote.
2. QUOTABLE QUOTES
Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai: "The chances of war with Syria
are not great. Syria is aware of the Israel Defense Forces' strength,
and is willing to talk."
Minister of Infrastructures Ariel Sharon: "Under certain
circumstances, I would run for Prime Minister."
Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled, who wished to make his support
of the Golan bill this week contingent upon the Third Way party's
agreement to stop pushing for a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria:
"[Third Way MK] Yehuda Harel is the most dangerous politician in
Israel. The Third Way members have announced that they are willing to
give up on Yesha communities, and they will cause another 30
settlements to be like Netzarim."
U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin, regarding the
Israeli-Palestinian talks: "It's hard to assess whether we will
succeed. We have made clear [that] if we cannot achieve a
breakthrough, we will have to explain why we couldn't; and we are not
at that point yet." Despite repeated requests by Defense Minister
Mordechai, no American mediator will be dispatched to the Middle East
at this 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 Brief: Sunday, July 26, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
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Sunday, July 26, 1998 / Av 3, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. WEIZMANN AGAIN SETS OFF STORM
2. TALKS CONTINUE
3. KAHALANI CRITICIZED FOR ARAFAT MEETING
4. ARAFAT URGED TO CONDEMN HOLOCAUST-DENIAL
1. WEIZMANN AGAIN SETS OFF STORM
President Ezer Weizmann's call again this morning for early elections
- "to give the nation a chance to rethink the situation," as he put it
- has aroused a storm of protest. MK Shmaryahu Ben-Tzur, Knesset
faction head of the National Religious Party, said that Weizmann is a
worthy competitor for the title of "Indefatigable Conniver" once
bestowed by Yitzchak Rabin upon Shimon Peres. Ben-Tzur said that the
Presidential call "is an invalidation of the Israeli electorate's
decision, and deepens the public debate." Agriculture Minister Rafael
Eitan said that the President deviated from his authority, and added,
"There is no precedent for such presidential interference in national
politics." Tel Aviv Mayor Roni Milo, on the other hand, who has
announced that he will run for Prime Minister in the next election as
head of a new party, called upon the Knesset Members to "put aside
personal considerations and support the proposal for new elections."
2. TALKS CONTINUE
Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai met with Abu Mazen of the
Palestinian Authority last night. Palestinian sources said that
Mordechai had brought "new ideas," which the Palestinians would review
tonight. Committees from the two sides will meet to discuss various
issues, and Mordechai and Abu Mazen are scheduled to meet again
tomorrow.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at today's government meeting
that there has been no change in Israel's basic position regarding the
demand to change the Palestinian charter calling for Israel's
destruction. He emphasized that Israel insists that the Palestinian
National Council convene and change the Palestinian charter, as a
precondition for any withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
3. KAHALANI CRITICIZED FOR ARAFAT MEETING
Several government ministers sharply criticized their colleague Public
Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani at today's government meeting for
his visit with Yasser Arafat last week. Kahalani had said that the
purpose of his meeting with the PLO Chairman was to see whose fault it
was that the talks were stalled. Tourism Minister Moshe Katzav said,
"The topics that were raised not only harm our national honor, but
weaken our stance in the negotiations." Minister Rafael Eitan said,
"The parade of people going to visit Arafat makes us appear mixed-up."
Eitan was also referring to the visit last Thursday of Likud MK and
coalition chairman Meir Shetreet.
In response, Minister Kahalani said, "No one contests the leadership
of Defense Minister Mordechai, together with the Prime Minister, in
the talks.
However, as head of the Third Way Party, I am attempting to do what I
can so that the talks should not fail. What do you want, that at the
end of the week I'll have to resign?"
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he knew of, and approved,
Kahalani's visit in advance. He said that he did not know of
Shetreet's visit beforehand, but approved it after-the-fact.
4. ARAFAT URGED TO CONDEMN HOLOCAUST-DENIAL
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
has called upon Yasser Arafat to take action against those responsible
for the publication of a Holocaust-denying article in a PA newspaper.
The Conference statement called for Arafat to "reprimand the editors
of [official Palestinian Authority newspaper] Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda and
to take appropriate action to ensure an end to Holocaust-denial
activity by PA officials and publications."
The Presidents Conference said that "the debasing descriptions and
even denial of the murder of six million Jews [in] articles,
statements, and broadcasts from official Palestinian Authority sources
[is] offensive and unacceptable." The statement noted, "While all
hostile and inciting rhetoric is a violation of the spirit and the
letter of the Oslo and Hevron Accords, to attack and mock this most
terrible tragedy offends every standard of decency. There can be
little hope for reconciliation if people, especially the youth, are
subject to constant indoctrination portraying their neighbors in such
vile ways. We call on Chairman Arafat and officials of the
Palestinian Authority to denounce this historical revisionism and
declare as unacceptable all written or oral denigration and diminution
of the Holocaust."
Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein
praised the Conference statement, and said, "This important action
sends a strong message to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority that
their distortions and denials of the Holocaust will not be tolerated."
The ZOA recently initiated a public statement condemning the PA's
Holocaust denial, signed by numerous Jewish leaders and Holocaust
scholars, including former director of the U.S. Department of Justice
unit for pursuing Nazi war criminals Neal Sher, Dr. Efraim Zuroff -
Director of the Israel Office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Prof.
Zsuzsanna Ozsvath - Director of Holocaust Studies at the University of
Texas, Prof. Yaffa Eliach of Brooklyn College, and others.
**********************************************************************
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 27, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, July 27, 1998 / Av 4, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PM AGREES TO NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE DURING RECESS
2. NO-CONFIDENCE EXPECTED TO FALL; PORAT FAVORS EARLY ELECTIONS
3. PALESTINIANS TOUGHEN STANCE
4. EUROPE AND THE PALESTINIANS
1. PM AGREES TO NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE DURING RECESS
In a meeting with the Knesset Members of Moledet today, Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu agreed that a no-confidence vote would be allowed during
the upcoming Knesset recess, in the event that a withdrawal from Judea and
Samaria is agreed upon.
The background of the agreement: Netanyahu said today that in the event
that the government reaches a withdrawal agreement with the Palestinians
during the upcoming Knesset recess, the Knesset will immediately convene to
discuss and approve the agreement. If a no-confidence motion is introduced
during that session, it would most likely fail, due to the opposition's
unwillingness to topple a government that is in the process of reaching an
agreement with the Palestinians. The Moledet party therefore demanded an
opportunity to vote no-confidence in the government, on a different issue,
if a withdrawal is agreed upon during the recess. Netanyahu then agreed
that a week after an agreement is approved in the Knesset, the government
will place two new bills before the Knesset, and will ask that that they be
considered votes of confidence. This will afford those who object to a
withdrawal an opportunity to possibly topple the government. As a result
of the agreement, Moledet announced that it rescinds its sponsorship of
today's no-confidence vote.
2. NO-CONFIDENCE EXPECTED TO FALL; PORAT FAVORS EARLY ELECTIONS
The drama of today's no-confidence vote has disappeared, in light of the
various parties' announcements of their intentions. The opposition is not
expected to garner the necessary 61 votes to topple the government. The
Third Way will not participate in the vote, nor will Gesher. The National
Religious Party will vote with the government today, as "nothing has
changed," in the words of Knesset faction head MK Shmaryahu Ben-Tzur.
Regarding Wednesday's vote to disperse the Knesset and hold early
elections, Ben-Tzur said that the NRP would again vote with the government
and against the proposal "if nothing changes by then."
Gesher announced that it would vote for the proposal to disperse the
Knesset, as did MK Chanan Porat of the NRP. Porat said, "The Prime
Minister has asked to discuss this with me, but I think it would be best
for the nation and best for the Prime Minister if we had early elections.
A critical time slot is approaching - May 1999, at which time Arafat is
expected to declare a state. It would be best if we stop giving over
pieces of land, and instead go straight to the permanent status
arrangement. Netanyahu should agree to new elections two or three months
before May, at which time he and the left wing can both present their
positions to the nation, and the people will decide."
3. PALESTINIANS TOUGHEN STANCE
Palestinian negotiators denied today that they had agreed to resume
committee talks with Israel. Saeb Erekat of the Palestinian Authority said
that the Palestinians had not yet received any new ideas from Israel.
"Only after we receive new Israeli ideas that show that they accept the
American initiative, will we be able to meet with them," he said. This,
despite the fact that the Israeli media reported today that Defense
Minister Yitzchak Mordechai had agreed that part of the intended withdrawal
from Yesha would be contiguous area in the Judean Desert, and that the PA
would be responsible for security.
Arafat's advisor Dr. Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli-Arab, said today, "If the
Israeli negotiators tell their Palestinian counterparts the same thing that
I heard Netanyahu say on the radio today - that the Palestinian National
Council must convene to change the Palestinian charter - then we will have
returned to square one, and Netanyahu will have issued a death certificate
to the talks."
4. EUROPE AND THE PALESTINIANS
Britain has informed the Palestinian Authority that it will support the
establishment of a Palestinian state. Ha'aretz, quoting a Saudi Arabian
paper, reported today that a message to this effect was conveyed to the
PA's London envoy by a senior British Foreign Office official. Britain
also intends to raise the status of the PA's London representation to that
of embassy.
President Mubarak of Egypt said today that a European role in the Oslo
process is no substitute for American involvement. PLO Chairman Yasser
Arafat departed today for Austria, which presently holds the rotating
presidency of the European Union, from where he will travel to France.
***********************************************************************
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 28, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, July 28, 1998 / Av 5, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ISRAEL AGREES TO A DELAY IN CHARTER-CHANGE
2. LETTER TO HOLLAND
3. PA AGAINST LAND SALES IN ISRAEL
4. KNESSET DISPERSAL VOTE DOESN'T FAZE NETANYAHU
1. ISRAEL AGREES TO A DELAY IN CHARTER-CHANGE
For the first time in a while, both Israeli and Palestinian sources
expressed "optimism" that the talks between them would soon lead to an
agreement. Arutz-7 correspondent Kobi Finkler reports today that
Prime Minister Netanyahu has given in and accepted Defense Minister
Yitzchak Mordechai's position regarding the changing of the
Palestinian charter. The new Israeli position is that the clauses
calling for Israel's destruction need not be changed at this juncture,
but only after Israel has withdrawn from an additional 11 to 12% of
Judea and Samaria. The Palestinians demanded this as a precondition
for continuing the committee talks between the sides. Arafat has
agreed to begin preparations for the convening of the Palestinian
National Council and the changing of the charter when the withdrawal
begins.
2. LETTER TO HOLLAND
It was learned today that the government of Holland, who sponsored a
gift of dozens of mini-Ingram submachine guns to the Palestinian
Authority, is pressuring the Israeli government to distribute them.
Prime Minister Netanyahu last week instructed the Israeli Defense
Forces to reconsider the decision to give them to the Hevron Arabs,
and Holland now claims that this is a violation of the Hevron
Agreement. In response, the Jewish Community of Hevron faxed a letter
today to the government of Holland, in which it wrote,
"To our great surprise, sorrow and shock we were informed that you
are pressuring the Israeli government to distribute Ingram mini-submachine
guns to the Palestinian Authority in Hevron. For your information,
the Palestinian Authority has violated all of the agreements contained
in the Hevron Accords, especially concerning the possession of, and
use of weapons. The PA has organized massive violent demonstrations
and riots in Hevron, during which mobs of Palestinians have attacked
Jewish houses, hurling rocks, boulders, explosive devices and
firebombs. The Jewish Community has also been shot at.
"The Palestinian Authority has obtained thousands of illegal weapons
that have been distributed in Hevron. They continue to violate the Hevron
Accords, which specifically define the types of weapons that the PA
may possess and the areas in Hevron where the weapons may be held.
The Palestinian territory in Hevron has been transformed into a refuge
for terrorists following their murderous attacks.
"Why, in your opinion, should these continued transgressors of the
Hevron Accords be awarded lethal submachine guns? These additional weapons
will only assist them in continuing to violate the Accords and will,
of course, ease their ability to attack us. The Israeli government,
for weeks and months, has demanded that the Palestinian Authority
collect the illegal weapons in Hevron. Of course, this request has
been answered with a total and complete refusal. Therefore, the only
conclusion that can be reached is that it is not only illogical, but
also unethical to grant the Palestinian Authority additional weapons
before they have even begun to fulfill their obligations in Hevron."
The letter closed with an invitation to Dutch representatives to visit
Hevron, after which "we have no doubt that you will reverse your
decision and not permit distribution of more weapons to the
Palestinian Authority."
3. PA AGAINST LAND SALES IN ISRAEL
The Palestinian Authority is now intervening in the sale of lands to
Jews within the State of Israel-proper. Freih Abu-Madein, who holds
the Justice portfolio in the PA, has called for the firing of the head
of the Greek Orthodox Church in Israel because of land-sales by the
Church to Israelis in Nazareth, Tiberias, Jerusalem, and Acre.
Abu-Madein, in an interview with an Arab newspaper in the autonomy,
said, "We see these sales as an attempt to uproot the members of this
Church from their roots." Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman notes
that while most of the Greek Orthodox Church members in Israel and the
autonomy are Arabs, most of the Church leadership is comprised of
non-Arab Greeks. "The Church has material sovereignty [over the
lands], but not ethical sovereignty, and its acts are a crime," said
Abu-Madein.
4. KNESSET DISPERSAL VOTE DOESN'T FAZE NETANYAHU
The Knesset is expected to vote tomorrow on the Labor party proposal
to disperse the Knesset. Prime Minister Netanyahu met today with MKs
Chanan Porat (NRP) and Benny Elon (Moledet) in an effort to convince
them not to vote for the bill. Porat said that new elections at this
point, before the expected declaration of a Palestinian state in May
1999, will be helpful in attaining a better permanent-status
arrangement. Netanyahu, in a radio interview this afternoon, said
that he is "not worried at all" about tomorrow's vote, because it is
simply a "meaningless political trick," which, even if it passes
tomorrow, can lead to the downfall of the government only after three
more votes over the next few months.
********************************************************************
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 29, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
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Wednesday, July 29, 1998 / Av 6, 5758
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PALESTINIANS REJECT ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL PROPOSAL
2. KNESSET VOTES TO DISPERSE
1. PALESTINIANS REJECT ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL PROPOSAL
Last night's meeting between Israeli and Palestinian work committees -
the first such session since the Palestinians called off the direct
talks last Wednesday - resulted in a Palestinian rejection of Israel's
latest proposal. Israel offered to designate a portion of the next
withdrawal as "Area D" - an undefined area in the Judean Desert in
which no Arab construction would be permitted. Chief Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat insisted that any land transferred to the
Palestinian Authority as part of a second withdrawal must be
designated as either Area A - under full Palestinian control - or Area
B, under Israeli security control and full Palestinian administrative
control, including all building and development.
The Israelis and the PA representatives are likely to meet again
tomorrow.
2. KNESSET VOTES TO DISPERSE
The Knesset voted today overwhelmingly in favor of a preliminary
version of a law to disperse itself, although the vote has no
immediate practical political consequences. The opposition was able
to garner 60 votes against the government, with the help of four
Gesher MKs and three Third Way MKs; one MK from each of the two
parties - Michael Kleiner and Minister Avigdor Kahalani - absented
himself from the vote. The 60th vote was that of Likud MK Dan
Meridor, who for the first time voted against the government in a vote
of this sort. Only six votes were registered against the proposal,
because coalition leader MK Meir Shetreet instructed the coalition
members to boycott the vote. Shetreet may have done so in order to
exempt some of the coalition MKs from having to decide whether or not
to carry out their threats to vote against the government. The six
MKs of coalition-party Tzomet, however, called the decision to boycott
the vote "anti-democratic," and they remained in the plenum to vote
against the proposal. The final tally on this largely-symbolic vote,
then, was 60-6, with one abstention. Prime Minister Netanyahu said
yesterday, "This is a meaningless vote, because in any event it will
have to pass with a majority of 61 votes; if they really had those 61
votes, then they would be able to topple me any time they want - but
they don't have them."
**********************************************************************
Wednesday, July 29, 1998 6 Av 5758
Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition
ANALYSIS:
Morocco meet aims to pressure
Israel
over talks' deadlock
By
BARRY RUBIN
JERUSALEM
(July 29) - For Arabs and Moslems,
Jerusalem
is the most touchy issue of all in the
Arab-Israeli
conflict. Today's meeting in Morocco of
the
Islamic Conference Organization's 16-member
Jerusalem
Committee reflects that priority and
sensitivity.
King
Hassan of Morocco, the committee's permanent
chair,
had postponed the group's 17th meeting so as
not
to harm the peace process or the moderate states'
preference
for more normal relations with Israel.
Apparently,
though, the king concluded that pressure
on
Israel is needed to help break the current
deadlock.
The
meeting's immediate cause was the desire to
respond
to the Israeli government's recently
announced
plan to expand Jerusalem's administrative
boundaries.
This was widely perceived in the Arab
world
as a plan for annexation and tightening
Israel's
hold over east Jerusalem.
Indeed,
the view that Israel does not intend to make
concessions
on east Jerusalem is understandable given
repeated
Israeli government statements, and it has
been
reinforced by such controversies as the opening
of
a second exit to the Western Wall tunnel and the
proposed
construction of a Jewish neighborhood on Har
Homa.
While
criticizing Israel is the easy part of any such
meeting's
agenda, the current conference's problem is
to
find some way of effectively countering or
punishing
Israel.
One
of the most popular options is to hold another
meeting.
This could take the form of an Arab summit
or
a broader international gathering sponsored by
Egypt
and France.
Syria,
Lebanon, and other Arab states, however,
oppose
this idea. The location, agenda, and guest
list
of either type of meeting are subjects of
dispute
among the Arab governments.
Another
approach would be to formally freeze
normalization
between Arab or Islamic states and
Israel.
This has already largely taken place.
Given
the strong feelings on the Jerusalem issue,
what
is surprising is not the critical statements
from
Arab and Islamic countries but the fact that
they
have done so little to effectively promote their
stand
on the issue.
The
writer is a senior resident scholar at the BESA
Center
for Strategic Studies and editor of Middle
East
Review of International Affairs.
**********************************************************************