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Subject: Arutz7: December 15, 1999 / BFP Israel Update
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 18:24:39 -0800
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From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, December 15, 1998

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, December 15, 1998 / Kislev 26, 5759 - Chanukah
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CLINTON DEPARTS; ISSUES REMAIN UNRESOLVED
2. ONE DOWN, SIX TO GO
3. CLINTON COMPARES CHILDREN OF TERRORISTS AND CHILDREN OF VICTIMS
4. FAMILY MEMBERS PROTEST COMPARISON
5. ANNULMENT NOT LEGAL, BUT NETANYAHU CONGRATULATES PA
6. PORAT TO VOTE FOR EARLY ELECTIONS

1. CLINTON DEPARTS; ISSUES REMAIN UNRESOLVED
This morning's Netanyahu-Clinton-Arafat meeting at the Erez Checkpoint
in Gaza could not be termed an "explosion," according to Israeli and
American sources, but also did not bring about the Israeli compromises
for which Clinton had hoped. The meeting was to have been held last
night, but after tensions between Israeli and American officials
arose, it was enabled only after a long night of talks between Cabinet
Secretary Danny Naveh and American mediator Dennis Ross. The
Americans did not succeed in getting Israel to compromise on the
release of terrorists, nor to carry out a further withdrawal as early
as this week. It was agreed only that U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright would return in a number of weeks to continue the
talks. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon met this afternoon with Dennis
Ross.

President Clinton visited Bethlehem with Yasser Arafat early this
afternoon, and then toured Massada with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Clinton will depart for Washington tonight.

2. ONE DOWN, SIX TO GO
David Bar Illan, Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's
Office, said today that the next stage of withdrawal is not dependent
upon Albright's return to the region, but rather upon the Palestinian
fulfillment of their obligations. The Prime Minister's Office
published a list this afternoon of six Palestinian commitments that
must be fulfilled in order to pave the way for another withdrawal.
The list enumerates: renouncing the intention to unilaterally declare
a state; collection of illegal weapons; recognition that the Wye
agreement does not require Israel to free terrorists with blood on
their hands; reduction of the Palestinian para-military police force;
a halt to the incitement against Israel; and the immediate arrest of
22 of the 30 terrorists whose extradition Israel had demanded.

Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon today emphasized the issue of the
illegal weapons within the Palestinian Authority. He said, "There are
tremendous amounts of such weapons. I am not necessarily talking
about those which are found in private hands, which may be hard to
locate and collect, but rather about the several thousand guns,
assault rifles, hand grenades, mortar shells, and mines that the PA
has in its possession - I cannot even imagine why they would need
them. The withdrawal will not take place until this is all
destroyed."

3. CLINTON COMPARES CHILDREN OF TERRORISTS AND CHILDREN OF VICTIMS
U.S. President Clinton's aides are attempting to undo the damage
caused by his equation yesterday between children of terrorist victims
and those of the incarcerated murderers. Clinton and Albright were
shown on worldwide television comforting little girls whose Arab
terrorist fathers are incarcerated in Israeli prisons. Clinton told
one girl, "Your father would be proud of you." Later, he told the
Palestinian gathering of VIPs in Gaza:

"I've had two profoundly emotional experiences in the last less than
24 hours. I was with Chairman Arafat and four little children came to
see me whose fathers are in Israeli prisons. Last night, I met some
little children whose fathers had been killed in conflict with
Palestinians, at the dinner that Prime Minister Netanyahu had for me.
Those children brought tears to my eyes. We have to find a way for
both sets of children to get their lives back and to go forward.
(Applause) ... If I had met them in reverse order I would not have
known which ones were Israeli and which Palestinian. If they had all
been lined up in a row and I had seen their tears, I could not tell
whose father was dead and whose father was in prison, or what the
story of their lives were, making up the grief that they bore...
(Applause)"

Clinton also managed to anger the Israelis when he told the gathering
of Palestinian VIP's yesterday, "What you have just done [raising your
hands in favor of annulling the PLO charter (see below)] has nothing
to do with the Israeli government - you were talking directly to the
Israeli people."

4. FAMILY MEMBERS PROTEST COMPARISON
Family members of terrorist victims held a vigil outside Clinton's
Jerusalem hotel this afternoon, demanding that he apologize for
comparing the children of the murderers and those of their victims.
The protesters included Yehudit Dasberg with her two grandchildren
(she is raising them after terrorists murdered her daughter and
son-in-law, the children's parents), Tami Tzur, Joyce Boim, Uri
Bachrach, and others. Bachrach said, "Clinton owes our families many
apologies for what he has done to us specifically, but even more, he
now owes the entire nation an apology for his cruel equation of
yesterday." Terrorist-victims Chaim Korman's wife cried out
uncontrollably, "This is hypocrisy! How can anyone be compared to
these cruel terrorists! The terrorists can come out of jail, but
those who they murdered can never come home! Who will return Chaim to
us?! This is all a lie! They don't want peace, they only want war!
I teach my children that there are terrorists, and that there are
Arabs who are good - but they teach only bloodshed to their
children!"

Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated yet again today that he will not
release terrorist murderers. He said, "The children of Yaron and
Efrat Ungar - murdered by Arab terrorists while driving in their car
two years ago - were in my house recently . They are being raised by
their grandparents, the Dasbergs, in Alon Shvut. I have absolutely no
intention of freeing their killers!" He added that the fathers of
some of the Arab children who met with Clinton yesterday themselves
murdered Jews. Arutz-7's Kobi Sela discovered that the girl who cried
to Clinton yesterday that she had not seen her father for 15 years is
of the Zakout family, and that the three prisoners named Zakout are
serving life terms - two for murder, and one for participating in a
bomb attack.

5. ANNULMENT NOT LEGAL, BUT NETANYAHU CONGRATULATES PA
Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday congratulated the Palestinians on
having annulled the clauses of the PLO charter calling for Israel's
destruction. He called the move a "historic and important act, but
only one of many that the Palestinians must do." However, several
Knesset Members noted that yesterday's voice vote by a gathering of
Palestinian VIPs in Gaza cannot be termed an official annulment of the
charter. Article 33 of the charter itself states: "This Charter
shall not be amended save by [vote of] a majority of two-thirds of the
total membership of the National Congress of the Palestine Liberation
Organization [taken] at a special session convened for that purpose."
The following elements in yesterday's vote voided its legal value: *
There are 727 members of the Congress, and only 456 members were
present - 29 members short of the required two-thirds. * The issue of
the vote was never clearly formulated. Instead, the participants
simply raised their hands and cheered when Arafat asked, "I turn to
you, to all of you, to support the letter I sent to Clinton and to
recognize the decisions that we have made for the peace. Will you
raise your hands to [do so]?" No specific clauses were annulled. * An
official count of the votes was not carried out. * This was not an
official session of the PNC called for this purpose.

Netanyahu's press aide David Bar Illan, when asked about the doubtful
legality of the vote, dodged the question of why Israel is validating
it, and said, "If the Palestinians now want to raise legalistic points
and renege on their annulment, it will be very hard for them to do so,
because the whole world saw what happened yesterday and all the news
stations around the world are talking about it."

Bar Illan said, "They did not do anyone a favor yesterday by voiding
their charter. After all, it was simply a call for the destruction of
a nation; what could be more immoral than that? Their repeal of it is
the first respectable thing they've done in a long time, and it's a
disgrace that they didn't do it five years ago. But we don't owe them
any thanks for it.
What is important is that this change enter the consciousness of the
other Arab nations." He concluded, "They still have other commitments to
carry out, which I don't see them wanting to fulfill, let alone
actually fulfilling."

6. PORAT TO VOTE FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
MK Chanan Porat said that he will vote for the advancing of the
elections in next Monday's vote. He thus joins MKs Kleiner, Ze'evi,
Begin, and others, thereby placing the Netanyahu government's
continued existence in doubt. "I congratulate the Prime Minister on
his strong stance of the past few days," Porat told Arutz-7 today,
"but unfortunately the past has taught us that this may not last for
long. I will advise my colleagues to vote against this government
next Monday. I say this not as a threat, but because we are
approaching critical decisions for the people of Israel and the Land
of Israel, and I believe that new elections should be held. Each camp
should have a chance to present its views clearly - more clearly than
last time, I hope. This should also include the nationalist camp,
which is in the process of organizing itself. Even if this new camp
does not win the Prime Ministerial election, we will still be a very
strong factor in the forming of national policy in the coming
important years," concluded Porat.

Labor leader MK Ehud Barak called upon Netanyahu to declare new
elections. Reactions from the Labor party to the inconclusive
Netanyahu-Clinton meeting today: "Netanyahu is sacrificing Israel's
ties with the U.S. for the sake of extortive MKs from the
right-wing."

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

FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: BFP: News From Israel - Week Ending December 11, 1998

Week Ending: December 11, 1998

1) COMMENTARY: THE CLINTON VISIT: POLITICAL SLIGHT OF HAND
2) RUSSIA RESUMES ARMS SALES TO SYRIA, EGYPT
3) IRAN TO REACH NUCLEAR CAPABILITY SOONER THAN EXPECTED
4) MOSLEM WAKF: KEEP ISRAEL POLICE OFF TEMPLE MOUNT
5) HAPPY HANUKKAH
6) OIL EXPLORATION IN ISRAEL

1) COMMENTARY: THE CLINTON VISIT: POLITICAL SLIGHT OF HAND

Back when the Wye Accords were being formulated, it was just before a
major US election. Therefore, it was a savvy political move for Bill
Clinton to make his grand announcement that he was coming to Israel and
Gaza to meet with the Palestine National Council and see them nullify
clauses of the Palestine National Covenant that call for the destruction of
the State of Israel. It is still an astute move for a president facing
impeachment hearings - go and grandstand in the Middle East to take the
eyes of America off Washington and the impeachment vote. If the PNC did
meet and vote, it would be fantastic. But, it won't happen.

Since the Wye Accords were signed, Israel has been trying to fulfill
them, but there is precious little compliance from the Palestinian side:

- Rampant incitement emanates from the Palestinian leadership. The
streets of the cities and towns under the Palestinian Authority are the
scenes of daily riots and violence that has not been seen since the heydays
of the Intifada (Arab Uprising of the late 1980s). Israelis have been
lynched and stoned while driving through the towns. Just last Saturday, my
daughter and I were driving into Bethlehem and got caught in the middle of
a stone-throwing melee as Palestinians pelted the Israeli soldiers guarding
Rachel's Tomb. We left and when we returned after dark, the roadway was
covered with hundreds, if not thousands, of rocks and bottles from the
day's attack. The Palestinian leaders have not called for calm nor have
the Palestinian Police done much to prevent these activities.

Calls for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, even those who
have killed Israelis, is the rallying cry for the rioters. Despite Israel's
commitment, with US backing, not to release Palestinians with blood on
their hands, the calls and demonstrations by Palestinians for their release
continue unabated. Other prisoners have been released, but that apparently
is not enough.

- Yasser Arafat makes almost daily statements of his intention to
declare a sovereign Palestinian State with E. Jerusalem as its capital on
May 4th, 1999, despite the fact that this is a violation of all Accords,
including Wye. Unless the final status is negotiated, it will surely
result in armed conflict.

Into the midst of this atmosphere comes Bill Clinton for a 4-day
visit starting tomorrow. Yesterday, Yasser Arafat's Palestine Central
Council met to approve a letter that Arafat gave to Bill Clinton, and then
the foreign press announced that the Covenant has been nullified. So far,
all that has been done yesterday, and in past Council meetings, is to
affirm that the PNC would look into the matter of changing the Covenant,
while not changing anything. Israel is correct in pointing out that the
Covenant itself declares it cannot be changed or nullified without a 2/3
majority of the PNC voting specifically on removing or changing clauses.
So far this has not happened. And, Monday, when Bill Clinton is in Gaza,
it won't happen either. Following yesterday's vote, PNC Speaker Salim
Sa'anoun said outright that the PNC session on Monday would convene "only
to listen to President Clinton's speech and President Arafat ... there will
be no vote."

Some Palestinian leaders mock Israel's demand for a vote by saying
that it was done, and that is that. Well, if they are in agreement with
making the changes, then why don't they convene the PNC and raise their
hands and formally vote in accordance with the legal procedure of the
Covenant? The answer is simple: the whole thing is a slight of hand trick
because the Palestinians have not and do not want to change the Covenants.
Now, Clinton is going to go and give his blessing on this scam and the
world press will announce some kind of a breakthrough that never happened.

Of course, Israel will protest and the whole world will come down on
Israel's head as being stubborn and intransigent. However, the rest of the
world does not have to live here under constant attacks, riots, incitement
and anything but peace emanating from the Palestinian Authority. So far,
Israel has given territory and spent a fortune to accommodate the Oslo and
other subsequent Accords, with nothing in return but the sound of war drums
on the horizon.

In today's "Jerusalem Post" there was a sadly true Dry Bones cartoon.
It shows a TV news commentator reading the following statement: "For
Clinton's visit the PLO is buying thousands of American flags. But in a
brilliant cost-saving move... after the visit, the US flags will be
distributed for use in Palestinian flag-burning demonstrations."

Therefore, if there is no real vote on Monday, when you watch the
proceedings in Gaza on television, you can rest assured that Bill Clinton
and Yasser Arafat are happily using the international media to bolster
their images at a slight-of-hand, non-event that will accomplish nothing
but to put Israel into a political dog house with no assurances of "peace
in our time. (by Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director, Bridges
for Peace, December 11, 1998)

2) RUSSIA RESUMES ARMS SALES TO SYRIA, EGYPT
Russia is renewing arm shipments to Syria and Egypt, according to the
Russian newspaper "Nezavisimaia Gazeta."

The Russian newspaper reported that the arms deals were concluded last
month during Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev's visit to Syria and
Egypt.

According to the report, some 100 Russian military advisers are
currently in Syria and more than 70 Syrian officers are training in Russia.
The Syrian army is seeking large quantities of small arms and ammunition,
and anti-aircraft missiles. Russian experts are also upgrading the fire
control systems in Syrian tanks, and have set up a "base" at the Syria port
of Tartus, the only location on the Mediterranean Sea with Russian naval
forces.

Regarding Egypt, plans are being completed for supplying
anti-aircraft and radar systems to the Egyptian air force. Russia will
also send experts to help the Egyptian army upgrade its outdated Soviet
weaponry. (Israel Consulate-NY, IsraelWire, December 6, 1998)

3) IRAN TO REACH NUCLEAR CAPABILITY SOONER THAN EXPECTED
"Ma'ariv" newspaper reported that based on new intelligence, security
officials revised their estimation of Iran's progress toward reaching
nuclear capability to two to three years. Previous assessments had
indicated that Iran was five to seven years from nuclear capability.

Dr. Uzi Arad, Adviser to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, arrived in
the United States for urgent talks on this issue. Minister of Industry and
Trade, Natan Sharansky, also discussed the issue with US National Security
Adviser, Sandy Berger, while in Washington.

Israel has collected further evidence of Russia's involvement in the
Iranian nuclear project. "Yediot Achronot" newspaper reported that Iran
also hired several members of the former Soviet Union's biological weapons
program to assist in developing weapons of mass destruction.

The newspaper quoted "The New York Times" as reporting that Russian and
Kazakstani scientists were hired by the Iranians for $5,000 per month. Iran
denied this accusation, stating that many foreign scientists work in Iran,
but only on projects for peaceful purposes.

Prime Minister Netanyahu intends to bring up Iran's weapons programs
during his meetings with US President Bill Clinton next week. (Israel
Consulate-NY, IsraelWire, December 10, 1998)

4) MOSLEM WAKF: KEEP ISRAEL POLICE OFF TEMPLE MOUNT
In an emergency meeting last week, Jerusalem's Moslem Wakf Authority
decided not to permit Israel police to "interfere" in maintaining order on
the Temple Mount of Jerusalem's Old City.

The participants of the meeting adamantly rejected a decision by the
ministerial committee on Jerusalem affairs, which called for increased
security on the Temple Mount, including additional security forces,
closed-circuit television cameras and more.

The PLO Authority (PA)-appointed Mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrama Sabri,
stated that if the police are concerned about security on the Mount, they
may take whatever steps deemed necessary outside the Temple Mount area.
Sabri added the Wakf Authority would not permit any "outside body" to
implement changes that would interfere with the mosques and their
arrangements on the Mount.

The Wakf Authority stated it would do everything possible to stop the
planned deployment of an additional 430 police troops throughout the Temple
Mount area as well as working to stop all efforts by "extremist Jews who
may be planning an attack on the Mount."

The Wakf called upon Israel to distance border police troops from the
area, since they "are a provocative force" and they are unwanted by the
Moslem worshipers who attend services on the Mount.

The High Islamic Council last week issued a ruling "warning" Israel
against any affront to the Moslem holy sites on the Mount. In the statement
issued by the council, it stated, "Moslems will do whatever necessary to
defend the holy site and the number of 'sacrifices' in the struggle will be
whatever they may be."

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City is Judaism's holiest site,
the location of the First and Second Temples. It was liberated from
Jordanian occupation in the June 1967 Six Day War. Following the war,
Israel made the decision to turn control of the site over to the Moslem
Wakf, which today bars Jewish worshipers with the backing of the government
of Israel. (IsraelWire, December 7, 1998)

5) HAPPY HANUKKAH
The staff of Bridges for Peace, Israel wishes you a Happy Hanukkah.
The first light of Hanukkah will be lit Sunday evening, December 13. For
the next 7 nights candles will be lit (one additional each night) until on
the last night (December 20) all eight candles plus the servant candle will
be ablaze. Let us encourage you to reach out in friendship to your Jewish
friends during this time and wish them a happy holiday.

In Israel candle sales are picking up in preparation for the Festival
of Lights, Hanukkah. The Menorah Candle Company, the nation's largest
manufacturer of Hanukkah candles is working around the clock to meet the
demand for the start of the weeklong Hanukkah holiday.

Working three shifts a day, the factory is producing 500,000 candles
per day. It is predicted that by the start of the holiday, 180 million
candles will have been sold, marking a 20 percent increase from last year.

A survey commissioned by the SuperSol national supermarket chain
indicated that 72 percent of the public will light Hanukkah candles.
(IsraelWire, December 10, 1998)

6) OIL EXPLORATION IN ISRAEL

The Givat Olam Oil Exploration Company redrilled a well near Rosh
HaAyin to confirm the presence of oil in the area. A huge gas flame, more
than seven meters high, shot from the well, confirming the presence of gas
or oil.

Tests will be done over the next few days to determine the quality of
the gas or oil. In addition, Givat Olam is trying to raise NIS 60 million
on the Tel Aviv stock market to finance the drilling of another well three
kilometers away. (CHANNEL ONE, December 9, 1998)

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WHO ARE WE?
For those who are new to the list, Bridges for Peace is a Christian
charitable organization, headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Since 1977, we
have been working to build Christian-Jewish understanding and support for
the people and land of Israel. We do this through twelve different aid
projects to help the people of Israel, while disseminating information
about Israel and teaching Christians about the Hebraic roots of
Christianity. We have national offices in Israel, the U.S., Canada, the
U.K., S. Africa, Japan, Brazil and our Spanish World office located in
Puerto Rico.

To receive more information and our other publications, send your
e-mail and postal mailing address to: BFPISRAEL@CompuServe.com

We also invite you to look at our WEB SITE at:
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com

Co-Editors: Becky Brimmer and Clarence Wagner.

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