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Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, December 8-14, 1998
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 18:12:48 -0800
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From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, December 8, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, December 8, 1998 / Kislev 19, 5759
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TWO MORE WEEKS
2. THE HONOR OF ISRAEL
3. PA LAW CALLS FOR DEATH FOR ISRAELIS IN YESHA
4. PA FIGURES
1. TWO MORE WEEKS
The drama in the Knesset yesterday ended with what Education Minister Rabbi
Yitzchak Levy later called a "typical" solution: the vote to disperse the
Knesset and advance the elections has been postponed for two weeks. Until
then, Prime Minister Netanyahu will continue in his efforts to stabilize
his government.
Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon met in Washington last night with U.S.
President Bill Clinton. Sharon told Clinton of the many Palestinian
violations of the Wye Agreement, and informed him that Israel would not
carry out the next stage of the withdrawal if the violations do not cease.
A stronger, unconditional version of this statement was carried on earlier
news reports, and was promised by Netanyahu yesterday to MKs Peled,
Kleiner, and others. The change in wording led some observers to believe
that this was part of Netanyahu's strategy to keep the nationalist MKs from
voting against him yesterday. Others believe, however, that Netanyahu will
focus his political energies in the next two weeks on building up the trust
of the nationalist parties in him.
2. THE HONOR OF ISRAEL
National Religious Party MK Tzvi Hendel told Arutz-7 today his view of
yesterday's near- toppling of the government: "I wish it didn't happen, as
no one wants to trample the honor of the Prime Minister. But once Wye was
signed, and the honor of Israel in the world is being trampled [with the
constant PA violations], and no one seems to care, I am happy that we will
now be able to keep the pressure up for another two weeks, in order to
ascertain that the Prime Minister has in fact changed his ways [and will
not carry out the withdrawal in light of Palestinian violations].
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked, "Maybe Netanyahu now sees that the right-wing
MKs simply can't make the tough decision to topple him, and that he really
has nothing to fear from them?"
Hendel answered, "It looks like you didn't understand what happened
yesterday... The minute Netanyahu and the Cabinet made a decision to hold
up the implementation of Wye because of Arafat's statements and actions,
then we would have to be stupid to topple him at this time. True, there
are those who say that he is fooling us, but I think we may assume that
we're not that stupid. Let's take note of the concrete messages that
Netanyahu has sent to the Americans, showing that he is serious about not
carrying out the next stage of the withdrawal. This is a genuine
achievement. These next two weeks are of course critical [in seeing how
Netanyahu will act]. I have absolutely no interest in toppling Binyamin
Netanyahu - on condition that he keeps his promises to the People of Israel
and the Land of Israel. If he doesn't, then we will topple him."
Arutz-7's Yehoshua Mor-Yosef, commenting from the Knesset on the alliance
between the Prime Minister and the Land of Israel MKs, said that it must be
remembered that the Land of Israel people are against the entire Oslo
process, while Netanyahu wants it to be carried out, albeit with checks and
balances.
3. PA LAW CALLS FOR DEATH FOR ISRAELIS IN YESHA
Nadav Ha'etzni, a columnist for Ma'ariv, recently revealed two new laws
legislated by the Palestinian Legislative Council, which have aroused talk
of a PA "declaration of war" on Israel. One of the laws makes it
permissible for the PA to manufacture weapons and accord its citizens the
right to bear arms. Chief Military Prosecutor Brig.-Gen. Uri Shoham called
the law "a serious violation of the agreements," and even Tewfiq
Abu-Ghazzaleh, Chairman of the Palestinian Legal Sub-committee, said "There
is no declaration of war here, although I would understand someone thinking
that there was."
A second law, called to Netanyahu's attention by Justice Minister Tzachi
Hanegbi, is entitled "The Law on Foreign Ownership of Real Estate in
Palestine." Ha'etzni wrote, "This law
amounts, according to jurists, to a declaration of war on the State of
Israel." The law stipulates that any Israeli citizen or institution - such
as Yesha residents or the IDF - holding "Palestinian real estate" is guilty
of treason for harming Palestinian "national security," and is therefore
liable to the death penalty.
Atty. Dudu Rotem, legal adviser to the Yesha Council, summed up the
implications of the law: "If I travel tomorrow to Jericho, they can arrest
me, since every settler, due to his very ownership of his home, harms
Palestinian national security. This is a dictator's order that grants
legitimacy to murder and racism, and harms every principle of law and
justice. However, the interesting thing is not what Arafat does, but what
the Israeli government will do regarding this law."
4. PA FIGURES
An op-ed by Michael Kelly in the Washington Post this weekend reported the
following:
* Since July 1, 1994, the day that Yasser Arafat arrived to take charge of
Gaza, the international community has given the Palestinian Authority some
$2.5 billion in aid.
* The PA has 80,451 employees, spread among 24 different ministries.
Salaries for these employees consume more than half of the entire
Palestinian national budget, which ran to $814 million in 1997.
* "Where does the rest of the money go?" The Palestinian Authority's own
auditors reported last year that nearly 40 percent of the annual budget -
$323 million - was wasted, looted or misused.
* In that time... wage rates in Gaza have fallen 50 percent, unemployment
has risen to highs of 50 percent, and is currently around 30 percent.
* The gross national product per Palestinian has declined by 35 percent.
* The number of Gazans legally working in Israel (where the jobs are) has
fallen from a pre-Arafat figure of 116,000 to as low as 23,000.
* The percentage of goods manufactured in Gaza and marketed in Judea and
Samaria (where the consumers are) declined from about 50 percent to 2
percent by 1996.
* In the first two years of Arafat's rule, one-third of Gazan businesses
folded.
* Foreign commercial investment in Gaza declined from $520 million in 1993
to below $300 million in 1997.
* The number of Palestinians living in poverty soared; one out of every
four now lives below the poverty line.
* The Palestinian Authority has yet to draft a criminal and civil code.
* There are 41,000 members of seven separate police forces that may arrest
without warrant and detain without due process.
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, December 9, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 1998 / Kislev 20, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CLINTON TRIP TO ENCOURAGE PALESTINIAN STATE
2. OIL IN ISRAEL
3. CLINTON WAIVES SANCTIONS AGAINST PLO
1. CLINTON TRIP TO ENCOURAGE PALESTINIAN STATE
Concern in Jerusalem is growing over the American-Palestinian
cooperation in the planning of U.S. President Clinton's visit to the
region. The Americans are doing all they can to help the Presidential
trip take on aspects of a visit to a foreign country, according to
Israeli Foreign Ministry and security officials. They cite as
examples the fact that the Americans are making sure that the visit is
given wide-spread coverage - they invited 1000 journalists - and that
Clinton's plane will land in the Dahaniye airport and not in a lesser
airport in Gaza. "The landing in Dahaniye will be totally ceremonial,
because from there Clinton will immediately fly by helicopter to Gaza
for meetings with PA leaders," reports Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai
Huberman. "He will march down a red carpet, and will review an honor
guard comprised of Palestinian para-military policemen, and will hold
his hand over his breast to the Palestinian anthem of 'Biladi, biladi'
[My Homeland] - exactly as is done between nations. There is great
frustration at this in Israel, because it's all being arranged between
the Americans and the Palestinians, and Israel doesn't have a say."
Huberman reports that Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai warned
against a Clinton visit during the Wye talks, fearing just this
situation. However, the others in the Israeli delegation at Wye felt
that Clinton's presence for the stated purpose of presiding over the
"revoking of the clauses of the Palestinian charter that call for
Israel's destruction" would force the Palestinians to do so formally
and effectively. Optimism that this will in fact occur is not high.
2. OIL IN ISRAEL
Encouraging signs of oil in Israel: There was "guarded optimism"
today following an experimental drilling by the Givot Olam company in
the Rosh Ha'ayin area. A strong flow of gas was reported, but it is
not yet known whether the oil deposits signaled by this flow are of
commercial proportions.
3. CLINTON WAIVES SANCTIONS AGAINST PLO
U.S. President Clinton waived yet again the official American
sanctions against the PLO. He signed a bill at the end of last month
that states, "I hereby determine and certify that it is important to
the national security interests of the United States to waive the
provisions of section 1003 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987, Public
Law 100-204, through May 24, 1999." Section 1003 states, "It shall be
unlawful... to further the interests of the Palestine Liberation
Organization... to receive anything of value... from the PLO... [or]
to expend funds from the PLO ... or maintain [a PLO] office,
headquarters, premises, or other facilities or establishments within
the jurisdiction of the United States..."
************************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, December 10, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, December 10, 1998 / Kislev 21, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ISRAEL AND U.S. EXCHANGE REMARKS
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is taking a determined stance as
U.S. President Clinton prepares to arrive in Israel this Saturday
night. Netanyahu insists that he will accept nothing less than a
change in the PLO charter that is voted upon by Palestinian National
Council, as the charter itself stipulates. He also reiterated that
the recent Palestinian violence must be immediately halted.
In addition, Netanyahu demanded that U.S. Commerce Secretary William
Daley apologize for intervening in Israel's internal affairs by
calling for a change in government in Israel. Daley said that new
elections may be needed in order for an Israeli government to act in a
pro-Oslo manner. Clinton's National Security advisor Sandy Berger, in
turn, criticized statements by Israeli government ministers against
Clinton's visit. Berger even threatened to cancel the visit.
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, December 11, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Friday, December 11, 1998 / Kislev 22, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CALL TO CLINTON FROM ISRAEL: FREE POLLARD!
2. ISRAEL DEMANDS NOTHING LESS THAN PNC VOTE
1. CALL TO CLINTON FROM ISRAEL: FREE POLLARD!
A large demonstration is planned for this coming Sunday night, the
first night of Chanukah, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem,
where U.S. President Clinton will be meeting with President Weizmann.
Members of Knesset and others will proclaim, "Our people are united on
the message of freedom for Jonathan Pollard, and we demand his
immediate release into the light of long-awaited freedom." Seven
former American Defense Secretaries have signed a petition calling on
President Clinton not to release Jonathan Pollard. The seven -
Rumsfeld, Richardson, Schlesinger, Weinberger, Cheney, Laird, and
Carlucci - write that Pollard's release "could encourage others who
would harm national security." Clinton recently announced that he
would review the Pollard case, but said that he would not announce a
pardon of Pollard during his trip this week to Israel.
2. ISRAEL DEMANDS NOTHING LESS THAN PNC VOTE
"If there's no vote [by the Palestinian National Council], then the
Palestinian commitment to amend the covenant. has not materialized,
and the purpose of Clinton's trip, which was to get the Palestinian
charter out of the way once and for all, will have been perverted."
So said yesterday David Bar-Illan, senior press aide to Prime Minister
Netanyahu. He thus devalued yesterday's vote by a lesser PLO body,
the Palestinian Central Council, which confirmed Arafat's letter to
Clinton on the matter.
Arafat's letter said that passages of the PLO charter calling for
Israel's destruction were null and void. However, the charter itself
clearly states [Article 33] that it "cannot be amended except by a
two-thirds majority of the members of the Palestinian National Council
in a special session called for this purpose." The PNC will convene
on Monday, but some of its members have already said that there will
be no vote on this issue. Instead, they plan to simply hear speeches
by Clinton and Arafat. "We will not consider this a rejection of the
Covenant," said Bar-Illan. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon said today
that Israel will not give in on this matter, "even if means a clash
with the U.S. administration, and even if the next stage of the
withdrawal is held up."
********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, December 13, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, Dec. 13, 1998 / Kislev 24, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. NETANYAHU: NOT ONE INCH
2. HILARY AND CHELSEA TO HIGHLIGHT REFUGEES
1. NETANYAHU: NOT ONE INCH
At a joint press conference with President Clinton this afternoon in
Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that even if the Palestinian
National Council holds an actual vote tomorrow on changing the PLO
charter, "it will be good, but not enough." Netanyahu said that until
the Palestinians fulfill all of their commitments, Israel "will not
withdraw from another inch of territory." Clinton, who arrived in
Israel last night, told the reporters that he had asked Congress to
approve a special aid package of $1.2 billion to Israel to cover the
costs of the next withdrawal. The American president said that he had
received intelligence information regarding Jonathan Pollard, and that
he will make a final decision regarding his release next month.
Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon was quite open with visiting U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this morning. He told her, "I
don't want to mislead you. Under the present circumstances, with the
many Palestinian violations, Israel will not carry out the next stage
of the withdrawal." Albright told him that she trusts him to come up
with "creative solutions" to the crisis. She said that the
Palestinians had not totally fulfilled their violations, but that it
cannot be said that they did nothing. The government is expected, at
its next meeting on Wednesday, to postpone the next phase of the
withdrawal. Political observers feel that Netanyahu is attempting to
appease the right-wing of his coalition with decisions of this nature.
At the same time, Sharon continues his efforts to expand the
government, turning first to David Levy, and then to a possible
National Unity government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Clinton this morning, after the two
leaders and their wives breakfasted together in Jerusalem this
morning. Knesset Speaker Dan Tichon is boycotting all events in which
Clinton is a participant, in protest of Clinton's decision not to
speak at the Knesset. The American president will speak instead before
students at the Jerusalem Convention Center.
2. HILARY AND CHELSEA TO HIGHLIGHT REFUGEES
Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that Jerusalem
government sources fear that tomorrow's visit of Hilary and Chelsea
Clinton to the Shati refugee camp in Gaza will be used for Palestinian
propaganda purposes. "First of all," Huberman reported today, "both
the Americans and Palestinians have been careful not to involve Israel
in any of the details of the Clinton family visit to Gaza. Israel
only learned of the visit through informal channels. The Palestinians
are thus sending the clear message that they are fully in charge, and
that they will host the Americans in Gaza as they see fit." The visit
to the refugee camp "is a departure from the original plan, according
to which they were supposed to visit a nursery school in Gaza,
parallel to a similar visit by Mrs. Clinton today in Israel," Huberman
explained.
What prompted the change? "A few months ago," explained Huberman,
"Mrs. Clinton came out openly in support of a Palestinian state. When
the President was pressured about her position, he said that this was
only his wife's private opinion, and not official U.S. policy. The
visit to the refugee camp is another one of Clinton's 'test-balloons,'
with which he plans to test public reaction. It is hard to believe
that the visit was arranged without Mrs. Clinton having coordinated it
with her husband. The refugees represent an almost unsolvable problem
between Israel and the Palestinians, the solution of which, from the
Palestinian perspective, is only the 'right of return.'" The PA hopes
to get lots of mileage out of the visit to Shati, Huberman noted.
"Just picture the scene: television cameras capture the First Lady as
she wanders around the camp's shacks, surrounded by poverty on every
corner. Palestinian officials will not hesitate to emphasize again
and again that this is all Israel's fault." Israel's position [based
on a background paper published by the Government Press Office] is
that from 1948 until 1967, when hundreds of thousands of refugees
lived in Arab territory, the Arab nations did little to alleviate
their suffering, preferring to keep their bitterness and anger alive.
Those in the Gaza Strip were denied citizenship or employment in
Egypt, for instance. Arab countries contributed only about 5% of the
total budget of UNRWA, which was charged with the task of helping the
refugees.
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, December 14, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, December 14, 1998 / Kislev 25, 5759 - First Day of Chanukah
------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via
Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ALL EYES ON GAZA
2. REACTIONS TO NETANYAHU'S STANCE
3. CLINTON IN GAZA
4. SLOMIANSKY "WILLING TO BEND"
1. ALL EYES ON GAZA
A mixed session of the Palestinian National Council and other leading
Palestinians in Gaza is set to convene at this hour, to be addressed
by U.S. President Clinton and PLO Chairman Arafat. Israel will follow
the session closely, to see in what manner the promised nullification
of the PLO charter will be carried out.
MK Benny Begin (Likud) explained to Arutz-7 today why the PLO charter
will not have been annulled, even if a vote is held there this
afternoon. "The changing of the charter is contingent upon the
calling of a special session of the PNC, before which the members must
have been specifically informed as to what issue they will be voting
on," Begin explained. "Not only is this gathering not an exclusive
and official session of the PNC, but the participants received only a
simple, modest invitation to come and hear speeches by Arafat and
Clinton, and nothing more." Begin surmised that the Arabs themselves
will soon brag about how they did not officially revoke the charter.
Arafat, according to Begin, wants to be able to hold the rope by both
ends - to appear internationally to have changed the charter, but to
be able to make internal Fatah announcements that the charter is alive
and well. "In the name of this charter," continued Begin, "they will
try to kill more Jews."
Begin also noted that the charter must be annulled by a two-thirds
majority of the PNC, but, he added, "I have heard that Prime Minister
Netanyahu has already stated on national radio that he won't insist on
an exact 2/3 majority vote. This was not Mr. Netanyahu's view last
week during the expected no-confidence vote in the Knesset [which can
be passed only by an absolute majority of 61 votes]. Then, he fought
for every vote, because he knew the big difference between 60 and 61
votes."
In contrast with Begin's position, top Netanyahu-aide Uri Elitzur says
that the issue need not be viewed from a "narrow legal" standpoint.
"If every Israeli home and every Palestinian home sees most of the
Palestinian leadership raise its hand in favor of changing the
charter, then that means that is has been changed. What is required
here is not a legal procedure, but a broad international procedure.
If, however, the Palestinians do not do this, but rather carry out
some kind of farce, then of course we will not carry out our side of
the agreement." Elitzur also said, "Clinton himself put the lie to
Israeli paranoia regarding the harm his visit would cause Israel. He
said several times today that his visit is not a recognition of a
Palestinian state."
2. REACTIONS TO NETANYAHU'S STANCE
Some members of the Land of Israel front in the Knesset were quick to
praise the tough stance taken by the Prime Minister in his speeches
yesterday. MK Nissan Slomiansky (NRP) believes that the past day
proved that Netanyahu is working forcefully in the country's best
interest. If he continues on this path, Slomiansky says, the
coalition will stabilize. In contrast, Moledet leader Rehavam Ze'evi
stated today that he has no faith in Netanyahu, and that Moledet will
vote against the government in the Knesset vote next Monday. MK
Michael Kleiner, head of the Land of Israel front, and MK Benny Begin
also plan to vote against the government next week.
3. CLINTON IN GAZA
President Clinton's helicopter landed this morning at the Dahaniyeh
airport in Gaza, and he later met with Arafat in the latter's office.
Clinton's arrival in Gaza was marred, from his point of view, by the
journalists' insistence on asking questions related to his impeachment
process. A three-way meeting between Clinton, Arafat and Netanyahu is
expected this evening at the Erez Checkpoint in Gaza. Clinton will
visit Massada tomorrow, and will leave Israel tomorrow afternoon.
Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai met this morning with US Secretary
of State Madeline Albright. Mordechai told reporters afterwards that
there is no chance that the Palestinians will have fulfilled their Wye
commitments by the end of the week. He added, though, that "if the
Palestinians begin to fulfill these obligations, we may still carry
out the withdrawal." Mordechai hinted that Israel may be prepared to
compromise with the Palestinians by releasing more terrorists in the
upcoming prisoner releases. In fact, it has been unofficially
reported that a three-way committee will be established to deal with
the matter. Representing Israel is expected to be Internal Security
Minister Avigdor Kahalani, whose dovish views on the question of which
terrorists to release are well-known. Netanyahu-aide Uri Elitzur
denied, however, that there would be any Israeli flexibility on this
matter.
4. SLOMIANSKY "WILLING TO BEND"
Though it is united ideologically, the Knesset Land of Israel front is
somewhat divided as to what tactic it should utilize in dealing with
the Netanyahu government. MK Nissan Slomiansky (NRP), speaking with
Arutz-7 today, says that he now has second thoughts about the wisdom
of the approach of MKs Ze'evi, Begin, and Kleiner to topple Netanyahu.
"I am afraid that members of the nationalist camp have overstated the
extent to which Netanyahu lied regarding what policy he intended to
follow," Slomiansky said. Netanyahu did not so much lie as exhibit
weakness, according to Slomiansky: "For a long time, he had told us
that he was going ahead with the withdrawals, but we didn't hear him,
or maybe we didn't want to hear him. We believed that he was just
trying to speak to the political center. Of course, prior to his
departure for Wye, we issued a list of conditions and demands that we
said he should insist on, and there is no question that he failed
there."
Slomiansky lamented the right-wing camp's failure to act decisively to
replace Netanyahu in the past, but he said that toppling Netanyahu is
not the proper strategy at this point: "I have come to the point
where I said to myself: One minute here; he already signed the
agreement. Even though it's hard for me to see myself representing
someone who signed such a deal, I think that if Netanyahu now actively
freezes the process, we should stay with him, for we have no better
alternative." When asked by Arutz-7 News Editor Haggai Segal as to
whether he believes that the Prime Minister will actually stop the
withdrawals, Slomiansky responded: "I don't expect him to say,
'Friends, I made a mistake when I signed the Wye agreement.' Even if
he would gain my allegiance with such a statement, he would lose other
coalition partners. But Arafat provides an infinite number of ladders
to climb down from - all that's needed is a conscious decision to use
them. The Prime Minister understands this, and he has already
responded correctly... there are at least two issues that we could use
as 'ladders:' the release of Palestinian terrorists, and the
declaration of a Palestinian state. If Arafat backs down on the demand
for release of terrorists, he will be assassinated; with the issue of
a Palestinian state, Arafat has already climbed up such a high tree,
that I don't realistically see him coming down."
Minister of Labor Eli Suissa (Shas) says that there is no importance
to what happens in Gaza this afternoon. He feels that it is more
important that the Palestinians stop their incitement and give up on
their demand to establish an independent state. He agrees that the
withdrawal should be pushed off until the Palestinians fulfill their
obligations.
************************************************************************