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Subject: Arutz-7 News: December 23-28, 1998
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 15:47:33 -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: Wednesday, December 23, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 1998 / Tevet 4, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LIKUD AND TEKUMAH PREPARATIONS
2. ARAFAT TO HELP LABOR: MAY PUSH OFF DECLARATION OF STATE
3. "PARTITION STATE" STATEMENT CALLED VIOLATION
1. LIKUD AND TEKUMAH PREPARATIONS
The Likud Knesset faction will meet today to discuss the schedule of
internal party elections. Quiet negotiations are continuing among senior
party members on whether forces should be consolidated to replace
Netanyahu. The leading figures opposing Netanyahu at present are Jerusalem
Mayor Ehud Olmert, Minister Limor Livnat, and MK Uzi Landau. Olmert has
reportedly said that he would be willing to support Defense Minister
Yitzchak Mordechai to lead the Likud.
Members of the Land of Israel Front and Tekumah met this afternoon in the
office of MK Michael Kleiner, continuing their efforts to form a joint list
of nationalist MKs in preparation for the upcoming elections. Arutz-7
correspondent Kobi Sela reports that in attendance at the meeting were MK
Benny Begin, MK David Re'em, Moshe Leshem of Gamla Shall Not Fall Again,
Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh), Beit El Mayor Uri Ariel, and others. It appears
that Benny Begin will head the list. Kleiner said that the group sees
itself as the founding nucleus of a new party that will include the
National Religious Party and other groups, and that it has definite plans
to run in the next elections. The participants emphasized that the list
will not run as a splinter group, nor if it endangers the unity of the
nationalist camp.
Other election shorts: Hagi Ben-Artzi, brother of Mrs. Sarah Netanyahu,
who less than two months ago declared that he would present his candidacy
for Prime Minister on behalf of the Jewish Leadership movement, has joined
the Moledet party... Knesset Speaker Dan Tichon said that he has decided
not to serve in that capacity in the next Knesset... Third Way MK Alex
Lubotsky and the religious-left movement Meimad have shown interest in
joining the new centrist party led by Dan Meridor. Lubotsky said that he
would not do so, however, "if Roni Milo - whose personality symbolizes
divisiveness and provocations - is involved in the party"...
Arafat-advisor Ahmed Tibi has expressed interest in running for Knesset on
a new Arab list...
2. ARAFAT TO HELP LABOR: MAY PUSH OFF DECLARATION OF STATE
Ma'ariv newspaper reported today that a senior Palestinian Authority figure
said that Arafat may postpone his declaration of the establishment of a
Palestinian state, in order not to help Binyamin Netanyahu's election
campaign. The PA feels that Netanyahu will attempt to use the declaration
as a "scare tactic" in his campaign. A report in today's Ha'aretz quoted
senior Labor officials to the effect that Arafat promised them that he
would not proclaim the establishment of a state in May 1999 if the Israeli
election had not been held by then. The upcoming issue of the weekly
Foreign Report - a prestigious British military-issues magazine - predicts
that Yasser Arafat will be the first leader in the Middle East to disappear
from the world arena. Three other leaders in the region who will follow
Arafat soon after, according to the Foreign Report, are Syrian President
Assad and Saudi Arabian King Fahd, for health reasons, and Iraq's Saddam
Hussein, who is likely to be killed in an American or British attack.
3. "PARTITION STATE" STATEMENT CALLED VIOLATION
David Bar Illan, Director of Policy Planning and Communications in the
Prime Minister's Office, has responded to a recent statement by Chairman of
the Palestinian Legislative Council Abu Ala. Abu Ala wrote that a
Palestinian state will be established in May 1999 according to the borders
of the UN Partition Plan of 1947. These borders would include cities such
as Beit Shemesh and Acre within Palestinian borders, and make Be'er Sheva a
border city. Bar Illan said that Abu Ala's statement itself represents a
violation of the Wye agreement, which stipulates that future borders will
be mutually agreed upon.
************************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, December 24, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, December 24, 1998 / Tevet 5, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SHARON CONTINUES EFFORTS TO FORM UNITY GOVERNMENT
2. NETANYAHU CONFIDENT; SHACHAK ENTERS ARENA
3. YESHA RABBI'S VIEW ON POLITICAL SITUATION
4. RUSSIAN COMMUNIST LEADERS DENOUNCE ZIONISTS
1. SHARON CONTINUES EFFORTS TO FORM UNITY GOVERNMENT
The Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot reports today that Binyamin
Netanyahu and Ehud Barak were on the verge of reaching an agreement to
establish a national-unity government before the Wye Plantation talks.
The two agreed, according to the report, to withdraw from most of the
Golan in exchange for a peace agreement with Syria. They also agreed
on permanent-status arrangements with the Palestinians, and on new
procedures for drafting yeshiva students into the IDF. The details of
the agreement will be published in the paper tomorrow. Foreign
Minister Ariel Sharon has been involved over the past two days in
unflagging efforts to form a national-unity government, and thus nip
the election campaign in the bud.
Yasser Arafat has instructed his aides not to meet with Minister
Sharon. This is in protest of Sharon's persistent refusal to shake
Arafat's hand, even during the recent visit of U.S. President Clinton
to Israel.
2. NETANYAHU CONFIDENT; SHACHAK ENTERS ARENA
Prime Minister Netanyahu blames "most of the media" for conspiring to
topple him from the Prime Ministry. He expressed confidence today
that no one in the Likud would beat him in an internal contest for
that post. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert met yesterday with
Communications Minister Limor Livnat, and this morning with Defense
Minister Yitzchak Mordechai. Olmert said later that he has still not
decided whether to run for the leadership of the Likud; he appears to
have strong support amongst those in the party who oppose Netanyahu.
The vote for the leadership of the Likud will take place on Jan. 25.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak received his discharge
from the army today, and announced that he was entering politics. He
did not specify his exact plans, but he is widely expected to head a
centrist party with Dan Meridor, Roni Milo, and others. He called
today for internal unity, mutual respect, and the continuation of the
peace process. "Many people in the State of Israel are waiting for
something different; they want hope. If I can help, I will help, " he
said. "The more we can do together, the better. Peace means economic
prosperity..." Shachak did not directly answer charges by left-wing
politicians that his insistence on running on a list separate from the
Labor party would splinter the left and harm the peace process.
The Chief Military Prosecutor, Brig.-Gen. Uri Shoham, determined today
that the political contacts held by Shachak of late were against army
regulations. Earlier, Likud MK Uzi Landau, Chairman of the Knesset
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, also criticized Shachak for
being involved in politics while still wearing an IDF uniform.
Deputy Minister Michael Eitan (Likud) said that the new centrist party
under the leadership of Meridor and/or Lipkin-Shachak is totally
superfluous. "There's absolutely no reason - other than those
involving people's egos - for a centrist party. By the way, it will
not be centrist, but rather just another leftist party. I don't see
this party or its potential leaders as alternatives to [Labor party
leader] Barak or Netanyahu." Labor MK Eli Goldshmidt strongly
criticized the new party as "having no ideology, but rather just a
group of people with different, and sometimes opposing, opinions."
3. YESHA RABBI'S VIEW ON POLITICAL SITUATION
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, a member of the Yesha Council of Rabbis, and
rabbi of the community of Har Bracha in Samaria, admitted today to
Arutz-7 that the postponement of the withdrawals until after the
elections has "lifted a burden" from the Yesha residents. He said
that in general, however, "the political events of the last several
weeks have not been particularly positive... Instead of threatening
to topple the government, the nationalist camp MKs should have
followed the halakhah [Jewish law], by leaving the government as soon
as it agreed to give away parts of the Land of Israel, but without
toppling the government. This move would have exerted heavy pressure
on the Prime Minister, and it would have shown that there is still
some ideology on the right, and it would have given the nationalist
camp time to organize for the next elections."
Rabbi Melamed also criticized the "zig-zags" of the Yesha Council:
"It was incredible. First the Council issued a call to topple the
government. Then suddenly, at the last minute, when there was no hope
[for the government to survive], the Council embarrassed itself by
pressuring MKs to support the government. This should never have been
done in this fashion." Rabbi Melamed said that the most important
task for the national camp over the months ahead is to drop internal
differences in order to form a single entity: "It could be that all
the different nuances among the various right wing groups are
fascinating for the people of Kedumim and Beit El to argue about, but
it doesn't really interest the public at large. If we all unite, and
especially if the leaders make concessions one to another, there is a
good chance of putting together a real right-wing party that can have
a heavy influence on the next government. If this happens, then the
whole process will have been for the best."
When asked why so many people of the nationalist camp are sorry about
the fall of the government, Rabbi Melamed opined that this is rooted
both in the fear of a left-wing government, and the sense that
Binyamin Netanyahu identifies with the principle of maintaining
Israeli sovereignty over the Land, even while withdrawing from parts
of it. "This can be understood by a parable: A mugger tells his
victim: 'I'm really sorry, but I have no choice. I need your money.
If you don't hand it over, I'll shoot you. I am very sorry.' The
victim hands over the money, but comes away with a good feeling, as
the robber was so pleasant. But in fact it is likely that such a
robber is more dangerous, because he feels that he is justified in
doing whatever he has to do."
4. RUSSIAN COMMUNIST LEADERS DENOUNCE ZIONISTS
Russian Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov lashed out this week
at Russian Jews. In an open letter to the head of the presidential
staff, Zyuganov attacked the "aggressive and destructive role of
Zionist capital in the collapse of the Russian economy and the looting
of the people's goods."
He said the Russian people were asking "a legitimate question: how the
key positions in certain economic areas were essentially given to the
people of a single nationality." The Communists are the main party in
the lower house of parliament, the Duma. Zyuganov's comments follow
earlier virulently anti-Semitic remarks by party deputies Viktor
Ilyukhin and General Albert Makashov. The former said, "There are too
many Jews in President Boris Yeltsin's entourage," calling for quotas
of national groups in government offices. In October, Makashov had
issued a similar call for such quotas, saying there were "at least a
dozen kikes, shylocks and bloodsuckers" he would like to "ship off to
another world," according to AFP press agency.
*************************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, December 25, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Friday, December 25, 1998 / Tevet 6, 5759
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ELECTION DEVELOPMENTS
2. NEW RIGHT-WING PARTY BEING ESTABLISHED
3. CHABAD TO REMAIN NEUTRAL IN ELECTIONS
1. ELECTION DEVELOPMENTS
Former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak will make a formal
statement concerning his political plans following the second and
third readings of the early-election bill to be presented at the
beginning of next week. Shachak is reportedly proposing the number two
seat in his soon-to-be-formed party to Defense Minister Yitzchak
Mordechai.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has appointed Justice Minister
Tzachi HaNegbi to lead his campaign in the Likud Party primaries
slated for January 25th. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert (Likud) will
announce next week whether or not he will run against Netanyahu for
the Likud Party leadership. In the event that Olmert joins the race
for Prime Minister, he must resign from his position as Jerusalem
Mayor and new mayoral elections will be held.
Recently resigned Finance Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman maintained in a
media interview earlier this week that the large political parties
will fall apart in the upcoming Knesset elections. He claimed that
the public is fed up with politicians who are interested in
themselves, and that the popular vote will tend towards smaller
parties which are viewed as ideologically faithful.
2. NEW RIGHT-WING PARTY BEING ESTABLISHED
Leaders within the nationalist camp continue consultations towards the
formulation of a new Knesset party in which religious and secular
Knesset members who oppose territorial concessions will join forces.
Tekumah Movement leaders Ya'akov "Ketzaleh" Katz and Uri Ariel told
Arutz-7 that MK Dr. Ze'ev Binyamin Begin (Likud) will head the list
and submit his candidacy for Prime Minister this coming Monday. MKs
David Re'em (Likud), Michael Kleiner (Gesher), and Moshe Peled
(Tzomet) have already decided to join the new party. Additional MKs
expected to join include Uzi Landau of the Likud, Chanan Porat and
Tzvi Hendel of the National Religious Party, Rehavam Ze'evi and Rabbi
Benny Elon of Moledet, and possibly Minister of Agriculture Rafael
Eitan among others.
Tekumah leaders told Arutz-7 today, "Of the 27% of Israelis who oppose
the Olso process, we estimate that 16% will vote for the new faction
which translates into approximately 15-20 Knesset seats. With this
mandate, we will block any right-wing Prime Minister from implementing
further withdrawals."
3. CHABAD TO REMAIN NEUTRAL IN ELECTIONS
Israeli Chabad leaders have announced that they will not endorse any
candidate in the upcoming elections for Prime Minister. The most
recent edition of the movement's magazine explains that from the
standpoint of Chabad, there is no longer any major difference between
the two leading candidates - Netanyahu and Barak - since they both
support territorial concessions to the Arabs. The movement will,
however, campaign for maintaining Israel's territorial integrity, in
accordance with the ruling of the late Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
which stated that concession of land to the Arabs endangers lives.
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, December 27, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, Dec. 27, 1998 / Tevet 8, 5759
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LANDAU TO RUN AGAINST NETANYAHU
2. OTHER ELECTION NOTES
1. LANDAU TO RUN AGAINST NETANYAHU
MK Uzi Landau, who serves as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee, announced today that he will run against Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the leadership of the Likud. Landau
said that the Likud needs "leaders with principles," but added - in
light of the small chances that he will emerge victorious in the
internal Likud contest - that he will support whichever candidate the
Likud chooses to run in the national elections. Landau expressed the
hope that recently-resigned Likud members such as Dan Meridor, Benny
Begin, David Levy, and others, will return to the party and fight for
their opinions from within. Former Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir
expressed his support for Landau.
"The Likud is not the domain of only one person, of even the finest
leader," Landau said today at a press conference. "Our party has a
glorious past, and it has an important role to play in the future of
the State of Israel. At this juncture, the country requires a strong,
united Likud. The individual candidate chosen to lead the party is
less significant than our principles and historical mission. I
believe that I can represent the traditional ideals of the original
'Herut movement.' . Support for [me] is support for the return of
democracy to the Likud. Altering party doctrine in order to win at the
polls empties us from our substance, transforming the Likud into a
movement that goes wherever the wind blows it."
Regarding the Oslo and Wye agreements, Landau later told Arutz-7
correspondent Asi Talmon, "I see them as a tragedy for the State of
Israel, and I will do everything I can to reduce the damage that they
caused." When asked how, he said, "Look, an agreement must be kept by
both sides. If the Palestinians don't keep their end of the bargain -
and I haven't seen them doing so, nor do I expect this to change -
then we won't keep our side. When I become Prime Minister, the
talking will stop, and the actions will begin: Construction will
resume in Jerusalem and all over Yesha, and we will do everything we
can to extricate ourselves from the dangers of the Oslo process."
Other Likud personalities:
* Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert has announced that he will not run
against Netanyahu. He said that from a national point of view, he
feels that it is very critical to maintain a strong Likud: "I will do
all I can to help the Likud retain its strength and leadership status
in the country."
* Defense Minister Yitzchak Mordechai continues to remain uncommitted,
although his aides say that his participation tonight in the Likud
Central Committee convention signals his desire to remain within the
Likud. He met this morning privately with Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu.
* Likud MK Benny Begin is set to officially announce his resignation
from the party and his candidacy for Prime Minister as head of the
Tekumah movement tomorrow.
* Minister Limor Livnat met today with Dan Meridor, who offered her an
important slot in his and Lipkin-Shachak's new centrist party. She
has indicated that she would have difficulty joining a party led by
Shachak, who is known to have leftist leanings.
* Minister Moshe Katzav said that there is no candidate who can defeat
Netanyahu within the Likud.
2. OTHER ELECTION NOTES
Ma'ariv newspaper's political commentator Menachem Rahat summed up
some aspects of the election campaign in its present early state:
* Yitzchak Mordechai: "It would cause a real earthquake if he in fact
joins the Shachak list. As it is now, Shachak is leading Netanyahu in
the polls, and Mordechai's entry could increase the lead even more.
But Mordechai is very cautious."
* Amnon Lipkin-Shachak: "It could be that sizable groups of former
Netanyahu supporters will go with this party. It is certainly not
inconceivable that he will be the next Prime Minister."
* Benny Begin: "He is known as a real man of principles, but if he
sticks to them and refuses to endorse Netanyahu in the second round,
he could really be left with nothing but his principles, while the
election will be won by the left."
* Binyamin Netanyahu: "He is definitely in a strong position in the
Likud Central Committee. His problem is not in the Likud, but with
the Israeli public at large."
* Limor Livnat: "She is in a tight spot. If she remains in the
Likud, she will be on the 'undesirables' list in the Likud. But if
she leaves, she also will not have an easy time. It could be that she
now regrets her role in weakening the government."
* Uzi Landau: "One of his main gripes is that Netanyahu ignores the
concepts of orderly and fair rule, and that he ignores decisions made
by the party's Central Committee, etc. In addition, Landau, as one of
the last remaining ideologues in the party, feels that Netanyahu has
swerved strongly to the left. But he admits that his chances are
small, and says that he will support whoever wins in the end."
* The hareidi public: "They may not know who they will support, but
they do know who they won't support - Barak and Roni Milo."
MK Moshe Peled of the Land of Israel front in the Knesset said today
that his Tzomet party must join the new nationalist camp political
bloc currently in formation. He implied that if Tzomet runs
independently, it will not fare at all well in the elections. He
bemoaned the fact that several Tzomet MKs have not remained faithful
to its platform of security and commitment to the Land of Israel.
Former Likud MK Ron Nachman, mayor of Ariel, told Arutz-7 today why he
supports Netanyahu: "The bottom line is that Netanyahu is better than
Barak, and the members of his government are better than those who
would serve in Barak's government, for purposes of the Yesha public.
I have written a personal letter to each and every MK on the right
side of the political spectrum, telling them that the great enterprise
[the Jewish entity in Judea and Samaria] that each of them worked for
at some point in his career and helped build up, faces a real danger
of going down the drain - not to mention the mortal danger that the
residents themselves will face - for nothing other than personal
reasons of various politicians. I wrote that they must shunt aside
all the personal considerations, and enlist together in the effort to
ensure that a leftist government does not come to power."
***********************************************************************
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
To: arutz-7@vjlists.com, arutz7-b@vjlists.com
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, December 28, 1998
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, December 28, 1998 / Tevet 9, 5759
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
--- See below for subscription instructions ---
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BENNY BEGIN HEADS NEW PARTY
2. YESHA COUNCIL AND BENNY BEGIN: PRO AND CON
3. ELECTION NOTES
1. BENNY BEGIN HEADS NEW PARTY
MK Binyamin Ze'ev Begin (Likud) announced in Tel Aviv today that he is
leaving the Likud Party to run for Prime Minister as leader of the new
nationalist camp party. Begin launched his press conference today
with a biting attack on the Oslo Accords. "In two and a half years of
Likud rule, the Palestinians have progressed, and Israel has
withdrawn," he said, noting also the abundance of terrorist attacks
since the beginning of the withdrawals. "The Likud, Labor and the new
centrist party all share the same basic views, which will hinder them
from bringing peace and security to the country... The challenge of
the hour is to prevent the implementation of the Wye Agreement, and to
thereby prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state." Begin
stressed that Netanyahu's verbal attack against the political left
last night can't hide Netanyahu's own lack of resolve and
capitulation. He made mention of the concern of some on the right
that his candidacy will split the right wing. "The current situation
is different than it was in 1992, given the fact that Prime Minister
is elected directly," he said. "Mathematically, if there are only two
right-wing candidates, and if 50% of the electorate votes for the
right-wing, there is no chance that my candidacy will hurt."
Education Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, leader of the National
Religious Party, has come out against the new nationalist party and
Benny Begin. "This is a tragic political split, that will only help
Barak. Every vote for Begin is a loss for the right-wing." He did
not accept Begin's claim that his candidacy would not hurt the
right-wing in light of the second round of elections that will
certainly be necessary between the top two candidates. Rabbi Levy
said that after three months of hearing Begin call Netanyahu a liar
and a cheat, many right-wing voters will feel that "there is no one
for whom to vote," and will not vote at all in the second round.
2. YESHA COUNCIL AND BENNY BEGIN: PRO AND CON
Many leaders of the Yesha Council oppose Benny Begin's candidacy. The
Council will convene two days from now, where it is expected to pass a
motion calling on the nationalist camp to choose only one candidate
for Prime Minister. Yesha Council head Pinchas Wallerstein warned
today that if there is more than one candidate, the scenario of 1992
will return, and the left will rise to power. "I don't regret the
formation of the new party - on the contrary, that could be a very
good thing. But to field another Prime Ministerial candidate, one who
has no chance, is simply a waste. Some people say that it is good for
us to be in the opposition, because then we will be united against the
government, and we will struggle against it, etc., but I think that we
have to do work together with the People of Israel, and we must not go
it alone." Nevertheless, Wallerstein is aware that there may be an
ideological split among the Yesha leaders on this issue. He said that
if Netanyahu's platform is based on the implementation of the Wye
agreement, "then of course we will not endorse him. But as is stands
now, let's not blur the differences between Barak and Netanyahu, and
let's not fool ourselves: Barak and the centrist party are both pure
'left,' and they will evacuate all or most of the Yesha
settlements..."
Moshe Leshem, head of Gamla Shall Not Fall Again, and a strong
supporter of Benny Begin's new party, reacted sharply to Pinchas
Wallerstein's remarks: "It is pathetic that at the same time that
Wallerstein was attempting to convince MKs not to topple the
government last week, Netanyahu and Barak were agreeing on the basic
principles of a national-unity government which showed that there were
no differences between the two - not about Yesha, and not about the
Golan... We therefore have to finally say Stop!, and not put Yesha on
the chopping block, and realize that we will not be able to change
Netanyahu... Today's situation cannot be compared at all to 1992,
when various right-wing splinter parties did not even get into the
Knesset, and therefore their votes were wasted. But today, Benny
Begin, even before he begins his campaign, already has between 6 and
9%, which means that the votes for him will not be wasted."
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal pointed out that it could be that those 6-9%
will prevent Netanyahu from reaching the second round, as a recent
poll indicated might occur. Leshem answered, "First of all, we don't
live by polls. According to the polls, Shimon Peres should have been
Prime Minister today. But more than that: Let's not fool ourselves -
other than Benny Begin, there IS no right-wing in Israeli politics
today. Netanyahu's approach to the Land of Israel is the same as
Barak's, and whoever is afraid of Barak should be more afraid of
Netanyahu. Netanyahu did not build in the Yesha settlements, because
he told the Americans that he would allow only 'natural growth.' He
built much less than Rabin and Peres!" Leshem concluded that Begin
stands for principled leadership, something for which the Israeli
public longs.
3. ELECTION NOTES
Binyamin Netanyahu and Uzi Landau are the two candidates who will vie
for the leadership of the Likud party, in an election one month from
now that will determine the party's nominee for Prime Minister. So
determined the Likud Central Committee convention last night in Tel
Aviv. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon endorsed Netanyahu, saying, "I do
not want to be Prime Minister. I want the Likud party and the
nationalist camp to be united, and I want to ensure that we choose the
candidate who has the best chance to become Prime Minister." He
called upon Netanyahu to improve his team-work with his colleagues.
Netanyahu, speaking at the convention last night, said, "We find
ourselves with a two-pronged leftist camp, a camp that is dividing
into two: One says, 'I won't say left-wing statements, because I want
to be elected.' That's Barak. The second one says, 'I don't want to
join the left wing party, so that I won't be considered a leftist.'
But the left-wing people who are moving back and forth between the two
groups are having a very hard time detecting the differences between
them."
***********************************************************************