From: "Hebraic.Heritage.Newsgroup@sol.wwwnexus.com"
<Hebraic.Heritage.Newsgroup@sol.wwwnexus.com>
To: Arutz-7 List <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>, Israel News List
<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Israel in the News
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:36:38 -0800
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To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, April 29, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, April 29, 1999 / Iyar 13, 5759 - Day 28 of the Omer
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TODAY'S HEADLINE:
ARENS IN WASHINGTON
Defense Minister Moshe Arens, visiting in Washington, said that Israeli
policy is not to permit Yesha settlements of what he calls "individuals."
After meeting with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright yesterday, Arens
announced that he had ordered the removal of several settlement points of
this type in the past. Yesha activists are now saying that they will
continue to establish more settlement sites - at least until the elections.
In response to Arens' remarks, Yesha Council Chairman Pinchas Wallerstein
explained that Arens is a student of the old-time Revisionist ideology that
puts less stock in grass-roots settlement efforts and facts on the ground
than on diplomatic efforts. "Paradoxically, our settlement movement is a
continuation more of the traditional Labor movement than of the Likud's
forebears," Wallerstein said, admitting that there have been government
efforts against the new settlement efforts. He said, however, that these
do not negate the Yesha Council's support for Prime Minister Netanyahu:
"If Barak wins - and it is not certain that he will not win - we will be in
a very difficult position. Barak talks openly about the evacuation of
Yesha communities, using the more politically- correct terminology of
'transfer' and 'settlement blocs.' If he wins, there will be difficult
problems for us, but we will deal with them... Barak made a particular
strategic decision to go with very leftist elements, which is too bad,
because he has definitely made important contributions to our country."
************************************************************************
To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, April 30, 1999
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SHAS, AND MAYBE SHARANSKY, TO ENDORSE NETANYAHU
2. AMERICANS IGNORE PALESTINIAN VIOLATIONS
1. SHAS, AND MAYBE SHARANSKY, TO ENDORSE NETANYAHU
Likud campaign staffers are anxiously awaiting two important political
endorsements, which they believe may come as soon as next week: from
Natan Sharansky and Shas. For the first time, two nationwide polls
showed today that Ehud Barak has reached the 50% mark, or close to it.
Likud advisors say that Barak's rise in popularity stems largely from
the Russian sector, and that it can be explained by Yisrael B'Aliyah
leader Natan Sharansky's abstention from openly supporting Netanyahu.
Netanyahu's campaign advisor Arthur Finkelstein arrived in Israel last
night for consultations with the Likud campaign staff.
Shas leader Aryeh Deri, appearing at a rally for his party last night,
declared, "Netanyahu and Shas! Shas and Netanyahu!" Deri promised
that an official endorsement by Shas of Binyamin Netanyahu for Prime
Minister will be announced next week. Election Committee head Justice
Eliyahu Matza rejected a plea by the left-wing Shinui party - headed
by Tommy Lapid - to forbid the distribution of a new Shas-produced
videotape. The tape harshly criticizes Deri's recent conviction by
the Jerusalem District Court on charges of accepting bribes.
2. AMERICANS IGNORE PALESTINIAN VIOLATIONS
A senior security source has accused the American Administration of
ignoring the Palestinian violations of the Wye Accords. He said today
that the Americans have an interest in presenting the situation as if
the Palestinians are adhering to the agreement, even when this is not
the case.
Palestinian violations ignored by the Americans include Arafat's
refusal to arrest the 30 wanted terrorists he promised to detain, to
submit to Israel the list of his policemen, and to reduce his para-military
police force to the agreed-upon levels. The source said that Arafat
has also not collected more than 50 illegal weapons; a government
report last year stated that tens of thousands of illegal weapons are
circulating in the autonomous areas. Regarding the war against
terrorism, the source confirmed that the Palestinian Authority acts
only when it receives concrete information from Israel about a
specific terrorist cell, but takes no action at all against the
terrorist infrastructure.
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TO: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem
1) ISRAEL AGREES TO PROVIDE JORDAN WITH FULL WATER SHARE
2) US MAY PRODUCE LETTER FOR ARAFAT
3) PALESTINIAN STAMP CUTS OUT NETANYAHU
4) MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF ALL JEWS LIVE IN ISRAEL
5) ISRAEL FAILS TO BLOCK UN VOTE ON PARTITION, RIGHT OF RETURN
6) AMNESTY BLASTS PA REGARDING PRISONERS
7) FOREIGN MINISTER SHARON INVITES POPE TO VISIT ISRAEL
1) ISRAEL AGREES TO PROVIDE JORDAN WITH FULL WATER SHARE
Jordan and Israel have reached a breakthrough in a water
dispute, which erupted last month when Israel proposed cutting water
supplies to Jordan. According to a Jordan Times report, an agreement
between the two countries has been reached.
Officials in Amman reported that in a joint water committee
meeting last week, both sides reached an agreement under which Jordan
will obtain its 55 million cubic meters (mcm) of water from Israel, as
stipulated in agreements signed between the two countries.
"However, the distribution of the water might be carried out
according to a different schedule," another official, who requested
anonymity, told the Jordan Times without giving further details.
Last month, Jordan strongly protested an Israeli request to cut 40
percent of water supplies to Jordan to deal with a regional drought.
According to the peace treaty, in summer, Israel concedes to
transfer to Jordan 20mcm from the Jordan River directly upstream from
the river's Deganya gate in Israel, which, water experts say, is of
poor water quality. Also, Jordan is entitled to an annual quantity of
10mcm of desalinated spring water diverted from the river.
Jordan has already obtained the 10mcm, said one source. The
treaty stipulates that Jordan and Israel should cooperate to supply the
Jordan with an additional quantity of 50mcm of potable water every
year.
In 1997, the two countries agreed that the 50mcm should be
obtained through the desalination of brackish water flowing into the
Jordan River from the Israeli side. At the same time, they agreed that
until a desalination plant is set up, Israel would supply Jordan with
25mcm a year from Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee).
Both sides are currently working on a proposal for the plant,
which will be submitted to donor bodies for funding.
Jordan relies mainly on rainwater to meet domestic, agricultural
and industrial needs, and requires every drop of water to handle its
chronic water shortage.
Both Israel and Jordan have taken steps to deal with the drought
conditions, having implemented emergency measures to reduce the
consumption and demand for water. (IsraelWire, April 22, 1999)
2) US MAY PRODUCE LETTER FOR ARAFAT
The US is inclined to grant the Palestinians their wish
and give them a letter which they want in return for deferring their
announcement of a Palestinian state on May 4th. Senior Palestinian
negotiators, Abu Mazen and Saeb Erekat, are holding talks in
Washington on the matter.
A US diplomatic source said that such a letter would contain no
US commitments and would restate the US position against unilateral
diplomatic steps and would be in favor of accelerated permanent status
talks after the Israeli elections. The objection to unilateral steps
refers both to Palestinian declaration of statehood and Israeli
settlement activities.
The US is hoping the call for accelerated talks will satisfy the
Palestinians who want the deferment of the declaration of statehood to
be temporary. The US, while reportedly willing to call for the talks
not to be open ended, are not willing to set any deadlines. (MED, Kol
Israel, April 21, 1999)
3) PALESTINIAN STAMP CUTS OUT NETANYAHU
The PA is issuing a commemorative Wye River Accord stamp
which will feature PA Chairman Arafat and US President Clinton - but not
Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The stamp is based on a painting of the three, but Netanyahu's
picture has been cut out. When asked why Netanyahu was omitted, a PA
postal official explained that the stamp depicts those "who have
invested a great deal in peace."
The stamp will be available in PA post offices from April 24. It
will have a value equivalent to 4.5 shekel (US $1.12) and is valid as
postage to every country in the world - except Israel. (MED, Kol
Israel, April 21, 1999)
4) MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF ALL JEWS LIVE IN ISRAEL
Israel's population grew by 135,000 since last year's
Independence Day celebrations, and currently some 36 percent of all
the world's Jews live in Israel - a sixfold rise since 1948 -
according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics and a
demographics project at the Hebrew University. The country's
population in 1999 has grown by 38,000 to stand at 6,076,000.
Last year's growth totaled 2.3 percent, down very slightly from
the previous year, when it was 2.4 percent, but still higher than most
Western countries.
A much larger decline was registered in the number of new
immigrants who arrived in Israel over the past year - 55,000, down
from 67,000 between the 1997 and 1998 Independence Days. That decrease
was partially offset by an increase in the number of births, which
totaled 128,000 during the past year, 4,000 more than in the 1997 to
1998 period.
From a global perspective, Israel's 4.8 million Jews account for
36 percent of the world's 13.1 million Jews, according to data
released by the demographic forecasts project of the Hebrew
University's Department of Contemporary Jewry, headed by Sergio
DellaPergola.
The demographic data show that the natural growth rate of Jews
in Israel is far lower than that of the country's Arabs. The Muslim
population in Israel, which constitutes the majority of the Arabs, is
growing by 3.4 percent a year, the Druze by 2.4 percent and the
Christians by 1.7 percent. The natural increase of the Jewish
population is increasing by about 1.2 percent annually, with another
0.8 percent added by immigration. (By Moti Bassok & Relly Sa'ar,
Ha'aretz, April 20, 1999)
5) PA DELAYS DECLARATION OF STATE
PA leaders have decided not to declare a Palestinian state on May 4th.
The 124-member Palestinian Central Council decided to put off its
decision on the issue until after the elections. The decision came
after three days of deliberations in the council on the subject.
Reports say that it is possible that the Palestinians will declare
statehood once council deliberations resume.
In Jerusalem, Senior Advisor to Binyamin Netanyahu, David
Bar-Illan, warned the Palestinians against ever making a unilateral
declaration, even after the elections, if Netanyahu is reelected.
In the meantime, Bar-Illan welcomed the Palestinian decision to
put off the announcement. Jordan's ambassador to Israel, Omar Refayi,
said that his country like the Palestinians and the Israelis also has
much at stake in the permanent status negotiations. He referred to the
common water sources, the large number of Palestinian refugees,
Jerusalem being an Arab, Islamic, Christian and Jewish issue and
therefore "we are all involved."
He said that Jordan would like to have as close a role in the
dialogues as Israel and the Palestinians will allow. (MED, Kol Israel,
April 29, 1999)
5) ISRAEL FAILS TO BLOCK UN VOTE ON PARTITION, RIGHT OF RETURN
The UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva passed a resolution
with European support, calling for Palestinian self-determination on the
basis of the UN partition resolution of 1947 (181) and the resolution
calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees (194),
without any explicit mention of the peace process or its foundation in
UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
This resolution affirms division of the land and the right of
all Palestinians to return according to declarations made over 50
years ago, in an attempt to turn the clock back.
Israel's lobbying efforts to modify the resolution failed, and
the U.S. was the only country among the 53 in attendance that opposed
the measure. Israel is not a member.
Israel completely rejected the resolution and is disappointed by
the position of those countries headed by the countries of the
European Union which, while apparently supporting the Middle East
peace process, passes a resolution that essentially stands in direct
opposition to agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
According to the Israeli Government, at this time, great efforts
are being made again to get the peace process moving on the basis of
principles and agreements signed between the parties to the conflict.
This unilateral decision taken in Geneva can only weaken the level of
Palestinian commitment to direct negotiations and agreed upon
solutions.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement last night blasting the
resolution, and expressed particular disappointment at European
support, saying such a move "distances Europe from involvement it
could have in the peace process."
"In the past, 181 and 194 have been referred to in UN
resolutions, but there has generally been reference to 242, 338, the
Oslo agreements, or a general commitment to the peace process. This
time it is 181 and 194 alone. We see this as part of an orchestrated
campaign by the Palestinians to press 181," said Dore Gold, Israel's
ambassador to the UN.
In comments reported in the el-Yam daily last week, Palestinian
Authority (PA) Planning Minister Nabil Sha'ath said, "In his tour
through most of the world's countries, the president spoke of the
right to a Palestinian state, a right that is based on Resolution 181
of 1947 and not on the resolution of the Madrid Conference and the
Oslo Accords."
Israeli officials say they are alarmed by the focus on 181,
which they see as an attempt to shrink Israel to an area even smaller
than its 1967 borders. Yet US officials say that from their
conversations with the Palestinians, PA officials cite Resolution 181
as a basis for statehood, but in no way do they view partition as the
blueprint.
In the White House statement issued two days ago, the U.S.
position is unmistakable: Resolutions 242 and 338, passed in 1967 and
1973 respectively, which call for trading land for peace and
negotiating recognized borders, are the basis for the peace process.
(Compiled from an article By David Makovsky, Ha'aretz Diplomatic
Correspondent Ha'aretz, April 28, 1999 and reports from the Jerusalem
On-Line Observer, April 28, 1999)
6) AMNESTY BLASTS PA REGARDING PRISONERS
Amnesty International reports that the Palestinian Authority
has held hundreds of political detainees for lengthy periods without
trial, and tortured many of them. Specifically, about 370 prisoners
suspected of collaboration with Israel or of membership in Islamic
groups have been held for over a year without being charged, according
to the report. (Arutz 7, April 23, 1999)
7) FOREIGN MINISTER SHARON INVITES POPE TO VISIT ISRAEL
Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon met at the Vatican with Pope John
Paul II and other Holy See officials this week. The meeting, which
was held in a cordial atmosphere, focused on the Jewish people's
historic tie to the Land of Israel as described in the Bible. FM
Sharon invited Pope John Paul II to pay an official visit to Israel
and Jerusalem during the 2000 celebrations.
FM Sharon thanked the Pope for his efforts in combating
anti-Semitism, his relationship with the Jews, promoting human rights
and brotherhood between nations. He emphasized that the Jewish people
in general, and the Israeli government in particular, are committed to
the peace process on the basis of negotiations and reciprocity.
"Israel has until now diligently shown its willingness to cede areas
of its historical homeland for the sake of peace, even though it has
thwarted the acts of aggression against it for 50 years. This is
unprecedented in the history of nations. However, there is one subject
on which Israel will concede nothing, not now and not in the future:
the security of the Jewish people in their homeland," said Sharon.
The foreign minister then conveyed to the Pope blessings of peace from
Jerusalem: the City of Peace -- the capital of the Jewish people for
3000 years and the eternal capital of the State of Israel. (Israel
Government Press Office, April 27, 1999)
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
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.
We also invite you to look at our WEB SITE at:
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com
***********************************************************************
From: Jim Bramlett
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: NATO and Israel
Dear friends:
NATO and Israel have followed a parallel birth and growth. I wonder
if there is more here than meets the eye.
Israel won its independence in January-February, 1949 after a bloody
war with the Arabs.
NATO was born two months later On April 4, 1949.
This year marks the 50th anniversary for both.
This is only speculation, but I am beginning to sense that it may be
NATO and not the UN which best represents the emerging New World
Order and will provide the structure for the prophesied revived
Roman Empire. It is already happening. NATO has abandoned the Cold
War defensive purpose for which it was established and has turned
offensive. Recent news reports reveal NATO's shocking longer-range
plans to intervene in any world dispute according to its own
dictates, without regard to national sovereignties.
It is taking on a world agenda, almost dictatorial. This is ominous.
The next target could be Israel, if Israel does not surrender cherished
sovereign territory to the PLO. Sovereignty, history and divine
right mean nothing to world power brokers driven by petro-dollar greed.
A recent WorldNetDaily feature article documented NATO's real
purpose in Yugoslavia, not humanitarian as we are being told, but as
a strategy against Russia, while at the same time NATO is wooing
Muslim, former USSR republics adjoining Russia. The writer said that
NATO is the military arm of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a
group of elite globalists and one-worlders.
>From one point of view, the pro-Muslim tilt in the U.S. and NATO
countries does not bode well for Israel. But from God's point of view, it
does not bode well for the West, because God is Israel's defender!
Just wait until Michael the archangel is unleashed in Israel's defense!
Both Israel and the revived Roman Empire play major roles in God's
end-time plan. The stage is being set. The actors are in place.
Stars Bill Clinton and Tony Blair are center stage. The curtain is
coming up. The players are probably not even aware of their roles,
but are being driven by personal power politics. Spiritual
conspiracies are born and orchestrated in the heavenly realms, and
humans are merely pawns, often unawares. But by their choices, role
players unknowingly open themselves up to the manipulation of
spiritual forces, outside the protective covering of the blood of Christ.
But God is always in control. And He always wins. "Watch," as
Jesus said.
Jim
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From: Emmie Goodenough
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Palestinians Reveal Long-term Plans
MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 31
April 23, 1999
Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI)
1815 H Street, NW
Suite 404
Washington, DC 20006
Palestinians Reveal Long-term Plans
Since the signing of the Wye Agreement, the Palestinian leadership
has attempted to strengthen UN General Assembly Resolution
181 the 1947 Partition Resolution. Over the last five months,
Resolution 181 has been transformed from a marginal demand that was
only discussed in local forums in the Palestinian Authority's areas, to the
centerpiece of Palestinian diplomacy in the UN and around the world.
MEMRI, the first to report this change (1), revealed the PA's
operative plan that aims at implementing the 1947 Partition
Resolution. The plan was presented earlier this week in a Gaza press
conference, by the PA Minister of International Cooperation and
member of the Palestinian negotiating team, Nabil Sha'ath.
According to Sha'ath , in his meetings throughout the globe, Arafat
reemphasizes that the Palestinians base their claim for independence
on the 1947 Partition Resolution: "in his tour through most of the world's
countries, the president spoke of the right to a Palestinian state, a right
that is based on Resolution 181 of 1947 and not on the resolution of the
Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accords...."
(2) Sha'ath revealed that according to the PA's diplomatic plan, the
PA will attempt to replace the Oslo Accords, which will expire on May
4, 1999 and are based on the UN Security Council Resolution 242,
with General Assembly Resolution 181. By doing so, the bilateral
framework for the negotiations will be replaced by a UN multilateral
framework, which the PLO prefers. The PLO aims to apply the 'Model of
Namibia'- a model frequently alluded to by Arafat in the past -
within the borders of the 1947 Partition Resolution.
In accordance with this model, all the territories Israel occupied
beyond these borders since 1947, including East and West Jerusalem,
will be temporarily transferred to the UN. Then, the UN will
determine their final status through a referendum among the
Palestinian people. "An international action will be taken in the UN
Trusteeship Council," (3) says Sha'ath, "to implement the UN General
Assembly resolutions, including Resolution 181 which has been
reconfirmed yearly in the UN, with US consent between 1947
and 1974, when the PLO was accepted for the first time
as the representative of the Palestinian people."
(4) "If Resolution 181 is applied," Sha'ath added, "all Palestinian
land Israel occupies beyond the Partition Resolution borders will
be transferred to the UN, including Jerusalem in its entirety, both
East and West. The UN will then act, as it did in Namibia, and hold a
referendum among the Palestinian people regarding this land."
Sha'ath rejected the argument of a reporter from the Palestinian daily
Al-Quds that Resolution 181 is dangerous for the Palestinians because it
decrees the internationalization of Jerusalem: "we have no interest
at this moment in undermining the legitimacy of Resolution
181."
(5) Sha'ath said that the Palestinians aspire to conduct the
negotiations over these lands with the UN and not with Israel.
Therefore, the Palestinian leadership accepts the
internationalization of Jerusalem as a temporary act until it is
transferred to the Palestinians: "It is essential [first of all] to release
Jerusalem from the Israeli claws... If we conduct the
negotiations over the final settlement with the UN rather than Israel, it
will significantly help us reach a solution that is not imposed by
the Israeli occupation." (6)
Endnotes:
(1) MEMRI's previous publications examining the PLO's
focus on the Partition Resolution of 1947 include:
* "The Independent Palestinian State and the Partition
Resolution of 1947,"
MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis, No. 7, November 30, 1998, by
Yotam Feldner.
* "Abu 'Ala: 'The Borders of the Palestinian State That
Will be Declared on May 1999 Are Those Set By the 1947 UN Partition
Resolution, '" MEMRI Special Dispatch, No. 18, December 21, 1998.
* "Changes in the EU's Positions on Jerusalem and the
Palestinian State,"
MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis, No. 17, April 12, 1999, Yotam
Feldner.
(2) Al-Ayyam, April 23, 1999. Arafat himself made this
statement in a press conference in Moscow on April 6, 1999.
(3) A United Nation's body that carried out the transfer of sovereignty in
Namibia.
(4) Al-Ayyam, April 23, 1999.
(5) Al-Quds, April 23, 1999.
(6) Al-Quds, April 23, 1999.
The Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) is
an independent, non-profit organization providing translations of the
Arab media and original analysis and research on developments in the
Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as
background information, are available upon request.
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