Date:          Wed, 26 May 1999 17:01:21 +0300
To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, May 26, 1999, 1999 / Sivan 11, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. DAMAGE TO TEMPLE MOUNT "UNDER DISCUSSION"
  2. PRELIMINARY COALITION TALKS END

1. DAMAGE TO TEMPLE MOUNT "UNDER DISCUSSION"
The security mini-cabinet of the outgoing government convened this
morning, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu.  At issue
were reports that the Palestinians are taking advantage of the current
transition period to create new facts on the Temple Mount.  The
Moslems are reportedly building a fourth mosque there, and making
other permanent changes.

Arutz-7 continues to receive reports that water is miraculously
flowing under the Temple Mount.  No concrete proofs or disproofs of
the claims have yet been submitted, however.  According to the
reports, the Arabs are very concerned about the water, which they
believe portends well for the Jews, and have brought in special pumps
and mounds of sand to deal with the "problem."  Gershon Solomon, head
of the Temple Mount Faithful, said, "I am quite convinced that there
is water, though the Arabs are not allowing anyone to approach the
site, and I have no way of proving it."  The water was apparently
caused by and discovered during Arab excavation works under the Temple
Mount, which are causing damage to the ancient Temple pillars and
halls. 

The Arabs are also apparently carrying out destructive excavation
works in the "great and beautiful halls of the historic Hulda entrance
to the Temple Mount, through which millions of Jews used to enter the
Temple Mount," according to the Temple Mount Faithful.  The group
blames the Moslems for attempting to nullify the Jewish  identity of
the Temple Mount, the Israeli government for being "too weak" to put a
stop to it, and the UN for keeping silent in the face of "such a
terrible crime against mankind."  Solomon told an Arutz-7
correspondent, "It is too bad that Jews pray three times a day for the
rebuilding of the Temple, but do not take enough of an interest in it
day-to-day."

2. PRELIMINARY COALITION TALKS END
The third and last day of preliminary coalition talks has ended at the
Accadia Hotel in Herzliyah.  One Israel representatives met today with
the small parties that supported Binyamin Netanyahu during the
election: the National Religious Party, United Torah Judaism (five
seats each), Yisrael Beiteinu, and the National Union (four each).
Upon arrival at the hotel, Rabbi Yitzchak Levy of the NRP said that
his party would not sit in a government that will "dry out" Yesha
communities. "Ehud Barak will not be able to be the Prime Minister of
the whole nation if he dries out part of it," he said. Rabbi Levy said
that his party will want the Education Ministry. Labor's partner
Meimad, a religious-Zionist organization to the left of the NRP, has
also set its sights on the Education Ministry.

NRP leaders said after the meeting that One Israel is very interested
in the NRP joining the coalition, and that its representatives told
them that "drying-out settlements is not in our lexicon."  Outgoing
Minister of Transportation Sha'ul Yahalom (NRP) told Arutz-7 today
that he gives "equal odds" regarding his party's inclusion in the
coalition.  "Given our modest accomplishment in the election of only
five Knesset seats, we will apparently not be able to lead diplomatic
initiatives, but will only be able to act in stopping negative
left-wing intentions, such as freezing Yesha construction and
'drying-out' or removing settlements," said Yahalom.
 When asked if his recent election competition with the National Union
had cooled the party's ardor for Land of Israel-related issues, Yahalom
responded, "Not in the least.  However, again, we will have less
influence.

 For instance, when we were in the Transportation Ministry these past
three years, we increased transportation in Yesha many times over.  But with
less MKs, we will have less authority in the government, and less room
to influence and maneuver."

A quick rundown of One Israel's other meetings today:  The National
Union presented its case for incorporating the Wye Agreement into a
final-status arrangement with the Palestinians.  Rehavam Ze'evi, the
party's senior MK, said afterwards, "As Menachem Begin once said, we
can serve the nation very well in the opposition."  Yisrael Beiteinu,
which is similarly not expected to be a part of the coalition, was
represented by MK Yuri Stern and others.
 The United Torah Judaism delegation was led by MK Rabbi Meir Porush,
 who said that the meeting with One Israel was "friendly and conciliatory."

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Date:          Thu, 27 May 1999 18:14:41 +0300
To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, May 27, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, May 27, 1999 / Sivan 12, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. NETANYAHU'S FAREWELL TONIGHT
  2. MERETZ AND NRP FIRST
  3. PALESTINIAN RADIO CALLS FOR VIOLENCE
  4. ARAB VIOLENCE INCREASES

1.  NETANYAHU'S FAREWELL TONIGHT
The Likud Central Committee will convene this evening to officially
appoint Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon as acting party chairman.  MK
Yisrael Katz withdrew his candidacy for the post, in exchange for a
promise from Sharon that the Committee will be the final arbiter on
the question of whether the Likud should join a national-unity
government.  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will deliver his
farewell speech there tonight.  MK Ruby Rivlin announced his
resignation today from the post of Knesset faction chairman, in
protest of "the party's rush to join the Barak government."

Likud MK Naomi Blumental told Arutz-7 today that she is vehemently
against the inclusion of the Likud in a national-unity government.  "I
don't see how we can have common guidelines in a government that is
inspired by Yossi & Yossi [Beilin and Sarid].  We are certainly in
favor of national unity, and we will do our part to improve the public
atmosphere, but we will serve as an effective opposition regarding
other issues.  Sitting in the opposition, we can do our part to
preserve the Yesha settlement enterprise, maybe even better than while
sitting in the coalition..."  She said, however, that if the party
does join the coalition, "there must be a true partnership, and we
must be the dominant member among the partners." 

2. MERETZ AND NRP FIRST
The coalition talks entered their second round today.  The National
Religious Party and Meretz were invited for negotiations today, and
Yisrael B'Aliyah and the Centrist party tomorrow.  The Likud will
apparently be invited next week.  Regarding Shas, One Israel leaders
say that its position paper - in which it demands that no Yesha
settlements be evacuated, among other things - "somewhat complicates
the situation, although the door is not closed."  Prime Minister-elect
Barak said today that he is interested in including Shas in his
coalition.  "I will not agree to have any large population sectors
outside the center of major decision-making."  The religious parties
agreed among themselves this week that no one of them would join the
coalition alone.

Nearly 70 of the new Knesset Members oppose a construction-freeze on
Yesha settlements, and their representatives raised the issue in their
preliminary coalition talks with One Israel this week.  The 70 include
the 19 Likud MKs, 17 from Shas, 6 from Yisrael B'Aliyah, 5 each from
the National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism, and 4 each from
the National Union and Yisrael Beiteinu.  NRP and UTJ members told
Arutz-7 that One Israel agreed that "drying out" settlements was not
an option, but that the issue of evacuating settlements was not
discussed.  Rabbi Levy (NRP) said that the exact definition of 'not
drying out'  - whether it means "not cutting off water and
electricity, or allowing construction to continue freely" will have to
be discussed in the negotiations themselves.  In addition, close to
ten other individual MKs from the more leftist parties - Shinui, the
Center, and One Israel - have expressed similar concerns, although
they made no official demands on the issue.  Rabbi Yehuda Gilad, of
One Israel's Meimad movement, said that though he is in favor of
evacuating smaller settlements in favor of settlement blocs, "we
object to both the concept and phraseology of 'drying out'
settlements."

3. PALESTINIAN RADIO CALLS FOR VIOLENCE
An escalatory trend in Voice of Palestine radio broadcasts against the
Yesha residents has been noted since the elections.  Broadcasters have
called for violent actions against the Jews. They called today for
listeners to attend a demonstration in the eastern-Jerusalem
neighborhood of Ras el-Amud against the Jewish construction there.
The illegal demonstration in fact turned violent, when dozens of Peace
Now activists and Palestinian demonstrators, led by Feisal Husseini,
were forcefully dispersed by police when they attempted to enter the
Jewish construction site there.  Several of the protestors were
arrested for attacking policemen.  The demonstrators were joined by
Arab-party Knesset Members.

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

Date:          Fri, 28 May 1999 16:50:00 +0300
To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, May 28, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Friday, May 28, 1999 / Sivan 13, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. BARAK SLAPS BEILIN ON WRIST
  2. PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE: UNORGANIZED AND ORGANIZED
  3. POLL SHOWS HIGH SUPPORT FOR WYE DELAY

1. BARAK SLAPS BEILIN ON WRIST
Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak called off a meeting planned for next
week between Yossi Beilin and other Labor MKs, and Oslo Agreement
architects Ron Pundak and Ya'ir Hirschfeld.  Ha'aretz reports today
that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways to speed up the
Oslo process, as well as to help Beilin's chances of being appointed
Foreign Minister.  The scheduled meeting reportedly greatly angered
Barak, saying it was an attempt to dictate his policies.  Barak's
cancellation of the meeting has apparently decreased Beilin's chances
of receiving the coveted Foreign Ministry post. 

Other Barak news:
 The Prime Minister-elect met yesterday, at his request, with former
Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir.  Shamir, who opposed Binyamin Netanyahu's
signing of the Wye Agreement, and who ran in a symbolic position
(#120) on the National Union list in the recent elections, said
afterwards that Barak wished to hear his opinion on "the matters that
are important for the country." 
 Barak also met with Shmuel Slavin, who served as Shamir's economic
advisor, and as Director-General of the Finance Ministry during the
Netanyahu government.  Slavin ran for Knesset in the recent elections
on the Centrist party list, but returned to the Likud last week. 
 Yesha Council leaders said today that they do not foresee the new
government stopping Jewish construction in Yesha very soon after
assuming control.  It appears that Barak will appoint a liaison in the
very near future between himself and the Yesha residents.

2. PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE: UNORGANIZED AND ORGANIZED
Palestinian violence against Jewish targets in Judea and Samaria, and
even in Jerusalem, continues to rise.  Shots were fired into homes in
Kfar Darom in Gaza last night.  No one was hurt, and the IDF returned
fire.  Arabs threw stones at Kfar Darom and on the Kissufim road last
night, injuring lightly one woman and causing property damage.  This
morning, Arabs threw stones at an Israeli car in the Abu Tor
neighborhood of Jerusalem, injuring a woman who is now listed in
moderate condition.  Despite the significant increase in such
incidents over the past days, the IDF allowed the re-opening today of
a school at the A-Ram junction that had been closed because of
stone-throwings there. 

The Palestinian Authority will hold a large gathering this Sunday in
Ramallah to plan violent actions against settlements.  Yasser Abed
Rabbo, a senior PA leader, said that the purpose of the gathering is
to prepare a "popular war against the settlement strongholds." 

3. POLL SHOWS HIGH SUPPORT FOR WYE DELAY
Dr. Aaron Lerner, backed by the findings of a new poll conducted by
Independent Media Review & Analysis (IMRA), calls upon the nationalist
camp to take advantage of the new atmosphere of unity initiated by
Ehud Barak, and "get its message out."  In an article in today's
Jerusalem Post, Lerner said that the poll "provides clear evidence
that the national camp can significantly influence the national
debate."  The findings showed that 71.4% of the respondents, when
informed that the Palestinians have already rejected Barak's "red
lines" on Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, settlement blocs, and
refugees, oppose carrying out the Wye withdrawals before the
final-status talks.  "It is noteworthy," wrote Lerner, "that 28.9%
(the equivalent of over 30 Knesset seats) embrace the National Union's
opposition to withdrawal under any circumstances."  He further notes
that Barak has not committed himself to further Wye withdrawals.  "The
public can understand a proper argument," concludes Lerner, "and
Barak's promise of national referendums on any deal with [Syria or
Arafat] makes public opinion critical.  The challenge today to the
national camp is to get its message out."

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

Date:          Sun, 30 May 1999 17:46:43 +0300
To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, May 30, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, May 30, 1999 / Sivan 15, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. ARABS UNHAPPY WITH CRUCIAL MA'ALEH ADUMIM PLAN
  2. TEMPLE MOUNT CONSTRUCTION
  3. BARAK MEETS WITH PARTY HEADS
  4. NETANYAHU ADMITS TALKS WITH SYRIA

1. ARABS UNHAPPY WITH CRUCIAL MA'ALEH ADUMIM PLAN
The Palestinian Authority's Nabil Amr has labeled it a "provocation
and a declaration of war against the Palestinian Authority and against
Palestinian soil."  The U.S. has also expressed its dismay at it, as
has Labor MK Yossi Beilin.  At issue is the decision by the outgoing
Netanyahu government to officially expand the municipal borders of the
town of Ma'aleh Adumim.  The plans - signed by Defense Minister Moshe
Arens, who said that it was decided on before the elections - concern
12,500 dunams (3,120 acres) of land initially expropriated in 1993 by
the Rabin government.  Prime Minister-elect Barak has refused to
comment on the move, but Beilin assured listeners of Voice of Israel
radio late last week that the new Barak government will not permit the
implementation of the plan. 

Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman explained the importance of the
decision today. "The expansion of Ma'aleh Adumim, which will allow
uninterrupted Jewish construction from there to Jerusalem's French
Hill neighborhood, has even greater strategic significance for Israel
than Har Homa or Ras-Al-Amud (Ma'aleh HaZeitim on Mt. of Olives), as
vital as those projects are," said Huberman.  "The Palestinian
Authority is attempting, through mostly illegal construction, to
establish its own territorial contiguity from Bethlehem to Ramallah.
Its plans are to expand the current Arab construction in Abu Dis
northward to the village of Azayim, to Anata [hometown of the prophet
Jeremiah], across to Hizma (north of Jerusalem's Pisgat Ze'ev
neighborhood) to A-Ram, which borders Ramallah.  The Palestinian plan
is clearly strategic in nature: to create facts on the ground such
that the slated Palestinian state will stretch on the east from
Jerusalem's northern to its southern boundaries.  Eastern Jerusalem is
set to be the heart - the capital - of the nascent state.  Expanding
Ma'aleh Adumim westward to Jerusalem will ensure that this contiguity
is broken."

Huberman continued, "Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat indicated that
he understands the implications of the Netanyahu decision very well,
when he exclaimed, 'Israel is trying to prevent us from establishing
our state!' In actuality, the expansion of Ma'aleh Adumim won't block
the formation of a state, but it will create an entity comprised of
several different cantons that will enable Israeli supervision over
the traffic between the areas.  This may include Israel imposing
sanctions on the PA should Palestinian actions warrant it."

2. TEMPLE MOUNT CONSTRUCTION
Prime Minister Netanyahu convened his security cabinet today for
another meeting on the attempts by the Moslems to change the status
quo on the Temple Mount.  Journalist Nadav Shraga'i told Arutz-7 that
the Arabs are now working on a new hall under the Temple Mount
surface.  "They discovered it while working under the El Aksa mosque
[at the southern end of the Mount], during works which Israel
retroactively approved - only after they began working without a
permit - last year.  The current works are, in a sense, a continuation
of the sub-El Aksa works.  The size of the new hall that they are
presently preparing for a fourth mosque is over 100 square meters
large, which can hold many more people and be used for storage...
Solomon's Stables, under El Aksa, basically became the third mosque.
Another significant development is that Israeli Arabs and the Islamic
Movement are becoming more involved in what is going on at the Temple
Mount." 

Shraga'i explained that the works are not only religiously-motivated,
but also politically:  "Over the years, various compromise plans have
been proposed in which sites on the Temple Mount have been allocated
for public Jewish worship.  The Arabs have carried out their works in
these places, thus eliminating them as sites for a synagogue.  They
are gradually making it impossible for Jews to pray there."

In a related matter, the Supreme Court appeared on its way to
canceling the indictment of Chai Vekayam members who prayed on the
Temple Mount.  The Court ordered the Prosecutor's Office to explain
within 15 days why they indicted persons who simply recited the Sh'ma
prayer and sat down on the steps of the Temple Mount in protest of not
being allowed to pray.  Yehuda Etzion, Chai Vekayam chairman, said,
"This is an interesting development, in that until now the Court
usually rejects our appeals, while here it appeared to be upset about
the very indictment itself." 

3. BARAK MEETS WITH PARTY HEADS
Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak is meeting separately today with heads
of three central player-parties in his planned coalition: Rabbi
Yitzchak Levy (NRP), Natan Sharansky (Yisrael B'Aliyah), and Yossi
Sarid (Meretz). Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, who also was to have
met with Barak today, has postponed the meeting until tomorrow, so as
not to have to meet him at Labor Party headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Coalition negotiations will resume at the Knesset tomorrow, and Sharon
will meet Barak there.  Ministerial appointments will apparently be
discussed at today's meetings.

Barak announced several appointments over the weekend, including
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Danny Yatom to a new position entitled "Head of the
Prime Ministerial Staff."  Yatom resigned as head of the Mossad under
the Netanyahu government following the Meshal fiasco.  Yitzchak Herzog
will be the new Cabinet Secretary.  

4. NETANYAHU ADMITS TALKS WITH SYRIA
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened a cabinet meeting of his
outgoing government, in which he stated that he and the ministers
would do all they could to ensure a smooth transfer of power to the
new government. In the wake of press reports concerning negotiations
with Syria during his term in office, Netanyahu clarified that for a
period of about one year, unofficial contacts with Syria were
conducted along various channels. These contacts did not lead to any
agreement, he said, since Israel did not consent to Syria's
territorial demands.  Outgoing Minister Avigdor Kahalani said, in
reaction to the talks, that the country has abandoned all its basic
ideals.  Netanyahu said that immediately after his government was
formed, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher clarified, in a
special letter written at the Prime Minister's request, that Israel is
not legally committed to the position which Prime Minister Yitzchak
Rabin had previously communicated to the United States.  Certain
progress in the security sphere was also recorded during these
negotiations, Netanyahu said, and added that he will apprise the Prime
Minister-elect of this.

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