To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, June 7, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, June 7, 1999 / Sivan 23, 5759
------------------------------------------------
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. CLOUDY FUTURE FOR COALITION
2. DRAFTING YESHIVA STUDENTS
3. EVEN "MODERATE LEFTIST" POSITIONS REJECTED BY ARABS

1. CLOUDY FUTURE FOR COALITION
The future coalition remains clouded in uncertainty. Meretz leader Yossi
Sarid firmly reiterated again today his party's objections to the inclusion
of Shas in the government, and Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak will meet
with him tonight in an attempt to soften his position. "Hundreds of
thousands of voters voted for a new type of politics," Sarid said, "and I
do not plan to breach their trust. If I have to choose between retaining
their trust and a seat in the government, I'll concede the seat in the
government." Shas Minister Eli Yeshai said in response, "I can't
understand what is going on in his [Sarid's] head. He thinks that he was
assigned the job of forming a government, and that the unity that Barak is
talking about is between Meretz and Shinui."

Former Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira met with Shas leader and
former Chief Sephardic Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef at the latter's home last night.
The hour-long discussion dealt with the possibility of building a joint
front of the religious-Zionist leadership and Shas for the coalition
negotiations and during the term of the Barak government.

The chances of the Likud joining the government are equally unclear. Likud
Minister Meir Sheetrit estimates that the Likud will not join. Acting
party chairman Ariel Sharon is leaning towards having the Likud join only
after the internal party elections in three months' time, at which time he
would like to join Barak's min-security cabinet. Sharon has apparently
waived his demand to become Foreign Minister. He may instead wish to be
appointed Minister of National Infrastructures and/or Housing. Sharon met
with MK Chanan Porat (National Union) yesterday on the topic, at which time
they also discussed ways to have the Wye agreement pushed off in favor of a
final-status arrangement. Sharon will depart for the U.S. tonight, and
will return only at the end of the week.

Barak says that he can form at least a 66-seat coalition - comprised of One
Israel (26), Meretz (10), Shinui (6), Centrist party (6), Yisrael B'Aliyah
(6), NRP (5), UTJ (5), and One Nation (2) - but others in his party say
that even this is not certain. Shas Minister Yeshai, whose party would be
left out of that coalition, said that such a narrow government would be
very short-lived: "The National Religious Party and Yisrael B'Aliyah would
soon find themselves in disagreement with its policies and would leave,
such that the government would be left with 55 seats, plus the external
support of the Arab parties' ten seats. The government will not be able to
impose its rule on the country in such a situation."

2. DRAFTING YESHIVA STUDENTS
Despite media reports to the contrary, the hareidi United Torah Judaism
party appears not to be on its way into the coalition. Yeshai Veiner,
editor of a chain of local hareidi newspapers, told Arutz-7 today, "When I
read the press in Israel, I realize more and more how leftist it really is.
The reports that UTJ is about to join the coalition are totally untrue.
Even if a One Israel source fed the reporters this information in order to
put pressure on the Likud to join the coalition, this does not exempt the
reporters from verifying the information. There has been absolutely no
contacts between UTJ and One Israel since Saturday night."

Veiner explained that the main stumbling block between the two is the
subject of yeshiva-student induction into the army. What is lacking is not
a technical arrangement, Veiner said, but an understanding of the
importance of yeshiva study in our society: "Barak's statement today that
he would not send military police to any hareidi homes to pull out students
is not enough. The issue is much deeper than that... We must remember
statements by rabbinic leaders, such as the Vizhnitzer Rebbe who said that
he would be the first to go to jail if yeshiva students are drafted... We
are not talking about individual draft evaders, who are not UTJ's problem,
but rather the principle... The truth is that the ball is not totally in
Barak's court, because the Supreme Court ruled last year that the Knesset
must deal with this issue within one year - which runs out in five months'
time. But let's say that a committee is established, and the problem is
dealt with that way. There are still other problems in UTJ's joining the
coalition - mainly sitting together with Meretz... If the Likud is in the
government, however, this becomes less of a problem, because then it is a
national-unity government."

Rabbi Dov Begun, head of the religious-Zionist Machon Meir Yeshiva in
Jerusalem, spoke with Arutz-7 today on the topic of drafting yeshiva
students. He explained how, in his opinion, the entire subject must be put
in its correct context: "Public opinion on this matter is rooted in a
basic misconception. From the perspective of halakhah (Jewish Law), it is
clearly an obligation to go to the army, as the current situation is a
Milhemet Mitzvah ("Obligatory War"), in which even the groom must leave his
own wedding to fight. The issue at hand - from both a Halakhic standpoint
and the law of the land - is the deferral of, not exemption from, army
service. This means that those who study Torah may defer their army
service. Those who take advantage of the system to go to work instead of
studying must be brought to justice, just like anyone else. There are
others who are 'stuck' in the system - they would like to go out to work,
but cannot bring themselves to buck the accepted pattern and leave their
studies to do so. The hareidi leadership must solve this problem - and I
believe it will, as the problem get more acute. Nothing must be done by
force, however."

Rabbi Begun elaborated, "It must be understood that Torah is not simply
another trade, like dentistry or architecture. If there were many dentists
or architects, most everyone would agree that it would be unwise to flood
the market with more. Torah learning is different. From the time we
became a nation, it has been part of our culture, something that is
incumbent on every member of the Jewish people. Not only hareidim have to
learn Torah. Everyone must learn, each according to his own particular
level. Our policy should therefore be to encourage each Jew to increase
his Torah study, not lessen it. Those promoting the 'all-star team' idea -
whereby a certain amount of 'top students' will receive exemptions and the
rest must enlist - do not understand the essence of the Jewish people."

3. EVEN "MODERATE LEFTIST" POSITIONS REJECTED BY ARABS
IMRA provides the following excerpts from an exchange of columns in a
recent issue of Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly. In an article entitled "Good Will
Measures," Henry Siegman, Senior Fellow on the U.S. Council on Foreign
Relations, writes that even the relatively-dovish positions of
newly-elected Ehud Barak will lead to a dangerous situation in which it
"will become evident that the gaps in [the Israeli and Palestinian] current
positions are not easily bridgeable." Siegman recommends creating "the
preconditions for an eventual agreement," such as an immediate "visit by
Egypt's Hosni Mubarak to Israel to meet with Ehud Barak, something he
refused to do with his predecessors..." For Israel's part, Siegman
proposes that Barak "reinforce immediately the principle that a viable
Palestinian state... is a vital Israeli interest."

However, even Siegman's moderate demand for a visit by Mubarak to Israel is
too much for Al-Ahram columnist Ibrahim Nafie, who responds:
"[Siegman] says Barak's victory has given rise to high hopes for the peace
process. Yet he also admits that Barak's views are not substantially
different from those of Netanyahu ... [He] recognizes that there are still
enormous gaps in the positions of both sides... Among the symbolic
gestures Siegman suggests the Arabs could make is a visit by President
Mubarak to Israel. It would appear that Siegman has put the cart before
the horse. It would seem more fitting that an expert in foreign relations,
who readily admits that the Israeli leadership was responsible for bleeding
the peace process dry, should suggest that Israel take the initiative in
generating the necessary 'preconditions.' The steps the Israelis should
take towards this end would entail compensating the Palestinians for the
hardship they endured under the previous Israeli government..."

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

To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, June 8, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, June 8, 1999 / Sivan 24, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINE:

ABU MAZEN ADMIRES HIZBULLAH
Abu Mazen, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, says that Hizbullah has
the right to defend its land "using all means." He said, "We admire
their efforts." Regarding Jerusalem, Abu Mazen said that the PA
position regarding the city is the same as it is regarding Shechem,
the Galilee, and Hevron. Abu Mazen, who is the Palestinian architect
of the Oslo accords, is the author of claims that the Nazis may have
killed less than one million Jews.

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To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, June 9, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, June 9, 1999 / Sivan 25, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION
2. EXPERT: COALITION DIFFICULTIES TO CONTINUE

1. PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION
President Ezer Weizman attempted once again today to help Prime
Minister-elect Ehud Barak's coalition negotiations, but apparently did
not succeed. Weizman met with Meretz head Yossi Sarid in an effort to
soften the latter's refusal to sit in a coalition with Shas. Sarid
said afterwards, "Meretz has not changed its stance. Aryeh Deri
continues to lead the Shas party, and we will not fool ourselves by
closing our eyes to this situation." Left-wing activist Uri Avneri
has called Sarid's stubbornness on the issue "infantile." Meanwhile,
NRP leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy told Ehud Barak last night that it
would be "difficult" for the NRP to be the only religious party in the
government.

Likud MK Uzi Landau does not accept the President's ongoing
involvement in politics, and has submitted a motion for the Knesset
agenda regarding the issue. "Weizman systematically violates the
Basic Law regarding the President, and has enlisted enthusiastically
on behalf of the left," said Landau. "Either the law, or the
President, must be switched." Weizman said in response that he was
elected to a political position and he fulfills it according to his
understanding. "There is no law that defines my position. Anyone who
thinks that I have transgressed a law should take me to court."

Coalition negotiations between United Torah Judaism and One Israel
continue to be stuck on the issue of the drafting of yeshiva students.
A top UTJ official said today that last night's secret meeting
between Labor MKs Yossi Beilin and Chaim Ramon and UTJ representatives
"was simply a One Israel gimmick aimed at demonstrating to Shas that
UTJ is practically in the government.' This didn't work, however, and
the relations between UTJ and Shas are now even closer as a result."
Barak will meet tonight with the One Israel coalition-negotiating
time, for the first time since Sunday.

2. EXPERT: COALITION DIFFICULTIES TO CONTINUE
Ehud Barak's problems forming his coalition were to be expected. So
says Tel Aviv University Professor, Dr. Danny Koren, author of the
book "Coalitions." Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Koren observed,
"Because Barak won the Prime Ministerial race by a such a substantial
margin, people thought that it would only be a number of days before
he formed his coalition. This was obviously a misunderstanding of
what occurred. Sure, he got 56% of the vote, but his basis for
coalition negotiations - his One Israel party - captured only 26
seats. Assuming that the number of One Israel ministers is
proportionate to the amount of Knesset seats the party has, this means
that even if he were to form a narrow coalition - and certainly in a
broad-based government - he cannot guarantee that a majority of
ministers will support his policies."

Koren added that two fundamentals of a democratic system are the
government's stability and the measure to which it is representative
of the public. "The numerous parties in our system permit all sectors
to be represented, but simultaneously hamper its stability. It is
generally believed that after coalition talks are finalized, the end
result is a functioning government. But this is not likely to happen,
and instead, political wrangling will probably continue throughout the
tenure of Barak as Prime Minister. I don't think the government will
last its full term [which ends in November 2003]."

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To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, June 11, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Friday, June 11, 1999 / Sivan 27, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. YESHIVA DRAFT COMMITTEE MAY BE FORMED
2. LOOKING FOR OIL IN DEAD SEA

1. YESHIVA DRAFT COMMITTEE MAY BE FORMED
Likud Acting Chairman Ariel Sharon is scheduled to return to Israel
today from his trip to the U.S., and will likely meet with Ehud Barak
to continue coalition talks. Sharon spoke with leaders of the
National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism this week on their
respective coalition talks with One Israel. Contrary to Sharon's
conclusions from his contacts, reports have circulated that One Israel
and UTJ may be close to an agreement on the yeshiva-draft issue, and
that a committee to propose relevant legislation may be established.
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke with new MK Rabbi Michael Melkior (One
Israel - Meimad) yesterday, and said, "It appears that Barak is about
to concede on one of his main themes, namely that of drafting yeshiva
students into the army." Rabbi Melkior responded:
"I don't think so. Although Barak has a mandate to make major
social
changes, it must be understood that, given the mosaic of the society
here, one population sector cannot overcome another by force. Major
progress has been made in our talks on this issue of the draft, and
also by the hareidi leadership. For the first time, there is a real
and practical recognition that those 'students' who are simply not
studying must not be allowed to receive the army deferrals...
Secondly, I think this is the first time that the hareidi leadership
is realizing that it is a healthy thing for people to join the work
market..."

Segal pressed, "But isn't it true that when Barak proposed his law a
year ago, it called for the drafting of *all* yeshiva students?"
Rabbi Melkior:
"No. I studied the law, and it talks about the importance of Torah
study,
and states that the society must develop a not-insignificant number of
Torah students, and that the State must support this, etc... The
proposed law also talked about various frameworks within the army to
absorb the yeshiva students... What is important is that we are
talking together and dealing with this. An agreed-upon solution must
be found."

Segal then posed the following question before Rabbi Melkior, who is a
member of the One Israel coalition-negotiating team: "Barak met with
your team last night, and told you that what's important is the
'approach' - and not the size - of the coalition. Isn't this a
contradiction of what Barak said when he was elected, that he wants to
be the Prime Minister of everyone? It's clear that the smaller the
government, the smaller the public that is represented in it." Rabbi
Melkior's response: "Barak very much believes that the broadest
government is the best one. But he also has a responsibility to the
political parties, many of which say totally opposing things. It's a
great achievement to have a government in which Shas, UTJ, and Meretz
will all sit together... The Likud, however, is problematic. Barak
wants to include the Likud, but there practically is no Likud -
different voices are heard saying different things. They may have a
legitimate reason to stay out of the coalition - in order to
rehabilitate the party, etc. This will have to be a Likud decision,
not Barak's."

2. LOOKING FOR OIL IN DEAD SEA
The Bi-Weekly Economic Update reports that the U.S.-based NESS Energy
International plans to raise $20 million on American capital markets
to finance oil exploration in the southern Dead Sea area. With
investment amounting to a total of $31 million, plans are for the
drill to reach a depth of 9 kilometers. A NESS spokesman said it
would be importing special equipment to handle the job, which is to
begin by April 1, 2000 at the latest...

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

To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, June 13, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, June 13, 1999 / Sivan 29, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINE:

BARAK NEGOTIATING SECRETLY?
Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak held a secret meeting in his home last
night with National Religious Party leader Rabbi Yitzchak Levy. Labor
MK Chaim Ramon, apparently representing Barak, spoke with Aryeh Deri
regarding the inclusion of Shas in the government. Both meetings
appear to represent violations of Barak's promises to conduct only
above-board negotiations and not to meet with Deri. Ehud Barak's
office claims that the contacts between Labor MK Chaim Ramon and Aryeh
Deri are a personal Ramon initiative.

The Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot reported today that Shas spiritual
leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef met late last week with representatives of
Judea and Samaria at his Jerusalem home. According to the paper,
Rabbi Yosef promised them that his party would diligently represent
their interests should Shas join the Barak coalition. The Shas
representative in the Binyamin Regional Council, Aharon Chilkiyah,
told Arutz-7 today that the party's position on Yesha settlements is
clearly stated in the coalition guidelines it presented One Israel
negotiators several weeks ago: "The paper states that Shas is opposed
to the evacuation of settlements, and will insist on the continued
provision of budgets to the Yesha communities, to the extent that no
distinction shall exist between Yesha residents and other citizens of
the State of Israel... Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef's position - that danger
to life overrides the need to maintain Jewish sovereignty over Land of
Israel territories - operates in the opposite direction, as well: Shas
will oppose evacuations or any other move that endanger either the
security of Yesha settlers or the national security interests of
Israel."

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

To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, June 14, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, June 14, 1999 / Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. FATEFUL LIKUD DECISION TODAY
2. DISSENTING OPINIONS
3. BARAK TO PRESENT NARROW COALITION
4. NRP NOT YET IN

1. FATEFUL LIKUD DECISION TODAY
The Likud Central Committee will convene this afternoon for its first
major post-election political battle. The question at hand is whether
the chairman who will be chosen in September will also be the party's
candidate for Prime Minister in the next national election. Of the
three candidates for party leader, Ariel Sharon is against the motion,
while Ehud Olmert and Meir Sheetrit are in favor. The assumption is
that the 71-year-old Sharon will be elected party leader today, and
that he wishes to give other candidates - such as Limor Livnat, Moshe
Katzav, and Uzi Landau - a chance to run for Likud leader in two
years' time. Olmert's position is that a delay in choosing a
permanent leader will hurt the party's chances to rehabilitate itself
after its recent loss. Limor Livnat, who supports Sharon, explains
that many aspects of the party's rehabilitation can be accomplished
even before a permanent leader is chosen.

Dr. Yuval Shteinitz, #20 on the Likud list - he will become an MK when
Ehud Barak becomes Prime Minister and Prime Minister Netanyahu is able
to resign from the Knesset - says that he agrees in principle with
Meir Sheetrit and Ehud Olmert: "I do not think that we can
differentiate between the two functions, namely, rehabilitating the
party and leading the party in the future. Part of the job of
restructuring the Likud is to properly present it as an alternative to
the governing party. The struggle to improve the image of the Likud
begins now, not a few months before the next elections." Shteinitz
added that the motivations of those who support Sharon are also
suspect. Referring to Communications Minister Limor Livnat, Shteinitz
said, "I fear that some people are favoring a particular candidate
[for the temporary position] not because they feel that he is the best
person for the job, but because he is in fact the least appropriate!
The 'supporter' of the candidate will, in two years' time,
conveniently be able to replace him as leader of the party."

2. DISSENTING OPINIONS
The leadership of the Reform Movement today issued a statement that
although Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, there are
"understandable reasons not to force a decision on moving the
[American] embassy [to Jerusalem] at this precise moment." Reform
leaders Yoffie, Menitoff, Hirsch, and Saperstein claim that: * Moving
the embassy would compromise the "indispensable role" of the U.S. as
"trusted partner" in the peace process. * "Israel and the
Palestinians have themselves agreed that issues concerning Jerusalem
should be addressed only during "final status" negotiations. It is
prudent for the United States to refrain from actions
that may interfere with those negotiations.
* "Prime Minister [sic] Barak is now intensely engaged in the process
of forming a new government in Israel. During this critical time, all
parties would be wise to refrain from actions that they know will
create tension and controversy in the region."

Helen Freedman of Americans for a Safe Israel responds, in part: "The
idea of the U.S. as a 'trusted partner' has already been disproven by
the many actions of President Clinton in pushing the process forward
despite the persistent and flagrant Arab violations of the Oslo,
Hevron, and Wye accords. Utilizing the waiver in the Embassy
Relocation Act is just another example of his disdain for Israel's
best interests."

3. BARAK TO PRESENT NARROW COALITION
Although coalition rumors continue to abound, one thing is certain:
Ehud Barak will not be able to form as broad a coalition as he
originally wanted - at least not now. A narrow coalition of 61 seats,
or even 59, appears most likely at present. It would include One
Israel (26 seats), Meretz (10), Shinui (6), Centrist (6), Yisrael
B'Aliyah (6), and NRP (5), and possibly Am Echad (2). Barak will meet
separately this afternoon with representatives of each of the above
parties (excluding Am Echad). His plan is to expand the coalition at
a future date with Shas and/or United Torah Judaism.

The issue of ministerial portfolios has, predictably, become a major
obstacle for Barak. A rate of one government minister per four MKs
has been set for the coalition partners, entitling the Centrist party
to only one minister, as opposed to the two that it demands. In
addition, almost all of the parties are demanding the Education
Ministry. The Interior Ministry is also coveted by several parties.

Leading Labor MK Shlomo Ben-Ami said last night that he is doubtful of
Syrian President Assad's willingness to reach a peace agreement with
Israel. "Neither am I sure that he will allow Ehud Barak to withdraw
Israeli forces from Lebanon within a year," said Ben-Ami. In any
event, only a broad coalition will enable Barak to begin talks with
Syria, Ben-Ami feels.

4. NRP NOT YET IN
New MK Zevulun Orlev (NRP) says that several cardinal issues remain
unresolved in the coalition talks between his party and One Israel.
He listed the following: "The constitution issue threatens to
undermine the Jewish character of the State, on which the
religious-Zionist movement has been working for over a generation. In
addition, there is the issue of conversions to Judaism, which at the
very least must be regulated in accordance with the Ne'eman commission
compromises. We also demand that the new government's guidelines
consider the present status quo on religious-secular matters as the
basis from which to continue."

"In addition," said Orlev, "there are also three important political
issues that we are not agreed upon: Ensuring that talks with the
Syrians are not predicated upon a guaranteed withdrawal from the
entire Golan; the intention to blanketly rescind the preferential
status of all Yesha communities - instead, we demand that each
community be reviewed individually; and third, the intention to
establish a ministerial committee to decide whether to accept the
previous government's decisions of the past few months - we are
against this idea, because a government is formed from here on in, not
retroactively." Orlev said, however, that the NRP and One Israel have
reached agreement on several issues.

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