To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Thursday, July 1, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, July 1, 1999 / Tammuz 17, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. SENATE SUPPORTS ISRAEL
  2. THREE WEEKS

1. SENATE SUPPORTS ISRAEL
By a margin of 97-2, the U.S. Senate passed a $12.7 billion foreign aid
bill last night - $1.9 billion less than requested by President Clinton.
Of this $1.9 billion, $100 million was to go to Israel, prompting some to
view the vote as "a slap in the face" to the outgoing Netanyahu government
- which was promised the money during the Wye Accords negotiations.  Former
Israeli Embassy liaison to Congress Yoram Ettinger, disagrees. "The press
reports are garbled," Ettinger told Arutz-7 today. "The Senate vote was not
a slap in the face to Israel, but to the PLO and the Clinton
administration!  Clinton had promised $500 million to the Palestinians and
Israel together, including $400 million that he promised Yasser Arafat
during the Congressional Prayer Breakfast in February.  The message is
clear: U.S. legislators are making the continuation of financial help to
the PLO dependent upon the fulfillment of Palestinian commitments."

In a separate vote, the Senate rejected a White House motion to cut back on
annual U.S. aid to Israel. News Editor Haggai Segal asked Ettinger, "Why
did Clinton suddenly decide to make the cutbacks, and why did the Senate
oppose the move?"  Ettinger explained, "The U.S. government accepted an
Israeli request some years ago to reduce economic aid to Israel by $120
million annually, and, of that cutback, to allot $60 million to further
U.S. military aid to Israel. Clinton, in order to show his displeasure with
Israel's handling of the Oslo process, wished to decree further cuts.  What
the Senate did was to defend Israel against the Clinton sanction."

Segal turned to U.S. relations with the new Barak government:  "Ehud Barak
has indicated that he would prefer to move straight to the final-status
talks with the Palestinians as opposed to carrying out the Wye withdrawals
at this point.  Can he count on support from U.S. legislators for his
program?"  Ettinger answered:

"There is no love lost between the U.S. Congress and the Oslo/Wye
agreements.  The opposite is true: apathy, ambivalence, and opposition
better describe the majority view.  If the Israeli government would ever
begin to appreciate the degree of support it enjoys from the American
public and its lawmakers, it would have more courage to stand up for its
positions.  Congress is even more adamant about pro-Israel issues than our
own Knesset!  It's the U.S. Congress - not the Knesset - that is pressing
for the extradition of Palestinian murderers to the U.S., eradication of
incitement in the Palestinian educational system, relocation of the U.S.
Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and for the retreat of Syrian forces
from Lebanon!"

2. THREE WEEKS
The traditional "Three Weeks" mourning period begins today - the 17th day
of Tammuz - in commemoration of the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem
(leading to the destruction of the Holy Temple) and other national
calamities.  Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, former Dean of Yeshivat Yamit and
currently head of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, explained the
significance of this mourning period for today's generation:  "Mourning is
carried out for something 'dead,' which is what Jerusalem and the Temple
and the Land of Israel were for the Jewish people during our Exile, when we
were dispersed throughout the four corners of the globe.  Although we must
continue to mourn, the situation now is different:  The People of Israel
have returned home, we have Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, and the reality
is different, from a practical and Halakhic point of view.  First of all,
once we captured the Temple Mount, the people of Israel are immediately
obligated to renew the Temple worship.  Secondly, we must continue to
mourn, but not only the fact that the Temple remains in its desolation - we
must also mourn our own reaction to the events.  We and our leadership, on
all levels, have not woken up to the fact that 32 years ago [when Jerusalem
was returned to us during the Six-Day War] things changed!  We are still in
'spiritual exile' and we have not done a thing to change the situation.
This is itself something to cry about!" 

Rabbi Ariel closed with the Talmudic blessing, "May all who mourn for
Jerusalem merit to see it joyfully rebuilt," but reiterated that we must
take concrete actions of our own.  Rabbi Yosef Elbaum, who regularly takes
visitors on tours to Halakhically-permitted areas of the Temple Mount, told
an Arutz-7 correspondent that Jews should show their connection with the
Temple simply by visiting it.

Information about the Three Weeks and the accompanying fast days can be
found on the following websites:
Project Genesis - <http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/3weeks/>
The OU - <http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/17betammuz/>
613.ORG: - <http://www.613.org/3weeks.html>
Virtual Jerusalem - <http://www.vjholidays.com/3weeks/17tamuz.htm>
Aish HaTorah - <http://www.aish.edu/calendar/3weeks>

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

To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News Brief:  Friday, July 2, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Friday, July 2, 1999 / Tammuz 18, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. CLINTON'S REMARKS DRAW FIRE
  2. US SEEKS CUTBACK IN AID TO ISRAEL

1. CLINTON'S REMARKS DRAW FIRE
In a White House press conference yesterday with Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak, U.S. President Bill Clinton responded to a question on
the issue of Palestinian displaced persons, "I would like it if the
Palestinian people felt free and more free to live wherever they like,
wherever they want to live."  Clinton's statement was understood by
Israeli officials as an endorsement of the position that Palestinian
Arabs - who fought against Israel or fled in its War of Independence -
are entitled to return.  Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak strongly
condemned Clinton's remarks.  In a statement released by his office,
Barak labeled Clinton's remarks "unacceptable" and encouraged the U.S.
President to clarify his position. The Likud and National Religious
parties also criticized Clinton's remarks, as well as a senior Israel
Embassy official in Washington.

On the other hand, Labor MK Yossi Beilin advised not to attribute
great significance to Clinton's comments, "since they were merely a
spontaneous response to a reporter's question."  In an interview which
appeared in the Arab newspaper Kul-AlaArab, published in Nazareth,
Beilin stated that he is "prepared to have the Palestinian flag fly
over the Temple Mount."  Beilin added that his joint agreement with
the PA's Abu Mazen several years ago established, "Jerusalem's Arab
residents are entitled to have their own city within Greater
Jerusalem.  The State of Palestine will recognize the western
neighborhoods of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, and Israel would
recognize the Arab quarters in Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital."
Chairman of the Likud Knesset faction MK Ruby Rivlin congratulated
Barak for his tough stance on the Arab refugee issue and called upon
him to silence voices within his party "like that of Yossi Beilin,
whose positions erode the national consensus against the return of
Palestinian Arab displaced persons to any part of Israel."

2. US SEEKS CUTBACK IN AID TO ISRAEL
The U.S. administration is proposing additional cutbacks in economic
aid to Israel in the next fiscal year.  This past Wednesday, the U.S.
Senate rejected a similar administration plan to reduce economic aid
to Israel in the current year. Israel is predictably opposed to the
move, which Washington says is necessary "due to the high costs
incurred in the Balkan war."

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

To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Sunday, July 4, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, July 4, 1999 / Tammuz 20, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. SYRIA AND RUSSIA: A PACT OF THE WEAK
  2. SPOKESMAN ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN CLINTON
  3. CONGRESS CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO REVIVE 181

1. SYRIA AND RUSSIA: A PACT OF THE WEAK
Arab leaders are on the move.  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, fresh
from his visit to Paris and Washington, is now in Algeria for a state
visit. Jordan's King Abdullah arrived in Morocco yesterday for a
similar purpose. Finally, and possibly most significantly, Syrian
President Hafez el-Assad will depart for Russia tomorrow, for his
first visit there since the fall of the Soviet Union eight years ago.

Eastern Studies Prof. Moshe Maoz of Hebrew University explained the
importance of Assad's visit to Moscow:  "There are several aspects.
First, Assad would like to involve Russia in the Mideast peace
process, and Russia of course would like to be involved.  Syria also
needs new weapons, which it would like to purchase from Russia.
Syria's weapons now are almost exclusively Russian-supplied, and Syria
needs spare parts and possibly new arms.  A third critical aspect of
this visit is the Syrian debt to the Russians of some $12 billion.
Assad claims that this is owed to the Soviet Union, not Russia, and
Russia rejects this out of hand, of course.  They'll come to terms...
Russia would like to sell more arms to Syria, because it itself is
quite strapped for cash, but first the outstanding $12 billion must be
worked out."  Prof. Maoz said that Assad is coming from a position of
weakness, "with a weak economy, and a weak military establishment.
Only his missiles, some of which have chemical warheads, have been
kept up-to-date, but his tanks and planes are simply old."

Maoz said that in truth, Assad would rather have the backing of the
United States, "since the U.S. has influence on Israel, but this is
not likely. As early as 1974, after the Yom Kippur War, Assad wished
to go with the Americans, because he felt they would help him retrieve
the Golan.  That was the strategy in those days - 'Go with Russia for
war, and with the U.S. for peace.'" 

2. SPOKESMAN ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN CLINTON
U.S. State Department spokesman James Foley faced a barrage of
questions on Friday from a determined reporter inquiring about
President Clinton's views on a right of return for the Palestinian
refugees of 1948.  Following is an abridged text of the relevant
section of the briefing:

Reporter:  "Could you tell us what the U.S. policy is currently on the
future return of Palestinian refugees? Foley:  "...as President
Clinton said yesterday, resolution of this aspect of the peace process
will depend upon the shape of the final agreement... it needs to be
dealt with and resolved by the parties themselves."

Reporter:  "He also said something about that he has always believed
that Palestinians should have a right to return and live where they
want. Is that consistent with the policy that you've just expressed?"
Foley:  "...I think the President was clear that this is an issue that
will depend on the nature of the agreement that emerges from permanent
status negotiations..."

Reporter:  "But he said more than that; he said what he thinks should
happen..." Foley:  "...You're right, Barry, that he did talk about
Palestinian aspirations in this area.  We recognize aspirations of
parties going into the permanent status negotiations."

Reporter:  "He did not only refer to Palestinian aspirations... he
gave his support to the [Arab] aspiration to have thousands of
refugees or reported refugees or grandchildren of reported refugees
moved into Israel, thereby changing the character of the Jewish state.
 He also spoke again, as he did in Gaza, of the right of the
Palestinians to have their own land. And he also said, of course, the
decision should depend on the parties. So you're really sort of
softening what he said, but I could understand you work for him and
the Administration and you're not going to disagree with them, but it
struck me as the kind of judgmental statement that you've been urging
both sides to avoid." Foley:  "I think I've answered your question,
Barry, and the President was very clear that all of this is going to
depend on the nature of the final agreement..."

3. CONGRESS CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO REVIVE 181
The United States Congress passed a resolution last Thursday
condemning Palestinian efforts to circumvent UN Resolutions 242 and
338 by attempting to revive the UN Partition Plan of 1947 (Resolution
181).  The Congress calls this attempt a violation of, and a risk to,
"the Oslo peace process."

 By way of explanation, the newly-passed bill notes that Resolution
181 was not only declared null and void on November 29, 1947 by the
Arab states and the Palestinians, but this very rejection was used as
formal justification for the invasion of the newly declared State of
Israel by the armies of five Arab states.  The new resolution further
states that the armistice agreements in 1949 made no mention of 181,
and that Resolutions 242 and 338 have served as the framework for all
negotiations between Israel, Palestinian representatives, and Arab
states for 30 years.  The Congress called upon the President of the
U.S. to declare that U.S. policy is that 181 is null and void, and
that any attempt to resurrect 181 is "an attempt to sabotage the
prospects for a successful peace agreement in the Middle East."

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

To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Monday, July 5, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Monday, July 5, 1999 / Tammuz 21, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TOTAL FREEZE DEMANDED

A total freeze on settlement construction and in Jerusalem is the
condition for the beginning of permanent-status negotiations.  So said
yesterday Abu Ala, chairman of the Palestinian parliament.  Another PA
figure, Nabil Shaath, said last week that the Palestinian strategy is
to take all it can during the interim stage, but to refuse to sign a
permanent status agreement until all Palestinian rights are achieved.

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

To:            arutz-7@a7.org
From:          Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@a7.org>
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, July 6, 1999

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Tuesday, July 6, 1999 / Tammuz 22, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. BARAK KEEPS TIGHT REIN
  2. BARAK TO U.S.

1. BARAK KEEPS TIGHT REIN
Arutz-7 correspondent Yehoshua Mor-Yosef reports that the new Prime
Minister will be a very strong one - "at least on paper."  Barak's
authority is prevalent in many clauses of the coalition agreement,
says Mor-Yosef.  "For instance, in arguments that may arise between
the National Religious Party and Shas regarding the division of the
Religious Affairs Ministry, or between the NRP and Meretz in the
Education Ministry, Barak will be the final arbiter.  Furthermore,
Barak saw how his predecessor Netanyahu suffered from coalition MKs
who proposed private bills that were against government policies.  For
this reason, Barak has established an 18-member 'coalition
administration,' comprised of nine One Israel MKs and nine from the
coalition partners, which will decide whether a given bill should be
proposed.  Here, too, in case of disagreement, the decision of the
coalition chairman - Ophir Pines, a faithful Barak-underling - will
prevail.  Other proposed coalition bills must pass the approval of a
Ministerial Committee on Legislation, headed by another Barak-man."

Mor-Yosef further noted that the new Ministerial Committee on Jewish
Construction in Judea and Samaria also has Barak stamped all over it:
"Its seven members will include Barak himself and another One Israel
minister, and its decisions must be unanimous.  If there is a
disagreement among the members, the fine print says that Barak will
decide.  Barak will also have the right to 'legally bring about the
cancellation of the previous government's settlement decisions,' as
well as to decide whether the sessions will be secret."

Political commentators are unsure whether the new government will last
its full term, given the rivalries among the personalities and parties
therein.  "Barak's government may be compared to a ship loaded with many
barrels of cargo," concluded Mor-Yosef.  "While it's docked in the port, it looks
very impressive bulging over with merchandise.  But once it starts
towards sea and the turbulent currents, the barrels start pushing
against each other, and the slightest knock can send one of them
reeling and the whole thinly-connected network falling into the
ocean."

2. BARAK TO U.S.
Ehud Barak spoke yesterday by phone with U.S. President Bill Clinton,
and the two agreed to meet next week in Washington to discuss the
renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians.  Barak will apparently
try to persuade Clinton to agree to a delayed implementation of
certain sections of the Wye agreement until the final-status talks.
The Palestinians are opposed to such a postponement, but Barak
reportedly believes that he can soften their position.

The new government's guidelines dictate that Israel will insist on
Palestinian compliance in agreements that the Palestinian Authority
has signed with Israel.  The guidelines state that no new settlements
will be established in Judea and Samaria, nor will any existing ones
be harmed, until the end of the permanent status talks.  In addition,
the guidelines state that Yesha communities will be entitled to the
same benefits as those settlements within "Green Line" Israel, except
for matters relating to their unique security needs.

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

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

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, July 7, 1999 / Tammuz 23, 5759
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. NEW FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVE
  2. DISSATISFACTION WITHIN THE PA, TOO
  3. U.S. UNHAPPY WITH ARMS SALES TO SYRIA
  4. PORAT'S MESSAGE

* * * SPECIAL INSERT: The 28th Government

1. NEW FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVE
Prime Minister Barak's office has announced a new initiative to "renew
the diplomatic momentum."  Barak will meet with Egyptian President
Mubarak on Friday, with Yasser Arafat on Sunday, and with King
Abdullah of Jordan during the days following.  He will depart for the
U.S. on Saturday night, July 17. New Likud MK Yuval Shteinitz said
today that the planned visit to Egypt is a sign of weakness on the
part of Barak, in that there was no parallel demand to have Mubarak
visit Israel.  The Palestinian Authority demands that Barak carry out
a "confidence-building gesture" by freezing all Yesha construction and
implementing the Wye Agreement at once.

2. DISSATISFACTION WITHIN THE PA, TOO
The Palestinian Authority is also not particularly happy with the new
government, especially given the distancing of certain ministers from
positions of diplomatic influence.  Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai
Huberman reports that the PA had hoped that men such as Peres, Ramon,
Beilin, and Ben-Ami - whose left-wing positions are well-known - would
be more involved with the diplomatic process.  "Arafat originally
preferred Netanyahu over Barak," reported Huberman, "because under
Netanyahu, the PA's international standing was improved.  Arafat's
aides, however, were in favor of Barak, because of people such as
Peres and Beilin with whom they had forged close ties and who would
come along with Barak.  In the end, both Arafat and his aides are
unhappy: Netanyahu lost - and Beilin and Peres are not in the
picture!"

Huberman enumerated a series of other Palestinian fears vis-a-vis the
new government:  "The Palestinians know that Barak doesn't exactly
like the Wye Agreement.  They are afraid that he will attempt to come
to an agreement with Syria first, and ignore them, during this last
year of [U.S. President] Clinton.  They fear that [Syrian President]
Assad and Barak may have come to a quiet agreement to 'get' Arafat.
Despite Barak's announcement yesterday that the Palestinian and Syrian
tracks are of equally high priority, they are well aware that Israel
never was able to conduct two peace processes at once. They further
know that Barak has ignored Arafat for the past seven weeks.  They
feel that they now have a new Netanyahu, but one with a better
standing in the world and in Washington."

3. U.S. UNHAPPY WITH ARMS SALES TO SYRIA
The U.S. is considering imposing sanctions on Russia for the weapons
deal it is currently negotiating with Syria.  A State Department
spokesman said yesterday, "We would be very concerned about any new
Russian arms sales to Syria or to any other designated state sponsor
of terrorism.  There is a provision under U.S. law under which
assistance may be withheld from a government of a country that
transfers lethal military equipment to a country determined by the
Secretary to be a state sponsor of terrorism; and as you know, Syria
was so designated in 1979."

4. PORAT'S MESSAGE
"Where are you guys? Have you disappeared?"  So asked Arutz-7's Ariel
Kahane of National Union MK Chanan Porat today.  "Not at all," came
the reply.  "True, we are not busy receiving ministerial portfolios
and the like, but we have a tremendous amount of work and tests ahead
of us.  Most of our work will be outside the Knesset - meeting with
the public and preparing for the referendums that Barak promised would
be held before final agreements in Yesha or the Golan.  It will be
very hard for the public to vote against agreements that have been
initialized by our government.  We must therefore go out to the public
and tell them that the referendum has actually already begun."

Porat said that if he could, he would offer a word of advice to the
new Prime Minister:  "He may be forgetting that when Arafat demands
the implementation of the [three-stage] Wye Agreement, this is only
the second of the three Oslo withdrawals.  A third withdrawal will
still be awaiting Barak after Wye - and all this before the
final-status talks!  Even according to his own way of thinking, he had
better come to an agreement with Arafat now on the extent of the third
withdrawal."

SPECIAL INSERT
Following are the ministerial appointments of the 28th Government of
the State of Israel, as reported by the Government Press Office (in
Hebrew alphabetical order):

1. Prime Minister, Defense Minister            Ehud Barak (OneIsrael-Labor).
2. Environment Minister                             Dalia Itzik (One Israel-Labor)
3. Justice Minister                                     Yosef Beilin (One Israel-Labor).
4. Communications Minister                        Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (One Israel-Labor)
5. Public Security Minister                          Shlomo Ben-Ami(One Israel-Labor)
6. Health Minister                                  Shlomo Benizri (Shas)
7. Religious Affairs Minister                     Yitzhak Cohen (Shas)
8. Industry and Trade Minister                  Ran Cohen (Meretz)
9. Foreign Minister                                   David Levy (One Israel-Gesher).
10. Housing and Construction Minister      Yitzchak Levy (NRP)
11. Transportation Minister                      Yitzchak Mordechai (Center Party)
12. Regional Cooperation Minister             Shimon Peres (One Israel-Labor)
13. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office   Chaim Ramon (One Israel-Labor)
14. Finance Minister                                 Avraham Shochat  (One Israel-Labor).
15. Infrastructures Minister                      Eliyahu Suissa (Shas)
16. Education Minister                             Yossi Sarid (Meretz)
17. Interior Minister                                 Natan Sharansky (Yisrael B'Aliyah)
18. Labor and Social Affairs Minister       Eliyahu Yeshai (Shas)

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