To: arutz-7@a7.org
From: Arutz-7 Net Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, Oct. 4, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Monday, October 4, 1999 / Tishrei 24, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BARAK TAKES HEAT FOR APPROVING JABALI TRIP
2. KNESSET WINTER SESSION BEGINS
3. MEMRI: MORE DETAILS ON ARABIC "MEIN KAMPF"
1. BARAK TAKES HEAT FOR APPROVING JABALI TRIP
Prime Minister Ehud Barak today approved a request by Palestinian
Authority para-military police commander Razi Jabali to travel by
helicopter from Gaza to Ramallah in order to participate in his
father's funeral. An arrest warrant is still in effect for Jabali,
who participated in terror attacks in the heart of the Shomron two
years ago. The Prime Minister's office explained this morning that
permission was granted for "humanitarian reasons."
The Terror Victims Association petitioned the Supreme Court today with
a demand to arrest Jabali on his way back to Gaza. Rabbi Elyakim
Levanon of Elon Moreh, whose family was shot at two years ago - but
was not hurt - by terrorists dispatched by Jabali, joined in the
petition.
MK Chanan Porat (National Union) joined Likud MKs in criticizing
Barak's decision, saying that the Prime Minister "apparently forgot
the rabbinic dictum that one who has compassion on the cruel will
eventually be cruel to the compassionate." National Union leader MK
Rechavam Ze'evi said, "Mr. Barak may have consulted with legal and
security officials before he made the decision, but he forgot to
consult with people of conscience and straight-thinking."
2. KNESSET WINTER SESSION BEGINS
The Knesset opened its winter session today. Prime Minister Barak
spoke first, followed by Likud MK Moshe Katzav, representing the
opposition. Likud leader MK Ariel Sharon left for the U.S. last night
to meet with experts on the conducting of national referenda.
The upcoming Knesset session has a packed agenda. Among other
legislative initiatives, Knesset Speaker MK Avraham Burg (Labor) plans
to push forward legislation for the annulment of the law for direct
elections for Prime Minister, while Shinui party leader Tommy Lapid
plans to propose a law making army service compulsory for all Yeshiva
students. It does not appear that Barak will have a majority for his
pet Norwegian law, under which government ministers would be forced to
resign their Knesset seats.
In his speech, Barak listed the accomplishments of his young
government. "The ninety days of our government have been a time of
calm, self-confidence, optimism, and new hope," he said. "Our
government has achieved the restoration of trust between the citizens
and the executive branch. It is once again good to live in Israel."
Barak's remarks were greeted with scornful laughter from the
opposition.
Barak also said that he harbors no illusions about his government's
formula for peace, but that he is convinced that "most of the public
is willing to pay the price for peace." The Prime Minister further
said that he will not agree to the return of Arab refugees to the
sovereign borders of Israel.
Likud MK Katzav then took the stand, and blamed the Prime Minister for
the diplomatic concessions he made. Katzav said that "Yasser Arafat
came out stronger from the Sharm a-Sheikh agreement than he did from
Wye." He added that Barak had exempted Arafat from commitments he
made to Yitzchak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Binyamin Netanyahu.
3. MEMRI: MORE DETAILS ON ARABIC "MEIN KAMPF"
Middle East Media and Research Institute <www.memri.org>
has just
released more details on the sale of Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf in
eastern Jerusalem and the Palestinian autonomy. The Arabic
translation is being distributed by Al-Shurouq, a Ramallah-based book
distributor, and is now in 6th place on the Palestinian best-seller
list. The cover of the book shows a picture of Hitler, a swastika,
and the title in both German and Arabic. Following are some excerpts
of the introduction by translator Luis Al-Haj:
"Hitler was a man of ideology who bequeathed an ideological heritage
whose decay is inconceivable. This ideological heritage includes
politics, society, science, culture, and war as science and culture...
"The National Socialism that Hitler preached for and whose
characteristics were presented in his book My Struggle [Mein Kampf]...
this National Socialism did not die with the death of its herald.
Rather, its seeds multiplied under each star.
"This translation of the book My Struggle has never been presented to
Arab speakers. It is taken from the original text of the author,
Adolf Hitler. The text was untouched by the censor. We made a point
to deliver Hitler's opinions and theories on nationalism, regimes, and
ethnicity without any changes because they are not yet outmoded and
because we, in the Arab world, still proceed haphazardly in all three
fields..."
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To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <netnews@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, October 5, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, October 5, 1999 / Tishrei 25, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ISRAEL SIGNS ON FREE PASSAGE DEAL
2. ETTINGER: GOLAN PACKAGE WOULD STRAIN CONGRESSIONAL COFFERS
3. PEACE INDEX RESULTS ON GOLAN, ISRAELI ARABS
1. ISRAEL SIGNS ON FREE PASSAGE DEAL
Israel and the Palestinian Authority this afternoon signed an
agreement governing the operation of the "free passage" route between
the PA autonomous areas in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. Internal
Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said last night that the agreement
will ensure that Israel's sovereignty along the route is not
undermined. The Likud is demanding that Prime Minister Barak make
public the entire text of the agreement so that its details can be
freely examined by all interested persons. Even some government
ministers appear to be in the dark as to the specifics of the deal;
Interior Minister Natan Sharansky told Arutz-7 today that he is unsure
of what was agreed upon, and that he hopes that the passage will be
"as safe for Jews as it is for Palestinians."
Israeli newspapers reported this morning that the deal consists of an
oral agreement according to which Israel promises that it will not
hinder the movement of wanted Palestinian terrorists along the
corridor. The mayors of two cities bordering the route have
different approaches to its opening. Kiryat Malachi Mayor Lior Katzav
said today that senior members of the police department have told him
that they are concerned that terrorists will take advantage of the
free passage to carry out terror attacks within "Little Israel."
Kiryat Gat Mayor Albert Erez, on the other hand, welcomed the opening
of the route.
2. ETTINGER: GOLAN PACKAGE WOULD STRAIN CONGRESSIONAL COFFERS
Yoram Ettinger calls it "an amazing prescription for transforming
Israel from a strategic ally [of the U.S.] to a strategic burden."
Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to Congress, was referring to the
financial aspects of a proposal for Israel to withdraw from the Golan
Heights. Ettinger released a report today on the issue, citing Col.
(res.) Yoash Tsiddon-Chatto, former Head of Air Force Planning and
Operational Requirements. Following is only a partial list of
Tsiddon-Chatto's estimates of how much the U.S. Congress may be asked
for to facilitate a Golan pull-out:
*$5 billion for two high-readiness, fully-equipped, manned
mechanized divisions, including divisional artillery, communications, electronic
warfare, auxiliary and base facilities and ammunition.
*$3 billion for 100 ready-for-battle Apache Longbow-type attack
helicopters.
*$500 million for one light, air transportable, anti-tank brigade
equipped with Hellfire or equivalent missiles, including
communications.
*$6 billion for two squadrons of multi-purpose, long range F15I,
including base facilities and ammunition, bolstering anti-SAM and
ballistic missiles capabilities.
*$2 billion for 5-6 AWACS and JSTAR surveillance aircraft, and
*$3 billion for accelerated research and development, production
and deployment of the Arrow anti-ballistic missiles and BPI systems.
Aside from the "conservative" sum of $22.9 billion for military
redeployment and an annual $5 billion bill to sustain force
preparedness, "an estimated $10 billion would be required for civilian
relocation, based on a study conducted by Prof. Nurit Kliot and Shmuel
Albeck," said Ettinger. He also notes that, from a U.S. perspective,
talks of a Golan pull-out may therefore be premature, since Congress
was unwilling to even approve the significantly smaller $1.2 billion
Wye package last week.
3. PEACE INDEX RESULTS ON GOLAN, ISRAELI ARABS
IMRA has just released a translation of the Tami Steinmetz Center
September Peace Index Survey. A sample of 501 Israeli Jews expressed
their views on numerous issues. Following are findings on two issues
currently preoccupying Israeli society:
*Less than 22% of Israeli Jewish respondents support "a full peace
treaty between Israel and Syria in exchange for full withdrawal from
the Golan Heights." This compares to 41% who are "greatly opposed"
and 17.4% who are somewhat opposed to such a move. Nearly 18% of
those questioned said that they were "in the middle."
* 28.3% of respondents said that "only individual Arab Israelis"
support terror attacks against Israel; 31.7% said that "a considerable
minority" supports such violence; 13.5% of the respondents said that
"half" of the Israeli-Arabs support anti-Israel terror; 14.9% of those
questioned said that "a considerable majority" support terror; 5.8%
of Jewish respondents said that "all" Israeli-Arabs favor such
attacks.
The Steinmetz Center study also reveals that most Jews believe that
Israeli Arabs will be more loyal to a future Palestinian state than to
Israel. In addition, 56.9% believed that they would be more faithful
to a Palestinian state; 16.8% said that Israeli-Arabs would pledge
more allegiance to Israel, and 17.4% said that they would have equal
allegiances to Israel and the Palestinian state.
*******************************************************************
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Net Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, October 6, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Wednesday, October 6, 1999 / Tishrei 26, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. MORE TERRORISTS TO BE RELEASED TONIGHT
2. PALESTINIAN HIGHWAY TO OPEN ON SUNDAY; SOME ISSUES STILL
UNRESOLVED
3. 80% OF P.A. CARS ARE NOT LEGAL
4. MATAR: DEMONSTRATIONS HELP, AND WE'RE READY!
1. MORE TERRORISTS TO BE RELEASED TONIGHT
Israel will release the next wave of Palestinian terrorists beginning
tonight. Some 150 terrorists are scheduled to be released, including
42 who committed crimes after the signing of the Oslo Accords.
President Weizman told family members of terrorist victims yesterday
that he would act to ensure that murderers would not be released at
this stage. Despite this, he refused to make a public declaration
against the freeing of such killers. The President agreed that it is
immoral to release murderers, but said, "If not releasing them will
impede the peace process, then it may be worthwhile to pay the price."
Murderers of Arab collaborators were among the 199 terrorists
released immediately following the signing of the Sharm a-Sheikh
agreement last month.
The security services have not yet fulfilled the Supreme Court
recommendation to publicize the names of the terrorists before they
are released. Dov Kalmanovitch, the first casualty of the intifada -
he suffered burns over most of his body in Jan. 1988 - said today,
"What's important is not a Supreme Court recommendation, but the
ethics involved. It's simple: if the victims of terrorism wish to see
a list of the terrorists being released, then they should be allowed
to." Kalmanovitch, who met yesterday with Deputy Defense Minister
Ephraim Sneh on this issue, said that it is important for the
government ministers to "hear again and again that it is the ABC of
basic ethics that murderers must serve out their full punishment, and
that those who are willing to sacrifice this value are perpetrating a
moral crime - not to mention lowering the motivation for security
agents to fight and apprehend terrorists." He said that the
Palestinians have a "full-time minister working in our government on
behalf of terrorist releases, and our voice must also be heard. I
believe that every time we make these powerful moral points, it leaves
an impression."
2. PALESTINIAN HIGHWAY TO OPEN ON SUNDAY; SOME ISSUES STILL UNRESOLVED
The Palestinian corridor through Israel - affording unrestricted
passage for Palestinians between Gaza and Hevron - will open on
Sunday, following yesterday's agreement on the issue. Public Security
Minster Shlomo Ben-Ami said that Israel's sovereignty over the area
will be preserved, but when asked if Israel has the right to arrest
terrorist suspects, he only said, "Sovereignty implies certain
authorities, and I don't think I have to enumerate those authorities."
Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reported this week that for the permanent
status, Prime Minister Barak has proposed a bridge that will span the
distance from Gaza to Hevron, but that the Palestinians have not
accepted this: "The Palestinians have had a detailed plan since 1992
for their own highway, the sovereignty of which will be determined,
they claim, by the amount of Palestinian and Israeli cars using it.
The Palestinians expect that there will be more PA cars, and will
therefore claim that international law mandates that they be sovereign
on the road."
Huberman said that Barak agreed to allow individual cars to use the
route immediately, as opposed to previous understandings, under which
only convoys of buses and cars would be permitted at first. "On the
other hand," Huberman said, "Barak was tougher in two matters than
Netanyahu was, and voided two oral understandings that Netanyahu and
Sharon had agreed to at Wye. Barak basically told them, 'You missed
the boat by not signing with Netanyahu.' In the new agreement, Israel
and not the Palestinians will perform the security checks on the
route's passengers, and the PA will be required to advise Israel in
advance as to who will be using the route."
Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy pointed out at yesterday's
government meeting that issues of road safety and insurance on the
route have still not been resolved. "We know where in Ramallah the
Arab driver lives who caused the deaths of Orit Filber and Tamar
Weissrosen from Beit El four months ago," he said, "but there is no
legal way for us to arrest him, try him, or even to sue him or his
insurance company." Prime Minister Barak said that issues of this
nature will be taken up at the next Cabinet meeting.
3. 80% OF P.A. CARS ARE NOT LEGAL
Four out of five cars in the Palestinian Authority are not bought
legally. So estimates Yochanan Danino, who heads the Israel Police
campaign against car thefts. He told the Knesset Economic Committee
yesterday that 60% of the approximately 90 cars stolen every day are
dismantled and their parts sold. The Committee approved a temporary
order forbidding the possession or transfer of used car parts
originating in the Palestinian Authority. A similar order, which
expired last month, was reported to be effective in the struggle
against car thefts.
4. MATAR: DEMONSTRATIONS HELP, AND WE'RE READY!
Communications Minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer is quoted in
Ma'ariv today to the effect that Ehud Barak will not face the same
right-wing objections to withdrawals from Judea, Samaria, and the
Golan as Yitzchak Rabin faced. "Those who led the protests in the
past have simply disappeared," said Ben-Eliezer.
Nadia Matar, co-chairperson of the grass-roots organization Women in
Green, told Arutz-7 today that she is very glad to have heard the
remarks: "There are many in our camp who think that demonstrations
don't help, and Fuad's remarks prove that they are wrong. He says
that there won't be objections to Barak's plans because there won't be
demonstrations, which means that he equated demonstrations with
effective opposition." She objected to his main point, however:
"Fuad happens to be wrong when he says that the leadership of the
settlers has no followers. The opposite is true: The large public of
the nationalist camp has been left without a leadership. It is looking
for leadership, because, in truth, some of the old guard have become
tired. But a new generation of leadership is arising..."
Matar also took issue with Ben-Eliezer's comment to the effect that
the Rabin assassination was that which broke the right-wing
opposition. "Not true," she said. "It was Netanyahu, who by
continuing to implement the agreements, crushed the nationalist camp.
Now, little by little, this camp is waking up, and people are
realizing that we have to return to the streets. The government may
think that we have fallen asleep, but this is not true. People have
been telling me recently that though they have never demonstrated
before, they are now willing to go out and do what is necessary."
"The police and GSS are very worried about our demonstrations," she
said, "and as proof, let me just tell you that in our demonstration
this week against the Palestinian corridor through Israel, the GSS and
police agents called every single name of the nation-wide contact that
we listed on the literature that we distributed, and asked, 'How many
buses will you have [for your next rally]? Which will route will you
take? Where are the participants from?' etc. They wouldn't put so
much effort into us if our demonstrations weren't important to them."
***********************************************************************
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Net Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, October 7, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Thursday, Oct. 7, 1999 / Tishrei 27, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. ANTI-OSLO TERRORISTS TO BE RELEASED
2. YESHA COUNCIL SET FOR SHOWDOWN
3. REFERENDUM PROPOSAL PREPARED
4. INFORMATION-FREE REFERENDUM?
5. THE GREAT ESCAPE
1. ANTI-OSLO TERRORISTS TO BE RELEASED
A new terrorist-release policy has been set by the government. The
150 terrorists to be released today and tomorrow will include dozens
who committed attacks after the signing of the Oslo Agreement, as well
as members of the anti-Oslo Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The new policy
was enacted after a round of phone calls was made to the Cabinet
ministers. Only Ministers Sharansky, Beilin, and Yeshai were opposed
to the release. Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer explained
that if post-Oslo and anti-Oslo terrorists are not released, the Sharm
a-Sheikh agreement quota of 150 would have to be met by releasing
terrorists who seriously wounded Jews.
Meir Indor of the Terror Victims Association told Arutz-7 today, "Now
I hear that Rabbi Levy of the NRP voted for the release of these
post-Oslo terrorists -- " Indor was interrupted at this point by
interviewer Haggai Segal, who said, "I'm not his spokesman, but let me
clarify that Rabbi Levy said that he would prefer to release post-Oslo
terrorists who lightly injured Jews, rather than terrorists who
severely injured Jews before Oslo." Indor then said, "That's exactly
why I praise Sharansky and Yeshai, who never in the first place
supported the release of any terrorists, and now don't have to start
making complex and contrived calculations as to whether to release
these terrorists or other ones."
The Terror Victims Association received a list this afternoon of the
prisoners being released. "After seeing the list, I know why they
tried to hide it from us," Indor said. "There are several who were
sentenced to life imprisonment only four or five years ago, for the
murder of Arab collaborators and the like, and who are already being
released. Then there are those who 'lightly injured' Israelis only a
few years ago - they tried to kill, but didn't succeed. We did not
get the names of the victims - I was told that when things quiet down
we'd receive them, but I told them that that's exactly what we don't
want. We want the names now, when the story is in the news and the
press wants to interview them, so that it will remain in the public
eye - not later, when it's all forgotten."
The organization has appealed to the Supreme Court against the release
of the terrorists. Indor said that if the appeal is rejected, "we
will sue the terrorists for civil damages."
2. YESHA COUNCIL SET FOR SHOWDOWN
The Ministerial Committee for Settlement Affairs will convene this
Sunday to discuss the legality of Jewish construction in Judea and
Samaria over the past ten months. Peace Now claims that 38 additional
caravans (mobile homes without wheels) have been added to Yesha
hilltops since the elections. Prime Minister Barak said today that
illegal construction will be dealt with appropriately. "We will not
allow anyone to dictate how the final-status arrangement will look,"
he said.
The Yesha Council reacted with a strong statement to the effect that
"the uprooting of even one caravan is the same as evacuating an entire
community. A decision to do so will represent the crossing of a red
line and the end of the understandings that were reached with Ehud
Barak." The Yesha Council requested that Yesha town heads prepare to
respond appropriately to government decisions aimed at harming the
Yesha settlement enterprise.
3. REFERENDUM PROPOSAL PREPARED
"An agreement with Syria could happen faster than you think," Prime
Minister Barak told his close advisors this week. He instructed them
to begin technical and strategic preparations for the popular
referendum scheduled to be held in case the government votes to
withdraw from the Golan Heights. At the same time, the Justice
Ministry has completed its proposed legislation on the issue, and
Barak will decide when to submit it to the Knesset.
The Ministry's proposed bill states that a referendum will be held if
an agreement is signed with a foreign country that involves the
evacuation of sovereign territory, and if it is approved by at least
61 Knesset Members. The bill also "leaves open the option" of a
referendum in the event that non-sovereign territory is to be handed
over - such as in Judea and Samaria. Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes
that Ehud Barak promised his coalition partners soon after the
elections that a referendum would be held on a final-status agreement
with the Palestinians.
One of the issues still to be resolved is the extent of the majority
to be required to pass the proposal. The Likud demands that a special
majority of 60% of the public be required in order for the evacuation
of the Golan - or Yesha - to be approved. The bill, as presently
formulated, calls for no media propaganda on the issue, nor will the
government be allowed to fund an information campaign (see next
article).
4. INFORMATION-FREE REFERENDUM?
Political strategist Ayal Arad - who headed the Likud's information
campaign during its winning 1996 election, and served as Binyamin
Netanyahu's top press aide for a period - reacted harshly to the
proposal not to allow media advertising regarding the Golan
referendum. "A referendum is supposed to be a celebration of
democracy, where two sides try to convince the public of the justness
of their respective causes. How will the public receive the
information, if there is no media campaign? I would expect there to
be no limitations whatsoever on either side's information efforts.
How can there be a democratic 'exchange of ideas' without the
'exchange of ideas?'" Justice Ministry officials could not be reached
for comment; Arutz-7 hopes to bring their response in tomorrow's
report.
Arad - whose most recent public position was that of Centrist party
campaign manager in the recent elections - said that we cannot rely on
media news broadcasts to present both sides of the issue: "A poll
carried out by the Dachaf Institute after the recent elections showed
that 92% of the public felt that the media were not objective during
the campaign, and 100% of those felt that the media tilt was towards
Barak. It's clear, then, that we cannot depend on the media to do the
job of democracy - the heart and soul of democracy is the free
exchange of ideas, and there must be no limitations on this."
Arad outlined what he felt should be the strategies of both sides
during the referendum campaign: "Those in favor of a withdrawal
should try to lull the public to sleep. In addition, they should try
for a short campaign - a referendum that comes as soon as possible
after the agreement is signed, in which the public will be caught up
in the excitement of the agreement and doesn't bother to check the
price, is best for them. The other side, those who wish to retain the
Golan, should try to have as long a campaign as possible - as the
Golan Residents Committee is already trying to do - so that the terms
of the agreement may be properly examined by the public. The Golan
people should raise two issues: whether we're willing to pay the
price at all, and even if so, are we getting our money's worth. They
must show both that the price is too high, and that the merchandise -
the 'peace' arrangements with Syria - are deficient."
5. THE GREAT ESCAPE
"Nobody could believe that they would actually escape!" So said the
Palestinian Authority Governor of Shechem yesterday, regarding the
disappearance a few days ago of three senior Islamic Jihad terrorist
prisoners from a PA jail in his town. Palestinian Media Watch director
Itamar Marcus read a translation of the Al-Quds newspaper article for
Arutz-7 listeners today: "The governor said that the prison director
permitted the four men to travel to the Al-Quds University to register
for courses there. The men were accompanied by a guard, who waited
outside the building while the four entered. Some hours later, only
one returned, and it then became clear that the three others had
escaped."
Marcus noted that the account "is almost hilarious, if it didn't have
such dangerous implications. It's so unbelievable that some reporters
I read it to broke out laughing when they heard it. We are talking
about three senior terrorists, responsible for last year's Machane
Yehuda bombing and several shooting attacks in the Shomron, and one of
them is even the head of the Jihad's military wing! They should have
been very closely guarded. Now we find out that they were not just set
free, but that the PA jail had them transported a great distance from
the jail before allowing them to go home. What were prisoners doing
registering for college courses, anyhow?!"
Marcus concluded that the incident shows the folly of the Israeli
consent at Wye to waive its demand to try and incarcerate terrorists who
remain under secure guard in a PA prison.
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