To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, October
25, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Monday, October 25, 1999 / Cheshvan 15, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. HAWATME TO PUSH FOR 181 FROM WITHIN
2. PALESTINIANS BEGIN "FREE PASSAGE" THROUGH ISRAEL
3. YESHA INCIDENTS
1. HAWATME TO PUSH FOR 181 FROM WITHIN
Prime Minister Ehud Barak has decided: Terrorist Naif Hawatme, responsible
for the killing of a total of 34 children and two adults in murderous
attacks in Ma'alot and Avivim in the 1970's, will be allowed to enter the
autonomous areas. Barak's office says that Hawatme now supports the
Oslo
process and should therefore be permitted to enter. Opposition
members are
against the decision, and note that Hawatme was not even born here.
Yisrael Peretz, secretary of the northern town of Avivim, told Arutz-7
today about the attack and his community's reaction to the decision:
"It
happened in 1970. The children were on their way to school to nearby
Dovev
when terrorists attacked their bus and killed 12 children. This
decision
is a big blow to the residents of Avivim, who have suffered greatly over
the years. We feel that the blood of our children has lost all
value... We
cannot forgive those who allow his entry into Israel."
MK Benny Elon (National Union) said in response to the decision,
"It's a
lie to say that Hawatme is in favor of Oslo - he is not! He is in
favor of
a permanent-status agreement based not on Oslo, but based on the UN
resolution 181 of 1947, which gives Be'er Sheva, Jaffa, and Lod to the
Palestinians! Therefore, Hawatme's entry to the autonomous areas does
not
strengthen Arafat in pursuing the Oslo process, but rather strengthens him
in the opposite direction - in showing that the Palestinian goal is not
only Judea and Samaria, but Jaffa and Be'er Sheva and Ramle as well!"
In this vein, MEMRI quotes a member of the Palestinian National Council,
Mahmoud Al-'Ajrami, who said on May 12, 1999: "...the total
consensus in
the [PLO's] Central Committee that the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as
its capital is an existing fact on the basis of the natural right of the
Palestinian people to establish its state and on the basis of [resolution]
181..."
2. PALESTINIANS BEGIN "FREE PASSAGE" THROUGH ISRAEL
The "free passage" for Palestinians between Gaza and the Hevron
area opened
this morning, enabling even wanted terrorists and accomplices to pass
through sovereign Israeli territory without fear of arrest. As was
assumed, traffic from Gaza was heavier than from Hevron, since many Gazans
have not left their region in many years. The northern section of the
route, from Gaza to the Ramallah region, is scheduled to open in a few
weeks. The Palestinians demand that the eastern exit point be located
near
Latrun, under the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, while Israel wants it to be
significantly closer to Ramallah.
Residents of the development town of Sderot, which is situated in close
proximity to Gaza and the "free passage," demonstrated at the Yad
Mordechai
junction this morning against the route's opening. They held signs
reading, "The Government is Lulling the Public to Sleep," and
"Safe
Passage for Terrorists." One of the participants, Chaim Gross,
told
Arutz-7, "We are very apprehensive, because supervision over so many
people
leaving Gaza at once will be impossible, and one of them could easily slip
into one of the moshavim or communities, drop off some bombs, and never be
discovered."
3. YESHA INCIDENTS
An Arab at Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem attempted this afternoon to stab an
Israeli soldier, who then shot and killed his attacker. Intense Arab
rioting ensued following the incident, and continued through the afternoon;
a soldier and an Israeli citizen have been injured. An IDF spokesman
said
that the soldier had acted appropriately in the face of danger to his life.
A Palestinian Authority para-military officer attempted to prevent
Palestinians from working for Jews in Gush Katif yesterday, and found
himself detained and brought before IDF soldiers. The officer, Osama
Eli,
chased and stopped a Jewish car carrying Arab laborers, but the driver and
other Jews overpowered and took him to nearby IDF soldiers. O.C.
Southern
Command Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiah said that the PA officer acted in
violation of the Oslo accords. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman
notes
that Eli was behind the campaign six months ago to stop Arabs from working
in Gush Katif.
**********************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, October
26, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, October 26, 1999 / Cheshvan 16, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. POLICEMAN WILL ATTEND RABBIS' CONFERENCE
2. EGYPTIAN THREATS DISAPPOINT FM
3. RUSSIAN IMMIGRATION: REFLECTION OF WORLD-WIDE PROBLEM?
4. ARAB ACCEPTANCE OF ISRAEL NOT IN SIGHT
5. IN BRIEF
1. POLICEMAN WILL ATTEND RABBIS' CONFERENCE
Dozens of rabbis - and one policeman - will convene this afternoon to
renew their Rabbinic ruling forbidding the transfer of any part of
Eretz Yisrael to foreign rule. The rabbis belong to a group called
Pikuach Nefesh - roughly translated as 'In the Face of Danger to
Life.' The policeman, who arrived at Pikuach Nefesh offices this
morning and duly identified himself, asked permission to be present at
the meeting. A co-founder of the group, Rabbi David Druckman,
expressed his protest of the police intentions and said that the
meeting was meant only for rabbis - but granted the policeman
permission to enter anyway.
Speaking with Arutz-7 beforehand, Rabbi Druckman dismissed claims by
Education Minister Yossi Sarid (Meretz) that the ruling "of backward
rabbis" could lead to political assassinations. "We will
not allow
the assassination of Rabin to be abused in order to silence the
right-wing," he said. When asked to whom this ruling is directed
and
whether he thinks the government will feel bound by it, Rabbi Druckman
answered, "A story is told of the famous Chafetz Chaim [Rabbi Yisrael
Meir Kagan] who once sent emissaries to the Czar to have a certain
decree nullified. When they returned with fallen faces and reported
their failure, the Chafetz Chaim asked them, 'Did you at least faint
[while pleading your case]?' We have to do the maximum that we can,
within the boundaries of Jewish Law, and G-d will act as He sees fit."
2. EGYPTIAN THREATS DISAPPOINT FM
The cold 20-year-old peace with Egypt is becoming downright frosty.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Tantawi even threatened several days ago
that a war between Egypt and Israel cannot be ruled out. In reaction,
Foreign Minister David Levy summoned Egyptian Ambassador Muhammad
Bassiouny for a discussion. Levy told reporters afterwards that he
was extremely disappointed by Tantawi's remarks, and that "Egypt must
remove the word 'war' from its lexicon."
3. RUSSIAN IMMIGRATION: REFLECTION OF WORLD-WIDE PROBLEM?
Yaakov Kedmi, a former head of the Foreign Ministry's liaison office
with the Jewish community in Russia, confirms that more than half of
the new immigrants arriving in Israel from the former Soviet Union are
not Jewish. A group of long-time Russian immigrants have called for a
change in the Law of Return in light of the phenomenon. Kedmi told
Arutz-7 today, however, that the problem is not the Law of Return or
the people who take advantage of it, but Jewish demographics
throughout the world. "The fact is that these numbers reflect
the
Jewish nation the world over. The number of halakhically-recognized
Jews in Jewish communities throughout the world is less than half.
This is the situation. The question therefore is, does Israel want
the Jewish nation, as it is today, inside its borders or outside? Do
we want to be a part of this nation, or not?" He said that the
problem of those whose only connection to Judaism is via their
paternal grandfather is a very small percentage, and is not the main
issue.
Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, head of the Conversion Department in the Chief
Rabbinate, responded sharply to Kedmi's remarks: "We must
carefully
distinguish between the Law of Return and those who are allowed into
Israel. The Law states clearly that only those born to a Jewish
mother or those who have converted are to be considered Jewish. But
an additional clause states that in addition to those Jews who are
allowed automatic citizenship, their children, grandchildren, and
spouses may also enter. This does not mean that they are Jewish, and
we must not mistakenly use the Law of Return to justify not only their
entry into Israel, but also their Jewishness!"
4. ARAB ACCEPTANCE OF ISRAEL NOT IN SIGHT
Wanted: Evidence that the Arab world is willing to accept Israel.
Israel's weekly Makor Rishon reports that Aryeh Stav - editor of the
right-of-center Nativ magazine - wrote eight months ago to 120
left-wing researchers and academics, requesting articles that prove a
moderation towards Israel in the Arab world . Among those asked to
contribute such papers were Shimon Peres, Yossi Beilin, Yossi Sarid,
and Oslo-accord architects Pundak and Hirschfeld. In addition, the
Jaffe Center, the Van Leer Institute, Beit Berl and Givat Chaviva were
contacted for the same purpose. Stav told Arutz-7's Yosef
Zalmanson
today that not one of the above had replied, nor has any research
paper indicating that the Oslo process is leading to the hoped-for
"New Middle East" been received. The bi-monthly Nativ
Magazine is
planning a February 2000 issue devoted to the dangers of a Palestinian
state for Israel, with accompanying articles on Israel vis-a-vis the
Arab world.
5. IN BRIEF
The level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) stands today at 213.08
meters below sea level - 8 centimeters below the "red line."
Evaporation causes the loss of some 0.6 centimeters a day, and
Kinneret water usage - which has been reduced of late - consumes
another 0.15; underground streams feeding into the Kinneret make up
for a portion of these losses. The northern streams are still dry,
and have not yet begun to provide water to the Kinneret...
***********************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday,
October 27, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Wednesday, October 27, 1999 / Cheshvan 17, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SYRIANS THREATEN TO FREEZE GOLAN ISSUE
Official Syrian sources say that a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from
Lebanon will "put a lid" on chances for peace between Israel and
Syria. The sources, quoted by the Lebanese newspaper A-Nahar, say that
a one-sided Israeli retreat from Lebanon will put the Golan issue into
"deep-freeze," and is a most dangerous move. An analysis of
the
Syrian position is provided by Ariel Center researcher Aharon Levran
in the Special Insert below.
Israel Air Force jets attacked terrorist targets in the Zibkin area,
north-west of the security zone in southern Lebanon. The planes
returned safely.
SPECIAL INSERT:
Excerpts from today's Arutz-7 interview with Aharon Levran, Middle
East strategic expert and Ariel Center for Policy Research member:
Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane: Official Syrian sources say that a
unilateral
Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon will be most dangerous and will close
the door on chances for peace between Israel and Syria. The sources
say that a one-sided Israeli retreat from Lebanon will put the Golan
issue into "deep-freeze." What is the motivation of Syria
to say such
a thing?
Levran: It does not surprise me. The entire idea behind the
Israeli
withdrawal and the deadline of a year that Barak set is to neutralize
the card that Syria has against Israel regarding the Golan. Syria is
holding a great threat over our heads: if you don't give us the
Golan, Hizbullah will continue to attack you in Lebanon. I'm not in
favor of a withdrawal, but when Barak came up with the idea of leaving
Lebanon within a year, he was strongly criticized here - but in
actuality it infuriated the Syrians, and made them realize that if
they don't hurry up, they will lose their best card.
Q. If so, then the obvious question is why don't we just withdraw
right now from Lebanon? What interest do we have in allowing the
Syrians to keep this card?
A. Heh, here is the point which I totally don't agree with, but this
is the situation: Barak wants an agreement with Syria. He said as
much recently when he said that if he and Assad could sit down in the
same room together, there would be an agreement - which obviously
means giving up the entire Golan and more.
Q. What do you think the Syrians mean when they threaten that a
unilateral withdrawal will cause a very dangerous situation?
A. They are likely referring to one of two things: Israel's
northern
border, which could be attacked by Hizbullah the same way that Israeli
forces in Lebanon are attacked now - in which case we will have gained
nothing by leaving Lebanon. Or it could be on the Golan, which even
though it has been quiet for 25 years - largely because Syria knows
how close it is to Damascus - could become a site for Syrian
aggression. The Syrians are saying that if they can't pressure us in
Lebanon, they will do so in the Golan.
Q. I understand that you do not support a withdrawal from Lebanon -
A. I don't support it at all! I'm sick and tired of the way Israel
has been acting these past few years, of running away and withdrawing
from every little difficulty... The right-wing, too, is impotent, and
wants to leave Lebanon - even though they [the right-wing] have at
least some justification because they are trying to save the Golan by
neutralizing the Syrian threat [as above]. But to retreat is very bad
from a strategic standpoint. It's a basic strategic principle that if
you want to protect a vital line, than you have to do so from a point
that is beyond the original one. If you want to protect the Galilee
and the border, then you have to be further north of it. We
understood this for years, and we were there [in Lebanon] for a long
time, usually with great success. But now because they [Hizbullah]
have suddenly found a way to cause us more casualties, and we, in our
impotency, did not retaliate by lashing back at them - including with
a threat on Syria - so because of this we have to run away with our
tail between our legs. We retreat on every front! What is
happening
to us?!"
***********************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday,
October 28, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Thursday, October 28, 1999 / Cheshvan 18, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. RABBIS WON'T REMAIN SILENT
2. CONTROVERSIAL BOOK RETURNED TO SHELVES
1. RABBIS WON'T REMAIN SILENT
Chief Sephardic Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron backs Religious Affairs
Minister Yitzchak Cohen (Shas) in his call upon neighborhood rabbis to
"refrain from issuing halakhic rulings on controversial national
issues." Cohen said that neighborhood rabbis are elected to
fulfill
limited rabbinic duties in their neighborhoods, and are bound by the
same limitations that bind other public-service employees. He was
referring to a recent ruling issued by some 200 rabbis of the Pikuach
Nefesh organization forbidding the transfer of parts of Eretz Yisrael
to foreign rule, for safety reasons.
"The Rabbis of Kiryat Motzkin and Tsfat would do well to dedicate
themselves to issues of Kashrut, marriage, eruvin, and 'peace in the
home,' and leave the national political issues to the generation's
decisors," according to Cohen. He stated that he met yesterday
"with
the President of the Council of Torah Sages, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, who
is a world-class spiritual leader and does not hold an active
rabbinical position. Rabbi Yosef repeated his ruling that the
holiness of man is greater than the holiness of land, and in a case of
national danger to life, it is permitted to return parts of Eretz
Yisrael."
Tsfat's Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu said in response that he would not
be deterred from expressing his opinions on national matters, and that
it is his right and obligation to do so. "The Torah is complete,
and
includes many things... I would not advise the Minister to go the way
of those who used to say that the rabbi's place is only in the
synagogue. This is an insulting approach... I can forgive him
in
that he is still new in his ministerial post - but he is supposed to
be a rabbi as well." Rabbi Eliyahu said that the Chief Rabbinate
has
not discussed the issue, and added, "We don't live in [a
dictatorship], where a government official can tell a rabbi what he
can and cannot say. Just as I am obligated to rule on what is kosher
and what is not, I am obligated to speak out on critical issues, such
as those that concern danger to life. It is inconceivable that a
religious-hareidi government minister should take this stance."
2. CONTROVERSIAL BOOK RETURNED TO SHELVES
The Steimatzky chain of book stores has re-introduced the book "Who
Murdered Yitzchak Rabin?" by Barry Chamish onto its shelves. A
spokesperson clarified that only "under exceptional circumstances, we
have been forced to take the decision not to sell certain books."
The
display of the book in question during the week of the anniversary of
the death of the former Prime Minister "resulted in discord amongst
[Steimatzky] customers," and was therefore removed, but the book is
now back on display.
**********************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday,October
31, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Sunday, October 31, 1999 / Cheshvan 21, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINE:
SECRET TALKS WITH SYRIA
Prime Minister Barak has confirmed, in an interview with Newsweek,
that Israel has held secret contacts with Syria over the past few
weeks. He said that the "moment of truth is approaching,"
and that he
believes that the negotiations between the sides will resume in the
coming weeks. At the same time, a gathering of anti-Israel terrorist
organizations - Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah - was held
yesterday in Damascus.
************************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz Sheva
Editor <neteditor@arutzsheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday,
November 2, 1999
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, November 2, 1999 / Cheshvan 23, 5760
------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. RAVIV DOCUMENT CENSORED ON-AIR
2. MK EITAN ON THE DOCUMENT
3. RABIN'S DAUGHTER HAS DOUBTS ABOUT OFFICIAL VERSION
1. RAVIV DOCUMENT CENSORED ON-AIR
A "secret document" of a meeting of General Security Service and
State
Prosecution officials reveals that the two bodies made a "pact to
hide" facts about GSS agent provocateur Avishai Raviv, according to MK
Michael Eitan. It also shows that GSS agents, only a few months after
the assassination, felt that "if we had cut off our connections with
Raviv, maybe he would have turned the murderer over to us."
Television talk show host Nissim Mishal, whose guest MK Eitan was
about to reveal the contents of the document on air last night,
suddenly received instructions from Attorney-General Elyakim
Rubenstein that the document's disclosure would "endanger public
security," and was forbidden. Arutz7 has learned that the
document
may be seen on the internet at <http://208.150.6.139/>
Both Mishal and Eitan reacted with surprise to the order, saying there
was nothing secret about the document. Eitan said, "When you try
to
fight the GSS and the State Prosecution, they are just too strong -
they control things in this country that not even the Prime Minister,
or the government, or the Knesset, controls, and they ignore the
public - they claim 'public security,' when it's really only their own
internal issues." Eitan claims that Rubenstein is attempting to
prevent the revelation of a pact between the GSS and the Prosecution
to hide the fact that Raviv did not act on his own.
The document also quotes a GSS agent as telling the Attorney-General
and the others at the meeting that a previous State Prosecutor had
approved activity by Raviv at Bar Ilan University that would
incriminate "someone else." The document shows that both
the
Prosecution and the GSS representatives were seeking ways to close the
investigation against Raviv, while Attorney-General Rubenstein was
against closing it.
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal notes that Rubenstein's action was fairly
unprecedented. Segal said that when two GSS agents were imprisoned in
Amman after the bungled assassination attempt of a Hamas leader, the
head of the Mossad begged the press not to publicize the news in order
not to hurt chances for a quick release - but Rubenstein did not
intervene to order or ask the media to be silent.
2. MK EITAN ON THE DOCUMENT
MK Michael Eitan reacted with bitterness to the order blocking the
publication of the document. He told Arutz-7 today, "Instead of
answering my grave complaints about the fact that the Shabak and the
State Prosecution made a pact and submitted false information to the
government ministers, and concealed information from the government
and the public - they accuse me of leaking classified information, so
that I'll have to answer their charges, instead of them answering
clearly my charges. For example, I claimed that when the head of the
GSS came before the special security cabinet forum - which I convened
when I was a government minister - to discuss indicting Raviv, the GSS
head told us clearly that the GSS decided that it should not
investigate him, and that the police found that Raviv knew nothing and
was not involved in the assassination. But I tell you that this is
totally misleading and false - the Shabak DID interrogate him, and the
whole story was meant to mislead the ministers... They simply want to
ensure that the story of Avishai Raviv not be made public... This
document contains nothing that will harm state security... Do you
have any doubt that Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein would trouble
himself to call television stations and newspapers and threaten them
if he thought that the document would not embarrass the Prosecution?!"
"The large picture," concluded Eitan, "is that this
document shows
that my long-time basic assumption is correct, that there is a pact
between the GSS and the Prosecution to go above the levels responsible
for them, and even above the law. They run things as if they are
above every suspicion, and no one can ask or raise any doubts about
them... How could it be that the newspapers are not rising up against
threats by the Atty.-Gen. not to publish a document that has no
bearing on state security! [The Prosecution] doesn't want it
published because it will show how the two bodies work together to
fool the government and the public, and they don't want it publicized
because it's THEM. Civil rights of people have been trampled -
trampled! And instead of punishing those who were guilty, and instead
of leading the campaign to look out for civil rights, the Prosecution
cooperated with them, became a rubber stamp, and became their
partner."
MK Benny Elon said that the document shows how anxious the relevant
bodies were to ensure that Avishai Raviv would not be tried, in order
that he not take the witness stand: "They searched for excuses
not to
hold the trial, such as 'no public interest' and 'insufficient
evidence,' and Rubenstein tried to disassociate himself from these
ideas, and said that he doesn't want to be involved in closing the
file."
3. RABIN'S DAUGHTER HAS DOUBTS ABOUT OFFICIAL VERSION
Yitzchak Rabin's daughter, MK Dalia Rabin-Pilosoph (Centrist party)
has many doubts as to whether the official version of her father's
murder is the full story. She told the latest issue of Woman's World
magazine, "There are a lot of doubts about what happened [at the
murder] and how it happened..." To the interviewer's question,
"What
kind of doubts?" Rabin-Pilosoph answered,
"It's very involved, and I'm not sure I want to get into it.
I don't
want to accuse anyone as long as I don't have concrete proof. I don't
want to be sued for libel. But we all [in our family] have the feeling
that they simply closed the story by saying that it was a 'mishap.'
This is too simplistic. There are so many question marks about the
night of the murder... Somebody screamed "Blanks, blanks,"
and the
Shamgar Commission did not determine who this man was who screamed
that the bullets were fakes."
Q: "How do you know someone screamed that it was blank? Maybe that
is
just a rumor?"
DRP: "My mother heard it herself clearly. She called me right
afterwards and said, 'They shot Abba [Dad], but don't worry, it wasn't
for real.' I'll never forget that conversation with her. She was sure
that nothing happened, that Abba was fine."
Q: "Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part?"
DRP: "Maybe, but there were other people who also heard it. When
she
was driven to the hospital by the security people, they told her that
it wasn't real. And when she asked questions, they were silent and
didn't answer her. There are many questions about everything that
happened right after the murder. How is it that during the entire
ride with my mother, the security people didn't talk with anyone the
whole way? Why did they separate between my parents, and take my
mother in a separate car?... Why did they want to get her away from
the scene of the murder as quickly as possible? Why didn't they tell
her that it was just a drill? And what happened to the vital
instincts that every bodyguard has? Why didn't they kill the murderer
on the spot? How did they not shoot him? Look what happened now
with
Mubarak - why didn't the people whose job it was to protect my father
not shoot and kill him? This must be very similar to what the Kennedy
family felt when President John Kennedy was shot. Even now there is
no clear answer as to who stood behind that murder. Then, they
accused Lee Harvey Oswald, who was immediately killed, and now they
accuse Yigal Amir - but it's not so simple, it's much deeper and much
more complex... I won't say who I suspect, I'm just telling you the
doubts that we in the family have. I know that our family will not
know peace until we learn the truth... Doubts continue to arise,
including for instance the contradiction between the medical report by
the doctor who first saw Abba when he arrived at the hospital and the
pathological report. The doubts never leave me..."
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