To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, May 29, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Sivan 7, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. LIVNAT: UNITY GOV'T COSTING US, BUT WILL PROVE WORTH IT
2. KETZALEH AND ELON

1. LIVNAT: UNITY GOV'T COSTING US, BUT WILL PROVE WORTH IT
Education Minister Limor Livnat called on the residents of Yesha to
continue to back the Prime Minister. She said that if it was not for the
national-unity government, "we would be taking stronger action against the
terrorism," but this price of unity is worthwhile and "in the end, it will
prove itself even in the war against terrorism."

Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke with Cabinet Secretary Gideon Sa'ar today:
"I'll ask you pointedly: How many Jews must yet be killed on the altar of
this unilateral ceasefire?" Sa'ar: "Look please, we are aware of the
difficulty of the situation, and exactly for this reason we want to try
every possibility to try to calm matters down. It could be that this
attempt will fail, in which case the IDF will again initiate the necessary
actions, but we are trying to do everything we can in order to see if..."

Segal: "Yes, this is why I asked until when. What yet must happen in order
for the Prime Minister to reach the conclusion that --"

Sa'ar: "Prime Minister Sharon told Burns last night that our patience is
not unlimited... There is no magic solution..."

2. KETZALEH AND ELON
Yesha settler leader Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz - a long-time army acquaintance
of Ariel Sharon, who served under then-Housing Minister Ariel Sharon as
Assistant for Settlement Affairs from 1991-93, and who has been described
in HaTzofeh as "the man directly responsible for the construction in
eastern Jerusalem, and communities in the Golan and in Yesha" - spoke with
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal today about the changes that have overcome Ariel
Sharon over the past years:

"I have seen the deterioration in Sharon's relationship to the Land of
Israel and the People of Israel for several years. It was manifest clearly
in his decision to detach himself from people in Yesha, and not to include
them among his aides, advisors, and members of his inner circle. Instead,
he has begun to think along the 'practical' and faithless lines of the left
wing, all based on his conception that the People of Israel do not have the
strength to deal with the problems that face them.

"I have heard him say several times, including to me, 'It would be great
if the entire nation was as strong as you guys in Judea and Samaria, but
unfortunately this is not the case, the people of Israel are weak, and we
must therefore compromise and be flexible...' He simply does not believe
in the country's strength, which is basically the post-Zionist approach of
Peres and his friends, and the same approach that he was elected to
oppose. He is making a bitter mistake: The residents of Israel are very
strong, and not only in Yesha, but in Netanya and Jerusalem, they are not
running away. The only one who is weak is Arik Sharon, as well as his
advisors who point him only to what is being said in the media, and are
constantly caught up in the tactical questions of how to run away from the
problems that face us today. A leader who talks to his great nation only
in terms of tactics and not vision brings upon it mourning and destruction
and murders...

"The Arik Sharon of today has no vision, and is instead just like the
other Galut [Diaspora]-mentality leaders that Israel has had... One of the
messages here is that nationalist camp Knesset Members like Benny Elon
should not speak in cliches about 'loyalty' to Sharon, but rather with
vision. Courage comes before loyalty, and if this is not clear to Sharon,
then he will be replaced. I don't think it will take long before this
happens... The Jewish people must speak with vision, and cannot allow
residents of Yesha to be wantonly killed, just like anti-Semites used to
freely kill Jews in the street in Germany and Poland without anyone opening
his mouth to protest. Our MKs must speak with courage and strength and -

Segal: "- and quit the coalition?"

Ketzaleh: "I don't want to speak now about that detail. This situation
cannot continue. Arik Sharon called the previous government a 'washrag'
leadership because of the murders that took place here, and now he must
look in the mirror and see if the same cannot be said about him."

MK Benny Elon's response:

"First of all, when speaking to Army Radio today, I said there that I
agree with every word that [MK] Tzvi Hendel said, but I only added that I
would not publicly criticize Ariel Sharon in the media, because I am part
of the coalition and we must show loyalty. We offer the criticism where it
needs to be offered... I agree that we must always be breathing down
Sharon's neck. If I am correct that we are on the eve of real war - and it
might not only be in Judea and Samaria - and if I am right that Sharon's
strategy is to strengthen the unity in the country so that we can go out to
fight the war without half the country protesting against the other half -
if this is in fact Sharon's strategy, then I believe that I am doing the
right thing.

"If, however, Sharon is simply trying to fool me and is really taking the
path of negotiations and withdrawals and diplomatic defeats and the like -
then I am very wrong. But as long as I am a member of the coalition, I
will continue to try to ascertain the truth from within, and at the same
time abide by the [loyalty] rules that come with being a member of the
coalition. If people think I should leave the coalition, then they have
the right to criticize me - but Ketzaleh did not answer you when you asked
if we should remain in the government... My feeling at present is that
Sharon does, in fact, have a plan to fight terrorism very strongly. I can
only add that the second I am shown to be wrong and that we are being used,
we will not only leave the government, we will do everything we can to
topple it."

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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, May 30, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Wednesday, May 30, 2001 / Sivan 8, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. PM SHARON EXPLAINS WHY ISRAEL WILL CONTINUE CEASE-FIRE
2. FIRST CRACKS IN COALITION?
3. DO YOU REGRET YOUR SUPPORT OF OSLO?
4. GROOM MEETS PERES AT KOTEL, WITH UNFORTUNATE RESULTS

*** ARUTZ SHEVA RADIO SHORTS

1. PM SHARON EXPLAINS WHY ISRAEL WILL CONTINUE CEASE-FIRE
Israel's security cabinet convened this morning with the participation
of top army officers, but came to no decision about stopping Israel's
unilaterally implemented ceasefire. Staffers in the Prime Minister's
office say that Israel will not respond to the increasing terrorism at
least until Sharon returns from his visit to Europe next week. Public
Security Minister Uzi Landau implied that if the PA does not call a
ceasefire by then, Israel will respond militarily.

Addressing the Knesset today, Prime Minister Sharon explained his
decision to hold Israeli fire:

"Israel is currently in the midst of a difficult struggle against
Palestinian terrorism and Hizbullah's provocative attacks under
Syria's auspices. We suffer losses. There is a battle on the roads.
Arafat takes no preventive measures. The heads of the Palestinian
Authority and its various organizations incite to take action against
Israel. This is not an easy situation, but we have been through
worse.

"As you are aware, I have chosen to announce a [unilateral]
cease-fire. Protecting the citizens of Israel is, of course, our
duty, and we need to do everything in our power to secure the lives of
Israeli citizens. I know that tempers are flaring, and justifiably
so. I see the terrible pain, and I watch in awe the heroic stand of
the residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, their self-control and
dedication to the Land of Israel. We are indebted to the residents
who stand with the IDF on the front line, and I take this opportunity
to convey my warmest wishes to the settlers.

"I know that I am being attacked for my decision to announce the
cease-fire. However, the recognition of the responsibility resting on
my shoulders, with a view of the entire picture, caused me to announce
our acceptance of the Mitchell plan.

"This is not only a military battle. We are forced to confront and
win a difficult and complex political and diplomatic campaign. This
affects my decisions and I will act accordingly. It takes patience.
We must succeed in this diplomatic campaign, and I feel that we are
conducting it appropriately.

"We must remember that we cannot ask all the time: 'Until
when?' Sometimes it is necessary to endure for a long time, as we did
in the past. THEY don't ask every minute: 'Until when?' Anyone who
repeatedly asks 'Until when?' is bound to be defeated."

For the first time in almost two months, senior IDF and PA military
commanders met last night. Despite what was called a total lack of
progress at that Ramallah get-together, another high-level security
meeting is scheduled for tonight. PA officials are calling upon
Israel to implement the Mitchell Committee recommendation of a
settlement freeze, and will not call a cease-fire.

2. FIRST CRACKS IN COALITION?
The National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset faction convened today to
discuss its continued membership in the government coalition. The
party's MKs will meet with Prime Minister Sharon on Sunday. They
demand that the government immediately cease its unilateral ceasefire.

3. DO YOU REGRET YOUR SUPPORT OF OSLO?
"Knowing then what you know now, would you still have voted for the
Oslo Accords in 1993?" This was the question recently asked by Makor
Rishon reporter Sofia Ron of several Knesset Members who supported the
first Oslo agreement. Their responses:

Avraham Poraz (of the Shinui party, which in 1993 was a faction of
Meretz): "If I would have known that things would develop the way
they did in the past half-year, I would not have voted for Oslo. The
Palestinians deceived us, mostly regarding the Right of Return [of
Arab refugees from 1948]. I thought that their demands did not go
beyond 1967... We all thought, including Rabin, that they would cede
their Right of Return demands."

Ran Cohen (Meretz): "The violence of today was not caused by Oslo, but
rather because of the violations of Oslo. Arafat violated Oslo when
he began the violence, and Barak violated Oslo when he attempted to go
for a final-status solution instead of continuing along the path of
interim agreements... The military infrastructure [of the Palestinian
Authority] was formed in order to stop the terrorism." Makor Rishon:
"But as was predicted, the exact opposite occurred." Cohen:
"Unfortunately."

Avi Yechezkel (Labor): "Today, I would not vote for Oslo. I would
not give them weapons. But I trusted Rabin. If he would have been
alive, he would have ended it."

Eli Ben-Menachem (Labor): "I voted for it because I believed, like
everyone else, it would bring peace. If I would have known, and I am
not a prophet, I'm not sure that I would have supported it... We
didn't make a mistake, because we had faith. We had good intentions,
the desire to go forward. If the Palestinians would have been honest
it would have been great..."

Alex Goldfarb is currently not a Knesset Member. He was an MK in
1995, however, when he split away from the right-wing Tzomet party to
form a 2-man faction shortly before the Oslo II agreement was signed.
He had voted against the first Oslo agreement, but following pressures
from the left-wing to change his vote, including promises of a Deputy
Ministerial post, he voted in favor of the second Oslo agreement. He
answered Makor Rishon's question as follows: "I would have had
several reservations and voted otherwise... I would have voted for it
only if the Palestinians would not have been given rifles, but rather
only pistols [for their security forces]..."

4. GROOM MEETS PERES AT KOTEL, WITH UNFORTUNATE RESULTS
A young hareidi man, Udi Koren, was held for over two hours at a
Jerusalem police station yesterday morning - only several hours before
his wedding. His crime? - Holding Shimon Peres responsible for his
actions. Koren arrived at the Western Wall yesterday for pre-wedding
prayers, and at the same time Foreign Minister Shimon Peres arrived
together with former Soviet President Michael Gorbachev. Koren could
not restrain himself and called to Peres, "Why did you give them guns?
The terrorist attacks are because of you!" Policemen immediately
stormed over and arrested him, despite his insistence that he had
broken no law and that he was about to be married. He was released on
bail 2.5 hours later, and the wedding was celebrated with great joy.

***ARUTZ SHEVA RADIO SHORTS:

The Israeli Foreign Ministry puts out instructions to its
representatives all over the world for explaining our position. This
position, at best, regards the West Bank and Gaza Strip as territory
over which there are competing claims which should be solved in peace
negotiations; Israel has valid claims but, at the same time, Israel
recognizes that the Palestinians also entertain legitimate claims to
the area. That is the official position of the Israeli Foreign
Ministry, and that is why we are losing the Public Relations battle.
We are essentially saying, "Yes, we stole your land but we have
security problems." So the world, even decent foreign observers,
says, "Okay, first return the stolen land, and we will look for ways
to guarantee your security. Until then we must sympathize with the
underdog whose property you stole. He is desperate, so he uses
desperate means." The one thing we don't seem to have the nerve to say
- or perhaps the people who set policy in Israel don't believe - is,
"This is our land and it belongs to no one else." No government in
Israel has ever enunciated this position. No government has ever
stated a policy that this land is holy, and it is our land. This
position is apparently considered too primitive and not intellectually
sound. It is still not too late. What we have to say is, "This is our
homeland. This land is holy to us. We have longed for it and prayed
for it for 2,000 years. We are not here to be another group of
occupiers, who build shopping malls, imitate western society, and who
need safe borders. We are here because the Land is ours." That is a
legal and moral argument, and I think that decent people everywhere
will respect it. Too bad is has not yet been tried.

From The Jay Shapiro Hour <jay@IsraelNationalNews.com>. Hear the
Program:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/metafiles/asx/shows/shapiro.asx

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

To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, May 31, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Sivan 9, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. WHAT SHARON SAID THEN
2. FEISAL HUSSEINI, 61, DIES
3. RIGHT-WING PARTY TO REMAIN IN GOV'T - FOR NOW
4. CANADIA CHRISTIANS APOLOGIZE

1. WHAT SHARON SAID THEN
Over 100,000 people gathered at Zion Square in Jerusalem last Nov. 22
to protest the Barak government's policy of restraint. "Let the IDF
Win!" the protestors repeatedly chanted. Opposition leader Ariel
Sharon was a main speaker at the rally, and the crowd greeted his
remarks with great enthusiasm. Some excerpts from his dramatic
speech:

"I have confidence in the IDF, and in the security forces, who knew in
the past, and know today as well, to provide the appropriate solutions
- if only the government is determined and gives clear instructions.
We don't need a 'reaction,' or 'retaliation,' or vengeance - but
rather the liquidation of terrorism! The liquidation of terrorism!
Not to react - but to initiate, and initiate, and again to initiate.
We must make the enemy face a new situation every day, we must shake
his self-confidence, make him worry about protecting himself instead
of how to attack us. We are facing a war being conducted by the
Palestinian Authority. The foolish Oslo Agreement is no longer in
existence. We must win against terrorism; this is possible, and this
is our goal now. After the situation is calmed, we will go for a
better diplomatic agreement.

"Look how the state looks now. Children can't travel safely to
school, car bomb in city streets, Jerusalem residents under fire,
communities are attacked, roads are frequently closed, theaters and
malls are empty. Citizens of Israel - and this is possibly the worst
of all - are afraid in the only place where Jews have the strength and
the rights to protect themselves. For these rights and strength, we
must thank G-d every day. Mr. Prime Minister [Barak], go into the
street and look what is happening. What is happening to you?! This
is not the way to run a country! This nation deserves security! And
it is possible to do this! We, the nationalist camp, will restore
security - I promise you all, we will restore security! We know how
to do it, and we also know better than them to reach a diplomatic
agreement, and we will do that too! There is no reason for despair!
We will win! We will win! We will win!"

2. FEISAL HUSSEINI, 61, DIES
Feisal Husseni, appointed to run Jerusalem affairs for the Palestinian
Authority, died of a heart attack in Kuwait this morning. He was
there to try to make peace between the Palestinians and the Kuwaitis;
there has been bad blood between them ever since the Iraqi invasion of
Kuwait in 1990. However, within minutes of his arrival at the
airport, a stormy argument broke out between his party and Kuwaiti
security officials. Husseini himself took part in the argument, and
died a short while later.

Husseini was the son of a leading Arab fighter, Abdul Kader Husseini,
who was killed in the 1948 battle for the Kastel, in present-day
Mevaseret Zion. Husseini was administratively detained in Israeli
prison for at least a year. He took part in a terrorist organization
convention in Iran several weeks ago, which called for increased
warfare against Israel. Many left-wing Knesset Members expressed
sorrow over his death. The Professors for a Strong Israel organization
is calling upon Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government to
'once and for all' stop the activities of 'Arafat and his terrorists'
inside Jerusalem and shut down the illegal PA headquarters - the
Orient House, run by Husseini - located in the Jewish capital.

Husseini will be interred alongside his father on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem in an official PA funeral tomorrow. The body will be flown
to Ramallah from Jordan, accompanied by PA leader Yasser Arafat, who
saw the popular Husseini as a chief rival. The funeral will begin in
the Orient House. Leaks from the Prime Minister's Office indicate
that Prime Minister Sharon is likely to permit Arafat to attend the
funeral if such a request is made. Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi
has come out against the idea: "We need not make 'humanitarian'
gestures and allow Arafat to participate in the funeral, as neither
Arafat nor Husseini deserve it."

3. RIGHT-WING PARTY TO REMAIN IN GOV'T - FOR NOW
The National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu faction is wavering. It rejected
a proposal last night by National Union leader Tourism Minister
Rehavam Ze'evi to threaten to quit the government coalition if
Israel's unilateral ceasefire continues and settlement construction in
Judea and Samaria is frozen. The other MKs, including Tzvi Hendel and
Benny Elon, said that Sharon should be allowed to complete the process
he started. The party accepted a resolution, however, to call for an
immediate end to the ceasefire.

4. CANADIA CHRISTIANS APOLOGIZE
Some 500 Christian clerics visiting Israel from Canada held a special
"forgiveness" session at Yad Vashem yesterday. They expressed profuse
regret over the fact that their government did not allow the St. Louis
to dock at its shores over 60 years ago, thus sending the 900 German
Jews aboard back to Europe, hundreds of whom were killed in the
Holocaust.

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

To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@israelnationalnews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, June 1, 2001

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, June 1, 2001 / Sivan 10, 5761
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. U.S. "ANGRY" AT ARAFAT - AND HOLDING UP AID TO ISRAEL
2. MOLEDET VOTES TO QUIT GOVERNMENT - WITH A BUT
3. WAS HUSSEINI A "MODERATE?"

1. U.S. "ANGRY" AT ARAFAT - AND HOLDING UP AID TO ISRAEL
President Moshe Katzav said he does not think that Israel's ceasefire
can last more than another few days. However, it has been reported
that Prime Minister Sharon has no plans to begin using force at least
until after he returns from Europe in the middle of next week. Despite
the increase in deadly terrorism against Israel, which claimed 18
victims in the month of May, Israeli officials note with satisfaction
the international benefits that have accompanied Israel's gesture.
Foreign governments appreciate Israel's restraint, while at the same
time, Ha'aretz notes that "within the U.S. administration, there is
growing anger over both Arafat's refusal to declare a cease-fire and
the involvement of Fatah members in terror attacks..."

Israel has in fact informed the U.S. that it accepts the Mitchell
Report in full. This was confirmed last night by Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, who told his Likud party colleagues that if the Palestinians
agree to a ceasefire, construction in Yesha would be allowed only in
places that are already built up. Construction will not be permitted
beyond these areas, even in areas within the towns' other zoned areas.
Militarily, however, the IDF has redoubled its forces, including
elite units, along the roads of Judea, Gaza, and Samaria. Armored
personnel carriers are now stationed in additional points,
particularly along routes on which terrorist attacks have occurred.
For the time being, however, no initiated actions will be taken, and
Israel is not implementing a policy of targeting and killing terrorist
leaders.

Despite the above, the Bush Administration may be reneging on $800
million in aid promised by the U.S. to Israel last year. The grant
was promised at the end of ex-President Clinton's term in office, in
compensation for the IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon and to aid
in developing defenses against Iraqi and Iranian missiles. President
Moshe Katzav raised the issue with U.S. President Bush and Secretary
of State Powell, but it has been reported that the Americans "tried to
evade the topic," and that the Israelis sensed that the aid would not
be arriving any time soon. Just last week, Iraq tested its new
surface-to-surface missile.

2. MOLEDET VOTES TO QUIT GOVERNMENT - WITH A BUT
In addition to the above vague international-arena gains, Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon's policy of restraint and his consent to a
construction freeze in Yesha also appear to be netting him political
problems back at home. The Moledet party has decided to adopt its
leader Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi's proposal to quit the
government, exactly because of these policies. However, Moledet will
not implement the decision unless its two partners, Tekumah and
Yisrael Beiteinu, also agree. The leader of the latter, Minister
Avigdor Lieberman, has already stated that he wants to give Sharon
more time.

Background: Before the 1999 elections, Moledet and its two MKs -
Ze'evi and Rabbi Benny Elon - joined up with Tekumah (former NRP MKs
Chanan Porat and Tzvi Hendel) and with Herut (former Likud MKs Benny
Begin and Michael Kleiner) to form the National Union party. The new
party won four Knesset seats, held by Ze'evi, Kleiner, Elon, and
Hendel (Begin and Porat had resigned from the Knesset). Kleiner later
split off, and the party's 3 MKs joined up with Avigdor Lieberman's
4-man Yisrael Beiteinu party to form the 7-seat National Union-Yisrael
Beiteinu faction.

3. WAS HUSSEINI A "MODERATE?"
Despite widespread talk on Israeli and world-wide media about
Husseini's "moderacy," and despite the publication today of condolence
announcements by left-wing parties for Husseini, the following
selection of quotes by the deceased Husseini presents a different
picture:

"[This is] an expression of our feeling about the occupation; I have
no problem with the deed." - Husseini commenting on the murder of an
Israeli security guard in eastern Jerusalem last November.

"Taking Israeli citizenship is something that can only be defined as
treason... Palestinians who have Israeli citizenship don't have a
place in our state. If they want rights, they should go to the
Israelis to give them these rights." - Husseini speaking to a
Christian/Moslem conference in Ramallah, August 2000.

"We must have two capitals in an open and free-access city. Nothing
can convince us why the Old City should not be under Palestinian
control. It is not logical for the Israelis to say they want control
of the Old City." - Husseini speaking to 'The Center for Policy
Analysis on Palestine' , April 2000.

"We will forcefully open up our borders with Jordan and Egypt, which
are currently controlled by the Israeli army. There will be violent
confrontation and death, but this time on both sides. Are the Israelis
more numerous and better equipped? Yes, but the superiority of us
Palestinians lies in the fact that we are willing to lay down our
lives, whereas for them every death is a tragedy that society cannot
bear." --Husseini, quoted in Le Nouvel Observateur, August 1998.

The quotes were collected by journalist David Bedein of Israel
Resource News Agency: www.israelbehindthenews.com

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