Israel Line 06-25-98
Israel Consulate - New York
ATTENTION ISRAEL LINE RECIPIENTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1998
** TWO SOLDIERS KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
** ILYA'S BODY RETURNED TO ISRAEL
** NETANYAHU TRYING TO ELICIT SUPPORT FOR REFERENDUM
** YASSIN RETURNS TO GAZA, CALLS FOR ARMED STRUGGLE
** E.U. HOPEFUL FOR A RESUMPTION OF ISRAELI-SYRIAN TALKS
** ECONOMIC BRIEFS
TWO SOLDIERS KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers -- Lt. Amit Asulin from Moshav Bnai
Zion and Sgt. Or Cohen from Jerusalem -- were killed and four other soldiers
were injured on Wednesday night in the security zone in southern Lebanon,
Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Of the four injured soldiers, two are
in critical condition, one in moderate to critical condition, and one was
lightly injured. Asulin and Cohen were buried in Israel today.
The casualties were sustained when two explosive devices were set off
while the soldiers were conducting operational activity in the security
zone's central section.
A rescue team arrived by helicopter and fell under Hizbullah fire while
evacuating the force, an operation that took roughly one hour. During this
time, the IDF retaliated with an artillery barrage on Hizbullah locations in
order to halt the gunfire and secure the return of the rescue team.
Maj. Gen. Amiram Levin, Commander of the IDF Northern Command, said that
after further investigation, it appears the Hizbullah force was waiting in
ambush for the IDF unit in order to activate the bombs. Levin praised the
rescue team for their successful operation.
ILYA'S BODY RETURNED TO ISRAEL
The body of Israeli naval commando Itamar Ilya, who was killed in a failed
commando operation last September, was brought today to an Israel Air Force
base in the country's center by a Red Cross airplane, Israel Radio, KOL
YISRAEL, reported. The return of Ilya is part of a deal worked out between
Israel, the Hizbullah and the Lebanese government after months of tough
negotiations with the mediation of both the French government and the Red
Cross's International Committee.
Ilya received a full military service today, during which six naval
commando soldiers carried his casket, which was draped in an Israeli flag.
After returning Ilya's body, the plane is scheduled to fly back to Beirut
with the bodies of 38 Hizbullah guerrillas killed in skirmishes with the
Israel Defense Forces and the South Lebanon Army. Among them is the body of
Hadi Nasrallah, son of Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
Tomorrow Israel will follow through on the last stage of the deal: the
release of some 60 Hizbullah members. Of these, 50 have been held in the Al
Hiyam Prison in southern Lebanon.
NETANYAHU TRYING TO ELICIT SUPPORT FOR REFERENDUM
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to hold meetings with heads of the
coalition parties over the next few days in a bid to convince them to
support his plan to hold a referendum on the second further redeployment,
HA'ARETZ reported. Opposition to the proposal seemed to be mounting on
Wednesday.
At a meeting of the Likud ministers on Wednesday, coalition chairman
Knesset member Meir Sheetrit said the Knesset is not likely to approve a
referendum bill.
The Third Way secretariat also met on Wednesday and sharply criticized the
ongoing delay in implementing the second redeployment. Most of the
secretariat members said the party should withdraw from the coalition if a
decision on the redeployment is not reached in July, and expressed clear
opposition to the proposed referendum.
Shas Knesset member Aryeh Deri said on Wednesday that he is leaning toward
opposing the proposed referendum. Deri said he is very skeptical of the
necessity of a referendum, adding that he is also afraid of the precedent it
will set.
A committee set up to establish rules for the referendum recommended on
Wednesday that the State not finance the parties' additional expenses on the
campaign. The committee, headed by Justice Minister Tzahi Hanegbi, further
recommended that the Government not participate in the campaign as one body,
thus allowing the ministers, who are not in agreement on the second
redeployment, to participate in campaigning organized and financed by their
individual parties.
YASSIN RETURNS TO GAZA, CALLS FOR ARMED STRUGGLE
After returning to Gaza on Wednesday, Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed
Yassin said today, "The new Palestinian generation will liberate Palestinian
when Israel vanishes from the map," Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. He
called upon Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to abandon the
peace agreements and join him in the armed struggle against Israel.
THE JERUSALEM POST reported that Israeli authorities held up Yassin's
reentry to Gaza via the Rafiah crossing for several hours, forcing Hamas's
planned welcome for him to be postponed until today.
Yassin returned from his four-month tour with pledges of $50 million from
Arab and Islamic states, of which he is believed to have already received
$10-15 million.
E.U. HOPEFUL FOR A RESUMPTION OF ISRAELI-SYRIAN TALKS
Miguel Angel Moratinos, the European Union's envoy to the Middle East,
expressed hope on Wednesday that peace negotiations between Israel and Syria
could be revived, HA'ARETZ reported.
"What both sides are asking for can be met," Moratinos said on Wednesday.
"Israel is asking for security and Syria is asking for withdrawal from the
Golan Heights and south Lebanon. When we combine these elements in one
equation, a peace settlement can be reached."
Moratinos, who is currently on a tour of the Middle East, said he was
bringing new proposals for jump-starting talks on the Syrian-Lebanese track
with Israel, but did not elaborate.
Damascus and Beirut have demanded that talks resume at the point they left
off with the previous, Labor government, but Israel wants to return to the
negotiating table without conditions.
ECONOMIC BRIEFS
* The international French concern Rhone Poulence is expanding its
activities in Israel in the field of pharmaceuticals, and will invest
millions of shekels in development and clinical research, GLOBES reported.
The company's Israeli activities amounted to $35 million in 1997. It's
involvement in the drug field focuses on the development of ethic drugs, and
its main expertise lies in oncologic drugs and drugs for blood coagulation,
allergies and asthma.
* The Dankner family said on Wednesday that investment house Goldman Sachs
International has increased its holding in Bank Hapoalim by acquiring
another 0.38 percent for some NIS 50 million ($13.7 million), THE JERUSALEM
POST reported. The deal was announced less than one week after Goldman
completed a purchase of 3.6 percent of the bank for $130 million. Goldman,
the biggest and richest American investment bank partnership, purchased the
latest block from the Dankner family through a subsidiary of Israel Salt
Industries.
Today's Israel Line was prepared by Golan Cipel and Scott Schneiderman at
the Consulate General of Israel in New York.
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