Israel Line 6/8/00
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Thursday, June 8, 2000
*BARAK TO REBUILD COALITION
*UN: ISRAEL MUST ADJUST BORDER
*ISRAEL, PA SIGN ECONOMIC AGREEMENT
*ULTRA-ORTHODOX, CONSERVATIVE OPTIMISTIC ON SHAVUOT PRAYER COMPROMISE
*ANTI-KATUYSHA LASER SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYS ROCKET
*U.S. RABBIS, IRANIAN OFFICIAL DISCUSS FATE OF IRAN 13
*ECONOMIC BRIEFS
BARAK TO REBUILD COALITION
Prime Minister Ehud Barak intends to rebuild his government and include
Shas, Yisrael b'Aliyah and the National Religious Party rather than forming
a more narrow coalition, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. He would
demand, however, that Shas commit itself to voting against any bills calling
for the dissolution of the Knesset or for early elections. Barak is also
interested in ending the crisis over Shas' education system. Shas said today
that it would demand that Barak re-negotiate the coalition agreement.
According to HA'ARETZ, Barak condemned Wednesday's vote during television
interviews last night, calling the move "petty politics." He said, "there
will be no elections. It is more reasonable to assume that we will be faced
with heavy, fateful decisions well before the Knesset is dissolved and if
there is a [peace] agreement, I will bring it to the nation over the MKs'
heads."
UN: ISRAEL MUST ADJUST BORDER
The United Nations has asked Israel to make border adjustments on the
Israel-Lebanon border preceding its formal authorization of Israeli
compliance with UN Security Council
Resolution 425, Israel, Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. According to MA'ARIV,
the adjustments include moving the Tziporen outpost again and pushing the
border even closer to the fences of Manra and Misgav Am.
Meanwhile, the UN decided not to force border adjustments in the Israeli
village of Rajar, populated by Alawites. Village residents protested against
UN officials who, according to village legal adviser Suleiman Khader, "began
marking the border right through our village." Rather than demanding that a
fence be erected, cutting the village in half, the United Nations said that
the marking would suffice.
According to HA'ARETZ, Rajar is located at the foot of Har Dov, which
Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Since then, villagers have
accepted Israeli citizenship, adopted Israeli lifestyles and speak fluent
Hebrew. Residents say that the village should either revert to Syrian
control in a future Israeli-Syrian peace treaty or remain in Israel.
ISRAEL, PA SIGN ECONOMIC AGREEMENT
Minister of Finance Avraham Shochat and Saeb Erekat, head of the
Palestinian Authority negotiating team on the intermediate agreements,
signed a new economic deal on Monday night, HA'ARETZ reported. The new
agreement is expected to end economic disputes between Israel and the PA
that followed the Wye and Sharm el-Sheikh agreements.
The agreement includes four main articles, including a PA commitment to
cooperate with Israeli authorities on vehicle thefts, a PA promise to
destroy 20 "chop-shops" located in area A that dismantle stolen Israeli
vehicles, provisions for the payment of Palestinian debts to Israeli
institutions and financial guarantees by the PA for payments to Israeli
victims of car accidents with Palestinian drivers living in PA territory.
The agreement also included trade and tax clauses.
ULTRA-ORTHODOX, CONSERVATIVE OPTIMISTIC ON SHAVUOT PRAYER COMPROMISE
Ultra-Orthodox and Conservative movement representatives expressed
optimism on Wednesday regarding a compromise intended to limit tension
during the holiday of Shavuot which begins at sundown tonight, THE JERUSALEM
POST reported.
The agreement, negotiated between the Government and the Conservative
Movement by cabinet secretary Isaac Herzog, provides for an egalitarian
service at Robinson's Arch, at the southern end of the Western Wall.
This agreement marks the beginning of a 12-month trial period for
Conservative prayer services at the Arch. The government will provide prayer
books, Torah scrolls, an ark and storage space.
Conservative Movement president Rabbi Ehud Bandel said that the agreement
marks progress as "the Government recognizes our right to religious services
and their obligation to [provide us with]...the means to conduct them, as
they do for the Orthodox."
Meanwhile, according to YEDIOT AHARONOT, hundreds of thousands of Israelis
will celebrate Shavuot enjoying the country's nature. Most hotels are booked
to full capacity throughout northern Israel. Thousands of Israelis are also
expected to observe the holiday with prayers at the Western Wall.
ANTI-KATUYSHA LASER SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYS ROCKET
A prototype of the Nautilus tactical laser system designed to shoot down
short-range missiles successfully destroyed a Katyusha on Tuesday at the
White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, HA'ARETZ reported.
The system is slated to undergo additional tests, including attempts to
shoot down multiple rockets, and is expected to arrive in Israel for field
tests. The test program results will aid in determining whether to develop a
mobile version of the current defense system.
Development of the Nautilus was a reaction to a series of Hizbullah rocket
attacks on northern Israel in 1996, prompting U.S. President Bill Clinton to
approve the program at an estimated cost of $250 million.
The laser weapon is being built under contract by Cleveland-based TRW
Space and Laser Programs Division, with a consortium of Israeli firms
involved in the development of Nautilus parts. Israel Aircraft Industries
developed the radar and fire control system of the weapon, Tadiran Systems
developed the command and control system and Rafael aided in developing
part of the laser.
According to TRW's representative in Israel, Brigadier (res.) Oren Ran,
the success of the system is a breakthrough in the field of anti-aircraft
artillery and the Nautilus is a lethal system, inexpensive and impossible
for an attacker to evade.
U.S. RABBIS, IRANIAN OFFICIAL DISCUSS FATE OF IRAN 13
A delegation of six U.S. rabbis met on Tuesday with a member of the
Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York, and discussed the issue
of the 13 Iranian Jews facing trial on charges of espionage, HATZOFEH reported.
In a press conference following the meeting, Rabbi Avraham Cooper of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center said that his conversation with Amir Hussain
Zmaaninya, the Iranian diplomat, was "serious and dignified." The rabbis
told Zmaaninya that the "Jewish community will continue its public and
private efforts to express its deep concern about the fate of the 13 Iranian
Jews."
Economic Briefs
* The U.S.-based KLA-Tencor Corporation, which manufactures process control
and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related
microelectronics industries, is slated to set up a second plant in Migdal
Ha'emek to manufacture its next generation of technology, HA'ARETZ reported.
KLA-Tencor set up its first plant in Migdal Ha'emek 14 years ago. CEO
Kenneth Levi, who announced the decision on Wednesday, said that the initial
investment would be $15 million.
* A network of top figures in the U.S. and Israeli business communities are
launching a philanthropic fund to help immigrant scientists from the former
Soviet Union in Israel transform their technology ideas into successful
companies, HA'ARTEZ reported.
The "Starter Fund," will aid immigrants with ideas for companies at the
pre-seed stage by supplying both money and mentoring. Former Finance
Minister Yaakov Ne'eman and co-owner of StraussElite Group Inc., Raya
Strauss-Bendror, were instrumental in establishing the fund.
Today's Israel Line was prepared by Riki Drori and Batsheva Genut at the
Consulate General of Israel in New York.
Israel Line is a daily summary of major news items taken directly from the
Israeli media.
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