News and Observations from Israel12.6.96

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News and Observations from Israel

Aaron Lerner 12 July 1996

*** DORE GOLD SHOCKED BY SECRET ISRAELI PROMISES
In an exclusive interview broadcast on Friday morning on Israel
Radio, Dr. Dore Gold, advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
revealed that he was shocked to learn of the secret agreements and
promises made by the Rabin-Peres government relating to the peace
process. Dr. Gold decline to provide any specific information.
Yosse Beilin responded to the charges by challenging Gold to reveal
any and all agreements and promises to the Knesset, "otherwise this
is simply a continuation of the election campaign."
(Israel Radio 12 July, 1996)

*** PROPOSED PA LAW
The following are some paragraphs from the proposed law for the
Palestinian Authority:

"The Palestinian People are part of the Arab nation, and Palestine
is part of the large Arab homeland.

"Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.

"Islam is the official religion of Palestine. Arabic is the
official language and the source of law is Islamic Law.

"All Palestinians are equal before the law without regard to race,
language, religion or sex.

"Palestinians are Arab citizens who lived permanently in Palestine
until '48, and everyone born to an Arab Palestinian is a
Palestinian."
("Haaretz" 12 July, 1996)

*** PRESIDENTIAL GUARD SEARCH NASR YUSSEF'S OFFICE
Yasser Arafat's Presidential Guard searched the offices of Maj.
Gen. Nasr Yussef, the Commander of the Police Force in Gaza and
arrested his office director. He was later released. Yussef was
present during the action and threatened to turn to the press and
reveal the corruption in the Palestinian Authority, He also
attacked Arafat. According to Palestinian sources, there is much
tension between Arafat and Yussef, who was born in Beit Shean in
1943. Yussef is know to maintain ties with many Israelis and is
suspected by Arafat to be working with personalities in the Likud
to develop a Palestinian alternative to Arafat. Yussef is friends
with Rabbi Fruman of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa and at a
recent meeting Yussef proposed that a Jewish neighborhood be
established in Gaza City to demonstrate that Jews and Arab can live
together.
("Haaretz" & "Yediot Ahronot" 12 July, 1996)

*** TWO BALATA RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER OF CABBY
Two resident of Balata, in the Palestinian Autonomy near Nablus,
were charged in Israeli court for kidnapping a cabby in Jerusalem
and attempting to kill him. At the time, the Palestinian Police
returned the stolen cab and later gave Israel the names of the
three kidnappers but refused to hand them over to Israel. Israel
caught two of the kidnappers when they tried to enter Israeli
controlled territory. The two claim that they cannot be charged
for the crime because they already were tried by the PA but Israel
claims that they were only detained by the PA and never judged.
("Haaretz" 12 July, 1996)

*** IDF EMERGENCY STORES AT PRE YOM KIPPUR WAR LEVELS
A senior IDF officer said that the IDF's emergency stores have been
drawn down to the point that they are similar to their condition
before the Yom Kippur War. One of the lessons of that war was
Israel's need for greater ammunition production capacity. Israel's
production capacity was increased after 1973, but over the years
the U.S. pressured Israel to buy their ammunition from American
suppliers and Israel's production capacity for many types of
ammunition has been drastically reduced The working assumption is
that in time of war Israel will draw also from American emergency
stores prepositioned in Israel.
("Haaretz 12 July, 1996)

*** OVERSIGHT GROUP FOR GSS
The head of the GSS ("Shabak"), Ami Ayalon, decided to set up an
oversight group within the GSS.
("Haaretz" 12 July, 1996)

*** GUSH KATIF READY FOR GROWTH
There are 368 housing units in Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip which
are ready to be occupied the moment that Israeli authorities give
permission. The special ministerial committee which was
established to approve - and effectively freeze - new Jewish
housing in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, has not yet been dissolved by
the Netanyahu government. In the last two years, the number of
Israelis in Gush Katif rose from 3,500 to 5,500.
("Haaretz" 12 July, 1996)

*** JNF BUYING HOUSES IN EAST JERUSALEM
Chaim Cohen Segen, Deputy Chairman of the JNF Directorate revealed
that the JNF is buying houses in East Jerusalem for Jews and now
holds many properties - mostly lots - in the City of David, and
plans to develop Jewish housing there. The activity in East
Jerusalem is through a sister company.
("Maariv" 12 July, 1996)

*** MOST OF NETANYAHU'S ECONOMIC PLAN SAME AS PERES' 100 DAY PLAN
Most of the economic actions being taken today by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu coincide with the "100 day plan" which was
prepared before the elections by Prime Minister Shimon Peres'
staff. The plan included many of the social-welfare cuts which are
now being criticized by the Labor Party - among them dropping the
child allowance for the first two children. The Peres team also
proposed creating a Ministry of Infrastructure (now created and
headed by Arik Sharon) and the privatization of Channel One.
("Haaretz" 12 July, 1996)

*** LABOR PARTY USED CLINTON'S POLL ADVISOR
President Bill Clinton's poll advisor was secretly employed by the
Labor Party and came to Israel several times during the elections.
("Maariv" 12 July, 1996)

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Associate
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-904719/Fax 972-9-911645
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