News and Observations from Israel 26.7.96 (fwd)
Brock Rozen
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Date: Fri, 26 Jul 96 16:24:30 PDT
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Subject: News and Observations from Israel 26.7.96
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Subject: News and Observations from Israel 26.7.96
News and Observations from Israel
Aaron Lerner 26 July, 1996
*** ISRAEL MAY BE MEMBER OF PRE '67 NUCLEAR CLUB
According to an article in the Arab Paper "Al Hayat" from February
26, 1967, Israel carried out a nuclear test towards the end of
1966 850 meters underground. The paper reports that measurements
of radiation levels in the Mediterranean and Read Sea areas taken
on October 3, 1966 found radiation at twice normal levels.
Meir Meridor, the founder of Rafael, wrote in his autobiography
about the development of "powerful weapons systems which will deter
Israel's enemies." He writes about an "experiment of particular
importance" which took place on November 2, 1996. He wrote that
the experiment was a complete success and demonstrated the
performance of the weapons system. =20
This information has important implications regarding Israel's
nuclear status. Under the NPT - the international treaty against
nuclear proliferation, the only countries which can hold nuclear
weapons are those which exploded a nuclear device before January 1,
1967.=20
"Haaretz" Diplomatic Correspondent Aluf Ben
("Haaretz" 25 July, 1996)
=20
*** SA'EB EREKAT WARNS ABOUT SETTLEMENTS
"We cannot accept a situation in which we have in the field two
government systems, two armies, two educational systems, two health
systems - it isn't realistic...The settlements are like pouring oil
on a burning fire - it isn't the way to quench the flame. The
Palestinian People will revolt. No one in our society will accept
the settlements and no one will agree to the theft of land. This
is not a threat, rather a prediction. The situation is boiling
around the subject of the settlements and the bypass roads. The
people have a very hard feeling and this will lead to an
explosion."
Sa'eb Erekat, Minister of Local Government
in the Palestinian Authority=20
("Haaretz" 26 July, 1996)
*** ISRAEL PROTESTS SHOOTING OF ISRAELI IN KALKILIYA BY POLICE
The IDF protested to the Palestinian Authority (PA) over an
incident in Kalkiliya in which a PA policeman tried to stop an
Israeli car in Kalkiliya and then shot at the car when it failed to
stop. A girl from the Israeli Arab city of Taiba was hurt by glass
from the windshield which was shattered by the fire. Under the
terms of the Oslo Agreements, the PA police cannot arrest or shoot
at Israelis.
=20
The PA policeman was sentenced to two months by a PA court and will
be fired from the Police when he completes his sentence.
("Haaretz" and Israel Radio 26 July, 1996)
*** HAMAS MURDERER RECAPTURED WITH INFORMATION FROM COLLABORATORS
Awad Silami, who was involved in the murder of Meir Mintz in Gaza,
was recaptured by the Palestinian Authority (PA) with the help of
information provided to the PA by Arabs who collaborate with
Israel. Silami had escaped from a Palestinian prison. There is no
indication from the news reports how the PA got the information
from the "collaborators" who are the prime targets of the PA
security forces.
("Haaretz" 26 July, 1996)
*** IDF NOT CHECKING VIPs
Israel Radio Correspondent Yoni Ben Menachem reports that the IDF
doesn't check Palestinian VIP's to avoid embarrassing situations.=20
Instead they are limiting themselves to cursory checks of the
identity papers of the VIPs. Earlier checks of VIPs found that
they were smuggling unauthorized people from Gaza to the West Bank.=20
Palestinians sources report that VIPs have now become "licensed
smugglers". Senior Palestinian officials are smuggling in weapons,
drugs, expensive cigarettes [without paying duty] and other
contraband from Egypt and Jordan for sale in the West Bank and
Gaza. One senior Palestinian official who is also a businessman is
smuggling out a large sums of cash to avoid paying taxes on his
profits.
(Israel Radio 23 July, 1996)
*** ASHRAWI: NO OFFICIAL PA ACTIVITY IN EAST JERUSALEM
"There is no official activity of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in
East Jerusalem and there never was. There are various legitimate
Palestinian institutions in the Eastern part of the city which were
there historically in Jerusalem also before the Oslo Agreements and
they will continue to act."
Hanan Ashrawi, PA Minister of Higher Education
("Haaretz" 25 July, 1996)
*** HIRBAWI DROPS CASE AFTER THREATS FROM PA AFTER =B2RELEASE
Abed Salem Hirbawi, an Israeli Arab resident of Jerusalem, dropped
his case against the Coptic Church in a property dispute after the
Palestinian Preventive Security Service warned him that he or
someone from his family would be kidnapped again if he failed to
drop the case. Hirbawi was released earlier by the Palestinian
Authority after Israel responded by sealing off Ramallah, where he
had been held.
("Haaretz" 24 July, 1996)
=20
*** PALESTINIAN COUNCIL OPPOSING ARAFAT
The Palestinian Council favors adopting a law which would establish
that the Chairman of the Council would take Arafat's place, if he
could not serve for some reason, until new election would be held.=20
Arafat wants his temporary replacement to be appointed by the PLO
Executive Committee.
("Haaretz" 25 July, 1996)
*** SARID: FIGHT THE SETTLEMENTS IN WASHINGTON
MK Yossi Sarid announced at a meeting of Meretz leadership that his
movement and "Peace Now" will open the struggle against the
expansion of the settlements also on the American front,
principally within the Senate and Congress. =20
("Yediot Ahronot" 26 July, 1996)
*** ISRAEL SUFFERING FROM LACK IN INTELLIGENCE IN TERRITORIES
"Maariv" correspondent, Nadav Haetzni, reports that until now the
Israeli GSS ("Shabak") has succeeded in silencing any effective
opposition to the operation of the Palestinian secret police in
Jerusalem and other areas. The GSS relies heavily on Jibril Rajoub
for intelligence information and Rajoub is always raising the
"price" - allowing him free reign to do anything and everything
they want to as long as it does not directly affect Israeli Jews
(Israeli Arabs - particularly those living in Jerusalem - are free
game).
("Maariv" 26 July, 1996)
*** SHAS MKs CALL FOR END TO ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON JEWS
Six MKs from the Shas Party sent a letter yesterday to the Minster
of Internal Security, Avigdor Kahalani, asking him to cancel the
administrative detention and movement restrictions against Jews.=20
The MKs argue that if there are legitimate charges against the Jews
that they should be charged and if there are not such charges that
they should be left alone.
("Haaretz" 25 July, 1996)
*** POLLARD'S WIFE BEGINS HUNGER STRIKE
Esther Pollard, the wife of Jonathan Pollard, will begin a hunger
strike in Jerusalem on Sunday for her husband's release. She says
she won't eat until her husband is released - even if she dies
doing it. She complained that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who called
for Pollard's release before the elections, did not even raise the
issue when he met with President Clinton.
("Maariv" 26 July, 1996)
*** LEVY BUILDING TEAM NOT IDENTIFIED WITH LIKUD
Foreign Minister David Levy is putting together a team of advisors
who are closer in their ideology to Shimon Peres than Benjamin
Netanyahu. The team includes Pro. Gideon Doron, who was on Yitzhak
Rabin's strategy team during the 10992 elections, attorney Amnon
Zichroni and former GSS head Carmi Gilon. Uri Sagi has also been
invited to join the team but has not yet decided.
("Haaretz" 24 July, 1996)
*** OSLO AGREEMENTS DO NOT BAN CONSTRUCTION OF SETTLEMENTS
The source of complaints about settlement activity is from Article
XXXI Paragaph 7 of Oslo II: "Neither side shall initiate or take
any step that will change the status of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations."
The meaning of "status" means "legal status". A violation of the
agreement would take place if Israel annexed part of the West Bank
or Gaza Strip or the PA declared an independent state in the area
before the negotiations were concluded.
(IMRA - 26 July, 1996)
=20
*** INSURANCE "POOL" OPENS OFFICE IN EAST JERUSALEM
The Israeli car insurance pool is opening an office in East
Jerusalem to make it easier for Arabs in Jerusalem to insure their
cars. Cars in Jerusalem are supposed to be insured by Israeli
insurance companies but Palestinian insurance companies have made
heavy inroads.
("Haaretz" 25 July, 1996)
*** SHARON ORDERS COMPLETION OF WORK ON TWO BRIDGES TO GOLAN
The Minister of Infrastructure, Arik Sharon, order the Department
of Public Works to complete in 1997 the construction of two bridges
over the Jordan: Arik and Bnot Yaakov, at a cost of NIS 37 million.=20
The two bridges, which link the Galilee to the Southern Golan
Heights, have suffered from negligence for years and the Arik
bridge is so bad that it damages cars.
("Haaretz" 24 July, 1996)
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Associate =20
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
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