-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Tzemach News Service Week Ending: 11 December 1999 / 2 Tevet 5760 "And the multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel, even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night." (Isaiah 29.7) BARAK IN HURRY TO GIVE UP GOLAN: Peace [piece] talks between Israel and Syria, the first for almost four years and the most high- powered ever, will resume in Washington on Wednesday and probably last two days, US mediator Dennis Ross said on Friday. The US said the two countries agreed to resume the talks where they left off in early 1996. Prime Minister Ehud Barak is to leave for Washington on Tuesday and hold meetings there with US President Clinton and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara on Wednesday and Thursday. To the Clinton administration, the talks are important enough that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has canceled plans to go to Panama next Tuesday for a ceremony to hand the Panama Canal over to the Panamanians and to Brussels on Wednesday for a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers. AS WITH RABIN, BARAK CHOSE SECRECY IN TALKS: Only a handful of people, it transpires, knew of the intense efforts these past few weeks to get the Syrians back to the negotiating table and how close the sides were to reaching an acceptable formula. Among them were Barak, National Security Adviser Danny Yatom, head of the negotiating team to the Syrian talks Uri Saguy, military secretary Gadi Izenkotz, and Foreign Minister David Levy. On the American side, the circle was equally tight, with Clinton, Albright, Ross, Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk, and National Security Adviser Sandy Berger keeping the progress under wraps. A few European leaders, in particular British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac, also had an idea about the direction it was all leading. Saguy, like Yatom, has reportedly spent much time in recent months holding secret meetings with third parties all to discuss the framework of a comprehensive deal with the Syrians. Last Sunday night Ross and Indyk arrived in Israel to prepare for Albright's visit. They met with Barak for three hours, leaving his home at 3 am. At this meeting they reportedly convinced Barak to give them what one US official called "sweeteners" that is, nuanced points of flexibility which Albright could offer Syrian President Hafez Assad. GOLAN RESIDENTS RE-START CAMPAIGN: After Barak succeeded in courting Syrian dictator Assad back to the peace table this week, startled Golan residents and their supporters nationwide rallied support in hopes of defeating a promised public referendum to save their homes and livelihoods. Barak took to the airwaves himself on Thursday, telling the Golan settlers he "felt their pain" should they be forced to leave their homes, but Israel had to make tough decisions in an attempt to make peace with countries still at war with them. 18,000 Israeli Jews now live in thirty-three communities on the Golan Heights and face a mass eviction if Barak seals a peace deal with Damascus. They were not comforted by Barak's overture, and vowed to defeat him at a public polling to decide the future of the Golan. Spokesman of the Golan Resident Council (GRC) Uri Heitner said they would quickly jump-start a nationwide campaign to block a withdrawal. "Governments come and go. Prime Ministers come and go. We won't budge from here." Peace with Syria would uproot thousands of Jewish settlers from the Golan Heights, Israel's Finance Minister Avraham Shohat told a Tel Aviv business conference Saturday a rare public acknowledgment from a government official close to Barak. The Golan Heights Committee's website is located at: http://www.golan.org.il/. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT CONTINUES: Members of Knesset (MK) who visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday morning have indicated that the illegal construction work being conducted by the Moslem Waqf has not ceased, contradicting a statement made by Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Haim Ramon. To date, the Waqf has already created two new openings and the work on a third was continuing. According to Amir Drori, who heads the Israel Antiquities Authority, to date the damages done to Jewish artifacts on the Mount are irreparable and he rejected any reports by other experts to the contrary. Opposition MKs added that the government couldn't claim it was unaware of the ongoing construction, explaining the police and other security agencies assigned to the Temple Mount must permit the construction trucks to enter and leave the site. The Temple Mount Faithful organization [http://www.templemountfaithful.org] has announced that on Tuesday, it would be appealing to the High Court of Justice for a second time, in the hope of the court ordering a halt to the ongoing construction. The Chai Vekayam movement [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/2687/] petitioned the Supreme Court on the matter Wednesday. [Results of the appeals were not known at press time. ed] The Jerusalem Municipality has issued a stop-work order against the Waqf, but State Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein informed Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert at a Tuesday meeting that he would not permit the issuance of the stop-work order and he has openly stated he would oppose such efforts by the Jerusalem Municipality. TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD: In an announcement to the press from the Prime Minister's Bureau "Prime Minster Ehud Barak announced today [Tuesday] his intention not to publish additional tenders during the period of the framework negotiations beyond the tenders that were published on the construction of 1,800 housing units." In a NEW YORK TIMES article Wednesday, it was reported "Barak was seeking to defuse growing tensions with the Palestinians by pledging to halt further expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank [Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha)]." Barak stopped short of boldly declaring a freeze on construction, partly -- though unsuccessfully -- to avoid provoking the right-wing members of his coalition. But in an unexpected change of approach, he called a moratorium of several months on new settlers' neighborhoods. "There will be nothing on the ground," Barak's spokesman, Gadi Baltiansky, said in an interview, expressing the decision more bluntly than the prime minister. "No bulldozers will work on the ground." However, in response to a reporter's question at a press conference on 8 December with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Barak stated that while there would be no new tenders during the next two and a half months that approved settlement construction would continue unhampered. IN EL AL, DOES THE "AL" STAND FOR ALBRIGHT?: On Wednesday, Albright notified Israel that if the state-owned airline, El Al, decides to buy European-owned Airbus jets and/or European engines to power them, it might jeopardize continued annual US financial aid to Israel. Buying from European manufacturers would be a "very bad message" for us, she said. On Tuesday, El Al finally decided to sign a $400 million order for three Boeing 777 jets. But the state-owned carrier has yet to determine whether to install them with engines made by Britain's Rolls- Royce or one of two US makers, General Electric or Pratt & Whitney. At the end of October, its board also made a surprise move by adding an order for three mid-range A330s, the Airbus-rival to Boeing's 767. ON THE NORTHERN FRONT: Two Hizb'Allah gunmen were killed and an Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldier was lightly hurt Thursday in one of the heaviest days of fighting in south Lebanon in several weeks. In what was clearly a message to all parties involved in the revived Israeli-Syrian peace process, Hizb'Allah terrorists staged roadside bomb attacks, close-quarter ambushes, and mortar and rocket barrages against Israeli and South Lebanon Army (SLA) patrols and outposts. The fierce exchanges began around 6:30 am and continued into the night. Reports from Lebanon said that at one stage, Hizb'Allah gunmen laid down an almost continuous barrage of mainly mortar fire on an IDF outpost in the Taibeh region for over five hours. Gunmen also fired at IDF and SLA outposts around Bint Ja'bail and Barasheet in the western sector and the Beaufort Castle and Soujud positions in the east, as well as at the Taibeh region in the central sector. On Saturday, two Israeli jets fired four missiles at targets near the villages of Loueizeh and Jabal Rafih, some 12 miles north of the Lebanese-Israeli border after Hizb'Allah terrorists ambushed an IDF patrol. SO MUCH FOR NEUTRALITY: Switzerland acknowledged its complicity in the deaths of thousands of Jews for the first time Friday, with the publication of a report on the country's immigration policy during World War II. The study acknowledged that in 1938 border guards were "relentlessly" sending back refugees, "often turning them over directly to the German police, in full knowledge of the danger that threatened them". Although the report admits that there are records of more than 24,000 refugees who were turned back to the Germans between January 1940 and May 1945, many more were believed to have been refused visas or simply remained in Nazi territory after hearing of Switzerland's policies. One of the most ruthless figures behind the Swiss immigration policies was Heinrich Rothmund, head of police, who in September 1938 went to Berlin to negotiate an agreement with the Germans that led to the marking of the passports of all Jews with the letter 'J'. Meanwhile, more than 54,000 dormant Swiss bank accounts dating back to the Nazi era have been found after a three-year inquiry, the commission charged with investigating the role of the Swiss banks announced Monday. It concluded that more than 10,000 accounts probably belonged to Holocaust victims or their heirs, with the rest belonging to other victims of the Nazis. In 1997, the Swiss banks declared that they knew of only 5,200 dormant accounts belonging to foreign clients. The report from the Volker Commission, chaired by Paul Volker, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank, said its team of auditors had found no evidence to support claims that the banks had destroyed documents to deny the funds to their rightful owners. But it noted that some banks engaged in "dishonest behaviour", often withholding information from family members and unjustifiably closing some accounts. It also said the $750 million payment made by the main Swiss banks should settle US lawsuits. TEMPLE MENORAH IN TIME FOR CHANUKAH: Chanukah was given a special significance this year when the Temple Institute in Jerusalem [http://www.temple.org.il/MIKDFRM.HTM] unveiled its newly-completed Menorah at a special ceremony in the Old City's Cardo plaza. Rabbi Menachem Makover, director of the Institute, said that the new approximately six-foot high Menorah had been built according to the exact specifications of the Torah. "This does not mean that it will necessarily be used for the Temple," he told ARUTZ-7's Yosef Zalmanson, "and in fact we are forbidden to consecrate it now for Temple use. All those who contributed to the Menorah were made aware of this point. However, it is suitable for use in the Beit HaMikdash." WATER CONSERVATION URGED: As the level of the Kinneret, the nation's main water source, continues to drop, government ministers have finally come out calling for conservation measures by Israelis. With meteorologists predicting another less than average winter rainfall, ministers have realized the time has come to begin a public awareness campaign to encourage Israelis to conserve water. Beginning this week, the public will be urged to refrain from watering gardens and washing cars with a hose, and to make a concerted effort to conserve water. The drought is believed to be the worst in Israel's history. ISRAEL'S OTHER 'PEACE' PARTNER: Israeli sources warn about the rise in anti-Israeli activities in Jordan in recent months, and complain that the Jordanian royal palace is not doing enough to fight it. The sources said, "We are definitely talking about a growing worrisome trend that is not treated properly." UN CONTINUES REBUFF OF ISRAEL: Despite Israeli efforts, the inclusion of Israel in the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) at the United Nations was not on the agenda for Monday's meeting of the foreign ministers of European Union countries. Israel is the only UN member state that is not a member of a regional bloc, rendering it the only country in the world ineligible to sit on the Security Council or other prestigious bodies, and blocking nomination of Israelis to key UN positions. Israeli officials attribute the European resistance to several factors: Europe does not consider Israel a Western country, and the European countries are not eager to confront Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO), which has already objected adamantly to Israel's inclusion in WEOG. In addition, European countries fear that Israel's temporary status may become permanent. UNDERSTANDING THE LEVEL OF PA/PLO INCITEMENT: A significant change of emphasis in Palestinian anti-Israel incitement has been noted of late by observers of the situation. Itamar Marcus, chairman of the PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH, explained to ARUTZ-7: "The government ministers, both in this and the previous administrations, have a basic misconception in the way they view PA incitement. They seem to think that incitement is merely a statement here or there that may be anti-Israel. In truth, however, it's much deeper than that. There is a general trend and desire on the part of the Palestinian Authority to increase its people's hatred against Israel. For example, PALESTINIAN TELEVISION recently screened a movie, in which an Israeli-Arab boy kills an Israeli soldier, then dies a 'martyr's' death at the hands of other Israeli soldiers, and with his last words, says, 'I killed a Zionist!' They simply want to build hatred". Marcus added that there is a tendency among Israelis not to believe the hatred expressed for them by Palestinians, because it is so exaggerated. "People think that it obviously can't be as bad as it sounds. But this is exactly what happened with the Nazis in World War II, as well as before the Yom Kippur War. No one believed that our enemies were actually planning what they said they were planning." CHANGES IN LAW OF RETURN? A proposed introduction of changes into the Law of Return is gaining support in both coalition and opposition parties. Coalition chair MK Ophir Pines-Paz (One Israel) has proposed abolishing the "grandchildren clause," which grants the right of immigration to Israel and citizenship to people with only one Jewish grandparent, even if their own parents are in fact not Jewish. MK Naomi Blumenthal (Likud) said: "We must introduce changes into the Law of Return, because of the large proportion of non-Jews among new immigrants. We must find a way to reduce the number of non-Jews among the immigrants to Israel and this can only by done by amending the Law of Return." MK Tzipi Livne (Likud) explained. ". . . in light of the fact that the majority of immigrants in recent years are not Jewish, the Jewish existence of our children in Israel is in real danger." MK Victor Breilovsky (Shinui) believes that changing the law will not make a difference, because any document can be forged in the former Soviet Union. BARAK MEETS WITH POLISH PRIME MINISTER: The possibility of a joint defense project between Israel and Poland was discussed yesterday in a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his Polish counterpart Jerzy Buzek. Poland has also promised to set up a foundation to administer Jewish community property confiscated by the Nazis during World War II. The two prime ministers announced that as of the beginning of next year, citizens of their countries would no longer need visas to visit each other. A NEW FORM OF INTIFADA: Isolated pockets of fire were finally extinguished during the course of the day Monday. Over 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) of natural forest and orchards were destroyed over three days in fires that the police believe were caused by Palestinian arsonists. Security sources have termed the fires "acts of terrorism." Five helicopters aided in the firefighting efforts throughout the night. Fire Commissioner Moshe Vardi said that he himself saw the lights of a car travelling from place to place, starting fires in various locations. MK Modi Zandberg (Shinui) said in the Knesset that we are witness to a new form of intifada. "As opposed to the general feeling of sadness that we experience when we look now at the Carmel," he said, "the arsonists are sitting at home in their villages with their hearts full of joy." INDONESIAN PRESIDENT SEEKING ISRAEL TIES: Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem state, intends to normalize its relations with Israel within three years, according to a plan set out by newly elected President Abdurrahman Wahid. This was the view of Dr. Greg Barton, a senior lecturer at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia and expert on Islam in Southeast Asia who specializes in Indonesia. Barton described Wahid as a liberal Islamic intellectual who "has publicly stated normalization of relations with Israel as one of his goals. He said it would take three years and it would begin with trade relations." DEFAMATION AND MISREPRESENTATION -- CAIR'S DECEIT AND DISHONESTY: Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) posted an attack on noted terrorism expert Steven Emerson for his comments on November 17, 1999, on CANADA AM, a morning Canadian television show. But a transcript of the interview shows that CAIR intentionally misrepresented Emerson's comments. Emerson noted that the Shahada, an Islamic religious affirmation, is sometimes said before terrorist acts are committed and sometimes said before acts of bravery. CAIR cited only Emerson's reference to terrorism, deleting the second half of his comments referring to bravery. In addition, an independent review of terrorist videos and the comments of an Islamic scholar reveal that Emerson was correct in his assertion of the dual use of the Shahada--and terrorists have invoked the Shahada before they have committed acts of terrorism. CAIR once again confirmed existing suspicions that it is a political front for militant Islamic extremists and fundamentalists bent on chilling free speech. THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY: 5 December 1496: Expulsion of Jews from Portugal: Manuel of Portugal befriended the Jews during his first year of reign, but his desire to unite the Iberian Peninsula through marriage to the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella changed all that. Four years after the expulsion of Jews from Spain, he ordered them expelled from Portugal within 11 months. 6 December 1943: In one of the last major Italian deportations, 212 Jews from Milan and Verona were sent to Auschwitz. In all, out of a population of 35,000 before the war, approximately 8,500 Jews were killed. An estimated 2,000 Jews fought with the partisans, five of them winning Italy's highest medals for bravery. 10 December 1936: The first of the Tower and Stockade settlements (Tel Amel) Nir David is erected. These settlements on remote parcels of land purchased by the Jewish National Fund were set up overnight with the help of prefabricated towers and walls. 11 December 1917: General Allenby, head of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (of the British army) entered Jerusalem, forcing the Turks to retreat. 10 December 1943: As Soviet troops began to break through German lines, the Germans tried to cover up their actions by killing the inmates of the labor camps. (Sources: REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST, ICEJ, ISRAELWIRE, IMRA, ISRAEL LINE, DAILY TELEGRAPH, ARUTZ-7, HA'ARETZ, WZO, THE JOURNAL OF COUNTERRORISM AND SECURITY INTERNATIONAL) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tzemach News Service "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest" Isaiah 62:1 Lee Underwood **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! 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