-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Tzemach News Service Week Ending: 8 January 2000 / 1 Shevat 5760 "Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he deserves will be done to him" (Isaiah 3.11) ISRAELI-SYRIAN TALKS OFF TO SLOW START: The Israelis and Syrians met five days last week in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. During that period, there were only two face-to-face meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al- Sharaa. And that took US President Clinton four trips to this town to arrange. Also, most of the negotiating was done indirectly in separate, bilateral meetings between the US team and the two sides. There was a lot of expectation in the Middle East last week that the Shepherdstown negotiations would plunge immediately into serious discussions on the four main core issues keeping the parties apart: demarcation of borders, security arrangements, water rights and normal, peaceful relations. But the talks got mired in procedural quibbling almost from the start, with the two sides divided over what to talk about first. Neither side wanted to make a concession without knowing exactly what they were getting in return. A compromise was reached whereby all the four working groups handling the contentious issues would meet concurrently. But by midday Saturday only the security and normal relations committees had met. On Friday, Clinton convened a 25-minute trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara, the second of this round so far. He presented them with a seven-page working document that summarizes the positions of both sides on borders, water, normalization, and security and suggests US ideas for resolving differences. As the Islamic holy month drew to a close, Clinton issued a statement last night declaring Ramadan a "gift from Islam to the world". We pray that the new moon will bring a new era of peace between nations in the Middle East and all across the world." UPCOMING: 'MULTILATERAL TALKS': US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will co-host the resumption of the long-dormant multilateral Middle East negotiations in Moscow on 1 February, State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin said Thursday. The talks, which fizzled out in 1995, dealt with issues of water, refugees, and other areas of regional cooperation. Representatives on the foreign minister level from the US, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO), Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, the European Union, Canada, and Japan will be invited. It is not yet clear whether Syria and Lebanon, which boycotted the last round, will agree to participate. The talks aim to build on peace progress with Syria and the Palestinians. SYRIA ALREADY MOVING ON THE GOLAN: Syria is building a huge reservoir on the Golan Heights in what is expected to be the first of several projects to capture water that feeds Israel's Sea of Galilee. Military sources said the reservoir is meant to also serve as an obstacle to any Israeli ground offensive against Syria in the Golan Heights. The sources said the reservoir is four kilometers wide (2.4 miles) and is being constructed near the town of Kuneitra. The area is flat and located on a major armored offensive route between Israel and Syria. So far, the sources said, the reservoir is not expected to be fed by tributaries that flow directly into Israel. But one source said the reservoir is expected to be followed by other projects meant to stem the flow of water from the Golan Heights to the Sea of Galilee, regarded as Israel's only source of fresh water. "There is no question that this is the first of several projects," the source said. "The idea is to capture as much water as possible within Syria before it enters Israeli territory." Syria and Jordan are constructing the al Wihdat dam that will feed off the Yarmouk River, shared by Israel. Israeli officials said the Jordanians are coordinating their part of the project with Israel. The sources said, the reservoir could be emptied, flooding the surrounding area, further slowing down Israeli troops. Already, the sources said, Syria is bolstering its units around the Golan Heights with new electronic equipment and is quietly dismantling Israeli mines placed in the area. DOES SYRIA REALLY HAVE A WAR OPTION? Just how much of a military threat does Syria pose to Israel today? The answer to this question not only depends on the Syrian arsenal and Damascus's motivation to use it, but also on the tactical and doctrinal improvements the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has made to deter and, if need be, subdue the enemy. An intelligence assessment is not enough. A net assessment comparing overall Syrian might to Israel's is required. The conventional Syrian army that exists today is nearly the same force that clashed with the IDF in 1982 frozen in time by the loss of its Soviet benefactor and arms supplier. Damascus has a wish list, but it lacks cash for weapons procurement and has failed to conclude any major arms deals since 1993. However, in defensive mode, the well- entrenched Syrian military is a formidable foe and no one in the IDF views it with any disrespect, no matter how outdated its weapons are. The real issue here is not the military might of Syria alone. IDF Col. Moshe Leshem recently stated, "... except for the 1956 Sinai campaign, all the Arab-Israeli conflicts pitted Israel against Arab coalitions." Leshem said that Israel must therefore look at other potential enemies: "If one of these countries has a substantial quantity of weapons, it will seek a coalition with another Arab country [such as Syria], to outflank Israel and create two fronts, which would divide and weaken Israeli forces." ISRAELI-SYRIAN DEAL FACES PROBLEMS IN US CONGRESS: Congressional staffers and Pentagon officials have dismissed Israel's military requests for a Golan Heights withdrawal as unrealistic and estimated the total aid required by Washington's allies at more than $100 billion. The US officials said Prime Minister Ehud Barak is being misled by President Bill Clinton regarding the willingness of Congress and the American people to allocate unprecedented amounts of aid to the Middle East. "Clinton is just interested in wrapping this agreement up," a senior congressional staffer who is dealing with the aid issue said. "He will promise Barak anything just to get a treaty." Staffers said many members of Congress plan to whittle down the Israeli military aid request, estimated at $17 billion. They said House and Senate members would oppose military and significant amount of economic aid to Syria. "Until the Syrian regime changes, Congress sees no justification to give aid to Assad," a U.S. official said. ISRAEL WITHDRAWS FROM ANOTHER 5%: The IDF Central Command and the civil administration handed over two IDF bases in northern Samaria to the PA/PLO Wednesday, implementing the second withdrawal from 5% of land in Judea and Samaria (Yesha). Areas which formerly encompassed four IDF bases were also handed over to their Palestinian landowners. Most of the areas in the current withdrawal are in Shechem, Jenin, and Beit Lechem, with 3% in the Judean Desert designated as a 50,000-dunam (12,500 acre) nature reserve where building is restricted. Two percent of the land was transferred to full PA/PLO self-rule and 3% to PA/PLO civil rule with Israel still responsible for security. The next withdrawal of 6.1%, scheduled to take place on 20 January, is far more concerning as Israel has agreed to hand over areas in and around Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israel released 22 Palestinian prisoners Wednesday morning. The prisoner release was described by Israel as a gesture of goodwill to the Palestinians for Ramadan. ISRAEL WITHDRAWING IDF SUPPORT: The IDF this week significantly reduced the number of soldiers guarding Yesha communities, prompting community leaders to increase the security burden on local residents. An army spokesman said the change of IDF policy stemmed from budgetary constraints. PRAYERS FOR RAIN ANSWERED: Over 140 millimeters (5.6 inches) of rainfall was recorded in the Tel Aviv area from Tuesday morning until 8 p.m. Wednesday, over 100 mm. (4 inches) in the Galilee, and 50 mm. (2 inches) in Jerusalem, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Forecasters said most of the precipitation was yet to come. On Mount Hermon, the snow storms were seen as a blessing after last winter's drought, which prevented the site from being opened last year. By Wednesday night, more than one meter (3 feet) of snow had accumulated on the mountain with over 50 centimeters (20 inches) on the lower slopes. The water level of the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) rose by nearly five centimeters (2 inches), although it still remains under the "red line" mark of 213 meters (710 feet) below sea-level. RUSSIAN IMMIGRATION UP: Russian emigration to Israel was more than twice as high in 1999 as in the previous year, the INTERFAX news agency reported Saturday. According to the Moscow office of the Jewish Agency, which brings Jews to Israel, 29,534 Russian citizens emigrated to Israel in 1999, up from 13,019 a year earlier, INTERFAX reported.. The main factors behind the increase were Russia's 1998 economic crisis and general political instability, including the fact that last year's anti-Semitic component was far more in the center of attention in society. Anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi groups, although small, have steadily grown bolder and more visible in Russia in recent years. FATAH FIGHTERS TO BE RETURNED: Sources in Amman say that contacts are under way between the PA/PLO and the Israeli Government to transfer hundreds of Fatah the biggest PLO faction fighters from Lebanon to PA/PLO-controlled areas. They added that the contacts reached an advanced stage and that these fighters, including Fatah military commander in Lebanon, Sultan Abu-al-'Aynayn, are expected to be transported via Cyprus. The sources explained that the number of Fatah fighters currently in Lebanon stands at 1,912. Meanwhile, the Fatah organization, headed by PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat, on Monday marked its 35th anniversary with celebrations throughout Yesha and Jerusalem. In an attempt to show that eastern Jerusalem is an integral part of the PA/PLO, Orient House, hosted an event marking the day. Hussam Shahin, the Jerusalem Fatah leader stated that "If Israel does not accept the peace, the armed struggle will continue." THE 'TRANS-PALESTINE HIGHWAY': The PA/PLO is moving ahead with plans for the construction of a highway intended to connect autonomous areas in Judea and Samaria. The project is to be called the 'Trans-Palestine Highway'. According to PA officials, the American government will pick up the bill. The planned roadway is intending to connect cities under PA/PLO control throughout Judea and Samaria, from Jenin and Shechem in northern Samaria, to Beit Lechem in Judea, with access roads to smaller autonomous areas en route. The Israel security establishment has responded to the report by stating it is aware of the planned construction of the highway. The senior official added that all areas to be included in the highway are under PA control so there is no Israeli objection to its construction. RABBIS FORBID CEDING GOLAN: Led by former Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Avraham Shapira, representatives of a group of 1,200 rabbis of the organization called Ichud HaRabbanim (the Union of Rabbis for the People of Israel and the Land of Israel) published a halakhic (Jewish legal) ruling forbidding the transfer of the Golan Heights to the Syrians and the uprooting of Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel. Attached to the ruling is a call for Jews to act "with self-sacrifice" but within the law to prevent the destruction of Golan communities. In addition to Rabbi Shapira, the signatories include Rabbis Dov Lior, Zalman Baruch Melamed, Tzefaniah Drori, Nachum Rabinowitz, Chaim Druckman, Eliezer Waldman, Meyer Fendel, Sholom Gold, Shabtai Zelikovitz, and others. The ruling reads as follows: "a. The Golan is part of the Land of Israel that was granted to the Tribes of Israel by the A-lmighty, as recorded in our holy Torah. The Golan was settled by Jews in the 1st and 2nd Temple periods, as our Sages tell us (and as confirmed by Josephus). According to Jewish Law, it is forbidden to uproot Jewish settlements in Eretz Yisrael. b. The abandonment of the Golan involves a mortal danger for the entire country. Withdrawing from the Golan will not bring peace, but the opposite. c. It is unethical to remove Jews from their homes that they have built with self-sacrifice and at the behest of the state. d. Tens of thousands of Jews will stand against those who uproot us from our land and who wheel and deal with our security. Every Jew must take part in the legal public activities and act with self-sacrifice to prevent the destruction of the Golan communities. e. We call upon the government of Israel not to tear away this precious part of our Land, and not to cause a split in the nation. f. We call for a national convention of rabbis to strengthen the Golan. 'Let us strengthen and let us be strong on behalf of our nation and the cities of our G-d.'" IN BRIEF: The Israeli government is continuing to investigate fraudulent campaign funding regarding the election campaign of the Labor Party and Barak. According to the recently released data, several organizations were established during the campaign to circumvent the laws limiting donations and campaign spending. A man charged with killing a homosexual couple in California has reportedly admitted setting fire to three California synagogues last summer. Benjamin Williams told the SACRAMENTO BEE newspaper that he set the fires with the aid of other white supremacists. THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY: 2 January 1782: This date marks the issuance of the Edict of Tolerance. Joseph II of Austria, the son of Maria Theresa, was influenced by Wilhelm von Dohn, a friend of Mendelssohn's. Starting with this edict, he was generally enlightened toward the Jews. 5 January 1895: Alfred Dreyfus, (French Jew tried for treason in France) was publicly degraded and sent to Devil's Island. Later, evidence was produced which proved that Major Esterhazy and Colonel Henry, Dreyfus' chief accusers, had forged the evidence. Yet, a new trial was not begun until 1899. 4 January 1920: In Metulla of pre-state Israel, Bedouin attacks on the north force the French at a fort near Metulla to retreat. The 120 members of the settlement were forced to flee to Sidon where they boarded a ship to Haifa. 6 January 1946: In Zanzur, Libya, Moslem instigators encouraged the local population. Of the 150 local Jews, half are murdered. The rioting spread to a number of small towns near Tripoli leaving a death toll of approximately 180 Jews and 9 synagogues destroyed. The local police and Arab soldiers often joined in the destruction and murder. 8 January 1919: In Hungary, Bela Kuhn, a communist dictator, was disposed of with the help of Rumania and Admiral Nicholas Horthy. Since Kuhn was a Jew, all the Jews were accused of being communists. During the "White Terror" that followed, an estimated five thousand Jews were killed. (Sources: JERUSALEM POST, ICEJ, WORLD TRIBUNE, ZINC, ARUTZ- 7, ISRAEL LINE, ISRAELWIRE, JTA, WZO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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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