Arutz Sheva News Service
<www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Sunday, Sept. 3, 2000 / Elul 3, 5760
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. MYRIADS ACCOMPANY DERI TO PRISON
2. THE END OF THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS?
3. JERUSALEM AT STAKE
4. P.A. THREATENS JERUSALEM ARABS
5. HILLARY FOR POLLARD?
6. ELYAGON PROMOTION TO BE DECIDED
7. PROF. SLANDERED HEVRON YOUTH
8. MELCHIOR EXPECTS "GREATER SENSITIVITY" FROM VATICAN
1. MYRIADS ACCOMPANY DERI TO PRISON
An estimated 20,000 Shas party supporters greeted Aryeh Deri in
Ramle today on his way to begin a three-year prison term. They
recited Psalms and chanted slogans in support of Deri, the former
Interior Minister who was convicted of accepting bribes totaling
$90,000 on behalf of a Jerusalem yeshiva. Prison Service
officials will decide today in which prison Deri will spend the
next two years until he is up for parole. Earlier in the day,
thousands of supporters had gathered at the entrance to Jerusalem
to show their support for Deri as he left for Ramle. There were
several short-lived clashes between Shas supporters and the
police along the highway from Jerusalem to Ramle and outside the
prison.
In his parting speech, Deri again said that he accepts the decree
with "a joyous heart," and called for his supporters to help
other Jews "find their way to a religious way of life and
education." He asked forgiveness from all whom he may have hurt
or not paid sufficient attention to over the years, including
Rabbi Yosef, as well as Ashkenazi hareidi Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi
Shach for "sorrow I caused you in the past." Deri said that the
real struggle now must concentrate on education of the children
and a return to Judaism throughout the country. "No shackles
will stop the cry of Shma Yisrael [Hear O Israel]," he said.
Deri entered the prison holding a Torah scroll he was given by
Rabbi David Yosef, a son of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef.
Rabbi Ovadiah spoke beforehand, and compared Deri to the Biblical
Joseph: "Just as he emerged from prison and became a king, so
may you too emerge and rule over Israel." Rabbi Yosef called
upon the crowds of supporters to "behave with restraint."
2. THE END OF THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS?
The government approved Prime Minister Barak's proposal today to
dismantle the Ministry for Religious Affairs. The proposal calls
for the ministry's authorities to be dispersed among the
municipal councils and other government offices. MK Yigal Bibi
(National Religious Party), who served as Deputy Minister of
Religious Affairs under Binyamin Netanyahu and under Barak up
until a few months ago, told Arutz-7 today that the vote today is
"devoid of content." Bibi said,
"The declaration to close the Ministry does not require a
Knesset majority, but the transfer of the authorities to other
government offices does require such a majority, which he does
not have. This is simply another step in his 'secular
revolution,' in which over the next few days we will hear how
corrupt the Ministry of Religious Affairs is, and he will ride on
this wave of hatred. It is too bad that the people of Israel
have to suffer, in that religious services will not be provided
over the coming period. This is simply a bluff, planned by
Barak's advisors... [Acting Minister for Religious Affairs]
Beilin had good intentions in attempting to fix some of the
problems in the Ministry, but now Barak has ruined it for him...
In addition, the ministry's entire yearly budget is 500 million
shekels - not including the per-capita stipends for yeshiva
students - so how can it be [as is claimed] that 'hundreds of
millions' will be saved by this move?"
MK Tommy Lapid, head of the anti-religious Shinui party, agreed -
albeit from the opposite direction - that the Barak plan to
dismantle the Ministry of Religious Affairs is "hollow," in that
"all the clerks and budgets will simply be transferred to other
government offices." Lapid calls for the firing of all the
"unnecessary clerks," and the cessation of all Religious Ministry
activities. "If this is the beginning of Barak's secular
revolution," Lapid said, "it is totally meaningless."
3. JERUSALEM AT STAKE
Prime Minister Barak departs for New York this evening, where he
will meet with dozens of world leaders at the United Nation's
Millennium Conference. He will address the conference on
Wednesday night, and will also participate in a major gathering
of American-Jewish leaders. Separate meetings held by U.S.
President Clinton this week with Barak and Arafat may determine
the fate of the final-status agreement between Israel and the
Palestinians.
A double petition is currently being circulated via e-mail,
calling for both a halt to American pressure on Israel to give
away Jerusalem and a halt to Israeli yielding to such pressure.
The petition will be faxed to every U.S. Congressman and every
Israeli government member. Time is of the essence, claim the
organizers, as the Clinton-Barak-Arafat meetings are scheduled
for this Wednesday. For more information, contact
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.
A truck displaying a petition with the signatures of 62 Knesset
Members circled the government offices this morning, with the
banner, "Barak has no mandate." The 40,000 Mothers organization
also held a protest against Barak's diplomatic policies while the
Cabinet was in session.
4. P.A. THREATENS JERUSALEM ARABS
The Palestinian Authority is resorting to threats against the
Arabs of Jerusalem. Feisal Husseini, the PA's man in Jerusalem,
told the Al Ayam newspaper that the PA will confiscate the
property of whoever requests Israeli citizenship. "He will lose
his place among the Palestinian people," Husseini said. "The
days of the Israeli conquest in eastern Jerusalem are numbered."
Zohair Chamdan, a civic leader in the Jerusalem village Tzur
Baher, has been circulating a petition in his village calling for
a referendum to decide whether it will come under Palestinian
control or remain Israeli. "The PA must know that we live in a
democracy, and the majority will decide where we want to live in
the future," Chamdan told Arutz-7 today.
5. HILLARY FOR POLLARD?
Hillary Clinton, running for a Senate seat from the State of New
York, appears to be considering a public call for the release of
Jonathan Pollard, in exchange for the endorsement of a key Jewish
politician in New York City. The New York Jewish paper "The
Forward" reports that Pollard's fate was discussed at a meeting
last week between Mrs. Clinton and Assemblyman Dov Hikind, and
that Clinton campaign workers said they would welcome an
endorsement from Mr. Hikind, who has been a vocal critic of the
First Lady. Hikind and Clinton disagree on several issues, but
if Clinton were to "come around" on Pollard and an undivided
Israeli Jerusalem, Hikind may likely endorse her. Hillary's
husband President Bill Clinton has repeatedly refused to grant
clemency to Pollard. Polls show that Mrs. Clinton has
languished at around 54% of the Jewish vote for months, according
to the Forward, while common wisdom holds that a Democratic
candidate needs at least 60% to carry the state.
Pollard's wife Esther thanked Hillary last week for "expressing a
humanitarian interest in my husband," in helping to prevent his
transfer to a more dangerous prison. "I am [now] aware, for the
first time," wrote Mrs. Pollard, "of your humanitarian interest
in my husband's welfare. I am hoping that now that that is a
matter of public record, you will agree to meet with me as soon
as possible to discuss my husband's case... It is clear that you
are well-acquainted with the numerous legal injustices that have
been perpetrated in my husband's case. It is my hope that upon
further discussion, wife to wife, your humanitarian concern for
the fate of my husband may be publicly expressed in more specific
terms..."
6. ELYAGON PROMOTION TO BE DECIDED
The Committee for the Appointment of Judges is set to convene
this afternoon to vote on the promotion of Hon. Oded Elyagon to a
District Court. Many voices have been heard against the
appointment, and despite Chief Justice Aharon Barak's support for
Elyagon, it is possible that the appointment will not be
approved. Israeli journalist Jonathan Rosenblum, a Yale Law
School graduate, submitted objections to the appointment of
Elyagon today. Rosenblum wrote to the committee,
"Justice Elyagon has expressed himself on a number of
occasions over the past years in an offensive and insulting
manner against individuals and entire population sectors, in the
following cases: he insulted a physically incapacitated lawyer
about his physical drawbacks… he sharply insulted the entire
hareidi sector… and he called other groups 'lice.'" Rosenblum
noted that the qualities required in a judge are "tolerance,
patience, openness..." and "fairness to every individual."
Elyagon's outbursts aroused waves of public protest when they
occurred.
7. PROF. SLANDERED HEVRON YOUTH Jerusalem Magistrates Court
Justice Tzvi Hartal ruled today that Prof. Moshe Zimmerman
violated the laws of slander when he called the Jewish children
of Hevron "Hitler youth." Zimmerman's remarks were made in an
interview in 1995, during which he also called Moledet party
founder MK Rehavam (Gandi) Ze'evi a "Nazi copy." The sentence
will be decided at a later date.
8. MELCHIOR EXPECTS "GREATER SENSITIVITY" FROM VATICAN
Israeli Society and World Jewish Communities Minister Rabbi
Michael Melchior expressed his "deep regret" today at the
Vatican's decision to link the beatification of Pope John XXIII
with that of Pope Pius IX. John XXIII was a Righteous Gentile
who also paved the way for genuine dialogue with the Jewish
People, according to a statement released by the Ministry, while
"the beatification of Pius IX is liable to be interpreted as
agreement with the Roman Catholic Church's historical record of
forced conversions." Rabbi Melchior said, "We have no desire to
interfere in the Vatican's decision-making process, but as a
Minister in the Israeli government who had the honor of hosting
the Pope at the Western Wall, and as someone who saw his visit as
a positive historic turning point, I would expect the Vatican to
show greater sensitivity towards believers from other faiths."
Hebrew News Editor: Ariel Kahane
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
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