-Caveat Lector- Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000 / Tishrei 6, 5761 TO OUR READERS: During these critical days for the State of Israel, the picture being painted by the world media - now, more than ever - is of a "cruel and domineering Israel suppressing the civil rights of the peace-loving Arab population." Many of you have written to us that Arutz-7 is serving a critical function in reporting vital information needed to correctly understand the situation. We ask, therefore, that you disseminate our reports - even those of the past days - to as many of your acquaintances as possible, in order to neutralize just a bit more the one-sided version of the events being presented to much of the world. Thank you. TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. VIOLENCE LAST NIGHT, TODAY, AND TOMORROW 2. ARAFAT DIDN'T SIGN 3. LET'S TALK UNITY 4. WESTERN WALL ATTENDANCE - DOWN; VIOLENCE EXPECTED 5. NEW IDF CHIEF RABBI 6. MERIDOR STANDS RIGHT 7. CLOSING ROADS - INSTEAD OF OPENING THEM 8. IN BRIEF 1. VIOLENCE LAST NIGHT, TODAY, AND TOMORROW The ceasefire promised by Arafat in the Rosh HaShanah Arab Assault does not seem to be holding - and a Tanzim leader said today that a decision has been made to "militarily clash" with the IDF in a Palestinian city tomorrow. Fatah leaders have called on their members to arrive and demonstrate at the mosque on the Temple Mount tomorrow. An Israeli from Tiberias was moderately injured late this afternoon when he was attacked by an Israeli-Arab mob near Beit Rimon; the Arabs shot on his car and threw rocks at him. Heavy fire is being exchanged outside Netzarim, after Arabs resumed their assault on Israeli troops there this afternoon. Two Arabs were shot and killed while climbing the roof of an Israeli outpost at the Netzarim Junction. The Arabs have stationed ambulances - which they know will not be targeted by the Israelis - at the site, but have been seen removing ready-made firebombs from the ambulances and throwing them in the direction of the Israelis. Shots were also fired on IDF soldiers in Kalkilye, as well as on Hevron's Beit HaShishah; one of the bullets penetrated a room in a home there. The wave of Arab-ignited blazes continued with new cases of arson in the north this afternoon, and to date has claimed some 9,000 dunams of Israeli landscape. At least 23 rock-throwing incidents were registered in the towns of Ramle and Lod in the past 30 hours. Last night: Shots were fired at the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo; at least one bullet penetrated a home, but no one was injured. A resident there said this was not the first shooting there, "but only the first one that actually hit..." Heavy exchanges of fire were registered at Psagot and Joseph's Tomb in Shechem... Shots were fired at Kiryat Arba and Jewish homes in Hevron, as well as at Dugit, N'vei Dekalim, and Morag in Gush Katif... Travel to and from Netzarim is only via helicopter; the commander of the IDF brigade in northern Gaza told Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler that he hopes that within days, land transportation to Netzarim will go back to normal; "if not, then sooner or later, we will open the roads..." Earlier today, the IDF took in-the-field measures for the "cease-fire:" It withdrew its forces from the Ayosh Junction - within Israeli-controlled territory, immediately north of Ramallah - which was the scene of several intense battles over the past few days, and closed it to Israeli traffic. Beit El residents, who normally use the Israeli-controlled intersection to drive to and from home, are being routed through a nearby army camp instead. After Israeli and Palestinian officers met today to discuss ceasefire arrangements, IDF tanks were also withdrawn from other recent battle zones, such as Psagot, Netzarim, the Bethlehem region, and N'vei Dekalim. 2. ARAFAT DIDN'T SIGN A frustrated and somewhat humiliated Israeli delegation returned home this morning from Paris, after Yasser Arafat did not show up for the signing of the cease-fire agreement on which the Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians worked all night. Arafat continues to demand the establishment of an international commission of inquiry about the past week's violence. Upon his return to Israel, Prime Minister Barak reported to his Cabinet that despite the lack of an agreement, Arafat had "unequivocally committed himself, to the U.S., to halt the disturbances on the Palestinian side, including shooting by the Tanzim and Palestinian policemen at IDF forces." [The Tanzim is a quasi-military Fatah militia whose members, all of whom were imprisoned by Israel in the intifada, initiate and organize confrontations against Israel, not solely controlled by Arafat.] Barak also said, "We have witnessed during the past days hundreds of [Palestinian] violations of all the agreements which have been signed with them, starting with the existence of armed militias and ending in the use of live fire... It is not clear whether we in fact have a partner for peace [in Arafat], and unfortunately, the time has not yet come for us to beat our swords into plowshares." Makor Rishon correspondent Riki Shushan, who accompanied Barak to Paris and back, reported afterwards, "This was a very humiliating night for Barak - no one ever humiliated him like [French President] Chirac and Arafat did last night. Immediately after word of an agreement was released in the U.S. Embassy in the middle of the night, Arafat walked out in anger, saying, 'You're not respecting me!' Albright ran after him, begging him to stay, just like little kids - it was unbelievable. Arafat didn't stop, so then Albright ordered the gates locked so that he would not be able to get out! Later, after everyone had left, they then returned again to the Embassy, where they were all supposed to sign the agreement - they were all standing around waiting for Arafat, but it turned out that he simply decided not to show up! This was a big slap in the face for Albright and the U.S. Chirac and Arafat worked together against the Americans and Israelis." Barak security-aide Danny Yatom confirmed that Chirac had worked to convince Arafat to stand firm in his demands for an international investigation. Yasser Arafat and U.S. Secretary of State Albright met in Sharm a-Sheikh with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today - without Prime Minister Barak. No "breakthrough" was reported. Albright has transmitted an invitation to all the negotiating teams to arrive in Washington next Tuesday. 3. LET'S TALK UNITY Talk of an emergency national-unity government is once again the order of the day, and Prime Minister Barak is likely to initiate the idea within a few weeks. A senior Prime Ministerial aide said that the idea would be actualized if it becomes clear that Israel has no partner for peace. The proposal was first raised today by Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and was soon seconded by Shas leader Eli Yeshai, MK Michael Kleiner (Herut), Likud members - and even President Moshe Katzav. Opposition leader Ariel Sharon has not committed himself one way or another, saying today that though he has been briefed continually by Barak, they did not discuss political options. Sharon said he would back Barak for as long as he stands firm against the Palestinian violence. The opposition parties have agreed to work together regarding the possibility of a national-unity government. During a meeting of opposition representatives this afternoon, each party agreed to inform the others in the event that One Israel invites it to join such a government, but they did not commit themselves to take a unanimous course of action in such a case. National Religious Party MK Sha'ul Yahalom said that his party would be likely to accept such an invitation, on condition that the diplomatic process changes and the secular revolution is put to rest. One Israel MK Avi Yechezkel explained to Arutz-7 today what he felt would be the agenda of such a unity government: "If there is even a slight possibility for a peace agreement, then let Barak - we'll assume he'll still be Prime Minister - try to reach that agreement. But if it turns out that there is no such chance, then let's turn our joint attention to a new agenda - social, civil, settlement - and solve the problems that we have here at home..." 4. WESTERN WALL ATTENDANCE - DOWN; VIOLENCE EXPECTED Despite the heavy incitement in the Palestinian press for Moslem violence at the Temple Mount following tomorrow's Friday prayers, no decision has yet been made to close the area for such prayer by the Israeli security establishment. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch called today for "significant limitations" to be placed on Palestinian entry to the Mount, lest rocks again be thrown on the Jewish worshippers at the Wall below. The rabbi called upon Jews "not to abandon the Kotel [Wall]," noting that in previous years, Kotel worshippers during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur have numbered well into the thousands, while this year, the number is drastically down. Rabbi Rabinovitch says that the police have informed him that the area is totally protected and that the dangers are nil. The Egged Bus Company is operating special bus service to the Kotel until 1 AM. "It's a terrible feeling to see the Wall so empty - certainly not what it's like every other year during the Ten Days," he said. Jerusalem Police Chief Ya'ir Yitzchaki said that the police have information on major disturbances planned for tomorrow. He said that he will recommend that the entry of young Palestinians to the Mount tomorrow be limited. 5. NEW IDF CHIEF RABBI After five months of indecision and difference of opinion, Prime Minister Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz have agreed on a new IDF Chief Rabbi: Lt.-Col. Rabbi Yisrael Weiss. His appointment has not been well accepted in the army, as he is lower-ranked than the two military rabbis who had been considered the natural candidates for the post. Rabbi Weiss, 51, studied in the Merkaz HaRav Kook yeshiva in Jerusalem. 6. MERIDOR STANDS RIGHT MK Dan Meridor (Center party), Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was harshly critical today of Prime Minister Barak's decision to negotiate with Arafat in Paris while shooting was still going on. The former Likud member said: "The Palestinians must be made to pay a price for their violence... We must not hold talks at all with them when they make a changeover from the negotiating table to street violence... We have now moved to a new phase, which we might not be realizing, just as happened in the beginning of the intifada. Until [last week], the terrorism was always being perpetrated by Hamas and the like - but now it's being done by the exact people with whom we are talking! This must be a red light, one that stops the process. We must not allow ourselves to become accustomed to this reality - of shooting on Jerusalem, and people locked in their homes, and people getting food only by helicopter... [In answer to a question:] Yes, I think Arafat can control the violence - but if he can't, then why are we talking with him?" Meridor denied that there was any connection between Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount last week and the violence: "So they didn't like his visit - so what? Do we like everything that they do? Barak has said many times that we will not give up on that which is holy to Israel, and the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world to the Jewish people." 7. CLOSING ROADS - INSTEAD OF OPENING THEM Gush Etzion Regional Council chief Sha'ul Goldstein commented today on the army's decision to close roads that are threatened by Arab violence: "The closing of the Tunnels Road - the connection between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem - and the other road closings are a scandal of the first order. The government must wake up and order the army to station tanks facing and threatening Beit Jalla [the Arab village from which shots were fired on Jewish targets]. What, guns should cause a major Israeli artery to close down? This brings us back 52 years!" Hevron Jewish Community spokesman David Wilder similarly commented, "In many cases the Israeli army, rather than try to insure security on the roads, simply closes them. One of the most ludicrous instances concerns the trans-Judea highway, leading from Hebron to Ashkelon via Kiryat Gat. This road also provides easy access to Beit Shemesh, bypassing Jerusalem. A few miles out of Hebron is the Halhul bridge that crosses over the road from above. This bridge is under total Arafat-control, while the road below is under Israeli control. For the past week, Arabs have been using the bridge to bombard any moving vehicle with Israeli license plates traveling under it. Rather than send in Israeli troops to take over the bridge, or rather than use one missile to take the bridge down, Israel has closed the road. This, because the road is in "Arafat territory" and Israeli prefers not to 'react too harshly' to the continued attacks..." Yesha residents blocked the Ofrah-Psagot road to Arab traffic for several hours yesterday, saying, "If we can't travel freely on the roads, then why should the Palestinians be able to?" 8. IN BRIEF Hamas terrorists from prison. Security elements fear renewed terrorist attacks... The Knesset will convene next Wednesday for a special session on the events of the past days. So decided Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg today, after consulting with coalition and opposition leaders. The session will be pushed off until after Sukkot (Oct. 14-21) if the violence continues... A Smith Institute poll finds that 2/3 of secular citizens in Israel believe in a Creator and in His influence over human activities and fate... The Movement for Quality Government in Israel has demanded that Attorney-General Rubenstein order the indictment of Israeli-Arab citizens who took part in the recent riots. The movement argues that if the state ignores the crimes that were perpetrated - property-damage, road-blockings, injurious throwing of rocks, bricks, and firebombs, and more - it will not be able to enforce the law in the future... 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