-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- From: Mike Balog mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Friends & Assiociates: Sent: Friday, March 17, 2000 10:45 Pm Est. Subject: [CTRL] Week Ending: 18 March 2000 / 11 Adar II 5760 Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Tzemach News Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A weekly update of news and events regarding the nation and people of Israel Week Ending: 18 March 2000 / 11 Adar II 5760 "It is better to take refuge in the L-rd than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the L-rd than to trust in princes" (Psalm 118.8-9) [Editor's note: Due to time constraints, this week's issue is being published on Friday. We will resume our regular schedule next week.] ISRAEL AND PA/PLO APPROVE MAPS: Israel set the ball rolling Wednesday for a long overdue troop withdrawal from Yesha [Judea, Samaria, and Gaza] after maps for the transfer were approved by the security cabinet and by PLO leader Yasser Arafat. The pullout is expected to go ahead next week, when peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are set to resume in Washington after a month-long stalemate over the land involved. Prime Minister Ehud Barak's security cabinet ratified the maps by a narrow majority and Arafat quickly added his agreement. The pullout from 6.1 percent of Yesha will cover villages on the outskirts of Jerusalem already under Palestinian civilian rule -- Beitunia near Ram'Allah to the north and Ubaydiyah to the southeast near Beit Lechem. But Barak decided Tuesday not to transfer as expected the village of Anata, which would have become the closest Palestinian village to Jerusalem, just 10 kilometers (six miles) northeast of the center. ISRAEL TO FREE PRISONERS: Israel will release 16 Arab terrorists within the next few days, as a holiday gesture to the PA/PLO [Does this mean that the PLO will also make a "holiday gesture" towards Israel during the upcoming Pesach holiday?-ed]. Murderers of Arabs, and terrorists who took part in attacks in which Jews were injured, will be freed. In addition, some 30 Palestinian criminals, who were to be released within three months, will also be released. The terrorists to be freed do not include members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, but efforts to obtain a list of their names have so far not succeeded. Meanwhile, the children and family of Yaron Ungar, an American citizen who was murdered -- together with his wife -- by Palestinian terrorists in June 1996, filed suit this week in a United States federal court against the Palestinian Authority, the PLO and Yasser Arafat. The Ungars are survived by their two sons, Dvir, 5, and Yeshai, 4, who are being cared for by their maternal grandparents, Rabbi Uri and Yehudit Dasberg of Alon Shvut. The suit alleges that Arafat and the other defendants should compensate the Ungar children for the deaths of their parents, as the PA/PLO provides Hamas with shelter, safe haven, and a base of operations from which to carry out terrorist attacks. The suit is based on a US federal law that allows families of terrorist victims to sue the terrorist organization or the body that is responsible for it. The Zionist Organization of America (their website is located at: <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/3132/>) announced that it has published numerous studies in recent years documenting how the Palestinian Authority collaborates with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, incites to anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hatred and violence; routinely releases terrorists from PA/PLO prisons; rewards terrorists with jobs in the PA/PLO police force and other government agencies; names streets and parks in honor of terrorists; and sends regular financial payments to terrorists imprisoned in Israel. HIZB'ALLAH FIRES INTO GALILEE: Making good on threats to retaliate for SLA [South Lebanon Army] attacks on Monday that killed a Lebanese army soldier and a civilian, Hizb'Allah launched a barrage of Katyusha rockets on Wednesday, several of which overshot the border and landed inside northern Israel. IAF [Israel Air Force] jet fighters and Israeli naval vessels responded within hours by striking at targets of the Islamic terrorists north of the Security Zone. THEATER OF THE ABSURD: The Arab League concluded its meeting last night of 120 delegates from 20 Arab countries with a harsh declaration calling for a "re-evaluation of relations with Israel in light of its recent attacks on Lebanon." Lebanese President Emile Lahoud warned Israel against a unilateral withdrawal from his country, saying that it could lead to war. Lebanon's Prime Minister Salim Hoss similarly called for a suspension of Arab ties with Israel if attacks against Lebanon continue, and warned that an Israeli withdrawal without an agreement may lead to violence. Arab sources reveal that Palestinian camps officials in Lebanon described the current situation as serving the interests of the Syrian negotiators and not the Palestinian cause. The sources revealed that, within the last few days, Arafat's PLO sent urgent messages to the camps officials asking them to adhere to the directives of the PLO leadership. These messages came with financial aid estimated at some $1 million. JOSEPH'S TOMB REOPENED: The IDF [Israel Defense Force] reopened Joseph's Tomb near Shechem to yeshiva students and worshipers Sunday afternoon, after IDF officials met with the students. Last week the students at the yeshiva put in a new floor in the compound, to replace the one that was destroyed during the battles with the PA/PLO over three years ago. The local Palestinians were upset at the change to the status quo, and demanded that the army destroy the works -- which it did. The army also closed off the entrance and the exit to the yeshiva compound. PREPARATIONS FOR THE POPE CONTINUE: With less than a week left to Pope John Paul II's arrival, Israel is making extensive preparations to assure his visit will be as trouble-free as possible. Part of the plan is a facelift on the Via Dolorosa (at a cost of NIS 4 million or $1 million), a modified Pope-mobile and expanded airport facilities. Meanwhile the PA/PLO is hoping for political support and financial handouts from the Pontiff. Meanwhile, PA/PLO officials, Palestinian scholars and church dignitaries are scheming to use the Pope's visit to plead for political and financial support. The group, headed by Bassam Abu Sharif, an adviser to Arafat, is requesting that the Pontiff demonstrate his support for Palestinian statehood by donating money and Vatican-owned land in Beit Lechem to build a major medical center and enlarge the University. ASSAD: A SERIAL VIOLATOR OF AGREEMENTS: Like every dictator, Assad considers agreements as a tactical-temporary means to achieve long-term strategic goals: 1. "Greater Syria" that includes Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel; 2. Hegemony in the pan-Arab sphere. * Assad violates agreements with Jordan: Since 1953 Syria has violated all agreements it signed with Jordan for the supply of water from the Yarmuk River. The Yarmuk "faucet" serves Assad as a means of extortion for coercing Jordan to change its policy toward its Iraq, Iran, Israel, the US and the Muslim Brotherhood. * Assad violates agreements with Turkey: Since 1987 three security treaties have been signed between Syria and Turkey. All have been violated by Syria. Turkey has supplied the water, but Assad has persevered in his support for Kurdish anti-Turkish terrorism (the PKK) terror, which has claimed 20,000 Turkish lives. * Assad violates agreements with Iraq: In 1975 Iraq threatened to invade Syria in the wake of Assad's violation of an agreement for the supply of Euphrates waters. In October 1978 Syria and Iraq signed a Treaty for National Cooperation. However, in 1979 they were on the verge of war after the revelation of Assad's alleged involvement in an anti-Saddam plot. * Assad violates Arab summit resolutions: Assad violates the Arab summit resolutions that call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon (the Riyyad/Cairo Summit -- October 1978, Fez -- September 1982, Taif -- October 1989). In defiance of the Taif resolutions of 1989, which called for the total evacuation of the Syrian army by 1991, Assad has strengthened his military presence in Lebanon. In October 1990 Assad exploited Iraq's invasion of Kuwait to carry out a massacre of the Christian leadership in Lebanon, entrenching his control of the country. Assad does not recognize Lebanese sovereignty (Syria has no ambassador in Beirut) and Lebanon does not appear on official Syrian maps of "Greater Syria," which also includes Israel. * Assad violates promises to the US: In 1982 Assad made a commitment to Philip Habib, the US envoy to the Middle East, to withdraw from Lebanon immediately after Israel did so. A year later, in May 1983, in a meeting with US Secretary of State George Shultz in Damascus, Assad brazenly denied making this commitment. * Assad violates agreements with Israel: In 1973 Assad violated the armistice agreement of 1967. In 1975 he made use of Palestinian terrorist organizations in northern Jordan to violate the Disengagement Agreement of 1974. In 1977 he violated the "Red Line Agreement" that limited Syria's presence in Lebanon to a regiment and prohibited the entry of fighter planes, tanks, artillery, and surface-to-surface missiles. >From 1977 to 1982 Syria crossed the "Red Line" several times. Contrary to its commitment Syria did not reconstruct Kuneitra and deployed banned weaponry into the area. Assad's assistance to Hizb'Allah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorists constitutes a gross violation of the 1993 "Operation Accountability Understandings" that prohibit attacks on civilian targets and of previous agreements, regardless whether terrorism is carried out on the Golan or elsewhere. CLINTON SEEKS MEETING WITH ASSAD: US President Bill Clinton seeks a meeting with Syrian President Assad in the hopes of restarting negotiations between Syria and Israel, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. Assad has not yet responded to the US initiative. Clinton plans to invite Assad to a summit in Geneva to discuss issues outstanding after recent behind-the-scenes contacts. According to MA'ARIV, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Responsible for Jerusalem Affairs Haim Ramon said that the manner in which Syria has conducted negotiations diminishes chances for achieving a real peace. "Israel is ready to make painful territorial concessions," Ramon said, "but in order to reach peace with Syria, something must change in the Syrian logic." Meanwhile, according to HA'ARETZ, Member of Knesset Silvan Shalom (Likud) met journalist and Assad confidant Patrick Seale on Thursday. Following the meeting, Seale told reporters that he needs to stay informed on the views of the Israeli right regarding a withdrawal from the Golan Heights. "Israel must understand that peace with Syria cannot be obtained but through a withdrawal from all of the Golan," Seale said. ARROW READY FOR DEPLOYMENT: The IAF welcomed the first two anti-ballistic missiles in the Arrow Two program on Tuesday amid pomp and pageantry at the Palmahim Air Force Base, as the country moved one critical step closer to building a stronger defense system. Air force officials emphasized that the ceremony was only marking the symbolic hand-over of all of the Arrow 2 components, including the rocket launchers, radar, and command center. After a consensus is reached about how to use the system, troops will undergo extensive training before the Arrow 2 becomes operational. The Arrow 2 is said to be capable of handling Scud and Scud variants found in the arsenals of Syria, Egypt and Iraq, but new questions have arisen whether it is a match for Iran's Shihab 3 and Shihab 4 ballistic missiles. Israel is already planning to upgrade the Arrow 2 to better counteract Iran's arsenal of medium-range missiles. It is designed to hit and destroy non- conventional warheads well before they are supposed to explode. CASE OF THE "MISSING 300 RABBIS": The Conference of National Jewish Organizations (CONJO), an umbrella group of pro-Israel Jewish organizations, in conjunction with a number of other Jewish groups, has been trying to figure out the answer to the question: "Where is the LIST of the 'over 300 rabbis' reported to have signed onto a recent petition to divide Jerusalem?' CONJO is seeking a complete list of all of the "more than 300 rabbis" reported to have signed the petition. Efforts to obtain a complete list have as yet been unsuccessful. CONJO is also alarmed to learn that, according to the FORWARD, the study used to urge the "over 300 rabbis" to sign on was funded with federal taxpayer dollars, in a grant in $35,000 granted to Jerome Segal of the so-called ""Jewish Peace Lobby". A lengthy and prominent article in the 20 January 2000 issue of THE NEW YORK TIMES (Neil MacFarquhar: "300 Rabbis in U.S. Group Say Jerusalem is Shareable") reported that 300 rabbis signed a petition to President Clinton calling for the division of Jerusalem. CONJO, American Academic Alliance for Israel, American Academics for Israel's Future, Americans for a Safe Israel, Coalition for Israel, Council of Sephardic Rabbis, Foundation for Constitutional Democracy, Freeman Center for Strategic Studies, Interfaith Coalition for a Free Middle East, Jerusalem Reclamation Project, Jewish Action Alliance, Jewish Political Caucus, The Louis D. Brandeis Society for Zionist Lawyers, Zionist Organization of America and other organizations have united to repudiate the anti-Jerusalem petition. CONJO has received signatures from rabbinical and Jewish community leaders from around the country and around the world on its own petition fighting the anti-Jerusalem petition of the "Jewish Peace Lobby." SOLDIERS SAVED FROM EXPLODING TIRES: Two booby-trapped burning tires exploded Sunday in the Shomron, nearly injuring two IDF soldiers in the process. They stopped their jeep with the intention of removing the tires from the highway, but the explosion fortuitously occurred before they were too close. The explosion caused damage to the jeep's windshield. Another booby-trapped tire was also detected Sunday on the Alon Highway adjacent to the community of Kokhav HaShachar. No injuries or property damage were reported. An Israeli taxi driver was stabbed and robbed Wednesday in the Arab village of Tarkumiyeh by two Arab passengers. He was taken to the hospital in Hebron; after it was learned that he was Jewish, he was transferred to the care of Israelis. The Israeli driver who was reported missing in similar circumstances several days ago was found safe the next day. Four Molotov firebombs were thrown on a military vehicle outside Kfar Tapuach Wednesday afternoon. No one was hurt, and the army combed the area in pursuit of the attackers. SWISS BANK SETTLEMENT DELAYED: A federal judge in Brooklyn has postponed approval of the $1.25 billion Swiss banks settlement and the release of a proposed plan to distribute the funds until the Swiss Federal Banking Commission indicates if it will implement the audit of Nazi-era accounts, according to court sources. Holocaust survivors and heirs had been awaiting the proposed distribution plan, which was to have been released Wednesday and would identify how five classes of Nazi victims will share the settlement that is being paid by Credit Suisse and UBS. Two of those classes are slave laborers, many of whom may also be covered by a separate German-financed initiative. The Volcker Committee, which was formed in May 1996 by the Swiss Bankers Association and the World Jewish Restitution Organization, found more than 40,000 Holocaust accounts. The settlement is intended to resolve class-action suits against Swiss banks. THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY: 12 March 1421: In Wiener Gezarah, Vienna, a combination of murder, libel and host-desecration charges brought about the destruction of the entire Jewish community. This was done under the auspices of Archduke Albert of Austria and was partly due to the revival of the crusader spirit of the Hussite Wars. 12 March 1938: Hitler entered Austria to the greetings of the Church and Cardinal Innitzer. Seys-Inquert, who later achieved infamy as a mass murderer of Jews, was appointed Chancellor. The following day, Austria was annexed to Germany. 14 March 1937: Pope Pious XI issued an encyclical condemning racism. This was one of the few times the Vatican made a public statement against the Nazi regime. The next pope, Pious XII, did even less. 16 March 1190: On the Sabbath eve before Passover ("Shabbat Hagado") in York, England, a group made up of clergy, barons indebted to the Jews, and crusaders waiting to follow Richard, set Jewish houses on fire and stole all their valuables. Facing the choice of baptism or death, most Jews chose death. 18 March 1799: Haifa was captured by Napoleon. This marks the extent of Napoleon's conquest in Eretz Israel. The next day they reached Acre. It was defended by both British warships and local townspeople including the Jewish inhabitants. By June, Napoleon gave up and returned to Egypt. This material has been adapted from BEYOND TIME AND HISTORY by Eli Birnbaum (Sources: AFP, IMRA, ARUTZ-7, MIDDLE EAST UPDATE, ISRAEL LINE, ICEJ, ACPR, JERUSALEM POST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Published by Tzemach News Service, a ministry of Tzemach Institute for Biblical Studies <http:/www.tzemach.org> 'TNS.' may be reproduced & distributed in any form. Please give proper credit. 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 ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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