9. Jerusalem construction

THE JERUSALEM POST 1/14/99: "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not stop the imminent construction at the controversial Ras al-Amud site on the Mount of Olives, according to Dr. Irving Moskowitz, owner of the property. "That's my understanding, very clearly," he said yesterday, while conducting a tour of the site with part of a delegation that he brought this week from the US.

"We have the permit to build, and he understands that," Moskowitz said. "And he understands that it is the rule of law that will determine the development, and he understands that the rule of law applies to this property, and that we are going to build here."

Netanyahu's director of communications, David Bar-Illan, said that "all the permits are there, everything is legal, and there's no way to stop anything like that except [by invoking] public safety. For the time being there doesn't seem to be any reason to invoke it, but the prime minister has not relinquished his right and power to do so."

Moskowitz and his group met with Netanyahu on Tuesday for over an hour, at which Netanyahu was quoted as saying, "We all know that there is a disagreement between me and Dr. Moskowitz regarding the timing of the development."

...Moskowitz would not say yesterday when actual construction would begin, only that the site will be more than just the 132 apartments for Jews and 700 for Arabs.

Sources say construction could begin in two weeks. "We're going to have here not just homes, but a Jewish neighborhood, including a synagogue and a little shopping center."

Moskowitz gave a tour of the area to the men who were here as part of a group of US right-wing financiers, politicians and professionals on a four-day trip. The group came to strengthen the right-wing camp for the upcoming election, as well as explore the political situation in an effort to decide behind whom to throw their support.

Among the delegation was Rep. Mike Forbes (Republican-New York), who lashed out at US President Bill Clinton for allowing his chief political strategists, including James Carville, to come to Israel to help in the campaign of Labor Party leader Ehud Barak.

"The fact that a United States president has allowed his political advisers to come over here to pick the next prime minister is inappropriate," Forbes said...Peace Now and Bat Shalom, which oppose the construction of Jewish housing on the site, protested Moskowitz's tour.

One demonstrator was arrested. Moskowitz was quoted as promising Jewish settlers yesterday that he would do everything in his power to ensure that a Jewish presence remains in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Yehudit Tayar, spokeswoman for the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, also said Moskowitz told council members that he had come because of the political situation and also to show his support and strengthen the settlers..."

10. Sharon clarification

ARUTZ7 1/14/99: "Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon has clarified his remarks in France this week regarding the possibility that the Palestinian autonomy could become a state. He explained yesterday that if the Palestinians expect to "have what they want to have," they would have to accept certain restrictions, such as buffer zones on the east and west, and limits on its military and foreign ties.

IsraelWire reports that Sharon, speaking before the Institute for Foreign Relations, a French think-tank, said yesterday, "For us, a real independent Palestinian state is a real danger... There will be limitation of weapons, there will be limitation of alliances with other countries, and Israel will have the right to fly over this area."

Asked about the Jewish communities inside the Palestinian entity, Sharon answered ambiguously, "I don't see why any of these would be removed." In his original remarks, the Foreign Minister said that if the Palestinians declare a state unilaterally, Israel would annex areas of Judea and Samaria that had not been transferred to Palestinian control.

Deputy Minister Michael Eitan, speaking for the government in the Knesset yesterday, said that the government does not support "at this stage" a proposed law by the National Religious Party that would automatically annex such areas in the event of a unilateral Palestinian declaration.

Eitan said, however, that the government would see such a declaration as a "fundamental violation of the agreement," and would react sharply, including the possibility of annexing those areas. A vote on the bill will be held in two weeks."

11. Ofer purchase

HA'ARETZ 1/16/99: :"The news last night that the Ofer Brothers Investment group would buy the controlling stake in the Israel Corporation stunned the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, which thought it was about to make the acquisition itself, and surprised Israelis who had lamented the prospective deal with the Canadians as a selloff of one of Israel's primary natural resources.

President Ezer Weizman said last night, "I am very happy that a blue and white group, a hometown family from Haifa, acquired control of the Israel Corporation and Israel Chemicals." Weizman's statement neatly summed up the sentiments of many Israelis, who were relieved to see the property of the Eisenberg family being taken over by "one of ours" rather than the giant Canadian conglomerate.

Erwin Eisenberg, the man selling the 53 percent share in the Israel Corp., refused to comment on the deal with Yuli and Sami Ofer. But Eisenberg had earlier indicated he wanted to wrap up the sale of his shares as quickly as possible.

The deal with the Canadians had been in the works for several weeks. Some observers speculated that Eisenberg had been influenced by the public lamentations in Israel about what seemed to be an impending deal.

The Israel Corporation holds the controlling majority interest in Israel Chemicals Limited, which extracts a number of valuable chemicals from the Dead Sea..."

12. PLC warning

Voice of America 1/14/99: "Palestinian legislators have given Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority two weeks to free 450 political prisoners being held without trial or charges against them.

Most are members of the militant Islamic movement "Hamas."...in an action welcomed by human rights activists, the Palestinian legislative council, the P-L-C, has given Mr. Arafat's administration two-weeks to release the political detainees or face a no-confidence vote. The move -- which came at a stormy meeting of the P-L-C Wednesday in Ramallah -- is a rare act of defiance of Mr. Arafat by the legislators, and reflects growing apprehension in the West Bank and Gaza over the conduct of his security apparatus.

Some of the prisoners have been held for as long as two-years without trial or charges. And, in some cases, detainees have remained in jail despite release orders from the Palestinian high court. Most of the detainees belong to the militant Islamic group "Hamas" or other radical factions opposed to Mr. Arafat and his 1993 Oslo peace agreement with Israel...

The P-L-C approved a measure calling for the prohibition of political detention and the immediate release of those held only for political reasons. It set up a special committee to monitor the arafat administration's compliance, and threatened a no-confidence move to dismiss the cabinet if there is no action within two weeks.

Arafat aides have promised that some detainees will be released by the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan early next week."

13. Inflation drops

ARUTZ7 1/17/99: "Inflation for the year 1998 totaled 8.6%. December's inflation rate, publicized on Friday, was only 0.1%. The rate for last year, 7%, was the lowest it had been in 28 years..."

14. Religious council

HA'ARETZ 1/19/99: "The two non-Orthodox members recently elected to the Haifa religious council found themselves sitting alone at the council's first meeting last night. As expected, the council's 28 Orthodox members boycotted the meeting, which was adjourned after one hour for lack of a quorum.

The chairman of the council, Rabbi Yitzhak Getz, sequestered himself in a side room with a legal adviser, before emerging to announce the meeting's adjournment. The High Court of Justice last week overturned a directive by Religious Affairs and Interior Minister Eliyahu Suissa aimed at preventing the participation of non-Orthodox representatives.

The meeting last night fulfilled the legal ruling of the High Court, if not its spirit. The council is required by law to convene again within seven days and to conduct a meeting, regardless of the number of participants. When asked what will happen next week, Rabbi Getz said: "We have a long week ahead of us.

I believe that during this week all kinds of changes could occur. Perhaps some kind of law will be passed in the Knesset." Getz noted that the council's three Likud members and four Labor representatives also heeded the call by Haifa's chief rabbinate to boycott the meeting and explained that he only showed up himself since he was obligated by the High Court ruling as council chairman.

Despite the Orthodox boycott, the Conservative representative, Jonathan Friedland, called the meeting "historic." He explained that "finally, it has been officially recognized that there are Jews in Israel who care about religion who are not Orthodox." Meretz leader Yossi Sarid criticized the Labor representatives on the council for failing to attend the meeting.

The Labor Party spokesman, Yitzhak Ravichai, emphasized that "the party has a clear policy against religious coercion and distribution of funds and benefits only to extremists."

The spokesman said that the Labor representatives who boycotted the meeting were "acting against the party's policies on this issue."

15. Ramon leaving?

THE JERUSALEM POST 1/19/99: "Turmoil engulfed the Labor Party yesterday, as MK Haim Ramon told party chairman Ehud Barak and secretary-general Ra'anan Cohen he will not seek reelection.

His move came after the party decided to alter voting rights in the upcoming primaries, according to senior party sources. MK Nissim Zvilli went one step further, and announced his resignation from the party, saying it has become a "one-man" show under Barak.

In a resignation letter highly critical of Barak, Zvilli said he would be supporting Amnon Lipkin-Shahak's bid for the premiership. Yet senior Labor MKs and workers were far more concerned by Ramon's latest U-turn.

On Sunday night, the party decided that grass-roots members would be allowed nine to 11 votes for candidates for Labor's Knesset list. Ramon had insisted members only be given seven-nine votes. The feeling in Labor is that if members are only given a handful of votes, they will opt for familiar names, such as Uzi Baram and Ramon.

The more votes are granted, the further down the list the likes of Ramon could find themselves, as members will be more likely to push their own, lesser-known candidates up the list.

Last night, Ramon would only say that "the party central committee launched an election method which does not allow for a competition which will bring about the true wishes of party members." "Ramon was exceptionally angry because voting agreements among him, Barak, and Shlomo Ben-Ami are simply being ignored," a political source close to Labor said last night.

The source added that Ramon is convinced that the revised voting system will leave him in 15th or 16th position. "Ramon is only staying in Labor for political reasons, if [Yitzhak] Mordechai decides to go to the center party, Ramon will leave Labor in a second," he added.

Barak, meanwhile, said Ramon is important to him and is a part of the party's leadership, but stressed that one cannot change democratic decisions of the party "even for an important figure such as Haim Ramon."

Immediately following his discussion with Barak, Ramon was joined in his office by MK Haggai Merom, who has already left the party. Sources close to Barak said he wants Ramon to remain inside Labor and is hopeful he can be persuaded to change his mind before the list of primary candidates closes at 4 p.m. on Thursday...

Party reaction to Zvilli's announcement, meanwhile, was far more muted. One spokeswoman said, "It's not worth our while even bothering to comment." In his resignation letter Zvilli said Barak rules Labor "without patience and without tolerance, with unnecessary and damaging forcefulness."

On the other hand, Shahak, he wrote, "is gifted with leadership qualities and with the global perspective of a leader that the people of Israel are crying out for."..."

16. Bibi, Bill & Jonathan

THE JERUSALEM POST 1/19/99: "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has instructed his staff to begin high-level meetings with the US intelligence community over accusations that Israel did not return all classified documents passed on by Jonathan Pollard.

It is hoped the meetings will facilitate the release of the convicted spy, Pollard's lawyer, Larry Dub, said after meeting with Netanyahu yesterday. President Bill Clinton is today to review the possibility of releasing Pollard.

The prime minister's legal adviser, Shimon Stern, and other senior officials were instructed to discuss with the US administration claims that Israel did not return all of the highly secret material which Pollard passed to it, including a key surveillance manual containing encryption codes, Dub said.

According to an article in The New Yorker, the manual was described as so secret that it had never been mentioned in public. Netanyahu plans to take action to combat what he sees as a disinformation campaign being waged in Washington, Dub said.

He said that the charges in The New Yorker article, that the documents were sold to the highest bidder, were a slur not only against Pollard but against the Israeli authorities. Dub said he had appealed directly to Clinton, and had also written twice to White House Counsel Charles Ruff.

He said he had also twice requested meetings with Craig Iscoe of the Justice Department and was surprised that there were charges that he had not presented Pollard's view to the US Justice Department in anticipation of the review of the release request.

At his meeting with Dub, Netanyahu reiterated his dissatisfaction with Labor Party leader Ehud Barak for failing to sign a joint letter to Clinton on Pollard. According to sources close to Netanyahu, Barak was afraid that, should Pollard be released as a result of the joint plea, Netanyahu would bask in the pre-election glory.

"Pollard was sent by the State of Israel," Netanyahu said. "This is not a political issue. Israel has to be responsible for bringing him home. We do not leave our wounded soldiers in the field."

He said it was essential that Barak sign the letter on the day that Clinton is reviewing the question of Pollard's release. Barak responded on Israel Radio that the public declarations about Pollard had merely "buried him deeper." Barak said he believes in quiet diplomacy.