15. Aipac's secret

ARUTZ7 1/21/99: "...On Jan. 14, Dr. Nabil Sha'ath, "Minister of planning and international cooperation" in the Palestinian Authority, was interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio. Excerpts follow:

VOP Radio: Yesterday, you had a meeting with a delegation of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC, last night.

What is the importance of this meeting at this time?

SHA'ATH: This is the major U.S. Zionist organization which lobbies for Israel's sake in the United States. So, the meeting with AIPAC last night was important. They asked for the meeting, not me. They wanted a briefing.

They asked many questions, and I answered very frankly and realistically. I think that we were almost agreed on the rights of the Palestinian people and the importance of declaring a Palestinian state on 4 May 1999, and the need for Jerusalem to be the capital of the Palestinian state.

I have frankly, honestly, and realistically talked about all what they consider as taboos. I think they understand our position better now.

VOP Radio: In other words, there is now a bigger understanding of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

SHA'ATH: The Jewish and Zionist lobbies and pressure groups in the United States, which we were not able to approach in the past, are getting close to such an understanding.

AIPAC, when approached about the above, admitted that the meeting with Sha'ath took place, but would not comment on what was actually said at the meeting.

AIPAC says that they do not comment on such meetings, but did say that Sha'ath's comments are "fundamentally inaccurate."

An official AIPAC agenda-statement includes in its priorities, "opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, [while] supporting a political solution in the search for peace between Israel and the Palestinians that would permit the exercise of Palestinian self-government while excluding those elements of self-government that endanger the security of Israel.

Any unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood should be opposed by the United States because it would be inimical to peace."

In addition, AIPAC stands for, "ensuring that Jerusalem remains a free, undivided city, the capital of Israel and of no other nation or entity, under Israeli sovereignty."

16. Sharon in Russia

ISRAEL LINE 1/21/99: "Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon and Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov met in Moscow today and discussed Russia's sale of missiles and transfer of technological know-how to Iran, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported.

After the meeting, Sharon said that Israel did not receive any commitment that Russia would halt cooperation with Iran since Russia has its own strategic considerations, but added that Israel can nevertheless achieve balanced and stable relations with Russia.

The two ministers decided that Israel and Russia will continue discussions on the Iran issue.

Sharon also met on Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, discussing a wide range of subjects, including economic and bilateral issues, the problem of anti-Semitism, regional strategic issues, the Middle East peace process and Russia’s place in it, and the dangers facing Israel as a result of Russian aid to Iran.

Sharon and Ivanov agreed to immediately renew the meetings of the Israeli-Russian joint economic committee and to advance concrete proposals and projects for broadening the economic relationship between the two countries.

After Foreign Minister Sharon broached the issue of anti-Semitism, Ivanov said that the Russian government condemns this phenomenon and will continue to work determinedly against all manifestations of anti-Semitism within its borders.

Sharon also held meetings with Interior Minister Stephashin and Defense Minister Sergeev. In the meeting with Stephasin, the two discussed cooperation in the war on terrorism and the war on organized crime."

17. Ohana affair

HA'ARETZ 1/22/99: "MKs Hanan Porat (NRP) and Rechavam Ze'evi (Moledet) were questioned by the police yesterday regarding their involvement in the Ohana affair. The two met separately with the head of the national fraud squad.

The investigations were not conducted at a police station. Also yesterday, Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak criticized politicians and members of the bar association for attacking the courts without first checking the facts.

"A person only has to claim that a judge ruled in his case while being blackmailed by the police, and the matter is immediately publicized, libelously and without any real examination, and sent echoing through the streets," Barak said.

"It seems that all of us in the judicial system have become suspects." The affair began some two weeks ago, when Porat transferred documents to Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein alleging that 17 years ago, Yehiam Ohana had been framed by police on a drug conviction.

The case also involved the alleged blackmail by police officers of the presiding judge, Theodor Or, now a Supreme Court justice.

Ohana admitted Tuesday that the documents were forgeries, although he denies any wrongdoing, blaming his associate Rahel Lev. Porat yesterday told his investigators that he had never met Ohana prior to the affair, and that it was only as chair of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee that he became involved in Ohana's request for a retrial.

In his response to police questioning, Porat described the events of the affair, from Ohana and Lev's first visit to him until they transferred the material to Rubinstein. Porat, who said that it had never occured to him that the documents were forged, added that he had asked Lev to accompany him to meet Rubinstein so that she could present the documents to the attorney general herself.

He reiterated his claim that he pleaded with Ma'ariv reporter Ben Caspit not to go public with the details of the affair until after Rubinstein concluded his investigation.

Ze'evi was questioned regarding his acquaintance with Ohana and his knowledge of the way in which the documents presented to Rubinstein were gathered. Ze'evi denied any connection to the documents and said that he had no idea they were forged..."

18. Ramon

HA'ARETZ 1/22/99: "After a week of seesawing, Knesset member Haim Ramon has announced that he intends to stay in the Labor Party. In a passionate speech, Ramon termed the attacks that had been made on him, "honey-tipped knives."

He made his decision after the compromise proposal he supported for the party's internal voting procedures was accepted by a large majority of Labor's central committee.

The motion on the compromise had been submitted by MK Yossi Beilin, but was in jeopardy until party chief Ehud Barak spoke in favor of it and Ramon.

According to the new arrangement, every voter in the primaries on February 15 will check off 9 to 11 names on the voting form and will be given the prerogative of indicating which five of those candidates should be at the top of the party's list of Knesset candidates.

In Ramon's opinion, this method - as opposed to the previous one - will ensure his place at the top of the list..."

19. Hussein

HA'ARETZ 1/22/99: "The next chapter in the unfolding saga of who Jordan's King Hussein will anoint as his eventual successor may begin as early as next week, Israeli officials believe, as Hussein receives key Middle East leaders. Israeli officials believe that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Morocco's King Hassan will be among the leaders who will visit Hussein in Aqaba next week.

Officially the visits will be billed as convalescence calls, welcoming Hussein back to the region after his six-month absence to undergo cancer treatment in the U.S. However, Israeli officials believe that the leaders actually want a better understanding of Hussein's thinking on succession, and may seek to shape it, as well.

Among the leaders not expected to be invited to Aqaba are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Hafez Assad. It remains unclear which other Middle East leaders will visit. Jordan is rife with predictions these days.

The most common is that 19-year-old Prince Hamzah is poised to inherit the throne. The choice appears to be between Hamzah and the king's 37-year-old son, Abdullah.

They might be joined by Hussein's son Ali, 24, whose chances are considered slim. Hamzah's advantage over Abdullah and Ali is that his mother is Queen Noor, to whom the king is still married.

She is Hussein's fourth wife. Upon his return to Amman, the king emphasized that "my sons, especially my son Hamzah, who is not here today because he is at the Sandhurst Military Academy, never left my side during the whole period."

Hamzah, Jordanian citizens say, is the candidate preferred by the United States, since his mother is an American. Ali is the only son who meets the criteria of the Jordanian constitution, since his mother, Alia Toukan, was Arab.

Ali is preferred by Jordan's Palestinian majority since Queen Alia came from a respected Nablus-area family, yet his chances are slim, partly because of his reputation as a pub-goer.

A Jordanian commentator noted yesterday that "actually, none of the sons are very promising." Hussein has been reconsidering the position of his brother, Crown Prince Hassan, over the past two years.

Hassan, to whom Hussein once referred as "the Crown Prince and the apple of my eye," was last week demoted to "my deputy" in his brother's mention. Hussein returns to the U.S. on March 10 for further treatments."

20. Terrorist trial

HA'ARETZ 1/22/99: "The Hamas terrorist under arrest for the murder of Rabbi Shlomo Raanan of Hebron had planned a suicide attack near a border police base in East Jerusalem, according to the indictment submitted against him in the Beit El military court yesterday.

In the end, however, he decided to throw a grenade at the Be'er Sheva central bus station instead. He hoped to die in this attack , but was caught alive. Salem Sarsour, 30, said yesterday he had no regrets.

"I only did my duty to my country and my people," said Sarsour, a member of the Hamas group, as he sat handcuffed and shackled in an Israeli military court in the West Bank..."

21. Arab summit

Voice of America 1/21/99: "An Iraqi official in Egypt says Iraq's foreign minister Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf is to attend Sunday's Arab league foreign ministers meeting...