Oh Canada! Land of settlers slams settlements

GLOBES 3/2/99: "Canada does not recognize the legality of economic activities by the settlements. This statement was made at the weekend in Ramallah by Canadian Minister of International Trade Sergio Marchi.

"I would like to clarify that we believe the continued expansion of settlements is unhelpful to the peace process. Therefore, all economic activity carried out at those settlements lacks legitimacy."

Last year, the European Union declared it did not recognize the legality of the settlements, and consequently, would not recognize settlements' exports as Israeli, and not include them in the free trade rules between Israel and the Union.

In response, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy director-general for economic affairs, Victor Har'el, told Globes:

"We did not notice any attempt to copy the European attempt, which is still under discussion in the meantime. It will constitute a change in the currently existing status quo between Canada and ourselves.

It was not reflected in the Canadian minister's talks in Israel last week."

Canada and the Palestinian Authority signed a free trade agreement at the weekend, in which customs duties will be almost completely removed for industrial products, and additional concessions will be given for mutual trade between the parties.

Canadian exports to the territories amount to $1 million per annum. As part of its move to expand trade ties, Canada has opened an office in Ramallah to represent its interests.

Canada has a free trade agreement with Israel, and according to Marchi, the Ramallah office balances Canadian presence in the region."

No news: arm-twisting Arab media

Cairo's MIDDLE EAST NEWS AGENCY 3/3/99: "The General Secretariat of the Arab Journalists Union has reiterated the Union's declared and firm position banning normalization with Israel in the absence of a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

The General Secretariat condemned the involvement of some journalists into normalization activity under political, professional, or cultural pretexts and called on all Arab unions to impost the toughest penalty against any journalist who violates this rule.

In a statement today, the General Secretariat declared its rejection of Israel's attempts to use some agreements, such as the one calling for ending incitement of hatred, as an excuse for influencing freedom of the press and freedom of expression and opinion in the Arab states or as a tool for political pressure and intellectual extortion."

No water: Lake Kinneret

HA'ARETZ 3/3/99: "Israel's water resources are in worse shape than had previously been thought, experts at the Mekorot Water Company warned yesterday. Mekorot will present the Water Commission with a new plan for pumping water from Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

The new plan calls for pumping only 120 million cubic meters of water in 1999, 100 million less than the amount proposed in the pumping plan submitted by the Water Commission. The new plan is adding fuel to the debate about the future of Lake Kinneret, which, according to some experts, could become salinized and could even succumb to "biological death."

On average, Mekorot pumps 390 to 400 million cubic meters of water from Lake Kinneret each year. The company's experts said yesterday that if the amount pumped this year exceeds 120 million cubic meters, the water level could drop below the "red line" (212 meters).

The Water Commission is considering lowering Lake Kinneret's water level to 213 meters to supply an additional 160 million cubic meters of water to meet Israel's needs...

The reduction in the amount of water to be pumped from the Kinneret will mean a drastic water shortage throughout the country. To compensate for that shortage, Mekorot will recommend increased pumping from Israel's main aquifers.

Mekorot experts said yesterday that all of Israel's water reservoirs are in danger of going below their respective "red lines" because of the water shortage and because of the extra pumping that will be required to meet the country's needs.

The experts are particularly concerned about the year 2000: "If 2000 also turns out to be a 'dry year,' there might not be enough water for agriculture in many parts of Israel."

Mekorot stressed yesterday that the proposals for additional pumping cutbacks are so far only recommendations and that the ultimate decision is in the Water Commission's hands...

On Sunday, the government will be asked to approve the joint proposal of National Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon and Agricultural Minister Rafael Eitan for the immediate launching of a desalination project, which would initially process 50 to 100 million cubic meters of sea water per year."

No desertion: preserving settlements

ARUTZ7 3/4/99: "The new centrist party will work to preserve Yesha settlement blocs in Israeli hands in the framework of a final settlement with the Palestinians.

So says former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, number two on the centrist party list. In an interview with Arutz-7 today, Shachak stated that he knows that the topic of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria will definitely arise during the negotiations with the Palestinians.

"We must come to an agreement with the Palestinians that has the broadest possible base of support within Israel," he said. Regarding Lebanon, Shachak criticized Labor party leader Ehud Barak's announcement that the IDF should withdraw from Lebanon within a year.

"A withdrawal is not the answer. The key to the problem must be found in Syria. We must negotiate with them, and even though they will surely demand the entire Golan, we will make our own demands, and we will try to come to an agreement."

Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked Shachak to comment on the recent televised remarks by the IDF commander in the western security zone in Lebanon, Col. Noam, who criticized the phenomenon of "every worried parent [getting] up on television and [calling] for a withdrawal from Lebanon.

These parents are acting against the opinions of their sons - many of whom volunteered to be here - and this must be stopped." Shachak replied, "Israel is definitely a very open society, and many differing opinions are heard, on many different issues..."

Factional Unity?

ARUTZ7 3/4/99: "The Labor Party Central Committee approved the assignation of five places on Ehud Barak's One Israel list for outsiders today.

David Levy and Gesher members will receive three spots, and two spots will be reserved for Meimad representatives - all among the first 35 on the list. The low-ranking Labor MKs rescinded their objections to a secret ballot, and a comfortable majority in favor of the proposal was attained.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Likud is also scheduled to convene next week to approve the protection of two spots for Tzomet leader Rafael Eitan and his colleague Doron Rubin on its list.

The Knesset House Committee today approved a series of new factions, caused by the separation of MKs from existing factions.

National Religious Party MKs Chanan Porat and Tzvi Hendel broke off from the NRP and formed the Emunim faction. Agriculture Minister Rafael Eitan's Tzomet faction separated from the Likud party, with which it ran - together with Gesher - on a joint ticket in the 1996 elections.

Despite this, Eitan and another Tzomet member will run together with the Likud in the coming elections, while Tzomet MK Moshe Peled left the party immediately after today's decision to join Moledet.

In addition, Degel HaTorah has separated from United Torah Judaism party for technical reasons, although they too will run as one party in the elections. By the end of the meeting, Committee Chairman Rafael Pinchasi (Shas) sounded a bit dizzied by the plethora of Knesset factions that he was able to enumerate:

"Labor, Likud, Shas, NRP, Meretz, Yisrael B'Aliyah, Third Way, United Torah Judaism, Moledet, Herut, Shinui, Emunim, the Centrist party, Tzomet, Gesher, Aliyah, Degel HaTorah, Hadash, Mada, Bashara-Mahmeed."

(Arab MKs Bashara and Mahmeed headed separate electoral lists until now, although they were both members of the Hadash party for most of the current Knesset.)

The formation of a separate Knesset faction usually requires one-third of an existing faction; within three months before the elections, however, even one MK can form his own separate faction."

US “Human Rights” report a distortion

ARUTZ7 3/4/99: "The U.S. State Department's 1998 annual human rights report basically equates violent Palestinian Arabs with the Israeli residents of Judea-Samaria. So accuses the Zionist Organization of America.

In its human rights report entitled "The Occupied Territories," the State Department states, "Israeli civilians, including settlers, continued to harass, abuse, and attack Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

Two sentences later, it uses the same language to refer to Palestinian attacks on Jews:

"Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip continued to harass, abuse, and attack Israelis, especially settlers."

Referring to the attacks on Arabs, it lumps together cases where Arabs were killed either in self-defense, by unidentified persons, or pre-meditatedly.

The ZOA comments that the report "makes it appear as if both sides are equally guilty of aggressive violence. In fact, the violence consists of Arabs throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli motorists or policemen [and subsequent Israeli self-defense]."

The ZOA continues, "During 1998, at least 86 Israelis traveling in the territories or the Old City of Jerusalem, or soldiers or policemen serving there, were injured in attacks by Palestinian Arab rock-throwers," and provides a list of the cases.

The State Department's human rights report makes no mention of these 86 Israeli victims, except to say very generally, "There were periodic reports of Israeli cars being stoned by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza," as opposed to the detailed list it provided of attacks on Arabs.

ZOA President Morton Klein said, "It is appalling that the State Department report ignores the Palestinian Authority's ghastly human rights abuses against Christian Arabs, such as threats, arrests on trumped-charges, and torture, simply because they are Christians."

New King of Jordon makes new changes

THE JERUSALEM POST 3/5/99: "Jordan's King Abdullah II yesterday telephoned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to inform him of the appointment of Abdul-Raouf Rawabdeh as his new prime minister.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said that Abdullah also thanked Netanyahu for his visit earlier this week, and that the two had agreed Rawabdeh would work with Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon in dealing with all bilateral issues.

A letter congratulating Rawabdeh has been prepared and is to be sent out soon, Netanyahu spokesman Aviv Bushinsky said last night. Abdullah's decision to replace prime minister Fayez Tarawneh with Rawabdeh, a veteran local politician who supported the peace deal with Israel, was his first major executive step since succeeding his father, King Hussein, who died February 7...

He also named former prime minister Abdul-Karim Kabariti, whose 1996-97 government implemented tough economic changes and distanced Jordan from former ally Iraq, as chief of Jordan's royal court.

After swearing in Rawabdeh and his 22 cabinet colleagues, including three deputy premiers, Abdullah urged them to consolidate ties with Israel and to work for a "transparent" government, a freer press, and wider democracy.

"Jordan is in the throes of a new and promising era," Abdullah said in a letter to Rawabdeh, outlining his policy guidelines.

In his 16-page letter, Abdullah instructed him to consolidate Jordan's ties with the Palestinians and Israel under the 1994 peace treaty signed by his father.

"Peace is a strategic option" for Jordan, he said...Rawabdeh's cabinet includes 15 new ministers, six of whom have held previous ministerial posts.

Eight others were retained from Tarawneh's cabinet, including the interior, finance, and foreign affairs ministers.