Yisrael b'Aliyah party breakup
ARUTZ7 7/7/99: "The Yisrael B'Aliyah party has broken up. Two of its Knesset
Members, Roman Bronfman and Alexander Tzinker, have formed their own faction, named
Mifleget HaMachar - The Party of Tomorrow. Bronfman said that the coalition agreements
regarding the issues of "religion and state" are not sufficient.
Yisrael B'Aliyah leader Natan Sharansky called the move "traitorous." The
future appointment of Deputy Minister Yuli Edelstein to the post of Minister of
Immigration is now in doubt, since his party is left with only four MKs.
Another squeaky wheel in the coalition alliance is the stated objections by Justice
Minister Yossi Beilin and Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg to the plan to expand the
government from 18 to 24 ministers. Burg said today that he will "not rush" to
have the Knesset change the Basic Laws.
Beilin said yesterday that he believes that it would be a mistake to change the Basic
Laws simply for coalition purposes. He said he would present the bill to the Knesset, in
accordance with the wishes of the Prime Minister, but added that he will recommend that
the government not change the existing law..."
PA unhappiness over Barak
ARUTZ7 7/7/99: "The Palestinian Authority is also not particularly happy with the
new government, especially given the distancing of certain ministers from positions of
diplomatic influence. Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that the PA had hoped
that men such as Peres, Ramon, Beilin, and Ben-Ami - whose left-wing positions are
well-known - would be more involved with the diplomatic process.
"Arafat originally preferred Netanyahu over Barak," reported Huberman,
"because under Netanyahu, the PA's international standing was improved. Arafat's
aides, however, were in favor of Barak, because of people such as Peres and Beilin with
whom they had forged close ties and who would come along with Barak. In the end, both
Arafat and his aides are unhappy: Netanyahu lost - and Beilin and Peres are not in the
picture!"
Huberman enumerated a series of other Palestinian fears vis-a-vis the new government:
"The Palestinians know that Barak doesn't exactly like the Wye Agreement. They are
afraid that he will attempt to come to an agreement with Syria first, and ignore them,
during this last year of [U.S. President] Clinton. They fear that [Syrian President] Assad
and Barak may have come to a quiet agreement to 'get' Arafat.
Despite Barak's announcement yesterday that the Palestinian and Syrian tracks are of
equally high priority, they are well aware that Israel never was able to conduct two peace
processes at once. They further know that Barak has ignored Arafat for the past seven
weeks. They feel that they now have a new Netanyahu, but one with a better standing in the
world and in Washington."
Likud opposition to cabinet
appointments
HA'ARETZ 7/8/99: "The Likud lashed out yesterday at Prime Minister-elect Ehud
Barak's cabinet appointments, accusing him of choosing "the wrong people for the
wrong jobs." Shinui Chairman Yosef "Tommy" Lapid weighed in as well,
saying, "Nothing unites this government other than the fierce desires of some if its
members to be a part of it. This government will come apart before it manages to put
Barak's plans into effect."
"For the first time in the history of the state," the Likud said in a
statement, "the justice minister - Yossi Beilin - will not be a jurist, and the
minister of public security - Shlomo Ben Ami - has no background or talent in the realm of
security, and the finance minister - (Avraham) Beiga Shochat - has already held the
position, and led the economy to immense deficits."
Shinui MK Avraham Poraz was similarly displeased. "Barak made every effort to give
each minister the job he is least suited to," Poraz said. "As justice minister
he appointed someone who is not a jurist; for the portfolio concerned with dispersing
demonstrations and catching criminals he picked an expert in Spanish history; and for
communications minister he appointed a man who is best suited to be minister of public
security."
The Likud statement also took issue with President Ezer Weizman for saying he had no
objections to the expansion of the government and that the peace process is the important
thing. Even the peace process, the Likud said, cannot come at the expense of trampling the
Basic Law on the Government. The Likud called on Weizman to stop meddling in
politics."
Iran changes? Barak softens position
HA'ARETZ 7/7/99: "Prime Minister Ehud Barak intends to try a new approach toward
Iran, long regarded as Israel's enemy number one: a detente. Iran's military power and
ballistic advances, together with her steadily rising favor with the U.S., have convinced
Barak that it may be time to stop branding Iran an evil, terrorist nation and start
falling in line by recognizing it as an unchangeable factor that can be dealt with.
Barak has never considered Iran Israel's worst threat. As Chief of Staff, he expressed
the opinion that Iraq, which had proven its belligerence against Israel in previous wars,
was far more troublesome than Iran, who was on Israel's side throughout those conflicts.
He pointed out the natural common interest between the two countries as two of the three
non-Arab states in the region.
A diplomatic source in Jerusalem said yesterday that no steps will be taken with Iran
so long as 13 Jews are still imprisoned on charges of espionage. Military Intelligence,
however, has taken a hard line against what it sees as a threatening state, bent on
developing long-range surface-to-surface missiles that can reach Israel, and acquiring
nuclear weapons. Intelligence officials interpreted an Iranian missile attack on Iraq as
an indication that Iran viewed the use of such missiles as perfectly legitimate.
Military Intelligence further objected that Iran has maintained a hostile attitude
toward Israel and the peace process, and supports many terrorist groups, including
Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. They insist that the election of President Mohammed Khatami
has not precipitated any change in Iranian policy toward Israel...
Movement over the past year in the long-frozen relations between the U.S. and Iran has
Israelis worried, however, that they could be the last voice left damning Iran when
others, including the American one, die down. In previous discussions with U.S. officials,
Israel suggested cooperation and sharing of information on Iran in order to coordinate
diplomatic efforts toward Tehran, but the U.S. has not yet responded. Barak will raise the
issue in his upcoming visit to Washington."
New Jerusalem minister Haim opposes
growth
HA'ARETZ 7/7/99: "One Israel's Haim Ramon, the new minister for Jerusalem affairs
in the Prime Minister's Office, says that it is too late to stop the development of the
Jewish neighborhood on Har Homa, but that he will oppose Jewish construction in the Ras
al-Amud section of East Jerusalem.
In a conversation with Ha'aretz, Ramon said that he does not think the Har Homa project
can be stopped since "this ball is already in the air." The sections of the
project that have already been marketed will therefore proceed as planned. Ramon would not
say what would be the fate of the sections of Har Homa that have yet to be marketed.
Ramon was unequivocal, however, in stating his opposition to the Ras al-Amud project,
since it is adjacent to a densely populated Arab neighborhood. He said that this matter
would be brought before the government for a decision.
Ramon promised to clamp down on any direct or indirect political activities of the
Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem. He chided the former government by saying, "I'll
work so that everyone will carry out the agreements on Jerusalem and that the gap between
rhetoric and action will be smaller than it was up until today."
The new minister also attacked the Netanyahu government for failing to deliver on a
promise made three months ago to channel funds for infrastructure in East Jerusalem, but
added that previous governments also shared the blame for the "shameful" state
of infrastructure in this part of the city."
Haim & Ehud consultation
IMRA 7/7/99: "IMRA interviewed Ehud Barak's spokesperson, Merav Parsi-Tzadok (with
the help of a staffer who fed her the question)
IMRA: Are the comments by Minister Haim Ramon against construction in Ras-al-Amud after
consultation with Ehud Barak on the matter?
Parsi-Tzadok: Ras-al-Amud has not yet received any serious consideration. In the
meantime this is only the position of Haim Ramon. It could be that Barak agrees but they
have not yet discussed the matter."
Inferior Interior? (Peanut budget)
THE JERUSALEM POST 7/7/99: "The argument between Shas and Yisrael Ba'aliya over
control of the Interior Ministry raged on yesterday, despite the friendly handshakes
between outgoing minister Eli Suissa and his replacement Natan Sharansky. The major
dispute surrounds the role to be played by Sharansky's deputy minister Nissim Dahan of
Shas.
"He will only be acceptable if he works under the total control of Natan,"
said a senior Yisrael Ba'aliya official. "[Shas] has still not got used to the idea
they're no longer in control, nor do they realize it is no longer the same Interior
Ministry it was a few days ago."
Dahan said he is happy to do whatever work Sharansky suggests and is only asking for a
couple of specific responsibilities. "In the Interior Ministry several departments
have a direct effect on haredim such as the budgets of religious councils and educational
centers of local authorities, said Dahan. "In terms of the ministry budget, we're
talking peanuts."
Some Yisrael Ba'aliya sources suggested that Dahan was not in a position to make
demands. "So what should I deal with if not religious affairs - the weather?"
Dahan replied. Relations between the two parties are so poor they could not even agree on
how to classify yesterday's meeting of the ministers.
Yisrael Ba'aliya described it as "a working meeting ahead of the formal
handover." Shas preferred to call it "the handover," with one party MK
saying that "tomorrow they'll just pass on the keys and not meet again." Dahan
was yesterday doing his homework on Sharansky - the man.
Seeing former Yisrael Ba'aliya MK Tzvi Weinberg in the Knesset, Dahan asked whether
Sharansky is easy to work with. The reply was an unconditional yes, and, "he has good
sense of humor, like you." Outwardly, Dahan is keen to cooperate with his soon-to-be
boss. "I don't want to replace [Sharansky] but work for him," he said."
"Rabin Alliance"
contributions for Barak's campaign?
GLOBES 7/5/99 via IMRA: "Millions of dollars contributed to the "Rabin
Alliance" non-profit society registered in the United States, found their way to
concerns identified with Ehud Barak's election campaign. So "Globes" has
learned. Yuval Rabin, a member of the Alliance's Board of Directors, unavailingly demanded
to view the society's reports.
The funds were transferred the year before the elections. Some of the funds went to the
"Dor Shalom" (Peace Generation) amuta, whose key activists include industrialist
Dov Lautman, a close associate of Ehud Barak's, and Tal Zilberstein, who played a key role
in Barak's election campaign.
Among the board members managing the "Rabin Alliance" are Adv. Yitzhak
Herzog, slated as Secretary to the Barak government, and Adv. Doron Cohen, Barak's
brother-in-law, considered his closest associate. Herzog and Cohen played a foremost role
in Barak's election campaign, and in rendering legal aid to other amutas that took part in
the campaign.
The late Prime Minister's son Yuval Rabin repeatedly applied to see the financial
statements of the "Rabin Alliance", but was refused, despite his being a board
member. He also asked for the list of contributors and an account of what was being done
with the money, but that request, too, was turned down.
Cohen refused to divulge details of the non-profit society's activity. He said that,
prior to the prime ministerial elections, "we gave directives to be cleaner than
possible". Regarding the Yadid amuta, he said: "The Yadid amuta is unconnected
with the election campaign. It is a body that collects money for education. It is part of
Barak's getting nearer to the field". He added "We hold meetings" and take
decisions."
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