Checkbook journalism
YEDIOT AHARONOT 8/16/99: "The Labor Party paid Russian-language press journalists
for writing articles supporting Ehud Baraq in the course of the election campaign," a
senior minister contends. He maintains that commentator Ya'aqov Shaus was paid to write
supportive articles in Russian-language newspapers. Shaus writes under the pen name of
Roman Moskowitz in Luch and Ekho, weeklies published by the Novosti Nedeli network. Shaus,
who supports the peace camp, is considered an influential journalist in the CIS imigri
community.
"I know how to explain to the Russian-speaking community what is right and what is
not," Shaus said this week. "What mattered most was that someone explain the
situation to the Russians, because the other newspapers only helped Lieberman and
Netanyahu."
Shaus refused to reveal how much money he had received from Labor. Lev Avenays (Lev
Malinsky's pen name), a prominent and influential commentator who worked for a number of
Russian-language newspapers in the past and now writes for 24 Hours owned by ASR Russian
Press, was paid to work for Baraq's immigrant center during the election campaign.
"My views are left-leaning, and I did assist One Israel during the
elections," Avenays responded. "I don't intend to comment on the charge that I
did it for money. I will only note that I was not employed by any newspaper during that
whole period."
"All the Russian-language journalists who worked with us had signed contracts and
were being paid," a source at Baraq's immigrant center said yesterday. "I don't
know how much Avenays was paid."
The following reaction was received from Baraq's bureau: "We have no information
on that. We are not familiar with Shaus' name." Yet Tanya Weintraub, who liaised
between Baraq's public relations office and the Russian-language press, said in reaction:
"I know Shaus, who never made a secret of his views, but I have no information on
whether he received any money."
Sasha Klein, who headed the public relations center in the CIS imigri sector, had this
to say: "Shaus' name is familiar, but I did not pay him. I have no idea whether he
had been paid and by whom. Perhaps the nonprofit societies did that, I don't know." A
senior Labor Party minister, who had been closely involved with the public relations
office, was amazed that the payments to Shaus had been revealed. "I guess nothing can
remain a secret," the minister said. "Eventually, everything comes out in the
open."
"This phenomenon of Russian reporters receiving payment for work done during the
elections is very prevalent," says Vesti editor Eduard Kuznetsov. He adds: "Most
Russian-language reporters would be happy to sell out to any party, to anyone -- mainly
because of the humiliating wages they are usually paid."
Abu Mazen and 1967: All or nothing
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 8/17/99: "The Palestinians will refuse to sign a peace treaty
with Israel that does not guarantee them a state within the whole of the territory they
lost in 1967, Yasser Arafat's deputy, Mahmud Abbas, says. "We have made historic
concessions on our rights by accepting 20 percent of Palestine, and any fresh compromise
would be unacceptable," he said in an interview with AFP.
The reference was to Palestinian recognition of Israel, whose territory covers
four-fifths of historic Palestine. Abbas, usually referred to by Palestinians as Abu
Mazen, is deputy chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and head of the
negotiating committee with Israel. He is commonly regarded as the chosen successor to
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The Israelis "are deluding themselves and dreaming if they think we shall give up
on our 1967 borders," he said..."In the final resort a peace treaty will be
concluded . . . And no Palestinian leader will agree, or dare, to give up any of the 1967
territory," said Abbas.
"Our rights are covered by UN resolutions 242 and 338, and what applied to the
Jordanians and Egyptians should apply equally to us," he said, in an allusion to the
peace treaties Israel signed with its two neighbours, under which it returned territory to
them. The two United Nations Security Council resolutions call for an Israeli withdrawal
from occupied territories..."
Iranian Jewish cemetery razed?
YEDIOT AHARONOT 8/16/99: "Israel is examining information that has reached
Jerusalem in the last few days, according to which the Iranian authorities demolished the
ancient Jewish cemetery in the city of Mashhad approximately two weeks ago. Senior
political sources yesterday said that "if it transpires that the Iranian authorities
have indeed harmed the ancient cemetery, Israel will raise mayhem."
The information was relayed by Iranian Jews to their relatives in Israel. According to
the information, late at night approximately two weeks ago tractors arrived in the
cemetery and totally demolished the hundreds of gravestones in the place as well as the
wall surrounding the cemetery. According to one of the reports, the Iranian authorities
completely "razed" the place. According to another report, the ancient synagogue
in the city -- which has been abandoned for many years -- has also been harmed.
The Israelis of Iranian origin relayed the information to former minister and Knesset
member Moshe Qatzav, who quickly approached Foreign Ministry Director General Eytan
Bentzur and requested that the Foreign Ministry use its connections among world leaders to
thwart the Iranian activity. Qatzav said yesterday: "Such a thing has not happened in
any other country in the world. International public opinion must cry out against this act
of desecration."
Over the weekend the Foreign Ministry started checking this information. Efforts to
verify the information are encountering difficulties, because no more Jews live in
Mashhad. Israel is trying to check the information via diplomatic and other channels.
"I hope this appalling report will turn out to be incorrect," said Foreign
Ministry Director General Eytan Bentzur yesterday. He added: "We are making efforts
to examine this issue."
Jews of Iranian origin are concerned that the violation of the cemetery in Mashhad is
related to the arrest of the 13 Jews from Shiraz and Isfahan approximately four months ago
on suspicion that they spied for Israel and the United States. These Jews are still under
detention and it is not clear what will happen to them."
No Husseini house?
AL QUDS in Jerusalem 8/14/99: "Faysal al-Husayni, official in charge of the
Jerusalem file in the Palestinian Authority, has denied reports that he has recently
studied scores of bids by Israeli land brokers to purchase real estate in West Jerusalem.
Israeli sources had earlier said that the brokers went to Al-Husayni after reading in the
press two months ago that he was planning to buy Osishkin's house on Herkon Street in Tel
Aviv.
The sources added that most of the bids Al-Husayni received offered expensive real
estate in the Al-Talibiyah quarter near Larome Hotel. The newspaper Yerushalayim cited
Al-Husayni office as saying the following on this report: "In light of what was
published about Osishkin's house, Israeli brokers offered Al-Husayni several bids but none
was studied. Besides, Al-Husayni does not show any interest in buying any house anywhere
in Israel."
Aircraft F16I problems
MA'ARIV 8/13/99: "Unexpected economic and technical problems are holding up the
F-16I deal with Israel. Senior defense sources said last night that the deal, worth some
$2.5 billion, will apparently not be signed next week as previously planned.
A team of experts from the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, has been in Israel for
discussions on the final details to enable the signing of the deal. The sources said the
difficulties are centered on the US firm's problems in supplying the aircraft as agreed
upon.
"The problems concerning the plane's radar are cardinal, and if they are not
resolved, there will not be a deal," the senior defense source said. The source made
it clear that although Israel has never canceled an order after deciding on it,
"there can always be a first time."
Ehud Baraq, prime minister and foreign minister, approved the Israel Air Force's
recommendation to procure some 50 F-16I's at a cost of $2.5 billion. In the second stage,
Israel will buy another 60 aircraft at a cost of some $2 billion. The first planes are
expected to reach Israel in early 2003.
Aviation experts said yesterday that beside the radar problem, it is still unclear how
the increased fuel tanks will impact the aircraft's performance. Furthermore, no decision
has yet been made which engine to procure for the aircraft.
And if the technical problems are not enough, then there is also a series of economic
disputes pertaining to the financing guarantees for the deal and the production rate of
the aircraft. Lockheed Martin said that "the talks to complete the deal are going on
normally, and there have not been any technical or other problems over the aircraft's
agreed upon specifications."
Hezbollah collecting photos of IDF
commanders
YEDIOT AHARONOT 8/15/99: "In the wake of the arrest of a network of collaborators
who cooperated with Hizballah, it transpires that the Hizballah fighters are collecting
photos and names of IDF [Israel Defense Forces] commanders in south Lebanon in order to
hit them.
The ring was captured approximately two weeks ago in the village of 'Ayta al-Sha'b in
the western sector. In addition to dozens of explosive charges that the collaborators had
hidden in the village, the IDF also discovered photos and names of IDF commanders in the
sector. The collaborators used this material to brief the Hizballah squads who penetrated
the territory to attack sensitive IDF targets, including IDF commanders.
From their investigation, it transpires that the collaborators gathered the
information, briefed the Hizballah squads which came from outside the security zone,
equipped them with charges and weapons, and directed them toward sensitive targets. Among
other things, the collaborator ring is responsible for placing an explosive charge near
the border fence near Zar'it approximately one month ago.
The charge was detonated against a civilian bus. It was detonated earlier than planned,
thus saving the lives of the passengers -- soldiers and IDF civilian workers. It appears
that the charge, which is set off by infrared ray, was detonated by an animal. The
collaborators supplied the Hizballah squad with the information about the bus's movement
and the charge itself.
From their investigation, it also transpires that the collaborators had charges that
stick to the vehicle magnetically. Senior IDF sources in the Northern Command stressed
that 90 percent of the charges placed by Hizballah men were discovered in recent months.
Moreover, more than 10 Hizballah fighters were killed and 20 hurt as a result of the
recent IDF activity."
Prisoner deadlock in negotiations
VOICE OF AMERICA 8/19/99: Talks between Israel and the Palestinians were stuck at a
dead end, Thursday, after breaking down the night before in disagreement over the release
of Palestinian prisoners. Earlier, an Israeli security committee met to review the current
criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners. It decided the guidelines set by the
previous government would stay in place: No Palestinians with, quote, "blood on their
hands" would be set free for the time being.
In talks over renewing implementation of the Wye River Accords, the two sides were to
discuss the release of 750 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. After agreeing to
the deal October, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released 250 Palestinians.
However, 150 of them were common criminals. That angered Palestinian officials, who say
they agreed on the release of security prisoners -- in other words, Palestinians who
committed their crimes with nationalist motives in mind.
Now, Palestinians says Israel must release another 650 such prisoners. But the
government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak says Israel does not have that many prisoners who
fit the requirements -- saying that it, too, would not release Palestinians who are
suspected of having murdered or caused serious injury. Instead, of the next 500 prisoners
Israel would release by the end of implementation the Wye deal, about half would again be
common offenders -- responsible for ordinary crimes like car theft. Chief Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat rejects that proposal and declared the talks a waste of time.
The prisoner issue is a sensitive one for both sides. Palestinians think anything done
in the name of their national cause -- particularly before the peace deal was signed in
1993 -- should be pardoned. But many Israelis who have lost loved ones to terror attacks
over the years feel, with equal conviction, the perpetrators should stay in jail."
Hezbollah battles
ARUTZ7 8/18/99: "A 13-hour battle with Hizbullah terrorists yesterday in southern
Lebanon claimed the lives of two IDF soldiers, and injured seven others. The funeral of
Golani Brigade soldier Doron Hershkovitz will be held this evening at 6 PM in the military
cemetery of Carmiel. Ayal Gueta of Kfar Yonah, killed in the second part of the battle,
will be buried tomorrow in the Netanya military cemetery...
O.C. Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, summing up the battle today, said that
despite the painful casualties, "It is important to say that one of our chief
objectives in the area - preventing the planting of roadside bombs that could have killed
or maimed countless soldiers - was achieved." Four terrorists were killed in the
fighting, and others were injured..."
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