ZINC-7/26/99-Jordan & Gaza ========================================= Z . I . N . C . THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA'S ISRAEL NEWS CONNECTION ========================================= Monday, July 26, 1999 8:00 AM EDT (1200 UTC) Editor: Michael C. Hoffman O&F: 301-681-0858 Email: michaelh@clark.net Subscribe: zincisrael@usa.net ========================================= To go direct to ZINC's website, Click here: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/3132 OR use our easy-to-remember but redirected address and Click here: http://over.to/zinc ========================================= 1. Jordan & Gaza 2. Withdrawal workings 3. Turkey & Israel 4. Hamas threats 5. Less blood 6. Iran 7. Barak in Morocco 8. Levy returns 9. Israel & Syria 10. Why Wye? 11. Less interest 12. Unsettlement 13. Filibustering expansion 14. Cohen's freeze 15. Histadrut's deficit 16. Iraq's the head 17. Eskine & the GSS 1. Jordan & Gaza Amman's JORDAN TIMES 7/21/99: "The government is considering issuing Gazan refugees in Jordan five-year passports instead of the two-year documents they are being issued currently, a senior official said on Monday. "We are studying the matter to solve the problem," he added. Gazans, who are mainly refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, now carry a two-year Jordanian passport. "It has to be clear that giving a passport does not mean giving them nationality," said the official. "Therefore, their legitimate right [of return to Palestinian territories] according to U.N. Resolution 191, which enables them to return, will not be affected at all." Another source told the Jordan Times on Tuesday that during a meeting that was held last month with Prime Minister Abdur-Ra'uf S. Rawabdeh, the premier was receptive to the idea of the five-year temporary passport scheme, but he also hinted that [issuing such a regulation] might have political ramifications. "It is very easy to solve your problem," the prime minister was quoted as saying during his meeting with representatives of the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. "But we are afraid that others would say that we are trying to settle you in Jordan." Jordan is home to 1.5 million Palestinian refugees and displaced from successive wars with Israel. The Gazans, although they may retain two-year passports, are not considered Jordanian citizens since they were citizens of Egypt before the war. They were given the right to a two-year passport about a decade ago, since they did not carry any travel or residency documents at all. News reports have said that around 70,000 Gazans are now living in Jordan. The Palestinians displaced during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war now living in Jordan are entitled to a five-year passport and full citizenship rights since they were citizens of Jordan prior to that war. U.N. resolutions that emanated from the Arab-Israeli conflict require the unconditional right of return to Palestinian territories. "The Gazans' problem is with Egypt, not Jordan," said one Gazan who lives in the Jerash refugee camp. "Jordan is trying to facilitate our life and work whether inside or outside the Kingdom." "Most Gazans carry Egyptian travel documents, but at the same time, it refuses to let us in unless we have official business [in Egypt]," added the Gazan. Asked about the effect on the possible government decision to issue a five-year passport, the Gazan expressed dissatisfaction, and said, "We've been here for ages, and according to nationality law, we have the right to Jordanian nationality," he added..." 2. Withdrawal workings YEDIOT AHARONOT 7/22/99: "In light of the momentum in the political process, the right-wing camp is beginning to organize to struggle against a possible Israeli withdrawal in Judaea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. This comes against the background of assessments that the chances of success in their struggle are not very high. Next week, Knesset Member [MK] Hanan Porat (National Union) will convene the right-wing parties and extra-parliamentary bodies, such as the Council of Jewish Settlements in Judaea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, in order to formulate their path in the struggle against Prime Minister Ehud Baraq's peace moves. The settler leaders are also interested in forging cooperation with the Golan Settlements Committee, which will also be invited to attend the conference. Prior to the meeting, MK Hanan Porat and Aharon Domb, the director-general of the Jewish settlements council, have drawn up a joint document with two key recommendations. The first of these: To submit a draft bill to the Knesset stipulating that a national referendum will be held on all peace agreements and that the agreements' approval will be conditional on their winning a majority of at least 60 percent of the public. This is meant to neutralize the impact of the Arab vote. MK Porat asserted that many countries require special majorities in their referendums. "It is inconceivable that the Arab vote will be the decisive factor in a national referendum on such vital issues, issues that will determine the future of the Land of Israel for generations," Porat said. Porat's second recommendation is to conduct a countrywide census of right-wing supporters and those opposed to a withdrawal in Judaea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. The preparations for the census will be accompanied by a propaganda campaign against the government's withdrawal plans. Right-wing figures are nevertheless aware that their struggle has only a small chance of succeeding. The document prepared by Porat and Domb makes no secret of this fact: "Reality will make it very difficult for the general public, including many who are opposed to the agreements, to vote against them, for fear of a political crisis within Israel and pressure from abroad. This could sway the public to abandon their original positions." The document further states: "The government is able to make use of the media and its propaganda tools. The opponents of the agreements, on the other hand, are not necessarily linked to factions and parties, or organized like the government. The prime minister therefore has a large advantage in the sphere of propaganda and organization." The right-wing is also hobbled by a deep rift between National Union MK's Mikha'el Kleiner and Rehav'am Ze'evi, who are battling for the leadership of the Land of Israel Front in the Knesset. The two men have exchanged caustic letters full of personal insults. On 20 July, MK Kleiner wrote Ze'evi: "Your decision to try to sabotage the Land of Israel Front is a direct continuation of your attempts to undermine this body in the previous Knesset. The only reason for this is that the Land of Israel Front is associated with me. Your real intentions are transparent and clear to everyone. Your jealously is evident, your hatred is obvious, and apparently you are motivated solely by these two emotions." Yesterday, Ze'evi replied: "The rules you are attempting to dictate to us, by crowning yourself head of the Land of Israel Front, are unacceptable. You might as well declare yourself president of the Zionist Congress or even the US Congress." The Golan Heights settlers are also preparing to struggle against the withdrawal. The Golan Settlements Committee are planning to hold their first big event in approximately two months. This will be a huge rally, with the participation of thousands of people, in the large amphitheater in Qatzrin. The Golan committee members are also putting together a video cassette warning about the dangers of a withdrawal there. They will launch a large nationwide information campaign in the coming weeks." 3. Turkey & Israel Istanbul's HURRIYET 7/21/99: "Work is under way to modernize 54 [Turkish] warplanes, 26 of which will be modernized by Israeli Airspace Industries (IAI), and the rest by Eskisehir No. 1 Air Reinforcement and Maintenance Center. After the delivery of the first F-4 warplane to Turkey in December, the rest of the warplanes will begin to be delivered to Turkey at the rate of one warplane a month beginning from February 2000. Israel will also transfer technology to Turkey within the framework of the project. The Turkish F-4 warplanes modernized by IAI are presently undergoing test flights in Israel. The F-4 warplanes, which will be tested uninterruptedly for six months by a specially chosen group of Turkish pilots, will be equipped at the end of the project with the latest fire control radar system (SAR), which can draw up a land map from a distance of 80 kilometers. The warplanes, which will be equipped with advanced avionics and radar, will become the most advanced warplanes of their kind at the end of the project...Meanwhile, Israel will deliver, in the coming few months, 70 air-to-ground "Popeye 1" assault missiles known as "smart missiles." These missiles, which are manufactured in Israel, are being tested by Turkish warplane pilots. In the second stage of the project, Turkey and Israel will jointly produce "Popeye 2" missiles..." 4. Hamas threats AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 7/22/99: "The radical Palestinian Islamic group Hamas threatened Thursday to launch a new wave of attacks against Israel, just as Israeli and Palestinian leaders seek to revive their long-stalled peace negotiations. In a statement faxed to news organizations, Hamas acknowledged that combined Israeli, Palestinian and US security actions had limited the movement's actions in recent months. "We will break this clampdown and you will hear good news about our Jihad operations very soon," it said, using the Arabic word for holy war -- a term meaning guerrilla operations. "The path of struggle and resistance will never stop," said the statement, signed by the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The statement accused Israel and the United States of plotting to assassinate senior Hamas leaders and said it would attack US and Israeli targets worldwide if the plan is carried out. It was the first threat issued for several months by Hamas, which has killed scores of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks aimed at undermining interim peace agreements signed between Israel and the secular Palestine Liberation Organization headed by Yasser Arafat. The statement coincided with an announcement that Israel's new prime minister, Ehud Barak, would meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for talks on reviving peace efforts after three years of tense relations under the previous Israeli government. Barak, a former army chief of staff and security hardliner, has warned that a renewal of terrorism by Hamas or other groups opposed to peace with Israel could torpedo the peace talks. The threat also came after Israel's secret service revealed that Hamas militants have begun receiving weapons training at a base in Iran run by the Islamic republic's elite Revolutionary Guards..." 5. Less blood YEDIOT AHARONOT 7/22/99: "Israel may change the criteria for defining people with "blood on their hands" in order to enable the release of Palestinian security prisoners, as stipulated by the Wye Agreement. Yesterday, it was reported that that among the goodwill gestures that Prime Minister Ehud Baraq intends to propose to Palestinian Authority [PA] Chairman Yasir 'Arafat in preparation for the implementation of the Wye Agreement is a promise to act for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. According to the Wye Agreement, Israel pledged to release 750 security prisoners, all Fatah members, who were sentenced to prison for offenses committed prior to the Oslo Agreement. This can only become possible if the definition of prisoners "with blood on their hands" is changed. According to the new criteria proposed by the defense establishment, people who assisted Palestinian murder squads, or even squad members who did not directly participate in a murder, will not fall under the definition of terrorists with "blood on their hands." This recommendation was rejected in the past by former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The criteria employed by the Netanyahu government stated that all members of a squad that murdered or wounded Jews are considered to have "blood on their hands." In effect, this definition did not permit the implementation of the clause in the Wye Agreement promising the release of the security prisoners. Since the signing of the Wye Agreement in October 1998, not a single security prisoner was freed. Knesset Member Dani Nave, the head of the Likud reaction team, said yesterday that "any deviation by Baraq's from the agreement is tantamount to rewarding violence and terrorism." Hisham 'Abd-al-Raziq, the Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs, recently said: "According to our lists, no more than 200 out of the 1,200 Fatah prisoners harmed or killed Israelis." Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-'Ami said yesterday that he had received the criteria formulated by the defense establishment and that Public Security Ministry officials had discussed the issue in the past few days." 6. Iran YEDIOT AHARONOT 7/21/99--Article by Shimon Schiffer: "Israel has turned down a clandestine Iranian proposal for a deal under which the 13 Jewish detainees were to be released. This has been learned from reliable Washington sources. The proposal had been conveyed to Israel by middlemen who claimed to be acting on behalf of the Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khamene'i. Prime Minister Ehud Baraq was also informed of the proposal. Israel rejected it out of hand because of its unreasonable conditions. After the shah's downfall, the Iranians claimed Israel owed them approximately $1 billion. The debt has since grown, reaching -- according to the Iranians -- several billion dollars. The opinion that prevailed in the Israeli entourage was that Israel must not accept any demand linking the Jews' release with issues disputed by the two states, since that may give rise to extortion: All the remaining Iranian Jews may become hostages. Several leaders of US Jewish organizations continue to hold contacts with elements who have access to the Iranian regime in an effort to arrange a visit to the imprisoned Jews by relatives and to obtain permission to provide them with kosher food. It has been learned, meanwhile, that the passports of several Iranian Jews had been confiscated. Western Jewish organizations are trying to persuade the Iranians to restore these passports to their owners. The Iranian authorities are demanding an immediate end to the international pressure on the detainees issue. The Jewish organizations have so far rejected the demand." 7. Barak in Morocco AP via NANDO TIMES 7/26/99: "It was a golden opportunity for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak a little after two weeks in office. The funeral of Morocco's King Hassan II provided the stage for impromptu meetings between Barak and leaders of Arab countries with whom Israel hopes to forge closer ties once there is progress in Mideast peace talks. The outpouring of warmth toward Barak and the Israeli delegation was closely scrutinized back home for signs that hostility toward Israel is receding. Barak mingled easily with Arab leaders and was able to hold groundbreaking meetings with Algeria's president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and Kuwait's crown prince. Public support for Barak's future peace moves is critical since he has pledged to present future land-for-peace agreements with the Syrians and the Palestinians to a national referendum. Israelis will be more inclined to approve future peace accords if they feel the Arab world no longer considers them outcasts in the region. Israel's elder statesman, Shimon Peres, said his long-held vision of a "New Middle East," often laughed off as wishful thinking, was slowly coming true. "The new king approached me and hugged and kissed me," Peres, speaking on Israel radio Monday, said of Hassan's successor, Mohamed VI. "Many people approached me that I don't even know." Peres said he felt Mideast leaders no longer considered war an option... The absence of Hafez Assad made Israelis wonder, however, whether the Syrian president was really serious about negotiating a peace agreement. The recent exchange of messages between Israel and Syria about resuming peace talks suspended in 1996 had been widely seen in Israel as a sign that Assad had a change of heart and was now determined to move ahead after years of stalling. President Clinton told a group of Israeli journalists covering Hassan's funeral in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday that he didn't know why the Syrian leader was a no-show. "I am slightly concerned and don't quite understand why he didn't come," The Jerusalem Post and the Haaretz daily quoted Clinton as saying. "I have been in ongoing contact with him and was hoping to see him here and perhaps have him and Prime Minister Barak see each other." Clinton told the Israelis that he thought that perhaps Assad was sick. Nonetheless, the U.S. president was quoted as saying he was "very optimistic" about Mideast peace making." 8. Levy returns HA'ARETZ 7/26/99: "Foreign Minister David Levy returned to his native Morocco yesterday for the first time in 42 years, as part of the Israeli delegation to King Hassan II's funeral. Levy left Morocco with his family when he was 17 years old, during the reign of Mohammed V, the father of Hassan and grandfather of the new King Mohammed VI. "I'm not sure if excitement is the right word to describe my feelings," Levy said. "It's a complete whirlwind." Along the route of the funeral procession, Levy recognized sights from his childhood. He learned to swim by the river and fished there with his father. Levy recalled how the Jews used to picnic on Saturdays near the site of the royal tomb, bringing food from their homes in the Jewish quarter, where the procession also passed yesterday. "When I think how I left illegally and now I'm returning to Morocco as the foreign minister of the state of Israel - it's a difficult feeling to define. It's an interesting time tunnel - backward and forward," he said. Levy remembers his parents telling stories about how King Mohammed VI always protected his Jewish subjects and that the king believed in true reconciliation between religions. He explained the fact that he waited so long to Morocco by saying "the political conditions did not allow it and I didn't want to travel anonymously." In response to a question of what he retained from his childhood, Levy said: "Everything. I am continuing the way of life, the beautiful heritage and all the traditions of my father's house...observing the holidays and Shabbat according to the Jewish law, together with unparalleled tolerance...living without preaching to others."... 9. Israel & Syria VOICE OF AMERICA 7/25/99: "Israel says it hopes to re-start peace talks with Syria within weeks...A senior policy advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak says he expects negotiations with Syria to resume within weeks following the latest contacts with Damascus. The advisor, Zvi Stauber, confirmed that Mr Barak has relayed a message to the Syrian President Hafez al-Assad about the willingness of Israel to renew peace talks. Mr Stauber says that Israel has offered to meet Syria's demand to re-open the discussions at the point where they broke off in 1996. Damascus says that point is where Israel offered to return the whole of the strategic Golan Heights, captured from Syria, during the 1967 war.Israel says that it does not agree with this interpretation but does not want the issue to become an obstacle preventing the resumption of peace talks. Mr Barak says a 15 month timetable should be enough to determine whether breakthroughs can be made in negotiations with both Syria and the Palestinians. But officials in his office have stressed that the Prime Minister did not mean the talks would necessarily be completed within this period. Meanwhile, both Spain and Jordan are playing a leading role in helping to bring Syria and Israel together. The Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, fresh from a Middle East tour, contacted President Assad by telephone Saturday and reaffirmed Israel's eagerness to make peace with Damascus. Two senior Jordanian officials sent a similar message to Mr Assad, when they arrived Saturday in the Syrian capital to help revive the Middle East peace process." 10. Why Wye? ARUTZ 7 7/25/99: "Prime Minister Barak continues his efforts to postpone the last stage of the Wye withdrawals, and will present his plan to Yasser Arafat when the two meet on Tuesday. After the entire first stage of Oslo withdrawals was executed from 1994-97, under the Rabin, Peres, and Netanyahu governments, the second withdrawal was re-arranged in the Wye Accords, which divided it into three stages. Israel completed the first stage last November, when it shifted: *7% of Judea and Samaria from the status of "Area B" (Palestinian civilian and Israeli military control) to "Area A" (complete Palestinian military and civilian control), and *2% of Yesha from "Area C" (complete Israeli control) to the status of "Area B." The second stage of Wye is now up for implementation, including further Israeli withdrawals and terrorist-releases, as well as Palestinian reduction of its para-military police force, collection of illegal weapons, and more. In his Tuesday meeting with Arafat, Barak will reportedly: * pledge to immediately continue the second stage of Wye withdrawals by transferring another 5% of Area C to Palestinian civilian control; * propose that the third and final Wye withdrawal - changing another 5% from C to B, 1% from C to A, and 7% from B to A - be delayed until a joint draft of principles for the final-status arrangements is prepared. Barak sees this process as lasting 3-6 months. He will apparently promise that if such an agreement fails to materialize by that deadline, Israel will still carry out the third stage of Wye. In total, the Wye agreement calls for the transfer of 15% of Yesha to full Palestinian control. At the same meeting, Barak will demand that the Palestinian Authority: * finally arrest and incarcerate the terrorists according to its commitments at Wye Plantation, * submit a complete list of PA para-military policemen, since it is clear that the current numbers greatly exceed the number permitted by Oslo, *collect the illegal ammunition that has been distributed within its autonomous areas, and *cooperate in the resumption of the joint anti-incitement committee aimed at monitoring anti-Israel propaganda in the Palestinian media and educational system. Prime Minister Barak will reportedly tell Arafat that Israel cannot presently construct the special route from Gaza to Judea and Samaria, "because of the accompanying security problems, "but that Israel is prepared to consider the issue." He will also advise the PA Chairman that the 3rd Oslo withdrawal - which Binyamin Netanyahu had promised Israelis would not exceed 1% - is not being considered at this point in time." 11. Less interest THE JERUSALEM POST 7/26/99: "The Bank of Israel yesterday announced it is reducing its key lending rate for August by 0.5 percent to 11.5%, the first rate reduction in three months, after a 50 basis-points cut at the end of April. The rate is now at its lowest point since November 1998. The lending rate announcement was moved up to yesterday from today so that Frenkel could participate in the Knesset Finance Committee meeting this morning, at which World Bank President James Wolfensohn is expected to participate. Following the announcement the major banks said they would also be reducing their prime lending rates by 50 basis points, to 13%. Central bank officials said the rate cut was made possible by reduced inflation so far this year, coupled with low inflation expectations - approximately 4% - which are expected to be maintained for the next 12 months." 12. Unsettlement THE JERUSALEM POST 7/26/99: "The order issued by Prime Minister Ehud Barak over the weekend to dismantle five caravans placed illegally on a hilltop two kilometers from the settlement of Shvut Rahel in Samaria was the first time such action has been taken by the government. It served as a warning to the settlers that illegal construction activity will be dealt with swiftly. Of some 30 encampments set up on hilltops since 1996, four are considered illegal by civil administration officials, one of them Shvut Rahel. The fate of the others - Jabel Harasha near Talmonim, Hirbat Hashuna near Eli, and Har Kabir near Alon Moreh - has yet to be determined. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said the actions violated an agreement reached between Barak and the leaders of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, who promised to refrain from carrying out any one-sided activities and to coordinate all their moves with the government. Newly appointed council chairman Benny Kashriel cabled Barak yesterday deploring the settlers' actions. He stated that no one had been consulted about the decision to move caravans and said these actions do not represent the council's stand..." 13. Filibustering expansion THE JERUSALEM POST 7/26/99: "Opposition MKs were expected to continue to filibuster in the Knesset Law Committee against the government legislation to expand the cabinet from 18 to 24 ministers and add another two deputy ministers at least until early this morning. Michael Eitan (Likud) has arranged a schedule of speakers against the bill through tonight, although committee chairman Amnon Rubinstein (Meretz) pledged to use his power to limit the discussion and hold the vote as scheduled on the bill, an amendment to the Basic Law: The Government, this morning. Tzippi Livni (Likud) said the opposition would exploit every minute possible under the House Rules to speak on the hundreds of amendments to the bill and delay the vote. The committee is scheduled to submit the bill for its second and third readings by the end of today, and the Knesset debate is due to begin tomorrow and culminate with a vote on Wednesday. The Knesset goes on summer recess Sunday, but the government is planning to ask for a special session to swear in the new ministers on Monday... Meanwhile, Limor Livnat (Likud) yesterday got Rubinstein to obtain the accompanying letter from Treasury budget director David Milgrom to which Minister Haim Ramon referred in the Knesset two weeks ago. Last week, Livnat revealed to the committee a two-page, unsigned document from the Finance Ministry on the costs of the cabinet expansion, but had been unable to obtain Milgrom's letter. According to Milgrom's letter, the direct cost of the extra ministers is some NIS 10m., not including the establishment of new ministries or realms of responsibilities, which could be expected to result in "additional, significant budgetary expenditures." Milgrom, who is to appear before the committee this morning, said that even ministers without portfolio had previously been given areas of responsibility, which require staffing and budgets. Livnat said the revelation of Milgrom's letter proved that Ramon had "lied to the Knesset" when he said the cost would be only NIS 9m. for the extra ministers and deputy ministers, including everything, without revealing the Treasury warnings of extra indirect costs..." 14. Cohen's freeze THE JERUSALEM POST 7/20/99 Op-ed by Evelyn Gordon: "Ran Cohen's first move as the new minister of industry and trade was to freeze all government investment subsidies in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. He also demanded a list of all subsidies that had been approved but not yet disbursed, with an eye to canceling these as well. Cohen argued that a freeze was necessary until the new government had drawn up its own national priority map, which determines which communities are eligible for the grants. Under this new map, some of the settlements will certainly lose their benefits. But if Cohen's goal was truly to prepare for future change, he should have frozen investment grants throughout Israel - since some of the communities within the Green Line will probably also lose their special status, while some of the settlements, particularly those in the greater Jerusalem area, may well keep theirs. By implementing such a blatantly discriminatory measure, Cohen was undoubtedly being faithful to the goals of the Meretz Party, which sent him to the Knesset. However, he also unconscionably undermined the government in which Meretz has chosen to sit - and raised disturbing questions about the kind of behavior that can be expected from the party in the future. To start with, as Interior Minister Natan Sharansky pointed out, Cohen's decision was in violation of the official coalition guidelines. Section 4.3 of these guidelines states: "The government will work to ensure the security of the Jewish residents in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and to provide regular government and municipal services - equal to those offered to residents of all other communities in Israel. The government will offer a response to the ongoing development needs of existing communities. Socio-economic standards will be equally applied to all communities everywhere." Since politicians break promises all the time, this might seem a trivial issue. But it may not prove trivial for Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who has been trying hard to establish a reputation for good faith and honest dealing to counteract the legacy of distrust, both in Israel and abroad, left by his predecessor. Cohen has confronted Barak with the devil's dilemma. If the prime minister moves to override Cohen's decision, he will find himself in open conflict with an important member of his coalition. But if, as he has so far chosen to do, he lets the decision stand, he opens himself to questions about just how much his other promises are worth - and about his ability to get his coalition to abide by any future commitments he might make. Such doubts are unlikely to make Barak's political life easier, either domestically or in diplomatic negotiations with Israel's neighbors. An even more serious problem, however, is that Cohen's decision undercuts the messages Barak has been trying to send with respect to a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. Throughout his campaign, Barak made it clear that he saw Israel retaining significant settlement blocs under any final-status agreement. He reiterated this stance last week in Washington. Cohen's decision, however, sends the opposite message: that none of the settlements are, or ever will be, part of Israel, and that, therefore, there is no point in wasting good money on them. What Cohen is in effect telling the Palestinians is "We in Meretz will take your side, even against the government of which we are a part. We will work from within to undermine the government's negotiating positions and to ensure that Israel ends up with less than you might otherwise agree to." This will make it much harder for Barak when he finally starts negotiating a final-status agreement. Confronted with a firm stance, the Palestinians might decide that part of Judea and Samaria was better than nothing at all. But facing a divided government - part of which has openly declared its allegiance to the Palestinian position - Yasser Arafat will have every reason to make maximal demands and refuse to budge from them, hoping that internal opposition will force Israel to fold first. Thus even Finance Minister Avraham Shohat - who, faced with an urgent need to cut the budget without antagonizing Labor's core constituencies, would dearly love to see less money spent on investment grants in the territories - nevertheless protested that Cohen should not have made such a decision without consulting a wider forum, including himself and Barak. Cohen is, of course, perfectly entitled to believe that Israel should give up all of the settlements, and he is perfectly entitled to try to quietly persuade the rest of the government to his side. But as long as he is part of the government, he has no right to publicly undermine that government's official negotiating positions. If he wishes to take the Palestinians' side against the government, then the proper place to do so is from the opposition benches." 15. Histadrut's deficit HA'ARETZ 7/26/99: "An audit of the Histadrut, released yesterday, disclosed that the labor federation's net assets deficit stood at year-end 1998 at NIS 1.585 billion. The Histadrut also had an NIS 35 million gap between its budget and spending in its regular activities, and an NIS 452 million hole in its working capital. These figures invite doubt about the labor federation's ability to meet its commitments, summed up the accounting firm of Cohen, Eyal, Yehoshua & Co. in its opening statement to the Histadrut's balance for 1998. This is the second consecutive annual report in which the federation's CPAs have noted their doubts as to the Histadrut's ability to meet its commitments. But despite the depressing data in the report, Histadrut treasurer Shmuel Avital yesterday stated that "the fourth quarter indicates a dramatic reversal. For the first time in years, an operating balance is in sight." He predicted a cash surplus by the end of the year, partly because the federation's collection procedures have improved. "We are at the peak of a very hard period," Avital admitted, "which is reflected, among other things, in an unbearable cash flow that is causing salaries of Histadrut workers ... to be delayed. But the basis has been created to cure the organization." He predicted that the cash-starved federation would be back on its feet within months." 16. Iraq's the head AP 7/25/99: "Iraq, the Arab world's most alienated country, will lead the next meeting of Arab foreign ministers, Egypt's Middle East News Agency reported Sunday. The Cairo-based Arab League has issued invitations to its 22 members to attend the Sept. 4-5 meeting under Iraq's chairmanship, MENA quoted the league's spokesman, Talaat Hamad, as saying. The league members meet twice a year to coordinate foreign policies and iron out their disagreements. The chairmanship rotates, and Iraq's turn is bound to worry its bitter rivals, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The two Persian Gulf heavyweights have blocked moves in the Arab League to give greater support to Iraq in its campaign to have the nearly nine years of U.N. economic sanctions lifted. They also prevented an Arab League condemnation of U.S.-British airstrikes on Iraq in December 1998...." 17. Eskine & the GSS HATZOFE 7/16/99: "With the revelation this week that extremist right-wing activist Avigdor Eskine was also a GSS [General Security Service] agent, a variety of people have asserted that he had not served in this capacity for only a short period of time, as security officials claimed this week, but rather, for an extended period of time. Avishay Raviv, they say, was not alone. Eskine is currently on trial. He has been accused of having planned to hurl a pig's head onto the Temple Mount area, an action that was meant to create an outrage among the Muslims. This week, in the course of his testimony, Eskine revealed that he had been employed by the GSS some ten years ago in order to help thwart a wave of apartment arsons. The unknown arsonists tried at the time to torch the apartments of leftists and journalists, and signed their work: "The Siqariqim" [in reference to a cult of Jewish zealots who assassinated those of their countrymen who were willing to compromise with Rome in the first century AD] According to a Hatzofe investigation, Eskine used the Ultra-Orthodox weekly 'Erev Shabbat' in the course of his activities in the GSS' ranks. The weekly's employees were not party to this affair. Eskine wanted to interview one of the members of "Siqariqim" group. The interview that Eskine conducted with the group member was eventually published without revealing the man's name, while the statements he made during the course of the interview were very similar, almost completely identical, to the statements that Eskine himself has made over the years. There is good reason to believe that Eskine wanted to have the interview published so as to draw other people who have radical right-wing views towards him, either so as to have the GSS file a report about them or in order to protest the fact that someone else had taken the "glory" for those acts carried out by the "Saqiriqim." The impression left by a first reading of the interview is that the journalist was interviewing himself. In other words, this story is quite reminiscent of the infamous report filed by Eytan Oren for Israel Television that presented a swearing-in ceremony starring Avishai Raviv. The Shamgar Committee determined that the report had been a sham. At a certain stage, Eskine was appointed deputy editor of 'Erev Shabbat, which competed against Yom Hashishi. The editor was Yisra'el Galim, whose views were known to be diametrically opposed to Eskine's, and he was not involved in Eskine's scandal in any way. By the way, Eskine's ties with the media did not end with 'Erev Shabbat: he wrote extensively for the Russian language press, and was even considered to be popular; he wrote for the Jewish Press and for Bamahane Haharedi. Eskine claimed in the course of his testimony this week that "I never provided the police or the GSS with incriminating evidence about any Jew who was involved in nationally motivated activities." He went on to say that Karmi Gilon, a former GSS Chief and before that Director of the GSS' Jewish Division, "knows full well that I played a role in thwarting the phenomenon (of arsons)." Karmi Gilon refused to respond to these claims. Other security officials, however, confirmed them. Past allegations have Karmi Gilon having being directly in touch with Avishai Raviv... After the assassination of Yitzhaq Rabin, while the national camp was deep in shock and undertook a process of soul-searching, Eskine demonstrated in favor of Yig'al 'Amir. In one such demonstration he bore a placard reading "Yig'al 'Amir is not a murderer." At the time he said in an interview that Shim'on Peres was in danger of being assassinated. He told journalists that he planned on forming a list that would run for the Knesset; two members of this list were to be Yigal 'Amir and 'Ami Popper. Despite all these acts, he was almost never arrested. Just like Avishay Raviv. And here is another connection with the Rabin assassination: Eskine declared in the course of the "Pulsa Denura" affair that he was willing to admit to everything, provided he was allowed to sit in the same cell together with Yig'al 'Amir. In one case Eskine allegedly performed a "Pulsa Denura" rite against Shim'on Peres as well. Eskine was arrested, and during the course of his arraignment he claimed that his actions were perfectly legitimate. In the end, he was sentenced to four months in prison... By the way, immediately following Rabin's assassination, a report was issued that the GSS was planning to arrest right-wing extremists. Two names were mentioned: Avishay Raviv (no one knew at that point in time that he was a GSS agent, but journalists were told that he headed the Eyal [Jewish Fighting Organization] movement, which Yig'al 'Amir had been a member of), and Avigdor Eskine. Eskine did not receive much support among the religious public. Thus, for example, after the "Pulsa Denura" affair was made public, worshipers in synagogue on the Sabbath called on him to "get out." He never returned a second time to pray. As in the case of Avishay Raviv, Eskine always enjoyed oddly special treatment. After his statements in praise of Yitzhaq Rabin's assassin were broadcast, he flew to Moscow. It is hard to believe that any other right-wing activist would have been allowed to leave the country. After returning from abroad, Eskine was not arrested at the airport and the police also refused to tell journalists whether they intended to arrest him. This was not the only case in which the failure to arrest Eskine raised a few eyebrows. Rabin was in Russia and spoke in Moscow shortly before his assassination. Eskine secured a seat for himself in the front row and when Rabin began his speech, Eskine made his way towards the microphone and yelled out in a number of languages "traitor." He was arrested immediately, but quickly released and never prosecuted. In August 1995, three months before the assassination, he interrupted a speech being given by Rabin at the Laromme hotel in Jerusalem by yelling out. A month later, he was involved in another incident close to Rabin. Once again, no arrests were made. Immediately after Rabin's assassination, despite the fact that he gave interviews left, right and center about the "Pulsa Denura," no one stopped him from leaving Israel. He was arrested in July 1996 while demonstrating opposite Yitzhaq Rabin's grave. The reason for his arrest was "unconscionable behavior in public." The maximal sentence for this offence is six months in prison. But Eskine was released, and was never indicted. Incidents of this sort recur in Eskine's biography time and again, and yet he always somehow managed to come out in unharmed... The incomprehensibly lax treatment given Eskine was inexplicable for years. A number of journalists asked questions on that issue, and received dubious answers. Two years ago, Inspector Sha'ul Na'im said, "there was not enough evidence." Eskine's lawyer, Naftali Wertzberger, said already then that he was dumbfounded by Eskine's luck, and even said that he could not rule out the possibility that Eskine was working in the service of the GSS, hence his immunity. "These rumors have been accompanying me massively for the past two years," he said. This week it became evident that they were not only rumors. Eskine admitted to having already worked for the GSS at least ten years ago."