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Newsletter : 8fax1016.txt
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PLO PLANS WAR WITH ISRAEL
By Arutz 7 News Service
Farouk Kadoumi, head of the PLO's diplomatic desk, says that a Palestinian state will be established in May 1999, and that it will wage war against Israel. In an interview in the Palestinian Authority's newspaper Al Hayat al-Jadeeda, Kadoumi said that after the new state is recognized by most of the world, the Palestinians will use their weapons to fight against the Israeli presence on what he called "Palestinian lands." He said that the only differences between Hamas and the PLO involve the tactics by which to reach their common goal. David Bar-Illan, a top Netanyahu media advisor, said in response, "Kadoumi has shown the true face of Palestinian intentions - war with Israel."
Negotiations Begin at Wye River
By VOA's David Gollust (White House) & Gil Butler (Wye Mills, Md.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader
Yasir Arafat have begun a U.S.- sponsored summit in eastern
Maryland -- near Washington -- aimed at ending the impasse in talks
for an interim security deal.
The Middle East leaders went to the secluded Wye River Plantation
conference site after hearing an appeal by President Clinton to
summon the courage and vision needed for a final settlement.
The peace process has been stalled for 18 months over the terms of
another Israeli troop withdrawal in the West Bank. Netanyahu told
reporters the pullback must be linked to effective action by the
Palestinian Authority against anti-Israel extremists. "Any movement
to give them additional land is premised on their fighting
terrorism, as I said, in word and in deed."
Netanyahu told reporters here any further territorial concessions by
Israel are premised on Arafat's ability to curb extremists. "How
do we know that these areas, these territories do not become bases
of terrorism. The answer is we can't have full knowledge, full
guarantees. But what we can have are concrete assurances by the
Palestinian Authority that they will take those steps that have
been promised before and have yet to be carried out, to minimize
that risk, to fight terrorism, to prevent the use of Palestinian
areas as launching grounds for terrorist attacks against us."
Arafat for his part acknowledged that his administration has
to deal with, among others, the militant Hamas organization, but
said "peace is the most important platform" for Israeli security.
He noted that his initial partner in the peace process -- the
late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin -- died at the hands of a
Jewish extremist and said no one can offer Israel absolute
security.
Arafat countered that there can be no absolute guarantee against
attacks. "I can give a 100 percent effort, but no one in the world
can give 100 percent results."
Clinton has cut back domestic travel plans in order to be available
to join in the talks -- expected to run through Sunday. "Neither
side can expect to win 100 percent of every point. But concessions
that seem hard now will seem far less important in the light of an
accord that moves the Israelis and Palestinians closer to lasting
peace; closer to a day when the people of Israel can have the
safety and security they have been denied for too long; closer to
the day when the Palestinian people can realize their aspirations
to be free and secure and able to shape their own political and
economic destiny."
A large press corps has near the Wye Plantation Conference Center
to report whatever news leaks out of the tightly controlled
environment where the Israeli, Palestinian and American officials
have gathered.
The news is not expected to be very detailed, at least as long
as the negotiations go on. If Netanyahu, Secretary of State
Albright, and Arafat reach agreement on interim settlement issues,
they then will face the most contentious issues -- what are called
the final status negotiations. These concern the political future
of the Palestinian Authority: will it become a state? Refugee
return, Israeli settlements, and perhaps the most emotion-laden
question of all: the future status of Jerusalem. Under the 1993
Oslo accords, the entire process is to be finished by May 1999.
Avner Netanyahu Disappeared from Nursery School
By IsraelWire
The Netanyahu family underwent a short period of panic Tuesday when
four-year-old Avner disappeared from his nursery school. Around
noon, when the children were having a fruit break, Avner said, "I
don't want fruit. I want to go home". No one took his words
seriously, but Avner took his backpack and left the nursery school
without being noticed.
For close to half an hour he wandered on the street and in a nearby
parking lot. From time to time he called out "Yaakov, Yaakov," the
name of the driver who takes him to and from school. Three youths
noticed the little boy, and understood that he was lost. They asked
him his name and he answered only, "Avner." Hoping to discover his
last name, they asked for his father's name, and Avner answered,
"Bibi."
Meanwhile, the Netanyahu family was notified that Avner was
missing. Sarah Netanyahu rushed to the nursery school and called
the prime minister, who was in the middle of a government meeting.
Netanyahu immediately left the meeting and began making inquiries.
The three youths stayed with Avner until they heard his name being
called. Upon hearing the cries, Avner catapulted into his mother's
arms. Prime Minister Netanyahu met with the three youths and
thanked them for their part in the return of his lost son. In a
short ceremony Netanyahu and his wife presented the youths with a
modest reward.
