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Newsletter : 1fax0129.txt
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>PD
>Israel Faxx
>JN Jan. 29, 2001, Vol. 9, No. 15
Barak on Jerusalem
>By Arutz-7 News
"We cannot allow the return of the Palestinian refugees to Israel, period. I will not sign any document that transfers sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians. The Western Wall, the Mt. of Olives, the City of David, the Holy Crescent, and the Archaeological Park will all be under Israeli sovereignty."
Arafat Reaffirms Commitment to Peace
By VOA News
Speaking Sunday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat said he believed there had been some progress at the just-concluded peace talks in Egypt. But during a joint appearance with Israel's former Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, Arafat lashed out at Israel for what he called its fascist military aggression. He urged the international community to protect the Palestinians from what he called Israel's collective punishment during the past four months.
Peres refused to take the blame for the violence and said Israel has been acting in self defense. At the same time he voiced hope that a final peace agreement be reached soon. Peres and Arafat then shook hands, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Sharon Accuses Barak of Playing Politics
By Laurie Kassman (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators said they have made progress, but there is not enough time before Israel's February 6 election to conclude a peace agreement. Prime Minister Barak's rival in the election said the last-minute peace effort is a political maneuver.
Opposition leader Ariel Sharon told a rally of supporters that Barak's latest peace move was just a ploy to boost his chances in the election. He also warned that voters would shun the prime minister at the ballot box if they could see what he is willing to concede for peace. Most analysts see the February 6 election as an informal vote of frustration with the peace process.
Barak had hoped for a final peace deal with the Palestinians to clinch victory. He trails far behind the right-wing Likud Party leader in the opinion polls.
The prime minister has gone further than his predecessors by putting the thorny issues of sovereignty over Jerusalem and right of return for Palestinian refugees on the bargaining table. Staking his political future on his pre-election push for a peace deal, Barak said he has ruled out joining a government coalition led by Sharon.
Sharon has promised he would not honor a last-minute Barak deal with the Palestinians if he is elected Israel's next leader. He also said he would not abandon Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and would hand back much less land to the Palestinians for a future state.
The last-minute push for a deal before the election came against a backdrop of continuing violence. In their joint statement after the talks, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators promised intensified efforts to curb the violence as a confidence-building measure.
Defense Ministry Tells Purchasers: Prepare for Emergency
Israel Faxx Staff Report and Ha'aretz
Amos Yaron, the director-general of Israel's defense ministry has ordered all his overseas purchasing delegations to review applicable emergency orders that would take effect if the current Palestinian violence were to deteriorate into war. Ha'aretz indicated that Yaron's order was kept secret, for fear that if made public, it would cause a panic.
This is the third time since 1990 that similar orders have been given: In 1990, on the eve of the Gulf War, and in summer 1996, following reports that the Syrian army had moved forces toward the Golan Heights. The latest orders have been approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz.
Defense Ministry sources told Ha'aretz that the orders are a routine step and do not indicate a change in the security situation, but merely a desire to be prepared for any eventuality.
Yaron's order means that purchasing agents are supposed to review their lists of suppliers to be sure that the transfer of equipment will proceed quickly and smoothly in case of need.
The purchasing agents were told not to deviate from their usual procedures in any way other than by conducting the specified review. After performing the checks, the delegations said they were ready for any eventuality.
The largest purchasing delegations - the ones most relevant for obtaining equipment during a war - are located in New York, Germany and France. Most military equipment, particularly ammunition, missiles and spare parts, comes from the United States. But in the event of a missile attack Europe would be the main source for additional gas masks. During the last period of tension in the Persian Gulf, in February-March 1998, Israel's main suppliers of gas masks were Germany, Holland, Sweden and Britain.
Defense sources reported that the state of the IDF's inventory is satisfactory compared to what it was in 1996. In particular, there is no shortage of ammunition.
According to Israel's agreement with the U.S., stocks of American ammunition are kept in Israel and can be used in case of emergency. However, the agreement also states that the U.S. is responsible for maintaining these inventories, and it is the one who decides whether there is an emergency that justifies letting Israel use the ammunition.
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