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Newsletter : 1fax0130.txt
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>Israel Faxx
>JN Jan. 30, 2001, Vol. 9, No. 16
Israeli Aid to India
By Arutz-7 News
An Israeli aid mission, numbering about 150, departed Monday in five Israeli Air Force aircraft to the area of the recent earthquake in Western India. Israel dispatched an entire field hospital, including a team of doctors, medical staff, and medical equipment, as well as search-and-rescue teams. The delegation is comprised primarily of IDF personnel, and is being accompanied by a Foreign Ministry team.
Two Killed by Palestinian-Israeli Gunfire
By VOA News
More violence has followed Israel's decision to suspend all peace-making contacts with the Palestinians until after the Israeli election next week.
Palestinian gunmen ambushed and killed a Jewish settler on a West Bank road that was built so settlers could bypass the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Elsewhere, Israeli troops killed a young Palestinian man during disputed circumstances near a Jewish settlement in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak called off political contacts after Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat on Sunday accused Israel of waging what he called a savage and barbaric war against Palestinians for the past four months. Barak told Israel Radio Monday there was no point in continuing discussions, and he described Arafat's remarks as a mendacious attack on the state of Israel.
Palestinian and Israeli peace negotiators ended talks in Taba, Egypt, on Saturday night without an agreement. Barak's office said security contacts will continue. Arafat, despite his blistering comments, said he is still prepared to continue the peace process.
Israel's special election for prime minister is just seven days away. The latest public opinion survey in Israel indicates hawkish Likud party leader Ariel Sharon continues to hold a sizable lead over Barak. Sharon has said he would not be held to any peace agreement signed by the current government.
Israeli Elections: Referendum on Peace Process?
By Laurie Kassman (VOA-Tel Aviv)
More than four million Israelis are eligible to vote in next week's election for prime minister. The current Israeli leader, Ehud Barak, faces right-wing Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon. Many voters see the ballot as an unofficial referendum on the peace process and a protest against Barak.
Israel's top labor union has launched a general strike. Shopkeepers complain the economy has gone sour. Residents in the south say the government is not helping the poor. But this election is not about the economy or any other domestic issues.
Political reporter Daniel Ben Simon of Ha'aretz newspaper says the election is about security and peace. "There's not one word about the other issues, not one word about the other issues, not one word about the economic and social problems," he said. "Wherever I go, people say that there is a growing sense of insecurity. They cannot walk freely, they cannot drive freely. They feel insecure in their own country. And they put the blame on Ehud Barak."
In fact, opinion polls show opposition leader Sharon probably will trounce Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the February 6 election. To many, Ariel Sharon is seen as "Mr. Security."
Sharon supporters like Jewish settler Shira Danziger also resent Barak's apparent willingness to compromise with Palestinians on the sensitive issue of sovereignty over Jerusalem. "I vote for Sharon because I feel that I came to Israel to live in a country that is a Jewish country, not an Arab country," he said.
Sharon supporters also accuse Barak of using his latest round of peace talks with the Palestinians as an election ploy to scare voters away from Sharon.
Some voters say Barak had made Israel look weak in the Arab world, which is something they cannot accept. Even Barak supporters like Ram of Tel Aviv, who did not want to give his last name, acknowledge Barak's popularity has plunged as the peace process falters. "Israelis are very emotional and vote from the gut and not from the head," he said. "I think most people will vote for security. They see that Barak made mistakes regarding security and the peace process. And maybe they are looking for a leader who will be tougher than Barak and will show the other people what we are able to do."
The Palestinians are watching the election with interest. Most say they fear Sharon, who is linked in their minds to Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the 1984 massacre of Palestinian refugees there. But the Palestinian leadership says it will have to deal with whoever comes to power.
The political left, which usually supports Barak, appears paralyzed by frustration. Israel's one million Arab citizens, who represent 12 percent of the electorate, say they will boycott the election.
A week before the poll, opinion surveys show one out of three voters still have not made up their minds or have decided to stay at home. Advisers in both camps now are waiting for the last opinion polls to be published later in the week to see if Barak's latest peace effort has persuaded those voters to make up their minds - one way or the other.
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