| | 1. | Olmert Leaning Towards Transferring Money to PA
| | By Hillel Fendel
| Acting PM Ehud Olmert, widely praised earlier this week for his decision not to transfer tax monies to the Hamas-dominated Pal. Authority, has apparently decided to transfer the money after all.
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Olmert will convene a ministerial consultation on the matter this Sunday, but the ministers are generally in favor of giving the funds. The feeling is that because Hamas is not yet in power, there is no reason to withhold the money.
Strengthening this position are remarks made yesterday by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). Abbas said that though Hamas is now the PA's largest party, he will not assign the formation of the next government to Hamas until that organization recognizes Israel and agrees to abide by all previous PA obligations.
Hamas has murdered hundreds of Israelis in the past several years, and its charter is predicated upon the concept that Israel must be destroyed.
Even if the European Union and United States refrain from sending money to the PA, it is felt that Israel is in a different situation. This is because the EU and US send donations, while the Israeli funds are actually tax monies that Israel collects for the PA.
MK Gideon Saar of the Likud is not satisfied with these explanations. "Olmert, who allowed Hamas to rise to power, now gives it international legitimacy," Saar said. Hamas itself has credited the Sharon-Olmert government's Disengagement Plan for its rise to power. In addition, Olmert has been widely criticized for cooperating with the PA in allowing Hamas to run in the recent election.
"Once again," Saar said, "we see Olmert's weakness. He is systematically establishing a Hamas state, a front-line chapter of Iran, that will endanger Israeli citizens. We now see why the [extreme left-wing] Meretz Party wants to be a coalition partner of Olmert after the elections."
A senior PA official said yesterday that salaries for the 137,000 PA workers would have to be delayed by at least two weeks, for lack of funds. The total sum needed for the monthly salaries is $116 million.
Armed Al-Aqsa Brigades terrorists took over the PA Television building in Ramallah Thursday afternoon. The incident is reported to be connected with the decision to freeze salaries of those who receive salaries from other media.
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| | 2. | Hendel: Olmert's Advisor Said His Job is to Make Settlers Hated
| | By Hillel Fendel
| MK Tzvi Hendel, an expelled resident of Gush Katif now living in Yad Binyamin, said that Acting PM Olmert's political advisor said outright that his job is to get the public to "hate the settlers."
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Hendel made the accusation at a National Union Party press conference Thursday night. Specifically, he said that Eyal Arad, Olmert's strategic political advisor, had told a leading Yesha (Judea/Samaria) personality, "The nation hates you [the Jewish public living in Judea and Samaria] as much as it hates the Arabs, and my job is to make sure they hate you even more."
Hendel offered to resign from the Knesset if it turns out Arad did not say that.
Ynet reported Arad's response: "Those words were never said, and as proof, there is no one who is willing to admit that he heard them from me. I therefore expect Hendel to resign, and immediately."
Arad, a former advisor to Binyamin Netanyahu, ran Ariel Sharon's victorious campaigns in 2001 and 2003. In 2004, Arad served in Romania as the strategic advisor in the campaign of the anti-Semitic presidential candidate Corneliu Vadim Tudor, head of the Greater Romania Party. This, despite Romanian Jewish leaders' description of Tudor as an "enemy of the Jews," and the Foreign Ministry's statements at the time that Tudor was "xenophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-democratic."
The National Union Party press conference was held in the wake of the the police violence at the Amona evacuation/destruction. The party's stance is that a national commission of inquiry must be established to trace the orders and events leading to the brutal police violence that brought about some 200 civilian injuries.
In addition to Hendel, speakers included MKs Effie Eitam and Aryeh Eldad, who were both injured by the police at Amona, and party director-general Nachi Eyal, whose 15-year-old son had to be resuscitated by an ambulance driver after he was beaten by police at Amona.
Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra, despite the host of video clips and other evidence showing that policemen used sadistic violence against peaceful protestors, said Thursday, "The police should be congratulated for carrying out the mission."
Nachi Eyal, whose son awoke from his coma during the course of Wednesday night, said, "I read that a police officer said that they used 'kid gloves.' Kid gloves split a boy's head open and nearly kill him? How is it possible for an Israeli policeman to stand and smash children's skulls? How can such people grow up here in our country?"
"It can't be," Eyal continued, "that we foster a pack of Amstaffs [a breed of dangerous dog] that the moment they are released, they don't stop, leading to dozens of people in the hospital with head wounds. This cannot be allowed to occur in a country like ours."
MK Benny Elon said, "Based on what I saw there, I can say that the fact that no one was killed is a miracle. There must be a public commission of inquiry, which is the minimum we can do to prevent a civil war. The committee must check what briefing the Central Commander gave the special Yassam police, and what instructions the Central Commander received from above."
MK Aryeh Eldad, whose arm was broken by police at Amona said, "One policeman told me that the order was to 'mow their faces down.' The responsibility for the smashed skulls lies with the Central Commander and on Olmert. The rocks that flew in Amona were the rocks of Gush Katif, and the rocks that will fly next time will be those of Amona. This public understands that Olmert is going against them all the way, and they are responding as one who is pushed against the wall with no ability to react."
MK Eitam, who was released from the hospital over 24 hours after suffering a head wound at Amona, said, "If we don't want to deteriorate to civil war, a public commission of inquiry headed by a Supreme Court judge must immediately be established."
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| | 3. | More Testimonies of Police Brutality at Amona
| | By Hillel Fendel
| Even when the protestors expressed no opposition and asked to leave, the policemen still continued to beat them. Teenagers talk, and testimonies are gathered for a public inquiry.
| Many teenagers around the country are still physically and emotionally bruised by the violent evacuation and destruction of nine homes in Amona, in the Binyamin region. A series of testimonies can be read here. More testimonies are included below.
Bruriah C., 18, a youth leader in Petach Tikvah:
"I can tell you that it hurts very much... We were standing outside the second house, when very suddenly, the police and their horses came charging into us. One horse jumped... and kicked me; I wanted to leave and walk away, and so did many others of us - but the police didn't let us. They just closed in on us and continued swinging their clubs and beating us...
"One of my girls [from Petach Tikvah] was grabbed by two policemen, and I tried to get her away from them. At that point, a Border Guard policewoman gave me a very hard clubbing on my head - it hurt terribly and I felt totally dizzy. I tried not to fall down... they gave me another blow and then I fell down, screaming out in pain. Somehow I got out, and an army medic treated me. I heard them saying that if there was a helicopter available, I should be evacuated to a hospital, but if not, then I should be the first one in an ambulance...
"At some point, I fainted; I know I wasn't breathing for a while, and they had me on a gas mask... In the hospital, I was lying down the whole time, but I kept seeing more and more of us coming in, bleeding terribly and with severe head wounds and the like - and at the same time, maybe five policemen were also brought in, with little scratches."
Asked how she views what happened in retrospect, Bruriah said,
"It is still totally shocking to me. They came with all their defensive shields and heavy equipment, and they still kept hitting us, with no mercy. I am still in shock... Next time, we have to be even stronger; if that's how they come at us, then we can't give in."
A-7: "But they are coming in the name of the law?"
Bruriah: "It's so obvious that this has nothing to do with law. They came with murder in their eyes. We begged that they should let us go away, but they didn't let us; they just kept beating us... This is really a pure example of [the words of Psalms], 'they come with chariots and horses, and we come in the name of G-d.'"
Yaakov L., 16, Beit El:
"We were on the roof of house number 7, and when the police came onto the roof, they just started hitting us with abandon. Even those who said they're willing to go - they got hit even more. It seemed that whoever opened his mouth got hit hard.
"As for me, I don't even remember if I said anything or not, all I know is that I never felt so much pain in my life. They smashed me all over, and especially on my head and arm. My arm was all blue and blown up; I was sure it was broken, but thank G-d it turned out that it was not. But they cracked my skull; I was taken to the hospital, and am walking around now with a big bandage all around. It hurts now only if I touch it..."
Click "play" below to watch a video of police brutality.
Click here if video does not appear
Click here to view video on alternative server - can be downloaded
For every ten policemen in Amona, the police sent one cameraman to film the events. The police are already working intensively to review the recordings in order to identify and arrest any youth seen throwing rocks or otherwise attacking policemen. Israel Television news reported, however, that the police declined to answer queries as to when they might be reviewing the tapes to identify policemen who used excessive force.
This Saturday night in Jerusalem (8:30 PM, Gold Hotel), several concerned groups will be holding an emergency session in light of the police brutality at Amona. The gathering of evidence such as photos, films and eyewitness accounts of violent policemen will be discussed and planned.
Also at issue will be the events leading up to the Amona destruction, as well as the double standard inherent in the overlooking of tens of thousands of Arab violations of the building code. The event will be coordinated by Honenu, Yesha Civil Rights Organization, and Merkaz Medini L'Yisrael.
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| | 4. | Joint Likud-NRP List Under Consideration
| | By Hillel Fendel
| Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu is reported to be considering an election campaign merger with the National Religious Party. Neither of the two parties are doing well in pre-election polls.
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Netanyahu initiated low-level talks with the NRP this week, but so far, nothing has come of them. NRP leader Zevulun Orlev said he had not received an offer of a merger with the Likud, but that he would be happy to consider such an option.
Netanyahu would have to obtain the consent of his party's 3,000-member Central Committee for the joint election run. Observers feel this would not be an easy task, as many Kadima supporters still remain in the Likud. A Likud-NRP merger would likely bite into Kadima support.
Talk of a possible merger between the Likud and the Yisrael Beiteinu party has also been heard, but this does not appear to be a realistic possibility at present. Yisrael Beiteinu is headed by Avigdor Lieberman, a former top aide of Netanyahu. Lieberman said this morning that his party is doing well on its own, and that he sees no need to unite with any other party.
Yisrael Beiteinu is a right-wing party that beckons to new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. It recently attracted to its ranks MK Yigal Yasinov, a refugee from the splintered Shinui Party. Yasinov was one of two of Shinui's original 15 MKs who leaned towards the right on Land of Israel and Palestinian Authority-related issues. Lieberman was happy to receive Yasinov's Knesset allotment of over a million shekels of campaign funding money.
The NRP and National Union have also long talked of a possible merger, but the initiative has been stalled for weeks. Orlev hinted that the deal might be finalized after all by this Tuesday, the deadline for submitting lists of Knesset candidates.
Pinchas Wallerstein, one of the heads of the Yesha Council, told Arutz-7 today that he would welcome any move that would strengthen the nationalist camp and weaken Kadima.
Polls released today show Kadima receiving 37-43 Knesset seats, Labor 16-21, and Likud - 13-16. The NRP is on the brink of not receiving enough votes to enter the Knesset.
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| | 5. | HaNegbi Says Indictment Won't Necessitate Leaving Kadima
| | By Hillel Fendel and Ezra HaLevi
| Kadima MK Tzachi HaNegbi says he will not resign from the Knesset, despite the Attorney-General's decision to indict him on charges of campaign bribery, breach of trust, and lying under oath.
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The charges are related to an investigation against HaNegbi for a host of political appointments he made during his service as Environment Minister from 2001-2003.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz originally called for an investigation into HaNegbi's actions following an incriminating report by then-State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg. Goldberg wrote that HaNegbi "trampled the law" and "used public resources to advance his own personal political affairs." At the time, HaNegbi headed Israel's police in his capacity as Public Security Minister.
The day after Mazuz's recommendation was reported, HaNegbi - who had been serving as temporary Likud Party Chairman, following Ariel Sharon's departure -
left the Likud and joined the newly-formed Kadima Party.
Labor MK Matan Vilnai said at the time, "How symbolic it is that on the day the police recommend HaNegbi's indictment, he joins Kadima. It appears that Kadima is turning into a 'city of refuge,' exuding a message of total disregard for public clean-handedness and values."
Likud MK Michael Eitan, in his response to the indictment, expressed the fears of much of the public by saying, "The Attorney General should be praised for understanding the feeling among many that joining Kadima gives one legal immunity."
HaNegbi now heads Kadima's election campaign headquarters, is a minister without portfolio in Ehud Olmert's temporary government, and is said to have been promised a ministerial position if Olmert heads the next government.
HaNegbi is eligible for a hearing before actually being charged. Each of the charges against him carries the possibility of active jail time.
The original investigation by the State Comptroller was spurred by a flyer handed out to Likud Central Committee members during the previous Likud primaries. The flyer bragged that HaNegbi had provided jobs for 80 committee members and their relatives.
HaNegbi's trial is not likely to take place before elections, which are set to take place March 28th.
Despite calls for HaNegbi to resign from the Cabinet, he said that he has no plans to do so. Kadima faction leader Roni Bar-On rushed to HaNegbi's defense, saying, "I suggest that we wait patiently for the actual decision to indict him, which is dependent on a hearing." Bar-On also said that he sees no need for HaNegbi to suspend himself from the party.
Kadima features a host of members who are under criminal investigation, or worse. In addition to HaNegbi, founder Ariel Sharon himself was under investigation - until his recent hospitalization - in what is known as the Cyril Kern case, and his son, Omri Sharon, is about to be sentenced after being convicted of violating campaign laws and perjury.
Two other Kadima members, Deputy Ministers Eli Aflalo and Ruchama Avraham, were reprimanded by the Knesset Ethics Committee - and are being investigated by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss - for what is known as the Agrexco scandal. The two traveled abroad last year at the expense of Agrexco, a vegetable and fruit exporting company. Agrexco's activities are within the scope of the Knesset Finance Committee on which they serve.
After the news broke, the two MKs returned the cost of the flight, 7,300 shekels, and Aflalo also returned another 5,500 shekels for the cost of his New York hotel stay.
Chaim Barbivai, the Mayor of Kiryat Shmonah who was one of the first to join Kadima, suspended himself from the party just days after joining, after it was learned that he stands to be indicted on charges of bribery.
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