1. Livni Rejects Final Likud Offer
by Maayana Miskin
Likud Party Chairman Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu met with Kadima party head Tzipi Livni on Friday morning to make a final effort to convince her to join a Likud-led coalition. Livni rejected his offer, leaving Likud with no option but to turn to the nationalist parties and attempt to form a more narrow coalition.
Livni had rejected previous coalition offers, including an offer that would have given Kadima veto power over goverment decisions and several senior ministries.
A senior Likud official explained Friday prior to the meeting that Netanyahu believes the parties share common ground and could work together. “Netanyahu thinks there's still room to negotiate... They already agree on the main issues: Iran, Hamas and Hizbullah, and the financial crisis,” he explained.
Despite the general agreement between Likud and Kadima, Netanyahu does not expect Livni to join him, the source added.
Netanyahu hoped to convince Livni that he and she hold the same opinions regarding the creation of a Palestinian Authority state in Judea and Samaria as well. Netanyahu told Livni that he hopes to advance negotiations with the PA that were begun after the Annapolis Conference in 2007, his spokesman said.
However, another party source said the questions of negotiations with the PA and continuation of the Annapolis policy were one of the central sources of conflict between Likud and Kadima.
Netanyahu's expected coalition partner Avigdor Lieberman, the head of Yisrael Beiteinu, clarified this week that he also supports the creation of a PA state.
Livni expressed interest in joining with Likud only if Kadima would lead the coalition, or if the two parties would share power equally, with her and Netanyahu alternating as Prime Minister. Netanyahu rejected both ideas.
Some Kadima members are unhappy at Livni's refusal to sit in a government led by Netanyahu. Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who is widely considered a frontrunner for the position of Defense Minister if the parties were to unite, has publicly criticized Livni's refusal to join the coalition, as has MK Ronit Tirosh. Several other Kadima MKs have expressed anonymous criticism in various media outlets.
Nationalist parties have expressed satisfaction over Likud's failure to join with Kadima, saying the next government will be more Jewish and Zionist than the last. However, the heavily religious coalition that Netanyahu was expected to build following Kadima's rejection could be in danger, as a recent ruling by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv could leave United Torah Judaism unable to sit with Yisrael Beiteinu.
Rabbi Elyashiv, a leading figure in the Ashkenazi hareidi-religious world, ruled that it is forbidden to compromise in any way regarding civil marriage. Civil marriage must not be allowed even between non-Jews, he said.
Yisrael Beiteinu has made civil marriage a central component of its demands. Almost 300,000 non-Jewish immigrants, most from the former Soviet Union, are unhappy with Israel's current marriage laws, which approve of marriages only under the auspices of a recognized religion. Many secular Israelis support civil marriage as well.
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by Maayana Miskin
Likud Party Chairman Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu met with Kadima party head Tzipi Livni on Friday morning to make a final effort to convince her to join a Likud-led coalition. Livni rejected his offer, leaving Likud with no option but to turn to the nationalist parties and attempt to form a more narrow coalition.
Livni had rejected previous coalition offers, including an offer that would have given Kadima veto power over goverment decisions and several senior ministries.
A senior Likud official explained Friday prior to the meeting that Netanyahu believes the parties share common ground and could work together. “Netanyahu thinks there's still room to negotiate... They already agree on the main issues: Iran, Hamas and Hizbullah, and the financial crisis,” he explained.
Despite the general agreement between Likud and Kadima, Netanyahu does not expect Livni to join him, the source added.
Netanyahu hoped to convince Livni that he and she hold the same opinions regarding the creation of a Palestinian Authority state in Judea and Samaria as well. Netanyahu told Livni that he hopes to advance negotiations with the PA that were begun after the Annapolis Conference in 2007, his spokesman said.
However, another party source said the questions of negotiations with the PA and continuation of the Annapolis policy were one of the central sources of conflict between Likud and Kadima.
Netanyahu's expected coalition partner Avigdor Lieberman, the head of Yisrael Beiteinu, clarified this week that he also supports the creation of a PA state.
Livni expressed interest in joining with Likud only if Kadima would lead the coalition, or if the two parties would share power equally, with her and Netanyahu alternating as Prime Minister. Netanyahu rejected both ideas.
Some Kadima members are unhappy at Livni's refusal to sit in a government led by Netanyahu. Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who is widely considered a frontrunner for the position of Defense Minister if the parties were to unite, has publicly criticized Livni's refusal to join the coalition, as has MK Ronit Tirosh. Several other Kadima MKs have expressed anonymous criticism in various media outlets.
Nationalist parties have expressed satisfaction over Likud's failure to join with Kadima, saying the next government will be more Jewish and Zionist than the last. However, the heavily religious coalition that Netanyahu was expected to build following Kadima's rejection could be in danger, as a recent ruling by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv could leave United Torah Judaism unable to sit with Yisrael Beiteinu.
Rabbi Elyashiv, a leading figure in the Ashkenazi hareidi-religious world, ruled that it is forbidden to compromise in any way regarding civil marriage. Civil marriage must not be allowed even between non-Jews, he said.
Yisrael Beiteinu has made civil marriage a central component of its demands. Almost 300,000 non-Jewish immigrants, most from the former Soviet Union, are unhappy with Israel's current marriage laws, which approve of marriages only under the auspices of a recognized religion. Many secular Israelis support civil marriage as well.
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2. Barak: Ceasefire on the Way
by Maayana Miskin
Gaza terrorists fired on southern Israel on Thursday night, launching one rocket at the Eshkol region. The rocket hit an open field, and no injuries were reported. The IAF demolished two smuggling tunnels in response.
Earlier in the day Gaza terrorists fired two rockets, hitting the city of Sderot and causing trauma and property damage. The IDF responded by demolishing several smuggling tunnels along the Egyptian border.
Gaza terrorists have fired 90 rockets on southern Israel since Operation Cast Lead ended last month.
Despite the attacks, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday evening that a ceasefire is on the way. “I don't love the trickle of Kassam [rocket, but I have no doubt that we're on our way to a ceasefire,” Barak said at a Labor party conference.
Egypt is central to Israel's plans for a truce in Gaza, Barak added. “Since the crisis with Amos Gilad has been resolved, we can work towards completing the agreements,” he said, referring to the dismissal and subsequent rehiring of Israel's negotiator in Egypt Amos Gilad. Gilad was fired recently after criticizing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's policies in a newspaper interview.
Barak also discussed kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was seized by terrorists during an attack outside Gaza in 2006. The Cast Lead operation made it temporarily easier to free Shalit, Barak said.
He warned that the price for Shalit would be “heavy and painful.” Hamas has demanded that Israel free more than 1,000 terrorists, including many convicted on multiple counts of murder, in order to obtain Shalit's return.
Barak mentioned other defense-related issues as well, including the Iranian nuclear program and recent rocket attacks from Lebanon. Barak called for increased international sanctions on Iran, but approved of the United States administration's willingness to hold dialogue.
Barak said Hizbullah's position in the Lebanese government makes Lebanon responsible for the group's actions. Syria “continues to be a negative influence on the Lebanese front,” he added.
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by Maayana Miskin
Gaza terrorists fired on southern Israel on Thursday night, launching one rocket at the Eshkol region. The rocket hit an open field, and no injuries were reported. The IAF demolished two smuggling tunnels in response.
Earlier in the day Gaza terrorists fired two rockets, hitting the city of Sderot and causing trauma and property damage. The IDF responded by demolishing several smuggling tunnels along the Egyptian border.
Gaza terrorists have fired 90 rockets on southern Israel since Operation Cast Lead ended last month.
Despite the attacks, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday evening that a ceasefire is on the way. “I don't love the trickle of Kassam [rocket, but I have no doubt that we're on our way to a ceasefire,” Barak said at a Labor party conference.
Egypt is central to Israel's plans for a truce in Gaza, Barak added. “Since the crisis with Amos Gilad has been resolved, we can work towards completing the agreements,” he said, referring to the dismissal and subsequent rehiring of Israel's negotiator in Egypt Amos Gilad. Gilad was fired recently after criticizing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's policies in a newspaper interview.
Barak also discussed kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was seized by terrorists during an attack outside Gaza in 2006. The Cast Lead operation made it temporarily easier to free Shalit, Barak said.
He warned that the price for Shalit would be “heavy and painful.” Hamas has demanded that Israel free more than 1,000 terrorists, including many convicted on multiple counts of murder, in order to obtain Shalit's return.
Barak mentioned other defense-related issues as well, including the Iranian nuclear program and recent rocket attacks from Lebanon. Barak called for increased international sanctions on Iran, but approved of the United States administration's willingness to hold dialogue.
Barak said Hizbullah's position in the Lebanese government makes Lebanon responsible for the group's actions. Syria “continues to be a negative influence on the Lebanese front,” he added.
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3. PA Warns: Terror is an Option
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
A Palestinian Authority official reiterated on Wednesday the oft-repeated threat that Fatah will "return" to armed attacks against Israel if negotiations do not produce the results the movement wants.
Addressing a pro-Fatah rally of more than 100,000 people in the Samaria city of Shechem (Nablus), the PA Mayor Jamal Muhsein threatened: "Whoever thinks that negotiations are the only choice for Fatah is wrong. On the contrary, all options are open, including armed struggle, as long as we seek peace and others do not. Jerusalem is the gate to peace as well as the gate to war."
Another high-ranking local representative of Fatah, which is headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, told the crowd that his organization is "renewing its pledge to the PLO as it had done before."
Regarding reconciliation talks with the Hamas organization underway in Egypt at this time, the Fatah official said that his movement "seeks dialogue and real reconciliation," but first Hamas had to "give the Gaza Strip back to legitimate Palestinian [authorit." Clarifying his view of the relations between the two movements, he added, "We are ready for Hamas to join the PLO, not for the PLO to join Hamas."
Abbas Also Threatened 'Return to Armed Struggle'
The threat that the PA would "return" to the option of armed struggle is far from a new one. It has been made regularly, at least once a year, since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993.
One year ago, almost to the day, in a February 27 interview with Jordan's Al-Dustour newspaper, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as saying, "At present, I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, but in the coming stages, things may change. ...I do not rule out a return to the way of armed struggle against Israel."
This is in line with the Fatah Constitution, which states (Article 19): "Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated."
A Fatah communique issued while the Fatah-led PA was in the midst of negotiations with Israel, in 2001 explained its pursuit of this struggle: "Fatah believes that... a legitimate Palestinian entity forms the most important weapon that Arabs have against Israel."
A Return to Terrorism?
Over the years, while Fatah spokespeople were threatening to return to terrorism, their operatives in the field never ceased their participation in terrorist attacks.
Most recently, on the first day of this month, Abbas's Fatah organization in Gaza claimed to have launched a short-range rocket towards Jewish targets in southern Israel. It was one of three launched that day.
Other examples of attacks perpetrated by Fatah during the ongoing negotiations with Israel include a double suicide bombing in February of last year. Three people were killed in the attack on an open-air mall in Dimona. In 2007, Fatah claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the southern city of Eilat that killed three people.
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by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
A Palestinian Authority official reiterated on Wednesday the oft-repeated threat that Fatah will "return" to armed attacks against Israel if negotiations do not produce the results the movement wants.
Addressing a pro-Fatah rally of more than 100,000 people in the Samaria city of Shechem (Nablus), the PA Mayor Jamal Muhsein threatened: "Whoever thinks that negotiations are the only choice for Fatah is wrong. On the contrary, all options are open, including armed struggle, as long as we seek peace and others do not. Jerusalem is the gate to peace as well as the gate to war."
Another high-ranking local representative of Fatah, which is headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, told the crowd that his organization is "renewing its pledge to the PLO as it had done before."
Regarding reconciliation talks with the Hamas organization underway in Egypt at this time, the Fatah official said that his movement "seeks dialogue and real reconciliation," but first Hamas had to "give the Gaza Strip back to legitimate Palestinian [authorit." Clarifying his view of the relations between the two movements, he added, "We are ready for Hamas to join the PLO, not for the PLO to join Hamas."
Abbas Also Threatened 'Return to Armed Struggle'
The threat that the PA would "return" to the option of armed struggle is far from a new one. It has been made regularly, at least once a year, since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993.
One year ago, almost to the day, in a February 27 interview with Jordan's Al-Dustour newspaper, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as saying, "At present, I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, but in the coming stages, things may change. ...I do not rule out a return to the way of armed struggle against Israel."
This is in line with the Fatah Constitution, which states (Article 19): "Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated."
A Fatah communique issued while the Fatah-led PA was in the midst of negotiations with Israel, in 2001 explained its pursuit of this struggle: "Fatah believes that... a legitimate Palestinian entity forms the most important weapon that Arabs have against Israel."
A Return to Terrorism?
Over the years, while Fatah spokespeople were threatening to return to terrorism, their operatives in the field never ceased their participation in terrorist attacks.
Most recently, on the first day of this month, Abbas's Fatah organization in Gaza claimed to have launched a short-range rocket towards Jewish targets in southern Israel. It was one of three launched that day.
Other examples of attacks perpetrated by Fatah during the ongoing negotiations with Israel include a double suicide bombing in February of last year. Three people were killed in the attack on an open-air mall in Dimona. In 2007, Fatah claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the southern city of Eilat that killed three people.
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4. Ambassadors Discuss Election
by IsraelNN Staff
Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan held a special academic session with the participation of 50 ambassadors. The session was titled: "Israel After the Elections".
Can't see the video? Click here to watch the IsraelNN TV report from the confab.
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by IsraelNN Staff
Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan held a special academic session with the participation of 50 ambassadors. The session was titled: "Israel After the Elections".
Can't see the video? Click here to watch the IsraelNN TV report from the confab.
Comment on this story
6. Nationalists Blast Lieberman
by Gil Ronen
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman’s article supporting the creation of a ‘Palestinian state’ was ill-received in the nationalist camp, with some accusing Lieberman of deserting his former positions on the subject and carrying out an about-face.
The ‘Mattot Arim’ action committee reacted by saying that had Lieberman made the statements in support of a ‘Palestinian’ state before the elections, “the Yisrael Beiteinu party would have gone down from 15 mandates to 9.” [Yisrael Beiteinu went up to 15 mandates from 12 in the last Knesset. -ed
Mattot Arim clainmed that before elections were held, Yisrael Beiteinu gave them a written, clear-cut statement that opposes the establishment of a ‘Palestinian’ state.
The group noted that Lieberman made that commitment public in several ways, including a full-page advertisement in the Jerusalem Post. “In addition, at least three party candidates confirmed before the election that the party opposes a Palestinian state: Danny Ayalon, Uzi Landau and David Rotem,” according to Mattot Arim, which also cited similar statements on the Yisrael Beiteinu website and in the media.
Terror Victims’ group Almagor said that “nothing has improved since Lieberman cooperated with the terror victims on explaining the dangers” of such a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
MK Aryeh Eldad (NU) said, however, that “Only ostriches and illiterates should be surprised. Throughout the campaign we said that Lieberman is not the true Right. His diplomatic plan includes transferring sovereign parts of the State of Israel to the Palestinian state."
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by Gil Ronen
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman’s article supporting the creation of a ‘Palestinian state’ was ill-received in the nationalist camp, with some accusing Lieberman of deserting his former positions on the subject and carrying out an about-face.
The ‘Mattot Arim’ action committee reacted by saying that had Lieberman made the statements in support of a ‘Palestinian’ state before the elections, “the Yisrael Beiteinu party would have gone down from 15 mandates to 9.” [Yisrael Beiteinu went up to 15 mandates from 12 in the last Knesset. -ed
Mattot Arim clainmed that before elections were held, Yisrael Beiteinu gave them a written, clear-cut statement that opposes the establishment of a ‘Palestinian’ state.
The group noted that Lieberman made that commitment public in several ways, including a full-page advertisement in the Jerusalem Post. “In addition, at least three party candidates confirmed before the election that the party opposes a Palestinian state: Danny Ayalon, Uzi Landau and David Rotem,” according to Mattot Arim, which also cited similar statements on the Yisrael Beiteinu website and in the media.
Terror Victims’ group Almagor said that “nothing has improved since Lieberman cooperated with the terror victims on explaining the dangers” of such a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
MK Aryeh Eldad (NU) said, however, that “Only ostriches and illiterates should be surprised. Throughout the campaign we said that Lieberman is not the true Right. His diplomatic plan includes transferring sovereign parts of the State of Israel to the Palestinian state."
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7. Rabbi Elyashiv: No Compromises
by Avraham Zuroff
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who is considered a leading authority by the hareidi-religious Ashkenazi community, ruled Thursday that there should be no compromise regarding civil marriages in Israel. Such marriages should not be allowed even between non-Jews, he said.
Rabbi Elyashiv explained that if civil marriages between non-Jews were to be allowed, it would send a dangerous precedent to the High Court, which might allow civil marriage between Jews, as well.
Rabbi Elyashiv's ruling was seen as a blow to coalition talks between Likud and the hareidi-religious United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party. Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home) has demanded legalization of civil marriage as a condition for joining the Likud coalition, and if Likud accepts, the decision may leave UTJ with no choice but to sit in the opposition.
Rabbi Elyashiv explained that it is precisely now, when a narrow right-wing coalition appears to be forming, UTJ must not allow changing the status quo preventing civil marriage. “If the government would become established by our support, this would be considered as if we allowed the civil marriage law with our own hands,” the rabbi said.
A close confident of Rabbi Elyashiv explained the rabbi’s consideration. “If a wide-based coalition would be established, we wouldn’t be able to have an influence on the decision, and we would oppose it. When the establishment of a government is dependent upon us, the rabbi opposes our entry if it would allow civil marriage [legislatio to pass.”
The source furthermore stated that it was preferable to publicize Rabbi Elyashiv’s position in advance. That is to avoid charges that negotiations were stonewalled due to differences related to UTJ’s budgetary demands. Nonetheless, during coalition talks between Likud and Shas, it was decided that the religious party would keep a low profile regarding civil marriage so as not to arouse opposition from Avigdor Leiberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party, which sees the civil marriage issue as one of their bargaining chips.
Status Quo
The status quo agreement that the Rabbi referred to was established between Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the religious parties, at the time of the declaration of independence in 1948. One of the key points of the agreement is that the Chief Rabbinate has authority over issuing kosher certification, the Sabbath, Jewish burial and marital issues (especially divorce), and the Jewish status of immigrants.
Under current status quo laws, all Jewish marriages, divorces, and conversions conducted within the State of Israel must be first registered through the Chief Rabbinate. The status quo thus allows one’s Jewish status to be determined by a state-sanctioned religious entity.
Couples that have married abroad, whether according to Jewish law or not, are recognized as “married” according to the tenets of the Geneva Convention, which the State of Israel recognizes. Many couples wishing to marry without a religious ceremony do so in Cyprus and elsewhere and then return to Israel. If Avigdor Lieberman’s civil marriage proposal passes, it would allow Israelis to marry in a civil ceremony within the borders of Israel.
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by Avraham Zuroff
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who is considered a leading authority by the hareidi-religious Ashkenazi community, ruled Thursday that there should be no compromise regarding civil marriages in Israel. Such marriages should not be allowed even between non-Jews, he said.
Rabbi Elyashiv explained that if civil marriages between non-Jews were to be allowed, it would send a dangerous precedent to the High Court, which might allow civil marriage between Jews, as well.
Rabbi Elyashiv's ruling was seen as a blow to coalition talks between Likud and the hareidi-religious United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party. Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home) has demanded legalization of civil marriage as a condition for joining the Likud coalition, and if Likud accepts, the decision may leave UTJ with no choice but to sit in the opposition.
Rabbi Elyashiv explained that it is precisely now, when a narrow right-wing coalition appears to be forming, UTJ must not allow changing the status quo preventing civil marriage. “If the government would become established by our support, this would be considered as if we allowed the civil marriage law with our own hands,” the rabbi said.
A close confident of Rabbi Elyashiv explained the rabbi’s consideration. “If a wide-based coalition would be established, we wouldn’t be able to have an influence on the decision, and we would oppose it. When the establishment of a government is dependent upon us, the rabbi opposes our entry if it would allow civil marriage [legislatio to pass.”
The source furthermore stated that it was preferable to publicize Rabbi Elyashiv’s position in advance. That is to avoid charges that negotiations were stonewalled due to differences related to UTJ’s budgetary demands. Nonetheless, during coalition talks between Likud and Shas, it was decided that the religious party would keep a low profile regarding civil marriage so as not to arouse opposition from Avigdor Leiberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party, which sees the civil marriage issue as one of their bargaining chips.
Status Quo
The status quo agreement that the Rabbi referred to was established between Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the religious parties, at the time of the declaration of independence in 1948. One of the key points of the agreement is that the Chief Rabbinate has authority over issuing kosher certification, the Sabbath, Jewish burial and marital issues (especially divorce), and the Jewish status of immigrants.
Under current status quo laws, all Jewish marriages, divorces, and conversions conducted within the State of Israel must be first registered through the Chief Rabbinate. The status quo thus allows one’s Jewish status to be determined by a state-sanctioned religious entity.
Couples that have married abroad, whether according to Jewish law or not, are recognized as “married” according to the tenets of the Geneva Convention, which the State of Israel recognizes. Many couples wishing to marry without a religious ceremony do so in Cyprus and elsewhere and then return to Israel. If Avigdor Lieberman’s civil marriage proposal passes, it would allow Israelis to marry in a civil ceremony within the borders of Israel.
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