Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 14:33:36 +0200 HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS HAARETZ 1. IDF SURROUNDS RAFIAH; PLAN: TAKE UP KEY POSITIONS IN CITY. Thousands leave their homes; Abu Ala praises disengagement plan. 2. ECONOMY GROWING RAPIDLY: 5.5% SINCE BEGINNING OF YEAR. HATZOFEH 1. Thousands of citizens abandon their Rafiah homes. Atmosphere of war. RAFIAH ISOLATED, PREPARING FOR BATTLE. Palestinians packed possessions and fled homes in Rafiah. IDF preparing for war on terrorist infrastructure and tunnels: dozens of tanks deployed on roads leading to city. 2. Day of clashes: 10 injured, thousands of policemen and soldiers to evacuate a hut. OUTPOST EVACUATED, AND REESTABLISHED. Thousands of policemen and soldiers, horses and dozens of vehicles – all in order to evacuate one hut in Mitzpe Yitzhar – which is surrounded by several thousand illegal buildings. 3. 5.5% JUMP IN ECONOMIC GROWTH. 50% increase in exports. 4. YIGAL AMIR TO JOURNALISTS: NO REGRETS. (
). MAARIV 1. Operation Rainbow begins: IDF operating in heart of Rafiah. PLAN: HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHTING. Close to midnight, phase 1 of operation completed: Rafiah isolated from rest of Gaza strip. IDF moving to phase 2: Control over city neighborhoods and capture of wanted fugitives. Concern: Terrorists planned ambushes and laid explosives in narrow allies. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. INCURSION TO RAFIAH. Operation Rainbow being implemented: IDF concluded deployment around Rafiah last night – ahead of entry into city. 2. Growth up 5.5%. Purchases up 7.6%. Exports up 49.5%. Tourism up 86%. ECONOMY RECOVERING. Surprising improvement in most branches of the economy in first quarter of the year. Netanyahu: We are on the right path.
______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot dismisses the idea of digging a massive moat along the Philadelphia corridor between Rafiah and the Egyptian border. The editors assert that Yasser Arafats recent Naqba Day speech torpedoed the contention of the supporters of the Geneva Accord that the Palestinians have moderated their demand for a right of return and believe that, Psychiatrists must explain to the visionary Leftist public that the withdrawal from Gaza is nothing more than an improvement of position, a shortening of the front, a very slight chance for a relaxation and maybe an introduction to something a little better. The paper asks that, If the government cannot remove a single structure from a hilltop in Samaria, and if the fanatics from Mitzpe Yitzhar can give 2,000 policemen the runaround for a whole day, how will thousands of Gush Katif residents be evacuated? Hatzofeh discusses the Dovrat Commissions recommendations on educational reform. BPI.
