HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. PUTIN PROMISES SHARON NOT TO AGREE ON MISSILE DEAL IN HIS MEETING WITH ASSAD. 2. OFFICERS: IDF USING UNRESTRAINED FORCE IN HOME DEMOLITIONS. 3. UN TO MARK 60 YEARS SINCE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ: “SATANIC EVIL STILL EXISTS.” 4. Change in demographic trend. DROP IN 2004 BIRTH RATE; FINANCE MINISTRY: RESULT OF CUT IN CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS. HATZOFEH 1. Senior security source: We will need to “suffer” a bit for the stability of Abu Mazen’s regime. “WE WILL HAVE TO ABSORB KASSAM FIRE WITHOUT REACTING.” Source also said: Hamas will try to violate hudna – and gestures to Abu Mazen will strengthen him vs. Hamas. Claimed in Israel: There is agreement between terrorist organizations and Abu Mazen. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say that there is no ceasefire agreement. Sharon, at Cabinet meeting in Sderot: If there is no quiet in area, we will do everything in order to remove threat from city residents. 2. NRP ON VERGE OF SPLIT. On behalf of [NRP Knesset] faction, Eitam and MK Hendel signed unity agreement with National Union. Faction, in opposition to Eitam, not expected to vote on agreement today. Eitam and Levy will apparently quit soon and join National Union. MA’ARIV 1. Teheran trying to perpetrate terrorist attack on Israeli territory. IRAN’S OBJECTIVE: WRECK HUDNA. Concern in security establishment: “Iranians trying to hurt Abu Mazen’s efforts to achieve ceasefire.” 2. SARID TO TEACH BIBLE IN SDEROT. Municipality: Not a political trick. 3. BARAK SLEEPING OVER AT PARTY ACTIVISTS’ HOMES. Goal: Mobilizing votes. 4. PRESSURE WORKED: SOLDIERS RECANT REFUSAL THREAT. 5. DECLINE IN ARAB SECTOT BIRTH RATE. Number of births dropped by 3.5% in 2004. Finance Ministry sources: This is proof that cuts in child support payments is leading to demographic balance. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Scandal: In 40% of local authorities, elected officials avoiding taxes. ELECTED OFFICIALS IN MUNICIPALITIES NOT PAYING LOCAL TAXES. In Jerusalem: City Council members owe municipality NIS 1.3 million. Debt in Hadera: NIS 1.8 million. In Migdal Haemek: NIS 1.1 million. Minister Pines: We won’t transfer budgets to authorities that don’t collect debts. 2. MEMORIAL PRAYERS AT UN. This evening: Special session on Auschwitz. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Hatzofeh suggests that Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen’s efforts to orchestrate a ceasefire with the various Palestinian terrorist organizations is mere window dressing designed to both improve his image and standing ahead of his trip to the US and to bring about pressure on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti. The editors assert that, “Any temporary ceasefire means a time-out for the terrorist organizations during which they can well plan the next intifada with upgraded weapons and a bigger military industry in home basements.” The paper believes that any agreement must entail the turning in of the terrorists’ weapons, as well as the closure of smuggling tunnels and weapons factories. Yediot Ahronot says that, “Whether or not Abu Mazen succeeds in reaching a ceasefire agreement, and whether or not it survives the many pitfalls waiting to ambush it, the PA Chairman has already scored one considerable success to his credit: He has made it clear that the changes in the Palestinian leadership have created a basis for a different reality, a change that also obligates the Israeli leadership to quickly change the outdated hard drive it uses to operate its analysis and resystems.” The editors aver that, “In the reality in which we have become accustomed to assuming that all possibilities for ending the cycle of violence have already been exhausted, this direction is vital and not just for the reason that it is the only step which hasn’t been tried yet.” Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, discusses Minister Natan Sharansky’ s annual report on global anti-Semitism. The editors believe that, “The depth of anti-Semitism and its ability to again break out of the darkness are a fact,” and declare that, “The important question is what Israel can do to prevent the murky waters that flow from its policies from continuing to encourage the seeds of calamity and from making the danger to world Jewish communities worse.” BPI-info