HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. Assassination ignites Lebanese political establishment. FORMER LEBANESE PM HARIRI MURDERED IN HEART OF BEIRUT. Unknown organization claims responsibility for assassination; Lebanese accusing Syria and Hariri’s opponents within country. 2. SHINUI COURTING SHARON: WE WILL RETURN TO SECULAR UNITY GOVERNMENT OR WE WILL SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE. 3. SUNDAY: CABINET TO APPROVE SETTLEMENT EVACUATION; DISAGREEMENT DELAYING TRANSFER OF CONTROL OVER JERICHO. 4. JERICHO CASINO: CONFLICT DAMAGES – $45.6 BILLION. HATZOFEH 1. Approximately 30,000 people demonstrated in Gush Katif and another 2,000 at main junctions. DEMONSTRATIONS ALL OVER COUNTRY. Country paralyzed: Main junctions blocked and tires burned as part of series of non-violent civil protest actions against disengagement and “violent and dictatorial government”. (…). Yesha Council: More than 92,000 people have already signed commitment to appear in Gush Katif on day order is given and to non-violently struggle against withdrawal. 2. DICTATORSHIP IN ACTION: EITAM ACCUSED SHARON OF INCITEMENT AND WAS EJECTED FROM DISCUSSION. 3. WILD MIDDLE EAST: [FORMER] LEBANESE PM ELIMINATED. 4. DUE TO THREATS – SECURITY AT LILY SHARON’S GRAVE. 5. TRANSFER OF JERICHO TO PALESTINIANS POSTPONED. 6. NEW COMMUNITY HALUTZIT 4 – TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR DISENGAGEMENT EVACUEES. 7. RIFT IN NRP: EITAM SUSPENDED FROM LEADERSHIP. MA’ARIV 1. Sharon’s secretary speaks: Must stop being silent. “WAKE UP.” Marit Danon has worked with prime ministers since Shamir. Since right wing threats have become more extreme, she has decided to break silence: “It’s exactly like it was with Rabin. I see the scenes, hear the voices and don’t believe. Haven’t we learned anything?” Right wing demonstrators go back to blocking junctions. Today in Knesset: Discussion of Evacuation Compensation Law. 2. FINGER POINTED TOWARDS SYRIA. He was bitter foe of Syrian presence in Lebanon. Yesterday morning, former PM Rafik Hariri was killed in car bombing of his guarded convoy. Unknown organization claims responsibility but finger is already pointing at Damascus. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Assad’s great enemy eliminated in heart of Beirut. SYRIA’S REVENGE. 100-kilogram bomb killed Rafik Hariri, former Lebanese PM and one of the richest men in the world. Opposed Syrian presence in Lebanon – and supported strengthening ties with Israel. 2. SECURITY AT LILY SHARON’S GRAVE. PM: Right wingers threatening to desecrate or move grave. 3. SETTLERS ON HIGHWAYS. Signal given at 17:00 – and hundreds of settlers simultaneously burst into main junctions and blocked, inter alia, entrances to Jerusalem and Ashdod. Concern: Blocking of roads to continue all week. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot urges the government to fight political violence and to ensure that those threatening the lives of Israeli politicians be stopped in order, “to security the future of the State of Israel.” Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, says that although some Palmach veterans are also kibbutz members, this does not mean that they represent kibbutz policy. Hatzofeh condemns the behavior of a minority of extreme right-wingers who have threatened ministers’ lives and argues that they also hurt Jewish settlers in Judea and Samaria. The editors claim that, “We must distinguish between the extreme right and the settlers,” and that the former must be dealt with appropriately. BPI-info