Yediot Ahronot suggests that Shinui is caught on the horns of dilemma: While the vast majority of its voters support the Disengagement Plan, its Knesset fhas been loudly stating its intent to vote against the budget, which would – for all intents and purposes – mean the fall of the Sharon government and with it, the Disengagement Plan. The editors believe that Shinui is looking for a way out and urges party leader Joseph Lapid to admit that he played his hand badly and that Shinui will support the budget in order to save the Disengagement Plan, and that the party will settle its score with Prime Minister Sharon in another forum. Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, asserts that, The Likud
is finished in its current format. The editors remark: How strange are the upheavals of history – the students of Betar leader Zeev Jabotinsky are realizing the doctrine and the dream of Ben-Gurion and Berl Katzenelson. Hatzofeh refers to a recent Finance Ministry report on salaries for senior public servants and suggests that, These gigantic salaries are corrupting. The editors cite the report and believe that some of the money could be better spent on social and health needs. BPI-info
HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS HAARETZ 1. ABDALLAH: SYRIA AND HEZBOLLAH ENCOURAGING ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL. 2. 45 RIGHT WING ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AFTER BLOCKING COASTAL HIGHWAY. 3. FIRST VISIT BY RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO ISRAEL – IN APRIL. 4. Pod of dolphins mistakenly enters Haifa Bay. IN PORT, THEY SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR AND WAITED FOR 40 DOLPHINS TO LEAVE. 5. GRANTS CHOICE. Three days before Ireland, Avi Nimni and Omri Afek are national team coachs sure things. HATZOFEH 1. Knesset Finance committee due to approve state budget and arrangements bill tonight. REFERENDUM: BATTLE OVER HAREDI VOTES. Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice committee to vote today on referendum bill. Left pressing haredim to stick to their opposition. Yishai offers support in committee – in hope that this will lead to elections. Assessment: Haredim wont prevent approval of law in committee. Likud loyalists trying to promote new move – fdiscipline in plenum: Support for budget in exchange for support for referendum. 2. IN WAKE OF CALM: SHARP RISE IN NUMBER OF STONINGS AND FIREBOMBS IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA. Onslaught of firebombs in Judea and Samaria. From today: Closure on Judea, Samaria and Gaza for Purim. 3. PEOPLE WANTING TO DISTRIBUTE PURIM PARCELS DETAINED AT CHECKPOINT ON CLAIM THAT THEY INTENDED TO BLOCK GLILOT JUNCTION. 4. YAALON: I HEARD THREE VERSIONS FROM SHARON AND MOFAZ REGARDING REASONS FOR MY DISMISSAL. 5. SHARON GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES: ALL RESIDENTS OF YESHA MAY EXPECT TO BE UPROOTED. 6. KNESSET APPROVES EQUALITY LAW FOR HANDICAPPED. 7. POD OF DOLPHINS IN HAIFA PORT. MAARIV 1. DEMONSTRATORS INTENDED TO PARALYZE COUNTRY. After last weeks success, right wing activists planned yesterday to simultaneously block main junctions throughout the country. Police succeeded in keeping most highways free but Poleg junction on coastal highway was blocked for 20 minutes. 2. YAALON: THEY FIRED ME WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION. At Knesset, Chief-of-Staff revealed manner in which he was fired: Mofaz told me that I was outstanding but Sharon said that there was a rift between them. 3. TRAPPED IN PORT. Navigational error trapped entire pod of dolphins among ships in Haifa. After long hours, some returned to sea but 15 dolphins remained stuck in port waters. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. In lightning raid, disengagement opponents blocked coastal highway. SETTLING ON THE HIGHWAY. One week after blocking Ayalon highway: Right wing extremists burned tires on Tel Aviv-Haifa highway near Netanya. Hundreds of cars stuck. Dozens arrested en route to blocking Glilot junction. 2. JORDANIAN MONARCH: SYRIA PLANNING TERRORIST ATTACK. Abdallah reveals: I warned PM Sharon – Assad now needs a major terrorist attack. 3. THIS IS HOW I WAS FIRED. Chief-of-Staff painfully recounted harsh conversations with Mofaz and Sharon – and MKs were convinced: They threw him to the dogs. BPI-info ______________________________
