HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS HAARETZ 1. RECORD NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED: 281,000 10.8% OF LABOR FORCE. Finance Ministry estimate: 300,000 barrier to be crossed this year.
2. Security guards Draft laws: Security as preferred work and equating status of security guards killed in line of duty with IDF fallen. SECURITY GUARDS COMPLAIN: WE ARE BEING EXPLOITED, WORK NOT WORTH THE RISK. 3. FEMALE SUICIDE TERRORISTS: FROM EXCEPTIONAL PHENOMENON TO ACCEPTED METHOD. 4. PORAZ: NEW CRITERIA FOR CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT CONVERSION. HATZOFEH 1. In contrast to Operation Defensive shield: No intention this time to take control of cities in Judea and Samaria. GOVERNMENT INSTRUCTS IDF: RESPONSE TO TERROR ONSLAUGHT DEFENSIVE ONLY. Most activity focused on strengthening defense of roads, Jewish communities and seam line area. Reinforcement of units in Judea and Samaria to begin very soon. OC Intelligence: Arafat continues to support terror but not worthwhile to expel him. 2. JUMP IN UNEMPLOYMENT 11% OF LABOR FORCE. 281,000 unemployed registered in first quarter of 2003. Israel in second place vis-?-vis unemployment among Western countries. 3. IDF ARRESTS ONE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO HID IN MUKATA IN RAMALLAH. Terrorist, Palestinian intelligence official, was involved in attacks in Binyamin area. 4. MKS INITIATING LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE SECURITY GUARDS STATUS AND WORK CONDITIONS. Security guard killed in Afula new immigrant, entire family in Russia. IDF arrests parents of Afula woman suicide bomber. 5. TERRORIST HQS IN DAMASCUS THAT ASSAD CLOSED CONTINUING TO ENCOURAGE ATTACKS. Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders in Syria sent messages to their people in Judea, Samaria and Gaza: If you dont carry out attacks in every way possible, we will halt economic support. MAARIV 1. Unemployment reaches all-time high. LITERATURE TEACHER WAS FIRED AND COMMITTED SUICIDE. (
). 2. RESUMPTION IN STRUGGLE BETWEEN PERETZ AND FINANCE MINISTRY. 3. MINISTER SHALOM BANS USE OF TERM RIGHT OF RETURN. 4. Interior Ministers initiative: GIVE $1 MILLION AND RECEIVE ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Every ninth Israeli unemployed. 281,400. This is the number of unemployed in Israel. 20,000 have joined cycle of unemployment in last three months. 2. TRYING TO SAVE HADARS LEGS. Woman security guard, who was seriously wounded in attack, hospitalized; has not regained consciousness. Currently hoped that she will be able to walk again. Doctor who was seriously wounded has lost an eye; currently hoped to save second one. 3. SOON: BUSH AND ABU MAZEN TO MEET. The President spoke yesterday with Sharon and Abu Mazen. 4. PORAZS NEW STORM: CONVERSION CRISIS. Interior Minister to tighten citizenship procedures for converts. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot pays tribute to security guards who, have recently found themselves in the first line of fire on the battlefront, and have, physically blocked terrorists, in most case cases paying with their lives. The paper calls on the public to, improve our attitude towards them
and to remember
that they are endangering their lives
and we should say: Thanks. Hatzofeh discusses the recent terror attacks and says that the huge efforts being made by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to perpetrate the terror attacks is an attempt to, sabotage the road map, as well as to prove their own strength and power. The editors suggest that the closure on the territories should be tightened but complain that this will result in international criticism, which is not applied to the US in its operations in Iraq: The US, the French, and the British do not work with gloves on. Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, says that Israel is in a dramatic and critical period of her life, [and is] in a huge effort
to mold her image and borders. Yediot Ahronot, in its third editorial, expresses disappointment at statements made following the end of the recent strike. It is terrible and sad to find that at the end of a day of economic battles, the bitter enemies are patting themselves on the back with happy cries: I won, I won, while ignoring the plight of Israelis who are left crying.
