8.12.2003 HAARETZ 1. DEFEAT FOR LAPID: BACH COMMITTEE REJECTS TURBOWICZ AS ATTORNEY GENERAL. 2. HAMAS REFUSES TO COMMIT TO STOPPING ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS – AND CAIRO TALKS FAIL.
HATZOFEH 1. Storm on right over Olmert’s comments on unilateral withdrawal. CAIRO TALKS ON NEW HUDNA FAIL. Senior officials from Palestinian organizations hurl accusations at each other over failure of talks. Olmert: Majority of Likud party members support evacuation of most of territories. Sharon: Even if we give Hebron – we will retain Tomb of the Patriarchs. 2. Channel 10 reveals: Israel building national control center. UNDER JERUSALEM MOUNTAINS, CENTER BEING BUILT FROM WHICH COUNTRYS MILITARY AND CIVILIAN AFFAIRS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN EMERGENCY SITUATION, SUCH AS STRONG EARTHQUAKE OR NUCLEAR ATTACK. 3. PERETZ: TREASURY BRIBING WORKER COMMITTEES IN ORDER TO ABANDON STRUGGLE. MAARIV 1. CAIRO TALKS FAIL. Contacts between Abu Ala and terror organizations on ceasefire break down. Reason: Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused to halt terror attacks if Israel is not part of the agreement. Egyptians: Have not given up yet. 2. DM APPROVES: RESERVE DUTY UNTIL 40. As revealed in Fridays Maariv, 60,000 reservists to be discharged in 2004. (
). YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Day of great confrontation in Knesset: Olmert vs. Likud. SHARON DOES NOT REJECT OLMERTS PLAN. PM agrees in principle with unilateral steps, but disagrees with details and scope Olmert presented in Yediot Ahronot. Hamas torpedoes Hudna at last minute. Concern in Israel: International court to deal with security fence. _____________________________ Hatzofeh believes that, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who, regrettably, has failed in the war on terror
is preparing public opinion, and especially the members of Likud institutions, for painful concessions, and suggests that he is using members of his Cabinet as sounding boards for his own ideas. The editors assert that, Sharon is entitled to announce his failure in the war on terror and offer the premiership to someone who thinks he can do a better job, but aver that, He must not come to the public as a beaten failure and attribute his helplessness in guarding Israels citizens to the need for a new policy, that of the Labor Party and Meretz, without batting an eye and without publicly acknowledging that such a mistake requires him to leave the political arena. Yediot Ahronot is appalled that only one minister bothered to attend yesterdays meeting of the Ministerial Committee on IDF Reserve Duty in which the committee decided to lower the age at which reservists finish duty to 40. By BPI.
