29.12.2003 HAARETZ 1. FOUR OUTPOSTS DESIGNATED FOR EVACUATION; ONLY ONE IS INHABITED. Sharon and Mofaz sign order for accelerated evacuation of outposts. 2. [LOCAL] AUTHORITY HEADS ANNOUNCE: EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO STRIKE AS OF TOMORROW. 3. CABINET APPROVES LAW THAT WILL AUTHORIZE ARUTZ 7. 4. PERES WANTS TO REMAIN AS LABOR CHAIRMAN UNTIL 2006. HATZOFEH 1. SHARON BYPASSES CABINET: ORDERS EVACUATION OF FOUR OUTPOSTS. Mofaz prepares list that includes Ginot Aryeh, Havat Shaked, Hazon David and Bat Ayin West-West. PM signs order on basis of political decision. Outposts Migron and Avigail not on list due to legal difficulties. Yesha leaders considering appeal to High Court of Justice. Yesha Rabbis committee calls on public to line up like a wall against uprooting of any community, while showing responsibility towards security forces.
2. SERIOUS COALITION CRISIS: FACTION HEADS REFUSE TO APPROVE BUDGET. 3. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO STRIKE AS OF TOMORROW. 4. CABINET: DRAFT LAW TO PAVE WAY FOR AUTHORIZING ARUTZ 7. MAARIV 1. Soldier who shot left-wing activist: I received approval to shoot from my commander. DONT MAKE A SACRIFICIAL LAMB OUT OF ME. N, the soldier who shot protestor Gil Naamati, doesnt understand the uproar surrounding him. In all, I did my job, he says. IDF backs soldiers: It is likely that we sent them on an impossible mission. 2. Stock exchange indices return to their pre-intifada levels. FESTIVITIES ON STOCK EXCHANGE: NEW RECORD SINCE 2000. Shares have risen 47% since beginning of year. (
). 3. EVACUATION ORDER FOR FOUR OUTPOSTS, ONLY ONE OF WHICH IS INHABITED. Sharon and Mofaz decide: Evacuation to be based on accelerated order. 4. WARNING: MEGA-ATTACK ON NEW YEARS EVE. Among the scenarios: Attack from air or sea. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. TOMORROW: CLASSES IN DOUBT. This evening: Fateful meeting between Netanyahu and [local] authority heads in effort to prevent disruptions throughout educational system. Assessment: If solution is not found, Education Ministry will call on parents to keep their children at home. 2. THE RICH MAKE 14 TIMES MORE THAN THE POOR. New report reveals widening of gaps – between rich and poor and between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews. 3. Sharon and Mofaz sign evacuation order. FOUR OUTPOSTS TO BE EVACUATED. Migron will not be evacuated. Only inhabited outpost: Ginot Aryeh. 4. Neighbors of company commander who shot protestor: SHAIS HOME IS IN ELKANA, BUT THE ARMY IS HIS SECOND HOME. Friends in caravan park: We are not extremists. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Both papers discuss last weeks incident in which an IDF soldier shot at Israelis and foreign nationals who were demonstrating against the security fence: Hatzofeh criticizes the incident but is certain that Had the Golani soldiers
known that the demonstrators where Jewish Israeli citizens – they would not have opened fire on them, even if they had caused damage to the fence. The editors assert that, The problem that those who are responsible for the safety of Israeli citizens face today is that Leftist elements demonstrate together with Palestinians, and it is clear that the Palestinians ride on their shoulders in order to gain points, leading to the weakening of Israel. The paper points to testimony claiming that, The demonstrators arrived in the area from the Palestinian side and second: Some of the demonstrators were wearing masks as those worn by terrorists and Palestinian fugitives and asserts that such a situation could result in, soldiers, policemen and armed citizens not opening fire on terrorists who are actually trying to damage the fence. Yediot Ahronot blames the IDF leadership for the shooting, and notes that an order from the Chief-of-Staff in 2000 to ensure that all units are armed with non-fatal weaponry in order to, deal with citizens disrupting civil order, was ignored. The editors also note that the rules for using live fire against demonstrators were not followed and that while the soldiers were supposed to try and detain the demonstrators no such efforts were made. The paper asks whether This is a professional army or an army of irregulars?
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