31.03.04 HAARETZ 1. LIKUD CONVENTION DECIDES: PARTY MEMBERS WILL DECIDE IN REFERENDUM ON DISENGAGEMENT PLAN. Criticism from left and right: Members of one party must not be allowed to decide fate of plan. 2. US ADMINISTRATION ACCEPTS COMPROMISE ROUTE FOR FENCE: OPENINGS IN ENCLAVES AND DELAY OF SECTIONS. 3. ACHIEVEMENTS FOR ISRAELI BASKETBALL: EUROLEAGUE [FINAL FOUR] IN TEL AVIV; HAPOEL JERUSALEM IN ULEB FINAL. HATZOFEH 1. Likud Central Committee receives PM with catcalls. SHARON: LIKUD MEMBERS TO DECIDE ON DISENGAGEMENT. Likud Central Committee members approve idea of referendum on disengagement plan. 200,000 Likud members will vote in referendum to be held in mid-April, after Sharons return from Washington. Sharon says in speech that results will be binding on all Likud representatives. Senior Likud officials, including Minister Landau, outraged over way in which vote was conducted. 2. HAPOEL JERUSALEM MAKES HISTORY, [EUROLEAGUE] FINAL FOUR IN TEL AVIV. Euroleague management decides to hold games in Tel Aviv as planned. 3. FAILURE: NEGLIGENT CHECK AT KARNI CROSSING ENABLED DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK IN ASHDOD TO BE PERPETRATED. 4. TENNENBAUM RELEASED TO HOUSE ARREST – INVESTIGATIONS TO CONTINUE. 5. ELIRAN GOLAN ACCUSED OF FOUR COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER. 6. LAND DAY PASSES WITHOUT SPECIAL EVENTS. MAARIV 1. LIKUD MEMBERS TO DECIDE. Likud Central Committee decides: Mini-referendum on disengagement plan – only for party members. Sharons aides concerned over results of internal poll: 51% in favor, 39% opposed and 10% undecided. 2. GLORY FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL. Unprecedented achievement for Hapoel Jerusalem: Yesterday it defeated Zeleznik Belgrade – and will play in ULEB Cup final. European attempt to torpedo hosting of [Euroleague] Final Four fails: Decided yesterday that European basketball championship series will be held in Tel Aviv.
YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Yediot Ahronot-Mina Tzemach poll – last night among Likud members: 51% OF LIKUD SUPPORTS DISENGAGEMENT; 36% OPPOSE. PM: Likud members will decide fate of withdrawal from Gaza. Criticism from Left: Prefers members of his party over public as a whole. Yediot Ahronot poll: Large majority in Likud wants Netanyahu – if Sharon resigns. 2. [EUROLEAGUE] FINAL FOUR IN TEL AVIV. (
). Euroleague management decides to hold semi-finals and finals in Israel. 3. JERUSALEM IN EUROPEAN FINAL. (
). Hapoel Jerusalem basketball club defeated Serbs by three points – 79-76 – in dramatic final last night – and made ULEB Cup final. 4. FORGIVE ME, TENNENBAUM ASKS HIS CHILDREN. Difficult first conversation. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot suggests that the majority of voters would support the disengagement plan but notes that the fate of the plan now lays with the Likud Party membership, whom Prime Minister Sharon hopes will not follow the lead of the Likud Central Committee, which opposes the plan. The editors believe that the plan will be implemented in any case due to American intervention since, There has never been an Israeli leader who said no to the Americans. Hatzofeh asserts that the Likud has lost its ideology and argues that, Anyone who is loyal to Jewish traditions
now knows that the real solution is the National Religious Party, even with all its problems. Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, declares Revisionist Zionist leader Zeev Jabotinsky would not now recognize the Likud, which was originally founded as a vehicle for his ideas. BPI.
