HEADLINES & EDITORIALS HAARETZ 1. HEADS OF PA [SECURITY] SERVICES: WE HAVE LOST CONTROL, NOT CARRYING OUT ARAFATS ORDERS. Report of committee of inquiry appointed by Palestinian parliament, which has reached Haaretz, determines: Arafat to blame for anarchy. 2. ACHIEVEMENT FOR UNITED TORAH JUDAISM – LIKUD GIVES IN ON CIVIL UNIONS. Achievement for Likud rebels too: Likud conference will, on Wednesday, discuss bringing Labor Party into coalition.
3. RIGHT PRESSURED, AND ISSUING OF SIDEARMS ON WEST BANK IS FROZEN. 4. CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS: APPROXIMATELY 500,000 PEOPLE DID WITHOUT FOOD OR MEDICINES IN 2003 DUE TO ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES. 5. OLYMPIC DELEGATION EN ROUTE TO ATHENS WITH HOPES OF GOLD. 6. SHARON EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY IN RAHAT: WE WILL IMPROVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS UNRECOGNIZED COMMUNITIES. HATZOFEH 1. Central Bureau of Statistics – 500,000 people went without medicines due to economic distress. HISTADRUT BEGINS STRUGGLE. State Employees Union sets up struggle HQ, including dozens of [workers] committees from government ministries. HQ meeting decides to declare work dispute upon approval of budget on Sunday. Histadrut Professional Unions Branch Chairman Shlomo Shani: Netanyahu knows that draft budget invites war. 2. BATTLE OVER TAL LAW – UNITED TORAH JUDAISM: SHARON AGREED TO GIVE IN ON LAW, SHINUI: UNTHINKABKE. Sharon makes it clear: Likud conference has no authority to decide composition of coalition. 3. CHIEF RABBI INTERVIEWED FOR FIRST TIME ON ARAB TELEVISION STATION. MAARIV 1. 14% went without food products. 38% went without home heating. 16% went without buying medicine. 54% went without new shoes and clothes. 45% went without dental care. SIMPLY GOING WITHOUT. Central Bureau of statistics report determines: Half of Israels population didnt succeed in finishing the month last year. 2. FINANCE MINISTRY: RECONSIDER IDF CONSCRIPTION. PM considering: Thorough check of issue of drafting unnecessary soldiers and decision on shortening service. 3. UNITED TORAH JUDAISM: WE HAVE BURIED SHINUIS LAWS. 4. IRAN AND US – WAR OF THREATS. Iranian DM warns Israel as well against attacking nuclear installation. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Likud: We will give in on civil unions and wont amend Tal Law. ACHIEVEMENT FOR HAREDIM: END OF CIVIL REVOLUTION. Outrage in Shinui: We wont agree. Bringing Labor in to be submitted to Likud conference for approval. Sharon: I wont consider it. 2. 500,000 ISRAELIS GOING SHORT ON FOOD. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli families experiencing economic difficulties. (
). 3. HEAD OF IRAQI DELEGATION IN ATHENS: WE HAVE NO PROBLEM COMPETING AGAINST ISRAELIS. 4. Imad Faris – Chief Paratroop Officer. CONTROVERSIAL APPOINTMENT. Col. Faris convicted of unbecoming conduct. ______________________________ Both papers discuss Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahus draft 2005 budget: Yediot Ahronot says that, There is no debate today about maintaining the 2005 budget framework, and adds that, What is debatable is various alternatives within the same framework, from whom to take and to whom to give. Hatzofeh asserts that, In practice, the existing draft, despite the Finance Ministers claim that it seemingly improves the lot of the elderly and those without means, hurts them. It hurts everybody. Before us is a draft that most of the public will be unable to accept. We must hope that the government will strike it from the agenda. __________ Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, questions the methodology of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) survey reported in todays headlines and suggests that such surveys are not the CBSs forte. bpi-INFO
