HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS HAARETZ 1. HISTADRUT DECLARES LABOR DISPUTE: WE WILL DISRUPT SCHOOL YEAR UNTIL [LOCAL] AUTHORITY SALARIES ARE PAID. Religious council employees again striking as of today; 4% growth in second half of 2004; increase in standard of living halted. 2. CONCERN IN SHARON CAMP: LIKUD CONFERENCE VOTE ON BRINGING IN LABOR TO BE SECRET. 3. KIBBUTZ MEMBERS LED INVESTIGATORS TO MOST ANCIENT BAPTISM SITE. HATZOFEH 1. Day after approval of budget and cuts – Histadrut leaders declare labor dispute. MAJOR STRIKES EXPECTED FROM SEPTEMBER 1. Among expected strikes: Public sector and local council workers. (
). Work again disrupted at Ashdod port. Finance Minister calls on Histadrut to hold dialogue. Central Bureau of Statistics data shows slowdown in economic growth in second quarter of year.
2. US WORKING FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SYRIAN ARMY FROM LEBANON. 3. HANEGBI: LEAVE MISSION OF EVACUATING SETTLERS TO ARMY. 4. ATHENS: TENNIS PLAYERS EHRLICH AND RAM ADVANCE TO NEXT ROUND. MAARIV 1. Likud convenes tomorrow in order to vote on Labor joining government. CONFERENCE WILL NOT DECIDE. PM: I will consider members positions but decisions are mine and responsibility is on my back. Rebels: We will win vote. 2. RECOMMENDATION: NATIONAL SERVICE FOR HAREDIM AND ARABS. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. PM in effort to prevent defeat by rebels at tomorrows conference. CONCERN IN LIKUD: SHARON DEFEAT WILL MAKE ELECTIONS CLOSER. Omri Sharon in round of meetings in order to convince Likud members to support bringing in Labor. Shalom and Landau in effort to mobilize Sharon opponents. Eve of conference: Cabinet approves construction of hundreds of flats in territories. 2. POLICE IN PURSUIT OF KITES. Endanger landing planes. Suspicion: Palestinians disrupting BGI communications systems. 3. SOON: WAVE OF STRIKES IN ECONOMY. In protest over cuts. 4. MAZEL TOV: SHIMON PERES TURNS 81: I AM STILL OPTIMISTIC. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot suggests that the Bush administration is too pre-occupied with the impending elections to make its presence felt in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or to put any real pressure on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to – inter alia – honor his commitment and actually evacuate the unauthorized settlement outposts in Judea and Samaria. The editors aver that, as time passes and no such outposts are indeed evacuated, Sharon either does not want to – or cannot, evacuate the outposts and infer that, The American silence strengthens the feeling that in everything regarding our fate, we have been left alone. The paper wonders whether all of this is to our benefit. Hatzofeh asserts that IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalons recent remarks that he would – under the right circumstances – support a withdrawal from the Golan Heights, caused astonishment not only in security circles, they caused considerable surprise in diplomatic circles as well. The editors believe that the Chief-of-Staff vastly overstepped his authority in speaking out on a political issue and urge Defense Minister Mofaz to take steps in order to see that, the Chief-of-Staff minds his tongue. BPI-info
