HAARETZ 1. MINISTERS: LIKUD IN DANGER OF SPLIT; SHARON AGREES TO CHECK POSSIBILITY OF REFERENDUM. Likud Knesset freaches compromise: Committee will discuss holding referendum on disengagement; Sharons confidants: Ministers who vote against plan in Knesset – will be fired; Sharon: If there is no alternative, there will be elections. 2. REFUSAL REACHES HEART OF RELIGIOUS ZIONISM: RABBIS TAU AND AVINER AND HEADS OF HESDER YESHIVAS. 3. PMS OFFICE SURPRISED: CHIEF RABBI TIGHTENED CONVERSION RULES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE.
4. ASSESSMENT: ECONOMY WILL GROW BY 4% THIS YEAR. Central Bureau of Statistics estimates: Private consumption will rise by 2.7% as opposed to 0.5% drop last year. HATZOFEH 1. PM avoids embarrassment – Knesset no-confidence motions end in tie. SHARON PREPARED TO CONSIDER HOLDING REFERENDUM. Likud Knesset fdecides to set up team to consider referendum issues. Heads of Gush Katif communities refuse to meet Sharon. Livnat proposes forming team to negotiate with settlers. 2. SHARON THREATENS TO FIRE LIKUD MINISTERS WHO VOTE AGAINST HIS POLICY PLAN. 3. LEFT IN BIND: LABOR LIKELY TO VOTE IN KNESSET AGAINST UPROOTING COMMUNITIES. 4. MAJ.-GEN. (RES) GIORA EILAND: SETTLERS HOMES WILL BE DEMOLISHED AFTER WITHDRAWAL. National Security Council Chairman makes it clear: As of now, IDF remaining on Philadelphia route but Israeli interest is to leave from there. (
). 5. CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS: 2004 ECONOMIC GROWTH TO REACH 4%. MAARIV 1. PERES: I FEAR FOR SHARONS LIFE. Labor Chairman: Incitement is awful, like in days before Rabins murder. FM Shalom has also warned about additional political murder. PM agrees to formation of Likud team to check referendum issue. 2. Expose: MILITARY POLICE INVESTIGATING CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION AT TOP OF IDF. Among those involved: Three major-generals. Suspicion: Senior officers received large sums of money in contravention of orders. Whistleblower: Woman lieutenant-colonel who was dismissed from her post. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Chief-of-Staff in dramatic call: No to refusal. IDF TO ESTABLISH SETTLEMENT IN ORDER TO TRAIN FOR EVACUATION. Soldiers to practice breaking into homes of armed settlers. Likud: Rebels threaten to vote against budget. Referendum: Sharon prepared to set up committee only. 2. GOOD NEWS: ECONOMY TO GROW BY 4%. 2004 – best in four years but momentum has slowed over last few months. 3. EMBARRASSMENT FOR MK AT BGI: CAUGHT SMUGGLING CIGARETTES. Michael Gorlovsky fined. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Hatzofeh believes that a referendum, is the only way to save the Likud from the crisis that it has become mired in because of the Prime Ministers unilateral withdrawal policy, and asserts that, If the Likud is unsuccessful in getting out of the crisis, then there will be no alternative but to hold early Knesset elections; there is no other way, especially if the majority in the Likud doesnt support Ariel Sharon. Yediot Ahronot suggests that the recent Human Rights Watch report on IDF home demolitions in Rafiah comes against the of a conflict, without direction, without context, without either limits or oversight, and in which a series of decisions is made and carried out by the army and given consideration afterwards, in a dangerous administrative and public vacuum. BPI-info
