HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. UN General Assembly marks 60 years since liberation of Auschwitz. UN SECY.-GEN. AT HISTORIC GA SESSION: BLOCK ANTI-SEMITISM. 2. HUNDREDS OF RUSSIAN LITERATI CALL TO PROTECT MOTHERLAND AGAINST JEWS, “REINCARNATION OF SATAN.” 3. IDF DECIDES TO RE-ESTABLISH UNIT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE AGAINST PALESTINIANS. 4. FISCHER LEADING INTEREST RATES TO AMERICAN LEVELS. Even before his official appointment, Fischer is leading towards reduction of interest rates to all-time lows. 5. SHARON DEMANDED THAT GAZA COMMUNITIES BE SHELLED FOLLOWING KARNI TERRORIST ATTACK. Sharon took most extreme line in discussions with IDF and demanded “eye for an eye.” 6. RESIDENTS OF EASTERN JERUSALEM TO NEED PERMITS TO GO TO RAMALLAH. When fence construction is finished in July, free passage of Palestinians to be banned. HATZOFEH 1. First time at UN: Memorial prayer and Israeli national anthem. “NEVER AGAIN.” History: 60 years after liberation of Auschwitz, UN GA held special session in memory of Holocaust victims. Elie Wiesel asked: Will the world ever learn? Blamed Allies for not opening their gates to Jews. FM Shalom warned against current anti-Semitic phenomena. 2. Mossad Director: Possible that Syrians have nuclear program. “IRAN APPROACHING POINT OF NO RETURN.” Dagan: By end of 2005, Iranians will have technological ability to produce enriched uranium and manufacture nuclear bombs. Israel waiting for clear message regarding cancellation of Russian-Syrian missile deal. 3. MERON TERRORIST ATTACK: YASRA BAKRI ACQUITED OF FAILING TO PREVENT A CRIME. 4. COURT RELEASES TALI FAHIMA TO HOUSE ARREST. 5. INTEREST RATES CONTINUE TO DECLINE – 0.2%. MA’ARIV 1. UN marks 60 years since liberation of Auschwitz. HAS THE WORLD LEARNED ITS LESSON? UN General Assembly began with minute of silence in memory of Holocaust victims. Country representatives followed each other up to podium and promised: “Never again.” However FM Shalom reminded those who forgot: “Anti-Semitism is flourishing today too.” 2. APPARENT: COMPENSATION TO EVACUEES TO BE INCREASED. Members of Knesset Finance Committee: “Compensation is ridiculous.” Political sources: Sums to be granted to settlers to be significantly increased. 3. PROPOSED LAW: BAN SMOKING NEAR CHILDREN. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. EMERGENCY SITUATION IN HOSPITALS. Health Minister orders hospitals, which are collapsing due to flu, to go on to emergency footing. Hospitals considering the idea but – in practice – have already stopped some activities. 2. IDF DISBANDING UNITS FOR HESDER SOLDIERS. Expose: Religious soldiers to be dispersed among other units. Concern in IDF: Homogeneous religious units liable to refuse in organized fashion. OC Personnel adamant: Not related to disengagement. ______________________________ EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot discusses issues related to the Holocaust and points out that although details of Nazi persecution and the mass murder of the Jews were made public on 17.12.42, “Little was done about it.” The editors point out that the Allies refused requests by various Jewish organizations to bomb the concentration camps or the railway tracks used to transport people to their deaths. In actuality, the paper notes that Auschwitz was attacked, and its factories were destroyed several times, but the gas chambers were never targeted. The editors comment, “When it became possible to bomb Auschwitz, at least 5 million European Jews had already been slaughtered. But 600,000 more Jews were sent to their deaths in Auschwitz-Birkenau between April and November 1944, more than in the previous two years. Many of them could have been saved and could have lived if it weren’t for the restraint, stubbornness and latent anti-Semitism of senior US and British administration officials.” Hatzofeh says that Abu Mazen, “must prove that the Palestinians are willing to extend a hand in order to advance the peace process,” and adds that, “He has yet to do so.” BPI-info