HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD REFUSE TO DISCUSS CEASE-FIRE WITH FATAH; ISRAEL TRANSFERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR JERICHO. 2. 125 days to evacuation. IDF INTENDS TO RESTRICT MOVEMENT OF JOURNALISTS DURING EVACUATION OF COMMUNITIES. 3. TURNING POINT: SHAS LIKELY TO VOTE IN FAVOR REFERENDUM IN KNESSET LAW, CONSTITUTION AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE. HATZOFEH 1. Movement in position of Haredi Torah scholars: Will coordinate position on referendum. INCREASING CHANCE OF REFERENDUM. Haredi MKs will apparently vote in favor of referendum in Knesset Law, Constitution and justice committee. Shas hopes that referendum will lead to fall of Sharon. Fast day today for cancellation of uprooting decree. 2. POLL: 30% OF RELIGIOUS YOUTH WILL REFUSE ORDER TO EVACUATE COMMUNITIES. 3. “PALESTINIAN FORCES WILL NOT LISTEN TO ABU MAZEN’S ORDERS.” Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj-Gen. Yosef Mishlav: PA is still not fighting terrorism. 4. NEW SCHOOL TO BE DEDICATED IN NETZARIM TODAY. 5. PROGRESS IN SHARON’S CONTACTS WITH ARAB MKS REGARDING THEIR SUPPORT FOR BUDGET. 6. SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE LEAVES BEIRUT. 7. WORLD LEADERS PROMISE TO ENSHRINE MEMORY OF HOLOCAUST. MA’ARIV 1. Student demonstrations return: Violence and arrests on campus. NEXT STAGE: NATIONAL STRUGGLE. (…). YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. (…). SALARY FESTIVAL AT UNIVERSITY. (…). 2. “INCREASE COMPENSATION AND WE WILL EVACUATE QUIETLY.” Expose: Secret negotiations between representatives of 10 Gush Katif communities and Sharon’s Bureau. 3. SURFING THE ISA. ISA opens Internet site and begins to recruit new employees. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, criticizes the police for their harsh response to the student demonstration at Tel Aviv University yesterday, especially in light of their kid glove treatment of the right wing protestors who shut down the Ayalon Highway for several hours earlier this week. Yediot Ahronot comments on the phenomenon of bacterial infections in hospitals. Hatzofeh says that Abu Mazen’s decision to release Rehavam Zeevy’s murderers, “should not surprise anybody,” and maintains that he, “is continuing in Arafat’s ways, only he is more sophisticated in that he has been able to gain the support of the European countries and parts of the US administration.” The editors argue that Abu Mazen’s reason for releasing these prisoners, that it will enable him to incorporate Islamic Jihad into the Palestinian political system, will undoubtedly be used as a reason to release additional murderers and claim that Abu Mazen will, in the event that the hudna fails, blame them for the breakdown and thus shirk his own responsibility. The paper believes that if terrorism is renewed, “We must act towards Abu Mazen in the same way that we acted towards Sheik Yassin.” BPI-info