Prophecy and Current Events

Israeli is burying five of the eight people killed in yesterday_s terrorist attack near Tel Aviv, when a Palestinian plowed a bus into a hitchhiking post. Seven of the victims were soldiers and one was a civilian. The attack has prompted a mood of uncertainty and anxiety around the country. "I_m afraid to go on the bus," Elaine Skaist, a nursery school teacher, told israel today. "I got off the bus because somebody looked very suspicious to me. I feel I_m in a war zone right now." Many people believe Israel and the Palestinians are sliding toward a full-fledged confrontation. "It is a strange war in which there is both shooting and talking, in which it is impossible to figure out what the front lines are...and whose goals are murky," wrote commentator Sever Plotzker in the country_s biggest newspaper, "Yediot Ahronot." "But nonetheless, it is a bloody, gory war."

The attack seems to have given a push to negotiations on forming a national unity government between Ariel Sharon_s Likud party and the dovish Labor party of Ehud Barak. Negotiators say an agreement is close. "We are almost at the end of the road," said outgoing Cabinet Minister Haim Ramon of Labor. "There are disputes, but not of the kind that would prevent the formation of a national unity government." Barak is expected to announce shortly whether he would accept Sharon's offer to serve as defense minister. Barak said after his landslide defeat in elections that he would take a break from politics, but he is reconsidering after President Moshe Katsav (of the Likud) called on him to accept the offer and form a unity government.

Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian today as he tried to infiltrate the Jewish community of Kfar Darom in the Gaza Strip. The army said the man did not wear a uniform, but carried documents identifying him as a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service. He was identified as Nasser Hassanat, 23, of the Deir El Balah refugee camp in Gaza. In other violence, Palestinian gunmen shot and wounded a Jewish settler as he drove near Hebron last night. Three roadside bombs exploded in different areas and a hand grenade was thrown at Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza. No one was hurt. Israel has sealed off Palestinian areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza in response to yesterday_s terrorist attack.

The Israeli army chief of staff says he expects the escalation of violence to continue. "There are also warnings of more attacks," Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz told a news conference. Mofaz said the Palestinian Authority is not only not preventing the violence, it is inciting it. "This is the direct result of the encouragement of terror and violence by the Palestinian Authority," Mofaz said, citing Palestinian radio and TV broadcasts. According to army statistics, there have been 3,200 Palestinian attacks in the 139 days since the intifada began in late September. Including yesterday_s attack, 61 Israelis have been killed_32 civilians and 29 soldiers.

2/14/2001 -

A Palestinian driver rammed a bus into a crowded hitchhiking stand near Tel Aviv during morning rush hour, killing eight people in the bloodiest attack in Israel for almost four years. Seven soldiers and one civilian were among the dead; at least 17 people were injured. The impact of the collision hurled people into the air and left bodies strewn across the pavement in Azur, south of Tel Aviv. The driver then sped away and was shot and wounded by police after a high speed chase. He was identified as a 36-year-old Palestinian from Gaza, a father of five. He worked for an Israeli bus company for five years transporting Palestinian workers from Gaza to Israel and was not considered a security risk.

The Moslem fundamentalist group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. But the driver_s brother suggested that he acted alone; he was not a member of any militant group, the brother said, but was extremely angry about the killing of children by Israeli troops. As for the Palestinian Authority, it refused to condemn the attack. "What is happening is an Israeli military escalation that has direct consequences on the feelings of the Palestinian people," said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. To add insult to injury, Arafat said later that the incident was a "traffic accident." Arafat_s remarks infuriated Israeli officials who said the Palestinian Authority was partly responsible because it had failed to prevent such violence and had incited the Arab population.

Caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak called the attack an "abominable crime" and vowed that the army would track down the perpetrators. Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon said finding means to restore security would be a top priority for him and the new government. In response to the attack, Israel imposed a complete closure of Palestinian areas, sealing off the borders of Judea, Samaria and Gaza into Israel, Jordan and Egypt. It also shut the Gaza airport and imposed a sea blockade. The VIP passes of Palestinian Authority official enabling them to travel freely in Israel were revoked.

President Bush telephoned Barak to express his condolences over the attack. However, he did not blame the Palestinian Authority, but rather called on both sides for restraint. "As I told the prime minister, the tragic cycle of violent action and reaction between Israel and the Palestinians, particularly the escalation this week, needs to stop," Bush told reporters at the White House. "I'm urging all parties to do their utmost to end the violence." Bush pledged that the United States would "continue to work with all parties to try to restore calm to the region." Yesterday, the US criticized Israel for assassinating a senior Palestinian militiaman in a helicopter raid in Gaza. The European Union also condemned what it called Israel's policy of extra-judicial killings.

2/13/2001 -

An Israeli helicopter fired three missiles at a moving car in the Gaza Strip today, killing a senior Palestinian militant. The Israeli army said the man, Masoud Ayad, was a "leading terrorist" who was setting up a Palestinian branch of the Lebanese Hizbollah group in the Gaza Strip. An army spokesman said he was behind a series of shooting, bomb and mortar attacks against Jewish settlements. "Anyone who intends to harm Israelis will not escape, and the long arm of the Israel Defense Forces will know how to locate and even the score with him," outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement. Palestinian officials described the attack as a "war crime" which would lead to an escalation."The Israelis will feel no peace and no security if the Palestinians do not feel the same peace and security," said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Hassan Asfour. Palestinian sources said Ayad, 60, was recently promoted to lieutenant-colonel from major in Yasser Arafat_s elite Force 17. They said he was also known as an arms dealer.

Ariel Sharon_s efforts to form a national unity government with his Likud party and the rival Labor party are making progress, and the two sides are said to be close to an agreement. "If Barak doesn't have a last-minute surprise...it's a done deal," said Sharon_s spokesman Ra_anan Gissin. A draft of the coalition agreement was written overnight by negotiators from both parties. Labor negotiator Dalia Itsik, who sounded extremely pessimistic yesterday, confirmed that considerable progress has been made. The two sides have not agreed on a distribution of jobs, but Sharon has offered the post of defense minister to Barak and foreign minister to Shimon Peres. Disagreements remain over decision-making in the new government, with Labor seeking veto power. The key points of the emerging agreement: the government would seek an interim_but not a final_agreement with the Palestinians; it would not build new settlements but could expand existing ones; and it would pursue peace with Arab states like Lebanon and Syria. The text omits all contentious issues, such as Palestinian statehood and the dismantling of Jewish settlements.

The European Union has come out in support of the Palestinians, saying Ariel Sharon must pick up negotiations where they left off at Taba and Camp David. Sharon, Barak and even the Bush administration have said that those understandings are not binding on the new Israeli government. A senior Sharon adviser said the European statement is not surprising "since the EU is always pro-Arab."

The UN Mideast envoy says Israel_s closure of Palestinian areas has caused the loss of $1.5 billion to the Palestinian economy, and if it continues, it could cause the collapse of Palestinian institutions. Israel sealed off Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip at the start of the intifada in late September. Envoy Terje Larsen told a news conference in Gaza today that the Palestinian economy has lost about 20 percent of its projected annual gross national product. Unemployment in the Palestinian areas has risen from 11 percent to 38 percent and average annual per capita income has fallen from $2,000 to $1,700. The closure has prevented thousands of Palestinian workers from reaching their jobs in Israel, although some of them have been allowed to return to work in recent weeks. Larsen said the possible collapse of Palestinian institutions could lead to chaos and anarchy. "I call on the government of Israel to fully lift the closure," he said. Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon says he_s prepared to ease the economic hardship on the Palestinians if they stop the violence.

2/12/2001 -

Palestinian gunmen shot and killed an Israeli just outside of Jerusalem last night, as he drove toward his home in the Gush Etzion bloc of Jewish communities in Judea. The victim was Tzahi Sasson, 35, a father of two from Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim. The gunmen, who opened fire from the Palestinian town of Beit Jala, also fired shots at the nearby Jerusalem suburb of Gilo. A gun battle also raged for several hours in nearby Bethlehem. The incidents were the latest in escalating violence since the election of Ariel Sharon last week_a clear indication that the Palestinians are already testing the new Israeli leader. Today, there was more violence. Two Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli troops near Bethlehem, and in Gaza, a roadside bomb exploded near an Israeli army patrol. No one was hurt. The blast sparked a gun battle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militiamen. Moshe Arens, a senior Likud parliamentarian, said the new government would retaliate more harshly for Palestinian attacks than Ehud Barak has done. "We have to hit the perpetrators hard," Arens to Israel Radio today. "They should know that we have means that we still haven't used...We won't give Yasser Arafat an incentive to use violence during negotiations for peace."

Arab foreign ministers ended a two-day meeting in Amman by calling on Sharon to resume peace talks at the point where Barak left off, a demand both Sharon and Barak have already rejected. "We can_t go back to square one with every change in the Israeli government," Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told a news conference. He said Arab states would give Sharon until an Arab summit late in March to show his intentions on peacemaking before they judge him. In Cairo today, Yasser Arafat is discussing the latest developments with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Secretary of State Colin Powell says the new US administration will get involved in the Middle East peace process once Sharon forms a new government. "We will be active as well and we will try to see the Middle East peace process, as its called, put in a broader regional context," Powell told the CBS News broadcast "Face the Nation." "The key thing here is that we have to let the two sides decide what positions they are going to be holding in the new negotiation which will begin a new course after Prime Minster Sharon forms his government." Powell also said he added a brief stop in Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as he makes the round of Arab capitals and travels to Israel beginning February 23. "Syria is...an important player in this whole process and so I thought it was very, very appropriate for me as part of this quick trip to the Middle East, my first trip, to also stop in Syria for just a few hours." With regard to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Powell said the US would work for containment. "He can threaten his neighbors with weapons of mass destruction," Powell said, adding that he would be "telling everyone in the region...the absolute necessity" of making sure that Saddam is held accountable.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says he_s ready to give his old enemy Ariel Sharon a chance to show if he really wants peace. "We have to wait and see," Arafat told the Reuters news agency today in an interview in English. "We will judge him according to policies he takes as prime minister and with whom he will form a government." Arafat said he has no problem talking to Sharon. "l talked to Barak who came to assassinate me in Beirut in 1973 when they killed (PLO officials) Abu Yousef al-Najjar, Kamal Nasser and Kamal Adwan." Sharon "tried to kill me 13 times" during the 1982 siege of Beirut, when the then PLO leader moved constantly to escape Israeli jets bombing buildings in the belief that he was inside. As defense minister, Sharon masterminded the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Arafat, 71, was asked about his feelings about Sharon, in light of the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Israel's Lebanese militia allies. An Israeli inquiry found Sharon indirectly to blame. "I don't like to talk about this, but it's in my mind. Definitely it's in his mind and in my mind," Arafat said. "But now, not to forget, we did have talks with Sharon in Wye," Arafat said, referring to US-sponsored peace talks at Wye River, Maryland which led to another interim agreement giving the Palestinians more territory. At the time, Sharon was serving as Foreign Minister under then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I will deal with anyone the Israeli people elect," Arafat said.

Before the Jewish Sabbath on Friday evening, Arafat called Sharon to congratulate him on his election victory, and to say he_s interested in continuing the peace process. It was the first conversation between the two men since the election. Sharon responded that he wants to negotiate, but first violence and terrorism must stop. But so far, violence is escalating. Today, a roadside bomb exploded as an armored Israeli convoy drove along a road near the Jewish community of Kfar Darom in the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops opened fire after the blast, but there were no reports of casualties. The bomb followed two days of heavy fighting between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen on Friday and Saturday. The army reported 27 shooting and hand-grenade attacks. At the Jewish community of Netzarim in Gaza, residents took to bomb shelters after a mortar shell struck a house. No one was hurt. The head of the Shin Bet security service told the cabinet today that Palestinian terrorists are planning more bombings in Israel.

Sharon held his second post-election meeting today with the man he defeated, Ehud Barak, to discuss the possible formation of a broad national unity government. Sharon has tried to lure the rival Labor party by offering Barak the defense portfolio and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres the post of foreign minister. Barak turned down the offer, saying he plans to take a break from politics. But Peres seems interested, saying he would agree to a cabinet post if allowed him to "participate and contribute" to the peace process. Labor whip Ofer Pines-Paz told Israel Radio the party would not be bought off with ministerial posts and wanted a firm commitment to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians and accept the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. "We told them we demand to know what their lines are," Pines-Paz said. "We want the government to admit it is going to make peace." Labor also wants a commitment from Sharon that some Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza would be dismantled. But officials in Sharon_s Likud party say he will not agree to that demand. Representatives of the two parties are to meet again later today. Should Sharon fail to bring the Labor party into his government, he would be forced to form a narrow coalition with right-wing and religious parties that would take a tougher stance on the peace process.

Eight Arab league foreign ministers are meeting in Amman for a second day to discuss Sharon_s election. The head of the Arab League, Esmat Abdel-Meguid, said the Arab world feared Sharon could lead the region to disaster if he took a hardline stance on the peace process. Sharon is also facing pressure from the US and European Union to ease the economic plight of the Palestinians, brought on by Israel_s closure of the autonomous areas. The Western powers want Israel to resume paying tax revenues to the Palestinians withheld since the beginning of the intifada in late September. A Sharon spokesman said the Prime Minister-elect is ready to relieve the economic pressure on the Palestinians if they take immediate action to stop the violence.

2/9/2001 -

A powerful car bomb exploded in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem yesterday evening, but remarkably, only one person was slightly injured. "I heard the blast, I looked out of the window, and then the second blast went off; and so I basically only saw smoke," Avi Hearse, a yeshiva (seminary) student, told "israel today" at the scene. Two previously unknown groups_the "Palestinian Popular Resistance Forces" and the "Popular Army Front"_claimed responsibility for the attack in separate statements. The former said the attack was in response to the election of the "criminal and fascist Sharon." The car bomb was not the only violence. A few hours later, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on the Jewish community of Psagot, near Palestinian-ruled Ramallah, igniting a gun battle with Israeli troops. Witnesses said tracer rounds and flares lit the night sky for several hours, but no casualties were reported.

Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon responded to the car bomb attack by saying the days of negotiations under fire are over. "What happened today is another tragic event which demands we all unite to act with determination against terror," Sharon told reporters. "Israel has an interest in holding negotiations and advancing the peace process, but this depends on a total cessation of violent acts." In Mea Shearim, residents said Sharon speaks a language the Palestinians understand. "Yea, I_m definitely happy Sharon_s in power because Sharon_s policy is you bomb, I bomb," Mark Lansky, a yeshiva student, told israel today. US officials also condemned the attack. "It's another reminder of the need to create a just and lasting peace in the Middle East to bring an end to the cycle of violence," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. Before the attack, President Bush called Yasser Arafat for his first talk with the Palestinian leader since taking office. "He urged Arafat to make every effort to help stop the violence and calm the situation," said Mary Ellen Countryman, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Sharon met outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak today for the first time since the election, to discuss the transition of power and the possibility of forming a national unity government. The two men smiled and shook hands before starting talks at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. "We are happy to meet," Sharon said. Surprisingly, former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, an architect of the Oslo Accords, came out in favor of a unity government, telling Israel Radio today that "it_s the best option." In a rare confession, Peres said the election results indicate that the majority of the nation did not accept the policies of the left. Peres said Labor had just one condition: "the continuation of the peace process." But predictably, there is fierce opposition from other Labor doves, including Oslo co-architect Yossi Beilin, who said a unity government would serve as a "fig leaf for doing nothing on the peace process."

Barak is backing Sharon_s position that previous understandings reached with the Palestinians are not binding on the new government. "The principle `nothing is agreed upon until everything is agreed upon' was accepted by all sides," Barak said in a letter to President Bush. The US concurred. "The ideas and parameters that were discussed in the last few months were President Clinton's parameters and therefore, when he left office, they were no longer a US proposal or a presidential proposal," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. Sharon said in an interview published today that he would seek an open-ended, non-belligerency pact with the Palestinians, but not a peace agreement, and that he would not follow Barak's path.

2/8/2001 -

An adviser to Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon has rejected a Palestinian demand to resume peace talks where they left off under the government of Ehud Barak. "Everything that was spoken about or said...is not binding on Israel or any government," adviser Zalman Shoval told Israel Radio. In a statement after its weekly meeting on Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority called on a Sharon government "to resume the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations from the point they have reached." As Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat put it: "We began negotiations 15 months ago on permanent status, we_ve come a long way, and Mr. Sharon should not expect us to go back to point zero." But after winning by a landslide, Sharon believes it_s clear that the Israeli public does not support the concessions Barak was offering.

To demonstrate his resolve, the first thing Sharon did as Prime Minister was visit the holiest site in Judaism, the Western Wall. As the shofar (ram_s horn) sounded, Sharon touched the sacred stones of the last remnant of the Temple, the symbol of Jewish national and spiritual life. "I am visiting Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people for the past 3,000 years and the united and indivisible capital of Israel_with the Temple Mount at its center_for all eternity," Sharon told reporters at the Wall. The nationalist-Zionist message was in marked contrast to the post-Zionist thinking of Ehud Barak, who offered the Palestinians half of Jerusalem and was prepared to relinquish sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

Sharon begins talks with Barak_s Labor party today on forming a broad national unity government. Sharon believes such a government would represent the national consensus on peace moves, and be most effective in dealing with the Palestinian uprising. Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres may lead the negotiations for Labor. It seems unlikely, however, that Labor and Likud can reach an agreement on how to proceed with the peace process. "I have many doubts we can reach a joint diplomatic platform, but I think we need to try," said Haim Ramon, a leading member of the Labor party. Many in Labor do not want to help Sharon by creating a stable government, even if it represents the will of the people. Since Sharon is stuck with the same divided Knesset, they_d rather stay in the opposition, hoping to topple the new government in a matter of months.

Sharon is sending delegations to the US and Europe and an envoy to Jordan to drum up support in the face of international concern at his election. Former US ambassador Zalman Shoval, who is a member of the delegation traveling to Washington next week, said he would tell the Bush administration "that we will continue the peace process in different ways, but we also want to talk to you before we move ahead." He said US and European reaction to Sharon's election "has not been so terrible," and reflected attitudes ranging from "goodwill to wait-and-see." President George W. Bush has called for calm, saying the United States would work to promote stability in the Middle East and wanted to give Sharon a chance to promote peace. Russia, a co-sponsor of the peace process (along with the US), urged Sharon to end the current crisis and continue efforts to make peace with the Palestinians. The 15-nation European Union said it hoped Sharon would take up peace negotiations where Barak left off.

The Islamic terrorist group Hamas says Sharon_s victory creates a golden opportunity to start a Jihad (holy war) against Israel. "Sharon's election constitutes a big chance for the Arabs to reconsider their previous policies and to abandon the peace process, which gave them nothing during 10 years of negotiations," leading Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk said in Damascus. "Arabs should adopt the Jihad and the resistance option because Sharon would not be able to sell his peace program to Arabs. They will have all justification to choose resistance and not peace because Sharon, like all other Israeli leaders, is not a man of peace," he said. "The election of Sharon is a clear proof that Israeli society is moving towards extremism." But it is not only the Islamic extremists who are calling for more violence. Yasser Arafat_s Fatah movement has vowed to escalate the intifada to show that Sharon cannot keep his promise to restore security.

2/5/2001 -

As predicted for weeks by the polls, Likud leader Ariel Sharon won the Israeli election by a landslide. With 99.9 percent of the vote counted, Sharon had 62.6 percent of the vote to just to 37.2 percent for Prime Minister Ehud Barak_a gap of more than 25 percentage points. The difference was even larger than the 19 points that TV exit polls predicted late last night. The humiliating defeat prompted Barak to resign as leader of the Labor party, although he defended his peace policies. "The road we chose is the one and only true path," Barak said as he conceded defeat. "The true path requires courage...and it is possible that the public is not fully ready for the painful truth...The truth will prevail." Voter turnout was just 59 percent, the lowest in the history of Israel_a clear indication that many Israelis were unhappy with both candidates.

As Labor party headquarters suffered the agony of defeat, celebrations erupted at Likud headquarters. "The state of Israel has entered a new path, a path of security and true peace," the portly, white-haired Sharon told cheering, chanting supporters. "I call upon our Palestinian neighbors to cast off the path of violence and to return to the path of dialogue and solving the conflicts between us by peaceful means," he said. "I know peace requires difficult compromises_from both sides." However, he vowed not to comprise on Jerusalem. "My government will concentrate on the strengthening of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel," he said. Sharon said President Bush called to congratulate him and to urge close cooperation between the two countries.

Sharon also called on Barak_s labor party to join a national unity government, a popular idea among Israelis. Barak was skeptical but left the door open. "We should not rule out being part of a unity government," he said. "If it is not possible, the Labor Party will be a fighting opposition, and will fight for what it believes." It could take weeks or months for Labor to choose a new leader, depriving Sharon of a negotiating partner in the rival political camp. Furthermore, Labor and Likud appear too far apart on the peace process to form a unity government. Once complete election results are announced, within eight days, Sharon will have 45 days to form a coalition government and get it approved by the Knesset. But Sharon faces difficult problems. Since no Knesset seats were at stake in the election, Sharon inherits the same sharply divided parliament as Barak. Many analysts say it could be just as difficult for Sharon to form a stable government as it was for Barak_and that his term in office could be even shorter. Sharon's first hurdle will be the 2001 budget, which the Knesset must pass by March 31. If the budget is not approved, new elections must be called for prime minister and parliament. So who_s in office now? Ehud Barak! He could remain caretaker prime minister while Sharon works to form a government.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says he accepts the election result, and hopes the peace process would continue. But his spokesmen were more skeptical. "This is a recipe for war, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Arafat's Fatah movement vowed to intensify the intifada to confront what it called the "killer Sharon." A Fatah statement said Israel could not enjoy peace and security without ending its "occupation" and returning to the 1967 borders. Jordan's press described Sharon's win as a blow to Middle East peace. "Extremism rules Israel today," said al-Aswaq newspaper. One Syrian newspaper warned that the Middle East is headed for the "apocalypse."

2/6/2001 -

A day before elections, opposition leader Ariel Sharon is maintaining a big lead over Prime Minister Ehud Barak. A poll in Israel_s biggest newspaper, "Yediot Ahronot," showed Sharon with 56 percent of the vote, compared to 38 percent for Barak. A survey in the "Maariv" daily gave Sharon 55 percent to Barak_s 36 percent. Pollsters say the lead is insurmountable, and many in the Barak camp are already conceding defeat. Radio and TV talk shows are focusing on the composition of a Sharon government and Barak's political future. Sharon has said he would try to establish a "national unity government" with Barak_s Labor Party. However, analysts say the far left-wing will probably torpedo the move, even though polls indicate that it_s what most Israelis want. In the event of a landslide defeat, Barak is expected to face intense pressure to step down as Labor Party leader. Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres has been mentioned as a possible temporary replacement for Barak.

In tomorrow_s vote, about 8,000 polling stations are to open at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and close at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT). About 4.5 million of Israel's 6.5 million residents are eligible to vote. Traditionally, voter turnout is high in Israel, running at more than 80 percent. However, in this election, participation is expected to be much lower, especially among Israel's 500,000 Arab voters, who traditionally are Labor supporters. The Arabs plan to boycott the election in protest over the killing of 13 Israeli Arabs by police in the early days of the Palestinian uprising. Some ballots are already trickling in. A plane brought a ballot box from India, containing votes of Israeli soldiers and medics aiding earthquake victims there, and soldiers on active duty also began voting yesterday at some army bases. Israeli security forces, meanwhile, are on high alert for possible terrorist attacks on election day. Yesterday, Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian_armed with a bomb_who was trying to cross the border fence from Gaza into Israel. He was identified as a member of the Islamic Jihad movement, on his way to an attack in Israel.

In an attempt to sway undecided voters, Barak has been warning that a vote for Sharon is a vote for war. "We are being called to decide whether there will be peace or another war full of bloodshed," Barak wrote in a column today in "Yediot Ahronot." In the same newspaper, Sharon wrote that he (unlike Barak) would never share sovereignty over Jerusalem or give up the Jordan Valley or Golan Heights. "The Israeli government, under my leadership, will not hold negotiations under fire and will not grant any prize for violence. Only after the violence ends...will we resume negotiations," he wrote. Sharon told supporters at an election rally in the working class town of Holon that he would be a better negotiator than Barak. "I will conduct negotiations, but our neighbors know that...my word is my word, yes is yes and no is no," he said. Barak defended himself in an appearance on a talk show. "I stand my ground, look reality in the eye, remove the mask from Arafat, remove the filters from the eyes of Israelis and I am ready to weigh ground-breaking ideas [for peace]." He added that he would not agree to the return of Palestinian refugees to Israel or relinquish Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

The top Moslem cleric in Jerusalem has called on Arabs who are Israeli citizens not to vote in the election. Sheik Ikrema Sabri, who is the mufti, or Islamic spiritual leader of Jerusalem, said neither candidate deserved backing. "Why support Barak? What has he done?" Sabri told the Associated Press. "I would love Sharon to win - to reveal to everyone what Zionism is all about." The mufti also repeated his contention that Jews have no religious ties to the Temple Mount. "The claim of the Jews is an empty one," Sabri said. "If they want real peace they have to stay away from Al Aqsa [i.e. the Temple Mount]. It's fire - it will burn whoever touches it." Sabri repeated past assertions that the Jews should be expelled from the Holy Land. "They can all go back to where they came from," he said. "Those that came from Russia can go back to Russia. Those that came from Romania can go back to Romania. Those that came from Arab countries can go back to the Arab countries they were living in."