Sharon, Peres Push for Coalition Deal
With an aim to facilitate the inclusion of Labor into the ruling coalition, the Shas party decided this evening to support a bill to amend the Basic Law so as to allow the presence of two vice prime ministers in the government, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. By providing the bill with a majority in the Knesset, Shas will make it possible for Labor leader Shimon Peres to be sworn in as a second vice premier, to serve alongside Ehud Olmert who is already holding the position.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Peres met today to discuss how to remove the last obstacles preventing Labor from joining the government. "There will be a government," Sharon said today when speaking to reporters at Beit Hanassi following a regular breakfast meeting with President Moshe Katsav.
Responding to a question on the powers that would be vested in a second vice prime minister, Sharon made it absolutely clear that in the event that he be unable to perform his duties, current vice premier Ehud Olmert would stand in for him.
Egyptian Intelligence Chief to Visit Israel for Gaza Security Talks
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is slated to visit Israel on Tuesday to conclude talks on deploying Egyptian troops along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the Gaza Strip, HA'ARETZ reported. Suleiman will meet the head of the Defense Ministry's political-security branch, Amos Gilad, on Tuesday. He will also attend a memorial in the West Bank city of Ramallah marking the 40th day since the death of Yasser Arafat.
Egypt is prepared to deploy two Border Police battalions along the border in April 2005. The battalions, which will include 750 "high-quality" soldiers, are expected to strengthen Egypt's control of the border region. Although Israel has accepted the Egyptian proposal, the two sides must still clarify the types of weapons and equipment the Egyptian units will be permitted to carry.
Justice Ministry Probing Wallerstein Call to Disobey Pullout
The Justice Ministry began an investigation today into calls by prominent settler leader Pinhas Wallerstein for public disobedience during the implementation of the disengagement plan, HA'ARETZ reported. The Ministry will determine whether Wallerstein, the Binyamin regional council head, should be indicted for incitement.
On Sunday, Wallerstein told a meeting of the Yesha Council of Settlements that the public should "disobey the 'transfer' law en masse, even at the price of a prison term."
"I hope that Pinhas Wallerstein will realize the weight given to things said by an elected official, and I hope that the Yesha Council will show responsibility and distance itself from these statements," Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday that citizens must uphold the law despite the difficulty of the evacuation, and described Wallerstein's statements as "harsh." Sharon also reiterated his commitment to carrying out his plan to withdraw from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank.
EU Monitors in the WB and Gaza Prepare Palestinian Elections
More than 40 European Union election monitors are present throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to begin preparations for January 9th Palestinian Authority election, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. The European observers are at the forefront of an international effort to help ensure the elections go smoothly. Western countries have offered millions of dollars in aid, and are sending dozens of observers as part of the effort.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom has instructed his ministry to set up an ad-hoc task force ahead of the elections. The Ministry's task force will work in coordination with the foreign observers, as well as with the relevant IDF authorities and other government ministries.
Senior Israeli and Palestinian officials will meet later this week to finalize the assistance Israel plans to offer for the holding of the PA election. The two sides already agreed that the elections would be held in the same format as the one used eight years ago, with eligible residents of east Jerusalem participating by voting at five post offices.
Other News in Brief
* Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today that Israel would not participate in the London Middle East Peace Conference slated to take place next month, MA'ARIV reported. According to the prime minister, who spoke with reporters during a meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, "We have no objection to this conference but we will not take part." Sharon said that Israel did not view the conference as an international political event. He noted that it would be a good opportunity to solve the PA's economic problems, deal with the issue of the much-needed reforms, but stressed that security-related matters "would only be debated with Israel".
Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs
* Boston Scientific Corporation announced that it had entered into a agreement to acquire Advanced Stent Technologies Inc. (AST), a company founded by Israelis, GLOBES reported. The transaction is expected to close early next year. Since its founding, AST has been developing stent and stent delivery systems specifically designed to address the unique anatomical needs of coronary artery disease in bifurcated vessels.
* Eastman Kodak is in advanced negotiations to acquire Israeli medical devices company Orex Computed Radiography, GLOBES reported. The current deal is not Eastman Kodak's first acquisition in Israel. A year ago, it acquired Algotec Systems for $42 million, and in early 2004, it acquired RealTimeImage for an estimated $20 to 30 million. Eastman Kodak acquired Israeli company Picture Vision in 2000 for $90 million, but closed down its activity in Israel eighteen months later. Orex develops compact digital medical and dental x-ray systems. Its system provides an immediate diagnosis of x-rays at far lower cost than current systems.
* Israel Railways is to invest NIS 7.5 billion in the next four years in southern Israel and the Negev, MA'ARIV reported. According to Chairman of the Israel Railways Board, Moshe Leon, in addition to the current Be'er Sheba-Tel Aviv line, NIS 1 billion are to be invested to expand the line to Ashkelon, connecting Netivot, Sderot and Ofakim.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]