Prime Minister Elect Ariel Sharon beneath a portrait of the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl

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Prime Minister elect, Ariel (Arik) Sharon, said this evening that his government will not negotiate with the Palestinians while terror and violence continue. He made these comments in the wake of a car bomb explosion in Jerusalem near the Mea Shearim neighborhood. One woman was lightly injured and nine others suffered shock.

Commander Mickey Levy of the Jerusalem Police said at the scene of the attack: "Miraculously there were no heavy casualties. This was a large bomb planted in a Ford Escort that was stolen from the center of the country two weeks ago".

Nevertheless, Palestinian fire at IDF forces and Israeli civilians continued at a number of locations along the boundary with the PA. This, despite a letter of congratulations received from Yasser Arafat's bureau emphasizing that he wants peace. Other Arab leaders also congratulated Sharon and asked for negotiations to continue from the point at which they stopped with the Labor party government. A revised estimate issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem today said that the American administration does not believe that negotiations should continue based on the Clinton proposals and the Taba agreements.

All this occurred during a week in which Israeli attention focussed on the political arena. The results of Tuesday's election show that Likud candidate Ariel Sharon, surpassed Labor's Ehud Barak by 25%. As soon as the results were published Barak announced that he intends to resign from the party leadership and the Knesset, and take "time out" from political life after the new government is formed. Nevertheless, he surprised his colleagues two days later by saying that he will lead the coalition negotiations with the Likud.

The victorious Sharon seeks to form a broad unity government in order to cope with the difficulties he anticipates particularly in the international arena. After receiving the support of the right-wing, the religious parties and the olim, he called on the Labor party, the Center Party and Meretz as well as inviting the Arabs to join the negotiations.

Shimon Peres, who will in all probability accept the offer to be Foreign Minister, has already stated his support for a unity government in order to promote three key national issues: A) restore security at the national and personal level; B) to unite the people "Unity is a Deterrent"; C) to meet the social challenges.

Peres is opposed by his former aide, Justice Minister Yossi Beilin who is leading the opposition to join a unity government and is now backing Knesset Speaker Avraham (Avrum) Burg to be the new leader of the Labor party.

Departing Prime Minister Ehud Barak appointed a team, which he leads, to conduct the negotiations for joining the coalition with the Likud party. Tonight, he informed US President George Bush and Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, that all the agreements with his government, including the Clinton proposals, are now null and void due to the results of the election and do not bind the new government. Barak will send a letter to this effect to both leaders on Friday.

Among those slated for senior government positions are MK Dan Meridor of the Center Party, a possible candidate for the Defense portfolio. Meretz leader Yossi Sarid announced that he would meet with Sharon for reasons of "courtesy" although he sees no chance of his party joining the government. Heads of state from all over the world sent Sharon letters of congratulations, including President George Bush, President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Car Bomb in Mea Shearim Quarter, Jerusalem

Prime Minister Elect, Ariel Sharon, said yesterday that he will place at the top of the national agenda immigration (aliya) and Jewish education. "More Jews to Israel, more Jewish education in Israel and the world is our goal and your main duty" said Sharon tonight in a telephone conversation with Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, Alex Grass and Chairman of the Executive, Sallai Meridor.

The two spoke with the Prime Minister Elect from New York and congratulated him on his success: "We wish to congratulate you on the results of the elections and express our appreciation for your efforts to form a National Unity Government. We will be pleased to cooperate in order to deal with the challenges facing the Jewish people!"

Sharon said that the State of Israel and the Jewish people need unity in order to put an end to the difficult situation that they are in, in order to restore security, to advance true peace and secure the future of the Jewish people. "I wish to congratulate you on the important work of the Jewish Agency in the area of immigration and Jewish education. Youth in Israel and the world over must expand their knowledge about the history of our people and the State of Israel. We must intensify the study of Hebrew and Zionism overseas in order to enhance Jewish pride and the ties with Israel. Anyone wishing Jews to remain Jewish must encourage immigration" said Sharon.

Meridor congratulated Sharon from the bottom of his heart and promised him to continue in his efforts in the area of immigration and education. Sharon asked to meet Meridor upon his return to Israel, in order to strengthen the coordination and cooperation.

Heads of other Jewish organizations were also quick to express their support for the elected Prime Minister. The Presidents' Conference headed by Ronald Lauder and Malcolm Hoenlein congratulated Sharon and expressed appreciation for Israeli democracy - the only one in the Middle East. The two called upon Israel and the US to intensify the strategic cooperation between them.

The National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman, conveyed congratulations to Sharon on behalf of the organization and called on the world to blame the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat for the current situation.

Palestinian Incitement against Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak

At a convention that took place at the National Ideology Club in Ramallah on November 17th, Sahar Habash (Abu Nazar) - a veteran, senior Fatah official and member of the Fatah Central Committee who is considered to be the movement's ideological leader, gave an address entitled - "Foundation stones in the on-going intifada - until victory is achieved". Sahar Habash noted seven key principles which he believes enable the Intifada to continue and succeed:

• A united, realistic political stand by all groups within the Palestinian people, focusing on the issues of Jerusalem, independence and the right of return.

• "National unity in order to prevent internal disagreements which may lead to struggles from which the Israeli enemy will benefit."

• Guaranteeing the supply of food and basic resources to the public, in view of the Israeli closure.

• A just allocation of the means available to various groups.

• "The PA must make all its mechanisms available to the Palestinian masses who through their activity assist the Palestinian leadership, and it must continue to take a firm stand in the negotiations on a permanent settlement .... the on-going Intifada will have a positive outcome, such as forced Israeli withdrawal, the dismantling of the settlements, and Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital".

• The continuation of routine life ... such as the education system in order to prevent harm to the Palestinian public, as occurred during the previous Intifada.

• The principle of the entirety of the Intifada - that is, the involvement of all districts in the Intifada (sometimes simultaneously, sometimes in phases), particularly of the rural areas .... "Conflict must reach the settlements and the by-pass roads, in order to prove to the Israeli government that we are capable of threatening security on these routes ..."

Habash also said: "The ways in which the Intifada is expressed do not necessarily contradict the basic stand of the PA and the on-going negotiations. At this stage it is vital that we realize our temporary political goal, taking the shape of the establishment of an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital, within the 4th June borders, and this in future will lead to a democratic solution for the purpose of building a democratic Palesttine on all the national lands. I believe that at present the time is not ripe to intensify the fight to free all our land. So far developments have proved that Palestinian, Arab and Islamic tenacity which led to the establishment of the PA on part of our land, will in future bring about a stronger entity which will act as a breach against the "Zionist program", which seeks to invade the entire Middle East. The anticipated Palestinian State will be the beginning of the dismemberment of the Zionist program".

• $ 11,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to Neveh Shalom/Wahat Alsalam experimental school for a project on creative drama for Jewish and Arab children within the framework of projects that foster "Unity, Tolerance and Mutual Respect."

• $ 16,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews for a "Community Empowerment" project within the framework of support of "Special Needs Populations."

• $ 12,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to the Yemin Ord Youth village for "Volunteer Project" within the framework of allocations "Enhancing Jewish Identity for Israelis."

• 3,918 Olim arrived in Israel since the beginning of 2001. 2905 are from the FSU.

• 992 immigrants arrived this week in Israel, 833 from the FSU and Eastern Europe, 94 from Ethiopia and the rest from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Peru, England, South Africa, New Zealand, the US, Canada and India.

The Jewish Agency is presently in the process of purchasing armor protected vehicles for residents of the areas of conflict all over the country. In the initial stage, four armor protected buses and ten mini-buses will be purchased at an overall cost of $2 million.

The vehicles will be bought with donations received from Jews in the world. They will be transferred to a non profit organization belonging to the Center of Regional Councils, which will assign them to areas of conflict, according to the security needs of each region. The vehicles will also serve those residing in the confrontation line along the northern border and communities in Judea & Samaria, according to need.

Dr. Gerald Feingold, a dentist from Manchester, is coming to Israel this week to help improve oral hygiene among children of Southern Lebanese Army refugees living in the Confrontation Line region -- which is linked to Great Britain within the framework of Partnership 2000. Dr. Feingold, who is a member of the Jewish Agency - United Jewish Israel Appeal Partnership 2000 Steering Committee, will train young British volunteers who have come to Israel to teach English in local schools, to incorporate the basics of preventative dental care into the English lessons.

He will train six of the young volunteers, who are part of a larger group of high school juniors and senior spending ten weeks in Israel doing community service. The youngsters will then teach Lebanese children how to properly brush their teeth, and basic dental hygiene. The Lebanese youth attend an elementary school specially set up for them in Nahariya and a high school near Akko.

Dr. Feingold will supervise their lessons and will later meet with the young teachers again to give constructive criticism.

"We have discovered that if you invest the effort in teaching children, you can instill proper life-long habits," says Sefton Bergson, the UJIA's representative to the region.

As part of this effort, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and promotional materials - all brought over from England -- will be distributed to the Lebanese youth.

Over 150 young leaders from England, Australia, New Zealand, South America and other locations arrived in Israel this past month, as part of solidarity missions sponsored by the World Zionist Organization's Hagshama Department.

The program, which included training in leadership skills and how to disseminate pro-Israel information, included meetings with MKs, representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the IDF, and meetings with communities that have been adversely affected by the security situation. They group visited Jerusalem and toured along the Green Line.

The visited was designed, among other things, to enhance activism in the home communities.

Repairs have started on the premises in Buenos Aires that will house the Jewish Agency's new educational center in Argentina, "Bamah." The project, whose name is Hebrew for stage or platform, and an acronym for "The Jewish Educator's Platform," will bring together under one roof a variety of educational activities that were formerly spread throughout the Argentinean capital together with new educational projects. It will include projects once funded by the community that have been stopped due to the economic crisis facing the Jews of Argentina.

The project, the initiative of Jewish Agency shlichim and the Latin American educational desk in Jerusalem, is "trying to help the community and working with them to answer their educational needs and help strengthen them," explains Hasia Israeli, deputy director-general of the Jewish Agency's Education Department. "We are currently developing a strategic plan and raising funds for the project."

The premises, the Y. L. Peretz Jewish day school that closed down a few years ago because of the financial difficulties facing the community, will house, for example, "Lomdim," an educational framework on Sundays that will offer a Jewish education to children, including those who once attended a Jewish day school but whose parents can no longer afford to send them. According to Kito (Zvi) Hasson, the head of the Jewish Agency delegation in South America, 3,000 fewer children learn in Jewish day schools today than before the economic crisis. Lomdim, which is scheduled to start with the new school year in March, will bring together and expand the educational activities that various Jewish youth movements are currently running in various locations throughout the city. The new center will also provide teacher training: the Jewish teachers' training seminary once had 70 students a year; with its current enrollment of 15, it cannot survive.

The Jewish community of Argentina, the largest in Latin America, numbers about 230,000, of whom some 80 percent live in Buenos Aires. There are as many as 20,000 poor Jews in Buenos Aires; 40 percent of them were middle class a year ago. According to some estimates, a quarter of the country's Jewish community now live below the poverty line.

The Jewish Agency is increasing its efforts to reach out to the Jews of Argentina in other spheres of activity too. It has developed special programs to encourage a higher rate of immigration, including the adaptation of Na'aleh, the program which brings high-school students from the FSU to complete their education in Israel. It is also working with the Israeli government to increase the absorption support immigrants from Argentina receive.

Last week, the Jewish Agency winter camps, which catered to 1500 Jewish 10-17 year olds from all parts of the Ukraine, drew to a close. At the camps, the youngsters learnt about the history and geography of Israel and basic Hebrew. Eli Izhaki, head of the JAFI delegation in the Ukraine, said that this year particular emphasis was placed on enhancing the participants' sense of Jewish identity and all activities were accompanied by classes on Judaism and Israeli tradition.

In addition to the teenagers who took part in the camps, a further 800 Jewish students participated in a variety of seminars organized by the Jewish Agency, where they learnt about making aliyah and the options for studying in Israel.

Libby Levine, the Jewish Agency's education shlicha in Kiev, reports that this year, for the first time, 8-year olds participated in the camps from Kharkov, Lvov and other cities, whereas in the past only children over the age of 12 had done so.

10-year old Irina Lerner from Kiev, participated in a Jewish Agency camp this year for the first time and returned home full of positive experiences. In fact, they made such an impression, that her parents also became interested. A few days after the camp ended, the child's mother, Galina, arrived at the Jewish Ageny's Kiev office and enrolled the entire family in Jewish Agency activities: "Thank you so much for looking after my daughter. Thanks to her, the whole family now knows about Shabbat and how to light candles".

The Partnership 2000 program budget for 2001, in the amount of $700,000, was authorized by the steering committee for Montreal, Beersheva and the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, which is currently convening in Beersheva to conclude the year 2000 and approve the work program for 2001.

Over the last year, this partnership has created a new "tripartite" partnership, with the communities in Canada and Israel and joined by the Kiev Jewish community, capital of the Ukraine. The tripartite program includes youth leaders from Israel and Canada helping at summer camps in Kiev, where Jewish Zionist activity takes place.

Shula Ophir, director of the area says that special emphasis is being placed by the Beersheva - Bnei Shimon partnership on projects which promote women's issues and a "life bridge" between the school in the south and Montreal. Last year a group from the "Neve Midbar" regional school in Kibbutz Hatzerim visited the JPPS van Horn school in Montreal, the Korczak school and Moledet with the Talmud Torah in Montreal, and also held a video conference before Independence Day. A computerized newsletter was produced and distributed by e-mail, and a song booklet accompanied by a tape recording prepared by the "Netivei Am" school in Beersheva with the Tikva school in Montreal.

Fifty teachers from Jewish schools in Scandinavia gathered at Helsinki's Adat Israel community for a teachers' seminar which focussed on the educational challenges facing schools in small communities.

Guest lecturers at the seminar included Prof. Avi Ravitzki of the Hebrew University, and Dr. Emanuel Ben Naeh from Jerusalem, as well as Mitch Hefetz, the Jewish Agency's educational shaliach in Britain.

The discussions emphasized the special challenges facing Jewish schools in small communities and the need to find ways of taking on non-Jewish teachers within the Jewish schools system. Mitch brought good wishes from Dubi Bergman, head of the Jewish Agency's European Treasury, and offered the Agency's assistance in organizing refresher courses in Israel and preparing educational material in Scandinavian languages.

Despite the severe cold, the seminar was warm, lively and interesting.

The Jewish community in Ecuador, one of the smallest in Latin America, recently inaugurated a new community center. The center includes synagogues, a ritual bath (mikveh), halls for cultural performances, a sports club, and a center for Zionist youth movement activities.

900 Jews form the Ecuador community, out of a total population of some 12 million. Kito Hasson, who heads the JAFI Latin America delegation and recently returned from a visit to Ecuador, says that the community maintains an active Jewish life and has strong ties with the State of Israel. There is also a Jewish school and extensive activity run by the Hanoar Hazioni youth movement.

During the visit to Ecuador, Hasson met members of the community, pupils at the Jewish school and members of the Hanoar Hazioni youth movement. Hasson presented them with the various possibilities of making aliyah and the Jewish Agency's programs for enhancing Jewish Zionist education. The visit also included information on the security situation in Israel since violence erupted in the area, and the elections for prime minister which took place in Israel this week.

The Jewish Agency's Israel Department, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and settlement movements, have prepared a special study program - Netzach (an acronym for the Hebrew equivalent of "young agricultural management"), designed to train a new generation of agricultural managers and researchers in Israel.

Within the context of this project, the Jewish Agency will grant stipends worth more than NIS 2 million to 90 young moshav and kibbutz members from Israel's peripheral areas. The youngsters must have completed their army service, and see their professional future in the agricultural sector.

The students will attend a special study program which includes the BA course at the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, and an MA in management. The students will also be required to undertake practical projects related to agriculture, and will receive additional classes in agriculture and ecology.

Dan Breier, director of the settlement and development division at the Jewish Agency's Israel Department said that the experimental group of 13 students this year embarked on the project at the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot. Next academic year, 40 students will participate and the year after a further 40.

25 young Ethiopian olim who have completed their military service, were this week absorbed at the Jewish Agency's Karmiel absorption center. The young olim will enroll in a special training course for drivers of heavy vehicles, lasting 7 months and which will take place at the Erez College in Shlomi.

In recent months demand for such drivers has increased in Israel as drivers from the Gaza Strip had gradually taken over this sector in recent years, particularly in the transportation sector in the Negev and south of the country. Following the successful training of drivers who are olim from the FSU and Latin America, it was decided to run a similar project for Ethiopian olim.

Ziona Eisenstein, director of the absorption center, said that the olim participating in the course, aged 22-31, come from all parts of the country, some are single and others married with families. According to Eisenstein the project is designed to ease the integration of Ethiopian olim into Israeli society and assist their absorption in the work place.

During the seven-month training period, the olim will acquire practical knowledge about driving heavy vehicles and trucks, and will study theory on various subjects relevant to this area, including geography, mechanics, English and first-aid. They will live at the absorption center, and will take part in the social and cultural activity at the center together with a group of 12 Jewish youngsters from Britain who are also living at the center.

The project is being financed by the Jewish Agency, the British UJIA, Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Absorption. The official opening of the course will take place at the beginning of next week, attended by directors of the Jewish Agency's northern office, Karmiel mayor Adi Eldar and deputy mayor Rinah Greenberg.

Some 700 Jewish Agency emissaries all over the world, from Hong Kong to Turkey, received election slips permitting them to vote in the elections for Prime Minister this week. Yohanan Simon, head of the Jewish Agency's Emissary authority, said that the emissaries voted at Israeli embassies in capital cities.

Fate of the MIA's: Following rumors which circulated this week to the effect that the three Israeli MIA's kidnapped by Hizbollah are no longer alive, the IDF announced that it has no definite information concerning their condition. The IDF says that there is no change in its official position, according to which the soldiers are missing and are considered alive unless proven otherwise. The rumors circulated following comments made by the Hizbollah deputy secretary, who said: "Even in previous MIA deals, we received live prisoners in return for bodies".

Shelters in the north: The IDF recently consolidated a program to repair and build new bomb shelters in the Galilee, the Haifa Bay area and the Krayot, due to concern that the conflict with the Hizbollah may spread "even within the next few days", as quoted by a senior officer in the Northern Command. Until now these areas were outside the range of katyusha fire from Lebanon, however recent information shows that the Hizbollah now have long-range katyusha rockets which can reach Haifa.

Return of the Rothschilds: The Rothschild family plans to build in Israel again. The company which is owned by the state and the family, headed by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, great-grandson of Edmond de Rothschild (the famous philanthropist), has decided to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the construction of projects in Israel. In the initial stage, the company will build an industrial park at Caesaria, industrial projects and offices and commercial enterprises.

BG Airport is safe: A survey carried out by IATA, the International Air Transport Association, rated Ben Gurion Airport in first place with respect to the sense of security felt by passengers at airports - before London's Heathrow and France's Charles de Gaulle. Regarding waiting time at passenger check-in, BG Airport was rated in a lower position.

Mad cow? Israel has raised the issue of banning meat imports from Brazil, after it was reported that "mad-cow disease" had been found at several locations in that country, and after Canada banned the import of beef from Brazil. A family in the north of the country even claimed that one of its sons had died from the illness. The Ministry of Agriculture examined the issue and determined that Israel would not ban beef imports from Brazil and that the reports from Canada were not accurate.

Art and Business: A group of American artists and business people, including movie star Paul Newman, has announced that it wishes to invest $20 million in setting up a holiday resort in the Galilee for children suffering from terminal illnesses. Representatives of the group arrived in Israel and chose a site near the Lavi Forest, west of Lake Kinneret on which to establish the project.

Drugs and records: A prisoner who escaped from a jail in the north of Israel was captured with a record quantity of drugs - 51 kg. of marijuana. One evening this week police arrested a cab in Bnei Brak for a spot check - but one of the passengers tried to escape. Police pursued the man and he was finally caught, and then led the police to the drugs which were concealed in the cab.

Private Zoo: An Israeli citizen this week attempted to smuggle no fewer than 1100 animals through Ben Gurion Airport customs. The man tried to smuggle in 1000 fresh-water turtles, 13 squirrels, several rare parrots and dozens of other rare birds in crates. An indictment will shortly be filed against the man who attempted smuggle the animals from Turkey.

Some 800 young olim from all over the world, kibbutz ulpan students, participants in the Jewish Agency's Selah and Chalom programs, this week held a special Seder Tu Bishvat, initiated by the Jewish Agency's northern office in conjunction with the IDF's education corps and Gadna. The olim toured the Galilee with special IDF guides, as part of the activity to become acquainted with the country and its traditions. This year, which is an agricultural sabbatical year (Shnat Shmitta), there will be no tree planting.

After the excursions, the olim gathered at the Kiryat Shmonah cultural center, where they were welcomed by Kiryat Shmonah mayor Haim Barbivai, and the city's rabbi - Tzefaniah Drori. After the greetings and refreshments, the olim ended their evening with a star performance, which included the "Galgalim" entertainment duo.

Makes 10 portions:

Ingredients

3 cups rice
medium onion, chopped
clove of garlic, chopped
a little oil
6 cups clear soup
2 tsps salt
2 cardamon pods
lemon

For the fruit:

60 gm. margarine
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp. curry powder

Preparation:

• Fry the onion until golden, add the garlic and steam.

• Add the rice and fry lightly while stirring, add 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice.

• Add the soup, salt and cadamon, and bring to the boil.

• Cook on low heat for half an hour.

• Fruit: fry the cashew nuts lightly. Add the fruit and curry. Fry for 3-4 minutes and pour the contents of the frying pan onto the rice.

• Stir well and serve hot.