A,
SHABBAT SBALOM
rV0L.tVli,N0.2 TEVETH 14^5750 THURSDAY, JANUARY 11,1990
750
JWB fiOtli Anniversary Arts Feature
• • • Inside
JERUSALEM — Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir appears to have scored a masterly political coup by the llth-hour reversal last week of his dedsibh to fire £zer Weizman from the Ca^^ for alleged contacts with the PLO. ,. .
Under adeal worked out bet ween ShamirV Weizman will retain Cabinet rank as minister of science and development; a non4nfluential portfolio. But the dovish Laborite had to resign from the prestigious, policy-making Inner Cabinet (^12^^ s
Israel Sun
CHILDREh^FROM Moshav Aviyim, on Lebanese border, stare out after their parents shut gates of community. Tires were aiso burned at gate following unsuccessful attempt by Income tax authorities to setoe possessions.'^e are waiting for army rations,** sign reads.
Whereabouts of Israeli aide to Noriega remain a mystery
^   By HUGH ORGEL
TEL AVIV — The whereabouts pi, former- ^Mossad agent Mike Harari, purported security adviser to deposted Panamanian dictator and reputed^ drug czar Manuel Noriega^ remained a^ last week, as AveU as a specuiatioh for the Isracfli liewsinedia.
Many here are convinced Harari is back in Israel. Others claim he was captured by the Americans who invaded Panama three wcjeks ago, but talked his way to freedom.
Still others surmise that the United States indeed has Harari, but for reasons known only to the high intelligence gurus, now pretends^ it does rt6t::;:-";^::;;-^:v:'^.';'.-.
Ilarari, by all descriptions a figure straight put of pppular spy fiction,- was said by a U.S. embassy official in Panama City to be in the custody of the
U.S: military in Panama.
Later, however, the same official told a different tale. **They thoughtrthcy jiad him, but on further checking either they didn*t have him -~ most probable — or that he convinced them he was someone else,** the official said.
Reporters staking out liarari*s home in Afeka, a Wealthy suburb of Tel Aviv, found the house empty and locked.
Then Harari*s son drove up; He refused to talk at first, insisting his father*s whereabouts were nobody*s business. But when Israel Radio broadcast later that he had no knowledge where his father was, young Harari telephoned to say he did, in fact, know, fa»ut^ould not teW -
Harari*s wife failed to report last week to her librar-ian*s job at Tel Ayiv university,/      : ■^^^.■
l)arari, 62; is described as an athletic-looking man who almostinvariably wears pilot-styleriiark.glasses. He is said to. have kno^ Gen. Noriega since 1973, and to have personally recruited, equipped and trained his security forces^ He had been (^IJ^d^^^^ most powerful man in Paiiamafc after Noriega.
Harari is also alleged to have made millions in illicit business ventures with the Panamanian strongman, whp was once on the payroll of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Harari is said to hai been involved with Noriega it using the proceeds from dru[ sales to provide arms for the Contras, the Nicaraguan rebels supported by the Reagan administration to overthrow the Sandinista government in Managua.
Harari is still wanted by the Norwegian government for NORIEGA - Page 8
The arrangement allows Shamir to preserve the unity coalition government while severely embarrassing his politically weakened Labor partners, political pundits say. It also strengthens Sliamir*s own position against hardline critics in Likud and sends a clear message abroad that Israel will not relent in its policy of no talks with the PLO, political observers say.
In. addition, Shamir succeeded in personally humiliating Weizman, one of the most voutsptoken critics df the pt€^ mier*s ' policy" toward * tK^-Palestinian Arabs.
The drama began last week when, at the^end of the weekly Cabinet session, Shamir suddenly informed Weizman he was disniis^ed because of his contacts with the PLO.
S»hamir did not detail his charges, and Weizman, who has publicly advocated talks with the PLp, made only a vague denial. But the stage was set for a government crisis, since the national unity coalition agreement stipulates that thejirime minister cannot oust a Labor minister without the agreement of the vice-premier. Labor Party leader Shimon Peres.
But while Peres waxed indignant at the Shamir move and Labor doves rallied for Weizman, it was clear that
most Labor ministers would not give Up their portfolios for their hapless colleague.
Neither Labor nor Likud is eagerfor new elections at this
WEIZMAM .. .personallyhumiliated
time, and neither party seems capable of putting together a narrow substitute coalition^ in partnership with the small religious parties that always hold the balance of power.
According to law, a decision by the prime minister takes effect 48 hours after it is announced. The eventual Likud-Labor compromise was achieved just an hour before the deadline last week. Weizman told reporters the arrangement was worked out in advance of his meeting with Shamir last week, which he described as '"pleasant.**
He said he. accepted the demotion because he felt obliged to the Labor Party and those Who support him. He credited his decision for enabling the unity government to stay in office. ^
Labor doves seemed disappointed that Weizman did not put up more of a fight. And the party*s hawks would have preferred Labor to be rid of him. Some political observers are convinced Labor would sooner have ditched Weizmaii than let the _.goyera^
Weizman aitnbunccNl/ te^ would travel to thi Soviet Union last week, as planned before the crisis broke. He was to leave for Vienna last week.
His impending visit to Moscow reportedly aroused Shamir to take action against him. The prime minister is said to have feared tha| Weizman would meet or communicate with a PLC figure there, and that the Soviet media would break the story, to IsraePs embarrassment. Weizman has flatly denied such a meeting was contemplated.
Some Likud members are demanding criminal action against the Labor minister, inasmuch as contact with the PLC is a violation of the law,
SHAMIR — Page 9
^ -1 ■
community linked by New Conn^^
By ETHAN MINOVITZ
When mechanical engineer Alex Reznikpvdropiied into the offices of the Jewish Family Service Ageiicy recently, its employee^ were surprised — because usually, recentSoviet immigrantstlpn*tfind the organization by themselves, r ^
T^ay, Reznikov isn't just reaching out to Jewish groups; he*s volunteering to get in touch with other Soviet Jews in Vancouver iii the hope that they*ll take part in New Connections, a launched by
JFSA-to^d thcir^resettlemerit. 1^
A report was jifeased^^^to^^ task force
headed by Arlene Gladstone and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vanco^^ JFSA and other groups. It "recommended a tworpoint program, which is-what-we are carrying out,^ said JBarhai^^ Shumiatcher, one of New Connections* two project coordinators.
The main part of the project is "an employers'bank to record employment opportunities for newcomers,'* Shumiatcher (whose job began Dec. 4) told The But-
letin.     ■ / • ■ Shumiatcher related thatmany Soviet Jewish
immigrants^ such as Reznikov — have experience and training in the applied sciences, "but these people, in almibst every case, haA^e to be given Canadian^-accreditation^*- She believes that professional persons within the community can help newcomers plan their work so that it can be recognized in Canada.
"In some cases, the^ will be able to offer para-^rofessional employment or career information,** she stressed. "Others may beable to invite colleagues to experiehce what is expected of CanadiansJ^y^ffering prbfessipnattrainiiig^^^^ _  : ^
^Already New Cpimections lias^hegm together packages for potential employees and assisting them in compiling resuhies.
New Connections' second part, the Family-To-Family Project, offers a more personal link between recent imniigrantsandth^gen said Shumiatcher. "We will match families up through shared profesisiohal and cuhuralinterests, bring kids together . . . foster a real exchange between^Canadian arid Soviet Jewish families."
"It'shot just for Soviets, but all immigrants," Shu-
• f_ii_...
Raber, was quick toadd. She herself emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1977. The two noted that similar projects have been run successfully in Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago.
The New Connections program is being run on a shoestring: basically vpluntary, it is being funded by JFGV oiia^-month
NEW CONNECTIONS-Page 10
miatcher's fellow project coordinator, Charlotte
E.Minovitz %'
RUSSIAN-SPEAKING volunteer Lilla Petrie, projectcoordina-x-tdr Barbara Shumiatcher, recent immigrant Alex Reznlkov and » Charlotte Raber aid in the JFSA*8 New Connections program.