Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak apologized for the deaths of 13 Israeli Arabs during violent confrontations with police last October. “In my name and in the name of the government, I express sorrow over the death of Arab citizens,” Barak said, in what was widely viewed as an appeal for Israeli Arab votes in Tuesday’s election. Likud leader Ariel Sharon denied that he had cut a deal in exchange for a declaration of support from the fervently Orthodox United Torah Judaism bloc. Despite his denial, sources in Likud were quoted as saying that if elected, Sharon would extend an order granting army draft deferrals to yeshiva students.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.