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Pietro Arnese, the founder and editor of Apocalypsesoon.org is available for speaking engagements, seminars and addressing church services on Bible prophecy.

I have been receiving so much info on "Mark-of-the-Beast" technology that I will keep on reporting on it for a few weeks.
The race for digitalization is increasing its momentum and the knowledge produced is reaching high peaks of technological sophistication thereby amplifying the need to some kind of standardization. All of this will eventually converge in the universal system, (prophesied in the Bible) which will incorporate and administer all the basic aspects of living and which eventually, will be forced upon all people.

This week I will present you with a report written by William J. Murray, the son of America's best known atheist and Marxist leader, Madalyn Murray O'Hair. At age 33 he became a believer in Jesus Christ and is now preaching. At the end of the article I am providing a link to his site.

There is a song which states "The future belongs to those who hear it coming." While this is only partially true, nonetheless the message of "watchfulness" is stressed here. The reality we experience today is the result of choices upon choices made by individuals. The reality we will experience tomorrow depends from the choices we make today.

Would you Accept Money to Wear the Mark of the Beast?
by William J. Murray

For the first time in history, Americans are going to be required to carry an electronic identification card. The Clinton medical plan requires Americans to carry a card at all times with a magnetic strip that identifies them and contains an enormous amount of other information. The most devastating blow to the liberty of Americans is about to be struck by a federal government that wants to be equal to God. Americans are about to lose a major part of their freedom. The "Medical Security Card" Hillary Clinton has designed has a magnetic strip on the back of it. That strip will contain your social security number, your driver's license number, your place of work and what your salary is, the location of your home, the names and addresses of your children, and all of your medical records. Under the Clinton plan you will not be able to obtain any medical care unless the card is presented. Furthermore, the doctor will not be allowed to prescribe medication or treat you without the permission of the government. Your card will be run through an electronic reader. The information will be transmitted to Washington. The doctor will type in what he believes should be done. Then a clerk in Washington will tell the doctor what he is and is not allowed to do. Hillary Clinton calls the clerk who makes the final decision on your medical care "The Gatekeepers." "The Gatekeeper" will decide how valuable you are to society compared to what your medical needs are. If your illness is life threatening, "The Gatekeeper" will decide if you are to live or die. You will play no part in your treatment. You cannot go to another doctor. You will not be allowed to pay for treatment "The Gatekeeper" does not authorize. A doctor who accepts money for private treatment not authorized by "The Gatekeeper" will be arrested and jailed. Satanists worship an "angel" called "The Gatekeeper." In Satanism "The Gatekeeper" is second in command to Satan himself. Why did Hillary Clinton pick this name to describe those who will make the life and death decisions in the lives of Americans." Without "The Gatekeeper's Card" you will not be able to obtain employment. Your children will not be allowed to go to school unless they produce the card. You will not be able to renew your drivers license or obtain life or auto insurance unless a "valid" card is presented. Of course, the Congress had exempted itself from the law. Worse: By the year 2000 the government could have this card reduced to microdot size that can be implanted under the skin between the thumb and forefinger of your hand. This will allow an electronic reader to obtain all the information when it scans the back of your hand. How convenient this microdot would be for the government to "take care" of you. There will be no private doctors under the Clinton plan. If you don't carry "The Gatekeeper's Card" you cannot get medical help. If you are injured the ambulance will leave you dying in the street unless you have the card. You will be fired from your job if you refuse to participate and carry this card. If you own a business and refuse to participate, the government will shut down your business and put you in jail. As of now, the Clinton plan calls for a two year jail sentence for anyone who refuses to participate.

I ask again, How much is free medicine worth to you? How much money does the government have to give you so that you will submit to wearing this mark? Who will pay for this "free" medicine? The money will be taken from you forcibly and then given back for inferior medical care only if you wear the mark of Hillary's "Gatekeeper." Warn those around you. Copy and distribute this warning to everyone you know. The Clinton plan must be defeated. We must keep private medicine and allow for private medical insurance with no government identification card forced on us.

www.jubilee-newspaper.com

The war being just officially over, I proceeded to ask them questions, separately, of course. It turned out that the Albanian was sad because he was from three months without news from his family in Kossovo. The Serbians were sad because their houses had been partly bombed by Nato. Please note that we are in Switzerland, where many refugees and immigrants from abroad are allowed in, for a time, in times of necessity. A lot of these refugees, work so they can earn some money to send back home. Usually, they end up doing the hard or humble work that the Swiss will not do.

I started thinking about what this war did really accomplish. Very little, on the practical side. Apart from the Belgrade tyrant, the Serbs are a very industrious and hard working people, unfortunate enough to have a leader they could not democratically fire. It is said that people have the governments they deserve. I do not think this is true, or at least not in all cases.

The Kossovo war, must range as the strangest, and most elusive war in the annals of history. Here in Europe, it was certainly not approved by most. America, in the short term, the apparent winner, will be the long term loser. Europeans have felt as never before the bullying superpower on their backs and are finally saying out loud that Europe NEEDS a European based army, to be used in the best interest of Europe, (not America). See this week TIME Magazine report on this very item. Moreover, it makes me sick to hear of all the "reconstructions plans", and of which nation is going to get what, while the dead bodies are still warm. "The vultures gather where the carcass is", so says the Word.

Like it or not, this war has left a sour taste, at least in Europe, with the exception, perhaps, of England. Can't help to think that this war had other objectives and purposes, than those officially stated. One of the most credited and discussed reason attributed to this war, is the fact that America, is trying to destabilize Europe and its new currency, the Euro, by throwing a nice little war, with its unrest and turmoil in its midst. It could be true. Europe, in the long run, will be a formidable opponent, economically, and otherwise. It should come "natural" to America, to nip in the bud a future menace to Her supremacy -the Phantom Menace. Other reasons could be added to this one, but my personal opinion, is that America is trying to demonstrate to the Arab world, that they are held in high account, by Her.

I don't know if because threatened by Arab fundamentalists, or because of financial activities with oil producing countries, or because of political strategies in the forming new world order, but America has stepped in Europe, with all the grace of an elephant in a China shop, and she is and neither will be the better for it. Apparently Nato has won. Apparently America has won. Apparently.

And what about this other item just sent in by INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA:

PRESIDENT CLINTON PROCLAIMS JUNE TO BE "GAY AND LESBIAN PRIDE-MONTH" -
Signed on June 11, 1999, President Clinton's Proclamation recorded that the "Stonewall Inn" in New York City has been added to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.
The Stonewall Inn was the site of resistance by homosexuals 30 years ago which became known as the "Stonewall Uprising" and is cited in the President's proclamation as being "the birth of the modern gay and lesbian civil rights movement." President Clinton again stated his belief that "America's diversity is our greatest strength." He stated that as a result of his Executive Order amending the Federal equal employment opportunity policy last year, and other administration policies, "gay and lesbian Americans serve openly and proudly throughout the Federal Government." He recommitted himself to passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and his intention to "change the hearts and minds" of the nation's children through a new partnership between the Departments of Education and Justice designed to "reach out to students and teach them that our diversity is a gift."

Reflecting on both the above items, I can't help to think that America is being destroyed, within, and without.

Internet is the best tool yet invented, for the exchange of information. It is incredible how much stuff one can access by simply searching for it on the net. On top of that, we, at Apocalpyse Soon, receive continuously news leads and assorted material from our zealous and caring visitors and regulars. The following report was sent by one such informer, a dear lady who scouts the net searching...

TESTIMONY OF DARRELL SCOTT FATHER OF TWO VICTIMS OF COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING LITTLETON, COLORADO BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIME HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, MAY 27,1999 - 2:00 P.M.
2141 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the heart of men and of women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughters death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy - it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that express my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today. Your laws ignore our deepest needs.
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage.
You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms.
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere.
And ask the question "WHY"? You regulate restrictive laws.
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand.
That God is what we need! Men and women are three part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our makeup, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual influences were present within our educational Systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historic fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God and in doing so, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs - -politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that continue to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our OWN hearts. Political posturing and restrictive legislation is not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy Television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored. We do need a change of heart and an humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God. As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes. He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America and around the world to realize that on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School - - prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your conscience and denies your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before you cast the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain. The young people of this country will not allow that to happen."

Two items for this week column. One, a true story, sent in by a regular visitor to our site:

K e e p  Y o u r  F o r k

 

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued..."I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say...

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say," keep your fork."
It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: "Keep Your Fork"...."The best is yet to come" The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come...May God Bless you and keep you safe....

The other item, sent by another of our regulars visitors, has to do with "one" of the movements in the world today, which are activly at work in unifying the various religions in the world, as to bring an "ecumenically universal" point of view into reality, in the not-so-distant future. I have bracketed the word "one" because indeed, there are several attempts being made at unifying the world's religions. Some of these are just plainly visionary (nutty), but some are very pragmatic and properly backed with substantial material.

The one we are presenting today, is probably one of the most important, if not THE most important of these movements. It is called UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE, and it is sponsored by the UNITED NATIONS. So, understandably, it has a lot of clout in its favour. I think we will soon hear more than we would like from these people. This is their logo:

Thank God that Christianity is not a religion, so theoretically, true Christians should not be asked to join. But I have a sneaky suspicion that, in the mind of the organizers, we'll be "included" in the mixing cauldron, as they don't seem to get the fine shade of demarkation involved. Unfortunately some "Christian" denominations are already lining up for membership. Uhm!

Again, I am bracketing "Christian" because I have very serious doubts whether the meaning of the word assigned to these eager and ecumenical denominations participating to this United Religions Initiative, applies. I will have to write an article as to why Christianity is NOT a religion and therefore is permanently EXCLUDED from any such human efforts. And so, UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE goes ahead, drafting resolutions, planning activities and generally gaining ground and control.

The Bible tells us that in the End Times there will be a worldwide economy, backed by a united universal religion. Both of these future happenings are abominable to God. A true Christian cannot participate in either without disqualifying him/herself from CHRIST. The God of the Bible CANNOT and WILL NOT be joined to a host of other so called "deities". Examine one of the logos used by the United Religions Initiative:

Wow, there is the little "cross" in the image. Personally I don't feel honored at all, but rather offended. Those self-appointed "Christians" who are part of this initiative do not represent me in the least, as they do nor represent any other believer in Jesus Christ.
Go and read all the good stuff at their site: http://www.united-religions.org/

The Muslim world is on the move (read attack). As of recent times, their movers and shakers have understood the meaning of "activism", both positive, and unfortunately, negative. There are over one billion people on earth who are classified as Muslims. (Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs - one pertaining to race, and the other to religion, ALTHOUGH "SOME" MUSLIMS DON'T SEEM TO TOLERATE THAT).

There seems to be a well co-ordinated extremist fringe of "fundamentalist" Muslims that are carrying out a certain plan and that they do not tolerate other Muslims who question their motivations or actions. Moreover, there is also the big division within their own fold (Sunnites and Shiites) and irreconciliable, at least to the fundamentalists. Under a more realistic and pragmatic view, are other the issues which divide them, the same travel companions of the "infidels" they so much dislike: greed, power-grabbing, proudness, wanna-be, and all.

I receive mail from Muslim/Arab mailing lists, and I can truly tell you that this century has not yet seen the worst of this, let's call it , expansion. I will give you a little taste of what is going on. Read on.

WHERE IS THE MUSLIM DIGNITY
Author Stjepan Balog
Bosnian Congres USA

TEHRAN, May 23 (AFP) - Iran filed an official protest with NATO on Sunday over damage to the residence of the Iranian mission in Belgrade in a NATO air raid, the official IRNA news agency said. IRNA said foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi had "vehemently protested" about the "air raid over the residence of the Iranian mission located at the diplomatic compound in Belgrade." .. (END OF QUOTE)

The fact that there are several Islamic Embassies in Belgrade truly defies any rational explanation. Throughout this century, no single "Christian" state has made it their goal of eradicating all traces of Muslims within its reach as Serbia has, and yet, the Islamic world is behaving as if Serbs are just "one of the boys." From the slaughter of over 10% of Bosnian Muslim population, or over 200,000, to the persecution, massacres and eradication of the Muslims in the Sandzak region, the Serbs have shown no remorse or intention of stopping this senseless butchery. And now the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians has developed into a full blown quest for an ethnically pure and Muslim-less Serbia, yet the Islamic nations see it as an internal problem and no concern of theirs. What in the God's name will it take for these (Islamic) nations to realize that they are dealing with Serbia, a country that for centuries plotted the obliteration of Muslims from Europe? I have been embarrassed and ashamed that my own, Croatian government has seen fit to recognize the existence of this pariah state, the so-called Yugoslavia, and to have an Embassy in Belgrade, but I was definitely expected a better reaction from Islamic world. The Dayton agreement that was signed by the Bosnian treasonous leader, Mr. Izetbegovic, was a travesty in itself, but the Serbs have not honored even that one sided, pro Serbian document. No Bosnian Muslims have been allowed to return to their homes even after over three years of that shameful arrangement (as was agreed in Dayton). And just what has the Islamic world done to force the Serbs to honor the Dayton arrangement (as flawed as it is)? Nothing, the Islamic nations have continued their shameful collaboration with the biggest enemy of Islam (Serbia). Perhaps the bombing of several Islamic Embassies in Belgrade is a sign from God, a sign that it is time for the Islamic nations to stop kowtowing to the killers of Muslims and start looking out for the Balkans endangered species, the fast shrinking Islamic population. The Islamic world is their only hope, yet this same Islamic world's cooperation with those who want to see Muslims disappear from the Balkans could be interpreted as a "green light" to the Serbs to continue with the slaughter. The Jews didn't kill even a small fraction of the numbers of Muslims killed by the Serbs, so does that mean that all of you (Islamic Nations) will now be establishing Embassies in Israel? And why not? If you can justify the existence of Islamic Embassies in Yugoslavia, it should be no problem of having them in Israel.

Could it be that (Islamic) criticism of NATO's actions on the Balkans is derived from frustration in seeing the Christian world (NATO, USA & Co.) raising to the occasion and defending the Muslims of Europe, something that the Islamic nations didn't have the guts to do themselves?

Please note all the Key Words in the above.
And here is a little taste of Jihad

Assalam-o-Alaikum,
Muslims are advised that the Global Jihad Fund now has a point of presence in London. A local collection agent here is able to receive donations for J* and forward them to a j* support network for further forwarding to Kosova and during transit in the pipeline the funds get transformed into hardware for the J* frontline (this JSN has extensive experience of similar operations in other regions including Bosnia).

In Kosova, just like in Bosnia before, the Muslims are asking for a means to defend themselves. A J* fund hotline number in London will be announced shortly on momin-net (momin-net@muslimsonline.com). The LCA here can meet you in central London any weekday evening or midday. Checks/cheques or cash may also be posted to a London address. Anonymity will be respected. Form a similar collection network in your town. Work with your local j* support network. Don't worry about your pension! Wassalam. go http://www.ummah.net/jihad
go http://www.ummah.net/news

Wassalam
MUSLIMSONLINE = Free E-mail, 5Mb Free Webspace and best of all Muslim Indentity on the Net.

I could give you more stuff, but I am sure you got the drift. For clarification though, do not classify all Arabs or all Muslims as being fanatic fundamentalist who are out to get the "civilized" West. That would be a terrible mistake. I have some Arab / Muslim neighbours, who are nice and tranquil people (and they cook good too). We should pray for Arab/Muslim we know. In the past, I have come accross a Christian Ministry to the Arab world. I will try to get them listed in our links. God loves the Arabs too, as He loves all men and wants them SAVED in CHRIST JESUS. Amen

I received this mail which tells of a true story. I want to share it with you. A precious moment of life on earth. Too bad that of these moments we do not see many more, but...

THE OLD FISHERMAN

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face -- lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning. "He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness' would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.
"Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago --and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.

Israeli electors have decided who will be their next leader. Ehud Barak is the newly elected Prime Minister. Exiting Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu concede defeat after 30 minutes of the closing of the polling booths. Who is Ehud Barak and what will he do? We will be informing you even with news that you don't get from the "official" media. Below, follows a CNN article on the election's results.

Ehud "Brug" Barak is Israel's most highly decorated soldier, which makes him seem an unlikely leader of the left-wing Labor Party. But Barak sees himself as a moderate, and in his campaign for prime minister he sought to balance the Labor platform by running under a new banner: One Israel.

The One Israel ticket joins Labor with Gesher, an ethnic Moroccan party concerned with the needs of low-income Israelis, and Meimad, a spinoff of the National Religious Party. Barak plays on few emotional strings, aiming his pitch at the heads of voters rather than their hearts. His campaign for prime minister focused on Netanyahu's weak point -- social and economic issues. He worked to change Labor's image as an "elitist" party, wooing traditional Likud voters in deprived neighborhoods by citing Israel's dismal statistics on unemployment and economic productivity. Barak advocates that more money go into health services and education, rather than the creation of new settlements.

Barak addressing the Knesset
He also reached out to the middle class, which has suffered in the leaner economic times and whose votes are up for grabs. Barak was born in 1942 in Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a masters degree in economic-engineering systems from Stanford University. He was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1959. Barak served as a commander in many of Israel's most famous battles, including the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. In 1991, he became the 14th chief of the General Staff and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the highest in the Israeli military. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and four other citations for bravery and excellence. A hallmark of Barak's military career was his involvement in the political process. He helped finalize the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and also played a key role in Syrian-Israeli negotiations. Barak was critical of the Oslo talks but has argued that Israel should keep moving forward in a realistic manner on the path to peace. In 1995, Barak left the military and joined the government of Yitzhak Rabin as minister of the interior. Before his appointment, he was accused of deserting wounded soldiers during a secret military exercise in 1992. An investigation exonerated him from the allegations of misconduct. After Rabin was assassinated, Barak was appointed foreign minister in the administration of Shimon Peres. Peres, a longtime Labor leader and Nobel peace laureate, once described Barak as his possible heir. But when Barak was elected Labor leader in 1997, Peres worked to undermine his position. Despite Peres' efforts, Barak's leadership solidified after the Knesset called for early elections.

Many are aware that the internet is probably the best means to be snooped, since it offers (to potential snoopers) a real -time record of all of a person's movements through the net, the sites visited, the e-mail sent, the merchandise bought and so on. Although it is regularly denied by Government and big companies, nonetheless, the technology is there and it's being used. Recently, Intel and Microsoft got caught red-handed, but no particular outcry has followed. This tells me we are more than ready for the next step: total control. It will come because of the increasing public's apathy towards the issues of life. By one hand, everybody complains that the Governent must not interfere with one's life, and on the other hand, few do act to prevent it. If people do not care enough about their freedom, they are not worthy of it and they will surely lose it.

Europeans fare even worse on privacy issues. They have a fatalistic attitude and regard snooping on their person as inevitable. Case in point, the note sent in by attentive visitors and the following article from "THE GUARDIAN", probably England's most respected newspaper.

Not too long ago, word began to circulate that European governments, suffering from a nasty case of snoopers' envy over the English-speaking countries' long-standing ability to eavesdrop upon phone calls, faxes, and e-mail around the world through the NSA-driven Echelon system, were cooking up a scheme of their own. Unlike the trenchcoat-and-fedora efforts of the five-nation Echelon arrangement, which are focused, at least theoretically, on communications outside of those countries, the rival European ENFOPOL 98 scheme was designed to give law enforcement authorities the legal and technical wherewithal to intercept messages within their jurisdictions at will. Now though, while the European proposal is still evolving, it seems to be less of a competitor to American snooping than part of a full-press effort by cops around the world to steam open everybody's envelopes.

While the European scheme was originally compared to Echelon, a long-standing, world-wide surveillance set-up operated by United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the two eavesdropping systems have some important differences. While Echelon is reputed to be able to intercept virtually any telephone call, fax, e-mail, or radio transmission on the planet and scan the resulting data for key words and phrases, it's primarily a foreign espionage system intended to safeguard its operators. Theoretically, at least, domestic communications of the five host nations are excluded from the system (and you can take that with as large a grain of salt as you wish), so the legal safeguards within those countries are supposedly neither challenged nor relevant.

But, as recently leaked to the UK-based Foundation for Information Policy Research, ENFOPOL 98 — which has now been retitled ENFOPOL 19, either as part of the European Union's usual bureaucratic shenanigans, or in an effort to defuse furious criticism — seeks to institutionalize Echelon-like interception as a law enforcement tool within the European nations, sanctioned by their laws. Somewhat obliquely, the current version of the proposal refers to earlier drafts by stating:

The Council notes that the requirements of law enforcement agencies with regard to network operators and service providers for the purposes of lawful interception of telecommunications, as described in the Annex to the Council Resolution of 17 January 1995 (96/C 329/01) are applicable both to existing and new communications technologies, for example satellite telecommunications and Internet telecommunications.

As The Guardian newspaper kindly translated, this means that "the plans require the installation of a network of tapping centres throughout Europe, operating almost instantly across all national boundaries." European commission documents obtained this week reveal plans to require manufacturers and operators to build in "interception interfaces" to the Internet and all future digital communications systems. The plans, drafted by a US-led international organisation of police and security agencies, will be proposed to EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers at the end of May. They appear in Enfopol 19, a restricted document leaked to the London-based Foundation for Information Policy Research The plans require the installation of a network of tapping centres throughout Europe, operating almost instantly across all national boundaries, providing access to every kind of communications including the net and satellites. A German tapping centre could intercept Internet messages in Britain, or a British detective could listen to Dutch phone calls. There could even be several tapping centres listening in at once. Enfopol 19 was agreed by an EU police working party a month ago. It was condemned last week by the civil liberties committee of the European Parliament. But the European Parliament will shortly dissolve to face elections in June. Meanwhile, EU ministers are preparing to adopt a convention on Mutual Legal Assistance, including international interception arrangements. If the Enfopol 19 proposals are enacted, internet service providers (ISPs) as well as telecommunications network operators face having to install monitoring equipment or software in their premises in a high security zone. Ministers were told two months ago that an international committee of experts regarded new European policy on tapping the internet "as an urgent necessity". But they will not be told that the policy has been formulated at hitherto secret meetings of an organisation founded by the FBI. Known as the International Law Enforcement Telecommunications Seminar (Ilets), police and security agents from up to 20 countries including Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have been meeting regularly for seven years. The Ilets group was founded by the FBI in 1993 after repeatedly failing to persuade the US Congress to pass a new law requiring manufacturers and operators to build in a national tapping network, free of charge. Since then, Ilets has succeeded in having its plans adopted as EU policy and enacted into national legislation in a growing number of countries. The group first met at the FBI research and training centre in Quantico, Virginia, in 1993. The next year, they met in Bonn and agreed a document called the International Requirements For Interception, or IUR 1.0. Within two years, the IUR "requirements" had, unacknowledged and word for word, become the secret official policy of the EU. They became law in the United States. In June 1997, the Australian government succeeded in getting the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to adopt the IUR requirements as a "priority". It told the ITU that "some countries are in urgent need of results in this area". Ilets and its experts met again in Dublin, Rome, Vienna and Madrid in 1997 and 1998, and drew up new "requirements" to intercept the Internet. Enfopol 19 is the result. Linx, the London Internet Exchange, is the hub of British Internet ommunications. According to Keith Mitchell, chairman of Linx: "Anything along the lines of the Enfopol scheme would probably have astronomical cost implications. In the event such a scheme was ever implementable, the costs should be met by the enforcement authorities. Since the industry cannot afford it, I doubt the public sector could "This kind of monitoring approach is based on a world view of telecomms operators which is both technically and economically outdated."

Duncan Campbell is a freelance writer and broadcaster and not the Guardian's staff correspondent of the same name.