San
Diego Jewish World
Monday Evening , July
30, 2007
Vol. 1, Number
91
|
Archives Event Tracker HOME Jewish Directory Jewish Grapevine Jews in the News News Sleuths Sports |
| PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS; THEY ARE HELPING TO BRING San Diego Jewish World TO YOU: America's Vacation Center Bubbla Packaging Systems I'm There For You Baby radio show In the Know' radio show JCC Maccabi games Jewish American Chamber of Commerce Journey to the copper age Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego Seacrest Village Retirement Communities |
Rice
Gates
Burns
Nadler
Weiner
Rothman
Weinberg Balls
Olmert
Garre
Rice tells of U.S. military assistance
plans
for Israel, Gulf States, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Special)—Before leaving
for the Middle East with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice issued the following statement concerning military
assistance to Israel and some Arab states:
In advance of my trip to the Middle East with Secretary Gates, I am pleased to announce a renewed commitment to the security of our key strategic partners in the region.
|
San Diego Jewish World—July
30, 2007 |
To support our continued diplomatic engagement in the region, we are forging new assistance agreements with the Gulf States, Israel, and Egypt. This effort will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaeda, Hizballah, Syria, and Iran. During our visits to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Secretary Gates and I will meet with our counterparts to discuss ways to advance security and stability in Iraq. I will also meet the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt, and Jordan to discuss regional issues in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Later, I will travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah to continue discussions on the development of a political horizon with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Through our Gulf Security Dialogue, we are helping to strengthen the defensive capabilities of our partners, and we plan to initiate discussions with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States on a proposed package of military technologies that will help support their ability to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region. As President
Bush mentioned during Prime Minister Olmert's recent visit, we will move soon to
conclude a new ten-year military assistance agreement with Israel. This
agreement will provide a total of $30 billion to ensure Israel's ability to
defend itself. The President and I have asked Under Secretary Nicholas Burns to travel to Israel and the region in mid-August to finalize these agreements. The preceding story was provided by the U.S. State Department |
|
Burns conducts telephone news conference
to sell proposed Middle Eastern arms deals
(Editor’s Note: Tom
Casey, Deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department shared the podium today
with R. Nicholas Burns, Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs to brief reporters by telephone on the
arms deals Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert
Gates will be discussing on their joint trip to the Middle East. A State
Department transcript follows):
MR. CASEY: Okay. Well, good morning, everybody. Thank you for joining us and pleasure to have you all here. I’m sorry we're a little bit late getting going here. I think you have all now seen the statement that we put out in the Secretary's name on assistance agreements with the Gulf states, Israel, and Egypt. I have with us this morning Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nick Burns to talk to you a little bit more -- talk in a little more detail about what this means, and particularly about how it plays in with our longstanding commitments to our friends and allies in the region.
Nick, why don't I just turn it over to you, let you make some opening comments, and then we'll go to people's questions.
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Tom, thank you very much. Good morning everybody. I'll just have a few brief words to say because I think you've read the statement, then I'll be happy to go right to questions.
As Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates head for the Middle East this week, we wanted to send a strong signal of support for the security concerns of all of our partners in the region, of Israel, of Egypt, of Saudi Arabia, and of the other Gulf states, the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. And we see this announcement this morning about our future security assistance over the long term to support our broad strategic interest in the Middle East, and that is to maintain a very strong American presence and influence in the region. It is to give specific support to those partners that need it and that's all of them, of course. And it's also a comprehensive step by the United States to address our overall policy objectives in the region.
We are very much engaged diplomatically, of course, on the question of Iraq, but also on the effort to rebuff the attempt by Iran to advance its own strategic interest in the region and to expand its influence in the region. We want to make sure that countries are strong enough from a defensive standpoint to protect their borders, to deal with maritime security as well as other threats to security. We obviously have our eye on the conflict in Lebanon as well. And so it's a time, we thought, for us to reassert the important position of the United States in the region and our relationship with the allies.
There are three components of it that are pretty clear from this statement, but I thought I should just go over them. Number one, we are committing to a new 10-year military assistance program to Israel. We're committing to $30 billion, which is an increase over the last 10-year program begun in 1998 by the Clinton Administration. Right now, we're averaging -- we are at a level of $2.4 billion in U.S. military assistance to Israel per year. That will average now $3 billion per year over the next 10 years. We are phasing out, and have agreed with the Israelis to phase out, economic support funds, so that ends as of this year.
With Egypt, we are -- of course, as you know, have agreed to a new 10-year, $13 billion military assistance agreement with Egypt. We think that will strengthen Egypt's ability to maintain its regional role and we are working separately with the Egyptians on an economic support fund package of assistance which I hope will be -- we will be able to announce in the next 30 days or so.
In addition to that, the other piece of this is that we are -- we'll be beginning the conversation, a serious conversation with Saudi Arabia and the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to address their security needs. Of course, we've had a strategic presence in the Middle East that dates back to the Second World War. We've had our Navy in the Gulf, for instance, since 1949. We've had a defense relationship with most of these Arab states, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states for the entire time that they've been independent countries. And of course, since the AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia in the early 1980s, we've had a tradition over the last 25 years of significant arms sales to these countries.
The majority of what we are planning with these countries are defensive systems, not offensive systems; the majority. We have -- we do not have a price tag and are not able to give you a number. I was interested to read in the press $20 billion; I suppose this is an educated guess on the part of most members of the press. The reality is, we've had informal discussions with these countries about their defensive requirements over the last nine to 12 months, but we're just now, for the month of August and part of September, going to initiate formal conversations with them.
So we really don't know what the final list of sales will look like, and we probably won't know that for another six weeks or so. And Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates will begin that negotiation or process with them, and then we'll have negotiating teams go out to these countries, specifically to each of them, each member of the GCC, to ascertain exactly what it is that they're interested in acquiring from us.
At that point, we'll be able to put together a list that would a ballpark figure on it. But we don't have such a list right now. We have had preliminary briefings of the Congress over the past ten days, but we've told the Congress these were just informal conversations and we will come back to the Congress with a formal notification of our proposed sales to the Arab countries, probably some time, as I said, in September.
Finally, I would say that we'll have to do a lot of quick follow-up. Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates will be in both Israel and some of these Arab countries this week to talk about these specific packages. I have been asked to travel to the region next week to talk to a number of countries about these issues. And I'll specifically be going to Israel to, I hope, finish this formal agreement that will bring the $30 billion ten-year program into operation. So those are some preliminary comments, and I'll be to take any questions that you have.
OPERATOR: Thank you, sir. If you'd like to ask a question at this time, please press *1 on your touch-tone phone. You will be prompted to record your first and last name. Please un-mute your phone before recording. If you decide to withdraw your question, press *2. One moment, please, for the first question.
The first question
comes from Farah Stockman, Boston Globe.
(jump to continuation)
(Return to top)
Nadler and Weiner announce opposition to
arms
deal in front of Saudi Arabian consulate in NYC
NEW YORK, N.Y (Press Release)– Standing in front of the Saudi Consulate, Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner, both New York Democrats, announced a Congressional effort to stop the Bush administration from sending a $20 billion arms package of advanced weaponry including satellite-guided bombs to the Saudi Arabian government this Fall. The Congressmen said they will introduce legislation to block the deal “the minute Congress is officially notified.”
Late Friday, Bush administration officials announced they are preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package of $20 billion to the Saudi Arabian government. The package includes Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM’s), satellite guided bombs accurate enough to shoot through the window of a building from jets in any weather. The United States has never sold such advances munitions to Saudi Arabia before. The sale would also upgrade the capability of the Saudi Air Force and provide new naval vessels.
Congress may reject any large arms sale according to the Arms Control Export Act of 1976. The President is required to officially notify Congress of an impending arms deal, who then has 30 days to trigger a review and pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.
The Joint Resolution of Disapproval has been used in the past by Congress to affect weapons sales, including in 1986 when Congress successfully convinced then President Reagan to cut back an arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Past administrations have renegotiated sales based on just the prospect if a Congressional Review.
Saudi Arabia has not been a true ally in furthering the United States interests in the Middle East. Just this week, Brig. General Kevin Bergner, the top American military spokesman in Iraq detailed an account of a Saudi Arabian smuggled into Iraq to be a suicide bomber. American officials in Iraq say the majority of suicide bombers in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia and that about 40 percent of all foreign fighters are Saudi. 70% of the most-wanted international terrorists are Saudi Arabians
In February the Saudi Arabian government torpedoed U.S. plans to conduct a high-profile peace summit meeting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority by brokering their own power-sharing agreement, catching the U.S. off guard and ensuring the agreement would not require Hamas to recognize Israel or forswear violence.
And despite assurances to the contrary, Saudi Arabia continues to bankroll terrorist organizations that have attacked both the United States and Israel. In sworn testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in November 2005, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Daniel L. Glaser indicated that the Saudi Arabian government refuses to crack down on the World Association of Muslim Youth (WAMY), which spreads radical Wahhabism and finances Hamas and Al Qaeda.
“We need to send a crystal clear message to the Saudi Arabian government that their tacit approval of terrorism can’t go unpunished,” said Rep. Weiner. “Saudi Arabia should not get an ounce of military support from the U.S until they unequivocally denounce terrorism and take tangible steps to prevent it.”
"The Bush Administration must learn that Saudi Arabia is not our friend," said Rep. Nadler. " We must not supply arms to Saudi Arabia while they are financing the teaching of Wahhabi terrorism all over the world. It is not accident that 15 of the 19 terrorists on 9/11 were Saudi. Arms supplies to the Saudis may very well be turned against Israel and could easily end up in the hands of terrorists. And, we should remember that the high tech arms we gave to the Shah of Iran ended up in the Ayatollah Khomeini's hands. The same thing could end up happening in Saudi Arabia."
Democratic Reps. Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Joseph Crowley of New York, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Carolyn Maloney of New York, Linda Sanchez of California and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois have joined Weiner, Nadler and Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida in support of a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, writing “we have grave reservations that this arms sale to Saudi Arabia could allow weapons to slip into terrorist hands.”
For each of the last three years, Weiner has passed amendments in the House of Representatives banning U.S aid to Saudi Arabia.
The preceding story was provided
by the office of Rep. Jerrold Nadler
JINSA expresses wariness over Saudi arms deal
By
Shoshana Bryen
(Bryen is special projects director for the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—The U.S. and USSR used to sell arms to their
Middle East clients, creating an East-West arms race. One of the oddities was
that the American government sold both to Israel and to Israel's enemies - a
sale to Saudi Arabia or Egypt prompting counter sales to Israel, while the
Soviets sold to Syria, Iraq and (post 1979) Iran. It's a new day and an old
story.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States will be purchasing multibillions worth of high tech arms from America presumably because they are concerned about threats from Iran. The U.S. will have to provide arms to Israel either so that it can defend against what the Saudis receive or to ensure that Israel's friends in Congress will not oppose the Saudi sale. And Egypt, wedded to the Camp David "understanding" (not actually part of the Camp David Accords) demands a percentage of what is sold to Israel.
The U.S. position is predicated on the assumption that Iran will attack Saudi Arabia frontally and the Saudis will have to respond alone - VERY dubious propositions both. Iran is much more likely to subvert the kingdom by inciting insurrection among the Shiites in the oil producing region. JDAMS won't help. And, should Iran be so foolish as to attack frontally, it is inconceivable that the U.S. would stand by and allow Saudi Arabia - whose long-term security we have guaranteed for more than 50 years - to face Iran alone.
But by our choices, the administration has opened the way for the corollary arms sales at precisely the moment the Russians have been looking to reenter the region as a military guarantor with none of the American - or old Soviet - baggage.
Putin, needing to appease Iran because he has again postponed fueling the Bushehr reactor, and knowing the U.S. can't very well object, quickly announced the sale of long-range aircraft to Teheran. And, because Russia is flush with cash from high energy prices, Putin has forgiven Syrian debt to the old USSR, paving the way for new sales to Assad on credit.
Somehow it seems much more likely that the Russian clients will use the Russian-supplied arms than that the American supplied clients will use the American-supplied arms to advance the aims of their patrons.
And Israel? It is clear that the Israeli sales were timed to blunt Israeli opposition to the Saudi sales - and it worked. The U.S. and Israel see entirely eye-to-eye on the threat Iran poses to the region - both nuclear and Shiite Islamist fundamentalism. The State Department and the Israeli government also appear to see eye-to-eye on including Saudi Arabia in the circle of countries seeing eye-to-eye. But while Saudi Arabia is happy to climb on the anti-Iranian bandwagon, the U.S. and Israel should be clear on the fact that SUNNI Islamic fundamentalism is a threat to both countries through the funding of al Qaeda, the export of fighters to Iraq and the export of violent, anti-Semitic and anti-Western ideology around the world.
The enemy of my enemy can also be my enemy - as Saudi Arabia proves.
The preceding story was provided
by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
(Return to top)
____________
Ayatollah: U.S. and
Israel biggest enemies
WASHINGTON D.C (Press Release)—Just
days after U.S.-Iranian talks about security in Iraq, Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday declared that the United States and Israel
were his country's main enemies, Reuters reported.
"The Zionist regime [Israel] and the American government are the main enemies of
Iran, and hatred for America is deepening every day around the globe," Khamenei
said.
President Bush and other top administration officials have accused the Islamic
Republic of backing terrorists who target U.S. troops in Iraq. The State
Department consistently lists Iran — a prime benefactor of Hamas and Hizballah —
as the world's leading state sponsor of international terrorism.
(Return to top)
Anti-terror bill included provision for stepped-up
security cooperation between U.S. and Israel
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press
Release)—The House on Friday passed legislation by a vote of 371 to
40 that includes provisions aimed at strengthening U.S.-Israel
homeland security cooperation.
The bill, which implements the recommendations of the 9/11
Commission, includes a provision that creates an Office of
International Cooperation within the Department of Homeland
Security, which will be responsible for matching U.S. entities with
non-U.S. entities for partnering in homeland security research
activities.
Israel is one of five countries recognized as potential partners in
this endeavor. The legislation, which received final Senate approval
on Thursday, now goes to the president for his signature.
The preceding article was
provided by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(Return to top)
House Appropriations Committee
approves upgrade of U.S.-Israel Arrow anti-missile system
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)—The House Appropriations Committee voted on Wednesday, July 25, to provide $26 million in federal funding for the Arrow System Improvement Program (ASIP). ASIP will use the funding, which came at the request of Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ), to test the capacity of the Arrow Weapons System (AWS) to handle more intense ballistic missile threats from Iran, such as multiple warheads and faster reentry vehicles. AWS is a proven ballistic missile defense system developed jointly by the United States and the State of Israel.
Explaining his advocacy of this upgrade to the Arrow system, Rothman said: “The Arrow program is one of the most advanced missile defense systems around and has been proven to work in tests against real and surrogate targets in California and Israel. It provides essential protection against ballistic missiles for Israel’s civilian population, as well as U.S. troops in the Middle East. In light of Iran’s open hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, I consider increasing the effectiveness of the Arrow system to be essential to our defense. This technology, along with diplomacy, can help us avert another deadly and costly war.”
The most recent successful test of the Arrow Weapons System took place in February 2007 as part of the Arrow System Improvement Program (ASIP), which is being carried out by Israel and the United States. The Arrow Weapons System provides Israel an indigenous capability to defend against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and helps ensure U.S. freedom of action in future contingencies. In addition, U.S. participation in the Arrow development effort ensures interoperability of the Arrow and the Israeli Missile Defense System with deployed U.S. missile defense assets.
The ASIP effort will enhance the performance of the Arrow Weapons System to defeat longer-range and more robust ballistic missile threats expected to be introduced in the Middle East in the near future by Iran.
Congressional funding for ASIP began in FY2001, with all of the funding previously requested by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Rep. Rothman’s successful advocacy for the advanced components of the Arrow system marks a historic first for the House Appropriations Committee, which in the past has not funded ASIP.
All told, the House version of the FY2008 Defense Appropriations Bill, which is likely to be debated by the full House of Representatives next week, calls for a total of $79.2 million for ASIP, including $53.2 million for ongoing programs and an additional $26 million requested by Rep. Rothman for the study. The legislation also includes another $37.4 million for the co-production of Arrow missiles in the U.S. and $26 million for a feasibility study of the Short-Range Missile Defense Program, also known as "David's Sling," bringing the total recommended funding for programs related to the U.S.-Israeli Arrow Weapons System to $142.6 million.
This year, Rothman became the first-ever Bergen County Congressman to join the
House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense, which is where all
military and national defense-related spending legislation originates. The
Congressman says that ending the war in Iraq and strengthening the strategic
partnership between the U.S. and Israel are among his top priorities.
The preceding article was provided by Congressman Steve
Rothman
(Return to top)
AJC praises $30 billion Israel component of Bush
administration's Middle East arms sales plan
NEW YORK (Press Release) - The American Jewish Committee lauds the U.S. State Department announcement today that it soon will conclude a new ten-year military assistance agreement with Israel.
"This military aid commitment is a solid
investment in the vital interests of the United States," said AJC Executive
Director David A. Harris. "The U.S.-Israel relationship is firmly founded on
shared democratic values, common strategic interests, shared visions for peace
in the Middle East."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice confirmed today that the U.S. "will move
soon to conclude a new ten-year military assistance agreement with Israel." This
agreement will provide, among other elements, "a total of $30 billion to ensure
Israel's ability to defend itself."
"We look forward to the successful conclusion of the new agreement," said
Harris. "It will further solidify the U.S. commitment to assuring Israel's
qualitative edge over hostile neighbors."
The preceding story was provided by
the American Jewish Committee
(Return to top)
Over 10,000 scholars, including
32 Nobel laureates, protest proposed British academic boycott of Israel
NEW YORK (Press Release)— The global backlash against the recent vote by the
British University and Colleges Union (“UCU”) to promote a boycott of Israeli
academics and institutions grew in scope and strength today as Scholars for
Peace in the Middle East (“SPME”) announced that over 10,000 academics
from nearly every level of academia, 32 Nobel Laureates, 53 university and
foundation presidents have signed a public declaration demanding that the
boycott effort be immediately overturned.
SPME said it will deliver to the UCU the Statement as an expression of outrage
against the boycott, and as an act of solidarity with their Israeli academic
colleagues.
“Today more than 10,000 of the world’s leading scholars speak together with one voice to demand academic freedom for all scholars, and to declare that we are all Israeli academics for purposes of any academic boycott. We will regard ourselves as Israeli academics and decline to participate in any activity from which Israeli academics are excluded,” said Professor Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Added Dr. Edward Beck, President of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and Professor of Psychology, Walden University: “The decision by the UCU to promote a boycott is a disgraceful anti-intellectual act that replaces factual discourse with a one-sided political agenda, and turns morality and the notion of freedom on their head. It says more about the boycott proponents than those to be boycotted. All of those who believe in academic freedom must speak forcefully to prevent a minority of extremists in the UCU to politicize, control and shut down the free exchange of ideas, where any group, whether based upon religion or national origin is singled out for exclusion. In moving this boycott proposal forward, members of the UCU are, in fact, separating themselves from the international academic community, and deeply undermining their credibility in the process.”
Added Judea Pearl, Professor of Computer Science at UCLA and President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation: “For those of us who are actively engaged in peace-building programs in the Middle East, the UCU vote came as a stab in the back to the efforts in which we have invested so much energy and hope.
I find it hard to understand how my academic colleagues in the UK could stand by and let a handful of anti-coexistence radicals hijack their Union and stain their professional reputation by trampling on academic freedom, one of the most sacred tenets of free societies.”
Stated Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law
School, who drafted the SPME statement with Professor Weinberg and Dr. Beck:
“Never before in modern history have so many academics from such diverse
backgrounds been so united in condemning an attack an academic freedom. Beyond
the sheer numbers of academics who have joined in solidarity with their Israeli
colleagues, the signatories are a cross-section of many of the most respected
scholars in the world. The message of the signatories is crystal clear: should
the UCU go forward with a boycott of Israeli academics and institutions, the end
result will be a self-inflicted wound on British academia.”
(Jump
to continuation)
New
British Minister Balls opposes Israel boycott
LONDON (Press Release)—A senior member of the British government has
publicly opposed the threatened boycott of Israeli academics by the
UK teachers’ union UCU. The recently appointed secretary of state
for children, schools and families, Ed Balls, offered an assurance
in a meeting in London last week with his counterpart, the Israeli
education minister Yuli Tamir.
It was the first stance against the proposed academic boycott of
Israel by Britain’s University and College Union taken by a member
of prime minister Gordon Brown’s new cabinet.
Also last week, members of parliament from all three major parties
condemned the UCU initiative. “Such boycotts threaten academic
freedom and intellectual exchange, and cannot be acceptable," said
Iain Wright, undersecretary of state at the Department of
Communities and Local Government.
At a general congress in late June, the UCU passed a motion
committing the union to further discussion of a boycott of Israel
that would eliminate cooperation between Israeli and British
academic institutions, in protest of Israel’s treatment of the
Palestinians.
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
Olmert pledges Israel funds for Shoah
survivors
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has
promised to provide state funds to needy Holocaust survivors, amid
criticism over Israel’s foot-dragging on the issue. "We have defined the
criteria to distribute hundreds of millions of shekels to Holocaust
survivors so that each one of them can live decently," Olmert said
during the weekly cabinet meeting.
The ministries of finance, social affairs and pensions were to sign an
accord cementing these criteria today, the prime minister pledged. A
foundation representing the interests of survivors accused Olmert of
dragging his feet on the issue, after he had promised at the annual
Holocaust Remembrance Day in April to do more for the estimated 60,000
to 80,000 survivors in Israel living below the poverty line.
"Israel has profited from German reparations ... but has
abstained from transferring between two and five billion shekels (US$
0.5 - 1.2 billion) owed to the survivors," Gal Rotem, an official with
the foundation, told AFP, adding: "Time is important. Each month, a
thousand survivors of the Nazi hell are disappearing." Some 250,000
Holocaust survivors are estimated to live in Israel.
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
High tech line of Israeli encapsulated skin care
products about to burst on the global market
By Nicky Blackburn
Israel21C
NETANYA, Israel—Idan Harpaz isn't quite ready for the media. Micro encapsulation company Tagra Biotechnologies has been in such a busy period of development and growth in the last few years that CEO Harpaz hasn't spared much time on thinking about how to present his company to journalists or media professionals. That's all about to change. With an array of products for some of the world's largest skincare and pharmaceutical multinationals about to hit the market, Tagra can't stay under the radar for much longer.
Tagra has developed a micro encapsulation system that delivers active materials to the skin when they are needed. This is the brave new world of skincare, and also has applications for the dental, and pharmaceutical industries.
"Once people understand this technology the amount of new ideas they come up with is huge," says Harpaz, who joined the company a year ago. "My challenge coming into this company was to focus on what brings business first without losing the long-term potential."
So what are microcapsules? Basically they are minute little capsules that can contain a number of natural or chemical substances. In Tagra's case this includes vitamins, evening primrose oil, tea tree oil, retinol, or hippophae oil (sea buckthorn). These tiny encapsulants can be added to any cream or gel, and burst open when they are rubbed in, delivering their contents straight to the skin.
Harpaz pours out a capsule mixture onto the table. It has the look and texture of a very soft powder. He rubs it between his fingers. "You can rub it all you like now but the capsules won't break open. Once you put them into a cream, however, they become soft and flexible. Once you rub them into the skin they break and release the active material," he explains.
The benefit of these capsules is that they enable manufacturers to use beneficial substances that might otherwise cause problems in a cream or gel. Hippophae oil, for example, has important anti-aging activities, but it is an unattractive red color and it smells unpleasant. When it is added to a cream, the color is not even and the odor is offputting. Put the oil in capsules, however, and they can be added to the cream without any problem. The material is only released when it reaches its target.
It's the same with retinol, which is one of the best anti-aging substances about. "Retinol has been in and out of the market many times because of the problems stabilizing the creams," Harpaz tells ISRAEL21c. "The cream would go yellow or even separate, and the shelf life was very short."
Using Tagra's capsule system the company not only ensures that the retinol can be blended into the cream successfully, but it increases the shelf life of the retinol by between three to six times. (Jump to continuation)
 Letter from Jerusalem By Ira Sharkansky |
Christian Zionists are welcome visitors in Israel
JERUSALEM—When I was an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia 1966-68, I neither hid nor emphasized that we were Jews. I do not recall if there was an organized community in Athens. The children were too small to worry about their religious education. I remember a lunch with a senior colleague who spoke with pride about the progress being made at the university. "Now we are good enough to attract northerners to the university, like Ira. Soon we may be good enough to attract Jews." I perceived the remark to be philo-Semitic, rather than anti-Semitic. Another of my senior colleagues invited graduate students and young faculty members to his home. His evenings featured the singing of Christian hymns.
When the Six Day war occurred, I was invited to a meeting in one of the better homes. I may have been the only Jew among the lawyers, physicians, businessmen, and university people, all worried about Israel and donating money. It was my first encounter with support for Israel among religious Protestants, especially Baptists and other Fundamentalists.
Since then the phenomenon has become well known. It includes pastor-led visits to the Holy Land, which combine Christian sites in Jerusalem and the Galilee, a dip in the Jordan, a flag-waving parade in Jerusalem, a song fest with Israeli tunes in Hebrew, and expressions of support for Israel and the Jewish people. Back home, the preachers and their flocks have been important in the support of Republican presidents, especially Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Their intense opposition to abortion, stem-cell research, plus support for prayer in the schools and faith-based social programming provokes the concern of liberal Jews, especially the Conservative and Reform varieties. However, their ringing endorsements of Israel go over well with most American Jews, and earn photo opportunities with Israeli prime ministers.
The same groups have made significant contributions to campaigns to aid Israelis in distress, as in areas affected by Hizbollah rocket attacks during the summer of 2006, and absorption programs for Russian and Ethiopian immigrants. Occasionally there are missionaries who seek to spread their faith, but they are less prominent than enthusiastic supporters who have adopted the label of Christian Zionists.
Some of their sweeping endorsements of all that Israel does (and sometimes wanting more) may embarrass the more nuanced Israelis, but they are good to hear against the efforts of Presbyterians and others who wanted to punish Israeli aggression and occupation by disinvestments at the least. We have earned to filter out demands that we replace the Muslim structures on the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary with the Third Temple, and apocalyptic rhetoric that would have Jewish survivors accept Jesus in the end of days.
Now there are nuances on the Christian right. Some pastors are speaking about a fair solution, and justice for both parties. Not surprisingly, there is a limit to Christian congeniality. Against the new voices are some old ones. One quotation from a recent issue of the International Herald Tribune
God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a covenant in the Book of Genesis for the land of Israel that is eternal and unbreakable, and that covenant is still intact . . .The Palestinian people have never owned the land of Israel, never existed as an autonomous society. There is no Palestinian language. There is no Palestinian currency. And to say that Palestinians have a right to that land historically is an historical fraud.
Whatever develops from this will join the fall out from the Palestinian civil war, and may leave at least a small mark on the Middle East. We hear that President George W. Bush wants to see the declaration of a Palestinian state before he leaves office. President Shimon Peres, with substantially less authority, still dreams of a New Middle East.
We'll see. It may be exciting.
Open Nazi archives, Congress members urge Europe
WASHINGTON—Members of the
United States Congress have urged France to ratify amendments
allowing for the opening of the Bad Arolsen Nazi archive.
Led by Congressmen Alcee L. Hastings and Robert Wexler, 34 members
of Congress sent a letter to French foreign minister Bernard
Kouchner last week urging the parliamentary approval of an agreement
which would allow the opening of the vast archive documenting
prosecution by the Hitler regime.
The International Commission of the International Tracing Service
agreed in May to begin the transfer of Holocaust-related documents
to institutions such as Yad Vashem Memorial and the US Holocaust
Museum, pending the ratification by all eleven signatory states to
the 1955 Bonn Agreement.
Thus far, only eight countries have passed legislation; France,
Greece and Italy have not. In France, legislation related to the
amendment has been drafted and is awaiting approval by the cabinet
before it can be sent to the National Assembly for ratification.
The preceding story was
provided by the World Jewish Congress
LOS ANGELES, California—The Simon Wiesenthal Center applauded
Argentine Defense Minister Nilda Garre's decision to remove any
reference to the religion of a military officer’ from their
personal files, and to exclude any question about religion in future
admission procedures.
“This decision is
part of necessary reforms for a complete integration of the Army
into a democratic society. We offer to the Ministry of Defense the
Wiesenthal Center’s educational resources to confront
discrimination, and especially our expertise in exposing the
educators who instruct soldiers to the use of modern technology such
as Internet, to promote hate and intolerance,” the organization
wrote to Garre.
The preceding story was provided by the Wiesenthal Center
|
|
Adventures in Cruising
Carnival
Elation--San Diego-Mexico
|
United
States of America
NEW YORK (Press Release) — Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has honored five local chapters with the Hannah L. Goldberg Award, recognizing their outstanding group-study programs in Jewish education. The units, chosen from study groups across the nation, were announced at Hadassah’s 93rd National Convention in New York, New York. The award was presented by National Board member Debbie Friedman. The 2007 winners are:
First Place:
Glens Falls Chapter of the Upper Mid-Atlantic Region for their three innovative educational programs: two distinct Rosh Hodesh programs and a “Celebration of Life” Holocaust education project.
The first Rosh Hodesh program utilized the “Moonbeams” curriculum as well as material culled from various outside sources. Topics included spiritualism in prayer, psalms, and women rabbis “claiming a feminist heritage.” The second Rosh Hodesh program was formed this year for the 20-45 year age group with the goal of perpetuating Jewish life in northeastern New York. This group focused on holiday celebrations by planning activities such as Lag B’Omer bonfires or discussions regarding the relevance of Jewish holidays to their lives.
Finally, the “Celebration of Life” Holocaust education project was aimed at 8th and 10th graders and the area’s general adult population. The program began in November 2006 when the program chair approached English and history teachers at local high schools to inquire about the possibility of Holocaust survivor Rena Bernstein speaking at their schools and, later, creating a follow-up project on the Holocaust in conjunction with other local schools. The idea met with an overwhelmingly positive response, and Bernstein spoke at a large number of local high schools.
Sunny Buchman accepted the award on behalf of the chapter. (Jump to continuation)
 Jews
in the News
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy. Whether it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in general media about our fellow Jews. Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego, and you. Wherever you are, if you see a story of interest, please send a summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column. To see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph. |
*The driving
force behind Bratz: The Movie is an Israeli veteran of
the toy industry, Avi Arad, who once worked for that arch rival
doll, Barbie. The
story by Geoff Boucher is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Israel
is preparing to remove some of the estimated 500 check points in
the West Bank in a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, according to a Reuters
story
carried by Ha'aretz.
*A memorial to the Jewish partisans who fought against
the Nazis in Europe will be constructed at Mount Herzl.
Amiram Barkat has the
story
for Ha'aretz.
*Cancer has claimed the life of Rabbi Carole Meyers, 50, who was
the first female rabbi in the Los Angeles area. The
obituary by Claire Noland is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has given his blessing to a proposed sale of high tech arms to Saudi Arabia, saying he understands why the U.S. wants to build up the country as a counter-force to Iran in the region. The Bush Administration also plans to provide Israel with an even greater defense capability. The story by Steve Weizman of the Associated Press is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Fathers and daughters have been
known not to speak to each other in many a family, but when they
are contesting for control of a publicly traded company, a feud
can be particularly messy. So meet Sumner Redstone
and his daughter Sherry Redstone of Viacom. The
story by Claudia Eller is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*David Shaw,
90, a screenwriter known
for the movie If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium, has
died in Beverly Hills. An
obituary by Valerie J. Nelson is in today's Los Angeles
Times.
*Los Angeles City
Councilman
Jack Weiss is in an awkward position. He'd like to
raise money for a subway, which might require a tax increase.
He'd also like to run for city attorney, which may mean not
proposing any hikes in taxes. A
column by Steve Hymon is in today's Los Angeles Times.
________________________
Click the ad above to go to the "I'm there for you baby" website
|
|
News
Sleuths: QUESTION: Hi, thanks for having this call for us. This full package, this whole initiative started about a year ago before there were changes in U.S. posture towards Iran, and I was just wondering if there's any concern that the way the package is being sold as this counter to Iran, that that might undermine the current effort to enlist Iran's support in Iraq?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Well, first of all, Farah, let me say that the package of assistance agreements announced today speak really to our broadest strategic interest in the region and that is having strong partners. And so the primary rationale for going ahead with U.S. military assistance to Israel, Egypt and the other Arab countries is to strengthen them, so that they can be strong on all the other issues that are important to them and to us.
Second, I would bring you back to the point I made in my introductory comments, this is not a departure for the United States, this is not a new initiative. We have been -- we've had a security assistance relationship with most of these countries for decades -- for some of them since the very beginning of their existence as independent nation states. And so it's not as if we're somehow introducing a new element in the region. We think both the presence of the United States in the region as a strong country and the strengthening of our partners is the best way to ensure long-term stability and long-term peace.
Third, the Iran element is one factor. It's not the overriding factor in why we're doing this. But it is true that if you travel to Israel, if you travel to Egypt and if you travel to each member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, there is a high degree of concern about Iran's quest to become a nuclear weapons power. But also about the fact that Iran has, as you know, funded and armed most of the Middle East terrorist groups that are bedeviling Israel, the moderate Palestinians, the Lebanese Government and the Iraqi Government, from Hamas to Hezbollah to the Shia militants in Iraq.
And so Iran is a factor in this, but it wasn't the overriding factor and we certainly would have gone forward with these sales regardless. But I think the Iranian factor has been such an acute concern for these countries, as they mentioned to us, that's been true in the Gulf security dialogue that Secretary Rice has had -- she's had four meetings since September -- that issue has come up repeatedly. It's true in our conversations with all these countries. So it's a factor among several that lead us to put forward these packages today.
OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Matthew Lee of Associated Press.
QUESTION: Yeah. Hi, Nick. It's Matt Lee. I'm just wondering -- I know you can't give the details of the package to Saudi and the GCC, but what about a range? Is the range that we've seen reported out there, is that -- does that match with what your preliminary talks have resulted in?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Well, I'm being quite sincere in not getting you a budgetary figure; we simply don't have one. We have a sense -- a very strong sense -- of what kind of assistance each of these countries will need individually because we've had conversations with them.
QUESTION: Yeah.
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: What we've not had yet and what we will now begin in the next -- and it'll take six weeks to do this -- is formal negotiations with them where they say to us, yes, we would like to acquire A, B and C. And so it really is impossible to put a dollar figure on this. Now I will say this: obviously, I would think that the sales to Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states would certainly be in the billions of dollars. But how many? I don't know at this point. And you know, we will establish that ballpark figure in a more specific list, when we formally notify the Congress in September.
QUESTION: But you're saying right now you don't even have a ballpark range?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Well, the range is so broad that it would be meaningless, because again --
QUESTION: But it helps us a lot if you --
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Well, I know. I mean, you want to put a price tag on it. I understand that. Here's the problem. We have a notional list of sales for each of these countries. It's notional. Those lists could change quite significantly depending on the negotiations over the next six weeks. And therefore to try to -- I mean, to give you a figure would really be irresponsible, because it really wouldn't mean anything. It wouldn't have any basis connected to reality. We will, I think, be able to do that in the first -- when we go to the Congress and we'll certainly announce publicly what we think the ballpark figure is. But right now it's not possible to do it. When we've had our informal conversations with Congress, we've said that.
(Jump to 2nd continuation)
The Jewish Grapevine
|
COMMUNITY INTEREST NEWS—Not
all stories
affecting the
Jewish community and/or Israel involve Jews as direct participants, so
they really don't quite fit the requirements for the "Jews in the News"
column above. Yet, there obviously is a community interest in such
stories, so we will endeavor to provide links to them in this space:
●A poll of Palestinians in both the West Bank and in Gaza
indicates that more than two-thirds want early elections as a
way to resolve the current political crisis. Of these,
about 15 percent said they would vote for Hamas, while more than
40 percent said they favored Fatah, the party of Mahmoud Abbas.
The
story was carried today by Ha'aretz.
DATEBOOK—Following are some announcements of upcoming events,
which you also will be able to access from the respective
calendar date in our
event tracker:
●September
6—Mark
Silberstein discusses, "Israel, Always A Current Event," at
12:45 p.m. at the Jewish Family Service College Avenue Senior
Center, 4855 College Avenue, San Diego. (619) 583-3300.
●September
12—the
Jewish Family Service's College Avenue Senior Center hosts a
Rosh Hashanah luncheon at noon. Suggested donation $3
seniors, $5 others.
●September
20—Eileen Wingard
presents a biographical memorial tribute to opera singer
Beverly Sills, at 12:45 p.m.
●September 21—SDSU
History Prof. Lawrence Baron
presents and leads a discussion on the Danny Thomas version of
The Jazz Singer.
Davis announces appropriations for police, juveniles
WASHINGTON (Press Release) – Continuing her long-time support for local law enforcement, Congresswoman Susan Davis has secured $500,000 in federal funding for the San Diego Police Department’s technology improvement effort.
“As we move into the 21st century, today’s police officers need more than just handcuffs and weapons to be effective. They need quick access to information,” said Davis. “This money will help give the San Diego Police Department the technological tools necessary to prevent crime and, just as important, devote critical time and effort towards community policing.”
With the funding, the San Diego Police Department will purchase, develop and implement technology that enables patrol officers and investigators to access all relevant law enforcement data in a mobile environment. Access to state-of-the-art information — GPS tracking, photos, fingerprints, mapping and others — will help the Police Department solve violent, property and high technology crimes.
The community of San Diego will benefit directly from the most effective use of scarce police officer and investigator resources, and the funding will also help ensure citizen safety, given the increases in violent, gang related crime, as well as high-tech crime, in San Diego.
The money was designated in the Commerce, Justice and State Department Appropriations legislation passed by the House of Representatives.
Also included in the bill was $100,000 for the Children's Initiative Youth Diversion Program in San Diego. The program is designed to target first-time juvenile, non-violent offenders and provide them with a supervised diversion program. It provides these offenders with an opportunity to avoid a criminal record if they successfully complete the program.
Started in 1997, the program now serves over 200 juveniles – incorporates education on the juvenile justice system, meetings with the youth and family members, counseling, and community service and tutoring. 70% of program participants demonstrate improved school attendance and higher GPA, and the program is now listed by the State of California in its “Promising Practices” list.
The spending bill now moves to the Senate.
California, Arizona & Nevada
sales positions
|
The
foremost environmentally friendly packaging company, Bubbla,
seeks sales personnel throughout the three-state area to
demonstrate and sell its packaging systems. We offer sales
assistance, payment for pre-qualified customer demonstrations
and a high commission structure for independent representatives.
To find out more, email us at
{Click the above ad for more
information}
The Jewish Sports Fan
 |
Unless otherwise indicated, source for these stories is today's edition of
The San Diego Union-Tribune, to which we gratefully provide the links below.
We do not apply halacha to determine if a player is Jewish; rather, if he or
she has a Jewish parent or has converted to the faith, we count him or her
as a member of our community.
TENNIS—Up in Stanford, Shahar Pe'er of Israel and Sania Mirza of India won the WTA $600,000 Bank of the West doubles championship in a match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Anna Chakvetadze of Russia, 6-4, 7-5. In the Jerusalem Post, the doubles partnership is seen as what can be done when Jews and Muslims work together.
BASEBALL—Among the Hall of Famers on hand to congratulate Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripkin at their induction ceremony at Cooperstown yesterday was Dodgers pitching legend Sandy Koufax. A picture of the way he looks today is in the San Diego Union-Tribune. ... Scott Feldman pitched an interesting inning and two thirds yesterday, giving up three hits, two walks, but luckily for him only one run. His Texas Rangers had zero offense however, losing to the Kansas City Royals 10-0. ... Kevin Youkilis hit a solo homer, his 11th, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but his Boston Red Sox lost 5-2. For Youkilis, the round-tripper was the 55th RBI of the season....
FOOTBALL—At the bottom of its column about the San Diego Chargers, the San Diego Union-Tribune has a section called "Nuts and Bolts"—but really isn't that a risqué way to announce that Igor Olshansky didn't practice yesterday because of a groin injury?
(Return to top)
Feinstein eulogizes 49er Coach Bill Walsh
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California)
issued the following statement on the death today of former San
Francisco 49er Coach Bill Walsh
"Today we lost a man who was the heart and soul of the great San
Francisco 49ers teams of the 1980s. Bill Walsh was a great coach
and a fine friend.
He touched so many in the Bay Area. He led the 49ers to three S