San
Diego Jewish World
Monday
Evening , July
9, 2007
Vol. 1, Number
70
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Archives Event Tracker HOME Jewish Directory Jewish Grapevine Jews in the News News Sleuths Sports |
Today's Newsmakers..... Click on their names to go
to their stories
Livni
Fayyad
Sarkozy
Olmert
Frigi, Shecter
Benedict XVI
Sampaio
Lieberthal
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Livni and Fayyad conduct first
official meeting "I met yesterday with Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister of the new Palestinian government. We discussed the situation in the Palestinian Authority, the need to change the situation on the ground, ways to ease the lives of the Palestinians while simultaneously providing Israel with security. “I believe that the formation of the new Palestinian government can help build a better future for the Palestinians and Israelis. I was impressed by the determination shown by Salam Fayyad, by the way he sees things, his understanding of the opportunity that we are all facing as well as the threats that we all face from Hamas and other extremists in the Gaza Strip. There is an opportunity to move forward with the new government which was impossible before, when the Palestinian government was led by Hamas - an organization which rejected any kind of co-existence and used terror, not to represent the Palestinian people, but to advance religious ideological goals. “This is not my first meeting with him, but this my first meeting after the formation of the new Palestinian government and I believe that we share the same understanding and the determination to change the situation. We agreed to continue to meet regularly, to try to advance these issues."
The preceding story was provided by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
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Israel and Middle East |
IDF reports killing one terrorist,
arresting two
QABATIYA,West Bank,
Palestinian Authority—In a joint IDF, ISA and special Border Police forces
operation in the village of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, a senior member of the
Islamic Jihad terror organization in Qabatiya was killed and two other wanted
operatives were arrested.
Mahmud Najib Mustafah Nazal, a 20 year old resident of Qabatiya, was one of the
leaders of the Islamic Jihad in Qabatiya. Mahmud Nazal took part in numerous
bombing and shooting attacks against IDF forces and was in contact with the
organization's headquarters abroad. In the past he had been imprisoned in for a
year due to terrorist activity.
The forces uncovered an explosive device, bomb-making material, an M-16 rifle, two AK-47 assault rifles, three handguns and IDF uniforms in the possession of the operatives.
Additionally, two terror operatives were arrested: Yussuf Ziad Mahmud Nazal, a 19 year old resident of Qabatiya, one of the leaders of the Public Resistance Committees terror organization in Qabatiya. Yussuf Nazal took part in bombing and shooting attacks against IDF forces. In addition, he was involved in manufacturing explosive devices. In the past he had been imprisoned in Israel in light of his terrorist activity. Allal Said Abdullah Suitat, a 20 year old resident of the Jenin Refugee Camp, an Islamic Jihad operative who committed several shooting attacks and took part in bombing attacks against IDF forces.
The
previous story was provided by Israel's Defense Forces.
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to top)
UNIFIL commander meets with
Lebanese, Israeli officials
RAS AL NAQOURA, Israel-Lebanon border (Press release)—The Force Commander of the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) met today with senior officials
from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to
discuss recent violence in the region.
The talks, held by Major-General Claudio Graziano at the UN Position at the border crossing at Ras Al Naqoura, focused on carrying out Security Council resolution 1701, which ended last year’s war between Israel and Hizbollah, and the recent incidents in the Force’s area of operations.
In particular, participants discussed “the launch of rockets from Lebanese territory into Israel on 17 July and the terrorist attack on a UNIFIL convoy on 24 July,” the mission said in a news release.
The representatives of the IDF and LAF conveyed their condolences on the tragic loss of six UNIFIL peacekeepers who died during the 24 July attack on a patrol near the town of Khiyam in what initial investigations indicate was caused by a remotely-detonated car bomb.
They also expressed their full support and readiness to work together with UNIFIL to prevent a recurrence, the Force said.
Maj.-Gen. Graziano thanked the representatives, and added that UNIFIL’s peacekeepers were not deterred by the terrorist attack.
“I assured the parties that UNIFIL peacekeepers remain committed more than ever to implementing the tasks mandated by resolution 1701. This was not only an attack against UNIFIL. It was also an attack against peace and security in the area, and against the interests of the Lebanese people,” he said.
Those attending the meeting also discussed the marking of the Blue Line and the temporary security arrangements for the northern part of the village of Ghajar.
“This meeting was constructive and we made
progress on these issues,” Maj.-Gen. Graziano said. “We hope to reach an
understanding soon concerning the temporary security arrangements in northern
Ghajar which would facilitate the withdrawal of the IDF from the Lebanese
territory.”
The preceding story was provided by
the United Nations
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______________________
Sarkozy meets with families
of 3 kidnapped Israelis
PARIS
(Press Release)— The director of the American Jewish Committee's Paris office,
Valerie Hoffenberg, attended a private meeting today with French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and the families of Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad
Regev, the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped last summer. She was the only envoy
of a U.S. Jewish group present.
"President Sarkozy was clearly moved by the situation of the soldiers and
strongly expressed his support, assuring us that their release was a priority
for him," said Hoffenberg.
"I was glad he described, once again, Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and
confirmed to us that an upcoming meeting among fourteen Lebanese parties in
France will not include any bilateral French-Hezbollah dialogue."
Hoffenberg was also joined by French Jewish community leaders, including the presidents of the CRIF, the Consistoire and Siona.
AJC's Paris office is one of six in Europe. AJC delegations frequently travel to France for meetings with government officials, policy analysts, and Jewish community leaders.
The preceding story was provided by the American Jewish Committee.
Olmert
participates in earthquake preparations
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday afternoon, on the
80th anniversary of the earthquake that struck the Dead Sea area, participated
in a National Infrastructures Ministry earthquake simulation exercise that was
attended by 50 representatives of various Government ministries and bodies. The
Prime Minister was briefed on Israel's earthquake preparedness and on possible
solutions for each situation.
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai,
senior Geophysical Institute of Israel officials and other senior Government,
local government, IDF and Israel Police officials attended the simulation.
Prime Minister Olmert instructed the Defense Ministry and the National
Infrastructures Ministry to determine the allocation of responsibilities between
the various Government bodies regarding both earthquake preparedness and action
during actual earthquakes. He similarly instructed the Environmental Protection
Ministry to formulate an earthquake contingency plan for factories that handle
dangerous substances.
Prime Minister Olmert said: "We must prepare for such events before they occur.
Therefore, today's exercise was very important. The various ministries must be
ready for any scenario. Preparedness must be checked and we did so today."
The preceding story was provided by Prime Minister
Olmert's office
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Stem cell donor and recipient share
emotional reunion at Ezer Mizion's Oranit Guest Home
TEL AVIV (Press Release)—Anat from Herzlia, the mother of three daughters, had been strong and healthy her entire life. When struck with cancer three years ago, her natural optimism and positive outlook on life convinced her that she would beat the disease.
After an autologus stem cell transplant - where stem cells are collected from a
patient and given back to that same patient - failed, Anat became extremely
sick. Her doctors told her that her only chance of survival was a stem cell
transplant. She had no possible donors among her immediate family, since she had
lost her only sibling to cancer when he was just 26.
Anat's medical team turned to Ezer Mizion's Bone Marrow Registry in the hope of
finding a genetically-compatible donor for a stem cell transplant, which the
doctors hoped would save her life. Yeshaya, a Rabbinic student from Haifa and
father of two young daughters, was found to be a match. When Yeshaya joined the
Registry his initial blood testing was made possible through the generosity of
the
Mexican Community Donor Pool.
The lifesaving stem cell transplant was successfully performed and sixteen months later, Anat, now 61 and fully recovered, and Yeshaya, 25, met for the first time at Ezer Mizion's Oranit Guest Home for Children with Cancer, which houses the Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
"What can I say to you that will express my feelings for what you have done? Is there any way I can possibly thank you for saving my life?," Anat emotionally said to Yeshaya. It was instant chemistry between the two, who exchanged phone numbers and resolved to stay in touch.
The preceding story was provided by Ezer Mizion
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____________________
IDF provides summer camp for 'children of
fallen'
By Dor Blech
GIVAT
OLGA, Israel (Press release)—The only thing better than being a summer camp
counselor is being a counselor in the "Children of the Fallen" camp. The camp
caters to children from the age of three months to 10 years that have lost one
of their parents in the service of the IDF. The "Children of the Fallen" summer
camp has been running for 25 years and is located in the Military Vacation
Center in Givat Olga in Hadera.
The camp counselors, who care for the children, are regular service soldiers
preparing for release from the IDF. The parents of the children also get a
vacation, enjoying themselves in the same center but separate from their
children. Two children who had once spent their summer in this camp are now
camp counselors themselves.
Staff Sergeant Avichai Frigi (21), who serves in the weapons division in the
Mitkan Adam base and expects to be released from the IDF in the coming month,
lost his father from hepatitis at the young age of 11.
"My father died during his pre-army release vacation, after serving as a Major
in the Ordnance Corps He passed away just one week after being diagnosed with
his illness," he related. His father died in the month of May, two months
before the summer camp began. Avichai did not want to join the "Children of the
Fallen" camp in the year after his father's death. He decided to join the
following summer. "I was not very enthusiastic the first time I went. My
Mother had asked that I go, so I agreed to go and check it out. On the first
day I was a bit nervous because I did not know any of the other campers but
after a few days I had already made friends." He attended the camp for three
consecutive years, in the fourth he opted to travel to Canada with friends for
the summer.
"All the campers come from the same background but we do not talk about our loss all day," explains Avichai. "When you are outside of the camp you feel different. You are afraid to talk about it because you do not want people to pity you. When people ask you what your father does for a living, you try to explain but it gets awkward. Here, it is not like that. Everyone knows that you lost your father or mother, and everyone speaks freely. They even making stabs at black humor, or whatever black humor 12 year- olds are capable of. The camp makes you feel normal; you know that there are other children just like you." (Jump to continuation)
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Europe |
Jewish-Christian pact reached
in Switzerland
GENEVA—The Federation of Swiss
Protestant Churches, the Swiss Bishops Conference and the Swiss Federation of
Jewish Communities have signed a “Joint Declaration for the Meaning of
Jewish-Christian Cooperation.”
The signing of an agreement to fight discrimination comes on the 60th
anniversary of a conference on anti-Semitism, held by the then newly formed
International Council of Christians and Jews.
The inter-faith declaration also states that aid should be provided to Muslims in Switzerland in their effort to integrate into Swiss society. Muslims comprise around 4.2 percent of the Swiss population while Jews account for only 0.2 percent. The importance of Holocaust education is also mentioned in the declaration.
Many Swiss were shaken in May when
Geneva's largest synagogue was the target of an arson attack that caused
extensive damage. No one has been arrested in the case so far.
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
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_________________
Society of Saint Pius X concerns of Wiesenthal
Center added
to Jewish community debate over reinstitution of old Mass
LOS ANGELES (Press Release)—Against the backdrop
of Pope Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio that invites greater use of
pre-Vatican II Latin Mass liturgy, the Wiesenthal Center reiterated its grave
concerns over the theologically-based Jew hatred of a prominent schismatic
church, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), specifically mentioned in the Pope’s
letter to Bishops that accompanied his ruling.
The Switzerland-based SSPX insists that many Vatican II changes are inauthentic
and illegal. “Their view of New Testament Scripture holds the Jews “directly
responsible for the crucifixion,” and all subsequent generations of Jews cursed
with the ‘blindness to things of G-d and eternity,’ ” charged Rabbi Abraham
Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. SSPX teaches that Jews
as a people stand “in entire opposition with the Catholic Church.” Further, it
asserts that “Christendom and Jewry are designed inevitably to meet everywhere
without reconciliation or mixing. It represents in history the eternal struggle
of Lucifer against G-d, of darkness against the Light.” Jews, SSPX insists,
“should neither be eliminated from among us…nor given equality of rights.”
“Jews are known to kill Christians.” SSPX reportedly sells copies of the
infamous forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and its Bishop of
Canada defends the libelous work on their website
www.sspx.org.
“Thankfully, SSPX’s antisemitism is not characteristic of other Traditionalists. However, we hope that the Church will condition any rapprochement with this group to the abandonment of their open theological hatred for Jews, which stands in defiance of Church teaching,” Cooper added.
Earlier, the Wiesenthal Center and other Jewish
groups expressed concern that a 1962 Good Friday Latin Mass, predating Vatican
II, includes prayers “even” for the Jews who live with a “veil of blindness,”
and for their conversion, as well as one for the “heathens,” i.e. Muslims.
“These words, taken alone could be seen as stepping back from the current Good
Friday Mass which underscores the eternity “of the promise to Abraham and his
posterity,” he said.
The Wiesenthal Center offered this comparison of the texts of the two liturgies
on the issue of the Jews.
From the 1962 Good Friday Mass Liturgy:
For the conversion of the Jews. Let us pray also for the Jews that
the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may
acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray: Almighty and
everlasting God, You do not refuse Your mercy even to the Jews; hear the prayers
which we offer for the blindness of that people so that they may acknowledge the
light of Your truth, which is Christ, and be delivered from their darkness…
From the Post-Vatican II
Good Friday Mass currently in use:
Let us pray for the Jewish
people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the
love of his Name and in faithfulness to His covenant. Almighty and
eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen
to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at
the fullness of redemption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meanwhile in New York, the
American Jewish Committee expresses its appreciation to Pope Benedict XVI for
his confirmation that the positive changes of Vatican II will apply to his
recent decision regarding the Latin Mass, which has been reinstated by the
Church.
"We acknowledge that the Church's liturgy is an internal Catholic matter and
this motu proprio from Pope Benedict XVI is based on the permission given
by John Paul II in 1988 and thus, on principle, is nothing new," said Rabbi
David Rosen, AJC's international director of Interreligious Affairs. "However we
are naturally concerned about how wider use of this Tridentine liturgy may
impact upon how Jews are perceived and treated."
Pope Benedict XVI, in a decree issued on Saturday, authorized wider use of the traditional Latin Mass, which in some liturgy contains language offensive to Jews.
"We appreciate that the motu
proprio actually limits the use of the Latin Mass in the days prior to
Easter, which addresses the reference in the Good Friday liturgy concerning the
Jews," Rosen added. "However, it is still not clear that this qualification
applies to all situations and we have called on the Vatican to contradict the
negative implications that some in the Jewish community and beyond have drawn
concerning the motu proprio."
The preceding story combined news releases from the Wiesenthal Center and
the American Jewish Committee.
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__________________
German Jews renew call for National Democratic Party ban
BERLIN (Press Release)—Dieter Graumann, vice president of the Central Council of
Jews in Germany, has called on Germany’s political leaders to seek a ban of the
extreme-right National Democratic Party (NPD) before the Federal Constitutional
Court. He said a ban would prevent the party, which is represented in two
regional parliaments, from using millions of euros it receives in campaign
donations "to propagate hate."
Talk about banning the party has been recurring for years in Germany. The last attempt was halted by the Constitutional Court in 2003 when it was revealed that a large part of the evidence that the government held against the NPD was based on testimony of NPD members who were on the payroll of the German secret services. Under Germany’s constitution, political parties can be banned by the Constitutional Court if their political aims and actions run counter to the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
On Saturday, a rally by the
National Democratic Party in Frankfurt, which was authorized by local officials,
drew nearly 600 participants. A counter-demonstration had an estimated 3,500
participants.
The preceding story was provided by the
World Jewish Congress
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Nancy Harrison &
|
Aboard Holland America Ryndam |
American Jewish
Committee delegation meets with Portugal's
Secretary of State Antunes and former President Sampaio
LISBON (Press Release)—An
American Jewish Committee delegation conducted high-level talks on Middle East
policy and other issues with officials of the Portuguese government, which on
July 1 assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union. This was AJC's
third visit to Lisbon in the past sixteen months.
The
group, headed by Executive Director David A. Harris, met with Secretary of State
Manuel Lobo Antunes and other Foreign Ministry officials, as well as key foreign
policy advisers to Prime Minister José Sócrates and President Aníbal Cavaco
Silva, members of parliament, and a senior official of the ruling Socialist
Party.
Harris joined Israeli Ambassador Aaron Ram and Member of Parliament João Rebelo
in addressing a Lisbon solidarity commemoration with family members of the three
Israeli soldiers kidnapped last year by Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists.
The AJC delegation met with Dr. Jorge Sampaio, the former President of Portugal, who was selected by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this year as UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. The discussion focused on Dr. Sampaio's UN mandate to foster deeper understanding among civilizations.
"Our meetings with Portuguese officials - on the common threats posed by Iran's nuclear program and its support for terrorism, on Israel's quest for peace and the grave challenge posed by Palestinian leadership struggles, and on the urgency of confronting Islamist radicalism - were open and constructive," said Harris.
"Portugal is a strong friend of the United States, and is assuming the leadership of the EU at a time in which Middle East concerns vital to AJC and high on Washington's agenda will take center stage in Europe. Our continuing dialogue with Lisbon, combined with our ongoing liaison in other European capitals, will be a priority throughout the Portuguese presidency, and beyond."
In addition to discussions with Portuguese policy-makers, other prominent individuals, and journalists, the AJC delegation, which included Director of Government and International Affairs Jason Isaacson, met extensively with the leadership of the Portuguese Jewish community. AJC's institutional affiliation with the Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa is one of 24 such international partnerships on five continents.
The preceding story was provided by the American Jewish Committee
|
United States of America |
Charity
Navigator assigns Hadassah a 4-star rating
NEW YORK (Press Release)— Hadassah, the Women's
Zionist Organization of America, has received a 4-star rating from Charity
Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, highly regarded in the
philanthropic world for its data-driven analysis that rates charitable
organizations on their ability to efficiently manage and grow the organization's
finances. According to Charity Navigator, less than a quarter of the charities
evaluated have received this highest rating.
According to Trent Stamp, President of Charity Navigator, receiving four out of
a possible four stars “indicates that your organization outperforms the majority
of nonprofits in America with respect to fiscal responsibility. This
‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Hadassah from
its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.” Kateri
Snyder, of Charity Navigator, also stated, “This rise in your rating is an
exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many charities have
had to face in the last year.”
Total philanthropy at Hadassah in 2007 increased to over $150 million almost
twice the $80.7 million received in 2005 as Hadassah kicks off a major fund
raising campaign for a state of the art hospital tower at its main campus in
Jerusalem.
“As we continue to grow and achieve great things, our donors rightfully expect
accountability and transparency from us,” stated Nancy Falchuk, Coordinator of
Hadassah’s Development Division. “We are pleased to have this favorable report
card that further enhances our visibility and viability in a highly competitive
marketplace.”
Data from Charity Navigator shows that visitors to their website give more than
originally planned after viewing the information on their website.
The preceding story was
provided by Hadassah
|
Commentary |
Terrorists, like doctors who tried to blow up
Glasgow airport, often well-off economically
By Morton A. Klein
NEW YORK (Press Release)—There is a common argument that terrorism is produced
by poverty and suffering. If that is the case, the terrorists who attempted to
crash vehicles into the Glasgow airport terminal in the United Kingdom this
month should have been poverty-stricken, underprivileged individuals. On the
contrary, six of the eight suspects held by British police turned out to be
young Muslim doctors employed at British hospitals. The common denominator was a
hateful Islamist ideology, not poverty.
One of the suspects, Mohammed Asha, 26, is a neurosurgeon from Jordan who was a star student who chose to live and work in Britain. Another one of the arrested bombers, Bilal Abdulla, qualified as a doctor in Baghdad before coming to Britain. A further suspect who was arrested in Brisbane, Australia, was a 27-year-old doctor who has been working as a registrar at an Australian hospital.
This is but one case among many which dispels the notion that Islamist terrorism is produced by poverty and hardship. The 9/11 hijackers were all educated Muslims from affluent families who subscribed to an extremist ideology of hate and murder. In fact, the Army Defense Intelligence Agency has disclosed that Al-Qaeda leaders whom they interrogated are often educated above a reasonable employment level and that a surprising number have graduate degrees and come from high-status families.
Islamist terror against the West does not depend on Muslim hardship or poverty, most of which is produced by dictatorial, repressive and corrupt regimes in Muslim states, not the West. Moreover, not only are very poor Muslim polities like Bangladesh not necessarily hotbeds of Islamism whereas wealthy ones like Saudi Arabia often are, but Islamism has often surged in countries experiencing rapid economic growth.
There are several studies demonstrate no linkage between poverty and terrorism.
A 2001 report by Nasra Hassan, a Pakistani relief worker, based on 250 interviews with Palestinian aspiring suicide bombers and their recruiters concluded that "None were uneducated, desperately poor, simple-minded or depressed … They all seemed to be entirely normal members of their families." A poll the same year by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research indicated that Palestinians with more than 12 years' education were far more likely to support terror attacks than illiterate Palestinians.
A 2002 study by Alan Krueger, the distinguished
Princeton University economist, showed that members of the Lebanese terror group
Hizballah were less likely than other Lebanese to come from poor homes and more
likely to have received a secondary school education.
(Jump to continuation)
Features |
 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 Gravedigger's Daughter by
Joyce Carol Oates has a Jewish protagonist who grew up in upstate New
York after her family escaped Nazi Europe. Reviewer Martin Rubin
describes Oates' books as filled with emotions, feelings and passion,
written in language that is "forceful, eve raw." The
review is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*In an
article discussing the benefits of therapy animals, the Los Angeles
Times recalls psychologist Boris Levinson of Yeshiva University
who found during the 1950s that withdrawn children would open up to him when
his dog Jingles was in the room.
*Negotiating with the Palestinians over a two-state solution? There
was a time when no one would have thought it possible of Tzipi Livni,
whose father Eitan Livni was director of operations of the Irgun in
pre-Independence Israel. She was a Likudnik who followed Ariel
Sharon into Kadima and is now Israel's foreign minister, and some say
possible future prime minister. A
profile by Tracy Wilkinson is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*The Arab League is coming! The
Arab League is coming! Not only that, but it's coming to Jerusalem in peace.
But first the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Jordan will meet with Israel's
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on
Thursday to pave the way. The Associated Press
story by Steve Weizman is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*San Diego Union-Tribune Movie Critic David Elliott was less than
thrilled with the 90-minute "Spielberg on Spielberg" program aired by Turner
Classic Movies this evening, and bound, no doubt, for a repeat. He
says Steven Spielberg doesn't need the publicity, and overuses the
word "infatuated" to describe parts of his career. The
review is in today's newspaper.
(Return to top)
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News Sleuths:
Watching the media gathering
and reporting the news
of Jewish interest
Date: July
9, 2007
Place: United Nations, N.Y.
Time: Noon, New York time
Briefing Officer: Marie Okabe, deputy spokesperson for Sec'y Gen'l Ban
Ki-moon
Source: United Nations transcript
Subjects: Gaza, Arab League-Israel
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON:
The UN Relief
and Works Agency, UNRWA, has announced that construction has come to a halt
on all of its building projects in Gaza because of the lack of basic
building supplies. Some $93 million worth of projects are on hold, because
cement and other building supplies have run out, according to John Ging,
UNRWA’s Director in Gaza. Ging said that it is imperative that the crossings
into Gaza resume full operations, not just for food aid and medicine, but
for all commodities and supplies. Otherwise, Gaza faces the prospect of a
humanitarian and public health crisis. He warned that the closure of the
borders means a loss of over a million days of employment, placing an even
larger burden on the UN humanitarian aid programme there.
>>
QUESTION: How is Secretary-General responding to the news that the Arab League for the first time in its history will be sending a delegation of diplomats to discuss what is termed, a “sweeping” peace initiative with the Israeli Government?
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON: Well, I don’t have a specific comment from the Secretary-General on the particular movement today. But, as you know, the Secretary-General has put efforts to get peace in the Middle East as one of his top issues, and this is obviously an area that whatever dialogue that can take place that can bring the situation towards peace, he would encourage.
>>
QUESTION: About this [inaudible] UNRWA, the situation described by [inaudible], lack of supplies and so forth. Does the Secretary-General intend to talk to the Israeli authorities to ask them to ensure that these supplies are kept in stock, to be delivered to UNRWA so that they could work to re-habitat this [inaudible]…
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON: I mean specifically on today’s item, I cannot confirm whether he’s spoken to Israeli authorities, but throughout these last few weeks, he has, as you know, been in constant touch with the parties and the issue of the crossings has been one of his primary concerns on the humanitarian front.
Date: July
9, 2007
Place: U.S. State Department
Time: 12:05 p.m.
Briefing Officer: Sean McCormack, spokesperson for Sec'y of State
Condoleezza Rice
Source: U.S. State Department transcript
Subjects: Middle East
MR. MCCORMACK: Good
afternoon, everybody. I have one brief opening statement, a travel
announcement for you. Secretary Rice will travel to the Middle East, Africa
and Europe from July 16th to the 20th. Secretary Rice will visit Jerusalem
and Ramallah for meetings with officials from the Israeli and Palestinian
Authority governments. She will then travel to Africa, making stops in
Accra, Ghana to participate in the African Growth and Opportunities Act
Forum and in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Secretary Rice will
also visit Lebanon for meetings with senior officials from the Portuguese
Government.
QUESTION: You said
Lebanon.
QUESTION: Lebanon.
MR. MCCORMACK: Lisbon. (Laughter.) Oops, Lisbon. (Laughter.) Okay. Lisbon.
The Jewish Grapevine
|
CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler recommends
a column in
Sunday's Ha'aretz by Shlomo Aveneri that post-Zionism equals
anti-Zionism.... Hillel Mazansky found a
documentary film on the Steven Spielberg Film Archive at Hebrew University.
It takes some time and patience to watch, as it needs to be continuously
reactivated, but it documents life in the Galut, the Holocaust, the
establishment of the State of Israel, and great moments in Israel history all in
one piece.
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|
Greater San Diego Region |
Shabbat 'under the stars' planned July 20, Aug. 17
CARLSBAD, California (Press Release)—Temple Etz Rimon, a Reform
congregation, has scheduled a pair of Shabbats "under the stars" at
Aviara Community Park, 6440 Ambrosia Lane, Carlsbad, with members picnicking
at 6 p.m. and services starting at 7 p.m. the Friday evenings of July 20 and
August 17.
Oneg Shabbats will follow each service. For more information and
directions, contact Etz Rimon at (760) 929-9503.
Information for the preceding story was provided by Temple Etz
Rimon
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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.
Lieberthal's so-so day outdid those of other Jewish batters
BASEBALL—Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Mike Lieberthal
popped up as a 5th inning pinch hitter, but redeemed himself later in the game
with a single, his 1-2 performance as a batter pulling up his batting average to
.222, as the Dodger whipped the Florida Marlins, 9-3. Ho hum, you say?
Other Jewish batters in the National League gladly would have traded their
statistics in Sunday's games for Lieberthal's. In the 8-3 Houston Astros
victory over the New York Mets, for example, both Met outfielder
Shawn Green and Astros catcher
Brad Ausmus batted 0-4, dropping their BAs respectively to .275 and
.249. On the defensive side, at least, Mets pitcher
Scott Schoeneweis had a nice performance, allowing only one harmless hit
and one walk in the two innings that he pitched. As a result his ERA
improved to 5.24. In the American League,
Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox continued to nurse a sore quadricep,
so missed in the 6-5 game in which the Detroit Tigers prevailed over his
teammates. However, his position in the American League batter standings
continued to see-saw, based on the performances of other players. His .328
average was good for fifth position.
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{Marc Kligman, who combines being a
sports agent with his life as an observant Jew, invites you to listen. Click on
the ad above for more information}
______________________________
News from the Israel Baseball League |
Pitcher
fans 13 batters, maintaining his ERA at 0.00 after three games;
Blue Sox teammate meanwhile bats .471. They are 10-1.
GEZER, Israel, July 9- After the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox lost for the first time
Sunday night Dominican Juan Feliciano led his team back in a big way, hurling a
no-hitter to lead the Blue Sox over the last-place Petach Tikva Pioneers in a
7-0 victory on Monday night. Feliciano put on a masterful performance,
preserving his 0.00 ERA while striking out an IBL-record 13 batters en route to
his third win of the season.
Feliciano's gem was paired with another impressive game from the Blue Sox
offense. Australian Jason Rees continued his incredible season with his sixth
and seventh homeruns of the season, going 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored
to raise his average to .471. Californian Gregg Raymundo also went 2-4 on the
night with a 2-run shot in the bottom of the sixth to give him three homers on
the season.
Catcher Scott Jarmakowicz and first baseman Johnny Lopez also took part in the
slugfest, each with solo homers as Bet Shemesh improves to 10-1.
The night's other game took place at Yarkon Field as the Ra'anana Express edged
out the Netanya Tigers with a 3-1 win. The game wasclose throughout with the
score tied at one apiece through 5 ½ innings.
In the bottom of the sixth Express catcher Jesse Michel laced a 2-run homer to
right field that put Ra'anana up for good. The homerun was Michel's first of
the season.
Californian Joshua Zumbrun pitched a stellar game for the Express, throwing 5
2/3 innings and allowing no earned runs on just three hits.In the sixth inning
Zumbrun was replaced by Nat Ballenberg, who picked up his first win of the
season.
Summaries:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Petach Tikva 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bet Shemesh 3 0 0 0 2 2 x 7 11 1
W: Juan Feliciano (3-0); L: Andrew Morales (0-2); HR: Jason Rees (7),
Scott Jarmakowicz (2), Johnny Lopez (5), Gregg Raymundo (3)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Netanya 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1
Ra'anana 1 0 0 0 0 2 x 3 5 3
W: Nat Ballenberg (1-0); L: Leon Feingold (0-2); HR: Jesse Michel (1)
Standings:
Team W L % GB
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 10 1 .909 –
Tel Aviv Lightning 7 2 .778 2.0
Modi'in Miracle 5 4 .556 4.0
Netanya Tigers 3 5 .375 5.5
Ra'anana Express 3 8 .273 7.0
Petach Tikva Pioneers 1 9 .100 8.5
On Tuesday, the Sportek in Tel Aviv will officially open as the Tel Aviv
Lightning take on the Netanya Tigers at 5:00 pm. Also this evening the Bet
Shemesh Blue Sox and Modi'in Miracle will play a make-up game at 5:00 pm at
Gezer Field while the Ra'anana Express play the PetachTikva Pioneers at 7:00 pm
at Yarkon Field at the Baptist Village.
The
preceding story was provided by the Israel Baseball League
|
Arts & Entertainment |
J*Company
announces cast call for Disney musical
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) – J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San
Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community
Center, Jacobs Family Campus, announces auditions for its production of
Disney's High School Musical, which will run October 18-28. Rayme
Sciaroni will serve as both director and musical director, and Peter Kalivas
is choreographer.
There will be a pre-audition information meeting on Thurs., August 2, from 4-5 p.m. Auditions take place at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, on Tues., August 28, and Wed., August 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. Call Backs will be held on Thurs., August 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. The first rehearsal/parent meeting will take place on Tues., September 4, 2007. Auditions are open to all young artists ages 10 through 18. All students age 10 must be enrolled in a J*Company class for the Fall Session to be eligible for an audition appointment.
Young artists should come prepared with a musical theatre selection of their choice with sheet music (an accompanist will be provided), a headshot/snapshot, and a resume (if available). No tapes or CDs, please. Young artists who need help with song selection or vocal coaching can attend pre-audition vocal lessons with a professional voice coach, and use sheet music from the J*Company music library. For more information, call 858-362-1155.
In addition to singers, actors, and dancers, J*Company is also looking for talented teen musicians to play in the High School Musical Marching Band. Instruments needed include trumpet, trombone, French horn, euphonium, drums (quads, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals). Musicians should come prepared with a short piece to play on your instrument.
For information on
classes, go to
www.lfjcc.org/jcompany. To reserve an audition time, call 858-457-3030,
ext. 1200.
The preceding story was provided by the J*Company
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|
Story Continuations |
Summer camp...
(Continued from above)
Avichai had the opportunity to shorten his service by a month but decided to stay on, in order to have the opportunity of being a camp counselor in his former summer camp. "It marks the completion of a circle for me, I came here as a camper, and now I come as a counselor," he concludes. "I may even come back to serve as a reservist."
Corporal Shani Shecter, 20 years of age, serves daily as an operational clerk in
the IAF Ramat David military base. She, too was a camper before becoming a
counselor. She was orphaned as an infant when her father, who served in the
intelligence corps, died from a severe illness.
"Growing up without a father is not strange to me because that is all I know.
At the age of 5, I went to the summer camp for the first time and loved it." As
a youngster, Shani couldn’t comprehend what was so different about the camp.
Even after learning that all the campers had suffered a similar tragedy, she
would not let it interfere with her fun.
"Loss does not define the camp. As a child attending the camp, you do not think
that you are in camp with other orphans, it is much more interesting to know
when you will be going to the pool."
"From the age of 5 I knew that I wanted to be a counselor there,” she explains.
"Every year I would tell the counselors that one day I would be a counselor as
well." Although the IAF does not send soldiers to be counselors, she wouldn’t
let that stop her.
"To me as a child, the camp was perfect. My fondest memories were of my time
there. Even today, when I hear the name 'Olga' my face lights up. The camp
experience was like my birthday, every year I would beg my Mother to send me to
Givat Olga already."
Now that she helps run the camp, she hopes to have the same effect on her new
campers, when they think of their camp experience in the years to come. "I came
to be a counselor in order to give back to the camp. I want to give back to the
children everything I got out of the camp."
The campers are not yet aware that Shani and Avichai are orphans as well. The
two decided to tell the children at the conclusion of the summer. "I don’t want
the children to have to think about that, and I also don’t want the children to
feel closer to me then all the other counselors," explains Avichai. "All the
counselors are equally skilled. The subject of loss is not brought up here.
The fact that I am also an orphan was not contingent on me being accepted as a
counselor. Only those most fit for the job are accepted."
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Terrorism
and Economic Status...
(Continued from above)
A 2004 study by Dr. Marc Sageman, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania and a former CIA case office in Afghanistan during the late 1980s, concluded that "Most Arab terrorists … were well-educated, married men from middle-or upper-class families, in their mid-20s and psychologically stable."
To take one example among hundreds, Muhammad Abu Jamous, who was part of a terror squad that murdered four Israelis in Gaza on January 9, 2002, was described by the New York Times as "a member of the Palestinian Navy [and] something of a minor celebrity. He had been a runner on the Palestinian national team, competing in Egypt and Saudi Arabia . He married just three months ago, and his wife is two months pregnant." In other words, this terrorist had everything to lose – a good job, a wife and impending fatherhood. Yet he picked up a gun and went out to murder innocent Israelis.
The terrorist movement Hamas has murdered nearly 500 Israelis in seven years of suicide bombings and other attacks. Hamas makes clear in its Charter what motivates it – the goals of destroying Israel (Article 15) and the murder of Jews (Article 7), all based on Islamic texts. As the late Professor Amos Perlmutter once pointed out, the leadership of Hamas terrorist movement "is made up of modern middle- and upper-middle class professionals, of journalists, lawyers, engineers and doctors." Though accusing Israel of all sorts of crimes, Hamas leaders and the men they recruit to carry out suicide attacks invariably invoke religious principles for their deeds.
Jews should be the least prone to the misconception that terrorism and violence is the product of economic causes. Across the centuries, those who attacked and murdered Jews – the Romans, Crusaders, Cossacks, Nazis – were driven by ideology, not poverty.
Understanding that terrorism is not caused by economic issues has immediate relevance. The United States and the world must not make policy on the false basis that a low standard of living is the problem and that economic aid for terrorist-sponsoring regimes like the Palestinian Authority (PA) is part of the solution. Such funding has not only failed to reduce terrorism in the past, but has often financed further terrorism.
Only reforming the Islamist media, mosques and
schools that promote terror and hatred against the West, Christians and Jews can
bring any hope of peace.
Klein is national president of the Zionist Organization of America
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News
Sleuths...
(Continued
from above)
QUESTION: And can you tell us what she hopes to achieve in her conversations with Israeli and Palestinian officials? This will be her first trip in nearly four months and her first time since the fall of Gaza to Hamas forces. What does she hope to do here?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, this is, once again, to try to move the process forward, move the Israeli-Palestinian track forward -- a number of different levels, to talk on a very practical level day to day, how can each side try to make the lives of their respective populations a bit better. And on both sides, we know what that entails, so -- and also to try to talk a little bit about the political horizon and the fact that it is important to work at both levels. So it's also a trip that was intended to support Prime Minister Olmert's statements about wanting to build a foundation for discussions about a future Palestinian state. It's also a trip that's designed to support President Abbas. There has been a lot of turmoil within the Palestinian political system as -- over the past couple of months we all know about. And it's a trip also designed to underscore the fact that we as well as others, support this new Palestinian Government as well as President Abbas.
QUESTION: The horizon -- I mean, there's only 18 months left to the Bush Administration, so the Administration's horizon for trying to maintain progress on this, let alone trying to actually get some kind of a peace deal in place between the Israelis and the Palestinians that you deal with is pretty imminent. Does she still hope that that is indeed what is even possible in the next year and a half or is what you're just hoping some kind of incremental movement that you've given up on the idea of actually achieving some kind of a peace agreement between the two sides?
MR. MCCORMACK: First of all, we're not going to do something that we think is not prudent, you know, just in the name of trying to rush something through to, you know, accomplish something in the next 16 months. If the conditions are such that we are able to make progress, make substantial progress, then that will be positive. But at the very least, what Secretary Rice would like to do is to move the process forward and to lay the foundations for an eventual Palestinian state.
If there's more that is able to be accomplished in that period of time, absolutely, she is going to push as hard as she can. She's talked a lot about the groundwork that we have tried to do in terms of changing the underlying conditions. But she believes that it is important to try to move this process forward for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people, for everybody in the region, for us, for the United States. So she's going to devote a lot of time and energy to it. She has over the past years devoted quite a bit of time and energy to it and I think you're going to continue to see that effort from her as well as the Administration.
QUESTION: Do you believe that the prospects for peace are better, now that you have an interim Palestinian Government that meets the Quartet conditions, that it's on -- or do you think that they're, in fact, worse because the Hamas takeover in Gaza has very boldly exposed the schism between or among -- within the Palestinians and therefore, make it harder to sign some kind of agreement, because you have one side that doesn't represent the entire population?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, that divide within the Palestinian political system always existed. This is not something that has occurred in the past six months, year, or even the past couple of years. And it's always been the fact that the Palestinians themselves need to reconcile this division and they need to reconcile themselves to what pathway they want to proceed. President Abbas has outlined a pathway whereby the Palestinian people could possibly realize a state. They're going to do that via the negotiating table. There is also the alternative that Hamas has laid out, which leads to nowhere.
In terms of the conditions for peace, I think that you've heard us say that we think that the underlying conditions now at present are better than they have been at any other time in the recent past. But whether or not that promise is actually realized is going to depend ultimately on the parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians and their willingness to seek to bridge any differences, to come together and realize that this is going to be in both of their long-term interests.
Now the conditions have to be ripe all around and this -- that means also that the Arab states are going to have to play a role. Now they have stepped up and they have said that they are going to send a delegation to Israel on July 12th to talk about the Arab League proposal. That is, we believe, a positive development. Prime Minister Olmert has said that he's going to release tax revenues and he has also announced the release of some Palestinian prisoners. So there are some signs at the -- I guess the tactical level, if you will, that there's a willingness to reach out on both sides. And President Abbas has talked about the fact that he is committed to peace and he has named a prime minister that is somebody with whom the entire international system can work and somebody in whom the international system has a lot of confidence and made a lot of strides in making the Palestinian Authority finances -- well, it's something in which we can -- we'll have confidence, including the Palestinian people.
So there are some promising developments. We believe that the underlying conditions are moving in the right direction. And whether or not we actually are able to achieve some real concrete steps to a Palestinian state, Palestinian institutions that function on behalf of the Palestinian people, progress along the political horizon between the Israelis and the Palestinians and progress on a political horizon between Arab states and the Israeli Government, that ultimately is going to be up to the parties involved. We are going to push, we are going to do what we think is right in terms of moving the process forward. But ultimately, it's going to come down to hard decisions on the ground by political leadership there in the region.
QUESTION: Sean, (inaudible) that this is -- the chances are -- that the prospects are better now than they have been at any time in the recent past? How do you arrive at that when you have a huge swath of Palestinian territory under the control of a group that doesn't even recognize Israel? I don't see how you get from Hamas in control of Gaza to the prospects. Are you talking about over a real bifurcation now, this --
MR. MCCORMACK: No, no, no, not at all. I mean, it gets back to -- I mean, this is all -- you know, it all proceeds from the premise that ultimately, the Palestinians are going to have to make a decision for themselves what sort of future they want; do they want a state, do they want to live in the current state in which they find themselves now?
When I think about the prospects for peace in the region are -- between the Israelis and the Palestinians are better than they have been in any recent time, I'm referring back to the era of, you know, 2001, just around the time President Bush came into office. Remember --
QUESTION: A.D.?
MR. MCCORMACK: No, step back for a second. Remember the situation in which we found ourselves back in January 21st, 2001. And President Clinton made Herculean efforts to try to bring the parties together. Ultimately, it was Yasser Arafat who scuttled those efforts. But you had a raging intifada. You had a situation where Yasser Arafat was running the Palestinian Authority as his own personal fiefdom and apparently for his own personal gain as well as the gain of many of those around him. He had just turned down what, by the account of most pundits, was a very attractive deal for the Palestinian people. He just couldn't bring himself to make the compromises necessary to reach an agreement.
You had Israeli politics which was bitterly divided. You had a situation where there was a new prime minister who was coming in who was the father of the settlement movement and unalterably opposed to any compromise involving the West Bank. But, and now we find ourselves in the situation where Israeli politics has re-centered around the idea of an accommodation with the Palestinians, and that re-centering of Israeli politics was led by the very person who previously was unalterably opposed to any sort of accommodation with respect to the Palestinians, including in the West Bank. And by the way, the Israelis back in 2005 gave up some settlements on the West Bank.
We now have in place a Palestinian Government that is led by a well-respected, internationally well-respected Palestinian Prime Minister, a President who is foursquare for a negotiated settlement for a Palestinian state and who is also interested in reforming Palestinian institutions and is interested in reforming his own political party.
You also have a situation now where the Arab states have reissued an offer to Israel regarding how Arab states could recognize Israel. Now, everybody understands that the Israelis have problems with the proposed solution as it stands right now, but what we have encouraged is for the sides to look at it as a starting point, as a basis for discussions.
So that's sort of the thumbnail version of why we think now the underlying conditions are better than they have been in the recent past. Now, that is not to say, as you pointed out, that there aren't great challenges, that the fact that the Palestinian people still need to reconcile the fundamental contradictions within their political system still exists. But that existed back in 2001 as well. Hamas was not just something that appeared within the past two or three years. It was something that was building strength over time. It was building strength over time because you had a Palestinian Authority that was not well-governed and that did not serve the needs of the people. So as a result, it was able to build strength. Now, you have something out there for the Palestinian people to look towards. They have a Palestinian Authority that is interested in trying to serve their needs. Now, they have a ways to go and that's part of what Tony Blair is going to be working on with President Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. So that's my case in brief.
QUESTION: Oh, that was the brief version?
MR. MCCORMACK: That was the brief one.
QUESTION: Well, I'm glad we didn't get the long one.
MR. MCCORMACK: That was the brief version. Yeah, that was the brief version. That was the brief version. Yeah, none of this -- and again, none of this is to say that there aren't challenges and the fact that Hamas took actions against the legitimate Palestinian institutions doesn't pose challenges, not the least of which is how does the international system continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza, because we're not going to forsake them just because of the actions of the most radical elements of the terrorist organization, Hamas. And it also, as I have said a couple of times, it leaves open that question that if you are able to make progress on the political track and on other tracks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, at some point how do you incorporate all the Palestinian people into that. Now, it's our view that President Abbas is the President for all the Palestinian people that Prime Minister Fayyad is the Prime Minister for all the Palestinian people. But ultimately, they're going to need to reconcile those differences.
Yeah.
QUESTION: What about the Quartet meeting which was not scheduled, but a lot of countries talk about the 16th of July? What is it -- it's postponed again?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, they're -- well, first of all, there was never formal agreement on a date. And I'm not going to rule out that there will be a ministerial level Quartet meeting in the coming weeks. At this point, there's not an agreed upon date. David Welch is going to be in London tomorrow for an envoy's level Quartet meeting and there -- this is going to be one of the topics of discussion when is it the right time for ministers to gather together as a Quartet. So on that issue, stay tuned. We'll keep you up to date.
QUESTION: Do you expect them to issue a statement or --
MR. MCCORMACK: I'm not sure this will be a meeting that produces a statement. We'll see.
QUESTION: Would you expect Blair to be at the next ministerial?
MR. MCCORMACK: I would expect he probably will. I mean, of course, you know, working to accommodate his schedule, but I expect that he would be.
QUESTION: His schedule? I thought it was pretty open right now. No?
MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah. Well, there's a -- Prime Minister -- former Prime Minister Blair can speak for himself about his schedule, but I'm sure that he has a lot on his plate.
QUESTION: What about the participation of the Arab Quartet established meeting? Is it still in the cards?
MR. MCCORMACK: I can't tell you for the next one. Certainly it's been a grouping that has proved interesting and useful. I can't tell you when the next time will be that we actually get to --
QUESTION: But they do have (inaudible) together.
MR. MCCORMACK: The Arab --
QUESTION: The Arab Quartet and the Arab -- even the Quartet and the real Quartet.
MR. MCCORMACK: Oh, I see what you're saying. It's certainly a possibility and we'll take a look at what groupings, what geometries might be most efficient, most useful at a given point in time and I'm not going to rule it out.