Approaching conference on Israel and Palestine continues
to generate controversy over its real aims
BRUSSELS—A
two-day conference scheduled for next week and organized
by the UN ‘Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable
Rights of the Palestinian People’ is causing controversy
because it is to be held in the premises of the European
Parliament in Brussels. The announcement of the
gathering, entitled “The UN International Conference of
Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace”,
has been meet a barrage of protests amid accusations
that the conference will have a clear anti-Israel
agenda. Poland has already announced that it will
boycott the event. "I will not take part in this
conference. I saw the materials prepared by the
organizers," said Bronislaw Geremek, a Polish member of
the European Parliament, adding: "Although there is no
official statement that Israel must be pushed down to
the sea, the choice of subjects and the attitude towards
the problems shows that it will be a biased,
conflict-generating conference. Actually we can call it
anti-Israeli."
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Knesset
speaker Dalia Itzik have voiced their concerns, and
Itzik has written to the president of the European
Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, asking him to
reconsider hosting the event. The World Jewish Congress
and other Jewish groups have also tried to intervene
with European Parliament leaders to make them reconsider
their decision to provide rooms in the parliament
building for the conference. Previous requests from the
committee were turned down by the EP. The body was set
up by the UN General Assembly on the same day the
notorious resolution “Zionism equals Racism” was adopted
and the committee has repeatedly been accused of
promoting a biased view of the Middle East conflict.
Gerald Steinberg from the organization
NGO Monitor was quoted by the “Jerusalem Post” as
saying: “This is yet another example of how officials
from the EU provide support for radical NGOs leading the
anti-Israel campaign through the use of the rhetoric of
human rights. Many of the speakers represent NGOs that
receive funds from the EU under the guise of building
peace and development. Now, under the auspices of the
UN, these NGOs are allowed the legitimacy to promote
their incitement by holding a conference at the European
Parliament under the banner of 'humanitarian violations
of Israel's military'. [...] Such activities undermine
the claims of the EU and its member states' governments
- who also fund these NGOs - to be building bridges
between Israelis and Palestinians, “ he added.
The preceding story was provided by the
World Jewish Congress
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|
Jews
and the Turkish-Armenian genocide controversy |
Turkish Jews say Armenian killings not genocide
ANKARA, Turkey (Press Release)—The Jewish community in Turkey has expressed
regret over the position adopted by US Jewish groups on the issue of the WWI-era
mass murder of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire.
In a statement published in the Turkish press, the Jewish community leaders
emphasized that they supported the official Turkish position that the question
should be debated at an academic level, with full access to the archives of all
concerned parties, and that parliaments were not the appropriate platforms for
finding the truth about historical events.
In its statement, Silvio Ovadio, president of the Jewish community in Turkey,
said: “We have difficulty in understanding this immediate change of view among
some Jewish organizations in the US.” The statement added: “We would like to
stress that the news reports that begin with the term “Jews” in local websites
may mislead the public, whereas this change in position reflects only the views
of some American Jewish organizations.”
Ankara has
repeatedly categorically rejected the label “genocide," saying that both
Armenians and Turks died in civil strife when the Armenians took up arms for
independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with Russian troops invading the
Ottoman Empire in 1914/15.
The New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) this week reversed its policy by
calling the killing of Armenians a genocide, days after it had fired a regional
director for taking the same position. The change in the ADL’s position came
after weeks of controversy in which critics questioned whether an organization
dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism in the world and remembering Holocaust
victims could remain credible without acknowledging the Armenian killings as
genocide.
Another major organization, the American Jewish Committee, took a similar step
and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is
reportedly considering discussing the matter.
Turkey’s
foreign minister Abdullah Gül, who is running for the Turkish presidency, has
told Israel’s ambassador in Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, that Turkey was "disappointed"
over the stance adopted by the ADL. "We see this statement as an unfortunate one
that is unjust to the Holocaust, which has no precedent, and to its victims. And
we expect it to be corrected,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli embassy has released a statement in which it said that there was "no
change" in the Israeli government’s stance regarding the issue. Experts and
advisors to the Turkish government held a meeting with diplomats at the foreign
ministry in Ankara to determine a strategy aimed at convincing Jewish Americans
of their version of history.
According to diplomatic sources, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
might try to engage in telephone diplomacy to convince the Jewish leaders in the
US to revert to their earlier position on the Armenian issue.
The preceding story was
provided by the World
Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
SALEM,
Massachusetts—Until this week, Abe Foxman was
unbeatable, untouchable, unsurpassed in strength and
power on the Jewish-American organizational scene. He
was a feared fighter who publicly battled anybody
smelling of
anti-Semitism or Israel bashing.
Then came a few Armenian-Americans, living in the small
community of Watertown, with a major challenge. Abe is
losing this one.
ADL was asked to join the national effort to pass a
congressional resolution affirming the Armenian genocide
of 1915-1923, where some 1.5 million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire were either starved to death or murdered.
Why did the Armenians target ADL? ADL sponsors its "No
Room for Hate" program in Watertown (and hundreds of
other cities in America). The Armenian community, 20
percent of the city population, had the clout to have
the city withdraw from ADLs community program.
Foxman's first response was negative on the genocide
question as well as saying that Turkey and Armenia
should handle the issue, not ADL or the American
Congress.
The Boston area Jewish community reacted in a grand and
assertive fashion. "We support the Armenian position and
we want ADL to change," was the response from the Jewish
Community Relations Council, as well as the person in
the street.
Dr Michael Siegel of BU School of Public Health put it
succinctly, "Can you imagine [what ADL and the Jewish
community would think anddo] if an Armenian organization
refused to recognize our Holocaust and tried to block
government recognition of the Holocaust, evading the
question by stating: 'The Jews and Germans need to
revisit their past. The Armenian community shouldn't be
the arbiter of that history, nor should the U.S.
Congress?'"
The New England ADL Regional Board and the local ADL
director, Andrew
Tarsy, asked Foxman to reconsider.
Tarsy was fired and an advertisement appeared in the
Boston press explaining the ADL national position.
Criticism mounted.
The next day, August 20, Foxman partially relented.
Yes, after conversations with Elie Weisel and other
historians, Foxman was now convinced that the word
genocide was correct. He stressed that he hoped the
conflict in the community would now end.
This hope has little chance in reality, the controversy
is not yet over. While both the Boston Jewish community
and the Armenianorganizations have welcomed ADL's change
of definition, the questionsof supporting the
congressional resolution and restoring Tarsy to his job
are still open.
ADL will have to swallow hard to change because Foxman
has consistently argued that a Congressional resolution
would jeopardize Jews living in Turkey as well as change
Turkey's position as a "key strategic ally and friend of
the United States and a staunch
friend of Israel."
I would argue that they are so wrong that it reeks of
megalomania and chutzpa.
First, if they are saying that a paragraph or page
written by ADL or any other Jewish organization is the
difference between passing or killing a congressional
resolution, they are mouthing what anti-Semites say
about Jewish power in the United States. I know ADL,
does not want this implication, because it is wrong.
Second, if, as ADL says, hatred of Jews is so huge in
Turkey, or that the Turkish government so ignorant or
vindictive that a hundred words written by ADL to a
Congressional committee would harm the Turkish Jewish
community, the Jews had better get out of Turkey today.
The same question and answer applies to Turkey's
economic, tourism, and military relations with Israel
and the United States. Turkey is a lot wiser in the ways
of the world than to let either some Jewish support for
a congressional resolution, or the resolution itself,
affect these important ties.
And if Turkey, its government and people are not, then
the U.S., Israel and the Turkish Jewish community had
better do its own reevaluation now.
Do not despair because this controversy has been so
prominent in the
public press over the past weeks.
The Armenians gave us the opportunity to look at
ourselves. The Jews of Boston rose to the occasion and
took the factual and moral high road. Here's hoping
that ADL in New York will say anddo the right thing and
get back to work, within a short time.
Dov Burt Levy is a regular Jewish Journal Boston North
columnist.
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Please click on the above ad to
visit the Humanistic Jewish
Congregation's website
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Spanish police arrest fugitive
neo-Nazi Honsik
MALAGA, Spain—Police have arrested a right-wing writer
and publisher wanted in Austria for denying the
Holocaust and the use of gas chambers.
Gerd Honsik, a native Austrian, was arrested in the
southern city of Malaga. Honsik had fled to Spain after
being convicted in 1992 in Austria of neo-Nazi
activities and sentenced to 18 months in prison for
writings that defended Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.
Between 1986 and 1989, Honsik published pamphlets
disputing, among other things, that the Nazis killed
hundreds of thousands of Jews at Auschwitz and other
concentration camps during World War II. The Vienna
public prosecutor's office said it had issued a European
arrest warrant, based on suspicions that Honsik had
committed other offenses since
Austria enacted a law in 1992 making it a crime to deny
the Holocaust or to promote Nazi propaganda. Austrian
justice minister Maria Berger called the arrest part of
"the fight against racism and xenophobia."
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish
Congress
(Return to top)
.
ADL supports legal rights of detainees held by U.S.
at Guantanamo Bay; files amicus brief
NEW
YORK, N.Y (Press Release)— The
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today joined a coalition of
human rights, public interest and religious groups in a
"friend of the court" brief supporting the rights of
detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to seek review of
the legality of their detentions in federal court.
The brief in
Boumediene v. Bush and al Odah v. U.S.
challenges a law recently passed by Congress which
strips U.S. federal courts of jurisdiction over pending
habeas corpus petitions filed by foreign citizen
detainees held at Guantanamo. It asserts that "the
Framers of our Constitution expressly ensured that
habeas corpus would be available to permit the Judiciary
to check absolute Executive power."
The cases are on
appeal from a 2-1 decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia issued on February
20, 2007.
"Winning the war
on terror is critically important, but we must find a
way to provide security without undermining America's
enduring respect for the rule of law and our system of
checks and balances," said Glen S. Lewy, ADL National
Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
"Allowing detainees to be held – perhaps indefinitely –
without a meaningful opportunity to challenge their
detention is contrary to American principles of fairness
and due process and our commitment to civil liberties."
The brief was prepared by the law firm Fulbright &
Jaworski.
In 2004, ADL
joined an amicus brief in support of detainees' rights
to due process in Rasul v. Bush.
The
preceding story was provided by the Anti-Defamation
League
(Return to top)
{Click
the above ad for more
information
Israeli medical team treats hundreds in Peru
CERRE AZUL, Peru (Press Release)— The IsraAID/FIRST medical
mission began by setting up a base in the earthquake affected region of Peru.
The seven-member team is working in cooperation with the Catholic relief
organization, CARITAS.
On August
22, the team opened a medical clinic in the town of Bella Vista, where 120
people were treated.
The
following day, the team opened a clinic in the village of Santa Barbara and
treated over 150 people. Water and electricity supply were badly damaged in the
village and most of the houses in the area were destroyed leaving families with
only tents as shelter.
In the
past 48 hours since IsrAID/FIRST medical team's arrival, close to 400 earthquake
affected men, women and children were provided with medical treatment and
emergency relief.
The team
is working together with volunteers from the Jewish community in Lima who are
escorting the Israeli delegation and helping with the logistics of the operation
including access and delivery of basic medical and relief supplies. The Jewish
volunteers are also assisting with translation and contacts to local officials
and aid groups.
The
preceding story was provided by Israel’s Consulate General in Los Angeles
|
 Torah
on One Foot
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue, San Diego
|
D'Var Torah - Ki Teitzei
Some reasons why we don't yoke a donkey and an ox
SAN DIEGO—Among the many mitzvot in
parshat Ki Teitzei is the following one which
our sages understood as preventing tzar ba’alei
chayim, cruelty to animals: "One is forbidden to
plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together." (Deut.
22:10) The usual explanation is that the ox and
donkey are not equal in size or strength. If one
attempts to yoke them together the donkey will
always be struggling to keep up with the ox and the
ox will be held back by the donkey. Since they will
constantly be fighting instead of working together,
the Torah forbids combining them on one yoke to
prevent needless suffering.
Rabbi Gershon Henech of Radin had another
explanation of why the Torah forbids harnessing an
ox and donkey together, one which he shared with the
rabbi of a nearby city.
Rabbi Gershon was very well known in the cities
around Radin and he liked to travel in disguise in
order to avoid attracting too much attention. One
day he walked to a neighboring city. He entered the
study house, and came across a very agitated group
of poorly dressed men.
Rabbi Gershon asked them: "Why are you all so
upset?"
One of them answered: "The town’s wealthiest family
is marrying off their daughter today. In our town it
is customary to invite everyone, rich and poor
alike, to wedding feasts. But this family has turned
away every poor person who has tried to enter their
house."
"Come with me," said Rabbi Gershon. He led the group
to the rich man’s home and knocked on the door.
"No one else is allowed in," said a voice inside.
Rabbi Gershon said, "I don’t want to eat at your
feast. I only want to ask your rabbi, who I know is
inside, a religious question. It is forbidden to
turn away someone who seeks religious instruction."
After checking with the town’s rabbi, who was an
honored guest at the feast, Rabbi Gerhon was let in.
He approached the rabbi, who did not recognize him
in his disguise.
"Rabbi," asked Rabi Gershon, "Why in this week’s
parsha does the Torah forbid yoking an ox and a
donkey together?"
The rabbi was annoyed at being disturbed during his
meal and shrugged. "We don’t know," he said. "It is
one of the mysteries of the Torah."
"Hmm," said Rabbi Gershon, "that sounds reasonable.
But I have thought of another answer you might like.
An ox chews its cud and a donkey does not. If the
donkey sees the ox chewing its cud it might think it
is eating and become upset that it has not received
any food. The Torah is concerned about the donkey’s
feelings and so forbids yoking the two of them
together."
"I
suppose that could be the reason," said the rabbi
between bites.
"Hmm," said Rabbi Gershon, "and it just occurred to
me that the same may even be more true of human
beings. If God is concerned about the donkey being
upset because it sees the ox eating while it is not,
just think how concerned God would
be about human beings who are suffering because
others are eating while they are not!"
The town’s rabbi stopped mid-bite and gave Rabbi
Gershon a funny look. He then told the host to open
the doors of his home and invite all of the poor
people to join the feast. (Iturei Torah, Deut. 168)
So, too, may we not permit ourselves to enjoy life’s
blessings without sharing them with others.
(Return to top)
 Rabbi
Baruch Lederman
Amazing tales of Judaism
Congregation Kehillas
Torah, San Diego |
D'Var Torah - Ki Seitzei
Finding a way to reconcile two marriage partners
SAN DIEGO—A Jewish marriage should last forever. If
there is a situation that makes this untenable, the
Torah gives us the option of divorce. Divorce is
intended as a last resort, not as first aid. The
following true story gives us some insight into this
important area:
A couple came to Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky ztz"l, the
famous expert in Halacha (Jewish Law) asking that he
officiate a divorce for them. Rav Chaim Ozer tried to
dissuade the couple from getting a divorce. He spoke to
them at length in an effort to reconcile their
differences. Despite the Rabbi's best efforts at
mediating, persuading and cajoling, the couple was
adamant about getting a divorce. Rav Chaim Ozer had no
choice but to relent and agree to write the get
(divorce document).
He asked the woman what her first name was and she
answered that her name was Ratchka. Rav Chaim Ozer told
her that he had never heard of such a name. She
explained that her real name was Raizel, but people
called her Ratchka. The Rabbi now sensed a glimmer of
hope.
Rav Chaim Ozer explained to them that there was a
halachic problem with the writing of this divorce. He
could not use the name Ratchka because that was not her
real name. He couldn't use the name Raizel, even though
it was her real name, because she wasn't actually known
by that name. The only halachically acceptable solution
was for the couple to go home and for the husband to
call her by the name Raizel for 30 days. At that point
he could write the name Raizel in the get.
They went home and never came back again.
When the husband called her by the name Raizel, he
perceived her a little differently. The wife sensed this
and she consequently felt and acted differently toward
him. One thing led to another and they rejuvenated their
bond and reconciled their differences.
The above true story is documented in the historical
text "Yechidei Segulah: Men of Distinction." Have a
great story? Please send it to us at
rbl613@nethere.com
Dedicated by Rabbi Gedalia Max.
. .
 CYBER-REFERRALS—We thank contributors who pass along or post stories of interest for your benefit:
● Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles passes on a story in the Jerusalem Post
about Mahmoud Abbas deciding he will not seek reelection as president of the Palestine Authority. Here is the link.
● Republican Jewish Coalition has forwarded a story from National Review Online by Peter W. Rodman in which he remarks upon U.S. President George W. Bush's references to Vietnam and Cambodia during his recent speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Here is the link.
●StandWithUs, an Israeli advocacy group, points with alarm to a war action video produced by Hezbollah, teaching children to hate. Here is the link.
● United Jewish Communities noted a United Press story about a crematorium in Israel being burned down shortly after its location was publicized in an Orthodox newspaper. Here is the link.
 EDUCATION BEAT— Teachers at the San Diego Jewish Academy and other institutions are required to be certified in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and so, on Thursday, a training session was held at SDJA. Among other exercises, instructor Carrisa Delos Santos of A-B-CPR led faculty through the 30/2 drill:
breathing twice into an unconscious person's mouth to get his or her chest to rise, alternating with 30 chest compressions.
In the accompanying photo SDJA teachers practice on dummies, counting aloud the number of chest compressions.
JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—Elected officials from the Jewish community find themselves dealing with a great variety of issues. We'll try to post you on some of their wide ranging activities in this section of this column.
●U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel
(Democrat, New York) has criticized Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., for missing a third deadline for having a warning siren operational at the Indian Point nuclear power plant. " These continued missed deadlines by Entergy are unacceptable, and are cause for concern,” he said.
●U.S. Sen. Russell Feingold
(Democrat, Wisconsin) is currently touring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to learn what can be done to foster regional security in the region. As chairman of the subcommittee on Africa of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Feingold said he plans to meet "with elected officials, military leaders, diplomats, and others to gain a better understanding of how far we’ve come, how far we need to go, and how the U.S. can continue to be a good partner in achieving these goals.”
 |
●U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman
(Democrat, New Jersey) recently hosted a group of Filipinos who fought for the United States during World War II, but who do not receive the same benefits as other veterans of that war. The congressman said he now plans to support legislation to extend the benefits to the Filipino veterans. The legislation in question was authored by U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, California) |
● U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) and Sam Brownback (Republican, Kansas) welcomed a preliminary agreement between the Digital Media Association and Sound Exchange over some of the issues concerning payment for use and reuse of material on radio broadcasts. "We are encouraged by the good faith efforts represented by this initial agreement. It is a promising first step in the negotiation process which we are hoping will make our legislation unnecessary," the two senators said in a joint statement.
STYLE NOTES—In today's Judaism section, we have Rabbi Baruch Lederman referring to this week's Torah portion as
Ki Seitzei, an Ashkenazic transliteration, and Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal referring to the same portion as
Ki Teitzei,
a Sephardic transliteration. We allow both styles because we understand that Judaism is a religion with many traditions. To insist on any one style would be to deny the validity of the other. Similarly some of our writers refer to "God," whereas others use the construction "G-d." Even in secular matters, we are tolerant of differences in style. Some of our writers use British usage for English words like "labour" or "neighbour" whereas others use American usage such as "labor" and "neighbor."
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_____________
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UJF combines two major functions September 6
to take advantage of Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)— United Jewish Federation of San Diego County (UJF) will hold its annual Major Gifts and Lion of Judah Dinner—for the first time together on Thursday, Sept. 6, at the San Diego Natural History Museum. The event
—which is being chaired by Rae & Ed Samiljan—will give attendees the opportunity to view the Dead Sea Scroll’s exhibit
This Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit of ancient biblical manuscripts, discovered between 1947 and 1956 near Jerusalem, is presented by UJF Donors, Joan and Irwin Jacobs—promises to be the most comprehensive to date. The Scrolls—objects of great mystery, intrigue and significance—are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures ever discovered.
“The Dead Sea Scrolls are the bridge to our past,” said Chairpersons Rae and Ed Samiljan. “This unique event showcases these 2,000 year old manuscripts which remain in use and largely unchanged today.”
The Samiljans have been active UJF members in key leadership roles since the early 90’s. Rae chaired the Women’s Division Lion of Judah category, was a member of the Women’s Division board and remains an active solicitor and supporter of Federation endeavors.
Serving as Chair of UJF’s Jewish Continuity and Program Development Committee, Ed spurred the creation of many vital initiatives which have touched thousands of lives in our Jewish community. These programs include Pathways to Judaism, the UJF Israel Center, LLC and Jewish Resident Camp Scholarships. Ed’s most fervent dream for a San Diego Jewish Community Camp and Retreat Center was realized with the establishment of Camp Mountain Chai. In its second year, the summer camp has enrolled nearly 200 children and plans to host 1,500 people for Shabbatot and camp week-ends.
The Major Gifts Dinner recognizes and honors the generosity of UJF’s largest donors, including the Women’s Division Lion of Judah and the Young Adult Division’s (YAD) Ben Gurion Society (BGS). Activities for the evening include a private viewing of the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with cocktails, hor’s d’oeuvres and dinner. An informative discussion and Q and A session will be led by Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
UJF has been serving the needs of the community for over 70 years. In partnership with its local and overseas beneficiary agencies, UJF provides the critical resources that bring food, refuge, health care, education and emergency assistance to thousands of San Diegans and millions Jews around the world.
To learn more about UJF or the Major Gifts and Lion of Judah Dinner, visit www.jewishinsandiego.org or call (858) 571-3444.
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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}..
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