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Sept. 12-14
San Diego Jewish World
Monday
Evening-Tuesday,
August 27-28, 2007
Vol.
1, Number 119
| Names of government officials
from the Jewish community are printed in bold face type
|
|
San Diego Jewish World
August 27, 2007
(click on headline below to jump to the story)
Israel and Middle East
Israel's cabinet
briefed on Hamas' arms buildup
in Gaza; terrorist attack
anticipated
Smokestack emissions now a good source
for growing algae as a biofuel, Israeli company shows
Europe
Magyar Garda members sworn in
next to presidential palace in Budapest;
Jews, Roma protest
German Jews protest Nazi messages on
YouTube
United States of America
Resignation of Atty. General Alberto Gonzales welcomed
by Jewish members of Congress
Homeland
Security
delaying
visas for
Austrian
volunteers
to work in
Holocaust
museums
Commentary
Accolades
for NYPD's
study of
'sudden
jihad
syndrome'
Writer
objects to
use of
term
'demagogues'
Features
News Sleuths
Jewish Grapevine
Greater San Diego
JFS creates programs for cancer patients and kin
Sports
San Diego baseball player, back from Israel, gets ready to play winter ball in Australia
|
Resignation of Atty. General Alberto Gonzales welcomed
by Jewish members of Congress
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO—Emails and websites were filled with
comments today from Jewish members of the Senate and the
House of Representatives welcoming the resignation of
Alberto Gonzales as attorney general of the United
States as of September 17.
President George W. Bush expressed regrets over
Gonzales' resignation but this was not echoed by the
Jewish members of the Congress.
Some listed their grievances about Gonzales, others
looked to the future, and some even had suggestions
about who should replace him.
Bush had met with Gonzales at the presidential ranch in
Crawford, Texas, on Sunday, and the attorney's
resignation was announced on Monday. Indicating
his personal regard for Gonzales, the White House issued
a photo of the President and First Lady Laura Bush
dining at the ranch with Gonzales and his wife, Rebecca.
|
|
In a statement on at Waco Airport, where he
took no questions, President Bush said: "Al
Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle. And I
have reluctantly accepted his resignation, with great
appreciation for the service that he has provided for our
country."
After reciting aspects of Gonzales' career both as White House
Counsel and later as U.S. Attorney Genera, Bush added: " After
months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful
distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to
resign his position, and I accept his decision. It's sad that we
live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto
Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good
name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.
"I've asked Solicitor General Paul Clement to
serve as Acting Attorney General upon Alberto Gonzales's
departure and until a nominee has been confirmed by the Senate.
He's agreed to do so. Paul is one of the finest lawyers in
America. As Solicitor General, Paul has developed a reputation
for excellence and fairness, and earned the respect and
confidence of the entire Justice Department.
The general sense of relief in Congress over Gonzales'
departure was shared by members of Bush's own Republican party,
as well as by Democrats and Independents serving in the
Congress.
For example, Sen. Norm Coleman (Republican, Minnesota)
said that Gonzales "had lost the credibility needed to
effectively run the Justice Department." He said he
planned to "work with my colleagues to confirm a replacement
that has the ability to not only restore the faith of the
American public, but also bring transparency to the
department."|
Sen. Arlen Specter (Republican, Pennsylvania) who as the
ranking minority party member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, will play a large part in the
confirmation hearings, said: "I commend Mr. Gonzales for
placing the interests of the Department of Justice ahead
of his own continued tenure, and now I look forward to
the confirmation of a new Attorney General so that the
Department of Justice can undertake its important
responsibilities."
The two independent member of the Senate—Joseph
Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders
of Vermont—were notable in the contrasting tones of
their statements on Gonzales' resignation.
On the one hand, Lieberman was charitable: "As he leaves
public service, the Attorney General deserves our
appreciation for his work for our nation."
Nevertheless, said Lieberman, "the Attorney general's
resignation removes a distraction from the important
work of the Department of Justice, and it provides
President Bush with an opportunity to appoint an
individual who can restore confidence."
Sanders said of Gonzales: "It was past time for
him to go. He had not been honest with Congress. His
credibility was shot. He has not respected the
Constitution."
In explaining their delight with Gonzales' departure,
Democrats laid out what they considered his
transgressions:
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland said that
Gonzales' tenure "has been marred by partisanship and
lack of candor with Congress about the firings of the
nine U.S. attorneys and other matters... we can never
tolerate a Department of Justice that has become a
political arm of the White House..."
Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin said
"Gonzales' tenure was marked by unprecedented
politicization of the Department of Justice, deception
of Congress and the American people, and disrespect for
the rule of law. He should never have been
confirmed and should have resigned long ago."
Looking ahead toward Gonzales' successor, Sen. Dianne
Feinstein of California said "with the right person
in place, a very distressing chapter in the Justice
Department's history can be closed and the process of
restoring its credibility as a strong and independent
department can begin."
Although they will not be involved in the confirmation
process, Democrats in the House of Representatives had
their say as well. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of
Tennessee suggested that former Deputy Attorney General
James Comey be appointed as Gonzales' successor,
explaining: "Mr. Comey has been one of the heroes of the
Department of Justice throughout the congressional
investigations. He is respected, well-qualified
and would make large advances toward restoring faith in
America's justice system."
Cohen said he had been working with Bruce Fein, a former
official of the Department of Justice under President
Ronald Reagan, to draft articles of impeachment against
Gonzales. He said the measure would have been
introduced on September 4, when Congress returns from
its summer recess.
U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel of New York described
Gonzales' resignation as "welcome news for those who
believe in the Constitution and don't believe in having
a government spying on its own citizens." He said
Gonzales "put politics ahead of the rule of law by
targeting and firing nine U.S. Attorneys based on their
handling of politically sensitive investigations.
When called upon y Congress to account for his actions,
instead of being truthful, he was misleading,
inconsistent, and deceptive in responses to the
questions asked of him."
U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes of New Hampshire said the
next attorney general "should be independent enough to
rebuild the public's trust in the office. I suggest
someone with the stature, experience and integrity of
New Hampshire's Warren Rudman."
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York said the
resignation of Gonzales does not end the problems of
President Bush's administration. "Mr. Gonzales is
but one actor in the administration's ongoing campaign
to evade, ignore and undermine the Constitution," he
said. "Normally, a resignation of this magnitude
would serve to restore the nation's confidence in a
Department that has become riddled with scandal.
However, in this case, I believe the problems with the
Administration's handling of the Department of Justice
go well beyond Mr. Gonzales and rest firmly with
President Bush. A special prosecutor must still be
appointed to investigate the Attorney General's false
statements to Congress and to investigate the apparent
criminal violations of law by Attorney General Gonzales
and others, including President Bush, by initiating the
National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping
program."
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois said "My
hope is that the days of torture memos, domestic spying
and usurpation of power by the President might be over.
It was clear from the beginning that Gonzales was
nothing more than a puppet of this administration.
His biggest problem was that he believed President Bush
had unlimited power to do whatever he wanted."
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York said "The
Bush administration's misuse of the Justice Department
as a political tool has sadly dishonored the fine work
of the great collection of public servants at the
Department of Justice. I am pleased that the Attorney
General has finally done the right thing and stepped
down."
|
Hizballah
has more rockets than before last war
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Israeli Defense Minister Ehud
Barak on Monday told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee that the Lebanon-based terrorist army
Hizballah has more rockets today than it did prior to
its war with Israel last summer, the Israeli newspaper
Ha’aretz reported.
Barak was referring to both long-range and short-range
rockets, and said that the weapons are situated north of
the Litani River. Hizballah fired over 4,000 rockets at
Israeli civilians last summer in fighting ended by U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for the
terrorist army’s disarmament.
The preceding story
was provided by the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee
(Return to top)
Smokestack emissions now a good source
for growing algae as a biofuel, Israeli company shows
By Karin Kloosterman
Israel 21C
ASHKELON, ISRAEL (Press Release)—There
may be a revolution blowing our way: The
Israeli company Seambiotic has found a
way to produce biofuel by channeling
smokestack carbon dioxide emissions
through pools of algae that clean it.
The growing algae thrives on the added
nutrients, and become a useful biofuel.
 For the last two years, the company has
done something that other alternative
fuel companies have dreamt about and are
only starting to do now: they've tested
their idea with an electric utility
company - a coal-burning power plant in
the southern city of Ashkelon operated
by the Israel Electric Company (IEC).
Looking high into the sky, it is far too
obvious how badly power plants and
factories are polluting our environment.
One of the most worrying gases produced
by power plants today is carbon dioxide,
which is believed responsible for global
warming.
In Israel, as in the US and the rest of
the world, it is estimated that power
plants produce about 40% of all
greenhouse gases. By employing tactics
designed by nature, however, Seambiotic
believes it can lock up carbon dioxide
emissions through a process called
biofixation. And they have employed a
slimy plant from the algae family to do
the job.
Algae are marine-derived plants that
thrive on carbon dioxide and sunlight.
"Algae grow fast and continuously," says
Seambiotic CEO Amnon Bechar. "An algal
pond can produce oil 365 days a year and
much more oil per hectare of land than
traditional plant crops."
Studies have shown that algae may be one
of the world's most promising biofuels.
It is capable of producing 30 times more
oil per acre than the current crops used
for the production of biofuels; algae
biofuel is non-toxic, contains no
sulfur, and is highly biodegradable.
The company's prototype algae farm in
Ashkelon uses the tiny plants to suck up
carbon dioxide emissions from power
plants. Seambiotic's eight shallow algae
pools, covering about a quarter-acre,
are filled with the same seawater used
to cool the power plant. A small
percentage of gases are siphoned off
from the power plant flue and are
channeled directly into the algae ponds.
Originally when the prototype started
operating, a common algae called
nannochloropsis was culled from the sea
and used in the ponds. Within months,
the research team noticed an unusual
strain of algae growing in the pools -
skeletonema - a variety believed to be
very useful for producing biofuel.
According to Noam Menczel, Seambiotic's
director of investor relations, the
company's developments have stirred
interest around the world, specifically
in Brazil, which has become one of the
champions of R&D in the area of
alternative and renewable fuels.
"A Brazilian professor wrote to us
recently, 'if that algae of yours has
the better features as you say it does,
we will close our sugar cane operations
and switch to algae,'" said Menczel.
If all goes according to plan,
Seambiotic plans to build its first
large-scale biofuel reactor by next year
and hopes to do so with a large
international partner. Several
potentials are already knocking on the
door.
Menczel reports that Seambiotic is
meeting with electric plant operators
from Hawaii, Singapore, Italy and India,
all keen on hearing about Seambiotic's
technology.
"As we have already developed and
produced algae through the process, our
main goal is to market the installation
and development of our unique algae
growing system around the world," notes
Menczel, who adds that Seambiotic's
approach includes a special system to
filter out heavy smoke.
IEC senior engineer Gabriel
Jinjikhashvily says that besides
offering their coal-burning site as a
pilot plant for Seambiotic, the power
station also lends its know-how to help
fulfill the company's dream. And in
return, the IEC is getting some vital
experience from Seambiotic.
Recently, the IEC became part of a
European consortium, working with
universities from Holland, Germany and
France, aimed at developing new water
technologies in the scope of climate
change - project GLOWA 'Global Change in
the Hydrological Cycle'.
"Seambiotic provided an opportunity for
us to test the applicability of
membranes [gas filters] developed by our
European consortium, where we aim to
separate carbon dioxide from the other
flue gases," said Jinjikhashvily.
"The greatest problem today when dealing
with carbon dioxide emissions is
separating them from the other gases.
The target of this multi-national group
is to develop new membranes that are
both cheap and efficient," he added.
According to Seambiotic's CEO Bechar:
"By raising the level of carbon dioxide
emissions in the water we increased the
yield [of algae] one million-fold
compared to the natural state in the
sea."
While Seambiotic's approach may be
novel, using algae for biofuel or "biofixation"
is not a new idea. An Israeli scientist
now in the US had a similar idea for
cleaning emissions and joined US-based
GreenFuel some time ago. Earlier this
year, GreenFuel announced that it would
be building a prototype for a Louisiana
power plant in New Roads. But current
reports on funding issues, suggests that
the fate of this project is not clear.
When the project was announced David
Crane, the CEO of the Louisiana plant
said: "Coal is - and will remain - the
premier domestic fuel source for power
generation purposes in the United States
for the foreseeable future. This means
it is incumbent on us not only to build
new coal plants using technology which
limits or eliminates greenhouse gas
emissions but also to find the best way
to retrofit the country's existing fleet
of coal plants for post-combustion
carbon capture."
John Laumer, an environmental consultant
from Philadelphia and a writer for
TreeHugger.com thinks that algal
farming, when it aligns closely to that
found in nature, will give the most
promising results.
"The use of cooling ponds and other
artificial, shallow impoundments; and to
learn how to cultivate and harvest
sequential blooms. This is the path that
will be proven economical and
environmentally acceptable," he says.
This appears to be the approach taken by
Seambiotic, which has modestly spent
only $2 million on R&D funding up until
now. Knowing how to use investment
money, concludes Menczel, is the
strength of Israeli entrepreneurs:
"This is Israeli ingenuity for you -
knowing how to conserve investor
dollars. In Israel, we have creative
ways for taking short cuts and don't
always live by the rules. This approach
allows us to do much more with much less
resources."
In the context of climate change and a
future energy crisis, let's hope
Seambiotic uses its creativity and
resources to make algae the next big
thing. Perhaps even one day, the slimy
green stuff that we scrape off of our
boats and fish tanks, may be worth as
much as gold.
Article courtesy Israel
21C
distributed by Israel's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
(Return to top)
Magyar Garda members sworn in
next to presidential palace in Budapest;
Jews, Roma protest
BUDAPEST, Hungary (Press Release)—Members
of the far-right paramilitary ‘Magyar
Garda’ (“Hungarian Guard”) were sworn in
next to the presidential palace in
Budapest by leaders of the extreme-right
party Jobbik on Saturday. The ceremony
was watched by about 1,000 party members
and supporters, and several hundred
bemused tourists. Nearby, hundreds of
protesters joined a demonstration
organized by anti-fascist groups,
including Jewish and Roma organisations.
At the swearing-in
ceremony, many were seen waving the
red-and-white striped Arpad flag, a
historic flag reminiscent of the one
used by Hungary’s pro-Nazi Arrow Cross
Regime during World War II. Uniforms
were also adorned with the emblem. "The
Magyar Garda was formed to execute a
true transition and to save the
Hungarian people," Jobbik president and
guard founder Gabor Vona told the crowd.
A well-known parliamentarian of the
opposition Fidesz party also took part
in the swearing-in ceremony, as did
Catholic and Protestant clerics.
Earlier last week, the
World Jewish Congress (WJC), the
European Jewish Congress (EJC) and the
Hungarian Jewish umbrella group
Mazsihisz asked prime minister Ferenc
Gyurcsany to ban the guard, whose
formation WJC president Lauder and EJC
president Kantor called "an extremely
alarming development" amid "rising
anti-Semitism in Europe." Gyurcsany has
condemned the creation of the Hungarian
Guard, saying it was "the disgrace of
Hungary and Hungarian democracy".
The preceding story was provided by the
World Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
.
{Click
the above ad for more
information}
German Jews protest Nazi messages on
YouTube
BERLIN, Germany—The
Central Council of Jews in Germany is
considering lodging a criminal complaint
against the online video platform
YouTube for allowing videos on its site
that promote racial hatred and glorify
war.
Such action made the video-sharing
website liable to charges of incitement
to racial hatred, the organization’s
vice-president, Salomon Korn, told the
German television feature ‘Report’.
"I expect the prosecutor's office, other
relevant authorities and, if necessary,
the German government to take action
against this," Korn said on the program,
which is to be aired today.
Program researchers said
it was possible to watch videos on
YouTube of an anti-Semitic film released
by the Nazis during World War II called
‘Jud Süß’. Outlawed videos by the
neo-Nazi groups ‘Kommando Freisler’ and
‘Landser’ were also available on the
website according to the program.
The
preceding story was provided by the
World Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
.
Homeland
Security
delaying
visas for
Austrian
volunteers
to work in
Holocaust
museums
NEW YORK—Entry
visas for a
number of
Austrian
volunteers
seeking
placement at
American
Holocaust
remembrance
institutions
have been
delayed and
in one case
denied,
according to
the New York
Times.
The
newspaper
cited recent
delays of up
to six
months for
four
interns: one
at the Los
Angeles
Museum of
the
Holocaust
which was
ultimately
turned down,
two at the
Leo Baeck
Institute in
New York and
one at the
Museum of
Tolerance in
Los Angeles.
The Virginia
Holocaust
Museum in
Richmond has
given up on
the program
because of
the
difficulties.
Young
Austrians
may
volunteer
for a
year-long
internship
at one of 25
Holocaust
remembrance
institutions
across the
world in
lieu of
military
service. The
problems
date back
four years,
the paper
reported. US
homeland
security
officials
denied there
was a trend
and noted
that
security
checks had
increased
since the
9/11
terrorist
attacks.
The
preceding
story was
provided by
the World
Jewish
Congress
(Return to
top)
Commentary
Accolades
for NYPD's
study of
'sudden
jihad
syndrome'
By
Shoshana
Bryen
WASHINGTON,
DC (Press
Release)—The
Jewish
Institute
for National
Security
Affairs (JINSA)
has
frequently
remarked on
the
phenomenon
the FBI
calls
"sudden
jihad
syndrome" or
SJS. SJS
afflicts
otherwise
ordinary
young men,
provoking
them to
violence
against
their fellow
citizens -
often Jews,
but often
not. The
list of men
thus
afflicted is
long,
including
the Fort Dix
Six, the
Lackawanna
Six, Naveed
Afzal Haq,
Hesham
Hadayet,
Derek
Shareef,
Sulejman
Talovic and
others in
Portland,
Lodi, and
Northern
Virginia.
London,
Madrid and
Amsterdam
have seen
outbreaks of
the disease
as well.
The New York
Police
Department
(NYPD),
treading
where the
Centers for
Disease
Control
apparently
fears to go,
has
attempted to
quantify the
symptoms,
aggravating
and
mitigating
factors,
incubation,
protection
and
prevention.
The NYPD
broke a
taboo by
acknowledging
that jihad
is a Muslim
phenomenon,
not widely
extant in
other
populations.
In a
landmark
report,
Radicalization
in the West:
The
Homegrown
Threat,
experts
studied 11
cases of
homegrown
jihadists,
isolating
specific
factors that
appear to
move some
people -
primarily
young men -
to radical,
violent
activity
even as most
American
Muslims
remain
unmoved by
or even
repulsed by
the idea of
violence
committed in
the name of
religion.
Among the
NYPD's
findings:
-
Salafist
ideology
combines
Islam
with a
determination
to solve
problems
through
violence.
Salafist
institutions
and
literature
are
readily
available
in the
West.
-
Al Qaeda
provides
inspiration,
but
generally
not
operational
assistance.
-
Susceptible
people
seek an
identity
or a
cause
and
often
self-identify
before
finding
compatriots.
Radicalization
has
proceeded
more
slowly
in the
U.S.
than in
Europe,
where
even
second
and
third
generation
immigrants
have
trouble
assimilating
into the
local
culture
- but
more
quickly
since
9-11.
-
The
Internet
is an
enabler,
providing
an
anonymous
virtual
meeting
place.
Sites
other
than
mosques
can
provide
the
sense of
community
otherwise
isolated
people
may be
seeking.
-
A
"spiritual
sanctioner"
and an
"operational
leader"
are
necessary
to move
people
from the
ideological
phase to
an
operational
terrorist
cell.
-
Not
everyone
who
begins
the
process
of
radicalization
becomes
a
terrorist;
there
are
several
points
at which
people
drop
out.
For these
valuable
insights,
the usual
suspects
have
vilified the
NYPD as
racist and
anti-Muslim.
The Council
on American
Islamic
Relations (CAIR)
says the
report
tarnishes
"all
Muslims."
The New York
Civil
Liberties
Union said,
"This report
appears
to...lay the
groundwork
for
wholesale
surveillance
of Muslim
communities
without any
sign of
unlawful
conduct."
Wrong. To
understand
is not to
judge.
The NYPD has
performed an
extraordinary
service to
law
enforcement
organizations
coming to
grips with
the
potential
for
homegrown
terrorism.
For refusing
to gloss
over the
inconvenient
fact that
Islamic
extremists
seek out
young Muslim
men and
entice them
toward
violence,
and for
seeking to
understand
who might in
fact be
susceptible
and why, the
NYPD
deserves our
kudos, our
gratitude
and our
unwavering
support.
The
preceding
commentary
was provided
by the
Jewish
Institute
for National
Security
Affairs
(Return to
top)
Please click on the above ad to
visit the Humanistic Jewish
Congregation's website
Letter
to the
Editor
Writer
objects to
use of
term
'demagogues'
Editor,
San Diego
Jewish World
In Sunday's
edition of
San Diego
Jewish World,
(Aug. 26,
2007) Don
Harrison
defends
former Mayor
and Governor
Pete Wilson
against the
epithet of
"racist"
with which
he was
assailed
recently.
Last week in
SDJW there
was another
discussion
concerning
the
appropriate
- or not -
application
of the word
"genocide"
used to
describe the
massacres of
the
Armenians
almost a
hundred
years ago by
the Turks.
These two
articles -
discussions
are
inter-related.
Discussing
policy and
it's
application
is an
expected
activity in
a
representative
republic
such as the
United
States is.
However,
when one
participant
in that
discussion
is labeled a
demagogue, a
racist or a
practitioner
of genocide,
or Hitler,
legitimate
discussion
comes to a
halt.
In the case
of the word
"demagogue"
as used in
Harrison's
article to
describe
those who
supported
Prop. 187,
as I recall
the
proposition
passed with
a margin of
58%. Does
that mean
that 58% of
the people
of
California
respond only
to
demagogues
or are
themselves
demagogues?
Is it not
legitimate
to have a
discussion
and a
vote to
structure
the access
to tax
supported
social
services for
those who
broke our
laws to get
here without
labeling
those with
whom one
might
disagree as
demagogues?
As Harrison
defends
Wilson
against
labeling, so
too I would
say it is
not
legitimate
to label
those who
supported
this
proposition
as
demagogues.
Labeling is
not a
legitimate
adjunct to
discussion
of issues.
It does not
further the
debate.
As for the
words
"racist" or
"genocide"
or "Hitler,"
these are
words with
heavy
meaning
especially
for the
Jewish
community.
To fling
them about
as has
become
almost
commonplace
in the
public arena
simply to
demean or
place on the
defensive
someone with
whom we
might
strongly
disagree is
to lessen
the impact
of these
words.
Defending
Pete Wilson
is
laudatory,
but one also
needs to
defend the
legitimatee
use of these
words.
Words are
important -
if they lose
meaning we
resort to
arms.
Think of how
these words
have already
been
demeaned.
President
Bush has
been called
worse than
Hitler.
Israel has
been labeled
worse than
Nazi
Germany.
Zionism has
been equated
as racism
with the
concurrence
of the
United
Nations, no
less.
Israelis
have been
called
racists.
Israel's
attempts to
defend
itself has
been
described as
genocide
against the
Palestinians.
As words
lose their
meaning we
end up with
discussions
like Supreme
Court
Justice
Clarence
Thomas is
not really
black,
Senator
Obama is not
black
enough,
former
President
Clinton is
really
black,
everyone on
the right is
a religious
fanatic
everyone on
the left is
a green nut.
Can we stick
to
discussing
the issues
without
labeling the
political
opponent?
Sheila
Orysiek
San Diego
|
  News Sleuths:
Hamas
Watching the media gathering
and reporting the news
of Jewish interest
|
Date:
August
27,
2007
Place:
U.S.
State
Department,
Washington,
D.C.
Interviewee:
Sean
Casey,
Deputy
Spokesman
Subject:
Hamas
QUESTION:
--
on
Hamas.
The
head
of
Hamas,
Khaled
Meshaal,
gave
a
television
interview
in
the
recent
days
and
he
made
a
lot
of
criticisms
about
the
Administration.
He
said
that
the
Administration
has
exempted
key
players
of
the
Middle
East
from
the
process,
namely
Hamas,
and
that
at
some
point
the
Administration
is
going
to
have
to
deal
with
Hamas.
And
he
also
said
that
the
upcoming
conference
that
the
U.S.
is
planning
for
the
Middle
East
will
fail
because
Hamas
is
not
invited.
And
I
was
wondering
if
you
think
that
eliminating
Hamas
from
this
particular
--
from
your
peace
efforts
right
now,
do
you
think
that
that's
an
ill-advised
approach,
because
eventually
you're
going
to
need
their
consent
to
move
ahead?
MR.
CASEY:
Well,
to
have
a
peace
process,
you
have
to
want
peace.
And
to
have
a
peace
process,
you
have
to
acknowledge
the
other
party
sitting
across
from
you
at
the
table
has
a
right
to
exist
and
a
right
to
live
in
peace.
So
if
anyone
is
being
held
out
or
kept
out
of a
process,
it's
Hamas
keeping
itself
out
by
its
failure
to
meet
those
basic
criteria
that
the
Quartet
laid
out
some
time
ago.
And
what
we
are
trying
to
do
is
work
with
the
Government
of
the
Palestinian
Authority
as
well
as
other
states
in
the
region
to
give
the
Palestinian
people
what
they
so
badly
deserve,
which
is
an
independent
state
that
can
live
side
in
side
in
peace
with
Israel.
The
Palestinian
people,
though,
obviously
will
have
to
make
a
fundamental
choice
at
some
point
as
to
how
to
deal
with
a
group
like
Hamas,
which
seems
to
want
to
have
one
foot
in
the
political
process
and
another
foot
engaged
in
active
terrorist
and
military
operations.
But
I
think
it's
kind
of
ironic
for
anyone
from
Hamas
to
be
complaining
about
being
exempted
from
a
peace
process
which
they
frankly
don't
recognize
and
don't
believe
in.
Yeah.
QUESTION:
Prime
Minister
Olmert
and
President
Abbas
are
scheduled
to
meet
tomorrow,
I
believe.
Any
particular
goals
for
that
particular
meeting,
from
the
U.S.
side?
Any
particular
hopes
for
--
you
think,
will
come
out
of
this
particular
meeting
--
MR.
CASEY:
Yeah,
I'm
not
sure
of
the
exact
timing
of
their
meeting,
but
this
is a
continuation
of a
series
of
discussions
that
have
been
launched,
in
part
through
the
Secretaries
and
the
U.S.
Administration's
assistants,
to
get
them
talking
about
what
the
Secretary
Rice
called
the
"political
horizon";
some
of
the
broader
issues
that
are
out
there
that
will
have
to
be
addressed
ultimately
to
be
able
to
have
a
Palestinian
state.
And
so
we're
glad
that
these
conversations
are
continuing.
We
certainly
want
to
see
them
make
progress
towards
an
agreed
notion
of
some
of
those
"political
horizon"
issues.
But
I
don't,
as
far
as I
know,
expect
to
see
any
kind
of
concrete
agreements
coming
out
of
this
meeting.
Again,
though,
I'd
really
refer
you
to
Prime
Minister
Olmert
and
President
Abbas's
office
though
for
details
of
their
agenda.
QUESTION:
Thank
you.
(Return
to
top)
. .
CYBER-REFERRALS—We thank contributors who pass along or post stories of interest for your benefit:
●Israel’s Consulate General passes along an article in the Jerusalem Post in which Islamic Jihad criticizes the Palestinian Authority for rescuing an Israeli soldier who had been caught by a lynch mob in Jenin. The terrorist organization said the PA should be protecting Palestinians, not soldiers. Here’s the link
●Jay Jacobson forwards to us an essay by Matthew Levitt from the Washington Center for Near East Policy urging that US AID be vigilant that its funds for international development do not get diverted into the hands of terrorists. Here is the link.
JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—
● U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (Democrat, California) chairs the military personnel subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. She has found a good way to gather information is to simply sit down with military service people over a meal at the mess hall. She recently did just that during a tour of Iraq, according to a story by Dana Wilkie in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. Here is a link.
● San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Undersheriff William Gore are featured speakers at 8 p.m. Tuesday at a "law and order" meeting cosponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition and Congregation Adat Yeshurun at 8625 La Jolla Scenic Drive North, La Jolla. Among issues the two will discuss is how the community can provide for its security needs during the upcoming High Holidays, according the RJC President Michael Rosen.
● U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (Democrat, New York) is introducing legislation she says is intended to curb abuse by credit card companies. The measure "would (1) prohibit creditors from increasing interest rates based on the status of other accounts, a practice known as 'universal default;' and (2) require creditors to provide consumers with a clear monthly statement of the minimum payment, the percentage of the balance that the minimum payment represents, and the number of months it would take and the amount it would cost to pay the balance if only the minimum payment is made each month."
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|
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·
Sept 6—Music Therapy
· Sept 13—Expressive Art Therapy Playshop™
· Sept 20—Acupuncture for Cancer and Chemo Relief·
Sept 27—Expressive Writing Workshop (12:15pm start)
· Oct 4—Film Festival: Bill Moyers – Vol. 4
· |
