International and
National |
'Boycott Israelis,
you also boycott us'—Dershowitz, four Nobel laureates, other scholars vow in
petition
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Press
Release)—Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Fankfurter Professor
of Law at Harvard University, and four Nobel Prize winners—Daniel Kahneman,
Eric R. Kandel, Steven Weinberg and Elie Wiesel—are leading an effort in
which professors "hereby declare ourselves to be Israeli academics for
purposes of any academic boycott. We will regard ourselves as Israeli
academics and decline to participate in any activity from which Israeli
academics are excluded."
Kahneman, based at Princeton, won the Nobel Prize for economics; Kandel,
from Columbia University, won the Nobel Prize for medicine; Weinberg, at the
University of Texas-Austin, won
it in physics and Wiesel, at Boston University, won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Among those joining the prestigious five leaders in signing a petition by
Harrisburg-based
Scholars for Peace in the Middle East are Physics Prof. Stanley Deser of
Brandeis University, Humane Letters Prof. Roald Hoffmann of Cornell
University; SPME President Edward S. Beck, a psychology professor at Walden
University; Psychiatry Prof. Paul Appelbaum of Columbia University;
Medicine Prof. John R. Cohn of Thomas Jefferson University; Ruth
Lichtenberg-Contreras of the University of Vienna; Stanley Dubinsky,
University of South Carolina associate dean; and Management Prof. Awi
Federgruen of Columbia University.
Others are Near Eastern Studies Prof. Lizabeth S.Fried of the University of
Michigan; Public
Health Prof. Judith S. Jacobson of Columbia University; Medicine Prof,
Richard L. Lubman of
the University of Southern California; Engineering Prof. Edward H. Kaplan of
Yale University; Law Prof. Ed Morgan of the University of Toronto;
Pharmacology Prof, Joel Pachter of the University of Connecticut;
Medicine Prof. Harvey A. Risch of Yale University; Psychiatry Prof. Bruce
Rubenstein of New York Univrsity: Psychology Prof. Marius Usher of the
University of London, and Life Science Research Associate Jeffrey Wielgus of
the University of British Columbia.
Here is
a link to the online petition.
Information for the foregoing article was
provided by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.
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_________________
ZOA
calls on United Nations to expel Iran
for threats to 'wipe out' member state Israel
NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
stated in a speech on Sunday that last summer's Lebanon war showed "for
the first time hegemony of the occupier regime (Israel) collapsed and
that pushed the button counting the days until the destruction of
Zionist regime."
Ahmadinejad's comments, which were broadcast to the Iranian nation in a
speech marking the 18th anniversary of the death of its Islamist
founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, also included this threat: "I warn
the Zionist regime and its protectors, if you want to launch a new war
against the Lebanese people, this time the people's ocean of anger will
become stormy and will carry away your decayed roots from this region …
The countdown to this regime's destruction started through the hands of
Hizballah's children … We will witness the destruction of this regime in
the near future thanks to the endeavors of all Palestinian and Lebanese
fighters" (Sydney Morning Herald , June 4).
Ahmadinejad has previously called repeatedly for
Israel to be "wiped off the map," denied the occurrence of the Holocaust and
convened Holocaust denial conferences and
cartoon competitions demeaning the Holocaust. His most recent comments drew
criticism from Spain's Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, who called them
"unacceptable … These words need a strong response" (Jerusalem Post, June
4). France's new Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, echoed Moratinos' words,
saying, "I have been informed of comments, quoted by news agencies, in which the
Iranian president speaks of the 'annihilation of the Israeli regime.' If these
comments were indeed made, they are unacceptable. I condemn them in the
strongest terms. Such statements are incompatible with the dialogue between
cultures and civilizations to which we are attached and to Iran's aspiration to
play a preeminent role in the region. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and
Israeli-Lebanese relations cannot be used as a pretext for questioning Israel's
fundamental right to exist" (Agence-France Presse, June 4).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, "Ahmadinejad
is only the most vocal of Muslim leaders calling for Israel's elimination and
uttering obscenities like denying the Nazi genocide of Europe's Jews. From the
day in 1948, before Israel was created, when the Secretary-General of
the Arab League, Azzam Pasha declared that 'This will be a war of extermination
and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres
and the Crusades,' Arab and Muslim leaders have been calling for Israel's
destruction. What makes Ahmadinejad's repeated
calls for and predictions of Israel's destruction so ominous is that his regime
is proceeding unhindered towards acquiring nuclear weapons, which would allow
him to carry out his dream. Ahmadinejad says repeatedly that no one will stop
him. (jump to continuation)
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____________
|
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A Herald in Zion....
Notes from Mevasseret Zion
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson |
Vacations
without children? That's not the Israeli way!
MEVASSERET ZION, Israel—Like migrating birds, they spend
every winter in Eilat. Their home is in London, but the winter climate makes
their old bones ache, and besides, she’s not too keen on housework.
Hearing the unmistakable
sound of native London accents in the hotel club-room during our own vacation,
we fell into conversation with them. They seemed to be in their seventies and to
have spent a lot of time in the sun, judging by their tans.
"Yes,
we come here every year, and spend three months in this hotel. We’ve been doing
it for the last sixteen years,” they told us. “The hotel staff regard us as
family.”
How admirable, we thought,
wishing that more British Jews would follow their lead. Little did we realise
that we had fallen into a trap.
“But why do Israelis have
to take their children with them everywhere?” she complained. “Why can’t we eat
in the dining room without having to put up with screaming children? Why does
everyone have to wear jeans all the time? Is it a religion? Why do Israelis pile
so much food on their plates? Was there a famine? And why is everyone so bad
mannered?”
It seemed slightly futile
to try and counteract those sweeping generalizations. How does one explain that
Israel is not England, that most parents wouldn’t dream of going away without
their children, that Israelis enjoy good food, and that people on holiday,
especially in the laid-back atmosphere of Eilat, tend to wear comfortable
clothes?
After our conversation I
took a good look at the other people in the hotel. I saw adorable babies and
toddlers and beautiful, lively children. I tried to view those happy families
through my acquaintance’s jaundiced eyes, but my imaginative faculties failed
me.
Yes, once there was
rationing and hardship here, but that was a long time ago. Nowadays Israelis
simply want to enjoy themselves. Just like everybody else.
The
foregoing article was reprinted from the
AJR Journal (Association of Jewish
Refugees) in England.
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________________
Shel Silverstein a legend in winter home, Key West
Editor’s Note: Historic Tours of America, which
operates Old Town Trolley Tours and other
attractions in Key West, San Diego, and a number of other cities around the
United States,
publishes a newsletter “The Nation’s Storyteller” every other month. Noting
that April was
National Poetry Month, it published this article about one of Key West’s
most celebrated
literary
figures. We reprint it here with permission.
By Joe Mather and Corey Brindisi
KEY WEST, Florida—Shel Silverstein, who had a winter home in Key West,
began writing as
a young boy in Chicago.
Although he would rather have been playing outside with his friends,
he could
not catch or hit a ball, he was not interested in girls or girls were not
interested in him
and so he gave his energies to writing. He developed his own
style because he was unfamiliar
with the poetry of any great poets of his time.
His works go beyond the writing of poetry and
children’s’ literature. He created
cartoons for
Stars and Stripes while
he was a GI in the 1950’s. He also learned
to play the guitar and write
songs,
including, "A Boy Named Sue" for Johnny
Cash, "The Unicorn" for the Irish
Rovers,
"On the Cover of the Rolling Stone"
and "Sylvia's Mother" for Dr. Hook
and "One on the Way"
for Loretta Lynn. He
won a Grammy Award for the Best
Children’s Album, “Where the Sidewalk
Ends," in 1984. He was nominated for an
Oscar for his music from the film
Postcards from the Edge.Also in 1984, Shel caught up with Pat Dailey, a
local hero songwriter, and began a great working
and personal relationship for
over fifteen years. Pat Dailey dedicated his album “Great American
Saturday Nite”
to his friend. Four of the songs were written by Shel including the title track.
"He always wore loose, casual clothes. Always
the bohemian. He didn't look like a bum, but to
the casual observer.... some
people mistook him. He once went into a bookstore in Key West and
tried to buy
some books. The clerk came back and told him his credit card was no good. The
guy
is worth millions and millions. He couldn't figure it out, but just said OK
and left. The next day
Shel gets a call from his accountant asking him if he'd
lost his wallet recently. Shel says no. The
guy from the book store called the
credit card company saying some homeless guy was trying to
pass himself off as Shel Siverstein.”
He loved
bookstores. Pat drove him to a book store and Pat stayed in the car. While he
was inside
Pat wrote a song about Shel Called "I'm a Chauffeur for a Loafer.”
“He loved it." Dailey loved
Silverstein's casual approach to being one of the
best-selling authors and song writers of all time.
“He loved his
friends. The time we spent in Key West was great. He laughed a lot. He ate a lot
of
sushi. He did a lot of walking. He never drove a car, so we spent a lot of
time walking around
after dinner. He loved to walk.”
Shel had
two children. His first child was daughter Shoshanna (Shanna), with Susan
Hastings.
Shanna died of a
cerebral aneurysm
in Baltimore on
April 24,
1982 at the
age of 11. Shel dedicated
his
1983 reprint
of Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros to Meg and Curtis Marshall. (Shanna’s
Aunt
and Uncle who raised her) "It was the single most devastating event of his
life, and he never really
did recover from it,” says a close friend.
Shel's
other child is son Matthew, born in
1984. Shel's
1996
Falling Up was dedicated to Matt.
Matthew's mother is alleged to be the
"Sarah" mentioned in the other thanks for Falling Up.
Shel
Silverstein died on
May 10,
1999 in
Key West of a
heart attack.
His body was found by two
housekeepers. It was reported that he could have died
on either day that weekend (Saturday or
Sunday).
Shel Silverstein is known for his silliness in
poems. They are actually quite humorous. So we |
are going to end by sharing one of
his many poems. Hope you enjoy it.
Writer Waiting
Oh this shiny new computer ---
There just isn't nothin' cuter.
It knows everything the world ever knew.
And with this great computer
I don't need no writin' tutor,
'Cause there ain't a single thing that it can't do.
It can sort and it can spell,
It can punctuate as well.
It can find and file and underline and type.
It can edit and select,
It can copy and correct,
So I'll have a whole book written by tonight
(Just as soon as it can think of what to write).
P.S. His house is on the Old Town
Trolley tour.
______________
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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.
To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
*The late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was quoted in a San
Diego Union-Tribune
editorial today about how a state should be a "laboratory for democracy"
in the newspaper's argument in behalf of permitting California to pursue its
own experimental health care policies.
*U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) and U.S. Rep.
Bob Filner (Democrat, san Diego) have persuaded the Federal Aviation
Administration to delay switching over the responsibility for aviation in
the Palm Springs area to a San Diego facility. The lawmakers expressed
concerns that the San Diego facility, which handles both military and
civilian flights, is already understaffed. The
story by Steve Schmidt is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, San Diego) says he will post a
"congressional reference" to permit Mexican citizen Francisco Rivera to sue
the United States court over a used car which he says was purchased from the
U.S. Customs Service but which still had a marijuana cache in it, resulting
in his arrest in Ensenada. The
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for a
unanimous court, said civil rights lawyers who win a preliminary ruling, but
later lose the case on the merits, cannot be considered the 'prevailing
side' and thus are not entitled to fees paid by the defendant. The question
arose in a case involving civil rights lawyers helping an anti-war group use
their nude bodies to create a peace symbol on the beach. The
story by David G. Savage is in today's Los Angeles Times.
Another
story by Savage dealt with a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court in a
death penalty case with Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer voting in
the minority.
*The California Highway Patrol has recommended that reckless driving charges
be brought against state Sen. Carole Migden (Democrat, San
Francisco). The Associated Press
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Producer David Milch says the new HBO series "John from
Cincinnati" about a dysfunctional surfing family will do what many previous
shows about surfing haven't—be authentic. The
story by Brad Melekian is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Seth Rogen, a 26-year-old comic from Canada, seems poised to
become a well-known star, as a result of his lead role in the movie
Knocked Up, which opens at theatres on Friday. The
story by Terry Lawson of MCT News Service is in today's San Diego
Union-Tribune.
*U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said a federal indictment returned in
Alexandria, Virginia, against Congressman William J. Jefferson (Democrat,
Louisiana) accuses him of using his congressional office to enrich himself
and his family through various business deals, including some in Nigeria.
The
story by Richard B. Schmitt and Ann Simmons is in today's Los Angeles
Times.
*Sarah Silverman as host of the MTV Movie Awards was so tasteless
that she almost made people feel sorry for Paris Hilton. Geoff
Boucher's
column is in the Los Angeles Times.
*The jury in the murder trial of record producer Phil Spector heard
excerpts read from the diary of shooting victim Lana Clarkson that defense
attorneys said were indications that she was suicidal. The
story by Matt Krasnowski of Copley News Service is in today's San
Diego Union-Tribune.
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top)
_________________________________________________
The Jewish Grapevine
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler notes an article on Artuz Sheva
quoting Dr. Chanan Naveh of the Israel Broadcasting Authority as
saying he and other journalists intentionally slanted the news to persuade
Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon...
JEWISH POPULATIONS—Quoting
Sergio DellaPergola in the American Jewish Year Book of 2004,
the United Jewish Communities lists on its
website these estimates
for the population of Jews in the following countries: Argentina:
185,000; Australia: 101,000; Austria: 9,000; Azerbaijan:
7,200; Bahamas: 300; Belarus: 22,000; Belgium: 31,300;
Bolivia: 500; Bosnia-Herzegovina: 500;
Botswana: 100; Brazil: 96,800; Bulgaria: 2,200;
Canada: 371,000; Chile: 20,800; China: 1,000;
Colombia: 3,300; Congo: 100; Costa Rica: 2,500;
Croatia: 1,700; Cuba: 600; Czech Republic: 4,000;
Denmark: 6,400; Dominican Republic: 100: Ecuador:
900; Egypt: 100; El Salvador: 100;
Estonia: 1,700; Ethiopia: 100; Finland: 1,100;
France: 496,000; Georgia: 3,800; Germany: 112,000;
Gibraltar: 600; Greece: 4,500; Guatemala: 900;
Hungary: 50,000; India: 5,100; Iran: 10,900; Ireland:
1,200; Israel: 4,940,000; Italy: 28,800; Jamaica: 300;
Japan: 1,000; Kazakhstan: 4,000; Kenya: 400;
Kygryzstan: 700; Latvia: 8,900; Lithuania: 3,400;
Luxembourg: 600;
Macedonia: 100; Mexico: 39,900; Moldova: 5,000;
Morocco: 4,000; Namibia: 100; Netherlands: 30,000;
Netherlands Antilles: 200; New Zealand: 6,800; Nigeria:
100; Norway: 1,200; Panama: 5,000; Paraguay: 900;
Peru: 2,400; Philippines: 100; Poland: 3,300; Portugal:
500; Puerto Rico: 1,500; Romania: 10,500; Russia:
244,000; Serbia-Montenegro: 1,500; Singapore: 300; Slovakia:
2,700; Slovenia: 100; South Africa: 74,000; South Korea:
100; Spain: 12,000; Suriname: 200; Sweden:
15,000; Switzerland: 18,000; Syria: 100; Thailand: 200;
Tunisia: 1,200; Turkey: 17,900;
Turkmenistan: 400; Ukraine: 89,000; United Kingdom:
299,000; United States: 5,290,000; US Virgin Islands: 300;
Uruguay: 19,600; Uzbekistan: 5,200; Venezuela: 15,600;
Yemen: 200;
Zimbabwe: 500.
IN MEMORY—Short obituaries ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune today
for Charlotte Hahn, 80, of San Diego, and Irving Hutkin, 76,
of Encinitas. Here is
a link to both stories.
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|
At age 70, UJF of San Diego is giving itself a facelift
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The United Jewish Federation of San Diego County (UJF)
has reached a milestone; it’s turning 70
this year. But instead of resting on its laurels, UJF leaders
have decided to give the organization a facelift.
“We’re doing things quite differently,” said
Michael S. Rassler, UJF Chief Executive Officer,
“We have taken a hard look at many of our operating structures and procedures,
and are
streamlining our internal management and governance structures to better align
ourselves with
our goals and objectives to better serve the Jewish community.”
After seven decades as one of San Diego’s leading
Jewish organizations, UJF is improving the
way it is governed. Last August, UJF formed a Governance Task Force—chaired by
Murray L. Galinson of La Jolla—in an effort to create more effective, efficient
and productive management practices.
The new Task Force was created to help the
organization adapt to the continuously changing
needs of San Diego’s Jewish community,” said Galinson
“Most people in San Diego didn’t grow up here, so
their generational ties aren’t here,” Galinson continued, “You’ll find that
people’s connection to the community and levels of affiliation in San Diego are
more fluid.”
In a recent demographic study of San Diego’s
Jewish community, UJF confirmed that although
the community is growing—there are more than 90,000 members of the Jewish
community— the affiliation rate continues to be very low.
According to the study, 54 percent of San Diego’s
Jewish families are not involved in Jewish organizations; 44 percent are
intermarried; and only 14 percent feel connected to the community
—a trend UJF said stems from changes in society and attitudes in the Jewish
community.
“We believe community affiliation is the
cornerstone of Jewish life,” Galinson said. “So we work very hard with other
Jewish agencies and organizations collaboratively to improve affiliation and
levels of participation.”
UJF leaders ultimately hope to attract and engage
more members of the Jewish community in the activities, programs and services
offered by the various Jewish community agencies, synagogues
and organizations.
Among the key governance changes which were recently approved at a special
meeting of the
general membership:
A board of 24 members will replace the existing
82 member board. The new board will be
elected and take office June 19 (at UJF’s Annual Meeting), and each board member
will have a specific operational portfolio or area of responsibility. The
Executive Committee will be
restructured from its current 22 members, to the 7 officers and CEO.
Additionally, UJF will
create multiple, short-term opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the
organization’s fund development, advocacy, planning and governing processes.
UJF is committed to utilizing the Strategic
Planning Report and Recommendations for the San
Diego Jewish community, which was completed in 2005, as a roadmap to guide the
new board
and Jewish San Diegans in creating a more unified, active Jewish community.
“Most of the initiatives in the Strategic Plan
are new,” said Kenneth D. Polin, UJF president.
“UJF’s role is to be the community planning umbrella and to knit together the
individual projects mapped out in the Plan into a comprehensive strategy for the
future.”
The preceding story was provided by the United Jewish Federation.
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____________________
‘Who
Wrote the Bible?’ subject of free AJE mini-course
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Noah Hadas, community
adult education director for the Agency for Jewish Education in San Diego, will
tackle some knotty Torah questions when he teaches a free mini-course on “Who
Wrote the Bible?” sponsored by the Florence Melton Adult Mini School
Why do there appear to be two creation stories in Genesis? Why did
Abraham ask Sarah to
pretend to be his sister two different times? How many animals of
each species did Noah bring onto the ark?
Hadas said such questions “will lead us to consider the Documentary Hypothesis,
the scholarly assertion that the Torah is a compilation of separate sources. In
this class, we will begin to untangle these sources and shed light on some of
the Torah's most puzzling stories.”
And speaking of two’s, the class will be offered in two sessions at two
locations: from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Tuesdays, June 19 and 26, at the Agency for
Jewish Education offices at 4858
Mercury Street, Suite 100, or from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursdays, June 21 and 28, at
the Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla
Information for the
foregoing story was provided by the Agency for Jewish Education
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Used Book Sale to Benefit JCC's
Astor Judaica Library
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The
Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family campus, will be transformed into one
of the hugest used bookstores in the county on the weekend of Friday,
June 8, through Sunday, June 10.
The Seventh Annual Used Book Sale will include thousands of books on
both Judaic and non-Judaic subjects, fiction and non-fiction, and
hardcover and paperback books. Additionally, original prints from the
Burston Graphic Center of the Israel Museum also will be on sale.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Samuel and Rebecca Astor Judaica
Library. For more information contact (858) 362-1174.
The foregoing article was based on information provided by the
Astor Judaica Library.
|
Presidential debate...
(Continued from above)
When Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, was asked what he considered to
be the greatest moral issue facing the United States, he responded that "we must
value human life," adding that he meant not only life in the womb but also those
of children and seniors. Then he added: "If you look at us, in contrast to
the Isamic jihadists who would strap a bomb to the belly of their own child, and
march them into a crowded room and set the detonator and kill innocent
people—they celebrate death, and we celebrate life. It is the fundamental
thing that makes us unique and keeps us free."
Huckabee, who has been a pastor as well as a political figure, was asked to
explain his views favoring creationism over the theory of evolution. He
responded by quoting the first line from Genesis: "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
"To me," Huckabee added, "it is pretty simple: a person believes that God
created this process or that it was just an accident that happened all on its
own...I believe there is a God, a God who is active in the creation process. How
did He do it, when did He do it, how long did He take? I don't honestly
know." However, he said, quoting words credited to Martin Luther defending
his 95 Theses at the Diet of Worms in 1521, "Here I stand, I can not do
otherwise."
Senator Brownback, who likewise supports the teaching of Creationism in schools,
said like the saint for whom the New Hampshire College was named —Saint
Anselm—he believed in the concept of faith seeking reason. "I believe that
we are created in the image of God for a particular purpose and I believe that
with all my heart." Noting that he had battled cancer, and had time to
think about end-of-life questions, he said he had concluded that "there is a God
in the universe who loves us very much. How He did it (created the world),
I don't know. One of the problems that we have with our society today is
that we put faith and science at odds with each other... We should engage faith
and reason like Saint Anselm did."
Brownback's reference to the college namesake who had served as Archbishop of
Canterbury during the 11th Century drew appreciative applause from many of the
locals in the auditorium.
McCain also declared his religious beliefs, saying that in "the time before
time, there is no doubt in my mind that the hand of God was in what we are
today, and I do believe that we are unique and that God loves us." As for
whether creationism should be taught in schools, he said that was a decision for
local school boards.
Another religious question dealt with the fact that Romney is a Mormon and some
polls indicate as many as 10 percent of New Hampshire's voters would not vote
for him because of his affiliation with what is more formally known as the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Romney responded that "President (John F.) Kennedy said some time ago he was not
a Catholic running for President, he was an American running for President, and
I am happy I am a member of my faith." Romney said that his values are the
same values that unites many people in this country: "I believe in God; I
believe in the bible; I believe Jesus Christ is my savior; I believe that God
created man in His image; I believe that the freedoms we have were derived from
inalienable rights that were given to us by God."
Romney said he also believes "that there are some pundits out there who are
hoping that I will distance myself from my church so that it will help me
politically, and that is not going to happen."
In one of the last rounds of questioning, Congressman Tom Tancredo of New Jersey was asked what it means to be an American, and his
response drew some immediate opposition. In his view, he said, it means that
immigrants from other countries should cut their ties to the past, "especially
political ties from the country from which you came." He went on to
suggest that it was time to declare a moratorium on immigration, until such time
as immigrants already here are assimilated. He said assimilation means
that telephone messages no longer will have to say, "press 1 for English and 2
for any other language."
Giuliani said there is no reason to debate legal immigration, as opposed to
illegal immigration, as the former "makes us better, brings us people who want
to make a better life." Without an inflow of immigrants, this country
loses "the genius that has made America great."
McCain agreed with Giuliani: "America is still the land of opportunity," he
said.
W'ere not going to erect barriers and fences."
(Return to top)
Iran-ZOA
(continued from above)
"It is therefore truly amazing that, other than
the foreign ministers of France and Spain, so few have raised their voice
against Ahmadinejad. Why has there been no denunciation from President Bush,
Secretary Rice or any other senior figure in the Administration? Unfortunately,
this silence is part of a pattern.
“There was silence when, on March 30, Hamas
spokesman Ismail Radwan ended his sermon broadcast on the Palestinian Authority
TV with the words, 'The Hour [of Resurrection] will not take place until the
Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, and the rock and the tree will
say: "Oh, Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him!" There
was silence when, a Palestinian Arab author, Kan'an Ubayd, wrote in a
Palestinian Arab newspaper in April, 'the extermination of Jews is good ... to
which Allah gave his blessing.' Why does the U.S. continue to deal with,
support, fund and urge concessions to the PA when its elected officials call for
genocide of Jews? Why are foreign governments not protesting or demanding a
retraction of these statements? Now Ahmadinejad, head of a state that is
believed to be close to acquiring nuclear weapons and which has openly discussed
using them against Israel, speaks of Israel's imminent destruction and the world
remains largely silent.
"The ZOA strongly backs House Concurrent
Resolution 21, which calls on 'the United Nations Security Council to charge
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the United Nations
Charter because of his calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.' The
Resolution 'condemns...Ahmadinejad's offensive remarks, contemptible statements,
and reprehensible policies,' calls on the United Nations Security Council and
all Member States to 'consider measures to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear
weapons,' and 'reaffirms the unwavering strategic partnership between the United
States and Israel.'
"If the United Nations is to have any
credibility and moral authority, it must immediately and affirmatively hold
Ahmadinejad accountable for his outrageous, offensive, and provocative
statements against Israel and the Jewish people. Israel is a sovereign United
Nations Member State. Already in 2005, the ZOA called for the United Nations to
remove Iran from the organization because, in threatening the annihilation of a
member state, Iran is not only severely violating its commitment to the UN
Charter, but threatening world peace. At the time, former Secretary-General Kofi
Annan did nothing.
"We now renew our call to his successor, Ban Ki-Moon, because Iran is again
clearly in violation of the UN Charter, which defines the purposes of the UN as
being the 'taking of effective, collective measures for the prevention of and
removal of threats to the peace' (Article 1.1). The UN Charter further demands
that member states 'shall refrain in their international relations from the
threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes
of the United Nations' (Article 2.4).' The Charter also states that 'A Member of
the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in
the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General
Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council' (Article 6). Lastly,
the UN Secretary-General has the power to 'bring to the attention of the
Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of
international peace and security' (Article 99)."
"It is patently clear that Iran, in calling for
wiping out of a member state of the UN, is acting completely at variance with
the purposes and requirements of the UN Charter, especially these articles. It
is hard to imagine what else Ahmadinejad could say that would more fully flout
the spirit and letter of the Charter. A country whose head of state makes these
statements should have no place in the UN. We therefore call upon the UN
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, to discharge his duty under Article 99 to call
this matter to the attention of Security Council to deal with this grave threat
to international peace and security."
The foregoing article was provided by the Zionist Organization of
America (ZOA).
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