San Diego Jewish World

                          Monday Evening-Tuesday,
 August 13-14, 2007    

                                                                        Vol. 1, Number 105
 

Archives  Event Tracker  HOME  Jewish Directory  Jewish Grapevine  Jews in the News   News Sleuths   Sports               

Names of government officials from the Jewish community are printed in bold face type
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS; THEY ARE HELPING TO BRING San Diego Jewish World TO YOU: America's Vacation Center  ●Humanistic Jewish Congregation ●I'm There For You Baby radio show  In the Know' radio show JCC Maccabi games  Jewish American Chamber of Commerce  Journey to the copper age Ohr Shalom Synagogue  Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego San Diego Jewish Academy Seacrest Village Retirement CommunitiesTifereth Israel Synagogue

     San Diego Jewish World
             August 13, 2007

  (click on headline below to jump to the story)

Israel and Middle East

Rice freezes assets of Fatah al-Islam, Palestinian group in Lebanon, in anti-terrorism move

Livni tells visiting Congressional delegation Palestine statehood would include Gaza, but await effective control

Hizbollah land purchases may augur new war

Syria installs dense missile system

IDF pays tribute to Druze community

Peres joins the cause of the Four Mothers

Israel-Jordan artificial reef stirs worldwide interest

Videos refute Arab version of Jerusalem gunfight

Europe
Boycott Israel movement losing steam in Britain

Russian seeks to blame spy fight with UK on Jews

United States
New chair says HIAS must be alert, on guard,
for Jewish refugees from Iran and Venezuela


Possible NYC mayoral candidate Lenora Fulani repudiates her past anti-Semitic comments

Wiesenthal Center 'deplores' Lutheran resolution on Israel

Florida congressional representatives urge  universities to oppose Israel academic boycott


Forum
Behind the scenes in the wiretapping debate

Features

Jewish Grapevine

News Sleuths


Sports
From 1-7 deficit , Tigers went to 7-7 against Lightning, and then the lights went out


Arts & Entertainment

Rabbi Judah Loew's Prague-matic creation
 

Rice freezes assets of Fatah al-Islam, Palestinian group in Lebanon, in anti-terrorism move

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)—As part of ongoing U.S. efforts against terrorism, on August 9, Secretary Rice designated Fatah al-Islam as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, as amended. The Secretary took this action in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury. This designation cuts off Fatah al-Islam from the U.S. financial system.

As a result of this designation, all property, and interests in property which Fatah al-Islam has in the U.S., or which enters the U.S. or comes under the control of U.S. persons, are blocked. This designation will be published in the Federal Register shortly.

Fatah al-Islam, an offshoot of the Syria-backed secular Palestinian terrorist group Fatah al-Intifada, has been led by Shakir al-Absi, a well-known Palestinian-Jordanian militant who was sentenced to death in absentia in Jordan for his involvement in the 2002 murder of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley.

Moreover, Fatah al-Islam initiated the recent hostilities in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli, Lebanon, with an unprovoked attack on Lebanese security forces in May, and used civilian refugees as human shields during the fighting. Over 130 Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in the conflict at Nahr al-Barid. This terrorist group threatens the safety and security of the Lebanese people and the region.

 

 




 


 

The United States condemns the recent violence perpetrated by Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp and supports the Government of Lebanon and its security forces in their efforts to promote stability and rule of law throughout the country.

The United States calls on governments across the world to take action to isolate these terrorist organizations, to choke off their sources of financial support, and to prevent their members’ movement across international borders.

(Editor's note: following the issuance of the above announcement, there was the following colloquy today between reporters who cover the State Department and Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman):

QUESTION: What were you hoping to achieve with that designation of Ansar al-Islam as a terrorist group, given that they don't have assets to freeze, I presume, of the United States?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, they -- right, well --

QUESTION: Fatah.

MR. MCCORMACK: Fatah al-Islam. This is one of those issues where -- just in the case where they might have some assets within the reach of the U.S. Government in the United States, then you take these actions. It's also beyond that practical step as an important statement that this is a terrorist organization. There is a slight difference between this designation and the designation as a foreign terrorist organization. They come under different executive orders. But the practical effect is that it labels this group as a terrorist -- as a type of terrorist organization --

QUESTION: Can I --

MR. MCCORMACK: -- under U.S. Government law and regulation.

The preceding article was provided by the U.S. State Departmen

(Return to top)

               Israel and Middle East


Livni tells visiting Congressional delegation Palestine statehood would include Gaza, but await effective control


JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni met today with a delegation of 18 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the meeting, FM Livni stated that the division in Palestinian society could lead in different directions. Different geographical expressions, between Hamas and Fatah on the one hand and between Gaza and Judea & Samaria on the other, allow us to relate in a different manner to each group. If the problem in the Gaza Strip deteriorates, a military solution will be required, while the new Palestinian government allows a meaningful dialogue.

Any arrangement with the new Palestinian government must express the widest common denominator achievable by negotiation. Actual implementation will be conditional, and will relate to those areas over which the Palestinian government has effective control and in which adequate conditions to protect Israel's security requirements exist.   

FM Livni added that the meeting in November would have significance only if Israel and the Palestinians are be able to reach an agreement which both the Arab world and the international committee will be able to support beforehand. This agreement will afford a way to move forward on the bilateral level, in parallel to advances in the normalization process with the Arab world.

With regard to the two-state issue, FM Livni stressed that it is a question of two nationalities, and a basic principle of the agreement must be that the solution to the refugee problem will be the founding of a Palestinian state – this is the only just, historical compromise.

Israel must not compromise on or even discuss the number of refugees, as this will harm Israels' legitimacy. Israel expects the support of the entire international community on this issue. The Palestinian leadership will be able to accept this, as will the leadership of the Arab world, if the international community steadfastly adopts this principle as its own founding principle.



               For more information about Tifereth Israel please click on this ad
 

 Hizbollah land purchases may augur new war

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—The Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizbollah is preparing for another war against Israel by buying land north of the Litani River, a region where U.N. troops are not authorized to patrol, the British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph reported.

 “Entry forbidden. Hizbollah area,” said a sign outside one town. In another town, banners openly proclaim the source of Hizbollah funds: “510km of new roads paid for by the Iranian Organization for Sharing in the Building of Lebanon.”

Hizbollah 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.  Here is a link to a version of this story reported by Ha'aretz.


            
 
                                                                                              
            
                             {Click the above ads for more information

Syria installs dense missile system

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Following its continued purchase of advanced Russian weapons systems, Syria currently has the densest anti-aircraft deployment in the world, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

According to an Israeli military source, the Syrians have more than 200 anti-aircraft batteries of different types. In a bid to respond to the Israel Air Force's supremacy, Damascus has been exerting great efforts in the past few years to improve its ground-to-ground and ground-to-air missile capabilities.

Syria, which has refused to recognize Israel for nearly 60 years, is a prime sponsor of the terrorist army Hizballah and has an arsenal of missiles that can reach every part of the Jewish state.

The preceding story was provided by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee

 



          
 


CHIEF OF STAFF—Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi pays tribute to Druze soldiers past and present

IDF pays tribute to Druze community

CARMIEL, Israel (Press Release)—The Israel Defense Force (IDF) and the Friends of the IDF Foundation marked Sunday as Druze Soldiers’ Day. Thousands of soldiers and officers received commendations for their actions and contribution to the security of the state while serving in the military.

The day started at the ‘Country Club’ in Carmiel, continued with a festive dinner for the Druze soldiers, both in regular and reserve service and finished with the main ceremony. The entire event took place in the northern Israeli city, which hosts the Druze Soldiers’ Day. Among the prominent figures at the event were the Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, the Mayor of Carmiel, Mr. Adi Eldar, and other public officials.

“I have come here today to wish you a blessing on your festive day, in the ceremony which is taking place in your honor-in the honor of the soldiers and commanders of the Druze population,” the Chief of General Staff began. “The IDF in its entirety feels the utmost respect, honor, and gratitude to you, members of the Druze community. You have chosen to join us in our combined fate in the Nation of Israel.”

“The Druze soldiers can be found today in every corps and in every branch of the military. A Druze soldier can be part of any unit, and assume any position, in accordance with his talents and abilities,” the Chief of General Staff noted. He added:

“In the last draft, a Druze soldier went to IAF Flight School, to the elite Shayetet 13 Unit, to the Sayeret Matkal elite unit, and a great number of others serve in a wide range of units as well as in all of the combat units of the IDF. I am proud to say that the percentage of members of the community who enlist into the IDF is worthy of presenting a figure for emulation for all the youth of Israel.”

“The integration of Druze soldiers into the IDF can be seen in all of its branches, as well as in leadership positions,” notes Colonel Ramiz Ahmed, head of the population directorate in the Human Resources Branch.

The percentage of enlistment from the Druze population is currently 82.9 percent, which is very impressive in comparison to the national enlistment percentage.

Another interesting issue is the bravery of six Druze soldiers and a battalion of Druze infantry in the Second Lebanon War, which are expected to receive a citation for exemplary service for their exceptional sacrifice during the war.

“Today, when evasion of the draft is such a serious issue, these figures serve as a good example, displaying the high motivation level of Druze soldiers, and their quality in addition to the sheer numbers,” said Colonel Ahmed.

He concluded: ”I think that this event will strengthen the integration of Druze soldiers into the IDF, and will encourage others who have not yet enlisted to do so and make their contribution to the state-I have no doubt about it whatsoever.”

The preceding story was provided by the Israel Defense Force

The Peres Diary


FOUR MOTHERS—President Shimon Peres meets with 'Four Mothers' opposing violence in Israel society
Photo by Israel Neustein, Noy Photos, distributed by the office of the president

Peres joins the cause of the Four Mothers

JERUSALEM (Press Release)—The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, met on Sunday at noon with the four mothers who are leading the fight to eradicate violence from Israeli society. The mothers requested a meeting with the President in the hope that he would join in the fight and help them continue in additional directions.

During the meeting, which was moving and personal, President Peres said that he is proud of the fight and salutes the mothers for having raised the issue of violence in Israeli society on the public agenda: “You have achieved your aim of raising the issue on the agenda and now the fight must be transferred to the corridors of the Knesset. What you have done is not only for your children’s benefit but for all the children in Israel. I will be pleased to be of assistance. The President’s Residence will be open to you and I will help with whatever possible.”

At the end of the meeting the mothers stated that following the President’s announcement that he would join the fight and that they had succeeded in raising the issue on the public agenda and transferring it to the Knesset, they would take down the protest tent opposite the Prime Minister’s house. “We are returning home and are continuing the fight in the corridors of the Knesset and the Government,” they announced.

The President and the mothers expressed the mutual hope that the society in Israel, the Knesset, the Government and the courts of law would show “zero” tolerance towards any expression of violence in society, that the punishment would become more severe and that extensive legislation would be carried out, which would create fear among criminals and help the families harmed by violence.

Yehudit Mor, the mother of the late Sergeant Raz Mor, who was murdered in Moshav Granot at the entrance to the Moshav’s club, thanked the President most sincerely for his willingness to help, for his listening and for his sympathy for their pain and emphasized that the fight had not ended but is being transferred to the parliamentary and governmental arena. “In order to translate our demands to the legal and practical level.”

The preceding story was provided by the office of President Shimon Peres
 

  (Return to top).

 

   .


 

Israel-Jordan artificial reef stirs worldwide interest

By Nicky Blackburn

EILAT, Israel (Israel 21C)—Take a dive off the coast of Eilat these days and you're liable to find yourself swimming around a huge yellow concrete and wire construction that stretches four yards up from the seabed, is four yards wide, and is full of holes. No, this isn't some strange new structure left behind by an alien race, or cargo dropped from a sinking container shop, this is the first artificial coral reef in the Red Sea.

The reef, which was developed by the Israel Nature Parks Authority and a team of academics from the National Center for Mariculture at the Eilat campus of Ben Gurion University, the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, the Hebrew University, and the Marine Science Station in Aqaba, is a unique new approach to conservation in the Red Sea and part of a joint co-operative project between Israel and Jordan

Coral reefs are one of the most varied forms of life on the planet, and the range and richness of the species found there are comparable to that of the tropical rain forests. In recent years, underwater diving has become an increasingly popular sport and the breathtaking reefs of the Red Sea area, which are different from any other reefs around the world, have suffered dreadfully as a result.

"The number of visitors is large and the size of the reefs is limited and too small," explains Dr. Nadav Shashar, the supervisor of the research project, and a marine biologist at the National Center for Mariculture. "Because of the increase in the number of visitors, the coral reefs are unable to overcome the damage caused and are beginning to die out. If we don't act quickly, it's only a question of time before the excellent breeding conditions in the north bay become barren. Many bodies are aware of the problem and are seeking a way to solve it."

Part of the problem is novice divers. "They kick up the sand, or damage the corals by accident. Multiple that by 100,000 people and that's considerable damage," says Shashar. "These people don't mean to harm the reefs, but they just don't know how to dive properly."

The developers hope that the artificial reef will create a new attraction for these divers, steering them away from the natural reefs, reducing the pressure there and enabling them to recover from some of the damage inflicted on them over the last few years.

At the same time, the Tamar reef which is located near Coral Beach also provides the researchers with a unique underwater laboratory, enabling them to observe and unravel the development and growth of this unique and complex ecosystem.

"Our task is to understand which factors bring about the development and proliferation of coral reefs, to understand the growing processes of the coral and fish populations and to put this into practice in establishing artificial coral reefs that will attract tourists," Shashar tells ISRAEL21c. (Jump to continuation)

 

Letter from Jerusalem
                                By Ira Sharkansky

Videos refute Arab version of Jerusalem gunfight

A few days ago the news reported that an Arab from the Galilee snatched a pistol from one of two security guards in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Arab managed to wound one of the guards before the other one shot him dead. In the exchange of fire, a number of passers-by were also injured. According to the security guard, it was the Arab who was firing wildly as he ran away, and it was his shots that injured by-standers.

According to members of the Arab's family. It could not have happened that way. The man was law-abiding, a husband and father of a small child. He was set up by the Jews. Then he was murdered by one of the security guards when he lay injured and helpless on the ground.

Israeli investigators do not buy that version. And they have considerable backing from the security cameras that operate in much of the Old City. We have seen the film on TV news. It shows the Arab stalking the two security guards as they walk along the street, then taking the pistol of one from the holster on his belt, running away and firing several times in the direction of the uninjured guard who was pursuing him. The last picture shows the Arab wounded and falling to the pavement. There is no picture relevant to the claim that the guard fired a fatal shot into the injured Arab.

The man's family says that all the pictures were fabricated. Their boy could not have done it.

Today I received e-mail from the Arab Association for Human Rights. These come periodically, one version in Hebrew and another in English. This issue concerns last year's Lebanon War. It notes the incidence of Arab civilian casualties in the north of Israel. Guess who is to blame? Israel, for putting its soldiers close to Arab communities, and thus exposing them to the rocket attacks. Moreover, it is Israel's fault that Arab communities had few if any warning sirens or bomb shelters. All of this amounts to a violation of international law. Next we will hear from the United Nations General Assembly.

Implicit here is the defense scheme that would be permitted by the Arab Association for Human Rights. Israel should position its army only around the high concentration  of Jewish settlements in the center of the country. Hizbollah and its friends can do what they want in the Galilee, heavily populated by Arabs who should not be endangered by Israeli soldiers. The Jewish country should defend itself only where Jewish civilians might be hurt by the military operations.

It is true that Arab towns are not well protected by sirens or air raid shelters. However, that is at least partly the responsibility of the Arab elected officials of those towns, who choose not to spend money on such things, or to enforce Israeli laws requiring shelters to be part of any residential construction.

One of Israel's political parties (Israel Our Home), with 11 seats in the 120 member Knesset, heavily supported by Russian immigrants, and currently with a place in the government coalition, proposes trading areas of Israel heavily populated by Arabs for areas of the West Bank where there are substantial Jewish settlements. The Israeli Arabs would go along with their land and dwellings to Palestine.

There is no indication that sizable numbers of Israeli Jews currently accept this idea. The scheme is opposed intensely by Israeli Arab politicians, who cite their own loyalty and that of their constituents to Israel. Most of those politicians also demand the right to express their support for various actions of Palestinians and Arabs who are not friends of Israel.

Among my students who have been the best academically and the most congenial on a personal level have been Arabs from Israel or Palestine. Also, I have no complaints about the Arab families and young singles moving into my neighborhood of French Hill. None of which leads me to accept everything I hear from the other Arabs of Israel and nearby countries.

My American friends and relatives can expect lots of new Arab neighbors. The current frenzy against immigration may delay the flood, but the better sentiments embedded in American culture will open the gates for the refugees produced by American actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and maybe elsewhere. I hope that the vast majority will be good neighbors, not only in the initial years but in subsequent generations. And insofar as America is likely to be important to Israel as far toward the end of days as we can see, I also hope that for myself and mine.
 

 

              Europe


Boycott Israel movement losing steam in Britain

LONDON (Press Release)—British trade union leaders have begun to distance themselves from boycott Israel motions passed at trade union conferences. According to the UK’s Jewish Chronicle newspaper, the head of Unison, one of Britain's biggest and most pro-Palestinian unions, has written a warm "personal" letter to the head of the Histadrut, Israel's trade union movement.

Unison secretary-general Dave Prentis - whose organisation's conference called for a "concerted economic, cultural, academic and sporting" boycott - told Histadrut head Ofer Eini that the resolution "does not commit Unison to boycott Israel or Israeli organisations."

The joint chair of the Stop the Boycott Campaign, Lorna Fitzsimons, paid particular tribute to the Trade Union Friends of Israel, whose director Steve Scott, she said, had played a major role in pushing back the boycott tide.

Meanwhile, the council of Cambridge University has unanimously rejected calls for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. At a meeting at the end of last month, the council unanimously endorsed a statement issued by Universities UK opposing any proposed academic boycott by the University and College Union.

The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress


Russian seeks to blame spy fight with UK on Jews

MOSCOW (Press Release)—A close adviser to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has claimed that the UK’s foreign minister, David Miliband, had inherited a hatred of Russia from his Polish grandfather Samuel.

Gleb Pavlovsky, leader of an influential think-tank, said Samuel fought against Russians during the turbulent 1920s and accused the MPs' grandfather, who died 40 years ago, of fighting under the command of Leon Trotsky to kill Russians opposed to communism.

The accusations are the latest incident in a diplomatic stand-off between Russia and UK over Russia’s refusal to extradite the man believed to be responsible for the murder in London, with radioactive material, of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.  


The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress

         Please click below to read more about San Diego Jewish Academy, the premier K-12 day school in Carmel Valley
        

 

              United States of America

New chair says HIAS must be alert, on guard,
for Jewish refugees from Iran and Venezuela

NEW YORK (Press Release)—The head of a Boston technology investment firm who was named chair of the board of directors of HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, in June – warned in his first address to the board that the American Jewish community must remain Al HaMishmar (on guard) because of ongoing issues around the world.
“In this ever shrinking planet, still sadly engaged in genocide and oppression, HIAS expresses the Jewish value: I am my brother’s keeper,” said Michael Rukin, CEO of Concord Hill Group Trust in Boston. “HIAS means so much to so many people around the world. In its 125-year history, it has resettled more than four million Jews, including my grandparents and father, to lands of safety.”

Excerpts from Mr. Rukin’s remarks, made last week at the international organization’s headquarters here, continue:

“Though the great waves of Jewish emigration are probably behind us, we must be ever vigilant: Al HaMishmar (On Guard). The dangers affecting Jewish survival in Venezuela and in Iran are clearly in front of us. The longer term issues of polarization, resulting from demographic changes, in France and in England, with their implications for Jews, must remain within our vision.

“Though we operate today with a strong and vibrant Jewish homeland, the agenda of the status of olim and of refugees arrived in the State of Israel must also concern us, for we are commanded to be an Or l’goyim (A light unto the nations). The increasing numbers of Sudanese and other Africans who enter Israel by crossing the Sinai border illegally is a dilemma for Israel, but it is not just Israel’s issue. It affects us as Americans and particularly as American Jews.

“Even here in America, we cannot look back. The American Jewish community looks to us as the leading research and advocacy voice for:  immigration reform; the extension of benefits to elderly immigrants who we brought here; providing programs of American and Jewish acculturation to those we brought here; and to lead a network of local agencies that are the core fabric of the American Jewish communal structure. So too does the United States government, both the legislative and executive branches, look to us and our Washington office for advice, insights and ideas…  and occasionally for less than gentle nudges. Our relationship with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees gives us a unique opportunity to defend Jewish views at council tables which have been too often politicized by anti-Israel interests.

“We may not look back and yet, our history resonates in everything we do. As I write this a member of the HIAS executive staff is in Cairo accompanying Assistant Secretary of State Kelly Ryan, teaching a seminar to U.S. State Department staffers. His role is hardly different from the trip taken to Romania in 1900 by Dr. David Blaustein, then secretary of HIAS, accompanying Robert Watchorn, then commissioner of Ellis Island, to make an on-the-spot evaluation.

“But if these parochial concerns were, alone, the focus of our agenda, alas, we would be ignoring history and a central pillar of our heritage. Isaac Bashevis Singer was once asked:  “Do you believe in free will?”  His answer:  “Of course I do. I have no choice!”  We have no choice, in this ever smaller and interdependent world. The history of the Shoah taught us in the words of the German pastor, Martin Niemöller, who retrospectively bemoaned his having been silent as the Nazis arrested the members of differing groups to which he did not belong:  ‘And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.’

“Looking forward we must both attend to our core mission and, within the constraints of our fiscal resources, advocate for and act on behalf of the persecuted and the oppressed of all persuasions. We must do it because it is part of our heritage. We must do it because it is good for the Jews. We must do it because our children and grandchildren will measure their attachment to our heritage and its values, based on what we DO, as differentiated from what we say.”

Rukin has been active in local, national and international Jewish organizations for the past three decades, including the Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston, where he was chairman of the board from 1996 to 1999. He led the effort of the then Council of Jewish Federations to establish Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, whose board of directors he chaired from 1995 to 1998. He has also served on the boards and executive committees of United Jewish Communities, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Joint Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism.

An early activist in the Soviet Jewry movement, Rukin served on the boards of the National Conference for Soviet Jewry and the Union of Councils for Soviet Jewry. In Israel he has chaired the board of overseers of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and served on the board of governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. He holds a BEE degree from the City College of New York and an MSEE from Northeastern University. He is active in the arts world and collects 20th Century art of Japan. He was the founder and CEO of Analytical Systems Engineering Corporation, a pioneer in the fields of radio navigation and physical security systems.

With offices on five of the world’s continents and headquartered in New York City, HIAS has helped to rescue and resettle more than 4.5 million refugees since it began operations in 1881.

  The preceding story was provided by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)


(Return to top)

Possible NYC mayoral candidate Lenora Fulani repudiates her past anti-Semitic comments 

NEW YORK, N.Y (Press Release)—New York politician and Independence Party activist Lenora Fulani has for the first time renounced her past anti-Semitic rhetoric and declared that she is considering running for mayor. Fulani had previously refused to disavow her 1989 statement that "Jews had to sell their souls to acquire Israel" and had to "function as mass murderers of people of color." Other statements she's made over the years, including saying in 2001 that U.S. foreign policy played a role in the 9/11 terror attacks, have drawn criticism, though she hasn't retracted them.

At a press conference on the City Hall steps Fulani said, "My comments reflected my feelings about the situation during that time. I felt it important to stand up for the people I thought were singularly oppressed. The language I used was harsh and today I would call it excessive," she added, insisting she "never intended to express anything demeaning or derogatory to Jewish people here or in Israel ... I do not view Israel as an aggressor. In light of that, I am repudiating my remarks of 18 years ago," she said.

  The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress


Wiesenthal Center 'deplores' Lutheran resolution on Israel

LOS ANGELES—The Simon Wiesenthal Center deplores a resolution passed this weekend at the 10th biennial Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to ‘study’ the feasibility of a boycott against goods produced in Israeli 'settlements.'

"This marks the first time a mainline American Protestant church has moved toward a possible boycott of Israel," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the leading Jewish human rights group. "While we note that the ELCA delegates have now joined the Presbyterian Church (USA) in explicitly rejecting divesting from companies doing business with Israel, they have decided to embrace one of the anti-Israel tactics adopted by United Kingdom trade unions and others in Europe."


ELCA delegates would have made a stronger contribution to the quest for peace and justice in the Holy Land had they also raised the ransacking of Christian places of worship and recent forced conversion of a Christian professor in Gaza, as well as the unrelenting targeting of Israeli civilian communities by Palestinian Kassam rockets,” Cooper concluded.

In recent years, factions in some U.S. mainline Protestant churches like the Presbyterian Church USA and the United Church of Christ have proposed and even passed measures such as divestment and boycotts to punish Israel for implementing what they call “apartheid” conditions on the Palestinians. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has launched efforts to show members of these various congregations that such measures are one-sided in that Israel is singled out and held to a standard to which no other country is held.

The preceding story was provided by the Simon Wiesenthal Center
 

 

 


Dear Readers,

Along with my husband Don, I co-publish San Diego Jewish World. As a couple we have gone to many places.  Cruising ranks at the top of our list of favorite ways to travel.

Watch this ad for a different cruising photo each day. A similar adventure can be yours!

America's Vacation Center, with which I'm affiliated, is a multi-branched travel agency that is able to provide you both good prices and good service.  Before you book anywhere else, please ask me for a price comparison.

Please call me at (619) 265-0808 for information about booking a cruise from San Diego or anywhere. Or email me at
sdheritage@cox.net

Thank you!  
Nancy Harrison

        

Adventures in Cruising—Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas




Dress Night: Shea Oades, 11; Ashlee Ford, 11; Sara Oades, 7, and Tyler Ford, 9, strike a happy pose in the dining room

Thanks to the Ford family of Agoura, California, for sharing their photos of their family reunion weekend cruise

Florida congressional representatives urge  universities to oppose Israel academic boycott

WASHINGTON, D.C—Congressman Robert Wexler (Democrat, Florida) and 16 Members of the Florida Congressional delegation earlier this month sent a bipartisan letter to the President’s of ten Florida state universities asking them to publicly reject the University and College Union (UCU) of the United Kingdom’s recent vote to boycott Israeli academia.

In the letter, Wexler and his Florida colleagues urge the university Presidents to support congressional efforts expressing disapproval of the UCU’s attempts to stifle intellectual freedom and reject blatant anti-Israel bias. As a sign of solidarity with Israel and its academic institutions, on July 11, 2007 the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 467, condemning the UCU’s decision to boycott Israeli academia.

“The UCU boycott of Israeli academics is unjustified and a direct assault on the principles of academic freedom and open exchange,” Congressman Wexler said. “It is critical that university Presidents and Academics in Florida and across the United States stand with Israeli Academics in light of this misguided boycott.”

The congressional letter urges the presidents of the State Universities in Florida -- including Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, University of West Florida – to follow the lead of Florida Atlantic University President Frank Brogan and Nova Southeastern University in publicly opposing the UCU’s decision.
 (jump to continuation)
 

             Forum

Behind the scenes in the wiretapping debate

(Editor's Note: We offer today's column by Shoshana Bryen of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs as fuel for thought on the issue of wiretapping and national security.   We will run part two of her reportage tomorrow.)

By Shoshana Bryen

WASHINGTON, DC (JINSA)—In principle it seems the right - and the duty - of the government to try to find terrorists abroad before they act, before they come here, and/or before they instigate a terrorist act here. Surveillance is crucial.

Under the 1978 FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) law, U.S. intelligence services could listen without a warrant to foreign-to-foreign communications relayed - as most calls then were - wirelessly. Technology advances however, and today 90 percent of global communications pass through fiber optic cable. The National Security Agency (NSA) has been monitoring foreign-to-foreign communications by tapping into the U.S.-based cables as transmissions pass through our territory on their way back abroad.

NSA considered the routing to be incidental to the fact that the communications were between people located abroad.

Two court rulings in the spring stopped the process - the first challenged the collection of data from wires even when the target was a terrorist source; the second ruled that warrants from the FISA court were required for any wire-based communication surveillance. NSA immediately began asking for warrants - thousands of them - but the court could not keep up. "We needed thousands of warrants, but the most we could do was hundreds," said one NSA official. According to The Washington Post, NSA Director Michael McConnell told the Senate Intelligence Committee, "We are actually missing a significant portion of what we should be getting."

NSA appealed to the court, which said it was only enforcing the law and that a legislative fix was required to restore the permissibility to intercept foreign-to-foreign communications without a warrant.

In April, the administration sent a bill to Congress to close the technological gap in surveillance policy. The Democratic leadership planned to put off the debate until after the summer, but in August, McConnell came before a closed group of senators from both parties with what was considered important information about terrorist activity and a precipitous decline in American ability to keep pace with surveillance. Members of both parties agreed that immediate - if temporary - action was required.

The House and then the Senate passed a revised version of the law as they were headed out the door, including an interesting proviso that would "allow the interception and recording of electronic communications involving, at least in part, people 'reasonably believed to be outside the United States' without a court's order or oversight, according to The Post. This takes into account the fact that cell phones can be used across continents.

So, you may think, great. When push and shove came together, the Democrats and Republicans listened to the experts, and fashioned legislation that gave the administration the powers it sought to protect the country. Not great, because politics were involved every step of the way and the real battle is set up for September. We'll have more to say tomorrow.

To share your thoughts on this topic, please send an email to us at sdheritage@cox.net.  Please be sure to include at the bottom of your letter your full name and the city and state (province) in which you reside.
                                                          ________________

 



Click the ad above to go to the "I'm there for you baby" website
 

The Jewish Grapevine                                                  
                 

CYBER-REFERRALS—Israel's Consulate General draws attention to a story in the Israel Insider about a rally for freedom being suppressed in Gaza City today by Hamas. Here is the link ... Bruce Kesler recommends a lengthy article on the role philanthropists can play in the Middle East debate by endowing university chairs and programs on the Middle East—which is already being done by Saudi interests.  Here is a link. ...
 

OUR U-T TOUR—So what did the San Diego Union-Tribune do today with news of specific Jewish interest?  Here's what we noticed during our perusal over a morning cup of coffee.

Front Section—
Apparently desirous of a spirited challenger against City Attorney Michael Aguirre, the newspaper ran a lead article by Alex RothInsi with the headline "Few want to run against Aguirre: Controversial city attorney has one declared challenger."  Evidently feeling that attorney Daniel Coffey may not be a serious political contender, the newspaper sent out feelers to former U.S. Attorney Alan Bersin and former State Assemblyman Howard Wayne, who said one reason why his interest is low is that it might take $1 million to conduct such a campaign...Inside there were two Middle East stories on page A-7, neither particularly boding well for Israel.  One said that the Foreign Affairs Committee of Britain's Parliament is recommending direct talks with Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, notwithstanding any concern that they might be terrorist groups because their influence can no longer be discounted. The British government will now consider the recommendations.  (See our News Sleuths column below)... Next to that AP story was another by Laurie Copans of Associated Press telling about Mariya Aman, 6, who was paralyzed from the neck down by an Israeli missile that exploded in Gaza during battlefield action.  She has been treated and receiving rehabilitation in Jerusalem, but now doctors want to send her to the West Bank.  Her father, a Gazan who wants to become an Israeli citizen, objects saying the Palestinian territory doesn't have the equipment necessary to sustain her.  The case is before the Israel High Court.

Local Section—John Marelius covered Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's foray into town yesterday, quoting him as saying "strength through peace means a president who will engage directly with the leaders of the world, who will go and meet with leaders in Iran and Syria and will go to Israel and Palestine and owrk on peace through the Middle East."

Currents—Lee Grant, who knows the meaning of the term, described Seth Rogen as a nebbish in the movie Knocked Up and went on to quote him on why he previewed his new movie Superbad at Comic-Con in San Diego.  "Well, it's about guys who spend too much time with other guys and can't get girls, so it was the perfect place."

Sports—Box scores were where you'd find Jewish players, assuming you knew their names. In National League games: Shawn Green went 0-4, striking out twice, but his teammates won convincingly anyway 10-4 over the Florida Marlins.  Brad Ausmus only hit in his Houston Astros 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers was his 14th double of the season, which drove in his 22nd RBI.  But his  stats also had a more sour abbreviation: GIDP, meaning grounded into double play.... In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles knocked off the Boston Red Sox 6-3, with Sox first baseman scoring one run on one hit and two walks.  He advanced to scoring position for two of those plays, but then was left stranded.  And Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler hit his 16th double of the season, accounting for his 40th and 41st RBI of the season, as the Rangers speared the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9-1.


.

 News Sleuths: Hamas

Watching the media gathering
and reporting the news
of Jewish interest

 
Date: August 13, 2007
Place: U.S. State Department
Spokesperson: Sean McCormack
Source: State Department Transcript

 

QUESTION: Sean, the British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has said that Britain's and the international community's refusal to speak to the Palestinian movement, Hamas, is doing more harm than good and it will further jeopardize peace. Do you have any comment on that?

MR. MCCORMACK: I haven't seen the statement or this report. I don't know where that comes from. But the Quartet which comprises the EU, the United States, the UN, as well as Russia, all believe as well as others, that dealing directly with Hamas in the absence of their -- the meeting of the conditions laid out by the Quartet, is not something that we would do. They -- now they were in government, they consistently refused to meet those requirements and I haven't seen any indication thus far that they are planning to meet those requirements and just the opposite. Their recent actions were over the past month and a half or so in Gaza would indicate that they have no intention of trying to meet the conditions laid out by the international community.

 


          Please click on the above ad to visit the Humanistic Jewish Congregation's website

 



 
 {Click the above ad for more information
 

              Sports

                     
        News from the    
  Israel Baseball League



 GOTCHA—Bet Shemesh infielder Johnny Lopezwaits to put tag on Ra'anana Express runner at Kibutz Gezer

From 1-7 deficit , Tigers went to 7-7 against Lightning, and then the lights went out

By Andrew Wilson

TEL AVIV, Israel (Press Release)- In a wild game at Sportek in Tel Aviv, the Netanya Tigers clawed their way back from a 7-1 deficit to tie the game at 7 apiece against the Tel Aviv Lightning.   The game was suspended due to darkness and will be made up only if there is a direct impact on the playoff seeding. 

California native left handed pitcher Aaron Pribble started for the Lightning, holding the Tigers scoreless through three innings.  Tel Aviv scored five runs on four hits in the third inning.  Dominicanshortstop Raul Franco (3-for-4) scored the first run of the game for Tel Aviv when third baseman Nate Fish drove him in with a pop single to first base.

Netanya answered back with six runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth inning off  Tel Aviv pitcher Adam Crabb.  Dominican shortstop Hector De Los Santos  was 3-for-3 on the day raising his batting average to .313 on the season. The Tigers need to win one more game to clinch the fourth seed.

Meanwhile at Gezer Field, the Ra'anana Express defeated the first-place Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, 8-3, to remain in contention for the fourth seed. Right handed pitcher Joshua Zumbrun (2-4) recorded the win for Ra'anana, pitching six innings innings allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out three.  Both Ra'anana and Bet Shemesh scored one run in the first inning.  The Express took a 5-1 lead in the third inning on a three-run homerun by first baseman Scott Feller, his second of the season. 

Bet Shemesh resident Jeff Mor suffered his first loss of the season, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing five earned runs.  First baseman Johnny Lopez hit a two-run homerun, his 14th of the season, in the sixth inning to bring the Blue Sox within five runs.

At Yarkon Field in the Baptist Village, the Petach Tikva Pioneers won a comeback victory, 7-4, against the Modi'in Miracle.  Fifty-one-year old right handed pitcher Scott Cantor recorded his second victory of the season for the Pioneers, pitching a complete game and holding the Miracle scoreless for the last three innings.  Cantor kept the Miracle batters off-balance throughout the night, with a variety of off-speed pitches. 

The Pioneers battled back from deficits of 3-0 and 4-2, before taking the lead in the fifth
inning.  Outfielder Ben Dashefsky was 2-for-4 with one run scored for the Pioneers.   Outfielder Ryan Crotin, who was 1-for-3 on the night, had a two-RBI double in the bottom of the third inning to bring in the first two runs for the Pioneers.  The Pioneers scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles by third baseman Willis Bumphus  of San Diego and first baseman Alper Ulutas.


Summaries:
                          1   2   3   4   5   6   7    R   H  E
Ra'anana            1   0   4   0   3   0   0    8   8   2
Bet Shemesh      1   0   0   0   0   2   0    3   8   0
W:  Joshua Zumbrun (2-4) L: Jeff Mor (2-1) ; HR: Scott Feller (2); Johnny
Lopez (14)


Suspended
                         1   2   3   4   5   6   7    R   H   E
Tel Aviv            0   0   5   1   1            7    7    0
Netanya             0   0   0   1   6            7    10  3
W:  L: ; HR:

                           1   2   3   4   5   6   7    R   H   E
Modi'in               1   0   2   1   0   0   0    4   10   2
Petach Tikva       0   0   2   1   2   2   x    7    9   3
W: Scott Cantor (2-4); L: Ian Okorofsky (0-3) ; HR: None

Standings:

Team                             W    L     %     GB
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox   28    10   737     -
Tel Aviv Lightning         24   14   .632   4.0
Modi'in Miracle              21   17   .553   7.0
Netanya Tigers               18   20   .474   10.0
Ra'anana Express            16   23   .405   12.5
Petach Tikva Pioneers      8    31   .205   20.5

Prior to Tuesday's games, IBL players and coaches will attend a tree planting ceremony in Neot Kedumim hosted by the Jewish National Fund. Later, at 5 pm the Petach Tikva Pioneers and the Modi'in Miracle play atKibbutz Gezer while the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox and Tel Aviv Lightning play at Sportek in Tel Aviv.  At 7 pm the Netanya Tigers take on the Ra'anana Express at Yarkon Field at the Baptist Village.

 


{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}
.
 

(Return to top)
 

             Arts & Entertainment

People of the Books


Rabbi Judah Loew's Prague-matic creation

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague by Y. Yudl Rosenberg, edited and translated by Curt Leviant; Yale University Press, New Haven CT.; ISBN 978-0-300-12204-6, 2007, $25.00, p.221


Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D.


WINCHESTER, California—A golem is a Jewish robot. Unlike today’s robots, which are fabricated from some amalgam of metallic alloys and digitally controlled, a golem is made from the clay of the earth and brought to life through Jewish magic. The idea of inanimate objects becoming animate dates back to the time of the Greeks and the story of Pygmalion and his statue of Galatea. The Talmud, the written compilation of the Jewish oral traditions, is the source of the word golem as an automaton, or soulless being.

The Talmud tells the story that Rava created a golem using his knowledge from a very early kabbalistic book, Sepher Yetzira, the Book of Formation. He sent the golem to Rav Zeria. After speaking to the golem and getting no reply, Rev Zeria realized that the being was a golem and ordered it to return to the dust. Golems, according to tradition, are speechless because speech comes from the rational soul, which only God can give.

A golem is incapable of disobeying its creator, but in one story, a sixteenth century rabbi, Eliyahu of Chelm, created a golem that grew bigger and bigger until the rabbi was unable to kill it without deception. Upon its death, the golem fell over the rabbi and crushed him to death. Additionally, there are those who believe that the great Middle Ages’ Jewish mystical poet Solomon Ibn Gabirol created a female golem to serve as a housemaid.

The first story about a golem printed in the popular press appeared in 1847, in a book of stories by Wolf Pascheles of Prague. Since then, stories about golems have appeared in both print and in the movies many times beginning in the twentieth century. Stories appeared in German and Yiddish through the teens and twenties, and in German and French films in twenties and thirties. In the 1980s, both Elie Wiesel and Isaac B. Singer wrote children’s books about a golem. The golem even made it to television by appearing in a 1997 X-files episode. In these and in many other stories and movies, authors and screenwriters portrayed the golem like Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, a monster and an evil killing machine.

The original story about Rabbi Judah Loew (1525-1609), known as the Maharal of Prague, and his golem appeared in 1909 by the Polish orthodox rabbi and kabbalist, Y. Yudl Rosenberg. Because the rabbis at that time considered any writing unrelated to Talmudic and other erudite learning frivolous, Rosenberg successfully argued that the books’ author was actually the Maharal’s son-in-law, Rabbi Isaac Katz, and that he obtained the book at great expense. These stories became so popular over the years that fact and legend grow to be indistinguishable. Yet, Rosenberg was all but forgotten. Curt Leviant does us an immense service by providing the English-language reader with a wonderful first-ever translation of Rosenberg’s The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague from the original Hebrew and bringing Rosenberg’s name to the forefront.

Judah Loew ben Bezalel, an important religious figure in Prague, was well-known for his scholarship in the Talmud and knowledge of the Jewish mystical arts. He eventually became the Chief Rabbi of Czechoslovakia, and the people lovingly called him the Maharal, a Hebrew acronym for “Our Teacher, Rabbi Loew.” The Czech government held him in high esteem, and he even met with Emperor Rudolf II on more than one occasion.

Blood libels, an insidious form of anti-Semitism, are accusations by Christians that Jews kill Christian children (ritual murder) for the purpose of draining their blood to make matzos for Passover. Blood libels are an urban legend first documented in Germany in 1475. Although the extent to which blood libels were a problem during the Maharal’s leadership is open to question, Rosenberg has the Maharal create a golem, a superman, through Jewish mysticism to assist him bring-to-justice those who falsely accuse Jews of this crime.  It should be noted that blood libels were a growing problem in Eastern Europe during Rosenberg’s formative years, and perhaps his book was his plea for divine intervention.

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague, which covers the exploits of the Rabbi and his golem from 1580-1590, is more than a set of stories. Rosenberg gives us glimpses of the dependence of the Jewish people on their God; and allows us to observe the complex set of beliefs held by the Maharal’s archenemy, the priest, Thaddeus, who constantly attempts, and in a few cases succeeds, in converting young Jewish girls to Christianity. He also supports those who accuse Jews of blood libel. In addition, Rosenberg’s stories allow us to compare the actions of Thaddeus with the more liberal, but unnamed, cardinal.

Through these stories, readers also come to appreciate some of the sixteenth century’s Jewish rituals of the Sabbath, Passover, and Purim; and learn how the Czech government and court system operate and interact with Jews. Most important of all, Rosenberg takes us back to the golem’s Talmudic roots where the golem is not a Frankenstein-like monster, but rather a soulless being that struggles to comprehend the world and abide by its master’s directives to the extent that it is able to understand them.

The Maharal’s golem, like all golems, has neither feelings, nor desires, nor wants. The golem is a silent servant. Nonetheless, one cannot help but feel a bit of sorrow when the work of the golem is through and the Maharal ends its existence through another kabbalistic ceremony. The stories in The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague are adult Jewish folklore at its best.

Dr. Fred Reiss is a retired public and Hebrew school teacher and administrator. He is the author of The Standard Guide to the Jewish and Civil Calendars and Public Education in Camden, NJ: From Inception to Integration. His newest book, Ancient Secrets of Creation: Sepher Yetzira, the Book that Started Kabbalah, Revealed, was recently published.

 

              Story Continuations


Coral Reef...
(Continued from above)

Shashar and his team, which includes Prof. Zvi Abramski, from the Department of Life Sciences, Dr. Ariel Diamant of the National Center for Mariculture, student Omer Pollack and the Israel Nature Parks Authority, are funded by the United States USAID-MERC program and the British Whitely Fund for Nature.

The reef was first installed in May this year and has already attracted a great deal of marine life. There are now 32 species of fish swimming through or living on the reef - half the number normally found in the reefs of the Red Sea. These include bass, sea goldfish and butterfly fish. Sea urchins, fan worms, tunicates, and tubeworms can also be found there.

At present, no coral has been planted on the reef, and that's why some of the fish are still missing. If the scientists were to let nature take its course, it would take between 80-100 years for the corals to flourish. Shashar does not want to wait that long so the team has a nursery in Haifa where they are growing 13 different types of coral.

These corals will be planted in the specially prepared holes in the reef structure and the work begins in the fall. There are 1,000 colonies to plant, and this will be the first time in history that a team has tried to do this. Shashar is very excited at the prospect.

"This gives us a very unique opportunity to understand what makes a reef and how the corals interact with each other," he explains. "In the natural world corals grow in a certain order, replacing one another in a specific sequence until they reach the climax community, which you find in mature reefs. We want to discover if we have to plant the corals in that order or whether we can go straight to the climax community."

The team plan to plant a good variety of corals. "There's a general acceptance that to get a high diversity of fish, you need a high diversity of corals. We will be checking this," says Shashar.

The idea of creating artificial reefs in the Red Sea was first mooted some years ago, but it took time for the project to find its feet. Work on building the reef began in December last year. The Israeli company, Ocean Brick System (OBS), was founded specifically to deal with the engineering side of the project, carrying out a range of simulations.

This is the largest artificial reef ever built. The maximum height of past reefs, which are used mainly for fisheries, is 1.8 yards. As a result, there was much to organize and arrange. Building the mould itself was problematic, as was finding the right type of concrete that would be suitable for the development of oceanic invertebrates. Then 1,000 holes had to be drilled in the rough surface so that coral can be planted and marine life can attach easily to the structure.

"The whole structure has to be extremely strong because it will last for decades and is constantly exposed to sea water," says Shashar. "We have to ensure that it won't erode, and also make sure that it will be safe. We can't have a kid being trapped in there."

The openings of the reef have bars to prevent divers and swimmers from entering into unsafe areas, and to preserve the reef.

In six months another artificial reef is to be added on the Jordanian side of the Red Sea, it will be followed by four more - one in Eilat and three more in Jordan. Improvements and modifications are planned for the next reefs. "We are trying to improve all the time," says Shashar.

Since the reef was put in, diver interest has been high. Shashar says that about 100 divers have been visiting the reef daily, almost double the number of divers who visit nearby natural reefs. "People like to dive here, especially novice divers, because they feel more comfortable in an artificial environment," says Shashar, a world-renowned expert in the field of polarized sight, who discovered that polarized vision in locusts enables them to avoid flying over large bodies of water.

Shashar, who got his PhD at the University of Maryland and has spent most of his life studying marine life, is eager to discover how many divers visit the site. "We need to know from an economic point of view how attractive a reef like this is, and whether it will be more appealing when we add the coral," he explains.

The reason for this is that interest in the artificial reef has already been expressed from various countries around the world. For some it's a question of necessity. In the Pacific, for instance, there are many islands that have been protected from storms for years by their coral reefs. With global warming, these coral reefs are now being damaged and destroyed leaving the islands wide open to the sea.

"They came to us two years ago looking for a way to protect their barriers and create new ones," says Shashar. "It would be easy to say build a wave barrier and put that on your natural reef, but that would have a huge impact on the environment. Instead it could be very interesting for them to add a new reef structure that could protect them and be of viable interest."

In other cases, it's a question of tourism. A hotel in Hawaii, for instance, may want to ensure a steady stream of visitors by adding an artificial reef to the sea nearby. This would be an additional attraction for tourists.

"Within a year we will estimate whether the whole thing is a success or not, and we will go on from there," says Shashar. "If all goes well then we will go to places where reefs used to be and actually build major large scale artificial reefs there. We are trying to design a new environment. All over the world reefs are being damaged and broken down, we are trying to add surface area. So far it looks like a great success. The fish are coming, and so are the people."

Article courtesy: http://www.israel21c.org


Florida universities...
(Continued from above)

Presidents from many universities, including Brandeis University, the University of Miami and the University of Virginia, have endorsed a statement issued by the Columbia University President Lee Bollinger that reaffirms his University’s steadfast support for Israeli scholars and universities and expresses his support for open academic exchange and collaboration between American and Israeli institutions.

Congressman Wexler is Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee, a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Judiciary Committee, and he also sits on the Financial Services Committee.  Following is a copy of the letter:
 


August 3, 2007

Esteemed Presidents,

We urge you to join the United States House of Representatives as well as university presidents nationwide in condemning the May 30, 2007 decision of the main union representing 120,000 British college teachers, the British University and College Union (UCU), in boycotting Israeli academic institutions.

We strongly believe this unjustified boycott of Israeli academic institutions is an assault on the principles of academic freedom and open exchange and will limit cultural and scientific collaboration between foreign universities and academics. Unconscionably, it also contributes to the unacceptable de-legitimization and demonization of the State of Israel. As a sign of solidarity with Israel and its academic institutions against this deplorable action on the part of the UCU, on July 11, 2007 the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 467, condemning the UCU’s decision to support this boycott of Israeli academia. This resolution also urges the international scholarly community to reject calls for an academic boycott of Israel and reaffirm their commitment to academic freedom and cultural and scientific international exchange.

As you may be aware, opposition to the UCU boycott has also been expressed by university presidents nationwide, led by Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who reaffirmed his university’s steadfast support for Israeli scholars and universities. Bollinger stated that he finds the boycott “utterly antithetical to the fundamental values of the academy, where we will not hold intellectual exchange hostage to the political disagreements of the moment.” Presidents from many universities, including Brandeis University, the University of Virginia, and within our own state, the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University, have endorsed Bollinger’s statement and reaffirmed the responsibility of others in their distinguished positions to express their support for open academic exchange and collaboration between American and Israeli institutions.

We share the sentiments of President Bollinger and believe that is critical for the presidents of American colleges and universities to publicly express their condemnation of the UCU boycott of Israeli academia and their unequivocal commitment to promote academic freedom. In this vein, we respectfully request that you endorse President Bollinger’s statement, and we strongly encourage you to release your own statement opposing the UCU boycott. We have enclosed a copy of President Lee Bollinger’s statement for your review, as well as copy of a statement released on July 25, 2007 by Frank Brogan, President of Florida Atlantic University, endorsing Bollinger’s statement, and a copy of a letter written to UCU President Linda Newman on July 19, 2007 by Ray Ferrero, Jr., President of Nova Southeastern University, calling for an end to the boycott.

At a time when our ally Israel faces grave threats from terrorist such as Hamas and Hezbollah and rogue regimes such as Iran, it is critical that the United States express solidarity with the Israeli people. The UCU’s boycott is the latest example of anti-Israel bias that does little to resolve the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian divide and only emboldens the enemies of peace and reconciliation. It is essential that you join the House of Representative and your esteemed colleagues in sending a clear message that you and the Florida university community reject the UCU boycott, stand firmly for academic freedom and support Israeli scholars and educational institutions.

We greatly appreciate your support on this issue and look forward to your response to our letter. Please know we are working closely with several major Jewish organizations in Florida and nationally including the American Jewish Committee, Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Israel Campus Coalition. These organizations share our unequivocal opposition to this unjustified boycott and stand ready to work with your University to address the UCU’s deplorable decision to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

Respectfully,



Members of the Florida Delegation

1. Rep. Robert Wexler
2. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart
3. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings
4. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
5. Rep. Corrine Brown
6. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
7. Rep. Ron Klein
8. Rep. Tim Mahoney
9. Rep. Vern Buchanan
10. Rep. Cliff Stearns
11. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite
12. Rep. Tom Feeney
13. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart 
14. Rep. Kendrick Meek
15. Rep. Gus Bilirakis
16. Rep. Ric Keller
17. Rep. Kathy Castor