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NAIROBI, Kenya (Press Release)--Following are Israel-related excerpts from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's interview on Thursday, August 6, with reporter Fareed Zakaria of CNN.
QUESTION: You and the President have both communicated to the Government of Israel that you do not want any more settlements. You were very clear in your statement; you said no exceptions. And yet the government in Israel seems to be making an exception. Do you intend to in any way enforce that view that the United States has to ensure that the Government of Israel does not do what you don’t want it to do, which is to expand the settlements in the West Bank?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, as you know, we’re in the midst of the very intense negotiations that Senator Mitchell is carrying out. And I think both Israel and the United States are working from a position of friendship, a durable partnership, a
commitment by the United States to the security of Israel, which is absolutely imperative and nonnegotiable. But there are steps we would like to see all the parties take in order to maximize the chances for success of the negotiations to reach a comprehensive peace that result in a two-state solution. And there are areas where Senator Mitchell is hammering out the details with the Israelis, with the Palestinians, with Arab countries. And I’m actually cautiously optimistic that we will be able to tee up negotiations. Now there is no guarantee. These are very, very difficult issues to resolve. But I think that starting with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s important speech where he accepted the two-state solution and laid out --
QUESTION: But placed conditions on it with the Palestinians regarding entirely (inaudible) --
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, but both sides do that. I mean, that’s politics, that’s negotiations. I mean, people are likely to end up in a place that makes neither of them happy, and then the rest of us can say, “Well, that’s probably a good outcome,” but they start from maximalist positions. That’s where people obviously begin.
QUESTION: But the relationship with Israel has beenprickly*. I’ll give you one example: You extended a kind a nuclear umbrella, the prospect of a nuclear umbrella, to Israel and potentially other countries in the Gulf. And we’re talking
about the Iranian nuclear program. The response from the Israeli Government was to criticize you, was to say that you were giving in to, you know, accepting an Iranian nuclear program. Were you surprised by their response?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think they misunderstood what I was saying. I said defense umbrella. I didn’t specify what kind of defensive measures might be available to those in the region. But I clearly was sending a message to Iran, and
we’ve obviously explained that to our friends in Israel. But the message was to make clear to whoever is making decisions in Iran these days, particularly about something as important as their nuclear weapons potential, that if they believed that this would give them a more secure position, a greater capacity to influence events, to intimidate their neighbors, to expand the reach of their ideology, they were mistaken, that there was no chance in the world that even if they were to obtain that – and it was obviously prefaced and meant in that way because our position remains the same – we do not intend to accept nuclear weapons by Iran. We think that is unacceptable.
But for the sake of argument and for the sake of their calculus, if that is among their objectives, they need to think again, because they will render their position less secure, they will trigger an arms race in the region, and they will certainly put greater pressure on the United States to extend a defense umbrella in order to hem in and contain them. So I just wanted to be sure that they were thinking like we were thinking, and I think the Israeli response only looked at the fact that, “Oh my gosh, well, does that mean you’re changing your policy, that now, somehow it’s acceptable?” No, of course not; we think this influences the thinking inside Iran.
QUESTION: If you had to choose, which is worse: a Iranian nuclear weapons program or an American attack on Iran?
SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, we have no intention to pursue the latter. This is something that is a very delicate and difficult issue to even contemplate. And yet at the same time, we are very concerned about Iran being a nuclear weapons state. And it’s not going to surprise anyone that Israel views that as an existential threat, that many in the United States see that also as a direct threat to American interests.
But force should never even be contemplated except as a very last resort. We are still focused on our engagement. We’re still focused on bringing international pressure. We’re still focused on trying to effect the calculations of the Iranian Government. And we’ll see where that leads us.
120 Israeli and Palestinian children camp together
KIBBUTZ GAL-ON, Israel (Press Release)—One hundred and twenty underprivileged Palestinian and Israeli children took part in this year’s first two sessions of the Peres Center Summer Camps for Sport and Coexistence.
The Palestinian children were from communities in Gaza and Ramalla and the Israeli children live in the communities of Sderot, Kiryat Gat and Yeruham. Mr. Toschi of Regione Toscana, who played a pivotal role in initiating the project, made an inspirational visit to the camp.
The camp took place on Kibbutz Gal-On, and included a wide range of fun activities such as sports, swimming, Darbukka drumming, frisbee, a visit to the science museum in Jerusalem, and a trip to an amusement park.
In a special art and peace education workshop, the children had the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. The summer camp environment encourages lasting friendships and understanding between Palestinian and Israeli youth. The initiative was partnered with the Palestinian Dialogue Center and was made possible through the generous support of Regione Toscana.
 The Palestinian and Israeli children also made t-shirts during the art and peace education workshop at the Camp for Sport and Coexistence
Some of the comments received from the Israeli and Palestinian children:
Israeli Child: “When I came to the camp, I didn’t think I would get along with Arabs, but in the end it worked out. I played football with them and it was fantastic!”
Palestinian Child: “We won’t forget this camp. We didn’t know anything about Israeli children, but now, after this encounter, we got to know them more as people and human beings. We can live together!”
Why do people speak second languages with an accent?
HAIFA (Press Release)--The more empathy one has for another, the lighter the accent will be when speaking in a second language. This is the conclusion of a new study carried out at the University of Haifa by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim and Dr. Mark Leikin of the Department of Learning Disabilities and Prof. Zohar Eviatar of the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa.
The study has been published in the International Journal of Bilingualism. "In addition to personal-affective factors, it has been found that the 'language ego' is also influenced by the sociopolitical position of the speaker towards the majority group," the researchers stated.
We all know how to identify the average Hebrew speaker trying to speak English: the Israeli accent is an easy give-away. But why is there an accent and what are the factors that make one speaker have a heavier accent than another? One possibility is based on the cognitive discipline, which suggests that our language system limits the creation of language pronunciations in a non-native language. Another explanation is derived from the socio-lingual field, which claims that socio-affective elements have an effect on accent and that the second language constitutes an image label for the speaker in the presence of a majority group.
"Israel is a perfect lab location for testing the topic of second languages, because of the complex composition of its population. This population is made up of immigrants who learn Hebrew at an advanced age; an ethnic minority of Arabs, some of whom learn Hebrew from an early age, and others who learn the language as mature adults; and a majority group of native Hebrew speakers," the researchers explained.
The first stage of the study divided participants – students from the University of Haifa – into three groups: 20 native Hebrew speakers, 20 Arabic speakers who learned Hebrew at the age of 7-8, and 20 Russian immigrants who learned Hebrew after age 13. The participants' socioeconomic characteristics were identical. All were asked to read out a section from a report in Hebrew, and then to describe – in Hebrew - an image that was shown to them. The pieces were recorded and divided into two-minute sections. Additionally, the participants filled out a questionnaire that measures empathetic abilities in 29 statements.
The second stage of the study took 20 different native Hebrew speaking participants. They listened to the pieces that had been recorded in the first stage, and rated each piece according to accent "heaviness". Subsequently, each participant from the first stage was given a score on the weight of his or her accent and another score for level of empathy.
The study has shown that the accent level of Russian immigrants and of native Arabic speakers is similar. It also revealed that for the Russian immigrants, there is a direct link between the two measures: the higher the ability to exhibit empathy for the other, the weaker the accent. Amongst the Arabic speakers, however, no such link – either positive or negative – between level of empathy and heaviness of accent could be seen.
The researchers' hypothesis is that in the group of Arabic speakers, a new factor enters the 'language ego' equation: sociopolitical position. "We believe that the pattern among Arabic speakers demonstrates their sentiment toward the Hebrew-speaking majority group, and the former consider their accent as something that distinguishes them from the majority.
"Our research shows that both personal and sociopolitical aspects have an influence on accent in speaking a second language, and teachers giving instruction in languages as second languages, especially among minority groups, must relate to the social and political connection when teaching," the researchers explain.
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State Dept. spokesman says Israelis and Palestinians
should return to Roadmap
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)--Following is an Israel excerpt from a news briefing conducted by State Department depuyty spokesman Robert Wood on Monday, August 10.
QUESTION: Yes, Robert, on the peace process, Fatah movement has adopted a new political plan in Bethlehem. This plan says that peace is a strategic choice, but Fatah maintains the right of resistance by all means possible. Do you have any comment?
MR. WOOD: No, I haven’t seen the plan, but again, I would just reiterate, Michel, right now the importance of both parties – the Israelis and the Palestinians – implementing the Roadmap obligations, not taking steps that in any way prejudge the outcome of future negotiations.
And Senator Mitchell, as you know, is trying to create the conditions on the ground so that we can move to negotiations that will eventually get us to a two-state solution. And so that’s where the parties need to be focused, on living up to their obligations, implementing those Roadmap commitments, and that’s where our diplomacy is focused right now.
QUESTION: But Israeli foreign minister has said today that attempting to impose a Middle East deal – or Israel will be against attempting to impose a Middle East deal. And he added that the most peace talks can achieve for the coming year is improving security and the Palestinian economy.
MR. WOOD: Well, Michel, one of the things we try not to do is respond to every single comment that’s made by leaders of the region. What we’re doing is staying focused on trying to create those conditions on the ground so that we can go forward and have negotiations. You have to have – you have to have a situation where there’s a bit of trust between the two sides so that they can get forward into negotiations. And confidence-building measures are critical elements of getting the parties to the next step, which is negotiations.
And so Senator Mitchell, the Secretary, and the President have all spoken about this, the need for the parties to not take steps that are in any way going to prejudge the outcome of negotiations, and to also work on confidence-building measures so that we can get to that next step. And without being able to – without the parties taking the essential steps in terms of confidence-building, it’s very hard to see getting to the next step.
Poll finds Jewish Democrats disagreeing with Obama on Israel
NEW YORK (Press Release)—
A new poll reveals that American Jewish Democrats disagree with the Obama Administration’s approach toward Israel and the Palestinians. On July 22-24, 2009, Global Marketing Research Services conducted a poll of 500 American Jews who identified themselves as Democrats. Fifty-five percent believe that “President Obama is naïve in thinking that the Palestinians would make peace, whatever they say. They will just use the new land as a base to attack Israel like they did in Gaza.”
Only 27% think that “President Obama is right that Israel should agree to let the Palestinians form their own country and return the West Bank to them. This would defuse the hatred in the Middle East, reduce terrorism and help America, the Palestinians, and Israel live in peace.”
The poll also showed that 52% of Jewish Democrats believe that Israel “should be allowed to build new homes in existing settlements but not to start new ones.” Only 37% think that “it is very important that Israel not expand its settlements on the West Bank so as not to alienate the Palestinians,” thus supporting the Obama Administration’s position.
Other poll findings:
· Jewish Democrats revealed their belief that it is the Arabs, not Israel, who are to blame for the Arab-Israeli conflict. By a margin of 60% to 20%, those polled agree that “if the Arabs lay down their weapons, there would be no more war.” By an 83%-6% margin, Jewish Democrats believe that “if Israel were to lay down its weapons, the Arabs would destroy it.”
· 52% of Jewish Democrats believe that “the Arabs will never live in peace with Israel and that giving them a nation of their own will just make them stronger.” A mere 20% agree with the Obama Administration’s view that “if Israel could settle its dispute with the Palestinian refugees and give them a nation of their own, that the Arabs would live in peace with Israel.”
· 92% of Jewish Democrats have a favorable opinion of Israel. Only 17% have a positive view of the “Palestinian refugees.”
· By a 75% to 9% margin, Jewish Democrats reject the claim that “Israel has become a bully, pushing its Arab neighbors around.”
· By a 55% to 14% margin, Jewish Democrats reject the idea that “the Israeli Army and Mossad are guilty of human-rights abuses.” By a 59% to 14% margin, Jewish Democrats agree that the “the Israeli Army and Mossad go out of their way to avoid hurting civilians.”
· By a 70% to 13% margin, Jewish Democrats reject the statement that “Israel is intolerant of its neighbors and does not do enough to get along with them in peace.”
(Dick Morris & Eileen McGann, ‘Where Bam Breaks with Jewish Dems,’ New York Post, August 7, 2009).
RJC touts Democratic opposition to Robinson presidential medal
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) -- There is rising opposition among Democrats to President Obama's decision to honor Mary Robinson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the last few days, former New York mayor Ed Koch and James Kirchick, an assistant editor of the center-left magazine The New Republic, added their voices.
Ed Koch characterized the President's decision to honor Mary Robinson as "one of his worse mistakes to date" (1):
"Mary Robinson is perceived by supporters of Israel as having engaged in anti-Semitic actions by her denigrating of Israel over the years, particularly at Durbin, South Africa. Anti-Semitism is exhibited when hostility is directed at Israel for reasons that would not be the basis of hostility to any other country engaging in the same actions. Mary Robinson now says that she has always been a friend of Israel. Some friend! Not until she by some actions and deeds, not simply words, convinces supporters of Israel of her good will towards Israel will she be seen as other than anti-Semitic. President Barack Obama, like every other person, makes mistakes. Awarding Mary Robinson the Medal of Freedom is one of his worst mistakes to date.
Koch, a life-long Democrat and strong supporter of Israel, joins the bipartisan opposition to honoring Mary Robinson, as President Obama plans to do when he presents the Medal of Freedom to her and 15 other individuals on August 12.
Kirchick's article in The New Republic, entitled "Failure of Leadership," makes the case that "whatever her accomplishments as a human rights advocate, Robinson is undeserving of the honor." (2)
..."To many of us present at the events at Durban," wrote [late Democratic congressman Tom Lantos, who attended the conference], "it is clear that much of the responsibility for the debacle rests on the shoulders of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who, in her role as secretary-general of the conference, failed to provide the leadership needed to keep the conference on track." Lantos served as the U.S. delegate to Durban but walked out in protest.
"Her yearning to have a 'dialogue among civilizations' blinded her to the reality that the noble goals of her conference had been usurped by some of the world's least tolerant and most repressive states, wielding human rights claims as a weapon in a political dispute."
It is not just Robinson's record at Durban that renders her unfit for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Throughout her tenure as High Commissioner, she frequently criticized the United States for its operation of the Guantanamo Bay prison facility and terrorist detainee policies--warning that we were "losing the moral high ground"--but rarely lifted a finger when it came to serial abusers of human rights like the People's Republic of China, Libya, or Sudan. As a result of the problems in Durban and her baleful term as High Commissioner, the United States did not support Robinson's continuing as head of the office: After she was replaced in 2002, former American ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke said that "she overly politicized the job." (Indeed, the Human Rights Commission became such an international joke under Robinson's tenure--with all manner of dreadful human rights abusers allowed onto the body--that it was eventually abolished in 2006.) At the time of her replacement, Robinson lashed out at the United States by blaming it for her downfall, which makes the decision of the current American administration to honor her all the more perplexing. "
Maccabi Haifa signs Puerto Rican basketball star Jesse Pellot-Rosa
AVENTURA, Florida – The Maccabi Haifa professional basketball team, the Israeli Premier League runner-up last season, announced on Monday it has signed guard Jesse Pellot-Rosa, the reigning MVP and Most Improved Player of the Puerto Rican league last season, to a one-year contract.
Pellot-Rosa, 25, averaged 23.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 29 games played last season for Los Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico. The 6-foot-4 guard led his team into the playoffs, scoring 681 points with 164 free-throws during the regular season, the most by any player in the league.
"I am very happy to join the Maccabi Haifa organization," said Pellot-Rosa, who is currently in Venezuela playing for the Puerto Rican National Team. "I’m looking forward to going to Israel and hopefully guiding this team into the Final Four."
Pellot-Rosa, a native of Richmond, Virginia, played his collegiate ball at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) from 2003-07. He led his VCU Rams to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and a first-round upset of Duke in the NCAA tournament in 2007.
Pellot-Rosa was signed as an undrafted free-agent by the New York Jets of the National Football League (N.F.L.) as a wide receiver in 2007 due to his impressive athletic ability while playing basketball at VCU. He was released prior to the start of the season, but has completely dedicated himself to his basketball career.
"To acquire someone like Jesse, who has a football mentality and doesn't back down from anyone on the court, will bring a certain edge to our team," said Maccabi Haifa owner Jeffrey Rosen.
"Jesse brings experience, leadership and toughness, which will contribute to our reputation as being a physical team," said Coach Avi Ashkenazi.
Pellot-Rosa dominated overseas in both Iceland and Denmark during the 2008-09 season.
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