|
Israel-Palestinian negotiations likely at U.N. General Assembly?
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) --Following are Middle Eastern excerpts from a briefing conducted Monday by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs:
Q Is the President still asking Israelis to stop all settlement building in the territories, the Palestinian territories?
MR. GIBBS: Obviously I think the President's views on this have been made clear. There's been no directional change from us, and I think the -- I do think that Senator Mitchell, former Senator Mitchell has had productive meetings over the past few weeks and is going back soon to the region.
Q Javier Solana says he thinks that the two sides can come together during the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York in September. What would be the reason for optimism that the two sides are ready to come together when there's been no real -- do you guys have information about movement, progress, a reason that he would be optimistic?
MR. GIBBS: We, as I've said here before, believe we've seen progress. We continue to encourage --
Q In what form, though, I guess?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I'm not going to get into every discussion that we've had with either side, but we're certainly hopeful that we can continue to make progress, and if that happens in New York, we would be quite happy.
**
(MR. GIBBS)...Did you have a follow up on something?
Q I did. We talked with Israeli President Shimon Peres today and he indicated the meeting will take place on the sidelines of the UNGA opening. And he also suggested that there's likely to be a suspension of Israeli settlement activity to facilitate the meeting. Is that your understanding?
MR. GIBBS: I would not contradict your interview with President Peres, but -- we're certainly hopeful that progress is being made, and that we can see that progress continue in the near future.
Q Let me ask you on another matter -- the Jerusalem Post conducted a survey and found that only 4 percent of Jewish Israelis consider President Obama to be pro-Israeli. Does that trouble you in any way?
MR. GIBBS: I haven't seen the poll.
**
Q Robert, does the White House now believe, or suspect, that Scotland released al-Megrahi because of an oil deal between the UK and Libya?
MR. GIBBS: I don't -- I don't know the answer to what caused Scottish or British officials to make the decision that they did. Mark, as you know, this administration weighed in repeatedly with those officials in saying that this person should serve his sentence in its entirety in the location that he was at that time, which was Scotland. And we believe -- we continue to believe that is the case, and continue to believe that this was the wrong decision. The motivation for the British is a question for the British.
Q Do you know when the last time President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Gordon Brown? Has it been since the release?
MR. GIBBS: No, they've -- I want to say it's probably been a month or a month and a half. But we can certainly check it. They have not spoken since the release.
Q Just to follow up, is there any -- you say that it's a question for the British government, but is there any official -- will the U.S. government have any official sort of -- trying to investigate, trying to figure out how this happened beyond just asking questions of the British government?
MR. GIBBS: Chuck, I don't know -- I'm not a -- I don't know Scottish law.
**
Q The AP is reporting that Governor Blagojevich's new book says that Rahm Emanuel asked him to see if they could have a placeholder appointed in his House seat so that after two years as White House Chief of Staff he could go back and win the seat again and pursue his ambition to become Speaker. Can you tell us if that's the case?
MR. GIBBS: I have not -- I barely cover with Rahm what's going to happen the rest of the week. I have not talked to him about that nor have I -- I've not seen the book by the indicted former governor of Illinois.
Q And is this something that ever came up in the transition that you're aware of?
MR. GIBBS: No, not that -- I do not remember any discussion about that.
State Dept. declines comments on report Britain traded Lockerbie bomber for Libyan oil
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Following are Middle East excerpts from a briefing that State Department spokesman Ian Kelly conducted on Monday:
QUESTION: What’s – has the date and venue for the Mitchell meetings with the Israeli delegation, has that been – have they been determined yet?
MR. KELLY: No. The short answer is no. We hope to – I would imagine either late today or tomorrow we’ll have an announcement on it.
QUESTION: So where’s Mitchell now? Are they – is there – there’s nothing – there’s no meetings happening today? There’s --
MR. KELLY: No, no.
QUESTION: Tomorrow, you think, maybe?
MR. KELLY: No, there won’t be any meetings tomorrow, I don’t think, either, but --
QUESTION: Okay.
MR. KELLY: -- later this week.
**
QUESTION: Different topic. On Qadhafi, any progress on where he might stay now? Is New Jersey completely off the table? Have you progressed in finding him someplace in Manhattan? And does the Gordon Brown situation complicate the matter, or are you trying to convince him not to come at all?
MR. KELLY: I’m not aware of what the complicating factor of Gordon Brown is, frankly.
QUESTION: The problem with the British now, whether there was a back-and-forth on the release of Megrahi.
MR. KELLY: Oh, I see. Yeah. Well, I think you saw the various statements that came out on Friday. It is safe to say that Colonel Qadhafi will not be staying in New Jersey. I know that there are ongoing discussions between the Libyan mission to the UN and the city of New York regarding appropriate accommodations. I’m not aware that any final decision has been made on that.
QUESTION: But on the issue of the revelations over the weekend, Foreign Minister Jack Straw said that the British did attempt to make al-Megrahi’s release part of a deal – part of deals related to oil and gas. I mean, this is your closest ally, and they’re basically kind of bargaining away his release of someone who’s been convicted of killing, you know, 180 Americans. I mean, what does that say about the strength of the relationship between the U.S. and the UK?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, we have a very strong relationship with the UK. Of course, we’ve seen the allegations. We’ve seen the various statements. We hope these allegations are taken very seriously.
QUESTION: Sounds like an admission. It doesn’t sound like an allegation.
MR. KELLY: Well, the --
QUESTION: It’s from a former foreign secretary who is involved in the discussions --
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: --was involved. And he is, you know, kind of spilling the beans on what happened.
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, it’s – as I’ve said before, there is a very vigorous political debate going on in the UK right now. As I said before, these are serious allegations. But I can only tell you what our position has been. Our position has been – or what our role has been is that prior to his release, we made it very clear to both the Government of Scotland and – I’m sorry, to the authorities in Scotland and the Government of the UK that we thought that Mr. Megrahi should finish out this sentence in Scotland.
And of course, as we’ve said many times, we were deeply disappointed by the decision to release him and let him return to Libya. But regarding the political debate that’s going on, I’d really have to refer you to the UK and the Scottish authorities.
QUESTION: Right. But you keep referring to them as allegations. I mean, it sounds like more of an admission or a confession. And you say that you’re deeply disappointed that –
MR. KELLY: That’s your characterization.
QUESTION: Well --
MR. KELLY: That’s not mine.
QUESTION: Well, you’re calling them allegations and they’re not allegations. This is a former official that was involved in the discussions who’s saying, you know, what the discussions were and was releasing documents related to it. So you say you’re –
MR. KELLY: Yeah, well, let’s let the process run out.
QUESTION: Well --
MR. KELLY: I think the – it still is in the process – at the stage of allegations at this point.
QUESTION: You say that you’re deeply disappointed by the decision. Are you deeply disappointed by the British move to make his release part of their bargaining on economic deals?
MR. KELLY: Well, if that were true, again, we would have concerns about that. But it’s – we had no direct role in this process.
QUESTION: I’m not saying that you did.
MR. KELLY: So we can’t characterize what kind of discussion went on either between Edinburgh or London, or London and Tripoli. That’s for the UK authorities to work out.
QUESTION: Are you seeking clarification from the British?
MR. KELLY: It is up to the British Government to work these things through. We have complete faith in the British system to air these allegations in a complete and transparent way.
QUESTION: So – and --
MR. KELLY: Obviously, it is going on in a very clear and open way.
QUESTION: And if these – you’ve called them allegations, but I maintain that they’re not allegations. But anyway –
MR. KELLY: They’re allegations until it’s determined in a court of law that’s they’re –
QUESTION: Well, I don’t know. These documents don’t really look like they’re allegations. It looks like this is part of the negotiating documents. But anyway --
MR. KELLY: Yeah, I haven’t seen the document.
QUESTION: -- if it does – if the revelations then come out that Britain was involved, what will be the consequences for that?
MR. KELLY: Well, we’ll figure that out once everything comes out. But right now, not everything has come out.
Yes.
**
QUESTION: The IAEA report that came out late last week said that 300 fewer centrifuges are now in operation in Iran. Is this due to perhaps technical problems or a result of some productive negotiations?
MR. KELLY: Yeah, I think the short answer to that is is that we’re – I just don’t have the information to comment on what the reasons were for X number of centrifuges. What I can tell you that – this report, although I have not read it all the way through and I don’t have all the details of it, but it clearly shows Iran’s continued lack of cooperation with the international community.
It continues to refuse to suspend all proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities, as required by the UN Security Council. It’s continued to install centrifuges, enrich uranium, and construct the Iraq heavy water research reactor. And it has refused to address in a real, sustained and complete way the very real concerns of the international community about the intent of Iran’s nuclear program. And this report is yet another report in a series of reports that have pointed this out.
And as you know, on Wednesday, there will be a meeting of the political directors of the P-5+1 group in Germany. And this report, of course, will be a real, important discussion item for that group.
QUESTION: What’s the – what’s the danger of Israel getting involved, maybe militarily?
MR. KELLY: Well, I’m just not going to –
QUESTION: And are you – are you engaging Israel diplomatically?
MR. KELLY: I’m not going to comment on that. Well, of course we’re engaging Israel diplomatically. We do that every day.
Yeah, Dave.
QUESTION: One thing -- just on the report. This came out three days ago. It’s only six pages long. Are you saying that no one in this building has had the time?
MR. KELLY: I’m saying I haven’t. I haven’t seen the report. Of course people in this building have seen this report.
QUESTION: And but – and there isn’t anything more to say about it than what you had to say on Friday? Because I believe what you just said was a repeat of what was said on Friday, right? There hasn’t been --
MR. KELLY: More or less, yeah.
QUESTION: There hasn’t been any more analysis.
MR. KELLY: Yeah, nothing more than I can – that I can give you from this podium.
**
QUESTION: Just a small one, going back to Libya. Tomorrow, I believe, the Libyans are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Colonel Qadhafi’s rise to power. Does the U.S. Government plan to send anyone from Washington or the Embassy to those ceremonies?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. I’m not aware of any plans for anybody to come from Washington. And I’m also not aware of any plans – if any decisions have been made about plans for somebody from our Embassy in Tripoli to attend.
**
QUESTION: The Jerusalem Post has a poll that showed that only 6 percent of Israelis actually support and think that the – President Obama is pro-Israel. Does that concern you at all?
MR. KELLY: Well, I think that our support for Israel and the President’s support for Israel is unwavering. I haven’t seen the results of that poll, but I think that the people of Israel know who stands with them.
QUESTION: Do you think that Secretary Clinton may think that a more balanced Mideast policy would be more appropriate?
MR. KELLY: You’re asking a very tough last question, I have to say. I’ll defer comment and – thank you very much.
Go to the top of next column
|
|
Hamas doesn't want Holocaust chapter in Palestinian textbooks
GAZA CITY (WJC) —The Islamist movement Hamas has condemned the United Nations for allegedly planning to teach children in the Gaza Strip about the Holocaust. Branding the Nazi genocide of the Jews "a lie invented by the Zionists," Hamas wrote in an open letter to senior UN official John Ging that he should withdraw plans for a new history book in UN-run schools. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which educates some 200,000 refugee children in Gaza, said the Holocaust was currently not on its curriculum and did not specify if this was about to change.
Hamas said it believed UNRWA was about to start using a text for 13-year-olds that included a chapter on the Holocaust. The official Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, told ‘Reuters’ that he did not want to discuss the history of the Holocaust but said: "Regardless of the controversy, we oppose forcing the issue of the so-called Holocaust onto the syllabus, because it aims to reinforce acceptance of the occupation of Palestinian land."
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress
Anti-Semitic incidents in
Argentina increased during
Israel's retalliation in Gaza
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (WJC)—Anti-Semitic incidents increased dramatically in Buenos Aires during the first two months of 2009, according to a newly released report. A new anti-Semitism report published by DAIA, the umbrella organization of Jewish communities in Argentina, records 253 anti-Semitic incidents in January and February 2009, compared with 302 anti-Semitic incidents in the entire year 2008.
The rise was prompted by Israel's military operation in Gaza, DAIA officials said. “The Middle East conflict clearly affects the level of incidents,” Marisa Braylan, director of the DAIA department that produced the report, said in a speech at the University of Buenos Aires. Most of the anti-Semitic incidents were anonymous email threats and graffiti, according to the study.
Ron Lauder, Jacob Zuma confer
on Middle East situation
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (WJC)—Ronald S. Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, has held talks with South Africa's President Jacob Zuma. Lauder was in Johannesburg to participate in the 45th National Conference of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD). He asked Zuma to continue the fight against all forms of racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism in South Africa and in the region, and to pursue a balanced, fair and constructive policy with respect to the conflict in the Middle East. Lauder was accompanied to the meeting with Zuma by WJC Secretary-General Michael Schneider and SAJBD National Chairman Zev Krengel.
"There are no simple solutions to this complex problem. The people in South Africa should know that Israel is not an apartheid state, and they should speak out whenever such unfair and biased statements are made," the WJC president said. "Black people in South Africa and Jews have one thing in common: we have both suffered from persecution, discrimination and marginalization in society, and we have both fought peacefully, but resolutely, to overcome bigotry and intolerance. We are friends and allies. Here and elsewhere, learning the lessons of history is important: hatred of people and groups based on religion, ethnicity or gender must never be tolerated," Lauder declared.
The meeting with the South African president was held on the sidelines of the SAJBD conference, which Lauder addressed and at which he was presented with an award by the community. He told delegates: "The future of the Jewish world tomorrow depends on the actions that are taken today. In this, South Africa can play a leading role on this continent. It can forge policies that are fair and balanced towards both Israel and the Palestinian people."
In his speech to the SAJBD conference, Jacob Zuma acknowledged the significant role the Jewish community continues to play in building South Africa. “We all know that many within the Jewish community have played a prominent role in the struggle for democracy and freedom in our country. Though part of a privileged white minority, many Jewish people dedicated their lives to the advancement of the rights of the oppressed majority,” he said.
Israel hosts bloggers conference Sept. 13 in Jerusalem, cyberspace
JERUSALEM (Press Release)-- In response to the overwhelming interest in last year’s event, Nefesh B'Nefesh (an organization dedicated to revitalizing Aliyah from North America and the UK, in cooperation with the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel) is hosting the second International Jewish Bloggers Convention at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem on Sunday, September 13.
This year’s convention, which is powered by Webads, will focus on ‘Uniting the Jewish Community through Social Media’ and will feature Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Ron Dermer as keynote speaker. The event will be broadcasted live on the web to thousands of Jewish bloggers worldwide.
The convention will include workshops on various topics on blogging, twitter and social media tools; panel discussions on Aliyah and Social Media; and a comedy performance by renowned humorous blogger Benji Lovitt.
“The tremendous response to last year’s convention showed us that there was a huge demand for this kind of event” noted Danny Oberman, Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Executive VP of Israel Operations. “This is a great opportunity to enhance our relationship with the blogging and twittering community, and enhance the presence of Aliyah in that media.”
To register visit www.jbloggers.org To watch the live webcast visit: www.nbn.org.il/bloggers
U.S. Justice Dept. seeks to deport Kalymon as killer of Jews in WWII
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice has initiated removal proceedings against a Troy, Michigan, resident based on his participation in violent acts of persecution while serving as anarmed member of the Nazi-sponsored Ukrainian Auxiliary Police (UAP) in occupied L’viv, Ukraine, during World War II, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal
Division announced on Monday
.
The charging document, filed Aug. 27, 2009, in U.S. Immigration Court in Detroit, alleges that John (originally Iwan) Kalymon served as a member of the UAP from at least May
1942 to March 1944; that he personally shot Jews while serving, killing at least one; and that he participated in violent anti-Jewish operations in which Jews were forcibly deported to be
murdered in gas chambers and to serve as slave laborers.
“These charges once again demonstrate the resolve of the Department of Justice to deny safe haven in this country to human rights violators, no matter how long ago they committed
their heinous acts,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer. “The ultimate removal of John Kalymon will close a very painful chapter and provide a measure of justice to his victims and their families.”
As the government established in prior federal court litigation that resulted in a court order revoking Kalymon’s naturalized U.S. citizenship, during the German occupation of L’viv,
which had been part of Poland before the war, Nazi German forces assisted by the UAP confined more than 100,000 Jews to a ghetto in the city and carried out periodic operations to reduce the ghetto’s population. In these violent operations, German forces and the UAP rounded up Jews, beating and shooting those who showed any sign of resistance, and sent most of them to be murdered in the gas chambers at the Belzec extermination center. Some were shot or selected to be worked to death in forced labor camps.
Kalymon, 88, admitted in court proceedings that he fled with retreating German forces in 1944. He immigrated to the United States from Germany in May 1949, concealing his UAP
service from U.S. immigration officials and obtained U.S. citizenship in Detroit in October 1955.
A federal judge in Detroit revoked his citizenship in March 2007, concluding that Kalymon assisted in the wartime persecution of Jews by, “taking part in sweeps of the ghetto during periodic reduction actions; manning cordon posts around the city to prevent Jews from escaping before and during such actions; and hunting for Jews who attempted to hide or flee.” The court noted that World War II-era documents, including a handwritten Aug. 14, 1942, report prepared
by Kalymon in which he accounted to his UAP superiors for ammunition he had expended that day in shooting Jews, proved that Kalymon personally killed at least one Jew and wounded at
least one other. The actions were part of the so-called “Great Operation,” which resulted in the removal of 40,000 Jews from the L’viv Ghetto in August 1942.
“With the active assistance of collaborators like John Kalymon, the Nazis annihilated some 100,000 innocent Jewish men, women and children in L’viv,” noted Eli M. Rosenbaum,
Director of the Criminal Division’s Office of Special Operations (OSI). “Participants in such crimes have forfeited any right to enjoy the precious privilege of U.S. citizenship or to continue
residing in the United States.”
The proceedings to denaturalize Kalymon were initiated in 2004 by OSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit. The case is a result of OSI’s ongoing efforts to identify, investigate
and take legal action against former participants in Nazi crimes of persecution who reside in the United States. Since OSI began operations in 1979, it has won cases against 107 individuals who
participated in Nazi-sponsored persecution. In addition, more than 180 suspected participants in Nazi crimes who sought to enter the United States in recent years have been blocked from doing so as a result of OSI’s “Watchlist” program, which is enforced in cooperation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security.
The removal case against Kalymon is being litigated by OSI Senior Trial Attorney William H. Kenety. The Detroit office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has provided assistance. Members of the public are reminded that the charging document contains only allegations and that the government will be required to prove its case before an immigration judge.
Feinstein mourns two California firefighters killed protecting L.A.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) issued a statement on Monday mourning the death of two firefighters killed while fighting wild fires in Los Angeles County:
“My heart goes out to the families of fire Captain Tedmund Hall and firefighter Arnaldo Quinones, and to the men and women of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. These brave men put their lives on the line to protect the lives and property of others. I know I speak for all Californians when I say I am deeply grateful for their service, and deeply saddened by their deaths.”
Appeals Court says AUSCS, ACLU may sue over funding to Baptists
CINCINNATI, Ohio (Press Release)—A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State challenging government funding of a religious group’s youth home in Kentucky can go forward.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling and ruled that taxpayers have standing to bring a legal challenge to the state’s decision to fund Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children (since renamed Sunrise Children's Services), which indoctrinated children placed under state care with its religious beliefs.
“This Baptist agency has made no secret of the fact that it was evangelizing children under the state’s care in complete disregard of the Constitution’s ban on government-sponsored religion,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “We’re extremely pleased that the court has made it clear that taxpayers have the right to challenge government when it promotes religious doctrine.”
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of several taxpayers and Alicia Pedreira, a lesbian who was fired from the group home after someone at the agency saw a photograph of Pedreira and her partner at the state fair. In addition to the constitutional challenge, Pedreira had also claimed that the agency illegally discriminated against her because she did not conform to the religious beliefs of the agency.
Although the appeals court dismissed that claim, the court said that she would be allowed to present evidence of her firing to prove that the funding of the agency violated the Constitution’s prohibition of religious funding.
“While I’m disappointed that Baptist Homes won’t be held liable for firing me, today’s decision helps ensure that government funds won’t be given to employers who discriminate based on their religious beliefs about sexual orientation, and that’s why I brought this case,” said Pedreira, who after struggling for years to get her career back on track, is currently working as a counselor in Louisville.
Filed in April 2000, this lawsuit has been closely watched by many because it underscores the problems that arise when government funds religious organizations to perform their functions.
“The government should be helping to end discrimination against gay people, not funding it,” said Ken Choe, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project. “While today’s decision gives taxpayers recourse when the government oversteps the line in funding religiously affiliated service providers, this case illustrates all too well what can go wrong when the government fails to ensure appropriate safeguards.”
Added Americans United Senior Litigation Counsel Alex J. Luchenitser, who argued the appeal before the court, “This decision puts the brakes on the Religious Right’s efforts to keep taxpayers out of court in order to allow unfettered public funding of religious indoctrination. Proselytizing groups should not be able to get away with using government money illegally because they think that no one can sue them.”
The court noted that reviews conducted by a private company of Baptist Homes “contain 296 interview responses from youth describing [Baptist Homes’] religious practices as coercive.” The court also quoted a Baptist Homes annual report as stating, “The angels rejoiced last year as 244 of our children made decisions about their relationships with Jesus Christ.”
The case is returned to the district court for trial, but other appeals are possible.
In addition to Choe and Luchenitser, the legal team representing Pedreira includes Americans United Legal Director Ayesha Khan; ACLU attorneys James Esseks, David Friedman, Daniel Mach and William Sharp; ACLU cooperating attorney Vicki Buba of the Oldfather Law Firm in Louisville, KY; attorneys David Bergman, Joshua Wilson, Elizabeth Leise, Alicia Truman, Lea Johnston, and Alessandro Maggi of the international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP; and Washington, D.C. attorney Murray Garnick.
Jewish War Veterans hail court decision on veterans rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—The Jewish War Veterans of the USA (JWV) commends the ruling by the Federal Appeals Court that recognizes veterans' entitlements as a property right, which is what the Congress, Administration, and all political leaders have promised from the beginning of our Nation to now without ever making their promises and words a reality.
The Federal Appeals Court held: "We conclude that such entitlement to benefits is a property interest protected by the due process clause of the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution."
Now is really the time for the veterans of this Nation to make demands upon our representatives to fulfill their promises and their obligations since they no longer have the opportunity to hide behind veteran entitlements.
We call upon all of our elected representatives to support and adopt mandatory funding of veterans' health benefits.
It is time for them to put up or shut up.
|
