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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Pace of Mitchell talks in Mideast stepping up as UNGA approaches
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Following are Middle East-related excerpts of a press briefing conducted by State Department spokesman Ian Kelly on Wednesday, September 16:
QUESTION: Yeah. Mitchell.
MR. KELLY: Mitchell. Yeah.
QUESTION: How was the meeting today?
MR. KELLY: It was good.
QUESTION: Oh, really?
MR. KELLY: Hold on a second.
QUESTION: Still making progress?
MR. KELLY: Hold on a second. Yes, they had good meetings yesterday with Prime Minister Fayyad and President Abbas, and they met with Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, and they met with him again this morning. In meetings with both the Palestinians and the Israelis, Senator Mitchell continued to encourage the parties to take responsibility for peace through concrete steps. And both parties reconfirmed their commitment to comprehensive peace and discussed how best to re-launch negotiations. And we do believe we’re making progress toward that goal.
In order to keep the discussion moving ahead, Senator Mitchell will return to Israel later in the week to continue these discussions Friday morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem, and Abu Mazen in Ramallah. Today, they’re also meeting with President Suleiman in Beirut and then they go on to Cairo. And tomorrow, they’ll meet with President Mubarak and other Egyptian leaders, and then King Abdullah of Jordan tomorrow afternoon in Amman.
QUESTION: Can I just – just on the logistics, they’re – so they’re in Beirut right now?
MR. KELLY: They’re in Beirut right now.
QUESTION: And then they’re – and – well – and then soon, probably, given the hour, they’re going to – they’re going to Cairo tonight?
MR. KELLY: They’re going to Cairo tonight, yeah.
QUESTION: Meeting with Mubarak tomorrow in Cairo?
MR. KELLY: In Cairo.
QUESTION: And then going to Jordan?
MR. KELLY: And then going to Amman.
QUESTION: And then going back to Israel?
MR. KELLY: And then going back to Israel probably late Thursday night.
QUESTION: Ian, earlier, about a month ago, there was some hope that the Administration could bring the two parties together for a meeting during the UN General Assembly meeting. You’ve got maybe a couple days left to get everything into place. Do you think you can still make that happen?
MR. KELLY: Well, again, we think that we are making some progress towards the goal of bringing the parties together. But clearly, we’re continuing the discussions and we’re hopeful that we can reach the point where we can re-launch the negotiations. But we don’t have anything to announce about any meetings next week.
QUESTION: And do you – is that still a goal?
MR. KELLY: I mean, our ultimate goal is to restart the whole process, but I don’t have any specific details about what might happen next week.
QUESTION: Is it likely or is it possible that Senator Mitchell might stay further or might stay through Saturday and Sunday?
MR. KELLY: There’s no plans for that, but he is, of course, going back on Friday to continue the discussions.
Yeah.
***
QUESTION: How will the Department respond to the inner workings at the UN next week with the various misfits there, of course, from such places as Iran and North Korea, Venezuela? Possibly, they’re grandstanding. Now, at the same time, you have the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh.
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: You can’t be in two places at once. Will the Treasury and the Federal Reserve take the lead in Pittsburgh?
MR. KELLY: Well, you’re asking me to speculate on how we might respond to events that will happen in the future, so I’ll refrain from doing that. But I think the plan is for Secretary Clinton to be up at the UN General Assembly for about 10 days. The President will be up there, I think, for about three days, and then he’ll go on to Pittsburgh. Secretary Clinton will remain in New York. The meeting in Pittsburgh, I think, is primarily the head of state and/or government plus the finance minister.
QUESTION: Finance ministers.
MR. KELLY: Yeah. So that’s the way it’s – it’ll break out.
QUESTION: All right. I’m back on Mitchell.
MR. KELLY: You remembered your question?
QUESTION: Yeah. Well, it was a pretty easy one. I don’t know how I forgot it. You just said – you said you –
MR. KELLY: Easy for you, maybe. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: You say that you’re making progress or you’re making good progress towards – I think, is what you said – toward the goal of resuming – but are you closer to that now than you were, say, yesterday or even two days ago, when Mitchell –
MR. KELLY: No. Now, that’s not an easy question, actually.
QUESTION: Well, it was an easy question to remember --
MR. KELLY: It’s my understanding --
QUESTION: -- not to answer.
MR. KELLY: Sorry? Say that again, Matt?
QUESTION: Easy question to remember, not to answer.
MR. KELLY: Right, okay. Yeah. It’s my understanding that we did make some progress in getting to that goal of getting the parties to agree to re-launch negotiations. But clearly, they need another round on Friday.
QUESTION: Well –
MR. KELLY: But the fact that they are – that they’re going to meet and talk again, I think, is a good sign in itself.
QUESTION: Well, it was kind of an – well, it may or may not be, as we’ve seen in the past.
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, we’ll see on Friday.
QUESTION: But I mean, when you talked about this – was that progress made today? Was it made two days ago? When – I’m trying to get a – get an understanding of how far --
MR. KELLY: I think --
QUESTION: -- how far is the – how far are you moving forward incrementally each time they meet?
MR. KELLY: Well, yeah. That – I don’t know if I can give you the exact number of yards we have advanced the ball, but I understand that we have advanced the ball. We need another set of downs on Friday to advance it further, to push it across the line.
QUESTION: We’ll have these football analogies on settlements.
**
QUESTION: And separately – thank you for clarifying that – separately, is the October 1st meeting – and sorry if I missed this – is it set for Turkey, for the P-5+1 political directors?
MR. KELLY: I don’t think it’s set, and this is something that High Representative – is it High Representative or High Commissioner Solana – Mr. Solana --
MR. DUGUID: High Representative.
MR. KELLY: -- High Representative Solana will work out with his counterpart in Iran, with Mr. Jalili. But I believe he said yesterday that Turkey is probably top of the list. But nothing’s been set yet. Only the date; the date has been set.
QUESTION: Iranian --
QUESTION: Is that a one-day meeting or --
MR. KELLY: I believe so.
QUESTION: -- can we expect that it would last longer than that?
MR. KELLY: I believe it’s only planned for one day right now.
QUESTION: Iran?
MR. KELLY: Iran, yeah. Go ahead.
QUESTION: The Iran policy dinner tonight that the Secretary is hosting, can you tell us about that? Is it interagency or – is the Administration ready to set its Iran policy?
MR. KELLY: Well, what it is is it’s an opportunity for the Secretary to hear from outside experts on Iran. These are mostly people from the academic community, from universities, from think tanks. And this is something that she’s done on other occasions. She most recently had a dinner with experts on Africa. That was on July 30th. She’s also had a similar type sit-down with foreign policy experts on more general topics. So it’s just a chance for her to get the benefit of their views in a relaxed and informal setting.
QUESTION: So you don’t – you still don’t have an Iran policy?
MR. KELLY: (Laughter.) I didn’t – did I say that?
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR. KELLY: No, she’s just listening – she’s listening to what their points of view are – these experts.
QUESTION: Do you have the invite list?
MR. KELLY: I do, but I’m not prepared to share it with you.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Mitchell-Netanyahu meeting stretched to a second day
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--Following are Middle East-related exceprts from a briefing conducted Tuesday, September 15, by U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly:
QUESTION: Excuse me, I lost my voice. Can you give us an update on George Mitchell?
MR. KELLY: I was able to speak this morning with my colleague, and he said they had a good meeting, lasted over two hours. They agreed at the end of the meeting that they would meet again tomorrow. After the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the senator has probably already met with the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Fayyad, and then plans to meet with Mr. Abu Mazen as well.
In addition, this evening he is going to join Abu Mazen at an Iftar and then, as you know, he will continue on to three other locations after being in Israel and the Palestinian territories. He’s going to Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon.
QUESTION: Can you be a little bit more descriptive than “good” in terms of the meeting?
MR. KELLY: Well, it’s – as I say, they agreed to meet again tomorrow. They’re still working through a number of issues. That is the word, though, that I was given.
QUESTION: Well, did they make --
MR. KELLY: It was a good meeting.
QUESTION: Did they make any progress?
MR. KELLY: Well, I can’t say for certain whether – what exactly came out of the meetings, but they’ll continue them tomorrow.
QUESTION: Okay. Well, so, the answer is no?
MR. KELLY: Well, no. I can’t – I’m just – see, I’m not prepared to say what exactly they accomplished during the meeting.
QUESTION: Did they accomplish anything?
MR. KELLY: Well, these meetings are still going on. They --
QUESTION: Other than agreeing to talk again tomorrow, did they accomplish anything?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. They will talk again tomorrow.
QUESTION: Did they --
QUESTION: But what can you say – like, why were they so good?
MR. KELLY: Well --
QUESTION: What was so good about them?
MR. KELLY: As I’ve said many times, these are important talks. We want to give them a chance to succeed. And I’ll leave it at that.
QUESTION: Ian, I think there’s a discrepancy because the last time you described a meeting as positive between Mitchell and the Israelis, it was anything but. Can you say whether you feel like they are any closer now to an agreement than they were a day or so ago?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Again, I think that – I think we are moving forward. I think the fact that they agreed to meet again tomorrow to continue discussions is a good sign. But beyond that, I really don’t have anything else to share with you.
QUESTION: Well, I mean, are you saying that it’s good that the talks haven’t totally broken down?
MR. KELLY: No, I’m not.
QUESTION: I mean, what --
MR. KELLY: I’m not saying that, no. I mean, the fact --
QUESTION: I mean --
MR. KELLY: -- that they’re still talking, obviously, is a good sign.
QUESTION: Well, but I mean, he was there to try and shore up a deal --
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: -- on the settlements. So is it positive that the talks are continuing or is it not positive that you weren’t able to wrap it up in the meeting?
MR. KELLY: Of course it’s positive that the talks are continuing.
QUESTION: Well, but I mean, it’s clear that you weren’t able to secure an agreement from this meeting. So the reason that you’re meeting again is because you’re not in full agreement yet; is that right?
MR. KELLY: Well, it means that they have more to discuss. That’s all.
Yeah.
QUESTION: Israeli media says the Secretary might be traveling to Israel at the end of October. Do you have any information about that?
MR. KELLY: She has no plans at this time to go to the region.
QUESTION: Well, but is she committed to representing the U.S. at the U.S. – next meeting of the U.S.-Israel strategic dialogue, which is supposed to be in Israel?
MR. KELLY: I think that has normally been – that has been – we’ve been represented at those meetings at the Under Secretary for Political Affairs level.
QUESTION: Right, but hasn’t she agreed that – her and the foreign minister have agreed that they’ll be the ones to undertake that?
MR. KELLY: I’m not aware that she’s agreed to do that.
QUESTION: Can you take that?
MR. KELLY: I’ll – if we can get you that information, we will.
QUESTION: There was one report that said that she had tentative – or she had presumptively – what was the word, I can’t remember – but agreed to go. Can you give us a list of the number of countries that the Secretary has said she would – intends to visit other than Israel? Because I have a feeling it’s a lot more than just Israel that she has expressed to a foreign official or a foreign minister that she would like --
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: -- to go there someday or that she intended to come visit them.
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, I think that she – there’s quite a few countries that she still would like to --
QUESTION: (Sneezes.)
MR. KELLY: -- would like to visit. She’s visited already – Gesundheit – already visited quite a number of countries. She plans, of course, to go to Russia in October for the U.S.-Russia Binational Commission talks. There is a number of other trips that are planned in the fall as well.
QUESTION: And Pakistan?
MR. KELLY: She looks forward to going to Pakistan and that region as well, but there’s nothing that’s been planned yet.
QUESTION: Staying in the Middle East, do you have any reaction to the Goldstone report that came out today, this morning?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. We – of course, we saw that it came out today. We’ve just gotten a copy of it. It’s rather lengthy. It’s over 500 pages. It has – it covers a number of very complex issues and very sensitive issues. We want to take some time to digest it completely and we’ll review it very carefully.
As you know, our focus, as we can see from Senator Mitchell’s trip now to the region, is on taking the steps to get to a point where we can resume negotiations and come to a comprehensive regional peace agreement.
QUESTION: Well, what do you make of Goldstone’s conclusions that both sides – well, that both sides may have committed war crimes during the conflict?
MR. KELLY: Well, these are really – obviously, that’s a very serious allegation, and so we want to look at it very carefully. Of course, the events of nine months ago were tragic. There was a loss of life on both sides. And of course, we expressed our concern about the humanitarian suffering in both Gaza and in Israel. And these are serious issues, and Mr. Goldstone makes serious allegations, and we want to take time to review them.
QUESTION: You don’t have any comment on his conclusions at the moment?
MR. KELLY: Not – well, we – like I say, we want to have a chance to look at the entire report. We don’t read that fast. It’s 500 pages.
QUESTION: Thank you.
**
QUESTION: Do you have any reaction to the release today of the Iraqi shoe thrower?
MR. KELLY: Yes, we saw that --
QUESTION: And his allegations of --
MR. KELLY: -- he was released and we saw his allegations as well. I think that we saw that he made some pretty serious allegations of human rights abuses. And of course, these kinds of accusations we take very seriously, and we trust that the Iraqi Government will take them seriously as well. His release from prison is – was done pursuant to Iraqi law, and we’re pleased that he’s been released. And in general, we support the rule of law in a fair and open judicial system in Iraq that allows all Iraqis to express their opinions freely.
QUESTION: By throwing shoes at the President of the United States?
MR. KELLY: Well – (laughter) – actually, I think that probably would go beyond the bounds of admissible free speech, but --
QUESTION: Yeah. Well, why are you pleased that he’s been released?
MR. KELLY: We – this – as I say, this was done pursuant to Iraqi law. He has served out the time under – as prescribed under the Iraqi judicial system.
QUESTION: So you don’t wish that – or you don’t feel that he should have been incarcerated longer?
MR. KELLY: We’re pleased that he was released in a way that was consonant with Iraqi law.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosts Iftar dinner at State Dept.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--Following is a transcript of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comments on Tuesday evening, September 15, to an Iftar dinner for Muslim leaders.
Good evening and Ramadan Kareem. I am delighted to welcome all of you here for this evening’s Iftar . Actually, we started in 1996 and held the first Ramadan Eid celebration at the White House. Some of you were at that celebration, and it is wonderful to have you here tonight and to have so many others joining us. I want to thank Farah. I had the great privilege of swearing her in this morning and putting her to work on behalf of our outreach to Muslim communities. (Applause.)
This is an exciting evening for me. I think that American embassies have been holding Iftars for decades. Our diplomatic posts have held hundreds of events to celebrate Ramadan this year alone. And I am proud that we have so many Muslims serving in our Foreign Service and our Civil Service who are playing an important role in advancing our nation’s foreign policy interests and strengthening the bonds of cooperation and understanding with Muslims at home and abroad.
It is not just that this Department has benefited. The nearly 7 million Muslims in our country have enriched our culture, have made it stronger because of the contributions that many of you and others across America have given to us. Tonight’s celebration is just one way to underscore those ideals. It is, as Farah so eloquently said, an important demonstration of the ability of those of us here in our country to practice our religion without fear of persecution. It is enshrined in our Constitution.
And we believe and will defend the freedom of religion.
Now, this time of self-reflection and clarity reminds us that the principles that are the hallmark of Ramadan – charity, sacrifice, and compassion – are also values we cherish as Americans. They guide us towards good stewardship of our families, our communities, our country, and our world. It is, as one of my wonderful young aides who Farah has already referenced – Huma Abedin – summed up in the words of Abdul Ghaffar Khan, that we need to be inspired by our leaders to fight poverty, injustice and hate with, “the weapon of the Prophet—patience and righteousness.” Well, that, to me, sums up much of what we celebrate tonight as we break fast.
Now, we recognize that the relationship between the United States and Muslim communities has at times suffered from misunderstanding and misperception. But we are committed to learning and listening; to creating bridges of understanding and respect; and building stronger bonds of cooperation. We believe that there is more that unites people of all faiths than divides us.
The Obama Administration will work to ensure that our communication, our partnerships, and our policies reflect that core belief. Because whatever God you pray to—or even whether you believe at all—we all need to work for the same goals: a world where our children can live together in peace and prosperity, and fulfill their own God-given potentials.
So tonight, let us recommit ourselves to achieving our common goals inspired by common values. And now, please enjoy your food. Thank you all. (Applause.)
Five companies fined for selling proscribed materials to Iran, Syria, Libya, some India groups
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)- The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced on Tuesday that five foreign subsidiaries of Thermon Manufacturing Company, a San Marcos, Texas-based firm, have agreed to pay a total of $176,000 in combined civil penalties to settle allegations that they participated in unlicensed exports and reexports of heat tracing equipment to Iran, Syria, Libya and listed entities in India, in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Thermon Manufacturing voluntarily disclosed the violations to BIS.
"Thermon's foreign subsidiaries placed orders intended for and ultimately shipped to sanctioned countries and listed entities," said Kevin Delli-Colli Acting Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. "A number of the violations occurred despite the fact that Thermon U.S. told the subsidiaries that such actions were prohibited."
BIS alleged that between October 2002 and June 2006, the five subsidiaries--Thermon Europe B.V., Thermon Far East Ltd., Thermon Heat Tracers Pvt. Ltd. (based in India), Thermon Korea Ltd., and Thermon (U.K.) Ltd.—committed a total of 33 violations by re-exporting or causing the export of EAR99 heat tracing equipment manufactured in the United States by Thermon Manufacturing, without the required BIS license or, for shipments to Iran, a License from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Thermon subsidiaries did not inform Thermon Manufacturing of the ultimate destinations for the items and had been informed by Thermon Manufacturing in February 2005 that “products manufactured by Thermon US may not be sold to countries on the US trade sanctions list,” including specifically Iran, Syria and Libya. BIS alleged that the affiliates acted with knowledge of those violations involving shipments to sanctioned countries that occurred after this warning.
Acting Assistant Secretary Delli-Colli praised the BIS Dallas Field Office for its outstanding work on this case.
BIS controls exports and re-exports of dual-use commodities, technology, and software for reasons of national security, missile technology, nuclear non-proliferation, chemical and biological weapons non-proliferation, crime control, regional stability and foreign policy. Criminal penalties and administrative sanctions can be imposed for violations of the Export Administration Regulations. For more information, please visit www.bis.doc.gov.
Hollywood celebrities taking
sides in Arab-Israeli conflict
TORONTO (WJC)—This year’s Toronto Film Festival’s spotlight on Tel Aviv has led to a boycott by filmmakers from a number of countries. The Egyptian Ahmad Abdalla withdrew his film ‘Heliopolis’ from the schedule to protest the presentation of ten films on the major Israeli city for the festival's City to City program.
Some 50 intellectuals and filmmakers, including directors Ken Loach and John Greyson, author Naomi Klein and actors Jane Fonda and Danny Glover, accused the festival – considered North America's most important one – of "complicity with the Israeli propaganda machine", given "the absence of Palestinian filmmakers in the program." The program ignored “the suffering of thousands of former residents and descendants of the Tel Aviv/Jaffa area who currently live in refugee camps in the Occupied Territories" after a "mass exiling of the Palestinian population" in 1948, they said in an open letter to festival organizers.
Over 100 filmmakers, including Jewish Hollywood stars Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen and Natalie Portman, blasted the boycott campaign. In a letter they stated: "We applaud the Toronto International Film Festival for including the Israeli film community in the Festival's City to City program. The visiting filmmakers represent a dynamic national cinema, the best of Israel's open, uncensored artistic expression. Anyone who has actually seen recent Israeli cinema, movies that are political and personal, comic and tragic, often critical, knows they are in no way a propaganda arm for any government policy. Those who refuse to see these films for themselves or prevent them from being seen by others are violating a cherished right shared by Canada and all democratic countries."
Jewish Agency, Red Cross to discuss Gilad Shalit access
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Jewish Agency for Israel lay leaders and community representatives will meet with the CEO of the American Red Cross and the head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday (Sept. 22), in Washington DC, to deliver hundreds of postcards and thousands of names collected in an electronic petition calling on the Red Cross to continue demanding that Gilad Shalit receive the full rights of an abducted soldier under international law.
The meeting with the Red Cross in the culmination of efforts in a dozen communities, organized by Jewish Agency emissaries at Federations and community organizations across the United States, to mark the 23rd birthday and increase awareness of the plight Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier abducted by Hamas in Gaza over three years ago. Events included formal declarations on the municipal and state level calling to free Shalit, and participants signed post cards to the Red Cross asking that Shalit receive the full rights of an abducted soldier under international law and that the Red Cross work for his release. A similar online petition was launched on the Jewish Agency website.
On Tuesday, lay leaders will meet with American Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern and head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mary Werntz to deliver the postcards and the names on the electronic petition and to urge the Red Cross to continue to pressure the Hamas regime to afford Shalit basic rights of a prisoner of war under international. To date, and in direct contravention of international law, no Red Cross official has been allowed to see Shalit.
“It is important for everyone to know that the American Jewish community and all Americans of conscience deplore the situation in which the Red Cross has been denied contact or verification of condition of an abducted soldier,” said Carole Solomon, chairperson of the Jewish Agency North American Council. “This was a grassroots initiative in communities – from Tulsa to Tucson, Phoenix to Minneapolis – these are the voices of Americans all across the country.”
Yom Kippur outreach planned
to Israel's secular Jews
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Even as Israel faces criticism that society is becoming increasingly polarized between the religious and secular populations, this Yom Kippur, tens of thousands of secular Israelis will join in prayer services all around the country as part of the Tzohar Praying Together on Yom Kippur initiative.
More than two thirds of Israelis observe the sanctity of the High Holy Day, yet many secular Israelis choose to stay home since they do not belong to a synagogue or have a place to pray. As part of its mission to bridge the gap between religious and secular, Tzohar will be organizing over 150 free explanatory Yom Kippur services in Kibbutizim, Moshavim and Cultural Centers across the country.
“Our goal is to help secular Israelis feel less alienated when it comes to religious practice and show them that there are many ways to embrace religion and become spiritually involved with one’s Judaism,” said Rabbi David Stav the Chairman of Tzohar. “We know that despite being classified as secular, this segment of Israeli society often has a burning desire to demonstrate their love for Jewish tradition and we strongly believe that this effort will help feel closer to their identity as proud Jews.”
In its 10th year, the Praying Together program is bigger than ever, reaching more communities and participants than ever before. Participants are provided with a special Machzor Yom Kippur and detailed handout explaining the rituals, meaning of the prayers and process (when to stand, when to bow, etc.) that takes place during the reverent day to ensure it is a meaningful and encompassing experience for all.
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“There are many Israelis like me who do not label themselves religious, but are proud Jews,” says Yoav of Moshav Eshtaol. “This welcoming program has been a unifying Jewish experience for me and I look forward to participating again this year.”
It is the success of initiatives such as this one that have inspired Tzohar to undertake their Tzohar Communities Program. As opposed to the standard in North America , most Israelis are not members in any synagogue and do not have a relationship with religious community leaders. By placing qualified Rabbinical leaders at the forefront of communities around Israel, the Tzohar program works to establish the synagogue as a community center where the religious and non-religious are openly accepted and feel welcome.
JERUSALEM (WJC)—Israel has strongly rejected the report of a United Nations fact-finding mission in Gaza mandated by the UN Human Rights Council and headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone. The conclusions of the Goldstone inquiry allege that the Israel Army “committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity” during the January 2009 Gaza operation. The report claims that Israel used disproportionate firepower and disregarded the likelihood of civilian deaths in Gaza. The report, released on Tuesday, also urged Israel to conduct an independent investigation into its war conduct or face the prospect of referring the case to international war crimes prosecutors.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said it was “appalled” by the UN report and called the Goldstone committee’s “mandate clearly one-sided". Several commentators pointed out that the allegations were almost exclusively based on unverifiable testimony by Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Israeli officials had refused to cooperate with the Goldstone investigation because it was ordered by the UN Human Rights Council which is perceived as having a clear anti-Israeli bias. Israel's military conducted its own inquiry and others remain pending, but so far has not found any significant wrongdoing. Government spokesman Mark Regev rejected an independent inquiry, saying: “"This report was conceived in sin and is the product of a union between propaganda and bias… Everything done by the military in Israel is open to judicial review by the independent judiciary." The Foreign Ministry launched a special webpage in an effort to rebut the allegations by the Goldstone committee: http://www.mfa.gov.il/GAZAFACTS.
Referring to the upcoming speech of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said: “The same UN that allows the president of a country to announce on a podium its aspiration to destroy the State of Israel has no right to teach us about morality."
Judge Goldstone, who is Jewish, rejected allegations of an anti-Israel bias. He said:"As a Jew, I have an affiliation, and I have had an affiliation, and have made many visits to Israel…To accuse me of being anti-Israel is ridiculous."
Refurbished synagogue reopens in Georgian capital of Tbilisi
TBILISI (WJC)—Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has participated in the opening ceremony of the newly restored synagogue in the capital Tbilisi. "This synagogue is a symbol of the Jewish presence in Georgia's history," the president said to the congregation.
“Today is a beautiful day in Tbilisi, as the second synagogue has been restored. I also want to note that, although the Jews left the Racha region long ago, local Georgians keep the tradition and take care of the local synagogue with love and respect, and it is very important, because small number of people retained the respect and love for the Jews," Saakashvili said.
Guests from all over the world attended the opening ceremony of the synagogue in Tbilisi. The synagogue was restored within two years, funded mostly by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and its President Alexander Machkevitch, who also took part in the ceremony.
Vandals hit two Seattle synagogues
SEATTLE, Washington (WJC)—Unknown vandals have painted red swastikas on two synagogues in the Seattle area, in the US state of Washington. The Nazi symbols and the phrase "4th Riech" [sic] were painted on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, police and synagogue members told the ‘Seattle Times’. The word ‘Nazi’ and at least eight other swastikas also were painted on a sidewalk and driveway in the area, a member of the congregation told the newspaper. Congregants at the two synagogues were attending Selichot services during the incident. Seattle police said they were treating the crimes "very seriously.”
Meanwhile, in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, graves belonging to victims of the 1994 AMIA terror attack were among those vandalized in the Jewish cemetery ‘La Tablada’. Local Jewish leaders denounced the vandalism.
Oklahoma rabbi warns of planned High Holy Day demonstrations
OKLAHOMA CITY—Rabbi Barry Cohenhas sent the following letter to congregants in advance of expected anti-Jewish demonstrations outside Temple B'nai Israel and other Jewish institutions:
"Days before Rosh Hashanah, I wish I did not have to write this e-mail, but we all need to know about a series of protests that will take place at Jewish institutions in Oklahoma City and Norman. Representatives of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) have received permits to protest on Friday afternoon and evening in front of the OU Hillel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City, Temple B’nai Israel and Emanuel Synagogue.
"WBC has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center: WBC condemns almost every other religion, including Catholics, Muslims, mainline Protestants, and of course, Jews; in addition, WBC is anti-gay, anti-African American and considers President Barack Obama to be the anti-christ.
"WBC, based in Topeka, Kansas, has been orchestrating protests at various places across the country. This Friday, they will protest against our Jewish community, claiming that “God hates Jews.” Temple B’nai Israel stands in solidarity with everyone identified with a Jewish organization in the greater Oklahoma City area, Norman, and beyond.
"WBC will protest in front of our temple from 6:00-6:30 p.m. In response, I urge the members of our congregation to do one simple thing: nothing, absolutely nothing. The followers of WBC do not deserve any response.
"
We need not allow WBC to make us feel threatened or like outsiders. Quite the opposite. We have a wonderful relationship with local law enforcement and with the FBI, with religious organizations, business leaders and elected officials.
"The followers of WBC are the outsiders. However, they have a constitutionally protected right to express their views, however, venomous their opinions may be.
"I look forward to seeing you at services this Friday evening, as we usher in a new year. Together, we will have a happy, healthy and safe 5770.
Portrait of Alexander the Great found on gemstone in Israel dig
HAIFA (Press Release) – A rare and surprising archaeological discovery at Tel Dor: A gemstone engraved with the portrait of Alexander the Great was uncovered during excavations by an archaeological team directed by Dr. Ayelet Gilboa of the University of Haifa and Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "Despite its miniature dimensions – the stone is less than a centimeter high and its width is less than half a centimeter – the engraver was able to depict the bust of Alexander on the gem without omitting any of the ruler's characteristics" notes Dr. Gilboa, Chair of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. "The emperor is portrayed as young and forceful, with a strong chin, straight nose and long curly hair held in place by a diadem."
The Tel Dor researchers have noted that it is surprising that a work of art such as this would be found in Israel, on the periphery of the Hellenistic world. "It is generally assumed that the master artists – such as the one who engraved the image of Alexander on this particular gemstone – were mainly employed by the leading Hellenistic courts in the capital cities, such as those in Alexandria in Egypt and Seleucia in Syria. This new discovery is evidence that local elites in secondary centers, such as Tel Dor, appreciated superior objects of art and could afford ownership of such items" the researchers stated.
The significance of the discovery at Dor is in the gemstone being uncovered in an orderly excavation, in a proper context of the Hellenistic period. The origins of most Alexander portraits, scattered across numerous museums around the world, are unknown. Some belonged to collections that existed even prior to the advent of scientific archaeology, others were acquired on the black market, and it is likely that some are even forgeries.
This tiny gem was unearthed by a volunteer during excavation of a public structure from the Hellenistic period in the south of Tel Dor, excavated by a team from the University of Washington at Seattle headed by Prof. Sarah Stroup. Dr. Jessica Nitschke, professor of classical archaeology at Georgetown University in Washington DC, identified the engraved motif as a bust of Alexander the Great. This has been confirmed by Prof. Andrew Stewart of the University of California at Berkeley, an expert on images of Alexander and author of a book on this topic.
Alexander was probably the first Greek to commission artists to depict his image – as part of a personality cult that was transformed into a propaganda tool. Rulers and dictators have implemented this form of propaganda ever since. The artists cleverly combined realistic elements of the ruler's image along with the classical ideal of beauty as determined by Hellenistic art, royal attributes (the diadem in this case), and divine elements originating in Hellenistic and Eastern art. These attributes legitimized Alexander's kingship in the eyes of his subjects in all the domains he conquered. These portraits were distributed throughout the empire, were featured on statues and mosaics in public places and were engraved on small items such as coins and seals. The image of Alexander remained a popular motif in the generations that followed his death – both as an independent theme and as a subject of emulation. The conqueror's youthful image became a symbol of masculinity, heroism and divine kingship. Later Hellenist rulers adopted these characteristics and commissioned self-portraits in the image of Alexander.
Dor was a major port city on the Mediterranean shore from the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550 B.C.E) until the establishment of Caesarea during the Roman period. Alexander the Great passed through Dor in 332 B.C.E., following the occupation of Tyre and on his way to Egypt. It seems that the city submitted to Alexander without resistance. Dor then remained a center of Hellenization in the land of Israel until it was conquered by Alexander Janneus, Hasmonean king of Judah (c. 100 B.C.E.).
The team of archaeologists has been excavating at Tel Dor for close to thirty years and recently completed the 2009 excavation season. A number of academic institutions in Israel and abroad participate in the excavations, directed by Dr. Ayelet Gilboa of the University of Haifa and Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The project is supported by these two institutions along with the Israel Exploration Society, the Berman foundation for Biblical Archaeology, the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the Wendy Goldhirsh Foundation, USA, and individual donors. The gemstone will be on public display at the Dor museum in Kibbutz Nahsholim.
230 new olim arriving from FSU
are greeted by Natan Sharansky
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky handed out Israeli ID cards to 230 new immigrants from the former Soviet Union at a special ceremony Monday at the Mount Scopus Amphitheater in Jerusalem. The group was among the 600 immigrants from the FSU to immigrate this week, before Rosh Hashana. This year is expected to see a 20% increase in the number of new immigrants from the FSU.
In the picture above is the Binyaminov family from Baku, Azerbaijan; from right, mother Zumrood, Ramim, 21, father Giorgi, Fuad, 13, and Elman, 23, with Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky. The family moved to Israel after sons Elman and Ramim were on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip and decided they wanted to immigrant on their own; the Jewish Agency, with support of the UJC/ The Jewish Federations of North America, funds Taglit-Birthright Israel for young adults from around the world at $5 million annually.
Child of Survivors honored by Urban League in Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Press Release)-- Rositta Erlich Kenigsberg, vice president of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants and executive vice president of the South Florida Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, will be awarded the Urban League of Broward County's Margaret Roach Humanitarian Award on Sept. 26 at the Broward Center Convention Center.
The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Kenigsberg, of Hallandale, Florida was born in a Displaced Person's camp after World War II. She is founding chairwoman of the Florida Commissioner of Education's Task Force on Holocaust Education and one of the founders of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.
Established in 1910, The Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream.
When Keningsberg heard about the award, she said "it came as a total shock. I have met with the individuals involved and. . .we share so much in common, because we're trying to change the way children think about hatred and prejudice."
Nadler, Polis in coalition to repeal federal same-sex marriage bars
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)-- Democratic Congressmen Jerrold Nadler of New York (Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights) and Jared Polis of Colorado with a total of 91 original co-sponsors to date, introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in the House of Representatives. This legislation would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law which discriminates against lawfully married same-sex couples.
The 13-year-old DOMA singles out legally married same-sex couples for discriminatory treatment under federal law, selectively denying them critical federal responsibilities and rights, including programs like social security that are intended to ensure the stability and security of American families.
The Respect for Marriage Act, the consensus of months of planning and organizing among the nation’s leading LGBT and civil rights stakeholders and legislators, would ensure that valid marriages are respected under federal law, providing couples with much-needed certainty that their lawful marriages will be honored under federal law and that they will have the same access to federal responsibilities and rights as all other married couples.
The Respect of Marriage Act would accomplish this by repealing DOMA in its entirety and by adopting the place-of-celebration rule recommended in the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act, which embraces the common law principle that marriages that are valid in the state where they were entered into will be recognized. While this rule governs recognition of marriage for purposes of federal law, marriage recognition under state law would continue to be decided by each state.
The Respect for Marriage Act would not tell any state who can marry or how married couples must be treated for purposes of state law, and would not obligate any person, church, city or state to celebrate or license a marriage of two people of the same sex. It would merely restore the approach historically taken by states of determining, under principles of comity and Full Faith and Credit, whether to honor a couple’s marriage for purposes of state law.
Supporters of DOMA argued in 1996 that the law is necessary to promote family structures that are best for children, but every credible medical, social science and child welfare organization has concluded that same-sex couples are equal parents. Married gay and lesbian couples pay taxes, serve their communities and raise children like other couples. Their contributions and needs are no different from those of their neighbors. The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that couples who assume the serious legal duties of marriage are treated fairly under federal law.
The introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act responds directly to a call from President Obama for Congressional action on the issue. As the President recently confirmed: “I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It’s discriminatory, it interferes with States’ rights, and it’s time we overturned it.”
Standing with the Members of Congress Tuesday were couples who have been harmed by DOMA, numerous members of the clergy, and many of the nation’s leading LGBT and civil rights organizations – including Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Freedom to Marry, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, People for the American Way, and the National Organization of Women. Also supportive of this legislation, and of this particular strategy for repealing DOMA, are the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), who are leading the litigation efforts challenging DOMA in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management.
“The full repeal of DOMA is long overdue,” said Rep. Nadler. “When DOMA was passed in 1996, its full harm may not have been apparent to all Members of Congress because same-sex couples were not yet able to marry. It was a so-called ‘defense’ against a hypothetical harm. This made it easy for our opponents to demonize gay and lesbian families. Now, in 2009, we have tens of thousands of married same-sex couples in this country, living openly, raising families and paying taxes in states that have granted them the right to marry, and it has become abundantly clear that, while the sky has not fallen on the institution of marriage, as DOMA supporters had claimed, DOMA is causing these couples concrete and lasting harm. Discrimination against committed couples and stable families is terrible federal policy. But, with a President who is committed to repealing DOMA and a broad, diverse coalition of Americans on our side, we now have a real opportunity to remove from the books this obnoxious and ugly law.”
“No one should be denied the opportunity to choose his or her spouse,” said Rep. Polis. “It is a basic human right and deeply personal decision. Throughout history, we have only moved forward when society has distinguished between traditional values and valueless traditions. The Defense of Marriage Act – DOMA – is a valueless tradition that undermines the spirit of love and commitment that couples share and sends the wrong message to society. It is time for its repeal.”
Schumer seeks grants to community colleges to train
public to use computers
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)—U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced on Tuesday that he introduced legislation to provide greater access to computer labs to help prepare students and community members for jobs in Information Technology (IT) and other high growth industries. Schumer’s bill, the Community College Technology Access Act, S. 1614 would open the doors of community college technology labs to provide training opportunities for workers who are lacking key computer skills. The legislation would provide funding to community colleges that offer technology training and open their computer labs to the public for at least 30 hours each week at night and on weekends. Congressman John B. Larson has introduced a similar bill that has been included in the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act in the House of Representatives. The bill will be considered on the floor shortly. Schumer is working to include his legislation in the upcoming higher education bill in the Senate.
"Anytime that we can increase opportunities for our workers to gain access to computers and IT training, we are investing in the future of our job market and our economy,” said Schumer. “Our community colleges play a critical role in workforce training and they are uniquely positioned to provide our workers with the skills to succeed in both the U.S. and global economies. This program will enable workers and students to access community college computer labs for free during times when they would otherwise go unused. I am proud to have introduced this legislation in the Senate and I will fight to see it through the legislative process to help brighten the future of our workers and our community colleges.”
Schumer’s legislation, the Community College Technology Access Act, will give the public more opportunities for high skilled training by awarding competitive grants to community colleges that commit to providing free basic computer instruction and access to computer labs on evenings and weekends. Since labs are not always open at these times, this would provide students and members of the local community the opportunity to receive instruction in computer programs from a trained expert.
Kohl asks Agriculture Dept. to scrutinize anti-trust enforcement
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)– U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (Democrat, Wisconsin) on Tuesday urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, at the United States Department of Agriculture and Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney at the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. He calls on them to scrutinize antitrust enforcement in the dairy industry, focusing on the consolidation of milk processors and anticompetitive practices in agriculture and urges them to hold a workshop on diary in Wisconsin, as part of upcoming series of DOJ/USDA workshops about agriculture competition.
Kohl is Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations panel and Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. He worked to abolish the anticompetitive Northeast Dairy compact and was an original architect of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program. Kohl has continued to work for the agriculture industry and local farmers by including farm credit provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Congress passed earlier this year. He has pushed the Administration to fully implement programs like the Dairy Export Incentive Program to help offset low prices. Kohl also fought to include the feed cost adjuster for the MILC program in the 2008 Farm Bill. Kohl has worked to include an amendment to the FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill which includes $350 million for agriculture that is currently before the congressional conference committee
NJDC condemns Cohen's opponent in Tennessee congressional race
WASHINGTON, DC -The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) on Wednesdaycondemned Mayor Willie W. Herenton's racially-charged political attack in his campaign against Representative Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennesse) in
Tennessee's 9th district.
In an article from The New York Times on September 13, 2009,
Herenton's campaign justifies challenging Cohen on the grounds that the district "was set aside for people who look like" him and that"[i]t wasn't set aside for a Jew or a Christian." Despite Cohen
earning an "A" from the National Association for the Advancement ofColored People (NAACP), the Times also reports that Herenton recently claimed in a radio interview that Cohen "does not think very much of African-Americans."
"While NJDC does not usually speak out regarding Democratic primaries,we are deeply concerned by the developments in the congressionalcampaign in Tennessee's 9th district between Representative Steve Cohen and Mayor Willie W. Herenton," said Ira N. Forman, NJDC's CEO. "Herenton's divisive rhetoric is unacceptable in a Democratic primary or anywhere in our political discourse."
"Herenton's apparent campaign strategy and deeply unfortunate, racially-charged comments are the type of tactics that were soundly rejected with the election of President Barack Obama last November," said Forman. "Herenton must change his tone dramatically, and he owes the citizens of Tennessee's 9th district -- and their member of Congress -- a higher level of discourse."
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