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Four IDF soldiers
wounded during Nablus operation
NABLUS,
West Bank, Palestinian Authority (Press Release)—An IDF officer and soldier were
severely wounded and two soldiers were lightly wounded this morning when
Palestinians activated an explosive device at an IDF force operating in Nablus.
Another IDF officer was moderately wounded when Palestinians activated an
explosive device in a separate incident overnight.
Throughout the operation Palestinians activated a total of six explosive devices
and opened fire in two different incidents at IDF forces in Nablus.
In searches conducted in the area, the forces uncovered a pipe-bomb, a hunting
rifle, a stun-grenade and several AK-47-ammunition clips. Additionally, IDF
forces arrested two wanted Fatah operatives.
As part of the ongoing IDF activity against terror in the Judea and Samaria
region, for the safety and security of the citizens of Israel, IDF forces have
been operating in the city of Nablus and in its outskirts, in order to disrupt
the extensive terrorist activities in the city and prevent the dispatch of
terrorist attacks and bombings into the Israeli Home Front and Israeli
communities in Judea and Samaria.
Since the beginning of 2007 IDF forces have uncovered in Nablus, a major
terrorist hub, several explosives-labs and a large amount of weaponry, including
approximately 10 explosive devices, numerous rifles and other weapons,
hand-grenades and additional ammunition.
During 2006, of the 187 potential suicide-bombers arrested in Judea and Samaria,
117 came from the city of Nablus. Since September 2006, 9 of at least 11
explosive belts uncovered in Judea and Samaria were found in Nablus.
In addition, in 2007 Palestinians hurled approximately 19 explosive devices and
23 hand grenades and improvised grenades at Israeli security forces operating in
Nablus. Palestinians opened fire in dozens of additional incidents at forces in
the city.
In January 2007, IDF forces uncovered an explosives-lab and two 5-kg explosive
devices. Additionally, two terrorists in possession of explosive belts meant for
use in terrorist attacks in Israel were arrested in Nablus
The preceding
article was provided by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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to top)
______________
UNRWA welcomes Israel reopening
Karni crossing
UNITED
NATIONS (Press Release)—The United Nations agency tasked with helping
Palestinian refugees today welcomed the opening of the Karni crossing point
between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which has allowed 5,000 tons of wheat to
reach Gaza.
UN Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
spokesperson Chris Gunness said it was now crucial that Karni is permanently
open and fully functional.
“If we are
to avoid total aid dependency for Gaza, we need to get commercial imports and
exports moving,” Gunness said.
UNRWA and
other UN aid agencies have been warning that Gaza faces food shortages within
weeks unless the border crossing points into Israel are re-opened after they
were closed during the deadly intra-Palestinian fighting that erupted earlier
this month.
The Karni
crossing is considered particularly vital as it used to handle 200 to 300 trucks
each day and is the main commercial crossing between Gaza and Israel.
The Erez
crossing remains open to international agencies’ staff and to health referrals
to Israel, while no interruptions have so far occurred along the Nahal Oz line,
which supplies petrol, diesel and cooking gas to Gaza. But the Rafah crossing –
the main crossing for people – has been closed since 10 June, and an estimated
5,000 Palestinians are waiting at the Egyptian border to return to their homes
in Gaza.
The Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
said UN agencies are currently meeting the basic needs of the Gaza Strip’s
estimated 1.4 million residents, with about 80 to 90 trucks carrying relief
supplies able to enter the territory daily.
But there
is still a long way to go, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said today.
“Everyone
is working hard on this and I welcome the news of our increased capacity to
deliver urgently-needed aid in Gaza, but I cannot over-emphasize the importance
of ensuring the resumption of full-scale supplies through the main crossing
points and beginning to open up regular economic access too.”
Since the
crisis began in the Gaza Strip, the UN World Food Programme (WFP)
has reported that there are 100,000 additional recipients of food aid in the
crowded territory. The Programme helps about 377,000 people in Gaza, while UNRWA
provides food assistance to some 860,000 others there.
The
preceding story was provided by the United Nations
(Return to top)
Opinion poll shows Israelis are pro-America
while Palestinians are pro nuclear-Iran
NEW YORK (Press Release)
—“Israelis are America’s number one supporters in the world (outside of Africa),
far ahead of the populations of Britain, Germany, Japan, and other close
allies. Seventy-eight percent of Israelis have a favorable opinion of the U.S.,
which almost matches the figure for Americans with favorable opinions of the
U.S. (80%.) And Americans continue to show overwhelming support for Israel in
its efforts to counter terrorism and threats to its security.
The Pew Global Attitudes public opinion survey released Wednesday, June 27,
adds to the evidence of many previous opinion polls that show a special
relationship between the American public and the Israeli public, a bond based on
share values and interests and reflected in the strong and consistent mutual
support of the U.S. and Israeli governments,” said June Walker, Chairperson, and
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations.
“By contrast, the
Palestinians are the number one supporters of a nuclear-armed Iran in the survey
of 37 populations, with 58% of the Palestinian public in favor, and the only
Middle Eastern population not opposed to an Iranian bomb. Only 6% of
Palestinians ‘support the U.S.-led War on Terror,’ the lowest of any population,
and only 21% of Palestinians have favorable feelings toward the American people,
as opposed to U.S. policies. The entire spectrum of America’s political
leadership and the American people recognize Iran’s nuclear program and Islamic
terrorism as major threats to the United States, Europe, our allies in the
region, and our interests in the Middle East and around the world.
“While the U.S. and
Israel are working to strengthen the more moderate elements in the Palestinian
Authority, the effect of the constant incitement in the media, mosques, and
public statements by officials and in textbooks have led to these most
disturbing results. It is equally troubling that 77% of Palestinians do not
believe in coexistence with Israel. Instead, they appear to support Iranian
President Ahmadinejad’s threat to ‘wipe Israel off the map.’ This culture of
hatred and violence must be confronted by all ‘men and women of conscience’, as
President Bush stated Wednesday in his important speech at the Islamic Center of
Washington, including in the Palestinian Authority and in the Arab world.”
The
preceding article was provided by the Conference of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations
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Israel and the sexual
harassment issue
MEVASSERET ZION, Israel—The Justice Minister is arraigned for indecently
assaulting (well, kissing) a subordinate, The President is under suspicion of
having sexually assaulted, possibly even raped, female members of his staff.
Other ministers are accused of bumbling incompetence.
What is
the average man or woman in the street to make of all this? Each morning one
opens the newspaper and turns on the radio fearing to hear yet another expose of
ministerial shenanigans or mismanagement.
Has Israel
deteriorated so much since the heady early days of its existence, when idealism
reigned supreme and everyone thought only of the greater common good? That, at
least, is the general impression.
Somehow,
however, that seems unlikely. Several decades ago Moshe Dayan, though married
and a family man, regularly bedded every secretary or woman soldier who took his
fancy, and in between these episodes engaged vigorously in semi-clandestine
archaeological digs, carrying off his stolen finds for display in his home and
garden. The public turned a blind eye or gave an understanding, if not
forgiving, smile. It’s true, the cuckolded husbands concerned were less than
overjoyed, and one even threatened to ‘put out his other eye,’ but no-one
thought to bring matters to court, or even to the front page of the papers.
Forty-odd
years ago no female would have dreamed of making a fuss over a kiss or a risqué
remark. Today these are matters that destroy careers. It seems then that the
world has changed, and Israel with it. The feminist movement has ensured that
the routine harassment of women is something that is no longer sanctioned.
Whatever
the outcome of the various cases currently sub judice or under
investigation, it is undoubtedly better to live in a society where women have
recourse to the justice system rather than having to submit to embarrassment and
harassment.
The
foregoing article was reprinted from the AJR Journal (Association of
Jewish Refugees) in England.
(Return to top)
|
Nancy Harrison of Anderson Travel
presents:
Adventures in Cruising
Watch this ad for a different cruising photo each day. The adventure can
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Aboard Carnival Elation,
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San Diego to Mexico cruising |
Even the Hebrew word
for them is funny: Standupistim
JERUSALEM—Many kids of English-speaking immigrants get into trouble in
Jerusalem. Just hang around Zion Square at the beginning of the Ben Yehuda
Street pedestrian mall after dark any night of the week and you'll see them
floating aimlessly, doing all the things that troubled teenagers do the world
over.
Caryn Green, a young American-born social worker, has made it her mission to
reach out to help the kids and provide a safe alternative to the drugs and
violence of street life. Six years ago she founded Crossroads, a program that
provides counseling, case management, a resource center and a way for the kids
to take the GED and get on with life.
Funding has never come easy for projects that deal with problems the community
would rather not acknowledge, so Green started to look around for innovative
ways to raise money for her kids.
Five years ago, she recruited Avi Liberman, an old high school buddy and
professional comedian to come over to raise the spirits of then-beleagured
Jerusalemites and to raise money for Crossroads.
This week, her friend Avi brought three professional American comedians (known
as "standupistim" in Hebrew) over to perform at the fifth annual Crossroads
comedy benefit.
At the Jerusalem show, it was standing room only as a few hundred American
immigrants piled into the Yellow Submarine club eager to laugh both at
themselves and the comedians who put on an outstanding show.
The two Jewish stand-up artists, both veterans of Comedy Central and HBO comedy
specials, were so obviously comfortable and appreciative of playing before an
all-Jewish audience who got all their jokes about Jewish holidays and their
Jewish upbringing, while the show's two non-Jews, Dwight Slade and Craig
Robinson (Daryl in The Office TV series) shared their hilarious impressions of
the little pieces of Israel they've seen during their brief visit.
Both Slade and Robinson couldn't get over the fact that it's not so unusual here
to find families with 10 or 12 kids and bantered with audience members who came
from such large families. All four performers showed off the Hebrew they'd
learned, with Robinson even making a successful rolling "chet" as he told the
audience about the beautiful "Chana" he had met on a sherut to Tel Aviv.
The comedians who had never been in Israel before kept on proclaiming their awe
of being in the Holy Land: "Today I stood in Jerusalem at the spot where Jesus
spoke," said Robinson, "...right next to Coffee Bean on Jaffa Road!."
Nothing wrong with a bit of comic relief for a good cause on a day when a look
at an Israeli newspaper could make you want to weep.
(Return to top)
Germany agrees to increase pension payments
by cost of living for Holocaust survivors
BERLIN
(Press Release)—The German government has agreed to a rise in the pensions of at
least 50,000 Holocaust survivors in Europe. The decision was announced on
Wednesday after the annual negotiations with Germany led by the Conference for
Jewish Material Claims against Germany. According to a Conference announcement,
negotiators also secured an additional 1,500 pensions for survivors who are - or
were - citizens of certain western European countries.
"These are
very important breakthroughs, which will benefit Holocaust survivors in many
countries," said Claims Conference executive vice president Gideon Taylor.
"We are continuing to negotiate with the German government over a range of other
critical issues." The cost-of-living increase will take effect in October 2007.
Under the new plan, the German Ministry of Finance will increase monthly
payments from US$ 235 to US$ 268 for eligible Holocaust survivors living in the
European Union.
About 14,500 survivors in non-EU countries such as Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
will see their payments increase from US$ 168 to US$ 221. The Claims Conference
delegation was co-chaired by Taylor and the treasurer of the conference, Roman
Kent.
The preceding story was provided by the World
Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
Former Egyptian Jews to seek restitution of
property
HAIFA (Press Release)—The ‘World Congress of the Jews from Egypt’ focused at a
conference here on recent initiatives to reclaim property taken from Egyptian
Jews since 1948, the ‘Jerusalem Post’ reports.
An estimated 100,000 Jews lived in Egypt in 1948. Today, estimates of the
country's Jewish population range from 20 to 100. Hundreds were killed and tens
of thousands expelled in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli wars in the 1940s,
50s and 60s. The head of the Congress, Ada Aharoni, said. “They just took your
work permit away. My father, an export-import merchant, just decided we would
have to leave,"
The
Congress wants to lobby for the restitution of property and recognition of the
historic tragedy of Egyptian Jewry and seeks to add their story to Jewish
education curricula around the world. Earlier this month, the Cecil Hotel, a
four-star hotel in Alexandria that belonged to the Metzger family until it was
nationalized in 1952, was returned to the family.
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
Failure to
assimilate Muslims can lead to their radicalization,
Lieberman's Senate committee is told by European witnesses
WASHINGTON, DC
(Press Release)- U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, (Independent Connecticut) Sen.
Susan Collins (Republican-Maine) on Wednesday, June 27, continued an
investigation by the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee Chairman into the threat of homegrown violent Islamist radicalization.
The committee examined factors inspiring extremism, European methods for
combating terrorism, and helping Muslims assimilate into society.
At the fourth
hearing on the subject this year - entitled "Violent Islamist Extremism: the
European Experience" - counterterrorism officials from France and the
Netherlands discussed factors in European society that lead disaffected youth to
join or emulate terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and described their
governments' efforts to prevent terrorist networks from succeeding on their
soil.
"Research tends to
show that, overall, European populations have been more susceptible to Islamist
radicalization than those in the United States," Lieberman said. "But the United
States cannot ignore the warning signs within our own nation. That's why it is
important to understand how people become radicalized so we can counter that
process before it turns into action. Many Islamist terrorist plots have been
disrupted across Western Europe thanks to aggressive law enforcement and
intelligence, including the extraordinary attempt to blow up airliners on their
way to the U.S. from London last summer. We look to Europe because of the
decisive steps that governments have taken to address these threats. Just as we
created the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of September 11,
European governments have altered their structures, policies, and procedures to
adapt to the new threat. We hope to learn from their experiences and successes."
Senator Collins
said, "Americans have no monopoly as targets of violent extremists. We are not
alone in our determination to defeat terrorism and to protect innocent lives.
Many of our European allies have also felt the lash of hatred and murder.
Today's hearing provides us invaluable opportunity to learn from the experience
of others. Europe's large Muslim immigrant populations, its proximity to Muslim
countries in North Africa and the Middle East, and its demographic trends give
its governments at least as much incentive as America has to understand the
sources and targets of violent radicalization and to take effective action to
counter the threat."
Judge Jean-Louis
Bruguiere, Investigating Magistrate for France, said France "has significantly
increased international cooperation, with the United States in particular, for
the sole purpose of neutralizing terrorist networks where they are operating."
A major factor
leading to homegrown radicalization in Europe is an identity crisis experienced
by Muslim youths. That, in turn leads to their alienation from the rest of the
society, said Lidewijde Ongering, Deputy National Coordinator for
Counterterrorism for the Netherlands. She noted the Dutch government's
dissemination of a wide range of information to combat discrimination. Marc
Sageman, a leading authority on Islamist terrorism, said that the radicalization
process is driven by young Muslims chasing dreams of glory, and we must take
measures to ensure that they can find no glory in terrorism, and eliminate their
ability to mobilize through networks.
Two other
witnesses, Lynn Martin and Farooq Kathwari, discussed the results of a task
force they chaired that examined the Muslim-American experience and recommended
accelerating Muslim-American engagement in civic affairs and U.S. political
life. They emphasized the importance of working with Muslim community leaders
across the country to encourage leadership building and active civic engagement.
(Return to top)
|
Commentary
Please send your letters to
sdheritage@cox.net,
or to San Diego Jewish World, PO Box 19363, San Diego,
CA,
(USA) 92119. Please include the name of the city where you live.
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ZOA
opposes Palestinian prisoner release; tells concerns about Tony Blair as
Middle East Envoy
NEW
YORK (Press Release)— The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has
expressed concern at the news that just-retired British Prime Minister Tony
Blair has been appointed Middle East envoy by the Middle East 'Quartet' (
United States, European Union, United Nations, Russia).
The organization also expressed opposition to Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert’s offer at the recent Sharm el Sheikh summit with Palestine
Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarek and
Jordan’s King Abdullah II to release 250 Palestinian prisoners.
According to the ZOA “Tony Blair has stated that he views the Arab-Israeli
issue as the primary reason for all the conflict
in the region and the cause of Islamist terrorism around the world.” Also,
the ZOA is “concerned at the possible influence that might be exerted by his
wife, Cherie Booth. Only after a huge uproar and under enormous political
pressure did she finally apologize for making the remark regarding
Palestinian Arabs that "As long as young people feel they have got no hope
but to blow themselves up you are never going to make progress" (
Guardian [London], February 9,
2005). Additionally, Blair has repeatedly referred to PA-controlled
territories as ' Palestine,' though no such countries exists or has existed.
Tony Blair made his troubling views clear to a
joint session of the U.S. Congress by stating the following regarding his
view of the Arab-Israeli issue:
"When we removed the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, this was not imperialism.
For these oppressed people, it was their liberation. And why can the
terrorists even mount an argument in
the Muslim world that it isn't? Because there is one cause terrorism rides
upon, a cause they have no belief in but can manipulate. I want to be very
plain: This terrorism will not be defeated without peace in the Middle East
between Israel and Palestine. Here it is that the poison is incubated. Here
it is that the extremist is able to confuse in the mind of a frighteningly
large number of people the case for a Palestinian state and the destruction
of Israel, and to translate this moreover into a battle between East and
West, Muslim, Jew and Christian" (Tony Blair, Address to a Joint Session of
Congress, July 17, 2003)
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, "The ZOA acknowledges that
there are surely worse individuals than Tony Blair who could be appointed to
this post. We are also aware of the fact that, during last year's Lebanon
war against the Islamist terror group, Hizballah, Mr. Blair understood that
Israel was under assault from a terrorist organization and took the position
that was unpopular in his party that Israel needed be given time to dispose
of the threat posed by Hizballah. However, we are also keenly aware that Mr.
Blair sincerely believes and has argued repeatedly that an Arab-Israeli
peace is not only possible at this stage but something that would defuse
other Middle Eastern conflicts as though these conflicts were caused by it.
This argument is utterly incorrect and anyone who holds it is bound to
continue making the terrible mistakes that have been made during and since
the Oslo peace process.
"The Arab war on Israel has no connection to the war in Iraq, Iran's drive
to obtain nuclear weapons, Syria's efforts to continue to control Lebanon or
Al-Qaeda terrorism directed at both non-Muslim and Muslim nations alike. All
these conflicts would be on-going even if Israel had never existed. The only
thing that the Arab war on Israel shares with these other conflicts is the
extreme Islamist and pan-Arab ideologies that drive it. Arab nationalism has
no place for non-Arab states in the Middle East and Islamism has no place
for non-Muslim states in the Middle East and beyond.
"When Tony Blair argues that regional peace depends upon an Arab-Israeli
peace settlement involving the creation of a Palestinian Arab state, he
fails to note that Arabs were murdering Jews in 1920, 1921, 1929, and during
1936-9 – even before there was a Jewish state. He also fails to notice that
Palestinian Arab terrorism is the result of a desire to eradicate Israel,
not the absence of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Arabs have been
offered statehood three times – in 1937, 1947 and 2000 – and on all three
occasions refused because acceptance meant accepting the existence of a
Jewish state alongside it. With Palestinian Arab society indoctrinated with
hatred and incitement to mass murder by the Palestinian Authority organs
like the media, mosques, schools and youth camps that Mahmoud Abbas
controls, there is no possibility of peace in the near future. The danger is
that Mr. Blair's conviction that peace can be achieved with Abbas will
probably lead him as Quartet envoy to pressure Israel to make more dangerous
concessions to Abbas. Yet more Israeli concessions will only further empower
terrorists, permit Abbas and the PA to continue to avoid the fulfillment of
their Oslo obligations to end terrorism and the incitement to hatred and
murder that feeds it and thus endanger Israeli lives."
On the issue of the release of the Palestinian prisoners, a ZOA statement
noted that “Abbas has demanded that Marwan Barghouti, leader of the Tanzim
terror group that murdered many Israeli since the start of the Oslo war in
September 2000, be included among the released prisoners. ..
“The previous release of hundreds of Palestinian Arab terrorists, in
addition to encouraging further kidnappings for the purpose of wresting
still more terrorists from Israeli jails, has been shown to lead to the
murder of more Jews by released terrorists. A 2006 detailed report issued by
the Almagor Terror Victims Association (ATVA), shows that between the years
1993-1999, Israel released 6,912 terrorists within the context of
"confidence building measures" and prisoner deals. Of that number, 854 (14%)
were arrested subsequently for lethal terrorists acts which claimed he lives
of 123 Israelis. All of the terrorists thus freed were released with
assurances to the public that they did not have "blood on their hands" –
Israel considers terrorists who have not themselves pulled the trigger but
who have recruited, trained and sent bombers as people without blood on
their hands, which is of course absurd. The ATVA report concluded, "The mass
killing due to these attacks included … a huge number of victims with
disabilities due to the attack and many other victims. In all the previous
death-bargains, the overwhelming majority of those released returned to
terrorist activities, at the cost of a huge destruction of life."
ZOA
National Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, "The ZOA strongly
opposed the release of hundreds of Palestinian Arab prisoners when it was
first foreshadowed by the Olmert
government in April and we oppose it now. As the ATVA report has shown, such
exchanges have been proved in the past to result in further massive loss of
innocent Jewish life.
"We do not understand and cannot accept the idea that the issue of prisoner
releases is one that requires Israeli sensitivity to Palestinian wishes. If
the Palestinian Arabs were serious about making peace with Israel, the last
thing they would be doing is seeking the release of convicted murderers and
attempted murderers. On the contrary, they would want to see that such
people receive deserved punishment. That they don't speaks volumes about
their cause..”
The preceding story combined two news
releases provided by the Zionist Organization of America
(Return to
top)
__________________________
Failure of Blair's predecessors—not the
men but the mission
By
Shoshana Bryen
WASHINGTON, DC (JINSA)—Ousted
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is now envoy to the "peace process." In
reality, he is envoy to Abu Mazen. According to The New York Times,
his mandate is, "mobilizing international assistance... securing financing
for Palestinian institutions and governing tasks, and hashing out plans to
promote Palestinian economic development." As if Palestinians - the world's
largest per capita recipients of international aid and recipients in sum of
more money than Europe under the Marshall Plan - require more of that and
not an elemental restructuring of a hateful nationalist ideology that has
swallowed its own children in pursuit of the destruction of other people and
their children.
Tony Blair as the economic/institutional envoy to the Palestinians parallels
the role of U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Dayton as the military envoy. Had anyone
noticed until this week that the former economic/institutional envoy, Sir
James Wolfenson,
quit
more than a year ago, citing frustration with the Palestinians? It must take
a
lot
to frustrate a former President of the World Bank. And a
lot
to frustrate an American general officer. But Lt. Gen. Dayton's predecessor,
Lt. Gen. William Ward, told Congress upon leaving his job that the
Palestinians had not met a single one of his conditions for success despite
his best efforts.
We assume they were pretty good efforts, as were those of Mr. Wolfenson and
Lt. Gen. Dayton - and as will be those of Prime Minister Blair. One should
assume, then, that the flaw lies in the mission, not in the men.
"Hashing out plans to promote Palestinian economic development"? Looking
around the Arab world, would a sensible businessman put his money in Gaza or
Jenin? No. He would go to Amman with its educated workforce, Qualified
Industrial Zones and a king dedicated to modernizing banking and trade. Or
he would go to Tunisia, a truly moderate country that spends the lion's
share of its budget on education and healthcare. Perhaps our businessman
wants to invest to make a statement. Then he would go to Lebanon, which is
trying desperately to hold together as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious
democracy in the face of subversion from Syria and Iran.
"Securing financing for Palestinian institutions and governing tasks"? Does
that mean enhancing the EU's ongoing program to pay Palestinian civil
servant salaries - including to those in the government in Gaza now working
for Hamas? Paying the state-supported clergy - who encouraged the trashing
of the lone Gaza Christian church and the desecration of its holy objects?
Paying teacher salaries? Will it include those in the West Bank as well as
Gaza who teach from rabidly anti-Semitic and anti-Western texts, ensuring
the economic failure of yet another generation of Palestinians - or at least
those that survive the siren call of martyrdom?
Granting that the Fatah Finance Minister is relatively attractive to
Westerners, he stands in front of a sinkhole of the Palestinians' own
making. No other people asked for and received half as much money, time,
skill or forbearance from the civilized world, including from those is would
destroy. And it is hard to imagine another people wasting it in such an orgy
of blood and hate.
(Return to
top
 Jews
in the News
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are
praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy.
Whether
it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in
general media about our fellow Jews.
Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego,
and you. Wherever you are, if you see a story of interest, please send a
summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net
and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column.
To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
*Federal
Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues are expected
to hold a key interest rate at 5.25 percent, according to an Associated
Press
story by Jeannine Aversa in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*U.S. Rep. Susan Davis
and State Sen. Christine Kehoe (both Democrats of California) are the
subject of a
commentary in today's San Diego Union-Tribune by U.S. Rep.
Darrell Issa (Republican, California) in which he denounces them for
blocking a private freeway connection though Camp Pendleton
on environmental grounds.
Saying new transportation is needed
to deal with gridlock, he called their action a "new low."
*CNN
Interviewer Larry King asked hotel heiress nothing but "softball
questions" in his post-jail interview of her, according to a
column by San Diego Union-Tribune television critic Karla
Peterson.
*U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (Republican, Pennsylvania) was one of
the senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to side with chairman
Senator Patrick Leahy (Democrat, Vermont) in the authorization of sending
subpoenas to the White House for all documents relating to the National
Security Agency's warrant-less wiretapping. The
story combining reports from the The Washington Post and
New York Times is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Pathologist Vincent Di Maio testified in
the Phil Spector murder trial that Lana Clarkson, who starred in the
movie Barbarian Queen, was depressed over her descent into obscurity,
prompting her to commit suicide. The Associated Press
story by Linda Deutsch is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) is on the fence on the
Immigration Bill, saying "This is going to give new meaning to the notion of
close call." His quote, along with those of other senators, is in a
Washington Post
story by William Branigin and Jonathan Weisman in
today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
(Return to top)
(Return
to top)
|
  U.N.
comments
and no comments
News Sleuths
Watching the media
gathering and
reporting the news of Jewish interest
|
Date: June 28, 2007
Time: Noon
Place: United Nations
Briefing officer:
Michèle
Montas,
spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Source: United Nations, New York
Subject:
Israel/ Palestinians
Question:
What response is coming from the Middle East, from Arab countries. That did not
welcome at all the appointment of Mr. [Tony] Blair as Quartet envoy. What are
the comments of Mr. Ban Ki-moon on that? And also, why didn’t we hear remarks
on the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip yesterday?
Spokesperson:
On the first question, you know, we will not comment on opinions expressed about
this, of course not. I already read to you what was the position of the Quartet
on the nomination of Mr. Blair. That is as far as I will go. On the second
question, which would you specify…
Question:
Yes, on the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip and the result of killing about
eight or ten Palestinians: What are the remarks of Mr. Ban Ki-moon on that?
Spokesperson:
We don’t have anything specific on that today, but it is something we are
following very closely, and we have been regularly giving reactions to events in
the region. There is nothing really… you know, we don’t have any update on this
today.
Question:
So, it is not an escalation? Israelis shooting 13 Palestinians in Gaza, that is
not something worth commenting on, you think?
Spokesperson:
I am not saying that, I never said that. I just said that we have been
commenting… that we have been following closely the situation over there. As
you know, the UN is very much present there in the area, and, periodically, we
do report different situations to you and give reactions of the
Secretary-General to the situation. The fact that he is concerned is obvious,
with all the phone calls that he is making on a daily basis on the situation in
the Middle East.
Question:
Hamas in the Gaza Strip has been calling for resuming a national dialogue with
Fatah and President [Mahmoud] Abbas. What is the reaction of Mr. Ban Ki-moon to
this? Is he for isolating Hamas in the Gaza Strip, or does he encourage this
national dialogue for the integrity of the Palestinian people?
Spokesperson:
As you know, the position has always been a two-State solution with the
Palestinian State and the Israeli State. The position has always been clear.
What else would you like me to say?
Question:
.. as a follow-up to the Palestinian… Yesterday, I had asked you specifically
about these 12 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. You said that you would
come back with a reaction. There is no reaction. Whenever something else
happens, there is an immediate reaction.
Spokesperson:
No, that is not true. We have, let’s face it, we have a number of situations
like this that occur daily. We try to react periodically to them. You asked me
a question the other day about Afghanistan. But I cannot have a statement
everyday about something happening in Afghanistan, everyday about something
happening in the Middle East… It is not that it is not important. It is
followed very closely by the Secretariat. And all those issues are followed on
a daily basis. The concern is there and the concern is periodically expressed.
But we don’t react to every single event that takes place.
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BABY BOY NEWS—Now that he has had his brit milah, Baby Boy Rosen also has a new
name. Henceforth, he'll be known as Azriel Shoshan Rosen in Hebrew, and
Felix Rosen in English. Explains his father, Michael Rosen:
"His Hebrew names, Azriel Shoshan,
mean 'God is my help (or support)' and 'rose,' respectively. Roslyn (or
Shoshana in Hebrew) was my late grandmother's name. His English name is
Felix, in memory of Debbie's
late grandmother Francine ('Frayda' in Hebrew, or 'joy'; 'Felix' is Latin for
"joyful"). Somehow, we managed to name our son after two (wonderful) women!"
DEAD SEA SCROLLS—Sandi Dolbee, the religion and ethics writer of the San
Diego Union-Tribune, quotes Prof. David Noel Freedman of UCSD, who is
the editor of the Anchor Bible Commentary, on the attraction of a Dead Sea
Scroll: "It has
this air of mystery and it's a voice from the distant past.”
Freedman was the mentor of SDSU Prof. Risa Levitt Kohn, who is
serving as curator of the exhibit. The
scene-setter for the opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San
Diego Natural History Museum is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
A sidebar
story by Scott LaFee discusses how the Israel Antiquities Authority
preserves the documents that are two millennia old. ..
At a mid-morning preview for news media, Kohn was asked if bringing
the exhibit to opening day was similar to bringing her three children through
pregnancy. She responded it was a "lot less painful." However, she
added, "I'm worried about the post-partum depression." ... Michael Hager,
executive director of the San Diego Natural History Museum, paid special tribute
to philanthropists Joan & Irwin Jacobs, whose lead gift made the
exhibition possible. He also saluted the Bank of America and the
Barona Band of Kumeyaay Indians for their financial support.
GOVERNMENT—California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has
announced the filing of charges in what he describes as another insurance scam.
He said Joseph Doino, an insurance agent in Orange County, pocketed $7,000 in
premiums, sending his clients phony insurance cards and receipts... Recently we
ran a column by Steve Rabin of the National Jewish Democratic Council in
which he excoriated Republicans for voting against the foreign aid bill, which
included a large appropriation for Israel. We asked him whether the NJDC
criticism also extended to the would-be presidential candidate, Congressman
Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and to other Democrats who voted against the bill, which
nevertheless had sufficient support to pass in the House. Rabin responded:
"NJDC believes that a NO vote on the most recent foreign operations
appropriations bill was the wrong vote, whether it was cast by a Democratic
Member or a Republican Member. While a small handful of Democrats voted the
wrong way, an overwhelming majority of Republicans voted the wrong way — at the
urging of their leadership. The key difference is that Republican leadership
took the drastic step of instructing members to oppose the bill. For the
leaders of either party to instruct their Members to vote against a foreign aid
bill is almost unheard of until now."
IN MEMORY—Esther
Glasky, 91, of Santee, died Sunday, June 24. Her obituary is recorded in
today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress provided this summary of
today's headlines in the Israeli newspapers:
All
the dailies (front page) : Lawyers
representing President Moshe Katsav and the State Attorney’s Office
reportedly have reached an agreement on the wording of a plea bargain
arrangement. If the reports in the Israeli media are accurate, most of the more
egregious sex crimes that were ascribed to the president in the draft indictment
published by Attorney General Meni Mazuz a number of months ago, have
been dropped. The draft indictment accused Katsav of rape, coerced sex with
subordinates and forced indecent acts ; all three charges have been dropped from
the plea bargain agreement. Moreover, all of the original charges that appeared
in the draft indictment against A {full name not divulged} the president’s
former bureau secretary, have been stricken from the revised indictment."
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Our home
page now links to 3 Jewish events calendars
SAN DIEGO—To better serve
the greater San Diego County Jewish community, the
home page of San Diego Jewish World, in its upper left-hand corner,
now offers links to three local events listing services: 1)
United Jewish
Federation's Community Calendar; 2)
Makor, the listings by the Agency for
Jewish Education of educational and cultural opportunities and 3) San Diego
Jewish World's Event
Tracker—a new service for events occurring after July 1, 2007.
Click on a date on the interactive calendar, then follow links to the story or
stories that have appeared in San Diego Jewish World about an event or
events occurring that day. For example, in today's edition, just below
this article there is a notice about a "Zamru Shabbat" planned by Ohr Shalom
Synagogue on July 13. That story will remain linked to the
July 13 folder.
Similarly the story below that, about a July 27 Midsummer Musical Shabbat
planned by Ner Tamid, will be permanently lined through the Event Tracker's July
27 folder.
_______________________
Ohr Shalom hosts July 13 Zamru Shabbat at Mission Bay
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Ohr Shalom Synagogue holds its next
Zamru (Sing!) Shabbat By the Bay on Friday night, July 13. Cara Freedman
and Zeji Ozeri provide the music and Mission Bay provides a beautiful backdrop
for a truly religious experience.
Attendees are requested to bring a dairy or pareve dinner at 6 p.m. and welcome
the Sabbath with song at 7 p.m. Blanket, chairs and flashlights are
recommended.
The location will be Playa Pacifica, located between the Mission Bay information
center and the Hilton. Take Interstate 5 to the Clairemont Drive exit, head
towards the bay, hen about one-half mile south along the bay until the gazebo.
Watch for the signs. More information is available at the synagogue, (619)
231-1456.
The foregoing article was provided by Ohr Shalom Synagogue
________________
July 27 'Midsummer Musical Shabbat' at Ner
Tamid
POWAY, Calif. (Press
Release) — Ner Tamid Synagogue will offer a special “Midsummer Musical Shabbat”
on Friday, July 27, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 28, at 9:30 a.m.
Services will be conducted by Guest Cantor, Sandy Bernstein, and Gaston
Bernstein. The Friday evening, family-style service will be followed by an ice
cream social. The community is invited to attend both services.
Cantor Bernstein has
been featured as a cantorial soloist at various temples and congregations in the
Los Angeles area. She and her husband, Gaston, are well-recognized for the
spirit, enthusiasm and enjoyment they bring to worship services.
Ner Tamid Synagogue,
an affiliate of United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, is located at 15318
Pomerado Road, Poway. Further information may be obtained at (858) 513-8330.
The preceding story was provided by Ner Tamid Synagogue
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Over-hyped,
under-delivered Carmen at Playhouse
SAN DIEGO—Oft times, over hype leads to disappointment. Such is the case with
Franco Dragone’s World Premiere Musical, Carmen. Dragone, visionary
director behind many of Cirque du Soleil’s successful shows is
touted as the man who will bring “his heightened theatricality” ete, etc. to the
La Jolla Playhouse with his Carmen. Carmen as most know is the Proper
Merimee tale of love, lust, revenge and death as seen and heard in Bizet’s very
popular and exciting opera of the same name. As expected, along with the buildup
comes the expectation. And from all accounts, everyone I knew, was expecting
something as thrilling as, say Mystẻre, O or Quidam.
 With
the retelling of the Merimee tale, Carmen (Janien Valentine), the cigarette
factory worker, and somewhat of a free wheeling agent, sets her sights on the
smitten José (Ryan Silverman) who is willing to desert his army post, wife and
all he holds dear for Carmen’s love only to be shunned by her when the handsome
and famous bullfighter Escamillo (Victor Wallace) becomes a more attractive
suitor.
Carmen*
What we don’t see in Bizét’s opera is the back story of Jose’s life; his Basque
heritage, how he wound up in the Spanish Army, the fact that Carmen has a
husband and for good measure, the adoring older Army Captain, Zuniga (Neal
Benari) who also loves Carmen. It certainly gives another dimension to the
already known story, and makes for a raised eyebrow or two, but overall, it
makes their trek through Spain, leading up to the now famous bullfight, and
ultimate death scene, longer.
With book and choreography by Sarah Miles, music by John Ewbank, lyrics by
AnnMarie Milazzo, and musical direction by Jeffrey Klitz, this ‘work in
progress’ does have some good things going for it. Miles’ choreography,
especially the flamenco dances are exciting and thrilling to watch for the most
part.
Miles’ book is pedestrian as are the lyrics and tunes of Ewbank. There is too
much singing and not enough acting with the book and the songs taking the place
of any real excitement or movement. What’s even more distracting is that some of
the music sounds vaguely familiar as in Les Mis. Bad news for the
audience as the story, propelled by the music, creeps along at a snail's pace
logging in a 2 1/2-hour long performance that is predictable from the outset and
uneventful at best.
Unfortunately for the performers who have, for the most part sound voices, they
just never get a chance to emote! The one minor character, Zuniga (Benari) led
the pack in that area. Of the men, he showed the most emotion. Shelly Thomas,
who plays Micaela, Jose’s faithful and loving wife had her day as well. While
her amount of stage time was somewhat minimal, she exceeded in both vocal and
dramatic ability.
The
good news is that Miles’ choreography could possibly save the show if more drama
was thrown into the mix and several songs tossed. Janien’s Carmen is convincing
both physically (although she is quite short, she is a fireball) and vocally.
Her voice is strong with a wide range. She is more than up to the task of
singing and dancing. With dance being the center piece of the show, flamenco is
the order of the day and Janien, Silverman and Wallace serve those pieces well.
The dance numbers are exciting, physical and acrobatic, in some ways resembling
the Cirque shows.
Visually, there are some exciting moments almost to a point of giving the
production high marks for the vivid colors, the huge golden bull suspended from
the ceiling with a red rope hanging from it’s mouth before the curtain goes up
and again at the end as red sand pours from the bull and forms a mound in front
of Carmen as if to bury her. And the scene in front of the cigarette factory
with all the women outside dancing creates a wonderful montage.
The water trough in front of the cigarette factory in which Carmen wades
through as she seduces José is one of the most creative touches in the show.
Klara Zieglererova scenic designer also designed the dark brooding walls
surrounding the town and everything in it. Christopher Akerlind’s lighting cast
light on very little which emphasized the ominous mood of the play. But for the
loud music, the stomping heels of the flamenco dancers and a fiery Carmen, this
Carmen could have been a sleeper.
If, as Franco Dragone is quoted as saying “We will go into the heart of
Carmen and, at the same time, make it a feast for the eyes, for the ears….”
some rewriting needs to be done
Carmen plays through July 22 at the La Jolla Playhouse in the Mandel
Weiss Theatre.
For information call (858) 550-1010 or visit the La Jolla Playhouse
website.
POSTSCRIPTS:
 Our
Jewish star in the play is Neal Benari who has played Tevya in Fiddler,
Joseph in The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, The Merchant of
Venice and Tatah in Ragtime to name a few of his Broadway credits.
Reviews of his performance as Tatah credit him for his passionate performance
as the Jewish immigrant who comes to America and discovers the wonders of movie
making.
See you at the theater.
*Photo
Above:
Gypsy Carmen (Janien Valentine) and fallen soldier Jose (Ryan Silverman) give
into their passions in the world premiere musical Carmen at La Jolla Playhouse.
Photo by Kevin Berne
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______________________________
|
 Doing
It Better
Natasha
Josefowitz
|
Recognizing 'the other' and
what can be done
LA JOLLA, Calif. —There is an expression I coined because I couldn’t think of a
word to express it better. It means “somewhat different.” The expression is
“other.” The closest opposite of “other” is familiar.
I have
friends I bond with quickly. They are predictable; I can guess at their values,
the way they see the world, their upbringing. When we talk we each know what the
other person means. Then there are people who are “almost.” There is something
about them that I can’t quite fathom. They can be good friends but not intimate
friends. We can talk openly but there is an invisible barrier to real
understanding.
There is a
third category of people who fall more into “other.” People I’m not too
comfortable with for no reason that I can figure out.
Somehow
they make me feel uneasy. I’m aware of it because I’m aware of trying hard to
connect. I’m working at the relationship, it isn’t happening spontaneously. I
try to be funny or clever or want to impress them in some way. Of course, the
more you try, the less it works. Obviously these people won’t become “friends.”
The best
kind of friends are the ones you can be yourself with and not be judged.
The
concept of “other” can also apply to one’s children or grandchildren.
This is
the child a parent has problems with, can’t understand why they do what they do
or say the strange things they say. It is common for adolescents to become
“other” within their own families. That is because it is a natural development
of differentiating yourself from family in order to gain your own identity.
During that process, often called “neither fish nor fowl,” the youngster has
left the family emotionally but has as yet not found his or her own person. And
so during that period, everything is up for grabs, which may mean drugs,
alcohol, driving too fast, body piercing, spiked hair dyed green, tattoos,
promiscuity. And so the family sees the child as “other” and has difficulty
understanding and communicating. This is not surprising seeing that the teenager
does not understand him- or herself either and also feels alienated.
Some
children are “other” from birth, never quite fitting into their families. They
are usually aware of it and suffer without really knowing what is amiss.
I have
friends with very dissimilar backgrounds yet we can be close. I also have
friends with whom it would seem there would be everything in common, yet they
are “other.”
In trying
to put my finger on what that “other” feeling really stems from, I can only come
up with some intangible connection as if our energies interact either positively
or negatively with each other.
Besides
love at first sight, there is also friends at first sight. One short exchange
and we both know this could work. I believe our unconscious picks up signals
revealing the other person in ways that the person is not even aware of. This is
usually reciprocal.
We are
sending signals all the time with our eyes, our bodies, our voices, our
mannerisms, the way we walk, talk, listen, smile, wear our clothes, smell,
touch. If most of these fit, seem familiar or pleasing, we feel comfortable. If
there is no fit, then we have the feeling that this person is too different.
In other words, there maybe nothing wrong with either person, each able to fit
in well with a host of other people, but somehow between certain individuals the
signals are either not sent clearly enough or not received the way they were
intended. The result is this slight feeling of discomfort, of some indefinable
lack of ease. These feelings often persist, yet I have found that it is
possible, within a continued relationship, to overcome these feelings of unease
and become true friends. It is well worth making the effort and being
persistent.
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If yesterday's box scores were an indication, their mothers were
right—
five Jewish major leaguers should have become doctors or lawyers
Unless otherwise indicated,
source for these stories is today's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, to which we gratefully
provide the links below
BASEBALL—Oy, Colorado Rockies pitcher
Jason Hirsch got shellacked by Chicago Cubs hitters, who collected five
runs off him—including two homers—en route to their 6-4 victory.
Hirsch threw 110 pitches in six innings before being lifted from the game.
The loss brought his record to 3-7. As we said, oy. ... In
the tight competition for batting championship honors,
Kevin Youkilis fell to eighth position on Wednesday, based on his .330
average. The average had dropped after
Youkilis went 0-4 in his Boston Red Sox 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
...
Brad Ausmus of the Houston Astros
also went 0-4 as his team lost 6-3 to the Milwaukee Brewers...John
Grabow was one of seven pitchers used by the Pittsburgh Pirates in their
7-5 victory over the Florida Marlins. He gave up a hit, yielding one run, and
was credited for just one-third of an inning. His ERA now is a sky-high
6.05. ... The New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 200, so that was a
plus, but
Shawn Green got gornisht at the plate, going hitless in two
appearances. On days like these, Jews might wish they had listened to
their mothers and become doctors or lawyers.
TENNIS—In second round Wimbledon action Wednesday, 16th seeded
Shahar Peer of Israel prevailed over
Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in a closely fought
match, 6-4, 7-5. Meanwhile another Israeli player proved herself no peer of Peer
in first round play.
Anna Smashnova of Israel was—dare we say it?—smashed by
Martina Muller
of Germany, 6-0, 6-0.
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|
CHUTZPAH
A little old Jewish lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents
each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch
time, and as he passed the pretzel stand, he would leave her a quarter,
but never take a pretzel.
And this went on for more then 3 years. The two of them never spoke. One
day, as the young man passed the old lady's stand and left his quarter
as usual, the pretzel lady spoke to him.
"Sir, I appreciate your business. You are a good customer, but I have to
tell you that the pretzel price has gone up to 35 cents."
--Thanks
to Hillel Mazansky of San
Diego for forwarding this to us
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to top) |
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Jerusalem Diaries
