Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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DAILY ALERT Monday,
April 28, 2008
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To contact the Presidents Conference:
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In-Depth Issues:
Report: Ten North Koreans May Have Died in Israel Raid in Syria - Yoko Kubota (Reuters/Washington Post)
Ten North Koreans helping to build a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria may have died in an Israeli air raid last September, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, citing South Korean intelligence officials.
The dead included officials of the North Korean Communist party unit that exports weapons and military technology and members of the North Korean military unit which made nuclear facilities in the country.
Two or three North Koreans survived the air strike.
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Israel: UNIFIL Is Hiding Information about Hizbullah from Security Council - Barak Ravid (Ha'aretz)
UNIFIL is intentionally concealing information about Hizbullah activities south of the Litani River in Lebanon to avoid conflict with the group, senior sources in Jerusalem have said.
In the last six months there have been at least four cases in which UNIFIL soldiers identified armed Hizbullah operatives, but did nothing and did not submit full reports on the incidents to the UN Security Council.
A new report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with regard to Security Council Resolution 1559 briefly mentioned an incident at the beginning of March in which UNIFIL soldiers encountered unidentified armed men, and included no additional details.
The incident described in the report had actually been a clash between UNIFIL and armed Hizbullah activists, driving a truck full of explosives, who threatened the Italian UNIFIL battalion with weapons.
Instead of using force as required by their mandate, the UN soldiers abandoned the site.
A diplomatic source at the UN said senior officials in UNIFIL and in the UN Secretariat brought heavy pressure to bear to have the incident erased from the report or at least to blur it.
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Amos 3 Satellite Launched into Space - Hanan Greenberg (Ynet News)
Israel's Amos 3 communications satellite was launched into space successfully on Monday from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
The satellite, designed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries, is expected to function for 18 years and will replace its predecessor, Amos 1.
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Egypt Holds Four in Suspected Hamas Plot (Reuters)
Egyptian security forces detained four people and have accused them of plotting to buy fuel for a pilotless aircraft for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, security sources said on Saturday.
Two of those detained were members of Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources said the aircraft was meant to be loaded with explosives for an attack.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Hamas Chief Sees Truce as a "Tactic"
Hamas leader Khaled Meshal said Saturday that his group would accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, but that "It is a tactic in conducting the struggle." He called it "normal for any resistance" to sometimes escalate, sometimes retreat from fighting. "In 2003, there was a cease-fire and then the operations were resumed." On Friday, an Israeli government spokesman dismissed the proposal, saying Hamas was just "biding time in order to rearm and regroup." (AP/New York Times)
U.S. Navy Fires at Iranian Boats as Tension Rises in the Gulf - Damien McElroy
The U.S. navy fired warning shots at two Iranian boats in the Arabian Gulf Friday. A U.S. forces security team on a chartered transport ship used loudhailers, radios and flares to warn off two small Iranian boats acting in an "unclear" manner. But the boats ignored the warning and the Americans opened fire, unleashing several bursts of live ammunition. The incident took place in the early morning near the international boundary. (Telegraph-UK)
See also U.S. Weighing Readiness for Military Action Against Iran - Ann Scott Tyson
The top U.S. military officer said Friday that the Pentagon is planning for "potential military courses of action" as one of several options against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a conflict with Iran would be "extremely stressing" but not impossible for U.S. forces, pointing to reserve capabilities in the Navy and Air Force.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, who was nominated this week to head all U.S. forces in the Middle East, is preparing a briefing soon on increased Iranian involvement in Iraq, Mullen said. The briefing will detail, for example, the discovery in Iraq of weapons that were very recently manufactured in Iran, he said. "The Iranian government pledged to halt such activities some months ago. It's plainly obvious they have not," Mullen said. He said unrest in the Iraqi city of Basra had highlighted a "level of involvement" by Iran that had not been clear previously. (Washington Post)
Ahmadinejad's Foes Make Gains in Iranian Parliamentary Vote - Nazila Fathi
Although conservatives won the majority of the seats in Parliament in Friday's runoff elections, critics of President Ahmadinejad made a strong showing, according to results released Saturday. Conservatives won nearly 70% of the seats, but that group includes many people who oppose Ahmadinejad's economic policies. 198 of the 290 seats went to the conservatives and 47 to reformist candidates (up from 40 seats in the current parliament). (New York Times)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
Hamas Disrupts Fuel Supplies to Gaza - Khaled Abu Toameh
Hamas militiamen in Gaza on Sunday attacked fuel trucks headed toward the Nahal Oz border crossing to pick up fuel for UNRWA - to enable food distribution - and for hospitals, forcing them to turn back, sources in the Palestinian Petroleum Authority said. "Dozens of Hamas militiamen hurled stones and opened fire at the trucks," the sources added. "The trucks were on their way to receive fuel supplied by Israel. The drivers were forced to turn back. Some of them had their windshields smashed."
Eyewitnesses in Gaza City said that at least on four occasions over the past few weeks, Hamas militiamen confiscated trucks loaded with fuel on their way from Nahal Oz to the city. The fuel was taken to Hamas-controlled security installations. (Jerusalem Post)
See also EU Faults Hamas for Gaza Fuel Crisis - Herb Keinon
A statement issued by the EU on the fuel shortage in Gaza placed blame on Hamas. "Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza have their share in aggravating the humanitarian situation, including through carrying out the attacks on the Nahal Oz and Kerem Shalom crossings," the statement read. "The [EU] president condemns such actions, which only lead to further suffering of the population." Senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials said this was one of the few times that an EU statement had actually condemned Hamas by name. (Jerusalem Post)
See also PA: Hamas Blocked Fuel for Gaza Hospitals
The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank on Sunday accused the Islamist Hamas movement of preventing the delivery of fuel oil to hospitals in Gaza. "Members of Hamas in Gaza opened fire on Sunday on fuel trucks that were full of fuel destined for hospitals in the territory," the ministry said. Israel says it cannot deliver any more fuel as the tanks on the Palestinian side of the fuel terminal are full because Hamas will not allow the distribution of the one million liters of petrol and diesel stored there. (AFP)
U.S. Presses Israel on Gaza Cease-Fire - Yaakov Katz and Herb Keinon
Pressure is picking up on Israel to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas in Gaza ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush's planned visit to Jerusalem in two weeks, Israeli defense officials said Sunday. Head of the IDF Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant recently expressed fierce opposition to a cease-fire with Hamas, warning it would be used by the terrorist organization to rebuild its damaged infrastructure and to increase its arms smuggling under the Philadelphi Corridor from Sinai. (Jerusalem Post)
See also Israel: Gaza Truce Depends on Hamas Control over Islamic Jihad, Other Groups - Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
Israeli security officials have said that if Hamas cannot restrain the smaller militant Palestinian groups, first and foremost Islamic Jihad, there will not be much point to any cease-fire agreement. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian Rockets Hit Sderot, Kibbutz
Palestinians in Gaza fired Kassam rockets at Israel on Sunday. One rocket exploded in the yard of a home in Sderot, causing damage. Another exploded in Kibbutz Zikim, south of Ashkelon. (Ha'aretz)
See also Palestinians Fire Katyusha Rocket at Ashkelon
Palestinian terrorists fired a Grad-type Katyusha rocket at Ashkelon on Sunday, causing serious damage to a garage in the city's industrial zone. (Jerusalem Post)
Palestinians Shoot at Israeli Bus near Ramallah
Palestinians open fire at an Israeli bus passing the village of Silwad in the Ramallah area on Sunday. No one was wounded, but the bus was damaged. (Jerusalem Post)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
Syria's Secret Nuclear Reactor - Editorial
The Bush administration's decision to go public with the considerable evidence it had about a secret Syrian nuclear reactor built with the help of North Korea that was bombed by Israel last September has placed that extraordinary event in a new political context. Syria's failure to report the reactor's existence to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as required by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and its quick demolition and burial of the reactor's remains after the attack, require explanation - and in its absence, sanction. Will IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei hold Damascus accountable for its blatant violation of international law? (Washington Post)
Hamas: Incompetent or Cruel - Editorial
The continuing tragedy of Gaza is that it was supposed to offer Palestinians an opportunity to show they were ready for self-government after Israel withdrew in August 2005. Unfortunately, the Strip has descended into poverty and chaos, a launching pad for thousands of rockets targeted at Israel's civilian population. The Israeli government claims Hamas has created a dishonest fuel crisis in an attempt to court international leverage and insists that enough fuel is stored in Gaza to cover essential humanitarian needs. As the government, it is the responsibility of Hamas to get the fuel moving.
If, however, it is political pointscoring motivating Hamas' failure to get the fuel and food moving, it is further proof, if any was needed, of its true nature. Hamas is showing the world that anybody who believes that Israel is the worst enemy of the Palestinian people needs to think again. The impasse does not advance hopes of a workable, two-state solution. (The Australian)
Observations:
Why Israel Kept Quiet Over Nuclear Syria - Con Coughlin (Telegraph-UK)
Even after CIA director Michael Hayden's briefing of Congress about the Israeli air strike on a top-secret military site in Syria, when he confirmed that the North Koreans had indeed been helping the Syrians to build a nuclear reactor, the Israelis are still refusing to discuss the matter.
The reasons are twofold. When the Israelis first became concerned about the North Koreans' activities in Syria last summer, the Americans were negotiating a delicate deal to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program in return for a relaxation of the trade sanctions that have crippled the North Korean economy. Had the Israelis gone public with the intelligence, it might seriously have undermined Washington's diplomatic efforts.
The Israelis are also keen not to reveal too much about the technical aspects of the air strike, which is regarded as the most sophisticated operation by the Israeli air force since the 1981 mission against Iraq's Osirak nuclear facility, which thwarted Saddam Hussein's ambition to acquire a nuclear weapons arsenal. To carry out the attack undetected, the fighter-bombers had to be fitted with equipment that extended their bombing range, while penetrating Syria's state-of-the-art, Russian-built air defense systems.
Syria's experimentation with nuclear proliferation has more to do with its strategic alliance with Tehran than any pretensions the Assad regime might entertain about becoming a nuclear superpower. Now, it appears that the Syrians are quietly helping the Iranians with their nuclear weapons program.
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
questions
Dear Rabbi Ginsburg,
Following your last mail, I have collected a few things I was
thinking about, when doing the reading/watching the videos.
One of the things that is fascinating, but at the same time also
'dangerous' is ritual or at least excessive ritual. I remember
talking to a French Orthodox Jew last summer in Israel (he was part
of my Ulpan) and he said that he did not believe in God, but that he
believed in ritual. I found that quite disturbing to be very honest:
I love ritual, but when ritual replaces religion as such or at least
its spiritual part, isn't there a danger of losing your connection to
God (when in fact you hope to get closer to God). Reciting prayers
for him was so automatic and he did not think at all about their
meanings.
There are 2 aspects of prayer the keva-the words and kavanah the spiritual intentionality.
That fellow is missing half of it
I was just wondering what your personal opinion on that
topic is. For instance, do you think Tefillin to be of fundamental
importance?
yes its a mitzvah-actually 2
I mean, after all, it is mainly interpretation, since the
Torah never actually says Tefillin should be worn (even though it
speaks of components, such as the prayer scrolls that are included in
it).
it says you should wear them as a sign on your arm and frontlets between your eyes.
How spread is the use of Tefillin in American Conservative
Judaism?
very little
Which leads me to the next question: do you feel that US
Conservative Judaism is similar to UK Conservative Judaism? People
here usually say that Reform here is like Conservative in the US,
while Reform in the US is more like Liberal Judaism here.
I think that is pretty true
I also have
a question on the different movements: is Reconstructionism in
between Conservative and Reform Judaism or is it just something
different?
different. watch my video series on the movements ad mordechai kaplan
I just felt that their approach was, let's say, more
liberal in certain ways, and thus possibly more Reform. Also, is
there really that big a difference between believing in God or in
divinity? I haven't read any book on Reconstructionism specifically,
but what I've read about it in the books you sent me and others,
sounded more like a debate on vocabulary rather than on contents.
I don't think so-Kaplan did not believe in God in any traditional sense
One
thing that I'm also thinking a lot about is the whole emigration to
Israel policies. I love Israel and I enjoy spending time there with
friends and relatives, but aren't diasporas important as well? I mean
Judaism wouldn't be what it is today, hadn't we spent time outside
Israel. I personally feel perfectly European and it sort of makes me
sad when synagogues have to close down because people have all gone.
There are countries in Europe where especially Orthodox and
Conservative communities are disappearing while the Reform and
Liberal ones are growing, because they keep the more 'European' Jews.
Does the choseness principle imply that only a good Jew is a Jew who
lives in Israel, because we were told to go there?
No=more than half of world Jewry does not live in Israel and has n o plans to. I feel as you do. We afre going in 3 weeks with 30 people and I am looking forward to it.
Also, since I'm
going back to Israel this summer for my Ulpan, is there any synagogue
or school/programme you could recommend (in Jerusalem)?
I'm doing an
academic programme but I was thinking of maybe adding something more
religious, especially to learn Biblical Hebrew.
try the Conservative yeshiva
Rabbi James Lebeau
Director, United Synagogue Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center
POB 7456
Jerusalem 94265 ISRAEL
Tel: 972-2-625-6386 Ext. 1
Fax: 972-2-623-4127
mail to: lebeau@uscj.org
Finally I have a
question on Kosher food. I've not been eating pork, seafood etc. for
years, but I am still mixing dairy and non-dairy food. I'm not even
really mixing it, but I'm not waiting for an hour or so to have
cheese after dinner. How central is that aspect of Judaism?
watch my video on meat and milk. try and wait at least an hour between.
Thank you very much for your patience & help! I hope you had a good
Pesach!
Best wishes,
great questions!!!!
Following your last mail, I have collected a few things I was
thinking about, when doing the reading/watching the videos.
One of the things that is fascinating, but at the same time also
'dangerous' is ritual or at least excessive ritual. I remember
talking to a French Orthodox Jew last summer in Israel (he was part
of my Ulpan) and he said that he did not believe in God, but that he
believed in ritual. I found that quite disturbing to be very honest:
I love ritual, but when ritual replaces religion as such or at least
its spiritual part, isn't there a danger of losing your connection to
God (when in fact you hope to get closer to God). Reciting prayers
for him was so automatic and he did not think at all about their
meanings.
There are 2 aspects of prayer the keva-the words and kavanah the spiritual intentionality.
That fellow is missing half of it
I was just wondering what your personal opinion on that
topic is. For instance, do you think Tefillin to be of fundamental
importance?
yes its a mitzvah-actually 2
I mean, after all, it is mainly interpretation, since the
Torah never actually says Tefillin should be worn (even though it
speaks of components, such as the prayer scrolls that are included in
it).
it says you should wear them as a sign on your arm and frontlets between your eyes.
How spread is the use of Tefillin in American Conservative
Judaism?
very little
Which leads me to the next question: do you feel that US
Conservative Judaism is similar to UK Conservative Judaism? People
here usually say that Reform here is like Conservative in the US,
while Reform in the US is more like Liberal Judaism here.
I think that is pretty true
I also have
a question on the different movements: is Reconstructionism in
between Conservative and Reform Judaism or is it just something
different?
different. watch my video series on the movements ad mordechai kaplan
I just felt that their approach was, let's say, more
liberal in certain ways, and thus possibly more Reform. Also, is
there really that big a difference between believing in God or in
divinity? I haven't read any book on Reconstructionism specifically,
but what I've read about it in the books you sent me and others,
sounded more like a debate on vocabulary rather than on contents.
I don't think so-Kaplan did not believe in God in any traditional sense
One
thing that I'm also thinking a lot about is the whole emigration to
Israel policies. I love Israel and I enjoy spending time there with
friends and relatives, but aren't diasporas important as well? I mean
Judaism wouldn't be what it is today, hadn't we spent time outside
Israel. I personally feel perfectly European and it sort of makes me
sad when synagogues have to close down because people have all gone.
There are countries in Europe where especially Orthodox and
Conservative communities are disappearing while the Reform and
Liberal ones are growing, because they keep the more 'European' Jews.
Does the choseness principle imply that only a good Jew is a Jew who
lives in Israel, because we were told to go there?
No=more than half of world Jewry does not live in Israel and has n o plans to. I feel as you do. We afre going in 3 weeks with 30 people and I am looking forward to it.
Also, since I'm
going back to Israel this summer for my Ulpan, is there any synagogue
or school/programme you could recommend (in Jerusalem)?
I'm doing an
academic programme but I was thinking of maybe adding something more
religious, especially to learn Biblical Hebrew.
try the Conservative yeshiva
Rabbi James Lebeau
Director, United Synagogue Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center
POB 7456
Jerusalem 94265 ISRAEL
Tel: 972-2-625-6386 Ext. 1
Fax: 972-2-623-4127
mail to: lebeau@uscj.org
Finally I have a
question on Kosher food. I've not been eating pork, seafood etc. for
years, but I am still mixing dairy and non-dairy food. I'm not even
really mixing it, but I'm not waiting for an hour or so to have
cheese after dinner. How central is that aspect of Judaism?
watch my video on meat and milk. try and wait at least an hour between.
Thank you very much for your patience & help! I hope you had a good
Pesach!
Best wishes,
great questions!!!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Items from Richard Baehr
5. Joel Sprayregen and Congressman Eric Cantor on Jimmy Carter's disgrace. What role will Carter play this year at the Democratic convention?
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/jimmy_carter_disgraced_for_man.html
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTNiMTM3ZjdmYjVhNzUxY2MxY2VkNWFjMzliNDhhYzE=
6. Anne Bayefsky on the pre planning for Durban II. Looks like they are off to a fast start in going after Israel. I am sure Barack Obama's Muslim summit will be different, though.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmUxNDkyMGYwNzM3ODBkYjVkZjU3ZTRiYzRiNjJhNDE=
7. Did George Bush make a deal with Ariel Sharon on settlement expansion in the West Bank before the Gaza disengagement?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303128.html
8. Reports I am receiving suggest that many Israelis are nervous about the 23 year old spy case revealed this week. I think the timing of this story is related to the upcoming trail of the two former AIAPC employees. The government's case seems very weak from all appearances. Might the Justice Department be trying to inflame potential jurors by suggesting a pattern of bad behavior by Israelis or pro-Israel Americans?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870478495&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3534851,00.html
9. Ilan Pappe, the most mendacious of Israel's new historians, has written a new book. It is very bad. Isi Leibler on how Israel's image got trashed. Pappe and his ilk are part of it.
http://www.meforum.org/article/1886
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870468417&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
10. Mike Wallace interviews Abba Eban,from 1958:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/eban_abba.html
13. The making of Euro-Islam
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,548970,00.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/jimmy_carter_disgraced_for_man.html
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTNiMTM3ZjdmYjVhNzUxY2MxY2VkNWFjMzliNDhhYzE=
6. Anne Bayefsky on the pre planning for Durban II. Looks like they are off to a fast start in going after Israel. I am sure Barack Obama's Muslim summit will be different, though.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmUxNDkyMGYwNzM3ODBkYjVkZjU3ZTRiYzRiNjJhNDE=
7. Did George Bush make a deal with Ariel Sharon on settlement expansion in the West Bank before the Gaza disengagement?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303128.html
8. Reports I am receiving suggest that many Israelis are nervous about the 23 year old spy case revealed this week. I think the timing of this story is related to the upcoming trail of the two former AIAPC employees. The government's case seems very weak from all appearances. Might the Justice Department be trying to inflame potential jurors by suggesting a pattern of bad behavior by Israelis or pro-Israel Americans?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870478495&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3534851,00.html
9. Ilan Pappe, the most mendacious of Israel's new historians, has written a new book. It is very bad. Isi Leibler on how Israel's image got trashed. Pappe and his ilk are part of it.
http://www.meforum.org/article/1886
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870468417&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
10. Mike Wallace interviews Abba Eban,from 1958:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/eban_abba.html
13. The making of Euro-Islam
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,548970,00.html
Europe facing radicalization over the Web
Europe facing radicalization over the Web
OLIVIER GUITTA
http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/04/20/europe_facing_radicalization_over_the_web/5616/
A few months ago Bernard Squarcini the head of the DST (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire), the French equivalent of the FBI, told the French daily Libération regarding Islamic radicalization: "An ideological transformation can be done in three months on the Web. An individual can at night auto-radicalize himself via the Web and get in touch with leaders of terrorist organizations." This assessment shows how dire the situation is in Europe when it comes to al-Qaida's use of the Web.
Al-Qaida uses the web for four different tasks: propaganda; communication, mostly to instruct those in the field; training future combatants, a kind of online university of terrorism; and to send messages to the enemy, mostly to the West.
OLIVIER GUITTA
http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/04/20/europe_facing_radicalization_over_the_web/5616/
A few months ago Bernard Squarcini the head of the DST (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire), the French equivalent of the FBI, told the French daily Libération regarding Islamic radicalization: "An ideological transformation can be done in three months on the Web. An individual can at night auto-radicalize himself via the Web and get in touch with leaders of terrorist organizations." This assessment shows how dire the situation is in Europe when it comes to al-Qaida's use of the Web.
Al-Qaida uses the web for four different tasks: propaganda; communication, mostly to instruct those in the field; training future combatants, a kind of online university of terrorism; and to send messages to the enemy, mostly to the West.
Daily update on Israeli security
Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
View this page at www.dailyalert.org
Subscribe
RSS-XML
DAILY ALERT
Thursday,
April 24, 2008
To contact the Presidents Conference:
click here
In-Depth Issues:
Hamas Fabricating Fuel Crisis in Gaza (M&C)
Israel Thursday accused Hamas of causing a "fabricated crisis" by refusing to distribute one million liters of fuel delivered to Gaza.
Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said the million liters of fuel, which he said was enough for humanitarian needs, that Israel transferred three weeks ago, is still waiting to be collected on the Palestinian side of the Nahal Oz fuel crossing terminal.
"Hamas can take the fuel but doesn't," he charged, accusing Hamas of deliberately wanting to claim there is a crisis.
Gaza residents said Hamas officials have taken fuel for their own purposes and given it to high-ranking officials, government employees and its own students, but has not distributed the remainder to the population at large.
France, U.S., UK Walk Out at UN After Libya's Comparison of Gaza to Nazi Death Camps (Los Angeles Times)
The U.S., France and Britain walked out of a Security Council debate on the Middle East on Wednesday after Libya compared the situation in Gaza to that of Nazi "concentration camps."
French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert plucked off his translation earpiece and walked out, followed by his two colleagues, after Libyan Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi made the statement.
Most-Wanted Saddam Hussein Aide Captured in Iraq (Telegraph-UK)
Iraqi security forces claim they have captured Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the vice-chairman of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party.
Duri tops the Iraqi government's current list of most-wanted fugitives and is considered an operational leader with close ties to anti-U.S. insurgents.
In remarks to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat published on Wednesday, Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie said Duri was in Syria from where he led the insurgency in Iraq.
Israeli-Made Georgian Drone Shot Down Near Russia - Barak Ravid (Ha'aretz)
An Israeli-made Georgian unmanned aircraft was shot down over the breakaway region of Abkhazia over the weekend.
Russia's Foreign Ministry denied Georgian accusations that a Russian fighter jet shot down the plane, saying it was shot down by Abkhazian air defenses.
British Police "Have Foiled 15 Terror Plots Since 7/7" - Richard Edwards (Telegraph-UK)
Fifteen terrorist plots have been foiled in the three years since the London bombings, Bob Quick, Scotland Yard's new head of anti-terrorism, disclosed.
Britain was said to be the primary target for Muslim extremists, ahead of America and other European countries.
Search
Key Links
Media Contacts
Back Issues
Fair Use
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
View this page at www.dailyalert.org
Subscribe
RSS-XML
DAILY ALERT
Thursday,
April 24, 2008
To contact the Presidents Conference:
click here
In-Depth Issues:
Hamas Fabricating Fuel Crisis in Gaza (M&C)
Israel Thursday accused Hamas of causing a "fabricated crisis" by refusing to distribute one million liters of fuel delivered to Gaza.
Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said the million liters of fuel, which he said was enough for humanitarian needs, that Israel transferred three weeks ago, is still waiting to be collected on the Palestinian side of the Nahal Oz fuel crossing terminal.
"Hamas can take the fuel but doesn't," he charged, accusing Hamas of deliberately wanting to claim there is a crisis.
Gaza residents said Hamas officials have taken fuel for their own purposes and given it to high-ranking officials, government employees and its own students, but has not distributed the remainder to the population at large.
France, U.S., UK Walk Out at UN After Libya's Comparison of Gaza to Nazi Death Camps (Los Angeles Times)
The U.S., France and Britain walked out of a Security Council debate on the Middle East on Wednesday after Libya compared the situation in Gaza to that of Nazi "concentration camps."
French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert plucked off his translation earpiece and walked out, followed by his two colleagues, after Libyan Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi made the statement.
Most-Wanted Saddam Hussein Aide Captured in Iraq (Telegraph-UK)
Iraqi security forces claim they have captured Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the vice-chairman of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party.
Duri tops the Iraqi government's current list of most-wanted fugitives and is considered an operational leader with close ties to anti-U.S. insurgents.
In remarks to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat published on Wednesday, Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie said Duri was in Syria from where he led the insurgency in Iraq.
Israeli-Made Georgian Drone Shot Down Near Russia - Barak Ravid (Ha'aretz)
An Israeli-made Georgian unmanned aircraft was shot down over the breakaway region of Abkhazia over the weekend.
Russia's Foreign Ministry denied Georgian accusations that a Russian fighter jet shot down the plane, saying it was shot down by Abkhazian air defenses.
British Police "Have Foiled 15 Terror Plots Since 7/7" - Richard Edwards (Telegraph-UK)
Fifteen terrorist plots have been foiled in the three years since the London bombings, Bob Quick, Scotland Yard's new head of anti-terrorism, disclosed.
Britain was said to be the primary target for Muslim extremists, ahead of America and other European countries.
Search
Key Links
Media Contacts
Back Issues
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
AIPAC briefs
www.aipac.org April 23, 2008
Congress Reaffirms Strength of U.S.-Israel Alliance
Hamas Chief: We Will Not Recognize Israel
Hamas Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Aid Crossing
Lawmakers Call for More Pressure on Iran
U.N. Security Council Calls for Disarming Hizballah
Israeli Company Tries to Ease Root Canal Misery
Save the date
AIPAC Policy
Conference 2008
June 2-4, 2008
Washington, DC
For more information: www.aipac.org/pc2008
(202) 639-5363
Take action
To take action on pending legislation and to receive more information and analysis, visit our Web site at www.aipac.org
Congress Reaffirms Strength of U.S.-Israel Alliance
In a landmark display of U.S. friendship with Israel, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed resolutions recognizing the 60th anniversary of Israel's birth and reaffirming the close ties between the United States and Israel. In the Senate, the resolution (S. Res. 522) was cosponsored by the entire chamber and passed by unanimous consent. The House approved its version (H. Res. 322) by a resounding vote of 417-0. The Speaker of the House, who traditionally does not cosponsor legislation, joined Democratic and Republican House leaders as a lead sponsor of the bill. The resolutions were introduced in the House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), and in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Click here to read the full text of the resolutions.
Hamas Chief: We Will Not Recognize Israel
Contradicting former President Jimmy Carter's claim that Hamas is prepared to accept Israel's right to "live as a neighbor next door in peace," Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stressed that his group would never recognize the Jewish state, The New York Times reported. "Hamas accepts the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and with full and real sovereignty and full application of the right of the Palestinians to return, but Hamas will not recognize the state of Israel," Mashaal said. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said it is clear that "there is certainly no change in Hamas' position." As a result, Hamas—whose charter says that Israel will exist "until Islam eliminates it"—faces international isolation until it recognizes Israel, renounces terrorism and accepts previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Hamas Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Aid Crossing
In an effort to create a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Hamas suicide bombers on Saturday drove three explosives-laden vehicles into the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is used primarily to transfer aid to Palestinians, The New York Times reported. Three bombers were killed in the blasts and 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded. The attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing follows a string of recent attacks on other humanitarian corridors and energy supply lines serving Palestinian civilians. About 200 trucks of essential food and medical supplies currently pass through Kerem Shalom each week. On Friday, 48 trucks delivered goods, including wheelchairs, babies' bottles, meat and fish. Israel routinely looks for ways to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
Lawmakers Call for More Pressure on Iran
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week, lawmakers called for more stringent sanctions against nuclear-minded Iran, saying that current efforts have been insufficient to persuade Tehran to halt its illicit atomic work. "We have failed to get the international community to embargo so much as a box of cereal," Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) said. "The Bush administration has not only utterly failed to use U.S. sanction laws against foreign companies investing in Iran's oil sector, the administration has actively worked to prevent Congress from making those laws more stringent and more compulsory." Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) added that the Treasury Department should add Bank Markazi, Iran's Central Bank, to its sanctions list, calling it the "central bank of terrorism." Click here to learn more about efforts to sanction Iran.
U.N. Security Council Calls for Disarming Hizballah
The U.N. Security Council last week called for the disarmament of the terrorist army Hizballah in Lebanon and reaffirmed the ban on arms transfers to Lebanon-based terrorist groups, the Associated Press reported. The Council also noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's concerns over weapons smuggling and Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah's "threats of open war against Israel." In recent weeks, Hizballah has mounted a massive recruitment and training drive and devised new battle plans to launch cross-border raids into Israel. With Iranian backing, the terrorist army has dramatically increased the size and range of its rocket arsenal and can now strike most of Israel with ease. Click here to learn about Hizballah's threats against Israel.
Israeli Company Tries to Ease Root Canal Misery
An Israeli company called Sialo Technology believes that it might be able to make root canal misery a thing of the past, the Web site Israel21c reported. "We make everything smaller," CEO Itzik Henig said. "We take the big drill and make it into micro drill. Minimal invasive surgery is our future, replacing old fashioned surgical procedures." The regular root canal procedure is very aggressive, Henig said, while Sialo's device is much less so because a newly designed endoscope gives the dentist a complete view of the tooth at all times. The same technology could be applied to other operations, including tooth implantations and periodontal treatment. "The sky is the limit," Henig concluded.
Congress Reaffirms Strength of U.S.-Israel Alliance
Hamas Chief: We Will Not Recognize Israel
Hamas Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Aid Crossing
Lawmakers Call for More Pressure on Iran
U.N. Security Council Calls for Disarming Hizballah
Israeli Company Tries to Ease Root Canal Misery
Save the date
AIPAC Policy
Conference 2008
June 2-4, 2008
Washington, DC
For more information: www.aipac.org/pc2008
(202) 639-5363
Take action
To take action on pending legislation and to receive more information and analysis, visit our Web site at www.aipac.org
Congress Reaffirms Strength of U.S.-Israel Alliance
In a landmark display of U.S. friendship with Israel, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed resolutions recognizing the 60th anniversary of Israel's birth and reaffirming the close ties between the United States and Israel. In the Senate, the resolution (S. Res. 522) was cosponsored by the entire chamber and passed by unanimous consent. The House approved its version (H. Res. 322) by a resounding vote of 417-0. The Speaker of the House, who traditionally does not cosponsor legislation, joined Democratic and Republican House leaders as a lead sponsor of the bill. The resolutions were introduced in the House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), and in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Click here to read the full text of the resolutions.
Hamas Chief: We Will Not Recognize Israel
Contradicting former President Jimmy Carter's claim that Hamas is prepared to accept Israel's right to "live as a neighbor next door in peace," Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stressed that his group would never recognize the Jewish state, The New York Times reported. "Hamas accepts the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and with full and real sovereignty and full application of the right of the Palestinians to return, but Hamas will not recognize the state of Israel," Mashaal said. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said it is clear that "there is certainly no change in Hamas' position." As a result, Hamas—whose charter says that Israel will exist "until Islam eliminates it"—faces international isolation until it recognizes Israel, renounces terrorism and accepts previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Hamas Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Aid Crossing
In an effort to create a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Hamas suicide bombers on Saturday drove three explosives-laden vehicles into the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is used primarily to transfer aid to Palestinians, The New York Times reported. Three bombers were killed in the blasts and 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded. The attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing follows a string of recent attacks on other humanitarian corridors and energy supply lines serving Palestinian civilians. About 200 trucks of essential food and medical supplies currently pass through Kerem Shalom each week. On Friday, 48 trucks delivered goods, including wheelchairs, babies' bottles, meat and fish. Israel routinely looks for ways to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
Lawmakers Call for More Pressure on Iran
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week, lawmakers called for more stringent sanctions against nuclear-minded Iran, saying that current efforts have been insufficient to persuade Tehran to halt its illicit atomic work. "We have failed to get the international community to embargo so much as a box of cereal," Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) said. "The Bush administration has not only utterly failed to use U.S. sanction laws against foreign companies investing in Iran's oil sector, the administration has actively worked to prevent Congress from making those laws more stringent and more compulsory." Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) added that the Treasury Department should add Bank Markazi, Iran's Central Bank, to its sanctions list, calling it the "central bank of terrorism." Click here to learn more about efforts to sanction Iran.
U.N. Security Council Calls for Disarming Hizballah
The U.N. Security Council last week called for the disarmament of the terrorist army Hizballah in Lebanon and reaffirmed the ban on arms transfers to Lebanon-based terrorist groups, the Associated Press reported. The Council also noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's concerns over weapons smuggling and Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah's "threats of open war against Israel." In recent weeks, Hizballah has mounted a massive recruitment and training drive and devised new battle plans to launch cross-border raids into Israel. With Iranian backing, the terrorist army has dramatically increased the size and range of its rocket arsenal and can now strike most of Israel with ease. Click here to learn about Hizballah's threats against Israel.
Israeli Company Tries to Ease Root Canal Misery
An Israeli company called Sialo Technology believes that it might be able to make root canal misery a thing of the past, the Web site Israel21c reported. "We make everything smaller," CEO Itzik Henig said. "We take the big drill and make it into micro drill. Minimal invasive surgery is our future, replacing old fashioned surgical procedures." The regular root canal procedure is very aggressive, Henig said, while Sialo's device is much less so because a newly designed endoscope gives the dentist a complete view of the tooth at all times. The same technology could be applied to other operations, including tooth implantations and periodontal treatment. "The sky is the limit," Henig concluded.
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