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| Friday, Aug 21 '09, Elul 1, 5769 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Lockerbie Hijacking Terrorist Freed by Hana Levi Julian  The U.S. State Department has expressed its "deep disappointment" with the decision by the Scottish government to free the only terrorist convicted in the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The Dec 21, 1988 flight ended with the bombing of the plane, resulting in the loss of the entire flight. Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, 57, a former Libyan intelligence agent, served only eight years of a 27-year minimum life term in prison for the murders of 259 passengers and crew members, including 189 Americans, and 11 people from the Lockerbie who were killed on the ground. Al-Megrahi was set free on "compassionate" grounds in response to a prisoner transfer application submitted by the government of Libya due to the terrorist's terminal prostate cancer. Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill explained the government's decision in a statement released Thursday. "Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) are negotiated by the United Kingdom Government. Throughout the negotiations and at the time of the signing of the PTA with Libya, the Scottish Government's opposition was made clear. It was pointed out that the Scottish Prison Service had only one Libyan prisoner in custody. Notwithstanding that, the UK Government failed to secure, as requested by the Scottish Government, an exclusion from the PTA for anyone involved in the Lockerbie Air Disaster. As a consequence Mr Al-Megrahi is eligible for consideration for transfer in terms of the agreement entered into by the Governments of the United Kingdom and Libya," he said. MacAskill said in his statement that the U.S. government had insisted that pre-trial assurances were given that any person convicted would serve his sentence in Scotland. "Many of the American families spoke of the comfort that they placed upon these assurances over the past ten years. That clear understanding was reiterated to me, by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," he wrote. "I sought the views of the United Kingdom Government. I offered them the right to make representations or provide information. They declined to do so. They simply informed me that they saw no legal barrier to transfer and that they gave no assurances to the US Government at the time. They have declined to offer a full explanation as to what was discussed during this time, or to provide any information to substantiate their view. I find that highly regrettable," he wrote. Because the American families and U.S. government had been led to believe that the terrorist would serve his sentence in Scotland, he added, he rejected the Libyan government's application for a prisoner transfer for Al-Megrahi. However: "On 24 July 2009 I received an application from Mr Al-Megrahi for compassionate release," wrote MacAskill. "He was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in September 2008. I have been regularly updated as to the progression of his illness. I have received numerous comprehensive medical reports including the opinions of consultants who have been treating him. It is quite clear to the medical experts that he has a terminal illness, and indeed that there has recently been a significant deterioration in his health." Doctors have said the terrorist has perhaps another three months left to live, and that his condition is irreversible. A recommendation that he be conditionally freed to live out the remainder of his life in Scotland was rejected: "Clear advice from senior police officers is that the security implications of such a move would be severe." Thus he arrived at the decision to simply let the terrorist go. "Some hurt can never heal," MacAskill wrote. "Some scars can never fade… However, Mr Al-Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. It is one that no court, in any jurisdiction, in any land, could revoke or overrule. It is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die. "The perpetration of an atrocity and outrage cannot and should not be a basis for losing sight of who we are, the values we seek to uphold, and the faith and beliefs by which we seek to live. Mr Al-Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them." That, he said, was not enough reason to deny the request. "Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion be available. Our beliefs dictate that justice be served, but mercy be shown," he explained. Clinton: 'Deeply Disappointed' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded sharply to the announcement, issuing a statement of her own: "The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Scottish Executive," she said. "We have continued to communicate our long-standing position to UK government officials and Scottish authorities that Megrahi should serve out the entirety of his sentence in Scotland. "Today, we remember those whose lives were lost on December 21, 1988 and we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who live each day with the loss of their loved ones due to this heinous crime." Comment on this story 2. Obama Seeks Jewish Support for State-Run Healthcare by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz  Many American Jewish organizations have publicly offered words of support for U.S. President Barack Obama's  He told the religious leaders, "I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth."  healthcare nationalization plans. However, some expressed serious reservations over certain aspects of the likely reforms. On Wednesday, Obama devoted a single conference call to non-Orthodox Jewish religious leaders before addressing over 140,000 other American religious leaders to promote his ideas on healthcare.In his first conference call of the day, President Obama spoke with over 1,000 rabbis and lay leaders from the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements. The phone discussion with Jewish leaders was officially orchestrated by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. It was promoted as a pre-Rosh Hashanah discussion, providing the rabbis with food for thought ahead of well-attended High Holiday sermons. In the second phone conference, named "40 Minutes for Health Reform", President Obama spoke with clergy from various church, mosque and Jewish groups. He told the religious leaders, "I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth." The U.S. leader said there was "a lot of misinformation" regarding his universal healthcare plans, with "some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness." Healthcare, Obama said, is a "a core ethical and moral obligation" that "goes to the heart of who we are as a people." 'Matters of Life and Death' While the Reform movement's leading official body has offered support for the U.S. president's plans for healthcare, other Jewish religious groups - not invited to join Wednesday's Jewish-only phone call - have expressed reservations without rejecting nationalization in principle. The Orthodox Union has not issued a statement of support or rejection of the Obama healthcare reform. However, in part, the financing of national healthcare is slated to draw on funds raised by reducing tax deductions from charitable contributions. In the past, the OU has staked out a position opposing changes to the tax benefits of donations to the non-profit sector. Agudath Israel of America, a hareidi-religious body, decided to issue an explicit statement on the healthcare reform issue on Wednesday. The group praised universal health coverage, but warned about "challenges that health care reform may pose in the realm of religious rights." In a letter to President Obama, Agudath Israel's Washington Office director and counsel, Rabbi Abba Cohen wrote that for Orthodox Jews "the preservation of life and the promotion of good health and well-being are religious imperatives." At the same time, he expressed concerns over "cost-benefit" analyses or judgments about "quality of life" that may cause treatment to be denied in opposition to religious convictions regarding these issues. Furthermore, Rabbi Cohen noted, government fiat may force healthcare providers "to perform medical procedures they consider religiously or morally objectionable" or private sector companies "to provide coverage for such procedures." Agudath Israel asserts that the rights of the healthcare providers should be safeguarded in any national reform. Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israel's executive vice president, said, "Discussion of the religious dimension of healthcare has been largely absent from the national dialogue. In reality, matters of life and death cannot be measured solely in dollars and cents; they no less need to be considered through the prism of religion and morality." Jewish Democrats, Republicans Square Off Many non-religious Jewish organizations have taken up positions generally in support of Obama's healthcare reforms. Such organizations include the United Jewish Communities, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women, and B’nai B’rith International. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the partisan political groups representing Jewish Republicans and Democrats are on opposite sides of the volatile American debate. The Republican Jewish Coalition warned that "Obamacare" means a state "takeover of health care." Comment on this story  3. Ban Lifted, UN Inspectors Tour Iranian Reactor by Maayana Miskin  Iran has lifted a year-long ban, and last week allowed United Nations investigators to inspect one of its nuclear facilities, according to the Associated Press. Investigators said Iranian officials had reacted positively to their request to monitor a second site as well. Investigators from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) toured the nearly complete Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. IAEA officials hope they will be granted access to a uranium enrichment site in Natanz. The material produced at the site could be used to create nuclear warheads. UN officials have asked to inspect the site regularly, and to install cameras, in order to ensure that none of the material is secretly used for weapons. Iran is believed to be operating approximately 5,000 centrifuges at the Natanz site, and IAEA inspectors believe that the facility continues to expand. Experts estimate that the site has already produced enough material to create a nuclear weapon. Iranian leaders say they are seeking nuclear technology for peaceful means. However, they have increased international wariness by refusing to allow international inspectors into Iran's nuclear facilities. In addition, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called to destroy Israel, leading to fears that Iranian nuclear arms could be used to attack the Jewish state. The United States and several European countries have threatened to hit Iran with further sanctions if there is no progress in negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany and several allies plan to decide in September whether or not to take new measures to pressure Iran. On Sunday, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren told CNN that despite Iran's apparent progress in its nuclear program, Israel is not considering a preemptive strike. “I think we are far from even contemplating such things right now,” he said. Comment on this story 4. Police Close Case Against Hevron Jews Accused of Attack by Maayana Miskin  Police have closed an investigation into allegations that Jews from the Hevron region beat local Arabs, due to lack of evidence. During the course of the investigation several Jews were arrested and questioned. The case began in June of 2008, when Arabs from a village near Hevron presented a videotape purporting to show Jews beating them with clubs near the Jewish community of Susiya. The attackers in the tape were masked, but the victims insisted that they were certain that the masked men were Jewish agricultural workers from the area. The tape was created using a camera belonging to the pro-Arab B'Tselem organization. B'Tselem has distributed many video cameras among Judea and Samaria Arabs in recent years in an attempt to document IDF soldiers and local Jews taking part in alleged acts of violence or oppression. B'Tselem and foreign media distributed the tape widely, leading to international condemnation of Israel, and of Israeli Jews living in Judea in particular. The Arabs who opened the case, along with representatives of B'Tselem, complained Friday over the decision to close the investigation, stating that with pictures of the attack widely available, police should be able to charge the attackers. B'Tselem said it would appeal the decision. Judea and Samaria police defended their decision to close the investigation, pointing out that while there are pictures of the attack, the attackers are masked. There is no evidence that the Jews accused were involved in the incident, they said. No Equality Before the Law Jewish residents of the Hevron area said the case was a clear example of the difference between the police response to complaints filed against Jews and those filed against Arabs. While Jews who report Arab and anarchist attacks are almost always ignored, or even accused of violence themselves, alleged Jewish attacks are given full police attention, they said. Hevron resident Orit Strook, head of the Judea and Samaria Human Rights Organization, compared the case to a second incident that took place last year. Last summer, a group of Arabs and anarchists infiltrated the Jewish community of Mitzpeh Asael in the Hevron region and set fire to several structures. When Jews attempted to dispel the attackers, police arrived, and arrested the Jews, who are currently on trial for allegedly using violence in their attempt to stop the arson, Strook said. The case took a dramatic turn this week when it was revealed that one of the activists who accused the Jews of assault is actually a Hamas supporter. In contrast, in the Susiya case, police used every tactic available in an attempt to find information linking the suspects to the case, Strook said. The discrepancy between the treatment meted out to Arabs and Jews, in two incidents that took place in the same area at roughly the same time, is just one example of a police policy under which “Jews are always guilty,” Strook said. The policy creates a situation in which there is no equality before the law, she added. Strook and other Hevron residents implied that in their rush to find evidence against local Jews, police may have unintentionally undermined their own investigation. Police may have wasted their time focusing on the obvious suspects, instead of pursuing other angles of investigation, they said. Comment on this story  5. Temple Mount Show: Is Obama Destroying America? by IsraelNationalTV Staff  Broadcasting live overlooking the Temple Mount, Rabbi Tovia Singer & Jeremy Gimpel answer your questions on Israel and Judaism. Today's question: Is Obama destroying America? [weJe Email readers, please click here to view the show! The Singer & Gimpel Show is broadcast live Thursday 11PM Israel 4PM EST on www.IsraelNationalRadio.com. Call in with your questions at 1-800-270-4288. More from Singer & Gimpel Should We Embrace Christian Zionists? Must Gentiles Keep the Sabbath? Judaism & Spirituality Does Hell Exist? Life After the Destruction of the Holy Temple Torah & Sacrifices Who is the Jewish Messiah - Part 2 Who is the Jewish Messiah - Part 1 Do we pay for the sins of our fathers? Bible - Can we rely on the translated version? Why don't Jews proselytize? Comment on this story 6. How Do Missionaries Manipulate the Jewish Bible? by Hana Levi Julian  How do missionaries manipulate the Jewish scriptures? Rabbi Tovia Singer will explain the anatomy of missionary attempts to persuade Jews to abandon their faith in a riveting four-session series on the topic scheduled for August 23, 30, September 6 and 13. "Admission to the event is free and Christians are welcome," Singer emphasized. In his role as provocateur and talk show host on Israel National Radio, Singer regularly takes listeners on a journey through the Jewish and Christian Bibles, analyzing each. This newest series, however, is intended to rock the boat a little further, with questions such as: * How did the Church tamper with the Book of Daniel, and the Book of Jeremiah? * Why did missionaries alter the words of the prophet Isaiah? * Why does Christianity reject the Oral Law? Singer is founder and director of the international counter-missionary organization Outreach Judaism, and author of the book-and-audio series, "Let's Get Biblical." The upcoming four-part lecture series, Judaism's Response to Christian Missionaries, will be held Sundays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the OU Center, 22 Keren Hayesod Street, Jerusalem beginning Aug. 23. For more information, call 052-400-0965 or click on http://www.OutreachJudaism.org . Comment on this story 7. Hamas Trains New Generation of Teenage Terrorists by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  Hamas is training a new generation of terrorists in Gaza, where 50 percent of the population is under the age of 18, according to the French news agency AFP. The news agency reported that young teenagers lie on beds of nails while two other boys stand on their chests, prompting a nine-year-old to say, "No one will be able to mess with us after we become kung fu masters. Everyone will be afraid of us." Hamas has been training teenage terrorists for years, and its terrorist leaders previously have been photographed training children at “summer camps” on the ruins of Jewish communities destroyed after the Israeli government’s expulsion of Gaza’s Jewish residents four years ago. Psychologist Samir Zaqut told AFP that although the “sport” activities help children release their tensions, they also can promote violence. Many of the children explained their desire to become terrorists as a response to the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist offensive earlier this year, but Dr. Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University said it is a part of a more extreme element. “New groups of young people, they are fed up with what they see as Hamas' betrayal of the cause – of Islamic ideology and of jihad," Dr. Kedar told the Christian Science Monitor. "They view Hamas as having become too bureaucratic, too moderate, and they want action." Last week, Hamas battled an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell in Rafiah for two days, leaving a death toll of at least 24, including the Soldier of God leader Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa. He had declared Gaza an Islamic emirate. The growth of groups even more extremist than Hamas has been traced to poverty and pessimism, which has grown significantly since the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War, broke out nine years ago next month. Hamas’s refusal to recognize Israel, and its failure to improve social and economic conditions has encouraged many youth to seek groups such as Al-Qaeda, which wants a pan-Islamic empire. "Since the Hamas takeover, you're talking about two years of devastated economy in Gaza, a population that has no way of getting in or out, and almost a decade of humanitarian problems," Nathan Brown, a senior associate and expert on Palestinian politics at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, told the Monitor. "I can't believe that this type of abnormal situation wouldn't have effects that would send young Palestinians to these types of movements. “Any government involved in violence of this scale is running a great risk there will be substantial backlash." One of Hamas’s biggest threats is a union of its enemies, such as the Army of Islam, which helped engineer the terrorist attack that ended with the kidnapping of soldier Gilad Shalit. Brown said that the ultra-extremists compare Hamas with Fatah when it was in power, before Hamas's violent takeover of Gaza in 2007. They see the local authority as more interested in reaming in power and trying to keep maintain calm with Israel at the cost of carrying out the ideology of terrorist attacks against Israel. Comment on this story  More Website News:
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