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1. Clinton Issues Holiday Greetings to Muslims, Not Jews
by Maayana Miskin
Both Jews and Muslims celebrated holidays in September 2009. However, the United States Consulate in Jerusalem – America's representative in Israel's capital – chose to focus entirely on Islam this year, while ignoring the Jewish holidays of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur completely.
The Consulate's website features Eid il-Fitr greetings from U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Consul General Daniel Rubinstein. Its staff was involved in Ramadan celebrations in Jenin and Shechem, and hosted a meal in Jericho for the Muslim holiday of Iftar.
Clinton's greeting was published on September 19 – the first day of Rosh HaShana. However, no mention was made of the Jewish holiday.
All three holiday wishes from American leaders to Muslims were apolitical, and focused on messages such as “personal reflection” and “charity.” In contrast, President Obama's Rosh HaShana greeting, which is not on the site, included a brief promotion of his Israel-Palestinian Authority peace plan.
Snub Follows Admission that Consulate Caters to PA
The High Holidays snub follows an admission in August that the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem views itself as America's representative to the PA, while the embassy in Tel Aviv is seen as the representative to Israel. Consulate staff explained that they are “the principal representation to the Palestinian Authority” in an email to a Jewish American concerned by the lack of balance in consulate events.
The admission angered many American citizens in Israel. America's apparent recognition of the PA's claim to rights in Jerusalem was seen as a slap in the face, particularly because America takes care not to recognize Israeli rights in the capital city despite more than 40 years of Israeli sovereignty in the greater Jerusalem area.
The U.S. has repeatedly declined to move its embassy to Jerusalem, the seat of Israel's government, and American citizens born in Jerusalem are not registered as having been born in Israel.
Embassy Ignores Judaism as Well
While admitting that U.S. representatives in Jerusalem cater to the PA, consulate staff defended that decision by pointing to the Tel Aviv embassy as the existing representative to Israel. However, the Tel Aviv embassy website provides no mention of the major Jewish holidays in September and October.
The only mention of any autumn holidays, Jewish or Muslim, appears in the form of a video from a dinner hosted at the Ambassador's residence in celebration of Iftar.
2. Mazal Tov! PM Netanyahu Welcomes First Grandchild
by Maayana Miskin
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has reached a new milestone – he is now a grandfather. Netanyahu's first grandchild, a boy, was born Wednesday night.
The child has not yet been given a name. According to Jewish tradition, baby boys are named at their brit mila (circumcision) ceremony, performed on the eighth day of life.
The parents, Noa and Daniel Roth, expressed their joy on Thursday and said Netanyahu was scheduled to visit the hospital soon to see his grandson.
Noa Roth is Netanyahu's daughter, born to his first wife, Micki Weizman. Netanyahu also has two sons, Yair and Avner, with his third wife Sara Netanyahu.
The prime minister was unable to visit his daughter and her child during the day on Thursday due to ongoing cabinet debates over the proposed budget cut. He faced opposition from within his cabinet to the cut, which would have caused the Education Ministry to lose two percent of its budget.
The cabinet managed to reach a deal according to which the Education budget will be slashed, but will be larger than originally planned.
3. PA About-Face, Opposes Goldstone Report
by Maayana Miskin
The Palestinian Authority initially expressed strong support for the United Nations' Goldstone Report, which charged Israel with war crimes in connection with the late 2008-early 2009 Cast Lead counter-terror offensive in Gaza. However, on Thursday night PA officials told Arab media that they would not support the report in a UN Human Rights Council vote on Friday.
After having termed the report “professional” and “unbiased” when it was first released, the PA has now backtracked and seeks several months in which to study the document.
PA negotiator Saeb Erekat denied reports of waning PA support for the document on Friday. Erekat said the PA continues to back the report.
Whether or not the PA supports the report, due to its observer status at the UN it will be unable to cast a vote. However, the PA's stance is likely to influence votes cast by the Committee of Islamic Nations.
Arab media reported that the PA had begun to oppose the Goldstone report because the report states that Israel had the right to fight Gaza terrorists following rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. Gaza terrorists had targeted Israelis in Gaza, and later in the Negev, for eight years prior to the Cast Lead operation.
In addition, the report states that Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups committed war crimes by firing rockets on Israeli civilians. The PA fears that by voting in favor of the report, it would be seen as terming terrorism a war crime – a stance that could negatively affect the odds of reconciliation between the Fatah-led PA in Ramallah and the Hamas-run breakaway PA in Gaza.
The release of the Goldstone report has pitted Arab and African countries against the United States and Europe in the UN, as the former enthusiastically support the report while the latter have expressed reservations. The U.S. has termed the report “deeply flawed.”
Israeli officials explained Thursday that if the report were to be accepted in the UN Human Rights Council and the case against Israel to continue to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, the affair could have serious consequences for America and Europe as well. All countries facing terrorism could find themselves in a similar situation as Israel, forced to fight terrorist who operate from within a civilian population – making such countries unwilling to condemn Israel for fear that their own leaders will be dragged before the ICC as a result.
4. Shalit in Video is Clean Shaven, Holding a Recent Newspaper
by Gil Ronen
On Friday, authorities completed the exchange deal in which a video proving that kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive was swapped for the freedom of 20 female Palestinian Authority terrorist prisoners who were jailed in Israel. Vehicles from the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) took the female prisoners to freedom in Judea, Samaria and Gaza once the Shalit video was handed over by Hamas terrorists.
Israeli negotiator Haggai Hadas watched the video after receiving it from Hamas. Copies of the video have been taken to the Shalit family and to the Prime Minister. According to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew service, Shalit appears to be healthy and is talking clearly. He is clean shaven, his hair is well-groomed, and the video is longer than two minutes -- more than the minimum of one minute that Israel demanded. Shalit is seen holding a recent newspaper, proving that the video was taken recently.
Hamas Television was broadcasting victory songs Friday morning as a preliminary phase of a deal for the release of Shalit took place.
The deal involves the release of 20 female terrorist prisoners from Israeli jails, in return for a one minute video of Shalit talking.
Hamas TV also exhorted the public in Gaza to participate in celebrations of the prisoners' release after the Friday prayers.
At about 9:30 am, vehicles belonging to the Nachshon prison security unit began transporting the female prisoners from the Hadarim jail north of Tel Aviv to Ofer prison near Jerusalem and Shikma prison in Ashkelon. At the same time, Red Cross vehicles arrived at the jails. After the security establishment gave the go-ahead, the one terrorist being released to Gaza were handed over to the Red Cross at the Erez crossing, and the 18 others who are being released to Judea and Samaria were handed over to the Red Cross at the Bitunia checkpoint.
The Head of UDF's Personnel Branch by helicopter flew to the Shalit family's home in Mitzpeh Hila in the Galilee, where he was to present them with a copy of the tape.
Israeli media is clamoring for the right to broadcast the tape, but a diplomatic source told Arutz Sheva's Hebrew service that that this question will only be decided after the security experts, the Prime Minister and the family have viewed the tape.
He added that the tendency is not to show the tape.
A Chinese news agency reported that the tape shows Shalit in civilian attire, with a Hamas flag behind him. He reportedly appears to be in good physical condition and exhibits no signs of bodily harm. He was reportedly wounded in the 2006 raid in which he was abducted.
5. Iran Avoids Nuclear Talks at Geneva Meeting
by Maayana Miskin
Iranian delegates to nuclear talks in Geneva have announced that they are willing to discuss the Iranian nuclear program – if the discussion is part of a larger discussion on the subject of global nuclear disarmament.
Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili wrote a proposal calling for worldwide disarmament and sent it to several foreign leaders. The proposal does not touch on Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranian delegates did not agree to discuss Iran's nuclear program during Thursday's Geneva meeting, except to repeat that Iran sees its uranium enrichment program as a national right. The delegates agreed to hold a second meeting within a month, according to Iranian state media.
Delegates from Europe, the United State, Russia and China hope to convince Iran to suspend enrichment in exchange for political and economic benefits.
U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns held a bilateral meeting with Jalili on Thursday. An unnamed official told journalists that the meeting was “significant.”
'Process will Take Time'
Western leaders expressed willingness to continue talks without immediate results. “That process will take some time. We're not going to make a snap judgment on Thursday,” U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.
European and Russian officials also explained that they did not expect an immediate resolution to concerns over Iran's nuclear program, but rather were hoping for a starting point to future talks.
As long as talks continue, the U.S. and Europe are unlikely to push for harsh sanctions on Iran.
Miliband Warns Iran: We're Not Weak
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband issued a warning to Iranian leaders on Thursday during a speech to members of Britain's ruling Labour party. “Our message to Iran is simple: do not mistake respect for weakness,” Miliband said.
Iranian leaders “need to get serious,” he added.
Protesters Call for Sanctions
As diplomats met in Geneva, protesters assembled outside to call for immediate sanctions on the Iranian government. The ongoing talks with Iran are only bringing the Iranian government closer to obtaining nuclear weapons, they warned.
6. Study Day in Memory of Yeshiva Boy who Died in Accident
by Gil Ronen
Ten days after Elyasaf Chayim was killed while crossing a road on the way to the Or Etzion yeshiva where he studied, the yeshiva held a study day in his memory and for "the ascent of his soul" – (illui neshama).
Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Head of Or Etzion Yeshiva, said that "what Elyasaf managed to do in his 22 years, others do not manage to do in 100 years."
Elyasaf was killed on the evening after Rosh HaShana as he crossed a road on the way to the yeshiva, which is located in Mercaz Shapira in central Israel. He completed his term of service in the IDF two months ago and returned to study at the yeshiva. His friends emphasized his love for Torah studies and for the Land of Israel, and his readiness to help others.
Rabbi Druckman explained during the study day that the reason the "Kaddish" prayer (from the root meaning "sacred") is recited after a person has passed away is that every Jew adds to the sanctification of HaShem's Name.
"A person from Israel passes away, a soldier in the legion of the Holy One, Blessed be He – it would seem that this is a lessening of the sanctification of HaShem's Name," he explained. "[Bu we come and announce 'yitgadal veyitkadash Shmeh Raba' [May HaShem's Name grow and be sancti. Contrary to what you might think, it is specifically after a person from Israel has passed away, that those who are alive in this world should try to sanctify HaShem's Name in this world more."
"The ascent of the soul" is a Jewish concept according to which the relatives of a deceased person carry out good deeds which they hope HaShem will consider as if they were done by the deceased, and therefore judge the deceased more favorably.
7. Last-Minute Lulav and Etrog Shopping
by Yoni Kempinski, INN TV
INN TV visited a market in Bnei Brak at which merchants sold the four species used on the Sukkot holiday. Yoni Kempinski talked with buyers and passersby about the meaning of the “four species” ritual.
[weJe Email readers, please click here to view the report.
