Roberto Abraham Scaruffi: http://www.web-view.net/Show/0XFA093E69AFC5FDE68E546CEA97864D6AA56DEF2B44CF57B98186735DBD637488.htm

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

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Tuesday, Oct 20 '09, Cheshvan 2, 5770

Today`s Email Stories:
Cold War against a Nuclear Iran
British-Iranian Tiff over Cyrus
Israel Unwelcome at Cancer Meet
The Rabbi’s NBA Debut
Multiple Sclerosis Center Opened
Facing Tomorrow with Pres. Peres
More Website News:
93.5% of Jews: Goldstone Biased
Olive Harvest - a Danger to Jews
Knesset: Stop Paying Terrorists!
Terrorists Lose State Benefits
Former MK Rabbi Lorentz, 91
Video: Show: Does Exile Have Deadline?
MP3 RadioWebsite News Briefs:
Talk:Smart Kids
Keeping Jews in America
Music:Taam Shel Paam
Taam shel Paam




1. NASA 'Wannabe Spy for Israel' to be Arraigned
by Hana Levi Julian Wannabe 'Israel Spy' Charged

A former NASA scientist has been arrested on charges of attempting to spy for Israel, but there were no allegations that the Israeli government was involved. FBI agents arrested Stewart David Nozette, 52, a resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Monday. He will be arraigned Tuesday in Washington.

The criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Nozette attempted to pass classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence agent from the Mossad. The complaint charges that Nozette communicated, delivered and transmitted information tagged as Classified, Secret and Top Secret to an individual he believed to be a member of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.

Nozette developed the Clementine bistatic radar experiment that was said to have discovered water on the south pole of the Earth's moon. He worked in a California laboratory for the Department of Energy from 1990 to 1999, and held a security clearance equivalent to top secret and critical nuclear weapon design information clearance at the Department of Defense. From 1989 to 1990, Nozette worked in various other jobs that included positions at the National Department of Aeronautics and Space, and in the National Space Council in the president's office. He also held a top position at the Alliance for Competitive Technology, which held agreements with the U.S. government to develop advanced technology.

The former scientist allegedly informed undercover FBI agent Leslie Martell on September 3, 2009 that in the past he had had top security clearance and had access to U.S. satellite information. According to an affidavit filed by Martell, Nozette allegedly said he would be willing to share this information in exchange for payment.

The affidavit further alleged that Nozette asked for an Israeli passport and said he would provide regular, continuing feeds of information.

On September 4, the agent met again with Nozette, who told him that he no longer had access to classified information but had it memorized. He also requested payments of under $10,000 in cash so that he would not have to report it to the Internal Revenue Service, reminding the agent, "They don't expect me to do this for free."

On September 10 undercover FBI agents dropped off a list of questions related to classified U.S. satellite information in a designated mail box at a post office, and a payment of $2,000 in cash. The serial numbers of the dollar bills were recorded by the FBI.

On September 16 Nozette was filmed by a hidden video camera depositing a sealed manila envelope into the post office box. When the agents picked up the envelope the next day, they found a one-page list of answers to their questions about the U.S. satellite information -- including one secret item -- an encrypted flash drive, and other items.

The next day FBI agents left another letter in the box with a second list of questions about U.S. satellite information, and a cash payment of $9,000. According to the affidavit, Nozette picked up the envelope the same day.

On October 1, Nozette was filmed allegedly dropping off the answers to the questions in a sealed manila envelope which he deposited in the post office box. These answers included Secret and Top Secret information. Among the information were items on early warning systems, communications intelligence, defense strategy, means of defense of retaliation against a large-scale attack and other information involving U.S. satellites.

Since the arrest and conviction of Jonathan Pollard on charges of spying for Israel more than 20 years ago, all Israeli officials have been instructed to avoid any activity that might be perceived as information gathering in the U.S. They have also been ordered to reject any approach by citizens -- U.S. or others -- who volunteer to provide intelligence or other information, or otherwise spy for Israel.

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2. A ‘Cold War’ against a Nuclear Iran
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu Cold War against a Nuclear Iran

The recent defection of the daughter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s film advisor to Germany is the latest clue to a non-military "cold war” against a nuclear Iran. Iranian filmmaker Narges Kalhor, whose father is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s cultural affairs advisor and a media spokesman, has applied for political asylum in Germany.

After making a film critical of torture in the Islamic Republic, she told Der Spiegel during a film festival in Germany, “I was told that it would be better not to come home and that if I went back now, I would be met at the airport by the secret police. There were a lot of people at the festival who are against the Iranian regime. I did not have permission to make my film in Iran either…. I have no options. I cannot go back to Iran.”

Her defection, along with the suicide bombing that killed six Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders, is a feather in the hat for Western nations who reportedly are taking a page out of the U.S.-USSR Cold War in the 1950s and are trying to undermine the Iranian regime.

Missing documents, unexplained fatalities of nuclear scientists and the disappearance of others, are part of the effort to defuse Iran’s nuclear program, according to Peter Goodspeed of the Canadian National Post.

Three months ago, a Tehran physics researcher went missing during a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which, along with the United States, has been blamed by Iran for whisking him away to an unknown location. Last month, another scientist, who was visiting the country of Georgia, was arrested and apparently extradited to the United States.

The most widely-known disappearance is that of Revolutionary Guards general Ali Reza Asgari, who disappeared two years ago during a trip to Turkey, slightly more than a week after 10 members of his family also left Iran and never returned. Asgari was privy to highly classified information concerning Iran’s nuclear program.

One theory has suggested that he was a spy for the Israeli Mossad secret service while thinking his bosses were a Europeans intelligence agency. He also may have been involved in providing information on the nuclear facility in Syria that Israel reportedly bombed two years.

Other tactics being used in the “war” against Iran are currency manipulations and disinformation programs, according to Goodspeed.

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3. Iran: Brits Nixed Cyrus Cylinder Loan
by Gil Ronen British-Iranian Tiff over Cyrus

Citing political considerations, the British Museum has gone back on a pledge to send a famous cuneiform document from the time of King Cyrus to Iran, Tehran has claimed. Deputy Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO), Hamid Baqaie, said in an interview with the Fars news agency last week that there had been an agreement between Iran and the museum that the clay Cyrus Cylinder would go on loan to Iran for display.

"According to a deal between Iran's National Museum and the British Museum, the ancient clay cylinder was scheduled to be lent to Iran in September but the director of the British Museum [Neil MacGrego refused to do so, citing Iran's post-election political state," Baqaie said. "Unfortunately, the British party did not honor its pledge on illogical, illegal and unethical grounds allegedly due to political developments in Iran. What does cultural heritage have to do with our domestic political developments?"

"This is just an excuse and they want to postpone meeting their commitment," he accused, and added a threat: "If they fail to loan the Cyrus cylinder to Iran in two months, we will cease all our joint archeological cooperation and cultural heritage exhibitions ... in Britain.”

"A number of issues"

The British Museum said that it intends to send the cylinder to Iran as soon, but added that there is “just a number of practicalities and issues to be resolved.” It did not elaborate.

The document is a statement by Cyrus of Persia in which he prides himself on allowing various nations them to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This is seen as supporting the veracity of the Bible's story of the return to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nechemia.

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4. US Org. Hosts Cancer Meet, Israelis not Welcome
by Maayana Miskin Israel Unwelcome at Cancer Meet

A United States-based organization's conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.

The conference will be held in Alexandria, Egypt this week, under the auspices of the American group Susan G. Komen for the Cure – the world's largest breast cancer advocacy organization. It is to include meetings between leading researchers from the U.S. and several Mideast countries.

Israeli doctors were invited to the event as well, and several had planned to attend. However, on Sunday night, the doctors received brief notices telling them that they were no longer invited to the conference, by order of Egyptian Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali.

The notices did not include an explanation of Gabali's decision.

Despite the cancellation of the Israeli presence at the event, Egyptian officials continued to praise the event as an example of regional cooperation. “The week's events are a demonstration of the cooperation between countries, governments, civil society, advocates, survivors, and the global community as a whole,” Dr. Mohammed Shaalan of Egypt's Breast Cancer Foundation told Reuters on Monday. “It shows that breast cancer has no boundaries and reveals the beauty of the world's unity in its fight against breast cancer.”

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5. Rabbi Makes Free-Throw Peace Effort at Madison Square Garden
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu The Rabbi’s NBA Debut

A Hebrew-speaking Israeli rabbi was a temporary star on the basketball court at Madison Square Garden when he tried to defend an Israeli coach who was ejected by a referee. Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, one of Israel’s most colorful rabbis, interrupted the Sunday exhibition fundraising game but eventually accepted the referee’s decision and pronounced, ”The law is the law. Sometimes people make a mistake.”

The game raised money for Rabbi Grossman’s huge Migdal Ohr organization, which runs an orphanage and a network of schools that provide academic and vocational studies while integrating new immigrant children into Israeli society.

His surprise appearance came during the third quarter of the game, which the Knicks ended up winning 106-91. Macabbi Tel Aviv coach Pini Gershon made some unflattering remarks to the referee over the Knicks' Al Harrington's behavior. The referee whistled Gershon out of the game for two technical fouls.

Gershon refused to leave the floor, Rabbi Grossman tried to make peace between him and the officials, and the stunned basketball players, with nothing else to do, began dunking and swishing out of boredom. Among the 14,600 spectators in the audience was former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was sitting near the front benches but who stayed out of the incident. Thousands of others waved Israeli flags.

Rabbi Grossman, who among other accomplishments single-handedly shut down some bars in the Israeli town of Migdal HaEmek on the Sabbath by strolling in on Friday nights while embarrassed managers heard him sing a Chassidic tune, jumped on to the court with his black coat and white beard.

After his broken English failed to persuade the referee to change the law, Rabbi Grossman pleaded, in vain, “This is not a regular game. In a game for friendship, you forgive.” Gershon began apologizing for his behavior.

The Knicks' Nate Robinson wandered into the discussion to find out if the game would resume, but Rabbi Grossman began speaking Hebrew. “It threw me off,” Robinson told The New York Times. “I needed a translator.”

Macabbi Tel Aviv is to play another fundraising game in Los Angeles on Monday against the Clippers.

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6. Chabad Opens Revamped Multiple Sclerosis Center
by Gil Ronen Multiple Sclerosis Center Opened

[weJe Email readers, please click here to view the video report!

A new building in the enlarged and improved Grabski Multiple Sclerosis Center in Migdal HaEmek was inaugurated this week in a ceremony attended by Welfare Minister Yitzchak Herzog. The center is Israel's first and only dedicated residential and outpatient center devoted exclusively to patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative disease that ultimately leads to complete incapacitation.

The Grabski MS Center serves patients and families from Beit Shean, Afula, Hadera, Nazareth and the Galilee region. A second location is currently being planned for Beitar Illit to serve patients in the Jerusalem area. The Multiple Sclerosis Center is designed to provide a full home environment for 32 live-in patients, including four apartments for married couples. In addition, the Center serves 35 daily outpatients.





The inauguration: A new building, and patients with Rabbi Ze'ev Crombie. (Israel news photos: Chabad)

Currently, ten additional private rooms are being constructed in order to increase the inpatient population to 42 – each with the comfort and dignity of their own private room. In addition, government approval has been granted to create a day care center for those who are seriously handicapped physically but are not victims of MS.

These clients prefer to live in their own homes but can benefit from a day program that offers round-trip transportation, two meals per day, and a full range of activities and therapies to maximize their quality of life. Life at the Center is designed to keep patients busy all day long with a full set of programs including outings, classes, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, holiday celebrations, horticultural therapy, art/ceramics, and three meals daily.

While government subsidies only allow for manual wheelchairs, patients at the center all receive the most advanced electronic wheelchairs. As a patient's condition deteriorates to the point where he or she can no longer get out of bed unassisted, they are not moved to a ward. Rather, an electronic hoist is installed that allows them to remain in their own room for as long as they live.

In addition to its dedicated staff of physicians, nurses and therapists, the Center is staffed by young women who are carrying out their National Service (in lieu of military service).

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7. Facing Tomorrow: President Peres' Int'l Conference
by Hillel Fendel Facing Tomorrow with Pres. Peres

More than 1,500 guests from around the world will take their places in this week’s second annual Facing Tomorrow global conference in Jerusalem, initiated last year by President Shimon Peres and co-sponsored by Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It will be held from Oct.20-22 in Binyanei HaUmah Convention Center.

Israel National News TV will broadcast live from the event beginning at 8:00 pm Tuesday until Thursday evening at 8:00 pm.

The Conference focuses on “our mutual tomorrow - investigating the trends that are shaping the future, and exploring actions that could and should be undertaken towards the betterment of tomorrow for Israel, the Jewish people and the world at large.”

“This year’s Conference,” the promotional literature further states, “will investigate the parameters of the various crises [that arose over this past yea, assess the threats and opportunities that may surface, and consider the policies and decisions that should be implemented to address these grave challenges. We will focus on ways we can make today’s crises an opportunity - a gateway for positive change on our journey towards tomorrow.”

Among the guests who will be taking part are:

Christine Lagarde, Minister of Finance, France

Conductor Zubin Mehta

Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore

French philosopher and economist Jacques Attali

Former Russian Foreign Minister Igor S. Ivanov

President of Skype Josh Silverman

Founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales

Garry Knell, President and CEO of Children's Television Workshop (the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street)

US Investment Strategist for Goldman Sachs Abby Joseph Cohen

Renowned architect Frank Gehry

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy

Tawfik Hamid, Author of “Inside Jihad: Understanding and Confronting Radical Islam”

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer

Neuroscientist Henry Markram

Former US Administration officials Stuart Eizenstat and Elliott Abrams

Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Edward Luttwak

Dean of College of History and Culture at China’s Henan University Zhang Qianhong

Executive Chairman of the Rothschild Group Baron David de Rothschild

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL Tim Armstrong

Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Axel Springer AG Mathias Dopfner

Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Reuters Tom Glocer

Chief Executive Officer of TiVo Tom Rogers

Art Levinson, former Chief Executive Officer of Genentech

Futurist and inventor Raymond Kurzweil

Conference discussions and deliberations will take place on the following topics, among others:

The Global Economic Crisis - Building a Functioning World Economic System

Geopolitical Challenges of the 21st Century

Geopolitical Developments and their Impact on the Jewish People

A Greener Planet for Tomorrow

Judaism in the Age of the Internet

Islam: Between Moderation and Extremism

The Role of the New Media in Shaping our Future

The Individual in an Era of Crises and Change

In which Fields can Israel act as a World Hub?

Jewish Peoplehood – Unity versus Pluralism

The Future of Artificial Intelligence

What will we Eat Tomorrow?

The Challenges of Jewish Continuity in a Changing World


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