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1. US to Russia: Hold Your Horses on UN Mideast Mission
by Gil Ronen
The United States Wednesday called into question the wisdom of an initiative by Russia to send a United Nations Security Council delegation envoy to the Middle East.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin proposed the delegation, which would
be the first since 1979, and said it could visit Israel, the Palestinian
Authority, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
US Ambassador Susan Rice said, however, that no agreement has been
reached in this matter. "A number of delegations, including our own,
asked a series of important questions, such as what is this meant to
achieve? Why now? Why this itinerary? And, would it in fact have the
stated intention of contributing to promoting greater peace and
stability in the region at this quite fragile time?" she said, according
to AFP.
"I can assure you that many council members, including us, were very
clear that this is something we would have to consider very, very
carefully, and consult with our capitals," she added.
British ambassador Mark Lyall Grant hinted that Russia had not given
the other UNSC members time to respond to the suggestion before going
public with it. "In principle we are in favor of a visit to the Middle
East," he explained, "but a number of issues have been raised and they
need to be teased out before we can make a decision about whether it is
sensible to go ahead and the timing."
2. New Jordanian Gov't Promises Reforms
by Hillel Fendel
In light of the toppling of the Tunisian government last month and
almost the same in Egypt this month, a new Jordanian government was
sworn in yesterday under the auspices of King Abdullah II. It is headed
by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, a former ambassador to both Turkey and
Israel.
Only five of the 28 current ministers served in the previous
government, which the king abruptly dismissed last week. Among the new
ministers are two women.
With fear rampant in the West that the Muslim Brotherhood would gain
power in Egypt, its sister organization in Jordan declined an invitation
to be part of the new government.
Bakhit, born in 1947, served in the Jordanian Armed Forces for 35 years, and was Jordan's prime minister from 2005 to 2007.
He has stressed that he would continue the process of reform,
encouraging more political parties to take an active role in government
decisions and preparing for more democratic elections. Corruption in
government and rising prices are two significant problems that must be
faced, analysts say.
3. Kabbalistic 'Shovavim' Period Ends, Internet Aid Provided
by INN Staff
A new English pamphlet was released by JewishSexuality.com on Thursday dealing with pornographic addiction.
The
subject matter relates to the Kabbalistic "Shovavim" period which draws
to a close this week with special prayer gatherings all over Israel.
The "Shovavim" is the six-week period (eight weeks in a Jewish leap
year, such as this one) that starts with the Torah portion Shemot; it
ends this year on Feb. 12.According to Kabbalistic tradition, it is a
time of the year most favorable to rectifying transgressions. Kabbalists
explain that the text in the concluding Ne'ilah service of Yom Kippur,
"At the time of the closing of the gates, open a gate for us,"
constitutes a reference to the Shovavim period, as a second gate in the
year open for forgiveness.
According to Kabbalah,
the Shovavim period is an especially fortuitous time for rectifying
sexual transgressions such as adultery, masturbation, pornography
addiction, etc.
Thursday night, February 10, 2011, starting
at 11PM, an all-night “Tikun,” which means rectification, will be held
at the Kotel (Western Wall) in the men's section's tunnel, led by the
elder Kabbalist, Rabbi Eliahu Leon Levi of Bnei Brak. A women's section
will be open as well.
Thousands of supplicants attend this
annual event, taking part in the Torah learning, singing, and fervent
prayers. On Friday morning, starting at 9:30, the revered Kabbalist
Rabbi David Batzri will lead final “Shovavim” prayers before a large
crowd at his HaShalom Yeshiva in Jerusalem, adjacent to the Machaneh
Yehuda market.
For those who are unable to attend these events, a
just-released pamphlet on the subject of “Shmirat HaBrit” is available
for free downloaded at the JewishSexuality.com website. “Shmirat HaBrit”
means "Guarding the Covenant," and the pamphlet deals with rectifying
the spiritual damages caused by sexual wrongdoing. Arutz Sheva blogger
Tzvi Fishman, who wrote the pamphlet and helps manage
JewishSexuality.com, claims that Internet pornography is the number one
spiritual danger facing the Jewish people today.
“Every week,
another victim of Internet pornography gets in touch with me, seeking
help,” Fishman says. “Religious and non-religious, young people and
adults, everyone is threatened by the easy availability of Internet
pornography, whether it’s via the immodest photos and videos on Yahoo or
youtube, or the literally thousands of erotic sites that bring the
hapless surfer to transgress the Torah prohibition 'not to stray after
your hearts and your eyes' dozens of times in one sitting, doing
terrible damage to the holy Jewish soul, and trapping the surfer in a
frightening web of shame and deceit capable of destroying lives.”
In
the past, Fishman published a book on gambling addiction, and used his
extensive research on the subject to formulate a unique 12 Torah-Step
plan to help wean people from the addiction to Internet pornography. (It
can be found in the Pornoholics Anonymous section of the website.) Click here to view the new 70-page “Shmirat HaBrit” pamphlet, which dramatically illustrates the depth and danger of the problem.
4. What is The Right Way to Treat Turkey?
by Gil Ronen
The Herzliya Conference hosted a fascinating panel debate on Turkey on
Thursday, with some of the panelists urging Israel and the West to have
patience with Turkey despite its aggressive behavior. Turkish diplomats
were present in the audience.
Prof. Soli Ozel of Bilgi University, Turkey, reminded the audience that
in 2005, Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan visited Israel and shook
hands with Ariel Sharon. Two years later, President Shimon Peres
visited and spoke in Hebrew in Turkey's parliament. While it is true
that Turkey "appeared to be covering for [Iranian leader Mahmoud]
Ahmadinejad" in some ways, he said, it is also trying to balance out
Iran's influence in Lebanon, in Iraq and Gaza.
Barry Rubin, of the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, expressed
Israel's apprehension regarding Turkey: "We should remember what the
Turkish model meant two years ago and for many years before that. The
Turkish model meant a secular democratic state which was very
pro-Western, a loyal ally of NATO, a reliable partner, an opponent of
radical regimes. Now the Turkish model has become - 'well, they're
Islamist but they're not too Islamist, they're pro-Iran and pro-Syria,
and pro-Hizbullah and pro-Hamas, but not too... and they totally
disregard Western-US foreign policy interests but not 100%.'
Domestically, the Turkish model is a road toward Islamization."
Dr. Constanze Stelzenmuller (German Marshall Fund) said she could
understand why Israel is upset, but said that Turkey "slightly overrates
its weight" in the diplomatic world. "In the long run, this policy of
engaging with Russia, Iran, Syria and others is going to prove
disappointing and frustrating [for Turkey] in many ways. In the long run
it will find that it has more steady allies in Europe and the US. She
urged that the West have "a little bit of patience" with Turkey.
5. Lieberman Warns: We May Take Down the Government
by Maayana Miskin
Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) may break the coalition, toppling
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government, party head and Foreign
Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Wednesday. His prediction, reported by
Channel 10 news, was made in a closed meeting with senior party
members.
Lieberman raised the possibility of bringing down the government due to
ongoing disagreements. He mentioned the debate over IDF conversions in
particular. Yisrael Beiteinu members have proposed a law that would
mandate recognition of conversions to Judaism performed under the
auspices of the IDF.
The hareidi-religious Shas party has voiced opposition to the bill, and
even threatened to walk out of the coalition, leaving Netanyahu without
majority support in the Knesset. Shas MKs argue that the law would
disrupt the “status quo” regarding laws relating to the Jewish nature of
the state.
“We have to reach a decision, and there is likely to be a heavy price
to pay. The price may be breaking up the coalition,” Lieberman said. “We
need to understand that completing this legislation could lead to early
elections.”
Regarding elections, Lieberman stated that he expects Yisrael Beiteinu
to get at least 20 mandates, 5 more than it currently holds. “Anything
else is a bonus,” he said.
The current coalition is made up of Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas,
Independence, United Torah Judaism, and Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home).
Several MKs recently left the coalition when the Labor party split.
6. PA Developer Vows to Uproot Trees Donated by JNF
by Chana Ya'ar
Developer Bashar al-Masri has vowed to uproot some 3,000 trees donated
by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to the new PA city of Rawabi, to be
built north of Ramallah. The trees are conifers, which are hardy
evergreens and are typical to the region. They are found throughout
Israel, from the forests of the northern Galilee to the Joe Alon forest
in the northern Negev to the south.
Al-Masri was responding to a fiery opinion piece written by a Jewish convert to Islam, Uri Davis.
The Israeli-born convert scorned a decision by the Palestinian
Authority to accept trees from a group whose mission “is the
‘redemption’ of lands in ‘Eretz Israel,’ including Israel, Judea,
Samaria, Jerusalem, Gaza and beyond for Jewish settlement.” He
especially slammed the selection of “typically political Zionist pinera
(conifers), the most common tree planted by the JNF in the forests and
recreational centers on the lands and over the ruins of Palestinian-Arab
villages ethnically cleansed by the Israeli army.” He added that by
accepting the donation in 2009, the PA “has implicated itself in the
ethnic cleansing of Palestine alongside the JNF and the Israeli army.”
The piece by Davis, who was born in Israel, was published Monday by the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news service.
Ma’an reported the next day that al-Masri intends to replace the trees
with indigenous olive trees. However, the developer also noted that
there seemed to be confusion over the trees, explaining that pine trees
near the site were actually in Area C, a zone under full Israeli
control.
The construction of Rawabi has not been without controversy in any event: early last month, 48 Knesset members agreed to boycott 20 firms involved in working on the new city.
The companies had all signed a contract with the developer – Bayti Real
Estate Investment Company -- that includes a specific clause
prohibiting the use of products manufactured in Jewish communities in
Judea and Samaria.
“The Seller is prohibited from using and/or employing goods and/or
services and/or resources manufactured and/or originating from Israeli
settlements towards achieving any of the objectives of this Agreement,
or in relation thereto,” the clause reads. Included in the definition of
“settlements” are Jewish communities located in Judea, Samaria, Gaza,
the Golan Heights and parts of Jerusalem restored to the capital
following the 1967 Six Day War.
Developer: ‘Parents’ Generation’ Included Evergreens
On the website for Rawabi,
however, there remains a section for prospective investors, business
owners and residents named “Grow a Tree in Palestine.” The section,
characterized by a photograph of a pine tree branch bursting with pine
cones in the sunlight, symbolizes the hope for growth and optimism for
the future reflected in the rest of the site.
“The Palestine of our parents’ generation was lush with fruit orchards
and flowering trees – olive, oak, citrus, nut and evergreen varieties
ornamented the Palestinian landscape,” explains the developer in his
description. “Today, however, the natural beauty of the land is being
lost to the ravages of war, neglect, development and climate change.”
Investors are encouraged to grow a tree in the area – without reference to species.
7. Lone Soldiers Get Credit at Israeli Supermarket
by Chana Ya'ar
Soldiers whose families live abroad will be given credit to buy their
basic necessities at one of the largest supermarket chains in Israel due
to a new ruling by the IDF high command.
As of this month, all lone soldiers will automatically receive a NIS
120 credit to shop at SuperSol supermarket, according to a report
published in BaMachane, the IDF magazine. Lone soldiers are instructed
to go to their local SuperSol grocery, activate their military ID at the
customer service desk, and spend the NIS 120 credit as needed.
“I think it’s great that the army is making basic needs more
obtainable,” said IDF Corp. Arielle Yahalom, a photographer in the IDF
Spokesperson Unit. “Most lone soldiers don’t have time to get all the
paperwork done for these critical benefits.”
The decision was made by the “Prat” office which is responsible for
individual soldiers’ status, and undertaken by the General Staff. “Prat
is responsible for all the issues surrounding lone soldiers like their
living arrangements, financial needs and more,” explained Private Tal
lagzil, a Welfare NCO at the IDF base in Tel Aviv.
“I personally think a large number of soldiers would apply for this
benefit but now that the office made it automatic, it makes the process
fast. I think it’s good for the soldiers, it’s simple and easy.”
8. US Students Face Criminal Charges for Heckling Israeli Speaker
by Maayana Miskin
Eleven California students are facing criminal charges for harassing
Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren last year. The
eleven shouted insults at Oren during a scheduled address and prevented him from speaking for 20 minutes.
Among other things, the hecklers called Oren a “war criminal” and
shouted, “How many Palestinians did you kill?” Oren was shouted down at
least ten times by the protesters, who were eventually removed from the
hall.
The Orange County district attorney's office has announced that, in a
rare move, the hecklers will be charged with misdemeanor crimes – one
count each of conspiracy to disturb a meeting and disturbance of a
meeting.
Officials at the University of California, Irvine, where the February
2010 incident took place, punished the disruptive students by
temporarily closing down the Muslim Student Union which had coordinated
the harassment in advance. The group remains on probation.
Attorneys for the students say their actions constitute regular protest
activity, and that the charges violate their right to free speech.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas disagrees. “This is a much different
kind of thing” than a normal protest, he said. “It's not just a group of
a few student demonstrators. This is an organized plan to stop the
Israeli minister from speaking and to stop anybody from hearing what he
has to say. It's a real violation.”
The Council for American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, had campaigned
against the filing of criminal charges, coordinating a letter from civic
and religious organizations in Southern California to the District
Attorney. CAIR officials said that UC-Irvine had already “taken plenty
of action,” and that the criminal charges are unnecessary.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center applauded the decision to bring charges.
“Zionist and pro-Israel speakers are often subjected to this kind of
treatment... We commend the DA for at least opening the books on this
and for promoting an understanding of how all free speech has a right to
be heard, even that of Israel and of Jewish students,” the group said.
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