World Briefs

Violinist Isaac Stern Dies at 81

Isaac Stern, considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, died Saturday in New York at 81.

He played with conductor Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic in Jerusalem soon after the 1967 Six-Day War, for Israeli soldiers during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and with a gas mask on after an Iraqi Scud missile attack interrupted a performance in Israel during the 1991 Gulf War.

Bin Laden Blasts Jews

A statement believed sent by suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden to a TV station based in Qatar lashed out at a “Jewish campaign” against him while expressing sympathy for Muslims killed in Pakistan in anti-U.S. demonstrations.

“We hope that they are the first martyrs in Islam’s battle in this era against the new crusade and Jewish campaign led by the big crusader Bush under the flag of the cross,” the statement said.

In another development, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban, said capturing bin Laden will not help prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States.

If U.S. officials really care about staving off future acts of terrorism, they should pull their forces out of the Persian Gulf and support the Palestinians in their uprising against Israel, Omar said Monday.

AMIA Trial Begins in Argentina

A trial began Monday in Buenos Aires for 20 people accused of playing a role in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in the Argentine capital. None of the defendants have been charged with involvement in the actual attack, only with supplying the stolen van used in the bombing, which killed 86 people and wounded hundreds. Argentine officials hope the trial may shed light on those who masterminded the attack.

Sbarro Attack Reenacted

Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat bowed to pressure Tuesday to order the closure of an exhibition reenacting the Aug. 9 suicide bombing of the Sbarro pizzeria in downtown Jerusalem.

The exhibit opened Sunday in the West Bank city of Nablus to mark the first anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian uprising.

The exhibit was altered but was not shut down completely. On a visit to Jerusalem, Rabbi Marvin Hier, head of the Los-Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, condemned Arafat’s action as “outra-geously too little, too late.”

Babi Yar Remembered

Some 2,000 people gathered Sunday at the Babi Yar memorial in Ukraine to mark the 60th anniversary of the Nazi massacre of nearly 34,000 Jews during three days in September 1941. Later that day, a requiem commemorating the massacre was performed at the Kiev Opera Theater, where Ukrainian government officials were in the audience.

Israel Flights to Continue

Continental and Delta airlines denied a report that they would permanently end flights to Israel in light of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Globes, Israel’s daily financial newspaper, had reported on its Web site that Continental would end its daily flights to Israel, while Delta would make its current suspension of flights permanent.

Briefs courtesy of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.