July 29, 1999

Farewell to a Friend

Eric Silver July 29, 1999

Israel had good reason to remember King Hassan II of Morocco as \”a friend and a statesman,\” and not just because of his tireless efforts to build bridges between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors.
Secret cooperation between the Moroccan and Israeli intelligence services began in 1961 under King Hassan\’s father, Mohammed V, who allowed Moroccan Jews to emigrate to Israel. The younger monarch broadened and institutionalized the contacts after Meir Amit, the then-head of the Mossad, Israel\’s CIA, clandestinely met Hassan in Marrakech in 1964. Undercover contacts continued, with only two brief interruptions, until Hassan\’s death last Friday.

Touching Her Bases

James D July 29, 1999

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton touched all the Jewish and pro-Israel bases and avoided treacherous curve balls during a Tuesday appearance before more than 2,100 delegates at Hadassah\’s 85th national convention in Washington.
In a speech laced with nods to the Jewish community\’s core issues, including Jerusalem, terrorism and anti-Semitism at home and abroad, the all-but-announced candidate for the Senate from New York appealed to what political scientists say is her Jewish political base — Upper West Side liberals, Westchester soccer moms and pro-Israel moderates.

Community Briefs

Jewish Journal July 29, 1999

While cities such as Detroit and St. Louis were holding major Jewish book festivals year after year, drawing celebrity authors such as Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, observers here asked, Why isn\’t there a Jewish book festival in Los Angeles?

Irreconcilable Differences

Jewish Journal July 29, 1999

Do rabbis have big mouths? \”Seinfeld\” once implied that, and all hoo-ha broke loose.

Jewish Earning Power

Jewish Journal July 29, 1999

Jews are more likely than members of any other American ethnic group to purchase a hardcover book or attend a live musical performance in the coming year, but they\’re much less likely to buy a car, truck, recreational vehicle or major home appliance.