Category
December 8, 2010
House of Representatives mourns fire losses
The U.S. House of Representatives mourned the loss of life in Israel\’s worst-ever forest fire and pledged to support assistance. The nonbinding resolution passed unanimously Tuesday \”mourns the loss of life and extends condolences to the families affected by the fire in northern Israel\” and \”supports the Obama Administration’s offer of, and rapid efforts to provide, United States fire fighting assistance to Israel in response to this disaster.\”\n
‘Nazi hunter’ files charges against Bernhard Frank
American self-styled Nazi hunter Mark Gould has filed a lawsuit against ex-SS officer Bernhard Frank for his role in the murder of Jews during World War II. But some are criticizing Gould, who filed his suit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for exaggerating the role of a minor figure. Gould, 43, disguised himself as a neo-Nazi in order to gain access to Frank, an SS lieutenant colonel who had worked closely with Heinrich Himmler. In the summer of 1941, Frank signed documents prepared by Himmler ordering that Jews associated in any way with partisans be killed.\n
Oregon governor defends Israel ties
The office of Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski defended a trade agreement it signed with Israel. A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups in Portland criticized Kulongoski, a Democrat, for the Oct. 27 memorandum of understanding \”to develop and strengthen economic, industrial, technological and commercial cooperation,\” according to a release posted Wednesday on the Salem News website by Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, or SUPER.
Jewish cemetery in Riga is desecrated
Large swastikas were found painted on more than 100 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery in the capital of Latvia. The swastikas apparently were painted in white spray paint overnight Tuesday at the New Jewish Cemetery in Riga. A cemetery guard made the discovery the next morning, according to reports. State and local police are investigating.
Jewish leader Nan Rich is Florida Senate minority leader
Democratic state senators in Florida elected national Jewish leader Nan Rich as their minority leader. Rich was elected to lead the 12 Democrats in the state Senate, down two from the previous session following an election in which Florida Democrats also suffered losses in the state House and in the congressional delegation. Rich, 62, has served as the national president of the National Council of Jewish Women, and as a board member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Altschuler concedes to Bishop in suburban N.Y. race
Randy Altschuler conceded the congressional election in a suburban New York district to incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop. Altschuler, a Republican, is trailing the Democrat Bishop by 263 votes, unofficial counts show in the eastern Long Island district. In his concession Wednesday, Altschuler said he concluded that a hand recount of 200,000 ballots was unlikely to change the result and would be overly burdensome on district taxpayers. Altschuler would have joined Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the incoming majority leader, as the second Republican Jewish lawmaker in Congress.
Boca Raton under fire for menorah display
A Catholic civil rights organization is accusing Boca Raton, Fla., of discrimination for buying and displaying menorahs in public buildings without including a nativity scene. \”The City of Boca Raton is effectively discriminating against Christians by allowing one religious symbol, namely the menorah, to be displayed in public buildings, while censoring nativity scenes,\” Catholic League President Bill Donahue said in a statement issued Tuesday. According to the statement, the U.S. Supreme Court and district courts recognize the menorah as a Jewish religious symbol.
Op-Ed: Fire’s devastation can lead to positive change
It is hard to explain just how devastated Israelis are by the Carmel fire. But it is easier to explain how that devastation can become a positive force for positive change, right now, in Israel. The fire consumed at least 42 lives, thousands of forested acres and millions of shekels in property. With the assistance of a dozen foreign nations, the beleaguered firefighters finally got the resources they needed to battle a blaze that consumed more than its obvious victims. What may have perished in the fire is Israel’s sense of self-reliance, and the confidence of ordinary people that they can rely on their government and society to meet their needs.
Op-Ed: Response to fire illuminates challenges for Israel
One of the reactions of Israelis to the fact that their government called on the international community for assistance to combat the Carmel Forest fire is a sense of shame. After all, Israel is a leader in the high-tech world and an innovator in dealing with crisis situations. Now Israel had to admit that it wasn’t capable of dealing with the blaze alone. More than that, for some in Israel there is a reluctance to admit that Israel is not isolated, that not everyone is against Israel. The willingness of nations and peoples to rush to Israel’s side, including the Turks and the Palestinians, challenged this assumption. I remember when Yitzhak Rabin took over as prime minister in 1993, his inaugural address to the Knesset took a different tack than the norm. He spoke to the idea that Israelis need to get beyond the way of thinking that assumed that everyone was against them. He argued that this was neither accurate nor productive, as it led to distorted policies.
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