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August 4, 2017

In first, Senegal and Guinea send ambassadors to Israel

Senegal and Guinea are sending ambassadors to Israel for the first time.

The two predominantly Muslim countries in West Africa are to present their credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday, The Times of Israel reported.

The two will serve as non-resident ambassadors. Senegal’s Talla Fall, who also represents the country in Egypt, will work from Cairo, while Guinea’s Amara Camara will be based in Paris, according to The Times of Israel.

Amid increasing criticism of Israel’s right-wing government from Europe, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made improving ties with African countries a priority, visiting the continent twice in the past 14 months.

Israel’s diplomatic ties with Senegal and Guinea have not been without bumps in the road.

In June, Israel and Senegal announced “an end to the crisis between their two countries.” Three months earlier, the Jewish state permanently downgraded ties with Senegal when it co-sponsored an anti-settlement resolution in the United Nations that passed.

Last year, Israel and Guinea re-established diplomatic ties after 49 years. Guinea had broken off relations following the Six-Day War in 1967.

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7 Haiku for Torah Portion Va’etchanan by Rick Lupert

7 Haiku for Parsha Va’etchanan (in which Moses gets to look but no touch) by Rick Lupert

I
No, Moses, you can
not enter – But check out the
view from this mountain

II
Did I mention we
should follow God’s commandments?
On every page.

III
Setting up cities
of refuge – the non holy
side of the river

IV
A repeat of the
Ten Commandments – Typical
for summer viewing

V
What will the people
do without Moses acting
as emissary

VI
Start with these words – Put
them everywhere – Your doors – your
foreheads – everywhere

VII
Leave no trace of the
Canaanites when you cross the
river – not a speck


Los Angeles poet Rick Lupert created the Poetry Super Highway (an online publication and resource for poets), and hosted the Cobalt Cafe weekly poetry reading for almost 21 years. He’s authored 21 collections of poetry, including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion“, “I’m a Jew, Are You” (Jewish themed poems) and “Feeding Holy Cats” (Poetry written while a staff member on the first Birthright Israel trip), and most recently “Donut Famine” (Rothco Press, December 2016) and edited the anthologies “Ekphrastia Gone Wild”, “A Poet’s Haggadah”, and “The Night Goes on All Night.” He writes the daily web comic “Cat and Banana” with fellow Los Angeles poet Brendan Constantine. He’s widely published and reads his poetry wherever they let him.

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Netanyahu says corruption probe is a ‘witch hunt’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejected accusations of corruption contained in a court document accidentally revealed to the public.

On Thursday, a document submitted by the police to the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court revealed that police are investigating Netanyahu on suspicion of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The court then imposed a gag order on details of the probe until Sept. 17.

“The witch-hunt to topple the government is in full swing but it will fail because of this simple reason: There will be nothing because there was nothing,” Netanyahu’s office said Thursday in response to the reports.

The Jerusalem Post reported Friday that Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, Ari Harow, has agreed to testify in the probe. The Los Angeles native has previously been under investigation for allegations that he used his political connections to advance his own business interests.

While no formal  charges have been filed against Harow, various Israeli media reported that he agreed to cooperate with the attorney general in return for six months’ community service and a hefty fine.

The probe is reported to involve two separate cases. In the first, dubbed “Case 1000,” police are probing whether expensive gifts given to Netanyahu by an Australian billionaire and a Hollywood mogul amount to an illegal conflict of interest.

In the second case, known as “Case 2000,” Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favorable coverage from the Yediot Acharonot newspaper in exchange  for legislation that would disadvantage a free rival daily, the Sheldon Adelson-back Israel Hayom.

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