Thursday, February 14, 2008

Israel Update 2/14/08

February 1 marked the 5-year anniversary of the Columbia Space Shuttle crash in which Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, was tragically killed. In memory of Ilan Ramon: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/818760.html.

This week also saw the death of Representative Tom Lantos of California, a Holocaust survivor, a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, and a hero. In honor of the life of Tom Lantos: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202742150570&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.

QUICK READING LIST
- Another day, another bombardment, Tobias Buck, Financial Times (UK), 12/7/07:
http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=another+bombardment&aje=true&id=071207000004&ct=0&nclick_check=1
- View also the report from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center about the rocket threat from Gaza 2000-2007 (scroll down and also click on the link to the short video at the bottom): http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/eng/eng_n/rocket_threat_e.htm#
- Also, take a look at this photo gallery of terrorists from the Islamic Jihad group making rockets in Gaza: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/0,5538,28471,00.html
- Israel gets rare UN approval for farm resolution, Patrick Worsnip, Reuters, 12/11/07: http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnN11501976.html
- See also: http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1882&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Democracy
- Baby Steps, Dennis Ross, New Republic/Washington Institute, 1/8/08: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC06.php?CID=1119
- More propaganda from the Los Angeles Times, Alex Safian, CAMERA, 1/17/08: http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=33&x_article=1417
- See also: http://www.honestreporting.com/
- Breach in Gaza – Hamas blockades the peace process, Editorial, Washington Post, 1/24/08: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/23/AR2008012303327.html

NEWS: TERROR IN DIMONA
- Click here to view a photo of a Palestinian boy handing out sweets to celebrate a suicide bomber who killed at least one Israeli woman and wounded scores of others in the Israeli city Dimona: http://ws.collactive.com/points/point?id=yBQkyNqToAZS and
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/951034.html
- And watch this dramatic video of the heroic Israeli policeman who shot dead a second terrorist, wearing an explosives belt, before he had time to detonate the bomb: http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7220000/newsid_7226300/7226313.stm?%3Cbr%20/%3Ebw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

ACTION ALERT: CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
A bill (H.Res.185) addressing the issue of Jewish refugees from Muslim countries is being addressed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), states in part that "any resolutions relating to the issue of Middle East refugees, and which include a reference to the required resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue, must also include a similarly explicit reference to the resolution of the issue of Jewish, Christian, and other refugees from Arab countries." Please contact your Representatives to express your support for H.Res.185: https://secure2.convio.net/ajc/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=151&JServSessionIdr004=t23kd9ycy1.app13b
- For more info on the "forgotten" Jewish refugees, see: http://www.theforgottenrefugees.com/

RESOURCE: PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL
It's not too early to be thinking about your summer plans! Check out these websites for some long- and short-term programs in Israel:
- http://www.israelprograms.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/Israel+Programs
- http://www.lifeinisrael.org/
- http://www.wzo.org.il/en/programs/most_popular.asp
- http://www.destinationisrael.com/works_internships.asp
- http://www.birthrightisrael.com/site/PageServer

And keep in mind that 2007 marked the best year ever in terms of American tourism to Israel: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-01-23-american-tourism-to-israel_N.htm

STATE OF AFFAIRS IN GAZA
- Palestinian terrorists vandalize American school in Gaza (video): http://ws.collactive.com/points/point?id=SqDXLwbBaxNv
- And as if that wasn't enough, elsewhere in Gaza terrorists take advantage of humanitarian aid packages to smuggle explosives into the area: http://ws.collactive.com/points/point?id=fBz0nk3P5Fm7
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL297764020071229
- See also: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944592.html
- Also, check out this report about the media's misrepresentations about what is happening in Gaza: http://ws.collactive.com/points/point?id=iv4mIci56xEU

VIDEO COMPETITION
Through Feb 29: MyIsrael video competition. See: http://my.israel.org/