PM NETANYAHU’S SPEECH AT THE MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR FALLEN SOLDIERS AT AMMUNITION HILL

Below is a portion of a speech given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 18, 2010 remembering the soldiers who lost their lives at ammunition hill. To read the entire speech, click on the title above.

Forty-three years ago, this hill, Ammunition Hill, symbolized a wounded city, a city cut in half, and in its heart- a wall.

Today, along the outline of that same wall, there are light-rail tracks that will connect the flourishing Jerusalem neighborhoods established and built during the decades that have passed since the very day we are marking here today.

Twice we have paid the heavy cost of liberating the siege on Jerusalem–first, during the War of Independence, and again, when the city was bombed during the Six Day War.

One of the most decisive battles of that campaign was fought right here. True heroes fell here, and together with their comrades all along the frontlines, they changed the lives of our people, our country and our city.

Jerusalem, which until that time had been a divided and weakened city, became once again a city full of life, creativity and renewal.

ISRAEL RELATIVELY UNHURT BY GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS

AFP published the following news release on April 21, 2010 about Israel’s resilience against the global economic downturn. To read the release in its entirety, click on the title above.

Israel weathered the global financial crisis "relatively well" and ended 2009 with modest economic growth and declining unemployment, the central bank said on Wednesday.

The Bank of Israel report for 2009 said Israel's "conservative and closely supervised banking system" and the absence of mortgage-backed assets in its capital markets cushioned it from the worst of the storm.

"The crisis had a more moderate effect on Israel's economy than on almost all other advanced economies, the bank's governor, Stanley Fischer, wrote in a letter accompanying the report.

It logged overall growth of 0.7 percent in Gross Domestic Product during 2009 but noted that while the first half of the year saw a 1.5 percent decline, there was 3.3 percent growth in the second half.

AFRICA REBOOTS

The following is a portion of an Op-Ed written by Bono that was published in the New York Times on April 17, 2010 about the changes Africa is engaging in to bring entrepreneurs and new businesses to the continent. To read the entire Op-Ed, click on the title above.

I spent March with a delegation of activists, entrepreneurs and policy wonks roaming western, southern and eastern Africa trying very hard to listen — always hard for a big-mouthed Irishman. With duct tape over my gob, I was able to pick up some interesting melody lines everywhere from palace to pavement..

Despite the almost deafening roar of excitement about Africa’s hosting of soccer’s World Cup this summer, we managed to hear a surprising thing. Harmony..flowing from two sides that in the past have often been discordant: Africa’s emerging entrepreneurial class and its civil-society activists.

It’s no secret that lefty campaigners can be cranky about business elites. And the suspicion is mutual. Worldwide. Civil society as a rule sees business as, well, a little uncivil. Business tends to see activists as, well, a little too active. But in Africa, at least from what I’ve just seen, this is starting to change. The energy of these opposing forces coming together is filling offices, boardrooms and bars. The reason is that both these groups — the private sector and civil society — see poor governance as the biggest obstacle they face. So they are working together on redefining the rules of the African game.

Entrepreneurs know that even a good relationship with a bad government stymies foreign investment; civil society knows a resource-rich country can have more rather than fewer problems, unless corruption is tackled.

A LETTER TO GAZA

Below is a portion of an Op-Ed written by Nonie Darwish that was published on frontpagemag.com on April 15, 2010 about her response to a letter that was sent to her alleging that she hates Arabs and her father. Ms. Darwish is the author of Now They Call Me Infidel, Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror. To read the entire Op-Ed, click on the title above.

I recently received an email accusing me of hating Arabs and my father. This email is typical of Arab media accusations of my views regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since most Arabs have no chance to read my book, Now They Call Me Infidel, Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror, which explains in detail my position, I will answer the email in this article. First, below is the translation of the Arabic language email which I received without a signature:

Salam to you,

With all of our pride in your father we pray that Allah will bless him with entering paradise, which is the wish of every person after this short prideful meaningless life. I want to ask you, has your father become your enemy after his death? We in the city of Gaza take pride in your father and I live on a street by the name of Shahid Moustafa Hafez which also has a school by the name of Shahid Moustafa Hafez. We never forgot his sacrifice, so how could you become an enemy to the tortured Palestinian people who are still suffering at the hands of Arab Zionists? I ask Allah to give you health and strength.

Awaiting your response and thank you in advance.

Here is my response:

Dear Gaza resident,

Your email touched me as sincere even though your accusations are wrong. I am not the enemy of Arabs and I assure you that I love my original culture and people. What makes me different is that I do not only love Arabs, but I also love the Jewish people. I am speaking my conscience. I respect their right to live in peace in their tiny homeland, Israel. I understand how that could be puzzling and unbelievable to many Arabs, to love both Jews and Arabs.

MERGING SCIENCE AND JEWISH THOUGHT

ISRAEL21c.org published the following article written by Abigail Klein Leichman on April 21, 2010 about Arnold Goldman, whose unusual goal is to bring science together with philosophy. A portion of the article is below, to read it in its entirety, click on the title above.

Serious philosophers rarely make good businessmen. But solar energy innovator Arnold J. Goldman is no navel-gazer. Goldman heads Jerusalem-based BrightSource Industries and its California-based parent, BrightSource Energy, which is contracted to deliver more than 2,600 megawatts of solar electricity in California using new technology demonstrated at Goldman's Solar Energy Development Center in the Negev, the largest solar energy facility in the Middle East.

Goldman, 67, was named a "Builder of Jerusalem" by Jerusalem-based educational institution Aish Hatorah, which also acknowledged his early role in founding solar energy pioneer Luz International; subsidiary Luz Industries Israel; and Electric Fuel Corporation, a vehicle battery developer.

Ever since the Rhode Island native was 16 and living in the San Fernando Valley he has been seeking higher truths in the beauty of mathematics, he tells ISRAEL21c. Later, Goldman's search broadened to embrace Jewish thought.

"From the age of 14 I had worked at an assortment of odd jobs when I had time, including stretching springs across couches," Goldman remembers. "The summer I was 16, I was selling mops. I woke up one night feeling miserable and came to the conclusion that if I had to work most of my life, at least I wanted it to be valuable."

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SOCIAL ACTION/PUBLIC POLICY

WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES, OUR WORK HAS JUST BEGUN

The following is a portion of an Op-Ed written by Dr. Jill Biden that was published in the Austin American-Statesman on April 16, 2010 about the valuable contributions community colleges make to higher education. Dr. Biden is the Second Lady of the United States. To read the entire Op-Ed, click on the title above.

I have been a teacher for almost three decades and a community-college instructor for the past 16 years. Last spring, President Barack Obama asked me to increase awareness about one of the best-kept secrets of higher education: the very sizable and valuable contribution of community colleges. Since then I have been visiting colleges around the country and reporting back to the president about their challenges, innovations, and ideas. This issue is a priority for the Obama-Biden administration. We are committed to making community colleges better and more accessible to students across this nation.

The passage of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was a substantial victory for community colleges. The final legislation does not contain everything our administration had proposed, but it does include one of the most significant new federal investments in higher education, and in community colleges, since the GI Bill was introduced, over 60 years ago.

Pell Grants had been threatened with a 60-percent funding decrease, but we stabilized the Pell program and ensured that such grants would increase with inflation. The Pell Grant victory will put money in the pockets of millions of full- and part-time community-college students, helping them pay for tuition, books, supplies, and living expenses. This increase in financial aid is coupled with the recently expanded Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides students a tax credit of up to $2,500 per year for up to four years to offset higher-education expenses, including a partial credit for those who owe no taxes. It also sets up income-based repayment of student loans, capping loan repayments at rates based on income and family size. As a lifelong teacher, I am particularly pleased that income-based repayment helps those who choose public-service careers. Graduates who work as teachers, nurses, or in other public-service professions—and those who serve in the military—can have their loans forgiven after 10 years.

BACK WHEN ARIZONANS WANTED CHEAP LABOR

The following is an Op-Ed written by San Diego Tribune columnist Ruben Navarrette that was published in The Dallas Morning News on April 17, 2010 about his past experiences with immigration policies in Arizona. To read the entire Op-Ed, click on the title above.

In the late 1990s, I took a job writing for a newspaper and moved to Arizona.

At least I think it was Arizona. The place I remember bears little resemblance to the one you hear about today.

Back then, nativists were on the political fringe; now they're becoming mainstream. Republicans back then were anxiously reaching out to Hispanics; now GOP legislators are making Hispanics anxious with race-baiting measures to end affirmative action.

Political leaders, including the Republican governor, in the '90s torpedoed efforts to bring before voters a ballot initiative that would have denied education and social services to illegal immigrants; now Arizonans are in such a punitive mood that they would easily approve such a measure.

Back then, none other than Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was quoted as saying there wasn't much his deputies could do about illegal immigration since being in the country without documentation wasn't a crime. Now Arpaio is so bent on rounding up illegal immigrants that even after the Obama administration stripped him of the authority to determine someone's legal status, he kept on doing it.

A GIANT STEP FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE

On April 13, 2010, The Durham News Observer published the following Op-Ed written by Dr. David Tayloe, Jr. about how the health care reform bill will improve children’s health. Dr. Tayloe is the immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. To read the Op-Ed in its entirety, click on the title above.

Much criticism is being aimed at the Obama administration and Congress for passing major health care reform legislation. For me, a busy rural pediatrician and a leader in the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is a new day in America. We Americans can finally hold up our heads in the company of other developed nations that afford all their citizens the right to health care. It is an especially good day for our children and youth.

As a result of the votes taken in the House and Senate last month, we have significant reforms that will benefit our children in the following ways:

The reform covers 31 million Americans and ensures health care coverage for children in the United States, including young people up to age 26. No child or youth will be denied services because of a pre-existing condition.

THE MOMENT TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

The following is a portion of an Op-Ed written by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) that was published in Politico on April 22, 2010 about why it is the right time to pass comprehensive energy and climate change legislation. To read the entire Op-Ed, click on the title above.

No matter what conventional wisdom says, this is the year — perhaps our last, best chance — to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation.

The right bill can create good jobs, strengthen our national security and give us cleaner air — all while finally tackling the great challenge of global climate change.

We all understand election-year jitters, difficult legislative schedules, a looming Supreme Court confirmation and Congress’s reputation for avoiding tough choices as November nears. But these are reasons to insist we step up and lead on climate and energy, rather than settle for an energy-only bill.

Why?

First, because Americans are frustrated with Washington.

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THE IRAN REPORT

September 2007, the JCRC began a special section entitled “The Iran Report”.  Due to the looming serious nature of Iran and its politics within the global world, JCRCs across the country are providing community leaders with updated materials and articles concerning Iran, which will include political matters, divestment information, etc.  Both the United Jewish Communities (UJC) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) have issued joint statements indicating that the subject of Iran should be on the top of the agenda for local Jewish communities. 

The JCRC will continue to bring the community updates on the situation with Iran and its implications throughout the Middle East and the world.

JCPA RESOLUTION ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) on March 27, 2007.

IRAN LEAVES DOOR OPEN ON NUCLEAR DEAL

The following is a portion of an article released by AP that was published by the Boston Globe on April 21, 2010 that discusses China’s agreement to consider sanctions on Iran. To read the entire article, click on the title above.

As the United States builds its case for stiffer sanctions against Iran, Tehran’s foreign minister appeared to voice new enthusiasm yesterday for a UN-backed nuclear fuel deal.

The United States and its allies are locked in a standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. They fear Iran is using the program to build nuclear arms. Iran says its program is only to generate electricity.

Iran initially rejected a 2009 United Nations-backed plan that offered nuclear fuel rods in exchange for Iran’s stock of lower-level enriched uranium. The swap would curb Iran’s capacity to make a nuclear bomb.

But at the same time, the country’s leaders have proposed variations, though without accepting the terms in the UN proposal. The move may aim to undermine support for sanctions in the UN Security Council, where the United States is lobbying heavily for Russian and Chinese backing.

IRAN SEEKS TO PERSUADE SECURITY COUNCIL NOT TO BACK TOUGH NUCLEAR SANCTIONS

On April 21, 2010, The Washington Post published the following article written by Thomas Erdbrink about Iran’s new diplomatic efforts to convince the U.N. Security Council to oppose sanctions against it for its nuclear program. To read the article in its entirety, click on the title above.

Facing increasing momentum behind a U.S.-backed bid for new sanctions against it, Iran is launching a broad diplomatic offensive aimed at persuading as many U.N. Security Council members as possible to oppose tougher punishment for its nuclear program.

Iran wants to focus on reviving stalled talks about a nuclear fuel swap to build trust on all sides, according to politicians and diplomats in Tehran. But leaders of Western nations say that unless Iran alters its conditions for the deal, they will refuse to discuss it again. Under the arrangement, aimed at breaking an impasse over Iran's uranium-enrichment efforts, Tehran would exchange the bulk of its low-enriched uranium for more highly enriched fuel for a research reactor that produces medical isotopes.

As Iranian diplomats fly around the world to discuss the swap, they are lobbying some of the Security Council's rotating members to vote against a fourth round of sanctions proposed by the United States, officials said.

IRAN BOOSTS QODS SHOCK TROOPS IN VENEZUELA

Below is a portion of an article written by Bill Gertz that was published in The Washington Times on April 21, 2010 about a new report from the Pentagon that shows Iran is increasing its troops in Venezula and is continuing to supply the Taliban with weapons. To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military.

The report on Iranian military power provides new details on the group known formally as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the Islamist shock troops deployed around the world to advance Iranian interests. The unit is aligned with terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, North Africa and Latin America, and the report warns that U.S. forces are likely to battle the Iranian paramilitaries in the future.

The Qods force "maintains operational capabilities around the world," the report says, adding that "it is well established in the Middle East and North Africa and recent years have witnessed an increased presence in Latin America, particularly Venezuela."

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CRISIS IN DARFUR

February 2009 marked the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the violence in Darfur, Sudan.  For six years a government-backed militia known as Janjaweed (which in Arabic means, “evil men on horseback”) has continued to engage in a systematic program of expulsion, rape and murderous violence in Darfur, Sudan.  Millions of people now live in displacement camps lacking adequate food, water, shelter, healthcare, and sanitation. Attacks on \civilians continue.  As Jews, we have a particular moral responsibility to speak out and take action against genocide.  

The JCRC remains committed in its fight to end this battle and will continue to bring you facts and articles about this ongoing genocide. (For further information on Darfur, visit the JCRC web site “International” section at www.jcrcdallas.org.)

SUDAN IN CRISIS

Explore the history, people and politics behind one of the world's bloodiest conflicts in this interactive web site by The Washington Post.  Click the title above to be connected to this site.

PEACEKEEPERS HELD IN DARFUR TO BE FREED AFTER POLL RESULT

AFP published the following article on April 21, 2010 about the four South African peacekeepers from the joint UN-African Union mission who were kidnapped in Darfur over a week ago that will be released after election results are out. To read the entire article, click the title above.

Four South African peacekeepers from the joint UN-African Union mission who were kidnapped in Darfur over a week ago will be released after election results are out, their captors said on Tuesday.

"We will release them after the results of the elections," Ibrahim al-Dukki, of the People's Democratic Struggle Movement, told AFP by telephone.

Dukki said his group wanted to avoid releasing the hostages during any potential clashes after the results of Sudan's first competitive election in 24 years, which ended on Thursday.

"We want to wait until the election results are out. We want to make sure first that there is no trouble before we release them. We will definitely release them after the election result," Dukki said.

He said the four UNAMID police -- two men and two women -- were "in good health" and would be released in El-Fasher, the capital of north Darfur.

SUDAN ELECTIONS 'FAILED' TO MEET INTERNATIONAL NORMS

BBC News published the following news release on April 17, 2010 about two international organizations monitoring the elections in Sudan said the controversial polls failed to meet full international standards. To read the release in its entirety, click on the title above.

The EU and the Carter Center, led by former US President Jimmy Carter, said there were significant failings, citing reports of intimidation and harassment.

However, both concluded the polls were a significant step towards democracy.

Results are to be returned on Tuesday, with Omar al-Bashir expected to be reaffirmed as president.

The polls - presidential, parliamentary and regional - were the first multi-party elections since 1986 and part of a north-south deal to end two decades of war.

The complicated ballot was beset by problems and heavily criticised by the Sudanese opposition and local observers.

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JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL
Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas
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