Month: October 2005
Torrential Rain of Sukkot
Katsav to Sign Over Parts of David’s Tomb to Vatican
Operative Quotes from Ellen W. Horowitz, author :
“An official Vatican newspaper has reported that during his upcoming visit to the Vatican, President Moshe Katsav will sign an agreement giving parts of David’s Tomb over to papal control.” (Israel National News.com)
“The Times reported that Israel will hand over control of the reputed room of Jesus’ last supper, in a building on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In return, a historic synagogue in Toledo, Spain, which became a church after the Inquisition….” (The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles)
Al Aksa Brigades Members Join PA Security Forces
PA to Integrate Al Aksa Brigades Into the PA Security Forces
“Qurei … revealed that the PA had decided to set up five training camps in the West Bank for the gunmen, who are expected to join the various branches of the security forces.”
Call it a weapons trade!!
PM Wants Dichter in Likud
PM Wants Dichter to Join Him in Likud
Operative quotes:
“The prime minister wants to see him in his party and the infrastructure for them to run together is being laid,” a Sharon associate said. “They will be together but we don’t know yet in what capacity and when.”
“Dichter was a vocal supporter of Sharon’s disengagement plan. His praise for the plan balanced out the vocal criticism from former IDF Chief of General Staff Moshe Ya’alon.”
Noteworthy Headlines
Why the Media Blackout of Chol HaMo’ed Events in Chevron?
Sadly, there will be no links here to any news reports. Last Wednesday, all events were apparently washed out by the torrential rains on the first day of Chol HaMo’ed. But Thursday, the Chol HaMo’ed events in Chevron, including the Concert went uncovered, blacked out by the Media here (at least the English language media), even by Israel National News.
On Thursday, the sun was out and it was a great day for celebrations and a concert.
There was delicious and plentiful food and plenty of Succah room to eat it. There was tefillah inside the Ma’arat HaMachpela as well as the Concert with Bands and Artists who rocked. On of the featured acts, a drummer who is a singer as well and whose name escapes me, was up there “in a zone” as they say in Baseball when a hitter is on a hot streak. It was “a zone” reminescent of Purim two years at my Shul Kehillah Beis Tefillah when “Bad Benji” reached the heights with a mean pair of sticks.
Succot Joy for GK Refugees, Israeli High Court Retracts OK to Pray on Temple Mount
More on Billionaire Bernie Marcus
I recently wrote as piece on Billionaire Bernie Marcus for this blog.
A quick google search reveals more on Bernie Marcus than did the Jerusalem Post article previously cited.
It now seems that in addition to his substantial gift to the city of Atlanta toward the Georgia Aquarium, google reaveals more about Mr. Marcus’ Israel Philanthropy.
The Jewish Virtual Library bio on him shows how the Israel Democracy Institute “… accumulates information on legislation passed in other countries and advises the Israeli government whether or not to implement it.” With the level of self-interest and self-aggrandizement inherent in any government economic decision in Israel, I hope that the kindness of Mr. Marcus in establishing such an Institute and trying to impact on bringing good, intelligent decision making to Israel was/is not in vain.
In Succahs, but Still Homeless
Double Meaning of Sukkot For Expulsion Victims
The government of Israel is still deliberately foot-dragging and denying the Jewish refugee families (that they forcibly expelled at legalized gunpoint from Gush Katif and the Shomron) compensation and resettlement solutions. The government’s aim: to deliberately fight a war of attrition against the refugees in effort to force them to split up, to divide and conquer, thus destroying productive Torah communities. And many refugees are starting to draw parallels between their plight and the ongoing 20 plus year plight of Jonathan Pollard.