According to a survey released by the MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND LABOR, 650,000 Israelis take part in some regular volunteer work–15.7% of Israel’s Jewish and Arab adults. According to the survey, 18% of Israel’s Jews engage in volunteer work, while half that proportional percentage–just 9.1%–of the country’s Arabs do.

Of Israel's volunteers, about half work with organizations such as Magen David Adom emergency medical services and the Yad Sarah medical equipment lending organization. The other half volunteer on a private basis or for smaller groups.

Volunteers contributed an average of eleven hours a month. Among Jewish volunteers, the study demonstrated volunteerism increased with level of religious observance and was highest among the Hareidi-Religious sector.

BUSINESS IS BLOOMING FOR ISRAELI FLOWERS (2/24)
In aggregate, Israel's flower, plant and propagation-material export brings upward of $200 million into the economy annually. The country is third only to the Netherlands and Kenya in supplying the European Union with its flowers. Each year 1.5 billion stems are exported, double from only 10 years ago - while the number of growers engaging in export has dropped by 75 percent. The system, along with the growers, has simply become more efficient.

"Flower export works nicely with the special characteristics of Israeli export and agriculture," says Zvi Alon, director general of the Ministry of Agriculture's Foreign Trade Center, himself from a farming family. "[Even] the small family farm model, a small area yielding a lot of produce; with superintensive farming and using technology, [about five acres] can be adequate."

Israel's total agricultural yield, including agriculture-related technology and other nonedible products, is about 2 percent of the gross national product - or $3.5 billion - of which 30 percent are exports, mostly of fresh produce.

Israel dispatched a similar team to Nairobi in 1998 after the terrorist bombing of the U.S. embassy.

POPE WORRIED BY GLOBAL UPSURGE IN ANTI-SEMITISM (1/17)
Pope Benedict XVI, meeting with Rome's chief rabbi on January 16, expressed pain and worry over fresh outbreaks of anti- Semitism, and called on Jews and Christians to wage a united battle against hate.

Waves of anti-Semitic violence and vandalism have hit Europe in the past few years. Last week, worshippers in a Moscow synagogue were attacked by a man with a knife.

According to THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Benedict did not mention specific occurrences of anti-Semitism in his speech welcoming Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni to an audience at the Vatican. The rabbi led a delegation from Rome's Jewish community, one of the oldest in the world.

Benedict said Jews and Christians have the responsibility to cooperate to promote justice, love and freedom.

"In the light of this common mission, we cannot not denounce and combat with decisiveness the hate and incomprehension, the injustices and the violence that continue to sow worry in the soul of men and women of good will," Benedict said.

"In this context, how can one not be pained and worried about the fresh outbreaks of anti-Semitism that are occurring?" the pope said.

Di Segni said Benedict was welcome to pay a call on Rome's main synagogue, noting the approaching 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's groundbreaking visit there. The visit by the late, Polish-born pope to the synagogue helped repair centuries of poor Vatican-Jewish relations and underlined his determination to use his papacy to improve ties.

Benedict became the second pope in history to visit a Jewish house of worship when he went to the synagogue in Cologne, Germany, last summer during his first trip abroad since being elected pontiff in April.

SUICIDE BOMB FILM WINS PRESTIGIOUS GOLDEN GLOBE (1/17)
"Paradise Now" a controversial portrayal of two suicide bombers crossing into Israel was awarded this year's best foreign language film at the Golden Globes awards in Los Angeles on Monday. Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad seemed surprised to win the prestigious accolade, but said in his acceptance speech that he saw the award as "recognition that the Palestinians deserve their liberty and equality unconditionally." Abu-Assad insisted that he had not taken sides in the film but had tried to explain why two seemingly simple garage mechanics would be willing to kill themselves and others, according to HA'ARETZ.  Israeli critics have argued that the film presents a partisan Palestinian narrative and glorifies the murder of innocent civilians. Winning the Globe also gives "Paradise Now" a major boost in the run-up to the Oscars in March, greatly increasing its chances of making the five film shortlist later this month.

POLICE REPORT 5% DECREASE IN CRIME (1/16/06)
According to THE JERUSALEM POST, Israeli crime decreased by 5% in 2005, police reported on January 16. Nonetheless, the police's annual report also registered a sharp increase in arms stockpiles in the six major crime organizations.

In an interview with Army Radio on Monday, Inspector-General Moshe Karadi said that dealing with violent crime is at the top of law enforcement priorities. "Organized crime activities are becoming more and more similar to those of terrorist organizations … Their activity is ramping up, which undoubtedly shakes the public's feeling of security. Organized crime must be dealt with in the same way as terror."

Other data released today by the police shows that violence among youth has further increased in the past year. In 2005, the number of youth caught in possession of knives went up 60%. "We have declared war on the stabbing phenomenon," Karadi said. "But the treatment of (violent) youth has to be multi-institutional. (This) includes the police as well as the home and the educational system."

The Department of Traffic reported a 14% decrease in car accidents on Israeli roads. Likewise, there was a 10% decrease in the number of fatal accidents. 397 people were killed in car accidents in 2005 as opposed to 471 in 2004. Inspector-General Karadi added that in 2006, the police plan to fight governmental corruption and the penetration of organized crime into government offices.

Co-sponsored by some 90 other states, the resolution rejects Holocaust denial and encourages countries to develop educational programs about the horrors of genocide. It also condemns religious intolerance, incitement, harassment, or violence based on ethnic origin or religious belief.

Assembly President Jan Eliasson said the memory of the Holocaust must be "a unifying historic warning around which we must rally; not only to recall the grievous crimes committed in human history, but also to reaffirm our unfaltering resolve to prevent the recurrence of such crimes."

Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman said the Holocaust "brought us face to face with the full extent of man's capacity for inhumanity to his fellow man," and that it served as a "critical impetus" for the development of human rights, the drafting of landmark international conventions on genocide, and the founding of the UN itself.

"Israel is a superpower in the technology and computer fields and I believe that this stems from both Jewish tradition and the Jewish history of a small people whose only resource for many generations was human capital and brainpower.   The absence of other physical resources both as the Jewish People was in the Diaspora and during its return to its homeland has caused the accelerated development of human capital as an alternative."

The two men jointly announced a new national plan to reduce the digital gap in Israel, under the aegis of Prime Minister Sharon.  The plan is the initiative of Microsoft and will be jointly undertaken by public sector companies and the private sector.

"One of the big marketing firms has ordered 10,000 units," Dahan told MA’ARIV. "There is also interest abroad, and the bulk of the product is intended to be sold in the United States and Europe."

The Prison Service plans to mass produce the pads and give all prisoners involved in the enterprise a share of the profits, Ma’ariv reported.

ANTIBIOTICS AND FIRST AID
EQUIPMENT SENT TO AID FLOOD VICTIMS IN INDIA (8/8)
The SPOKESMAN FOR ISRAEL’S FOREIGN MINISTRY has announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, IDF Chief Medical Officer, Latet ("To Give") Organization, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Rafa Laboratories have combined forces to offer assistance to the flood victims in Maharashtra, India, and are sending antibiotics and first aid equipment to the stricken region.

The Deputy Director General for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Amos Nadai, commented on the response of Israeli companies:
"The sincere response of non-profit organizations and private companies in Israel demonstrates the affinity that Israelis feel towards the citizens of India. The generous contributions coordinated by the Foreign Ministry will be of great assistance to the flood victims in western India, and will contribute also to the already warm relations between our two countries."

The total aid package, estimated at NIS220 thousand, includes tablets against nausea and vomiting, pain medication for children and adults, first aid kits, penicillin, and antibiotics. The aid is in answer to the appeal by the Maharashtra Government, following the floods that struck the region, claiming more than a thousand lives and leaving thousands more homeless.

All of the medicines and equipment were flown by El-Al on August 8, directly to Bombay, capital of Maharashtra, and arrived at their destination that evening.

Consul General of Israel in New York Aryeh Mekel met with NBA Commissioner David Stern who gave the initiative the green light. In a bid to promote the project, a meeting was held last week between a senior NBA vice president and Fran Oppenheim, a representative for The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations that is sponsoring the trip.

Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Israeli Consulate in New York Ido Aharoni said the possibility of incorporating the visit with the Peres Center for Peace's sports project was also being weighed.

ARAB ISRAELI WINS MACCABIAH GOLD (7/11)
An Israeli Arab teenage girl from the town of Sakhnin became one of the first medallists in this year's Maccabiah Games with a victory in the women's 200-meter breastroke in the Wingate Institute pool, YNET reported. Halaj Shahada, proud father of Asala, 17, said there would be celebrations in Sakhnin following her gold medal win. "The Maccabiah belongs not only to all the Jews, but also to all the Israelis, and I am a proud Israeli," Asala said.

The Maccabiah, often called the "Jewish Olympics," are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, and to all Israeli citizens - regardless of their religion. Asala Shahada's gold medal is another accomplishment in a chain of Arab sporting successes in Israel.

Today about 5.28 million Jews live in the United States, while 5.235 million live in Israel. Israel is the only country in the world expected to see significant growth in the size of its Jewish population, while all other communities in the world are expected to shrink or remain stable.

The Jerusalem-based institute predicts that there will be 6.25 million Jews in Israel in 2020, compared to 5.25 million today. In North America the number of Jews is expected to remain stable, at about 5.5 million. The number of Jews in Europe is expected to drop from 1.25 million to 1 million.

WORLD ATHLETES ARRIVE IN ISRAEL FOR MACCADIAH GAMES (7/5)
Over 7,000 sports men and women from 55 countries will participate in the 17th Maccabiah Games, which will take place July 11-21, ISRAEL21C reported. The events - a.k.a. ‘the Jewish Olympics’ - take place every four years and features the best Jewish athletes from all over the world. The opening ceremonies will take place at Ramat Gan's National Stadium.

The Maccabiah Games have been a quadrennial event since 1957, and the games are now ranked among the five largest sports gatherings in the world.

One of this year's top draws will be Olympic backstroke champion Lenny Krayzelburg. The triple-gold medallist from the 2000 Sydney Olympics has been named the honorary captain of the American team. The American delegation arrived in Israel just before July 4, and Lindsey Durlacher, 29, who won the U.S. national championship in Greco-Roman wrestling two weeks ago, had the honor to carry the flag off of the plane.

Leading the Israeli delegation will be Olympian pole vaulter Alex Averbukh and judoka Arik Ze'evi.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY
ANGLICAN DECISION ON DIVESTMENT IS "ONE-SIDED" (6/27)
In response to the above story, the ECUMENICAL NEWS INTERNATIONAL service reports that Israeli officials have condemned as "one-sided" a decision by an international Anglican body supporting divestment from companies believed to help Israel maintain its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Anglican Consultative Council voted unanimously for the resolution which calls on all its 38 national and regional churches to ensure that they do not invest in companies that support Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and Jewish settlement activity there.

ISRAEL TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO SUBMARINE DRILL (6/20)
Israel will take part for the first time in a naval NATO exercise due to begin on Friday in the Gulf of Taranto in Italy, HA'ARETZ reported. Frogmen, scuba divers and Israeli navy doctors will participate in a four-week submarine escape and rescue exercise together with forces from 10 NATO nations, including Russia and Ukraine.

"The NATO exercise Sorbet Royal 2005 is the largest and most challenging live submarine escape and rescue exercise ever conducted," according to NATO reports. "It will test international submarine escape and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures to cope with the most extreme submarine rescue missions and will involve ships, aircraft and submarines from 10 nations."

The Israeli contingent observing the drill, which is leaving for Italy this morning, will be headed by Brigadier General Noam Feig, head of naval operations, and submarine commander Colonel Yoni Vart. The Israeli team participating in the drill is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Oded Gur-Lavi.

ISRAELI PILOT SAVED
PASSENGER IN NEW YORK HELICOPTER CRASH (6/16)
An Israeli man who saved a British woman from drowning after the tourist helicopter he was piloting crashed in New York City's East River was praised by Israel and by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg today, YNET reported. Yossi Ben-Bassat, 51, who served as a helicopter pilot in the IDF for 23 years, said the sightseeing chopper he had flown over Manhattan on Tuesday plunged into the water after he lost control of it, most likely because of strong winds. One of the six passengers, British tourist, Karen Butler fell into the water and was later found to have sustained a serious head injury. Ben-Bassat dived into the water and found the women within seconds. Pulling Butler by the hair, he pulled her out of the river. The New York Coast Guard then rescued the passengers and helped evacuate them to a hospital.

Mayor Bloomberg later told reporters that Ben-Bassat was to be commended. "The pilot encountered a malfunction in the aircraft, and helped save the passengers," he said. "When the tourists return to their countries they'll have stories to tell."

ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR GILLERMAN
BECOMES VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (6/15)
Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, was unanimously elected Monday as the new vice president of the UN General Assembly, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. This is the second time that an Israeli envoy has been elected to a position of this rank. The post was previously held by legendary Israeli diplomat Abba Eban, who assumed the role in the early 1950s.

Gillerman was the candidate of the Western nations, a bloc containing some 30 states, including members of the European Union, Canada, Australia and the United States.

"This is an important and historical moment for the State of Israel, both in essence and in timing," said Gillerman of his election Monday.

The vice president is responsible for running General Assembly discussions in the president's absence, and he is a member of the committee that decides on the assembly's daily agenda.

SYRIAN ATHLETES REJECT CERTIFICATES CARRYING ISRAELI FLAG (6/14)
The SYRIAN NEWS AGENCY reported that Syrian athletes participating in the international kick-boxing competition that was held Monday in Mersin, Turkey, refused to accept the Turkish certificates of participation because they showed the Israeli flag.

In a statement to the press Tuesday, the head of the Syrian team said "the team refused those certificates since they carry the Israeli flag." The Syrian team was later given new certificates that carried only the Syrian and the Turkish flags.

ISRAELI EXPORTS TO IRAQ TO REACH ALMOST $1 MILLION (6/2)
By the end of this year, Israel should have exported about $1 million-worth of goods to Iraq, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. According to statistics published Wednesday by the Israel Export Institute, there is an overall increase of 8.3 percent in Israeli exports to Arab states (totaling $42 million) in the first quarter of 2005, compared with last year's figures for the same period.

However, exports to most Arab countries are still much lower in comparison with pre-Palestinian violence levels. In 1998, Israel exported $108 million worth of clothes, chemicals and plastic materials, mechanical equipment, food and agricultural products to Arab countries from the United Arab Emirates to as far as Morocco. About a quarter of those exports - $26 million - went to Jordan.

In the first quarter of 2005, Israel trucked $29 million of goods to Jordan. That amount accounts for a large portion of the total $42 million worth of goods bound for Arab countries in that period.

ISRAEL JOINS NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY (5/31)
The JERUSALEM POST has reported that Israel was voted in a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday, after previously only enjoying monitor status. The decision was made during the spring session of the organization being held this week in Ljubjana, Slovenia.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from 14 member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, and is a forum for international parliamentary dialogue.

The life expectancy rate of Israeli men is among the highest of all developed countries and stands just one year behind Japan’s, which holds the highest life expectancy rate in the world. However, the life expectancy rate for Israeli women remains four years lower than Japan’s and places Israel 18^th in the world in that category.

Also, the life expectancy rate among Jews is higher than that of the Arab population: Jewish males live an average of three years longer than Arab males, while Jewish women live four years longer than Arab women, on average.

On the local front, statistics show that Bat Yam, Givatayim, Ramaat Gan and Haifa hold the highest percentage of elderly people in the country; all in all, some 670,000 elderly people lived in Israel in 2003, representing 9.9 percent of the population.

Statistics show that 77 percent of the country’s elders have expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Elderly folks visit the doctor about 15 times a year on average, compared with only seven visits made by the general population, the data shows.

ON INDEPENDENCE DAY EVE, ISRAEL’S POPULATION IS 6.9 MILLION (5/10)
On the eve of Israel's 57th Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that the country's total population stood at 6.9 million people, YNET reported. About 5,260,000 Jews currently live in Israel, representing 76 percent of the total population, while 1,350,000 Arabs make for some 20 percent of the population. The rest of Israel's population, approximately 290,000 individuals, is mostly composed of new immigrants not recognized as Jewish by the Interior Ministry.

Israel's population today is 8.5 times larger than it was at the time of the state's establishment when it included 806,000 people.

Since last year, 149,000 babies were born in the country and about 26,000 new immigrants have arrived. About 9,500 newcomers came from Russia and former Soviet states, while 4,400 arrived from Ethiopia.

Several Israeli films have won prizes at Tribeca, such as the documentary Arna's Children in 2004 and the feature Yossi & Jagger in 2003.

ISRAEL HOPES NEW POPE WILL FIGHT ANTISEMITISM (4/20)
Israel has expressed the hope that Pope Benedict XVI - the former Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger, elected Tuesday as the 265th pontiff - will be committed to fighting antisemitism, HA'ARETZ reported.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom welcomed the election of Ratzinger as the new leader of the world's Roman Catholics. A Foreign Ministry statement read: "The foreign minister expresses his hope that this pope, considering his historical experience, will be especially committed to an uncompromising fight against antisemitism."

Ratzinger, born in Bavaria, Germany, on April 16th, 1927, was a boy when Nazi leader Adolf Hitler came to power. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was widely hailed in Israel for his millennium pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Israel in 1994.

PM SHARON: JOHN PAUL II WAS A FRIEND OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE (4/4)
Pope John Paul II was "a man of peace, a friend of the Jewish people," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday, as he offered the country's condolences on the pope's death to the Catholic community both in Israel and abroad, HA'ARETZ reported. "The world lost yesterday one the most important leaders of our times, whose contribution to bringing people together, uniting nations, and to understanding and tolerance will accompany us for many years," Sharon said.

President Moshe Katsav offered a similar tribute, saying: "The pope bravely put an end to historic injustice by officially rejecting prejudices and accusations against Jews."

Over the course of his papacy, John Paul II revolutionized the Vatican's relationship with both Israel and the Jewish people.

This is the second year Sotheby's has included Israeli artwork in its international art auction. Meanwhile, Israeli art is slowly breaking new grounds in New York, with several pieces currently being presented in a contemporary exhibit at the Chelsea Art Museum and the Armory Show near the Hudson River.

PRESIDENT KATSAV CUTS RIBBON AT NEW HOLOCAUST MUSEUM (3/15)
President Moshe Katsav cut the ribbon at the new Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem today and former chief rabbi Israel Meir Lau affixed a mezuzah to its doorpost just a few hours before the museum's state inauguration ceremony, HA'ARETZ reported. Leaders and dignitaries from some 40 countries are in Israel for the event. "This is a moment of commemoration for the six million murdered by Nazi Germany," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said in Jerusalem. "Of course Germany is my country so it's also a historical and moral responsibility to never forget what happened and the responsibility of my country for the Shoah," he added, using the Hebrew word for Holocaust.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, representing the United States, told reporters, "Freedom is something we constantly have to fight for and if we ever compromise our standards, we see just how far it goes."

To give a human dimension to Holocaust statistics, some 90 personal stories are woven into the museum's displays, which also feature some 280 works of art.

FM SHALOM INAUGURATES BEN-GURION PARK IN MEXICO (3/14)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom praised relations between Mexico and Israel on Sunday while inaugurating a park in Central Mexico named after Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, HA'ARETZ reported. Shalom attended the opening of the David Ben-Gurion Park in Pachuca, the capital of Hidalgo state, 60 miles north of Mexico City. Hidalgo’s government, as well as the Jewish community in Mexico, financed the park.

In comparison, Germans spend 20 percent less time than Israelis at their work place; the French 16 percent less; Norwegians, some 30 percent less.

However, the TAU researchers also showed that productivity in Israel is far lower than that in other countries surveyed. Productivity - measured as output per hour of labor - in Germany is 26 percent higher than in Israel. In the United States, it is 20 percent higher.

SIGNATURE AUTHENTICATION MADE EASY (2/27)
Wondernet, a small Israeli company, has developed Penflow -- a unique, secure and cost-effective method for authenticating hand-written signatures.   Convenient to use, it has substantially reduced fraud and forgeries in the institutions and industries where it is used.

As ISRAEL 21c has pointed out, banks are primary users of this system. With it, an entire banking chain, rather than one branch, has access to a customer's legitimate signature.  The customer signs on a signature tablet and the bank's central computer will verify that signature immediately.

Government agencies, military industries, and communications companies also find the signature verification system of considerable value.

DELIVERANCE FROM DRY MOUTH ON THE WAY (2/27)
Chronic dry mouth -- called xerostomia -- is a problem for many people; they suffer increased tooth decay, difficulty in eating, disturbed sleep and more.  Autoimmune diseases and a variety of medications can cause it.

According to ISRAEL21c, now a treatment has been developed that stimulates the salivary glands.  A device called the GenNarino has been developed at Israel's Assuta Medical Centers in Tel Aviv as part of a project known as Saliwell.   The device, which can be set comfortably into the mouth, applies gentle electronic stimulation to the nerves that lead to the salivary glands.

Trials in three hospitals show that it indeed does work and that users are well satisfied with results.  In fact, the nerve stimulation sometimes also reduces dry eyes, which accompany dry mouth in certain syndromes.

Palatucci served as a commissioner for foreigners in the northern Italian town of Fiume - now part of Croatia - and worked to prevent implementation of Mussolini's racial laws. He foiled German plans to deport Jews in 1939 by issuing them permits to remain in Italy, and providing them with food, shelter and money.

Koehler, speaking in Hebrew, said he was "grateful" and "deeply moved" to have been invited to address the Knesset in Jerusalem. He then continued his speech in German, detailing the ties between the countries.

"Germany will always stand by Israel and its people," he said in a gentle voice that shook when he spoke about the victims of the Holocaust. He said Germany would ensure that Israel can "live within internationally recognized borders, free of fear and terror."

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said the occasion was "not easy" for many members of Knesset. He termed the relations between the countries as "complicated, warm, and close." The German president noted that there could never be "normality" in ties between the two countries.

The visit by Koehler comes only a week after the 60th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where Kohler took part in the ceremonies.

CHANOCH NISSANI
BECOMES FIRST ISRAELI FORMULA ONE DRIVER (2/2)
The motor-racing Formula One team Minardi has appointed an Israeli as their official test driver for the 2005 season, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Forty-one-year-old Chanoch Nissani, is the first Israeli to be hired by a team running in the international and ultra-competitive F1 championship. Based in Budapest, Nissani only started his driving career in 2002, competing in Hungarian domestic championships and winning the domestic F2000 titles in 2003 and 2004 before branching out into the F3000 international series.

The Israeli has had four tests with F1 teams - two with Jordan and two with Minardi - before landing the Minardi post.

"This is a genuinely historic moment and we are immensely proud to be signing the first ever Israeli test driver in Formula One and we look forward to enhancing it as a sport in Israel," Minardi's Australian owner Paul Stoddart said.

Nissani said he realized his signing was only the first small foray for Israel into F1. "From the Israeli viewpoint I hope this will be a breakthrough for the young generation who I'm sure will go much further than me in the sport," he said.

ISRAEL EMBARKS ON LONG TERM TSUNAMI AID CAMPAIGN (1/31)
President Moshe Katsav has called on all Israeli citizens to join in the campaign for long-term humanitarian aid for the victims of the tsunami disaster, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. At a ceremony at Beit Hanassi on Sunday, Katsav urged all Israelis to contribute to the Israel National Emergency Coalition's nationwide fundraising drive, which is to be launched on Tuesday.

"We are obligated to fulfill this humanitarian mission and in doing so, demonstrate that we are indeed a light unto the nations," Katsav said. "We, the children of the Jewish people who have witnessed so many hardships in our own history, do not have the right to deny assistance when we see the recurring scenes of tragedy that are the outcome of the tsunami disaster," Katsav stressed. He expressed pride in the fact that so many Israeli institutions, organizations and individuals had instantly undertaken to help on the first day of the calamity, which has claimed close to 300,000 lives.

Katsav stressed that, "At this place, the Nazis carried out their non-stop industry of genocide. The industry of killing the Jewish people in Europe. And then the Jewish people rose from the ashes and returned home [in Israel]."

"We are a proud and determined people, looking forward in hope and faith. Our strong ties with nations whose leaders stand here today, provide some sort of comfort and security," Katsav concluded.

WIESEL ADDRESSES UN SPECIAL SESSION (1/25)
Sixty years after the liberation of Auschwitz, an historic special session commemorating the victims of the Holocaust took place at the UN General Assembly in New York Monday, HA'ARETZ reported. Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Laureate, was the keynote speaker at the event - a rare appearance by a non-statesman or diplomat at the podium of the body that was created on the ashes of World War II. "If the world had listened, we may have prevented Darfur, Cambodia, Bosnia and naturally Rwanda," Wiesel said. "We know that for the dead it is too late. For them, abandoned by God and betrayed by humanity, victory did come much too late. But it is not too late for today's children, ours and yours. It is for their sake alone that we bear witness." He ended his poignant speech with a dramatic moment, a silent stare out at the diplomats and TV cameras watching, and then asked, "But will the world ever learn?"

Wiesel's speech was one of the highlights of the special session that was initiated by Israel, promoted by the United States and energetically undertaken by Secretary General Kofi Annan as an important event meant to remember "the Jews and others" who were murdered at Auschwitz and throughout Europe during the Nazi reign of terror.

The special all-day session was to be attended by the representatives of 30 senior UN members and leading intellectuals. Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom represented Israel, while U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was there on behalf of the United States.

Among the speakers were U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos and Nobel Peace Prize winner Eli Wiesel, both Holocaust survivors.

The climax of the session was a cantor chanting the Hebrew mourning prayer "El Malei Rachamim" - the first time a Jewish prayer was uttered in the General Assembly. The cantor also sang Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah."

In an extraordinary step, Annan called a special press conference together with General Assembly President Jean Ping from Gabon and Israel's UN ambassador, Dan Gillerman. The press conference was viewed as a special effort on Annan's part to stress the importance of the General Assembly session and the reason for holding it, "since the United Nations was founded as the world was learning the full horror of the camps."

On Monday evening a special two-part exhibit entitled "Auschwitz - the Depth of the Abyss," sponsored by the Foreign Ministry and curated by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem, opened in the visitors' lobby of the UN headquarters. The first part of the exhibit, presents photos from the Auschwitz Album taken by SS personnel and representing the only surviving visual evidence of the process of the mass murders at the death camp. The other part of the exhibit is a series drawings by Ukrainian artist Zinovii Tolkatchev, who painted scenes from the Majdanek extermination camp in the fall of 1944 as the official artist of the Russian Army.

The curriculum offers a comprehensive overview of the current conflict in Israel, background information to understand Palestinian propaganda and media bias, and the means to explain Israel's policy.

The plane landed in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday, January 10, where equipment for emergency food kitchens donated by the National Council for Voluntarism, Koah Latet, and the United Kibbutz Movement. The kitchens will provide hot meals for some 5,000 people a day. In addition, these organizations and Magen David Adom contributed medical equipment to set up a clinic.

From Colombo the plane continued to Indonesia, where 75 tons of equipment for the victims of the tsunami disaster were unloaded. The cargo included 16 tons of baby food donated by Remedia and Materna, 30 tons of rice, flour, water, sugar and grains donated by the National Council for Voluntarism, Koah Latet, as well as the Sugat and Osem Israeli food manufacturers, five tons of plastic sheeting donated by Hovav Plastica and Haogenplast, and 20 tons of medicines produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals, donated through the Latet organization. In addition, Israeli manufacturer Netafim donated a water purification system valued at $20,000. An additional system was funded through donations from the Ted Arison Family Foundation and the Shira Hadasha congregation in Jerusalem.

WESTERN WALL IS MOST VISITED TOURIST SITE IN ISRAEL (1/12)
A survey conducted by the Geocartographic Institute on behalf of the Tourism Ministry revealed today that the Western Wall is still the most visited site by foreign tourists in Israel, HA'ARETZ reported. The findings are based on tourist visits during the first half of 2004. According to the survey, 53 percent of all tourists visited the Western Wall in the first half of 2004. The second most visited site was the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. Old Jaffa came third, followed by the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Christian Quarter, the Via Dolorosa, the Tower of David, Massada, and Caesarea.

The poll also reveals that 75 percent of tourists visited Israel independently, while 13 percent came on organized tours. Eighty percent of tourists said their trip to Israel was very good, or excellent. On a scale of 1 to 5, the average score for overall satisfaction from a trip to Israel stood at 4.2. Ninety-five percent of tourists said they would encourage their friends to visit Israel, and 73 percent said they had no security concerns during their visit there.

IsraAID SETS UP RELIEF CAMP IN SRI LANKA (1/11)
A group of Israelis from IsraAID, a coordinating body of Jewish organizations worldwide and non-governmental organizations based in Israel, arrived in Sri Lanka late Monday night to set up a relief camp, as part of the Israel Campaign For Southeast Asia Disaster, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Members of IsraAID's 15-person team are identifiable by their t-shirts sporting the words "Israel Relief Force." The shirts have attracted a good deal of positive attention from local Sri Lankans, who have rushed to volunteer their services, according to Gal Lousky, an IsraAID coordinator.

The group's plan involves three main components: a field kitchen manned by local cooks, a field infirmary, and an area for orphaned and lost children to receive the care and attention they need. Lousky said the group's concept was unique in that no other organization in Sri Lanka was involved in covering every single aspect of the relief effort. IsraAID is collecting donations, sending people, and cooking food all by itself. She said that the efforts would focus mainly on the children's welfare, and getting 5,000 people fed per day.

The funding for the campaign is being provided by Israelis, and European and American Jewish communities.

TOURISTS RANK ISRAEL 4.2 OUT 0F 5 (1/9)
Israel’s MINISTRY OF TOURISM SPOKESPERSON has announced that, according to a Ministry of Tourism-sponsored survey, foreign visitors were satisfied with their stay in Israel. Eighty per cent describe their stay in the country as "very good" or "excellent".

Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra says the survey proves that Israel is an attractive destination for travelers and that tourism is the fastest growing sector of the economy.

Interestingly, 80 per cent of visitors from Britain described their visit as "excellent" or "very good" according to a new survey conducted by the firm Geocartographia during the first half of 2004. This followed a recent survey by the UK Daily Telegraph that showed Britons have a largely negative opinion of Israel. Statistics were compiled from a sample of 1769 British visitors.

Thirty-six per cent of British respondents stated their visit was "excellent", 44 per cent said it was "very good", 17 per cent described their experience as "good" and three per cent called it "reasonable" or "poor". In 2004, 140,000 tourists arrived from the United Kingdom, a 44 per cent rise over 2003.

In total, 14,000 tourists from around the world participated in the survey. Eight per cent of all tourists also described their visit to Israel as either "excellent" or "very good" and on average, assigned their satisfaction a value of 4.2 out of 5.

The survey reveals that 73 per cent of all tourists were not concerned about traveling to Israel and 95 per cent of them would encourage their friends to also visit the country.

ISRAELIS SEND TONS OF FOOD TO DISASTER ZONE (1/5)
The JERUSALEM POST reports that Israelis have come out in full force for a four-day, nationwide campaign at supermarkets to collect food to be sent to the tsunami disaster zone in south Asia.

The mobilization, which began on Monday [January 3], was organized by Magen David Adom (MDA) with backing by MDA's American support organization ARMDI (American Red Magen David for Israel). At the end of the first day, MDA reported that the Israeli public in both Jewish and Arab sectors donated 2.5 tons of flour, 4 tons of rice, 920 liters [about 972 quarts] of oil, 2.5 tons of sugar, 1.5 tons of plain pasta, 39,000 liters [about 41, 211 quarts] of mineral water, 900 kilograms [about 1,984 pounds] of dried beans, and 700 kilograms [about 1,543 pounds] of jams and conserves.

"We had initially chosen just two days for the food drive, but the response has been so incredible that we've decided to extend it for another two days and ship the goods on Friday [January 7] from Ashdod port", said Israeli Magen David Adom's international director, Yoni Yagodovsky.

Working closely with the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent, more than 4,000 MDA workers and volunteers stood outside the supermarkets and shopping malls collecting the food.

Aaron Goldberg, the associate director of the Hillel Jewish campus organization's Israel department, said many American universities made it hard for Jewish students who wanted to study here. He said universities were concerned about providing insurance coverage for students living in Israel, but that pressure from Jewish student groups had helped several universities revise such policies.

PROPOSED ISRAELI LAW
WOULD PREVENT MODELS FROM BEING UNDERWEIGHT (1/2/05)
Adi Barkan, Israeli fashion photographer and owner of the Barkan Modeling Agency in Tel Aviv, has joined forces with Member of Knesset Inbal Gavrieli to keep young women healthy.  Recognizing that a trend towards underweight models - who foster the notion in adolescent girls that skinny is beautiful - is linked to bulimia and anorexia, have introduced a bill to the Knesset.  It would require that models undergo health examinations, and have their BMI (body mass index) checked before entering the modeling profession. It seems to be the first bill of its kind in the world.

ISRAEL SENDS AID TO THAILAND, SRI LANKA (12/28)
As the world is preparing what United Nation's officials titled "the most expensive aid relief mission" for 10 Southeast Asia countries, Israel is sending several delegations to Sri Lanka and Thailand, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. India, unlike Thailand and Sri Lanka, has not requested any Israeli assistance.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom said an immediate decision to send $100,000 worth of food and medical supplies had been made. Israel will ship10 tons of relief aid to Sri Lanka. The Health Ministry dispatched an Israeli medical mission to Thailand on Monday. Headed by associate director-general Boaz Lev, it includes five physicians and four nurses from Ichilov, Ha'emek, Beilinson and Kaplan hospitals. Israel dispatched a 15-person medical team, including nine army doctors, to Phuket, Thailand, Monday night to assist rescue operations.

HUNDREDS OF ISRAELIS MISSING
IN SOUTHWEST ASIA FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE DISASTER (12/27)
With a the death toll from Sunday's earthquake in Southeast Asia reaching an estimated 23,000, Foreign Ministry officials said today that while 450 Israelis in the region had so far been contacted, hundreds were still missing, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Between 7 and 14 Israelis are known to have been injured in the aftermath of the natural disaster. The missing list includes 160 Israelis on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal; 270 in southern Thailand; 60 in Sri Lanka and around 50 people in southern India.

Foreign Ministry officials and doctors flew to Southeast Asia today to search for missing Israeli tourists and provide assistance to countries struck by the massive earthquake and tidal waves. Israeli army doctors are to offer medical assistance in Thailand and Sri Lanka, and army teams will look for missing Israelis in southern India. Foreign Ministry Director-General Ron Prosor said that Israel would dispatch $100,000 worth of medicine and food to Thailand and India. In addition, a Foreign Ministry delegation including three top doctors from the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and an officer from the Home Front Command departed for the area to provide emergency assistance.

Ciechanover, 57, Hershko, 67 - the first Israelis to win the prestigious chemistry prize - along with Irwin Rose, 78, were honored by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for their work in the 1980s that discovered one of the cell's most important cyclical processes, regulated protein degradation. The three scientists will share the prize of $1.25 million.

Ciechanover, Hershko and Rose found that proteins that could cause disease are "labeled" for destruction with a molecule called ubiquitin that dispatches them to the body's "waste disposal" units, called proteasomes. The marked proteins are then chopped to pieces. When such degradation fails to work correctly, the result can be diseases like cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis. Lars Thelander of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry said the trio's work was highly relevant for cancer research.

Ciechanover said it had already "led to development of numerous drugs for degenerative diseases and malignancies that big pharmaceutical companies are busy working on."

ISRAEL MAY BE PART OF WIDER EUROPE (12/10)
The European Union said Thursday Israel was among seven nations that would be part of its new European Neighborhood policy, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Israel has pointed out it had not formally agreed to the EU's "action plan" for membership as yet. The program offers free access to goods, services, people and capital to countries neighboring the European Union in exchange for economic and political reform on a country-by-country basis.

Israel has been negotiating its terms of entrance for months, with the talks stuck for weeks on one section dealing with weapons of mass destruction. A Foreign Minister spokesman said that Israel would have to decide on whether to accept the plan before Minister of Foreign Silvan Shalom attends the Israel-EU Association Council meeting next Monday where the plan will be brought for approval.

UN RECOGNIZES ANTI-SEMITISM (11/23)
The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution that calls for "Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance," such as Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Christianophobia, MA'ARIV reported. Last year, Israel was compelled to abstain from voting in favor of a similar resolution that failed to refer to anti-Semitism, despite the alarming rise in incidents of anti-Semitism around the globe. This year's resolution was adopted with specific mention of anti-Semitism, despite the efforts of the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) to remove or amend references to anti-Semitism in the text.

NATO INVITES ISRAEL FOR JOINT EXERCISES (11/17)
Israel has received an unprecedented invitation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to take part in a series of multinational military exercises and anti-terror maneuvers, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. As part of NATO's efforts to rejuvenate the decade-old Mediterranean Dialogue program, members from Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania and Jordan have been attending a two-day NATO meeting in Brussels since Tuesday. It is the first time the aforementioned countries take part in a NATO project. NATO is hoping to receive assistance with its counter-terror patrols monitoring shipping in the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, while on an official visit to Poland, Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz invited today Poland's Minister of Interior Ryszard Klisz to send a delegation to Israel to study the steps and technologies used by the Israel Defense Forces to secure Israel's borders, including the security fence separating the West Bank from Israel. Mofaz's offer came during a meeting with Klisz who stressed the importance of securing his country's eastern border and setting up border control checkpoints and 30 control centers, which he described as necessary steps Poland must take in light of its recent acceptance as a member of the European Union. Earlier today, Mofaz signed a memorandum with Jerzy Hausner the Polish Minister of Finance, to enhance industrial ties between the two countries. At an official ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday, Mofaz handed over to his Polish counterpart the first of 2765 Israeli-made Spike LR antitank rockets Poland has purchased for its army over a 10-year period.

ISRAEL HAS HIGHEST BIRTH RATE IN WEST (11/17)
A report on the status of women in Israel in 2004 presented recently by the Israel Women's Network to the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women indicates that Israeli women have the highest average number of children in the Western world, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The Israeli average is 2.89 compared to 2.5 in Turkey and 2 in the United States. Of mothers in Israel, some 97,000 are single parents, and 64 percent of them are Jewish. Single mothers head 10 percent of families in Israel compared to 17 percent in other Western countries.

Women represent 50.7 percent of Israel's population, meaning that for every 100 men there are 103 women, whereas in the world at large there are 99 women for every 100 men.

In the comparative study conducted by BDI, the company compared the Israeli monetary loss to the Palestinian Authority's over the same period. It showed that the economic damage to the PA came to approximately US $4.5 billion.

BDI explained that relative to the per capita gross domestic product, damage to the Palestinians was three times that of the average Israeli. The statistics revealed that the Palestinian GDP per capita dropped by some 30 percent.

However, when taking into account the respective economies' potential growth over the four-year period, it was the Israelis who took the harder knock with the current per capita GDP of US $16,700 ­ 11 percent lower than the previously forecast level of US $18,500. The loss of potential growth incurred by the Palestinians was US $1,200.

Besides the monetary loss, BDI said the Palestinian violence has had a further marked effect on Israeli business. The business-risk rating is 33 percent higher in October 2004 than it was before the outbreak of terror in 2000, when the country's rating was in line with the global average.

NEW ULTRA-MODERN AIRPORT TERMINAL INAUGURATED (10/29)
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon inaugurated Ben-Gurion Airport's newest international terminal, Terminal 3, on Thursday, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. "Even as this country still battles its enemies, we are striving for modernity and a better future," Sharon said, addressing hundreds of guests and dignitaries gathered to mark the completion of the country's most sophisticated infrastructure project. Conceived in 1994 under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Terminal 3, better known as Ben-Gurion 2000, was supposed to harness the economic boom of the mid-'90s and the region's peaceful avenue. Due to a series of delays and obstacles, Ben-Gurion 2000 quickly became synonymous with the slow and often-costly progress of modern infrastructure.

Full operation will begin Tuesday afternoon when an El Al flight departs the facility for New York. An hour later, a Swiss Airlines flight will be the first foreign carrier to arrive at the terminal. At a cost of $1 billion, Terminal 3 is for all purposes a new airport. The old terminal will cease to function and all non-domestic activities will be relocated to the new terminal's concourses.

Encompassing 270,000 square meters, Terminal 3 offers 133 check-in counters, three concourses, 22 moving sidewalks, all in one of the world's most advanced airport facilities.

ISRAEL REMEMBERS YITZHAK RABIN (10/27)
Israel marked today nine years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Though Rabin was assassinated on November 5th, 1995, today's commemorations take place on the Hebrew date of the assassination. The country's flags were lowered to half-mast at all public institutions. The formal ceremony was held at Rabin's grave on Mt. Herzl at 3 p.m. with President Moshe Katsav and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in attendance. Following the ceremony, the Knesset held a special discussion at 5 p.m.

Dalia Rabin-Pelosoff, Rabin's daughter, called out to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: "Today we are with you and are concerned for your welfare." Referring to the Knesset decision on Tuesday to approve the Gaza Strip disengagement plan, Rabin-Pelosoff noted that, "again we hear the bitter sounds of incitement and threats and curses. The rabbis have not changed their ways, and again Pulsa Dnura curses are in the air. The horror is still lurking out there with the handwriting in blood written on the wall."

Sharon recalled his memories from the night of the assassination and paid respect to Rabin's devotion and unwavering loyalty to the State of Israel. "We walked a long path together, Yitzhak and I, dedicated and loyal to the protection of the State of Israel," Sharon said. "The darkness of that night has not left us and will never expire since the most unbelievable and unimaginable has happened."

Yishai Shorek, head of the Israel-Jordan chambers of commerce, said, "There is no doubt the economic ties between the countries are very beneficial to both. These are stable ties that are constantly being developed."

One of the most notable achievements of the peace accord is the development of the industrial park where several dozen Israeli and Jordanian companies cooperate and export to the United States without tariffs. These companies are said to be a great boost to the Jordanian economy.

The major obstacle to bilateral ties remains the Palestinian question. Many Jordanians fear that Palestinians might be tempted to cross the border to settle in Jordan.

A mass demonstration by those opposed to normalization took place in Amman today, reflecting the extent of the opposition to a rapprochement with Israel.

Igor Leib of Moscow underwent tests and assessment at Hadassah's trauma and surgical departments after being flown to Israel. Leib and his mother, Zoya Budman, were five meters from the terrorist when the bomb exploded.

Hadassah Medical Organization deputy director-general Prof. Shmuel Shapira said Hadassah was happy to respond positively to the request by the Moscow Jewish community to help the family, and it was willing to treat other victims of Chechen terror from the attack on the school in Beslan.

MADONNA FEELS SAFE AND WELCOME IN ISRAEL (9/20)
Madonna, who is on a five-day visit in Israel, called today for world peace while speaking at a conference on Kabbalah in Tel Aviv, HA'ARETZ reported. Madonna told fellow conference-goers that she had been hesitant to come to Israel at first, but that "I realize now that it is no more dangerous to be here than it is to be in New York, and I would like to emphasize the fact that I feel very safe and very welcome."

Madonna arrived in Israel on Wednesday to take part in the 2,000-person conference coinciding with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Madonna said the people she met during her trip "have one thing in common - we want to create peace in the world." "We want to put an end to chaos and suffering," she said, "but most of all we want to put an end to hatred with no reason."

Madonna, who recently adopted the Hebrew name Esther and wears a trademark Kabbalah red string on her wrist, has said she is serious about her belief in Jewish mysticism and is irritated by accusations her faith is nothing more than a celebrity fad.

Early Sunday, Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, went to the Kiryat Shaul cemetery outside Tel Aviv to visit the grave of the kabbalist sage Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag.

ISRAELI FILMS WIN AT MONTREAL, VENICE FESTIVALS (9/14)
Three Israeli films won prizes at two recent international film festivals, the Montreal World Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Eran Riklis's 'The Syrian Bride' took the top honor at Montreal, the Grand Prix of the Americas. It also won the Fipresci Prize (a critics' award), the Ecumenical Prize, and the Air Canada People's Choice Award, an award chosen by audience ballot.

The brother-sister directing team Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz took home two prizes from Venice for their film 'To Take a Wife', in which Ronit plays the lead. The pair received the Gan Award of the Public for a film from the International Critics' Week, and the Isvema Award for a film also from the International Critics' Week.

Also in Venice, Amos Gitai's 'Promised Land' won the Emblem of Peace Award. Montreal and Venice are two of the most prestigious and influential film festivals in the world.

POPULATION OF ISRAEL IS 6.8 MILLION (9/14)
On the eve of Rosh Hashana 5765, Central Bureau of Statistics figures indicate there are 6.8 million people living in Israel, MA'ARIV reported. The population is divided between 5.5 million Jews, 81% of the total, and 1.3 million Arabs. Israel also hosts at least 190,000 foreign workers.

According to CBS data, the population's growth rate has dropped and stands at 1.6 percent only, in comparison with 1.8 percent recorded in 5763. During the past year, Israel's population increased by 110,000 people.

The reason for the decline is the lower rate of immigration. Only 22,000 olim chose Israel as their new home in the past year, in comparison with 27,000 during 5763. About half arrived from the CIS, 15 percent from Ethiopia and 9 percent from France.

ISRAEL BEATS CYPRUS 2-1
IN 2006 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH (9/9)
Israel celebrated its first competitive soccer game at home in nearly three years Wednesday with a 2-1 win over Cyprus in their 2006 World Cup qualifying match, HA'ARETZ reported. European soccer governing body UEFA had barred Israel from hosting international games citing security concerns, but lifted the ban earlier this year.

Playing in front of 20,000 fans at the Ramat Gan national stadium, the Cypriots took the lead with a 58th minute strike by Michael Konstantinou. But they conceded an equalizer five minutes later when Israeli forward Yossi Benayoun made an impressive individual run through the defense before putting the ball in the net. Midfielder Walid Badir scored the victory goal in the 71st minute. Israel's victory comes after a 0-0 draw Saturday against the Group 4 favorites, France.

BESLAN SIEGE VICTIMS TO BE FLOWN TO ISRAEL FOR TREATMENT (9/8)
Child survivors of last week's terror attack on a Russian school are to be airlifted to Israel for treatment at facilities specializing in such care, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The children and their mothers will be flown to Israel by the Michael Cherney Fund, which was created after the Dolphinarium suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv, which killed 20 teenagers and wounded over 100 in 2001. The Fund also helped the victims of a May 2002 bombing in south Russia, where 10 children were killed and many more wounded.

Terrorists seized the Beslan school on September 1st, a day after a suicide bombing in Moscow killed 10 people and just over a week after two Russian passenger planes exploded killing all 90 people aboard - two attacks authorities suspect were linked to the war in Chechnya.

The official death toll of the three-day siege, which ended in deadly explosions and gunfire, stood at 335 - 156 of whom children - plus 30 attackers.

EXODUS OF ARABS (9/7)
According to Israel’s news service ARUTZ SHEVA, the Weekly Telegraph in London reports on a "growing exodus" of young, middle-class Arabs in the Palestinian Authority, leaving their homes and moving abroad "to escape from the clutches of the terrorist group Hamas."

In a related item, some 45,000 Arabs from "the territories" - Judea and Samaria - have moved to within pre-1967 Israeli borders in the past four years. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by an Israeli Arab student who is "close" to the situation.

The Telegraph reports that parents in cities such as Hebron, a center of Hamas recruitment for recent "martyrdom" operations, are increasingly fearful of losing their children to the terrorists. For instance, the Al-Jama neighborhood - described in the paper as featuring "large spacious houses, smart cars, and vineyards spread out over undulating hills...a pocket of relative prosperity" - has seen no fewer than 11 of its young men die while carrying out suicide bombings and other attacks against Israelis. Among them were the two who murdered 16 Israelis last week in Beersheva.

The Telegraph reports that dozens of young men are choosing to leave for the United States and France, rather than remain in Hebron and face being "brainwashed" by Hamas.

In other Israeli fuel news, the director general of the Prime Minister's Office, Ilan Cohen, decided on August 5 to advance the construction of a 28-kilometer (17-mile) sea transport system to link the Tethys sea partnership's gas platform to the desalination plant south of Ashkelon, currently in advanced stages of construction. The desalination plant will thus be able to operate by means of natural gas as soon as next year. The use of natural gas is expected to minimize damage to the environment caused by power plants, and will also lead to a reduction in electricity costs.

The Prime Minister's Office reports that in 2002, a natural gas field was discovered off the Ashkelon coast; in 2003, a production platform and natural-gas sea pipeline were built off the Ashkelon coast to transport the gas to Ashdod; and in January 2004, Ashdod's Eshkol gas-fired power plant - which produces approximately 10 percent of Israel's electricity - began operations. The introduction of natural gas for use in Israel has led to savings of approximately US $15 million per annum.

The Israeli electricity sector is expected to complete the transition to natural gas by 2012, when approximately 50 percent of Israel's electricity will be produced by natural gas.

Also today, Roei Yellin qualified for the Men's K1 1,000-meter final, after finishing third in the semifinal. The final will take place next Tuesday.

The non-mainstream end of the festival program also features French trumpeter Erik Truffaz, who mixes modern dance rhythms with drum 'n' bass, hip hop as well as rock 'n' roll, and American trumpeter Russell Gunn, who weaves Cuban, Brazilian and African sentiments with rap and progressive jazz, liberally laced with urban noise.

The festival also provides some homegrown artists a chance to play in front of big audiences, as well as rub shoulders with their better-known counterparts. Musicians such as trombonist Avi Lebovich, guitarist Yottam Silberstein and saxophonist Tevet Sela will be among the Israeli musicians to play during the festival.

In other Olympic news, tennis pair Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich's quest for an Olympic medal came to an end on Wednesday after losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to German pair Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler.

ISRAELI TENNIS PAIR REACHES OLYMPIC QUARTERFINALS (8/18)
Israeli men's tennis doubles pair Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich will play in the quarterfinal of the Athens Olympic Games this evening against the German pair Nicholas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler, HA'ARETZ reported. The Germans upset the No. 2 seeds Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs of Australia 7-6, 6-3. Ram and Erlich advanced to the quarterfinal defeating Russian pair Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday.

Also today, Israel's Pavel Gofman will be among the 24 gymnasts competing in the men's all-round gymnastics final. Gofman reached the 12th place in the qualifying rounds, and is hoping for a similar placing in the finals.

IRANIAN REFUSES TO COMPETE AGAINST ISRAELI AT OLYMPICS (8/16)
Iranian judoka and world champion Arash Mir-Esmaeili refused to face Israeli Ehud Vaks at the Olympic Games on Sunday, preferring to give up his hope for a medal over recognizing Israel, HA'ARETZ reported. The decision was in effect made in Tehran soon after Thursday's lottery of the first-round draw. Iranian fans' disappointment was clear, but Iranian President Mohammed Khatami rushed to praise Mir-Esmaeili, who carried his country's flag in Friday's opening ceremonies. "We recognize this hero's sacrifice. He will go down in Iranian history with honor and pride." As compensation, Tehran will award him $115,000 that had been set aside had he returned with a gold medal.

In an attempt to evade punishment to athletes who opt out for political considerations, Mir-Esmaeili weighed on Sunday morning two kilos over the 66-kg weight limit in his class. The International Olympics Committee declined to comment on the incident. Olympic judo officials are investigating the issue but have reached no conclusions so far.

36 ISRAELI ATHLETES WILL COMPETE IN 2004 OLYMPICS (8/13)
A total of 36 Israeli athletes competing in 15 disciplines will be participating in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, HA'ARETZ reported. Israel Olympic chairman Ephraim Zinger has said that he expects the delegation to bring home three medals, including a first-ever gold.

Judoka Arik Ze'evi will carry the Israeli flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics tonight. Ze'evi, a three-time European champion in the under-100 kilo category, will march at the head of an Israeli delegation that is widely considered the best the country has ever sent to the Games.

Windsurfer Gal Friedman is expected to compete for a gold medal, along with Ze'evi, Greco-Roman wrestler Gocha Tsitsiashvili and pole-vaulter Alex Averbukh. Since it first competed at the Games in Helsinki in 1952, Israel has won a total of four medals.

ISRAELI COMPANIES
PARTICIPATE IN TENDER FOR EUROPEAN SEPARATION FENCE (8/13)
After European representatives launched a campaign against Israel's security fence, and voted against Israel at the UN general assembly, the European Union is now planning a separation fence of its own, GLOBES reported. The EU plans to build a fence to separate its new members - Poland and Hungary - from its new neighbors - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine - to prevent the free movement of immigrants seeking to enter the EU.

Israeli companies that specialize in the construction of warning fences and security systems will participate in tenders to build hundreds of kilometers of fences along the EU's new eastern border. Magal Security Systems is expected to sign a cooperation agreement with a major Western company for building fences as well as command and control systems in Eastern Europe. El-Far Electronics also plans to participate in the tender through a large international partner.

Defense industry sources estimate the potential business at several hundred million dollars. Based on the experience of building Israel's fence, each kilometer of fence costs $1 million to build. Bases, sophisticated transit points, and observation and command and control systems cost $2 million per kilometer.

ISRAEL RANKS 3^RD IN THE WORLD FOR U.S. PATENT FILINGS (8/13)
Israel was ranked third (in terms of ratio of population) in 2003 for the number of U.S. patents filed, behind Japan and Taiwan, GLOBES reported. The number of U.S. patents filed from Israel increased by 69 percent over the previous five years. The top five countries were Japan, with 2.98 U.S. patents per 10,000 people; Taiwan - 2.96; Israel - 2.04; Switzerland - 2.02; and Sweden - 1.92. Germany had 1.5 U.S. patents per 10,000 people; France 0.7; the UK 0.68; and Spain 0.08.

The number of U.S. patents filed from Israel rose by 20 percent in 2003, compared with 2002, despite the recession. 1,265 patents were filed in 2003, compared with 1.042 in 2002, 1,023 in 2001, and 748 in 1999.

The first 20 spots include the European states, North America, Australia and Japan. The last 23 spots are African states. The Arab states are located towards the lower end of the list. Lebanon was ranked 80, Jordan was in the 90th spot, the Palestinian Authority came in at 102, Syria was at 106 and Egypt at 120. Sierra Leone was ranked 177th and last.

ISRAEL WINS COMPUTER CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (7/14)
The JERUSALEM POST reports that an Israeli team, Amir Ban and Shay Bushunsky, has won first prize in the 12^th World Computer Chess Championship. The tournament was held recently at Bar-Ilan University in cooperation with the International Computer Games Association.

In this tournament, which has been held in many cities across the world for the past 30 years, the best computerized chess programs from various countries compete for the title of World Computer Chess Champion.

This is the first time that the Catholic Church has equated anti-Zionism and antisemitism. The statement also includes a stern condemnation of terrorism, particularly terror in the name of faith.

ISRAELI YOUTH GO TO CAMP (7/1)
A total of 1.1 million first to sixth graders began their summer vacation today, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The children joined more than 600,000 high school students who started their holidays just over a week ago. Many of the younger children will spend time in summer camps. The Education Ministry has budgeted NIS 500,000 for camps in Bedouin communities and a further NIS 500,000 for Southern Region communities. In addition, donations from North American communities provided $2 million that will go towards setting up camps in Netanya, Hadera, Sderot, Afula, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the Gilboa Region. An estimated 330,000 children will participate in some 2,600 summer camps, according to the ministry.

ISRAEL TO TRAIN JAPANESE SECURITY GUARDS (6/30)
According to GLOBES, the Academy for Advanced Security and Anti-Terror Training recently signed a contract to train security guards for Teikei Co. Ltd., the Japanese corporation responsible for the security of the Japanese emperor.

The initial contract, signed with executives from the Japanese corporation on a visit to Israel a few days ago, amounts to several hundred thousand dollars. Israel Military Industries sources said, however, that the initial contract is expected to pave the way to future contracts with the corporation, and with other Asian companies, since the Japanese corporation is a leader in the security industry.

Teikei includes twelve companies specializing in various security sub-sectors. It employs 5,000 security personnel, and has a business turnover of $350 million.

The Japanese security guards will arrive for training at the academy in the coming months.

LEGENDARY ISRAELI SONGWRITER NAOMI SHEMER PASSES AWAY (6/28)
Songwriter Naomi Shemer passed away in Tel Aviv on Saturday morning and was laid to rest on Sunday evening at Kibbutz Kinneret on Lake Kinneret, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, reported. Naomi Shemer was one of the most prolific songwriters in Israel and was known for such classics as Yerushalayim Shel Zahav -- Jerusalem of Gold -- written on the eve of the Six Day War, and Lu Yehi -- Let It Be -- written after the Yom Kippur War. Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Shemer composed a song from a translation of Walt Whitman's poem, O Captain, My Captain.

Shemer, who was born on Kibbutz Kinneret 74 years ago, died at Ichilov Hospital after a long illness. Her husband, two children and four grandchildren survive her. Shemer was given the Israel Prize for her work in 1987, and awarded an honorary doctorate by Tel Aviv University three years ago.

Maccabi Haifa, which has won eight championships in the last 20 years and is Israel's most successful club in European competition, was selected as part of the jubilee's "Team Focus."

DESALINATION PLANT OPENS AT KIBBUTZ MAAGAN MICHAEL (6/9)
At Kibbutz Maagan Michael, a new desalination plant was inaugurated today promising to desalinate 8.5 million cubic meters of brackish water annually, GLOBES reported. The desalinated water will be pumped from the aquifer, desalinated, and added to the National Water Carrier of Mekorot National Water Company.

This was the first desalination project in which private investors are selling desalinated water to the National Water Carrier. Minister of National Infrastructure Joseph Paritzky said that the plant was part of a policy to encourage competition in water production, while strengthening Mekorot as a provider of water transportation and reservoir services.

The desalination plant is a partnership between Ionics and Kibbutz Maagan Michael.

YAD VASHEM MARKS FIFTY YEARS (6/9)
Marking fifty years since its founding, Yad Vashem will hold an international cantorial concert tonight under the rubric of 'Remembering the Past, Guaranteeing the Future', HA'ARETZ reported. In addition to favorite cantorial pieces such as Mamaleh, Oseh Shalom and Pithu Li, the concert will also feature the restored works of pieces that were sung by famous cantors, including some who were murdered in the Holocaust. Participating cantors include Yitzhak Meir Helfgot (Miami), Yaakov Motzen (Toronto), Benzion Miller and Israel Rand (New York).

ARAB ISRAELI SOCCER CLUB MAKES HISTORY (5/19)
The soccer team of Bnei Sakhnin made sporting history on Tuesday night when it became the first non-Jewish soccer club to win the State Cup (Israeli soccer championship) by beating Hapoel Haifa 4:1 at the Ramat Gan national stadium, MA'ARIV reported. In front of 35,000 spectators - the majority supporting Bnei Sakhnin, a town with a population of 21,300 - Haifa led 1-0 at half-time but Avi Danan, Lior Asulin and Gavriel Lima all scored during the second half to seal the victory. The win guarantees Bnei Sakhnin a place in the European soccer championship next year. As President Moshe Katsav handed the trophy to Sakhnin, the club's fans erupted in celebrations that lasted well into the night. In the town itself, which had been empty until the end of the game, those who hadn't made the journey to Ramat Gan began their celebrations. Fireworks were set off at the town hall and thousands poured out into the streets to be joined later by the fans returning from the game.

CRIPPLED VULTURES MATE (5/18)
Two vultures with crippled wings have successfully mated and hatched a fledgling - with the aid of a fake egg - in what an Israeli ornithologist said today was a scientific breakthrough, HA'RETZ reported. Scientists had previously believed that vultures that are unable to fly could not mate because they cannot balance properly. But Israeli scientists who gave five crippled vultures optimal mating conditions succeeded in making them reproduce.

ISRAELI ARAB SOCCER TEAM WINS STATE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP (5/18)
HA’ARETZ reports that Bnei Sakhnin became the first Israeli Arab team to win the State Cup Final when it crushed Hapoel Haifa 4-1 at the National Stadium in Ramat Gan. Prime Minister Sharon offered his congratulations and said he was certain Bnei Sakhnin would represent Israel honorably in European matches.

ISRAELI WINS EUROPEAN JUDO CHAMPIONSHIP (5/17)
Arik Ze'evi successfully defended his European Judo Championship and won the title for the third time in four years with a win over former Olympic gold medalist Antal Kovacs of Hungary in the final on Sunday in Bucharest, Romania, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. "The third European title is the sweetest because I know that no other Israeli athlete, in any sport, has accomplished such a feat and also because it was accompanied by several difficulties," Ze'evi said. Ze'evi, who competes in the under-100 kg division, sent a message that he is in top form just three months before the Olympic Games in Athens, where he plans to improve on his fifth place finish from Sydney 2000.

"Every time I return from Israel I tell people this is not the same place you see on the news," said Vappu Selonen, a former volunteer at the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. "The media in Finland have always portrayed Israel in a bad light," he added emphasizing he had been to Israel more than 30 times.

Anthony Parker, the hero of Thursday's semi-final victory over CSKA Moscow, again led the way for Maccabi with 21 points and was voted the game's MVP. David Bluthenthal contributed 20 points, Jasikevicius 18 and Tal Burstein who had the game's only double-double, 17 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes.

OIL VALUED AT $6 BILLION DISCOVERED NEAR KFAR SAVA (5/4)
There could be reservoirs of 980 million barrels of oil at the Meged-4 well east of Kfar Sava, according to the exploration company Givot Olam, HA'ARETZ reported. In September, the company said that it had found traces of oil at the site, but thought that there were only 100 million barrels. The value of the find at today's prices is some $6 billion.

Givot said the analysis indicated reservoirs of oil at depths of 4,800 meters in rocks dating to the Lower Cretaceous Period (50 million years ago). However, just 20 percent of the reserve is reportedly extricable.

Some three years ago, Givot Olam announced that drilling in the Meged-2 well to the depth of 5,200 meters in the Rosh Ha'ayin region near Tel Aviv had indicated the presence of an oil accumulation with gas.

SCHWARZENEGGER: "AM YISRAEL HAI" (5/3)
Vowing to fight for coexistence and mutual respect among mankind around the world, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday laid the cornerstone of Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, and paid tribute to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. "Israel is looking forward past the suicide bombers, the terrorists, past the blood, the violence and the hatred to a time people can live side by side in peace and coexistence," he said. As reported in THE JERUSALEM POST, the governor ended his speech with the Hebrew saying, "Am Yisrael hai" – the nation of Israel lives – and added his signature movie line, "I'll be back."

LYBIA INVITES ISRAEL TO INTERNATIONAL CHESS COMPETITION (4/28)
Muammar Gadhafi's son, Saadi, has invited the Israeli chess team to Libya to participate in World Chess Championships this summer, HA'ARETZ reported. The international competition will take place between June 18-July 13 in Malta and Libya.

Gadhafi issued his statement following extensive talks with the heads of the World Chess Federation. Entry permits will be issued to anyone wishing to participate in the world championships. Israel is considered particularly strong is chess, and thus the FIDE chiefs insisted that its team be allowed to participate in the games in Tripoli.

Israel's population on the eve of Independence Day stands at 6,780,000, according to official government figures released Sunday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Eighty one percent of the population - or some 5,180,000 people - is Jewish, and the remaining 19 percent of the population is Arab. Jerusalem is Israel's largest and most populated city, with 692,000 residents, of which 464,000 are Jewish and 228,000 are Arab. Haifa is Israel's third largest city with a population of 270,500. The city had a population of less than 100,000 in 1948.

Among the 14 largest cities in the country are several of the first communities built by Jews who immigrated in the 1880s. Rishon Letzion, the first such community, is Israel's fourth largest city today with over 200,000 residents. In 1948 it had a population of 11,000 residents.

Sixty-six percent of Israel's Jews were born in Israel, and 34 percent were born abroad. In contrast, in 1948, the figures were just the opposite, when just 35 percent of the Jewish population was native born.

ISRAEL VOWS TO BECOME OECD MEMBER (4/15)
Israel has launched a diplomatic campaign to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, MA'ARIV reported. Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom and Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu sent a joint letter to the foreign and finance ministers of the 30 OECD members. The letter says that Israel's involvement in the OECD's various committees is increasing, and that Israel fills the economic and institutional criteria required to join the organization.

Recently Israel asked to take part in the OECD's committees for insurance and commerce. Every year Israel's delegates take part in various meetings of the OECD on key issues. Shalom and Netanyahu write that in fact, Israel is carrying out far reaching economic reforms based on the OECD's recommendations in taxes, labor, competition, capital markets, pension funds, energy, infrastructures, communications and transport. The ministers say they believe the OECD members will also benefit from Israel's membership in the fields of science, technology and high-tech industries.

BASKETBALL: HAPOEL JERUSALEM WINS HISTORIC ULEB CUP (4/14)
The Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team entered Israeli sporting history Tuesday night when it scored an 83-72 victory over Real Madrid to take the ULEB Cup, HA'ARETZ reported. Delighted fans of the team granted a hero's welcome to the squad on their return home this morning. Hapoel Jerusalem, who became the second Israeli team after Maccabi Tel Aviv to win a European trophy, earned the right to participate in the lucrative Euroleague next season.

Throngs embraced and kissed the players on their arrival at Ben-Gurion airport, and larger celebrations were expected later during the day in the capital. After the win, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Channel One television from the United States to congratulate the team, which he said represented the capital of the Jewish people.

"This is the happiest day of my career," Kelly McCarty, the game's MVP, said after the game. "We have achieved the unbelievable."

"The victory is for Jerusalem and for the whole of Israel," Hapoel chairman Danny Klein said. "We have worked for this moment for 10 years. The triumph makes up for all the difficult times we have suffered."

MACCABI TEL AVIV
QUALIFIES FOR EURO BASKETBALL'S FINAL FOUR (4/9)
Maccabi Tel Aviv qualified for the Final Four of the Euroleague basketball cup on Thursday evening after clinging a 107-99 victory over Lithuania's Zalgiris Kaunas in overtime, HA'ARETZ reported. "You've witnessed miracles," Maccabi's Coach Pini Gershon said after his team came back from what appeared to be a bitter defeat to tie Zalgiris Kaunas 84-84 at the buzzer with a desperation shot by Derrick Sharp. Maccabi went on to dominate the five-minute overtime period for a 107-99 victory, thus avoiding the embarrassment of having to watch the Final Four tournament - scheduled to begin at the end of the month in Tel Aviv - from the stands.

Montepaschi Siena also secured a place in the Final Four Thursday night by defeating Panathinaikos 86-77 in Athens. Previous qualifiers CSKA Moscow and Skipper Bologna will join Siena and Tel Aviv.

According to Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, the Tourism Ministry and Maccabi Tel Aviv reached an agreement today enabling the ministry to promote Israeli tourism during the Final Four Euroleague cup games to be held in Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena late April. Commercials promoting sites of interest will be aired during the breaks in the games that will be broadcast to 41 countries. The Tourism Ministry is also paying for signboards that will be placed around the court.

CHRISTIANS SHOW INTEREST IN ISRAEL'S "HOLY VIRGIN" LILY (4/1)
ECUMENICAL NEWS INTERNATIONAL has reported that the Christian world has been captivated by a white lily known as the "Holy Virgin" that Israeli agricultural experts and biologists have cultivated to flower before the start of the Easter Holy Week. According to some Christian traditions, the Angel Gabriel presented this type of flower to the Virgin Mary when he announced that she was pregnant with Jesus. Israeli scientists say they have been contacted by the Vatican and other Christian institutions interested in ordering batches of the flower.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
WARNS AGAINST ANTI-ISRAEL/SEMITIC RHETORIC (1/27)
Britain’s leading Christian clergymen have joined the country's chief rabbi in a stark warning about the resurgence of anti-Semitism and the use of anti-Israel rhetoric as a cover for anti-Semitism, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The warning came in a letter, published in today’s London Times, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, and Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, joint presidents of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ).

Expressing their "abhorrence" of anti-Semitism, they noted that "Britain has been less affected [by anti-Semitism] than many other countries, but has certainly not been immune." While acknowledging the legitimacy of criticizing Israel, the clergymen warned that such criticism should not be used to deny Israel's right to exist or to justify attacks against Jews throughout the world.

The letter is considered to be unprecedented in its strength. It is also regarded as an indication of the growing concern over the increasing incidence of attacks on Jewish people and property, allied to the phenomenon of anti-Semitism expressed as anti-Israel sentiment.

"We recognize that many in the Jewish community feel vulnerable and afraid," the letter said. "As presidents of CCJ, we agree that anti-Semitism is abhorrent. It is an attempt to dehumanize a part of humanity by making it a scapegoat for shared ills."

The largest of the four new reserves is Susita, south west of the Golan Heights. Susita covers an area of 5,400 dunams and touts a large variety of flora and fauna, including wolves and deer.

Another large reserve is situated along the Sorek River, close to Moshav Ramat Raziel and near the city of Rehovot in the middle of Israel's coastline. Ramat Raziel and the reserve carried out a limited land exchange, in which the moshav received land from the reserve for residential purposes and, in return, surrendered 70 dunams to the reserve.

The Avuka reserve in the Beit She'an valley is particularly unique as it contains a salt marsh: soil that becomes saline when the water running through it evaporates or permeates into the earth. Salt marsh plants, indigenous to the salty environment, flourish on the reserve. Unfortunately, many of the salt marshes along the Beit She'an valley and the Arava have been damaged over the past few years as a result of construction and agriculture projects.

FIRST ISRAELI ELECTED TO SENIOR UN LEGAL PANEL IN 40 YEARS (10/1)
Tal Becker, the legal advisor to Israel's UN mission was elected to the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee on legal affairs after 40 years of Israeli isolation from the panel, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Before 2003, Israel's last posting to a General Assembly committee was in 1961, when international legal affairs expert Shabtai Rosenne sat on the Sixth Committee. Becker was elected by consensus to serve as one of three vice chairmen on the committee, which deals with legal issues.

Among other matters, the committee is to discuss international terrorism, jurisdictional immunity and human cloning. The vote came at a General Assembly meeting Monday. "I think that this is another step towards Israel's acceptance in the United Nations as a full and equal member," Becker said. "It shows that Israel is committed to improving the work of the United Nations and playing a positive role. The United Nations is not just about the Arab-Israeli conflict."

At just under 19 and a half years of age, she is the youngest woman to ever win a Mistral windsurfing championship. Korsitz's mentor, Gal Friedman, who had won the Mistral World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, in December, took the bronze medal in the men's event. "I knew she could do it," he said of Korsitz's surprise victory.

"I have been training with the defending world champion in the men's event, Gal Friedman. He has taught me everything," Korsitz said at a press conference following one of the races.

The three jets - piloted by descendants of Holocaust survivors - were to fly over the former death camp accompanied by two Polish MiG-29 jets. More than one million people perished at Auschwitz-Birkenau - the vast majority of them Jews - from 1940 until January 27, 1945. A total of six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. "It's a joint Israeli-Polish initiative and for a noble cause," Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled said. "We share a tragic history, and obviously it's being done in full cooperation."

FIRST ISRAELITE METEORITE DISCOVERED (8/28)
A small but heavy black rock discovered in the Timna region of the Arava a year and a half ago was officially declared the first meteorite discovered in Israel on Tuesday, HA'ARETZ reported. Gabriel Shaked of Kibbutz Afikim, who has been looking for meteorites on the ground since he was a child in Hungary, discovered it.

The small meteorite-weighing about 40 grams and measuring 4 centimeters in length-is a chondrite, a fairly common type that that has been discovered worldwide. "It's not a scientific sensation; it's just nice that Shaked opened his eyes, searched and found," Prof. Yehoshua Kolodny, a Hebrew University geologist, said. "There are lots of chondrites in the world, and some weighing more than a ton also have been discovered. It's just the first chondrite that has been found here," he added.

Shaked sent the sample to be tested at the University of California Geophysics Institute, and on Friday received a response confirming it was indeed a meteorite, approximately 4.5 billion years old.

According to Dr. Shmulik Marco of Tel Aviv University's Geophysics Department, chondrite is important because "it is a substance that has not been melted, unlike all the compounds found on planets. The meteorite is the initial component from the beginning of the formation of the solar system, and has not undergone melting processes on the planets."

KIDNAPPED ISRAELI ELHANAN TENNENBAUM SAID TO BE ALIVE (8/28)
The German mediator who arranged the hand over by Israel of two Hizbullah men killed in clashes with the Israel Defense Forces has confirmed that Elhanan Tennenbaum, the Israeli businessman man kidnapped by Hizbullah on October 15th, 2000, is alive and in "reasonable health," HA'ARETZ reported. Tennenbaum, a colonel, was kidnapped by Hizbullah while on a trip abroad three years ago. One week before that, the terrorist group had abducted St.-Sgts. Benny Avraham, Omar Sawaid, and Adi Avitan, in an ambush on Mount Dov.

Retired IDF General Ilan Biran, who heads the Israeli team in the negotiations, is due to return from Germany in the coming days to give a full report on Tennenbaum's condition. A security source said the return by Israel of the bodies on Monday came in response to the Hizbullah's letting the German mediator visit Tennenbaum earlier this week.

The mediator was the first intermediary to see Tennenbaum alive since he was captured. The security source said "proof of Tennenbaum's well-being was an important step in negotiations" for a possible prisoner exchange between Lebanon and Israel.

CUBAN JEWS ARRIVE IN ISRAEL FOR FIRST MEETING (8/8)
Ten Cuban Jews arrived at the Kotel on Thursday, after a year of tough negotiations to bring the first group of Cuban Jews to Israel, HA'ARETZ reported. Israel and Cuba have had no diplomatic ties since Cuba severed relations following the1973 Yom Kippur War. The Cuban government was reluctant to give the Jews permission to make the trip, fearing they would not return.

"This is just wonderful, and very emotional," Yohandi Crespo, 25, said. Crespo came from the town of Camaguey, which has a small community of 80 Jews. The Taglit-birthright Israel program, an Israeli government-backed plan that sponsors trips to Israel for Jewish youth, organized the 10-day educational visit. It is the first such group to visit, though some Cuban Jews have come to Israel on their own. Organizers said that it took more than a year of work to persuade the Cuban government to allow the group to participate in the project which brings about 15,000 young Jewish adults from around the world to Israel each year.

Originally just eight young Jews were due to come, but Cuban authorities insisted that two of the leaders of the Jewish community accompany them to ensure that all returned, Harriet Gimpel of Birthright said. David Tacher, 52, from Santa Clara, who was appointed to accompany the group, said if all return home, it would ensure that future visits would be allowed.

"We just had to explain to the government why it was important for us as Jews to come to Israel," William Miller, a Jewish community leader from Havana said. "They understood our reasons," Miller said. The 10 had to fly to Israel via Canada, and the Canadian Jewish community also partly funded the journey. For the group, many of whom had never been out of Cuba before, the trip to Israel was an emotional religious experience. "I feel like I am walking in the Bible," Miller said. "You read about all these places and now we are here," he said, pointing at the Western Wall. "I want to see the customs, the history, the people," said Victoria Delgado Farzin, 23, a telecommunications worker from Santiago de Cuba. "These are the things that unite all the Jewish people in the world," she said.

WITH ROAD MAP AND
CEASE FIRE, GAZA EMERGES AS MAJOR FOOD PRODUCER (8/7)
According to the kosher website (www.koshertoday.com), the Gaza Strip's 10,000 Israel residents generate $25 million of produce for export each year. In all, the region generates revenues of some $33 million annually, two-thirds from agriculture and one third from industry. A large part of the produce is grown in Gush Katif's large greenhouses. In addition, the residents farm some 25,000 dunam of open land. Export is via Agrexco, STM and Migdaley Ha'arava. Main agriculture production includes peppers (green, red and yellow), tomatoes (both cherry and regular) and geraniums. Gush Katif's greenhouses also churn out some 90% of the bugless produce in Israel, which is sought after by Orthodox Jews for halachic reasons. It is the largest exporter of geraniums and of organic produce, controlling 65% of the market and the largest producer of houseplants thanks to the nursery in Atzmona. In Moshav Katif there is also a dairy that produces about four million liters of milk annually. Plans are afoot to significantly increase the production of organically grown foods. Over 150 residents of the Negev are employed in the region. In addition, some 400 Thais and about 1500 Arabs work there.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE:
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE TO  COME TO ISRAEL (7/30)
Elad Wassa, a 25-year-old Ethiopian immigrant paralyzed in a May 2002 terrorist attack in Netanya, met his hero, Christopher Reeve, on Tuesday as the latter is on five-day trip to Israel which began late Sunday evening, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Sitting next to Reeve at a press conference at the Weizmann Institute Tuesday afternoon, Wassa greeted the actor and advocate for the disabled by saying "Welcome to Israel" and adding, "You are my hero".

"I'm here to learn," Reeve explained. "I'm here to listen. I'm here to observe not only the progression of science that is going on but also to see patients and rehabilitation who are struggling to make progress in their lives. I feel that progress both in rehabilitation, recovery and in medical research is a global effort. No single effort can accomplish it by itself but Israel is one of the leaders in the world. I come to pay tribute to the work that is being done here. It has always been a dream of mine to come to Israel."

Now that his dream has been realized, Reeve is hardly disappointed. He described the country as "warm, welcoming, friendly and surprisingly relaxed." Reeve expressed no feelings of apprehension about the journey. He criticized the media for only relaying negative images of Israel to the public rather than focusing on the positive. "The images that we see in the press every day tend to be about the worst things that happen in the country," he said. "The bombings and terrorist attacks make headlines, but what we don't see is the wonderful color and normalcy of daily life," Reeve added.

Two other Israeli swimmers, Inbal Levavi and Anna Gostomelsky, both failed to progress in the heats of 200 meters backstroke, finishing respectively in 26th and 21st place.

On Thursday, Israeli swimmer Yoav Gath set a new national record for the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:59.22 minutes in the semifinal. Gath also set a personal record in the 100-meter backstroke Tuesday, earning a spot for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the process. Other Israeli swimmers in the competition included Shilo Ayalon, who finished 10th in qualifying heats for the 800-meter freestyle, Shai Livnat, who finished 21st in the qualifying heats of the 800-meter freestyle, and Miki Halika, who finished 37th in the 200-meter individual medley qualifier.

ISRAEL STROLLS TO EASY WIN OVER ZIMBABWE (7/13)
HA’ARETZ reports that Israel strolled to an unassailable 3-0 lead over Zimbabwe yesterday to assure its survival in the Davis Cup Euro-African zone Group 1. On Friday Noam Okun and Harel Levy won their single matches and yesterday Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram, fresh off their Wimbledon success, coasted to victory in the doubles.

Zimbabwe were missing their two leading players, Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyet, but 2,500 fans turned up at the Ramat Hasharon arena of Friday for the singles and 3,000 turned up yesterday to watch Wimbledon men's doubles semi-finalists Yonni Erlich and Andy Ram.

The cheers yesterday were mainly for Andy Ram, who on top of his semi-final appearance with Erlich also made it the finals at Wimbledon in the mixed doubles before going down to the indefatigable Martina Navratilova.

"It's the first time that I have played in front of a home crowd in the Davis Cup and the fans response gave me the shivers," Ram said after the game in which he and Erlich eased past Genius Chidzikwe and Gwinyai Tongoona 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

EU CONSIDERS INCLUDING ISRAEL IN ITS WIDER EUROPE SCHEME (7/10)
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it intended to incorporate Israel into its Wider Europe scheme - a decision that may give Israel a status close to that of European Union member states, especially on commercial and economic issues, HA'ARETZ reported. Over the past few weeks, Israel has created an interministerial task force to formulate its stance on the Wider Europe scheme. Adopting this scheme would mean a new model of relations with the EU, similar to the one the EU currently has with Switzerland and Norway.

In New York on Tuesday, before her flight took off, Tali Berman said she was born in America but was flying home to Israel with her husband and 15-month-old daughter. "Now, as things are becoming more intense, it's an important time to make a claim that the Jewish state has a right to exist," she said.

Nefesh B' Nefesh is sponsoring the moves of about 940 North American Jews this year, spokesman George Birnbaum said. About 300 are set to come July 22, with the rest in groups of 30 or so over the following six weeks. "In terms of immigrants moving en masse, there haven't been these numbers in 25 or 30 years," Birnbaum said. The privately funded organization helped with 519 moves last year, aiding prospective immigrants with bureaucratic issues and providing financial assistance.

Prior to the immigrants' arrival, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu said he was pleased they were moving to Israel without special government assistance. He described the importance of Aliyah, "particularly during this difficult time." About 2,040 North American Jews moved to Israel last year, and the numbers are up more than 20 percent this year, according to the Jewish Agency. "It's the feeling of the community that this time Israel is really needing them," Michael Landsberg, executive director of the agency's North American Aliyah movement, said.

ISRAELI TENNIS PAIR
REACHES HISTORIC SEMIFINALS AT WIMBLEDON (7/2)
In the best achievement so far by Israeli tennis players at Wimbledon, Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram advanced to the semifinal round of the men's doubles at Wimbledon on Tuesday, HA'ARETZ reported. The pair defeated the second-seeded duo of Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and the Canadian Daniel Nestor in straight sets (7-6 7-6 7-6) in the quarterfinals.

Pairing up only at the last moment, the two defeated the sixth and the second seeds on their way to the semifinals. "We both have good serves and volleys and we kept it all together today, it simply didn't fall apart for us," Erlich said. "We have been playing our best, we both have the right game for doubles," Ram added. The Israelis out-aced their opponents 20 to seven.

Up next for them are the Australian Tod Woodbridge - considered one of the strongest doubles players in the world - and the Swede Jonas Bjorkman, who is ranked fourth in the tournament. "We will go on court and, sure at the beginning, our legs will tremble a little, but this has been the case in all the matches, now we will go out there feeling we have a chance, we can beat anybody if we play as we have been during the tournament," Ram declared.
Israeli Shahar Peer also had a successful day at Wimbledon on Tueday, advancing to the final 16 of the women's tournament.

ISRAEL TOURISM SOARS 36% IN MAY (6/25)
Rami Levi, Tourism Ambassador of Israel to North and South America, announced that tourism to Israel rose a whopping 36% in May 2003 over May 2002.

"This news is very exciting," stressed Levi, "because it builds on a 17% increase in April, and double-digit increases in the first three months of 2003."

Tourism from North America makes up approximately 25% of the total number of tourists to Israel, says Levi, a 20% growth in share since 2000.

"There is a new optimism taking root in our part of the world," Levi observed, "and one of the immediate results of this optimism is the decision by Americans not to delay further their planned visits to Israel."

NEW YORK CITY JEWISH
POPULATION DROPS BELOW ONE MILLION (6/17)
A study released by the UJA-Federation of New York shows that, for the first time in 100 years, New York City's Jewish population has dipped below the one million mark, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. In all, the number of Jews in the Big Apple has fallen by five percent since 1991 reaching 972,000 in 2002. But on the other hand, the survey indicates that the Jewish population has risen in three suburban counties in New York.

The study reveals that were it not for the influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union during the 1990's, the decline in the city's Jewish population would have been even greater. Overall, the Jewish population in the eight-county region covered by UJA-Federation - comprised of the five counties of the city as well as Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties - has remained stable at about 1.4 million.

According to the study, the proportion of Jews who call themselves Orthodox has increased sharply over the decade, reaching today 19 percent. The proportion of Reform and Conservative Jews has accordingly decreased. The rate of interfaith marriage, which rose sharply in the 1970's, has stabilized, with 13 percent of Jews marrying someone of another faith.

The study, which was reportedly based on telephone interviews conducted between March and September 2002 on 4,533 randomly selected households, has a margin of error of 1.8 to 2.7 percent.

WORLD RENOWNED ISRAELI CHEMIST HONORED (6/12)
Over 100 of the world's leading chemists including Nobel Prize winners will arrive at Tel Aviv University next week to celebrate the 70th birthday of Israel's leading chemist, Prof. Joshua Jortner, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Jortner, a physical chemist, is among the elite of the "World's Most Outstanding Chemists" list compiled by the Institute of Scientific Information. His decades of work have had great influence on the development of chemistry research during the second half of the 20th century. His contributions to the field include accumulation and use of energy produced in chemical reactions, the principles of chemical dynamics, characteristics of nanoparticles and the application of physical chemistry principles for the understanding of biological processes. Jortner was born in Poland in 1933, and made Aliya in 1940 with his parents. He received his bachelor's degree in chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As a student he used to travel in armored vehicles to the university's Mount Scopus campus, which was then an island of Israeli territory inside Jordan, in order to make sure the chemistry labs and library were preserved.

The ceremony also included the traditional lighting of twelve torches - representing the twelve tribes of Israel - by fifteen individuals working in the field of security and rescue, and featured a massive fireworks display. Cities throughout the country were decorated with streamers and lights and organized various performances and dancing events.

According to YEDIOT AHARONOT, more than two million Israelis flooded national parks and Jewish National Fund forests to make picnics and barbecues. By midday, Israel Police had to turn people away from some popular locations due to the overcrowding. The JNF registered a 25-percent increase in turnout compared to last year. Israelis also flooded the Israel Defense Forces bases that were opened to the public for Independence Day.

Meanwhile, Moran Gomeri, 16, won the annual World Jewish Bible Quiz for youth, which was held on Wednesday at the Jerusalem Theater in the presence of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Gomeri, an excellent student and the daughter of a bible teacher, is an eleventh grader at Amit girls' yeshiva in Be'er Sheva. She competed in the finals against 15 other teens from eight countries. Gomeri's prize is a scholarship for Tel Aviv University.

Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations ended on Wednesday evening with the Israel Prize ceremony at the Jerusalem Theater.

ISRAELI MUSICIANS JAZZ UP NEW YORK MUSIC (5/5)
Israeli musicians are making a remarkable impact on the New York jazz scene, ISRAEL21C reported. When double bass player Avishai Cohen relocated from a village in the Jerusalem Hills to New York, in 1992, he had one clear goal in mind: to make it big in the epicenter of the jazz world. Today, 11 years later, he has undeniably achieved that aim. Cohen, though primarily known across the world as sideman to stellar pianist-keyboardist Chick Corea, is gradually building a reputation as a leader in his own right - his fifth album is due out this June. He was in the vanguard of what eventually became something of a mini-invasion of Israeli jazzmen and jazzwomen seeking their fortune in the Land of Opportunity. "It wasn't easy to being with but we paved the way for the other guys to come over from Israel to New York," says Cohen.

Kim Smith, publicist of New York's renowned Blue Note jazz club, feels Israeli musicians have the sort of streetwise-earned experience that makes them particularly accommodating and able to go with the flow, whatever their circumstances. "The Israelis have a sort of "sababa" (laid-back) thing," she says. "Very rarely do they complain or say negative things and I think this comes from growing up in a war torn country. As children, they have seen many things and have had to deal with issues we know nothing about here. They are taught to 'eat' life and never take anything for granted - this is ingrained and it comes out in the music."

Smith was suitably impressed with Cohen's cross-cultural efforts, and those of his compatriots, and today believes Israeli artists are getting their cultural mix message across to American jazz musicians and fans alike.

"The instrumentation Avishai has used, especially in the beginning - with Amos Hoffman on oud (Arabic lute)- was a direct link to his heritage," she says. "I think people relate to any music which comes from the heart - these sounds and rhythms are very real for these musicians and the honesty comes through." With other Israelis, like former Herbie Hancock band member saxophonist Eli Dejibri, trumpeter Avishai E. Cohen and pianist Anat Fort continuing to make waves in the Big Apple, it has become clear that musicians from the Land of Milk and Honey have found their place and voice in the New York jazz community.

ISRAEL HELPING ASIAN COUNTRIES IN ITS BATTLE WITH SARS (5/2)
The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Israel Export Institute jointly launched a program on Thursday to send specialized products to Asia to fight the SARS, GLOBES reported. Products such as Oridion Systems respiratory patient monitoring and breath testing systems and Orex Computed Radiography X-ray digital scanner will help in detecting and preventing the spread of the disease. Israeli commercial attaches in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand are coordinating the program.

ISRAEL WINS SECOND UN POST AFTER FOUR-DECADE LAPSE (4/30)
Israel was elected to only its second UN post in more than four decades today, winning a three-year term on the global policy making UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, HAARETZ reported. The uncontested election in the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council came just weeks after the 191-nation UN General Assembly chose Israel last February to serve on a working group helping organize a disarmament conference next year. The Vienna-based narcotic drugs commission is the main UN policymaking body in the global fight against illegal drug trafficking and abuse. Before February, Israel had not won a UN election since 1961, when it served as an officer of the General Assembly's legal committee.

Most UN posts are selected through regional groups. Until 2000, Israel was the only UN member barred from any of the organization's five regional groupings, mainly due to a boycott by Islamic nations.

With strong backing from the United States, Israel was allowed in May 2000 to join the "Western European and Others Group," which endorsed Israel's candidacy for the disarmament post in February and for the narcotics commission seat this month. "The process that began in February to incorporate Israel into as much of the UN's work as possible is continuing," Israeli Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Arye Mekel said. "We must demonstrate to the world what we already know - that Israel is far greater than the Arab-Israeli conflict."

US REQUESTS ISRAEL’S HELP IN TREATING IRAQI CHILD (4/28)
An American military doctor serving on the USS Comfort Hospital ship currently in the Persian Gulf, has requested the help of Israeli Professor Arye Eldad in order to save an Iraqi child suffering from burns over 45 percent of his body, MA'ARIV reported. The child cannot receive the necessary medical treatment aboard the US ship, which was not staying on shore for a sufficient period of time. Eldad, who was a general health officer in the Israel Defense Forces and served as director of the plastic Department at Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital until he was elected to become a Member of Knesset, turned to the Hadassah hospital administration as well as to officials within the Ministry of Health and obtained their approval to take care of the Iraqi child. He conveyed the positive answer to the American doctor and he is now awaiting further developments.

WARSAW GHETTO HEROES HONORED BY POLAND (4/25)
Sixty years after the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, six Polish-born Israelis who fought the Nazis in various underground movements had their Polish citizenship reinstated Thursday in a ceremony at the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The six Holocaust survivors, who are now in their early 80s, were awarded certificates of recognition in addition to being issued honorary citizenship. "With all our bitter memories that we have from Poland, all the good people who helped us in the country are not to be forgotten," said Luba Gawisar of Tel Aviv, who was one of the honorees.

AFGHANISTAN INTERESTED IN NORMALIZING TIES WITH ISRAEL (4/15)
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah sent a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom and expressed his hope to normalize relations and cooperation between the two countries, MA'ARIV reported. Abdullah also wrote that his country was interested in "working together with peace-loving countries," and mentioned his government's sentiments of friendship toward Israel. Afghanistan is a candidate for a membership at UNESCO and is looking for Israel's support in the process. Shalom will decide in the next days if Israel will comply with the Afghan request.

Officials said on Monday that the letter opens the door to direct or indirect relations between the two countries that have never enjoyed diplomatic relations. In informal talks held in Kazakhstan last June, interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai told then-Israeli Housing Minister Natan Sharansky that a formal dialogue could get under way after Afghan elections, which the international community wants to see held next year.

In the past, Israel offered to help restore the war-torn country. Afghan officials have asked for Israeli agricultural aid as well as for educational material on modern irrigation systems, but cooperation has not been established as yet. Israel donated $100,000 to the UN Afghanistan relief fund and offered to send medicines and medical equipment to Afghanistan.

Israel has diplomatic ties with three of Afghanistan's Islamic neighbors, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

ASHKENAZI, SHEPHARDI CHIEF RABBIS ELECTED (4/15)
Rabbi Yona Metzger and Rabbi Shlomo Amar were respectively elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi and Sephardi Chief Rabbi on Monday, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. Metzger won the support of 63 of the 150 members of the election committee, comprised of rabbis and representatives of the public, including MKs and mayors. Amar, supported by the Shas Party, won a sweeping victory with 124 votes. The non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox community, led by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv supported Metzger. He defeated the National Religious Party candidate, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel who was the leading runner, but eventually won only 56 votes.

Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein forwarded a request a few hours before the vote to disqualify Metzger over three complaints that had been filed against him. However, the committee, which is not authorized to disqualify candidates and can only postpone the vote, decided to hold the vote as scheduled.

After hearing the result of the vote, Metzger said that, "the people of Israel will get a more open, loved, admired and considerate Rabbinate, which will unite everyone."

France, the defending European champion won the match 2-1, with goals by David Trezeguet and Zinedine Zidane. Omri Afek scored Israel's goal at the second minute. France's coach Jacques Santini praised the game of the Israeli team. "It was difficult," he said. "The Israeli team which stood opposite us was great and dangerous and I think it should have been a tie, which would have reflected the real situation on the field. Israel's collective game was excellent and we were surprised by the team's ability, especially moving the ball around the field."

TIGHT SECURITY FOR ISRAEL-FRANCE SOCCER MATCH IN SICILY (4/2)
Israel's National Soccer team will play tonight in Palermo, Italy, against defending European champion France under tight security, IDF RADIO reported. The match is part of the Euro 2004 series. The Israeli team is playing its "home" game in Italy due to the UEFA ruling according to which games could not take place in Israel due to security concerns in the Middle East.

As part of the security measures taken by the local organizer, about 1,000 local police officers, together with Israeli security officials, were involved in the operation. In addition, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors will be on hand at the stadium. The hotel that is hosing the Israeli team is also under tight security.

"Russian, Christian, Druze and Arab, we're all one people," Birokov said during her visit to the hospital where her son had been treated, to meet with two of the families of patients who had received her son's organs. "We're all people," she said. "The main thing is that Anatali saved lives." The Hassan family from Shfar'am and the Asli family of Kfar Arava, whose ailing loved ones received Birokov's organs, ran towards her to embrace her. "We thank you with all our heart," said one member, "This is real peace and only with deeds like these is peace possible." They told her that they would never forget her. "We are one family," one said.

Anatoli Birokov will be buried at a cemetery in Haifa.

ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS TV IN U.S. (3/11)
American television viewers can now watch Israeli television. Israel’s news service, ARUTZ 7, has reported that since Feb. 1st, Israel National News (INN) has been broadcasting its English daily news program on American television via satellite. It can also be viewed in southwestern United States via cable. INN is negotiating with numerous broadcasters throughout the U.S. regarding the daily program, as well as the weekly newsmagazine broadcast.

Moshe Maeir, Vice President of Distribution for INN, notes that Israel as a whole gains from this development: "Americans currently typically receive their television news from national news networks that are both limited in coverage and are often biased." The daily INN program includes a four-minute headlines segment, feature stories, and interviews.

ISRAEL IS GLOBAL WINNER IN CRICKET (3/11)
The Israel Cricket Association was awarded first prize in the ICC/Flicx Community Development Competition last week, HA'ARETZ reported. The competition, which has run over the past 12 months around the world, sought to find the country that has best used cricket as a tool to uplift life in disadvantaged communities. After hundreds of entries were received, the four regional winners were announced a few weeks ago: Lesotho (Africa), Cuba (Americas), Vanuatu (Asia-Pacific) and Israel (Europe).

Israel was declared the overall global winner. Apart from the prestige and honor of winning the top prize, the material value is worth over $6,000, which includes a Flicx Coaching Pitch, portable nets and a bowling machine with 50 balls and wickets.

Israel's cricket has mainly developed in the tough conditions of the Negev, where cricket is played despite the high summer temperatures and the fact that the fields on which games are played are nothing more than sand and rocks.

ISRAELI TEENS PREPARE FOR HUMANITARIAN MISSION TO INDIA (3/10)
The Israeli Medical Cadet organization will take a group of 16 teenagers to India to teach basic medical treatments to their peers, ISRAEL21C reported. The group of specially-trained young Israelis will teach their Indian counterparts the basics of first aid, how to maintain personal hygiene and the importance of health awareness.

"My goal for the trip is to expose them to Israeli culture and people, so maybe when they're older, they'll visit us. They'll realize that there are good things happening in Israel", Tahel Ben-Yehuda, a member of the group, said. Like Ben-Yehuda, most of the participants in the program are active in volunteer work during the year in different Israeli medical aid organizations and various health care facilities. The members of the team were chosen after a process of strict screening, and are trained for specific tasks.

In its organization of the trip, the Israeli Medical Cadet organization collaborated with Magen David Adom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel's Department of Education, India's Ministry and local Indian authorities.

MAKUYA MOVEMENT:
NOTHING WOULD STOP US FROM VISITING THE HOLY LAND (3/10)
Despite travel advisories by the Japanese government, a 46- member delegation representing Makuya, a Japanese Zionist movement, came to Israel this weekend and was received by President Moshe Katsav in his home on Sunday, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. After praying at the Western Wall and dancing in the streets of Jerusalem, the visitors made their way to the President's home and were able to share the experience through a live video stream to members of their ministry back home. Makuya began their annual pilgrimage in 1955.

ISRAELI ARABS TAKE LESSONS
AT YAD VASHEM BEFORE PLANNED TRIP TO AUSCHWITZ (2/19)
Yad Vashem is holding special preparatory classes about the Holocaust for an unusual delegation of Israeli Arabs planning to visit the site of the Auschwitz death camp, the JERUSALEM POST reported. Father Emil Shofani of Nazareth is at the initiative of the trip which, for the first time, will bring Israeli Arabs to a Holocaust site. Some 35 people are scheduled to take part in the trip to Poland, which has been entitled, "From Memory to Peace." Delegation members have said the purpose of their journey is to better understand the trauma experienced by the Jews and its role in the establishment of Israel. Yad Vashem said it would hold classes today for the group at its International School for Holocaust Studies. The participants will receive a tour of parts of the memorial, attend a lecture by Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, and be issued materials in Arabic about the Holocaust.

ILAN RAMON BURIED IN NAHALAL (2/11)
Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, was laid to rest this afternoon in a quiet ceremony in Moshav Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley, HA'ARETZ reported. The burial was attended by relatives and friends only. Israeli leaders eulogized Ramon on Monday evening in a memorial ceremony that took place shortly after his remains were flown home from the United States in a flag-draped coffin.

"We could not have had a better and more fitting representative" than Ramon, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at the ceremony, which took place at the Lod Air Force base and was attended by political leaders, and top officials from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel's Space Agency. "His image, projected from above, was the reflection of Israel at its best - Israel as we would have liked to see it - the Israel we love."

The items that Ramon brought into the shuttle instilled pride in Jews throughout the world, Sharon said. "The Torah scroll brought by a Jewish boy from a concentration camp, the [Jewish ritual] Kiddush cup, the Israeli flag and the Air Force badge touched and excited all Jews," he said.

"During a summer when fear and hatred garnered much of the headlines, Amir and Aisam-ul-Haq provided much needed relief with their simple message about tolerance through tennis," ATP Chief Mark Miles said. "It's fitting that we present the Arthur Ashe Award to these two players on the 10th anniversary of Arthur's death, as Arthur remains the model for all of us on how athletes and sport can make a big difference in the lives of others."

Commenting on the pair's unique relationship, Hadad said: "Quite a lot people come up to me and ask me when I was going to play with the Pakistani player again. I never heard anybody say, 'Don't play with him' or something like that. In Israel everybody is pretty supportive about it." His colleague Qureshi said: "I was lucky to have my parents with me when I played with Amir. They also helped me and gave me confidence that I was doing the right thing. It's good for the game. All my family and everybody back home were proud of me."

Arthur Ashe was the first African-American man to win the U.S. Open in 1968; Ashe captured 33 titles in his career, including Wimbledon in 1975. Off the court, Ashe worked tirelessly to eliminate racism and poverty around the world, particularly in segregated South Africa.

RONA RAMON: ILAN WILL STAY AN ANGEL (2/3)
Talking to Israeli reporters on Sunday, Rona Ramon, the widow of Ilan Ramon, said that her husband was at his peak when he died, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported:

"He was happy in space, with the people he loved, in the place he loved. Sixteen days he floated in a dream. He didn't only dream - he made his dream come true. Ilan was the best of the best, and it is not a coincidence that he was chosen to become the first Israeli astronaut."

"He was a happy and an optimistic person. When he left for space, he left us this wonderful feeling that we are also part of this amazing thing. He had to write a will but at the end didn't because he thought it was unnecessary. He always had a smile and he wanted us to keep on smiling. We are not falling apart. We are strong for Ilan's sake. We will keep his spiritual will alive and he would want us to be happy, calm and smiling."

Ramon, wearing a shirt with the NASA symbol and accompanied by her sister from Israel, said that she was not afraid during the days her husband was in space:

"I knew that if the launching went well, there would be nothing to worry about because usually the malfunctions are during the launch and not during the landing. The only thing that tears me apart now is that during the liftoff, when we were all in high spirits, my youngest daughter, Noa, looked at the sky and said, 'I lost my daddy.' She felt what we didn't allow ourselves to think about, as if she knew this was the last time."

"We stood and waited at the end of runway for the landing. It was a beautiful day and the clock was ticking. When it got down to 10 seconds, we started a countdown, just like in the liftoff, to hear the sonic booms. But they didn't come. We started to worry, and then they took us to the side and told us that they didn't know what had happened, but we already knew. I didn't even have to tell the kids, they knew immediately."

Ramon explained that when they returned to their home there were several e-mails from Ilan awaiting them:

"Ilan sent the e-mails in the last minutes before the landing. One of them was a thank-you letter to Shimon Peres for helping him fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut. Peres and President Clinton started the project of sending an Israeli to space. The rests were personal letters to the family. He wanted us to read them together."

"We and the families of the other astronauts are a one big supporting family. We are bound in a magnificent way. The other crewmembers were close friends of Ilan's. The only thing that gives me any comfort is that they had such a good time [in space] and loved one another. They were simply a group of angels and that's how they will stay."

"I first became concerned back in 1991 during the Gulf War when Snoopy (Kishon's dog) would rush to our sealed room whenever there were air-raid sirens and I began to wonder what we could do about pets," Kishon said.

Kishon said a number of patients have bought the kit and he is also giving colleagues instructions for making their own.

ISRAELI AID GIVEN TO FAMILIES
AFFECTED BY TERROR ATTACK IN KENYA (12/26)
A delegation of the Israeli humanitarian organization La'Tet (to give) arrived in Mombasa, Kenya this week to supply aid to forty local families who were affected by the terror attack at the Paradise Hotel last month, MA'ARIV reported. The delegation was sponsored by Israeli companies and business people, the Israeli Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Jewish community in Kenya.

The delegation handed out 15 tons (approximately 33,600 lbs.) of food, which is supposed to last a few months. In addition, they purchased backpacks, notebooks and pencils for 1,500 children from the village of Kikmabala, near the scene of the attack," delegate Ra'anan Amir said and added, "in most of the families, the people who were killed or wounded were the providers. Most of the residents here in the area make a living out of tourism. The number of tourists has dropped after the terror attack and they are struggling to make ends meet."

ISRAELI WINS GOLD MEDAL MISTRAL SAILBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP (12/16)
Windsurfer Gal Friedman won the gold medal at the World Mistral Sailboard Championship held in Pattaya, Thailand on Sunday, and became the first Israeli to achieve this title, Israel Television, CHANNEL 2 reported. Coach Mike Gebhardt said that Friedman "proved his great potential and has the attributes of a champion, great technique and a strong character."

Friedman said "I didn't try to go just for a medal, I went for the gold." He added, "this was a long and tough event, but I stayed close to the title all the way through. I have done it, and I have proved that I am part of the leading group in the world."

Friedman's title places him as a leading contender for an Olympic medal in the 2004 Athens Games alongside pole vaulter Alex Averbukh and kayaker Mikhail Kalganov. Friedman won the bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

ISRAELI PRESIDENT KATSAV VISITS VATICAN (12/12)
Israel's President Moshe Katsav, in a first visit by an Israeli head of state to the Vatican, met today with Pope John Paul II and the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The 82-year old pope received Katsav in his private library for 15 minutes, telling him, "God bless Israel." Katsav in turn presented the pope with a leather-bound Book of Psalms and wished the pope strength to continue in his mission. The Vatican restated its support for both Israel and a Palestinian state and the need for a rapid conclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition, the pope condemned anti-Semitism and terrorism and indicated his intention to speak out against both.

During the meeting, the pope made an appeal for free access to Bethlehem, the town where tradition holds is Christ's birthplace, on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas celebrations. President Katsav said that Israel "will do everything possible to enable pilgrims to celebrate the festivities as appropriate." He promised that if there are no warnings of terrorist attacks during Christmas, the Israel Defense Forces would redeploy outside the city of Bethlehem, where in recent months Israeli troops have been searching for wanted Palestinian terrorists.

FIRST WOMAN ASSIGNED
TO PANEL THAT SELECTS RELIGIOUS JUDGES (12/13)
For the first time in history, the committee for the appointment of dayanim (Jewish religious judges) will include a woman, representing women's organizations in Israel, HA'ARETZ reported.

By a single vote, the National Council of the Israel Bar Association chose attorney Sharon Shenhav as one of its two representatives on the committee. A coalition of some 25 women's organizations working for the rights of women who are refused divorces or who are agunot [women whose husbands are not confirmed dead by the Rabbinate], advocated for the selection of Shenhav. The Chairman of the Bar Association, Shlomo Cohen, said he decided to support Shenhav because of her record of protecting women.

Shenhav holds a doctorate in law and has served in the past as the Director of the legal section of the Na'amat Women's Organization. Shenhav says that she will seek the appointment of dayanim who are both well versed in Jewish law as well as in aspects of civil law associated with divorce, such as child developmental psychology and property rights.

In the last few months, criminals have damaged gravestones, stole Tzdaka (charity) money and hidden weapons and drugs in the area. Following these incidents Boker then decided to meet with community leaders of all three faiths and explained to them the severity of the situation. Moshe Goldfarb, a volunteer in the unit said, "our presence at the scene deters the criminals and prevents them from approaching our holy places. Our joint patrols show the success of co-existence in the city."

PATCH ADAMS VISITS ISRAEL (12/9)
Hunter (Patch) Adams, MD, founder and director of the Gesundheit Institute, a holistic medical community that has provided free medical care to thousands of patients, arrived in Israel on Sunday as a guest of the Assaf Harofeh Hospital for a one day conference, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. His visit will include a hands-on seminar on humor and medicine as part of the first "Clown Medicine" course at the hospital, and an address to 100 children affected by terrorism. The Israel Medical Association is co-sponsoring his trip.

Patch Adams is also a professional clown and performer who has written, produced, and acted in numerous plays. He is a moviemaker and a citizen diplomat, making many trips to the Commonwealth of Independent States to explore the possibilities of peace among nations and to learn more about the world's diverse cultures.

ISRAEL’S DEBATE TEAM WINS IN EUROPE (12/9)
Israel's English-language debate team won a groundbreaking victory over a group from Lithuania last week at the European Debating Championship held in Stuttgart, Germany, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The head of the debate team Asher Weill, founder of Israel's debating society known as Siah vaSig, said that "apparently Israeli kids not only know what to say, but even more important, also know very well how to say it."

GIL SHWED NAMED ONE OF 100 GLOBAL LEADERS OF TOMORROW (12/5)
Gil Shwed, 35, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Israeli data security company Check Point Software Technologies, was named one of the 100 young leaders selected for the World Economic Forum's Global Leaders for Tomorrow Program 2003, HA'ARETZ reported. The World Economic Forum, an independent international organization that defines its goal as improving the state of the world, started the Global Leaders for Tomorrow Program in 1993. The program's aim is "to provide an informal, efficient framework for an ongoing exchange of opinions on strategic issues of concern to this younger generation of decision-makers." Each year members, constituents and collaborators of the World Economic Forum nominate 100 new GLTs. The list for 2003 contains people from 49 nations.

According to the Geneva-based forum, "the GLT Community represents the new generation of global leaders, nearly 500 individuals from business, politics, public interest groups, the media, the arts and the sciences, who have demonstrated responsible leadership vis-a-vis society, business developments, the environment and socially responsible initiatives." The criteria for making the list includes being under the age of 37, displaying a commitment to public affairs and demonstrating leadership in addressing issues beyond an immediate professional interest.

Check Point had achieved the highest market valuation ever reached by an Israeli company - $30 billion. Shwed holds about 10 percent of the company's equity and his holding is worth today about $480 million.

NEW STUDY SHOWS ISRAEL AS THE
ONLY COUNTRY WHERE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS GROWING (12/3)
Israel is the only country in the world where the Jewish community is growing, according to The Jewish Agency's Institute for Jewish People Policy Planning's new study, HA'ARETZ reported. Israel is also home to most of the world's Jewish children under the age of 15. The Institute's study also claims that the number of Jews in the world is declining with a net loss of 300,000 American Jews in the last decade. The study followed a preliminary examination of the recent census of American Jewry.

According to the Institute, which convened an emergency session to deal with what it called the "demographic crisis," there are now some 12.9 million Jews in the world. Earlier this year, estimates put the number at 13.2 million. The main reason for the decline appears in the data from the census of Jewish communities in the U.S., which shows a decline of 300,000 in the American Jewish population, from 5.5 million in 1990 to 5.2 million in 2002. Experts say that some 300,000 Jews emigrated to the U.S. during the 1990s, but nonetheless, the community lost some 50,000 Jews a year, mostly to natural attrition.

The Institute, jointly headed by former U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy Dennis Ross and Prof. Yehezkel Dror, a specialist in strategic government policy planning, is supposed to form general and long-term strategic plans for the Jewish people. Studies published at the conference, which opened on Saturday night and ends today, said the decline is apparent in other major Jewish communities around the world. The French Jewish community has declined from 535,000 in 1980 to some 500,000 now, while the number of Jews in the former Soviet Union has fallen from 1.45 million in 1989, to some 437,000 now. Most of those Jews moved to Israel during the 1990s.

GOLD MEDAL TO ISRAELI CHEFS (12/2)
A team of Israeli chefs won the gold medal in the Ethnic Kitchen category at the International Culinary Competition held in Shanghai, China, last week, HA'ARETZ reported. Representatives from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia participated in the competition and introduced the distinctive dishes served in their country.

The Israeli team used Israeli fruits, dishes and ingredients native to the region such as dates, pomegranates, Sabra fruit (cactus fruit), Humus, Falafel and different herbs.

ISRAEL TO ESTABLISH WORLD-CLASS SCHOOL OF MUSIC (11/29)
Composer and conductor Noam Sheriff, currently on the faculty at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and formerly director of the school from 1998 to 2000, is planning to establish a school of higher learning for conducting and composition, HA'ARETZ reported. The new institution, to open in September 2003, will operate out of the music academy building on the campus of Tel Aviv University, and will accept only a limited number of students. "We will select only especially talented candidates, whose studies will be covered by grants," Sheriff said. The new school will place more emphasis on conducting and composition and will also ideally limit its conducting classes to around five students and its composition classes to only slightly more. In the initial stage, Sheriff himself will teach, along with composer Yitzhak Sadai and conductor Gary Bertini.

"Our students will have a most difficult curriculum and be under close supervision," Sheriff said. "Entrance exams will be held next summer. Studies will continue for three years, and the diploma we grant will be an excellent entree to any musical institution in the world."

ISRAEL’S FIRST ASTRONAUT MAY CAST HIS VOTE FROM SPACE (11/22)
Israeli Air force Colonel Ilan Ramon, slated to be the country's first astronaut is likely to cast his ballot in Israel's upcoming general elections from space, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Ramon, who is scheduled to be on the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Columbia space shuttle when his fellow Israelis vote for a new Knesset on Jan 28, was offered the opportunity to vote from space. Ramon accepted on condition that his vote be secret and that NASA approve.

David Leffler, Director-General of the Culture, Science, and Sport Ministry, called Knesset Member Efi Oshaya and asked him to ask the central elections committee to look into the possibility of Ramon voting from space. The committee responded by saying that "in principle," Ramon may vote from space. Leffler is now looking into the logistical and technical problems and is seeking permission from NASA. Ministry Deputy Director-General for Information Moshe Fogel said the astronauts can send e-mail from the shuttle. The elections committee would establish a Web site and, by using a secret code, his vote from space would be registered.

According to analysts, the discrepancies of the figures illustrate a very positive message: an awakening desire of Diaspora Jews to stand by their people in time of trouble despite potential harm. Brig. Gen. Roni Moreno, Chief Logistics Officer of the Israel Defense Forces, is responsible for volunteers in the army and reports a 30 percent increase in volunteers this year. So far, these volunteers have saved reserve soldiers from serving a total of 1,700 days.

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE TO PROMOTE ISRAELI ENTERPRISES (11/8)
The International Christian Chamber of Commerce is launching a new program to help promote Israeli enterprises, GLOBES reported. Called Markets Unlocked, the program is to take the form of a business matchmaking Website. Via the site, buyers can locate suppliers for any type of product anywhere in the world. Company's wishing to register on the site will be required to pay a fee.

While companies from any country can take part, Israeli companies will have an advantage. The Israeli companies will be registered on the site for free and will be listed first when search results are displayed. Organizers expect millions of Christian companies from all over the world to register and search on the site. The website, which already is operating at Internet address www.marketsunlocked.com, is to be officially launched next week.

Markets Unlocked is the latest effort by the ICCC to build business relationships with the Israeli business community. In June it held an international business conference in Jerusalem in which 400 businessmen from 40 nations met with representatives of Israeli companies. Also participating were the Manufacturers Association, the Israeli Export Institute and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce. According to the ICCC more than 1,000 matchmaking appointments were conducted during the two days of the congress.

GERMAN CERTIFICATE
OF EXCELLENCE AWARDED TO ISRAELI JOURNALIST (11/6)
Veteran Israeli journalist Chana Zemer received a Certificate of Excellence today from Germany's Ambassador to Israel, Rudolf Dressler, on behalf of German President Johannes Rau, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. Zemer was rewarded for her journalistic achievements and for her balanced portrayal of Germany during her twenty years as editor of the Davar newspaper.

"We, as Germans are indebted to Chana Zemer," Dressler said in a speech at the ceremony. "She, and people like her, made the German-Israeli dialogue possible after 1945." He added that people like Zemer have helped build bridges between Israel and Germany though honest and evenhanded reporting. "If the Israeli press portrays Germany objectively today, than it was Chana Zemer who paved the way twenty years ago."

ISRAEL DIRECTOR TAKES FIRST PRIZE AT TOKYO FILM FESTIVAL (11/4)
Broken Wings, a movie by Israeli director Nir Bergman, was awarded first prize at the prestigious Tokyo Film Festival, which ended today in Japan, HA'ARETZ reported.

The Tokyo International Film Festival, considered one of the 10 most important festivals in the cinema world, is open to directors who have not made more than three films.

Although the woman doubted the truth of the offer, she arrived at Ben-Gurion the next day to find that she had been registered. "It's the biggest tip I've ever received in my whole life," she said. "The scholarship has shown me that miracles do happen." She said that she had taken the men's email addresses and that they planned to stay in touch. "I want to thank these two men from the bottom of my heart for making my dream come true." The two philanthropists, who prefer to remain anonymous, said that there was no ulterior motive behind the story. "We saw a young woman who excelled at her work and we wanted to make her happy."

ISRAEL SHARES EXPERTISE IN MASS CASUALTY RESPONSE (10/21)
Over the years, Israel has, by unfortunate necessity, acquired unique expertise and experience in dealing with mass casualty situations. This expertise is relevant not only for dealing with terrorist events, but also for responding to natural disasters and other emergency situations. Israel’s Foreign Ministry PRESS OFFICE has reported that in a joint initiative with Rambam Hospital in Haifa, MASHAV - the Israel Foreign Ministry Center for International Cooperation -- is sponsoring a four-week course to share this expertise with other countries.

The program aims to facilitate the development and management of comprehensive disaster response systems that rapidly react to emergency situations. During the course, participants will have a chance to hear presentations from top Israeli medical and home-front security experts, tour state-of-the art Israeli trauma and intensive care facilities, as well as participate in simulation exercises.

Participants in this course are medical personal from: Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Hungary, India, Kenya, Latvia, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sri Lanka.

The irony in the Arab stand is poignant in that MDA's application for membership in the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) has been consistently rejected because its emblem is a star, not a cross. This first occurred in 1949; since that time some 25 Red Crescent Societies in the Muslim world have been admitted to the IFRC.

The cross is the symbol of Christianity. The crescent is the symbol of the Muslim world. The Star of David is the symbol of the Jewish people as well as of Israel. There is no reason on earth that the Red Star of David should not be accorded the same international recognition as the other two symbols.

ISRAELI WOMAN RANKED
34TH MOST POWERFUL FEMALE IN BUSINESS WORLD (10/8)
The President and CEO of Bank Leumi, Galia Maor, was ranked by the American magazine Fortune as the 34th most powerful, on the annual international list "Most Powerful Women in Business," YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. Each year Fortune issues a list of the fifty most influential women in the world. Last year, Maor was ranked 41st.

According to the magazine, "Maor, who had spent 26 years at the Bank of Israel, took the reins of Israel's second-largest bank in 1995. Last year, when the economy hit the skids, Bank Leumi had assets of $53 billion, $5 billion in revenues, and net income of $200 million."

Okun's defeat to the world’s number one ranked male tennis player and reigning U.S. Open champion, Lleyton Hewitt, (7-6, 6-4, 6-1) was generally expected, but Smashnova's defeat came as something of a shock. Smashnova, seeded 17th at the tournament, was beaten by out-of-shape South African, Amanda Coetzer, also in straight sets (6-2, 6-4).

In a game that was halted because of rain, Israel's Harel Levy currently trails Paraguay's Ramon Delgado by two sets to one, and is down 4-3 in the fourth set.

ISRAELI YOUTH
CONTINUE BRILLIANT PLAY IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (8/28)
According to HA'ARETZ, the Israel under-13 cricket team continued their run of successes at the European Championships currently being played in Italy, when they beat tournament favorites Germany by 36 runs yesterday.

Meanwhile, Israel's cricket team also made history on Wednesday, defeating Gibraltar at the European "B" Championships in Italy and securing the gold medal at the six-nation tournament. Although Israel still has one more game against France today, the team's fourth straight win means that the outcome of today's match is irrelevant to the final standings and the Israelis will bring home the gold medal.

HAREL LEVY REACHES SECOND ROUND AT US OPEN (8/27)
Former top Israeli tennis player, Harel Levy, broke a personal record yesterday and advanced to the second round of the US Open, HAARETZ reported. In a five-set match that lasted more than three hours, Levy defeated thirtieth seed Andrei Pavel from Romania. After trailing badly in the first set 6-1, Levy fought back with the final scoreboard reading 7-6(9/7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"There is no more professional a sportsman than Harel," Levy's father, Yoel, said on Monday. "He has been working tirelessly for the past three months with a fitness trainer named Paul Dorchenko, who has also worked with several top-ten players in the past few years." Levy will faces Ramon Delgado of Paraguay, ranked 136, in his next match. Anna Smashnova and Noam Okrun will also play today.

FIRST WOMAN ELECTED
TO HEAD ISRAEL'S NATIONAL STUDENT UNION (8/26)
For the first time in Israel's history, a female was elected chairperson of the National Student Union, MA'ARIV reported. Gila Gamliel, 28, who currently heads up the Student Union at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva, won sixty percent of the votes during the national elections. Gamliel, who is active in the Likud party, was also ranked 21st on the Likud list of candidates for the 15th Knesset. Gamliel's victory returned the control of the NSU to Likud after eight years of Labor management.

Gamliel told reporters that she is proud to be the first woman in this role and promised to keep fighting for students' rights and lower tuition at universities and colleges. She also said that under her leadership, the NSU will fight to remedy social struggles that plague society.

ISRAEL SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO CZECH REPUBLIC (8/19)
Israel is sending humanitarian aid to the Czech Republic to help the country deal with the recent severe flooding there, HA'ARETZ reported. The aid includes chlorine tablets to disinfect the overflowing sewage systems, which could cause widespread disease, and 55 portable pumps that can be used to clear flooded houses.

Israel is also considering contributing to the restoration of Prague's historic Jewish Quarter and the city's ancient Jewish cemetery, both of which have been damaged by the floods.

ISRAEL PAYS TRIBUTE TO MAN'S BEST FRIEND (8/15)
In an effort to pay tribute to canines killed during search and rescue operations, the Israel Defense Forces is establishing a cemetery for the dogs of their Oketz K9 unit, YEDIOT AHARONOT ON-LINE reported. The cemetery will be divided into 5 separate courts with a garden in its center, in which there will be a monument honoring the loyal hounds for their service. The flag of Israel and the Oketz K9 flag will be raised on the both sides of monument. Also, the IDF is considering an annual ceremony to pay tribute to the fallen dogs, which would take place a few days before Memorial Day. "We regard the hounds as soldiers just as us," the Deputy Commander of the Oketz K9 unit said.

The cemetery will have 80 plots and each dog laid to rest will have a tombstone designed by its soldier or handler. An American millionaire who is fond of animals is donating funds for the cemetery.

Meanwhile, according to a study in MA'ARIV, animals present at the scene of a terror attack tend to suffer from sleeping problems and anxiety reactions just like humans. "Daphne," a three-year-old golden retriever guide dog was severely injured when a homicide bomber blew himself up while sitting in a taxi in Wadi Ara 18 months ago. Her trainer, Cloud Knap, 29, was killed in the attack. After recovering from an extensive medical treatment she was put in the custody of Cloud's brother Ricardo, who lives in Kiryat Shmona, on the northern border.

"She hides in a corner and shakes and trembles. No matter how much love and nurturing she receives, the dog finds it difficult to overcome the attack's experience," Ricardo said.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES "FINE FOODS FROM ISRAEL" CAMPAIGN (8/15)
Surrounded by packages of chocolate wafers and bottles of kosher wines at the residence of Consul General of Israel in New York Ambassador Alon Pinkas, Minister of Industry and Trade Dalia Itzik announced this week the launch of the "Fine Foods from Israel" campaign, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The goal of the project is to boost Israeli food exports to the U.S.

Averbukh immigrated to Israel in 1999 and since his arrival, the former decathlon specialist has chosen to concentrate on the pole vault, becoming one of the world's best. He finished third in the world championships in Seville, just a month after immigrating to Israel. Two years later he won the silver in the world championships in Edmonton. At the Sydney Olympics two years ago, he finished 10th.

The Nahal Soreq base commander Lt.-Col. Yossi Ifargan greeted the teens, briefed them on the IDF and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For four days, the teens filled sandbags, which are used to protect the soldiers in the Gaza Strip, did kitchen and cleaning duties and armed rifle magazines. One of the teens said that he would like to return to Israel and serve in the IDF next year. About twenty of his friends expressed the same wishes. "We love Israel very much and due to the situation with the Palestinians we decided to come in a large delegation and to donate to the IDF," he said.

A military official said that this visit is a very important one, due to the fact that Morocco is a Muslim country with many connections to the Arab world. The official added that the fact that the Moroccan leadership agreed to let a large group of Jewish teens volunteer in Israel shows its "vast openness."

STUDENTS CONTINUE TO STUDY IN ISRAEL (8/7)
17 American College Students are slated to depart for a study-abroad program at The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev this evening, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The students will be participating in the Overseas Student Program at BGU which includes a total of 60 students, 30 of whom are American. Despite the situation in Israel, many students have decided to continue with their plans to study there. While there has been a noticeable decline in enrollment in the Overseas Student Program there have not been any cancellations at BGU in the past few weeks, even after the terrorist attack at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem last week.

ISRAEL BAKERY BREAKS THREE WORLD RECORDS (8/2)
A team of bakers from Angel Bakeries in Jerusalem paraded through the streets of the city on Thursday carrying a stretcher bearing the longest challah bread in the world breaking a Guinness World record, HA'ARETZ reported. The challah, 20 meters long, was brought to the Hutzot Ha'ir food exhibition in Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall for its opening ceremony.

Borochovski, 18, who qualified for the finals of the 50-meter butterfly event on Tuesday, swam her best time of the competition, touching the wall in 27.36 seconds while former silver medallist Halika competed in the 200-meter individual medley. Halika finished 5th with a time of 2:04.77, qualifying him for the 16th, and final, berth in the semifinals.

Gidi Kliger and Udi Gal, the other Israeli couple in the event, finished in sixth place. In the women's competitions in the same series, Linor Kliger and Anat Fabrikant finished in fifth place, while Nika Kornitzky and Vered Buskila followed in seventh.

FAMILIES OF ISRAELI MIA’S
MEET WITH U.S. OFFICIALS, JEWISH LEADERS (7/9)
The families of four Israelis who were kidnapped by the Hizbullah in October 2000 are currently in the United States and meeting with Jewish groups and U.S . officials in New York and Washington to plead for help in finding their loved ones, THE JERUSALEM POST reported.

The parents of Benny Avraham, Adi Avitan and Omar Sawaid, who were ambushed by Hizbullah on October 7, 2000 near the United Nations-delineated border with Lebanon and the son and wife of Elhanan Tenenboim, an Israeli businessman kidnapped in Europe eight days later, urged the Jewish community to put pressure on world leaders and human rights groups to find the missing Israelis and to unite behind Israel as it fights terrorism.

"We need to be united, to support Israel. Any kind of support - aliyah, money, visiting Israel, coming to see what's happened to the families that suffered," said Avraham's father, Haim, at a meeting Monday with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "If my father can be abducted from Europe, then every American citizen can be abducted from Europe," said Tanenbaum's son Ori, 20. "If this crime goes unpunished, I'm afraid he won't be the last hostage." The families are scheduled to meet with members of Congress and Senators today and Wednesday in Washington.

According to IDF Radio, Hizbullah is holding Elhanan Tenenboim in Lebanon and is ready to trade him for 200 prisoners. Among those demanded in a potential swap would be West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been in Israeli custody since April.

EILAT DOLPHIN RESCUE NO FISH STORY (7/5)
It sounds like a scene out of the old television series Flipper – According to THE JERUSALEM POST, a four-meter-long tiger shark was spotted heading rapidly towards Eilat’s northern beach on Wednesday.

Acting like navy patrolmen on a mission, six dolphins swam toward the sharp-toothed enemy and formed a circle around it. They pummeled the shark with their noses and tails until the shark realized it had no chance and quickly retreated out to sea.

The dolphins are being hailed in the media as heroes of the hour.

But Maya Zilber, the main trainer at Eilat’s Dolphin Reef, does not believe the dolphins acted aggressively to protect bathers on the beach. Although dolphins do seem to enjoy the company of humans and even have been known to save children from drowning, in this case Zilber believes they acted to protect baby dolphins in the area.

"The sharks could have killed and eaten a baby dolphin, but probably not an adult," she said. "The dolphins are very sensitive and clearly aimed to protect their own."

"MADE IN ISRAEL" LABEL LAUNCHED (7/1)
The "Blue and White" staff of the Manufacturers Association of Israel initiated a special label to mark Israeli products that contain at least 35 percent Israeli content, GLOBES reported. The "Made in Israel" label, which was launched today, is similar to labels in the U.S., Germany and France.

Ramon said that as a son of a Holocaust survivor, as a Jew and an Israeli, he felt obliged to commemorate the Holocaust in some way and so he contacted Yad Vashem and asked to bring the painting with him. "I feel that my voyage is the fulfillment of Peter's dream," Ramon said. The fact that he died in Auschwitz is a testimony to our physical being, while the fact that his work made its way out of the ghetto and all the way to Jerusalem shows the victory of his spirit."

ISRAEL AND EAST TIMOR ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS (5/20)
Israel and East Timor established diplomatic relations today, Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL reported. A joint communiqué released by the Israeli Government and the first democratically elected government of East Timor states that the countries are both guided by the principles of promoting and strengthening ties between themselves and their peoples on the basis of "equality, mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of one another." The diplomatic relations will be at the ambassadorial level.

INTERFAITH PEACE RALLY HELD NEAR GILO (5/15)
Some 80 Jews, Muslims and Christians joined on Tuesday in an interfaith peace rally near the neighborhood of Gilo in southern Jerusalem, in a call for nonviolence and unity, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The participants, who visited Buddhist monks at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, halfway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, included rabbis, nuns, Druze, Bedouins and Sufi sheikhs. Three Buddhist Monks from Japan initiated the visit, with the endorsement of the Vatican, the chief mufti of Bangladesh, Sayid Muhammad Hasani, and Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

Rev. Terasawa Junsei, the leader of the Buddhist delegation, said during the visit that "religion has become the hostage of violence and conflict. We must help it regain its original purpose - to unite people in one spirit." Emunah Witt, a Hassidic woman, brought her children to the rally and said, "I want them to know that human beings can get together, and I want Muslims, too, to teach their children that we can live together."

ZIMBABWE, KIBBUTZ BEIT ALFA FORM PARTNERSHIP (5/14)
The government of Zimbabwe recently purchased state-of-the-art military equipment and anti-riot gear from Kibbutz Beit Alfa, as part of its attempts to crush anti-government demonstrations, HA'ARETZ reported. According to the Zimbabwean weekly paper The Standard, "the equipment has already arrived in Zimbabwe and includes customized anti-riot tankers, gas masks and microscopic 'laser guns,' similar to those used by Israeli forces against Palestinian protesters." The paper also reported that an Israeli expert was training police officers in Zimbabwe.

The deal to buy the equipment was first raised and considered last year, when Zimbabwe police sought authority to make a $105 million down payment to Israel's Beit Alfa Trailer Company (BAT) for the purchase of arms for $1 billion. BAT is one of the world's leading manufacturers of riot control vehicles.

ISRAEL SENDS AID TO GEORGIA (5/13)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) and the Ministry of Health are slated to dispatch humanitarian assistance to Georgia in the former Soviet Union, in the wake of last week's
earthquake there, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. The consignment will include medical equipment and other supplies. Israel's Ambassador in Georgia, Rivka Cohen, will transfer the humanitarian supplies to local government officials. "Israel and Georgia enjoy a long-standing friendship, which has been reflected recently through Georgia's expression of support for Israel's war against terrorism," she said.

ISRAELI ROBOTICS TEAM
DEFEATS IRAN, WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (4/25)
Ronson, an Israeli robot developed by students of the Henry Ronson High School in Ashkelon, defeated the Iranian robot Pierre and won the world championship in robotics, held last week in Connecticut, YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. Israeli robotics teams also won the second and fourth places in the championship.

Each competing robot was required to traverse a partitioned ring without bumping into walls, locate a burning candle and extinguish it. The Israeli robot succeeded in completing all tasks in the shortest period of time.

The team's manager, Michel Lusky, said that despite the situation in the Middle East, the Israeli team was very well received, and added that the Israeli and the Iranian delegations became friendly during the championship.

BLIND ISRAELI YOUTH CO-WINS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE QUIZ (4/18)
Avihai Sheli, 18, is the co-winner of the international Bible Quiz for Jewish youth, held each year in Jerusalem on Israel's Independence Day, HA'ARETZ reported. Sheli is blind, and does not own a Bible as a Braille Bible costs thousands of dollars. To prepare for the contest, Sheli borrowed a Braille Bible, which contains 25 large volumes. "The difference between him and me," Sheli said about his co-champion Meir Ben Admon, "is that he can slip his Bible into his pocket and I need a suitcase."

Sheli, 18, tried to reach the finals of the Bible Quiz for four years. Two months ago, he was crowned the national champion, again sharing the honors with Ben Admon. Sheli was born with normal vision, but lost his sight at age
two as a result of illness. Doctors also said that he was mute, but his mother succeeded in teaching him to speak. "She began to tell me stories and saw that I was beginning to answer her and repeat the words," he said on
Wednesday, adding that his love for the Bible began with these storytelling sessions, as she told him tales of the Torah and commentaries.

Sheli's mother Irit and father Issachar insisted from kindergarten that he attend regular classes in normal classrooms. His success in first grade convinced the school authorities to comply with this request. Sheli is now a student at a yeshiva high school in Kfar Maimon.

ISRAEL COMMEMORATES YOM HAZIKARON (4/16)
Ceremonies were held at cemeteries throughout Israel today to mark Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars, Yom HaZikaron, HA'ARETZ reported. A two-minute siren was sounded this morning to begin the official ceremonies. The central remembrance ceremony was held at the military cemetery on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, President Moshe Katsav, the Chief Rabbis and various current and former government officials participated in the ceremony.

A special ceremony was also held on Mount Herzl this afternoon for the 1,550 Israelis killed in terror attacks since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Sharon and Katsav also participated in that ceremony. At this ceremony, Sharon said, "It is our duty to the bereaved families to do everything to end the war in our country and to establish security and peace." Since the beginning of the Zionist settlement in Israel in 1860, the country has lost 21,182 people in wars and in terror attacks.

According to Secretary General of the National Insurance Institute, Professor Yohanan Stassman, since the beginning of the current Palestinian uprising in October 2000, 319 citizens have been killed and 3,133 have been injured. In the month of March alone, 104 citizens were killed and 833 were injured.

Today's Remembrance Day ceremonies were reinforced with more security than usual due to reports of possible terror attacks at cemeteries and other memorial sites.

POPULATION AT 6.5 MILLION
ON ISRAEL’S 54TH INDEPENDENCE DAY (4/16)
On the eve of Israel’s 54th Independence Day, the nation's population stands at 6.5 million, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The Jewish State’s population has increased 4 percent annually since independence was announced in May of 1948.

Last year the population grew by 2.4 percent, with around 152,000 new residents. According to the CBS, the amount is lower than in past years, however much higher than other developed nations, whose populations grow 1% annually. According to the CBS the Jewish population rose by 100,000 to 5.3 million, accounting for 81% of the total number of citizens in Israel. CBS analysts noted that this is a similar percentage to that recorded in 1948 when the Jewish population totaled 650,000. The Arab population totals 1.2 million, similar to last year, and accounting for 19% of the population.

ISRAELI SWIMMER WINS BRONZE MEDAL (4/5)
Israeli swimmer Vered Borochovsky won the bronze medal in the final of the 50 meter butterfly swimming event at the short-course swimming championships in Moscow today, HA'ARETZ reported.

Borochovsky, 17, is the first-ever female Israeli swimmer to win the distinguished honor. She competed against some of the top swimmers in the world, such as Swedish swimmers Teresa Eshsheimer and Anna Karin Kimerling.

Israeli swimmer Mickey Halika also participated in the championship, competing in the 400-meter individual medley. Despite having achieved one of his best personal times, he just missed the cut for the final round.

ISRAELI ICE DANCERS PLACE SIXTH IN OLYMPICS (2/22)
During a mesmerizing free dance that captivated the crowd on February 18, Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski solidified their sixth-place standing in the ice dancing competition in Salt Lake City.

Demonstrating their national pride with the Star of David boldly emblazoned on their costumes and skating to a medley of Hebrew and Yiddish songs. Chait and Sakhnovski became the first Israelis to reach such a high level at the Winter Olympics, a significant improvement over their 14^th-place finish at the Nagano Winter Olympics.

"We came to skate and feel we did really well, and we’re pleased to have finished where we did," Chait told reporters. "Our goal and desire is to bring a medal to Israel, and we’re looking forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we’ll be able to do just that," she added.

CZECHS SEEK DEEPER DEFENSE TIES WITH ISRAEL (2/21)
The Czech Republic is seeking to expand its defense ties with Israel, HA'ARETZ reported. Czech Deputy Defense Minister Stefan Fule, who visited Israel this week, said on Wednesday that he discussed the issue with his Israeli counterpart, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof, and with the Director General of the Ministry of Defense Amos Yaron. Fule said that his country is interested in cooperation with Israel "on condition that it is mutual and not solely to develop unilateral links. We hold Israel's advanced technological ability in very high esteem, but we also have something to offer."