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Newsletter : 8fax0818.txt
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>JN Aug. 18, 1998, Vol. 6, No. 147
Israel Filled with Start-Up Companies
By IsraelWire
About one-third of the start-up companies in Israel today work out
of private homes or are registered abroad rather than in Israel.
Another third work secretly, because the entrepreneurs employ staff
in various places and await the day when their ideas are realized
in practice and they can then go public. Approximately 3,500
start-up companies are functioning in Israel today, a tremendous
sum relative to Israel's population.
Holocaust Settlement Repels Swiss Tourists
By IsraelWire
Due to the recent settlement with Jewish organizations about Jewish
Holocaust assets, Swiss tourists are reportedly no longer
interested in visiting Israel. Swiss travelers have stated they
feel "unwanted" in Israel and do not feel comfortable visiting at
this time.
The director of the Israel Travel Bureau in Zurich, Cathie Malcha,
reports she has received letters from local citizens, politely
explaining they do not want to visit Israel at this time, due to
the negative publicity that surrounded the Holocaust settlement and
their country.
In a Swiss radio program dealing with travel to Israel, two other
reasons for the sharp drop in visits to Israel were also given, the
high rates for resorts and hotels in Israel and the policies of the
current administration. Swiss officials pointed out that one week
in Israeli hotels cost the same as two weeks in the United States.
Swiss Gold Sale Plan Intact Despite Holocaust Deal
Israel Faxx Staff Report
Switzerland's controversial plan to create a huge humanitarian fund by
selling off excess gold reserves seems to have survived intact
despite big banks' whopping $1.25 billion settlement with Holocaust
victims.
Politicians and influential commentators over the weekend rallied behind the idea, which Berne launched last week in a bid to lift Switzerland above a mire of accusations that the neutral country cynically profited from World War 2. An opinion poll last week also showed two out of three Swiss surveyed still like the plan.
Body Exhumed by "Hooligans"
By IsraelWire
Members of the Rechovot burial society were shocked when they
arrived at the cemetery Sunday. One of the newer graves had
been opened and the body was exposed. The fresh grave was still
easily accessible, since the burial was two weeks ago and the
tombstone was not yet in place.
(In Israel, burial is done directly in the ground without a casket,
in accordance with Jewish law. The body is placed inside a
cinderblock frame and then covered as well with blocks that rest on
the stone perimeter, prior to being covered with earth).
Deputy Commander Itzik Assraf of the police responded to the scene.
Following an on-site investigation by police, they theorize that
the grave was opened by "hooligans," who were carrying out some
type of "dare test," to initiate a new member into a satanic cult.
Kiryat Shmona Resident Releases Mice in City Hall
By IsraelWire
A resident of Kiryat Shmona was arrested after he released several
mice in city hall, causing a panic. The man explained to police
that he was desperate and saw no other way out of his problem.
He told police that he had made numerous requests in the past to
the municipality to rid his apartment of the rodents, but received
no assistance. He therefore decided to bring the rodents to city
hall. He was released on bail, after promising not to visit city
hall for at least 30 days.
New Circumcision Practice Proscribed
By Arutz-7 News Service
A new phenomenon during ritual circumcision ceremonies has aroused
objections in rabbinic circles. Shimon Perchik, spokesman of
the Brit Kodesh organization, says that local anesthesia
administered to the baby prior to his circumcision has become
popular in the Tel Aviv area. He said, however, that many rabbis
have objected strongly to the new practice.
"People come to the ceremony and are happy because the baby doesn't
cry, and everything is pleasant. What they do not realize is that
the baby cries beforehand when the shots are administered, and
afterwards when the anesthesia wears off. Thus, nothing is gained,
and from a halakhic point of view it is even worse, because at
least the pain felt by the baby during the circumcision is for the
sake of a mitzvah [Torah commandment], while the same cannot be
said about the pain caused by the shots themselves and afterwards."
Perchik added that some of the Rabbis emphasized that the
significance of the circumcision ceremony and the "entry into the
covenant with God" is greatly reduced if it is carried out while
the baby is anesthetized.
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