 |
 |
|
|
||
Newsletter : 8fax0826.txt
Directory | Previous file | Next file
>PD
>Israel Faxx
>JN Aug. 26, 1998, Vol. 6, No. 152
Passengers Move to El Al flights
By IsraelWire
The number of persons flying from Israel abroad has not declined
as a result of threats issued by Islamic terrorists, but there is
a significant increase in the number of travelers booking seats on
El Al, relying on the firm's distinguishable record of impeccable
security.
Security checks of all passengers, passports, documents and travel
bags are being carried out in a more painstaking fashion, and much
is being done to ensure the safety of all passengers passing
through Ben Gurion airport. Agents are opening almost all suitcases
to obtain a visual inspection of bags, rather than relying on the
"profile" of most passengers, as is the case most of the time.
Rocket Attack on Northern Israel
By Mark Lavie (VOA-Tel Aviv) and IsraelWire
Katyusha rockets fell on Israeli towns near the Lebanese border
Tuesday, after an Israeli rocket attack in Lebanon. The rockets
fired by Lebanese terrorists landed in several places inside Israel
along its border with Lebanon in the late evening hours (Israel
time). No serious injuries were reported, but several houses and
vehicles were damaged.
At 5 p.m. EDT, a wave of 122 mm Katyusha missiles downed a high
voltage line, causing an interruption in electrical service to
certain areas reaching as far as Tel Chai in the north.
The army gave permission to Electric Company emergency crews to
begin carrying out repairs in limited and well-defined areas, and
they have succeeded in restoring electricity to Nahariya, using
alternative lines, as well as unspecified areas in Kiryat Shmona.
Twelve persons were injured in the attack, which landed at 3:50
p.m. The number of missiles that have landed may not be published
until cleared by the army censor. The attack is being described as
"substantial."
The IDF Home Front Command has ordered all areas residents into
bomb shelters for the night. IDF artillery began returning fire at
terrorist positions.
Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a car
driven by a commander of Amal, one of the main Lebanese groups. He
was killed. Amal is prominent in the Lebanese government--its
leader, Nabih Berri, is the Speaker of the Lebanese parliament.
Amal is considered more moderate than the Iran-backed Hizbullah
terrorists in Lebanon, but Israeli officials, explaining their
attack, said Amal has carried out attacks against Israeli forces,
as well. Israel Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordecai declared, "Israel
reserves the right to strike at terrorist leaders wherever they
are."
Most of the rocket attacks against Israel in the past have come
from Hizbullah, not Amal. It appeared that the Katyusha rockets
fired at one Israeli town, Kiryat Shmona, came from areas in
Lebanon controlled by Hizbullah.
The two terrorist groups share a common goal -- forcing Israel to
withdraw its soldiers from a strip of territory inside Lebanon.
The Israelis call it their security zone, and they say they patrol
it to keep them away from the border.
A large-scale flare-up in 1996 ended in an understanding, mediated by
the United States, that neither side would target the other's
civilians. When Israeli air or artillery strikes caused civilian
casualties in Lebanon, Hizbullah often fired small, unguided,
Katyusha rockets at Israel in response.
This time Israel's target was a terrorist leader. Previous Israeli
strikes against leaders have set off cross-border exchanges of
rocket and artillery fire, along with Israeli air strikes. Every
few years the conflict spirals out of control, as it did in 1996,
leading the United States and other world powers to mediate a
cease-fire.
Holocaust Insurance Settlement Reached
By Barbara Schoetzau (VOA-New York)
In New York Tuesday, major European insurance companies reached an
agreement with the World Jewish Congress to compensate Holocaust
victims for unpaid Nazi-era policies.
The agreement sets up an international commission to examine the archives of several European insurance companies, determine the companies' liability and resolve claims made by Holocaust survivors.
The insurance companies will also put money immediately into a
humanitarian fund and an equity fund. These two funds will begin
paying provable claims at once. The amount of claims is expected to
be hundreds of millions of dollars.
Last week the Italian insurance company Assicurazioni Generali
agreed to pay $100 million to settle Holocaust-era claims. Earlier
in the month, Switzerland's two largest commercial banks finally
reached an accord with Jewish groups to pay Holocaust survivors
more than $1 billion in restitution for lost assets.
Still, lawyers representing thousands of Holocaust survivors in a
class action law suit are not satisfied with the agreement with
the European insurance companies. They say it is not legally
binding and does not guarantee quick payment of the policies.
Most of the Holocaust survivors are elderly.
| Home My Account Search Contact Us |
by Electronic World Communications, Inc.)
