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Newsletter : 8fax1119.txt
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>JN Nov. 19, 1998, Vol. 6, No. 209
Believe it or Not, A Sweet Potato
By IsraelWire
The Lazer family, of Moshav S'dei Yitzchak were as surprised as their neighbors when they tries to pick one particular sweet potato that was most difficult to take out of the ground. The "Giant" sweet potato weighed in at 22 pounds, quite a difference from the average potato.
Israel to Repay Diaspora Jews
By IsraelWire
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told 5,000 people at the General Assembly of North American UJA Federations that he was "concerned about intermarriage" and pledged to provide millions of dollars to a program to introduce Diaspora youth to Israel.
"You're shocked," he told delegates. "Yes, Israel is going to give
money to the Diaspora to help promote Jewish education ... on the
50th Anniversary of the Jewish state, it's time we gave something
back."
Netanyahu praised General Assembly Chairman Charles Bronfman and
philanthropist Michael Steinhardt for their work on "Birthright
Israel," a $300 million initiative to fund educational visits to
Israel for Diaspora Jews between 15 and 26 years old.
Netanyahu said intermarriage rates in the Diaspora were due in part
to the lack of solid Jewish education. "The people of the book are
becoming the people who cannot even read the book."
Israel has promised to supply $20 million for Birthright's first
year. Netanyahu's Diaspora Affairs adviser, Bobby Brown, said
building the organizational infrastructure the project needs would
require substantial worldwide efforts, but voiced confidence that
the project would succeed. "Birthright will go through a lot of
birth pains," he said, "but we are very glad to be one of the
parents."
Shlomo Sheinbein: My Son Deserves a Fair Trial in Israel
By IsraelWire
The High Court has permitted the publication of the identity of the American Jewish teenager suspected of murder, who fled to Israel seeking asylum. The 18-year-old's name is Sam (Shmuel) Sheinbein.
The decision to allow publicizing of Sheinbein's identity was made by
the court during an appeal of the court's September decision to
allow Sheinbein's extradition to the United States to stand trial.
The matter began Sept. 19, 1997 when two real estate agents arrived
at an empty house in a Maryland suburb to show the house to
potential buyers. The agents noticed a terrible smell emanating
from the home's garage. Police called to the site broke into the
garage and found a dismembered body, thoroughly burnt, wrapped in
garbage bags.
The body was identified as that of Fredrico Tello, a 19-year-old
Hispanic youth. Police confirmed the slayers strangled Tello, hit
him on his head, stabbed him in his neck and chest, and then
dismembered the body and burned it.
The Jewish community was shocked when the two suspects turned out
to be two 17-year-old Jewish youths, Sheinbein and his good friend
Aharon Binyamin Nadel. By the time the police discovered their
identities, the teenagers had escaped to New York.
Days later, Sheinbein's New York relatives furnished him with a
suitcase of clothes and his passport. Sheinbein didn't want to
return to Maryland, so his parents brought him to the airport and
bought him a ticket to Tel Aviv. On Sept. 22, 1997 he arrived in
Israel.
Sheinbein's friend, Nadel, did not escape. He was arrested and
stood trial in Maryland for murder and conspiracy of murder. In
April, one day before his trial was due to begin, Nadel hung
himself in his cell.
Last year the United States requested Sheinbein's extradition based
on the extradition treaty signed by both countries. Israel
hesitated, because the boy's father claimed that since he, himself,
is an Israeli citizen, his son also holds Israeli citizenship, and
is therefore not extraditable.
America continued its pressure. The matter threatened to harm
US-Israel relations if extradition was not made. The Attorney
General turned to the Jerusalem District Court to decide on the
matter of Sheinbein's citizenship and extradition. The teenager's
attorney, former Minister of Justice David Libai, claimed that the
law was clear that Sheinbein has citizenship by fact of his birth
to a parent of Israeli citizenship.
The state prosecution's head of the international department, Irit
Kahan, answered that Sheinbein's father's citizenship was granted by
mistake. She also claimed that the teenager had never claimed
Israeli citizenship prior to seeking asylum in Israel.
Two months ago, District Court Justice Moshe Ravid decided that
Sheinbein is an Israeli citizen, but can be extradited due to his
lack of connection to Israel. The prosecutor was pleased with the
decision that precluded Israel's being an asylum for criminals.
Libai indicated his surprise, and said that no other nation has
"conditional citizenship."
Shlomo Sheinbein, the boy's father said his son is entitled to
stand trial in Israel. Both parents accompanied him throughout the
court case. The father reiterated his fear that if extradited, his
son would be killed in a US prison.
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