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Newsletter : 9fax0218.txt
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>JN Feb. 18, 1999, Vol. 7, No. 34
250,000 Israelis Expected to Travel for Passover Holiday
By IsraelWire
Airlines flying from Israel will be increasing the number of
flights to accommodate an anticipated increase in the number of
persons leaving Israel to celebrate the Passover holiday. The
main push is expected between March 28-31. El Al will be adding at
least 10 flights to London, Paris, Rome, Budapest, New York and
Italy. TowerAir officials say Orlando, the location of Disney
World, is in big demand for the Passover holiday.
Netanyahu Denies Involvement in Capture of Kurd
By David Gollust (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israel is bolstering security at its overseas missions after an
attack by Kurdish protesters, Wednesday, on its Berlin consulate.
Three Kurds were killed by Israeli guards. Meanwhile, Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has again said Israel had no role in
Turkey's capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Netanyahu expressed regret over the casualties in Berlin. But he
said the Berlin mission had been broken into by members of a
club-and-hammer-wielding crowd, and Israeli security guards have
standing orders to use force, if necessary, to protect missions and
their staff members.
He said a woman staff member of the Consulate had been briefly
taken hostage and one of the deaths occurred when a rioter tried
to strip a weapon from one of the guards.
Israeli diplomatic posts had been bracing for trouble after a
German newspaper earlier this week carried a report -- quoting
western intelligence sources -- that Israel's Mossad security
agency had helped Turkish authorities track down Ocalan.
At an impromptu news conference, Netanyahu denied Israel had any
role in either locating or capturing the Kurdish leader. Government
spokesman Moshe Fogel said later that denial applies to all
agencies and elements of the Israeli government:
"I have to make this absolutely clear because I think there is a lot of rumors that just have no basis in fact. Israel, and all the Israeli agencies involved, have no part in any way shape or form in his (Ocalan's) capture, or any the actions leading to his capture."
Israel has established close defense and security relations with
Turkey in recent years, and the two countries have staged joint
military exercises. Netanyahu said both countries are fighting
terrorism. But he said people should not draw from this that
there has been cooperation on the Ocalan case, and he suggested
parties hostile to Israel are exploiting the issue.
Yad Vashem Delivers List of Holocaust Victims
By IsraelWire
Officials of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum have sent a list of
more than a million Jews killed in the Holocaust to the commission
tracking the victims' assets in Swiss banks.
The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial forwarded the names to the
commission headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.
The names will be matched with those on World War II-era Swiss bank
accounts as part of efforts to locate accounts that belonged to
Holocaust victims.
The handover of the names is the first stage of a plan by Yad
Vashem to computerize a total of 3 million names of Holocaust
victims a project expected to boost Holocaust research.
PM's Office Receives 1,000 Pineapples
By IsraelWire
The Ministry of Agriculture is investigating how 200 crates of
pineapples from Africa made their way to the Prime Minister's
Office in violation of the law. Officials explain the pineapple is
a potential carrier of diseases that may be fatal.
Last week, the crates were delivered to the Prime Minister's
Office, as a gift from the president of Togo. The fruits were a
token of appreciation for the president having been treated in an
Israeli hospital. The pineapples were distributed to employees who
in turn took them home.
Only on Monday did officials in the ministry realize the pineapples were delivered without the necessary permits assuring they are safe for consumption.
The incident was brought to the attention of health officials by
angry farmers and importers who claim they too have attempted to
import pineapples in the past but were denied the necessary permits
due to the health risks involved.
Health and agriculture officials added that no one is permitted to
import pineapples into Israel since it is classified as a dangerous
fruit. Officials add that unknowing travelers returning to Israel
from tropical climates have tried bringing in a pineapple or two.
They are fined and the fruits are confiscated.
Aviv Bushinsky, the prime minister's spokesman, confirmed delivery
of the pineapples in the diplomatic mail, with each of the 200
cases containing 5 large pineapples, and added the fruits were
eaten and enjoyed by all.
Responding to the reports that the delivery was illegal, he
explained the prime minister and/or his staff did not order them,
but it was nevertheless unfortunate that there was not enough for
the entire country.
As far as the criticism, Bushinsky added that the prime minister
preferred to let it pass than to risk offending the president who
sent the gift with good intentions.
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