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Newsletter : 9fax0407.txt
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>Israel Faxx
>JN April 7, 1999, Vol. 7, No. 66
Sharon: Muslim Control of Kosovo Could Threaten Europe
By Deborah Tate (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israel's foreign minister says an independent Muslim state of
Kosovo could become a center for Islamic militancy that would
threaten all of Europe.
Ariel Sharon says an independent Kosovo could unite with Albania
and create a greater Islamic state that could threaten European
stability. In an interview with Israel Radio, Sharon said "The free
world must heed the risk posed by the possible independence of
Kosovo."
He said the United States and NATO must stop what he called the
tragedy of Kosovo's refugees as soon as possible. But, he added,
they cannot ignore the long-term political stakes created by the
situation.
Last week, Sharon was quoted in an Israeli newspaper saying Israel
had reason not to back NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia,
because NATO may one day try to use force to impose a solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nazareth Churches are Closed
By Deborah Tate (VOA-Jerusalem)
Christian authorities in Israel have closed churches in Jesus'
boyhood town of Nazareth, following clashes between Christians and
Muslims.
With tensions still simmering after clashes Sunday between Arab Christians and Muslims, the Latin, Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem and the head of the Roman Catholic Franciscan Order in the Holy Land closed all churches in Nazareth for two days.
Tourists visiting the city's main attraction, The Church of the
Annunciation, found the doors locked. A note explained it was a
protest against attacks against Christians. Dozens of people were
injured in the street clashes Sunday between Muslims and
Christians.
Nazareth, home to about 40,000 Muslims and 18,000 Christians, has always prided itself on its tolerance. But tensions between the two groups have increased in recent months over Muslim plans to build a mosque adjacent to the Annunciation church, where tradition says the Angel Gabriel told Mary she was about to give birth to a son.
The site of the proposed mosque is on spot sacred to Muslims -- the
grave of Sheikh Shihab al-Din. But it is also near a site where
city officials hope to build a plaza to ease the crowds of
Christian pilgrims. Muslims in the city believe their needs have
been overshadowed by Christian concerns. Christians say the
Muslims are using the mosque dispute for political gain.
Tensions between Christians and Muslims in the city are
complicating Israeli government plans to make Nazareth the
centerpiece of millennium celebrations that are to begin in nine
months.
Israel's Ambassador to South Africa Recalled
By Deborah Tate (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israel is recalling its ambassador to South Africa amid allegations
he had an affair with a female South African army officer. Foreign
Minister Ariel Sharon ordered Ambassador Uri Oren to return home
for a hearing after reviewing a report about the case -- which also
is being investigated by South Africa.
The South African army officer involved in the alleged affair led
a military intelligence unit. She has not been publicly
identified. Although the case has raised questions about possible
attempted espionage, Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aviv
Shir-On says it has not hurt bilateral relations. "Diplomatic
contacts are continuing as usual. The definition is business as
usual."
Oren -- who has served in South Africa for less than two years --
has denied having an intimate relationship with the woman, although
he has acknowledged meeting with her frequently. Haaretz says
rumors of the ambassador's alleged affair were widespread in the
South African Jewish community.
The story surfaced last month when a housekeeper told police who
were investigating several thefts at the official residence about
frequent visits by a woman who was not the ambassador's wife.
Baby Swap Lawsuit Follows 23 Years
By IsraelWire
A couple is suing the Hillel Yaffa Hospital in Hadera for allegedly giving them the wrong infant 23 years ago, and as a result, they did not raise their biological son. The suit, filed in the Haifa District Court, alleges that the child in question, the couple's 8th child, was exchanged in the hospital for another child following the birth.
According to the attorney, the son one day realized that he very
much resembled the parents of another family. A DNA exam of the two
boys and four adults proved the boy was correct, and he was indeed
not the natural son of the parents who raised him. The DNA test
indicated with an over than 99 percent certainty that the two
boys were switched.
The mother of the eight children, as a result of the news, suffered
a breakdown. According to the lawsuit, she also suffers sleep
disturbances and depression since realizing the painful reality.
According to her attorney, following her breakdown, she cannot get
over the fact that she did not raise her biological son.
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