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Newsletter : 9fax0618.txt
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>Israel Faxx
>JN June 18, 1999, Vol. 7, No. 110
Lubavitcher Rebbe Remembered
Arutz-7 News Service
The fifth anniversary of the death of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was commemorated Thursday by thousands of Lubavitcher Hassidim in Kfar Chabad and Crown Heights. Thousands have flown from Israel and other countries to his gravesite in Queens over the past few days.
Syria Says No to Arafat
By Arutz-7 News Service
Yasir Arafat is not very welcome in Syria these days. A Jordanian paper reports that Syria has turned down a request for an official visit by Arafat -- a visit that was announced with much fanfare by The PA's Nabil Sha'ath.
Arafat even agreed to arrive only as the head of the PLO and not of
the Palestinian Authority, and that a low-level representative
would greet him -- but the Syrians still refused. Relations between
Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and Arafat have been tense ever
since 1983, when Syrian forces attacked Palestinians in Tripoli.
British Firm Will Explore Israeli Seacoast for Oil
By Ross Dunn (VOA-Jerusalem)
"British Gas" has announced it will explore for oil and gas off
Israel's Mediterranean coast. The decision marks the first time a
major energy company has agreed to conduct exploration activity in
the Jewish state -- a move many in Israel view as a step toward
easing its economic isolation.
Israelis view the British gas deal as not only significant because
of the company's vast experience and proven technical capabilities,
but because it marks the first breach of a long-standing boycott of
oil exploration efforts in Israel by the world's leading energy
companies.
Israeli government officials say that until now, the big companies
have passed up the chance to do work here out of fear it would
affect relations with Arab oil producers.
Israel's petroleum commissioner, Yehezkel Druckman, told VOA the decision is a major turning point. "So far Israel has been boycotted by the major oil companies, since they have great petroleum interests in the Arab World, they practically boycotted any exploration or any activities in Israel. And this is the first time that we have one of the majors involved in exploration in Israel."
Geologically speaking, off-shore Israel is in the same region as
Egypt, where significant reserves of oil and natural gas have been
found.
That is encouraging, says Peter Crumpler, who heads the External
Affairs Division of British Gas. He insists that the decision to
explore in Israel is purely commercial, without any political
overtones. He says that the company is particularly interested in
Israel's potential for the development of natural gas operations.
Crumpler told VOA that BG does not believe its activities in
Israel will provoke any negative backlash in the Arab World. "We
have got relations with a number of Arab countries and we see no
reason why this should in any way jeopardize these (relations)."
British Gas has permits lasting 18 months to explore an off-shore
area stretching from Israel's northern border to just north of
the Palestinian ruled Gaza Strip. But while the area comes close
to Gaza, israeli officials say none of the exploration will take
place in territory that might be claimed by a future Palestinian
state.
Baseball Bits
Israel Faxx Staff Report
The Staten Island Yankees began play this week in the NY-Penn League on the road, ironically in Oneonta, N.Y. which housed the Yanks summer farm team for years.
The 1st S.I. Yanks home game will be played Sunday evening against the Hudson Valley Renegades and the game is a sellout. Both Yanks owners Stan and Josh Getzler and Renegades CEO Marvin Goldklang are prominent members in the Jewish community. The S.I. Yanks will feature an array of kosher food items at their temporary ballpark (seating-4,500) on the campus of the College of Staten Island.
***The Renegades nearly inherited a Jewish ballplayer for their roster. Glenn Katz, a U. of Conn. Huskie product drafted in the 41st round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who initially farmed the outfielder to Hudson Valley. But, the Devil Rays needed another outfielder for their South Atlantic League affiliate -- the Charleston RiverDogs, which plays a slightly better caliber of "A" ball.
So before Glenn Katz could don a Renegades uniform, he packed his
bags and headed south. Irony of ironies...guess who owns the
RiverDogs? Marvin Goldklang...He would have loved to see Katz play
for Hudson Valley, because the team is located in the Catskills,
where many Jewish families vacation in July/August.
New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon is about to purchase a New York-Penn League squad and place them in Coney Island-Brooklyn within two years so they can compete with the S.I. Yanks. The Mets NY-Penn League affiliate is currently in Pittsfield, Mass.
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