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Newsletter : 9fax0902.txt
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>PD
>Israel Faxx
>JN Sept. 2, 1999, Vol. 7, No. 163
Palestinian-Israeli Talks Have Broken Off
By Meredith Buel (VOA-Jerusalem)
Talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have broken off
after the two sides failed to reach agreement on the release of
Palestinian prisoners and a framework for permanent peace talks.
After marathon talks, top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and his Israeli counterpart, Gilad Sher, failed to reach an agreement on implementing the Wye River peace accords.
Erekat told reporters the negotiators made significant progress but two major issues remain to be resolved -- the release of Palestinian political prisoners and permanent status negotiations.
A statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's office says, "as far as the Israeli government is concerned, the negotiations have concluded."
Erekat urged the Israeli government not to issue last-minute threats or ultimatums.
AJC: Khalid Muhammad's Hate Not Welcome
Israel Faxx Staff Report
The American Jewish Committee has declared that Khalid Abdul Muhammad's message of hate is not welcome in New York and deplored his plan to hold a so-called "million youth march" over the weekend.
"Khalid Abdul Muhammad's message of bigotry and hatred has no
place in New York, nor, for that matter, anywhere in this country,"
said Bruce Ramer, president of the American Jewish Committee.
"Everywhere Mr. Muhammad goes he spreads hatred -- and sometimes he
even incites violence, as he did last year when calling on
supporters at his rally to turn on New York City police."
Suzanne Jaffe, president of AJC's New York chapter, said, "AJC
joins African American and other community leaders and elected
officials in condemning Mr. Muhammad, a preacher of anti-Semitism,
racism and other forms of prejudice."
More Jews to be Arrested in Iran
By IsraelWire
Haaretz reported that the state-sponsored Tehran Times says Iranian
authorities are planning to arrest more Jews on charges of
espionage for Israel and the United States.
A senior Iranian official was quoted as saying "Actually, the 13
Jewish suspects who had been arrested were merely those who carried
out the acts. Others are considered to have acted behind the
scenes, and they should be also be placed under arrest."
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the Jews have thus far
been charged only with espionage, and that they are entitled to a
fair trial with counsel and are allowed to have relatives visit
them in jail. He denounced American efforts to free the prisoners.
Minister Calls for Abolition of Religious Law in Israel
By IsraelWire
In an exclusive interview with vjradio.com, the new Israeli
Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Rabbi Michael Melchior, has
advocated the abolition of religious legislation in Israel.
Melchior, who is responsible for healing the rifts within Israeli
society, cited religious legislation as the number one cause of
disunity in the country.
"There has been a notion that religious legislation makes Israel
more Jewish, I think the opposite is true - that religious
legislation has caused the split in our society and does not make
anyone more Jewish. There was a suggestion of a law for brit milah
- (circumcision) in the 1950s that never went through. If we had
had that law we would today not have 99 point something percent
having their sons circumcised but instead we would have 40 to 50
percent of the Israeli population against brit milah because
it is a law. Religious law does not bring more people to Judaism."
ZOA Criticizes Clinton for Freeing Terrorists
By IsraelWire
The Zionist Organization of America criticized President Clinton
for granting clemency to 16 members of the FALN, the Puerto Rican
nationalist terrorist group, while refusing to grant clemency to
Jonathan Pollard, who has been in prison for 5,039 days.
ZOA National President Morton Klein said: "The length of the
sentence given to Pollard was extraordinarily unfair, and there is
a broad consensus in Israel and among Diaspora Jewry and Jewish
leaders that President Clinton should set Pollard free.
"It is ironic and troubling that President Clinton should now be offering clemency to members of the FALN, a terrorist group that has murdered and maimed innocent people--including New York City police officers--but refuses to offer it to Pollard, whose crime was to help America's ally defend itself from destruction."
A ZOA resolution urging clemency for Pollard was adopted at the
last World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. It urged Clinton to
"commute Pollard's sentence to time served."
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