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Newsletter : 0fax0412.txt
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>Israel Faxx
>JN April 12, 2000, Vol. 8, No. 68
Plan to Kill Jews in Jerusalem Foiled
By IsraelWire
Two cells of Arab youths, armed with homemade weapons, managed to make their way to Jerusalem on two occasions over the past weeks with the intention of killing Jews. Border police units apprehended the youths, 14-17-years-old. One band of youths was apprehended at Zion Square in downtown Jerusalem and the second, near the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, in the same general area.
Irving Loses Holocaust Libel Case
By Ross Dunn (VOA-Jerusalem)
British historian David Irving has lost his libel case against an American academic who called him a "Holocaust denier." The decision has been welcomed in Israel as an important victory against anti-Semitism. But some Israelis say the verdict will not stop others from attempting to deny the truth about the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis.
British Judge Charles Gray ruled that author Deborah Lipstadt and her publishers, Penguin Books, were justified in publishing a 1994 book in which they branded Irving a "Holocaust denier."
Irving has written dozens of books on World War 2. He has claimed there were no gas chambers at the Auschwitz concentration camp, describing it as a "Disneyland for tourists" set up after the war. Irving has also attempted to prove that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had no part in the deaths of 6 million Jews.
But Judge Gray says that the criticism leveled at the British historian by Lipstadt had almost invariably been "well-founded." Gray says Irving had significantly misrepresented the historical evidence about the Holocaust for his own "ideological reasons." He added that he had no hesitation in dismissing Irving's claims for damages.
Officials at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem to the 6 million Jews who lost their lives, say the case will shape future discussions on the issue.
A spokeswoman for Yad Vashem, Lisa Davidson, says the verdict has "sent a message to the entire world" that the arguments used by Irving and others like him "are not within the realm of acceptable or reasonable discourse." She says the verdict has also reinforced the resolve of Jews to continue educating other people around the world about the Holocaust.
New Israeli Homes on the Golan
By Meredith Buel (VOA-Jerusalem)
Israel has approved the construction of 200 new homes on the Golan Heights because, officials say, it does not appear that peace talks with Syria will resume anytime soon. Cabinet minister Haim Ramon says further peace talks with Syria are pointless and the government has authorized the construction of new homes for settlers on the Golan Heights.
Ramon says as long as the Syrians maintain what he calls "a hard-line and intransigent position" there is no point in negotiating, and -- in his words -- "the inhabitants of the Golan must be allowed to develop economically," and have new housing. "The present negotiations have failed and the talks will probably be adjourned for a long time."
The new homes are being built in Katzrin, the largest settlement on the Golan. A spokeswoman for the Golan Residents Committee, Marla Van Meter, welcomed the government's decision to allow the construction, but says residents are still concerned about their future.
"I think what we have always known to be the truth, and that is that Israel does not have a peace partner in Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, was clear from the onset. But I think the reality is that as long as the Golan appears to be negotiable for this government we still have a reason to worry and be concerned."
Peace talks with Syria have been deadlocked over demands by Syria that Israel withdraw completely from the Golan Heights. Israel captured the strategic plateau in the 1967 Middle East war.
The fate of Lake Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee, a fresh-water lake at the foot of the Golan, is one of the main obstacles to a resumption of the peace negotiations.
Syria wants control of land on the northeastern shore of the lake, which supplies 40 percent of Israel's drinking water. Israel wants to maintain sovereignty over the entire shoreline.
A summit between President Clinton and Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad last month in Geneva failed to restart the peace talks. About 17,000 Israelis live on the Golan Heights.
New Israeli Internet Radio Program
Israel Faxx Staff Report
Israel Radio's Reshet Bet is currently producing a new weekly phone-in radio show "The Israeli Connection: Conversations with Israelis Abroad" hosted by Elihu Ben-Onn. The show is broadcast live by shortwave radio and on the internet every Thursday 2 a.m.- 5 a.m. Israel time. The show covers political, cultural, social, economic affairs, sports and foreign relations.
This is the first direct connection its kind between Israel and the
world. Listeners from across the world are invited to call in and
speak with the show's host on all topics. Clips of Israeli music
will be played between conversations, allowing coverage of the
current cultural scene. For further details, contact:
http://www.israelradio.org/connection.htm or E-mail:
ben_onn@netvision.net.il
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