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Newsletter : 7fax0301.txt
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Iranian `Space Missile' Not All That
By IsraelNationalNews.com
The missile launched with great fanfare by Iran on Sunday is "more like a university research project than a military product," according to Uzi Rubin, who was head of the "Arrow" anti-missile system's development team.
Writing in the Jerusalem Center for Strategic Affairs' website, Rubin explained that the rocket was a one stage unguided research rocket, or "sounding rocket," as these missiles are known. "I have no doubt that Iran wishes to reach space and it often says as much," Rubin said. "However, Sunday's experiment was not a meaningful step in that direction."
Expose Reveals Organized Corruption of Prime Minister Olmert
By IsraelNationalNews.com
An expose aired Wednesday evening brought new allegations to the forefront of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's corruption.
Channel 10 released a document detailing the ways in which Olmert and his staff used their power to help various Likud Central Committee members in return for their political support. The two-year-old document lists 115 members of the Central Committee during the period when Olmert was Minister of Industry, Labor and Trade.
The expose alleges that Olmert used his government offices to provide benefits to the listed committee members. Olmert was not popular in the Central Committee and used the favors in order to maintain and increase his power.
The internal document, authored by Oved Yehezkel, one of Ariel Sharon's aides in 2005, reveals that 115 committee members were offered jobs, promotions, perks, leniencies and incentives through Olmert's control of the Small Businesses Authority, Employment Authority, Israel Broadcasting Association and Bezeq Phone Company.
Some of the alleged actions included: Preventing the firing of one committee member from the Postal Authority; illegally obtaining a phone number from a cellular company; arranging permits for scores of foreign workers for at least two members.
The Prime Minister's Office admitted Wednesday that at least some of the details in the document are accurate, but argued that the behavior toward Central Committee members was legitimate. "The document was composed by a former political adviser out of a desire to elevate his standing and demonstrate his political achievements against the Likud Central Committee," Olmert's office stated.
"The exposure of an industry of corruption [of Prime Minister Olmert] crosses all boundaries," Knesset member Zevulun Orlev said, responding to the expose. "These findings require the Prime Minister to resign immediately."
Sanhedrin to Purchase Sheep for Passover Sacrifice
By IsraelNationalNews.com
The modern-day Sanhedrin, headed by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, has decided to purchase a herd of sheep to be used for the Passover sacrifice ritual to be held this year if possible at the Temple Mount.
The Sanhedrin, which was formed several years ago, meets once a week, according to the Ha'aretz news service, in what it says is a renewal of the Jewish High Court that existed more than a thousand years ago.
A member of the Sanhedrin, Prof. Hillel Weiss, said in an interview that the symbolic Passover sacrifice is intended to remind Jews that the Temple rituals will resume when the Messiah comes.
Arab Gang Raped Jewish Women as Revenge
By Ha'aretz & IsraelNationalNews.com
Three more people were arrested Tuesday and Wednesday in connection with a series of group rapes in the north, bringing the total number of suspects arrested to eight. All of the suspects are residents of Birel-Machsur, a village in the Lower Galilee.
The remand of the two suspects arrested on Monday was extended by 10 days. The eighth suspect, arrested Wednesday, will be remanded on Thursday. Four of the suspects arrested in connection with the case have confessed to the charges against them. Two of the suspects are accused only of aiding in the rapes.
According to the commander of the northern region's central police unit, there will be more arrests in the case.
The Arab Muslims were caught after they gang-raped several Jewish women. The gang kidnapped and raped Jewish girls and women who were waiting at bus stops or hitchhiking posts in the Galilee area. Their earliest known attack took place in 2005.
Police know of four victims, the youngest of whom was only 13 years old at the time of the attack. They fear that the gang may have attacked additional women, who were afraid to come forth. The gang kidnapped and raped Jewish girls and women who were waiting at bus stops or hitchhiking posts in the Galilee area. Their earliest known attack took place in 2005.
The gang members, who have not been named, explained that they used rape as a way to take revenge on Israel for IDF operations against terrorism. None of the criminals showed remorse for their actions.
Police were in possession of a locket that was snatched from the neck of one of the rapists by one of his victims on December 25, and contained his picture. Police decided to keep the details of the case secret in order for fear of disrupting the investigation.
Shin Bet: New System will Ease Checks of Arabs at Airport
By Ha'aretz
The Shin Bet security service is to acquire a security system based on new technology in order to prevent the need for separate personal checks of Arab passengers in airports, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said.
Diskin told Knesset member Nadia Hilou (Labor) of the Shin Bet's plans during a special meeting this week at her office. Hilou said that once the new technology has been introduced, identical checks will be conducted for Arab and Jewish passengers and will no longer include body searches for Arabs.
According to Hilou, Diskin said the pilot program would begin this summer, and within a year would be widely used. The new system will apparently come at a high cost, though the actual price has not been released.
Security sources confirmed that a large sum would be invested to acquire more advanced technology. Ha'aretz has learned that even after the new technology is introduced, severe checks will still be carried out in exceptional cases, though not on Arab passengers alone.
The security checks at Ben Gurion International Airport have been denounced by many in the Arab sector as degrading. "We're talking about often degradation of Arab passengers, which causes great anger and frustration," said Hilou, adding, "I won't leave this subject alone until it has been resolved."
Diskin said that in some instances, those conducting security checks have already been instructed to ease their checks of Arab passengers. Hilou and Diskin agreed to remain in contact to ensure coordination on the developing situation.
According to a report by the Nazareth-based Arab Association for Human Rights, security officials at airports often discriminate against Arab passengers.
Security experts say that the work of security investigators at Ben Gurion airport is based on two principles: maximizing the security margins and questioning passengers according to the profiling method.
In profiling, the investigators focus on passengers that belong to designated risk groups: Arabs are considered a higher security risk than Jews, young people are considered to be higher risk than elderly people, and educated people are considered to be higher risk than non-educated people.
A passenger belonging to a risk group is taken aside for a thorough inspection of his baggage and lengthy questioning. The investigators examine the credibility of the person being questioned by posing questions with overlapping answers and searching for contradictions in the passengers' explanations.
