INTERNATIONAL PULSE Period: August 2006 6666666 End-Time Church / Pluralism Global Politics Israel

ISRAEL     ANTI ZIONIST PROTEST NETUREI KARTA AROUND THE WORLD - Washington, DC August 12, 2006: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a protest in Washington, DC to demonstrate against the Zionist atrocities in Lebanon and Gaza - Neturei Karta Statement Issued for this Event: With the help of the Almighty. Asalam aleicum. People ask, "What is the Jewish response to the terrible events of recent weeks?" The Jewish response is that as the Almighty is a just and merciful G-d, so too must we strive to be just and merciful. We stand aghast, not only at the unfathomable destruction and death of the present, but at all the terrible results of the tragic error which the state of Israel represents and has always represented. Israel was created by Jews ignorant of and estranged from the Torah, in the illusory hope that it would end Jewish suffering. But it has, in fact, only caused endless suffering for Jews, for Muslims, for Christians, for people of all faiths and nationalities. Kindness cannot be created from cruelty. Justice cannot issue from injustice. Torah Jews knew that the terrible results we daily witness were inevitable. We are a people in exile by Divine Decree. The Torah commands us to be loyal citizens in the countries of our residence, whether in the United State, Canada or Lebanon. We are forbidden to exercise political power. We have been taught that defiance of these decrees will unleash much pain into the world. The only solution is to return to the ways of authentic Judaism, before it was transformed by Zionism into a something cruel and materialistic, something alien to everything holy, just and kind. The only real and lasting solution is the immediate peaceful dismantling of the Israeli state and the return of political sovereignty to the Palestinian people. This alone is in keeping with age old Jewish teachings. This alone is fair and just. While awaiting this ultimate solution we demand, in the short run, for an end to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and Gaza and all interim measures that might in some way alleviate the suffering of the peoples of that tormented area. Friends, the Talmud tells us that we must emulate the Creator's mercy and justice. Let us go forth from this gathering and do deeds of kindness for men of all nations. Let us deal justly with each other. Let us speak of justice and pursue justice. Let us speak of kindness and pursue kindness. And by so doing may we all merit the end of all exiles and all sufferings when the Almighty will redeem all peoples to worship Him together in joy for all eternity. Amen. http://www.nkusa.org/activities/Demonstrations/2006Aug12DC.cfm ----- ISRAEL IS A DIVIDED HOUSE August 6, 2006, Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a protest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada against the attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. July 30, 2006, Trafalgar Sq., London, England: Anti Zionist Orthodox Jews protested in Trafalgar Square, London, England against the recent invasion of Lebanon and Gaza. July 28, 2006, New York City, NY: Anti Zionist Orthodox Jews protested in New York City, NY against the recent invasion of Lebanon and Gaza. July 27, 2006, Jerusalem, Holy Land: Several hundred Anti Zionist Orthodox Jews protested in the center of Jerusalem against the recent invasion of Lebanon and Gaza. July 25, 2006, Israeli Consulate, Washington, DC: - Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a pro Lebanon and Palestine rally outside the Israeli Consulate in Washington, D.C. protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel". July 22, 2006, London, England: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a demonstration for Palestinian rights protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel" July 22, 2006, Toronto, Ontario: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a pro Lebanon and Palestine rally protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel" July 21, 2006, Boston, MA: - Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a pro Lebanon and Palestine rally protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel" in Boston MA. July 18, 2006, NYC, NY: - Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a pro Lebanon and Palestine rally protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel" July 11, 2006, Syrian Embassy, NYC: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews gathered outside the Syrian Embassy, New York City, to counter demonstrate against the recent Zionist attacks on Gaza. July 7, 2006, Bay Ridge, NY: Palestinian Rally at Bay Ridge, NY July 7, 2006 protesting actions in Gaza July 6, 2006, UN Headquarters, NYC: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined in a Palestinian Rally at UN Headquarters, 6 July 2006, against the recent Zionist attacks on Gaza. July 6, 2006, Israeli Consulate, NYC: Anti-Zionist Rally Outside Israeli Consulate, NYC, NY July 6 - 9, 2006, London England: Islam Expo at the Alexandra Palace, London, England. One of the issues was to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause. June 18, 2006, Boston, MA: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews traveled to Boston, Ma to protest during the 58th annual 'Boston Celebrates Israel' rally. June 16, 2006, London, England: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews in London, England demonstrated in protest against the Zionist Prime Minister Olmart. May 3, 2006: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews in the Holy Land, London, Montreal, and other cities around the world demonstrated on the 58th anniversary of the creation of the Zionist state. March 28, 2006, Jerusalem: On March 28, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem protested the elections in the Zionist state which calls itself 'Israel' and calling for its peaceful dismantlement. March 21, 2006, Ramallah: A delegation of anti-Zionist Jews in Jerusalem were invited by the new parliamentary leadership of the Palestinian Authority to visit them in Ramallah.. Full story: http://www.nkusa.org/ ----- AN OPEN LETTER A Salam Aleikem To all our friends and acquaintances: Recently some Zionists have taken a new tactic in their war against Judaism and their falsification of the Torah which prompts us to write this letter. We have become aware that letters bearing the name of our organization, “Neturei Karta”, and my name, “Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss”, have been sent to our friends and their organizations stating falsely that we have changed our Torah view. We wish to reassure you that with G-d’s help, we remain true to the Torah and pray to G-d that we will always be true and loyal to G-d and His Torah. We will never recognize the state of “Israel” and will always stand in opposition to Zionism and the State of “Israel” and all that emanates from it and its affiliates. Should you receive any letters purporting to be sent by myself or Neturei Karta which do not contain my original signature (not a copy) or that seem suspect, please disregard their content and be so kind as to contact us immediately. Thanking you kindly in advance, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss 22 May 2005 http://www.nkusa.org/ ----- THE WAR IN LEBANON AND ARMAGEDDON Excerpt from a comprehensive article: ".... A step further ahead was an article posted in early August 2006, on several Jihadi sites, which linked the war in Lebanon to the battle of the Armageddon in 2008. The article, by the Saudi scholar Dr. Saleh Sa`doun, a sociologist in the seminar for teachers in Riyadh, was titled "Has the big war between the good and evil started?16 Al-Sa`doun, who frequently deals with the apocalypse in one of the Salafi web sites that is dedicated mostly to the issue ( www.almawa.net ), claimed that with the war in Lebanon the ultimate global war of the apocalypse, has started before the planned time. Furthermore, unlike previous aggressions in the Middle East, where the orders to start the war "came from Tel-Aviv to Washington and London, this time the orders were sent from Washington to Tel-Aviv, under the cover of the building of the new Middle East." According to the article, the war in Lebanon was planned to start a process of two years with well-organized stages, in which the destruction of Lebanon by the Jewish army will end by a boycott and than siege on Syria, and a global war in the northern part of Palestine, in Lebanon, and in Syria. But the author is optimistic. This war, which has already been prophesied in the Bible with a promise that the Jews will be winning as they were the "good side" will end with the victory of the Arabs and the Muslims. The explanation of this reverse is that the prophesy has been granted to the Jews while they were the chosen people by Allah. Since then however, Allah regretted and gave the position of the chosen nation to the Muslims. Therefore, the Muslim nation is nowadays the "good party" and the Jews and the Christians are the "evil party," and doomed to be defeated. Excerpt: Full story: http://www.cephas-library.com/israel_the_war_in_lebanon_and_armageddon.html ----- HIZBULLAH'S CHILDREN'S MILITIAS In its August 18, 2006 edition, the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Yusuf featured an investigative article by Mirfat Al-Hakim titled "Hizbullah's Children's Militias." The article reveals that Hizbullah has recruited over 2,000 children aged 10-15 to serve in armed militias, and that the Hizbullah-affiliated Mahdi Scouts youth organization is training them to become martyrs. The article is accompanied by a photo, which can be viewed in the HTML version of this Special Dispatch and at http://www.memri.org/images/uploaded/sd_127606_1.jpg .(1) The following are excerpts from the article: Hizbullah Recruits Children Barely 10 Years Old According to Roz Al-Yusuf, "Hizbullah has recruited over 2,000 innocent children aged 10-15 to form armed militias. Before the recent war with Israel, these children appeared only in the annual Jerusalem Day celebrations, and were referred to as the 'December 14 Units,' but today they are called istishhadiyun ['martyrs']... "Hizbullah has customarily recruited youths and children and trained them to fight from a very early age. These are children barely 10 years old, who wear camouflage uniforms, cover their faces with black [camouflage] paint, swear to wage jihad, and join the Mahdi Scouts [youth organization]... "The children are selected by Hizbullah recruitment [officers] based on one criterion only: They must be willing to become martyrs." The Children Train to Become Martyrs. IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il ----- ISRAELI NAIL IN BLAIRE'S POLITICAL COFFIN By Vanessa Bulkacz, JTA - Tony Blair’s future as British prime minister looks increasingly doomed and it may have been the Middle East that sealed his fate. Media outlets have described Blair’s support for Israel and his reticence to press for an earlier cease-fire in Israel’s war with Hezbollah as the straws that broke the camel’s back for the beleaguered Blair, who has said he’ll quit within a year. Asked this week if he believed his strong support for Israel during the war had hurt his popularity, Blair told an interviewer, “It was not, probably, a very popular decision in the U.K.” But not everyone agrees that Blair’s Israel policy harmed his career. “I don’t think issues or decisions that have been made within the Labor Party have anything to do with foreign policy at all,” Dan Fox, president of Labor Friends of Israel, told JTA. “It was a leadership issue. None of the people that resigned mentioned the Middle East in their letter of resignation.” Escaping the media onslaught at home, Blair traveled to the relative quiet of the Middle East this week to try to reinvigorate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In his first stop Sunday, he met with Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and, later, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Both Olmert and Abbas said they were ready to talk to one another without preconditions, which was considered a success for Blair. On Monday, Blair received a far chillier reception when he made the first visit to Lebanon by a British prime minister, meeting with Lebanon’s prime minister, Fouad Siniora. With protests raging outside, Blair defended his refusal to press for a quick cease-fire. Blair had argued that a resolution ending the war would hold only if it addressed the underlying issues, even if that took more time. Blair said the key to peace in the region is a “meaningful, just and lasting resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” and vowed to dedicate his remaining days in office to the cause. Given Blair’s apparent dedication to peace in the Middle East, and his longstanding image as a friend of Israel, should Britain’s Jewish community have done more to help salvage his image and career over the past two months? The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the central address for Britain’s Jewish community, has made no official statements about Blair’s policies toward Israel. After details of the government’s policy on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict were explained to board representatives during a closed briefing in mid-August, the group did issue a press release “welcoming the government’s efforts, through the auspices of the U.N. and other diplomatic channels, to broker a lasting peace, and the recognition that this can only come about through the disarmament of Hezbollah.” But the statement made no specific mention of Blair, who at the time was under immense international pressure to call for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon. Full story (sorry file is gone : http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/ ----- CAMPAIGN WANTS IRAN OUT OF U.N. JTA - A Jewish-led campaign aims to expel Iran from the United Nations. Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel and lawyers Irwin Cotler and Alan Dershowitz are backing the Jerusalem Council for Public Affairs’ campaign. The group will circulate a document calling for the United Nations to oust Iran because it has violated the U.N. Charter with its threats to destroy Israel. Meanwhile, Edgar Bronfman, president of the World Jewish Congress, urged U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to redisplay a U.N. Holocaust exhibit during next week’s visit by Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has denied the Holocaust and called for Israel to be wiped off the map. Sorry the file is gone: http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?id=2742 ----- [EDnote This is an example of what Jews believe. Allah is alluded to be the same God as the God of Torah, The Five Books of Moses in the Old Testament. Jews and Muslims are monotheists. Regenrated believers in Christ Jesus believe in a Triune God, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost Who are ONE in three persons. Allah is not the same God to them. Notice in this article as well, the Rabbi refers to the Noahide Laws.] ASK THE RABBI: MUSLIMS, JEWS, AND ISRAEL VJ TOOLS TALK BACK! Contact Rabbi Aaron Parry, VJ Ask the Rabbi: VJ's Rabbi Parry of, "Ask the Rabbi," replies to a letter from a Muslim woman with questions about Judaism and Jews' rights to the land of Israel. Sara writes: Salaam, First, I would like to say that I am an Arab Muslim who respects your Jewish faith very much because I am asked to by my G-D and my Prophet (pbuh). I have a couple of questions and I would be very grateful if you would take the time an answer me. We believe that the prophet Moses (pbuh) was a prophet sent by G-D, and then G-D sent Jesus (pbuh) and then he sent Mohammed (pbuh); [if this is so,] arent we all one religion? We also believe that prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was first acknowledged by a rabbi. My question is: was prophet Mohammed (pbuh) ever mentioned to the Jewish religion and in the Torah? Also, I have heard, (but never read,) that the Jewish race were promised a land by G-D, however this was to be given to them in the afterworld as a reward for their patience of not having land in this world. Is this true? And if yes, how come you have a country now, which is Israel? My Grandmother told me that before 1948 they lived as neighbors with the Jews and that they respected each other very much. What happened? Arent we all Semites? Why did people in Palestine get killed and were forced to leave to save their lives all of a sudden? Is it against the Jewish laws to kill to take the land or is it [al]right? I am very hurt by whats happening and I hope this entire killing stops. Thank you very much, Sara Salaam Sara, Shalom to you as well. I read your brief email with interest and wish to respond. It seems that some of what you've written might be coming from the indoctrination you received as a practicing Muslim. If you are prepared to think for yourself and really investigate the history of Islam and how it fits into the realm of things, you might be surprised at what it will yield. Firstly, while the Koran spends a lot of time extolling the virtues and recognizing the greatest of the prophet and teacher Moses, it fails to accept the oneness and uniqueness of the Jewish faith, upon which Islam and Christianity is based. 2.5 million People are mentioned in the Torah (Jewish Bible) to have experienced a revelation at Mount Sinai 3300 years ago. No other religion of the 15,000 that have ever existed has ever even made such a claim. However, since Islam and Christianity accept the Torah as true, the implication is that they accept the fact that God Almighty (or Allah, in your faith,) spoke to these people and instructed them in how they should live and practice their faith. As far as I know, God never rescinded these commandments. These commandments also contain what is called a Noahide code of 7 Universal Laws. All of mankind should abide by them. Islam 1200 years ago more or less repackaged some of the ideas found in the Torah and became a new religion. Mohammed became its major prophet and the Koran its "Bible." So, now 1 Billion+ Muslims keep a form of kosher laws; Hallal, they have a prohibition against lending on interest, and are very meticulous about taking in wayfarers - as Ishmael their patriarch learned from Abraham. In addressing the issue of the State of Israel, that same body of [Islamic] law, based on the Koran, doesn't mention Jerusalem even once. However, it is mentioned in Jewish Scripture over 800 times! The land of Israel has always been occupied by Jews since the time of Abraham. The Babylonians, Assyrians, Greek, Romans, Turks, British, all came to conquer the land, however, the Jewish people never completely left. It is the land promised to the descendents of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, to be an eternal inheritance. It seems as if Jerusalem, and Israel in general, only became an issue with Arabs during the 20th Century when throngs of Jewish people trying to escape pogroms, holocausts and other persecutions began immigrating to Israel in significant numbers. Because they were partially exiled from their land for nineteen Centuries, both Muslims and Christians came to believe that the Jewish people were no longer "Chosen," or special to The Almighty. So, in 1948 when the modern State of Israel was declared, the Muslims were forced to deal with a theological paradox: if Allah is great, and Islam supreme, making the Jewish second-class citizens, how is it possible that they have their own autonomy in this land? Either the theology is flawed, or Israel and the Jews are nothing but upstarts and need to be shown a lesson and pushed into the sea. We all know what happened; Israel defended itself against 5 Arab armies in 1948, again did so in 1967, eventually repelled an unprovoked attack in 1973 when it was marching on the capitols of Jordan and Syria, and it will continue to exist by the Will of God until time immemorial. Israel is not some future "World to Come," like concept, as you are your religious leaders suggest. No, it represents a factual, mystical, and deeply profound entity for Jews throughout the world. We perceive the State of Israel as nothing less than God's remarkable triumph over the assaults and insults of history, telling the world that the Jew is still around and should be reckoned with. Remaining strong within our Biblical borders, Jews continue to refute the mockeries of the ages. Having said that, there is room for the resident alien to co-exist with the Jewish majority. Judaism, while not a democracy in the classic sense (actually its superior), tolerates ethical Noahides (described above) to live in the Holy land, however, they should not have any nationalistic rights and nor participate in the governance the Jewish state. Jewish law calls for its adherents to take care of the non-Jewish resident alien poor amongst its own, to protect them against invasion from its enemies, and treat them with respect, among other noble practices. However, many of the descendants of Ishmael who occupy parts of the Biblical land of Israel, not only fail to recognize the legally mandated Land of Israel, but violate at least one of the 7 Noahide tenets, not to commit murder. Theft against the Jews and the Jewish state is another violation of the Noahide Code, but we won't get into that right now. Moving along. Sara, you asked why it seems we Jews have caused all this pain to the Palestinians: "Why did people in Palestine get killed and were forced to leave to save their lives all of a sudden? Is it against the Jewish laws to kill to take the land or is it right?? I am very hurt by what's happening and I hope all this killing would stop." The answer should be obvious by now. Rather than alleged Israeli imperialism, it is the overall hostility and opposition to the State of Israel by many Muslims in the region that is causing the Palestinian people to be oppressed. Arafat and his cronies were given billions of dollars to help their people, yet have cynically used their plight as a political weapon against the Jewish state. It is the greed and power-hunger of the Palestinian leadership that has led to much of the troubles experienced by the Palestinian refugees (who are the only ones around since 1947 who have not been repatriated with their brethren, again the fault of the Arab world.) I believe Israel would be better served to offer them an option; either live in the State of Israel peaceably as resident aliens, or move to one of the 22 other Muslim nations that exist in the Middle East. This would certainly be better for all parties involved. For Jews who remember when the Israeli flag fluttered over Tel Aviv in May 1948, Israel will never cease to be a source of pride and inspiration for many. However, I can fully understand how a card-carrying member of the Muslim religion would feel, who perceives Israel as a contradiction to his/her religion, looking at that same blue and white banner flying anywhere in the Middle East. Accordingly, aside from the historical and biblical claims we Jews have to the land, it would be morally upright for good Muslims to put down their arms and live as resident aliens in Israel by the just Noahide laws, or move away so that their anger, hatred, frustration, jealousy, or whatever, against the Jewish state would not lead to bloodshed. One other thing, to answer another question you posed: neither Jesus nor Mohammed is mentioned in Jewish Scripture. Notwithstanding chronological difficulties, there are very good reasons why these two are not even hinted to in the Jewish Bible. With Love of Zion and its people, Rabbi Aaron Parry http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/judaism/judaism_article.php?article_id=2594 ----- WHAT IS THE ORAL TORAH? VJ Tools Talk Back! AISH It's important to clarify a common misconception many have about the role of the Oral Torah in Judaism. The Oral Torah is not an interpretation of the Written Torah. In fact, the Oral Torah preceded the Written Torah. When the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago, God communicated the 613 commandments, along with a detailed, practical explanation of how to fulfill them. At that point in time, the teachings were entirely oral. It wasn't until 40 years later, just prior to Moses' death and the Jewish people's entering the Land of Israel, that Moses wrote the scroll of the written Torah (known as the Five Books of Moses) and gave it to the Jewish people. WHY DO WE NEED AN ORAL TORAH? The story is told about a fellow who applies for a job at a prestigious investment banking firm. The interviewer looks at his resume and says, "I see you went to Harvard Business School. Very nice. Tell me, what year did you graduate?" The fellow says, "1990." "1990. Did you ever take any courses with Professor Stevens?" "Stevens? No." "Okay, how about Professor Phillips? He's one of the most popular professors at Harvard. Older fellow, grey hair. Did you meet him?" "Nope, never heard of Phillips." "You went to the Harvard Business School and you don't know two of the most popular professors?! I don't get it. Did you attend Harvard or not?" "Well, I guess I should be honest with you. I didn't actually go to Harvard. My roommate attended the Harvard Business School. He used to bring home all his notes and textbooks, and I read everything he brought home. So when he graduated, I figured I graduated, too." The interviewer was not impressed. And our graduate" didn't get the job. (Or if he did, it's one of those firms that's out of business now...) Why isn't it enough just to read the notes to be considered a Harvard graduate? Because you need to hear the lectures. The professors add so much information that the notes simply don't present a full view of the subject. If you want to get a full understanding of a text, what's the best way to find out? Ask the experts: "What's behind this? Please explain it." Information in the written form is, by definition, secondary and limited in scope. That's why the Oral Torah is 50 times the size of the Written Torah! (In actuality, the Oral Torah is infinite. It contains the totality of Torah, which -- as the word of the infinite God -- is by its very definition infinite. ADVANTAGE OF THE ORAL TORAH If the Oral Torah is such a great idea, then why isn't the Torah entirely oral? Because the Written Torah is necessary to provide the basics. If everything was by heart, then you'd have no reference point at all. There has to be a shell from which to extract the vast Torah teachings. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan explains in his "Handbook of Jewish Thought" (Moznaim 1979): The Oral Torah was originally meant to be transmitted by word of mouth. It was transmitted from master to student in such a manner that if the student had any question, he would be able to ask, and thus avoid ambiguity. A written text, on the other hand, no matter how perfect, is always subject to misinterpretation. Furthermore, the Oral Torah was meant to cover the infinitude of cases which would arise in the course of time. It could never have been written in its entirety. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 12:12), "Of making many books there is no end." God therefore gave Moses a set of rules through which the Torah could be applied to every possible case. If the entire Torah would have been given in writing, everyone would be able to interpret it as he desired. This would lead to division and discord among people who followed the Torah in different ways. The Oral Torah, on the other hand, would require a central authority to preserve it, thus assuring the unity of Israel... ORAL TEACHINGS HELP YOU REMEMBER Do you have an encyclopedia? When was the last time you used it? Most people haven't looked at their encyclopedia in ages. Usually, the only time you use an encyclopedia is when you need to look up something specific. Otherwise, it is just a reference work that sits on your bookshelf. This was God's objective in devising the Oral Torah. Because Judaism is not a reference work made to sit on a shelf. Torah is meant to be lived and internalized. To do that, you need to know it backwards and forwards. That's why God gave us both a Written Torah and an Oral Torah. The basics are laid out in writing, but the rest of it must be learned orally, encouraging every Jew to constantly review and remember. Furthermore, when it's oral, people must transmit it personally from teacher to student, from parent to child. That way, it's constantly on everyone's lips, being discussed and clarified. The Talmud articulates this idea (Eruvin 54b): Rebbe Eliezer learned: A person is obligated to teach his student each lesson four times. This is deduced by the following inference: Aaron -- who learned from Moses who learned it from God -- had to learn his lesson four times; how much more so an ordinary pupil who learns from an ordinary teacher. Rebbe Akiva said: Where do we know that a teacher must continue to repeat the material until the student has mastered it? Because the Torah says (Deut. 31:19), "And you shall teach it to the children of Israel." And where do we know that it must be taught until the students know it fluently? Because the Torah says (ibid.), "Put it in their mouths." And where do we know that the teacher must also explain the reasons? Because the Torah says (Exodus 21:1), "Now these are the ordinances which you shall put before them Because the Jews have had such a turbulent history, parts of the Oral Torah were written down because it was in danger of getting lost. Even still, the majority of the information remains oral until today. God -- in His infinite wisdom -- devised the consummate system for transmitting Torah throughout the generations. It is not a written law, and it is not an oral law. It's both. http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/judaism/judaism_article.php?article_id=2067 ----- HOUSING MINISTRY APPROVES YESHA CONSTRUCTION: Monday morning the Israeli Housing Ministry approved the construction of hundreds of new housing units in Judea and Samaria. This is the largest such project approved by the Olmert government. The city of Ma'ale Adumim [granted 348 units] is located very close to Israel's capital and is slated to become geographically connected to Jerusalem. The project was put on hold pending final determination of Israel's borders. The community of Beitar Illit received the rest of the tenders for 342 housing units. Beitar Illit, which is home to 25,000 Orthodox Jews, is located southwest of Jerusalem and is one of the fastest-growing communities in Judea, gradually inching its way toward Jerusalem as it expands. Even though the "Peace Now" organization vehemently opposes the building, the Yesha Council of Jewish Settlements feels the project falls far short of the number of housing units needed throughout Judea and Samaria. They are calling it "too little too late." The Olmert government has approved construction of 788 new housing units in Judea and Samaria since January 2006. http://www.tzemach.org/fyi/ ----- OLMERT ANNOUNCES WITHDRAWAL PLAN IS OFF Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Monday that the withdrawal plan calling for the removal of most of the communities throughout Judea and Samaria is no longer relevant. The plan was at the heart of Olmert's election campaign, but "what I saw a few months ago," he said, is no longer applicable. Two of the Prime Minister's senior aides, Shalom Turjeman and Yoram Turbowitz, departed for the US Monday night, reportedly to inform Bush administration officials that the Realignment Plan is dead. However, officials in Olmert’s Office deny the report saying that the two top aides are delivering a post-Lebanon War briefing to Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and not to bury the Realignment Plan. MK Eldad (National Union) says, "Olmert is waving his burial of the plan as a way of buying off the right-wing, but even those in the nationalist camp who are dying to be ministers [and sit in the government] wouldn't buy a used chair from him." Interior Minister Roni Bar-On, of Olmert's Kadima Party, made sure to put things into perspective. Speaking with Israel Radio on Tuesday afternoon, Bar-On said, "The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed." http://www.tzemach.org/fyi/ ----- SEVEN ALIYAH PLANE ARRIVES The seventh planeload carrying Western immigrants to Israel this summer arrived Wednesday. More than three thousand Jews have arrived this summer from North America and England. Among the 240 passengers, this flight included 70 young single men and women, 45 families and 30 retirees, previously domiciled in 23 US states and Canadian provinces. The flight was organized, as were previous flights, by the Nefesh b’Nefesh organization, together with the Jewish Agency. Nefesh b'Nefesh co-founder Rabbi Yehoshua Fass addressed the new immigrants, speaking about the experience of seeing Biblical prophecies being fulfilled. "Walking down the aisle of the airplane, seeing an 85-year-old and a 5-year-old share this same process; seeing a couple who survived the Holocaust filling out their paperwork; seeing single olim [Jewish immigrants] exchange numbers - it is truly a time of redemption." http://www.tzemach.org/fyi/ ----- SHEIKH RAID SALAH: JERUSALEM WILL RETURN TO MUSLIM RULE By Jerusalem Post Staff - Sheikh Raid Salah, head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, urged Hizbullah and Hamas not to release kidnapped IDF soldiers Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser, and Gilad Shalit. Salah declared that the organizations should release the soldiers only after Israel releases all the security prisoners currently incarcerated, and said that Israel should also release Israeli Arabs imprisoned for security reasons. At the movement's annual rally, held in the soccer stadium in Umm el-Fahm, Salah also said that the day "was not far off" that Israeli rule over the Temple Mount would be thrown off, and Jerusalem would become the capital of a new Muslim caliphate. Salah said God was punishing former prime minister Ariel Sharon and President Moshe Katsav for their attempts to "harm" the Temple Mount. Katsav's current legal troubles, he said, were a divine punishment for a proposal Katsav had made to divide authority over the Mount between Jews and Muslims. In response to Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments about Islam, which have sparked protests throughout the Muslim world, Salah condemned the statements, and hoped that they had been unintentional. Police said that the rally, which drew about 50,000 people this year, was smaller than in previous years. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913638192&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull ----- NEW MAP OF ISRAEL Very interesting http://info.jpost.com/C006/Supplements/MapOfIsrael/ ----- THE VATICAN WINS THE OSLO WAR August 3, 2006 - by Barry Chamish - My heart breaks as Israel loses the war. But her crooked leaders are doing wonders for the New World Order. Now the Vatican gets in its dibs and a new trade bloc is in formation. While the rockets fly, the US and Kuwait sign a free trade agreement. So so Dubai, Bahrain and Jordan. And did anyone notice that America no longer patrols Afghanistan? NATO has taken the reins. Not ten years ago, PM Shimon Peres was tired of the Grapes Of Wrath mini-war and put an end to it with an attack on Kana which killed 100 and brought international troops to Lebanon. The week before, the leaders of the NWO met in Rome under the kind but stern guidance of Condeleeza Rice. They decided to put in Lebanon International Troops...someday. A second Kana bombing, no matter who was responsible, gave Peres another chance to bring back his buddies, the French. Yes, it was decided that French troops would form the majority of the contingent. And are they balanced: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=108844 At the news conference held in Beirut, French Foreign Minister Phillippe Douste-Blazy praised Iran as a “stabilizing force in the Middle East.” Douste-Blazy told reporters that Iran "is an outstanding country with great people and an honorable civilization. It has a crucial role in the region.” This whole awful war was designed to get those Vatican soldiers into Israel and given another few weeks of rocket attacks, barring a nuke on Teheran, Israelis will lift their arms and beg for any troops, anywhere, just to get a night's peace. Even in Jerusalem. A few nights ago, I was almost back in Israel. A brilliant researcher, who, yes indeed, demands recognition, Kati Cohen, called me and let me have a 90 blast of her research. She began easy; "You were right about Daniel Abraham and this dreadful man Joel running Yeshiva U. They brought in half the Vatican to YU to supposedly discuss anti-semitism with their rabbis. That wasn't the discussion. They wanted "their" land and that meant Jerusalem." It was 102 degrees in America, the fields were dessicated by the minute and I was back in corrupt Israel. I was home. Abraham almost cost Olmert his "honesty," he writes with a broad smirk, by passing him a couple of spare million dollars, by buying his home for 2.5 times its value in the midst of the election campaign. And that, lesser crime, tied Shimon Peres up with Olmert more than politically. Abraham is a valued member of the milestone to money laundering, the Shimon Peres Peace Center. And Peres, the Vatican's chief spy along with Yossi Beilin, is now number two in Israel, an apt number if there was one. And all those crooks and murderers who caused the war, Peres, Barak, Beilin, are they strung from the highest oak tree in the land? Of course not! They go to cabinet meetings and decide how to kill the most Israelis in one day. Kati goes on, and I'm now taking notes. It's just like being in Modiin. "Peres promised the pope East Jerusalem in May of 1992 and the Vatican wants to cash in now. But Sharon wasn't playing ball. In July of last year he actually banned diplomacy with the Vatican. So the Vatican tried working around him. In September they invited both Israeli chief rabbis to Rome to threaten the Jews if the holy sites of Jerusalem weren't handed over to them. In November, they hatched the Mount Zion plot, trading a Spanish church for the Last Supper room. President Katsav flew to the Vatican but Sharon still said no. "Finally they knew Sharon had to go. Enter the apostolic nuncio Pietro Sambi. He plotted with Peres to finish Sharon and possibly supplied the poison Sharon drank in his final meeting with Peres on Dec. 18. On thing is certain, 18 hours before, after 8 1/2 years in Jerusalem, Sambi flew out for a new assignment in Washington. "Once Olmert and Peres won the election, Peres flew to the Vatican taking with him a letter from Olmert to the pope. No one will say what was in the letter, but you can be sure he promised the pope "his land" and the war drastic enough to give it to him." http://www.barrychamish.com Only for bookings, write: chamishba@gmail.com I have been on numerous American radio shows. Try one: http://www.cephas-library.com/chamish9-8-06.mp3 ----- WASHINGTON STATE BLAMED FOR FATAL SHOOTING SPREE AT JEWISH DAY CARE Seattle Post-Intelligencer - August 21, 2006 - by Scott Gutierrez - Whenever Alan Stepakoff sees the large scar on the back of his son's right leg, he's reminded of the horror seven years ago that forever shattered his family's sense of security. Joshua, then 6, was one of five people shot when a gunman stormed into a day care at a Jewish community center in Granada Hills, Calif. Joshua was shot twice. One bullet hit him in the back, just missing his spine. The other tore through his leg. The shooter, Buford Furrow Jr., was an ex-convict on probation in Washington state. The avowed white supremacist had been released from prison three months before the attack. Afterward, Joshua needed counseling. Just the sound of helicopters overhead -- a reminder of the police response -- would send him to tears. Now headed into eighth grade, it's still on his mind. He often writes about the experience for school assignments. "It's hard to know what kind of kid he would be like today or what our family would be like if we hadn't had these events," Alan Stepakoff said in a telephone interview. "I don't drop him off for school without telling him I love him -- ever." Full story: http://www.cephas-library.com/israel_antisemitism_state_of_washington.html ----- BUSH VOWS $230,000.00 TO LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION August 22, 2006 by Staff Writer - United States President George W. Bush announced yesterday that the US will give Lebanon emergency aid to the tune of $230 million for reconstructing homes damaged during the war. In addition the US will give Lebanon tens of thousands of tons of wheat. President Bush also called for a quick deployment of the international force in southern Lebanon and to stabilize the ceasefire in the region. Bush promised that the US will provide logistical support and will supply intelligence information to the force. The US is also working on improving the mandate of the force, so that more countries could join the effort. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres warned yesterday that the funds the international community is giving Lebanon for the purpose of reconstruction could end up in the hands of Hizballah. “I suggest that everyone learn the lesson from the Palestinians where the money donated by the European Union was taken by Arafat’s Fatah movement, and caused corruption that eventually led to their collapse. There is a need to rebuild Lebanon, but not to build what will destroy it,” Peres said during a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot. Peres also expressed his disappointment that Europe is not taking a greater role in the international force. Defense Minister Amir Peretz said in a meeting with UN envoy Terje Larsen that the implementation of the ceasefire agreement is an important test for the reputation of the United Nations. Peretz asked Larsen that the international community fulfill its obligation to return the kidnapped soldiers. Peretz and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=9163 ----- EX=IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT, CARTER INVITATION UNDER FIRE By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com International Editor September 01, 2006 (CNSNews.com) - A visit to the United Sates by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and the possibility that he may meet with former President Jimmy Carter has lawmakers, conservative analysts and rights campaigners up in arms. Khatami's visit, billed as a private one built around his participation at a U.N. "dialogue of civilizations" conference, comes at a time the U.S. and fellow permanent Security Council members are mulling sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear activities. Those promoting the visit -- including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the National Cathedral in Washington -- are emphasizing his allegedly reformist inclinations. CAIR said in a statement that during his 1997-2005 presidency, "Khatami sought increased freedom of the press, political reform and improved inter-cultural relations." CAIR hosts Khatami at an event in the nation's capital on Sept. 8. The National Cathedral, which hosts Khatami one day earlier, says the former president "is credited with the promotion of the rule of law, democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process." Head of the Cathedral's Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation, Canon John Peterson said Khatami "intends to speak on the role the three Abrahamic faiths can play in shaping peace throughout the world," while Dean Samuel Lloyd III said Khatami was "regarded as a man of peace and moderation." Critics, however, have offered a range of reasons why the U.S. should not have provided Khatami with a visa to enable him to visit parts of the country outside of New York City. During his tenure, they said in a symposium convened by National Review Online (NRO), the State Department designated Iran as the world's leading sponsor of state terrorism, and President Bush named Iran -- together with North Korea and Ba'athist Iraq -- as part of an "axis of evil." Iran under Khatami also violated religious freedoms, clamped down on the media and pro-democracy campaigners, and covertly pursued the nuclear program now exercising the international community. Khatami publicly supported -- and continues to support -- Hizballah and Hamas, terrorist groups committed to the destruction of Israel. Khatami "wasn't exactly AWOL during the buildup of Iran's nuclear program," said Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Anne Bayefsky, who added that granting him a visa would undercut demands for sanctions against Iran. "If we aren't prepared to isolate Iran, why should anyone else?" she asked. "Although widely portrayed as a lovable liberal in the Western media, Khatami fully shares the long-term goals of Ayatollah Khomeini's radical revolution," said Heritage Foundation Research Fellow James Phillips. "There were only superficial changes during the years of the Smiling Mullah's presidency," said Keith Roderick of Christian Solidarity International. "Khatami ruled over the largest repression of the media and the student democratic movement in the Iranian Islamic Republic's history." "Khatami's reality is the inverse of his image," said American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin. "To Western audiences, he speaks of tolerance; in Persian, he urges Iranians to mobilize for war." Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said the U.S. was "offering free speech to a man whose government was called 'the greatest predator of the free press in the Middle East' by Reporters Without Frontiers." Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House, noted that during Khatami's presidency, the U.S. government had designated Iran as a "country of particular concern" for religious persecution. 'Best hope for dialogue' Although some reports assert that Khatami no longer holds an official position in Iran, he is in fact a senior member of Iran's Assembly of Experts, a body of 85 top clerics whose functions include nominating and supervising the country's "Supreme Leader." Former President Carter is reported to have agreed in principle to meet with Khatami during his visit, although there was no immediate confirmation that the Iranian will accept the invitation. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Carter was "a private citizen, and he is free to meet with whomever he pleases." Some media organizations are suggesting that a Carter-Khatami meeting could have significant ramifications, possibly even breaking the logjam over the nuclear issue. "It is a meeting that could avert a clash of civilizations," said the London Independent, while The Times headlined its story: "Jimmy Carter offers best hope of dialogue with the old enemy." The Financial Times called the trip "ground-breaking" but worried that prospects for a thaw in bilateral relations looked bleak -- because the Bush administration wasn't prepared to speak to him. Carter was president during the 1979 Islamic revolution and the subsequent 444-day U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. He presided over an abortive rescue attempt in April 1980 that cost the lives of eight U.S. servicemen when a helicopter crashed in the Iranian desert. Iran eventually let the last hostages go the day Carter left the White House in January 1981. North Korean diplomacy Since his presidency, Carter has promoted conflict resolution, human rights and humanitarian causes. He has frequently offered his services as a mediator, while urging -- and sometimes himself making -- contact with hostile regimes, including those in Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Syria. In 1994, he visited Pyongyang as an unofficial envoy in a bid to defuse a crisis over Kim Jong-il's threats to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and stop cooperating with the U.N. over his nuclear program. Carter's private diplomacy resulted in the signing of a deal called the "Agreed Framework" between Kim and the Clinton administration, under which North Korea pledged to freeze its nuclear program in return for U.S. fuel aid and the provision by the U.S. and its allies of alternative, civilian reactors for power supply purposes. At the time, former Secretary of State James Baker called the agreement "a mistake that has made stability on the Korean peninsula less, not more, likely." The deal was also criticized by others, including the Center for Security Policy, which said it invited "deadly, aggressive behavior around the globe." The Washington-based think tank had also opposed Carter's trip, arguing that it was merely buying North Korea more time. In Oct. 2002, the Agreed Framework began to unravel after it emerged that North Korea had been cheating for years by running a covert uranium-enrichment program. Within weeks, left-wing organizations in South Korea critical of the Bush administration were appealing to Carter to help resolve the new crisis and decrease tensions on the peninsula. A full year later, with the standoff with North Korea far from resolved, Carter said in an op-ed that his mission to Pyongyang had had a "satisfactory" conclusion. The agreement had broken down, he said, because both sides failed to meet all of their commitments. Carter urged both the U.S. and North Korea to compromise. In 2004, John Bolton -- currently U.S. ambassador to the U.N. but at the time Washington's top arms control official -- said the Bush administration would not repeat its predecessor's mistake of rewarding North Korea in return for temporarily freezing a nuclear weapons program "The U.S. government tried the bilateral route, and it failed -- it was called the Agreed Framework of 1994," he said in a speech in Seoul. "Contrary to what critics of the Bush administration suggest, the Agreed Framework did not resolve the issue, it simply postponed it -- and ultimately made it worse." The U.S. would "not be fooled again," Bolton said. Taking part in this week's NRO symposium, Iranian journalist and analyst Amir Taheri said that a Carter-Khatami meeting would not be a bad thing. "By begging to meet the head of one of the most repressive regimes in the world, Carter would simply show whose side he is on," he said. "Having refused to meet Iranian dissidents and rejected repeated calls for statements in support of Iranian trade unionists, student leaders, persecuted minorities and political prisoners, Carter is precisely the person who should hang around with people like Khatami." http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200609/INT20060901a.html ----- 'WORLD IS EMBRACING A TERRORIST GOVERNMENT Israeli Lawmaker Says - Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - In an apparent about-face that has angered lawmakers in Israel, the international community Wednesday opened its arms to a Hamas-dominated Palestinian unity government that will not recognize Israel or renounce the use of terrorism. The self-styled Middle East Quartet - comprised of the U.S., U.N., European Union and Russia - issued a statement endorsing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's efforts "to form a government of national unity" with the ruling Hamas organization. Hamas, however, remains committed to the destruction of the Jewish state and the use of terrorist violence to achieve that goal. Knesset Member Yuval Steinitz of the opposition Likud Party slammed the decision, noting in remarks carried by Ynet that "the world is embracing a terrorist government that calls for the annihilation of Israel." Full Story: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200609/INT20060921c.html ----- FROM URANIUM ENRICHMENT TO BOMB IN 12 MONTHS Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - From the time Iran masters the enrichment of uranium, it could be as little as 12 months until the Islamic Republic is able to field an operational nuclear weapon, an Israeli professor said this week. Professor Gerald Steinberg of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) said that separating the fissile material from natural uranium through enrichment "is a very difficult technical process," but once Iran has learned how to do it with small amounts, "it is much easier to expand this into a larger operation." Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni agrees that the "crucial moment" will happen before the first bomb is produced. Full Story http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200609/INT20060921b.html   ----- THE CHAIM SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER at Tel Hashomer, Israel International Public Affairs Department - August 29, 2006 - Update on the Condition of Mr. Ariel Sharon Tel Hashomer, Israel. This morning, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was transferred out of intensive care and back to the respiratory rehabilitation department at the Sheba Medical Center. This follows a noticeable improvement in his kidney function and the pneumonia in his lungs. The Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer is the largest medical enterprise in the Middle East, treating more than one million patients a year. It is situated on a 150-acre campus on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, with 120 departments and clinics and 1,700 beds, employing 850 physicians, 2,000 nurses and 3,000 other healthcare workers, scientists and support staff. The medical center uniquely combines a major Acute Care Hospital with a Rehabilitation Hospital, Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital, Academic Campus and Medical Research Complex. IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il ----- JERUSALEM DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN ZIONISM" Statement by the Patriarch and Local Heads of Churches In Jerusalem "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9) Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel. The Christian Zionist programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it places an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ's love and justice today. We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation. We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral pre-emptive borders and domination over Palestine. This inevitably leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world. We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war rather than the gospel of universal love, redemption and reconciliation taught by Jesus Christ. Rather than condemn the world to the doom of Armageddon we call upon everyone to liberate themselves from the ideologies of militarism and occupation. Instead, let them pursue the healing of the nations! We call upon Christians in Churches on every continent to pray for the Palestinian and Israeli people, both of whom are suffering as victims of occupation and militarism. These discriminative actions are turning Palestine into impoverished ghettos surrounded by exclusive Israeli settlements. The establishment of the illegal settlements and the construction of the Separation Wall on confiscated Palestinian land undermines the viability of a Palestinian state as well as peace and security in the entire region. We call upon all Churches that remain silent, to break their silence and speak for reconciliation with justice in the Holy Land. Therefore, we commit ourselves to the following principles as an alternative way: Full story: http://www.cephas-library.com/israel_jerusalem_declaration_on christian_zionism.html ----- ISRAEL MAY 'GO IT ALONE' AGAINST IRAN August 24, 2006 by the Jerusalem Post / Israel - by Herb Keinon - Israel is carefully watching the world's reaction to Iran's continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, with some high-level officials arguing it is now clear that when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel "may have to go it alone," The Jerusalem Post has learned. One senior source said on Tuesday that Iran "flipped the world the bird" by not responding positively to the Western incentive plan to stop uranium enrichment. He expressed frustration that the Russians and Chinese were already saying that Iran's offer of a "new formula" and willingness to enter "serious negotiations" was an opening to keep on talking. "The Iranians know the world will do nothing," he said. "This is similar to the world's attempts to appease Hitler in the 1930s - they are trying to feed the beast." He said there was a need to understand that "when push comes to shove," Israel would have to be prepared to "slow down" the Iranian nuclear threat by itself. Having said this, he did not rule out the possibility of US military action, but said that if this were to take place, it would probably not occur until the spring or summer of 2008, a few months before President George W. Bush leaves the international stage. The US presidential elections, which Bush cannot contest because of term limits, are in November 2008. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, in a meeting in Paris with French Foreign Minister Phillippe Douste-Blazy Wednesday, said Iran "poses a global threat" and needed to be dealt with by the whole international community. "The first thing they need to do is stop the enrichment of uranium," Livni said. "Everyday that passes brings the Iranians closer to building a nuclear bomb. The world can't afford a nuclear Iran." She said the Iranian reply to the Western incentives was just an attempt to "gain time." Government officials said Israel's role at this time is to warn the world of the dangers of an Iranian nuclear potential. Some government officials are sending the message to their counterparts abroad that the firm implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon will send a strong message to Iran - which is testing the world's resolve - that it is serious about implementing Security Council resolutions. Meanwhile, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported Wednesday that the Iranian news service Al-Borz, which it said is known to have access to sources in the Iranian government, predicted that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would announce what the news service called Iran's "nuclear birth" on the first anniversary of his government later this month. In addition, an article Tuesday on the Teheran Times Web site, considered to be affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, implied that Iran's nuclear technology had already reached the point of no return. "If the West is seeking to impede Iran's nuclear industry, it should realize that Iran has passed this stage," the report read. Diplomats from Europe, the US, Russia and China were poring over details of Iran's counterproposal to the Western nuclear incentives package Wednesday. Initial comments from Russia and China made clear Washington is likely to face difficulty getting at least those nations to agree to any tough sanctions against Iran. In Paris, however, Douste-Blazy made clear that his government was sticking by the UN demand for Iran to halt enrichment by the end of this month as a precondition to further talks. Israeli officials said France has consistently advocated a firm position with Iran regarding the nuclear issue. "I want to point out again that France is available to negotiate, and to recall that, as we have always said... a return to the negotiating table is linked to the suspension of uranium enrichment," Douste-Blazy said. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0824-03.htm    NEWSLETTERS  NEWS INDEX  MAIN INDEX