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Friday, December 15, 2006
Some headlines and summaries from JTA
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Hamas hands millions to Arab League
Hamas deposited with the Arab League $35 million that Israel blocked from entering the Gaza Strip.
Israel persuaded Egypt to keep Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian Authority prime minister and a leader of the terrorist group, from entering Gaza with the money. After hours of delay, Haniyeh relented.
His spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, said the money was left with the Arab League. “We couldn’t find any other way to hand over this money to the Palestinian people,” he told Reuters. He said the league would keep trying to funnel the money to Palestinians.
Israel and the international community cut off funds to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas took power in March, although humanitarian aid contributions have been stepped up instead.
Pelosi adds two Jews to appropriations
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), speaker-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives, doubled the Jewish membership of its most powerful committee.
Announcing additions to the House Appropriations Committee this week, Pelosi increased Jewish membership from two to four with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). Wasserman Schultz’s appointment underscores the young congresswoman’s rapid rise; she was elected in 2004, and placement within two years on Appropriations, the committee that determines federal spending, is exceptional.
The two other Jewish lawmakers on the committee are Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), who will chair its foreign-operations subcommittee; and Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.).
Quakers back Carter book
The American Quaker activist arm called on followers to join former President Carter in urging an Israeli withdrawal from disputed territories.
“Israel must end the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem,” says the text posted this week on the American Friends Service Committee Web site as a template for letters to members of Congress.
The letter quotes from Carter’s controversial new book, “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid:” “As President Carter explains, ‘Israel’s continued control and colonization of Palestinian land have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement.’ ” The letter also calls for guarantees for Israel’s security.
Palestinian policy affects U.S. image
The perception of U.S. policy toward the Palestinians has a profoundly negative impact on Arab opinion about the United States, a poll showed.
The Bush administration’s Palestinian policy scored high negatives in the Zogby International poll carried out in November on behalf of the Arab American Institute in five countries, with 88 percent of respondents giving “negative” ratings in Saudi Arabia and Jordan; 93 percent in Morocco; 74 percent in Lebanon; and 51 percent in Egypt. Majorities of respondents also said their opinions of the United States had worsened in the past year in every country but Lebanon, where 47 percent said their opinion had worsened, 10 percent said it had improved and 40 percent recorded no change.
U.S. policy toward the Palestinians scored as one of two major reasons for the negative change in all five countries. The United States has been a major backer of Palestinian statehood, but is often presented in the Arab world as anti-Palestinian because of its support for Israel.
U.S. seeking ways to fund Abbas
The Bush administration is working with Congress to authorize the release of funds to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ security forces.
“We´re working with the Congress to get authorization for more money to be released so that we can assist in that regard: providing logistical support, uniforms and that sort of thing, helping out with training, helping out with materiel,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Thursday. McCormack said the two top envoys to the region, David Welch and Gen. Keith Dayton, met with lawmakers two weeks ago to discuss releasing the funds.
Members of Congress have expressed concern about funding any aspect of the Palestinian Authority as long as Hamas, a terrorist group, controls the Cabinet. The Bush administration counters that Abbas, a relative moderate, needs Western assistance in order to confront Hamas.
Bush honors Sharansky, Lederberg, Safire
Three Jews were among those receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Bush hosted a White House ceremony Friday for nine medal recipients, including Natan Sharansky, an Israeli political leader who was imprisoned nine years in the Soviet Gulag; Joshua Lederberg, a Nobel laureate and science adviser to several presidents who specializes in space travel and genetics; and William Safire, a speechwriter for President Nixon who became an influential New York Times columnist.
Jewish groups oppose Palestinian act
More than a dozen local Jewish groups signed a petition urging President Bush not to sign legislation that would isolate the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.
Boston’s Jewish Women for Justice in Israel/Palestine and Oakland’s Jewish Voice for Peace were among at least 16 local Jewish groups to sign a petition organized by the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Separately, Americans for Peace Now and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom also have opposed the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, passed in Congress’ final days, saying it’s too constraining at a time when relative moderates among the Palestinians need U.S. support.
The bill’s backers, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, say the bill is flexible enough to allow funds to reach destitute Palestinians and moderates.
http://www.jta.org/
posted by Somebody @ 10:56 PM Permanent Link
 
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