WORLD NEWS 2006

The Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus to Celebrate Second Anniversary

The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC) will meet this week  in the Knesset Lecture Hall to celebrate its achievements in 2005 and its two year anniversary.  During the meeting, the KCAC will review its current projects, discuss future events, and plot a course for its future direction. The Foreign Ministry will also make a brief presentation concerning a project it is initiating to foster greater cooperation between Jews and Christians. Those attending the meeting include fourteen members of Knesset from seven different political parties, as well as Christian leaders representing a broad spectrum churches. Some of the initiatives promoted by the KCAC in 2005 were programs to increase Christian tourism to Israel, to reach out to the African American community, and to strengthen ties with all Christian denominations. In 2005, the KCAC organized conferences in the United States, Korea and Canada.  Also launched this year was the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus Women's Council set to advance the status of women in a way congruent with Judeo-Christian values. The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus was established in January of 2004 to open formal and direct lines of communication between the representatives of the Jewish people and Christians around the world. The Caucus consists of fourteen members of Knesset from seven political parties across the political spectrum. We look forward to seeing you at this meeting to review our past achievements and discuss our future initiatives.  Please RSVP as soon as possible to confirm your attendance.  Contact: Miya Keren Administrative Assistant, Knesset Christian Allies Caucus cac@knesset.gov.il
 

B'nai Brith Canada calls on Harper to stand firm on Hamas

TORONTO.  B'nai Brith Canada has called on Prime Minister Designate Stephen Harper to refuse to allow any Canadian representatives to meet with Hamas officials, who according to initial reports, garnered a substantial number of votes in today's Palestinian elections. "The inclusion on the Palestinian ballot of Hamas terrorist operatives is a subversion of the democratic process," said Frank Dimant, B'nai Brith Canada's Executive Vice President, who is currently assessing the situation on the ground in Israel. "The fiction that Hamas is anything other than an armed terrorist group whose avowed aim continues to be the destruction of the Jewish State serves only to undermine any real hope for a genuine process of Palestinian democratization and reform. "We call on Canada's Prime Minister Designate, Stephen Harper, to ensure that no Canadian representatives meet with 'elected' Hamas officials and to signal strongly that Canada will play no part whatsoever in legitimizing a terrorist group that is outlawed here in Canada and many other countries. "It is time Western democratic leaders took off their blinders and held the Palestinians to account for their failures to keep their promises to disarm, renounce terrorism, and end incitement against Israel. Terror and democracy are inherently contradictory and a nod to Hamas would only sanction the continuation of violence and terror." B'nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community's foremost human rights agency

 

Norwegian Official Supports Boycotting Israeli Products

OSLO, (WAFA-PLO news agency)- Norwegian official called Thursday for boycotting the Israeli products, Norwegian media sources said. The NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), said Thursday that the Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen, urged Norwegian consumers to boycott Israeli products. The Norway Post paper said that Halvorsen's Socialist Left Party will begin a solidarity campaign for Palestinians at the end of the month. Halvorsen says a boycott will visualize the displeasure with Israel's policy towards the Palestinians. "My goal and that of the Socialist Left Party is that Norwegian consumers  will avoid goods and services from Israel and make other choices in the  stores," Halvorsen was quoted as saying.

Iran's president says Bush administration should be tried for war crimes

Photo: Ahmadinejad at a rally of paramilitary forces to support Iran's nuclear program in Tehran, Iran, Saturday.

TEHRAN, Iran- Iran's hardline president said Saturday the Bush administration should be tried on war crimes charges, and he denounced the West for pressuring Iran to curb its controversial nuclear program. "You, who have used nuclear weapons against innocent people, who have used uranium ordnance in Iraq, should be tried as war criminals in courts," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an apparent reference to the United States. Ahmadinejad did not elaborate, but he apparently was referring to the U.S. military's reported use of artillery shells packed with depleted uranium, which is far less radioactive than natural uranium and is left over from the process of enriching uranium for use as nuclear fuel. Since the Iraq war started in 2003, American forces have fired at least 120 tonnes of shells packed with depleted uranium, an extremely dense material used by the U.S. and British militaries to penetrate tank armour. Once fired, the shells melt, vaporize and turn to dust. "Who in the world are you to accuse Iran of suspicious nuclear armed activity?" Ahmadinejad said during a nationally televised ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of the establishment of Iran's volunteer Basij paramilitary force. Iran has been under intense international pressure to curb its nuclear program, which the United States claims is part of an effort to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies such claims and says its program is aimed at generating electricity. Iran insists that it has the right to fully develop the program, including enrichment of nuclear fuel - a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors or atomic bombs. On Thursday, the European Union accused Iran of having documents that show how to make nuclear warheads and joined the United States in warning Tehran it could be referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. Iran has temporarily stopped its enrichment program, but negotiations with Britain, France and Germany broke off in August after Tehran restarted another part of its program: the conversion of raw uranium into the gas that is used as the feeder stock in enrichment. Iran also has rejected European calls to halt work at its uranium conversion facility near the central city of Isfahan. Ahmadinejad dismissed Western concerns over his country's nuclear program. "They say Iran has to stop its peaceful nuclear activity since there is a probability of diversion while we are sure that they are developing and testing (nuclear weapons) every day," Ahmadinejad said. "They speak as if they are the lords of the world." State-run TV said more than nine million Basij members formed human chains in different parts of the country to mark their militia's anniversary. Thousands linked hands to make a 20-kilometre chain along an expressway in northern Tehran. Some Basij members also formed chains around an enrichment plant in the central city of Natanz and a nuclear plant under construction in the southern city of Bushehr, symbolizing their readiness to defend the country's nuclear program, Iranian TV reported. It is estimated that the Basij comprise 15 per cent of Iran's population, or about 10 million people.