To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] 'Severe' solar storm zaps Earth
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 05:43:45 -0000
'Severe' solar storm zaps Earth
By LEE BOWMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
November 09, 2000
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=SOLARSTORM-11-09-00&cat=AN
- The sun has welcomed the crew of the International Space Station
Alpha to the neighborhood with one of the most powerful solar
radiation storms in a quarter-century, but NASA officials say the men
are in no danger.
The storm, rated "severe" on the government's space weather scales,
produced radiation levels Wednesday and Thursday that could rise to
more than the equivalent of 10 chest X-rays for passengers on jets
flying nearer Earth's poles, and higher still for astronauts orbiting
beyond Earth's protective atmosphere.
The event, which is expected to gradually subside over the weekend,
could also adversely affect some satellite operations and will likely
disrupt radio communication at high latitudes.
"This is a pretty dramatic event, with some very high fluxes at very
high energies. It's what we'd call a 'hard' event in terms of these
energy levels,'' said Joe Kunches, a senior forecaster at the Space
Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., part of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
Russian flight controllers for Alpha have asked station commander
Bill Shepherd to set up a radiation-monitoring device inside Russian-
built crew modules as a precaution.
Rob Navias, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, said similar devices are used during each space
shuttle mission and will sound an audible alarm if radiation reaches
a preset level.
Were that to happen, the crew would move to the end of the Zvezda
service module near where the Soyuz spacecraft is docked, since that
part of the space station offers the most protection.
"Even if it reaches levels that would trigger that alarm, the flare
would have no impact to crew health or crew safety," Navias said.
Kunches said only three other storms of this strength have been
logged since instruments started recording space weather data in
1976. NASA records indicate that a space mission with a human crew
was under way during only one of these storms, an October 1989 flight
of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which caused no ill effects for the
crew.
The event, caused by a group of sunspots that are now near the sun's
horizon, is expected to also increase geomagnetic activity and boost
the visibility of the northern lights to high intensity, making them
visible over much of the northern United States by Saturday.
Scientists expect only three storms of this strength to take place
during each 11-year solar cycle. Another, slightly stronger storm,
already erupted in July. The current cycle of solar activity is now
near its peak.
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Subject: [bprlist] Jerusalem cleric praises child 'sacrifices'
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:35:15 -0000
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 10
2000
Jerusalem cleric praises child 'sacrifices'
'The younger the martyr, the greater and the more I respect him'
By David Kupelian
=A9 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_kupelian_news/20001110_xndku_jeru
salem_.shtml
The Mufti of Jerusalem, the city's highest Muslim religious
authority, is calling for the complete "liberation" by Palestinians
not only of Jerusalem, but of all of Israel, and stresses
that "sacrifice" and "martyrdom" of Palestinian children prove
that "the new generation will carry on the mission with
determination."
Speaking to the Egyptian weekly, Al-Ahram Al-Arabi, Sheik 'Ikrima
Sabri, the Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, addressed several issues
regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict -- including his admiration for
the child "martyrs." Over 40 Palestinian youths reportedly have died
in the last six weeks of clashes between Palestinians and Israelis
after the meltdown of the doomed Clinton-brokered "peace process."
"We haven't sacrificed enough yet to be worthy of liberating Al-
Aqsa," said Sabri. "To liberate Jerusalem, Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi
made great sacrifices for a long time, and we have to sacrifice until
Allah's victory is completed ..."
Reiterating the long-held Arab nationalistic view that Mideast peace
can only come if and when all of Israel is "liberated" and the Jews
expelled from the region, the Mufti said: "The land of Palestine is
not only Jerusalem; this land stretches from the [Jordan] River to
the [Mediterranean] Sea. Naturally, the [Palestinian] problem relates
to all of this land. We cannot establish a homeland by only
liberating Jerusalem. It is true that Salah Al-Din did not rest until
Jerusalem was liberated, but this does not suggest that the rest of
this blessed land is to be neglected or given up. ..."
Stressing that "Every Palestinian is, in fact, in a state of Jihad,"
Sabri praised the Palestinian "martyrs," and particularly the
children that are proudly thrust by their parents and other
combatants into the frontlines of conflicts with Israelis.
"I feel the martyr is lucky because the angels usher him to his
wedding in heaven," he said.
Palestinian father and son during recent clash
"There is no doubt that a child [martyr] suggests that the new
generation will carry on the mission with determination," said the
Mufti, appointed by Palestinian Authority President Yasser
Arafat. "The younger the martyr, the greater and the more I respect
him. ... One wrote his name on a note before he died. He wrote: 'the
martyr so and so.' In every martyr's pocket we find a note with his
name on it. He sentences himself to martyrdom even before he becomes
a martyr."
In response to the interviewer's question, "Is this why the mothers
cry with joy when they hear about their sons' death?" Sabri answered:
"They willingly sacrifice their offspring for the sake of freedom. It
is a great display of the power of belief. The mother is
participating in the great reward of the Jihad to liberate Al-
Aqsa ... I talked to a young man ... [who] said: '... I want to marry
the black-eyed [beautiful] women of heaven.' The next day he became a
martyr. I am sure his mother was filled with joy about his heavenly
marriage. Such a son must have such a mother."
Asked, "How do you feel about the Jews?" Sabri answered: "I enter the
mosque of Al-Aqsa with my head up and at the same time I am filled
with rage toward the Jews. I have never greeted a Jew when I came
near one. I never will. They cannot even dream that I will. The Jews
do not dare to bother me, because they are the most cowardly
creatures Allah has ever created. ..."
Palestinian children are taught almost from birth to hate Jews and to
glorify "jihad" (holy war) -- even to the point of their own death
and "martyrdom" -- as an essential part of their culture. As
WorldNetDaily reported recently, a Sesame Street-like television
program called the "Children's Club," complete with puppet shows,
songs and a Mickey Mouse character, celebrates violence and terror,
teaching Palestinian children songs like "When I wander into
Jerusalem, I will become a suicide bomber." A video documenting the
children's program also shows kids singing songs about taking up "a
machine gun" to direct "violence, anger, anger, anger" against
Israelis. View video of the "Children's Club."
In the Oct. 27 Jerusalem Post, writer Gerald M. Steinberg revealed
the shocking aftermath of the recent violent deaths of some
Palestinian children.
"Interviewed by journalists after [recent] tragedies, some of the
parents of these young victims refer to their children as shaheeds
(martyrs), whose lives were given willingly and proudly to the
Palestinian cause in fighting the hated Zionist enemy," Steinberg
said.
Young Palestinian parades defiantly during October Intifada
demonstration
"In an unbelievably shocking scene, one mother boasted that she bore
her son precisely for this purpose, and the father proudly claimed
credit for providing the training. The parents will also receive a
sizeable financial 'reward' from the Palestinian Authority," he
added.
Not all Palestinians agree with sacrificing their children for the
sake of the "Jihad" against Israel, however.
Recently, a pro-Palestinian Arab journalist with the London-based
Arab daily, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, condemned the use of children in the
struggle with Israel:
"Some Palestinian leaders ... consciously issue orders with the
purpose of ending their childhood, even if it means their last
breath," wrote Huda Al-Husseini in the Oct. 27 edition.
"I want to know why we, the Arabs, insist on dying instead of living
for our homeland," she said. "If these children have nothing to lose,
and they think the training is ... a game, are we supposed to
continue pushing them with hypocrisy and stupid enthusiasm to
actually lose their lives? Have we exhausted all means, and every
argument, have we exhausted ... our brains, having nothing left but
to gamble with the lives of children and push them to confront
Israel? Or maybe the Palestinian leaders -- those who are in the PA
or those who are getting ready to fill a role in it -- put their
trust in the humanity of Israel? If this is what they do, then they
are wrong.
"What kind of independence is built on the blood of children while
the leaders are safe and so are their children and grandchildren?"
she asked. "Are only the miserable destined to die in the spring of
their lives? Those children who are killed may not, in their short
lives, have enjoyed a fresh piece of bread, sleeping in a warm bed,
the happiness of putting on a new piece of cloth, or carrying books
with no torn pages to school."
Arguing that "the time of Arafat and the people around him has
reached its dusk," the Palestinian journalist and activist chastised
the dominant culture of the Palestinians today:
"First of all, these children deserve to live, before we push them to
find death. But what are we doing to them? We abuse their innocence,
we supply them with tons of stones, while we sit in our offices and
commend their death. Then we accept an invitation for a working lunch
or dinner and talk about those children who died holding stones,
those that died, probably hungry."
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Subject: [bprlist] Assad meets with top Iraqi official
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 08:31:03 -0500
Friday, November 10, 2000
Assad meets with top Iraqi official
Ha'aretz Correspondent
By Daniel Sobelman
Syrian President Bashar Assad met in Damascus yesterday with
Ezzat Ibrahim al-Duri, a key aide to Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein. Assad and Duri, who is vice-chairman of Iraq's
Revolutionary Command Council and considered the country's
second-in-command, discussed bilateral relations, the situation in
the Palestinian Authority and the upcoming Islamic Conference
Organization meeting in Qatar.
Duri brought greetings from Saddam. This was the first meeting
between the two and the first at such a high level of contacts since
their countries severed relations some 20 years ago.
The thawing of relations that began in 1997 led to the creation of
interest offices in Damascus and Baghdad.
Assad, who became president in July following the death of his
father, spoke with Iraq's vice-president, Tariq Aziz, after his
inauguration. Iraq hopes to re-establish full diplomatic relations with
Syria in the future.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee 11/10/00&id=100094
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Subject: [bprlist] Israeli Web sites take on American disguise to fool cyber terrorists
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 08:33:46 -0500
Friday, November 10, 2000
Israeli Web sites take on American disguise to fool cyber terrorists
By Catherine Cohen
With "hacktivism" - hacking with a political agenda - on the rise, at
least one Web development firm has taken steps to conceal the
Israeli identity of its on-line clients. Ra'anana based Webstyle
Internet Solutions recently began transferring its customers' sites
from local servers to American ones, to get cyberterrorists off of
their trail.
According to Webstyle CEO Gil Ben-Horin, hackers recognize
Israeli sites by their IP (Internet protocol) addresses - four blocks of
numbers that start with the numerical code representing the ISP
(Internet service provider). Thus, a hacker can identify an Israeli site
when it is hosted on an Israeli server.
"For instance, the code for Internet Gold is 192, so a hacker may
choose to attack any Web site with an address that begins with
the 192. By transferring our clients to servers in the United States,
we can trick hackers into thinking the sites are American, not
Israeli, so they will not be hit," he said.
Ben-Horin, a recent immigrant from London, decided to relocate his
clients after the Israeli ISP NetVision site was bombarded by pro-
Palestinian hacktivists and as a result, crashed at the end of
October. About 10 percent of his clients were affected by the
crash, either because they lost their connection to the Net or
because their sites, which are connected to the NetVision server,
were down.
In the past month, a wave of terror has erupted on cyberspace, with
pro-Palestinian hackers attacking Israeli government sites as well
as major commercial sites such as the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
and the Bank of Israel. Simultaneously, pro-Israeli hackers have
invaded Hezbollah and Hamas sites in addition to a number of
Palestinian ISPs.
According to Defense Intelligence Services, an Internet securities
company monitoring the cyberwar between Palestinians and
Israelis, "ISPs or telecommunications companies either operating
in Israel or with a visible business presence in the region are at
risk."
Experts at the Defense Services say that over 30 sites have been
hit so far and predict that the "cyber jihad" will continue.
Although the Webstyle site operates on an American server, it still
appears on the Hezbollah target list. Other targets include
American-based Lucent Technologies Inc., which has operations
and products in Israel, and Israeli firms Golden Lines and Comsec
Group. "Cyber terrorists monitor the media and the Net. They must
have read about the company's plans to relocate our clients on
U.S. servers," Ben-Horin said.
Last week, hackers invaded the site of U.S.-based Israel lobby
group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and
accessed the credit card details and other personal information of
members listed on the site. According to on-line magazine,
Techweb.com, the hacker identified himself as "Doctor Nuker," and
said he was avenging Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
Doctor Nuker was identified as a member of the Pakistani Hackerz
Club, a group that usually targets Indian government sites in
support of the Kashmiri Muslim movement.
According to Ben-Horin, Israel should refrain from retaliating Arab
cyber attacks because it has more to lose than the Arab world.
"We have more interests and activity on the Net, so feeding the fire
will harm us more," he said.
While he admits the idea may be far-fetched, the 27-year old CEO
fears that cyber terrorism could spur real terrorism. "When hackers
gain access to contact numbers and addresses via the Net, they
know where to attack," said Ben-Horin. "If a site is listed as a
target, how big of a leap is it to actually attack the Zionist interest
on the ground?"
Ben-Horin is worried that the crisis in Israel is affecting business at
Webstyle's London offices. He says that new customers have been
hesitant to sign on the dotted line.
"It is not politics," he said, "and Brits are still impressed by Israeli
technology. But some potential clients are asking, 'If there's a war
in Israel, won't your employees be called to fight? Who will build
my Web site then?' We assure them that we don't expect a war,
and if a war does breakout, our staff in Britain will do the work.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=19&datee 11/10/00&id=100044
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Subject: [bprlist] Egyptian Students Tell Of Forced Conversions To Islam
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 08:41:04 -0500
November 10, 2000 -- 8:36 am
Egyptian Students Tell Of Forced Conversions To Islam
CAIRO, Egypt (CHARISMA) -- A secret network kidnaps Christian
students in an effort to make them convert to Islam. Details of a
string of houses where young Christians are kept against their will
and forced to study the Koran were revealed to Voice of the
Martyrs (VM) by a Coptic believer who escaped from one of the
homes.
Identified by the ministry only as Mary, the young woman was
befriended by two Muslim students while at university. They told
her that they respected her faith, and invited her to go on trips with
them. Then one day they took Mary to a home for Christian girls
who convert to Islam, and she found herself locked in when she
tried to leave.
Mary was forced to meet with an Islamic teacher each day and
pressured by different teams that used threats and intimidation to
force her to renounce her faith. One group warned her that if she
refused to convert she would be violated by a Muslim man, whom
she would then have to marry to avoid bringing shame on her
family.
Mary told VM that after six weeks she won the trust of her captors,
chanting from the Koran and saying Muslim prayers. After her
"conversion," she was given a key to the home - and escaped at
night two weeks later. She found her way to a Christian leader who
helped reunite her with her family. She said that "there are many
houses in Egypt just like this one, working in universities to carry
out this plan of converting Christians," VM said.
=A9 2000 charismanews.com
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00b/20001109d.htm
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Subject: [bprlist] Infobeat News items (11/10/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 08:51:42 -0500
*** No retrial for financier Keating
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Prosecutors reluctantly said Thursday they
will not retry financier Charles Keating on state fraud charges in a
case that made him a symbol of the savings-and-loan scandals of
the 1980s. At their request, Superior Court Judge Lance Ito
dismissed the case in which Keating was convicted but won a
reversal on appeal due to improper jury instructions. "We take no
satisfaction in the request we made today," Deputy District
Attorney Bill Hodgman told the judge as the case quietly came to
an end. Hodgman said a conviction would have resulted in no more
than a six-month jail sentence. He also said that many witnesses
who testified in the 1992 trial overseen by Ito have either died or are
in bad health. The fraud convictions were thrown out because Ito's
instructions eight years ago improperly allowed the jury to convict
Keating without deciding whether he intended to swindle them.
Keating remains convicted of some federal charges involving
Lincoln Savings and Loan, which collapsed at a cost to taxpayers
of $3.4 billion, and its parent, American Continental Corp. He
planned to celebrate anyway. If the government had left him alone,
Keating said outside court, investors "would all be rich."
*** Jorda: War victims should be paid
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia has asked the Security Council to consider how to
compensate victims of war crimes committed during a decade of
conflict in the Balkans. In a report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan
made public Thursday, the tribunal rejected an expansion of its
power to consider compensation claims and instead advocated the
creation of an international claims commission. A compensation
commission "is a much faster, fairer and better way to ensure that
the rights of the victims of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia are
satisfied," the tribunal's president, Claude Jorda, said in an
accompanying letter to Annan. In September, the tribunal affirmed
the "legal right" of victims to seek financial compensation - the first
recognition by an international judicial body that victims of the
ethnic warfare that splintered Yugoslavia deserve financial
reparations in addition to justice for their tormentors.
*** Hate e-mail girds Jewish Web site
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The e-mail address of a group of
Jewish students in Germany was bombarded with more than
17,000 messages containing a threat to repeat the Holocaust,
German Internet companies said Thursday. KNPQwest, which
helps run services for German Internet provider Strato, said Strato's
server was paralyzed for two hours Tuesday by the flood of
identical messages addressed to the group, which runs an Internet
site with news about the Jewish community and links to related
sites. The sender, identified in the messages as adolf@hitler.com,
said the murder of "6 million more" Jews would start Thursday - the
anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nov. 9, 1938 "Night of Broken
Glass" in which the Nazi regime orchestrated attacks on Jews and
Jewish businesses across Germany in a harbinger of the
Holocaust. KNPQwest, which operates out of the German cities of
Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, said the e-mails were sent via a server in
the United States, but who actually sent them was not immediately
known.
*** Lutherans sorry for silence on Nazis
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Finland's dominant Lutheran Church on
Thursday apologized for decades of silence about the Holocaust,
pledging to do more to raise awareness of the Nazi extermination
campaign against the Jews. "The church admits it was silent over
the Holocaust and apologizes to the Jewish community," bishops
and other church leaders said during a synod. The synod, held at
the seat of the Lutheran archbishop in Turku, 100 miles west of
Helsinki, came days after a memorial was unveiled for the only
eight Jews extradited by Finland to Germany - its wartime ally - in
1942 and later sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Finland's Evanglical Lutheran Church, which has about 85% of the
population as members, has not suppressed information about the
Nazi massacres of some 6 million Jews but acknowledged it has
not done enough to promote awareness.
*** Update: Kuwait arrests suspected terrorists
KUWAIT (AP) - Police on Thursday announced the arrests of three
Kuwaitis and seizure of a large quantity of explosives in an alleged
plot that a local newspaper said was directed at U.S. targets in
other countries. The newspaper, Al-Qabas, said the arrested men
had links to terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, Islamic
fundamentalist scion of a millionaire Saudi family with ancestral
roots in Yemen. A fourth suspect was still at large, the Kuwaiti
Interior Ministry said. The ministry's statement described him as "a
citizen of a North African country" - an Arab swath that stretches
from Morocco through Tunisia, Algeria and Libya to Egypt. The
Ministry said he has been using a forged passport from an
unidentified Gulf nation. The United States has blamed bin Laden,
who is thought to be holed up in a remote redoubt in Afghanistan,
for the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania. Bin Laden is also a prime suspect as the mentor of last
month's suicide boat-bomb attack on the USS Cole in Aden
Harbor. A Yemeni source close to the Cole investigation said
Thursday that four "major players" in the attack that killed 17
American sailors had fled Yemen.
*** Arizona, Idaho get nat'l monuments
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton on Thursday created a
new national monument to protect a spectacular line of red-hued
cliffs in northern Arizona and dramatically expanded an Idaho
monument featuring an eerie, volcanic landscape. The 293,000-
acre Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, near the Colorado River
north of the Grand Canyon, is the 10th monument Clinton has
created this year and the fourth in Arizona, over the objections of
the state's governor and other Republican officials. Clinton also
ordered 661,000 acres of federal land added to the 54,440-acre
Craters of the Moon National Monument in central Idaho -
expanding the monument by more than 12-fold. Clinton used his
power under the 1906 Antiquities Act to add protection to areas
already owned by the federal government. Creating a monument
allows the president to ban logging and mining, restrict off-road
vehicle use and grazing, and bring added prominence to the areas.
*** Student arrested for vote sale
NEW YORK (AP) - A 28-year-old student was arrested on Election
Day and charged with selling his vote, allegedly for tuition money.
Christian Hazzard is accused of posting flyers on trees along Park
Avenue that read: "BUY MY VOTE - Struggling Student Is Willing
To Sell Vote In This Nov. 7th Election - $1,000 or best offer." The
flyers also listed an e-mail address on tear-away tabs. City
Department of Investigation agents contacted Hazzard by e-mail on
Nov. 1, spokesman Pat Clark said. He said Hazzard agreed to
accept $600 and to videotape the ballot in the voting booth to
confirm his choice. Hazzard was arrested Tuesday after accepting
$300, Clark said. The unemployed, occasional actor on public
access cable TV, Hazzard allegedly said he needed tuition at the
School for Visual Arts. Hazzard's lawyer, Brook Holland, declined
to comment.
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Subject: [bprlist] Re: Syrian Bishop Batika
From: skyberspace
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:20:02 -0500 (EST)
Dear BPR List, I sure hope people really are reading what this man has
to say. I take issue with several things:
Bishop Batika says:
>>if Israel had full control over the city and its holy sites. In an
interview with Albawaba.com, Bishop Batikha called on world Christians
to rise up and defend the holy city, without which Christianity has no
meaning.
"If Israel controls the Muslim and Christian holy shrines, this could
involve a serious threat to the Christian shrines and to Christianity
itself,"<<
Well, um, Israel has already had control over especially muslim shrine
since the six day war in 1967 and graciously allowed the muslims to run
temple mount. The only place the Jewish people have to worship in this
most holy place to them also, is the wailing wall. The state of Israel
could have taken control of the temple mount at that time.
>>Q: The future of Jerusalem will no doubt have an impact on the future
of the
(Middle East) region, how does the Church envisage a possible political
solution regarding the issue of Jerusalem?<<
Here is Bishops "non political" answer to the political question put to
him:
>>A: As a church, we're not interested in politics,<<
uh huh, we can tell
>> but if you are asking us
about our position regarding Jerusalem as a holy city, that has both
Christian and Moslem shrines; and the proposal by some to allow the
ancient
half to be administered by Israel and the new half by Palestine, we say
that
everyone must have access to the holy sites. People should not be
subjected
to any injustice by placing them under the control of the Jews.>>
I would have to agree with Bishop here, too bad that the Jews have not
had access to the temple mount they so graciously allowed to continue
under muslim! control.
>> Arabs have shown openness in the past 14 centuries by allowing easy
running
of the holy sites in Jerusalem. So the solution exists, it has always
been
there. Moslems have always spearheaded conciliatory moves among
Christian
denominations,>>
What! When? Where? How did I miss that historic piece of news?
>> therefore, as Christians, we don't think there is any problem
in Jerusalem maintaining its Arab identity, be it under the Palestinian
authority, or under the administration led by the King of Jordan. Islam
has always shown affection to, and an understanding of, the Christians
and Christianity.>>
As a christian, I do wish Bishop would speak for himself. Jerusalem is
not under Palestinian authority nor is it under Jordanian authority. It
is under Israel's authority. btw, about that affection to and an
understanding of the christians by the muslims? when did that happen?
>> Christian churches do not fear Islam, because it respects
Jesus, and Moslems know him well,<<
They do?????
Come on now......Jesus has some pretty stong words about that. He tells
them to depart from Him you workers of iniquity, I never knew YOU. And
that is to not muslims, but to some people who claim to be christian.
Again bishop, you will find that in your Bible, a very scarey
scripture!
>> but the ideas and beliefs of the Jews amount to a war against
Christianity, they don't accept Jesus, and they don'
t consider him a true prophet. <<
Yes, but Bishop, surely you know as a christian that the whole house of
Israel will be saved....dont you? You can find it in your bible......
>>Q: What kind of status do you envisage for the holy places?<<
>>A: First, we don't want the holy places to be kept as museums in the
hands
of the Jews, or any others. We want the Christians to keep their holy
places
and have their life there, and the Church to remain where it started
with
Christ in Jerusalem. This is our primary concern. Secondly, the holy
places
should remain in the hands of people we get along with, and who
understand
and protect all the holy sites.<<
Is this starting to sound a bit antijewish to you yet?
>>The Jews don't know Christ and don't believe in Jesus, they neither
believe
in his resurrection. or in what he did. Instead, they attack him and
call
him the antichrist, and they're still waiting for the true Messiah. So
there
is a very fundamental point here that we don't agree with.<<
Muslim religion does not agree with christianity either, why is the
christian Bishop aligning himself with the muslims?
>> Q: You demand a Christian stand. What are the motives behind this
stand?<<
>> A: It is natural that a Christian stand should be taken by the
Vatican, the
Christian states, and the Christians in the east. The Muslim world has
rightly demanded the same thing when the Aqsa sanctity was violated. I
also
demand that the Christian world have a similar reaction to that of the
Islamic countries before it is too late.<<
again, do speak for yourself bishop, or are you also speaking for the
Vatican here?!
>>Q: How do you evaluate the Vatican's stand towards Jerusalem?<<
>>A: We know that the Vatican is a state as well as a Church leadership.
What
happened was that the Vatican reacted as a political entity in a
political
direction, and not as the leading church in the direction of presenting
the
Christian views of the issue. They sent an envoy with letters from
archbishops explaining how they wish Jerusalem could be. So far, the
Vatican
has not come up with revolutionary strong stands, and have not presented
the
demands of the Christians, or met the expectations of the Arab
Christians.
We wish that every Christian in the world opened his eyes wide to what
is
taking place in Jerusalem, and be aware of what will happen if Jerusalem
comes under full control of the Jews. Today, they are attacking the Aqsa
Mosque, and tomorrow they will assault Jerusalem church, to be followed
by
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Bethlehem, because the Jews do not
believe in what Bethlehem's churches represent. They do not accept
Jesus, so
how could we ask them to respect the Church of the Holy Sepulcher?>>
More and more this is almost sounding like the false prophet aligning
itself with the antichrist, and we know what happens to the jews when
that happens dont we? I am not saying that is what is happening here,
but as a christian I am offended by how our faith in my Lord and Saviour
has been depicted by Bishop to escalate his agenda. And ask yourself,
what is that agenda?
This is the most antijewish piece I have seen coming out of a
"christian" camp in a long time. I could say so much more about all this
and I am pretty radical when it comes to this land God gave to His
people. but I will go ahead and c/c/p the rest of the interview with the
bishop and ask you to read carefully what this guy is saying and asking
of christians. Is the truth twisted here just a bit? Is this a Christian
Bishop or a Muslim or what? Why the alliance? What is he really saying
here. Take all authority from Israels Jews and just hand it over to
people "he can get along with better"
No wonder allot of Jewish people listen to Christians if this is a prime
example of what they hear, and it probably brings back memories of
Hitler. I have run into Jewish people myself who hear that I am a
Christian, and THIS and hitler is what they think. Whatever happened to
provoking them to jealousy? What ever happened to the truth?
The rest of the interview, read carefully.
>>Q: To what degree can the churches in the east have influence on the
western
churches and the Vatican?
A: Our influence on them is feeble, not because we are few in number,
but
because our media is weak and our capabilities are insufficient. We work
within the limits of our potential. We never let any occasion or a
meeting
with an ambassador go without speaking out our position. Christianity
should
overcome this state of weakness in the future. Q: So, in this context,
what do you have to say about the Jewish sheer influence on the Western
churches, and the American in particular? A: The Jews have influence not
only on churches, but on the whole western
world in general. This influence is obvious in politics, economy and
media.
We admit that the Arab media is weak, and as is the media of the Arab
churches because we are part of the Arab world. However, we hope that
our
communication with the world Christians is enhanced so that we could
convey
to them our messages and make them open their eyes wide [for the
danger]. We
do not ask for the support of anyone, we just demand that the world see
the
reality.
Q: You say that you do not get involved in politics. But what is taking
place is a political reaction that has had its impact even on theology.
The
war is being viewed as Islamic-Jewish. How could the Christians in the
east
have a role in this war?
A: We, as Arab Christians wish that when everyone talks about Jerusalem
refers to it as a Christian-Muslim city. There has been exaggeration in
telling the story as one that has to do only with the Jews and the Aqsa
Mosque, which is not the only holy site threatened by the Jews. All
sacred
sites will be in danger so we have to depict the conflict as a Jewish
versus
all Christian and Muslim holy sites.
Q: The Intifada is still active in the Palestinian territories, what
effects
will it have on the holy sites issue?
A: The Intifada has attracted the world's attention to the Jewish
conspiracy
against the Aqsa Mosque, that they plan to erect Solomon Temple on its
yard.
We can never forget statements by the Israeli leaders since 1967 that
"Israel is meaningless without Jerusalem and the Temple." We are aware
of that, and we do know that Israel does not seek peace because
it is dangerous to it. They do not want war, either; what they are after
is
the chaos emerging from a state of no-peace-no-war, so that they can act
freely while pretending to be a peace-loving nation. Q: The Israelis
claim that the so-called Solomon Temple is under the Aqsa
Mosque. Is it possible that they will someday claim historical rights in
the
Church of Sepulcher?
A: It is. In fact that is what worries us, and that is why we call on
the
world Christians to wake up before it is too late. If the Jews are
allowed
to build the claimed temple, what will stand in their way if they go
farther. Their history tells us that they have always exceeded the
limits:
they ask for the half and when they get it, they demand the half of the
other half, then they negotiate the remaining quarter. This is the
Jewish
policy: they want domination not only over what they claim as theirs,
but
also over the major part of our lands and holy sites. Q: You talked
about peace as a threat to Israel. What is the peace formula
do you envisage?
A: Peace in politics should be coupled with justice. There can be no
peace
between two groups if justice is absent, and any peace agreement will be
temporary because the underdog in this case will always feel that he has
been aggrieved and will start demanding his rights once more. The peace
that we want is a just and a lasting peace, which Israel has never
offered.
Q: Israel has threatened both Syria and Lebanon with military
offensives,
and there are expectations of a limited Israeli attack on south Lebanon.
How
do you read this?
A: I do not think that Israel is able to invade the Lebanese soil, for
they
will find the resistance waiting for them to teach them another tough
lesson. I do not want to call the resistance movement in Lebanon Islamic
resistance or Islamic Jihad because Israel wants to label it
as such. I would rather say it is a national resistance, because there
were
Christian elements involved as stated by Hizbollah Secretary General]
Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah.
In my opinion, Israel will not dare invade south Lebanon again, because
if
it did, it means a world war, for the world will stand in its face this
time, and Israel will not tread over the red lines drawn by the
international community.
It is true that the world marks red lines for Israel and makes them
flexible
according to its interests, but there are final limits that would drag
the
world into a catastrophe if exceeded.
Q: Finally, what is your message to the Christian world?
A: First I would call on the Muslim Arabs to bear in mind that some of
the
holy sites in Jerusalem are Christian and that these should be defended
in
line with the Muslim holy sites. We all should feel that churches in the
Arab countries are Arab, and the Arab church should take its role. A
Syrian politician who I respect very much told me once that the
salvation
of Jerusalem would be in the hands of the church. I call on all of us to
try to disclose the facts, and tell the Christian world of the hazards
surrounding the holy sites in Jerusalem if the Israeli
policy would continue the way it is now. I call upon my bother
Christians to rise up and defend Jerusalem. Christianity holds no
meaning without Jerusalem. We, as Catholic Christians,
do respect the Roman papacy, but we do not think Rome would replace
Jerusalem, because the church of Jerusalem is the mother of all
churches.
The best example of this is that when the Pope wanted to perform
pilgrimage
as an ordinary Christian, he came to our holy lands: to Ur of Abraham,
and
to the Church of Holy Sepulcher to Bethlehem, and to the Aqsa Mosque.
And when he went to Egypt, it was not to see the Pyramids, but because
the
Holy Family went there escaping from the Jews when Christ was a child.
Saint Peter, who established the church in Rome was buried there, but
Christ
died in Jerusalem, and will be resurrected there -<<
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Syrian Bishop Batika
From: tracy
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:33:19 -0500
Christianity and its meaning are about forgiveness of sin. Christ
suffered, and died to pave the way for forgiveness. If all of the holy
sites were gone, utterly destroyed, it would not change this very basic
fact.
It seems to me that people are worshiping shrines and not GOD.
Tracy
skyberspace@webtv.net wrote:
>
> Dear BPR List, I sure hope people really are reading what this man has
> to say. I take issue with several things:
> Bishop Batika says:
> >>if Israel had full control over the city and its holy sites. In an
> interview with Albawaba.com, Bishop Batikha called on world Christians
> to rise up and defend the holy city, without which Christianity has no
> meaning.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Ark of the Covenant TV Program (11/10/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:54:01 -0500
8:00 PM Eastern
PAX-TV Encounters with the Unexplained: The Golden Ark with Incredible...
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Zenit: Ways to Evangelize through the Media
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:54:01 -0500
WAYS TO EVANGELIZE THROUGH THE MEDIA
Archbishop John Foley Addresses NEA 2000 Meeting
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, NOV. 9, 2000
(ZENIT.org).- The new evangelization will depend to a large extent
on the Catholic Church's ability to be present in the media.
So said Archbishop John P. Foley in his address at the NEA 2000
meeting, held here Oct. 23-26. The archbishop attended the
meeting in his capacity as president of the Pontifical Council for
Social Communications.
Cardinal Nicol=E1s de Jes=FAs L=F3pez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo
Domingo, welcomed cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and laity -
- most of them media professionals -- to the meeting, which
analyzed how the media can support John Paul II's plan to promote
communion and evangelization in North and South America.
NEA 2000, established under the direction of Bishop Charles
Grahmann of Dallas, Texas, serves as a meeting place for groups
and for the exchange of initiatives, in keeping with John Paul II's
postsynodal exhortation "Ecclesia in America."
The Santo Domingo meeting was organized to study and promote
experiences of evangelization in the field of communications.
Archbishop Foley pointed out new ways to evangelize the new
venues of the global village.
"The great emporiums of communication are faced with the lack of
material to fill the immense virtual spaces opened by the new
technologies, the hundreds of available television channels, etc.,"
he said. "It is important to break this inertia of silence that only
distances us" from citizens.
Above all, he emphasized, this implies the Church's need to have
its own good-quality means of communication in order to
"compete, at least in intelligence, with the commercial media."
The Church should also work "to get more spaces of better quality
in the mass media," the archbishop added. "This can be achieved
not only when the Church is in the news and the source of news,
but also when it acts as a reference for understanding reality. ...
"In other words, the Church can act as an agency of meaning, to
transform the bombardment of information into real knowledge and
wisdom that helps [one] to live fully."
"For example," he pointed out, "if the Church is able to offer
editorial collaboration, analysis of events or in-depth commentaries
to the commercial media, it will be doing society a great favor."
Archbishop Foley counseled bishops, pastoral workers and others
to cultivate "public relations and attention to journalists, especially
those who cover religious news. Frequently, human and welcoming
treatment of these professionals, as well as understanding and
appreciation of their work, can be much more effective for the
diffusion of the ecclesial message than the simple expedition of
news in an impersonal way."
Lastly, the American archbishop warned against thinking that in
communications "the most important thing is to have the latest in
technology."
"Obviously, we must try to be up-to-date in know-how," he said.
"However, let's give technology its just value and not more than it
has."
He said the "Church is developing a just 'culture of use' of the
technical tools, without allowing itself to be 'enchanted' by them,
but using them well, choosing that which responds to real pastoral
needs."
This is a "philosophy" that is being promoted, precisely, by the
Electronic Network of the Church in Latin America (RIIAL). The
archbishop explained how this institution "is making the benefits of
the new technologies reach the most isolated and poor
communities" of Latin America.
However, according to Archbishop Foley, the great challenge the
Church must address is "to use the new languages of the
multimedia technological culture."
"It is not enough for us to put the wealth of ecclesial texts on
Internet, including in many languages: We still have to 'translate'
them to the language of the picture, the music, the video game.
The fear of 'reducing' the contents of faith could happen in a group,
with another history; but not in the Church, which has expressed
itself richly for many centuries, encouraging artists of all kinds to
manifest the mysteries of God made Man in a thousand different
ways. Such antecedents cannot but encourage us to go forward in
this way of communicating with our contemporaries."
Archbishop Foley urged the NEA 2000 participants "to form our
communicators humanly and professionally."
"Persons -- so neglected by a society that places its hope in
things and money -- are the strength of the Church, which does not
cease to proclaim the dignity of each human being," he said.
"Thus, by offering persons spaces for growth and appreciation, they
will give much of themselves and with greater love in the vast field
of the means of social communication." ZE00110902
ZENIT, November 9, 2000 - DAILY DISPATCH - The World Seen
From Rome
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot
From: "Moza"
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:54:02 -0500
I am in the process of reading "The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot" by
Ernest L. Martin. The basic premise of this book is that the Temple
Mount/Haram al-Sharif is the area where the Romans had their camp and not
where the original temples stood. He believes the temples were built further
south, outside the modern Temple Mount, over the Gihon Spring. Very, very
interesting and highly recommended for those who are curious about the
history of the Jewish temples.
Mr. Martin just conducted a three hour interview with Jeff Rense on November
5, 2000 and you can hear it online at:
http://broadcast.com/shows/endoftheline/00archives.html
Mr. Martin has also added background and updated material regarding his
book online at: http://www.askelm.com/temple.htm
Topics include:
Special Historical Report
http://www.askelm.com/p970504.htm
The Temple Mount and Fort Antonia
http://www.askelm.com/s980504.htm
The Secret Key to the Dome of the Rock
http://www.askelm.com/p991001.htm
The Damascus Phase of End-Time Prophecy
http://www.askelm.com/p991101.htm
Introduction to the Temple Update
http://www.askelm.com/p2k0501.htm
How the Jews Started to Lose the Temples' Site
http://www.askelm.com/p2k0601.htm
The Strange Story of the False Wailing Wall
http://www.askelm.com/p2k0701.htm
The Expansion and Portability of Zion
http://www.askelm.com/p2k0801.htm
Lingering Idolatry in the Temple of God
http://www.askelm.com/p2k0901.htm
Moza
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (11/10/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:54:02 -0500
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Nov. 10, 2000 / Cheshvan 12, 5761
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. TENT CITY DOWN THE ROAD FROM RACHEL'S TOMB
2. ARABS ATTACK MACHPELAH CAVE
3. ONE INJURED
4. NO WORD ON THE KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS
5. FRICTION LEADING TO TALKS?
6. ADL AGAINST GUSH SHALOM CARTOON
7. KAHANE MEMORIAL TO BE HELD ANYWAY
1. TENT CITY DOWN THE ROAD FROM RACHEL'S TOMB
Yesterday's failed attempts to pray at Rachel's Tomb on the
anniversary of her death have not deterred many women from trying
again today - "and until we succeed," they say. A group of would-
be worshippers has set up a tent city at an army barrier near
Rachel's Tomb this morning, in the hope and with the demand to
be let in to the holy site. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Mofaz decided
not to allow the opening of the site because of "threats by
Palestinian snipers." Several families are planning to spend the
Shabbat there; several women say they will remain there until
Rachel's Tomb is opened. The encampment, which has received
army approval, is being organized by Women in Green, as a
continuation of its struggle yesterday for Rachel's Tomb. The tents
are located at the beginning of the Tunnels Highway to Gush
Etzion.
2. ARABS ATTACK MACHPELAH CAVE Even as Jewish
worshippers were still being turned away from Rachel's Tomb in
Bethlehem yesterday afternoon, Hevron Arabs attacked Jews
praying at the Machpelah Cave (Tomb of the Patriarchs). The
attack was on a relatively minor scale - "only" slingshots, marbles
and rocks - and no one was hurt. The Jewish homes in Hevron
have been the target of almost-nightly shooting from nearby
Palestinian areas. A spokesman of the Hevron Jewish Community
issued a statement connecting the Arab capture of Joseph's Tomb,
the Arab rejection of Israeli claims to the Temple Mount, the
threats on Rachel's Tomb - and yesterday's attack. The
spokesman concluded: "It is clear what the Arabs are trying to do.
Prime Minister Barak, following his return from Camp David,
promised not to abandon Israel's holy sites. We have yet to see
his words transformed into actions. All that is sacred to the Jewish
people is coming under attack, including people and places. We
ask: When will the Prime Minister/Defense Minister start to take
firm action to stop these attacks, once and for all?"
3. ONE INJURED One Israeli policeman was lightly injured today
when a terrorist-laid bomb exploded near a group of policemen in
Jerusalem. The bomb was placed outside Jerusalem's Old City
wall, near the Lions Gate.
Another terrorist-attack attempt occurred in Binyamin this morning.
An Israeli driver from Rimonim noticed a Palestinian car passing
him on the highway, with a rifle or a metal rod pointed at him from
the window. In an attempt to ward off the attack, the Israeli
steered his car into the passing car. The Palestinian driver made
two other attempts to approach the Israeli car, but finally drove off
in the direction of an Arab village nearby.
Jerusalem Arabs threw five firebombs into the Ras el Amoud police
station today. One of them caught fire in the yard of the building,
but no one was hurt.
The latest miracle occurred last night, this time in Psagot: One of
the many bullets shot last night by Palestinians on the Binyamin
community near Ramallah penetrated a house and became
embedded in a baby's crib. No one was hurt. The Palestinians
also shot at homes in Otniel and Susia near Hevron, at an IDF
force in nearby Beit Haggai, and at a Border Guard base near
Tulkarm. IDF soldiers returned fire. In Gaza, Arabs fired at Kfar
Darom and at army outposts in Gush Katif and along the Israeli-
Egyptian border.
4. NO WORD ON THE KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS There has still
been no word on the three soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah over a
month ago from the Israeli-Lebanese border. IDF sources say that
the fact that Hizbullah has not allowed the Red Cross to see them
"raises great concern." Representatives of the soldiers' families
are in the U.S. this week, in an attempt to raise awareness and
lead to their release.
5. FRICTION LEADING TO TALKS? Prime Minister Barak said
today that a renewal of diplomatic negotiations need not be
expected following his meeting with U.S. President Clinton next
week. Barak, who met with reporters during a visit to the Ayosh
Brigade base adjacent to Beit El, said that yesterday's killing of
Tanzim-leader Hussein Abiat is not a one-time action, "but rather a
new standard in our actions: Whoever harms us - will be harmed."
Analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner, analyzing Israel's successful liquidation
of the terrorist leader yesterday, raised the possibility that this is
Israel's way of bringing an agreement closer by helping Arafat put
down the violence that he himself seems not to be able to control.
This theory is based on the assumption that his internal enemies
are determined, against his wishes, to continue the violence
against Israel: "As bizarre as it may sound," said Lerner, "the IDF
attack could have been designed to foul up the execution of a coup
[against Arafat]."
Lerner backtracked from this scenario, however, saying that his
sense is that "Arafat and [Tanzim] leader Marwan Bargouti are not
fighting against each other, but instead have been playing 'good
cop, bad cop' in their campaign against us. As Israel Radio
Territories Correspondent Avi Yisacharov reported [yesterday],
Bargouti bragged to several of his senior Fatah friends about the
special ties he has with Yasser Arafat and told them about a
conversation the two had a few days ago during which Arafat said
that 'every time that you hear me declare a ceasefire and a halt to
the violence, ignore these declarations... and continue.'"
Despite the above quote by Bargouti, however, other analysts
surmise that yesterday's hit signifies that a negotiated agreement
between Israel and the PA may be close, and that the Israelis are
attempting to help Arafat do this by hitting Fatah-Tanzim leaders
who are continuing the violence against Israel
6. ADL AGAINST GUSH SHALOM CARTOON The Anti-Defamation
League has expressed outrage at the portrayal by Gush Shalom
[Peace Bloc] of Prime Minister Barak as a killer of Palestinian
children in a caricature on its web site. "The image of a militant
Barak standing on the bleeding bullet-ridden body of a Palestinian
child is abhorrent and certainly unbecoming of a group which
describes itself as 'advocating peace,' said Rabbi David Rosen,
Director of ADL's Israel Office. "At this particularly tense time, and
as we are commemorating the fifth anniversary of the assassination
of Yitzhak Rabin, it behooves individuals and organizations to
express their political views in a responsible manner avoiding
inciteful language and imagery. Regretfully, this is not the only
example of offensive and inciteful web postings by Gush Shalom,"
Rosen added.
7. KAHANE MEMORIAL TO BE HELD ANYWAY Jerusalem's
International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha'uma) has cancelled
its contract with students and supporters of the late Rabbi Meir
Kahane. The latter group had organized a memorial gathering for
Rabbi Kahane, on the tenth anniversary of his murder by an Arab in
New York. Kahane, who won a Knesset seat in the 1984 elections,
was later outlawed from running again for Knesset for his anti-Arab
positions; signs and graffiti have now sprung up in many locations
declaring, "Kahane was right." The Center cancelled the contract
at the behest of MK Ophir Pines (Labor). The rally's organizers
have sued in court, claiming that the ICC knew beforehand what the
rally's purpose was and demanding that the ICC honor its contract.
The court hearing is being conducted this morning.
***As we go to press: The judge fined the ICC, but said that he
cannot force the ICC to honor the contract. The Kahane group said
it will hold the event outside the Center, and will sue for damages.
Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel
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=======
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] What's New at BPR?
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 14:56:23 -0000
Bible Prophecy Research
Additions and updates made since September 25, 2000
Issue #52
http://philologos.org/bpr
November 10, 2000
=======
=======
=======
=======
=======
Hello everyone,
I want to mention a few items related to the BPRlist before we get to
the new and updated stuff. As our BPRlist members know, but our
Newsletter membership may be interested in, is that we have had to
move our mailing list from our private listserv to eGroups. Here is
a copy of the message I sent out in reference to that move. This is
for the benefit of our Newsletter members, however it does not effect
the Newsletter membership as the newsletter is not sent out via the
listserv. There is no need for Newsletter members to resubscribe --
nothing has changed for them. I'm mentioning the move to eGroups in
case those people who subscribe to the Newsletter only would like to
become members of the BPRlist.
-------- COPY OF RECENT LIST NOTICE ------
Dear BPR List Members:
Due to various circumstances, we have had to move our list from a
private listserv to eGroups. Although we don't consider this an ideal
situation, it's the best we can do at the moment and still keep the
list running. This may be a temporary solution. We'll see how things
go. In the meantime, as this was a sudden and unexpected move, we ask
that you please pardon any glitches and hiccups that may occur while
we are learning the ropes about list management at eGroups.
This message will be the last message that I will send out via our
philologos.org listserv. Any current members still wishing to remain
part of our membership are invited to subscribe at our eGroups page
at:
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Or you may use the following email address to subscribe directly:
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Please note that this move only involves the mailing list. It does
not involve our website. Nothing has changed about BPR other than
the way we transmit our list mail. If you have any questions please
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We certainly hope to see all of you over at the eGroups version of
BPR!
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List address: bprlist@egroups.com
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One other list related item I would like to mention. From time to
time we receive comments questioning our association with the various
lists, newspapers, magazines, organizations, ministries, etc. that we
reference either in our studies or posts via the mailing list. For
example, I had someone unsubscribe from BPRlist because we posted
what we felt were interesting news items from Jack van Impe's site.
The conclusion the subscriber reached was that since we posted from
Jack van Impe's site, we must endorse him as well. On the other
hand, I have never had anyone accuse me of being a supporter of Ted
Turner because we posted items from CNN. Generally speaking, it
appears the conclusion is reached by many that if we post from a
religious site or ministry we must be endorsing them. However, this
same faulty thinking isn't applied to the times when we post from
secular news organizations. I'm not sure I understand the reasoning
behind that, but nevertheless that appears to be the conclusion that
is reached many times. So let me say this again -- BPR does not, has
not and will not ever endorse or become affliated with any ministry,
organization or website. Period. We gather information from many
different sources, some we agree with and some we don't. Seeking and
sharing information should never be limited to only those people we
agree with.
And now on to "What's New at BPR?" --
> Added: Mystery Babylon
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/m007.htm
"But strange as it may seem, the City of Jerusalem as it existed in
the time of Christ Jesus was also reckoned to be the 'City of Seven
Hills.'"
______________
> Added: Exodus/Sharm al Sheikh
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms073.htm
"I just finished reading 'The Gold of Exodus' by Howard Blum. This
book allegedly proves that what we traditionally refer to as Mount
Sinai is really a mountain in Saudi Arabia. There are a few things
the author wrote about that seem plausible..."
______________
> Added: Shechem/Tomb of Joseph
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/s020.htm
"At the end of August, 2000 I was praying for guidance, wondering how
Daniel had come to the conclusion that it was time for God's hand to
move and for the captivity to end. I mean, it's easy to look at it
centuries after and think how obvious it was, but when you're living
through the history how do you know what's real and what's the
product of an overactive imagination? The Fall feasts were coming up
and there was relative calm throughout the Middle East but there was
an air of anticipation and lots of speculating going on. What was
going to happen? Is it time for something to happen?"
______________
> Added: "I call heaven and earth..."
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/h011.htm
"In Deut 28, God tells the Israelites that if they 'observe and do'
all of the commandments that He has given them at Sinai that they
will be blessed. However, He also warns that if they do not observe
and obey all of the commandments of God that they will be cursed
(28:15). Then in Deut 30:19, Moses calls heaven and earth as
witnesses against Israel..."
______________
> Added: "...a great mountain burning with fire..."
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/m008.htm
A reference to a news article and comment by a list member on
Revelation 8:8.
______________
> Added: Moloch
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/m009.htm
References and comments on this pagan god.
**************************************
NEW LINKS
(links available from our "tools" page:
http://philologos.org/bpr/tools.htm)
Online Israeli Radio (in English)
Jerusalem Post Radio
http://jpostradio.com
News from Israel
http://www.newsfromisrael.com/
Arutz Sheva
http://israelnationalnews.com/english/radio/Fradio.htm
**************************************
Folks who have purchased the Anchor Bible Dictionary may be
interested in an index Moza has put together. There are many
subjects in ABD that one might not expect to find in a "dictionary."
Browsing the index, or placing it on your hard drive for searching,
is a great addition to this volume of work. To download the index
point your browser to:
http://philologos.org/guide/misc/abdindex.zip
**************************************
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Great Dream (The Great And Final Apostasy Of Christendom,
described.)
By Just Another Christian
Available online at:
http://www.apostasynow.com/tgd/index.html
What is the great apostasy that is mentioned in the Bible all about?
Some people believe it will be a blast of pure evil in the latter
days that will overwhelm the earth. But it's more subtle than that.
People laugh at the image of a red horned Satan wielding a pitchfork
as naive and unsophisticated yet they welcome his hip minions with
their perfect smiles, perfect wives, perfect families and perfect
lives. Of course, underneath all that outer worldly perfection is
where the rot is. I can hear some people saying "I'll be able to see
the great apostasy coming a mile away!" except that it's been here
and growing for millennia and they still haven't gotten a good whiff
of it yet. Read this book and see just how far gone we are.--Moza
For more info and a Table of Contents please see:
http://philologos.org/guide/books/just.another.christian.1.htm
***************************************
Bible Prophecy Research: http://philologos.org/bpr
Download Online Books: http://philologos.org
The BPR Reference Guide: http://philologos.org/guide
Suggestions or comments?
Please send them to owner-bpr@philologs.org
If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, send an
email message to owner-bpr@philologos.org with the words
UNSUBSCRIBE BPR-NEWSLETTER somewhere in the body of the
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=======
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Ben Yosef update from Jerusalem: 10 Nov 2000
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 09:57:24 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Send reply to: <benyosef@torahvoice.org>
From: "Ben Yosef"
To: "ben Yosef"
Subject: update from Jerusalem: tent city erected near Gilo for Rachel Tomb activists; Lebanon border threat; bomb goes off near Old City;
Date sent: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 16:15:06 +0200
Shalom,
GILO, New South Lebanon -- A tent city has been erected today on the
outskirts of our Jerusalem neighborhood leading to Rachel's Tomb for
several families who vowed to spend Shabbat there and not leave until
the tomb is reopened and protected for regular worship.
BULLETIN:
In the last 30 minutes while finishing this report, several "booms"
have been heard around our mountain followed by the sounds of sirens,
but because of the echoes around our mountain, it is difficult to
pinpoint precise locations. Also Israeli radio, moments before Shabbat
begins has reported an IDF solider seriously injured in an attack at
Rachel's Tomb. END BULLETIN
Prime Minister Barak is proceeding with his meeting with President
Bill Clinton on Sunday, we now believe to seek Clinton's intervention
with Syria and Lebanon who have Katuysha rockets aimed deep into the
heart of Israel from the Lebanon border moreso than to hear Yasse
Arafat's latest demands.
Also these developments: A bomb went off outside of the Lion's Gate of
the Old City of Jerusalem this morning, seriously injuring a Jerusalem
policeman. The Tanzim Fatah (which is supposed to be Yasser Arafat's
personal militia and answer to him) has declared it is now" free of
any peace restraints it has with Israel" and has officially declared
"War." IDF forces and border police are bracing for what is believed
to be the most intense wave of violence in the territories and against
Jerusalem in the aftermath of the "liquidation" death of Tanzim-leader
Hussein Abiat which sparked the Fatah proclamation. Attacks also have
been reported on worshippers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
A spokesman of the Hebron Jewish Community issued a statement
connecting the Arab capture and desecration of Joseph's Tomb, the Arab
rejection of Israeli claims to the Temple Mount, the threats on
Rachel's Tomb - and yesterday's attack. The spokesman concluded:
"It is clear what the Arabs are trying to do. Prime Minister Barak,
following his return from Camp David, promised not to abandon Israel's
holy sites. We have yet to see his words transformed into actions. All
that is sacred to the Jewish people is coming under attack, including
people and places. We ask: When will the Prime Minister/Defense
Minister start to take firm action to stop these attacks, once and for
all?"
COMMENT: If anyone STILL has any doubts that the possession of the
holy sites is a major strategy of the Palestinian attacks, re-read
Psalms 83:12. As we have reported earlier, the NA'OT, translated
"houses" or "precious possessions" are according to the mystic sages
"tombs of the tzaddikim. END COMMENT.
Those (mostly grandmothers and women and children) who were not
allowed to pray at Rachel's Tomb on the anniversary of her death
yesterday decided today to move into the tent city until they are
allowed free access to the tomb and it is reopened on a regular basis.
The women first attempted to set up the tent city at an army barrier
near the tomb but were removed on the orders of IDF Chief of Staff
Lt.-Gen. Mofaz who said he was concerned about "threats by Palestinian
snipers." The encampment close by, which has received army approval,
is being organized by Women in Green, as a continuation of its
struggle yesterday for Rachel's Tomb. The tents are located at the
beginning of the Tunnels Highway to Gush Etzion on the outskirts of
Gilo, near where Gilo earlier had two Patton Tanks situated.
The attacks at the Tomb of the Patriarchs were classified as "minor"
as Arab youths hurled rocks and marbles in their slingshots at the
worshippers.
The Fatah leadership's "declaration of war" followed a vote in an
emergency meeting last night following a strike on a militia truck by
an Israeli Air Force Apache helicopter which fired two missiles,
killing Tanzim-leader Hussein Abiat and two Arab women bystanders.
About 8 others were injured, two seriously.
As I write the funeral of the slain Tanzim militia leader is ending
and IDF forces and border police are bracing for what the Tanzim have
vowed will be another day of rage -- this time intensified by the
declaration of war.
Prayers at the Al Aksa Mosque today, the traditional Friday day of
prayer, were again restricted to men over 45 years old. A HEAVY
Jerusalem Police presence was also standing by in the Kotel region
below the Temple Mount but the prayers ended with only minor scuffles.
The declaration of war was made by Tanzim leader Hussein a-Sheikh, who
said, "after the IDF attack in Beit Sahur, the Palestinians see
themselves as free to carry out the struggle against Israel in any
manner they see fit."
Tanzim (Fatah Brigade) leader Marwan Barghouti also called for
widening the scope of attacks against Israeli targets. He said the
"Al-Aksa Intifada" should also include Palestinian areas B and C,
areas under IDF administration according to the Oslo accords.
Barghouti issued the call to escalate the intifada in a meeting at
Beir Zeit University near Ramallah.
The explosion near the Lion's Gate just outside of Jerusalem's Old
City was apparently hidden in the bushes and was detonated as a group
of police officers passed by. The injured policeman was treated by
medics at the scene of the explosion and then taken to Hadassah
Hospital-Mt.Scopus. Police investigators are on the scene, and at
this hour there are no reports of other injuries or arrests.
Senior police sources say the blast was a serious escalation in
violence against security forces in eastern Jerusalem. The source
added that the bomb may have been set by the same group that threw a
fragmentation grenade at IDF troops in the same area last week. Heavy
exchanges of gunfire continued throughout the night and into the early
hours this morning between IDF and Palestinian forces across
Judea-Samaria and the Gaza Strip. There were no reports of injuries.
Palestinian gunmen fired into the Jewish community of Hebron, at the
settlements of Sussia and Otniel in the Har Hebron area and in the
vicinity of Beit Haggai. Snipers fired at an IDF outpost north of
Kalkilya and at a Border Police station near Tulkarm.
In the Gaza Strip there were sniping incidents at nearly all IDF
positions and heavy gunfire exchanges Kfar Darom and at army outposts
in Gush Katif and along the Israeli-Egyptian border.
An alert driver averted a terrorist-attack this morning in Binyamin.
The driver from Rimonim noticed a Palestinian car passing him on the
highway, with a rifle or a metal rod pointed at him from the window.
In an attempt to ward off the attack, the Israeli steered his car into
the passing car. The Palestinian driver made two other attempts to
approach the Israeli car, but finally drove off in the direction of an
Arab village nearby.
Jerusalem Arabs threw five firebombs into the Ras el Amoud police
station today. One of them caught fire in the yard of the building,
but no one was hurt.
Another miracle has been reported; this time in Psagot: One of the
many bullets shot last night by Palestinians on the Binyamin community
near Ramallah penetrated a house and became embedded in a baby's crib.
No one was hurt. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Barak is proceeding
with his plans to meet with U.S. President Clinton on Sunday morning.
Barak said, "in the reality of the last few days, there is a
possibility of a deterioration of the situation, but Israel is the
strongest power in the region and is able to counter any threat," but
added, "in the final analysis, the solution is to be found around the
negotiating table."
The Prime Minister said regarding the situation on the Israel's
northern border, "The Hizbullah has spread out their forces, is
preparing attacks, and has Katyushas aimed deep into Israel's
heartland." He added, "The Syrians are offering the Hizbullah a degree
of support by turning a blind-eye and all of this makes the situation
all the more sensitive."
Barak said today during a visit to Ayosh Brigade base adjacent to Beit
El, that no one should think his meeting with Clinton will lead to any
peaceful resolution from Arafat. He said that yesterday's liquidation
of Tanzim-leader Hussein Abiat is not a one-time action, "but rather a
new standard in our actions: Whoever harms us - will be harmed."
Meanwhile a bizarre theory has been advanced by analyst Dr. Aaron
Lerner, who says the liquidation of Abiat may actually foul the
execution of a coup against Arafat by his own people! Lerner says this
could be Israel's way of bringing an agreement closer by helping
Arafat put down the violence that he himself seems unable to control.
This theory is based on the assumption that his internal enemies are
determined, against his wishes, to continue the violence against
Israel.
Lerner also suggested however, that "Arafat and [Tanzim] leader Marwan
Bargouti are not fighting against each other, but instead have been
playing 'good cop, bad cop' in their campaign against Israel. As
Israel Radio Territories Correspondent Avi Yisacharov reported
[yesterday], Bargouti bragged to several of his senior Fatah friends
about the special ties he has with Yasser Arafat and told them about a
conversation the two had a few days ago during which Arafat said that
'every time that you hear me declare a ceasefire and a halt to the
violence, ignore these declarations... and continue.'"
Despite Bargouti's comments, other analysts surmise that yesterday's
hit signifies that a negotiated agreement between Israel and the PA
may be close, and that the Israelis are attempting to help Arafat do
this by hitting Fatah-Tanzim leaders who are continuing the violence
against Israel!!!
The Paris-based weekly Al-Watan al-Arabi published reports yesterday
that the three IDF soldiers ambushed and abducted by Hizbullah on the
Lebanese border last month are dead. The Arabic-language paper said
that St.-Sgt. Omar Sawayid, St.-Sgt. Avraham Binyamin, and Sgt. Adi
Avitan "died of complications which developed after the kidnapping."
The IDF would not comment. The Jerusalem Post reported this morning
that the army's Northern Command is looking into foreign reports that
the three likely died from lack of immediate medical treatment, since
they suffered severe wounds during the ambush. The IDF refuses to
disclose its opinion of their condition and has consistently stuck to
the standard line that the abducted men are presumed alive unless
proven otherwise, although IDF sources say that the fact that
Hizbullah has not allowed the Red Cross to see them "raises great
concern." Al-Watan said that the bodies were being kept in different
parts of Lebanon, in locations unknown to the Lebanese government
The Post report says the IDF initially said that the soldiers did not
appear to have been hurt in the kidnapping. But it later said that DNA
testing of the blood at the scene revealed that all were injured,
apparently by two rockets fired at the command car they had driven to
the disputed border gate near the Shaba farms on Mount Dov.
"It is clear that there is room for concern just from the fact
Hizbullah stubbornly refuses to allow the International Committee of
the Red Cross to see the kidnapped soldiers," one IDF source said.
The soldiers' families have been meeting with high-ranking officials
in the United States this week, in an effort to increase efforts to
locate their loved ones.
Well, we wrap up our report this week with blessings to you one and
all for a peaceful Shabbat. If IDF predictions hold true, ours here in
Gilo will be a noisy one.
Shalom Shalom, Shabbat Shalom & Hashem's love & blessings,
Ben Yosef & family
------- End of forwarded message -------
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=======
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Searching for Extraterrestrials
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 10:12:39 -0500
Searching for Extraterrestrials:
http://www.sciam.com/2000/0700issue/0700crawford.html
Scientific American article offers an overview of the results from years
of Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programs.
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=======
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Religion Today news items -- November 10
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:31:03 -0500
Selected items from...
C U R R E N T N E W S S U M M A R Y
by the Editors of ReligionToday
November 10, 2000
The archbishop of York says he is feeling like Noah in his ark.
Floodwaters from the River Ouse rose to surround the medieval
palace of Archbishop David Hope, creating what looked from an
aerial photograph like a mote, according to the London Times.
Water began bubbling up through the flagstones at the
Bishopthorpe Palace, built in 1241, as the bishop's staff
hurriedly rescued historic papers and artifacts.
...Hope said the devastation, brought about by severe weather in
much of Britain, is frightening. He said he was praying over the
waters and asking God to quell the tide, and quoted Psalm 69,
"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck." The
Times quoted Hope as saying that "Sitting here surrounded by all
this water, I feel a bit like Noah in his ark. The lesson is that the
ultimate blessing of God will come, even in midst of all this
awfulness." ...The nine-acre gardens are under water, and the house
smells from the filth, Hope said. "It is a sign of our helplessness
and weakness before God and before the world." Other churches in
England also are affected by the severe weather, according to news
reports.
[...]
Paganism is getting more popular on college campuses. A growing
number of students throughout the country believe they're
witches, and more are starting to come out of what pagans call
the "broom closet," the Boston Globe (see link #3 below)
reported. More than 100 groups have formed on campuses in nearly
every state and at schools from Australia to the United Kingdom.
Scholars say there are as many as a million pagans in the United
States.
...Pagans meet regularly and hold bizarre rituals. They may kneel
before an altar chanting, casting spells, and calling up energy
fields. The groups are "a spiritual offshoot of the emerging
counterculture of greens and antiglobalists," the Globe reported.
...Colleges are tolerant, but many students still don't want to risk
revealing their pagan beliefs to their parents or friends, the
newspaper reported. Some parents have threatened students, and others
warned that they would cut off finances unless they left paganism.
-----------
RELATED LINKS:
1: http://www.nytimes.com/
2: http://www.orthodoxnews.com/
3: http://www.boston.com/globe/
-----------
News from ReligionToday is Copyrighted by Crosswalk.com.
Content may be reproduced provided proper credit is
given to religiontoday.crosswalk.com. Please go to
http://www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright to be sure you
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=======
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] ICEJ NEWS NOVEMBER 10
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:31:03 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 16:55:11 +0200
From: ICEJ <meid@icej.org.il>
Subject: ICEJ NEWS NOVEMBER 10
ICEJ NEWS SERVICE FROM JERUSALEM
News and comment on Middle East affairs, compiled by journalists at
the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, publishers of the
bi-monthly Middle East Digest.
PLEASE VISIT OUR SITE: <http://www.icej.org/>
See below for subscription and other details.
PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO SUBSCRIBE
=======
=======
=======
=======
=======
=======
=======
==
FRIDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2000
"For this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'After He has honoured Me
and has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you - for
whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye - I will surely raise
My hand against them..." "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you
did for Me.'" Zechariah 2:8-9; Matthew 25:40
FEATURE STORIES
1. FATHER OF TERROR VICTIM WANTS CLINTON TO ARREST ARAFAT
(CNSNews.com) - When Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
[arrived] at the White House on Thursday, President Clinton should
have [had] him arrested and put on trial for murder, according to U.S.
citizen Reuven Gilmore, whose son was killed last week in a terrorist
attack in Jerusalem.
2. HILLARY'S ISLAMIC LIAISONS TROUBLING TO ISRAELIS
(CNSNews.com) - First Lady and New York Senate [member] Hillary Rodham
Clinton's history of connections with Arab and Muslim organizations is
troubling to some Israelis, even if they believe her to be a true
friend of the Jewish state.
NEWS BRIEFS
3. BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD
4. ISRAEL STRIKES BACK
5. FAMILY OF LYNCHED SOLDIER SUES ARAFAT
6. LATEST INCIDENTS
7. REPORT: HIZB'ALLAH HAS KILLED THE THREE SOLDIERS
8. THE GROWING ALLIANCE
*****
FATHER OF TERROR VICTIM WANTS CLINTON TO ARREST ARAFAT
By Julie Stahl CNS Jerusalem Bureau Chief November 09, 2000
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - When Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat [arrived] at the White House on Thursday, President Clinton
should have [had] him arrested and put on trial for murder, according
to U.S. citizen Reuven Gilmore, whose son was killed last week in a
terrorist attack in Jerusalem.
Gilmore wrote to Clinton this week, asking him to arrest Arafat
because Arafat heads the organization widely believed responsible for
the shooting attack.
Esh Kodesh Gilmore was gunned down as he worked as a security guard at
a branch of the Israeli Social Security in eastern Jerusalem, which
exclusively serves the needy Arab residents of the city.
Named for a famous book about the Holocaust, Esh Kodesh ("Holy Fire"
in Hebrew) is survived by his 25-year-old wife and baby daughter.
"Responsibility for the murder was proudly taken by Arafat and the
'Tanzim,' who take orders directly from Arafat," Gilmore wrote to
Clinton.
"In an interview yesterday, the PA representative for Jerusalem,
Faisal Husseini, said that he approved of the action ... this
implicates Arafat in the murder of my son.
"Since our son was an American citizen, I cordially request that
instead of receiving Arafat as though he were the head of a political
entity, you should instead order Arafat's arrest and trial for the
murder of an American citizen, my son."
A group calling itself the "Martyrs of the Al-Aqsa Intifada" claimed
responsibility for the shooting, but Israeli officials laid the blame
on Arafat's Fatah organization and its Tanzim paramilitary wing.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, visited Gilmore at his home
during the traditional seven-day mourning period.
While he had high praises for Indyk, Gilmore said in a telephone
interview on Thursday that the ambassador "certainly didn't give any
indication that Arafat would be arrested."
Indyk had described to him how Washington had just three days to
change U.S. law in 1993 in order to allow Arafat, then a recognized
international terrorist, to enter the U.S. when he was to meet with
the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin there.
Realistically speaking, Gilmore said, "I would like to think that
President Clinton will bring up the subject [of the shooting when he
meets with Arafat]. I think it's likely."
At least 14 Americans have been killed in terrorist attacks since
Arafat and Rabin signed the 1993 U.S.-sponsored accords - known as the
Declaration of Principles or Oslo accords - on the White House lawn.
*****
HILLARY'S ISLAMIC LIAISONS TROUBLING TO ISRAELIS
By Julie Stahl CNS Jerusalem Bureau Chief November 07, 2000
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - First Lady and New York Senate [member]
Hillary Rodham Clinton's history of connections with Arab and Muslim
organizations is troubling to some Israelis, even if they believe her
to be a true friend of the Jewish state.
Recent reports about Clinton's links to U.S. organizations sympathetic
to terror groups such as Hamas and Hizballah prompted her to return
sizeable campaign contributions. Although she claimed to have had no
knowledge of the source of the money, some Israelis say she is no
friend of the Jews or Israel.
"She would be the most pro-Arab senator that New York has ever had,"
said Ruth Matar, founder of Women for Israel's Tomorrow. Matar, a
former New Yorker, said she would be "very saddened" if her fellow New
Yorkers put Clinton into the Senate.
"They don't realize what she's about," Matar said, citing a long
history of associations with Arab groups that are anti-Israel.
The first lady's connections with anti-Israel groups go back at least
to the 1980s, when she was a member of the board of the New World
Foundation, which funneled money to Yasser Arafat's Palestine
Liberation Organization.
At the time, the PLO was recognized worldwide as a terrorist
organization, engaged in attacks in Israel, and internationally on
Jewish and Israeli targets.
Two weeks ago, Clinton's camp said it would return $50,000 in campaign
donations raised at a gathering sponsored by the American Muslim
Alliance in Boston in June.
The leaders of the AMA in various forums have endorsed "armed
resistance" against Israel, denied the existence of concentration
camps during World War II and denounced what it called the control of
"Jewish and Zionist" lobbies in the U.S., Steven Emerson, a specialist
in militant Islamic organizations, wrote last week in the Wall Street
Journal.
Although Clinton claimed she had no knowledge that the AMA had
sponsored the event, a thank-you letter on White House stationery,
addressed to the AMA and signed by her, surfaced last week.
"It was a pleasure to be part of the Massachusetts chapter meeting of
the American Muslim Alliance," the letter said. The candidate claimed
it was a form letter which was automatically signed by machine, and
that she knew nothing of it.
But someone had to put the information into the computer, Matar
argued. Because of such things, Matar said she has been urging the
listeners of her weekly local radio program - also broadcast over the
Internet - "whatever you do, don't vote for Hillary."
The Jewish vote is considered crucial in New York State political
races. Some observers have accused her of pandering to New York's Jews
since her candidacy was announced.
Political science professor Abraham Diskin of the Hebrew University
said he viewed the First Lady's life in three segments - her Senate
campaign; her years as a political ally of her husband; and her years
as a liberal activist.
During her "liberal years [she] tended to be quite positive in her
positions toward Israel," Diskin said. Although she spoke about the
establishment of a Palestinian state long before it became popular,
Diskin said, he did not consider that an "anti-Israel" statement.
She had later stood alongside her husband, Diskin said, one of the
American presidents who has been "more committed" to Israel's security
and welfare.
But it is precisely Clinton's stance during those years that some
analysts question. According to Emerson, the White House in 1996 began
hosting Islamic organizations which "openly supported Hamas, Hizballah
and other foreign terrorist organizations."
They include the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim
Public Affairs Council, the American Muslim Council and the AMA, all
of which have been involved in sponsoring rallies, rife with
anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments, Emerson wrote last week.
Diskin admitted that reports of Clinton's Muslim links concerned him,
but he said he was not entirely convinced of the veracity of those
reports.
"Politicians have different sides and personalities," Diskin said.
"The association does bother me [but] I'm not sure of the affect it
will have."
"I always remember her meeting with Suha Arafat," said Dr. Ron
Breiman, spokesman for Professors for a Strong Israel, a nationalist
group comprising some 600 academics throughout Israel.
A year ago, Hillary sat on the speaker's platform in Ramallah,
listening intently as Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's
wife accused Israel of contaminating the Palestinians' water supply
and making daily use of "poisonous gas" which caused "cancer and other
horrible diseases" among Palestinian women and children.
After the speech, Hillary got up, gave Suha a hug and never disputed
the accusations, sparking a public row in Israel.
"I don't expect her to be a friend of Israel's," Breiman said, adding:
"I don't think her husband is such a good friend of Israel's
[either]."
*****
BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD
The Border Policeman whose heart was pierced by an Arab gunman in Gilo
three weeks ago is making what doctors are calling a miraculous
recovery. Nineteen year-old Shimon Ohana was rushed to hospital on
October 17 unconscious and without a pulse or blood pressure, but is
now breathing on his own and is out of danger.
Medics found the massively bleeding Ohana: "We can't resuscitate him!
Should we bring him in?" they radioed. "Bring him," replied Prof. Avi
Rivkind, the Trauma Unit head. According to Rivkind, Israel's first
trained traumatologist, "his heart lacerated, Ohana was fighting the
first of three peaks of death among trauma victims." In the ambulance,
thirty units of blood including unmatched type O, to save time were
pumped into him, reported THE JERUSALEM POST. Surgeons were able to
operate once a pulse was finally detected. The two holes cut through
the left ventricle of his heart by the bullet were closed. Two more
operations in that first 24 hours repaired damage to his lung and
diaphragm. The doctors- knowing that only 0.7 percent of victims with
such wounds survive- told Ohana's parents that his chance of survival
was slim.
Every day that passed, as Shimon lay in a coma, Dr. Rivkind told the
family faithfully waiting at his side that if their son did not
deteriorate, it was a good sign, because it meant that Ohana was
fighting for his life. "Have patience," he would tell them.
Then earlier this week, his family and doctors began to notice initial
signs of improvement: there was some movement in his legs, and despite
damage to his brain, Shimon recognized his mother Rachel and his
father Meir. Then on Tuesday, he regained consciousness, opened his
eyes, and smiled at his mother. "I was crying so much and then tears
started to flow down his face. I asked him not to cry so he bit his
lip," she said.
Ohana had only been in the Border Police for two and a half months,
when ironically, he was sent on the Gilo routine patrol- after the
neighbourhood came under fire- as a reward for his diligence and high
motivation. His commanders even planned to send him to officer's
training.
Well-wishers from all over the country came to visit the family at the
hospital, including this week the IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz.
Letters of support were even received from people abroad, including
one from a Christian woman in Texas who had watched the shooting
attack live on the television, and had read about Ohana's struggle.
When she heard Ohana's parents telling reporters they needed a
miracle, she decided to gather together a group of Believers to pray
for the soldier. "The love and encouragement we get from these people
is what gives us the strength to continue," Meir Ohana said. Local
Believers in Jerusalem also committed to praying for Shimon. One of
them was told by a nurse at the hospital, that it was as though the
young man was admitted dead, and had now come alive.
Despite his initial improvement, much prayer is still needed for Cpl.
Shimon Ohana, as his condition is still very serious, and a hospital
spokeswoman has said that his responses so far have been involuntary.
However his doctor remains optimistic. "After all this ends, I want to
see him running down the streets of Beersheba again," Dr. Rivkind
said.
*****
ISRAEL STRIKES BACK
In an act of deterrence, an IDF helicopter fired three missiles at a
van carrying Palestinian Tanzim gunmen near the village of Beit Sahur
Thursday. Hussein Abayat, a senior Fatah commander, was targeted and
killed in the strike.
The IDF said that Abayat had been responsible for a series of bloody
operations against Israelis over the past six weeks, including
shooting attacks on Jerusalem's Gilo neighbourhood and Rachel's Tomb
outside Bethlehem. According to OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak
Eitan, Abayat was "one of the masterminds of the terrorist network"
carrying out attacks in the Bethlehem region.
Abayat's deputy, Khaled Salahat, was critically wounded in the attack.
Two women bystanders were reportedly killed by shrapnel, and nine
other Arabs reported wounded.
While it has been the desire of the IDF to strike back at the field
commanders who have killed soldiers and sent others to attack Israeli
targets, it had until Thursday resisted taking such actions. Following
a reassessment of the situation two weeks ago, the IDF command decided
to focus its force on the Palestinian gunmen and those who command
them. But this policy was put on hold after PLO leader Yasser Arafat
agreed to announce a cease-fire. After that failed, the IDF was given
the green light to act.
Before Thursday, helicopters were only used in retaliation, either
bombing empty buildings or using their heavy machine guns to return
fire at gunmen. The Abayat strike was the first time the army carried
through with its policy, declared two weeks ago, to pursue, pinpoint,
and eliminate key Palestinians responsible for the increasing attacks
on Israelis.
"We will hit all those who try to harm us," said Eitan. "This is not
the first attack and it is not the last."
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz said after a visit to
wounded soldiers in Hadassah-University Hospital in Jerusalem's Ein
Kerem that the IDF would go after anyone with the blood of Israeli
soldiers or civilians on his hands. He added that the Abayat strike
might spark more violence in the short run, but that in the long run
those attacking Israelis would know that "we won't let them off."
"This...action is part of the actions being initiated by the security
forces and will continue," an IDF statement read. "It is aimed at
hitting those responsible for escalating the violence. This comes
after Fatah Tanzim severely intensified its attacks against Israeli
civilians and security forces in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip
during the past few weeks."
Security officials said the operation had been carried out in
co-ordination with the General Security Service, based on gathered
intelligence, and had been delayed for days because of the IDF's
policy not to harm innocent victims.
In response to the incident, Fatah leadership in the Judea/Samaria
held an emergency meeting and announced that the organization is "in a
state of war" with Israel and that it "considers itself free of
constraints of peace agreements of one kind or another."
Tanzim leader Hussein a-Sheikh, said, "after the IDF attack in Beit
Sahur, the Palestinians see themselves as free to carry out the
struggle against Israel in any manner they see fit."
While senior IDF intelligence officers expect Abayat to be replaced
immediately, they believe the deterrent effect of his death will
ripple throughout the Tanzim leadership. Despite the rhetoric coming
out of the Palestinian camp, the army believes that Tanzim leaders and
mid-level commanders will think twice now about directing attacks
following Israel's display of accurate, real-time intelligence.
The United States declined to condemn Israel's actions, but said the
attack raised "serious issues."
Soon after the attack, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
began talks at the White House with U.S. President Bill Clinton.
*****
FAMILY OF LYNCHED SOLDIER SUES ARAFAT
The family of IDF reservist Sgt.-Maj. (res) Vadim Norzhich, one of the
two reserve soldiers who was brutally lynched in Ramallah last month,
filed suit Thursday morning in Jerusalem District Court against Yasser
Arafat and the Palestinian Authority.
The family, including Norzhich's widow, parents and siblings, is
demanding NIS 64 million in damages for the brutal murder of their son
by Palestinian Authority police in Ramallah on October
12.
The lawsuit demands compensation by the PA and Arafat because
Palestinian policemen took an active part in torturing Norzhich and
Yossi Avrahami to death inside the police station in Ramallah.
There has been no comment on the lawsuit by Arafat or the PA.
*****
LATEST INCIDENTS
THURSDAY:
In the afternoon, shooting attacks occurred in the Judea, Samaria and
Gaza. Shots were fired at Mt. Ebal near Shchem, an army ambulance near
Shilo, a vehicle travelling near the Tapuah junction, and at IDF
soldiers at the Ofer Base near Beituniya. In the Gaza area, shots were
fired at an IDF patrol near Neveh Dekalim, soldiers near the Kissufim
crossing, and a convoy travelling between the Karni crossing and
Netzarim. No injuries were reported.
Also Thursday afternoon, in response to the IDF's cancellation of the
permit it had issued for a mass prayer service at Rachel's Tomb
Thursday (the anniversary of Rachel's death), worshipers denied access
to the holy site gathered to demonstrate at roadblocks set up by IDF
soldiers and police on the Bethlehem highway.
The IDF's actions came in response to intelligence reports indicating
that the Palestinians planned to try to injure Jewish worshipers.
On Thursday evening a vehicle traveling near the Benjamin Regional
Council community of Neve Tzuf in Samaria was attacked with firebombs.
No injuries were reported. In the middle of evening prayers in Hebron,
Arabs attacked worshipers at the Machpela Cave. Arabs, using
slingshots, shot marbles and rocks into the inner courtyard of the
Tomb of the Patriarchs. No one was hurt.
FRIDAY:
Exchanges of gunfire continued throughout the night and into the early
hours of the morning between IDF and PLO forces across Judea, Samaria
and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian gunmen fired into the Jewish community
of Hebron, at the settlements of Sussia and Otniel in the Har Hebron
area and in the vicinity of Beit Haggai. Snipers fired at an IDF
outpost north of Kalkilya, at a Bezeq army camp in the Jenin area of
northern Samaria, and at a Border Police station near Tulkarm. In Gaza
there were sniping incidents at nearly all IDF positions. Soldiers
returned fire and ISRAEL RADIO reports there were no injuries in any
of the shootings.
At around 9:00 am Friday, a Border Police officer was lightly wounded
in an explosion that took place near a group of police stationed at
the Lion's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The cause of the
explosion is not yet known.
*****
REPORT: HIZB'ALLAH HAS KILLED THE THREE SOLDIERS
The Paris-based Arab paper, AL-WATAN AL-ARABI, reported yesterday that
the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizb'Allah last month have
been murdered by their captors.
"Intelligence reports say the Israelis, who were taken alive by
Hizb'Allah men disguised as UN soldiers in a UN truck, were killed
because of complications that arose later," said the paper. "Their
bodies are kept in separate locations and not even the Lebanese
government knows their whereabouts."
The report compared the situation to the fate of Ron Arad who was
captured by Hizb'Allah in 1986 and believed to have later died under
suspicious circumstances. Hizb'Allah never revealed the truth behind
his disappearance.
The magazine noted that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had been
unable to meet any of the captives during his recent trip to the
Middle East. It said that both Syria and Iran were dissociating
themselves from the affair, with potential mediators like Germany and
France shying away, HA'ARETZ reported.
The IDF would not comment on the report. However the army's Northern
Command is looking into foreign reports that the three likely died
from lack of immediate medical treatment, since they suffered severe
wounds during the ambush. The IDF refuses to disclose its opinion of
their condition and has consistently maintained the standard line that
the abducted men are presumed alive unless proven otherwise. "It is
clear that there is room for concern just from the fact Hizb'Allah
stubbornly refuses to allow the International Committee of the Red
Cross to see the kidnapped soldiers," one IDF source said.
A Hizb'Allah terrorist unit crossed an unfenced portion of the
Lebanese border at the foot of Mount Hermon and ambushed the Israeli
army vehicle on October 7. The three soldiers inside, St.-Sgt. Omar
Sawayid, St.-Sgt. Avraham Binyamin, and Sgt. Adi Avitan, were whisked
back across the border into Lebanon, where they ostensibly were being
held as bargaining chips to force the release of Arab prisoners in
Israeli prisons, including two leading Lebanese sheikhs. The carefully
planned ambush was carried out with rocket-propelled grenades and
automatic rifle fire, while other terror squads engaged seven Israeli
positions in fierce clashes to prevent them from providing support for
their colleagues. Six soldiers were hurt.
The soldiers' families have been meeting with high-ranking officials
in the United States this week, in an effort to increase efforts to
locate their loved ones, THE JERUSALEM POST reported.
The same Arab paper also reported this week that Syria has begun to
pull out its troops from Beirut and its environs. The report said that
Syria pulled out its units from Shi'ite-dominated southern Beirut on
the night of 31 October, and is preparing to make further deployments.
The Syrians have a 30,000-soldier garrison stationed in Lebanon.
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud expressed opposition to the selective
Syrian pull-out, said the report, noting that it coincided with fears
of large-scale Israeli air strikes against the Lebanese capital should
the killing of the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped last month be
confirmed.
*****
THE GROWING ALLIANCE
In the first visit by such a senior Iraqi figure in some 20 years,
Syrian President Bashar Assad met in Damascus yesterday with Ezzat
Ibrahim al-Duri, a key aide to President Saddam Hussein. Duri is
vice-chairman of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council and considered
the country's second-in-command. The two discussed bilateral
relations, the situation in the Palestinian Authority and the upcoming
Islamic Conference Organization meeting in Qatar. The meeting could
lead to a strategic shift in the region if Syria agrees to restore
full diplomatic relations with Iraq as a result.
Although Egypt and Jordan officially maintain full diplomatic
relations with Israel, they are also involved in this budding
alliance, rebuilding links broken in the wake of the Gulf War.
Jordan's prime minister, Ali Abu al- Ragheb, went to Baghdad last
week, the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since 1991. On
Monday, Egypt turned its Commercial Interests Office in Baghdad into
an embassy in an official ceremony, appointing a diplomat who is not
an ambassador to head it. As reported by ICEJ NEWS on Wednesday,
Saddam Hussein passed a message to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
asking to coordinate positions before the upcoming Arab summit next
week in Qatar. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Harazi also visited
Baghdad recently.
Syrian-Turkish relations are also changing. This week, Syrian
Vice-President Abd el-Halim Khaddam visited Ankara, where he was
received by Turkish President Ahmet Sezer. The two countries soon
intend to sign a statement of understanding that will redefine their
relations, HAARETZ reported. Turkey apparently intends to develop its
economic and diplomatic relations with Iraq, and even declared its
intention to renew the operation of a train service to Baghdad.
It was reported earlier this week that Qatar would maintain relations
with Israel, in spite of pressure exerted by Arab countries. However
under Iranian and Saudi pressure, it subsequently announced yesterday
that it will close down an Israeli trade mission in Doha. Qatar, the
only Arab state in the Persian Gulf region to maintain commercial ties
with Israel, did not say if it would officially sever relations with
the Jewish state, but relations between the two countries were based
solely on this mission. Tunisia and Morocco, two North African Arab
states, closed their interest sections in Israel after last month's
Arab summit in Cairo.
*****
SOURCES: THE JERUSALEM POST, CNSNEWS.COM, ISRAEL LINE, HA'ARETZ,
REUTERS, ARUTZ 7, CNN, ASSOCIATED PRESS, IMRA, ISRAEL WIRE
This bulletin was compiled and written by Amanda Ruth Thomas and
Rashel Gibbs.
*****
ICEJ NEWS SERVICE
Editor: David Parsons
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Daily World Affairs Report items (11/9/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:47:23 -0500
MCDONALD'S ANGRY AT CLAIM THAT HAMBURGERS "AREN'T
CATHOLIC"
The Italian branch of US fast food giant McDonald's reacted with disbelief
overnight Wednesday to claims by a Catholic newspaper that hamburgers
were a Protestant tradition and inappropriate for Catholics. Theologian
Massimo Salani condemned burgers in the Italian bishops' daily Avvenire,
saying they were "not Catholic". "At McDonald's people want a fast meal
and hunger is quenched as fast as possible, so one can do something else,
and one loses the value of community," argued Salani, author of a book
called "A tavola con le religioni" (At table with religions). Eating burger
s
and fries reflected an "individualistic relationship between man and God
which goes back to (Martin) Luther", the Protestant leader who started the
German Reformation.
Stung by the criticim, McDonald's Italy reacted bluntly. "Fast food means
that one is served rapidly and not that one eats rapidly," said a company
statement. The debate also drew ironic comments by politicians and
newspapers which defended the Italian variety of fast food -- pizza -- but
admitted that US-style fast food was cheap compared to most other Italian
meals.
McDonald's said it was serving hamburgers "to customers of all races and
religions and we adapt to all cultures and tastes." That, it said, was why
kosher burgers were being served in Israel and no beef was being offered
in India where cows are considered sacred. More than 600,000 customers
a day in Italy were also free to choose from fresh salads and rice salads
apart from the traditional burger bun, said a spokesman for the food chain.
Salani said religions and Christians were ultimately responsible for the
triumph of fast food throughout the world. "Food is a gift of God and the
purity of the creation can only be a common challenge for believers." But
Salani not only took Protestants to task for eating badly and fast but also
criticized Catholics for eating too much and Muslims for having an
unbalanced diet. "There is nothing better than Christians' free access to
food, from a theological and dietary point of view," he added.
Scoffing at Salani's article, the newspaper La Stampa said it was easy to
criticize eating habits but recalled that "many people don't eat at all. Th
e
Church should take care of these people and change a senseless
demographic policy which only leads to feeding more mouths." Communist
party leader Fausto Bertinotti, not known to be a friend of globalization b
ut
once in a while tempted by the odd burger, warned that "hamburgers are
not the enemy, or Satan. They're just not my idea of civilization." (Agence
France-Presse)
* As if the threat of Mad Cow Disease did not suffice to give fast-food
addicts pause, a theologian interviewed in the Italian Catholic daily
Avvenire denounces that particular fare as "not Catholic". "People go to a
McDonald's for a quick meal, to satisfy their hunger as quickly as possible
in order then to do something else. The advance of fast-food means
complete forgetfulness of the sacred nature of food." Fast-food culture
imported from America reflects the "individualist relationship between man
and God initiated by Luther", and is "certainly not a Catholic model." (BBC
)
LEADING ECONOMY
Few people are unaffected by the U.S. presidential elections, even on other
continents. This is because the U.S. economy is crucial for the state of th