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| WEEK OF 12/23/2004 | |
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| As Palestinians Prepare for Elections, Labor Votes To Join a Likud-Led Government Poised to Move Forward on Disengagement | |
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| Weekly Digest of News, Analysis & Opinion | |
| Local Palestinian elections took place earlier today, some two weeks before the January 9 election for Palestinian Authority chairman. While Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah is expected to win the race for PA leadership, competition between Fatah and Hamas is fierce in the local elections and is projected to be again in next summer's elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. The Israeli army helped facilitate smooth elections today by minimizing operations in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip and allowing 1000 Palestinian policemen to be armed. Meanwhile, the Labor Party voted Tuesday to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government. As some settler leaders' calls for civil disobedience against the government's disengagement plan have elicited harsh public criticism, residents of one Gaza settlement -- Pa’at Sadeh -- have agreed in principle to a government plan to be relocated on a moshav near Ashkelon. |
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| Palestinians Vote in Municipal Elections | |
| Yesha Backs Calls for Civil Disobedience Against Pullout | |
| Settlers Stop Producing Orange Badges | |
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| Bush: Palestinian Elections Step in Process Toward Democracy and Peace | |
| Asked about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during a White House press conference Monday, President Bush said there will never be peace until a true democratic state emerges in the Palestinian territory. He said upcoming Palestinian elections are the beginning of the process toward the development of a state, not a sign that democracy has arrived. | |
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| Bush Camp Cautious on Post-Arafat Support | |
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| Ayalon: Renewed Sense of Hope | |
| Speaking earlier this week on a conference call convened by the United Jewish Communities (UJC) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Danny Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, addressed the recent developments contributing to a renewed sense of hope in the Middle East. While citing encouraging diplomatic moves, he also reminded the community leaders that the IDF continues foiling frequent terror attempts emanating from the territories. This ability to control terrorism has reduced violence in Israel, helping generate the second consecutive year of positive economic growth and a resurgence in tourism. | |
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| Six US Presbyterian Senators Urge Church to Reconsider Divestment | |
| The senators, following a similar letter from colleagues in the House, are part of a growing chorus of Presbyterian clergy and laity calling for the denomination to reconsider its decision to divest from certain corporations doing business with Israel. | |
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| U.S. Bans Hizballah TV | |
| The U.S. State Department placed Hizballah's Al-Manar satellite television network on its Terrorist Exclusion List for its incitement of terrorist activity. The decision comes after France’s earlier decision to ban the station. The designation means foreign nationals who work for the network or provide it any support can be barred from the U.S. | |
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| Israel Travel Section | |
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| JUF Travels to Israel | |
| 50 people are in Israel now with JUF's Anshe Emet Family Mission. Many other trips, catering to diverse groups and showcasing Israel in all its dynamic diversity, are planned for 2005. | |
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| Illinois Community Trip through birthright israel | |
| This winter, over 200 participants from Illinois will experience Israel on the Illinois Community Trip through birthright israel, a partnership between the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Hillels of Illinois, and Shorashim for college and post-college participants. Yesterday JF hosted an orientation and send-off for participants and their parents, as well as participants from other trip providers, to answer questions and to discuss opportunities to get involved following the trip. Sarah Friedman, Program Director of the JCRC/Hillel Initiative for Israel on Illinois Campuses, spoke about the importance of Israel advocacy, especially on our college campuses. This winter's birthright israel participants will join over 1,000 former participants in the program that make up the Chicago birthright israel Alumni Association, one of the largest and most active birthright israel alumni groups in the country. The Alumni Association offers cultural, educational and volunteer opportunities in various social service agencies around Chicago. To learn more about the Chicago birthright israel Alumni Association or about upcoming birthright israel trips this summer, e-mail chibrialum@birthrightisrael.com. To learn about how high school and college students can get involved in Israel advocacy, contact the Initiative for Israel on Illinois Campuses at campusinitiative @juf.org. | |
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| January 30 is Israel Experience Programs Day | |
| Israel Experience Programs Day will be held Sunday, January 30 from 2:00-5:00 pm at Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook. High school students and their parents, college students and young adults are invited to meet program providers and recent Israel Experience alumni, attend workshops, taste Israeli food, and pick up scholarship information. High school students can register to win one of two Naftali Steinfeld Israel Experience Certificates, each worth $1,000 toward any approved Israel Experience program. Israel Experience Programs Day is sponsored by Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Israel Aliyah Center. | |
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| Studying Abroad Next Semester? Connect Jewish! | |
| The Hillels of Illinois will help students from the Chicago area enrich their study abroad by connecting them to local Jewish community members for Shabbat, holiday meals and Jewish programming. This program is funded through a special grant to The Hillels of Illinois by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. | |
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| Promoting Aliyah | |
| In what he said was his first-ever presentation to a Jewish Federation, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, addressed the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago about the need to strengthen Jewish education in the Diaspora and aliyah to the State of Israel. In an interview at the Chicago Rabbinical Council with JUF News, Lau called the Jewish people “an old and strong tree with very deep and wide roots.” He said that to “promise Jewish eternity,” the most important thing for the community and for every individual is “to be a bridge, between religious and secular, Ashkenazim and Sephardim, rich and poor, scholars and non-scholars, the Diaspora and Israel, and between the past and the future.” The February issue of JUF News will feature more comments by Lau, who was visiting Chicago to promote aliyah. | |
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| Israeli Government Approves Exciting Israel Experience Initiative | |
| The Israeli cabinet has approved the MASA program -- an unprecedented project of bringing 1 out of every 5 young Jews from around the world to a program in Israel of a semester to one-year duration. | |
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| Local News and Events | |
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| Israel's High Tech Miracle; How We Grow Market Share in the Face of Terror | |
| Join a lively discussion and lunch Jan. 10 with Jonathan Medved, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Israel Seed Partners, one of Israel’s leading Venture Capital Funds. Event is free and dietary laws will be observed. | |
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| Israeli and Chicago Performers Celebrate "Knishmas" | |
| Yuri Lane, star of the hit one-man show "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah" joins three Chicago Jewish bands and New York’s Blue Fringe for "Knishmas." This new festival will be on Saturday, December 25 at the HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo. Chicago acts performing that night will be Even Sh’siya, Listen Up!, and Farbrengiton. | |
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| Upcoming Israel-related events | |
| See more event listings | |
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| E-Alert is a weekly service of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago 1 South Franklin Chicago, IL 60606 visit us at www.juf.org |
