Having a party?
Middle East
Then your lavvn needs this sign.
De-Linked
Dingell drops Arab American
Web sites.
Don Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
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18
August 17 2006
iN
ast week, the Jewish News
reported about the apparent
unwillingness of U.S. Rep.
John Dingell, D-Dearborn, to take
sides between Hezbollah and Israel
during a television interview. The •
article reported on the congressman's
statement to that effect as well as his
vote against a congressional resolution
supporting Israel.
But the story also quoted Dingell's
statements in support of Israel, his
blame of Hezbollah for starting the
recent conflict and his urging that
the European Union to designate
Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
While researching that story, the ,
Jewish News asked the congressman's
office about links on its official Web
site to the Web sites of the American
Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) and the Dearborn-based Arab
American News. The sites contained
unsubstantiated and disputed claims
of Israeli massacres and the targeting
of civilians — claims not consistent
with the congressman's stated posi-
tions — as well as other opinions
harshly critical of Israel, Zionism and
U.S. support for Israel.
In response to the inquiries,
Dingell's office removed the links that
had been on the site for more than five
years. The links had included a dis-
claimer about any opinions on the two
linked Web sites, but clearly promoted
• their utility as responsible sources of
information.
The week the Jewish News asked
about the sites, the ADC site had
. claims of Israeli massacres based on
information and numbers disputed by
the U.S. and Israeli governments and
the mainstream media. The Congress
of Arab American Organizations
(CAAO), of which the ADC is a mem-
ber, had also co-sponsored local rallies
and press conferences that expressed
support for Hezbollah. Likewise,
Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab
American News and chairman of the
CAAO, is outspoken in his support of
Hezbollah and called President Bush
a war criminal. The paper's Web site
reflects these views.
Dingell's press secretary Adam R.
Benson said the links to the sites were
added to the congressman's Web site
in 2000 to provide information deal-
ing with immigration issues and links
were removed "because they are voic-
ing sentiments about the conflict in the
Middle East that Congressman Dingell
strongly disagrees with and that are
offensive to Mr. Dingell and to other
constituents of Mr. Dingell's district.
"When the content was brought to
his attention, he directed his staff to
remove the links, and that was done.
He also has directed that in the future,
no newspapers will be linked from his
Web site, although specific articles of
general interest may continue to be
provided as appropriate!" 11:
Women's Grant Targets
Israel Trauma Relief
The Jewish Women's Foundation
(JWF) has authorized a $15,000 emer-
gency ,
for trauma intervention
to aid 1,000 primary school teachers
and thousands of children in Detroit
Jewry's Partnership 2000 region in the
Central Galilee and other war-ravaged
areas of northern Israel.
The grant, allocated through the
American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC), will go toward
therapeutic and training workshops
in trauma and post-traumatic stress
management and treatment. Teachers
with traumatic stress will be helped
first; in turn, they will assist students
returning to school. The JDC will pro-
vide psychologists and psychiatrists.
"This project was favored because
it is a crucial beginning done by an
experienced group designed to address
what is sure to be a long-term prob-
lem," said Helen Katz, JWF director.
The 'Bloomfield Township-based
foundation approved the-grant Aug.10.
Deliberations included participa-
tion from the directors and trustees
of sister foundations in Washington
and New York and from the New York-
Wsed Dobkin Family Foundation.
Grant facilitators included Margot
Halperin, JWF founding chair, and
Estie Bar-Sade of Nazareth Illit, who
coordinates volunteer activities in
the Partnership 2000 region and is a
school psychologist.