I
Wo r 1 d
ROUNDUP
Roundup from page 27
ered the bodies upon breaking down the
door to the apartment. They recognized
that the victims had died from being
stabbed and not due to the fire.
Israeli Nukes Dissuade
Paris/JTA
Shimon Peres said that
the fact that Israel is suspected of hav-
ing nuclear weapons is dissuading Iran
from striking the Jewish state. The
Israeli president also said that contrary
to the thinking of some Palestinians,
Israel "is not abandoned" by the Obama
—
administration.
In an interview published on Oct. 16
with the French daily le Figaro, Peres
said he thought "the Palestinians com-
mitted a little error by thinking that the
United States had abandoned Israel" by
insisting this summer that Israeli settle-
ment expansion be frozen immediately.
"The contrary was true he said. "We
are not abandoned."
President Obama has dropped earlier
demands for a settlement freeze in order
to move forward with peace negotia-
tions. Asked if Israel possessed a nucle-
ar weapon capable of dissuading Iran
from striking the Jewish state, Peres said
that "the bomb is not the danger, it's
those who detonate it who can represent
a danger. Israel always said that it would
not be the first to introduce the bomb
to the Middle East. But it doesn't bother
us to be suspected of having the bomb
because suspicions are a dissuasion. If
we can have dissuasion by suspicion,
why not? We're not against it."
J Street Parley
Washington/JTA
U.S. National
Security Adviser James Jones will be
a keynote speaker at the first J Street
national onference. Jones will represent
the Obama administration at the dovish
Israel lobby organization's first confer-
ence, which will be held Oct. 25-28 in
Washington. He spoke Oct. 15 at the
American Task Force for Palestine gala.
Other major figures slated to speak at
the J Street event include several former
top Israeli officials, former Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel and Rabbi Eric Yoffie,
president of the Union of Reform
Judaism.
J Street has made a public push
to convince Israel's ambassador to
Washington, Michael Oren, to attend.
The Israeli Embassy has not responded,
but a spokesman has said some of J
Street's positions could "impair Israel's
interests."
The organization, which dubs itself
pro-Israel, pro-peace favors U.S. pres-
sure on Israel and the Palestinians in
pursuit of a two-state solution. J Street
also criticized Israel's invasion of Gaza
and declined to put the blame for the
confrontation on Hamas.
J Street differs with most national
Jewish organizations on the issue of
Iran, saying now is not the right time to
pass tougher sanctions.
—
V.
‘)., .es,1 1/
c6(
WHAT'S NEW AT
Council resolution cites only Israel.
Goldstone, who agreed to lead the
fact-finding mission only if he could
investigate Hamas as well, said he was
saddened by the resolution. "There
is not a single phrase condemning
Hamas as we have done in the report:'
Goldstone was quoted as saying by the
French news agency AFP.
Among those voting against were the
United States, Italy, the Netherlands,
Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. Those
voting to recommend it included Russia,
China, Argentina and Egypt.Israel
rejects the report, saying its original
mandate predetermined bias.
Soul Searching Series
The Hyman and Sonia Blumenstein
Outreach Institute of Bais Chabad Torah
Center, in conjunction with Federation's
Alliance for Jewish Education, will pres-
ent a six-week series on "Soul Quest:
The Journey Through Life, Death and
Beyond."
The course will take place on six con-
secutive Sundays, starting Nov. 1, from
10:30-11:45 a.m., and six consecutive
Wednesdays, starting Nov. 4, from 8-9:15
p.m. Classes will be held at the Torah
Center, 5595 Maple Road, and will be led
by Rabbi Silberberg.
For information, call (248) 855-6170 or
e-mail bctc770@aol.com.
((
Fridag Night Live!:
The Pete Siers Quartet is joined bu Toronto-based Pat LaBarbera,
considered one of the finest saxophone soloists working
n theiohn Coltrane tradition.
U.N. Receives Goldstone
New York/JTA
The U.N. Human
Rights Council in Geneva sent the
Goldstone report to the U.N. Security
Council. Meanwhile, Richard Goldstone
condemned the council for ignoring
his commission's findings on Hamas
war crimes. The Human Rights Council
voted 25 to 6 on Oct. 14 to endorse the
report and recommend that other U.N.
bodies heed its recommendations.
The report recommends that Israel
and authorities in the Gaza Strip pros-
ecute fighters for alleged war crimes
committed during last winter's Gaza war
and, should that not happen within six
months, for the Security Council pursue
such prosecutions. The Human Rights
Answering
Israel's Critics
The Charge
During a visit to Gaza last week, actress
Mia Farrow said she was offended and
outraged by the conditions for chil-
dren there, implying that Israel was to
blame.
—
Target Family Santiago:
J er'nfer Strauss shares autumn tales
that the whole familii will enjoy.
Now on view:
Avedon Fashion Photographs 1944-2000
For tickets visit dia.org or the DiA Box Office.
DETROIT
iNSTITLITE
OF ARTS
,aoodwaFfi Ave.
.
313-8.3 7 7gc3
7.74:att.-
28
October 22 • 2009
The Answer
Gaza's 1.5 million residents have been
blockaded by Israel and Egypt — with
U.S., Russian, European and U.N. sup-
port — since the terrorist Hamas
seized control of the territory in 2007.
The blockade will end when Hamas
renounces terror and joins the peace
process.
— Allan Gale
Jewish Community Relations Council
of Metropolitan Detroit
@ Jewish Renaissance Media, Oct. 22, 2009