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