Roundup

Eastern Michigan University
Jewish Studies

Roundup from page 8

Presents

An Evening With

Jonathan Tropper

New York Times Best Selling Author of:
This is Where I Leave You (2009)

How to Talk to a Widower (2008)

Everything Changes (2006)
The Book of Joe (2005)

Wednesday, February 2, 201 1
7:30 p.m.

..

Ballroom B, Student Center,
Eastern Michigan University

FREE

Lecture Sponsors
• Division ofAcademic
Affairs
• College of Arts and
Sciences
• Hillel at EMU

This lecture is part on an
ongoing Jewish lecture
series along with a new
Jewish Education First
History Gallen, in the
EMU Student Center.

Visit emich.edu for
updates on future
lectures.

For more information, please contact:
martin.shichtman(iDemich.edu

A book signing will follow the presentation.

EASTERN

MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Education First

10 January 27 2011

.

Monday's bombing at the the
Domodedovo Airport killed at least
35 and injured 130.
"From the preliminary informa-
tion we have, it was a terror attack;'
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
said in a televised briefing, add-
ing that those responsible would be
"tracked down and punished."
Deitsch said his group reviewed
a list of the names of the dead and
determined that it contained no Jews.
The Chabad rabbis remained at
the airport to comfort the families of
the dead. They also arranged kosher
food for passengers on an El Al flight
bound for Tel Aviv that was not able to
take off due to the attack.
Moscow transportation services
went on high alert following the
attack. Israel canceled all flights to
Moscow.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu offered his condolences to
the Russian people and the families of
those killed in the terror attack.
"Terror is international, and so the
response to it must be international;'
he said. "If we unite we will suppress
the terrorists and thwart their plans."

Gaza Blockade Legal
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Israeli
commission of inquiry into the Israeli
Navy's interception of a Gaza-bound
flotilla found that the naval blockade of
Gaza does not break international law.
The Turkel Commission also found
that Israeli soldiers acted in self-
defense on board the Mavi Marmara,
which resulted in the deaths of nine
Turkish activists.
The commission, formally known
as the Public Commission to Examine
the Maritime Incident of May 31,
2010, on Sunday released part of the
report, which runs nearly 300 pages
and deals with Israel's maritime
blockade of Gaza, the Israel Defense
Force's actions in enforcing the block-
ade, and the actions of the activists
attempting to break the blockade.
Another part will deal with whether
Israel's examination and investigation
system regarding infringements of the
laws of warfare are in accordance with
international law.
The commission includes four
appointed members from Israel —
one died during the proceedings — as
well as two foreign observers: Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Lord David
Trimble from Ireland and Brigadier
General (Ret.) Kenneth Watkin of
Canada.
The committee heard the testimony

of 27 witnesses over the course of 15
days of open proceedings and the tes-
timony of 12 witnesses behind closed
doors.
The report found that Israel's
enforcement of the naval and overland
blockade complies with international
law, including its attention to humani-
tarian conditions. The report did sug-
gest, however, that Israel should find
ways to focus its sanctions on Hamas
while not harming the civilian popula-
tion. The report also suggested that
Israel find ways to improve the deliv-
ery of medical care to Gazans.
The report's conclusion read, in
part, "The naval blockade imposed on
the Gaza Strip — in view of the secu-
rity circumstances and Israel's efforts
to comply with its humanitarian obli-
gations — was legal pursuant to the
rules of international law. The actions
carried out by Israel on May 31, 2010,
to enforce the naval blockade had the
regrettable consequences of the loss
of human life and physical injuries.
Nonetheless, and despite the limited
number of uses of force for which
we could not reach a conclusion, the
actions taken were found to be legal
pursuant to the rules of international
law."
The report will be turned over to a
United Nations panel investigating the
May 31 incident. Turkey has already
submitted a report that says Israel is
completely at fault for the incident.

Answering
Israel's Critics

The Charge
Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary
general of the Lebanese terrorist
group Hezbollah, said in a speech
last week that Israel supports the
destabilization of Lebanon.

The Answer
A democratic Israel existing in an
undemocratic and unstable Middle
East actively seeks to promote
freedom for its neighbors and
peaceful borders between them.
Israelis would love end their con-
flict with Lebanon and sip coffee in
Beirut's cafes. For more on Israel-
Lebanon, read the analysis at www.
jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article .
aspx?id=204065.

- Allan Gale

Jewish Community Relations Council

of Metropolitan Detroit

© Jan. 27, 2011

Jewish Renaissance Media