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Friday November 17, 2006

Shorts: Mideast

Web site countering English-language

al Jazeera channel

jerusalem | The founders of JerusalemOnline.com, an online news site posted by Israel’s Channel 2, are asking users to distribute the site’s Web address in an effort to counter al Jazeera’s new English-language news channel.

Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite channel — watched in its original Arabic format by an estimated 30 to 50 million viewers — launched its English-language news channel Wednesday, Nov. 15 at English.aljazeera.net/HomePage.

Al Jazeera has been criticized for its anti-America and anti-Israel reporting.

“This latest development means that JerusalemOnline’s purpose is more important than ever,” wrote Doron Landau and Itai Green, co-founders of JerusalemOnline. “Therefore, your help in distributing our Web address, www.JerusalemOnline.com, to English speakers around the world, both Israel supporters and others, is needed.

“We really care about helping Israel in its uphill battle against biased media coverage.”

Al Jazeera English hired more than 500 staffers, luring journalists from American and British networks including former CNN anchor Riz Khan and reporter Lucia Newman, the BBC’s David Frost and former ABC News correspondent Dave Marash, according to the Associated Press.

Al Jazeera, which is bankrolled by Qatar’s royal family, said its signal would reach 80 million households with cable and satellite TV, mainly in the Middle East and Europe. Its chief competitors are CNN and the BBC.

Shin Bet warns of need for intervention in Gaza

jerusalem (jps) | Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel’s government must prepare for a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Diskin said that if the Fatah Party, headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, continues to lose strength and cede ground to Palestinian extremist elements, there will be no choice but to take action.

“There are no good options in Gaza,” said Diskin, “and we must choose the one that is less bad.”

We could hit Iran, says top minister

jerusalem (jps) | Israel’s deputy defense minister said Israel reserved the option of striking Iran’s nuclear program.

“I consider it a last resort,” Ephraim Sneh said. “But even the last resort is sometimes the only resort.”

Israeli government spokesmen said Sneh’s views don’t necessarily represent those of the government. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said the matter is better left up to the United States and the international community.

IDF seen in ‘crisis’ after commander’s resignation

jerusalem (jps) | “The IDF is in a worse crisis today than it was following the Yom Kippur War,” Maj.-Gen. Eyal Ben-Reuven said Monday, Nov. 13 in response to what he called the General Staff’s failure to stand behind Brig.-Gen. Gal Hirsch, the Galilee Division commander who resigned from active service the day before.

Ben-Reuven, one of the last IDF generals still in service to have fought during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, said that while Hirsch got off to a bad start in this summer’s war with Hezbollah, his division, in the end, demonstrated impressive results.

Hirsch handed in his resignation Sunday, Nov. 12, just hours before an investigative committee said the kidnapping of two reservists under his command should have been prevented.

“Today there is a crisis in the top IDF leadership,” Ben-Reuven said. “While the outcome of the Yom Kippur War was grave, at least then the top command stood by one another, and not like today when officers like Hirsch are left hanging out to dry alone.”

Bill Gates investing in Israeli hotels

jerusalem (ynetnews.com) | After Warren Buffett, Bill Gates is next in line to invest in Israel. However, the investment will not be in the high-tech industry but in a much more traditional sector — the hotel industry.

Gates and the Four Seasons luxury hotel chain have agreed on a deal giving Gates a minority stake in the company. According to company officials, Gates has expressed an interest in building a hotel in Jerusalem, and possibly expanding to Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea and Eilat.

Under terms of the agreement, Gates will own 10 percent of the chain. Other investors include Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who will control 25 percent.

Israeli beauty is disarming

jerusalem (jta) | Israel’s beauty queen won permission not to bear arms during her military service. Private Yael Nezri, Israel’s entry for the 2006 Miss World title, was photographed finishing basic training this past week without having been issued a rifle.

Military officials said Nezri, 18, had been exempted from carrying a weapon after persuading her commanders that the barrel bruised her legs. That, in turn, complicated photo shoots for Nezri, who is continuing to model during her mandatory national service.

Study: Shas rabbi is most powerful

jerusalem (jta) | Israelis under 30 think Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is the most powerful person in Israel, a study found. The Israel Center for Youth Leadership conducted the poll of some 400 youth ages 14 to 30.

The spiritual leader of the Sephardi Orthodox Shas Party was named by 27 percent of those surveyed; Arkady Gaydamak, Russian Israeli businessman and owner of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team, was ranked second with 20 percent.

Moses was named the greatest Jewish leader of all time, with 48 percent.

Israeli college pulls Gunter Grass honor

jerusalem (jta) | An Israeli college withdrew an honorary doctorate to Gunter Grass because of the German writer’s SS past.

Representatives of Netanya Academic College met with Grass earlier this year to offer him the doctorate and discuss the ceremony; two weeks later he stunned Germany with the revelation that as a teenager he had served several weeks in the elite Nazi unit.

College officials said he openly discussed his membership in Hitler Youth, but dropped no hint about his SS membership.

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