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Friday January 25, 2008

Shorts: Mideast

Peres: Let Israelis vote on peace deal

The Israeli people should be asked to approve any future peace deal with the Palestinians, Shimon Peres said last week.

“I propose either a referendum or elections, but this should be at the end of negotiations,” the Israeli president said. “The people can decide.”

Peres said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should not feel threatened by a plebiscite.

“I think if he comes up with a plan, it would bolster him rather than make things more difficult for him,” he added, referring to his plummeting approval ratings. — jta

Longest university strike resolved

The longest university strike in Israeli history has ended.

Professors and Education Ministry officials signed an agreement last week, ending the 88-day strike. Students were told to return to class Jan. 20.

The deal that ended the strike was reached after disagreements over the lecturers’ pension funds were resolved. — jta

Sderot youth get $400,000 boost

The North American federation system has allocated $400,000 to a respite program for youth in the besieged Israeli town of Sderot.

The funding from the United Jewish Communities and North American federations will seed a one-month initiative to take nearly 2,000 young people out of the range of rocket fire once a week.

With this allocation, North American federations have now spent more than $13 million helping the residents of Sderot. — jta

More Israeli women changing gender

An increasing number of Israeli women are undergoing sex changes.

According to Health Ministry data published last week by Yediot Achronot, 27 Israelis had sex change operations in 2007 — 15 women and 12 men.

That’s an increase from the previous year, when 10 people — three women and seven men — changed gender. From 1995 to 2005, a total of 30 people informed the interior ministry they were having a sex change. — jta

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