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Friday February 1, 2008

Shorts: World

Israel ready for return to space

Benny Elon, the chairman of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee, told a NASA delegation this week that Israel would like to be involved in a new space mission.

The delegation was in Israel to mark the five years since Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and six NASA astronauts died. He was on the space shuttle Columbia, which burned up when re-entering the earth’s atmosphere.

Ramon’s widow, Rona, also attended the meeting. The delegation of astronauts and scientists is scheduled to attend the Ramon family’s memorial service Jan. 31. — jta

Israeli walks for Sderot

An Israeli is crossing the country on foot to raise awareness on the plight of Sderot residents.

Alon Elmakais, 47, of Kiryat Shmona, set off last week on a walk to southern Sderot that he hopes will help prod the Israeli government into stopping Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

Elmakais’ hometown came under intensive Hezbollah rocket barrages during the Second Lebanon War. During his cross-country hike, Elmakais expects to be joined by other Israelis showing solidarity with Sderot. — jta

Jordan training Palestinian troops

Jordan began training Palestinian Authority troops.

The training, launched last week and reported in the Jordanian media the next day, culminates a yearlong effort led and funded in part by the United States to train troops loyal to moderate Palestinian leaders.

The Jordan Times reported that the training of the 700 troops would be “restricted to typical police work, such as crime fighting and VIP protection.”

The program is set to graduate 2,000 recruits by the end of this year. Ultimately the aim is for a 50,000-troop force in the West Bank. — jta

Facebook founder to visit Israel

Israel invited Facebook’s founder to attend its 60th Independence Day celebrations.

Mark Zuckerberg met the Israeli delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week and accepted an official invitation to visit for the festivities in May.

Ma’ariv quoted Zuckerberg, 23, as saying that Facebook would be an ideal platform for linking all the participants in a technology conference that Israeli President Shimon Peres is organizing in honor of the national birthday. — jta

Holocaust site in Arabic launched

Yad Vashem launched a Web site in Arabic about the Holocaust.

The site, introduced last week and accessible at www.yadvashem.org, includes the historical narrative of the Holocaust, concepts from the Holocaust, academic articles, artifacts, maps, photos, archival documents and an online video testimony resource center.

“In light of the Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism that we are witness to in Arabic countries, we want to offer an alternative source of information to moderates in these countries to provide them with reliable information about the Shoah,” said Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. — jta

Anne Frank tree saved in Amsterdam

The monumental chestnut tree that comforted Anne Frank while she was in hiding from the Nazis will be preserved for at least five more years under a plan agreed to last week, the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam said.

The tree, which is afflicted with a lethal fungus, had been slated to be cut down last year until a judge ordered a reprieve while supporters worked on a plan to preserve it.

Museum spokeswoman Maatje Mostart said the tree’s crown would be trimmed and supported this spring, and a steel ring brace would be placed around its upper trunk. The tree is now expected to survive between five and 15 years, she said. — ap

Shoah remembrance throughout Europe

Former Auschwitz prisoners gathered at the Nazi death camp Jan. 27 as part of commemorations throughout Europe for Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Let remembrance of this serve as a shield that will protect us and generations to come against resentment, hate, aggression, racism and anti-Semitism,” said Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, a representative of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, at Auschwitz.

On Jan. 25 in the German Bundestag’s annual Holocaust commemoration, Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of today’s Germans overcoming their fears of discussing the past.

Also Jan. 25, the U.N. office in Vienna held a remembrance ceremony at the Rotunda of the Vienna International Center featuring the Vienna Jewish Choir performing for delegates from around the world. — jta

Writer calls Jews in France ‘partial’

Israeli writer A.B. Yehoshua said in Paris that Jews living in France are “partial Jews.”

At a conference sponsored by a French Jewish author lecture group and Yehoshua’s French publishing house, the essayist and novelist said, “I am a total Jew because I live in Israel, but you in France are partial Jews, though one is not better or worse than the other.”

The audience of several hundred appeared surprised but offered no response. — jta

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