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Friday February 29, 2008

Shorts: U.S.

Clinton takes Israel in global primary

Though Hillary Clinton was the choice in Israel, Barack Obama easily won an international primary.

Expatriate Americans gave Obama 66 percent of the vote to 33 percent for his Senate colleague from New York in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary held Feb. 5 to 12.

Clinton took Israel, which is home to an estimated 200,000 U.S. citizens, 54 percent to 44 percent. The results determine the allocation of 4 1/2 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention in August.

With his victory, Obama captured 2 1/2 delegates and Clinton two. Another 2 1/2 delegates will be determined in April at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention. In addition, Democrats Abroad holds four super delegate votes.

Republicans do not hold a global primary. — jta

Deal reached on conversion

The Rabbinical Council of America, the main umbrella group of Modern Orthodox rabbis, announced Feb. 26 that it had established a network of North American rabbinical courts for conversion that is recognized by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.

The agreement brings to a close a longstanding dispute that had led Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi, Shlomo Amar, to announce that the rabbinate would no longer recognize any conversions performed outside Israel.

The rabbinate has authorized some 15 courts and 40 rabbis to perform conversions. — jta

JCPA supports two-state solution

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs endorsed for the first time a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At its annual plenum Feb. 26 in Atlanta, the body, an umbrella organization representing 14 national Jewish groups and 125 local Jewish community relations councils, resolved that “the organized American Jewish community should affirm its support for two independent, democratic and economically viable states … living side-by-side in peace and security.” — jta

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