To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - High Court: Child may have two mothers
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 08:44:51 -0400

 Tuesday, May 30, 2000

High Court: Child may have two mothers

                  By Moshe Reinfeld
                  Ha'aretz Supreme Court Correspondent

In a landmark decision, the High Court of Justice ruled yesterday that it is
legally possible for a child to have two mothers. By a majority decision, the
court instructed the Interior Ministry to register a lesbian woman who
adopted the biological son of her life partner as the child's second mother in
census registration and on her identity card, based on an adoption certificate
issued in the United States.

The two women, Ruthie and Nicole Berner-Kadish, have lived together for
seven years and hold American and Israeli citizenship. They currently live in
California, but plan to return to Israel at the end of their studies. Three years
ago, Ruthie bore a son after undergoing artificial insemination, following a
joint decision made by the couple. Nicole adopted the boy in a California
court. Nicole and Ruthie are registered as his parents on the child's birth
certificate.

The judges in the majority, Dalia Dorner and Dorit Beinish, rejected the
claims of the Interior Ministry and the State Prosecutor's Office that the law
prohibits the registrar from recording an obviously incorrect fact - that a child
has two mothers. The judges, however, noted that the registration serves
only to record a legal fact, not a biological one.

Dorner also noted that an adopted child in fact does have two mothers, a
biological one and an adoptive one, and in the case of open adoption, where
a child maintains contact with his or her biological mother, the Interior
Ministry records both women as the child's mother.

Justice Beinish said the Interior Ministry's arguments were merely another
variation of an attempt to reject the adoption of children by homosexual or
lesbian life partners of a biological parent, adding that the ministry's view
could not be allowed to guide the behavior of the registrar.

Justice Abd al-Rahman Zouabi, who dissented from the majority opinion,
wrote in his decision that the Interior Ministry did not have to register the
adoptive mother as the child's mother because an American adoption order
does not have to be recognized by Israel. In Zouabi's view, the women first
had to appeal to Family Court in order to obtain recognition of the adoption
order. Nonetheless, wrote Zouabi, justification for the ministry's view is
bolstered by the fact that the adoption order creates an "abnormal family
unit."

Concerning the American adoption order, Dorner ruled that an adoption order
issued abroad is valid in Israel unless canceled through a legal process. She
noted, however, that the Interior Ministry did not raise the question of the
validity of the adoption order, but rather focused on the fact that, were the
interior minister to recognize the order, he would be required to record a fact
that was not true.

http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=05/30/00&
id=79862

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - (Fwd) "Beyond the Pale of Normal Human Considerations:"
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 09:13:03 -0400

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 30 May 2000 08:41:41 -0700
To: MEMRI <memri@erols.com>
From: MEMRI <memri@erols.com>
Subject: "Beyond the Pale of Normal Human Considerations:" An
Egyptian Perspective on Jews, Israel, and Zionism

Inquiry & Analysis

No. 28

May 30, 2000

Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
1815 H Street, NW Suite 404 Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-mail: memri@erols.com
Website: www.memri.org

[MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be cited
with proper attribution.]

"Beyond the Pale of Normal Human Considerations"
An Egyptian Perspective on Jews, Israel, and Zionism
By Aaron Mannes*

In early April, Cairo University held a seminar to discuss philosophy
Professor Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri's encyclopedia on Jews, Israel, and
Zionism. At the seminar, Al-Masiri's book was touted by Arab League
secretary-general 'Ismat Abd-Al-Magid as a way "to better know the enemy,"
and to avoid the mistakes made in the past. (1) Abd-'Alim Muhammad, head
of the Israeli studies department at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and
Strategic Studies said that this book shows that, "Intellectuals do not
need to normalize with Israel or go on trips to know it." (2)

Al-Masiri's "Encyclopedia" is clearly written from a hostile perspective
towards its subject, and its essential premises embrace anti-Semitic
stereotypes. But it is not a fringe publication. Al-Masiri introduced his
ideas in a four-part series of articles in Al-Ahram, Egypt's largest
newspaper. Prominent figures in Egypt's cultural elite attended the
seminar at Cairo University. The book is part of the mainstream Egyptian
intellectual discourse. (3)

The Concept of the "functional group"

Al-Masiri proposes a new paradigm for understanding Jews, Israel, and
Zionism. Because the Jews, in several periods throughout history, have
been excluded from society and were restricted to limited professions,
they are, according to Al-Masiri, a "functional group." The "functional
group" is a minority, imported from outside or separated from society,
which performs functions that members of a "traditional" or pre-modern
society cannot perform due to social mores. Such jobs include handling
garbage or corpses, prostitution, medicine, and money lending. In the
first of his four articles, Al-Masiri writes, "To perform any of these
tasks, one must be emotionally and morally detached, characterized by as
much neutrality as possible, and without a power base in the society.
…one should be a rootless outsider, beyond the pale of normal human
considerations -- envy and disgust, competition or emulation, love or
hatred and severed from the rest of the community…." Al-Masiri
elaborates on the example of money lending. In a traditional society,
non-economic sacred and human considerations govern relationships, so that
when the debt is to be collected, these considerations take precedence
over the strictly commercial relationship. Thus, for these jobs to be
done, the society must include a group that is not subject to such
concerns.

To fulfill these roles, the "functional group" is isolated from the host
society, "either in a physical ghetto, or a symbolic one [characterized
by] (special badges; a special language, or even a [distinct] religious
doctrine...) [They] internalize their isolation and even promote it….
preserving their special dress, ghetto, or dialect and resist[ing] any
attempt at de-ghettoisation, seeing it as a threat to their identity
(which indeed it is.)" Isolated from society as a whole and accumulating
wealth because of their unique status, the "functional group" is envied by
the poor and relies, for protection on the ruling classes, which use them
to exploit the masses. (4)

The "functional group," according to Al-Masiri has two essential
characteristics: myths of a sacred origin and different sets of morality
for "functional group" members and outsiders. The myths are developed both
to loosen their ties to their host society, which makes it easier for the
“functional group” to perform its tasks and alleviates the alienation they
experience due to their isolation. The dual moral standards are also
necessary for the “functional group” to perform their tasks. Non-members
of the "functional group" are "not fully human… and therefore can be
utilized and instrumentalised without any moral compunctions." (5)

Applying the paradigm to Jews and Israel

While Al-Masiri gives other examples of "functional groups," he describes
the Jews as "a prime example." He then argues that the various
distinguishing characteristics of the Jewish people, their religion,
rituals, double standards of morality, physical isolation, and longing to
return "to a hypothetical country of origin," are necessary responses to
their role as a "functional group." To support his thesis, Al-Masiri
cites the restrictive legal conditions placed on Jews during the Middle
Ages, and of course, Shakespeare's Shylock, who epitomizes the
contractual, utilitarian relationship between the Jew and his host
society. (6)

Finally, Al-Masiri applies his "functional group" paradigm to the state of
Israel, which he calls a "functional state." The modern state does not
need the "functional group," so Jews were no longer necessary for that
purpose. By creating Israel, the West could rid itself of its Jewish
problem and its Oriental problem at the same time. The Zionist state is a
"functional state" with a utilitarian relationship with the Western powers
 in exchange for financial support Israel serves the West“s strategic
interests. Al-Masiri states that the dual morality towards Jews and
non-Jews that characterized the Jewish "functional group" pervades the
Israeli state. As an example, he cites the Law of Return, under which any
Jew can immigrate to Israel and become a citizen while Palestinians
cannot. (7)

"The Judaisation of Society" Al-Masiri on Modernity

Al-Masiri does not confine his observations to the Jews. He also
criticizes modern societies for taking on some of the traits of the
"functional group."
 Al-Masiri ventures that modern societies are dominated by "contractual
relationships in lieu of traditional and moral loyalties," in which people
"are instrumentalised and functionalised." Al-Masiri writes: "This is the
total elimination of the sacred… Marx, in his own flamboyant way, called
this 'the Judaisation of society.'" (8)

Conclusions

Professor Al-Masiri's theory is little more than anti-Semitic canards
wrapped in a veneer of academic writing. He makes two arguments about the
Jewish people and Israel. First, Judaism, both the religion and culture
are based on myths that were contrived in response to socio-economic
conditions.
 Second, because of their long isolation from surrounding society, Jews
 are
not capable of viewing non-Jews as human beings. This reveals the
underlying goal of Al-Masiri“s work, which is to dehumanize and
de-legitimate the Jewish people. His work could be particularly effective
since he uses neologisms and academic jargon to help indoctrinate the next
generation of educated Egyptians for a continued enmity towards Jews,
Zionism, and Israel.

But Al-Masiri's attack does not end with the Jews and Zionism. In
praising traditional pre-modern society, while arguing that modernity is
dehumanizing, he helps to inculcate anti-Western sentiments. Ultimately,
such arguments will not only exacerbate antipathy towards Israel, but will
work to isolate Egyptians from the liberal democratic ideas of the West.

Fortunately, there are alternative viewpoints in Egypt. Having witnessed
the damage done by various ideologies pan-Arab Nasserism, socialism, and
Islamic fundamentalism - segments of Egypt“s cultural elite began, in the
1990s, to endorse the classical and modern values of the West: human
rights, democracy, civil society, separation of religious and political
authority, globalization, and free markets. An important corollary of
this movement is greater acceptance of the Jews and Israel. (9)

As these groups promoting classical liberal values have grown they have
come into increasing conflict with those holding fast to the Nasserite and
Islamist ideologies. Al-Masiri“s “Encyclopedia” and its reception reveal
the hold these ideologies have on much of Egypt“s elite, as well as the
general public. The conflict between Westernizers on the one hand and
Nasserites and Islamists on the other has begun on the pages of newspapers
and journals. It may end up on the streets. It is a struggle over the
soul of Egypt.

· Aaron Mannes is MEMRI's Director of Research.

Endnotes:

(1) "Learning about Zionism," Al-Ahram Weekly, Umayma Abd Al-Latif, April
6-12, 2000. Officials from the Israeli Embassy were invited to attend by
the book“s editor, but were refused entry because the University opposes
cultural normalization with Israel. (2) Ibid. (3) In a May 20, 2000
article in the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, Al-Masiri alleges that
on several occasions the Israeli Mossad and the Kah movement (Jewish
Defense League] attempted to thwart his work. (4) "The function of
outsiders," Al-Ahram Weekly, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri, June 24-30, 1999.
(5) "The kindness of strangers," Al-Ahram Weekly, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri,
July 1-7, 1999. (6) "A chosen community, an exceptional burden," Al-Ahram
Weekly, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri, July 8-14, 1999. (7) "A people like any
other," Al-Ahram Weekly, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri, July 15-22, 1999. (8)
"The kindness of strangers," Al-Ahram Weekly, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Masiri,
July 1-7, 1999. The concept of Judaisation of society was common in
Hitler's ideas of the damage Judaism does to the surrounding society.
See, for example, Mein Kampf, Ralph Manheim, translator, (The Houghton
Mifflin Co., 1971), pg. 318. (9) See Special Dispatch No. 91, "Egypt's
Opposition Press attacks Peace Activists," May 12, 2000; and Special
Dispatch No. 93, "'Let's Not Blame Israel for Arab Faults,''Conspiracy
Theories Retard Arab Progress:' Egyptian Intellectuals Fight Common Arab
Misperceptions," May 5, 2000. There are several groups and institutions
devoted to promoting classical liberal values in Egypt, many of them are
part of the Egyptian cultural elite and connected to the core of Egypt's
establishment. One leading group is the Ibn Khaldoun Institute, which is
devoted to encouraging civil society in Egypt. Another interest group are
the Egyptian businessmen who seek better trade relations with the West and
better business conditions within Egypt, and see confrontation with Israel
as a barrier to these goals. A leading advocate of these ideas is
Egyptian Nobel prize winning novelist Najib Mahfuz. He has long
advocated, first implicitly in his fiction and later explicitly in essays
and interviews, accepting peace with Israel, democracy, rejecting
pan-Arabism in favor of focusing on Egyptian problems, and openness
towards Western ideas and culture. Inquiry & Analysis No. 5, "The Pen vs.
The Sword: Nobel Laureate Mahfuz and Nasser," by Aaron Mannes and Yigal
Carmon, September 28, 1998.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent,
non-profit organization providing translations of the Arab media and
original analysis and research on developments in the Middle East. Copies
of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are
available upon request.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Jewish group says Gore doesn't know his bible
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 12:03:55 -0500

JEWISH GROUP SAYS GORE DOESN'T KNOW HIS BIBLE

A Washington, DC-based Jewish organization has admonished Vice
President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore
for his inaccuracies and 'sacriligious' reference to the Bible on
Tuesday night. Gore, speaking at the Democratic National Committee
fundraiser in the nation's capital, took a jab at NRA President
Charlton
Heston and Texas Governor George W Bush by saying, "If I remember my
Bible correctly, the last time that Moses listened to a bush, his
people
wandered in a desert for 40 years." In reaction to that Gore
statement, Matthew Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish
Coalition, based in Washington, DC, said, "It looks like the inventor
of
the Internet is trying to re-invent the Bible.

-- more --

http://www.virtualholyland.com/channels/israel_n/cns.htm

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Lawmakers decry TV violence, sex
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 12:04:39 -0500

Lawmakers decry TV violence, sex

WASHINGTON (AP) - Angered over sex and violence on television, four
senators are questioning whether the broadcast industry's programming
serves the public interest. In a letter to the Federal Communications
Commission, the lawmakers decried what they called declining standards
in over-the-air television and its impact on young viewers. They
questioned whether broadcasters, who enjoy free access to the public
airwaves, are in fact providing programming that benefits the nation.
"The evidence is so compelling, and the risks to our children so
serious, that we are obliged to ask whether the broadcasters are
fulfilling their public trust," wrote Republican Sens. John McCain of
Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas and Democratic Sens. Joseph
Lieberman of Connecticut and Robert Byrd of West Virginia. The
National
Association of Broadcasters declined comment. See

http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566862311-dd5

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - (Fwd) Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, May 30, 2000
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 13:39:29 -0400

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 30 May 2000 17:29:45 +0300
To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, May 30, 2000
Send reply to: netnews@a7.org

Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.ArutzSheva.org>
Tuesday, May 30, 2000 / Iyar 25, 5760
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
  --- See below for subscription instructions ---

*******************************************************
Are you sick and tired of Clinton pressuring Israel to give away Judea,
Samaria, Gaza, and the Golan Heights? Take a few moments and join VIPAC -
the fast-growing grass-roots E-mail Campaign movement! <a
href="http://www.vipac.org"> vipac </a>
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. JORDAN VALLEY LEADERS REJECT LEVY'S DENIAL
  2. FROM KEDUMIM TO KFAR SABA
  3. FACING THE FACTS
  4. PA POLICE TAKE ISRAELI WEAPONS, ALLOW ROBBER TO ESCAPE
  5. NEW FRIENDS
  6. FROM THE NORTH
  7. BARAK CAMPAIGN SCANDAL PROCEEDS
  8. NEW YORK SPIRIT
  9. IN BRIEF

1. JORDAN VALLEY LEADERS REJECT LEVY'S DENIAL
Foreign Minister David Levy denied this morning that Prime Minister Barak
has agreed to give up the Jordan Valley in a final-status agreement with
the Palestinians. Jordan Valley and Yesha Council leaders insist,
however, that they have seen maps and have heard unofficial military
reports that prove otherwise. MK Danny Naveh, appearing on national
television immediately after Levy last night, said, "Pay attention to what
he said: 'No agreements have been reached...'"

Ha'aretz reports today on yet another Israeli concession to the
Palestinians: a reported agreement to locate the northern checkpoint of
the "free passage" in the Mevo Choron area, on the Green Line - signaling
an apparent Israeli willingness to cede control of the area east of the
checkpoint to the Palestinians.

Several emergency meetings have been called this week by Yesha leaders to
discuss the alarming developments in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
One such gathering is scheduled for tonight in the Jordan Valley. Jordan
Valley Regional Council head David Levy (not to be confused with the
Foreign Minister of the same name) told Arutz-7 today:
 "We have many reliable sources - in the military and in the press - who
tell us that Barak has made a conscious decision to give away areas in the
Jordan Valley to the Palestinians. We have heard nothing that contradicts
this - except for today's announcement by the Foreign Minister, which is a
good sign, and he is a good friend of mine... but I fear that he doesn't
have all the information. We are receiving clear reports from all over
that the Jordan Valley is being given away." When asked about the mood
among the people, he said, "People here feel very down, they feel tricked
- a fair majority voted for Barak, largely because right before the
elections he promised us repeatedly that he would not do anything to harm
us, etc. We asked him if he would be willing to give us some sort of
letter to that effect, and he said, 'There's no need, here are my
witnesses sitting here with you - [national security personalities] Matan
Vilna'i, Yossi Peled, Ori Orr, Assaf Chefetz...' - and we see what
happened."
 "Our public campaign will be waged on all the fronts - in the Knesset, in
the government, in the press - to tell the country that this is a
sacrifice-in-vain. We know who our partner is - the man from Kureish [a
reference to Arafat's statement several years ago implying that a treaty
with Israel could be abrogated when the Palestinians become strong
enough].
 This will not be a 'return' of lands, not a withdrawal - just a plain and
simple giving away of our area for no reason." Levy made it clear that
the Jordan Valley residents are not planning to be a part of any
"arrangement" or "deal," and that they will not remain there under
Palestinian sovereignty.

2. FROM KEDUMIM TO KFAR SABA
Following an urgent meeting of Yesha leaders in Kedumim last night, a few
dozen of the participants paid a spontaneous 1 AM call on Public Security
Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami outside his home in Kfar Saba. In a loud protest
against the talks conducted by Ben-Ami in Stockholm, they yelled, "You are
negotiating the destruction of our homes, we won't let you sleep in your
home either!" HaKol MeHashetach News Agency reports that the police did
not arrive at the scene to disperse the irate demonstrators.

Kedumim Mayor Daniella Weiss, who participated in the meeting last night,
told about it today: "About 200 people came - twice what we expected -
from all over the country, and the main theme was that we are here to
stay, that we are continuing to build, and to attract new people. Our
presence [in Yesha] is not dependent on anything - we're here, period.
The atmosphere at the meeting was 'hot,' and there were was much
willingness to volunteer. Many teams were formed, for security, arms
training, demonstrations, political activity, and more. We see ourselves
not only as protecting our own homes, but as protecting and strengthening
the entire nation and its morale, with the awareness that what happens
here affects the entire country. We are preparing for 24 hour-a-day
work."

3. FACING THE FACTS
Yet another gathering will be held in Jerusalem tomorrow, with the
participation of Yesha and Jordan Valley leaders. Yehoshua Mor-Yosef, the
spokesman for the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria,
spoke to Arutz-7 today:
 "First on the agenda will be the very worrisome reports emanating from
[the talks in] Stockholm. We have information, which we have found is
true, that the government's intention is to withdraw from almost 100% of
Judea and Samaria, and to abandon close to 100,000 settlers. We know that
Barak's concessions have reached 92% of Yesha, and we have
partially-confirmed information that the number is already 96%. I am
holding in my hands three newspaper reports - one from Apr. 11, which
reports that Barak has agreed to give away 60%, another one from May 11
which states that he has agreed to 80%, and another one from a week later
that says 90%. For some reason, our own people are not aware of what's
going on, that Ehud Barak is prepared to return Israel to the pre-1967
days, to abandon and/or uproot 100,000 people, and to keep only a few
settlements under Israeli control - Maaleh Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, and some
of Gush Etzion. The only thing stopping him is Arafat, who is not willing
to settle for less than 100%, and who is not even willing to discuss the
proposal to receive Israeli territories in exchange for the other 4 or
8%."

Regarding the future of the settlements in Yesha, Mor-Yosef said, "We
understand that there is an internal government dispute whether to uproot
the settlements or leave them in place surrounded by Palestinian
territory.
 Ben-Ami and Beilin are pressing Barak to leave the communities in place,
and are looking for some sort of formula that will allow them to remain
within the Palestinian area - but in practice we know our neighbors, and
they will never agree to allow us to exist there."

"We are attempting to explain to the public," said Mor-Yosef, "that
although the immediate problems will be caused to the settlers, [Barak's
plan is] really of great urgency for the entire nation, which will be
forced to return to what Abba Eban called the 'Auschwitz borders'...
Politically, we are trying to convince the NRP to resign now, and not wait
for the actual transfer of Abu Dis, so as to cause a snowball effect -
Yisrael B'Aliyah would almost certainly follow suit, as would Shas at some
point, thus toppling the government and sparing us the government's plans
to abandon Yesha."

The Council has sent out a mailing to all Yesha residents which includes a
map of Barak's planned 90% withdrawal - "but in light of the increase to
92% that has already occurred, we have included a brown marker in the
envelope so that the readers can mark in more brown [Palestinian] area as
Barak's further concessions become known..."

4. PA POLICE TAKE ISRAELI WEAPONS, ALLOW ROBBER TO ESCAPE
Palestinian para-military police took the weapons of Israeli policemen and
an IDF officer who mistakenly entered Area A last night, and allowed the
driver of a stolen car to escape. The incident began when an Israeli car
was stolen in the Atarot industrial zone, north of Jerusalem. The Israel
police received word that the car was found in Kfar Akab, a village under
Israeli security control. Policemen, accompanied by an IDF officer,
identified the car at the edge of the town, in an area defined as Area A
(full PA control). They arrested the driver, but then the PA forces
arrived and aimed their weapons at the Israelis. They forced the Israelis
to give over the keys to the car, which they gave to the thief, who
quickly escaped; they then took the Israelis' weapons, and took their
"prisoners" to the DCO Israeli-Palestinian joint headquarters in Ramallah.

5. NEW FRIENDS
"From bitter came sweet." Hateful and offensive remarks by a Kibbutz
member to a visiting yeshiva group three weeks ago culminated yesterday in
a friendly dialogue session at the Kibbutz. Rabbis and students of the
yeshiva in Shilo were lunching on the grass of Kibbutz Kfar Haruv in the
Golan when a member of the Kibbutz yelled at them to leave, cursed them,
accused them of being the source of all the country's troubles, and even
spat at them. Kibbutz secretary Iris Shoval publicly apologized at the
time, said that such sentiments were not representative of feeling on the
Kibbutz, and said that she would invite the yeshiva for a return visit.

Shoval was happy with yesterday's get-together, and said that there was a
"very nice atmosphere, and both sides were interested in ensuring the
success of the meeting. We conducted a positive dialogue on various
issues, and we saw that this could be a model for other meetings of this
sort, which I hope will be held." Head of the Shilo Yeshiva, Rabbi
Michael Brom, told Arutz-7, "It was originally intended to be a meeting
of appeasement, but it turned out to be much more than that - there was a
real 'uniting of the hearts,' there was singing and music, and by the time
it was over, you could see that both sides were truly interested in
perpetuating the bonds between us."

6. FROM THE NORTH
Elderly Hamas terrorist leader Sheikh Yassin says that "after Hizbullah's
victory in Lebanon, a new era in Palestinian-Israeli relations has begun:
It has now been proven that violent resistance is the correct way… The
Hamas military wing knows what to do… Thousands of Palestinians are
willing to die as martyrs…"

The northern border has been quiet for the past three days, but the
situation is considered very tense. IDF Intelligence head Gen. Amos Malka
told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today that Syria
and Iran are waiting for the final UN decision on Israel's withdrawal
before deciding whether to instigate further violence. Military sources
told Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler today that deeper inside Lebanon, Hizbullah is
making preparations to continue the military struggle against Israel.

The Ministry of Tourism has made an official call encouraging Israelis to
resume traveling to and touring the north, and to "restore northern
tourism to its rightful place."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk toured the northern border today,
and said that the American Administration will approve the transfer of $50
million for fortifications along the border.

7. BARAK CAMPAIGN SCANDAL PROCEEDS
The investigation of the financing of Ehud Barak's Prime Ministerial
election campaign continues. Campaign Manager Tal Zilberstein and his
assistant refused to answer police questions yesterday, and were released
on 105,000 shekels bail each. Their homes and offices were searched, and
papers were confiscated. State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg fined the
Labor party 13.7 million shekels for its campaign-law violations of last
year.

8. NEW YORK SPIRIT
Eleven Jews were released from a New York City prison last week, 24 hours
after they were arrested during a protest against the Barak government.
According to police estimates, close to 1,500 people participated in the
rally against intentions to divide Jerusalem. The peaceful protest, which
featured a high number of Chabad members, took a sudden turn when a group
of 15 Kahane Chai supporters crossed police barricades and blocked traffic
in a busy midtown intersection. The 11 activists and bystanders were
promptly arrested, but were released the next day; most were fined
lightly, and several still face trial.

The Judean Voice reports that one of the arrested activists reflected
during his short jail term, "I'm ashamed we didn't do more. What's one day
in jail? The Iranian Jews may never see the light of day. Israel is in
grave danger, and we think we did something big? Much more needs to be
done to shake the world and save Israel. If thousands of Cubans got
arrested for Ilian Gonzalez and so many get arrested for every cause under
the sun, why can't we do civil disobedience for a Jewish cause? We showed
others that there are some Jews who think Jerusalem is important enough to
risk a minor arrest. I guess it's a start."

9. IN BRIEF
 A former Deputy Prime Minister has been arrested and charged with
"engaging in acts weakening the sense of nationalism" - in Syria. The
Jordan Times reports today that the Syrian Supreme State Security Court
has ordered a June 28th trial of Mohammad Haidar, a senior Baath Party
member who served as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs twenty
years ago...
 Arkia, Israel's domestic airline, has finalized its agreement to continue
operating out of north Jerusalem's Atarot airport. The airline had
earlier decided to close its Atarot operations, because of dwindling
Israeli presence in the area. Tower Air has announced that it will soon
resume operations, beginning with flights between Tel Aviv and New York...

 The final ruling in the trial of the 13 Iranian Jews is expected in two
weeks. They are on trial for spying for Israel and the U.S. The defense
claims that any information the defendants passed to Israel was not
considered secret...

Hebrew News Editor: Yigal Shok
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Severe hurricane season predicted for Caribbean, Atlantic
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 12:40:50 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------

via: hblondel@tampabay.rr.com

May 30 8:05 PM SGT

Severe hurricane season predicted for Caribbean, Atlantic

MIAMI (AFP) - The Atlantic hurricane season starting June 1 is
expected to be more dangerous than usual and authorities in the United
States are preparing for the worst.

Forecasts call for stronger, longer storms, and authorities are asking
people who live along the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico to take
precautions.

The National Hurricane Center is hoping to extend its short-term
forecasts by three to five days, according to spokesman Jack Beven.

"There are several pieces of new equipment that we're using this
year," including a super computer in Washington DC and a
220-million-dollar weather satellite launched in early May, he said.

Hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts through November 30, though
storms sometimes arrive earlier or later.

This year's season will be more active than usual, due to La Nina and
other, less-known climatic phenomena that cool waters in the Pacific
and warm the Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.

There will be 11 tropical storms this season, seven will develop into
hurricanes, and three will be major, with winds of more than 178
kilometers per hour (111 miles per hour), according to William Gray of
Colorado State University, one of the most respected hurricane experts
in the United States.

The average is nine tropical storms, six of them hurricanes and two of
them major, according to Beven.

But people need to be prepared whether the forecast is for an active
or an inactive season, Beven stressed.

"Be ready. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 occurred during a very --
otherwise -- inactive year," he said, referring to the worst weather
disaster in US history.

"There were only six tropical storms that year. But one of them was
Andrew. It only takes one storm."

Florida is planning to use the Internet and public radio to inform
residents of evacuation plans and shelter locations while storms are
underway and conditions are changing, according to Joe Myers, director
of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

The state has spent more than 18 million dollars improving its
emergency services, even making sure shelter locations, even when they
are school cafeterias, have portable computers for Internet
connection.

Florida is also considering making highways one-way during
evacuations, after more than a million residents of southern states
were trapped in traffic jams during Hurricane Floyd last September.

More than 50 people died in the storm, the majority of them during
floods in the state of North Carolina.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Federal government scraps its 'Big Brother' database
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 13:47:36 -0400

Tuesday 30 May 2000
Federal government scraps its 'Big Brother' database
Stewart admits fears over privacy lead to decision to 'dismantle file'
Jim Bronskill, Kelly Cryderman
The Ottawa Citizen

Fred Chartrand, The Canadian Press / Human Resources Minister Jane
Stewart responds to the opposition during question period yesterday after it
was announced that her department will delete the massive database that
holds personal information on millions of Canadians. 'The time is right ... to
dismantle that file,' she told reporters later.

The federal government is dismantling its massive database of personal
information about Canadians in the face of overwhelming privacy concerns.
Human Resources Minister Jane Stewart announced yesterday the huge file
is being scrapped to allay public fears about the detailed contents falling into
the wrong hands.

Ms. Stewart, who had previously defended the database's existence, said
the move was a "prudent measure" that recognizes concerns about privacy
in an era of constantly changing computer technology.

"As we look at the file and we see it coming to its limits," she told a news
conference, "from my point of view the time is right, the time is now to
dismantle that file."

The database, known as the Longitudinal Labour Force File, was made up of
several individual data banks linked for policy and research purposes.

In it were details about records of employment, tax information, education,
citizenship, language and government benefits -- among other things -- for
about 34 million living and dead Canadians. Some individual files contained
as many as 2,000 pieces of data.

Privacy Commissioner Bruce Phillips expressed strong concern, saying the
government is effectively compiling a personal profile of virtually every
Canadian, raising the frightening spectre of an all-knowing Big Brother.

The subsequent storm of publicity prompted 18,000 Canadians to deluge the
department with requests for a copy of their personal file under the Privacy
Act. Given the demise of the database, those who have applied for their file
will soon receive a letter asking if they still want the information.

Ms. Stewart said the department is eliminating the computer program used
to link its information with that of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
as well as data on social assistance from provincial governments.

She said the department's policy analysis and research data relating to its
own programs will be kept as separate, secure and unlinked files. All
personal information identifying individuals is to be encoded to ensure
privacy.

In Addition, the Department Will:

- Establish a "strict new protocol" to govern future policy and research
projects involving linkage of information from separate databases, and
ensure that those projects use no personal information identifying
Canadians.

- Recommend a legal protective framework, including penalties for misuse, to
guide such projects.

- Establish an external advisory committee, including the privacy
commissioner, to manage policy and research issues.

- Inform Canadians about the use of information collected from them.

The privacy commissioner's staff watched Human Resources officials sever
links between the component data banks yesterday.

Mr. Phillips said the new measures balance privacy with the government's
need for information on which to base policy decisions.

"I am very pleased that they're putting in place a process here which is far
more respectful and protective of Canadians' privacy rights than what was
there before," he said in an interview. "The whole process of data use for
research projects has been put on an entirely different and far more rigorous
footing."

However, opposition MPs remained skeptical and chided Ms. Stewart in the
Commons for nixing the database after defending its existence when the
privacy commissioner first raised concerns.

"Why was her database essential last week, but it's a security risk this
week?" asked Deborah Grey, the interim Canadian Alliance leader.

She charged that "day after day in this House the minister has stood there
and assured Canadians the 'Big Brother' database was totally dandy."

She said the move to abolish the database was "an outcome of getting
caught."

Ms. Grey also noted future linkages of Human Resources and Customs and
Revenue data would be considered on a case-by-case basis. "That begs the
question just what kind of cases it will be that trigger the re-creation of the
Big Brother database?"

Bloc Quebecois MP Michel Bellehumeur also decried the flip-flop, calling Ms.
Stewart's actions a "coverup operation."

Ms. Stewart dismissed opposition concerns as fear-mongering, and stressed
there had been no privacy breaches of the database.

Copyright 2000 Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/

via: cyberwar@egroups.com

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - (Fwd) THE 33-YEAR-OLD LESSON by Rabbi Aharon Dov Halperin
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 13:01:15 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: BSaphir@aol.com
Date sent: Tue, 30 May 2000 10:13:35 EDT
Subject: THE 33-YEAR-OLD LESSON by Rabbi Aharon Dov Halperin
To: freemanlist@lists.io.com

THE 33-YEAR-OLD LESSON
by Rabbi Aharon Dov Halperin
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Broadcast on May 29, 2000 / Iyar 24, 5760

In This Article:
  1. Night Flight
  2. We Were Like Dreamers
  3. Taken By Surprise
  4. Forget the Politics
  5. Two Sides of the Same Coin
  6. The First Rashi

NIGHT FLIGHT
The Israel Defense Forces did not withdraw from Lebanon last week. It
fled. And this fleeing, the sloppy and frantic debacle that it was,
represented not only a great victory for the Hizbullah, it also
weakened Israel's deterrent capacity and placed all of our northern
settlements in danger. The only positive aspect of the fiasco is that
the Prime Minister can look to it as the one election promised that he
has fulfilled...

It doesn't matter that this same Prime Minister originally said that a
unilateral withdrawal would be "tragic," even "catastrophic." Such
remarks are quickly forgotten.

The flight from Lebanon is repeating itself in Judea, Samaria, and
Gaza as well. Every village from which we withdraw is sure to be
quickly gobbled up by those whose intention it is to destroy us. I
fear that the great flight - which began with Oslo - cannot and will
not, stop at the "Green Line" or at the Israeli-Lebanese border.

WE WERE LIKE DREAMERS
This week we mark the 33rd anniversary of the Six Day War and the
liberation of the holy city of Jerusalem. Perhaps I am being somewhat
childish, but when I think of the events of last week, I am tempted to
close my eyes, escape the present reality, and think back to the
uplifting, wondrous feeling that filled the air here in Israel 33
years ago. I won't forget those days - not the fear and trepidation
that preceded the war, nor the feeling of exhilaration after we won.
I clearly recall the thundering voice of the Egyptian announcer
informing us from Cairo, in Hebrew, that we would soon "surely die."
And then, all of a sudden, came six amazing days: Our courageous
soldiers left for the front to pursue the enemy, and with the help of
the Lord of Hosts, "the few" scored a miraculous victory over "the
many." Back then, we clearly felt the fulfillment of the verse, "Rise
up, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let those that hate
You flee from before You..." (Numbers 10:36)

TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Aside from being rescued from almost certain annihilation, we
suddenly, completely unexpectedly, were privy to the greatest act of
kindness bestowed by G-d on his people in 2000 years: Our land was
returned to us - Shechem, Bethlehem, Hevron, the Old City of
Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Temple Mount. "We were like
dreamers!" as we read in Psalms. Nobody - not the average Israeli,
not the government, not the army - anticipated just how far-reaching
the victory would be. In fact, the day the war broke out, all thoughts
were directed in one direction only: the fight for our survival.

At the height of the war, however, G-d placed the idea into the head
of the foolish Hussein to join the war. By so doing, the Holy One,
Blessed Be He, guided us towards a decisive redemption of Judea and
Samaria, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount.

My memories of that spectacular war make our latest slaps in the face,
the withdrawal from Lebanon, Yesha, Jerusalem, all the more painful.
What happened? What happened to the State of Israel? How did we
spiral downwards so quickly from such great heights?

FORGET THE POLITICS
I'm sure that the downturn of the past 33 years, ending with Oslo,
could be analyzed from various political, social, military and other
viewpoints in an effort to solve this riddle. Such an approach,
though, is destined to overlook the true reason for our current
predicament. At the heart of the matter is the way in which Israel
related to the 1967 liberation of Jerusalem and of Eretz Yisrael. Did
we view it simply as a military conquest of territories, land that was
to later serve as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with our
enemies? Or did we view the war as an extraordinary moment of Divine
kindness for a nation that received into its hands - after 2,000 years
of exile - its ancient homeland, on condition that we would never
again part with it?

Put another way, did we view the victory from the perspective of
"Kochi Ve'Otzem Yadi" - "My own might and the strength of my hand
brought me this victory" - or as "Me'et Hashem Hayta Zot, Hi Niflat
B'Eineynu" - "This is from G-d, it is wondrous in our eyes"?

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Many people probably believe that overconfidence is incompatible with
capitulation, and that haughtiness is the opposite of defeatism. In
my view, however, they are not polar opposites, but rather two sides
of the same coin. One whose euphoria with the Six Day War victory
stems from a sense of his "own might" is the very type of person who
can just as easily slip into the fantasy of fashioning "A New Middle
East," of single-handedly ushering in a new era of regional peace.
The tool for creating the "New Middle East?" Transfer large chunks of
Eretz Yisrael into the hands of our enemies! Here, then, is a classic
case of where haughtiness and defeatism meet.

There is another view of the events of 1967, however. It sees the
liberation of Jerusalem and Eretz Yisrael as a manifestation of Divine
kindness. People who see it this way believe with complete faith that
the Land was given to us by the Creator of the Universe after 2000
years of exile, on condition that we would cherish it and preserve it.
 Back in '67, this second view was clear to everybody, from the young
paratroopers who captured, then were eternalized gazing with love at,
the Kotel, to the common Israeli whose eyes welled up with tears when
news came of the victory, to the assimilated Jew in the furthest
corner of the globe... The declaration "The Temple Mount is in our
hands!" ignited a spark in the hearts of even the most alienated Jew.
Everyone realized that this miracle was indeed from G-d. It was
"wondrous in our eyes..."

THE FIRST RASHI
Now, 33 years later, the future of the Jewish people in the Land of
Israel remains a question mark. Eretz Yisrael is wounded and shackled
by our own actions. Our greatest test is whether we will once again
begin to cherish and preserve this gift. To this end, we should all
study the first comments by Rashi in the Book of Genesis. Rashi tells
us that the Torah, which is mainly a book of commandments,
nevertheless began with the story of the creation of the world. Why?
So that when the nations of the world challenge us and call us thieves
for "stealing" the land from others, we must respond: "The entire
earth is G-d's. He created it, and gave it to whom He saw fit. He
willingly gave it to others, and then decided to take it from them and
give it to us."

Our challenge is to believe, to know, to become convinced that the
only way - not mystically, but realistically - to bring peace and
security to the Land, is by way of a complete commitment to Eretz
Yisrael. If we pass the test, we are promised, as we read in the
Torah last week: "I will bring peace to the land, and you shall sleep
without having to fear. I will remove the evil beasts from the land,
and the sword shall not pass through the land..."

* * * * * * *
Rabbi Aharon Dov Halperin edits the weekly Israeli magazine Kfar
Chabad and hosts a show on Arutz Sheva's Hebrew radio channel.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Anniversary of Reunification of Jerusalem
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 19:31:39 -0400

The 33rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem will be commemorated
this Friday, the 28th day of Iyar [June 2, 2000].--Arutz 7

This Celebrates 33 Years since the Cease Fire in the 'Six Day War' (June
10th 1967). Israel gained East Jerusalem, Temple Mount, West Bank, Gaza,
Sinai, and Golan Heights On our calander the anniversary falls on June
10th, 2000--http://www.harpazo.net/news.html

June 9/10, 2000 Shavuot/Pentecost
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/s-005-01.htm

Among other things commemorated on Shavuot:
Shavuot/Pentecost = Sivan 6 = June 9, 2000
Enoch was born on the sixth day of the month of Siwan, and he was taken to
heaven in the same month, Siwan, on the same day and in the same hour
when he was born.--Legends of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg
http://philologos.org/__eb-lotj/vol1/three.htm#10

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