Peres and Bush meet in Washington

---

Asaf Hershkowitz (z"l), was murdered day before yesterday by Palestinians who shot at him from an ambush near the Bet El junction north of Jerusalem. This is the second time that a Palestinian terror attack has hit the Hershkowitz family. Asaf's father Aryeh, was murdered three months ago in almost identical circumstances. Asaf, married and father of two, was a resident of Ofrah, situated north-west of Ramallah.

Last Saturday evening, after Shabbat, Shlomo Almekayass (z"l) was killed at the Um-el-Fahm junction on the Afula-Hadera highway. Shlomo was a soldier in regular service and had been on his way home from a weekend of leave in Tiberias with his girlfriend and three other friends. When they reached the traffic light at Um-el-Fahm, a car pulled up alongside Shlomo asking for directions. Assured that the passengers in Shlomo's car were Jewish, they pulled out their weapons and opened fire.

There is growing concern among defense officials that this indicates further escalation and that Israeli Arabs belonging to hostile organizations are joining the struggle.

Although Independence Day was quiet last week, violence erupted immediately following the holiday with increased fervor. Last Saturday shots were fired at Zur Yigal inside the Green Line; a passenger was stabbed in a cab en route from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; Simcha Ron (z"l) an Israeli resident of Nahariya was stabbed to death while visiting an Arab village in the Galilee; five youth were injured of a mortar attack at Netzer Hazani in the Gaza Strip.

The escalation did not prevent Foreign Minister Shimon Peres pay a series of visits to President Mubarak in Cairo, King Abdallah in Aqaba, and President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington. Peres is trying to promote an amended Egyptian-Jordanian initiative aimed at reducing violence, reaching a cease fire and a renewal of peace negotiations.

Today, Shimon Peres met with US President George W. Bush for 45 minutes in the presence of representatives from the National Security Institute. At the conclusion of the meeting, Peres said that Israel and the US are in accordance regarding future continuation of the peace process. According to Peres, Israelis and Palestinians prefer direct talks under US mediation but without imposing solutions on either side.

Yesterday, a disagreement became apparent between Prime Minister Sharon's office and Peres's office against the backdrop of comments attributed to the Foreign Minister in Washington, implying that Arafat is not responsible for the increasing violence that is initiated by the hard-line organizations.

Peres denied that he had made such comments. Sharon's office made it clear that responsibility for the murderous terror attacks lies with Arafat who had given the green light to violence and made a strategic decision to use fire in order to promote his own political interests.

Israel ranked 16^th on a list of 50 countries considered to have competitive economic ability. This is the result of an annual survey carried out by the Economic Institute of Lausanne university in Switzerland. The survey was carried out for UN organizations and it examined the degree of a country's ability to successfully compete in the new world economy. This year Israel rose three points and overtook Britain, France and Japan. The US took first place, Singapore second place and Finland third place.

The survey takes into account human potential, infrastructure and the encouragement of hi-tech initiatives by the government.

Chairman of Aliyah, Klita and Diaspora Knesset committee, Zvi Handel; Chairman of Knesset Committee on Education, Zevulun Orlev, and former Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Finance, Eli Goldschmidt, Ministry of Absorption Deputy Director General Hanoch Zamir arrived in Buenos Aires and Rosario this week at the invitation of the Jewish Agency in order to take a close look at the special situation of the Argentine Jewish community and help the Jewish Agency prepare recommendations, assisting the community in the areas of Jewish-Zionist education and aliyah to Israel.

The parliamentary - Jewish Agency delegation was set to hold extended meetings with Jewish community leaders and heads of the education system, and visited Jewish schools, discussing aliyah possibilities with pupils and their parents. Two evenings ago, the MK's met with a delegation of Jewish intellectuals including writer and psychiatrist Haim Brilliko, attorney Pavel Warshavsky and education specialist Jacob Roval. The intellectuals held a meeting with the MK's regarding the future of Argentine Jewry and the role of Israel and the Jewish Agency in guaranteeing the future and continuity of the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora. The delegation also met with Israel's supporters in the Argentine senate and congress.

At the same time, a senior Jewish mission from North America visited Argentina this week as well, including Alan Raiches, Executive Director of the Toronto Federation, Canada, John Fischel, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation in Los Angeles and and JAFI representative in North America, David Sarnat. On this occasion, Alex Grass, chairman of the JAFI Board of Governors also arrived in Buenos Aires, held discussions with members of the mission and afixed a mezuzah on the door of the new Jewish educational center in Buenos Aires together with Zevulun Orlev, Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Education.

Kito Hasson, head of the JAFI delegation in South America, said that the Jewish Agency has recently stepped up its efforts in assisting the Jews in Argentina in the area of Jewish-Zionist education and aliyah, in view of the serious economic crisis that has envelopped this country.

In view of the PA and PLO advance preparations, it should come as no surprise that from Day 1, the Intifada Al Aqsa operated as a coordinated front comprising key political officials in the Palestinian arena, called "the National and Islamic forces", under Fatah (PLO) leadership, which is responsible for coordinating the violent activities. This front brings together the PLO, the Hamass, the Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Union FIDA, the Arab Freedom Front, the Democratic Front for the Freedom of Palestine, the Palestinian People's party, the Front for the Popular Palestinian Struggle, the Palestinian Freedom Front, and the Palestinian Arab front. The PA's direct involvement in orchestrating the Intifada Al Aqsa is confirmed by a copy of the first poster issued by the National Forces (on 30th September 2000) ordering the Palestinian masses to continue the violence against Israel. The poster bears the official stamp of the Palestinian Ministry of Information and a comment by one of the leaders instructing that it be distributed to everyone. The poster issued by the National and Islamic Forces on October 12th 2000 confirms a similar trend embodied in a "call to students to participate in an organized fashion in Intifada events after school hours in accordance with the decisions of the Supreme Follow-up Committee and this with the agreement of the Ministry of Education and Culture".

• $12,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to the "Shomer Hatzayir" for promoting cooperation between secular and religious - within the framework of projects that foster "Unity, Tolerance and Mutual Respect".

• $14,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to "Noar Melamed Noar" (youth teaching youth) - within the framework of support for "Special Needs Populations".

• $12,000 - Jewish Agency allocation for the year 2000 to the "Midrasha" for a youth fostering Jewdaism progrmam - within the framework of allocations "Enhancing Jewish Identity for Israelis".

• 14,093 olim arrived in Israel since the beginning of 2001. 10,709 from the Former Soviet Union.

"For hundreds of years the Jews of Russia, the Ukraine, North America and other countries looked towards one place in the world. All the synagogues face one place in the world. When the Jews of Ethiopia walked north through the Sudan, they walked to one place - to our heart, to Jerusalem. Thank God we have returned to Jerusalem, we have reunited it and we will preserve it for ever, for eternity". These words were spoken this week by Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor in front of 1600 recent olim from all parts of the world who gathered for a meeting at Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill Museum, on the occasion of the official opening of the Jewish Agency's "Jerusalem Month".

Before the olim arrived at the Ammunition Hill gathering, organized by the JAFI Central Region office, they toured various sites that were freed by those who fought for Jerusalem in 1967. They visited the IDF technological exhibition in Latrun, the Western Wall and the Western Wall Tunnels. Organized by the JAFI Central Region, the activities are part of Jewish Agency efforts to strengthen Jewish identity among olim and to introduce them to Israel's heritage and revival.

During "Jerusalem Month" the Jewish Agency will hold dozens of events all over the world to mark Jerusalem Day, which falls on May 20th. In the FSU, the Jewish Agency marked Jerusalem Day within the context of Israel's 53rd Independence Day celebrations. More than 30,000 Jews participated in Moscow, St. Peterburg, Nizhni-Novgorod, Minsk (capital of Belarus), Tashkent (capital of Uzbekistan), Kiev (capital of the Ukraine) and many other cities. The Jewish Agency will open all the celebrations with large aliyah fairs, attended by representatives of potential employers' and absorption organizations in Israel who will present the potential olim with employment, housing and education oppportunities in Israel.

1,000 Jews in London will mark Jerusalem day with a large assembly at the Kinloss synagogue, organized by the National Zionist Federation in England together with the Jewish Agency. At this gathering British Jewry will welcome Israel's former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Chairman of the Conference of Presidents, Ron Lauder. Dubby Bergman, head of the JAFI delegation in England, reported that a special class on the subject of Jerusalem will be taught at Jewish schools in England according to a format prepared by the Jewish Agency. In addition, all Zionist youth movements in England will hold special ceremonies to celebrate Jerusalem Day.

New Immigrants from different countries at general assembly at Amunition Hill's museum in Jerusalem
(photo: Joe Malcolm)

Lexington, Kentucky residents' attention is focused on just one topic these days: the prestigious "Kentucky Derby" horserace. Non-the-less, the local Jewish community has freed time to meet and discuss recent events in Israel.

A delegation of "partners in solidarity" from the Jewish Agency and the United Jewish Communities launched its first appearance at Lexington's Kentucky University with an event organized by the Hillel student organization and the local Jewish Federation.

A delegation comprising of Reuven Stein - president of the "Shevach Achim" Conservative congregation in Jerusalem's Giloh neighborhood, Gideon Eldar from Mei Ami, a moshav in the Hadera-Eron Partnership 2000 region, and Michael Jankelowitz who is responsible for contacts with the foreign media at the Jewish Agency are visiting Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Schenectady and South Band, Indiana .

Lexington has a Jewish population of 2,500 out of an overall population of 250,000. The city boasts two synagogues - one Reform community "Ahavat Shalom" and one Conservative - "Ohavay Tzedek", led by Rabbi Sharon Cohen, the Conservative movement's first woman rabbi in the southern US. Next year the Lexington Reform community will celebrate 100 years since its establishment.

Following fifty years Communism, during which Zionist activity was prohibited, a new Zionist movement has been founded in Romania. More than eight years ago Jewish Agency emissary, Tova Bin Nun, established the Tnuat Aliyah thus paving the way for the establishment of the Zionist Federation.

The Zionist Federation was founded within the context of a giant Zionist seminar in the presence of 280 youngsters from all over Romania; high-school students, university graduates and students, and young parents under 45 years of age.

The principle goals of the Jewish Agency activity in Romania were a Zionist Seminar, encouragement of Aliyah to Israel and the re-establishment of a Zionist Federation.

Israel's President, Moshe Katsav, hosted 80 orphan children in his home this week - Jews, Druze and Arab - supported by the "Raz Ram" Fund. The fund was established by musicians Aviv and Arik Livnat, children of the late pilot Arnon Livnat, who fell in the Six day War. The fund was established to advance, nurture and enrich orphaned children and teenagers and to bring people closer through creativity and training in the arts. The program was attended by the Fund's proteges who were subsequently invited to the Biblical Zoo and the Israel museum for a visit

The fund is supported by various organizations including the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Defense, the Jewish Agency, "Omanut La'am" and other "friends" from the private and business sectors such as Transport Minister Dr. Ephraim Sneh, Israel's ambassador Gen. (Res.) to the US David Ivri, Israel music laureate Evel Erlich, and Avinoam Finkelman, president of the Delek Group.

The "Orphans without borders" project run by the Raz-Ram Fund also directs its activities at the minorities sector involving Druze and Arab as well Jewish children. This activity already takes place in Jaffa and Hurfesh. "Such activity is extremely important at a time when there is a real need to protect the delicate fabric of our joint lives", said chairman of the Fund, Aviv Livnat.

Last Tuesday a delegation headed by Matan Vilnai, Minster of Culture, Science & Sport, paid a visit to the Druze village Hurfesh while the activities were under way. The minister expressed his support for the Fund's activities. The Fund is planning "creative nuclei" of orphans from Sderot, the Katif Bloc, Metulla and Kfar Rama. Most of the Fund's activities rely on donations and volunteers.

More than 1,000 young IDF graduates with youth leadership experience head for Jewish summer camps in North America and the FSU this summer.

The young shlichim will be leaders at 185 summer camps all over the US, Canada and Europe, and at other camps in the FSU, in which 150,000 Jewish youth will participate. They will serve as public information emmissaries, enabling the youth to become acquainted with Israeli society, Israeli culture, learn Hebrew, art, camping, sports, etc.

The Jewish Agency's Education Department received applications from more than 5,500 youngsters from all over Israel seeking to take part in the project. Of those, 1,000 leaders were chosen. The selection process included personal interviews, workshops and meetings with the camp directors from abroad. A five-day preparatory seminar, organized by the JAFI Education Department, is currently underway at Shoresh just outside Jerusalem. The seminar trains participants to understand Jewish communities in the Diaspora, provides them with educational tools for leadership at the camps and trains them in all aspects of the emissary's role as young ambassadors advocating on behalf of Israel in communities abroad. This week 400 leaders will participate in a training seminar.

On July 16^th 2001, as has been the case every 4 years since 1932, the 16th Maccabiah Games will take place in Israel, with a festive opening in Jerusalem.

The games are the largest Jewish, Zionist, sporting event in the world. This national and international sports event will last 11 days until the closing ceremony on July 26th 2001. 5,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete in 31 sports, including competitions for men, women, youngsters including events for the disabled.

International representatives and judges will ensure that the games are of a high standard and that there is fair play. The training and competing facilities have been selected to comply with international standards, and are in close proximity to the athletes' accommodation. 5000 athletes arriving from the all over the world, will be housed at 25 hotels in 5 centers: Haifa, Zichron Yaakov (youth Maccabea), Netanya, Jerusalem and the Dan region.

The Chairman of the Jewish Agency has called on all Jewish communities delegating athletes, to motivate them towards coming to Israel. The Jewish Agency is working together with the Maccabea administration in hosting the delegations in Israel, particularly in Partnership 2000 communities.

12 outstanding JAFI employees and two outstanding WZO employees received merit certificates at a special ceremony which took place on April 29th at the National headquarters building in Jerusalem.

Among those to receive the awards: Ethel Tal - district treasurer in the finance department; Keren Nachmani - head of implementation and follow-up of contracts at the Israel Department; Rimona Wiesel - director of design and control at the Aliyah Department; Zvi Esterchen - director of the Ramat Hadassah youth village; Nonah Armon - activities coordinator at the FSU Department; Hinda Shetreet - director of the Director General's office; Dulcie Liebler - director of the international media division; Smadar Perach - director of the Round Kinneret district; Shalom Nini - head of Ulpanei Aleph in the Jerusalem and central region; Irena Liberta - computer projects director in the HR unit; David Ohayon - who deals with kibbutz ulpanim in the southern region; Amos Yuval - director and editor of the Zionist Publication house; and Hadass Marcus - director of the budget department for the Golan region in the Zionist Federation's settlement department.

The awards were presented by Jewish Agency and WZO Chairman Sallai Meridor, Treasurer Chaim Chesler, Director General Aharon Abramowitz and chairman of the Workers' Committee Yona Bezaleli. The ceremony was M.C.'d by Shaul Lilach, director of the Jewish Agency's Human Resources department.

In congratulating the outstanding employees, JAFI leaders emphasized that in their routine work, these employees contribute to the implementation of the Agency's goals, including bringing olim from all over the world and assisting in their absorption in Israel; enhancing Jewish education among the younger generation in Israel and around the World, and strengthening the bond between Israel and Jewry the world over. The Jewish Agency chairman emphasized the special nature of this period in which the organization faces the challenges of the Jewish people in a changing and dynamic environment.

The IDF is becoming increasingly concerned about the rise in the number of accidents involving soldiers. Over the last two days two soldiers have been killed in accidents: 23-year old Shai Nardi, a paratrooper was killed by a stray bullet during training. An investigation is now under way as to whether this was a stray bullet or a weapon was fired accidentally. Yesterday Sergeant Roi Pilosoph was killed when his forklift overturned.

The Jerusalem magistrate's court handed down a majority ruling sentencing former minister Yitzhah Mordecai to 18 months suspended imprisonment, for sexual offenses. In fixing the sentence, the judges took into account the fatal beating which Mordecai's public and previous impressive military career had taken by his conviction. This is the first time that a high-ranking Israeli public figure has been indicted and convicted of sexual offenses.

A former senior Israeli officer, Brig. General (Res.) Yitzhak Yaakov, who held an important position in the advanced stages of the development of Israel's nuclear program, has been detained on suspicion of espionage. Yaakov, who formerly headed the IDF's R&D department was held for investigation in connection with his relations with a Russian woman "who may have had access to his work". Yitzhak Yaakov, now 75 years old, holds dual Israeli-American nationality. Yaakov's friends in the US, where he lives and was once chairman of a company dealing in computer hardware with branches in Israel and Russia. The Tel Aviv court allowed publication of some of the details pertaining to the charge sheet against Yaakov, according to which he is accused of three offenses: unauthorized handing over confidential information, with intent to harm the country's security; unauthorized handing over of confidential information; handing over information with the intention of harming national security.

The parents of the three IDF soldiers who were abducted by the Hizbollah six months ago on the Lebanese border, traveled to New York to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Anan. One of the parents said that despite her hard feelings and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the soldiers "we are hopeful".

A further sign of closer relations between Israel and Yugoslavia: an Israeli Air Force fighter plane brought a consignment of humanitarian aid to Belgrade, designated principally for hospitals in Yugoslavia. This is the first time that Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Yugoslavia. The consignment was organized by the Jerusalem municipality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IDF, in conjunction with the Serbian Orthodox Church and Yugoslavia's Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Ten Israelis were recently arrested on suspicion of belonging to an international narcotics ring, which smuggled half a million ecstasy pills into Israel. The episode was investigated by the Israeli police, the FBI and the Canadian Mounted Police and allegedly involves an international Israeli ring smuggling drugs from labs in Holland to Israel, the US and Canada. One example of the ring's operations: in February the ring sent an electric organ to the US via Canada containing 35,000 ecstasy tablets.

Israel Aircraft Industries has sold a company it owns - Galaxy Aerospace Corporation, to the American concern General Dynamics for $645 million - $330 million in cash and another $315 million according to the company's sales and performance. This is the largest ever transaction in IAI history. With the signing of the transaction, EJI announced the purchase of 50 Galaxy executive aircraft manufactured by the IAI, for $2 billion, including spare parts and service.

And finally: on the eve of Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced that Israel's population now numbers 6.4 million, 8 times more than at the time of the Declaration of Independence, when the country had a population of just 806,000 . Since the establishment of the State 4.5 million babies have been born in Israel. 2.9 million olim have arrived in Israel - 600,000 of those have left the country. The Jewish population numbers 5.2 million - 81% of the overall population.

The Matan Society (center for the Support of the Arts for young Olim) works on behalf of artisticly talented young new immigrants and has initiated a public competition. The competition was recorded at the Jerusalem Theater and a hundred youngsters appeared.

The participants received money prizes which will help them continue their studies in the arts. Ms. Marina Rabinowitz, who chairs Matan, said that the organization supports talented children from the periphery and socially deprived areas thus directly contributing to the prevention of violence and drugs. The youngsters, who are mostly new immigrants from the FSU and Ethiopia, attend groups (chugim) run by the organization all over the country.

The organization's events are held in conjunction with the FSU Olim Society, Israel Radio's Aliyah Absorption Channel (REKA) and the Jewish Agency.

A new, impressive photograph album was recently published by the Ministry of Defense, portraying the life of IDF soldiers in an original way : 24 hours in the life of the IDF.

On Tuesday February 8, 2000 - 47 professional photographers, including prominent photographers, covered the IDF's entire area of operations, from the Lebanese border in the north to its areas of training in the south. They penetrated every nook and cranny - army bases, training grounds, offices, kitchens and campaign activity, and filmed "anything that moved".

Following in the photographers' footsteps journalist Menachem Michaelson met with soldiers from some of the units that had been photographed documenting their feelings, thoughts and mostly their actions, in writing.

Ingredients:

One head of lettuce
200 gr. spinach leaves, washed and dried
One large onion
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice of one lemon
3 Tsp. olive oil
20 cherry tomatoes
Handful pine cones

Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tsp. mustard
Black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
Chopped basil & chives
100 gr. crumbly salted cheese

Preparation:

• Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Tear into pieces and place in deep bowl.

• Cut the onion into thin slices, cut spinach leaves into strips.

• Fry pine nuts lightly in oiled heavy frying pan. Remove from pan and place on plate.

• Lightly stir fry the onion, garlic and spinach leaves and add the pine nuts.

• Add the mixture to the bowl of lettuce, add the cherry tomatoes and cheese on top.

• Prepare the sauce in separate dish, mixing all the ingredients well. Serve separately from salad.

B'Te'avon!     Bon Appetit!