Hasbarah, (haz-ba-rah) n. information; L’hasbir, v. to inform.
The publication of the Advocacy for Israel Committee ("A-Team") of Congregation B’nai Israel

Volume 3 * Issue 103 April 29, 2004

The Week’s News in Review

April 21: A leading U.N. official blamed Israel and the United States for the deteriorating situation in Iraq. The governing body of European soccer is lifting a ban on games in Israel after more than two years. April 22: Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in counterterrorist operations. Yasser Arafat evicted 20 suspected terrorists from his headquarters after harboring them for months. A survey showed Likud support dropping for Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. April 23: On Israel's memorial day, Israelis remembered the country's 21,782 fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Israel's army chief of staff said Iraq had chemical weapons before the U.S. invasion last year. Anti-Semitic attitudes have declined in most European countries, but so has support for Israel, according to a new survey. Saudi Arabia says it has cut off funds to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Representatives from 15 Arab countries met in Syria to discuss tightening the Arab boycott against Israel. April 27: The European Union wants Libya to join a future free-trade partnership of European and Mediterranean countries that includes Israel. April 28: Colin Powell denounced anti-Semitism at a major conference in Berlin. A Palestinian car bombing wounded four Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Israel extended a closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip amid fears terrorists could strike a basketball tournament.

The Disengagement Plan of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Israel is committed to the peace process and aspires to reach an agreed resolution of the conflict on the basis of the principle of two states for two peoples, the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people and a Palestinian state for the Palestinian people, as part of the implementation of President Bush's vision. Israel is concerned to advance and improve the current situation. Israel has come to the conclusion that there is currently no reliable Palestinian partner with which it can make progress in a bilateral peace process. Accordingly, it has developed a plan of unilateral disengagement, based on the following considerations: (1) The stalemate dictated by the current situation is harmful. In order to break out of this stalemate, Israel is required to initiate moves not dependent on Palestinian cooperation. (2) The plan will lead to a better security situation, at least in the long term. (3) The assumption that, in any future permanent status arrangement, there will be no Israeli towns and villages in the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, it is clear that in the West Bank, there are areas which will be part of the State of Israel, including cities, towns and villages, security areas and installations, and other places of special interest to Israel. (4) The relocation from the Gaza Strip and from Northern Samaria (as delineated on Map) will reduce friction with the Palestinian population, and carries with it the potential for improvement in the Palestinian economy and living conditions. (5) The hope is that the Palestinians will take advantage of the opportunity created by the disengagement in order to break out of the cycle of violence and to reengage in a process of dialogue. (6) The process of disengagement will serve to dispel claims regarding Israel's responsibility for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. (7) The process of disengagement is without prejudice to the Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Relevant arrangements shall continue to apply.

When there is evidence from the Palestinian side of its willingness, capability and implementation in practice of the fight against terrorism and the institution of reform as required by the Road Map, it will be possible to return to the track of negotiation and dialogue.

Advocacy for Israel Committee Information

The Advocacy for Israel Committee was formed in September of 2001 to organize pro-Israeli activities and to rally support in the form of Hasbara. Please join the community-wide celebration of Israeli Independence Day on Sunday, May 2^nd at the Tampa JCC / Federation Campus. See the reverse for more information. The next A Team meeting is Sunday May 16 in the CBI Library at 9:45. Make a difference for Israel! Contact A Team Chairmen Jay Epstein (jhe@tampabay.rr.com) or Sheldon Scheinert (Sheldo123@aol.com). Get involved!

The ISRAEL ADVOCACY TEAM of Congregation B’nai Israel

300 58^th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 727.381.4900

Speaking out for Israel so that "Never Again" shall Jewish silence lead to an indifferent world