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 110 June 24, 2004
The Week’s News in Review
June 15:
Israel's attorney general dropped a bribery case against Ariel Sharon. Syria reportedly plans to abandon the anti-Israel policy known as the "three no's." Israeli officials reportedly have ordered West Bank settlements expanded to house Israelis evacuated from the Gaza Strip. The United Nations called on the Israeli air force to stop flying over Lebanon. Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres held talks with the Palestinian Authority prime minister. June 16: President Bush suspended moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel for six more months. Construction of the Ariel security fence was halted after local Palestinians rioted. Jordan convicted 15 terrorists for plotting to attack Israeli and American interests in the Hashemite Kingdom. June 17: Tony Blair reaffirmed his commitment to the Jewish state. Jacques Chirac called on French judges to hand down tough sentences to those found guilty of anti-Semitic actions. Madonna, known for her interest in Jewish mysticism, has taken the name Esther. June 18: A north London synagogue was firebombed. Palestinians fired a new, advanced type of rocket at an Israeli town in the Negev.Myths and Facts in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
MYTH:
"Israel viewed the territories it captured in 1967 as conquered lands that were now part of Israel and had no intention of negotiating over their return."FACTS: (1) By the end of the war, Israel had captured enough territory to more than triple the size of the area it controlled, from 8,000 to 26,000 square miles. The victory enabled Israel to unify Jerusalem. Israeli forces had also captured the Sinai, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. (2) Israel's leaders fully expected to negotiate a peace agreement with their neighbors that would involve some territorial compromise. Almost immediately after the war, Israel's leaders expressed their willingness to negotiate a return of at least some of the territories. Israel subsequently returned all of the Sinai to Egypt, territory claimed by Jordan was returned to the Hashemite Kingdom, and nearly all of the Gaza Strip and more than 40 percent of the West Bank was given to the Palestinians to establish the Palestinian Authority. (3) To date, approximately 93 percent of the territories won in the defensive war have been given by Israel to its Arab neighbors as a result of negotiations. This demonstrates Israel's willingness to trade land for peace.
Source: Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Mitchell G. Bard, http://www.JewishVirtualLibrary.org.
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. The next A Team meeting is Sunday August 8 in the CBI Library at 9:45. Make a difference for Israel! Questions? Ideas? Contact A Team Chairmen Jay Epstein (
jhe@tampabay.rr.com) or Sheldon Scheinert (Sheldo123@aol.com). Check out our Mizrach-Israel Board in the hallway leading to the Atrium, near the Bridal Suite. Get involved!The ISRAEL ADVOCACY TEAM of Congregation B’nai Israel
300 58th 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