This week in the news

August 16 : President Bush would earn a slightly larger percentage of votes from U.S. Jews if the election were held today. Israeli helicopter gunships hit a Gaza Strip rocket crew, killing two Palestinians. Israelis overwhelmingly prefer President Bush to his challenger, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a new poll shows. August 17: Israel is allowing bids for more than 1,000 new West Bank homes despite U.S. demands for a freeze in settlement construction. August 18: Five Palestinians died in a Gaza Strip blast that Hamas blamed on Israel. Yasser Arafat admitted members of the Palestinian leadership had "misused" their positions. Ariel Sharon's Likud Party prepared to vote on whether to allow the Labor Party to join the Israeli government. Tourism to Israel was up 58 percent in the first half of 2004 compared to the same time period in 2003. August 20: The Israeli at the center of a scandal that brought down New Jersey's governor denied reports of a gay affair with another man. August 23: Israel will reroute its West Bank security fence to reduce the appropriation of Palestinian land. The United States could approve the "natural growth" of settlements in the West Bank. August 24: More Israelis have died in the current Palestinian conflict than in two Middle East wars.

Responding to Inaccuracies about Israel

Inaccuracy: The United States gives Israel too much foreign aid. As a result of this money going to Israel, the U.S. Government is unable to meet critical needs at home. Responses: (1) Foreign aid, which represents less than 1% of the federal budget, is a crucial tool in promoting American interests around the world. Aid promotes the stability of key democratic allies around the world without risking the lives of U.S. soldiers. Foreign aid creates jobs in the United States. Indeed, by law, nearly all U.S. assistance is spent on American-produced items. (2) Aid to Israel promotes stability and democracy in the Middle East. The United States has an ongoing strategic interest in supporting Israel -- an ally with whom it shares many core values, including a commitment to democracy and a rejection of extremism and terrorism. Moreover, history has shown that U.S. aid, particularly military assistance, keeping Israel strong, is the primary ingredient in bringing Arabs to the peace table. (3) In recent years, Israel has committed to reducing and eventually eliminating foreign aid from the United States, maintaining only military assistance to promote Israel's security. Source: The ADL @ http://www.adl.org/Israel/advocacy

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 A Team meets monthly in the CBI Library at 9:45 and the next meeting is Sunday September 19. Please join us and make a difference for Israel! See the reverse for news on an exciting speaker coming to CBI on September 27. Walid Shoebat has made an amazing transformation from Palestinian terrorist to Israeli advocate. Come here what he has to say about this remarkable journey. For more information, visit the web site http://www.cbistpete.org/ or email A Team Chairmen Jay Epstein (jhe@tampabay.rr.com) or Sheldon Scheinert (Sheldo123@aol.com)

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