1. Bush Expects Israel-PA Treaty by January 2009
by Hana Levi Julian
 
US President George W. Bush sent a message of optimism Thursday at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) following their meeting in Ramallah.  His positive spin did not entirely hide his concern about the deep divide between the positions of Israel and the PA.

Reiterating his oft-repeated mantra that “tough choices” must be made in order to reach a settlement between Israel and the PA, Bush said he believed leaders of both sides are committed to the process.

“I believe it’s possible – not only possible, I believe it’s going to happen – that there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office. That’s what I believe.”

That having been said, Bush also noted that little could be accomplished while Israel is forced to maintain a constant state of alert against terrorism emanating from PA territories.

The Israelis, he said bluntly, “don’t want a state on their border from which attacks can be launched.  I can understand that.  The checkpoints create security for Israel and they create frustration for Palestinians.”

Abbas underscored the PA position that there can be no peace without lifting security restrictions and, ultimately, the creation of a PA state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert drew the line at Jerusalem in his meeting with Bush on Wednesday, telling him that Israel will not accept limitations on what construction it chooses to carry out anywhere in Jerusalem.

In a joint news conference following their meeting, Olmert told reporters “We made it clear that Jerusalem’s status was different than that of other settlements.  Not everyone likes what we have to say about this, but we made it clear that Jerusalem’s status was different than that of the settlements,” he said.

“The Palestinian people, claimed Abu Mazen, are "committed to peace, want to move freely in their country, with no roadblocks, [separation] fence or settlements. We want to see a different future, without thousands of prisoners in jail and innocent deaths. We want to stop the closure,” Abbas told reporters.
 
The American Roadmap plan, which all parties agreed would become the blueprint for the negotiation process, called for a complete cessation of terrorist activity emanating from the PA territories in its first phase, along with the lifting of Israeli security measures.

Olmert and Abbas both agreed to skip the first step and move ahead to a discussion of final status issues.  Until this point, the PA has insisted that its territories in Judea and Samaria must be considered as one entity with Gaza – but Thursday’s news conference raised a question as to whether that would still be the case in future talks.

Bush told reporters that the Hamas terrorist organization has complicated matters for everyone. “There is a competing vision taking place in Gaza,” he said. “Hamas… has delivered nothing but misery.”  He added that he didn’t know whether issues with Hamas – and by extension, in Gaza – could be resolved by the end of 2008.  “Gaza’s a tough situation,” said Bush. “I don’t know whether you can solve it in a year or not.”

What is clear, said Bush, is the cost to the PA of not resolving the Gaza problem and the choice that must be made. “Do you want those who have created chaos to run your country?” he asked pointedly. “Or do you want those of us who negotiated a settlement with the Israelis that will lead to lasting peace?”

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum responded in Gaza that the Bush-Abbas meeting “focused on the so-called security topics that mean to act against the interests of the Palestinian majority and the resistance.”

It is not clear whether or how any agreement between Israel and the Fatah-run PA government can be reached without dealing with Hamas’s stranglehold on Gaza.

The clock is ticking, however. “I’m on a timetable,” Bush told reporters. “I’ve got 12 months.”

 
 
 
 

2. Police Recommend Indicting Another Kadima MK
by Ezra HaLevi
 
Yet another member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s ruling Kadima Party will be indicted for ethical misconduct: Absorption Minister Yaakov Edery.

The National Police Fraud Investigations Division has recommended that Edery be indicted for breach of trust and accepting a bribe while serving as Deputy Minister of Public Security, from 2003-2006.

The allegations center around Edery working to promote a senior police officer in return for a bribe to be paid in the form of the thousands of Rosh HaShana greeting cards government members send out each year.

Edery says that if he is indicted, he will resign from the government, but maintains his innocence and claims “injustice” is being perpetrated against him.

Other members of the Kadima Party that have been investigated or indicted for crimes are Vice-Premier Chaim Ramon, Tzachi HaNegbi, Omri Sharon, Avraham Hirschson and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert himself, along with his bureau chief Shula Zaken.
 

 
 
 
 

 
3. Bush Meets With Opposition Head Netanyahu
by Ezra HaLevi
 
US President George W. Bush decided to meet Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu after initially leaving him out of his itinerary.

After recriminations from Netanyahu associates and claims that Bush was snubbing the former prime minister, US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones called Netanyahu’s office Wednesday to invite him to meet with Bush Thursday morning at Jerusalem's King David Hotel. At their meeting, Netanyahu told Bush, "Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people and will remain under Israeli sovereignty for eternity."

The central subject discussed by the two was the Iranian threat. Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Bush's role in defending the free world from radical Islamic terror. Former Netanyahu advisor Michael Freund issued a plea to Bush to take military action against the "Tyrant of Tehran" to stop his atomic pursuit.

The meeting lasted 45 minutes longer than planned. Also participating were Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor Steve Hadley and Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams.

Netanyahu associates initially accused PM Olmert of convincing Bush to snub Netanyahu due to his opposition to the Annapolis Conference. Jones said that the reason Netanyahu was initially left out of Bush’s schedule was purely logistical and due to time constraints, but that it now seems there is time to squeeze him in.

Likud’s ‘Jewish Leadership’ Faction Says Netanyahu ‘Pliable’
Moshe Feiglin, who won second place in the Likud primaries and heads the Jewish Leadership (Manhigut Yehudit) faction within the party, says Netanyahu does not pose a true opposition to the path of Kadima and Ehud Olmert and says it is he Bush should meet with if the US leader wants to hear an alternative vision for Israel's future.

Manhigut Yehudit issued a statement doubting whether Netanyahu qualifies as a representative of the Opposition in that he is likely to follow a similar path as Olmert, should he come to power.

“Mr. Netanyahu is just as pliable as the current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,” the statement read. “If [US] President Bush would actually be willing to follow protocol, he would meet with the real alternative - the only politically viable alternative to Olmert - namely Moshe Feiglin.”
 
Manhigut officials added that it was ironic that Netanyahu was initially snubbed by Bush since he himself has refused to meet publicly with Feiglin in recent months following Feiglin’s second-place showing in the party’s primaries. “Netanyahu broke his campaign pledge to end the Oslo Accords, gave away Israeli sovereignty over most of Hevron, which resulted in Jewish blood being spilled, released terrorist-murderers, and broke his promise to bring Jonathan Pollard home,” faction officials said. “All of Netanyahu's appeasements were in direct violation of the Official Likud Charter.  Israel cannot afford to have another leader like Netanyahu who has no principles, no faith, and no strength to stand up for the best interests of his country.”

 
 
 
 

4. Israeli Police Campaign to Silence Voice of Opposition
by Hana Levi Julian and Baruch Gordon
 
Three people were taken into custody and their literature confiscated as they were handing it out to foreign journalists outside the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem Wednesday night. The Dan Panorama is where most of the journalists who are covering the Bush visit are lodging.

Plans to distribute the material to foreign journalists were put into place last week as a joint project of the Center for Near East Policy Research and the National Council of Young Israel, a Jewish American organization with chapters in every state. "A number of activists with several organizations were working on assisting the Center to distribute this crucial information to the foreign media," said activist Suzy Dym in an exclusive interview with Israel National News.

English-speaking volunteers came Wednesday evening to speak with visiting journalists outside their hotel, and present them with views and materials opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israel.

Volunteer Yosef Hartuv gave a Fox TV cameraman a booklet presenting the majority view in Israel which opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Fox cameraman is seen in the picture below holding the literature as he carried on a 20-minute conversation with him. According to Hartuv, the cameraman said, "This is very interesting. I'll get this stuff to my producer."
 

Yosef Hartuv speaks with Fox cameraman

The literature handed out was a booklet authored by Arlene Kushner entitled, "Fatah as 'Moderate': A Hard Look Post-Annapolis, published by the Center for Near East Policy Research at the Beit Agron International Press Center in Jerusalem. The booklet may be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.

According to eye-witnesses, Police Superintendant Chaim Moshe approached the cameraman and confiscated the booklet from him. Officer Moshe then told the volunteers that they were not allowed to stand there and talk with the journalists.

In the picture below, Superintendant Chaim Moshe can be seen holding the confiscated booklet in his hands and telling volunteer Susie Dym that she must leave the premises.
 

Officer Chaim Moshe tells Susie Dym to leave

"One policeman said we can't stand in front of the hotel, that we should go to the corner, so that's what I did," related Jeff Daube, another volunteer at the site.

Daube wrote what happened next in a blog post:

"Approximately 20 minutes later, a policeman comes down to the corner where I had been standing and taps me on the shoulder asks me for my teudat zehut [ID card] and tells me to come with him. He then told me to get into the police car with Yehudit Dassberg and Susie Dym, two colleagues who were there for the same purpose. They did not tell me at the time why I was being taken in but Susie told me in the car that they found the material either seditious or contain incitement -- I am not sure which. Later it became apparent that they claimed we were creating a public nuisance. Nothing could be further from the truth."
 

Hear Daube interviewed on IsraelNationalRadio.com.

Dym was not willing to be taken in for questioning: "I told them that I cannot agree to be detained because I need to talk to these foreign reporters, that that's what I came to Jerusalem for." "Then you are arrested," responded the police officer, "for distributing seditious (treasonous) material."

Dym said Police Superintendent Chaim Moshe told her if she didn't "come along quietly" that they would use "considerable force" against her.

At the Russian Compound, Dym was formally arrested while the other two were detained.

Approximately one hour later, all three were released, their personal belongings were returned -- minus the booklets -- and the charge against Dym was dropped. "They haven't really charged us yet, but they still could," she emphasized. "We like to hope that in a democracy that doesn't happen, but we know it does."

Israel Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told Israel National News on Thursday that the three volunteers were released "after it became clear there was no security threat involved and there was no incitement with the materials they had."

Rosenfeld said the booklets were confiscated in order to be "examined" but was unable to explain why the materials were not returned once it had been determined they were harmless. "That's something I have to look into," he said. When pressed for a response as to why the detainees were released without their literature, he reiterated the police were examining the materials at the time, adding, "It takes time to read through a 27-page booklet in English."

The real concern, said Dym, is the lack of information reaching public figures in American Jewish organizations about Fatah's continued involvement with terrorism against Israel.

"Our real hope is that public figures and organizations will take this very seriously," she said. "We pray we won't be abandoned by the American Jewish community on this issue."

Daube concludes his blog post about the arrest with his personal feelings:

"I am struck by the police's total arbitrary and capricious behavior in this incident. After having read and heard about these types of police actions, and now having experienced it first-hand, I can only say that I am saddened by the fact that the police force of the Jewish State employs tactics which are unethical in the extreme and still has the gall to call itself a democratic country where the rule of law prevails. Granted at 60 years old, the country may still be young, relatively speaking, but it still has a long way to go before it reaches minimum standards of respect for a citizen's civil rights -- even a brand new citizen."

 
 
 
 

 
5. Mortars, Kassam Rocket Attacks Greet Bush
by Hana Levi Julian
 
Palestinian Authority terrorists in Gaza launched a barrage of mortar shells and Kassam rocket fire at Israeli communities in the western Negev Wednesday, marking the arrival of US President George W. Bush for a three-day visit.

By evening, at least 15 mortars and Kassam rockets had rained down on southern Israel, with many hitting the besieged city of Sderot.

Three people in the city were rushed to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon after an attack late in the afternoon. One of the victims was a 17-year-old girl who was hit in the hand by shrapnel. A 60-year-old man complained of chest pains, and a third person fell and was injured while running for cover from the incoming missiles.

The attacks began well before Bush's midday arrival in Israel, with the first barrage of five rockets and shells slamming into Sderot at 8:00 a.m., when many Israeli children were going to school and their parents were going to work.

One of the missiles slammed into a house, landing in a young child's bedroom. Miraculously, the three-week-old baby was in his mother's arms in the shelter to which she ran when the Color Red alert siren wailed. Three people were treated for shock in the aftermath of the attack, including the boy's mother.

At midday, at least nine Kassam rockets had been fired at Israel. Three were aimed at the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, several others at Negev kibbutzim. Most targeted Sderot. Several landed near the security fence.

The Salah a-Din Brigades, a terror gang under the banner of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the morning's attacks.

The Israel Air Force killed two terrorists and wounded six others in a targeted air strike on an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell that was firing mortar shells in Beit Lahiyeh in northern Gaza, according to both Israeli and PA sources.

 
 
 
 

6. Bush Visit Doesn’t Interest World Media
by Hillel Fendel
 
Only 50 reporters from around the world arrived in Israel to cover the meetings between US President George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Danny Seaman, Director-General of the Israel Government Press Office, says international interest in the Israeli-Arab conflict has faded. When former US President Bill Clinton came a decade ago, 1,000 journalists descended upon Israel from the world media.

Seaman emphasized, however, that "when we count how many journalists arrive, we don't count the 130 or so who arrived with Bush as part of their regular White House coverage, and also the hundreds who are here on a regular basis."

Seaman told Arutz-7’s Hebrew-language “Freedom of Broadcast” show, “The preparations we made for the international media were very complex and involved.  The Prime Minister’s Office set up a special team, headed by Deputy Director Amnon Ben-Ami, to coordinate all the details.”

The wane in world interest in international news was noted three years ago, Seaman said, “when fewer journalists than expected arrived to cover Arafat’s death.  In general, the world is more interested in local news.  In addition, of course, there have not been any significant breakthroughs in the talks with the Palestinians, and none are expected, so there is not much to come for… They have learned from the past; they have had enough of 'hopes' ever since the beginning of the Oslo process.”

Families of terrorist victims will be brought to meet the journalists, and the press center will also feature photos of the captive Israeli soldiers – Gilad Shalit, who is being held by Hamas, and Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, who are being held by Hizbullah.
 

 
 
 
 

 
7. Feature: Refuah Conference – A Festival of Positive Energy
by Hillel Fendel
 
"A lot of positivity and people wanting to do good."  That's how one of some 200 participants summed up the recent First Annual Refuah Institute Conference on Torah Psychology and Medicine, held at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.

The conference was two days of intensive lectures and workshops on all things having to do with Torah counseling and coaching, better communication with others and between our physical and spiritual selves, and bringing out our best potential.

[video:123033]

"Less Like a Great Machine, More Like a Great Thought"
World-renowned Prof. Gerald Schroeder, author of Genesis and the Big Bang, began the proceedings by positing that metaphysical or spiritual life is just as real as our physical lives. "As we get down to levels as tiny as quarks and neutrinos in our understanding of the world," he said, "we discover something amazing: All of modern technology that controls everything we do is based on quantum physics – meaning, as astronomer Sir James Jeans said, 'The universe is beginning to look less and less like a great machine than like a great thought.'"

"In short," Prof. Schroeder said, "the world is coming nearer to the Torah's truth that man was created in the 'image of G-d' – i.e., with the spark of the original wisdom, into which we hope to tap."

Refuah Institute founder and dean Prof. Joshua Ritchie, M.D., followed by noting, "When I started in medical school 50 years ago, they told me that most of what they were teaching us would not be correct 50 years later – and they were mostly right.  We're living in exciting times; Torah has always used the science of its day, and it uses it well."

Physics and Isaiah
The Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, continued this line by praising the study of nature as a way of teaching us the greatness of the Creator. "When I was a high school student," he told, "my rabbi and teacher, the famed late Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, heard in my voice that I was not over-enthusiastic about learning physics. He couldn't believe it. 'How can you not like physics?!' he said. 'It's a clear manifestation of [the verse from Isaiah], 'Lift your eyes heavenward and see Who created all this!'"

Prof. Dr. Yehuda Levi explained, with examples, how Torah Judaism combines the best of the three main theories of modern psychology – Skinner's behaviorism, Freudian analysis, and cognitivism.

Another in the list of super-star speakers - four lectures, three in English and one in Hebrew, were often going on simultaneously - was Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel, Director of the "Judaism from a Different Angle" Center.  He enthralled the participants with his approbation of Holocaust-survivor psychologist Victor Frankl's theory of logotherapy: "Human beings seek meaning in life, and they wish to be part of something great," the rabbi said.  He also explained the relationship between the different parts of our spiritual personality, and how our actions, speech and thought correspond to each.

Rabbi/Doctor Team and Physical/Spiritual Interplay
The physical/spiritual interface was the focus of a well-attended session given jointly by physician Dr. David Shiller and Torah scholar Rabbi Avraham Sutton.  Their slide show/lecture detailed a view of the human body in which mind, emotions, and physiology function in unity – explaining why prayer, meditation, song, and Torah study and commandments enhance our physical health.  A long list of Torah/Kabbalah sources was provided as well to emphasize the soul-body unity.

Joy and Happiness
Another theme that was heavily emphasized throughout the conference – and that left participants on a noticeable "high" – was that of happiness.  Mrs. Liliane Ritchie, RTC, led a "guided imagery" session, before which she reminded the participants, "Being depressed is not reality, and is not natural; it's just a way of looking at what is happening. We must hear the voice of truth – that we are G-d's children and He loves us – and we can see this when we are in a loving, joyful state."

Jerusalem's well-known author and counselor Rabbi Zelig Pliskin enthusiastically outlined his "Nine Principles of Joy."  These include thinking appreciatively and gratefully, speaking joyfully and kindly, assuming everything has some benefit, striving for meaningful goals, and more.  To concretize the ninth principle – "I smile and wave to mirrors; they always smile and wave back" – Rabbi Pliskin ended the session by distributing, at cost price (5 shekels), small pocket mirrors complete with a copy of the Nine Principles.

Coaching
Much of the second day of the conference focused on the developing field of personal coaching from a Torah standpoint.  Empathy, understanding and listening were repeatedly emphasized throughout the conference as indispensable tools for those who wish to coach or counsel others.

"I merited to spend over 1,000 hours with the Amshinover Rebbe in Bayit Vegan in Jerusalem," Prof. Ritchie said, "witnessing how he counseled others.  I was able to see first-hand how genuine empathy, caring, support and a positive approach actually was successful!  The Torah taught this long before Rogers formulated the Rogerian approach."

A basis for personal coaching based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe was quoted by Rabbi Mordechai Weiss, who said that when the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers) advises each person to set a rabbi for himself, this was not meant merely for legal, Halakhic questions – but rather that one must find someone to guide him or her in all facets of life. "This means that everyone must have his own personal advisor and coach," Rabbi Weiss concluded, "in order to help him progress in life, spiritually and otherwise, as best as possible."
"In order to be a successful coach," Weiss added, "you must live your own life purposefully. "

"Your job as a coach," Rabbi Weiss said, "is to help people discover their own visions, goals and dreams.  There may be multiple paths to accomplish these goals… The coach must keep in mind that the exact solution must lie with the client; it is not your job to tell him or her what to do, but rather to listen very well and hear what the client is telling you…"
 
"In order to be a successful coach," he added meaningfully, "you must live your own life purposefully.  This means to live in full awareness of what you can accomplish; life is not a spectator sport."

A fascinating model coaching session was led by Stewart Hirsch, J.D. of the Boston area, who flew to Israel especially for the conference.  Describing himself as a "recovered lawyer," he changed careers in mid-life to become a business coach, with a practice based solidly on Torah ideals.  He emphasized that one who helps someone else is actually helping himself at the same time, "because we are all connected with the Source of all – G-d. Sometimes I ask people if they have prayed about their problem; this will give them confidence. Sometimes people will say that they don’t 'want to bother G-d' about these issues; I say, He told us to work six days a week, and we shouldn't pray to Him about it?!"

"As a coach," Hirsch said, "I'm not there to come up with something new, but rather to pass on a message he may need to hear - or perhaps something he is saying himself but is not hearing…"

Hirsch emphasized that the elements of credibility, reliability and intimacy add up to make a coach "trusted" in the eyes of his clients – but that self-orientation rightfully detracts from this image.  "The formula is C+R+I divided by S," he said.

Harvard Prof on "Positive Psychology"
A special treat was the appearance of Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shachar, who gave a sampling of his course on "Positive Psychology" - arguably Harvard's most popular course in 2006.

"The objective of Positive Psychology," he explained, "is to unite the accessibility of the self-help movement with the rigor of academic research."  In a friendly and humorous manner, juxtaposed with some healthy Zionism – he said that he moved back to Israel, where he was born, "because here is where I feel best, for both family and Zionist reasons" – he outlined five main points (summarized here in painful brevity):

1. We are allowed to be human, and we are allowed to sometimes have negative emotions. Instead of trying to be rid of them, we must simply accept and deal with them.

2. Modern society faces an epidemic known as stress, which must be dealt with by simplifying our lives.  Time-outs are important, as is realizing we can't do everything. A recent study surprisingly found that busy young mothers did not enjoy being with their children – and then it was ascertained that this was because they were always doing other things at the same time… It's like listening to your favorite music, Carlebach and Beethoven, at the same time…

3. The mind-body connection. Exercise is important in overcoming depression.

4. Mindfulness Meditation.  This is something that people think comes from the East, but really it appears in Torah.  Everyone jumps at sudden sounds – but not those engaging in meditation…  At a red light, for instance, instead of being frustrated, use the time to take deep breaths and relax.

Five Nightly Thank-You's
5. Focusing on the positive and appreciating the good.  Must we really wait for something bad to happen in order to appreciate the good that we have?  A study by Emmons and McCullough in 2002 shows that feelings of gratitude lead to emotional well-being.  I personally have found, as has academic research, that writing down before I go to sleep every night five things for which I am grateful improves my emotional health in general.

To purchase recordings of the conference lectures, or to find out more, click here.  www.refuah.net
 

 
 
 
 

8. Sderot to be Outfitted With Cutting-Edge Wireless Network
by Ezra HaLevi
 
Sderot will no longer only be known for its excellent falafel and abandonment to rocket attack by its government: the city’s schools are being outfitted with Israel’s first long-range WiMAX wireless networks.

The networks are being set up by 012 Smile Communications, Alvarion and Intel and will use WiMAX technology to provide free high-speed wireless Internet access across the region. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology allows users to stay connected while moving over much longer distances than traditional Wi-Fi.

The reason the schools were chosen as a starting point is that many educational institutions have been moved to alternate locations in order to be protected from rocket attacks from nearby Gaza. The new locations lack the necessary infrastructure for traditional wired networks. Dozens of laptop computers are being donated to the schools as well.

Though Sderot’s schools are the first to benefit from the initiative, plans are to equip the entire western Negev with the technology.

Communications Minister Ariel Attias (Shas) praised the initiative, particularly for bringing such technology to an area known to be less economically well-off. "The State of Israel must be committed to minimizing educational and technological gaps, bringing the periphery closer [figuratively] to the center and devoting efforts to improving the quality of life of citizens in Sderot and the Western Negev,” Attias said. “The possibility of utilizing free access to WiMAX technology is one means of achieving these goals."

Sderot’s Mayor Eli Moyal, who recently resigned, but came back to work at the behest of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, also praised the move. "I congratulate this initiative to connect kindergartens in Sderot using WiMAX wireless Internet technology, thus bringing Sderot to the forefront of this innovative technology, unparalleled throughout Israel,” Moyal said. “We wish for the success of this project and hope that it will expand to other centers in the region in the near future so that many more people will benefit from broadband wireless Internet connections."

012’s CEO Stella Hendler explained the move: “We are pleased to bring WiMAX to Sderot, a city that has suffered on both developmental and security fronts, [and to be] helping it to become one of the world's first 'connected' cities and giving it the technology to reach its full potential,” Hendler said. “We are proud to be part of this project that is placing Sderot on the cutting-edge of technological innovation in Israel.”

Alvarion CEO Tzvika Friedman said he sees Internet access as a propagator of equality. "In developing regions throughout the world, broadband Internet access is proving to be a great 'leveler' that brings improved education and economic progress in its wake," he said.
 

 
 
 
 

 
9. Ariel - The Making of a New English-Speaking Community Part #2
by Bridgitte Raven
 
In Part One of this series, we discussed the who, what and where of the city of Ariel – the fifth largest city in the region of Judea and Samaria, located just 45 minutes from Tel Aviv, and home to over 18,000 residents.

Lead by its visionary mayor Ron Nachman and Avi Zimmerman, Ariel’s Community Project Coordinator, Ariel is on the brink of creating a new English-speaking community. With the rate of North American olim on the rise, what can the city of Ariel offer potential residents that other places cannot?

Firstly, the average English-speaking family that is looking for a community close to the Tel Aviv region, (where job opportunities in many fields seem to be more abundant, as well as higher pay than in the rest of the country) may find that the options of where to settle are somewhat limited. For some time now, the most popular Aliyah destinations in this part of the country have been Modiin, Beit Shemesh, and Ranaana. While it’s true that these cities have a tremendous amount to offer an immigrant family, many are finding that the going rate for a home in these communities is quite beyond their price range.

Secondly, because of the...

Read the continuation of this article in Arutz Sheva's Real Estate section.

 
 
 
 

10. Video: A Political Campaign Against Ariel University
by Sarah Morrison
 
For the past 20 years, the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel has worked to become a major research institute for the State of Israel. Recently, the insitituion was granted status as an officially recognized university and now bears a new name: Ariel University Center of Samaria.

In the video below, IsraelNationalTV reports on troubles the institution is facing because of its location in Samaria.

[video:123032]
Can't see video screen. Click here for viewing.

Some institutions around the world are refusing to recognize academic research in Ariel because the university is located in lands liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Some Israeli government officials are unhappy with the college's new status as a university. The dean pointed out that while some of the university's detractors are accusing the institution of achieving their new "university" status illegally, the institution stands by its position that they obtained everything in a legal manner.

 
 
 

 Thursday, Jan. 10 '08
3 Shevat 5768