Battling anti-semitism in 2008 (click here)
By John Mann MP - Thursday 3rd 2008f January 2008
2008 holds great promise our Parliamentary campaign to fight the oldest hatred and support the Jewish community. There will be a German “Bundestag” Inquiry, a government year-on report to Parliament and a global offensive to ensure world leaders are acting at home and abroad.
Due to this years effort, pressure is also building for an agreement over the precise delivery of enhanced security costs in Jewish schools paid by local authorities, a successful prosecution in the UK of an individual spreading of race hate using foreign internet based sites, amd the expulsion of the Latvian People’s Party from all European political organisations following the publication of the third overtly antisemitic book by the Party’s co –founder....
Denominations and Double Standards (click here)
...I'm unsure, in general, of what the standards we're supposed to apply to the political views of politicians' favored clergy. I have no idea what the rabbis at Temple Rodef Shalom (where I've gone to synagogue the past few High Holy Days) or at The Village Temple (where I had my bar mitzvah) think about political issues, but I assume I don't agree with them about everything, and certainly it'd be odd to drag up old statements made by any of the relevant rabbis about this or that and then ask me to either endorse the statement or repudiate the entire congregation....
Pope prays for Middle East peace (click here)
6 days ago
VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI called Thursday on leaders across the Middle East to work for peace, saying that he is praying "ardently" for the ability to visit the Holy Land in person.
In a clear reference to the fragile truce in the Gaza Strip, which began at 0300 GMT, the pope was speaking after meeting with international Roman and Eastern Catholic leaders, including representatives from the region.
"I am launching an appeal to national leaders so that the Middle East, and in particular the Land of Jesus, Lebanon and Iraq, can offer themselves peace and social stability, respecting fundamental human rights, including that of a genuine religious freedom," he said.
"I am praying ardently that I will be able to visit them in person, just as I am praying that certain signs of peace, which I welcome with great confidence, will come to full fruition," he added....
What happened to Tony Blair ?
Sarkozy offers himself as peace-broker for Middle East (click here)
By Francois Murphy
Tuesday June 24 2008
French President Nicolas Sarkozy stepped forward yesterday as a possible Middle East peace-broker, offering in a speech to Israel's parliament to help reach agreement and mobilise his troops if necessary.
"I ask you to trust us because we want to help you," said Mr Sarkozy, the first French president to address the Knesset since 1982.
Since taking office a year ago, Mr Sarkozy has broken rank with his predecessors by repeatedly describing himself as a "friend of Israel", fostering closer ties with the Jewish state and reiterating that there can be no compromise on its security.
"France is ready to provide its guarantee, ready to mobilise its diplomatic service, its resources, its soldiers," he said....
