Aipac update

www.aipac.org May 27, 2008
IAEA: Iran Owes "Substantial Explanations" on Nuclear Work

Suicide Bomber Blows Up Truck at Gaza Aid Crossing

Pro-Israel Activists Prepare for Largest-Ever AIPAC Policy Conference

IDF: Syria Giving Hizballah New Weapons

Microsoft Opens New R&D Center in Israel

U.S. and Israel Strengthen Alternative Energy Research Cooperation


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AIPAC Policy
Conference 2008
June 2-4, 2008
Washington, DC
For more information: www.aipac.org/pc2008
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IAEA: Iran Owes "Substantial Explanations" on Nuclear Work
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday accused Iran of a willful lack of cooperation in answering questions about military activities related to its illicit nuclear program, The New York Times reported. In a nine-page report, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog expressed "serious concern" over indications that the Iranian military has played a key role in the country's nuclear program and that research had ventured into explosives, uranium processing and a missile warhead design—activities associated with nuclear weapons. The IAEA also noted recent instances where Iran prohibited its inspectors from entering key nuclear sites, and acknowledged that Iran has rebuffed multiple binding U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend its atomic work. Click here to learn about efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Suicide Bomber Blows Up Truck at Gaza Aid Crossing
A Palestinian suicide bomber on Thursday blew up an explosives-laden truck at a border crossing used to transfer medical patients and supplies to and from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "The attempted attack this morning at Erez Crossing Point should demonstrate to the international community that, while it demands that Israel take care of the situation in Gaza and open the crossing points, Hamas, which controls Gaza, is not interested in improving the lives of the population and doesn't take even minimal responsibility for Gazan residents," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said. The attack, which an IDF official said was "the biggest since Israel pulled its settlers and troops out of Gaza nearly three years ago," was accompanied by mortar and gunfire, and allegedly part of a broader attempt to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

Pro-Israel Activists Prepare for Largest-Ever AIPAC Policy Conference
More than 7,000 activists, students and scholars from all 50 states will head to the nation's capital on June 2-4 for the pro-Israel community's premier annual event: the AIPAC Policy Conference. Headlining this year's conference—the largest ever—will be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), along with the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate. All three presidential candidates—Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)—will address conference attendees, as will Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Click here to learn more about PC 2008 and to see a program.

IDF: Syria Giving Hizballah New Weapons
The head of Israel's Military Intelligence research division, Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, on Monday said that Syria was continuing to transfer significant amounts of weapons to the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "The weapons are arriving in Lebanon, and then they make their way to the south of the country [to Hizballah]," Baidatz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert listening. Baidatz said that in his view, Syria was not really considering changing its attitude toward Iran, despite diplomatic contacts with Israel. The State Department lists Syria—a prime sponsor of Hizballah and Hamas—as one of the world's leading state sponsors of international terrorism.

Microsoft Opens New R&D Center in Israel
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer flew to Israel last week to open the software giant's new research and development center in Herzliya, the technology Web site The Inquirer reported. Microsoft currently employs 600 technology specialists in Israel, and the company has announced that it will be hiring a further 150 over the course of the next year. "If you do the math, Microsoft is almost as much an Israeli company as it is an American company," Ballmer said. "Israel is an excellent example of the outstanding innovation Microsoft is developing globally. I predict that Israel's importance to Microsoft as a center of innovation will grow significantly in the coming years." Israel has long been a pioneer in high-tech industries.


U.S. and Israel Strengthen Alternative Energy Research Cooperation
The United States and Israel last week signed an agreement to further cooperation between the two allies on advanced renewable energy and efficiency technologies, according to a Department of Energy press release. Activities under the agreement could include collaborative research and development of new and improved sources of high-temperature thermal energy storage, electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle battery technologies, biofuel production and use, and advanced technologies for efficient water desalinization techniques, such as photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis. The agreement opens the door for information exchanges, seminars, programs for research visits, exchange of personnel between research establishments, joint research and development projects, and collaboration between leading research and development centers in the United States and Israel.