From the Consulate

Facebook account? If so, become a fan of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest to get up-to-the-minute information on upcoming Israeli events in your area!


********************************

Please forward this publication to anyone who shares your interest in Israel.

The articles in this newsletter (with the exception of Israeli Government statements) reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs website - Click for the latest news, official statements, videos, and presentations relating to the current conflict as well as views of the Israel behind the headlines.



Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza

Palestinian Industry of Lies - Danny Seaman (Ynet News)
The al-Dura affair is the most conspicuous and blatant of the phenomenon of media manipulation undertaken by Palestinian workers employed by international media outlets. These employees stage, produce, and edit events and photos in a bid to slander Israel in the world. Media reports and photos such as the al-Dura case affect global public opinion and governments. The stages events undermine Israel's ability to conduct itself within the conflict and affect our ability to maneuver and secure targets in times of emergency.
Danny Seaman is the Director of the Government Press Office

U.S. Says It Erred in Case of Gaza Strip Students (Reuters/Ynet News)
The U.S. said on Monday it had erred by not approaching the Israeli government earlier to help seven Palestinians from Gaza obtain Israeli exit visas to take up U.S. Fulbright fellowships.
"Was there a faulty decision-making process internal to the State Department in this particular case? Yes, there was," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.


Father of Three Killed in Thursday Mortar Attack - Yonat Atlas (Ynet News)
The Israeli killed Thursday in a Palestinian mortar attack has been identified as Amnon Rosenberg, 51, of Kibbutz Nirim, who is survived by a wife, Tali, and three children - Dor, Eldar and Yarden. The mortar crashed into the Nirlat factory in Kibbutz Nir Oz, wounding four others. An Israeli airstrike targeted a gunman in the area from which the mortar attack was launched.

See Also: Gillerman to UN: Israel Will Defend Itself - Yitzhak Benhorin (Ynet News)

See Also: Palestinian Rocket Wounds Five in Israel - Hanan Greenberg (Ynet News)

Christians in the PA Territories

Assailants Beat Guards, Steal Bus from Christian School in Gaza (AP/International Herald Tribune)
Assailants Saturday beat up guards and stole a bus from a Christian school in Gaza run by the Baptist Church, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said.
Since Hamas came to power a year ago, attacks on Gaza's 3,000 Christians have increased.

See Also: Increasing Attacks Against Christians in Hamas-Controlled Gaza(Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center)


Iran


UN Nuclear Watchdog Reviews Evidence of Secret Iranian Weaponization Work - Scott Peterson (Christian Science Monitor)
Iran's nuclear intentions are under increasing scrutiny as diplomats and technical experts of the UN's atomic watchdog agency meet in Vienna this week. At issue in Vienna is the meaning of 18 documents that point to secret weaponization work. These include designs of the nose cone of a Shahab 3 missile - Iran's longest-range ballistic missile - modified for a possible nuclear payload; schematics of a 400-yard-deep underground testing setup; and documentation that appears to show secret nuclear projects and military procurement efforts. "Together these documents make a powerful case that Iran had an active weaponization effort prior to 2004," concludes an analysis by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington.

See Also:The Iranian Threat Must Be Stopped - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

See Also: Nuclear Bomb Blueprints for Sale on Black Market, Experts Fear - Ian Traynor (Guardian-UK)

Ahmadinejad Attacks Jews at UN Food Summit in Rome - Malcolm Moore (Telegraph-UK)
Arriving in Rome for the UN Food Summit, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said: "The people of Europe have suffered the most harm from Zionists and today the costs of that falsified regime, whether political or economic, are on Europe's shoulders." "People love what I say because they are trying to save themselves from the oppression of Zionists," he added. This is Ahmadinejad's first trip to a major European nation. Italy has refused to hold any talks with him, but was powerless to deny him entry to a UN event.

See Also: "Erase Israel" Call Repeated by Iranian Foreign Minister (Gulf Daily News-Bahrain)

Why Iranians Like America Again - Azadeh Moaveni (Christian Science Monitor)
Although their leaders still call America the "Great Satan," ordinary Iranians' affection for the U.S. seems to be thriving these days, at least in Tehran. This is evident in people's conversations, their insatiable demand for U.S. products and culture, and their fascination with the U.S. presidential campaign. Liking the U.S. is also a way for Iranians to register their frustration with their own firebrand president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


The Source of Instability

Iran's Lebanese "Aircraft Carrier" - Hugh Sykes (BBC News)
"Hizbullah was set up, established, trained, armed, financed...wholly by Iran," said Paul Salem at the Carnegie Endowment think tank in Beirut. He says Hizbullah has 50,000 salaried employees and "a large modern army" - most of whom are paid with money from Tehran. "For Iran it's like an aircraft carrier. The U.S. parks aircraft carriers in the Gulf next to Iran; Iran parks its own aircraft carrier in Lebanon - Hizbullah - which can wreak great destruction on Israel at a moment's notice."

Lebanon and Hizbullah

The Weakening of Hizbullah - Guy Bechor (Ynet News)
In contradiction to the common perception, Hizbullah has undergone a process of weakening in the past two years. In the 2006 war, Hizbullah leader Nasrallah was forced to utilize the arsenal he possessed and was able to enforce a tie on Israel, which he leveraged via the claim of "divine victory," while the war resulted in extensive civilian destruction, the killing of hundreds of Hizbullah fighters, and harsh accusations leveled against it. In the wake of Hizbullah military commander Imad Mugniyah's assassination, Nasrallah feared that Israel would do it again, and renewed negotiations with German mediators.

See Also: Barak: Hizbullah Setting Up Fortified Positions Along Border - Yuval Azoulay (Ha'aretz)


Business News

Shekel Goes International - Tal Levy (Ha'aretz)
The Bank of Israel announced Sunday that the shekel has joined the international clearing system and can be converted to any of 16 major currencies.

Israel Economy Grows by 5.4% in Q1 (Reuters)
Israel's economy is showing little sign of slowing despite a global downturn, growing at an annualized rate of 5.4% in the first quarter, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday.
The economy grew at a 5.8% rate in the fourth quarter and 5.3% for all of 2007.

Unemployment Hits 13-Year Low - Moti Bassok (Ha'aretz)
Israel's unemployment rate hit a 13-year low in the first quarter of 2008, and now stands at 6.3%.



Israel - A Light Unto the Nations

Israel Leads the Way to Combat Effects of Global Warming - Amir Mizroch (Jerusalem Post)
Israel is leading the world in finding solutions to combat global warming and desertification, the Agriculture Ministry's chief scientist said Thursday at the UN food forum in Rome.

Third Batch of Israeli Relief Supplies Arrives in China Quake Zone (Xinhua-China)
Another batch of relief supplies from Israel was flown to earthquake-hit Sichuan Province in southwest China on Monday.
The 73-ton consignment, valued at $545,000, includes 9,600 blankets, 150 outsize tents, each covering the needs of 24 people, and other supplies donated by the Israel Defense Forces.

Sri Lanka Benefits from Israeli Assistance (Daily News-Sri Lanka)
Israeli assistance has helped Sri Lanka immensely in its efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, Higher Education Minister Wiswa Warnapala told Israeli Ambassador Mark Sofer on Monday.


Culture

Israeli Film Wins First Prize in Cannes' Short Film Category - Merav Yudilovitch (Ynet News)
The Israeli film "Himnon" ("Anthem") won the first prize in the Cinéfondation-Short Film category at the 61st Cannes Film Festival in France on Friday. It was directed by Elad Keidan of The Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. This is the first time an Israeli film wins in this category since it was created 11 years ago.


* Food