November 1991, Page 36

Issues in the News

Compiled by George Shadroui

From the Jewish Press:

New Book Documents Women's Struggle for Equality in Israel:

The New York newspaper Forward, reviewing the book Calling the Equality Bluff, said women in Israel suffer from discrimination that includes unequal treatment in the military, inequitable divorce laws and poor representation in Israel's political institutions. Calling the Equality Bluff is a collection of essays by Israeli and Palestinian Israeli women edited by two Israeli scholars.

The Forward article reported there are some 9,000 women in Israel who have been denied a divorce by rabbinical courts. Women must obtain the consent of their husbands before they can be divorced, but men do not need the consent of their wives. Moreover, an unmarried brother of a deceased husband can veto his sister-in-law's remarriage.

Of the current 33 cabinet posts in the Likud government, not one is occupied by a woman. Only seven women serve in the 120-member Knesset. The newspaper said Arab-Israeli women also face discrimination and "job opportunities generally are limited to lower-status positions, even for those [Arab women] with greater education. "

BCCI's Role in Arab-Jewish Co-existence:

Forward reported that several Jewish businessmen, including one with close ties to Senator Alan Cranston and another with access to the Israeli government, have ties to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, an international bank under investigation on charges of massive fraud and corruption.

Saudi businessman Gaith Pharaon, considered a BCCI front man, bought a 24 percent interest in Centrust, a Florida bank owned by Jewish banking executive David Paul, the paper reported. Paul has donated significant amounts of money to Jewish charities.

BCCI also helped finance former AIPAC director Michael Goland, who has twice been convicted of election law violations in spending millions of dollars to promote pro-Israel political candidates. Goland also has been convicted of secretly buying Viking Savings of Santa Monica, CA, and using depositors' money for political purposes, Forward reported. BCCI helped Goland purchase Viking Savings.

Another financier with ties to BCCI is Bruce Rappaport, a Geneva-based banker and shipper with ties to Israel's Labor coalition. One of his associates at Bank of New York-Inter Maritime Bank, Geneva, is Alfred Hartnian, who also worked for Italy's Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which is believed to have channeled billions of dollars in farm commodity loans to Iraq, which were then used to cover the costs of military procurements, Forward reported.

Joblessness in Israel Up:

Only one-third of the new immigrants to Israel in 1990 were able to find work, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

Of the 200,000 immigrants 15 and over who arrived in Israel in 1990, only 54,000 are employed, according to figures released by the Israeli Labor Ministry's Employment Division. At the time of the government survey, 33,000 of the unemployed were actively trying to find jobs. JTA also reported that liberalized immigration laws in Ethiopia have resulted in about 200 Ethiopians a week immigrating to Israel.

Histadrut Leader Accused of Supporting Soviet Coup:

Yossie Beilin, a Labor Party representative in the Knesset, has sharply criticized Histadrut Chairman Yisrael Kessar for releasing favorable comments about Gennadi Yanayev, the Soviet coup leader who briefly seized the presidency from Mikhail Gorbachev.

"While the red flag and Bolshevism are being abolished in Moscow, the Histadrut remains one of the world's last bastions of conservatism, " Beilin charged.

Histadrut, Israel's powerful trade union, responded that Kessar was traveling during the coup and made no comments himself on the matter. An ambitious spokesman was blamed for the releases.

Owens to Run for Senate?

Rep. Wayne Owens (D-UT) is considering a run for a Senate seat to be vacated by Utah Republican Senator Jake Garn, the Queens (NY) Jewish Week reported.

Owens has been a major player in Middle East politics in recent years as a member of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East. He has met with Yasser Arafat and Hafez Al-Assad and supported the $10 billion loan guarantee for Israel.

Owens is considered one of Israel's staunchest supporters on Capitol Hill. He has close ties to Israel's lobby in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and has accepted $117,000 in pro-Israel PAC donations through 1990.

Democratic Hopefuls Called Pro-Israel:

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that most Democrats who have announced their presidential candidacies have strong pro-Israel records.

Those listed as pro-Israel included Sen. Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and former Gov. Jerry Brown of California. JTA reported that the question mark is Sen. Robert Kerrey of Nebraska, who "is not considered in the forefront of the pro-Israel lawmakers. "

Jewish Congress Seeks Amendment on Arab Boycott:

The American Jewish Congress is urging the Senate-House conference committee to adopt an amendment as part of a defense appropriations bill that would deny military contracts to foreign companies that adhere to the Arab League boycott against Israel.

In a letter to members of the conference committee, the AJC stated the proposed amendment would "eliminate or reduce the advantage foreign firms now enjoy over their American competitors subject to the US boycott laws and would weaken the impact of the odious boycott law. "

American Jews Shift to Right:

The JTA also reported that American Jewish attitudes on Middle East peace and Israel's security have "shifted noticeably to the right" since the Gulf war.

The JTA said American Jews are more wary of the Palestine Liberation Organization, less inclined to support territorial compromise and more in favor of expanding settlements in the West Bank.

These are the findings of a study conducted in July and August by the American Jewish Committee, which has undertaken six previous studies on American Jewish opinion since 1983.

The study polled 1,159 Jews nationwide. Compared to two years ago, the study showed, American Jewish attitudes have hardened.

For example, those who believed the PLO wanted to destroy Israel increased from 62 percent in 1989 to 83 percent this summer. Two years ago, JTA reported, 30 percent of the respondents said they were not sure how to respond to the question; but this summer, only 13 percent were uncertain.

In the 1989 survey, 38 percent agreed and 30 percent disagreed that Israel should trade land for "credible guarantees" of peace from the Arabs. This year, 35 percent favored this proposition and 34 percent opposed it.

A slightly higher percentage of America Jews favor expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Whereas 35 percent opposed this policy in 1989 and 25 percent favored it, the latest poll showed that 30 percent favored expanding settlements while 29 percent do not.

Of those responding, 63 percent had never visited Israel and only 26 percent considered themselves Zionists. Sixty percent identified themselves as Democrats and 16 percent as Republicans. Another 21 percent were independent.

From the Middle East Press:

Kuwait supports Palestinians:

Kuwait is donating $1.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to help thousands of Palestinians who have fled the emirate since the Gulf war, the Saudi Gazette reported.

UNRWA has an annual budget of $250 million. The United States is the biggest donor, contributing $62 million.

Palestinians Suffer in Gulf:

Dr. Louise Cainkar, director of the Palestine Human Rights Information Center in Chicago, estimates that of 350,000 Palestinians who once lived in Kuwait, only 50,000 remain, Al FaJr newspaper reported. More than 1,500 are in Kuwaiti jails or missing. The US-based human rights group Middle East Watch has estimated that 600 Palestinians have been killed.

Gulf States to Discuss Arab Aid:

Finance ministers from the Gulf states are expected to discuss in November a multibillion dollar aid package to poor Arab countries, the Saudi Gazette reported.

Countries expected to benefit most from the package, which could include $10 billion to $15 billion, are Syria and Egypt, both of which supported the Gulf states in the war against Iraq.

Rushdie Repents:

Salman Rushdie is anxious to end the rift with the Islamic world created by the publication of The Satanic Verses and the subsequent death sentence against him issued by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran, the Saudi Gazette reported.

"People don't realize that the most horrible thing for me in the last two and half years has been to have half my world hacked off. Not to be able to go to India—I can't tell you what a deprivation it is. To be disliked so intensely, by people among whom I have always numbered myself ... is the most awful thing," he said.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper in London, Rushdie said his conversion to Islam late last year was an attempt to send a goodwill message to those offended by the book.

Al-Fair Applauds Bush Position:

Al-FaJr, an English-language weekly Palestinian paper published in Jerusalem, praised President Bush's position on housing loan guarantees for Israel and urged the Palestinian leadership to take advantage of the new mood in Washington.

"Bush's willingness to confront the pro-Israel lobby and Congress on the loan guarantees came through as the strongest sign of a change in American policy toward the Middle East and particularly Israel, " the editorial said. "It is up to the Palestinian leadership now to show political maturity and take advantage of this apparent change in US policy."

It urged the Palestinians to attend the peace conference, when and if it is convened, and not to be discouraged if the negotiations prove to be long, difficult and sometimes bitter.

"We are going to win simply because we are fighting for a just and moral cause, " the editorial said.

Ozal Disputes Report by Local Paper:

The Turkish Times reports that Turkish President Turgut Ozal has filed a lawsuit against the popular Sabah newspaper for publishing a story that implied Ozal owed his 1983 election to American support.

Sabah published the text of a letter in which Ozal allegedly thanked then-US Ambassador Robert Strausz-Hupe for supporting Ozal's Motherland Party in the 1983 general election, the first held since a 1980 military coup.

Ozal has called the letter a forgery and his supporters suggest the incident was an effort to undermine Ozal in the Oct. 20 elections. Strausz-Hupe said he never received such a letter and handwriting analysts concluded the signature on the letter is not Ozal's.

Israeli Agents Jailed:

The Israeli Supreme Court upheld a six month sentence handed down by a lower court against two Israeli Shin Bet agents for "causing the death through negligence" of Khalid Sheikh Ali, 27, in December 1989, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Shin Bet was formed in 1948 as a means of controlling hostile activities in Israel, but human rights groups in recent years have charged the agency with using systematic torture.

In imposing only a six-month sentence, the lower court cited a surge of anti-Israel violence at the time of incident. Ali was suspected of being a member of Islamic Jihad and of possessing weapons.

Israeli critics said the ruling sets a new precedent in Israeli-controlled areas where security forces have been allowed to employ unchecked violence and torture against Palestinians.

Israel Preparing for Germ Warfare:

Israel is one of several countries suspected of secretly preparing for germ warfare, British military intelligence has concluded.

A Guardian report reprinted in the Saudi Gazette suggested that other states seeking to develop a germ warfare capability are Iraq, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and possibly Taiwan. A teaspoonful of bacteria efficiently dispersed could do as much damage as tons of nerve gas, the report said.

Sharon and the Territories:

Israeli Housing Minister Ariel Sharon has unveiled a plan to construct 19,000 housing units for settlers in the occupied territories, 6,000 more than previously announced, the CAABU Bulletin reported.

Sharon's new program has been called by the Jerusalem Post the most detailed ever submitted for expanding the belt of colonies around occupied East Jerusalem. By the end of the year, there would be sufficient housing for 70,000 new settlers in the West Bank, where 95,000 Israelis now live. The bulletin is published by the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding.

In a related development, the Khaleej Times in Dubai reported that Israel planned to settle hundreds of Ethiopian Jews in mobile homes in the occupied territories. A spokesman for Mayor Teddy Kollek called the housing temporary. The area slated for settling the Falashas contains many mine fields, some of which are still being cleared, the report said.

The report added that Kollek was reviewing Sharon's housing plan, but no action has been taken in response to it.

EC Okays Talks with GCC:

The European Community has agreed to start negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab News reported.

Officials for the 12 EC countries approved a proposal that would phase out trade barriers over a 12-year period. The proposal will be presented to the GCC in the hope that talks will begin soon.

The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Oil and petrochemicals comprise 88 percent of the 1989 GCC exports to the EC, which totaled $13.5 billion. EC exports to the GCC in 1989 amounted to $18.3 billion.