Following the issuance of an Executive Order last week stating that women in the High Risk Pools that have been set up as a temporary pools until the state-run insurance exchanges are up and running are ineligible to have an abortion, 13 Republican senators are demanding further rules preventing any woman from obtaining an abortion while enrolled in these plans, even if they pay for a separate rider out of their own pocket. This on top of the Hyde Amendment, which already prevents the use of federal funds in the case of an abortion.
Senate Republicans on Wednesday called on the Obama administration to "act immediately" to prohibit federally funded state high-risk pools from covering elective abortion.
More from The Hill
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Court Under Roberts Is Most Conservative in Decades
An interesting breakdown and analysis of the make-up of the US Supreme Court, and its concerted move to the right under Chief Justice Roberts.
When Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and his colleagues on the Supreme Court left for their summer break at the end of June, they marked a milestone: the Roberts court had just completed its fifth term.
In those five years, the court not only moved to the right but also became the most conservative one in living memory, based on an analysis of four sets of political science data.
And for all the public debate about the confirmation of Elena Kagan or the addition last year of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, there is no reason to think they will make a difference in the court’s ideological balance. Indeed, the data show that only one recent replacement altered its direction, that of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2006, pulling the court to the right.
UN says aid to Gaza should be delivered by land
The United Nations said Friday that groups seeking to deliver aid to Gaza should do so by land, after Israel warned it would intercept two ships seeking to break a blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
"There are established routes for supplies to enter by land. That is the way aid should be delivered to the people of Gaza," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told a press briefing.
"Our stated preference has been and remains that aid should be delivered by established routes, particularly at a sensitive time in indirect proximity (peace) talks between Palestinians and Israelis," he added.
Nebraska abortion law may need to be reworked, AG says
A new abortion law requiring health screening for women wanting abortions in Nebraska may be flawed enough that Attorney General Jon Bruning won't exhaust all legal options to try to keep it on the books.
Bruning said Friday he is considering whether it is worth the time and expense to defend the law through what could be a lengthy appeals process, or whether a new bill should be drafted instead.
"Despite the fact I'm very pro-life, I need to be realistic in utilizing the legal resources of the state," Bruning said.
The director of a group that is challenging the screening law that lawmakers passed early this year said that Bruning's comments, combined with a federal judge's decision last week to block the law, could prevent other states from considering such a measure. It would require women wanting abortions to be screened by doctors or other health professionals to determine if they had risk factors, cited in medical journals, indicating if they could have mental or physical problems after an abortion.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Texans tip their Stetsons to Israeli business
Israel + Texas = big business for both!
While at first glance Israel and Texas may seem worlds apart culturally and in their approaches to business, consultant Arie Brish, an Israeli-American businessman who has spent more than two decades in the State of Texas, doesn't see any dissonance. He sees tremendous potential for business deals between the two.
Read more at Israel21c
While at first glance Israel and Texas may seem worlds apart culturally and in their approaches to business, consultant Arie Brish, an Israeli-American businessman who has spent more than two decades in the State of Texas, doesn't see any dissonance. He sees tremendous potential for business deals between the two.
Read more at Israel21c
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Who's Against a Two-State Solution?
An excellent explanation of the history of the conflict in the Middle East in the last century, and a suggestion as to why peace remains so elusive.
"Two states, living side by side in peace and security." This, in the words of President Barack Obama, is the solution to the century-long conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs in the Middle East. Washington is fully and determinedly on board. So are the Europeans. The UN and the "international community" vociferously agree. Successive governments of the state of Israel have shown their support for the idea. So far, there is—just as there has always been—only one holdout.
Read more from Middle East Forum
Friday, July 16, 2010
Missouri governor lets abortion law take effect
New mandates now require abortion clinics to offer women the opportunity to see ultrasound images and listen to fetal heartbeats as a result legislation in Missouri that was allowed to become law this week by Governor Jay Nixon. Governor Nixon, instead of signing or vetoing the bill, let the bill become law by not taking any stand on it, in light of Missouri constitutional provision allowing bills to become laws without the governor's signature.
"The legislation is part of a national trend among abortion opponents to encourage women to reconsider their decisions through the use of modern medical technology.
A Planned Parenthood official said legal challenges to other states' laws offering ultrasounds generally have been unsuccessful, and its Missouri clinics are preparing to comply with the law when it takes effect Aug. 28.
"But "there are various aspects of this law that are troubling, difficult and are really just intended to make it harder for women to get safe legal abortions," said Paula Gianino, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.
"Missouri law already requires a woman to be told of the physical and psychological risks at least 24 hours before undergoing an abortion. The new law will require consultation in person instead of over the phone and mandate that women receive a description of the "anatomical and physiological characteristics of the unborn child."
Read more from Google News
"The legislation is part of a national trend among abortion opponents to encourage women to reconsider their decisions through the use of modern medical technology.
A Planned Parenthood official said legal challenges to other states' laws offering ultrasounds generally have been unsuccessful, and its Missouri clinics are preparing to comply with the law when it takes effect Aug. 28.
"But "there are various aspects of this law that are troubling, difficult and are really just intended to make it harder for women to get safe legal abortions," said Paula Gianino, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.
"Missouri law already requires a woman to be told of the physical and psychological risks at least 24 hours before undergoing an abortion. The new law will require consultation in person instead of over the phone and mandate that women receive a description of the "anatomical and physiological characteristics of the unborn child."
Read more from Google News
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The New Abortion Providers
An excellent expose on both the history and current status of abortion providers in the US. Looks at how most abortions used to be performed in a hospital, but now are done at an ever shrinking number of clinics, and how doctors are starting to take back what is truly a medical procedure. This is a long article, but well worth the read!
On a clear and mild March day in 1993, the Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry spoke at a rally in southern Florida against abortion. “We’ve found the weak link is the doctor,” he told the crowd. “We’re going to expose them. We’re going to humiliate them.” A few days later, Dr. David Gunn, an abortion provider, was shot and killed outside his clinic in Pensacola, Fla., about 500 miles away. It was the first of eight such murders, the extreme edge of what has become an anti-abortion strategy of confrontation.
Terry understood that focusing on abortion providers was possible because they had become increasingly isolated from mainstream medicine. That was not what physicians themselves anticipated after the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. An open letter signed by 100 professors of obstetrics and gynecology predicted that free-standing clinics would be unnecessary if half of the 20,000 obstetricians in the country would do abortions for their patients, and if hospitals would handle “their proportionate share.” OB-GYNs at the time emphasized that abortion was a surgical procedure and fell under their purview.
But then most of the OB-GYNs left the stage. After Roe, the shadow of the greedy, butchering “abortionist” continued to hover, and many doctors didn’t want to stand in it. As mainstream medicine backed away, feminist activists stepped in. They set up stand-alone clinics to care for women in their moments of crisis. In many ways, the clinics were a rebel-sister success story. Instead of a sterile and expensive hospital operating room, patients could go to a low-cost clinic with pastel walls and sympathetic staff members. At a Planned Parenthood I visited recently in Rochester, while women were having abortions, they could look at photos of a Caribbean beach, taped above them on the ceiling.
But the clinics also truly came to stand alone. In 1973, hospitals made up 80 percent of the country’s abortion facilities. By 1981, however, clinics outnumbered hospitals, and 15 years later, 90 percent of the abortions in the U.S. were performed at clinics. The American Medical Association did not maintain standards of care for the procedure. Hospitals didn’t shelter them in their wings. Being a pro-choice doctor came to mean referring your patients to a clinic rather than doing abortions in your own office.
This was never the feminist plan. “The clinics’ founders didn’t intend them to become virtually the only settings for abortion services in many communities,” says Carole Joffe, a sociologist and author of a history of the era, “Doctors of Conscience,” and a new book, “Dispatches From the Abortion Wars.”
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Judge blocks new Nebraska abortion screening law
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screenings for women seeking abortions because the measure could have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state.
U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp granted Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's request for a preliminary injunction against the law, which was supposed to take effect Thursday. The order will prevent the state from enforcing the law until the lawsuit challenging it is decided.
State officials have said the law is designed to make sure women understand the risks and complications that may accompany an abortion.
Smith Camp said the evidence presented so far showed that the screening law would make it harder for women to get an abortion in Nebraska by requiring screenings that could be impossible to perform under a literal reading of the law. She also said the law would make doctors who perform abortions at risk of crippling lawsuits.
U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp granted Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's request for a preliminary injunction against the law, which was supposed to take effect Thursday. The order will prevent the state from enforcing the law until the lawsuit challenging it is decided.
State officials have said the law is designed to make sure women understand the risks and complications that may accompany an abortion.
Smith Camp said the evidence presented so far showed that the screening law would make it harder for women to get an abortion in Nebraska by requiring screenings that could be impossible to perform under a literal reading of the law. She also said the law would make doctors who perform abortions at risk of crippling lawsuits.
Monday, July 12, 2010
MESS Report / Hezbollah has regained control over southern Lebanon
Four years after the Second Lebanon War, the Shi'ite group has managed to rebuild its military capabilities across from Israel's northern frontier. Still, most sources say it's not interested in another round of fighting.
Four years after the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah can credit itself with yet another achievement in its campaign against Israel: southern Lebanon is once again in its hands. According to various assessments, the Shi'ite organization has rebuilt its military capabilities north of the Litani River, where it has established a network of missile launchers any army in the world would be proud to possess. Furthermore, it has repaired the infrastructure of the Shi'ite villages south of the Litani that were severely hit in the war.
Four years after the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah can credit itself with yet another achievement in its campaign against Israel: southern Lebanon is once again in its hands. According to various assessments, the Shi'ite organization has rebuilt its military capabilities north of the Litani River, where it has established a network of missile launchers any army in the world would be proud to possess. Furthermore, it has repaired the infrastructure of the Shi'ite villages south of the Litani that were severely hit in the war.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which was deployed to southern Lebanon in 2006 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 - passed at the end of the war - was supposed to prevent such activity. In recent months, however, UNIFIL has been harassed by Shi'ite villagers in the southern part of the country who are apparently acting on Hezbollah's orders. The international peacekeeping force, particularly its French battalion, has been repeatedly humiliated by the local population. Villagers have hurled stones and eggs at them, and have even seized soldiers' weapons. UNIFIL's commander, Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas, this week asked the Lebanese government to protect his troops.
The confrontation Hezbollah initiated with the French contingent has renewed the internal debate in Lebanon - between the Shi'ite organization and the Al-Mustaqbal camp headed by Lebanese Prime Minister Said Hariri (and thought to be under French patronage ). While Hezbollah hinted that UNIFIL's French battalion is serving "foreign" (namely, Israeli ) interests, Hariri flew to Paris to conciliate President Nicolas Sarkozy and clarify that Lebanon is interested in keeping French troops on its soil.
Read more...
PM Netanyahu addresses Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations
I had a very good meeting with President Obama yesterday. We discussed those issues that formed the common bond between Israel and the United States. I'm speaking now in the city of New York. New York was bombed several years ago. There were reactions that were different throughout the Middle East. In many places there were celebrations. In Israel people wept. They grieved because we view ourselves as part of that same civilization that the United States of America represents - a free, pluralistic, democratic society. America has no better friend, no better ally than the State of Israel.
The President and I discussed Iran, and he reiterated his determination to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. We discussed the sanctions of the Security Council that formed an international consensus about the lack of legitimacy of Iran's pursuit to develop atomic bombs. That's important. Equally important were the sanctions that were signed by the President the other day - they have teeth. It's important that other countries follow suit with sanctions with teeth. That means that they bite into Iran's energy sector.
I cannot tell you that this will stop Iran's nuclear program. I think that it's important to understand however, that it must be stopped and I welcome the determination and the clarity that this issue that I've been talking about for fifteen years and it was the first thing that I discussed in my first term as Prime Minister before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. I said that there is no greater threat to humanity than the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran and today the greatest threat is still that the world's most dangerous regimes acquire the world's most dangerous weapons. This must not be allowed to happen. Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
We also discussed our quest for peace with the Palestinians. I outlined my vision of a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish State of Israel. Now let me be clear about the elements of this vision. I said a demilitarized Palestinian state. First of all, we don't want to govern the Palestinians and we don't want them to be either our subjects or citizens of the country. But we also want to make sure that they have their own independent dignified life, but that they don't threaten the State of Israel.
Read more...
The President and I discussed Iran, and he reiterated his determination to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. We discussed the sanctions of the Security Council that formed an international consensus about the lack of legitimacy of Iran's pursuit to develop atomic bombs. That's important. Equally important were the sanctions that were signed by the President the other day - they have teeth. It's important that other countries follow suit with sanctions with teeth. That means that they bite into Iran's energy sector.
I cannot tell you that this will stop Iran's nuclear program. I think that it's important to understand however, that it must be stopped and I welcome the determination and the clarity that this issue that I've been talking about for fifteen years and it was the first thing that I discussed in my first term as Prime Minister before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. I said that there is no greater threat to humanity than the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran and today the greatest threat is still that the world's most dangerous regimes acquire the world's most dangerous weapons. This must not be allowed to happen. Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
We also discussed our quest for peace with the Palestinians. I outlined my vision of a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish State of Israel. Now let me be clear about the elements of this vision. I said a demilitarized Palestinian state. First of all, we don't want to govern the Palestinians and we don't want them to be either our subjects or citizens of the country. But we also want to make sure that they have their own independent dignified life, but that they don't threaten the State of Israel.
Read more...
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
UN celebrates a 'watershed day' for women
Global body launched: The fight against rape, female circumcision, child mortality and poor healthcare takes on a higher priority.
Some 65 years after it was founded, and after decades of reports on every species of sex discrimination and its wasteful effects, the United Nations has decided to set up a single, powerful body to promote equality for women around the world.
The General Assembly voted unanimously on Friday to launch a new agency called UN Women. It will begin its work in January, have a high-level leader, probably twice the $250m annual budget now allocated to gender issues, and will be tasked with challenging governments on women's plights and rights.
UN Women will press hard for women to have a more widespread and prominent role in politics, and also try to reduce some of the world's more glaring discriminations. These include lack of access to health and education, forced marriages, rape, female cicumcision, and trafficking. Diplomats at the Assembly greeted news of the new body with spontaneous applause as the decision was announced with a rap of its president's gavel. "This is truly a watershed day," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Member states have created a much stronger voice for women and for gender equality at the global level. It will now be much more difficult for the world to ignore the challenges facing women and girls or to fail to take the necessary action."
Jindal signs abortion regulation bills
Women getting abortions in Louisiana will be required to get ultrasounds, and doctors who perform elective abortions won't be covered under medical malpractice laws after Gov. Bobby Jindal signed those latest restrictions on the procedure into law Tuesday.
Also signed by Jindal, according to the governor's office, was a ban on coverage for elective abortions in the insurance purchasing pools set up by the federal health overhaul legislation.
No exceptions are allowed under any of the bills for victims of rape or incest. The only exceptions are for abortions when a mother's life is in danger.
Each measure prompted opposition that it would further restrict access for women, but the ultrasound requirement received the most vigorous debate during the recently ended legislative session.
Also signed by Jindal, according to the governor's office, was a ban on coverage for elective abortions in the insurance purchasing pools set up by the federal health overhaul legislation.
No exceptions are allowed under any of the bills for victims of rape or incest. The only exceptions are for abortions when a mother's life is in danger.
Each measure prompted opposition that it would further restrict access for women, but the ultrasound requirement received the most vigorous debate during the recently ended legislative session.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Obama, Netanyahu promise to work toward direct Mideast peace talks
President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged to work toward a new round of direct Mideast peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, with Netanyahu saying discussions could begin within the next several weeks.
The two men expressed confidence that preliminary discussions hosted by the United States will lead to direct negotiations over a new peace in the region, but they acknowledged that a final agreement will be difficult and require sacrifice.
"Those are goals that have obviously escaped out grasp for decades now," Obama said as the two leaders completed an hour-long discussion in the Oval Office. "It's going to be difficult. It's going to be hard."
Obama added: "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace. I think he's willing to take risks for peace." The president did not offer a timetable but said he was encouraged that so-called proximity talks being led by former Sen. George Mitchell will lead to the direct discussions.
Read more...
The two men expressed confidence that preliminary discussions hosted by the United States will lead to direct negotiations over a new peace in the region, but they acknowledged that a final agreement will be difficult and require sacrifice.
"Those are goals that have obviously escaped out grasp for decades now," Obama said as the two leaders completed an hour-long discussion in the Oval Office. "It's going to be difficult. It's going to be hard."
Obama added: "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace. I think he's willing to take risks for peace." The president did not offer a timetable but said he was encouraged that so-called proximity talks being led by former Sen. George Mitchell will lead to the direct discussions.
Read more...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Planned Parenthood files a lawsuit against Nebraska law
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland filed a lawsuit Monday against Nebraska leaders claiming a state law passed in April places requirements on abortion providers in the state that are impossible to meet and are unconstitutional.
"This act is an attack on our patients," said Jill June, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. "This act is an attack on providers, and it is an attack on the ethics and integrity of the medical profession."
Planned Parenthood filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Lincoln. The lawsuit seeks to stop implementation of LB594, which the Legislature passed in April. The law was meant to require doctors to inform patients of possible risk factors related to abortions.
The law is set to take effect July 15.
Mimi Liu, attorney for Planned Parenthood, said the law would require abortion providers to conduct an exhaustive review of literature related to any potential abortion risk factors, regardless of whether such literature has been accepted by the medical profession.
"This act is an attack on our patients," said Jill June, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. "This act is an attack on providers, and it is an attack on the ethics and integrity of the medical profession."
Planned Parenthood filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Lincoln. The lawsuit seeks to stop implementation of LB594, which the Legislature passed in April. The law was meant to require doctors to inform patients of possible risk factors related to abortions.
The law is set to take effect July 15.
Mimi Liu, attorney for Planned Parenthood, said the law would require abortion providers to conduct an exhaustive review of literature related to any potential abortion risk factors, regardless of whether such literature has been accepted by the medical profession.
Experts question challenge to Neb. abortion ban
Two first-of-their-kind abortion laws in Nebraska have drawn threats of legal challenges, but experts say attempts by abortion-rights groups to block one of the measures from going on the books could backfire.
A ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks, set to go into effect this fall, is based on assertions from some doctors that fetuses feel pain by that stage of development. But it might be allowed to stand over fears that a losing challenge to the law would change the legal landscape for abortion, say lawyers on both sides of the debate.
If foes challenge the law and lose, the court could redefine the measure for abortion restrictions, throwing out viability _ when the fetus could survive outside the womb _ in favor of the point when a fetus can feel pain. And if future medical advances were to show a fetus can feel pain at an earlier stage, abortions could be restricted earlier.
"It's a balancing act that anybody who wants to challenge the laws is going to have to assess, whether the strategic risks of bringing a lawsuit outweigh the likelihood of a victory," said Caitlin Borgmann, a law professor at The City University of New York.
A challenge "could be seen by some people as too risky," said Borgmann, who testified against the ban during a legislative hearing in February.
The ban is scheduled to take effect in mid-October.
But the other new state abortion law will be implemented July 15. It requires women wanting abortions to be screened by doctors or other health professionals to determine whether they were pressured into having the procedure. They also would have to be screened for risk factors indicating they could have mental or physical problems after an abortion.
A ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks, set to go into effect this fall, is based on assertions from some doctors that fetuses feel pain by that stage of development. But it might be allowed to stand over fears that a losing challenge to the law would change the legal landscape for abortion, say lawyers on both sides of the debate.
If foes challenge the law and lose, the court could redefine the measure for abortion restrictions, throwing out viability _ when the fetus could survive outside the womb _ in favor of the point when a fetus can feel pain. And if future medical advances were to show a fetus can feel pain at an earlier stage, abortions could be restricted earlier.
"It's a balancing act that anybody who wants to challenge the laws is going to have to assess, whether the strategic risks of bringing a lawsuit outweigh the likelihood of a victory," said Caitlin Borgmann, a law professor at The City University of New York.
A challenge "could be seen by some people as too risky," said Borgmann, who testified against the ban during a legislative hearing in February.
The ban is scheduled to take effect in mid-October.
But the other new state abortion law will be implemented July 15. It requires women wanting abortions to be screened by doctors or other health professionals to determine whether they were pressured into having the procedure. They also would have to be screened for risk factors indicating they could have mental or physical problems after an abortion.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Rome to switch off Colosseum lights for Schalit
The lights of the Colosseum in Rome will be turned off Thursday evening in solidarity with kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.
Noam Schalit, Gilad’s father, will be in attendance, along with Rome’s citizens and the representatives of local and national Italian institutions. According to organizers, the gathering is meant to send a message to the world: “Free Gilad now.”
Speeches will be given by Noam Schalit and the mayor of Rome, and pictures of the soldier will be screened. At 11 p.m. (12 a.m. in Israel) the lights of the Colosseum will be turned off.
“We immediately launched the campaign for Schalit because we feel the burden of anxiety,” said the president of Rome’s Jewish community, Riccardo Pacifici.
Noam Schalit, Gilad’s father, will be in attendance, along with Rome’s citizens and the representatives of local and national Italian institutions. According to organizers, the gathering is meant to send a message to the world: “Free Gilad now.”
Speeches will be given by Noam Schalit and the mayor of Rome, and pictures of the soldier will be screened. At 11 p.m. (12 a.m. in Israel) the lights of the Colosseum will be turned off.
“We immediately launched the campaign for Schalit because we feel the burden of anxiety,” said the president of Rome’s Jewish community, Riccardo Pacifici.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Oren: New Ankara policy a historic shift
The change in Turkey’s orientation and its return to the Middle East is an event of historic magnitude and nobody quite knows where it will lead, Israel’s ambassador to the US Michael Oren told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
Oren, in a briefing with the Post’s editorial board, said there was “deepening discomfort” and “uneasiness” about Turkey on Capital Hill.
“We are living in a sea of change,” said Oren, a historian who has written two books on the Middle East.
“The change in Turkey’s orientation – literally toward the Orient – is an event of historical proportions. Turkey’s return to the Middle East after a hiatus of 90 years is huge, and nobody knows where this is going.”
Oren said that in addition to a “sea of change” in Turkish policy, there has also been a major shift in US foreign policy, with US President Barack Obama coming into power determined and serious about bringing change to American domestic and foreign policies alike.
By contrast, he said, the positions of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government have, in most respects, been indistinguishable from those of previous governments, and that what is changing is not Israeli policy, but rather US and Turkish foreign policy.
More...
Oren, in a briefing with the Post’s editorial board, said there was “deepening discomfort” and “uneasiness” about Turkey on Capital Hill.
“We are living in a sea of change,” said Oren, a historian who has written two books on the Middle East.
“The change in Turkey’s orientation – literally toward the Orient – is an event of historical proportions. Turkey’s return to the Middle East after a hiatus of 90 years is huge, and nobody knows where this is going.”
Oren said that in addition to a “sea of change” in Turkish policy, there has also been a major shift in US foreign policy, with US President Barack Obama coming into power determined and serious about bringing change to American domestic and foreign policies alike.
By contrast, he said, the positions of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government have, in most respects, been indistinguishable from those of previous governments, and that what is changing is not Israeli policy, but rather US and Turkish foreign policy.
More...
Friday, June 04, 2010
Freedom House Reveals World's Worst Human Rights Abusers
Freedom House today released Worst of the Worst 2010: The World's Most Repressive Societies, its annual report identifying the world's most flagrant human rights abusers, at a side panel during the 14th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The report, which identifies countries earning the lowest scores in Freedom in the World, Freedom House's annual report on political rights and civil liberties, was designed as a resource for human rights advocates. This year's report identifies 17 countries and 3 territories whose citizens live in extremely oppressive environments, with minimal basic rights and persistent human rights violations.
"In this report we identify countries where individuals have almost no opportunity to enjoy the most fundamental rights-regimes whose people experience heavy penalties for independent thought or action and where little or no oppositional activity is permitted to exist," said Paula Schriefer, director of advocacy at Freedom House. "By highlighting these countries, we hope to give human rights advocates a tool they can use to shine a light on these abuses at the world's only global human rights body."
Nine countries and one territory are judged to have the worst human rights conditions, receiving the lowest possible score of 7 (based on a 1 to 7 scale, with 1 representing the most free and 7 representing the least free) on both political rights and civil liberties: Burma, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tibet.
An additional 8 countries and 2 territories score only slightly better, with a score of 7 in political rights and a score of 6 in the civil liberties category: Belarus, Chad, China, Cuba, Guinea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Read More
The report, which identifies countries earning the lowest scores in Freedom in the World, Freedom House's annual report on political rights and civil liberties, was designed as a resource for human rights advocates. This year's report identifies 17 countries and 3 territories whose citizens live in extremely oppressive environments, with minimal basic rights and persistent human rights violations.
"In this report we identify countries where individuals have almost no opportunity to enjoy the most fundamental rights-regimes whose people experience heavy penalties for independent thought or action and where little or no oppositional activity is permitted to exist," said Paula Schriefer, director of advocacy at Freedom House. "By highlighting these countries, we hope to give human rights advocates a tool they can use to shine a light on these abuses at the world's only global human rights body."
Nine countries and one territory are judged to have the worst human rights conditions, receiving the lowest possible score of 7 (based on a 1 to 7 scale, with 1 representing the most free and 7 representing the least free) on both political rights and civil liberties: Burma, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tibet.
An additional 8 countries and 2 territories score only slightly better, with a score of 7 in political rights and a score of 6 in the civil liberties category: Belarus, Chad, China, Cuba, Guinea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Read More
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Storm Ahead
Instead of trying to convince ourselves that it’s not really raining and that there are only a few clouds in the sky, we should be asking a few basic questions on the relationship between Israel and young American Jews.
In October 1994, several days after kidnapped IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman was killed in a failed attempt to save him from his terrorist captors, I was scheduled to teach my weekly graduate seminar at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. But given the horror of what had just transpired, I couldn’t even imagine simply teaching as planned. I no longer recall what had been scheduled for that day. But what I do remember is that I decided to scrap the usual fare and that I taught a text in memory of Wachsman.
As the seminar drew to a close, it was obviously quiet in the room. But just as the students were preparing to disperse, one looked at me and asked, “What does any of this have to do with us?”
More than 15 years later, I can still picture that moment, frozen in time. I remember exactly where she was sitting. I recall the looks of discomfort on the faces of some of the other students, but the nods of agreement with her question from others. And I remember that I had no idea what to say.
And I remember feeling unbearably lonely and wholly out of place. Lonely because it was clear that she was not the only one wondering why in the world we were thinking about Nachshon Wachsman, when my own heart was breaking, and out of place because I had no idea how to engage those students in a conversation about why he mattered to me. I didn’t know where to begin.
What I didn’t know then, of course, was that a question that seemed to me an aberration would soon become the norm.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Behind the Headlines: The Israeli humanitarian lifeline to Gaza
There is much rhetoric and rumor that Israel does not allow any aid into the Gaza Strip, repeatedly referring to an all-out embargo. Below is what is actually going on, coordinated by the Israelis with international aid agencies including the UN and Red Cross, to ensure that there is no food shortage in Gaza.
Despite attacks by Hamas, Israel maintains an ongoing humanitarian corridor for the transfer of perishable and staple food items to Gaza. This conduit is used by internationally recognized organizations including the United Nations and the Red Cross.
Well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel over the last 18 months equaling nearly a ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza. Millions of dollars worth of international food aid continually flows through the Israeli humanitarian apparatus, ensuring that there is no food shortage in Gaza.
Food and supplies are shipped from Israel to Gaza six days a week. These items were channeled through aid organizations or via Gaza's private sector.
Large quantities of essential food items like baby formula, wheat, meat, dairy products and other perishables are transferred daily and weekly to Gaza. Fertilizers that cannot be used to make explosives are shipped into the Strip regularly, as are potato seeds, eggs for reproduction, bees, and equipment for the flower industry.
In 2009 alone, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza. Pictures in local newspapers show local markets aplenty with fruit, vegetables, cheese, spices, bread and meat to feed 1.4 million Gazans.
In the first quarter of 2010 (January-March), 94,500 tons of supplies were transferred in 3,676 trucks to the Strip: 48,000 tons of food products; 40,000 tons of wheat; 2,760 tons of rice; 1,987 tons of clothes and footwear; 553 tons of milk powder and baby food. Read more.
Despite attacks by Hamas, Israel maintains an ongoing humanitarian corridor for the transfer of perishable and staple food items to Gaza. This conduit is used by internationally recognized organizations including the United Nations and the Red Cross.
Well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel over the last 18 months equaling nearly a ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza. Millions of dollars worth of international food aid continually flows through the Israeli humanitarian apparatus, ensuring that there is no food shortage in Gaza.
Food and supplies are shipped from Israel to Gaza six days a week. These items were channeled through aid organizations or via Gaza's private sector.
Large quantities of essential food items like baby formula, wheat, meat, dairy products and other perishables are transferred daily and weekly to Gaza. Fertilizers that cannot be used to make explosives are shipped into the Strip regularly, as are potato seeds, eggs for reproduction, bees, and equipment for the flower industry.
In 2009 alone, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza. Pictures in local newspapers show local markets aplenty with fruit, vegetables, cheese, spices, bread and meat to feed 1.4 million Gazans.
In the first quarter of 2010 (January-March), 94,500 tons of supplies were transferred in 3,676 trucks to the Strip: 48,000 tons of food products; 40,000 tons of wheat; 2,760 tons of rice; 1,987 tons of clothes and footwear; 553 tons of milk powder and baby food. Read more.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Oklahoma Senate Overrides Abortion Info Veto
The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday completed an override of Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of a controversial abortion bill.
The Senate action came after the House voted Monday to override Henry’s veto of House Bill 3284.
The measure requires women seeking abortions to provide a host of personal information that will be reported statistically on a public web site without identifying the women. The Senate vote was 33-15. The House vote was 84-13.
“It is disappointing because every veto override just triggers more lawsuits and legal bills for taxpayers,” said Paul Sund, a Henry spokesman. “Similar abortion laws passed by the Legislature were challenged and thrown out by the courts last year, and the latest versions are probably headed for the same fate.”
The GOP-controlled Legislature has now overridden three abortion bill vetoes by the Democratic governor this session.
The Senate action came after the House voted Monday to override Henry’s veto of House Bill 3284.
The measure requires women seeking abortions to provide a host of personal information that will be reported statistically on a public web site without identifying the women. The Senate vote was 33-15. The House vote was 84-13.
“It is disappointing because every veto override just triggers more lawsuits and legal bills for taxpayers,” said Paul Sund, a Henry spokesman. “Similar abortion laws passed by the Legislature were challenged and thrown out by the courts last year, and the latest versions are probably headed for the same fate.”
The GOP-controlled Legislature has now overridden three abortion bill vetoes by the Democratic governor this session.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Oklahoma: Close to Outlawing Abortion
The name Oklahoma used to mean the classic Rogers and Hammerstein musical about the legendary ranchers and farmers – the men and women who created the state with their back – breaking work and optimistic spirit. The show began with Curly singing “Oh, what a beautiful morning . . .”
That sunny, expansive vision crashed with a thud for millions of people in Oklahoma on April 27 when the legislature overrode the governor’s vetoes of two abortion measures – the most restrictive and onerous in the nation. Both laws had been passed before, in 2008, as part of an omnibus bill along with several other anti-abortion measures. But the state courts struck them down on a technicality, violation of a clause in the Oklahoma Constitution requiring bills to deal with a single subject. This time, the Republican majorities in both houses of the legislature avoided that pitfall and broke the omnibus bill into separate measures. Governor Brad Henry, a Democrat, did sign two into law: one requires clinics to post signs stating that a woman cannot be forced to have an abortion; the other makes it illegal to choose to have an abortion because of the sex of a child.
That sunny, expansive vision crashed with a thud for millions of people in Oklahoma on April 27 when the legislature overrode the governor’s vetoes of two abortion measures – the most restrictive and onerous in the nation. Both laws had been passed before, in 2008, as part of an omnibus bill along with several other anti-abortion measures. But the state courts struck them down on a technicality, violation of a clause in the Oklahoma Constitution requiring bills to deal with a single subject. This time, the Republican majorities in both houses of the legislature avoided that pitfall and broke the omnibus bill into separate measures. Governor Brad Henry, a Democrat, did sign two into law: one requires clinics to post signs stating that a woman cannot be forced to have an abortion; the other makes it illegal to choose to have an abortion because of the sex of a child.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Statement by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Iran
We acknowledge the efforts that have been made by Turkey and Brazil. The proposal announced in Tehran must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the IAEA before it can be considered by the international community. Given Iran’s repeated failure to live up to its own commitments, and the need to address fundamental issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and international community continue to have serious concerns. While it would be a positive step for Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium off of its soil as it agreed to do last October, Iran said today that it would continue its 20% enrichment, which is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions and which the Iranian government originally justified by pointing to the need for fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. Furthermore, the Joint Declaration issued in Tehran is vague about Iran’s willingness to meet with the P5+1 countries to address international concerns about its nuclear program, as it also agreed to do last October.
The United States will continue to work with our international partners, and through the United Nations Security Council, to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must demonstrate through deeds – and not simply words – its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions. Iran must take the steps necessary to assure the international community that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes, including by complying with U.N. Security Council resolutions and cooperating fully with the IAEA. We remain committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, as part of the P5+1 dual track approach, and will be consulting closely with our partners on these developments going forward.
Friday, May 14, 2010
S.D. candidate urges pastors to endorse candidates
Republican gubernatorial candidate Gordon Howie on Friday urged South Dakota churches and their pastors Friday to defy federal law by endorsing candidates.
By law, churches that endorse or oppose candidates or parties risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Howie, a state senator from Rapid City, said he believes the 50-year-old tax law is an unconstitutional violation of freedom of speech.
"Pastors have a constitutional right to speak freely. When you look at our history, you see the people who led the charge for independence, the people who led the charge in civil rights, those were spiritual leaders, those were pastors," Howie said.
Howie faces four other candidates in the June 8 primary to determine the Republican Party's candidate for governor in the fall election.
By law, churches that endorse or oppose candidates or parties risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Howie, a state senator from Rapid City, said he believes the 50-year-old tax law is an unconstitutional violation of freedom of speech.
"Pastors have a constitutional right to speak freely. When you look at our history, you see the people who led the charge for independence, the people who led the charge in civil rights, those were spiritual leaders, those were pastors," Howie said.
Howie faces four other candidates in the June 8 primary to determine the Republican Party's candidate for governor in the fall election.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cross at Center of Legal Dispute Disappears
A seven-foot-tall Latin cross in the middle of both the Mojave Desert and a Supreme Court case on the separation of church and state has been stolen, federal officials said Tuesday.
The cross, made of metal tubing reinforced with concrete and bolted to a base on a rock, about 200 miles east of here, was discovered missing Monday.
A large plywood box had covered the top of the cross for several years, making it look like a big wooden lollipop, while a lawsuit over whether a religious symbol could stand on public land made its way through the courts. That box disappeared Saturday, said Linda Slater, a spokeswoman for the Mojave National Preserve, where the cross is, or was, located.
The cross, made of metal tubing reinforced with concrete and bolted to a base on a rock, about 200 miles east of here, was discovered missing Monday.
A large plywood box had covered the top of the cross for several years, making it look like a big wooden lollipop, while a lawsuit over whether a religious symbol could stand on public land made its way through the courts. That box disappeared Saturday, said Linda Slater, a spokeswoman for the Mojave National Preserve, where the cross is, or was, located.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Does the National Day of Prayer Violate Church-State Separation?
Today, in cities across the country, public events will mark the National Day of Prayer 2010.
There is no problem when Americans -- including public officials -- gather to pray. In fact, for people of faith, every day should be a day of prayer. Questions properly arise, however, when the government, by an official act of Congress, urges citizens to engage in a religious exercise.
As citizens, Americans share a long history and proud tradition of religious liberty. As individuals with diverse beliefs, however, Americans do not share a common religion or participate in the same religious practices. A day of prayer might be appropriately encouraged by our country's various religious leaders -- but it should not be called for by civil magistrates, Congress, or even the president.
There is no problem when Americans -- including public officials -- gather to pray. In fact, for people of faith, every day should be a day of prayer. Questions properly arise, however, when the government, by an official act of Congress, urges citizens to engage in a religious exercise.
As citizens, Americans share a long history and proud tradition of religious liberty. As individuals with diverse beliefs, however, Americans do not share a common religion or participate in the same religious practices. A day of prayer might be appropriately encouraged by our country's various religious leaders -- but it should not be called for by civil magistrates, Congress, or even the president.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
White House charm offensive pays off: Wiesel says tension is ‘gone’
When Elie Wiesel says it's all kosher, it's good.
For now, anyway.
President Obama capped an intensive two weeks of administration make-nice with Israeli officials and the American Jewish community by hosting Wiesel, the Nobel peace laureate and Holocaust memoirist, for lunch at the White House.
"It was a good kosher lunch," was the first thing Wiesel pronounced, emerging from the White House to a gaggle of reporters.
And not just the food.
"There were moments of tension,” Wiesel said. “But the tension I think is gone, which is good.”
That echoed Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, who a few days earlier told leaders of the American Jewish Committee that the "slight disagreements are behind us."
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
New Okla. anti-abortion law temporarily blocked
Oklahoma's attorney general agreed Monday to temporarily block enforcement of a controversial new state law that requires pregnant women to get an ultrasound and hear a detailed description of the fetus before they get an abortion.
The Center for Reproductive Rights was set to argue for a temporary restraining order Monday, but attorneys for both sides agreed to accept the order before the court hearing, Oklahoma County District Judge Noma Gurich said. She signed the order Monday afternoon.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Secretary Clinton Reaffirms Strong US-Israel Ties and Support
Secretary Hillary Clinton recently spoke at the Annual Gala Dinner of the American Jewish Committee. Her remarks firmly restated the United States' close association with Israel, and the Obama Administration's unwavering support of Israel and peace in the Middle East.
This organization for more than a century has been a voice for the aspirations of the Jewish people for a secure and democratic homeland. We saw the pictures flashing before us on the screen – the faces of those who have made Israel their home and those who have made America our home. You have fought for the core values that make this country great –equality and religious freedom, civil rights and women’s rights, a freer, fairer nation in which every child has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential.
So let me first thank you, thank all of you, for everything you do on behalf of the United States of America and our ideals and values. Because at the core, our relationship with Israel is premised on those values. (Applause.)
There are so many ways that the American Jewish Committee has advanced and spoken to the enduring bond between the United States and Israel. AJC recognizes that we are two nations woven together with our stories, our stories of struggle and triumph, of hope and disappointment. We are beacons for pilgrims and people yearning to be free. We are lands built by immigrants and exiles, given life by democratic principles, and sustained by the service and sacrifice of generations of patriots. We have seen our cities and our citizens targeted by terrorists. And Americans and Israelis alike have met these threats with unyielding resolve.
For all of our similarities, though, we know that Israel faces unique challenges. A nation forced to defend itself at every turn, living under existential threat for decades. We Americans may never fully understand the implications of this history on the daily lives of Israelis – the worry that a mother feels watching a child board a school bus or a child watching a parent go off to work. But we know deep in our souls that we have an unshakable bond and we will always stand not just with the Government of Israel but with the people of Israel.
This organization for more than a century has been a voice for the aspirations of the Jewish people for a secure and democratic homeland. We saw the pictures flashing before us on the screen – the faces of those who have made Israel their home and those who have made America our home. You have fought for the core values that make this country great –equality and religious freedom, civil rights and women’s rights, a freer, fairer nation in which every child has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential.
So let me first thank you, thank all of you, for everything you do on behalf of the United States of America and our ideals and values. Because at the core, our relationship with Israel is premised on those values. (Applause.)
There are so many ways that the American Jewish Committee has advanced and spoken to the enduring bond between the United States and Israel. AJC recognizes that we are two nations woven together with our stories, our stories of struggle and triumph, of hope and disappointment. We are beacons for pilgrims and people yearning to be free. We are lands built by immigrants and exiles, given life by democratic principles, and sustained by the service and sacrifice of generations of patriots. We have seen our cities and our citizens targeted by terrorists. And Americans and Israelis alike have met these threats with unyielding resolve.
For all of our similarities, though, we know that Israel faces unique challenges. A nation forced to defend itself at every turn, living under existential threat for decades. We Americans may never fully understand the implications of this history on the daily lives of Israelis – the worry that a mother feels watching a child board a school bus or a child watching a parent go off to work. But we know deep in our souls that we have an unshakable bond and we will always stand not just with the Government of Israel but with the people of Israel.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Supreme Court Sides With Interior on Mojave Desert Cross
The Supreme Court ruled today that Congress and the Interior Department acted properly when they used a land transfer to solve a dispute over a cross on display in the federal Mojave National Preserve.
The case, Salazar v. Buono, stemmed from a 2001 lawsuit challenging a cross erected in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Frank Buono, an Oregon resident who had served as an assistant superintendent in the park and was a regular visitor, claimed the memorial to World War I veterans was unconstitutional because it gave the impression that the government was advancing a particular religion.
By a 5-4 margin, the Supreme Court ruled today that lower federal courts were wrong to dismiss as "evasion" the federal government's effort to transfer the land underneath the religious symbol. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion (pdf) for the majority, arguing that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had failed to consider the profound "dilemma" posed by the case.
The case, Salazar v. Buono, stemmed from a 2001 lawsuit challenging a cross erected in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Frank Buono, an Oregon resident who had served as an assistant superintendent in the park and was a regular visitor, claimed the memorial to World War I veterans was unconstitutional because it gave the impression that the government was advancing a particular religion.
By a 5-4 margin, the Supreme Court ruled today that lower federal courts were wrong to dismiss as "evasion" the federal government's effort to transfer the land underneath the religious symbol. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion (pdf) for the majority, arguing that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had failed to consider the profound "dilemma" posed by the case.
Strict Abortion Measures Enacted in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Legislature voted Tuesday to override the governor’s vetoes of two abortion measures, one of which requires women to undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before getting an abortion.
Though other states have passed similar measures requiring women to have ultrasounds, Oklahoma’s law goes further, mandating that a doctor or technician set up the monitor so the woman can see it and describe the heart, limbs and organs of the fetus. No exceptions are made for rape and incest victims.
A second measure passed into law on Tuesday prevents women who have had a disabled baby from suing a doctor for withholding information about birth defects while the child was in the womb.
Opponents argue that the law will protect doctors who purposely mislead a woman to keep her from choosing an abortion. But the bill’s sponsors maintain that it merely prevents lawsuits by people who wish, in hindsight, that the doctor had counseled them to abort a disabled child.
Though other states have passed similar measures requiring women to have ultrasounds, Oklahoma’s law goes further, mandating that a doctor or technician set up the monitor so the woman can see it and describe the heart, limbs and organs of the fetus. No exceptions are made for rape and incest victims.
A second measure passed into law on Tuesday prevents women who have had a disabled baby from suing a doctor for withholding information about birth defects while the child was in the womb.
Opponents argue that the law will protect doctors who purposely mislead a woman to keep her from choosing an abortion. But the bill’s sponsors maintain that it merely prevents lawsuits by people who wish, in hindsight, that the doctor had counseled them to abort a disabled child.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Religious Case for Church-State Separation
Here we go again. On April 15 a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the National Day of Prayer, slated for May 6, was unconstitutional. The usual voices have been heard rising in objection (Sarah Palin and Franklin Graham among them) and, proving yet again that President Obama is no radical, the administration announced its own plans to challenge the decision. One can make a reasonable case that the weight of custom puts the fairly banal idea of an occasionless, generic day of prayer (how many of you even knew that we have had such a day every year since 1952?) on the safe side of the Establishment Clause. But the right is, as ever, taking things a beat too far. Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, Palin said, our Founding Fathers, they were believers.
Governor Palin's history is rather shaky. Religious liberty—the freedom to worship as one chooses, or not to worship—is a central element of the American creed. Yes, many of the Founders were believing, observant Christians. But to think of them as apostles in knee breeches or as passionate evangelicals is a profound misreading of the past. In many ways their most wondrous legacy was creating the foundations of a culture of religious diversity in which the secular and the religious could live in harmony, giving faith a role in the life of the nation in which it could shape us without strangling us. On the day George Washington left Philadelphia to take command of the Continental Army, the Rev. William Smith preached a sermon at the city's Christ Church, saying: "Religion and liberty must flourish or fall together in America. We pray that both may be perpetual."
Governor Palin's history is rather shaky. Religious liberty—the freedom to worship as one chooses, or not to worship—is a central element of the American creed. Yes, many of the Founders were believing, observant Christians. But to think of them as apostles in knee breeches or as passionate evangelicals is a profound misreading of the past. In many ways their most wondrous legacy was creating the foundations of a culture of religious diversity in which the secular and the religious could live in harmony, giving faith a role in the life of the nation in which it could shape us without strangling us. On the day George Washington left Philadelphia to take command of the Continental Army, the Rev. William Smith preached a sermon at the city's Christ Church, saying: "Religion and liberty must flourish or fall together in America. We pray that both may be perpetual."
The Palestine Peace Distraction
Announcing a comprehensive plan now—one that is all but certain to fail—risks discrediting good ideas, breeding frustration in the Arab world, and diluting America's reputation for getting things done.
President Obama recently said it was a "vital national security interest of the United States" to resolve the Middle East conflict. Last month, David Petraeus, the general who leads U.S. Central Command, testified before Congress that "enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests." He went on to say that "Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples . . . and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world."
Friday, April 16, 2010
Kansas governor vetoes restrictions on late-term abortions
Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson has vetoed a law that would put restrictions on late-term abortions and redefine when a fetus is viable. A Democrat, he followed his predecessor, Kathleen Sebelius, who rejected a similar bill before becoming U.S. secretary for Health and Human Services.
"Kansas' current law concerning abortion was passed more than a decade ago and strikes a reasonable balance on a very difficult issue," Parkinson said in his veto message, which was buried in a news release about the signing of a shield law for journalists. "I support the current law and believe that an annual legislative battle over the issue is not in the public's best interest." He added that "all abortions are tragedies," but the decision "is a private decision and should not be dictated by public officials."
"Kansas' current law concerning abortion was passed more than a decade ago and strikes a reasonable balance on a very difficult issue," Parkinson said in his veto message, which was buried in a news release about the signing of a shield law for journalists. "I support the current law and believe that an annual legislative battle over the issue is not in the public's best interest." He added that "all abortions are tragedies," but the decision "is a private decision and should not be dictated by public officials."
Friday, April 09, 2010
Bill would tell PAs of teen abortions blog
Abortion clinics would be required to tell prosecutors about teenagers seeking abortions under legislation passed Tuesday by the Missouri House that supporters hope could provide leads on potential rapists.
Israel as the 'National Homeland of the Jewish People': Looking Back and Ahead
On March 16, 2010, Tal Becker and Hussein Ibish addressed a special Policy Forum luncheon to discuss the history and future of Israel's Jewish identity in political and diplomatic context. Mr. Becker is an Israel-based international associate with The Washington Institute. Mr. Ibish is a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine. The following is a rapporteur's summary of their remarks.
Obama weighs new peace plan for the Middle East
Despite recent turbulence in U.S. relations with Israel, President Obama is "seriously considering" proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict, according to two top administration officials.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Lawyer: Abortion doctor’s death was ‘terrorism’
It appears that the murder of Dr. George Tiller has had some unforeseen consequences - it has caused some medical school students to look into training in reproductive health procedures, including abortion procedures.
The murder of one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions was "a gutless act of terror" and was as destructive as "an earthquake" for women seeking such medical services, the doctor's friend and attorney said Thursday.
The murder of one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions was "a gutless act of terror" and was as destructive as "an earthquake" for women seeking such medical services, the doctor's friend and attorney said Thursday.
Attorney Lee Thompson asked District Judge Warren Wilbert to give the harshest possible sentence to anti-abortion zealot Scott Roeder, who admitted he gunned down Dr. George Tiller in the back of Tiller's Wichita church last May because he felt doing so would protect unborn children.
Roeder was facing a mandatory life prison term, although Wilbert had to decide whether to make him eligible for parole after 25 or 50 years. The judge indicated during the hearing that the evidence showed that the 52-year-old Roeder stalked Tiller before killing him, which could qualify him for the harsher of the two sentences.
Roeder was facing a mandatory life prison term, although Wilbert had to decide whether to make him eligible for parole after 25 or 50 years. The judge indicated during the hearing that the evidence showed that the 52-year-old Roeder stalked Tiller before killing him, which could qualify him for the harsher of the two sentences.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Textbook cases - As Texas shows, school book content must not be left to interest groups. California, take note.
Oh, those disingenuous Texans. Pretending to bring ideological balance to history textbooks when what they're really doing is weighting the books so heavily with conservative mores, you'd expect the state's backpack-laden school children to list to the right.
If the revisions proposed by the conservative faction of the Texas Board of Education are adopted in May, the state's textbooks will raise the study of the inaugural speech of Confederate President Jefferson Davis to the same level as that of Abraham Lincoln. They will downplay the role of Thomas Jefferson, in part because he coined the phrase "separation of church and state," and will imply that the Founding Fathers were Christian even though historians have found evidence that not all of them held Christian beliefs. The internment of a relatively small number of people of German and Italian heritage during World War II would be emphasized to make it appear as though there wasn't a racial component to interning more than 100,000 Japanese Americans. This amounts to just plain disinformation.
If the revisions proposed by the conservative faction of the Texas Board of Education are adopted in May, the state's textbooks will raise the study of the inaugural speech of Confederate President Jefferson Davis to the same level as that of Abraham Lincoln. They will downplay the role of Thomas Jefferson, in part because he coined the phrase "separation of church and state," and will imply that the Founding Fathers were Christian even though historians have found evidence that not all of them held Christian beliefs. The internment of a relatively small number of people of German and Italian heritage during World War II would be emphasized to make it appear as though there wasn't a racial component to interning more than 100,000 Japanese Americans. This amounts to just plain disinformation.
Anti-abortion bills may be challenged
Anti-abortion members of the Oklahoma legislature and rewriting legislation that has been struck down by the courts. Below is the chart included with this article, outlining recent anti-abortion measures by the State of Oklahoma.
According to State Representative Benge of Tulsa, "Our motivation is the respect and sanctity of life in the womb,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. "We’ve been very vocal and out front about how important we think that is."
Bills that are similar to measures contained in the 2009 law are:
• Senate Bill 1890 would forbid an abortion based solely on the sex of the child.
• House Bill 3284 would require doctors to report detailed information about abortions to the state Health Department, including the age, marital status and education level of patients.
Bills that are similar to measures contained in the 2008 law are:
• Senate Bill 1891 would protect employees who refuse to participate in abortions.
• SB 1902 would make it illegal for a person other than a qualified physician who is physically present to administer the chemical abortion pill, RU-486, for the purposes of inducing an abortion.
• House Bill 2780 would require a woman be given a description of ultrasound images of her unborn child and be offered those images before getting an abortion.
• HB 3075 would require certain signs to be displayed in an abortion clinic.
• HB 2656 would ban lawsuits that claim a baby would have been better off aborted.
According to State Representative Benge of Tulsa, "Our motivation is the respect and sanctity of life in the womb,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. "We’ve been very vocal and out front about how important we think that is."
ANTI-ABORTION MEASURES
Seven bills are advancing through the legislative session. They are similar to those contained in two bills that were passed earlier by the Legislature but were ruled unconstitutional by the courts because the measures each contained more than one subject. The Senate bills have passed a House committee and are awaiting action by the full House of Representatives and the House bills have passed a Senate committee and are awaiting action by the full Senate.
Seven bills are advancing through the legislative session. They are similar to those contained in two bills that were passed earlier by the Legislature but were ruled unconstitutional by the courts because the measures each contained more than one subject. The Senate bills have passed a House committee and are awaiting action by the full House of Representatives and the House bills have passed a Senate committee and are awaiting action by the full Senate.
Bills that are similar to measures contained in the 2009 law are:
• Senate Bill 1890 would forbid an abortion based solely on the sex of the child.
• House Bill 3284 would require doctors to report detailed information about abortions to the state Health Department, including the age, marital status and education level of patients.
Bills that are similar to measures contained in the 2008 law are:
• Senate Bill 1891 would protect employees who refuse to participate in abortions.
• SB 1902 would make it illegal for a person other than a qualified physician who is physically present to administer the chemical abortion pill, RU-486, for the purposes of inducing an abortion.
• House Bill 2780 would require a woman be given a description of ultrasound images of her unborn child and be offered those images before getting an abortion.
• HB 3075 would require certain signs to be displayed in an abortion clinic.
• HB 2656 would ban lawsuits that claim a baby would have been better off aborted.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Justice's wife launches 'tea party' group
The nonprofit run by Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is likely to test notions of political impartiality for the court.
As Virginia Thomas tells it in her soft-spoken, Midwestern cadence, the story of her involvement in the "tea party" movement is the tale of an average citizen in action.
"I am an ordinary citizen from Omaha, Neb., who just may have the chance to preserve liberty along with you and other people like you," she said at a recent panel discussion with tea party leaders in Washington. Thomas went on to count herself among those energized into action by President Obama's "hard-left agenda."
As Virginia Thomas tells it in her soft-spoken, Midwestern cadence, the story of her involvement in the "tea party" movement is the tale of an average citizen in action.
"I am an ordinary citizen from Omaha, Neb., who just may have the chance to preserve liberty along with you and other people like you," she said at a recent panel discussion with tea party leaders in Washington. Thomas went on to count herself among those energized into action by President Obama's "hard-left agenda."
U.S. history textbooks could soon be flavored heavily with Texas conservatism
The nation’s public school curriculum may be in for a Texas-sized overhaul, if the Lone Star state’s influential recommendations for changes to social studies, economics and history textbooks are fully ratified later this spring. Last Friday, in a 10-to-5 vote split right down party lines, the Texas State Board of Education approved some controversial right-leaning alterations to what most students in the state—and by extension, in much of the rest of the country—will be studying as received historical and social-scientific wisdom. After a public comment period, the board will vote on final recommendations in May.
The Extremist Nature of Israel Apartheid Week
Israel Apartheid Week just ended, and we wanted to take a look at exactly what it is and why. This is a very concise explanation of its history and purpose, and why it is "absurd."
So it’s that time of year again (March 1st – 14th), when our institutions of higher learning take a week out of their busy schedules to promote and celebrate anti-Semitism week. Oh, I know it’s officially called Israel Apartheid Week, and this year they have expanded to a two week celebration, but really, whatever you choose to call it, it’s nothing short of absurd. Originally started in 2005, by the Arab Student Collective at the University of Toronto, a number of Canadian and American academic institutions have chosen to blindly follow along.
So it’s that time of year again (March 1st – 14th), when our institutions of higher learning take a week out of their busy schedules to promote and celebrate anti-Semitism week. Oh, I know it’s officially called Israel Apartheid Week, and this year they have expanded to a two week celebration, but really, whatever you choose to call it, it’s nothing short of absurd. Originally started in 2005, by the Arab Student Collective at the University of Toronto, a number of Canadian and American academic institutions have chosen to blindly follow along.
Settlement Snafu
The embarrassment over Israel's announcement of 1,600 new housing units during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit has been elevated to an outright controversy with the public rebuke issues by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Thursday, Biden affirmed that the U.S.-Israel relationship is in"impervious to any shifts in either country," and that"[n]o matter what challenges we face, this bond will endure."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Roeder case stirs global reactions
Judge Warren Wilbert's words in a Wichita courtroom are bouncing from national blogs to the Harvard Law School to other continents.
Every comment by Wilbert in the first-degree murder trial of Scott Roeder this week has been open to second-guessing and living-room litigation. Drawing the most criticism is Wilbert's analysis of the Kansas voluntary manslaughter law that, if allowed, could give the jury an option of convicting Roeder on a charge less than murder in the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller.
Every comment by Wilbert in the first-degree murder trial of Scott Roeder this week has been open to second-guessing and living-room litigation. Drawing the most criticism is Wilbert's analysis of the Kansas voluntary manslaughter law that, if allowed, could give the jury an option of convicting Roeder on a charge less than murder in the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller.
IDF sets up field hospital in Haiti
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical and Rescue Team has set up a field hospital and begun rescuing and treating earthquake victims in the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince.
The IDF team is locating and rescuing survivors trapped in ruined buildings, including many who were injured during the collapse of the UN headquarters.
The field hospital is equipped to receive dozens of ambulances evacuating the injured from the disaster-struck areas. Between Friday night and Saturday, dozens of truckloads of medical and logistical equipment were unloaded and the hospital was set up.
The IDF team is locating and rescuing survivors trapped in ruined buildings, including many who were injured during the collapse of the UN headquarters.
The field hospital is equipped to receive dozens of ambulances evacuating the injured from the disaster-struck areas. Between Friday night and Saturday, dozens of truckloads of medical and logistical equipment were unloaded and the hospital was set up.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Tel Aviv Cluster
Jews are a famously accomplished group. They make up 0.2 percent of the world population, but 54 percent of the world chess champions, 27 percent of the Nobel physics laureates and 31 percent of the medicine laureates.
Jews make up 2 percent of the U.S. population, but 21 percent of the Ivy League student bodies, 26 percent of the Kennedy Center honorees, 37 percent of the Academy Award-winning directors, 38 percent of those on a recent Business Week list of leading philanthropists, 51 percent of the Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction.
In his book, “The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement,” Steven L. Pease lists some of the explanations people have given for this record of achievement. The Jewish faith encourages a belief in progress and personal accountability. It is learning-based, not rite-based.
Jews make up 2 percent of the U.S. population, but 21 percent of the Ivy League student bodies, 26 percent of the Kennedy Center honorees, 37 percent of the Academy Award-winning directors, 38 percent of those on a recent Business Week list of leading philanthropists, 51 percent of the Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction.
In his book, “The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement,” Steven L. Pease lists some of the explanations people have given for this record of achievement. The Jewish faith encourages a belief in progress and personal accountability. It is learning-based, not rite-based.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Their own worst enemies: Hamas-ruled Gaza suffers while West Bank thrives
One year ago Sunday, Israel finally responded to a multiyear barrage of rocket attacks on schools, homes and synagogues, peaking with more than 3,200 in 2008, with a targeted military campaign in Gaza.
In the anti-Israel "world community," that restrained act of self-defense has been repaid with howls that a sovereign nation protecting itself from terrorists committed war crimes. That much, though sickening, was perfectly predictable.
The picture of what's happened to the Palestinian people on the ground - in Gaza on the one hand and in the West Bank on the other - is far more surprising, and powerfully educational.
In the anti-Israel "world community," that restrained act of self-defense has been repaid with howls that a sovereign nation protecting itself from terrorists committed war crimes. That much, though sickening, was perfectly predictable.
The picture of what's happened to the Palestinian people on the ground - in Gaza on the one hand and in the West Bank on the other - is far more surprising, and powerfully educational.
The kibbutz that is saving American soldiers' lives
Twenty years ago, Kibbutz Sasa was eking out a living with plastics-maker Plasan. Today, the firm is a world leader in armor for vehicles, helped no small amount by America's involvement in Iraq. Has being in the war business made the community any less peaceful? 
Monday, December 21, 2009
My abortion anguish - Why should women who need them have to leave the state and pay thousands of dollars?
This past July, I was happily pregnant and eagerly expecting the arrival of our second child. For nearly eight months, I had been loving my baby in utero and explaining to our 2 1/2 -year old son that he was going to become a big brother. Never in my worst nightmare did I imagine I would need to have an abortion - and certainly not late term.
At my 28-week sonogram, the ventricles in our baby's brain measured a little elevated, and I was sent for further testing. Two weeks later, I had an MRI, and my worst nightmare was realized - we learned the baby was missing a main piece of its brain. The part that connects the right and left hemispheres literally wasn't there. Additionally, the surface of the brain was malformed and severely underdeveloped. Despite all my prenatal care and testing, this was not detected until I was 7 1/2 months along. And no amount of surgery or physical therapy could change this horrific diagnosis.
At my 28-week sonogram, the ventricles in our baby's brain measured a little elevated, and I was sent for further testing. Two weeks later, I had an MRI, and my worst nightmare was realized - we learned the baby was missing a main piece of its brain. The part that connects the right and left hemispheres literally wasn't there. Additionally, the surface of the brain was malformed and severely underdeveloped. Despite all my prenatal care and testing, this was not detected until I was 7 1/2 months along. And no amount of surgery or physical therapy could change this horrific diagnosis.
Friday, December 18, 2009
'A second Hanukkah miracle' for Israel
Sixty years ago this month, a converted World War II Victory ship carrying 888 pregnant Holsteins steamed across the Atlantic Ocean. It would be seen as confirming the Lord's promise in Joshua 5:6 to make Israel a "land of milk and honey."
That 200 cows gave birth at sea and only six died was "a second Hanukkah miracle," said Morris Levy, the only veterinarian aboard.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Military Abortion Ban: Female Soldiers Not Protected by Constitution They Defend
Unable to get an abortion during a tour of duty in Iraq, a soldier is left with no option but to do it herself—a humiliating but not uncommon dilemma. Women in the military are forced to obtain a leave to get the care they need; but if they’re honest about why, they put their military career in jeopardy. If they’re not, they put their military career in jeopardy.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Livni arrest warrant 'UK's biggest mistake' says Peres
Issuing a warrant for the arrest of an Israeli politician is one of the "biggest political mistakes the UK has ever made", Israel's president says.
President Shimon Peres said it was "high time" the British government changed a law allowing courts to grant such warrants.
President Shimon Peres said it was "high time" the British government changed a law allowing courts to grant such warrants.
The arrest warrant for Israeli former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has caused huge embarrassment in London.
British ministers have said they will look "urgently" at reforming the law.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Crisis Spurs Migration to Israel
Immigration into Israel and the Palestinian West Bank is surging after the financial crisis and economic downturn evaporated jobs elsewhere.
After years of a brain drain from the region, and despite the lack of a peace settlement, by the end of this month about 4,000 North American Jews will have immigrated to Israel this year, an increase of 33% over 2008 and the most in one year since 1973, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh, an organization that oversees and assists with immigration to Israel from North America.
After years of a brain drain from the region, and despite the lack of a peace settlement, by the end of this month about 4,000 North American Jews will have immigrated to Israel this year, an increase of 33% over 2008 and the most in one year since 1973, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh, an organization that oversees and assists with immigration to Israel from North America.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
UN Ambassador calls Palestinian Solidarity Day 'one-sided narrative'
Israel's top official at the United Nations charged the General Assembly on Tuesday with undermining efforts toward a two-state solution by embracing a one-sided condemnation of Israel during the UN's "Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People."
In response to bruising speeches against Israel at the United Nations during the two-day event on Monday and Tuesday, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev recalled the 1947 vote that paved the way for the creation of two states.
"Thirty-three for. Thirteen against. Ten abstentions. The resolution was approved," she said.
While the Jewish population in the region accepted the resolution, the Arab side rejected UN Resolution 181, launching a war against Israel and setting the stage for the current conflict.
From bombing center to strawberry capital of W. Bank
There was a time when Kalkilya was the focus of bomb making and terrorism but a new program is aiming to turn this Palestinian city into the strawberry capital of the West Bank
The first crop of the ruby red fruit in this pilot program is halfway to harvest. The Palestinians hope to be able to cash in on the lucrative Christmas markets in Europe and possibly sell strawberries to a major international ice cream producer.
"I grow strawberries here, and this is where it starts," said Ahmed Zed, 31, a Palestinian carrot farmer who decided to take up the risky endeavor and grow strawberries.
...For the past few months, Israeli agriculture advisers have been training Palestinian farmers in growing these delicious, but highly sensitive fruit. Sponsored by the Flemish Foreign Ministry and facilitated by the Peres Center for Peace, Israeli experts have been supplying Palestinian farmers with irrigation equipment, nylon, pesticides and training that will help them raise the high-quality strawberries required for export.
The Abortion Distortion - Just how pro-choice is America, really?
Most New Yorkers hadn’t heard of Bart Stupak before he attached his devastating anti-abortion amendment to the House’s health-care-reform bill three weeks ago. We know a lot more about him now, of course: that he lives in a Christian rooming house on C Street; that he’s a former state trooper. He has become a symbol of legislative zealotry, living proof that the fight over the right to choose will always attract a more impassioned opposition than defense. (As Harrison Hickman, a former pollster for NARAL, put it to me: “If you believe that choosing the wrong side of the issue means spending eternal life in Hades, of course you’re going to be more focused on it.”) Just a week after the vote, when I reached the Michigan Democrat as he was driving across his district, he seemed dumbfounded that anyone found his brinkmanship surprising. “I said to anyone who’d listen: ‘Do you want health care, or do you want to fight out abortion?’ ” says Stupak. He points out that he’d nearly managed to bring down a rule about abortion funding earlier in the summer, this time in a bill about spending in the District of Columbia. “I said, ‘Look, that was a shot across your bow,’ ” he recalls. “ ‘I was being polite to you. That was a warning.’ And the leadership just blew us off.”
Groups fighting abortion restriction in health reform bill
JAC members and leadership will be in Washington, DC this week to participate in the National Day of Action and Rally, as well as lobby Senators about the dangers of eliminating abortion coverage and restricting women's rights.
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Several Jewish groups are fighting a controversial measure in health reform legislation that would have the effect of eliminating insurance coverage for abortion for millions of women.
At issue is the Stupak Amendment, a measure included at the last minute in the health care bill passed Nov. 7 by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Several organizations -- including the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the National Council of Jewish Women, the American Jewish Congress and the Chicago-based Joint Action Committee -- have spoken out or are lobbying to make sure the amendment does not end up either in the Senate version of health care legislation or the final bill that emerges from a conference committee.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Banished at Turtle Bay - A U.N. critic has her credentials stripped.
As part of our public-service reports on the workings of your favorite world body, allow us to introduce you to Anne Bayefsky. The Toronto native is an expert on human-rights law and an accredited United Nations observer. She is also a friend of Israel, which makes her persona non grata as far as the folks at Turtle Bay are concerned.
Ms. Bayefsky's sin was a two-minute talk she delivered at the U.N. earlier this month after the General Assembly had issued a resolution endorsing the Goldstone Report, which levels war crimes charges at Israel for defending itself in the face of Hamas's rockets. "The resolution doesn't mention the word Hamas," she said. "This is a resolution that purports to be even-handed; it is anything but."
Abortion ban must be stricken from health care bill: Connie Schultz
Language matters, so let's be clear: Women's reproductive health is not a "social issue."
Deciding whether to carry the red purse or the black bag to dinner Saturday night? That's a social issue. Wondering why your child wasn't invited to her classmate's birthday party? That, too, is a social issue.
Attempting to limit women's access to legal and safe abortions? Not even remotely a social issue. So let's stop calling it that as we debate the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which is the latest effort in Congress to prohibit insurance coverage for abortion. The sooner we reject this dismissive casting of a woman's essential right, the sooner elected officials will understand it's not theirs for the tinkering.
Deciding whether to carry the red purse or the black bag to dinner Saturday night? That's a social issue. Wondering why your child wasn't invited to her classmate's birthday party? That, too, is a social issue.
Attempting to limit women's access to legal and safe abortions? Not even remotely a social issue. So let's stop calling it that as we debate the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which is the latest effort in Congress to prohibit insurance coverage for abortion. The sooner we reject this dismissive casting of a woman's essential right, the sooner elected officials will understand it's not theirs for the tinkering.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
U.S. House backs resolution to condemn Goldstone Gaza report
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday condemned a UN report that accuses Israeli forces and Palestinian militants of committing war crimes in Gaza early this year as irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy.
With a 344-36 vote, the House passed a nonbinding resolution that urged President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to oppose unequivocally any endorsement of the report. Twenty-two representatives voted present.
The report, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, accuses both Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group of war crimes but presents Israel's actions as much more serious.
The report "paints a distorted picture," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. It "epitomizes the practice of singling Israel out from all other nations for condemnation."
With a 344-36 vote, the House passed a nonbinding resolution that urged President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to oppose unequivocally any endorsement of the report. Twenty-two representatives voted present.
The report, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, accuses both Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group of war crimes but presents Israel's actions as much more serious.
The report "paints a distorted picture," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. It "epitomizes the practice of singling Israel out from all other nations for condemnation."
Activists Gear Up for Fight
Lately, Donna Crane hasn’t been making it home early. The policy director of NARAL Pro-Choice America has been lobbying nonstop to ensure that the House does not slip anti-abortion language into its health care legislation, which the chamber is expected to vote on this weekend.
“We’re working a lot of late nights,” Crane said.
Lobbyists on both sides of the emotionally divisive issue have been feverishly rallying their grass-roots supporters this week to chime in on the debate on how restrictive the House bill should be regarding abortion.
The House bill says private health insurance plans may neither be required nor prohibited from covering abortion services. The proposed public health insurance option would be required to cover abortions that are covered by the Hyde amendment, such as in cases of rape, incest and life endangerment. The secretary of Health and Human Services would have discretion over whether elective abortions are offered under the public option. However, all plans including the government plan would have to use private money from insurance premiums to pay for the abortions.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Why Palestinian Incitement Matters So Much
Ever wonder where the report featured that Israeli soldiers kidnap and kill Palestinians in order to harvest their vital organs for transplants originated. Palestinian Media Watch provides the answer.
Daniel Bostrom, the intrepid reporter for Sweden's largest circulation paper Aftonblandet who plagiaraized this fabrication, has said of hi handiwork, "Whether it's true or not, I have no idea. I have no clue." Given his indifference to truth of this journalistic offerings, what further "scoops" can we anticipate from Bostrum? Again, Palestinian Media Watch provides the answer.
Daniel Bostrom, the intrepid reporter for Sweden's largest circulation paper Aftonblandet who plagiaraized this fabrication, has said of hi handiwork, "Whether it's true or not, I have no idea. I have no clue." Given his indifference to truth of this journalistic offerings, what further "scoops" can we anticipate from Bostrum? Again, Palestinian Media Watch provides the answer.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Goldstone Backs Away from Report: The Two Faces of an International Poseur
With so much (though not all) of the civilized world justly condemning (or ignoring) the Goldstone report for its distortion of the facts and its one-sided condemnation of Israel, Richard Goldstone himself now seems to be backing away from the report’s conclusions—at least when he speaks to his Jewish audiences.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Obama Can Find Common Ground on Abortion
Democratic Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro represents Connecticut's Third Congressional District. She and Rep. Tim Ryan recently reintroduced the Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act.
Among the questions Dan asked me to consider for this post was the following: Can President Obama find common ground on—and reduce the need for—abortion? Well, yes, I believe he can. And I believe that, after many years of hard work by, and open dialogue with, advocates on all sides of the abortion issue, we in the House of Representatives have given the administration a template for this common, concerted action with the Ryan-DeLauro bill.
For too long, there has been too much heat and not enough light shed on the question of reducing abortion in this country. And for too long, we have allowed our differences to divide us on this contentious issue.
Now, I have been and will always be a strong and unyielding believer in a woman's fundamental right to choose. This is a belief I share with a majority of the American people, who continue to support Roe v. Wade and who oppose making it harder for women to get an abortion.
Many of my colleagues, including the bill's cosponsor, Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, have been equally passionate and committed to the opposing view. For all of us, on both sides of the abortion issue, this is not a decision taken lightly but a morally complex matter of conscience that goes to our most basic and fundamental principles.
That is why our bill takes a different approach to the abortion question from what we have seen in the past.Put some peace in your tank
A joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian biofuel project will alleviate thousands of tons of organic waste and produce one million barrels of biofuel, powering peace in the Middle East.
It's the kind of project that should bring a smile to the face of every leader in the Middle East: A true regional partnership, brokered by three peace foundations - that is about to reduce biomass pollution for Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians.
Even better, it will transform biomass waste into biofuel, so that farmers and industrialists can turn a profit while simultaneously creating much-needed jobs in the region.Abortion Law Backers Vow Oklahoma Appeal
A day after a judge struck down an Oklahoma law requiring women seeking an abortion to see an ultrasound of the fetus and listen to a description of its attributes, the state said it would appeal the ruling, and Republican lawmakers vowed to pass the law again in a different form.
While advocates of abortion rights celebrated the victory in court, they acknowledged the fight against one of the most sweeping anti-abortion laws in the country was likely to continue for months in the Legislature and before the State Supreme Court.
“It is one battle in the war, but the war shall continue,” said Martha Hardwick, a Tulsa lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Op-Ed: Health care reforms are the antithesis of Nazi practice
With the health care debate seeming to degenerate into well-publicized spates of name calling and scare tactics, the following article clearly articulates the fallacy of comparing the proposed "public option" with the Nazi party's policies in Germany.
It is the nuclear bomb of epithets, a shorthand way of tarnishing any opponent. In recent weeks, Rush Limbaugh and others repeatedly have compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler and his health care policies to Nazi tactics. More than one activist showed up at a town hall meeting brandishing a swastika sign and Obama's name.
It is the nuclear bomb of epithets, a shorthand way of tarnishing any opponent. In recent weeks, Rush Limbaugh and others repeatedly have compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler and his health care policies to Nazi tactics. More than one activist showed up at a town hall meeting brandishing a swastika sign and Obama's name.
"They were for abortion and euthanasia of the undesirables," Limbaugh said of the Nazis on his radio program. "As we all know, they were for cradle-to-grave nationalized health care."
Reviewing what the Nazis actually did, and why, shows that such inapt comparisons reveal more about the attackers than the current proposals by the president or Congress.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
An Abortion Battle, Fought to the Death
This is an insightful and detailed expose on Dr. George Tiller and his fight to provide health care to women in need.
WICHITA, Kan. — It did not take long for anti-abortion leaders to realize that George R. Tiller was more formidable than other doctors they had tried to shut down.
Shrewd and resourceful, Dr. Tiller made himself the nation’s pre-eminent abortion practitioner, advertising widely and drawing women to Wichita from all over with his willingness to perform late-term abortions, hundreds each year. As anti-abortion activists discovered, he gave as good as he got, wearing their contempt as a badge of honor. A “warrior,” they called him with grudging respect.
WICHITA, Kan. — It did not take long for anti-abortion leaders to realize that George R. Tiller was more formidable than other doctors they had tried to shut down.
Shrewd and resourceful, Dr. Tiller made himself the nation’s pre-eminent abortion practitioner, advertising widely and drawing women to Wichita from all over with his willingness to perform late-term abortions, hundreds each year. As anti-abortion activists discovered, he gave as good as he got, wearing their contempt as a badge of honor. A “warrior,” they called him with grudging respect.
Abayudaya Jews deliver relief to famine-plagued Ugandans
ACEGEREKINEI VILLAGE, Uganda (JTA) -- After four hours of driving on ever tinier roads this morning, our food truck becomes stuck in the sand and we have to push it out. We are following the packed pickup in Rabbi Gershom Sizomu's SUV -- four members of his Abayudaya Jewish congregation, two Ugandan TV reporters and me, a semi-retired Canadian journalist volunteering with the Abayudaya.
Monday, June 29, 2009
A guide to Israeli settlements - How and when did they start, why are they spreading, what are the concerns and should anything be done about them?
In Cairo this month, President Obama urged Israel to stop settlement construction in the occupied territories. "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his own policy speech soon after, ardently defended the communities and the people who live in them. "The settlers are neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of peace. Rather, they are an integral part of our people."
So what's all the fuss? We present a guide for the perplexed.
So what's all the fuss? We present a guide for the perplexed.
Friday, June 26, 2009
George Tiller: Healthcare Provider
Rare in the news coverage of the murder of Dr. George Tiller were the voices of physicians who referred patients to him. That's because, in the media, abortion features as an "issue," a battlefront in the culture wars, and only secondarily, if at all, as a medical procedure. The letter below, written by a physician in response to my comment in The Nation on the murder, is a rare exception, shedding light on Dr. Tiller's role as a healthcare provider. Many thanks to Dr. Laurence Burd, its author, for writing it.
The Sounds of Silence on Iran
Do you hear the silence from the Arab world over events in Iran?
Let's start with Arab leaders, who are experts at vote rigging -- if they hold elections at all. What could they possibly say about the Iranian election, or the allegations of vote fraud, without sounding hypocritical? Nor would they rush to congratulate longtime nemesis Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of a regional rival with nuclear ambitions.
Let's start with Arab leaders, who are experts at vote rigging -- if they hold elections at all. What could they possibly say about the Iranian election, or the allegations of vote fraud, without sounding hypocritical? Nor would they rush to congratulate longtime nemesis Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of a regional rival with nuclear ambitions.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Islam Today
This is a very interesting article from the point of view of an Israeli Arab on the status of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, and the lives of Arab Israelis. It is the second of a six-part series called "Tolerance and Intolerance in the Islamic World," held during the Durban Review Conference.
Today I would like to focus more on current political affairs, rather than on the threats of radical Islam. I will talk specifically about the Israeli-Arab conflict and the status of Israel's Arab citizens.
Before that I would like to tell you a bit about my background. I have been working as a journalist for the past 27 years in the Palestinian areas. My career as a journalist started by working for a PLO newspaper in Jerusalem. For the past 20 years or so I have been serving as a consultant, advisor and facilitator for most of the foreign journalists who come over there and want to go to Ramallah and Gaza and talk to Fatah and Hamas. And for the past eight years I have been also writing for the Israeli media and specifically The Jerusalem Post, reporting on Palestinian issues.
Today I would like to focus more on current political affairs, rather than on the threats of radical Islam. I will talk specifically about the Israeli-Arab conflict and the status of Israel's Arab citizens.
Before that I would like to tell you a bit about my background. I have been working as a journalist for the past 27 years in the Palestinian areas. My career as a journalist started by working for a PLO newspaper in Jerusalem. For the past 20 years or so I have been serving as a consultant, advisor and facilitator for most of the foreign journalists who come over there and want to go to Ramallah and Gaza and talk to Fatah and Hamas. And for the past eight years I have been also writing for the Israeli media and specifically The Jerusalem Post, reporting on Palestinian issues.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Seven Existential Threats
Rarely in modern history have nations faced genuine existential threats. Wars are waged to change regimes, alter borders, acquire resources, and impose ideologies, but almost never to eliminate another state and its people. This was certainly the case during World War II, in which the Allies sought to achieve the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan and to oust their odious leaders, but never to destroy the German and Japanese states or to annihilate their populations. In the infrequent cases in which modern states were threatened with their survival, the experience proved to be traumatic in the extreme. Military coups, popular uprisings, and civil strife are typical by-products of a state’s encounter with even a single existential threat.
FDR pushed to get Jews to safety in 1930s
Newly uncovered documents reveal that President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked quietly in the late 1930s to find havens for European Jews, contradicting the view that he ignored their plight in the years leading up to the Holocaust.
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