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Now, don't get frothy ...


A Canadian researcher is investigating how stressed Montreal Jews get when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kimberly Matheson, a psychology professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, is checking how much of the hormone cortizol is secreted when Jews read articles about the Middle East, Canada's National Post newspaper reported. The idea came to her when she saw how red Jewish colleagues' faces became when they read articles they considered anti-Israel. Matheson conducted a similar study among those born in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s Balkans War.

French Jews back yarmulke ban

Most French Jewish leaders are backing a recommendation to ban visible religious insignia in French state schools. Roger Cukierman, president of CRIF, an umbrella organization of French Jews, said that the recommendation by a presidential commission represents "a body blow to Islamic fanaticism." In its report to French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday of last week, the Stasi Commission proposed that nonvisible items such as small crosses, Stars of David and miniature Korans be allowed. The commission also recommended that Yom Kippur and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, should become holidays in all state schools, and that the two days could be taken as paid holidays. French President Jacques Chirac is expected to back the proposals and call for legislation to implement them.

Suicide near Italian synagogue

A car explosion near an Italian synagogue on Thursday of last week was not believed to be a terrorist attack. A Palestinian set himself on fire inside the car in the city of Modena at 4 a.m. Investigators are pointing to the timing of the attack as evidence that the man did not intend to cause any injuries. Buildings in the area suffered minor damage.

Europeans against anti-Semitism

European leaders issued a strong condemnation of anti-Semitism at an E.U. summit meeting on Friday. The declaration, which formed part of a closing statement by European Union heads of state and government, follows a direct request earlier this week by the European Jewish Congress to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose country holds the rotating E.U. presidency. It also follows concern by European Jewish leaders at a recent decision by the European Commission to squelch a report showing that Muslims and pro-Palestinian groups were linked to the rise of anti-Semitism across the continent. The report later was released under pressure. At the Brussels summit, E.U. leaders on Friday expressed "deep concern at the increase in instances of anti-Semitic intolerance and strongly condemns all manifestations of anti-Semitism, including attacks against religious sites and individuals." Berlusconi called the statement "unequivocal."

Bombs against humanity

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is asking the United Nations to make suicide bombing a crime against humanity. The center said it was asking world leaders to sign a petition asking President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac to introduce a U.N. resolution declaring suicide bombings a crime against humanity. It also said that international war tribunals should prosecute those that aid and execute suicide bombings. Earlier this month, center officials also asked the pope to condemn the bombings as "crimes against God and crimes against humanity."

Poles face libel charges

Two young Poles faced libel charges Friday for anti-Semitic remarks against Israel's ambassador. The Polish PAP news agency reported on the hearing in the eastern Polish city of Bialystok. The two men were part of a group that barged into a book-signing by Israel's ambassador to Poland, Shevach Weiss, in September 2002, yelling "stop Jewish interests" and "ambassador of murderers." A state prosecutor demanded prison terms of one and two years respectively for the suspects. The court was expected to have ruled on sentencing yesterday, the German Press Agency reported. Both suspects have admitted to participating in the incident.

Istanbul Jews pray

Shabbat services were held last Friday in one of the Istanbul synagogues bombed last month. Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva, who was injured in one of the blasts, attended the services held in the Beth Israel synagogue. The two Nov. 15 bombings and two others that rocked Istanbul five days later killed 61 people.

Anti-anti-Semitism drive

The World Jewish Congress is mounting a petition drive for a U.N. resolution condemning anti-Semitism. The goal is to resurrect an Irish resolution condemning anti-Semitism, which was withdrawn recently when it appeared it wouldn't garner sufficient support. "We are going to be single-minded in demanding that this resolution, for symbolic reasons, be adopted," Elan Steinberg, the WJC's executive vice president, told JTA. The petition is part of an international action plan against anti-Semitism adopted Monday at a meeting of the WJC executive board in New York. The group hopes to get 1 million signatures from members of 88 Jewish communities worldwide, asking their governments to support the U.N. resolution. WJC President Edgar Bronfman plans to present the proposed resolution at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that will be devoted to the problem of anti-Semitism, scheduled for late April in Berlin.

Looking for Nazi criminals

Advertisements will begin running in Austria this week for a campaign aimed at finding Nazi-era war criminals. The Simon Wiesenthal Center's "Operation: Last Chance," which began last year in the Baltic states, offers financial rewards for information on suspected war criminals from World War II. Ads will be launched in Poland and Romania in coming weeks.

-- Compiled by Aaron Leibel with reports from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and other sources.


This story was published in the WashingtonJewishWeek
on: Thursday, December 18, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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