Around the World

Israel

Israeli Cabinet member Natan Sharansky was interviewed on CNN and explained patiently the accusation that an Israeli settlement is being built in "disputed" territory. He pointed out that this was (a) not a settlement but a housing development, (b) on a completely barren hilltop, (c) between two existing Jewish neighborhoods, (d) on Jerusalem land 100 percent owned by Jews, and (e) which every government of Israel, Labor and Likud, had declared unequivocally part of Jerusalem.

Washington Post, 3/21/97

Israel's parliament voted to strengthen the Orthodox establishment's grip on Jewish religious life. The bill would grant Orthodox rabbinical courts exclusive jurisdiction over those seeking to convert to Judaism. If the bill takes effect, the bill would reverse a ruling that gave hope of official recognition for Jews converted by Reform and Conservative denominations. The struggle over who is a Jew drove a searing wedge between Israelis and Diaspora Jews in the 1980s. Senior leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements representing 3 of the 3.5 million American Jews, threatened to withhold support from the Israeli government. The fundamentalist Jews of the ultra-Orthodox political parties argue that Reform and conservative rabbis are not in fact Jewish but purveyors of a kind of religious fraud. "Whoever doesn't accept the one true Judaism, then let him not be a Jew," said David Tal, a member of parliament. The Jewish Agency, which is dedicated to bringing Jews to Israel, stands to lose tens of millions of dollars in revenue if American Jews boycott. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, chancellor of the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary, said there is great anger among American Jews over Israeli leaders who "want to demean and denigrate the religious convictions of Conservative Jews, but say their money is kosher."

Washington Post, 4/2/97

Israeli fast-food outlets adapted their menus for the first time during Passover in order to accommodate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. "It's very worthwhile for us to create special items for Passover," said Amit Sendik, a spokesperson for Burger King. Pizza Hut's pan pizza was made with unleavened dough and barbecue sauce at KFC replaced the normal breading on chicken. McDonald's rolled its Chicken McNuggets in matzo meal.

Bloomberg News Service, Jerusalem, 4/26/97

Metal has been manufactured in Israel for the first time, according to German automaker Volkswagen AG. A new $530 million magnesium plant was dedicated in Israel near the Dead Sea. It is the first major German investment in Israel. Only four other countries—U.S., Russia, Norway and China—produce magnesium. Plans are moving ahead for an expansion of the plant which would make it the third largest magnesium producer in the world. Other plants are being considered in southern Israel which could lead to the production of other advanced metals.

Business Wire, 4/28/97

The proposed $5 billion canal connecting the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, would be a grand peace project forever linking Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. It would use hydropower to desalinate water and revive the Dead Sea. In his 1902 novel, <M>Altneuland (Old New Land), Theodore Herzl envisioned a hydropower canal from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea. However, a study completed in September by Harz Engineering of Chicago suggests that the Red–Dead route would be preferable. The canal, when complete, could deliver 50 percent of Israel's current usage. The canal's runoff could create artificial lakes, spur construction of hotels and gradually raise the Dead Sea by about 50 feet.

US News and World Report, 12/9/96

Russian arms brokers agreed to sell antiaircraft missiles to Iran. The <M>Washington Times reported that 50 hand-held "Igla" missiles were sold to Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon, where they could be used to attack Israeli aircraft. It is also offering two missile defense systems. In the last two years, Iran has purchased three submarines and several squadrons of MIG fighters from Russia.

Associated Press, 4/16/97

Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that Israel today has a per capita income equivalent to Great Britain's. In a dramatic assertion, he claimed that Israel has the potential to have the highest per capita income in the world. He noted that the old ideas of economies of scale, proximity to markets, no longer matter, but what counts is "conceptual thinkers." Israel's computer programmers and medical specialists are rated among the finest in the world.

Middle East Quarterly, Philadelphia, Jan. 1997

In Israel, elites affiliated with the Labor Party already control the media, and have been using them in an attempt to bring down their opponent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ever since his unexpected victory last year. The top brass of the police, like most people in high positions in Israel, are Labor appointees, with close ties to its ruling elites. The hatred for Mr. Netanyahu among these elites is far beyond political rivalry. It is fueled by the fear that he is an outsider who owes little to the establishment in Israel, and may threaten the order by which immense political spoils are distributed. Billions in taxpayers' money were spent to bail out communal settlements, industrial conglomerates and a sick fund associated with Labor, and billions more on bailing out the banks after the collapse of a scheme to artificially inflate their stock prices. Top managers of Israeli government-owned banks earn as much as $60,000 a month and receive millions in perks, bonuses and pensions. Labor affiliated groups own 40% of all pension funds. The banks also totally control financial markets and most of large Israeli conglomerates. Mr. Netanyahu's push for privatization threatens the very structure of the Labor party arrangements built up during the past 30 years.

Israel Center for Social and Economic Progress, 4/22/97

Jonathon Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, recently spoke out concerning the Jewish peoples' regathering to Israel without a vibrant biblical faith. The physical return has set the stage for Israelis to adopt a secular world view concerning their identity, calling and future, he says. This in turn has played into the hands of their enemies by disinvesting Israel of her God-given birthright, the land. The media constantly pushes the idea that Israel has grabbed land as part of its greater Israel philosophy. Israel is being forced back to pre-1967 borders all in the name of having no option. Dr. Sacks said that "whether those who built the state of Israel were religious or secular, whether they were driven by love of the land or fear of anti-Semitism, something larger than any individual was at work." He concludes, "That is why Zionism was only half a return. It was the first time in history Jews contemplated a return to the land that was not also a return to the faith. And that is why we face a crisis today."

Christian Action for Israel Newsletter, Dec. 1996

World Economics

The International Monetary Fund published a report which provides one of the most glowing accounts of global economic prospects in decades. "There are few signs of the tensions and imbalances that usually foreshadow significant downturns in the business cycle," the report read. One large effect of globalization has been the impact on capital markets. Global money can move in and out of countries rapidly in response to policy changes, placing much greater pressure on governments to get policies right.

World Economic Outlook [published semi-annually]

Romania is receiving an influx of capital because of its political reform. Over $160 million has been committed by three funds for investment in the country. The major event in Romania was November's election of Emil Constantinescu. It was the first time in Romanian history that the head of state was changed by democratic process rather than death, execution or coup d'etat. Romania is extremely rich in natural resources.

Pensions & Investments, April 15, 1997

Government

Children in North Korea are dying of starvation, according to the United Nations' World Food Program. Most schools are unheated and freezing and only about 20 percent of the children are present. The country is facing a whopping grain shortfall of 2.1 million tons. Most North Koreans now get rations of only 100 grams of rice per day. That is a small handful. According to U.S. intelligence reports, more than 100,000 could die this summer. "Is the rest of the world willing to let millions of North Koreans starve to death?" asks Catherine Bertini of the Food Program. Many countries are hesitant to help because of the corrupt regime now ruling. Recent charges made against North Korea by Japan that it had kidnapped a young Japanese girl 20 years ago, has caused significant delay in sending any food aid. U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen linked food aid to the progress of political talks. Humanitarians accuse both Japan and the United States of playing politics with innocent lives. On the other hand, North Korean government officials are using "famine politics" to hang on to their Stalinist system of government.

Newsweek, 4/21/97

Turkey is preparing for war against Iraq. Soldiers, weapons and ammunition have been stockpiled along the border, according to the Turkish newspaper Radikal. Field hospitals have been set up, air force jets and helicopters have been flying reconnaissance flights into Iraqi air space. Turkey is concerned about the desire of the Kurds to set up an autonomous state.

Bloomberg News Service, 4/28/97

Zaire's president Mobutu siphoned off a fortune worth over $4 billion during the reign of communism in his country. The Mobutu story is about the venality and corruption of one of Africa's most eccentric dictators and his quest for personal enrichment and the plundering of the nation. In an investigation by an international news agency, Mr. Mobutu was found to have misappropriated and wasted funds. Financial institutions continued to give aid to the country, but most of it found its way into the pockets of Mr. Mobutu. A World Bank report containing data for the period 1980–87 showed that Mr. Mobutu spent $94 million while only receiving $15 million. Political institutions supplied him with another $172 million. The World Bank study showed further that $209 million of the state's expenditures in 1989 were for "other goods and services." Mr. Erwin Blumenthal, senior German banker, said, "There is no, I repeat no, chance on the horizon for Zaire's numerous creditors to get their money back . . . Mobutu and his government show no concern about the question of paying off loans." Now, as the cancer-stricken president tries to stay in power a little longer, uncertainty surrounds the fate of the entire dynasty and the country.

Financial Times, 5/12/97

In Zaire, President Mobutu Sese Seko is looking to the country's most prominent cleric for his salvation. A possible role for Catholic archbishop Laurent Monsengwo is expected. Mobutu is almost certain to depart as president and wants to go with dignity. Waiving the rules forbidding churchmen from playing politics would require the Pope's blessing. Many believe the bishop could play a significant role in the transition of power, perhaps as mediator. Moderate politicians have admitted that the previous opposition to the archbishop was a mistake. The fact that he is considering re-entering the political situation in Zaire is evidence that the approaching crisis could be so apocalyptic that it is worth the church's involvement.

Financial Times, 5/14/97

Indonesia has sentenced five more people to prison for seven to 13 years for inciting workers to strike. A small group known as the People's Democratic Party have been jailed for "undemocratic" activities. Worker strikes in Indonesia are considered as attempts to undermine the government. Workers have been jailed under the charge of "sowing hatred against the government."

Singapore News Service, 4/28/97

Christendom

The ashes of 24 dead people were shot into space in April, in search for a final resting place somewhere near heaven. The exploration of space and science has some people intrigued about spiritual exploration as well. The decline of mainstream Protestantism, sweeping changes in Catholicism since Vatican II, the rise of global fundamentalism, and the emergence of psychoactive drugs as an adjunct to religious experience are evidence of a growing impatience among religious faithful. "We aren't certain about what it takes to achieve spiritual enlightenment," says philosopher Zolatan Domotor, "but we are certain that in the whole of human history, the number of people who have achieved it is small."

Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/27/97

Despite what the Bible says about stealing, a Church of England priest suggested that it is no sin to shoplift, as long as the victim is a big supermarket. The Rev. John Papworth drew a distinction between stealing from individuals and small merchants—which he termed wrong—and stealing from giant corporations. "With these institutions, all you are confronted with are these boardroom barons sitting around the boardroom plotting how to take the maximum amount of money out of people's pockets for the minimum in return," Papworth said on BBC radio. The Church of England distanced itself from Papworth.

Washington Post, 3/15/97

The Vatican has established diplomatic relations with Libya. A Vatican spokesman said the Vatican "expects positive international reactions, considering that the diplomatic ties have been made both to favor the life of the local church and to contribute to international detente."

Washington Post, 3/11/97

Islam

Kabul, Afghanistan has been so thoroughly violated that it is no exaggeration to say that the capital, along with the country, is damaged beyond repair. A militia built around students of Islam now controls two-thirds of the country. The group, called the Taliban, has taken over most of the country without serious resistance. The Taliban have enforced rules proscribing employment and public appearances by unveiled women, and requiring beards on all men. The population feels helpless and intimidated. Trucks mounted with loudspeakers now ferry religious police around Kabul, advertising new "Islamic" rules and looking for violators. The Taliban arrested and tried a group of women for trying on Western clothes at a party. The Taliban have now moved beyond repressing women to tolerating drug trafficking.

Wall Street Journal, 3/27/97

A group of Algerian villagers, including 17 women and three small children were butchered by Islamic fundamentalist militants. Many of the victims had their throats cut. Elsewhere, 93 people were hacked to death. The fundamentalists appear to be intensifying killings before parliamentary elections in June. They seek to establish a state based on Islamic law.

Associated Press, 4/24/97

Social News

Violent crime has ebbed slightly in the last two years in America. The number of criminals in the high-crime years of 18–34 has declined to its lowest level in years. Cities across the nation have passed laws against acts such as public drunkenness and urination, graffiti, vandalism, loud music, disorderly conduct and aggressive panhandling. Quality-of-life laws are proving to make a big impact in the fight against crime. James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, in the early 80's advanced their "broken windows" theory. They found that "serious crime flourishes in areas where disorderly behavior goes unchecked." Kelling wrote, "For years we have labored under an ideology that to prevent crime we have to change society—with economic and racial justice, more homes and jobs. We are beginning to understand in order to have racial and economic justice we must have stability on the streets." Groups of business owners and homeowners that conducted a quality-of-life effort in New York found significant reductions in seven major felony crimes. "Setting standards of behavior and providing reasonable consequences for their violation can help people break through self-destructive patterns and begin the recovery process. Conversely, a lack of standards and consequences can enable continuing self-destruction," the group study said.

Investor's Business Daily and New York City Police Dept.

Science

Scientists are being told that the golden age of science is ending: there is nothing left of note to discover. Mr. John Horgan writes that scientists have answered all the big questions. All they can look forward to is working on the details. The late Richard Feynman, Nobel winning physicist, said in 1965 that the age in which we live has seen the excitement move out of science. In Mr. Horgan's view, the problem is that the best minds in science have run out of things to discover. "The smartest people in the world are working away on things that don't have any connection with reality," he says.

The End of Science, by John Horgan.

Most U.S. scientists do not believe in a god, but 40 percent do, the same percentage as did in 1916. In 1916, researcher James Leuba shocked the nation with his survey that found only 40 percent of scientists believed in a supreme being. He predicted that such ungodliness would spread as education improved. The 1996 survey showed that as many as 40 percent of scientists still believe in God. There were, however, notable differences among scientific disciplines. The 1996 survey showed that mathematicians are most inclined to believe in God (44.6%). And although biologists showed the highest rate of disbelief for doubt in the 1916 survey, that ranking is now give to physicists and astronomers.

Reuters News Service, 4/3/97