Mideast Report

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- Chief Rabbis Eliahu Bakshi-Doron and Yisrael Lau have repeated their annual call not to harm trees and vegetation for use during Sukkot.

They issued the call at the request of the Nature Protection and National Parks Authority, which is concerned about the amount of damage every year caused by people picking willows, myrtle and branches for their sukkahs.

Bakshi-Doron and Lau noted that the four species are automatically invalidated for use during Sukkot since they are protected by law; anyone who takes them from the wild is considered to have stolen them.

Israel offers aid to Taiwan victims

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli officials offered to dispatch medical assistance to Taiwan, which suffered a devastating earthquake Tuesday.

About 70 Israelis, mostly businesspeople and students, were believed to be in Taiwan at the time of the temblor.

As of Wednesday, Israel's Trade and Culture Mission in Taipei, aided by Israeli volunteers, had made contact with or obtained information about the whereabouts of most of the 70.

Two Israelis remained unaccounted for. As of Wednesday, nearly 1,900 people were reported dead from the quake.

Jews from Dagestan immigrate to Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Jewish Agency for Israel brought in 77 new immigrants from the Russian autonomous republic of Dagestan one day after Rosh Hashanah.

The agency, which this year has brought a total of 550 Dagestani Jews to Israel, is preparing for an increase in immigration from the republic as a result of the fighting in the region between Russian troops and Islamic militants.

Iranian leader firm on 13 accused Jews

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Iran's spiritual leader told visiting Austrian President Thomas Klestil on Tuesday that Iran "asks nobody's permission to punish" the 13 Iranian Jews arrested in March for spying for the United States and Israel.

Klestil brought up the fate of the 13 during what was the first visit to Iran by a European leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly said of the detainees, whose court appearance has yet to be scheduled, "If their crime is proved by the court, they will probably be punished."

On Monday, a top Iranian judiciary official was quoted as saying that some of the 13 Jews held in Iran on charges of spying for Israel and the United States have confessed.

"The evidence against them was mostly based on these confessions," the official told the daily newspaper Iran News. Providing no further details about the confessions, he added that a trial of the 13 will not be held in the near future because several witnesses are abroad.

Iran has come under international pressure to release the detainees, who were arrested in March.

Nuclear workers file suits against Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Several dozen workers at Israel's nuclear plant are suing the state for millions of dollars in compensation after falling ill with cancers.

They claim their illnesses are related to their work.

The workers at the Dimona nuclear plant filed the lawsuit earlier this month after failing for years to settle their claims out of court, according to their lawyer.

Officials with Israel's Atomic Energy Commission are denying the claims of negligence.

Miami Heat to play against Tel Aviv team

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A National Basketball Association team is scheduled to play an exhibition game in Israel this fall.

The Miami Heat will play Maccabi Tel Aviv on Oct. 11.