Mideast Report

TEL AVIV (JPS) -- Police are investigating whether a Tuesday brothel fire leading to four deaths was connected to a recent series of fires in sex shops and brothels -- and whether the blaze was set as part of a dispute between gangs, by a haredi modesty patrol or by a lone arsonist.

The torching of a south Tel Aviv apartment where the four deceased women lived and worked as prostitues occurred early Tuesday morning, Lt.-Cmdr. Menashe Arbiv said.

It appears the fire was set at several points in the apartment, he said.

There also were fires at two nearby escort services Tuesday morning but no one was injured and serious damage was not caused by those blazes.

Police are investigating possible links among Tuesday's three fires and blazes at a sex shop and a porno video store during Tisha B'av last week.

Officials do agree, however, that the new fire appears to be the extensive work of an arsonist, and not accidental.

Emergency workers had difficulty getting into the blazing apartment because the windows were barred and the fire had melted the plastic fixture around the door and they had to fight to open it, Piritz said.

Three of the four women were dead by the time firefighters found them. One, who was critically injured, died shortly after being discovered.

Residents and workers from the area said it was widely known that the apartment was a brothel, and that secular and religious men of all ages were seen entering and leaving it at all hours of the day and night.

$20 billion rejected by Lebanese leader

BEIRUT (JPS) -- Lebanon has reportedly rejected an offer of $20 billion to permanently absorb Palestinian refugees who have lived in the country for several years.

President Emile Lahoud revealed some details of the proposal in a Tuesday interview with the Lebanese daily An-Nahar.

According to the report, that amount would nearly cover Lebanon's national debt for rehabilitating the country following the 15-year civil war, which ended in 1991. The article noted that the struggling nation was finding it difficult to even pay the interest on the debt.

The article did not say who made the offer, and Lahoud was quoted as saying that he had turned it down.

The Lebanese government has made a Palestinian right of return to Israel a condition for any future peace accord with Israel.

Rosh Hashanah OK for Israeli Olympians

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- Israel Olympic Committee President Zvi Varshaviak confirmed this week that Israel's delegation to the Olympics in Sydney will participate in the games' closing ceremonies despite their being scheduled for the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

"Because there are no competitions scheduled for the day and just the ceremony, we don't see a problem with participating on Rosh Hashanah," said Varshaviak, who noted that his answer would be different if the ceremony were to be held on Yom Kippur.

Zevulun Orlev, the education minister, said he disagrees with Varshaviak's decision, and called on the Olympic committee to reconsider.

"I expect our delegation, which represents the Jewish state and the Jewish people around the world, to respect the Jewish holidays," said Orlev, who attended a Tuesday ceremony for the Olympians. "There's a question of what brings more honor to the Jewish people, the ceremony or Rosh Hashanah. I believe it's the latter."

Shuki Dekel, who heads the government's athletic division, told Orlev earlier that the athletes would not participate, but he was later contradicted by Varshaviak.

In a July interview, Varshaviak said the sportsmen and women would have the option of attending services on the holiday, and none of the athletes would be forced to participate in the ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m.

Daylight saving time in Sydney will begin two months early this year to accommodate the Olympics, causing the holiday to end at 7:33, according to the Orthodox Union.

Controversial rabbi endorses Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who made headlines last week for calling Shoah victims "sinners," called on his followers to back former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he runs against his successor, Ehud Barak, in a future election.

In an interview in the Israeli daily Ma'ariv, Yosef, the spiritual leader of the fervently religious Shas Party, backed Netanyahu just as a Gallup poll showed Barak and Netanyahu neck-and-neck if national elections were held now.

Netanyahu recently met with heads of opposition parties to ask if they would back him for prime minister, Israel Radio reported.

Dodger descendant has eye on the sun

JERUSALEM -- The son of the first black baseball player in the major leagues was in Israel this week to learn about solar energy.

David Robinson, the son of Jackie Robinson, lives on a farm in Tanzania, and raises coffee beans. He and his business partner, Irving Schatz, hope to import solar energy equipment to Tanzania.

While visiting Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Robinson said, "I have tremendous respect for the Jews of Israel, who have returned to their homeland and have had tremendous success in building a secure country."

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