Shorts: Mideast

Sharon, Sharansky make Time's top 100 list

jerusalem (jta) | Ariel Sharon and Natan Sharansky made Time's list of the 100 most important people in the world.

In the category of Leaders and Revolutionaries, the latest edition of the magazine named President Bush first, followed by the Israeli prime minister in 18th place — two notches below that is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Sharansky, Israel's minister for diaspora affairs, whose book "The Case for Democracy" Bush has touted, was 11th out of 16 notables in the Scientists and Thinkers category.




Arab Israeli wins Zionist history test

jerusalem (ap) | An Arab Israeli boy who believes that the history of Jewish nationalism is "fun" teamed up with a Jewish Israeli from an upscale Tel Aviv suburb to win a contest on general Zionist knowledge last week.

Tel Aviv spokesman Kobby Barda said that Rami Wated, 12, of the largely Arab Jaffa, and Gai Gutherz, 12, of upscale Ramat Aviv joined forces to share top honors in an annual contest on the history of Tel Aviv street names and landmarks.

Many of the names are those of Zionist pioneers and the contest focused on their history.

Wated said he entered the contest because he became interested in Zionist lore, though many Arabs see Zionism, the Jewish movement to establish a state in the Holy Land, as coming at their expense.




Winners of Israel prizes announced in literature, poetry

jerusalem (jps) | The Israeli government announced this week that the poet Israel Pinkas has won the 2005 Israel Prize for Poetry, and that Yitzhak Orpaz has one the Israel Prize for Literature.

Pinkas, who was born in Bulgaria, has published seven books of poetry, and while not widely known to the general public, he is much appreciated among poetry lovers.

Orpaz, who was born in the former Soviet Union, immigrated to Israel as a young man. His writing, which deals with the tension between Jewish and Israeli identity, includes the books "The Secular Pilgrim" and "The Eternal Bride."




Same-sex couple will receive rental assistance

jerusalem (jps) | The Israeli Housing Ministery decided to recognize a same sex couple with joint custody of a child for purposes of receiving rental assistance Army Radio reported this week. This is the first time an Israeli government ministry has recognized a same-sex couple as a family for all intents and purposes.

The gay and lesbian community praised the decision and said that it was another stage towards recognizing same-sex marriage. "No longer will gays and lesbians (have to) fight the state and the government, now ministers and executives are changing the current situation to abolish the discrimination that has lasted for years. That is the beauty, our happiness."




Hitler movie to be released in Israel

jerusalem (jps) | Following an internal debate and two screenings, Lev Cinemas announced the release of "The Downfall" in Israel, a movie portraying the human side of Hitler.

Owner of Lev Cinemas Nurit Shani felt the movie should be screened in Israel after results of the surveys conducted following the tests screening were "conclusive."

"I expected a vote in favor of the movie, but I didn't imagine it would be so decisive," Shani said. "I know there are still many for whom it will be difficult to see the human side of Hitler portrayed in a film, but it would have been unfair to prevent a curious and interested audience, who is willing to confront the painful subject in its own way, from seeing the movie."




Holocaust fund maxed out

jerusalem (jta) | An Israeli foundation that aids Holocaust survivors is turning people away.

The Foundation for the Benefit of the Holocaust in Israel is suffering from a budget crunch due to a rapidly aging survivor population that is in need of assistance. More than 60 percent of the 280,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel are over age 75.

The foundation, which has an annual budget of $30 million, says it requires an extra $14 million to respond to survivors' needs this year.

"We are already turning people away. There are people who want grants for dental care or medicine, and they cry. I cry on the phone with them," Deputy Director Guy Afari told The Associated Press. The foundation spends 80 percent to 85 percent of its budget for nine weekly hours of nursing assistance to sick survivors.




Iranian leader denies handshake

jerusalem (jta) | Iran's president denied that he shook hands with Israel's president at Pope John Paul II's funeral.

"This claim is baseless, like other Zionist claims of the past," Mohammed Khatami told the IRNA news service this week.

The handshake at last week's funeral was widely reported in Western media, including The New York Times.

For his part, Moshe Katsav told Israel's Channel Two television that the handshake stemmed from politeness and did not represent a policy shift.

Katsav also said that he has shaken hands with Syrian President Bashar Assad.




Gaza synagogues will be moved

jerusalem (jta) | Israel will dismantle and move synagogues and ritual baths when it evacuates the Gaza Strip but will leave private homes standing.

The plan, announced last week by Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim, came after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned against "wanton destruction" of settler homes during the July withdrawal.




Minor violence on Temple Mount

jerusalem (jta) | Hundreds of Jewish activists tried to march on the Temple Mount last week but were driven back by police.

The turnout for the religious rally in Jerusalem's Old City was far lower than the organizers for the far-right group Revava had hoped, thanks to a heavy police presence aimed at preventing a riot by Palestinians at the Mount's two mosques.

Scuffles ensued at the Western Wall plaza, and 22 right-wing activists and a Palestinian were arrested.