Shorts: Mideast

Holocaust museum opens for Israeli Arabs

jerusalem (jta) | An Israeli Arab opened a Holocaust museum in Nazareth. Lawyer Khaled Mahameed said that if more Arabs understood how Jews were murdered in Europe and how that genocide led to the founding of the Jewish state, they would be able to work for peace — and grateful Jews would be more inclined to meet the Arabs' demands.

Most Arabs know little about the Holocaust and often do not believe the facts, he said.




Laura Bush kabbalah connection?

jerusalem (jta) | Laura Bush's advance staff bought kabbalah red-string bracelets in Israel for good luck.

Six staffers on the first lady's advance team took some time off last week and bought knockoffs of the bracelets in Jerusalem's Old City. The genuine article is available at Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, where they have been blessed by rabbis and are supposed to bring good luck and fertility.

Going for the imitations may have backfired: Bush was mobbed Sunday by protestors during her tour. The red strings have been made popular in recent years by celebrities, including Madonna, who dabble in Jewish mysticism.




Palestinian poll postponed

jerusalem (jta) | Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections scheduled for July 17 will be delayed, a Cabinet minister said. Nabil Sha'ath, Palestinian Authority deputy prime minister, said this week that new electoral laws would not be ratified in time and therefore the parliamentary elections — the first in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1996 — would have to be postponed.

Hamas, which is taking part in the elections, criticized the move. Some political experts believe the dominant Palestinian faction, Fatah, fears the radical Islamic group could make major gains in Parliament, threatening Fatah's hold on power.




Rights groups blast Israel

jerusalem (jta) | Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes.

In its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, the group said certain practices conducted by Israel, "including unlawful killings, extensive and wanton destruction of property, obstruction of medical assistance and targeting of medical personnel, torture and the use of Palestinians as 'human shields,' constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes."

Israel strongly denied the charges, calling the report one-sided and extremist.




More trouble for rabbinate

jerusalem (jta) | An Israeli chief rabbi could be prosecuted for breach of trust.

Police investigators, after wrapping up a probe of allegations that Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger received illicit perks from a Jerusalem hotel last year, recommended last week that he be indicted. It was the most serious criminal investigation against a serving chief rabbi in Israel's history.

Metzger has denied wrongdoing. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is to decide whether the case should be prosecuted.




Hat causes uproar in Knesset

jerusalem (jta) | An Israeli lawmaker was thrown out of the Knesset for an apparent pro-settler protest.

Michael Gorlovsky of the ruling Likud Party showed up for the plenum this week wearing a bright orange baseball cap, the color worn by protesters against the Gaza Strip withdrawal. Gorlovsky, who declined to take off the hat, was ushered out of the Knesset, where such political displays are banned.

Earlier, Knesset guards confiscated orange scarves from visiting Indian lawmakers. Israel apologized after it turned out the scarves were meant as gifts from India's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, whose official color is orange.