Shorts: Mideast

Israel helps out with comet collision

jerusalem (jta) | Israeli astronomers provided the United States with data on the U.S. aircraft that struck a comet this week.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Noah Brosch, director of the Wise Observatory in Mitzpe Ramon, said Israel is the only country from Australia to Western Europe with skies clear enough to obtain useful data.

"We are at the right longitude to provide data," Brosch said. "China was a partner, but there was rain and they couldn't see anything. We, of course, have clear skies over Mitzpe Ramon at this time of year." Scientists say the data provided by the collision could reveal details about the origins of the solar system.




Hamas snubs Palestinian Authority

jerusalem (jta) | Hamas declined Mahmoud Abbas' offer to join the Palestinian Authority government.

"Forming a unity government at this late time will not be useful," said Mushir Al-Masri, a spokesman for the Islamic terrorist group. Abbas proposed the coalition deal to Hamas last week in what was widely seen as a bid to avoid a showdown in parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel had made clear that it saw little prospect of peace talks with a Palestinian Authority that included Hamas, a group sworn to the Jewish state's destruction.




Another summit for Abbas, Sharon?

jerusalem (jta) | Mahmoud Abbas said he expects to meet Ariel Sharon before Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip in August.

The Palestinian Authority president has met the Israeli prime minister twice since succeeding the late Yasser Arafat, but the last summit, in June, was marred by mutual recrimination over renewed fighting in Gaza.

"I said that the meeting was difficult and the results were small. But there was agreement on continuing contacts and holding another meeting with the Israeli prime minister after completing preparations that can lead to better results," Abbas told the London-based newspaper Asharq al-Awsat this week. "It will be before the date of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza." Israeli officials said no date has been set for a third summit.




Palestinian convert to Judaism enlists

jerusalem (jta) | A Palestinian youth who converted to Judaism reportedly enlisted in the Israeli military.

Amnon Yitzhak-Shachar, who was born Ayman Abu-Zubuch in the Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, reported to Israel's main draft office last week and was mobilized, Ma'ariv reported. According to the newspaper, Yitzhak-Shachar would not mind serving in a combat unit and fight his former compatriots in Gaza.

The Palestinian Israeli became interested in Judaism as a teenager, when he accompanied his father to work in Kfar Saba. He said his parents banished him from Khan Younis after his conversion.




Israel ministry endorses mohels

jerusalem (jta) | Israel's Health Ministry endorsed traditional circumcision methods.

In an advisory issued this week and quoted by Israel Radio, the ministry said mohels are better trained to handle the surgery than urologists, to whom secular couples increasingly are turning as an alternative to the Orthodox ritual.

Circumcision by a mohel takes just a few seconds, while a urologist can take up to 10 minutes, the ministry said. But Israeli authorities receive frequent complaints over malpractice by unlicensed mohels.




Israeli Masorti fires its head

jerusalem (jps) | Rabbi Ehud Bandel, president of the financially troubled Masorti (Conservative) movement in Israel, was fired due to a lack of funds.

"I am truly sorry about the decision," Bandel told the Jerusalem Post. "I believe it is not a right thing what they did. But right or wrong it is my movement."

Bandel refused to make any further comments.

Rabbi Joel Meyers, executive vice president of the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly, which oversees the worldwide network of Conservative rabbis, said, "This is something we have to reflect on very carefully. We let ourselves down. I have said repeatedly to our movement in the U.S. that it is inconceivable that we do not have a strong and dynamic community in what will be the largest Jewish center in the coming century."




Israel won't extradite man to Poland

jerusalem (jta) | Israel refused again to extradite a Polish-born Jew who allegedly was responsible for the deaths of 1,500 German prisoners after World War II.

A letter sent by Israel's Justice Ministry said there is no reason to extradite Solomon Morel, The Associated Press reported. Polish prosecutors said the letter argued the statute of limitations on Morel had run out. Morel commanded the communist-run Swietochlowice camp after the war.

Polish prosecutors allege Morel caused the deaths of the prisoners by refusing them food and medical treatment, and by carrying out torture.