Shorts: U.S.

Jewish groups seek aid for Sudanese crisis

washington | The American Jewish World Service, the American Jewish Committee and many other Jewish organizations have teamed up to put out a "Call to Action on Darfur," a letter addressed to President Bush seeking vigorous action on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

The letter states that "the situation in Darfur, Sudan represents the first genocide of the 21st century. We must seek to ensure that it's the last."

Grassroots efforts by Jewish organizations to call attention to the Sudan crisis are expected to increase in the coming weeks as part of the renewed campaign.




Israeli Consulate in L.A. a terror target?

los angeles (jta) | FBI counterterrorism agents are investigating whether two American Muslim converts planned to attack the Israeli Consulate, two synagogues and other targets in Los Angeles.

Yariv Ovadia, the Israeli consul for public affairs in Los Angeles, confirmed last week that federal agents had warned the consulate of possible threats. "We fully trust American authorities to handle the situation," he said.

The threats apparently were discovered accidentally when police arrested Levar Haney Washington, 25, and Gregory Vernon Patterson, 21, as suspects in a string of gas station robberies over the past two months.

Washington converted to Islam while serving a prison sentence for a previous assault and robbery conviction in 1999, while Patterson, who has no criminal record, is believed to be a more recent convert. A search of Washington's apartment turned up jihadi literature, bulletproof vests and an address list of various L.A. sites.




Alleged molester, who fled to Israel, denied bail

los angeles (ap) | An alleged child molester who fled the day before his trial nearly four years ago but was arrested in Israel earlier this year on similar charges has been denied bail.

Michael Leon Zeve, 31, made his first court appearance this week on charges of molesting a neighborhood child and members of a youth roller hockey team he coached in Irvine between 1996 and 2000. He provided alcohol to the children and videotaped sexual encounters, prosecutors have alleged.

He was released on bail in late 2000 on the condition that he check into a psychiatric hospital for treatment pending trial, set for Nov. 16, 2001, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said previously.




Dershowitz in feud over allegations of plagiarism

boston (ap) | Alan Dershowitz is no stranger to feuds, but the outspoken Harvard Law School professor is in the middle of a particularly nasty spat with an author who accuses him of plagiarism.

Hoodlum. Nut job. Sleaze. Those are just a few of the names Dershowitz and DePaul University political science Professor Norman Finkelstein called each other last week in separate interviews with the Associated Press.

At the center of the argument is a book by Finkelstein claiming that Dershowitz — the lawyer famous for representing O.J. Simpson and other high-profile clients — inappropriately lifted material from another author when writing the book "The Case for Israel."

The University of California Press plans to publish Finkelstein's book, "Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History," in late August despite an aggressive campaign by Dershowitz to get them to drop it.