Shorts: U.S.

Lantos arrested at Darfur protest

washington (jta) | Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo/San Francisco) was arrested for protesting outside Sudan's embassy against the genocide in Darfur.

Police also arrested Ruth Messinger, executive director of the American Jewish World Service; Steve Gutow, executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; and Rabbi Michael Namath, program director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, at the protest Friday, April 28. They were taken away from the embassy in plastic handcuffs.




Wolfensohn quits as Quartet honcho

washington (jta) | James Wolfensohn is quitting as the top international envoy to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Wolfensohn will step down at the end of this month, his office said last week. He represents the Quartet, the body guiding the Middle East peace process and made up of representatives from the United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union.

The former World Bank president, who assumed his current role last year at President Bush's behest, was instrumental in creating the conditions that led Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip last year.

However, Wolfensohn grew disillusioned, especially after the electoral victory in January of Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group that rejects Israel's existence.




Congress considering Olmert address

washington (jta) | Top congressional leaders are considering a plan to have Ehud Olmert address both houses.

The Israeli prime minister is expected to visit in late May and has scheduled meetings with President Bush.

Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the minority leader, have agreed to the plan, and have referred it to their Senate counterparts.




Free JDate for federation employees

new york (jta) | JDate is giving away 1,000 free, two-month memberships to professionals working for Jewish federations.

Since the offer began April 6, about 200 individuals have taken advantage of the deal, adding to more than 600,000 JDate members worldwide.