Shorts: U.S.

Schwarzenegger invited to Israel

los angeles (ynetnews.com) | Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Eli Yishai has invited Californian Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to visit Israel in order to advance business investments and promote the economic cooperation between Israel and California. According to Yishai, the governor, who visited Israel in 2004, has accepted the invitation and promised to visit in spring of 2007.

Yishai met Schwarzenegger during his recent visit to Los Angeles, where with five other cabinet ministers and other dignitaries he attended the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities of North America.

During his meeting with Yishai, Schwarzenegger expressed his wishes to expand trade between Israel and California. The two decided to expand cooperation on development of environmentally friendly energy sources and joint research using embryonic stem cells.




Dershowitz criticizes, defends Israel

los angeles (jta) | Alan Dershowitz criticized Israel's use of cluster bombs during the war with Lebanon. The Harvard University law professor recently told a UCLA audience that "I condemn Israel for its use of cluster bombs in the last days" of the war with Hezbollah.

But he was far more aggressive in attacking Israel's regular critics, calling their focus on alleged Israeli human rights violations "obsessive" while they "ignore first-grade human rights violations" in places like China and Sudan. The disproportionate focus on Israel means that the Jewish state "is being treated as a Jew among nations," he said.




Schumer gets new leadership spot

new york (jta) | U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was named to a leadership position in the Senate Democratic caucus.

Schumer, who is Jewish, was awarded the newly created post of vice-chairman of the Democratic conference after he defied expectations as leader of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and Democrats won six seats in elections last week — enough to gain control of the Senate.

Schumer will be third in seniority, after party leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and deputy party leader Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Schumer also keeps his leadership of the campaign committee.




Journalist testifies in Hamas trial

chicago (ap) | Former New York Times journalist Judith Miller told a U.S. federal court jury on Monday, Nov. 13 how she secretly witnessed the 1993 interrogation by Israeli agents of a Palestinian-American grocer charged with providing money and recruits to a terrorist group.

Miller said Muhammad Salah's lawyer told her he had been tortured by Israeli agents. But she saw no evidence of that.

"There was no reason to believe that he had been subjected to that kind of treatment," Miller testified.

Salah, 53, and former university professor Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, were charged with providing money and fresh recruits to Hamas. The two men deny that they are Hamas members or support terrorism.




Did sage help Joseph Lieberman?

washington (jta) | U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman reportedly received an elections blessing from a Jewish sage. Israel Radio reported that ahead of his successful run as an Independent, Lieberman asked Rabbi Baruch Abu Hatzeira, Israeli son of the late Moroccan sage the Baba Sali, for a blessing.

The request was reportedly made through Hatzeira's representative in New York, and was answered in the form of an amulet sent to Lieberman.