6 July 2008 - 3 Tammuz 5768 - ג' תמוז ה' אלפים תשס"ח
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ISRAEL MOBILISES TO ANSWER CHINA'S CRY FOR HUMANITARIAN AID Print E-mail

By Erica Lyons
Managing Editor

Following the massive earthquake that sent waves of destruction across China’s Sichuan Province, Jewish groups worldwide quickly mobilised to provide much needed assistance. The quake, of 12 May 2008, measured a staggering 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale.

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Loading supplies in Israel headed for Sichuan

Weeks after, the death toll is estimated at 62,000 and the battle far from over as aftershocks and collateral damage continue to reek havoc and present constant challenges. In addition to the rising death toll, 23,775 people are still missing.

On Sunday, 25 May 2008, in the week following the disaster, an Israeli plane set out for the city of Chengdu with humanitarian aid coordinated by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over one and a half million dollars were collected through a donation of one million dollars by Israel Corporation and its subsidiaries, and half a million from philanthropists Diane and Gilford Glazer and the Ofer Family, through the United Israel Appeal.

While Israel had initially offered to send search and rescue teams to assist the Chinese rescue workers, China reportedly declined the offer stating that the provision of supplies were desperately needed.

The plane, provided by El Al, carried nearly 90 tons of medicines and medical equipment, water purifi cation kits, generators, tents, sleeping bags, and clothing intended for the earthquake survivors. The aid comes in addition to money already transferred by the Israeli embassy in Beijing to the Chinese Red Cross used for immediate evacuations and a shipment of sleeping bags and blankets.

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Israel - Vietnam security technology forum Print E-mail

The Israeli Embassy in Vietnam in collaboration with Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Telecommunication organised a network security course in the Institute for Post and Telecommunication, Ho Chi Minh City on 12-16 May 2008. The forum was designed to encourage further cooperation between Israel and Vietnam.

Approximately 200 experts in network security from telecom enterprises, securities companies, banks, provincial authorities for Post and Telecommunications and other relevant governmental agencies in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces joined the course.

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Clinton & Obama both have the Jewish vote Print E-mail

A recent Gallop poll shows that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are virtually matched in a race for Jewish support. According to the recent poll, 48% of the Jewish Democratic voters favour Clinton to Obama’s 43%.

According to the poll, Clinton would win 66 percent of the Jewish vote to 27 percent for John McCain, in the general election, and Obama would win 61 percent to McCain’s 32 percent.

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Dialogue with India on strategic issues and the war on terror Print E-mail

The seventh meeting of the joint Israel-India Working Group on the War on Terror, and the fourth meeting on Disarmament and Prevention of Proliferation was recently convened in Jerusalem.

Mr. Vivek Katju, Additional Secretary (International Organisations) in the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed the Indian delegation to the talks and the Israeli delegation was headed by Mrs. Miriam Ziv, MFA Deputy Director General of the Division for Strategic Affairs.

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Criticism over US rabbi's call for Olympic boycott Print E-mail

A number of Jewish organisations have made very public statements critical of the rabbinic boycott of the Olympic games.

The Anti-Defamation League, for example, stated that “China is a complicated society that is changing and opening up in many ways, and one simply cannot equate the Beijing Olympics with those games in Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust.”

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