Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
March 22, 2000


Digest Home | 2000 | March, 2000

 

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Gorbachev Sees Mideast Going to War Over Water
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 07:46:34 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------

March 21 12:55 PM ET

Gorbachev Sees Mideast Going to War Over Water

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The Middle East could face another war in the
next 10 to 15 years if countries fail to agree how to share scarce
water resources, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Tuesday.

Gorbachev, president of the non-governmental organization Green Cross
International, said Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority all
agreed the issue could boil over.

"All the leaders said that if nothing changes, within the next 10 to
15 years there will be a conflict, worse than the current," Gorbachev
told the Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference in The
Hague.

Earlier this month, Gorbachev visited the region for talks with
Jordan's King Abdullah, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Yasser
Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority.

He said the three men welcomed mediation by the Green Cross to set up
a task force in the coming weeks with the private sector, NGOs and
national representatives to examine how to invest to ease water
shortages in the region.

Israel's Minister of Regional Cooperation Shimon Peres, also present
at the forum, said settling differences over water in the region might
help to solve other conflicts.

Peres said a new approach was needed, with governments and private
companies joining forces.

via: <hblondel@tampabay.rr.com>

------- End of forwarded message -------

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Census Bureau answers critics
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 09:46:42 -0500

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22 2000

Census Bureau answers critics
Agency won't prosecute non-filers, 'We don't want to intimidate
people'

By Julie Foster © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

Americans critical of census questions unrelated to
obtaining a national head-count were given some answers by
Census 2000 Media Relations Director Neil Tillman, who
addressed everything from sampling arguments to enforcement
actions. Criticism of the census has revolved around many
aspects of the decennial operation, but one of the
questions most objected to by critics concerns inquiries
into a person's race.

In an exclusive, in-depth WorldNetDaily interview, Tillman
explained the reason for race-related questions rests
chiefly on the need to reapportion congressional
representation -- referring to the Constitution's sole
stated purpose for the count. Such inquiries, said Tillman,
are made to ensure each congressional district is racially
diverse.

Another scrutinized area of questioning relates to
transportation. One in six households is asked how
residents get to work and how long it takes. WND was told
the questions are necessary to provide "quantifiable" data
on traffic issues.

Hard numbers, said Tillman, are not "anecdotal" and are
the only reliable way to provide the information to
Congress who makes funding decisions.

"There's no other way of getting that information [on a
national basis]," he said.

Reliability of statistics was foremost on lawmakers' minds
last spring when debate erupted over the proposed use of
"sampling" to complete the 2000 census. A proponent of the
procedure, which involves not an actual enumeration of
citizens but rather an estimate based on a sample of
surveyed residents, Tillman told WND both methods are being
used in the current census operation.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in January that sampling
could not be used for the purposes of reapportioning
congressional representation, but the process may be used
by states when drawing district boundaries, he said.

Sampling is also the method employed to calculate all
other information found on the "long form." Only one in
every six households receives the 52-question survey asking
about occupation, income, transportation and other personal
questions, as opposed to the "short form" which requires
only name, address, age, date of birth and race.

The estimated or "adjusted" demographics are key to
distribution of federal aid, said Tillman.

According to Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt,
households that provide government with the mandated
information are the glue of America.

"Every household that returns the form does strengthen the
ties that do bind us together as a civilized society,"
Prewitt said a press conference yesterday.

But not everyone agrees. WND has been bombarded with
letters from Americans who object ideologically to the
redistribution of wealth, and so are returning their census
forms having answered only the question regarding the
number of individuals in their household.

The penalty for not answering every question on the survey
is $100. False answers garner a fine of up to $500.
However, the law is unclear as to enforcement of such fines.

Apparently, lack of legal clarity is irrelevant, as
Tillman revealed the Census Bureau is not going to collect
any such fines.

"The Census Bureau is not an enforcement agency," he said,
adding that any enforcement would have to come from the
judicial system.

Although Tillman indicated lack of compliance will be
handled on a case-by-case basis, he plainly stated the
Bureau will not seek prosecution for incomplete forms.

"We don't want to intimidate people [into participating],"
he said.

In cases where forms are incomplete, enumerators will
contact households and "make every effort" to gather the
requested information, but no fines will be levied.

The reason for completing the questionnaire "boils down to
being a good citizen," Tillman said.

But citizens are not the only people being asked to
participate in Census 2000. Illegal immigrants also are
being encouraged to fill out census forms by constant
reassurance that answers remain confidential, particularly
those regarding citizenship.

Critics argue that federal dollars should not be
distributed to illegal immigrants who will benefit from
taxpayer-funded programs. But Tillman insists the Bureau is
making no special effort to gain compliance from illegal
immigrants.

"We're going out of our way to encourage everyone," he
emphasized.

The Bureau favors counting illegal immigrants, he added,
because "nothing in the Constitution says they should not
be counted."

In an attempt to justify the Bureau's position, the media
relations director said immigrant children put a "strain on
the school system whether the kids are legal or illegal."

But citizenship may not be of consequence, according to
critics who suggest a particular version of the "long form"
may not be valid.

Each census form is accompanied by a verification number
from the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Census form D-2 (UL) has OMB number 0607-0856. However, the
form is not listed in that OMB classification. As a result,
many survey recipients have concluded that the form is
invalid.

Tillman, who did not have an explanation for the
discrepancy, speculated it was a "gap" on the OMB website.

"They must have left it off [the list]," he said.

However, the form is listed with those pertaining to
residents of Puerto Rico. Tillman said he could not
speculate about the reasons for the "obvious" error.

Nevertheless, information about the error has quickly made
its way into e-mail boxes around the U.S., and many
Americans are claiming it as a legal loophole excusing
their non-participation in the census.

The fact is, innumerable residents across the country are
refusing to participate in the census beyond a simple head-
count.

Steve Dasbach, leader of the Libertarian Party, is
actually encouraging that practice.

"The U.S. Constitution says the purpose of the census is
to make an enumeration; that is, to take an accurate count
of Americans for the purpose of apportioning congressional
districts," he said.

"But the federal government has gone far beyond that
constitutional mandate, and uses the census to ask dozens
of probing questions -- including your official government
racial classification, how much money you earn, the number
of toilets in your home, whether you have trouble bathing,
and how many cars you own."

Dasbach said answering only the head-count portion of the
census is a way for Americans to "strike a blow for
liberty, privacy, and limited government."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_fosterj_news/20000322_xnfoj_censu
s_bur.shtml

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - NASA 'knew Mars mission would fail' / NASA denies story
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 09:51:49 -0500

Wednesday, 22 March, 2000, 13:51 GMT

Nasa 'knew Mars mission would fail'
MPL report will make sober reading
By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse

Nasa engineers knew about a fatal design flaw with the
Mars Polar Lander's braking thrusters but kept it secret,
leaked information claims.

It follows persistent rumours that the disappearance of
the MPL spacecraft last December was no surprise to Nasa
officials.

The document is said to reveal a catalogue of management
errors and misjudgements. But a source, described as close
to the investigation, has also come forward to claim that
MPL's braking thrusters failed tests during their
construction.

-- more --

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_686000/686224.stm

================

NASA denies hiding Mars probe flaws

United Press International - March 21, 2000 22:50
By JAMES OBERG

HOUSTON, March 21 (UPI) -- A NASA spokesman vigorously
denied a United Press International article that NASA knew
that the Mars Polar Orbiter was doomed prior to its
December crash into Mars but kept the information from the
public.

Brian Welch, director of public affairs at NASA
headquarters in Washington, said "we think the story is
whacko in every particular."

-- more --

http://www.marketwatch.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=ConCb0bebDxmTBwfYC2nYyxnOlw5HC2e&FQ

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - WeNT: March 21, 2000
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 10:06:39 -0500

Selected Items from Weekend News Today

http://upway.com/cgi-bin/went

03/21/00

Montserrat volcano erupts

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- Montserrat's newly revived volcano hurled glowing
rocks high into the sky, triggered fiery avalanches and shot a
thundering ash cloud as high as 30,000 feet, scientists said today.

Pope starts historic visit to Jordan

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Jordan Times

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- Pope John Paul II on Monday started his historic
pilgrimage to the Holy Land with an impassioned appeal for the
continuation of the peace process regardless of the hurdles it is
sure to continue facing. "In this area of the world there are grave
and urgent issues of justice, of the rights of peoples and nations,
which have to be resolved for the good of all and as a condition for
lasting peace," the pontiff said in an address upon his arrival at
Queen Alia Airport. Jordan warmly embraced the pilgrim Pope and
reiterated its determination not to make the stuttering process fail.
Two thousand Jordanian children, symbolising the 2,000 years since
Jesus Christ's birth, have been preparing chants and prayers for this
occasion.

To King Abdullah, the pontiff said: "Your Majesty, I know how deeply
concerned you are for peace in your own land and in the entire
region, and how important it is to you that all Jordanians — Muslims
and Christians — should consider themselves as one people and one
family... I assure you of my prayers for you, for all the Jordanian
people, for the displaced people in your midst, and for the young
people who make up such a large part of the population.

King Abdullah welcomed the Pope as "a man of peace, ... a symbol of
all that is pure and noble in this life, ... a true reminder that the
power of love is much stronger than conflict and hatred, ... as a
fellow believer in God, the Compassionate and the Merciful."
Highlighting the special significance of the Pope's visit, the King
said John Paul's pilgrimage "brings the hope of a brighter future to
those who have known nothing but the misery of the past. Hope for the
Palestinians who yearn for justice and stability, a promise for the
Israelis of security and acceptance, comfort for the Lebanese of a
better tomorrow, and hope for the Syrians that the sad chapter of war
is finally over. "


U.S. sources say Syria-Israel peace deal reachable 'within weeks'

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- US administration sources expect that next week's
summit between President Bill Clinton and President Hafez Assad of
Syria will result in a renewal of Israel-Syria peace talks a few days
later. A new round of peace negotiations, the Americans hope, might
produce a peace agreement within a few weeks .


Chief rabbis greetings to Pope John Paul II

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- Following are Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir
Lau's and Sephardic Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron's greetings to
Pope John Paul II: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They will prosper
who love you. (Psalms 122:6) The people of Israel who dwell in Zion
and the Chief Rabbis of Israel welcome Pope John Paul II with the
traditional greeting: Blessed be your coming to Israel.

From the holy city of Jerusalem, about which the prophet Zechariah
said: "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion…And many nations shall
join themselves to the Lord in that day and shall be My people, and I
will dwell in the midst of you." (Zechariah 2:14-15) We welcome one
who saw fit to express remorse in the name of the Catholic Church for
the terrible deeds committed against the Jewish People during the
course of the past 2,000 years and even appointed a commission for
requesting forgiveness from the Jewish nation with regard to the
Holocaust.

We, the Chief Rabbis of Israel, representing the Jewish People
dwelling in the Holy Land, express our hope and faith that the
prophesies will be fulfilled, of Malachi: "Behold, I will send you
Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of
the Lord," (Malachi 3:22), and of Zechariah: "Thus says the Lord: I
return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and
Jerusalem shall be called The City of Truth and the Mountain of the
Lord of Hosts, the Holy Mountain…There shall yet sit old men and
women in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his
hand for very age. And the broad places of the city shall be full of
boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." (Zechariah, 8:3-5)

From Jerusalem, capital of the State of Israel, and from Zion, the
holy city, we pray that we may be granted a good and long life, a
life of peace and security, health and peace of mind, a life of human
brotherhood. May it be His will that the words of the prophet be
fulfilled: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4) May He who makes peace
in His heavens bring peace to us and to all of Israel.


Pope to be greeted with hassidic and Moslem songs

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- A choir of Jewish, Moslem and Christian children
will greet the pope will upon his arrival at Notre Dame. , a Vatican
representative approached Michael Wolfe, a member of Kibbutz S'dei
Boker in the Negev, and a noted Jerusalem music teacher. Wolfe was
called upon to prepare for the pontiff's visit and include a theme
that would encompass the three religious faiths.


Some are preparing for Armageddon

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- A small number of pilgrims described as
extremists, on Sunday visited Tel Megiddo, Armageddon, near Kibbutz
Megiddo. They explained that they are certain "Pope John Paul II
will, during his visit to Israel, return his soul to his creator,
immediately followed by Armageddon."


How the Sabbath desecration being avoided during the pope's visit

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- The two Israel Air Force helicopters that will
serve Pope John Paul II during his visit to Israel will be
temporarily 'enlisted' into the police since the police have a
special status, permitting them to operate on the Sabbath. The
military may only violate the Sabbath if there is an operational
mission and the pontiff's visit does not meet the criteria.


Isreali High Court rules removal of Star of David from ambulance
legal

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Tue Mar 21,2000 -- The High Court of Justice on Monday ruled that the
removal of the Star of David and other signs from the Magen David
Adom emergency medical service ambulance that will escort Pope John
Paul II during his visit was legal. The removal of the symbols from
the ambulance was a standard practice. The court stated the request
by the Vatican to remove the signs on the ambulance were not unique
to Israel.

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - BARTLEBY.COM UNVEILS WEB'S PREMIER REFERENCE
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 12:11:01 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------

BARTLEBY.COM UNVEILS WEB'S PREMIER REFERENCE
LIBRARY

INTERNET PUBLISHER COMBINES MOST COMPREHENSIVE
MODERN REFERENCE COLLECTION WITH BEST CLASSIC
REFERENCE WORKS

New York--March 20--Bartleby.com
(http://www.bartleby.com), the first name in Internet
publishing of reference, verse and classic literature, today
unveiled the Internet's premier reference web site, offering
free, searchable access to the world's most complete family
of online reference works. The site provides web-based
access to such world- class works as the "Columbia
Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition," published by Columbia University
Press and "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language," Third Edition; "Roget's II: The New Thesaurus,
Third Edition;" "Simpson's Contemporary Quotations;" and
"The American Heritage Book of English Usage," published by
Houghton Mifflin Company.

When combined with the web site's existing reference
works, including Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations," Strunk's
"Elements of Style," Fowler's "The King's English," Second
Edition, Emily Post's "Etiquette," the "Cambridge History of
English and American Literature" and Fannie Farmer's
"Cookbook," today's announcement establishes Bartleby.com
as the most comprehensive public web reference site.
Bartleby.com published 200,000 full-text searchable pages of
reference, verse and classic literature--all accessible 24
hours per day, at no charge.

Bartleby.com also unveiled a complete web site redesign.
With a new user interface, Bartleby.com provides fast and
accurate access to a vast array of information, including
material not available anywhere else--in print or on the
web. Visitors to Bartleby.com can access informative
summaries of each book, as well as concise biographies,
complete with pictures, of each author featured in the
online library. Enhanced navigational tools and extensive
cross-referencing between works make it easy for users to
locate specific passages and references. Also new is the
"Bartleby Weekly" feature, providing a weekly update of new
content additions, and the Bartleby Bookstore, linking e-
commerce to the site by providing a convenient market for
users to purchase books and related materials.

"Bartleby.com makes publishing history today," said Steven
van Leeuwen, publisher and founder of Bartleby.com. "As
the only publisher combining the best of both contemporary
and classic reference works, we have created the most
comprehensive public reference library ever published on the
web--a collection that will grow massively in the coming
months."

"Bartleby.com has designed an impressive web site that
allows users to easily access, search and categorize an
extensive collection of classic literature, reference and
nonfiction material. Every knowledge-seeking person should
visit this site," said John McCormick of SECTORBASE.com, a
market research firm that caters primarily to institutional
investors.

NEW BARTLEBY.COM REFERENCE WORKS

Columbia Encyclopedia

With its previous edition described by "Scientific American"
as "without peer in the English language," and heralded by
the "New York Times Book Review" as "the standard of
excellence as a guide to essential facts," the "Columbia
Encyclopedia" has always been the bar by which other
reference works are judged. Now, with Bartleby.com's
publication of the new Sixth Edition, it is also the most up-to-
date encyclopedia available anywhere. With over 50,000
article entries, 40,000 bibliographic citations, and over 80,000
cross-reference entries, it is also one of the most
comprehensive encyclopedias available. All of these articles
are fully searchable, allowing students and readers of all
kinds to locate specific information in seconds.

"Bartleby.com is an outstanding partner for bringing the
Columbia Encyclopedia to the Internet," said Clare Wellnitz,
Director of Subsidiary Rights for Columbia University Press.
"With 24-hour, free online access to the complete,
unabridged encyclopedia, Bartleby.com delivers an
invaluable service for any student, researcher or family
looking for fast and easy access to essential and interesting
facts."

OTHER NEW REFERENCE WORKS

Bartleby.com also released "The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language," Third Edition, filled with
over 350,000 entries and meanings--more than 16,000 of
them new. Word definitions are further enhanced by over
34,000 examples of use, more than 500 usage notes and a
newly revised Appendix of Indo-European roots. Called by
Amazon.com "the chosen reference of editors," The
American Heritage Dictionary "is more than a mere tool of the
trade-- it's a luxurious linguistic experience." The Usage
Panel, a group of over 170 editors, writers and public
speakers, contributed its opinions on usage to "The American
Heritage Dictionary."

Complementing the "Columbia Encyclopedia" and "American
Heritage Dictionary" are "Roget's II: The New Thesaurus,"
providing over 35,000 synonyms; "Simpson's Quotations,"
highlighting the great quotations from 1950 to 1988 and
providing about 10,000 quotations from nearly 4,000
sources; and "The American Heritage Book of English
Usage," the preeminent guide to the proper use of grammar,
style, diction and word formation, and even e-mail etiquette.

David Jost, Vice President and Director of Electronic
Reference Publishing of the Trade and Reference Division of
Houghton Mifflin Company, says "Houghton Mifflin is proud to
partner with Bartleby.com to bring these essential reference
works online as part of Bartleby.com's comprehensive
reference collection."

Practical Details

The site is live today, at www.bartleby.com. All reference
materials are available 24-hours/day at no charge.

About Bartleby.com

Headquartered in New York City, Bartleby.com began
publishing on the web in 1994. Now a leading innovator in the
field of electronic publishing, Bartleby.com has been widely
cited as one of the best reference sites on the web, having
published among other works, Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations,"
Strunk's "Elements of Style" and six classic poetry
anthologies, including the "Oxford Book of English Verse."
Post's "Etiquette," which the company added to its site in
December 1999, enables readers to jump from over 1,500
alphabetic subject entries to the most relevant of the 2,600
paragraphs in the book. Most recently, Bartleby.com
published the "Cambridge History of English and American
Literature: An Encyclopedia in Eighteen Volumes,"
considered a landmark of English and American letters.

Named after the humble character of Melville's classic
"Bartleby, the Scrivener," Bartleby.com provides millions of
students, educators and the intellectually curious with
unparalleled access to classics and reference books online.
Bartleby.com began as a personal research experiment in
1993 and within one year published its first classic book on
the web, Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." Since then,
Bartleby.com's ever-expanding list of renowned classics
makes it the preeminent electronic publishing enterprise on
the web.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Megan Schade, Bartleby.com
megan@bartleby-inc.com
646-435-6176

This message was sent via the Book People mailing list.

spok+bookpeople@cs.cmu.edu
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/bplist/

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - BREAKTHROUGH "SEEING CHIP" TECHNOLOGY GOES TO AUCTION
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 12:16:16 -0500

NewsScan Daily, 22 March 2000 ("Above The Fold")

http://www.newsscan.com/

BREAKTHROUGH "SEEING CHIP" TECHNOLOGY GOES TO AUCTION

The world's first high-tech auction has been set up to
sell a revolutionary "seeing chip" technology that is
expected to be the source of billions of dollars of revenue
in just a few years. Developed by a privately-held French
research firm and called the Generic Visual Perception
Processor (GVPP), the chip will be mass-producible for
about $6 apiece, and will have numerous industrial and
military applications. Some examples: in the auto industry,
GVPP-devices could be used to develop systems for collision-
avoidance; in manufacturing, the chip would support robotic
devices for use in dirty and dangerous jobs; in agriculture
and fisheries, it could be applied to tasks such as crop
disease and parasite identification, and ripeness control;
in military applications, it could be put to uses such as
unmanned air vehicles, automatic target detection,
trajectory correction, and ground reconnaissance and
surveillance. The GVPP is modeled on the visual perception
capabilities of the human brain and can detect objects in a
motion video signal and then locate and track them in real
time. The auction used to bring it to market will be a
three-stage process executed over a number of months.
(Reuters/San Jose Mercury News 21 Mar 2000)

http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/043619.htm

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - WHOSE "PROMISED LAND"?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 12:36:01 -0500

WHOSE "PROMISED LAND"?
by Emanuel A. Winston,
Middle East Analyst & Commentator

It would appear that the casual use of the expression "The
Promised Land" has lost its meaning to those who would undo
that Promise.

Perhaps you will recall that G-d Promised the Land first
to Avraham and the Jewish People and then conveyed that
promise to Moses. There were no qualifications in fine
print. G-d made a Promise within His unbreakable Covenant
with the Jewish people which did not mention Rome, Egypt,
Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, France, England, America
or any other country or people.

Now, with arrogance and evil intent, the nations of the
world come to inform the Jewish people and G-d that they,
the nations, have the right to add a codicil or addendum to
G-d's Contract (Covenant) with the Jewish people.

The Pope came to Mount Nebo, purportedly the place where
Moses stood to view the Land of Israel promised to him for
the Jewish People by G-d for the unending generations of
the Jewish people. There seems to be no embarrassment as
all the media call Israel the "Promised Land", completely
ignoring to whom it was unequivocally promised.

Certainly the Land was not promised to the arch terrorists
Yassir Arafat or Hafez al Assad and the Arabs who continue
to teach hatred of the Jewish people. But, this coalition
of evil intent converges on what they call "The Promised
Land" to first dilute the Jewish claim to the Land, no
doubt to be followed by total ethnic cleansing. Do you not
find it puzzling that the Arab nations who cover millions
of square miles and possess untold oil wealth, hunger for
that minuscule strip of land called Israel?

We appreciate the words of peace coming from a frail old
man but the divided message that Jerusalem does not belong
to the Jews is unacceptable.

Those millions of true Bible believing Christians who
support Israel's primary claim to "The Promised Land" will
not be offended by the word "evil". They know what was
Promised and to whom. Those who would deny that Promise by
war, terror or this false "Process" called "peace" have
brought evil into the world by trying to undo G-d's
Authority and Judgement.

"Pope John Paul II gazed toward Israel today, March 20,
from Mount Nebo, where the Bible says G-d showed Moses The
Promised Land. As he landed in Amman Jordan, he claimed
that "In this area of the world there are grave issues and
urgent issues of justice, of the rights of peoples and
nations which have to be resolved for the good of all
concerned...for the "displaced people in your midst," a
reference to Palestinian refugees." (1) These are "code-
words" for "take The Promised Land of Israel away from the
Jews and give it to the Arabs". These "code-words" are well-
known by those who closely follow the war waged by the
world against Israel. If the Pope (and the nations) said,
"There will be peace if we follow G-d's Word, and leave The
Promised Land to the people to whom He Promised it" - then
indeed there would be a true, just and lasting peace.

Surely, Hell must have opened its portals as we hear that
President Clinton will meet with Hafez al Assad of Syria on
Sunday March 26 to discuss the future of Israel. We have
watched the gatherings of evil as they converge to lay
their spurious claims to Jerusalem, presumably to entrap G-
d in His dwelling place on earth. Why else through
centuries of conquest have the Christians built churches on
the Temple Mount, the Holy of Holies? Why then would the
Muslims come to kill the Christians and build mosques, also
on the Temple Mount and over the ruins of the Christian
churches? Whoever was in power - each denied freedom of
worship to the other, while both refused it to the Jews.
Are these peace-makers? I think not.

Countless invaders, weighed down by their earthbound
minds, came to the Holy City of Jerusalem, with extreme
prejudice, to capture her stones, plunder the Holy Articles
from King Solomons Holy Temple that the Jews used to serve
G-d. Can we ignore the carved frieze depicting roman
conquerors, carrying the Holy Menorah, booty from the
desecrated Jewish Temple back to the "Holy" Roman Empire
treasury where it was entombed in its vaults.

These aggressive conquerors believed that, if they
captured the Holy Temple and its artifacts, they would
firmly establish their claim to be the true representatives
of G-d on earth. How does one actually go about capturing G-
d and then binding Him to your wishes? The answer is, they
could not, with all of the invaders and their nations,
eventually becoming extinct.

Once again they came, first laying siege and, failing
that, joining forces with other countries - Muslim and
Christian -claiming entrance into the City of Jerusalem
under a false banner of "peace". Was there ever a more
unholy cabal than institutional Christianity and Islam, the
quintessential Amalekites, joining forces to command G-d's
Recognition? They do not come to worship peacefully at His
Holy Mountain as they claim. They come with guile, backed
by force, to demand that G-d bow to them. They come to tell
G-d that he has made a "clerical" error and it is their
names which should be affixed to the Covenant - not the Jews.

Was there ever such an arrogant, cursed rabble who come to
attempt to finish killing G-d's Chosen servants? To be
sure, they have found allies among some Jews who are
willing to lick the boots of these would-be conquerors and
play the role of infamous court Jews. No doubt, they will
be dealt with as were the worshipers of the Golden Calf.
Moses gave the Jewish people a choice at Sinai - to join
Moses in accepting G-d's Commandments or remain with those
who worshiped the golden idol. That choice is once again
being offered to the nations and the Jewish people. You
will recall, those who worshiped the beast were slain by G-d.

Muslim/Arab terrorists and Muslim/Arab countries' armies
have been in a constant state of war with the Jews ever
since the Jews returned to their Promised Land. The Jews
are tired of fighting off the Arabs while losing their sons
and daughters to their assaults. That is natural but,
giving up G-d's Land, Promised to them, will not appease
the conquerors. It is merely an invitation to war
consistent with shrinking the tiny country of Israel until
she appears weak enough to overpower. The Muslims and
Christians (or rather the UN-Christians) believe they need
to displace the Jews in order to eliminate any Jewish claim
to G-d's Covenant so that they can claim that Covenant and
to be G-d's Chosen.

Displacing the Jews from their Promised Land is not the
way to win G-d's favor. Ever since the Jews returned to the
Land G-d Promised to them, they have welcomed Christians
and Muslims equally to freely worship in their own churches
and mosques. They have even passed formal laws, insuring
free unimpeded passage for those who come in Peace. Arafat
and the Palestinians have already demonstrated and
announced that they have no intention of allowing the
Christians free passage into areas over which they have
control.

The Pope has tried to negotiate a document with Arafat
which states that Christian holy places under the
Palestinians will not be taken over by the Palestinian
Authority. This already indicates that the Pope knows
exactly what will happen under Muslim control. The churches
and shrines of Jerusalem have never enjoyed such freedom as
they have under the Jews. But, clearly, that was not
enough. The Christians want the City internationalized,
with joint ownership, insuring the freedom of worship which
they, in fact, already have.

What is really being said is that neither the Church of
Rome nor the Muslims whose holy center is in Mecca, want
the Jews to have the symbols of a people made whole in
their own Land and in the capital chosen by G-d for them.
Because the Jews have the City, therefore, Rome and Islam
want it.

The Palestinians have already stated that, when they get
full control of Israel's second most holy city of Hebron
and the burial caves of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and
Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, no Jew will be allowed in to pray.
Think of that - The father of the Jewish people has been
claimed as a Muslim. Just as Jerusalem suddenly became
Islam's third holiest city in 1967 after it was re-united,
the Tomb of the Patriarchs was turned into a mosque and the
Jews will be locked out as they were before when the
Machpela was under Muslim rule. Jerusalem will suffer the
same fate if she is ever allowed into the hands of a people
who recreates history to suit their own purposes.
Regrettably, the Church of Rome knows this but, because it
also suits them, they accept and perpetuate the Big Lie.

G-d will not welcome killers and liars into His Courtyards
of Heaven. As is said: "I will cleanse the nations of their
wrongdoings, but for the shedding of Jewish blood I will
not cleanse them; the Lord dwells in Zion." (2)

###

1. "Pope Begins His Holy Land Pilgrimage in Jordan: Prays
at Site Looking to Promised Land" by Alessandra Stanley NEW
YORK TIMES 3/21/2000

2. Joel 4:23


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