Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
May 18, 2001


Digest Home | 2001 | May, 2001

 

  1. Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
  2. Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
  3. Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
  4. War and Love 18/05/01
  5. Re: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01
  6. Re: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01
  7. Book Review: "The End of Days" by Gershom Gorenberg
  8. OLD BUT INTERESTING ARTICLE (mid-east turmoil)
  9. PA press center gave wrong information on Bitounia shooting
  10. Security cabinet in the dark as two men make all the decisions
  11. Arutz-7 News (5/18/01)
    1. SUICIDE TERRORIST SUCCEEDS IN KILLING FOUR ISRAELIS
    2. PROTESTING A MURDER
    3. EU MAY TAX YESHA PRODUCTS
    4. TIBI IS IN THE HANDS OF THE KNESSET
    5. KURTZER TO BE U.S. AMBASSADOR HERE
    6. HIGHER COUNCIL FOR YESHIVOT PROPOSED
    7. MOSLEM SHEIKHS CONDEMN PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE
  12. April poll finds 73.7% of Palestinians support suicide bombing operations
  13. Weekend News Today items (5/18/01)
    MK Elon: Time for war
    Bush: Bombing brings 'new level of intensity'
    IAF warplanes strike targets in West Bank
    U.S. federal judge bars prayer at graduation
    Prodi strongly pushes Russia to use euros
    A Plague of Caterpillars is Devastating Crops & Small Farms
    Experts Argue Over Rising Sea Level
    Hong Kong Fights 'Bird Flu'
    Russian Egg-Size Storm Hail Wreaks Havoc For 2 Days
    Military robots built; modeled after lobster
    Palestinian Hamas say more to come & Koran justifies this
    Fighter Jets Drop 72 Bombs On Russian River Ice Jam
  14. Harpazo.net News items (5/18/01)
    EU: 'We Have To Stop This Cycle of Violence'
    Israeli Warplanes Fly Mock Raids Over Lebanon
    Powell Emerges As Leader in Policy Shift On Iraqi Sanctions
    Call to Ban Human Genetic Modification
  15. Birthplace sought for first clone of human; Scientists woo Israel, others
  16. Re: [bprlist] Mutant bacteria biowars threaten apocalypse now

 

To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
From: tracy
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 02:55:08 -0400
--------
I would not get to worried about what science tries to sell. Professor
Ronald Mallet talks about "wormholes" like they are proven to exist.
There is not one person who can point out a wormhole. In theory a
wormhole could connect two black holes on the other side of the fabric
of space-time. But since light cannot even escape a black hole you
would need to go faster than the speed of light to come out the other
side. On top of that while science points to black holes we really
don't know that they are what we think they are.

So this professor is not going to build a time machine, nor did he
create a loophole into getting into a wormhole, he didn't even prove a
wormhole existed.
Personally it seems to go against the beliefs of GOD if man could go
back in time. If time travel were possible then Satan would never be
condemned to the abyss. He would simply travel back in time.

It does play well with the imagination though.

Tracy

"Patt A." wrote:
>
> Time Travel - How it Can Happen
> May 17, 2001 7:39 CDT
>
> Before your children are born, their children could turn up at your door. Michael Brooks discovers how to turn the future into the past.
>
> Professor Ronald Mallett believes he has found a practical way to make a time machine. While the idea sounds crazy, it should work in theory: none of the known laws of physics forbids time travel, and shunting matter back and forth through time shouldn't be that difficult to do. Unfortunately, ideas like these usually work in theory only. For example, wormholes - the clever little tunnels in space and time that supposedly can be used to travel through time - require some supply of "negative energy" matter to open up.
>


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========
To: <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
From: "Richard"
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 07:46:00 -0400
--------
>If time travel were possible then Satan would never be
>condemned to the abyss. He would simply travel back in time.

There is a lot that satan can do. And what he does God allows him to do. God
does not just let satan do what he wants. But when satan comes into his
throne of power on earth and the restrainer is taken out of the way, look
out tribsaints!!!

satan is interdimentional and outside our time domain since he has access to
heaven. I know for a fact that man has hidden time travel capabilities, I
just can't prove it yet. It's base on electromagnetic field generation. They
can't interfere with the course of events because God simply will not allow
it.

              -Rick-
http://www.geocities.com/raptureapologetics/Nephilim.html

----- Original Message -----
From: "tracy"
To: <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 2:55 AM
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen

> I would not get to worried about what science tries to sell. Professor
> Ronald Mallet talks about "wormholes" like they are proven to exist.
> There is not one person who can point out a wormhole. In theory a
> wormhole could connect two black holes on the other side of the fabric
> of space-time. But since light cannot even escape a black hole you
> would need to go faster than the speed of light to come out the other
> side. On top of that while science points to black holes we really
> don't know that they are what we think they are.
>
> So this professor is not going to build a time machine, nor did he
> create a loophole into getting into a wormhole, he didn't even prove a
> wormhole existed.
> Personally it seems to go against the beliefs of GOD if man could go
> back in time. If time travel were possible then Satan would never be
> condemned to the abyss. He would simply travel back in time.
>
> It does play well with the imagination though.
>
>
> Tracy
>
>
>
>
> "Patt A." wrote:
> >
> > Time Travel - How it Can Happen
> > May 17, 2001 7:39 CDT
> >
> > Before your children are born, their children could turn up at your
door. Michael Brooks discovers how to turn the future into the past.
> >
> > Professor Ronald Mallett believes he has found a practical way to make a
time machine. While the idea sounds crazy, it should work in theory: none of
the known laws of physics forbids time travel, and shunting matter back and
forth through time shouldn't be that difficult to do. Unfortunately, ideas
like these usually work in theory only. For example, wormholes - the clever
little tunnels in space and time that supposedly can be used to travel
through time - require some supply of "negative energy" matter to open up.
> >
>
>
>
> ************************
>
> SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
>
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> bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
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> bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Bible Prophecy Research
> URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>


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========
To: <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen
From: "Richard"
Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 11:02:13 -0400
--------
Check out Beyond Time and Space - Part 1 by Chuck Missler at:
http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/6640/Default.asp

Also check out: http://www.albielek.com/nicholas.htm

-Rick-


----- Original Message -----
From: "Patt A."
To: "bprlist" <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 1:46 AM
Subject: [bprlist] Time Travel - How it Can Happen


Time Travel - How it Can Happen
May 17, 2001 7:39 CDT

Before your children are born, their children could turn up at your door.
Michael Brooks discovers how to turn the future into the past.

Professor Ronald Mallett believes he has found a practical way to make a
time machine. While the idea sounds crazy, it should work in theory: none of
the known laws of physics forbids time travel, and shunting matter back and
forth through time shouldn't be that difficult to do. Unfortunately, ideas
like these usually work in theory only. For example, wormholes - the clever
little tunnels in space and time that supposedly can be used to travel
through time - require some supply of "negative energy" matter to open up.


---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions $2 Million Sweepstakes - Got something to sell?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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========
To: messynews@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01
From: Stafford's Mail
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 10:21:50 +0100
--------
Ephraim sent me this letter today. I pass it to you and ask you to
pray how you may follow Naomi's example. Blessings Stafford.
===================================================
If you think that the war over Jerusalem and Israel, is only here in
the land. Check out this letter by Naomi Ragen. Ephraim

 An encouraging letter about the power we all have, at our fingertips!

LOVE LETTER TO MARILYN BY NAOMI RAGEN

This isn't a column. It's a love letter. The object of my affections
is Marilyn (she wants me to keep her last name our little secret) a
grandmother from a small New England town.

Last Chanukah, like all good grandmothers, Marilyn went to Toys R Us
to scout out the goodies, when her eye fell upon an impressive
collection of encyclopedias for children published by a British firm
called Dempsey-Parr.

As she flipped through the slick pages, she came upon the section on
the Middle East. To her surprise, one flag was missing. The Israeli
flag. On checking the map, she noted that the country of Israel was
missing as well. Well, thought Marilyn. Let's see.

She looked up Jerusalem in the book and was told "it was a holy city
for Muslims, the followers of Islam, as well as for Jews and
Christians. The Dome of the Rock is the city's most holy Muslim
temple." In The Children's First Encyclopedia, under Crisis in the
Middle East, the Six Day War is - described in one line: "Israel
invaded the Sinai Peninsula."

Of Golda Meir, the book tells its young readers: "She always hoped to
solve the problems of Israel and Palestine through peaceful means, but
under her leadership Israel was involved in the Six Day War and the
Yom Kippur War."

Well, well, thought Marilyn. There´s a pattern here. She checked on
the children's book section in Best Buy stores and came across some
more "educational" books from Dempsey-Parr: Pocket Atlas didn't list
the Israeli flag. First Atlas didn't list the country of Israel, nor
did The Illustrated Encyclopedia. The Children's Illustrated
Dictionary lists all world languages, except Hebrew. Question and
Answer Encyclopedia lists page 59 as having information on Jerusalem,
but doesn't actually have any. Children´s First Book of People and
Places has more of the same.

Marilyn was appalled, like anyone would be who thinks children
deserve books that inculcate knowledge, not misinformation and hate.

(Now, this is the point in my story where it veers from information
to the adulation that is the mainstay of all good love letters.) But
unlike most of us, Marilyn decided it wasn't enough for her not to
purchase Dempsey-Parr Poison for Children´s Minds. She decided to
get these dangerous books out of the stores.

Her first set of letters were sent out to apprise Toys R Us and Levy
Home Entertainment, Best Buys' book distributor, that there was a
problem.

Toys R Us's Ronda Senior wrote her back a carefully worded letter
disclaiming responsibility. They weren't, she said, "actively" buying
Dempsey-Parr books. She helpfully suggested that perhaps the problem
was the "lack of adequate information on Jerusalem," available to the
authors (this, of course, made Marilyn mad.

She wrote back, politely suggesting that this was offensive and that
"there are many hazards that can befall a child, not the least of
which are those that poison the mind. These books are dismally
edited and at their worst they are instruments of bigotry. They should
be removed from your shelves. You state that Toys R Us is a company
who believes in children and their education. Your ultimate actions
will prove or disprove the seriousness with which you take that
responsibility.")

The reaction of Levy Home Entertainment, on the other hand, was
wonderful. Barbara Levy Kipper, its head, notified Paragon Publishers
in England, (parent company of Dempsey-Parr and packagers of these
notorious mind-poisoners) that they were pulling the books in question
from Levy-supplied stores nationwide. Paragon Publishers was summoned
to explain itself to Levy's Board of Directors. Barbara Levy and
Howard Reese, CEO, both called Marilyn to offer apologies and to thank
her for uncovering the insidious pattern of Dempsey-Parr books. They
were also instrumental in getting Paragon – Dempsey-Parr to notify
Toys R Us of problems with the books. Marilyn received a letter from
Toys R Us saying that all Dempsey-Parr books would be recalled from
their stores as well.

Marilyn's battle was a lonely one.

Although she contacted B'nai Brith, the American Jewish Community
Council, and different branches of Rabbinical associations, their
silence left her hanging alone in the wind. No doubt their time was
taken up with much more important things, like fundraising to cover
enormous salaries… The Anti-Defamation League wrote a long letter to
Paragon Publishing full of helpful suggestions on editing the books,
but failed to call for their immediate removal from the stores.

No. Only Marilyn thought to do that. And many private individuals
from nearby synagogues and on the internet helped spread the word.
Which is why she is my hero. And which is why I am writing her this
love letter.

Dearest Marilyn, the people of Israel, who have been wiped off the
map, and maligned, thank you for noticing and for feeling outrage, and
most of all, for taking the time and trouble to do something about it.

Why did she persist? In her own words: "It is not only CNN and their
ilk that spread misinformation, apparently the world´s publishers
(particularly the British) seem to feel that when it comes to hate,
one can never start too young. Perhaps Dempsey-Parr thought that if
they ignored our existence and/or disseminated lies early enough in a
child ´s education, they could recruit more innocents into their veil
of hate. Maybe they thought that no one would notice or care. They
were wrong on both counts."

Marilyn, I love you! I'm inspired by what you've taught us: One
person can make a difference. And the next time we are tempted to let
a shoddy piece of propaganda in the guise of children´s tales or news
reports or editorial commentary pass us by without picking up a pen
(or mouse) to protest, I hope your example will not let us rest. As
another little Jew taught us, a well placed rock from a single
slingshot can bring down giants.

Our sages taught us that we don't need to finish the task, just to
begin it.

Please, everyone, do your little part in helping us part the seas of
hatred that are engulfing our people. I know it doesn't seem like
much, to write a letter, or annoy one of CNN's sponsors. But little
drops on a stone carve out mountains in the end.

Copyright Naomi Ragen, 2001 This article may be reposted with my
blessing. Please do not edit!

 ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Stafford's Mail <STAFFORDSIMMONDS@NTLWORLD.COM>


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To: <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Subject: Re: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01
From: "Sunday"
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 11:14:45 -0400
--------
Thanks so much for that wonderful Letter! I have forwarded
it to the Contenders List and asked them to publish it on their List in it's entirety. - Dawn Stansbury

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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To: <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Subject: Re: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01
From: "John"
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 21:18:43 +1200
--------
Hi folks!
Can I enthusastically suggest that Marilyn's actions should motivate the
determined PZ'ers who love truth (and Israel !!) to checkout exactly the
same topics on the books available to each of us, at our own local
bookshops? That may start a very appropriate countries-wide purge of this
anti-Israel, anti-Hebrew malignancy. I certainly will be on the hunt
starting tomorrow. And also keep it up as a monitoring task in the future.

I would have responded earlier on this subject folks but was offline for
nearly a week. Catching up on over 1,000 accumulated emails is no fun
(sigh).
Happy hunting!
Pastor John.

-----Original Message-----
From: Stafford's Mail
To: messynews@yahoogroups.com <MESSYNEWS@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Date: Friday, 18 May 2001 22:46
Subject: [bprlist] War and Love 18/05/01

Ephraim sent me this letter today. I pass it to you and ask you to
pray how you may follow Naomi's example. Blessings Stafford.
===================================================
If you think that the war over Jerusalem and Israel, is only here in
the land. Check out this letter by Naomi Ragen. Ephraim

An encouraging letter about the power we all have, at our fingertips!

LOVE LETTER TO MARILYN BY NAOMI RAGEN

This isn't a column. It's a love letter. The object of my affections
is Marilyn (she wants me to keep her last name our little secret) a
grandmother from a small New England town.

Last Chanukah, like all good grandmothers, Marilyn went to Toys R Us
to scout out the goodies, when her eye fell upon an impressive
collection of encyclopedias for children published by a British firm
called Dempsey-Parr.

As she flipped through the slick pages, she came upon the section on
the Middle East. To her surprise, one flag was missing. The Israeli
flag. On checking the map, she noted that the country of Israel was
missing as well. Well, thought Marilyn. Let's see.... . . . . . .

************************

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========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Book Review: "The End of Days" by Gershom Gorenberg
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 10:44:36 -0000
--------
Gorenberg, Gershom. "The End of Days: Fundamentalism and the Struggle
for the Temple Mount," The Free Press, (c)2000. 275 pages.

The script is called "The End Times." The stage is Israel,
specifically, Jerusalem. The players are members of three major
religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The spotlight is
focused on the Temple Mount sitting smack-dab in the center of the
stage.

That's how Gershom Gorenberg, author of "The End of Days:
Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount" and senior
editor of The Jerusalem Post portrays the social, political and
religious climate surrounding the 35-acre piece of land in Jerusalem
known as the Temple Mount. It's all part of a Divine Novel
where "myths have always bent reality." This portrayal, especially
noted by the title of Chapter seven -- The Divine Repertory Theater
Company -- is helped along by fundamentalists, messianists, and
extremists, whose words and religious beliefs are closely linked to
the Temple Mount, are quoted and presented in this book.

Let me state beforehand that I'm not recommending this book because I
agree with the author's philosophies or religious ideologies. He uses
the word "myth" frequently when referring to Endtime beliefs while
comparing them to the "realities" of the present world. Gorenberg is
subtle in style and mildly sarcastic in tone; he is often cynical and
arrogant, especially when quoting Christians. However, judging some
of the quotes myself, if they are not taken out of context, I can't
hardly blame him for that. For the most part, I've come to the
conclusion that Christians, generally speaking, don't present
themselves very well to an unbelieving world when speaking of Endtime
events. But I'm also reminded that an unbelieving world isn't
interested in Endtime scenarios as evidenced by Noah's generation.

Nevertheless, this was one very interesting and informative book.
(My copy is heavily high-lighted). By exploring the religious
Endtime beliefs of Christians, Jews and Muslims, and how they
interact with one another in a political and social arena, one can
gain valuable insight into events that are occurring today in the
Middle East.

The problem, as Gorenberg sees it, is that Endtime beliefs, whether
they be of Christian fundamentalists, Jewish messianists, or Muslims
in general, have a profoundly complex effect on Israeli foreign
policies, especially where the Temple Mount is concerned. He writes
on why he focused on the Temple Mount as center stage:

"I've listened to Muslim sheikhs explain how verses in the Koran
foretell Israel's destruction, and to American evangelical ministers
who insist on their deep love for Israel and nevertheless eagerly
await apocalyptic battles on Israel's soil so terrible tht the dry
river beds will, they predict, fill with rivers of blood. I also came
to realize that the center of my story had to be the Temple Mount.
What happens at that one spot, more than anywhere else, quickens
expectations of the end in three religions. And at that spot, the
danger of provoking catastrophe is greatest." [p. 6]

Reading "The End of Days" was like reading a "Who's Who" of Christian
authors and personalities, as well as prominent leaders in various
Jewish movements. One way of showing why and how these religious
Endtime beliefs will continue to influence political policy in Israel
and elsewhere, Gorenberg looks at the words and deeds of these
religious movers and shakers. In the process, there were at least
two themes that kept popping up: (1) the notion that fundamentalists
and messianists are working to hasten the End by becoming active
participants, and (2) Christian fundamentalists' support and love for
Israel is based on what role it is believed the Jews play in an
Endtime scenario.

Let's take the first theme. No longer are believers "watching" for
the return of the Messiah, they are now active participants, hoping
to be the catalyst that gets the ball rolling. Gorenberg presents
this theme right away in the first chapter titled "The Cattlemen of
the Apocalypse." Remember Melody, the red heifer many thought was
*the* red heifer that the Jews have been waiting for as a sign that
the Third Temple should be built? "The Cattlemen of the Apocalypse"
gives interesting detail and behind the scenes dialogue on this
topic.

One interesting observation that Gorenberg relates has to do with
Zola Levitt. Levitt was apparently receiving a lot of letters -- "too
many letters" -- inquiring about the red heifer. He stated in one of
his newsletters that if Christians had as much concern about the
Lord, salvation and correct doctrine as they did about the
development of the red heifer that they would be fine Christians
indeed. Gorenberg then noted a few paragraphs later that Levitt "had
another beef: the rabbis wouldn't come through." He quotes Levitt as
writing:

"'With their almost pathological insistence on the letter of the law,
I suspect they will reject the heifer.'"

Gorenberg then summizes from this that the "polemic
against 'legalism,' a shopworn standard of theological anti-Judaism,
gained a new use-- 'the law' could keep the Jews from fulfilling
their role of building a Temple to facilitate the Christian
apocalypse, and once again the Jews would fail Jesus."

As Gorenberg argues throughout his book, the Jews may not play
according to the Endtime script that the Christian fundamentalists
have laid out. To help Jews along, men like Clyde Lott and Guy Garner
have gotten involved, or as Gorenberg would write, "cast [themselves]
as bit characters," by driving "hundreds--eventually thousands-- of
head of cattle onto the set for the End of Days," for everyone knows
that the Third Temple can't be built until a red heifer is found.
Christian fundamentalists come to the rescue.

In chapter 2, the author is extremely critical of the Left Behind
series. In part, I share Gorenberg's objection. After reading one of
the books he writes:

"The experience is jarring, like meeting someone who calls you by
your name, insists he knows you, remembers you from a high school you
didn't attend, a job you never had. I'm reading a book set largely in
the country where I live-- but not really, because the author's
Israel is a landscape of their imagination, and the characters
called 'Jews' might as well be named hobbits or warlocks. Israel and
Jews are central to Nicolae and the other books of the hugely
successful Left Behind series-- but the country belongs to the map of
a Christian myth; the people speak lines from a script foreign to
flesh-and-blood Jews. In this respect as in others, the books
faithfully represent the apocalyptic vision known by the unwieldly
name of dispensational premillennialism--a vision that, among other
things, misdirects relations between real-life Jews and born-again
Christians, and in the worse case could bend the future of the Middle
East." [p. 31]

Gorenberg finds parts of the series laughable, but one disturbing
idea that is presented in the Left Behind books concerns him and goes
to the heart of his message in "The End of Days" is what is found on
the last page of "Assassins." Gorenberg writes:

"Rayford, in Jerusalem and armed with a high-tech hangun, puts
himself in God's guiding hand and is led toward firing at Nicolae,
the political leader who promotes false peace, in the midst of a mass
rally. The authors have shown that there's one Jew whose psychology
they can subliminally make sense of-- Yigal Amir, the religious
extremist who gunned down Yitzhak Rabin for the 'sin' of making
peace." [pp. 34-35]

Whether consciously or subconsciously, intentionally or non-
intentionally, the authors of the Left Behind series have planted in
the minds of its readers that making peace in the Middle East is not
part of God's plan. Extremists in "real-life," like Yigal Amir, are
made to look like they are acting according to God's will.

Gorenberg points out that John Hagee does the same thing:

"Hagee, pastor of a 15,000-member San Antonio church, starts by
praising Rabin's brilliance and personal warmth. But then he gives
the backdrop to Rabin's murder. Israel, he says, is divided between
religious Jews who think they have a 'holy deed to the land' and Jews
who 'put more faith in man than God of their fathers.' If his
readers miss which side to sympathize with, Hagee stresses that the
word of God gives the Jews the right to land stretching all way
across Iraq. And, he says, Rabin's assassin, Yigal Amir, belonged to
the religious side of Israel. From there, readers are left to draw
their own conclusions." [p. 165]

Gorenberg is, in fact, critical of several authors and lecturers who
will quote or support anyone that tends to fit into their
Endtime "drama." He gives examples and excerpts of Christian books
where terrorist ideas are used as a barometer to gage all of Israeli
viewpoints on the building of the Temple or messianic expectations.
According to Gorenberg, Israeli culture is not interested in the
Third Temple and there is not a messianic fervor in the air. It is
the "fringe" groups that are in expectation of redemption:

"In the generation since 1967, the mood of most of Israeli society
has swung from messianism to realpolitik, from nationalist fervor to
watching NASDAQ prices of Israeli high-tech firms...But the idea that
the State of Israel is a step toward redemption hasn't evaporated.
It became common wisdom among religious Zionists; it drove the West
Bank settlement movement. Those Jews who speak of building the
Temple are the people who take the messianic interpretation of
Israel's existence most literally." [p. 142]

Interestingly, I just finished reading another book, "Israel in
Crisis: What Lies Ahead?" by David Dolan that confirms the messianic
mood of Israel as well. Dolan's book is of a much different flavor
than Gorenberg's but the message is the same concerning this point.
Dolan writes: "In my international travels, I have discovered that a
widespread perception exists among many Christians that the Israeli
people are just aching to rebuild their temple. This assumption is
fueled by exorbitant Christian media attention to a few small fringe
movements that are working for immediate temple construction...The
basically secular majority has not the slightest interest in a new
temple. Quite the contrary; they view attempts to rebuild it as a
barrel of dynamite that could easily spark off World War III." [p.
114, 115] Both Dolan and Gorenberg are reporters in Jerusalem. Dolan
is a Christian, Gorenberg is not.

As to theme number two -- questioning Christian love for Israel --
this is where Gorenberg becomes the most critical and cynical in
tone. He views support for Israel as superficial, based merely on
what the Jews are expected to do in making prophecy come true. He
also questions their claim to being anti-Semitic:

"Premillennialists often assert that they're free of theological anti-
Semitism--unlike other Christians, they don't believe God has cast
off the physical nation of Israel in favor of the spiritual Israel of
the Church. Yet they speak of Jews as having rejected Jesus, and as
being fated either to accept Jesus or to be destroyed in the End
Times. A theology that says that Jews as a community have denied God
in the past and are destined to be punished in the future is hardly
free of anti-Semitism." [p. 127]

"...for those who accept dispensationalist doctrine, as so many
evangelicals do, it's natural to proclaim love of the Jewish state.
Israel's existence gives a believer the warm feeling that the world
is behaving as he or she expects it to. Yet affection for Israel
and "the Jew" doesn't keep dispensationalists from stressing Jews'
failure to accept Jesus, or predicting their vast suffering during
the Tribulation. This is a curiosly cold affection, for
dispensationalists do not look at Jews as normal people. Rather as
premillennialist writer Randall Price puts it in his 1998 book
Jerusalem in Prophecy, Jews are the 'players...for the prophetic
drama,' or perhaps simply 'the scenery,' placed on the stage by the
Director. Since they're in place, the 'curtain call' of the End, as
Price calls it, must be near." [p. 160]

There are so many more points of interest I could bring up and quote,
but I'll refrain from doing so and just let you read the book. Even
if you disagree with Gorenberg's entire message as he writes it in
his book, you will appreciate his behind the scenes look and
interviews dealing with some of the recent items making Christian
news: the red heifer, placement of the Third Temple, the popularity
of the Left Behind series, the rush to find oil in Israel, the making
Temple furniture and priestly garments, etc.

Aside from the differing views that you will surely have with
Gorenberg, his book will no doubt make you think. Thinking about a
matter does not equate to an agreement. It just means that you don't
have all the answers and are willing to listen to someone else's take
on the subject. Gorenberg's take was one of the most interesting
reads I've had in a long time. I don't agree with him on many points.
I was offended in a few others. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it. For
each time a bomb goes off in Jerusalem or riot activity is stirred up
near the Temple Mount, I will remember this book. Each time a TV
evangelist proclaims his love for Israel and then smiles when talking
about the "Endtime destruction that is to come," I will remember this
book. Each time I read an article that says that messianic
expectation and the desire to build the Third Temple is high in
Israel, I will remember this book.

Many believe that it's just a matter of time before war breaks out in
the Middle East. It's quite realistic, considering the recent turmoil
in Jerusalem, that the Temple Mount will be the powder keg that
ignites it. As Gorenberg writes: "The danger isn't going away. Not
as long as people think they know what God has to do next and where
He has to do it, and are terribly impatient for Him to begin." [p.
227]

NOTE: For more information on David Dolan's book "Israel in Crisis"
that was referred to briefly in this review please see
http://www.ddolan.com/bookpage.html

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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] OLD BUT INTERESTING ARTICLE
From: ruby
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 07:35:08 -0400
--------
 
            
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 16
2000
            
While you were busy with Florida ...

Editor's note: WND's J.R. Nyquist is a renowned expert on America's fatal
illusion of an international balance of power; diplomatic and Cold War
history; the survivability of a thermonuclear world war; and is the
author of "Origins of the Fourth World War." Each month Nyquist provides
an exclusive in-depth report in WorldNetDaily's monthly magazine,
WorldNet. Readers may subscribe to WorldNet through WND's online store.


© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

With the Middle East in turmoil and the Far East entering a crisis of its
own, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak visited Bill Clinton a few days
ago only to find the U.S. president hopelessly obsessed with the election
recount on Florida. Of course, Clinton is not alone in this obsession.
The entire U.S. media -- and perhaps half the country -- is obsessed with
the Florida count. But in case we've forgotten, there's a big and
sometimes bad world out there.

Aside from ongoing battles between Israelis and Palestinians, the Far
East is not looking good. On Monday the Philippine House of
Representatives impeached Philippine President Joseph Estrada because of
a corruption scandal. On Tuesday the embattled president of Taiwan, Chen
Shui-bian, was weakened when a crucial ally resigned from his party. Also
on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori resisted calls for his
resignation in a leadership dispute that threatens to split Japan's
ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

But the most ominous recent development in the Far East has to do with
the U.S. carrier battlegroup that protects the Philippines, Taiwan and
Japan from communist powers like China and North Korea. Incredible as it
may seem, the Russian media is claiming that Russian aircraft penetrated
the defenses of the USS Kitty Hawk on Oct. 17. According to Izvestia,
units from Russia's Far Eastern Air Force and Pacific Fleet overflew the
Kitty Hawk battlegroup without interception. "Nothing could be more
awesome," said Izvestia. "Had this been a combat mission the aircraft
carrier's destruction would have been guaranteed."

As experts will affirm, all potentially hostile aircraft approaching a
U.S. carrier battlegroup are intercepted and escorted when they get to
within 125 miles. Before they come to a distance of 25 miles they are
given a serious warning. Within 15 miles the carrier's interceptors could
be ordered to engage.

Did Russian military aircraft buzz the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk
on Oct. 17 as the Russian's claim? According to sources with access to
Western intelligence the incident did occur. In fact, two waves of
Russian planes passed over the carrier before U.S. fighters were
scrambled. According to one expert with 23 years experience in military
aviation, over 15 separate ships (in the carrier battle group), with
different and complimentary radar capabilities, were apparently unable to
detect the approach of the Russian aircraft.

What does this signify?

Doubtless it is an important development in the military competition
between the United States and the Russia-China "partnership." But from a
technological standpoint, the Oct. 17 incident suggests that Russia may
possess stealth technology which can render aircraft invisible to radar.

Theoretically, a device which emits a small amount of plasma can be used
to envelop aircraft and shield them from detection. If perfected, such a
device could be attached to any type of aircraft. If the Russians have
this technology the United States is in serious trouble. If the Russians
are preparing to sell this technology to China, we may not be able to
defend our allies in the Far East.

According to Izvestia, the aerial mission against the Kitty Hawk
battlegroup was organized by Russia's intelligence services. It was an
intelligence-gathering mission to see if Russian air units could fly
undetected into the airspace of a vital U.S. military asset. If this
mission was a smashing success, as claimed, the consequences of Clinton's
neglect of the military can no longer be ignored. The people of the
United States have to understand the dangerous position they are in. If
something doesn't happen to change the inward-looking self-preoccupation
of the American public, the prosperity and liberty we now enjoy may be
cut short by catastrophic events.

With China poised to act against Taiwan and North Korea at the peak of a
23-month military buildup, it is ominous that Russia's military prowess
suddenly appears less than dilapidated. Of course, Americans are not
paying attention for a number of reasons. This lack of attention is not
merely because of the disputed presidential elections. In recent years a
majority of U.S. pundits have asserted that we have arrived at an era of
peace. Globalization has supposedly replaced great power conflict on the
world stage. But this type of theorizing is childish. The world has never
outgrown war and (if the term "human nature" has any meaning whatsoever)
the world never will outgrow war. No doubt there will be those who scoff
at the idea of a near-term military crisis in the Western Pacific.
Perhaps they are right. On the other hand, we should seriously consider
the words of Liu Jiangjia, a Chinese military officer who recently
claimed that a new arms race has begun. In all seriousness, Liu stated,
"War is not far from us now."

It is more than a little curious, at this moment of political uncertainty
and division, that America's chief anti-communist allies in the Far East
are experiencing internal upsets of their own. It is also odd that China
and North Korea have been preparing for war, and that Russia has
demonstrated the ability to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier previously
assumed to be invulnerable.

While you were busy with Florida, the rest of the world was busy too.


J.R. Nyquist, a WorldNetDaily contributing editor and a renowned expert
in geopolitics and international relations, is the author of "Origins of
the Fourth World War." Visit his news-analysis and opinion site,
JRNyquist.com.

© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com, Inc.


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] PA press center gave wrong information on Bitounia shooting
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 08:42:19 -0400
--------
Ha'aretz: PA press center gave wrong information on Bitounia shooting

By Amira Hass
Ha'aretz Palestinian Affairs Correspondent Ha'aretz 18 May 2001

The Palestinian Authority's official press center gave journalists incorrect
information about the killing of five Palestinian policemen by the Israel
Defense Forces at Bitounia on Monday.

The Palestinian Media Center (PMC) originally said that the Israeli troops,
after firing from a distance at the booth where the policemen were sleeping,
entered it and fired at them again from close range, "to make sure they were
dead." A senior official at the center said he had heard this version
first-hand from the only policeman who survived the attack.

On Wednesday, however, this policeman, Ahmed a-Najar, gave a different
version of events at a press conference in Ramallah. Najar's story made no
mention of soldiers entering the booth and shooting again at close range.

The senior PMC official told Ha'aretz that he regretted the error, which he
realized could damage the office's credibility. However, he said, the truth
does not in any way diminish the gravity of the IDF's actions.

A-Najar said that he had been asleep and was awakened by the IDF gunfire;
three of his colleagues were eating when the attack began. When he and his
colleagues heard the shots, he said, they rushed outside one by one to
rescue the man on guard duty, and were then shot themselves. He said the
whole attack took about five minutes.

Meanwhile, the PA yesterday rejected Israel's apology for the killing. "The
excuse Israel gave for their murder is as bad as the crime itself," said
Minister Saeb Erekat. "Is it permissible to kill members of Force 17 in
their sleep?"

The IDF's explanation for the shooting was that it thought the booth was
sheltering members of Arafat's presidential guard, Force 17, who had been
involved in many attacks against Israelis.


--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Security cabinet in the dark as two men make all the decisions
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 08:45:04 -0400
--------
Ha'aretz: Analysis / Security cabinet in the dark as two men make all the
decisions

By Ze'ev Schiff Ha'aretz 18 May 2001

The government's security cabinet did not receive any word of the pending
operation against a Palestinian outpost in Bitounia in which five
Palestinian police officers were killed on Monday. To date, the cabinet has
not been presented with a report on, or explanation of, the blunder.

The security cabinet has not been asked to approve any change in the IDF
strategy underpinning its clearly offensive operations in the territories.

The cabinet comprises 10 ministers, four of whom are members of the Likud
and four of whom are from Labor. The others come from smaller parties.

Upon the establishment of Sharon's coalition government, details of nearly
every IDF operation considered extraordinary in any respect were brought
before the security cabinet for approval. Now there are very few such
meetings.

Most recently, the gathering did not involve a discussion or a presentation
by security officers, but rather a visit to the West Bank town of Ariel,
including a condolence call on the family of a recent victim of a
Palestinian attack.

It is thus possible to conclude that the military confrontation with the
Palestinians is mainly the responsibility of two persons: Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is informed prior to special operations, but
these reports are becoming increasingly rare because of security
considerations, which are weightier when he is on visits abroad.

Ministers in the security cabinet note that they are increasingly finding
themselves responsible for IDF operations, even though the nature of the
operations is never deliberated because they are never informed about them
beforehand.

They are often finding that they learn the details of an operation from the
media.

The ministers acknowledge that the security cabinet is not meant to replace
the Chief of Staff but they insist that - particularly under a coalition
government of national unity - the security cabinet should determine and
authorize the main parameters of IDF operations.

The strategic importance of these operations, and their daily impact are too
great for security cabinet meetings to be held only once a month.

For now, an internal investigation is underway into the killing in Bitounia
of five Palestinian policemen, who turned out to be the wrong target.

Operational errors occur during wartime with lethal consequences; but
whoever is calling for a thorough investigation will have to scrutinize a
series of other IDF blunders that have occured since the outbreak of the
Intifada.

One error that received great media attention was the shooting of the car of
Muhammad Dahlan, head of preventive security in the Gaza Strip for the
Palestinian Authority.

The shooting occured immediately after a security coordination meeting
between the two sides. Dahlan maintains that this was an attempt on his life
and the issue remains unresolved.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (5/18/01)
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 09:38:15 -0400
--------
Arutz Sheva News Service
<HTTP://WWW.ISRAELNATIONALNEWS.COM>
Friday, May 18, 2001 / Iyar 25, 5761

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. SUICIDE TERRORIST SUCCEEDS IN KILLING FOUR ISRAELIS
   2. PROTESTING A MURDER
   3. EU MAY TAX YESHA PRODUCTS
   4. TIBI IS IN THE HANDS OF THE KNESSET
   5. KURTZER TO BE U.S. AMBASSADOR HERE
   6. HIGHER COUNCIL FOR YESHIVOT PROPOSED
   7. MOSLEM SHEIKHS CONDEMN PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE

1. SUICIDE TERRORIST SUCCEEDS IN KILLING 4-5 ISRAELIS
Four people were killed when a suicide terrorist blew himself up right
outside the Sharon shopping mall at the entrance to Netanya shortly after
11:00 this morning. Over 60 wounded - including six in serious condition,
and over 20 suffering from shock - were taken to Laniadio Hospital in
Netanya, Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, and Meir Hospital in Kfar
Saba. The dead apparently include two women, a little girl, and a man.

A suspicious security guard did not let the man into the mall, and the
terrorist detonated his charge outside the mall. The guard was admitted to
the hospital about an hour after the blast, suffering from shock. A father
and daughter told Israel Radio that they positively identified the
terrorist several minutes before the blast, and saw him walk from one mall
entrance to another and back again. "He watched a bus pass by him with a
cold, determined look on his face," they said. Police say that had he
entered the mall or boarded a bus, the catastrophe would have been much
greater.

The father and daughter said that they called the police - stationed only
some 50-80 meters away - and told them to send a police officer. "We
called some 5-7 minutes before the blast," they said, "yet no one
arrived... The clerk who answered said, 'He's wearing a blue jacket?'" - a
clear indication that they were not the first to inform the police of the
same suspicions. A police spokesman said that a police vehicle was on its
way to the site and was only "meters away when the explosion occurred."
He
said that that "the short interval between our receiving the reports and
the explosion made it difficult to take concrete steps - since the
terrorist can blow himself up as soon as he hears sirens or sees policemen
- but an investigation will be held."

Members of various terrorist organizations, including Hamas,
Hizbullah-Palestine, and Izzadin el-Kassam, have taken responsibility for
the killings. The security cabinet - Prime Minister Sharon, Foreign
Minister Peres, Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer, together with leading
military officers - will convene at 2 PM today. PLO leaders are expecting
a strong Israeli retaliatory attack.

2. PROTESTING A MURDER
Meanwhile, mortar shells continue to be fired at Israeli targets in
Gaza. One shell hit Gadid today, another one late fell last night near the
border fence in the northern Gaza Strip, and yet another shell hit Netzer
Hazani earlier in the evening. This last mortar caused damage to the
Yifrach family home; no one was in the house at the time, as the father was
on his way to switch his wife in Soroka hospital. They have been taking
turns sitting there with their son Amichai, 17, ever since he was wounded
three weeks ago in a mortar attack on the youth club in Netzer Hazani. The
IDF fired two rockets at Gaza late this morning.

For at least the third time this week, residents of Rimonim - where lived
Idit Mizrachi, who was murdered in a terrorist shooting on Tuesday night -
demonstrated and blocked Palestinian traffic. Today they burnt tires and
blocked Arabs on Highway 60, between Jerusalem and Ofrah. They claim
that
the army is not providing them sufficient protection. An army officer on
the scene told Arutz-7's Kobi Sela that the army is reconsidering its
"security conception" on the Alon Highway, along which Idit was murdered
and other shooting attacks were perpetrated.

3. EU MAY TAX YESHA PRODUCTS
The European Union is seriously considering levying taxes on Israeli
products manufactured in Judea and Samaria. The European Customs
Authorities have sent a list of thousands of products to Israel whose
location of manufacture they wish to clarify. Israel fears that a decision
may be made at the meeting of European Foreign Ministers next week to
declare products made in Yesha and the Golan as non-Israeli. Peace Now
and
other left-wing organizations have been working towards this goal for a
while.

4. TIBI IS IN THE HANDS OF THE KNESSET
State Attorney Edna Arbel says that criminal proceedings will not be opened
against MK Ahmed Tibi. She says that his parliamentary immunity protects
him against prosecution for his epithets earlier this week against IDF
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha´ul Mofaz. Arbel said, however, that the
Knesset itself could discipline Tibi. A complaint had been filed with the
police against Tibi, who, while speaking from the Knesset podium, yelled
that Mofaz was a "fascist... responsible for the murder of children in cold
blood."

5. KURTZER TO BE U.S. AMBASSADOR HERE
The United States announced yesterday that its ambassador to Egypt,
Daniel
Kurtzer, will be the next ambassador to Israel. Israel has already
approved the choice of Kurtzer, an Orthodox Jew, despite the opposition of
many Jewish groups in the U.S. and Israel. Kurtzer is expected to assume
office in the summer, replacing Martin Indyk.

The Zionist Organization of America notes that Kurtzer has a long record of
support for the Palestinians. The New York Times reported on Jan.13, 1989
that then-State Department official Kurtzer had been "arguing for months
that the United States had to reach out to the Palestinians, and that the
PLO under Arafat was moving in a moderate direction" - this, despite
constant PLO terrorism during that period. In addition, his Ph.D.
dissertation (Columbia University, 1976), claimed that Israeli strikes
against Palestinian Arab terrorists in the 1970s were to blame for "the
radicalization of those Palestinians to violence…"

6. HIGHER COUNCIL FOR YESHIVOT PROPOSED
Knesset Education Committee Chairman Zevulun Orlev (National Religious
Party) proposed legislation this week that would establish a Council for
Higher Torah Education. The body would be parallel to the existing Council
for Higher Education, and would be authorized to bestow degrees on
students
studying in the yeshivot it recognizes, as universities currently
do. "This law is designed to remedy the lack of symmetry," Orlev said,
"between university students and those studying in higher Torah
institutions, who currently have no recognized framework to evaluate their
education. Is it justified that a student who spends several years in his
studies cannot receive an official state-recognized diploma just because he
is not studying in a university?" The government has not yet announced
whether it will support the proposed legislation.

7. MOSLEM SHEIKHS CONDEMN PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE
The Council of Scholars of the Italian Muslim Association has issued a
declaration condemning "those parents, teachers, and murderous criminals
who raise children on a poisoned diet of apostasy, hatred and violence,
[who] send our children to die in acts of sedition, while they direct the
suicidal sacrifice and slaughter of these children from safe command posts,
far from the battle." The nine sheikhs (Moslem scholars) who serve on the
Council live in Rome, and come from Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia,
and
other countries. The declaration, using particularly strong language,
continues, "In defense of a wicked regime, innocent ignorant children are
sent to be killed in criminal actions. This regime even dares to declare
that Islam approves of these criminal acts… There are courageous Sunni
scholars in Jerusalem, risking their lives and the lives of their children
by declaring that sedition against the State of Israel, shooting, stabbing
and throwing stones at Israelis are acts of sedition and are, therefore
forbidden, deserving Allah's punishment." Prominent Council members
include Qadi Abu Ibrahim Ali al-Siddiqi and Sheikh Imam Prof. Abdul Hadi
Palazzi.

Hebrew News Editor: Effie Meir
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] April poll finds 73.7% of Palestinians support suicide bombing operations
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 13:59:26 -0400
--------
April poll finds 73.7% of Palestinians support suicide bombing operations
against Israeli civilians in Israel

[excerpt]

JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 40 On Palestinian Attitudes Towards Politics
including the Current Intifada April 2001

(Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre)
http://www.jmcc.org/polls/2001/no40.htm
On Palestinian Attitudes Towards Politics including the Current Intifada
April 2001

Methodology
A random sample of 1200 people over the age of 18 were interviewed
face-to-face throughout the West Bank (5,6,7 April 2001) and Gaza Strip on
(10,11,12 April 2001). The margin of error is 3 percent, with a confidence
level of 95.

....

Q.5 And what way is your feeling about suicide bombing operations against
Israeli civilians in Israel? Do you strongly support, somewhat support,
somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose suicide bombings against Israeli
civilians?
54.4 Strongly support 19.3 Somewhat support
10.1 Somewhat oppose 5.8 Strongly oppose 7.1 Don't know 3.3 No answer

Q.6 Do you support or oppose the continuation of the current Palestinian
Intifada ?
80.2 Support 13.3 Oppose 5.0 I don't know 1.5 No answer

Q.7 The current Intifada includes popular characteristics such as the
demonstrations and military characteristics. In your opinion, do you support
the continuation of a popular or military Intifada or both of them together?
13.5 I support the continuation of a popular resistance Intifada
15.8 With the continuation of a military resistance Intifada
62.3 I am with both a popular and military resistance Intifada
6.9 I don't know 1.5 No answer...

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Weekend News Today items (5/18/01)
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 18:56:54 -0400
--------
MK Elon: Time for war

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: Kelly
                         Source: Jerusalem Post

Fri May 18,2001 -- Hawkish Knesset Member Benny Elon says today's
suicide bombing demonstrates Israel is locked in a struggle for its very
survival. The time has come, he says with regret, for the government to
declare war.

Bush: Bombing brings 'new level of intensity'

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: Kelly
                         Source: Jerusalem Post

Fri May 18,2001 -- US President George W. Bush said Middle East violence
"took on a new level of intensity" with the bombing, and that it was essential
for leaders to speak out against the bloodshed. "We must break the cycle of
violence in order to begin meaningful discussions about any kind of political
settlement," Bush said, adding that the United States will work hard to try to
bring peace to the region. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's senior advisor said
that today's deadly bombing in Netanya is another in a wave of terror acts
incited by the Palestinian Authority.

"Today's heinous bombing ... is just the latest result of a venomous
campaign of incitement waged by the Palestinian Authority against Israel,"
said Ra'anan Gissin, Sharon's foreign press and public affairs advisor. "This
campaign of incitement - which is spewed 24 hours a day by the PA-
controlled media - legitimizes, encourages and serves as a springboard for
terror against Israel. The latest glaring example is [PA Chairman Yasser]
Arafat's incitement-filled speech on the day of the 'Nakbah', and the call
today by the official Palestinian paper Al-Hayat Al-Jadeedah, on the front
page, for the killing of Jews wherever they can be found as a means to
hasten the coming of the day of redemption".

IAF warplanes strike targets in West Bank

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: Kelly
                         Source: Jerusalem Post

Fri May 18,2001 -- IAF warplanes and helicoptor gunships attacked
Palestinian Authority security forces in the PA-controlled cities of Nablus
and Ramallah just a short time ago. Targeted buildings - reported among
them the PA Ministry of Information and a Nablus jail housing senior Hamas
leaders - appear to have been completely demolished. The IAF also struck a
Force 17 base south of Ramallah and Palestinian sources are reporting one
dead and ten wounded in that attack. There are reports of four Palestinian
casualties in Nablus, but this account remains unconfirmed at this time.

Television reports show Palestinian rescue crews evacuating bodies from the
rubble of destroyed buildings. Israel Television Channel Two suggested that
IAF F-16 warplanes may have dropped munitions as large as 250 kilograms
on their targets. This would mark the first time that the IDF has employed
combat planes against Palestinian security forces. Security sources said the
IAF strike is in response to this morning's suicide bomb attack in Netanya
that killed at least five Israelis and a later shooting ambush that killed a 22-
year-old Israeli and seriously wounded the man's mother near Neveh Tzuf.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense
Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with senior IDF and security service
officials today in Tel Aviv to decide on a course of action in the wake of the
Netanya and Neveh Tzuf attacks.

U.S. federal judge bars prayer at graduation

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: Leo
                         Source: Yahoo News/AP

Fri May 18,2001 -- A federal judge has barred student-led prayer at a
suburban high school graduation Sunday, marking the first time in the
school's 80-year history that a prayer will not be offered during the ceremony.

Chief District Judge Joe B. McDade issued the temporary restraining order
Thursday against Washington Community High School in a lawsuit filed a
day earlier by school senior Natasha Appenheimer and the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU).

Prodi strongly pushes Russia to use euros

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: Leo
                         Source: EUObserver.com

Fri May 18,2001 -- Yesterday, leaders of the European Union urged Russia
to start using euros instead of dollars for its exports, and decided to discuss
this matter in detail. According to the Moscow Times, the chairman of the
European Commission Romano Prodi said that the use of the euro would
attract new investment, balance Russia's hard currency and also help bolster
trade.

Putin avoided the euro issue at the news conference held after the meeting,
but he signed a joint statement with EU representatives agreeing to discuss
the issue in more detail. "The Russian Federation and the European Union
agreed to examine the issue of the use of the euro in their trade and
economic relations," said the statement.

"European countries have every reason to see Russia as a reliable and
promising partner," Putin said. He also insisted that relations with the EU
were a priority for Russia. Russia had hoped that this meeting would help to
cement its place in Europe, writes the Moscow Times. The participants of
this high rate meeting were Putin, President of the Russian Federation,
Persson, President of the European Council - assisted by Solana, Secretary
General of the EU Council/High Representative for Common Foreign and
Security Policy of the EU - and Prodi, President of the Commission of the
European Communities.

http://216.219.160.226/cgi-
bin/readnews.cgi?day=01_05_18&item=#990225934

A Plague of Caterpillars is Devastating
                         Crops & Small Farms

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: Discovery News

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- A plague of caterpillars is devastating
crops
                         in coffee plantations and small farms throughout Cameroon's
                         Eastern and Southern Provinces. One plantation owner in
the
                         Ngomedzap region, about 60 miles (100 km) south of
Yaounde,
                         reported. "Not a single green plant is spared, from bananas
to
                         cocoyams to groundnuts." East Province is Cameroon 's
                         3rd-largest coffee-producing area.

                         Mathieu Enone Edjang, an agro-economist with the
Agriculture
                         Ministry, said, "The caterpillars have been here since the
beginning
                         of this coffee season, but have extended and covered hundreds of
                         hectares in weeks." Edjang cautioned that the caterpillars could
                         spread into neighboring coffee- and cocoa-producing areas. He
                         said, "Given the speed at which these caterpillars devour entire
                         plantations, current strategies can't achieve anything in the face of
                         this calamity."

                         The Agriculture Ministry has already delivered 300 quarts
(litres) of
                         chemicals to treat affected plants, but Edjang claimed it
was not
                         sufficient to stop the infestation.

Experts Argue Over Rising Sea Level

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: Discovery News

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Rising sea levels may not be connected to
                         global warming. A U.N. report making the link is too simplistic, a
                         world authority on sea changes said Monday. Rising sea levels may
                         instead be caused by factors including solar radiation and the
                         rotation of the earth, according to an association of experts on sea,
                         climate and land change.

                         But, a growing number of scientists believe greenhouse gas
                         emissions, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat in the atmosphere,
                         push up temperatures, melt glaciers and so raise sea
levels. The
                         changes may also bring storms, floods and droughts. But
Morner,
                         professor of geology at Sweden's Stockholm University and
                         president of INQUA's commission on sea level changes and
                         coastal changes, said the connection between sea levels
and
                         temperature increase had not yet been established for sure.

Hong Kong Fights 'Bird Flu'

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: Discovery News

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Hong Kong ordered the slaughter of
                         nearly 7,000 chickens Wednesday after an outbreak of the
                         deadly "bird flu" was identified. Secretary for Environment
                         and Food Lily Yam said the cull was an effort to prevent a
                         repeat of the deadly 1997 outbreak of the disease, which
                         prompted the government to kill its entire bird population of
                         1.4 million. 6 people were killed in the 1997 outbreak, which
                         triggered international concern and a drop in tourism. Yam
                         said, "We feel that it is essential for us to take this
                         precautionary measure because there is a need to destroy
                         these viruses thoroughly to prevent (them) lingering in the
                         markets...with the probability that they might combine with
                         other viruses to result in a new string which may affect
                         human beings."

                         On Tuesday, health officials determined that the disease had killed
                         almost 800 chickens. Authorities have not yet been able to trace
                         the source of the virus. A team of food and environmental
experts
                         removed the dead birds to a landfill for disposal. Experts
said the
                         new viral outbreak was spreading rapidly because chickens
had
                         died within 24 to 48 hours of infection. Yam said the current
strain
                         is not believed to pose a risk to humans.

Russian Egg-Size Storm Hail Wreaks
                         Havoc For 2 Days

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: Discovery News

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Hailstones the size of eggs slammed
                         southern Russia's Stavropol Territory for 2 days at the
                         beginning of the week, causing dozens of people to be
                         hospitalized and destroying at least 175,000 acres (70,000
                         hectares) of crops. Many victims suffered head injuries and
                         fractures in the continuous barrage of hail, accompanied by
                         downpours and strong winds. Hundreds of homes were damaged
                         in the onslaught, and in the community of Tomuzlovskoye virtually
                         every roof and window was destroyed. The barrage of hail
tore
                         down most of the vineyards in Levokumskiy District, well
known
                         for its fine wines. The grain harvest in the east of Stavropol
was
                         almost completely destroyed.

Military robots built; modeled after
                         lobster

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: VNY/UPI

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Researchers funded by the U.S. military have
                         built a range of robots modeled after nature, including a
                         61cm(24-inch) mechanical lobster that might one day scamper
                         across the ocean floor sniffing for mines. Because sonar can be a
                         poor detector of land mines, especially in coastal zones that are
                         polluted by ocean noise, the Pentagon would like to use robots to
                         do the dangerous detection work. For 20 yrs., researcher Joseph
                         Ayers has studied the scrumptious crustacean and has built a
                         robotic lobster that may one-day clear paths for beach-storming
                         Marines. Ayers' research has received funding from the Office of
                         Naval Research and the Defense Advanced Research Projects
                         Agency, both in Arlington, Va.

                         Building lobster-like bots is a complicated task involving moveable
                         joints, sophisticated sensors for gravity and water flow and sonar.
                         The project is a manifestation of a technology philosophy known as
                         biomemetics, where scientists work to understand the
                         organizational principles of nature and apply those designs to
                         manmade machines. Many experts say, however, that most of what
                         is called biomemetic is actually better termed bioinspirational
                         because it does not precisely mimic nature.

                         "All of these efforts are geared to learning how animals use nervous
                         systems to control themselves and then finding similar ways to do it
                         in robots," said Eric Klavins, a researcher at the University of
                         Michigan in Ann Arbor. Klavins said a number of technological
                         factors have converged to enable biomemetic research
including
                         high-speed cameras, faster computers and small
                         microelectromechanical systems that allow sensors and
other
                         devices to attach instruments to animals in less invasive
ways.

Palestinian Hamas say more to come &
                         Koran justifies this

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: BBC

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Israeli warplanes have attacked Palestinian
                         security and government offices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
                         in response to a suicide bomb attack earlier on Friday on an Israeli
                         shopping centre. The Israeli prime minister's spokesman said the
                         use of F16 aircraft for the 1st time in the current conflict was
                         justified by the "seriousness" of the attack on the coastal town of
                         Netanya, in which 6 Israelis were killed and more than 90 were
                         injured.

                         The Palestinian militant group, Hamas, said it carried out the
                         attack in Netanya, and has suggested that more will follow.
                         Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Al-Zahhar told the BBC that
                         the deaths of the Israeli citizens was "justified by the Koran
                         and justified by international law".

Fighter Jets Drop 72 Bombs On
                         Russian River Ice Jam

                         Weekend News Today
                         Lead: faith
                         Source: Discovery News

                         Fri May 18,2001 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin
ordered 4
                         Su-24 frontline war planes to bomb the massive ice jam
                         responsible for causing widespread flooding along the Lena
River
                         in Siberia. The crisis has been triggered by an early spring
melt
                         which followed a punishingly cold winter. On Thursday, there
                         was no immediate improvement to the flood situation after
                         aircraft dropped 72 bombs along the 60-mile jam (100 km).
                         As the bombing was taking place, rescue crews in
helicopters and
                         dinghies worked frantically to evacuate residents from the
city of
                         Lensk to a nearby airport, which was the only area in the
region
                         where the floodwaters had not yet reached.

                         Although the floods have mainly affected rural areas, some
major
                         cities such as Irkutsk in eastern Siberia near Lake Baikal
are also
                         submerged. In the city of Kirensk, at least as much as 80
percent
                         of homes are flooded. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoygu
                         said that spring melt in the region had never before risen so
                         high. He described the situation as critical and said that it
                         could get even worse. Meteorologists at the Russian
                         Hydrometeorological Service predicted that the level of the
river
                         would continue to rise through the coming weekend.


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Harpazo.net News items (5/18/01)
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 19:00:32 -0400
--------
EU: 'We Have To Stop This Cycle of Violence'
The European Union foreign policy chief today condemned the attack on an
Israeli shopping mall and called on all parties to stop the cycle of violence. A
suicide bomber set off a powerful explosive at the entrance to the Sharon
shopping mall, killing himself and at least four other people, and wounding
almost 80 in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya.

"I condemn it in the strongest words. We have to stop this cycle of violence,"
said Javier Solana, the EU's chief foreign policy and security official. Solana
is scheduled to travel to Israel on Saturday "with the intention to see how we
can stop this cycle of violence." Jerusalem Post

Israeli Warplanes Fly Mock Raids Over Lebanon
Israeli warplanes flew mock raids over southern Lebanon on Friday - the
fourth consecutive day they have done so since Hezbollah guerrillas fired at
Israel from a disputed part of the Lebanon-Israel border. Witnesses said
Israeli jets circled over the western and central Bekaa Valley, northeast of
where Hezbollah fighters fired rockets at Israeli positions in the Har Dov
region Monday. The border has remained a flashpoint despite Israel's
withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Ha'aretz

Powell Emerges As Leader in Policy Shift On Iraqi Sanctions
The Bush administration's decision to lift a UN ban on the export of
consumer goods to Iraq marks a success for Secretary of State Colin
Powell. Powell's ace in the hole was early support from President George W.
Bush, but it took four months of bureaucratic infighting for the policy shift to
emerge this week. Even now, debate continues within the government on the
kind of items with potential military use that could be cleared for export to
Iraq and those that will remain restricted. Within the United Nations,
meanwhile, where the United States and Britain would like a new resolution
approved next week by the Security Council, there is still widespread
disagreement. Ha'aretz

Call to Ban Human Genetic Modification
The recent announcement that scientists have modified the genes that a
person passes on to their offspring has led to a call for the practice to be
outlawed.

The alteration of the so-called germline occurred as part of a fertility
treatment performed by a private clinic in the United States.

Several female babies have been born with a few extra genes from a donor as
well as the genes inherited from their parents. These extra genes will be
passed on by the children to their own offspring, should they eventually have
some.

According to Mark Frankel and Audrey Chapman of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, it shows that there is a need
for a new oversight system that reviews all proposals involving modification of
the human germline. BBC

http://www.harpazo.net/news.html


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Birthplace sought for first clone of human; Scientists woo Israel, others
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 19:13:42 -0400
--------
Published Friday, May 18, 2001

Birthplace sought for first clone of human
Scientists woo Israel, others
BY BARBARA DEMICK
Knight Ridder News Service

JERUSALEM -- Will the first cloned human baby be an Israeli, a Cypriot or
some other nationality?

A controversial team of scientists is on the hunt for a nation willing to
host one of the most daring ventures in the history of medicine. Using the
same technology that conjured up a cloned sheep named Dolly in 1997, they
want to clone a human being.

Now they've brought their quest to Israel.

``We have the technology to clone a baby within the year. We have the
funding. We have the patients. We just need the location,'' said Avi
Ben-Abraham, an Israeli-American physician who is pushing a cloning project
here.

Ben-Avraham was meeting in Jerusalem last week with rabbis and politicians
trying to convince them that Israel should change a law that effectively
prohibits human cloning. At the same time, Panayiotis Zavos, a reproductive
physiologist based in Lexington, Ky., was lobbying officials in Cyprus to
host the cloning project.

Meanwhile, Severino Antinori, the Italian doctor famous for helping a
63-year-old woman conceive, suggested to the Italian media that the first
human cloning project could take place in one of the countries of the former
Soviet Union.

Most European countries signed an international protocol in 1998 banning
human cloning. Although human cloning is not illegal in the United States --
merely prohibited in institutions that receive federal funding -- the team
of scientists believes the American political climate would make such
experiments impossible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also
moving
to prohibit cloning.

The scientists created a furor in January when they held a press conference
in Lexington announcing they would soon clone a human being in an
undisclosed foreign country.

The heat forced Zavos to resign from a long-time position at the University
of Kentucky. A forum organized by the team last weekend in Rome to
publicize
the project erupted in shouting matches, and shortly afterward, the Italian
medical association threatened to yank Antinori's license to practice
medicine.

``We were three blocks away from the Vatican, so obviously this was
explosive,'' said Zavos.

THE INEVITABLE?

In Zavos' view, human cloning is inevitable and any attempts by governments
and religious authorities to stifle it will ultimately fail. ``The genie is
out of the bottle. Dolly is here and we are next,'' he said at the Rome
conference.

The team says that human cloning would allow the infertile to have genetic
children of their own. They also claim their research would lead to
successful cures for many diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

To produce a clone, scientists take an egg cell and strip away the genetic
material, inserting in its place DNA from the individual who is being
duplicated. If successful, the egg begins dividing and grows into an embryo,
which is then implanted in a female by the same technique used with in-vitro
fertilization.

The mainstream view is that the existing technology is too primitive to test
on human beings. Ian Wilmut, the Scottish doctor who cloned the sheep, has
said that he went through 277 eggs before succeeding and that there were
many sheep born dead or deformed before Dolly.

``I think they are a traveling set of scam artists,'' says ethicist Arthur
Caplan of the University of Pennsylvania about the prospective cloners. ``It
would be completely irresponsible to use this primitive technology to make a
human, and there is no pressing need. The infertile can use donor eggs,
donor sperm or adoption.''

ISRAEL WOOED

The storm over human cloning blew into Israel last week when Ben-Abraham
arrived to pitch his case. The 43-year-old Israeli-born doctor made a small
fortune in the United States in the biotech industry and in the less
conventional fields of medicine. He was president of the American Cryonics
Society -- a nonprofit firm based in California that freezes corpses in the
hope they can be brought back to life later. In Israel, he gained some fame
in 1999 by spending what one colleague estimated was close to $1 million to
run for Parliament in the Likud party. He lost.

It is only in the last few weeks that Ben-Abraham has hooked up with Zavos
and Antinori's project, incorporating a company to carry out cloning
research in Israel.

During an interview where he spoke somberly and wore a dark, conservative
business suit, as though to dispel any impression of being a mad scientist,
Ben-Abraham said he is convinced Israel will embrace his project.

`MORE ACCEPTING'

``The attitude of Judaism is more accepting about creating human life than
Christianity, or Buddhism or Islam,'' said Ben-Abraham. ``The first men were
created by God. But God also gave us the intelligence that at the end of the
cycle we can clone ourselves.''

Despite Israelis' instinctive uneasiness with anything that smacks of
genetic engineering, a reaction to Nazi Germany's gruesome experiments,
Israel is a leader in the use of in-vitro fertilization to treat
infertility.

``When the first test-tube baby was created in 1978, people said it created
a lot of attention and controversy, too. Now, it is routine,'' said
Ben-Abraham.

Following the lead from Europe, Israel two years ago enacted a law that puts
a moratorium on human cloning until 2004. Ben-Abraham said he has several
powerful friends in politics who agree with him that the law should be
changed, though he won't name them.

In response to Ben-Abraham's arrival, Israel's two chief rabbis issued
opinions about human cloning. Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, who represents
Sephardic Jews, said unequivocally that cloning was against Jewish religious
law. The chief Ashkenazi rabbi, Israel Meir Lau, was slightly more receptive
to the concept.

``In principle, Judaism takes a positive view on technological developments
and medical progress, but also puts limits on medical science,'' said Lau in
a statement.

From a purely practical standpoint, Israeli Health Ministry officials say
that the research would be exceedingly difficult to undertake in Israel
because of a shortage of donor eggs.

So far, Cyprus appears to be no more receptive to the idea of hosting a
human cloning project. Zavos, who was born on the Mediterranean island,
met
earlier this month with Greek Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, as well as
with the health minister. But Cypriot officials say the country is unlikely
to host human cloning because it could damage its bid to join the European
Union.

So the odyssey continues.

Zavos said there are many other possibilities, including countries in the
Middle East.

``We have many friends in these parts of the world. I have connections with
Arab physicians,'' said Zavos. ``We are sure we will find a comfortable
location for our work. We are not desperate.''

http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/world/digdocs/108454.htm

via: isml@yahoogroups.com


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Mutant bacteria biowars threaten apocalypse now
From: tracy
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 03:00:19 -0400
--------
Why does so much of this kind of news come from England?

Tracy

>
> Mutant bacteria biowars threaten apocalypse now
>
> Genetic engineers already have it within their grasp to devise a lethal
> bio-weapon for terrorists and rogue states, the British science publication
> Nature warns this week.


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