In this issue:
-
WOMEN IN ISRAEL MORE EDUCATED AND LESS PAID
- ISRAELI ARAB MK SUSPECTED OF HELPING THE ENEMY
-
CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE BOMBED IN GAZA
-
SHULTZ CITED FOR SOVIET JEWRY PUSH
-
ISRAEL'S MESSIANIC JEWS IN THE MEDIA
A PERSONAL WORD FROM SHIRA: On May 14, 1948, the Jewish people
declared their independence in their historic homeland after 2000 years of
being scattered throughout the Gentile nations. Because Israel follows the
Hebrew (lunar) calendar, the anniversary of Israel's Independence falls on a
different date each year. This week Israel celebrated her 59th Independence
Day on the eve of Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 24.
Below are some interesting statistics released by Israel's Central Bureau of
Statistics that I thought would be of interest to you:
-- Israel's population is currently
7,150,000. It increased by 121,000 over the past year,
a growth rate of 1.8
percent, which is twice as high as that of the United States.
-- The Jewish population comprises 76
percent of the country; Arabs and Druze make
up 20
percent.
-- Nearly 148,000 babies were born since
last Independence Day, up 2.7 percent from
the previous
year.
-- New immigrants this year totaled 18,400,
many from France and the U.S.
-- The country's five largest cities
account for one-quarter of the nations population:
- Jerusalem - 732,100
- Tel Aviv - 384,600
- Haifa - 267,000
- Rishon LeTzion - 222,300
- Ashdod - 204,400
WOMEN IN ISRAEL MORE EDUCATED AND LESS PAID
Women in Israel are considerably more educated than men and hold more than
half of the academic degrees, but they are paid less, according to a report
on the social status of women to be reviewed by the Knesset next week.
The media shares the blame because it portrays women as no more than sex
objects, the report says.
It says women are fired more often and their work is scrutinized more
carefully than that of their male counterparts, and they are represented
less in the media, positions of power, and business.
"For decision-makers, women are still invisible in many areas," said Rina
Bar-Tal, Chair of the Israel Women's Network, after reviewing the new
report. "Over the years, they have been subjected to sexist discrimination,
and systematically barred from power. For all their achievements and
struggles, they are still a long way from reaching equality."
The report will be presented Monday to the Knesset Committee on the Status
of Women, headed by MK [Member of Knesset] Gideon Sa'ar.
The report, whose scope covers almost all aspects of life, includes one
finding which Bar-Tal finds especially worrisome. "The [economic] growth
about which the establishment boasts seems to have passed over the female
population. The current boom in the Israeli market benefits mostly the men
of the middle and high rungs of society," Bar-Tal said.
In the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Women too are far from equal. They
constitute only one-third of conscripts, 18 percent of non-commissioned
officers, and 26 percent of officers. They represent a fraction of senior
officers: only 10 percent of all lieutenant-colonels, and less than that in
the higher ranks. One of the reasons for this is that combat duty is
regarded as a prerequisite for promotion, whether or not operational
experience is relevant to the promotion of candidates, according to the
report.
The situation is bleaker still in terms of the political representation of
women, and the report states that this has deteriorated in recent years.
Female lawmakers make up only 14 percent of Knesset members, putting Israel
in 78th place worldwide in terms of women in parliament.
The female representation in the cabinet is only 7 percent. Most female
politicians hail from the more affluent central region of Israel. Only 12
percent of all local council members are women, and only 10 percent have
ever presided as local council heads in the country's 59 years of existence.
(Ruth Sinai of Haaretz)
ISRAELI ARAB MK SUSPECTED OF HELPING THE ENEMY
A former Israeli Arab lawmaker is suspected of aiding the enemy during
wartime, police said. An Israeli court allowed publication Wednesday of
details in the case against Azmi Bishara, who left the country weeks ago and
then tendered his resignation from the Knesset from abroad, saying he was
being persecuted by authorities in the Jewish state.
According to police, Bishara is suspected of aiding Israel's enemies during
last year's war with Hezbollah and violating money-laundering laws. The
police statement appeared to suggest that Bishara has abetted Hezbollah, a
Lebanese terrorist militia with which he has openly sympathized.
Bishara, age 50, a fierce ideological opponent of the Jewish state, denied
the allegations. He has not said when or if he will return to Israel, citing
concern he could be arrested and mired in a lengthy prosecution. (JTA and
Haaretz)
CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE BOMBED IN GAZA
Christians in Gaza are facing intense opposition from radical Muslims. As
some believers told author and journalist, Joel C. Rosenberg, "radical
Muslims...will stop at nothing to keep the good news of Jesus' love for all
mankind from being heard in the Palestinian-controlled territories. They
explained that hundreds of Muslims have turned to faith in Christ over the
past year despite such opposition. They also asked [for prayer] not that the
persecution would stop, but that they and their Christian colleagues would
have the courage both to endure and to truly love their Muslim neighbors and
their jihadist enemies the way Christ loved the lost while on earth."
Just a week after telling Rosenberg of this climate in the Gaza Strip, the
Gaza Bible Society office and bookstore were destroyed by terrorists.
According to the Associated Press, "Three explosions hit Gaza City early
[last] Sunday, damaging two Internet cafes and a Christian bookstore. No one
was hurt and no group claimed responsibility for the blasts, which took
place around 3 a.m. local time, Palestinian security officials said.
Several similar attacks on Internet cafes and music stores in recent months
have been claimed by a little-known extremist Islamic organization calling
itself the 'Swords of Truth.' The officials would not speculate on the
identity of those behind the Sunday attacks, saying only that the incidents
were under investigation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Heavy external damage was visible at the three stores. At the bookstore,
which is funded by American Protestants and known as the Bible Society, a
number of books were also burned in the explosion.
In recent months, about three dozen Internet cafes and shops selling pop
music have been attacked in the Gaza Strip, with assailants detonating small
bombs outside businesses at night, causing damage but no injuries.
Palestinian security officials have said they suspect a secret 'vice squad'
of Muslim militants. (AP, Rosenberg, IBA)
NOTE FROM SHIRA: A personal friend of mine who works with the Israel Bible
Society told me that the terrorist organization, Hamas, views the Bible
Society and other Christian groups as competition. Both are involved in
providing humanitarian relief, but of course, the Muslim extremist group
does not want Christians to be meeting some of the practical needs of the
people in Gaza.
SHULTZ CITED FOR SOVIET JEWRY PUSH
Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz was honored for his efforts on
behalf of Soviet Jewry.
The American Jewish Historical Society presented Shultz, who served as
Secretary of State from 1982 to 1988 under President Reagan, its Emma
Lazarus Statue of Liberty Award for his diplomatic work during the Soviet
Jewry movement. Shultz credited Reagan with sensing that it was possible to
free Soviet Jews.
"Reagan saw that the USSR was an evil empire, and he saw that its internal
failings would ultimately bring about its demise," Shultz said at
Wednesday's awards banquet in New York. "His vision saw that change was a
possibility."
Shultz often was the mediator between Reagan and Soviet leaders during the
negotiations that ultimately brought about the release of 1.5 million Jews
from behind the Iron Curtain. Negotiations were key, he said, and even when
the Soviets "misbehaved," Shultz and Reagan felt it was important to keep
dialogue intact, at least to express their anger.
In 1987, Shultz notably shared a [Passover] seder in the USSR with Soviet
refuseniks. (JTA)
NOTE FROM SHIRA: Since 1990, more than one million people have immigrated to
Israel from the former Soviet Union.
ISRAEL'S MESSIANIC JEWS IN THE MEDIA
An extremely positive news documentary program concerning the Messianic
Jewish Community in Israel was shown on Israel Channel 2 News at 9:00 pm on
February 23, 2007. This program had the highest rating and prompted more
public debate than any other program shown on that evening.
It can be watched with English subtitles at the following link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6244392868781886952
News sources: Arutz Sheva, Central Bureau of Statistics, Haaretz, Israel
Broadcasting Association. IsraelNN.com, JIJ Newsletter, Joel C. Rosenberg,
JTA Daily Briefing, and the Associated Press. Compiled and edited by Shira
Abrams.
