Liberal conversion stance
Nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews believe that non-Orthodox converts to Judaism should be considered Jewish, a new government survey reveals. The survey, commissioned by the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry to gauge Israelis’ perceptions of the Diaspora, found 63 per cent of Israeli Jews believe that those converted by non-Orthodox rabbis should be regarded as Jews. Some 30 per cent believed they should not be seen as Jewish. The findings put the public at odds with religious authorities in Israel, who only partially recognize conversions performed by non-Orthodox rabbis inside the country. Those converted by non-Orthodox rabbis outside Israel are automatically eligible for Israeli citizenship, like other Jews. The Reform and Conservative movements were among those fighting a Knesset bill this past summer that would have tightened the Orthodox-run rabbinate’s control over conversions.
Nobel laureate detained
An Irish peace activist was refused entry to Israel because of her involvement in a Gaza-bound flotilla. Northern Ireland Noble Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maquire was fighting to be allowed to enter Israel Sept. 29, a day after being detained at Ben-Gurion Airport and threatened with deportation. Maguire reportedly was told she would not be allowed to enter Israel for 10 years following her participation in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in June. At the time she signed a document agreeing not to enter Israel again without a special permit, Ha’aretz reported. Maquire, who was scheduled to meet a group of women touring Israel and Palestinian areas to learn about the work of female peace activists, spent the night in an Israeli detention center after refusing to board a plane back to Britain, and was scheduled to have an emergency hearing at a Petah Tikvah court. She arrived in Israel the same day as the interception of a boat carrying Jewish peace activists bound for Gaza carrying a small cargo of symbolic humanitarian goods.
The Israeli Supreme Court on Monday proposed a compromise by which she could remain in Israel until Wednesday and meet as scheduled with the women’s human rights delegation.
New community launched
Israel launched its first government-sponsored community for former Gaza settlers, five years after their evacuation. Five families moved Sept. 27 into Naveh, one of six towns planned for a regional community to be named Halutza several miles from the borders with Gaza and Egypt. Silvan Shalom, minister for regional development, laid a cornerstone. The Jewish National Fund is a partner in the development and is emphasizing “green” living, with recycled water and solar energy. Initially, the community will house 200 families, with plans to expand to 1,800 families. Most of the 8,500 settlers evacuated in 2005 have resisted new accommodations, saying they’re not commensurate with their Gaza lifestyles. Many still live in temporary dwellings.
Soldiers convicted
An Israeli military court convicted two soldiers of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during the Gaza war. The Israeli soldiers were convicted Oct. 3 of inappropriate behavior and overstepping authority for forcing an 11-year-old Palestinian boy to open bags they believed to be armed with explosives during a search conducted in Gaza City in January 2009.They were the first convictions on the use of human shields, which is prohibited by Israeli military protocol, Ha’aretz reported. An investigation into the incident was opened in July following the release of a special United Nations report on children and armed conflict and a complaint filed by the Israeli office of Defense for Children International.
AOL buys Israeli firm
AOL has purchased an Israeli web video start-up firm. The deal to acquire 5min Media is reported to be at about $65 million, the Israeli business daily Globes reported. The three-year-old firm produces short How-to videos, and also allows people to upload instructional videos lasting less than 5 minutes, which are popular on search engines. The company, headquartered in New York and has offices in Tel Aviv, has a library of more than 200,000 videos. It’s AOL’s fifth acquisition in Israel.
With files from JTA