Members of gay and lesbian community say fact pride parade was successfully held in capital despite protests and petitions against it, represents great achievement
Aviram Zino
Following the successful, and relatively peaceful pride parade Thursday, members of the gay and lesbian community pledged to hold the same parade in the capital next year as well.  
Marching Through   
Thousands attend pride parade  / Aviram Zino  
Despite violent protests and petitions, gay pride parade held in Jerusalem as planned. Some 2,000 participants, secured by 7,000 policemen, march through capital's streets for tolerance and promotion of community's rights     
"This is a great victory for the community," said chairman of the Open House Noa Satat. "We wanted to march at the heart of Jerusalem, and I'm very glad we did it… the community members' turnout and the fact that the parade went through quietly and without any casualties is very impressive and encouraging."  
Satat said that she appreciated the efforts put forth by the police to secure the marchers, but stated that in the end – this was the police's duty. "I wish to thank all the policemen and policewomen who came and did an excellent job and succeeded ...   more »

By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent  
Almost two years after the disengagement from Gaza, construction of permanent housing has begun at only two of the 26 sites intended for 9,000 evacuees, according to a report by the Gush Katif Settlements Committee.
For example, no groundwork has been laid at Nitzanim and Talmei Yafe, projects decided upon months before the disengagement began.
The committee predicts that the trailer parks now housing the evacuees will remain in use for at least five years, instead of the two years that the government intended. The resulting problems are legion.    
-Some 1,450 former residents of Gush Katif are still unemployed.
-More than 500 families are in bad financial shape, and some even receive food packages and help from welfare agencies.
-Because of the rampant unemployment, many families are using their state compensation funds for daily subsistence instead of saving it for building a house.
-Only 33 farmers out of 400 have been given alternate lands, and of these, only a handful are back in real business. Those who resumed growing crops face major infrastructure hurdles such as erratic electricity, sewage, drainage, etc.
-Farmers lost their overseas markets, buyers and distributors.
-A memorandum of understanding ...   more »

News stories of female suicide bombers – young women in the prime of life, sometimes pregnant or with their children – blowing up themselves and dozens of innocent bystanders with explosive belts, have shocked the world in recent months.
It's well known that young Muslim men are taught they will be rewarded with 72 virgins in the afterlife. But what is the appeal of martyrdom to women?
A Palestinian member of parliament representing Hamas explained the answer on Al-Rafidein TV last Sunday.
Here, translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, are excerpts of what Al-Astal said about Muslim women's "duty" to engage in violent jihad.
Yunis Al-Astal: "The most exalted form of jihad is fighting for the sake of Allah, which means sacrificing one's soul by fighting the enemies head-on, even if it leads to martyrdom. Martyrdom means life next to Allah.
"… When jihad becomes an individual duty, it applies to women too, because women do not differ from men when it comes to individual duties. …"
Interviewer: "What are the purposes behind women's participation in the jihad of conquest and invasions?"
Yunis Al-Astal: "I have mentioned some of these purposes. [Women] prepare food, they bring ...   more »

Ali Larijani, the chairman of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, denied in an interview with Newsweek that Iran was providing arms to the Hamas. He admitted, however, that his country was funneling finances to the Islamic group, as well as to Hizbullah.
"We do support Hizbullah and Hamas, that is right," Larijani said. "But these two are not terrorist groups. These are the two groups that are defending their own land."
In the interview Larijani also responded to American allegations that Iran was engaging the United States military via proxies such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, and made the claim that "some NATO members are supplying the Taliban behind the scenes in Afghanistan."
In response to a question regarding Sen. Joseph Lieberman's recent statement that Iran was training Iraqi fighters on Iraqi soil, Larijani replied vehemently that the US should provide proof that Iran was conducting such activities.
"Where are these camps located? Please ask Mr. Lieberman to give the address of these camps," Larijani said.
"If these camps are supposed to be along our borders, then there would be insecurity along our borders … It seems that the Americans are somehow trapped in a hole and they are digging ...   more »

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been training on long-range flights, including refueling in mid-flight, in preparation for potential strikes against Iranian nuclear targets.
The training program has been taking place for some time but has only been released for publication Friday, the Ma'ariv daily reported.
Intelligence assessments received by the defense establishment concur that once Iran passes the point of no return in its nuclear efforts, the entire Middle East will enter a frantic nuclear armament race. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are expected to take the lead should such a scenario become reality.
At the end of 2007 the US and Israel are expected to hold a joint assessment to ascertain the influence of economic sanctions against Iran.
A new package of upgraded sanctions prepared jointly by Israel and the US, includes exerting pressure on European governments to cancel US $22 billion in loan guarantees given annually to European companies trading with Iran.
The new package also includes sanctions against banks working with Iran, non-renewal of oil infrastructure in Iran and a long series of economic actions that are meant to seriously hurt the Iranian economy.
Following the end-of-year assessment, Washington will decide how to move forward in the ...   more »

 
Envoys from the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers are to meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday, a day after Olmert and Abbas are due to attend a summit in Egypt.
Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Olmert, said "low-level officials" from the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia would meet. Sources in Jerusalem said the attendees would be special envoys rather than ministers.
Olmert is set to announce the release of frozen Palestinian tax funds as part of a "package of gestures" in the regional summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, diplomats and Israeli officials said Friday. 
Sergei Yakovlev, a Russian Foreign Ministry envoy for Middle East peacemaking, said the envoys "will discuss the situation in the region, the talks for the Quartet and plans of action for the future," Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
A higher-level meeting of officials from the Quartet - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - was to have taken place Monday in Egypt. But that session was delayed to allow Quartet officials time to assess changes in the region after Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last week.
There has been no official announcement from the Quartet of ...   more »

by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu has expanded on his general call for Egyptian and Jordanian intervention in the PA, and says Jordan should send over its PLO brigade.
Speaking with Israeli reporters in Washington on Thursday, the former Prime Minister said that Fatah chief Abu Mazen cannot be expected to maintain law and order in Judea and Samaria on his own.  He said that Jordan should dispatch its Palestinian force, known as the Badr Brigade.  "The Badr Brigade, which is Jordanian-Palestinian, can create law and order," Netanyahu said. Jordan is ruled by the Hashemite family, though much of its population is considered "Palestinian."
Ariel and Feiglin Respond
MK Uri Ariel (National Union) said, "We have already made the mistake of thinking there is a substitute for the IDF's presence.  Wherever the IDF is, things are relatively quiet; and wherever the IDF has left, they shoot at us from there."
Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Likud Party's Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction, responded, "It is very sad that Netanyahu is reviving, via the back door, the Oslo illusion that Palestinian terrorists should protect the State of Israel against other Palestinian terrorists."
Instead of standing firm for the Likud's ...   more »

By The Associated Press
Thu Jun 21, 12:25 PM ET
 


AMMAN, Jordan - A Geneva-based church body said Monday it would launch a global initiative to have churches worldwide rally for an end to Israel's occupation of Arab lands seized in the 1967 Mideast war.  
The World Council of Churches said in a statement that it designated Jordan as a venue for its initiative, which would enlist support from religious groups worldwide.
"The initiative aims at calling on all churches to work seriously for putting an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands," the statement said.
The World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, groups 347 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing over 560 million Christians in more than 110 countries.
The council also will create an advocacy initiative, the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum, meant to improve cooperation among churches worldwide advocating for Mideast peace.
The council's call came during the opening of a three-day meeting gathering 130 member churches and related organizations from around the world.
Original Source
   more »

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - British prime minister Tony Blair walked into the EU summit on Thursday (21 June) saying he must see "significant changes" in the draft EU treaty if there is to be any deal. The Polish president said nothing, amid speculation on the kind of compromise package Warsaw might accept.
"This is going to be a very tough negotiation. We've set out four areas on which we need to see significant change. We have to see that change," Mr Blair said. "Of course we want to see Europe working effectively, but on the four areas we've set out, we need to be satisfied."
"We want a treaty but it has to be the right one," his foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, said.
The British demands are to weaken the mandate of a future EU "foreign minister;" to not give the Charter of Fundamental Rights legal force; to not give away the national veto on justice matters and to not give the "EU" a legal personality.
Speaking earlier at a socialist party congress in Brussels, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said "I've received a declaration from Tony Blair. It's a preparation for the British position at the council. I hope ...   more »

By Nick Pisa in Rome
An archaeologist has sparked a Da Vinci Code-style hunt for the Holy Grail after claiming ancient records show it is buried under a 6th century church in Rome.   
Dan Brown's novel said the Holy Grail was in Scotland 
The cup - said to have been used by Christ at the Last Supper - is the focus of countless legends and has been sought for centuries.
Alfredo Barbagallo, an Italian archaeologist, claims that it is buried in a chapel-like room underneath the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, one of the seven churches which Christian pilgrims used to visit when they came to Rome.
Mr Barbagallo based his claim on two years spent studying mediaeval iconography inside the basilica and a description of a particular chamber, in a guide to the catacombs written in 1938 by a Capuchin friar named Giuseppe Da Bra.
The friar describes a room of about 20 square metres with a vaulted roof ceiling. "In the corner of a wall-seat there can be seen a terracotta funnel whose lower part opens out over the face of a skeleton," he wrote.
Da Bra then explains that giving liquid refreshment (refrigerium) to ...   more »

MOSCOW.  June  21 (Interfax) - Russia will offer a response "at the
strategic  level"  if  the  United  States  goes ahead with its plans to
deploy elements of its missile defense system in Europe, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened in Moscow on Thursday.
     "I  do  not think that it is accidental that a planned anti-missile
base in  Europe  smoothly  fits  into  the  structure of the global U.S.
missile  defense system deployed, whether accidentally or not, along the
perimeter  of  the  Russian  borders.  Of course, we should take it into
consideration," he said.
     "There  is  no doubt a response to this strategic challenge will be
given at the strategic level as well," the minister said.
     "Russia  would  prefer  joint work, which was proposed by President
Vladimir   Putin   at  a  meeting  with  President  George  W.  Bush  in
Heiligendamm," he said.
     "A  collective project that would involve all interested countries,
primarily  European  nations,  and  use  the  Gabala  radar  station  in
Azerbaijan  with the consent of its government would make the deployment
of elements  of  the  U.S.  missile  defense  system [in Eastern Europe]
unnecessary.  This  project  is  quite controversial and could upset the
strategic stability," Lavrov said.
     Asked what ...   more »

June 21
The USS Enterprise CVN 65-Big E Strike Group, the US Navy’s largest air carrier, will join the USS Stennis and the USS Nimitz carriers, building up the largest sea, air, marine concentration the United States has ever deployed opposite Iran.
This goes towards making good on the assurances of four carriers US Vice President Dick Cheney offered the Gulf and Middle East nations during his May tour of the region.
Washington is considering deploying the fourth US carrier for the region in the Red Sea opposite Saudi Arabian western coast to secure the three US carriers in the Gulf from the rear as well as the Gulf of Aqaba and Suez Canal.
Iran Tuesday refused to rule out using oil supplies as a weapon in the standoff over its nuclear programme, saying Washington had never excluded attacking the Islamic republic. "When the Americans say that using the military option against Iran regarding its nuclear issue is not off the table then Iran can say that it will not put aside the instrument of oil," Iran"s representative to OPEC, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, said in an interview with the Shargh newspaper.
Original Source
   more »