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Jerusalem Gay Parade Canceled Again; IDF Targets Hizb'Allah Funds in Lebanese Banks; Israel's Friends Rally to Her Side
News in Brief
By ICEJ News
25 Jul 2006
IDF Targets Hizb'Allah Funds in Lebanese Banks
The IDF has deliberately bombed Lebanese banks in recent days that hold deposits of Hizb'Allah money in its bid to cripple the terror militia's financial infrastructure, according a report from NBC TV. Israeli intelligence sources told NBC that at least 12 financial institutions in Beirut, Tyre, Sidon and elsewhere which did business with Hizb'Allah were attacked, adding that the organization is now short on cash due to the bombings. The actions are intended to send a message to Lebanese bankers not to work with the terrorist group, analysts said. In response, all banks in the beleaguered country were denying any ties to Hizb'Allah. American banks have moved quickly to block any transfers to Hizb'Allah.
No troops for International Force in Lebanon
"Where will the troops come from for the proposed international military force in Lebanon? The U.S. has ruled out its soldiers' participating, NATO says it is overstretched, Britain feels its troops are overcommitted, and Germany says it is willing to participate only if Hizb'Allah agrees, a highly unlikely development." - The New York Times
See Also: Lebanese Leader Rejects Deploying NATO - Canadian Globe and Mail
Further Reading: "An International Force: Advantages and Disadvantages"
Jerusalem Gay Parade Canceled Again
For the second year in a row, Israeli police have refused to issue permits for the 'WorldPride' gay parade in Jerusalem, once again citing pressing security concerns elsewhere. While last year's parade was cancelled due to disengagement, this year the fighting in Gaza and the North of the country are again stretching police lines thin. Organizers said they will "postpone" the march through Jerusalem to another date, but will go ahead with smaller indoor events already planned for August 6-12, including workshops, shows and a gay film festival. The controversial international gathering is opposed by 85% of Jerusalem's residents and has brought Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders into a rare alignment against it.
For more, read "WorldPride' Rising," by Michael Hines,
special to The Jerusalem Post Christian Edition.
Also listen to this week's Front Page Jerusalem radio program.
Israel's Friends Rally to Her Side
Pro-Israel supporters have stepped up solidarity activities worldwide in recent days as the fighting in Lebanon has intensified. In Los Angeles on Sunday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa headlined a rally of Israel supporters estimated at several thousand. Both lamented civilian casualties in Lebanon but expressed strong backing of Israel. Meantime in Atlanta, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, Cong. David Scott and Jewish community leaders addressed a rally of 5,000 on Sunday. Last Thursday in Atlanta, Christian broadcaster Earl Cox hosted a large rally alongside Yossi Olmert, brother of Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert. Cox and his Israel Always organization will be leading an Evangelical prayer and solidarity mission to Israel next week in cooperation with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, following on the heels of high-level visits of Jewish leadership delegations at the start of this week. Finally, Israel's Chief Rabbinate has called on all Jewish communities worldwide to simultaneously recite Psalms 83, 130 and 142 beginning at 6 pm Israel time this evening.
Church Leaders Weigh in on Conflict
While Pope Benedict XVI called for an immediate ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hizb'Allah during his homily on Sunday, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Christodoulos accused Israel of "sacrificing innocent civilians by the hundreds" in its bombardment of Lebanon. "Israel's actions within its right to self-defense have long exceeded any rational limit," he warned the Jewish state. "Do not provoke our consciences. Do not feed the world condemnation against you. It is not in your interest. Fear God's wrath."
Knesset debates the semantics of 'war'
As violence in the north entered its 13th day, the Knesset prepared to enter discussions over what to call the ongoing "security situation" on the Lebanese border. While some are already calling it a war, the government has taken an official stance against the label, arguing that its legal implications don't fit the current situation. "We use the term 'war' only when the military actions are started by our side [according to a recent definition of war]. There are implications to the word 'war' that clearly don't fit this situation, namely, that Israel didn't start it," said one Kadima-party MK. "Refusing to call this situation by its rightful name, a war, is a completely irresponsible action by the government," said Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav. "I am furious at the government for failing to declare this a war and arrange for the proper aid to be received by citizens in the North."
Ahmadinejad to Israel: Pack Up and Go
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said Israel should "pack up" and move somewhere other than the Middle East. "I advise them to pack up and move out of the region before being caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon," the state-run IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
Israel Targets Hizb'Allah Leaders
Last Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force dropped 23 tons of explosives on a Hizb'Allah bunker in Beirut. Hidden under an innocent-looking mosque, the bunker had been built by Iranian engineers who specialized in the construction of protected subterranean buildings for their country's nuclear facilities. Hizb'Allah is carefully guarding the area around the damaged bunker and preventing strangers from approaching. Israel's chief-of-staff hinted Friday that Israel knows the identities of some of those killed in the bombing, but prefers that Hizb'Allah publicize their names. Click Here to read this Ha'aretz article in full.
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