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Police to investigate the Shin Bet affair
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Thureday, July 24, 1986     Tairiuz 17, 5746
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Second Class Mail RegistrauonNurnbei 1683 - Postage Paid at to'onto
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than in U,S., ^
TEL AVrV (JTA)-
There is more "noise" in Israel over the cluster bomb affair than there is in the United States, Chief of Staff; General Mdshe Levy said last week on his return from a week-long visit to the U.S. where he conferred with top Pentagon officials and met with American Jewish leaders.
Levy was referring to media-published allegations — firmly denied herie — that Israel sought illegally to obtain cluster bomb, technology in the U.S. "I
heard more about it in reac-tibns from Israel than I did from the U.S.," he said.
He told Israel Radio that he found nothing in Washington to back up reports and specuiatipn in Israel that the allegations originated! with elements in the U.S. who wanted to harm U.S.-Israel relations. "America is a big country with many different trends and tendencies," he remarked,
''I think all the noise (about theft of technology) is much louder here than in
2 weeks
issue IS next
By the time you read this, CJN staffers wUI be ail over the North American continent on vacation for two weeks*
To make vacation time possible, we have closed down for two weeks — which means you will NOT receive any more edhions of the paper un-tU Aug. 14.
Study
JERUSALEM-
Dr. Arthur Eidelman, head of the department of neonatology at the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, Jerusalem, has disproved the international medical rule that it's dangerous for a woman to have six or more children, the hospital states' through a release.
In a paper he recently presented in Washii^on to the American Pediatric Society and the Society for Pediatric Research, Eidelman stated that after a 2-year study, he found no signifkaht differences in the number of comiriications when com-parii^ small fjEunilies with women who have borne large families.
In tsarlier studies, the mothers under investigation were all in poor socioeconomic circumstances and were compared with those in more favorable situations.
However, at 5>haare Zedek which is a religious hospital and attracts nuny observant patients, a natural laborato^ existed where the jiUmber of deliveries could be disassociated from socioeconomic status. The large
To enable theStafrtp get away early, this edition of
The CJN went to press on Friday, July 18 instead of on Monday of this week, so >ve've missed the weekend hews. However, we'll update readers from the tune we closed down right up to Aug. 11 in our Aug. 14 issue.
the U.S.," Levy said.
He also said his impression was that Washington does not fear a new Middle East war at this time. "I do not think recent terrorist activities and the Israeli air strikes in Lebanon indicate a new escalation."
The chief of staff explained that there has not been "any basic chainge in the situation and in (Israel's) policies. We have always said that when we find terrorist targets we can attack, we will attack.'And we know that whenever the ter-roriists can, they will try to infiltrate or to fire at our targets or to place bombs."
He maintained that Syria's deployment in Beirut was related to its own internal situation and to its goal to control"Lebanon.
He also said he was told nothing new by the Americans with respect to the Lavi, Israel's second generation jet fighter aircraft, which the U.S. has opposed on grounds of excessive costs. He ^aid the Americans have promised
to re-evaluate their position and make it known by September or October. The Lavi, diesigned and built in Israel, is largely financed by the US'       : ;
While in New York, the chief of staff addressed a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
He described his meetings with Pentagon officials, headed by Admiral William Crowe Jr-, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff He saidit was "highly satisfactory *' and confirmed that "Israel has very gOj^d friends in the An icrican militar>'.
' 'We regard good relations with the United States military as most important for our defence," Levy said. "It is always easier to iinplement the political decisions that are taken by the two countries when we enjoy — as we dp — excellent contacts on the military level.'' ■ ■ '
JERUSALEM (JTA) -
The cabinet last week voted 14-11 to reject the : creation of a judicial com-rmssion of inquiiy to ii> vestigate the Shin Bet affair. As a result, Attorney-General Yosef Harish will proceed with a police investigation. The cabinet officially took note of his intention.
The two main components of the unity government. Labor and Likud, ; were deadlocked 10-10 on the issue. Communications Minister Amnon Rubinstein,, of the Shinui Party, voted with Labor in favor of a commission. The three religious ministers, Yosef Burg, Yitzhak Peretz and Avraham Shapira, sided with Likud against a judicial inquiry.
Although Harish had spelled out reasons \yhy a judicial commission was, from the government's point of view, preferable to a police probe, right-wing Knesset members congratulated the cabinet decision. Left-wingers lambasted it.
The investigation involves allegations that Avraham Shalom as head of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, and three of his top aides were criminally implicated in the unexplained deaths of two Arab . bus hijackers in custody of security agents in April, 1984, and engaged in elaborate coverups at
er by the dozen?
families resulted from religious and social conviction and represented all strata of society, the hospital says.
Working with Dr. Raymond Kamar of the department Of gynecology and obstetrics and Dr. Michael Schimmel of
Dr. Arthur Eidelman, head of the neonatology department of Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, takes a new friend to lunch during Israelis recent nurses' strike.
neonatology, Eidelman studied the more than 7,000 mothers who delivered at Shaare Zedek in 1982-83. Of these, 899 (12%) delivered at least their sixth infant, with some having up to 13.
All of these women were married had received prenatal care and came from economically stable homes.
Comparison studies of *' grand multi-para'' mothers (six or more live births) to other mothers revealed no significant differences in the incidence of hypjertension, diabetes, uterine atonia, hemorrhaging, Caesarian section or stillbirth rate. In fact, the CM group had a significantly lower neonatal mortality rate (death of the nevi/bbm), despite a higher rate of multiple births.
Eidelman said that most previous studies of large families were conducted with American or African women frmn impoverished families, who had little or no prenatal care, a bad diet and ofteii delivered at home.
By
PAULLUNGEN
TORONTO -
The tourism council of Operation Independence agreed last week to support a Canada Month tourism festival in Israel. A subcommittee of about seven Canadian tour operators was set up to examine the logistics of the project, its timing, the programs it will offer and report back to the council.
The program, which may include cultural events, performances by Canadian folklore groups and confierences on agriculture and high tech, is designed to attract Canadian visitors to Israel to pump much needed foreign currency into the economy.
It is loosely modeled on a similar (jermany Month, now in the planning stages.
Canada Month was tentatively scheduled for January-February 1987, a time when air fares are about $300 per ticket lower than high season rate and hotel prices are down by 25-30%. V
However Danny Pavell, executive vice-president of Kenness Tours, the largest tour company in Israel, told the meeting at least one year lead time is required to make all the arrangements to ensure a successful program.
The tourism council, part of Operation Independence, a network of prominent Jewish businessmen in Canada.aiid around the world working to help Israel reach economic independence,
two subsequent quasi-judicial inquiries.
Former attorney general Yitzhak Zamir ordered a police investigation of the case but the order was ' rescinded by Harish, who replaced Zamir last month. The government, from the outset, had been reluctant to initiate an inquiry on grounds of state security. The fear was that top secret operations of Shin Bet would be exposed.
But the cabinet's hope that the matter would be laid to rest after President Chaim Herzog granted blanket pardons to Shalom and his aides last month were dashed when the Supreme Court intervened. The high court, hearing challenges to the pardons by several legal groups, ordered the government on July 1 to show cause why an
official inquiry should not be launched.
Harish told the cabinet that a policie investigatioh was the least desirable of its two options. He urged a judicial commission which would conduct its hearings in strict secrecy under terms of reference that would not compromise the Shin Bet's operations. However, Harish made clear that he would have to order a police pro-he if the cabinet rejected his recommendation.
He said hecould not face the High Court without a
decision, one way or the other. Harish said that the four Shin Bet men involv-* ed would be interrogated by the police but no charges would be brought against them since they were pardoned in advance by the President.
But Premier Shimon Peres, who had been willing to go along with a judkial inquiry, warned that a police probe could implicate "others," meanmg apparently Shin Bet agents not pardoned.
Radiation
detector 12 hit
JERUSALEM (JTA) -An Israeli-made pocket-sized radiation detector is selling well in Europe as a result of fears following the Chernobyl nUclear disaster.
There have been so many orders for the detector that the Amcor Company has had to add extra shifts; to meet demand which has increased tenfold since Chernobyl.
The "gamma alert device," the smallest and cheapest personal radia-twn detector on the market, beeps and flashes when radiation reaches five times the usual level.
also agreed to advertise a calendar of trips to Israel being run by Canadian tour operators.
By running the calendar ' in publications received by the Jewish community, people will be made aware of upcoming tours to Israel and be better able to plan ahead, said Alex Scrota, chairman of the tourism council.
Christian evangelicals traveling to Israel are especially interested in modem Israel and meeting articulate Israelis willing to discuss current issues, the council was told. Rev. Jim Cantelon of the Jerusalem
Christian Assembly, told the meeting of about 24 tour operators and representatives of Jewish organizations and congregations that Protestants are less interested in historic Israel than other Christian denominations' and are more interested in the people they meet.
He suggested implementing a lecture series with prominent spokesmen from high tech industries, the defence establishment and religious groups. Most of the Christian evangelicals he meets "want to know what's happening now," he said.
successful firing
TEL AVIV (JTA) -
Israel's newest weapon, a ship-borne missile called Barak (Lightnfaig) has been successfully test-fired, Israel Radio rep<Nrted recently. The radar-directed short-range missile is designed for fost attack naval craft. A land-borne version known as Adams (Air Defense Advanced Mobile System) can be fired from moving vehicles against attacking aircraft;
Both were devetoped and produced by Rafael, the slate-owned weapons development authority, joinUy with Israel Ahtrraft Industries, for defence against small boats, shore targets, low-flying aircraft and hielfeopters. The Baraks with a
range of 10 kilometres, is launched vertically which gives it a 360-degree hmizontal apinroach to an attacking target.
Only a few seconds elapse between detection of the target and the Vkm,"aca)rdingtofaifor-mation supplied by Rafael. The missile lifts off for n dozen nitres and then locks faito its target: by radar and is detonated by a proximity ftise.
Rafael is trying to attract customers abroad for the new weapon. Its sales promotioh material notes that recent combat experience, notably the Falklands Ishmds war, demonstrated the need for a lightweight, short-range defence system for fast attack craft.