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Hope for Middle East peace remains Grants awardeii
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Israel Consul General Meir Romem talks about current intifada in historical terms
CYMTHIA RAMSAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Despite decades of conflict in the Middle East, Israel Consul General Meir Romem still talks about the possibility of peace in the region.
Romem addressed about 75 people who gathered at Or Shalom Synagogue after Shabbat morning services last w^eekend. Struggling at times to be heard above the sound of children playing and running about the synagogue, the soft-spoken Romem tried to put the latest intifada into context.
Approximately 500 Israelis have been ' killed, he said, saying that this is a laiige number for a coimtiy of Israel's size and a large number compared to how many Israelis have died in other instances of violence. He then detailed the history of the Israeli-Arab conflict back to the early part of the 20th century.
Romem said he remembered where he was and how he felt, at age 16, when Israel was created: there was dancing in the streets, David Ben-Gurion read the Declaration of Independence and, the next day, seven Arab nations attadced.
Romem gave Egypt as an example of how peace could be made between former enemies. As part of that peace process, Israel relocated Israeli settlers
- proving that it is possible to resolve the issue of settlements, he said. Romem called Anwar Sadat a man of vision but was very critical of Yasser Arafat.
The 1993 Oslo Accord was a moment of great hope, said Romem, but Arafat rejected the.offer. Nonetheless, said Romem, Israel continued its peace efforts up until, and even after, the current intifada began.
Some of Romem's remarics were challenged in the question-and-answer period that followeid his opening statements. More than one person questioned the sincerity of Israel in its Oslo Accord proposals, given that settlements in the occupied territories continued to expand after 1993, checkpoints were being built and Palestinians were not particdarly well-treated by Israelis. One person claimed that, even back then, ambulances carrying Palestinian patients were not always allowed to reach the hospital.
Romem responded passionately that. checkpoints were only put into place after the violence began, that Israeli hospitals are full of Palestinian patients. £md that Israel is willing to dismantle some of the settlements.
It was during this exchange that some members of the audience started nium-.
bling critical comments, but in voices loud enough for people to hear. Or Shalom Rabbi David Mivasair had to remind the audience to keep any discourteous comments to themselves. Mivasair called on people to show respect, saying that such commentary may make people feel good in the moment, but they do not help the situation. One person had even stormed out of the . talk after telling Romem that Romem was starting to believe his own lies.
Despite this incident, there was some productive discussion. Romem said he was encouraged by the way in which the North American media was covering recent events in the Middle East. In response to another questioner, he categorized Israel's bilateral relationship with countries such'as New Zealand, Australia and China as good, but said that the relationship with these countries is different when considered in terms of the United Nations, which he pronounced a corrupt institution.
Romem said that Israel is still trying to get bade to the negotiating table, vrith a Middle East peace summit held under the auspices of the United States. He said that Japan has offered to host such a meeting. □ .
Anew series of grants has been an-noimced by the Women's Endowment Fund, a designated endovraient fund of * the Jewish Community Fovmdation of, ; Greater Vancouver. The grants are awarded . ; to programs that benefit women in the Jewish, community. The 2001 grant redpienta are:
• The Okanagan Jewrish Community Cen-: tre for its program Women and the Jewish Ex-,:
: perience, a monthly series of films and*; • discussions dealing with Jewish women. The >
flmds will aid in the purdiase of videos for the v
program and for honoraria.
• Temple Sholom Sisterhood for a sister- i > hood seder and one-day Pesach workshop. I
• Jewish Community Centre of Greater ; I Vancouver for the registration fee for two fe- < . male athletes to attend the 2002 Maccabi i
Games. * ;
• Jewish Family Service Agency for a half-; : day symposium for Jewish single parents, i 'The grant helped with publicity, child care i I and print materials.
• L'Chaim Adult Daycare to help with \ ; HandyDart fares for elderly women. I
Formal announcements regarding these • ; grants will be made at the Women's Endow-1 ment Fund sodal and ftrnd-raising evening 5 May 8. . ■ . J
For more information about the grant S program, contact Rosalind Karby, direc-,^ ; tor, Jewish Community Foundation of' Greater Vancouver, 604-257-5100, e-mail:. rkari3y®|fgv.com. : f
The 14th Annual ^
Vancouver Jewish
2
Screenings at The Norman Rothstein Theatre
950W41stAve
Pacific Cinematheque
1131 Howe Street
Ticket Prices:
$9 per program - $7 students and seniors ~ , Matinees: $5
Gala Opening and Reception, 7:30pm, May 9: $25 Closing Night and Wrap Party, 7pm, May 26: $ 12
Advance tickets available at JCC ticket booth Sun.: lOanvlpm, 2-4pm; 5:30-7:30pm Mon.-Thu.: lOam-lpm, 5:30-7:30pm; Fri.: lOam-lpm or call the Ticket Box Office line: 604-723-1461
For further information, please call 604-266^245
email: viff@holmail.com or visit: www.vjff.org
Danica Imports • linda Frimer • Industrial Brond Creative • State of the Art Beauty Supply • United Nothan Productions All JCC screenings are co-sponsored by the Norman Rothstein Theatre