SUKKOT FEAST OF BOOTHS TABERNACLES

1-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein (SUKKOT). 2-Hikes, Concerts and Festivities Planned For Sukkot Holiday. 3-Nor'easter taking shape in Mid-Atlantic 4-Typhoon Xangsane, flood toll reaches 169. 5-Israeli Company Strikes Oil Near Dead Sea. 6-Commission bureaucrats are getting too powerful, says Verheugen. 7-Syria and EU Discuss Situation in the Region. 8-Iran: Foreign tourists welcome at nuclear sites. 9-No Future for the Jews in the Diaspora. 10-EU wise group welcomes Sarkozy constitution initiative. 11-EU, U.S. reach deal on sharing passenger data from trans-Atlantic flights. 12-Source of E. coli outbreak sought.

Holiday of Sukkot, (known commonly as the Festival of Booths or
Feast of Tabernacles)This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
October 5, 2006

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

Yom Kippur, a solemn and introspective holiday during which Jews atone for their sins against God and man, ended this past Monday evening. And today, Jews begin the transition into one of the most joyous times on the Jewish calendar as we celebrate the festival of Sukkot.

This wonderful holiday which starts this Friday at sunset, is both a harvest festival celebrating God's faithful blessings and a time remembering the Exodus from Egypt and our forefathers' journey into the Promised Land. In recalling God's favor in rescuing them from the hands of their captors, we build sukkot (booths for temporary dwelling) that resemble the shelters used during their period of wandering in the desert (Leviticus 23:39-43). Today, these booths are colorfully decorated and serve as festive gathering places for family and friends during the seven-day observance of Sukkot.
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rabbistudy_holidays_Sukkot

This theme of displacement, wandering, and return to the Holy Land is a common thread in Jewish life, even in modern times. For example, after the Holocaust in the 1940's, hundreds of thousands of Jews from Europe and Arab lands came to the newly-formed state of Israel. In the '80s, Operation Solomon brought the first of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to the Israel - and more continue to arrive each month. And in just a few weeks, over two hundred Bnei Menashe, descendants of the ancient Jewish tribe of Menashe who settled in northeast India, will begin the next chapter of their historic return to the home of their forefathers.

Today, through our On Wings of Eagles program, The Fellowship continues to help fulfill biblical prophecy by bringing needy Jews living under anti-Semitic oppression back home to Israel. One of our critical tasks in this ministry is helping those who make aliyah adapt to their new lives in Israel.

Sadly, the Israeli government simply cannot provide new émigrés with all they need during this time of transition. This is because the tremendous need to defend against terrorism and to rebuild after last summer's devastating war launched by Hezbollah has stretched social services resources to the limit, and beyond.

And now, by helping with klitah (resettlement), our On Wings of Eagles outreach provides new émigrés with short-term needs such as food, shelter, and medical care, as well as long-term needs for job and language training. That is why I prayerfully ask for your continued support of this important work. Each dollar you contribute helps needy émigrés realize the promise of a new life in the Holy Land and become full, productive citizens of Israel. Your gift now during Sukkot, is further evidence to them that their days of wandering are over and that they have finally come home to Israel.

My deepest appreciation to you, dear faithful partner, for your support of this important and prophetic ministry. May God continue to bless you, as you have blessed His people.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President

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Hikes, Concerts and Festivities Planned For Sukkot Holiday
By Ezra HaLevi(INN)

Scores of events are set to take place across Israel in honor of the week-long Sukkot holiday, the Festival of Booths. Concerts, hikes and other recreational activities, as well as gatherings marking the traditional pilgrimage to Jerusalem are planned.

Exploring the Land of Israel

The Jewish Agency has arranged for all nature preserves and parks in northern Israel to be open to the public free of charge during the course of the festival. The initiative aims to encourage tourism to the north, which was devastated by the recent war with Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon.

The sites include:
Zippori National Park
Ahziv National Park
Horshat Tal National Park
Baram National Park
Tel Hazor National Park
Nahal Ayoun Nature Reserve
Nimrod Fortress National Park
Kursi National Park
Corazim National Park
Ein Afek Nature Reserve
Nahal Amoud Nature Reserve
Hamat Tiberias National Park
Beit She'arim National Park
Beit Alfa Synagogue National Park
Kochav Hayarden National Park
Tel Megiddo National Park
Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve
Majersa (Batiha) Nature Reserve
Gamla Nature Reserve
Hula Valley Nature Reserve
Yehiam Fortress National Park
Beit She'an National Park
Agmon Hahula Yarden Park

More details can be found at JewishAgency.org

On Tuesday, October 10, a hike through the Judean Hills from one of the largest towns in the Hevron region to one of the smallest and youngest hilltop communities will take place. The hike, billed as In the footsteps of our fathers and organized by Youth for the Land of Israel, will depart from Kiryat Arba and reach Maaleh Hever in the Hevron Hills. The rugged hike begins at 11 AM, leaving from Kiryat Arba’s Nir yeshiva. Motorists will meet behind the local municipality and tour local hilltop communities, traveling in a convoy along the route King David used to escape King Saul, and joining the festivities in Maaleh Hever as well.

There will also be a shorter, downhill, hiking route available for families with strollers or small children. For more information, call: 052 580 2666, 052 655 5184 or 052 311 4627

Dozens of hikes and tours of the Gush Etzion region are being offered by the Kfar Etzion field school. Places like the flat-topped Herodion mountain fortress, caves and natural springs will be explored. Click here for more information (in Hebrew).On October 9-11 the town of Sussia, in the Hevron hills, will be recreating life there 1,200 years ago, with performances, hikes, barefoot grape juicing and other activities. For more information call 02 996 3424, email info [at] susya.org.il or visit Susya.org.il. On October 10-11 the Dwelling in the Desert Festival will take place at the Joe Alon Center in the northern Negev Desert. The festival includes models of sukkahs throughout Jewish history as well as desert tents, musical instruments and a photography exhibition about the development of the Negev. For more information call 050-7366125 or click here (Hebrew).The Gush Katif women's seminary, reestablished in the Lachish region, is hosting a family wine and cave experience on October 9, from 10:30 AM to 5 PM. Wine will be hand-prepared in ancient presses and the network of caves used during the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans will be open to visitors and explored with the help of guides. For more information, call: 054 667 1554 or 054 667 1555.

The fourth annual Judean Kite Festival will take place in the hilltop community of Pnei Kedem, located in southeast Gush Etzion

Tuesday, October 10 from 11 to 5. For information and schedules of chartered buses call 02-930.9076 or email: mollmutty@yahoo.com

Western Wall and Temple Mount

Each day of the festival (as well as Friday night), prayers will take place at the Western Wall with lengthy singing and dancing in the tradition of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. The daily morning prayers, which include the Hallel prayer and marching with the four species, will begin each day except Monday (see below) at 8:15 AM and be held up against the middle divider between the men’s and women’s sections. For more information call 054-596-9598.Visits for Jewish men and women who wish to ascend the Temple Mount in accordance with Jewish law are being offered over the course of the Sukkot Festival. All tours begin at 7.30 AM, beginning at the Mughrabi Gate, adjacent to the main entrance to the Western Wall plaza.

Tours will be offered each day in various languages:

Sunday October 8: Dr. Yoel Elitzur (Hebrew), Rabbi Chaim Richman (English), Shmuel Ben Hamu (French)
Monday October 9: Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (H), Nachum Schnitzer (E), Archeologist Yaffa Musaii (Women only, Hebrew)
Tuesday October 10: Dr. Yaacov Heyman (H), Rabbi Nachman Kupietzky (E), Yosef Dayan (Spanish)
Wednesday October 11: Menachem Ben-Yashar (H), Rabbi Zvi Rugan (E), Lily Richman (Women only, Bilingual)
Thursday October 12: Golan Shai-Cohen (H), Adv. Shmuel Caspar (E), Moshe Garbuz (Russian)
Sunday October 15: Yoel Lerner (Bilingual)

Participants must undergo physical preparations and immerse in a ritual bath beforehand, as well as arrive dressed in non-leather shoes. Police currently require a passport to ascend the mount and forbid the carrying up of religious articles aside from tzitzit and head coverings. For more information about the free tours and instructions on how to prepare, call (02) 571 0171 or 050 658 0224

(from outside Israel: +972 2 571 0171 or +972 50 658 0224).

Jerusalem’s Municipality has erected Israel’s largest sukkah. The temporary structure is constructed by each Jewish family and is a staple of the festival, which entails dwelling in sukkot. The municipal Sukkah of Stars is decorated with light fixtures from France and is located in Safra Square, just outside the Old City. It has an area of 500 square meters, measures six meters tall, and will be
open to the public all through the week.On Sunday, October 8 a joyous Simchat Beit HaShoeva, which commemorates the water libation performed in the Holy Temple, will take place in Jerusalem’s City of David, just below the Old City’s Dung Gate. Hassidic singers Yaakov Shweky and Chaim Yisrael will be performing. The event begins at 5:30 PM Several other City of David hikes and tours will be offered, including the Pilgrims' Route, ancient aqueducts tour, the newly established Jerusalem Trail and a survey of the sifting Temple Mount remnants in the Emek Tzurim valley. For more information, visit cityofdavid.org.il/succoth.asp or email
Foundation [at] cityofdavid.org.il

Several tours are being offered of the Jewish sites and residences in Jerusalem’s eastern half, liberated in 1967 and developed ever since. Half-day tours, offered by the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund will visit historical sites including the huge Jewish cemetery on the Mt.of Olives and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. Jewish homes in the Shimon Hatzadik, Maaleh Hazeitim and other eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods will be visited as well. For more information, visit: http://www.jcdf.org/tournow.html or contact

Reuven Grossman at tours [at] jcdf.org or 052-579-0958.Beit Orot will also be offering a 3 1 hour tour of the area, visiting the same sites and following in the footsteps of the IDF soldiers who liberated the eastern half of the capital in 1967. For more information or to join a group, email: trips [at] beitorot.org or call (from the US) 201 530 0210 or (from Israel) 02 628 4155.

Lectures, Film Screenings and Conferences

A new documentary about the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif will be screened each night of the intermediate days of the festival in downtown Jerusalem. The movie, Home Game, uses the metaphor of Gaza's Jewish basketball competition to portray the pain of the Disengagement and determination of the evicted residents.The screenings will take place at the OU Israel Center in Jerusalem (22 Keren HaYesod, diagonally opposite the Dan Panorama Hotel) on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 8 PM during the holiday.The 27th annual Christian Feast of the Tabernacles will also take place in Jerusalem over the festival, attended by more than 4,000 Christians from more than 80 nations who will arrive in Jerusalem. The event is sponsored by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism bills the Feast of Tabernacles as the largest annual tourism event in Israel.

Concerts

On Sunday and Monday, October 8-9, the entire Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron will be open to the public, including the Tomb of Isaac, which is usually used as a mosque by local Arabs. Guided tours of the city will be given and large musical morning prayers will take place at 9:15 AM each day. Klezmer sensation Moussa Berlin will accompany the Hallel prayer and hassidic singer Mordechai Ben David will perform in the afternoon on the second day. Other performers include Adi Ran, Daklon, Shlomo Katz, Chaim Dovid Saracek, Shira Hadasha, Udi Davidi, Yoni Shlomo and Mendy Jerufy. For more information, call 1-800-400-456.The annual three-day free Beit Shemesh music festival will take place from October 8-10, featuring The Andalusi Orchestra (Sunday at 8 PM), Rockia, Para Aduma, Haakevot, Shlock Rock, Aaron Razel, Adi Ran, Moshav Band and Shai Gabso (Monday from 8 PM) and Udi Davidi, Naftali Abramson, Pey Dalid, Chaim Dovid, Shlomo Katz, Shlomo Gronich and Reva L'Sheva Tuesday night at 8 PM. For more information, visit shemeshfest.com

Tuesday night October 10 a cantorial concert will take place at Jerusalem’s Menachem Begin Heritage Center, entitled And they

came to Zion in Song.Performing with the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute will be Chazan Naftali Hershtik. For more information and tickets, call: 02-565-2020.Information about many more concerts, lectures and celebrations can be found on the web site of the Jerusalem Municipality.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Nor'easter taking shape in Mid-Atlantic W. Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Oct 6, 9:17 AM ET

Northeast

The Mid-Atlantic will be impacted by increasing rain, wind, and possible flooding into the weekend. A strong upper level disturbance will interact with a front over the Mid-Atlantic, and result in rain, heavy at times, from Philadelphia and Washington, south through Virginia. In addition to the threat for possible flooding, a few stronger thunderstorms will also be possible over southern Virginia.

Strong northeast winds will also increase across these areas making for a raw day. Meanwhile, high pressure will span the New England States, resulting in dry, but cool conditions today, with some areas experiencing freezing temperatures overnight Friday into Saturday morning. This general weather pattern will continue into Saturday, but by Sunday, the rains and wind over the Mid-Atlantic should lessen, and the temperatures should begin to moderate over the Northeast.

West

A strong upper disturbance will continue to transport abundant moisture northward through the four corners area today. Numerous showers the thunderstorms will impact pasts of southwest California, Arizona, Utah, western Colorado, and southern Idaho today.

The potential for heavy downpours moving over the same areas will increase the threat for flash flooding, particularly over Arizona and Utah. Also in these areas, a few severe thunderstorms will also be possible today. Meanwhile, over the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, a cold front will trigger a few showers there, along with cool temperatures. Into Saturday, a deep low pressure is forecast to develop over the northern Rockies. This will produce increased wind and rain, with some higher elevation snows over that area, while pulling the persistent showers and thunderstorms over the four Corners, a bit further east into New Mexico and Colorado.

Dry conditions will build across the west coast as the unsettled weather shifts further east.

South

A cold front will move south through the southeastern states today, producing a few showers over southern Georgia, into South Carolina.

High pressure will build across much of the south behind this front, resulting in partly cloudy skies, and cooler temperatures. Afternoon highs today will range from the 70s from Atlanta to Memphis, to the 80s along the Gulf Coast, to the 90s in Florida and southern Texas.

Meanwhile, a strong upper level disturbance impacting the Mid-Atlantic will spread increased chances of rain and wind into North Carolina, including the Raleigh area. This general weather pattern will persist into Saturday, with cooler conditions remaining in place over much of the south, and rains over the Carolinas.

Midwest

Large high pressure will span much of the Great Lakes, Midwest, and Plains today, resulting in mostly sunny skies and dry conditions. Cool conditions will remain in the Great Lakes and Midwest, where afternoon temperatures will be in the 60s, warming to the 70s and 80s westward over the High Plains. Winds will also be increasing over the Plains today, as strong southerly flow develops on the backside of high pressure. These general conditions will persist over the Great Lakes and Midwest into Saturday, however over the central Plains; very windy conditions will develop as a deep low pressure rapidly forms over the northern Rockies.

Temperatures will also soar Saturday afternoon in these areas under strong southerly flow, with readings into the 80s.

Typhoon Xangsane, flood toll reaches 169 Thu Oct 5, 12:57 AM ET

HANOI (Reuters) - Flooding killed dozens of people in the days after Typhoon Xangsane raked the Philippines and Vietnam, officials said on Thursday as the combined death toll rose to at least 169 with 79 others missing. The Vietnam government said 59 people died and 7 were missing after the typhoon hit on Sunday, but state-run media accounts indicated a higher death toll of at least 68, citing provincial disaster reports.The typhoon's fierce winds and rain destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes when it slammed into Vietnam's central coast after bringing parts of the Philippines, including the capital Manila, to a standstill last week.

In Vietnam, nearly 320,000 homes were destroyed or submerged. Xangsane, which means elephant in the Lao language, damaged roads, telecommunications and power networks, fisheries and crops along a roughly 1,000 km (600-mile) stretch.The government estimated the cost of the damage at 10 trillion dong ($624 million).Workers have been cleaning up the resort city of Danang and the nearby UNESCO-heritage town of Hoi An. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) tourism ministers meeting is scheduled for October 12 to 17 in Hoi An.In the Philippines, the typhoon killed 110 people, injured 88 and 72 were missing, officials said on Thursday.

More than 2.3 million people were affected by the typhoon in the Philippines and about 80,000 remained in temporary shelters after losing their homes in the disaster.The typhoon weakened into a tropical storm, moved west to Laos and dissipated over northern Thailand.Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are killed and property and crops damaged each year by tropical storms in Vietnam and the Philippines, which has the South China Sea between them.(Reporting by Ho Binh Minh in HANOI; Carmel Crimmins in MANILA)

Israeli Company Strikes Oil Near Dead Sea
14:38 Oct 05, '06 / 13 Tishrei 5767
by Hillel Fendel(INN)

An Israeli company reports it has struck oil in the Dead Sea region, possibly worth up to $350 million. The company, Ginko Oil Exploration, says that oil spurted on Monday from a depth of 1,800 meters (1.12 miles), and that further tests will be carried out in the coming days. The oil, estimated at about 6.5 million barrels' worth, was found just north of the Dead Sea.Ginko extracted about 120,000 barrels of crude oil from the site about ten years ago, but gave up the initiative. The drilling has now been renewed, as it has in many places around the world, because of the steep increase in oil prices. Ginko has already acquired pipelines and containers for transporting the extracted fuel. In April 2004, Ginko discovered a seven-meter layer of natural gas in the same region. Israel has produced only 20 million barrels of oil in the last half-century, the Associated Press reports - less than what the Saudis produce every three days.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

Commission bureaucrats are getting too powerful, says Verheugen
05.10.2006 - 09:39 CET | By Honor Mahony

European Commission vice-president Guenter Verheugen has spoken out strongly against the power of high-ranking civil servants within the commission who are able to influence decisions according to their personal whims.In an interview with German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the German commissioner in charge of the important industry portfolio said the whole development in the last ten years has brought the civil servants such power that in the meantime the most important political task of the 25 commissioners is controlling this apparatus.There is a permanent power struggle between commissioners and high ranking bureaucrats. Some of them think: the commissioner is gone after five years and so is just a house keeper, but I'm sticking around, he continued.

He suggests that his own project to simplify 54 EU laws has fallen foul of stubborn commission bureaucrats. Before the summer he strongly criticised internally some general directorates who evidently did not want to take the head of the commission's aim to reduce bureaucracy seriously, because it did not fit in with their own ideas.Mr Verheugen, who is now in his second term as EU commissioner having previously been in charge of enlargement, noted that the problem will get worse again once Bulgaria and Romania join the EU because then there will be two new general directorates units in the commission that deal with specific areas and that is a problem.

Illustrating how power struggles happen, the commissioner said it all occurs under the surface.The commissioners have to take extreme care that important questions are decided in their weekly meeting, and not decided by the civil servants among themselves.Unfortunately it sometimes happens in the communication with member states or parliament that civil servants put their own personal perspective across as the view of the commission, he told the newspaper.Citing a concrete example the 62-year old social democrat commissioner said that commission bureaucrats had tried to sort out the use of pesticides between them and the issue only came to the attention of their political masters the commissioners when the bureaucrats fell out over the issue.

Noting that the way some commission officials communicate is technical and arrogant, which he finds appalling, Mr Verheugen said that only a change in political culture in the commission would improve the situation.He suggests that commissioners should be able to move around the powerful general directors, something which they cannot do at the moment, pointing out that when something goes wrong then it is always commissioners who take the flak.In my opinion, too much is decided by civil servants,he said in conclusion.

Syria and EU Discuss Situation in the Region
Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 04:15 PM

DAMASCUS, (SANA) Syria and EU Discussed on Wednesday bilateral relations and the Mideast peace process.

Talks during a meeting between Members of the European Commission delegation headed by Chairman of Mideast Unit at the European Union Alan Seater and Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous dealt with the peace process in the Middle East and implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions, in addition to the situation in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq .They also discussed the Syrian-European relations and aid programs which the commission intends to extend to Syria during the upcoming period of 2007-2010 as well as priorities that Syria sees in these programs.

Discussions between members of the European Commission delegation and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari touched upon importance of boosting relations between Syria and European Union to cover different fields of developments.They also conferred on having a look at the suggested program in the blue print of the EU strategy for cooperation with Syria during 2007- 2010 in the economic reform domains and networks of social protection in addition to develop business environment and public and local services .Both sides agreed to continue discussions aiming at reaching a joint action paper in order to help in enhancing prospects of cooperation and pushing them forward.Thawra –Sawsan

EZEKIEL 38:3-6
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Iran: Foreign tourists welcome at nuclear sites
Journalists, U.N. inspectors have had trouble getting easy access
MSNBC News Services

TEHRAN, Iran /Iran’s hard-line president has ordered nuclear facilities opened to foreign tourists to prove that the nation’s disputed atomic program is peaceful, state-run television reported on Wednesday.After an order by the president ... foreign tourists can visit Iran’s nuclear facilities,the head of Iran’s tourism division, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, was quoted as saying.Mashai said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued the order to show that Iran’s nuclear program it aims to generate fuel, not weapons.We are reviewing the related instructions in this regard,he reportedly said.An official said tourists could visit the facilities, including the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, 150 miles south of Tehran, the centerpiece of Iran’s disputed atomic fuel drive.

New tourism niche?

Despite offering attractions such as ancient Persian ruins, intricately tiled mosques and spice-filled bazaars, as well as skiing in its northern mountains, tourism is underdeveloped in the Islamic Republic, where strict religious dress codes require women to cover their heads and bodies.And it is unclear whether tourists will flock to see Iran’s nuclear facilities, which are ringed by anti-aircraft batteries.Foreign and Iranian journalists, who often request visits, have been given only occasional tours of Natanz, the uranium conversion facility of Isfahan or Bushehr, the site of Iran’s first nuclear power plant that is still being built.Even U.N. inspectors, who are given routine access to nuclear sites, have complained about some restrictions in the past, although Iran denies causing any
obstructions.

U.S. visitors might be fingerprinted

The report did not clarify the definition of a foreign tourist. The announcement came a day after Iran’s parliament voted to debate a bill that would require the government to fingerprint all U.S. citizens visiting Iran.The draft law would require all American citizens to be fingerprinted when they enter Iran.

The measure was in retaliation for the fingerprinting of Iranian travelers visiting the United States a procedure implemented in 2002 for Iranians and citizens of several other countries.The U.S. and some of its allies fear Iran is seeking to enrich uranium to develop nuclear weapons.Senior U.N. diplomats said Tuesday that Iran’s refusal to freeze uranium enrichment had sabotaged talks meant to defuse the standoff over its nuclear program, opening the way for the Security Council to start considering sanctions next week.The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

No Future for the Jews in the Diaspora
By Hana Levi Julian(INN)

Likud Knesset opposition leader Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu warned American Jews on Thursday There is no future for Jews in the Diaspora.An Islamic terror plot was foiled in Prague. Netanyahu cited assimilation and intermarriage as the main reasons for the statement on Thursday. He cautioned American financial supporters of the IDF Nahal hareidi program to work especially against assimilation in their communities.The only hope for the Jewish people in the Diaspora is Israel,he said, to the surprise of the leaders and other Diaspora Jews in the room. Sources close to Netanyahu confirmed he had made the statements, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Not The First Warning by Israeli Leaders

President Moshe Katsav issued a similar warning six years ago when he said in September 2000, The only branch that can ensure the continuation of the Jewish nation is the Jewish State.Katsav insisted at the time that Jewish education in the Diaspora was a short-term solution that would last at most two or three generations. We have legitimized living in the Diaspora and have said it does not bother us, he said, but caused a groundswell of shock and anger when he maintained that Israeli leaders should no longer justify Jews remaining in countries outside the State of Israel.

An Ominous New Threat to Diaspora Jews in the Czech Republic

A report by the Yediot Aharonot daily newspaper Friday added an additional grim reason to the concern for the future of Diaspora Jewry: the threat of Islamic terrorism.Reports of an Islamic terrorist plot to kidnap and ultimately murder a large group of Jews in Prague brought back frightening echoes of the pogroms of Eastern Europe.

The plot, which came to light around Rosh Hashana, has meant increased police patrols and questions for residents and tourists in the Czech capital. The Mlada Fronta Dnesnewspaper quoted unnamed intelligence sources who said the terrorists would have imprisoned the captives in the Great Synagogue of Prague while demanding unspecified terms they knew would not be met. According to the source, the terrorists planned to blow up the building, destroying everything and everyone inside. The report did not include information on whether anyone had been arrested in connection with the plot, nor did it offer any clue as to the identity of the conspirators.

The Feeling Will be Different From Now On

Rabbi Manis Barash, head of the Chabad House in the Czech Republic’s capital noted, Unfortunately the Jewish communities in Europe are used to threats and actions as well. Now it has reached us. Israeli officials have been monitoring the situation, said a member of the Jewish community who asked to remain anonymous. A similar situation recently occurred in Norway as well, noted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.We are aware of the existence of extremist groups in the European continent that wish to harm Israeli representatives and local Jewish communities,he said, adding that Israeli consulates and embassies are dealing with the situation. Regev did not specify the security measures which were in place. As Czech Jews enter the holiday of Sukkot, (known commonly as the Festival of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles) Rabbi Barash said Jewish life in the city, that draws countless tourists from Israel and other countries, is tense. Terror alerts at the airport, the Jewish Quarter and other areas in the capital have raised the stress level to an unprecedented high.The feeling will be different from now on,he commented.We still walk on the streets, but on this holiday we are naturally more fearful and suspicious.

EU wise group welcomes Sarkozy constitution initiative
05.10.2006 - 17:13 CET | By Mark Beunderman

EUOBSERVER /

BRUSSELS /Members of a select group of EU politicians tackling the bloc's constitutional deadlock have told EUobserver they are open to changes to the EU constitution, welcoming the fact that French minister Sarkozy recently re-opened
the debate on the charter.The circle of high-profile European politicians led by Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato last weekend (29-30 September) held its first meeting in Rome, with two members of the group telling EUobserver after the talks that they have no taboos.The substance of the EU constitution is more important than its form,said Belgian MEP and former prime minister Jean-Luc
Dehaene who was one of the senior architects of the charter rejected by French and Dutch voters last year.

Another member of the group, Spanish centre-right MEP Inigo Mendez de Vigo, said the Rome meeting had welcomed recent proposals by French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy for a mini treaty made up of only parts of the constitution. We discussed the proposal of Mr Sarkozy and we thought it was a good initiative,he said. We may not fully agree with it but it made a difference that a French politician who has important responsibilities takes the initiative himself of saying: this is what I think. We appreciated the fact that Mr Sarkozy has gone into the arena. Mr Mendez de Vigo added that another plan by Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt to create a nucleus of closely integrated eurozone states, was also mentioned by participants as another proposal that we have.

But the text of the constitution remains an important point of departure for the group which will hold its next conclave in December, the Spanish politician indicated. We will think for the next meeting: what are the essential parts of the constitution? What is really essential in the constitution for Europe to work in the forthcoming years?

Vitorino joins group

The Amato group includes two former prime ministers Paavo Lipponen of Finland and Wim Kok of the Netherlands as well as two European commissioners Danuta Hubner (regional policy) and Margot Wallstom (communications) and German interior minister
Wolfgang Schauble plus his predecessor Otto Schily.

France also has two particpants former foreign minister Michel Barnier and former finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn while UK ex-commissioner Chris Patten is another prominent member. Mr Mendez de Vigo said the group will soon be joined by Antonio Vitorino, a Portuguese ex-commissioner, plus one member from a Baltic state and one from a central European country, bringing the total number of 'wise' men and women to 14. The group, which will produce a report just before next year's June EU leaders summit on the constitution, strongly stresses its independence, having its own €100,000 budget provided by the German Bosch Foundation.

We are a group of private participants,said Mr Dehaene, with commission officials stressing that Ms Hubner and Ms Wallstrom are participating in their private capacity.

High political stakes

But the political weight of the group is highlighted by the fact that both Germany and France have two members, each representing the main centre-right and centre-left political forces. Germany in particular has high stakes in the group, as it holds the EU presidency in the first half of next year and is tasked with making concrete proposals on how to deal with the shelved constitution.

We know that others will deal with decisions,said Mr Mendez de Vigo. We started from the idea that the German presidency has to make a proposal on the procedure, but also, surely, on content [of a new treaty]. Our motto is: we'll try to give you a hand.

EU, U.S. reach deal on sharing passenger data from trans-Atlantic flights Updated 10/6/2006 11:25 AM ET

LUXEMBOURG (AP) The European Union and the United States agreed Friday on a new anti terrorism agreement that will give the FBI and other U.S. law enforcement agencies access to data about passengers on U.S.-bound flights.

The interim deal reached after a nine-hour, trans-Atlantic video conference that took place nearly a week after negotiators missed an Oct. 1 deadline replaces a 2004 air passenger privacy agreement the EU's high court voided last May for purely technical reasons.The agreement is valid until July 2007, after which the EU and the U.S. plan to have a permanent accord. The 25 EU governments are expected to give final approval to the interim deal next week.

EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini welcomed the agreement, saying the United States and the EU will employ comparable standards of data protection.He said the deal should defuse fears in the European Parliament of a loss of privacy for Europeans flying to the United States.Under the agreement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security no longer will have an automatic right to pull data from European airlines' computer systems, but must ask for such information.The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency may disclose passenger data to other American law enforcement agencies only if they have comparable standards of data protection, Frattini told reporters.

He said it cannot give them direct electronic access to the data and limits the duration of its storage.EU negotiator Jonathan Faull said the EU and the U.S. are aiming for a broader deal after July 2007 that would provide for sharing of more data than the 34 details listed under Friday's agreement.

British Home Secretary John Reid called the interim agreement another major step in the fight against terrorism (showing that) the common alliance against terrorism is, on both sides of the Atlantic, very strong.French Justice Minister Pascal Clement said the Europeans got concrete guarantees with respect to privacy protection for EU nationals.Negotiations collapsed last week when the EU denied a request by U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for a more routine sharing of passenger data among U.S. law enforcement agencies.The new agreement lets airlines continue to legally submit 34 pieces of data such as passenger names, addresses, seat numbers, credit card and travel details, as well as their no-show records for transfer to U.S. authorities within 15 minutes of a flight's departure for the United States.Frattini said there was a concrete risk of privacy erosion had a trans-Atlantic accord not been reached. In that case, a patchwork of bilateral agreements would have been the privacy protection basis.

EU officials said they shared Washington's concerns about terrorism, but demanded strict data protection guarantees in return for a more routine sharing of personal details of air passengers among U.S. law enforcement officials.Washington had warned that airlines failing to share passenger data would face fines of up to US$6,000 (euro4,700) per passenger and the loss of landing rights.

The negotiations revealed divisions between the U.S. and the Europeans over how far governments should go in curbing personal freedoms to prevent terrorist attacks.Privacy restrictions tend to be tougher in Europe than in the United States, and the Europeans wanted to deny U.S. officials the right to go into airline reservation systems.

Martine Roure, a spokesman for the Socialists, the European Parliament's second-largest group, expressed satisfaction there is a new agreement. The U.S. authorities must now apply all the data protection guarantees we ask of them.Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Posted 10/6/2006 10:35 AM ET

Source of E. coli outbreak sought
Tainted spinach was the source of an E. coli outbreak in the U.S. recently.
Carly Weeks, CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006

OTTAWA /The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Ontario health ministry are trying to determine the source of an E. coli outbreak that has left more than 30 people sick, including five who required hospitalization, in two different Ontario cities. Health officials believe there is a link between the reports of illnesses that have streamed in from Sudbury, Ont., and Hamilton.

But they have not been able to determine what food caused the outbreak of the potentially deadly bacteria.While officials believe the bacteria likely came from fresh produce most likely lettuce the food inspection agency said there’s little hope it will be able to determine the source of the outbreak.The food link has not been demonstrated yet by tests,said CFIA spokesman Marc Richard. Should there be a food link demonstrated, then we can recall (the product), but given this is a fresh product, that is less likely because it was all eaten or thrown away weeks ago.Health officials are also trying to figure out how two communities located in different parts of the province were affected by the same bacteria outbreak, and why no other community seems to have experienced similar problems. The news of the outbreak comes on the heels of a massive E. coli outbreak that claimed the lives of two people, including a two-year-old boy, in the United States, and made more than 190 others sick, including an Ontario woman.Officials in Hamilton are investigating 20 cases of E. coli, of which 11 have been confirmed. All of the cases are confined to Hillfield Strathallan College, a private-run school.

Officials first learned of the outbreak on Sept. 26, he said.

In Sudbury, health officials are investigating 14 cases. Four people in that city had to be hospitalized after eating food that had been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Most of the people affected are believed to have eaten contaminated food at a local restaurant. © CanWest News Service