Good News From Israel
 Shiri Maimon will represent Israel at the Eurovision 2005 Song Contest in Kiev in May with her song "Hasheket Shenishar (The Quiet that Stays). Shiri was the runner-up on Israeli TV's 'A Star is Born' contest, similar to 'American Idol'. She beat out veterans such as Svika Pick and Friends. A record 40 countries will be participating this year. Israel has won 3 times in as many decades, and placed in the top ten 16 times since the contest opened in 1973.
You can watch Shiri sing her song, with video of this years announcement (Hebrew), by clicking HERE.
|
Hot Topic
The media often accuses Israel of violating the human rights of some Palestinians at security and border checkpoints. Take a sneak peak at Understanding Israeli Checkpoints by Mythbusting the Mideast's featured contributor, Dr. Don Morris of the Wingate Institute of Israel and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Latest Polls
Israelis:In a poll of all Israelis (including Arabs) 91% are unwilling to give up Western Wall, 87% keep the Temple Mount, 82% keep Tomb of Patriarches in Hebron, 83% keep Rachel's Tomb, only 48% have confidence in Israeli media.
Palestinians: 57% oppose punishing perpetrators of suicide bombings in Israel, 87% believe the PA is corrupt.
See Latest Polls for more results.
Coming Up
Americans: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear an appeal for Jonathan Pollard on Tuesday, 15 March. Mr. Pollard, incarcerated in violation of a plea agreement (under which he should be free in Israel at this time) on the charge of spying for Israel (providing information the U.S. government was obligated under treaty to provide Israel anyway), will not attend the hearing.
Israelis:If the budget for FY 2005 is not passed by the end of March, the government will fall. New elections would then be held no later than 28 June, three days prior to the scheduled Gaza retreat.
Palestinians: Municipal elections in the West Bank on 28 April. Legislative elections on 17 July. (Municipal elections in Gaza held 27 January, terrorist group Hamas won 2/3 of available seats.)
|
