Chief Rabbinate prepares bill to remove converts from Law of Return - Haaretz

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Mon., January 26, 2009 Shvat 1, 5769

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Anglo File



		Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar. (Archives)

Last update - 00:00 21/11/2006

Chief Rabbinate prepares bill to remove converts from Law of Return

By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent

Converts will no longer be recognized as Jews under the Law of Return, according to a bill formulated by the Chief Rabbinate and presented to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a few days ago. The revolutionary bill is now awaiting a decision by the prime minister whether to make it a government-sponsored bill.

The bill was initiated by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar in an effort to block the possibility that the High Court of Justice could recognize Reform conversions carried out in Israel. Amar expects the government to adopt the initiative after other solutions proposed by the state to the High Court, such as a recent suggestion to establish a second Ne'eman Committee to discuss conversions, seemed no more than stall attempts.

The Chief Rabbinate said Monday the proposal was an egalitarian one that would withstand the scrutiny of the High Court. It argued the bill would "close the loophole" in the Law of Return that allowed foreign workers to convert in order to receive Israeli citizenship.

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However if the law passes, it is likely to lead to a major crisis between Israel and the Diaspora.

The bill would give rabbinic courts and the Chief Rabbinate sole authority over conversions, as another bill, which did not pass, had also stated. The main element in the bill is a change in the clause defining a Jew for the purposes of the Law of Return. At present the clause defines a Jew as a person born to a Jewish mother or who converted to Judaism. The bill proposes that an the only individuals recognized as Jewish by the Law of return will be those born to a Jewish mother.

In the past, the Orthodox political parties had attempted to change this clause to include only Orthodox converts in accordance with halakha (Jewish law). This demand was rejected by successive Israeli governments due to concern over relations with Jewish communities outside of Israel, especially the Jewish establishment in the United States, where non-Orthodox Jews predominate.

The Chief Rabbinate argued Monday that Interior Minister Roni Bar-On supports the initiative. However an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said Bar-On was not familiar with it.

The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the legal advocate of the Reform Movement in Israel, called Monday on Olmert to reject the Amar initiative, which it said would "bring about a rupture between Israel and most of the Jews in the world."

IRAC's Rabbi Gilad Kariv said Monday, "It turns out that Rabbi Amar's hatred for non-Orthodox streams is so great that it leads him to harm the basic principle that there is no difference between a convert and an individual who is born Jewish."

MK Zevulun Orlev, the chairman of the National Union-National Religious Party, expressed his support Monday for Amar's bill, which he said would "protect the unity of the Jewish people and prevent a rift that would be caused by recognizing Reform conversions." Orlev added that the passing of the bill would be a test of the ability of Shas as a member of cabinet to impact the Jewish character of the state.

The Conservative Masorati Movement in Israel said it opposed Amar's bill, which it called an attempt to detour around the High Court of Justice.

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	Disturbing trend
	Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records.


	After the war
	IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.




1.	uhhh how disgusting...	02:39	\|	Maya Roth	21/11/06

2.	Converts	03:02	\|	Bat Sarah	21/11/06

3.	Good: Let him start with the converts of the eighth century	03:20	\|	Hannah	21/11/06

4.	Mistake	03:22	\|	ER	21/11/06

5.	Good idea	03:25	\|	Chaim Berman	21/11/06

6.	Jewish mother or Orthodox conversions/ to Maya	03:35	\|	Lubnani Yehudi	21/11/06

7.	Tribal	03:38	\|	Fred Goepfert	21/11/06

8.	Jewish State, huh?	03:49	\|	Yehuda	21/11/06

9.	One for all and all for one	04:03	\|	Bernie	21/11/06

10.	Willing TO Be A JEW	04:14	\|	TOBIA	21/11/06

11.	conversion	04:31	\|	dubious	21/11/06

12.	Breaks my heart	04:39	\|	Jacob	21/11/06

13.	And how about...	04:44	\|	Webster	21/11/06

14.	An Appeal To Rabbi Amar	04:47	\|	Zvi-Hersch Blum	21/11/06

15.	Anything to avoid peace	04:49	\|	Mike	21/11/06

16.	This bill is bad	05:06	\|	Ben	21/11/06

17.	False claims by Reform rabbis	05:20	\|	Sim	21/11/06

18.	Rabbi Akiva & King David	05:25	\|	Fernando	21/11/06

19.	Twelve Tribes	05:37	\|	Joseph E .	21/11/06

20.	CONVERTS ARE NOT JEWS	05:43	\|	Steve	21/11/06

21.	Law of Return	05:43	\|	Ray Aronson	21/11/06

22.	Willing To Be A JEW	05:45	\|	Ray	21/11/06

23.	The messiah comes from Convert lineage	06:04	\|	Shmuel	21/11/06

24.	power grab	06:11	\|	Ezra	21/11/06

25.	So sad...	06:14	\|	David	21/11/06

26.	Time to get rid of the official rabbinate	06:19	\|	Rob	21/11/06

27.	#9, Tobia	06:20	\|	Hannah	21/11/06

28.	To Chaim Berman	06:28	\|	David Daoud	21/11/06

29.	#10, Dubious	06:28	\|	Hannah	21/11/06

30.	No one knows Any Torah HERE	06:29	\|	Scott	21/11/06

31.	Orthodox Oppression	06:32	\|	David Cohen	21/11/06

32.	Need Help? Look Elsewhere	06:46	\|	Bat Sarah	21/11/06

33.	#14, Zvi Hersch Bloom and his courageous Wife	06:51	\|	Hannah	21/11/06

34.	wow	06:58	\|	Omar	21/11/06

35.	Fanatic Theocrats Proving the World Right	07:08	\|	Kahanah Die	21/11/06

36.	Not who is a Jew: Who is a rabbi.	07:16	\|	Abbushuki	21/11/06

37.	Let The Rabbinate Be The Jews!	07:23	\|	Yosemite Sam	21/11/06

38.	Shlomo Amar`s hateful arrogance will divide Israel.	07:25	\|	Zuriel	21/11/06

39.	DNA	07:28	\|	Fernando	21/11/06

40.	Converts NOT Welcomed (specially for marriage)	07:31	\|	Joseph HaSalvadorean	21/11/06

41.	Call My People Israel	07:34	\|	John Isenhower	21/11/06

42.	TORAH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST REAL CONVERTS! )))))))))))	07:37	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH	21/11/06

43.	The Best Rabbi	07:37	\|	Yosemite Sam	21/11/06

44.	Dissapointing	07:38	\|	Stephen	21/11/06

45.	ATTN: STEVE # 20 (see response #14)	07:38	\|	ZVI HERSCH BLUM	21/11/06

46.	THIS IS ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO DENY REAL JEWS THE PROMISED LAND)))))	07:41	\|	MOSHIACH TIMES))))))	21/11/06

47.	David daoud	07:42	\|	Zvi Hersh Blum	21/11/06

48.	#27 DNA, and everyone regarding this legislation	08:18	\|	Zvi	21/11/06

49.	to #44 Stephen	08:28	\|	Scott	21/11/06

50.	Revolutionary bill	08:30	\|	Dani Reiss	21/11/06

51.	The moral universe dictates Jews discriminate against Jews	08:45	\|	Joe	21/11/06

52.	Does the Rabbi Come from converts ?	09:00	\|	Raymond	21/11/06

53.	Ignorance	09:09	\|	Frank Benzaquen	21/11/06

54.	I forgot	09:22	\|	Frank Benzaquen	21/11/06

55.	Jews for Jesus are more Jewish than converts to Judaism???	09:23	\|	Zvi-Hersch Blum	21/11/06

56.	Jews for Jesus are Jews but converts to orthodox Judaism are not?	09:27	\|	Zvi-Hersch Blum	21/11/06

57.	Splitting the People - AGAIN	10:05	\|	Tikvah	21/11/06

58.	Stop All Monetary Support	10:09	\|	NotAmused	21/11/06

59.	If this despicable bill is passed ...	10:10	\|	Baruch ben Avraham	21/11/06

60.	Rabbinate fools, should do something for ""AGUNOT""	10:16	\|	DR MANUCH	21/11/06

61.	Who would want to convert to Judaism?	10:18	\|	Brian	21/11/06

62.	DID MR AMAR GO TO ARMY??	10:22	\|	REUVEN	21/11/06

63.	1997 Orthodox Declaration:"Reform & Conservative are NOT Judaism"	10:24	\|	Sim	21/11/06

64.	More religious establishment racism	10:28	\|	Avraham Hanadari	21/11/06

65.	#20 Steve: Your disregard of Torah is disgusting	10:28	\|	Isaac	21/11/06

66.	United States Jews	10:31	\|	David Lilienfeld	21/11/06

67.	Moshiach isn`t Jewish Enough	10:42	\|	PJ	21/11/06

68.	What comes next ?	10:42	\|	franck_m	21/11/06

69.	converts	10:45	\|	robyn	21/11/06

70.	Hannah`s typical anti-semtic B.S.	10:45	\|	Chaim	21/11/06

71.	Remind Rabbi Amar He Is Not The Pope.	10:49	\|	Terry	21/11/06

72.	David Daoud	10:51	\|	Chaim Berman	21/11/06

73.	Chaim Berman.....	10:53	\|	Convert	21/11/06

74.	to Steeve from TLV #20	10:54	\|	franck_m	21/11/06

75.	Thank you AShkenazi Reform and Conservative 4 ruining the countr	10:59	\|	y	21/11/06

76.	turban wearers only please	11:03	\|	Tal	21/11/06

77.	converts are no jews ???	11:05	\|	Mira	21/11/06

78.	I agree with Steve #20	11:09	\|	El_Justiciero	21/11/06

79.	typical	11:11	\|	mazen	21/11/06

80.	A Sad Revelation	11:17	\|	Michael A. Shoemaker	21/11/06

81.	LOTS OF GOYIM	11:19	\|	DAVE	21/11/06

82.	RACIST AND SICK!	11:22	\|	Messaoud	21/11/06

83.	Yehudi Lubnani	11:23	\|	Jasmine Murphy	21/11/06

84.	To Sim of New York - patrilineal descent	11:24	\|	Frank	21/11/06

85.	Venom of the Orthodox serpent	11:32	\|	Bennie	21/11/06

86.	Noble Try	11:37	\|	Avi Yerushalmi	21/11/06

87.	Buy The Rabbi A New Calendar	11:38	\|	Terry	21/11/06

88.	What utter hypocricy!	11:45	\|	Michael A. Shoemaker	21/11/06

89.	Secular Israelis need to act !	11:45	\|	Paul Henzen	21/11/06

90.	This is so bigtted, sacrilegious & racist	11:46	\|	Rabbi Nahum Wengrov	21/11/06

91.	Rabbinate	11:58	\|	Naim S. Mahlab	21/11/06

92.	hatikva	12:02	\|	ozge	21/11/06

93.	The new(sic) conversion row!	12:07	\|	Sara	21/11/06

94.	THE HONEST MEN OF GOD & SINAT CHINAM	12:07	\|	Iskander	21/11/06

95.	The Asschers were right...	12:08	\|	Paul Henzen	21/11/06

96.	law of return	12:13	\|	patricia reimann	21/11/06

97.	Reply to ER	12:14	\|	David	21/11/06

98.	BRING ALL EHPIOPIANS TO ISRAEL AND SEND ALL CONVERTS TO USA	12:18	\|	SCOT	21/11/06

99.	The law of return	12:18	\|	sh	21/11/06

100.	A request to Israelis	12:20	\|	Clickfool	21/11/06

101.	Israel just another Arab sandpile without Reform Jews	12:20	\|	Avi	21/11/06

102.	Reform were Jewish enough for Hitler	12:22	\|	Yacov	21/11/06

103.	#6 has it.	12:25	\|	Avraham	21/11/06

104.	remove converts	12:36	\|	a jew in limbo	21/11/06

105.	RACIST AVI	12:37	\|	mazen	21/11/06

106.	CONVERTS IN ISLAM WORLD	12:38	\|	Iskander	21/11/06

107.	here we go again	12:40	\|	miriam	21/11/06

108.	Where does this leave me?	12:41	\|	DK	21/11/06

109.	mr amar	12:45	\|	a convinced 1	21/11/06

110.	Why, Scot do	12:51	\|	mazen	21/11/06

111.	to steve the real jew	12:52	\|	miriam	21/11/06

112.	CHECK YOUR DNA COMES NEXT !!	12:56	\|	paul harris	21/11/06

113.	to #20	13:06	\|	A	21/11/06

114.	To All Those Venting TheirSpleen	13:18	\|	Avi Yerushalmi	21/11/06

115.	Everyone is a convert	13:22	\|	Shlomo	21/11/06

116.	To David, No. 25	13:25	\|	Naomi	21/11/06

117.	A question from a goy	13:42	\|	karter	21/11/06

118.	Law of return	13:42	\|	Henry Weil	21/11/06

119.	Ayatollah Amar	13:45	\|	Milton	21/11/06

120.	#105 Mazen: Where are the Jews today?	13:58	\|	Avi	21/11/06

121.	SEND AMAR TO EPHIOPIA TO LOOK FOR REAL JEWS	14:08	\|	SCOT	21/11/06

122.	NOW AMAR JOINS OLMERT, PERETZ, HALUTZ	14:11	\|	SCOT	21/11/06

123.	CONVERTS	14:34	\|	ROBYN	21/11/06

124.	Same old, same old.......	14:37	\|	Stephen Connor	21/11/06

125.	Avi Yerushalmi, Haskala = Reformation !	14:38	\|	Paul Henzen	21/11/06

126.	either way has benefits	14:44	\|	Avi Newman	21/11/06

127.	Who Is A Jew?	14:52	\|	Victor Smolinsky	21/11/06

128.	Mr. Berman of Tafuach, Palestine #5	14:56	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

129.	Politics, Religion and the case of Denver	15:04	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

130.	Dangerous anti back door.	15:07	\|	H.H.M	21/11/06

131.	Victor Smolinsky- there will be no need #127	15:22	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

132.	Dangerous anti back door.	15:22	\|	H.H.M	21/11/06

133.	ROBYN and Nancy Pelosi #123	15:24	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

134.	Numbers and other thoughts	15:32	\|	Shirah	21/11/06

135.	Paul Henzen and the Enlightenment #125	15:44	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

136.	I wonder what the Chief Rabbi..	16:01	\|	Jack	21/11/06

137.	Was There An Earlier Version of this Bill??	16:45	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

138.	Violation of the Covenant!	16:58	\|	Alicia	21/11/06

139.	Amar, say "KALEM!", olmert, say "KALEM!"	17:00	\|	randolf	21/11/06

140.	The Rabbis are wrong	17:00	\|	Bruriah Sarah	21/11/06

141.	A very sensible bill as far as it goes	17:06	\|	Metatron	21/11/06

142.	I think its time to end the position of chief rabbinate	17:18	\|	Jacob Blues	21/11/06

143.	there is a good solution!	17:24	\|	Ernst	21/11/06

144.	I fought for Aliya in the high court	17:29	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

145.	We are all Jews	17:33	\|	Leah	21/11/06

146.	foreign workers	17:35	\|	Maya Roth	21/11/06

147.	Paul #125	17:36	\|	Jerrym	21/11/06

148.	# 135 Yaacov Sullivan	17:36	\|	Paul Henzen	21/11/06

149.	TO Chaim Berman - Good idea	17:40	\|	Steve Beikirch	21/11/06

150.	Yaakov Sullivan the TURNCOAT is a prime example	17:43	\|	* BEN JABO	21/11/06

151.	Yaakov Sullivan the TURNCOAT is a prime example	17:44	\|	* BEN JABO	21/11/06

152.	148#	17:48	\|	Jerrym	21/11/06

153.	Jerrym, that is awful !	17:52	\|	Paul Henzen	21/11/06

154.	Paul Henzen and more on conversion in Holland #148	17:56	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

155.	#149 Steve Beikirk on Syrian converts	18:09	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

156.	82 - How is it racist?	18:10	\|	Bruriah Sarah	21/11/06

157.	144 - Yosher Koach	18:12	\|	Bruriah Sarah	21/11/06

158.	Similar bill in 2004 failed!	18:23	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

159.	@bruria sarah Thank you so much (no text)	18:25	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

160.	A very good idea..	18:27	\|	Tosefta	21/11/06

161.	MOSHIACH TIMES)))))) - REAL JEWS	18:28	\|	Stephen Connor	21/11/06

162.	TO STEVE #20	18:29	\|	Jose Farias	21/11/06

163.	to steve #20	18:31	\|	Jose Farias	21/11/06

164.	Tikvah - you are truly beautiful	18:33	\|	Stephen Connor	21/11/06

165.	No converts? No checks!	18:33	\|	Athena	21/11/06

166.	Jacob Blues	18:34	\|	Gabe1	21/11/06

167.	#1 NO not only Orthodox	18:51	\|	Ari ben Yisrael	21/11/06

168.	Israel needs to build its numbers.	18:54	\|	Chris	21/11/06

169.	You mean you think you`re a rat, Gabe?	19:14	\|	Jacob Blues	21/11/06

170.	Real Issue is Conversion Intent	19:18	\|	Mark	21/11/06

171.	Bruriah#156... Showing ignorance	19:22	\|	Messaoud	21/11/06

172.	Will it be Galut to Rabbi Amar?	19:45	\|	Alicia	21/11/06

173.	Reformists are also to blame for this	19:48	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

174.	This is a lever, it will never pass	19:57	\|	Gad	21/11/06

175.	For sure, for sure....	20:13	\|	Blogowitz	21/11/06

176.	Re. No. 20: Converts are not Jews?	20:15	\|	Hannah Leah	21/11/06

177.	Convert from Europe, please refer to my posting #129 on Denver c	20:24	\|	yaakov sullivan	21/11/06

178.	171 -Recheck your facts	20:35	\|	Bruriah Sarah	21/11/06

179.	159 - what is the bleh about?	20:37	\|	Bruriah Sarah	21/11/06

180.	Racial purity	20:43	\|	Nathan	21/11/06

181.	Paul #153 Thanks	20:43	\|	Jerrym	21/11/06

182.	Clickfool	20:58	\|	Yosemite Sam	21/11/06

183.	Jacob Blues	21:06	\|	Gabe1	21/11/06

184.	It`s sad and scary...	21:07	\|	Hanna	21/11/06

185.	The "blah" was supposed to fill in for empty text	21:10	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

186.	@yaakov its all bout politics not religion!	21:15	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

187.	if you want to be in touch write me email	21:19	\|	Convert from EUROPE	21/11/06

188.	Alicia, this is nonsense about Rabbi Amar #172	21:20	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	21/11/06

189.	Steve #20	21:30	\|	E	21/11/06

190.	Then why did Rabbi Amar bring the `Bnei Menashe` to Israel?	21:40	\|	Jake	21/11/06

191.	Fernando, you are wrong, Ashenazim are original Jews	21:45	\|	Jake	21/11/06

192.	#20 Steve - Converts are not Jews	21:48	\|	Jack	21/11/06

193.	Messaoud, stay out of Jewish internal issues	21:49	\|	Jake	21/11/06

194.	My, my. Why is everyone so upset?	22:09	\|	Orthodox Jew	21/11/06

195.	This crazy country	22:10	\|	london jew..halachic	21/11/06

196.	He`s typical of other radical religionists	22:34	\|	PTS	21/11/06

197.	Need some definition here.	22:47	\|	Colin Wright	21/11/06

198.	Chief Rabbinate prepares bill	22:51	\|	Benjamin Ravid	21/11/06

199.	Paul Henzen # 125	22:53	\|	Avi Yerushalmi	21/11/06

200.	Necessary and timely	23:45	\|	Philip Handover	21/11/06

201.	New way to immigrate: Gay marriage	00:13	\|	Convert from EUROPE	22/11/06

202.	Necessary and Timely?	00:17	\|	Bill	22/11/06

203.	Look on the bright side	00:41	\|	David King	22/11/06

204.	The affect will be concentrating	01:04	\|	Fruity	22/11/06

205.	Did anyone notice the contradiction?	01:07	\|	Mr. Logic	22/11/06

206.	Necessary and Timely?	01:37	\|	Philip Handover	22/11/06

207.	germany	01:37	\|	wh	22/11/06

208.	Rabbinate Alienates World Jewry	01:56	\|	Joel A. Levitt	22/11/06

209.	converts are good jews	02:03	\|	Amit	22/11/06

210.	Puzzled	02:14	\|	Geoff	22/11/06

211.	DNA	02:25	\|	WH	22/11/06

212.	Rabbi Amar had no sense of history	03:11	\|	Sean	22/11/06

213.	Fake King David predicts	04:55	\|	* BEN JABO	22/11/06

214.	church tax needed	04:58	\|	Robyn	22/11/06

215.	Proposed change to Law of Return	05:02	\|	Louis	22/11/06

216.	Diaspora children born to Jewish Fathers	05:22	\|	Michael H.	22/11/06

217.	Yaakov Sullivan, Pardes Hannah?	05:26	\|	Jake	22/11/06

218.	Looks like Jimmy Carter`s book is Timely	06:22	\|	Mut	22/11/06

219.	Thank God I`m a Christian!!!	07:02	\|	Ricardo A. Pulgar	22/11/06

220.	Head Rabbi	08:18	\|	Dean Aston	22/11/06

221.	Re: CONVERTS ARE NOT JEWS	10:49	\|	Steve	22/11/06

222.	My rabbi asked a convert: Are you willing to die for being a Jew?	11:16	\|	AV	22/11/06

223.	(1) To Frank of Tel Aviv: Matrilineal Descent is from the Torah	12:19	\|	Sim	22/11/06

224.	right of return for all semitic people	12:21	\|	Rivkah	22/11/06

225.	(2) To Frank of Tel Aviv: Matrilineal Descent is from the Torah	12:23	\|	Sim	22/11/06

226.	Law of Return; proposed changed	22:08	\|	Bob Michael	22/11/06

227.	converts	22:35	\|	helen	22/11/06

228.	#221 Converts	00:49	\|	* BEN JABO	23/11/06

229.	Insincere conversion, slow-track naturalization	09:38	\|	DJStahl	23/11/06

230.	We have an insincere convert in these forums	18:36	\|	* BEN JABO	23/11/06

231.	#219 - Ricardo thanks god	18:45	\|	* BEN JABO	23/11/06

232.	Exclusion or openness?	21:13	\|	Peter	24/11/06

233.	converts	20:57	\|	nima	25/11/06

234.	What about Ruth? Abraham?	05:01	\|	Judith Stefchak	26/11/06

235.	White Seperatist supports Zionism	04:51	\|	RJames	27/11/06

236.	Jews by blood	02:14	\|	Chaim	28/11/06

237.	Rabbinate Unrighteous Jew	04:54	\|	Rayan	29/11/06

238.	Love is the Answer and Not Rejection	01:56	\|	Shoshanah	03/12/06

239.	Converts are Jews And Good Idea	18:01	\|	Teresa Glass	05/12/06

240.	None of you get it	04:04	\|	Shmuel HaKohen	06/02/07

241.	conversion to judaism	10:44	\|	bobby harris	28/05/07

242.	come on	12:51	\|	agam	19/08/07

243.	So it`s come down to this?	06:15	\|	Aharon Yaaqob	06/08/08

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22:04 Jewish Agency: Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records


04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling


07:41 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December


07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh


07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel


19:30 U.S. to offer witness in Olmert probe partial immunity over testimony given in Israel


04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open


04:45 Egypt evacuates Rafah area, fearing IAF strike on Gaza

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