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Elie Wiesel, right, meeting with then foreign minister Silvan Shalom in Jerusalem in 2005. (GPO) Last update - 15:50 17/03/2008 Wiesel declines Israel's 60th honor, cites prior commitments By Moti Katz Tags: Elie Wiesel  Author and Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel will not take part in the torch-lighting ceremony for Israel's 60th Independence Day due to prior commitments, he told the Prime Minister's Office. Wiesel told Haaretz that this was not a cancelation because he had not yet committed to take part. "When the PMO invited me to light a torch I thanked them for choosing me and told them I must check my schedule," Wiesel said. Advertisement "As it turned out, I have three appearances in front of thousands of people already planned for the same date, which is why I can't take part in the ceremony. I thanked the prime minister for the honor and privilege of taking part in the honorable and important occasion." The Prime Minister's Office said: "Unfortunately, Mr. Wiesel has informed us that he cannot participate in the ceremony. Over the next few days, the committee will reconvene to elect someone else to light a torch. We hope that in the future an opportunity will present itself in which Mr. Wiesel will be able to accept the honor he deserves from the State of Israel." Wiesel, 76, has written more than 40 books about his experience as a Holocaust survivor. His first and most important book, "Night," sold over 6 million copies. The narrative details the Nazis' deportation of Wiesel's family from the northern Romanian town of Sighet to Auschwitz. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his life's work. Wiesel was also influential in the creation of the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Related articles: Elie Wiesel awarded by U.K. for services to Holocaust education U.S. police arrest Holocaust denier suspected in Elie Wiesel attack Bookmark to del.icio.us   Undressed to impress Yeshiva student strips in a supermarket to protest sale of chametz during Passover. Ante up Hamas offers truce in return for a Palestinian state along Israel's pre-1967 borders.   1.   Good ridance!!! 11:24  |  david 17/03/08   2.   elie wiesel 14:00  |  Mark 17/03/08   3.   Israel probably wasn`t paying him enough 15:35  |  Sherman 17/03/08   4.   wiesel did the right thing!To celebrate the event while ignoring 15:41  |  lakshmi 17/03/08   5.   weisel will be missed 16:17  |  igco 17/03/08   6.   he had a good reason 16:23  |  jack 17/03/08   7.   Missing him, but he is not an intellectual innovator 17:11  |  D. Solingor 17/03/08   8.   Wiesel 60th Anniversary Rejection 17:19  |  JJ Gross 17/03/08   9.   OK it`ll be a bit of a push 17:23  |  Paul Wood 17/03/08   10.   He`s scheduled to be in Chicago - 17:39  |  Chicagoian 17/03/08   11.   #4 17:39  |  Jane 17/03/08   12.   Wiesel Declines 18:21  |  Steve Gure 17/03/08   13.   ELI WIESEL 18:34  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/03/08   14.   Even Wiesel doesn`t want to be identified with Israel 18:34  |  Chanalau, Tova 17/03/08   15.   11Jane,the shoe is on the other foot! 18:55  |  lakshmi 17/03/08   16.   #14--Get an education !! 19:00  |  Donald A. Rosenberg, 17/03/08   17.   TOVA/TUBA 19:24  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/03/08   18.   wiesel declines 19:26  |  hollingsworth 17/03/08   19.   Chanalau, Tova 14# 19:33  |  Cyasher 17/03/08   20.   Elie Wiesel 20:47  |  Cyclops 17/03/08   21.   18 hollingsworth,I`ve never met Wiesel and I know about him only 21:35  |  lakshmi 17/03/08   22.   to lakshmi 19:38  |  hollingsworth 18/03/08   23.   david are you nuts? 15:25  |  Simcha 22/04/08   24.   First Streisand, now Wiesel. How Sad. 20:26  |  FK 22/04/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: For our worst enemy, Hamas, just 2 words Responses: 82 Study: Muslim anti-Semitism is strategic danger for Israel Responses: 211 Israel to compensate family of British filmmaker killed by IDF Responses: 110 Clinton: If Tehran nukes Israel, U.S. could 'obliterate' Iran Responses: 138 Yeshiva student undresses in store to protest chametz sale Responses: 50 American suspected of giving nuclear secrets to Israel Responses: 57 Rosner's Domain Small gain in Pennsylvania could mean big win for Barack Obama Obama's love affair with the rest of the world (WTR) Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Fight Hamas, not AIPAC (WTR) More Headlines 20:41 U.S. arrests American over suspected nuclear espionage for Israel 20:40 ANALYSIS: New espionage affair may be old story, but will greatly damage Israel 18:17 Hamas: We'll give final response to truce proposal on Thursday 16:36 Israeli think tank: Muslim anti-Semitism is strategic danger for Israel 19:41 Qaida No. 2: Hezbollah started rumor that Israel planned 9/11 17:47 Clinton: If Tehran nukes Israel, U.S. could 'totally obliterate' Iran 20:21 Filming begins in Vienna for tongue-in-cheek Hitler biopic 19:22 Obama wary of Carter's report of breakthrough with Hamas 17:03 12-year-old boy who was buried alive saves 5 people in death 13:42 Barbara Streisand pulls out of Israel 60th anniversary jubilee 15:39 Jordan's King to ask Bush to defer or cancel trip to Israel 15:29 UNIFIL finds Hezbollah arms; gunmen scatter peacekeepers 17:39 MK Benizri released from hospital after suffering angina attack Previous Editions Select Day 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr

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