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OCTOBER 4, 2019 | The Jewish Home
@therusticloftli
@therusticloftli
age of 87. A two-term president of France who served from 1995 until 2007, Chirac had a complicated relationship with France’s sizable Jewish community. Known for his pro-Arab views and harsh criticism of Israel, Chirac never missed an opportunity to further the Palestinian cause. Despite this, he was the first French leader to take responsibility for the atrocities committed by the Nazi-allied Vichy regime during World War II. Chirac also attended the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Jerusalem after Rabin was killed in 1995 and visited Israel a year later.
gations that followed Chirac to the presidency and beyond. He was accused of creating fictitious jobs in the Paris mayor’s office and of funneling public funds to his political party, Rally for the Republic. The courts ruled that Chirac was immune from prosecution while president, allowing the whiff of corruption to linger during his 12 years in the Elysee Palace. In 2009, two years after he left office, Chirac was ordered to stand trial for embezzlement and breach of trust. In December 2011, a French court found him guilty of embezzlement and handed down a two-year suspended sentence, which his lawyers said he was too enfeebled to appeal. Chirac suffered from a neurological condition that impaired his memory.
British Tanker Leaves Iran 420 Sunrise Hwy., Lynbrook | (516) 612-3582
During Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s first term, Chirac would consistently shepherd anti-Israel resolutions through the United Nations. Chirac also had a warm relationship with terrorist Yasser Arafat and welcomed him to France’s top hospital to receive treatment for the mystery illness that ultimately ended his life. After Arafat passed away in 2004, Chirac infuriated Israel by honoring the Palestinian Authority president with an official state ceremony in Paris. However, Chirac’s attitude towards Israel changed after the Gaza disengagement in 2005, and he invited Sharon on an official state visit shortly after. Chirac was born in Paris to a Christian-Catholic family in 1932. From an early age, Chirac showed an interest in politics and later admitted to holding communist views during his youth. While serving as a military officer, Chirac was wounded in the war between Algeria and France. In 1974, Chirac made history when he was appointed prime minister of France at the young age of 41. He resigned two years later in order to form a new political movement. In 1977, Chirac was elected as mayor of Paris, a position he held until 1995, when he was elected president. His long tenure as Paris mayor also gave rise to corruption alle-
A British-flagged oil tanker sailed out of Iranian waters on Saturday, around two months after it had been seized by Tehran. According to the Stena Impero’s owner, the vessel was permitted to leave the port where it was being held in Bandar Abbas. “The vessel has left the port of Bandar Abbas and is transiting to Dubai for the crew to disembark and receive medical checks and de-briefing,” confirmed Stena Bulk CEO Erik Hanell. “The families of crew members have been informed, and the company is currently making arrangements for the repatriation of its valued seafarers at the earliest possible opportunity.” United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab responded to the ship’s release by criticizing Iran’s “pattern of attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation.” Reiterating that Iran “unlawfully” commandeered the tanker, Raab said that “we are working with our international partners to protect shipping and uphold the international rule of law.” Iran had infuriated the UK after its Revolutionary Guards seized the ship in the Strait of Hormuz this past July. Claiming it had taken the ship