JEWISH PRESS VoLLXXXfl
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28 Sheuat, 5763
January 31.2003
CELEBRATING 82 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA
Even a Sharp Politician like Sharon ; May Find National Unity out of Reach fay LESLIE SUSSER •
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Ariel Sharon is one of the sawiest politicians Israel has produced. It was Sharon who brought disparate right-wing parties together to form the Likud Party in 1973. It was also Sharon who, two years ago, persuaded a battered and bruised Labor Party to join a national unity government after Sharon won the premiership from the Labor incumbent, Ehud Barak. But even Sharon will be hard-pressed to put together the broad-based government he would like, despite the unprecedented scope of Tuesday's victory for the Likud and the Israeli right. Labor is refusing to join a Sharon coalition, and the third-place Shinui Party has set stringent conditions for joining. That could leave Sharon facing his "nightmare scenario": a narrow coalition with the far-right and Orthodox parties. Not easily deterred, Sharon will do all he can to entice Labor and Shinui into his government. His success could decide whether a new peace process can be launched, the kind of economic plan the country adopts, whether changes will be made in the religious-secular status quo—and even how long the government will last. Exit polls from Israel Television on Tuesday showed the Likud winning 35 seats, Labor 18, Shinui 15, Shas 12, National Union eight, Meretz six, United Torah Judaism five, National Religious Party five, lasrael Ba'Aliyah three, One Nation three and the combined Arab parties 10. Polls on other channels showed slightly different
Pundits agree.that such a govnumbers but confirmed ernment couldn't move toward the general picture: a r) peace with the Palestinians or majority of 64-68 seat? I implement •much-needed economfor the likud-led rightic reforms. wing-religious bloc, 1820 for the centrists, and Sharon believes a narrow coalian unprecedented low of ximi would deny him the flexifaiii34-36 seats for the 1 ry to maintain excellent ties with Labor-led left. Washington and to-move forward nn tfae Palestinian track. Israel is The left's crushing! expected to come under increased defeat evoked opposing f pressure to make diplomatic reactions from its leadprogress with the Palestinians ers. Meretz's Yossi Etfter an anticipated American Sarid announced that attack on Iraq. he would resign if the exit polls proved true, If Sharon is forced into a narrow whereas Labor's \ coalition, some pundits believe he Amram Mitzna said he ! will make sure it doesn't last, pre• .rat: was determined to fight cipitating yet another general Minister Ariel Sharon casts on. "We will remind school in Jerusalem* A maMim w i t h i^or might Sharon and the Israeli T o t e in aPhoto by Brian BemdlerfJTA for€e g h a r o n to adopt mom C0QciI. public day in and day out that there is an alternative," he declared. iatory policies toward the Palestinians than he "Politics is a marathon, and we are only in the would like. On the other hand, it would give him flexibility toward the Americans, better standing in beginning kilometers." For Shinui leader Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, the red Europe and tfae ability to make concessions on-the line for his secular rights party is whether the gov- Palestinian fcraek, while deflecting international pressure to negotiate under fireernment includes fervently Orthodox parties. Indeed, in his victory speech, Sharon made a pasEven without Labor and Shinui, Sharon still could form a stable coalition in the 120-membei* Knesset, sionate appeal for a unity government with Labor, but it would be a narrow government of the Likud, quoting the late Labor Prime Minister Yitzhak the far-right and the Orthodox parties. Rabin on the common destiny of the Jewish people.
The Israeli 'Angle 1 to NASA Astronaut llan Ramon's fi Blrd5s Eye View5 by DANIELLA ASHKENAZY-
"What is Israeli astronaut llan Ramon doing up there above us right now, circling the earth at an altitude of 250 kilometers? Like any tourist, part of the time—two to three times a day—he's taking pictures, but the focus is purely scientific and Ramon's cameras are not your average run-of-the-mill Minolta, but two small but sooped-up multi-spectral cameras with ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared capabilities. The object: 'catch' dust storms forming over North Africa 'on the fly'. The purpose: Better understand the distribution of desert aerosols. Why? Previous research by a Tel Aviv University team headed by climatologist Professor Zev Levin has shown pollution has a positive dimension—literally and figuratively: When dust kicked up in the Sahara meets pollution particles from Europe over the eastern edge of the Med, the 'marriage'produces condensation nuclei that can turn into raindrops, while the diameter of dust and pollution particles separately have no such affect. Actually, Eamon is not alone up there, and we don't mean the other Columbia crew members. He's working in tandem with colleagues on the ground and in the air. An airplane with a jerryrigged tube-shaped dust-collector mounted on its 'forehead' is collecting samples of the aerosols it encounters in-flight in the lower atmosphere on special filters and plates. Thus, scientists are combining measurements of the same phenomena-mineral aerosols from the desert—from three vantage points: from orbit 'on the fly'-armed with llan Bamon's 1900 mile wide bird's eye view from horizon to horizon; from the aircraft (based in Sicily) which is using GPS tech-
nology to align itself to follow tfae space shuttle's sweep in the upper atmosphere; and from a monitoring station at ground level in Lampedusa—a small island south of Sicily. By combining the data, distribution patterns of desert aerosols from the Sahara—one of the world's belt of 'great deserts' that lay 30 degrees above the equator can be drawn up—a model expected to ultimately lead to a strategy for producing more rain, naturally—by 'dusting clouds instead of crops'. (Continued on page 10)
Cantor Berkovits to Leave-Beth El by OZZ1E NOGG >
Cantor Emil Berkovits will leave his position at Beth El Synagogue at the end of this contract year. The announcement was made at lbs Executive Board meeting •Jan. 14.
In a letter to the- congregation, Beth El President, Dick Felkaan, wrote, "As many of j you know, for several years •low, Emil and Iili have been thinking of moving from Omaha to a location nearer their children. Last year he was kind enough to agree to remain, for at least one more year, so as not to leave us at the same time as Rabbi Brazen." Fellman added, "AH of us at Beth El appreciate the wonderful years—two decades—of service given to us by Cantor Berkovits. Our children have loved him; our seniors have loved him, and everyone in between agrees. Emil has given his heart, soul and special talents to Beth El. We will never be able to adequately thank him. We wish Emil and Lili well as they move on with their lives," Cantor Berkovits stated, "I now feel my task as cantor at Beth El has been fulfilled, and am confident there is a congregation on the East Coast that can benefit from my talents in the future." Cantor Berkovits will continue to serve Beth El until mid-summer. Hyman Sukiennik, a Vicepresident of the congregation, will chair the Cantonal Search Committee.
1N5SDE: Monthly Col. Han Ramon is conducting experiments in space for Tel Aviv University on desert dust storms. Photo courtesy of NASA.
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