The Nation’s Largest JEWISH CLASSIFIEDS (PAGE 45)
the
ewish Voice J Deuteronomy 32:1
M AY T H E E A RT H H E A R T H E WO R D S O F M Y M O U TH
June, 11 2010 | 29 Sivan 5770
Helen Thomas Retired After “Jews” Comment
Vol. 6, Iss. 24
www.JewishVoiceNY.com
Turkey Turning Towards Islamic East
World Mourns Passing of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu z”tl
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu z”tl BY JV STAFF
Helen Thomas: “They” (Jews) should "go home" to Germany, Poland and the U.S. Hearst Newspapers announced the immediate retirement of Helen Thomas in the midst of an uproar over her comments that Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine."
“H
er decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet," Hearst said in a statement. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a broadside about Thomas' remarks during a nationally televised briefing by Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen over the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Asked by a reporter if he had discussed Thomas' statement with President Barack Obama, Gibbs replied, "I have not spoken with him directly on that. I'll say this ... I think those remarks were offensive and reprehensible. I think she should and has apologized, because obviously those remarks do not reflect certainly the opinion of, I assume, most of the people in here and certainly not of the administration." Ibrahim Hooper, Director of Communications for the Council on American-
Continued on page 12
Just as Jews around the world were preparing to gather to pray for Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, word of his death arrived.
Pro Palestinian demonstration in Istanbul Turkey drew thousands of Islamic fundamentalists. BY SMUEL BEN ELIEZER The latest sign that Turkey is moving away from NATO of which it a member and moving towards the more radical Islamic east is that they are opening a trade route through Iran to Pakistan. Starting August 1, 2010 cargo traffic will run regularly between Turkey and Pakistan via Iran, the official Iranian news agency Press TV reported.
“W
e will start working on developing our trade and investment relations with Iraq by putting our Iraqi Working Group into action,” Ümit Boyner, chairwoman of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association was quoted in Turkish media as saying, following the recent visit to Turkey of Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish region in Northern Iraq. Boyner said the improved trade ties between Turkey and Syria is an example of what could develop between Turkey and the Kurdish region. In 2008, the two countries decided to scrap visa requirement for travel
and cut tariffs, which during its first year resulted in Turkish exports to Syria rising from $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion. “That’s the dynamic right now,” Hugh Pope, Turkey/Cyprus project director of the International Crisis Group told The Media Line regarding Turkey’s shift towards the East. “There has been a gradual shift in orientation of Turkey, but it’s quite opportunistic the economic ties Turkey has with the European Union,” Pope said. While trade to the Middle East is back on the rise again, Pope still remains skeptical. The trade is only one sign that analysts see in the shift of Turkish loyalties. It was 11 years ago that Turkey was struck by a devastating earthquake and all of her NATO partners came to its aide. Israel at the time had close relations with Turkey, sent search and rescue teams and was asked to lead the efforts at a major military base. After the flotilla incident last week, Mr. Erdogan said that the world now perceives, “the Swastika and the Star of David together.”
Continued on page 7
E
arlier on Monday afternoon, it was reported that his medical condition had severely deteriorated, and that prayers were sought. Rabbi Eliyahu was the spiritual leader of much of the religious-Zionist sector. Hospitalized for nearly a year in Shaarei Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, his condition was downgraded to "critical,” and not for the first time. Family members were called to his bedside, and were by his side when he passed away. The sage was in poor and very painful condition for several months. Two weeks ago, tens of thousands of people gathered in three different locations to pray for Rabbi Eliyahu’s health, following a similar deterioration. His son, Tzfat’s Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, told Arutz 7, “Preparing for Redemption” radio program at that time, “The situation is not good. Ever since last Elul [August], the rabbi has been in the emergency room, and is undergoing terrible suffering. The very fact of his long hospitalization leads to a slow deterioration; sores open, close, open... things are going backward instead of forward.”
Continued on page 4