Page 3 THE NEWS-May, 1987
WORLD BEAT
edited by Marta Garelik
Israel Worries About Its
Relations with South Africa
JERUSALEM (JTA) -
Israel faces a three-fold
dilemma in its future relations
with South Africa-economics,
moral, and its obligation to do
nothing that might com
promise the security of South
Africa’s large and active
Jewish community.
Relations with South Africa
has become an urgent issue
because of sanctions against
the Pretoria regime enacted by
the U.S. Congress over Presi
dent Reagan’s veto. Countries
^Ji&sged in certain areas of
trade with South Africa, par
ticularly arms trade, may face
a reduction in U.S. economic
aid.
The General Accounting Of
fice (GAO), a Congressional
body, will publish a list of
countries involved in the arms
trade with South Africa. Israel
is expected to appear pro
minently on that list.
Israel has been selling
military equipment to South
Africa for the past 15 years,
mainly light weapons,
communications and elec
tronic equipment. This adds to
Israel’s economic difficulties.
Its military ties with South
Africa provide employment
for thousands of Israelis and
Israel relies heavily on South
African coal to generate elec
tric power, because of the
higher cost of oil.
A Gem of a Robot
TEL AVIV (JTA) - An
Israeli company has invested
over $2 million to design and
produce a robot capable of cut
ting and polishing colored gem
stones.
The new "Robo-Gem” fully
automated system works bet
ter than the skilled human
hands which have been cut
ting and polishing precious
stones from time immemorial.
“Robo-Gem” is especially
good with emeralds and may
be adapted later for processing
diamonds, one of Israel’s chief
exports.
The robot cutter saves up to
90 percent of costly rough
stones. Between 60 and 85 per
cent is currently lost in the
cutting. The company has not
yet decided whether to make it
available outside Israel.
Israelis Concerned Over AIDS
Only 35 cases of AIDS have
been diagnosed in Israel to
date. There have been 12
fatalities. The purpose of the
program, which followed a
television documentary on the
subject a week earlier, was to
inform the public of the AIDS
diagnostic centers that have
been set up at a number of
hospitals where blood tests are
conducted anonymously.
One surprising aspect of the
program was the medical opi
nion offered that infants
adopted from Brazil should be
tested for AIDS because of
the prevalence of the disease
in that country. The so-called
“Brazil Babies” are sought by
many Israeli couples because
of the shortage of babies for
adoption in Israel.
Weizman Institute Develops
Drug for AIDS Victims
TEL AVIV (JTA) - A drug
developed by the Weizmann
Institute of Science, which
reportedly had dramatic
results in the treatment of
some AIDS victims, has been
approved by the Health
Ministry for limited use in
Israel.
The drug, AL721, was
synthesized from egg yolks six
years ago by Weizmann In
stitute Profs. Meir Shinitzky
and David Samuel for the
treatment of drug addicts, the
aged and children with cystic
fibrosis. Though not approved
for public use by the U.S.
health authorities, it is being
manufactured in experimental
quantities by Praxis
Pharmaceuticals Ltd. in
Beverly Hills, Calif., under
license from the Weizmann
Institute.
Agricultural Project In
Ethiopia
NEW YORK, (JTA) -
United Support of Artists for
Africa has granted the
American Jewish Joint Distri
bution Committee (JDC)
$150,000 for an agricultural
recovery project in the Gondar
region of Ethiopia. The JDC
will use the funds to buy oxen,
seeds and tools that will help
farmers regain self-sufficiency.
The supplies will be bought in
Ethiopia and then distributed
in the designated area.
JDC has been providing
non-sectarian assistance in the
Gondar region since 1983. In
addition to the agricultural
recovery project, JDC has
built a health center in the
village of Tedda and is plann
ing a polyclinic in the town of
Gondar.
Netherlands Supports Opening
of UN War Crimes Archives
AMSTERDAM (JTA) -
The Netherlands supports the
opening of the Unit^ Nations
archives on war criminals to
all member states of the UN
and to private individuals and
institutions engaged in serious
research.
The archives were compiled
between 1943-47 by the now
defunct UN War Crimes Com-
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mission. Israel’s request for
access was denied by UN
Secretary General Javier
Perez de Cuellar on grounds
that all but one of the Commis-
sion’s 17 member states
wanted them closed. The only
dissenting country was
Australia.
Unusual Display of
USSR-Israel Amity
GENEVA (JTA) - An
unusual display of amity bet
ween the Soviet Union and
Israel occurred here when
Tass correspondent Vladislav
Chichlo proposed Sari Rauber,
correspondent for the Israeli
newspaper Maariv, for
membership in the committee
of journalists accredited to the
United Nations here. Rauber
returned the compliment by
proposing Chichlo for member
ship. Both were elected
unanimously to spontaneous
cheers of delegates to the an-
nueil meeting of the United Na
tions Press Association.
Tid-Bits
JERUSALEM (JTA) - A
semi-official organization, the
World Federation of
Hungarians, has offered to act
as intermediary between
Hungary and Israel in the
absence of- formal diplomatic
relations between the two
countries. The World Federa
tion of Hungarians, with the
backing of the Budapest
government, seeks to main
tain ties with Hungarian
emigrants all over the world.
There are about 100,000 Jews
of Hungarian origin in Israel.
The Jewish population of
Hungary numbers an
estimated 62,000, the largest
in Eastern Europe outside the
Soviet Union.
JERUSALEM (JTA) - The
Al-Sam Association which
combats drug abuse has laun
ched a national campaign to
educate the public to the pro
blem. This follows a survey by
the group which showed that
between 10,000-20,000 adults
in Israel use drugs regularly
and about 10 percent of
youths, between ages 14-18,
used drugs at least once.
NEW YORK (JTA) -
Mayor Edward Koch of New
York, unveiled the street sign
designating “David Ben-
Gurion Place’’ here while
standing in a truck-crane.
The square is at the site of
the old Biltmore Hotel, where
45 years ago Ben-Gurion and
other Zionist leaders formally
established the goal of the
Jewish State of Israel during
the Biltmore Conference.
TEL AVIV (JTA) - The
Knesset marked International
Women’s Day by enacting a
law equalizing the retirement
age of women and men. Until
now, men retired at 65 and
women at 60. Under the new
measure, women may work
until age 65 unless they choose
to take their pensions at 60.
NEW YORK (JTA) - The
Jewish Braille Institute of
America announces that it is
expanding its library of 5,000
books of Jewish interest
recorded on standard audio
tapes. The “Talking Books’’
collection of current best
sellers, classics and other
books may be borrowed free
for up to 90 days. Contact the
institute at 110 E. 30th St.,
New York, NY 10016; (212)
889-2525.
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VIENNA (JTA) — A survey
conducted by Austria’s four
major opinion poll institutes
showed that seven out of
every 100 Austrians are self-
declared anti-Semites. The
survey of a cross-section of the
population, totalling 9,000
people, sponsored by the
Austrian National Bank,
showed that the lowest rate of
anti-Semitism -- four percent --
was in the 14-29-year age
group and the highest among
those over 60.
TEL AVIV (JTA) - The
Israeli pavilion at the Interna
tional Trade Fair in Cairo had
some 10,000 visitors during
the first week of the fair.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (JTA)
— “To buy Israel, you have to
ask Israel,’’ advises Elmer
Winter, chairman of the Com
mittee for Economic Growth
of Israel (CEGI). CEGI has
published a pamphlet that
answers the question, “What
Israeli foods, wines and ap
parel are sold in the United
States?” To obtain a copy,
write: CEGI, 5301 N. Iron-
wood Road, Milwaukee, WI
53217; or call (414) 961-1000.
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