October 12th, 2004

To aggravate an already sore topic (in my mind, at least), Egypt's main
newspaper released an article stating that, contrary to past beliefs,
the 3 explosions at the Taba Hilton Hotel (located in the Sinai
Peninsula, Egypt...right near the southern border of Eilat, Israel)
were not caused by suicide bombers.  It is now thought that the bombs
used were timed mechanisms and that all of the attackers escaped. 
Just to refresh our memories, last week 34 people were murdered
(unknown numbers of Egyptians and Israelis as well as two Italians
and a Russian) at a popular tourist hotel in Egypt, just south of
the southern tip of Israel.  While Palestinian terrorist groups were
first thought to be the attackers, they denied the speculations and
now, it was written in the same Egyptian newspaper article that the
attackers are thought to be linked to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaida
terrorist network.
 
In local news, there is an TI Israel Action Committee sponsored event
on Sunday evening at 7pm at the Temple.  The program will be a "make
the case for Israel" event where the audience will be shown how to
"make the case for Israel."  The program will show a neutral, honest
perspective on the situation in the Middle East, and how Israel is
constantly framed.  I have seen the program before run by the same
person (a very competent man named Tal Ben Shahar), and I feel as
though it is extremely important that everyone sees it.  I mean I
saw it the summer going into 10th grade and I still have all of my
materials from the presentation.

Jonah Liben
Israel Affairs Vice President
Natick USY