A Palestinian cleric commandeered the microphone and the podium at an interfaith meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Jerusalem on Monday in order to deliver a tirade against Israel. After apparently hearing the translation of the cleric’s words, which were delivered in Arabic, the pope walked out of the meeting. The incident, which was the ugliest of the pope’s Holy Land visit so far, occurred at the Notre Dame church. Sheikh Tayysir Al-Tamimi, who delivered the ranting speech, is head of the Palestinian Shari’a (religious) court. Officials tried but were unable to interrupt Al-Tamimi as he carried on, charging that "Israel destroyed our homes, exiled our people, built settlements, ruined the Muslim holy sites, and slaughtered women, children and senior citizens in Gaza." A representative of the Vatican said afterward that the unscheduled speech was "a direct negation of what a dialogue should be." The incident was one more indication that the pope is not achieving the reconciliations his trip was promoted as seeking. Muslims who heard the pope speak in Amman said he failed to adequately apologize for using a quote offensive to Islam in a 2006 speech, and some Jews expressed similar feelings after the pope spoke at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, suggesting that Benedict failed to explain and apologize for seeking sainthood for Pope Pius XII, who is known for failing to come to the aid of Jews during the Holocaust, and for cleansing the record of a Holocaust-denying bishop. Former Israeli chief rabbi, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau said the speech was "devoid of any compassion, any regret, any pain over the horrible tragedy of the six million victims."
Iranian-American Journalist Convicted as Spy in Tehran Has Been Released
Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist who was convicted in a closed-door trial in Tehran of spying for the United States, was released on Monday. Saberi had been in Iran for a number of years working as a freelancer for Western news agencies and writing a book. In January, she was arrested for not having a current press pass and while she was in jail received word that the charges against her were amended to include espionage. She was sentenced to eight years in prison. After a public outcry that included U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad promised her appellate hearing would be "open and fair." The hearing took place on Sunday and Saberi was set free. She will be returning to the United States.
Ban Ki-moon Weighs-in on Middle East Security Council Debate
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participated in a Security Council debate on the Middle East, calling on the Palestinians to halt rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel and calling on Israel to "fundamentally change" its policies regarding building in post-1967 territories. The meeting, called by Russia in its role as rotating president of the council, was boycotted by Israel. Aside from his admonition to the Palestinians on firing rockets, most of the secretary general’s criticisms were aimed at Israel. In particular, Ban chided Israel for "unacceptable unilateral actions," including Jewish building in post-1967 areas and house demolitions in east Jerusalem. A comment by the U.S. ambassador to the effect that the American administration was looking for quick results in the Middle East is generating concern among Israelis, who are increasingly apprehensive of the U.S. pushing the Jewish state into an agreement with the Palestinians. The Israelis would have preferred that the U.S. not participate at all in Monday’s debate, believing that any agreement must come from the parties themselves, and not outside forces. Analysts at The Media Line see this week’s Security Council session as a further indication of the diminishing qualitative difference that until now has marked the U.S.-Israel relationship as opposed to alliances between Israel and other nations.
U.S. SecDef Gates Fires American General Heading Forces in Afghanistan
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has fired Gen. Davie McKiernan, commander of the American forces in Afghanistan. He will be replaced by Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Taliban violence has been steadily increasing, and the administration, according to Gates, wants "new thinking and new approaches from our military leaders." McChrystal is a former head of special operations forces.