October 1
esday • October 28, 1997
W * The Battalion
orld
raeli religious legislation
gers U.S. Jewish groups
[ERl ISALEM (AP) —A contingent
Reform and Conservative Jews,
mostly
from
the
United
States,
lobbied
the
Knesset
Netanyahu
cas Tech, y
— to quali^ognilion in Israel. A top govern-
eis ranked aslant official accused them of trying
P poll but felpOig down the government.
,ss. With support from Prime Minis-
as Morning' Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s leg-
inability i rttuv is preparing to pass a bill that
se or to nioirl gi ve Orthodox Jews a monopoly
lie heart oft 1 religious matters in Israel,
a him. The issue is political dynamite in
-spaper also ae * an d has put Netanyahu’s gov-
is already ln tent on a collision course with
it candidatederican Jewry, which is dominat-
estern'sGan hy Reform and Conservative
Terry cements. American Jews are
Tyrone \\ ] lon B the most generous donors
defensive Israel and provide crucial politi-
opes. backing in Washington,
layers sav Tin a second-class Jew in the
aiiid theircK^S 1 state,” Rabbi Gerald Weider of
st kind ofu;; w YorkCitysaidasheandsome20
nd here the ler Beform leaders wandered the
y coach y esset halls, lobbying against a plan
^running [jatiffectively denies the non-Or-
he nation d^^^aP^ 306 on councils that over-
; religious services.
said he to legislation is to be present-
isider leav Tuesday by religious parties in
is season j: tanyaim’s coalition government.
other bill opposed by Reform
make nit vs ’ ma king non-Orthodox con-
il j ie u jrsions illegitimate, is pending,
d “If we Orthodox religious parties con-
( I ] | d^third of Netanyahu’s coalition
a j ( |a j,. is dhave vowed to topple the gov-
> get adjuste;
was thethl
x years whli
ernment unless the prime minister
follows through on a promise to
pass the legislation.
It is the climax of a longstanding
dispute between the Orthodox
stream of Judaism, which adheres
to a rigid interpretation of Jewish
law, and the more liberal Conserv
ative and Reform movements,
which want to adjust Judaism to
modernity— allowing women rab
bis, for example.
These movements have been
waging a court battle to force the state
to grant them greater recognition.
Several cases on conversion are
scheduled to come before the
Supreme Court, which is liberal and
widely expected to rule in their fa
vor. To head this off, the Orthodox
have demanded immediate pas
sage of the conversion bill, which
passed the first of two required
readings in June.
American Jewish leaders — and
many Israelis — are warning pas
sage of the bill would bring about a
historic split between Israel and the
Jewish diaspora.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, head of
the Reform Zionist Association in
New York, warned of “a catastroph
ic rift in the Jewish people” and said
Netanyahu must choose between
the “unity of his coalition and the
unity of Judaism.”
Netanyahu—who lived much of
his life in the United States and has
close ties to the U.S. Jewish com
munity — appears sensitive to the
dangers. In July, he set up a com
mittee headed by Finance Minister
Yaacov Neeman, bringing leaders
from all the streams together in
search of a compromise.
After arriving in Israel on Sunday,
the American contingent met with
Netanyahu, who asked them to allow
time for Neeman’s committee to
reach a compromise. Neeman re
portedly is proposing the establish
ment of a “conversion institute,”
where all the movements would
work together but the Orthodox
would have effective veto power.
On Monday, however, the lead
ers of the Reform movement an
nounced they were rejecting the
compromise and would forge
ahead with the court cases.
Netanyahu adviser David Bar-Il
ian said the decision was aimed at
toppling the Netanyahu govern
ment. “There is no doubt that they
are doing it — since they are affili
ated with the opposition—to bring
down the government,” he told the
Associated Press.
Rabbi Ehud Bandel, a leader of
the Conservative movement in Is
rael, called the accusations “para
noid and untrue.”
The dispute between Orthodox
and the more liberal movements
centers on the interpretation of
Jewish law. The Orthodox argue
only a rigid set of laws has enabled
the Jewish people to survive.
“Judaism was handed down to
Moses and it was followed by our fa
thers for 2,000 years. Now they
come along wanting to change
everything,” Aryeh Deri, a leading
Orthodox lawmaker, said Monday.
In Israel, the state has ceded cer
tain powers — primarily marriage
and divorce — to an Orthodox rab
binate. Even though a majority of
Israelis are secular, most are
nonetheless married by Orthodox
rabbis, and even if they attend ser
vices rarely, it is usually in an Or
thodox synagogue.
The Reform and Conservative
movements are allowed to practice in
Israel, but marriages or conversions
to Judaism can ied out by their rabbis
are not recognized by the state.
Abe Foxman, director of the
Anti-Defamation League, called on
Netanyahu to allow members of his
Likud Party to vote of conscience on
the conversion bill.
“Even though the law itself will
do very little to change things, the
fact is that it is perceived as Israelis
not accepting diaspora Jews at a
level of equality,” Foxman, of New
York City, said. “Psychologically, it is
a very painful development.”
186-31-2 reti
i missed afteij
i he posted
at 5-6. AM,
c Williams,'c
91 after co4
phinese government angered by
elease of anti-Communist films
'horns
vie
Hnistry orders studios to limit activity in trade fair
For
JeANGUAI, China (AP)
i he proi ' jUywood studios keen on cracking
ay out ofa Mhina market, the Shanghai film
dds salt: 0 ff erec i a good opportunity
e were 3-i ;r deal-making. That is, until the
r games, dnese government got involved.
11, but wet- Executives from Disney and
r season,! )n y pictures kept to the sidelines
ayers, fans-j china’s largest film trade fair
all want tfe ) e ned Monday. MGM sent no rep-
sentatives. The reticence, at least
/n the part of some studios, is said
J. vJ(P have been motivated by Chinese
Dvernment anger.
he weeb' China’s Ministry of Radio, Film
erage a 2i nd Television has ordered the stu-
tes to avoic los to limit their public activities in
ing the lo« At of pique over three movies de
cry. The (acting Beijing’s harsh rule in Tibet
erage for n d its arbitrary legal system,
2.0, buttte ources i n the state-run film indus-
lational tT sa id on condition of anonymity,
fay i ma ges of Communist Par-
lit’s gain 70 TP ress i on ’ n Sony’s Seven Years
hare in# 2 Tibet, MGM’s Red Corner and
and 31 s^ e y et- t°-be released Kundun
. on r Disney are the type of nega-
I ‘ ve publicity Chinese President
rg* es ' ang Zemin hopes to dispel on his
is the per- Jrren t e ight-day tour of the Unit-
juseholdi iStates _
to a pro B ut predicament the Holly-
ep resents
lare is tlif
a broadcas-
ns on at tltt
wood studios are in illustrates the
pitfalls of doing business in China.
Free market forces have not fully
supplanted state controls, and the
government has shown a willing
ness to sacrifice economic gain for
political goals.
The Chinese government has sig
naled to the studios, especially Dis
ney, that the movies might harm
their business interests in China.
A year ago, Chinese officials
were said to have privately ex
pressed their displeasure with Dis
ney’s plans to release Kundun — a
film directed by Martin Scorsese
that deals with the Dalai Lama, the
exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. Con
cern arose in Hollywood Beijing
would use Disney’s expansion
dreams to force the company to
distance itself from the project.
Beijing’s view is the Dalai Lama
wants to split Tibet from China,
which annexed the Himalayan re
gion in 1951. China’s Foreign Min
istry has said any praise for the Dalai
Lama “is counter to the facts.”
Seven Years in Tibet, starring
Brad Pitt, tells the story of an Aus
trian explorer’s friendship with the
young Dalai Lama. Red Corner,
about an American lawyer ac
cused of murder in China, stars
Richard Gefe, an open supporter
of Tibetan autonomy.
Beijing limits imports of foreign
films to about one a month, and
censors have not approved any by
Disney or Sony for release this year.
By contrast, 20th Century Fox has
received approval for two releases.
The Chinese film industry
sources said the government’s or
der, conveyed to studio representa
tives two weeks ago, demanded the
companies withdraw from public
activities for a period of time. It did
not order any offices in China be
closed or deals canceled, and it was
unclear whether it specifically
mentioned the Shanghai Interna
tional Film Festival and its concur
rent three-day film market.
A spokesman for the ministry,
who identified himself only as Mr.
Cao, refused to answer questions
about the order.
, The tiff between Beijing and
Hollywood made the festival’s offi
cial organizers uncomfortable.
ChenXiaomeng, director of the fes
tival office, said the studios stayed
away on their own accord.
id will ^
; current! 1
h financt
nesting
1991
lion
|ian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) meets a young Dalai Lama (Jamyang Wangchuk) for the
Jime in TriStar Pictures’ Seven Years in Tibet. The film and others have angered the Chinese government
(to their negative portrayals of Chinese communist rule.
meineke’
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©MDMSI 1997
Today is
Get-Your-Picture
Made-For-The
Yearbook Day.
So is tomorrow.
Class of ’98 pictures
are being made for the
1998
Aggieland
at A R Photography
Texas Avenue
Campus
o
I4IQ Texas Ave.
(between Jason’s Di
and Academy)
Drop by
A R Photography
at its new
location on
Texas Avenue, or
call 693-8183 for
your appointment
1997-98 Texas A&M Campus Directory
NOW AVAILABLE
S TUDENTS: If you ordered a 1997-98
Campus Directory, stop by room 015
(basement) of the Reed McDonald
Building from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday to pick up your copy.
(Please bring Student ID.)
If you did not order a Campus Directory
as a fee option when you registered for
Fall ’97 classes, you may purchase a copy
for $3 plus tax in room 015 Reed McDon
ald (by cash, check or credit card).
D EPARTMENTS: If you ordered Cam
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