InDepth

We refer our readers to the Jerusalem Post editorial appearing below on the topic of Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech on the Middle East. But we also offer the following:

There is certainly ample basis for both the positive and negative comments on Secretary Powell's speech. On the negative side of the ledger were his support for a Palestinian state, the dispatch of "special envoys" reminiscent of the Clinton "pressure" years, the use of the term "occupation" when referring to Israel's control over Yehuda and Shomron, and his condemnation of the "settlements."

There is growing evidence that now that success in Afghanistan is within reach, the President is serious about pursuing the war against terrorism to other venues. One senses an almost palpable effort to prepare the world community for the so-called Phase II. It will be recalled that Mr. Bush declared soon after September 11th that targeting Osama bin Laden and his Taliban protectors would be Phase I, and that neutralizing the terror network around the world would constitute Phase II. And it is fast emerging that Iraq will be the first step.

Last week in these pages, we noted the significance of the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections. As we said, the Congress determines the policies and budgetary allocations of the Jewish Agency in Israel which is the central agency administering the distribution of the bulk of the hundreds of millions of dollars raised by the UJA-Federation system worldwide. However, the erosion of Orthodox representation in the Congress over the years has resulted in a substantial diminution of support for Orthodox institutions and a definite non-Orthodox tilt in positions on issues that are fundamental to the character of the Jewish people.

It's been raining rumor and myth since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. And though most of the so-called urban legends that now abound on the Internet and even make an appearance or two in mainstream news outlets are easily dispelled by their very outlandishness, there are some that just won't go away.

Although "it's not over 'til it's over," the reports out of Afghanistan of the continuing collapse of the Taliban hold on the country are certainly welcome signs of the effectiveness of the President's anti-terrorism policy. To be sure, Osama bin Laden is still at large. But it cannot be lost on any of the nations of the world that if they provide safe harbor to terrorists, this is the kind of power that can be unleashed against them to, in President Bush's words, "cough them up."

In the light of the ostensibly single-minded war against terrorism, it is becoming increasingly difficult for defenders of Yasir Arafat to explain away his continuing embrace ? if not worse ? of terrorism emanating from within areas under his control. Further, the various Arab states that are nominally allied with the United States such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are having a devil of a time justifying their continued support of Arafat despite his recalcitrance, and also their urging pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinian as the price of their participation in the anti-terror coalition.

Represented by noted Washington lawyer Nathan Lewin, the parents of David Boim ? a 17 year-old New Yorker who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at a bus stop in Beit El, Israel on May 13, 1996 ? filed suit against several U.S.-based organizations that provided significant support and contributions to Hamas.

It is probably too much to hope for, but we hope nevertheless that the recent Schneier-Boteach/Sharpton debacle will serve as an object lesson to macher wannabees.

The June 2002 election for the 34th World Zionist Congress looms as one of the more important items on Orthodoxy's communal agenda. The World Zionist Congress determines the policies and budgetary allocations of the Jewish Agency in Israel, the central agency which administers the bulk of the funds raised by the UJA-federation system worldwide.

Phil Donahue, the godfather of trashy daytime TV talk, has taken himself out of mothballs, seemingly determined to remind persons of discriminating taste exactly why they were so overjoyed to see him go into retirement in the first place.

For the eighth time since his April, 1999 indictment for failing to notify the authorities of Yigal Amir's intention to assassinate Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the trial of Avishai Raviv has been postponed, this time for six months. According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, the trial court ordered the postponement of the scheduled November 11 trial date pending a higher court decision on the defense's request to view highly classified prosecution materials.

As we and others have opined, the inclusion of Arab states that continue to harbor terrorist cells in the anti-terrorism coalition is seriously undermining the effort by signalling a political business as usual modus operandi. We have been equally critical of signs that the Bush Administration is agreeing to certain demands of Arab states in general in order to keep them in the coalition. Primary among the concessions was the recent public support expressed by President Bush for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Plainly, the Arab states think they are finally onto something in their effort to have the United States cut Israel loose. But the snickering that this has doubtless engendered seems about to turn into outright mockery if it hasn't already done so.

In a brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals in the crucial case involving an eruv in Tenafly, New Jersey, Nathan Lewin, Orthodox Jewry's foremost constitutional litigation lawyer, presented an important argument that will, if successful, insulate all eruvim in the United States against similar constitutional attack. The Tenafly Council ordered Cablevision to remove 183 plastic strips that the Eruv Association had attached to utility poles to be used as "lechis," which are necessary to complete an eruv. Many reportedly had reason to believe, from the debate that had preceded the order of removal, that Tenafly was simply trying to keep Orthodox Jews out of the town. But all the Council members swore that they had no anti-Orthodox bias ? which would have meant that their action against the eruv was a violation of the Constitution ? and the federal judge believed them.

As we report elsewhere this week, the Prime Minister of Romania has announced that the deadline for filing claims for restitution payments for those who once held property in pre-war Romania is November 14, 2001.

It was too good to last. The news media, which by and large performed admirably for about a month after the events of Sept. 11, are showing clear signs of reverting to old habits. The sour cynicism directed at American officials, the credulous reporting of enemy claims, the shallowness and sensationalism that once were the province of cheesy local stations but have long since become a staple of the network news departments - all of these are slowly coming out of hiding and reasserting themselves as the driving forces of American journalism.

The Jewish Press endorses Mark Green for Mayor of the City of New York. Of the two candidates, Mr. Green is clearly the one to lead our rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the devastating events of September 11. He is also unquestionably the one to heal the terrible racial tension unleashed by the very sad Democratic primary.

The Jewish Press also endorses the following candidates:

Prime Minister Sharon has come in for much criticism both here and in Israel by those who fault him for withdrawing the IDF from Palestinian controlled areas it entered in response to shootings emanating from there. They argue that remaining in those areas for an extended period of time is in Israel's best interests, but Mr. Sharon is nevertheless bowing to pressure from the Bush administration.

The word circulating around usually well-informed parts of town is that President Bush will be appointing Mayor Giuliani to a very prominent position connected with the war against terrorism. Director of the CIA and Director of Homeland Security are the two posts most often mentioned. Because the Bush Administration is fast losing points in the polls and the confidence of the American public seems to be waning, we don't regard this as mere speculation.

Onward with the best (or worst, if you will) of what those on the left are saying in the aftermath of Sept. 11. We'll start off the week with Studs Terkel, whose popular oral histories (Working, etc.) lead many to mistakenly label him a writer when in fact he's nothing more than an energetic tape recordist, to use the memorable term coined for him by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steve Neal.

A startling population report has just been published by the American Jewish Committee debunking the myth of potent Muslim voting power.

The Jewish Press continues to receive disturbing reports of non-Jewish Middle Eastern-looking people buying taleisim, taking pictures of Yeshivas and even of having tried to purchase seats during the High Holy Days.

The relentless military crackdown on the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan stands in sharp contrast to the tentativeness of the State Department regarding terror cells elsewhere and those directing their attention towards Israel. Apparently in the interests of coalition building, there is a downplaying of the significance of the roles of Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other states hosting or sympathetic to terrorists.

The other day, in a piece entitled, "For Some Jewish Leaders, Partnership With Muslims Is A Casualty of Sept. 11 Attacks," the New York Times reported on a rude awakening in the "interfaith dialogue" crowd in the aftermath of September 11:

Next week we will be sharing with our readers a full list of our recommended candidates for the November 6 elections. In that connection, we interviewed Mayoral candidates Mark Green and Michael Bloomberg. Both came across as intelligent and committed and each offered a vision for New York City. Details of the Green/Bloomberg interviews and our conclusions next week.

Ordinary Americans are more or less united in the war on terrorism, but one enters an altogether different universe when paying mind to the torrent of recent commentary from left-wing journalists, academics and entertainers.

Once again, Rudy Giuliani has demonstrated why his tenure as Mayor of New York these past years marked a transformation of our city. There are those who say that he should have accepted the $10 million for the World Trade Center victims fund from that Saudi prince who accompanied his check with the advice that the United States "should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause. Our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of the Israelis while the world turns the other cheek." They said the Mayor should just have issued a disclaimer.

With each day bringing fresh evidence of the reality of the terrorist cloud under which we must now perforce live, prudence dictates that while we go about our lives, we be mindful of the special precautions that are now required.

In principle, we disagree with the notion of U.S. public support for a Palestinian state. The record is clear that, whatever Yasir Arafat and his crowd may claim to the Bush Administration, the Palestinians have no present intention of living as a peaceful neighbor with Israel.

We note with much pride that two prominent members of the Orthodox Jewish community have been nominated by the Democratic Party Judicial Convention to the New York State Supreme Court. They will be running in the November 6 election.