Rehovot Chief Rabbi Visits Gush Katif

Also see:

Beware of Gush Katif Anarchists call for Israel Civil War. MyRehovot.Info (11 July 2005) [FullText]

Jewish History Professor envisions Israel Society Disaster. MyRehovot.Info (1 July 2005) [FullText]

"Rehovot Chief Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook made a solidarity visit to Gush Katif this morning, visiting schools, taking part in the dedication of a new home, and delivering a Torah lecture in Yeshivat Torat Chaim in N’vei Dekalim.

Rabbi Kook told those escorting him that he is confident that in the merit of the Torah, the Gush Katif community will continue to flourish for many years, adding the sound of Torah learning would continue emanating from the area."

Source: Rehovot Chief Rabbi Makes Solidarity Visit to Gush Katif. IsraelNN.com (17 June 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Family Case: Israel Recognizes Consular Divorces for the First Time, Thanks to Attorney Ram Shachter

"For the first time, the State of Israel has officially recognized a consular divorce proceeding that took place at the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv. In a ruling handed down two weeks ago by the Family Court, the Interior Ministry recognized the divorce of Michael Katakov, a 33-year-old immigrant from the CIS who is not entitled to Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, and his first wife. The couple was married four years ago in the embassy's consular department.

In the wake of the Interior Ministry's unprecedented recognition of the dissolution of the marriage by the Russian consul, Katakov, who now lives in Rehovot with his second wife, whom he married in a civil ceremony abroad, can now exercise his citizenship right and be registered in the population roll as the legal husband of his second wife.

According to attorney Ram Shechter, who represented Katakov before Family Court judge David Shoham, "the Interior Ministry's recognition of the consular divorce will make life easier for tens of thousands of immigrants from the CIS who are not eligible for the Law of Return and immigrated to Israel. Until today, the only divorce proceeding available to them was complicated and expensive, and possible only after two legal instances - the Supreme Court and the Family Court."

Shechter added that with the Interior Ministry's recognition and Russia's authorization of the divorce, couples from the CIS could now get divorced at the consulates of their countries of origin in Israel at the low cost of a few hundred shekels and without having to wait for a long time for the process to be approved by the courts.

The State of Israel continues to invest significant resources in encouraging immigration from the former Soviet Union, and this policy hasn't changed despite the fact that today most of the immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are not Jewish in accordance with the halakha. In light of this, the rate of mixed marriages is very high, with one of the spouses eligible for immigration to Israel under the Law of Return and the other entitled to residency and citizenship only by virtue of his/her marriage.

Interior Ministry figures show that since the beginning of 2000 and up until the end of last month, some 124,400 individuals have immigrated to Israel from the CIS. Of this number, some 55 percent (around 69,000) are not of Jewish origin.

Recent years have seen a consistent rise in the percentage of immigrants from the CIS who are not considered Jewish according to the halakha. This year, for example, some 62 percent of the immigrants are not Jewish, while 59 percent of last year's immigrants weren't Jewish. For the sake of comparison, some 761,000 individuals immigrated from the CIS to Israel in the previous decade, with only around one-third of them considered non-Jewish.

Despite the immigration and absorption policy, the state makes life difficult for immigrants whose marriages have fallen apart as a result of the trauma of moving to a new country. In Israel, the only divorce proceedings available to immigrants from the CIS are religious divorces through the rabbinate that can be conducted only if both spouses are Jews in keeping with the halakha.

"Until now, when the mixed immigrant couples wanted to end their marriages and for the Interior Ministry to afford the divorce legal status, they had two options," explains attorney Shechter. "One, to get divorced in their country of origin - an expensive step that involves purchasing a return air ticket and financing the stay abroad. The second, and less expensive option, was to enter into a marriage dissolution process in the courts and using a lawyer."

Shechter said the court process could take up to two years and cost some $4,000-5,000. According to estimates based on the number of requests to dissolves marriages in the past five years, immigrants from the CIS have paid lawyers in Israel a total of some NIS 250 million to exercise their right to get divorced and start a new family with a different spouse.

Katakov did not plan on setting a precedent for the immigrants from the former Soviet Union. He says he chose the consular route "because it seemed a logical step and a process that would not take up my time and force me to suspend my doctoral studies at the Weizmann Institute."

Commenting on the Family Court's ruling, the spokeswoman for the Population Administration said the ruling would be reviewed by the administration's professionals "and we will work out how to act on this issue in the future.""

Source: Relly Sa'ar. Israel recognizes consular divorces for the first time. Haaretz.com (5 May 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Land: Municipality, Polar Real Estate Swap Properties

The municipality wants the plot in the city center for public buildings. Polar Real Estate will build a $50 million commercial and residential project on the alternate site.

"The Rehovot municipality and Shrem Fudim Kelner & Co. (TASE:SFK) subsidiary Polar Real Estate recently concluded a land swap deal in the city. Polar Real Estate gave the municipality a plot on Herzl St. in the city center, originally zoned for 200 apartments and 4,000 sq.m. of commercial space, receiving an equivalent plot in the northern part of Rehovot in exchange. The municipality initiated the deal because it wants the plot in the city center for public buildings, including a municipal library. Polar Real Estate will sell the apartments for an estimated $40 million, and the commercial space for $10-12 million. Demand for residences in northern Rehovot is high. Azorim Investment, Development and Construction (TASE:AZRM), Kardan Real Estate (TASE: KRDR ) and Hiram Gat Engineering and Construction (TASE:BYKG) have built hundreds of apartments in the area."

Source: Elazar Levin. Rehovot municipality, Polar Real Estate swap properties Globes online (27 April 2003) [FullText]

New Rehovot Mall to be Build Near Train Station and Keriat Hamada

"Ogen Yielding Real Estate will begin constructing a new commercial center in Rehovot within the next three months, to be located near the Rehovot science park. The commercial center will cover an area of 8,000 square meters, according to CEO and owner Doron Aviv.

Aviv added that the company is currently in advanced negotiations with several companies planning to open anchor stores there. Potential companies include Tiv Taam, which is looking at a 2,500-square-meter space, and Home Center, which is seeking to rent 500 square meters. Ogen is discussing another 2,000 square meters with Home Center but has made less progress on that deal. Aviv added that sealing negotiations with the chains would pave the way for launching the project.

Building the two-story open-air center will cost an estimated $8 million. Ogen expects some NIS 2 million in revenue the first year. Rental fees will vary between $15 and $30 per square meter per month for stores.

The project will be completed within 15 months, according to Aviv. The center is part of a huge plan to build an industrial area, which was approved in its initial stages by the district building and planning board.

The project will be built at Drachim Junction, where the transportation complex, including a train station and a public parking facility, is already located. Ogen sources believe that the location will bring in lots of customers and thus do not expect any problems finding tenants. Some 1.5 million people go through the station annually, they estimate."

Source: Anat Georgi. Ogen to build new mall in Rehovot. Haaretz.com (19 June 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Land: Kaldash, Municipality Negotiate $12 Mln Land Swap Deal

Kaldash will return the old Maccabi sports stadium in exchange for building rights in the northern part of the city.

"The Rehovot municipality and Shrem Fudim Kelner & Co. (TASE:SFK) subsidiary Polar Real Estate recently concluded a land swap deal in the city. Polar Real Estate gave the municipality a plot on Herzl St. in the city center, originally zoned for 200 apartments and 4,000 sq.m. of commercial space, receiving an equivalent plot in the northern part of Rehovot in exchange.

The municipality initiated the deal because it wants the plot in the city center for public buildings, including a municipal library.

Polar Real Estate will sell the apartments for an estimated $40 million, and the commercial space for $10-12 million. Demand for residences in northern Rehovot is high. Azorim Investment, Development and Construction (TASE:AZRM), Kardan Real Estate (TASE: KRDR ) and Hiram Gat Engineering and Construction (TASE:BYKG) have built hundreds of apartments in the area."

Source: Elazar Levin. Kaldash, Rehovot Municipality Negotiate $12 Mln Land Swap Deal (27 April 2003) [FullText]

Disengagement Plan Opponents Planned Terrorist Attack on Be'er Sheva Communication System on a Day of Major in Israel History Train Crash

"Suspected Be'er Sheva utilities sabotage bid

Police in Be'er Sheva arrested on Tuesday morning nine men, including a 14-year-old, suspected of attempting to sabotage vital Bezeq communication infrastructure as part of their protests against the disengagement plan. Several of the suspects were arrested while trying to sabotage communication boxes in the Be'er Sheva government compound and a main avenue in the city. Several of the nine were found with maps and blueprints marking infrastructure areas and banks in Be'er Sheva as well as keys for electricity boxes. They are suspected of planning to sabotage communication boxes in a bid to disrupt the banks' activity. The suspects were being interrogated by police on Tuesday morning. They are residents of the Hebron region, Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights."

Quoting the other News on Violence by Gush Katif supporters

"Members of the National Home movement and other right-wing groups opposed to the disengagement plan announced Tuesday that they were putting off their plan to block roads and junctions around the country to next Wednesday because of a train crash near Revadim.

"The day after a tragedy of this kind occurs the public is unwilling to sympathize with a demonstration that might seem as if it endangers the lives of motorists - even though the protesters will be risking mainly their own lives," said an unofficial spokesperson for the right-wing activists.

A truck had crashed into a train near the southern town of Revadim Tuesday afternoon, causing dozens of casualties and seven deaths.

Police in response lowered a high state of alert, declared after they received information that disengagement foes had planned to bring traffic to a stand-still on Wednesday by blocking roads and junctions.

Earlier on Tuesday, police arrested 11 West Bank settlers after receiving information they were gathering roadspikes and ninja throwing stars in preparation for anti-pullout demonstrations planned for Wednesday.

The northern West Bank settlers, including two minors, were arrested at Moshav Beit Gamliel in the center of the country.

Police have been collecting intelligence information as part of their preparations for Wednesday's planned anti-pullout demonstrations around the country.

The Shin Bet received information that right-wing activists were preparing various weapons at a Beit Gamliel warehouse for use during the protests.

On Monday night, police officers and Shin Bet agents raided the warehouse and arrested the 11 suspects. On Tuesday morning, their remands were extended until Sunday. Three of them will remain in custody until Monday. The two minors were released with restrictive conditions.

Police said they uncovered "a plan by residents of the Yitzhar settlement to harm vehicles across the country and to endanger drivers and public transportation."

The suspects were also found with maps and other documents. They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit crimes, manufacturing of offensive devices and posing danger to human life. It is still not clear if the activists planned to use the weapons against police officers. An order forbidding publication of details of the affair was lifted late Tuesday afternoon.

Police to go on highest alert ahead of protests The police announced on Tuesday they will be raising their state of alert to the highest level on Wednesday as part of its preparations to counter threats by disengagement opponents to block 23 central highways and junctions across the country in the afternoon.

The police command has decided to treat the right-wing declarations extremely seriously following the last operation initiated by the Bayit Leumi movement several weeks ago when dozens of highways and junctions across the country were blocked simultaneously.

At a meeting of the police senior command on Tuesday morning, district commanders presented intelligence data and their deployment plans ahead of Wednesday's planned road-blockings.

According to the anti-disengagement declarations, the junctions and highways to be blocked include the Golani junction in the north, the Geha and Ayalon highways in the center of the country as well as the entrance to Jerusalem.

Prison Service: we are expecting 2,500 detainees The Israel Prison Service Commissioner Ya'akov Ganot said before the Knesset Constitution Committee on Tuesday that the service was expecting to keep in detention 2,500 disengagement-foes during the Gaza Pullout.

The committee was discussing the preparation of law enforcement procedures for the imminent evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements.

The Court Administrator Judge Boaz Okon said in the discussion that a judge call-up system had been organized to relieve pressure in case the courts are flooded with arrest hearings.

Anti-pullout activists paint Tel Aviv orange. In the Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv on Tuesday, activists painted sidewalks orange, the color symbolizing the anti-pullout movement. Source:

Source: Roni Singer, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service. Pullout foes postpone plans to block roads due to train crash. Haaretz.com (22 June 2005) [FullText]

Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot Received 33 of the Train Crash Victims

"Seven people were killed and 195 were injured Tuesday afternoon when a passenger train collided with a truck in a sunflower field near Kibbutz Revadim in the northern Negev.

Of the injured, 26 suffered serious injuries. Rescue forces left the scene of the crash Tuesday night, saying there were no more people trapped in the rubble. Earlier, there were reports of five people who had been missing since the accident and who may have been trapped in the wreckage.

Israel Railways officials told Israel Radio reporters before dawn on Wednesday that the conductor who was killed in the crash has been identified as Leonid Turk, 46, of Ramle. Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit said Tuesday night an investigative committee was being established to examine the circumstances of the collision. The investigation will focus on the truck driver, who drove onto the railroad tracks as the train was approaching.

Sheetrit called the collision a "frightening accident and a serious disaster." He said the committee would submit its findings within a week.

An initial police investigation indicates that the truck driver did not obey a stop sign or a subsequent warning sign and drove onto the railroad tracks from a temporary dirt road. The train conductor sounded the horn in warning when the truck was about 20 meters away from the train, which had nine full cars and was traveling at a high speed.

The truck, which was filled with coal dust, was split into three by the force of the collision, and the first car of the train was crushed and overturned in a nearby ditch.

"As soon as we heard a strong blow, the train began to toss right and left," said Efraim Yanku, a paramedic for the Magen David Adom rescue service who was on the train during the crash. "When it overturned, everything filled with smoke and dust. People flew into the [first] car, were frightened, screamed. I screamed at everyone to lower their heads. I went through the car to certify the level of injuries and contacted Magen David Adom to tell them about the incident."

Train passengers said the first car was full because at the beginning of the journey the air conditioning was not working in the rear of the train. "Even after the air conditioning began working, many people decided to stay in that car," said Einat, a passenger who was treated for shock after surviving the crash.

"People flew into the [first] car, began bleeding; pieces of glass from the windows flew on them, there was a lot of chaos," said another passenger, who was lightly hurt in the crash.

Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi ordered his own investigation into the accident, which he called a "serious disaster," and said he expects findings within the next few days. In the coming days, the police will try to answer several basic questions, including whether the dirt track used by the truck driver was an official road.

Sixty ambulances and first-aid vehicles treated victims at the scene, and many of the casualties were airlifted in Israel Defense Forces helicopters to 10 hospitals in the south and center of the country, and in Jerusalem. The IDF Home Command sent its search-and-rescue team, aided by dogs, to look for casualties amid the rubble of the first car of the train, where most of the fatalities were located. Silence crept through the chaos for a few moments as rescue workers listened for sounds of life.

Those hurt in the crash were rushed to ten hospitals in the south, center and Jerusalem areas. Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot received 33 of the injured; 13 of the injured arrived at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer; Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem, Jerusalem admitted 27 injured people; three others arrived at Hadassah University Hospital at Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem; Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem received 16 of the injured; another 10 were sent to Wolfson Medical Center in Holon; five were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah; Assaf Harofeh Hospital at the Tzrifin army base received 13 of the injured; Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva received 44 of the crash victims; Barzilai Medical Center received another 31."

Source: At least seven dead in train crash in northern Negev, 189 injured. Haaretz.com (22 june 2005) [FullText]

Students Protest Lack of Women at Rehovot Science Conference at the Weizmann Institute: Israel Science is for Man Only

"Some 20 graduate students demonstrated yesterday in front of the "Rehovot Conference" at the Weizmann Institute of Science, to protest the absence of women at the gathering.

The new conference will serve as a "national forum for examining Israel's science policy." Some 30 speakers [including PM Ariel Sharon] - all men - were invited to address the forum. One woman, Atalia Rosenbaum, director general of the Science Ministry, participated in a panel. Students of both genders carried signs reading "Men Only," and "No Science without Women."

"We are protesting the attitude that science is a men-only club," said Tamar Kashti, a Ph.D. student at the institute.

Several senior scientists decided not to attend the conference because of the exclusion of women. Prof. Ruth Shalgi, deputy president of research and development at Tel Aviv University, as well as other researchers from Tel Aviv, the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute, said women were not invited, despite there being women who lead in the fields of science and science policy in Israel.

MK Melli Polishuk-Bloch (Shinui), chair of the Knesset's Education Committee until recently, boycotted the convention. "Ignoring women's potential harms Israel's prospects for growth and scientific development," she said.

In response to the promise to hold a session on "Women in Science" at the next conference, Polishuk said: "I don't need a special session on the status of women. That only perpetuates the discrimination."

Source: Tamara Traubman. Students protest lack of women at science conference. Haaretz.com (10 June 2005) [FullText]

Also see:

1. PM Ariel Sharon's Speech at the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology. MyRehvot.info (14 June 2005) [FullText]
2. President of the Non-profit Weizmann Institute Becomes Rehovot's Biotech Firm Top Official. MyRehvot.info (11 June 2005) [FullText]

Anti-Governmental Graffiti in Rehovot: Let Rechovot be the Holocaust Memorial Zone Free From the Extremism by the Unfortunate People

Quoting IsraelNN.com publication of 19 May 2005:

"Police are investigating more [Nazi symbols] graffiti against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, this time in Rehovot... An investigation has been launched."

More info on Rehovot-born radicalism is available at the earlier publication by MyRehovot (23 April 2005).

In response MyRehovot.info declares:

Let Rehovot be the Holocaust memorial zone free from the extremism by the unfortunate people who occasionally misidentify Israel officials with Nazi symbols. We won't allow extremists to fool us and our children!

Rehovot's Cancer Scientist and Weizmann Institute Graduate School Dean Yosef Yarden Joins Israel Biotech Firm as Scientific Advisory Board Member

"GammaCan International, Inc., a developer of immunotherapies for cancer and other serious conditions, today announced the appointment of Dr. Yosef Yarden to the Scientific Advisory Board, significantly broadening the scope of expertise needed to bring the Company to its next stages of development.

Gammancan is presently conducting a Phase II clinical trial of its proprietary GCAN 101 technology for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, metastatic prostate or colon cancers.

Dr. Yosef Yarden is professor in the Department of Biological Regulation at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. His career has been devoted to understanding the role of the EGFR family of growth-factor receptors and EGF-like growth factors in human cancers. Yarden has been involved in many crucial developments in this field, including isolating the EGFR, isolating several neuregulins, establishing the pivotal role of receptor dimerization in transmembrane signaling, understanding the role of HER2 in signal transduction and tumor development, and resolving the process of ligand-induced degradation of oncogenic receptors.

Dr. Yarden is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Asia-Pacific International Molecular Biology Network. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the H. Dudley Wright Research Award in Biomembranes, the Somech Sachs Prize in Chemistry, the Andre Lwoff Prize, the Lombroso Award for Cancer Research, the Michael Bruno Prize of Yad Hanadiv (Rotchild's) Fund and Teva Founders' Prize (2004). Currently, Dr. Yarden is the Dean of the Feinberg Graduate School. In the past he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Director of the M.D. Moross Cancer Research Institute, and Dean of the Faculty of Biology. He received his BSc in biology and geology (cum laude) at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel in 1979, and his PhD at the Weizmann Institute in 1985.

"Yosef Yarden's ground breaking research and regulatory expertise is critical to Gammacan as we forge ahead with Phase II clinical trials and explore potential mergers and acquisitions that would enhance the Company's product pipeline. Dr. Yarden's acceptance of this position reinforces our already strong commitment to our immunotherapy-based technologies and growth potential," stated, Dr. Dan J. Gelvan, CEO..."

Source: GammaCan Appoints Award Winning Cancer Specialist Dr. Yosef Yarden to Scientific Advisory Board; Bioregulatory and Pioneering Research Add Significant Value to Company's Endeavors. Business Wire (25 May 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Genealogy Group Announcement

Rehovot Genealogy Group meeting will take place on June 20, 2005 at 8 p.m. Rony Golan will be speaking on "The missing identity of Hildegard Dondorf".

Hildegard Dondorf came to Palestine in 1946 as an 8 year old, together with a group of orphans, knowing nothing of her real identity. 57 years later, in 2003, her real identity was revealed through exhaustive genealogical research.

Come and hear how this was done through the use of the various archives and resources available. For details of venue and directions email to Linda Geffon.

Source: Yahoo Board posting by Linda Geffon (18 June 2005).

Subscribe to Rehovot mailing list hosted by MyRehovot. Additional info is available at this link.

Freely Available in Rehovot Pornography Linked to Ma'ayan Sapir's Murderer

Quoting Jerusalem Post Publication:

"A serious indictment was scheduled to be brought against the 17-year-old murderer of Ma'ayan Sapir on Thursday in Tel Aviv's district court. The indictment includes charges of rape and sodomy, Army Radio reported. According to the indictment, the teen happened across the 16-year-old Sapir randomly in the street as she was walking towards the mall in central Rehovot. He then attacked her and dragged her to a nearby schoolyard, where he raped and killed her, a witness claimed. The killer then fled to his house, where he was later found under the influences of glue fumes and alcohol and watching pornographic films. Sapir's body was found naked with marks of strangulation."

Also see: Rehovot as a Center of Pornography for Children and Adults. MyRehovot.info (23 May 2005) [FullText]

Source: Ma'ayan Sapir's murderer to be indicted Thursday. (16 June 2005) JPost.com [FullText]

Rehovot R&D Firm Specializes in Comprehensive Security to Protect High Profile Brands and Documents

"Projects are Expected to Generate Recurring Revenues in Second Half of 2005 and Future Years

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (14 June 2005) - InkSure Technologies Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: INKS), a leading provider of covert security solutions for the prevention of counterfeiting, fraud and diversion involving high profile brands and documents, today announced the receipt of the largest equipment order in the Company's history, which is expected to be supplied by the end of 2005.

The international order, from the Company's strategic marketing partner, Sun Chemical Group B.V., the world's leading manufacturer of printing inks, calls for the utilization of InkSure's security solutions in a number of projects involving the packaging of consumer products. Authentication of the packaging of hundreds of millions of individual product containers will involve hundreds of field SignaSure(TM) readers and a number of high-speed production line SortSure(TM) quality assurance systems.

"The award of this contract confirms InkSure's position as a leader in the emerging product authentication industry," stated Elie Housman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of InkSure Technologies, Inc. "We expect to begin recognizing equipment revenues from this order relatively soon, and revenues arising from project consumables are expected to be significant and recurring in the second half of 2005 and future years. Our record first quarter and backlog from U.S. customers, along with this order, form a solid foundation of recurring business that should facilitate continued revenue growth."

InkSure Technologies Inc., with its corporate headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and its R&D center in Science Park, Rehovot, Israel, specializes in comprehensive, covert security solutions designed to protect high profile brands and documents of value from counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. The Company's sales and marketing activities target a number of market opportunities, including financial, pharmaceutical, branded products, transportation, and government/institutional, on a global scale.

The Company's common stock is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "INKS." Additional information on the Company is available on its website at http://www.inksure.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty. Although InkSure (the "Company") believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include the Company's need to obtain substantial additional capital (through financings or otherwise) to fund its operations, the progress of development, government and regulatory approvals and licensing/commercialization of the Company's technologies, and other factors noted in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved.

By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release."

Source: InkSure Technologies Inc. Web Site PRNewswire-FirstCall

Orsense of Rehovot Introduced New Pain-Free Blood Tester

"Tel Aviv, Israel, Jun. 14 (UPI) -- An Israeli company has devised a tool for checking the level of hemoglobin in the blood without puncturing the skin.

The NBM-100 developed by Orsense, of Rehovot near Tel Aviv, contains a ring-shaped sensor put on a finger. It measures hemoglobin by combining an optical measurement with pressure, similar to the instrument used to measure blood pressure.

The Magen David Adom first aid service (Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross and Red Crescent) said it collaborated with Orsense in developing the instrument and will use it this week during a campaign to increase blood donations.
Orsense's vice president for products, Gideon Fostick, told United Press International the results are as accurate as one usually gets in testing capillary blood by pricking a finger. It is less accurate than results obtained in laboratory tests when blood is drawn from a vein."

Source: New pain-free blood tester introduced. Washingtontimes.com (14 June 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Bicyclist Was Killed After Being Struck by a Truck

"Three people were killed and another two people were critically injured in vehicle-related incidents throughout the country Wednesday.

The day began with two deadly incidents in which vehicles struck victims: a bicyclist was killed after being struck by a truck in Rehovot, and Majd el-Kurum resident Aref Shehadeh, 35, was killed in a hit-and-run incident at Kfar Nahaf intersection, near Karmiel..."

Source: David Rudge and JPost.com staff. 3 killed in one day on Israel's roads. JPost.com (16 June 2005) [FullText]

Press Releases by Rehovot Municipality for the Shavuot week of June 12-18, 2005

MyRehovot is pleased to inform its readers about Press Releases published by the Rehovot Municipality during the Shavuot week, 2005.

The titles of the Municipality's news and upcoming events announcements are detailed below. Full stories are available at MyRehovot Hebrew edition :

1. ROAD SAFETY DAY AT "RANANIM" SCHOOL IN REHOVOT

In the framework of Road Safety Days, which are taking place at schools around Rehovot, a day for summing up record achievements took place at Eshkol Ganim and "Rananim" School... (14 May 2005)

2. SHIR V'YELED (SONG AND CHILD) – A UNIQUE SONG CONTEST FOR CHILDREN

This is a unique song competition specially for children in 1st-6th grade s which will take place from Wednesday 22nd June and will conclude with a Final's Competition on Saturday evening, June 25th (14 May 2005)

3. "TIKVATANU" ("OUR HOPE") CENTRE, WILL NOT CLOSE

At a meeting which took place between Rehovot's Mayor Shuki Forer and Chairman of "Tikvatanu" Management, Mr. Ben Zion Dell, Mr. Dell informed Mr. Forer that the Tikvatanu Center will not close... (14 May 2005)

4. PARTY FOR RECRUITERS IN REHOVOT

The Municipality of Rehovot's Department for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport – the Department for Stage Arts Production, together with "The Youth Will Behave Differently" and the Municipal Youth Council, is holding a recruitment party for students finishing high school.

The Recruiter's party will take place this year under the slogan "The struggle against violence amongst youth and adolescence" on Thursday 23rd June, 2005 at 22:00 at the Ayalon Museum, Givat Ha'kubbitzim... (14 May 2005)

For additional info please visit Rehovot Iriya (“Municipality”) web site, available here.

PM Ariel Sharon's Speech at the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology

"I am happy to be here tonight and commend the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology and of all those who assisted in organizing this conference. I regret that in light of all my other tasks I was not able to spend more time with you and learn more about the achievements and requirements of science in Israel.

Lately, I have been investing most of my time in the Disengagement Plan. I ensure you that the Disengagement Plan will be implemented. It is the right and best possible step for the State of Israel.

I also believe that following this step, which is a very difficult and painful step, security in Israel will increase, and I also believe that investments will grow and the level of interest in Israel's technological and scientific know-how will go up. I am also confident that the need for scientists will increase and I am certain that you will all have much more to do. I hope that it will go as smoothly as possible and we will be able to advance towards a political agreement, and following that, G-d willing, also towards peace.

It is good to see that while we are engaged in the implementation of the Disengagement Plan, there are those who are occupied with something which is no less important - the scientific advancement of the State of Israel and the entire human race. I am confident that, as all citizens of Israel will enjoy a better security and economic situation following the Disengagement Plan, so will the scientific community enjoy its benefits. I also hope that we will soon see the time in which the Prime Minister of Israel will be able to spend more time in scientific conferences and conventions and less time in political and security discussions.

The story of science in Israel is also that of a far-reaching vision. The leaders of the Jewish community in Israel, headed by Chaim Weitzman, understood at the beginning of the last century, that the future was science. And indeed, among the first, large factories established by the Zionist movement, were institutions of science and research - the Technion in Haifa, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Ziv Institute - which later became the Weizman Institute.

This investment soon paid off, when Israeli science, which flourished at their institutions - and at others which followed - made an unprecedented contribution to the people of Israel and its society. The accomplishments of Israeli science place Israel at the forefront of advanced countries in the world. Despite its small size, Israeli scientists publish approximately 6,000 scientific articles every year, and are placed third among scientists in the world at the rate at which they write articles.

The scientific and technological infrastructure built here over dozens of years allowed for the impressive success of Israeli high-tech firms, which places Israel in the global elite in this field. The knowledge-based industry contributed greatly to Israeli growth in the last 15 years, and today constitutes half of our industrial exports.

However, in a world in which science develops and renews itself at a dizzying pace, we must not rest on the laurels of yesterday's accomplishments nor even those of today. I am certain that you do not do so, and continue your efforts. Therefore, in order to preserve its national strength, Israel must continue nurturing its scientific might.

Israel must serve as a magnet for scientists - certainly Jewish scientists - from around the world. It must be a melting pot of breakthrough ideas and the birthplace of innovative technologies. It must continue investing in scientific infrastructures which will allow us to add scientific accomplishments in the future. In the next decade, Israel must establish its position as one of the leading countries in the field of nanotechnology and biotechnology, improve the national ability in the various engineering fields and develop fields of research vital to the future of Israel and the future of the planet - such as environmental science, planetary science, health and space.

I view it as a national duty to invest not only in research and academic institutes, but also in strengthening the connection between science and the community. It is our duty to promote science and technology education among the broadest possible public, primarily in peripheral areas and in population sectors in which access to science is unnatural and not self-evident - in order to bring youth and adults closer together as one, in the world of science.

This Conference, the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology - at the initiative the Ministry of Science and Technology - which is gathering together all the officials in the fields of science and science policy in Israel - serves to lay the groundwork for the formulation of a comprehensive, national science policy.

This policy must take into account the human potential and financial ability of Israel and its economic, security and social needs. It must ensure the continuing advancement of science in Israel and the recruitment of government funded research and development to promote subjects and fields which are at the forefront of science today.

I am certain that the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology will create a process in which all the relevant authorities are partners. And I expect that, at the next Conference which will, G-d willing, take place in another year, all the relevant authorities will present their stands regarding the national science policy. Of course, I would be happy to participate in your next conference.

Only cooperation - based on fruitful dialogue, deep examination and critique and agreement as to national goals - can lead to the formulation of a science policy which will steer the State of Israel to success in the years to come.

Our goal must be clear: to advance Israel to new horizons of scientific excellence and technological developments, which will assure the improvement in the quality of life in Israel, strengthen national security, increase the rate of growth and reinforce equal opportunities for all strata of the country's population.

Thank you, good luck and a happy Shavuot to all of you."

Source: Ariel Sharon. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Speech at the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology - Weizmann Institute. Prime Minister Office Web site - Briefing Room - PM Speeches (9 June 2005) [FullText]

3 Minors Suspected of Beating 13-year-old in Rehovot

"Police have arrested three minors, aged 15 and 16, on suspicion of randomly attacking a 13-year-old boy at a bar-mitzvah party in Kiryat Ekron, near Rehovot, on Thursday night. The boy, G., was taken to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot where he was hospitalized with damage to his kidney and severe swelling in different parts of his body.

"This is total madness. Even the doctors told us it was a miracle that he came out alive," his mother said yesterday.

One of the policemen who investigated the case said: "This was a lynch."

G. had attended the bar mitzvah of a classmate at the local community center on Thursday. His mother said he was driven there by a parent and that he spoke to her several times by cell phone during the evening. Shortly before 11 P.M., G. and a classmate went to the bathroom. According to their testimony, they encountered a group of youths sitting in the entrance, "smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol."

According to G., the older youths called them over. He said there were eight new immigrants from Ethiopia, and he and his friend did not know them so they ignored them. The youths allegedly walked across to G. and beat him up. They kicked him and hit him with their fists and one allegedly broke a bottle over his head.

G.'s friend managed to run away and called G.'s family from his cell phone.

The suspects were detained by police on Friday and a Rehovot Magistrate's Court judge remanded them for five days beginning over the weekend. One of the youths reportedly told police he had acted violently because he had had too much to drink. Police are searching for further suspects."

Source: Yuval Azulay. 3 minors suspected of beating 13-year-old. Haaretz.com [6 June 2005) [

Near Rehovot Kibbutz Na'an residents Block Entrance to IDF Communications Base

"Residents of Kibbutz Na'an and other communities in the Rehovot area blocked the entrance to a nearby IDF communications base Wednesday morning in a protest ...

Residents of Kibbutz Na'an and other communities in the Rehovot area blocked the entrance to a nearby IDF communications base Wednesday morning in a protest against an antenna complex in the army camp, which they say emits harmful radiation.

In another protest against the antenna installation, studies in the kibbutz were halted Wednesday, marking the third day in a row that elementary school students from "Ganei Hillel" in the kibbutz are not in school.

The headquarters of the communities' struggle reported that studies will not resume until the Defense Ministry orders the removal of the antennae from the base.

Headquarters' personnel fear that the radiation emitted from the antennae is the cause of many cases of cancer in Na'an and the surrounding region in recent years. According to a senior member of the struggle, Eli Kolodner, the protest does not represent just any interruption of studies, but rather "fair and decent education for our children, education that the state is not giving them."

A veterinarian from Na'an discovered one of the stranger phenomena that caused the residents to actively fear the antennae. Every time he used an ultrasound machine with which he examined horses, it would go haywire.

Discussions between the headquarters and the Defense Ministry led to the decision to invite an external expert to examine whether there is a causal connection between the cancer cases and the level of radiation from the antennae.

Professor Eliyahu Richter from the Hebrew University was chosen for the job, and his findings only further disturbed residents from the area. He found a deviation from the permitted level of radiation emitted from the antennae located in close proximity to Na'an.

A month ago, the sides agreed to find solutions to the problem, including examining the possibility of transferring the Army Radio antennae to an alternative site. The Defense Ministry ordered the decrease of transmission emissions by approximately half, to alleviate the problem until the antennae are moved.

The Defense Ministry said yesterday in response to the residents' complaints against the delay in transferring the antennae, "The Ministry is seriously examining the matter in depth and the arguments against the delay are meaningless."

The Ministry added the intensity of one of the antennae has already been lowered by 50 percent, and the findings of their investigation of the matter, which is in its last phases, will be announced soon."

Source: Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent . Kibbutz Na'an residents block entrance to IDF communications base Ha'aretz.com (8 June 2005) [FullText]

President of the Non-profit Weizmann Institute Becomes Rehovot's Biotech Firm Top Official

"Evogene Special Advisor to the Board of Directors, Professor Ilan Chet (President of the Weizmann Institute)

Since 2001, President, Weizmann Institute of Science. 2000, Member, The Advisory Panel of NATO Science Program. 1998, Member, External Advisory Group (EAG) to the European Union Research. Chairman, Rothschild Prize Committee. Chairman, Mifal Hapayis (Israel's national lottery) Committee for scientific research prizes.

1992-2001, VP, R&D, Univ. of Jerusalem; 1984-94; Visiting Professor at numerous Universities; 1986-89, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture; 1983-86, Director, Otto Warburg Center of Biotechnology in Agriculture; 1981-83, Head, Dept of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew Univ. 1978, Professor of Microbiology; 1975, Assoc. Professor of Microbiology; 1972, Sr. Lecturer in Microbiology.

1968, PhD, Hebrew Univ. Jerusalem; 1964, MSc (Hons), Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem; 1962, BSc (Hons), Faculty of Agriculture."

Source: Company Profile. Evogen Web site. (last viewed 8 June 2005) [FullText]
Also See: Evogene Appoints Ofer Haviv as President and CEO. Technology Web resource (31 May 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Woman is a Biomedical Science Star

"The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science presents “Women & Science” featuring world-renowned [Rehovot's] Weizmann scientist and researcher, Professor Hadassa Degani, Ph.D., developer of a non-invasive imaging method called Three Time Point (3TP), that not only detects breast and prostate cancer, but also can distinguish between malignant and benign tumors - a technique granted clearance by the FDA. The presentation featured a 45-minute auditorium style lecture in addition to a question and answer session for 300-400 women, followed by a strolling lunch. “Women & Science” promises to be both an educational and thought provoking experience Knollwood Country Club 5050 West Maple Rd., West Bloomfield. 60$, 248-258-9890 , Monday, June 6, 2005, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m."

Source: Weizmann Institute of Science presents Women in Science w/ Proffesor Hadassa Degani. PrideSource.com (last viewed 8 June 2005) [FullText]

Record Breaking Israeli Violence Must Alarm All!

"The Cabinet debated the increasing societal violence following yet another attack on a passerby last night.The police seek 2.5 billion more shekels, while its main mission remains the disengagement. "The government will not only discuss, but will provide practical solutions," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at the beginning of this morning's government meeting. "I want to come out of here with operative solutions."

Just last night, a 13-year-old boy at the Bar Mitzvah of his friend was beaten by several 15-year-old guests. The boy was released from Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot this morning, recovering from injuries he sustained when the drunk youths broke a bottle over his head and punched and kicked him repeatedly. Three of the attackers have been arrested.

In addition, there have been three brutal murders of youths for no apparent reason over the past two weeks. A ministerial committee, headed by Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra, was appointed to investigate ways of dealing with the violence. The committee is to submit its findings in three weeks' time.

It is widely assumed that the rise in domestic violence is related to the allocation of most police resources towards the disengagement. Israel Radio commentator Gabi Gazit, known for his extreme left-wing views, called upon Karadi today to declare that he cannot implement the disengagement because of the price it is likely to exact in murders and the like.
PM Sharon has promised Karadi and Minister Ezra to increase budget allocations to the police and to increase police manpower. Ezra has said that first of all, the cutback of 2,000 police employees, as stipulated in the 2005 budget, must be canceled. Police overload is not new. Sources in the public prosecution say that tens of thousands of criminal files remain untouched, including some from as far back as 1998. Aides to the Prime Minister say they are concerned that if solutions are not found soon, domestic violence will continue to intensify, and citizens will lose confidence in the police ability to protect them.

The National Union party has issued an angry statement condemning the use of the police for the disengagement:
"The National Union has long demanded separating the police from the disengagement. But only today, in honor of the government meeting, does Minister Gideon Ezra admit that it's about time for the police to deal with its real missions. The over-involvement of the police in the expulsion/uprooting plan of the leftist Likud government has led it to deal, too late, with the worrisome phenomena to which we are increasingly witness as the disengagement comes closer - murderous violence towards youths, women and passersby, as well as corruption in both the public and private sectors."

MK Yitzchak Cohen (Shas) told Arutz-7 today that the decision to establish a ministerial committee is foolish, in that it ignores the cause of the rise in crime - the increasing number of non-Jews who have been allowed to immigrate to Israel from Russia under the Law of Return. "Many of them not only have no connection to Judaism, but are actually blatant anti-Semites and neo-Nazis," Cohen said. "When coming to deal with the issue of violence, we must first diagnose the problem, instead of trying to cover it up. The brutal nature of the violence has increased in the recent past - something that we have never had here before.""

Source: Police Overloaded With "Disengagement," Violence Rules. INN.com (5 June 2005) [FullText]

Two-year-old Girl Dies After Falling From Window On Sixth Floor in Nes Tziona Near Rehovot

"A two-year-old girl died on Tuesday after falling from a window on the sixth floor of an apartment building. The infant was rushed to Kaplan Hospital where doctors tried to resuscitate her. Police said the infant fell from the window as her grandfather who when to throw out a dirty diaper he had just changed. The child, police said, succeeded in climbing on a sofa next to the window, leaned over and fell out."

Source: Yaakov Katz. Nes Tziona: Infant killed by fall from 6th floor. JPost.com (7 June 2005) [FullText]

"A two-year-old baby girl died on Tuesday after falling out of a window on the sixth-floor in her Nes Tziona home. Police were investigating the incident?s circumstances.

The girl was rushed in critical condition to the Kaplan hospital in Rehovot but later died of her wounds.

The initial police investigation revealed that the girl was being watched by her grandfather shortly before the incident. After the grandfather changed the baby?s diaper, he went to the kitchen, during which the girl managed to climb on a sofa and from there to the window."

Source: Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent. Two-year-old girl dies after falling from window on sixth floor. Haaretz.com (7 June 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Murder: President Katsav Urges Policy to Aid Ethiopian Integration

"President Moshe Katsav called on the government yesterday to institute an affirmative action policy to assist the integration of Israelis of Ethiopian origin in Israeli society.

Katsav spoke at an official state rally in memory of 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died in the Sudanese desert on their way to Israel during Operation Moses.

Immigrant Absorption Minister Tzipi Livni spoke about the recent murder of Ma'ayan Sapir in Rehovot, and said that sometimes when "one member sins, Israeli society is angry at the entire congregation."

The memorial ceremony has taken place for 20 years in an improvised space near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. This is the second year it has been conducted as an official state ceremony, following a High Court petition. Starting next year, the ceremony will take place on Mount Herzl."

Source: Amiram Barkat. At memorial ceremony, Katsav urges policy to aid Ethiopian integration. Haaretz.com (7 June 2005) [FullText]

Rehovot Youths Beat, Seriously Injure Boy At Bar Mitzvah Party

"A group of eight youths attacked and seriously injured a 13-year-old boy at a bar mitzvah party in Rehovot at the weekend, breaking a bottle of beer over his head and beating him until he lost consciousness.The boy remained hospitalized in Kaplan Medical Center on Sunday. His condition is described as stable.Three suspects were arrested, all residents of Rehovot. One of them has admitted that he beat the 13-year-old for no reason.The boy, a resident of Kiryat Ekron, was celebrating his friend's bar mitzvah at the weekend, when the group of eight youths aged 15-16 attacked him as he went to the toilet.According to the police, among the suspects arrested is one thought to be the ringleader. The police say that he admitted to the crime and said that he beat the 13-year-old despite having been given no provocation. He attributed his actions to the influence of alcohol."

Source: Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent. Rehovot youths beat, seriously injure boy at bar mitzvah party. Haaretz.com (5 June 2005) [FullText]

"The remand of three 15-year-olds accused of attacking a 13-year-old at a bar mitzvah celebration in Rehovot was extended for five days. When the 13-year-old boy went to the restroom, he was allegedly attacked without warning by eight drunk teenagers, Army Radio reported on Sunday. The teenagers beat the boy and broke a bottle over his head. His father had to take him to the hospital to treat his wounds. The police are still searching for the rest of the attackers."

Source: JPost.com staff. Eight teenagers attack boy at bar mitzvah party. JPOst.com (5 June 2005) [FullText]

Girl Murder in Rehovot : Sharon Promises Action on Israel Violence

"JERUSALEM - With the planned Gaza withdrawal consuming police attention, Israel has been hit by a crime wave that includes a 3-year-old girl being killed in a drive-by shooting, a teen being strangled on her way to a mall and four homeless men being burned to death.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised tough action during Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting, and the murders continued Sunday. Assailants stabbed an accountant and stole his money as he stood in front of a Ramle bank planning to make a deposit, police said. He was the fifth person slain in eight days, Channel Two TV said.

The killing brought to 72 the number of murders recorded during the first five months of the year - a 35 percent increase from the same period in 2004, police said. While Israelis are used to dealing with deaths in the conflict with the Palestinians, violent crime has been relatively low. But police already have been stretched thin by the need to plan security for Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan, scheduled to begin in August, and all agree the situation likely will worsen - and crime-fighting could further suffer - as the summer goes on.

The job of evacuating some 9,000 settlers from their homes will largely fall to police. They also will have to contend with withdrawal opponents, and much of their intelligence work already is focused here. Groups of youngsters have begun burning tires and blocking highway intersections with sit-down strikes to protest the withdrawal, and police have been forced to deploy in large numbers to try to prevent the demonstrations and clear roads.

The recent series of brutal killings has set Israelis on edge. Relatives of four recent victims wrote Sharon that "mad violence" in Israel has made "everyone crazed with fear," and they posed holding pictures of their slain kin for Sunday's front page of the mass circulation daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot.

For the past week, in fact, newspapers have been filled with pictures of the dead, and radio has broadcast interviews with the relatives. Public attention focused on the killings in late May when a 15-year-old was randomly attacked and strangled while walking to a mall in the quiet city of Rehovot near Tel Aviv. A youth on a furlough from juvenile detention center, apparently high at the time from sniffing glue, is suspected in the slaying.

Then, a 3-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting as part of a botched mob hit outside a Ramle prison, and an 81-year-old man was set afire by a woman who owed him money. Several teens have been stabbed to death outside nightclubs in arguments over seemingly minor issues. Last week, an alleged serial killer was arrested in connection with the random slayings of four homeless men in the northern port city of Haifa.

"We need to make a massive effort to deal with this violence," Sharon told the Cabinet session to which he summoned the police chief and the attorney general. "I do not intend for only statements and talking to emerge from this meeting." Sharon promised decisions that would "change, from the roots, the violence we face today."

Police Chief Moshe Karadi asked the government to boost police funding and scrap the planned firing of 2,000 officers.

Israeli talk show host and columnist Yair Lapid called for a "Giuliani-like figure, sour-faced and efficient who will increase significantly the number of policemen, will make penalties more severe and will amend the laws," referring to Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York who led a crackdown on crime there.

Yediot's front page headline Sunday read "Stop the next murder" above a picture of the victims' relatives. Two inside pages were devoted to pictures of the people killed this year. The relatives implored Sharon in a letter, also printed on the front page, to "give security to our children and peace of mind to the mothers." But some experts said it was too early to say whether statistics were being blown of proportion by police trying to get a bigger budget and prevent staff cuts.

"It is a complicated time for the police and they are asking for extra money," said sociologist Gideon Fishman, who heads Haifa University's Center for Youth Policy. He noted that more police would not necessarily stop random killings, saying, "You can't have a policeman in every alley or with every three people.""

Source: Gavin Rabinowitz. Sharon promises action on Israel violence. NWSource.com (5 June 2005) [FullText]

Suspected Killer of Rehovot Girl Remanded

"Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court yesterday extended by nine days the remand of the teenager suspected of murdering 15-year-old Ma'ayan Sapir in Rehovot Friday. A gag order had been imposed on the case earlier this week.

The 16-year-old suspect's lawyer, Avi Cohen, said yesterday after the remand hearing that he would probably submit an appeal today, since the court had rejected his request for the youth to undergo a psychiatric examination by an expert of his own choosing. Cohen deplored the court's ruling that the youth's mental state be examined first by the district psychiatrist. "We are quite critical about the fact that the boy wasn't examined by a psychiatrist shortly after he was arrested," he said.

Police are still investigating the murder. Initially, the boy admitted he strangled the girl to death. Her naked body was discovered Friday night in an abandoned schoolyard in the center of Rehovot. The boy was taken into custody a few hours later while under the influence of alcohol and contact glue fumes.

On the day of the murder, the suspect was on weekend leave from the Mitzpe Yam home for juvenile delinquents in Herzliya."

Source: Yuval Azoulay. Suspected killer of Rehovot girl remanded. Haaretz.com (2 June 2005) [FullText]

Teen Murder Stuns Rehovot Ethiopian Community

"Considered "intelligent," "funny" and, most of all, "quiet" by members of his Rehovot community, the 16-year-old Ethiopian boy, who was remanded Sunday for the murder of Ma'ayan Sapir, 15, has set in motion a flurry of debate about the nature of violence within the Ethiopian community."

Sapir was buried Sunday a few kilometers from the scene of the crime, as Ethiopians there struggled with how and why such violence could emerge from their ranks.

"It is a very, very difficult tragedy, and everyone here is blaming themselves," said local resident David Elazar. "It is all anyone can talk about, and we are struggling to cope with how this came to be."

Sapir's severely beaten, nude body was found Friday in the yard of the city's ORT high school. She had left her parents' house at 8 p.m. the night before and taken a shortcut through the school on her way to the shopping mall. The murder suspect, who was on an unsupervised vacation from a juvenile detention center, was in a drug-induced state when he assaulted and killed her, said police.

"This won't just be talked about as one teenager killing another," said Batia Eyob, director of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jewry (IAEJ). "We are talking about an Ethiopian teenager who killed a non-Ethiopian."

Although Eyob said she felt awful that such tragedy occurred, she noted that it was unfortunate that it was "somebody outside the community who has to become a victim for the issue to get attention."

She added that similar crimes have occurred before but few outside paid attention because they stayed within the Ethiopian community.

The IAEJ has been tracking crime among Ethiopians since 1996, when Ethiopian youths committed 139 crimes or 1.2 percent of all the files opened against youths. By 2004, Ethiopian youth had been arrested for 933 crimes, 4.1% of the 22,839 committed.

"For us, this incident is very shocking," Eyob said, "but unfortunately not surprising, because the issue of youth at risk and juvenile delinquency... is a time bomb that has just been ticking. Ethiopian youths are lost in an Israeli society that has no place for them."

Shlomo Molla, a senior consultant to the Ethiopian immigration department at the Jewish Agency, said that much of the problem stemmed from the difficult transition from nomadic life in Ethiopia to modern Israeli society. "The culture shock is too much for them," he said. "Men, women and families have lost their status and important roles."

The pressure to conform to Israeli society and learn the language distances many young Ethiopians from their families, Molla said.

Eyob agreed. "Parents have lost total authority over their children," she said.

To remedy the situation, she said a new approach needed to be implemented. She claimed that previous committees have been ineffective and that organizations should focus on giving young people a positive role model with which they can identify.

"Give them hope," she said. "These kids don't have hope and when you don't have hope, you don't care about yourself or other people.""

Source: Sheera Claire Frenkel. Teen murder stuns Ethiopian community. JPost.com (29 May 2005) [FullText]

Angered Husband Burns the Family Cash in Rehovot

"In an agitated state, Yitzhak Perry telephoned the police emergency dispatcher on Wednesday reporting “I burned the money! I burned the belongings! Come quickly!”

Police and firefighters rushed to the exclusive Rehovot neighborhood to find Perry was indeed telling the truth. Angered at his wife, he had taken their cash, amounting to NIS 3 million ($697,000), and set it ablaze.

Firefighters who responded to the smoke in the home described the scene as surreal. "A man actually set an enormous amount of cash on fire because he was angry at his wife," they exclaimed in a startled state.

Police explain they are more than a bit curious as to the source of the sizable stash. Undoubtedly, Internal Revenue Service officials will have some questions for the irate Perry as well. Police add that section 466 of the penal code makes destroying money a crime and Perry may face three months in prison for his actions. That, in addition to a sizable dose of remorse and a, now, very angry wife."

Source: Angered Husband Burns the Family Cash. IsraelNN.com (2 June 2005) [FullText]

Press Releases by Rehovot Municipality for the last week of May, 2005

MyRehovot is pleased to inform readers about Press Releases published by the Rehovot Municipality during the last week of May 2005.

The titles of the Municipality's news and upcoming events announcements are detailed below. Full stories are available at MyRehovot Hebrew edition :


1. "Sound and Color" and "New Members in the Society" Exhibitions for Rehovot's Artists. (31 May 2005)

2. Maor Chenesh to "De-Shalit" Pupils: "On the road don't be right, be smart - and not violent

Rehovot Municipalilty, together with the Department for Road Safety and the National Authority for Road Safety, organized an intensive week at the "De-Shalit" junior high-school, marking the year's end, on the subject of road safety. (31 May 2005)

3. "Katzir" and the "De-Shalit" schools in Rehovot will compete next week in a competition for young entrepreneurs in the Shfela region.

On Wednesday, 5th June 2005, a competition will take place for young entrepreneurs in the Shfela region in Rishon le Zion, in which two schools from Rehovot will compete and present the unique products that they have developed.(31 May 2005)

4. "Mother Dances the Csardas"

On Tuesday 7th June, at 20.30, a public discussion will be held Bet Michal in Rehovot with authors Dorit Weissman, about her book "The Dance of the Csardas" and Susan Adam, about her book "Ginis' Mother". (31 May 2005)

5. Photo Caption: "Singing in Rehovot": National Choir's Symposium for singing groups and choirs. (31 May 2005)

6. Photo Caption: Shachar Loten won first prize in mathematics in the Mathematics Competion on Educational Television

7. Heritage Quiz produced by "Bet Yad L'Banim" on the subject of the Jewish Underground Organization

8. Photo Caption: "Sarid" and "Yavnieli" Schools in Rehovot won the educational district prize for Excellence for the year 2004-2005

9. 78% of the students that took part in the central project for study named after "Branco Weiss" have improved their grades.

For additional info please visit Rehovot Iriya (“Municipality”) web site, available here.