Federal judge rejects request to bar Jews from jury in terrorism trial
(JNS.org) A New York federal judge has rejected a request by a lawyer to exclude Jews from a jury in an upcoming terrorism trial.
The attorney for Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, Frederick Cohn—who is Jewish himself, according to the Jewish Press—told Judge Eric Vitaliano of the New York Federal District Court in Brooklyn that Jewish jurors would be biased against his client.
“Your Honor…as you know, I’m not wild about having Jews on the jury in this case,” Cohn told the judge in February, the Huffington Post reported.
“Given that there’s going to be inflammatory testimony about Jews and Zionism, I think it would be hard for Jews to cast aside any innate antipathy. The American Jewish community is heavily aligned with Israel and Zionism. Here is a guy who is a Muslim, who is opposed to those things,” Cohn said.
According to unsealed FBI documents, Shehadeh has been accused of lying to federal authorities on his goal to join the Taliban while attempting to enter Pakistan in 2008. Later, while trying to join the U.S. Army, Shehadeh failed to disclose his trip to Pakistan.
Jurors cannot be excluded based on race, gender or religion.
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Peres urges EU to blacklist Hezbollah, warns that time is running out on Iran
(JNS.org) In a historic address to the European Union Parliament, Israeli President Shimon Peres urged the EU to confront wide array of Middle East issues, including blacklisting Hezbollah, challenging Iran and preventing more bloodshed in Syria.
Peres noted that Hezbollah has not only been a dividing force in Lebanon but also threatening regional and global stability.
“Recently, 20 terror attempts by Hezbollah were counted all over the world, in India, Thailand, Georgia, South Africa, the US, Egypt and Greece, among others,” Peres told hundreds of European lawmakers, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Peres became the first Israeli head of state to address the EU in nearly three decades. He was born in 1923 in Wiszeniew, Poland, which is now part of Belarus.
Additionally, Peres pointed out that Hezbollah has been increasing its operations in EU territory. Bulgarian authorities recently linked Hezbollah to the terror attack that killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian last summer, while authorities in Cyprus arrested a suspected linked to Hezbollah for planning attacks there.
The EU has been under increasing pressure from the U.S. and Israel to blacklist the Lebanese terror group.
“We appeal to you—call terror, terror,” Peres said. “Save Lebanon from terrorist madness. Save the Syrian people from Iran’s proxies. Save your citizens and ours from Hezbollah.”
Peres also warned the EU over Iran, saying, “The greatest danger to peace in the world is the present Iranian regime,” according to the Jerusalem Post. He said that the world must also limit Iran’s means delivery of a nuclear weapon by controlling their production of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Peres commended the EU and the U.S. for their strict sanctions against Iran. He also encouraged the West to makeIran issue a human rights issue and to “encourage the Iranian people in their fight for freedom” and “their struggle against misery.”
On the topic of Syria, Peres expressed concern over Syria’s vast arsenal of chemical weapons of falling into the wrong hands. Peres also spoke out against Western intervention in Syria and called on the Arab League and the UN to end the bloodshed there.
“The Arab League can and should form a provisional government in Syria to stop the massacre, to prevent Syria from falling to pieces. The United Nations should support the Arab League to build an Arab force in blue helmets,” Peres said, AFP reported.
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Two Israeli pilots killed in helicopter training crash
(JNS.org) Two Israel Air Force pilots were killed overnight Monday when a Cobra helicopter crashed during a training exercise near the city of Gedera, in central Israel, Israel Hayom reported. The two pilots, both reservists, were identified as Lt. Col. Noam Ron, 49, of Oranit, and Maj. Erez Flekser, 31, of Haifa.
Ron was married with three daughters, one of whom is training to be an officer in the Israel Defense Forces. Ron’s brother, also a helicopter pilot, was killed 16 years ago in an abseiling (rappeling) accident. Noam performed a huge amount of reserve duty, another brother told Army Radio.
“He protected us from our enemies; he did a lot for the security of the state,” the brother said. “He loved flying. Since childhood he excelled in math and physics. He was the best of the best in the squadron, extremely talented and skilled.”
Flekser was married and was studying physics at Tel Aviv University, where he excelled in his studies. His friends said he was introverted but loved sports and was an avid swimmer.
An initial investigation appeared to indicate that the helicopter crashed because of a technical failure.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org