Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1992
The vast majority of Muslims are not Arabs
from USAir Magazine
The vast majority of Muslims are not Arabs. India, for example, has a Muslim population of about 95 million. Indonesia, a Pacific Ocean archipelago, has a total population of more than 190 million; 90 percent of them are Muslims, giving Indonesia the largest Muslim population of any nation on Earth. The world’s Muslim population is approaching 1 billion; about 80 percent of them are not Arabs.
Caiaphas’ burial cave unearthed
from South Bend Tribune
The discovery of a tomb believed to be that of the high priest who presided over the Jewish trial of Jesus is expected to provide information about Jewish burial customs of the time.
However, there are no indications at present that the finding of the remains of the high priest, Caiaphas, will give any new insights into the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ trial and death.
The tomb, a burial cave, was found during the development of a park in the Jerusalem Forest on the western outskirts of the city.
Caiaphas was the high priest in Jerusalem from 18 to 36 A.D. He is mentioned in the writings of Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, and in the New Testament.
The mass of names in the tomb “is very instructive to biblical scholars,” said Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review in Washington, who is planning to publish an article about the discovery.
“The importance of it is that it continues to provide background to the life and world of the time. This is just one piece of the larger picture which brings to life our understanding of the world in which Jesus lived.”
Russian Vice President Says Delay in the Advancement of Peace Stems from Arab Refusal to Recognize Israel’s Right to Exist
from Israel Line, Likud USA
MA’ARIV quotes Russian Vice President Alexander Rutskoy’s words to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarek: “The delay in the advancement of peace and cooperation in the Middle East stems from the refusal of the Arabs to recognize Israel’s right to exist as an independent Jewish state.” He further stated, “Those who slow down the rate of progress in the negotiations are in error. The Arabs are not approaching the issue of regional cooperation with quick, courageous steps.” The Russian vice president also said that Mubarek responded by saying that Israel is controlling the Territories and must return them, to which Rutskoy responded: “All who claim this need to visit Israel, to see the geographical-military position of Israel and to be made aware, who threatens whom.” Rutskoy also rejected assertions he had heard accusing Israel of supposedly oppressing the Palestinians. “I told the Egyptians that I was there and that they were not. If you visit the Territories you will see who oppresses whom and how the Arabs live there, in contrast to the Arabs in Arab states.”
Jewish Majority in the Galilee and Immigration Statistics
from Israel Line, Likud USA
DAVAR reports that as of last December, the wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia had created a Jewish majority in the Galilee. This was announced by the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Simcha Dinitz during a visit to the Galilee. According to the Agency’s data, 414,000 Jews, or 51% of the population in the Galilee, are living with 410,000 Arabs. Dinitz noted that 28,950 new immigrants were relocated in the Galilee in 1991. Other immigrant absorption data for 1991 revealed that 40.8% of new immigrants live in the central region of Israel, with 33.1% in northern Israel and Haifa, 16.5% in the south, 8.7% in Jerusalem, and 0.8% in the Territories.
