Daily Archives: August 23, 2013

Backstage at the Holocaust survivor beauty pageant: Israel hosts beauty contest for 16 women who survived the Nazi genocide

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Miss Holocaust Survivor Beauty Pageant in Israel1Commemorating the atrocities committed by the Nazis is usually a sombre duty, not a cause for joy.

But at the Miss Holocaust Survivor Beauty Pageant, the emphasis is firmly on celebrating the remarkable women who survived the genocide of the Jews.

The 16 contestants at the event in Israel, all aged over 70, showed off their mature beauty as they competed to take the crown as the nation’s most striking senior citizen.

The pageant, held in the town of Haifa, was held for the second time on Thursday, following on from the success of last year’s inaugural edition.

It is organised by the International Christian Embassy, an evangelical group that supports Israel, in collaboration with a charity for Holocaust survivors.

The aim is to boost the self-esteem of the women involved by bringing a touch of glamour to their lives.

While the contestants are certainly encouraged to look their best in sparkling ballgowns, officials say the event is meant to celebrate inner beauty as well.

The winner of this year’s pageant was Shoshana Colmer, 93, who was brought up in Czechoslovakia before being imprisoned in Auschwitz.

She still bears the identity number which was branded on her skin by the Nazis.

Critics claim the pageant exploits vulnerable elderly people by putting them on show for entertainment.

 

Russia Backs UN Probe of Alleged Chemical Attack

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sergey lavrovThe Russian Foreign Ministry is calling for an independent probe by United Nations experts into what Syrian rebels alleged was a chemical weapons attack by government forces on the outskirts of Damascus.

The statement released on Friday said that Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had discussed the situation by telephone on Thursday, and concluded that they had a “mutual interest” in calling for the U.N. investigation.

The statement said Russia had called for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s embattled government to cooperate with an investigation, but questions remained about the willingness of the opposition, “which must secure safe access of the mission to the location of the incident.”

Russia has been one of Assad’s key allies in the international arena.

 

Israel launches rocket attack on Lebanon

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israel-lebanon-attack (1)The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Lebanon between Beirut and Sidon, responding to rockets that had been launched at northern Israel Thursday, the Israeli Defense Forces said Friday.

 

The IDF described the launch of rockets targeting Israel as a “terrorist aggression originating from Lebanese territory.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency said Israeli warplanes attacked a site belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) General Command located in the al-Naama valley at dawn Friday.

The Israeli attack comes in response to an earlier attack in which four rockets were fired from southern Lebanon at northern Israel Thursday, with two of them landing in populated areas, Israel Defense Forces said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised his nation would respond.

The United Nations peacekeeping force monitoring the Israeli-Lebanese border, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), on Thursday sent a helicopter to investigate the attacks which were reportedy launched from the southern town of Tyre into Israel.

According to the statement, the parties confirmed their interest in keeping the situation under control and pledged to cooperate and work closely with UNIFIL.

 

Davit Tonoyan held separate meetings with the UNHCR representative in Armenia Mr.Damtew Dessalegne

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դավիթ-տոնոյանOn August 23, First Deputy Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan held separate meetings with the UNHCR representative in Armenia Mr.Damtew Dessalegne and with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia, Mr.Lorenzo Caraffi.

During both meetings parties discussed issues regarding the Armenian POW Hakob Injighulyan. D. Tonoyan particularly expressed his concern over the fact, that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to violate principles of international law with regard to Hakob Injighulyan and that competent international humanitarian organizations, human rights defenders and international community have not shown any reaction to the lack of restraint on part of Azerbaijan is rather perplexing.

Alleged “interviews” with Hakob Injighulyan recently recorded and broadcasted by the Azerbaijani authorities-which again testify to the informational war against Armenia on a rather very primitive level and aim to hinder the process of Injighulyan’s repatriation – have not been condemned by a single international organization. It is obvious that Injighulyan is forced to come up with controversial statements under psychological intimidation and most probably under the threat of physical abuse which has become a common way of acting for the Azerbaijani authorities under wide-spread impunity. Hakob Injighulyan’s request for resettling him in a 3rd country should be taken into consideration if he was assured  of the right  to express his wish in a free, unhindered and informed  manner and by no means under constant pressure .

He also reiterated the pledge of the Armenian authorities not to subject Injighulyan to criminal prosecution in view of the absence of corpus dilecti in his case and informed aboutintentions to ask UNHCR to use its good offices when they are engaged and inform Injighulyan duly of this commitment.

It is noteworthy that no repatriated POW of Armenian nationality has been subject to such prosecution with most of themtaking up their service in their homeland.

It was also said, that  the Armenian side believes international humanitarian organizations should engage themselves to a maximum extent facilitating the prompt repatriation of Injighulyan and will object to any attempt ofhis resettlement in a 3rd country considering them unjustified and groundless.