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As part of his continued search for peace, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called repeatedly for direct talks between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and himself. On Thursday, the Arab League endorsed such talks.

Netanyahu has said he's ready to begin meeting with Abbas as early as Sunday but questions still remain as to if and when Abbas will move forward. We hope he will. Israel, ever since its rebirth as a modern nation in 1948, has been searching for ways to reach an accommodation with the Palestinians based on compromise.

Anyone who follows the Middle East knows that any optimism over Thursday's Arab League decision would be premature given the continued refusal by the Palestinians and their allies to accept a Jewish state in the Middle East.

Netanyahu deserves credit for trying to resolve the conflict. Hopefully, his longstanding call for direct, face to face negotiations without preconditions will finally be answered positively by Abbas and meaningful discussions can begin.

We, at the Birmingham Jewish Federation, will continue to monitor the situation daily, providing context and commentary in Update to help our readers better understand the difficulties and dilemmas that Israel faces as this tiny democracy continues its search for peace.

The following is from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors and combats anti-Semitism. Dollars raised by the Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign help fund the work of ADL.

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the US remained at a "sustained and troubling" level in 2009, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which compiles annually a statistical audit of anti-Semitic assaults, vandalism and harassment.

The 2009 ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, released this week, counted a total of 1,211 incidents of vandalism, harassment and physical assaults against Jewish individuals, property and community institutions across the US.

Using a newly revised methodology for reporting and tracking incidents, the ADL Audit identified 29 physical assaults on Jewish individuals, 760 incidents of anti-Semitic harassment and threats, and 422 cases of anti-Semitic vandalism during the 2009 calendar year.

(Alabama, which has a relatively small Jewish population of approximately 10,000, reported one incident of vandalism, one incident of harassment and no assaults. For decades, the Birmingham Jewish Federation has educated people in our state about Jews to create greater understanding and respect for our community and religion.)

'NOT IMMUNE'

"America is not immune to anti-Semitism, and 2009 was no different in this regard than in any other year," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "It is a sobering reality that as Jews have become more accepted in society, there remains a consistent hatred of Jews among too many. The fact that Jews continue to be singled out for acts of hate on an average of three times per day in this country is a disturbing reality that we have to confront."

The 2009 calendar year was marked by several violent anti-Semitic incidents and dangerous threats to Jewish institutions, as well as numerous incidents of harassment affecting Jewish communities large and small. Major incidents included the shooting attack on the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC by an avowed Holocaust denier; a thwarted plot by four Muslim converts to bomb synagogues in Riverdale, NY; and repeated in-your-face picketing of institutions and community centers by members of an avowedly anti-Semitic, Kansas-based church.

It was also a year in which the Internet played an increasingly dominant role in the dissemination of anti-Semitic messages and content through social networking and content-sharing Web sites. (While ADL monitors and exposes online anti-Semitism, it does not include statistics on anti-Semitism in cyberspace as part of the Audit).

The following is from the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which helps Jews and others in more than 70 countries. Dollars raised by the Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign help fund the work of JDC.

Originally launched to provide day care services for impoverished Jewish parents in the aftermath of the financial collapse in Argentina, the Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) Baby Help program is strengthening Jewish identity and increasing affiliation in Buenos Aires. This year alone, 70% of the 600 participants in Baby Help have become involved in Jewish communal institutions, celebrations and religious activities.

"By helping to ensure that financially strapped families who could not fully focus on Jewish education reconnect to the Jewish community through their children, Baby Help opens the doors to greater Jewish identity," said JDC CEO Steven Schwager.

Argentina is home to 200,000 Jews, the largest Jewish community in Latin America. In the aftermath of the country's financial collapse in 2001, nearly one-third of Argentine Jews fell below the poverty line. JDC, with the support of the Jewish Federation system, provided multiple services to help the community get back on its feet. Baby Help, as part of these services, provides day care and diapers, formula, vitamins and medications for young children, as well as holiday celebrations and basic Jewish education.

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Strengthening Jewish communities abroad strengthens all of us as Israel and the Jewish people face mounting difficulties. This is one more reason that in addition to helping our brethren in need, the Birmingham Jewish Federation helps fund the outstanding work JDC does throughout the world.

SHABBAT SHALOM -- SABBATH PEACE -- FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JEWISH FEDERATION

email: update@bjf.org

web: http://www.bjf.org