Israel in the Middle East

CLEVELAND: His Excellency Sallai Meridor, ambassador of Israel to the United States since April 2006, will speak about Israel’s role in the modern Arab world and emerging trends in the Middle East, including Iran’s role and its nuclear ambitions, the current situations in Syria, Palestine, and Gaza, and prospects for peace, at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, September 7, 2007, at The City Club of Cleveland.

Prior to his appointment to ambassador in April 2006, Meridor served as the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization (1999-2005). He also served as the treasurer of the Jewish Agency and WZO and as the head of the Settlement Division of the WZO.

During the years of his chairmanship, the Jewish Agency underwent a major transformation by focusing on dealing with the Jewish future: the young generation of Jews. Major initiatives included the Masa national effort to bring 20,000 young adults per year from the Diaspora for a year-long experience in Israel, a global Jewish mobilization effort and a major emergency campaign was launched, and the first ever Jewish People Policy Planning Institute was established.

Prior to his work with the Jewish agency, Meridor served as an advisor to the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel. In his governmental service, he was involved in the designing of Israel’s foreign and defense policies, played a role in the peace process leading to the Madrid Peace Conference, participated in the negotiations that followed as the representative of the Ministry of Defense, and led Israel’s Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Arms Control.

Tickets for this City Club Special Program are $20. Appetizers are included. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance of the event. They can be purchased by calling The City Club at 216.621.0082 or visiting the website at www.cityclub.org.

Legislating Health: Should Trans Fat Be Banned in Cleveland?

Panelists Debate Issue at The City Club of Cleveland: Four local panelists will participate in a discussion on banning trans fat in Cleveland at noon on Thursday, September 13, 2007, at The City Club of Cleveland. Carol Battles, Ph.D., professor of dietetic technology and health education at Cuyahoga Community College and a registered dietitian and certified health education specialist, will moderate.

In December 2006, the New York City Board of Health voted to make it the nation’s first city to ban trans fat in restaurants, and in February 2007, Philadelphia City Council followed suit. Now a similar resolution urging the ban of trans fats in its schools and restaurants is pending with Cleveland City Council.

The National Restaurant Association and its state and local affiliates support the gradual elimination of trans fats from the American diet by using a voluntary, incentive-based, phased-in approach to replacing trans fats with healthier oils. They don’t believe that governmental bodies should get involved in this area, and they predict that an outright ban on trans fats would result in unintended consequences.

Those in favor of an immediate ban on trans fats consider it an urgent public health issue, and they point to the growing problems of obesity (especially among children), heart disease, strokes, and other illnesses, which they believe would be greatly reduced by the elimination of trans fats.

Panelists are:

·         Rick Cassara – Owner of John Q’s Steakhouse and past chairman of both the Cleveland and the Ohio Restaurant Associations

·         Kevin Conwell – Ward 9 Cleveland City councilman and sponsor of the pending resolution

·         Robert DeMaria – Practicing chiropractor and author of Dr. Bob’s Trans Fat Survival Guide

·         Richard Mason – Director of government affairs for the Ohio Restaurant Association

Tickets for this City Club Special Program are $15 for members and $25 for non-members. Lunch is included. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance of the event. They can be purchased by calling The City Club at 216.621.0082 or visiting the website at www.cityclub.org.