Vatican to Recognize State of Palestine

BREAKING NEWS Wednesday, May 13, 2015 11:03 AM EDT

Vatican to Recognize Palestinian State in New Treaty The Vatican said Wednesday that it had concluded a treaty to recognize Palestinian statehood, a symbolic but significant step that was bound to be welcomed by many Palestinians but was likely to cause deep concern for the Israeli government. Formal recognition of a Palestinian state by the Vatican, which has deep religious interests in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories that include Christian holy sites, lends a powerful signal of legitimacy to the efforts by the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, to achieve statehood despite the long paralyzed Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israel has grown increasingly alarmed about the increased international acceptance of Palestine as a state since the United Nations upgraded the Palestinian delegation’s status in 2012 to that of a nonmember observer state. A number of European countries have also signaled their acceptance of Palestinian statehood. Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s 1 billion Catholics, has long signaled his wish for a Palestinian state. For the past year, the Vatican had informally referred to the country as “state of Palestine,” in its yearbook as well as in its program for Francis’ 2014 visit to the Holy Land. A statement from a joint commission of Vatican and Palestinian diplomatic officials, posted on the Vatican news website, said “the work of the Commission on the text of the agreement has been concluded,” and that it will be submitted for formal approval and for signing “in the near future.”

Ethanol Gasoline on Pesach

On Apr 3, 2015, at 12:39 PM, Howard Kastner wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

I have a diesel car and I usually prefer to fill it with a biodiesel blend that contains soy because I believe it better for the environment. 

Following our discussion earlier this week that we are not permitted to gain any benefit from chametz during Pesach, can I drive my car with biodiesel during Pesach, or must I use regular diesel?

Similarly, during Pesach, would someone driving a regular gas car not be permitted to use gasoline with ethanol because it’s made from corn?

Thank you. 

Howard Kastner

Biodiesel is made exclusively from kitniyot, such as soy or corn.  My understanding is that biodesel from one of the 5 grains (wheat, barley, spelt, rye, or oats) is not economically viable in the industry.

DERIVATIVE products of kitniyot, used for NON_FOOD purposes, are competely PERMITTED on Pesach.  Ethanol fuel is another excellent catergory of a permitted product.

Enjoy.

Robert Tobin 

Rabbi

B'nai Shalom

Office: 973-731-0160

www.bnaishalom.net

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