BRIEFS / Francis restates regret for anti-Semitism

Pope Francis on Tuesday released his widely anticipated first Apostolic Exhortation, which included a strong reaffirmation of dialogue with the Jewish people and an expression of regret for past anti-Semitism.

The 224-page comprehensive document, outlines the pope’s vision for the Catholic Church.

“We [the Catholic Church] hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked,” Pope Francis wrote in the document.

The pontiff added, “Dialogue and friendship with the children of Israel are part of the life of Jesus’ disciples. The friendship which has grown between us makes us bitterly and sincerely regret the terrible persecutions which they have endured, and continue to endure, especially those that have involved Christians.”

FBI’s flawed hate stats

The Anti-Defamation League has questioned the validity of the FBI’s 2012 Hate Crime Statistics Act report, calling it “seriously flawed” for its incomplete numbers.

The ADL said that more than 25 percent of the nation’s law enforcing agencies failed to provide the FBI with hate crime statistics.

“Due to a deeply disturbing trend of under-reporting and under-participation by law enforcement agencies, including more than a dozen of the largest agencies in the United States, the 2012 Hate Crime Statistics Act report is seriously flawed,” Abraham Foxman, ADL national director, said in a statement.

Nevertheless, in the report, Jews remained by far the largest target of religiously motivated hate crimes.”

Deal a ‘cataclysmic error’

Alan Dershowitz said the deal reached in Geneva under which Iran promised to stop uranium enrichment beyond 5 percent in exchange for $7 billion in sanctions relief “could turn out to be a cataclysmic error of gigantic proportions.”

“It could also turn out to be successful, to be the beginning of a negotiated resolution,” Dershowitz told Newsmax. “But I think the likelihood of it being the former is considerably greater.” ”

Israel hosts 4 nation drill

Israel this week is hosting Blue Flag, a joint air force drill with pilots from the U.S., Italy, and Greece over the Negev Desert.

Seven Israeli flight squadrons are participating in the exercise, including one “red” squadron, which acts as a mock enemy force. Each nation’s air force came with its own aircraft: Israeli squadrons are flying F-15s and F-16s, the U.S. pilots are flying F-16Es, the Italians the Tornado AMX, and the Hellenic Airforce is operating its own F-16s. In all, more than 60 aircraft participated.