Angel >>Peaceable Israeli soldiers Last week, in the respected daily Ha’aretz, 53 soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) placed an ad stating they would not participate in the ongoing “mission of occupation and repression” to “perpetuate domination over the Palestinian people.” While not refusing to serve in any mission defending the State of Israel, the soldiers declared that they “will not go on fighting a war for the peace of the settlements... for the purposes of domination, expulsion, starvation and humiliation of an entire people.” Joining a germinal but growing movement inside Israel critical of the occupation and its brutality, the soldiers represent that war-weariness and a desired return to sanity are taking hold in Israel.

Insect >>Preposterous prudery Proving once again that he is a tight-ass prude, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered the covering up of a bare-breasted statue of a woman and another of a loin-cloth sporting man in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice. The statues, the Spirit of Justice and the Majesty of Justice, apparently made the non-drinking, non-gambling, homophobic and anti-porn member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God church somewhat uncomfortable when posing for pictures. It’ll cost the God-fearing American people about $8,000 (U.S.) to prevent Ashcroft popping an uncomfortable boner during photo ops.