The Israeli corps came back home after the arrival of additional aid forces, including the United States military and other civilian aid, which are now providing regular medical services. Also many of the local hospitals have reached a sufficient level of functionality.

Some of the supplies brought by the Israeli delegation will remain in Haiti for use by the various medical personnel, including tents, medications and other medical equipment.

Before the delegation departed from Haiti, they focused their efforts on other forms of civilian assistance to help improve daily life, including setting up water tanks.

The IDF Medical and Rescue team, having been one of the first to arrive on the scene, worked virtually without stop in Haiti for two weeks. Their exemplary work was cited in a complimentary worldwide report on CNN (www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2010/01/18/dnt.cohen.haiti.patients.dying.cnn.html).

When a six-year-old girl, Jessica Hartelin, was pulled from the rubble nearly six days after a building collapsed on top of her in the earthquake, the Israelis heroically worked to save her.

Jessica showed no signs of life, and so was rushed to the Port-au-Prince stadium where the medics of IsraAID had set up their clinic. IsraAID's emergency work in Haiti was supported by donations to Chicago's Jewish Federation, as well as to many other Jewish organizations from around the world.

Alan Schneider, a member of the IsraAid emergency medical team, noticed the crowd of people coming towards the stadium. He quickly called to his team to clear one of the tables from the patients who were being treated with less urgent injuries.

The Israeli medical team saved little Jessica's life.

She was then transferred to the Israeli Defense Force field hospital for further treatment Now that the IDF Medical Corps is back in Israel, the group plans to hold a series of briefings following the activity in Haiti in order to improve its preparedness for similar future events.

It is hoped that one of those future events won't be in Israel itself. Though there is more than a little concern it might be.

The magnitude of the earthquake that struck Port au Prince was 7.0 on the Richter scale. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in Israel the last destructive earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale, occurred in 1927. Its epicenter was the Dead Sea, and its effects were felt in Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, Ramle and Tiberias, resulting in 500 deaths and injuries to 700. An earthquake in 1837 killed 5,000 people.

As Haaretz notes, "on average, a destructive earthquake takes place in Israel once every 80 years, causing serious casualties and damage. The more time passes since the previous earthquake, the closer we are to the next. In other words, we are running out of time.

"The main concern in Israel is that an earthquake would strike during hours when public buildings are populated. Most schools and hospitals in Israel were constructed before new building codes - which take into account the effects of earthquakes - were enacted. Moreover, some 50,000 residential buildings in Israel do not meet the new codes and are expected to collapse in the event of an earthquake."

Meanwhile in the United States, Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky expressed her concern regarding practices that are leaving Haitian Americans with exorbitant costs as they struggle to reach loved ones in Haiti.

"Since the earthquake, I have heard from many Haitian Americans who have incurred exorbitant costs while trying to use calling cards to phone their family members and friends," Schakowksy said in a statement. " The high costs of the cards, along with communication challenges in Haiti which lead to their calls going unanswered, often make further attempts to reach loved ones cost prohibitive. As Vice-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, I have advised Chairman Bobby Rush of my interest in holding hearings on this issue. Millions of Americans have responded to the enormous humanitarian crisis in Haiti; and I believe that calling card companies have a responsibility to participate in that effort."

In her letter to the companies, STi Prepaid and Locus Telecommunications, Schakowsky wrote, "I have heard from countless constituents about how they have used calling cards to try to reach their loved ones in Haiti. Unfortunately, the high fees that are placed on your cards mean that they are going through dozens of cards without ever having a call connected.

"Even in the best of times, I believe terms like "3-minute rounding," "an additional three minutes will be deducted at the end of each call longer than one minute" and "a service fee of 28% will be added to the total charges on every call" would be unfair. But in light of current circumstances, when Haitian-Americans dial over and over again, day and night, trying to find out the fate of their family and friends, I find such terms reprehensible.

"I strongly encourage you to consider offering refunds to your customers who bought your cards and had their time run out before their call connected. I also urge you to distribute free cards to Haitian-Americans over the next few weeks as a sign of compassion to those who are suffering."

Another Jewish member of Congress, Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ), of the House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, met with the new Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Rajiv Shah, to discuss the current situation on the ground in Haiti.

"Once again we are reminded of the horrible consequences to the Haitian people from the massive earthquake and its aftershocks. As the recovery efforts continue, the unspeakable human toll is being realized more and more," Rothman said. "I am proud of the U.S.'s rescue efforts to date, as well as the generous support of the American people and other international donors."

But once the initial rescue efforts have passed, Rothman said he will be offering suggestions on how to address the longer term needs of Haiti and its survivors. He expressed concern about the political situation and potential institutional instability in Haiti, as well as whether or not more can be done to ensure that terrorists, drug gangs, criminals, and other threats do not move into or take control of Haiti.

In looking at yet another world trouble spot, one of interest to both the United States and Israel, Rothman recently met with Abubakr al-Qirbi, the Foreign Minister of Yemen, on the situation and counterterrorism efforts in Yemen.

Rothman said the foreign minister assured him that the government of Yemen remains committed to fighting Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"Yemen is a fledgling democracy that faces monumental security challenges and it is encouraging to see that the government of Yemen has reiterated its commitment to fighting terrorists," Rothman said. "As the U.S. continues to seek out and destroy terrorists and their support networks, we need as many partners as possible in this fight - especially in the Middle East. I am hopeful that Yemen will follow through on its promise to remain fully committed to its counterterrorism efforts and I will continue to monitor the situation in this important region."

But while the world situation has been in the spotlight, it's also election year in the United States. And with the Illinois primary days away, the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) has called on all candidates to sign a pledge condemning 'abusive Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language' in the 2010 campaign.

The full text of the pledge reads: "Inappropriate Holocaust imagery and rhetoric and anti-Semitic language are simply not acceptable parts of our political discourse. I condemn the disgusting signs and rhetoric displayed at the November 5, 2009 House of Representatives' G.O.P. "Tea Party" rally in Washington and other "Tea Party" rallies around the country, and I pledge to condemn and repudiate abusive Holocaust comparisons and anti-Semitic rhetoric carried out by anyone claiming to support my candidacy or attending my campaign events."

As of a week before the primary, Ira Forman, CEO of the NJDC, noted that while the leading Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate have signed the pledge, the leading Republican candidate, Mark Kirk, has not.

In a statement, Forman said, "the National Jewish Democratic Council has been urging Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk to sign a pledge condemning 'abusive Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language' in the 2010 campaign cycle. So far, we have received no response, although the leading Democratic candidates have signed the pledge ... As we mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Congressman Kirk rightly took to his House website to speak about the need to 'reaffirm our commitment to fight anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in our day - at home and around the world.' This leaves us with one question: if he feels as he does, why won't he take a stand against inappropriate Holocaust comparisons and anti-Semitic rhetoric during this campaign season? Why not follow up words with action, and help strike this awful rhetoric from our politics?

"Caustic Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language in politics has served as a profoundly divisive and corrosive force in our public discourse, and it simply has to stop. If Mark Kirk's words have meaning, he will take a stand against abusive Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language - by anyone claiming to support his candidacy or attending his campaign events."

On the subject of anti-Semitism, President Obama sent a delegation to Poland this week to attend the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Julius M. Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, led the delegation, which also included Lee Feinstein, U.S. Ambassador to Poland; Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State; Susan S. Sher, Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, and liaison to the Jewish community; Roman R. Kent, chairman, American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors; and Auschwitz survivors Charlene P. Schiff and Edwarda Sternberg-Powidzki.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also traveled to Poland to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the struggle against anti-Semitism, on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Before leaving, Netanyahu told his Cabinet, "the struggle against anti-Semitism is more crucial than ever ... anti-Semitism is springing from a new direction - and it is attempting to negate the Jewish State and its right to self-defense.

"We identify three types of countries. The first type stand proudly, aggressively and clearly against anti-Semitism - USA, Canada, Germany, France and many other countries. The second type - countries which allow anti-Semitism and even lead measured anti-Semitism. Of course, an outstanding example of this is Iran, which is headed by someone who denies the Holocaust and spreads anti-Semitism in all directions. I believe that it is no coincidence that a synagogue was recently desecrated in Caracas, Venezuela. There is a group of countries that allow and lead anti-Semitism on the level of government policy.

"In the middle there are many other countries that do not do enough, and no less worse, in the name of freedom of speech allow intolerable expressions of anti-Semitism, without condemnation. On one hand they are defending freedom of speech - and deny themselves the freedom of expression that every government, and society, has to condemn unacceptable phenomena.

"We are not confused on this issue. We condemn anti-Semitism everywhere."

Netanyahu also told his Cabinet of a phone call he made to the Israeli team in Haiti. "I told them that the State of Israel thanks the entire team for the wonderful way in which they have saved lives as well as for shining Israel's light among the nations. I must say that when I decided to send the group on the morning when we first heard of the catastrophe, I thought that they would do so, but I did not know just how much.

"I think that anyone who is impressed by their expertise, volunteerism, actions, professionalism and the spirit which they brought to this holy mission, knows just how much they represent the beautiful and true Israel."