Archive for April 7, 2012

Hamas executes 3 in Gaza, including Israel ‘collaborator’

Islamist group Hamas executed three men on Saturday, hanging two convicted murderers and a Gazan found guilty of collaborating with Israel, the Hamas-run ministry of interior said.

Khaled Meshal

Khaled Meshal - Photo by: AP

It did not name the men and gave few details of the allegations against them, but said one of trio was convicted of kidnapping a boy, raping him and then killing him.

It denounced the man who helped Israel as a “traitor.”

The ministry said in a statement the families of the murder victims had refused to offer an amnesty to the killers.

The executions were carried out “in accordance with our religion, rulings of the Palestinian law and in preserving the rights of citizens and achieving the security of the community”, the statement said. Continue Reading »

Pollard Rushed to Hospital

Jonathan Pollard was rushed to a hospital emergency room near his Butner, North Carolina prison.

Jonathan Pollard, convicted of spying for Israel and serving a life sentence without parole for 26 years, was rushed to a hospital emergency room near his Butner, North Carolina penitentiary early Friday after suffering from extreme pain, sources close to him said Friday.

Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yonah Metzger called upon Jews around the world to pray during the Passover holiday for the health and freedom of Pollard, whose Hebrew name is Yehonatan Ben-Malka.

President Shimon Peres will meet Sunday with MKs Uri Ariel and Ronit Tirosh who will hand him a letter for US President Barack Obama asking for the release of convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Continue Reading »

Operation IDF Passover Seder

As millions of Israelis prepare to celebrate the Passover seder on Friday night, the IDF will join them at bases around the country.

 

As millions of Israelis prepare to celebrate the Passover seder on Friday night, the IDF will join them at bases around the country.

The various IDF units have been busy all week preparing for the feast to come. Passover preparations involve dozens of soldiers and commanders at army bases and outposts on land, out at sea, and flying the skies.

As part of its preparations for the holiday, the IDF purchased 70,000 kg of various foods that included 8,000 kg of Nile perch fish, 3,500 kg of roast beef, 9,000 kg of chicken thighs, 7,200 kg of matzah, 16,000 bottles of grape juice, and more. Continue Reading »

Is Tower of David timeline oldest on Facebook?

“A timeline makes perfect sense for us, because we already work based on a timeline,” director of special projects at the museum tells ‘Post’.

 

As Facebook switches to its new “Timeline” design, some users are already taking advantage of the revamped layout to exemplify what they do best.
Tower of David Museum’s Facebook page
Tower of David Museum’s Facebook page

Launched this week, Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum’s Facebook page boasts possibly the oldest “Timeline” on the social networking site’s newest technology.

Its birth is dated at 1099, when the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and established a fortress where the museum stands today.

“A timeline makes perfect sense for us, because we already work based on a timeline,” Rose Ginosar, director of special projects at the museum, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

Continue Reading »

Wind energy industry gets policy boost

National Zoning Board approves first-ever policy paper detailing guidelines for future wind turbines farms

Israel’s National Planning and Building Board approved the first-ever policy paper on wind turbines farms in Israel.

(Illustration) Photo: Index Open

(Illustration) Photo: Index Open

The policy paper aims to promote the production of 800 megawatts of electricity and the board’s approval is considered a breakthrough for Israel’s wind energy industry.

According to EnergiaNews, the paper – complied by the Interior Ministry’s planning administration – dismissed the idea of erecting offshore wind turbines and recommends forming wind turbines farms in the periphery and as part of industrial zones.

While wind energy is considered very environmentally friendly, the planning administration noted several concerns as to the turbines’ environmental impact, especially on the migration paths of birds. Continue Reading »

State to allow export of 50% of gas reserves

A committee chaired by the director general of the Energy and Water Resources Ministry Shaul Tzemach, decided that Israel needs to have some 400 billion cubic meters of gas as a strategic reserve at any one time; the rest may be exported to foreign countries.

The Tzemach Committee on Energy Policy has recommended keeping only 25 years of natural gas reserves for Israeli use, and allowing producers to export the rest. The committee published its interim report yesterday and will now accept public comments before preparing its final recommendations.

drilling platform

A drilling platform in the Tamar offshore natural gas field - Photo by Albatross

The committee, chaired by the director general of the Energy and Water Resources Ministry Shaul Tzemach, decided that Israel needs to have some 400 billion cubic meters of gas as a strategic reserve at any one time; the rest may be exported to foreign countries.

Continue Reading »

Jewish Woman Comes Home After Two Years

Lehava organization brings home a 25-year-old Jewish woman and her one-year-old baby, two years after she ran away with an Arab boyfriend.

The Lehava anti-assimilation organization has been able to locate a young Jewish woman and her one-year-old baby, two years after she ran away from her home with an Arab boyfriend.

Aryeh from the Lehava organization told Arutz Sheva on Thursday about the rescue operation. He said that the 25-year-old woman, originally from Jerusalem, left her parents’ home two years ago after meeting an Arab man at her workplace. The woman, who was identified only as A, ran away with the man to an Arab village in northern Israel, where she gave birth about a year ago. Continue Reading »

Beijing steps up pressure to prevent an attack on Iran

China official Chen Xiaodong issues strongest warning yet against using force on Iran over its nuke program, says a strike would incur retaliation, drive up oil prices; Iran, world powers to restart talks this month.

 

BEIJING – A senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday an attack on Iran would invite devastating retaliation that would envelop the region and destabilize the global economic recovery, and added that the international community had to restrain itself from war.

Iranian military in the Strait of Hormuz - By REUTERS/Fars News/Hamed Jafarnejad

Iranian military in the Strait of Hormuz - By REUTERS/Fars News/Hamed Jafarnejad

Iran is locked in a dispute with the West over its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes.

Continue Reading »

Israel presents new deterrence policy

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on Thursday declared a change in army policy whereby any firing at Israel’s south will be met with an attack on Hamas, regardless of the group behind the fire.

Similarly, any firing from Lebanon will result in an attack on Hezbollah, and any terror attack by Iran’s emissaries overseas will prompt a response against Tehran.

Speaking at a conference in the Gelilot base, Gantz discussed the many threats Israel faces. “The IDF is Israel’s sharpened sword and protector,” he noted. He also addressed the firing of rockets at Eilat on Wednesday night.

הרמטכ"ל גנץ. "להכות בעוצמה במבקש רעתנו" (צילום: עידו ארז)

IDF chief Gantz.

Continue Reading »

Britain’s Royal Air Force considering purchase of Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle

U.K. looking at the Eitan system, also known as the Heron TP – the largest and most sophisticated drone Israel makes.

Britain’s Royal Air Force has been considering the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel.

Heron TP drone

The Israeli army Heron TP drone, also known locally as the Eitan, flies during a display at the Palmahim Air Force Base. - Photo by AP

The Eitan, also known as the Heron TP, is the largest and most sophisticated drone Israel makes. It is assembled by Israel Aerospace Industries and began operational service in the Israel Air Force two years ago, in a new squadron at the Tel Nof airbase. Continue Reading »

IDF Imposes Closure on PA-Controlled Areas

As it goes on high alert for Passover, the IDF imposes a closure on the PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.

The IDF Spokesman announced on Thursday that, following a decision by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a general closure will be imposed on the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.

IDF combs fields near Nir Am

IDF combs fields near Nir Am - Reuters

The closure began at 11:59 p.m. (Israel time) on Thursday and will end after the Passover holiday, on Saturday evening at 11:59 p.m., depending on the security situation at the time.

According to the IDF announcement, during the closure movement into Israeli territory will be allowed only for humanitarian reasons, medical reasons and other exceptions, all subject to the approval of the Civil Administration. Continue Reading »

It’s official: Israel will pursue justice for the modern-day Exodus

“We believe that settling the refugee problems on both sides —the  Arab and the Jewish side — is the only way to really bring about a durable, comprehensive and lasting peace. Peace that will be built on truth and justice for all.” – Danny Ayalon

Justice for Jewish refugees from Arab and Muslim countries has at long last become official Israeli government policy. It has taken more than sixty years, but here at Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, we are celebrating this momentous event.

No amount of grassroots campaigning could work without the official support of the Israeli government.

Continue Reading »

New Film Exposes Northeastern’s Radical Holocaust Program

The “see no evil” response from Northeastern’s provost is part of the problem.

Americans for Peace and Tolerance has released a documentary on Northeastern’s Holocaust Awareness Week, and Charles Jacobs has published a column in the Jewish Advocate summarizing his criticisms of it. In response, Northeastern Provost Stephen Director has complained that Jacobs “cherry-picked his examples”:

The present-day facts are clear: Northeastern is a vibrant academic community where people of all backgrounds and faiths come together in pursuit of knowledge.

In dismissing a dozen examples of intellectual and moral abuse of the Holocaust program at Northeastern as “cherry-picked,” Director expresses either a lack of awareness or a dishonesty about the nature of the intellectual and moral stakes.

Continue Reading »

Introducing the invisible keyboard

Jerusalem-based SnapKeys is bringing smart phone users a whole new way to type, for a free mobile experience.

Unlike the QWERTY keyboard, SnapKeys arranged letters by primary shape.

It’s always easy to see who chose typing class at high school when watching grownups in the boardroom. Those who didn’t learn how to type properly stumble over laptop keyboards with two fingers or thumbs.

Today’s smart phones have made most of us just as awkward whether we learned QWERTY or not. Our fingers feel like big fat sausages as we aim for the tiny letters. Could there be another way?

An Israeli company called SnapKeys has introduced an invisible keyboard that is based on letter shapes rather than frequency of letter use, frees up screen space and lets a smart phone user communicate better.

Continue Reading »

Jordan’s crown prince holds secret visit to Temple Mount

King Abdullah’s eldest son escorted around Temple Mount by Israeli security forces, may also visit Cave of Patriarchs

Jordan‘s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, 18, held a secret visit to Temple Mount in Jerusalem escorted by Israeli security forces. He arrived at the site via the Mughrabi Bridge.

ביקור ראשון של יורש העצר הירדני בהר הבית (ארכיון) (צילום: נועם מושקוביץ')

Temple Mount in Jerusalem - Photo Noam Moskowitz

A Palestinian official told Ynet that the prince will also be visiting the Cave of Patriarchs later on Wednesday. He said that the visit had been coordinated and initiated by Israel and that consequently Prince Hussein will be visiting the cave’s Israeli side. Continue Reading »