Archive for June 21, 2012

Jewish Visitor to Temple Mount Told to Remove Kippah

“I have experienced anti-Semitism in England, but I never expected it at Judaism’s holiest site,” the visitor stated.

By INN Staff

 

 

During a visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, a Jewish student was told by Islamic Waqf officials to take off his kippah. The 20-year-old from London, England, was in Israel as part of a student mission. He said he was told by three separate Waqf monitors to take off the Jewish head-covering because it was offensive to them.

The student told Israeli media, “I have experienced anti-Semitism in England, but I never thought that in Judaism’s holiest site I would be subjugated to such discrimination.” Continue Reading »

Gaza rocket directly hits home in southern Israel; Iron Dome intercepts missile in Netivot for first time

IDF kills Islamic Jihad operative involved in terror attack along Egypt border; more than 30 rockets fired at Israel on Wednesday.

By Yanir Yagna, Gili Cohen and Avi Issacharoff

 

 

A Gaza rocket has directly hit a home in the Sdot Negev Regional council on Wednesday, as more than 30 rockets were fired into southern Israel since the morning.

Meanwhile, the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a rocket fired at Netivot for the first time on Wednesday. Another rocket, which was fired during the same barrage, directly hit a home in Sdot Negev, and several people suffered from shock. Continue Reading »

BBC: Hamas admits Gaza child was killed by Palestinian rocket

Palestinians first blame Tuesday’s death on Israel Air Force strike, but a Hamas official later attributes incident to Palestinian rocket fire • Despite this credible report, Chinese and French media report child died in “mysterious” blast.

By Israel Hayom staff

A Hamas official has admitted to the BBC that a Gaza child killed on Tuesday died as a result of Palestinian rocket fire, and not from an Israeli strike. While this is not the first time Gazans have been killed by misfired Palestinian munitions, the admission, made to BBC Gaza and West Bank Correspondent Jon Donnison, is unusual in its rarity. Continue Reading »

‘US, Israel developed Flame computer virus’

‘Washington Post’ reports CIA, NSA, J’lem designed malware to provide intel to help in campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.

By REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON – The United States and Israel jointly developed the Flame computer virus that collected intelligence to help slow Iran’s nuclear program, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous Western officials.

The so-called Flame malware aimed to map Iran’s computer networks and monitor computers of Iranian officials, the newspaper said. It was designed to provide intelligence to help in a cyber campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, involving the National Security Agency, the CIA and Israel’s military, the Post said.

Continue Reading »

Wiesel rejects Hungarian award over Nazi concerns

Holocaust survivor denies Grand Cross Order of Merit after learning of Hungarian top officials’ participation in ceremony commending Nazi sympathizer; ‘It’s too close to home,’ says Wiesel

Associated Press

 

 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel says he’s repudiating a Hungarian award he received in 2004 because top officials from Budapest recently attended a ceremony for a Nazi sympathizer.

Eli Wiesel Photo: Reuters

Eli Wiesel Photo: Reuters

The memorial rite weeks ago offended the 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, whose parents and sister were sent to their deaths by wartime Hungarian officials.

“It’s too close to home,” Wiesel told The Associated Press in an interview last week. Continue Reading »

Grad rocket lands near Be’er Sheva; IAF strikes targets in northern Gaza

Two rockets fall in towns but cause no casualties, though light damage was done to an industrial structure.

By Gili Cohen and Yanir Yagn

 

 

The rocket fire from Gaza continued early morning Wednesday with a Grad rocket landing near Be’er Sheva and more than ten rockets landing in the Eshkol Regional Council. Two of the rockets landed inside towns but caused no casualties, though light damage was caused to an industrial structure.

The rocket that wounded the Border Patrol officer on June 19, 2012.

The rocket that wounded the Border Patrol officer on June 19, 2012. - Photo by Eliyahu Hershkovitz

In response to the fire, the Israel Air Force launched an attack in the northern Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »

IAF Strikes Seven Terror Targets in Gaza

50 rockets fired into Israel in 24 hours, IAF responds by striking terror targets in Gaza.

By Elad Benari

 

IAF aircraft struck a terror target in northern Gaza early Wednesday morning, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced in a statement.

The statement said direct hits were identified and all aircraft returned safely to their bases.

Overnight Tuesday, IAF aircraft struck six terror targets throughout Gaza.

The air strikes came in response to the barrage of rockets that were fired toward southern Israel by terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza. 45 terrorist rockets slammed into southern Israel between midnight on Tuesday and 3:30 a.m. Continue Reading »

Al-Qaida group claims responsibility for border attack

Saudi, Egyptian citizen purportedly launched the attack that killed an Israeli worker, video shows; over 30 rockets fired from Gaza in past day, at least six Palestinians killed in IDF strikes on the Strip.

 

 

An al-Qaida-linked group calling itself “The Shura Council of Mujahideen in the Holy Land” claimed responsibility Tuesday for a cross-border-attack along Israel’s southern border that killed one construction worker on Monday.

Reuters obtained a video showing a group of masked men who claimed responsibility for the attack. The masked men used Islamic slogans, pledging to liberate the Holy Land from what they termed Jewish control.

Continue Reading »

Rocket fire continues: 13 Qassams hit Negev; IAF strikes Gaza

Incessant rocket fire on south Israel prompts another IDF strike in Gaza; one rocket lands near police sappers, but no one hurt

By Ynet reporters

 

 

Thirteen Qassam rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza Tuesday afternoon landed in open areas within the Negev’s Eshkol Regional Council. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Archives Photo: Ze'ev Trachtman

Archives Photo: Ze'ev Trachtman

Shortly after the rocket salvo, Israeli aircraft struck a target in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said its target was destroyed. Palestinian sources in the Hamas-ruled territory said one person was severely wounded in what they called a targeted killing attempt

The sources said the .aircraft Continue Reading »

Facebook buys Israeli start-up for estimated $100m.

Tel Aviv-based Face.com has developed facial recognition technology for photographs loaded onto websites.

By GLOBES

Facebook Inc. announced Monday that it has acquired Tel-Aviv-based facial-recognition technology company Face.com. No financial details were disclosed but sources believe that the acquisition has been made for about $100 million.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg - Photo: Courtesy

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg - Photo: Courtesy

Face.com, founded in 2007, has developed technology used for facial recognition on photos loaded onto websites and through mobile aplications. The company has released two apps used on Facebook called Photo Finder and Photo Tagger.

In a brief statement, Facebook said the company’s technology “has helped to provide the best photo experience” for people sharing photos over the social netwirk.

Continue Reading »

Turkey tourism is down by 6%

 North American, European tourists decide to waive Turkish destinations following steep fall in number of Israeli tourists to visit Euro-Asian country

By Danny Sadeh

 

The current economic and political turmoil in Europe has taken its toll on the Turkish tourism industry which suffered a significant decline in the number of tourists visiting the country, according to data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat).

Tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2012 dropped by 6%, compared to the previous year.

Anatalia, Turkey Photo: Ahiya Raved

Anatalia, Turkey - Photo: Ahiya Raved

The steep drop in tourism chiefly derives from a decline in the number of tourists visiting Turkey from North America and Western Europe – regions which used to compose the majority of the Turkish tourism clientele. Continue Reading »

Author of The Color Purple refuses to authorize Hebrew version because ‘Israel is guilty of apartheid’

Alice Walker says Israeli policies were ‘worse’ than the segregation she suffered as an American youth and said South Africans had told her it was worse than Apartheid.

By JTA

 

 

Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple,” refused to authorize a Hebrew translation of her prize-winning work, citing what she called Israel’s “apartheid state.”

U.S. human rights activist and author Alice Walker.

U.S. human rights activist and author Alice Walker speaks during a news conference about an international flotilla to blockaded Gaza, in Athens, Monday, June 27, 2011. - Photo by AP

In a June 9 letter to Yediot Books, Walker said she would not allow the publication of the book into Hebrew because “Israel is guilty of apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people, both inside Israel and also in the Occupied Territories.” Continue Reading »

Third Gaza Rocket Attack Strikes Sderot

A third rocket attack launched at southern Israel from Gaza Monday evening exploded in the town of Sderot at about 10:00 p.m.

By Chana Ya’ar

 

 

A third rocket attack launched at southern Israel from Gaza Monday evening exploded in the town of Sderot. The short-range Qassam rocket landed in an open area of the town, about 15 seconds after the Color Red incoming missile alert system was activated.

No one was physically injured, although a number of residents who suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) had trauma symptoms re-triggered by the attack. No property damage was reported, authorities said. Continue Reading »

Google chairman Eric Schmidt: Israel is a ‘tech miracle’

 Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference, Schmidt praises Israel’s engineers and development centers and discusses the role of technology in the region’s political upheaval.

 

 

Google chairman Eric Schmidt said on Monday that the company’s development centers in Israel are among the company’s most efficient and that Google is constantly expanding them.

Eric Schmidt in Tel Aviv

Eric Schmidt in Tel Aviv - Photo by David Bachar

Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference called “Big Tent,” Schmidt said that the quality of Israel’s engineers is very high, not least due to the country’s universities and the training acquired in the army. He also praised local salespeople as among the best in the world, saying they continue to contribute to the company’s profits. Continue Reading »

Ivory Coast President: “Strong historic links with Israel”

PM Netanyahu meets with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. “Links between us are strengthening quickly”

By Yoni Kempinski

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this afternoon (Monday) with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. Ivory Coast Foreign Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan and Ministers Yossi Peled and Limor Livnat also attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ivory Coast President Ouattara noted the close state of bilateral cooperation. They discussed the terrorist threats facing both countries, as well as cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, science and technology.

 

Ivory Coast President Ouattara expressed agreement that Israel should repatriate Ivory Coast nationals who arrived here without permits. Continue Reading »