Archive for August 12, 2012

Knesset Bill calls for Jewish prayer times on Temple Mount

Suggested prayer times would be separate, held for Muslims and Jews with overlap for Christians at Jerusalem’s most holy site.

By LAHAV HARKOV

 

On the heels of a US State Department report criticizing Israel for not allowing non-Muslim prayer on the Temple Mount, MK Arye Eldad (National Union) has drafted a bill mandating separate hours for Jews and Muslims to pray at the holy site.

The Temple Mount, built on top of Judaism’s Most Holy Site – Photo: Phillip Pasmanick

“The Temple Mount is the holiest place for the Jewish People, where the First and Second Temple stood,” Eldad explained.

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Second Patient with Bone Marrow Failure Saved After Treatment With Pluristem’s PLX Stem Cell Therapy

Patient Recently Release From Hadassah Medical Center Hospital Becomes 2nd Person Whose Life Was Saved by PLX Cells Therapy, Joining 7 yr old Girl Who Suffered From Severe Aplastic Bone Marrow

 

By:

Israel, (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PLTR), a leading developer of placenta-based cell therapies, announced today that the life of a patient suffering from bone marrow failure in which there was a dangerous reduction in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets (pancytopenia) has been saved using Placental eXpanded (PLX) cells. This is the second time in the past three months that a patient suffering from bone marrow failure was successfully treated in a compassionate use treatment with PLX cells with a return of bone marrow function. Continue Reading »

Bravado or No? Iran claims the ability to attach nuclear warheads on missiles

A new U.S. Report: Iran has made “substantial & surprising” progress • White House spokesman: “We would know if and when Iran made … a breakout move toward acquiring a weapon”

By Shlomo Cesana, Yoni Hirsch, News Agencies & Israel Hayom Satff

 

The rift between Israel and the U.S. has grown as the two countries remain at odds over the timetable for a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear program. The matter has become especially pressing with the release of a purported new U.S. National Intelligence Estimate report, presented to U.S. President Barack Obama last week, which states that Iran has made “substantial and surprising” progress and boosted its efforts to attach a nuclear warhead to ballistic missiles.

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Israeli Cocktail Straw Can Detect Date Rape Drugs

Israeli scientists developed a small affordable sensor-straw for use in mixed drinks

By Stephanie Butnick

 

Israeli scientists Fernando Patolski and Michael Ioffe, both professors at Tel Aviv University, have developed a sensor that, when submerged in either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink, can detect the presence of two common date rape drugs.

So far tests on the unfinished product—which the developers say will be a small, inexpensive device resembling a stirrer that lights up discretely or sends a message to a cell phone if the drugs are present—have been 100 percent accurate.

Photo from facebook

According to reports, the device simply needs to be placed into a drink:

The sensor works by picking up a bit of alcohol and mixing it with a patent chemical formula, which was also developed by Patolsky and Ioffe.

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Meteor shower in Israel send hundreds to Mitzpe Ramon for spectacular event

‘We’ll see between 30/50 shooting stars per hr,’ says Dr. Laufer from TAU’s Geophysics & Planetary Sciences Dep’t

Ilana Curiel

 

Hundreds of astronomy fans will gather in Mitzpe Ramon on Sunday evening to watch a meteor shower in the Negev skies.

‘Like fairytale’ – Photo: AP

Mitzpe Ramon’s unique desert location and high altitude make it a perfect observation spot.

As part of the event, which was organized by The Israeli Astronomical Association (IAA), the Tel Aviv University’s Astronomy Club, Reshit Mada Foundation, the Mitzpe Ramon Regional Council and Sde Har HaNegev field school, all of the lights in Mitzpe Ramon will be dimmed as well as several of the military bases in the area. Continue Reading »

Report: Israelis less productive than most workers in other developed countries

Israel labors longer hours but productivity falls short of other OECD countries; also, the number of college-educated adults is dwindling.

The productivity of the average Israeli worker last year was well below the average among developed countries, new OECD figures show. Israel ranked 24th of 34 countries surveyed.

Israeli workers at a customer-service call center.

Israeli workers at a customer-service call center. – Photo by Dror Artzi

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose members comprise the countries of the developed world ‏(including Israel‏), the productivity per hour of the average Israeli worker last year was $34, which is 30% lower than the OECD average of $44. Continue Reading »

Will Obama Dine with Ahmadinejad & Morsi at upcoming U.N. General Assembly?

General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has invited Obama to join Ahmadinejad and Morsi at a ‘VIP lunch’ on the opening day of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at next month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, diplomatic sources say.

In addition, U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has invited President Obama to join the two leaders at a VIP lunch on Sept. 25, the opening day of the General Assembly, The Washington Times reported.

Iranian official Mohammad Reza Forqani dismissed the speculations saying, “Publishing such a report by the Washington Times daily is a media commotion,” the Fars News Agency reported. Continue Reading »

Palestinian President Abbas urges Egypt to destroy Hamas’ underground tunnels

For first time, Palestinian Authority publicly  asks Egypt to destroy tunnels along its border with Gaza to tighten blockade.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

Buoyed by growing tensions between Hamas and Egypt in wake of last week’s terror attack in Sinai, the Palestinian Authority Saturday called on the Egyptians to tighten the blockade on the Gaza Strip by destroying all underground tunnels along their shared border.

A Gaza smuggling tunnel.

A Gaza smuggling tunnel. – Photo: Ashley Bates

The PA said that the tunnels do not contribute to the economy in the Gaza Strip and are being used only by a small number of people for personal gain.

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Deadly earthquake shakes Iran

Iranian media outlets say at least 180  dead in 6.4 magnitude earthquake in northwest Iran

By Dudi Cohen and Reuters

 

Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Iran on Saturday, killing at least 180 people and injuring 1,300, Iranian media said.

מאות פצועים פונו לבתי החולים (צילום: AFP)

Wounded residents receive medical attention – Photo: AFP

The Iranian Students’ News Agency quoted the head of the government’s emergency centre, Gholamreza Masoumi, as announcing the casualty figures.

A local official in the area told ISNA that six villages had been completely destroyed and 60 villages had been 50 to 70% destroyed.

The US Geological Survey measured the first quake at 6.4 magnitude and said it struck 60 km (37 miles) northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 km (6.2 miles). Continue Reading »

Gazan Terrorists Testing new Rockets by firing into Sinai, Israeli Sources Say

Israelis say there is evidence that Egypt’s northern Sinai region has become a testing range for Gaza’s rocket builders.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Israeli sources told Reuters on Friday there is evidence that Egypt’s north Sinai region is becoming not only a rallying point for terrorists but a firing range for Gaza’s rocket builders.

It was soon after the 2011 revolt in Egypt toppled President Hosni Mubarak that Israeli rocket radars began to spot unusual launches from the Gaza, the report noted.

While the rockets normally towards Israeli border towns, or north towards coastal cities, some are now aimed at the empty desert wastes of Sinai. Continue Reading »

Defense-Update Report: F-35 fighter conducts 1st weapons test

Wednesday’s low altitude test checked the futuristic fighter-bomber drop a 1,000-lb (454 kg) GBU-32 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition)  inert smart bomb • Israel, the 1st foreign country to obtain the advanced stealth jet is expected to be allowed to outfit the plane’s systems with  Israeli technology.

By the Israel Hayom Staff

 

The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet successfully completed its first weapon separation test on Wednesday (August 8, 2012) on a test flight. The release was the first time for any version of the F-35 to conduct an airborne weapon separation, and the first time a full separation test was performed with a weapon dropped from the internal weapon bay, the Defense-Update website reported Friday.

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Egypt Reports: Sinai terrorists given use of Hamas tunnels

Evidence suggests Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades facilitated Sinai terror attack, says Egypt. President Morsi visits troops in Sinai, says  he will use ‘grip of steel’ to crush the terrorists

By Elior Levy, Roi Kais

 

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi visited the city of el-Arish in North Sinai Friday, as his military continued to hunt down the terrorists responsible for the Rafah border attack on Sunday.

Egyptian forces in Sinai – Photo: AFP

Sunday night saw a large group of terrorists ambush and kill 16 Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah border crossing, en route to a terror attack in Israel.

The IDF foiled the attack, intercepting the terrorists as they were trying to breach the Kerem Shalom crossing. Continue Reading »

Rights groups accuse the IDF of catching African migrants inside Egyptian territory

Israeli human-rights orgs reported that IDF soldiers have been intercepting migrants in Egypt, then turning them over to Egyptian forces.

By The Associated Press and Gili Cohen

 

Israel has been sending soldiers into Egypt’s Sinai desert to stop African migrants before they reach the border, handing them over to Egyptian forces, human rights groups charged in a report released Friday.

The report, published by Amnesty International and several Israeli groups, including Hotline for Migrant Workers and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, said that Israeli soldiers have entered several hundred meters into Egyptian territory to catch migrants and hand them over to Egyptian police. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Financial System Preparing for Strike on Iran, Says Fischer

Bank of Israel Governor says the financial apparatus is taking steps for an Israeli strike on Iran & its expected downturn in the economy.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said on Friday that the financial system is preparing for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and for a possible downturn in the economy which may result.

Speaking to Channel 2 News, Fischer said, “The primary responsibility of each country is to maintain its security. It is possible to describe situations of widespread war which would be very difficult to deal with. We are preparing for a major crisis and for security situation which is much worse.” Continue Reading »

Dore Gold’s analysis : Meanwhile, in Jordan…

King Abdullah has to juggle between the Jordanian Bedouin who feel economically deprived and the Palestinians who want more political power.

By Dore Gold

International attention over the Arab uprisings has been naturally drawn in recent weeks to Egypt and especially Syria. Yet, Jordan is clearly the Arab state whose internal stability affects Israel’s security most directly. From a purely geographic standpoint, Israel’s border with Jordan is its longest international boundary. King Abdullah has managed to assure his kingdom’s security and avoid the kind of internal disruptions that have afflicted most of his neighbors though he had to deal with a wave of protests in the spring of 2011.

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