Archive for August 19, 2012

U.S. and Israel conduct joint naval exercises in Med

A 4-day exercise included use of live fire, & U.S. participants included guided-missile destroyers that would be used to help Israel defend against Iranian missiles.

 

The U.S. and Israeli navies conducted a joint search-and-rescue exercise in the Mediterranean Sea last week. The four-day exercise, known as Reliant Mermaid, included the use of live fire, and the U.S. participants included Aegis guided-missile destroyers of the type that would in theory be used to help defend Israel against Iranian missiles. But the exercise didn’t include any missile interceptions – though such interceptions are supposed to be part of a bigger joint exercise in another two months. Continue Reading »

Canada Church Regrets Previously Asking Arabs to Recognize Israel as Jewish State

The United Church of Canada (UCC) decided to boycott Israeli products exported from communities in Judea & Samaria.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

 

The United Church of Canada (UCC) has voted to boycott products exported by Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

The vote was one of thirteen resolutions, which single out “Israeli settlements” as the primary obstacle to peace in the region, that the UCC adopted on Friday at its 41st general council meeting in Ottawa.

The UCC also called on Israel to suspend “settlement” expansion, and express regret for previously asking the “Palestinians” to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. Continue Reading »

American IDF veterans return to serve on campus

3 American-born IDF veterans have returned to the US after their IDF service. On campus each has been involved in Israel advocacy efforts.

By LAUREN SCHMIDT, ICB REPORTER

 

Many campus Israel groups have brought Israeli soldiers to speak at their schools in recent years because they value the insights and perspectives IDF veterans bring to the campus Israel dialogue. But some people who have had life-changing experiences serving in the Israel Defense Forces later earn their college degree in the United States. These students offer a unique view on Israel, based on their experience, and their advocacy on campus conveys that.
Continue Reading »

4 More Egyptian soldiers get wounded in Sinai attack

In latest series of violent attacks this month in the Sinai, Militants fire rocket-propelled grenade at security convoy between Rafah & el-Arish

Egyptian security officials say militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a security convoy in the Sinai Peninsula, wounding three military officers and a policeman.

North Sinai, August 12, 2012

People watch as smoke rises from the burning remains of a building and vehicle in north Sinai – Photo by Reuters

The officials say the attack Saturday morning took place along a major road linking northern Sinai’s main city of el-Arish to the Egypt-Gaza border town of Rafah. The troops were returning from a raid on homes of suspected militants and had arrested two people. Continue Reading »

Ban Ki-Moon slams Iran leaders’ anti-Israel remarks

UN chief condemns Iran’s supreme leader & president for ‘inflammatory’ verbal attacks, says he is ‘dismayed by the remarks threatening Israel’s existence’

By Reuters

 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon sharply criticized Iran‘s supreme leader and president on Friday, describing their latest verbal attacks on Israel as “offensive and inflammatory.”

באן קי מון Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

UNS-G Ban Ki-Moon
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

Many thousands of Iranians shouted “Death to America, death to Israel” during state-organized protests on Friday and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told them there was no place for the Jewish state in a future Middle East.

“The Secretary-General is dismayed by the remarks threatening Israel’s existence attributed over the last two days to the Supreme Leader and the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the UN press office said. Continue Reading »

Meet the Christian Zionists

Evangelical Christians by the millions are working day & night to protect Israel. They stage conventions, they exert political pressure on their representatives in Washington & they raise awareness in the world on issues like the Iranian threat or on Palestinian incitement, and they do this not only in the name of justice, but because it is an integral part of their faith in Jesus.

By Dror Eydar

 

While conversing at a convention center in Washington with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, I asked him whether he considered what we were witnessing at that convention center as a religious or historic revolution, after 2,000 years of Christianity.
Continue Reading »

Netanyahu disavows erroneous quotes attributed to him

The PM refutes saying “situation in Jordan worse than Syria” & “fall of Tantawi in Egypt worse than fall of Mubarak.”

 

For the second time in a week Israel found itself on Thursday denying potentially dangerous and erroneous statements attributed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the Arab world.

PM Netanyahu speaks to Jewish immigrants at BGU - Photo: REUTERS

PM Netanyahu speaks to Jewish immigrants at BGU – Photo: REUTERS

Samih al-Mayata, a Jordanian government spokesman, was quoted in the Jordanian media earlier this week as being asked at a briefing about a statement he was told Netanyahu made that “the situation in Jordan is worse even than the situation in Syria.”

Continue Reading »

Ahmadinejad: Must remove the ‘Black stain’ of Zionism from society

Reports claim millions attend Palestinian support rallies; In his speech to mark al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, Iran’s president says Zionist regime ‘insult to humanity’ & that ‘western powers cannot tolerate criticism’ against Israel.

By Dudi Cohen

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday denounced Israel and said that “The very existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to humanity.”

In the speech which was broadcast live on Iranian TV in honor of al-Quds Day Ahmadinejad added that “The western powers cannot tolerate criticism of the Zionist regime. They feel compelled to defend it.”

He also warned: “It is dangerous if even10% of the territory is given to the Zionists.” Continue Reading »

Diplomatic Sources say Securing Syria’s chemical weapons could take 60,000 troops

Washington & European Allies discuss possibility if Assad regime loses control of WMDs; American official: U.S. still has no plans to put troops on the ground in Syria.

By Reuters

 

The United States and its allies are discussing a worst-case scenario that could require tens of thousands of ground troops to go into Syria to secure chemical and biological weapons sites following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, according to U.S. and diplomatic officials.

Syria - AP - 15.8.2012

Syrian children playing near a destroyed military tank next to the rubble of a damaged building in town of Azaz on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria – Photo by AP

These secret discussions assume that all of Assad’s security forces disintegrate, leaving chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria vulnerable to pillaging. Continue Reading »

Ex-SEALS & CIA Operatives Launch Campaign Against Obama

Former intel officials have launched a campaign against Obama, accusing the president of security leaks & claiming direct credit for the Osama bin Laden operation.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

A group of former military and intelligence officials launched a campaign against President Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of claiming undue credit for the Osama bin Laden raid and suggesting the administration leaked classified security information in an effort to prevent Israel from attacking Iran.

President Obama

President Obama – Reuters

The group, called Special Operations OPSEC education Fund Inc., released a 22 minute video (Below) on its website and plans to go on air with a television ad sometime in September, Fox News reported. Continue Reading »

Kick-backs, Embezzlement & Corruption led to The Palestinian Failure

The economy of the PA (which enjoyed high growth rates after 1967 when control passed to the Israelis) stagnated & then went backward. In less than a decade Arafat  managed to squander the economic well-being, & moral capital amassed by his people, during the 23 years of Israeli rule.

By A. Jay Adler, who blogs at The Sad Red Earth, Times of Israel and The Algemeiner

 

Some nations are lucky in their leaders. For decades now, academic historians have downplayed the significance of the leader – the “great man” – in the understanding of historical epochs and focused their attention elsewhere. Continue Reading »

US intelligence report: Hezbollah operating in Europe with Impunity

US intelligence experts warn EU’s persistent refusal to include the Shiite militia in Europe’s terror watch-list will eventually render all their counter-terrorism efforts useless

By Yitzhak Benhorin

 

WASHINGTON – Despite continuous warnings by the United States and Israel, the European Union still refuses to include Hezbollah on its terror watch-list and as a result, the Shiite militia’s activities on the continent, both overt and covert, are increasing in a disconcerting rate.

According to a recent US intelligence report, thousands of Hezbollah members and supporters operate within the EU and raise money for its Beirut-based leadership.

According to the New York Times, despite the insistence of Washington and Jerusalem – which maintain that Hezbollah is backed by Iran – the European Union refuses to treat it as anything other than a Lebanese political and social movement. Continue Reading »

Turkish firm gets Israeli loan for natural gas production in Israel

Despite strained relations between Israel & Turkey  following the Marmara flotilla incident,  Israeli & Turkish business ventures continue forward as demonstrated by Zorlu Enerji’s $277 million investments in Israel

ISTANBUL – By Hürriyet Daily News

The Ashdod and Ramat natural gas facilities in Israel have been granted a loan of more tharn 1.1 billion Israeli Shekels ($277 million) by Israeli lenders, according to a Zorlu press release. Zorlu Enerji holds a 42.15 percent stake in the natural gas facilities and the remaining 57.85 percent stake is owned by Edeltech Ltd.

Zorlu Holding Chairman Ahmet Zorlu (second L) poses with Israeli Energy Minister Uzi Landau (third L) at the natural gas project financing signing ceremony in Israel.

Zorlu Holding Chairman Ahmet Zorlu (second L) poses with Israeli Energy Minister Uzi Landau (third L) at the natural gas project financing signing ceremony in Israel.

Continue Reading »

PA Electric Company: Theft is leading Us to Bankruptcy

The Palestinian Authority Electric Company intimidated by  “refugee camp” residents.

 

 

The Palestinian Authority Electric Company has complained that theft is driving it bankrupt. The company owes the Israel Electric Company 423 million shekels, largely due to 550 million shekels of unpaid bills from its customers.

power lines

Electric Company officials called a press conference urging PA leaders to stop the theft, and require those living in “refugee camp” neighborhoods to pay their bills. Workers are afraid to go into the notoriously violent “camp” neighborhoods to collect, they said.

 

View original Arutz Sheva news brief publication at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/247641#.UC0NJKOZXuY Continue Reading »

Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel on May 14, 1948

From the Website of: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

 Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel – 14 May 1948

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/378274_457956077571701_1473321988_n.jpg

 

 

Below: On May 14, 1948, on the day in which the British Mandate over a Palestine expired, the Jewish People’s Council, led by David Ben-Gurion, gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum, and approved the following proclamation, declaring the establishment of the State of Israel. The new state was recognized that night by the United States and three days later by the USSR.


 

ERETZ-ISRAEL [(Hebrew) – the Land of Israel, Palestine] was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Continue Reading »