Archive for August 16, 2012

Arab Gulf States warns its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately

Sectarian violence spreading from Syria as the kidnapping of more than 20 in Hezbollah-controlled Shi’ite areas of Lebanon

By REUTERS

 

BEIRUT – Lebanese Shi’ite gunmen kidnapped more than 20 people on Wednesday in retaliation for the capture of one of their kinsmen in Syria, prompting Sunni Gulf states to warn their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.

A Turk, a Saudi and several Syrians were among those abducted in an area of Lebanon controlled by Hezbollah Shi’ite militants, raising the risk that the sectarian violence driving the conflict in Syria will spread to its neighbor, which fought its own civil war on sectarian lines for 15 years.

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Jerusalem hosts the ‘Genius Conference’, the Asian Science Camp

 

About 300 of Asian & Pacific countries’ sharpest scientific minds will gather in Jerusalem for the prestigious summit; as Israel will present the largest delegation

By Itamar Eichner

Jerusalem will be hosting this year’s Asian Science Camp – one of the world’s most important summits to promote young scientists from Asia and Pacific countries. Participants will not engage in competitions but will have the opportunity to show the world what Israel is made of.

Albert Einstein - on the logo Photo: Getty Images

Albert Einstein , on the logo – Photo: Getty Images

The ASC (Asian Science Camp) is held every six years, each year in a different country from among the participants. Continue Reading »

Jewish Rep. & Dem. launch Obama video campaigns

Because the RJC released a video of Jewish Democrats disappointed in Obama, the NJDC hits back with residents of Sderot singing Obama’s praises.

 

The video testimony genre is turning out to be popular this elections season in the United States. The Republican Jewish Coalition was the first to launch a campaign with recorded confessions of former Jewish Democrats disappointed in President Barack Obama for not being a friend of Israel.

U.S. President Barack Obama. Could reassess his country’s special relationship with Israel.

U.S. President Barack Obama. Could reassess his country’s special relationship with Israel. – Photo by Reuters

The National Jewish Democratic Council returned fire with testimonials of Israelis, including some residents of Sderot, the city that suffered the most of the rocket attacks from Gaza, thanking President Obama for his support. Continue Reading »

New ‘Bill of Rights’ for Ben-Gurion Passengers Inconvenienced by Airlines.

Airline carriers & charter operators flying out of Ben-Gurion had better get their act together, or it’s going to cost them big-time.

 

Beginning Thursday, travelers flying out of Israel are likelier to have a better chance of taking off on time – otherwise, the airline they are flying on will have to compensate them, or perhaps even give them a refund or pay them for the waiting time. The new sanctions on airlines are part of the Airline Passenger Rights law, which comes into effect Thursday.

The law applies to scheduled airline flights as well as charter flights, and was prompted after scenes several summers ago of Israelis stuck in Ben Gurion Airport for hours or even days as they waited for their charter companies to fill flights or negotiate better deals with the carriers they were renting planes from. Continue Reading »

Michael Oren: Israel Would Strike Iran if only to Gain a Few Years

Michael Oren says Iran’s nuclear program is progressing in the growth of enriched uranium & in efforts to protect its operations in underground facilities beyond the reach of “bunker buster” bombs.

By Tony Capaccio and Nicole Gaouette

 

Israel would be willing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, even if doing so only delayed its ability to produce nuclear weapons for a few years, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said.

 

“One, two, three, four years are a long time in the Middle East — look what’s happened in the last year” in terms of political change, Oren said today at a Bloomberg Government breakfast in Washington.

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Suspected Grad Missile Attack Near Eilat

Another Sinai terror attack? 2 powerful explosions were heard in Eilat Wednesday evening.

By Gil Ronen

 

Two powerful explosions were heard in Eilat Wednesday evening. Security forces suspect that Grad missiles were fired at the southern port city in another terror attack emanating from Sinai.

The IDF is combing the area after dozens of residents reported hearing two large explosions.

Eilat has been the target of missile attacks from Sinai in the recent past.

Two months ago, the remains of a Grad missile were discovered a few dozen kilometers north of Eilat, near Uvda. They were apparently fired from Sinai or Jordan. Continue Reading »

‘US trying to sway Israeli public opinion against Iranian strike

After comments by Head of Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey & U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta, sources say American officials are briefing Israeli media against pre-emptive Iranian attack

By Yoni Hirsch, Eli Leon, Shlomo Cesana, Mati Tuchfeld, Gideon Alon and News Agencies

 

Israel suspects that senior figures in the U.S. administration have been briefing local media outlets in recent weeks against a pre-emptive Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in an attempt to sway Israeli public opinion, according to reports.

Pannetta and Dempsey briefing the media on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images

Pannetta and Dempsey briefing the media on Tuesday.
Photo: Getty Images

At a joint briefing with General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Continue Reading »

Ahmed Dabah to become Kadima’s first Arab Member of the Knesset

Ahmed Dabah, a former mayor, brought Mofaz 1,121 primary votes; swearing-in makes him the 17th non-Jewish MK.

Ahmed Dabah is expected to become Kadima’s first Arab MK, replacing Avi Dichter who resigned from the Knesset Tuesday to become home front defense minister.

AHMED DABAH - Photo: Kadima

Dichter called Dabah, 57, Kadima’s strongest Arab activist, on Monday night, to notify him that he would become an MK soon. The two wished each other luck in their new jobs.

Dabah brought Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz 1,121 votes from Deir-el-Assad – where he was mayor – in this year’s primary. Mofaz got more votes in the northern town than his and former party leader Tzipi Livni’s combined votes from Tel Aviv (1,112).

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Wanted: Seeking ‘suicide bombers’ for Al-Qaeda

Global terror group recruiting new militants via radical Islamists’ message boards;  position requires candidates to prove ‘previous experience’

By Sagi Cohen

 

Global terror group al-Qaeda is in need of new recruits and like all other modern enterprises, if the buddy system fails – online message boards just might do the trick.

According to a Tuesday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, the terror group posted an employment opportunity in June, on a message board known as a restricted forum frequented by radical Islamists. The position offered – “suicide bomber.”

Scene of 2008 al-Qaeda attack in Islamabad – Photo: AP

The Arabic want-ad announced a Jihadist workshop meant for dedicated individuals interested in carrying out lone-gunmanstyle attacks and suicide bombings. Continue Reading »

Iranian Families of the assassinated nuclear scientists to sue U.S., U.K. & Israel.

At press conference in Tehran, the Father of 1 of the scientists reported that they  demanded Iran’s judiciary to pursue their complaints through int’l bodies & bring those behind the murders to justice.

 

Families of Iran’s slain nuclear scientists have filed a lawsuit against Israel, the U.S. and Britain accusing them of involvement in the assassination of their loved ones.

Iran’s Natanz reactor

Iran’s Natanz reactor. – Photo by AP

Rahim Ahmadi Roshan, the father of one of the scientists, told a press conference in Tehran Wednesday that the families have demanded Iran’s judiciary to pursue their complaint through international bodies and bring those behind the murders to justice. Continue Reading »

Arab Tycoon Talks Peace with Jew in Supermarket, Angering Boycotters

A Palestinian Authority tycoon talked peace with Rami Levyatn one of his food outlets, angering boycotters.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

A Palestinian Authority tycoon talked peace with Israeli supermarket mogul Rami Levy in one of his outlets in Judea and Samaria, angering the boycott movement.

Arabs shop at Rami Levy supermarket in Gush Etzion

Arabs shoping at Rami Levy supermarket in Gush Etzion
Israel news photo: Flash 9

Arab billionaire Munib Al-Masri met with Levy, who has backed nationalist causes and has promoted Arab-Jewish co-existence by hiring workers from both sectors in his supermarkets, several of which are located in Judea and Samaria. The newest store, located in Gush Etzion, is filled with Jewish and Arab shoppers, especially on Thursday, the day before the Muslim day of rest and the eve of Jewish Sabbath. Continue Reading »

Anti-Semitic Party Leader In Hungary Discovers He’s a Jew

Szegedi resigned last month from all party positions but that wasn’t good enough for the party: It asked him to give up his seat in the European Parliament because of the suspected bribery, not his Jewish roots.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — As a rising star in Hungary’s far-right Jobbik Party, Csanad Szegedi was notorious for his incendiary comments on Jews: He accused them of “buying up” the country, railed about the “Jewishness” of the political elite and claimed Jews were desecrating national symbols.

Then came a revelation that knocked him off his perch as ultra-nationalist standard-bearer: Szegedi himself is a Jew. Continue Reading »

Foreign Ministry: African countries yern to revive ‘golden era’ of Israel ties

Deputy FM Ayalon to launch joint health & agricultural projects in Uganda & Kenya; Foreign Ministry official says African leaders who recently visited Israel  ‘expressed disappointed at Arab promises’ from the 70’s – 80’s

By Rina Bassist

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon landed on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he met senior officials. He continued to Kenya and Uganda, where he was expected to inaugurate two Israeli-cooperation projects in the fields of agriculture and health.

Daniel Ayalon Photo: EPA

Daniel Ayalon – Photo: EPA

An outstanding number of state and professional visits by African heads of state and ministers were recorded in Jerusalem this year. Continue Reading »

The lost tribes of Israel lead to Jewish communities in Africa

Jewish filmmaker Laurence Gavron, the first Senegalese-naturalized white person to be elected for parliament, will soon release a documentary on the Jewish history of African tribes.

By JTA

 

Filmmaker Laurence Gavron is on a journey to document lost Jewish tribes in Africa. The French-born Gavron, who has made Senegal her home since 1989, says she was immediately taken by the project, which she says combines her passion for Africa with the mystery of rediscovering Judaism.

The film, titled “Black Jews, Juifs noir en Afrique,” focuses on a dozen African tribes – in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and other countries – each with a Jewish story. Continue Reading »

The European Union says City of Modiin is Not Part of Israel

The EU decided that the city of Modiin, home to 80,000, was built on ‘no-man’s land’ and is not in the State of Israel.

By Maayana Miskin

 

The European Union has decided that the city of Modiin-Maccabim-Reut (Modiin) is not a part of Israel. The city was built on what was no-man’s land after the 1948 War of Independence, and therefore will not be considered Israel proper, EU officials said.

The decision was made as part of an EU initiative to decide which Israeli products will benefit from tax breaks under a 1995 agreement.

Israeli and EU officials reached an understanding years ago according to which items produced in areas settled by Israel after 1967 will not enjoy tax breaks despite the 1995 deal. Continue Reading »