March 2012 Archives

This round will likely go to Israel

If there are fewer launches Monday, Israel will likely reduce its attacks, and this round of hostilities will wind down by midweek.

Fewer rockets were fired at Israel on Sunday, but the fact that Katyushas did nonetheless fall in Be’er Sheva spurred tough talk from Israel, which threatened to continue attacking the Gaza Strip.

Still, if there are fewer launches Monday, Israel will likely reduce its attacks, and this round of hostilities will wind down by midweek, much as last year’s periodic flare-ups did.

This optimistic assessment comes with two strong caveats: One, this is all true so long as there are no Israeli deaths; and two, the Islamic Jihad’s rising frustration at its inability to achieve much may lead it to take the extreme – almost suicidal – step of firing rockets at the Tel Aviv area.

Category: Israel News, Mid-East News | Tags: Egypt, Ehud Barak, Gaza rockets, hamas, IDF, Islamic Jihad

Righteous Polish Gentiles Honored in Commemorative Coins

Poland issuing commemorative coins to honor Polish families killed by the Nazis for their efforts to save Jews in the Holocaust.

Poland is issuing commemorative coins to honor three Catholic-Polish families who were killed by the Nazis becaue of their efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported (JTA).

The National Bank of Poland is schedule to issue two coins, on March 15, honoring of the Ulma, Kowalski and Baranek families.

The coins come in denominations of two zlotys, worth about 65 cents, and 20 zlotys, worth about $6.50, the JTA explained.

Wincenty and Łucja Baranek, who lived in the village of Siedliska, were shot and killed on March 15, 1942 after the Nazis discovered eight Jews hiding in their home. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: Holocaust, Poland, Righteous Gentile

Lull in rocket barrage as Hamas reports ceasefire

Rocket firing appears to come to a halt, as Hamas TV reports that Israel informed Egypt it would stop IAF strikes in Gaza; over 160 rockets and mortar shells fall on Israel in 3 day period.

Rocket-damaged school in Beersheba [file]

Rocket-damaged school in Beersheba - Photo By REUTERS

There was a lull in the consistent barrage of rockets that had been fired from Gaza into Southern Israel over the past three days late Sunday night, as Hamas announced on television that Israel had informed Egypt it would stop IAF strikes in Gaza at midnight, according to Israel Radio.

Palestinian terrorists have fired over 160 rockets into Israeli territory since the beginning of the escalation Friday. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza rockets

Gaza terror group: Egypt warned us before al-Qaisi killing

Popular Resistance Committees spokesman says Egyptian intel officials warned Israel was planning to kill group’s secretary general. Adds: No truce yet because ‘blood of the fallen in Gaza has yet to dry’

Two days after an airstrike in Gaza killed Zuhir al-Qaisi, the secretary-general of the Popular Resistance Committees, the terror group’s spokesman said Egypt had warned of an Israeli attempt on his life.

Zuhir al-Qaisi - Photo: AP

PRC spokesman Abu Mujahid said Sunday that collaborators who were recently apprehended in Gaza admitted to Hamas security personnel that Israel had instructed them to follow al-Qaisi everywhere.

According to Mujahid, about a month ago top PRC terrorists met with Egyptian intelligence officials – who warned that al-Qaisi’s life was in danger. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza rockets, terrorists killed

Something New Under the Sun: Israeli Hybrid Solar Tech. in Spain

AORA, the innovative solar energy developer using Israeli research, dedicated its Second Hybrid Micro CSP Power Station in Spain.

AORA Solar (www.aora-solar.com), a renewable energy pioneer and leading developer of applied ultra-high temperature concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, has completed construction on its second gas turbine solar thermal power station. The station was constructed over a period of seven months, and is designed for a minimum economic lifespan of 25 years..

Built in Almeria, Spain, the plant is now undergoing commissioning and certification and is scheduled to begin regular power generation. An official dedication was held on February 7th, attended by VIPs from Spain, Israel, the United States and several other countries, as well as by politicians and businessmen. Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries, Israel News | Tags: energy, Spain

Germ-slaying ozone creates pure water

Harmless ozone beats chlorine every time for disinfecting water. Now an Israeli company offers a new technology that makes it affordable, too.

From swimming pools to commercial kitchens, Greeneng is offering technology that can decontaminate water with ozone cheaply and safely.

“Clean” isn’t always as clean as you think. While the chemicals in cleaning solutions and water purification systems do away with germs, they dirty the environment and aren’t healthy for humans.

An Israeli company is offering an alternative: an ozone-based cleaning system to purify tap water. The system, says Ittai Weissberg, CEO of Greeneng Solutions, is better at getting rid of germs, and is a lot safer than chlorine- and ammonia-based cleaning solutions.

Category: Innovations & Discoveries, Israel News | Tags: water technology

#IsraelUnderFire from Gaza plays out on Twitter

As the south of Israel comes under heavy rocket attack, Twitter users rally support.

Smoke seen as rockets are fired from Gaza. - By REUTERS

As rockets continued to hit communities in southern Israel on Sunday, the battle for promoting information in real time about what was unfolding on the ground in Gaza and in the Israeli communities nearby was heating up online too.

Almost as the first barrage of rockets fired into Israel were reported Friday night, a new stream, #Israelunderfire, opened up on the social media networking site Twitter, with local residents and Israeli government officials using the hashtag to tell their version of the events. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Gaza rockets, twitter

Iran: Israel’s Gaza raids ‘war crimes’

Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry urges rights groups to condemn Israel’s ‘abhorrent violation of human rights’

Iran on Sunday called Israel’s deadly air strikes on Gaza “war crimes” against “the defenseless Palestinian people,” calling for an international outcry against the attacks.

“Iran strongly condemns the savage crimes of the Zionist regime against the innocent and defenseless Palestinian people in Gaza,” the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Iran's Ahmadinejad - Photo: AFP

“The recent, repeated aggressions and invasions… are condemned as war crimes and inhumane,” it said.

International organizations and rights groups should speak out “about this abhorrent violation of human rights,” it added. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza rockets, Iran

American expert: U.S. ‘green light’ for Israeli attack on Iran depends on ‘whether it can get the job done’

Walter Russell Mead, one of America’s foremost foreign policy gurus, tells Haaretz Iran may soon offer compromise formulas aimed at ‘driving a wedge’ between Israel and the U.S.

U.S. President Barack Obama is capable of ordering a military attack on Iran, but the U.S. would probably prefer to yield to Israel if it was convinced that it “could get the job done” – this is the assessment of Walter Russell Mead, a renowned expert on American foreign policy.

Israel Air Force fighter jet. Photo: IDF

“The U.S. has a lot of things to think about in a lot of places and I’m sure Obama feels that he has enough wars in the Middle East already,” Mead said in a conversation with Haaretz. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Iran threat, Israel US

Missile Strikes Empty School in Be’er Sheva

A terrorist missile from Gaza struck the courtyard of an empty school in Be’er Sheva Sunday afternoon. Another rocket damaged 15 houses.

A terrorist missile from Gaza struck the courtyard of an empty school in Be’er Sheva Sunday afternoon. Another rocket damaged 15 houses. The city’s order to close all schools saved possible mass casualties.

Israelis run for cover from rocket attack - Photo by Reuters

More than 25 missiles were fired on southern Israel Sunday, several of them intercepted by the Iron Dome system, which automatically weeds out missiles that are aimed at open areas, but is not foolproof;.

The rocket attack on Be’er Sheva was not intercepted and caused widespread property damage as well as sending several people into shock. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Be’er Sheva, Gaza rockets

Stones thrown at firemen called to Mount of Olives

Incident including Arab stone throwers follows ongoing deterioration of security situation.

Firefighters who attempted to put out a dumpster fire were attacked on Saturday on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem, another stone-throwing attack in a series of incidents at the cemetery.

A man prays at the Mount of Olives cemetery - Photo by Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

According to Jerusalem firefighter spokesman Asaf Abras, after a number of people started throwing rocks, the firefighters tried to reverse their direction but the “rain of stones” continued while a crowd formed at the scene.

Firefighters left the scene after the rocks smashed the windshield and other rocks damaged the sides of the firetruck.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Mount of Olives, ‘Palestinian’ incitement

Israeli study shows: Plants ‘talk’ through the roots

The Ben-Gurion University team discovers plants can transmit distress signals to each other through their roots.

Israeli scientists have uncovered messages transmitted underground – not by enemy agents, but by garden pea plants.

The Ben-Gurion University team discovered that plants can transmit distress signals to each other through their roots. An injured plant “communicates” to a healthy one, which in turn relays the signal to neighboring plants, possibly enhancing the other plants’ ability to deal with stress in the future, according to the study, recently published in the periodical PLoS (Public Library of Science One ).

The researchers, headed by plant biologist Ariel Novoplansky of the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, exposed five garden pea plants to drought conditions.

Category: Jewish News | Tags: Israeli study

One Shekel Worth $1.1 Million – at Auction

The ‘Million Dollar’ shekel

Israel news photo: official photo from Israel Museum

An unidentified American East Coast collector plucked down $1.1 million for an ancient Judean shekel coin at a New York auction.

The coin was sold by a collector from the Los Angeles area who paid $240,000 for it in 1991, giving him a five-fold profit in 21 years.

The silver coin was dated to the year 66, four years before the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans. The modern shekel, which does not contain silver, is worth a fraction more than 26 cents.

The auctioned coin is one of two prototype silver shekels, the secnd is on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: shekel

Iraq militia stones youths to death for ’emo’ style

Within one month, at least 14 youths stoned to death for sporting the Western style.

BAGHDAD – At least 14 youths have been stoned to death in Baghdad in the past three weeks in what appears to be a campaign by Shi’ite militants against youths wearing Western-style “emo” clothes and haircuts, security and hospital sources say.

Militants in Shi’ite neighborhoods where the stonings have taken place circulated lists on Saturday naming more youths targeted to be killed if they do not change the way they dress.

"emo look" (illustrative) - By iStockphoto

The killings have taken place since Iraq’s interior ministry drew attention to the “emo” subculture last month, labeling it “Satanism” and ordering a community police force to stamp it out.”Emo”

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Emo, Iraq