Archive for February 22, 2013

Did Mofaz Switch Teams Because his Demand to be Defense Minister was Rejected?

Mofaz reportedly joined the pact between Bayit Yehudi & Yesh Atid because his demand to be Defense Minister in the next gov’t was not accepted by Likud Beytenu negotiators.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Kadima chairman MK Shaul Mofaz joined the pact between Bayit Yehudi and Yesh Atid because his demand to be appointed Defense Minister was rejected, Channel 2 News reported on Friday.

MK Shaul MofazAccording to the report, Mofaz’s representative, Attorney Alon Geller, arrived at the coalition talks with the Likud Beytenu negotiating team and presented Mofaz’s demand that he be appointed as Defense Minister in the next government.

The Likud Beytenu reportedly rejected the demand on the spot, leading to Mofaz deciding to join the pact with Bayit Yehudi and Yesh Atid and form a united front against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Continue Reading »

‘Arab Spring’ has Israel’s enemies fighting one another

By taking Israel out of the equation, the Muslim Brotherhood would be fighting the secular Egyptians, Al Qaeda & Global Jihad fighting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Assad’s army & the Hezbollah in Syria, as the Palestinians would be fighting Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, and the Hezbollah in both Lebanon & Syria.

By Israel Today Staff

 

It is a given that without the common enemy of Israel, many of the Middle East’s factions would be warring with one another. This is becoming more apparent as a result of the various “Arab Spring” uprisings.

Israel’s enemies turn on one another – Israel Today

Two of Israel’s most active foes – Hamas and Hezbollah – are currently in danger of being swept up in intra-Arab violence that could cripple their respective ability to threaten the Jewish state. Continue Reading »

Turkish report: Israel mulling apology for ‘operational errors’ on Mavi Marmara

Turkish newspaper Radikal reports that partial apology may be forthcoming after  secret talks between Israel & Turkey.

By

 

Israel reportedly may apologize to Turkey for “operational errors” during its fatal raid on a 2010 Turkish aid flotilla to Gaza ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Mavi Marmara May 22, 2010 (AP)

Mavi Marmara taken on May 22, 2010 – Photo by AP

The Turkish newspaper Radikal on Feb. 20 reported that the partial apology may have been the subject of secret talks between Turkey and Israel.

Radikal journalist Deniz Zeyrek wrote that unnamed Turkish foreign ministry officials told him on Feb. 19 that “such meetings could be going on.” Continue Reading »

IDF & Residents Ready for a possible ‘Volatile’ Golan Heights

The conflict in Syria has drawn many Druze residents of the Golan closer to Israel. More & more have requested Israeli citizenship.

By Maayana Miskin

 

The IDF is prepared for a new reality in the Golan as Syria continues to descend into chaos, Brigadier-General (ret.) Kobi Marom told Arutz Sheva.

“The IDF has prepared for the new reality that will be in the Golan,” he said. “There are fears of an escalation, and serious concern that if there is violence [in the region] the target will not be Assad.”

“It’s a problematic reality, and the IDF has prepared accordingly,” he continued. Continue Reading »

VIDEO: Haifa’s Technion students do the Purim Harlem Shake

Israel’s Institute of Technology students release their latest in a series of Jewish holiday dance videos intended to demonstrate the Technion as the hip institution, that it is.

 

The Technion has just released its latest in a new series of Jewish holiday videos – part of a campaign to promote itself as a hip institution.

Screenshot of Technion Purim dance video

Photo by Screenshot of Technion Purim dance video (below)

Its latest Purim video, just released on YouTube, shows a group of physics students doing their own version of the Harlem Shake, a 1980s dance recently re-popularized that has individuals dressed in strange attire jerking themselves around to the sounds of an electronic dance track. Continue Reading »

Foreign media workshop: ‘Don’t call it a settlement, when it’s a community’

Residents from Judea & Samaria met to receive tips on dealing with the hostile int’l press, which often depicts them as usurpers of land & religious fanatics

By Sigal Arbitman

 

 

 

The famous Chinese philosopher Confucius once said, “Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand.” This quote served as the core of the message that was imparted to participants of a “foreign media workshop” held two weeks ago at the main visiting hall of the Binyamin regional council.

A community in Judea and Samaria. [Illustrative] – Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

On a cold, rainy night, 30 residents from all over Judea and Samaria, gathered in an auditorium for a three-hour learning session, during which they received tips on dealing with a hostile international press that is covering the daily events unfolding in their own backyards.

Continue Reading »

Hezbollah terror agent passed data on Israel flights

Hezbollah bomb plot suspect testifies from Cyprus that he was told to record landing times from Israel.

The NY Times: Hezbollah paid Yaacoub $600 monthly salary.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

Hossam Taleb Yaacoub, one of the suspects in a thwarted terrorist attack against Israelis in Cyprus in July, said on Friday that he was sent to record the time of arrival of flights from Israel, Army Radio reported.

Lebanon's Hezbollah supporters gesture as they march in Beirut, November 2011

Lebanon’s Hezbollah supporters gesture as they march in Beirut, November 2011 – Photo: Reuters/Khalil Hassan

According to the report, Yaacoub testified in court on Thursday that he was told by his superiors to document the landing times of flights from Israel.

Continue Reading »

Palestinian hunger striking prisoner jailed for 8 months

Wave of protests in West Bank over the arrest of Samer Issawi who broke his parole terms after his release under the ‘Shalit deal’.

Detained since July, he is expected to be released next month.

Aviel Magnezi

 

Against the backdrop of West Bank protests expressing solidarity with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, administrative detainee Samer Issawi was sentenced Thursday to an eight month prison sentence – this for illegally entering the West Bank, thus breaking the terms of his release in the Shalit prisoner exchange.

His retroactive sentence, running from the day of his July 2012 detention, means his release is anticipated for March. Continue Reading »

Arab couple denied Doctor home visit

Arab resident from Beit Safafa calls Natali medical services to order a doctor’s visit for feverish husband only to be told ‘No doctor will go to an Arab neighborhood’

Noam (Dabul) Dvir

 

Are residents of Arab neighborhood expected to go without medical care due to their place of residence? Natali Seculife, a medical and emergency services company refused to send a physician for a house-call in Beit Safafa, a resident of Jerusalem‘s Arab neighborhood said.

Beit SafafaA call center representative told the resident that a company doctor will not visit an “Arab area.”

The incident occurred a week ago, when Sonia Alias, a resident of Beit Safafa, called the service and asked for a house-call for her feverish husband. Continue Reading »

Every night Syrian refugees slip into Jordan

Records suggest 275,000 Syrians are either registered refugees in Jordan or awaiting registration, but the Jordanian gov’t estimates that the real refugee figure at about 380,000.

By Reuters

 

Jordan – Under cover of darkness, the young mother steps through the muddy olive groves on the Syrian-Jordanian border, telling her children to hold tight to avoid getting lost in the stream of people fleeing south to safety.

Jordanian soldier helps Syrian refugees cross into Jordan

Jordanian soldier helps Syrian refugees cross into Jordan – Photo by AFP

Her lower face covered with a white scarf, she carries a dark carrier bag while a young daughter struggles with a small suitcase containing the few possessions they were able to take from their home a few miles to the north. Continue Reading »

Byzantine era wine press excavated from under the streets of Jaffa

Excavation believed to be part of wine press or for other fruit-based alcohol from the fertile fields of Jaffa

By Yori Yalon & Israel Hayom Staff

 

A Byzantine winepress was recently uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority in an archaeological dig in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv. The excavation is taking place under Rabbi Hai Gaon Street near the city’s central artery, Jerusalem Boulevard, and provides a rare glimpse into the town’s past.

Under the bustling streets of Jaffa, remnants of its past. – Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority

The excavations were conducted before the start of a massive project to modernize city infrastructure for tourist and residential purposes. Continue Reading »

WATCH / British MP: I do not debate Israelis

Pro-Palestinian activist & British MP George Galloway storms out from a debate at Oxford University after his opponent declared to be an Israeli.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

British Member of Parliament George Galloway shocked the audience when he stormed out of a debate at Oxford University on Wednesday, declaring that he does not debate Israelis.

British MP George Galloway with Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh, March 11, 2009.

British MP George Galloway with Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh, March 11, 2009. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed al-Ostaz/Handout

The debate, in which Galloway was arguing in favor of the statement, “Israel should withdraw immediately from the West Bank”, was held by the Oxford Union at Christ Church College.

Midway through a statement by his debate opponent Eylon Aslan-Levy, whose comments made his nationality clear, Galloway interrupted, asking “Are you Israeli?” Continue Reading »

Egypt floods Gaza tunnels with sewage to keep them from reopening

Hamas is not acting like a state, but as an armed movement, which justifies its violations of the law with excuses. There are also claims of terror cells, common criminals & thieves who exploit the tunnels daily for crimes in Egypt.

By: H. Varulkar, L. Lavi and C. Jacob*

 

Introduction

In recent days, the Egyptian military has increased its activity against tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, and has begun [1] According to one tunnel owner, Egypt is focusing this activity on areas with numerous tunnels, causing a significant decrease in smuggling.[2] Sources in Hamas claimed that the Egyptian military had increased its forces along its border with Gaza, and had dug artesian wells there to flood the tunnels.

Continue Reading »

Hezbollah terror agent targeted kosher restaurants in Cyprus

A Lebanese with Swedish passport, Hossam Taleb Yaacoub 24, was arrested on attempts to harm Israeli tourists & Jewish targets in Cyprus.

Yaacoub denies the charges, but admits to being a member of Hezbollah.

By Ynet

 

While Jerusalem and Washington are trying to convince the European Union to add Hezbollah to terror black list, a Cyprus trial might help bring about this change.

NasrallahSix months after the arrest of Hossam Taleb Yaacoub, 24-year-old Lebanese who holds both Lebanese and Swedish passports, Yaacoub has admitted in court to membership in the Hezbollah, and gave information regarding his communications with his handler, the use of code words, and European activities of the Shiite organization, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Continue Reading »

Nigeria Nabs Iran-Backed Terror Call Targeting Americans, Israelis & Jews

The Iranian sponsors requested that the terrorists identify & gather intel on  prominent hotels frequented by Americans & Israelis, and to provide specific details on the following targets: Zim Shipping Company & the Jewish Cultural Centre (Chabad) in Lagos.

By David Lev

 

Nigerian investigators have uncovered a plot by terrorists to attack Israeli and American tourists and businesspeople visiting the country. The group was also responsible for murdering a former top military official. Among their targets was a Chabad House, officials said.

NigeriaThe gang of three terrorists were arrested Wednesday night, among them the leader of the group. A fourth suspect is being sought. Continue Reading »