Archive for July 16, 2013

Temple Mount closed on Tisha B’av to Jewish visitors

Islamic terror prevails on Temple Mount, Judaism’s most Holy site. Jews bared from entry to prevent Arab violence.

 

JERUSALEM — The Jerusalem Police closed the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors a day after Arabs protested such visits.

A Muslim policeman and Jordanian Waqf official followed the Jewish group closely, urging them to move quickly.

When allowed to ascend to the Mount, policeman and Jordanian Waqf official followed the Jewish groups closely, to guarantee they don’t pray & urging them to move quickly. – Photo: Atara Beck

The closure on Tuesday coincided with the fast of Tisha B’av, a day of Jewish mourning for the destruction of the two Jewish Temples that were located on the site.

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Final operation to retrieve ‘left-behind’ Jews in Ethiopia

6,300 Jewish Ethiopians made it to Israel in last three years.

 

From now, aliyah requests for Falashmura Jews to be handled on individual basis, like everywhere else.

By Danny Adeno Abebe

On August 28, two last flights will land in Israel, bringing 400 Falashmura new immigrants to the holy land. After this, the Jewish Agency will be closing down its camp in Gondar and the interior minister will hold an emergency hearing for all those who received negative answers.

Protest for Falash Mura in Jerusalem. Yearning for left-behind relatives to come to Israel. (archives) – Photo: Guy Assayag

Since 2010, 6,300 Falashmura Jews have been accepted for aliyah, thousands more were refused and at the end of August, for the last time, 400 will make aliyah, on two incoming flights. Continue Reading »

KKL-JNF Opposes Shale Oil Extraction in Southern Israel

 

KKL-JNF’s Board of Directors, headed by Chairman Efi Stenzler, reached a decision this week to oppose gov’t plans to extract shale oil from the Adullam region in southern Israel.

By KKL-JNF STAFF
 

 

KKL-JNF’s Board of Directors, led by Chairman Efi Stenzler, decided this week to oppose plans to extract shale oil in the Adullam region.

The Board unreservedly adopted the report by the professional committee established by KKL-JNF to investigate the matter and headed by Board member and well-known leading environmental activist Dr. Orr Karassin.

KKL-JNF

KKL-JNF – Photo: KKL-JNF

It is already widely known that the American owned company IEI has been granted an exploration license by those responsible for oil at Israel’s Energy and Water Ministry, and that it has received authorization to establish a pilot plant in order to examine the economic feasibility of extracting oil from kerogen shale in the Adullam region.

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European Union Formally Limits Israel to Borders of 1949 Lines

For the 1st time, the EU formally forbids trade or agreements with Jewish representatives situated beyond 1949 Armistice lines, including the Golan Heights.

By Gil Ronen

 

The European Union has issued orders forbidding its member states from cooperating, transferring funds, giving scholarships or research grants to bodies in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem , and even the Golan Heights, Haaretz wrote Tuesday.

map of Israel

map of Israel – Arutz Sheva

The new instruction, promulgated bt the European Commission, which is the operative arm of the EU, sets parameters for cooperation between the EU and its members states, on the one hand, and Israeli governmental and private elements on the other. Continue Reading »

Jerusalem grants additional Egyptian infantry units’ entry into Sinai

Special authorization granted due to recent terrorist attacks in Sinai.

 

Main Morsi opposition group calls to suspend Camp David accords.

 

Senior US diplomat Burns urges ‘inclusive’ transition to democracy.

By Yoav Zitun

Israel authorized the Egyptian army on Monday to deploy two infantry battalions in the Sinai Peninsula, despite the fact that an appendix to the peace treaty between the two countries forbids Egyptian military presence in the area.

בקשת הצבא המצרי התקבלה על רקע ההחרפה בסיני (צילום: רויטרס)

Egyptian tank in Sinai – Photo: Reuters

The battalions are expected to deploy in the El-Arish and Rafah sectors as part of the effort to quell the increased Islamist terrorist activity, which included an attempt on the life of a senior military official. Continue Reading »

Israel official: Britain & US pressuring EU to blacklist Hezbollah’s military wing

Officials say UK & U.S. are pressing several reluctant EU countries to back such a move, ahead of the July 22 meeting of EU foreign ministers.

 

The foreign ministers of the European Union are most likely to add Hezbollah’s military wing to the body’s list of designated terror organizations when they meet on July 22, according to high-ranking Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem.

The officials said Britain and the United States are pressing several EU countries that are reluctant to back such a move.

A truck carrying the bus that was damaged in Wednesday’s terrorist attack on July 19, 2012.

A truck carrying the bus that was damaged in terrorist attack, outside Burgas Airport, Bulgaria on July 19, 2012.

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Outrage as Participant in Hevron Massacre of 1980 to Manage Cave of the Patriarchs

MK Yariv Levin calls on gov’t to suspend all agreements with PA regarding Cave of the Patriarchs until appointment of past-terrorist Taysir Abu Sneina is cancelled.

By Gil Ronen and Ari Soffer

 

Taysir Abu Sneina, a terrorist who was involved in the murder of six Jews in Hevron on May 2, 1980, is the man whom the Palestinian Authority has appointed to manage the Muslim side of the Cave of Machpela (known in English as the Cave of the Patriarchs).

Cave of Machpela – Jewish Community of Hevron

The Hatzala Yosh organization reported Sunday that Abu Sneina participated in the terror attack on the building known as Beit Hadassah, on May 2, 1980, in which six students from the Nir Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba were murdered. Continue Reading »

Big plans for Beersheva including bringing 2,500 families to the Negev

Beersheva’s biggest boost may come from the new IDF training base complex, which is set to arrive by 2015, along with the army’s computer unit. The army estimates that this will streamline its operations and create 10,000 jobs.

Patrons eating lunch in a row of recently opened restaurants on the ground floor of public housing in central Beersheva. – Photo: Ben Sales/JTA

Now, though, Beersheva River Park looks like much of the area surrounding the desert city of Beersheva: a panorama of sand and dirt, with a bit of trash and, on a good day, some dirty water trickling through a gorge.

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Under Pressure, Fanta Corrects ‘Mistake’ & Puts Israel Back on Site

Only after threatening to boycott Fanta products, Israel return to the company’s site.

Fanta claimed that the omission of Israel was a “mistake”.

By David Lev

 

A threatened boycott of Fanta products (bottled in Israel and elsewhere by Coca Cola) has succeeded in convincing the company’s directors to adjust its web site to reflect Israel’s presence in the Middle East, listing it among the 188 countries the product is sold in.

Fanta products

Coca-Cola / Fanta products – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

In what the company called “an error” last week, Fanta left Israel off the list, while making sure to put in the Palestinian Authority. Continue Reading »

Russia reports Turkey worked with Israel to target missile cache in Syria


Russia Today reports Israel Air Force jets used a Turkish air base to launch an attack on a Syria weapons depot in Latakia earlier this month.

Israel’s PM Netanyahu: I’m not in the habit of saying what we did or didn’t do.

By Israel Hayom Staff & news agencies

 

Turkey helped Israel carry out an attack on a Syrian arms depot earlier this month, Russia Today reported on its website on Monday. According to the report, Israeli jets used a Turkish military base to launch one of its airstrikes targeting an arms store in the Syrian port city of Latakia on July 5.

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Since Pillar of Defense, Hamas produced rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv & J’lem

Army Radio reported that Hamas is producing M-75-type rockets, which were used during Operation Pillar of Defense to target Tel Aviv, greater Jerusalem area.

IDF chief Gantz: Hanas’ production of weapons have become more advanced.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

 

 

Hamas has succeeded in regaining some of its capabilities which Israel wiped out in last year’s Operation Pillar of Defense and has rockets capable of targeting the Gush Dan region of central Israel in which Tel Aviv is located, Army Radio reported on Monday.

Gaza terrorists launch rockets [file]

Gaza terrorists launch rockets [file] – Photo: IDF Spokesmans Office

According to the report, Hamas has regained the ability to produce advanced M-75 rockets which can reach Gush Dan.

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Argument between U.S. Congress & administration over Israel’s visa deferment

 

Proposed Bill to allow Israeli citizens’ entry into the US without visas sparks debates in US Congress. Critics report that Israel doesn’t meet legal requisites for Visa Waiver Program.

By Associated Press

 

 

Legislation that would let Israelis visit the United States without visas but not demand full reciprocal treatment for all Americans wishing to travel to the Jewish state could put Congress and the Obama administration on a collision course in coming weeks.

Passports

Israeli, US passports. Illustration – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Israel’s entry into the 37-nation US Visa Waiver Program is the most controversial element in a pair of broader US-Israel bills dealing with everything from improving cyber-security to enhancing economic cooperation. Continue Reading »

With Plenty of Natural Gas – Exporting it is Another Story

Israel’s choice may be between selling gas quickly that may anger the Russians, or looking at a more long-term prospect without alienating the U.S.

Last month, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to export up to 40 percent of the gas from Israel’s Eastern Mediterranean fields, with expected earnings of up to $60 billion over a 20-year period. This is, however, only the first step toward realizing export revenues from Israel’s gas reserves, a process fraught with complicated choices over the route and destination of those exports. Rather than aiming to use its gas for any great geopolitical gains, Israel currently seems happy to avoid unsettling interested parties while it reaps long-term economic gains from its gas bounty. Continue Reading »

Syrian Imam: Everything’s All the Jews’ Fault

Broadcasted on Syrian TV, a Syrian preacher recently accused the world’s Jews of being responsible for the troubles & ongoing civil strife in Syria and throughout the Middle East.

By Elad Benari

 

A Syrian preacher recently accused Jews of being responsible for all the Muslims’ woes, including the ongoing civil strife throughout the Middle East.

Imam at  Umayyad Mosque in Damascus - MEMRI screenshot

Imam at Umayyad Mosque in Damascus – MEMRI screenshot

The remarks were made in a sermon at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, which aired on Syrian TV on June 28.

They were translated and posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“Let us take a look at the history of mankind, which has recorded the true nature of the Jews, the slayers of prophets and violators of agreements. Continue Reading »

Father Gabriel Nadaf: We’re Christians….Not Christian Arabs

 

Israeli Christians should not be classified as Arabs, since the historical ethnic background of Christians in Israel is a mix of Jewish, Greek, Roman, Assyrian & other such peoples all of whom were here long before the Arab Muslims showed up.

By Ryan Jones

Father Gabriel Nadaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from the area of Nazareth, continues to make headlines in the Israeli press for advocating a new alliance between local Jews and Christians in service to the State of Israel.

In an interview with Israeli website News1, Nadaf said that Christians are tired of living as dhimmis (second-class citizens) in the Muslim world, and are starting to understand that the Jewish state is their ticket out of that situation. Continue Reading »