Archive for August 28, 2013

Senior Syrian official: If Damascus attacked, Tel Aviv will be ‘set on fire’

 

 

Top Assad army officer tells Iranian news agency, ‘Israel will also be set on fire’ if anyone wages war against Syria.

By Roi Kais

“If Damascus is attacked, Tel Aviv will become a target and a full-scale war against Syria will essentially justify an attack against Israel,” a senior Syrian army official told Iranian news agency Fars on Tuesday.

Trying on my gas-mask - Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Trying on my gas-mask – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

“If Syria is attacked, Israel will also be set on fire and such an attack will, in turn, engage Syria’s neighbors,” the source added.

The source also warned the US and other western states that if Syria “becomes weak,” certain “irresponsible” groups will be formed which will endanger Israel’s security. Continue Reading »

WATCH Video: PM Netanyahu tells Syria, Israel will retaliate forcefully if attacked

 

Israeli PM records clear & stern warning for Syria on possible eve of joint US-British strike against chemical weapons storage facilities.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday held emergency consultations with his security cabinet ahead of an expected American-British attack on Syria.

Embattled Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has threatened to retaliate against Israel if Western powers intervene in Syria’s bloody civil war.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, Netanyahu recorded the short video below in which he sternly warns Assad against targeting Israel.

The video is in Hebrew. The following is a translation of Netanyahu’s statement:

“We are prepared for any scenario. Continue Reading »

Israel’s homefront on ‘alert’ for possible Syrian attack

PM Netanyahu convenes security cabinet as IDF announces major drill on the Golan Heights & Patriot anti-missile batteries in Haifa are put on alert. 

Education Minister Shay Piron: School system ready for any deterioration of security situation.

By Gideon Allon, Hili Yacobi, Daniel Siryoti, Yael Branovsky, Nitzi Yaakov & Israel Hayom Staff

 

With U.S.-led military action in Syria potentially imminent, the Knesset Homefront Preparedness Subcommittee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to examine the homefront’s readiness for a Syrian attack against Israel.

Continue Reading »

Pro-Palestinian hackers change Google’s Palestine Web page

Google.ps, has been ‘redesigned’ by hackers, apparently objecting to the Google Maps labeling of  Israel and the Palestinian borders.

 

 

JERUSALEM — Pro-Palestinian hackers calling for changing Israel to Palestine on Google Maps hacked the Google Palestine Web page.

Hack

The hackers on Monday diverted traffic from google.ps and redirected users to a hacked version of Google’s homepage.

“uncle google we say hi from Palestine to remember you that the country in google map not called israel. Its called Palestine,” the hacked page read.

The hackers also said on the page that changing “Isreal” on Google Maps to “Palestine” would be “revolution.”

Continue Reading »

Palestinian court sentences another Gazan to death for ‘collaborating’ with Israel

Unnamed Palestinian defendant was found guilty in a Gaza court of “collaboration with the Zionist occupation against the Palestinian people” and sentenced to death.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
 

 

A Palestinian court in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for “collaboration” with Israel.

Execution in Gaza (Archive photo: Reuters)

Execution in Gaza – Archive photo: Reuters

A source in the Hamas govern

ment said that the man, whose name was not released, was found guilty of “collaboration with the Zionist occupation against the Palestinian people.”

The source did not give additional details.

The source claim that the defendant would be allowed to file an appeal against the verdict.

Continue Reading »

Susan Rice meets chairman of Israel’s National Security Council

 

Yaakov Amidror meets with US national security adviser on Tuesday at White House. Obama discusses possible int’l responses to Syrian crisis with Australia’s Prime Minister.

By Reuters

 

US national security adviser Susan Rice hosted a delegation led by Yaakov Amidror, the chairman of Israel’s National Security Council. The meetings were part of a series of regular high-level bilateral consultations and touched on Iran, Egypt, Syria, and other regional security issues, the White House said.

Susan Rice & John Kerry - Photo: Getty Images

Are they both watching Israel’s back, or manipulating an agenda detrimental to Israel’s security concerns for American political interests? Susan Rice & John Kerry – Photo: Getty Images

Members of the delegation included Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad, Head of the IDF Planning Division Maj.-Gen. Continue Reading »

Justice Minister Livni ‘Undermining Israel’s Interests’ in Peace-Talks

PM Netanyahu reportedly concerned over Livni’s independent “promises” to Abbas’ negotiators & the U.S., including dividing Jerusalem.

By Gil Ronen

 

Daily newspaper Maariv reported Tuesday that there are differences of opinion and approach between the two heads of Israel’s negotiating team in talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA) – Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and Attorney Yitzhak Molcho, who represents Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

While Livni wants large negotiation teams and a signing of a permanent status deal at the end of the nine months allotted to the “peace process” negotiations, Molcho is opposed to this approach and at this point is interested only in reaching an agreement on principles regarding the core issues. Continue Reading »

How the West will strike Syria

 

British Daily Mail reports how US & British top brass prepare for possible attack in Syria, pointing out targets, including Assad’s air force & key regime facilities.

By Ynet

The British Daily Mail newspaper revealed on Monday the American-British target list in Syria and the forces likely to participate in a military operation – be it a short or a long one – in the torn Arab country.

Photo: MCT

 

The favored option among top brass is for limited Western action using ‘stand-off’ weapons from long distance to disrupt Assad’s ability to carry out chemical attacks and damage his military machine, the Daily Mail said. Continue Reading »

BREAKING NEWS: British Warplanes in Cyprus – Ready to Strike Syria

Guardian Reports: British warplanes and military transporters have begun arriving at an airbase on Cyprus.

By Elad Benari

 

In what might indicate that the British army is preparing for an attack on Syria, the Guardian reported on Monday that warplanes and military transporters have begun arriving at Britain’s Akrotiri airbase on Cyprus, less than 100 miles from the Syrian coast.

Two commercial pilots who regularly fly from Larnaca told the Guardian that they had seen C-130 transport planes from their cockpit windows as well as small formations of fighter jets on their radar screens, which they believe had flown from Europe. Continue Reading »

Leaders from Israeli Arab communities learn fair policing techniques in Northern Ireland

 

The Abraham Fund Initiatives for Integration & Equality of Arab citizens organized a trip to N. Ireland for 15 Israeli-Arab community leaders.

 

 

The Abraham Fund Initiatives for the integration and equality of Arab citizens organized a trip last week for 15 Arab-Israeli community leaders to Northern Ireland, to learn from its police force.
Leaders watch work of local civilian ‘Advisory Committee’ to a N. Ireland police station commander

Leaders watch work of local civilian ‘Advisory Committee’ to a N. Ireland police station commander – Photo: Courtesy

The goal of the trip was to expose the Arab-Israeli participants to the drastic reforms that took place within the police of Northern Ireland which now provide more equitable services to the minority community.

Continue Reading »

IDF Video shows two firebombs thrown at security forces – UNRWA employee killed

 

UN organization which aides Palestinian refugees states employee was on way to work when Killed. IDF releases video which clearly shows violent assault on IDF forces.

By Elior Lev

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated that one of its employees, 34-year-old Rubin Ziad, was among the three killed in clashes between IDF forces and residents of the Qalandiya refugee camp in the vicinity of Jerusalem on Monday.

The statement said that sources revealed that the man was on his way to work and was not involved in any violent action. It was also stated that another UNRWA employee was shot in the leg during the clashes, and is currently in stable condition. Continue Reading »

Fahmy visits Abbas to strengthen ties with Palestinian Authority

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy voices support for ‘Palestinian cause’, but warns that Israeli settlement activity & yesterday’s deadly West Bank incident jeopardize the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

By DPA

 

 

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy on Monday reiterated that the “Palestinian cause” remains an Egyptian priority, and thanked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for standing by Cairo’s military rulers.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy (L) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy (L) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, Aug 26, 2013. – Photo: AP

“Abbas was among the first to come to Egypt to show support,” Fahmy told a news conference in Ramallah alongside his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Malki. Continue Reading »

Mudar Zahran: A Palestinian State in Jordan is ‘Inevitable’

Zahran, the Jordanian-Palestinian dissident, didn’t pull any punches Sunday afternoon, speaking at a conference entitled “Two States for Two People, on Two Sides of the Jordan River.”

By Ari Soffer

 

Jordanian-Palestinian activist Mudar Zahran is not a man who minces his words. In fact, his outspokenness against the Jordanian regime has made him a persona-non-grata in his own country, forcing him to seek asylum in the UK.

Mudar Zahran

Mudar Zahran

Zahran did not pull any punches Sunday afternoon, speaking at a conference entitled “Two States for Two People, on Two Sides of the Jordan River.” Deriding the Jordanian ruling elite as “Armani-wearing, English-speaking autocrats” he called on all parties to consider a radically different track to the current peace initiatives based off of a “Two State Solution” which would see a Palestinian Authority-run state in Judea and Samaria. Continue Reading »

Normalization talks between Turkey & Israel reach roadblock

Gov’t sources from Jerusalem say Ankara’s insistence on calling payments to the families of the Mavi Marmara victims “punitive damages” and not “compensation” brought the negotiations to a halt.

By Shlomo Cesana

 

Government officials have signaled that Israel’s efforts to normalize its diplomatic relations with Turkey have failed.

Still not seeing eye to eye, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Photo: Reuters

Israel-Turkey relations soured in May 2010, when Israeli naval commandos boarded the ship Mavi Marmara to enforce Israel’s naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. The commandos were attacked by the passengers on board and the ensuing clash left nine Turkish nationals dead and several Israeli soldiers wounded. Continue Reading »

Hidden WWII Torah scroll in Polish monastery is returned

The mayor of Dabrowa Tarnowska gave the scroll to conservationists, and today it can be seen in the prayer hall of the former synagogue in southern Poland.

 

WARSAW, Poland — A Torah scroll that since 1942 has been hidden in a Tuchow monastery was returned to the synagogue in Dabrowa Tarnowska in southern Poland.

A Torah scroll, a sheepskin document dating from 1155-1225 - Photo: Alma Mater Studiorum Universita' di Bologna

This Torah scroll is a sheepskin document dating from 1155-1225 – Photo: Alma Mater Studiorum Universita’ di Bologna

The Torah was returned earlier this month but reported for the first time on Saturday.

It had been brought to the monastery in Tuchow, approximately 60 miles from Krakow, by an anonymous person who asked the Redemptorist priests to hold the scrolls until the synagogue in Dabrowa again became a place of prayer, according to Father Kazimierz Piotrowski of the Redemptorist monastery in Warsaw.

Continue Reading »