Archive for September 11, 2013

‘Cyber-defense Army’ will help battalion commanders in the field win next war

 

Within seconds to a minute of the acquisition of target information, it will appear on the DGA map, giving field commanders a full over view of the unfolding situation.

 

Battalion commanders in the infantry are expected to play decisive roles in future wars, and as such, the army is equipping them with a revolutionary command-and-control system that will give them more independence over their battle arenas than ever before, a senior military source told The Jerusalem Post this week.

An officer speaks on the phone at the new IDF cyber-defense control center.

An officer speaks on the phone at the new IDF cyber-defense control center. – Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office

The system, called Digital Ground Army (DGA), generates and updates a computer map of all army and enemy locations in a given area.

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Israelis perform more work-hours than counterparts in West

 

Latest Taub Center study publicizes new revelations on primary factors underlying Israel’s low labor productivity, cumbersome bureaucracy, longer working day and low capital investments.

Ynetnews

Israel’s labor productivity is among the lowest among developed countries, as shown in the soon to be published 2013 State of the Nation report by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel. In addition, a labor productivity gap has been growing between the leading Western countries and Israel – with the G7 steadily pulling away from Israel since the 1970s.

Wages are highly dependent on the amount produced per hour – or what is commonly referred to as labor productivity. Continue Reading »

Israel to Give 4 Million to Family of ‘Prisoner X’

The Family of Ben Zygier, the ex-Mossad agent who died in jail, will receive 4 million shekels compensation.

By Maayana Miskin

 

 

Israel has signed an agreement with the family of former Mossad agent Ben Zygier, Channel 2 reports. The state will pay 4 million shekels in compensation to the family for Zygier’s death in an Israeli prison in December 2010.

Zygier’s grave – Reuters

Zygier managed to commit suicide in a solitary confinement cell, despite being under supervision.

According to the report, 2,400,000 shekels will be paid this year, and another 400,000 will be given per year for the four years that follow. Continue Reading »

Cyprus reports: ‘Friendly country’ will test missiles in Med

AFP reports that Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioanis Kasoulides did not name the country, but did say missiles tests would be carried out this week in the Mediterranean.

 

 

Cyprus on Monday said a “friendly country” would be conducting missile tests in the Mediterranean this week, French news agency AFP reported, adding that the country carrying out the tests is not taking part in any potential military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A "Sparrow" missile.

A “Sparrow” missile. – Photo by Defense Ministry

The report comes a week after Israel and the U.S. carried out a missile test in the Mediterranean Sea, amid rising tensions in the region over the crisis in Syria. Continue Reading »

Jordanian Parliamentarian Shoots His AK-47 During Parliament Session

Jordanian Member of Parliament Sharif, opened fire with an AK-47 automatic assault rifle, in the Jordanian House of Representatives in Amman.

By Kochava Rozenbaum

 

A loud gunshot was heard from within the Jordanian House of Representatives as one Member of Parliament opened fire this morning, the Albawaba Middle Eastern news site reported.

According to news reports, MP Talal Al Sharif opened fire using an AK-47 on his colleague MP Qusai Dmeisi during a Foreign Affairs Council meeting inside of the House of Representatives, which is located in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

It remains unknown as to why Sharif opened fire, but no casualties have been reported. Continue Reading »

Israel played major role in Paraguay’s’s election

Israeli political advisers aided Paraguay’s new president to power, while IDF generals advise the South American nation’s military.

By Yossi Aloni

 

An Israeli delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin recently joined dignitaries from around the world in celebrating the inauguration of the new president of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes.

Israelis play big role in Paraguay election

Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin & the new president of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes

These celebrations also had an important Israeli point: Cartes, a local businessman, won the presidential elections with the help of an Israeli strategic advisor who also happens to be a former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue Reading »

West should Forget Syria & target Iran

 

Political commentator suggests that Sunni Muslims who wish to protect their kin in Syria do so with their own plentiful petrodollars & large armies.

By Daniel Pipes

 

Here’s advice to the members of the U.S. Congress as they are asked to endorse an American-led attack on the government of Syria:

Congressional Seal

Start your consideration by establishing priorities, clarifying what matters most to the country. The Obama administration rightly points to two urgent matters: stopping the Iranian nuclear buildup and maintaining the security of Israel. To these, I add a third: re-establishing the U.S. deterrent credibility laid low by Barack Obama himself.

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7th century coins & jewelry discovered at foot of Temple Mount

36 gold coins, silver & gold jewelry, and a gold medallion, etched with the Temple menorah, shofar & Torah scroll were among the discoveries.

The gold medallion was likely was a Torah scroll ornament.

By JTA

 

JERUSALEM — Gold and silver coins and jewelry dated from the seventh century were discovered at an excavation at the foot of the Temple Mount, Hebrew University researchers said.

7th century AD dated Gold medallion bearing a Temple menorah, shofar and Torah scroll found at Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

The discovery of the two bundles of treasure at the Temple Mount’s southern wall, at the Ophel excavation site, was announced Monday by the researchers.

The artifacts can be dated to the late Byzantine period, or early seventh century CE.

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China supports Russian plan placing Syria’s chemical weapons under int’l control

 

China announces support for Russian plan, so France is drafting a UN resolution for Syrian chemical weapons to be place under international control.

By REUTERS

 

 
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France would propose a United Nations Security Council resolution setting out conditions for Syria to place its chemical weapons under international control and accept that they will be dismantled, a plan that could avert planned US military strikes in response to the country’s suspected use of its arsenal on civilians.
Syrian civilians take part in a candlelight vigil in solidarity with Syrian civilians killed.

Syrian civilians take part in a candlelight vigil in solidarity with Syrian civilians killed. – Photo: REUTERS

US President Barack Obama has argued that Syrian President Bashar Assad, fighting to continue his family’s four-decade rule, apparently used chemical weapons against its own population in an attack on the outskirts of Damascus on August 21.

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Survey shows Israel ranks 11th on happiness rates

Survey from Columbia University’s Earth Institute shows Nordic countries listed top in global happiness for 2013. Israel up 3 places from last year, coming in 11th.

Bottom of list: African countries & Bulgaria

By Dr. Itay Gal

The happiest people in the world are in Denmark, according to a new report published on Monday, based on research carried out by The Earth Inststute at Columbia University. Happiness is measured by a variety of parameters, including life expectancy, infant mortality, socio-economic status and education.

Happiness is... Photo: Shutterstock

Happiness is… Photo: Shutterstock

Despite the bitter cold, northern countries lead the report. As in previous years, Nordic countries top the list with Denmark coming in at number one. Continue Reading »

Arab Attacks on Mount of Olives are declining

Thousands of mourners expected to visit Mount of Olives cemetery in the week before Yom Kippur.

Activists also report a drop in grave desecrations by Arab extremists.

By Gil Ronen

 

Thousands of people are expected to come to the ancient cemetery at the Mount of Olives in the days before Yom Kippur, to visit the graves of their loved ones and graves of “tzaddikim,” or wise and righteous people.

Desecration of Jewish graves, Mount of Olives – Israel news photo: Rafi Fischer

This year they can do so with less trepidation, activists say, because the security situation there has improved markedly in recent months. Continue Reading »

Russian news report: Syrian rebels planning chemical attack on Israel

 

Unconfirmed report by Russian Arab-language newspaper claims: ‘armed Syrian militants will use territories controlled by the Syrian regime to perpetrate their provocative plan’

By Roi Kais

Arabic-language Russian news site Rusiya Al-Yaum has reported that Syrian rebels are planning a chemical attack on Israel.

Syrian rebels – Photo: AFP

In the report, it was claimed that “armed Syrian militants will use territories controlled by the Syrian regime to perpetrate their provocative plan.”

The story was quick to spread through pro-Assad outlets, like the Hezbollah affiliated Lebanese stations Al Manar and Al Mayadeen. The Russian site is also known for its pro-Assad bias in covering the Syrian crises, what suggests that there is a possibility the story might propaganda. Continue Reading »

Damascus accepts Russia’s suggestion of relinquishing control of its chemical weapons

Syria welcomed Russia’s foreign minister’s suggestion to surrender Assad’s chemical arsenal to int’l control, a move Moscow believes can avert a U.S. airstrike on Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday that his country welcomed Moscow’s proposal to relinquish control over its chemical arsenals, a move Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said could avert a U.S. strike.

Syria chemical attack

Members of the UN investigation team take soil samples in the Damascus countryside of Ain Terma, Syria, Aug. 28, 2013. – Photo: AP

“The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, which is motivated by the Russian leadership’s concern for the life of our citizens and the security of our country,” Moallem told reporters in Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency.

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‘Spy’ stork arrested, interrogated, released then eaten in Egypt

 

Last week, after a stork was caught in Egypt wearing a tracking device, the police held it on suspicion it was a Mossad spy for Israel. After its release, stork hunted down, then eaten.

Ynet

Menes the stork was caught in Egypt last week and held by authorities on suspicion of being used to spy for Israel, due to the tracking device attached to its leg. Just days after its release into the wild, it was hunted down and eaten, according to the UK’s Guardian.

Stork ‘spy’ in Egyptian custody – Photo: AP

The stork was brought into police by an Egyptian who spotted a device used to track wildlife that was on it, and thought that this might be a method of spying. Continue Reading »

Assad on CBS interview: No evidence exists that I used chemical weapons on my people

In response John Kerry says, ‘The evidence speaks for itself.’

New Iranian foreign minister: ‘Obama will ignite a fire across the Middle East if the U.S. attacks Syria.’

By Reuters

 

Syrian President Bashar Assad denied once again that he was behind a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, and said evidence was not conclusive that there had been such an attack, CBS reported on Sunday on its news program “Face the Nation.”

Lebanese boys hold portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Beirut.

Lebanese boys hold portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a demonstration against a possible military strike in Syria, in front of the UN headquarters, in Beirut, September 8, 2013.

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