Archive for January 4, 2014

Daughter: Safe bomb killing Palestinian ambassador ‘not an accident’

 

Contrary to the Czech police report, the daughter of a Palestinian envoy killed in a bomb blast Wednesday speaks out, saying her father’s death ‘was not an accident’.

By AFP

 

 

A blast that killed the Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic this week “was not an accident,” despite an official theory to the contrary, the envoy’s daughter said Saturday.

The diplomat's apartment in Prague (Photo: idnes.cz)

The diplomat’s apartment in Prague – Photo: idnes.cz

“What is certain is that it was not an accident,” Rana al-Jamal, who lives in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, told the Czech newspaper Dnes in an interview.

Her father, Jamal al-Jamal, the 56-year-old ambassador to Prague since October, was fatally wounded on New Year’s day by an explosion in the Palestinian diplomatic mission’s premises. Continue Reading »

Analysis: Examining the future of the IDF

Does Israel’s air force have a self-inflicted monopoly on firepower, should the IDF reassess and be investing more in special forces & cyber-ops, or are boots on the ground what is essential in winning a war?

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

 

 

As the Middle East becomes ever more anarchic and unpredictable, a group of high-ranking former and current military figures gathered at Bar-Ilan University this week for what would turn out to be one of the liveliest and frank public debates on the future of the IDF ever held.

BESA

The conference, called IDF Force Structure, was organized by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and Israel Defense magazine, and contained two panels of speakers, each of which used their rich personal experience in the security world to build up deep and well-founded arguments on how Israel should tailor its armed forces in the first quarter of the 21st century. Continue Reading »

Sen. McCain: Netanyahu and I have ‘serious concerns’ over Kerry’s proposal

Republican Senator John McCain, who is in Israel visiting, admits he shares P.M. Netanyahu’s concerns about whether parts of Kerry’s ‘framework agreement’ are realistic.

 

 

Republican Sen. John McCain says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “serious, serious concerns” about parts of the proposal Secretary of State John Kerry is using to broker peace with the Palestinians.

U.S. Senator John McCain answers reporters' questions at the meeting in Italy, September 7, 2012.

U.S. Senator John McCain answers reporters’ questions during a meeting on World Economy in Cernobbio, Italy, September 7, 2012. – Photo: AP

McCain spoke Friday in Jerusalem where Kerry is making his tenth visit to craft a peace accord. Continue Reading »

Congressman calls on Sec of State Kerry to cut off aid to Palestinian Authority

US Congressman Jim Gerlach calls to cut off U.S. aid to PA because Abbas uses American funding for salaries & pension for convicted & jailed terrorists.

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

 

PMW exposure of PA salaries in European parliaments & in the U.S. Congress has had a positive & growing impact.

Congressman Jim Gerlach – Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Palestinian Media Watch‘s reports on the PA’s payments of salaries to terrorists continue to reverberate in parliaments and US Congress. Last month, Dutch Parliament in an overwhelming majority vote called on their government to demand the PA stop salary payments to terrorist prisoners. Continue Reading »

16 yr-old Arab girl attempts to stab Border Guard policeman in Jerusalem

 

A 2nd policeman was lightly hurt during scuffle to bring Palestinian teen under control.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

 

 

A 16-year-old Arab girl attempted to stab a border police officer with a knife near Nablus Gate in Jerusalem on Friday. The suspect is a resident of the Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood in east Jerusalem police said.

Nablus Gate  (Damascus Gate) - שער שכם - Photo courtesy:  Creative Commons

Nablus Gate (Damascus Gate) – שער שכם – Photo courtesy: Creative Commons

Security personnel succeeded in disarming the woman and bringing her under control but in the process, one of them was injured lightly in the leg. The injured man received medical treatment at the scene.

Continue Reading »

EU Funds NGO That Dehumanizes Jews on PA TV

PMW reveals broadcast calling Jews ‘rats, crows, foreigners’ in Jerusalem, city of ‘Arabic & Palestinians.’

Anti-Semitic Program funded by EU & World Bank.

By Ari Yashar

 

While Palestinian Authority (PA) TV has often been caught inciting violence and hatred of Jews, a recent broadcast by a European Union (EU) funded NGO has brought the defamation of Jews to new lows.

PMW Screenshot

PMW Screenshot

In an episode of the program Sights of Jerusalem broadcast October 18 on official PA TV, Jews are dehumanized as “crows” and “rats,” and further called “foreigners” in Jerusalem, the 3,000 year old Jewish capital.

Selections from the program subtitled into English by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) can be seen here:

In the video, the narrator calls the Israeli flag a “rag dipped in our blood,” claiming that Arabs cannot raise their heads in Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Considering the Legality of Israel’s Annexation of the Jordan Valley

 

Debate in Jerusalem heats up over whether or not Israel has the legal right under int’l law to annex portions of the Promised Land.

By Israel Today Staff

 

With last week’s ministerial vote to being the process of annexing the Jordan Valley, Israeli media has been more vigorously than ever debating the Jewish state’s right to unilaterally lay claim to territory.

On the Legality of Annexing the Jordan Valley

 

Israel’s only previous act of annexation of a previously sovereign territory involved the Golan Heights. That act, which Israel did not technically define as annexation, has been rejected by the international community, but has become a de facto reality on the ground. Continue Reading »

WSJ Reports: Hezbollah smuggles advanced anti-ship missile system into Lebanon

 

Continue Reading »

Palestinian from Gaza shot by IDF dies of wounds

Refusing to heed IDF warnings as he & several other Palestinians approached the security fence, the Gaza teen was shot in attempt to reach Israel’s border.

By JTA

 

A teenager shot by Israeli troops in Gaza died of his wounds, Palestinian medical sources said.

Explosive Devices Planted near the Gaza Security Fence

Explosive Devices Planted near the Gaza Security Fence. – Archive photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The 16-year-old died Friday afternoon from gunshot wounds sustained Thursday after he and several other Palestinians approached the security fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, according to a report Friday on Israel Radio.

The teenager was identified by the Ma’an news agency as Adnan Abu Khater.

Continue Reading »

Jews doing Jihad

When Jews engage in Islamic propaganda, they assist the Jewish State’s enemies.

By PAMELA GELLER
 

 

Stockholm Syndrome reared its head last Friday, when an academic who identifies herself as Jewish published op-ed in the Los Angeles Times explaining why she voted for the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israeli universities, about which I wrote recently in the Jerusalem Post.
Oxford students vote on motion to boycott Israeli goods

Oxford students vote on motion to boycott Israeli goods – Photo: courtesy

The Times piece said that the writer had just returned from a trip to Israel and “Palestine” sponsored by Interfaith Peace-Builders, a group that subtly propagandizes for the Palestinian jihad.

Continue Reading »

Arrow 3 missile interceptor test successfully carried out

 

 

The 2nd interceptor test was conducted Friday morning from Israel’s Air Force base Palmachim.

Arrow’s system is designed to reinforce Israel’s protective multilayer defenses against any long-ranged missile threat.

By Yoav Zitu

 

Another successful trial of the Arrow 3 interceptor was carried out at 8 am Friday morning. It was the interceptor’s second flight test and it was conducted within a trials field in the Palmachim Air Force base.

Arrow 3 trial (Photo: Defense Ministry)

Arrow 3 trial – Photo: Defense Ministry

The main advantage of the Arrow 3 interceptor is in its ability to perform a change of flight direction while flying towards long-ranged target missiles. Continue Reading »

Ariel Sharon’s health continues to deteriorate, hospital director says

The health of Israel’s former prime Minster, Ariel Sharon, who had been comatose for over 8 years, took a turn for the worse this week, but doctors treating him remain hopeful, says  director of the Sheba Medical Center.

 

 

The medical condition of former prime minister Ariel Sharon has further deteriorated, the director of the hospital where he is being treated said in a news conference on Friday morning.

Ariel Sharon official portrait - April 2001

Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon – Photo: GPO

The health of Sharon, who had been comatose for over eight years, took a turn for the worse this week.

“Our tests show signs of a severe blood infection [sepsis],” said the director general of Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Zeev Rotstein, adding that Sharon was not through fighting. Continue Reading »

Poles Rally to Restore Historic pre-Holocaust Synagogue

 

Polish campaigners desperately seeking additional support saying that unless matching funds are found soon, the Krasnik synagogue restoration project is at risk.

By Michael Freund

 

The European Union has awarded a grant to a Warsaw-based Jewish organization to restore an historic synagogue compound in the Polish town of Krasnik, but campaigners say the project may be cancelled if additional matching funds are not raised within the next two months.

Inside the historic Krasnik Synagogue – Photo: FODZ

The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland, known by its Polish acronym FODZ, was awarded nearly $2 million by the EU, “but the grant was given on condition that we raise another $650,000 in matching funds,” said FODZ president Monika Krawczyk, who was visiting Jerusalem this week. Continue Reading »

PLO: We’ll ignore any ‘worthless’ framework deal we sign

Abed Rabbo dismisses idea of land swap, calls for timetable for full Israeli withdrawal and return to pre-1967 lines.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

 

 

On the eve of US State Secretary John Kerry’s meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO said that the Palestinians wouldn’t pay attention to a “worthless” framework agreement presented by the US.

PLO Exec Ctee SecGen Abed Rabbo

PLO Exec Ctee SecGen Abed Rabbo – Photo: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters

Kerry is expected to meet with Abbas in Ramallah on Friday.

PLO Secretary-General Yasser Abed Rabbo said that the Palestinians have already spent the past few months negotiating with Israel, and there’s no need to start new talks about the implementation of a new framework agreement. Continue Reading »

Israel Air Force destroys Hamas rocket launchers in Gaza airstrike

 

 

IAF strikes several Gaza targets in retaliation for rocket fire earlier Thursday that landed in open area inside of Sdot Negev Regional Council.

Yoav Zitun

The IDF launched airstrikes on three Gaza Strip targets. Military sources reported that rocket launchers and observation posts were destroyed.

The strikes, the sources noted, were in retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire on Israeli territory.

On Thursday evening a Qassam rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip and exploded in an open area at the Sdot Negev Regional Council.

The rocket hit away from residential area and a color red alert was therefore not activated. Continue Reading »