Archive for April 2, 2014

IsraAID dispatches delegation to Bulgaria to help Syrian refugees

 

First Jordan, now Israeli humanitarian group IsraAID went to Bulgaria to render assistance for additional influx of Syrian refugees.

By Yossi Aloni

 

Israel continues to reach out to aid refugees of the ongoing Syrian civil war, this time by sending assistance to refugee camps in Bulgaria.

Israeli Aid Follows Syrian Refugees to Europe

Israeli Aid Follows Syrian Refugees to Europe

The Israeli NGO umbrella group IsraAID last week dispatched a delegation to Bulgaria to help deal with the influx of Syrian refugees arriving in the eastern European nation via neighboring Turkey.

There are currently about 11,000 Syrian refugees living in three camps in Bulgaria, including two camps in the capital of Sofia. Continue Reading »

Five Beauties Volunteer to Fight for Their New Home

 

“They are very motivated & determined to assume combat roles,” says an Israeli official involved with the 5 young women who recently immigrated to Israel, live on a Lebanese-border Kibbutz and joined  the IDF & Border Police.

By Danny Brenner

 

Continue Reading »

WATCH: Bar Refaeli commercial co-starring a Muppet deemed too risqué for Israel TV

 

Israeli clothing store Hoodies’ TV commercial, featuring Israel’s supermodel Bar Refaeli involved in sexy scenes, will only be shown after 10 p.m.

By JTA

 

A risqué ad featuring Bar Refaeli in bed with a purple, mustachioed Muppet has been banned from running before 10 p.m. in the holy land, Walla!, Israel news website reported. Per a governmental council called The Second Authority for Television and Radio, the ad for local fashion brand Hoodies has “too many sexual insinuations” to be seen during prime time.

Bar Refaeli in bed with a muppet for the Hoodies commercial Photo: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT

Bar Refaeli in bed with a muppet for the Hoodies commercial Photo: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT

The spot opens with a post-coital shot of the Israeli super model and her puppet friend, a guy named Red Orbach, with whom many Israelis are already familiar.

Continue Reading »

NYT Reports: Kerry steps back from peace talks

 

New York Times quotes senior American official as saying the White House believes Kerry should allow Israel & the Palestinians to work through the current deadlock themselves.

By Ynetnews and agencies

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry’s decision to cancel a Tuesday night meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is indicative of the Obama administration’s “growing impatience” with the deadlocked peace talks, the New York Times reported Wednesday. The newspaper quoted a senior US official as saying that the Americans believe Israel and the Palestinians should find a way out of this latest deadlock themselves, and that Kerry’s current efforts had been exhausted. Continue Reading »

Israel declines requests of being world’s medical ‘pot dealer’

 


Although Israel has the climate & know-how to be the major exporter of medical marijuana, it doesn’t want to.

 

The Czech Health Ministry would like to import medical marijuana from Israel, but the government has not arranged for local growers to export the drug.

Medicinal marijuana

Growing facility for the Tikun Olam company near the northern city of Safed. – Photo: Reuters

Visiting here last month, Czech Health Minister Svatopluk Nemecek dropped by a medical marijuana operation on moshav Ein Irron. The logistic center there is operated by Bazelet — the marijuana division of the Barak Group, a medical supplier that serves five of the eight authorized growers of medical marijuana in Israel.

Continue Reading »

Senior US Senators Say Jonathan Pollard Should Not Be Released

Chairwoman & Vice Chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee reject proposal where Pollard would be released in exchange for releasing 400 convicted Palestinian terrorists, including mass-murderers. 

By Ari Yashar

 

Several senior senators have come out with harsh opposition to the deal proposed Tuesday, by which America would release Jonathan Pollard in exchange for the release of over 400 Israeli-held Arab terrorists and a partial construction freeze in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.

Senator Dianne Feinstein – Reuters

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that they oppose the deal in no uncertain terms. Continue Reading »

Abbas Signs PA Requests To Join UN Agencies in Breach of Agreements

Abbas violates peace talk agreements by making unilateral bid for int’l recognition in UN agencies & NGOs.

Kerry canceled his upcoming visit to Ramallah.

By Ari Yashar

 

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas breached the conditions of the peace talks Tuesday by signing a request to join several United Nations (UN) agencies.

Mahmoud Abbas and Ban Ki-moon (file) – Reuters

Abbas obligated himself to refrain from such unilateral moves for international recognition during the course of the peace talks, restarted last July by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

“The Palestinian leadership has unanimously approved a decision to seek membership of 15 UN agencies and international treaties, beginning with the Fourth Geneva Convention,” Abbas said on TV following the signing, reports AFP. Continue Reading »

Pope receives Madonna lily seeds from Israel to bloom for spring Annunciation

 

In advance of Pope Francis’ arrival in Israel in May, Ben-Gurion University scientists send the Vatican Madonna lily seeds of the type that existed during the time of Jesus.

 

 

Pope Francis, who arrives in Israel at the end of May, has just received a special gift — seeds of the white Madonna lily of the type that existed during the time of Jesus two millennia ago. The seeds were developed in the lab of Dr. Michelle Zakai with the help of Asael Ram at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba.

Madonna Lily - Photo courtesy  Wikimedia Commons/Stan Shebs

Madonna Lily – Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Stan Shebs

According to Christian tradition, the lily was connected to the Annunciation during which the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus. Continue Reading »

Jerusalem Court to hear petition to block private control of Western Wall section

 

The prosecution contends that transferring control of the Holy site to a subcontractor will limit the gov’t’s freedom to act in the area.

 

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court is to hold a hearing on Tuesday on the attorney general’s request to cancel an agreement for the settler organization Elad-the City of David Foundation to manage the entire southern section of the Western Wall.

Israel Police Special Patrol Unit vehicles stationed near the Western Wall compound.

Israel Police Special Patrol Unit vehicles stationed near the Western Wall compound. February 25, 2014. – Photo: Olivier Fitoussi

The agreement between the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem (JQDC), which owns the area, and the right-wing, religious group was meant to go into effect on Tuesday.

Continue Reading »

Syrian Orient News TV: Syrian Opposition Activist Advocates Peace with Israel

When the interviewer told Dr. Al-Labwani that “Israel has expansionist goals” he replied, “Not true. The people of Israel fled persecution in the Nazi Holocaust, & they want to live in peace.”

“It is in our interest today to engage in a peace process” with Israel, says Syrian opposition activist in televised interview.

By Elad Benari

 

A member of the Syrian opposition recently said that “it is in our interest today to engage in a peace process” with Israel.

Syrian Opposition Activist Kamal Al-Labwani Makes the Case for Peace with Israel

Syrian Opposition Activist Dr. Kamal Al-Labwani Makes the Case for Peace with Israel on Syrian Orient News TV

The comments were made by opposition activist Dr. Continue Reading »

MK Isaac Herzog (Labor) meets with Jordanian king to rescue stalled peace

 

Jordan’s King Abdullah expressed hope that a way to stop the peace talks from collapsing will be found.

MK Herzog takes the opportunity to apologize for unfortunate death of Jordanian judge, killed by IDF fire.

By Ynetnews

 

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor) met Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman on Monday to discuss the peace process.

“There is an opportunity that won’t repeat itself to reach an arrangement in the Middle East, and a formula must be found to stop the talks from blowing up,” Abdullah said.

Herzog stressed to the Jordanian king that the Labor party, and the rest of the opposition parties, all support the peace process and understand that this opportunity must not be missed. Continue Reading »

11 Ossuaries recovered after apparent Jerusalem heist

Eleven 2nd Temple-era Burial Boxes were discovered after police arrested 4 suspicious characters in Jerusalem.

 

The Israeli Antiquities Authority unveiled 11 ancient burial boxes Monday that were recovered by Israel Police early Friday morning

Israeli archaeologist Eitan Klein.

Israeli archaeologist Eitan Klein.- AFP

Officials say the boxes are 2,000 years old. Some are engraved with designs and even names, giving clues to their origin and contents. The boxes contain bone fragments and remnants of what experts say is pottery buried with the deceased.

The authority says the boxes were recovered last Friday in Jerusalem when police observed a suspicious nighttime transaction involving two cars, four individuals and the 11 boxes.

Continue Reading »

Palestinian Authority Threatens Kerry With Ultimatum Over Releasing Terrorists

 

Ramallah tells US: Get Israel to release imprisoned terrorists within 24 hours – or we will turn to the UN instead.

By AFP and Arutz Sheva Staff

 

The Palestinian Authority on Monday gave US Secretary of State John Kerry 24 hours to get Israel to release the fourth batch of terrorists, according to AFP, after which they will resume moves to seek international recognition.

Exasperated. John Kerry (illustrative) – Reuters

“If we don’t get an answer from John Kerry on the prisoners tonight, we’ll begin to ask for membership in all UN agencies tomorrow,” Palestinian MP Mustafa Barghuti told AFP following a top-level leadership meeting in Ramallah which took place as Kerry arrived in Israel. Continue Reading »