Archive for April 17, 2014

Putin sends Passover greeting saying Russian Jews make huge contribution

Putin praises the Jewish community’s  work to ‘preserve stability & consensus in the general public and actively participates in the education of the younger generation as well as charity & humanitarian endeavors.’

By JTA

 

Russian Jews are making an enormous contribution to strengthening Russian society’s cohesion, President Vladimir Putin wrote in a holiday greeting to the Jewish community.

Rabbi Berel Lazar, a chief rabbi of Russia, at the Kremlin in Moscow.

Putin meets with Rabbi Berel Lazar, a chief rabbi of Russia, at the Kremlin in Moscow. – Photo: Shturem.net

Putin sent the greeting on Monday, the news site shturem.net reported Thursday, after meeting Rabbi Berel Lazar, a chief rabbi of Russia, at the Kremlin in Moscow.

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IN PHOTOS: Passover Seder held by the Jews of Kaifeng, China

 

The Kaifeng Jews according to some, are direct descendants of Sephardi Jewish traders who settled in China during the 8th or 9th century.


The community of Kaifeng held one of the first Seder meals to be held by indigenous Chinese Jews in generations this week.

Kaifeng

Kaifeng Jews, Burning of unleavened bread (Chametz). 
There are around 1,000 residents of Jewish descent in the city, one of China’s former imperial capitals. The Seder, was organized by Jerusalem-based Shavei Israel.Burning of the unleavened bread (Chametz).

The Shavei Israel organization aims at helping people of Jewish descent to “rediscover or renew their link with the people of Israel.”

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10 Israeli backpackers injured as bus overturns in Argentina

 

10 Israeli backpacking tourists were injured in a road accident on Seven Lakes Route with one suffering a severe head injury. All were taken to local hospitals.

By Itay Blumenthal

 

A bus carrying Israeli backpackers overturned Thursday morning in the area of the Seven Lakes Route in Argentina. One of the Israelis suffered a severe head injury, and the nine others were in light condition.

Overturned bus in Argentina

Overturned bus in Argentina – Screenshot

The Foreign Ministry has been notified and representatives of the Israeli consulate in Buenos Aires were expected to arrive to the area within the next few hours to visit the hospitalized Israelis and check on their condition. Continue Reading »

Upon return from visiting Lebanon, Israeli Arab journalist arrested

 

Israeli court removes gag order on investigation of Majd Kayyal, a pro-Palestinian journalist/activist who blatantly visited a ‘hostile country at war with Israel’ to attend a 40-yr anniversary bash by the Lebanese newspaper he writes for.

 

 

The Israel Police and Shin Bet security service arrested Israeli Arab journalist and political activist Majd Kayyal on Saturday, on his way back to Israel from a three-week visit to Beirut.

Majd Kayyal

Majd Kayyal. – Photo: Panet

Kayyal, a resident of Haifa, was stopped at the Jordan River crossing. He was arrested on suspicion of visiting a hostile country and contacting foreign agents. Continue Reading »

Israeli still in Indian Prison After Neglected Bullet Found in Backpack

Steve Silvenchev is another of several post-IDF Israelis who are or have been imprisoned abroad for the ‘crime’ of forgetting to clean out a backpack that was used during his army service.

By Yosef Berger

 

Steve Silvenchev, an Israeli tourist in India, had been in jail in Mumbai for seven months, after authorities there found a bullet in a backpack that he had used at times during his stint in the IDF. They were detected when he went through security in Mumbai when he arrived on what was planned to be a post-army hike. Equipment at Ben Gurion Airport did not pick up the bullets. Continue Reading »

Abbas agrees to extend peace talks by 9 months for map, freeze & prisoners

 

State Dept. says US special envoy Martin Indyk is en route to Israel to continue work on extending talks as Abbas hints to Israeli MKs he is willing to extend talks on condition they focus on core issues.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed his willingness to extended talks by an additional nine months, on the condition that talks held during this time focus on core issues – namely final border arrangements.

Abbas with Labor MK Yehiel (Hilik) Bar (Photo: AFP)

Abbas with Labor MK Yehiel (Hilik) Bar – Photo: AFP

The position was insinuated by Abbas and PA officials during a Wednesday meeting Abbas held with leftwing Israeli MKs from the Labor party and Meretz, and came as US Special Envoy Martin Indyk was en route to the region in a bid to reach an agreement to extend negotiations beyond their end-of-April deadline. Continue Reading »

Africa overland aid convoy due to arrive in Gaza next week

The overland convoy includes some 30 activists from European & Arab countries and is carrying medical supplies & other humanitarian aid for Gaza’s hospitals.

 

 

An overland aid convoy headed for the Gaza Strip is expected to arrive via the Rafah crossing next Sunday, according to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an.

The Miles of Smiles convoy.

The Miles of Smiles convoy. – Photo: Screenshot

Known as “Miles of Smiles 26,” the convoy includes over 30 activists from Arab and European countries and is carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies to hospitals in Gaza.

The convoy was organized by a group calling itself the National Committee to Break the Siege.

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The U.S. still Jerusalem’s best friend, but no longer Israel’s only friend

 

Israel is no longer an embattled, impoverished, emotionally needy client state. It is an emerging int’l power with options it never had before.

By Zev Chafets

 

 

Late last month the United States introduced a U.N. resolution condemning Russia’s de facto seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. As expected, the resolution passed the General Assembly easily. Unexpected, though, was the decision by Israel, long America’s most reliable U.N. vote (and vice versa), to absent itself from the ballot.

MP14-0147 2nd Israel C-130J 5742 first flight 20140115

The Hercules “Samson” C-130J will reinforce Israel’s air superiority, giving it better carrying capacity and mid-air refueling ability. Better than ever before, Israel will be able to neutralize threats both near and far.

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Amsterdam collected fines from Holocaust survivors for unpaid property tax

Amsterdam’s current mayor is undertaking an investigation with the purpose of reimbursing the survivors who paid a total of $14.5 million in fines from 1942 to the end of the war.

By i24news

 

Amsterdam’s municipal authorities have reportedly been collecting property tax, including fines for late payments, from Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, billing them over time periods spent in Nazi concentration camps, or in hiding.

Photo courtesy Yad Vashem

The reported policy is potentially all the more scandalous as the Dutch have been widely lauded for their compassionate treatment of Jews during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in the course of WWII, including concealing many Jews from their German persecutors. Continue Reading »

Al-Quds medical doctors caught in fight over Jerusalem

 

While Israeli court ruling allows Al-Quds medical school graduates to take qualifying examinations enabling them to practice medicine in Israel, Health Ministry does not promise decision will become policy.

By Associated Press

 

ABU DIS, West Bank – Since graduating from a local medical school nine years ago, Basel Nassar has been barred from serving his community in east Jerusalem, despite a shortage of doctors there.

Hamas rally at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. - Photo: Facebook

Hamas rally at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. – Photo: Facebook

Like dozens of other Palestinian doctors, Nassar has been caught in the political battle between Israel and the Palestinians over east Jerusalem. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip – territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War – for a future state. Continue Reading »

Missouri lawmakers seek to open economic development office in Israel

Missouri’s office in Israel would be focused on developing joint business partnerships in biotechnology, agriculture & other emerging fields.

 

 

 

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Some Missouri lawmakers want the state to open an economic development office in Israel.

The Gateway Arch of Saint Louis, Missouri. April 2, 2014

The Gateway Arch of Saint Louis, Missouri, as seen from Saint Louis University School of Law on April 2. – Photo: AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Laurie Skrivan

A spending plan embraced by a Senate committee would insert $200,000 into the next state budget to open an office in Israel.

The Senate and House have each passed bills that would require the Department of Economic Development to establish an office in Israel.

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Hamas Appears to Have Taken Control of the Temple Mount

PM Natanyahu criticized for condemning Abbas’ Palestinian Authority incitement while completely ignoring Hamas incitement after 2 days of violence on the Temple Mount.

By Ari Soffer

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been accused of hypocrisy after criticizing Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for incitement, while simultaneously “turning a blind eye” to Hamas-led incitement in the heart of Jerusalem.

Hamas flags, Muslim Brotherhood symbols on Temple Mount – Photo: Yehuda Glick

The past few days have seen renewed activity by Hamas on the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, with Islamists literally taking it over for several hours on the eve of the Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover), in a successful bid to keep Jews from visiting the site. Continue Reading »

Palestinians call Al Quds professor who took university students to Auschwitz ‘traitor’

 

“I believe a trip like this, for an organized group of Palestinian youth going to visit Auschwitz, is not only rare, but a first. I thought there would be some complaints, then it would be forgotten.” says Al Quds University Professor Mohammed Dajani.

By Dan Lavie

 

An Al-Quds University professor who took 27 students to see the Nazi death camps two weeks ago in Poland was met with condemnation and calls of being a traitor by his Palestinians peers.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, where Nazi Germany murdered at least 1.1 million people – Photo: AP

Professor Mohammed Dajani of Al-Quds University took students from his university as well as Birzeit University in Ramallah on a Holocaust education trip in March, as part of a joint Israeli-Palestinian program that seeks to expose each side to other’s suffering with hope of fostering tolerance. Continue Reading »

3 Palestinians killed in possible ‘work accident’ in Gaza

 

Hamas-affiliated media source in Gaza reports “martyrs” killed & several more wounded in Khan Younis explosion.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
 

 

Three people were killed and several others were injured in an accidental explosion Wednesday in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian news portal Al Resalah reported.

Smoke from explosion in Gaza Strip [file] Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

Smoke from explosion in Gaza Strip [file] – Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

The injured, between the ages of 20 and 30, were transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis in stable condition.

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Temple Mount closed To Jews after Israel Policeman hurt in clashes

 

Temple Mount rioters dispersed using stun grenades as 2nd policeman hurt in Old City stone-throwing incident when masked Arab youths hurled stones at Israeli security forces.

By Noam ‘Dabul’ Dvir

 

Dozens of Arab youths, some masked, rioted on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, throwing stones and fire crackers at security forces at the site. A policeman was lightly hurt.

ynet screenshot

Ynet

The site had opened to visitors as planned, but was closed after the clashes began.

The rioters were dispersed using stun grenades and other crowd control measures. An electrical junction box at the entrance to a mosque sustained some damage. Continue Reading »