Archive for May 20, 2017

Russia invites IDF to participate in International Army Games competition

 

IDF delegations in the fields of military medicine and logistics will be sent to Russia to compete against the military forces of 27 other countries in the annual International Army Games.

Alex Fishman

 

For the first time, the IDF has been invited to participate in the International Army Games against 27 other countries, including the Syrian Army.In the past three years, the Russians have been conducting an annual “military Olympics” in which various armies from the world compete in professional fields such as armor, paratroopers, military police, medicine, and more. The 2017 games will also include drone usage for the first time. Continue Reading »

Israeli rights group to appeal Facebook’s nonintervention in Palestinian incitement case

 

After a New York court dismissed case over Facebook’s inaction against Palestinian incitement to violence and murder, Israeli rights center Shurat Hadin, laments ‘fatal mistake,’ accusing decision for ignoring ‘blood being spilled in the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.’

By The Associated Press

 

An Israeli rights group suing Facebook on behalf of families of victims killed by Palestinian attackers said on Thursday that it will appeal after the case was dismissed by a New York court.

Protesting Anti-Semitism and Incitement to violence, that flourishes on Facebook in Palo Alto. – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said the court dismissed the lawsuit on grounds of immunity, according to the communications decency act.

Continue Reading »

French President Macron vows NOT to recognize ‘Palestine’

 

France’s new liberal president said he would rather maintain a good relationship with the State of Israel than “undermine stability” and recognize ‘Palestine.’

By Israel Today Staff

 

Palestinian Arabs probably celebrated the victory of Emmanuel Macron in France’s presidential election last week.

After all, his opponent, Marine Le Pen, made abundantly clear her frustration with, if not outright disdain for, the Islamic world.

Supporters of Macron celebrating his victory at the Louvre on 7 May – Photo: Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia

But there was another aspect to the election for Palestinians, who have in recent years tried to get France to take a central role in the Middle East peace process, confident that the liberal European power would be among the first to openly embrace a Palestinian state. Continue Reading »

Trump interview: Peace may “come about much sooner than anybody has ever projected.”

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, “I love the people of Israel, I am working very hard to finally have peace for Israel and the Palestinians”
• Trump admitted he hasn’t yet ruled out visiting the Western Wall with PM Netanyahu.

By Boaz Bismuth

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet decided who will accompany him to the Western Wall during his upcoming visit to Israel, but he told Israel Hayom in an exclusive interview Thursday: “We have great respect and friendship for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.”

Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth and U.S.

Continue Reading »

Israeli Minister protests US map of Israel in White House video, now deleted

 

Coincidence?
White House video displaying map of Israel omitting the West Bank and Golan Heights went missing from official White House YouTube account shortly after receiving angry response from Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, saying, ‘I hope this is just ignorance and not policy.’

By Moran Azulay

 

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) voiced her disapproval Friday of a map of Israel recently circulated by the White House ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit which failed to include the West Bank and the Golan Heights. “I hope this is just ignorance and not policy,” Shaked said.

Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked

Speaking at an event in Ramat Gan, Shaked reminded her audience that her party was given a mandate to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Continue Reading »

Top Palestinian official: Time for embassy in East Jerusalem, embassy in West Jerusalem

Jibril al Rajoub, a confidant of Palestinian antocrat Mahmoud Abbas - PMW

 

Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, says the time has come for two American embassies in Jerusalem.

By ADAM RASGON

 

Top Fatah official Jibril Rajoub on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to hold off from moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“This is a responsible and rational decision,” Rajoub told The Jerusalem Post in a phone interview. “The American president clearly understands that the issue of Jerusalem is complex and should be resolved in the framework of a final agreement.”

Fatah official Jibril Rajoub

A senior White House official said Trump decided “not to immediately move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem,” Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. Continue Reading »

Unbeknownst to his gov’t Danish FM transfers $8.3 million to anti-Israel groups

 

PM Netanyahu urges Danish Foreign Minister who is currently in Israel to stop funding radical Palestinian groups that incite, impede peace.
• Watchdog group: “Danish Members of Parliament should debate whether Danish taxpayers should transfer their hard-earned money to organizations that incite violence, glorify terror, and promote blatant anti-Semitism and BDS.”

By Israel Hayom

 

Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen is scheduled to hold a series of meetings in Ramallah on Thursday, where, according to official documents issued by the Danish government, he will announce an additional 30 million shekels ($8.3 million) in Danish funding for an organization that in turn funds a string of anti-Israel groups.
Continue Reading »

US media aggrandizes ‘leaked Israeli secret’ but Netanyahu’s gov’t seems unencumbered

 

When media relies on anonymous sources with a shared partisan agenda to sabotage elected gov’t, chaos thrives leaving more questions than answers.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN

 

The initial report came in The Washington Post on May 15, with explosive claims that “according to current and former US officials,” Trump had disclosed intelligence that “jeopardized a critical source.” The New York Times quoted “current and former American government official[s]” as well, perhaps the same ones. “Trump discussed contents of the intelligence, not the sources and methods.”

Then Israel entered the picture this Tuesday. “According to current and a former American official…, the classified intelligence that President Trump disclosed in a meeting last week with Russian officials at the White House was provided by Israel,” wrote the Times. Continue Reading »

Palestinian stone thrower killed, photographer wounded in attempted ‘lynch’

In 2nd incident within 24hrs when Israeli shot at Palestinian stone throwers…

Having used an ambulance to block their path and feeling their lives were in danger when mob of Palestinians pelted their car with stones, husband kills one, and injured news photographer already at the scene.
– Wife of the shooter says frenzied mob encircled their car and tried to drag them out.

By Elisha Ben Kimon, Elior Levy, Yoav Zitun

 

A Palestinian man was killed on Thursday after an Israeli settler opened fire on a group of some 200 Palestinian rioters who were hurling rocks and stones at passing vehicles near Huwara in the West Bank. Continue Reading »

President Trump drops visit to Ramallah, will meet Abbas in Bethlehem

 

According to a Trump administration official, a meeting in Ramallah would be making a statement that could be interpreted in undesirable ways, so the PA autocrat will be met in Bethlehem instead.

By Nitzan Keidar

 

An official in the Trump administration told Arutz Sheva today that US President Donald Trump is not interested in visiting Ramallah during his upcoming visit to Israel.

According to the official, a meeting in Ramallah would be making a statement, and the President’s advisers have recommended against any statement that could be interpreted in undesirable ways.

Israel’s PM Netanyahu, U.S. President Trump, PA autocrat Abbas

Trump’s staff responsible for coordinating his trip agreed with the PA that the President would instead meet with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. Continue Reading »

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, ‘Western Wall is part of Israel’

 

After unnamed U.S. diplomat questioned Israel’s claim to the Western Wall, Nikki Haley said, “I’m not real sure what happened with that issue, but I know they’re trying to fix that. … We’ve always thought the Western Wall was part of Israel.”

By Shlomo Cesana, Yori Yalon, Eli Leon, News Agencies & Israel Hayom Staff

 

The Western Wall is part of Israel and the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Tuesday in an interview with CBN News, ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel next week. Continue Reading »

IDF general: Latest Merkava Mark IV tank & Eitan APC will ensure superiority on battlefield

 

Both the Merkava MK4 Barack and  Eitan APC are designed with dozens of sensors to identify the enemy, and advanced defense systems such as the Trophy active protection system.
– Watch video clip.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM

 

The Armored Corps will soon have cutting-edge vehicles capable of winning decisive victories, Brig.- Gen. Baruch Matzliach, head of the Merkava Tank Directorate, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Second International Ground Warfare and Logistics Conference at Latrun, west of Jerusalem, Matzliach said that Armored Corps combat teams will soon have a range of integrated vehicles, including the Merkava MK4 “Barack” (or Lightning) main battle tank that is currently being developed. Continue Reading »

Air Force One, Black Hawks and C-17s transports headed to Ben-Gurion Int’l Airport

 

Ben-Gurion Int’l Airport is preparing for the US president on Monday with 40 transport planes scheduled to arrive Thursday carrying Black Hawk helicopters and a limousine nicknamed, ‘The Beast.’

By Itay Blumental

 

The Israel Airports Authority and the Defense Ministry are preparing for a reception for Donald Trump on Monday, when two Air Force One planes will be landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport – Facebook

An American convoy in charge of the airport ceremony arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning, and on Thursday afternoon, some 40 US Army transport planes are expected to arrive. Continue Reading »

Having presented his credentials, Ambassador Friedman gets to work

 

David Friedman, the new US Ambassador to Israel, speaks about Donald Trump’s position on the Western Wall, Jonathan Pollard, and the eventual relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman spoke about the Trump administration’s stance on moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“I know that US President Donald Trump is speaking with all relevant parties on the matter before he makes his final decision,” Friedman said. “This is his decision and I will let him speak for himself, when he deems the time right.” Continue Reading »

100 Holocaust survivors beseech NY governor to prevent Linda Sarsour’s CUNY speech

 

“What Linda Sarsour advocates for – boycotts against Jewish businesses in Israel and random acts of violence against the innocent – are no different than the things that we personally experienced,” the survivors wrote in their letter.

By DANIELLE ZIRI

 

NEW YORK – A group of about 100 Holocaust survivors wrote a letter to New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking him to stop anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour from speaking at a City University of New York graduation next month.

Despite a public outcry and strong opposition from Jewish leaders, CUNY has chosen to maintain its invitation for Sarsour to speak to graduates of its School of Public Health and Health Policy, scheduled for June 1. Continue Reading »