Archive for May 13, 2018

Major #BDSfail When Israel Won Eurovision Song Contest

After the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) worked hard to make sure Netta didn’t amass votes outside of Israel, they were devastated to learn Saturday night, it was a huge waste of time & money.
– Watch Netta’s winning performance.
– Watch Netanyahu’s reaction…it’s hilarious.

By Israel Today Staff

 

War with Iran seems more likely than ever, and the United States is about to move its embassy to Jerusalem. But on Sunday morning Israelis could talk of little else than the nation’s victory at the Eurovision song contest.

Final tally of top 26 of 43 entries to the 63rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Continue Reading »

Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania block EU rant over US embassy move

Three eastern European countries take a principled stand with Israel by blocking a formal EU statement admonishing the U.S. over their upcoming Embassy move to Jerusalem on Monday.

By AFP

 

The Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania have recently blocked a (EU) statement slamming the United States over its plan to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a spokesman said Saturday.

Once again the EU takes a stand against Israel’s sovereignty. – Wikimedia Commons

“The Czech Republic has protested against the planned statement,” Jiri Ovcacek, spokesman for Czech President Milos Zeman, told AFP.

“We appreciate that Hungary and Romania have taken the same principled stance,” he said, adding Zeman had agreed on the refusal with Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister Martin Stropnicky. Continue Reading »

IDF destroys Hamas’ 9th terror-tunnel in Saturday’s retaliatory strike in Gaza

The air strike on the terror-tunnel was in retaliation for the arson and destruction at Kerem Shalom border crossing’s fuel and gas pipes, that serve the people of Gaza, but were set ablaze by Hamas’ ‘March of Return’ protestors.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM

 

The Israel Air Force on Saturday evening destroyed a Hamas offensive tunnel that was in advanced stages of building mere meters from the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.

The tunnel, which Hamas had dug in the security parameter, had originated in Beit Hanoun, stretched over a kilometer and was intended to reach Israeli communities such as the Erez Kibbutz. Continue Reading »

As U.S. initiate Iranian sanctions, European leaders scurry to safeguard deals

After President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal and the U.S. reimposing sanctions, European leaders are scrambling to protect their economic deals and lucrative profits with the notorious Islamic Republic.

By Reuters

 

Europe’s largest economies lobbied to protect their companies’ investments in Iran on Friday, seeking to keep the nuclear deal with Tehran alive after Washington pulled out and threatened to impose sanctions on European companies.

Germany and France have significant trade links with Iran and remain committed to the nuclear agreement, as does Britain, and the three countries’ foreign ministers plan to meet on Tuesday to discuss it. Continue Reading »

Palestinian killed on 6th and final Hamas inspired ‘MARCH OF RETURN’

In what the IDF has referred to as a violent “riot,” approximately 5,000 Palestinians participated in what Hamas planned as the final ‘March of Return’ protest on Israel’s border, that left at least 170 Gazans injured and 1 dead.

By ERIC SUMNER & REUTERS

 

Israeli troops killed a Palestinian and wounded at least 170 protesters in the Gaza Strip Friday, Palestinian medical workers said, bringing to 44 the number killed during a six-week protest at the Gaza-Israel border.

Approximately 5,000 Palestinians have participated in what the IDF has called a violent “riot,” burning tires, hurling rocks at the security fence and at Israeli soldiers, and launching flaming kites into Israeli territory. Continue Reading »

Russia backsteps: No plans to sell Syria S-300 ground-to-air missiles

In a statement released just days after the Israeli Prime Minister’s meeting with Putin in Moscow and Israel’s massive airstrike in Syria, Moscow announced they are not planning any advanced S-300 missiles sales to Syria.

By Reuters

 

Russia is not in talks with the Syrian government about supplying advanced S-300 ground-to-air missiles and does not think they are needed, the Izvestia daily cited a top Kremlin aide as saying on Friday, in an apparent U-turn by Moscow.

Putin and Netanyahu in Moscow – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Facebook page

The comments, by Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who oversees Russian military assistance to other countries, follow a visit to Moscow by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, who has been lobbying Putin hard not to transfer the missiles. Continue Reading »

White House fulfills threat by sanctioning Iran’s Quds Force

U.S. Sect. of Treasury Mnuchin announced sanctions on 6 people and 3 Iranian companies beginning with Iran’s central bank for actively helping the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force accessing millions US dollars held in foreign banks.

By Reuters

 

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Thursday against six individuals and three companies it said had funneled millions of dollars to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, just days after President Donald Trump withdrew from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The Treasury Department said it was acting with the United Arab Emirates to disrupt the network and accused Iran’s central bank of actively helping the group to access US dollars held in foreign bank. Continue Reading »

Survey: Netanyahu is only person Israelis trust with their security

Unlike U.S. Presidents Clinton (1996) & Obama (2015) who both interfered in Israel’s political elections to defeat Netanyahu, Trump only changed Netanyahu’s “fixed or nixed” demand to “renegotiated or terminated,” but in essence, completely adopted Netanyahu’s policies on Iran.

By GIL HOFFMAN

 

When Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, he made an effort to bring about peace in the Middle East.

What Obama ended up accomplishing instead was repeatedly and inadvertently strengthening his nemesis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the polls. Unlike with US president Bill Clinton, whose clashes with Netanyahu weakened the prime minister in his first term, whenever Obama and Netanyahu publicly sparred, Netanyahu’s support rose. Continue Reading »

RUSSIA: Israel retaliated with 28 planes, shooting 60 missiles at Iranian targets

– Russian Defense Ministry: Israeli jets struck Iranian targets with at least 28 planes that fired some 60 missiles.
– Israel: Israel Air Force attacked nearly all of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria.

By Reuters, Alexandra Lukash, Elior Levy

 

Russia’s defense ministry said on Thursday that Syria had shot down more than half of the missiles fired at it overnight by Israel, RIA news agency reported.According to the report, the Israeli strike was carried out by 28 planes which fired at least 60 missiles, including 10 surface-to-surface missiles.

Iranian forces in Syria launched a rocket attack on Israeli army bases in the Golan Heights early on Thursday, Israel said, prompting one of the heaviest Israeli barrages against Syria since the conflict there began in 2011. Continue Reading »

After meeting Putin, Netanyahu affirms Israel will defend itself without interference

After meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, PM Netanyahu informed reporters that there was no reason to think that Russia would limit Israel’s freedom of action when taking the necessary steps to protect itself from aggression.

By HERB KEINON

 

Israel will not be limited in its military operations in the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday at the end of a day during which he spent some 10 hours in Moscow in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While a large part of that time was spent with Putin reviewing a military parade commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany, a number of hours were also spent in meetings – first a private one and then a meeting with larger delegations from both sides. Continue Reading »

BREAKING: Iran’s Qods Force fires 20 rockets toward Israel

SPECIAL SECURITY REPORT

Iran’s Qods Force stationed in Syria fired barrage of 20 rockets toward the Israeli part of the Golan Heights.
• Israel Police: No injuries or damages reported.
• IDF: Residents are requested to remain in protected spaces

By Elad Benari

 

The Iranian Qods Force fired a barrage of 20 rockets at IDF forward posts on the Golan Heights around midnight on Wednesday night.

A number of rockets were intercepted by the IDF’s Iron Dome aerial defense system. No injuries were reported.

“The IDF views this event with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. Continue Reading »

Alleged pre-emptive strike by Israel on Syrian base kills 8 Iranians

After a multitude of Iranian threats directed at Israel, Israel’s Transportation and Intelligence Minister said, “Only strikes now, today, could prevent violence and wars tomorrow.”

By i24NEWS – AFP

 

The death toll of a suspected Israeli strike on the outskirts of Damascus has risen to 15 non-Syrian pro-regime fighters, including eight Iranians, a Britain-based war monitor said Wednesday.

The strike hit a weapons depot of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards in the area of Kisweh south of the capital late Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Before & After airstrike in Syria

Reports cited by Israeli media outlets said that the targets of the strikes were Iranian missiles trained on Israel.

Continue Reading »

IDF goes on high alert over “irregular activity” by Iranian forces in Syria

IDF command orders all northern Golan Heights communities to unlock bomb shelters, deploys Iron Dome batteries to protect Golan Heights residents and activates reservist forces to compliment northern units.
– US Embassy urges American officials to avoid traveling to northern Golan Heights.

Reuters, Ynet reporters

 

The IDF went on high alert for a possible flare-up with neighboring Syria on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump announced he was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

The IDF said that, after identifying “irregular activity” by Iranian forces in Syria, it instructed civic authorities on the Golan Heights to ready bomb shelters, deployed new defenses and mobilized some reservist forces. Continue Reading »

BREAKING NEWS: Syrian media, ‘Israel attacks regime base south of capital’

SPECIAL SECURITY REPORT

Attack comes just hours after the IDF ordered civilian shelters in the country’s northern Golan Heights opened and called up reserve units after observing what it described as “irregular” activity by Iranian forces in Syria.

By i24NEWS

 

Syrian state television said an Israeli aerial strike was to blame for blasts at a military base south of the capital Damascus late Tuesday evening.

The report came just an hour after explosions were heard at the Al Kiswah base. It claimed that Syria’s air defense system shot down two Israeli missiles.

Locals also reported hearing the sounds of air defense missiles opening fire. Continue Reading »

Israel leads in yet another paradox: Most vegans, leader in chicken consumption

German nutrition retailer analyzed data supplied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization finds Israel has the largest ‘carbon footprint’ based on highest poultry consumption worldwide.

By EYTAN HALON

 

Israel has the unenviable title of having the largest carbon footprint per capita due to poultry consumption in the world, a study comparing annual carbon dioxide emissions across 130 countries revealed on Tuesday.

German nutrition retailer nu3 analyzed data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to assess which countries have the potential to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by switching their consumption habits to a plant-based diet that would minimize damage to the environment. Continue Reading »