Archive for Israel News

State Department taken aback by May’s reprimand to US over SOS Kerry’s speech

 

U.S. St Dept was “surprised” Friday after British Prime Minister lavished harsh criticism of Kerry’s televised anti-Israel speech, pointing out, “The settlements are far from the only problem” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Australian PM: Security Council vote “unsettling.”

By Eli Leon, News Agencies, and Israel Hayom Staff

 

The U.S. State Department was “surprised” Friday after the British prime minister leveled harsh criticism at Secretary of State John Kerry speech, detailing his vision for the Middle East and Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Britain scolded Kerry for describing the Israeli government as “the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements.” Continue Reading »

Israel’s 2017 budget to cover new light rail train between Haifa – Nazareth

 

Government approves 12 billion NIS ($3.15b) for infrastructure facelift, added health care, improved education and boost in small and medium businesses for northern Israel.

By Chana Roberts

 

As part of the 2017-2018 budget, the Israeli government is set to spend 12 billion NIS to give northern Israel a facelift.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) have proposed a plan outlining changes for the north, including upgrading schools, and building a light rail train between Haifa and Nazareth.

 Nazareth at night - Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Nazareth at night – Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Jewish National Fund will also help to fund the projects, investing 3 billion NIS. Continue Reading »

Dershowitz: ‘The Obama legacy will go into the dustbin of history’

 

view videoWATCH: Prof. Alan Dershowitz, a longtime Democrat and once Obama supporter,  comes out with a scathing criticism of Obama’s conduct vis-a-vis Israel, the US’s closest ally in the mid-East.

By Ben Ariel, Canada

 

Prominent author and Harvard Professor Emeritus of Law Alan Dershowitz sharply criticized President Barack Obama in an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper on Friday, saying he believes “Obama will join Jimmy Carter as somebody who will always stand against Israel, but who will be tossed into the dustbin of history when it comes to the Middle East.”

Dershowitz said he believes once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, there would be nothing left of the hostility of the current administration toward Israel. Continue Reading »

Knife attack at Qalandiya checkpoint thwarted, Palestinian terrorist shot, neutralized

 

After multiple calls to stop did not halt her advance, a knife yielding Palestinian woman was shot & neutralized on Friday while quickly approaching Israel Border Guard officers at the Qalandiya checkpoint. She was subsequently arrested and given medical assistance.

By Elisha Ben Kimon

 

Security forces stopped a stabbing attack on Friday at the Qalandiya checkpost near Ramallah. The incident occurred when a Palestinian woman had approached the checkpoint, with a knife in her hand, despite being repeatedly called upon to stop.

The knife found next to the neutralized female Palestinian terrorist at the Qalandiya checkpoint. - Photo: Police Spokesperson's Unit

The knife found next to the neutralized female Palestinian terrorist at the Qalandiya checkpoint. – Photo: Police Spokesperson’s Unit

The woman was eventually shot and neutralized after security forces proceeded with the IDF rules of engagement. Continue Reading »

UK lambastes Kerry for ‘focusing on settlements’ and ‘inappropriate’ attack on Israel’s gov’t

 

The British government takes an unprecedented step of criticizing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech for its hyperbolic focus on Israeli settlements and being otherwise, ‘inappropriate.’

By i24news

 

A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s government strongly criticized US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, for being overly critical of Israeli settlements during his remarks yesterday on the Middle East peace process.

John Kerry - YouTube screenshot

John Kerry’s more than hour long tirade on settlements was based on falsehoods, distortions, omissions and false moral equivalencies, rendering it entirely one-sided, hence, unrealistic and an obstacle to peace. – YouTube screenshot

“We do not believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex,” said the spokesman. Continue Reading »

REPORT: Foreign Minister Bishop said Australia wouldn’t have supported UNSC resolution

 

According to the Australian newspaper, FM Bishop indicated the gov’t would not have supported the Security Council’s move, saying, “In voting at the UN, the ­Coalition government has consistently not supported one-sided resolutions targeting Israel.”

 

The US may have worked for the passage of last Friday’s anti-settlement resolution in the UN, and western countries like Britain, France, Japan and Spain may have supported it, but if Australia was on the UN Security Council, it would likely not have voted for it, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop indicated on Thursday.

PM Netanyahu with Australian FM Julie Bishop. - Photo- Amos Ben-Gershom:Israel's GPO

PM Netanyahu with Australian FM Julie Bishop.

Continue Reading »

Emboldened by White House, Abbas already demanding preconditions for peace talks

 

PA chairman Abbas responds within hours of Kerry’s anti-Israel speech by once again demanding preconditions from Israel before commencing peace talks.

By Elad Benari

 

Hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the Middle East peace process, Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday again imposed conditions on peace talks.

Abbas, reacting to Kerry’s remarks, said he was ready to resume peace efforts with Israel if it stops “settlement building”.

“The minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities… and agrees to implement the signed agreements on the basis of mutual reciprocity, the Palestinian leadership stands ready to resume permanent status negotiations on the basis of international law and relevant international legality resolutions… under a specified timeframe,” he said in a statement quoted by AFP. Continue Reading »

72 new immigrants (Olim) from North America land in Israel

 

Among the 72 Olim that landed at Ben Gurion Airport this morning are 20 future IDF Lone Soldiers – ‘present-day Maccabees,’ making for a wonderful Chanukah present.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

72 new immigrants (Olim) from North America, including 20 soon-to-be IDF Lone Soldiers, landed this morning, December 28, in Israel on a Nefesh B’Nefesh group Aliyah flight, in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel, JNF-USA.

20 future Lone Soldiers - ‘present-day Maccabees' arrive in Israel 28 Dec 2016. - Photo/ Ben Kelmer, courtesy of Nefesh B'Nefesh

20 future Lone Soldiers – ‘present-day Maccabees’ arrive in Israel 28 Dec 2016. – Photo: Ben Kelmer, courtesy of Nefesh B’Nefesh

These young men and women are drafting with the Tzofim-Garin Tzabar program and will serve in the IDF as part of the Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program. Continue Reading »

Local Christian Clergy Praise Complete Freedom of Religion in Israel

 

President Reuven Rivlin welcomed in Jerusalem, the clergy of Christian communities in Israel to mark the civil New Year, wishing all the Christian leaders and their congregations, “A good and healthy New Year,” adding, “May it be a year of mutual understanding and respect. A year of justice and fairness.”

By Israel Today

 

With Christians suffering in most of the surrounding nations, local Christian leaders took this Christmas season as an opportunity to thank Israel for protecting them and their freedoms.

 President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the leaders of Christian communities in Israel to mark the civil New Year. - Photo- Facebook, Israel in the USA by Mark Naiman, GPO

President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the leaders of Christian communities in Israel to mark the civil New Year. – Photo- Israel in the USA/Facebook, Mark Naiman of Israel’s GPO

That message was delivered by Greek Patriarch Theophilos III during the annual Christmas and Hanukkah gathering at the presidential residence in Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Israel’s hotels hosting foreign tourists surge 38% over Nov 2015

 

Record number of foreign tourists visited Israel in November 2016, generating more than 1.5 billion shekels ($390 million) in revenues for the month.

By Ilan Gattegno

 

Some 970,000 tourists stayed at least one night in Israel in November, an increase of about 38% compared to November 2015, the Israel Hotel Association said in a statement Monday.

Hotels along the North Beach, Eilat - Photo Attribution- Henrik Sendelbach/Wikimedia Commons

Hotels along the North Beach, Eilat – Photo: Henrik Sendelbach/Wikimedia Commons

The number of tourists who stayed overnight in November this year was also 23% higher than in the equivalent period in 2014, which followed Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, and on par with November 2013. Continue Reading »

Amb. Bolton Reveals REAL Reason Obama Orchestrated UN Security Council’s Anti-Israel Vote

 

According to John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, President Obama’s intentions were far more devious than just betraying America’s closest ally in an act of utter cowardice.

By Chris Golden

 

When Barack Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations abstained from a vote condemning Israel at the global body, it was the final perfidy of a president who has alienated and bullied the Jewish state for the entirety of his presidency.

Barack Obama’s Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power speaks to the UN Security Council after abstaining on an anti-Israel resolution, December 23, 2016 – UN video screenshot

According to John Bolton — former U.S. Continue Reading »

Obama’s betrayal of Israel tops ‘Wiesenthal List’ of 10 worst antisemitic, anti-Israel cases

 

Leading Jewish human rights organization releases its 2016 ranking of the 10 most profound acts of antisemitic and/or anti-Israel cases of the past year, with President Obama’s UN vote, that disavowed Jewish/Israel’s ownership of the Western Wall, Jerusalem and Judea & Samaria, heading the list.

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL

 

The US abstention from a recent vote against Israeli settlements at the UN Security Council topped the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s annual list released Tuesday of 10 worst outbreaks of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel incidents.

Obama loves Iran cartoon
The Jewish human rights organization ranked the Obama administration’s move as the top case, charging that it erased Jewish history. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu cancels aid to Angola & Senegal after betrayal

 

After west African oil producer reneged on promise to abstain and then voted in favor of UNSC anti-Israel resolution condemning settlements, PM Netanyahu ends all aid to Angola, who by the way, occupies the province of Cabinda, who’s people have been fighting for independence since 1960.
(– Who strong-armed Angola to brake promise to Israel?)

By Itamar Eichner & Eitan Goldstein

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce on Tuesday that Israel will suspend all development aid to the African nation of Angola following the latter’s support of a recent UN resolution condemning Israeli West Bank construction. Continue Reading »

Meet the other Hassan Nasrallah, an Israeli lifesaver

 

With his infamous namesake notwithstanding, meet Israel’s own Hassan Nasrallah, an Israeli Arab who’s chosen a different path, one dedicate to saving the lives of others as an Israeli EMT with United Hatzalah.

Arutz Sheva Staff

 

When most people hear the name Hassan Nasrallah, it arouses negative sentiments for the leader of the Lebanese terrorist organization of Hezbollah. They are reminded of a man who has the blood of thousands on his hands. While the man may live in infamy, the name is shared by another individual, an Israeli, who has chosen to dedicate his life to saving the lives of others. Continue Reading »

Lieberman acknowledges French peace summit as ‘A modern day Dreyfus trial’

 

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s Defense Minister says the timing of the French peace summit, January 15th, a strategic 5 days before Obama leaves office serves but one purpose: ‘to undermine the State of Israel’s security & tarnish its good name.’

By Moran Azulay

 

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday slammed France’s peace summit scheduled for next month, calling it “a modern day Dreyfus trial.”

“There’s only one difference,” he asserted, “this time, instead of the defendant being one Jew, it will be the entire nation of Israel and the State of Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - Photo: AP

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas – Photo: AP

He criticized the timing of the summit, which was scheduled for December but postpone to January 15—five days before US President Barack Obama leaves office. Continue Reading »