Archive for Israel News

National project: 60 mile-long underground wall to protect Israel from Gaza

 

Israel Hebrew media reports Jerusalem’s plan to build an underground concrete wall tens of meters deep to neutralize the threat of Hamas attack tunnels.
* A senior defense official: ‘Another confrontation with Hamas is inevitable, so it must be the last one.’

By Nahum Barnea

 

Israel’s defense establishment’s plan to build a concrete wall tens of meters underground as well as aboveground along the Gaza Strip border was revealed by Yedioth Ahronoth Thursday morning.

A Hamas attack tunnel – Photo: IDF spokesperson

It has previously been estimated that such a project would cost tens of billions of shekels. However, under the new plan the construction costs are estimated to reach NIS 2.2 billion. 
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Israel’s Defense Minister revokes VIP entry permit of Palestinian official

Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman canceled Mohammed Al-Madani’s VIP entry permit, saying the Palestinian Authority’s outreach liaison to Israeli society was engaging in “subversive political activities.”

By Lilach Shoval, Israel Hayom Staff & The Associated Press

 

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday revoked the VIP entry permit of the Palestinian Authority’s outreach liaison to Israeli society.

The Qalandiya crossing between Jerusalem and Ramallah –  Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Lieberman said the VIP permit of Mohammed Al-Madani was revoked because he had engaged in “subversive political activities,” including trying to create a political party that included Israeli Arabs and Mizrahi Jews. Continue Reading »

Arab residents move into first real Palestinian ‘city’, Rawabi

 

Although sections of Rawabi are still under construction, the first residents of first planned Palestinian city have been moving in since January, in spite of important agreements that need to be settled with Israel.

By The Associated Press

 

After years of setbacks, Palestinians are proudly starting to move into Rawabi, their first planned city being built in the West Bank — a move that isn’t just about real estate but also a symbol of their quest for statehood.

Rawabi family leaves their new apartment building – Photo: AP

Though Rawabi is still unfinished, its glistening high-rises and shopping centers bring a rare sense of pride and excitement to the territory at a time of growing malaise over a standstill in Mideast peace efforts.  Continue Reading »

Huckabee: ‘America’s enemies are Israel’s enemies’

 

view videoWATCH VIDEO: “Mike” Huckabee, addresses the 16th annual Herzliya Security Conference: ‘Every friend of Israel is a friend of the United States and every enemy of Israel is an enemy of the United States.’

By Yoni Kempinski

 

“Every friend of Israel is a friend of the United States and every enemy of Israel is an Enemy of the United States,” said Governor Michael “Mike” Dale Huckabee, 44th Governor of Arkansas and two-time GOP presidential hopeful. Speaking on Wednesday during the second day of the 16th annual Herzliya Conference, Governor Huckabee said “America is looking into the mirror and sees Israel.” Continue Reading »

Reconciliation with Turkey will boost Israel’s standing with NATO

Reconciliation with Turkey will eliminate barriers placed by its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, allowing NATO to integrate Israeli cybersecurity, battlefield medicine capabilities, electronic upgrades and a host of products NATO sees as assets.

By Reuters and Israel Hayom Staff

 

Israel’s efforts to reconcile with NATO member Turkey will help enhance Israeli intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with the alliance, a NATO diplomat said on Tuesday.

NATO Headquarters in Brussels – Photo: Reuters

Israel and Turkey were once close regional allies, but diplomatic relations between them broke down in 2010 after the Israeli naval raid on the Gaza-bound vessel Mavi Marmara in which 10 pro-Palestinian Turkish activists were killed. Continue Reading »

Iraq seeks compensation from Israel for destroying nuclear reactor in 1981

view videoThe 1st deputy speaker of the Iraqi Parliament announced his country’s intention to sue Israel for ‘material damage & loss of life’ caused by Israel’s destruction of the Osirak nuclear reactor 35 years ago.

By Roi Kais

 

The first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Homam Hamoudi, announced that Iraq plans to sue Israel for monetary compensation for carrying out Operation Opera, Israeli attack on the Osirak nuclear reactor in southeastern Baghdad which occurred on June 7, 1981 .

The Osirak nuclear reactor before its destruction – Photo: Yedioth Achronoth archives

A statement published by Turkish news agency Anatolia said that “the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament has to raise the issue in the international arena and give it special attention, especially as it is the 35th anniversary of the Israeli attack against the nuclear reactor.” Continue Reading »

Christian IDF Soldier Attacked by Religious Peers While in Uniform

 

Even as more and more young Christians join the IDF each year, some do so at some risk from friends, or those who oppose the Jewish State.

By Israel Today Staff

 

A growing number of young Arabic-speaking Christians are volunteering to serve in the Israeli army. Some even want their service to be mandatory, as it is for Jews. But there are some elements in Arab Christian society that remain hostile to this phenomenon.

Some of the Christian IDF soldiers (Left) and Border Guard Police (Right) who attended the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.

That was the experience of a young Arabic-speaking Christian who spoke to Israel’s Mako news portal. Continue Reading »

With maps in hand, 3rd Hamas tunnel expert defects to Israel

 

Palestinian news outlet reports of Hamas tunnel expert leaving behind his wife and children in Gaza to defect with laptop containing sensitive Hamas secrets for the IDF.

By i24news

 

A senior Hamas tunnel expert has absconded from Gaza to Israel and turned himself in to authorities, Haaretz reports, citing Palestinian news outlets.

Old-style Hamas tunnel, left, & New-style Hamas terror tunnel, right – Photo: IDF spokesperson

Bassam Mahmoud Baraka is senior figure in Hamas’s military wing, according to the report, and left behind a wife and children. Reports also claimed that he had showed up with laptop in hand at the border separating Gaza from Israel. Continue Reading »

Now Online: Bible With Commentary, Articles, & Ancient Google Maps

 

The first comprehensive digital Bible goes online after 5 years of work by a team from Herzog College, that includes commentary, articles, religious lessons, and Google Maps enabling users to “tour” the biblical locations.

By Ilan Gattegno

 

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IDF intel chief: Next Hezbollah war will turn Lebanon into another refugee state

 

Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, speaking at the annual security conference noted that, “In the next wars, the majority of weapons that will attack Israel will be Iranian products,” suggesting Israel will need to escalate in its defense.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Lebanon will become a “state of refugees” from which it will be difficult to recover if there is another war between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior IDF intelligence general said Wednesday.

Military Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi speaking at 16th annual Herzliya Conference. – Photo: ADI COHEN ZEDEK

“The situation in the next conflict will be completely different. We are stronger than we have ever been and are able to deal with any threat,” said the head of IDF Military Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Continue Reading »

Kibbutz on Lebanon’s Border Performs Evacuation Drill

 

Under the supervision of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, Ma’ayan Baruch ran an exercise evacuating its at-risk population on Israel’s Northern Border, in preparation for the probable ‘Third Lebanon War.’

By Ahiya Raved

 

A decade following the Second Lebanon War and on the background of warnings of Hezbollah threats, a few dozen residents of Kibbutz Ma’ayan Baruch kibbutz in the Upper Galilee participated on Tuesday morning in an evacuation drill, the first of its kind. The imagined scenario was a war on the northern border with Lebanon. The participants stayed in shelters, and buses were brought for the evacuation. Continue Reading »

Google chief: Israel’s tech 2nd only to America’s Silicon Valley

Formerly Google chief executive Eric Schmidt says, “For a relatively small country, Israel has a super role in technological innovation.”

By AFP

 

A top Google official on Tuesday hailed Israel’s tech sector, saying it trailed only Silicon Valley in the United States when it comes to “initiatives.”

Google - Israel

Eric Schmidt, formerly Google chief executive and now executive chairman of its parent company Alphabet, said Israel, a country of only around eight million people, was punching far above its weight in technology.

“For a relatively small country, Israel has a super role in technological innovation,” he told an audience at Google’s offices in the commercial capital Tel Aviv. Continue Reading »

Knesset to decide on limited public transport on Saturdays

Yesh Atid Knesset members seek to allow minibuses to run to & from city centers on Shabbat and holidays, allowing the economically weaker sector travel, not just car-owners.

By Gideon Allon

 

Yesh Atid MKs Yael German, Karin Elharrar and Yoel Razvozov intend to put forth a private member’s bill that would allow local authorities to operate public transportation on Saturday. The bill would permit minibuses to run within each locality and on intercity roads.

Will the No. 5 bus run down Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv on Saturdays, too? – Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

According to the bill, making public transportation available on Shabbat is designed to give some mobility to sectors that cannot drive or afford to drive, such as the elderly or youth. Continue Reading »

#BDSfail: Germany’s second largest bank shuts down anti-Israel BDS account

 

Israel’s Security Minister Erdan urges European banks to follow Germany’s closure of the anti-Israel account because of BDS activity, which is believed to be the 1st German bank taking such action to stop the movement.

 

BERLIN – in the latest of a series of similar account closures by international banks, German bank Commerzbank has shut down a boycott Israel account, the first action of its kind in that country, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Visitors arrive to Commerzbank’s headquarters before the bank’s annual news conference in Frankfurt, Germany. – Photo: REUTERS

The account has been “dealt with” and the bank notified the account holder more than a month ago, a source told the Post. Continue Reading »

Brazil: UNESCO vote denying Jewish link to Kotel was Arabs spreading Hatred

 

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Jose Serra says his gov’t will change its vote on the UNESCO resolution, which declared Jewish sites ‘Muslim’ as “a pretext of the Arab world to spread hatred against Israel.”

By JTA

 

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Jose Serra intends to change Brazil’s anti-Israel vote given in April at a United Nations session, where rights for cultural assets in the areas conquered in the Six-Day War were discussed,  Brazilian media reported.

Jewish Worshiper at the Kotel (Western Wall) – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Serra was tapped by new acting president Michel Temer.

The text of the resolution passed at the 199th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, does not recognize a Jewish connection to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount and calls Israel an “occupying power.” Continue Reading »