Archive for Israel News

After recovering ancient loot, Israel Antiquities set priority to excavate Judean Desert caves

 

view video“The goal of the national program we’re promoting is to excavate & discover all the scrolls that remain in the caves once and for all, so they can be saved and preserved by the state.” says Israel Antiquities Authority Director Israel Hasson.

By Yori Yalon

 

Israeli authorities are stepping up the fight to save the country’s as yet unrecovered ancient scrolls from the hands of antiquities robbers.

An Israel Antiquities Authority worker excavates in a Judean Desert cave – Photo: Yuli Schwartz/IAA

The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Heritage Project by the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry, and Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev are promoting a national program of archaeological excavations in the caves of the Judean Desert to save the ancient scrolls cached there, the earliest extant manuscripts written in Hebrew. Continue Reading »

Israel reports to UN: Hamas steals 95% of cement sent to Gaza civilians for terror-tunnels

 

view videoAt the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Dr. Dore Gold spoke about Israel’s extensive role in providing humanitarian aid, noting the task is made more complicated when Gaza’s rulers confiscate aid sent to Palestinian civilians then uses it for Hamas’ military agenda.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

 

Hamas is stealing 95% of the cement transferred into Gaza for the purpose of rebuilding homes so that it can use it for military purposes, Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold said on Tuesday.

“From our own investigations we found that out of every 100 sacks of cement that come into the Gaza Strip [from Israel], only five or six are transferred to civilians,” Gold said as he addressed the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. Continue Reading »

Pro-Palestinian NGO, B’Tselem decides to forgo using IDF complaints system

Pro-Palestinian rights organization announced it will stop making official complaints over IDF soldiers’ conduct against Palestinian civilians to the Military Advocate General Corps, saying that after 25 years of reporting alleged abuse, it concluded the MAG corps was merely a ‘whitewashing mechanism.’

By AFP, AP

 

Israeli rights group B’Tselem announced Wednesday it was giving up taking complaints over soldier conduct to the IDF, after years of going through official channels brought few prosecutions.

Fire at B’TSelem’s offices – Archive/Jerusalem Fire Department

 B’Tselem, a left-wing group that campaigns against Israel’s presence in the West Bank, said it had been providing information to the Military Advocate General Corps about alleged abuses for 25 years, but had concluded it was increasingly a “whitewash mechanism” and a “mere semblance of justice.”

Continue Reading »

Israel Knesset Member: ‘What would happen if Jews raped Arabs?’

 

Likud MK Nava Boker expressed her shock & outrage after hearing of Israel Police ‘cover-up’ of an Arab gang-rape of a 20 yr-old, mentally challenged Jewish girl.

By Hezki Baruch

 

Likud MK Nava Boker on Wednesday reacted to the horrific rape of a 20-year-old mentally delayed Jewish girl in southern Tel Aviv two weeks ago, after police lifted a gag order on the arrest of two suspected Arab perpetrators and a hunt after the third Arab rapist.

In revealing the vile gang-rape, police noted that the three Arab attackers – one of whom is an Israeli citizen while the other two hail from Judea-Samaria – acted out of “nationalistic motives” and shouted racist slurs during the attack, which one of them video taped.
Continue Reading »

Israel’s Unemployment Reaches Historic Low

Israel’s unemployment rate in April registered at 4.9%, but economists caution the drop may have been due to an increase in temporary Passover holiday jobs and the fact that the Unemployment Offices were closed during the holidays.

By Zeev Klein

 

This past April marked a historic drop in the Israeli unemployment rate, which sunk to 4.9% as compared with 5.3% in March, according to a report from the Central Bureau of Statistics.

April’s unemployment rate reaches historic low [illustrative] – Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari

The report indicated that some 193,000 people were unemployed in April as compared with 208,700 in March. Continue Reading »

Israel’s economy strengthening with development of energy sector

 

Israel’s geopolitical decision of exploiting the gas discovery for diplomatic purposes improved the geostrategic status of the State of Israel in the US, Europe & the Mid-East.

 

Israel’s natural gas discoveries could be key in transforming diplomatic relations in the region while boosting its growing economy, a number of experts said on Monday at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York.

THE TAMAR gas field platform juts above the Mediterranean – Photo: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM

At the conference’s panel on the Israeli economy, International economic law scholar and practitioner Efraim Chalamish said Israel’s energy sector has the potential to really advance the “start-up nation” since it allows for large companies to be part of the economy, employing large workforces made up of people diverse backgrounds and skill levels. Continue Reading »

WATCH: World Seeks Israeli Technology For Fighting Global Terrorism

 

view videoA few Israeli companies have developed advanced solutions in fighting terrorism more effectively & without security personnel being placed in harm’s way, for example, an automatic interrogation of suspects at airports, advanced cameras with ‘In Motion Identification’ recognition software, & radar that pinpoints drones in sensitive air-space.

By Moshe Glantz

 

Attacks on airports have always been among terrorist organizations’ preferred objectives, leading to increased security. But from time to time, despite the investment of billions on security personnel and a range of security measure, terrorists still manage to strike. Brussels was the latest casualty, sending shockwaves throughout Europe.

Airport entrance – Photo:GettyImages

Ben-Gurion International Airport is considered one of the safest airports in the world, which led to unprecedented interest in security measures developed in Israel, with several Israeli companies now selling their wares all over the world. Continue Reading »

Israeli soldier rescues Jewish woman, 3 children from abusive Arab husband

From a chance encounter at a border checkpoint, a sympathetic IDF soldier facilitates the rescue of a battered woman and her children from a persecuted existence with threats on her life in her Arab town.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

A special operation of the Yad L’Achim organization ended successfully last week, with the rescue of a Jewish mother and her three children from the Arab man she had been tricked into marrying.

A. entering sovereign Israel with children after rescue – Photo: Yad L’Achim Spokesman

The Jewish woman, identified only as A., met and was deceived into marrying a young Arab working illegally in sovereign Israeli territory a full 15 years ago. Continue Reading »

WATCH: Israel’s Foreign Ministry produced video highlighting 68 facts about modern Israel

 

view videoFrom dog parks to disproportionate hi-tech, from reforesting the earth to water achievements, there’s just so much more to Israel than an arid climate.

By Israel Today Staff

 

To mark Israel’s 68th Independence Day, the Foreign Ministry produced this video highlighting 68 facts about modern Israel of which most people are unaware.

There are some facts that are today well-known, such as Israel’s disproportionate number of technological achievements, and some that are less known, such as Israelis’ tremendous love for dogs and planting trees.

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With the way the mainstream international media covers the region, it’s easy to think of Israel as little more than a place of conflict and ancient tourist sites. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu rejects French peace-initiative in Jerusalem meeting with PM Valls

 

Israel’s PM rejects French initiative, having world powers without Israeli or PA representatives in attendance, and suggests alternative: Direct, face-to-face talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Paris.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected a multilateral French “peace initiative” as he met his French counterpart on Monday, offering instead to hold direct talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Paris.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he would speak to President Francois Hollande about Netanyahu’s proposal.

Direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority are “the only way to proceed to peace,” Netanyahu said. He offered “a different French initiative” of face-to-face talks with Abbas in Paris. Continue Reading »

Israel Minister: Plans for off-shore Gaza port in the works

 

Intel Minister Katz says that the artificial island-port “would provide Gaza with an economic & humanitarian gateway to the world without endangering Israeli security.”

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Transportation & Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday night announced that he is working to advance plans to create an artificial island off the coast of Gaza that could improve the Palestinian enclave’s economic and humanitarian situation.

Gaza City

Palestinians stand atop a boat at Gaza’s seaport in Gaza City October 16. – Photo: REUTERS

Katz told The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York that the venture would seek to connect the territory to the movement of people and goods

“The off-shore project could provide Gaza with an economic and humanitarian gateway to the world without endangering Israeli security,” he said. Continue Reading »

Lebanese Army observation towers placed on Israel’s border

The new military observation towers, which can see inside IDF bases and the Kibbutzim on the border with Lebanon, have residents worried that Hezbollah may take them over during the next war.

By Ahiya Ravid & Yoav Zitun

 

The Lebanese military has built several observation towers on the Lebanese side of the border between Israel and Lebanon in recent weeks.

Lebanese observation post near Kibbutz Hanita – Photo: Aviyahu Shapira

The towers provide the Lebanese army with strategic observation posts from which they can observe Israeli military bases, the border fence, the patrol road next to the border fence, civilian roads in Israel, and various towns and kibbutzim along the border. Continue Reading »

LA girl fulfills decade-long dream, joins IDF combat unit

“What’s most important is being a combat soldier & contributing to the state,” (of Israel) says 25 yr-old Alisa Sheldon of the IDF’s Lions of the Jordan Valley Battalion.

By Danny Brenner

 

For 10 years, Alisa Sheldon couldn’t shake her dream of moving to Israel and serving in the IDF as a combat soldier. Two months ago she realized that dream, joining the ranks of the Lions of the Jordan Valley Battalion.

Alisa Sheldon – Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

On Saturday, the 25-year-old Sheldon stood at attention with her male and female comrades, swearing their allegiance to the IDF and the State of Israel. Continue Reading »

WATCH Netanyahu’s speech: Millions of children are taught that Jews are children of apes & pigs

view videoNetanyahu’s speech lamented the moral failure of countries, institutions and leaders by sitting quietly, allowing anti-Jewish sentiments to be disseminated unencumbered throughout the globe.

 

Children throughout the Middle East have been brainwashed to believe that Jews are akin to apes and pigs and should be killed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

‘Hatred against the Jewish people is so routine in the Middle East that many in the West fail to notice it, let alone condemn it,” Netanyahu said.

He delivered a pre-recorded brief address to the fifth annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York on the danger of verbal and visual incitement against Jews, particularly on the Hamas run Al-Aksa television. Continue Reading »

Chemical Brothers, Pharrell Williams and more on their way to Israel

 

view videoAustralian singer Sia, American rapper Pharrell Williams and the electronic duo the Chemical brothers have all announced they will be performing in Israel, not to mention pop sensation Rihanna, has expressed a desire to return.

By Raz Shechnik and Amit Friedman

 

The summer of 2016 is shaping up in terms of musical acts, as performer upon performer begin sending out official confirmations of their shows in Israel.

Sia performing at South by South West in 2008. – Photo: Kris Krug/Wikipedia

First among equals is the Australian Sia, who is due to perform on August 11 at Yarkon Park. Continue Reading »