Israel News

Israel’s trade deficit took a sharp decline for 2013

Economy and Trade Ministry’s Foreign Trade Administration reports Israel’s trade deficit amounted to $2.3 billion in 2013 compared to 2012’s $8.5 billion.

High-tech industry accounts for 81% of Israel’s industrial exports for 2013.

By Hezi Sternlicht and Israel Hayom Staff

A new report by the Economy and Trade Ministry had found that Israel’s trade deficit has marked a sharp decline in 2013, after rising steadily between 2010 and 2012, coming to $2.3 billion at the end of 2013 from $8.5 billion in 2012.

The report, composed by the ministry’s Foreign Trade Administration and released Sunday by its chief, Ehud Gonen, found that the trade in goods and services rose by 4 percent in 2013, mainly in industrial exports by the high-tech industry, which accounted for 81% of all industrial exports in 2013.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel economy, Israel high-tech

Imprisoned murderer seeks pardon in return for details on missing IDF soldier

Convicted murderer serving 2 life sentences says he has information on where Guy Hever’s body is.

By Maor Buchnik

A prisoner serving two life sentences for murder has recently petitioned the state attorney asking for a pardon for himself and another prisoner in return for information on the location of the body of missing IDF soldier Guy Hever, his attorney said Monday.

Guy Hever (5th from right, with glasses) and friends several weeks before his disappearance - Photo: Courtesy of Rina Hever

Guy Hever (center, 5th from R with glasses) and friends several weeks before his disappearance
Photo: Courtesy of Rina Hever

The prisoner’s attorney complained that the state attorney is being too slow in responding to the petition. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: missing soldier, Palestinian prisoners, Palestinian terrorist

Islamic Jihad Official: ‘Jews love Jerusalem far more than we do’

Palestinians must learn from the Jews, Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah advises, so they will aspire to fight more vigorously for Jerusalem.

By Haaretz

Islamic Jihad leader Dr. Ramadan Abdullah Shalah is no stranger to controversy, and last week whipped up a fresh batch with his contention that Jews love Jerusalem more than Muslims do, Army Radio reported on Monday.

Jerusalem, Old & New – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Speaking at a religious conference in Tehran last week, Shalah’s unexpected contention was not meant as rare praise for the Jews’ religious devotion. His message was that Muslims should be fighting for the holy city not only for political purposes, but for the sake of their cultural heritage. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Islamic Jihad, Jerusalem

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Released Terrorist from Shalit Swap Caught with Knife

Palestinian Terrorist who was released from prison in the Gilad Shalit exchange was caught with a knife and admits to planning a stabbing attack on Jews.

By Elad Benari

A terrorist who was released in the Shalit deal in 2011 was caught with a knife by security forces on Monday evening.

The terrorist, in his 20s, was caught at the Qalandiya checkpoint and was taken in for questioning. During interrogation he admitted that he had planned a stabbing attack.

The terrorist had been in an Israeli prison for three years after being convicted of opening fire towards a Jewish community in Judea and Samaria. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Gilad Shalit, Qalandiya, Stabbing Attack, terrorism

IDF Investigation Reveals Hezbollah Terrorists Successfully Infiltrated Israel

Investigation into Friday night’s IDF shelling incident on the Lebanese border shows armed terrorists actually penetrated deep into Israel.

By Tova Dvorin

An investigation into Friday night’s skirmishes between Israel and Lebanon – during which an explosive device was detonated on the Lebanese side of the border and the IDF retaliated with shells – has revealed that Hezbollah terrorists succeeded in entering Israel.

Hezbollah fighters on parade – Reuters

Walla! News reported Monday night that several Hezbollah terrorists successfully trespassed over the border into Israel on Friday night, several hundreds of meters south of the “Blue Line.”

The two bombs mentioned in initial reports had exploded very close to three IDF officers, including the deputy company commander on nearby Mount Dov. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: 769, Hezbollah Terrorist, IDF response, Israel Lebanon, Lebanese border

Rolling Stones to fetch $6.7 million for Israel concert

The Rolling Stones are expected to draw a crowd of 70,000 on June at Hayarkon Park, Tel Aviv.

By Haaretz

“You can’t always get what you want,” goes the classic Rolling Stones song. But when it comes to their June 4 concert in Israel, the British rock legends have certainly come close, with a guarantee of $6.7 million for that one performance.

Stones-IsraelandStuff/PP

Promoter Shuki Weiss, who has reportedly said in the past that he would retire after bringing the Stones to Israel, beat other promoters to the punch by guaranteeing the astronomical sum, according to Israel’s Channel 2.

No matter how many tickets are sold, the Stones will earn $6.7 million for this single appearance at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

Category: Israel News | Tags: concert, Israel culture, music, The Rolling Stones

Abbas tells Obama: Palestinians Ready for peace based on ’67 lines

After his White House meeting, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, said Palestinians recognized Israel’s legitimacy back in 1988 and in 1993.

By i24news

US President Barack Obama on Monday told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that both he and Israeli leaders must make tough political decisions and take “risks” for peace.

Le président de l'Autorité palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas (g) et Barack Obama à la Maison Blanche, le 17 mars 2014 ( Saul Loeb (AFP) )

Mahmoud Abbas & Barack Obama at White House on 17 March 2014 – Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP

Meeting Obama at the White House, Abbas said a scheduled Israeli release of a fourth tranche of Palestinian prisoners by March 29 would show how serious Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about extending peace talks.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Barack Obama, Mahmoud Abbas, Peace Process, Washington, White House

AND AGAIN: Scarlett Defends SodaStream and Israel

Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson held her ground in an aggressive UK interview, insisting again that SodaStream is a symbol of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation & an asset in Jewish-Arab relations.

By Israel Today Staff

Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson on Sunday again defended her decision to represent Israeli soda-maker SodaStream and shot down biased criticism of and efforts to boycott the Jewish state.

Scarlett Johansson Again Defends SodaStream and Israel

Scarlett Johansson – Photo source: Israel Today

In an interview with the UK’s Observer that was supposed to focus on her role in an upcoming film, Johansson was aggressively confronted over her spokesperson position with SodaStream, which operates a large factory near the “Jewish settlement” of Ma’aleh Adumim. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel, Scarlett Johansson, SodaStream

Focusing on countering cyberterrorism at Tel Aviv conference next month

With help from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Institute for National Security Studies, a prestigious Israeli think tank, will host a large event with the help & participation of U.S.-based Cyber Security Forum Initiative.

Issues to include cyberterrorism, cybercrime & the need for cyber defense laws.

By Ilan Gattegno

The annual Defensive Cyberspace Operations & Intelligence Conference is scheduled to take place April 8-9 in Tel Aviv.

Conference in Tel Aviv will see host of experts speak on the cyberterrorism challenge – Photo: Getty Images

The forum will be held under the auspices of the Institute for National Security Studies, a prestigious Tel Aviv think tank headed by former Military Intelligence Director Maj.

Category: Innovations & Discoveries, Israel News | Tags: cyberattacks, cybercrime, cyberterrorism, Israel, PMO

Today 1949: Israeli & Transjordan at Rhodes, Agree on Armistice Lines for Jerusalem

The News on March 17, 1949 – Israeli and Transjordan negotiators meet on Rhodes to agree on historical Armistice Lines for Jerusalem.

By JTA

RHODES – Israeli and Transjordan negotiators here today (March 16) reached an agreement on the delineation of armistice lines in the Jerusalem area, at the same tine, “considerable progress” was reported to have taken place during two long sessions today.

Detailed map – Jerusalem 1949 armistice lines and holy places
Click for larger detailed map

Problems concerning Jerusalem’s daily life such as access to the Holy Places and the roads to the Mt. Scopus area and to Bethlehem were shelved for future deliberation and will probably be discussed by the local area commanders.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Armistice Lines, History, Israel, Jerusalem, Jordan

Exclusive: Israel’s Arabic high-tech

With Arabic the fastest growing language content on the Internet, Arab-Israeli start-ups target users across ideological boundaries.

By NIV ELIS

Six months after [Israel’s] Clalit Health Services released a series of instructional Arabic-language videos about breast feeding on YouTube, the health fund was shocked by their popularity – the combined million views they racked up eclipsed the number of breast-feeding women among the country’s 1.7 million Arab citizens.

View of theThe Arab city of Nazareth in northern Israel - Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

View of the Arab city of Nazareth in northern Israel – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Clalit found the solution to the mystery in the analytics: More than half of the views had come from Saudi Arabia, 16 percent from Egypt and 9% from Iraq. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Arab Israelis, Internet, Israel high-tech, Nazareth

IDF makes deal to remove Palestinian flag from Hebron roof

Arab resident says he agreed after IDF officer promised to release young neighbor that was arrested for throwing stones.

By Chaim Levinson

Israeli soldiers turned up for the second time on Saturday at a home in Hebron to order the removal of a Palestinian flag, even though the Israel Defense Forces said last week there is no policy against displaying flags.

Settler caught climbing on Arab's roof to remove Palestinian flag - screenshot

Hebron resident caught climbing onto Arab’s roof to remove Palestinian flag – Photo: screenshot

Shadi Sider, a member of a Palestinian family living near the Jewish settlement enclave of Beit Hadassah, said the soldiers had arrested a neighbor for allegedly throwing stones and conditioned his release on the removal of the flag. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Hebron, IDF, Palestinian flag, Palestinians

Minister Katz Calls on Gov’t to Refuse Release of Terrorist Barghouti

Minister Katz warns the gov’t that the Terrorist release is a big mistake, & that Marwan Barghouti should ‘rot in jail,’ .

By Maayana Miskin

Israel must not release arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti for the sake of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA), Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz warned Sunday. Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for multiple murders.

According to reports in the PA media, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is planning to demand Barghouti’s freedom as one of his conditions for continuing talks with Israel.

“Abu Mazen [Abbas] will stand in the White House today and demand the release of Barghouti and other terrorists in exchange for continuing the talks. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Marwan Barghouti, Peace Process, prisoner release, Yisrael Katz

Banks told to prepare for new reporting to U.S. tax authorities on U.S.- Israelis

New policy brings Israel in line with most countries like Switzerland, that have succumbed to U.S.pressure, forcing many Americans to have already withdrawn their money.

By Sivan Aizescu

The Bank of Israel Sunday advised Israeli banks to begin gearing up to provide information about their U.S. clients to U.S. tax authorities, as provided in the U.S. Foreign Tax Compliance Act.

The headquarters of Israel's central bank stands in Jerusalem, Aug. 19, 2013.

The headquarters of Israel’s central bank stands in Jerusalem – Photo: Bloomberg

The statement was issued by the central bank in an effort to ensure that Israeli banking institutions will be ready to comply with FATCA when it goes into effect, in July.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Bank of Israel, economic cooperation, finance, Israel US

israelandstuffcom | March 16, 2014