Israel News

Pollard rally brings thousands to US Embassy in Tel Aviv

Knesset Member Feiglin says to demonstrators: “It doesn’t look good, Mr. Obama, that only the Jew has been kept in jail for such a long time.”

Thousands of people chanted “free Pollard now” and “enough is enough” in a demonstration for the release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard in front of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv Sunday night.

Pollard Protest – Screenshot

“Today, after nearly 30 years [that Pollard sits] in prison, there is no one who does not know that Jonathan’s life sentence is grossly disproportionate and unjust,” the agent’s wife, Esther Pollard said to a crowd of 3,000 according to event organizers’ estimates.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Jonathan Pollard, Moshe Feiglin, protesters

Holy City of Jerusalem Becomes Break-Dancing Mecca

Israel’s style may yet meet the Bronx standards, but Israeli immigrants from the Ukraine, Ethiopia & Russia are putting together their own unique repertoire.

By Andrew Esensten

They have names like Elastic, G-Rock, Aladdin, Pac Man and Splinter. They sport hoodies, backwards baseball caps and Adidas footwear. They dance in circles, but they don’t do the hora; they’re Israeli b-boys and b-girls, and they have serious flavor.

Action from a Break dancing competition at the Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem, February 2014. – Photo: Emil Salman

Israel’s top break dancers took part in the “Prove Yourself B-Boy Jam” on Thursday, competing in head-to-head battles before a transfixed crowd of students and friends at the Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Aliyah, Ethiopian Jews, Israel culture, Russia Jews

Israel’s Deputy FM: PA President Should Learn Some History

Deputy Foreign Minister Elkin suggests a trip to Israel’s ancient Galilee Druze town might do PA leader’s understanding of history some good.

By Maayana Miskin

Deputy Foreign Minister Zev Elkin returned Sunday from a weekend in the Galilee, during which he visited the village of Pekiin, including the town’s ancient synagogue.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas – Photo Mark Israel Sellem

Elkin followed his visit with a post to Facebook suggesting that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas might benefit from a similar trip.

“Next time that Abu Mazen [Abbas – ed.] argues that the Palestinians are the original inhabitants of the land, going back thousands of years, it should be recommended that he visit Pekiin,” Elkin wrote. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Jewish history, Land of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Pekiin, Zev Elkin

IDF among top ‘gay friendly’ armies

New Hague Center report indexing gay treatment in the different military ranks, finds IDF in top-10, in terms of admission, inclusion & lack of persecution of sexual minorities.

By Ynetnews

Tel Aviv is known world-wide as extremely gay-friendly, but a new report now claims the same about the IDF.

IDF Gay Pride Month Facebook post

The Hague Center for Strategic Studies has recently launched the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Military Index and in its first report has ranked the IDF in the 9th place world wide in terms of acceptance of sexual minorities, beating out the US and neighbors Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: gays, IDF

Israel considering gas-pipeline from Mediterranean Leviathan field to Turkey

Estimated $2 billion construction cost for pipeline is far cheaper option than building a $10 billion onshore facility for liquefied natural gas in Cyprus.

By Avi Bar-Eli

The key stakeholders in Israel’s Leviathan offshore natural gas field are to discuss laying an undersea pipeline from the Mediterranean site to the southern Turkish coast, according to the Turkish daily Hurriyet.

Leviathan gas field - Albatross - 09012012

A drilling rig in the Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean.- Photo: Albatross

The paper reported over the weekend that Delek and the American company Noble Energy, which hold 85 percent of the rights to Leviathan, are to discuss construction of the pipeline with the companies Calik, Turcas, Enka and Zorlu.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel Turkey, Leviathan gas field, natural gas

israelandstuffcom | February 22, 2014

Australian Book: Israeli Secret Agent ‘Prisoner X’ passed intel to an Iranian

In a new book by an old friend from a Zionist youth group in Australia, arrested & jailed Mossad agent Ben Zygier told an Iranian contact too much.

By YOSSI MELMAN

The former Mossad agent, Australian born Ben Zygier, who committed suicide in an Israeli prison cell more than three years ago passed classified information about Israeli espionage activities to an Iranian businessman. The information Zygier shared included details on operations that he was involved in.

Ben Zygier

These claims were made in the book Prisoner X by journalist Rafael Epstein that was recently published in Australia.

Epstein was Zygier’s counselor at the Australian Zionist youth groups Netzer and Hashomer Hatzair and together they participated in a workshop for diaspora youth leaders in Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, The Diaspora | Tags: Australia, Ben Zygier, Mossad, Prisoner X

10 Palestinians hurt by IDF while trying to sabotage border fence

Palestinian mob throwing stones at IDF soldiers from the Gaza side of the border were attempting to damage & destroy border fence.

By AFP

Ten Palestinians were injured Friday by IDF fire during clashes near the border fence in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian medical official said.

Palestinian boy injured during clashes with IDF on border of the Gaza Strip, February 21, 2014 – Photo AFP, Mahmud Hams

Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry, said one man was in serious condition after being shot in the head.

Qudra said the shooting, not far from Jabaliya northeast of Gaza City, came after the Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Gaza border, IDF, ‘Palestinian’ incitement

Germany to assist Israelis in countries without Israel embassy

Arrangement offered by Merkel is ‘a special message’ from Berlin, says Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, Israel’s ambassador to Germany.

By Reuters

Germany is to offer Israeli citizens consular assistance in states such as Indonesia or Malaysia where Israel has no official diplomatic representation, under a new deal to be signed by Angela Merkel when she visits Jerusalem next week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, near Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, January 22, 2014.- Photo: AP

Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, said the offer was “a special message” from Germany and underscored the importance of relations between the two countries.

Chancellor Merkel travels to Jerusalem on Monday with her cabinet for consultations between the two governments.

Category: Israel News, The Diaspora | Tags: Israel Germany

Israel’s Water Situation: Lack of rain means farmers have to buy water

After earlier prediction of an over-abundance of water, Israel is again facing severe crisis following a lack of winter rainfall.

By Ryan Jones

Late last year, we reported that Israel was facing an over-abundance of water after seven years of drought. It would now seem such predictions were premature, with experts warnings that the coming year could see Israel up against yet another severe water crisis.

Lack of rain means farmers have to buy water – Source: Israel Today

The previous winter saw good rainfall, and the beginning of the current winter started much the same, leading Water Authority officials to put Israel’s large desalination plants on notice that their full output would not be required in the coming year. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: farmers, rainfall, water

Muslim prayer room now available at Bar-Ilan University

In light of the chaos & racist comments the Bar-Ilan Muslim students are subjected to, as they pray in public, the university is allocating them a private prayer room to allow them ‘to pray in a respectable fashion.’

By Itay Blumenthal, Shachar Chai

Bar-Ilan University is home to over 500 Muslim students, but whenever prayer time comes, they are forced to search for a vacant classroom or an uncrowded lawn.

Bar-Ilan University – Photo: Yaron Brener/Archive

The public praying on campus, at a university associated with the right-wing national-religious public, often attracted suspicious looks and racist comments. The students demanded change, and Thursday the university granted them a private prayer room. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Bar Ilan University, Muslims, prayer

Jordanian tribe distancing from Sheikh after claims Israel belongs to Jews

Sheikh Ahmed Aladoan, who visited Israel last year, supports the idea that Jordan is Palestine, and based his assertions that Palestinian claims to Israel are erroneous, not supported by the Koran.

By Haaretz

A sheikh from Jordan’s prominent Adwan tribe caused a stir recently when he said that Israel belongs to the Jews, and that Palestinian claims to the territory are false.

A screenshot of footage of Sheikh Ahmed Aladoan in Safed with Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu.

Sheikh Ahmed Aladoan of Amman, who made the remarks on his Facebook page, based his assertions on the Koran. In a post earlier this month he said that those who “distort the word of the Koran” are liars, and questioned the origins of the word Palestine.

Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: Israel Palestine, Palestinians, Sheikh Ahmed Aladoan

US Framework is Demanding of Abbas a PA Recognition of Israel as Jewish State

US Ambassador Dan Shapiro has reported that despite their open opposition, the PA must recognize Israel as the Jewish State under the American framework agreement.

By Tova Dvorin

US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro declared Friday that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be obligated to recognize Israel as a Jewish state under the US framework agreement – despite the PA’s ongoing defiance over the issue.

“[The PA] recognizing Israel as Jewish state is a key sign that the conflict is ending,” Shapiro stated on Reshet Bet radio. “The United States has always believed that Israel is a Jewish state and that it should stay that way.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Dan Shapiro, Israel-PA, peace talks

Report: Vatican Seeking Control of Mount Zion

In advance of the Pope’s May visit to Jerusalem, the Vatican is in negotiations for the Church’s control of Mount Zion.

By Israel Today Staff

Israel could be entering the final stages of negotiations to turn over control of Mount Zion to the Vatican, if recent reports by Israel National News are to be believed.

St Peter’s Square, Vatican City – Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

According to the online news source, a secretive meeting took place this week between the Jerusalem Municipality, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Tourism and senior Catholic officials.

During the meeting, the Catholic delegation reportedly pressed Israel to follow through on a years-old proposal to give the Church control over the compound that houses the traditional “Hall of the Last Supper.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Mount Zion, Pope Francis I, Vatican

Kazakhstan & Israel Strengthen Economic Ties

Israel’s former Prime Minister Ehud Barak met with President Nursultan Nazarbiib at Kazakhstan’s presidential palace to discuss common needs for closer cooperation.

By Tova Dvorin

Former Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited Kazakhstan Thursday, according to Walla!, to strengthen Israel’s economic ties with the Sunni Muslim-majority nation.

Nursultan Nazarbayev and Ehud Barak - Photo source: Sondakika.com

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev (R) and (L) Former Defense Minister Ehud Barak – Photo source: Sondakika.com

Barak met with President Nursultan Nazarbiib in the presidential palace in Astana, according to the daily. They reportedly sat for about an hour and discussed the possibility of further cooperation in regard to agriculture, health services, and industrial innovation. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Defense Ministry, economic ties, Ehud Barak, Kazakhstan

israelandstuffcom | February 20, 2014