Israel News

Pope Francis may visit Israel next year

As promised, the Pope had a press conference on numerous topics including accepting the Israeli president’s invitation to visit Israel.

By JTA

WASHINGTON — Pope Francis said he may visit Israel as early as next year.

Pope Francis talks to press – Screenshot

On Monday, at a wide-ranging news conference aboard a plane returning him to the Vatican from Brazil, Francis said he was considering a Holy Land visit next year, The Associated Press reported.

Francis accepted an invitation to visit Israel from Shimon Peres when the Israeli president was at the Vatican in April. No date for the visit was set at the time.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Pope Francis

Israel’s Defense Minister hints to hidden pressures in prisoner release

At absorption base at Tel Hashomer, Defense Minister Ya’alon addressing new draftees said, “We had to decide between bad & worse”.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon referred on Monday to unseen considerations that are far from the public eye as the main catalyst for Israel’s decision to release imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon visits IDF Home Front Command’s base in Ramle – Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry

Speaking at the IDF’s absorption base for new draftees at Tel Hashomer, Ya’alon said, “Releasing prisoners came as a result of choosing a bad option over a worse option… We reached the decision to avoid the worse [option].

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF, Moshe Ya'alon, Palestinian prisoners, Peace Process

IDF’s Iron Dome crew housed in tents in ‘unbearable’ heat

As temperatures hit a scorching 42 degrees (107 F), soldiers manning the anti-missile system in Eilat for the past 10 days are without air conditioning.

Soldier’s family: ‘Does no one in the IDF know about the mad heat wave?’.

By Yoav Zitun

Despite reports of the difficult conditions that IDF Iron Dome soldiers are subjected to, commanders decided to house soldiers of the Eilat Iron Dome battery, which was deployed there only 10 days ago, in tents and not air-conditioned accommodation. Upon a Ynet query, the military said that the issue will be resolved within the next 24 hours. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF, IDF soldier, Iron Dome

Gaza Terrorists Fire Rocket at Israel, No One Hurt

Terrorist’s Rocket exploded in an open area in Shaar Hanegev regional council. The incident was without casualties or reported damage.

By Gil Ronen

Terrorists fired a rocket Tuesday morning from Hamas-controlled Gaza into southern Israel, as “peace talks” between the Palestinian Authority and Israel began in Washington.

Once Again The rocket exploded in an empty area within the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council. No one was hurt and no damage was reported.

Similar attacks took place July 21 and July 18.

Israel withdrew completely from Gaza in the 2005 Diengagement. The pullout failed to bring peace, and southern Israel has been subjected to missile fire ever since. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Gaza rockets, Shaar Hanegev

Obama Urges ‘Honesty’ in Commencement of Israel-PA Peace Talks

On Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the beginning of renewed peace talks between Israel & the Palestinians , urging both to be ‘honest.’

By Chana Ya’ar

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the imminent start of renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians on Monday, but urged both sides to approach them with honesty, AFP reported Monday evening.

Barack Obama – AFP photo

“The most difficult work of these negotiations is ahead, and I am hopeful that both the Israelis and Palestinians will approach these talks in good faith,” he said.

Obama thanked his own top diplomat, Secretary of State John Kerry, for organizing the talks, which were to begin later Monday in Washington with an initial exchange between top negotiators. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Barack Obama, peace talks

4 Israeli Arabs convicted of attempted homicide for lynching Jewish terrorist

Haifa district court convicts 7 defendants of attempted homicide and aggravated assault for beating to death Natan-Zada, after he opened fire on a bus in Shfaram in August 2005, killing four.

By Eli Ashkenazi

A Haifa court on Monday acquitted seven Israeli Arabs of attempted murder in the lynching of Jewish terrorist Eden Natan-Zada, but convicted four of them of attempted homicide and two more of aggravated assault.

People surrounding the bus shortly after the attack in Shfaram – Photo: Ancho Gosh/Gini

The court on Monday convicted all seven defendants of aggravated assault of police officers, obstruction of justice, and property damage due to rioting. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: District Court, Israeli Arabs, terror attack

Al Jazeera Reporters Forcibly Ejected From a CUFI Pro-Israel Event

Two clandestine Journalists were removed from a Christian Zionist conference after secretly filming events that were closed to the press.

By Ari Soffer

Two Al Jazeera reporters were reportedly ejected from a convention of Christian Zionists in Washington, D.C. on Friday, according to Washington Free Beacon.

Al-Jazeera television network logo – AFP file

The pair have been identified as Matthew Cassel and Micah Garen. According to event organizers, they were initially denied press credentials to attend the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) conference at the Washington ConventionCenter, due to Al Jazeera‘s publication of an article by Columbia professor Joseph Massad, which was widely condemned as antisemitic. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Al-Jazeera, CUFI

Israel’s Navy to begin installing defensive system to neutralize Russian Yakhont missile

Watch Video: The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, UAVs, anti-ship missiles & incoming cruise missiles.

Defensive System could be operational on Israel’s Saar 5 missile boats within the coming months.

By Lilach Shoval

Israel’s Navy has begun installing a new defense system on its missile boats which would protect them from the feared Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile.

The Eilat class Sa’ar 5 corvette – Photo courtesy: globalsecurity

The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel Navy, missiles

Women of the Wall asks for use of Kotel’s Torah scroll or to bring in its own

Anat Hoffman, chair of Women of the Wall said it was “absurd” that Rabinowitz has refused Women of the Wall’s offer to donate a Torah scroll to the Kotel (Western Wall) for use by female worshipers there.

By JTA

Women of the Wall asked the rabbi of the Western Wall to allow the group to use one of the site’s Torah scrolls.

Western Wall Torah Ark, inside men’s section of Wilson’s Arch – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In a letter sent Sunday, Women of the Wall made the request to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz for their Rosh Chodesh prayer service, marking the start of the new Jewish month.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Kotel, Torah, Western Wall, Women of the Wall

Navy seeking teenage submarine recruits for newly bought Dolphin-class vessels

4th & 5th German-made Dolphin-class submarines soon to enter Israel’s navy’s service in 2014.

The 6th sub still being manufactured in Germany.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

The Israel Navy is taking its search for future submarine crew members, who will operate three soon-to-be operational new generation Dolphin-class vessels, to Israel’s high schools.

Dolphin-class submarine course – Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office

Maj. Yisrael (last name withheld), who runs the Navy’s high school outreach program, said the arrival of the new submarines and the need to fill them with new crew members led the navy to begin reaching out to 11th graders to get them to apply for Navy service.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel Navy, submarine

Polish General accused of unethically preferring Israel-made drones

Poland’s General Waldemar Skrzypczak’s security clearance was withdrawn over his alleged illicit preference based on close personal ties with the head of Israel’s drone manufacturer.

By Roman Frister

Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister General Waldemar Skrzypczak has been stripped of his security clearance over suspicions that he gave preferential treatment for acquiring Israeli military equipment and over his close personal ties with Yedidia Yaari, the head of Israeli armaments maker Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

A miniature drone, the Skylark. Photo by IDF Spokesman

The Polish Military Counterintelligence Service leveled the accusations at General Skrzypczak as the ministry planned to add a unit of unmanned aerial vehicles, based partly on Israeli-made aircraft, to the Polish Air Force. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Drone, IDF, Poland

Abbas’ PA Pirate Radio Stations’ Signals Interfere at Israel’s Ben Gurion Int’l Airport

Palestinian Authority’s pirate radio stations are unregulated and dangerously interfering with Ben Gurion Int’l Airport’s air tower communication network.

By Chana Ya’ar

Signals from Palestinian Authority pirate radio stations are interfering with the air tower communication network at Ben Gurion International Airport.

Officials from the Israel Airports Authority turned to the Ministry of Communications on Sunday, asking that the source of the interference be tracked down.

All radio transmissions are regulated by law; unauthorized signals are subject to termination, and their operators can be charged with in connection with the broadcast.

Pirate broadcast signals also interfere with reception of Israeli radio stations throughout Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron), as well as broadcast signals in the northern Negev region. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Ben Gurion International Airport, Palestinian Authority

Israel terminates support for ongoing & future European Union projects

There are to be no building permits for EU projects, existing permits won’t be renewed and all working meetings between the IDF, the gov’t & EU representatives have been canceled.

By Tommy Mueller

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has instructed the army and the authorities in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”) to no longer support European Union (EU) projects there.

Israel halts support for European Union projects – Israel Today

In the fully-Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank, termed Area C, there are to be no new building permits for EU projects, and existing permits will not be renewed. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: EU, EU santions, Moshe Ya'alon

Palestinians claim Kerry promised Abbas to reject any Israeli bid for interim deal

Palestinians take a stand on borders & prisoners, with official warning that there will be no talks without prisoner release.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, KHALED ABU TOAMEH

The US has given the Palestinian Authority assurances that it will reject any Israeli proposals to establish a Palestinian state with provisional borders as part of an interim agreement, a senior Palestinian official was quoted on Sunday as telling the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.

Kerry, with Abbas, makes a short statement for reporters during recent visit. – Photo: REUTERS

After US secretary of State John Kerry’s whirlwind round of shuttle diplomacy which lasted months, Israeli and Palestinian officials are due in Washington this week to kick off the latest round of peace negotiations.

Category: Israel News | Tags: John Kerry, Peace Process