Archive for Israel News

| May 6, 2013
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2 Syrian mortars land in Golan – none hurt, no damages

 

IDF says errant shells launched during fierce battles between Syrian rebels & regime’s forces explode in southern Golan Heights.

The Army decides to downsizes drill in north to reduce tensions. Top IDF Commander reports: ‘There are no winds of war’.

Yoav Zitun, Maor Buchnik

 

 

Two mortar shells fired Monday afternoon during battles between the Syrian army and rebels trying to overthrown President Bashar Assad‘s regime exploded in an open area near the border fence in the southern Golan Heights region, near Ramat Magshimim. Another mortar landed in Syrian territory.

אזור נפילת הפצצה בגולן (צילום: אביהו שפירא )

Area in which mortars landed – Photo: Avihu Shapira

No injuries were reported in the incident, which was apparently the result of errant fire. Continue Reading »

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| May 6, 2013
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Statistics: Jews Far More Happy to be Living in Jerusalem Than Arabs

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics just released a mountain of Jerusalem-related statistics, just in time for Jerusalem Day.

By David Lev

 

Jerusalem is Israel’s biggest city, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) announced Monday. In a slew of Jerusalem-related statistics, released in honor of Jerusalem Day, to be celebrated later this week, the CBS announced that at the end of 2011, there were 804,400 people living in the city, 499,400 (62%) of them Jewish. Of the rest, 281,000 (35%) were Muslim, 14,700 (2%) Christian, and 9,000 (1%) “other” or no declared religion. In addition, 200 Druze lived in the city. Continue Reading »

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| May 6, 2013
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Wherever an Iranian embassy exists, terror plots on Jews & Israelis are born

 

The former head of the Counter Terrorism Bureau, Nitzan Nuriel, says Iran and their proxy Hezbollah could retaliate for Israel’s reported strikes in Syria by targeting Israeli & Jewish institutions abroad. 

Israeli embassies and institutions around the world raise level of alert.

By Ilan Gattegno, Daniel Siryoti, Lilach Shoval & Shlomo Cesana

Israeli embassies and major Jewish institutions around the world raised their levels of alert on Sunday over fears of terror attacks related to recent events in Syria. This step was also taken during prior periods of tension along the country’s northern borders.

Haifa-Eilat flights were cancelled due to the closure of Israel’s northern airspace to civilian air traffic on Sunday – Photo: Moshe Shai

Brig.

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| May 6, 2013
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Livni rejects 1967 borders ‘precondition’ as catalyst for negotiations

 

Tzipi Livni stands fast & refused to accept the 1967 border as a ‘precondition’ to discuss borders, saying ‘That’s one of the points that must be resolved through talks.’

By JTA

 

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni reportedly refused to accept the 1967 border as the basis for a final Israeli-Palestinian border prior to negotiations.

U.S. Secretary of State John KerryLivni told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday that Israel would not agree to the 1967 borders as a precondition of peace negotiations with the Palestinians, Maariv reported. Rather, she said, the border issue must be resolved through talks.

President Obama has called for the resumption of negotiations “on the basis” of the 1967 borders, a reference widely interpreted as allowing for an agreement in which Jewish settlement blocs become Israeli territory in exchange for other areas. Continue Reading »

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| May 6, 2013
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Legislation committee approves Yisrael Beytenu’s electoral-reform bill

The Knesset’s legislation committee approved a bill seeking to raise election threshold and limit no-confidence motions against gov’t.

By LAHAV HARKOV

 

 

 

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a controversial Yisrael Beytenu electoral reform bill Monday.

Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman at press conference, March 18, 2013

Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

The legislation proposed by Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee chairman David Rotem (Yisrael Beytenu) would increase the election threshold to four percent, limit the number of ministers including the prime minister to 19 and deputy ministers to four.

In addition, the bill would require no-confidence motions to be submitted by at least 61 MKs and to include an alternative candidate for prime minister.

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| May 6, 2013
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IDF proposes same time served for men & women

 

IDF suggests plan that will determine term of service by position, not gender and shortened service by 4 months.

By Yoav Zitun

An IDF plan aims to see male and female soldiers serving for the same amount of time with the length of service determined by their position, and not their gender.

Swearing-In Ceremony of IDF's Nachal Brigade at the Kotel - IsraelandStuff PP

Swearing-In Ceremony of IDF’s Nachal Brigade at the Kotel – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

 

IDF officers presented a plan to shorten men’s army service by four months to 32 months at the committee for the Promotion of Equal Share of the Burden on Monday. If approved, the change will become effective as of July 2015. Continue Reading »

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| May 5, 2013
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Netanyahu off to China, 2 hours late due to Syrian unrest

Despite tensions on northern border, visit to China continues as planned. On agenda: Trade relations & far more serious sanctions on Iran.

By Atilla Somfalvi

Even as things heat up in the north, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off for China, with a slight two hour delay, due to the situation on the Syrian front. The main issues scheduled for discussion during the prime minister’s China meetings include economics and Iran.

עסקים כרגיל. נתניהו בישיבת הממשלה המיוחדת היום בהר הרצל (צילום: נועם מושקוביץ)

Special cabinet meeting convened Sunday – Photo: Noam Moskovich

Sunday morning Netanyahu made no mention of the attacks on Syria, for which Israeli officials had told news agencies that Israel was responsible. Continue Reading »

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| May 5, 2013
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Settlers & Palestinians band together against problematic waste dump

Regional Arabs & Settlers all agree with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel saying their dump is environmentally unfriendly.

By SHARON UDASIN, TOVAH LAZAROFF
 

 

 
Trash issues have trumped the conflict, as settlers and Palestinians band together to protest a new German funded landfill near a nature reserve in Area C of the West Bank.
THE NAHAL MAKOCH Nature Reserve

THE NAHAL MAKOCH Nature Reserve – Photo: Roee Simon/SPNI

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) is leading the battle against the dump, because along with the settlers and Palestinians, it believes that the landfill is environmentally problematic.

The Binyamin Regional Council is also upset that its settlements can not use the landfill, located in their region, precisely at a time when the state has mandated the closure of the dump where they now deposit their trash.

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| May 5, 2013
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Kiwi peace activist caught lying to Israeli Security, then exiled!

Thomson, “I felt humiliated & ashamed. Eventually it seemed to me that he had found something out & knew that I had lied about something.”

By Bevan Hurley @BevanHurleyHoS

 

A peace activist was detained for 48 hours before being sent back to New Zealand for trying to enter Israel on a tourist visa.

Amy Thomson - Photo Graeme Brown

Amy Thomson – Photo: Graeme Brown

Amy Thomson, 26, was held at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on February 26. She tried to enter the country for a three-month voluntary internship at a non-government organisation promoting peace.

Thomson said the Israel Palestinian Centre for Research and Information told her she should claim to be a tourist. Continue Reading »

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| May 5, 2013
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West Bank: Palestinians & Settlers clash = 10 injured

Security forces called in to disperse some 30 settlers & 100 Palestinians who clashed near Binyamin settlement

Itamar Fleishman

Violent riots broke out Saturday as dozens of settlers and Palestinians clashed in the West Bank settlement of Binyamin. Ten people sustained injuries as a result of stone hurling.

Settlers clash with Palestinians in Urif last week – Photo Reuters

The clashes started when settlers arrived at a central junction in the settlement in order to protest the recent incidents stone throwing at Israeli cars in the region. According to settlers, Palestinians from neighboring villages arrived at the scene and began hurling stones and attacking them with sticks. Continue Reading »

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| May 5, 2013
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Jerusalem residents protest for right to have movie theater opened on Saturdays

Jerusalem residents & activists rally against a municipality agreement which dictates that currently under construction Cinema City, will be closed on Shabbat.


‘Logic says that we should win,’ one protester says. Jerusalem Deputy mayor says that’s highly unlikely.

By Noam (Dabul) Dvir

Dozens of Jerusalem residents joined a protest at Safra Square on Saturday, calling on the municipality to open a new compound containing restaurants and a movie theater on Saturdays and holidays.

According to the agreement between the Finance Ministry, the property developer and the municipality, the Cinema City compound which is located at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center parking lot and is scheduled to open in the coming months – will work only on weekdays. Continue Reading »

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| May 4, 2013
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Israeli officials confirm: Israeli Air Force hit missiles headed to Hezbollah

Israeli official said shipment was not of chemical arms, but ‘game changing’ weapons from Syria.

The attach followed a secret cabinet meeting that approved the strike Thursday night.

By and Reuters

Israeli officials confirmed Saturday that the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike against Syria that targeted a shipment of advanced missiles.

Israeli Air Force soldiers.

Israeli Air Force soldiers.- Photo: Daniel Bar-On

 

The officials said the shipment was not of chemical arms, but of “game changing” weapons bound for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. They say the airstrike was early Friday. They did not say where it took place. Continue Reading »

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| May 3, 2013
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China-Israel relations: An interview with Chinese Amb. to Israel Gao Yanping

 

Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to China next week, Ambassador to Israel Gao Yanping tells Israel Hayom “China views its relations with Israel with tremendous importance,”

By Boaz Bismuth and Eli Leon

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit China next week. The trip marks 20 years since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador to Israel Gao Yanping: Netanyahu’s visit “will determine the direction which the relationship will take in coming years, and it will elevate the ties to a new level” – Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

Aside from holding discussions on economic matters and trade, Netanyahu will also take part in talks on the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear program and the unfolding events in Syria.

Continue Reading »
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| May 3, 2013
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Hamas jail 6 Islamist extremists in Gaza

The statement by the Hamas gov’t in Gaza comes days after an IAF airstrike killed a Salafi who was responsible for recent rocket attack on southern Israel from Gaza and the Sinai.

By

 

The Gaza Strip’s Hamas government says it has arrested six militant extremists it says is suspected of stealing weapons and plotting attacks.

Members of Hamas security forces.

Members of Hamas security forces take part in a graduation ceremony in Gaza. – Photo: Reuters

 

Hamas’ Interior Ministry said Thursday that four men were charged with stealing rockets belonging to Palestinian militants and two others had tried to attack targets in Gaza. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 3, 2013
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MK Hotovely: So many Terror Attacks – Proof that Arabs Don’t Want Peace

Deputy Transportation Minister says the last attempted terror attack, that happened yesterday near Mitzpeh Yericho, is proof that the PA is not interested in any peace deal.

By Elad Benari
Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said on Thursday night that the attempted terror attack near Mitzpeh Yericho is proof that the Palestinian Authority is not interested in reaching a peace agreement with Israel.

“The terrorist attack is another expression of the fact that the Palestinians do not want peace,” Hotovely said, adding, “The Arab League’s peace plan will not yield any results, just as similar initiatives have not achieved anything. Continue Reading »

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