Israel News

The Taglit-Birthright flip side: Fewer high school students coming to Israel

Spending $7,000 – $8,000 on a 2-week trip for your teen child, or nothing for a 10-day trip a year or two down the road “it’s a no-brainer.”

By Gil Shefler

NEW YORK (JTA) — With the summer travel season fast approaching, providers of Israel programs for teenagers are bracing themselves for what several say could be a season of historically low travel in a year unaffected by major security concerns.

Over the past decade, Israel travel among those aged 13 to 18 has seen a dramatic falloff. Though exact figures are difficult to come by, leaders of several leading North American teen programs say they have seen drops of 30 percent to 50 percent in participation in their Israel trips since 2000. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: Taglit Birthright

Natanyahu on Boston terror attack: Israel stands with US

In extending their condolences to the US, Peres & Netanyahu address heads of foreign diplomatic missions.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN

Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with America not only as friends but as partners in the quest for freedom for all humanity, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in an address to heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Israel, consuls, honorary consuls and heads of religious communities.

Peres, Netanyahu greet heads of foreign diplomatic missions Photo: Courtesy The President’s Residence

Netanyahu was speaking at the annual Independence Day reception for the diplomatic corps and the heads of churches and other faiths traditionally hosted at his official residence by the President of the State.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Boston Bombing, terrorism

Jews Strip-Searched on Temple Mount to Avoid Israeli Flags Offending Muslim

On the 65th Independence Day, the time has come to correct the strange mistake made by Moshe Dayan, who capitulated on the Temple Mount & gave our holy Mount to our enemies.

By Maayana Miskin

Three yeshiva students were strip-searched Tuesday when visiting the Temple Mount, Temple Mount activists have reported.

The Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site for well over 3,000 years.

The students were reportedly pulled aside by a commander of the police unit for protection of holy sites. They were asked to remove clothing and their bodies were searched for an Israeli flag.

The officer who performed the search apologized to the three for the invasive search. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Independence Day, Kotel, Temple Mount

IDF Safeguarding Israel in the shadows

The IDF’s counter-terrorism school gives a glimpse into its amazing world.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

IN THE shadows, away from the public glare, several elite combat units operate to safeguard Israel’s security.

A counter-terrorism instructor holds his weapon at the IDF’s Mitkan Adam base near Modi’in. – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

Some gather intelligence behind enemy lines, others are sent to secure a strategic site, form Israel’s first response to hostage situations, while still others rescue soldiers in trouble.

Some units receive classified missions that will never be known to the public.But all of them have one thing in common – they train at the IDF’s counter-terrorism school at the Mitkan Adam base, near Modi’in.Headed

Category: Israel News | Tags: Counter-terrorism, IDF, Mitkan Adam

And now, to the next 65 years in the Israeli-US partnership

American companies directly employ about 60,000 Israelis, a full 2 percent of Israel’s workforce. At the same time, Israeli companies are creating tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. This job creation in both our countries is one of the clearest and most tangible expressions of how the U.S.-Israeli partnership touches the daily lives of our citizens.

By Ambassador Daniel B. Shapiro

Congratulations to Israel on 65 years of independence! During his visit to Israel last month, President Obama celebrated 65 years of friendship between Israel and the United States and stressed that our bonds are built on our shared values, democratic ideals and a belief that by providing our citizens with opportunity and freedom we can create more just and righteous societies.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Daniel B. Shapiro, Israel US

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VIDEO: What Sharansky’s Western Wall compromise may look like

Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky, said the implementation of his plan to expand the non-Orthodox prayer site at the Western Wall could begin next month.

By Uri Fintzy

An illustration of Natan Sharansky’s proposal, which will expand the Western Wall and create a permanent egalitarian space in the Robinson’s Arch area. – Creative Commons

JERUSALEM (JTA)

Natan Sharansky has presented what could be a historic proposal to expand space for egalitarian prayer at the Robinson’s Arch section of the Western Wall. JTA’s Ben Sales visits the scene to provide viewers with a better understanding of the proposal and the challenges it poses.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Kotel, Natan Sharansky, Western Wall

‘I Represent 3 Generations of ‘Victims of Hatred” said Daniel Pearl’s Dad

Parents of slain Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl, light the flame at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Jerusalem.

By Arutz Sheva staff

Judea and Ruth Pearl, parents of Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl, who was murdered in Pakistan, lit a flame at the Yom Hazikaron ceremony held in front of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem.

Parents of slain journalist Daniel Pearl light memorial candle – Sasson Tiram

They attended the annual commemoration of the Jewish Agency to pay tribe to Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, as well as to mark the memory of Jews murdered in acts of terrorism and anti-Semitic incidents around the world. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Remembrance Day

Haredi enlistment begins in 6 weeks

‘Equal share of burden’ committee has 1st meeting. ‘IDF’s needs are our first priority,’ Science Minister Yaakov Perry says.

Attila Somfalvi

The Knesset Committee for Promoting Equal Share of the Burden, headed by Science Minister Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid), convened for the first time Sunday. Representatives of the IDF and the Civil Service Administration attended the meeting and stressed they were prepared to intake haredi enlistees.

At the end of the meeting, Perry said: “In six weeks we will have a historic law – the process is sensitive, but the IDF’s needs are our first priority.”

The committee’s meeting took place only a few hours before the beginning of Memorial Day, and while leading the meeting, Minister Perry stressed the symbolic importance of the coincidence. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Haredi, IDF, Yaakov Perry, Yitzhak Aharonovitch

Druse Share in Israel’s Joy & Sorrow

392 Israeli Druse have been killed while serving in the IDF.

The Druse have served & defended Israel in all its wars

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON

Israel’s Druse community is proud to take part in both Remembrance Day and Independence Day, identifying itself as an integral part of the state whose members have served in all of the wars in its history.

Druse hospitality – Photo Courtesy

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are around 130,000 Druse in Israel.

Among them, 20,000 live on the Golan and are seen as distinct in terms of national loyalty as they tend to identify with Syria as opposed to Israel.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Druze, IDF

Israel’s population passes the 8 million mark

More than 6 million Jews, 1.6 million Arabs live in Israel, almost 10-fold increase since 1948.

70% of the population were born in Israel

Yaron Druckman

On the eve of the Day of Remembrance for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terrorism, Israel‘s population numbers some 8,018,000 people, stated the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Sunday.

Israel’s population increased almost 10-fold since the founding of the State in 1948, when it stood at only 806,000.

According to the new data, the Jewish population stands at about 6,042,000 (75.3% of the total population), the Arab at 1,658,000 (20.7%) and the “others” – non-Arab Christians, other religions and non-specified – stand at 318,000 (4.0%). Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: CBS, Central Bureau of Statistics

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Peres tells bereaved families: Israel’s enemies know the IDF will always win

President Peres, at the state Memorial Day ceremony for Israel’s fallen soldiers at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, told the guests that the faces of the fallen, ‘will never be erased’ from memory of the Jewish people.

By Gili Cohen and Haaretz

A one-minute siren sounded throughout Israel on Sunday night, marking the official opening of Memorial Day. A torch was lit at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, in the presence of President Shimon Peres and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.

Israeli national flags are seen on graves at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery

Israeli flags on military cemetery. – Photo: AFP

“We know full well that there are no words we can say this night to assuage your pain,” Peres told bereaved families in his speech. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF, Shimon Peres, Western Wall

israelandstuffcom | April 14, 2013

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Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin, to sue PA for terrorism at The Hague

Israeli organization urges terror victims to tell their stories on Facebook for the ICC lawsuit in ‘Terrorizing Terror’ campaign.

NGO Chairwoman: PA starting war against soldiers, ‘we’ll defend them’.

Shahar Chai’

An Israeli civil rights NGO is preparing to sue the Palestinian Authority in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its alleged responsibility for thousands of terrorist attacks on Israel.

Shurat HaDin’s Nitsana Darshan-Leitner – Photo: Zvika Tishler

The publicity material shows the tagline on top of photographs of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismayil Haniyeh behind bars.

After the United Nations upgraded its status to non-member observer state in late November, the Palestinian Authority hinted its intentions to sue Israelis for alleged war crimes at the ICC in The Hague. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ICC, Palestinian terrorism

israelandstuffcom | April 14, 2013

Israel honors 23,085 fallen soldiers & police officers this Memorial Day

At 8:00 P.M. a 1-minute siren will sound nation-wide, marking the opening of IDF and Terror Victims Remembrance Day, followed by commemoration ceremonies.

By Gili Cohen and Jonathan Lis

Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers will begin at 4 P.M. on Sunday with a ceremony at Yad Lebanim in Jerusalem, attended by the prime minister, the speaker of the Knesset and the Sephardi and Ashkenazi chief rabbis.

A woman placing flowers on the grave of a relative at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery last week. – Photo: KoKo

At 8 P.M. a one-minute siren will sound throughout the country, marking the official opening of Memorial Day, followed by commemoration ceremonies. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF, Israel Police, Memorial Day

israelandstuffcom | April 14, 2013