Archive for Israel News

Haredi politicians lash out at Bennett for being pushed out of coalition

 

“The boycotting of an entire population is despicable and revolting behavior, and is a mark of shame on the Habayit Hayehudi leadership,” Deputy Health Minister MK Yakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) said.

By Yehuda Shlezinger

 

 

As coalition negotiations head into their final stretch, and with the ultra-Orthodox parties seemingly out of the government for the first time since 2005, haredi politicians have increased their vitriol and attacks against those they see as responsible for their political demise: Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid and Habayit Hayedyhudi’s Naftali Bennett.

Eli YishaiA leading figure in the Ashkenazi haredi political world, the grand rabbi of the Slonim Hasidic movement, said on Saturday, “The Evil Spirit has taken over Bennett.”

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Kibbutznicks plant trees to protect against Gaza snipers

Kibbutz members & KKL plant trees as a screen against terrorist snipers, shooting at Israelis living close to the Gaza border.

By REUTERS

 

 

Trees are often used as a screen to block out undesirable views, but in Israel they’re about to be planted as a screen against rocket attacks on Israelis living close to the border with the Gaza Strip.

Tree plantingThe IDF first used trees as a line of defense as the modern state of Israel was being established, but say they can be just as effective today.

On an Israeli kibbutz, members planted Eucalyptus saplings along the road leading to Nahal Oz.

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Continued Decline of IDF Recruits Seeking Combat Units

March enductment rates demonstrate that only 71.6% of able recruits request combat units, a decline from last year.

By Yossi Yehoshua

 

The number of recruits seeking to serve in IDF combat units has declined, according to the initial March enlistment rates, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday. The rate of recruits with the required combat fitness who requested to enlist to combat units stands at solely 71.6%.

IDF PhotoThis figure is in line with the ongoing decline witnessed since the end of the Operation Cast Lead, over four years ago.

The IDF hopes that the decline in motivation is temporary and will cease to exist and claimed that this data must be compared to parallel enlistment periods with similar distinguishing qualities. Continue Reading »

Likud members threaten ‘uprising’ over Netanyahu’s new gov’t coalition plans

Likud official: Netanyahu doesn’t want a liberal Likud, but a Lieberman-style Likud. There’s also bitterness over Rivlin’s expected dismissal, along with a lack of ethnic diversity.

Watch: The PM address his last Cabinet Meeting of the gov’t

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely encounter harsh opposition within his Likud party if high-ranking ministers and Knesset members soon find themselves without a job.

RivlinParty officials on Sunday threatened an “intifada”, or uprising, over what they call “Netanyahu’s failure to give out positions” to members of Likud and other formerly close coalition partners.

The first conflict involves Netanyahu’s anticipated decision to dismiss Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin from his position.

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US Embassy’s Facebook Contest is Giving Away 20 Tickets to see Obama

If You Want to hear U.S. President Barack H. Obama speak, live & in person, You may just become 1 of the 20 Israelis chosen for the honor…

By David Lev

 

Want to hear U.S. President Barack H. Obama speak, live and in person? You could be one of 20 Israelis chosen for the honor – with a (practically) front-row seat to Obama’s speech at Binyanei Ha’uma (Israel Convention Center), set to be the centerpiece of his visit to Israel.

Obama

The Israelis will be chosen from among entries on the Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Israel, which wants to hear why Israelis think they deserve to have an opportunity to get an “audience” with Obama. Continue Reading »

Pentagon: F-35 fighter jet critically flawed

Leaked Pentagon report on the F-35 reveals fatal fighter jet flaws, warning that it’s ‘Unacceptable for combat or combat training”.

Israel planed to buy 25 jets for $238 million each.

By Ynet

 

Fatal flaws within the cockpit of the US military’s most expensive fighter jet ever are causing further problems with the Pentagon’s dubious F-35 program, Israel’s future combat aircraft.

The F-35 – Photo: AFP

A new report from the Pentagon warns that any pilot that boards the pricey aircraft places himself in danger without even going into combat.

In a leaked memo reported by the RT news agency, a Pentagon official prefaces a report on the F-35 by cautioning that even training missions cannot be safely performed on board the aircraft at this time. Continue Reading »

New gov’t expected by Monday, marathon coalition talks started

Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu with Habayit Hayehudi & Yesh Atid ironing out the the final details that will determine the nature of the new gov’t.

 

Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu negotiation teams are holding marathon talks Saturday night with representatives of Yesh Atid and Habayit Hayehudi in a last push to complete the coalition negotiations.

new gov't

Yesh Atid and Habayit Hayehudi representatives arrived at the meeting to hash out the allocation of ministerial portfolios, drafting a law that would lead to a more equal ‘sharing of the burden’ of military service and the labor market on the part of ultra-Orthodox Israelis, as well as, defining the new government’s guidelines. Continue Reading »

Photo Album: Locusts throughout Israel

After swarms of locust swooped en masse on the Negev, a few manage to make way to center & even north towards the Galilee.
Readers from all over country share their pictures.

Shahar Chai

 

Despite an additional round of insecticide spraying in the south, Saturday saw swarms of the reddish grasshoppers descend upon the country, with some successfully making their way out of the south and into the center, and even northern parts of Israel.

גם בחוף הים בתל-אביב (צילום: אדריאן רוזנר)

Locusts at Tel Aviv’s beach – Photo: Adrian Rozner

Ynet’s Red EMail received countless photographs of the locusts from all over, all the way from the Negev in the south, through Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion Airport and even a few from Haifa, Nahariya and Tiberias in the north. Continue Reading »

Palestinians: Obama’s Presence on Temple Mount will be Declaration of War

The Islamic Jihad & Hamas say that a visit by the American President to the Temple Mount will be a de facto declaration of war on the Islamic world.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups threatened on Friday that a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to the Temple Mount during his upcoming visit to Israel will be a declaration of war on the Arab and the Islamic world.

Jerusalem (2)

Western Wall and Temple Mount seen in Jerusalem

 

A Hamas representative in the Al-Aqsa mosque, Mushir al-Masri, even called for a third intifada (uprising) and for Egyptian assistance in the “resistance” if Obama chooses to visit the Temple Mount. Continue Reading »

MK Yair Lapid to be Israel’s next Finance Minister

Coalition talks very fruitful: MK Lapid likely to become next Finance Minister & Naftali Bennett from Bayit Yehudi will be Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid will likely be Israel’s next Finance Minister, it was reported on Friday, after a meeting between Lapid and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was described by the sides as “good”.

The reports in Israel’s media outlets also indicated that Bayit Yehudi chairman MK Naftali Bennett will be appointed as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor. MK Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) will be Defense Minister, according to the reports. Continue Reading »

Report: IDF ready for possible conflict with Hezbollah

IDF drills reservists amid worries of possible spillover from Syrian conflict as well as the threats of retaliation from Hezbollah should Israel strikes Iran.

By REUTERS

 

REVIVIM – Wary of a spillover from the conflict in Syria, Israel is preparing to take on the Hezbollah militia that it suspects is getting advanced weapons from a distracted Damascus.

IDF reserve soldiers drill, March 7, 2013.

IDF reserve soldiers drill, March 7, 2013. – Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel believes the Lebanese Shi’ite guerrillas also stand ready to retaliate if it carries out long-threatened strikes on the nuclear sites of Iran, another Hezbollah patron.

Hezbollah fought Israel’s far more advanced forces to a standstill when they last came to blows, in 2006, and rained more than 4,000 rockets on northern Israel.

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Ethiopia also celebrates Miss Israel

Yityish Aynaw’s success in becoming Miss Israel is attracting media attention in Ethiopia

By Itamar Eichner

 

Yityish (Titi) Aynaw, the first Ethiopian-born woman to be crowned Miss Israel, is attracting media attention in her homeland as well, with intense coverage by Ethiopian newspapers, websites, television and radio stations.

The Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa issued a press release about the beauty pageant and the precedent set by its winner. The Embassy is planning to use the win as part of a PR campaign for Israel, which will include posting Aynaw’s pictures on billboards across Ethiopia.

The Embassy is also initiating an unusual move: Sending a text message to every cell phone in Ethiopia to announce the crowning of an Ethiopian beauty queen in Israel. Continue Reading »

Lapid-Netanyahu talks a success: Coalition to be announced soon

 

Yesh Atid report that the path for their party to enter a coalition gov’t has been paved.  Announcement to be made early next week. 

 

Senior Yesh Atid officials estimated on Friday morning that the path for their party to join the coalition has been paved. According to the officials, Israel’s new coalition will be presented at the start of the coming week.

Lapid - Netanyahu

The two sides drew conclusions regarding government portfolios and the fundamentals of the coalition.

So far, Lapid’s insistence on the Foreign Ministry has been the stumbling block to forming a government.

But Likud sources said Friday that they believe Lapid would drop his demand for the Foreign Ministry in exchange for funding for issues dear to his party.

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British MP Honors Israeli Ambassador Shot on London Street

British MP attends memorial for former Israeli Amb. Shlomo Argov who was shot outside his London Hotel over 30 years ago.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

British MP Alistair Burt attended a memorial ceremony for former Israeli ambassador Shlomo Argov, who was shot outside London’s Dorchester Hotel over 30 years ago, The Jewish Chronicle (JC) reported.

British MP Alistair BurtThe ceremony, held outside the hotel in Mayfair, commemorated the death of the former Israel ambassador who was shot on the night of June 3, 1982, but died ten years ago from injuries inflicted by the attack.

Argov, who died aged 73 in 2003, was shot in the head at point-blank range by three attackers, affiliated with Abu Nidal’s Palestine National Liberation Movement terrorist group. Continue Reading »

More NEW Palestinian bus lines planed by Transportation Ministry

Transportation Ministry director-general Uzi Itzhaki says that purpose of the additional lines is to aid those Palestinians who live in Judea & Samaria commute to their jobs inside Israel and rejects as ridiculous all claims that these new lines are some form of apartheid.

Israel Hayom Staff

 

Israel’s Transportation Ministry plans to expand public bus services for Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria, a ministry official told Army Radio on Thursday.

Palestinian workers board a bus en route to Judea and Samaria from the Tel Aviv area. – Photo: AP

Uzi Itzhaki, the Transportation Ministry’s director-general, rejected claims that new bus lines, which are meant mainly for use by Palestinians, are a form of apartheid.

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