Border Guard officer lightly injured after Arab taxi driver attempts to run him over; driver mildly wounded from gunfire.

National Poll: 45% of Israelis support unilateral withdrawal from most of the West Bank

Rafi Smith poll: 80% of Israelis support IDF presence in West Bank in the case of unilateral (civilian) withdrawal until ‘peace agreement’ is signed.

By TAMARA ZIEVE

Almost half of the Israeli population supports a unilateral withdrawal from large sections of the Palestinian territories based on the pre-1967 lines, according to a poll conducted by Rafi Smith for the Blue White Future movement.

Foreign tourists on trip to W. Bank settlements – Photo: REUTERS

The poll was released ahead of an election debate between the “Zionist parties” hosted by the movement at Tel Aviv University on Sunday.

Forty-five percent of respondents answered they would back a unilateral withdrawal while maintaining the large settlement blocs including western Samaria, Kedumim, Jerusalem, Ma’aleh Adumim and Gush Etzion.

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF, Palestinian, West Bank

israelandstuffcom | December 23, 2012

Ukrainian, French, American, Danish nationals & 4 women among newest grads of IAF pilots.

50% of latest graduates are eldest sons or daughters, 74% are members of youth movements & the Air Force’s first religious woman to graduate.

By Lilach Shoval

The 165th class of Israel Defense Forces air force pilots will graduate this Thursday at a graduation ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel.

A new generation of pilots completes the 165th training course.-
Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Unit

Among this year’s graduates are four women, three of whom will serve as navigators and one who will serve as a flight engineer.

Category: Israel News | Tags: IAF, Israel Air Force

israelandstuffcom | December 23, 2012

Jerusalem cabbie shot after trying to run over Police officer

Border Guard officer lightly injured after Arab taxi driver attempts to run him over; driver mildly wounded from gunfire.

Police say attempted murder was nationalistically motivated

Noam (Dabul) Dvir

An Arab taxi driver was shot in the leg Sunday after apparently trying to run over a Border Guard officer.

Border Guard Policemen in Jerusalem – Photo: Reuters

Both men are in mild condition. The officer was treated on site and the driver was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem.

The police are investigating the incident as a nationalistically motivated attack.

According to available details, the driver, a 39-year-old man from the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem, arrived at an east Jerusalem police station and rammed into a delivery van trying to exit the compound. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Border Guard, Jerusalem, Palestinian attack

israelandstuffcom | December 22, 2012

‘124-year-old’ Arab-Israeli woman thanks Israel before she died

Mariam Amash, who according to Israeli registry was born in 1888, dies after being admitted to Hadera hospital.
Grandson: ‘She was the oldest woman in the world’

Hassan Shaalan

Mariam Amash – Photo: Hassan Shaalan

Mariam Amash of the Arab-Israeli village of Jisr a-Zarka died Saturday morning. According to the Interior Ministry’s population registry, she was 124 years old. The listing was based on a birth certificate issued by Turkish authorities who ruled the region at the time.

You can say that our lives were better before, but I still want to thank the Israeli gov’t for the help it has given us.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Arab Israelis

israelandstuffcom | December 22, 2012

IDF report: Soldier failed to discharge his weapon at intruders

Official inquiry into IDF base break-in finds that the soldier standing guard at the site called out ‘who’s there?’ twice, before opening observation post’s door.

Army: Soldier acted appropriately

Yoav Zitun

A probe into an incident that saw two Palestinians breaking into an IDF base found that the soldier guarding the entrance to the site failed to discharge his weapon before being overpowered by the intruders.

Observation tower (Illustration) – Photo: Amit Magal

The break-in occurred around 1:45 am Friday as a storm raged in the area of the base, which overlooks the Palestinian village of Al-Ram near Jerusalem. The intruders managed to cut the perimeter fence, taking advantage of the boisterous weather to slip into the military facility undetected. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF soldier, Palestinian attack

PM Netanyahu: I don’t care what the UN says about settlement construction

With int’l criticism of Israel’s planned construction in E. Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria peaking, the PM says in a television interview it is Israel’s right to build in Jerusalem.

By Haaretz

Amid increasing international criticism of Israel’s recent approval of construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a television interview on Friday that he doesn’t “care what the UN says.”

PM Netanyahu speaks at UN General Assembly Sept 27, 2012.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu seen through the glass of a television booth as he addresses the 67th UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 27, 2012. – Photo by Reuters

In the wake of the UN vote on Palestinian non-member state status, Israel announced plans to advance a long-frozen project for the E-1 corridor, which links the city of Jerusalem with the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, settlements, UN

Israel beefs up cyber defenses

This war is being fought from the keyboard, and when Israel presses ‘Enter’ it’s no less effective than a soldier opening fire on the battlefield.

By Ryan Jones

Israel’s Shabak internal security agency, also known as Shin Bet, has opened a new cyber defense division to help in the escalating cyber war with Iran and other enemies of the state.

In an interview with Yediot Ahronot, an officer in this new division said that in addition to the thousands of low-level cyber attacks Israel fends off every day from individual hackers, there are also a regular number of attacks by foreign government agencies. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: cyber warfare

Christmas Exploited for Israel Bashing: ‘O Boycott All ye Faithful’

PA-based Christian orgs are getting into ‘the holiday spirit’, with libelous attacks on Israel, including the ‘Jews killed Jesus’.

By Maayana Miskin

A new report from NGO Monitor reveals that several Christian organizations that support the Palestinian Authority are using Christmas to attack Israel. Holiday propaganda ranged from half-truths aimed at portraying Israel as oppressive to “crude anti-Semitism” based on historic Christian accusations of Jews being prophet-killers, the group said.

The report, titled, “O Boycott All ye Faithful,” criticized groups including Christian Aid, Sabeel, Kairos Palestine, and Israel Palestine Mission Network, Presbyterian Church (USA).

The latter group has published a daily advent devotional headed by a picture in which Mary and Joseph, parents of Jesus, are trapped behind a wall styled on Israel’s security barrier between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: anti-Israel, Christmas, NGO Monitor, Propaganda

Human Rights Watch Lying About Israel…Again

NGO Monitor, points out that Human Rights Watch (HRW) is once again leveling false charges against Israel.

By David Lev

NGO Monitor, which studies the treatment of Israel by supposedly non-affiliated and apolitical volunteer and civic groups, has accused Human Rights Watch (HRW) of once again leveling false charges against Israel. According to NGO Monitor, HRW accused Israel of attacking “journalists” in Gaza during Operation Pillar of Defense, but the charge “is false both legally and factually, and the timing of this release appears to be a cynical attempt to divert attention from many scandals currently plaguing the organization,” NGO Monitor said. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: human rights, NGO Monitor

Sea of Galilee water level rising sooner than expected

Israel is anticipating above-average rainfall this year, a pleasant contradiction to the past seven years of drought.

By Israel Today Staff

Israeli officials now believe that the region will receive more rain than expected this winter, bringing the Sea of Galilee back up to a level it has not been at in over 10 years.

The beach of the Sea of Galilee – Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Speaking to Israel’s Ma’ariv newspaper, Israel Water Authority official Dr. Amir Givati noted that due to abundant rainfall already this winter, the Sea of Galilee already began to rise in late October, more than a month before is typically starts to rise in the annual rain cycle. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: rainfall, Sea of Galilee

Israel to receive first F-35 stealth fighter jets in 2016

Lockheed Martin official says Israel’s first F-35 stealth fighter jets will be given to the Israel Air Force in the 2nd half of 2016.

The IAF has ordered 19 F-35s, with option to purchase 75.

Pilots refer to F-35 as “the iPad-generation aircraft.”

By Aharon Lapidot and Israel Hayom Staff

The Israel Air Force will receive its first F-35 fighter jets in the second half of 2016, a Lockheed Martin official said.

Sleek and stealthy. The Israel Air Force will receive its first F-35 fighter jets in 2016, says Lockheed Martin. – Photo: AP

Israel has ordered 19 F-35s, for a total cost of $2.75 billion, and has the option to purchase a total of 75 F-35s.

Category: Israel News | Tags: F-35

Vandal arrested for smashing tiles in King David’s Tomb

Suspect says another man who fled the scene, told him his prayers would only be answered if he prayed directly to the stones, which were under the ceramic tiles.

By MELANIE LIDMAN

Police arrested a 30-year-old haredi man in Jerusalem late on Wednesday night after police on patrol caught the man smashing ceramic tiles in King David’s Tomb near the Zion Gate.

Rabbi of Western Wall, Rabbi Rabinowitz – Photo: Courtesy of Western Wall Heritage Fund

He was caught after police on patrol heard loud smashing noises coming from the tomb. They burst into the building and found the man holding an ax, hammer, and a screw driver.

Category: Israel News | Tags: vandalism

Once Again, EU’s ‘Harping’ Ashton condemns Jerusalem construction plans

EU foreign policy head complains that Israel’s plans to build thousands of homes in Givat Hamatos & Ramat Shlomo are ‘extremely troubling,’ and undermine peace prospects.

By AFP

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has released a statement condemning Israel‘s decision to go forward with plans to build thousands of new homes in two Jerusalem neighborhoods, Givat Hamatos and Ramat Shlomo.

Catherine Ashton – Photo: EPA

“The approval of an additional 2,610 housing units in the settlement of Givat Hamatos is extremely troubling, coming in addition to announcements made at the end of November and Monday’s approval of 1500 units in Ramat Shlomo,” Ashton said. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: E-1, EU, new construction