Reuters News agency claims 2 of its cameramen were assaulted by IDF troops who accused them of working for B’Tselem

A Mere 28% Still Believe in ‘Palestinian Partner’ Poll

Only 28.2% of Israelis feel Israel has someone to negotiate with.

29.1% said Zoabi should be left alone

Poll shows 75% see Netanyahu winning the elections.

By Maayana Miskin

Only 28.2% of Israelis believe that Israel has a partner for peace in negotiations with the Palestinians, according to a new survey conducted by Gal Hadash for Yisrael Hayom. 62.4% say there is no partner for peace.

The Arab population of Judea, Samaria and Gaza is currently politically split. Those in Gaza are ruled by Hamas, which rejects Israel’s existence and calls to destroy the Jewish state.

The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmoud Abbas has control in Judea and Samaria. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Danny Danon, Hanin Zoabi, Israel Politics, Israel-PA, Israeli Poll

israelandstuffcom | December 14, 2012

Oren: Israel must prepare for summons to appear before the ICC

Amb. to the US, Michael Oren says Israel can’t discount possibility that the Palestinians, now empowered by the UN, will take action at int’l criminal court.

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON – The Israeli government needs to be prepared for the Palestinians to take action against it at the International Criminal Court, Israel’s top US envoy said Wednesday afternoon, as tensions mount between the parties over settlement construction in the West Bank.

Ambassador to US Michael Oren – Photo: Hyungwon Kang/Reuters

Disagreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel have been intensifying in the wake of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s successful bid for non-member state recognition at the UN last month.

Category: Israel News | Tags: E-1, ICC, Michael Oren, Palestinians

State: Lieberman charged with breach of trust & fraud charges

AG Weinstein announced corruption case against Lieberman dropped.

Instead, Foreign Minister will be charged with fraud and breach of trust for promoting former ambassador to Belarus who tipped him off about investigation.

By Aviel Magnezi

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Thursday announced his decision to charge Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman with fraud and breach of trust for working to promote former Israeli ambassador to Belarus Ze’ev Ben Aryeh without disclosing the fact that Ben Aryeh had illegally leaked information about an investigation against him. However, the attorney general said a more serious corruption case against Lieberman has been closed.

FM Lieberman – Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg

The announcement comes just weeks before a Jan. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Avigdor Lieberman, Israel Politics

Israeli leaders disgusted by latest vandalism in Jerusalem

The Jewish values on which we were reared, and according to which we educate our children, forbid us from any such behavior. We’ll prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the lowlifes who perpetrated this crime.

By Israel Today Staff

Israeli leaders on Wednesday expressed revulsion over the latest act of vandalism against Christian symbols. Hours earlier, presumably Jewish assailants spray-painted anti-Christian graffiti on the walls of a monastery in central Jerusalem.

Father Claudio next to vandalized car – Photo: MELANIE LIDMAN

The Monastery of the Cross at the southern end of Jerusalem’s Sakker Park was defaced with the slogans “Jesus – son of a whore”, “Happy Hannukah” and “Price Tag.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Christian, The Monastery of the Cross, vandalism

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Riots in Hebron Continue

Palestinian youths clash with Israeli security forces day after Palestinian youth is shot dead drawing his ‘gun’ on checkpoint soldier.

Border Guard officer who fired at ‘armed’ youth receives death threats.

Ynet reporters

The clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops continued in Hebron on Thursday as tension in the region continued to mount over the death of a local teenager.

You acted as you were trained, with courage, determination and without hesitation, as is expected of Border Guard combatants.

The 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead on Wednesday by a Border Guard sergeant when he brandished a gun that later turned out to be fake. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Border Guard, ‘Palestinian’ incitement

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A Divided Jerusalem Can Not Stand

When the capital city of Israel, with a growing population needs to expand, why does that set off int’l alarms & condemnation?

By NIR BARKAT, Mayor of Jerusalem

Jerusalem – Israel’s government is under heavy criticism for recently approving building permits in what the international community calls “the settlements.” Yet places like Ramat Shlomo, Gilo and Givat Ha’matos are well within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, and the virgin hills of “E-1″—between the city of Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim—have over three millennia of deep Jewish roots. Here in Jerusalem, we stand saddened and appalled by the European Union ministers who condemn these construction projects while ignoring calls from the leader of Hamas for the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: E-1, Jerusalem, Nir Barkat

Israel to the PA: Pay your Debts!

Israel is doing what it said it would do: Money from Palestinian Authority taxes will be used to pay year long PA debt for electricity it used.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Israel has decided to pay off Palestinian Authority debts for electricity by using tax money the government collects for it.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz ordered that 435 million shekels – more than $110,000,000 – not only will be withheld from the Palestinian Authority, but also will be transferred to the Israel Electric Corp, to cover part of an outstanding debt of $190,700,000 incurred by the PA during the past year. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: electricity, Palestinian Authority

Border Guards kill Palestinian who pulled out a fake gun

Security forces shot dead a man wielding gun near Cave of Patriarchs, believing he was about to execute terror a attack.

No injuries reported among the Security Services

By Itamar Fleishman

A Border Guard officer shot and killed a Palestinian youth Wednesday after he threatened troops stationed near the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, with what later turned out to be a toy gun.

An initial inquiry derived that the Palestinian walked up to the troops stationed at the checkpoint and pulled a gun on one of the officers. A female Border Guard officer noticed the event and fired at him, killing him. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Border Guard, ‘Palestinian’ incitement

Mount Hermon Covered with First Snow

About 10 centimeters of snow accumulates along the Mount Hermon ski site upper station

Visitors arrive to enjoy the early snowfall during the Hanukkah holiday

Danny Brenner, Dan Lavie and Nitzhiya Yaacov

As Israel celebrated Hanukkah this week, the first snowfall of the year fell on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights on Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Kids and their parents flocked to the Mt. Hermon resort to have some fun, although for now there is not enough snow for skiing. – Photo: JINI

The Mount Hermon ski site was open to visitors on Tuesday, free of charge, but not enough snow had fallen for the ski slopes themselves to be made operational. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Mount Hermon

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Letter circulating in Congress urging Obama to commute Pollard’s life sentence

The letter, with 40 signatories so far by both Dem. & Rep. is circulated by Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)

By JTA

Washington — A Republican and a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives are circulating a letter among their colleagues urging President Obama to commute Jonathan Pollard’s life sentence to time served.

Jonathan Pollard during an interview, May 15, 1998.

Jonathan Pollard during an interview at the Federal Correction Institution in Butner, North Carolina, May 15, 1998. – Photo by AP

“Mr. Pollard has now served 25 years in prison, many of which in solitary confinement, for his actions,” says the letter circulated by Reps. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Jonathan Pollard, US Congress

Israel to receive thousands of ‘bunker-buster’ bombs from Congress via the Pentagon

With the aim of replenishing Israel Air Force munitions following recent Operation Pillar of Defense, Pentagon asks Congress to increase military aid to Israel by $647M

Ynet

The Pentagon has appealed to Congress in a bid to increase the United States’ military aid to Israel by $647 million, Ynet learned Tuesday.

JDAM being mounted on fighter-bomber – screenshot from MilitaryChannel clip

According to a Bloomberg report, in wake of Operation Pillar of Defense, the Pentagon wants to arm the IDF with a tail kit system used to convert free-fall bombs into satellite-guided ordnance, as well as with missiles that can be mounted on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and are capable of penetrating underground or fortified targets. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: JDAM, operationPillar of Defence, Pentagon

Secular Kibbutz ‘Revolts’ by Dedicating New Torah Scroll – Mazel Tov!

Secular members of Kibbutz Givat Brenner dedicated a new Torah scroll on Tuesday.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Kibbutz Givat Brenner, the largest kibbutz in Israel and one of the most secular, completed the first step in a “revolution” Tuesday night with the dedication of a new Torah scroll that kibbutz members paid for from their own pockets.

Torah dedication at Kibbutz Givat Brenner
Israel news photo: Yaakov Felberbaum

The dedication of a new Torah scroll here is a major revolution, Givat Brenner Rabbi Ephraim Shteinkoller told Arutz Sheva.

“The public decided it wanted a new Torah scroll next to an old one that was donated years ago in memory of kibbutz members who fell in wars,” he added. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: Jewish Culture, Kibbutz Givat Brenner, Torah

israelandstuffcom | December 11, 2012

Lieberman: Abbas won’t see transfer of PA tax funds for at least 4 months

FM says PA won’t see ‘one red cent’ of tax revenues, & repeats threats to ‘bring down Hamas’, at an Yisrael Beitenu Hanukkah event.

Lieberman says some EU foreign ministers ‘take Israel’s destruction for granted.’

By Barak Ravid

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday evening that “the Palestinians won’t see one red cent” of the tax revenues that Israel collects on their behalf for at least the next four months.

Avigdor Lieberman at an election convention - Olivier Fitoussi - December 4, 2012.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaking at an election convention in Jerusalem, December 4, 2012. – Photo by Olivier Fitoussi

Lieberman’s remarks, made during a Hanukkah candle-lighting event for his party, Yisrael Beitenu in Tel Aviv, were in reference to Israel confiscating some NIS 460 million in tax revenues collected for the Palestinian Authority in November, in order to offset the PA’s debt to Israel’s Electric Corporation. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Avigdor Lieberman, Palestinians, Yisrael Beitenu

israelandstuffcom | December 11, 2012