The number of Israelis who have official gov’t permission to consume marijuana increasing dramatically. ‘When people see how suffering people are benefiting, I’m sure everyone will get behind it,’ Minister Edelstein says.

Jerusalem Mayor Barkat: Let My People Pray!

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat calls for end of Jewish discrimination, Jews should be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.

By Maayana Miskin

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has come out against the ongoing discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount. Jews are prohibited to pray on the Mount, which is the holiest place in the world according to Judaism, and many have even been arrested for moving their lips at the site.

The matter is ultimately in the government’s hands, Barkat said, and not in the hands of Jerusalem leaders. His own opinion is “to let every person pray on the Temple Mount,” he said. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Jerusalem, religion, Temple Mount

israelandstuffcom | November 2, 2012

Mahmoud Abbas says: As long as I am in power, there will be no 3rd intifada

In interview with Israel’s Channel 2, PA President, Mahmoud Abbas says although he is a refugee from Safed, he supports a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders & the rest, is Israel.

By Barak Ravid

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been increasingly addressing Israeli public opinion ahead of the Palestinian United Nations independence bid and the upcoming Israeli elections.

Mahmoud Abbas addressing the Tunisian parliament on Monday – Photo by AFP

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 2, Abbas said that as long as he remains in power, he will not allow a third, armed intifada — or uprising — to break out. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Autho, Salam Fayyad

American Voters in Israel Voted Romney 6:1

80,000 Americans from Israel have submitted their ballots.
Exit polls show voters overwhelmingly favored Mitt Romney.

By Gil Ronen

iVoteIsrael, the leading organization facilitating the ability of Americans in Israel to vote in the US elections, has successfully completed its campaign to make voting from Israel more accessible to as many Americans in Israel as possible.

“iVoteIsrael is proud to announce that 80,000 Americans from Israel have already submitted their ballots to their local county board of elections in any of the 49 states where we successfully registered voters from,” commented Elie Pieprz, national director of iVoteIsrael. “This represents an unprecedented increase in voter participation from the 20,000 or so that voted in 2008.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

What Irks Israeli Tourists the Most?

Israel’s Tourism Ministry receives 571 complaints (86.5% from Israelis & only 13.5% from foreign visitors) regarding tourism services in Israel from January-August 2012

By Ynet news

The Tourism Ministry has received 571 complaints regarding tourism services in Israel between January-August 2012. Of these, 493 (86.5%) were made by Israelis and only 78 (13.5%) came from foreign visitors.

Highest number of complaints relate to hotel industry – Photo: AP

As the government body charged with supervision and control of tourism quality, the Tourism Ministry offers an open line of communication for tourists and visitors who wish to complain about the tourism services they have received while on vacation in the country. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: tourism in Israel

Israel Establishes Dual Cyber Security Program

Israel is creating dual cyber security program to promote research & development, serving both civilian & defense needs.

By Chana Ya’ar

Israel will create a dual cyber security program to promote research and development to serve both civilian and defense goals, the PMO says.

The government is to create a dual cyber security program to promote research development that will serve both civilian and defense goals, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Wednesday.

The project, to be named MASAD, will be a joint effort of the Israel National Cyber Bureau and Ministry of Defense Directorate for Research and Development.

The program is intended “to strengthen and advance Israel’s capabilities in cyberspace, turn it into a leading country in cyber technology and thereby serve as a new growth engine for the Israeli economy,” the PMO said in a statement. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: computer virus, cyber-attack, IDF

Defense Minister Reports: Israel won’t even outsource its security to most trusted allies

Defense Minister Barak says Jerusalem will not rely even on “closest, most trusted allies” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

Israel will not outsource its vital security interests to anyone, “not even to our closest and most trusted allies,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in London on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

Speaking at the British Israel Communications and Research Center, Barak addressed Iran’s uranium enrichment program: “All options are on the table to prevent Iran from crossing the point of no return. We expect all those who say it to mean it; we mean it.”

Category: Israel News | Tags: Egypt, Ehud Barak, Iranian threat, Israel US

IDF searches the world for cyber teen prodigies

IDF’s cyberwarfare program searches Jewish communities abroad for teen geniuses for lack of recruits

Yossi Yehoshua

With cyberattacks increasing in frequency and potency in recent years, the IDF has begun scouring Jewish communities abroad for young computer prodigies willing to join its ranks, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday.

Illustration Photo: Shutterstock

Over the past year, the army has dramatically increased the resources allotted for its cyber program, which operates within the Intelligence Corps’ Unit 8200. Military Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has recently allocated NIS 2 billion (roughly $515 million) towards developing the program.

Furthermore, the Teleprocessing Corps last year founded a new unit charged with protecting the IDF’s communication systems from hackers and viruses. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: cyberattacks, IDF

israelandstuffcom | October 31, 2012

Israeli Court: Phone harassment equal to indecent act

In unprecedented ruling, Central District Court Judge says indecent act no longer mandates actual physical contact with victim

By Tova Tzimuki

The Central District Court rendered an unprecedented ruling this week, declaring that a conviction over an indecent act is possible even if the perpetrator did not physically touch, or even see, the victim.

(Illustration) Photo: Shutterstock

According to a Tuesday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, the ruling was made following an appeal filed by a man who was convicted of an indecent act against two minors, which was perpetrated over the phone.

The appeal sought to overturn the conviction, on the basis that the man never saw or physically touched the girls, ages 14 and seven. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Courts

israelandstuffcom | October 31, 2012

Expert PR analyses: Israel is Losing the PR War.

Interview with pr expert: For over 4 decades, Israel has been losing pr war to the regional Arabs. Why isn’t Israel showing rockets falling on its civilians?

By Annie Lubin

For over forty years Israel has been losing a public relations war to the Arabs and now to the Palestinian Arabs. And no one in Israel seems to care.

Dr. Ron Schleifer has made military-media relations his life’s work
ARCDC

Dr. Ron Schleifer, a professor at Ariel University, and an expert research academician on Psychological Warfare and military-media relations, has been studying the phenomena for years and has tried to sound the alarm on the importance of changing the way Israel uses the media.

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel, Palestinian propaganda, PR War

Yair Lapid says in Ariel address, he won’t join cabinet that stalls peace talks with PA

Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid, attacks Netanyahu for saying Palestinians were not a ‘partner’ for peace & says Israel must retain control of an undivided Jerusalem.

By Revital Hovel

The Yesh Atid party won’t join a government that continues to avoid resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, party head Yair Lapid said in a speech at the Ariel University Center of Samaria on Tuesday.

Yair Lapid speaking in Beit Shemesh, Oct. 28, 2012. – Photo by Olivier Fitoussi

Lapid’s comments and criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies came a day after Netanyahu’s Likud party voted to approve a merger with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, finalizing the move first announced by the two party leaders last week. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Mid-East News | Tags: Iran nuclear, Iran threat, Jerusalem, Palestinians, Yesh Atid

It Apears That its Now Our Turn to Worry, from Israel

The last time Israelis were so concerned for the welfare of Americans, was during the aftermath of 9/11.

By Allison Kaplan Sommer

“It all just feels so backwards. We’re watching them and trying to understand exactly what’s going on, and we are concerned whether they are safe. It’s such a strange feeling – it’s supposed to be the other way around.”

Pedestrians walk past a submerged taxi in Brooklyn, New York, October 29, 2012 as Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the northeastern United States. – Photo by Reuters

I’ve heard versions of these comments in person, on the phone and online repeatedly over the past 72 hours, as Hurricane Sandy threatened the Eastern seaboard of the United States, and then after it became a reality. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israel US, US

Canadian Couple Seeks the ‘Unknown Soldier’ they Named their Son After

Two Canadian Jews on a honeymoon in Israel gave an IDF soldier a ride, and then decided to name their son after him.

By Gil Ronen

A Canadian Jewish couple is looking for the Israeli man whose name their son bears.

Hummer, soldier. – IDF Website

The story began when the couple was in Israel for their honeymoon. They offered a ride to a soldier named Lior, and were so impressed with him that after the woman became pregnant, they decided to name their son after him.

Two young Israelis, Gefen Hazan and Gal Baruch, who are currently on a pre-service volunteer year in Canada, are helping the couple and their son in their search for the original Lior. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: IDF soldier

Experts: 14% of Israelis suffer from clinical depression

A 1/4 of women & an 1/8 of men will suffer from at least a single episode of depression during their lifetimes.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

Fourteen percent of Israelis, as well as 14% of the world’s total population, suffer from clinical depression, but many do not seek professional help, according to experts organizing World Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month in November.

Various pills – Photo: Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters

The condition, which can be treated successfully with medication and psychological or psychiatric support, is the most common mental condition in the world.

The prevalence is higher among women than men: a quarter of women and an eighth of men will suffer from at least one episode of depression during their lifetimes. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Israeli study, Medicine