Archive for Israel News

| May 17, 2012
No comments

Canada looking to expand role in Middle East peace talks

Shimon Peres and Ron Lauder both say they see a role for Ottawa

 

The United States has long been a major player in attempts to broker Middle East peace, but now Washington’s neighbor to the north is reportedly looking to get into the game.

Ten days after President Shimon Peres’s state visit to Canada, the president of the World Jewish Congress said he expects Canada to take on a new role in MIddle East peace talks.

Both Peres and Ronald Lauder were quoted in Canadian media reports as seeing Canada acting as a go-between. ”I believe that in the coming months, Canada can play a role and I think will be invited to play a role,” Lauder said in an interview with The Canadian Press. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 16, 2012
No comments

Israeli group wins terror suit against Syria, Iran

Washington court finds Iran, Syria guilty of supporting Islamic Jihad in attack which claimed 11 lives; awards Israeli advocacy group $323 million in damages

 

An Israeli advocacy group won a $323 million judgment in a US court against Iran and Syria for supporting Palestinian militants that killed an American teenager and ten others in a 2006 bombing, the group’s director said Tuesday.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center that represents victims of Palestinian violence said Tuesday that the group had won courtroom victories against Iran but never before against Syria.

The center was representing the family of 16-year-old Daniel Wultz of Florida, who was among 11 killed when an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber set off his explosives at a Tel Aviv restaurant six years ago. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 16, 2012
No comments

EU issues second document blasting Israel

Document critiques Israel for anti-democratic bills, anti-Arab discrimination, not prosecuting settler violence.

 

For the second day in a row, the European Union issued a document that had some harsh words for Israel, saying a spate of “potentially discriminatory or even anti-democratic bills” were tabled in the Knesset, and blasting Jerusalem for not prosecuting those responsible for settler violence.

The criticism came in an annual document summarizing the political and economic situation in Israel as part of the EU’s review of its partnership with other countries, known as the European Neighborhood Policy.

European Union flags in Brussels

European Union flags in Brussels - Photo: Thinkstock/Imagebank

Regarding the Knesset bills the EU deems problematic, the report stated that while the democratic process ensured that many of the bills would not become law, “their number, and the scant effort made by their proponents to hide the fact that they were intended to benefit or target specific individuals or organizations, is worrying.
Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 16, 2012
No comments

‘Israeli prison 5-star hotel compared to Syria jail’

Turkish journalist recently released from Syrian prison and formerly held in Israel over participation in flotilla compares jailing experiences

 

A Turkish journalist compared his experiences in Israeli and Syrian jails having recently been released from a Syrian prison after a two-month detention period.

Adam Özköse returned to Turkey on Monday and gave his account about his incarceration experiences in Syria and Israel, where he was briefly held in June 2010 together with other activists who arrived in Israel on board the Marmara ship.

Israeli prison (archive) Photo: Ido Erez

Israeli prison (archive) - Photo: Ido Erez

“Compared to Syria, Israeli prisons are 5-star hotels,” he said. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 15, 2012
No comments

Concrete Bunkers Protect Israeli TV from Missiles

Part of Israel’s preparation for war includes building a new TV station under concrete bunkers 23 feet underground in Haifa.

Part of Israel’s preparation for war includes building a new TV station under concrete bunkers 23 feet underground in Haifa.

Hizbullah missiles in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 knocked telecasts in northern Israel off the air.

The Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) showed off its new underground studio to the media on Monday, RTT News reported. It was built seven meters – 23 feet – underground and its concrete walls are 12 inches thick. The control room includes a radio booth. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 15, 2012
No comments

Many winners, few losers in deal to end Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike

Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are each playing their cards to preserve the relative silence in Gaza and the West Bank.

The agreement that brought the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike to an end on Monday, alongside a decision to return 100 bodies of Palestinian terrorists buried in Israel, as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, were less about possible progress in peace attempts as much as they were about an Israeli effort to preserve the relative silence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinians celebrate the signing of a deal to end the Palestinian prisoners hunger strike

Palestinians wave flags as they celebrate the signing of a deal to end the Palestinian prisoners hunger strike, in the West Bank city of Ramallah - Photo by Reuters

 

Despite the fact that peace negotiations aren’t likely to restart, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel are all interested in getting rid of anything that could threat stability in the region. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| May 14, 2012
No comments

Tel Aviv students’ Nakba Day ceremony causes campus stir

Right-wing MK calls Palestinian ‘catastrophe’ a ‘day of celebration’ outside university gates

By 

 

Left- and right-wing groups gathered at Tel Aviv University Monday afternoon to mark and protest the Palestinian Nakba Day.

Far-right MK Aryeh Eldad called the Nakba “a day of celebration” as he led dozens of activists who protested a ceremony meant to mark the Palestinian “catastrophe” by students at the university.

Nakba - IsraelandStuff

Hundreds were gathered in front of the university, holding signs and yelling slogans. Police maintained a heavy presence between the two groups. Three protesters, two from the right and one from the left, were detained.

Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 13, 2012
One comment

US to announce massive Iron Dome package

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US counterpart to announce plans for $680 million in aid to fund 3-4 additional batteries.

 

The Obama administration is planning to announce this week a $680 million aid package to Israel for the procurement of additional Iron Dome batteries.

The announcement will be made following a meeting between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon on Thursday. The two will hold a joint press conference following the meeting.

Iron Dome battery - Photo: Marc Israel Sellem

Iron Dome battery - Photo: Marc Israel Sellem

Israel currently has four operational Iron Dome batteries and the Air Force plans to deploy an additional 3 over the coming year.

Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 13, 2012
No comments

Teva Pharma 1Q profit climbs 13%

Israeli company’s adjusted earnings beat Wall Street estimates; revenue rose about 25% to $5.1 billion from $4.08 billion a year ago

 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.’s first quarter earnings climbed 13% as sales of branded drugs that came with the acquisition of Cephalon Inc. increased revenue for the world’s largest generic drugmaker.

Its adjusted earnings beat Wall Street estimates but revenue came in short, and its US shares fell 77 cents, or 1.7%, to $43.70 in premarket trading.

Teva plant in Jerusalem Photo: Reuters

Teva plant in Jerusalem - Photo: Reuters

The Israeli company said Wednesday that its net income rose to $859 million, or 97 cents per share, in the three months that ended March 31. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 13, 2012
No comments

Illegal Entry: No Need to Sneak In, Just Take the Bus

PA Arabs are able to enter Israel illegally without cutting through fences, simply by getting on public transport.

Soldiers, Border Police, and other security forces work around the clock to fight illegal Palestinian Authority entry to Israel. At the same time, however, PA Arabs are able to travel to the heart of central Israel without the need to go through any security checks, simply by boarding a bus.

Malkiel Feder of Har Bracha in Samaria was traveling to the city of Ramat Gan on a bus run by the Afikim company when he noticed that PA Arabs were getting on and off freely. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 13, 2012
No comments

IDF ‘pit’ project halted over missile fears

Plans for construction of new underground command headquarters, known as ‘the pit,’ have been halted due to concerns it would collapse if hit by missile

Last weekend Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah threatened once again to attack specific targets in Tel Aviv. One of the most sensitive targets is the IDF command headquarters at the Kirya base, especially the underground command center, also known as “the pit.”

Kirya base: The pit Photo: Dana Koppel

Kirya base, The pit - Photo: Dana Koppel

Yet plans for the construction of the new command center, for which tens of millions of shekels have already been invested, have been halted due to concerns it would collapse if hit by a missile, Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Sunday. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 13, 2012
No comments

US actor relates nude confrontation at TA event

Mandy Patinkin tells leftists he supports boycotting settlements.

 

Once, as American actor and singer Mandy Patinkin stood naked in a locker room shower after a concert, a man verbally attacked him for his support of the left wing group Peace Now.“How can you raise money for them?” the man asked Patinkin.“In my nakedness, I said to him, ‘Look, I support Peace Now, If you want to support peace later that is your privilege,’” Patinkin said.
Mandy Patinkin (L) wth Peace Now director - Photo: Tovah Lazaroff
Mandy Patinkin (L) wth Peace Now director – Photo: Tovah Lazaroff
The actor related this anecdote as he spoke Friday in Tel Aviv at the second annual conference of the Israeli Left-wing camp, sponsored by Peace Now.He
Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News |
| May 13, 2012
No comments

Essay by Alan M. Dershowitz: Radicals can be defeated

Op-ed: Alan Dershowitz shares his insights on best approach to use against anti-Israel extremists

 

I was gratified to read the article by Kasim Hafeez, a former anti-Semite who had become a Zionist. I was particularly gratified to learn that my book, The Case for Israel, played a role in his conversion from irrational hatred to support based on his own observations of the reality of Israel.

Alan M. Dershowitz

Alan M. Dershowitz

Hafeez’s article came at a time when I was becoming skeptical of my own ability, and that of others who try to make the civil liberties case for Israel, to influence public opinion. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 13, 2012
No comments

Lack of shade makes Western Wall visit unbearable for tourists

Judaism’s holiest site is also one of the most unpleasant places to visit.

 

It was a beautiful, partially cloudy spring day in Jerusalem on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius in the shade. A perfect day for strolling around nearly any part of the city, with one truly glaring exception: the Western Wall Plaza. The glaring whiteness of the plaza pavement reflected the heat, and the complete absence of trees, buildings and pergolas ensured that there was not a speck of shade. The result is an almost unbearable experience for worshipers and tourists who congregate at the Judaism’s holiest site.

Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 13, 2012
No comments

IDF: Mainstream Media Ignoring Terrorist Attacks

The IDF confirms mainstream media ignore significant terrorist attacks, nine of which were virtually unreported except by Arutz Sheva.

Mainstream media’s habit of ignoring terrorist attacks has been confirmed by the IDF, which details nine attacks, most of which were virtually unreported except by Arutz Sheva.

The cover-up is part of a general policy of local and foreign media to generate a positive image of the Palestinian Authority and a negative picture of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The media agenda encourages international pressure on Israel to meet PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ demand that Israel stop activities in favor of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria and parts of Jerusalem, particularly outside of large centers of Jewish population. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »