REBIRTH: Madagascar community chooses to return to their Jewish heritage

 

Last month 121 men, women & children underwent Orthodox conversions on the remote Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar, in an effort to secure their beliefs that they are of Jewish or Israelite descent, and that their founders were seafaring members of the Lost Tribes.

By DEBORAH JOSEFSON/JTA

 

Antananarivo – A nascent Jewish community was officially born in Madagascar last month when 121 men, women and children underwent Orthodox conversions on the remote Indian Ocean island nation better known for lemurs, chameleons, dense rain forests and vanilla.

Madagascar Jews

Madagascar Jews – Photo : US-BASED KULANU NON-PROFIT

The conversions, which took place over a 10-day period, were the climax of a process that arose organically five to six years ago when followers of various messianic Christian sects became disillusioned with their churches and began to study Torah. Continue Reading »

#BDSfail: UJA commends New York Governor Cuomo’s anti-BDS directives

 

The UJA Federation of New York and Israeli Ambassador to the UN, thanks Governor Cuomo for directing state agencies to divest all public funds supporting BDS.

By Ben Ariel

 

The UJA-Federation of New York on Sunday applauded New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who had earlier issued an executive order directing state entities to divest all public funds supporting the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo – By Reuters

“UJA-Federation of New York applauds Governor Cuomo for being the first governor in the nation to issue an executive order directing state entities to divest all public funds supporting the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel,” said UJA Federation of New York CEO Eric S. Continue Reading »

Byzantine era ship discovered off Israel’s coast

 

view videoIsrael’s newest maritime archaeological discovery is a ship dating back to the 7th century AD, that may shed light on the evolution of ship building techniques of the time.

By Uri Shapira

 

Twenty archaeologists and volunteers flocked to Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael last week, eager to explore and excavate Israel’s newest maritime archaeological discovery- an ancient ship dating back to 7th century AD.


Underwater excavation sheds light on 1500-year… by i24news-en

Like in many discoveries from the sea, this one, located about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of the port city of Haifa, came by accident.

Excavator Natan Helfman told i24news about the day he and a friend discovered the ship. Continue Reading »

Lebanese newspaper: Hezbollah Busy Digging Attack-Tunnels Into Israel

 

Although the next war with Hezbollah isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, both Jewish and Arab towns along northern border have begun local civil defense training by the IDF.

By Israel Today Staff

 

In marking the 16th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Safir reported that the Hezbollah terrorist militia is busy digging tunnels under the Israeli border in preparation for future conflict.

Hezbollah parade in Lebanon

According to the article, the tunnels enable Hezbollah terrorists to attack Israel at a moment’s notice, and include sophisticated ventilation and electricital systems and enough supplies to allow militants to remain in the tunnels for weeks at a time. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu: Russia’s relation to Israel is only growing stronger and deeper

 

Israel’s PM heads to Russia for his 4th ‘face to face’ in less than a year, so he and Putin can discuss terrorism, the ongoing Syrian civil war and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

The deepening ties between Israel and Russia are important for the country’s security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday as he addressed a Jerusalem Day ceremony on the eve of his Monday departure to Moscow.

Netanyahu and Putin. – Photo: REUTERS

On Tuesday he will hold his fourth face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in less than a year to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries and to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. Continue Reading »

Cleared for publication: Another Gaza attack-tunnel digger captured

A 17 yr-old Hamas’s military wing member, who was captured by the IDF after crossing border from Gaza, revealed an abundance of information to the Shin Bet regarding Hamas strategy and tunnel routes.

By Yoav Zitun

 

Israeli security forces arrested a 17-year-old Gazan who was a member of Hamas’s military wing last month, it was cleared for publication on Sunday. The teenager was arrested in a joint operation between the IDF, police, and the Shin Bet after the Palestinian crossed the border fence into Israel.

Hamas terror tunnel – Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The Palestinian wasn’t carrying any weapons when he was arrested, and had no connections to any of the other Hamas members who’ve been arrested.

Continue Reading »

BBC Report: President Carter suckered into supporting the Iranian Revolution

 

New information reported by the BBC details how Khomeini fooled Carter into helping him overthrow Iran, a close US ally, while deceiving the US public…. exactly how Obama was given ’empty promises’, forcing the US government lie to its constituents & allies, while Ayatollah’s gov’t reaps all the benefits.

By Matt Wanderman

 

New information has come to light, showing how former US President Jimmy Carter blindly accepted false promises and helped Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini carry out the Iranian Revolution.

Iranian women by a poster of Ayatollah Khomeini – Reuters

New information has come to light, showing how former US President Jimmy Carter blindly accepted false promises and helped Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini carry out the Iranian Revolution.

Continue Reading »

WATCH: Today Israel Celebrates Jerusalem Day

 

view videoThe Jewish State celebrates the reunification of the People of Israel’s eternal capital in the 6-Day War, 49 years ago.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Jerusalem Day is being celebrated across Israel on Sunday, marking 49 years since the capital’s reunification in the Six-Day War. Memorial services will be held during the day for fallen soldiers of the six-day war.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat will hold a reception for citizens of the capital from 3:30pm to 5pm today at the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem in the Old City.

This year, as in every year, the center of the festivities will be the traditional Flag Dance procession, organized by the Am K’lavi association. Continue Reading »

Gazans furious at Hamas leader’s portrayal of life in Gaza as ‘wonderful’

 

Ismail Haniyeh’s skewed public sermon about life in the embattled coastal enclave under Hamas’s rule send angry Gazans to post their outrage on social media.

 

Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s controversial statements Friday describing life in the Gaza Strip as “wonderful” aroused mayhem on Palestinian social media networks over the weekend, where a group of Gazan activists launched a campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.

Billionaire Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, delivers a speech during Friday prayers, September 5, 2014. – Photo: REUTERS

“Gaza is more stable and secure than the West Bank. Life in Gaza is wonderful and we are happy with it. Continue Reading »

Political reshuffle in Turkey likely to facilitate amicable end of reconciliation talks

 

For Israel, Turkish President Erdoğan’s removal of Hakan Fidan, the head of Turkish intelligence, who is considered an ‘agent’ for Iran & an obstacle in the reconciliation talks with Jerusalem, is a positive development.

By Itamar Eichner

 

Two recent political developments in Turkey could mark the successful end of Ankara’s reconciliation talks with Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Photo: AP

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently decided to remove the head of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan, from his post, and make him Anakara’s ambassador to Japan instead. At the same time, the Turkish president also decided that Turkey’s Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, would be be appointed Ankara’s ambassador to the UN. Continue Reading »

A history of the disappearing Western Wall & its slow reapearence

The Western Wall plaza was cleared after the liberation of Jerusalem almost 50 years ago, allowing the Jewish people to view their sacred site freely. But still, much of the Wall is hidden under Arab houses. “Those houses were built up against the Western Wall a few hundred years ago with the express intention of hiding it… Sewage drains empty directly onto the stones of the Western Wall. What other people would allow such a thing?” remarked PM Menachem Begin.

The secret of the disappearing Wall

 

On June 8, 1967, while IDF paratroopers were clearing out the last pockets of resistance in the alleys of the Old City, Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, came to the Western Wall passageway, accompanied by Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and head of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority Yaakov Yanai. Continue Reading »

Photo Essay: 48 years after the Israeli Dolphin class submarine Dakar sank

A former Dakar crew member describes what it was like to search for the sunken submarine after he was ordered to return on a different sub from Portsmouth to Haifa, the journey the Dakar never finished.

By Yoav Zitun

 

It’s been almost 50 years since the Israeli Dolphin class submarine Dakar sank in the waters off of Crete. Now, new color pictures are being released of the crew and of the submarine – the last pictures of these young men before their submarine sank to the bottom of the sea, never to surface again.

The Dakar – Photo: Association of Former Dolphin Submariners

A short video of the sailors and the submarine has been gathering dust in the house of one of the submariners’ widows, Bat Sheva Tal.

Continue Reading »

ICC Prosecutor: Israel is “exchanging information” in Gaza war crimes inquiry

 

An Israeli gov’t source confirmed there was contact with the ICC on procedural issues for an investigation over possible war crimes during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

By Reuters

 

GENEVA – Israel is holding discussions with the International Criminal Court over its investigation into possible war crimes in the 2014 Gaza conflict, the ICC’s prosecutor said.

Israeli airstrike during Operation Protective Edge – Photo: Reuters

The disclosure would indicate a step-up in Israeli engagement with the Hague-based tribunal and a shift from a policy of non-cooperation with ICC probes of alleged war crimes in Palestinian territories. Continue Reading »

Palestinian human rights activist: ‘Abbas’ Palestinian Authority is the real ‘Nakba”

view videoWATCH Interview: Ex-B’Tselem (pro-Palestinian) human rights activist surprises conference by saying, ‘Palestinians would love Israeli annexation. We’ve had enough. The real Nakba was the PA’s formation, with its corruption, it’s incitement and disregard for its people.’

By Yoni Kempinski

 

Palestinian human rights activist Bassem Ayyad, a former investigator for the radical leftist NGO B’Tselem, surprised a conference of Judea and Samaria researchers at Ariel University on Thursday when he revealed unofficial Palestinian views.

Arutz Sheva got the chance to speak with Ayyad about how Palestinian Arabs view the Palestinian Authority (PA), and learned he thinks most would in fact love to see Israel annex Judea and Samaria. Continue Reading »

Female Palestinian terrorist shot dead in knife-attack on IDF soldiers

In initial report, the Palestinian terrorist was shot & wounded by security forces at the scene after unsuccessful attempt to apprehend the female knife-wielding terrorist.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

I Palestinian woman was shot and killed on Thursday after she tried stabbing IDF soldiers in the northern West Bank.

Screenshot from scene of attempted stabbing attack on IDF soldiers in the West Bank, June 2, 2016. – Photo: Courtesy

The IDF said that the knife-wielding Palestinian woman arrived at a military post near the Palestinian town of Anabta, where she tried attacking nearby troops. The soldiers reportedly left their guard post and initially tried apprehending the woman before firing shots at her. Continue Reading »