With European Boycotts, Israel Faces East To Export

 

Despite cultural differences in taste, this first step introducing Israeli products to Asia, that has yet to be exposed to the variety of Israeli tastes, has great potential, and these tastes will appeal to the Asian pallet just as it succeeded in Europe.

By Yossi Aloni

 

The first Israeli food festival, in Taiwan may be the Israeli answer to Europe’s branding of Israeli products. 25 Israeli companies will present and sell some 200 different kinds of foods and beverages to the public in the five stores of the prestigious City Super.

Looking east

The food festival, that was initiated by the Ministry of Economy’s office in Taiwan and Israel’s Export Institute, is part of a concerted effort to break through to new markets in East Asia. Continue Reading »

Israel Air Force to Fly Over Syria With Impunity, ‘Russia is not our enemy’

 

Although, “We don’t give anyone advance notice or ask permission to operate in Syria,” an IAF official said a coordination mechanism had been set up between the Israeli and the Russian air forces to “avoid any misunderstandings” between the two.

By Lilach Shoval and Israel Hayom Staff

 

Referring to the coordination between the IAF and the Russian Air Force operating in Syria, the officer said the IAF was “free to operate over the northern border. We don’t give anyone advance notice or ask permission to operate in Syria.”

The Israeli Air Force in Thursday’s drill | Photo- IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

As part of Moscow’s campaign against Islamic State and other insurgent groups, Russia has carried out airstrikes in Syria that are its biggest Middle East intervention in decades. Continue Reading »

Israel to open diplomatic mission office in Abu Dhabi

 

Israel is planning to open its first openly established representative office in the United Arab Emirates,  a mission to Int’l Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.

By Reuters

 

Israel plans to open a diplomatic-level mission to the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, the first openly established representative office in the United Arab Emirates, Israeli diplomats said on Friday.

Ministry Director-General Gold with frmr Saudi General Anwar Ashki – Photo: CFR

The office will not be a full mission, but will consist of a diplomat assigned to the renewable energy agency. Nevertheless, it will be the first time an Israeli foreign ministry official is permanently stationed in the Gulf state. Continue Reading »

Egypt enraged at discovering ‘water resistant’ Hamas attack tunnels threatening its security

 

As part of the buffer security-zone flooding project undertaken by the Egyptian army’s engineering corps, the first of an estimated 17 expensive Hamas iron attack-tunnels, funded by Qatar, was unearthed and then demolished.

By Ari Yashar

 

Egyptian security sources revealed on Friday that they found an iron underground attack tunnel leading from Gaza into Sinai, marking the first time that such a tunnel has been unearthed.

The find came as part of Egypt’s long-standing operation that began in October 2014 to create a massive buffer zone in southern Gaza. The operation has involved occupying a large swath of land at least one kilometer deep (over half a mile) along the 14-kilometer (9-mile) border, evicting thousands of Gazans, destroying their homes and mosques, and recently even creating a border moat.
Continue Reading »

Turkish court charges two newspaper editors with spying against gov’t

 

Istanbul court charges two journalists who reported that Turkey sent arms to Islamist Syrian rebels. This is not the first time that Turkey’s government has targeted Cumhuriyet or other media outlets which criticize Erdoğan.

 By Ben Ariel

 

A court in Istanbul on Thursday charged two journalists from the opposition Cumhuriyet daily with spying after they alleged Turkey’s secret services had sent arms to Islamist rebels in Syria, AFP reported, citing Turkish media.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Reuters

Editor-in-chief Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, the paper’s Ankara bureau chief, are accused of spying and “divulging state secrets”, the reports said.
Continue Reading »

Greek PM acknowledges Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘historical capital’ to President Rivlin

 

Israel and Greece are planing to hold a trilateral energy summit with neighboring Cyprus early next year to discuss Israel’s natural gas fields & its commercial production. 

By Tal Shalev

 

When Alexis Tzipras was elected prime minister of Greece in January 2015, Israel watched the political shift closely. The victory of the radical, left wing pro-Palestinian Syriza party was considered bad news.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, November 25, 2015 – Photo : KOBI GIDEON/GPO

On his first visit to the region, Tzipras came to change that impression and show that Greece is still a friendly neighbor. Continue Reading »

Iranian Supreme Leader: ‘Iran will back Palestinians in any way we can’

 

Khamenei criticized those who call Palestinian attackers “terrorists,” saying “We will defend the movement of the Palestinian people with all of our existence, and in any way and as long as we can.”

By Reuters & Israel Hayom Staff

 

Iran’s supreme leader said on Wednesday that Iran would support the Palestinian uprising against Israel “in any way we can,” and rejected assertions that the recent wave of Palestinian knifings and car-ramming attacks amounted to terrorism.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Photo: AP

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was speaking a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, described the spate of attacks as “terrorism” that should be condemned. Continue Reading »

WATCH: Israeli Navy carries out successful interception test of Barak 8 naval defense missile

 

In a joint Israel & Indian development project that is due to become officially operational in both navies within a year or two, the missile is currently installed on at least one Israel Navy ship, and on an Indian Navy ship.

 

The Israel Navy and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) carried out the first successful interception test of the next generation Barak 8 missile system on Thursday, which is designed to protect naval ships and offshore gas rigs from hostile aircraft, missiles, and rockets.

Continue Reading »

IDF shoots terrorist dead as he hurls Molotov cocktail

 

IDF soldiers manage to shoot 19 yr-old terrorist as he was throwing lit firebomb at Israeli cars driving just north of Hevron.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

A 19-year-old Palestinian Arab terrorist was shot dead on Thursday by IDF forces according to Palestinian Authority (PA) medics, as he was in the process of hurling a firebomb at Israeli cars in Judea.

Arabs throw firebombs at IDF soldiers in Hevron (file) – Reuters

The medics identified the terrorist as Khaled Jawabrah from Al-Arub “refugee camp,” located north of the ancient city of Hevron, where Arab rioters were clashing with security forces.
Continue Reading »

Busted: 3,000 ancient coins discovered in a kibbutznik’s home

 

Ancient coins were confiscated from a kibbutznik antiquities dealer in northern Israel, who’s suspected of illegal sale of artifacts.

By i24news

 

Agents of Israel’s Antiquities Authority along with police arrested an art dealer in northern Israel on Tuesday after finding over 3,000 ancient coins he obtained illegally, reported Israel’s Haaretz.

Ancient coins and jars confiscated from an antiquities dealer in northern Israel suspected of illegal sale of artifacts . – Photos : Israel’s Antiquities Authority

The coins, which have been valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, were found in the man’s home in Kibbutz Beit Hashita around 8 kilometers from Beit She’an, which was a major Greek city during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Continue Reading »

Social Networks Spur Palestinian Children to Terror

 

“The daily stabbings in Israel”, says Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, “are a result of young boys & girls who are indoctrinated from an early age via the Palestinian education system & through social media.”

By Israel Today Staff

 

“The motivation of Children terror comes primarily from social network incitement; this is Israel’s new war.” As part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ campaign against online incitement, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely met with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and with Jennifer Downes, Director of Public Policy at Google at the company’s Silicon Valley offices.

In the meetings, Hotovely raised the problem of incitement which goads small children to go out and stab innocents: “The daily stabbings in Israel, said Hotovely, “are a result of young boys and girls who are indoctrinated from an early age via the Palestinian education system and through social media. Continue Reading »

#ShoddyReporting: CNN replaces Israel with Palestine on its map

 

CNN offers no apology or explanation to reader that asks, “Why is my country erased on this map?”

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

A CNN Money article on the Middle East dropped Israel’s name from a map of the Middle East that accompanied a story on the turmoil in the region.

CNN Erases Israel From the Map

The article, entitled “Beyond ISIS: 2016’s scariest geopolitical hot spots,” naturally featured the ongoing war in Syria and the image that originally accompanied the article was a map of the Middle East. But the name Palestina, Spanish or Portuguese for Palestine stood in for Israel on the map. Continue Reading »

Russia: No tourism to Turkey or vegetable imports, we will import from Israel

 

Following downing of Russian jet by Turkey, tourism destined to Turkey rerouted to Israel & now the Russian agriculture minister announces the cessation of vegetable imports from Ankara.

By Ynetnews

 

Tensions between Russia and Turkey continue to mount as Moscow announced this week that it would stop importing vegetables from Ankara, listing Israel as a possible alternative.

Anti-Turkish protests at the Turkish embassy in Moscow – Photo: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently ended security cooperation with Ankara and asked Russian citizens to avoid visiting Turkey, but the Russian president seems to want to punish Turkey even more for downing a Russian combat jet two days ago. Continue Reading »

Israeli Policeman: ‘If my partners hadn’t responded as quickly, I’d be dead’

 

Border Police officer described how Arab terrorist who lunged out of a cab with a knife in hand, was shot dead mere meters before reaching him.

By Uzi Baruch

 

A Border Policeman credited two of his comrades Thursday with saving his life when they reacted alertly to a terrorist attack in Samaria.

Tapuah Junction

Tapuah Junction – Ichud Hatzala

Sergeant S. said that “if my comrade warriors had not operated so quickly and professionally, it is very likely that I would not be standing here today.”

“We are stationed at the checkpoint all day and night and are required to maintain maximal alertness and readiness. Continue Reading »

Israel and Egypt sign letter of intent for natural gas deal

 

Israel’s offshore Leviathan natural gas field to supply Egypt with gas via existing Egyptian underwater pipeline via the Sinai.

By i24news

 

Israel’s offshore natural gas field Leviathan will supply gas to Egypt via an existing underwater pipeline to the Sinai peninsula, Leviathan’s partners said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Wednesday after signing a preliminary deal.

Leviathan gas field in Israel – Photo: AFP

As part of the deal, Leviathan will supply Egypt’s Dolphinus Holdings with up to 4 billion cubic meters of gas a year for 10 to 15 years.

Though Egypt used to be a major regional gas exporter in the region, with Israel being one of its clients, the tables have turned in recent years, owing to several factors – including, in Egypt, instability in the Sinai Peninsula region – where several large fields are located – due to the rise of the Islamist insurgent group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, and in Israel, the discovery of large off-shore gas fields. Continue Reading »