Dep. Minister Kara Distraught Over Decision to Terminate Druze Battalion

MK Ayoub Kara opposes Chief of Staff’s decision to shut down ethnic unit, as most Druze recruits would rather integrate into the IDF like other soldiers do.

By Yishai Karov & Gil Ronen

 

Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara is upset over the decision by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, to shut down the Druze Battalion.

The decision to close down the battalion after 40 years of existence was reported Monday on the IDF Website.

Eizenkot’s decision “does a disservice to the heritage and past of one of the IDF’s most important and fascinating units,” he said, “despite the desire for change and integration among the young Druze, which I support.” Continue Reading »

CORRECTION: Pope Francis Did Not Say Abbas is ‘Angel of Peace’

Many mainstream news sources continue to print the false declaration, even after the Vatican made the pope’s remarks available in English.

By Ellen Carmichael

 

Sunday morning, Americans awakened to headlines proclaiming that Pope Francis had called Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas “an angel of peace” during an event at the Vatican the day before. News organizations gleefully printed this claim across newspapers and news sites around the globe. Agence France-Presse’s headline: “Pope meets ‘angel of peace’ Abbas after treaty announcement.” BBC: “Pope Francis calls Palestinians’ Abbas ‘angel of peace.’” The New York Times: “In Vatican, Abbas Is Praised as ‘Angel of Peace.’”

Continue Reading »

Teenage Archeology Enthusiasts Unearth 1,400 Year-Old Wine Press In Jerusalem

A woman running her dog in a wooded area in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, alerted the Israel Antiquities Authority after spotting the ancient wine-press, which apparently had been uncovered by local teens.

By Yori Yalon

 

A wine press used 1,400 years ago was recently unearthed in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood in northeast Jerusalem.
Continue Reading »

Judge Vetoes Police, Allows Israel’s ‘Burning Man’ But Limits Nudity To Closed Areas

 

After several days in which police refused to give a permit to hold Midburn, Israel’s version of the “Burning Man” festival, a Beersheba Court ruled that police must approve a permit, and required that organizers adhere to some of the police demands.

The Temple of Grace burns on the last day of the Burning Man 2014 “Caravansary” arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Continue Reading »

Israelis sizzle as 1st heat wave settles in

Temperature highs to hit 42° C (107° F)  in south, peak temperatures to hit on Tuesday.

By Noam (Dabul) Dvir

 

A heat wave that will bring temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) began sweeping over Israel Monday, with peak temperatures to hit Tuesday.

Palestinians & Israelis cool off in the Mediterranean sea – Photo: AP-Oded Balilty

In Eilat, residents braced for the most extreme heat while even in Tel Aviv the forecast predicted temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

The heat is forecasted to affect all of Israel, with Haifa forecasted to reach 37 degrees Celsius, Be’er Sheva 39 degrees and Jerusalem 34 degrees. Continue Reading »

African Passerby Joined Savage Assault of Jewish Teen by 4 Arab Thugs On Paris Street

In latest anti-Semitic attack in France, a North African passerby joined in the ongoing assault by Arab thugs, leaving the savagely beaten Jewish teen in serious condition.

By Hannah Kestenbaum

 

In the latest attack in a string of anti-Semitic incidents in Paris, a young Jewish teen was violently assaulted outside of the Buttes Chaumont Park on Friday, May 15.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France – SCREENSHOT

The 16-year-old boy, who was wearing a Kippa (skullcap) at the time, was attacked while returning to his home to prepare for Shabbat dinner.

According to French news service JSS, he was then approached by four men, which the report described as looking North African and between the ages of 17-20. Continue Reading »

IDF Command Rejects Female Integration Into Tank Crews

After conducting extensive trials, Israel’s army rejects allowing female recruits to join the Armored Corps tank crews.

By Yoav Zitun

 

A series of trials conducted in recent months by GOC Army Headquarters – in coordination with the Medical Corps – concluded that female soldiers could not serve as combat troops in the IDF’s Armored Corps.

Tank crews from the Seventh Brigade’s 75th Battalion train with their new Merkava Mk. 4 tanks. – Photo courtesy: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT

The field tests were undertaken as part of an IDF initiative to increase the number of combat positions available to women.

“Medical Corps officials examined the workloads and noted that integrating female soldiers into tanks was harmful,” a senior Army officer told Ynet. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu: Jerusalem, capital of the Jewish State, the Jewish People

Four Israeli policemen injured by Arabs, as a group of Muslims scuffled with Jews attending the  Jerusalem Day march, which saw 30,000 people participating.

By i24news

 

Four Israeli policemen were lightly injured on Sunday as clashes broke out between Israeli Jews and Palestinians near Jerusalem’s Old City at the annual celebrations marking Jerusalem Day. Four Palestinians were detained.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the official Jerusalem Day ceremony, marking 48 years since the unification of Jerusalem, at Ammunition Hill National Memorial Site in Jerusalem – Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO

Demonstrators were dispersed by baton-wielding police, some on horseback. A police statement said that in one incident “several dozen Muslims scuffled with a group of Jews.” Continue Reading »

‘Breaking the Silence’ Exposed

Israelis get angry and turn to social media exposing the radical leftist group that presented ludicrous allegations of IDF war crimes, by anonymous story tellers.

By Tsvi Sadan

 

Exposing a pustule on Israel’s body is sometimes a necessary step towards a cure. It’s not what you might think. I am not pointing at the “Occupation.” I am referring to organizations like “Breaking the Silence” that exploit the occupation as a means of transforming Israel into a Sweden-style liberal state.

Until recently, Breaking the Silence was a relatively marginal, albeit damaging, organization. Though its stated purpose is to “expose the Israeli public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories,” its involvement in the fabrication of the Goldstone Report that investigated alleged Israeli war crimes in the wake of the 2009 military operation against Gaza clearly demonstrated that “occupied territories” is the red herring used to deflect attention from the group’s subversive activity that is ultimately aimed at turning Israel to a bastion of human rights that has no particular interest in remaining a Jewish state (peep through Haoketz if you like). Continue Reading »

Foreign Ministry caucus seeks to eliminate anti-Semitic websites

With current laws on hate speech not being enforced, Israeli task-force of experts begin working to stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Europe by having Google remove search results that lead users to anti-Semitic, Holocaust denial websites.

By Shlomo Cesana

 

A special forum of some 1,000 experts put together by the Foreign Ministry has decided to act to combat the spread of anti-Semitism in Europe, including online.
Continue Reading »

Unimpressed With US Promises About a Nuclear Iran, Saudis to Buy Pakistani Nukes

With Riyadh having said they would never be under threat of a nuclear Iran, Saudi Arabia has been negotiating with Pakistan on its acquisition of nuclear weapons.

By Matt Wanderman

 

Saudi Arabia is trying to purchase nuclear weapons from Pakistan, according to senior US officials.

Nuclear cloud – Photo: US Navy

Saudi Arabia has expressed concerns over the way nuclear negotiations with Iran are being run. It has said that it fears the final agreement would allow Iran the capability of developing nuclear weapons, either by ignoring its obligations or by waiting a few years until the terms are over. Continue Reading »

Minister Regev’s 1st directive: Move Culture & Sport Ministry to Jerusalem

Miri Regev says that because the ministry deals in matters of state, it’s appropriate that it should operate from Israel’s capital.

By Roi Yanovsky

 

Miri Regev’s first decision as minister of culture and sport is to move the ministry’s offices from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Ynet has learned.

The New Culture & Sport Minister, Miri Regev – Photo: George Ginsburg

Regev has already approached Finance Ministry officials with the request to find the Culture and Sport Ministry a new home in the capital.

As part of the move, the ceremony to replace ministers on Sunday will not take place at the Tel Aviv office, but rather in the ministry’s existing branch in Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, where the ministry’s operations have been far and few so far. Continue Reading »

Pope Francis praises Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as “Angel of Peace”

Abbas meets with Pope Francis on trip to canonize 2 Palestinians Nuns as Saints, just days after Vatican announced it will sign treaty that recognizes State of Palestine, adding that Abbas is an ‘angel of peace.’

By AFP & The Associated Press

 

Pope Francis met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas during a private audience early on Saturday, days after the Vatican said it was preparing to sign its first accord with Palestine, drawing Israeli anger.

Pope Francis and President Abbas. – Photo: EPA

Pope Francis praised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as an “angel of peace” during the meeting at the Vatican. Continue Reading »

Hamas Official Demands British Reparations for Facilitating Israel’s Existence

Hamas officials are claiming that the UK pay Palestinians reparations & aid Hamas in terrorizing Israel to “avenge” the “injustice” since Britain “paved the way” for a “Zionist takeover” of their land.

By Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin

 

The coordinator of the Palestinian Arab world’s “Nakba Day” events has blamed Britain for Israel’s existence on Friday, charging it with “theft of natural resources and property” and calling for the country to assist in Palestinian terror groups’ retaking of Israel and to pay reparations to “avenge” the “injustice.”

Hamas official Essam Adwan stated Friday that Britain “paved the way” for a “Zionist takeover” by preventing Palestinians from establishing an armed resistance against Jews in 1947 and by weakening the local economy and education system. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu’s New Coalition Agreements Cost Taxpayers More Than Last 3 Gov’ts Together

The NIS 6.7 billion per year includes millions for religious Zionist projects & Haredi schools, to cement the narrowest of coalitions.

By Shaul Amsterdamski

 

With all the coalition deals now signed and the new government about to set out on its way, we have done the math: The total cost of all the coalition agreements is higher than it was for the previous three governments combined.

Netanyahu. Poured money into coalition partners’ pet projects. – Photo: EPA

With the exception of the deal with Shas, which has yet to be published, this amounts to more than NIS 6.7 billion a year. Continue Reading »