Israel and Stuff

Israel re-approves 900 new homes for East Jerusalem neighborhood

US State Dept says plans are ‘damaging & inconsistent’ with resolving Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
•UN chief ‘concerned’ by plans to build homes in Jewish neighborhood.

By The Associated Press

Israel has approved 900 new homes in East Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood Ramat Shlomo, watchdog Peace Now said Thursday.

Construction in Ramat Shlomo – Photo: AFP/File

Israel first announced the plans in 2010 during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.

US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke on Thursday called it “damaging and inconsistent” with resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians with a two state solution. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: East Jerusalem, housing, new construction

israelandstuffcom | May 8, 2015

Virulent Anti-Israel MPs Galloway and Ward Lose In UK Election

Two radically anti-Israel MPs with history of anti-Semitic tinged comments Galloway & Ward voted out of their spots in yesterday’s UK elections, proving ‘Jew-baiting doesn’t pay.’

By Ari Yashar

As David Cameron’s Conservative party seals its victory in Thursday’s UK general elections, two radically anti-Israeli MPs infamous for a long past of comments edging on anti-Semitism have lost their posts.

Anti-Semitic ?, George Galloway – Reuters

In Bradford West, MP George Galloway failed in his re-election bid, with Labor’s Naseem Shah thrashing him soundly in the polls. Shah won 19,977 votes, whereas Galloway’s Respect party fielded a mere 8,557, and George Grant of the Conservative party came third with 6,160. Continue Reading »

Category: The Diaspora | Tags: anti-Semitism, elections, George Galloway

israelandstuffcom | May 8, 2015

Report: John Kerry to Offer Saudi Arabia Anti-Missile System & Bunker Busters

The Washington Times reports the U.S. is likely to offer the Saudis its advanced GBU-28 bunker buster bombs, that so far is only provided to Israel.

By Moshe Cohen

The United States is likely to offer Saudi Arabia its advanced GBU-28 bunker buster bombs – so far only provided to Israel – as Washington seeks to beef up Saudi Arabia’s ability to lead Gulf countries in defending themselves against Iranian moves in the region.

Bunker Buster – Screenshot

According to the report in the Washington Times, Secretary of State John Kerry will propose the idea to Saudi officials on his visit to that country this week.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: anti, bunker buster, GBU-28, Saudi Arabia, US Saudi Arabia

HRW: Palestanian Authority Arresting University Students For Supporting Hamas

After Birzeit University annual student council vote was won by Hamas, Abbas’ Palestinian Authority security arrests & beat 25 students.

By i24news

Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused the Palestinian security forces of arresting or questioning West Bank students over their political opinions, saying several had been mistreated.

A Palestinian policeman attaches a picture of President Mahmoud Abbas to a police car during a parade in the West Bank town of Hebron, 2009 – Photo: AFP

“It is deeply worrying that students are being held by Palestinian forces for no apparent reason other than their connection to Hamas or their opinions,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East and North Africa director. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Birzeit University, hamas, HRW, PA corruption, PA police, Palestinian Authority

IDF Integrates Armed Robots Into Its Ground Forces

Having already excelled in it’s use of unmanned vehicles in the air and on the sea, a new robotic ‘advance guard’ unit will be introduced to open corridors for IDF infantry into enemy territory.

By Israel Today Staff

Israel is already a world leader in the research, production and military integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Now, it is successfully integrating robots into its ground forces, as well.

Robot wars?

At the International Ground Forces Conference held this week in Tel Aviv, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eyal Ben Reuven revealed that just the week prior the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade had become one of, if not the first ground force in history to train side-by-side with “advanced ground robotics.” Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries, Israel News, Video's worth Viewing | Tags: IDF, innovations, Robotics

300 El Salvadorian descendants of forced Spanish conversions return to Judaism

Some 300 El Salvadorian descendants of Spanish conversos observing Orthodox Judaism, dream of ‘Aliyah’, of living in Israel.

By Yori Yalon

Hundreds of years after their forefathers fled Spain, some 300 descendants of Spanish conversos live in El Salvador as a thriving community, observing Orthodox Judaism, keeping the laws of the Sabbath, and dreaming of converting and immigrating to Israel as Jews.

Members of the El Salvadorian community pray in the synagogue in San Salvador – Photo: Shavei Israel

The community built a synagogue in the capital, San Salvador, and named it Beit Israel. Though the congregation is scattered across the city, a minyan (quorum) of worshippers gathers there three times each day for prayers, and on Friday, the eve of the Sabbath, they gather in the building that houses the synagogue and sleep in the main lobby so as to avoid desecrating the Sabbath. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: Diaspora Jews, El Salvador, Judaism, Shavei Israel

Israel, Greece & U.S. Hold Joint Naval Exercise in Mediterranean

The trilateral exercise, from April 27 until May 14, will include from Israel, dolphin class submarines, Sa’ar missile ships and a naval helicopter.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

The Israel Navy took part in a trilateral exercise with the US and Greek navies this week.

Israel holds naval drill with US & Greece. – Photo: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT

The exercise, the largest of its kind, dubbed Noble Dina, involved air-sea maneuvers and the use of a variety of naval vessels. It began on April 27 and will reach its conclusion on May 14, the IDF Spokesman’s Office said.

Three Israeli missile ships – the INS Lahav, a Sa’ar-class ship, and the INS Keshet and the INS Romah, both Sa’ar-4.5 class missile ships – took part. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: cooperation, Israel Greece, Israel Navy, Israel US, Military exercises, NATO

Intel Expert: Oil Industry Has Technology to Deal With Israel’s Tunnel Problem

IDF’s technology department creator says Israel’s land borders are vulnerable to terror-tunnel attacks, but the oil industry may have solutions.

By Yaakov Levi

Yossi Langosky, the IDF officer who established the technology department of the army’s Intelligence Unit, said Wednesday that all of Israel’s land borders – north, south, and east – were vulnerable to “tunnel attacks” by terrorists, similar to the ones conducted by Hamas before and during Operation Protective Edge last summer, according to NRG. The IDF can develop solutions to defend the country against such attacks – but it is going to take a revision of policy and outlook.

Category: Israel News | Tags: hamas, Hezbollah, oil industry, Operation Protective Edge, Terror tunnels, terrorism, tunnels, Yair Naveh, Yossi Langosky

French inquiry commission requires Palestinians to not execute suspects in Arafat’s death

The case, being reviewed by French prosecutors who have 3 months to close the case or take it to court, require the Palestinian Authority to first assure no death penalty imposed on anyone, if found guilty of killing Arafat.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

France has demanded that the Palestinian Authority promise that it wouldn’t impose the death penalty on anyone found guilty of killing former PLO leader Yasser Arafat, a senior Fatah official said on Wednesday.

Dead Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, before his demise

Tawfik Tirawi, member of the Fatah Central Committee and head of the Palestinian commission of inquiry into the death of Arafat, revealed that the French demand was relayed to the PA about three weeks ago. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Palestinian Authority, Palestinian propaganda, Yasser Arafat

Jewish pilgrimage to Ghriba synagogue in Tunisia under tight security

Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims expected at 2-day religious festival on the Tunisian island of Djerba, despite Israel’s security warning of ‘concrete terror threats’.

By i24news

The Jewish pilgrimage to Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba is to take place Wednesday under extra security after the Bardo museum massacre and Israel’s warning of terror threats.

An employee cleans an engraved Star of David at the Ghriba Synagogue on May 5, 2015 on the eve of the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the synagogue on the Mediterranean resort island of Djerba – Photo: Fethi Belaid/AFP

Hundreds are expected to take part, unlike the thousands who flocked to Africa’s oldest synagogue for the annual pilgrimage in the years before a 2002 suicide bombing claimed by al-Qaida that cost 21 lives. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: Djerba, Ghriba synagogue, security, synagogue, Tunisia

REPORT: Israel Destroys SCUD Factory in Sudan But Lost UAV In Operation

Sudan claims it shot down Israeli UAV, but denies Arab media reports that the IAF destroyed an Iranian SCUD missile factory & warehouse near Khartoum.

By Ari Yashar

The Sudanese army claimed it shot down an Israeli drone, after Arab media reported on Wednesday that Israeli war planes struck sites around the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, destroying weapons sites apparently destined for Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Israeli Heron UAV (illustration) – Reuters

The London-based Arabic-language Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and other Arab news sources reported the strikes, saying they hit a factory producing long-range Scud missiles, a rocket storage site, as well as a convoy that was leaving the military site in Omdurman to the north of Khartoum.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: airstrike, Drone, hamas, IAF strike, Iran, Khartoum, Sudan, UAV

2 wounded UN peacekeepers from errant mortar strike inside Syria treated in Israel

In apparent spillover from ongoing civil war, 2 wounded UNDOF peacekeepers stationed in Quneitra, a man & a woman from Nepal, were sent to an Israeli hospital for treatment.

By Danny Brenner, Lilach Shoval, Israel Hayom Staff & Reuters

Two United Nations peacekeepers stationed on the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights were wounded on Monday when a mortar shell struck their position in Quneitra.

A wounded U.N. peacekeeper is treated at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Monday – Photo: Ziv Medical Center

It is believed the mortar fire was spillover from the ongoing civil war inside Syria.

The wounded peacekeepers, a man and a woman from Nepal, were transported to an Israeli hospital for medical treatment. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Mid-East News | Tags: medical attention, Quneitra, Syrian unrest, Tikon Olam, UNDOF, Ziv Medical Center

Jerusalem to become film & TV hub to attract international filmmakers

Noting major Hollywood projects by Richard Gere & Natalie Portman in Jerusalem, Mayor Barkat says time has come to incorporate the Jewish capital into a global production destination.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD

On the heels of several high-profile Hollywood productions filmed, or filming, in the capital, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced on Tuesday his intention to build a major film and television complex in the city to attract more international filmmakers.

Old city of Jerusalem – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

“After Richard Gere and Natalie Portman made Hollywood films in Jerusalem, and NBC filmed here last summer for the series ‘Dig,’ now it’s time to move to the next stage in the development of the film industry in the capital,” Barkat said in a statement. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: Hollywood, Jerusalem, Nir Barkat