Israel to chair UN-linked Conference on Disarmament for month

This is Israel’s 2nd time to assume the rotating role to head the UN-linked Conference on Disarmament.

 

Israel will be in the driver’s seat of the UN-linked Conference on Disarmament starting on Monday, assuming the organizations’ presidency for one month.

Council Chamber at the UN in Geneva where the Conference on Disarmament holds its meetings. - Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Council Chamber at the UN in Geneva where the Conference on Disarmament holds its meetings. – Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Israel’s ambassador to UN organizations in Geneva, Eviatar Manor, will take the gavel at the first formal session to be held on Tuesday, in the presence of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Conference on Disarmament is the sole multilateral body for negotiating agreements for disarmament and arms control, and Israel has been a member state since 1996. Continue Reading »

Hamas media in Gaza aired a video purportedly documenting an IAF airstrike

 

 

The hand held amateur video shows explosion, which Gaza sources say was result of IDF’s Sunday airstrike on Gaza, that Jerusalem reported to have been in retaliation for Hamas rocket fire on Israel’s south.

By Elior Levy

Hamas-affiliated Gaza media released a video which they claim presents Sunday’s IDF airstrike in Gaza.

#Breaking: picture of the motorcycle in the Israeli assassination in Gaza city. #Israel #Gaza #USA #KSA #Egypt #Syria #Jordan #Lebanon

Tweeted by: Abdulla M. Al Hamarna Translator at Free-lance Journalist

An Islamic Jihad terrorist and a Palestinian boy were wounded in the targeted which the IDF launched in retaliation for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel.

Official Palestinian sources identified the two as a 22-year-old who was seriously wounded, and a 12-year-old boy who sustained moderate injuries. Continue Reading »

Security cabinet: Gas mask distribution ends after February

 

The inner cabinet’s decision will be reevaluated at the end of the year, following their assessment by defense authorities.

 

 

Israel will discontinue the distribution of gas masks to the public at the end of February, the security cabinet decided on Sunday.

Trying on my gas-mask - Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Trying on my gas-mask – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

The decision was taken in accordance with the assessment of the defense establishment that the danger of a chemical attack against Israel had declined substantially – primarily due to Syria’s decommissioning of its chemical weapons.

The manufacture of gas masks will continue at a reduced pace after February, the Prime Minister’s Bureau said in a statement, but they will be for the use of emergency teams only and won’t be distributed to the public. Continue Reading »

Canadian Prime Minister Harper praised by Netanyahu for ‘Great Moral Leadership’

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Jerusalem for first official visit and will address Israel’s Knesset Monday.

By Gil Ronen

 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Israel and will address the Knesset on Monday. This is Harper’s first visit to Israel.

 PM Netanyahu welcomes PM of Canada Stephen Harper - Photo: Screenshot PMO

PM Netanyahu welcomes PM of Canada Stephen Harper – Photo: Screenshot PMO

In welcoming Harper, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that while this world is “often cynical and hypocritical, you have shown great moral leadership. When it comes to fighting terrorism, you know that there cannot be any politically correct double talk, but only unequivocal condemnation and united international action. Continue Reading »

Sri Lankan president makes historical visit to Jerusalem

 

 

 

Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaska visits President Peres in Jerusalem to offer his assistance in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN

 

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is on an unprecedented official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. He is his country’s first head of state to come to Israel since both countries gained independence in 1948.

President Shimon Peres greets Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaska in Jerusalem Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO

President Shimon Peres greets Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaska in Jerusalem – Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO

In welcoming his Sri Lankan counterpart to his residence on Thursday, President Shimon Peres hailed him as a great leader who was successful in bringing peace, reconciliation and restoration to his people, “which is not a small achievement.”“You
Continue Reading »

Arabs Proudly Serve in the Israel Defense Force

As it turns out, Israeli Arabs & other Arabic speaking minorities in Israel, proudly & unabashedly speak of their service in the Israeli army.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Israel is often portrayed, even from within, as racist and hateful toward Arabs. Naturally, there couldn’t be any Arabs serving in the Israeli army, and certainly none proudly doing so.

Arabs Proudly Serve in Israeli Army

Mona Lisa Abdo, proud to have served (in a combat unit) in the IDF – Photo courtesy: Screenshot

Not so! The reality is that many thousands of Arabs and Arabic-speakers are not only Israeli soldiers, but outspoken advocates of both the IDF and the Jewish state they serve. Continue Reading »

Young Wounded Syrian Couple Being Treated in Israeli Hospital

 

“We hesitated coming to Israel, because we were taught to hate it. We were taught this is a brutal enemy state, but we learned that reality is different. People here have a conscience. Our enemy is in Syria, not in Israel.” the young pregnant Syrian woman said.
By Danny Brenner

 

Continue Reading »

UK Report: Pope Francis agrees to review Pius’ WWII conduct before deciding his sainthood

 

Sunday Times reports: The Vatican agrees to examine Holocaust-era archives, acquiescing to decades of Jewish pleas for historical accountability.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
 

Pope Francis will open the Vatican archives from the era of Pius XII in order to determine if the controversial pontiff, who has been accused of failing to speak up during the Holocaust, can be considered for sainthood, according to a report in The Sunday Times.

President Shimon Peres with Pope Francis at the Vatican, April 30, 2013 – Photo: Kobi Gideon / GPO

The newspaper quotes a close friend of Francis, Argentinean rabbi Abraham Skorka, as saying that the pope will follow through on his promise to examine Pius’ wartime role.

Continue Reading »

IDF to deploy laser interceptor ‘Iron Beam’ to neutralizer short-range artillery threats

 

Another Israeli technologically advanced defensive system that deals with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by Iron Dome, to be deployed in 2015.

Reuters

 

Israel plans to deploy a new missile shield known as “Iron Beam” next year which would use a laser to blow up short-range rockets and mortar bombs, a defense industry official said on Sunday.

 

The system is designed to deal with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by Iron Dome, the Israeli interceptor credited with an 80% success rate against rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists. Continue Reading »

Israel Air Force strikes Islamic Jihad terrorist in Gaza

 

Gaza terrorists must know that there is a personal price to pay when planning & executing rocket attacks against Israel. “There is no immunity,”

 

Three Palestinian were reportedly wounded Sunday in an Israel Air Force strike on a motorcycle traveling in the northern Gaza Strip.

Palestinians gather around the wreckage of a motorcycle targeted by an Israeli air strike, Gaza.

Palestinians gather around the wreckage of a motorcycle targeted by an Israeli air strike, Gaza Strip, Jan. 19, 2014. – Photo: AFP

One man was originally said to have died in the strike, but Palestinian officials later said this was incorrect and that he was in fact in a state of clinical death. Continue Reading »

New Israeli Start-Up Keeps Cut Fruit Looking Fresh

Israeli start-up SPRESH came up with a new all-natural spray that can prevent fruit from turning brown for up to 24 hours.

By Ari Yashar

 

A new Israeli start-up company has decided to tackle the age-old problem: how do you stop cut fruit from going bad quickly? SPRESH’s new all-natural spray does just that, preventing the deterioration of cut fruit’s taste, color and texture for up to 24 hours.

Screenshot from A video by the company shows how “Spreshed” apples hold up much better than grated apples over 4 hours

On the start-up’s Kickstarter campaign page, where the company is looking to build funds to expand their production, SPRESH founder Aviad Mozes writes he started the project to stop fruit discoloration after having to throw out left over browned fruit that his son wouldn’t eat. Continue Reading »

Serbian Minister: ‘We Have Much to Learn from Israel’

Influential Serbian Minister visits Israel for the 1st time, remarked how the Jewish state shows how to ‘fight for national dignity & freedom’.

By Michael Freund

 

Aleksandar Vulin, a prominent Serbian politician who serves as his country’s Minister in charge of Kosovo affairs, arrived in Israel on Friday for a three-day visit.

Aleksandar Vulin at the Serbian embassy in Tel Aviv – Michael Freund

“I feel great joy being here in Israel. It is my first official visit,” he told Arutz Sheva upon his arrival.

Vulin stressed that Serbs and Jews share a long history of living together and noted that they suffered together during the Holocaust, remarking that he sees the Jewish state as a moral beacon. Continue Reading »

Canada & U.S. urge UNESCO not to postpone ‘Land of Israel’ exhibit

UNESCO postponed Jewish exhibit in response to pressure by Arab League.

Simon Wiesenthal Center plans to display panels if UN fails to open exhibit.

 

 

The United States and Canada called on UNESCO to rescind its sudden decision to suspend an exhibit on Jewish ties to the Land of Israel – due to open at its Paris headquarters on Monday – in response to a protest by Arab states who fear it could damage the peace process.

UNESCO headquarters

UNESCO headquarters – Photo by Unesco.org

“UNESCO’s decision is wrong and should be reversed,” said US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power on Friday. Continue Reading »

UK parliament begins investigation into funding for UNRWA – perpetuating refugees

A British parliamentary committee was formed in response to heavy lobbying by pro-Israel organizations to consider weather perpetuating the refugee problem is contributing to the status quo & a de facto deterrent to the peace process.

By YUVAL PAIS, THE POST

 

 

 

The British parliament has formed a committee of inquiry to probe the flow of funds used by the international refugee agency UNRWA to support the Palestinians, according to an exclusive report first revealed on Saturday by The Jerusalem Post‘s Hebrew-language sister publication, The Post.

Former Labor Party MK Einat Wilf Addresses Knesset -  Photo: Facebook profile

Former Labor Party MK Einat Wilf Addresses Knesset – Photo: Facebook profile

According to the report, the British government contributes 90 million pounds annually in aid to the Palestinians. Continue Reading »

Nobel Prize winner Dan Schechtman announces candidacy to run for Israeli presidency

Israel’s 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry says his lack of political experience does not mean he doesn’t have a vision

By i24 News

 

 

Nobel Prize winning scientist Dan Schechtman announced plans to run for president of Israel on Channel 1 news on Friday.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Dan Schechtman announced his intentions to run for Israeli presidency in the 2014 elections ( nobelprize.org )

Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Dan Schechtman announced his intentions to run for Israeli presidency in the 2014 elections – Photo: nobelprize.org

Israel’s current president Shimon Peres will step down on July 27 and elections will be held this summer. The current confirmed candidates are Likud MK Reuven Rivlin, who lost to Peres seven years ago, and Labor MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer. Continue Reading »