Israeli Official: PM Netanyahu plans announcing new settlement construction

 

Israeli official says the Prime Minister, contrary to EU demands, is likely to announce plans for new settlement construction next week, coinciding with expected release of 3rd group of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

By AP

Israel likely will announce new plans for construction in Jewish settlements next week, an official said Wednesday, a move that is likely to trigger an international uproar and threaten peace talks with the Palestinians.

Settlements in the Samarian mountains (Photo:Tamar Lavmor Shlomovitz)

Settlements in the Samarian mountains – Photo:Tamar Lavmor Shlomovitz

The timing of the announcement would coincide with the expected release of a group of Palestinian prisoners. The government has announced new settlement construction plans during previous prisoner releases to blunt domestic criticism. Continue Reading »

Gilad Shalit Calls for U.S. to Release Jonathan Pollard From Prison

Former captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, urges Israelis to petition Americans: ‘We have already freed scores of murderous terrorists with blood on their hands at your request – now it’s your turn to make a gesture to us.’

By

 

 

Former captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit wrote in an open letter on Tuesday that all Israelis should demand that the United States free jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard.

Jonathan Pollard during an interview, May 15, 1998.

Jonathan Pollard during an interview at the Federal Correction Institution in Butner, North Carolina, May 15, 1998. – Photo: AP

Israeli officials have said that the revelation over the weekend that the United States spied on at least two sitting Israeli prime ministers opens the door for Israel to demand the release of Pollard, who has served 29 years of a life sentence in a U.S. Continue Reading »

Egypt Military Reports They Prevented a Hamas Car-Bomb Attack

Egyptian army report claims they arrested a Hamas terrorist who admitted his planning to plant a car bomb near undisclosed security target.

Hamas denies allegations.

By Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin

 

The Egyptian Army announced Wednesday that it had apprehended a Hamas terrorist in the northern Sinai Desert, Al-Arabiya reports.

The terrorist was named as Jumaa Khamis Mohammed Brayha, who claimed to stem from a family powerful in Hamas’s ranks.

During interrogation, according to the Egyptian army, the young man admitted that he was intending to blow up a Mercedes parked near a crucial security target.

Hamas has denied that the detainee was among its ranks and says his name is not even included in the register of residents of the Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »

More & More Christians Serving In the IDF & Israel Police: A Growing Community

 

Today, as people around the world celebrate Christmas, Christian soldiers serving in the IDF are off duty and at home with their families for the holiday. The growing community of Christian IDF soldiers recently gathered for a special forum to recognize their contribution to the State of Israel.

By IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

 

 

Nearly 90 Christian soldiers  from all over the country and from all IDF units came together earlier this week in Nazareth Illit for an event organized by the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum. Although it has only been around for a little over a year, its impact has been astounding. Continue Reading »

Kerry Ignores the Palestinians’ Support for “Hitler”

 

Deaf, Dumb, & Blind Sec. of State John Kerry totally ignores Abbas’ inability to negotiate as a ‘Representative’ of the Palestinian people while Hamas publicly announced in Gaza that they will never recognize any peace agreement with the Zionist State.

What cements Kerry’s disillusion of grandeur is his inability to see that not only Gaza has divorced themselves from Abbas, but that within the current Palestinian Authority, a civil war is brewing…and Hitler is alive & kicking.

by Khaled Abu Toameh

 

 

Abbas, it seems, has lost control not only over the Gaza Strip, but also his Fatah faction.

Continue Reading »

Number of Christian conscripts rose in 2013 for the IDF

84 Israeli Christians have volunteered for the IDF since June, representing a noticeable spike in the recruitment rate, which normally average about 50 new annual recruits in past years.

 

The IDF has observed a rise in the number of Christian-Arab Israelis enlisting in the IDF this year.

Elinor Joseph, was born 1991 into a Christian family from the Arab village of Jish, is the first Arab woman ever to serve in a combat role in the I.D.F.

Elinor Joseph, was born 1991 into a Christian family from the Arab village of Jish, is the first Arab woman ever to serve in a combat role in the I.D.F. – Photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit

Since June, 84 Christians have volunteered the military, representing a spike in the recruitment rate, which has averaged 50 new annual recruits in past years. Continue Reading »

Palestinian journalists in Gaza launch soft media revolution

 

New coalition of 29 Arab reporters aims to revolutionize Palestinian media as journalists wish to break away from propaganda-filled, gov’t fed media, and produce factual news articles that reflect the people’s real concerns.

The Media Line, by Diana Atallah

A group of 29 Palestinian journalists in Gaza have united to form “Fish,” an independent coalition seeking to revolutionize their local media. The group took its name, which also means “doesn’t exist” in Arabic, from the most important job for journalists: fishing for news.

Al-Jazeera television network logo – AFP file

Al-Jazeera television network logo – AFP file

Fish’s members say they hope to create a media landscape without boundaries or bias, and to move the traditional news culture away from routine, repetition and staleness. Continue Reading »

2 Videos: PM Netanyahu & President Peres Give Blessings to Israeli Christians

PM Netanyahu commends Christian citizens for joining the IDF & defending country, stops in the nick of time from uttering ‘Jewish’ state.

President Peres, in his own Christmas message, urges peace.

By  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his holiday blessings to the Christian citizens of Israel on Tuesday, in which he stressed the importance of the community’s contribution to the Israel Defense Forces – accidentally stopping just short of uttering the word “Jewish” state.

Israel's Prime Minister,  Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu

The video, released on the prime minister’s official channel, was widely distributed to Christian communities around the country. Calling them “loyal citizens”, Netanyahu commended the efforts of those active in recruiting Christians citizens to serve in the army. Continue Reading »

2 Jerusalem Arabs Run Over Cop in Latest ‘Trickling of Terror’

In latest of series of Palestinian terror attacks, 2 Jerusalem Arabs were arrested after car chase for running over a police officer.

The policeman, was evacuated to nearby Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital.

By Ari Yashar, Arutz Sheva

 

In the latest attack in what MK Yoni Chetboun (Jewish Home) has termed “trickling terror,” two Arab residents of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya ran over a police officer who stopped them following a car chase Tuesday night.

The driver had ignored police orders to stop while driving near Issawiya. In the ensuing car chase a police car managed to stop the car at the southern entrance to the neighborhood. Continue Reading »

Palestinian Christian Blames Muslims, Not Israel, for Ever Decreasing Numbers

 

Local Palestinian Christian researcher from Bethlehem says encroaching Muslim discrimination & intimidation is pushing Christians out of the region.

By Israel Today Staff

 

A Christian community leader and researcher from the Bethlehem suburb of Beit Sahour provided journalists with a very candid explanation for the exodus of Christians from the birthplace of Jesus: encroaching Muslim extremism.

Bethlehem Christian Blames Islam, Not Israel, for Dwindling Numbers

Bethlehem Christian Blames Islam, Not Israel, for Dwindling Numbers – Photo source: Israel Today

While most public figures among the Palestinian Arab Christian community will without blinking an eye blame Israel for all their woes, Samir Qumsieh, who operates a small local TV station, says these Christian leaders are “cowards” who are either deceived or compelled into toeing the line of the official Palestinian narrative. Continue Reading »

4 American universities divest from ASA over its academic boycott of Israel

2 additional American universities officially withdrew their memberships from the American Studies Association after voting for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education.

By JTA

 

Two more American institutions of higher learning officially withdrew their memberships from the American Studies Association after its membership voted in favor of an academic boycott of Israel.

Kenyon College & Indiana University joined Brandeis University to condemn Boycott – Photo: U.S. News

Kenyon College and Indiana University on Monday joined Brandeis University and Penn State Harrisburg in canceling their memberships in the association. Dozens of other universities also have condemned the ASA boycott, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of Maryland and New York University.

Continue Reading »

Tel Aviv Researcher Discovered Protein That Could Serve as Powerful Antibiotic

Israeli Researcher at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Discovers Protein That Could Replace Conventional Antibiotics & Kill Bacteria.

By By NoCamels Team 

 

 

In the frantic “arms race” between bacteria and modern medicine, bacteria have gained an edge. In recent decades, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed faster than the production of new antibiotics, making bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat. Scientists worry that a particularly virulent and deadly “superbug” could one day join the ranks of existing untreatable bacteria, causing a public health catastrophe comparable with the Black Death.

Bacteria spheres 3d illustration – Photo: Bigstock

Now research led by Doctor Udi Qimron of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine has discovered a protein that kills bacteria.

Continue Reading »

IAF airstrikes hit 6 targets in retaliation for Gaza Palestinian sniper killing Israeli Bedouin

 

Palestinians report 3 yr-old girl killed by flying shrapnel.

Security source: We wish to contain this, but Israel is prepared for Hamas escalation.

 

 

All eyes were on the Palestinian terrorist factions, to see how they would respond on Tuesday evening, after the IDF launched a large-scale retaliation in Gaza, to an unprovoked Palestinian cross-border sniper attack that killed a young Defense Ministry employee.

Israel Air Force F15I. Its Hebrew nickname is 'Ra'am' ('Thunder'). - Photo courtesy: IDF Spokesperson Unit

Israel Air Force F15I. Its Hebrew nickname is ‘Ra’am’ (‘Thunder’). – Photo courtesy: IDF Spokesperson Unit

 

The attack marked Israel’s first casualty from Gazan terrorism since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012.

Continue Reading »

Druze MK Responds to MK Tibi: You Make Israeli Arabs’ Lives Worse, Not Better

Druze Knesset Member praises Israeli equality, says MK Tibi makes Israeli Arabs’ lives worse, not better because he knows his political future rests on the continued demonization of the State of Israel.

By Maayana Miskin

 

Deputy Speaker of Knesset Hamad Amar (Likud) has come out with a strong response to an article by MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra’am Ta’al) accusing Israel of racism.

Amar not only defended Israel’s record of providing equal rights to all its citizens, but slammed Tibi and other Israeli Arab politicians, accusing them of hurting, not helping, Israel’s Arab minority.

“Perhaps more than anyone else, Tibi represents all that is wrong with parts of the Israeli Arab leadership,” Amar wrote in a post to Congress Blog. Continue Reading »

Israeli researchers’ breakthrough for treating bacterial infection.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers’ breakthrough discovery could lead to new ways of combating bacterial infection.

 

 

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have for the first time worked out how even non-antibiotic resistant bacteria survive antibiotic treatment. The study, which was published this week in the journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for improved therapies for treating bacterial infection.

A petri dish with bacteria culture (illustrative)

A petri dish with bacteria culture (illustrative) – Photo: Dreamstime

The problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has preoccupied many scientists for years. Aside from bacteria that have undergone mutations, making them resistant to antibiotics, another kind of bacterium exists as well, which is inherently unaffected by antibiotic treatment, called “persistent bacteria.” Continue Reading »