Pope Francis may visit Israel next year

As promised, the Pope had a press conference on numerous topics including accepting the Israeli president’s invitation to visit Israel.

By JTA

WASHINGTON  — Pope Francis said he may visit Israel as early as next year.

Pope Francis talks to press – Screenshot

On Monday, at a wide-ranging news conference aboard a plane returning him to the Vatican from Brazil, Francis said he was considering a Holy Land visit next year, The Associated Press reported.

Francis accepted an invitation to visit Israel from Shimon Peres when the Israeli president was at the Vatican in April. No date for the visit was set at the time.

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Israel’s Defense Minister hints to hidden pressures in prisoner release

 

At absorption base at Tel Hashomer, Defense Minister Ya’alon addressing new draftees said, “We had to decide between bad & worse”.

 

 

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon referred on Monday to unseen considerations that are far from the public eye as the main catalyst for Israel’s decision to release imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon visits IDF Home Front Command’s base in Ramle

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon visits IDF Home Front Command’s base in Ramle – Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry

Speaking at the IDF’s absorption base for new draftees at Tel Hashomer, Ya’alon said, “Releasing prisoners came as a result of choosing a bad option over a worse option… We reached the decision to avoid the worse [option].

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IDF’s Iron Dome crew housed in tents in ‘unbearable’ heat

As temperatures hit a scorching 42 degrees (107 F), soldiers manning the anti-missile system in Eilat for the past 10 days are without air conditioning.


Soldier’s family: ‘Does no one in the IDF know about the mad heat wave?’. 

By Yoav Zitun

Despite reports of the difficult conditions that IDF Iron Dome soldiers are subjected to, commanders decided to house soldiers of the Eilat Iron Dome battery, which was deployed there only 10 days ago, in tents and not air-conditioned accommodation. Upon a Ynet query, the military said that the issue will be resolved within the next 24 hours. Continue Reading »

Abbas in Cairo in sign of support for Egypt’s post-Morsi interim gov’t

 

Palestinian president meets Egypt’s acting president while Egyptian authorities investigate Hamas’ roll in 2011 prison break that freed Mohammed Morsi, left 14 inmates dead & was the catalyst for the chaos that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

 

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has met with Egypt‘s interim President Adly Mansour in Cairo in a show of support for the government that took over after Mohammed Morsi‘s ouster.

Egyptian interim President Adly Mansour, meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, July 29.

Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Cairo’s Presidential Palace. – Photo: AP

 

The visit on Monday comes as Egyptian authorities are investigating the role of Abbas’ rival Palestinian group Hamas in a 2011 prison break that freed Morsi and several other members of the Muslim Brotherhood who had been detained under the previous regime. Continue Reading »

Gaza Terrorists Fire Rocket at Israel, No One Hurt

Terrorist’s Rocket exploded in an open area in Shaar Hanegev regional council. The incident was without casualties or reported damage.

By Gil Ronen

 

 

Terrorists fired a rocket Tuesday morning from Hamas-controlled Gaza into southern Israel, as “peace talks” between the Palestinian Authority and Israel began in Washington.

Once AgainThe rocket exploded in an empty area within the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council. No one was hurt and no damage was reported.

Similar attacks took place July 21 and July 18.

Israel withdrew completely from Gaza in the 2005 Diengagement. The pullout failed to bring peace, and southern Israel has been subjected to missile fire ever since. Continue Reading »

PFLP rejects Abbas’ peace talks

 

Mere hours prior to the  beginning of the peace talks, leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine joined Hamas in rejecting negotiations, blaming US bias for past failures, opting for unilateral UN statehood bid instead.

Who exactly is Abbas representing?

By AFP

 

A major faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization rejected new peace talks with Israel just hours before their scheduled resumption in Washington on Monday after a three-year break.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets PA President Mahmoud Abbas - Photo courtesy of the Palestinian Press Office

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has PA President Mahmoud Abbas agree to negotiate. But who does he represent?- Photo courtesy of the Palestinian Press Office

The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said that talks’ resumption was a unilateral move by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas which did not have the backing of the PLO as a whole. Continue Reading »

Obama Urges ‘Honesty’ in Commencement of Israel-PA Peace Talks

On Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the beginning of renewed peace talks between Israel & the Palestinians , urging both to be ‘honest.’

By Chana Ya’ar

 

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the imminent start of renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians on Monday, but urged both sides to approach them with honesty, AFP reported Monday evening.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama – AFP photo

“The most difficult work of these negotiations is ahead, and I am hopeful that both the Israelis and Palestinians will approach these talks in good faith,” he said.

Obama thanked his own top diplomat, Secretary of State John Kerry, for organizing the talks, which were to begin later Monday in Washington with an initial exchange between top negotiators. Continue Reading »

4 Israeli Arabs convicted of attempted homicide for lynching Jewish terrorist

Haifa district court convicts 7 defendants of attempted homicide and aggravated assault for beating to death Natan-Zada, after he opened fire on a bus in Shfaram in August 2005, killing four.

 

A Haifa court on Monday acquitted seven Israeli Arabs of attempted murder in the lynching of Jewish terrorist Eden Natan-Zada, but convicted four of them of attempted homicide and two more of aggravated assault.

Natan Zada lynch

People surrounding the bus shortly after the attack in Shfaram – Photo: Ancho Gosh/Gini

The court on Monday convicted all seven defendants of aggravated assault of police officers, obstruction of justice, and property damage due to rioting. Continue Reading »

Al Jazeera Reporters Forcibly Ejected From a CUFI Pro-Israel Event

Two clandestine Journalists were removed from a Christian Zionist conference after secretly filming events that were closed to the press.

By Ari Soffer

 

Two Al Jazeera reporters were reportedly ejected from a convention of Christian Zionists in Washington, D.C. on Friday, according to Washington Free Beacon.

Al-Jazeera television network logo – AFP file

The pair have been identified as Matthew Cassel and Micah Garen. According to event organizers, they were initially denied press credentials to attend the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) conference at the Washington ConventionCenter, due to Al Jazeera‘s publication of an article by Columbia professor Joseph Massad, which was widely condemned as antisemitic. Continue Reading »

Egypt’s military unleashes its own ‘Desert Storm’ in the Sinai

 

The Egyptian army deployed about 3,000 of its soldiers in more than 2 armored battalions, including dozens of tanks & at least 10 attack helicopters to destroy more than 50 terrorist compounds in central  & northern Sinai.

By Daniel Siryoti

 

The Egyptian military began staging an offensive over the weekend to clean out the terrorist networks in the Sinai Peninsula.

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Braver than EU, Gulf States to Sanction Hizbullah Entirely

Refusing to be intimidated,  Gulf states to impose sanctions against Hizbullah that will identify all branches of the group being labelled as a terrorist organization.

By Elad Benari

 

 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has announced plans to impose sanctions against Hizbullah that will see all arms of the group being labelled as a terrorist organization.

Hizbullah flag

Hizbullah flag – AFP photo

The Saudi Arabian daily Al-Watan reported on Sunday that the GCC views Hizbullah as a monolithic organization and “does not differentiate between Hizbullah’s military and political wings.”

This is a direct reference to the European Union’s decision last week to place only Hizbullah’s military wing on the list of terrorist entities, leaving the political faction off the blacklist. Continue Reading »

Israel Developed an Everlasting Solar Battery

Israeli Sol Chip has made a limitless power device with its rechargeable solar-powered battery by combining solar cell and microchip technologies.

 

 

A battery with infinite power. Has the Israeli company Sol Chip found the way to do it? The Haifa-based company has developed the world’s first solar battery that is able to recharge itself to power wireless sensors and mobile electronics devices. Operable in sunlight and low-light environments, the batteries are a result of the cross pollination of solar cell and microchip technologies.

solchip Sol Chip Creates The Everlasting Solar Battery

The solar chip

“The company offers the missing technology that will improve batteries’ life or in many cases eliminate the need in a battery as a power source in low power applications,” says CEO and founder of Sol Chip, Dr. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Navy to begin installing defensive system to neutralize Russian Yakhont missile

 

Watch Video: The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, UAVs, anti-ship missiles & incoming cruise missiles.

Defensive System could be operational on Israel’s Saar 5 missile boats within the coming months.

By Lilach Shoval

Israel’s Navy has begun installing a new defense system on its missile boats which would protect them from the feared Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile.
The Eilat class Sa'ar 5 corvette - Photo courtesy: globalsecurity

The Eilat class Sa’ar 5 corvette – Photo courtesy: globalsecurity

The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles. Continue Reading »

Women of the Wall asks for use of Kotel’s Torah scroll or to bring in its own

Anat Hoffman, chair of Women of the Wall said it was “absurd” that Rabinowitz has refused Women of the Wall’s offer to donate a Torah scroll to the Kotel (Western Wall) for use by female worshipers there.

By JTA

 

Women of the Wall asked the rabbi of the Western Wall to allow the group to use one of the site’s Torah scrolls.

File:Jerusalem Western Wall BW 2.JPG

Western Wall Torah Ark, inside men’s section of Wilson’s Arch – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In a letter sent Sunday, Women of the Wall made the request to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz  for their Rosh Chodesh prayer service, marking the start of the new Jewish month.

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Navy seeking teenage submarine recruits for newly bought Dolphin-class vessels

 

4th & 5th German-made Dolphin-class submarines soon to enter Israel’s navy’s service in 2014.

The 6th sub still being manufactured in Germany.

 

 

The Israel Navy is taking its search for future submarine crew members, who will operate three soon-to-be operational new generation Dolphin-class vessels, to Israel’s high schools.

Dolphin-class submarine course – Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office

 

Maj. Yisrael (last name withheld), who runs the Navy’s high school outreach program, said the arrival of the new submarines and the need to fill them with new crew members led the navy to begin reaching out to 11th graders to get them to apply for Navy service.

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