Polish democracy may take a few missteps every once in a while, but its goal of good Jewish relations remains clear by their actions and investments.
shechita ritual – Photo: Nati Shohat/Vosizneias.com
Israel increases number of terrorists to be pardoned to precipitate Peace talks
Israel has decided to raise the number of prisoners that it will release from 82 to 104 as a condition for the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table Israel Radio reported on Saturday.
Netanyahu and Abbas were unsuccessful in 2010, will this time around be different? – Photo: REUTERS
Israel increased the number of people to be freed after the Palestinians threatened that they would not return to the opening meeting of talks that is scheduled to take place next week in Washington according to the report that cited a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Continue Reading »
Abbas: Sunday should bring welcomed news about PA prisoners
As Israel confirms gov’t to vote on peace talks and terrorists prisoner release;
Palestinian president at Ramallah press conference says Sunday will bring wonderful news for Arab prisoners held by Israelis.
By Elior Levy
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a press conference Friday in Ramallah and said that Sunday will see “good news” for the Palestinians locked in Israeli jails, but failed to be more specific. Abbas also confirmed that Tuesday peace negotiations were scheduled to begin in Washington.
Abbas talks with PA officials after talks with Kerry – Photo: EPA
Sunday, Ynet has learned, the government is expected to authorize the beginning of peace talks, as part of its weekly meeting, and form a special ministerial committee charged with prisoner release. Continue Reading »
Israel stopped aiding EU representatives entering Gaza, European diplomat reports
Diplomat says recent lack of cooperation is part of Israeli response to EU’s new settlement (boycott) guidelines.
Ashton’s spokesperson: The European Union has not received any official communication on orders to limit work with EU on the ground & is seeking ‘urgent clarifications’ from Israel.
Several European aid staff have been barred from entering Gaza as part of Israeli measures in the wake of new EU guidelines barring cooperation with settlements, a western diplomat said Friday.
Palestinian workers at the Erez border crossing. – Photo: AP
The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the humanitarian aid staff had failed to receive permits to enter the Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »
Deputy FM Elkin: PM to Give Abbas’ PA 86% of Judea & Samaria for Peace
Deputy Foreign Minister: The ‘Bad News’…Netanyahu would relinquish 86% of Judea & Samaria to the Palestinians, but the ‘Good News’ is they will never settle for that.
By Elad Benari, Canada
Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud) believes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would be willing to give more than 80% of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinian Authority as part of a future peace agreement.
In an interview with the Maariv daily newspaper which was published on Friday, Elkin said that former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had spoken with the PA about Israel keeping 14% of the so-called “settlement blocs” and handing the remaining 86%. Continue Reading »
Hizbullah Wired $100K for Bulgaria Suicide Bomber
Hizbullah paid almost $100,000 to 2 men who are wanted over Burgas terrorist attack that left 5 Israeli tourists and a local dead, according to Bulgarian media.
By Elad Benari, Canada
Hizbullah’s armed wing wired almost $100,000 (75,000 euros) to two men wanted over a bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year, a local newspaper reported Friday, according to the AFP news agency.
According to the 24 Hours daily, the money was to help organize the blast at Burgas airport on the Black Sea on July 18, 2012, and to carry out reconnaissance in other countries. Continue Reading »
Increasing number of Israeli Christians volunteering for national service
Even some Muslim youth are interested as Israeli Christians are doing military and/or national service despite boycotts & denouncements by Arab public figures.
Zeidan Baha’s heartwarming story of how his volunteering as a firefighter was a way to ‘payback’ for his life being saved.
By Daniel Siryoti
In recent weeks the activity of the forum to recruit Israeli Christians to the Israel Defense Forces has made headlines. Israeli Arab public figures, both Muslim and Christian, have spoken out against the increasing numbers of young Christians who are interested in enlisting and want to share the burden along with other minorities such as the Bedouin and Druze.
Two opposing women’s groups vie for status quo settlement at Western Wall
‘Women for the Wall’ strenuously oppose ‘Woman of the Wall’, for their attempts to force a change in the status quo at the Kotel.
Women of the Wall, the activist group that holds women’s prayer services each month at the site known as the Kotel, loudly sang festive prayers at a spot far from the wall itself. Police had barricaded them there, ostensibly for their own protection. A few feet away, a group of harediOrthodox boys shouted at them, called them Nazis, blew whistles, waved signs and raised a primal scream.
Morsi recaptured & charged for conspiring with Hamas & murder
CAIRO – The Egyptian army is detaining ousted President Mohamed Morsi over accusations of kidnapping, killing soldiers and other charges, the state news agency said on Friday.
The army had previously said it was holding Morsi for his own safety and the report was likely to stoke tension before mass rallies on Friday billed as shows of strength between supporters and opponents of the Islamist Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected leader.
Turkey: Detained bird was not spying for Israel
Turkish daily Hurriyet reports: After interrogation & X-ray test, the detained kestrel with leg-tag reading ‘4311 Tel Avivunia Israel’ was not carrying microchips & released “to fly away”.
By Ynet
Turkish authorities have “cleared a renegade bird captured in the Ağın district of the eastern province of Elazığ on suspicions of working for Israel’s state-of-the-art intelligence agency,” the Hurriyet newspaper reported Friday.
After being arrested, detained, interrogated, & x-rayed, the bird was ‘Free to fly away.’
According to the report by the Turkish newspaper, residents of Altınavya village became suspicious that the little kestrel could be more than a bird that lost its way when they found it wore a metallic ring stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel,” and delivered it to the district governorate. Continue Reading »
Steinitz: Israel prepared for ‘serious territorial concessions’ for peace deal
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz says his gov’t ready to make ‘serious territorial concessions’ since the only possible solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a 2-state solution with demilitarized Palestinian state.
By Haaretz
Intelligence and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Daily Telegraph Friday that Israel is willing to make “considerable concessions” within the framework of an agreement with the Palestinians. Steinitz also said that a demilitarized Palestinian state is the only possible solution.
“At the end of the day, we will have such a situation. It’s going to be difficult to achieve it – there are many obstacles in the way – but I think there is no other solution to the problem,” Steinitz told the Telegraph. Continue Reading »
‘Quiet’ Arrest Turns Into Shootout in Jenin
One terrorist shot & hurt as terrorists & rock-throwers clash with soldiers in northern Samaria.
By Maayana Miskin
Terrorists launched an attack on an IDF unit in northern Samaria early on Friday morning, IDF sources have revealed.
Attackers opened fire on IDF troops near the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Jenin. At the same time, other Arab attackers hurled rocks at the soldiers.
Soldiers were in the area to arrest a PA Arab man suspected of terror-related crimes.
Soldiers returned fire, hitting one attacker and wounding him. The wounded man was taken to a local PA hospital for treatment.
The troops managed to arrest the suspect they had come for despite the attack. Continue Reading »
Jewish Organizations are sending aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan
The Jewish Coalition for Syrian Refugees in Jordan will be collecting funds and working with global partners to deliver vital aid — food, clean water, medical care, shelter, and other relief supplies — to the most vulnerable refugee children and families suffering in Jordan.
By JTA
NEW YORK — A coalition of Jewish groups is providing more than $100,000 in aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan.
The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, which is made up of 14 organizations and coordinated by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, convened Thursday in New York to allocate the money to several groups providing aid to Syrian refugees in refugee camps in Jordan, a JDC spokesman told JTA.
Foreign Ministry to Kerry: Pre-’67 borders as basis for talks contravenes US commitments
Any US guarantee to the Palestinians that the upcoming negotiations with Israel will be based on the pre-1967 lines would be a violation of written US commitments given to then-prime minister Ariel Sharon, former Foreign Ministry legal adviser Alan Baker wrote in a letter sent this week to Secretary of State John Kerry.
IDF tanks and ambulance on the Gaza border – Photo: Ronen Zvulun / Reuters
Baker wrote the letter on behalf of the Legal Forum for Israel, along with another attorney with the group, Yossi Fuchs.
UN human rights chief slams Bedouin reorganization bill
UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights criticizes Prawer Bill, claims Israeli ‘gov’t must respect rights of its Bedouin communities, including recognition of Bedouin claims of land ownership.
By the Associated Press
The UN human rights chief on Thursday criticized Israel’s plan to demolish dozens of Bedouin villages and move up to 40,000 Arab residents to Israeli-built communities.
An unrecognized Bedouin village – Photo: Lowsho
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the Prawer Bill working its way through the Knesset would wipe out legitimate land claims for the Bedouins in the Negev. Her office said the bill, introduced Wednesday, could pass by the end of July. Continue Reading »
Israeli New Shekel Exchange Rate