US feels betrayed after Israel backsteps out of terror suit

The White House & Congress upset at Israel’s decision to back out of trial against Bank of China for its involvement in laundering money for Hamas & the Islamic Jihad.

The reason for Israel’s retreat: China conditioned Netanyahu’s state visit on promise from Jerusalem not to testify in trial.

Now, the US is threatening to subpoena Israel’s Ambassador Oren

By Shimon Shiffer

Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren was called back to Israel to take part in an emergency meeting convened this weekend by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so that Oren could pass on  messages sent by the US administration and Congress in the wake of tensions between the two countries. Continue Reading »

Egyptian Helicopter Flies Over Gaza for 1st Time Since 6-Day War

An Egyptian army officer died & 5 other soldiers were wounded Wednesday morning in ongoing battles with Islamist terrorists in Sinai.

By Chana Ya’ar

 

One Egyptian army officer died and five soldiers were wounded Wednesday in ongoing battles with Arab terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula.

Apache helicopter – Israel news photo: IDF

With the agreement of Israel, Egypt has increased its military presence in Sinai in order to fight the terrorist presence in the region, including an AH-64-D Apache helicopter to be deployed in the eastern Sinai Peninsula.

 

Egyptian helicopter over Gaza

An Egyptian military helicopter that flew over Gaza on July 12  for the first time since the 1967 Six Day War. Continue Reading »

Syrians Fire on IDF Night-Patrol in Golan Heights, IDF Returns Fire

IDF on regular night patrol of border with Syria in the Golan comes under direct fire, returns fire at group of unidentified suspects on the Syrian frontier.

 

 

An army force on a routine patrol of the border with Syria on the Golan Heights came under fire and shot back at a group of unidentified suspects on the frontier.

There were no injuries among IDF soldiers in the incident.

IDF troops survey the Golan Heights.

IDF troops survey the Golan Heights.- Photo: REUTERS

IDF soldiers identified a group of suspects who had entered an unmanned military post along the Syrian-Israeli border.

The suspects did not cross the border fence, but were in Israeli territory when they attacked the IDF, an army spokeswoman said. Continue Reading »

Israeli Navy stopped ship in December on suspicion of smuggling weapons

Cleared for publication

Tuesday,

that 6 months ago IDF naval forces stopped, boarded vessel they suspected was smuggling arms.

Yoav Zitun

The IDF has cleared for publication Tuesday that an Israeli navy force, active in securing Israel’s waters, captured a foreign vessel at sea in December and took its crew in for questioning.

Weapons carried on the cargo ship ‘Victoria’ are displayed next to the docked ship at the port of Ashdod, March 16, 2011.- Photo: Reuters

On the basis of intelligence information, Israeli navy cruisers stopped a ship in Israeli water last December, possibly in connection to arms smuggling.

After stopping the vessel, the IDF arrested its crew members and took them in for questioning. Continue Reading »

Numerous shells hit Golan from Syrian battle

No injuries, no damage in what looks like apparent stray fire from ongoing fighting between Syrian gov’t forces & rebels fighters.

By Gil Ronen
exploded shell  - Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

exploded shell – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

 

 

Mortar fire from inside war-torn Syria hit the Israeli part of the Golan Heights on Tuesday, an IDF spokeswoman said.

“Several mortar rounds fired from Syria exploded in northern Golan without causing any damage or casualties,” the spokeswoman told AFP.

It was apparently stray fire from fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels and was not deliberately fired towards Israeli territory, she added.

The Golan has been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago, but so far there have been only minor flare-ups as Syrian small arms fire or mortar rounds hit the Israeli side, prompting an occasional Israeli response. Continue Reading »

Israel establishes college in Tanzania

Once again, Israel demonstrates its commitment to education by helping enrich the lives of people living in poverty-stricken areas across Africa.

By Yossi Aloni

 

 

An Israeli college will soon be established in the African nation of Tanzania, whose population is 35 percent Muslim.

Light to the Nations: Israeli college established in Africa

Israeli college established in Africa – Israel Today

 

The Atid Network, the largest privately-owned educational network in Israel, has signed an agreement with the government of Tanzania to establish the new college in Dar es Salaam, the former capital and Tanzania’s largest city.

It’s first year of operation will see 700 students study at the college, with facilities expanded to accommodate up to 4,000 students within two years. Continue Reading »

Arabs prepared to deliver anti-Israeli resolution to IAEA over alleged nukes

 

Arab states relaunching efforts to single out Israel for criticism at Int’l Atomic Energy Agency conference by presenting resolutions over Israel’s alleged possession of a nuclear arsenal, suggesting Jerusalem’s refusal to acknowledge it has such arms, threatens Mideast peace.

By The Associated Press & Israel Hayom

 

After a two-year hiatus, Arab nations are relaunching efforts to single out Israel for criticism at a major international conference by preparing a resolution over the country’s alleged nuclear arsenal, suggesting that the Jewish state’s refusal to acknowledge it has such arms is threatening Middle East peace.

Continue Reading »

Temple Mount closed on Tisha B’av to Jewish visitors

Islamic terror prevails on Temple Mount, Judaism’s most Holy site. Jews bared from entry to prevent Arab violence.

 

JERUSALEM — The Jerusalem Police closed the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors a day after Arabs protested such visits.

A Muslim policeman and Jordanian Waqf official followed the Jewish group closely, urging them to move quickly.

When allowed to ascend to the Mount, policeman and Jordanian Waqf official followed the Jewish groups closely, to guarantee they don’t pray & urging them to move quickly. – Photo: Atara Beck

The closure on Tuesday coincided with the fast of Tisha B’av, a day of Jewish mourning for the destruction of the two Jewish Temples that were located on the site.

Continue Reading »

Final operation to retrieve ‘left-behind’ Jews in Ethiopia

6,300 Jewish Ethiopians made it to Israel in last three years.

 

From now, aliyah requests for Falashmura Jews to be handled on individual basis, like everywhere else.

By Danny Adeno Abebe

On August 28, two last flights will land in Israel, bringing 400 Falashmura new immigrants to the holy land. After this, the Jewish Agency will be closing down its camp in Gondar and the interior minister will hold an emergency hearing for all those who received negative answers.

Protest for Falash Mura in Jerusalem. Yearning for left-behind relatives to come to Israel. (archives) – Photo: Guy Assayag

Since 2010, 6,300 Falashmura Jews have been accepted for aliyah, thousands more were refused and at the end of August, for the last time, 400 will make aliyah, on two incoming flights. Continue Reading »

KKL-JNF Opposes Shale Oil Extraction in Southern Israel

 

KKL-JNF’s Board of Directors, headed by Chairman Efi Stenzler, reached a decision this week to oppose gov’t plans to extract shale oil from the Adullam region in southern Israel.

By KKL-JNF STAFF
 

 

KKL-JNF’s Board of Directors, led by Chairman Efi Stenzler, decided this week to oppose plans to extract shale oil in the Adullam region.

The Board unreservedly adopted the report by the professional committee established by KKL-JNF to investigate the matter and headed by Board member and well-known leading environmental activist Dr. Orr Karassin.

KKL-JNF

KKL-JNF – Photo: KKL-JNF

It is already widely known that the American owned company IEI has been granted an exploration license by those responsible for oil at Israel’s Energy and Water Ministry, and that it has received authorization to establish a pilot plant in order to examine the economic feasibility of extracting oil from kerogen shale in the Adullam region.

Continue Reading »

European Union Formally Limits Israel to Borders of 1949 Lines

For the 1st time, the EU formally forbids trade or agreements with Jewish representatives situated beyond 1949 Armistice lines, including the Golan Heights.

By Gil Ronen

 

The European Union has issued orders forbidding its member states from cooperating, transferring funds, giving scholarships or research grants to bodies in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem , and even the Golan Heights, Haaretz wrote Tuesday.

map of Israel

map of Israel – Arutz Sheva

The new instruction, promulgated bt the European Commission, which is the operative arm of the EU, sets parameters for cooperation between the EU and its members states, on the one hand, and Israeli governmental and private elements on the other. Continue Reading »

Jerusalem grants additional Egyptian infantry units’ entry into Sinai

Special authorization granted due to recent terrorist attacks in Sinai.

 

Main Morsi opposition group calls to suspend Camp David accords.

 

Senior US diplomat Burns urges ‘inclusive’ transition to democracy.

By Yoav Zitun

Israel authorized the Egyptian army on Monday to deploy two infantry battalions in the Sinai Peninsula, despite the fact that an appendix to the peace treaty between the two countries forbids Egyptian military presence in the area.

בקשת הצבא המצרי התקבלה על רקע ההחרפה בסיני (צילום: רויטרס)

Egyptian tank in Sinai – Photo: Reuters

The battalions are expected to deploy in the El-Arish and Rafah sectors as part of the effort to quell the increased Islamist terrorist activity, which included an attempt on the life of a senior military official. Continue Reading »

Israel official: Britain & US pressuring EU to blacklist Hezbollah’s military wing

Officials say UK & U.S. are pressing several reluctant EU countries to back such a move, ahead of the July 22 meeting of EU foreign ministers.

 

The foreign ministers of the European Union are most likely to add Hezbollah’s military wing to the body’s list of designated terror organizations when they meet on July 22, according to high-ranking Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem.

The officials said Britain and the United States are pressing several EU countries that are reluctant to back such a move.

A truck carrying the bus that was damaged in Wednesday’s terrorist attack on July 19, 2012.

A truck carrying the bus that was damaged in terrorist attack, outside Burgas Airport, Bulgaria on July 19, 2012.

Continue Reading »

Outrage as Participant in Hevron Massacre of 1980 to Manage Cave of the Patriarchs

MK Yariv Levin calls on gov’t to suspend all agreements with PA regarding Cave of the Patriarchs until appointment of past-terrorist Taysir Abu Sneina is cancelled.

By Gil Ronen and Ari Soffer

 

Taysir Abu Sneina, a terrorist who was involved in the murder of six Jews in Hevron on May 2, 1980, is the man whom the Palestinian Authority has appointed to manage the Muslim side of the Cave of Machpela (known in English as the Cave of the Patriarchs).

Cave of Machpela – Jewish Community of Hevron

The Hatzala Yosh organization reported Sunday that Abu Sneina participated in the terror attack on the building known as Beit Hadassah, on May 2, 1980, in which six students from the Nir Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba were murdered. Continue Reading »

Big plans for Beersheva including bringing 2,500 families to the Negev

Beersheva’s biggest boost may come from the new IDF training base complex, which is set to arrive by 2015, along with the army’s computer unit. The army estimates that this will streamline its operations and create 10,000 jobs.

Patrons eating lunch in a row of recently opened restaurants on the ground floor of public housing in central Beersheva. – Photo: Ben Sales/JTA

Now, though, Beersheva River Park looks like much of the area surrounding the desert city of Beersheva: a panorama of sand and dirt, with a bit of trash and, on a good day, some dirty water trickling through a gorge.

Continue Reading »