Egypt reports arresting Israeli spy ring in Sinai

 

 

9 Palestinians & Egyptians reportedly arrested for by Egypt by gathering intel on behalf of Israel in the Sinai Peninsula

Salafi leader in Gaza admits their rocket fire from Sinai into Eilat was meant to harm Hamas & the Egyptian gov’t.

By Daniel Siryoti & the Israel Hayom Staff

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Analysis: How much for Marmara compensation

A look into the context of the Israel-Turkey ex gratia payment negotiations, even though there’s no legal enforceability.

 

 

 
The real negotiations between Israel and Turkey to put the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident behind them have only just begun.
Turks mark anniversary of flotilla in Istanbul

Turks mark anniversary of flotilla in Istanbul – Photo: REUTERS

With three years of arguing over whether there would be “regret” or an “apology,” the real fight comes down to the money, with reports indicating Turkey wants $9 million, or $1m. per dead Turkish citizen and that Israel’s initial offer was $900,000, or $100,000 per victim.

The legal context of the negotiations is the wild and virtually unbounded world of ex gratia payments.

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Haredi MKs respond to Lapid diatribe

Blamed by rookie finance minister for Israel’s huge deficit, the ultra-Orthodox MKs accuse Lapid of inciting hatred & scapegoating them to divert attention away from his planned tax hikes.

Moran Azulay

 

Haredi Knesset members are firing back following Finance Minister Yair Lapid‘s bitter diatribe at the Knesset plenum on Monday.

“He’s using the haredim as a means of distraction and a way to avoid the real questions about the enormous measures he’s imposing on the public,” said MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) who confronted Lapid at the plenum. “It will be because of him that Israelis take to the streets again soon enough.” Continue Reading »

Rebel groups warn Hezbollah to leave Syria

Syrian National Coalition urges the Lebanese gov’t to ‘adopt the necessary measures to stop the aggression’ of their Shi’ite terrorist group in Syria.

The Syrian opposition called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from the country immediately, as activists said regime troops supported by pro-government gunmen linked to the Lebanese Shiite militant group battled rebels Sunday for control of a string of villages near the Lebanon-Syria border.

Members of the Free Syrian Army hiding behind scrap metal during an attack against Syrian government

Members of the Free Syrian Army hiding behind scrap metal during an attack against Syrian government forces in Aleppo, Syria April 21, 2013. – Photo: AP

 

The Syrian National Coalition – the main Western-backed opposition group – warned that Hezbollah involvement in Syria’s civil war could lead to greater risks in the area, and urged the Lebanese government to “adopt the necessary measures to stop the aggression of Hezbollah” and to control the border to “prevent further risks and to protect civilians in the area.” Continue Reading »

Israel plans bringing clean water to the world

 

The Israeli company Odis commemorates UN Water Cooperation Year by unveiling its new filtering system that could provide clean drinking water to even the most impoverished places.

By Yossi Aloni

 

Israel last week unveiled at the UN a unique new filtration system that will finally allow people in Africa and South America to access clean drinking water.

Ron Prosor – רון פרושאור
Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

 

The presentation of the new system came during the Israeli delegation’s celebration of Israel’s 65th Independence Day at UN headquarters in New York City. Under the banner of “65 Years of Israeli Innovation,” the event was attended by ambassadors from around the world, UN officials, journalists and leaders of the Jewish community in New York. Continue Reading »

The loan of Balfour Declaration to Israel condemned by Arab League

Arab League proclaims Balfour Declaration as cause to the ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict, causing death and the loss of Palestinian rights.

The Declaration document will be on display at Independence Hall following the upcoming renovations to the building.

By Israel Hayom Staff

The Arab League has condemned the decision of the British National Library to loan the original Balfour Declaration document to Israel so it can be put on display at Independence Hall (where David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948) in Tel Aviv.
The Balfour Declaration

The Balfour Declaration

The original almost 96-year-old document has never left British soil.

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Sharansky gets ‘OK’ from PM to pursue Western Wall prayer plan

Sharansky’s plan calls for the Robinson’s Arch archeological site at the southern part of the Western Wall to be used as the designated space for egalitarian prayer.

 

JERUSALEM — Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky was given a green light by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue his plan for a permanent egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall.

Jerusalem (2)

Western Wall and Temple Mount seen in Jerusalem

 

Netanyahu told Sharansky to continue reviewing the situation with Zvi Hauser, the director general of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Yaakov Amidror, Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Jewish Agency spokesman Benjamin Rutland told JTA on Monday. Continue Reading »

EU preparing guidelines for labeling West Bank products

EU pursuing efforts to ensure labeling of settlement goods.

Israeli postal codes placed on exported products already alert European custom officials that products originate over the 1967 line.

 

 

The European Union is working on legal guidelines for any member states that might choose to clearly label products produced in West Bank settlements, according to diplomatic sources.

Activists march through  Modi'in Illit supermarket

Activists march through Modi’in Illit supermarket – Photo: REUTERS

“We are pursuing efforts to ensure correct labeling of settlement goods as tasked by the council,” an EU spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

The work now underway in Brussels to create guidelines for the sale of West Bank settlement products follows a December 2012 conclusion by an EU meeting of foreign ministers that all agreements with Israel “must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, namely the Golan Heights; the West Bank, including east Jerusalem; and the Gaza Strip.”

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Erdoğan to visit Gaza in May ignoring Kerry’s request

Turkish

media reports

 their PM refuses to postpone Gaza visit set for May despite US Secretary of State’s request.

Turkish officials meet with Israelis in Ankara to discuss compensation

Roi KaisBy

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to postpone his visit to Gaza in order to prevent disruptions to efforts to restart the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

 

Kerry & Erdoğan – Photo by Reuters

Reports in Turkey said Erdogan refused the request. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is in Israel to discuss developments in Syria and Iran. Continue Reading »

Nepal nabs Iranian planning terror attack on Israeli embassy

An Iranian was detained by Israeli security staff & found with a counterfeit Israeli passport.

By Haaretz Staff

 

An Iranian national carrying a forged Israeli passport was arrested on April 13 by security personnel from the Israeli embassy in the Nepalese capital Katmandu, Channel 2 News reported on Monday.

Aerial view of a road in Kathmandu

Aerial view of a road in Kathmandu – Photo: Dr Michel Royon/Wikimedia Commons

According to the report, the man was spotted acting suspiciously outside the Israeli mission in the city. He was detained by Israeli security staff and found to be in possession of a counterfeit Israeli passport. Channel 2 reported that embassy staff handed the suspect over to local police, where he reportedly confessed to the suspicions against him. Continue Reading »

Israel Capitulates to Hunger-Striking Terrorist

In exchange for his early release, imprisoned terrorist Samer Issawi has reportedly agreed to end his hunger strike which has lasted more than 8 months.

By Elad Benari

 

Israel has reached a deal with a Palestinian Authority Arab terrorist prisoner who has been on a long-term hunger strike, officials in the PA said on Monday night.

The terrorist, Samer Issawi, has reportedly agreed to end an on-off hunger strike which lasted for more than eight months in exchange for an early release, the officials told Reuters.

Issawi agreed to a deal brokered by Israeli and PA officials to serve eight months for violating bail conditions, after which he will be freed to his Jerusalem home, according to Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian prisoner organization. Continue Reading »

EU Favors Labelling of ‘Settlement Products’

Report: EU foreign ministers support efforts to label products from Judea, Samaria & ‘East-Jerusalem’.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

 

EU foreign ministers, among them Britain’s William Hague and Laurent Fabius of France, have said they will back EU efforts to label products from Israeli communities in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, according to a letter obtained by AFP on Friday.

“We warmly welcome your commitment to work with fellow commissioners to prepare EU-wide guidelines on the labelling of settlement produce,” said the letter by 13 ministers, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and dated April 12.

“This is an important step to ensure correct and coherent application of EU consumer protection and labelling legislation, which is in fulfillment of our previous commitments and is fully consistent with long-standing EU policy in relation to Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the letter said, according to AFP. Continue Reading »

Open Skies Cause Turbulence for Israeli airlines

 

Israeli airlines may strike Sunday if the cabinet approves new ‘Open Skies’ agreement with the EU.

Transportation Ministry: Airline agreement is good for economy & the public.

By Israel Hayom staff

Barring a last-minute compromise, Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir will go on strike on Sunday to protest the government’s expected approval of a new comprehensive civil aviation agreement with the European Union.

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Israel set to buy new US aircraft & missiles

NYT Report: Israel will be the 1st country to buy the V-22 Osprey, the U.S.-made military tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing.

 

WASHINGTON — Israel is set to become the first nation to buy the V-22 Osprey, an U.S.-made military aircraft which combines helicopter maneuverability with airplane speed and range.

A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The sale, which according to The New York Times will be finalized during the Middle East visit next week by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, would also supply Israel with new missiles designed to take out an adversary’s air-defense radars. Continue Reading »

Hezbollah marches eastwards to support Assad

Iranian regional allies are mobilizing on behalf of Assad’s regime, with Hezbollah heading further & deeper eastwards, at the risk of provoking a Syrian response.

By JONATHAN SPYER

 

 

 
This week saw a sharp escalation in the emerging confrontation between the Syrian Sunni rebels and the Lebanese Hezbollah organization. This conflict is the result of Hezbollah’s increasingly visible engagement in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime.
Flags of Hezbollah, Assad's Syria

Flags of Hezbollah, Assad’s Syria – Photo: REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

Syrian rebels for the first time this week fired rockets into the Hezbollah controlled Hermel region, adjoining the Syrian border. Two Lebanese citizens were killed and a number of others wounded, as rockets landed in the villages of al-Qasr and Hawsh al- Sayyed Ali.

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