WATCH: Netanyahu takes Obama to view Dead Sea Scrolls

On 2nd day of the US Presidential Middle East tour, President Obama visits the Israel Museum and the  technology exposition.

By REUTERS

 

On the second day of his Middle East tour, US President Barack Obama visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on Thursday morning.

US President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu examine Dead Sea Scrolls, March 21, 2013. Photo: Courtesy PMO

At the facility, he viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls – ancient Jewish parchments discovered in the West Bank in the 1940s which include secular text dating from the third century BC to the first century AD.

For many years, only a small number of scholars were allowed to view the fragments of the scrolls, but access has since been widened.

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New Music video wins Hebrew U. students tickets to Obama’s Jerusalem speech

WATCH: Talia Schein & Shir Ariely  cover Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song “Call Me Maybe,” winning them tickets to Obama’s speech on Thursday.

 

Two Hebrew University students won tickets to United States President Barack Obama’s highly anticipated speech in Jerusalem Thursday evening with a homemade music video asking the president to “Invite, us maybe?” sung to the tune of the Carly Rae Jepsen hit “Call Me Maybe.”

Carly Rae Jepsen on stage.

Carly Rae Jepsen on stage at the American Music Awards in 2012. – Photo by AP

Shir Ariely, 22, and Talia Schein, 21, are among the 20 winners of a contest for tickets held last week through the U.S. Continue Reading »

Housing market for January sees fewer homes bought

After 3 months of growth, now many young Israelis are staying in parents’ home. This is expressed by January’s record 15% decline in number of sold homes.

By Ofer Petersburg

 

A total of 9,100 apartments were bought in Israel in January, a 15% drop compared to December, following an increase in the number of transactions in the three previous months.

Number of apartments purchased by investors down 23per cent -  Photo-Sutterstock

Number of apartments purchased by investors down 23% – Photo: Sutterstock

Compared to January 2012, which will still affected by the social protest, there was a 22% rise in the number of transactions.

The decline in the number of sold apartments was felt all over the country, apart from the city of Hadera. Continue Reading »

Rockets fall in Israel – Hamas denies they were fired from Gaza

Victims of Thursday’s rocket attack: ‘Israel needs to prevent any future rocket attacks.’

By David Lev

 

Hamas on Thursday denied that it or any other Gaza terror group had fired rockets at Israeli targets in the midst of U.S. President Barack H. Obama’s visit to Israel. “Israel has fabricated these reports in order to mar the reputation of the resistance forces,” a spokesperson for Hamas said.

A rocket fired at Israel from Gaza caused heavy damage to a house in Sderot Thursday morning. A second rocket hit an open area near the Gaza border, and two other rockets aimed at Israel fell on the Gaza side of the border fence. Continue Reading »

While Obama focuses on Israelis, Netanyahu focuses on Iran

Both leaders touched on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, & both agreed that the solution is 2 states for 2 peoples, with both stressing that one of those states is a JEWISH state & homeland.

By Israel Today Staff

 

As visiting US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up their evening meeting and met the press in Jerusalem, it was fairly clear where both leader’s focus was.

Netanyahu focuses on Iran, Obama on Israelis

As Obama focuses on Israelis, Netanyahu focuses on Iran

While it is difficult to read too much into these situations, it was unavoidably noticeable that Netanyahu began his address to the press with by passionately stressing Israel’s right to defend itself against the Iranian threat. Continue Reading »

Hundreds of Arabs protest Obama’s upcoming visit

Palestinian Authority planning to impose a curfew on Ramallah during Presidential visit.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

Hundreds of Palestinians on Wednesday gathered in the center of Ramallah to protest against US President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the city.
Palestinian activists vowed to step up their protests against Obama on Thursday and Friday.
West Bank protests in Ramallah. Photo by REUTERS-Mohamad Torokman

West Bank protests in Ramallah. Photo by REUTERS-Mohamad Torokman

The PA security forces are planning to impose a curfew on large parts of Ramallah during Obama’s visit to the city. On the instructions of the PA leadership, schools will be closed in the city on Thursday and many streets blocked.

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Steinitz: ‘Apparently, Chemical Weapons Were Used Against Syrian Civilians’

Either Assad’s regime or Syrian rebels used chemical weapons in their country’s civil war, said Israel’s new Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

Either Syrian rebels or the Damascus regime have used chemical weapons in the country’s two-year civil war, Israel’s newly appointed Minister of Intelligence and Strategic Affairs, Yuval Steinitz, said on Wednesday.

“It’s apparently clear that chemical weapons have been used against civilians by the rebels or by the government,” Steinitz told Army Radio.

“This is very concerning for us and we must deal with it urgently,” he said.

Syrian rebels and the regime exchanged accusations of chemical weapons use on Tuesday for the first time since the March 2011 uprising, which has already claimed the lives of over 70,000 people. Continue Reading »

‘Despite what Obama tells Israel, he won’t attack Iran’

Obama thinks that Iran is still more than a year away from actually constructing a nuclear weapon, an assertion that has been challenged by leading Israeli officials.

By Israel Today Staff

 

One of the main topics of discussion during President Obama’s visit to Israel will be the ongoing and mounting Iranian nuclear threat.

Netanyahu welcomes Obama to Israel, 20 March 2013

Netanyahu welcomes Obama to Israel, 20 March 2013

According to a diplomatic source cited by Israel’s Ma’ariv daily newspaper, Obama will try to reassure Israel regarding the Iran threat, but the truth of the matter is that the American leader would never order a preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic. Continue Reading »

The president’s entourage, the most expensive & armed to the teeth

2 massive Boeing C17 cargo planes land at Ben-Gurion Airport, bringing 2 of the president’s ‘Marine 1’ helicopters, a number of Black Hawk helicopters, hundreds of security guards, and even a nuclear briefcase.

By Yoni Hirsch

 

President Barack Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday, and he did not come alone. The president’s entourage contains more than 600 members, and includes senior government figures, advisers, journalists, secret service security guards, soldiers and technicians. Each member of the detachment is ready to be at the president’s side at every stop on his visit, fulfill his needs and, in an emergency, do anything that must be done.

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IDF admits 2 more wounded Syrians into Israeli hospital

IDF treats 4 Syrians wounded in their civil war strife at the border.

Syria fires 5 shells into Lebanon.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS

 

The IDF provided medical care to four wounded Syrians who approached the border fence with Israel on Wednesday, evacuating two of them to Israeli hospitals for further treatment, the IDF Spokesman’s Office stated.

Netanyahu looks at Syrian patient IDF field hospital. – Photo: KOBI GIDEON/GPO

The treatment was provided for humanitarian reasons and was approved by IDf Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.

The IDF emphasized that the incident did not constitute a change in Israel’s policy regarding the acceptance of refugees from Syria.

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Peres to Obama: America & Israel Share a Common Destiny

Israel’s President Shimon Peres thanks US President Barack Obama. ‘Your vision reflects the future as it should be.’

By Maayana Miskin

President Shimon Peres welcomed United States President Barack Obama to Israel on Wednesday. “Your generosity enabled freedom to prevail all over the world,” he told him.

Peres began, “President Barack Obama, dear friend, welcome to Israel. We welcome you as a great president of the United States of America. As a remarkable world leader. As a historic friend of Israel. Of the Jewish People. Your visit here is a crown demonstration of the profound relationship  between our two nations. Continue Reading »

Past Hezbollah member heads opposition movement within terror group

Hezbollah’s Shiite policies & its involvement in Syrian rebellion draws protests in Lebanon.

A new movement from within the group’s stronghold presents popular national alternative.

By Roi Kais

 

Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, once the undisputed stars of the Arab world, are rattled by surprise opposition from within their own ranks.

Nasrallah supporter - Photo AP

Nasrallah supporter – Photo: AP

The Lebanon NOW news website reported Tuesday that a new political movement is gathering followers right in the Hezbollah stronghold of Beirut‘s southern suburb.

The Movement for the Lebanese Citizen (MLC), led by former Hezbollah operative Imad Kamiche, is attempting to present an alternative to the rigidly Shiite framework represented by Hezbollah and Amal, and place the Lebanese citizen at the forefront regardless of ethnicity. Continue Reading »

Jerusalem Restaurant Closed Over Shabbat Operations

One of Jerusalem’s most popular cafés maneuvered to shut it’s doors after property owner agrees to renew rental license only if business is closed on the Sabbath.

Noam (Dabul) Dvir

 

Jerusalem’s Restobar, one of the most popular and well-known cafés among the capital’s secular population, was shut down Monday after eight years of operation.

"הבעלים ביקש לא לפתוח בשבת" (צילום: חיים צח,  "ידיעות אחרונות")

Closed restaurant – Photo: Haim Zach/Yedioth Ahronoth

The business owner said he was forced to close it after the owner of the property housing the restaurant agreed to renew the rental license only if the place introduced a kosher menu and did not open on Shabbat. Continue Reading »

PA Pleads to the World: We Need More Money

The PA is urging the world to step up additional financial aid again & force Israel to allow Palestinian economic development.

By Elad Benari

 

The Palestinian Authority has urged the world to step up financial aid and press Israel to allow economic development, over fears of “political collapse”, AFP reported.

“We call on the international community to… pressure the government of Israel to release our revenues and to provide the financial support required to maintain basic functions and services,” said a Palestinian Authority report seen by the news agency on Monday.

“The recent confiscation of Palestinian-owned revenues by Israel comes on top of an already severe fiscal crisis that was caused by a large shortfall of external support,” it added. Continue Reading »

Israeli to expand water projects globally

Miya, a company set up by Israeli billionaire Shari Arison, continues to expand into Europe, Asia & Latin America this coming year to meet rising demand for drinkable water.

By Reuters

 

Miya, the water company set up by Israeli billionaire Shari Arison, will continue to expand into Latin America, Europe and Asia this year to meet rising demand for drinkable water.

Shari ArisonArison said Miya was already doing projects in the Bahamas, Manila and in Brazil.

“Most urban water systems lose a huge amount of water and we have come up with the way of using efficient management that reduces that lossage, which creates more water for people,” Arison told Reuters recently on the sidelines of a philanthropic event known as Good Deeds Day. Continue Reading »