Jordan’s King, Iran & Assad

Egypt is in turmoil as the non-Islamists & secularists refuse to accept the fact that the Islamic Brotherhood hijacked their revolution.

By MUDAR ZAHRAN

 

When the revolution was still raging in Egypt, I wrote an article calling on the world to support Egypt’s secularists. It was they and the leftists that ignited and sustained the revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak; the Islamists waited until Mubarak was about to fall, and then joined.

Jordan King Abdullah

Jordan King Abdullah – Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

When the Egyptian presidential elections took place, the Islamists had the money, the media and the global connections and therefore got one of their own in the presidential palace.

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British consul general to Israel, flee attacking Ramallah students

Sir Vincent Fean’s lecture at Birzeit University meets students’ fury. Envoy’s car mobbed upon leaving campus, no harm comes to consul or UK staff, only the car.

By Attila Somfalvi

 

British Consul General in Jerusalem Sir Vincent Fean was attacked Tuesday at the Birzeit University in Ramallah. He was unharmed.

Sir Vincent FeanSir Fean was scheduled to be the university’s guest lecturer on Tuesday, and planned to speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Britain’s policies in the Middle East.

His arrival on campus met with a large student protest. Dozens of Palestinian students heckled the British envoy, chanted and held banners protesting what they said was Britain’s support for the establishment of Israel and its policies. Continue Reading »

Is a new Israeli Gov’t, Without the ultra-Orthodox, in the Works?

 

Will Netanyahu give Yesh Atid the ministries of Health, Interior & Welfare, allowing them to keep its election promises to bring about social change?

Jewish Home may get the ministries of Industry, Housing & Religion, the last of which will allow electing Israel’s 1st national religious Chief Rabbi.

By Ryan Jones

 

Developments in Israel on Sunday might have signaled the start of a major earthquake in the political foundations of the state.

Yair Lapid and Naftali BennettAccording to reports across the Hebrew media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally conceded that he will not be able to form a stable majority coalition that includes the ultra-Orthodox parties that have long controlled the religious institutions of the State of Israel. Continue Reading »

Apparently AIPAC went AWOL

Hagel finally won confirmation by a 58-to-41 vote, facing the greatest number of “no” votes against any Secretary of Defense in US history.
– George C. Marshall in 1950 came in a distant second, with just 11 no’s.

By Daniel Pipes

 

Chuck Hagel’s notorious 2008 statement about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading institution of the pro-Israel lobby, claimed that “the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here [in Congress]. I’m a United States senator. I’m not an Israeli senator.”

US Vice President addresses AIPAC – Photo: AP

Then a strange thing happened: No sooner did U.S.

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US bill to Congress: Make Israel ‘major strategic ally’

Bill introduced by Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) & Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R.-Fla) to the US House of Representatives, is just in time for the AIPAC conference.

By JTA

 

WASHINGTON – A Republican and a Democrat in the US House of Representatives introduced legislation that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a one of a kind designation.
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN – Photo: Courtesy

The bill, introduced Monday by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), was timed for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, and 13,000 activists are expected to lobby for it and for Iran-related bills on Tuesday.The
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ARSON: 2 Buses operating ‘Palestinian’ lines torched

Police suspect arson  after 2 buses belonging to Afikim Bus Company catch fire in Kfar Qassem.

Afikim removes their buses from town after riots erupt over newly added ‘Palestinian-only’ lines

By Raanan Ben-Zur

 

Following the uproar against its ‘Palestinian-only’ West Bank bus lines, two Afikim company buses caught fire on Monday night in Kfar Qassem.

התור לאוטובוסים ביום הראשון להפעלתם (צילום: גור דותן)

Commotion on the bus lines – Photo: Gur Dotan

There were no reports of injury, and the police are investigating suspicions of arson.

Due to the incident, the company’s drivers were asked to remove all buses from the Arab town, fearing similar occurrences in light of the protest against the new bus lines. Continue Reading »

UN group scrubs Gaza marathon over Hamas’ ban on women

UNWRA announced that the race next month was scrapped because Hamas demands that women be barred.

By IAN DEITCH, Associated Press

 

JERUSALEM — A U.N aid agency canceled the Gaza marathon on Tuesday after the Palestinian territory’s militant Hamas rulers banned women from participating in the annual sporting event.

UNRWA

UNWRA, which assists Palestinian refugees and also sponsors and organizes the event, announced that plans for the race next month have been scrapped because of the Hamas demand that women be barred.

A statement from agency said that “this disappointing decision follows discussions with the authorities in Gaza who have insisted that no women should participate” in the marathon.

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ex-Labor MK: Rebellion within Labor to occur “within the next few days.”

Leadership fight brewing as Labor’s MK Eitan Cabel realize Yachimovich refuses to admit Labor into gov’t coalition.

By Gil Ronen

 

A leadership fight is brewing in the Labor party as the party’s Knesset members realize that Chairperson MK Shelly Yachimovich will not lead them into the next Coalition. Yachimovich has stated that in order for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to accept her into his coalition, he would have to make policy changes that would be tantamount to “renouncing his religion.”

Shelly Yachimovich

Labor Chairperson MK Shelly Yachimovich

MK Eitan Cabel stated openly in a Channel 2 interview Tuesday that he is considering running against Yachimovich for the post of party chairperson. Continue Reading »

Abbas tells Kerry: Pressure Israel on settlement freeze

PA official reports: Abbas also tells Kerry to exert pressure on Netanyahu to release Palestinian prisoners in a Saudi Arabia meeting.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in Saudi Arabia Monday with US Secretary of State John Kerry and discussed with him the latest developments in the region, Palestinian officials in Ramallah said.

Mahmoud Abbas

Mahmoud Abbas – Photo: Marc Israël Sellem

This was the first meeting of its kind since Kerry replaced Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

“The meeting focused on efforts to revive the peace process,” said a Palestinian official. “They also discussed President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the region later this month.”

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Sheik Raed Salah to Obama: Do not visit Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Islamic Movement’s northern branch demonstrated outside the US embassy. They warn Americans that a  visit to Al-Aqsa with Israeli escorts will show Obama is pro-occupation.

Hassan Shaalan

 

Two weeks before Barack Obama’s expected arrival in Israel, Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch, warned of the possible implications of the president’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

לא לביקור אובמה באל-אקצא. ההפגנה בתל-אביב, היום (צילום: עידו ארז)

No to Obama-Israeli Al-Aqsa visit – Photo: Ido Erez

Dozens of the movement’s supporters demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Tel Aviv and called on Obama to avoid entering the Temple Mount with an Israeli escort. Continue Reading »

17 Israelis make Forbes’ list of billionaires

In Forbes’ annual survey, the Ofer family topped the list of the wealthiest Israelis. The world’s richest man for the 4th year in a row is Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helu, with assets of about $73 billion.

By Nadan Feldman

 

The second generation of the Ofer family are the richest Israelis on Forbes’ 2013 list of the world’s billionaires. Together, the magazine said, Idan and Eyal Ofer are worth $12.5 billion.

Idan Ofer

Idan Ofer – Photo: Moti Kimche

Fifteen other Israelis also made Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires.

Idan Ofer, who heads the Israel Corporation, is ranked 182 overall on the magazine’s list of the world’s richest people, with assets totaling $6.5 billion. Continue Reading »

Exclusive Arutz7: Inside Story on the Lapid-Bennett Pact

Here’s what lead to the ‘historic alliance’ between Bayit Yehudi & Yesh Atid that surprised everyone.

By Uzi Baruch

 

Senior figures in the religious Zionist Bayit Yehudi party are fiercely defending the party from criticism of its agreement with the secularist Yesh Atid, that neither party will enter the coalition without the other. The gentlemen’s understanding appears set to go down in history as the surprise political move that shaped Binyamin Netanyahu’s third government.

The senior figures provided Arutz Sheva with a play-by-play account of the events leading up to the “pact.”

“During the election campaign, in the course of the last months and weeks, we received ill winds from the Likud, which said that there is no intention to include us in the government. Continue Reading »

The Israeli kibbutz will flourish in South Sudan

Israel’s new ally in Africa, South Sudan, hopes to emulate the success of Israel’s cooperative farming villages by sending 30 gov’t officials to learn Israel’s methods of modern Kibbutz farming.

By Yossi Aloni

 

Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has proved to be one of Israel’s most staunch friends in Africa. Now South Sudan is looking to establish new farming village modeled after the Israeli kibbutz.

The Israeli kibbutz in South Sudan

Israel’s new best friend in Africa, South Sudan, looks to emulate the success of the Jewish state’s cooperative farming villages, otherwise known as ‘ kibbutzim’. – Photo: Israel Today

A delegation of 30 government officials from South Sudan recently arrived in Israel in connection with their new nation’s plans to build a network of cooperative farming communities. Continue Reading »

Egyptian Report: Hamas refused to smuggle missiles with tracking devices

 

The espionage components detected inside the rockets were of an unknown source, and expressed fears that Egyptians working in the arms smuggling trade may be targeted, an Egyptian news website reported Monday.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

 

Hamas refused to receive a shipment of missiles that were smuggled into the Gaza Strip from Libya across the Sinai desert, after it was discovered that they contained espionage and surveillance devices which would enable Israel to track the missiles, an Egyptian news web site reported Monday.

Assorted collection of mortars and shells. Photo: Reuters

The site, Youm7.com [Seven Days] quoted “informed sources” close to the people smuggling the weapons shipment across Sinai, saying that 28 long-range missiles were moved during the past few days from Libya via desert routes until it got to the mountainous areas in central Sinai.

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Israel-Gaza border closed due to Hamas’ refusal to pay transport fees

Israel’s refusal to cut cost of transporting goods through Karm Abu Salem border crossing, resulting in temporary closure.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

Hamas said Monday that Israel closed the Karm Abu Salem border crossing because the Hamas-run Ministry of Economy had asked that the cost of delivering goods be reduced.

Hatem Uwaidah, a senior official with the ministry, claimed that the cost of transporting goods through the border crossing was 1200 NIS.

He said that 700 NIS of the fee goes to Israel, while the remaining 500 NIS go to the Hamas government.

Israel, he added, is refusing to lower the cost of transporting goods or discuss other proposals to facilitate the work at the border crossing. Continue Reading »