Athens put Israel 1st in line to buy up Greece’s infrastructure

The further Erdoğan pushes Israel away, the closer Athens is to Jerusalem.

 

By: Yossi Aloni

Israeli companies, with the encouragement and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are taking advantage of the economic crisis in Greece to find some bargains while helping to advance the privatization efforts of the Greek government.

Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece - Photo courtesy Piraeus Port Authority

Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece – Photo courtesy Piraeus Port Authority

As a means of coping with the ongoing crisis, the Greek government has decided to privatize dozens of government companies, including the national lottery, the old Athens airport, the national oil company, refineries, the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloníki, local water companies, large industrial plants and more. Continue Reading »

In Depth Report: Why Christians are leaving Bethlehem

Christians feel like they are trapped in a cultural and religious ghetto. Even though Bethlehem is enjoying unprecedented financial & tourism growth, the city’s Christian residents are emigrating abroad in droves because of cultural & religious suffocation in a mostly Muslim city.

Persecution and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are only some of the reasons.

By Nadav Shragai

 

 

A falafel costs five to ten shekels in Bethlehem (in Tel Aviv the average is around 15 shekels). Hotel rooms are also substantially cheaper than hotel rooms in neighboring Jerusalem: only $25 per night. Even the Christmas product industry has managed to maintain low prices thanks to imports from the Far East.

Continue Reading »

Widow of Canadian (UN) soldier killed by IDF says Harper’s gov’t protecting Israel

Hezbollah was using UN post as a ‘shield’

“This has not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to tactical necessity.”

December 26, 2012

By JTA

The widow of a Canadian soldier killed by Israeli forces says the country’s Defense Department removed a report of his killing from its website in an effort to shield Israel.

Aftermath of IDF airstrike on UN patrol base Khiam, Lebanon, 2006 – Photo courtesy: Wikipedia commons

Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener and three other United Nations observers were killed in 2006 when Israel’s military shelled their outpost in southern Lebanon during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Hess-von Kruedener’s widow, Cynthia, says that the report was removed because of reluctance on the part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government to criticize Israel, the Ottawa Citizen reported. Continue Reading »

Tzipi Livni reportedly has her sights on Foreign Ministry

Former Foreign Minister Liberman was questioned yesterday for 40 minutes by police.

Report says representatives for Livni and the PM are in talks over Foreign Ministry position.

 

Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni has her sights set on returning to her former post, and has already sent messengers twice to speak to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s confidants about joining forces in the coalition he is expected to form following the upcoming election, Israel Radio diplomatic analyst Chico Menashe reported on Tuesday.

Binyamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni -  Photo: Reuters

Binyamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni – Photo: Reuters

The report came amid increasing indications that Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman would not be able to be a minister for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing legal investigation against him. Continue Reading »

The Kangaroo Court’s ‘Inhuman’ Rights Council.

Op-ed: The UN Human Rights Council’s long honored noble principles are not being applied  when it comes to Israel

By Dan Calic

 

Have you ever given much thought to the United Nations and whether it’s fulfilling the principles of its charter with equality? Has it occurred to you that this organization, which in theory is supposed to be an unbiased adjudicator of justice, is at times anything but, especially when it comes to Israel?

UN Human Rights Council – Photo: AFP

A closer look at the UN, its charter and how the organization actually functions provides some interesting revelations. Continue Reading »

Court May Be Asked to Stop ‘Destruction of History’ by the Waqf

Israel’s High Court may be the only way for archaeologists to order the gov’t to stop the Waqf from destroying more ‘history’ at the holy site.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

The High Court may be the last resort for archaeologists to order Netanyahu to stop allowing the Waqf to destroy history at the holy site.

Temple Mount digging

Temple Mount digging – Israel news photo: Prof. Eli Hollander and architect Gidon Harlap

Following the latest disclosures of massive removal and dumping of dirt containing artifacts from the area of the Holy Temples, attorney Aviad Vesuli told Arutz Sheva he would appeal to the High Court. Continue Reading »

Lee Habeeb on Arabs Like Me

Despising Israel the way Israel is despised in much of the Arab world is all about anti-Semitism. And most anti-Semitism anywhere in the world has its origins in envy.

Maybe, just maybe, Arabs can break out of their self-destructive hatred and envy.

By Lee Habeeb

 

There are two kinds of Arabs in this world. Those who hate Jews, and those who don’t. And in my life, I have met more of the former than the latter.

I am not proud to say that. Arabs will not like me for admitting it. But it is true. And it is something I wish the Obama administration understood. Continue Reading »

Israel’s PM asks Jewish Agency to find resolution on women praying at Western Wall

Israeli police detained 4 women from a liberal Jewish group who approached the holy site in Jerusalem last week, wearing prayer shawls.

“Israel still fails to live up to the ideals upon which it was founded, as a haven for Jews everywhere.”

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Jewish Agency to find a solution for non-Orthodox Jewish female groups wishing to pray at one of Judaism’s holiest sites.

Women praying during a Selichot service at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Women praying during a Selichot service at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. – Photo: Michal Fattal

 

An official said Tuesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Jewish Agency, to look into the matter. Continue Reading »

Egyptian Army Intercepts Rockets being Smuggled to Gaza

Egyptian Armed forces in the Sinai foiled an attempt to smuggle 17 rockets to Gaza.

By Elad Benari

 

Armed Forces personnel in North Sinai, in cooperation with local Bedouins, foiled an attempt on Monday to smuggle 17 rockets to Gaza, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.

A military source told the agency that the rockets are a French-made TDI model, caliber 68 mm, range three kilometers and can be used air to land or land to land.

The Armed Forces have been engaged in an ongoing mission to secure the Sinai Peninsula and borders with Gaza and Israel, said MENA. Continue Reading »

Daniel Pipes talks Turkey

Turks worry less about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Islamic aspirations than about his nationalist and dictatorial tendencies.

 

By Daniel Pipes

The menu on my Turkish Airlines flight earlier this month assured passengers that food selections “do not contain pork.” But it also offered a serious selection of alcoholic drinks, including champagne, whisky, gin, vodka, raki, wine, beer, liqueur and cognac.

This oddity of simultaneously adhering to and ignoring Islamic Shariah law symbolizes the uniquely complex public role of Islam in today’s Turkey, as well as the challenge of understanding the Justice and Development Party (known by its Turkish abbreviation, AKP) which has dominated the country’s national government since 2002.

Continue Reading »

Fitting cement boots on the sperm cells

Not yet out of the lab, Hervana’s non-hormonal, non-invasive & long-acting birth control solution could be a game-changer for women, especially in developing countries.

 

The Israeli company behind a new contraceptive won a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and test its formulation for a safer, long-acting, non-invasive contraceptive solution, and also won second place in a startup competition at the Israel Life Sciences Biomed Conference in Tel Aviv last May.

Hervana founder Rachel Teitelbaum explaining her new contraceptive suppository to Bill Gates.

Hervana founder Rachel Teitelbaum explaining her new contraceptive suppository to Bill Gates.

The Gates Foundation is most interested in the product’s potential to provide a more accessible, cheaper and socially acceptable family planning option in developing countries, though it would be marketed in the United States and Europe as well. Continue Reading »

Busted! Arab Terror Cell That Planned Kidnappings Nabbed

The Shabak, Israel Police & IDF revealed that they had eliminated an Arab terror cell that planned to kidnap Jews.

By David Lev

 

The Shabak, IDF and Israel Police on Tuesday revealed that they had discovered and eliminated an Arab terror cell that operated in the Binyamin area, whose main activity was attempting to kidnap Israelis.

Israeli hitchhiker waits for a ride in Samaria

Israeli hitchhiker waits for a ride in Samaria- Hillel Meir

The cell, led by two terrorists and based in Ramallah, is part of the Popular Front terror group. They were recently arrested and admitted under interrogation that they had planned to kidnap an Israeli, who would be held captive while the terrorists negotiated for the release of Ahmed Sa’adat, the arch-terrorist who, among other things, was responsible for the murder of former Tourism Minister Rachamim Ze’evi.

Continue Reading »

Christmas Culinary Delights in the Holy Land

Christmas time celebrations consist of more than just trees & decorations. Delicious holiday treats are also an important part the unique festivities in Israel.

By BEATA ANDONIA, TRAVELUJAH

 

Christmas is a time of celebration and reunion. Therefore, it is a common practice among Holy Land Christian communities to visit members of their families and neighbors during this festive period. The families visit in two groups – one family will visit while another is hosting guests at home.

It can be useful to know the specific traditions when visiting local Christian families. When entering a home, it is appropriate for the guest to admire all the beautiful Christmas decorations, lights, Christmas tableware, and, of course, the very decorative Christmas trees with mghrara – a cave representing the Nativity scene, made from colorful paper and containing olive wood figures of the Holy Family, Magi and shepherds. Continue Reading »

EU court rejects NGO Monitor petition to release information on Israeli NGOs

The right-wing group, NGO Monitor, which tracks the activity of left-wing organizations & NGOS in Israel, has been trying to obtain their documents for 10 years.

The European Court of Human Rights throws out the suit, saying the information may be used to harm the NGOs.

 

After four years of legal battles, the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request of the right-wing organization NGO Monitor to receive documents regarding the funding of 16 projects of human rights organizations in Israel.

European Union

The European Union flag. – Photo by Archive

NGO Monitor is a right-wing group that keeps track of the activity of left-wing non-profit organizations, in order to point out “foreign intervention” in Israeli affairs. Continue Reading »

Qatar May Be Buying a Way for the Palestinians to Divorce from Iran

After Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Ibn Khalifa al-Thani, brought a check to Gaza, he now plans to bail out Abbas next week. His strategy may be to separate Iran from the Palestinians.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

Qatar’s emir, after having brought a $250 million check to Hamas in Gaza, plans to bail out Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas next week, possibly as part of a strategy may be to isolate Iran from Hamas.

Abbas speaks next to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

Abbas speaks next to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister – Reuters

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Ibn Khalifa al-Thani said he will make good on his pledge to bail out the PA, according to the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency. Continue Reading »