Israel is the greatest #14b : November 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

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Friday,
November 28, 2008
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In-Depth Issues:

Behind Mumbai's Terrorist Attacks - Fareed Zakaria (Newsweek)
One misconception is the assumption that these attacks were aimed primarily at foreigners. Look at their targets.
The two hotels they attacked - the Taj and the Oberoi - are old, iconic Indian hotels. It used to be true that these places were affordable only by Westerners, but today they are filled with Indian businessmen.
If the aim was to hit Americans or other Westerners, the big American chains all have hotels there, and there are many more distinctly American targets.
One of the untold stories of India is that the Muslim population has not shared in the boom the country has enjoyed over the last ten years. There's enough alienation out there that there are locals who can be drawn in to plots.
That tends to be a pattern, from Madrid to Casablanca to Bali - some hard-core jihadis who indoctrinate alienated locals they can seduce.
The writer, a Mumbai native, is editor of Newsweek International.

Syria and the Nuclear Cops - Editorial (Wall Street Journal)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed last week that it had discovered a "significant number" of chemically processed uranium particles at a suspected Syrian nuclear site destroyed last year by Israel.
The IAEA also reported that satellite images of the site taken prior to its destruction had the markings of a nuclear reactor.
So what did IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei do with this information? Why, urge the approval of a Syrian request for a $350,000 feasibility study for a new reactor.
See also IAEA Chief: Will Confront Syria with Imagery of Suspect Site (AFP)
The UN atomic watchdog hopes to confront Syria soon with satellite imagery of a suspect nuclear site bombed by Israeli planes last year, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Thursday.
The UN says the remote desert site, Al-Kibar, had been a covert nuclear reactor close to completion.
See also Nuclear Chief "Baffled" as Syria Site Photos Disappear (Irish Examiner)

Israeli Surgeons Weld Wounds Shut with Surgical Laser - Judy Siegel (Jerusalem Post)
A team of applied physicists at Tel Aviv University led by Prof. Abraham Katzir have developed an efficient and safe way to close incisions.
Katzir and his team use a technique called "laser welding" in which biological glue is smeared on the two sides of the incision.
Then a laser warms it at the correct temperature to create a hard "shell" that protects the wound and allows it to heal.
They use a temperature-controlled carbon dioxide laser and special silver halide optical fibers to prevent overheating and burns.

Introducing Israel Studies in U.S. Universities - Interview with Mitchell Bard by Manfred Gerstenfeld (Institute for Global Jewish Affairs)
The anti-Israeli activism on college campuses during the Second Intifada created the incentive among the American Jewish philanthropic community to promote education and scholarship on Israel at universities.
The first two centers for Israel Studies were established in 1998, their initiators driven by the concept that it was important to teach American students about modern Israel.
Israel Studies remained largely neglected, however, until 2004. Since then it has rapidly grown.
There are at present nine Israel Studies centers throughout the U.S. By the end of 2008 about 15 chairs in Israel Studies will have been endowed.
The program for visiting professors from Israel started in 2004-2005 and, in the current academic year, has 27 such scholars teaching on 26 campuses.
See also U. of California to Reopen Study-Abroad Program in Israel - Josh Keller (Chronicle of Higher Education)
The University of California announced on Tuesday that it would end its six-year suspension of study-abroad programs in Israel, and would reopen a program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem next year.

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* Indian Commandos Storm Jewish Center in Mumbai - Keith Bradsher and Somini Sengupta
Indian commandos Friday morning stormed the Habad Jewish center that had been seized by terrorists during a coordinated series of attacks on Mumbai. While many of the targets seemed to indicate a focus on tourists and Westerners, most of the victims were Indians. The gunmen appear to have come ashore at the Sassoon Docks, not far from the Leopold Cafe, one of the first places struck Wednesday night. They moved on to the train station, then opened fire on Cama and Albless Hospital. At one point, the gunmen hijacked a police vehicle and opened fire near the Metro Cinema. (New York Times)
See also Cool and Composed, They Killed and Killed - Randeep Ramesh, Duncan Campbell and Paul Lewis (Guardian-UK)
* 10-20 Israelis Among Mumbai Hostages
"There are between 10 to 20 Israeli nationals being held hostage, but it could be more," said Eli Belotsercovsky, deputy chief of mission at the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. (AFP)
See also Brooklyn Rabbi and Israeli Wife Caught in Attacks - Fernanda Santos
In 2003, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, moved from Brooklyn to Mumbai, India, to manage a mix of educational center, synagogue and social hall known as a Habad house, one of about 3,500 outposts around the world run by the Lubavitch Hasidic movement. The place soon became a year-round magnet for Israeli backpackers, Jewish businessmen and tourists, as well as for the Iraqi and Indian Jews who live there. Mrs. Holtzberg served visitors coffee and homemade kosher delicacies. Rabbi Holtzberg always offered a helping hand to someone who was sick or stranded. On Wednesday, the Holtzbergs' Habad house became the target of terrorist gunmen. Firing grenades and automatic weapons, the men took the Holtzbergs and at least six other people hostage. (New York Times)
See also India: Holtzberg Toddler Reunites with Grandparents - Hagai Einav
Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg, the parents of Rivka Holtzberg, who with her husband Gavriel run the Habad center in Mumbai, arrived in India from Israel on Friday morning and were reunited with their two-year-old grandson, Moshe Tzvi, who was rescued from the house the day before by Sandra Samuel, an Indian cook at Habad house. (Ynet News)
* Canada Leads in Pushing UN Censure of Iran - Paul Lungen
A resolution that Canada spearheaded censuring Iran for violations of human rights passed in a UN General Assembly committee last week. The resolution accuses Iran of "torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations." It criticizes Iran for executing juveniles, killing people by stoning, and discriminating against women and girls. It also calls on Iran to end human rights violations affecting religious and ethnic minorities, among them Jews, Christians, Kurds, Arabs, Sunni Muslims and, in particular, Baha'is. The resolution was co-sponsored by 42 mostly European and North American democracies, plus Israel, Fiji and Micronesia. Seventy members of the General Assembly's Third Committee voted in favor of the motion. (Canadian Jewish News)
See also Iran Furious at Peace Plan Advert Bearing Its Flag and Israel's - Ian Black
Iran has angrily dissociated itself from Arab and Islamic attempts to publicize an offer to make peace with and recognize Israel. Officials in Tehran are furious that the Iranian flag appeared on an advertisement, published in the Guardian and other papers, promoting the Saudi-brokered initiative. The Iranian embassy in London protested that the Islamic Republic objects "to any move taken by some Arab countries to push the recognition of the occupying Zionist regime in any manner." (Guardian-UK)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

* Palestinian Rocket Hits House on Kibbutz - Shmulik Hadad
Palestinians in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket Thursday evening that damaged a house in a kibbutz in southern Israel. Tami Tuchman, 61, whose home was damaged, said she had fled with her dog to their family's bomb shelter when the Color Red rocket alert system sounded at the kibbutz. (Ynet News)
* Hamas Weakening in West Bank - Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel
The achievements of Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad over the past year and a half, in making the West Bank a much more bearable place to live, cannot be ignored. In Jenin, Nablus and Hebron, armed militants are no longer on the streets, and the general atmosphere of anarchy has faded. And while the economic situation isn't great, it's immeasurably better than in Gaza, under Hamas. Israeli defense sources confirm that PA security forces are close to crushing Hamas' military infrastructure in the West Bank. Hamas has also drastically reduced its money transfers to its charity organizations in the West Bank, fearing the PA will get its hands on the money. (Ha'aretz)
* Jerusalem Symposium Discusses Scandinavian Anti-Semitism - Cnaan Liphshiz
"Norway is the most anti-Semitic country in Scandinavia," Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, a scholar of Western European anti-Semitism, told a discussion on Scandinavian anti-Semitism and Israel-hatred hosted on Tuesday by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Gerstenfeld presented cartoons from the Norwegian mainstream press and noted, "There is something wrong with a society which is willing to accept these Nazi cartoons. With a Jewish population of only 1,300, Norway has led the pack in anti-Semitism before, during and after WWII." Zvi Mazel, a former ambassador to Sweden, spoke of a "deep-rooted" anti-Semitism in Sweden, while Dr. Efraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center in Israel - which co-sponsored the event - addressed Norway and Sweden's failure to prosecute Nazi war criminals. (Ha'aretz)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

Terror Attacks in India

* Mumbai Attacks Suggest Outside Help - Craig Whitlock and Karen DeYoung
Counterterrorism officials and experts said the scale, sophistication and targets involved in the Mumbai attacks were markedly different from previous terrorist plots in India and suggested the gunmen had received training from outside the country. "This is a new, horrific milestone in the global jihad," said Bruce Riedel, a former analyst for the CIA and National Security Council. "No indigenous Indian group has this level of capability." Several analysts and officials said the attacks bore the hallmarks of Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Muhammad, two networks of Muslim extremists from Pakistan that have targeted India before. The Hindu newspaper reported Friday that at least three of the suspects held by police were members of Lashkar-i-Taiba. (Washington Post)
* India: Homegrown Terror or International Jihad? - Benedetta Berti
India is reeling from the worst series of terrorist attacks in its history. The Deccan Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility, is apparently linked with the Indian Mujahideen (IM), a splinter group of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). In the past six months, four IM attacks in major Indian cities claimed the lives of over 140 people. IM's previous attacks consisted of a series of coordinated, simultaneous blasts aimed at causing the highest number of casualties. A senior officer of the Indian Police Service, briefing parliament on the group's September 2008 attack in Delhi, stated: "This group...doesn't attack parliament or police stations. They go directly for maximum chaos and maximum financial damage." Following the Delhi blasts, the IM threatened to hit Mumbai in its next operation.
The highly coordinated and planned nature of the attacks, as well as the terrorists' modus operandi, also suggest the existence of a strong international connection between IM and international as well as regional terrorist groups. The Mumbai operation was qualitatively more sophisticated and deadly and shared several characteristics of al-Qaeda's operational strategy: the choice of targets, the deliberate decision to kill the maximum number of Western citizens, the simultaneous use of suicide missions, as well as hostage-taking. Thus, it is clear that the terrorist organization has received assistance and backing from al-Qaeda-affiliated organizations and has adopted an international jihadist agenda. The writer is a Neubauer Doctoral Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. (Jerusalem Post)
* How Not to Deal with Militant Islam - Sadanand Dhume
Over the past four years, Islamist groups have struck in New Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, among other places. The death toll from terrorism - not counting those killed in Mumbai - stands at over 4,000. India's failure to protect Mumbai offers a textbook example for fellow democracies on how not to deal with militant Islam. The country's antiterrorism effort is reactive and episodic rather than proactive and sustained. Its public discourse on Islam oscillates between crude, anti-Muslim bigotry and mindless sympathy for largely unjustified Muslim grievance-mongering. Finally, India's inability to modernize its 150-million strong Muslim population has spawned a community susceptible to militant Islam's faith-based appeal. (Wall Street Journal)

Other Issues

* Sanctions? What Sanctions? German-Iranian Trade Booms - Matthias Kuntzel
While the U.S. reacts to reports that Iran had enriched enough uranium for a nuclear weapon with concern and calls for tighter sanctions, in Germany it is business as usual. On Thursday, many of the leading lights of German-Iranian trade gathered at a conference in Hamburg on "Iran Sanctions: Practical Consequence for German Firms" to discuss how further to promote German business with Iran. "Even in these difficult times" the conference announcement states, the Chamber of Commerce wants to "support" German firms "developing markets in Iran." "We would be delighted if we could thus contribute to the success of your business with Iran."
One speaker was Norbert Eisenmenger, managing director of the European-Iranian Commerce Bank. As its latest report notes, the bank closed out 2007 "with record earnings yet again." "Net profit doubled...the volume of transactions increased by 35%." The topic "Financing Iranian Business Deals" was covered by Sabine Hummerich, representing Bank Melli Iran, which is fully-owned by the Iranian regime. The 2007-2008 report of Bank Melli's German subsidiary in Hamburg notes that net income increased by 33% over the previous year. In June 2008, the EU placed sanctions on Bank Melli. (Pajamas Media)
See also Berlin Loves Iran - Editorial
As Europe's largest exporter to Iran, Germany has unique leverage over that regime. But Berlin refuses to use it, unwilling to go beyond the relatively soft UN trade restrictions. German exports to Iran are up 14% in the first seven months of this year, according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office. (Wall Street Journal)
* Terrorists Feel Exempt from International Law - David Altman
At the end of the Vietnam War, visiting PLO representatives congratulated the commander of the North Vietnamese army, General Vo Nguyen Giap, on his victory over the American superpower and asked him when he predicted terror organizations would be victorious over Israel. Gen. Giap answered: "Never! You will never be victorious due to lack of determination." Some believe this meeting represented a turning point in the development of Islamic terrorism, which began to educate its society in the sanctity of suicide and initiated the era of suicide terrorism, believing that the more people willing to prove their readiness to die for a cause, the greater the determination and the closer the victory.
Today, a new, different terror army is being developed, one that enjoys the advantages of feeling exempt from any international law or accountability. In addition, they handicap the power of their opponent through exploitation of the claims of internationally accepted values of human rights, correct treatment of prisoners of war, and prevention of harm to civilian populations - though none of these values apply to them, but only to their opponent. The writer is the senior vice president of Netanya Academic College and the deputy chair of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue. (Jerusalem Post)
* Security Fence Makes Vast Difference to Life in Israel - Licia Corbella
Since the security fence was built, there have been no more suicide murders and no more sniping at children walking to and from school in Jerusalem. Khaled Abu Toameh, an Arab Muslim journalist who lives in Israel and writes for the Jerusalem Post, says life was unbearable and extremely dangerous before the fence was erected.
"It's very simple," explains the reporter who once worked for a PLO newspaper. "I live in Jerusalem. I have three children and I can tell you that for three years I was afraid to take my children to the shopping malls here in Jerusalem. For three years if you asked me to meet you in downtown Jerusalem, I would have refused and for three years I was afraid to stop my car at a red traffic light next to a bus because I didn't want to die in a suicide bombing. The suicide bombers killed both Jews and Arabs."
Today, Abu Toameh says he feels much safer and Jerusalem is a bustling city again, instead of the veritable ghost town it became for three years until the barrier was built. "Look, the wall is bad. I don't like walls....But let's be honest, what other choice did the Israelis have?" he asks. "If I were the Israeli authorities, I would write on the wall that this wall was made by Yasser Arafat and Hamas," said Abu Toameh. (Calgary Herald-Canada)

Observations:

The Starting Point for Peace - Lior Ben Dor (Guardian-UK)

* I read with great interest the Guardian's suggestion that president-elect Obama should "tear up" the 2004 letter from President Bush to Ariel Sharon regarding Israel's major settlement blocs within the West Bank (Editorial, Nov. 24). The future borders of the state of Israel will not be determined on the pages of this newspaper. Instead, they will be determined by negotiations between Israel and the legitimate leadership of the Palestinians.
* In 2005 Israel took the initiative as regards peace with the Palestinians by evacuating nearly 30 settlements, including every Jewish settlement in Gaza and more in the northern part of the West Bank. This process cost the Israeli taxpayer $2.5 billion and risked heightening tensions within Israeli society. However, Gaza became a launch pad for rocket attacks against Israeli citizens and terrorist action at our borders. This reality worsened still further after Hamas seized total control of Gaza in a bloody coup in 2007.
* The Israeli public overwhelmingly supports the concept of land for peace, if it brings the reward of greater security with a pragmatic, peaceful neighbor. Evacuation of settlements would be less popular, however, if the consequences are likely to be increased violence against Israel's citizens and the creation of a vacuum to be filled with extremist terror. The precedent of Gaza has increased the skepticism of the Israeli public towards similar arrangements in the West Bank.
* Thus while the 1967 borders are the natural starting point for negotiations, the demographic realities of Israel's population, and the understandable security concerns of the Israeli public, will need to be taken into account. These issues are on the agenda for any negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Aipac update

www.aipac.org November 19, 2008
Iran Tests New Long-Range Missiles
IAEA Chief: Uranium Found at Syrian Site
Livni Thanks Bush for Commitment to Israel, Peace
Israel Allows Aid to Gaza Despite New Rocket Attacks
Lawmakers Call on President-Elect to Support Robust Foreign Aid Budget
Michigan, Israel Sign Water Renewable Energy Agreement

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Iran Tests New Long-Range Missiles
The Iranian government said Wednesday that it successfully test-fired a new generation of sophisticated long-range missiles capable of striking Israel and American interests in the Gulf region, The New York Times reported. The news of the launch came one day after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps test-fired another new missile. In recent months, Tehran has unveiled plans for a number of long-range missiles based on Russian and North Korean designs, all with the capability of delivering a nuclear warhead. The United States recently imposed sanctions on a number of international firms for the sale of technology to Iran that could help it develop advanced missile systems or nuclear weapons.
IAEA Chief: Uranium Found at Syrian Site
The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Monday his agency needs more transparency from Syria and others to determine whether traces of uranium found at a suspected nuclear site destroyed last year indicate Damascus was covertly building a reactor there, the Associated Press reported. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he was hopeful that Syria would allow inspectors back into the country to carry out further tests, though Damascus has denied any secret nuclear activity, and has said it would not allow further visits to the site by U.N. inspectors under any circumstances. The U.S. administration has called Syria's nuclear program "a threat to regional peace and security" and has warned that "we cannot allow the world's most dangerous regimes to acquire the world's most dangerous weapons."
Livni Thanks Bush for Commitment to Israel, Peace
During an unscheduled encounter with President Bush at the United Nations on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni thanked the outgoing president for his steadfast commitment to the Jewish state and his strong support for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, The Jerusalem Post reported. "In the aftermath of the elections here, it is important that the world knows that you have left behind you a [peace] process that continues to move forward and that you have moved the talks with the Palestinians in the right direction after years of terror," Livni told Bush. "You stood up against terror and extremism and helped return moderate Palestinians to the correct path with Israel... For all this and much more, Israel should thank you."
Israel Allows Aid to Gaza Despite New Rocket Attacks
Israel announced plans on Monday to allow 30 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies for the United Nations and Red Cross into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, despite renewed rocket fire by Palestinian terrorists in the coastal territory, the Associated Press reported. The rockets slammed into the Jewish state just hours before Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were set to hold another round of peace talks. Monday's barrage of between eight and 12 rockets was the latest in nearly two weeks of renewed attacks against Israeli civilians, in direct violation of an Egyptian-mediated period of calm along the Gaza-Israel border. Palestinian terrorists have launched nearly 140 rockets and mortars at Israel in the last two weeks.
Lawmakers Call on President-Elect to Support Robust Foreign Aid Budget
Leading House and Senate members have drafted letters to President-elect Barack Obama that calls on him to support a robust international affairs budget for fiscal year 2010—a budget that includes critical security assistance for Israel. The letters, spearheaded by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) in the Senate and by Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) in the House, are meant to send a strong message to elected officials that during this period of economic uncertainty and political change, the United States must not turn its back on the rest of the world. The international affairs budget, which funds the foreign aid programs and diplomatic operations of the U.S. government, plays a crucial role in ensuring that Israel has the resources to maintain its qualitative military edge and to defend itself against increasing threats. Click here to urge your elected officials to sign the letters.
Michigan, Israel Sign Water Renewable Energy Agreement
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai on Monday signed a joint water technologies partnership agreement, making Michigan the first state in the United States to sign such a deal with the Jewish state, the Associated Press reported. "This partnership with Israel will strengthen our ability to collaborate with a country on the cutting-edge of water and renewable energy technologies," Granholm said. The agreement establishes a working group between the two governments to focus on energy efficiency and technology that will improve water quality and increase water reuse. During her week-long visit, Granholm also met with Israeli business leaders and entrepreneurs working to develop a nation-wide infrastructure for electric cars.

Friday, November 14, 2008

missile attacks on Ashkelon

The cease-fire has mostly held, but began to deteriorate last week after an Israeli military raid on what the army said was a tunnel that militants planned to use for a cross-border raid. Eleven militants have been killed, and Palestinians have fired some 140 rockets and mortars from Gaza at Israel.

Israel also has shut Gaza's vital border crossings, blocking the entrance of food, humanitarian goods and fuel into the impoverished area.

Friday's rocket barrage was one of the heaviest yet. Nearly 20 rockets were fired into southern Israel, including four Grad-type Katyushas that landed in Ashkelon, some 17 miles north of Gaza. One woman in the southern Israeli town of Sderot was lightly injured by shrapnel, the army said.

It was the first time that rockets have reached Ashkelon in the current round of fighting.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Conference of Presidents alert

Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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DAILY ALERT Thursday,
November 13, 2008

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In-Depth Issues:

Military Experts: New Iranian Missile Is Old One with a Different Name - Michael Evans (Times-UK)
Washington denounced the claim by Tehran Wednesday that it had test-fired a new surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,000 km., capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Iran's defense minister, said the new "Sejil missile" had "extremely high capabilities."
Despite the claims, Andrew Brookes of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said: "I think the Iranians just keep on rejigging the same missile and putting a new logo on it. It's basically the Shahab 3 with a different name."
"The missiles are rather like the Second World War V2 bombs which scared people but didn't cause mass casualties," he said.

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Captured Battle Plan Shows Taliban Strength - Anthony Loyd (Times-UK)
The map, sketched by a Taliban commander, is of a stretch of territory fought over in Bajaur between the Pakistani Army and the insurgents. Weapons caches, assembly areas and rendezvous points have been carefully marked and coded.
More than 400 Pakistani soldiers have been killed or wounded since August in Bajaur, the tribal district agency said to be the haunt of Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Discovered along with the map in a series of recently captured tunnel complexes are radio frequency lists, guerrilla warfare manuals, and bombmaking instructions.
"They were training people here," said Col. Javed Baluch. "There were students here taking notes on bombmaking and guerrilla warfare. They were well-trained and well-organized."
A Western diplomat in Islamabad claimed last month that among those killed by a Predator drone strike in the tribal area - there have been at least 18 drone attacks there in the past 12 weeks - were members of a terrorist cell planning an attack on Britain.

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Death Sentence of "Collaborator" with Israel Awaits Abbas Approval - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
A PA "military" court in Bethlehem on Wednesday sentenced a Palestinian security agent to death by firing squad after finding him guilty of "collaboration" with Israel - the sixth verdict of its kind in the past year.
Ironically, the death sentences come at a time when PA security forces are increasing their security coordination with Israel in the West Bank.

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Palestinian Columnist Criticizes Persecution of Christians (MEMRI)
'Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar wrote in the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam on Oct. 25, 2008:
"Christians are being persecuted not only in Iraq, but in most Arab countries, regardless of their numbers there. They are subjected to every possible kind of discrimination, as well as expulsion."
"By early 2008... 50% of Iraqi Christians had been expelled from their homes and lands.... In Palestine, the trend is the same."
I refer here "to actions of the past 20 years at least... involving the confiscation of Christian property, especially in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and el-Birah.... Those who are plundering [the Christians'] property are either powerful or are backed by various elements, among them high-ranking military officials or influential members of large clans."

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Facing Obama, Iran Suddenly Hedges on Talks - Thomas Erdbrink
Since 2006, Iran's leaders have called for direct, unconditional talks with the U.S. to resolve international concerns over their nuclear program. But as an American administration open to such negotiations prepares to take power, Iran's political and military leaders are sounding suddenly wary of President-elect Obama. "People who put on a mask of friendship, but with the objective of betrayal, and who enter from the angle of negotiations without preconditions, are more dangerous," Hossein Taeb, deputy commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Wednesday.
"The power holders in the new American government are trying to regain their lost influence with a tactical change in their foreign diplomacy. They are shifting from a hard conflict to a soft attack," Taeb said. Opposition to the U.S., long vilified as the "great Satan" in Friday sermons, remains one of the main pillars of Iranian politics. (Washington Post )
U.S. Cracks Down on Islamic Charity for Bankrolling Hamas - Jeannine Aversa
The Bush administration acted Wednesday against an Islamic charity suspected of helping to bankroll Hamas. The Treasury Department's action against the Union of Good freezes any bank accounts or other financial assets belonging to the charity in the U.S. Americans also are barred from making donations to the group.
"Terrorist groups such as Hamas continue to exploit charities to radicalize vulnerable communities and cultivate support for their violent activities," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. The Union of Good facilitates "the transfer of tens of millions of dollars a year to Hamas-managed associations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," the department said. (AP)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

PA Prime Minister Omits Judaism Among Faiths Devoted to Jerusalem
Jerusalem is holy to two religions - Islam and Christianity, PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad said at the UN-organized interfaith peace conference on Wednesday. Fayad failed to mention the importance of Israel's capital to the Jewish people, Israel Radio reported. "Jerusalem is home to the third most holy place to Islam, the place where Muhammad rose to the heavens, and the place where Jesus, the Christian, was resurrected," the Palestinian leader proclaimed. President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had addressed the forum earlier. (Jerusalem Post)
Israeli Foreign Minister: Saudi Message Inadequate - Yitzhak Benhorin
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that while Saudi King Abdullah's peace initiative is important, the words of Arab leaders at the UN's interfaith dialogue conference are inadequate. Speaking in New York, Livni said that "peace is more than just a piece of paper," adding that all parties to peace negotiations must also fight extremism. Meanwhile, President Shimon Peres said that "nobody expects Israel to accept the Arab peace initiative as is." However, he added that he sees genuine and positive change, and that "if there's a will, there's a way." (Ynet News)
See also Israeli Foreign Minister: Syria Must Stop Smuggling Weapons to Hizbullah If It Seeks Recognition - Yitzhak Benhorin (Ynet News)
Israel Changes Tactics to Prevent Terror Infiltrations from Gaza - Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
In the past two weeks, IDF units have crossed into Gaza several times to strike at terrorists and foil potential attacks. On Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed four Hamas gunmen approaching the security fence. The militants were trying to lay an explosive device near the fence, the army said. Defense sources said the army is now authorized to act against clear threats within a "security perimeter" - a several-hundred-meter strip beyond the border fence. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians Continue Rocket, Mortar Fire from Gaza - Shmulik Hadad
Palestinians in Gaza fired at least two Kassam rockets on Wednesday that landed near a southern Israel kibbutz. Early Thursday, another rocket landed near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Earlier Wednesday, six mortar shells fired by the Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees landed near a southern community. (Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

How to Put the Squeeze on Iran - Orde F. Kittrie
If Barack Obama is to persuade Iran to negotiate away its illegal nuclear weapons program, he will first need to generate more leverage. Tehran has an economic Achilles' heel - its extraordinarily heavy dependence on imported gasoline. Iran imports some 40% of the gasoline it needs for internal consumption.
In recent months, Iran has purchased nearly all of this gasoline from just five companies: the Swiss firm Vitol; the Swiss/Dutch firm Trafigura; the French firm Total; British Petroleum; and the Indian company Reliance Industries. If these companies stopped supplying Iran, the Iranians could replace only some of what they needed from other suppliers - and at a significantly higher price. Neither Russia nor China could serve as alternative suppliers since both are themselves heavily dependent on gasoline imports. The writer, a professor of law at Arizona State University, worked for 11 years at the State Department, including as a specialist on nuclear nonproliferation and sanctions. (Wall Street Journal)
How Close Is Iran to Making Nukes? - Barry Schweid
Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said in a report this month that Iran now has a technology base to make nuclear weapons, limited only by its current level of uranium enrichment. "The worst case for a nuclear device is 2009, but it could well be 2011-2015 before Iran gets there," Cordesman said Tuesday. "The critical issue is when Iran could have an effective nuclear-armed missile force. That could easily take two to three years longer."
Israel says Iran could have enough nuclear material to make its first bomb within a year. The U.S. estimates that Iran is at least two years away. A recent report by the Bipartisan Policy Center concluded that once Iran produces 700 kg. of low-enriched uranium, it could be capable of producing 20 kg. of highly enriched uranium, the minimum necessary for a nuclear device, in as little as 16 days. (AP/Washington Post)
Syria Can't Be Flipped - Michael Rubin
It is tempting to believe that U.S. diplomacy can flip Syria. The last rejectionist Arab state, Syria is a lynchpin not only in the Arab-Israeli peace process, but also in efforts to resolve the Iraqi insurgency and Lebanese instability. Alas, Syria cannot be flipped, largely due to Arab history and political culture. For more than a millennium, Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo have competed for the leadership of the Arab world. At times, two rivals would join forces but never has there been solidarity among all three.
Diplomats seeking to flip Assad are asking him to commit political suicide. Syria has less than 20 million citizens to Egypt's 80 million; for Damascus to work in the same coalition as Cairo is to subordinate itself to it. Absent the crisis of resistance, Assad has little reason to justify rule by his Alawite clan, a minority Shiite sect, among a disenfranchised Sunni Arab majority. The writer, editor of the Middle East Quarterly, is a senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. (Forbes)
See also Syria to Be Offered Sweeteners to Come to Heel - Catherine Philp
Improved relations with the West, an end to U.S. sanctions and the return of the Golan Heights are among the prizes being held out to Syria by David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, as he seeks to bring the one-time pariah state in from the cold during a visit to Damascus next week. (Times-UK)
Observations:

Israel Seeks Brotherhood and Peace - President Shimon Peres (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Israeli President Shimon Peres told the UN General Assembly meeting on the Culture of Peace on Wednesday:

Religious belief requires that we recognize the eternal message that all men were created in God's image. Harming a human being is tantamount to harming God himself. When nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, indiscriminate terror and fanatical incitement determine the agenda, we have to change that agenda.
After the First World War, Emir Feisal and Chaim Weizmann met in November 1919 to announce an understanding between their two peoples. Their declaration states: "Mindful of the racial kinship and ancient bonds existing between the Arabs and the Jewish people, and realizing that the surest means of working out the consummation of their national aspirations, is through the closest possible collaboration."
The Arab peace initiative states that its goals are to: "consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states in the region. Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of comprehensive peace. Stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighborliness, and provide future generations with security, stability and prosperity." These expressions are inspirational and promising - a serious opening for real progress.
However, there are those in our region who sow hatred and try to widen the abyss and erect barriers, those who seek to wipe out other people and encourage killing. In order to stand up against those who instigate discord and violence, we must bear the flag of brotherhood and peace.
See also Arab Leaders Stay, Listen to Israeli - Betsy Pisik
A UN conference on religious tolerance broke new ground Wednesday when a half-dozen Arab leaders - including Saudi King Abdullah for the first time ever - stayed in their seats while an Israeli president spoke. (Washington Times)

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AIPAC update

Obama Calls Nuclear Iran 'Unacceptable'

Peres Urges Arab States to Join in Quest for Peace

Diplomats: Uranium Found at Suspected Syrian Site

Treasury Tightens Banking Sanctions on Iran

Israelis Protest Lack of Human Rights in Egypt

Solar Panels Light the Way for Israeli Power Company

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Obama Calls Nuclear Iran 'Unacceptable'President-elect Barack Obama last week called for an international effort to halt Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and slammed Tehran's support for international terrorist organizations, Reuters reported. "Iran's development of a nuclear weapon, I believe is unacceptable," Obama said at a news conference in Chicago. "Iran's support of terrorist organizations, I think is something that has to cease." Iran's Foreign Ministry dismissed the comments on Monday and said it did not expect any major changes in U.S. policy towards the Islamic Republic. Iran faces further sanctions as a result of its continued defiance of U.N. Security Council demands that it halt its nuclear activity. Click here to learn about the importance of further sanctions against Iran.
Peres Urges Arab States to Join in Quest for PeaceSpeaking before an international gathering of religious leaders and heads of state at the United Nations, Israeli President Shimon Peres called upon the Arab world to join Israel in working for peace in the Middle East, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Referring to the Arab peace initiative as "inspirational and promising—a serious opening for real progress," Peres assured his Arab counterparts, "We cannot change the past. However, we can shape our future...Peace is not just a goal. It is a promise made to us at the dawn of time and the pinnacle of the holiest mountain. Let's claim them together." Throughout its history, Israel has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to resolving the conflict with all of its neighbors. The Arab states and the Palestinians must match Israel's commitment by isolating Hamas, fighting terrorism and laying the groundwork for historic political compromise.
Diplomats: Uranium Found at Suspected Syrian SiteSamples taken from a suspected Syrian nuclear site destroyed last year contained traces of uranium and other suspicious elements, raising concerns that Syria had been carrying out covert nuclear work, the Associated Press reported. Diplomats said the uranium contamination was revealed in environmental samples taken from the site by U.N. inspectors during a visit in June. Syria has denied any secret nuclear activity, and has said it would not allow further visits to the site by U.N. inspectors under any circumstances. The site was destroyed, presumably by the Israelis, who believed that the reactor was close to becoming operational. The U.S. administration has called Syria's nuclear program "a threat to regional peace and security" and has warned that "we cannot allow the world's most dangerous regimes to acquire the world's most dangerous weapons."
Treasury Tightens Banking Sanctions on IranThe Treasury Department announced Thursday that it is revoking Iran's so-called "U-turn" license, a move barring financial institutions from routing money transfers through the United States on behalf of Iranian banks, Iran's government and others in that country, Reuters reported. "The Iranian regime's policies have ensured Iran's political, economic and financial isolation," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. "Iran is still faced with two clear paths: to continue as a financial pariah, isolated from the world, or to seize the benefit and opportunity that reintegration into the global community would bring. The choice is Iran's to make." The United States has taken a leading role in imposing sanctions on Iran in the face of Tehran's continued defiance of repeated U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding it stop enriching uranium—a key step toward developing nuclear weapons.
Israelis Protest Lack of Human Rights in EgyptIsraeli protesters gathered in front of the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv last week to decry the ongoing detention of Egyptian blogger Abdul Kareem Nabil, imprisoned two years ago for defaming the president and inciting hatred of Islam. The protest in Israel—which was one of many worldwide—was organized by David Keyes, coordinator for democracy programs under Natan Sharanksy at the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies. "In the long term, democratic states are more peaceful and prosperous than autocratic ones," Keyes explained. "It is therefore a vital Israeli interest to support democracy throughout the Arab world. Tyranny only breeds radicalism, poverty and terror." Although the protest was not officially affiliated with the Adelson Institute, Sharansky released a statement in support of the rally, saying, "We strongly condemn Egypt's brazen assault on human liberty." Israel is the only Western-style democracy in the Middle East and is a country where the right to free speech is protected by law.
Solar Panels Light the Way for Israeli Power CompanyIsrael's Arava Power Company (APC) on Monday announced an agreement to use kibbutz land in the Arava region and the Negev Desert for solar power fields—a move that could potentially revolutionize Israel's energy market and put the country solidly on the path toward deriving its electricity from renewable sources, The Jerusalem Post reported. "The kibbutzim are already pioneers and solar [power] is the continuation of that pioneering spirit," APC President Yosef Abramowitz declared. "Europe is aiming for 20 percent of its energy from renewables and they have half the sunshine that we have. We should be at 40 percent." National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has set a goal of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020. The Jewish state has long been at the forefront of alternative energy technology.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Richard Baehr on Israel

This is bad: the coming "lawfare" against Israel
http://tinyurl.com/6rfmuf

11. Is Israel making progress on short range missile defense?
http://tinyurl.com/5g43nw

12. A long article on Iran, sanctions, and the nuclear program. In short, sanctions may be having some effect, but they take a long time to cause real damage. A long time is too much time given Iran's nuclear progress.
http://tinyurl.com/6yguka

Sunday, November 9, 2008

From the Consulate

Israel UpdateConsulate General of Israel to the Midwest

In This Issue:
Featured Article
Israel-US Relations
Israeli Blog
Quick Links Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Upcoming Events
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Israeli Cellist Plays at Ravinia
Gavriel Lipkind

Highland Park, IL
Friday, November 7 - 8:00 PM
Bennett-Gordon Hall
Israeli-born cellist Gavriel Lipkind has performed with such orchestras as the Israel Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic and the Baltimore Symphony. For more information, click here to visit the Ravinia website.

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Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
Chicago: Tuesday, November 11 Click on the photo for details

Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema

Two More Nights
Click here to go to the website
Upcoming Events
**********

Skokie
Beyond Milk & Honey: Israeli Environmentalism Presented by (JUF) Jewish United Fund
Thursday, November 13 7:30 p.m. The North Shore Center for Performing Arts 9501 Skokie Blvd. Skokie, IL Admission is free, but reservations are required. To register, please go to www.juf.org/brown or for more information, contact 312.357.4675.

Chicago: November 20 - Yael Munk at Columbia CollegeContemporary Israeli CinemaThe Social and Economic Aspects of Today's Israel

It's Never Too Early - Or Too Late - To Plan Your Child's Israel Experience... and Israel Experience Can Help!
Taglit-Birthright Israel... Your child's Jewish Education will reach new heights on an Israel Experience program. Learn about
new trends in the field and find out about ways to make your child's Israel Experience program more affordable.
Israel Experience Parent Receptions:
Thursday, November 20, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Chicagoland Jewish High School 1095 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield
Tuesday, December 2, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Solomon Schechter Day School
9301 Gross Point Road, Skokie
R.S.V.P. for the most convenient reception by sending an e-mail to IsraelExperience@juf.org by November 14, 2008

THE WORK OF ISRAELI ARTISTS WILL BE EXHIBITED AT INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR AT CHICAGO'S NAVY PIER THIS WEEKEND

Artwork from Artist Lucio Bubacco and Eden Gallery in Jerusalem,which specializes in Israeli sculptures, will be featured at SOFA CHICAGO 2008, the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair at Navy Pier's Festival Hall, November 7-9. The Fair features art from 100 international galleries and dealers from 16 countries. For more details, click on the photo.

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******************************** Please forward this publication to anyone who shares your interest in Israel. The articles in this newsletter (with the exception of Israeli Government statements) reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs website - Click for the latest news, official statements, videos, and presentations relating to the current conflict as well as views of the Israel behind the headlines.

Israel - U.S. Relations

Israeli Officials Congratulate President-Elect Barack Obama

President Shimon Peres:
(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson - abridged remarks)

"It was an American election and a worldwide choice. I don't recall any other election that practically all of humanity was following with hope and concern. I want to congratulate the newly-elected President: young, fresh, promising, representing a change and introducing change. The changes that I can mention - it is an opportunity to escape the present world crisis and enter into a new era of cooperation, of productive economy and of human solidarity...
... When President Obama was here, he asked me what he can do for Israel. My answer was: be a great President of the United States of America. If you will be a great President of the United States of America, you will have great promise for Israel as well, and for all of the region and for all of our neighbors... I think that all of us are excited and hopeful and send our best wishes from the eternal capital of Jerusalem."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser - abridged remarks)

Prime Minister Olmert said that the special Israel-US relationship is based on shared values and interests and is characterized by ties of close cooperation. Israel and the US have a common desire to advance peace and stability in the Middle East. We have no doubt that the special relations that prevail between the two countries will continue to strengthen during the Obama administration.

Foreign Minister Tzpi Livni also expressed her esteem for the honorable campaign conducted by Senator John McCain. "We thank Senator McCain for his long-standing friendship and look forward to continuing our close cooperation with him." New U.S. Approach to Foreign Policy? - David Ignatius (Washington Post)
Conversations over the past few days with several members of the president-elect's inner circle yielded some basic outlines of the new administration's approach to foreign policy. Obama wants to make an early push on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, despite political turmoil in Israel. He has learned from watching Presidents Clinton and Bush that you can't wait until the eleventh hour to be an active mediator. On Iran, Obama wants to open the door to a process of engagement and dialogue, even though his advisers aren't confident it will succeed. They think Iran may not yet have found the language of "yes," but that's no reason not to explore areas of possible common interest.
For Israel, No News Is Good News - Michael Oren (Ha'aretz) Israel is no longer in the news in Washington. For the past month, at least, Israel - indeed, the entire Middle East - has been knocked out of the newspapers and from television screens by the financial crisis and the presidential election. Israeli events that once would have made headlines in America are now relegated to the back pages, if not unreported altogether. This is good news for those who felt that the Jewish state is unfairly placed under a media microscope intent on magnifying its faults. In spite of Obama's pledge to personally and vigorously pursue an Arab-Israel accord, the president-elect is likely to lack both the time and financial resources to take on a time-consuming and potentially expensive peace initiative. Nor will he, with domestic newspapers crammed with stories of layoffs and foreclosures, be under immediate pressure to embark for the distant Middle East. The falloff of coverage of Israel in the U.S. is almost certain to be temporary. The writer is a senior fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem and a visiting professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

Iran Israel Cautions Against Dialogue with Iran
Israel said Thursday U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's stated readiness to talk to Iran could be seen in the Middle East as a sign of weakness in efforts to persuade Tehran to curb its nuclear program. "We live in a neighborhood in which sometimes dialogue - in a situation where you have brought sanctions, and you then shift to dialogue - is liable to be interpreted as weakness," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Israel Radio. Asked if she supported any U.S. dialogue with Iran, Livni replied: "The answer is no." Livni also said "the bottom line" was that the U.S., under Obama, "is also not willing to accept a nuclear Iran." (Reuters/Washington Post) The Treasury Department's War with Iran - Robin Wright (The New York Times Magazine)
Diplomacy is, at the moment, going nowhere. Efforts in the UN and the IAEA have done little to prevent Iran from growing ever closer to acquiring the capacity to manufacture nuclear fuel. At the same time, there is very little genuine enthusiasm in Washington today for a military option in Iran. Last year, Congress approved an astonishing $400 million for intelligence operations against Iran, but senior officials acknowledge that covert actions - primarily aid to ethnic proxies and broadcasts into Iran - are only an irritant. In Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Special Forces have focused on the Quds Force, Iran's covert military wing, and its local agents. Dozens have been detained; truckloads of Iranian arms have been uncovered

Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza Hamas praises Obama, hopes for 'new page' in relations with U.S. By Yoav Stern, (Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press)
Hamas strongman Mahmoud Zahar says he hopes the election victory of Barack Obama will open a new page in relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world. However, Zahar says he does not expect immediate change in U.S policy toward Hamas. The Bush administration is boycotting the Islamic militants, along with most of the international community.
Israel Preparing for Hamas Attacks after Gaza Operation - Hanan Greenberg (Jerusalem Post)
Tuesday night's successful Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza, to blow up a tunnel to be used in a kidnapping attempt, thwarted a concrete terror threat, but military officials admitted Wednesday that this was only one of many threats to Israel which still exist in Gaza. The "operation conveyed a message to Hamas that the IDF will not turn a blind eye when a tunnel is being dug near the fence," a military source said. "We proved that we know about it and do not hesitate to operate when needed." (Ynet News)
See also Both Hamas and Israel Want to Continue Ceasefire - Amir Mizroch (Jerusalem Post)
Despite the recent flare-up, neither Hamas nor Israel has announced the end of the ceasefire. Hamas has no interest in sparking a war with Israel that would threaten its hold on Gaza. In the meantime, Gaza has turned into the world's largest terrorist base; it has not become the Middle East's Singapore.

Lebanon, Syria & Hizbollah
IDF Drill Simulates War with Syria and Lebanon - Amos Harel (Ha'aretz)
The Israel Defense Forces Northern Command concluded a large-scale exercise Thursday which simulated a two-front war with Syria and Lebanon. The exercise drilled the Israel Air Force and the Home Front Command in dealing with the simulated firing of thousands of rockets and missiles into the heart of Israel's population centers. The exercise entailed the deployment of troops on the ground, comprising mainly reservists. During the drill, the striking aircraft were under orders to focus on long and medium-range missile launchers. The responsibility for knocking out shorter-range rockets lay on ground troops that were ordered to carry out an on-paper invasion into Syrian and Lebanese territory.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Daily alert

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

AIPAC update

www.aipac.org November 5, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama Wins the 2008 Presidential Election

Hamas Fires More Than 35 Rockets at Israel

Iranians Celebrate U.S. Embassy Takeover, Chant 'Death to Israel'

Syrian Nuclear Site Should be Searched, Diplomats Say

Pentagon: Europe, U.S. Soon in Iranian Missile Range

Israeli Environmental Start-Ups Visit United States

take action!
Affect Israel's future and promote U.S. interests in the Middle East by urging your members of Congress to support critical legislation.

Click here to learn about these important initiatives and to email your elected representatives.

Learn more
Click here for AIPAC analysis of issues affecting the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Sen. Barack Obama Wins the 2008 Presidential ElectionSenator Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected the nation's 44th president on Tuesday, defeating Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). President-elect Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), see Israel as an American asset and a vital ally in the Middle East. Obama has a strong record on issues of concern to the U.S. pro-Israel community. He spoke at the AIPAC Policy Conference in June. (You can watch Obama's speech here and read a transcript here.) In addition, Americans have elected a new Congress; AIPAC has met with all of the new members, helping to ensure that support for the U.S.-Israel alliance in the legislative branch will be stronger than ever. Click here to learn about the importance of American support for Israel.
Hamas Fires More Than 35 Rockets at IsraelHamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired more than 35 rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday, the first time the group has taken responsibility for rocket fire since an Egyptian-mediated effort to bring calm to the region went into effect in June, Reuters reported. Hamas said the barrage came in response to an Israeli operation to destroy a tunnel the terrorist group planned to use to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The operation and a subsequent Israeli air strike left six Palestinian terrorists dead and four IDF soldiers wounded. Despite the lull in violence along Israel's border with Gaza, Palestinian terrorist groups continue to build up their military capabilities and incite Palestinians to violence against the Jewish state.
Iranians Celebrate U.S. Embassy Takeover, Chant 'Death to Israel'Thousands of Iranians demonstrated on Monday to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students, the Associated Press reported. Crowds gathered in Tehran outside the former U.S. Embassy building, where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days. They chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while burning flags of the two countries. The demonstration followed a decree by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that his country's hatred for the United States runs deep. The Islamic Republic has consistently refused to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state in the Middle East and is the prime sponsor of Hamas and Hizballah—terrorist groups sworn to Israel's destruction.
Syrian Nuclear Site Should be Searched, Diplomats SayFreshly evaluated soil and air samples from a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor site provide enough evidence to push ahead with a U.N probe, diplomats told the Associated Press recently. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) feels "there is enough evidence there to warrant a follow-up," said one of the diplomats, though Syria has already said it would not allow further visits to the site under any circumstances. The site was bombed last year, presumably by the Israelis, who believed that the reactor was close to becoming operational. The U.S. administration recently called Syria's nuclear program "a threat to regional peace and security" and warned that "we cannot allow the world's most dangerous regimes to acquire the world's most dangerous weapons."
Pentagon: Europe, U.S. Soon in Iranian Missile RangeThe head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Friday that Iran was not far from attaining the means to use missiles against all of Europe and the United States in five to six years, Israel Radio reported. Lt.-Gen. Henry Obering III has said previously that Iran is already capable of launching attacks against much of the European continent. In recent months, Tehran has unveiled plans for a number of long-range missiles, based on Russian and North Korean designs, all with the capability of delivering a nuclear warhead. The United States recently imposed sanctions on a number of international firms for the sale of technology to Iran that could help it develop advanced missile systems or nuclear weapons. Israeli Environmental Start-Ups Visit United StatesAn Israeli delegation of start-up companies was in the United States last week to meet on furthering clean technology innovation and investment, The Jerusalem Post reported. Expanding on past successes in telecommunications and life sciences, Israel hoped to draw attention to its renewable-energy sector at conferences in New York and Boston. "We are at the point where a little push can go a long way," said David Farb, chief executive officer of Leviathan Energy, Inc. "I want to see our technologies benefit the world as quickly as possible." The Israeli company, which develops renewable-energy production processes using wind, water and waves, is in an expansion phase and is looking for potential investors, Farb said. Israel has long been at the forefront of

Sunday, November 2, 2008

King David era hebrew found

Jacob Richman - Pictures
Israel - Items - Oldest Hebrew Text
Archaeologist says he found oldest Hebrew writing

Associated Press
October 31, 2008

Hirbet Qeiyafa, Israel (AP) - An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he believes is the oldest known Hebrew inscription on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard - a find that suggests Biblical accounts of the ancient Israelite kingdom of David could have been based on written texts.

A teenage volunteer discovered the curved shard bearing five lines of faded characters in July in the ruins of an ancient town on a hilltop south of Jerusalem. Yossi Garfinkel, the Israeli archaeologist leading the excavations at Hirbet Qeiyafa, released his conclusions about the writing Thursday after months of study.

He said the relic is strong evidence that the ancient Israelites were literate and could chronicle events centuries before the Bible was written. This could suggest that some of the Bible's accounts were based on written records as well as oral traditions - adding credence to arguments that the Biblical account of history is more than myth.

The shard was found near the stairs and stone washtub of an excavated home. It was later discovered to bear characters known as proto-Canaanite, a precursor of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Israelites were not the only ones using the proto-Canaanite characters, and other scholars suggest it is difficult - perhaps impossible - to conclude the text is Hebrew. However, Garfinkel based his identification on a three-letter verb from the inscription meaning "to do," a word he said existed only in Hebrew.

"That leads us to believe that this is Hebrew, and that this is the oldest Hebrew inscription that has been found," he said.

Hirbet Qeiyafa sits near the modern Israeli city of Beit Shemesh in the Judean foothills, an area that was once the frontier between the hill-dwelling Israelites and their enemies, the coastal Philistines. The site overlooks the Elah Valley, said to be the scene of the slingshot showdown between David and the Philistine giant Goliath, and near the ruins of Goliath's hometown in the Philistine metropolis of Gath.

Carbon-14 analysis of burnt olive pits found in the same layer of the site as the pottery shard helped archaeologists date it to between 1,000 and 975 B.C., the same time as the Biblical golden age of King David's rule in Jerusalem.

Archaeology has turned up only scant finds from David's time in the early 10th century B.C., leading some scholars to argue the Bible's account of the period inflates the importance of him and his kingdom. Some have even suggested his kingdom may not have existed at all.

But the fortified settlement where the writing was found contains indications that a powerful Israelite kingdom existed near Jerusalem in David's time, says Garfinkel.

If his claim is borne out, it would bolster the case for the Bible's accuracy by indicating the Israelites could record events as they happened, transmitting the history that was recorded in the Old Testament several hundred years later.

Modern Zionism has traditionally seen archaeology as a way of strengthening the Jewish claim to Israel and regarded David's kingdom as the glorious ancestor of the new Jewish state. As a result, finding evidence of his rule has importance beyond its interest to scholars.

The script, which Garfinkel suggests might be part of a letter, predates the next significant Hebrew inscription by between 100 and 200 years. History's best-known Hebrew texts, the Dead Sea scrolls, were penned on parchment beginning 850 years later.

The shard is now kept in a university safe while philologists translate it, a task expected to take months. But several words have already been tentatively identified, including "judge," "slave" and "king." The inscription was shown to other scholars at a peer presentation of the findings.

Some scholars are hesitant to embrace Garfinkel's interpretation, and his findings are already being wielded in the ongoing debate over whether the Bible - written hundreds of years after many of its events are supposed to have occurred - is more fact or legend. But the find is certain, at the very least, to prove useful in understanding the development of language and ancient alphabets.

Other prominent Biblical archaeologists warned against jumping to conclusions.

Hebrew University archaeologist Amihai Mazar said the inscription is "very important," but suggested that calling the text Hebrew might be going too far.

"The differentiation between the scripts, and between the languages themselves in that period, remains unclear," he said.

If the inscription is Hebrew, it would connect the Hirbet Qeiyafa settlement to the Israelites and make the text "one of the most important texts, without a doubt, in the corpus of Hebrew inscriptions," said Aren Maier, a Bar Ilan University archaeologist.

While the site is likely to add another "building block" to the historical record, archaeologist Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University said the claims about it went beyond the strict boundaries of science.

Finkelstein, who has not visited the dig but attended a presentation of the findings, warned against what he said was a "revival in the belief that what's written in the Bible is accurate like a newspaper."