Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God
is for Israel, that they may be saved. Rom. 10:1
Breaking headlines direct from Israel
General Prayer Concerns
The following news items are posted here as considerations for prayer to help you as you pray for Israel.
Palestinians say Israel pardoned 92 wanted Fatah men
In apparent bid to bolster Abbas' regime ahead of possible release of hundreds of Hamas prisoners as part of Shalit deal, Israel grants amnesty to dozens of al-Aqsa Brigades men
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Netanyahu to Likud: No Schalit deal yet - it's a serious dilemma
"There is no deal [on Schalit] yet, and when there will be, it will be brought for debate in the Knesset and voted on in the cabinet," affirmed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a Likud faction meeting on Monday afternoon.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Denied Russian S-300 missiles, Iran cannot protect nuclear sites
Iran launches its huge Modafean-e (Defenders) Aseman-e-Velayat air defense exercise Sunday, Nov. 22, to protect its nuclear sites, after failing to persuade Russia to deliver the linchpin of its air defenses, S-300 missiles. For two weeks, high-ranking Iranian politicians and generals bombarded Moscow to make good on its contract to supply the key weapon, to no avail. Saturday, Nov. 21, Iran's air force commander Brig. Gen. Ahmad Mighani spoke at length about the highly sophisticated S-300, without which, DEBKAfile's military sources say, Iran has no real defense against US and Israeli aerial or missile strikes against its nuclear installations.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Iran: We'll hit Tel Aviv if attacked
Iranian cleric says ballistic missiles would be fired at heart of Tel Aviv should Israel strike Islamic republic; Iran army official charges Russian delay in supplying advanced missile system to Tehran result of pressure by 'Zionist lobby'
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Egypt's abrupt shutdown of operations against tunnels revives missile flow to Gaza
Tuesday, Nov. 18, Egypt's special forces and engineering units suddenly shut down operation against the smuggling tunnels to Gaza without warning to Washington or Jerusalem, DEBKAfile's military sources report. US and Israeli requests for clarifications from Cairo, which must have ordered the stoppage, were not answered. So the Obama administration signaled Egypt that if it continues to violate the international accords governing the status of the Egyptian-Gazan border, there will be consequences.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Iran is advancing on dual nuclear bomb track: uranium plus plutonium
DEBKAfile's military sources report that the UN inspectors' October visit to Iran turned up dual-track progress in support of its nuclear weapons program: Feverish activity was registered in the production of plutonium at Isfahan as an alternative to the Fordo enriched uranium plant near Qom which starts up in 2011.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Obama Enlists Both Clintons to stop a Palestinian state
After US Secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned Mahmoud Abbas on Oct. 31 that he was going against the wishes of president Barack Obama, the White House hauled out a heavy contingent of big American guns to make him see reason. They visit Ramallah Sunday, Nov. 15, to lean hard on him to back off his plan for a unilateral declaration of the Islamic Republic of Palestinian within 1967 or 1949 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, following the Kosovo example of 2008, according DEBKAfile's Washington and Jerusalem sources.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Erekat: PA may declare state via UN
Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat says the Palestinian Authority is making an effort to elicit international support for declaring statehood, Al-Ayyam newspaper reported Saturday.
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
'Qom nuclear plant is 7 years old'
Iran's recently revealed uranium enrichment hall is a highly fortified underground space that appears too small to house a civilian nuclear program, but large enough to serve for military activities, diplomats told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Hezbollah: All of Israel within our range
In response to Ashkenazi's warning of Israeli retaliation in face of attack, Hezbollah says, 'Enemy knows any attack will bring about its total defeat that will result in end of its entity'
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Erdogan promises Iran Turkish intelligence aid against Israel
In the secret part of their talks in Tehran on Oct. 28, DEBKAfile's military sources reveal that Turkish prime minister Tayyep Recep Erdogan and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck military cooperation deals which promised Iran Turkish military intelligence and air force assistance against a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear sites.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Iran set to launch 200-kg spy satelite into orbit
Iran is ready to launch its second homemade spy satellite, with the Safir 2 rocket (Messenger of Ambassador) already in position on its pad, DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources report. The new satellite weighs 200 kgs, ten times more than Omid 1 (Hope), which was successfully tested only ten months ago, on Feb. 2. Tehran's missile program is clearly rushing forward at a rapid pace. In fact, some Western and Israeli missile experts suspect it may have overtaken North Korea and that Iran no longer stands in need of technical assistance from Pyongyang or Beijing.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Iran may have tested nuclear warhead design, secret IAEA report says
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting the Islamic Republic's scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian reported in its Friday edition.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Hamas successfully tests new Iran-made Silkworm that can reach Tel Aviv
Israel's military intelligence chief Brig. Amos Yadlin revealed Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the Palestinian Hamas had successfully tested a new 60-km range Iranian shore-to-sea missile firing it west from the Gaza coast. When fired north overland the missile could reach Tel Aviv.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Jewish extremist arrested for alleged series of hate crimes
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police have arrested an American-born Jewish settler who was behind an unprecedented series of deadly terror shootings and bombings spanning over a decade, in which two Palestinians were killed and Israel Prize Laureate Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell was injured. He also planted a bomb at the entrance to house of a messianic family in Ariel, seriously wounding their son, then-15-year-old Ami Ortiz.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Gazans prepare lawsuits against IDF
Defense Ministry, Tel Aviv Prosecution receive 1,500 notices of future civil lawsuits against IDF over damages caused to Palestinians during Operation Cast Lead. Legal experts say Israel to argue it was fighting on foreign territory, over which it has no legal responsibilities
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
New Iranian missiles for Gaza, Syria tops up Hizballah's rocket stocks
Iran is making a huge effort to smuggle to the Palestinian Hamas Fajr-5 ground-to-ground rockets that bring Tel Aviv within range of the Gaza Strip. DEBKAfile's military sources also disclose that Syria, Iran's second ally with an Israeli border, has decided to transfer one-third of its missile stockpile to the Hizballah in Lebanon, topping up its arsenal with medium-range rockets that can cover central as well as northern Israel, which was heavily blitzed in the 2006 war.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Report: Hezbollah plans attacks on Israeli targets in Turkey
According to leading Turkish news website, planned attacks come in retaliation for assassination of senior Hezbollah member in 2008; possible targets include American, Israeli institutions, synagogues, tourist destinations
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Israel: Endorsement of Goldstone Report promotes terror
State officials respond to UN Human Rights Council's decision to adopt report saying IDF committed war crimes in Gaza. 'This is diplomatic anarchy,' says Minister Yishai. Palestinians: This is a first step ahead of prosecution of Israeli war criminals
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
UNHRC endorses Goldstone's report
Despite Israeli lobbying efforts against the Goldstone report, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva endorsed the document on Friday, a move that will send it on to more powerful UN bodies in New York for action.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
'One million refugees headed to Israel'
IDF units responsible for guarding Israel's expansive western border with Egypt said Thursday that there are one million would-be infiltrators waiting to cross the mostly barrierless border and enter Israel illegally.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Anti-terror bureau warns of possible attacks on Israelis in India
Bureau says threat against travelers 'much more severe,' calls on Israelis to refrain from visiting Chabad houses, synagogues throughout India
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
'Syrian long-range missiles in Lebanon'
Syria has transferred nearly a quarter of its long- and medium-range missile arsenal to Hizbullah, the Kuwaiti al Jarida reported on Thursday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Israel may attack Iran after December - Le Canard Enchaine
According to an unconfirmed report in the French Le Canard Enchaine of Wednesday, Oct. 14, Israel is preparing to bomb Iranian nuclear sites and pro-Iranian targets across the Middle East after December 2009. The prestigious satirical weekly reports that the IDF has notified special forces reservists abroad to get ready to return home in November for immediate drafting to the military operation against Iranian nuclear facilities. The weekly further reports Israel has ordered combat rations from a French firm for these reservists to stay on long-term missions far from home.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Palestinians, allies reopen Gaza war crimes debate
UN Human Rights Council to hold special meeting on Goldstone Report; Israeli Foreign Ministry: We still think report very dangerous, based almost exclusively on Hamas propaganda. PA envoy says debate to also focus on recent violence in Jerusalem
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
PM: Focus efforts on fending off Goldstone threat
During Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu says Israel facing two main challenges: Renewing talks with Palestinians, warding off attempt to deny country its right to defend itself. Defense minister on Gaza war report: We must keep supporting IDF personnel and decision-makers
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Russia halts TOR-M1, S-300 air, missile defense missiles to Iran
DEBKAfile's military sources report that Russia's abrupt suspension of consignments of advanced Tor-M1 air defense missiles and S-300 anti-missile systems has left Tehran high and dry for effective weapons to defend itself and its nuclear facilities against attacks.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Security Council to discuss Goldstone Report on Oct. 14
UN agrees to advance monthly meeting on Middle East following Libyan request for urgent discussion on report claiming Israel, Hamas committed war crimes in Gaza
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
'US may be planning to bomb Iran'
The US could be in the process of accelerating provisions for a possible attack on Iran, according to an ABC News report published Tuesday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
'Hamas may put Gazans on Strip's border'
The IDF is concerned that Hamas is planning to resettle thousands of displaced Gazans in caravans and temporary homes along the border with Israel, defense officials said on Sunday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Iran admits second uranium enrichment plant, overturning Western weapon-fuel estimates
Diplomats attached to the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA disclosed Friday, Sept. 25, an Iranian letter to its director Mohamed ElBaradei admitting the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant in addition to Natanz. Its location and capacity remain secret. The letter coincided with US president Barack Obama's statement when he opened the G20 summit in Pittsburgh accusing Iran of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel, which he said had been hidden for years from international inspectors. (An Tehran official responded to the report by saying the project is "experimental.")
The disclosure follows the revelation by Iranian dissident exiles in Paris Thursday that Iran was developing detonators for setting off a nuclear bomb.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Barak aide: Goldstone Report on Gaza war encourages terror
Defense minister's aide says findings of UN probe into IDF offensive 'reward terror,' while senior Hamas figure calls report 'politically imbalanced'
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
UN charges Israel with war crimes
A United Nations probe of last year's conflict in Gaza concluded Tuesday that both sides were guilty of committing war crimes, including the violation of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
'Russia confirms MiG-29M sale to Syria'
A Russian newspaper is reporting that Russia has a contract to provide Syria with powerful MiG fighter jets but has not begun delivering the planes.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Hizballah deploys chemical and biological weapons near Israeli border - Arab, European sources
The Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa reported Thursday, Sept. 3, that chemical weapons were stored in the hidden Hizballah arms warehouse which blew up at Hirbet Salim near the Israeli border in mid-July. Of the 11 Hizballah operatives killed in the blast, 3 died of chemical poisoning. Hizballah denied any members had been killed or even that it maintains a weapons store in breach of UN resolutions.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
'Israel won't accept limitations on sovereignty in J'lem'
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will make it clear in his discussions with US and European officials abroad that Israel will not accept any limitations on its sovereignty in Jerusalem, sources at the Prime Minister's Office said, immediately before his plane took off from Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Prognosis: 14,000 to die of swine flu
Health Ministry's Emergency Unit instructs hospital administrators to prepare for upcoming H1N1 flu outbreak this winter; predicts 14,000 dead, 75,000 admissions, 1.8 million visits to local HMOs
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Fatah: PA Will Take All of Jerusalem — by Peace or by Force
The Fatah party headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, re-elected in the fractured party convention in Bethlehem Saturday night, concluded all of Jerusalem is a “red line” for the PA.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Hamas Tests Rockets to Hit Tel Aviv
Hamas is testing an improved Kassam rocket that can reach the Tel Aviv area. It also resumed fire on the Western Negev Sunday morning, striking the agricultural Kibbutz Alumim, whose fields border the Gaza separation fence. No injuries or damage was reported.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Labor Ministry planning emergency job call-up for swine flu
Following Health Ministry warnings, Industry, government bracing itself for lack of working hands this winter as a result of H1N1 virus outbreak, says it will be possible to recruit workers under emergency work law
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Israel aims to outlaw foreign gov't funds for subversive NGOs
Recent revelations about foreign government funding for local NGOs involved in political activity have triggered discussions by senior Israeli officials about the possibility of making such aid illegal, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Russia builds key naval HQ in Syria: Missile presence worries Israel
A high-ranking Russian navy source reported July 21 that the Soviet-era naval maintenance base near Tartus in Syria is to be expanded and modernized to become "fully operational." DEBKAfile's military sources report that Russian is building the facility up as its main sea base for operations in four seas: The Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The upgrade of Russian port facilities at Tartus, its only foothold in the Mediterranean, will automatically enhance Moscow's strategic interests in Syria and Bashar Assad's regime.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Palestinians: 'Peace' just a means to a darker end
Those who believe the land-for-peace process will bring an end to the bloodshed between Arabs and Israelis are deluding themselves, explained a leading member of the ruling Palestinian faction in a televised interview last week.
Full story [israeltoday]
Iran in mass production of long-range, solid-fuel Sejil surface missiles
Iran is slowing down the manufacture of the Shehab-3 surface missile in favor of mass production of the more accurate two-stage 2,000-kilometer range Sejil II ballistic missile powered with solid fuel, which was successfully tested on May 20, DEBKAfile's military and Iranian sources report.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
U.K. hits Israel with partial arms embargo over Gaza war
Britain has slapped a partial arms embargo on Israel, refusing to supply replacement parts and other equipment for Sa'ar 4.5 gunships because they participated in Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
PM: Palestinian recognition of Jewish state 'key to peace'
Palestinian recognition of the Jewish nature of Israel is an essential condition to peace, as well as their willingness to relinquish the demand that the descendents of Palestinian refugees be allowed to resettle in the Jewish state, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Israel has no adequate interceptor for Iran's new long-range missile
DEBKAfile's military sources report that Israel, the US and Europe were taken aback by Iran's successful launch Wednesday, May 20, of a two-stage, solid-fueled 2,000-kilometer range missile, but most of all by the accuracy of its aim in destroying its target, as proudly claimed by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Israelis warned of Internet terrorism
The Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday issued a statement warning Israelis to beware of terrorist activity on popular online social networking sites such as Facebook.
Full story [israeltoday]
40% of Israeli Arabs: Holocaust never happened
Disturbing poll results: Shocking percentage of local Arabs are Shoah deniers, less than half recognize Israel's right to exist as Jewish democratic state; survey shows significant deterioration in Arab attitudes in past six years
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
PA still seeks Israel's demise, US-trained army could attack Jewish state
A top Palestinian Authority official admits the "two-state solution" is really just a means of bringing about Israel's collapse, and the American general training up the new PA army reveals those troops could turn on Israel.
Full story [israeltoday]
Netanyahu vows not to withdraw from Golan
Ahead of next week's meeting with US President Obama in Washington, prime minister makes declaration of intent during Likud ministers' meeting as to future Israel-Syria peace talks
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
New Ambassador to U.S. Favors Razing Jewish Yesha Communities
The Netanyahu government's choice for U.S. Ambassador is Dr. Michael Oren, who favors Israel withdrawing unilaterally from most of Judea and Samaria and razing most settlements. Speaking to the conservative JINSA institute earlier this year, Oren said he expected the Obama administration to use pressure on Israel to get Jerusalem to agree to establishing a Palestinian state. If Israel does not go along it will "be pushed into a corner," he said.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Israel's Air & Missile Forces Could Wipe out Iran's Nuclear Sites
The detailed report compiled by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington last month, complete with graphs and diagrams, has been reprinted in thousands of copies in Tehran. It is compulsory reading for its intelligence and Revolutionary Guards personnel because the Study on a Possible Israeli Strike on Iran's Nuclear Development Facilities concludes that the Jewish state has all the resources necessary for a successful strike.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Independent Norwegian poll: Palestinian majority opposes two states
Amid the ping-pong between Washington and Jerusalem over the validity of a Palestinian state established alongside Israel as the end-product of peace negotiations, the Norwegian Fafo institute which sponsored the 1993 Oslo Framework accords decided to find out how the Palestinians felt about this solution. Its main discovery was that a majority, 53 percent, of Palestinians (like Israelis), is against two states.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
New Israel killer drone can take out Iran's S-300 anti-air missile
The Israeli air industries first unveiled its new Harop "loiter drone" for taking out ground-to-air missiles at the annual Aero-India 2009 air show which closed recently at Bangalore.
The Iranian media were first to disclose that this sophisticated Israeli drone is capable of targeting the Russian radar-equipped S-300 anti-air missile before it enters attack mode.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
'Syria building chemical weapons plant'
Syria has been conducting extensive construction work on a chemical weapons facility in the country's northwest, satellite images obtained by the defense analyst group Jane's reveal.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Syria poised to transfer Iranian mobile SA-8 anti-air missiles to Lebanese Hizballah
Israel's government changeover catches its armed forces on high war alert on two fronts – its southern border with the Gaza Strip and its northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, DEBKA-Net-Weekly reported Feb. 6. Iran is deeply involved in both. The northern borders may be the more flammable, our military sources report, after Israel warned Damascus, through US, Egyptian and Turkish channels, that its delivery of scores of SA-8-9K33 Osa mobile anti-air missile systems to Hizballah in Lebanon would cross a red line.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Iran's first spy satellite launch Tuesday signifies nuclear-capable rocket in hand
The launch of Omid (Hope), Iran's first home-made satellite into orbit early Tuesday, Feb. 3, is a breakthrough demonstrating the Islamic Republic has managed to develop long-range, three-stage ballistic rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Hamas fires first Iranian shore-to-ship C-802 missile from Gaza
DEBKAfile's military sources reveal a formidable addition to Hamas' arsenal: The missile fired from Gaza out to the Mediterranean last week was not a Qassam as reported but a C-802, the Iranian shore-to-ship Nur C-802 missile, which is based on the Chinese "Silkworm."
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Poverty report: 36% of Israeli needy live in hunger
LATET aid organization's Alternative Poverty Report reveals deterioration in problem with quarter of Israelis fearing poverty, one in five contemplating suicide. LATET sources say situation expected to worsen in 2009
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Seized documents show Hamas funding Israeli Arabs
Documents seized during Israeli army raids on Hamas offices and Islamic charities linked to the terror group over the past year show that Hamas has been taking in so much money from abroad that it is now funding Israeli Arab Islamic groups.
Full story [israeltoday]
"Hizballah Brigades of Palestine" - new Gaza-West Bank terror group
Local undercover officers of the Iranian-sponsored Hizballah established and funded this "new" Palestinian terrorist organization for "operations" under their orders, DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources report. It described itself in a statement issued Saturday, Oct. 4, as a "Sunni jihad group which has nothing to do with politics", and whose members are "former members of Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jhad and leftist parties." Their goals are to "carry out Jihad for the sake of Allah and resist enemies of Islam."
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Report: Syria has restarted nuclear weapons program
Following last year's Israeli bombing of a suspected Syrian nuclear facility, Damascus has reportedly restarted its nuclear weapons program, but is now following the Iranian model of housing the program at numerous different locations.
Full story [israeltoday]
Iran's al Qods, Hizballah secretly integrate rocket and commando units
DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources disclose that an Iranian Revolutionary Guards delegation last week signed a secret accord with Hizballah leaders for the integration and operational merger of their missile-rocket and commando units.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Opinion: Dialogue to nowhere
Elyakim Haetzni's meeting with Arab students convinces him conflict can't be resolved
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Opinion: Wrong approach to peace
US, Israel ignore leading scholar's insights about Muslim attitude to peace deals
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Click to read "Older But Still Relevant News Items"
Pray
We do not know what God has in store for Israel in the short term. We can only pray that it will be for the eventual salvation of the Jewish people.
So continue to pray for Israel, for the Jewish people and for the peace of Jerusalem and may God bless you as you lift up His nation and people before Him.
Lift up the cause of the Messianic believers in Israel and pray that the Lord would grant them more freedom to express their faith in Messiah.
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