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.
MI Chief: Rockets could hit Be'er Sheva within two years
Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin has told Haaretz that in two years time every community within 40 kilometers from the Gaza Strip border could be vulnerable to rocket attacks.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Palestinians plan marches to commemorate 'Nakba' today
The Palestinians are planning to mark Israel's 60th anniversary Thursday by staging a series of marches and strikes throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Senior defense source: 'Israel on collision course with Hamas'
Israel is examining the possible responses to Wednesday's Grad rocket attack on Ashkelon. At this stage, it seems there will not be a broad response and the Israel Defense Forces will settle for pinpoint attacks on the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, a senior defense source emphasized Wednesday that "Israel is on a collision course with Hamas in Gaza that is reaching its conclusion."
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
PMW: Hatred of US a Pillar of PA Ideology
The Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) watchdog group has released a report warning that hatred of the United States is a pillar of the Palestinian Authority’s ideology.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Multiple casualties as rocket hits Ashkelon shopping center
Multiple casualties were reported Wednesday evening, including a baby girl and her mother who were seriously wounded, when a rocket fired from Gaza hit the Hutzot Shopping Center in Ashkelon.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Blair says Israel agreed to ease West Bank restrictions
Israel will scrap one checkpoint near Hebron this week and remove or relocate several others 'once Israel determines the security situation so allows', Quartet's Mideast envoy says
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Hamas says Shalit won't be part of any truce deal
Islamist group leader al-Zahar says it won't offer kidnapped IDF soldier 'for free' and that his release is not related to Egypt-brokered truce talks
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
'Suleiman's visit may bring calm'
Israel will refrain from military response to deadly Qassam attack on Monday to allow Egyptian truce initiative genuine shot at succeeding. State officials in Jerusalem say agreement may stem Hamas' growth, end arms smuggling, bring about deal to release Gilad Shalit
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Opinion: History lesson for Khatib
Assaf Wohl replies to Arab-Israeli leader who claimed that land's past belongs to Arabs
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Woman killed by Qassam in southern Israel
Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza strikes house in Yesha community, paramedics fail to resuscitate woman who suffered critical injuries
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Talk of Livni as Olmert's Replacement Creates Tension at the Top
A poll published Monday by daily newspaper Yediot Aharonot showed that 59 percent of the public think Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should step down, or at least suspend himself voluntarily until the criminal investigation against him runs its course. Sixty percent of the public said it didn't believe Olmert when he said that he never took any of the money given by Morris Talansky.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Exclusive: Syria hardens positions, retracts peace feelers to Israel
DEBKAfile's Middle East sources report that in the last 48 hours, Damascus has broadcast new, intransigent policy positions through diverse channels under the influence of Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert's legal plight and the swift victories its ally, Hizballah, has achieved in Lebanon:
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Rocket lands near school in Ashkelon
Siren sounded in seaside city at around 7 am Monday, followed by explosions. One rocket lands in southern neighborhood inside city, another in open area. One woman suffers from shock, several houses sustain damage
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Qassam lands near school bus in Sderot
After several hours of relative calm, fire on western Negev renewed as one rocket hits southern college's parking lot, another lands near bus carrying children in Sderot. Woman, three children treated for shock
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Exclusive: Hizballah received 35 new Iranian speedboats shortly before current crisis
DEBKAfile's military sources report that three weeks before Hizballah seized western Beirut, the Shiite terrorist group took delivery of 35 fast speedboats for use with explosives from Iran. The craft can threaten US Sixth Fleet and Israel Navy shipping close to Lebanese shores, reach Israel's Haifa and Ashdod Mediterranean ports and raid its coastal oil installations.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
2 wounded as rockets continue to fall
Two people were lightly wounded from shrapnel Saturday evening when two Kassam rockets launched from the Gaza Strip hit the city of Sderot.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Qassam hits Sderot house; 3 suffer from shock
Fourteen rockets fired from Gaza since morning hours, one causes heavy damage to building. Two other Qassams land near synagogue, educational institution. Earlier, IDF kills five Hamas gunmen in southern Strip town of Rafah following mortar attack which left member of Kibbutz Kfar Aza dead
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
1 killed by mortar shell in western Negev kibbutz
Two mortar shells fired by Palestinians from northern Gaza Strip land in Kibbutz Kfar Aza Friday evening, killing one person and lightly injuring another. Mortars land near house, local community hall
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Settlers kill terrorist in West Bank
A group of five Israeli settlers, including off-duty IDF soldiers, shot and killed a Palestinian terrorist who opened fire on the group in the West Bank on Friday afternoon.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
MKs call for Olmert's resignation
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should resign immediately, Likud MK Gideon Sa'ar said after Olmert's press conference Thursday evening.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
PM suspected of illegally accepting large sums of money
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a dramatic statement late Thursday night, said he has never taken a bribe or "a single agora" for himself, but that he would resign if the attorney-general decides to indict him as a result of a new police investigation.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Olmert denies allegations of unlawfully receiving funds prior to premiership
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert calls impromptu press conference following court decision to revise gag order in police probe against him; categorically denies ever receiving unlawful funds, says if indicted will resign
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Reports: Livni Getting Set to Replace Olmert
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is making preparations for replacing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert if and when the latest bribery scandal forces him to resign, political analysts reported.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Progress reported on permanent borders during Olmert-Abbas meeting
Officials in Jerusalem say major progress achieved during talks with regard to permanent borders of future Palestinian state, related security arrangements. 'These were the most serious talks the sides have ever conducted,' PM's Office says
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
LAW anti-tank rockets found in Palestinian Shufat camp in Jerusalem
A joint Israeli military-border police raid of the northern Jerusalem Palestinian district, turned up a large secret weapons cache, Monday, May 5. Seven men were arrested on suspicion of engaging in terrorism and arm trafficking.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Senior officers slam IDF's lack of resolve in Gaza
Officers serving in Gaza say limitations placed on army by political echelon prevent Israel from effectively fighting terror in Strip. 'Our activity carries no deterrence,' one officer warns
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Def. Min. Barak's Orders Leave IDF at Security "Red Line"
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has given orders to remove three critical anti-terror checkpoints in Judea and Samaria, allowing terrorists to travel unhindered. The orders were given in compliance with demands by visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who continually insists that Israel mollify Palestinian Authority by removing additional security checkpoints. The IDF generally objects to such gestures.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Palestinian official sinks Gaza power plant lie
A senior official with the Gaza Energy Authority on Sunday discredited an lie printed by media outlets earlier in the day that an Israeli embargo on industrial fuel had resulted in the Gaza Strip's only electrical power plant shutting down one of its four turbines.
Full story [israeltoday]
Sunday Times Hints: Israel's Evidence on Iran Justifies Strike
The Sunday Times of London reports that Israel's intelligence information on Iran's nuclear capabilities appears to belie the official United States stance on the issue. The US National Intelligence Estimate of last December concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons development program in 2003. However, the Times reports, Israel has made a breakthrough in intelligence-gathering within Iran, and now fears that Iran has in fact made significant advances towards attaining nuclear power.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
French want role in Gaza int'l force
France is offering to take part in an international force in Palestinian areas, an idea that the Palestinian Authority and Israel have begun to embrace in the Gaza Strip but which is opposed by Hamas, which has power there.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
IDF: We did not hit Beit Hanoun house
Military inquiry into incident which left Palestinian mother, four of her children dead, concludes family was hurt by detonation of weapons carried out by nearby gunman targeted by IAF missile. Army releases footage caught by UAV proving missile did not target Gaza home
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Rice: Israelis, Palestinians must agree on final borders
Determining final borders is 'best thing we can possibly do,' Secretary of State says
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Israel: Iran could have nukes this year
Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz warned on Wednesday that, according to an updated Israeli intelligence assessment, Iran may be able to build a nuclear weapon by the end of this year.
Full story [israeltoday]
Monument to honor homosexual Holocaust victims
First Israeli monument honoring tens of thousands of homosexual Holocaust victims to be erected in Tel Aviv park
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
'Land-for-peace will put Iran in Golan'
Giving Syria the Golan Heights will mean bringing Iran there as well, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said overnight Monday after meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
World food shortage reaches Israel
Israel this month began feeling the effects of a global shortage of staple foods such as rice and flour that has already led to rioting in some developing nations.
Full story [israeltoday]
Kinneret drops by 6 cm. over Pessah
The water level in the Kinneret, Israel's largest reservoir and freshwater source, has dropped by six whole centimeters over the Passover holiday, the Water Authority announced.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Hamas Chief: Cease-Fire a Tactic
Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said Saturday that the Islamist group's request for a ceasefire with Israel was "a tactic in conducting the struggle."
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Report: Hamas trying to develop explosive UAV
Palestinian terror group collaborating with Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on obtaining or developing drones that could be used against Israel, state-run Cairo paper a-Ahram reports
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Analysis: Assad caught red-handed may now go for revenge
US and Israel intelligence experts upgrade the chances of president Bashar Assad retaliating for the Israeli attack, which irreparably damaged the secret nuclear North Korea built for him in eastern Syria - now that the episode is out in the open. DEBKAfile quotes those experts as recalling Saddam Hussein's burning ambition to hit Israel's nuclear site at Dimona after Israeli jets smashed Iraq's French built nuclear reactor in 1981.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Israeli Supreme Court rules in favor of Messianic Jews
In a landmark decision this week, the Supreme Court of Israel ratified a settlement between twelve Messianic Jewish believers and the State of Israel, which states that being a Messianic Jew does not prevent one from receiving citizenship in Israel under the Law of Return or the Law of Citizenship, if one is a descendent of Jews on one's father's side (and thus not Jewish according to halacha).
Full story [israeltoday]
Assad confirms: Olmert said willing to cede Golan
Syrian president tells al-Watan he was told by Turkish mediator Israeli prime minister expressed willingness to pull out of Golan Heights in exchange for peace
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Knesset House Committee to Push for Nat'l Golan Referendum Law
Knesset House Committee Chairman David Tal has vowed to fight his own chairman, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, on his decision to put the Golan Heights on the negotiating table in exchange for a promise of peace with Syria.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Peace with Syria suicidal, MKs say
Syrian report suggesting Olmert will agree to pull out of Golan Heights for sake of peace with Damascus inflames political area: Likud blames him for thinking of nothing but political survival; Kadima MK says will push forward referendum on area's future
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Hizbullah chases away UNIFIL monitors
Hizbullah gunmen chased away UNIFIL inspectors in south Lebanon who identified a truck carrying arms belonging to the guerrilla group, a report published twice a year by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon revealed Tuesday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Defense officials: Iran smuggling arms into Gaza by sea
Iran has stepped up its efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip by using floatable devices that it drops near the waters off the Gaza coast to be picked up by Palestinian fisherman, senior defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
War with Israel is possible and we are getting ready – Assad
The Syrian ruler Bashar Assad made this statement in a speech in Damascus reported Thursday, April 17.
Earlier this week, DEBKAfile's military sources reported that Damascus has deployed the 10th armored corps at the Massaneh crossing of Mount Hermon. It links up with the northwestern positions the 14th division took up last month on the Syrian-Israeli border which cuts through the Hermon range.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Hizbullah Will Dispatch Israeli Arabs to Attack From Rear in War
A Syrian newspaper reported that Hizbullah plans to activate masses of Israeli Arab terrorists in the next war.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Abbas honors Sbarro killer's driver
The Al Kuds Mark of Honor, the PLO's highest medal, will be given to two female terrorists who helped kill Israelis, Israel Radio reported Wednesday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Exclusive: Amid new Iranian threat, Israel connects to America's Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
Israel requested the hook-up to the BMEWS for early warning to defend itself against Iranian missile attack. Tuesday, April 15, Iran's deputy C-in-C Mohammad Reza Ashtiani threatened to eliminate Israel from "the scene of the universe" if it launches a military attack on the Islamic state.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Exclusive: Another Syrian armored division masses on Israeli-Lebanese borders
DEBKAfile's military sources report that Damascus has deployed the 10th armed corps at the Massaneh crossing of Mount Hermon. It links up with the northwestern positions the 14th division took up last month on the Syrian-Israeli border which cuts through the Hermon range.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
PA Ambassador: "First Jerusalem, Then We'll Take All Palestine"
"When Israel's ideology will collapse, and after we take Jerusalem, Israel's ideology will collapse altogether, and then we will proceed with our own ideology, inshallah [if Allah wills], and we will throw them out of all of Palestine." So said Abbas Zaki, the Palestinian Authority's ambassador to Lebanon on Lebanese television last week, according to a translation by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute).
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Israel fears US will sell top fighter jets to Saudi Arabia
Israel is increasingly concerned that the United States will allow the sale of fifth-generation, stealth-enabled Joint Strike Fighter jets - aka the F-35 Lightning II - to Saudi Arabia, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Evangelicals urge police to act on harassment of messianic Jews
A leading evangelical organization in Israel has called on local police to stop "overlooking" cases of "harassment, intimidation and even physical violence" against messianic Jews, in the wake of last month's attack, which seriously injured a member of Ariel's small Christian missionary community. In an open letter released Sunday, the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem condemned the attack against 15-year-old Ami Ortiz, son of prominent messianic pastor David Ortiz, breaking some three weeks of silence on the subject.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Pardoned terrorists tried to poison restaurant
White, odorless substance kills 5 hours after ingestion
JERUSALEM – The terrorist cell that planned to poison an Israeli restaurant this month was led by jihadists who were recently granted amnesty by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, WND has learned.
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
Israel fears Iran may ship Hezbollah arms via Beirut port
Israel is concerned that Iran might start moving weapons to Hezbollah by means of ships that anchor in the Beirut port, government sources in Jerusalem said.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Israeli ex-general sharply criticizes official "defensive" policy as recipe for war
Former OC Central Command and ex-defense ministry Dir.-Gen Ret. Gen. Shraga Biran said Friday, April 11, that Israel's security problems will not be solved through defensive operations. In an unusually outspoken diatribe against current government policy by an apolitical military strategist, Biran warned that this defensive posture would lead inexorably to war, while strengthening Israel's antagonists, Syria, Hizballah and Hamas.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
O Jerusalem! America drafts plan to cut in 2
Allows Palestinian security control, asks Israel to forfeit Temple Mount
JERUSALEM – The United States, which has been mediating negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority here, has proposed a plan to divide Jerusalem, WND has learned.
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
Iran starts to install 6,000 enrichment centrifuges
Iranian president announces country begins installing new centrifuges at Natanz uranium enrichment facility
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Insider leaks plans for Palestinian state
Secretive U.S.-backed discussion focuses on West Bank, Jerusalem
JERUSALEM – U.S.-backed negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are expected to generate an agreement by the end of the year that would set up a Palestinian state in the West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem, according to a source who has participated in the talks.
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
U.S., Israel concerned N. Korean nuclear know-how reached Iran
The United States and Israel seek to pressure North Korea to cease its nuclear cooperation with Iran, which is one of the motives behind their agreement to disclose details on the air-force strike in Syria last September. According to foreign press reports, the strike targeted a nuclear installation built with North Korean assistance.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Diskin: Complete fence before gestures
Shin Bet chief warns cabinet against easing restrictions on Palestinians while separation fence remains breached. Aide to defense minister says Barak is working to locate budget for fence's completion, adds diplomatic considerations taken into account as well
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Al-Qaida No. 2 vows group will attack Jews across world
Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri pledged Wednesday night that the group would attack Jews in Israel and throughout the world.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Iranian mortars negate southern Israel defenses
A military correspondent for Israel's Channel Two News reported on Tuesday night that many of the mortar shells fired at southern Israel by Gaza-based Palestinian forces earlier in the day were Iranian-made 120mm shells.
Full story [israeltoday]
One-third of Israelis gripped by severe poverty
A full one-third of all Israelis are so poor they cannot even purchase all of the essential foods that make up a basic diet, according to a government report issued on Monday.
Full story [israeltoday]
IDF: Hizbullah recruiting Israeli spies
Less than a week after the IDF revealed it had arrested a non-commissioned officer for allegedly spying for Hizbullah, security officials warned over the weekend that the Lebanese group was targeting Druse and Beduin soldiers for anti-Israel espionage.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Hamas gets Iranian plans for improved Qassams
Hamas militants who recently returned to the Gaza Strip after training in Iran have a detailed plan for upgrading the capabilities of the rockets being developed in the Strip, according to senior Palestinian Authority sources.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Defense officials: Hizbullah has rockets that can reach Dimona
Senior defense officials say Hizbullah has dramatically increased its rocket range and now threatens most of Israel.
The officials said the Lebanese group has acquired new Iranian rockets with a range of around 300 kilometers. That means they can hit anywhere in Israel's heavily populated center and reach as far as Dimona, where Israel's nuclear reactor is located.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
IDF: Islamic Jihad producing Grad-like rockets
New type rockets can reach 12.5-mile range, carry double amount of explosives compared to Qassams. 'The fact terror groups can manufacture their own long-range rockets is disturbing and worrying,' army official warns
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
US monitors: Palestinian Authority not fighting terror
US officials in the region to monitor Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the terms of the Road Map peace process recently criticized the Palestinian Authority for failing to combat anti-Israel terrorism, its primary obligation.
Full story [israeltoday]
Israel warns Abbas against reconciliation with Hamas
Israeli officials on Monday warned Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that concluding a reconciliation agreement with the Hamas terrorist organization would effectively sink renewed US-driven peace talks.
Full story [israeltoday]
Zawahri urges anti-Israel attacks over Gaza
In new audiotape, al-Qaeda's second-in-command calls for attacks on Israeli and Western targets to avenge IDF's raids on Strip. 'Let them know that they would bleed for every dollar they spend on killing Muslims,' he says, calling leaders of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt part of a 'satanic alliance'
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Syria masses three army divisions on Lebanese border
DEBKAfile's military sources report that the Syrian deployment is backed by the concentration of pro-Syrian Palestinian factions in the Beqaa valley of Lebanon, amid rising war tensions between Hizballah and Israel.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Poll Show 85% of PA Arabs Support Terror
Two recent polls find a vast majority of Arab supporting terror attacks and a growing Israeli majority opposed to further withdrawals.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Water shortage looms in Israel after drought
Water Authority spokesman says population growth and improvement in quality of life leading to steep increase in water usage; soon-to-completed desalination plants expected to help deal with issue
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Water Authority Director: Crisis Expected in July
The Knesset Interior Committee held a session on Israel's looming water crisis, and its members heard some dire warnings. Uri Shani, the Director of the Water Authority, told the MKs, "I have no doubt that the level of the Kinneret will drop this coming July below the red line, and water will not be able to be drawn."
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
US ambassador: Jews will just have to leave Jerusalem
US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones suggested during a tour of overcrowded Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem on Monday that many Jews will just have to move out of the capital rather than expand into parts of the city claimed by the Palestinians.
Full story [israeltoday]
Abbas: Armed 'resistance' not ruled out
PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said that he does not rule out returning to the path of armed "resistance" against Israel and took pride in the fact that he had been the first to fire on Israel and that his organization had trained Hizbullah.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Israel reaches out to Europe as 'third pillar' of survival
The Foreign Ministry has begun a strategic overhaul of relations with the EU and its member nations, increasingly "plugging into" EU institutions and, in turn, allowing Europe to play a greater role in Israeli diplomatic and economic processes, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Yoram Ettinger: PA Continues to Lie About Demographic Threat
Demographer Yoram Ettinger tells Arutz-7 that Palestinian Authority data about its growth spurt are distorted, untrue, and wildly contradict World Bank figures. He says there are 2.6 million Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and not the 3.8 million reported by the PA.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Syria upgrades missiles thanks to Iranian support
Syria has successfully developed a new surface-to-surface missile that would enable it to target with greater accuracy Israeli installations - such as airports, ports and factories - according briefings recently presented to senior ministers.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Water Authority: Israel is rapidly losing its water sources
Israel will soon be unable to use a considerable part of its natural water sources, the Water Authority warns, because of the deteriorating quality of ground-water reserves, exacerbated by reduced rainfall due to climate change.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
PA's Message: In English — Coexist; In Arabic — Destroy Israel
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is delivering two very different messages to the Western and Arab world. The message to the West, declared in English in front of media microphones and cameras, glorifies an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully beside Israel.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
20 Years of Research Reveals: Jerusalem Belongs to Jews
Jacques Gauthier, a non-Jewish Canadian lawyer who spent 20 years researching the legal status of Jerusalem, has concluded: "Jerusalem belongs to the Jews, by international law."
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Fatah TV Broadcasts Daily Call For Ethnic Cleansing of Jews
Fatah chief and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's PA television has been repeatedly broadcasting a hate-filled music video calling for the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish people from Israel.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Drought forces cabinet to vote on emergency water measures
A major public relations campaign to encourage water conservation, restrictions on watering parks and gardens, and increasing waste-water recycling, are all part of an emergency water savings plan to be presented Sunday to the cabinet for approval by the Minister of National Infrastructures, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Opinion: Dialogue to nowhere
Elyakim Haetzni's meeting with Arab students convinces him conflict can't be resolved
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Israel a 'Nazi apartheid regime'? Bible 'full of myths'?
Watchdog monitors 'anti-Jewish trends' of Jerusalem universities
Israeli college professors who label their country a Nazi apartheid regime, teach that the Bible is full of myths, urge the downfall of the Jewish state, and speak at conventions calling for the boycott of Israel?
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
Study: Most Sderot kids exhibit post-traumatic stress symptoms
Between 75 percent and 94 percent of Sderot children aged 4-18 exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress, says Natal, the Israel Center for Victims of Terror and War.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
Congressmen maintain US sale of sophisticated precision-guided bomb technology gives Saudi Arabia edge over Israel
During his visit to Riyadh Jan. 14, US president George Bush notified Congress of his intention to transfer to Saudi Arabia 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions – JDAMs – as part of a multimillion arms package to US Gulf allies.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
PA Chairman With PLO Flag That Erases Israel
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was filmed this week at a PLO Central Committee meeting with an emblem that negates the existence of Israel as a backdrop. The PLO emblem includes the PA flag above a map which depcits Palestine replacing the entirety of the State of Israel.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Report: Olmert Agrees to Allow in 50,000 Arab 'Refugees'
The issue of "Arab refugees" has long been a matter of widespread consensus in Israel, with even left-wing parties declaring that allowing them into Israel would endanger its very existence as a Jewish state. Nevertheless, the subject does not appear to be going away. Reports are that Prime Minister Olmert has now agreed to allow 50,000 Arabs who left Israel in 1948 - or are descendants of those who did - to enter and live in Israel.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
US considers interim international force in West Bank
The US is preparing a plan to station third party troops in the West Bank to secure the area after an Israeli withdrawal and before the Palestinian Authority can take over full security control, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah terror cells in Gaza are responsible for every third missile and second mortar shell fired at Israel
The Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the Gaza Strip takes its orders directly from the movement's leader, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, with whom Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is holding “peace talks” under US sponsorship. The meet again Tuesday, Jan. 7, the day before President George W. Bush's arrival.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Olmert is Warned: 'Talk About Jerusalem - Break the Law'
Two Jerusalem organizations have sent a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, reminding him that discussions with US President Bush or PA Chairman Abbas regarding a possible division of Jerusalem are in violation of Israeli law.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Israeli Arabs: Count us out of Palestinian state
Majority would rather remain under Jewish leadership
Posted: January 3, 2008
JERUSALEM – If given the option of living in a future Palestinian state, most Israeli Arabs would prefer to remain citizens of Israel, according to a new survey released this week.
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
Sea of Galilee at lowest level in 5 years
Lake Kinneret, better known to most as the Sea of Galilee, has reached its lowest level in five years, Israel's Water Authority warned this week.
Full story [israeltoday]
children's situation worse than ever
As Israel approaches its 60th anniversary, the country's children are suffering more than ever the budget cuts of recent years and the social gaps between those from rich and poor families are becoming more polarized, according to Dr. Yitzhak Kadman, director of the National Council for the Child, which released its 16th annual report on the status of Israel's next generation on Sunday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Bin Laden: We will liberate Palestine 'from Jordan to the sea'
Al-Qaeda leader issues unusually direct threat against Israel, promising Palestinians his organization plans to expand its jihad to the region. 'We will not recognize even once inch for Jews in the land of Palestine as other Muslim leaders have,' says Bin Laden in audio recording posted to website
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Iran, Russia meet to discuss defense cooperation
Kremlin sends delegation to Tehran to discuss military matters following recent nuclear fuel delivery to Islamic state
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Welfare Min. launches policy to allow single-sex couples to adopt
Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog is launching policy that would allow single-sex families to adopt children in Israel who bear no biological connection to them.
Full story [HAARETZ.com]
'One in every five salaried employees living in poverty'
While the Israeli economy is continuing to grow, the conditions of an overwhelming majority of the general public remain grim, according to a report by the Adva Institute published Saturday evening.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
PA Children's Programming: 'Wipe Out the People of Zion'
The Palestinian Authority's Al-Aksa TV broadcasts, produced by Hamas, include children's programming that calls for the genocide of the "people of Zion."
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Blair refuses to recognize 'Jewish state'
International peace envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday refused to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state while addressing a gathering of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Full story [israeltoday]
Quarter of poor considered suicide
A quarter of Israel's poor Israel who were being supported by welfare organizations have considered ending their lives over their financial situation, an alternative poverty report released by the Latet organization revealed Wednesday.
Full story [Jerusalem Post]
Accusation: Israeli leader long planned dividing Jerusalem
As city's mayor, Olmert allowed 100,000 illegal Arab squatters
JERUSALEM – During 10 years as mayor of Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed city workers not to take action against hundreds of illegal Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of Jerusalem, allegedly telling municipal workers the area one day would be handed to the Palestinians, according to former workers speaking to WND.
Full story [WorldNetDaily]
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Covert Syrian intelligence arm in al Qaeda-Lebanon sets up shop in Gaza
Our counter-terror sources report that the radical Fatah al Islam, which fought the Lebanese army for almost four months from a stronghold in the Palestinian Nahar al-Bard refugee camp, issued a bulletin on al Qaeda web sites Sunday, Dec. 2. It announced the start of operations against Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
Expert: Major quake will cause enormous damage
'Israel isn't prepared for a earthquake because government not implementing its own decisions,' Dr. Ephraim Laor says
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Iran Extends Submarine Range to Hit Tel Aviv and US Mediterranean Targets
DEBKAfile's military sources report the Iranian Navy is in the process of deploying two submarine fleets – mini-subs in Persian Gulf waters for attacks on US shipping and Gulf oil facilities, and the long-range Kilo class sub of Russian, Chinese and home manufacture, for long-range targets in the Mediterranean, such as the US Sixth Fleet and Israel coastal towns, primarily Tel Aviv.
Full story [DEBKAfile]
UN solidifies creation of 'Israel-bashing' council
A United Nations General Assembly committee on Friday furthered the transformation of the UN Human Rights Council from anything resembling a body concerned with global human rights to one that focuses solely on condemning the Jewish state.
Full story [israeltoday]
American Jewish Orgs.: Fatah Charter Calls to 'Eradicate' Israel
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is deliberating a proposed statement calling on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to change the Fatah charter, which calls to "eradicate" Israel. US Congressmen have submitted a similar resolution in the House of Representatives.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Opinion: Wrong approach to peace
US, Israel ignore leading scholar's insights about Muslim attitude to peace deals
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
Fatah-Controlled TV Promises Elimination of Israel
A new music video appearing regularly on Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority television over the past week promises the elimination of Israel and the restoration of the "Arab identity" of cities throughout the Jewish State. The propaganda clip stands in stark contrast to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's recent declarations in support of reconciliation with Israel, issued ahead of the upcoming multinational Middle East peace conference organized by the United States.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
On PA TV, All of Israel to be Replaced by 'Palestine'
Even as Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas declares his demand for "only" all 6,205 kilometers of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, his official TV station shows a PA flag covering all of Israel.
Full story [IsraelNN.com]
Report: Israel, PA agree Jordanian control of Temple Mount
London-based Palestinian daily quotes Abbas aide as saying, Israel and Palestinians have agreed to transfer control of parts of Old City in Jerusalem to Jordan as part of future peace agreement
Full story [Ynetnews.com]
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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