God happened

Many Palestinians support massacre of Jewish family

2011-04-07T13:18:00.000+02:00

It has already been noted that the Palestinian leadership’s denunciation of last month’s massacre of the Fogel family in northern Samaria rang insincere, considering the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing demonization of Jews and glorification of anti-Israel terrorists.

A poll published on Wednesday showed that the Palestinian Authority is succeeding in keeping a sizable portion of the Palestinian population on track with its violent anti-Israel agenda, despite two-faced conciliatory remarks in English.

One-third (32%) of the 1270 Palestinian adults polled by Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said they support the March 11 terrorist infiltration of the Samarian Jewish community of Itamar, during which Uri and Rachel Fogel and three of their young children were butchered with knives.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/tabid/178/nid/22738/Default.aspx

Within First Week of 2011: Over Ten Rockets Launched from Gaza Strip into Israel

2011-01-07T13:01:00.000+01:00

06 January 2011 , 18:02

The first week of 2011 has already seen more than 10 rockets and mortar shells launched at Israel’s southern communities, with the IDF responding to attacks targeting the Hamas organization’s terror activity sites, a weapon manufacturing site and a smuggling tunnel.

IDF Website

Within the first week of 2011, more than 10 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel’s southern communities.

-On Saturday (Jan. 1), a Qassam rocket was fired at the Sha’ar Hanegev regional council, home to approximately 6,500 residents.

-On Sunday (Jan. 2), a rocket was fired into the Eshkol Regional Council, home to approximately 10,000 residents.

-On Tuesday (Jan. 4), a Qassam rocket was fired and hit the Ashkelon Shore regional council, home to approximately 13,000 residents.

.On Wednesday (Jan. 5), seven mortar shells were fired into the Eshkol Regional Council.

-On Thursday (Jan. 6), a rocket was fired into Sdot Negev Regional Council, home to approx 8,000 residents.

In response to these attacks, the IDF struck several terror-related sites. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted and hit a terrorist activity center in the northern Gaza Strip as well as a weapons manufacturing facility in the central Gaza Strip, both belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization.

Later in the week, in a joint operation between the Israel Security Agency and the IDF, the IAF also struck one of the Hamas terrorist organization’s terror activity centers in the central Gaza Strip and a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

Throughout the year 2010, over 235 Grad missiles, Qassam rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.

The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it. The IDF will also continue to respond harshly to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/2011/01/0602.htm

Arab world in uproar over Zionist spy birds

2011-01-07T12:50:00.001+01:00

Israel’s Ma’ariv daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabian officials have “arrested” a wounded vulture that landed in a rural area of the country wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet etched with the words “Tel Aviv University.”

The bird is part of ongoing long-term research into bird migration patterns, but the residents of Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries had far more fanciful ideas. For them, this bird is a winged Zionist spy, and the transmitter he was wearing was sending vital classified information back to the “Zionist regime.”

Saudi Arabia’s Al Weeam newspaper was the first to report about the incident. It noted that the vulture had landed near the house of a local sheikh, and was not afraid of people. The reporter and the people he interviewed asserted that the aggressive nature of the bird and the foul odor that came out of its mouth were evidence of a Zionist plot, rather than tell-tale signs that this was in fact a vulture.

That article led to an explosion of comments on Arabic news websites and online forums, where people across the region were convinced that “the Zionists” had somehow trained the beasts of the wild to do their bidding.

Iran’s Tabnak news agency said as much when it reported that “spy personnel number of X63 [the identification number on the bird’s leg bracelet] leaves no doubt that other birds are going to be sent by the Zionist regime for espionage against Saudi Arabia and other countries.”

The story of the spy bird comes just weeks after Egyptian officials claimed that a string of shark attacks at resorts in the Sinai Peninsula were the work of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Jerusalem Arab children taught to seek bloodshed

2011-01-07T12:44:00.001+01:00

Thursday, January 06, 2011 | Ryan Jones

It is no longer a secret that Palestinian Arab children are being taught from a very young age to seek bloodshed and martyrdom in the battle against Israel. It is, nevertheless, instructive to continue highlighting such incidents as the world continues to press Israel to make concession to what it insists is a viable “peace partner.”

The latest example of this form of child abuse comes not from Hamas-ruled Gaza or even Palestinian Authority-controlled Ramallah, but rather from the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

On December 10, Hamas’ Al Aqsa TV broadcast a documentary titled “The Martyr’ Wedding.” In the program was featured a group of very young children from the Riyad Al Aqsa School in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher.

The children are shown holding up stones and bullets while singing:

“How strong is the army of Al Aqsa.
I am a soldier, defending its protected area.
How precious is the land of Al Aqsa.
I shall give up my life for its sake.
In the way of Allah we proceed aspiring to raise the flag.
May the glory of the religion (Islam) return, and may our blood be shed.”

It is worth noting that one of the two Jerusalem Arab men arrested recently for plotting to fire a missile into the city’s main soccer stadium is a resident of Sur Baher. Police investigating the plot said that they found a growing Hamas and radical Islamist presence in many eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods.
* Translation of the Hamas documentary was provided by Palestinian Media Watch
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

70 Christians arrested over Christmas in Iran

2011-01-07T12:41:00.000+01:00

by Brian HuttPosted: Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:30 (GMT)

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has condemned as “brutal” the arrest and detention of 70 Christians during the Christmas period in Iran.

Twenty-five of them were rounded up in the early hours of Christmas Day. CSW said another 50 Christians were detained although their circumstances remain unclear.

The 25 detained on Christmas Day were evangelicals and included pastors and leaders from Iran’s house church networks, which are under severe pressure from the government.

Eleven of the group have so far been released but CSW said it had “serious concerns” for the 14 who remain in detention.

Andrew Johnston, Advocacy Director of CSW, said: “We condemn this brutal attack on evangelical Christians in Iran.

“The arrest of 70 members of one group reveals the clear targeting of individuals along religious lines.

“Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is therefore legally obligated to uphold international standards of religious freedom for all its citizens.”

CSW said members of house churches have been subjected to brutal interrogations and solitary confinement at the hands of the authorities looking to extract the names of other church members and deter them practising their faith.

It said it was troubled by the anti-Christian rhetoric of religious and political leaders in the media.

Most recently the Governor of Tehran, Morteza Tamadon, described Christians as ‘tabshiri’, or ‘missionaries’, and threatened more arrests during a speech in Tehran on Tuesday announcing the arrest of several evangelical leaders.

He told the state-run IRNA news agency: “Just like the Taliban … who have inserted themselves into Islam like a parasite, they have crafted a movement with Britain’s backing in the name of Christianity.”
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/70.christians.arrested.over.christmas.in.iran/27321.htm

Authorities raid worship service in Hunan Province, China

2011-01-07T11:46:00.000+01:00

by Staff
January 5, 2011

(christiansunite.com) - Chinese authorities raided a house church worship service held by members of the Hope Church in the city of Changsha, Hunan Province, on December 12.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., dozens of believers were gathered for worship when police officers and government officials arrived on scene. The authorities forced the believers to disperse and confiscated several items belonging to the church, including the podium, chairs and air-conditioner. They also took into custody two of the believers -- Pastor Zing Jinfu and Minister Le -- who were taken to a local police station and questioned for a couple of hours.

It is not known if this raid was part of the nationwide "Operation Deterrence" campaign that the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party launched on December 1 against all house churches in the nation. Even if it was not officially part of this campaign, there is fear that local authorities could be increasing the frequency and severity of their moves against this church in the coming weeks in relation to the nationwide crackdown.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09848.shtml

Algerian Christians sentenced for setting up "illegal" place of worship

2011-01-07T11:44:00.000+01:00

by Staff
January 6, 2011

(christiansunite.com) - Four Christians were recently given suspended prison sentences for opening a place of worship in the eastern region of Kabylia, Algeria, without a proper license issued by authorities.

The Christians -- a Protestant clergyman and three of his parishioners -- were convicted on the basis of a controversial 2006 law that requires that anyone who wants to set up a place of worship, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, must obtain a permit indicating the name of the place of worship as well as that of the pastor. Some believe this law violates Algeria's constitution, and this is first time it has been enforced in the nation.

Three of the men -- Abdenour Raid, Nacer Mokrani and Idir Haoudj -- received two-month prison sentences. The fourth man, Pastor Mahmoud Yahou, was sentenced to three months in jail and fined almost $3,600 CAN for illegally sheltering a foreigner.
source: http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09853.shtml

US finally gets it: Jewish freeze won't bring peace

2010-12-08T13:03:00.001+01:00

Wednesday, December 08, 2010 | Ryan Jones

A senior US official on Tuesday announced that the Obama Administration was ending its pressure on Israel to impose another Jewish building freeze and would be returning to the drawing board to try and figure out a new approach to brokering peace in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters via telephone, the official did not openly blame either side for the breakdown, but did hint that Washington had become aware that even if Israel imposed another building freeze, it still wouldn’t result in meaningful negotiations or progress with the Palestinians.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had agreed in principle with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to impose another freeze for 90 days in order to facilitate renewed peace talks. But the Palestinians immediately said the US-Israeli proposal did not go nearly far enough, as it did not prohibit Jewish construction in Jerusalem and had a very short timetable.

Israel had already implemented a self-imposed 10-month Jewish building freeze from November 2009-September 2010 in order to entice the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. But the Palestinian leadership all but ignore the gesture up until the very last minute, when they joined talks, but threatened to leave if the freeze was not extended indefinitely.

The US now intends to start a new round of consultation with Middle East leaders, and hopes to invite Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Washington this month for separate talks.

But the Palestinians have other plans.

Speaking in Greece on Wednesday, senior Palestinian Authority advisor Yasser Abed Rabbo declared that US efforts to bring peace based on bilateral negotiations have failed and that the Palestinians must now “turn to the broader framework of the international community” to impose a settlement to the conflict.

Rabbo, who was traveling with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, suggested that the PA would now turn to the United Nations to recognize an independent Palestinian state, something the US has threatened to veto in the absence of a bilateral agreement with Israel.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=22397

Construction on Israeli- Egyptian Security Fence Begins

2010-11-22T16:22:00.000+01:00

22 November 2010 , 13:06

Today (Monday), construction work began to build a fence along the Israeli-Egyptian border in order to protect against security and criminal threats.

Construction on the Israeli- Egyptian security border fence began this morning (Monday) in order to prevent infiltrators and smugglers from entering Israel via the Egyptian border. The building project will start by focusing on a few select points along the border, with the aid of many engineering instruments which will prepare the land for construction. This project, which was approved eight months ago, has a budget of 1.35 billion shekels funded by the Israeli government.


The fence is expected to stretch for the			240 kilometer-long Israel-Egypt border, from the Kerem Shalom area until Tabah.

The fence is expected to stretch for the 240 kilometer-long Israel-Egypt border, from the Kerem Shalom area until Tabah. Part of the border will include a physical fence, while the other part of the fence will be equipped with alerting devices. According to IDF estimates, 1.3 tons of hash and 130 kilograms of heroin were smuggled through its border with Egypt in the previous year. 5,000 infiltrators also fled into Israel through its border.

For the past few months, an IDF construction center has been testing applications of the government’s decision to erect a border along Israel’s western border. In preparation for the on-site building, the Southern Command and the Technological and Logistics Directorate conducted a preliminary pilot which tested the security means to be used.

Due to difficult terrain in the area which includes quicksand, gusty winds and extreme weather, the Technological and Logistics Directorate will be aided by geology expects from Israel and overseas. Given that so far a complex construction project has yet to be built on the shifting sands of Israel, the IDF construction center has tested various alternatives from all over of the world with the help of industry and security experts. The center noted that Egypt and Saudi Arabia have already attempted to construct security barriers.
Source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/11/2202.htm

Christian accused of desecrating Qur'an jailed in Ethiopia

2010-11-22T15:46:00.000+01:00

(christiansunite.com) - A Christian in Ethiopia's southern town of Moyale has been languishing in jail for two months after his Muslim business partner accused him of writing "Jesus is Lord" in a copy of the Qur'an.

Tamirat Woldegorgis, who is in his early 30s and is a member of the Full Gospel Church, was arrested in early August after his partner in their clothes-making business discovered Tamirat had inscribed "Jesus is Lord" on some cloth. His Muslim co-worker, whose name has not been established, went to a nearby mosque with the accusation that Tamirat had written "Jesus is Lord" in the Qur'an itself. Angry sheikhs at the mosque subsequently had Tamirat arrested for desecrating the book sacred to Islam.

Other sources have said, however, that Muslims accused Tamirat of writing "Jesus is Lord" on a piece of wood, on a minibus, and then on the wall of a house. A church leader who requested anonymity has stated that when two of Tamirat's friends enquired about him at the Moyale police station, they were jailed for two weeks.

In Ethiopia's federal state system, each state is autonomous in its administration, and most of those holding government positions in Somali Region Zone Five are Muslims. "We fear that our brother might be taken to Islamic court in Jijiga for trial, which will further threaten his life," the church leader said.

Authorities are reportedly offering to release Tamirat if he will convert to Islam. Tamirat is physically weak but strong in his faith, the church leader said, adding that he needs food and other material assistance, as well as an attorney. (Source: Compass Direct)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09782.shtml

Church building destroyed in India

2010-11-22T15:31:00.000+01:00

by Staff
November 22, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Believers in an Indian village were working hard to construct a church building, only to have their hopes -- and their building -- dashed by anti-Christian militants.

Pastor Paul Joseph and his congregation had completed much of the building when anti-Christian militants arrived September 14. That afternoon, the intruders demolished half the building. Pastor Paul and other church leaders approached the police, but they refused to help.

On the following day, the militants pressured those living in the area to sign a petition against the church construction. Ignoring the believers' pleas to stop the destruction, they insisted, "We don't want any church in this area." They then reduced the rest of the building to a heap of rubble.

Although the congregation had received government permission to build the church building, the militants accused the church members of not having the proper permission to build. (Source: Gospel for Asia)

US college president: Anti-Israel professor cannot be fired

2010-10-29T10:35:00.000+02:00

Tenured Pennsylvania professor who questioned Shoah, referred to Israel as ‘hydra-headed monster’ cannot be fired, university president says; Pakistan-born lecturer gets green-light to express his opinions outside classroom

Associated Press
Published: 10.29.10, 01:59 / Israel News

The president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania says he cannot fire a tenured professor who has questioned the Holocaust and expressed virulent anti-Israel views because the teacher has kept his opinions out of the classroom.

A Thursday statement from Ivory Nelson, president of the state-supported university, says Professor Kaukab Siddique's beliefs may be "insidious" but he can express them "as long as he does not present such opinions as the views of the university."

Siddique has questioned the Holocaust and called for the destruction of Israel in forums including a September rally in Washington, DC, and an online magazine he edits called New Trend.

Speaking at the recent Labor Day rally, Siddique said: "We must stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dismantle Israel – if possible by peaceful means... For the Jews, I would say, 'See what could happen to you if the Muslims wake up.' And I say to the Muslims, Dear brothers and sisters – unite and rise up against this hydra-headed monster which calls itself Zionism.'"

Vocal critic of Israel

Originally from Pakistan, Siddique, 67, is a vocal critic of what he calls "Israel's record of human-rights abuses in the Palestinian territories." Nevertheless, he maintains that his Labor Day statements have been misunderstood.

The professor's remarks sparked outrage among pro-Israeli groups and as Lincoln University is a Pennsylvania State-sponsored school, State Senator Daylin Leach – and numerous other members of the State Assembly – have urged Lincoln president Ivory Nelson to ensure the professor's "anti-Semitic diatribes" had not made their way into the university's classrooms.

Siddique is a tenured professor in English and mass communications. He did not respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3976608,00.html

Pastor charged with forced conversions in India

2010-10-28T10:06:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 26, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On Sunday, September 26, Hindu militants stormed a small, mostly tribal fellowship in Umachagi village, Karnataka, which has been led by Pastor Shivanda Siddi (45) for the past five years.

After interrupting prayers, they tried to argue with Pastor Siddi while abusing believers and taking their Bibles. For the next half hour they insulted, beat and stripped the pastor before phoning the police and falsely accusing him of forced conversions. When the police arrived they arrested the pastor, seven women and two children.

While the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) was able to intervene to get the women and children released, Pastor Siddi was tried and charged under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibits "forced" conversions. At last report, the pastor had been released on bail.

Omar Beiler, a regional director with AG World Missions, has shared, "Although I'm deeply pleased that GCIC was able to secure the release of Pastor Siddi...this kind of incident is not isolated or restricted to India. Persecution is a very real experience for many Christians around the world. I believe our prayers for the suffering Church can make the difference between life and death for many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who experience -- at the very least -- daily threats." (Source: Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission, AGNews)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09758.shtml

“The Palestinian Leadership Fears a Hamas Takeover in the Judea and Samaria Region”

2010-10-26T10:15:00.000+02:00

25 October 2010 , 09:14

Officials in IDF’s Central Command discussed the current security situation and preparedness for possible future escalation

Dan Tamir, Bamahane Magazine

IDF’s Central Command has noted an increase in kidnapping attempts in the past year. “Last year we counted five unsuccessful attempted kidnappings, but this year there has been an increase in these incidents. Kidnapping is one of the main goals of the terrorist organizations,” Central Command’s Intelligence Officer Col. Ronen said during a command-wide training session entitled “From Consistent Security to Escalation in Violence”, which was held last week in the command’s training base in Lachish.

“The most extreme situation that we can envision in the Command is that the Palestinian Authority will decide to turn its weapons against us. This is a possible scenario, but we do not believe it will happen in actuality,” GOC Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrachi said. The Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon, emphasized to participants that they must be prepared for a situation whereby the Palestinian Authority would turn itself into an enemy and would no longer operate to overcome terrorism as it currently does.
During the session, the participants heard lectures and saw weapons exhibits and operational displays, during which fighters from the Nachshon Battalion participated. The fighters simulated a battle against Palestinian police officers who had aimed their weapons at IDF soldiers.

“The current operational situation in the Judea and Samaria region is one where there is control over the level of attacks. There is a suppression of Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel share a mutual interest in ensuring that terrorism will not come out of the Judea and Samaria region, nor will it be inside the Judea and Samaria region,” Maj. Gen. Mizrachi said. “Today the security coordination enables us to thwart terrorism, and that is what we need.”

In the meantime, officials in the Central Command are closely observing the relations between terror agents in the Judea and Samaria region and those operating in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip. These influences emphasize among other phenomena an increase in the scope of intelligence among terrorist groups. Based on data from last year, the Central Command has reported a decline in violent protests. The largest number of recorded incidents of Molotov cocktails are rocks hurled occurred in the Etziyon sector. In contrast, the Judea Brigade and the Binyamin Brigade dealt with the largest number of shooting incidents this year.

Maj. Gen. Mizrachi added that without infrastructure created by the IDF in past years, Palestinian leaders would not be able to operate to defeat terrorism. “The Palestinian leaders fear a Hamas takeover of the Judea and Samaria region more than they fear us,” he said. “It is important to remember that even after the next clash, both sides will remain here. None of us will go off to Switzerland. That is a fact that affects operational missions in the sector.”
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/10/2501.htm

Poll: Israelis want peace, Palestinians want war

2010-10-26T09:37:00.000+02:00

A joint survey of Israelis and Palestinians published on Thursday once again revealed what just about anyone with any common sense has long known: Israelis want peace, while most Palestinians want conflict.

Conducted by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, the poll asked roughly 2,000 Israelis Jews and Palestinian Arabs if they believed the current direct peace talks should continue.

An overwhelming 78 percent of Israelis said the talks should continue, though at present only 5 percent had any hope they would result in an actual peace agreement. By contrast, only 30 percent of Palestinians wanted the peace talks to continue, while 41 percent said they support a return to armed violence against Israel’s Jews.

Sixty-three percent of Israelis said they fear another explosion of terrorist violence in the near future.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=22085

Catholic Church: Christ nullified God's promises to the Jews

2010-10-26T09:32:00.000+02:00

A Catholic synod called at the Vatican to address the rising persecution of Christian in the Middle East wrapped up on Saturday with a joint statement that focused a lot of attention on demanding Israel end its “occupation” of Arab lands.

The gathering was meant to address the various acts of persecution, intimidation and discrimination that are resulting in a severe dwindling of Christian communities across the region.

But the bulk of the two-week meeting was spent discussing how Israel is the root cause of all the Middle East’s woes, including those faced by its Christians.

The final statement reflected that position. It listed the “occupation” of Arab lands, the building of Israel’s security barrier, military checkpoints, the jailing of terrorists (defined in the statement as “political prisoners”) and the general disruption of Palestinian life as some of the main reasons behind the exodus of Palestinian Christians and Muslim attacks on the Jewish state.

Cyril Salim Bustros, the Lebanon-born Greek archbishop of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Boston, Massachusetts was responsible for delivering the final statement.

In clarifying remarks, he stated that “the Holy Scriptures cannot be used to justify the return of Jews to Israel and the displacement of the Palestinians, to justify the occupation by Israel of Palestinian lands.”

He then escalated the situation by declaring that the original promises made by God to the children of Israel “were nullified by Christ. There is no longer a chosen people.”

Bustros rejected the idea of Israel as “the Jewish state,” and insisted that eventually all the so-called “Palestinian refugees” must return to the land, a sure recipe for the demographic destruction of the world’s only Jewish nation-state.

Mordechai Levi, Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican, decried Bustros’ comments and the damage they had done to strengthening ties between Israel and the Church.

A Vatican spokesman later stated that the Church's official position is the synod's declaration, and not Mr. Bustros' explanatory remarks. However, he did not outright reject what Mr. Bustros said, even though it would appear to contradict more recent Vatican declarations that God's promises to the Jews remain intact.

It should be noted that the synod declaration, in its section addressed to the Jews, insisted that "recourse to...biblical positions which use the Word of God to wrongly justify injustices is not acceptable."

The only thing Israel and its supporters use the Bible to justify in this case is the Jews' right to the land, including Judea and Samaria. If the Vatican is now saying that the Bible and the divine promises therein no longer give the Jews claim to the land, as Mr. Bustros tried to clarify, then for many the Vatican's commitment to its earlier declaration regarding the Jews and God's promises to them remains at least partially in question.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=22093

Execution of Iranian Pastor Temporarily Delayed

2010-10-26T09:26:00.000+02:00

Sources say the execution of a Christian pastor in Iran for "thought crimes" has been temporarily delayed.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was convicted of apostasy, which carries the death sentence in Iran. Authorities had scheduled his execution for Oct. 24. Sources say Iranian authorities are delaying the execution in order to put more pressure on the pastor to turn away from Christ.

According to Iranian law, once the written verdict is delivered, there will be 20 days to appeal to the Islamic Republic's Supreme Court.

Iranian security officials have informed the courts to temporarily delay the pastor's execution until further notice, the Assist News Service reported.

Meanwhile, Nadarkhani is being kept in a security prison in Lakan, Iran, which is just south of his hometown of Rasht. His wife was also sentenced to life in prison.

Nadarkhani leads one of the largest Protestant communities in Iran and has been targeted for converting Muslims to Christ.

He was arrested last October after protesting against the decision of local authorities to enforce the reading of the Koran to Christian children.

Jason DeMars of the website presenttruthmn.com quoted an Iranian mullah, or cleric, who said: "The circles for promotion of Christianity, Baha'ism, Wahhabism, Sufism should be eliminated with the efforts of the Law Enforcement Force as per God's wish. The most significant psychological disease is created by these meetings and circles. They are corrupt and the biggest disrupters of the country's security."

DeMars reports that supporters of the pastor are continuing in prayer for Nadarkhani to have strength to endure this pressure and suffering and that he would soon be delivered from the hand of his enemies.

Christians and human rights activists are also petitioning the Iranian government for the couple's release.
source:http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/October/Execution-of-Iranian-Pastor-Temporarily-Delayed/?cpid=EU_CBNNEWSPM_2010_298

Historian: German ministry was actively involved in Holocaust

2010-10-26T09:23:00.000+02:00

Eckhart Conze says 'Jew Department' head traveled to Hungary during Third Reich to help organize killing of Jews

Associated Press
Published: 10.26.10, 08:06 / Israel Jewish Scene

A historian who helped prepare an official report on the German Foreign Office's involvement in the Holocaust has been quoted as saying the ministry was more deeply involved in the genocide of the Jews than previously known.

Eckhart Conze told Sunday's Frankfurter Allgemeine am Sonntag newspaper that some ministry staff members were actively involved in the mass murder.

For example, Conze is quoted as saying that documents indicate Franz Rademacher, head of the ministry's so-called Jew Department, traveled to Hungary during the Third Reich to help organize the killing of Jews in eastern Europe.

Conze is one of the historians who spent five years preparing the 900-page government report on the ministry's role in the Holocaust. It is to be published this week.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3974251,00.html

Hamas minister: We'll occupy Haifa, Akko

2010-10-26T09:19:00.000+02:00

Fathi Hamas, Gaza's interior minister, visits Khan Younis University and threatens to seize Israeli cities with help of 'armies from all around the world.' Israelis and Americans won't be satisfied with any concessions, he says in message to Palestinian President Abbas

Ali Waked
Published: 10.25.10, 16:54 / Israel News

As Israel and the Palestinians attempt to renew direct peace talks launched last week, Hamas continues its declarations of war: The Hamas government's interior minister in Gaza, Fathi Hamad, said Monday that the Palestinians "will reoccupy Haifa and Akko."

Speaking during a visit to a university in the town of Khan Younis, Hamad addressed the Israeli operation in Gaza, saying that "the Zionist enemy is still hurting the defeat in the war and preparing for another round in an attempt to destroy the Palestinian resistance."

Hamad mentioned the threats to sue Israeli officials worldwide. "The commanders are afraid to travel to many countries," he said.

Turning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamad said, "We are coming to occupy Haifa and Akko. We'll have armies from all around the world, and the convoys arriving in Gaza are carrying a message to our people, saying that we must stick to the path of jihad. The enemy is trying to impose a siege on us, but they are the ones under a siege and behind fences."

The Hamas interior minister turned to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as well, saying, "No matter how many concessions you make, it won't satisfy the Israelis and Americans."

The remarks were made on the backdrop of messages being conveyed by Hamas to many international elements. The organization's politburo chief, Khaled Mashaal, even told Newsweek that his movement would not object to a peace agreement if it wins the support of the Palestinian public.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3974751,00.html

Eight house churches closed in Syria

2010-10-26T09:16:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 22, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - At least eight evangelical churches in northern Syria have reportedly been closed by the Syrian government. The government ordered the closure of numerous house churches, claiming that they were meeting in places deemed inappropriate for worship.

Many Syrian Christians, however, believe that the government's "legal" excuse for closing churches is merely a cover-up for a wider government crackdown against evangelical Christian activity in Syria.

The closures are a devastating blow to Christian church communities in Syria, as many congregations cannot afford to buy a plot of land and build a church and so instead purchase apartment buildings to use as places of worship. (Source: International Christian Concern)

What do we want?

2010-10-26T09:11:00.001+02:00

From blog of Son of Hamas
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In PALESTINE on October 22, 2010 at 21:25

My soul burns for a sovereign Palestinian State. No such thing has ever existed before. We have always been a territory, up for grabs by the strongest fist, whether Turks, British, Jordanians or Israelis.

Our need for independence is so strong, so deeply embedded that we are willing to sacrifice anything. Pay any price. Fight to our last drop of blood.

But do we know what we are fighting for?

We have suffered for more than half a century, only to fill Israeli prisons and Palestinian cemeteries.

What if tomorrow’s headlines announced the establishment of the independent State of Palestine, recognized by the entire global community?

What would it look like? Do we even know? Cuba maybe?

New Castro, Same Cuba, a new report from Human Rights Watch, notes that under Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother, Cuba continues to harass and imprison dissidents. The criminal code punishes “dangerousness,” which punishes such crimes as handing out the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or any behavior deemed contrary to “socialist morality.” Posted by Lloyd Billingsley on Nov 25th, 2009 and filed under FrontPage.

Like Palestinians, the Cuban people fought for decades to gain independence from Spain. They succeeded in the Treaty of Paris. Since 1902, however, the independent Republic of Cuba has been ripped apart by one revolution after another. In 1959, the people cheered when Fidel Castro seized control. But all he has accomplished is to make Cuba an international pariah and a prison of more than 11 million people. Every year, for the past 20 years, the UN Human Rights Commission has received resolutions condemning Cuba’s egregious human rights record.

I do not think we want to model ourselves on Cuba, ruled like China and Vietnam by doctrines to which everything and everyone must conform.

Nor do I believe that we want a Palestinian version of North Korea or Sudan, ruled by tyrants who govern by force and fear.

What’s left? Absolute monarchy like Saudi Arabia? A theocracy like Iran?

Led by Hamas, Palestine would be an Islamic state, oppressed by religious leaders ruthlessly wielding sharia law. Led by Fatah, Palestine would be a corrupt nation like Romania, structured on bribes.

What about democracy? Democracy has proved throughout the ages to provide a firm and stable foundation. If the building topples, the foundation remains. What and how we build upon that foundation, however, is determined by our choices. While I love the freedoms and opportunities of America, I see that it has made moral, economic and political choices in recent decades that threaten its continuation as a world leader.

Sadly, because of the mistakes and excesses of many Western democracies, we refuse to consider a democratic Palestine. The word itself carries too much negative baggage.

But democracy does not mean America or Israel. It means “government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.” It means you and I decide what we want a national homeland to be and how to build it. It means excising corruption with ballots instead of bullets. It means creating a binding constitution and a just judicial system. It means human rights over personal agendas. It means active, constructive membership in the global community, instead of continuing as an unproductive, non-contributing people group trapped in a hopeless struggle for we don’t know what.

We have become like a hunter in the forest, driven nearly mad by hunger. But he has never seen a deer and does not know what one looks like. So he shoots at rocks and trees, up in the air and into the wind. Finally, he starves to death in a wood filled with game. We have isolated ourselves from all of the opportunities the world offers to us and our children. We don’t know what a Palestinian State would look like. We don’t know how to join the international community. We have let ourselves be defined by what we call our cause.

But if we don’t know our endgame, why are we willing to pay such a heavy price?

What would happen if we stopped fighting?

Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat at the Oslo Accords signing ceremony on 13 September 1993

Is there not one Palestinian with wisdom, love for our people and courage to sit across the table from the Israelis? Is there no hope of redeeming the Oslo offers? Do we still not see the stupidity of demanding all or nothing?

And once we became autonomous, is there no one among us with wisdom, love for our people and humility to ask thriving, successful democracies to show us how to build our own democracy? To show us how to avoid making the mistakes they’ve made?

If we stop fighting and start building, won’t the world be amazed?

Won’t the World Bank and International Monetary Fund provide us with enough resources to build a modern infrastructure and establish global commerce when they see that we have replaced our corrupt leaders with men and women of integrity, compassion and vision? Men and women who respect justice and human rights?

When they see what we can accomplish peacefully and creatively, won’t the global community demand that Israel withdraw its settlers and restore our land?

When we develop our land, won’t we be able to offer our refugees the right of return, as Israel offered it to Jews in the Diaspora?

And when we are a sovereign nation, won’t Israel be forced to empty its prisons of thousands of Palestinian sons, fathers and daughters and send them home?

Today, a Palestinian mother is honored if her husband or son is arrested and tortured or dies a martyr. Don’t our daughters, wives and mothers deserve better? Don’t our children deserve opportunities to become all they can—not terrorists and martyrs and victims of oppression, but men and women recognized by the world for their accomplishments in science, education, art, philosophy and industry?

Aren’t we tired of being a cause in the Middle East instead of an example?

Palestinian creativity has been channeled into digging tunnels, forming terrorist cells and planning attacks. We don’t have creative ideas because we are prisoners of a single destructive thought. What if we broke out of that suicidal mindset, stopped fighting for we don’t know what and unleashed our creativity?

Generation after generation dreams the same dream: drive out the Israelis, kill the Israelis, destroy Israel. We cannot see beyond our borders because we are blinded by our pain and hatred.

I am not saying that we can or should excuse the bloodshed, atrocities, assassinations, imprisonments and torture, theft and loss. I am saying that we need to move beyond it. We need to rise above it like a plane climbing through a deadly thunderstorm into the clear, open sky.

When will we stop dreaming the impossible dream and start dreaming of limitless possibilities? When will we stop targeting settlers, buses, schools and pizza parlors and target constructive goals as a nation, communities and families?

We can lift our hands in victory over a land charred by fire and soaked in Palestinian blood, or we can have jobs and industry, income and prosperity, health and education, freedom to travel anywhere in the world, whenever we want.

We can have leaders imposed on us or elected—and, if necessary, replaced—by us. We can have a Palestinian State that oppresses its people as the Israelis have during the occupation or a country with no limits on what we can achieve, how much we can accomplish or how big of a footprint we leave behind.

When will we begin fighting with our brains instead of our bombs? With reason instead of retaliation?

Even a two-year-old child can destroy. Only men and women of wisdom, vision and courage can build a nation.
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/what-do-we-want/

Church demolished, Bible study raided in China

2010-10-22T16:13:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 22, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Nearly 200 police officers demolished the prayer room of Taishan Christian Church in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, China on September 21 on the grounds of a "building code violation."

After the demolition, dozens of church members arrived on site and worshipped the Lord, reciting the Bible and singing hymns while the police officers tried to disperse them. A member of the church said a line of police prevented them from removing their belongings from the prayer room.

The attack was the second such incident in less than a month, as authorities previously destroyed prayer rooms on August 30. Commenting on the incidents, Pastor Zhu said, "The last time they came here, they tore down six of the eight rooms.... , about 200 people came again and surrounded the entire place. Then, they totally leveled the buildings, stating that the structures violated the building code."

On September 22, several believers were gathered for a Bible study and training session at Chen Pengyi Church in Wancheng District, Henan province when police raided the meeting. An American pastor, a Russian pastor and over 30 attendees, including local Christians, were detained. One believer's car was also confiscated. (Source: ChinaAid)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09752.shtml

Persecution is a basic teaching in our church, says North African pastor

2010-10-20T13:01:00.000+02:00

by Maria MackayPosted: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 10:25 (BST)

For Imad Dabour, persecution is part and parcel of being a Christian in predominantly Muslim North Africa.

It is a region that has had next to no church for eight centuries, but now the church is rising again in spite of daily challenges, the pastor told delegates at Cape Town 2010 last night.

Although there are no exact figures, the number of Christians in North Africa is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

In the likes of majority-Muslim Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria most of the Christians are converts from Islam.

In such a hostile environment, growing in their new identity as a Christian is not easy and many new converts face losing their friends and family, Dabour explained.

With persecution occurring daily across the region, becoming a Christian is a “serious decision”.
“There are two things about Christianity that we teach people. That it gives you salvation and a lot of joy with it - and persecution.

“Persecution is a basic teaching in our church, he said.

Despite the difficulties, the church continues to teach converts the truth that Jesus is the only way.
“It is a hostile environment [and] a daily challenge for Christians with a new identity from a Muslim background,” he said.

More than 4,000 Christian leaders are in Cape Town this week for the Third Lausanne Congress on world evangelisation.

Last night’s session addressed the challenges faced by believers living in regions where conflict or persecution is a part of everyday life.

Also addressing the Congress was Rajael Achi, who serves in children’s ministry in Lebanon.

He said children were exposed to violence and fear in the face of ongoing unrest in the country and entire Middle East region.

“Many people have lost hope in a good future in the country and want to leave. The children dream of leaving as they grow up.”

Although many families and children are choosing to leave Lebanon and the church, Achi is desperate to see those who remain in the country come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The conditions for evangelism are favourable but he believes Christians must make the most of the opportunities.

He said: “The Lord has given us freedom of worship and of ministry outreach and evangelism that we need to make use of.

“If we want a better future for Lebanon, if we want better leaders for Lebanon we need to start now in reaching out to children.”

He continued: “There are no unreached children in Lebanon. Every child is reached. But if they are not reached by the Gospel something else will reach them.”
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/persecution.is.a.basic.teaching.in.our.church.says.north.african.pastor/26931.htm

We're entering very dark period for Jews in Europe

2010-10-20T12:44:00.001+02:00

EJC president says small Jewish communities being physically, verbally and psychologically threatened by fundamentalist elements

Ynetnews
Published: 10.18.10, 07:25 / Israel Jewish Scene

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) said Thursday that certain Jewish communities in Europe are in grave danger after a recent wave of anti-Semitism, some of it officially sanctioned.

Recently, the organization said, a respected and government-funded Catholic school, the College of the Sacred Heart, in Antwerp, hosted a ‘Palestine Day’, which was replete with anti-Semitic references and activities for youngsters. One stall at the event was titled “Throw the soldiers into the sea” where children were invited to throw replicas of Jewish and Israeli soldiers into two large tanks, EJC said.

Last weekend, an event organized for Jewish children in Malmo was reportedly attacked by a gang of thugs who shouted “Heil Hitler” and “Jewish pigs”. The gang even entered the area hosting the children’s event and damaged property. This event occurred only a few weeks after Malmo mayor, Ilmar Reepalu, was reelected in the Swedish city.

Earlier in this year after a surge of anti-Semitism hit the Malmo Jewish community, Reepalu considered this an understandable consequence of the Israel-Palestine conflict and claimed “we accept neither Zionism nor anti-Semitism,” equating Jewish national self-determination with hate and racism.

In recent months, German former Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin, Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Trade and Emilio Menendez del Valle, Spanish MEP, have all made anti-Semitic comments.

“These events arriving soon after the anti-Semitic comments from Sarrazin, De Gucht and Menendez del Valle demonstrate that anti-Semitism is at best actively promoted and at worst ignored by some officials in Europe,” Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the EJC said. “Due to this intolerable situation, small Jewish communities, like Malmo, are teetering on the brink of extinction.

“Small Jewish communities are facing a situation where they are being physically, verbally and psychologically threatened by fundamentalist elements and their extreme left-wing cohorts on one side and the far-right neo-Nazis on the other,” he continued. “If they can’t receive protection or respite from mainstream officials then we are entering a very dark period for the Jews in Europe.”

The EJC is calling on European governments and the European Union to launch a campaign against intolerance and anti-Semitism, so to remind European citizens that the new Europe was established after the Second World War on the concept of “Never Again.”

As co-Chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, Dr. Kantor will be hosting a conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on October 24-25th, titled ‘Towards Reconciliations, Experience, Techniques and Opportunities for Europe’, which will be dealing with and working towards finding solutions for issues of racism, intolerance and conflict.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969491,00.html

Germany compensates forced labor victims

2010-10-20T12:41:00.000+02:00

Holocaust survivors who were forced to work in ghettos receive monthly stipend from government

David Regev
Published: 10.20.10, 07:31 / Israel Jewish Scene

Some 8,400 Holocaust survivors who lived through forced labor in the ghettos established by the Third Reich have received compensation from the German government recently, and 22,000 will be paid similar dues, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.

The German Labor and Social Affairs Ministry will compensate the survivors or, if they have passed away, their family members, with a total sum of half a billion dollars.

Additional survivors were invited to file a claim, even if they were children while working under forced labor laws. However, the compensation applies only to those who labored in ghettos under the direct sovereignty of the Third Reich, and not its allies.

The German government approved the 'Ghetto Pension Law' in 2002, stipulating that survivors who worked in ghettos under Nazi occupation are eligible for a monthly stipend and retroactive payments from 1997.

Since then, some 60,000 claims have been filed by Holocaust survivors, half of them in Israel. Around 93% were turned down, but in June the German Supreme Court overturned the decisions, making the survivors eligible for compensation.

"They have finally paid me for what they did to me," says Eva Yakobovitch, a 90-year old Holocaust survivor who worked under forced labor laws in nothing but torn rags and wooden slippers. "With this money I'll purchase medicine."

Eva, born in Hungary, was 24 when the Nazis sent her to Kolozsvár Ghetto. "I did all of the nasty work in the mess hall," she recounts. "In exchange they gave me extra food and potatoes, which I gave to my mother." Eva was later transported to Auschwitz.

She says the monthly stipend is a lifeline. "I'm sick and I need this money for medicine. It's better late than never," says Eva.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3971040,00.html

College Professor Calls for Israel's Destruction

2010-10-19T10:54:00.000+02:00

By Erick Stakelbeck
CBN News Terrorism Analyst

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The flags carried the logo of the terror group Hezbollah. The rhetoric was the kind you'd normally hear in Tehran or Gaza.

Yet the scene occurred in Washington, D.C, just minutes from the White House.

"We must stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dismantle Israel--if possible by peaceful means," Kaukab Siddique said. "Perhaps, like Saladin, we will give them enough food and water to travel back to the lands from where they came to occupy other people."

Siddique is an associate professor of English at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

He used his time outside the classroom over Labor Day weekend to address radical Muslims and leftists at an anti-Israel rally in Washington, D.C. marking "Al Quds Day."

"For the Jews, I would say see what could happen to you if the Muslims wake up," Siddique warned. "And I say to the Muslims, dear brothers and sisters, unite and rise up against this hydra-headed monster which calls itself Zionism."

The Investigative Project on Terrorism captured footage of Siddique's Washington rant.

"This is not a one off deal, this event Labor Day weekend," IPT Executive Director Ray Locker told CBN News. "This is something he has said at similar events over a period of at least a dozen years, as far as we can tell."

CBN News found e-mail exchanges posted online in which Siddique called the Holocaust "a hoax" that was "invented," saying there is "not even one document" to prove it happened.

He's also written that Jews have "taken over America" by "devious and immoral means."

Despite a history of anti-Semitic statements, Siddique maintains a job teaching literature at Lincoln University and sits on at least two school committees.

Lincoln is the nation's oldest historically African-American college. Since 2003, it's received almost $200 million in Pennsylvania state money towards various projects.

Lincoln University administrators declined to appear on camera with CBN News. But the school's executive vice president, Michael Hill, told us they in no way agree with or support Siddique's comments on Israel. However, Hill added that Siddique is tenured and has freedom of speech, and the school cannot control what he does or says on his time as a private citizen.

Siddique has also advocated for two convicted terrorists with ties to al-Qaeda -- including the cleric behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

"It's one thing to have strong beliefs," Locker said. "It's another to advocate violence and go to bat for people who are established terrorists."

Hill told CBN News the school will make sure that Siddique's political comments are not part of his classroom curriculum.

Siddique declined a CBN News request for an on-camera interview. But in an e-mail response to our questions, he denied that he was anti-Semitic and said his "speaking out" about Israel, "conform(s) to the ideals and principles that founded Lincoln University."

He added, "When I refer critically to the 'Jews' I am referring to the current leadership of the 'State of Israel' and to their major supporters, not to the Jewish race as a whole."

Siddique's recent statements in Washington, however, appear to suggest otherwise.

"The Koran says drive them out from where they drove you out," he declared. "There's no question of just dismantling the settlements. These settlements are only the tentacles of the devil that resides in Tel Aviv."
source:http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/October/College-Professor-Calls-for-Israels-Destruction/?cpid=EU_CBNNEWSPM_2010_291

Muslim Arab Officer Proudly Serving IDF

2010-10-19T10:45:00.000+02:00

07 October 2010 , 14:29

Lt. Hesham Aborea enlisted in the IDF as a way to help his own Arab community. "The IDF is a strong, challenging, non-discriminatory army, and is a great supporter of human rights."

Tammy Habteyes

Lt. Hesham Aborea is a Muslim Arab officer in the IDF. His journey began in 2006 when he joined the army and it has not stopped since. He is currently serving in the IDF as the Community Relations Officer to the Arab Sector, speaking to the Arab community in times of emergency. His path to this very important and challenging role was not handed to him on a silver platter, but he appreciates his significant work. "Every morning I think of ways to help the community".

"It was very important for me to reach my community through education"

At a young age, Hesham Aborea began thinking about what he wanted to do in life, and how to get out of his village in Northern Israel. He graduated from Ben Gurion University with an Bachelor’s degree in Hebrew and began working, but observing the lifestyle of young men in his community made him want to join the army to better the Arab world. "It's very hard to grow up for a young man where I am from. You finish high school, some continue studying, and others work manual labor jobs. For example, if I had a degree in social work, at an interview they'll ask me if I served in the army. If not, my chances would plummet, and then I would have to go back to my village and do manual labor. It's a cycle that a lot of young Arab men are stuck in so they turn to alcohol, drugs and violence. I saw this cycle and I decided to join the army." Lt. Aborea enlisted in his late 20s to the IDF's Southern Command as a Youth Counselor for Bedouin high school students. He would speak to these students about various subjects like nonviolence, abstaining from drugs, being better acquainted with the land and country, and also about the Army. "It was very important for me to reach my community through education. We had teachers, school principles, and different chairmen come in and talk to the kids. My point wasn't to push them to serve in the army, it was more to educate and inspire the students to serve their community." Aborea says that 10 to 35 high school graduates would join the army.

After 6 months serving the IDF as a youth counselor, Aborea was sent to Commanders Course and was promoted to be a commander for a course which aided older teachers and other educational figures from within the Arab community in becoming youth counselors. "I never thought that a 56 year old would have the drive to complete the course. We don't let just anyone pass, it's difficult and demanding."

Due to his clear ambition to succeed and desire to help his community, Aborea's commanders recommended him for Officer's Training Course. On Israel's National Independence Day in 2007, less than a year into his service, Aborea became an IDF officer. He described his experience at the Bahd 1 Officer’s Training School as follows: "We were all separated into different platoons and crews. The crew that I was in was made up of one Muslim Arab, me, and the rest were all orthodox men!" Lt. Aborea laughs, adding that "they were the nicest group of people, they welcomed me with open arms and it did not make a difference to them what religion I was in. I joined them for Shabbat dinners and Jewish holidays." Upon graduating the Officer's Training Course, Lt. Aborea was recognized as a Soldier of Excellence, and soon became a Platoon Commander in the Sde Boker base.

Sde Boker is an IDF base in southern Israel specifically intended for immigrants who wish to join the army. Lt. Hesham spent 12 training cycles in Sde Boker and then was offered another promotion, this time as an Enlistment Officer for southern Israel and east Jerusalem. "I am never upset or sad when I get promoted and move on to a different job. I like to look forward. I am glad that I've helped my community in my previous job and I am continuing to serve the community in this new one."

War does not differentiate between Jew and Muslim; we all live in Israel

"My job is to prepare the Arab community to handle any type of emergency. Whether it's an earthquake, a flood or a war, the community must be prepared with the same level of readiness as the Jewish community." Lt. Aborea explains that, “A missile or a war does not differentiate between Jew and Muslim. We all live in this country, thus we are all under the same threat together. Therefore, we all need to be able to protect ourselves." Lt. Aborea has been serving in the Home Front Command as the Community Relations Officer to the Arab Sector for two months. He is the first Muslim Arab officer in the history of the IDF.

Currently, Lt. Aborea and his soldiers are gathering information about how the Arab community performs during an emergency. He meets with different community leaders and educators to study more about how to help the most. "The fact that we are the IDF bothers the sector. As an Arab man, I understand the fears and doubts the community has. They see people in uniform coming into their area and they rebel, they think we want to take their land, but we just want to help them, train them and prepare them so that ultimately they will fend for themselves and be able to help themselves the same way the Jewish community can at a time of emergency, whatever it may be."

Lt. Aborea describes how the Home Front Command trained Arab women in Search and Rescue emergency response. "It's not an easy training course; it takes effort to be in the Search and Rescue teams. We have several personnel, however, it's not enough, not enough by a long shot, and we need more people." Lt. Aborea says that an assortment of Arab organizations support these Search and Rescue teams, and also try to spread the message of the importance of these teams. "I have a long list of different organizations that help us. But sometimes, some Arab organizations don't want to be associated with something that is related to the IDF."

“Some people may disagree with the fact that I am wearing an IDF uniform, but I am here to serve you”

Lt. Aborea’s rank may not seem to be at a matching level to his task. He explains, "I am supposed to be a Captain, and I will be soon. But it doesn't have to do with the ranking. Even a Colonel couldn't do my job, because I am Arab, I know the sector, I grew up in an Arab village, I am familiar with the community and the lifestyle. I know what most of the Arabs in Israel watch, and how they feel about things. It's about understanding and having the full motivation to want to help your community. It may seem that because I am an Arab Muslim the sector would be more prone to trust me. However, some people may disagree with the fact that I am wearing an IDF uniform, but I stand on my own, I am here to serve you- take it or leave it."

Lt. Aborea explains that in order to get to where he is now he had to work tirelessly for five years. "I wasn't always like this. Before army life, I was a student. I would wake up late, just do my own thing. But being in the army makes me wake up early and I know I am going to do something greater than myself. I have always been motivated, but in the army I learned that failure to be something is a challenge and success is the motivation. I don't wonder to myself why I failed, I try to figure out how I can do better and move on from there."

Final Say…

Lt. Hesham Aborea is very happy to be serving his community and is happy to belong to an organization like the IDF. He concludes, “I want to emphasize that the IDF helps any soldier, and it will gladly accept Arab soldiers as long as they are skilled in their task. The IDF is a strong, challenging, non-discriminatory army, and is a great supporter of human rights. This is the first step to bringing both the Jewish and Muslim nations together. I hope that we may live in peace and equality for both nations."

Maj. Gen. Galant: “We Will Use the Current Relative Quiet to Prepare for the Future”

2010-10-19T10:39:00.000+02:00

18 October 2010 , 19:21

Outgoing GOC Southern Command and incoming Chief of the General Staff parted from southern commanders, wishing them a continuation in the relative peace

Jonatan Urich

GOC Southern Command and incoming Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, took leave of the upper echelons of the Southern Command on Sunday evening (Oct. 17). The incoming GOC Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Tal Russo, is expected to take up his new role this coming Thursday. Maj. Gen. Galant has divided the time he spent in his role into three main categories: the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, Operation Cast Lead, and the period following the operation.

According to Maj. Gen. Galant, “From the disengagement until Operation Cast Lead, many rockets fell, and there were many casualties, including several soldiers and civilians who were killed. After the decisive period of Operation Cast Lead, whereby for three weeks we operated heavy force in the field almost to the maximum abilities of the IDF, we arrived to a period that has lasted for almost two years characterized by absolute quiet.”

Maj. Gen. Galant emphasized that the successful results of Operation Cast Lead do not complete the security system. “The Operation did not solve the problem and did not complete the conflict,” he said, adding that the important operation “constitutes a proof that when we fight, we complete our missions in a suitable manner and we attain achievements. We are capable of bringing about situation-altering results.”

The outgoing GOC Southern Command blessed the southern commanders with the hopes that “the quiet in the South and in all of the borders will continue,” and he added that, “the IDF will stand guard and will take advantage of the relative quiet in order to prepare for what the future will bring.”
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/10/1804.htm

Hungarian Chief of the General Staff Visits Israel

2010-10-19T10:36:00.001+02:00

18 October 2010 , 21:21

Hungarian Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Tibor Benko: “Terrorism is not just a problem for Israel but a global issue and a challenge for us all.”

Daniella Bokor

IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, met with Hungarian Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Tibor Benko, in Machane Aviv on Sunday (Oct. 17). The meeting, held in private as part of Hungarian Defense Minister, Csaba Hende’s visit, included a short and friendly discussion between the two Chiefs of the General Staff. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi described the security challenges the IDF faces to his Hungarian counterpart.

The small Hungarian delegation landed in Israel on Saturday night (Oct. 16), its visit lasting until Tuesday (Oct. 19). Shortly after their arrival, the Hungarian officials dined with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv. The Hungarian Chief of the General Staff will visit different sites during his stay, including a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and a tour of Jerusalem. The Hungarian Chief of the General Staff took office less than a year ago and this is his first visit to Israel.

“This is my first visit here, so everything is new and beautiful,” the Hungarian Chief of the General Staff told IDF website. “We came today to have a friendly conversation with the IDF Chief of the General Staff and hear about the achievements during his term in office.” On the subject of the terrorist threat, Lt. Gen. Tibor Benko said his visit to Israel is important, precisely because the region has yet to achieve peace. “Terrorism is not just a problem for Israel but a global issue and a challenge for us all. We must be prepared for this threat,” he said, adding.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/10/1806.htm

PM: Lebanon's turning into Iranian satellite tragic

2010-10-15T09:47:00.000+02:00

As Iranian leader's visit to Lebanon ends, PM Netanyahu says Israel will remain wary of ties between Beirut, Theran; will 'know how to defend itself against such developments'

Attila Somfalvi
Published: 10.14.10, 22:39 / Israel News

As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon draws to an end, Israel remain wary of the latter's strengthening ties with Tehran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that,"Unfortunately, Lebanon is rapidly turning into a satellite of the ayatollahs' regime. This is tragic for Lebanon, but Israel will know how to defend itself against such developments."

Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon included several public speeches, in which he vehemently attacked Israel, saying that "Zionists are the enemies of humanity," and promising that the "Zionist regime will not last long."

"the world should know that eventually the Zionists will be forced to go and will not last long. They are enemies of humanity and will have no choice but to surrender. Palestine will be liberated through the force of faith," Ahmadinejad said, speaking before masses gathered in the southern Lebanese city of Bint Jbeil Thursday afternoon.

"We've heard cursing and abomination from the Lebanon border today," Netanyahu said. "The best answer to these blasphemies was given here 62 years ago. We shall continue building and creating our country and will be prepared to defend it," he added.

Meanwhile, A Hamas official in Gaza, Dr. Khalil Abu Layla told Iranian news agency Fars that the Hamas government hoped Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Gaza, just as he visited Lebanon.

"We hope Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad visits Gaza, but we must remain logical because such a step would involve a series of dangers," he said.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969746,00.html

Back to November 1947

2010-10-15T09:43:00.000+02:00

Sever Plocker

Op-ed: Bibi’s demand for recognition of Israel as Jewish state logical but also risky

Published: 10.15.10, 00:24 / Israel Opinion

In his Knesset speech earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that the Palestinian leadership recognize Israel as “the nation-state of the Jewish people.” This is not an unfounded demand: It was expressed modestly and is accepted by the states who established diplomatic relations with Israel. US President Barack Obama went even further, recognizing Israel as “the historic homeland of the Jewish people.”

Netanyahu is demanding a little less than that: He wants the Palestinian leadership to recognize the United Nations’ partition resolution from November 29th, 1947 – not word for word, but rather, recognition of its spirit and essence.

Based on the resolution, two sovereign states were supposed to be established in Palestine – a Jewish nation-state and an Arab one. The resolution in fact established the principle of “two states for two peoples”: The Arab Palestinian people in the Palestinian nation-state, and the Jewish people in the Jewish nation-state.

Ever since then, the term “Jewish state” has been used as a synonym for Israel in the world: in the Declaration of Independence, we merely gave the future Jewish state a new name – “Israel.” Although the Zionist movement accepted the UN resolution while the Palestinian movement furiously rejected it, the partition principle was not entrenched in the psyche of both people for many years.

I recall how during the fight to set Soviet Jews free, the Mapam party produced a poster with a Soviet Jew on one end, a Palestinian refugee on the other, and above them a caption that read: “A homeland for each people.” The poster was immediately shelved by party veterans. Even the leftist Mapam did not come to terms at the time with the notion of a Palestinian state. Israel’s public opinion was even more resistant.

The change began to take shape with the signing of the peace treaty with Egypt. Prime Minister Menachem Begin recognized the legitimate rights of the Palestinians in the framework of the treaty, thereby changing the essence of Israel’s political debate. Ever since then, it was clear to both the Right and Left in Israel that a Palestinian nation with a right for self-determination exists. The question that remains in the intra-Jewish framework has to do with the borders, in the broad sense of the word.

Opening old wounds?

A similar process in respect to Israel had taken place on the Arab side – yet to their misfortune, not among the Palestinians. Indeed, Palestinian leaders still view the Jews as members of the same religion, rather than members of the same nation. They are willing to reconcile themselves to the existence of the State of Israel, and even to annexation and territorial tradeoffs, yet they disgustingly reject the partition’s basic premise, which was so accurately described in the abovementioned Mapam poster: A homeland for each nation.

This also explains the Palestinian decision to refrain from declaring an independent state and the lack of enthusiasm over such prospect. Many Palestinians fear that establishing a Palestinian state would be perceived by the world as complete fulfillment of their national aspirations and the ultimate implementation of the partition resolution, which they despise.

By bringing up the demand to recognize Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people” or the “Jewish people’s state,” Netanyahu is therefore taking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to the discussions that took place in the autumn of 1947. In his view, there is historic and national logic to it – yet this move also entails immense risk. The partition decision includes clauses and notions that current-day Israel would be unable to accept. Revisiting these issues would open old wounds and not necessarily be in our favor.

Netanyahu is very confident and convinced that this risk is worthwhile. Until the Palestinians recognize the partition decision and accept it, he believes, no peace shall prevail between the two nations. His demand may be rejected, thereby putting off peace forever. Yet it is possible that 63 years later, the Palestinians will surprise us and accept the fact that Israel is “the Jewish people’s nation-state.” It’s unclear whether Netanyahu would know what to do with such recognition and how to act in its wake.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969656,00.html

Former Chinese Protest Leader Chai Ling Hails Nobel Peace Prize Award to Liu Xiaobo

2010-10-14T15:03:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 12, 2010

BOSTON, (christiansunite.com) -- Former 1989 student protest leader Chai Ling on Friday hailed the decision to award the 2010 Nobel Peace to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and called for prayers for his release from prison and for the salvation of China.

Chai, who was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, recalled the "bonding experience" of spending the last hours of the movement with Liu on the square in central Beijing.

"Liu Xiaobo and I were in the last group at Tiananmen when the tanks moved in. Together we stood our ground, advocating ... non-violence until the last hour," Ms. Chai said.

She applauded Liu's steadfast efforts in the 21 years since those protests were violently suppressed by the Chinese military. Liu was imprisoned after the 1989 crackdown, and was sentenced again in 2009 to 11 years in prison for co-authoring a declaration, called Charter 08, championing political reform, greater human rights, and an end to one-party rule in China.

Chai called the Nobel Committee's decision "a milestone" and said she was "thankful for the Nobel peace prize committee for finally standing up and doing the right thing to acknowledge heroes like Liu and what he represents." She expressed the hope that "the Western leadership would follow the Nobel Committee's example and stand up for human rights and the development of a civil society in China."

Chai in particular called on U.S. President Obama, the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner, "to step up the pressure on China" on human rights issues and for the release of Liu and Chinese Christian human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for defending the persecuted.

Chai, who became a Christian almost a year ago, called on all Christians to pray for Liu and Gao's release and for "more people to join the movement to bring peace and salvation to China." She also asked Christians to remember the lives lost each day as a result of China's one-child policy, a death toll that far exceeds the number who died in the Tiananmen crackdown. In September, Chai founded the advocacy group All Girls Allowed to fight the one-child policy and to support women's and babies' rights.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09731.shtml

Israelis: For every stone Ahmadinejad throws we'll build another home

2010-10-14T14:05:00.001+02:00

Residents of Israel's border communities not letting Iranian president's scheduled visit to south Lebanon disrupt their daily routine. 'It is the Lebanese citizens who should be worried,' they say

Ynet reporters
Published: 10.14.10, 13:31 / Israel News

While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted Israel during his speech in Beirut and received an honorary doctorate from a local university, his wife has been attending various conferences in south Lebanon. The president himself is due to arrive in the area on Thursday.

Azam al-Sadat Farahi, an engineer with a master's degree in education, and other representatives from the Iranian delegation visited the village of Mleeta, where Hezbollah opened the "Museum for Resistance Tourism" a few months ago.

Female supporters of Hezbollah and relatives of terrorists from the Shiite group who were killed during the war with Israel greeted the delegation with flowers, and Ahmadinejad's wife and son signed the village guestbook.

'Tightening their grip.' Moshav Avivim (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Meanwhile, the residents of Israel's border communities are continuing with their daily routine. "From our homes we can see the boardwalk that was funded by Iran. On better days it is used to gather information on the IDF's activity, and during bad times it will serve as a Hezbollah outpost," said Shimon Biton, secretary of Moshav Avivim.


Ahmadinejad's wife (first from left) with Hezbollah supporters

Ami Dahan, also from Avivim, added, "There were reports that the Iranian president was planning to approach the border fence and throw stones. For every stone he throws, we will build another home and plant a new tree.

"Those who should be worried are the residents of south Lebanon. They suffered abuse at the hands of the Syrian regime for 40 years, and now they may fall victim to the abuse of an extremist Iranian regime. When looking over the fence you don't see symbols of an independent Lebanese state, but flags of Hezbollah and Iran, which are tightening their grip on the south of the country," he said.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969458,00.html

Survey: 17% of Germans believe Jews have 'too much influence'

2010-10-14T13:59:00.000+02:00

One in 10 Germans want 'new Fuehrer to lead the country with iron fist'; every third German believes foreign immigrants should be expelled if unemployment becomes problem

Eldad Beck
Published: 10.14.10, 12:21 / Israel News

The "other" Germany - Sixty-five years have passed since the end of the Second World War, but even today it would seem that many Germans still cling to the prejudice and racism which the Nazi party identified with.

A new poll conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Political Education, a foundation with close ties to the German Social Democratic party, has found that one in 10 Germans wants "a new Fuehrer to lead the country with an iron fist", and that every third German thinks all foreign immigrants should be expelled from Germany if unemployment becomes a problem. The poll consisted of 2,500 people of different ages. The results were announced on Wednesday.

Some 25% of all respondents expressed racist opinions, and 15.9% said they somewhat understood why a Fuehrer needed to be appointed; 58% of the participants claimed that Germany needed to curb the traditional Muslim lifestyle. As for anti-Semitism, 17.2% of the survey's participants supported the statement that "Jews have too much influence in the world today".

The foundation warned that there was a rise in anti-democratic and racist opinions in Germany, most likely influenced by the recent global economic crisis. In addition, researchers found that racist viewpoints existed not only on the edges of society, meaning the far right, but in all age groups and social classes, with no relation to sex or education.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969418,00.html

German Military Chief of Staff Visits "Yad Va-Shem" Holocaust Memorial Museum

2010-10-14T10:21:00.000+02:00

12 October 2010 , 21:17

''I am pleased to stand here today, as the Israeli Chief of the General Staff, next to the commander of the German military''

The German Military Chief of Staff, General Volker Wieker, toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum on Tuesday (Oct. 12)

The German Military Chief of Staff, General Volker Wieker, toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum in Jerusalem earlier today (Oct. 12). The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, accompanied General Weiker on his tour, which included visiting Yad Va-Shem, the Hall of Names and the museums' child commemoration wing, Yad La-Yeled.

Later, General Wieker and Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi placed a wreath to commemorate those killed in the Holocaust in a ceremony that took place in the Hall of Remembrance.

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi concluded: "I am pleased to stand here today, as the Israeli Chief of the General Staff, next to the commander of the German military, who is visiting Israel for the first time. This visit expresses the special relationship between the IDF and the German military. General Wieker is starting his three day visit in Israel which I am sure will be interesting, professional and productive.”


The German Chief of Staff lights a candle in memory of those killed in the Holocaust. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/10/1203.htm

Have American Jews lost faith in Obama?

2010-10-12T09:46:00.000+02:00

US president's tough stands regarding Israel seems to be taking its toll as US Jews' support in him falters, contributions to Democratic Party drop 65%

Yitzhak Benhorin
Published: 10.12.10, 07:59 / Israel News

WASHINGTON – Have American Jews given up on US President Barack Obama? Senior members of the US community Jewish have spoken up against Obama's foreign policy regarding Israel, and it what is considered a rarity, have said that should he continue on his current path, they will stop their contributions to the Democratic Party.

Since taking office, it seems as if Obama has lost ground across every sector in the United States, but throughout, he has always enjoyed wide-scale support from US Jews.

Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told the Huffington Post that although the US president enjoyed a 78% support rate among American Jews at the time of his election, he has now lost about a third.

According to the report, the Obama administration has annoyed Jewish leaders to the point where they are thinking of sitting out the 2010 election. Federal Election Commission records show contributions to Democratic candidates from the financial sector, where Jews hold important positions, are down 65% from two years ago.

"I started breaking with Obama ten months ago," Martin Peretz, editor in chief of The New Republic, told the Huffington Post, "And I know that a lot of West Coast Jews are also having buyer's remorse."

Hollywood billionaire Haim Saban echoed the sentiment: "The assumption on the part of the Obama administration is that because Jews are liberals, they simply will not vote for Republicans.

"Obama can invite the ten most prolific Jewish campaign bundlers to the White House for a discussion, and give a wonderful speech, and he'll think that this may resolve all his problems with American Jews. And it may – or it may not."

Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League, has voiced his policy concerns to Obama directly. Foxman later said that when the two met, he told the US president that while he agreed with his overall Middle East agenda, the perception was that he was lashing out solely at Israel and exempting the Arabs.

While Obama refuted Foxman's premise, the latter said he still left the meeting feeling that the White House's new strategy was "dangerous."

The Obama administration, said Foxman, believes that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved, the wolf and the lamb shall dwell together and all will be well. To that end, all of his advisors are telling him that he should break away from his predecessors' policies and prove to the Arabs and the Muslims that he is different, that he can distance himself from Israel.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3968020,00.html

North Korea's Christians face uncertain future under next leader

2010-10-12T09:16:00.000+02:00

by Brian HuttPosted: Monday, October 11, 2010, 19:31 (BST)

The chief executive of Release International is calling on Christians to express their solidarity with persecuted believers in North Korea next month.

It is holding a day of worship, prayer and testimony on November 6 to highlight the plight of Christians in the reclusive communist country.

One of the main speakers at the conference is a Christian man who defected from North Korea. He will address delegates on the difficulties faced by Christians there.

With current leader, Kim Jong-il, lining up his son to be his successor, it is not certain whether a change of leadership will improve the situation of Christians, who face arrest, imprisonment, torture and even death for their faith.

"The eyes of the world are currently on North Korea - one of the world's worst abusers of religious freedom," said Andy Dipper, Release CEO.

"Christians are treated without mercy. Up to three generations of Christian families are rounded up and thrown in prison camps to try to eliminate the faith.

"The nation is now grooming its next leader. But the question is, will Kim Jong-un finally put an end to his country's policy of ruthless persecution?"

The conference will also hear testimonies from persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka and Eritrea, while a former missionary to China will explain the challenges experienced by unregistered churches there.

Dipper said the conference was a chance for Christians in the UK to stand with persecuted believers around the world "in spirit" and to be "encouraged by the vitality of their faith".

He said: "We can learn so much about overcoming faith from our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world."
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/north.koreas.christians.face.uncertain.future.under.next.leader/26875.htm

Church attacked by militant Muslims in Pakistan

2010-10-11T11:14:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 8, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On September 18, the Nasri Pentecostal Church in Shah Latif Town, Karachi, Pakistan was attacked and vandalized by militants angered over a threat to burn Qur'ans in the United States earlier this month.

"The church gates were open and the locks broken. The attackers broke open a cupboard and vandalized religious items at around midnight," said Pastor Peter Shahzad. Nine copies of the Bible, three hymn books and three wooden crosses were found burned, and a drum was damaged.

It was the second church attack within a week as countrywide protests continue against American Pastor Terry Jones, who withdrew his threat to burn copies of the Islamic holy book on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (see www.persecution.net/dove.htm for more information). (Source: Union of Catholic Asian News)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09726.shtml

Nine believers arrested in Iran

2010-10-11T11:12:00.000+02:00

by Staff
October 6, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Nine believers were recently arrested on the charge of carrying out journalism just outside Hamedan, Iran, according to a broadcast on Iranian State television.

Two of the arrested were reportedly supported by organizations based outside the country, in particular the United States and Great Britain, but their nationalities are unknown.

The other seven detained were reportedly cooperating with "Christian-Zionist organizations" -- a term used in Iranian government culture for evangelical Christians who are benefiting from having access to a number of networks and TV satellite programs for evangelism.

It is reportedly the first time in three decades that the State TV has broadcast news about the arrest of a group of Christians. (Source: Farsi Christian News Network)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09720.shtml

Europe, prepare for flood

2010-10-08T12:00:00.000+02:00

Op-ed: Open letter to Europeans, who killed Jews and are now contending with radical Islam

Avi Rath
Published: 10.07.10, 17:57 / Israel Opinion

Good evening Europe!

Hello to you, dear continent. For a while now I've been meaning to write you a few words, as a close neighbor here in the Middle East who loves traveling through your beautiful landscape, and whose roots lie deep within the continent.

You were our home for thousands of years, and especially for the past 1,000 years. We've known good times of neighborly relations as well as economic, cultural and spiritual prosperity. Yet we had also known difficult days of hatred, expulsions, humiliation, and blood libels. Oh, did we ever know such days.

Somehow, we survived; both you and us. To our regret, and shamefully for you, we were not the ones who chose to end our affair with you, dear continent. We could have maintained neighborly relations and cooperation for many more years, yet for reasons of your own you chose to put an end to this partnership, literally.

The plan was formulated on your soil, the camps were built there and the trains traveled there; the graves were dug on your soil, and
the blood flowed to your rivers. Within a short period of time, you cut off a significant, 1,000-year Jewish presence. You murdered and expelled millions of loyal Jewish citizens. You eliminated not only them, but also all their contributions to the culture, economy, art, humanities, academics, literature, medicine, education, commerce, banking, and life in general.

I've been meaning to write you for a long time, yet it hasn't worked out. However, this week, after seeing two things, I decided that I must say a few words.

First, I saw reports drafted by all sorts of demography and sociology experts, who claim that within a few years, you, Europe, will be turning Muslim. In some European states, 50% of all births at this time already are Muslim. If we add this to the low birthrates of non-Muslim European - where you, the white, Christian Europe, shall turn into a Muslim continent.

You are indeed trying to engage in rearguard battles against this phenomenon – against mosques in Switzerland, against burqas in France, against immigration, and against all sorts of other things. Yet you too realize that this train cannot be stopped. Nobody will be able to forbid a Muslim woman from putting on a veil. Indeed, the liberal, enlightened, and scantily-clad European women realize that a day may come where radical Islam gains enough strength to end the party.

The second thing I saw was the travel advisories issued by many states to warn their citizens against heading to Europe for fear of terrorism. Someone already noted (and it wasn't necessarily a Jew) that while not all Muslims are terrorists, for some reason most terrorists are Muslim.

Slowly, our dear continent, you are starting to understand what you're dealing with here. You are starting to understand the kind of religion and culture brought along by radical Islam. Suddenly, you discover hatred and the culture of martyrs, as well as intolerance and isolation, alienation in the face of real democracy, and the shunning of human and women's rights.

Suddenly, radical Islam is stuck like a bone in Europe's throat. You cannot eject it – because that would immediately raise cries of racism, human rights, and the usual babble – but you cannot swallow it either, because the white, democratic, liberal and Christian European culture cannot contain such radical cultural and religious elements. It will end with a major explosion, in more than one way.

Dear continent, there is no vacuum in the world. You expelled and exterminated us, and got the Muslim world instead. At first it was nice, getting a little Mideastern atmosphere and breeze, yet with the passage of time the radical Islamic storm arrived and now threatens to sweep you away, our dear neighbor.

Now you are starting to sleep in the bed you made. Suddenly you are discovering women wearing veils, zealous eyes, and mosques at every corner. Suddenly you need to contend with high birthrates, a culture with radical characteristics which you cultivated, and terrorism and violence which you ignored. You cannot deny this for much longer. The confrontation is already here. Unfortunately we are already experts on the issue, even though here too there is no shortage of naïve, self-righteous individuals.

The first time the Creator decided to raze the world as result of our conduct, he agreed to grant humanity another chance. He asked Noah to go into the ark in order to create a new basis for the world and produce a more decent humanity. The ark was the world's chance; a momentary shelter.

So dear Europe, will you be wise enough to prepare ahead of time a physical and cultural Noah's Ark in order to survive and preserve yourself? Or will your aggressiveness, arrogance, and hypocrisy not allow you to admit to the disaster you brought upon yourself, turning into a continent living on borrowed time?

Regards,

Your Jewish neighbor from the Middle East
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3966017,00.html

The furious insignificance of Hamas – Part III

2010-10-07T14:40:00.000+02:00

From Blog of Son of Hamas
----------------------------------
Many Middle East analysts point to Tehran as the power behind the Hamas throne. If the flow of Iranian money and weapons could be cut off, they believe, Hamas would wither and die.

But Hamas does not rely that heavily on Iran. It needs Iran’s weaponry and training, but it also receives substantial financial support from Qatar and other Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, as well as from individual deep pockets throughout the Arab world. During the Hajj, for example, (the annual season for pilgrimage to Mecca, November 14-18 this year) Hamas fundraisers, including exiled leader Khaled Meshaal, descend on Mecca, meet with Muslims from all over the globe and collect millions of dollars in donations.

Other observers wonder why Iran—a Shi’a Muslim nation—is helping Sunni Hamas in the first place.

From his perspective, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gains political currency by collaborating with Hamas. He needs the respect of the Sunni world if the Shi’a are to spread their doctrine and take control of the entire Middle East. So he supports Hamas, Syria and other Sunni in addition to Shi’a Hezbollah to show the Arab world that Iran’s concern extends to all Muslims, regardless of theological differences (of course, Hezbollah receives the lion’s share; Hamas receives only token support by comparison).

Nevertheless, Iran continues to play a key role in the destabilization of the region. So does the United States.

America, out of its own kind of ignorance, keeps the conflict burning between Israelis and Palestinians by supporting the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and enabling the PA to persecute Hamas.

Between FY 2007 and 2010, the U.S. government gave the PA $392 million to train and equip its security forces, oversee construction of related infrastructure projects and develop the capacity of the Palestinian Authority. And the State Department requested another $150 million for FY 2011.

When will Washington realize that it cannot join hands with people who do not believe in liberty and personal freedom? The PA does not believe in any concept in the American Constitution. Its security forces persecute and torture people for any reason, and people end up hating the United States because they know that it supports Abu Mazen* and his forces.

Like the PA, Egypt is considered a moderate regime and is supported by the U.S. It persecuted the Muslim Brotherhood for decades, and as a result we have to deal with Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri today. People fled persecution in Egypt, and they will flee persecution in the West Bank and find a place like Somalia, Afghanistan, Chechnya or Iraq where they can express their frustration and hatred and attack the United States.

This only fuels a deadly hatred in the heart of every Hamas member. And at some point, they will uproot Abu Mazen. But Hamas will not take over the West Bank as it did Gaza.

The worst case scenario in the West Bank is that Hamas will create underground cells, launch missiles into Israel, continue to kill Israeli settlers and perhaps assassinate key Fatah and PLO leaders. They do not have the weaponry for a coup or the tunnels through which to smuggle in the weapons. And, despite a huge base of people who sympathize with them, it would be virtually impossible for Hamas to recruit thousands of members to their military wing as they did in Gaza. The Gaza phenomenon was unique. It was a crime of opportunity that is unlikely to reoccur in the West Bank.

So, do I see any hope for my people?

Today, Hamas is doing the same thing it did 15 years ago, and I expect it will continue in the same disruptive and unproductive rut indefinitely. The unholy alliance of the U.S. and the PA will ensure that hatred continues to burn and spread in the West Bank.

There are now two Palestines. And the Bible says that a house that is divided cannot stand.

While peace-brokers continue to drag the same worn cards to the table, they leave the ace out of the deck. Islam has always been the chief obstacle to peace and reconciliation.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed before on independence, self-government and other important issues. There have been truces and ceasefires. Every intervention under the sun—military, diplomatic, economic, logistic—has been tried and failed.

And as long as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Salafis are part of the equation, dialogue and compromise and agreement are impossible. The god of the Qur’an stands in the way.

There can never be dialogue with Islam because every discussion begins and ends with “God said . . .”

Only if the people of the Middle East get rid of Islam, will they be able to deal with their problems and live in peace again with one another. Otherwise, Islam will continue to be the spoiler.

* Abu Mazen is a typical Arabic honorific that means “father of Mazen.” Abbas and his wife, Amina, have three sons: Mazen, Yaser and Tareq.

The furious insignificance of Hamas – Part II

2010-10-07T14:35:00.001+02:00

From Blog of Son of Hamas
-----------------------------------
In addition to governing by kidnapping and torture, Hamas controls hundreds of tunnels that admit goods through Egypt into Gaza. Hamas gives the best to its own and sells the rest at black market prices to Palestinian families, half of whom are unemployed. It steals international medical aid and sells it in its own pharmacies. Hamas even bulldozed the homes of nearly 200 families and stole their land to build an Islamic religious center, similar to the proposed 9/11 mosque in New York City.

Last year, the UN was forced to stop all aid to Gaza because Hamas stole blankets and food meant for my people. This summer, Hamas broke into the offices of nongovernment charities, including United Nations partner organizations, and shut them down, cutting off resources to 80 percent of Gaza’s residents.

Fatah supporters carrying Abbas heir-apparent Mohammed Dahlan during a rally in Gaza City in 2007. (AP)

When Hamas campaigned in 2005, one of its two planks was to clean up PA corruption, especially the gangster rule of Fatah strongman Mohammad Dahlan. But Hamas is just as corrupt as the PLO was under Yasser Arafat and his cronies and the PA is today under Mahmoud Abbas.

During an interview with a Middle Eastern journalist, Abu Mohammed, a secular businessman with close family ties to the old Fatah security services, said, “After the takeover, people thought it might get better if the religious guys were in charge of the money, that security would improve and corruption would end. But they’re just as corrupt. If you’re not in Hamas, you get nothing. If anyone does anything, they are arrested, tortured or killed. Just like with the Israelis. Except the Jews always give you a lawyer.”

Yet, in an interview September 27 with CNN’s Nic Robertson in Damascus, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal shamelessly told the world that, “Hamas’ strategy relies on reaching a way of determining our own destiny, taking back our land, defending our people against the occupation and the settlements and then working on establishing a true Palestinian state that will have true sovereignty.”

Khaled Meshaal

Is this how you defend your people? By destroying their homes to build your mosques? By stealing their international aid to line your pockets? By kidnapping and torture and forcing your religion on them? Is how you allow them to determine their own destiny?

When Meshaal is not blaming Israel for everything bad in Gaza, he blames the international community who he accused of “stand[ing] in silence and do[ing] nothing while the Palestinian people suffer, while they get killed, and they get oppressed.”

The Israelis have a word for that. It’s called chutzpah!

Hamas doesn’t get it. It cannot see what lies ahead if it continues along its present course.

For 14 centuries, the Arab world has been a major contributor to the world in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, architecture, horticulture, philosophy, art, music, literature. But Hamas, now that it has its opportunity to show the world how it can govern, is using Islamic sharia law to crush the life, soul and creativity out of the people who gave it their trust.

Women are forbidden to ride on motorcycles with men. Male hairdressers are not allowed to work in women’s salons. “Modesty patrols” check cars for men riding with unrelated single women. A female Palestinian journalist was arrested at the beach for laughing in public and not wearing a head covering. Female lawyers are banned from courtrooms, unless they wear a hijab. Hamas has shut down Internet cafes, movie theaters and bars where young people hang out, as well as a hotel and restaurant whose owners refused to enforce the new law against women smoking nagilas (water pipes).

One reporter from Abu Dhabi wrote that people in Gaza “seem to be losing any sense of hope and increasingly, according to social workers, smugglers and even the police, turning in massive numbers to cheap narcotic tablets smuggled through tunnels from Egypt. A sense of lethargy and hopelessness now pervades almost every aspect of life here.”

If a government oppresses its people, if it makes a big deal out of petty things like this, how can it work together with the community to resolve bigger issues of health, education and the future of the Palestinian people?

Hamas has become the Taliban of Gaza. Since its emergence in 1994, the Taliban battled Afghan warlords and the Afghan government to gain power. But when it finally attained its objective, it was unable to build any society. Its culture was non-culture. Its modus operandi was to oppress and destroy. Its GNP was drugs and terrorism.

Even under the best conditions, Gaza will remain a hot spot on the Mediterranean, like Somalia in the Horn of Africa. Sunni Islam filled the void created by the revolutions and counter-revolutions that plagued Somalia since the early 1990s. Last year, the Somali parliament approved sharia law nationwide. As a result, the Islamists will control the country beyond the foreseeable future. And they too will produce only fear, hatred and destruction.

My next blog posting will examine the key issues in the Middle East. And they are not the ones you read in the daily headlines.
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/the-furious-insignificance-of-hamas-%E2%80%93-part-ii/

2010 Statistics: Rocket and Mortar Fire from the Gaza Strip as of October 7th, 7 Oct 2010

2010-10-07T09:40:00.001+02:00

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Israel Defense Forces

As of October 7th, 2010, 165 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip this year (107 Qassam rockets, 51 mortars, and 7 Grad rockets), including a Qassam rocket which was fired yesterday and a mortar launched on Friday (October 1st) from Gaza which landed in the Eshkol Regional Council. This year, September has been the month with the most rocket and mortar fire directed at Israel, as well as the month with the highest number of rocket attacks since April 2009.

However, 2010 has been the quietest year for Israel’s southern communities, which have suffered over 1,100 rocket and mortar attacks since 2002. The IDF will continue to operate against terror in order to protect the citizens of Israel. The IDF holds Hamas solely responsible for rocket fire and any other terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Complete statistics including the amount of rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip since 2002, maps of rocket ranges and the targeted population, a comparison of rocket fire before and after Operation Cast Lead, and more are available in the Rocket Attacks section located under Facts & Figures.
source:http://idfspokesperson.com/2010/10/07/2010-statistics-rocket-and-mortar-fire-from-the-gaza-strip-as-of-october-7th-7-oct-2010/

Christians bolster Jews as settlement freeze ends

2010-10-01T09:35:00.000+02:00

Monday, September 27, 2010 Ryan Jones

Hundreds of Christians from a dozen nations joined together with 3,000 Israelis on Sunday evening in the small Samarian Jewish community of Revava to mark the end of the self-imposed Jewish building freeze in the so-called West Bank.
The Christians were in Israel to participate in the annual International Christian Zionist Center (ICZC) Feast of Tabernacles celebration. The theme of this year’s feast was Genesis 22:17, where God promises Abraham that his “seed shall possess the gates of their enemies.”
ICZC Director Jan Willem van der Hoeven thought it fitting that his group demonstrate their belief in that passage by physically standing with the people of Israel as they reversed that fateful decision to suspend Jewish building in Judea and Samaria in accordance with US and Arab demands.
“We as Gentiles tell you, be strong and of courage to possess the land,” van der Hoeven stated in the central Samaria town of Ariel, just prior to the rally in nearby Revava.
In Revava, the Christians with their bright banners and national flags were swarmed by the Israeli and international media before mingling in amongst the thousands of faithful Israelis from around the country who had come to strengthen the Jews of Judea and Samaria.
The Israelis seemed surprised, though very grateful, to see these foreigners in this isolated place and for this occasion. Most greeted the Christians warmly and many applauded loudly as the flags of various nations were marched in.
Likud MK and deputy minister for development in the Negev and Galilee, Ayoub Kara, who is an Israeli Druze, addressed the crowd in a fiery Zionist speech before turning to the Christians and saying:
“I say to all the non-Jews who are here, I too am not a Jew, but in spirit I am most Jewish, I am most Zionist, and so are you! Good for you that you are here to support Israel.”
Rising Likud star MK Danny Danon, who organized the rally, also took time during his speech to directly address the Christians (in English), saying:
“We salute you. We know that you love Israel unconditionally.”
Danon asked the foreigners to take the message back to their countries that Israel respects them, but insists that its own democracy and historical rights must also be respected. He then apologized to the Jews of Judea and Samaria that they had been treated like “second class citizens” when they were told they could no longer build homes, schools or synagogues.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stuck to his promise to allow the building freeze to expire on time, despite heavy American pressure to extend it. However, building permits are expected to be issued much more sparingly so as not to rock the diplomatic boat too much.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been saying every day for the past month that if any Jewish building resumes in the areas he claims for a future state, then the current US-brokered peace negotiations will be over. Washington has been pressing Netanyahu hard to not let that happen, and both US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have hinted in no uncertain terms that if the peace talks break down, Netanyahu will be blamed.
Danon sought to remind Netanyahu that similar threats were made more than 15 years ago by former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. They insisted that if Jewish “settlement activity” continued after the signing of the so-called “Oslo Accords,” it would cause an international crisis for which Israel would be blamed.
But, Danon noted, Israel went on building, and Washington and the nations made some noise, but there was no crisis, there was no regional war.
Van der Hoeven and the ICZC are urging the Israelis to at the very least return to a situation where Judea and Samaria are actually disputed territories. By implementing building freezes and signaling constantly that Judea and Samaria are, as the Arabs claim, occupied, Israel can only blame itself when the world refuses to accept that these are ancient Jewish lands, said van der Hoeven.
The ICZC’s short term solution is for Israel to insist, constantly and adamantly, that Judea and Samaria are Jewish lands, and if there needs to be a Jewish building freeze while the issue is hashed out, then the Arabs must also stop building.
To learn more about the ICZC, visit: www.israelmybeloved.com
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21941

Gaza-bound 'provocation' ship intercepted by Israel

2010-10-01T09:31:00.000+02:00

A small yacht carrying nine Jewish activists from Israel and other countries was intercepted and commandeered by Israeli naval commandos as it entered the waters off the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.

The activists cooperated peacefully with the Israeli boarding team, and the ship was diverted without violence to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

That stood in stark contrast to the so-called “aid” ship the Mavi Marmara intercepted en route to Gaza on May 31, when boarding Israeli commandos were brutally attacked and ended up using deadly force to defend themselves. Critics tried to claim that the Israelis who boarded the Mavi Marmara were bent on violence from the beginning, a claim that was further discredited by Tuesday’s peaceful operation.

The activists aboard Tuesday’s ship said they were trying to draw attention to what they called Israel’s “illegal” blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel saw it as nothing more than a provocation.

“It is an unfortunate fact that the Israeli Navy has to be distracted from its acts of preventing terror and weapons-smuggling to Israel’s enemies, and deal with this kind of provocation,” wrote the Israeli army spokesperson.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David also called the ship “a politically motivated provocation,” and said the notion that it was bringing aid to Gaza was “ridiculous.”

The fact is that an enormous amount of aid enters Gaza on a daily basis via land border crossings in southern Israel. Enough food enters Gaza to almost feed everyone for free, but the sad truth is that most of it is stolen and then sold for high prices by Hamas.

And while a wide gap exists between the haves and have-nots in Gaza, it is little different than any other country in the region. Despite the distorted picture painted by mainstream media reports, Gaza has its fair share of luxury entertainment attractions, bustling marketplaces and a booming economy.

However, there is an embargo on the area, and severe travel restrictions as Israel does its best to deny the Gaza terrorists the materials they need to continue waging war.

But the world often ignores the reason for those measures, and that is the firing of thousands of rockets into neighboring southern Israel. Not only that, but the Palestinians of Gaza then elected the very terrorists who were firing the rockets to head their government.

As many have pointed out in regards to Gaza, when someone violently assaults another person, he or she forfeits certain freedoms.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21947

NYT links Iran worm to bible

2010-10-01T09:23:00.000+02:00

File named 'Myrtus', moniker for Esther, has experts believing Israel planted virus in Iran's computers

Dudi Cohen
Published: 09.30.10, 17:05 / Israel News

Computer specialists charged with examining the Stuxnet computer virus, which has reportedly infected Iranian nuclear infrastructure, have found that one of its files was named 'Myrtus', a moniker used to refer to Esther in the biblical book by her name.

A New York Times report published Thursday says another biblical clue found in the virus's code was the word 'guava', a fruit belonging to the Myrtus family. The report names as its source Ralph Langner, a German computer security consultant and the first to devise that the worm was a pointed cyber attack.

The word 'Myrtus' is most simply used as a name for a family of fruit, also used for religious purposes during the Sukkot holiday, but some computer analysts see it as a biblical clue linking Israel to the attempt at breaking into Iran's nuclear technology.

However other analysts see the clue as a red herring intended at focusing suspicion on Israel and thus removing it from other possible culprits.

So far both Israel and the US, both immediate suspects in any attack on Tehran's nuclear program, have kept silent on the matter, and experts say the mystery may never be solved.

“The Iranians are already paranoid about the fact that some of their scientists have defected and several of their secret nuclear sites have been revealed,” the Times quoted a former intelligence official as saying. “Whatever the origin and purpose of Stuxnet, it ramps up the psychological pressure.”

Though the virus has also infected China, India, and Indonesia, experts believe Iran was the main target. But the question of whether the file name is a sly play on words, a false clue, or simply a random selection of letters remains.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3962247,00.html

Palestinians building Jewish settlements

2010-10-01T09:11:00.000+02:00

End of construction freeze felt not only by settlers. 'We are rivals but we need to make a living,' says Palestinian laborer

Akiva Novick
Published: 10.01.10, 07:27 / Israel Business

The end of the settlement construction freeze on Monday was felt not only by the settlers, but also their Palestinian neighbors. Hundreds of laborers flooded West Bank settlements as of the early morning hours and could be seen operating bulldozers. They agreed to build, but not to talk, due to fears of a Palestinian boycott of the settlements.

One of the workers, a Palestinian resident of the Jerusalem area who asked to remain anonymous, said "I just want to build. At the end of the day both sides need to make a living, and although we are rivals, the need to put food on the table overrides everything else. I have no problem building settlements; I have been doing it for twenty years."

"We want genuine and just peace, just like everyone else, but peace without income is worthless," he added. "I don't care if the settlements stay here. The most important thing is for us to live in peace, what's wrong with that? We don't believe the boycott on settlement goods will last. The workers cannot survive another extended period of just sitting at home without doing anything, which has been the case now for almost a year."

Most of the Palestinian construction workers at the construction sites refused to give an interview. They quietly and hesitantly said that the second phase of the boycott on settlements is to begin, which stipulates they will not be able to work for settlers.

"They are being threatened with five years in prison if they work for us after January 1," Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council said.

"It concerns us just as much as it concerns them. The real coexistence, after all, happens here, and the Palestinian Authority is trying to sabotage this. I am the one who wants peace and they just want war. This is the difference between us."

Goldstein said that the start of construction in the settlement of Neve Daniel was celebrated with a joint barbeque which included all 80 Palestinian construction workers and 40 Jews.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3961637,00.html

Cambridge, Mass. Hindu Yoga Accepted While Christian Symbols Are Taken Down

2010-09-30T15:39:00.002+02:00

by Staff
September 30, 2010

MADISON, Wis., (christiansunite.com) -- The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts has pictures of yoga positions on parking ticket envelopes while Christian symbols are being taken down throughout the United States.

Forty thousand citations have been issued by Cambridge parking officers with yoga positions on the front of parking ticket envelopes. Instructions are given to show people how to do the yoga positions. Yoga is a 'symbol' of Hinduism.

Officials say the tickets are used to lead to a "peaceful exchange" between officers and the public. Cambridge officers hand out 340,000 parking tickets per year.

However, throughout the United States, Christian symbols are being removed from many public places. Schools, courthouses, and other public buildings have been forced to remove Christian symbols.

The ACLU and other atheist organizations have worked overtime to make sure Christian symbols are taken down. However, they are silent as yoga is propagated in our schools and public buildings, and now on parking tickets.

Yoga is a 'symbol' of Hinduism. Hindu leaders know this and they are pleased that yoga is making headway. Rajan Zed, Hindu statesmen, sent out a news release thanking Cambridge for their promotion of yoga.

Zed says "Yoga was based on a eightfold path to direct the practitioner from awareness of the external world to focus on the inner." Swami Vivekananda brought yoga to the United States in 1893. About 16 million Americans now do yoga.

Some say that Christians can practice yoga, however, yoga is a spiritual exercise. It goes beyond normal stretching.

ChristianInvestigator.com President Steve McConkey says, "Yoga, being a symbol of Hinduism, is pushed by some Christians without realizing yoga promotes Hinduism, spiritually and symbolically."

Steve McConkey is the President/Founder of 4 Winds Christian Athletics (4 WINDS), a worldwide track and field ministry which offers ChristianInvestigator.com. ChristianInvestigator.com is the first ever news-apologetics site offered by a sports ministry. The ChristianInvestigator.com site was started for athletes, but the vast number of readers are now non-athletes. Steve has been on hundreds of radio stations and in major newspapers throughout the world.

The furious insignificance of Hamas

2010-09-30T15:35:00.001+02:00

...from blog of Son of Hamas.....

In Uncategorized on September 29, 2010 at 01:14

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Macbeth, Act 5, scene 5

These words, written four centuries ago, describe Hamas and life in the Gaza Strip today.

People hear news from the Middle East, and they ask me, “Mosab, what is Hamas doing? Where are they going?” And I tell them that Hamas is doing nothing and going nowhere, because Hamas, for all its zealots and college graduates, is ignorant.

This doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. But the most dangerous thing about Hamas is that it doesn’t know. It doesn’t know it’s going nowhere. It doesn’t know how to build anything more than a little clinic with only one doctor and insufficient medicine, which only gives it a humanitarian face, concealing its true identity.

It doesn’t know how to govern itself, much less a nation. It’s not that its members are uneducated; they’re just ignorant. They have no wisdom or common sense. They are unteachable, unreachable and unimpeachable, because their mind is made up and they will hear nothing except what comes out of their own mouths. Hamas believes it is right and the rest of the world is wrong. That it is righteous and everybody else is bad, because Allah said so.

When I was in the Israeli prison at Megiddo, Hamas behaved like a mini-regime, controlled by thugs and tyrants. The maj’d, its security wing, tortured men until they made up anything, denounced anyone to make the pain stop. And the maj’d were so stupid that they believed the confessions. I read those confessions. They were ridiculous, and virtually all of them were eventually disproved. I remember wondering what it would be like if Hamas ever gained control of the government in Palestine.

I don’t wonder anymore.

Nearly five years ago, they won the elections. When the international community refused to recognize the legitimacy of their victory, a furious Hamas soaked the streets with Fatah blood.

And what have they done with Gaza since then? Nothing. They have built no infrastructure and formed no government departments. They have not advanced Palestinian culture or improved Palestinian society. Prime Minister Ismail Haniya was responsible for the maj’d in prison, and he rules Gaza the same way today.

Everyone is gagged and crippled by fear. For my people in Gaza, Hamas police are like Hitler’s Wafen-SS, Mao’s Red Guard, the Kremlin’s KGB or Ceaucescu’s Securitate. Anyone can be kidnapped and tortured into confessing that they are collaborating with Israel.

In a recent news conference, Abu Abdallah Lafi, a Hamas internal security official, said, “we have arrested many,” including women, who he called “a real danger to the unity of the people and their resistance” against Israel. Hamas spokesman Ehab Al-Ghsain boasted that his people had obtained “serious confessions and uncovered many collaborators who stood behind assassinations of some leaders of resistance and implemented policies of the enemy’s intelligence service against our people.”

I promise you that all of these “serious confessions” were obtained by unrestricted torture. And the “collaborators” have absolutely nothing to do with the Shin Bet.

Al-Ghsain told reporters that these collaborators planted bombs at training camps and government offices and helped to coordinate IDF raids and assassinations. But I know from 10 years working in the highest levels of the Shin Bet that this is not how Israeli intelligence operates.

Hamas knows nothing of Israel. It does not know how to govern. It does not know how to create or build. It understands nothing about human rights. It knows only how to destroy. Hamas is a colony of hornets in a sack. And Gaza is the sack.

“Nothing is more terrible,” said German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “than ignorance in action.”

To be continued . . .

Assad to Ahmadinejad: Don't visit Lebanon

2010-09-29T15:55:00.000+02:00

Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa says Syrian president asked his Iranian counterpart to postpone planned trip to southern Lebanon, tone down his statements during visit so as not to harm country's security

Roee Nahmias
Published: 09.29.10, 14:14 / Israel News

The Iranian president's planned visit to southern Lebanon is raising fears in Syria of all places. According to reports, Syrian President Bashar Assad has suggested that his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, postpone his trip as "this is not the right time."

Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa on Wednesday quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Ahmadinejad's scheduled visit to Lebanon in about two weeks was raised during his latest meeting with Assad in Damascus, about 10 days ago.

According to the report, the Syrian leader asked the Iranian counterpart why he wanted to visit the region, in light of the exchange of diplomatic messages between the two countries.

The Iranian president explained that the visit was important due to the strategic significance of the Marjayoun area, adding that he viewed the entire area as Iran's border with Israel.

According to the same sources, the Syrian president replied that he believed the visit should not be held at this time. Assad expressed his hope that Ahmadinejad would tone down his statement during the visit, as the Israelis "feel insecure" and Lebanon's security was very important to Syria's security interests.

According to the report, at the end of the meeting the Iranian president promised to "seriously consider" the Syrian president's recommendations.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3961987,00.html

Buddhists assault Christian aid workers in India

2010-09-29T12:52:00.000+02:00

by Staff
September 27, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - A visually impaired Christian and his friend have accused drunken Buddhists of abducting and assaulting them. The incident happened on September 1 in the town of Leh in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Christians had been distributing relief aid in the area where flooding and landslides destroyed hundreds of houses and killed around 200 people in early August.

The attackers, identified as members of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), abducted Ram Kumar Thapa, Stanzin Chosphel and his pregnant wife Putali Sherpa because of their Christian faith and beat the men, the victims said. According to the victims' complaints to the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission, LBA members were upset that Thapa was preaching Christianity to displaced residents.

The assailants took Thapa to the LBA office at the Soma Monastery, where a Buddhist monk was also present, and beat him again. He was then moved to a room where he could hear the voice of his friend, Chosphel, with his wife. The attackers showed Thapa's bruised and bleeding face to Chosphel to warn him against continuing as a Christian. Chosphel confirmed that he and his wife were taken to the LBA office at the monastery.

"They dragged me into a room and gagged my mouth so I could not cry out as they beat me with rubber pipes and rods and fists continuously," Chosphel said. "All along they kept telling me to leave my wife and also renounce my faith in Christianity and return to Buddhism." The men released the couple at around 12:30 a.m. after giving them two days to leave Leh or convert to Buddhism, "or else they will chop my wife into pieces and kill me and also kill my family ... who are still practising Buddhists," stated Chosphel. (Source: Compass Direct)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09702.shtml

Let Jews build homes

2010-09-29T12:36:00.000+02:00

Op-ed: Razing of ‘unauthorized outposts’ unjust, raises questions about rule of law

Moshe Dann
Published: 09.29.10, 00:49 / Israel Opinion

Conventional wisdom says that “Israel promised (the US) to destroy all ‘unauthorized outposts,’ and, therefore, must fulfill its obligations.” If the government is looking for an excuse, this is a poor one.

The "promise" made in a letter in April, 2004 from Dov Weissglass, then chief of the Prime Minister's Bureau to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, was submitted "on behalf of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon;" the letter was not signed by Sharon, nor was it affirmed by the cabinet. It was, simply, "diplomatic correspondence."

Moreover, the letter contains conditions. "The Israeli government believes that further steps by it, even if consistent with the Roadmap, cannot be taken absent the emergence of a Palestinian partner committed to peace, democratic reform, and the fight against terror."

Using this letter to justify destruction of Jewish "unauthorized outposts" raises serious questions:

Does Weissglass' letter obligate Israel to carry out its provisions while ignoring its conditions? Does this letter obligate future Israeli governments? Was the letter approved by the cabinet (since it mentions only the PM)? Why didn't Prime Minister Sharon sign it? Other than Weissglass' letter, there is no binding agreement to destroy Jewish "unauthorized outposts," destroy settlements, or prevent Jews from building anywhere in the Land of Israel.

Asked to respond, senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office avoided direct specific answers. "This government is committed to the rule of law, and abiding by the law is paramount to maintaining a civil society." They refused to elaborate.

This begs the questions and shifts the argument to Israeli law and, vaguely, "rule of law."

What, in fact, is Israeli law regarding settlement building, and how is it determined? If Arabs are entitled to acquire property rights by settlement, why can't Jews? Why do Israeli authorities refuse to give permission to develop new neighborhoods, hilltops and outposts? If the application of law discriminates against Jews, what's the meaning of "rule of law"?

What about impartiality?

And why does Defense Minister Ehud Barak unilaterally and arbitrarily refuse to authorize Jewish-owned buildings? Is that democracy?

The Supreme Court has demanded that "unauthorized outposts" built by Jews be destroyed immediately, but has given over 100,000 illegal Arab homes a pass. And what about the vast "unrecognized" illegal Bedouin villages throughout the Galilee and Negev that are still growing?

"Rule of law" means impartiality above all; it also must make reasonable common sense. Jewish homes in "unauthorized outposts" built on unoccupied, unclaimed land are examples of Zionist enterprise and idealism.

They offer inexpensive places to live. Most received tacit approval from government ministries, including the prime and defense ministers, which provided infrastructure and utilities. They tried to fulfill the necessary requirements. They are citizens and members of Israeli society. How does destroying them demonstrate justice and the "rule of law" when they are discriminated against? Why can't they be offered legal recognition?

If providing legal status to Jewish homes in "unauthorized outposts" provides more taxes and fees and serves the interests of the State, why not allow it? How is denying only Jews the right to build assert the "rule of law?"

If the Israeli government is afraid of American opposition, then what does that say about "rule of law?" And, if the "rule of law" is important, why should it be sacrificed on the altar of American opposition?

Focusing on outposts and Jewish building in new neighborhoods of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria diverts attention from the real issues: the threat of a nuclear Iran, Pakistan/Afghanistan's disintegration, the danger from Hamas and Hezbollah, and ongoing terrorism from PA-controlled areas – to name only a few.

Where Jews can or can't live in the national homeland of the Jewish people hardly seems to be of such importance, unless, of course, the question is if they should have one at all.

But then, there are other, more ancient and sacred promises to keep.

The author, a former assistant professor of History, is a journalist living in Jerusalem.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3961496,00.html

Visiting journalist finds Hamas is stealing Gaza's aid

2010-09-22T14:06:00.000+02:00

A foreign journalist writing for the United Arab Emirates newspaper The National recently visited the Gaza Strip and discovered the reason many Gazans are still struggling despite the enormous influx of aid. That reason, as most already knew, is because Hamas is stealing the bulk of what your tax dollars are buying.

We have already noted that there is a huge gap between the haves and have-nots in Gaza, that the affluent neighborhoods and fancy attractions sit side-by-side with slums. Of course, that makes Gaza little different than many areas of South America, Asia or even the rest of the Middle East. The difference in Gaza is that billions of dollars worth of humanitarian aid is supposed to be closing that gap.

Speaking to the people on the street, including members of rival terrorist groups, journalist Mitchell Prothero found that instead of facilitating the distribution of that aid, Hamas is making a tidy profit off of it.

“If you’re not in Hamas, you get nothing,” local businessman Abu Mohammed told Prothero.

Islamic Jihad commander Abu Musab told the reporter that his former comrades in Hamas “used to be mujahideen (Muslim resistance fighters), but today are fat millionaires with nice cars.”

Abu Musab revealed that the vast amount of medical aid sent by Europe is all stolen by Hamas and sold in Hamas pharmacies. He produced a packet of antibiotics stamped “A gift from the people of Norway. Not for resale,” and noted:

“I just bought this from a Hamas-run pharmacy…for my son. I had to go to a Hamas pharmacy to make sure the pills weren’t fake or made from poor materials in Egypt. If you want real medicine, you have to buy the aid Europe sends us.”

A Palestinian human rights activist who requested not to be named was asked by Prothero if perhaps life was better when Israel ruled the territory. His response: “Why do you think I ask you not use my name? Yes, 100 percent yes. At least the occupation [sic] had a positive effect of drawing the Palestinian people together instead of dividing them.”

The lesson learned, at least for those paying attention, is that the Palestinian Arabs at present are incapable of self-governance without becoming a welfare state relying on constant international intervention, or collapsing into chaos.

Political analyst Mkhaimer Abu Sada told Prothero that as the situation now stands, there is little that can be done. Hamas is “in total control of the situation in Gaza,” said Abu Sada, noting that the terror group can now field upwards of 35,000 armed gunmen, whereas in 2006 it only had 5,000-6,000 fighters in Gaza.

“The Americans, Israelis and [Mahmoud Abbas’] Fatah simply cannot accept this simple fact: that for now there is absolutely no way anyone can beat Hamas,” Abu Sada insisted.

There are Israelis who would dispute that conclusion and point out that were the Israeli army given a free hand by its own government and the international community, Hamas could be militarily destroyed, or at least weakened enough to let Abbas’ group retake power.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21913

US to Palestinians: Hold your tongues if you want a state

2010-09-22T14:04:00.000+02:00

The Obama Administration is urging senior Palestinian officials to keep their views about Israel and its leaders to themselves for the time being if they want the current negotiations to bear fruit and result in the establishment of a Palestinian state.

So said Palestinian officials who spoke to Israel’s Ynet news portal on Tuesday.

The Palestinians said the Americans cited as an example a recent interview given by Mohammed Dahlan during which the senior aide to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas characterized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “liar” and said the peace talks had little chance with someone like him at Israel’s helm.

The White House was also reportedly frustrated by constant leaks by Palestinian officials regarding details of the negotiations, with added commentary that the Palestinians don’t like the way things are going.

The American reaction to this phenomenon highlights one of the primary deficiencies of the current peace process. Washington has for the past decade-and-a-half been focused on concluding a final status Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, regardless of whether or not an atmosphere conducive to peaceful coexistence actually exists.

That the Palestinian leadership and the majority of the public fed by its statements still view Israel and the Jews as an enemy to be hated and ultimately defeated is not seen by the US as being in any way detrimental to the prospects of a lasting peace.

EIther that, or the US administration doesn’t actually care about peace, but is rather more interested in a diplomatic achievement for itself.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21914

Pastor faces criminal charges in Turkmenistan

2010-09-22T10:33:00.000+02:00

by Staff
September 17, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Pentecostal pastor Ilmurad Nurliev, who was arrested at his home in Mary in south-eastern Turkmenistan on August 27, faces criminal charges of large-scale swindling that carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and confiscation of property.

Three women who had attended church meetings wrote statements that he took money from them. His wife and other church members vigorously deny these charges, saying police pressured the three to write the statements and that they now regret doing so.

Another church member has been threatened that if she does not testify against Pastor Nurliev, her husband, who is not a church member, will be fired from his job. (Source: Forum18)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09683.shtml

Chinese church leaders threatened for mission conference

2010-09-22T10:29:00.000+02:00

by Staff
September 21, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - At least three Chinese house churches were shut down on August 5 and 6. The churches were located in Wuhan, Hubei, in Sanmenxia, Henan, and in Changsha, Hunan. They belonged to China Gospel Fellowship, one of the major house church networks in China, with an estimated 5-7 million members.

The churches were forced to close down by the Chinese government because church leaders were invited to attend the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation in October 2010 at Cape Town, South Africa.

Sources informed ChinaAid that the Chinese Public Security Bureau has obtained the list of 200 Chinese invitees and threatened some of them not to attend, but CGF leaders refused to back down. (Source: ChinaAid)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09693.shtml

Settlers: Damage caused by construction freeze is long term

2010-09-22T09:54:00.000+02:00

Leaders of Jewish communities in West Bank say only a few hundred housing units will be built in months after moratorium expires; 'law of supply and demand also apply to settlements,' they say

Aviel Magnezi
Published: 09.22.10, 08:09 / Israel News

The settler leadership in the West Bank said that initially only a few hundred housing units will be built once the construction moratorium expires on September 26, Ynet reported Tuesday night.

One leader said the "damage" caused by the freeze will be mitigated only in the long term. "Estimates by left-wing organizations' saying the construction of about 2,000 housing units will be approved if the freeze ends entirely are fairly accurate, but it won't happen immediately. This process will take some time," he said.

"The coming months will see the construction of only a few hundred housing units."

Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan told Ynet that most of the construction will take place in the large settlements, such as Ariel, Efrat and Kiryat Arba.

Settler leaders say once local authorities are given the green light to issue building permits, construction will return to its normal pace of about 2,000 to 3,000 housing units a year. However, one of them added, "the law of supply and demand apply to the settlements as well."

Dayan said he hopes the Israeli government will implement the decision to resume construction throughout the West Bank.

"Theoretically, there may be a decision to continue the moratorium, but the political reality won't allow it," he said.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3958475,00.html

Maj. Gen. Gantz: Iran is Involved in All Terrorist Activities in the Middle East

2010-09-22T09:38:00.001+02:00

20 September 2010 , 16:28

Maj. Gen. Gantz

Photo: IDF Spokesperson
The Deputy Chief of General Staff spoke about past and future threats facing Israel

Nadav Deutscher

“The threats of the past that we learned to cope with during the Yom Kippur War are still standing firm, but on the other side perhaps because of that war, the threats have changed greatly. There is still a chance, however small it may be, that there will be a Syrian attack in the Golan Heights,” the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz said on Monday (Sept. 20), while speaking at a Day of Learning in memory of Maj. (dec.) Benyamin Katzin who fell during the Yom Kippur War 37 years ago.

Maj. Gen. Gantz gave a briefing about the current security situation, emphasizing lessons learned from the Yom Kippur War. “The Syrian army has developed attack capabilities, by combining a number of different threats. The threats of the past have not changed, but have been added to new, different threats,” the Deputy Chief of the General Staff said. “The scope has grown and the strength is much more significant – this is the trend that the IDF is preparing for, while coping with challenges of mobility and camouflage.”

According to Maj. Gen. Gantz, “Iran is involved up to its neck in every terrorist activity in the Middle East. A nuclear Iran can destabilize the region and we must attribute much importance to this.”

“There is great importance to the national and societal unity in Israel. I believe and hope that at the end of the day, we will arrive at a situation whereby compulsory service is fulfilled by everyone and every citizen of the State of Israel recognize his obligation and responsibility to the country regardless of who he is. Much importance is places here on education. Looking from the past to the future, the understanding is that we must remember the past in order to learn from it,” Maj. Gen. Gantz added.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff added that he spoke these words out of faith in the IDF and its capabilities. “We are preparing correctly and will do everything in our power in order to meet the coming challenges. I hope we will be flexible enough to face whatever we truly meet. This is the obligation of us all,” he concluded.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/09/2099.htm

For God and country: The rise of a religious IDF

2010-09-20T16:08:00.000+02:00

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has always had a certain biblical element to it. Top IDF commanders, be they religious or secular, have never shied away from invoking biblical military heroes to inspire their troops. But the IDF has also always a bastion of neutrality in a nation increasingly torn down a religious-secular divide.

That is why researchers at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv expressed surprise last week when the vast majority of Israelis said they didn’t care that a growing number of IDF commanders are from the national-religious camp.

In contrast to the ultra-Orthodox movement, religious Jews belonging to the national-religious camp all serve in the army, hold down regular jobs and see the modern State of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. They are usually characterized by knitted skullcaps, or kippas.

In the Begin-Sadat poll, 79 percent of Israelis said they were “not concerned at all” that today about 35 percent of IDF commanders holding a rank of captain or higher are religious. Just 20 years ago, in 1990, only 2.5 percent of IDF commanders were religious.

While the prevailing wisdom is that religious soldiers are usually more courageous on the battlefield and more dedicated to their military service, officials at the Begin-Sadat Center feared they would also be more prone to refuse government orders to uproot Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”).

It is precisely that kind of politicization of military orders that is likely fueling the rise of a more religious IDF. Israel’s left-wing media establishment viciously berated the few commanders who refused orders to uproot the Jews of Gaza in 2005, but regularly holds aloft as heroes those soldiers who refuse to protect the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.

Because the bulk of the army’s orders are characterized by the left-wing as “oppression of the Palestinians,” the IDF itself is increasingly seen as a symbol of the Right, and more specifically the bible-believing Right.

So, it should come as little surprise that left-leaning Israelis are keen to hurry through their mandatory service and get out of the army, while religious, biblically-focused Israelis are increasingly motivated to make a career out of their military service.

Fortunately, the Begin-Sadat poll shows that the media talking heads and the academics in their ivory towers are a vocal minority, and that most Israelis have no problem with their army going in this direction.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Former Spanish PM: Israel vital for Europe

2010-09-16T09:35:00.000+02:00

In an interview with Ynet, Jose María Aznar, who heads Friends of Israel initiative, says aim is to battle against de-legitimization

Yitzhak Benhorin
Published: 09.16.10, 08:57 / Israel News

WASHINGTON – Friends of Israel initiative, headed by former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, goes to Washington. The former Spanish president said in an interview with Ynet that the residents of Israel need to know they have many friends around the world.

Aznar noted that the Israelis "are not alone" and that a decision has been made to raise awareness the common values and issues Israel shares with the Western world.

The former prime minister, who spoke in front of the the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington, noted he was "worried about Israel's future" because there are people who deny Israel's right to exist, and being anti-Israeli was considered "politically correct."

Azner explained that Israel is part of the Western world, and shared its values. He stressed that most members of the initiative for Israel were not Jewish, and that the issue was not related to religion.

Aznar, 58, served as the Spanish prime minister between 1996-2004, and wrote many articles in which he claimed that "If Israel falls – Europe falls."

In his interview with Ynet, Aznar refused to comment on anti-Semitism in Europe, but said that part of the problem was with European countries' eternal politics, where a big voting public consisted of Muslim immigrants.

The former prime minister noted that the initiative has to be carried out through the long run, "Just as Churchill talked during the Second World War, we intend to talk and talk and talk."

During his speech at the Committee on Foreign Relations, Aznar said "we are not Likud or Kadima," adding that they have no intention of intervening with Israeli politics or the negotiations between Israelis and Arabs.

The project, he explained, was meant to battle de-legitimization against Israel.

"Israel is vital for our future. Protecting Israel is protecting our western values," he said.

Asnar stressed that Israel was presented in a very negative and unjust manner, and that the aim of the initiative was to develop a more normalized discussion about the Jewish State.

"In some cases we agree with Israel's policies, and in some cases we don’t – but we must not argue with Israel's right to exist," he concluded.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3955059,00.html

PM to Abbas: We'll continue building in settlements

2010-09-16T09:12:00.000+02:00

PM to Abbas: We'll continue building in settlements

During talks in Jerusalem, Netanyahu tells Palestinian president his stance on West Bank construction has not changed. PA official says Abbas threatened to quit talks.

Attila Somfalvi
Latest Update: 09.16.10, 00:03 / Israel News

During their meeting in Jerusalem Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel plans to resume construction in the West Bank settlements once the moratorium expires on September 26.

A senior Palestinian official reported that following the meeting Abbas threatened to quit the direct peace talks if building is resumed in the settlements

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and special Mideast envoy George Mitchell also took part in the two-hour meeting at the PM's official residence, where Israeli, Palestinian, and American flags were displayed.

"The prime minister is hosting Abu Mazen (Abbas) in his home in friendship and benevolence, but during the talks themselves, he will insist adamantly on Israel's security needs. There are no compromises on this matter," a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said.

A Palestinian source told Ynet after the meeting that no breakthrough has been made that would allow the negotiations to continue without the "threat of renewed settlement construction."

The Palestinians told Netanyahu and Clinton that the resumption of settlement construction would make it difficult for them to continue negotiating with Israel.

However, one official said the Palestinians were under heavy pressure not to quit the talks and that the Americans have suggested that construction be resumed only in the major settlement blocs.

Mitchell said Wednesday night that Israel and the Palestinians are addressing the core disputes.

"They are tackling up front ... the issues that are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Mitchell told reporters after Netanyahu and Abbas met

"I will say that the two leaders are not leaving the tough issues to the end of their discussions ... We take this as a strong indicator of their belief that peace is possible."

Mitchell added that the US was working to renew the negotiations between Israel and Syria.

The US envoy is expected to travel to Damascus on Thursday and then head to Lebanon.

At the opening of the meeting, a smiling Netanyahu said he was happy to host Abbas, adding that "we have much work to do." Abbas, also smiling, humorously responded by saying the two leaders "haven't met in a while."

The Palestinian leader signed the guestbook at the PM's residence, writing that he is back at the site after a long absence to continue the negotiations, in the hopes of securing eternal peace in the entire region.

Abbas wrote that he especially wishes to secure peace "between the Israeli people and the Palestinian people."

The two leaders are expected to hold more talks after dinner.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3954938,00.html

Christian evangelists acquitted in Tanzania

2010-09-13T14:08:00.000+02:00

by Staff
September 10, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On August 12, a court in Tanzania acquitted two evangelists of "illegal preaching." Eleutery Kobelo and Cecil Simbaulanga were arrested in October 2009 after Muslims invited them to participate in a religious debate.

The Christians reported that no Muslims showed up at the site of the supposed inter-faith debate until they arrived with government security agents who charged them with "using religious sermons to incite Muslims and Christians into viewing each other with suspicion."

The accusers had claimed that the Christians' message that Jesus is God had annoyed Muslims and therefore disrupted a peaceful coexistence between the two faiths. During the 10 months of hearings, the Muslims reportedly failed to show up in court to support their allegation of illegal preaching.

"We are grateful that the court has done justice and made its ruling based on Tanzania's constitution that allows for freedom of religion and assembly," Eleutery shared. "We thank the Christians worldwide for praying for us." (Source: Compass Direct)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09662.shtml

Netanyahu says settlement freeze will end, sort of

2010-09-13T13:45:00.000+02:00

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau on Sunday reiterated that he will not extend a self-imposed 10-month building Jewish building freeze in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") beyond its September 26 expiration date.

But Netanyahu also said Israel would not rush ahead with construction once the freeze ends.

"We will not build all of the tens of thousands of residential units that are in the planning stages," Netanyahu told visiting international peace envoy Tony Blair. "But we will not freeze the lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria and we will not freeze construction."

Netanyahu imposed the freeze last November as a means of enticing the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas waiting until the very last minute to accept the gesture, and now insists extending the freeze is a precondition to continuing the renewed peace negotiations.

Netanyahu said he rejects any Palestinian preconditions, just as Abbas has rejected Israel's precondition that the Palestinians recognize Israel as "the Jewish state."

Abbas has repeatedly threatened to end negotiations if any Jewish construction takes place in Judea and Samaria after September 26.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Palestinians plant their flags ahead of peace talks

2010-09-13T13:40:00.000+02:00

Palestinian Arabs on Sunday sought to lay their claim to certain areas of the Holy Land ahead of Tuesday's second round of peace talks by planting flags at strategic locations.

In Jerusalem, the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was draped from the Al Aqsa Mosque that occupies the southern end of the Temple Mount. Several more PLO flags were planted around the compound, the most holy place on earth to Jews and many Christians.

Police later removed the flags, as they represented a violation of laws that prohibit the display of flags or other symbols belonging to recognized terrorist organizations.

In Hebron, a large procession of Palestinian Arabs waving PLO flags marched through one of the city's small Jewish neighborhoods. The Israeli army allowed the march, though it usually tries to keep the Jewish and Arab populations in Hebron separated to avoid confrontation.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21852

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

2010-09-10T12:54:00.000+02:00

CBN.com – Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, is at once solemn and joyful. It is solemn because of the Awe of judgment. It is joyful because it represents the hope of the future redemption of Israel. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the High Holy Days. It falls on the first day of the seventh month, according to the Hebrew calendar (see Leviticus 23:23). It could occur anywhere from the first to the last week of September on the Western calendar. (Sept. 11, in 1999) It ushers in the ten days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" literally means "Beginning of the Year" You may wonder how this can be, since it is called the first day of the seventh month! The reason is that the Jewish calendar is built on two cycles-the religious calendar beginning in the Spring, and the civil calendar beginning in the Fall. In the Torah, the months are never named but only numbered, beginning with the month of Nisan in the early Spring, which is the first month according to the religious calendar.

Rosh Hashanah Customs

Among the many traditions of Rosh Hashanah are:

Dipping of bread into honey after kiddush and ha-Motzi, as a symbol of the hope that the new year will be sweet.

Dipping pieces of apple into honey, for the same reason.

Also, the apple is said to symbolize the Divine Presence.

Use of round loaf of bread instead of the usual braided hallah. Some say the round shape symbolizes a crown. Avoidance of nuts. This is because the numerical value of the Hebrew word for "nut" is the same as the word for "sin."

Tashlikh ceremony, in which "sins" are ceremoniously tossed into a river and washed away, as penitential prayers are said.

The Shofar

The most obvious distinguishing feature of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn. The Biblical name for this holiday is in fact Zichron Teruah (Remembrance of the shofar blast), or Yom Teruah. (Day of the shofar blast). In some English Bibles it is called The Feast of Trumpets.

Over a thousand years ago, the great Jewish sage Saadia Gaon came up with ten reasons for sounding the Shofar:

1.The shofar is associated with the coronation of a King.

2.The shofar heralds the beginning of the penitential period.

3.The Torah was given amid blasts of a shofar

4.The prophets compare their message to blasts of shofar.

5.It is a reminder of the Conquering armies that destroyed the temple.

6.It is a reminder of the Substitutionary Sacrifice of the ram for Isaac.

7.It fills one with Awe-Amos 3:6.

8. It is associated with Judgment Day-Zephaniah. 1:14, 16.

9.It heralds the Messianic Age, Isaiah 27:13.

10. It heralds the Resurrection.

Significance

Unlike Passover, the Bible does not clearly identify Rosh Hashanah with a historical event, so we must look to tradition to discover its significance.

According to Talmudic tradition, the Ten Days of Awe which begin at Rosh Hashanah are the time in which God determines the fate of each human being. On Rosh Hashanah, the wholly righteous are supposedly inscribed in the Sefer ha-Hayyim, or Book of Life, while the wholly wicked are inscribed in the Book of Death. The fate of all others hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur. Consequently, it is a time for introspection, for taking stock of one's behavior over the past year and making amends for any wrongdoing.

The Book of Life in the Bible

In chapter 32 of the book of Exodus we find the first hint of the book of life. Moses has been on the mountain receiving the Torah while the people of Israel waited below. Seeing that Moses was taking a long time in returning, the people gave up waiting and made themselves a golden calf to worship, thus incurring the wrath of God. Moses asks to be "blotted out of the book" if God will not forgive the sins of the people. (See also Deut. 9:13).

There are a number of other references in the Tanakh which mention God blotting out or not blotting out someone from the Book. In Psalm 51:3/2, David asks to have his sins blotted out. Psalm 69:29/28 uses the exact phrase "Book of Life" See also 2 Kings 14:27, Psalm 9:5/6.

Rosh Hashanah in the Bible

The Torah does not use the term "Rosh Hashanah," but calls this holiday Yom Teruah, The Day of the Sounding of the Shofar. According to Leviticus 23:23-25, it was to be celebrated by blowing a shofar, or ram's horn, by resting from all work, and by calling a holy assembly, and presenting an offering. The offering is described in Numbers 29:2-6. In Nehemiah 8:2-9 we find Ezra reading the Torah to the assembled people of Israel on this date. Psalms 93-100 are also believed to have been composed for Rosh Hashanah.

Modern Observance and Jewish Tradition

In modern Jewish observance of Rosh Hashanah, the principal themes are:

1.Repentance (Teshuvah in Hebrew-literally "turning back" to God).

2.Redemption-restoration of a severed relationship with God.

3.The coming of Messiah.

4.Judgment.

5.Creation.

The Coming Messiah

The following quotes underscore the theme of the coming Messiah in Rosh Hashanah tradition: "The sounding of the shofar is related to the Messianic theme, and in one tradition, Rosh Hashanah is said to be the time of the ultimate redemption." - Philip Sigal

"The prayers . . . in many ways allude to God's enthronement, for the kingship of Heaven materializes with the advent of Messiah, who presides over the last judgment." - Philip Sigal The Brit Ha-Hadashah (New Testament) also associates the sound of the shofar with the coming of Messiah. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, a book of the Brit Ha-Hadashah, tells us:

"For the Lord himself (i.e., Yeshua ha-Mashiach) will come down from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call (Tekiat Shofar) of God, and the dead in the Messiah (i.e., those who believed in Yeshua and have died) will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. . . ."-I Thessalonians 4:16 - 17. (Believers refer to this coming event as the "Rapture," from the Latin word for "caught up.")

The description of Things to Come given in the Brit ha-Hadashah fits well with all the modern themes of Rosh Hashanah. In order to participate in the Rapture, one must 1) Repent: Turn away from sin and toward God. Then you will be personally 2) Redeemed. The soul will be redeemed immediately, and your body on that day when 3) The Messiah comes again and "we shall all be changed/ we shall be like him as he is!" (1 Corinthians 15:51, I John 3:2) and therefore ready for the (4) Judgment.(Revelation 20:11-15) before the world is 5) created anew (Revelation 21).

The Book of Life in the Brit ha-Hadashah

The Concept of the Book of Life is found in the New Covenant Scriptures as well. In Philippians 4:3, Paul mentions his faithful colaborers as being written in the book of Life. The book of Revelation, dedicated to the themes of judgment and the coming Messiah, contains several references to the "Book of Life."

Revelation 3:5 - "he who overcomes" will not be blotted out.

Revelation 13:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will worship the beast.

Revelation 17:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will be astonished at the beast.

Revelation 20:12 -- Judgment by the Book.

Revelation 20:15 -- All who are not found in the book are thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:27 -- Those who are in the Book will enter the New Jerusalem.

Tashlikh

One very interesting ceremony of Rosh Hashanah is the custom of Tashlikh. In a Tashlikh service, worshippers go to a body of water such as a stream or an ocean, and toss the contents of their pockets into it while reciting passages such as Micah 7:19, ("You will hurl (Tashlikh) all their sins into the depths of the sea.") as a symbol of sin being swallowed up in forgiveness.

A New Covenant

This is not the only place in the Tanakh where God speaks of such total forgiveness for his people. Jeremiah 31:34 says: "For I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more." Only one verse before, God declares that one day he will make a New Covenant (Brit Hadashah) with Israel, and put his Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts: "See, a time is coming-declares the LORD-when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, so that I rejected them-declares the LORD."

What is this "New Covenant"? What is to be the basis of Atonement under it? The Torah teaches that atonement requires the shedding of blood, i.e. a sacrifice. (Leviticus 17:11). Yet, there is no more temple in which to make the sacrifice, so how can there be atonement? It is impossible to keep the Torah completely as long as there is no temple. The rabbis declared that prayers would take the place of the sacrifices, but is that really enough? If prayer is as good as sacrifice, why did God ever demand sacrifice in the first place? Would HaShem allow the temple-so central to his service-to be taken away for so long without putting an alternative plan in place? Hass ve'halilah! If God has allowed the temple to lie in ruins for so long, could it be that it is because he has provided another way?

Suppose someone you know to be reliable gives you directions to someplace and you suddenly find yourself at a dead end. You know the directions are good, so you back up to see if you missed a turn somewhere. Those directions are the Torah and the prophets. The dead end is the Hurban. The missed turn is the New Covenant-one that doesn't need a physical temple, because the ultimate sacrifice has already been made, making all other sacrifice obsolete. The Hebrew prophets predicted that a "Righteous Servant" would some day make such a sacrifice. (Isaiah 53:6, 8, 12)

"And the LORD visited upon him the guilt of us all."-Isaiah 53:6 (JPS).

"My righteous servant makes the many righteous, It is their punishment that he bears" -- Isaiah 53:11 (JPS).

"For he was cut off from the land of the living Through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment " -- Isaiah 53:8 (JPS).

"He bore the guilt of the many And made intercession for sinners." -- Isaiah 53:12 (JPS).

We believe that Yeshua is that Righteous Servant (what other candidates are there?), and that his Atonement is the basis of the New Covenant spoken of by Jeremiah. If the New Testament ("Testament" is simply another word for Covenant or Brit) is true, it proves that God has not abandoned Am Yisroel. We believe that God has come in person to rescue his people from their sins as a prerequisite to the final restoration of Israel to the Land, when HaShem Himself will rule over them as King. Marana Tha!*

*(Aramaic for "Our Lord, Come!")

The Amidah Prayer

Christianity's Jewish Roots on CBN.com

More from Spiritual Life

Learn more about Christianity's Jewish roots at the Jews for Jesus Web site

*This article was originally published in 1978.

© Jews for Jesus. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
source:http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/BibleStudyAndTheology/jewishroots/Rosh_Hashanah_Jews_For_Jesus.aspx?intcmp=ROSH10002

Burning the Quran? Leaders Speak Out

2010-09-10T11:59:00.000+02:00

ChurchWatch

Join Craig von Buseck weekdays as he shares his perspective on the major trends and news affecting the Body of Christ today.

Craig von Buseck

By now, most people have heard the reports that a virtually unknown minister, Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, plans to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington by burning copies of the Quran.

The QuranJones said he will still go ahead with the event despite U.S. official warnings it will endanger American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "We are still determined to do it, yes," Jones told the CBS "Early Morning" show.

Earlier this week, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, issued a statement criticizing the plan to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, warning the demonstration "could cause significant problems" for American troops overseas.

"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan," General Petraeus said.

Petraeus warned that burning Qurans "is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems -- not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

Jones insists the event is "neither an act of love nor of hate," but a warning against what he calls the threats posed by Islam.

But other Christian leaders disagree and have been vocal in their opposition to what is being called a dangerous publicity stunt.

On The 700 Club, Pat Robertson asked the question, "Can you imagine a pastor that is so egotistical that he would sacrifice the lives of missionaries and soldiers to go forward with it? … This guy is looking for attention. He's looking for publicity. … I think it's horrible what this guy is doing."

Open Doors USA President, Carl Moeller reacted with a strong warning. “The planned burning of the Quran is a disaster on two fronts: It violates the command of Jesus to love our neighbor and it would likely cause Christians worldwide to be more vilified and persecuted.”

Moeller says a possible Muslim backlash would probably focus on Christians living in predominately Muslim countries who already are caught in the crossfire, including those who have converted from Islam to Christianity.

“The burning of Qurans will only confirm what many Muslims believe – that Christians hate Muslims. That is exactly the opposite message we as Christians want to send."

“I urge the Dove World Outreach Center and its senior pastor, Terry Jones, to cancel the event," Moeller pleaded. "Hate is not biblical; it is not the message of Jesus.”

J. Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine declared, "Rev. Terry Jones does not speak for charismatic Christians, and his brand of fire-breathing judgmentalism doesn't even remotely resemble the message of Jesus Christ. I am praying that he will repent and renounce his outrageous intentions before the time arrives to strike the first match."

Grady points out that the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which represents numerous Pentecostal denominations and charismatic fellowships, denounced Jones' actions in a recent statement. "The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbours of other faiths. God created human beings in His image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect," the statement said.

Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition wrote, "I heard someone call the Dove World Outreach Center’s 'Burn a Koran Day' a 'stunt' earlier today and I thought that captured it pretty well. Burning books takes on a very ominous tone because it is so closely associated with the Nazis. It is being done for one purpose – publicity. Like that Kansas pastor who shows up at military funerals with his crude signs, the Florida pastor is anxious for his 15 minutes of fame and he’ll do anything to get it."

Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship explains that this act is not only un-Christian, but it is also un-American. "The unique thing about the United States is that we are prepared to fight for and defend every single individual’s right to his or her choice to practice the religion of their choice. We learn to respect our differences in a free, pluralistic society."

"I find Jones’s plan to burn the Koran foolish and contemptible," Colson declared. "It poses dangers Jones has either overlooked or chooses to ignore.

Dr. John Rankin, president of the Theological Education Institute warns, if Jones burns the Qur’an, “the images will reverberate on the Internet internationally, and this could lead to unparalleled fury in the Muslim world.”

Colson agrees and points out that most of that fury will be directed into violence against Christians in Muslim areas throughout the world. "If Jones goes through with this horrid plan, people—Christian people—will suffer and some will die."

Secretary of State Clinton has condemned the church's plans during her remarks at a State Department dinner she hosted in observance of Iftar, the breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths," Clinton said.

CNN is reporting that religious leaders in Gainesville have planned an event billed as a "Gathering for Peace, Understanding and Hope" on September 10, in response to the Jones' Quran burning plan.

Carl Moeller stated the case in plain language. "We will most likely see Christians killed around the world because of these Quran burnings."

So here's my take on this issue: I think we need to go back to the words of Jesus when confronted with these kinds of inflammatory and antagonistic actions.

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44, ESV)

Nothing more needs to be said.

The World Jewish Congress Celebrates the IDF’s Aid to Haiti

2010-09-09T15:27:00.000+02:00

08 September 2010 , 09:16

The leadership of the World Jewish Congress recognized members of the IDF rescue mission to Haiti. President of the Congress: “When Israel does something to help another nation, it helps every Jewish community in the world.”

Rotem Caro Weizman

Leaders from the World Jewish Congress convened last week in Israel to honor members of the IDF rescue mission to Haiti. During the ceremony, Certificates of Recognition were awarded to the Home Front Command, the Amirim Communications Battalion, the Shaldag Unit, the Oketz Unit, the IDF Spokesperson Unit, the Israeli police, the Zaka organization, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all of which participated in the rescue mission.

“There is special significance in mentioning the commendable humanitarian acts of the state of Israel and especially of the IDF,” the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, told the IDF Website. “The Congress is a worldly body and when Israel does something for another nation it helps Jewish communities in every member country of the Congress, especially when so many are slandering and trying to delegitimize the existence of the state of Israel.”

The Head Medical Officer, Brig. Gen. Dr. Nachman Eish, from whose corps several soldiers were sent on the mission to Haiti, was moved by the special mention.

“You go on a mission because of its importance, the importance of helping others without always thinking about what you represent. But at the end of the day, the greatest gift is to be there and to save lives. Only afterwards do you understand that in so doing, you actually represented the Jewish people and brought respect and admiration to them, despite coming from a small country. We got there quickly, we were efficient and ultimately made a large contribution.”

Two fighters from the Oketz K-9 Unit who were presented with the award were received with cheers and applause, which was extremely touching to the two. “First of all, I’m proud of Israel,” said Sgt. First Class Dror Tropel. “It warms the heart to feel the great recognition and it strengthens the desire to continue giving.”

The World Jewish Congress: Representatives from 80 countries

The World Jewish Congress was established in 1936, with the purpose of heeding needs and wants of Jewish communities all over the world. It unites Jewish community representatives from over 80 countries all over the globe.

Every four years, the Congress comes together to develop new strategic programs related to different topics connected to the Jewish world. It also updates its members on the happenings of the Jewish communities around the world.

“In light of recent events, the Congress focused on Israel in order to express solidarity with the Jewish State,” advisor Michael Tadigsman, one of the organization’s advisors, said. “We want to unite the Jewish people in support for Israel.”
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/09/0801.htm

Christian rights group welcomes release of Cuban church leader

2010-09-07T15:07:00.000+02:00

by Charlie BoydPosted: Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 12:07 (BST)

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has welcomed the release of a respected Cuban church leader who had been facing one year in prison over accusations of “threatening behaviour”.

The Rev Roberto Rodriguez was arrested unexpectedly last week and tried in court but was cleared of the charge after his accusers gave contradictory evidence against him.

The ruling has been welcomed by the 67-year-old pastor’s family, who said that the court in Placetas, central Cuba, had no choice but to find him innocent.

Despite clearing him of the charge, the court still handed Rodriguez a fine. CSW said it was not clear why he had been fined.

The ruling ends a two-year ordeal for the pastor who was first charged in 2008. As no trial date had been set, he was forced to spend the last 21 months under house arrest until the hearing last Thursday.

CSW said his relatives had suffered verbal and physical abuse from neighbours, apparently with the support of the government, and that the family home had been vandalised.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said Rodriguez, a pastor for 48 years, had been targeted because his church had resisted attempts by the government to interfere in its internal affairs.

He said the treatment suffered by the pastor over the last two years had been a “disgrace”.

Mr Thomas said: “CSW calls on the Cuban government to ensure that restitution is made to the family for the damage caused to their house by their now discredited accusers, and that they are allowed to return to their home with the full guarantees of protection that are their right as Cuban citizens.”
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.rights.group.welcomes.release.of.cuban.church.leader/26649.htm

Palestinians say unwilling to compromise for peace

2010-09-07T15:05:00.000+02:00

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas clarified for his people on Monday that he intends to make not even one concession or compromise in direct peace negotiations with Israel, and that for a final status peace to be achieved, Israel will have to fully meet all Arab demands and abandon its own conditions.

First and foremost, Abbas told Palestinian newspapers that if the Jewish building freeze in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") is not extended indefinitely, the negotiations will come to an immediate halt. But Abbas also said he would walk out of the talks if he is pressured at all to alter the Palestinians' more hardline positions.

"If they demand concessions on the rights of the refugees or the 1967 borders, I will quit. I can’t allow myself to make even one concession," Abbas told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam.

Abbas was referring to the Palestinian demand that Israel solve the purported "Palestinian refugee" issue by opening its border to millions of new Arab citizens. Abbas has long championed that demand, despite the fact that it would mean the demographic destruction of the Jewish state. Even Israel's most liberal politicians reject the so-called "right of return."

The Palestinian leader's position on the issue was two-faced, as he then turned around and insisted that an independent Palestinian state created by the current peace process must not have a single Jew living in it. "We clarified that [the Palestinian Authority] would not agree to continued Israeli presence, military or civil, within a future Palestinian state," Abbas said.

In speaking of the 1967 borders, Abbas made it clear that he will not allow Israel to maintain control over a united Jerusalem as part of any peace deal. Up until 1967, the eastern half of Jerusalem was illegally occupied by Jordan. The Palestinians now claim it as their rightful capital.

Abbas reiterated his position in an interview with Jerusalem-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds when he rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's talk of a historic compromise between the two sides in order to reach a durable peace agreement.

Abbas also addressed Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as "the Jewish state."

"We're not talking about a Jewish state and we won't talk about one," Abbas said. "For us, there is the state of Israel and we won't recognize Israel as a Jewish state."
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21833

“The Upcoming Period Will Be Even More Tense”

2010-09-06T15:50:00.000+02:00

02 September 2010 , 19:16

Tuesday’s deadly shooting terror attack is the most serious event that happened over the last eight years in the Judea and Samaria region

Dan Tamir

“The likelihood of an attack during this period is high. We knew that there would be an attack, but there was no concrete warning”, a senior IDF officer explained a day after the lethal shooting attack which occurred at the Bnei Naim junction, during which four Israeli civilians were killed. “The terrorist cell that executed the attack is extremely professional, operating at a level higher than that of the cell which executed the shooting attack during which Policeman Shuki Sofer was killed this past June”.

In the light of current events including the beginnings of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the scheduled end of the construction freeze and the beginning of the school year, the alert level was raised in the Judea Territorial Brigade in recent weeks. The region’s officers and soldiers were even prepared for the possibility that hostile operatives would try to execute serious terror attacks. “Such a grave attack, which resulted in the death of four people, has not been seen in the region over the past eight years”, an official explained.

“Even with a very high level of preparedness, there is no 100% guarantee of thwarting such an attack. After all, the enemy is the one who chooses the time and place of the attack. Terrorism in Hebron is not seen above the surface, and therefore Hamas, which has many supporters in Hebron, is becoming organized underground, with sleeper cells.”

IDF’s Central Command is preparing for the consequences of the terrorist act. “It may encourage more terrorist cells to execute attacks, given the success of the terrorists during the last events”, the senior official said a short while after receiving reports about the shooting attack at the Rimonim junction, during which a couple traveling near Kochav Hashachar was injured when Palestinian terrorists opened fired on them from a passing vehicle.

In addition, the Central Command estimates that the attacks are expected to spark reactions from Israel as well. “Israeli citizens can also execute acts of violence against the Palestinian population. These two things could break the relative quiet in the region and there is no doubt that the upcoming period will be even more tense”.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/09/0203.htm

Prayer Center Destroyed by Force, Church Leaders Threatened for Mission Conference Invitation

2010-09-06T15:35:00.003+02:00

by Staff

ZHEJIANG, China, On August 30, 2010, several elderly Christians were disturbed during their morning prayers when authorities trooped into their mountainside prayer center. They were forcibly removed, and then watched helplessly as the building was demolished.

The police force, several hundred strong, removed about twenty elderly Christians from the building. No one seemed injured. Workmen proceeded to destroy the church's prayer room, school room, and training center rooms.

Known as "Prayer Mountain," the complex was owned by the Taishan Christian House Church (located in Qinggang District, Yuhuan county, Taizhou City, Zhejiang province). This incident comes on the heels of more recent persecution against house churches.

According to ChinaAid's reliable sources, at least three house churches were shut down August 5th and 6th, 2010. The churches were located in Wuhan, Hubei, in Sanmenxia, Henan and in Changsha, Hunan. They belonged to China Gospel Fellowship (CGF), one of the major house church networks in China, with an estimated 5-7 million members.

The churches were forced to close down by the Chinese government because church leaders were invited to attend the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in October 2010 at Cape Town, South Africa.( www.Lausanne.org ) Sources informed ChinaAid that the Chinese Public Security Bureau has obtained the list of 200 Chinese invitees and threatened some of them not to attend, but CGF leaders refused to back down.

source:http://www.chinaaid.org/qry/page.taf?id=105

Cuban church leader arrested on 'false' charges

2010-09-06T15:29:00.002+02:00

by Aaron J Leichman, Christian PostPosted: Saturday, September 4, 2010, 8:56 (BST)

Cuban church leader arrested on 'false' charges

A Christian human rights group is calling on Cuban authorities to release a respected church leader who was unexpectedly arrested this week and taken to a town in Central Cuba, where he is expected to stand trial.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is also calling on authorities to drop all charges against the Rev Roberto Rodriguez, including the charges of “offensive behaviour” and “threats”.

CSW said it believes the charges against the church leader are "false", based upon the testimonies of those close to him.

According to reports, Rodriguez, who is in his late 60s and in poor health, became a government target after the organisation he led publicly withdrew from a government-sanctioned religious umbrella group in the second half of 2008.

It was later that year that the first charges were brought against Rodriguez, and though he was given three trial dates over the course of 2009, no trial ever took place. Over the last 21 months, Rodriguez has been under house arrest.

“The treatment of Reverend Rodriguez and his family over the past 21 months has been disgraceful,” said CSW National Director Stuart Windsor, whose organisation specialises in religious freedom.

“While some heralded the release of some Cuban prisoners of conscience this summer as an improvement in the human rights situation, the arrest of Reverend Rodriguez this week demonstrates that the Cuban government is not interested in real human rights reform,” he added.

According to Rodriguez’s family, state security officials arrived at their home without warning on Monday and forced the church leader to go with them. The arrest was so sudden that Rodriguez was reportedly unable to take important medication with him.

It is feared that without the medication, the pastor's health will continue to deteriorate.

“The European Union will be looking at the human rights situation and reviewing its Common Position on Cuba this month,” noted Windsor. “We call on the EU to make urgent representations on behalf of Reverend Rodriguez to the Cuban government.”

Rodriguez is expected to be put on trial in the town of Placetas sometime over the next few days.

Prosecutors are reportedly asking that Rodriguez be given a one-year prison sentence.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/cuban.church.leader.arrested.on.false.charges/26633.htm

Hamas calls women and children 'military targets'

2010-09-06T15:27:00.002+02:00

The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas on Saturday said that all Jews living in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") are legitimate military targets, regardless of whether they are men, women or children.

Hamas spokesman Azat al-Ghashek told the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat that it is "natural" to want to harm any Jew that is found in these areas, as they are "the reserve force of the occupation army on Palestinian land."

Al-Ghashek was interviewed following last week's brutal execution of four Jewish civilians near the Judean town of Hebron that left seven Israeli children without parents. Hamas claimed credit for that attack and organized street rallies in Gaza City to celebrate the slayings.

Palestinian terror groups have long argued that even killing Israeli women and children constitutes legitimate military activity since all Israeli Jews eventually serve in the army.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21818

The target: Jerusalem

2010-09-06T15:24:00.000+02:00

Op-ed: Accurate Hezbollah rocket arsenal makes symbolic Jerusalem sites a potential target

Alex Fishman
Published: 09.06.10, 11:24 / Israel Opinion

Syria’s president and Hezbollah’s secretary general do not believe a word coming out of Israel. Assad and Nasrallah perceive everything that happens here as a scheme; in their view, the Israelis are always cooking up something. Even the forged so-called “Galant document” is some kind of deception in their eyes. They just haven’t figured it out yet.

We can reasonably assume that Major General Gadi Eisenkot’s decision to stay on as Northern Command chief is also perceived as a trick that has to do with Israeli preparations for confrontation. After all, it’s impossible for an officer to refuse a defense minister or army chief’s request to become deputy chief of staff. For Assad and Nasrallah there’s no such thing. There’s no other possibility: Everything is about schemes.

Meanwhile, for the Iranian-Syrian coalition, Iraq’s weakening and Saudi Arabia’s military buildup (the recent $60 billion arms deal,) along with the Israeli-Palestinian talks, are processes that call for action. Moreover, the Iranians are still preparing for an American-Israeli offensive which they’re sure will come.

Yet the current threat on our north includes implications we haven’t seen in the past. If, for example, Israelis were certain that Jerusalem and its holy sites will always remain out of bounds for the missiles – because it’s unimaginable that the Syrians or Iranians will hit the Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, any other Muslim or Christian holy site, or the Arabs of east Jerusalem - this assumption is invalid given the new realities. If Israelis viewed Jerusalem as a refuge for a cloudy day where they can escape to once missiles start landing in central Israel, this perception is over.

Iron Dome around Jerusalem?

Hezbollah’s dramatic armament process, where it equipped itself with long-range, accurate rockets (such as the M-600 missiles,) turns west Jerusalem into an attractive target. And if missile also constitute a terror weapon aimed at undermining morale, Israel’s capital is a wonderful target given the many symbolic sites there: The Knesset, government offices, the High Court of Justice, and so on. On top of it, the accurate rockets and missiles minimize the possibility of harming east Jerusalem residents.

The IDF Home Front command is already addressing this threat, and the above statements are openly presented to the heads of Jerusalem-area municipalities. Nasrallah talks about reciprocity, and we may end up discovering batteries of the anti-missile Iron Dome system deployed around the capital.

Meanwhile, rockets from Gaza already have an 80-kilometer (roughly 50 miles) range, reaching all the way to Kfar Saba, northeast of Tel Aviv. We won’t be surprised to discover in a year or two that these rockets already have a 100-kilometer range. This is the pace of rocket development in the Strip.

The military conclusion from these changes is as follows: The next war may require the IDF to start with deterring blows – in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza – because taking over territory is a long process that exacts many casualties.

And then there’s the diplomatic conclusion: An agreement with the Palestinian Authority is not the ultimate solution that will allay the tensions in the region. At best, such deal may be an (important) step en route to a regional agreement.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3950184,00.html

Jewish Artist Gives Obama Opportunity to Explain His Belief in Jesus

2010-08-31T16:26:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 27, 2010

LOS ANGELES, (christiansunite.com) -- With only one third of Americans believing President Obama is a Christian, a Jewish artist is stepping forward with a chance for the President to offer testimony of his faith in Jesus.

Internationally renowned artist David Ilan (born in Israel; raised in Los Angeles), is creating what many around the world are calling "the ultimate portrait of Christ." It's made using only dots. Each hand-drawn dot represents a Christian. One dot = one believer.

Each participant is asked to attach a message to their dot answering the artist's question: "Why Jesus?" Ilan sees himself as representing all non-Christians who are uninformed about Jesus Christ.

It will take one million Christians to complete this interactive work of art, known as The People's Portrait of Christ. As more people go to the "Dots For Jesus" website ( www.DotsForJesus.com) to get a free dot in their name, they come together to form the image of Christ.

"The project gives President Obama a unique opportunity to set the record straight about his religious beliefs," Ilan said. "One million other Christians are doing the same thing, so the President isn't being singled out because of the controversy."

Today, Ilan issued an open invitation to the White House for Obama to get his dot and share how Jesus has made a positive difference in his life.

Since Ilan is Jewish, he feels he's in an impartial position to jump into the Christian/Muslim debate over Obama's faith.

Jason Schulz, a Hollywood producer who reserved his dot, said, "Although the President has not placed his faith at the forefront of his persona, I feel that he embraces Christianity. Dots for Jesus is a great way for him to express his faith in a nonpolitical setting."

The President's dot will be the same size as the dots representing all the other Christians who are coming together to form the image of Christ. Obama's dot will be right next to the dots of average people from nearly every country on Earth.

"When it comes to religion, the President is on the same level as everyone. He will be sharing his beliefs about Jesus just like the rest of the Christians in the project. The only difference is that President Obama will be proving something about himself at the same time."
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09622.shtml

Arab youth lynch American man in Jerusalem

2010-08-31T15:37:00.000+02:00

Israeli authorities on Tuesday lifted a gag order on last week's murder of an American Jewish man in downtown Jerusalem by a group of drunk Arab teenagers.

The teenagers had been attending a friend's birthday party in downtown Jerusalem, and then decided to hang out in "Cat Square" near the popular Ben Yehudah pedestrian mall.

While there, the youth convinced one passerby to buy them a bottle of vodka. After finishing their drinks, the teenagers approached 60-year-old Lance Wolf, an American Jew living in Jerusalem for the past two years, and demanded cigarettes. The teenagers later told police that Wolf refused them in a very rude manner, so they decided to get some revenge by beating him repeatedly over the head with wood planks they found at a nearby construction site.

The two boys who assaulted Wolf then fled the scene along with three other friends who watched the beating without interfering. Wolf then lay on the sidewalk bleeding for nearly an hour while several passersby did nothing to help. He died several days later at Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Paramedics insist he would have lived had he received medical attention sooner.

The entire incident was caught on a security camera pointing at Cat Square. That footage helped police capture the two mains suspects, residents of a northern Jerusalem Arab neighborhood.

The suspected murderers are aged 13 and 15, a fact that will likely keep them out of jail.

Nor does their family believe they deserve such severe punishment.

The mother of the younger suspect told reporters: "They drank because it was a birthday. It wasn't on purpose. It happened because they were drinking. He is a good boy."

The brother of the suspect added: "The police have turned him into a murderer. But everyone at his age hangs out there (at Cat Square). It's summer break, and they mill around there until morning. There's nothing else to do."

Police officials responded that while the suspects do not seem like particularly troubled or troublesome teens, the parents nevertheless carry a huge responsibility to raise their children right and to know where they are and what they are doing.

Israel's left-leaning mainstream media did not reveal that the suspects are Arabs in its initial reports on the murder.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21788

Four students taken into custody in Lucknow, India

2010-08-30T16:02:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 27, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - A team of students from a Bible college in Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh have been attacked and detained by the police for their alleged conversion activities.

The police first beat up the four students belonging to Compassion for India Ministry late in the evening of July 24. The students had been engaged in serving the poor and underprivileged in and around Lucknow. The police team forced the students' pastor to visit them at the police station.

The police accused them of participating in conversion activities. The pastor and his team were questioned about their work in detail. The police also extracted money from the pastor before releasing the students from custody. (Source: All Indian Christian Council)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09625.shtml

Christians jailed and fined in Uzbekistan

2010-08-30T15:56:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 30, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Ten Protestants were recently jailed for between three and five days, and three were fined 80 times the minimum monthly wage following a brutal raid on July 28 in Tashkent's Mirzo-Ulugbek District.

Twenty-three people, including small children, were detained and two personal Bibles, four songbooks and one textbook of violin lessons were confiscated. They then began pushing the believers forcefully into cars outside. Some of the believers were kicked and hit while they were dragged out of the house.

Elsewhere a court has ordered that officially permitted Christian books and leaflets found in a raid should be confiscated and destroyed, violating Uzbek legal procedure. (Source: Forum 18)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09630.shtml

Underground church leaders executed in North Korea

2010-08-30T15:53:00.001+02:00

by Staff
August 30, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Three leaders of an underground house church in North Korea have been executed and 20 of their Christian associates jailed. North Korean police raided a house in Kuwal-dong in Pyungsung county, Pyongan province, and arrested all 23 believers who had gathered for a "religious function."

Three "ringleaders" were tried, sentenced to death, and executed soon afterwards. The other 20 were reportedly sent to prison camp No. 15 in Yodok. The arrests and executions happened in mid-May -- the news, however, only recently emerged from the so-called "hermit kingdom." The events have also been confirmed by North Korea Intellectual Solidarity, a group of North Korean defectors based in Seoul committed to raising awareness of injustice and promoting reform in their homeland. The 23 Christians had reportedly come to faith after some of them travelled to mainland China on business and came into contact with the church there. (Sources: Release International, AsiaNews)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09629.shtml

'IDF can destroy Lebanon army within 4 hours'

2010-08-27T15:20:00.003+02:00

Lebanese paper says US envoy's advisor threatened Lebanese army chief with Israeli contingency plan following deadly border skirmish

Israeli tank in Lebanese border Photo: AFP

An senior advisor to US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has threatened Lebanese army commander, Jean Kahwajim that should his army initiate additional fire exchanges with Israel, the IDF would annihilate his military within four hours, Lebanese newspaper al-Liwa reported Friday.

According to the report, Frederick Hof spoke to Kahwaji on August 9, following the deadly border skirmish between Israel and Lebanon and informed him of the IDF contingency plan.

The report further quotes Mitchell's aide as telling the Lebanese commander that Israel had decided to carry out a plan "which would completely destroy the Lebanese army's bases, centers and offices within four hours."

Lieutenant-Colonel (res.) Dov Harari was killed in the border skirmish earlier this month and another officer was seriously injured. Firing began when IDF forces entered a border enclave in order to uproot a tree. Lebanon later blamed Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701.

Hof advised the Lebanese army chief to show restraint in any future border conflict with Israel.

US sources said a UNIFIL report which ruled that the tree was on Israel's side of the border sheds new light on the possible danger caused by the proximity between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3944714,00.html

Confirmed oil find in central Israel

2010-08-26T15:27:00.000+02:00

The Givat Olam umbrella organization confirmed for investors in Jerusalem on Monday the discovery of a large commercially-viable oil field in central Israel.

Hundreds of investors from around the world, many of them Christian Zionists, have been pouring money into Givat Olam for years in the hopes of helping secure Israel's energy independence.

"For many years we drilled wells without success," chief geologist Tuvia Luskin told the investors. But the Meged 5 exploratory well near the central Israel town of Rosh Ha'ayin had finally provided results which Luskin compared to "the giving of the Torah."

Luskin and his team first struck oil at Meged 5 in early July. They conducted 189 hours of production tests, during which 3,015 barrels of oil were produced. According to Luskin, when it reaches its capacity, Meged 5 will likely be able to produce 450 barrels of oil a day.

A final report on the size of the oil field is expected next month.

Israeli officials have hailed the find as a major breakthrough that could drastically alter Israel's fortunes, both by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources and by providing an enormous boost to the economy.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21745

On whose side is Obama?

2010-08-25T09:03:00.000+02:00

Op-ed: President Obama owes every American apology over handling of mosque affair

Moshe Dann
Published: 08.25.10, 00:01 / Israel Opinion

President Obama's defense of the right of Muslims to build a mosque and Islamic center in New York City turned the issue into one of religious freedom. That was wrong.

Obama's first priority - like that of every national leader - is to speak for his country and on its behalf. Obama's refusal to do so, his insinuation that questions raised about a proposed Islamic mega-center near the site of the 9/11 attacks are un-American, unconstitutional, and prejudiced have shamed every American, and the good name of America.

Obama could have defended America; instead, he apologized for it.

He could have said that 4,400 Americans have died in Iraq, 1,200 have died in Afghanistan, and hundreds of thousands of Americans have been wounded - to help those Muslim countries attain freedom. And of course, hundreds of billions of dollars were spent towards that effort. But he didn't.

Obama might have said that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US; hundreds of thousands of Muslims have found a home in America since and despite 9/11. He could have said: America has and continues to stand for freedom and democracy. He did not.

He is probably the first American president to malign his own country.

Obama could have explained that American law and values do not support discrimination, certainly not against Muslims; our history proves that. There are about 2,000 mosques in the United States, serving about 8 million Muslims; NYC alone has a dozen mosques. And Muslims are doing well in America: 67% have higher degrees; their average income is over $42,000; 26% earn over $100,000; 67% buy a new car every 3 years.

President Obama could have also noted that most American Muslims don't attend prayer services; mosques are often political and social centers, some of which are problematic.

'Grave threat to non-Muslims’

According to FBI estimates, 10 % of the mosques in the United States are associated with radical Jihadist ideology. Others estimate that 80% of mosques are dominated by the extremist Wahhabi ideology promoted by Saudi Arabia. And they are allowed to practice, under American principles of freedom of religion.

Unlike houses of worship in America which are built and supported by the local population, most mosques receive funding from foreign countries, especially Saudi Arabia.

President Obama might have noted that the Muslim Brotherhood, a Nazi organization that is banned in Egypt, is associated with some American mosques.

A study by Freedom House concluded that American mosques offer a wide selection of Saudi publications that promote hateful ideology, with all materials found to have some connection to Saudi Arabia.

According to the study, these publications advanced a "dualistic worldview in which there exist two antagonistic realms or abodes that can never be reconciled. The study also concluded that these publications "pose a grave threat to non-Muslims and to the Muslim community itself."

President Obama could have explained that this is obviously not an issue of religious freedom. He could have championed America, its reputation, institutions and values. Instead, he reinforced the view that America is bigoted.

For that, President Obama owes every American an apology.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3943359,00.html

Nancy Pelosi Supports Mega Mosque and Wants Those Opposed Investigated

2010-08-25T08:57:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 23, 2010

MEDIA ADVISORY, (christiansunite.com) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now demanding to know how the Religious Freedom Coalition and other organizations fund their opposition to the Ground Zero mega mosque, but she does not seem to care that the UK Company planning the construction refuses to say where their funding comes from. Pelosi said, "I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded."

Sharif El-Gamal of SoHo Properties, which owns the property where the mega mosque is to be built, has refused to disclose funding and has said that the "non-profit" that will operate the mosque has not yet been formed. But, Speaker Pelosi is more concerned about an alleged conspiracy by those opposing the mosque and appeared to ask for an investigation saying, " ... we should also ask who is funding the attacks against the construction of the center."

The Religious Freedom Coalition operates the www.no911mosque.org site opposed to the mega mosque and is producing a 60 second commercial exposing the double standard of Islam; Muslims demand the mosque be built at Ground Zero, and at the same time nearly 1,000 Christian churches and other buildings have been attacked or destroyed by Muslims since 9-11.

Religious Freedom Coalition chairman, William J. Murray said, "Apparently Nancy Pelosi is so invested in the Islamic concept of, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' that she will blindly support a mega mosque at Ground Zero simply because it is opposed by social conservatives."
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09607.shtml

Mass arrests of new Christian converts in Mashhad, Iran

2010-08-25T08:54:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 23, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On July 18, 15 newly converted Christians who were travelling to the north eastern city of Bojnoord to meet and to fellowship with believers were arrested in the city of Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan.

Government security forces reportedly had previous knowledge of this trip and, in a pre-planned and coordinated effort, forced the bus carrying the Christians to be stopped en-route to their destination. The security then boarded the bus and arrested the believers.
All 15 detainees were transferred to the Ministry of Information's central detention centre. In the days that followed, they were subjected to harsh and inhumane interrogations. After one week, 13 of the believers were conditionally freed, after they agreed to sign promissory notes and post bails.

Two remaining detainees, 48-year-old Reza and 23-year-old Ehsan Behrooz, refused to sign any forms or post bail and thus remained in detention at last report. (Source: Farsi Christian News Network)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09610.shtml

Too late to stop Iran?

2010-08-25T08:52:00.000+02:00

From blog of Son of Hamas.
====================================
Like it or not, Israel is the only Middle Eastern country that has both the resolve and the power to stop Iran from becoming a regional nuclear terrorist. Yet Arab leaders continue to see Jerusalem as an enemy rather than an ally. And Tehran proactively feeds and manipulates their hostility to keep Israel at bay.

Is there still time for Middle Eastern leaders to open their eyes and clear their heads?

Frustrated by Moscow’s delays in fulfilling its contract with Tehran for half a dozen S-300 missile systems, Iran built its own air defense system which it claims is even more sophisticated than the Russian version—with a range of more than 100 miles and the ability to intercept both low- and high-altitude ballistic missiles and aircraft.

Earlier this month, Tehran boasted that it is building 10 new uranium enrichment plants deep inside mountains.

Washington’s response was predictable and tepid. The escalation, said President Obama, is “not acceptable,” and he threatened “a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how alone they are.”

But the administration fails to understand that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to be alone—at the top. Alone as the supreme nuclear power in the Middle East. Alone as caliph of more than a billion Muslims worldwide. To Ahmadinejad, alone is good. And sanctions are merely a nuisance. They failed to deter development of Iran’s nuclear program, its sophisticated air defense system or its shiny new Karar bomber drones, with a 620-mile range and the ability to launch up to four cruise missiles.

Ever since Shock & Awe, things have been looking up for the Iranian dictator.

Throughout and after the Iran/Iraq War, Tehran’s Shi’a regime repeatedly tried and failed to overthrow Saddam. Then, in 2003, seemingly ignorant of Islam’s bloody 1400-year Shi’a/Sunni conflict, Coalition forces stormed into Baghdad and saved the Iranians the trouble. Within a couple of years, they had replaced the ruling Sunni minority with the Shi’a majority, overlooking its strong and ancient ties to the Shi’a leadership in Iran.

In short, the U.S. naively handed Iraq to Iran on a platter. And the recent U.S. troop withdrawal removed yet another obstacle.

On a roll, Ahmadinejad tested public opinion waters last May with the blockade-busting “Freedom Fleet”—an insolent attempt to establish an Iranian port on the Mediterranean—and delighted to watch the international community blacken Israel’s eye.

Meanwhile, Hamas, Iran’s Sunni puppet, continues to stir up trouble in Gaza. Despite deep theological differences, Hamas is more than willing to accept all the rials and weapons Iran is willing to share. And Iran finds Hamas useful for coalition building among other Sunni.

All the while, Iran continues to sap American resources in Lebanon and Afghanistan and expand its influence throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.

So why should Ahmadinejad curb his military buildup, given the world’s obvious lack of serious interest and America’s growing policy of accommodation and appeasement toward Islam?

And if Israel does not act, who will? But has Jerusalem waited too long? And can it rely any longer on support from the White House?
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/too-late-to-stop-iran/

Iran begins mass production of 2 assault boats

2010-08-23T14:14:00.000+02:00

Inauguration of production lines for missile-launching speedboats comes day after Iranian President Ahmadinejad unveiled country's home-built bomber drone, which he said would deliver 'death' to Islamic Republic's enemies

AFP
Published: 08.23.10, 11:37 / Israel News

Iran said on Monday it has launched mass production of two high-speed missile-launching assault boats to be deployed along its coastline and around the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

The inauguration of the production lines for the Seraj and Zolfaqar speedboats comes a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled Iran's home-built bomber drone, which he said would deliver "death" to Iran's enemies.

State news agency IRNA reported that Seraj (Lamp) and Zolfaqar (named after Shiite Imam Ali's sword) would be manufactured at the marine industries complex of the ministry of defense.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi opened the assembly lines, saying the vessels would help strengthen Iran's defense forces.

"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is relying on a great defense industry and the powerful forces of Sepah (Revolutionary Guards) and the army, with their utmost strength, can provide security to the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and Strait of Hormuz," Vahidi said.

IRNA said Zolfaqar was a new generation missile-launching vessel which can be used for patrol as well as for attack operations.

"It is designed for quick assaults on ships and is equipped with two missile launchers, two machine guns and a computer system to control the missiles," the report said.

IRNA said Seraj, designed for a tropical climate, was also a fast moving assault vessel for use in the Caspian Sea, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, adding that it can fire rockets and also be used in stormy seas.

"Seraj is a fast moving assault rocket launcher using sophisticated and modern technology," Vahidi was cited as saying by IRNA.

The launch of the production lines comes as Iran marks its annual "government week", a period when it traditionally shows off its latest technological achievements.

Week of military claims

Ahmadinejad on Sunday unveiled a bomber drone with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), which he dubbed the "ambassador of death."

State media said the drone, Karar (Assailant), can carry four stealth cruise missiles, two bombs of 250 pounds (115 kilos) each or a precision missile of 500 pounds (230 kilos).

Tehran kicked off its week of military claims on Friday when it fired a surface-to-surface missile, named Qiam ("Rising"), with some more announcements expected over the next few days.

The Islamic Republic is also expected to test fire a third generation Fateh ("Conqueror") 110 missile, after having already paraded a version with a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (90 to 125 miles).

Iran recently took delivery of four domestically built Ghadir mini-submarines, a "stealth" vessel designed to operate in shallow waters such as the Gulf.

The latest military moves coincide with Iranian warnings against any attack on its territory.

Its arch-foes, the United States and Israel, have not ruled out taking military action over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, choking off some 40% of tanker-shipped oil worldwide, in the event of a military attack.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3942216,00.html

Christian group calls for ‘meaningful action’ on North Korea

2010-08-23T13:00:00.000+02:00

In this file photo, people stand in front of a giant statue of Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea, to pay respect to the late North Korean leader (AP)

by Brian HuttPosted: Monday, August 23, 2010, 8:44 (BST)

A Christian human rights group is urging Europe’s foreign ministers to add their support to a UN inquiry into crimes against humanity committed in North Korea.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has written to foreign ministers of all EU member states asking them to support the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry into the secluded communist country when the EU introduces its annual resolution on the North Korean human rights situation to the UN General Assembly in October.
The call follows reports last week that three underground church leaders were executed by authorities in Pyungsung county, Pyongan province. Another 20 Christians were reportedly sent to hard labour camps.
CSW said there was a “prima facie case of crimes against humanity” being committed by the North Korean regime.
These crimes, it said, included murder, “intense” forced labour, the forcible transfer of people, arbitrary imprisonment, and torture.
“The use of public executions as a method of generating fear and obedience is also illegal under international law,” CSW said.
It warned that prisoners were facing “systematic and severe” torture, “dire” living conditions, chronic food shortages and “brutal punishments”.
CSW said relatives of prisoners were often guilty by association, meaning that as many as 200,000 people could be incarcerated within North Korea’s prison camps.
“The barbaric system is calculated to cause extreme fatigue and sickness, and refugees have stated that imprisonment in the camps amounts to nothing more than a harsh, drawn-out death sentence,” CSW said.
“Life expectancy in the camps is one to two years – the same as that in Nazi concentration camps 70 years ago.”
North Korea has been named the world’s worst persecutor of Christians by Open Doors for the last eight years. Religion is outlawed in North Korea, where the people are expected to worship only the supreme leader, Kim Jong-il and his late father and predecessor, Kim il-sung.
The country’s estimated 400,000 Christians are forced to worship behind closed doors and face imprisonment, torture or public execution if the authorities discover their faith.
CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said, “The regime in North Korea is committing the most barbaric violations of human rights and it is time that the UN General Assembly took meaningful action to prevent the continuing suffering of the North Korean people.
“A Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity is an essential step towards justice and an end to impunity, and we urge the EU to support this recommendation and work proactively to achieve it.”
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.group.calls.for.meaningful.action.on.north.korea/26556.htm

Qur’an says no to “9/11 mosque”!

2010-08-23T12:03:00.000+02:00

From blog of Son of Hamas
====================================
The controversy over the “9/11 mosque” has dangerously missed the point.

What persuades you that this will end well?

Yes, it is an offense to the families of nearly 3,000 victims who were killed in the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil. Yes, it will reopen and infect deep wounds. And yes, it is perfectly legal and protected by the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

But it is also an affront to Allah.

Open your Qur’an and read sura 9, verse 107. I will reproduce it here in English for our Western readers:

“And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity – to disunite the Believers – and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.” (The Qur’an, sura 9, verse 107, Yusufali translation)

You can see that the language is much stronger in Arabic.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf may not intend “to disunite the Believers,” but his irresponsibility will accomplish the same end, even while he and his supporters, both Muslim and America’s progressive elite, “indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good.”

Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and the Taliban are counting on the inevitable outcome of such irresponsibility.

Do not be deceived, my brothers and sisters, this issue will not die. It will not go away. It is already dividing Believers and will fester and putrify like an open wound.

In addition to killing thousands of innocent Americans, Osama bin Laden’s stupid attack destroyed the reputation of Muslims everywhere. The result was Arab profiling, false arrests and, yes, an Islamophobia that has not been entirely unjustified. It also resulted in the creation of hundreds of organizations worldwide working tirelessly to encourage constructive dialogue and repair the shattered image of Islam, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been better used for education, healthcare and other noble causes.

If you allow Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and the Cordoba Initiative to build this shrine to terrorism, you will only generate more hatred, suspicion and violence, destroy nearly a decade of image-rebuilding and set in motion a backlash against all Muslims.

Think for a moment. Do you really believe that Americans will just say “Oh, well” and move on while the 9/11 mosque is being built? Day after day, they will drive by, walk by on the way to work, and their anger and outrage will be renewed. The media will broadcast updates on the mosque’s progress, inflaming millions of viewers with every report.

How will Muslims react, then, when an angry citizen smears garbage on a wall of the mosque or covers it with blasphemous graffiti? How will they respond to protests and pickets? What if some hothead sets off a bomb?

Hatred and violence are not confined to Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Taliban. They lie just below the surface of us all and only require sufficient heat to erupt.

Hatred and violence are not confined to Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Taliban. They lie just below the surface of us all and only require sufficient heat to erupt.

And the violence will not be contained in Manhattan. You have seen how our brothers and sisters have reacted to books and cartoons. You can expect outraged mobs to burn homes and churches, attack embassies, kidnap and behead hostages not only in the Middle East but also in Africa and Asia, in obedience to the Qur’an’s mandate to defend the honor of Allah and his Prophet.

The blood—Muslim and non-Muslim—will be on the hands of the foolish Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. But he and Islamists like him will blame everybody else, just as he blames America instead of bin Laden for 9/11. Just as he will not admit that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Instead, he provokes and blames the provoked.

And you will share the blame because you did nothing stop it when it was in your power.

Even your Qur’an warns that the 9/11 mosque is not the will of Allah. It is the work of “mischief and infidelity.”

The 9/11 mosque will do nothing but push people over the edge. Americans and Muslims. Not for days or weeks, but for years, for as long as the building stands. And the violence will only escalate. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. On every continent.

The Cordoba project will never be a community center where people will gather to seek and find common ground.

You can, and must, stop it. Through petitions and boycotts. By demanding accountability from your leaders. By withholding funds. By refusing to take any part in the sins of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and the Cordoba Initiative.

In short, you must stop it by being a responsible Muslim.
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/qur%E2%80%99an-says-no-to-%E2%80%9C911-mosque%E2%80%9D/

Imprisoned Christian refused further visits in China

2010-08-19T15:51:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 17, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - Imprisoned Uyghur house church pastor Alimujiang Yimiti, who was finally allowed to visit with his family in recent months, has been prevented further visits. Alimujiang's mother, wife and children were able to meet with him for the first time in two years in April.

In May, they were permitted a second meeting for 20 minutes. However, authorities have since demanded that a letter stamped by the local police verifying Alimujiang's relationship with his wife and mother be brought to each meeting. The local police, meanwhile, claim the letter is unnecessary and refuse to cooperate. Alimujiang's lawyers have not been permitted to meet with him since he was moved into prison.

Although Alimujiang's wife, Gulinuer, mails a letter to him every week, she only knows of two letters that have reached her husband. She has yet to receive a reply. One letter mailed to Alimujiang from the United States was returned to the sender with the word "deceased" written across the envelope. Sources have been unable to confirm the validity of the message. (Source: ChinaAid)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09600.shtml

Poll: Growing number incorrectly call Obama Muslim

2010-08-19T09:52:00.000+02:00

US survey based on interviews conducted before controversy over ground zero mosque shows 18% think their president is Muslim, up from 11% who said so in March 2009

Associated Press
Published: 08.19.10, 08:03 / Israel News

Nearly one in five people, or 18%, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11% who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34%.

The largest share of people, 43%, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34% who said that in early 2009.

The survey, conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center and its affiliated Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is based on interviews conducted before the controversy over whether Muslims should be permitted to construct a mosque near the World Trade Center site. Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build an Islamic center there, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it.

About three in 10 of Obama's fiercest political rivals, Republicans and conservatives, say he is a Muslim. That is up significantly from last year and far higher than the share of Democrats and liberals who say so. But even among his supporters, the number saying he is a Christian has fallen since 2009, with just 43% of blacks and 46% of Democrats saying he is Christian.

Among independents, 18% say Obama is Muslim – up from 10% last year.

Pew analysts attribute the findings to attacks by his opponents and Obama's limited attendance at religious services, particularly in contrast with Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, whose worship was more public.

Andrew Kohut, the Pew Research Center's director, said the confusion partly reflects "the intensification of negative views about Obama among his critics." Alan Cooperman, the Pew Forum's associate director for research, said that with the public hearing little about Obama's religion, "maybe there's more possibility for other people to make suggestions that the president is this or he's really that or he's really a Muslim."

'We got information from media'

Obama is the Christian son of a Kenyan father who was raised Muslim. From age 6 to 10, Obama lived in predominantly Muslim Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. His full name, Barack Hussein Obama, sounds Muslim to many Americans.

White House officials did not provide on-the-record comments on the survey, but they prompted Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell of Houston to call The Associated Press.

Caldwell, who said he has known Obama for years, said the president is a Christian who prays every day. He said he was not sure where the public confusion about the president's religion came from, but he called false media reports about it "a 24-hour noise box committed to presenting the president in a false light."

Six in 10 of those saying Obama is a Muslim said they got the information from the media, with the largest portion – 16% - saying it was on television. Eleven percent said they learned it from Obama's behavior and words.

Despite the confusion about Obama's religion, there is noteworthy support for how he uses it to make decisions. Nearly half, or 48%, said he relies on his religion the right amount when making policy choices, 21% said he uses it too little and 11% too much.

At the same time, the poll provides broad indications that the public feels religion is playing a diminished role in politics today, with fewer people than in 2008 saying the Democratic and Republican parties are friendly toward religion.

With elections for control of Congress just over two months away, the poll contains optimistic news for Republicans. Half of white non-Hispanic Catholics, plus three in 10 unaffiliated with a religion and a third of Jews support the GOP – all an increase since 2008.

The survey also found:

* The Democratic Party is seen as friendly to religion by 26%, while 43% say the same about the Republicans. That's a 9 percentage point drop for Republicans since 2008, and 12 points lower for Democrats.
* Fifty-two percent say churches should stay away from politics, a reversal of the slim majorities that supported churches' political involvement from 1996 to 2006.

The poll, overseen by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, involved landline and cell phone interviews with 3,003 randomly chosen adults. It was conducted July 21-August 5 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3939636,00.html

Italy? Life in Israel better

2010-08-17T14:35:00.000+02:00

Despite the security situation and growing corruption, Israel is one of the best countries to live in according to Newsweek Magazine.

The magazine rated 100 countries based on health, education, economic and corruption criteria, ranking Israel 22nd, one spot above Italy and one below Spain. the United States ranked 11th, while Finland took the top spot.

Israel scored a total of 79 points out of a possible 100. The US scored 85 points.

The leading country in the report, Finland, was followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Luxemburg, Norway, Canada, Holland, Japan and Denmark.

In the health category, Israel was ranked 8th; in economic dynamism - 15th; in quality of life - 25th; in political environment - 27th, and in education – 40th.

Japan received the highest score in the health category. Japanese women's life expectancy is the highest in the world – 86.

Rated above Israel were Spain, New Zealand, Britain, France and Singapore. African countries Nigeria and Cameroon were at the bottom of the list, with Burkina Faso at the last place. Turkey was rated 52nd, Syria 83rd and Iran 79th.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3938255,00.html

Senator Reid says mosque shouldn't be built near ground zero

2010-08-17T09:34:00.000+02:00

Breaking from President Obama, top Democrat says despite First Amendment, mosque should not be built near site of 9/11 attacks

WASHINGTON - The Senate's top Democrat says a mosque should not be built near the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada on Monday became the highest-profile Democrat to break with President Barack Obama, who on Friday backed the right for the developers to build a mosque near ground zero.

In a statement, Reid said the First Amendment protects freedom of religion and he respects that, but the mosque should be built somewhere else.

Critics have said the location of the mosque is insensitive because the terrorists who struck were Islamic extremists.

The plan to build a mosque and Muslim cultural center not far from ground zero in Manhattan has irked the Right. Many Republicans, including former Alaskan governor, Sarah Palin, are working hard, and with significant success, to place the issue on the public agenda ahead of the mid-term elections on November 2.

Reid is in a tight campaign for re-election in Nevada. His opponent, Republican Sharron Angle, earlier in the day called for Reid to say whether he agreed with Obama.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3937824,00.html

Palestinian kids taught to idolize terrorists

2010-08-16T09:36:00.000+02:00

The Palestinian Authority of "moderate" leader Mahmoud Abbas continues to teach local Arab children to idolize those who have given their lives in suicidal mass terrorist attacks against Israeli Jews.

Palestinian Media Watch reports that a number of summer camps that wrapped up this week in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") were named after Dalal Mughrabi, the female terrorist who led the 1978 Coastal Road bus hijacking in which 37 Israelis were massacred.

Palestinian Authority official Yousuf Al-Aref remarked on a summer camp for girls in Bethlehem being named after Mughrabi, insisting that "naming such summer camps after the Shahida (martyr) Dalal Mughrabi strengthens the sense of belonging and citizenship among Palestinian girls."

The government controlled PA TV channel also enthusiastically reported on a Syrian summer camp that was named after Mughrabi where the youthful participants actually wore t-shirts with the terrorist's likeness printed on the back.

To cap off a summer of honoring the Palestinians' most successful terrorist to date, Abbas' Palestinian Authority hosted an event in Ramallah where a song was performed that glorified the Coastal Road massacre as the most "heroic" event in modern Palestinian history.

Abbas continues to maintain that there is no incitement or encourage to practice anti-Israel terrorism under his regime.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21689

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi: “The next flotillas will be stopped”

2010-08-16T09:10:00.000+02:00

12 August 2010 , 10:55

Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi spoke at a graduation ceremony for the Israeli Naval Corps on Wednesday night (Aug. 11) and stressed that the next flotillas will be stopped

Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony for the Naval Captain’s Course which was held Wednesday evening (Aug. 11) in the Haifa Naval base. While addressing the crowd, he stressed that the Israel Naval Corps will serve as a maritime shield stopping flotillas intending to travel to the Gaza Strip in the coming months. “We find ourselves in times where the Mediterranean Sea and its shores are more agitated than usual and we are experiencing de-legitimization attempts by our enemies”, he said.

“Parallel to your training, academic qualification and studies, there were some among your sons who took an active part in a series of military operations, including the interception of the Turkish protest flotilla which made its way towards the shores of the Gaza Strip, and this interception was executed in an admirable manner”, he said to the graduates’ parents.

According to him, “These were the most complex test known by the Naval Corps in recent years. These operations and missions were so important for the IDF and the entire State of Israel. They prove to us beyond any doubt that there are none better suited to take this great responsibility which will now be placed on your shoulders.”

“Thanks to them, we know that the next flotillas which will attempt to break our borders and the weapons ships which seek to arm terrorist organizations will be stopped by the maritime defensive shield of the State of Israel and its Navy”, Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi said.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/08/1202.htm

“Hamas is Responsible for Rocket Attacks against Israel”

2010-08-16T09:08:00.000+02:00

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

15 August 2010 , 16:18

The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has issued a report showing Hamas operatives with Iranian weapons to be responsible for rocket attacks against Israel and Jordan

A report released on Sunday (Aug. 15) by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, based on reports by Egyptian and Palestinian sources, shows Hamas to be responsible for the two incidents of rocket attacks fired at Israel from the Sinai Desert this year. A terrorist cell of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the Hamas terrorist organization, has been proven responsible in both instances.
On August 2, 2010, six 122mm rockets were fired from the Sinai Desert towards Israel. Three of the rockets fell inside Eilat, one of which fell inside a drainage pool located in the northern section of the city. No injuries were reported. Two additional rockets fell in the city of Aqaba at the Intercontinental Hotel there. A Jordanian civilian was killed and five were injured. The sixth rocket fell in the sea.

Earlier this year, on April 22, 2010, three 122mm grad rockets were fired from the Sinai Desert toward Eilat and Aqaba. One rocket was identified falling in the sea south of Eilat and another was found in Jordanian territory in Aqaba. Two days later, scuba divers discovered the third grad rocket approximately 70 meters south of the Eilat shores, at a depth of about 30 meters.

In both instances, Hamas operatives used rockets from Iran. These rockets were smuggled into the Gaza Strip mainly through smuggling tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report quotes Egyptian press blaming Iran for using Hamas operatives and additional subcontractors who smuggle in return for payment by Iran.

Behind the attacks: A strong desire to disrupt direct peace talks

The report by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center claims that the reason for these rocket attacks being carried out in places such as the Sinai Desert is a desire by Hamas’ militant wing to broaden terrorist activities to areas outside of the Gaza Strip and the Judea and Samaria region. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas has been practicing restraint with regards to carrying out terrorist attacks, because of strong Israeli deterrence measures and because of Hamas’ own political considerations. In the Judea and Samaria region, this restraint by Hamas is seen as a result of successful thwarting and prevention actions taken by Israel and the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.

An additional reason for these rocket attacks is the desire by Hamas to disrupt the peace process in general, and the direct talks in particular. As a reminder, Khaled Mashal, the Chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau was recently quoted discussing the importance of Jihad and armed struggle against the legitimization of the existence of Israel and the negotiations taking place with Israel.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/08/1501.htm

Muslims Seek to Censor Gospel of Christ

2010-08-16T08:59:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 13, 2010

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., (christiansunite.com) -- In an unprecedented move, Muslim leaders in Connecticut are staging a press conference in Hartford this afternoon, to plead with legislators to censor the Gospel of Christ from the public forum around mosques.

That's right! They are using their own potential for violence to silence the Gospel of Christ. Gentle Christian saints will be conducting a press conference on the public sidewalk in front of the Bridgeport Islamic Center, aka Mafjid An-Noor Mosque in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Truth is hate to those who hate the truth.

Islam is not a religion, nor a cult, but a total and complete 100 % system of life. It has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. In all of the 27 countries ruled by Islam, the church is the state! No other religion will be tolerated.

"Islam presents a monstrous worldview, birthed in the pit of hell, which brings untold misery and murder upon precious people created in the image of God. Religion is its cover (its beard) by which it gains entrance into nations where the 'freedom of religion' is sacrosanct. It then takes this freedom afforded to it, and begins its insidious takeover." Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America.

"Like a python, slowly moving upon its prey with almost imperceptible and hypnotic movement, it begins to coil around its victim until it squeezes every last breath of air out of him. When dead, the victim is swallowed whole."

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, yet the Quran states in Sura 4:89, "Those who reject Islam must be killed. If they turn back (from Islam) take hold of them and kill them wherever you find them."

The key difference between Islam and Christianity is that Islam believes that we are to lay the lives of others down to promote the cause of Allah. Christianity, on the other hand, believes that we are to lay down our own lives that others might live. There is a huge difference between a Christian martyr (laying his own life down) and a martyr for Islam (laying the lives of others down). One requires courage. The other is the supreme act of cowardice.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09587.shtml

Pakistan's Christians protest against blasphemy laws and inequality

2010-08-13T12:28:00.002+02:00

by ASSIST News ServicePosted: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 11:35 (BST)

Three days prior to Pakistan's 63rd Independence Celebrations, the Christians of the country observed "Black Day" on Wednesday to protest alleged discrimination against them.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founder, in his famous August 11, 1947, speech to the newly-formed Constituent Assembly promised "freedom and equality" for all faiths in the then new country and so this has become a symbolic date for Christian protests.

The latest protests were staged by Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP). Representatives of churches, Christian rights groups and believers from all walks of life, participated in a protest rally which ended at the Lahore Press Club.

Naveed Walter, President of HRFP, who addressed a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, later told ANS that the "increasing incidents of injustice and discrimination" against Pakistani Christians had prompted his group and other Christian organisations to observe August 11 as "Black Day".

Mr Walter told ANS, "We had urged all like-minded organisations across Pakistan to observe August 11 as 'Black Day' either with us or from their respective platforms."

He said that his group categorically demanded the repeal of Pakistan controversial blasphemy laws and that Pakistan's religious minorities be given the right to cast dual votes. He explained that, if implemented, members of the religious minorities under a dual vote system would be able to cast their vote for a Muslim candidate as well as to a member from minorities' communities on the "reserved seats".

Members of the religious minorities in Pakistan currently make their way to the national and provincial assemblies of Pakistan through the proportional representation system.

Criticising this system, Walter alleged that the people who make it to the national and provincial assemblies under proportional representation "only serve rulers instead of serving their respective communities".

Mr Walter added, "They are not accountable to the members of their respective community, but to the leadership of the political party that they belong to.

"The existing members of minorities in Parliament are puppets in the hands of the rulers. They are advancing the interests of the majority instead of their respective minority community."

He then alleged: "The rulers use them to stop the oppressed from agitating against the oppressors."

Walter said that he was of the view that under the Dual Vote System, the elected parliamentarians of minorities' communities would be accountable to their respective minority community.

When asked if he was in favour of an amendment in the blasphemy laws or even their repeal, Mr Walter said that the laws should be "repealed once and for all".

The Christian rights activist then claimed that there was "no equality" in Pakistan.

"I only wish there was equality here for people of all faiths," he added. "I wish that the Christians of Pakistan were treated equally in Pakistan as the Muslims and other religious minorities are treated equally in Western countries."

He also condemned the idea of observing what is called "Minority Day" in Pakistan.

"What is the rationale behind observing 'Minority Day' in Pakistan when the Christians of this country are being shot dead under the pretext of blasphemy?," he argued.

"Why should the Christians of Pakistan observe 'Minority Day' when their places of worship are being desecrated; when their homes are being burned down; and Christian girls are being raped?" he went on to say.

Mr Walter said that HRFP was planning to host Minorities Conference in Pakistan in future to discuss all the difficulties that these groups face.

"We will continue our struggle for equal rights for Pakistani minorities including Pakistani Christians," he vowed.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pakistans.christians.protest.against.blasphemy.laws.and.inequality/26483.htm

Pastor murdered in Dagestan, Russia

2010-08-13T09:33:00.000+02:00

by Staff
August 12, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On July 15, Pastor Artur Suleimanov (49) was murdered by a gunman who shot him in the head as he was getting into his car to leave the Hosanna House of Prayer in Makhachkala, Dagestan -- a federal republic of Russia in the North Caucasus region.

He passed away approximately an hour later in hospital. Pastor Suleimanov was well known as a dynamic leader of one of the largest Protestant churches in the republic. "Pastor Suleimanov was a wonderful Christian brother and his shocking death is a devastating loss for the Dagestan church," a coordinator with Barnabas Fund has said.

"He and the Hosanna House of Prayer church were very active in ministry and outreach in particular. We see his murder as an attempt to put further pressure on Christian converts in Dagestan." Pastor Suleimanov leaves to mourn a wife and five children. (Source: Barnabas Fund)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09583.shtml

LA Times agrees: Gaza pullout was a mistake

2010-08-12T13:02:00.000+02:00

Even the most liberal of commentators on the Middle East peace process are waking up to the fact that it was a mistake for Israel to unilaterally uproot the 10,000 Jews living in the Gaza Strip in 2005.

In a piece carried in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times, columnist Edmund Sanders opined that the withdrawal implemented by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon under heavy American pressure was an error in judgment by all parties involved.

Sanders noted that while "disengagement enjoyed broad support at the time" both in Israel and abroad, "almost no one calls it a success today."

Among the negative results of the withdrawal, Sanders recognizes that it "helped put Hamas in power... Security for Israelis didn't improve - and even worsened... It contributed to increased isolation for Israel internationally... It raised doubts as to whether the Palestinians are actually ready for statehood... [and] it made Israelis more cynical about the chances for future land-for-peace deals."

Just before the so-called "disengagement," Sharon and the Bush Administration promised Israelis that wholly surrendering Gaza to the Palestinians would create an atmosphere conducive to final state peace negotiations and give Israel a more free hand to defend itself, which in turn would create a deterrent against continued Palestinian attacks from Gaza.

In reality, Hamas painted the withdrawal as an Israeli retreat created by its "resistance" and road that image to an impressive electoral victory and eventual military take-over of Gaza. Hamas then proceeded to fire thousands of rockets into southern Israel over a six-month period in 2008 that precipitated an Israeli invasion of the coastal strip. Rather than keep its word that Israel would have a more free hand in dealing with Gaza-based terror after the withdrawal, the international community blamed Israel for starting the "Gaza war" and accused the Jewish state of war crimes.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21680

Sinai on high alert after rocket attack on Israel, Jordan

2010-08-12T09:52:00.000+02:00

Egypt on Thursday deployed hundreds of extra troops to the border between the Sinai Peninsula and southern Israel, just days after terrorists used the Egyptian territory to fire at least five Grad missiles at the nearby Israeli and Jordanian resort towns of Eilat and Aqaba.

One Jordanian man was killed and three others were wounded when one of the missiles landed in front of an Aqaba hotel.

"Security forces will search the area and conduct investigations into the possible hiding place of Palestinians," and Egyptian official told the Egyptian Gazette, indicating that Cairo agrees with Israel's assessment that Palestinian terror groups were behind the attack.

"Egypt will never, under any circumstances, tolerate the use of its lands by any party to harm the country's interests," another Egyptian government source told the Middle East News Agency (MENA). "Security efforts are being intensified to unravel the circumstances behind the firing of the five rockets."

Meanwhile, Hamas, the Palestinian group most likely responsible for the missile attack, tried to blame the incident on Israel.

A senior Hamas official in Gaza told reporters that Israel was the only one with anything to gain from the attack since it provided "a justification for the (Israeli) occupation [sic] to condemn Egypt and strike the Gaza Strip." Israel has neither condemned Egypt nor retaliated against Gaza in the aftermath of the attack.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21661