Did Israel Block Trump From Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem?

Did Israel Block Trump From Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem?

US President Donald Trump has a lot of opposition to his promise to finally move the American embassy back to Jerusalem.
No one expected Israel itself to be among that opposition.
But that’s precisely what US Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested in an interview with The Global Politico podcast on Monday.
According to Corker, Trump was ready to move the embassy the very minute after he was inaugurated. But Israeli ambivalence caused the president to stop and take a step back from his promise.
A lot of Israel’s mixed feelings on the issue are seemingly connected to the Jewish state’s burgeoning ties with the Arab world in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal.
Corker explaiend:
"[M]y question at the time is, how does Israel feel about that? They’ve never had a closer relationship with the Arab world. I mean, the Iran deal - to me, it was not the kind of agreement we should have entered into…
“But the one plus in the Iran deal is it brought the Arab community close to Israel. And so there’s a real working relationship there right now. More than I think many of the Arab leaders even want their citizens to know. So when you’ve got a situation like that, do you really want to destroy this alliance that is unprecedented and is real?”
Corker believes that both Trump and Israel still want the US embassy moved back to Jerusalem.
But Israel was not ready to let Trump strike when the iron was hot, and now the issue will again be pushed off for who knows how long.
Source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/31118/Default.aspx

Simulation: Israeli strike on Iran would work

An Israeli newspaper recently hosted a war simulation that showed an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities causing severe damage and the Jewish state not suffering any major consequences for that action.
The Makor Rishon newspaper brought together former government officials and army generals, university professors who are experts on regional players, and journalists who know the current conflicts inside and out to participate in the exercise.
According to the premise of the game, Israel's intelligence community suddenly learns that Iran is moving sensitive and critical nuclear equipment to protected underground sites. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly authorizes and immediate aerial strike, during which 10 Israeli jets are shot down over enemy territory. The strike succeeds in setting Iran's nuclear program back at least seven years.
The simulation put the date of the attack on either October 14 or 15. That was somewhat prescient considering that Netanyahu is now expected to announce early elections for the beginning of September, and many believe one of the reasons is so that he can deal with Iran unencumbered in mid-October.
Following the initial strike, the simulation shows US President Barack Obama issue an angry reply and blast Israel for "intervention" in the American presidential election. Obama is frustrated that the Israeli strike will bring up the price of oil at a time when he is trying to win reelection. However, the White House does not threaten Israel or issue any ultimatums. At the same time, Obama tells Israel it is on its own should Iran choose to retaliate.
Then comes Iran's response. Ground forces mass near the border with Iraq, Hizballah fires missiles from southern Lebanon, a series of large-scale terrorist attacks (including a "dirty bomb" in Tel Aviv) kill large numbers in Israel, and Iranian long-range missiles strike the Jewish state.
At home, Netanyahu and his government enjoy a large degree of support, even from the usually critical media. Back in America, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney demands Obama immediately support Israel, making Romney the clear "pro-Israel" candidate, while Obama privately threatens an Israeli minister on the phone, telling him, "I may still be president on November 7. This will have a price, as far as you are concerned. I will not elaborate right now, but you should take this into consideration."
Iran likes the direction Israel-US relations are going, and tries to drive a further wedge by offering Obama unlimited oil supplies. The ploy apparently ignores, or fails to take into account the broad American support for Israel, and Obama eventually threatens Iran with US military action if it does not cease ongoing large-scale terrorist attacks against Israeli targets.
Commentators noted that while the simulation seemed dramatic and severe, nothing in it was outside the realm of possibility, especially considering Israel's proven willingness to preemptively strike nuclear programs it believes pose an existential threat.
(Israel Today)

Vidal Sassoon's Zionist legacy

Israelis on Thursday joined millions around the world in mourning the passing of celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, but likely for a different reason than most of his admirers.
Most people remember Sassoon for his "wash-and-wear" haircutting technique that revolutionized women's hair fashion, as well as for his famous line of haircare products. Fewer know that before he became a household name, Vidal Sassoon was battling Nazi anti-Semitism and defending the newly reborn Jewish state against invading Arab armies.
Sassoon was born to a Jewish family in London, but was sent to a local Jewish orphanage at age 3 when his father left. Sassoon left the orphanage at age 14 and became an apprentice hairdresser. It was around this time that Sassoon said his mother declared he was to become a career hairdresser.
But he had other business to attend to first.
With World War II winding down, Sassoon joined a Jewish veterans' group that combatted anti-Semitic fascist activity in London. A few years later, at the age of 20, Sassoon joined the Hagannah (the precursor to the Israel Defense Forces) and headed off to help defend the newborn Jewish state.
"That was the best year of my life," Sassoon later said of his time in Israel. "When you think of 2,000 years of being put down and suddenly you are a nation rising, it was a wonderful feeling. There were only 600,000 people defending the country against five armies, so everyone had something to do."
Upon his return to London, Sassoon resumed a hairstyling career that would eventually see him reach the pinnacle of the fashion world. But he never forgot what he was ultimately fighting for, nor the threats continuing to face his people.
In 1982, Sassoon returned to Israel to establish the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. The Center continues to produce in-depth studies and surveys of global anti-Semitic trends. The Vidal Sassoon Foundation also regularly supports educational and cultural projects in Israel.
( http://www.israeltoday.co.il/News/tabid/73/Default.aspx)

Many Palestinians support massacre of Jewish family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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

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”

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

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

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

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