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
Monday, September 6, 2010
Prayer Center Destroyed by Force, Church Leaders Threatened for Mission Conference Invitation
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
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.
Cuban church leader arrested on 'false' charges
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
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'
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
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
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
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
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