Togolese President to Rivlin: “Nations of Africa Admire Israel’s Achievements” - Jonathan Benedek BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

President Reuven Rivlin hosted President of Togo Faure Gnassingbé at his residence in Jerusalem, on August 10, 2016. (Photo: Mark Nayman/GPO)

Togolese President to Rivlin: “Nations of Africa Admire Israel’s Achievements”

By Jonathan Benedek August 12, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“A man void of understanding is he that striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his neighbour.” Proverbs 17:18 (The Israel Bible™)

In a display of the high value that Israel has placed on advancing and expanding its ties with African countries, President Reuven Rivlin celebrated Israel’s bilateral relationship with Togo at a meeting in Jerusalem with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé.

“We, together with many European nations, see that Africa is the future, and therefore I am proud and greatly appreciate the opportunity to welcome you here, with the hope that your visit will represent another step up in the relationship between our two countries,” the Israeli president told his Togolese counterpart.

President Rivlin also expressed appreciation for the Israeli entrepreneurs who have contributed to the development of Africa and of Togo in particular.

“Our ability in agriculture, together with our technological capabilities have led us to many achievements,” Rivlin continued. “I know the great efforts you are making in these fields and we are proud of the many Israelis who are investing in your country.”

President Gnassingbé’s visit to Israel follows that of Marcel Alain De Souza, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Togo is a member. While in Israel two weeks ago, De Sousa sought Israel’s assistance in leading the next generation of the organization’s member states.

“We need development and wish to weave more and more ties with Israel,” De Souza had told Rivlin. “We have an abundance of raw materials and wonderful youth who need training and guidance.”

As he did with De Souza, Rivlin committed to lending more assistance to Africa.

“Israel is interested in being involved in assisting with the humanitarian issues, initiatives, and the rebuilding taking place in Africa,” stressed Rivlin.

President Gnassingbé acknowledged that Israel’s contributions throughout Africa are much appreciated.

“The people of Togo admire what Israel has achieved, an admiration shared by many nations in Africa and around the world,” Gnassingbé told Rivlin. “I am moved and inspired anew by your infrastructure and by the growth that I have seen, and I know that this is not to be taken for granted.”

Russia to Return Israeli Tank Captured 34 Years Ago By Jonathan Benedek - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Russia to Return Israeli Tank Captured 34 Years Ago

By Jonathan Benedek May 30, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (The Israel Bible™)

Tank Captured by Syria, Stored in Russia, to be Returned to Israel 29.5.16 (Photo: Courtesy)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday for signing a presidential decree ordering the return to Israel of an IDF tank that was captured 34 years ago during a ferocious battle in the First Lebanon War.

“I thank the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, that he responded to my request to return the tank from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub to Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The tank, used by the IDF during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War on June 10, 1982, was captured by the Syrian army and eventually transported to the Soviet Union, then a Cold-War ally with Syria. The tank has since remained in Moscow, stored in a museum of armored tanks.

MK Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, the former deputy defense minister, was an officer in artillery unit 7054 that helped rescue a battalion of Israeli tanks trapped by a Syrian ambush in Sultan Yacoub, Lebanon.

“We fired the whole night, and in the morning the battalion was rescued – except for that one tank and the three missing soldiers, whose fate is still unknown today,” Ben-Dahan recalled to Tazpit Press Service (TPS), referring to the continued mystery behind three IDF soldiers, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz, who went missing in action during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub. During the entire battle, 30 Israeli soldiers were killed and eight tanks were lost.

“Hearing about the return of the tank sends me back 34 years,” Ben-Dahan told TPS. “It gave me chills.”

Ben-Dahan also expressed hope that the tank’s return might bring news about the fate of the missing soldiers, though he said he cannot comment on any discussions or progress toward that goal.

Netanyahu raised the issue of returning the tank with Putin last month, after having received a request from IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.

“For the families of the soldiers missing in action, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz, there is no trace of the boys nor a burial plot to go to for 34 years now,” noted Netanyahu. “The tank is the only evidence of the battle, and now it will be returned to Israel thanks to President Putin’s response to my request.”

A delegation from the IDF’s Ordnance Corps is in Moscow working with representatives from the Russian army to transport the tank back to Israel as soon as possible.

Paul Ryan to Israel's Knesset: “We Stand Shoulder to Shoulder With You” by Jonathan Benedek - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan (L) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at PM Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem on April 04, 2016. (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Paul Ryan to Israel's Knesset: “We Stand Shoulder to Shoulder With You”

By Jonathan Benedek April 5, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters; a flowing brook, a fountain of wisdom.” Proverbs 18:4 (The Israel Bible™)

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan stressed that the US relationship with Israel is more important than ever at a meeting this morning, April 4, at the Knesset with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

“We will work shoulder to shoulder with you against threats,“ Speaker Ryan said. “That’s why I came here and this is the point I wanted to stress.”

“Our friendship with Israel is more important to us than it was in the past,” Ryan added at the meeting with his Israeli counterpart.

Following Congressional legislation last June requiring European trade partners to reject BDS, members of Congress introduced the Combating BDS Act of 2016 this past February, which gave federal approval to US states to divest from or prohibit investment in entities associated with BDS [the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel].

“I and members of Congress are working and fighting vigorously with every discovery of BDS and boycott of Israel,” Ryan emphasized.

Paul Ryan has been Speaker of the House for about half a year after having been elected to the position last October following the resignation of his predecessor John Boehner. Ryan elaborated upon his display of friendship with Israel during his current tenure as Speaker of the House.

“I entered the position not too long ago and my first work meeting was with President Reuven Rivlin,” noted Ryan. “Also, this trip of mine to Israel is my first [as Speaker of the House].”

“This was not done by accident,” continued Ryan. “I wanted to come to Israel first to emphasize the level of US commitment to Israel and the valiant friendship with Israel is important to us.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Congressmen Meeting MK Edelstein at Knesset 4.4.16 (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

Speaker Edelstein also expressed his appreciation for the friendship between the United States and Israel.

“We know we have true friends in the US, in Congress, and in the White House,” Edelstein said to Ryan. “I very much appreciate your presence here along with an entourage of other members of Congress.”

Israel and China Commit To Completing Free-Trade Agreement by Jonathan Benedek - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Prime Minister of China, Liu Yandong, at the opening of the Isral China Innovation Conference in the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, on March 29, 2016. (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

Israel and China Commit To Completing Free-Trade Agreement

By Jonathan Benedek March 30, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And ye shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.” Genesis 34:10 (The Israel Bible™)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude and appreciation to visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong for her determination and commitment to complete a free trade agreement with Israel during a meeting at the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, March 29.

“I was very glad to hear today from Vice Premier Liu that China is ready to start negotiating for free-trade with Israel,” Netanyahu remarked. “This is a significant development and we are ready to do it immediately.”

According to Netanyahu, a free-trade agreement would significantly improve bilateral cooperation in many different sectors.

“There is so much we could do together—in health, distance education, agriculture, aquaculture, information technology, in all fields,” said Netanyahu. “Cooperation with China could yield major results and we believe Israel can be the perfect partner.”

Vice Premier Liu fully concurred with Netanyahu’s assessment.  “We need to continue this cooperation for the benefit of both peoples,” Liu said. “Israel and China are moving in the direction of major joint projects.”

A future free-trade agreement would cover a variety of issues including standardization, implementation of regulations, and the removal of existing trade barriers for imports and exports. It would also detail bilateral cooperation in the technological and economic sectors.

A free-trade agreement between Israel and China may not only increase the gross national product of both countries, but also would most likely double the total value of traded goods between both countries, which currently stands at $8 billion.

The meeting today between Netanyahu and Liu was the second to take place through the Innovation Committee that was founded during Liu’s 2014 visit to Israel. The committee, led by Israel’s Foreign Ministry and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, first met in the Chinese capital of Beijing in January, 2015. It is the largest intergovernmental platform between Israel and China.

Other top Israeli officials present at the meeting were Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), Technology Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud), Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), Foreign Ministry Director General Dr. Dore Gold, and Israeli Ambassador to China Matan Vilnai. Vice Premier Liu was joined by other Chinese officials, including the ambassador to Israel, the minister of science and technology, the deputy foreign minister and the deputy health minister.

Michael Bachner contributed to this report.

Israeli-Russian Ties Stronger Than Ever, Experts Say by Jonathan Benedek - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

President Reuven Rivlin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 16, 2016. (Photo: Mark Neyman/Government Press Office)

Israeli-Russian Ties Stronger Than Ever, Experts Say

By Jonathan Benedek March 17, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: ‘We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.'” Genesis 32:7 (The Israel Bible™)

President Reuven Rivlin’s visit to Moscow this week looks to be another sign of growing cooperation between Israel and Russia. It also comes against the backdrop of Russia’s military withdrawal from Syria, announced earlier this week, But while that withdrawal may bring change to Syria, the Israeli-Russian relationship looks likely to emerge as strong as ever, Israeli experts said.

“The visit shows that Israel-Russia relations are good as a whole, in comparison to the past,” Dr. Ofer Israeli, an international defense policy expert at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

Much of this is due to Russia’s recognition of Israel as an oasis of stability in the Middle East.

“When Russia looks at the Middle East, it doesn’t see many stable regions besides Israel,” Dr. Israeli explained to TPS. “So from a Russian perspective, Israel is relatively predictable and can be coordinated with, which is in Russia’s interests.”

Russia is also aware of Israel’s strategic importance in the Middle East. “Russia also recognizes that Israel plays a significant role in the region with its military strength,” Dr. Israeli added.

Most importantly, Israel and Russia are no longer automatically placed on opposite sides in geopolitical struggles.

“Israel and Russia are not on two different sides of their political and strategic battle anymore,” noted Professor Zeev Khanin, who teaches in Ariel University’s Department of Israel and Middle East Studies and is an expert on Russian affairs.

“Despite everything, the Cold War is behind us, so Israel is not necessarily obliged to take any side that would be against Russia and Russia is not necessarily obliged to do anything that would be against Israel,” explained Khanin.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union traditionally backed Israel’s Arab adversaries, and Israel found itself in the American axis. But now, some suggest that Russia is friendlier with Israel than with most Arab countries.

“Some Russian observers insist at the moment that to some extent, relations between Russia and Israel are better than between Russia and the majority of Arab states,” Khanin added to TPS.\

At the same time, Professor Khanin urges against overestimating the improvement in Israeli-Russian ties.

“We should not exaggerate, and we should not overestimate,” Khanin stressed to TPS. “There is no strategic partnership between Russia and Israel. But there is a sort of normal cooperation on issues on which we agree, and no cooperation on other issues.”

According to Professor Khanin, the environment of cooperation was created in large part as a result of efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union.

“Fortunately, the previous government was able to create a background for founding a mutual understanding in a situation where Russian troops will be there,” said Khanin.

That foundation of mutual understanding allowed for Russia to take Israel’s interests into consideration in preventing Iran from opening a front against Israel in the Golan Heights through its proxy fighters in Syria, suggested Professor Khanin.

“It was agreed that in any solution and future settlement in Syria, Russia would insist that the interests of Israel be taken into consideration,” Khanin explained to TPS. “Also, Russia did not mind if we struck the transfer of armaments to Hezbollah as long as we did it outside of Syrian territory.”

“These understandings actually helped us to control or watch carefully and to adapt ourselves to the situation in Syria without being a part of the conflict, which was why we didn’t make any noise when the Russians deployed their S-400 anti-aviation defense system located in Syria” noted Khanin to TPS.

Ultimately, Khanin believes Israel and Russia recognize each other’s interests. “Russia understood that we are unable to permit the transfer of armaments to Hezbollah, and Israel understood that the S-400 system was there in order to defend Russian interests, their seaport, their military fleet, and their troops,” explained Khanin.

However, Dr. Israeli stressed that important issues remain unresolved. “The Russian activity in Syria strengthened radical Islamist bodies, including Iran and Hezbollah,” noted Israeli. “Neutralizing this threat after Russia’s retreat will be a challenge.”

Michael Bachner and Alexander J. Apfel contributed to this article.

Netanyahu: Israel Coming Back to Africa, Africa Coming Back to Israel By Jonathan Benedek - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Netanyahu: Israel Coming Back to Africa, Africa Coming Back to Israel

By Jonathan Benedek March 3, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all are gathered together, and come to thee; thy sons come from far, and thy daughters are borne on the side.” Isaiah 60:4 (The Israel Bible™)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the launch of the Knesset Caucus for Israel-Africa Relations on February 29, 2016. (Photo: Youtube Screenshot)

The Knesset launched its caucus for Israel-Africa relations on Monday, February 29, 2016. The effort to establish the caucus was initiated by Member of Knesset Avraham Naguisa (Likud), the only MK to immigrate to Israel from Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke at the caucus event with African ambassadors about the importance of a very close bilateral relationship between Israel and Africa.

“Israel is coming back to Africa, and Africa is coming back to Israel,” said Netanyahu. “It’s happening now because it’s so clear that this is good for Africa and it’s good for Israel.”

Netanyahu argued that Israel and Africa have shared interests and should therefore improve relations on that basis.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that today the interests of Africa and the interests of Israel cohere,” the prime minister contended. “They’re almost identical, and in some respects and in many respects they are identical.”

Netanyahu claimed that the mutual interests involve challenges and opportunities common to both Israel and Africa such as overcoming the forces of militant Islamic terrorism and seizing the technological opportunities of the future. Accordingly, he expressed his desire for Israel and Africa to act together in global organizations such as the UN.

“What I’d like to see is the closeness of our relationship reflected also in the voting pattern of the African Union,” Netanyahu told the African ambassadors. “You should vote for the interests of your own countries and you should vote for the interests of Africa. I wish to see that reflected in our bilateral relationship and also in our multilateral relationship.”

The challenge of militant Islam, which Israel has faced for a number of years, has also become a recent phenomenon throughout Africa in the years following the Arab Spring in 2011. Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would provide support in combating Islamist terror groups.

“We understand the dangers of Al-Shabab,” Netanyahu said about the East African terrorist group. “We understand the dangers of the other militancies that threaten your countries in Africa and we are prepared to work with you to defeat them.”

Israel has helped Africa technologically in a number of sectors and in the agricultural sector in particular by introducing techniques such as drip irrigation, which is especially useful in arid climates.

Netanyahu added that Israel was in a unique position to help with cyber security.

“Israel is now a world power in cyber security and my policy is to make some of our experience available to our friends,” stressed the prime minister. “We consider you great friends.”

Netanyahu also committed to making frequent visits to Africa. He promised the ambassadors that “for too long you have come here and we have not come there, and we are going to change that.”