Israel Stands With France; Netanyahu Wants United War on Terror - Israel Today Staff

Israel Stands With France; Netanyahu Wants United War on Terror

Sunday, November 15, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff

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Terrorism

Across Israel on over the weekend it was clear that the Jewish state was standing in determined solidarity with France, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a united war on Islamic terror.

Rallies, political statements, and the lighting up of the Knesset and Jerusalem’s Old City in red, white and blue (the colors of the French flag) demonstrated that Israel not only felt France’s pain after last Friday’s horrific terrorist assault in Paris, but that it was ready to work together to end the terrorist threat.

That was the message Netanyahu delivered at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday morning.

“It’s time that the world wake up and unite to beat terror,” said the prime minister.

Netanyahu continued by demanding that the international community stop treating terrorism against Israeli differently than attacks elsewhere, such as in Paris.

“It’s time that countries [around the world] condemn the terror against us in the same way they condemn terror elsewhere in the world,” he insisted. “We are not responsible for the terror that is turned against us, just like the French aren’t responsible for the terror turned against them. …In Israel, like in France, terror is terror, and what stands behind it is extremist Islam and its desire to destroy its victims.”

Netanyahu singled out Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas “who yesterday condemned the terror attack in France” and should now be called upon to “condemn the cruel terror against innocents in Israel and battles the incitement that drives it.”

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Israel: Cabinet Okays More Counterterrorism Measure

CBNNews.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reconvened the Security Cabinet Tuesday evening following a short afternoon recess, working well past midnight to come up with additional counterterrorism measures.

Early Wednesday, the IDF announced a troop deployment to back up police units.

"In accordance to the directive of the Security Cabinet, the IDF is preparing to deploy 6 companies to reinforce the Israel Police. The additional forces are expected to join police forces later today," the statement read.

The cabinet approved several additions to counterterrorism measures, including the following.

• Israel Police may close off or surround centers of friction or incitement in Jerusalem in accordance with security considerations.
• No new construction will be allowed on the site of a demolished terrorist's home. (This stops the Palestinian Authority from building them a nicer home, like a prize, in the same spot.)
• The property of terrorists who perpetrate attacks will be confiscated and their residency rights revoked.
• An additional 300 security guards will be recruited and trained to protect public transportation sites in the capital, an 80 million shekel investment.

On Wednesday, Israel Police set up checkpoints at the entrance of predominantly Arab neighborhoods in the city's eastern sector.

The Security Cabinet will reconvene Wednesday afternoon to deal with additional issues, including incitement.

Meanwhile, at Monday's opening of the Knesset's winter session, Netanyahu quoted Exodus 1:12.

"A hundred years of terrorism, a hundred years in which they have tried to destroy the institution of Zionism and yet our enemies haven't learned," Netanyahu told Israeli parliamentarians.

"Terrorism will not defeat us, in fact just the opposite. 'The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew,'" he said, citing verse 12 in the first chapter of Exodus.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry said he's planning a trip to the regions to try to restore calm.

"I will go there soon, at some point appropriately, and try to work to reengage and see if we can't move that away from this precipice," Kerry said at an event sponsored by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School, YNet reported. “This violence and any incitement to violence have got to stop.”

Netanyahu: Radical Islam Reaching Israel

By Julie Stahl and Chris Mitchell

CBN News Middle East Bureau

Friday, October 09, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israel is on high alert due to growing violence in Jerusalem and surrounding areas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has even declared the Temple Mount off limits to Knesset members.

Netanyahu warned his country that the flames of radical Islam burning throughout the Middle East are also reaching Israel.

"We are in the midst of a wave of terrorism. Terrorists that have been incited and who are riven with hate are trying to attack our people – babies, children, men and women, civilians and soldiers," Netanyahu told the nation.

In just two days, Palestinians carried out 10 stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and other cities in Israel and the disputed territories, including two at the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.

Rock-throwing and fire-bombing cars are regular occurrences as well as rioters clashing with Israeli soldiers.

Netanyahu and other government ministers went on live television to calm anxiety.

"Israelis are acting with bravery, composure and determination to neutralize and eliminate the terrorists. This requires extraordinary courage and resourcefulness and we are proud to be part of a country that has such citizens," he said.

Netanyahu blames Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the Islamic Movement in Israel.

He also said the Islamic Movement "is igniting the ground with lies regarding our policy on the Temple Mount."

Earlier, Netanyahu declared the Temple Mount off limits to Knesset members, including Arab MKs, in an effort to calm the situation.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called on Israelis with gun permits to carry their weapons. Some schools went on strike because parents are afraid to send their children to school.

Many are asking if this violence could be a third intifada Palestinian uprising. But Palestinian expert Pinchas Inbari, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told CBN News it doesn't matter what it's called.

"They are throwing stones, they are killing, they are shooting, they are stabbing so they are not quiet," he said. "So whether it is an intifada or not is not important."

Inbari says overall, Israel wants to deal with troublemakers and not create friction with the entire Palestinian population.

Knesset Renews Ties to Worldwide Christian Lawmakers

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff

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Israel’s Knesset last week renewed its Christian Allies Caucus, something that must be done after each election. The fact that the Knesset continues this trend is evidence that it views relations between Israel and the Christian world with increasing importance.

The event, chaired by Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, was attended by no fewer than 25 Knesset members from eight different factions, including three government ministers.

New caucus chairman MK Robert Ilatov (Israel Beiteinu) said he would work to further strengthen ties to the 32 sister caucuses in parliaments around the world in a broader effort to combat global boycotts of the Jewish state.

“There are many challenges that lie ahead, but I have no doubt that together, we will succeed in defending and blessing the State of Israel and the well-being of its people,” Ilatov told his fellow Israeli lawmakers and the numerous Christian leaders at the gathering.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren, who today serves as a Knesset member with the Kulanu Party, also addressed the gathering, noting that as a Christian nation “US-Israel relations go back to spiritual ties. …We are on a holy mission to ensure the Jewish state remains strong and beloved.”

Oren further pointed out that were Jesus to come today to Bethlehem (or any number of other places he ministered, like the Temple Mount) he’d be labeled a “Jewish settler.”

Caucus director Josh Reinstein summed up the event by stating that “Israel is now dependent on Christian support. We will be tested like we never have before.”

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Knesset Cuts Tax Benefits to Messianic Group

CBNNews.com

Thursday, July 09, 2015

JERUSALEM, Israel -- The Knesset Finance Committee voted Wednesday to cut tax benefits to a Messianic Jewish congregation, saying it breaks the law by baptizing Jews.

While the committee, chaired by United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni, extended tax benefits to 54 other organizations for contributions to their work, Yachad Ramat Hasharon will no longer be eligible.

"The state does not need to fund groups that break the law," Israeli media quoted Gafni. "An organization that baptizes Jews is breaking the law and we certainly do not need to strengthen its activities. Any organization that we find breaking the law will not get the benefit."

"It's against the law to baptize Jews as Christians and if we would have authorized the benefit for this organization, it would mean that the government is allowing and even encouraging fund-raising for missionary activities that undermine the Jewishness of the state," Gafni concluded.

Despite the Finance Committee chairman's accusations, the decision is illegal under Israeli law so the congregation has firm footing to appeal and win a reversal.

Israeli law stipulates two illegalities in its penal code for missionary work. The first prohibits enticing conversion to another faith with material remuneration of any kind and the second prohibits proselytizing minors under the age of 18.

On its Facebook page, Yachad Ramat Hasharon describes itself as Watchmen on the Wall, providing a format to discuss revelation, prophecy and salvation.

Thank You Canada! ✡ "The Upright Will Remain"

For the upright will remain in the Land forever, and the wholehearted will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the Land, and the faithless uprooted from it. PROVERBS (2:21-22)   כִּי יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָה וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּנָּה מִשְׁלֵי ב:כא,אב kee y'-sha-reem yosh-k'-nu a-retz u-t'-mee-meem yi-va-t'-ru ba u-r'-sha-eem may-e-retz yi-ka-ray-tu u-vog-deem yis-khu mi-me-na

Today's Israel Inspiration This Canada Day, listen to the incredible words of Prime Minister Stephen Harper: “It is a Canadian tradition to stand for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is convenient or popular... Israel is the only country in the Middle East, which has long anchored itself in the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law... Through fire and water, Canada will stand with you.” Today, we salute the strong alliance between Canada and Israel, and thank our wonderful readers from the north!   Get a "Canada Supports Israel" Bumper Sticker » Stephen Harper Inspires at the Knesset One can feel the genuine warmth and respect of two world leaders meeting on Israeli soil. Watch an inspiring welcome ceremony for Canadian PM Stephen Harper, with Netanyahu’s heartfelt speech well worth watching at the 3:15mark. Watch here » Tensions with Israeli Druze Recent events have, for the first time in Israeli history, pitted the Israeli Druze against their host country in a moral dilemma with biblical roots and life-or-death implications. Read more » Canada Stands With Israel Bumper Sticker Show the world that YOU are proud to stand with Israel! Choose the Canadian flag or your own country flag. Get this Great Bumper Sticker » Today's Israel Photo Daniel Malkiel glorious photo of a sunflower in the Land of Israel. Did you know that roasted sunflower seeds are an Israeli favorite? See more photos by Daniel Malkiel » Yesterday's Photo Trivia You got it! Yesterday's photo by Ilan Rosen featured Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel’s largest freshwater lake. In Hebrew, the root of "Kinneret" is "kinor" which means harp, referring to the lake's harp-like shape. Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Robin Sussman in memory of her parents Sigmund and Barbara Beer. Toda Raba!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Greetings from Canada” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » Greetings from Canada:  I so appreciate the articles, pictures and video's featuring your amazing land and peoples. Thank you for all you share about the wonders of Israel, Leslie from Cranbrook, BC Canada I have a prayer shawl, not like the one [in the photo] of the man praying in the field. One that was knitted by a person from my church! I love it and I love Israel365 and Jerusalem365! Polly, Concord, North Carolina, USA Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

Copyright © 2015 Israel365, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com. Our mailing address is: Israel365 34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17 Beit Shemesh 9909875 Israel

Europe’s Jews decry ‘beast’ of anti-Semitism overtaking continent

Europe’s Jews decry ‘beast’ of anti-Semitism overtaking continent

Community heads bemoan increasing prevalence of anti-Israel efforts and a Europe ‘fed up’ with the Holocaust

BY AMANDA BORSCHEL-DAN June 24, 2015 Times of Israel




WRITERS

Amanda Borschel-Dan

Amanda Borschel-Dan is The Times of Israel's Jewish World editor.


European Jewry is all in the same boat, and that boat is slowly but surely sinking. That, at least, is the impression one gets from a roundtable conversation Tuesday at the Jerusalem Press Club with leaders from 25 of the continent’s Jewish communities.

During the hour and a half lunch in a picturesque hall overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City, even those leaders who claimed their countries are without anti-Semitism today were pessimistic about the future of Europe. The obliviousness to a looming Nazi regime pervasive in 1930s Jewish communities was referenced, as were the increased Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) efforts that have taken over Scandinavia and elsewhere.

The 30-odd leaders were assembled under the banner “A Time for Action” for the fifth Israeli Jewish Congress (Hakhel) Gathering and Solidarity Mission to Israel of senior European Jewish leaders. The IJC was founded as a conduit for Diaspora-Israel dialogue in 2011 by Russian businessman Vladimir Sloutsker, a former senator in the Russian Federation Senate.

Among the intensive three days of events, the leaders were taken to the Knesset on Tuesday morning. There they met with Speaker Yuli Edelstein and other senior ministers and MKs, and addressed a special emergency hearing on anti-Semitism by the Diaspora Affairs Committee.

In a late lunch following their morning at the Knesset, between bites of eggplant salad and carpaccio, the leaders took turns at the microphone in describing their escalating concerns — and the need for an emergency contingency plan should Jews in danger need to be evacuated.

Musician Peter Gyori, the vice president of the Jewish Community of the Czech Republic. ‘I know that if something would happen to me, nobody would protect me.’ (courtesy)

Musician Peter Gyori, the vice president of the Jewish Community of the Czech Republic, said his country doesn’t suffer from anti-Semitism, nor are there any calls for BDS. He said he can be openly Jewish, and appears widely on radio and television. But he has no utopian illusions.

“I know that if something would happen to me, nobody would protect me,” said Gyori.

For her part, Gkratsiela Sofia Bourla, wife of the president of the Greek Jewish community, Moses Constatinos, said she cannot believe leaders, such as the delegates from the Czech Republic and Portugal, who say their countries do not have any anti-Semitism.

“I think the beast is sleeping in their countries,” said Bourla.

Continuing with anti-Semitism as beast imagery, the Serbian Jewish community’s president Ruben Fuks said no one is dealing with the monster itself, only its manifestations, such as anti-Semitic slogans or BDS.

Gkratsiela Sofia Bourla from Greece said she cannot believe leaders who say their countries do not have any anti-Semitism. ‘I think the beast is sleeping in their countries.’ (courtesy)

“Seeing what’s around, how the beast is waking up, raising its ugly head, I’m worried,” said Fuks.

Born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1939 and hidden as a child during the Holocaust, Baron Julien Klener, the immediate past president of the Consistoire Israelite de Belgique, said he too is anxious in today’s Europe.

As if relating a parable, he told a story of when he was a boy during World War II in his parents’ shop. Two German soldiers entered and in the midst of completing their transactions, Klener said they realized that the business was run by a Jewish family. One of the soldiers turned to Klener’s mother and astonishedly asked, “What are you still doing here?” and told her the family should flee.

Klener’s mother shrugged and answered, “Nothing will happen to us because we’re Belgians.” The rest, said Klener, is of course known.

“I love it when leaders say their countries cannot be their countries without the Jews. I love it when they love us,” he said, implying that this has not been, and may not always be, the case.

“We cannot forget the Holocaust,” said Ruth Gertner Frohman, the honorary president of the Jewish Foundation of Belgium. “But the people of Europe are fed up with hearing about it.”

“When they’re nice, they’ll listen and say, ‘But in Israel, today you’re doing the same thing to the Palestinians,'” said Frohman.

A June 23, 2015 trip to the Knesset was part of the fifth Israeli Jewish Congress (Hakhel) Gathering and Solidarity Mission to Israel of senior European Jewish leaders which brought together 36 delegates from 26 European countries under the banner ‘A Time for Action.’ (courtesy)

And it is this anti-Israeli sentiment, which can easily escalate into anti-Semitism, that is most worrisome to these Europeans. For to the less educated angry masses, when the Holy Land is at war, the distinctions between the people of Israel and the country of Israel are blurred.


‘We can’t put roses around a situation which might get very nasty and dangerous’

Although Gibraltar’s Jewish community only boasts 750 members, its vice president Suzanne Levy, who referenced its close proximity to Muslim Morocco, said there must be a contingency plan in place.

“We can’t put roses around a situation which might get very nasty and dangerous,” said Levy.

“We have to be realists: What if it doesn’t get better? What if it gets worse?” she said. “Let’s get a plan in case we need to quickly run home.”

Israel’s New Gov’t. Up and Running

By Tzippe Barrow

CBN News Internet Producer - Jerusalem

Monday, May 18, 2015

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s 34th government began in earnest Sunday, seemingly unfazed by disparaging remarks from the opposition or the predominantly leftist media.

The initial government consists of 20 ministers plus the prime minister, who has kept the foreign ministry and four other ministries under his jurisdiction. He's kept them in the event parties now in the opposition would join the government.

One possibility is a change of heart by former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman or Labor Party chairman Yitzhak Herzog, who may realize the government isn’t doomed to failure as he’s predicted and decide to come on board.

Former Labor Party head Shelly Yacimovitch simultaneously praised and criticized the new government over the weekend, saying she’s lined up with its social and economic priorities but its right-wing ideology is isolating the Jewish state from the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, MK Gilad Erdan, who finished second to Netanyahu in the Likud lineup, decided not to join the government after the prime minister turned down his requests for the foreign, interior or internal security ministries. That too could change.

Some believe the hours of negotiations to distribute portfolios to individuals with the ability and drive to work hard has produced a strong, albeit small, government.

In an op-ed entitled “The Scaremongering Ritual,” Hebrew University lecturer Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash admonished Israelis to ignore the media assaults. She says they're a repeat of past predictions that failed to materialize.

“This repetitive ritual is disturbing and outrageous,” she writes. “Instead of yielding to it, we must keep reminding ourselves again and again of the truth. We must remember why a right-wing government was elected in the first place.”

Samimian-Darash says the challenges facing the Jewish state are not going away.

“The dangers facing Israel have not changed; Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians has not improved, despite [Hatnua Party head Tzipi] Livni’s begging,” she continued. “Iran is getting stronger by the day; the rising cost of living and housing crisis require real change not cosmetic solutions like [Yesh Atid Party chairman Yair] Lapid’s. If you keep all this in mind, you will understand that it is fine to be optimistic, regardless of the scaremongering.”

The Hebrew University staffer says Israelis got the coalition they wanted: “a homogeneous coalition of center-right parties; a coalition of partners with a shared ideology on diplomacy and economics. This coalition can repeat the successes of previous right-wing governments,” she reasoned.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s admission Friday that a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is unlikely in the next year because of both sides’ stances seemed a slight improvement over his previous stand of holding Israel responsible for stalemated talks.

Speaking with reporters at last week’s summit with Gulf state representatives, Obama admitted the prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian deal “seems distant now.” Calling himself a “a deep and strong supporter of Israel,” the president acknowledged Israel’s “legitimate security concerns” while acknowledging his commitment to a future Palestinian state.

"A Day of Destruction and Desolation" ✡ Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah)

A day of destruction and desolation, a day of blackness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. ZEPHANIAH (1:15) יוֹם שֹׁאָה וּמְשׁוֹאָה יוֹם חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָה יוֹם עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל צפניה א:ט’’ו yom sho-a u-mi-sho-a yom kho-shekh va-a-fay la yom a-nan va-a-ra-fel

Yom HaShoah Today marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, which in Hebrew is called “Yom HaShoah” and comes from our verse in Zephaniah describing the devastating destruction of Jerusalem. Yom HaShoah was established by the Knesset and coincides with the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, remembering not only the destruction of European Jewry, but recalling the heroic revolt. On this day, let us memorialize the six million who perished by strengthening our commitment to God, and intensifying our Torah learning. Strengthen your Torah learning with the Israel Bible Reading Plan »  IDF Chief of Staff Meets Holocaust Survivor This Holocaust survivor still cannot believe that from the ashes of Auschwitz, he survived to become an Israeli Army commander. Watch here » Righteous Gentiles' Grandchildren Serve in IDF Noga Peter, 21, and Hadas Avraham Weisbecker, 22, are descendants of heroes who saved Jews in the Holocaust, and now they are continuing their grandparents’ legacies in the Israeli army. Read more » Comprehending The Incomprehensible: The History, Heroism and Lessons of the Holocaust (11 CD set) This incredible CD-set describes historical events and personal accounts of survivors before and during the war years. You'll get an in-depth analysis of the political, social, and moral issues affecting perpetrators and victims, collaborators and resisters, apologists and rescue workers during the most appalling event of the twentieth century. Get this CD Set » Today's Israel Photo Photo of the archaeological ruins on Mount Gerizim near Shechem/Nablus by David Rabkin. See more photos by David Rabkin » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Helps Me Stay Connected to Israel” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365! Stay in Touch » Yes, I do LOVE the photos and stories. When I see your photos and read the stories it helps me stay connected to Israel and reminds me to pray for her peace and protection.  Blessings to you Rabbi! Shari T., Michigan, USA Shalom, I live in Brisbane, Australia. God called me to pray for Israel. I hope to visit you one day. Rosemary Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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