JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE November 11, 2009 

“Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem... for He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.” Ps 147:12-13

NETANYAHU URGES ABBAS TO RESTART TALKS: Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has called on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to resume negotiations immediately. Bringing peace would benefit Israel, its Arab neighbors, and the entire Middle East, Netanyahu said. While expressing eagerness to return to the negotiating table, Netanyahu was firm on his principles. Israel will not freeze construction in contested areas prior to opening negotiations and will not grant citizenship to millions of people claiming descent from Arabs who fled Israel during the War of Independence, he said. "The Palestinians must recognize the fantasy of flooding Israel with refugees is gone,” he emphasized. Israel will also continue to insist that a PA state in Judea and Samaria be demilitarized, he said. “We cannot permit another Gaza in the heart of our country.” (INN)

ABBAS EXPECTED TO STAY, DESPITE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week stated he does not intend to run in the next Palestinian presidential election. Many analysts, however, say he is likely to keep his current post for a long time to come. Senior Palestinian Authority and Fatah officials believe that so long as Fatah and Hamas factions do not reconcile the presidential and parliamentary elections Abbas called for January 24, 2010 will be postponed indefinitely. (Ha’aretz) Currently, the Palestinian territories remain divided between the so called “West Bank,” ruled by Fatah forces, and the Gaza Strip, which remains under the control of Hamas terrorists. Tensions between the two factions increased after the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004 and erupted in full-scale violence in 2006. Both groups abhor the Jewish state, but Fatah headed by Mahmoud Abbas disguises itself as Israel's “peace partner” to gain international aid and recognition. Continue to pray Hamas and Fatah factions will not be united and hence pose an even greater threat to Israel.

HAMAS TESTING MISSILES THAT COULD HIT TEL AVIV: The Hamas terrorist organization days ago test-fired a missile that could hit Tel Aviv from Gaza. The projectile was fired out to sea off the Gaza coast. IDF observers recorded the impact 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from the launch site. The missile, produced by Iran, can thus reach the Dan region, including Tel Aviv, bringing Israel's major coastal city within range of attacks from Gaza. (INN)

US BACKING AWAY FROM ISRAEL?: Israel has long been able to count on the strong support of the US Congress to balance any dangerous initiatives by the White House. However, that could be changing. Leading Republican Rep. Eric Cantor recently warned he has seen numerous indications lately that congressional support for Israel is deteriorating. "I have a lot of concerns about the continued desire to try to engage with Iran and about pressure being applied to Israel in terms of concessions in the name of peace," said Cantor in regards to both Obama and the currently Democrat-controlled Congress. It is widely believed Obama is deeply frustrated with Netanyahu for not caving in to his insistence that Israel meet a broad range of Arab demands in order to get peace talks moving again. In particular, Obama wants Israel to stop building homes for Jews in any areas claimed by the Palestinians. (Israel Today) Pray Israel's leaders will remain strong and not bend to absurd US and Arab demands.

TURKEY’S PRIME MINISTER SAYS ISRAEL WORSE THAN SUDAN: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israel on Sunday as he came to the defense of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who faces worldwide condemnation for the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of his country. Erdogan accused Israel of committing greater crimes against Palestinians during its military operation “Cast Lead,” in the Gaza Strip than those for which Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir had been indicted. Erdogan's remark joined several other anti-Israel statements that have led to a cooling of ties between the Jewish state and Turkey in recent months. Erdogan said Bashir is innocent, and that there is no genocide taking place in Sudan. “A Muslim can never commit genocide,” he said. “It's not possible.” (INN) About the size of Texas, the Darfur region of Sudan is home to racially mixed Muslim tribes. Since 2003, the most notorious genocide of the twenty-first century has devastated millions of non-combatant civilians in Darfur. Sudan continues to send its troops and government-backed militias to systematically destroy the livelihoods of Darfurians by bombing and burning villages, looting economic resources, and murdering, raping, and torturing non-combatant civilians. The Darfur genocide has killed more than 300,000 civilians and displaced 2.5 million people from their homes.

FORT HOOD SHOOTER IS PALESTINIAN MUSLIM: An American soldier who opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas last week killing 13 fellow soldiers and wounding 30 others is now known to be an Arab Muslim of Palestinian decent. While Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was born and raised in the US, his parents came from the currently Palestinian-controlled areas of the so-called "West Bank." Hasan has been described as a devout Muslim who on several occasions in recent years passed out Korans and tried to share the message of Islam with other soldiers. He is also suspected of having participated in several online discussions praising the use of terrorism against America and American soldiers, despite being one himself. (Israel Today)

‘WESTERNIZED’ WOMAN HIT BY DAD’S CAR DIES: A young Iraqi woman whose father allegedly hit her with his car because she had become too westernized died from her injuries last week after lying in a coma for nearly two weeks. Noor Faleh Almaleki, 20, had been in a hospital since Oct. 20, when police say her father ran down her and her boyfriend's mother with his Jeep as the women were walking across a parking lot in the west Phoenix suburb of Peoria. The other woman, Amal Khalaf, is expected to survive. Almaleki admitted to committing the crime and said the reason was that his daughter had brought shame on the family. (J.Post)

INDIA BUYS UPGRADED ISRAELI AIR DEFENSES FOR $1.1 BILLION: Israel has signed a $1.1 billion contract to supply an upgraded tactical air defense system to India, with delivery expected by 2017. Israel is India's biggest defense supplier. The Barak-8 is designed for use aboard ships and can shoot down incoming missiles, planes and drones. (Ha’aretz)

MEETING ISRAEL’S NEEDS DURING INCREASINGLY TROUBLED TIMES: The National Insurance Institute's annual Poverty Report released Nov. 2009, paints an extremely grim picture: There are 1,651,300 needy people living in Israel, including 783,600 children. Hardship is mounting. Please continue to enable us to assist terrorist victims, entire households suffering from poverty, the elderly and others in need in Israel. Your donations are needed and welcomed at www.visionforisrael.com. Make your online donation today. For residents in the UK and outside North America you can visit www.josephstorehouse.co.uk.

  Blessings from Jerusalem,

Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff

As international speakers and messengers of the Good News through music, Barry and Batya Segal are at the forefront of what God is doing in the present day nation of Israel. With strong ties in both the nations and Jerusalem, the Segals are weaving the deepest roots of our biblical heritage together with the fresh Spirit-filled worship of today to create their rich harmony of Scripture and song.

The Segals have a vast vision for God's purposes in the nations and to the people of Israel. In fact, their longing to help rebuild Israel both spiritually and physically inspired them to pioneer the non-profit charity organization, Vision for Israel and The Joseph Storehouse. This arm of their ministry focuses on assisting the poor and needy, widows and orphans, and reaching out to the new Jewish immigrants coming into the land of Israel. Vision 's most challenging project to date is "The Joseph Storehouse®", humanitarian aid center, located in the hills of Jerusalem. The Joseph Storehouse functions as a channel of blessing to all of Israel, Jewish and Arab, through the gathering and distribution of emergency medical supplies, food, clothing, and other basic life necessities. USA office contact info: Vision for Israel, PO Box 7743, Charlotte NC 28241, 866-351-0075. The Segal's web site is http://www.visionforisrael.com/

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.