JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE November 13, 2009 

"The meek shall posses the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity." Ps 37:11

ISRAELI TOURISM’S BEST OCTOBER EVER: Some 330,000 tourists visited Israel this past month, an all-time high for October, and a 9% increase over October 2008, Israel's record tourism year. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov attributes the increase largely to positioning Israel as the Holy Land with Jerusalem at its center. The Tourism Ministry’s goal is to increase annual tourism to Israel by a million tourists within three years. (INN)  “…There is prosperity for the man of peace.”  Ps 37: 37

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY TO KEEP ISRAEL TIES: The University of Trondheim, Norway's second-largest school, has rejected a proposed academic boycott of the Jewish state - although many academics there remain critical of Israel’s presence in the disputed territories. Dean Torbjorn Digernes suggested at a board meeting Thursday that the boycott be removed from the agenda. None of the board members present objected. Digernes said the boycott ran counter to the university's philosophy of academic freedom. Most university campaigns to boycott Israel have called for divestment, meaning schools would no longer invest in Israeli companies or use Israeli products. Even if divestment proposals passed, people would be hard-pressed to get rid of cell phones, flash disks and all the basic things that are in every student's stationary kit that are products of Israeli innovation. There would be no e-mails or instant message or voicemail. An academic boycott's effects would be more visible - Israeli professors would no longer be invited to attend conferences or collaborate with counterparts at the university. (Ha’aretz/INN)

CELL PHONE CAN ALERT HIKERS OF DEAD SEA FLASH FLOOD: The leading wave of a flash flood can appear in a dry river bed in Israel with no warning -- sometimes proving fatal to hikers in the area. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a way to predict such life-threatening flash floods through the use of cell phone technology. The invention is based on the principle that the transmission of cell phone signals is affected by the amount of rain falling between transmission towers, making it possible to measure the location and strength of the rain. In the future, it is suggested that rainfall in remote desert areas could be measured by monitoring the disruptions in the signal strength. (Ha’aretz)

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FATALITIES IN ISRAEL AT 23-YEAR LOW: The number of fatal traffic accidents dropped to a 23-year low in 2008, according to a recent Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) report. In an encouraging find, the CBS revealed 2009 has seen both fewer accidents than 2008 and fewer fatalities. (INN)

PA ELECTIONS TO BE POSTPONED, ABBAS TO REMAIN IN POWER: The chairman of the Palestinian Authority central elections committee has informed PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that elections cannot be held for a new chairman and legislature on January 24, as scheduled. Senior Fatah official Hanna Nasser blamed the delay on the Hamas terrorist organization's refusal to allow Gaza residents to participate in the polls, and its refusal to recognize the commission. Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in a militia war with the rival Fatah faction, has said it will punish any resident who tries to vote in the election. Fatah, which is run by Abbas, currently controls the Ramallah-based PA government, which has maintained control only over the PA areas of Judea and Samaria since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007. (INN)

SYRIA WANTS WATER – NOT PEACE WITH THE JEWISH STATE: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday passed a message to Syrian President Bashar Assad via French President Nicolas Sarkozy urging an immediate resumption of peace talks between the two Middle East nations. Assad claimed this week he is ready to restart negotiations with Israel though in the past the Syrian leader has refused direct talks with Jerusalem without its prior commitment to relinquish the entirety of Israel’s Golan Heights area. Assad also said that even if he enters talks with Israel, they will be accompanied by continued support for terrorist violence against the Jewish state. Arab affairs expert Prof. Moshe Sharon warned in an interview this week that the Syrians want Israel to sign a peace agreement with them so they can draw Sea of Galilee water. “They don’t want peace; they want water," he said. (Israel Today) A mere week ago, during an IDF military operation, an Iranian arms shipment headed for Syria and allegedly intended for the Lebanese-based Hizbullah terrorist group was captured some 100 nautical miles west of Israel. Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, the following day, called Syria and Iran rogue states. “They break every universal law and supply arms to terrorists to harm Israeli cities and kill its citizens,” he said. Continue to pray that duplicitous land-for-peace offers will not be taken seriously by Israel’s leaders.

HIZBULLAH: ALL OF ISRAEL IS WITHIN ROCKET RANGE: Senior Hizbullah official Mahmoud Kamati boasted Wednesday that "all the cities and all Israeli military and industrial centers are within Hizbullah's fire range." He warned if Israel bombed Beirut, Hizbullah would retaliate by bombing Tel Aviv. (Daily Alert) “To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.’” Ps 75:4

TEITEL CLAIMS GOD IS PROUD OF HIM FOR KILLING AND MAIMING: US-born Ya'acov Teitel was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, holding and manufacturing weapons and inciting violence, according to an indictment served in the Jerusalem Court Thursday morning. "It was my pleasure and honor to serve my God, God is proud of what I have done, I have no regrets," Teitel declared as he entered the courtroom. Teitel, 37, is suspected of a series of attacks targeting Palestinians, Leftists, and Messianic Jews. According to the indictment, which includes 14 charges, Teitel was responsible for the death of two Arabs and for wounding Israel Prize laureate Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell. He was also accused of planting a bomb at the entrance to the house of a messianic Jewish couple in Ariel, seriously wounding their son, Ami Ortiz, who was then 15. (J.Post)

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.