Israel Updates

Syria Turns Down Direct Talks With Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's offer of direct peace talks with Syria was rebuffed on Friday. Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted since peace negotiations must focus on Israel's relinquishing the Golan Heights to Syria, direct talks between himself and Netanyahu would be fruitless.

Misconceptions About U.S. Support For Israel

Among American Christian's there have been some misconceptions about U.S. support for Israel. There's been talk about President Barack Obama's sympathies for the Palestinian cause, while at the same time, unrelenting U.S. pressure on Israel, especially concerning settlement growth. Furthermore, these same pro-Israel Americans continue to question the Obama Administration's loyalty to its only democratic ally in the Middle East.

PA Elections to be Postponed

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.

Hamas Testing Missiles

The Hamas terrorist organization days ago test-fired a missile that could hit Tel Aviv from Gaza.

Israel Seizes Iranian-Stocked Arms Ship

An Israel Navy spokesman said Wednesday an arms ship seized near Cyprus earlier in the day had been carrying hundreds of tons of weapons. Israeli commandos apprehended the ship and defense officials said it had been carrying missiles and rockets bound for Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Yemeni Jews Rescued

Amid a rise in antisemitic violence and terrorist activity in the country, the US State Department has recently transported 60 Jews from Yemen and resettled them in the United States. Nearly 350 Yemenite Jews lived in the country before the operation.

Iranian President Slams Israel Again

"The Zionist regime is a threat to all nations ... it cannot tolerate the existence of any strong country in the region," said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week. The Iranian leader is known for his anti-Israeli remarks since 2005, when he said the Jewish state should be "wiped off the map."

Abbas to Set PA Election Date

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said this week he will set January 24 as the date for presidential and legislative elections, despite objections from the Hamas terrorist group.

Tensions Escalate Between Israel and Turkey

Tension between Israel and Turkey again escalated last week after a Turkish mini-series depicting Israeli soldiers brutally executing Palestinian civilians was aired on state-run television.

Israel Braces for UN Debate

Israel braced on Wednesday for what is expected to be a bruising UN debate on a report that accuses the Jewish state of war crimes during its Gaza offensive at the turn of the year.

Obama Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The announcement drew gasps of surprise and cries of too much, too soon. Yet US President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday because the judges found his promise of disarmament and diplomacy too good to ignore.

Strategic Cooperation -- Deeper Ties between Israeli and Christian Leaders

The New Year on the Hebrew calendar, 5770, began on the eve of September 18th, as Christians and Jews from all over the world began their journey to Israel to celebrate the Fall Feasts.

Thousands of Christians March in Jerusalem

Thousands of Christian from around the world marched through the streets of Jerusalem on Tuesday, displaying their support for Israel.

Temple Mount Closed

The Temple Mount is closed to both Arabs and Jews, though many of the latter hoped to visit the site in honor of the Succot holiday.

Succot 2009

The Middle Eastern heat cools into balmy autumn days with the hope for abundant rains to soon begin. Market places across Israel are fragrant with harvest fruits. They display tables of the Four Species to be used in Succot celebrations and buzz with activity as Israelis prepare for the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Yom Kippur

The holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, (Day of Atonement) will begin Sunday, Sep. 27th 2009 at sunset. Observant Jews will fast for 24 hours until sundown Monday, Sep. 28th.

1st Century Synagogue Discovery

A synagogue from the Second Temple period (50 BCE-100 CE) was recently exposed in archaeological excavations on Israel's Migdal beach along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In the middle of the synagogue is a stone that is engraved with a seven-branched menorah (candelabrum), the likes of which have never been seen.

Israel's Military Challenges in the New Year

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is wading through a U.S. led diplomatic process towards a comprehensive peace deal in the Middle East.

Rosh Hashana 5770

Rosh Hashana, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, begins in 2009 at sunset Sep. 18 and continues until nightfall Sep. 20.

US Mosque A Threat to Teen

The attorney for a runaway teen who claims her Muslim parents threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity alleged Monday the Ohio mosque the girl's family attends has ties to Islamic terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida.

Olmert to Face Trial

For the first time in the history of the State of Israel, a person who served as prime minister will sit on the defendant's bench.

Dead Sea Among Finalists

The Dead Sea is among 14 finalists in a global Internet vote next year to choose the 7 wonders of the natural world, organizers said on Tuesday.

Israeli Diplomacy in the Face of European Anti-Semitism

In recent days, a rift has been caused between the Israeli and Swedish governments over false reporting in a Swedish newspaper which accused Israel of blood libel. The popular Swedish daily, Aftonbladet, with a reported mass circulation of just under 1.5 million copies daily, claims that Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) kidnapped and murdered Palestinian Arabs in order to harvest their organs for transplanting.

Iran Appoints Terrorist

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak slammed the appointment of a new government minister by Iranian President Ahmadinejad over the weekend, noting the new official had been involved in a terror attack on the Buenos Aires Jewish community center.

Israel Aids Taiwan

In the wake of Typhoon Morakot, the deadliest storm to hit Taiwan in recorded history, Israel has sent a shipment of emergency aid to the area hardest hit.

Netanyahu Shocked By Lynching

PM Binyamin Netanyahu expressed his shock Saturday in response to the lynching of a 59-year-old Jewish man Friday night by a gang of intoxicated young Arab men.

Fatah Elects New Leaders

Once again, Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, the Palestinian faction the international community wants everyone to view as "moderate," has proved itself to be anything but.

Fatah Voting Delayed

As the Fatah conference in Bethlehem continues past its original Thursday deadline, new rifts within the party have been revealed.

Christian Deaths In Pakistan

Hundreds of armed supporters of an Islamic terrorist group, burned dozens of Christian homes in Gojra over the weekend after allegations that a copy of the Koran had been defiled. The mob opened fire indiscriminately, threw gas bombs and looted houses as thousands of frightened Christians ran for safety.

Netanyahu Freezes Construction

Israeli PM Netanyahu ordered a halt to the construction of 900 new apartments in the eastern Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev following his meeting with special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell last week.

Messianic Jews Joining IDF

The local Messianic Jewish community received positive coverage from Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper earlier this week.

The Battle Over Jerusalem

A key issue expected to be in the forefront of Israel's diplomatic discussions with the United States, Europe, and the international community is the status of Jerusalem. The current disagreement regarding a settlement freeze, in dispute between U.S. and Israeli officials, points not only to building construction in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), but also to the building of apartments in East Jerusalem.

N Korea Executes Christian Woman

North Korea has publicly executed a Christian woman for distributing the Bible, which is banned in the communist nation, South Korean sources said Friday.

Israel Responds to Hamas Attacks

Following at least three attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza on Israeli targets in the past several days, the IDF briefly entered Gaza on Tuesday to destroy a building from where attacks were perpetrated.

PM Rejects US Demand

Jerusalem is the "unified capital of Israel and the capital of the Jewish people, and sovereignty over it is indisputable," PM Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday, responding to an American demand to put an end to a housing project to be built in east Jerusalem.

Clinton Warns Iran

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Wednesday gave Iran an ultimatum to accept the administration's offer for engagement and join the international community or to "continue down a path of further isolation."

Egypt Arrests Terror Cell

Egyptian authorities announced Thursday that police had arrested 25 members of a terrorist cell. The cell was led by a Palestinian Authority Arab and had ties to terrorist groups in Gaza.

IAF to Train Overseas

On the day US Vice President Joe Biden appeared to give Israel a green light to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, it became known the Israel Air Force plans to participate in aerial exercises in the US and Europe in the coming months with the aim of training its pilots for long-range flights.

Israelis Face Major Price Hikes

Israelis on Wednesday saw the prices of basic state goods go up by one percent following an increase of sales tax to 16.5%. That means the price of bread, salt and other common staple goods has increased by an amount that will greatly impact the country's poorer sectors of society.

Barack Obama Sees Jewish Settlements as Key to World Peace

Obama has sounded his trumpet. He has publicly and repeatedly demanded that (1) Israel freeze all construction in the settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, (2) Israel proclaim its endorsement of creating a Palestinian state and dividing Jerusalem - with the Old City becoming the Islamic capital of Palestine. (3) Israel immediately destroy all settlement "outposts" that were built without government approval (because of past pressure from American presidents).

Iranian Crackdown

Some 2,000 Iranians have been arrested and hundreds more have disappeared since the regime decided to crush dissent. Prominent Iranian actors, actresses, writers and singers were seized over the weekend for supporting the demonstrators.

Iran Charges Slain Man's Family for Bullets

The family of an Iranian man killed in a demonstration against the country's contested presidential election has been ordered to pay the equivalent of $3,000 for the bullets that took his life, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Jewish Students Banned from University Lecture

Jewish students at Haifa University were outraged days ago when staff informed them they would be barred from attending a lecture by the controversial leader of the Islamic Movement in northern Israel. Islamic Movement director Sheikh Raed Salah delivered a venom-filled rant against Israel, and openly identified himself with the Jewish state's enemies.

Give Peace A Chance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his long anticipated speech at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University on Sunday night, June 14, to a local audience of mostly conservative Israelis, international diplomats, and journalists. In his nearly 30 minute speech, broadcast to a global audience, Netanyahu mentioned the word "peace" 43 times, hoping that the Palestinians and Arabs will eventually give peace a chance in the troubled Middle East.

The Dangers of a Comprehensive Peace Deal

Pro-Israel supporters have been focused on the new relationship between U.S. President Barak Obama, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The international community has been waiting for a new Middle East peace initiative to come forth from the Obama Administration that will set the agenda for peace negotiations in the region over the next several years.

Foreign Policy Developments in Israel

U.S. envoy, George Mitchell met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, April 16, 2009 for talks on the Middle East.

Durban II: The Latest War on Israel

A few days before 9/11, the United Nations mounted its greatest-ever attack on Israel's existence. The week-long battle raged in far-off Durban, South Africa. Not a war of physical weapons, but one that was going for the kill - and its target, center stage, was the Jewish state.

Israel Changes Governments and Strategies Towards Peace

Israel's 32nd government will be sworn in this week, and a priority in the agenda of Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister will be the complex issues associated with arms smuggling from Sudan and other rogue states into Gaza.

Israeli Politicians Try to Put Together a Coalition

Coalition negotiations could go on for another four to six weeks.

The Formation of Israel's Next Government

The official Israeli election results from the Central Elections Committee were published in the public records today, Wednesday, February 18, 2009. Israeli President Shimon Peres can now begin consulting with Knesset factions with the goal of determining which Knesset member should try and form the next government coalition.