ISRAEL BREAKING NEWS

DF Soldier Killed by Lebanese Fire
Posted by: Ahuva Balofsky  December 16, 2013 , 3:39 pm

“My soul is among lions, I do lie down among them that are aflame; even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” (Psalms 57:5)
The site of where a katyusha rocket landed fired from Lebanon into Northern Israel. (Photo: Kobi Snir/Flash90)
An IDF soldier was killed Sunday evening while driving alone along the Israel-Lebanon border, as a result of gunfire from the Lebanese side.  The vehicle he was in was an IDF vehicle, though regulations allegedly state patrols must be done with back-up, never alone.
According to the Al-Manar network, affiliated with Hezbollah, Israel fired back on Lebanese security posts following reports of the soldier’s death.  The IDF Spokespersons’ Unit claims the “military reserves the right to retaliate.”


The IDF’s preliminary investigation showed that the IDF vehicle was target from within the Lebanese border, likely by a lone soldier who fired 6-7 bullets “of his own accord.”  The IDF detected Lebanese soldiers near the scene of the shooting, which was the same location where four IDF soldiers were injured in an explosion in August.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said, “We are now trying to determine the facts of what happened and the situation is ongoing.  UNIFIL’s force commander is in contact with counterparts in the Lebanese and Israeli army, urging restraint.”  Tenenti also said both sides were cooperating fully with UNIFIL.
According to a senior military source: “The circumstances have yet to be determined, but this is serious,” but there are no indications of terrorist infiltration.  Aircraft-assisted forces are working to ensure that.
Tensions seem to be mounting as a result of the incident.  Ynetnews.com is reporting that the IDF has called up numerous forces to the border area near the scene.
Meanwhile, Lebanese media outlets report that Hezbollah is on ready-alert in southern Lebanon as a precautionary measure in case of developments on the border.
The soldier was identified as  St.-Sgt. Maj. Shlomi Cohen. The 31-year-old from Afula left behind a wife and a daughter, who will turn one next month, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. He will be laid to rest on Monday evening in Haifa.

Israeli Court Rules Palestinian Workers Covered by Israeli Labor Laws

“Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates.  In the same day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin in thee.” (Deuteronomy 24:14-15)

Israeli soldiers checking Palestinian workers at a roadblock. (Photo: Abir Sultan/Flash90)
The Israeli Labor Court determined that Palestinian workers employed by Israelis in Judea and Samaria are still covered by Israeli labor laws and are therefore entitled to the same wage guarantees, deductions, contributions and benefits as everywhere else in the country. The ruling was issued on an appeal of a lower court decision, which had also ruled in favor of the employee.

The case in question revolved around a Palestinian who had been employed by an Israeli to work in an Israeli settlement in the Jordan Valley.  When the relationship between the man and his employer ended, the employee sued for payments related to his period of employment and termination.  The employer argued that the employee is not Israeli and that Israeli law is not applicable in Judea and Samaria.  Israel never annexed the region and it is considered internationally to be illegally occupied.
The Labor Court rejected the employer’s arguments on the basis of a 2007 precedent, that determined territorial relations are not the deciding factor in such contract disputes, but that wider circumstances must be taken into consideration.  The ruling determined that the precedent applies retroactively, as well, therefore covering the case in question.  The court rejected the employer’s claim that retroactive application would cause grave damages to Israeli employers in the West Bank and to the Palestinians they employ.

Despite the outcome being in his favor, the employee also appealed the lower court’s ruling, because he disagreed with how the court determined his period of employment, its contents, and the reasons for the termination.  His appeal was also rejected.

New Israeli Research May Aid Quitting Smokers
Posted by: Staff Writer  December 16, 2013 , 3:33 pm

“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently…” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

New research out of Ben Gurion University in Be’er Sheva suggests magnets may be used to help smokers quit.  A study presented at the Neuroscience 2013 conference in November showed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be useful in reducing cravings and ultimately helping smokers quit successfully.

In the study, 115 participants were divided into three groups: one group received high-frequency TMS, one group, low-frequency TMS, and one group received no treatment, over the course of thirteen days.  By the end of the six-month study, the participants in the high-frequency group experienced the greatest reduction in overall smoking activity, and were more likely to have quit altogether.  Those in that group who were shown pictures of a lit cigarette following the TMS sessions achieved the greatest results, with fully one third quitting within the six months of the study.

The magnetic fields were applied to the two parts of the brain associated with nicotine addiction, the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the insula.  The researchers argue the magnets may be changing the brain’s hardwired response to smoking “cues”.
Dr. Abraham Zangen, one of the researchers leading the study, said,  ”Our research shows us that we may actually be able to undo some of the changes to the brain caused by chronic smoking.

“We know that many smokers want to quit or smoke less and this could help put a dent in the number one cause of preventable deaths.”

These results are preliminary, and the study has not yet been peer-reviewed.  However, it looks promising and is especially exciting because it does not depend on drugs to treat addiction.

Israel Sends Aid to Gaza After Massive Weekend Storm
Posted by: Ayal Kellman  December 15, 2013 , 4:31 pm
"Withhold not good from him to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. (Proverbs 3:27)

Member of the Palestinian Civil Defense paddles a boat as he floats across flood waters in Gaza following this weekend’s storm. (Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash 90)
A massive winter storm left thousands of homes in Israel without power over the weekend. Up to 80 cm of snow fell in parts of the country, and fallen trees snapped power lines. While the weather situation caused damage throughout the Jewish State, the Israeli government extended its hand and offered assistance to the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip.
The Jerusalem Post reported more than 4,000 Gazans had to be evacuated from their flooded homes due to water levels claimed to be more than two meters high. The UN  declared Gaza a “disaster area” and coordinated with Israel the transfer of gas for heating and water pumps through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The Israeli army’s website featured the following commitment to the civilian population in Gaza, “Israel will do everything that is necessary to assist the civilian populations in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria, with an emphasis on providing electricity to the power plant in Gaza.”
The IDF branch in charge of coordinating activities in Judea and Samaria has even opened a joint situation room with Palestinians with a shared goal of assisting civilians with transportation and electricity.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for fuel to be allowed to enter Gaza.
“Gaza survived two wars [against Israel] and it will walk out of this,” he said wearing a heavy coat and the yellow jumper of emergency workers as he toured the affected areas overnight.
Only a Hamas Prime Minister could tout Palestinian resilience against Israel while calling for Israeli humanitarian aid in the same breath.
Israeli aid to the Palestinians; not enough or too much?

With a Newspaper in One Hand and a Bible in the Other, CBN Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell talks to BIN about his New Book, Dateline Jerusalem
Posted by: Tuly Weisz  December 15, 2013 , 4:32 pm
Chris Mitchell is no ordinary man. As Middle East bureau chief of the Christian Broadcasting Network news channel, he has covered every major news event in the Middle East since the year 2000 when he took the job.
With his extensive experience and in an effort to explain the major trends sweeping this part of the world through a biblical lens, Mitchell recently published his first book, “Dateline Jerusalem: An eyewitness account of prophecies unfolding in the Middle East.”
Recently, Breaking Israel News sat down with Mitchell to talk about his new book and get his take on current events in the Middle East.
Chris, thanks for sitting down with Breaking Israel News. What made you decide to write Dateline Jerusalem?
I’ve had the extraordinary opportunity to be here in Jerusalem and to be on the front lines of Israel’s history. And also to help those who do not have the opportunity to be here, to understand what is happening here in Jerusalem, in Israel, in the Middle East. And hopefully, through the experiences I’ve had and the stories I’ve been able to report on, I can help glean some insight and understanding that readers can benefit from.
For the people we report to, there is tremendous interest in what is happening in Israel and in Jerusalem, so hopefully this will be an extension, perhaps in a deeper way, of what is actually happening here. It’s like walking into a history book when you visit here.
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You talk about the news from a Biblical perspective. Do you look at the Bible from a news perspective?
A lot of people say if you have a newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other it helps you understand what is happening. I’ve always been interested in history, so to see history unfold and see what’s written in the bible, it fits hand in glov
e and weaves together. It’s not always cause and effect, but I do think you see themes and trends in what is happening right now.
What do you think is God’s plan for the Middle East?
Well, right now, He seems to be restoring Israel and returning the Jewish people back to their land. It seems the events foretold by the prophets, whether its Ezekiel, Isaiah or Zachariah, are unfolding before our very eyes. One of the miracles I see is when you walk down the street you can see a reborn State of Israel, which is incredible. And then you see, for example like what it says in Zachariah 8:5, children are playing in the streets, just like the prophet said would happen one day.
In your book you write, “…I’ve had the opportunity – and privilege – to see the world turn more and more of its attention toward the ancient capital of David. I believe this trend will increase and eventually shape the history of the world and the destinies of its people. The news today might focus on Washington, New York, London, or Moscow, but history’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem.” What should Christians should make of this?
Well I think like the sons of Issachar, they should understand the times and what we live in now. I also think we should understand Genesis 12:2 and 12:3, where it says they should bless Israel and they will be blessed. Psalms 122 says they should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
And I know that is happening more and more around the world. In the book, I discuss this crescendo of prayer around the world and I think that’s increasing. I think the attention of the world will increase on Jerusalem and I think we can see a spike in just the last several weeks with this agreement in Geneva where the focus has been on Israel, on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and on the stand Israel is taking in opposition to many of the world’s powers. And I think this is sort of an intensification that we’ll be seeing more of.
How should Christians help this growing focus on Jerusalem?
Well first of all I think they can pray for Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. The second thing they can do is be informed from websites like Breaking Israel News and CBN News as well. And they can express their voice. There are lots of advocacy groups that are standing up on behalf of the Jewish people and I think that this phenomenon has taken place in an accelerated fashion in the last dozen years or so.
I see this myself, that there’s a growing cooperation between many Jews and Christians because they have found a common ground, a common enemy in radical Islam and perhaps a different perspective on the Jewish state.
Many groups are speaking out and they do not want to repeat the historic mistake that happened in the 1930s when the Jewish people were threatened with genocide and very few people spoke out.
In the book, I hope to convey the idea that if you put on biblical lenses, the Middle East becomes a much clearer picture. Israel and Jerusalem become much clearer. If you see it through a biblical lens, you understand a lot more about what is unfolding before our very eyes. If you look at the Middle East from a religious perspective, you start to understand why Iran is motivated to acquire a nuclear bomb because their eschatology is that they want to pave the way for their Messiah, the twelfth Imam. And when you combine their eschatology with technology, it’s a toxic brew.

Zion Oil and Gas Company Awarded Additional Exploration License
Posted by: Staff Writer  December 13, 2013 , 2:05 pm
“There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swalloweth it up.” (Proverbs 21:20)

Zion Oil and Gas Inc. CEO John Brown, a strong Christian Zionist (Photo: Facebook)
Zion Oil and Gas announced Wednesday that it has been awarded a new, 99,000 acre exploration license by the State of Israel’s Petroleum Commissioner.  The Megiddo-Jezreel License, awarded on December 3, covers an area of approximately 400,000 dunam (400 square kilometers or 98,842 acres) of onshore land south and west of Zion’s existing Jordan Valley License, and is valid until 2016.  At that point, it may be further extended for additional one-year periods up to a maximum of seven years as provided by the Israeli Petroleum Law.

John Brown, Zion’s CEO, said, “This is a key milestone in Zion’s future exploration success. We are committed to stay the course and fulfill Zion’s vision to render assistance to the Jewish people and Nation of Israel and to aid them in the Restoration of the Land by providing the oil and gas necessary to help the People of Israel maintain their political and economic independence.”

Under the terms of the Megiddo-Jezreel License, Zion Oil and Gas will identify and submit a drilling prospect in the license area by July 1, 2015; enter into a contract for drilling the area by October 1, 2015; and begin the actual drilling by December 1, 2015.  The minimum proposed depth for this well would be approximately 4,000 meters (~ 13,125 feet).
In addition to these commitments, Zion would need to reach various geological and geophysical milestones during the first three years.  These would include reprocessing and acquiring additional seismic data, something that should be achievable during that time.

Victor G. Carrillo, Zion’s President and Chief Operating Officer, said, “Being awarded the 98,842 acre Megiddo-Jezreel Valley License is a critically important step for Zion’s future exploration efforts. We have many prerequisite steps before we can drill our next deep exploratory well but we plan to get to that point as expeditiously as possible.This new area appears to have all of the geologic ingredients of an active petroleum system with good potential.”
Zion is a public company.  Zion’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol ZN. Zion Oil & Gas, a Delaware corporation, explores for oil and gas onshore in Israel.

It currently holds three petroleum exploration licenses: the Asher-Menashe License (on approximately 79,000 acres), the Jordan Valley License (on approximately 56,000 acres), and the newly granted Megiddo-Jezreel License (on approximately 99,000 acres).

Firing up the Nations – Where Jews and Christians Differ About the Messiah
Posted by: Tuly Weisz  December 13, 2013 , 10:31 am
On the one hand, as a rabbi who respects and values my Christian friends and readers, I am hesitant to write about the controversial areas where Jews and Christians differ. After all, we have so much that we agree on and should focus our resources on what unites us. While on the other hand, I would like to believe that a deeper understanding of each other, and our differences, will lead to even greater mutual appreciation. After previously writing what I was concerned was potentially an offensive article “Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up” I was reassured when a Christian reader commented, “I have also come to understand – I believe by His Grace – to ‘agree to disagree’ when it comes to my Jewish friends/ acquaintances.” In this spirit of respectful dialogue, whether you agree with me or disagree, I invite you to submit your comments below.

The closing chapters of Genesis contain a veiled reference to the arrival of the Messiah, which sharply distinguishes between what Jews and Christians believe. Previously, we have explored the Jewish perspective on Messianism, struggling with his surprisingly scandalous origins and discussing our role in bringing the Messiah.

Today, we will delve into the deeper meaning behind one important Hebrew word in order to appreciate where and why Judaism and Christianity differ about the Messiah.
Before Jacob passes away, the great patriarch blesses his twelve sons in this week’s Torah portion, Vayehi (Genesis 47:28–50:26). The blessing Jacob gives to his son Judah is as significant as it is mysterious:

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the judicial interpreter’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh shall come and unto him shall be the ingathering of the nations. Genesis 49:10

Jacob’s reference to the scepter refers to Judah’s position as the ultimate progenitor of Israel’s kings, as the father of Peretz, Boaz, Yishai and David.  The reference to Shiloh, however, is not as clear cut, since the precise meaning of the Hebrew word can be interpreted in a number of ways. According to Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, director of the Center for Jewish and Christian Cooperation and Understanding, whose article “The Millennium and Normative Messianism” is the basis for much of this article, the word Shiloh appears only this once in the Bible, except as a name of the city which housed the Tabernacle during the period of the Judges. While Jewish Bible scholars have debated the precise meaning of the origins of the word, most agree that Shiloh here refers to the arrival of the Messiah.
A most fascinating explanation was suggested by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, a hugely important medieval rabbi who lived in Germany around the turn of the fourteenth century. Perhaps more than any other person in Jewish history, Rabbi Jacob ben Asher has shaped the daily life of Jews through his writings and codification of Jewish law. In his commentary on Genesis, Rabbi Jacob ben Asher reveals a hidden connection between the word Shiloh and the Hebrew word for Messiah. According to Jewish mysticism and the study of Gematriya, every Hebrew letter corresponds to a different number. With this understanding, in God’s infinite wisdom, certain diverse words and ideas are secretly connected when their numerical values are the same. Amazingly, the numerical value of the words ‘yavo shiloh’ (Shiloh comes) adds up to 358 which is exactly the same as the word Mashiach, which also adds up to 358. With prophetic foresight, Jacob blessed Judah with not only the monarchy, but the emergence of the messianic line through his lineage.

A Spanish contemporary of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, Rabbenu Bahya (Rabbyanu Bachya) offered another interpretation of the word Shiloh unrelated to its numerical value, but based on a different ancient technique of Jewish Bible study. Unlike any language developed by man, Hebrew is the Lord’s language. Therefore, when two Hebrew words are very similar they are often related even if their plain meaning seems to offer no connection.

Rabbenu Bahya points out that the word Shiloh is almost identical to the Hebrew word Shilya which appears in Deuteronomy 28:57 and means womb. He insists that Shiloh means that the Messiah must be born naturally “from the womb like all other children” denying the possibility that the Messiah would be born in a supernatural manner.

This is not merely a small detail or a technicality. Just like the Messiah must be the natural child of a mother and father, so too, he will bring about the final era of peace in natural ways. “Do not think that the King Messiah must perform signs and miracles” says the great Jewish philosopher Maimonides. Just as his birth must be natural, so too his life and death. In the words of Rabbi Riskin, “although the founder of Christianity may well have been a God-fearing and even charismatic rabbinical figure, once we was crucified by the Romans he forfeited all claims to the title of Messiah.”

In his book “Torah Lights”, Rabbi Riskin tells a charming story of an Israeli bookseller who told him that the Messiah was in Jerusalem. Rabbi Riskin immediately left the shop with great excitement, prayed with extra devotion and did his best to search the faces of pious Jerusalemites in the hope of identifying the savior. After seeking high and low to no avail, Rabbi Riskin returned to the bookseller in despair and with great frustration claimed that no matter how hard he looked, he simply couldn’t find the Messiah. “Rabbi, you’re making a mistake,” said the bookseller. “You think that we are waiting for the Messiah. But really, the Messiah is waiting for us.”

Snow Blankets Jerusalem, Shuts Down City
Posted by: Staff Writer  December 13, 2013 , 2:06 pm
“Fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling His word;” (Psalms 148:8)
Jerusalem’s Old City walls covered in snow. (Photo: Daniel Malkiel)
Roads were closed for the morning and school was cancelled throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas in response to unusually heavy snow that has fallen in the city since Thursday morning.  Ten snowplows and ninety tons of salt, along with salt-spreading machines and tractors, were readied for the occasion.  The storm marks the heaviest December snowfall since 1953.
Click here for majestic pictures of snow in Jerusalem throughout history. http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/8-majestic-old-new-photos-snowy-jerusalem/
“Snow in Jerusalem is a cause for celebration for Jerusalemites and the many visitors who come to see the world’s most beautiful city painted white,” said Mayor Nir Barkat, in a visit to the city’s public works department to check on preparations for the storm. “We hope the snow won’t disappoint, especially for Jerusalem’s excited children, who are looking forward to it.”
Despite Barkat’s enthusiasm, he did ask drivers to refrain from taking to the roads unnecessarily.  Buses are running on an emergency schedule, and Jerusalem’s Light Rail service is operating.
Thursday’s snow is part of a storm system that first hit the country at the beginning of this week.  It dumped snow in Jerusalem and the north, and rain throughout the country.  Water levels in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) have risen 2 cm.
Dr. Amos Porat of the Meteorological Service said, “At the moment we’re only in the initial stage of the present system.  It will enter gradually with cold air, rain and snow, with stronger and weaker waves. On Shabbat the system will decline gradually.”
The Meteorological Service reported that since the beginning of the storm two days ago and up to yesterday afternoon, the largest amounts of rain, 40-60 mm., were measured in the southern Coastal Plain, the central mountain areas and the Sharon. The north and the center received 20-40 mm. and in the south there was almost no rain. In Jerusalem, 51 mm. of rain fell and in Tel Aviv 41 mm. Haifa received only 14 mm.

Rising Trend of Palestinian “Honor Killings”
Posted by: Staff Writer  December 13, 2013 , 2:08 pm
“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1:27)
IDF
Palestinians and Israeli border police (Photo: Sliman Khader/Flash90)
Twenty-seven women have been murdered this year in so-called “honor killings” in Palestinian-controlled areas.  This is more than twice the number of victims last year.  The latest victim, Rasha Abu Ara, a 32-year-old mother of five, was beaten to death and strung up in a tree in late November.  Both her father and husband are being held currently in the investigation.  Her alleged crime was adultery.

Some local residents believe that lax laws and a reluctance to identify suspects publicly lead to an environment in which would-be killers feel they can act with impunity.

In the town of Aqqaba, where the recent case occurred, Mayor Jamal Abu Ara, who is himself a distant relative of the accused, said, “This act has no religion – it comes from closed, tribal thinking left over from an age of ignorance. People here are walking around in a haze; they want to know who did it and why. Of course, it’s the first time it’s happened here.”

In neighboring Jordan, with a population of around 6.3 million, honor killings average roughly 15-20 per year, according to researchers.  The Palestinian population numbers only 4 million by comparison.  Of course, killings are underreported, so the numbers may not be accurate, but a study of young people conducted in Jordan in June by Cambridge University found that a third of respondents supported the practice.  Low levels of education,  ”patriarchal and traditional worldviews, emphasis placed on female virtue and a more general belief that violence against others is morally justified,” were cited as possible reasons for this.

Some activists blame social and economic pressures for the rising figures, but Soraida Hussein of Muntada, the rights group which tracked this years figures, claims the practice has a long history with deep roots in the community.
“There is no balance in power relations between the genders. There is a patriarchal mentality…as always, the force and pressure in society is transferred from the strong to the weak,” she said.

The lack of a Palestinian parliament, which has not met since the 2007 civil war between Hamas and Fatah, certainly prevents any legal changes from improving the situation.  Current Palestinian law confers a different status to domestic violence than other violent crimes.

“There’s been a deterioration, financial and psychological pressure on our society, poverty. But there are also certain backward cultural legacies that must be combated,” said Palestinian Minister of Women’s Affairs Rabiha Diab.  She did not hesitate to blame Israel, however, saying, “The Israeli occupation is the one practicing the utmost violence … it’s the main thing keeping us from advancing.”
The topic of honor killings is rarely addressed in the press.  ”When you touch such stories, you’re up against a social taboo,” explains Palestinian journalist Naela Khalil.
“Here, the family is stronger than even the security forces. I might criticize Mahmoud Abbas more easily than a father or a brother who killed a woman. Doing this may mean a struggle with a whole family or village,” she said.

Snow in Jerusalem!
Please click link for Photo'a
Snow in Jerusalem is always a special and newsworthy event here. For some, it is a delightful occasion; for others, an annoyance.
Snow in Jerusalem
Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
While more well-prepared and equipped than any other nation to deal with serious emergencies, including terrorist threats and situations of war, somehow the cold but lovely, white blanket practically shuts down the capital. This is an amusing phenomenon to immigrants from places such as Moscow and Montreal, where people are accustomed to much deeper snow.

The Prime Minister’s Office cancelled a number of meetings due to inclement weather. Most notably, US Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres has been postponed, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The Jerusalem municipality is constantly updating information on its website regarding the snow situation, as is Mayor Nir Barkat on his Facebook page.
Snow in Jerusalem
Photo: Nati Shohat/Flash 90

Classes were cancelled at Jerusalem schools, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as several offices and businesses. This is partly due to difficult driving conditions and road closures not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Israel, as some highways leading to the capital have been blocked.
Children seem overjoyed at the rare opportunity to play in the snow.
“Snow in Jerusalem is a celebration for Jerusalemites and the many visitors who come to see the most beautiful city in the world painted white. We hope the snow does not disappoint – especially the children of Jerusalem who are waiting and excited,” Barkat stated a day earlier, in anticipation of the snowstorm. He visited the municipal snow preparedness center and declared the city ready for the storm.
“Snowfall in Jerusalem is not all that uncommon and occurs every couple of years,” according to the AccuWeather website. “Significant accumulating snow is more rare.”
Snow in Jerusalem
Photo: Nati Shohat/Flash 90

The temperature in Jerusalem and throughout the country is well below normal, which might intrigue those who believe in the Global Warming theory.
“Over the past two years, the temperature in Jerusalem has dropped to 0 degrees Celsius several times,” AccuWeather notes. “Similar readings are expected at night over the next few days. This is well below normal. In fact, the city’s lowest normal temperature is 5 degrees Celsius.”
Author: Atara Beck, Staff Writer for United with Israel
Date: Dec. 12, 2013

Bennett Among MKs Skeptical About Peace Talks

Posted by: Ahuva Balofsky  December 10, 2013 , 2:03 pm

“Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; but to the counsellors of peace is joy.” (Proverbs 12:20)

Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett expressed reservations regarding the upcoming round of talks with the Palestinians, saying a peace agreement that does not include Hamas is a “joke.”
“I’m for an agreement,” he told Israel Radio from Australia, where he is on an official visit, “but a real one that doesn’t harm our interests.”
Ongoing peace talks have been with Fatah, but Hamas, in power in Gaza, has not participated.  “Maybe I missed the news and Hamas in Gaza recognized Israel and stopped firing rockets,” Bennett said sarcastically.  In fact, three rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israeli targets just Saturday, although all fell short and landed within the strip.
He compared the exercise to buying a used car: “Imagine you’re negotiating over a car with someone who only owns half the car, and the owner of the other half says he won’t recognize any agreement you reach. You give him all the money but only get half the car.”
Bennett pointed out the history of failed peace agreements.  “[Former premier] Ehud Barak promised everything [to the Palestinians] and we got 1,000 dead. We were promised Gaza would turn into Singapore and we got thousands of rockets. The result of Oslo [peace agreements] was 1,500 dead. Not American dead, Israeli dead.”
His comments came in response to the optimism of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Forum in Washington over the weekend.
Obama told the gathering that he believed “it is possible over the next several months to arrive at a framework that does not address every single detail but gets us to the point where everybody recognizes it’s better to move forward than move backward.”
“If you care about Israel, its future, if you care about Palestinians, we need to believe that peace is possible and we need to act on that belief,” Kerry said.
Bennett is not alone in his concerns for the process.
“To speak frankly,” Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Friday night, also at the Saban Forum, “I don’t believe it is possible in the next year to achieve [a] comprehensive solution, to achieve some breakthrough, but I think it’s crucial to keep our dialogue, because we live in the same region, we’re neighbors. It’s important at least to think about coexistence.”
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Saturday night at a conference in Tel Aviv, “As someone who supported the Oslo Accords, I’m learning that we have no partner on the other side.
“On the other side, there isn’t, and hasn’t been since the dawn of Zionism, a leadership that’s willing to recognize our right to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people, and to see in an agreement an end to the conflict and an end to all demands. We won’t talk about an inch, a millimeter of land so long as we don’t see that we have a partner that’s talking about recognition, about the end of the conflict and the end of the right of return.”

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/bennett-among-mks-skeptical-peace-talks/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=00e506b748-BIN+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-00e506b748-83546481

Mike Huckabee: Israel has ‘license’ to act independently on Iran
Posted by: Staff Writer  December 10, 2013 , 2:05 pm
Former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee, at a speaking engagement in Southern California. (Photo: David Ball)
Now that the U.S. and other P5+1 powers made an interim nuclear deal with Iran without Israel’s involvement, the Jewish state is free to act as it sees fit on the Iranian issue without consulting America, former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said in an exclusive interview with JNS.org.
The U.S. “has indicated that they are going to act independently of Israel as it relates to Iran,” Huckabee said, calling that a “very foolish policy.”
“I think now [the Israelis] have really a license to act without having to be scolded for not having consulted the U.S. for their plans,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of making another presidential run in 2016, Huckabee, the runner-up to U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in the 2008 Republican primary, said, “I’m looking at it very seriously.” Huckabee—an ordained Southern Baptist minister who currently hosts the talk show “Huckabee” on Fox News—said he is having exploratory meetings to determine “whether people who I trust, and people whose views I have confidence in, believe that there is a pathway forward for me through the primary.”
What would Jewish Republicans think of a Huckabee run in 2016? Fred Zeidman, a Houston businessman and major donor to Republican presidential campaigns, told JNS.org, “Israel could have no greater supporter than Mike Huckabee, and as far as any concerns we have about the safety and security of the state of Israel, we couldn’t ask for better than Mike Huckabee.”
“You couldn’t ask for a more passionate or truthful candidate than Mike Huckabee,” Zeidman added. “Whether you agree with all of his social positions or not, there’s no question about where he stands and his willingness to be open about them, to discuss them, and to do what he feels is right for America.”
Huckabee told JNS.org that when he ran for president in 2008, outreach to the Jewish community “was always a relationship that we enjoyed and tried to foster.” That year’s general election saw 78 percent of Jewish voters choose Obama over McCain, and the Jewish electorate’s support for Obama decreased to 69 percent in his 2012 race against Mitt Romney. Does Huckabee believe the downtrend trend in Jewish support for Democrats will continue in the 2016 presidential election? “I would certainly hope so,” he said, questioning why anyone committed to the safety and security of the future of Israel “would be supportive of the policies of Barack Obama, which you can call the most frighteningly non-supportive [U.S.] policies on the state of Israel since its inception.”
“I can’t imagine that somebody could look at those policies and say, ‘Boy, [Obama has] really got the Israelis’ back’—because he doesn’t,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee said he can understand traditional Jewish support for Democratic candidates based on their views aligning socially and economically, but he does not understand Jewish support for Democrats “as it relates to the policy of a secure Israel.”
“If that’s a priority, and that becomes a defining factor in how people vote, then it’s inconceivable to me that they could give their support to someone who supports the current administration’s policies toward Israel,” he said.
On the Obama administration’s current brokering of Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations, Huckabee said the U.S. should only be engaging in such talks if it insists that the Palestinians both acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and “cleanse their textbooks” of materials that teach children to hate Jews.
“Those are to me fundamental prerequisites to any kind of discussion regarding a peace deal,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee’s comments on Palestinian teaching materials as they relate to negotiations echo recent sentiments expressed by Israeli leaders such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, who have all attributed a lack of progress in the current talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian incitement. Recent reports by Palestinian Media Watch reveal Palestinian soccer teams named after terrorists, a Palestinian Authority TV (PA TV) broadcast for children teaching that the Devil and Jews are united in hatred of the Prophet Muhammad, sayings attributed to Hitler in a PA-associated youth magazine, and a statement (accompanied by a photo of a man holding a rifle) on Fatah’s Facebook page that says it is “the blood of Martyrs that draws the borders of the [Palestinian] homeland.”
In the U.S., the issue of anti-Israel teaching materials has also garnered attention as of late. In a recent advertisement in Boston-area newspapers,the nonprofit Americans for Peace and Tolerance called out school officials in Newton, Mass., over the alleged presence of anti-Israel texts in Newton public schools, including “The Arab World Studies Notebook,” which claims that Israeli soldiers murdered hundreds of Palestinian nurses in Israeli prisons; “A Muslim Primer,” which claims that astronaut Neil Armstrong converted to Islam; “Flashpoints: Guide to World History,” which asserts that Jerusalem is the capital of “Palestine;” and other materials.
Asked what the appropriate course of action should be on the city and state levels regarding a situation such as the alleged anti-Israel texts in Newton schools, Huckabee said, “If it’s being taught as curriculum as if it’s correct, then I would be aghast at that. I would think that the state board of education should make it very clear that that’s not an education, that’s an indoctrination, and not purview of being at a school.”
A frequent visitor to the Jewish state, Huckabee said an experience “that will forever be embedded in me” is the first time he took his daughter Sarah, then 11 years old, to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum and memorial.
“I saw the impact that it had on [Sarah] and continues to have on her; she’s 31 years old now,” Huckabee said.
In February, while leading an Israel trip for evangelical Christians, Huckabee at a press briefing called on Obama—who would make his first visit to Israel as president the following month—to announce the release of imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. On Nov. 21, Pollard entered his 29th year in U.S. prison; he is the only person in U.S. history to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally.
“Pollard has been in prison longer than most people who have done more than he did, and I think particularly in light of his current health situation, [pardoning him] would be a nice gesture toward our allies in Israel, and it would be I think a very important humanitarian gesture as well,” Huckabee told JNS.org.
Article courtesy of JNS.org

GENESIS 23:16, 20
Posted by: Israel365  December 9, 2013 , 4:48 pm

And Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price which he had mentioned in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred silver shekels … thus the field with its cave was confirmed as Abraham’s. GENESIS (23:16, 20)

Today’s verse is the first place where Scripture attests to the Jews’ incontestable possession of the Holy Land. For “the field with its cave” (the Cave of Machpela where Abraham buried Sarah) was clearly purchased by Abraham and paid for with unquestionably legal tender. Today the Hebron Fund works tirelessly to ensure the Jewish presence in Hebron and to maintain the holy sites, including this very cave where Sarah and Abraham, Rebecca and Isaac, and Jacob and Leah are buried.

Israel Wants Iran to Halt ‘Genocidal Policy’
Posted by: Video Manager  December 9, 2013 , 4:33 pm


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I35fQqSghyI

United Church of Canada Urges the Boycott of Israeli ProductsPosted by: Staff Writer December 9, 2013 , 3:06 pm
Cast out the scorner, and contention will go out; yea, strife and shame will cease. (Proverbs 22:10)
Jewish groups condemned a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that was launched this week by the United Church of Canada. The campaign, titled “Unsettling Goods,” urges the boycotting of Ahava, Keter Plastics, and SodaStream, which all have factories in Judea and Samaria.
“How shameful that any Christian, much less the United Church of Canada, would choose to ignore the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and instead incite hatred for Israel, the only democracy in the region where tolerance and religious freedoms are practiced. There can be only one conclusion—the nearly irrelevant United Church of Canada’s leaders have fallen prey to the world’s oldest hatred, and their motives can only be attributed to bigotry and anti-Semitism,” Meryle Kates, executive director of the Canada branch of the pro-Israel education group StandWithUs, told JNS.org.
B’nai B’rith Canada CEO Frank Dimant said the United Church of Canada “would realize who they really are hurting” if they took “time to examine the facts,” noting that SodaStream “employs 500 Palestinians as well as 400 additional Arabs living in eastern Jerusalem at its Ma’ale Adumim manufacturing facility alone,” Israel National News reported.
Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center President and CEO Avi Benlolo said, “Despite Hamas’ repeated calls for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews, based on Article 13 of the Hamas Covenant, which states ‘There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad,’ and despite calls by Fatah officials for a third violent intifada against Israel, the United Church sees fit to pray for a successful boycott against Jewish businesses in Israel, while ignoring the ongoing incitement to violence and genocide against Israel and Jews coming from Palestinian leaders.”
This article was provided courtesy of JNS.org

Call to Pray for Rain

Posted by: Staff Writer  December 8, 2013 , 2:37 pm

"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14)

Both the chief Rabbinate and the military Rabbinate called on their constituents to pray for rain last week, following weeks of dry weather that they identified as a drought.  Although there has been some rain in Israel thus far this winter, nearly no rain fell in the month of November, prompting the concern.
Last winter, after seven years of very little rain during which the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) reached dangerously low levels, the country saw near-record rainfalls which replenished the water levels significantly.  The makeup of the Kinneret is unique, in that below the fresh water there are salt water springs.  As long as there is enough fresh water supply in the Kinneret, the salt remains at the bottom of the lake and the water above remains potable.  As the Kinneret is the only freshwater source in Israel, this is very important.  If the water level drops too low, the water pressure from the freshwater will not be sufficient to keep the salt water down, and the Kinneret will become a saltwater lake.
This winter so far, Israel has experience higher than usual temperatures and unusually low rainfall.  In fact, only three years in Israel’s history have recorded such low rainfall in the north: 1946, 1962 and 2010.  “Compared to the past, it must be emphasized that the variance of rain in November is quite great, and there are quite a few years where there is very little rain [in November],” the Meteorological Service said, according to Walla. “However, the almost complete lack of rainfall in the month, as happened at some of the stations, is uncommon.”
Response to the rabbis’ calls for rain was enthusiastic.  Ynet.com reported that soldiers leaving prayers on Wednesday morning confirmed they had prayed for rain.  When asked about the request for prayers despite meteorologists predicting rain for this past weekend, a senior military Rabbinate official stated, “There will be those who respond with cynicism, but many soldiers did not ignore the request and understood its importance for benefit for the country they live in.  This is not a matter of superstitions or compulsion: He who didn’t want to pray, didn’t have to pray.”
Although the Rabbinate did not claim any credit for the change in weather, it does seem Someone took notice.  According to weather reports, this week will open with rain ranging from light showers to thunderstorms,  and colder weather, with snow expected to fall in the Hermon region.  This follows a weekend of rainy weather.  Of course, prayers for rains of blessing in their season are never amiss.