Stop Judaization of Galilee Arab leaders on Land Day: We're not afraid of Right Thousands of Israeli Arabs marched in commemoration of the 33rd Land Day. MKs warned against Israel's Judaization of Galilee, Negev and vow to propose bill to acknowledge day as national holiday for Arab public. Two youths arrested for throwing stones during Kfar Kanna rally Sharon Roffe-Ofir Published: 03.30.09, 19:41 / Israel News Arabs in Israel and around the world commemorated the 33rd Land Day on Monday. The main event was held in Deir Hanna in northern Israel, and included Arab MKs, political activists and thousands of demonstrators. Land Day is an annual day of commemoration in the Israeli Arab community and in Arab communities worldwide, meant to protest the 1976 killing of six Arab citizens during an Israeli government's bid to confiscate Arab lands. It is usually marked by general strikes and mass marches. Leaders from the Arab public who participated in the event said Arabs should be concerned with the political right's entrance to the center of the Israeli arena. Thousands of residents embarked on a procession Monday afternoon passing through the communities of Arab Arraba and Sakhnin and ending in Deir Hanna. The demonstrators carried PLO flags, and the slogan for this year's Land Day was: "We are all united under Israeli fascism and racism." Hadash MK Afou Agbaria told Ynet during the march that "the reasons that led to Land Day are still relevant and valid today – the confiscation of lands continues". United Arab List – Ta'al leaders also said this day of protest was no less important this year, in light of recent events. MK Talab El-Sana commented on February's general elections for Knesset and the formation of the new government and said that "Land Day is especially important this year due to the extreme Right's rise to power and a rise in trends of Judaizing the Galilee and the Negev by marginalizing the Arab public". El-Sana called on the government led by Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu "to put a stop to the racist plans of Judaizing the Galilee and Negev and adopt development policies for all the Galilee and Negev's residents". Land Day rally in Deir Hanna Monday (Photo: Ido Beker) Faten Hussein, a resident of Deir Hanna who was present at the rally, said, "It is important for me to come here each year with the kids so they know that they are Arabs who live in the State of Israel with Jews and that their roots are Arab." Manaa Hussein, of Majdal Krum, who also came to the rally with his children, expressed similar sentiments: "The children must know the history of our people. The children must be taught what happened since the establishment of the State up to this day. "It is also important to me that my children understand that we have to live in peace, coexistence and equality." 'Jewish population radicalizing to the right' "This year Land Day expresses even more the outcry against racism and the toxic spews of Netanyahu's government," said Hadash Chairman Muhammad Barakeh, "We are concerned with the atmosphere brewing in Israel, but we are not afraid." MK Masud Ganaim (United Arab List – Ta'al) expressed a similar position: "The election results indicate that the Jewish population is radicalizing to the right, and all the loyalty tests they want to put us through in the future will only increase suspiciousness." The Balad party announced it would file a bill proposal to the Knesset aimed at recognizing Land Day as a national holiday for the Arab public. "The next step will be to file another bill proposal demanding we get back the lands that were taken away from us. This is a law that exists in all civilized countries in the world and Israel is at the top of the list of land confiscation laws," said Balad Chairman Jamal Zahalka. On the 33rd Land Day in Israel, the West Bank and around the world, cries against Israel's policies towards the Palestinians were heard. At a local rally held in the northern community of Kfar Kanna two youths were arrested under suspicion of throwing stones at police officers. The main rally in Deir Hanna will be echoed by mass gatherings in the US, Canada. Germany, Finland, France and Belgium. Meanwhile, the World Social Forum (WSF) – an umbrella group for hundreds of social, anti-globalization and rights groups worldwide – announced it would be launching a campaign calling on all of its affiliates to excommunicate Israel. Also on Land Day, some 120 Palestinians demonstrated near the security fence in the village of Naalin, near Ramallah. The protestors threw stones at security forces in the area, who responded with crowd dispersal means. No injuries were reported. Near the security fence in Jiyus, near Qalqilya, some 40 Palestinians clashed with soldiers and threw stones at them. In addition, in Adna, which is near Hebron, some 60 Palestinians clashed with security forces. Efrat Weiss contribute to this report -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepare to face the missiles Avi Schnurr urges incoming government to change direction, make missile defense a top priority Avi Schnurr Published: 03.30.09, 00:11 / Israel Opinion World War II, the Yom Kippur War, and the September 11 attacks all have something in common: Years later, people are still asking: “Why did we ignore all the warning signs?” The Second Lebanon War and the ongoing violence in Gaza are two such warning signs. In recent years, our enemies have focused most of their efforts in preparing for a missile war. In fact, at this time, the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles in the world is aimed at Israel. When the new government gets to assess Israel’s strategic position and define new directions and policies, it will encounter the most terrifying security nightmare faced by Israel since 1948. Will it heed the warning signs and embark on a new path? The historical picture is discouraging. Democratic states have a tendency to respond to new crises by ignoring them, preferring to wait for the post-disaster shock and pain after in order to unite the nation while offering a response and during the recovery. Regrettably, we do not have this privilege. Today, Syria and Hizbullah possess thousands of long range guided missiles with heavy warheads that are capable of hitting the refineries in Haifa, razing the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, and paralyzing Ben-Gurion Airport. We thoroughly control the Middle Eastern aerial space, yet not our own. Our enemies on the north are capable of lighting up the skies of Israel with rockets and missiles, and the moment they are fired our ability to intercept them would be very limited. Indeed, Israel possesses the Arrow missile, a powerful anti-missile defense system designed to intercept long and medium range missiles. However, we still do not possess effective active protection against short range missiles and rockets. The absence of a comprehensive anti-missile program attests to a large gap in terms of our ability to address the growing threat, compared to where we should be. Required changes not cosmetic The required changes are not cosmetic, but rather, fundamental and broad shifts. We must make the response to the threat one of our top priorities. Should the new government succeed in doing so, it will set a new standard of leadership. There is a wide variety of issues that need to be dealt with in respect to protection against missiles. While we wait for interception means currently being developed for medium and short range missiles, we must equip ourselves with the most available and tested systems. Once we identify the suitable systems, we must demand that the manufacturers adopt them to Israel’s unique needs and configurations. This will supply us with essential capabilities in the near future and help us protect the population and prepare our security forces. The installation of warning sensors and alarm systems, which have proven to be vital and life-saving, must continue. The development of a program of passive defense capabilities is also a vital need, in order to ensure that our key infrastructure components (electricity, phone, and water systems, etc.) will survive both a conventional and a non-conventional war. The fact that after eight years and many military operations we are still unable to prevent the rocket attacks from Gaza constitutes a major warning sign. In the next war we shall have to contend with warheads weighing half a ton that will be fired at carefully selected targets. Therefore, it is essential that we start focusing on this threat. Avi Schnurr is a physicist who examined America’s defense policy on behalf of the Pentagon, Congress, National Security Agency, National Academy of Sciences, and NATO. Toady he is the executive director of the Israel Missile Defense Association. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama may meet Assad in Istanbul to dramatize outreach to Muslims DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 30, 2009, 4:05 PM (GMT+02:00) Turkish prime minister Recip Tayyep Edrogan is leaning hard on the White House for US president Barack Obama to meet Syrian president Bashar Assad. Edrogan says this will dramatize the address Obama plans to deliver from Istanbul on April 7 extending America's hand of peace to Muslims worldwide. It will also telegraph a strong message to the new Netanyah-Barak-Lieberman government that the Obama administration wants Israel to go back to the Turkish-mediated peace talks with Syria begun by Ehud Olmert – this time with active US involvement. According to DEBKAfile's Washington sources, which report this exclusively, the White House has neither accepted nor rejected the Turkish premier's initiative, but time for a negative is shrinking. Obama's outreach to the Muslim world speech will be delivered the day before the start of Jewish Passover festival. Turkish premier maintains that Obama must underscore his message to the Muslim world with actions not just words; a meeting with the Syrian ruler would show he is in earnest. While the US president's movements in the Turkish city are undisclosed for reasons of security, DEBKAfile's sources report that he has scheduled an appearance at the second forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in the first week of April in Istanbul. He will be joined on the platform by Erdogan, UN secretary Ban ki-moon, Spanish prime minister Louis Rodriguez Zapatero and one or two influential Muslim clerical figures. To lend wings to Obama's outreach to the Muslims, White House circles Monday, March 30, leaked word that his team took a hand in persuading Israel to accept a ceasefire which cut short its anti-Hamas operation in Gaza in January. The radical Islamist terrorists had to be spared from total defeat by Israel and their leaders from capture otherwise Assad, as their backer, would be restrained from resuming peace talks with Israel for some time. The ceasefire gave Assad enough political room to continue the negotiations without losing credibility in the Arab world. Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker wrote in its coming issue: A major change in American policy toward Syria is clearly under way. “The return of the Golan Heights is part of a broader strategy for peace in the Middle East that includes countering Iran’s influence… Syria is a strategic linchpin for dealing with Iran and the Palestinian issue." According to this report, Cheney began getting messages from the Israelis about pressure from Obama when he was still President-elect. Cheney portrayed Obama to the Israelis as a “pro-Palestinian,” who would not support their efforts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel Railways fires Arab workers State-owned Israel Railways said Monday it had fired around 40 Israeli Arabs after deciding only military veterans could do its jobs. An aerial view of a an Israel Railways train. Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski SLIDESHOW: Israel & Region | World The railways said its security department changed the criteria, adding, however, that it is interested in providing veterans work in the tight economy. The workers had acted as lookouts at crossings to prevent trains and vehicles from colliding. The railway denied that it was discriminating against its workers. It says the new job criteria would also apply to Israeli Jews who were disqualified from the military or chose not to serve for religious reasons. Most Israeli Arabs are not required to serve in the military. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analysis: Struggles for tourists in the Holy Land Israel joined the World Tourism Organization in 1975. One of the purposes of the WTO is to encourage tourism and free travel from country to country. The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, enacted by the WTO in 2001 and featured in Hebrew on the Israeli Ministry of Tourism's website, explicitly states (Article 2) that travel for religious purposes, health reasons, as well as education, cultural and linguistic exchanges are particularly beneficial forms of tourism. Article 8 of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism deals with matters concerning access to places of transit, tourist attractions, cultural sites, and to tourist accommodations, “without being subject to excessive formalities or discrimination.” The Israeli Ministry of Tourism requires that every entity involved with tourism in Israel adopt the regulations of this code in every area of activity. Unfortunately, recent events demonstrate that this is not always implemented. In 2005, Mr. Sam Nadler landed at Ben Gurion Airport and entered Israel as a tourist. Mr. Nadler is a Messianic Jew and the founder of Word of Messiah Ministries. These facts were made known to the Ministry of Interior in Israel, which immediately blacklisted Mr. Nadler as a persona non grata. Upon arrival, Mr. Nadler was detained at the airport and was told that he would be deported on the next flight back to the United Sates. He was permitted entry into Israel only after an extensive legal and diplomatic struggle. In July 2008, seven tourists from Canada who belong to the Hutterite Community landed at Ben Gurion Airport and entered Israel as tourists. Hutterites are a communal branch of Anabaptists who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the reformation of the 16th century. The Hutterites are characterized by their pacifism and secluded communal lifestyles. Apparently due to their unique appearance, this group was detained by Israeli border control for several hours and was interrogated concerning the purpose of their visit to Israel. Using language common to their community, but outdated to most other Christians, the Hutterites explained to the border control officers that they were “on a mission.” They were promptly deported back to Canada on the grounds they intended to engage in “missionary activity” while in Israel. In December 2008, the director of the US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, Mr. Jamie Cowen and his wife were detained at Ben Gurion Airport by Interior Ministry officials amid allegations that he is involved in ongoing “illegal” Christian missionary activity. In reality, the Cowens entered Israel in order to visit their two daughters, one of whom is an Israeli citizen. Their other daughter is in the process of obtaining Israeli citizenship after winning a Supreme Court decision. But border officials refused to permit the Cowens entry into Israel due to missionary concerns. Finally, after eight hours of detention, Mr. and Mrs. Cowen were permitted entry into Israel, albeit only after signing a degrading declaration that they would not be involved in missionary activity during their visit. The three aforementioned examples prove without a doubt that there is blatant disregard by the Ministry of Interior officials and Israeli border control for The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. Furthermore, these recent events are more than just random incidents or coincidences. The actions by the Ministry of Interior represent a deliberate, direct and real policy which contradicts the Ministry of Tourism's decision to adopt the regulations of the code of ethics in every area of activity. This policy of the Ministry of Interior not only creates violations of civil rights and international agreements, which Israel has ratified, it also harms Israel's financial state. There is no doubt that a huge part of the Israeli tourism industry is comprised of Christian pilgrims who commonly view their visit to Israel as a “mission.” In Israel, a nation that is obligated to thoroughly check all the people who enter its borders due to the security situation, it would seem preferable to invest in authentic security inspections rather than petty religious investigations. These investigations are ironically carried out against those who love Israel and simply desire to bless her. Finally, it must be stressed that the office responsible for this problem is the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Interior does not properly reflect the nation of Israel. Unlike other government offices in Israel, it has become notorious for its many administrative deficiencies. It is a pity that so many times the Israeli courts must serve as the Ministry of Interior's back office, as they are required to resolve such issues in order to preserve democracy in the only democratic state in the Middle East.

Shin Bet head: Hamas continues to smuggle arms into Gaza    

Hamas continues to smuggle weaponry into the Gaza Strip, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin told the cabinet during Sunday's weekly meeting.

Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin. Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski

SLIDESHOW: Israel & Region  |  World

Since Operation Cast Lead ended, Diskin said, 22 tons of dynamite were smuggled into Gaza. Forty-five tons of raw material used to produce dynamite, dozens of rockets, hundreds of mortar shells and anti-aircraft shoulder missiles also made their way to the Strip, he said. Diskin told the cabinet that Egypt was making inroads in its effort to curb arms smuggling through the Gaza-Egypt border, but that Hamas still succeeded in bringing large quantities of weapons into the Strip. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip were planning to carry out another kidnapping attempt, Diskin warned. He added that there has been an increase in the efforts of small splinter groups to carry out attacks inside Israel, either by infiltrating through Sinai or by orchestrating local efforts in the West Bank. In his weekly outline to the cabinet, the last given to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government before Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu presents his government on Tuesday, Diskin said that Hamas was afraid of an escalation in violence with Israel, especially after the negotiations to conduct a prisoner exchange and reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah both failed to yield results. Hamas's interest remains rebuilding the Gaza Strip and replenishing their weapons caches, Diskin said. The Islamic group is deliberating whether to renew terrorism in full force or to rally support from the residents of Gaza in the hope of influencing the world into action by holding mass protests, he added. Diskin said Hamas recently organized protests in support of Israeli Arabs and for the Aksa Mosque. He said that the Shin Bet was not expecting unusual occurrences during Land Day, which Israeli Arabs and Palestinians mark on March 30 to commemorate the confiscation of land in the Galilee by the government in the mid 1970s

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Natural gas signs found in another drill site

US-Israeli exploration group that discovered large amounts of natural gas in Israeli waters earlier this year says discovered early signs of gas 60 kilometers off coast of Hadera  

A US-Israeli exploration group that discovered large amounts of natural gas in Israeli waters earlier this year said on Sunday it found early signs of gas at a new drill site in the Mediterranean Sea. Noble Energy, which leads the group, informed its Israeli partners that the Dalit-1 drill reached a depth of 3,660 meters (4,000 yards) and has begun to carry out electric tests, the Israeli companies said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.  Noble Energy owns 36% of the drilling site while Isramco Negev owns 28.75% and Avner Oil Exploration and Delek Drilling each hold 15.625%. Dor Gas Exploration owns 4%.   The first evaluation of the data shows signs of natural gas in the sands, the companies said. "At this stage it is only preliminary data and the existence of a natural gas reserve and/or its size and/or economic worth has not yet been determined," the companies said.   The partners upon receiving more information expect to issue another statement in the coming days, including whether there is scope for carrying out production tests.   Earlier this year, the group led by Noble said it had found 5 trillion cubic feet (142 billion cubic meters) of natural gas at the Tamar-1 site, 90 kilometers west of the northern port of Haifa.   Dalit-1 is located 60 kilometers off the coast of Hadera, a city to the south of Haifa.

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Bringing Israel's Lost Tribe Home

By George Thomas

CBN News Senior Reporter March 28, 2009

CBNNews.com - One of the great mysteries of ancient history has been the fate of the lost tribes of Israel. But one Jewish organization believes it has found the lost tribe, called Bnei Menashe, and plans to bring them home. Daniel is part of the Bnei Menashe tribe in India. They are believed to be descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Israel who were exiled from their homeland almost 3,000 years ago.

CBN NEWS ARCHIVES: Lost Tribe of Manasseh Returns Home'Aliyah' from India Still Uncertain

The Bnei Menashe practice Judaism, observing the sabbath, keeping kosher and even celebrating Jewish festivals-- all while living in India and hoping to someday return to the promise land.Michael Freund is working to bring the Bnei Menshe to Israel. "They see it as the fulfillment of the of biblical prophecy. which i believe it is," he explained. So far, his organization, Shavei Israel, has helped more than 1,400 members of the tribe make the journey. Once they arrive, Shavei Israel helps them find jobs, learn the language and adjust to the culture. "Bringing them into Israel is...a beginning to their new journey, and we want to ensure that they are fully absorbed and successfully so within the country," Freund said. He hopes to bring the more than 7,000 members of the Bnei Menashe tribe still living in India to Israel, and it doesn't stop there. Jews from Spain, China, Russia, and Italy have made aliyah through the help of Shavei Israel. "I think we are privileged to live in a very special time," Freund said. "It's a time where we are witnessing the ingathering of the exiles, just as the prophets foretold." Freund is asking Christians and Jews alike to share in fulfilling that prophecy. "Pray for the success of our efforts and plead with God to put it into the hearts of our decision makers to open the door so that our lost brethren can come home again," he said.

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EU to Israel: Create Palestine or else…

By Stan Goodenough March 29, 2009 Israel’s incoming government had better embrace and pursue the “two-state-solution” being promoted by the rest if the world or face the displeasure of the European Union. This was the threatening message conveyed Friday evening, shortly after the Jewish state entered the Sabbath Day. The headlines, which appeared on the Internet sites of all Israel’s major news media, conveyed the same, peremptory message. It came from Karel Schwarzenberg, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which currently holds the EU presidency: EU warns Israel on two-state issue – The Jerusalem Post. EU warns Netanyahu over stalled peace process – Ha’aretz. EU demands two state solution - Ynetnews. If the about-to-be-inaugurated Netanyahu government will not commit itself to establishing a Palestinian state in the heart of the ancient Jewish homeland, said Schwarzenberg, "relations would become very difficult indeed." "At one of our next ministerial meetings we would have to discuss what consequences the EU would draw from that. Both parties must stick to their commitments from the past: A two-state solution and all agreements reached over the past few years." The Czech minister enthused about the new US administration’s quick effort to work towards resolving the Arab-Israel conflict. Obama’s decisive action meant that there is now "real hope for progress in the region," he said. Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, dangled carrots before Jerusalem, saying the much discussed and hoped-for upgrading of EU-Israeli trade and political ties would be contingent on Israel achieving a peace deal with the Palestinians. Israel has made every effort to strike such a deal. It has surrendering control of some of its most sacred and strategic historic sites, allowing the PLO to establish itself as an armed and governmental presence in these territories, offered to place some of its greatest and most sacred national treasures on the negotiating table, and repeatedly taken unprecedented “risks for peace.” Hundreds of Jews have been murdered as a direct result of these Israeli efforts. Nonetheless Asselborn insisted: "We must tell the Israelis that it is not allowed to walk away from the peace process... The upgrading process was always to be viewed from the perspective of the peace process having been completed." According to The Jerusalem Post, the EU’s foreign policy czar, Javier Solana, also recently underscored how ties with Israel could be damaged should the incoming government not commit to the two-state solution. "Let me say very clearly that the way the European Union will relate to an government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," Solana said, adding unabashedly that Europe "will be ready to do business as usual, normally, with a government in Israel that will continue talking for a two-state solution."

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Disturbing video... from a French supermarket

Yeshiva Son told me about seeing this at Israel Matzav. I don't know how I missed it, but here it is in all its jaw-dropping glory.  Carl called it, "Where are the police?"

This disturbing video came from a French supermarket. A group of 'youth' (Arab/Muslim) invades a French supermarket on a Saturday afternoon and removes all of the Israeli products from the shelves.,, Let's go to the videotape. Video Aren't there laws in France? Why didn't the store owners call the police? UPDATE 8:00 PM Reader Yisroel left me this translation:

First man: On this day, we solemnly ask the Carrefour's direction for the last time why they do not indicate on their products if they come from Israel. Why do we not know if they come from the "occupied territories", like avocados or pineapples? It's not indicated at all. It's illegal. Why doesn't Carrefour sell products from "palestine"?

Second man:

Israeli peppers... from occupied, colonozied territories, they steal the lands. We see it clearly, nothing left.

Boycott

Small tomatoes. Israeli tomatoes. It's written there, just there. Israel.

We don't know where those are from, those might be coming from Israel. Direction: the fruits The steal the land, and then come to sell at Carrefour. It's shameful. It's taken from the "palestinians", on the "palestinians' land". What a shame. With the "palestinians' water". Orange juice from Israel. We can see it clearly. Israel. They are sold at carrefour. Shameful for France. On territories stolen, land stolen, they steal their water, then we sell it at Carrefour, what a shame. Old woman: South Africa started to shake once all countries started to boycott their products, so what you're doing, I find it good. Second man: Thank you madam Second man:

They back Israeli criminals, more than 400 children killed, at least 1500 people assassinated, here l'Oréal backs these war criminals. Well we don't accept that. In the trash can. All of you who support Israel, look at what's waiting for you.

See, it's empty now, we don't want these products in our home. We're at home here, we're in France, we're not in Israel.

Let's go to the Israeli wet tissues, it's cheap, number 1, let's remove everything from the shelf, in the trash.

Third man: It's written here, imported from Israel. It's written in big letters there. Imported from Israel. Second man:

We're giving a message to Sarkozy, political message, if they don't want to act, we will act.

Wet tissues for babies, sold here to the French, it's unacceptable. They kill babies then they want to sell wet tissues for babies after that.

Here, the brand Tex, fabricated by Delta Galil in Israel, and sold here to the French, it's unacceptable. It's from the colonies.

Young woman: L'Oréal, it's not an Israeli company, but they built factories there, they boast in the chamber of commerce that they have the best customer base in Israel. Of course, "palestinian" women do not care about their beauty, they care about feeding their children. So we buy them? Those clementines from Yaffa, they are bombs to destroy houses, lived-in houses, schools, mosques, do we buy them? By wearing and buying those clothes, we participate in the occupation, it's illegal. When we see these peppers, we see pretty colors uh? We think they are for diversity, well they treat "palestinians" like racist, they treat them back like in the times of apartheid. Do we buy them? First man:A lot of us contacted the direction of Carrefour, to receive satisfying answers to our questions. To this day, unfortunately, no answer. Each customer has the right to know what he is buying, especially the right not to contribute to the massacre of the "palestinian" people. We are many associations here today, and these types of operations are happening all over France, all over the world. We will continue to boycott and inform the population. Today, this is Israeli products and products without origin that we boycott. Without a quick answer and changes from Carrefour, tomorrow it's Carrefour that we will boycott! Then they chant "Boycott! Boycott! Boycott! We are all "palestinians!" I think it's also very important to see that they consider all of Israel to be occupied land stolen from the so-called "palestinians", for example saying products from the Galil is product from "colonies". That second speaker was right, it is very shameful for France.

Reader Josyane sent me email to tell me that Carrefour (much more here) is one of the largest retail chains in Europe and that the Arabs are angry with them because they just entered into a large contract with Retalix, an Israeli company that makes point-of-sale equipment. That seems rather odd though because the relationship between Retalix and Carrefour apparently dates to September 2006. So why a boycott suddenly now?

Reuters

Published:

03.29.09, 11:07 / Israel Money

     

ABC: Israel attacked Gaza arms 3 times The alleged Israeli air strike in January against weapons bound for Gaza, in which a convoy of trucks was destroyed and at least 39 people were killed was not an isolated incident, but was rather one of at least three attacks, the American news station ABC reported. According to the report, a US official told the station that two of the strikes took place in the Sudan, while a third occurred in the Red Sea. Israel has yet to offer an official response to the allegations. Various statements made by officials in the Sudan and the United States have offered a murky, and somewhat contradictory picture of the alleged clandestine operations. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said Friday there was no proof that Israel attacked a Hamas-bound armconvoy in the country two months ago, Israel Radio reported. A ministry spokesman, Ali Sadiq, said Khartoum was investigating several leads regarding the strike, Israel being one of them. The Sudanese government issued the statement after the US shook off allegations that it was behind the strike. Earlier, US officials confirmed that the IAF did bomb a convoy of trucks in Sudan in January that was believed to be carrying arms for eventual delivery to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The New York Times on Friday quoted two officials as saying that the air strike was part of Israel's efforts to stop the flow of weapons to Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The two, who the newspaper said are "privy to classified intelligence assessments," further stated that Iran had been involved in the effort to smuggle weapons to the Strip, noting intelligence reports indicating that an Iranian Revolutionary Guards operative had gone to Sudan to coordinate the effort. However, the New York Times cited one former official as saying that the exact origin of the arms was unclear. The newspaper also quoted Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the United States Africa Command, as saying that said US forces had not bombed Sudan. "The US military has not conducted any air strikes, fired any missiles or undertaken any combat operations in or around Sudan since October 2008, when US Africa Command formally became responsible for US military action in Africa," he said. The US officials who described the Israeli role declined to be identified because they were discussing classified information and were not authorized to speak for the Obama administration. One American military official said the January strike was one of a series of IAF bombing raids against Gaza-bound arms shipments. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Shlomo Brom, director of the Program on Israel-Palestinian Relations at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, said Israel bombing a weaponsconvoy in Sudan seemed "very logical." "It fits exactly with the pattern of how Israel operates," he said, according to the Times. Sudanese government spokesman Rabie A. Atti said reports of the strike were emerging now because it took time to fully probe the attack. He also said that "more than 100 people" had been killed in the air raid, not the 39 reported Thursday by CBS News. He denied the trucks that were bombed were carrying weapons. "I've heard this allegation, but it's not true," he said. "It was a genocide, committed by US forces." When asked how he knew the forces were American, Rabie responded: "We don't differentiate between the US and Israel. They are all one." Senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil on Thursday also denied that the convoys were carrying arms bound for Gaza. Meanwhile, a senior Egyptian official was quoted as saying Friday that Cairo knew about an air strike northwest of Port Sudan. Speaking to A-Sharq Alawasat, the official emphasized, however, that Egypt had no knowledge of the attackers or the target. In addition, an Egyptian military expert told the London-based newspaper that if the IAF had indeed bombed an arms convoy, it would not have needed to enter Egyptian airspace or to refuel on its way to Sudan. He said Israeli planes could have reached their target via the Gulf of Aqaba and flown over the Red Sea. Also Friday, Army Radio quoted Israeli officials as warning that the international community would not give the same green light for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. "Western countries have economic and other interests in Teheran, so such an attack would exact a heavy price on the entire world," the officials said.

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Anti-tank missile fired at IDF patrol Following reports of an apparent IAF strike on a Gaza-bound arms convoy in Sudan, and after the successful test of the Iron Dome anti-rocket shield, Palestinians in Gaza continued to launch attacks from the Strip on Friday, firing an anti-tank missile at an IDF patrol along the border fence. No one was wounded and no damage was reported in the attack near the Karni border crossing, in northern Gaza. There was no immediate response from the IDF. On Thursday, a Kassam rocket fired by Gaza terrorists hit the Sdot Negev region, while on Tuesday, after a 10-day lull, a rocket hit an open area in the western Negev. In response to those attacks, the IAF bombed two weapons smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza. Since the end of Operation Cast Lead, some 100 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at southern Israel from Gaza. On Thursday evening, in a message that will be welcomed by residents of the rocket-battered western Negev, the Defense Ministry said that the Iron Dome anti-rocket shield had passed a critical test in the past 48 hours. During the test, a number of rockets were launched, "of the same type that were fired in recent years at Israel," and the Iron Dome system responded "accordingly," the ministry said. Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report

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Israel's incoming, outgoing PMs gloss over growing rift with Washington

DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis

March 28, 2009, 11:32 AM (GMT+02:00)

Designated prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu simply pushes away any suggestion of pressure on Israel from the Obama administration in Washington, while Ehud Olmert has said a few days before bowing out that he has left the Iranian nuclear threat to the next government.

Olmert forgot to mention that his government's policy of letting Israel be sidelined on the existential Iranian issue and knuckling under to the US lead and its failed sanctions policy allowed Iran to build up momentum in its race for a nuclear bomb.

Olmert "forgot" to mention that Israel is no longer in a position to stop Iran's nuclear program.

He and foreign minister Tzipi Livni bow out therefore leaving Israel vulnerable as never before to international pressure in all its external policies. Before he takes office, the incoming prime minister is already having his arm twisted by Washington and the European Union on Palestinian statehood – and that is just the beginning because of another development which Olmert "forgot" to mention.

DEBKAfile's Washington sources report that the Obama administration is on the threshold of a major rapprochement with Tehran, a reversal of US policy dramatic enough to block out international sanctions. Iran will be allowed to keep its nuclear program, including military elements and enriched uranium stocks, up to the point of actually assembling a weapon.

Washington will continue the Bush practice of publishing "reports" that Iran is still years away from a weaponizing capability. Tehran will hold the upper hand by retaining the option to go forward and build a bomb within one month of a decision to do so and mount warheads on ballistic missiles already standing ready, as revealed last Sunday, March 25, by Israel's military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin.

Because of the Olmert-Livni policy position in the last two years, Israel no longer as any say in Washington and international forums on the nuclear-arming of Iran.

The outgoing prime minister mentioned that Israel has a long-range operational arm able to strike anywhere. But he forgot that, on his watch, Israel lost the ability to employ it. DEBKA file's Washington sources report that the Obama administration, like its predecessor, will throw everything they have against an Israeli prime minister who ventures to employ its long-range arm. This will not be news to Netanyahu, any more than Olmert.

Just as Ariel Sharon dumped the Iranian problem in Olmert's lap, he too is handing it down to his successor. He not only avoided solving it but left Israel with less leverage than every before for heading off the fast-approaching peril.

Netanyahu is whistling in the dark when he pretends to see no American squeeze on the horizon of his government-in-waiting. One of the hardest long-term tasks ahead of him will be to rebuild Israel's position as America's needed and respected strategic ally, in the face of Barack Obama's ardent courtship of Iran and the Muslim world.

The US president is willing to ditch Israel as a friend. This will be brought home to Jerusalem when he makes his big speech on April 7 appealing for a grand US-Muslim global reconciliation. The US president is preparing to tie a Palestinian-Israeli settlement - on Washington's terms - to such unrelated issues as Afghanistan and Pakistan as the currency for purchasing Muslim and Arab backing for accommodations of these outstanding terrorist fronts.

Different forms of coercion, including the discrediting of the Netanyahu government if it fails to toe the Obama line, will follow. The incoming prime minister's pretense that "all is well" between him and the US administration is pie in the sky, instead of the resolute, firm hand which Israel needs at the helm these days to recoup command over its basic policies and the international community's faded respect.

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'Iron Dome' Rocket Defense on Target

CBNNews.com March 27, 2009

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Israel's 'Iron Dome' rocket defense system performed well in its most recent test, the Defense Ministry announced Thursday evening. The Iron Dome rocket defense system has been jointly developed by Mafat, the Defense Ministry's Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

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It is part of a multilayered defense system, which includes the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, designed to protect Israelis from incoming rocket attacks, especially in the north and south of the country. Defense Ministry officials said the latest round of tests represented a "milestone" in Iron Dome's performance and confirmed its ability to respond appropriately to incoming projectiles. According to Defense Ministry Director-General Pinchas Buchris, who praised the system's engineers, Iron Dome will be installed and fully functioning in the near future. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the multilayered defense system would ensure that "a clear majority of missiles do not reach their targets." Sources: The Jerusalem Post, YNet news

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Israel's 1967 Miracle

By Chris Mitchell

CBN News - Jerusalem Bureau June 5, 2009

Video

CBNNews.com - The stage was set for war and Israel's enemies prepared for victory. They remained convinced they could "drive the Jews into the sea." But what was about to transpire would not only stun Israel's enemies, confound military experts but transfix the world. Many believe what happened in the six days following June 4, 1967 was nothing short of a miracle. On June 4, 1967, the infant state of Israel found itself on the brink of annihilation. Israelis still lived with the agonizing memory of the Holocaust. Now the Arab nations surrounding Israel vowed to make the blue Mediterranean run red with the blood of Jews.

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"We were thinking in terms that the Israelis are going to be thrown to the water," Ret. General Eitan Ben-Eliyahu said. On the morning of June 5, 1967 Ben-Eliyahu flew one of the first missions against Egyptian air fields in the Sinai. "This is a matter of life and death," he said. "This is a matter of Israel is going to be destroyed. This is matter like this is the third chapter of our Independence Day, '56, and now '67." "The people were in panic, people were talking about the imminent destruction of the State of Israel, of a war in which there will be an enormous number of casualties; at least 10,000 people will be killed," Ret. General Shlomo Givas said. Rabbis in Jerusalem anticipated so many deaths they actually designated all of the public parks in Jerusalem as cemeteries. Just before the war, the joke in Israel was: "Last ones out, turn off the lights." But this black humor didn't mask the fear that many Israelis genuinely anticipated a catastrophe. Why? Israel found itself outnumbered and out-gunned on three fronts, Egypt to the south, Jordan to the west and Syria to the north. The Soviet Union had poured $2 billion worth of arms into the Arab nations. Israel's enemies brought twice as many soldiers, three times as many tanks and four times as many airplanes to the battlefield.

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But just before the war, Egypt, Israel's main enemy suffered a series of major mistakes and mishaps. "There was this miscommunication between Nasser and his top generals," Channel 2 Military Correspondent Ehud Yaari said. "And everything didn't work to what they thought. And when the war broke, you could see and hear, which we did. We heard them. You could see and hear that the Egyptian high command was not in control." Egypt's high command also dismissed warnings by mid-level Egyptian intelligence officers of an imminent Israeli air attack. The night before the war, Egypt's commander-in-chief, Abd al-Hakim Amer gathered his high command for a party at an air base far away from the front lines. "They were caught by surprise, totally," Yaari said. "I mean some of them tried to get into the air in order to join their units. They couldn't do it." Two weeks before the war, Egypt replaced all of its commanders in Sinai with officers unfamiliar with the terrain. On the morning of June 5, Jordanian radar detected the Israeli air force taking off. They sent a red alert to Cairo but the decoding officer used the wrong day's code and failed to decipher the vital information. The warning never came. Instead, the Israeli Air Force decimated the Egyptian Air Force on the ground, the key to the outcome of the war. Author Sarah Rigler, who's written about the Six Day War, believes that series of Egyptian mistakes revealed the work of an unseen hand. "You can say, what a lucky coincidence or you can see the Divine Hand," she said. "You can see God arranged all these things to happen the way they did because He wanted the Israeli strike to succeed. He wanted us to win. He wanted us to regain our holy places." To some, the confusion in the Egyptian command just before the war evoked memories of the biblical story of Gideon routing the enemies of Israel. Instead of annihilation, Israel won one of the most decisive victories in military history. Many Orthodox Jews and Christians believe the Jewish nation had witnessed a miracle. "For evangelical Christians, the Six Day War was a huge moment of seeing God's Hand intervene on behalf of the Jewish People," Joel Rosenberg said. "That's what was so extraordinary, that you had this moment where Arab/Islamic leaders were saying we're going to throw the Jews into the sea and it looked like another holocaust was immanent. Suddenly, in six days, the Jewish people defended themselves, destroyed their enemies, tripled their land; recaptured control of Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years and on the seventh day they rested. That just sounded way too Biblical for evangelicals all over the planet and they rejoiced with the Jewish people." "In the immediate aftermath of the war, everyone, both religious and secular alike recognized that this was from God because it was just so implausible," Rigler said. She added, "It was like this is a miracle. Even Moshe Dayan, who was the commander of the Israeli forces and who was a very secular person. He went to visit the Western Wall the day after it was liberated and there's a tradition to put notes to God in the wall. So he put a little note to God in the crevices in the wall. And of course as soon as he left, the newspaper men in their typical discreet way ran and took the note out and read it. And what did it say? It was a line from Psalms that said; 'This is from God. It's wondrous in our eyes."  What is the biblical significance of numbers such as 10 and 40? How does all of these relate to the times of the Gentiles being fullfilled?  Watch the video above for Pat Robertson's teaching of the day on the Six Day War