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ARUTZ SHEVAFrench Foreign Minister postpones Iran trip French President Emmanuel Macron urges Iranian counterpart to show restraint, as Foreign Minister postpones schedule trip to Tehran. Ben Ariel, 03/01/18 03:06 French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has postponed his trip to Tehran, which was planned for later this week, to a future date, the French presidency said Tuesday evening, according to Reuters. The decision came amid the ongoing protests in Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in a phone call on Tuesday to show restraint in dealing with protests, Macron’s office said in a statement. The statement said Macron had expressed his concern to Rouhani over the number of casualties in the six-day-old protests, and told him that freedom of speech and protest must be respected. MORE - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/240173
01022018 NEWS AM
Time for a worldwide repentance!  ALL US soldiers fighting for our freedom around the world, Pray for those in our government to repent of their wicked corrupt ways. Pray for SF – Severe illness with post op heart surgery complications - improving Pray for RBH – cancer recurrence Pray for JA – Complex Cardiac problem facing surgery Pray for JEP – medical problem Pray for CM – Passed out in car and had accident – health problems Pray for DN – life situation problems Praise for Sister of SH –non-alcoholic liver failure – Had Treatment and doing well –praise! Pray for CB – Australian with severe mental destress Pray for MD – Has chronic progressive lung problem. Pray for MS – family problems – doing better Pray for the wife of DF who passed away Saturday Pray that The Holy One will lead you in Your preparations for handling the world problems. – Have YOU made any preparations? Please NOTE: We have a new year coming and I have not had updates on a number of people. I would like to update this prayer list. If you asked for someone to be put on please let me know if they still need to be on or can be removed. rdb That is the only hope of this nation! Plead for Grace and Mercy 2Samuel 16:12It may be Jehovah will look on my affliction, and Jehovah will return good to me for his cursing this day. 13And David went with his men in the highway, and Shimei was going along at the side of the hill across from him. As he went, he cursed, and stoned with stones across from him, and dusted with dust. 14And the king came in wearied, and all the people with him; and he was refreshed there. Rocket from Gaza hits open field in south; no injuries Warning sirens do not go off as projectile was heading towards unpopulated area in Eshkol region By Judah Ari Gross Today, 9:51 pm Terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched a rocket at Israel late Monday night that hit an open field in the Eshkol region, Israeli officials said. There were no reports of injuries or damage caused by the rocket. Police said the projectile was found in the fields of one of the communities in the area, southeast of Gaza, though they would not specify which one, lest it help terrorist groups hone their accuracy for future attacks. Warning sirens were not triggered by the launch, apparently because the rocket was heading toward an unpopulated area.
There were earlier reports of a rocket fired from Gaza that landed inside the Strip. It was not immediately clear if it was the same launch or another one. There were also reports of rocket launches on Sunday that similarly fell short, an indication that they were done by smaller terrorist groups, as opposed to the larger ones that have access to better munitions. On Friday, terrorists in Gaza fired three mortar shells at southern Israel, apparently in an attempt to interrupt a ceremony for a fallen IDF soldiers whose remains are being held by Hamas in the coastal enclave. Two of them were shot down by the Iron Dome missile defense system, while the third struck an Israeli community on the border, causing light damage to a building. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-from-gaza-hits-open-field-in-south-no-injuries/ Air force hits Hamas camp in Gaza after rocket fire IAF response comes after rocket from Gaza hits open field in south; no injuries reported By TOI staff Today, 2:25 am The Israeli Air Force hit a Hamas camp in the southern Gaza Strip early Tuesday in response to a rocket fired at Israel hours before, the army said. The army said it targeted a Hamas facility because Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire and violence emanating from the coastal enclave. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza. Late Monday, terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched a rocket at Israel that hit an open field in the Eshkol region, Israeli officials said. There were no reports of injuries or damage caused by the rocket. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/air-force-hits-hamas-camp-in-gaza-after-rocket-fire/
Iranian state television reported Tuesday morning that nine people had been killed overnight, among them a young boy, amid nationwide protests and unrest. The report raised the death toll in six days of demonstrations to at least 20 people. State TV said six rioters were killed during an attack on a police station in the town of Qahdarijan. It reported that clashes were sparked by rioters who tried to steal guns from the police station. The report said an 11-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were killed in the town of Khomeinishahr, while a member of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in the town of Najafabad. All were reportedly shot by hunting rifles. The towns are all in Iran’s central Isfahan province, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) south of Tehran. It wasn’t clear if the Revolutionary Guard member was the same fatality reported in Najafabad late Monday night by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency. Also on Tuesday, a semi-official news agency in Iran reported that 450 people had been arrested over three days in Tehran since Saturday. The ILNA news agency report quoted Ali Asghar Nasserbakht, a security deputy governor of Tehran, offering the figure. Nasserbakht said that 200 protesters were arrested on Saturday, 150 on Sunday and 100 were arrested Monday. The demonstrations, the largest to strike Iran since its disputed 2009 presidential election, have seen five days of unrest across the country and a death toll of at least 13 with the slaying of a police officer announced late Monday. The protests began Thursday in Mashhad over Iran’s weak economy and a jump in food prices and have expanded to several cities, with some protesters chanting against the government and the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hundreds of people have been arrested. Iranian state television aired footage of a ransacked private bank, broken windows, overturned cars and a firetruck that appeared to have been set ablaze. It said 10 people were killed by security forces during clashes Sunday night. “Some armed protesters tried to take over some police stations and military bases but faced serious resistance from security forces,” state TV said. In a later report, state TV said six people were killed in the western town of Tuyserkan, 295 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, and three in the town of Shahinshahr, 315 kilometers (195 miles) south of Tehran. It did not say where the 10th person was killed. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-protests-see-violent-night-at-least-13-dead-overall/ [Most interesting report during the night on “the alternate news web” with massive outage of computer systems a multiple US airports in the NSA immigration control yesterday plus numerous planes flying out of Iran with not call letters reported and no destination and also some flying from the US to other areas. It appears that something significant is occurring in multiple places around the world. – rdb]
Netanyahu noted that the demonstrations were led by Iranians. “Brave Iranians are pouring into the streets,” he said. “They seek freedom. They seek justice. They seek the basic liberties that have been denied to them for decades.” “Iran’s cruel regime wastes tens of billions of dollars spreading hate. This money could have built schools and hospitals,” Netanyahu said. “No wonder mothers and fathers are marching in the streets. The regime is terrified of them, of their own people. That’s why they jail students. That’s why they ban social media.” “But I’m sure that fear will not triumph,” insisted the prime minister, calling the Iranian people “smart,” “sophisticated” and “proud.” Netanyahu went on to criticize Europe, which he claimed was not as supportive of the Iranian people as Israel. “Sadly, many European governments watch in silence as heroic young Iranians are beaten in the streets. That’s just not right. And I, for one, will not stay silent.” Closing his video message, Netanyahu said that after the fall of the Islamic Republic, Iranians and Israelis “will be great friends once again.” “I wish the Iranian people success in their noble quest for freedom,” he concluded. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel tweeted his support for the demonstrators Monday afternoon. “[We] call upon the Iranian government to respect the protesters’ right to peacefully raise their voices,” he said. “After the confrontations of the past days it is important to take distance from violent acts.”
“As long as @RealDonaldTrump is POTUS and I am VP, the United States of America will not repeat the shameful mistake of our past when others stood by and ignored the heroic resistance of the Iranian people as they fought against their brutal regime,” he tweeted. “The bold and growing resistance of the Iranian people today gives hope and faith to all who struggle for freedom and against tyranny. We must not and we will not let them down,” Pence added. US President Donald Trump’s predecessor former US president Barack Obama has been accused by critics of not speaking out forcefully enough in support of demonstrators during mass anti-regime protests in Iran in 2009. Fresh protests broke out in Tehran as night fell on Monday, with images of burning cars seen on local media along with online reports of heavy police presence.
Two others, included a teenage boy, were run down and killed by a fire engine stolen by protesters in the western town of Dorud, the state broadcaster said, bringing the total death toll in four days of protests to 12. https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-denies-israel-behind-iran-protests-chides-europe-for-silence/ Minister: Why does Iran spend billions on overseas wars? Speaking to Times of Israel Persian, Yuval Steinitz says it's 'very odd' for Tehran to waste resources on military campaigns across the region rather than boost its own economy By Raphael Ahren and Avi Davidi Today, 9:41 pm Iran’s insistence on spending a fortune on wars outside its borders rather than focus on boosting its economy was puzzling and defied logic, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said recently. In a wide-ranging interview with The Times of Israel Persian, Steinitz posited that most Iranians recognize Israel as an economic powerhouse and are interested in establishing friendly ties with the Jewish state. “Honestly, I don’t understand why Iranian taxpayers have to spend approximately one billion dollars every year on a Lebanese militia,” he said, referring to the Hezbollah terror organization, an Iranian Shiite proxy bent on Israel’s destruction, among other goals. “I don’t understand it. It’s been going on and on and on for many years,” Steinitz said, in the December 20 interview, days before thousands of Iranians across the country took to the streets to protest against the regime. Steinitz, a member of the influential security cabinet, said that Iran has been investing billions of dollars — directly and indirectly — in an attempt to create two strategic flanks to encompass almost the entire Middle East. In the northern flank of this Shiite crescent, Iranian troops and proxy forces are present in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. The southern flank consists of the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Palestinian groups in Gaza that are backed by the Islamic Republic. “I don’t understanding the Iranians. It will be a big headache for them as well,” said Steinitz, who was Jerusalem’s point main on Iran during the lead-up to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world world powers. “They are now involved in conflicts throughout the Middle East. It costs money, a lot of money. It cost lives of Iranians or their proxies. And I don’t believe that, at the end of the day, they’ll achieve something. They will not destroy the entire Arab world. They will not manage to hegemonize or take control of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt [or the] United Arab Emirates.”
“Officials in the United States and in Europe were confident that under the nuclear agreement, after economic sanctions were lifted, Iran would focus on fixing its internal problems, fixing its economy, and not on aggression all over the Middle East. They were wrong,” he added. Some ascribe Iran’s erratic behavior to its supreme leader’s stated goal of exporting the Islamic Revolution. Not so Steinitz. “I don’t think anyone is still really thinking about exporting the revolution. They are eager to be involved in conflicts, against Israel or the Sunni Arab world. The reason is not rational, but that’s the behavior,” he said. “I really don’t understand why the Iranians need all these clashes, again and again and again. It’s coming at the expense of the Iranians and the Iranian economy, infrastructure, development. It doesn’t seem to me that what’s going on in Yemen or in Syria is connected to the situation in Iran,” he said. Speaking to The Times of Israel Persian in his Knesset office, Steinitz, a former philosophy professor, praised the Iranian people as “very talented” and a “great nation.” “Of course I expect the Iranian people one day to rise up and say, ‘Enough is enough, we want democracy, we want civil rights, we want to flourish, we want a strong economy, we want good ties with the world, we don’t want to destroy any other state — not the Jewish state and not any Arab state in the vicinity — and let’s be a great nation again,’” he said. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/minister-why-does-iran-spend-billions-on-overseas-wars/ In late night vote, Knesset passes law to hinder East Jerusalem withdrawal Law requires special two-thirds Knesset support to approve relinquishing any portion of the city to a foreign power under any future peace deal By TOI staff Today, 3:30 am Lawmakers approved a bill in the early hours Tuesday that requires a special two-thirds majority vote in the Knesset to relinquish any part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians under a future peace accord. The bill passed its second and third readings in a late night session by a majority of 64 in favor, 51 against, and one abstention. The bill, which was proposed by Jewish Home MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli and had the coalition backing, was designed to make it much harder to divide the city that Israel claims as its undivided capital. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as a capital of a future state. The bill, an amendment to the Basic Law on Jerusalem, makes it harder for any government to divide the city by requiring 80 of the 120 MKs to support relinquishing any part of Jerusalem. Before, the Jerusalem Law, passed in 1980 and amended in 2000, stated: “No authority that is stipulated in the law of the State of Israel or of the Jerusalem Municipality may be transferred either permanently or for an allotted period of time to a foreign body, whether political, governmental or to any other similar type of foreign body.” With no provision in the Basic Law specifying how it can be amended, it was possible to overturn it with a simple majority. The bill was originally proposed in the summer but did not make it through the procedural before the fall recess. “The goal of the bill is to prevent concessions as part of diplomatic deals,” said Moalem-Refaeli at the time. “Jerusalem will never be on the negotiating table. “The State of Israel will not allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem. Get it into your heads that Jerusalem was the capital of the Jewish people and will remain the capital of the Jewish people for all eternity,” she said. Jerusalem has been in the spotlight in recent weeks since US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said he would move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-late-night-vote-knesset-passes-law-to-hinder-east-jerusalem-withdrawal/ [This is absolutely WONDERFUL – rdb]
"The IDF is therefore required to improve its readiness for escalation and even war in the northern theater against Syria and Lebanon. Conflict—whether limited or total—between Israel and Hezbollah with Iranian backing constitutes the security challenge to which Israel must gird itself," the institute's evaluation further said. The northern front – the First Northern War? Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are interested in another war, Yadlin said. However, Israeli activities aimed at crippling Iran's entrenchment in Syria, alongside Hezbollah freeing itself of the task to save Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, may deteriorate the situation towards the "First Northern War," which will not necessarily be limited to Lebanon. This potential war may safely be assumed to expand to conflict with Iranian forces and their vassals in Syria—perhaps even conflict with the Syrian army itself—possibly concurrently to a war against Hamas in the south. The above factors will turn into conflict in the country's northern frontier into a war the breadth of which Israel has not experienced since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The INSS said Israel must therefore prioritize any strategic and operative matters relating to waging war against three hostile entities in the north: Syria, Hezbollah and Iran. In the backdrop, Russia's military presence and involvement, while seemingly neutral, will more than likely impose limitations on Israeli freedom of action.
Moreover, wrongly interpreting the other party's intentions—either by Israel or Hezbollah—may lead to widespread escalation. A war against Hezbollah will lead to a heavy toll deep into Israeli territory; thousands of missiles and rockets will be launched at the north and deeper in-state, with simultaneous infiltration attempts into Israel by terror and guerilla squads for the purpose of harming border communities and essential infrastructures. Under current conditions, the INSS stipulated, Lebanon and Syria must be treated as a single theater, as escalation on one front will invariably lead to escalation on the other, with some launches expected to come from Syria while Shiite militias and Syrian army forces likely attacking through the Golan Heights. As that conflict is waged, Iran will be encouraging Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to lob rocket from Gaza at Israel and carry out terrorist attacks by breaching the border fence and by using cross-border tunnels, in addition to also encouraging West Bank terrorists to carry out terror attacks. The incendiary potential of conflict with Hamas persists While Hamas is under effective deterrence, the INSS said it was continuing to gather its strength and that a conflict may break out—even if neither side wants it—over uncontrollable escalation stemming from a local incident, an initiative by jihad elements, difficulties in implementing the Palestinian reconciliation agreement causing to lash out at Israel or tensions surrounding the Jerusalem issue. Regardless of the specific trigger, it must not be forgotten that socioeconomic hardship and humanitarian difficulties in Gaza will surly persist, further enflaming the mood. Somewhat ironically, the IDF's solution to Hamas's offensive tunnels—currently being developed and deployed on the border—may push the organization to an earlier conflict to head off harm to this important facet of its strategic deployment. IS near the border While the Islamic State (IS) may have been defeated and lost its main strongholds in Syria and Iraq, it was this defeat that caused it to move its base of operations to regions that have not yet seen a concerted military effort to combat it. IS presence in southern Syria near the Golan Heights, then, and especially in Sinai (in addition to the southern Syrian Golan Heights) has already been translated to numerous attacks against the Egyptian army and civilian populations. The radical organization's presence also points to a growing potential threat to Israel, with a large terrorist attack possibly planned. Challenges and opportunities Israel is strong, stable and its borders are calm. It maintained its military supremacy in the Middle East throughout 2017, as well as its deterrence against its enemies on the border—state and non-states alike—including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic State. The INSS's evaluation also said President Donald Trump's administration was extremely friendly and accommodating to Israel, and is in complete agreement with the country over most regional strategic interests. However, the American influence in the region continues to erode. The Trump administration has yet to put together an overall strategy to realize its goals—which it has defined in principle—while its attention is constantly diverted to other, non-Middle Eastern issues. In the past two years, Russia has been the clear winner in the Middle East, achieving primacy as the foremost state actor to shape and stabilize the Syrian theater while pushing out and weakening the US. Moscow has taken root in Syria with a ground, naval and air presence shoring up its strategic control of the country for generations to come. In doing so, Russia has been judicious to maintain a good rapport with all other actors in the region. However, a broad examination of the region leads to the inevitable conclusion that Israel and Russia's interests will end up colliding due to the backing the latter is providing to Iran's entrenchment in Syria. On Iran's nuclear issue, the INSS said that despite hostility to the 2015 nuclear deal within the Trump administration, the agreement has been upheld by both parties throughout the past year. In addition, improving the agreement unilaterally—through Congressional legislation for example—will be difficult, with the other powers party to it not likely to cooperate.
In the intra-Palestinian arena, meanwhile, several developments took place that may lead to meaningful moves against Israel, namely the continued disconnect—or even escalation—between the parties or the restarting of the peace process. At the center of the political process is Trump's desire to close the "ultimate deal" between Israel and the Palestinians. The question of whether the president will decide to stick with this ambitious goal yet remains, and his staff will draft a statement of principle regarding any US-brokered agreement early in 2018. In such an eventuality, both Israel and the Palestinians—fearing the actions of an unpredictable president—will most likely focus their efforts on responses aimed at levying the burden of guilt over the president's failure on the other party. The Institute for National Security Studies' recommendations The "war between wars" against the Iranian axis on the northern front – Israel will be required to deal with its enemies for a prolonged period of time by drawing and demarcating the new environment's rules of engagement, especially by integrating military action and strategic communications, both vis-à-vis its enemies and Russia, as the most important actor in the region not considered an enemy. Israel does have significant leverage opposite Iran and Russia, which is its ability to damage their success in preserving the Assad regime and Syrian stability. The regime's survivability and Syria's economic resurgence are both Russian-Iranian interests Israel would do well to leverage for its own benefit. The "First Northern War" – Israel must prioritize the formation of practical strategies involved in conducting a campaign against three hostile actors in the north—Syria, Hezbollah and Iran, while taking Russia's presence into account. It is a possible confrontation that requires preparation for it from the level of the Israeli government downwards, from the political through the military-strategic to the practical-technological, while adapting to the conditions of the arena and to the arms the enemy has managed to amass in recent years: Ballistic missiles, air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and armed units that will try to seize settlements in the Galilee. The Iranian threat: The Nuclear Program and Iran's aspirations for regional hegemony – Israel must seek formal understandings with the United States, anchored in a bilateral agreement, on a common strategy against the multitude threats by the Iranian regime in the Middle East. This joined strategy should have three objectives: To prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, to stop Iran's subversive activity in the region and its support of terrorism, and to undermine efforts to strengthen the Iranian military's conventional capabilities. The renewal of the peace process and the "ultimate deal" – Israel's strategic strength, the willingness of the Arab world to contribute to the political process and the degree of sympathy shown by the US president have never been so positive for Israel, and they constitute a historic opportunity the State of Israel should not miss. However, the chances of reaching a permanent agreement are slim if not impossible, but agreed moves with the United States and the rest of the world's superpowers may lead to vital achievements in setting future parameters for an agreement, promoting conditions for a future agreement and its successful implementation, and most importantly stopping the current shift towards a one-state solution, which will necessarily be non-Jewish and / or undemocratic. It is important that the Israeli government adopts a pro-active plan that will ensure the ability to reach an agreement in the future in which the four pillars of the vision of the Jewish State will be preserved: A Jewish, democratic, secure and just state. Israel is also required to promote the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip for moral reasons and to safeguard its interests. Rehabilitation efforts should be examined against two criteria: the ability to prevent a significant military buildup by Hamas because of its ability to seize the funds and materials allocated for rehabilitation, and to prevent the political strengthening of the terrorist organization. A proper rehabilitation process, combined with strong political backing by the Arab states and with the necessary caution, could also serve as a platform for a gradual change in the structure of government in the Strip. Strengthening Israel's alliance with the Sunni Arab world – the key to moving from limited contacts to open cooperation—meaning collaboration against common enemies—is, of course, progress on the Palestinian issue. Urgent action should be also taken to rectify the dispute with Jordan following the embassy incident and to tighten diplomatic relations (alongside security ones) so the two countries can cooperate against common threats. In this context, joint projects should be promoted for the benefit of both peoples. The Islamic State – It would be correct to act to end the presence of the Islamic state in the southern Golan Heights as part of Syria's stabilization arrangements, and to continue to support Egypt in its battle to destroy the organization in the Sinai Peninsula. It is also necessary not to assume, from an intelligence and operational standpoint, that the organization is no longer a threat. The Defense Budget and Security Concept – Given the threat of war on the northern front and in the Gaza Strip, preparations for a possible confrontation must be accelerated by examining and promoting key projects that will be required in a future confrontation with Hezbollah and Iran. Within this framework, the senior political and military echelon must discuss the objectives and purposes of a possible campaign, circumstances under which it will start or end, and what are its limitations. It is important for the Cabinet to discuss and prepare for a long time before the confrontation, and not to deal with these complex and fateful issues for the first time during the campaign itself. Preserving and promoting Israel's legitimacy in the world – The response to the challenge of delegitimization requires an integrated governmental and civil approach in Israel and abroad, of Jews and non-Jews, while improving coordination and cooperation between pro-Israel actors in the Western world. Reaching renewed understanding with US Jewry – In order to close the rift that was torn open between Israel and US Jewry over the issues of the Kotel agreement and the Conversion Bill, an open and empathic dialogue must be initiated, along with leadership decisions aimed at rehabilitating relations. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5064799,00.html [This is very long but a critical tidbit of info from a military strategic perspective on the current situation of Israel and their ‘neighbors’ and the potential problems that may ensue. Israel and Jerusalem are the center of the universe and the apple of God’s eye so whatever transpires there is of most significance. When the Moshiach returns it is to Israel and Jerusalem not NY, LA or Dallas. – rdb] Bennett chides Yair Lapid as ‘Meretz dressed up in blue and white’ Jewish Home chair also takes aim at coalition partner Avigdor Liberman, who is siding with the opposition on mini-markets bill By Sue Surkes Today, 6:00 Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett on Monday congratulated the top decision-making body of the ruling Likud party on its decision a day earlier to push for formal Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank and to allow for unchecked construction in the settlements. Addressing a faction meeting in the Knesset, Bennett, the education minister, called on the opposition Yesh Atid party to follow Likud’s example and “abandon the idea of Islamic State sitting on Route 6,” referring to the proximity of the trans-Israel highway to the West Bank and implying that a Palestinian state, which the left supports, would fall into the hands of extremists. He accused Yair Lapid, the head of Yesh Atid, of cloaking his leftist beliefs, saying he was Meretz — a left-wing party — “dressed up in blue and white,” the colors of the Israeli flag. “You can go 20 times to the Western Wall [Judaism’s most venerated site]… [but] in the end Lapid’s vision is to divide Jerusalem,” he charged. In the aftermath of the 2012 elections, an alliance between Bennett and Lapid secured the entry of Yesh Atid into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition at the expense of the ultra-Orthodox parties. The vote to support the annexation of parts of the West Bank, made Sunday by the Likud Central Committee, is not binding on its Knesset lawmakers, but does carry political sway as MKs need the support of the 3,000-member body to succeed in the primaries. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman was also subjected to a tongue-lashing by Bennett over the opposition of Liberman’s secular Yisrael Beytenu party to the so-called mini-markets bill, aimed at preventing convenience stores from opening on Shabbat. The bill is scheduled to come up for its final plenum votes on Monday evening. The coalition could lose the vote if Yisrael Beytenu sides with the opposition, which has been refusing to pull one of its lawmakers out of the vote to offset the absence of Likud MK Yehudah Glick, whose wife died on Monday morning. “I call on all parties to decide: Do they want a government or do they not want a government? People’s behavior is irresponsible. In my experience, this [kind of thing] is what breaks up a government.” All coalition parties have their pet issues, but they are also responsible for supporting coalition bills, Bennett added. With its “childish” behavior, he charged, Yisrael Beytenu risks bringing down the government and sparking new elections. Liberman hit back at Bennett’s warning that a failure to pass the bill could bring early elections, accusing Bennett’s Jewish Home of having a history of bringing down right-wing governments. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/bennett-chides-yair-lapid-as-meretz-dressed-up-in-blue-and-white/ IDF bid to recruit older immigrant doctors halted amid backlash Army floats proposal to raise age cutoff for mandatory military service from 32 to 35, sparking concern and confusion By Judah Ari Gross Today, 7:41 pm Young doctors thinking about moving to Israel face a growing chance that they will have to serve in the army, and for a longer period of time than in the past. The military is considering raising the age at which immigrant doctors get exemptions from serving in the Israel Defense Forces and lengthening the service time, as well as requiring female immigrant doctors to serve — something they have not had to do until now. The proposal was set to go into effect beginning January 1, 2018, but following significant pushback from groups that represent immigrants, like Nefesh B’Nefesh, it was put on hold. “The IDF is currently considering changing the maximum age at which new immigrants with medical degrees will have to perform military service,” the army said in an email on Sunday. Under current regulations, men 32 and under with medical degrees who move to Israel — or make aliyah, the term used to describe immigration to the country by Jews — are required to serve in the army for at least 18 months. Women are automatically given an exemption. Male doctors who immigrate between the ages of 33 and 38 have to perform reserve service when called upon. The new proposal would require men, as well as women who are not mothers, to serve in the army up to the age of 35 for a period of 24 months, instead of the current 18. Immigrant groups, notably Nefesh B’Nefesh and Qualita, as well as the government’s own Immigrant Absorption Ministry, presented their case against the proposal in the Knesset’s Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee on December 20, arguing that the change would dissuade people from moving to Israel and not have a significant impact on the number of doctors serving in the Israel Defense Forces, said Ronen Foxman, of Nefesh B’Nefesh, who was at the Knesset meeting. “If you raise the bar from 33 to 36, you maybe get another 10 [doctors] — at most — a year. But by doing that, you might put off the aliyah of another hundred,” Foxman told The Times of Israel on Sunday. He stressed that the issue was being discussed amicably and “wasn’t a fight.” The military has faced significant difficulties providing medical care to all its soldiers, requiring it to roll out a number of new programs in recent years in attempts to both treat its current soldiers and attract new army doctors to prevent future shortages. The problem has apparently gotten so acute that the IDF is crowdsourcing a solution, holding a public event in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, January 2, at which anyone who wants can submit a proposal. One of the main complaints from the immigration groups is not exactly with the army’s bid to change the requirements — that is well within the military’s purview, Foxman said — but in the way it is conducting itself on the matter, namely haphazardly and with insufficient warning. The sense of confusion evoked by the proposal is evident in the fact that on the day military officials and immigrant groups met in the Knesset, Lt. Col. Tzachi Revivo of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate maintained that the army was still discussing the proposal; meanwhile, the IDF’s own website was presenting the proposal as official policy. MORE - https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-bid-to-recruit-older-immigrant-doctors-halted-amid-backlash/
In addition, Pence’s deputy chief of staff Jarrod Agen tweeted, “As we’ve said, @VP Pence is traveling to Israel & Egypt later this month. Reports otherwise are wrong. There’s a false story circulating of a delay. It’s not true.” [It would again seem that the MSM as usual is trying to stir the pot and create discord. – rdb] Pence was originally scheduled to arrive in the region in late December, but postponed the trip due to the US administration’s efforts to push a tax reform through Congress.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry published its list of foreign dignitaries due in Israel this month. Pence’s name did not appear on the list. Asked to clarify, Israeli officials said that “due to various scheduling difficulties,” no new date has yet been set for the vice president’s visit. In a later clarification, the Foreign Ministry insisted it “never said he isn’t coming.” When the trip was rescheduled, administration officials said Pence would visit January 14, coinciding with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure from Israel on a previously scheduled five-day trip to India. Scott Pruitt, the current administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, is due in Israel in late January. Pence was originally expected in Israel on December 20 after a trip to Egypt, following closely on the heels of Trump’s Jerusalem decision. He had been slated to hold meetings with Netanyahu and deliver an address to the Knesset. He was to end his trip to Israel with a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin and a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. In Ramallah, he was to sit down with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but Abbas pulled out of the meeting after denouncing Trump’s decision on Jerusalem. https://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-denies-pences-trip-to-israel-canceled/
J A conservator shows a 2,700-year-old clay seal impression which archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority say belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem and was unearthed in excavations in the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem's Old City January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Nir Elias The artifact, inscribed in an ancient Hebrew script as “belonging to the governor of the city”, was likely attached to a shipment or sent as a souvenir on behalf of the governor, the most prominent local position held in Jerusalem at the time, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. The impression, the size of a small coin, depicts two standing men, facing each other in a mirror-like manner and wearing striped garments reaching down to their knees. It was unearthed near the plaza of Judaism’s Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. “It supports the Biblical rendering of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2,700 years ago,” an Antiquities Authority statement quoted excavator Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah as saying.
The Antiquities Authority’s announcement came several weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a decision that overturned a decades-old policy on the status of the city and stirred Palestinian protests and international concern. Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Adrian Croft https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-archaeology/israeli-archaeologists-find-2700-year-old-governor-of-jerusalem-seal-impression-idUSKBN1EQ0WH [So how can the nitwits in the “PA” and UNESCO continue to try to claim no Jewish affiliation to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount? – rdb]
In a Facebook post, Husam Zomlot said he had returned for a “warm meeting with the president.” He was instructed to return to Washington “after the holidays,” the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said. The BBC quoted Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki as saying that talks between Zomlot and Abbas were in order to “set the decisions needed by the Palestinian leadership… regarding our relations with the US.” The Palestinian response to Trump’s December 6 decision has been scathing, with Abbas rejecting any further US role in the peace process with Israel. Abbas canceled a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence, who was due to arrive earlier this month but postponed the trip to January, citing a need to attend a crucial Senate vote in Washington. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials have refused meetings with any US political officials, including members of Trump’s peace team and chief negotiator Jason Greenblatt. On Sunday night the Palestinian leader again slammed the US decision. The city is “the eternal capital of the Palestinian people,” he said, according to Channel 10. “We are staying here and won’t leave until Palestine is liberated. East Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state.” Israeli TV reports last week said Abbas had told all PA officials that Trump is “a lost cause” and ordered the PA to sever all contacts with US diplomatic officials, including those at the US consulate in East Jerusalem responsible for Palestinian affairs. According to Hadashot TV news, Abbas made clear to his aides that he is “not merely closing the door” on further dealings with the Trump administration, “but also throwing away the key.” An unnamed US official told Hadashot the US recognizes that the Palestinians need a “cooling off” period after the Jerusalem declaration, that the US remains committed to achieving an accord, that it has no intention of seeking to impose one, but that it still hopes Abbas will come around. Violence since Trump’s announcement has left 13 Palestinians dead, mostly in clashes with Israeli forces on the border with Gaza. Abbas’s Fatah party urged several “days of rage” and the Hamas terror group which rules Gaza, and which seeks to destroy Israel, urged a new intifada and encouraged thousands of Gaza to confront Israeli troops at the Gaza-Israel border. On Sunday, while marking the 53rd anniversary of his Fatah movement, Abbas called Jerusalem “the eternal capital of the Palestinian people.” In his December 6 declaration on Jerusalem, Trump stressed that the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city would still have to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians. His speech, welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli leaders across most of the political spectrum, infuriated Abbas and regional leaders because it was perceived to be prejudging the fate of the disputed holy city. The UN in a December 21 resolution rejected Trump’s move, in a vote approved by 128 votes to 9; the resolution had been vetoed by the US in the Security Council two days earlier. https://www.timesofisrael.com/pa-envoy-to-return-to-us-after-consulting-on-jerusalem-recognition/ [I would hope the Crown Prince of Saudi would kick some backside and lay down the law. If he fails to do that he may find himself on the wrong side of The Donald and could get fired and lose his financial and military backing like many of the others in the ME. That would not play well for them considering the Iranian Shiite issue. – rdb] WikiLeaks Drops Proof That NYTimes Colluded With Hillary Clinton ByJoseph Curl December 31, 2017 You thought 2017 was going to end without a bang — other than the fireworks? Think again. After The New York Times on Saturday published a story headlined "Republican Attacks on Mueller and F.B.I. Open New Rift in G.O.P.," WikiLeaks couldn't stand it anymore. In a late-night post on Twitter, WikiLeaks revealed that a Times reporter used to feed State Department email updates of the stories the paper would be publishing DAYS before the stories appeared. At the time, Hillary Clinton was the Secretary of State. Email shows New York Times handed over Cablegate's publication schedule to the US government (without telling @WikiLeaks) giving the State Department, then headed by Hillary Clinton, up to 9 days in advance to spin the revelations or create diversions. https://t.co/IMrDOwoCd2 pic.twitter.com/CT4XkEs8Mc — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 31, 2017 The heads-up email was intended to give State (and Clinton) time to come up with some spin for stories that may have caused problems. Or, in another possible scenario, the heads up could give the State Department time to create a diversion for the same day, thus overriding a damaging story with other news its friends in the mainstream media would happily cover instead. The players in the WikiLeaks email are interesting. Scott Shane is the national security reporter for the Times. And the recipient of his email, Philip Crowley, was at the time the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under Clinton’s State Department. As 2017 comes to an end, it's clear the Clinton scandals won't go away anytime soon. On Friday, the Justice Department released thousands of Clinton emails. "Several emails with classified information from former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin were among a tranche of documents released Friday that were found on Anthony Weiner's personal computer during an FBI probe," USA Today reported. After the emails were made public, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called the release a "major victory." "Judicial Watch has forced the State Department to finally allow Americans to see these public documents," Fitton said. "That these government docs were on Anthony Weiner’s laptop dramatically illustrates the need for the Justice Department to finally do a serious investigation of Hillary Clinton’s and Huma Abedin’s obvious violations of law." The FBI said most of the emails ended up on Weiner's computer because of backups from Abedin's personal electronic devices. Former FBI Director James Comey has said investigators could not prove Abedin acted with criminal intent or "had a sense that what she was doing was in violation of the law." A November 2010 email was partially redacted due to "classified" and "confidential" information. It detailed a planned call between Clinton and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, where then-Secretary of State Clinton would warn al-Faisal about Wikileaks planning to release sensitive documents. That same month, Wikileaks released the U.S. diplomatic cables leak, known as "Cablegate." https://www.dailywire.com/news/25249/wikileaks-drops-proof-proves-nytimes-colluded-joseph-curl?utm_source=shapironewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=010118-news&utm_campaign=position1 [One more little issue that should put both HRC and Huma along with a bunch of people from State who were aware of the transgressions behind bars for a long time. Not to mention the pay for play activities of Hubby and daughter who were obviously involved with the issues. Perhaps they could have adjoining cells with the wiener. The next job is to boot all of CAIR and the brotherhood out of every department and level of power in the fed. – rdb]
Hillary Clinton backer paid $500G to fund women accusing Trump of sexual misconduct before Election Day, report says By Robert Gearty | Fox News One of Hillary Clinton’s wealthy pals paid $500,000 in an unsuccessful effort to fund women willing to accuse President Trump of sexual misconduct before the 2016 election, The New York Times reported Sunday. Susie Tompkins Buell, the founder of Esprit Clothing and a major Clinton campaign donor for many years, gave the money to celebrity lawyer Lisa Bloom who was working with a number of Trump accusers at the time, according to the paper’s bombshell report. [This sounds like a pretty good counter suit for defamation of character is in order. – rdb] Bloom solicited donors by saying she was working with women who might “find the courage to speak out” against Trump if the donors would provide funds for security, relocation and possibly a “safe house,” the paper reported. Former Clinton nemesis turned Clinton operative David Brock also donated $200,000 to the effort through a nonprofit group he founded, the paper reported in an article entitled, “Partisans, Wielding Money, Begin Seeking to Exploit Harassment Claims.” Bloom told the Times that the effort was unproductive. One woman requested $2 million then decided not to come forward. Nor did any other women. Bloom said she refunded most of the cash, keeping only some funds for out-of-pocket expenses accrued while working to vet and prepare cases. The lawyer told the paper she did not communicate with Clinton or her campaign “on any of this.” MORE - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/31/hillary-clinton-backer-paid-500g-to-fund-women-accusing-trump-sexual-misconduct-before-election-day-report-says.html [One more demonstration of the unbelievable dastardly crooked actions of many of the leftists. – rdb] Trump withholding millions in aid to Pakistan, as he accuses country of giving 'safe haven' to terrorists By Serafin Gómez, Alex Pappas | Fox News The Trump administration has decided to withhold millions in military aid to Pakistan as the president accuses the Muslim-majority nation of harboring terrorists and telling “lies” to the United States. “The United States does not plan to spend the $255 million in [Fiscal Year] 2016 Foreign Military Financing for Pakistan at this time,” a National Security Council official told Fox News on Monday. The official added, “The president has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan’s actions in support of the South Asia Strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance.” The Trump administration will continue to “review Pakistan’s level of cooperation,” the official said. Earlier Monday, President Trump, in his first tweet of 2018, said that the United States “has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.” The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
The New York Times reported last week that the Trump administration had been considering withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan to demonstrate its dissatisfaction with how they confront terrorism in their country. The administration already had delayed sending the aid in August. For years, the United States has had frustrations with Pakistan, a nuclear nation that has been rocked by terrorist attacks and whose ISI intelligence agency is viewed suspiciously. It was in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad where Usama bin Laden hid until U.S. Navy SEALS killed him in 2011. Meanwhile, the country is still holding Dr. Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA pinpoint Bin Laden ahead of the raid. In response to Trump’s tweet, Khawaja M. Asif, Pakistan’s foreign minister, vowed to “let the world” know the “difference between facts and fiction.” We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth..difference between facts & fiction.. — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) January 1, 2018 Last month, the president hinted at withholding aid during a national security address. “We have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory,” Trump said Dec. 18. “And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/01/trump-withholding-millions-in-aid-to-pakistan-as-accuses-country-giving-safe-haven-to-terrorists.html [It is way past time the USA started putting all of the Islamic states’ feet to the fire and demand a major change in direction of their religion and their performance in Human relations and dealing with renegade radicals. –rdb ]
Protests have grown and have spread across Iran in cities such as Tehran, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Rasht, Qom, Hamedan, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Zahedan, Qazvin, and Sari. The political nature of the protests has been made clear from the outset and the regime is experiencing a political earthquake. The regime's gunmen have been out in full force. Despite the brutal power being deployed to crush these peaceful demonstrators -- four protestors have already been reported killed -- more people are flooding the streets in defiance of the regime. The scale of these sudden protests is unprecedented during the last four decades of the Islamic Republic of Iran's rule. These demonstrations, however, are different from other protests in Iran since 1979, when the theocratic regime was established. In 2009, during the popular uprising in the name of the "Green Movement," people were protesting against rigged elections and the presidency of the anti-Semitic politician Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Chants echoed through the streets, "Where is my vote?" while the government ratcheted up its power to silence the protestors. Now, people are demanding not just limited reforms but regime change. After almost four decades of living under a theocracy -- with Islamist mullahs controlling them, rampant corruption, and the regime's persistent dissemination of propaganda -- the people have reached the boiling point. The government has been doing all it can to stoke the flames of hatred, but has been trying to deflect it to "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". Protesters, risking their lives, have been chanting, "Death to Khamenei" -- a serious crime according to the clergy, and punishable, according to the Sharia law of the regime, with death. People are also chanting, "Death to Rouhani", "Shame on you Khamenei, step down from power", "Death to the Dictator" and "Death to the Islamic Republic". Protesters are tearing down the banners of Iran's Supreme leaders, Khomeini and Khamenei. Chants being heard all over the nation are, "Forget about Palestine, forget about Gaza, think about us", "Death to Hezbollah", "The people live like beggars / [Khamenei] lives like a God," and "Leave Syria alone, think about us instead". The outcry leaves no question about the needs of the people, and the real voice of Iran. Demonstrators are making a clear distinction between the Iranian people's desired policies and those being carried out by the regime. All political and economic indications are that protests in Iran will continue to grow. The Trump administration in the United States is taking the right side by supporting the Iranian people; they are the principal victims of the Iranian regime and its Islamist agenda. US President Donald Trump tweeted: "Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime's corruption & its squandering of the nation's wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people's rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests" In another statement, the U.S. State Department said: "On June 14, 2017, Secretary Tillerson accurately testified to Congress that he supports 'those elements inside of Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of government. Those elements are there, certainly as we know.' The Secretary today repeats his deep support for the Iranian people." Let us be clear. The fault lines are completely visible. If you are on the side of justice, freedom, and basic human rights, and if you respect humanity, you will not be able to remain silent. Let us at least give moral support, if not more, to the Iranian people. Justice and truth need to prevail. This is what history has repeatedly shown us. Let us not be on the side of history that would remain silent in the face of such crimes against humanity, let us not join the ranks of other dictators, terrorists, and criminals, that turned a blind eye to violence, and the will of brave, innocent people. Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He is the author of "Peaceful Reformation in Iran's Islam". https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11649/iran-regime-death
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ERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Monday a 2,700-year-old clay seal impression which they said belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem. 