Will Egypt Ask for IAF Assistance in Sinai?-Middle East expert Prof. Hillel Frisch doesn't rule out possibility that Israel will help Egypt deal with ISIS with air power, if asked.By Eliran Aharon-First Publish: 7/5/2015, 9:17 PM-israelnationalnews
Middle East expert Prof. Hillel Frisch of the Begin-Sadat Center doesn't rule out possibility that Israel will help Egypt deal with ISIS, by delivering air strikes. “We can only do what the Egyptians ask us to do. If [ISIS forces] gain strength as they have been, and the Egyptians ask for our help – especially aerial help – I'm sure that the Israeli Air Force will be more than willing and forthcoming to meet that challenge.”Frisch said that Israel has an interest in the defeat of ISIS in Sinai, since it poses a threat to tourism in Eilat and to some points along Israel's border. On the other hand, Israel will have a problem letting large Egyptian ground forces into the peninsula, because Sinai needs to remain a buffer zone between itself and Egypt, as stipulated by the peace treaty with Egypt.The professor said that in a Machiavellian sense, Israel gains from Egypt's problems with ISIS, since as long as these occupy Egypt's attention, Egypt is not as hostile toward Israel on matters like the Palestinian issue e nuclear issue.
Op-Ed: Islamic State, "Palestine" and Double Standards-The international response to recognizing one without recognizing the other is another example of the lack of standards in the today's world.Published: Sunday, July 05, 2015 9:06 AM-David Singer-israelnationalnews
UNESCO, the United Nations and just this week - the Vatican - have recognised that the “State of Palestine” exists – despite the fact that it lacks all four basic requirements laid down in Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention 1933:“The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: a ) a permanent population; b ) a defined territory; c ) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.”Reverend Federico Lombardi – the Vatican spokesman – confirmed the Holy See’s stance:"Yes, it’s a recognition that the state exists"The Vatican is justifiably concerned with protecting Christian communities in the Middle East against further ongoing death, dispersion and destruction of their churches as has been happening to Christian communities in Syria and Iraq during the last twelve months.Easing the concerns of Christians in areas B and C, the "West Bank" areas under Palestinian Authority control, would have certainly played a part in the Vatican’s decision.Bethlehem’s Christian population has been reduced from 60% in the 1990’s - prior to coming under Palestinian Authority control in 1995 - to barely 15% Christian by 2013 - whilst 1,000 Christians are reported to be leaving every year.In contrast, Christian population growth in Israel last year stood at 1.3% and risking a rift in its relations with Israel displays poor judgement by the Vatican, given these realities.Those 107 member States voting for Palestine’s admission to UNESCO on 31 October 2011 did so in direct contravention of Article II (2) of the UNESCO Constitution which provides:“… states not members of the United Nations Organization may be admitted to membership of the Organization ….”Voting to admit into UNESCO an entity that is not a lawful state is beyond understanding.Voting to admit into UNESCO an entity that is not a lawful state is beyond understanding.The UN General Assembly compounded UNESCO’s amazing decision when 138 UN member States voted to recognize "Palestine" as a "non-member observer state" on 29 November 2012. The rule of law was thrown out the window with these UNESCO and UN decisions.The international response to Islamic State has been markedly different since its declaration on 29 June 2014.In just one year Islamic State has pillaged, plundered, beheaded and murdered its way through Syria and Iraq - now governing the population and controlling state assets in an area larger than Great Britain. Pledges of allegiance have come from many terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Sinai Province.However, Islamic State meets all four Montevideo Convention criteria.Yet British Prime Minister David Cameron urges Islamic State’s existence not be recognised by simply not using its self-declared name – reportedly telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:“I wish the BBC would stop calling it ‘Islamic State’ because it is not an Islamic State. What it is, is an appalling barbarous regime … it is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words.”French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has an even stranger view: “This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists. The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats’.”Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reportedly used the term “death cult” 346 times since last September.The Pope, too, seems reluctant to use the term “Islamic State”.President Obama uses the acronym “ISIL” to deny it is Islamic or a State.“Palestine” – not a State – is recognised as a State.“Islamic State” – a State – is not recognised as a State.No wonder the world is in such a state of turmoil and confusion.Yad L'Achim to PM: Do Something About Assimilation Now
The Yad L'achim organization called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to do something about the rise in assimilation.By Moshe Cohen-First Publish: 7/5/2015, 8:54 PM-israelnationalnews
The Yad L'achim anti-missionary organization called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to do something about the “worrying rise” in assimilation and intermarriage. Speaking at Sunday's cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that while the growth of the Jewish nation in recent years has been significant – last week, it was reported that the number of Jews in the world had reached pre-Holocaust levels - “there would obviously be many more Jews if not for assimilation.” According to the figures by the Jewish People's Planning Institute, there are about 16 million Jews in the world, but 350,000 of them identify as having “no religion.” Another million living in the U.S. and other countries are the products of mixed marriages. Counting these, the number of Jews in the world today is nearly 16 million, slightly less than the 16.6 million recorded in 1939. Unfortunately, said Yad L'achim, the Jews in those two categories will probably end up being lost to the Jewish people. “It's not enough to talk about assimilation,” Yad L'achim said. “We need a strategic plan to battle it. If we wish to survive, we must make the issue of assimilation a central one. There is a worrying increase in assimilation. We must institute plans to discourage intermarriage, and educate children in Israel on the dangers of it.”The group added that the optimism expressed in some circles over the increase in Jewish population was unfounded, since the numbers included many who were already assimilated, and could no longer be considered Jewish.
Rise in Gun Sales: Jews Are Arming-In the wake of terror wave, residents of Jerusalem neighborhoods are taking advantage of new regulations that allow them to arm.By Hezki Ezra-First Publish: 7/5/2015, 7:03 PM-israelnationalnews
Gun shop owners are reporting a spike in gun sales, as a result of the current terror wave, and also of new regulations that allow more citizens to buy and hold guns.Yitzchak Mizrahi, who owns the Magnum firearms store in Jerusalem, told Arutz Sheva Sunday that Jews are responding to the ongoing terror attacks in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, by buying more weapons, and that the new criteria issued by the Interior Ministry are making it possible for many people who could not do so in the past, to arm themselves." Weapons sales in recent months have jumped up a step,” Mizrahi said. “People feel less safe because of the terror attacks. An additional reason for the rise in gun sales is the new Interior Ministry criteria, which have added many locations that were forbidden in the past and that are allowed today. This gave a big boost to sales.”In the past, the people who were allowed to buy guns were people who lived or worked in “danger zones” – mostly Judea and Samaria and parts of eastern Jerusalem. Now, Mizrahi said, “anyone who lives or works in Judea and Samaria and also a person who lives in Ramot, Adam, Pisgat Ze'ev, Maale Adumim, Gilo, Armon Hanatziv and Har Homa can receive a gun license.”The most popular types of guns on sale are Glocks, and Israeli made Jericho and Bul guns, he added. “Today, there are almost no used guns on sale, and most of what we sell is new. The prices of used guns start from NIS 500 and new ones can reach NIS 4,000.”
Middle East expert Prof. Hillel Frisch of the Begin-Sadat Center doesn't rule out possibility that Israel will help Egypt deal with ISIS, by delivering air strikes. “We can only do what the Egyptians ask us to do. If [ISIS forces] gain strength as they have been, and the Egyptians ask for our help – especially aerial help – I'm sure that the Israeli Air Force will be more than willing and forthcoming to meet that challenge.”Frisch said that Israel has an interest in the defeat of ISIS in Sinai, since it poses a threat to tourism in Eilat and to some points along Israel's border. On the other hand, Israel will have a problem letting large Egyptian ground forces into the peninsula, because Sinai needs to remain a buffer zone between itself and Egypt, as stipulated by the peace treaty with Egypt.The professor said that in a Machiavellian sense, Israel gains from Egypt's problems with ISIS, since as long as these occupy Egypt's attention, Egypt is not as hostile toward Israel on matters like the Palestinian issue e nuclear issue.
Op-Ed: Islamic State, "Palestine" and Double Standards-The international response to recognizing one without recognizing the other is another example of the lack of standards in the today's world.Published: Sunday, July 05, 2015 9:06 AM-David Singer-israelnationalnews
UNESCO, the United Nations and just this week - the Vatican - have recognised that the “State of Palestine” exists – despite the fact that it lacks all four basic requirements laid down in Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention 1933:“The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: a ) a permanent population; b ) a defined territory; c ) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.”Reverend Federico Lombardi – the Vatican spokesman – confirmed the Holy See’s stance:"Yes, it’s a recognition that the state exists"The Vatican is justifiably concerned with protecting Christian communities in the Middle East against further ongoing death, dispersion and destruction of their churches as has been happening to Christian communities in Syria and Iraq during the last twelve months.Easing the concerns of Christians in areas B and C, the "West Bank" areas under Palestinian Authority control, would have certainly played a part in the Vatican’s decision.Bethlehem’s Christian population has been reduced from 60% in the 1990’s - prior to coming under Palestinian Authority control in 1995 - to barely 15% Christian by 2013 - whilst 1,000 Christians are reported to be leaving every year.In contrast, Christian population growth in Israel last year stood at 1.3% and risking a rift in its relations with Israel displays poor judgement by the Vatican, given these realities.Those 107 member States voting for Palestine’s admission to UNESCO on 31 October 2011 did so in direct contravention of Article II (2) of the UNESCO Constitution which provides:“… states not members of the United Nations Organization may be admitted to membership of the Organization ….”Voting to admit into UNESCO an entity that is not a lawful state is beyond understanding.Voting to admit into UNESCO an entity that is not a lawful state is beyond understanding.The UN General Assembly compounded UNESCO’s amazing decision when 138 UN member States voted to recognize "Palestine" as a "non-member observer state" on 29 November 2012. The rule of law was thrown out the window with these UNESCO and UN decisions.The international response to Islamic State has been markedly different since its declaration on 29 June 2014.In just one year Islamic State has pillaged, plundered, beheaded and murdered its way through Syria and Iraq - now governing the population and controlling state assets in an area larger than Great Britain. Pledges of allegiance have come from many terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Sinai Province.However, Islamic State meets all four Montevideo Convention criteria.Yet British Prime Minister David Cameron urges Islamic State’s existence not be recognised by simply not using its self-declared name – reportedly telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:“I wish the BBC would stop calling it ‘Islamic State’ because it is not an Islamic State. What it is, is an appalling barbarous regime … it is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words.”French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has an even stranger view: “This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists. The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats’.”Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reportedly used the term “death cult” 346 times since last September.The Pope, too, seems reluctant to use the term “Islamic State”.President Obama uses the acronym “ISIL” to deny it is Islamic or a State.“Palestine” – not a State – is recognised as a State.“Islamic State” – a State – is not recognised as a State.No wonder the world is in such a state of turmoil and confusion.Yad L'Achim to PM: Do Something About Assimilation Now
The Yad L'achim organization called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to do something about the rise in assimilation.By Moshe Cohen-First Publish: 7/5/2015, 8:54 PM-israelnationalnews
The Yad L'achim anti-missionary organization called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to do something about the “worrying rise” in assimilation and intermarriage. Speaking at Sunday's cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that while the growth of the Jewish nation in recent years has been significant – last week, it was reported that the number of Jews in the world had reached pre-Holocaust levels - “there would obviously be many more Jews if not for assimilation.” According to the figures by the Jewish People's Planning Institute, there are about 16 million Jews in the world, but 350,000 of them identify as having “no religion.” Another million living in the U.S. and other countries are the products of mixed marriages. Counting these, the number of Jews in the world today is nearly 16 million, slightly less than the 16.6 million recorded in 1939. Unfortunately, said Yad L'achim, the Jews in those two categories will probably end up being lost to the Jewish people. “It's not enough to talk about assimilation,” Yad L'achim said. “We need a strategic plan to battle it. If we wish to survive, we must make the issue of assimilation a central one. There is a worrying increase in assimilation. We must institute plans to discourage intermarriage, and educate children in Israel on the dangers of it.”The group added that the optimism expressed in some circles over the increase in Jewish population was unfounded, since the numbers included many who were already assimilated, and could no longer be considered Jewish.
Rise in Gun Sales: Jews Are Arming-In the wake of terror wave, residents of Jerusalem neighborhoods are taking advantage of new regulations that allow them to arm.By Hezki Ezra-First Publish: 7/5/2015, 7:03 PM-israelnationalnews
Gun shop owners are reporting a spike in gun sales, as a result of the current terror wave, and also of new regulations that allow more citizens to buy and hold guns.Yitzchak Mizrahi, who owns the Magnum firearms store in Jerusalem, told Arutz Sheva Sunday that Jews are responding to the ongoing terror attacks in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, by buying more weapons, and that the new criteria issued by the Interior Ministry are making it possible for many people who could not do so in the past, to arm themselves." Weapons sales in recent months have jumped up a step,” Mizrahi said. “People feel less safe because of the terror attacks. An additional reason for the rise in gun sales is the new Interior Ministry criteria, which have added many locations that were forbidden in the past and that are allowed today. This gave a big boost to sales.”In the past, the people who were allowed to buy guns were people who lived or worked in “danger zones” – mostly Judea and Samaria and parts of eastern Jerusalem. Now, Mizrahi said, “anyone who lives or works in Judea and Samaria and also a person who lives in Ramot, Adam, Pisgat Ze'ev, Maale Adumim, Gilo, Armon Hanatziv and Har Homa can receive a gun license.”The most popular types of guns on sale are Glocks, and Israeli made Jericho and Bul guns, he added. “Today, there are almost no used guns on sale, and most of what we sell is new. The prices of used guns start from NIS 500 and new ones can reach NIS 4,000.”
