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Israeli says he has found King David's citadel
By DANIEL ESTRIN - MAY 6,14-YahooNews
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli archaeologist says he has found the legendary citadel captured by King David in his conquest of Jerusalem, rekindling a longstanding debate about using the Bible as a field guide to identifying ancient ruins.The claim by Eli Shukron, like many such claims in the field of biblical archaeology, has run into criticism. It joins a string of announcements by Israeli archaeologists saying they have unearthed palaces of the legendary biblical king, who is revered in Jewish religious tradition for establishing Jerusalem as its central holy city — but who has long eluded historians looking for clear-cut evidence of his existence and reign.The present-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also wrapped up in the subject. The $10 million excavation, made accessible to tourists last month, took place in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem and was financed by an organization that settles Jews in guarded homes in Arab areas of east Jerusalem in an attempt to prevent the city from being divided. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of a future independent state.Shukron, who excavated at the City of David archaeological site for nearly two decades, says he believes strong evidence supports his theory.
"This is the citadel of King David, this is the Citadel of Zion, and this is what King David took from the Jebusites," said Shukron, who said he recently left Israel's Antiquities Authority to work as a lecturer and tour guide. "The whole site we can compare to the Bible perfectly."Most archaeologists in Israel do not dispute that King David was a historical figure, and a written reference to the "House of David" was found in an archaeological site in northern Israel. But archaeologists are divided on identifying Davidic sites in Jerusalem, which he is said to have made his capital.Shukron's dig, which began in 1995, uncovered a massive fortification of five-ton stones stacked 21 feet (6 meters) wide. Pottery shards helped date the fortification walls to be 3,800 years old. They are the largest walls found in the region from before the time of King Herod, the ambitious builder who expanded the Second Jewish Temple complex in Jerusalem almost 2,100 years ago. The fortification surrounded a water spring and is thought to have protected the ancient city's water source.The fortification was built 800 years before King David would have captured it from its Jebusite rulers. Shukron says the biblical story of David's conquest of Jerusalem provides clues that point to this particular fortification as David's entry point into the city.In the second Book of Samuel, David orders the capture of the walled city by entering it through the water shaft. Shukron's excavation uncovered a narrow shaft where spring water flowed into a carved pool, thought to be where city inhabitants would gather to draw water. Excess water would have flowed out of the walled city through another section of the shaft Shukron said he discovered — where he believes the city was penetrated.Shukron says no other structure in the area of ancient Jerusalem matches what David would have captured to take the city. The biblical account names it the "Citadel of David" and the "Citadel of Zion."Ronny Reich, who was Shukron's collaborator at the site until 2008, disagrees with the theory. He said more broken pottery found from the 10th century BC, presumably King David's reign, should have been found if the fortification had been in use then.Shukron said he only found two shards that date close to that time. He believes the reason he didn't find more is because the site was in continuous use and old pottery would have been cleared out by David's successors. Much larger quantities of shards found at the site date to about 100 years after King David's reign.Reich said it was not possible to reach definitive conclusions about biblical connections without more direct archaeological evidence."The connection between archaeology and the Bible has become very, very problematic in recent years," Reich said.Critics say that some archaeologists are too eager to hold a spade in one hand and a Bible in the other in a quest to verify the biblical narrative — either due to religious beliefs or to prove the Jewish people's historic ties to the land. But other respected Israeli archaeologists say recent finds match the biblical account more than naysayers claim.Shukron, a veteran archaeologist who has excavated a number of significant sites in Jerusalem, said he drew his conclusions after nearly two decades exploring the ancient city."I know every little thing in the City of David. I didn't see in any other place such a huge fortification as this," said Shukron.The biblical connection to the site is emphasized at the City of David archaeological park, where the "Spring Citadel" — the excavation's official name — has been retrofitted for tourists, including a movie projected on a screen in front of the fortification to illustrate how it may have looked 3,800 years ago. The City of David — located in east Jerusalem — is one of the most popular tourist sites in the holy city, with 500,000 tourists visiting last year."We open the Bible and we see how the archaeology and the Bible actually come together in this place," said Doron Spielman, vice president of the nonprofit Elad Foundation, which oversees the archaeological park. He carried a softcover Bible in his hand as he ambled around the excavation.The site has come under criticism because of the Elad Foundation's nationalistic agenda. Most of the foundation's funding comes from private donations from Jews in the U.S. and U.K., and its activities include purchasing Arab homes near the excavated areas and then helping Jews move in, sometimes under heavy guard.Critics say this political agenda should not mix with archaeology.
___Follow Daniel Estrin at twitter.com/danielestrin
EZEKIEL 36:24
24 For I will take you from among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS) and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
MATTHEW 24:32
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(ISRAEL WAS LITERALLY REBORN JUST BEFORE SUMMER,MAY 14,1948).
MARK 13:28
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Audio: Calling All Jews: Be Part of the Miracle, Come Home!
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/5343#.U2kwxHY1Uwo
REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE
REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a(MEASURING) reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out,(TO THE WORLD NATIONS) and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.(JERUSALEM DIVIDED BUT THE 3RD TEMPLE ALLOWED TO BE REBUILT)
DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Police Clash with Group Demanding Temple Mount Sovereignty-Violent clashes break out as police stop Jewish activists from ascending Temple Mount; activists cry foul over clashes on Independence Day.By Ido Ben-Porat-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 9:09 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Members of the 'Hozrim La'har' (Trans: 'Return to the Mount') activist group marched toward the Temple Mount Tuesday, demanding full Israeli sovereignty over Judaism's holiest site.Jerusalem police forces tried for several hours to stop the march, which was attended by dozens of teenagers and young adults. Police eventually stopped the march, after the group reached the Temple Mount through the Muslim quarter - by showing blatant police brutality. Two activists were injured and six were arrested for disturbing the peace. According to the group's Facebook page, one of the arrested was a fifteen year-old girl."It would be better if police blocked Arabs' entry to the Temple Mount and did not prevent Jews from exercising their right to pray there," activists told Arutz Sheva Tuesday. "Today we celebrate 66 years of Israeli Independence - but not on the Temple Mount." Earlier Tuesday, several groups of Jewish visitors were allowed to ascend to the Temple Mount in honor of the national holiday - being treated relatively well for the first time in months. Israeli police, in an attempt to appease the Muslim Waqf which was left in charge of the compound after the 1967 Six Day War, ban Jews from praying or performing any other form of worship.Police sometimes close the Mount to Jews altogether in response to Muslim riots - for days or weeks at a time - despite evidence that such violence is usually planned in advance for the specific purpose of forcing Jews out.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
Liberman: Hamas will soon control Palestinian Authority-Foreign minister says unity deal has doomed Fatah, claims Abbas has ‘absolutely no desire’ for peace-By Itamar Sharon May 6, 2014, 8:33 pm-The Times of Israel
Terrorist organization Hamas will soon control the Palestinian Authority through its unity deal with Fatah, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday.Speaking to Israel’s diplomatic corps and President Shimon Peres at the presidential residence in Jerusalem on Israel’s 66th Independence Day, Liberman said Hamas was sure to win any future elections in the PA by a large margin.“Hamas is on its way to controlling the whole Palestinian Authority,” he said.Hamas’s inclusion in elections to the PA’s Legislative Council in 2006 led the group to a sweeping victory in the polls and to an uneasy unity government with Fatah under president Mahmoud Abbas. The resulting power struggles between the groups led in 2007 to Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has controlled Gaza while the PA has controlled the West Bank ever since.Liberman said the terror group’s re-inclusion in West Bank politics would spell the end of Fatah power there.“Regardless of when elections will take place, it is clear that Hamas will win convincingly,” Liberman said. “Abbas brought Hamas to power in Gaza and he is now bringing them to power in Judea and Samaria.”“However, we are determined to prevent Judea and Samaria from becoming the new Gaza,” he added.Liberman also accused the Palestinian Authority of having “absolutely no desire” to achieve peace with Israel and said Abbas “deliberately blew up” the recent US-led effort to reach an accord.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month announced Israel was pulling out of the process after Abbas surprisingly struck a reconciliation deal with Hamas.The Palestinian leader, Liberman said, “needs to decide if he is prepared for peace and with whom. It is impossible to have peace with Israel and Hamas.”The foreign minister asserted that Abbas was seeking to wear Israel down through continued, fruitless negotiating.“Even though we are celebrating Independence Day and not Purim,” Liberman quipped, “it is time to remove the mask from the face of Mahmoud Abbas and say clearly that he consistently rejects peace.”US National Security Advisor Susan Rice will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for high-level talks which will presumably address the state of the peace process, as well as the upcoming round of talks between Iran and Western powers over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf Monday dismissed reports that Secretary of State John Kerry had decided to dismantle the team of negotiators who have been based on the ground in Jerusalem for months trying to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.“We’re going to see where this goes from here and, you know, figure out what makes sense in terms of staffing,” she told reporters.Chief US negotiator Martin Indyk was said to have been quoted anonymously in an interview in the Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, in which US officials blamed Israel for the breakdown in the talks and said Netanyahu “did not move more than an inch.”Harf insisted no one side was to blame, saying “both sides did things that were incredibly unhelpful.”AFP and Rebecca Shimoni Stoil contributed to this report.
Countering US narrative, some Israeli sources insist PM negotiated sincerely-Netanyahu spent countless hours trying to figure out how to make a deal possible, Jerusalem insiders insist, though he never budged on core convictions-By Raphael Ahren May 6, 2014, 7:59 pm 8-The Times of Israel
With Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations at a dead end, analysts and pundits are busy determining who’s to blame. For Palestinian officials, the issue is clear: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in a deal, hence he was unwilling to negotiate sincerely. Opposed to Palestinian statehood, he merely went through the motions, never really intending to make substantive concessions, certainly not those needed for an agreement, they argue.“Unfortunately, Israel never gave the negotiations a chance to succeed,” Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said last week, after the nine months allotted for the talks elapsed without a tangible result.A few days later, Israelis read that senior US officials also blame Israel for the failure, and especially the government’s refusal to freeze settlement construction.“There are a lot of reasons for the peace effort’s failure, but people in Israel shouldn’t ignore the bitter truth – the primary sabotage came from the settlements,” one unnamed US official (said by some to have been special envoy Martin Indyk) told Yedioth Ahronoth’s Nahum Barnea on Friday. “The Palestinians don’t believe that Israel really intends to let them found a state when, at the same time, it is building settlements on the territory meant for that state. We’re talking about the announcement of 14,000 housing units, no less. Only now, after talks blew up, did we learn that this is also about expropriating land on a large scale. That does not reconcile with the agreement.”Still, according to some Israeli sources familiar with the peace talks, Netanyahu was genuinely considering all the issues raised by the negotiators, weighing earnestly the pros and cons of every idea brought to his desk. While always putting Israel’s security interests first in his mind, these sources insist, he wholeheartedly asked himself how things could be sorted things out in a way that would allow Israel to sign a final-status deal with the Palestinians.Rather than hoping to somehow survive the talks politically and focusing on how to win the blame game afterwards, these sources say, the prime minister spent several hours every day pouring over the matters raised in the negotiating room, asking himself which positions Israel could allow itself to adopt in order to advance toward an agreement.Netanyahu keen on a peace deal? That same Netanyahu who for years campaigned against a Palestinian state, never publicly committed to negotiating on the basis of the 1967 lines, and never ceased to expand Jewish settlements? Would this man eagerly search for ways to establish the state of Palestine? The answer to those questions may be found in a speech Netanyahu gave one year ago: “The purpose of the future agreement with the Palestinians is to prevent the eventuality of a binational state and to guarantee stability and security,” he told top officials at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on May 1, 2013, three months before the ill-fated talks commenced.In late January, he reiterated this position: “We do not want to annex the Palestinians as citizens of the State of Israel and we do not want to control them,” he said at a conference in Tel Aviv.This Sunday, in explaining his new initiative seeking to anchor Israel’s status as a Jewish state in the country’s Basic Laws, Netanyahu said that separating from the Palestinians in order to prevent a binational state “has a certain logic.” As opposed to the pro-settler elements in coalition, the sources said, Netanyahu no longer dreams of a one-state solution. He knows that Palestinian statehood is inevitable, yet still tries to get the best possible deal for Israel.While unwilling to compromise on his core convictions — especially regarding security arrangements and Jewish state recognition — Netanyahu understands that a two-state solution is required if Israel wants to remain a Jewish and democratic state. Notably, he and his inner circle remained silent during last week’s “apartheid” debate, which was triggered by US Secretary of State John Kerry’s warning that a “unitary state” would turn out either “an apartheid state with second-class citizens” or an Israel without a Jewish majority.Nonetheless Netanyahu stressed this week, if we’re talking about two nation-states for two people, it needs to be guaranteed that Israel is recognized by the Palestinians as the nation-state of the Jewish people.Just as much (if not more) than the announcements of additional Israeli housing units beyond the Green Line — something the Palestinians knew would not cease during the negotiations — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s refusal to even discuss such recognition is to blame for the lack of progress, the sources said.Even the unnamed American officials who spoke to Barnea acknowledged Abbas’s obdurate position on this issue. “We couldn’t understand why it bothered him so much. For us, the Americans, the Jewish identity of Israel is obvious. We wanted to believe that for the Palestinians this was a tactical move — they wanted to get something (in return) and that’s why they were saying ‘no.’ The more Israel hardened its demands, the more the Palestinian refusal deepened.”Critics of the prime minister assert that he invented the demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state as a ploy to derail the negotiations. Netanyahu, these critics argue, knows the Palestinians will not accept the demand, as they claim it would force them to accept the Zionist narrative, relinquish the right of return and compromise the standing of Arab citizens of Israel.But the formulation proposed by the Israeli negotiating team does seek to answer such concerns. As reported by The Times of Israel last week, Israeli negotiators were willing to work with Abbas and his team on the wording of the desired declaration, toward wording that would have described the Jewish people’s and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination in precisely equivalent terms, and would have also included phrases to guarantee the rights of Israel’s Arab minority. The Palestinians refused to even consider this.It is Netanyahu’s profound and unshakable belief that without Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people a peace agreement is fundamentally flawed. (Three out of four Israeli Jews share that view, some polls suggest.)After Netanyahu for the first time accepted, in principle, the idea of a Palestinian state in his 2009 Bar-Ilan University speech, many people were skeptical about his real intentions. If he really sought a two-state solution, skeptics mused, he would stop building in the West Bank and earnestly negotiate a peace treaty.But despite the prime minister’s tough rhetoric, the ongoing settlement expansion and the suspension of talks after Fatah reconciled with Hamas, the Israeli sources stressed that Netanyahu was willing to sacrifice a lot to get the negotiations off the ground — and also to keep them going. Firstly, he agreed to release 104 terrorists in four phases, a decision for which he continues to draw heavy criticism, most acutely from bereaved families. (He did this to avoid a revolt by his far-right coalition partners, who would have voted down a settlement freeze.) In March, Netanyahu went from minister to minister to convince them to agree to a deal that would include the release of Arab-Israelis in the fourth and final phase, in addition to some 400 additional prisoners, and an almost-freeze of settlement construction in the West Bank, in return for the release of Jonathan Pollard and a Palestinian commitment to continue to negotiate.A few years ago, no one would have believed that Netanyahu would pay so steep a price for the mere right to have Tzipi Livni sit down with Erekat.When all is said and done, whether Netanyahu acted sincerely or not in his pursuit of an agreement over the past nine months, the future of the peace process doesn’t solely depend on him right now. After Israel suspended talks last week because of Abbas’s Fatah reconciliation deal with Hamas, there are two main scenarios:One, plans for a Palestinian unity government, headed by technocrats but backed by Hamas, might fail to materialize, due to unbridgeable difference between Fatah and Hamas. That has occurred in the past and could easily happen again, theoretically allowing Israel and the Palestinians to continue forging a deal to extend the talks. But there are few signs that Abbas, for one, has any interest in doing so.Two, if a unity government does arise, and Hamas expectedly does not disavow its commitment to Israel’s destruction, Jerusalem will refuse to continue talking, and the death of the latest round of US-brokered peace talks will be plain for all to see.Kerry and his team might then decide to publish their formula for a permanent accord, and let the sides take it or, far more likely, leave it — and live with the consequences.
Report: US Intelligence Officials Say 'Israel Crossed the Line'-Unconfirmed comments touch two nerves: the visa crisis issue, and Jonathan Pollard's freedom.By Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 8:05 PM / Last Update: 5/6/2014, 8:29 PM-IsraelNationalNews
American intelligence officials have linked the US visa crisis to Israeli espionage, Newsweek reports Tuesday, saying in closed conversations that "Israel crosses the line for espionage in the United States." Intelligence officials are firmly against relieving the US visa crisis for Israelis, according to the outlet. The officials have claimed that Israel "is the only country which takes advantage of the security cooperation with the US to spy on it." The statements, if true, touch on two very delicate nerves for US-Israel relations: the visa crisis, and the life imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard. U.S. intelligence agencies, as well as the Israeli Embassy in the United States, did not respond to inquiries by IDF Radio.
Visa Crisis: a Security Issue?
Last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an internal review into claims that hundreds of young Israelis were being barred from entering the US for political reasons. An initial investigation found that the rejection rate of visa applications for young Israelis ages 21-26 had doubled, from 16% in 2009 to 32% in 2014; Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro stated that the visa crisis is close to coming to an end several days later. "The department will take immediate steps to increase the number of young Israelis that can travel to the US according to our immigration laws," Shapiro wrote, in a Facebook post. "The law dictates that applicants must prove that they intend to return to Israel in making the request, and that the visa does not allow recipients to stay beyond the designated time period or to work legally in the US," he said. "But we are aware of the fact that although two-thirds of young applicants receive visas, some people harbor a misconception that young Israelis are not welcome in the USA.""Surely that's not true," he continued. "Israel is one of the US's closest allies, and we welcome all networking between Israelis and Americans, including visits to the United States."Israeli officials have yet to respond to the letter, which responds to earlier claims that political motivations were at stake in the visa rejections. Earlier this year, Israeli security officials also claimed they were being targeted by the US, and that hundreds of defense officials were turned away from making important visits to Washington.
Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Pollard has recently been the subject of a high-profile campaign for his release. He is now in his 29th year of incarceration in a US jail for passing classified security-related information from America to Israel. He was arrested by FBI agents in 1985 and has been held ever since, including eight years in solitary confinement.Pollard was arrested on charges far less serious than those that landed other spies in jail, yet those spies served a few years's jail time at most, critics noted, slamming the US for "hypocrisy." Over 106 MKs attended a special Knesset session in December to protest US President Barack Obama's refusal to release the prisoner, and signed a petition urging the President to reconsider. Several top US officials, including Former Deputy National Security adviser Elliott Abrams, US Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Jonathan Pollard affair Lawrence Korb, and former CIA chief James Woolsey, have also called for Pollard to be released. Several senior senators have opposed freeing the longtime captive, despite the sharp criticism of Israeli politicians, and even top American officials over the US's harsh treatment of the case. Pollard has been described multiple times as a "hostage" of the US, a notion which has ramped up criticism against the White House over recent weeks; outrage has simmered further after a reported deal to release Pollard before the Passover holiday last month never materialized.
Israel transfers Palestinian funds as threat of sanctions wanes-Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures as he meets Palestinian businessmen at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah-MAY 6,14-YahooNews
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian public sector workers received their salaries on Tuesday, Palestinian officials said, in a sign that Israel had backed down from a threat to impose sanctions as peace talks began to collapse last month.Israel had said on April 10 it would withhold funds after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a series of international human rights conventions he hoped would allow Palestinians to eventually challenge Israel at the United Nations, which recognized Palestine as a non-member state in 2012.U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations ended on April 29 with no breakthrough.Palestinian officials said the payment reflected Israel's decision to transfer more than $100 million in customs duties it collects on goods headed to Palestinian-run areas through border crossings it controls.The money accounts for about two-thirds of the Palestinian budget and is key to keeping its large public sector functioning and maintaining stability in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Israel had said it would dock payment of over $100 million it said the Palestinian government owed it in utility bills.Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment during a national holiday.Speaking last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah told reporters Israel would be paying the near usual monthly amount of 450 million shekels ($130.3 million) and only deducting 20 million shekels ($5.8 million) as part of a loan taken out by a previous Palestinian government.Palestinians say their economy cannot reach its full potential while it remains under partial Israeli control. They seek an independent state in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials say they hope to revive peace talks given the right conditions.(Reporting By Noah Browning; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
Immense Explosion in Iran May Have Nuclear Origins-Huge blast in Qazvin, rumored site of nuclear center; 'many casualties' expected.-By Eliran Aharon, Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 9:15 PM / Last Update: 5/6/2014, 9:21 PM-IsraelNationalNews
An immense explosion has been heard throughout the northern Iranian city of Qazvin, semi-official Fars news agency reported, and many casualties are expected from the blast. Around 1.1 million people live in the city, which is located about 100 miles north of Tehran. The blast may be related to nuclear development in Iran, according to the Los Angeles Times. Iranian officials in the past have strongly denied claims by Mujahedin Khalq Organization, or MKO, a cult-like Iranian exile group, that it has a secret nuclear enrichment facility in Abyek, near the major city, according to the daily. The source of the blast remains undetermined. Several mystery explosions have been reported in the past several years in the region, none of which were ever verified. A fire has now broken out in the city, local reports say, and as many as 50 people are injured. State media blames an oil depot for the blast.
Large explosion rocks northern Iranian city-Qazvin reported to have secret uranium enrichment facility; authorities say 50 injured, some seriously-By AP and Times of Israel staff May 6, 2014, 8:55 pm-The Times of Israel
TEHRAN, Iran — A large fire broke out Tuesday in an industrial city in northern Iran on Tuesday, but no deaths have been reported, according to state television.Earlier, the semiofficial Fars news agency said an explosion had gone off in a wood and oil storage facility in Qazvin, leaving nearly 50 people injured — many in serious condition. Many cargo depots are located in the city, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of the capital, Tehran.State television citied Gov. Saeed Mirbaha as saying no deaths were reported but fire fighters and rescue workers have intensified efforts to control the blaze that filled the sky with smoke.The city’s emergency department said one rescuer was badly injured from smoke inhalation, not two as local media previously reported.Fars also said police have closed off roads to the area where the explosion took place.According to Channel 2 News, the city has previously been reported to have a secret uranium enrichment facility.
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
05/ 6/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-Over 3000 paedophile priests punished since 2004, Vatican informs UN anti-torture committee-Silvano Tomasi-In today’s address to the UN Committee Against Torture Mgr. Tomasi said “abortion is also a form of torture”. Paolo Gabriele’s case-Iacopo Scaramuzzi
vatican city-The Holy See reduced 848 child abusing priests to the lay state between 2004 and 2013. 2572 paedophile priests received lighter punishments. 3420 cases were reported to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. These were some of the figures Mgr. Tomasi, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, presented to the UN Committee on the Convention against Torture (CAT) this afternoon. The Committee is currently holding its 52th session. After presenting the Holy See’s first report yesterday, today the head of the Vatican delegation responded to questions put to him by a panel of UN experts, many of which focused on the issue of clerical sex abuse.“The figures relating to cases reported to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith between 2004 and 2013, based on credible accusations made against a priest for committing acts of sexual abuse against minors below the age of 18, are as follows: 713 in 2004, 184 in 2005, 218 in 2006, 216 in 2007, 191 in 2008, 196 in 2009, 464 in 2010, 402 in 2011, 418 in 2012 and 401 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 3420 cases. It should be noted that these cases do not correspond to the year in which they were reported. Most of them refer to abuse which took place in the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties. Now I will give you some more figures: the numbers of priests the Holy See directly dismissed from the clerical state between 2004 and 2013 are as follows: 89 in 2004, 84 in 2005, 114 in 2006, 84 in 2007, 68 in 2008, 69 in 2009, 84 in 2010, 143 in 2011, 70 in 2012 and 43 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 848 cases. The figures relating to the number of cases that were resolved through the implementation of canonical and disciplinary measures, such as the imposition of a life of prayer and penitence, the enforcement of criminal measures or other disciplinary measures, are as follows: 641 in 2004, 100 in 2005, 104 in 2006, 132 in 2007, 123 in 2008, 127 in 2009, 380 in 2010, 259 in 2011, 348 in 2012, 358 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 2572 cases.” “I do not have any figures relating to the number of cases reported by the ecclesiastical authorities to the civil courts. However, the policy is that when a credible accusation is made, this must be reported to the civil authorities so that action may be taken on a canonical level as well as in the State where the person in question holds citizenship and on a civil level,” Mgr. Tomasi said. He went on to say that the way in which bishops in the United States and Australia responded to the sex abuse scandal had been particularly positive. As far as compensation is concerned, the archbishop placed particular emphasis on the case of the US: 2,5 billion dollars have been spent on agreements with victims, 78 million on therapy for victims and 47 million has gone towards other expenses. During today’s three-hour meeting the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN also answered a number of specific questions put to him by the panel of experts. Among these was a question relating to the case of Mgr. Jozef Wesolowski, a former Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic who was accused by Dominican and Polish prosecutors of committing sex crimes against minors. Last August the Apostolic Palace in Rome announced he was to undergo a double trial, a criminal and canonical one. “If the accusations prove to be true he will be tried according to the laws currently in force” in the Vatican, Mgr. Tomasi said, before revealing that the procedure has been “delayed” because “certain documents which the Vatican had requested from the Santo Domingo court, have not yet been sent to the Vatican.”In response to those who asked him about the Church’s position with regard to abortion, Mgr. Tomasi stated that “the Holy See condemns torture, that includes torture inflicted on the unborn.” A very specific question was asked regarding the abuse Benedict XVI’s butler Paolo Gabriele claimed he had suffered in the cell he was held in after he was arrested for leaking confidential documents belonging to the former Pope. The Vatican delegation informed the UN committee that checks were carried out by an engineer and ophthalmologist to verify whether the space inside the cell was too small and the results proved Gabriele’s claims to be false. The UN commission will publish its conclusions on 23 May.
05/ 5/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-An Italian in the Roman Curia: Fr. Pietro’s influence grows
Cardinal Parolin-Pope Francis was eager for Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, to be present at the C8 and Council for the Economy meetings-ANDREA TORNIELLI
vatican city-The reform of the Roman Curia is already leading to a downsizing of the Secretariat of State (for example some powers have been transferred from the first section to the Vatican’s new “ministry of finance” headed by Australian cardinal George Pell). This does not mean, however, that the role of the Secretary of State will be diminished.Although Pietro Parolin continues to embody the figure of a discreet “prime minister” who does not seek the spotlight (he does not act as “deputy Pope” or play the role his predecessor did when it comes to nominations), Francis is involving the Secretary of State in both the Curia reform process and the administration of the Holy See’s economic and financial affairs.It is the Pope who wanted him by his side and it is the Pope who wanted him to be directly involved in the reform process that is underway in the Vatican. In the past few weeks, Cardinal Parolin has taken part in the Financial Information Authority (AIF)’s board of directors meeting and has been tasked with overseeing Vatican financial bodies. The AIF had not met since last November and had been through a period of tension after its president, Cardinal Attilio Nicora, left the scene.In the days following the canonizations of John XXIII and John Paul II, Parolin took part in the meeting held by the Commission of Cardinals nominated by Francis to oversee the IOR (which he is a member of but not president). The IOR’s heads hoped they would only be overseen by the Secretary for the Economy, headed by Pell. Parolin has taken part in all of the C8’s meetings on Curia reform, a sign that the Pope wants to involve him directly in the dicastery reorganization process.Finally, Parolin also took part in the first meeting held by the Council for the Economy headed by Cardinal Reinhard Marx who has started to discuss its draft statutes. This new body is formed of both cardinals and lay experts who are working on equal terms to set the Vatican’s overly divided finances in order.Although some of the proposals put forward for the reform of the Roman Curia have suggested that the Secretariat of State should gradually turn into a “papal secretariat”, not only has the Secretary of State entered into his role fully but Pope Francis wants to involve him in the reform examination process and in the preparation of guidelines for the Vatican’s economic and financial affairs.The fact that Parolin –who is very much in tune with Pope Francis– is Italian and a Curia member with an extensive experience working for the Secretariat of State, is something which should not be overlooked. After the anti-Curia and anti-Italian sentiment that emerged in the pre-Conclave discussions last year in light of the Vatileaks scandal and the administration of the Roman Curia in recent years, the presence and role of Cardinal Parolin have brought a sense of balance.
Israeli says he has found King David's citadel
By DANIEL ESTRIN - MAY 6,14-YahooNews
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli archaeologist says he has found the legendary citadel captured by King David in his conquest of Jerusalem, rekindling a longstanding debate about using the Bible as a field guide to identifying ancient ruins.The claim by Eli Shukron, like many such claims in the field of biblical archaeology, has run into criticism. It joins a string of announcements by Israeli archaeologists saying they have unearthed palaces of the legendary biblical king, who is revered in Jewish religious tradition for establishing Jerusalem as its central holy city — but who has long eluded historians looking for clear-cut evidence of his existence and reign.The present-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also wrapped up in the subject. The $10 million excavation, made accessible to tourists last month, took place in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem and was financed by an organization that settles Jews in guarded homes in Arab areas of east Jerusalem in an attempt to prevent the city from being divided. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of a future independent state.Shukron, who excavated at the City of David archaeological site for nearly two decades, says he believes strong evidence supports his theory.
"This is the citadel of King David, this is the Citadel of Zion, and this is what King David took from the Jebusites," said Shukron, who said he recently left Israel's Antiquities Authority to work as a lecturer and tour guide. "The whole site we can compare to the Bible perfectly."Most archaeologists in Israel do not dispute that King David was a historical figure, and a written reference to the "House of David" was found in an archaeological site in northern Israel. But archaeologists are divided on identifying Davidic sites in Jerusalem, which he is said to have made his capital.Shukron's dig, which began in 1995, uncovered a massive fortification of five-ton stones stacked 21 feet (6 meters) wide. Pottery shards helped date the fortification walls to be 3,800 years old. They are the largest walls found in the region from before the time of King Herod, the ambitious builder who expanded the Second Jewish Temple complex in Jerusalem almost 2,100 years ago. The fortification surrounded a water spring and is thought to have protected the ancient city's water source.The fortification was built 800 years before King David would have captured it from its Jebusite rulers. Shukron says the biblical story of David's conquest of Jerusalem provides clues that point to this particular fortification as David's entry point into the city.In the second Book of Samuel, David orders the capture of the walled city by entering it through the water shaft. Shukron's excavation uncovered a narrow shaft where spring water flowed into a carved pool, thought to be where city inhabitants would gather to draw water. Excess water would have flowed out of the walled city through another section of the shaft Shukron said he discovered — where he believes the city was penetrated.Shukron says no other structure in the area of ancient Jerusalem matches what David would have captured to take the city. The biblical account names it the "Citadel of David" and the "Citadel of Zion."Ronny Reich, who was Shukron's collaborator at the site until 2008, disagrees with the theory. He said more broken pottery found from the 10th century BC, presumably King David's reign, should have been found if the fortification had been in use then.Shukron said he only found two shards that date close to that time. He believes the reason he didn't find more is because the site was in continuous use and old pottery would have been cleared out by David's successors. Much larger quantities of shards found at the site date to about 100 years after King David's reign.Reich said it was not possible to reach definitive conclusions about biblical connections without more direct archaeological evidence."The connection between archaeology and the Bible has become very, very problematic in recent years," Reich said.Critics say that some archaeologists are too eager to hold a spade in one hand and a Bible in the other in a quest to verify the biblical narrative — either due to religious beliefs or to prove the Jewish people's historic ties to the land. But other respected Israeli archaeologists say recent finds match the biblical account more than naysayers claim.Shukron, a veteran archaeologist who has excavated a number of significant sites in Jerusalem, said he drew his conclusions after nearly two decades exploring the ancient city."I know every little thing in the City of David. I didn't see in any other place such a huge fortification as this," said Shukron.The biblical connection to the site is emphasized at the City of David archaeological park, where the "Spring Citadel" — the excavation's official name — has been retrofitted for tourists, including a movie projected on a screen in front of the fortification to illustrate how it may have looked 3,800 years ago. The City of David — located in east Jerusalem — is one of the most popular tourist sites in the holy city, with 500,000 tourists visiting last year."We open the Bible and we see how the archaeology and the Bible actually come together in this place," said Doron Spielman, vice president of the nonprofit Elad Foundation, which oversees the archaeological park. He carried a softcover Bible in his hand as he ambled around the excavation.The site has come under criticism because of the Elad Foundation's nationalistic agenda. Most of the foundation's funding comes from private donations from Jews in the U.S. and U.K., and its activities include purchasing Arab homes near the excavated areas and then helping Jews move in, sometimes under heavy guard.Critics say this political agenda should not mix with archaeology.
___Follow Daniel Estrin at twitter.com/danielestrin
EZEKIEL 36:24
24 For I will take you from among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS) and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
MATTHEW 24:32
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(ISRAEL WAS LITERALLY REBORN JUST BEFORE SUMMER,MAY 14,1948).
MARK 13:28
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Audio: Calling All Jews: Be Part of the Miracle, Come Home!
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/5343#.U2kwxHY1Uwo
REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE
REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a(MEASURING) reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out,(TO THE WORLD NATIONS) and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.(JERUSALEM DIVIDED BUT THE 3RD TEMPLE ALLOWED TO BE REBUILT)
DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Police Clash with Group Demanding Temple Mount Sovereignty-Violent clashes break out as police stop Jewish activists from ascending Temple Mount; activists cry foul over clashes on Independence Day.By Ido Ben-Porat-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 9:09 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Members of the 'Hozrim La'har' (Trans: 'Return to the Mount') activist group marched toward the Temple Mount Tuesday, demanding full Israeli sovereignty over Judaism's holiest site.Jerusalem police forces tried for several hours to stop the march, which was attended by dozens of teenagers and young adults. Police eventually stopped the march, after the group reached the Temple Mount through the Muslim quarter - by showing blatant police brutality. Two activists were injured and six were arrested for disturbing the peace. According to the group's Facebook page, one of the arrested was a fifteen year-old girl."It would be better if police blocked Arabs' entry to the Temple Mount and did not prevent Jews from exercising their right to pray there," activists told Arutz Sheva Tuesday. "Today we celebrate 66 years of Israeli Independence - but not on the Temple Mount." Earlier Tuesday, several groups of Jewish visitors were allowed to ascend to the Temple Mount in honor of the national holiday - being treated relatively well for the first time in months. Israeli police, in an attempt to appease the Muslim Waqf which was left in charge of the compound after the 1967 Six Day War, ban Jews from praying or performing any other form of worship.Police sometimes close the Mount to Jews altogether in response to Muslim riots - for days or weeks at a time - despite evidence that such violence is usually planned in advance for the specific purpose of forcing Jews out.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
Liberman: Hamas will soon control Palestinian Authority-Foreign minister says unity deal has doomed Fatah, claims Abbas has ‘absolutely no desire’ for peace-By Itamar Sharon May 6, 2014, 8:33 pm-The Times of Israel
Terrorist organization Hamas will soon control the Palestinian Authority through its unity deal with Fatah, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday.Speaking to Israel’s diplomatic corps and President Shimon Peres at the presidential residence in Jerusalem on Israel’s 66th Independence Day, Liberman said Hamas was sure to win any future elections in the PA by a large margin.“Hamas is on its way to controlling the whole Palestinian Authority,” he said.Hamas’s inclusion in elections to the PA’s Legislative Council in 2006 led the group to a sweeping victory in the polls and to an uneasy unity government with Fatah under president Mahmoud Abbas. The resulting power struggles between the groups led in 2007 to Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has controlled Gaza while the PA has controlled the West Bank ever since.Liberman said the terror group’s re-inclusion in West Bank politics would spell the end of Fatah power there.“Regardless of when elections will take place, it is clear that Hamas will win convincingly,” Liberman said. “Abbas brought Hamas to power in Gaza and he is now bringing them to power in Judea and Samaria.”“However, we are determined to prevent Judea and Samaria from becoming the new Gaza,” he added.Liberman also accused the Palestinian Authority of having “absolutely no desire” to achieve peace with Israel and said Abbas “deliberately blew up” the recent US-led effort to reach an accord.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month announced Israel was pulling out of the process after Abbas surprisingly struck a reconciliation deal with Hamas.The Palestinian leader, Liberman said, “needs to decide if he is prepared for peace and with whom. It is impossible to have peace with Israel and Hamas.”The foreign minister asserted that Abbas was seeking to wear Israel down through continued, fruitless negotiating.“Even though we are celebrating Independence Day and not Purim,” Liberman quipped, “it is time to remove the mask from the face of Mahmoud Abbas and say clearly that he consistently rejects peace.”US National Security Advisor Susan Rice will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for high-level talks which will presumably address the state of the peace process, as well as the upcoming round of talks between Iran and Western powers over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf Monday dismissed reports that Secretary of State John Kerry had decided to dismantle the team of negotiators who have been based on the ground in Jerusalem for months trying to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.“We’re going to see where this goes from here and, you know, figure out what makes sense in terms of staffing,” she told reporters.Chief US negotiator Martin Indyk was said to have been quoted anonymously in an interview in the Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, in which US officials blamed Israel for the breakdown in the talks and said Netanyahu “did not move more than an inch.”Harf insisted no one side was to blame, saying “both sides did things that were incredibly unhelpful.”AFP and Rebecca Shimoni Stoil contributed to this report.
Countering US narrative, some Israeli sources insist PM negotiated sincerely-Netanyahu spent countless hours trying to figure out how to make a deal possible, Jerusalem insiders insist, though he never budged on core convictions-By Raphael Ahren May 6, 2014, 7:59 pm 8-The Times of Israel
With Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations at a dead end, analysts and pundits are busy determining who’s to blame. For Palestinian officials, the issue is clear: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in a deal, hence he was unwilling to negotiate sincerely. Opposed to Palestinian statehood, he merely went through the motions, never really intending to make substantive concessions, certainly not those needed for an agreement, they argue.“Unfortunately, Israel never gave the negotiations a chance to succeed,” Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said last week, after the nine months allotted for the talks elapsed without a tangible result.A few days later, Israelis read that senior US officials also blame Israel for the failure, and especially the government’s refusal to freeze settlement construction.“There are a lot of reasons for the peace effort’s failure, but people in Israel shouldn’t ignore the bitter truth – the primary sabotage came from the settlements,” one unnamed US official (said by some to have been special envoy Martin Indyk) told Yedioth Ahronoth’s Nahum Barnea on Friday. “The Palestinians don’t believe that Israel really intends to let them found a state when, at the same time, it is building settlements on the territory meant for that state. We’re talking about the announcement of 14,000 housing units, no less. Only now, after talks blew up, did we learn that this is also about expropriating land on a large scale. That does not reconcile with the agreement.”Still, according to some Israeli sources familiar with the peace talks, Netanyahu was genuinely considering all the issues raised by the negotiators, weighing earnestly the pros and cons of every idea brought to his desk. While always putting Israel’s security interests first in his mind, these sources insist, he wholeheartedly asked himself how things could be sorted things out in a way that would allow Israel to sign a final-status deal with the Palestinians.Rather than hoping to somehow survive the talks politically and focusing on how to win the blame game afterwards, these sources say, the prime minister spent several hours every day pouring over the matters raised in the negotiating room, asking himself which positions Israel could allow itself to adopt in order to advance toward an agreement.Netanyahu keen on a peace deal? That same Netanyahu who for years campaigned against a Palestinian state, never publicly committed to negotiating on the basis of the 1967 lines, and never ceased to expand Jewish settlements? Would this man eagerly search for ways to establish the state of Palestine? The answer to those questions may be found in a speech Netanyahu gave one year ago: “The purpose of the future agreement with the Palestinians is to prevent the eventuality of a binational state and to guarantee stability and security,” he told top officials at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on May 1, 2013, three months before the ill-fated talks commenced.In late January, he reiterated this position: “We do not want to annex the Palestinians as citizens of the State of Israel and we do not want to control them,” he said at a conference in Tel Aviv.This Sunday, in explaining his new initiative seeking to anchor Israel’s status as a Jewish state in the country’s Basic Laws, Netanyahu said that separating from the Palestinians in order to prevent a binational state “has a certain logic.” As opposed to the pro-settler elements in coalition, the sources said, Netanyahu no longer dreams of a one-state solution. He knows that Palestinian statehood is inevitable, yet still tries to get the best possible deal for Israel.While unwilling to compromise on his core convictions — especially regarding security arrangements and Jewish state recognition — Netanyahu understands that a two-state solution is required if Israel wants to remain a Jewish and democratic state. Notably, he and his inner circle remained silent during last week’s “apartheid” debate, which was triggered by US Secretary of State John Kerry’s warning that a “unitary state” would turn out either “an apartheid state with second-class citizens” or an Israel without a Jewish majority.Nonetheless Netanyahu stressed this week, if we’re talking about two nation-states for two people, it needs to be guaranteed that Israel is recognized by the Palestinians as the nation-state of the Jewish people.Just as much (if not more) than the announcements of additional Israeli housing units beyond the Green Line — something the Palestinians knew would not cease during the negotiations — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s refusal to even discuss such recognition is to blame for the lack of progress, the sources said.Even the unnamed American officials who spoke to Barnea acknowledged Abbas’s obdurate position on this issue. “We couldn’t understand why it bothered him so much. For us, the Americans, the Jewish identity of Israel is obvious. We wanted to believe that for the Palestinians this was a tactical move — they wanted to get something (in return) and that’s why they were saying ‘no.’ The more Israel hardened its demands, the more the Palestinian refusal deepened.”Critics of the prime minister assert that he invented the demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state as a ploy to derail the negotiations. Netanyahu, these critics argue, knows the Palestinians will not accept the demand, as they claim it would force them to accept the Zionist narrative, relinquish the right of return and compromise the standing of Arab citizens of Israel.But the formulation proposed by the Israeli negotiating team does seek to answer such concerns. As reported by The Times of Israel last week, Israeli negotiators were willing to work with Abbas and his team on the wording of the desired declaration, toward wording that would have described the Jewish people’s and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination in precisely equivalent terms, and would have also included phrases to guarantee the rights of Israel’s Arab minority. The Palestinians refused to even consider this.It is Netanyahu’s profound and unshakable belief that without Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people a peace agreement is fundamentally flawed. (Three out of four Israeli Jews share that view, some polls suggest.)After Netanyahu for the first time accepted, in principle, the idea of a Palestinian state in his 2009 Bar-Ilan University speech, many people were skeptical about his real intentions. If he really sought a two-state solution, skeptics mused, he would stop building in the West Bank and earnestly negotiate a peace treaty.But despite the prime minister’s tough rhetoric, the ongoing settlement expansion and the suspension of talks after Fatah reconciled with Hamas, the Israeli sources stressed that Netanyahu was willing to sacrifice a lot to get the negotiations off the ground — and also to keep them going. Firstly, he agreed to release 104 terrorists in four phases, a decision for which he continues to draw heavy criticism, most acutely from bereaved families. (He did this to avoid a revolt by his far-right coalition partners, who would have voted down a settlement freeze.) In March, Netanyahu went from minister to minister to convince them to agree to a deal that would include the release of Arab-Israelis in the fourth and final phase, in addition to some 400 additional prisoners, and an almost-freeze of settlement construction in the West Bank, in return for the release of Jonathan Pollard and a Palestinian commitment to continue to negotiate.A few years ago, no one would have believed that Netanyahu would pay so steep a price for the mere right to have Tzipi Livni sit down with Erekat.When all is said and done, whether Netanyahu acted sincerely or not in his pursuit of an agreement over the past nine months, the future of the peace process doesn’t solely depend on him right now. After Israel suspended talks last week because of Abbas’s Fatah reconciliation deal with Hamas, there are two main scenarios:One, plans for a Palestinian unity government, headed by technocrats but backed by Hamas, might fail to materialize, due to unbridgeable difference between Fatah and Hamas. That has occurred in the past and could easily happen again, theoretically allowing Israel and the Palestinians to continue forging a deal to extend the talks. But there are few signs that Abbas, for one, has any interest in doing so.Two, if a unity government does arise, and Hamas expectedly does not disavow its commitment to Israel’s destruction, Jerusalem will refuse to continue talking, and the death of the latest round of US-brokered peace talks will be plain for all to see.Kerry and his team might then decide to publish their formula for a permanent accord, and let the sides take it or, far more likely, leave it — and live with the consequences.
Report: US Intelligence Officials Say 'Israel Crossed the Line'-Unconfirmed comments touch two nerves: the visa crisis issue, and Jonathan Pollard's freedom.By Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 8:05 PM / Last Update: 5/6/2014, 8:29 PM-IsraelNationalNews
American intelligence officials have linked the US visa crisis to Israeli espionage, Newsweek reports Tuesday, saying in closed conversations that "Israel crosses the line for espionage in the United States." Intelligence officials are firmly against relieving the US visa crisis for Israelis, according to the outlet. The officials have claimed that Israel "is the only country which takes advantage of the security cooperation with the US to spy on it." The statements, if true, touch on two very delicate nerves for US-Israel relations: the visa crisis, and the life imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard. U.S. intelligence agencies, as well as the Israeli Embassy in the United States, did not respond to inquiries by IDF Radio.
Visa Crisis: a Security Issue?
Last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an internal review into claims that hundreds of young Israelis were being barred from entering the US for political reasons. An initial investigation found that the rejection rate of visa applications for young Israelis ages 21-26 had doubled, from 16% in 2009 to 32% in 2014; Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro stated that the visa crisis is close to coming to an end several days later. "The department will take immediate steps to increase the number of young Israelis that can travel to the US according to our immigration laws," Shapiro wrote, in a Facebook post. "The law dictates that applicants must prove that they intend to return to Israel in making the request, and that the visa does not allow recipients to stay beyond the designated time period or to work legally in the US," he said. "But we are aware of the fact that although two-thirds of young applicants receive visas, some people harbor a misconception that young Israelis are not welcome in the USA.""Surely that's not true," he continued. "Israel is one of the US's closest allies, and we welcome all networking between Israelis and Americans, including visits to the United States."Israeli officials have yet to respond to the letter, which responds to earlier claims that political motivations were at stake in the visa rejections. Earlier this year, Israeli security officials also claimed they were being targeted by the US, and that hundreds of defense officials were turned away from making important visits to Washington.
Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Pollard has recently been the subject of a high-profile campaign for his release. He is now in his 29th year of incarceration in a US jail for passing classified security-related information from America to Israel. He was arrested by FBI agents in 1985 and has been held ever since, including eight years in solitary confinement.Pollard was arrested on charges far less serious than those that landed other spies in jail, yet those spies served a few years's jail time at most, critics noted, slamming the US for "hypocrisy." Over 106 MKs attended a special Knesset session in December to protest US President Barack Obama's refusal to release the prisoner, and signed a petition urging the President to reconsider. Several top US officials, including Former Deputy National Security adviser Elliott Abrams, US Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Jonathan Pollard affair Lawrence Korb, and former CIA chief James Woolsey, have also called for Pollard to be released. Several senior senators have opposed freeing the longtime captive, despite the sharp criticism of Israeli politicians, and even top American officials over the US's harsh treatment of the case. Pollard has been described multiple times as a "hostage" of the US, a notion which has ramped up criticism against the White House over recent weeks; outrage has simmered further after a reported deal to release Pollard before the Passover holiday last month never materialized.
Israel transfers Palestinian funds as threat of sanctions wanes-Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures as he meets Palestinian businessmen at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah-MAY 6,14-YahooNews
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian public sector workers received their salaries on Tuesday, Palestinian officials said, in a sign that Israel had backed down from a threat to impose sanctions as peace talks began to collapse last month.Israel had said on April 10 it would withhold funds after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a series of international human rights conventions he hoped would allow Palestinians to eventually challenge Israel at the United Nations, which recognized Palestine as a non-member state in 2012.U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations ended on April 29 with no breakthrough.Palestinian officials said the payment reflected Israel's decision to transfer more than $100 million in customs duties it collects on goods headed to Palestinian-run areas through border crossings it controls.The money accounts for about two-thirds of the Palestinian budget and is key to keeping its large public sector functioning and maintaining stability in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Israel had said it would dock payment of over $100 million it said the Palestinian government owed it in utility bills.Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment during a national holiday.Speaking last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah told reporters Israel would be paying the near usual monthly amount of 450 million shekels ($130.3 million) and only deducting 20 million shekels ($5.8 million) as part of a loan taken out by a previous Palestinian government.Palestinians say their economy cannot reach its full potential while it remains under partial Israeli control. They seek an independent state in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials say they hope to revive peace talks given the right conditions.(Reporting By Noah Browning; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
Immense Explosion in Iran May Have Nuclear Origins-Huge blast in Qazvin, rumored site of nuclear center; 'many casualties' expected.-By Eliran Aharon, Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 5/6/2014, 9:15 PM / Last Update: 5/6/2014, 9:21 PM-IsraelNationalNews
An immense explosion has been heard throughout the northern Iranian city of Qazvin, semi-official Fars news agency reported, and many casualties are expected from the blast. Around 1.1 million people live in the city, which is located about 100 miles north of Tehran. The blast may be related to nuclear development in Iran, according to the Los Angeles Times. Iranian officials in the past have strongly denied claims by Mujahedin Khalq Organization, or MKO, a cult-like Iranian exile group, that it has a secret nuclear enrichment facility in Abyek, near the major city, according to the daily. The source of the blast remains undetermined. Several mystery explosions have been reported in the past several years in the region, none of which were ever verified. A fire has now broken out in the city, local reports say, and as many as 50 people are injured. State media blames an oil depot for the blast.
Large explosion rocks northern Iranian city-Qazvin reported to have secret uranium enrichment facility; authorities say 50 injured, some seriously-By AP and Times of Israel staff May 6, 2014, 8:55 pm-The Times of Israel
TEHRAN, Iran — A large fire broke out Tuesday in an industrial city in northern Iran on Tuesday, but no deaths have been reported, according to state television.Earlier, the semiofficial Fars news agency said an explosion had gone off in a wood and oil storage facility in Qazvin, leaving nearly 50 people injured — many in serious condition. Many cargo depots are located in the city, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of the capital, Tehran.State television citied Gov. Saeed Mirbaha as saying no deaths were reported but fire fighters and rescue workers have intensified efforts to control the blaze that filled the sky with smoke.The city’s emergency department said one rescuer was badly injured from smoke inhalation, not two as local media previously reported.Fars also said police have closed off roads to the area where the explosion took place.According to Channel 2 News, the city has previously been reported to have a secret uranium enrichment facility.
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
05/ 6/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-Over 3000 paedophile priests punished since 2004, Vatican informs UN anti-torture committee-Silvano Tomasi-In today’s address to the UN Committee Against Torture Mgr. Tomasi said “abortion is also a form of torture”. Paolo Gabriele’s case-Iacopo Scaramuzzi
vatican city-The Holy See reduced 848 child abusing priests to the lay state between 2004 and 2013. 2572 paedophile priests received lighter punishments. 3420 cases were reported to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. These were some of the figures Mgr. Tomasi, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, presented to the UN Committee on the Convention against Torture (CAT) this afternoon. The Committee is currently holding its 52th session. After presenting the Holy See’s first report yesterday, today the head of the Vatican delegation responded to questions put to him by a panel of UN experts, many of which focused on the issue of clerical sex abuse.“The figures relating to cases reported to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith between 2004 and 2013, based on credible accusations made against a priest for committing acts of sexual abuse against minors below the age of 18, are as follows: 713 in 2004, 184 in 2005, 218 in 2006, 216 in 2007, 191 in 2008, 196 in 2009, 464 in 2010, 402 in 2011, 418 in 2012 and 401 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 3420 cases. It should be noted that these cases do not correspond to the year in which they were reported. Most of them refer to abuse which took place in the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties. Now I will give you some more figures: the numbers of priests the Holy See directly dismissed from the clerical state between 2004 and 2013 are as follows: 89 in 2004, 84 in 2005, 114 in 2006, 84 in 2007, 68 in 2008, 69 in 2009, 84 in 2010, 143 in 2011, 70 in 2012 and 43 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 848 cases. The figures relating to the number of cases that were resolved through the implementation of canonical and disciplinary measures, such as the imposition of a life of prayer and penitence, the enforcement of criminal measures or other disciplinary measures, are as follows: 641 in 2004, 100 in 2005, 104 in 2006, 132 in 2007, 123 in 2008, 127 in 2009, 380 in 2010, 259 in 2011, 348 in 2012, 358 in 2013. That accounts for a total of 2572 cases.” “I do not have any figures relating to the number of cases reported by the ecclesiastical authorities to the civil courts. However, the policy is that when a credible accusation is made, this must be reported to the civil authorities so that action may be taken on a canonical level as well as in the State where the person in question holds citizenship and on a civil level,” Mgr. Tomasi said. He went on to say that the way in which bishops in the United States and Australia responded to the sex abuse scandal had been particularly positive. As far as compensation is concerned, the archbishop placed particular emphasis on the case of the US: 2,5 billion dollars have been spent on agreements with victims, 78 million on therapy for victims and 47 million has gone towards other expenses. During today’s three-hour meeting the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN also answered a number of specific questions put to him by the panel of experts. Among these was a question relating to the case of Mgr. Jozef Wesolowski, a former Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic who was accused by Dominican and Polish prosecutors of committing sex crimes against minors. Last August the Apostolic Palace in Rome announced he was to undergo a double trial, a criminal and canonical one. “If the accusations prove to be true he will be tried according to the laws currently in force” in the Vatican, Mgr. Tomasi said, before revealing that the procedure has been “delayed” because “certain documents which the Vatican had requested from the Santo Domingo court, have not yet been sent to the Vatican.”In response to those who asked him about the Church’s position with regard to abortion, Mgr. Tomasi stated that “the Holy See condemns torture, that includes torture inflicted on the unborn.” A very specific question was asked regarding the abuse Benedict XVI’s butler Paolo Gabriele claimed he had suffered in the cell he was held in after he was arrested for leaking confidential documents belonging to the former Pope. The Vatican delegation informed the UN committee that checks were carried out by an engineer and ophthalmologist to verify whether the space inside the cell was too small and the results proved Gabriele’s claims to be false. The UN commission will publish its conclusions on 23 May.
05/ 5/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-An Italian in the Roman Curia: Fr. Pietro’s influence grows
Cardinal Parolin-Pope Francis was eager for Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, to be present at the C8 and Council for the Economy meetings-ANDREA TORNIELLI
vatican city-The reform of the Roman Curia is already leading to a downsizing of the Secretariat of State (for example some powers have been transferred from the first section to the Vatican’s new “ministry of finance” headed by Australian cardinal George Pell). This does not mean, however, that the role of the Secretary of State will be diminished.Although Pietro Parolin continues to embody the figure of a discreet “prime minister” who does not seek the spotlight (he does not act as “deputy Pope” or play the role his predecessor did when it comes to nominations), Francis is involving the Secretary of State in both the Curia reform process and the administration of the Holy See’s economic and financial affairs.It is the Pope who wanted him by his side and it is the Pope who wanted him to be directly involved in the reform process that is underway in the Vatican. In the past few weeks, Cardinal Parolin has taken part in the Financial Information Authority (AIF)’s board of directors meeting and has been tasked with overseeing Vatican financial bodies. The AIF had not met since last November and had been through a period of tension after its president, Cardinal Attilio Nicora, left the scene.In the days following the canonizations of John XXIII and John Paul II, Parolin took part in the meeting held by the Commission of Cardinals nominated by Francis to oversee the IOR (which he is a member of but not president). The IOR’s heads hoped they would only be overseen by the Secretary for the Economy, headed by Pell. Parolin has taken part in all of the C8’s meetings on Curia reform, a sign that the Pope wants to involve him directly in the dicastery reorganization process.Finally, Parolin also took part in the first meeting held by the Council for the Economy headed by Cardinal Reinhard Marx who has started to discuss its draft statutes. This new body is formed of both cardinals and lay experts who are working on equal terms to set the Vatican’s overly divided finances in order.Although some of the proposals put forward for the reform of the Roman Curia have suggested that the Secretariat of State should gradually turn into a “papal secretariat”, not only has the Secretary of State entered into his role fully but Pope Francis wants to involve him in the reform examination process and in the preparation of guidelines for the Vatican’s economic and financial affairs.The fact that Parolin –who is very much in tune with Pope Francis– is Italian and a Curia member with an extensive experience working for the Secretariat of State, is something which should not be overlooked. After the anti-Curia and anti-Italian sentiment that emerged in the pre-Conclave discussions last year in light of the Vatileaks scandal and the administration of the Roman Curia in recent years, the presence and role of Cardinal Parolin have brought a sense of balance.
