US JEWISH SECURITY OUTFIT OPENS BOOT CAMP FOR VOLUNTEER SYNAGOGUE GUARDS.

 US JEWISH SECURITY OUTFIT OPENS BOOT CAMP FOR VOLUNTEER SYNAGOGUE GUARDS.

INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

JOEL 3:2 (YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF (HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION KILLED AS A RESULT)
02-I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

DR DOCTORION-ANGEL OF THE MIDEAST
"The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

FIRST ANGEL: ASIA
But the angel said: "Millions will die in China and in India. Nation will be against nation, brother against brother. Asians will fight each other. Nuclear weapons shall be used, killing millions."Twice I heard the words, "Catastrophic! Catastrophic!"Then the angel said, "Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world."I was trembling while the angel was speaking.
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come."

ITS TIME FOR TRUMP AND ISRAEL TO BOMB THE QOM OR THE WELL WERE MAUHDI SO CALLED LIVES.AS WELL AS THE JAMKARAN MOSQUE. ISRAEL POUR TONS OF PIGS BLOOD ON THE MOSQUE AND MAUDIS WELL.

Jamkaran Mosque

Jamkaran Mosque in Iran’s central holy city of Qom is an important pilgrim center for Shiite Muslims.Located near Qom, the mosque draws pilgrims from all parts of Iran as well as other countries, who stream in to Qom where all roads head to the mosque on Tuesday evenings.The Mosque was built in the year 393 AH (1003 by the Gregorian calendar) by Hassan Bin Maslah by the order of Imam Mahdi (AS), the Twelfth Imam of the Shiite Muslims.His Excellency recommended his Shiites to come and pray in this mosque, and he has said: “whoever prays in this place, it is as if he has prayed in Ka’bah”.That’s why his countless needful lovers take refuge in this mosque and find the realization of their prayers under the attentions of His Excellency.The building of this mosque has been changing over the centuries, it is now considered one of the largest mosques of Iran in which the lovers of Imam Mahdi (a.j).

The Hidden Imam and His Cult-by BABAK SARFARAZ-25 Jul 2010 19:42

Because of a new injunction by the Suprme Leader, this year's birthday celebrations for the Hidden Imam on July 27 will be a relatively subdued affair. Babak Sarfaraz examines the reasons behind this development. Photos of the Jamkaran celebration that he took two years ago appear above.[ analysis ] Although Mahdaviat, or the cult of Mahdi -- associated with Shia Islam's 12th Imam, believed to be in occultation before he returns to save the world -- is over a millennium old, it has only attained the status of a mass movement in modern Iran in the last 20 years. Today, millions of Iranians worship the Hidden Imam with a devotion and adoration that rivals, and in some instances even surpasses, that paid to the Prophet of Islam.Scholars identify two primary factors underlying this remarkable development: the sociocultural transformation Iran has undergone over the past few decades and a political realignment at the top of the factional pyramid.While the idea of a coming redeemer is as old as civilization itself, social scientists agree that messianic movements flourish at times of great social upheaval or trauma. This was the case with certain periods of Zoroastrianism, sundry Jewish sects, various Roman plebian cults, and the early Christian church. So it is with the Mahdi cult in Iran. Years of socioeconomic and political dislocation have taken a heavy toll on the psyches of the poor and dispossessed masses who are the mainstay of the present movement.As for the political factor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, like all Shiites, venerated the Hidden Imam; at the same time, he was wary of the overexaltation of the Mahdi cult, which he rightly associated with the ultra-reactionary millennialist Hojjatiyeh Society. The rituals surrounding the Jamkaran mosque, the main loci of the veneration and celebration for cullt followers, were generally kept low key while the ayatollah was still alive. All that changed with Khamenei. In tandem with the rise of new aspirants to power such as Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and his lay followers, as well as the forces loyal to the Revolutionary Guards, Khamenei sanctioned a major apotheosis of the Imam and his cult. Millions of people soon joined the movement.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one of the first to see how enormously useful the cult could be. As the mayor of Tehran, he asked the City Council to reconfigure the capital to accommodate the Imam's imminent coming. Once he became president, he repeatedly invoked the name of the great Imam and had his cabinet members visit the Jamkaran mosque at the outskirts of Qom and drop notes of allegiance in its famed well. Later, his government augmented budgetary allocations to the mosque-complex by millions of dollars while plans were discussed to build a direct rail link from Tehran to it.In 2007, Iranian radio claimed that the mosque would soon be the third most important in the Muslim world -- presumably after Masjid'ul Haram and Masjid'ul Nabi and supplanting Masjid'ul Aqsa.Unwanted complications-The formula seemed perfect, at first. By making Imam Mahdi attractive and accessible to everyone, a new wave of religiosity would sweep through the country, deflecting public grievances to safe, controlled channels. Every Tuesday night, thousands of people flocked to the Jamkaran mosque to seek absolution and happiness, dropping their written wishes into the well. On the Imam's birthday, hundreds of thousands of worshipers were bussed to the mosque in search of redemption and answers to their prayers. The cult was catching on.Soon, however, complications arose. The movement was growing so large that it was attracting the attention of parties interested in manipulating it for their own ends. By 2008, the newspapers were replete with reports of self-proclaimed "Mahdis" announcing their reappearance and offering various prophesies or end-of-the-world scenarios. Every week, someone claimed to be the Mahdi or to be in special communion with him. There was also the ever-present danger that protest movements by the very poor could take shape under the banner of Mahdaviat.Even more worrying for Khamenei was the threat posed by two groups of newly ascendant players to his power base. One group, the maddahs, or lay preachers, openly challenged the power of the clergy by claiming to establish a direct link between worshipers and the Imam, without clerical intercession. The other group, young neo-rightists like Ahmadinejad, began vying for influence among the same social groups that Khamenei himself targeted.Criticism began to mount from several quarters. On the left, reformist-leaning grand ayatollahs like Hossein Ali Montazeri and Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili, along with some Muslim intellectuals, questioned the wisdom of abetting the cult and suggested it was entirely heretical. In 2008, Abdolkarim Soroush, a leading Shia intellectual, called the cult a form of polytheism.On the right, traditionalist clerics decried the jettisoning of their historical role by the maddahs. Grand Ayatollah Vahid Khorasani was one of the first to raise his voice against the trend. Many other clerics soon joined him.What finally convinced Khamenei that the Mahdaviat movement had gone far enough was last year's presidential election and its aftermath. For instead of aligning closer to the Supreme Leader, the ungrateful and ambitious president has decided to become a major rival to his erstwhile benefactor.

05 settembre 2006-Iran, Ahmadinejad and the 12th Mahdi-July 7, 2006-By George Thomas-CBN News Sr. Reporter

CBN.com – QOM, Iran - Whether it is his belief that Israel should be wiped off the map, denials of the Holocaust, obsession with going nuclear, or support for radical Islamic terrorist groups, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man on a divine mission.To understand him and that mission, you have to travel to a small dusty village called Jamkaran that is tucked into a corner of Iran's holy city of Qom.On a recent Tuesday afternoon, CBN News made that journey, heading south from Iran's capital of Tehran. Some 95 miles and a couple of wrong turns later, we arrived at the Jamkaran mosque on the outskirts of Qom.Behind the Jamkaran mosque, there is a well. And according to many Shiite Muslims, out of this well will one day emerge their version of an Islamic savior.They call him the Mahdi, or the 12th Imam. Ron Cantrell has written a book about him."The Mahdi is a personage that is expected to come on the scene, by Islam, as a messiah figure. He is slotted to come at the end of time, according to their writings -- very much like how we think of the return of Jesus," said Cantrell.Cantrell said the Mahdi, a descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, vanished in the middle of the 9th century. No one knows what he really looks like."The 12th Imam disappeared around the age of 9,” said Cantrell, “with a promise that he would return and bring Islam to its total fruition, as the world's last standing religion."Enter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since becoming the president of Iran in August 2005, Ahmadinejad has emerged as the Mahdi's most influential follower.“He has stated that his mandate is to pave the way for the coming of this Islamic messiah," Cantrell explained.In almost all his speeches, the president begs Allah to hasten the return of the Mahdi.During one speech, he is talking to soldiers at a military parade in Tehran, which was also attended by CBN News.“Oh, Allah, please facilitate Imam Mahdi's early return and make us one of his supporters," said Ahmadinejad.He said something similar last September, just before ending a speech at the United Nations in New York."Oh mighty lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace," Ahmadinejad prayed.A few days later in Iran, Ahmadinejad told a group of religious leaders that, during his UN speech, he felt a bright light around him.His reactions were captured on video and later posted on a conservative Iranian Web site."I felt it myself. I felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, all the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn't move an eyelid, I'm not exaggerating. They were looking as if a hand was holding them there, and had just opened their eyes to the message of the Islamic Republic,” Ahmadinejad recalled.Ahmadinejad is reportedly tied to a radical Islamic society in Iran that believes man can hasten the appearance of the Mahdi by creating chaos in the world.Ahmadinejad has stated that this chaos must take place before the Mahdi can come on the scene.Some wonder if Ahmadinejad believes these are the end times. And, whether his calls for the destruction of Israel and nuclear pursuits are ways to accelerate the divine timetable."With him, it is a win-win situation,” Cantrell said. “If we attack him, he wins because chaos happens. If we don't attack him, he gets to create the chaos, which he has said he is willing to do."In Shiite Muslim belief, the Madhi's second coming will be marked by apocalyptic times. Wars, famines, and floods will ravage the Earth -- followed by Judgment Day and a battle between good and evil.On this Tuesday, as the sun dips behind the mountains that surround Jamkaran, the faithful -- many of whom voted for Ahmadinejad -- arrive by the thousands from across Iran to pray for the Mahdi's return.Ezatallah Alimoradi, a follower of the Mahdi, said, "I feel so refreshed in my spirit when I come here to Jamkaran.""This day belongs to the Mahdi,” said another follower, Akram Alsadat Emmami, “and I've come to share my heart with him."The night begins with a visit to the sacred well. CBN News was given a rare opportunity to film people praying there. The opening of the well is covered by a green-like metal box to prevent people from jumping in.Most of the time here is spent praying and kissing the metal box. Others scribble prayer requests to the Mahdi on pieces of paper that are then dropped into the well.One man asks the Mahdi to forgive his sins. "If you ask in the right way, your prayers will be answered," he explained.Another seeks healing for family members. "I don't come here just to pray for myself,” he said. “I also ask the Mahdi to take care of my family and their needs."Many, like one young boy with a flashlight, believe the Mahdi is actually hiding at the bottom of the well, reading those prayer requests."I was looking into the well with my flashlight,” the boy said, “hoping to see the Mahdi -- but not tonight."Shia tradition teaches that if you come to Jamkaran 40 weeks in a row, you will "see" the Mahdi.A woman said, "I have not had the privilege to see him yet, but I've had many dreams about him. In one of my dreams, I saw a big bright light in the sky and this figure standing over me."The next few hours are spent praying inside the Jamkaran mosque.At the Jamkaran mosque, I've been told that, as a non-Muslim, I am not allowed to go inside. The truth is, though, every day tens of thousands of men and women come through the mosque to say their prayers -- and also to pray that one day soon the Mahdi would return.Nadal, a follower of the Mahdi, said, "And because we believe that he is going to come back soon, we can believe in heaven and hell and we can believe in the life after death."Ahmadinejad's government reportedly gave $20 million to help renovate the Jamkaran mosque. There are rumors that he is planning to build a railway line connecting Tehran and Jamkaran, to ferry the faithful.And apparently, Ahmadinejad has also drawn up plans for the road that the Mahdi will take when he returns.Cantrell said, "...that will actually serve as the red carpet rolled out in Iran for the Mahdi to appear."And if all this wasn't mystical enough, there is also the belief that when the Mahdi comes back, he will be accompanied by Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the prophet Isa."The Mahdi will take Jesus to Mecca,” Cantrell explained. “They will circumambulate the Kabah together. The Mahdi will teach Jesus to pray, at which time Jesus will then replace the Gospel with the Koran, and then all of us -- as Christians -- wherever you are on the face of the Earth, will convert to Islam because Islam will be deemed the one lasting pure religion."As the West drifts closer to a potential showdown over Iran's nuclear program, followers of the Mahdi are getting ready for Judgment Day.And many of them are convinced that President Ahmadinjead, who is considered by some as Allah's shadow on Earth, will fulfill his divine mission to prepare the world for the coming of the Islamic savior.http://voanews.com/english/2006-07-07-voa5.cfm?textmode=0

As Israel plans Gaza 'conquest', how strong is its army?-By Michael Blum.

Jerusalem (AFP) May 6, 2025-Israel's military has called up tens of thousands of reservists for its planned expanded offensive in Gaza, which an official said entails the "conquest" of the Palestinian territory.With one of the best equipped armies in the world, what forces are available to Israel?A large part of the adult population has completed military service and they are required to remain reservists until at least the age of 41, depending on rank and branch of service.But it is not compulsory for reservists to respond to the call-up.Israel's army has 169,500 soldiers, both conscripts and professionals, according to the Military Balance annual report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).It also has 465,000 reservists.In January 2024, 295,000 reservists and 45,000 volunteers joined to take part in the war triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to the latest available army figures.Brigadier General Rami Abudraham, head of planning for ground forces, told a parliamentary committee on Monday that the voluntary mobilisation rate for reservists is more than 75 percent."It's more than a miracle... after a year and a half of war," he said.According to the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies (FMES), Israel's army has 12 ground divisions and five independent brigades -- such as paratroopers or commandos.An Israeli army division has between 13,000 and 20,000 troops and a brigade between 3,000 and 7,000, according to experts.Israel's Air Force has 316 combat aircraft, including 175 that can operate within a radius of more than 1,000 kilometres, according to the IISS.By comparison, Britain's Royal Air Force has 146 fighter jets.The IISS also says that Israel has five submarines, seven small warships known as corvettes and 42 patrol boats, including eight able to fire missiles.Israel has never confirmed or denied that it has nuclear weapons, but according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) it has 90 nuclear warheads.- No shortage of soldiers -Since the Hamas attack in October 2023, Israel has operated on several fronts outside Gaza.These include the West Bank, a separate Palestinian territory which Israel has occupied since 1967, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen from where Iran-backed Huthi rebels have launched missile and drone attacks, and Iran itself, which directly attacked Israel twice in 2024.In Lebanon, a November ceasefire agreement ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah.But Israel has maintained several positions in south Lebanon and continues to carry out deadly strikes inside the country.Since Islamist-led forces ousted Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against military targets there also.It has also sent troops into the demilitarised buffer zone in the Golan Heights -- much of which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 war.The Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have launched missiles and drones at Israel throughout the Gaza war, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.Israel has responded with several retaliatory strikes."There is no problem with a shortage of soldiers," former brigadier general Yossi Kuperwasser, an expert at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told AFP.He said operations in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen do not currently require the mobilisation of reserve forces."On most fronts, the army does not need to mobilise many men and there are enough soldiers and reservists for the upcoming operation in Gaza," he added.

IDF to receive twenty 'Tigerbulance' armored ambulances for advanced medical care-These vehicles, equipped with the latest medical technology, are designed to evacuate injured soldiers even under fire.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 7, 2025 02:50

The armored ambulances will be designed to meet the specific requirements of the IDF, featuring advanced medical systems and strict safety protocols designed to ensure maximum protection for soldiers, the press release included.Omer Sheferbar, CEO of Shefer-Bar, commented, “We are in the final stages of outfitting these armored ambulances to the highest standards for the IDF. Each vehicle is meticulously tailored to operational needs, with cutting-edge technology, fully protected medical equipment, and rigorous safety and performance standards."Our goal is to deliver high-quality medical care directly in the combat zone, in a secure and protected environment. These vehicles will serve as mobile emergency rooms, offering advanced treatment, efficiency, and peace of mind for our soldiers. We are proud to play a key role in this vital mission.”

Huckabee honored in Jerusalem event as families of hostages call for action-US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was welcomed at a major ceremony in Jerusalem, where officials praised his support for Israel and released hostages urged him and Trump to act-By THE MEDIA LINE STAFF-MAY 6, 2025 22:50

The Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem hosted a reception on Tuesday for Mike Huckabee, marking his formal welcome as the incoming United States Ambassador to Israel. The event, spearheaded by Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion and a close advisor to President Donald Trump, drew an influential crowd of ambassadors, lawmakers, and Trump associates from both Israel and the US, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Ted Cruz.Huckabee, who was presented with the Friends of Zion Award, opened his speech by praising Evans and reflecting on his decades-long support for Israel, condemning antisemitism as “a hatred toward God.” “It is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob upon which everything I believe is held,” he said. “And God decided to bring His light into the world and His law into the world through the Jewish people. It wasn't my decision.”He referenced the power of prayer and faith in dark times and spoke of his deep spiritual and personal connection to Israel, crediting the Jewish faith as the foundation of his own Christian beliefs. “Without the Jewish people, I don’t have a faith. I have nothing,” Huckabee said. “No greater honor could be bestowed upon me than to be called a friend of the Jewish people.”Omer Shem Tov spoke as well-Additionally, Omer Shem Tov addressed the crowd in his first major public appearance since his release from Gaza after 505 days in captivity. “I woke up every day and thanked God that I had air in my lungs, food on my plate, and that my family was safe,” Shem Tov said, describing how he performed Kiddush alone every Friday night in captivity. Turning to the ambassador, he said, “Thank you, Ambassador Huckabee. Thank you, President Trump. I am here today because of you.” His mother, Shelly Shem Tov, equated the experience of waiting for a child’s return to “more than a million minutes of hell.” Directing her words to Huckabee, she said, “You and President Trump have the power to give all the hostage families the miracle we received.”Huckabee recounted meeting Omer earlier in the evening. “I was overwhelmed,” he said. “Through all the horrid things you've been through, you were able to smile. That's God's gift.”Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen also addressed the crowd, praising Huckabee and Trump for their staunch support of Israel during a time of heightened regional conflict. “President Trump did a great deal for the State of Israel,” said Cohen. “He moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, initiated the Abraham Accords, and appointed you, Mike — a close friend of Israel — as ambassador.”Huckabee closed by sharing a personal story about his wife Janet’s hike up the Snake Path at Masada while carrying pictures and biographies of hostages. He said that at every stop, she and the US embassy delegation paused to pray, adding, “That strength came from God.”

Rabbis from 40 countries strategize mass Israeli expat surge after Oct. 7-Over 100 Chabad rabbis gathered last week in Montenegro to discuss the mass migration of tens of thousands of Israelis following Oct. 7.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 6, 2025 22:49

Faced with the mass migration of tens of thousands of Israelis abroad in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks and the ongoing war, more than 100 Chabad rabbis from 40 countries gathered last week in Budva, Montenegro, to plan an urgent response to this growing diaspora challenge.According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, approximately 82,700 Israelis left the country in 2024 – the highest number since the country’s founding. Nearly half (48%) were aged 20 to 45, while 27% were children or teens. The cities with the highest emigration rates included Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya, and Jerusalem.The two-day conference brought together Chabad emissaries from across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, focusing on how to support Israeli and Jewish émigrés seeking spiritual and communal connection. Emissaries described an uptick in demand for Jewish identity resources, reporting the launch of new youth and young adult initiatives, including CKids, CTeen, and CYP, even in countries where Jews have historically concealed their identity.Remembering the late Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, a key Chabad leader-The event also honored the late Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, a key leader in Chabad’s global operations. His son, Rabbi Menachem Kotlarsky, emphasized the importance of emissaries acting as immediate contact points for Israelis arriving in unfamiliar destinations. “This conference sharpened our strategy to ensure every new immigrant finds a home from the moment they land,” he said.In a symbolic gesture, participants dedicated a new Torah scroll intended for rotating minyanim in Jewish communities across Muslim-majority countries. The gathering also included a cornerstone-laying ceremony for Montenegro’s first mikvah and a memorial service for Israel’s fallen soldiers.Security remained a core concern at the conference. Rabbi Moshe Fleishman of the Chabad World Assistance (CWA) organization delivered a lecture on safety protocols and operational procedures, which participants described as “mandatory” for all emissaries and their spouses.“Our quiet streets turned into a hub of Jewish continuity,” said Rabbi Aidelkopf, who hosted the gathering. “We shared challenges, discussed solutions, and mapped out the future of Jewish life in the region.”

Almost half of Gazans willing to leave enclave, Palestinian research center finds-The survey also found that 48% of Palestinians in Gaza supported the series of anti-Hamas demonstrations that sprang up across the enclave.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS-MAY 6, 2025 21:11

Almost half of Gazans may be willing to apply to Israel to help them leave to other countries, according to a survey on Tuesday that also showed significant support for anti-Hamas protests.The survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research was based on polling of people across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank between May 1-4, some six weeks after Israeli forces resumed operations in Gaza following the breakdown of a brief ceasefire.The Center, a think tank based in Ramallah and funded by Western donors, said in the report that 49% of those surveyed declared that they would be willing to apply to Israel to help them emigrate via Israeli ports and airports, against 50% who said they would not be willing to do so.Israeli officials have said that Israel will help Gazans who wish to leave the enclave, but it has made little headway persuading other countries to accept them.Although Israel's 19-month campaign has reduced most of Gaza to rubble, and a blockade on aid since March has left the 2.3 million population increasingly short of food, many Palestinians believe that leaving would mean effectively surrendering their home to Israel.Hardline Israeli ministers have made little secret of their wish to see the whole Gaza population moved out of the enclave, in line with US President Donald Trump's plan to redevelop Gaza as a coastal resort under American control.The survey also found that 48% of Palestinians in Gaza supported the series of anti-Hamas demonstrations that sprang up in various places around the enclave, a much higher level than among Palestinians in the West Bank, where only 14% backed the protests, a rare public show of opposition to the group.At the same time, 54% of Gazans also thought the protests, which Hamas said were set up by Israeli intelligence services, were steered by outside hands, and only 20% said they expressed the real opinion of the population.Gazan reaction to Hamas' October 7 attack dipping-Gazans and West Bank Palestinians were asked for the fourth time for their opinions on Hamas' decision to launch the October 7 attack, whether it was correct or incorrect. 50% of respondents said it was the right decision, down from 54% in September 2024 and 71% in March 2024. In the West Bank 59% of respondents believed it was the right decision, while in Gaza only 38% percent agreed.The Center said the survey's sample was 1,270 with a margin of error of +/-3.5%.  

How much does a strike on Sanaa International Airport cost Israel?-Israel's airstrikes on Sanaa, conducted on Tuesday, likely cost approximately 13 million shekels.By UDI EZION-MAY 6, 2025 21:09

Israel's airstrikes on Sanaa, conducted on Tuesday, likely cost approximately 13 million shekels based on reservist payments, the deployment of rescue planes and helicopters, fighter jet fuel, and other operational costs.The flight to Yemen and back takes Israel Air Force jets approximately four hours, meaning a total of 80 flight hours based on 20 fighter jets.That could cost at least five million shekels just for their flight hours, plus one million for escort planes.The cost of munitions could easily have exceeded seven million shekels.The military and defense industries may say that national security has no price, but every military action by Israel carries substantial economic consequences.During discussions prior to executing such an operation, the operational need, strike capability, risks to crew members, and weapon systems are considered, but the cost of each strike mission is not typically calculated.Striking Yemen is one of the more expensive military operations due to the approximately 2,000 km. distance from Israel, requiring a fleet of support aircraft to accompany the fighter jets, including refueling facilities and intelligence planes.Such an operation also typically involves the deployment of rescue helicopters in case of pilot ejection due to malfunction or damage, in which case, ejected pilots would not have to wait hours for a rescue helicopter to arrive from Israel.'Dozens' of Air Force fighter jetsThe IDF confirmed that "dozens" of fighter jets participated in the attack on Sanaa International Airport, but it is unconfirmed whether the jets were F-15Is, F-16Is, or F-35 Adir jets.The Pentagon's operational figures state that the F-16 is the least expensive of the three to operate, at approximately $15,000 per flight hour, and the F-35 Adir costs $17,000 per flight hour. The F-15I is notably more expensive, costing approximately $27,000 per flight hour, in part due to its twin engines and larger size.A fleet used to strike Yemen in an operation this large would require at least two refueling planes. The Israel Air Force still uses 50-year-old Boeing 707 "Ra'am" planes for this task. These planes have their own large fuel consumption engines and require significant maintenance due to their age.The US Air Force prices a similar aircraft, the KC-135, at $19,000 per flight hour. However, the Israeli cost is likely higher as the US Air Force have replaced the engines with newer, more fuel-efficient ones.One of the IAF's "Nachshon" aircraft, which provides air control far beyond Israel's borders, was also likely in the area. This aircraft, a modified Gulfstream G550, is relatively economical, at approximately $7,500 per flight hour.The IDF Spokesperson's Unit released photos showing jets carrying Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs, which include GPS guidance kits manufactured by Boeing that turn regular bombs into precision-guided munitions. The US Air Force pays approximately $25,000-$30,000 for each kit.The cost of a heavier MK-84 bomb, which weighs approximately 900 kg. is approximately $15,000 without adding the expensive guidance kit.

In first, US Jewish security outfit opens boot camp for volunteer synagogue guards-New Community Security Service facility drills trainees in surveillance, intel, threat response and Krav Maga, as Jews build out defense array to counter antisemitic threats-By Luke Tress Today, 1:35 am-MAY 6,25

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, New York — A woman in a black jacket, black pants and dark sunglasses emerged from a bank and stepped into the bright morning sunlight on the main street of a small town north of New York City. A passerby with a flannel shirt tied around her waist snapped a furtive photo of the woman, and a man began to tail her from the opposite side of the street, noting the precise time and location of her stops and movements.An hour later, all three were debriefing in a nearby conference room. The woman in black was a trainer for the Community Security Service, a nonprofit that trains volunteer synagogue guards throughout the US, and the two surveilling her were participants in a training program. The exercise was part of a three-day course for 10 CSS volunteers at the organization’s new facility in Westchester County.The facility, the first in the US dedicated to training synagogue guards, is part of the group’s expanding efforts to protect Jewish institutions, as American Jews build out an array of connected security measures amid a global surge in antisemitism.CSS granted The Times of Israel exclusive access to the training facility on the condition that it not divulge the building’s location, volunteers’ identities, or certain details of the group’s protocols, due to security concerns.CSS was established as a non-profit by several congregants at a New York City synagogue in 2007. The group is modeled on volunteer guard programs for Jewish communities in Europe, where security became a concern before it became one in the US.Richard Priem, the group’s CEO, got his start as a volunteer guard when he was a teenager growing up in Amsterdam in the early 2000s. At the start of the training, the group watched a short documentary on a deadly shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France.“We never thought that in the United States people would start feeling that way as well. We always thought that this is something that happens in Europe, in the Middle East, but there are two places where Jews are safe. One is Israel,” Priem told the guards at the start of the training. “The other was the United States, and we’ve seen now that’s no longer the case.”Security efforts for US Jews gained steam after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018. More deadly attacks on Jews followed, in Poway, California; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Monsey, New York. The October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel and ensuing wave of antisemitism was another shock to US Jews.CSS expanded as those fears grew, and now counts around 5,000 active volunteers in 25 states. In the past five years, CSS’s staff has grown from two to 20.One of the guards at the course, a woman in her 50s from New York, started with CSS eight years ago. She saw attitudes toward security start to change with the Tree of Life shooting.“That really brought it home. It could happen to any synagogue, any school,” she said. “When I first started, people didn’t take it as seriously. ‘Why do we have to do this? Why do you have to check my bag?’ It was a pain. Over the years, people are used to it and they appreciate it.”CSS trained local leaders on an ad hoc basis, using a one-on-one mentoring model in their communities. Those local leaders would then pass the training on to rank-and-file volunteers.As the group grew, its leadership realized it needed a more formal training system, an established curriculum, and a central location to bring together volunteers from around the US for more advanced training. In 2022, CSS started hosting annual retreats. The first year, 50 volunteers showed up. Last year’s retreat in Pennsylvania brought in more than 200 applicants, but could only accommodate 75 trainees.The training facility located in CSS’s headquarters, is the next step in building the group’s infrastructure. CSS opened the headquarters, housed in a nondescript office building, in December to streamline its operations and bring in groups of volunteers from around the US year-round to train as synagogue guards.The participants are expected to bring those lessons back to their local communities, where a vast majority of the training still takes place. CSS held around 700 training sessions throughout the US last year, Priem said.The synagogue guards, who work with local law enforcement and often volunteer alongside paid armed guards hired by individual synagogues or provided by local federations, are meant to be part of an interlocking system of Jewish security organizations that has developed over the years.The array includes the Secure Community Network and the Community Security Initiative, which collect intelligence, with CSI focusing on the New York region.The Anti-Defamation League does research and advocacy. Groups such as Guardian Self Defense teach Krav Maga. The organizations collaborate with each other and with law enforcement. CSS volunteers train in Krav Maga with Guardian Self Defense, and the group receives threat alerts from other partners, for example.The cohort last week was the fourth group to train at the facility. Moving boxes still litter the office, and framed photos of two synagogue guards who were killed in attacks abroad — Dan Uzan and Yoel Kohen Ulcer — hang on a wall.Local volunteer leaders identify rank-and-file members from their community with leadership potential and refer them for the advanced training. During the three-day course, the trainees learn security skills and how to lead security teams in their communities.The guards train in surveillance, questioning, intelligence, decision-making, security planning, and Krav Maga, both at the office and at synagogues in the community that lend space to CSS.Six men and four women attended the training session. The volunteers came from New York, Florida, California and Massachusetts. They included a college student, a retired lawyer, a Coast Guard veteran and an ex-fireman, ranging in age from their mid-20s into their 60s. Some were secular and others were Orthodox.Most were there to learn how to guard their local synagogue, though a few of the younger volunteers were there as part of a separate CSS group, called ROAM, which dispatches young professionals to secure Jewish community events in the tri-state area.The trainers included a veteran of an Israeli infantry unit with around 15 years of post-army experience securing Israeli diplomats and consulates, and Chuck Berkowitz, a former senior detective for the New York City Police Department.One of the trainees, a woman in her 20s from New York, said she had joined ROAM after looking for community security programs following October 7.“It feels like I’m making a tangible difference,” she said. “You can go to bed knowing that there was a Jewish event that did not get blown up, that was protected, was safe.”“That’s felt more constructive for me than getting stuck in my head, thinking how much the world hates us. You can do something,” she added.At the start, the group trained in “red teaming” — getting in the head of a bad actor to probe their own vulnerabilities.“We’re going to think like an attacker. We’re going to try to put ourselves in their shoes, in terms of operational planning, so we can deter and detect and disrupt them,” one of the trainers said.The street surveillance drill was not meant to train the guards in doing surveillance, but to teach them how it feels to do “hostile reconnaissance” in a live environment, the kind of surveillance a would-be attacker might perform while on a synagogue. The experience is meant to help the trainees identify bad actors carrying out surveillance, the instructors said.Each group was assigned a target — one of the trainers — and instructed to observe them without being caught, take notes about their movements, and look for patterns. Berkowitz led the drill, which was coordinated with local law enforcement.In the next exercise, a CSS intelligence staffer trained the group in open-source intelligence techniques. Trainees were made aware of their own online exposure and vulnerabilities.The guards also practiced questioning, with some volunteers role-playing while others questioned them. The drill trained the guards to identify suspicious behaviors, to learn access control and effective screening.The guards left the facility to train emergency responses at a local synagogue. The trainers separated them into two groups — one charged with protecting the synagogue, and the other role-playing as bystanders or attackers. The trainers laid out a scenario for that group to surprise the guards. The instructor repeatedly told the guards to act with urgency, to practice going “from zero to 100 in a split second.”“I need you to take control of a situation,” he said. “It’s a mental change you need to work on.”“Every time I go on shift, I’m thinking, ‘Today something is going to happen,'” Priem told the group.In one scenario, the guards questioned the role-playing community members as they lined up at the synagogue door. One of the entrants told a guard, “I saw something weird by the bushes,” where the trainers had stashed a fake explosive wrapped in cloth. The guard told his associates via radio that he was going to check. After he left his post, a shooter with a fake gun emerged from behind a cherry blossom tree bursting with pink flowers, opened fire, then retreated. Two people dropped to the ground, wounded.“Lockdown, lockdown. Active shooter,” the guard said into his radio. Another guard slammed the synagogue door shut.After the exercise, the instructors debriefed the participants, giving them pointers on how they could have responded more effectively.Antisemitism has spiked in the US and internationally in recent years, and in the US, authorities have foiled repeated attack attempts on Jewish communities.In the past year, authorities arrested a suspect who threatened a New York synagogue, after receiving a tip from the Community Security Initiative; detained an armed man in Florida for planning an attack on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; arrested a college student who planned a terror attack on the Israeli consulate in New York City; detained a suspect in Canada who was attempting to enter the US to attack a Jewish center in Brooklyn; and indicted a neo-Nazi for planning to distribute poisoned candy to children at Jewish schools in New York.CSS and other security groups have proven their worth in recent years. In 2022, a CSS volunteer noticed a threat on social media and sent the information to CSI, which sent the threat to law enforcement. Police arrested a pair of suspects armed with a knife, a handgun and a Nazi armband.A year earlier, volunteers in the Bronx pursued and snapped a photo of a suspect who had carried out a string of vandalism against Jewish institutions in the area, leading to his arrest. In 2023, in Washington, DC, volunteer guards blocked an assailant who attempted to attack congregants with a foul-smelling spray outside a synagogue while shouting “Gas the Jews.”In other incidents, volunteers have screened out protesters from attending Jewish events, preventing disruptions and allowing the events to go forward.Priem said volunteers have reported around 200-300 suspicious incidents a year in recent years. Around half of those incidents are referred to law enforcement for investigation.Synagogues use volunteers because hiring security is expensive, and some government security grants that are already onerous to obtain offer only limited funding for guards. CSS also says that volunteers are familiar with their synagogue’s members and culture, so are better able to spot outsiders or suspicious behaviors. In some states, strict laws regulate police interactions with the public, such as prohibitions on any kind of profiling, rules that do not apply to volunteers.According to Priem, another benefit to using volunteers is that they will be able to continue their work on their own should funding dry up altogether.“My feeling, especially the time that we live right now, I feel that I am part of a big family and I’m protecting that family,” said a volunteer who does up to six shifts a week at his New York synagogue. “There is a feeling of belonging and giving back to the community.”

Briefing: Israel’s 3 Options for Stopping Turkey in Syria-April 11, 2025-Turkey-Israel tensions (GPT)

Initial talks between Israel and Turkey on deconfliction in Syria failed to produce results. Turkish hostility remains high, and Ankara appears committed to establishing a permanent military foothold in Syrian territory, despite Israeli warnings.Israel has drawn red lines for Turkish entrenchment in central and southern Syria, while targeting Syrian airbases reportedly slated for Turkish drone and air defense deployments. However, Israel wishes to avoid a direct clash with Turkey. What are Jerusalem’s options? The first and most conventional path is to exert diplomatic pressure on Turkey through allies, primarily the US. This is a low-risk method of signaling opposition to Turkish activity, but its effectiveness is in question.So far, Washington and Europe have been hesitant to confront Ankara on its Syria strategy. However, this path has not been fully explored.A more aggressive alternative is covert action. Israeli Special Forces or cyber units could target Turkish assets in ways that allow for plausible deniability. This would give Turkey the option of de-escalating by ignoring or downplaying the attacks.Still, the risk of Turkish retaliation persists, particularly if Ankara views such operations as crossing a red line.A third option focuses on striking at Turkey’s allies in Syria rather than Turkish forces directly. Israel has already threatened to attack the new regime, which serves as the centerpiece of Turkish influence in Syria.Targeting Al-Jolani’s government and forces would undermine Turkey’s strategy without sparking a direct clash, as long as Ankara chooses not to escalate. This, too, is uncertain.While Turkey likely also wishes to avoid a dangerous conflict, its calculations may differ. Ankara aims to change the status quo and is willing to take military risks to achieve this, analyst Yonatan Adiri wrote on X. Turkey’s declared aim is to undermine Israel’s regional status, he added.While Israel still retains the option of a direct attack on Turkish targets in Syria, deconfliction efforts will be prioritized for now. Despite deep mistrust, both sides seem to recognize the high cost of open conflict, and are still exploring ways to avoid it.

Attacks on Port Sudan point to escalation of war amid humanitarian catastrophe-The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to wreak death, destruction and displacement as it spreads to previously quiet areas of the Northeast African nation.By Linda Bordoni-MAY 6,25

For the third day in a row, multiple explosions have been heard and a huge fire has erupted in Port Sudan, Sudan’s main maritime port, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge during the two-year war.Drone attacks launched by the RFS on Tuesday reportedly hit multiple locations, including a fuel depot.  A hotel and Sudan’s main power substation were also reportedly struck, causing a blackout across the city.Civilians have been evacuated from the airport and the hotel, reporters said, adding that many of them are panicking as they try to seek refuge in other parts of the city that have become a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict.Humanitarian crisis-The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, one likely to be worsened by these latest attacks on Port Sudan, where the United Nations and other aid agencies, as well as army-aligned government ministries, have set up headquarters.The attacks on the Red Sea coastal city, which began on Sunday, represent a sharp escalation in fighting, as Port Sudan had remained untouched by ground or air attacks until this week.The war between the army and RSF erupted in April 2023 when a dispute over a transition to civilian government triggered a power struggle between the two parties.The conflict has displaced more than 12 million people in Sudan and pushed half the population into acute hunger.(Source: Reuters and other news agencies)

Putin tells Iranian president Russia wants 'fair' US-Iran nuclear deal-by AFP Staff Writers.

Moscow (AFP) May 6, 2025-Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Moscow wants a "fair" nuclear deal between the United States and Iran and was ready to help advance talks, the Kremlin said."The Russian side confirmed its readiness to contribute to the promotion of this dialogue with the goal of reaching a fair agreement based on the principles of international law," the Kremlin said in a readout of a call between the leaders.The latest round of the talks between Tehran and Washington, initially set for May 3, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons" for the delay.The two countries have held three rounds since April 12, their highest-level contact since the United States withdrew from a landmark deal with Iran in 2018, during Donald Trump's first term as president.Russia has deepened its military and diplomatic ties with Iran since it launched its offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.The two countries, both under massive Western sanctions, signed a strategic partnership earlier this year. Most recently, Moscow has sent two planes to help put down a fire after a deadly explosion in Iran's biggest commercial port.Russia earlier confirmed its readiness to help find a diplomatic solution to the stand-off between Washington and Tehran, and to play any role in the talks.

India launches strikes deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan claims 5 Indian jets shot down, in major escalation-Sophia Saifi Rhea Mogul Helen Regan-By Sophia Saifi, Vedika Sud, Jerome Taylor, Ross Adkin, Rhea Mogul and Helen Regan, CNN-Updated 11:46 PM EDT, Tue May 6, 2025

Islamabad, Pakistan / New Delhi, India CNN  — India launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan, both countries said on Wednesday, with Pakistan claiming it had shot down five Indian Air Force jets in response, in a dangerous escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals.India’s missile strikes early Wednesday morning targeted “terrorist infrastructure” across nine sites deep in Pakistan’s densely populated Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, it said. They come more than two weeks after a massacre of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on its neighbor.Pakistan said eight people were killed in Wednesday’s strikes – including women and a three-year-old girl – and 35 wounded after six locations were targeted, in what the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described as “an act of war.”The escalation puts India and Pakistan, two neighbors with a long history of conflict, in dangerous territory, with Islamabad vowing to retaliate against New Delhi’s strikes and the risk of tit-for-tat responses spiraling into an all-out war.Indian jets have previously bombed Pakistani territory during bouts of rising tensions but Wednesday’s operation is the deepest India has struck inside its neighbor since the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, the biggest of several wars between the two countries.The situation is now “obviously serious and fluid,” said Fahd Humayun, an assistant professor of political science at Tufts University. “Retaliation to India’s actions will likely now be inevitable.”The Indian Army, which dubbed its military action Operation Sindoor, declared “Justice is served,” on X. “Jai Hind!” it added, meaning “Victory to India.”But world leaders have expressed concern over the operation and have urged restraint from both countries, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning that “the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.” The US Department of State said it was “closely monitoring” the flare-up.Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India have inched closer to open conflict since the massacre last month, with India’s Hindu-nationalist government under intense pressure from its base to respond to the attack, in which gunmen killed 25 Indian tourists in a popular holiday spot.Pakistan says it shot down five Indian Air Force jets and one drone in “self-defense,” claiming Rafale jets – sophisticated multi-role fighters made in France – were among those downed as well as a MiG-29 and an SU-30 fighter. Indian authorities have not yet confirmed any planes lost. CNN cannot independently verify the claim and has reached out to the Indian government for a response.However, a local resident and government official told CNN that an unidentified fighter aircraft had crashed on a school building in Indian-administered Kashmir, in the village of Wuyan.“We heard the sound of a flying plane and then there was a big explosion. We rushed out of our homes in panic and saw it was on fire. Luckily no one was injured,” said Wuyan resident Abdul Rashid.Photos published by AFP news agency showed aircraft wreckage lying in a field next to a red-brick building. But it was not immediately clear from the pictures of the wreckage who the aircraft belonged to.Witnesses in Indian-administered Kashmir’s biggest city Srinagar had previously told CNN that a blast had rocked the city, around the time when India said it was conducting airstrikes against Pakistan.The strikes have put the region on alert, with commercial airlines keeping almost entirely clear of Pakistani airspace, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed. The airport in Srinagar has been closed to civilian traffic, and several airlines have suspended or diverted flights to Pakistan and northwest India.Hospitals have been put on alert in Pakistan’s Punjab and schools have closed in both Pakistan and Indian territory.What was targeted-India has defended its military operation in Pakistan, claiming that its actions in response to last month’s massacre were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.”“No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” India’s defense ministry said in a statement.Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack on the tourist spot of Pahalgam. It has also rejected India’s claim, saying Wednesday’s strikes largely harmed civilians and targeted mosques across six locations in its territory.Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif said his country “has every right to give a befitting reply.”“The Pakistani nation and the Pakistani Armed Forces know how to deal with the enemy very well,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “The enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives.”The Indian Army said three civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir were killed in shelling by Pakistani troops from across the Line of Control that divides the disputed territory of Kashmir.“The world must show zero tolerance for terrorism,” India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on X.From early Wednesday the two sides have exchanged shelling and gunfire across their border and a CNN journalist in Pakistan-administered Kashmir heard multiple loud explosions.Senior Indian officials have spoken with counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by New Delhi, a senior Indian government official told CNN. Among the countries briefed were the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Russia.US President Donald Trump called India’s operation “a shame,” and that he hopes “it ends very quickly.” Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the national security advisers from India and Pakistan and urged “both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation,” a statement said.The UAE has asked for both countries “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace,” according to a statement.Flashpoint-Kashmir is one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints. It is controlled in part by India and Pakistan, but both countries claim it in its entirety.India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the mountainous territory since their independence from Britain in 1947, the most recent in 1999. And the divided region is now one of the most militarized places in the world.For decades, several domestic militant groups, demanding either independence for Kashmir or for the area to become part of Pakistan, have fought Indian security forces, leaving tens of thousands killed in the violence.India has long accused Pakistan of harboring these militant groups – a charge Islamabad denies – and had vowed to retaliate against those they deemed responsible.Tensions over Kashmir have also surged in recent years, after Indian Prime Minister Modi’s government revoked the region’s constitutional autonomy in 2019, bringing it under the direct control of New Delhi.Wednesday’s operation is the first time India has conducted strikes inside Pakistan’s territory since 2019, when Indian jets targeted multiple locations after it blamed Islamabad for a suicide car bomb attack that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in the region.The massacre in Pahalgam sparked immediate widespread anger in India, putting Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under tremendous public pressure to retaliate with force.“Modi and his government believe it is imperative to respond to Pahalgam,” said Derek J. Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, a US-based think tank.“Indians are very likely to support New Delhi’s response – regardless of what it is, perhaps except for a nuclear response – because they believe Pakistan must be deterred in the future.”In the days after the tourist attack, both countries swiftly downgraded ties with each other and have since been engaging in escalating tit-for-tat hostilities.CNN’s Manveena Suri and Azaz Syed contributed to this story.

India launches strikes on Pakistan, Islamabad vows to 'settle the score'By Sajjad QAYYUM with Bhuvan BAGGA in Poonch.

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan (AFP) May 7, 2025-India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Dead were reported on both sides. Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed at least eight people, and India said Pakistani artillery fire had killed three civilians along the de facto border in contested Kashmir.New Delhi announced it had carried out "precision strikes at terrorist camps" at nine sites in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, days after it blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on the Indian-run side of the disputed region.The Indian army said "justice is served", with New Delhi adding that its actions "have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told AFP: "The retaliation has already started. We won't take long to settle the score."He accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of launching the strikes to "shore up" his domestic popularity.Islamabad reported eight civilians -- including one child -- killed in the strikes, which hit at least six locations.Earlier, Pakistan's military said three locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir had been hit along with two -- Bahawalpur and Muridke -- in the country's most populous province of Punjab.AFP correspondents in Pakistani-run Kashmir and Punjab heard several loud explosions.Shortly after, India accused Pakistan of "indiscriminate" firing and artillery shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, with bursts of flame as shells landed seen by AFP reporters."Three innocent civilians lost their lives", the Indian army said, adding it was responding in a "proportionate manner".India had been widely expected to respond militarily to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir by gunmen it said were from Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.That assault left 26 people dead, mainly Hindu men, in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam. No group has claimed responsibility.New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing the attack, sparking a series of heated threats and diplomatic tit-for-tat measures.Pakistan rejects the accusations, and the two sides have exchanged nightly gunfire since April 24 along the LoC, according to the Indian army. Pakistan also said it has held two missile tests.- 'Maximum restraint' -Wednesday's strikes are a dangerous heightening of friction between the South Asian neighbours, who have fought multiple wars since they were carved out of the sub-continent at the end of British rule in 1947.For days the international community has piled pressure on Pakistan and India to step back from the brink of war."The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan," the spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, adding that Guterres called for "maximum restraint."Asked about the strikes, US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington he hopes the fighting "ends very quickly".India's embassy in Washington said New Delhi's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the strikes.Rubio also spoke with Pakistan's national security advisor, Lt. General Asim Malik, a senior Pakistani military official told AFP.US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed that Rubio had spoken with his counterparts from both India and Pakistan."I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely," Rubio said on X, adding that he will "continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution".- Explosions near LoC -India's army said it had "demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution", adding that "no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted".Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling the Indian attack "unprovoked" and "cowardly", said the "heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished."Indian fighter jets could be heard flying over Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.Loud explosions could also be heard in the town of Poonch, only about 10 miles (16 kilometres) from the LoC.Rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.India regularly blames its neighbour for backing armed groups fighting its forces in Kashmir, a charge that Islamabad denies.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected in New Delhi on Wednesday, two days after a visit to Islamabad, as Tehran seeks to mediate.India was also set to hold several civil defence drills Wednesday, while schools in Pakistan's Punjab were closed, local government officials said.The strikes came just hours after Modi said that water flowing across India's borders would be stopped. Pakistan had warned that tampering with the rivers that flow from India into its territory would be an "act of war".Modi did not mention Islamabad specifically, but his speech came after New Delhi suspended its part of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, which governs water critical to Pakistan for consumption and agriculture."India's water used to go outside, now it will flow for India," Modi said in a speech in New Delhi.

Trump hopes India-Pakistan clashes end 'very quickly'.

Washington (AFP) May 6, 2025 - US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he hoped clashes between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan end "very quickly," after New Delhi's forces launched strikes and Islamabad vowed retaliation."It's a shame, we just heard about it," Trump said at the White House, after the Indian government said it had hit "terrorist camps" on its western neighbor's territory following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir."I guess people knew something was going to happen based on the past. They've been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it," he added.India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since gaining independence from the British in 1947. Both claim Kashmir in full but administer separate portions of the disputed region."I just hope it ends very quickly," said Trump.India had been widely expected to respond militarily since gunmen shot dead 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, mostly Hindus.New Delhi has blamed militants that it has said were from Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organization.Pakistan's army said the Indian strikes targeted three sites in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and two in Punjab province, the country's most populous.Islamabad said that three civilians, including a child, had been killed in Indian strikes.The Indian strikes came just hours after the US State Department issued a fresh call for calm."We continue to urge Pakistan and India to work towards a responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.Her statement came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of stopping water from flowing across borders following the Kashmir attack.

India and Pakistan: a history of armed conflict.

New Delhi (AFP) May 7, 2025 - Long-running tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan soared Wednesday after New Delhi launched deadly strikes at Pakistani territory.The missiles killed at least eight people, according to Pakistan, which said it had begun retaliating in a major escalation between the South Asian neighbours.India accuses Pakistan of backing the deadliest attack in years on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 men were killed.Islamabad has rejected the charge. Both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut.Since the April attack soldiers on each side have fired across the Line of Control, the de facto border in contested Kashmir, a heavily fortified zone of Himalayan outposts.The two sides have fought multiple conflicts -- ranging from skirmishes to all-out war -- since their bloody partition in 1947.- 1947: Partition -Two centuries of British rule ends on August 15, 1947, with the sub-continent divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.The poorly prepared partition unleashes bloodshed that kills possibly more than a million people and displaces 15 million others.Kashmir's monarch dithers on whether to submit to Indian or Pakistani rule.After the suppression of an uprising against his rule, Pakistan-backed militants attack. He seeks India's help, precipitating an all-out war between the countries.A UN-backed, 770-kilometre (480-mile) ceasefire line in January 1949 divides Kashmir.- 1965: Kashmir -Pakistan launches a second war in August 1965 when it invades India-administered Kashmir.Thousands are killed before a September ceasefire brokered by the Soviet Union and the United States.- 1971: Bangladesh -Pakistan deploys troops in 1971 to suppress an independence movement in what is now Bangladesh, which it had governed since 1947 as East Pakistan.An estimated three million people are killed in the nine-month conflict and millions flee into India.India invades, leading to the creation of the independent nation of Bangladesh.- 1989-90: Kashmir -An uprising breaks out in Kashmir in 1989 as grievances at Indian rule boil over. Tens of thousands of soldiers, rebels and civilians are killed in the following decades.India accuses Pakistan of funding the rebels and aiding their weapons training.- 1999: Kargil -Pakistan-backed militants seize Indian military posts in the icy heights of the Kargil mountains.Pakistan yields after severe pressure from Washington, alarmed by intelligence reports showing Islamabad had deployed part of its nuclear arsenal nearer to the conflict. At least 1,000 people are killed over 10 weeks.- 2019: Kashmir -A suicide attack on a convoy of Indian security forces kills 40 in Pulwama.India, which is busy with campaigning for general elections, sends fighter jets which carry out air strikes on Pakistani territory to target an alleged militant training camp.One Indian jet is shot down over Pakistani-controlled territory, with the captured pilot safely released within days back to India.

China's Xi aims to beef up 'no limits' Putin partnership.

Moscow, May 7 (AFP) May 07, 2025-Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir Putin.Moscow and Beijing declared a "no limits partnership" weeks before Putin ordered Russia's Ukraine offensive in February 2022. The expanded military and trade ties since have troubled the West.The visit comes with rising China-US tensions over biting US trade tariffs, while President Donald Trump has also made overtures to Putin in a bid to mediate the conflict in Ukraine.On Tuesday, the Kremlin praised Russia-China relations as a "genuine example" of cooperation and said they were "at their highest point".It said Putin and Xi will discuss Ukraine and Russia-US relations at a one-to-one meeting.China's foreign ministry said the leaders will "rally the Global South, shape global governance in the right direction, unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world", state broadcaster CCTV said.- Guest of honour -Putin will address the "grandest" ever annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday for the 80th anniversary of defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II to rally support for his troops fighting in Ukraine.Xi is to be the guest of honour at the May 9 parade among 29 other foreign leaders, three of whom come from non-recognised or partially recognised states.Putin has ordered a three-day ceasefire on the Ukraine frontlines to coincide with the celebrations.Kyiv has dismissed the gesture as an attempt by Moscow to secure the safety of the parade and called for a month-long ceasefire instead.Ukraine -- which hit Moscow with drones just days before the parade -- has said it cannot take responsibility for what happens in Russia.Some countries had approached Kyiv to ask for safety for their leaders attending the parade, it added.China has sent 102 soldiers -- the largest foreign military contingent among the 13 participating nations -- for the event.Ukraine warned Tuesday against any foreign troops participating in the parade, calling it "unacceptable" and helping Moscow "whitewash its war crimes".World War II, officially remembered in Russia as the "Great Patriotic War", had a devastating impact on the Soviet Union, resulting in more than 20 million civilian and military deaths.Throughout his rule, Putin has tapped into this national trauma, making May 9 Russia's most important public holiday and championing his army as defenders against fascism.The Kremlin has also drawn parallels between its offensive against Ukraine and the fight against the Nazis.- Fine line -China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the more than three-year conflict, although Western governments say its close ties to Russia have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in April accused China of supplying arms to Russia and alleged Beijing knew of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces.Beijing denied that its citizens were being recruited en masse by Russia and urged Chinese nationals not to become involved in conflicts.It also rejected claims it was supplying weapons to any side in the war.Over the past decade, China and Russia have deepened their ties however, with Beijing becoming Moscow's largest trading partner following sweeping Western sanctions.But Russia ranks only as China's fifth-largest trading partner, with Beijing primarily relying on Moscow for its vast supplies of natural gas and oil.Chinese companies quickly stepped in to fill the void left by the exodus of Western firms -- particularly in the auto sector -- after Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine.The two countries have shifted nearly all their bilateral transactions to local currencies, with 95 percent of payments now settled in rubles and yuan.

EDF complaint blocks Czech-Korean nuclear deal.

Prague, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2025-A Czech court said Tuesday it blocked a multi-billion-dollar deal between Prague and South Korea's KHNP on the construction of two nuclear units following a complaint by France's EDF.KHNP won the contract last July after beating EDF in the tender, but the French giant filed an appeal with the Czech antitrust watchdog UOHS.When the UOHS rejected the appeal last week, EDF filed a lawsuit.The regional court in the second Czech city of Brno said it had "issued a pre-emptive ruling banning the signature" originally scheduled for Wednesday.It added that if the deal were signed, EDF would lose a chance to compete for the contract for good even if the court ruled in its favour later on.The deal cannot be signed until the court passes a verdict on the case.KHNP is due to build the two units at the southern Czech nuclear plant of Dukovany run by the state-run CEZ group.The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.9 million people, relies on nuclear power -- produced by Dukovany and the Temelin plant also in the south -- for 40 percent of its electricity consumption.With the two new units and small modular reactors due to be built by 2050, the share of nuclear energy is expected to rise to 50 percent as the country shifts from burning fossil fuels.EDF hailed the postponement, saying it "provides the necessary time for a thorough assessment of any potential infringement of its rights".It also told AFP it was ready for "all legal actions".EDF said earlier its appeal was designed to make sure the selection process was fair and transparent.It also insists it can offer 60 percent of the value of the contract to Czech companies, while the share offered by KHNP is lower.The Czech news agency CTK quoted KHNP as saying it acknowledged the postponement but was sure the tender was correct, and that it was ready to go to court too.Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the tender that KHNP's bid was "better in all criteria assessed".CEZ insisted on Tuesday that the tender was "fully transparent in all phases" and called on EDF to make its bid public to "rule out any doubt" that KHNP's bid was better.The UOHS also earlier rejected an appeal by US-based Westinghouse, eliminated from the tender in January 2024 over flaws in its bid.KHNP has offered to build the two new units for around 200 billion Czech koruna ($9 billion) each.Prague expected to finalise the deal with KHNP by March this year, but the EDF appeal delayed the process.CEZ expects construction to begin in 2029 and the first new reactor launched in trial operation in 2036.frj/jza/lth

Boris Pistorius, party soldier in charge of Germany's defence-by AFP Staff Writers.

Berlin (AFP) May 6, 2025-Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius -- who has led the push to make the military "ready for war" so it doesn't have to fight one -- was the only cabinet member to survive the new government taking office.Hailed as a straight-talking politician, the Social Democrat has earned the respect of troops and voters for his efforts to strengthen the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, and support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.That saved his seat at the cabinet table when conservative Friedrich Merz officially took over as chancellor Tuesday from Olaf Scholz of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).The SPD -- staying on as a junior partner to Merz's CDU/CSU alliance -- decided that Pistorius would remain in charge of Germany's defence ministry, a job he has held for over two years.Pistorius, 65, now has at his disposal an unprecedented budget to make the armed forces battle-ready in the face of sabre-rattling from Moscow and an uncertain future for the transatlantic alliance.The new government intends to borrow hundreds of billions of euros to upgrade the military after years of underinvestment in the post-Cold War era which has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump.Pistorius took the job in January 2023, as Berlin stepped up arms shipments to Ukraine, making Germany the country's second biggest military backer after the United States.In a job that has derailed many politicians before him, he quickly became Germany's most popular politician according to opinion polls, a position he has maintained ever since.Under Pistorius, Berlin also decided to deploy a German brigade to Lithuania by 2027 to help strengthen NATO's eastern flank.- 'Red general' -Born in the northern city of Osnabrueck on March 14, 1960, Pistorius completed his own compulsory military service in the early 1980s.He went on to study law and work as an attorney before entering politics in the 1990s.He became mayor of his hometown and later interior minister of Lower Saxony state, where he gained a reputation for his work in renewing the police force and boosting it to combat extremism.When Pistorius became defence minister, Der Spiegel news magazine nicknamed him the "red general" for the colour of the centre left Social Democrats party and his hard-charging style."Pistorius is considered impatient, occasionally comes across as brash and can sometimes barely conceal it when he is annoyed with others," public broadcaster NDR wrote of him.As Scholz's unwieldy three-party government engaged in open bickering last year over fiscal and economic policy, Pistorius stayed above the fray.After Scholz's government came crashing down in November, some voices within the SPD begged Pistorius to take the helm to try to turn around its dire poll ratings.But Pistorius refused to make a move for the party crown and played the loyal soldier, backing Scholz.As the SPD went down to its worst defeat in history, with around 16 percent of the vote, Pistorius is now the last man standing from the old ministerial lineup.He has two daughters and was widowed in 2015 when his wife died of cancer. He remarried in December 2023 to academic Julia Schwanholz.

Lithuania to spend $1.2 bn to fortify Russia, Belarus border-by AFP Staff Writers.

Vilnius (AFP) May 5, 2025-NATO member Lithuania on Monday said it will spend 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) to fortify its border with Russia and Belarus, with the bulk of this sum used to buy anti-tank mines.Lithuania, which is on NATO's eastern flank, and fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia -- all bordering Russia -- fear they could be next in Moscow's crosshairs were it to win its war against Ukraine.All three countries have been ramping up defences since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and boosted border security over what they allege was a Russia-inspired influx of migrants at the border.The latest spending push would allow Lithuania to "block and slow down the actions of hostile states", the defence ministry said.It added that Lithuania would "allocate approximately 1.1 billion euros to the countermobility project over the next 10 years".In January, Lithuania announced plans to spend an annual five to six percent of its GDP on defence from 2026 to 2030.The defence ministry said "intensive" work was ongoing to identify how to "ensure the integrity of the Baltic defensive line".It said 800 million euros of the overall sum would be spent on anti-tank mines.The Baltic states also joined Finland and Poland in deciding this year to leave the Ottawa Convention that bans acquiring, producing, stockpiling or using anti-personnel mines.The mines, designed to be buried or hidden on the ground, often mutilate victims, who do not immediately die, and aid groups denounce their long-term impact on civilians.Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have condemned the decision to abandon the treaty.As part of the planned measures, Lithuania will stockpile weapons like anti-tank systems and harden defences near the so-called Suwalki Gap -- a strategically important area where Lithuania borders Poland.The stretch of land is flanked by the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on one side and by Moscow's ally Belarus on the other.Military strategists say it is the Achilles' heel of NATO's eastern flank since its capture would cut off the alliance's three Baltic members.Lithuania plans to deepen irrigation ditches that could serve as trenches, reforest border areas and plant trees on key roads to protect civilians and the military.Additional measures include "electronic warfare capabilities, anti-drone systems and the strengthening of the observation and early warning system", the ministry said.

FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @ 39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS) and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Zephaniah 2:1-15
1 Gather together, yes, gather,O shameless nation,
2 before the decree takes effect[a] -before the day passes away like chaff—before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;[b] seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.
4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.
6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows[c] for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab (JORDAN) and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever.The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations.
12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria,(SYRIA) and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.
14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;[d] even the owl and the hedgehog[e]  shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.Sa'ar: No free meals; talks possible if more hostages freed Israel halts aid into Gaza, citing Hamas refusal to extend first phase of truce
Footnotes-a -Zephaniah 2:2 Hebrew gives birth, b-Zephaniah 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment, c-Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves, d-Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation, e-Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain

DANIEL 2:37-45
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

DANIEL 7:17-26
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

THE WORLD IN 10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS LEAD BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THE WORLD LEADER, NOT AMERICA.I PREDICT.

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND REVIVED ROMAN WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 2:31-33,36-43, DAN 7:3-8,17

First From Daniel Chapter 2

1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (HEAD OF GOLD) DAN 2:31-32,36-38, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (CHEST & ARMS OF SILVER) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (WAIST & HIPS OF BRONZE) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (2 LEGS OF IRON) DAN 2:33,40, ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) (FEET IRON & CLAY) DAN 2:33,41-43,10 TOES

Now From Daniel Chapter 7

1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (LION WITH EAGLES WINGS) DAN 7:4, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (BEAR ON HIND LEGS) DAN 7:5, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (LEOPARD 4 WINGS, 4 HEADS) DAN 7:6, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (HUGE IRON TEETH) DAN 7:7 (10 HORNS), ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) DAN 7:8,19-20,23-25 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS
REV 17:9,12, 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS, 7 HILLS ROME. REV 13:1 BEAST WITH 7 HEADS. THE E.U LEADER OF WORLD GOVERNMENT DAN 2:40-45, 7:7-8,23-25,27, 8:23, REV 13:3,7,8,12,14,16

REVELATION 17:10-12
10 And there are seven kings (7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY) five are fallen, (EGYPT, ASSYRIA, BABYLON,:MEDO-PERSIAN,GREECE and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS DAY-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh,(FUTURE-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE-EUROPEAN UNION TODAY) he must continue a short space.(7 YEARS OF WORLD DOMINATION-BUT 3 1/2 YEARS OF NEW WORLD ORDER OR ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT)
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS OR REGIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS-NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind,(WORLD SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950

Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

DICK MORRIS-This truly creates a global economic system. From now on, don’t look to Washington for the rule making, look to Brussels.

THE CLUB OF ROME FOUNDER AURELIO PECCEI WANTS THE WORLD IN 10 REGIONAL TRADING BLOCKS.

REVELATION 16:1-2
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

I KNOW THIS MARK WILL BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE. UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION 13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE), OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX, KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125 THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM 1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE; FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 - STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick; (cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.; Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian, Plutarch, Lcian, others.)

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo

THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.

LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

HERES WHAT THE WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE (SINCE THERE WILL BE WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE)-UPDATED VERSION

01 CANADA, U.S.A, MEXICO
02 EUROPEAN UNION,WESTERN EUROPE
03 JAPAN
04 AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND, S AFRICA, ISRAEL AND PACIFIC ISLANDS
05 EASTERN EUROPE
06 SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICAS
07 NORTH AFRICA, AND MIDEAST (MOSLEMS)
08 CENTRAL AFRICA
09 SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
10 CENTRAL ASIA

THE CLUB OF ROME WANTS A WORLD CHARISMATIC DICTATOR (EITHER RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFICAL) TO HEAD THIS WORLD GOVERNMENT. REV 13:3,7-8, DAN 7:23-24

WORLD POWERS IN THE END TIME

NORTH - RUSSIA EZEK 38:1-2, 39:1-2
SOUTH - EGYPT DAN 11:42
EAST - CHINA DAN 11:44,REV 16:12
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION DAN 7:23-24 (NOT THE U.S.A)
http://israel7777777.blogspot.ca/2012/03/10-world-trade-blocs-one-world.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-eu-takes-world-control.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2012/05/one-world-religion-crislam.html

FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @ 39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS) and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

TRUMP GAVE A HINT THERE IS GOING TO BE A BIG SIGNING IN THE MIDEAST. I SAY IT WILL BE SAUDI-ARABIA SIGNING THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS.IT COULD ALSO BE THAT THE HOSTAGES COULD BE FREED.OR ISRAEL WILL TAKE LAND IN GAZA. AND EVEN IF THE HOSTAGES ARE FREED. ISRAEL WILL KEEP THE LAND. TO GET RID OF HAMAS FOR GOOD.

Mediators looking to establish new Gaza ceasefire proposal in coming hours - report-By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 7, 2025 10:03

Mediators are looking to establish a new Gaza ceasefire proposal in the coming hours, Saudi state-owned news outlet Al-Arabiya reported on Wednesday, citing sources.The proposal reportedly includes establishing "safe corridors" and humanitarian aid distribution points. The efforts come amid US President Donald Trump's planned visit to the Middle East next week.

Trump teases 'very, very big announcement' ahead of Middle East trip, Carney says he's 'on edge of my seat'Trump teases 'one of the most important announcements that have been made' ahead of trip to Middle East-Danielle Wallace By Danielle Wallace Fox News-Published May 6, 2025 12:35pm EDT | Updated May 6, 2025 1:54pm EDT

President Donald Trump teased a "very, very big announcement" ahead of his trip to the Middle East, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was "on the edge of my seat."President Donald Trump teased a "very, very big announcement" ahead of his upcoming trip to the Middle East. Trump has a planned visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the coming days. "We're going to have a very, very big announcement to make, like as big as it gets," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, where he is meeting with Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney. "And I won't tell you on what … and it's very positive."ISRAEL SAYS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST VISIT IS THE ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ FOR HOSTAGE DEAL Trump and Carney in Oval Office"It is really, really positive. And that announcement will be made either Thursday or Friday or Monday before we leave," Trump added. "But it'll be one of the most important announcements that have been made in many years about a certain subject, very important subject. So you'll all be here." After that, the president asked Carney if he'd like to say a few words. "I'm on the edge of my seat," Carney said, drawing laughter from the press before thanking Trump for his "hospitality" and "leadership."It the start of the meeting, Trump announced that the Houthis in Yemen "don't want to fight" any longer and agreed to stop its attacks on shipping lanes. In turn, the president said, the U.S. would stop its bombardment of the Iran-backed terror group. The U.S. has been launching daily airstrikes on Yemen since March 15 to defend the freedom of navigation.The Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile that struck near the main terminal of Israel's international airport outside Tel Aviv over the weekend. The Israeli Cabinet voted to approve a plan to increase fighting in Gaza, and a senior Israeli defense official reportedly said Monday that Trump's trip to the Middle East brings a "window of opportunity" for a potential deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, which killed 1,200 Israelis and prompted the war. "If there is no hostage deal, Operation 'Gideon Chariots' will begin with great intensity and will not stop until all its goals are achieved," the Israeli defense official said, according to Reuters. Trump greets Carney outside White HouseTRUMP CLAIMS HOUTHIS 'DON'T WANT TO FIGHT' AND SAYS US WILL STOP BOMBING CAMPAIGN-In the Oval Office, Trump did not say whether the forthcoming announcement was related to the Israel-Hamas war. The president went on to discuss trade relations with Canada, the impact of the 145% tariff on China prompting major automobile and tech companies to invest in onshoring in the U.S., as well as the prospect of the U.S. one day obtaining control of Canada. The president then circled back to clarify that the announcement would not necessarily be related to that subject."We're going to have a great announcement. And I'm not necessarily saying it's on trade," Trump said. "We're going to have a great announcement over the next few days. Announcement that will be, so, so incredible, so positive. And I'm not saying… I don't want you to think it's necessarily on trade." Trump said the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was agreed upon in 2020, would be renegotiated shortly, but was a "transitional" and "very positive step" away from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA.)Trump places hand on Carney's shoulder outside White House-Trump said NAFTA was the "worst trade deal in the history of our country, probably in the history of the world." Asked about a potential new trade deal with Canada with Carney in power, Trump said he has "a lot of respect" for the prime minister, who "ran a really great campaign." "Yeah, something could happen," Trump said. "Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada," he added. Carney reiterated that Canada was not for sale, but Trump said, "Never say never." "I've had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable, and only doable in a very friendly way," Trump said. "If it's to everybody's benefit, you know, Canada loves us and we love Canada. That's, I think, the number one thing that's important. But we'll see. I mean, over time, we'll see what happens." Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.

Abraham Accords: Full text-Declaration of peace, cooperation, and constructive diplomatic and friendly relations between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain.By THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN-SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 01:53

ABRAHAM ACCORDS: Declaration of peace, cooperation, and constructive diplomatic and friendly relations.Announced by the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain on 15 September 2020

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to open an era of friendship and cooperation in pursuit of a Middle East region that is stable, secure and prosperous for the benefit of all States and peoples in the region. In this spirit Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and Foreign Minister Mr. Abdullatif Al Zayani met in Washington today, at the invitation of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, to endorse the principles of the Abraham Accords and to commence a new chapter of peace. This diplomatic breakthrough was facilitated by the Abraham Accords initiative of President Donald J. Trump. It reflects the successful perseverance of the United States’ efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East. The Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel trust that this development will help lead to a future in which all peoples and all faiths can live together in the spirit of cooperation and enjoy peace and prosperity where states focus on shared interests and building a better future.The parties discussed their shared commitment to advancing peace and security in the Middle East stressing the importance of embracing the vision of the Abraham Accords, widening the circle of peace; recognizing each State’s right to sovereignty and to live in peace and security, and continuing the efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In their meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani agreed to establish full diplomatic relations, to promote lasting security, to eschew threats and the use of force, as well as advance coexistence and a culture of peace. In this spirit, they have today approved a series of steps initiating this new chapter in their relations. The Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel have agreed to seek agreements in the coming weeks regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, and other areas of mutual benefit, as well as reaching agreement on the reciprocal opening of embassies.The Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel view this moment as a historic opportunity and recognize their responsibility to pursue a more secure and prosperous future for generations to come in their respective countries and in the region.The two countries jointly express their profound thanks and appreciation to President Donald J. Trump for his untiring efforts and unique and pragmatic approach to further the cause of peace, justice and prosperity for all the people of the region. In recognition of this appreciation, the two countries have asked President Donald J. Trump to sign this document as a witness to their shared resolve and as the host of their historic meeting.

The peace treaties between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel are signed-Netanyahu: 'Treaty could end Arab-Israel conflict once and for all'By LAHAV HARKOV-SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 14:35

WASHINGTON – Marking the "dawn of a new Middle East," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed on Tuesday historic and groundbreaking normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the third and fourth ever between Israel and Arab states.“This is an incredible day for the world,” said US President Donald Trump at the start of the ceremony.The courage of the Israeli and Arab leaders has enabled these countries “to take a major stride toward a future where people of all faiths live together in peace and prosperity," Trump said.The text of the peace accord with the UAE and the declaration of peace with Bahrain were not made available to the public before the signing. Among the details Israeli officials divulged before the signing ceremony were that the agreements would not go into effect until the Israeli cabinet ratified them. UAE officials said there would be references to a two-state solution.The president added that the Abraham Accord – as he has called it – opens the door for Muslim, Jews and Christians “to live together, pray together and dream together." He emphasized that Muslims from around the world would be to visit the holy sites in Israel, including Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.Netanyahu spoke next, reminding the audience that the Jews have prayed for peace for thousands of years and the citizens of Israel have for decades. The day “brings hope to all of the children of Abraham," he said.“To all of Israel's friends in the Middle East – those who are with us today and those who will join us tomorrow – I say, salaam aleichem, peace unto thee, shalom," he continued.“The blessings of peace that we make today will be enormous,” he continued, “first because this peace will eventually expand to include other Arab states, and ultimately, it can end the Arab-Israel conflict once and for all.”UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed expressed similar sentiments, reinforcing that “we are witnessing today a new trend that will create a new path for the Middle East."But he also emphasized that the Abraham Accord “will enable us to stand with the Palestinians and enable their hopes of establishing a Palestinian state.” He thanked Netanyahu for “halting annexation of Palestinian territories.”Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani spoke as well.Trump and Netanyahu met in the Oval Office ahead of the ceremony. During that meeting, Trump said that he expects that Israel will make peace with “about five different countries... "not very far down the road.”He added that the Jewish state made peace with two Arab countries in 72 years and an additional two in just one month.The two Gulf States become only the third and fourth countries in the Middle East to recognize Israel and establish formal diplomatic relations with the Jewish state since Egypt did so in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, drastically re-drawing the political map in the region.   Palestinian leaders have reacted furiously to the deals, which were reached before a resolution could be found in their dispute with Israel. But Trump, who hosted the signing ceremony, and whose administration brokered the agreements between the parties, predicted that the Palestinians would eventually join in normalizing relations with Israel, or else will be "left out in the cold."“The Palestinians will absolutely be a member at the right time,” Trump said on Tuesday.The president shoved off a question regarding annexation, saying that “we are not talking about that right now – it is working out well.”He continued, saying that “they’re tired of fighting” and that he thinks what Israel gets out of the deal is “peace.” Israelis want peace very much, Trump said, adding that "even Bibi gets tired of war."On the sale of F-35 warplanes to the UAE, Trump simply said that "we'll work that out. It's going to be an easy thing."The UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that his country's decision to normalize relations with Israel had "broken the psychological barrier" and was "the way forward" for the region, creating more leverage.Several diplomatic sources have hinted that the Sultanate of Oman – which Netanyahu famously visited in 2018 – would be the next country to announce a normalization agreement with Israel. Oman's leader spoke with Trump last week.Saudi Arabia, which allowed an Israeli and American delegation to cross its airspace in August for the first direct flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, is also said to be considering a warming of ties with the Jewish state, even though Saudi leaders have said publicly that they are not yet ready for full normalization."Instead of focusing on past conflicts, people are now focused on creating a vibrant future filled with endless possibilities,” White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate the agreements, said in a statement late on Monday.
Reuters contributed to this report.

Pope Francis and Part Two of the Abraham Accords-Coming on the heels of Israel’s treaties with several Muslim countries, the meeting between the head of the Vatican and the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Shiites is particularly significant.

Dr. Fiamma Nirenstein is an Italian-Israeli journalist, author, and senior research fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. An adviser on antisemitism to Israel’s foreign minister, she previously served in the Italian Parliament (2008–2013) as Vice President of the Foreign Affairs Committee. A founding member of the Friends of Israel Initiative, she has written 13 books, including Israel Is Us (2009), and is a leading voice on Israeli affairs, Middle Eastern politics, and the fight against antisemitism.(March 9, 2021 / JNS)-Our father, Abraham, has had a lot on his plate lately—always for the good of humanity, as is his habit. “Lech lecha,” the Creator commanded him, “go from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”From that time on, the adventure of monotheism began. Unfortunately, the task was left to Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, whose eternal dispute has relentlessly pursued us to this day.Pope Francis bravely went to Syria on Friday—to Mosul, Najaf and Ur—where he led a prayer reminding attendees of Abraham’s message: that God is invisible, infinite and very close; full of love towards and demands of man, foremost among them to live in peace.Peace is a moral attribute of monotheism, the son of Judaism, as well as the founder of what has come to be called the “human spirit,” which includes Christianity and Islam.Pope Francis’s meeting with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a key spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiite Muslims was significant. After years of atrocities committed against Christians at the hands of ISIS particularly and by political Islam in general, he traveled from Rome to the Middle East to talk to the most suitable of interlocutors among Shiites, who have not only traditionally suffered as a poor minority within the Sunni-majority Islamic world, but today—due to the regime in Tehran—represent the thorniest current issues: imperialism, uranium enrichment and the persecution of minorities.Yet Sistani is a notable exception. A balanced character, he was born in Iran but significantly distant from his homeland, which is dominated by a group of Khomeinists who, according to Islamic religious law, will become the recognized leaders—only with the coming of the Mahdi, Imam Hussein—of the world’s redemption.He is a moderate, cautious with politicians, but powerful within his community. He tried to placate the former after the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland, while also attempting to contain attacks against Americans. He pushed hard, as well, for the war against ISIS. Moreover, he maintains a relationship with Iran without demonstrating devotion to it.Pope Francis has studied this situation well. Just as he connected with the Sunnis in 2019—signing the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” (also known as the “Abu Dhabi Declaration”) with the Grand Iman of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb—he has now found the appropriate Shiite partner to help him protect Christians in the name of Abraham.The Pope’s invoking of Abraham comes on the heels of another historical event: Israel’s signing of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and subsequent normalization agreements with Sudan and Morocco—Muslim-majority states traditionally hostile to the Jewish state.Today, he is inspired by the ecumenical father of the three monotheistic religions to design a future of peace in which the Christians of the Middle East who have suffered immensely are included. As he knows full well, in pre-2003 Iraq, there were more than 1.5 million Christians; less than 200,000 remain. The situation is similar in Syria, where the Christian population has dropped from 2 million to less than 700,000, as a result of expulsion and murder by Muslim terrorists.Though even while repeating Abraham’s name during his visit, the Pope didn’t mention the fact that Jews have also been persecuted by Muslims in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the peaceful tectonic upheaval that brought the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to accept Israel and the Jewish people as indigenous to the region—is still a train in motion. And it is producing results close to his description of Abraham as one who “knew how to hope against all hope,” and who laid the groundwork for “the human family.”The revolutionary notion of people’s common interest in the future of their children, as well as for good relations and civil progress exhibited in the Abraham Accords, is a genuine example of how peace must be undertaken: not only between leaders, but among peoples. Indeed, the treaty was immediately welcomed warmly by Jews and Muslims in the countries in question; it was not merely a matter of bureaucracy spurred by calculated cold-blooded interests.It has been amazing to observe the flurry of contacts between Muslims and Jews that have been developing during the past few months in every field. The passion for the realization of Abraham’s envisioned peace, forbidden for decades by the Palestinian and Iranian veto, is tangible in the enthusiasm brought about by the thousands of trade deals, collaborative scientific efforts and human exchanges, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.Pope Francis’s sojourn to Iraq illustrates another facet of Abraham’s work in action. We can only hope that the path he has cleared will be equally fruitful. It’s a pity that the Iraqi government ignored the country’s Jews in this context, against Vatican hopes, by not inviting a Jewish delegation to the event. It was a dismissal of Jewish history and expulsion from Muslim countries, along with their synagogues and traditions, by the hundreds of thousands.During his interreligious prayer for peace in Ur, the Pope thanked the Lord for having given Abraham to Jews, Christians and Muslims, together with other believers. Despite the absence of an official Jewish delegation, there was in attendance their most famous representative, Avraham Avinu (“Our father, Abraham”).Now, with the solidification of the Abraham pacts, the three religions have the opportunity to march together against the fierce opponents of peace, ranging from ISIS to Al-Qaeda, from Hamas to Hezbollah, and to all the states that support them, first and foremost Iran.Maybe the Pope’s meeting with and message to al-Sistani indicates that he understands the need to summon Abraham spiritually, the way in which Israel and its peace partners have done through concrete action.Journalist Fiamma Nirenstein was a member of the Italian Parliament (2008-13), where she served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies. She served in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and established and chaired the Committee for the Inquiry Into Anti-Semitism. A founding member of the international Friends of Israel Initiative, she has written 13 books, including “Israel Is Us” (2009). Currently, she is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.This article was translated from Italian by Amy Rosenthal.

Reporter's notebook-Left in ashes by wind-whipped inferno, Canada Park grapples with near-total devastation-Some 70% of the reserve was torched in last week’s fires, laying waste to hiking and cycling trails, but forester Nitai Zakharia says park will be back, even if it takes decades-By Charlie Summers Today, 6:46 am

The scent of charred wood hung heavy in the air, though the flames had been extinguished days earlier. Skeletons of trees loomed over the ash-whitened hillside, some still emitting wisps of smoke as they smoldered. Canada Park, once a haven for hikers and cyclists, lay empty and desolate early Sunday afternoon in wake of the wildfires that devastated central Israel last week.The woodland park, one of the hardest-hit sites during the blazes that tore through the hills west of Jerusalem on Wednesday and Thursday, will take decades to recover, said its chief caretaker at the KKL-JNF Jewish National Fund.“It was a gem. It was heaven on earth that was burned,” lamented Nitai Zakharia, the park’s head forester.Zakharia, who has managed the park for seven years as a KKL field director, looked despondent as he surveyed what remained of the forest in his pickup truck that day, passing large swaths of ashen ground where bushes and trees once stood.Canada Park, also known as Ayalon-Canada Park, stretches across some 12,000 dunams (3,000 acres) in the Judean foothills. Located in the West Bank just over the Green Line, the park attracted 2-3 million visitors each year.That is, until the fires came.According to Zakharia’s rough estimate, the blaze torched around 70 percent of the park’s flora, covering some 8,000 dunams (2,000 acres).According to official estimates, at least 20,000 dunams (5,000 acres) burned across the area of the Jerusalem hills, devastating forests, though there was only minimal property damage and only a handful of minor injuries.Firefighters managed to bring the blazes under control by Thursday, but many were still working overtime as of Sunday to combat sudden flare-ups that threatened to reignite conflagrations.As he drove, Zakharia’s walkie-talkie chattered with reports of small fires breaking out. Flames were kicking back up in Kula Forest, near Elad, which also falls under his purview.In Canada Park, several tree trunks were burning idly Sunday afternoon, producing small flames and billows of smoke three full days after firefighters managed to contain the outbreak.Pointing to leaves that had turned orange-red, Zakharia somberly noted that many of the trees that weren’t burnt to a crisp had still sustained irreparable heat damage and would likely die in the coming weeks.‘Farewell to the park’In years past, Canada Park had seen small brush fires that spread across two to three dunams before being quickly extinguished by KKL’s own firefighting division.“We weren’t deluding ourselves,” Zakharia said. “It was clear to us that we were sitting on natural resources that were liable to burn, but we never expected a fire like this.”At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, as Israelis marked Memorial Day, fire broke out in Eshtaol Forest, immediately south of Canada Park on the other side of Route 1, a major highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Flames were carried north by dry winds that reached 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph), and it was not long before sparks leapt across the highway into Canada Park.The staff in Zakharia’s region had been spread thin that morning, helping fight fires near Elad and Eshtaol, leaving Canada Park largely undefended. While on his way to the park around noon, Zakharia telephoned a colleague responsible for Eshtaol.“I told him: ‘Look, Yaakov, make sure you have tons of forces on the border so that it doesn’t pass over Route 1 toward us.’ He told me that they had 10 fire engines ready to extinguish the fire,” he said.By the time he reached Canada Park, flames had already begun to engulf its trees.“It was clear to me that no one would be able to stop the fire in time,” Zakharia recalled. “That was my farewell to the park.”From a lookout point, the forester watched as some firefighters left the scene to defend nearby communities threatened by the flames.“I went to meet the departing group and asked them how they could leave at a time like this. It turned out that they had almost got trapped in the fire, and that their fire engine even went up in flames,” he said.Days after the fire, the burnt-out frame of a a fire engine stood on the edge of the forest near the highway. Blackened remains of fire extinguishers and nozzles lay strewn about alongside melted metal that was still warm to the touch.Investigators have yet to determine what started the fires but are thought to believe negligence was the trigger, despite rumors of arson committed by Palestinian saboteurs.Zakharia dismissed the notion that human activity was to blame, noting the day’s hot and dry conditions and high gusting winds, as well as the topography.“A large wildfire is almost always the consequence of the weather conditions. You almost never encounter big wildfires like this one if the weather conditions aren’t already very severe,” he said.The fact that the fires came at the park from an incline only worsened the situation, he said, since “as we know, fire loves to rise upwards.”“Nothing was working in our favor here,” he concluded.‘Struggling to manage’As Zakharia showed The Times of Israel around what remained of Canada Park, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman arrived unannounced with two of her aides.She rolled her window down from the back seat of her black government-issued Audi and asked how he was doing.“We could really use some government backing. We’re really struggling to manage here,” he told her.Last week, as the fires stretched resources, prompting pleas for help from abroad, many noted that the government had cut funding for the Fire and Rescue Authority by NIS 217 million ($60 million) in the national budget passed just weeks earlier.Silman vowed a government resolution without going into detail, took Zakharia’s phone number, and went on her way.Further down the trail, Zakharia explained that the ideal form of government support, in his view, would consist of fire buffer zones and other preventative measures in populated areas, to slow the spread of fires there.Such barriers would lessen the strain on Israel’s small firefighting force, allowing more firefighters to deploy to forests rather than cities and towns.“If a town isn’t well taken care of, you’ll have 100 teams stationed there, but if it is well taken care of, maybe 20 teams will go to defend the town from the fire, while the other 80 can go and save the forest,” he explained.According to the Fire and Rescue Authority, manpower falls far below the ideal firefighter-to-resident ratio determined by the OECD, which makes policy recommendations for developed countries. While the global norm stands at one career firefighter per every 1,000 residents, Israeli fire teams are only able to employ one firefighter for every 4,500 people.“We are stretched from end to end,” said Fire and Rescue Authority spokeswoman Tal Volvovitch to The Times of Israel in January.But no amount of government backing will be able to speed up the decades-long process needed for Canada Park to return to what it once was.“In order to once again call this place a forest, we’ll need at least 20 years, and that’s only on the condition it doesn’t catch fire again,” Zakharia said, pointing to decades-old oak trees planted in the 1970s, when the park was founded. Even saplings will likely take at least three years to bloom.Many ecologists say periodic wildfires are a natural process and key to maintaining healthy woodland ecosystems, cleaning out dead organic material and helping to support species diversity by putting nutrients into the soil and opening up space for new growth.Over the next few years, Zakharia hopes to turn the disaster into a fresh start for Canada Park, including adopting a more fire-conscious approach to how it is reforested.To this end, he and his team intend to replant trees further apart from one another along the park’s main pathways and to create more vegetation-free buffer zones throughout the site.“Just minutes after witnessing the fire, I began to think about the forest’s rehabilitation,” he said. “This is what puts wind in our sails.”