Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Syrian Christian Nightmare of a Black Christmas
Dec 24th, 2012
Daily NewsINN - Tzvi Ben Gadalyahu
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Festive spirit is a distant memory for Syria's Christian minority as it faces a second Christmas in the grip of fear of daily violence and the specter of rising Islamism.

"We're in no mood to celebrate Christmas this year. Everyone around is me is so sad, and the situation is terrible," George, a 38-year-old accountant from Damascus, told AFP. He, like many in Syria after 21 months of bloodshed, asked not to give his full name.

"How am I going to celebrate now that many of my relatives have fled, and we have lost our loved ones? This Christmas doesn't look anything like a celebration."

Syria's 1.8 million Christians make up some five percent of the population.

Many have tried to remain neutral in the country's spiraling conflict. Others have taken President Bashar al-Assad's side, for fear of the Islamists in rebel ranks.

"Foreign fighters are coming to Syria to impose their religious and political views in our country," said Maryam, who lives in central Damascus.

"These armed terrorists might force me to wear the veil, stop working and stay home," she said.

It was similar fears of daily violence and hardline Islamism that prompted a huge exodus of Christians from neighboring Iraq in the years after the US-led invasion of 2003 and Syrian church leaders have appealed to their flocks not to take the road of emigration.

"We Christians are here in the country and we will stay here," Syria's Greek Orthodox leader, Patriarch Yuhanna X Yazigi, said on Saturday.

But many are voting with their feet.

Engineer Nadine, 40, has applied for a visa for the United States, where her mother and several other family members live. "I see no solution to the conflict," she said.

In Qasaa, a majority Christian neighborhood of Damascus, the streets are bare of the Christmas decorations that adorned them in years gone by.

The shops are also largely empty. With the daily bloodshed has come mounting economic hardship.

Consumer prices have jumped by up to two-thirds this year, driven by deteriorating security, increased transport costs and a sharp fall in the value of the Syrian pound, a pro-regime daily reported late last month.

"I haven't even been able to buy gifts and toys for the children," said Bassem, another Christian from Damascus.

"This is the second Christmas we are spending in crisis. Last year, we held a small celebration. This year, I don't even have enough money to feed my family."

In Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, clothes shop owner Zuheir said Christmas sales had been unprecedentedly bad.

"We used to make most money from our Christmas and Easter sales," he said. "Now nobody is in the mood to go shopping."

In the battleground northern city of Aleppo, home to a sizeable Christian community, the head of the Arab Evangelical Church, Ibrahim Naseer, said few, if any churches would be holding mass or choir performances this year.

"Many Christians will be holding their prayers at home, rather than in the church," he said.

For all too many, bereavement has removed any trace of Christmas cheer.

"I won't be celebrating at all this year," said Rand Sabbagh, whose partner, Christian filmmaker and activist Bassel Shehade, was killed in the central city of Homs in May.

"Practically every family has lost somebody, whether pro or anti-regime. Even people who were neutral... even they have been affected," Sabbagh told AFP in Beirut by Internet.

"Some people used to think that what is happening in Syria had nothing to do with them. We never imagined death to be so near."

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 24th, 2012
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Satan worship motivated Sandy Hook killer?
While Lanza’s reported devil worship was mentioned in several news media items, it is apparently not being considered as a possible motive in the national debate currently centered around the role of guns, drugs, violent video games and mental illness in the shooting spree. The theme of so-called devil worship and Satanic-style “Goth” subculture has cropped up in numerous other mass shootings, although in some cases the phenomenon may have been underreported or entirely unreported.

NRA doubles down: New gun laws won't work
The National Rifle Association made clear Sunday it will not budge on its opposition to any new gun laws, despite heated criticism of the organization's response to the Connecticut school massacre. "I know this town wants to argue about gun control," the group's CEO, Wayne LaPierre, told NBC's "Meet the Press" in Washington. "I don't think it will work." LaPierre stood by remarks he made at an event Friday billed as a news conference -- though he took no questions -- in which he argued for armed guards in schools.

The 'January Effect' for cyberattacks is real, say experts
Jeffrey Carr, an author on cyberwarfare and founder and CEO of Taia Global, noted in a post on Infosec Island this week that he has noticed a major breach or act of cyber warfare that kicks off the New Year -- every year since 2009. Carr calls it "The January Effect," a well-established term in the investment world that refers to an expected price rise in securities after the first of the year. The effect, he said, is viewed as an opportunity for the bad guys.

Revealed: NSA targeting domestic computer systems in secret test
Newly released files show a secret National Security Agency program is targeting the computerized systems that control utilities to discover security vulnerabilities, which can be used to defend the United States or disrupt the infrastructure of other nations.

Netanyahu calls on Christians to visit
Israel's Christian community is fully active in the life of the nation and is strong and growing, PM Binyamin Netanyahu said in a Christmas message. In a taped Christmas greeting, Netanyahu said "Israel is proud of its record of religious tolerance and pluralism, and Israel will continue to protect freedom of religion for all" He called on Christians around the world to "recall the places where Judaism and Christianity emerged, and then come see our ancient land with your own eyes." Visit Bethlehem and Nazareth and the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and next year come visit our eternal capital Jerusalem."

Russia and India sign weapons deals
Russia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars today as president Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally."We agreed to further strengthen the traditions of close co-operation in the military and technical areas," Mr Putin said after the signing in New Delhi. Mr Singh said the talks included

Nearly 200 dead and hundreds injured after Syrian airstrike targets people queuing for bread
Up to 200 people were killed while queuing for bread in Syria yesterday, one of the deadliest air strikes in the country's civil war. "When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground. There were women and children," said Samer al-Hamawi, an activist in the town of Halfaya, where the strike hit a bakery.-"We hadn't received flour in around three days so everyone was going to the bakery today, and lots of them were women and children," Hamawi said.

Brahimi discusses with Syria's Assad ways to end crisis

The UN-Arab League joint special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said here Monday that he discussed ways of ending the Syrian crisis with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as his own vision of the solution, stopping short of giving details on his new plan.

NKorea calls SKorean frontline Christmas tower psychological warfare following rocket launch
North Korea is accusing rival South Korea of using an illuminated frontline Christmas tower to engage in psychological warfare. North Korean state media said Monday the lighting of the Christmas-tree-shaped tower is because Seoul was humiliated by Pyongyang successfully putting a satellite into orbit Dec. 12.

Afghan policewoman kills coalition contractor in Kabul: NATO
An Afghan woman wearing a police uniform shot dead on Monday a civilian contractor working for Western forces in the police chief's compound in Kabul, NATO said. The incident is likely to raise troubling questions about the direction of an unpopular war.

Lawmakers look to restrict gun magazine capacity
Lawmakers from both parties voiced their willingness Sunday to pursue some changes to the nation's gun laws, but adamant opposition from the National Rifle Association has made clear than any such effort will face significant obstacles.

Israel Targeted Gaza Civilians – With Humanitarian Aid
Dec 24th, 2012
Daily NewsINN - Tzvi Ben Gadalyahu
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel “targeted” Gaza civilians with humanitarian aid during the counterterrorist Pillar of Defense operation, at the same time Gaza terrorists committed war crimes by firing missiles on Israelis, as cited by Human Rights Watch on Monday.

The IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that throughout the eight-day missile war last month, COGAT's field representatives in Gaza worked with the IDF, other branches of the Israeli defense establishment, international organizations and governmental representatives in order to provide assistance for the needs of the civilian population in Gaza.

“While Hamas actively exploits and endangers their civilians, COGAT's activities are yet another example of the measures that Israel takes to minimize casualties and harm amongst that very same population,” the IDF said.

Erez Crossing, the pedestrian terminal between Israel and Gaza, was fully operational for emergency evacuations throughout Pillar of Defense.

While the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the commercial goods terminal between Israel and Gaza, was open for three days of the operation, the threat of rocket fire kept wary truck drivers on both sides of the border away, and rockets were actually fired towards the crossing during the transfer of goods.

Throughout Operation Pillar of Defense, food stores in Gaza remained at high levels.

COGAT placed special emphasis on prioritizing health related requests, whether supply requests or exit permits for treatment in Israel. Israel continued to supply 125 MW of electricity to Gaza through the 10 electrical lines connecting Israel and Gaza.

Human Rights Watch: Gaza Commits War Crimes
Dec 24th, 2012
Daily NewsINN - Tzvi Ben Gadalyahu
Categories: Today's Headlines;Anti-Israel

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a rare condemnation of Gaza terrorists on Monday for war crimes - without the usual “balancing act” of blaming Israel.

HRW did not go so far as to describe “Palestinian armed groups” as terrorists, but the categorical censure of rocket launchers marks a drastic change in the attitude towards Israel and Hamas.

The condemnation also comes at a critical time for Hamas, which claims it “won” the missile war by gaining implicit diplomatic recognition to a certain extent.

“Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim last month,” wrote HRW’s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. “There is simply no legal justification for launching rockets at populated areas.”

Between November 14 and 21, Gaza terrorists fired approximately 1,500 missiles at Israel, and more than half of them exploded in Israel, including 60 in populated areas. More than 40 people were either killed or wounded, not including two Gaza Arabs who were killed by their own misfired rockets, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses, victims, and relatives of people killed and injured by rocket attacks in Israel, as well as Israeli officials from two communities struck by rockets, and a spokesperson for the Israeli emergency medical services.

It “found that armed groups repeatedly fired rockets from densely populated areas, near homes, businesses, and a hotel, unnecessarily placing civilians in the vicinity at grave risk from Israeli counter-fire.”

HRW names the “armed groups" as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Resistance Committees’ terrorist branches.

The terrorist organizations publicly stated they targeted Israeli civilians as acts of “revenge.”

“The laws of war prohibit reprisal attacks against civilians, regardless of unlawful attacks by the other side,” Human Rights Watch said. “Statements by armed groups that they deliberately targeted an Israeli city or Israeli civilians are demonstrating their intent to commit war crimes.”

It called on Hamas, which took over authority in Gaza in a bloody terrorist militia war with the rival Fatah group five years ago, “to uphold the laws of war" and "...appropriately punish those responsible for serious violations.”

HRW also blamed Iran, based on an Iranian military official's statement Iran provided technical information to Gaza terrorists for building their own medium-range Fajr 5 missiles that were fired on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iran denied having supplied the missiles to Gaza.

“Supplying weaponry to a party to a conflict knowing that it is likely to be used to commit war crimes constitutes the aiding and abetting of war crimes,“ Human Rights Watch said.

Magen David Adom told the rights group that their medics treated 38 civilians wounded by missiles, three of them severely.

A 50-year-old man in Ashkelon lost a foot that was “traumatically amputated by a rocket blast,” and a man in Ofakim was severely wounded when a rocket hit the car in which he was riding.

Human Rights Watch also blamed Gaza terrorists for firing rockets and missiles from densely populated areas.

After interviewing witnesses in Gaza, it confirmed Israeli military reports that terrorists fired rockets 300 feet from international media offices. “I saw it [the rocket] go up and heard it, and then smoke was in the office,” a witness said.

During the Pillar of Defense counterterrorist campaign, the IDF bombed the roof of the media center to knock out Hamas communications systems. Foreign media blamed Israel for attacking the media

“One man said he saw a rocket launched from the yard of a house near the Deira Hotel in central Gaza City,” HRW added.

“Under the laws of war, parties to an armed conflict are required to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians under their control from the effects of attacks and not to place military targets in or near densely populated areas. Human Rights Watch has not been able to identify any instances in November in which a Palestinian armed group warned civilians to evacuate an area before a rocket launch.”

It also stated, “The absence of Israeli military forces in the areas where rockets hit, as well as statements by leaders of Palestinian armed groups that population centers were being targeted, indicate that the armed groups deliberately attacked Israeli civilians and civilian objects.”

Although the terrorist groups' targetting of civilians was intended to cause major casualties, Israeli casualty figures were low in comparison to the number of missiles launched, due only to the efficacy of the Iron Dome and the construction of shelters throughout the country

'Hamas Preparing for West Bank Takeover'
Dec 24th, 2012
Daily NewsJpost
Categories: Today's Headlines;Anti-Israel

'The Sunday Times' claims Hamas instructed its sleeper cells in West Bank to prepare for armed struggle to overtake the territory.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal instructed the terror group's sleeper cells in the West Bank to prepare themselves for armed struggle to take control of the Palestinian territory, The Sunday Times reported.

According to the report, citing the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Aman military intelligence service, Hamas, at the behest of Iran, was preparing to seize power in the West Bank as it did in Gaza in a 2007 civil war.

The Sunday Times claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had been warned by Israeli intelligence services of Hamas's possible usurpation of power, and quoted what it described as a close Netanyahu associate as saying: “Bibi [Netanyahu] understands the geopolitical changes in the Middle East. No way would [he] give up an inch of the West Bank - he is convinced that the intelligence assessment about a Muslim Brotherhood [Hamas] takeover is solid.”

The Sunday Times claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had been warned by Israeli intelligence services of Hamas's possible usurpation of power, and quoted what it described as a close Netanyahu associate as saying: “Bibi [Netanyahu] understands the geopolitical changes in the Middle East. No way would [he] give up an inch of the West Bank - he is convinced that the intelligence assessment about a Muslim Brotherhood [Hamas] takeover is solid.”

The Sunday Times also alleged that relations between Hamas and Iran were on the upswing after a brief cooling off period; relations were strained when Sunni Hamas abandoned its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Shi’ite Iran's primary ally in the region.

According to the paper, however, as Assad’s position has weakened, Iran has hedged somewhat by re-pivoting towards Hamas in order to protect its interests were Assad to fall.

The Sunday Times said that Iran's motivation was to create a third proxy force in the West Bank - after Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza - through which to retaliate to any potential Israeli attack on Tehran's nuclear program.

The paper concluded by quoting senior Fatah member and former head of Palestinian general intelligence General Tawfik Tirawi as saying that "Hamas wants intifada [uprising]" and "will take over the West Bank.”

Last week, a poll by Khalil Shikaki of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 48 percent of the electorate in both the West Bank and Gaza would vote for Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh if Palestinian elections were to be held, as opposed to 45% for current PA President Mahmoud Abbas.