Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

U.S. Attacks IS Targets in Iraq
Aug 17th, 2014
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The United States attacked Islamic State (IS) terror targets in Iraq, near Erbil and Mosul.

A US officer confirmed the attacks and indicated that “All of our jets safely returned from the area under attack.”

U.S. Air Force Attempts to Dislodge is Terrorists from Mosul Dam
Aug 17th, 2014
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US bombers and drones continued striking Al Qaeda IS fighters in northern Iraq Saturday in an attempt to dislodge them from the Mosul Dam and Iraq’s largest power station – thus far without success..

Report: U.S. Assigned to Pressure Israel in Truce Agreements
Aug 17th, 2014
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John Kerry meets with Binyamin Netanyahu as ceasefire efforts continue

Reuters

The American government has been asked by the international community to directly intervene in any truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to a report in Arabic daily Al-Hayat, and force Israel to agree to Hamas's demands in future ceasefire agreements. 

Egypt was reportedly behind the guarantee, as rumors swirl that the current conditions being discussed have found support both from the international community at large and from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Israel has denied agreeing to any truce deal proposed so far, however, and diplomatic sources in Jerusalem have emphasized repeatedly that Israel will not agree to any conditions unless all of its security needs are met. 

"The Israeli delegation to Cairo is made up entirely of security officials," the unnamed diplomat said to the Arabic daily, "with the understanding on their departure to Egypt that they would stand strong on the issue of Israel's security needs." 

The announcement, if true, could stoke further discord in US-Israel relations, after a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday night revealed that Obama's administration blocked a recent missile transfer to Israel, and ordered greater scrutiny for future requests.

US-Israel relations have suffered from US intervention before. Earlier this year, US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly attempted to force a deal on Israel and the PA which would have seen an Israeli "withdrawal" from all of Judea and Samaria, but allow for a temporary arrangement whereby IDF and/or foreign forces would maintain a presence in the Jordan Valley.

The move not only caused tensions between Jerusalem and Washington to skyrocket, but also for the US's reputation to nosedive in Israeli public opinion. 

Little progress in truce talks

So far, disagreement has centered mainly around Hamas's unflinching demands for a complete removal of Israel blockade to prevent arms transfers into Gaza - including a seaport and an airport. Both moves would allow Hamas to re-arm more quickly and lethally than ever before, aided by regional allies such as Iran and Qatar.

Little progress seems to have been made in the talks so far for Israel, save for some symbolic support for its security conditions.

The European Union (EU) declared their support for the Israeli and US positions Friday, calling for the demilitarization of Gaza and adding that they would place representatives at the reopened Rafah crossing to monitor future imports. 

Several weeks ago, Cairo had pledged to give Hamas renewed access to the passageway on the condition that it be monitored by Palestinian Authority (PA) officials. 

"The EU is ready to support international efforts [for peace], approved by the UN Security Council, including through the re-activation and possible extension of the supervisory power of the Rafah crossing," the EU said in a statement.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry thanked the international community for their sudden support; the EU has been critical of Israel over its operation in Gaza and has called for an immediate ceasefire several times since the conflict began on July 8.

"Israel welcomes the repeated calls of the ministers to dismantle terror organizations in the Gaza Strip," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated. "Commitment to the principle of demilitarization, which will be implemented through supervision, will ensure a change in the basic situation. As always, Israel will continue to maintain a dialogue with the EU on these important questions." 

But Hamas officials have made it very clear that they will not accept any such conditions, and threatened a "long war" of attrition if all of its demands were not met.

Rabbi Druckman: Intermarriage is a Catastrophe
Aug 17th, 2014
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Rabbi Druckman

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"Intermarriage in Israel is simply a catastrophe,” venerated Zionist rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Druckman, told Arutz Sheva Sunday, in reaction to the high profile wedding between an Arab man and a Jewish woman in Rishon Letzion.

"There is no other word for it but terrible assimilation,” he said. “It is very painful. We feel the pain of intermarriage outside of Israel, in the Diaspora. This phenomoenon inflicts a holocaust upon our nation. So when it happens in the Land of Israel, among us, will we not be pained? Will we not protest this?”

Rabbi Druckman also responded to the statement by Health Minister Yael Geman (Yesh Atid), who said that the marriage was “another step in the transformation of Israeli society into a more tolerant and pluralistic one.”

"It is no less painful to hear a minister in the Israeli government talking like that,” he said. “The pain is multiplied several times. It turns out that in the Israeli government, too, there are those who are not aware of the uniqueness of the Jewish people, and are not aware of the Nation of Israel's special identity.

“This is a most illegitimate phenomenon,” ha added, regarding the marriage in Rishon Letzion. “One must understand, even Jews who call themselves secular would not agree that their son or daughter marry a Muslim.”

Despite all of this, Rabbi Druckman repeatedly stated that there must be no violence at the protest outside the wedding hall where the marriage took place. “It is important to stress that despite the great pain, no violence of any kind may be used. Not physical violence and not the issuing of threats.”

PM: Hamas Wont Cover Its Military Losses With Diplomatic Gains
Aug 17th, 2014
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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at Sunday morning’s Cabinet meeting about talks with the Palestinian Authority in Cairo.

The PM said that “If Hamas thinks that it will make up for military losses via diplomatic gains, the organization is mistaken.”

Obama Authorizes Airstrikes on Iraq's Mosul Dam
Aug 17th, 2014
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ISIS-captured Mosul, Iraq

Reuters

The White House on Sunday said President Barack Obama had informed Congress he authorized U.S. airstrikes in Iraq to help retake control of the Mosul Dam, Reuters reported.

"The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, threaten U.S. personnel and facilities - including the U.S. embassy in Baghdad - and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace," the White House said in a statement quoted by the news agency.

"These operations are limited in their nature, duration, and scope and are being undertaken in coordination with and at the request of the government of Iraq," added the statement.

The Mosul Dam fell under the control of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) jihadists earlier this month. Control of the dam, Iraq's biggest, could give the Sunni fundamentalists the ability to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.

The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday the United States conducted a second day of air strikes against Islamic State fighters near the dam, using a mix of fighter, bomber, attack and remotely-piloted aircraft.

On Saturday, the military confirmed it conducted nine airstrikes near Arbil and Iraq's largest dam in an effort to help Kurdish forces retake it from the IS.

U.S. President Barack Obama recently authorized "limited airstrikes"following threats of an impending genocide committed by IS against the local Yazidi people.

The Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria it captured, forced tens of thousands of Yazidis and Christians to flee their homes or face certain death.

Netanyahu: No Cairo Deal Unless Israel
Aug 17th, 2014
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Hamas is mistaken if it thinks that it can come out of a military defeat with a diplomatic victory, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at the opening of Israel’s cabinet meeting Sunday, as Israeli and Hamas envoys sat down in Cairo for more indirect talks on a durable truce.
Hamas is also mistaken if it counts on us lacking the resolve and endurance for withstanding prolonged warfare, or that a slow trickle of rockets will drive us into concessions, the prime minister went on to say. For such mistakes, Hamas is liable to more harsh blows - on top of the destruction of their terror tunnels, the killing of “hundreds of terrorists,” the interception of thousands of rockets, and the prevention of terror attacks from “land, sea and air.” Netanyahu stressed that the Israeli delegation in Cairo has been clearly instructed to stand firm on security demands and sign no understandings unless they are fully met.

Netanyahu: Israel Won't Gift Hamas 'Political Win' in Truce
Aug 17th, 2014
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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened Sunday morning's cabinet meeting by emphasizing that Israel would not accept any ceasefire deal which compromised on its security.

Netanyahu said Hamas had lost the recent round of fighting in Gaza, during which it suffered "harsh blows", and vowed that Israel would not squander its military victory by capitulating during negotiations in Cairo.

"Only if there is a clear answer to Israel's security needs, only then will we agree to reach an understanding," Netanyahu insisted.

"If Hamas thinks it will make up for its military losses with a political achievement, it is wrong," he said. "If Hamas thinks that by continuing the steady trickle of rocket fire it will force us to make concessions, it is wrong. As long as there is no quiet, Hamas will continue to suffer heavy blows."

"Hamas knows we have a lot of power but maybe it thinks we don't have enough determination and patience, and even there it is wrong, it is making a big mistake," he warned.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri reiterated the group's insistence that it would not back down from its demands, and insisted that the outcome of the talks was in Israel's hands.

"We are committed to achieving the Palestinian demands and there is no way back from this. All these demands are basic human rights that do not need this battle or these negotiations," Abu Zuhri told AFP. "The ball is in the Israeli occupation's court." 

Israeli Ministers have railed against Hamas's demands it be allowed to open air and seaports, and that Israel lift its restrictions on travel and imports into Gaza, which are aimed at stopping the flow of arms into the Islamist-ruled enclave.

"It will be a 'Duty Free' for rockets," remarked Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich.

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 17th, 2014
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Significant Earthquake Swarm Hits Iceland’s Barðarbunga
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is reporting two major earthquake swarms that started up on the morning on August 16 and continues to roll into August 17. Right it seems that there are two separate earthquake swarms producing small earthquakes and has now eclipsed the May 2014 swarm in terms of number of earthquakes.  

Yellowstone region has high earthquake probability
A new U.S. Geological Survey report indicates a slightly greater earthquake hazard in the Greater Yellowstone region of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho than previously thought. And the USGS map of seismic hazards shows that the region is as seismically hazardous as anywhere in the United States.  

Obama Orders Pentagon To Halt Transfer Of Hellfire Missiles To Israel
U.S. President Barack Obama, whenever he can do an end-run around the Republican controlled Congress, loves to hamper and impede Israel every chance he gets. Because he “strongly disapproved” of how Israel defended themselves against the never-ending rocket rain from Hamas, he is striking back in the only way available to him. In doing so, he is sending a message, yet again, of how much he really doesn’t like anything about the sovereign nation of Israel. But he had no problem immediately writing a check to Gaza for $47 million in financial aid that you know will wind up in the hands of Hamas buying more rockets and building more tunnels.  

Record Cold Summer in PA Causing Leaves to Change Colors in August: Global Warming Likely to be Blamed
We’ve been covering some of the impacts of global cooling global warming climate change The Big Lie. Here are some of the more recent…  

Ukraine crisis: Russian aid convoy arrives at border
Lorries from a Russian convoy carrying aid to eastern Ukraine have reached a border post controlled by separatists. But they seem unlikely to cross into Ukraine immediately as the Red Cross said it had still not received security guarantees for the convoy to continue. Earlier Ukraine's military said that separatists had shot down a government fighter jet near the rebel-held city of Luhansk in the east of the country.  

Iran: Earthquake hits area in northern town
An earthquake measuring 4.3 on Richter scale hit an area near the town of Damavand in Iran’s Northern province of Mazandaran on Sunday morning.  

Gov. Nixon declares state of emergency, imposes curfew in Ferguson
Nixon said at a press conference that though many protesters were making themselves heard peacefully, the state would not allow a handful of looters to endanger the community. The curfew will run from midnight to 5 a.m.  

Kenya to bar travelers from Ebola-hit countries
The Kenyan government over the weekend said it will bar passengers traveling from three West African countries hit by the Ebola outbreak, closing a debate in East Africa's economic powerhouse about whether the national airline was exposing the country to the deadly disease.  

Ferguson Protests: One Person Shot, Seven Arrested in Overnight Clashes
One person was critically injured and seven were arrested as violence broke out after a midnight curfew was imposed on the St. Louis suburb rocked by the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teen. Clashes erupted shortly after the curfew went into effect, with tear gas and the sound of gunshots hitting the streets of Ferguson, Missouri as dozens of protesters stayed out in the driving rain.  

Liberia Expands Ebola Treatment in Capital
Liberian authorities expanded Ebola treatment centers in the capital Saturday to cope with increasing numbers of patients, while two more airlines announced they were halting flights to the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone amid the deepening crisis.  

In Iraq, captured Yazidi women fear the Islamic State will force them to wed
Hundreds of Yazidi women who were captured by Islamic extremists during their sweep through the town of Sinjar are being incarcerated at scattered locations across northern Iraq in what increasingly looks like a deliberate attempt to co-opt them into service as the wives of fighters.  

U.S. airstrikes on ISIS part of operation to retake key Iraqi dam
U.S. warplanes on Saturday pounded a series of extremist militant targets in what officials say is part of an effort to retake a key piece of infrastructure in northern Iraq -- Mosul Dam. The airstrikes against fighters of the so-called Islamic State come amid growing concern that the dam is not being properly maintained and could rupture, a U.S. official familiar with the details told CNN.  

Iran says 'little chance' of reaching nuclear deal with West by November
Iran’s foreign minister said he believed it was unlikely a final-status agreement would be reached with the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program within the time frame that has been allotted in the negotiations.  

Hamas says Israel must accept Palestinian demands or face long war
Hamas rejected on Saturday as insufficient offers made in Cairo to Palestinian negotiators seeking to end Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, and raised the possibility of renewed fighting when the current truce expires.  

Missouri governor declares curfew in riot-hit Ferguson
The governor of the US state of Missouri has declared a state of emergency in the St Louis suburb where a black teenager was shot dead by police last week. Jay Nixon also said a curfew would run from midnight local time (05:00 GMT) until 05:00 (10:00 GMT) in Ferguson.  

Islamic State executed 700 people from Syrian tribe: monitoring group
The Islamic State militant group has executed 700 members of a tribe it has been battling in eastern Syria during the past two weeks, the majority of them civilians, a human rights monitoring group and activists said on Saturday.  

Russia and China Are Planning Something Big -- and It Floats
China's growing military ambitions have pushed it to develop a built-for-purpose, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The country's growing energy demands are now following the same atomic and seaward path.  

Why The Fed Can't, And Won't, Let The Stock Market Crash
When it comes to the stock market, while the biggest, and according to many only, beneficiary of the Fed's ZIRP/QE policies of the past 6 years has been the wealthiest 1%, the reality is that said top crust of US society no longer needs the S&P to continue its relentless, manipulated and centrally-planned levitation.  

Kurdish Forces Retake Part of Mosul Dam Aided By U.S. Air Strikes
Aug 17th, 2014
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Israel: 'Protective Edge' Isn't Over
Aug 17th, 2014
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Tanks near Gaza in Protective Edge

Flash 90

Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said Sunday that the prime minister and defense minister will not hesitate to renew IDF activity in Gaza if the negotiations in Cairo fail to produce results.

"The members of the delegation are in Egypt,” the sources said. “There are two possibilities – arrangement of the ceasefire in a way that safeguards Israel's security interests, or renewal of the fire.”

The Israeli delegation will try to make the most of the ceasefire negotiations. “We prefer to reach the goals of the operation – restore quiet, damage terror infrastructures and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. And right now, we are doing this in a combined campaign, both military and diplomatic.”

In any case, said the diplomatic sources, “we will not allow Hamas, which failed militarily, to reach achievements through the diplomatic route. We will not let that happen.”

"The operation has not yet ended,” the sources added. “We need patience, determination and steadfastness for Israel to emerge victorious from there.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened Sunday morning's cabinet meeting by emphasizing that Israel would not accept any ceasefire deal which compromised on its security.

Netanyahu said Hamas had lost the recent round of fighting in Gaza, during which it suffered "harsh blows", and vowed that Israel would not squander itsmilitary victory by capitulating during negotiations in Cairo.

"Only if there is a clear answer to Israel's security needs, only then will we agree to reach an understanding," Netanyahu insisted.

"If Hamas thinks it will make up for its military losses with a political achievement, it is wrong," he said. "If Hamas thinks that by continuing the steady trickle of rocket fire it will force us to make concessions, it is wrong. As long as there is no quiet, Hamas will continue to suffer heavy blows."

"Hamas knows we have a lot of power but maybe it thinks we don't have enough determination and patience, and even there it is wrong, it is making a big mistake," he warned.

Israel to Stop Exports of 'Settlement Products' to EU
Aug 17th, 2014
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Israel will end its export of poultry and dairy produce to the European Union from Jewish communities beyond the Green Line, Israeli and European officials said on Sunday, according to AFP.

The restrictions stem from directives issued by the European Commission in February and affect chicken and milk products from communities in eastern Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria.

"In keeping with previous decisions, the EU no longer recognized the authority of the veterinary inspections services of Israel to approve the export of poultry and (dairy products), the origin of which are in settlements," a European official told AFP.

The official said that during discussions over implementation of the directives, the "Israelis were asked to put in place a system of distinguishing between the origins of dairy products and poultry."

"If that is put in place that won't affect poultry and dairy products exported from Israel," the official said, noting the new directives would be effective from September 1.

An Israeli official involved in the affair told AFP that the agriculture ministry had recently issued directives to poultry and dairy manufacturers to "prepare for the EU decision and separate manufacturing lines, to enable the continued export to the Europe" without including products from “settlements”.

The official said that Israeli export of products from areas beyond the Green Line to Europe was not significant and catered mainly for Jews who observe religious dietary laws and eat kosher food.

Months ago, the EU published new guidelines which boycott Israeli entities operating beyond the 1949 Armistice Lines. This caused tension between the EU and Israel, which warned that it might shun a key EU research program unless a compromise is found over the boycotting guidelines.

An Israeli official slammed the move as a European way to bypass problematic legislation that would single out the Jewish state.

"The EU has for a long time tried to find ways to mark settlement produce, or even prevent its import to Europe, but failed to accomplish such regulation since it's legally problematic, and also involves breaching trade agreements," the official told AFP.

The EU, the official added, doesn't want to impose any universal regulations on products from "disputed areas" such as Cyprus, Western Sahara or Kosovo.

So instead it used the European Commission, which is a bureaucratic body, to enforce a political stance against Israel, he said.

Plans to label “settlement products” have been in the works for more than a year, when the EU formally recommended that Israeli activity in Judea and Samaria be “prevented” through an economic boycott of Jewish industry in those regions. Such a move would affect tens of thousands of Palestinian Arabs who are employed in Jewish-owned industry in the area.

EU foreign ministers, including Britain’s William Hague and Laurent Fabius of France, indicated at one point they would back the labeling initiative, but it was later reported that the plans were postponed after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry intervened.

Israel Lifts Gaza Fishing Ban in 'Gesture'
Aug 17th, 2014
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Gaza fishermen

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As truce talks in Cairo continued Sunday ahead of the five-day ceasefire extension ending Monday at midnight, Israel preempted any agreement by unilaterally offering Gaza a concession and lifting a ban on fishing in the Hamas enclave.

Gaza fishermen have been blocked from their work since July 8, during the Hamas terror war on Israel, which has included several attempts to infiltrate Israel by sea.

Nevertheless, "as a sign of goodwill, Israel has allowed fishing off the Gaza Strip up to 3 nautical miles," an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Over the past eight years, Israel has set a six-nautical-mile limit for Gaza's fishermen when tensions were lower, restricting it to three miles when hostilities have escalated.

During the operation fishing was cancelled altogether due to the security threats. Besides using the sea for infiltrations by gunmen into Israeli territory, Gaza terrorists often try to smuggle weapons into the Hamas stronghold under the guise of fishing vessels.

In fact, setting the fishing zone to six nautical miles has been one of the concessions that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly last Tuesday attempted to "soften" ministers to accept, along with easing the blockade and borders.

Talks in Cairo are based on an Egyptian proposal, which reportedly was rejected by Hamas, and which puts off difficult issues such as a disarmament of Gaza and a Hamas demand for a Gaza sea and airport for a month after the truce agreement.

AFP reports that the issue of Hamas returning the bodies of Second Lt.Hadar Goldin and First Sgt. Oron Shaul hy''d, who were killed in the operation, are also being postponed until the later negotiations according to the proposal.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) has already stated his opposition to any agreement that doesn't include the return of the bodies of the two fallen soldiers.

Islamists Continue to Massacre Yazidis
Aug 17th, 2014
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Islamic State Jihadist from Canada Killed in Iraq
Aug 17th, 2014
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Islamic State terrorists (file)

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Farah Mohammed Shirdon of Calgary, Canada, has reportedly been identified as having died fighting in the ranks of the extremist Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq, where it has been committing brutal atrocities.

Shirdon, whose family originally is from Somalia, appeared in an IS video months ago in April, in which he tore up his Canadian passport and threatened terror attacks on Canada and the US.

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is following the reports of a Canadian, namely Shirdon, being killed in Iraq, reports CBC News.

Likewise Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said he could not speak about the facts of the case yet, noting "it's a sad reality that, from time to time, a small number of Canadians - radicalized - participate in these type of activities."

Shirdon studied at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology until at least 2012, and hailed from a prominent Somali family. His uncle, Abdi Farah Shirdon, was a former prime minister of Somalia who survived numerous assassination attempts by Al-Shabab terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda.

The news of Shirdon's death serves as a wake-up call to the homegrown terror sprouting from Calgary.

Speaking about the city, Imam Syed Soharwardy, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, said "it’s obvious these people are getting radicalized in this country and this city - the government must do more about it because our community doesn’t have the resources."

Nathaniel Little, once a close friend of Shirdon, told the Calgary Sun that in high school he was "a great guy" and not overly religious. Two years ago "he cut everyone off" after he started selling drugs, reports Little.

Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) Director Michel Coulombe last February said around 130 Canadian citizens had traveled abroad to join terror groups in the Middle East and Africa, adding that as many as 80 returned jihadists were being monitored.

Iran Aided Hamas in Cyber - War on Israel
Aug 17th, 2014
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hackers

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A senior IDF source revealed Sunday that in addition to supplying Hamas terrorists with weapons, including so-called "Judgement Day" missiles, Iran supported the Gaza terror group by launching a massive cyber assault on Israel during Operation Protective Edge.

The source, a senior commander in the IDF Computer Service Directorate, told Walla! on Sunday that as Israel faced terrorists in the Hamas enclave, it also faced "a significant Iranian effort" to attack the Jewish state through cyber warfare.

"We haven't seen such a scope (of attacks) like this in the past, also in terms of the type of targets," said the commander, who elaborated that Israeli civilian communications infrastructures also was attacked by Iran.

The IDF's Homefront Command website, which provides security information to the Israeli public such as rocket warnings, also came under fire by the Iranian hackers, and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit site was targeted as well.

Arutz Sheva's Hebrew website came under a cyber attack during the operation too, although the culprits there were Turkish and not Iranian. Turkey replaced Iran in 2012 as Hamas's leading financial sponsor.

Fortunately, the IDF has been making impressive technological strides in defensive cyber-warfare, according to the commander, who remarked that just a year ago IDF forces on the ground often had trouble receiving information gathered by the IDF Intelligence Corps, which had to go through various sources first.

Now, thanks to a new network system of the Intelligence Corps and Computer Service Directorate, information in Operation Protective Edge was passed in real-time to soldiers on the ground.

The commander gave an example from the operation in which a terrorist involved in the digging of terror tunnels was captured by IDF forces.

During the IDF investigation of the terrorist, information on targets extracted from him was passed real-time through the new technology, and was transmitted by the Intelligence Corps to the Navy, which was able to immediately fire on the targets with precise munitions.

Roughly 65% of the new technology network is completed, according to the source, with the rest of the process promising to further connect units on the ground to essential intelligence information.

The commander also noted on the threat to the IDF posed by the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), which has been conquering large portions of Iraq and Syria while committing various atrocities.

"They are a primitive organization, but effective. There are ten thousand fighters travelling in pick-up trucks, something like (Mongolian Emperor) Genghis Khan's hordes. They work through a network, and document their murderous attacks. In this way they exercise a strong element of consciousness," said the commander, noting their methods of instilling fear.

Intelligence: Islamic State Planning Terror Attack in U.S., Europe
Aug 17th, 2014
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Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant

Reuters

Members of the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS) are planning to carry out major terror attacks against targets in the United States or in Europe, American intelligence officials said Saturday.

Five intelligence officials stated to Bloomberg News that there is evidence that the organization is running a sleeper cells around the world, outside of Iraq and Syria. The goal: to gain a greater foothold in the Islamic world - politically and militarily. 

According to retired U.S. Army Colonel Derek Harvey, the Middle East is gripped in a “competition for jihadi leadership” between IS and Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, following the falling out between the two groups last year.

Harvey also said that US President Barack Obama has severely underestimated IS's current hold in Iraq and Syria, due to a reluctance to put his "toe, foot, and then leg" back in Iraq. 

Social networks and foreign nationals have contributed significantly to the upswing in IS influence in the Middle East, additional sources said, as the US struggles to update its outdated estimation that IS has just 10,000 combat soldiers in the region. 

The intelligence community has since discovered that IS is working to recruit foreign fighters to carry out terror attacks abroad, an alarming fact revealed in January by a former member of Al Qaeda. 

In addition, forty people were recently arrested in Kosovo over IS connections, a figure intelligence cites as proof that the number of foreign nationals being recruited is far higher than what official data states. 

Brett McGurk, deputy assistant US Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq, warned that IS is more formidable than Al Qaeda.

“[IS is] better equipped, they’re better manned, they’re better resourced, they’re better fighters, they’re better trained than the Al Qaeda in Iraq that our forces faced,” McGurk said on the Charlie Rose show last week, referring to the group's previous Iraqi incarnation.

“It is a global expansionist, global jihadist organization” he said. “It is swollen with foreign fighters and suicide bombers” who will go “wherever the organization tells them to go. And that could very easily be capitals in the region, it could be capitals in Europe and, God forbid, it could be here.”

For the moment, however, there is a shred of hope: IS is not as technically apt as Al Qaeda is, intelligence officials say - leaving out the possibility of the group being able to carry out a wide-scale attack, at least for the time being. Economic limitations may also plague the terror organization; IS's rumored two-billion-dollar net worth may make them the richest-ever terrorist organization, but the self-styled "Caliphate" is plagued by economic instability throughout its territory as civil wars in Iraq and Syria continue to rage, making its "state" one of the world's poorest.

Meanwhile, IS has suffered significant losses in US airstrikes in Iraq over the weekend; rumblings, however weak, have also begun in Europe against the Islamists.

On Sunday, British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the threat, urging action against IS recruitment in the Middle East and in Britain in the Sunday Telegraph. 

"If we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain," he said. "I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy, but we need to recognize that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan."

Cameron argued that security could only be achieved "if we use all our resources - aid, diplomacy, our military prowess." He also said Britain needed to work with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Egypt, Turkey "and perhaps even with Iran."

The statements surface days after IS slaughtered more than 400 ethnic Yazidis in Iraq in a short period, sparking concerns over ethnic cleansing spreading to other IS-controlled areas of the Middle East.

IDF Preparing for Possible Resumption of Rocket Fire
Aug 17th, 2014
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Rocket barrage from Gaza

Reuters

The IDF is preparing for a possible resumption of rocket fire from Gaza on Monday evening, as the current five-day ceasefire is set to expire.

The ceasefire is set to expire at midnight, but Hamas has been known to violate truces before they officially expire.

The high alert for Monday evening comes in the wake of estimates of diplomatic sources in Jerusalem that the chances of a lasting ceasefire deal before Monday night are very slim.

Earlier on Sunday, as truce talks in Cairo continued, Israel pre-empted any agreement by unilaterally offering Gaza a concession and lifting a ban on fishing in the Hamas enclave.

Gaza fishermen have been blocked from their work since July 8, during the Hamas terror war on Israel, which has included several attempts to infiltrate Israel by sea.

Nevertheless, "as a sign of goodwill, Israel has allowed fishing off the Gaza Strip up to 3 nautical miles," an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Over the past eight years, Israel has set a six-nautical-mile limit for Gaza's fishermen when tensions were lower, restricting it to three miles when hostilities have escalated.

During the operation fishing was cancelled altogether due to the security threats. Besides using the sea for infiltrations by gunmen into Israeli territory, Gaza terrorists often try to smuggle weapons into the Hamas stronghold under the guise of fishing vessels.

Talks in Cairo are based on an Egyptian proposal, which reportedly was rejected by Hamas, and which puts off difficult issues such as a disarmament of Gaza and a Hamas demand for a Gaza sea and airport for a month after the truce agreement.

Hundreds Protest Mixed Wedding, Say It's 'Worse Than Hamas'
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hundreds of protesters arrived to demonstrate Sunday night against the mixed marriage of a young couple from Yafo: Moral, a 23-year-old Jewish woman recently converted to Islam by her groom, Mahmoud Mansour, a 26-year-old Muslim Arab.

At the protest led by the Lehava group which fights assimilation in Israel, former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari addressed the crowd, saying "Moral, it won't help you. They always will remind you that you're Jewish and where you came from. The children you give birth to will never be treated as equal to them."

"They tell us that we're racist - let's see one Arab woman come marry a Jew at this hall...then we'll see who's racist," added Ben-Ari to the protesters. He was referring to the fact that a Muslim woman who marries a Jew can expect to be murdered by her co-religionists.

As noted by Ben-Ari, in nearly all cases of mixed marriages with Arabs in Israel, the Jewish partner is the bride. It is a well documented phenomenon that such wives often suffer abuse from their Arab husbands, and many require help to escape.

Ben-Ari noted that former Prime Minister Golda Meir, "a prime minister of the Labor party, a representative of the left, etc. - when she spoke about assimilation she said...'whoever marries and assimilates joins the six million (Jews murdered in the Holocaust). She saw in what's happening here a continuation of the work of (Nazi Leader Adolf) Hitler."

Six protesters were arrested for disturbing public order as over 100 police officers were on site to secure the event at its Rishon Letzion wedding hall venue. A court case Sunday morning allowed the protest providing it stayed 200 meters from the wedding hall.

Nationalist public figure Baruch Marzel also spoke at the protest against the wedding, a marriage Moral's father refused to attend because of his opposition to his daughter's disengagement from the Jewish people.

"Two months ago we sent thousands of soldiers to prevent the danger of Hamas in the south. But the danger assimilation poses to the Jewish nation is a danger a thousand times worse," said Marzel.

Marzel called on Jews in Israel to wake up before "what happens abroad, where every second Jew assimilates, arrives in Israel," in a reference to the remarkably high assimilation rates in America and Europe.

Small counter-protest against "racism"

Opposite the Lehava protest a mere several dozen leftists held a counter-protest, decrying the supposed "racism" of opposing assimilation. It is worth noting that Jewish law expressly forbids marriage with non-Jews who have not undergone a proper conversion to Judaism.

The marriage has been garnering mass media attention, and was even commented on by newly instated President Reuven Rivlin, who wrote on his Facebook page Sunday "the revelations of incitement against (the couple) are outrageous and worrying, regardless of whatever my position or that of another will be on the issue (of mixed marriages)."

Responding to Rivlin's criticism, Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir stated "it's sad to hear that the state president is ignoring the danger of assimilation and encouraging assimilation, instead of coming with us to protest this disgrace."

"I expect Mr. Rivlin to dedicate his time to the war on assimilation in Israel and globally. Because today it's Moral, tomorrow it could be his granddaughter," added the attorney.

How the Quantum Christ Is Transforming the World
Aug 17th, 2014
CommentaryWarren B. Smith - (Taken from A Wonderful
Categories: Contemporary Issues;False Doctrine

The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding quantum physics as a “scientific” basis for their contention that God is not only transcendent but also immanent—“in” everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof Capra’s 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics—The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism—was the first to present this proposed scientific/spiritual model to a mass audience. In it, Capra explains that he gained new spiritual insights through a mystical experience he had sitting on a beach in Santa Cruz, California in 1969:

Five years ago, I had a beautiful experience which set me on a road that has led to the writing of this book. I was sitting by the ocean one late summer afternoon, watching the waves rolling in and feeling the rhythm of my breathing, when I suddenly became aware of my whole environment as being engaged in a gigantic cosmic dance. . . . As I sat on that beach my former experiences [research in high-energy physics] came to life; I “saw” cascades of energy coming down from outer space, in which particles were created and destroyed in rhythmic pulses; I “saw” the atoms of the elements and those of my body participating in this cosmic dance of energy; I felt its rhythm and I “heard” its sound, and at that moment I knew that this was the Dance of Shiva, the Lord of Dancers worshipped by the Hindus.1

Commenting on his experience thirty years later, Capra writes that back in 1970 he “knew with absolute certainty that the parallels between modern physics and Eastern mysticism would someday be common knowledge.”2 In 1999, in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition of his book, Capra reflects on the fact that The Tao of Physics had sold more than a million copies over the years and had been translated into at least twelve languages:

What did The Tao of Physics touch off in all these people? What was it they had experienced themselves? I had come to believe that the recognition of the similarities between modern physics and Eastern mysticism is part of a much larger movement, of a fundamental change of worldviews, or paradigms, in science and society, which is now happening throughout Europe and North America and which amounts to a profound cultural transformation. This transformation, this profound change of consciousness, is what so many people have felt intuitively over the past two or three decades, and this is why The Tao of Physics has struck such a responsive chord.3

Capra adds:

The awareness of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things and events, the experience of all phenomena as manifestations of a basic oneness, is also the most important common characteristic of Eastern worldviews. One could say it is the very essence of those views, as it is of all mystical traditions. All things are seen as interdependent, inseparable, and as transient patterns of the same ultimate reality.4

Fritjof Capra then describes the union of mysticism and the new physics as the “new spirituality” that is “now being developed by many groups and movements, both within and outside the churches.” As an example of how this “new spirituality” is moving into the church, he refers to one of Leonard Sweet’s “role models” and “heroes”—Matthew Fox:

On the other hand, I also believe that our own spiritual traditions will have to undergo some radical changes in order to be in harmony with the values of the new paradigm. The spirituality corresponding to the new vision of reality I have been outlining here is likely to be an ecological, earth-oriented, postpatriarchal spirituality. This kind of new spirituality is now being developed by many groups and movements, both within and outside the churches. An example would be the creation-centered spirituality promoted by Matthew Fox and his colleagues.5

 A perfect example of Capra’s reference to how this quantum “new spirituality” is being developed in churches is exemplified by Margaret Wheatley’s appearance at the Leadership Network’s May 2000 “Exploring off the Map” conference with Leonard Sweet and others. As described in [A "Wonderful" Deception], Wheatley first encountered the “new science” in Fritjof Capra’s book The Turning Point, as noted in the updated introduction of her book Leadership and the New Science:

I opened my first book on the new science—Fritjof Capra’s The Turning Point, which describes the new world view emerging from quantum physics. This provided my first glimpse of a new way of perceiving the world, one that comprehended its processes of change, its deeply patterned nature, and its dense webs of connections.6 

To further illustrate how pervasive this quantum spirituality has become in the church, consider an organization called VantagePoint3. This South Dakota-based group has developed a three-phase “spiritual formation” program called The VantagePoint3 Process (or L3), which incidentally is being used by a growing number of churches across North America. In the first phase—“Emerging Leaders”—a quote and summation of Margaret Wheatley is used to teach one of the points in that phase. The curriculum quotes Wheatley from her book Leadership and the New Science and emphasizes her view on “relationship” and “interconnection.”7 The fact that this program points to Wheatley demonstrates yet another way that quantum physics and quantum spirituality is already in the church. It is worth noting that this curriculum uses Galatians 3:27-28 to partially summarize what Wheatley has to say. But while Galatians 3 speaks of “Christ Jesus,” Wheatley’s quantum “Christ” is the universal “Christ” of quantum “oneness.” VantagePoint3’s use of Wheatley to teach about “Christ” is a perfect example of what Fritjof Capra described as this new spirituality being developed within the churches.
The VantagePoint3 Process also cites materials by Leonard Sweet, Peter Senge, and Ken Blanchard. All three were featured with Wheatley at the “Exploring off the Map” conference organized by Bob Buford and Leadership Network.

Another example of how quantum physics has already entered the church is through the ministry of Annette Capps—the daughter of best-selling author and charismatic pastor Charles Capps. There are over 100,000 copies of Annette Capps’ booklet Quantum Faith in print. In the booklet, she presents a Christian faith compatible with the so-called “scientific” principles of quantum physics and as such is also compatible with the so-called “scientific” principles of the New Age/New Spirituality. She even refers readers to New Age leader Gary Zukav’s book The Dancing Wu Li Masters—An Overview of the New Physics.8 In her booklet, she writes:

As I studied the theories of quantum physics, I was reminded of a prophecy given by my father, author and teacher Charles Capps, “Some things which have required faith to believe will no longer require faith, for it will be proven to be scientific fact.”9 

Obviously, authors like Gary Zukav and Fritjof Capra have had a huge influence not only in the world, but also in the church. Capra, a New Age physicist and Aquarian conspirator, is mentioned frequently in Marilyn Ferguson’s book The Aquarian Conspiracy.10 In addition, countless books and articles have been written about the quantum aspects of the “new science” and the “new spirituality” since the publication of Capra’s The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point. Gary Zukav and his writings on quantum physics were praised and featured years ago by Oprah Winfrey on the Oprah Winfrey Show.11 William Young’s best-selling book The Shack is just the latest in a long line of books that deal directly or indirectly with quantum physics and quantum spirituality. And like Wheatley’s book Leadership and the New Science but on a much larger scale, Young’s book is also having great influence by subtly introducing quantum physics and quantum spirituality into the church. . . .

Quantum New Worldview   
Leonard Sweet is definitely one of the point men for today’s emerging/postmodern/Purpose Driven Church. As Rick Warren has aligned himself with Sweet, it is important to remember that Sweet has described former and present New Age figures as his “heroes” and “role models.” He has openly acknowledged that his quantum “new cell theory” understanding of “new light leadership” was formulated with the help of veteran New Age leader David Spangler. Additionally, Sweet describes mystical New Age priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin as “Twentieth-century Christianity’s major voice.”12 And while Sweet’s almost “in your face” New Age sympathies are there for all to see, Rick Warren, and other Christian figures continue to hold him in high esteem. But it is just business as usual as Warren’s apologist tells us that “Doctrinally/theologically, Leonard Sweet is about as Christian as anyone can get.”13
In his 2009 book So Beautiful, Leonard Sweet underscores his quantum “relational worldview”14 by favorably quoting from William Young’s The Shack regarding relationship.15 He also tells readers to look to Margaret Wheatley’s Leadership and the New Science to further understand his quantum view on the “spiritual and social significance of relationship.”16 And he still continues to refer readers back to his 1991 book, Quantum Spirituality.17
While appearing to be somewhat of a 21st century renaissance man who leaves everyone in the wake of his postmodern intellect, Leonard Sweet’s “scientific” postmodern/quantum/New Age view on things raises some critical questions—particularly in regard to his association with Rick Warren. If Warren, Sweet, and other Christian leaders continue to move the church towards the New Spirituality, how will it ultimately play out? Will we see Warren, Schuller, Sweet, McLaren, and other “New Light” leaders signing a mutual accord someday affirming that God is “in” everything? Will that proclamation be based on new “scientific findings” from quantum physics? Will they explain that [Jesuit] Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and the “God” of Neale Donald Walsch and William Young had it right—that “the sub-atomic reality” is that God is in every atom? That God really is—scientifically speaking—“in” everyone and everything?
But what about the inevitable reaction that will come from those referred to by Rick Warren as “fundamentalists”18 when they accuse Warren of flip-flopping? Will Warren defend his new worldview by repeating what he said at the Saddleback Civil Forum—that “sometimes flip-flopping is smart because you actually have decided a better position based on knowledge that you didn’t have”? Armed with seemingly scientific “facts” from quantum physics, will Warren defend his new worldview by stating, “That’s not flip-flopping. Sometimes that’s growing in wisdom”? Is this where Warren, Sweet, and other Christian leaders will try to take the church? Are they about to take a big “quantum leap” into the New Spirituality of a New Age that is based on the findings of the “new science”? Given the continued New Age implications of the emerging Purpose Driven movement, it would seem that this is a real possibility. (from chapter 13 of A “Wonderful” Deception by Warren B. Smith)

Hamas: Israelis Won't Go Home 'Until We Let Them'
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Contemporary Issues;Today's Headlines

Even as Israel eased the ban on Gaza fishermen Sunday in a "goodwill" gesture during the Cairo truce talks, Hamas declared that only it will decide "when Israelis return to their homes" in the rocket-beleaguered south.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu-Zuhri said "the Israelis won't be secure until our people are secure, until they remove the blockade from us completely." Ironically given his "concern" for Gaza residents' security, Abu-Zuhri early in the operation exhorted Gazans to serve as human shields in a TV interview.

Abu-Zuhri spoke on Sunday while at a Hamas support rally in Rafah, according to the Palestinian Arab Ma'an News Agency.

"The Israelis won't return to their homes until Hamas lets them, and not (Prime Minister Binyamin) Netanyahu," threatened Abu-Zuhri. "The preference is to reach an agreement, but the occupier needs to stop delaying; we are looking for an agreement not from weakness but rather from a position of power."

The threat comes as many residents of the south near Gaza have been displaced from their homes for over a month, under the ongoing barrage of rocket and terror tunnel attacks that are on a temporary pause during the ceasefire set to end Monday night.

Ten thousand people joined residents of the Gaza Belt area protesting in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square last Thursday, where they called on Israel to finish the job in Gaza, ending the threat through decisive action.

However, as noted above Israel on Sunday made one-sided concessions before any agreement was reached. Abu-Zuhri's threats come after Hamas said it is conducting talks with Israel "at gunpoint."

Abu-Zuhri's comment about not looking for an agreement out of a position of weakness may come in response to Netanyahu's remarks Sunday, in which he said "if Hamas thinks it will make up for its military losses with a political achievement, it is wrong.

Hamas Refuses to Let Go of Airport, Seaport
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A senior Hamas official announced on Sunday morning that the terrorist organization is refusing to back down for talks surrounding the establishment of an airport and seaport in Gaza, as the Egyptian proposal instructs.

Reports from Cairo explain that the matter is of great contention between Hamas leaders and Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, who is pushing for the acceptance of the Egyptian proposal, including the pushing off of talks regarding both ports.

Hamas Adopts Hard Line Ahead of Cairo Talks Sunday
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Gloves are Off As UK Jews Demand Action from Silent Leadership
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Anti-Israel demonstrators stand on iconic bronze lions at London's Trafalgar Square

Reuters

The alarming spike in anti-Semitism in Europe since the start of Israel’s military operation against terrorists in Gaza has hit headlines repeatedly in the past few weeks, both in Europe itself as well as further afield.

While not as seriously affected as countries on the European continent – such as France, Holland, Belgium, or Germany, where anti-Semitism has reached fever-pitch – the UK’s Jewish community has also been shaken by a serious rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes, stoked by an increasingly familiar and tawdry alliance of the militant-left, Islamist groups and elements from the fringe-right.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors and combats anti-Semitism in the UK, has recorded the second-highest level of anti-Semitism in the country since its records began (the highest being during Operation Cast Lead).

In July alone more than 200 anti-Semitic incidents were reported, many of them at political demonstrations – a staggering spike considering that the previous six months combined saw a total of 304 incidents. And when you add the fact that police sources say a significant number – perhaps even a majority – of anti-Semitic crimes go unreported, the picture looks grimmer still.

Against that backdrop, discontent by British Jews towards their community’s establishment leadership has itself hit record levels. A full-page ad in the Jewish Chronicle, published at the end of last week and addressed to the “elected” Board of Deputies of British Jews and "self-appointed" Jewish Leadership Council, demanded action after months of silence and bland assurances of "work behind the scenes" which few are buying.

"What are you actually doing about this situation? Apart from issuing the odd press release," asked the ad, which was sponsored anonymously and called for direct action such as large-scale demos protesting anti-Semitism.

Jewish Chronicle Ad Rupert Nathan

Apparently rattled by the growing criticism, just days before the ad was published UK Jewish establishment groups called an unprecedented meeting of the Jewish community in London last Wednesday "to discuss" the increasingly intolerable situation.

It was an impressive show of unity and determination. More than a thousand people turned out and an overflow hall had to be arranged to accommodate everyone. People were clearly concerned, but there was also a remarkable sense of positive energy and no small measure of agitation – what are we going to do about it?

The proceedings began with a short but warmly-received address by Chief Rabbi Efraim Mirvis, who had changed his schedule at the last moment to deliver a message of encouragement and solidarity – chizuk – to the anxious throngs who had turned out from across the religious and political spectrum. To enthusiastic applause Rabbi Mirvis declared that he had no plans to cancel his upcoming trip to Israel (a staggering seventh since taking up the Chief Rabbinate just less than a year ago) despite the ongoing conflict, and expressed his hope to see other British Jews joining him there as a concrete way of standing by the Jewish state through difficult times.

Then it got really interesting.

Whereas the event had been billed as a conference to discuss how to deal with the wave of Jew-hatred in Europe that is now battering the shores of Great Britain, what actually occurred was something of a mixture between a public trial and an election campaign by embattled (though admittedly largely unelected) communal politicians.

In quick succession, an impressive array of leaders from the Jewish and pro-Israel establishment stood to answer a question that was on the entire community’s lips long before the current crisis: what do they actually do? How are the millions of pounds in their coffers being spent for the good of the British Jewish community?

The organizations represented on the panel were BICOM (Britain Israel Communications & Research Center), and its “grassroots” branch, We Believe in Israel; the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA); the Board of Deputies (BoD); the CST; and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC).

But there was a conspicuous absence which was less than encouraging. Of all the “establishment” groups, the one which most visibly and consistently advocates for Israel, and whose activists most regularly find themselves on the frontlines of the very struggle under discussion – the Zionist Federation – had not been invited.

“Why?” one person asked the panel’s chair, BoD President and JLC Chairman Vivian Wineman. He declined to answer.

Pro-Israel initiatives have been spearheaded by grassroots, not Jewish establishment Reuters

Each organization’s CEO or President then proceeded to deliver his or her pitch, to varying degrees of success. The CST, largely respected by British Jews for its stoic and non-political campaign to monitor and combat anti-Semitism was well-received, and – although many had never actually heard of them – an impassioned plea by We Believe in Israel’s (non-Jewish) head for the community to better pressure its MPs to show solidarity with the people of Israel was appreciated by the crowd. Similarly, the UJIA’s account of its success in sending 1,225 teens to Israel despite the war, and its various relief efforts to embattled communities in southern Israel, engendered an enthusiastic applause from those present.

Less so some of the others.

There were blank looks as the Board of Deputy’s new Chief Executive gave a summary of the "difficult political environment" within which it was working, and assured those assembled that the BoD was working behind the scenes to lobby ministers – such as Business Secretary Vince Cable - to backtrack on some of their more hostile stances towards Israel. You could almost hear the eyes rolling.

And there was a deafening indifference and sense of mild bafflement when the JLC’s CEO explained its "fight" against BDS, generically comprised of "meetings with top business and media leaders"

"So what actually is the JLC?" one person asked me afterwards. Indeed.

In typically British fashion, each speaker was politely (if not always enthusiastically) applauded, even as some quietly snorted their disapproval.

Then questions and statement from the audience were taken, and it immediately became obvious that the most dynamic and effective activists were not sitting the stage with multimillion-pound budgets, but positioned "beneath" them – with no funds whatsoever but plenty of chutzpah.

Anat Koren, the leader of a newly formed activist group comprised of London’s growing Israeli community – the Israeli Forum Task Force – detailed the creative efforts it had led to present Israel’s case to the public, including a rocket siren flash mob in central London, with no help from the community leadership.

Then, one of the heads of the newly-established Campaign Against Anti-Semitism UK stood up to explain how his group was tracking Twitter and Facebook users posting anti-Semitic comments and incitement – and exposing them to their employers and to legal scrutiny. All this without receiving a single penny from the well-funded mainstream organizations.

One of the stars of the show was a young organizer of the recent creative protest by pro-Israel activists, who “infiltrated” the constituency of notorious anti-Israel MP George Galloway and courageously thumbed their noses at his declaration that his city was “Israeli-free”.

Smirks abounded when she said she had "no idea" who the people on the stage were – only that when she had reached out to the Board of Deputies for help she had been rebuffed. "Are you sure you had the right number?" was Wineman’s painfully embarrassing response.

Speaking to attendees before the meeting, it was clear expectations were low.

But what was also clear, both before and after the meeting, was that such low expectations would no longer be tolerated by a British Jewish community feeling increasingly vulnerable and unrepresented.

As the anonymous sponsor of the uncharacteristically angry Jewish Chronicle ad put it: "We are a strong and proud community and we want to hear our leaders shout loudly on our behalf."

Egypt: Continued Attempts to Get Sides to Extend Ceasefire
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egyptian diplomats told the Turkish news agency Anatolia on Saturday night that Egypt is investing efforts into convincing Israel and Hamas to prolong the temporary ceasefire until a permanent agreement can be reached.

According to the diplomats, Egypt’s intention is to render the current temporary ceasefire into a permanent one.

Breach Between Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Arab MKs Visit Qatar, Meet Traitor Ex - MK
Aug 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Jamal Zahalka, Hanin Zoabi

Flash 90

Three members of the Arab-nationalist Balad Knesset party, Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka and Basal Ghattas, took a trip in the last several days to Qatar, a key provider of funds to the Hamas terror government currently engaged in an open war on Israel.

While there, Channel 2 reports that the three met with Azmi Bishara, the founder of the Balad party, who fled to Qatar after passing information to Hezbollah in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, helping direct their missiles at Israeli citizens.

A Balad statement announced the trip to Qatar was for media purposes, and hinted that Bishara was present in the meetings.

This last weekend, Qatar decided to increase its emergency aid to the Hamas enclave of Gaza by $13 million, bringing it to a total of $23 million. A group named "The Qatari Committee to Rebuild Gaza" was tasked with distributing the money to repair homes damaged in Operation Protective Edge.

Responding to the visit, MK Yifat Kariv (Yesh Atid) said "Qatar has three terror mandates in the Israeli Knesset."

"Operation Protective Edge isn't even over yet, quiet has yet to arrive to residents of the state of Israel, Gaza citizens are trying to rebuild the destruction Hamas brought on them," said the MK, summarizing the current situation as truce talks continue in Cairo.

"Instead of staying in Israel to help, Balad MKs chose to fly to Qatar, a state funneling money into the greased system of terror and fear, to meet with the traitor Azmi Bishara, senior adviser to the Qatari regime and de-facto chairperson of the Balad party," added Kariv.

With the start of the current operation last month, Kariv notes that she "turned to the Attorney General and the Knesset chairperson asking to check the connection between the Balad party, Qatar and Azmi Bishara - there is no doubt that this connection was proven."

"I call to immediately investigate whether that (connection) is enough to remove their immunity and ban them from the Knesset immediately. Zoabi, Zahalka and Ghattas are manipulating their Israeli immunity and actively enjoying Qatari immunity," concluded Kariv.

Speaking to the Qatar sponsored Al Jazeera late last month, Economics Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) noted "Qatar is funding Hamas with over quarter of a billion dollars - they're funding daily murders of Israeli children and Gaza children and what we need is for Qatar to stop funding Hamas."

All had a share in putting Jesus on the cross
Aug 17th, 2014
Thought For The WeekA. W. Tozer
Categories: Commentary;Bible Salvation

There is a strange conspiracy of silence in the world today - even in religious circles - about man's responsibility for sin, the reality of judgment, and about an outraged God and the necessity for a crucified Saviour.

But still there lies a great shadow upon every man and every woman - the fact that our Lord was bruised and wounded and crucified for the entire human race! This is the basic human responsibility that men are trying to push off and evade.

Let us not eloquently blame Judas nor Pilate. Let us not curl our lips at Judas and accuse: "He sold Him for money!"

Oh, they were guilty, certainly! But they were our accomplices in crime. They and we put Him on the cross, not they alone. That rising malice and anger that burns so hotly in your breast today put Him there! The evil, the hatred, the suspicion, the jealousy, the lying tongue, the cheating, the carnality, the fleshly love of pleasure - all of these in natural man joined in putting Him on the cross!

There is a powerful movement swirling throughout the world designed to give people peace of mind in relieving them of any historical responsibility for the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But, we may as well admit it. Every one of us in Adam's race had a share in putting Him on the cross!

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18

A. W. Tozer