Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Ukraine Crisis: NATO Releases Satellite Images Which Show Russian Troops Operating in Ukraine
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily Newsabc.net.au
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

NATO has released satellite images which it says show Russian combat forces, armed with heavy weapons, engaged in military operations in Ukraine.

Well over 1,000 Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine, marking a significant escalation of Moscow's military involvement in the country, NATO said.

"Over the past two weeks we have noted a significant escalation in both the level and sophistication of Russia's military interference in Ukraine," Dutch Brigadier-General Nico Tak, head of NATO's crisis management centre, told reporters at NATO's military headquarters near Mons, Belgium.

"We assess well over 1,000 Russian troops are now operating inside Ukraine," he said, referring to Russia's actions as "incursions" rather than an invasion.

"They are supporting separatists (and) fighting with them."

NATO estimates Russia also has about 20,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border, Brigadier-General Tak said.

"We have also detected large quantities of advanced weapons, including air defence systems, artillery, tanks and armoured personnel carriers being transferred to separatist forces in eastern Ukraine," he said.

But the Russian ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, has rejected the allegations.

"NATO has never produced a single piece of evidence, neither have the United States, nor the European Union, nor anybody else. Not a single piece of evidence. That is not the first time this is happening," Mr Chizhov said.

Ukraine accused Russia on Thursday of bringing troops into the south-east of the country in support of pro-Moscow separatist rebels.

NATO ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting with their Ukrainian counterpart in Brussels on Friday at Kiev's request to discuss the situation, a NATO official said. NATO ambassadors will also meet separately on Friday.

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting

US president Barack Obama said the images released by NATO make it "plain for the world to see" that Russian forces are destabilising the situation in eastern Ukraine.

"The violence is encouraged by Russia, the separatists are trained by Russia, they are armed by Russia, they are funded by Russia," he told a press conference at the White House.

"This comes as Ukrainian forces are making progress against the separatists. As a result of the actions, Russia has already taken, and the major sanctions we have imposed with our European and international partners, Russia is already more isolated than at any time since the end of the cold war."

The US leader nevertheless said that Washington was "not taking military action to solve the Ukrainian problem".

"It is not on the cards for us to see a military confrontation between Russia and the United States in this region," he said.

The UN Security Council has held an emergency meeting to discuss the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and NATO's revelations.

The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said it was clear Russia had joined the separatists in fighting Ukrainian government forces.

"Serious negotiations are needed, urgently needed, but Russia has to stop lying and has to stop fuelling this conflict. The mask is coming off," she said.

"In these acts, these recent acts, we see Russia's actions for what they are, a deliberate effort to support and now fight alongside illegal separatists in another sovereign country."

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, told the meeting the Kiev's policies in eastern Ukraine had inflamed tensions and questioned its cooperation with an investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

Australia's acting ambassador to the UN, Michael Bliss, told the meeting Moscow must "immediately withdraw its military equipment and personnel from Ukrainian territory".

"These latest developments indicate a new and even more dangerous escalation of the crisis which appears to be moving to a wider area of Ukraine and drawing in the southern land route to Crimea," Mr Bliss told the meeting.

"Russia must control its border. This is the only effective way to prevent troops and equipment entering Ukraine and key to a ceasefire."

A United Nations report this week said more than 2,200 people have been killed, not including the 298 who died when a Malaysian airliner was shot down over rebel-held territory in July.

Images show Russian units moving self-propelled artillery

One satellite picture released by NATO, taken on August 21, showed Russian military units moving in convoy with self-propelled artillery in the area of Krasnodon, inside territory controlled by Russian separatists.

A second image, taken on August 23, showed Russian self-propelled artillery units set up in firing positions near Krasnodon, supported by logistical vehicles likely to have been carrying extra ammunition and supplies, NATO said.

"This is highly sophisticated equipment which requires a well-trained crew. It takes months to train crews like that. It's extremely unlikely these sorts of units are manned by separatists," Brigadier-General Tak said.

He said the escalation of Russian military operations in recent weeks was directly linked to the success of Ukrainian government operations against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, including "the loss of territory by the separatists, the loss of weapons and the loss of manpower".

Since Monday, Russia had carried out a new incursion near Novoazovsk in south-eastern Ukraine, he said.

"This effectively creates a second front for the Ukrainian forces. This is an extremely effective way to take pressure off the separatists," he said.

The Russian move put Ukrainian armed forces in a dire situation because from south-eastern Ukraine Russian forces could either move to link up with Donetsk area or move further west towards Crimea, which Russia annexed in March, he said.

"From a strategic perspective it is clear that Russia is not willing to accept a defeat of the separatists. So it will most likely do anything that it takes to prevent such a defeat," Brigadier-General Tak said.

"I suspect they (Russian forces) will do no more than absolutely necessary at this point to show their hand," he said.

"The next thing we will see is Russia is going to try and freeze this conflict. It is going to try and prolong the conflict, making it difficult for Ukraine to sustain that operation, making sure that they don't have to sell a defeat at home and trying to broker some kind of deal with Kiev, something that will allow them enduring influence in eastern Ukraine."

Asked about the likelihood of Russian troops creating a "land bridge" from Russia to Crimea via Mariupol, Brigadier-General Tak said: "It is obviously something that we are watching quite closely."

Creating a land bridge to Crimea would require a lot more Russian resources but it was not impossible, he said.

He said there was clear evidence that there had been military contact between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Pictures of graves in north-western Russia that had appeared in the media suggested Russia had taken casualties, he said.

Despite NATO's concern over the situation in Ukraine, the 28-nation, US dominated alliance has said repeatedly it has no intention of intervening militarily in Ukraine, which is not a NATO member.

It has reinforced the security of NATO allies in the region and will discuss further steps at a summit in Wales next week.

Poroshenko convenes urgent meeting of security advisers

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has condemned Russia for what he says are Russian troop movements into the south-east of Ukraine.

Mr Poroshenko cancelled an official trip to Turkey and convened an urgent meeting of his security advisers to deal with what he called the rapidly deteriorating situation in the embattled Donetsk region.

"I have made a decision to cancel my working visit to the Republic of Turkey due to sharp aggravation of the situation in Donetsk region, particularly in Amvrosiivka and Starobeshevo, as Russian troops were actually brought into Ukraine," Mr Poroshenko said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Mr Poroshenko promised to work on an urgent ceasefire plan to defuse his country's separatist conflict following late-night talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The first negotiations between the two leaders since June were described by Mr Putin as positive, but he said it was not for Russia to get into the details of truce terms between the Kiev government and rebels.

"We didn't substantively discuss that, and we, Russia, can't substantively discuss conditions of a ceasefire, of agreements between Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk," Mr Putin said.

"That's not our business. It's up to Ukraine itself.

"We can only contribute to create a situation of trust for a possible, and in my view, extremely necessary negotiation process."

The United States also warned it was considering new sanctions against Russia over its involvement in the latest fighting in Ukraine.

"We have additional tools and sanctions that we can certainly choose to put in place," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"A military solution is not what we think is the appropriate approach so we are taking every tool that we can to see if we can reach a solution here through diplomatic means," she added.

U.S. Banking Group Says Unaware of Any 'Significant' Cyber Attack
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsReuters
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A sign outside the headquarters of JP Morgan Chase & Co in New York, September 19, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

(Reuters) - An influential U.S. financial services industry group that shares information about cyber threats has said it is unaware of any "significant" cyber attacks, downplaying concerns about possible breaches at JPMorgan Chase & Co and other banks.

The group, known as the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or FS-ISAC, includes all major U.S. banks and dozens of smaller ones along with some large European financial institutions.

"There are no credible threats posed to the financial services sector at this time," the group said in an email to its members.

FS-ISAC told members in the email that it decided not to raise its barometer of threats facing banks during a regularly scheduled conference call on Thursday. During the call, members discussed threats facing the financial services sector, including reports of suspected cyber attacks on JPMorgan and other banks.

It added that it was "unaware of any significant cyber-attacks causing unauthorized access to sensitive information at any member institutions."

JPMorgan had said early on Thursday that it was working with U.S. law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible cyber attack.

The bank provided little information about the suspected attack, declining to say whether it believed hackers had stolen any data or who might be responsible.

"Companies of our size unfortunately experience cyber attacks nearly every day. We have multiple layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels," it said in a statement.

The FBI had said late on Wednesday that it was looking into media reports on a spate of attacks on U.S. banks, raising concerns that the sector was under siege by sophisticated hackers.

Yet several cyber security experts said that they believe those concerns are overblown.

"Banks are getting attacked every single day. These comments from FS-ISAC and its members indicate that this is not a major new offensive," said Dave Kennedy, chief executive officer of TrustedSEC LLC, whose clients include several large U.S. banks.

"While we should remain diligent and active in monitoring, it doesn’t appear there is a major offensive," said Kennedy.

The email said that FS-ISAC was maintaining the threat level at "guarded," noting that financial services firms continue to face a variety of threats.

It cited recent attacks on retailers using malicious software that targets point-of-sales systems, SMS phishing campaigns targeting bank customers and a recently disclosed attack on hospital operator Community Health Systems Inc.

The group also warned members about the potential for cyber-related activity emerging from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

"They are basically saying that the attacks they are seeing are the standard patterns. That it is business as usual," said Daniel Clemens, chief executive of cyber security firm PacketNinjas.

Renewed concerns that banks might be victims of significant cyber attacks emerged after Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that Russian hackers were believed to have recently stolen sensitive data from JPMorgan and another unnamed U.S. bank. The New York Times subsequently reported that JPMorgan and at least four other U.S. banks had been attacked.

The FBI and has said it would work with the Secret Service to investigate those reports.

One cyber security executive who frequently works with large banks said that he suspected the activity described by Bloomberg and the Times was likely run-of-the-mill attacks that financial institutions fend off on a regular basis.

"There are intrusions every single day. It would be news if banking institutions were not being attacked," said the executive, who is not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. "There have been no disruptive attacks that I am aware of."

Through War and Peace, Israel's Economy Continues to Soar
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel's hi-tech industry helping to power a resilient economy

Reuters

Wherever good news for Israel is to be found, Yoram Ettinger is there to publicize it. A long-time government consultant for US policy and projects, Ettinger now writes of a new economic study showing that "sustained, impressive growth of Israel's economy throughout the last 30 years."

The study was published earlier this month by Dr. Adam Reuter, CEO of Financial Immunities Consulting and the Chairman of Reuter-Maydan Investment House. Its main points:

* Israel's GDP catapulted from $30bn in 1984 to $300bn in 2014; per capita GDP surged from $7,000 to $38,000

* The ratio of public debt to GDP shrunk from 280% to 66%

* Foreign exchange reserves swelled from $3bn to $89bn

* Export rose from $10bn to $90bn, including an increase of high tech exports from $1bn to $28bn

* For the first time, Israel's country default spread (2.48%), reflecting the risk premium on government bonds, is similar to that of the US (2.38%).

As of now, Israel is the world's top exporter of drones; the world's co-leader (along with the US) in the development, manufacturing and launching of small and medium size satellites; the sixth largest exporter of military systems; the 2nd largest cyber exporter, as well as an emerging natural gas power.

Ettinger, a consultant to Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset Members on US-Israel bilateral projects, US policy and Mideast politics, says, "Time is working for Israel. The economic indicators from 1948 until today confirm that Israel has experienced splendid economic integration, and unprecedented economic growth, in defiance of ongoing war, terrorism, boycotts and international pressure.”

The impact of war on Israel's economy, as measured after the 2006 Lebanon War and the previous two mini-wars in Gaza in 2009 and 2012, has been one of an abrupt, short-lived crisis followed by a speedy recovery – i.e., a "V" and not a "U" shaped graph.

For example, the 2006 war against Hezbollah triggered an immediate drop of GDP from over 6% to a negative growth of 1.5% - followed by a swift recovery to almost 10% growth in the following quarter. The just-ended war is estimated to cause a half-percent drop in Israel's 2014 GDP, but is expected to have insignificant influence on foreign investors, most of whom seek Israeli high-tech companies, which are minimally vulnerable to rocket and missile fire.

"In contrast to those who wish to boycott Israel," Ettinger concludes, "2013-14 have highlighted Israel's expanding trade and investment global network, especially with the surging economies of China, India and South Korea."

Netanyahu: Hamas Hit Like Never Before
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the start of Sunday morning’s government meeting in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council of the end of Operation Protective Edge.

“I would like to applaud our hosts and friends from the south. Your leadership has given us must strength in order to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel. We have always extended peaceful tidings to our neighbors who wanted it and we aggressively fought those who did not. We hit Hamas like never before. We did not agree to any of their conditions. I hope that the quiet will continue for a long time, but we are prepared for any given scenario,” the PM said.

Moscow Ridicules NATO's Images of Alleged Russian Troops in Ukraine
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsRia Novosti
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov says that NATO's Images of Alleged Russian Troops in Ukraine have become ridiculous.

MOSCOW, August 28 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow sees no sense in commenting on what NATO calls that it has satellite shots of Russian troops in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.

"You know, it has become ridiculous… If earlier, someone would at least put their names to those images, be it Breedlove, Rasmussen, or even Lungescu, now, they are hesitant," Konashenkov said, referring to NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Philip Breedlove, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Spokesperson Oana Lungescu.

"It makes no sense to seriously comment on this," he added.

He added that the phrase "NATO published shots of Russian troops in Ukraine" has become too common lately.

"The phrase 'NATO published satellite shots of Russian troops' presence in Ukraine" has become as common in recent months as the famous 'British scientists have discovered…' As a rule in media, those words are followed by the results of some new crazy research that has no practical sense whatsoever," Konashenkov said.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Russian troops had entered Ukraine. The statement came as NATO released satellite images that it claimed were showing Russian self-propelled artillery on the Ukrainian territory. The alliance said about 1,000 Russian servicemen were taking part in hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

Washington failed to verify the information, US Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki said, adding, however, that the State Department had "no reason to doubt their [NATO's] assessment."

Andrei Kelin, Russia’s envoy to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), denied Kiev’s accusations, saying that "there are no Russian convoys" in Ukraine.

Kiev authorities launched a special military operation in mid-April in the southeast of Ukraine against independence supporters, who refused to recognize the legitimacy of the country’s coup-imposed government.

Since the beginning of the military conflict, Kiev has been accusing Russia of sending troops and weaponry to independence supporters in the region.

Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, urging Kiev to stop the bloodshed and establish a direct dialogue with representatives of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

MK Regev: Jews Deserve Security As Much As Arabs
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Regev (2nd right) at Beit Yehonatan

Yoni Kempinski

On a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem and eastern neighborhoods of the city, Knesset Interior Committee chairperson MK Miri Regev (Likud) examined the ongoing attacks by Arabs against Jews in the area, especially at the Beit Yehonatan building in the City of David. Attacks have risen significantly since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge.

At Beit Yehonatan, Regev met the sister of IDF officer Benayah Sarel h”yd, who was killed during the operation. Accompanying Regev and attending the meeting was Rabbanit Shulamit Melamed, Director of Arutz Sheva.

Regev spoke with other residents of the building, who demanded more and better security and protection from the ongoing attacks.

“Fifty Jews live in this building and the state owe them security,” Regev told Arutz Sheva in an interview. “We cannot have a situation in which we are helpless against the riots and violence of the Arabs. I intend to bring other members of the Committee here to investigate what and how much police are doing for these people.

“Jews have a right to live anywhere in Israel, period,” said Regev. “Our job is to defend every Jew in the Land of Israel, just as we defend Christians and Muslims. Why are Jews living here not getting the security they need? I intend to do something about this,” she added.

Regev was joined by Jewish activists and Arutz Sheva Director Rabbanit Shulamit Melamed. The great were taken to see evidence of Arab attacks and intimidation, including the scrawling of swastikas by Arab vandals.

Attacks and harassment against Jews in eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods - which in many cases were populated by Jews before they were ethnically-cleansed by the Jordanian Arab Legion in 1948 - are often carried out by both local Arabs and left-wing extremists from abroad.

Just this morning a firebomb attack on a Jewish building elsewhere in the Old City left one man with burn injuries to his head.

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

3.4-magnitude quake hits near Napa
The quake hit 5 miles southwest of Napa, the center of California's famed wine country.

Feds’ Bulletin Describes Threat of Imminent Terrorist Attack on Southern Border
Islamic terrorist groups are operating in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez and planning to attack the United States with car bombs or other vehicle born improvised explosive devices (VBIED). High-level federal law enforcement, intelligence and other sources have confirmed to Judicial Watch that a warning bulletin for an imminent terrorist attack on the border has been issued.  

Britain put on alert of 'highly likely' attack by terrorist groups
Britain raised its terrorism alert yesterday to the second-highest level with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the Islamic State (Isis) group operating in Syria and Iraq posed the country's greatest-ever security risk.  

Will China Be World's Largest Christian Nation by 2025?
"China is destined to become the largest Christian country in the world very soon." By his calculations, the number of believers in the People's Republic of China will rise to 160 million by 2025 and 247 million by 2030. If so, the country would be home to more Christians than any nation on earth.  

Home> U.S. Moderate Earthquake Hits Region Near Fairbanks
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit 43 miles northwest of Fairbanks on Saturday night.  

Coastal quake risk: Japan on watch, Northwest ‘essentially blind’
How many real-time seismometers has the U.S. deployed to monitor the Cascadia Subduction Zone off Washington, Oregon and Northern California? “Zero,” said John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington. “We are essentially blind.”  

Iceland volcano erupts again, aviation warning raised to highest level
Iceland has raised its aviation warning level after a new eruption from a fissure near the Bardarbunga volcano Sunday morning.  

Hamas: Attempts to Disarm Us Are 'Worthless'
Hamas on Saturday declared that any attempts to disarm the terrorist groups in Gaza are "worthless," the Ma’an news agency reported. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement quoted by the outlet that the demilitarization of the factions was "inconsistent with international law and our people will not allow it."  

Fatah blasts Hamas for stealing humanitarian aid during Gaza operation
Fatah’s Central Committee on Saturday night issued a strong condemnation of Hamas, accusing the Islamist movement of targeting Fatah cadres during the war and stealing humanitarian aid. The attack is seen as a sign of increased tensions between the two parties in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge and could jeopardize the reconciliation agreement between them.  

Pakistan protesters clash with Islamabad police
Pakistan police have fired tear gas at anti-government protesters marching on the official Islamabad residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The city's two main hospitals have told BBC 264 people have been injured, including at least 26 policemen. Demonstrators loyal to opposition politician Imran Khan and cleric Tahirul Qadri have been taking part in a sit-in for two weeks.  

EU set to tighten Russia sanctions 'within a week'
The European Union has given Russia one week to reverse course in Ukraine or face new sanctions. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the EU was working urgently on further restrictive measures. Earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country was "close to a point of no return - full scale-war" with Russia.  

Iraq launches drive to break jihadist siege of Amerli
Iraq launched a major operation on Saturday to liberate a jihadist-besieged town, as US Secretary of State John Kerry called for a global coalition to combat the “genocidal” militants.  

Islamic State said to seek biological weapons
Plans to develop biological weapons and instructions on how to weaponize the bubonic plague from infected animals were found on a laptop belonging to a Tunisian Islamic State jihadist, by a Syrian rebel commander from a moderate group in northern Syria.  

Is there a microchip implant in your future?
You can inject one under your skin and no one will ever notice. Using short-range radio frequency identification (RFID) signals, it can transmit your identity as you pass through a security checkpoint or walk into a football stadium. It can help you buy groceries at Wal-Mart. In a worst-case scenario – if you are kidnapped in a foreign country, for example – it could save your life.  

US launches air strikes on IS rebels near Mosul dam: Pentagon
The US military launched fresh attacks on Islamic State forces in Iraq, using fighter aircraft and drones to carry out strikes near the Mosul dam, the Pentagon said on Saturday.  

Lapid Calls for Regional Summit to Demilitarize Gaza
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday a press conference at the Government Press Office in Jerusalem, in which he suggested that the Arab world should work with Israel and the West to help rehabilitate Gaza.

In the press conference, the Finance Minister called to convene a regional summit with Middle Eastern leaders with the goal of rehabilitating and demilitarizing Gaza.

“On the 22nd of September the donor countries are scheduled to meet in New York. At that conference the countries of the world will commit aid to rebuild and rehabilitate Gaza. Israel must act before that to avoid a conference where Gaza gets support and Israel gets nothing,” said Lapid.

He called for a regional conference attended by leaders from Egypt, Saudi Arabaia, the Gulf States and representatives of the Quartet.

“That conference should focus on one thing — ensuring the rehabilitation takes place alongside demilitarization,” said Lapid, who added that such a conference “can also provide the framework for a wider diplomatic horizon which will take advantage of the changes in the region to the mutual benefit of Israel and the Arab world.”

Lapid first made the suggestion for the summit last week and said that Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas should be allowed into Gaza in place of Hamas.

Those remarks were dismissed by MK Orit Struk (Jewish Home) who said that Lapid must have not been in Israel in 2005, when Israel pulled out of Gaza and was “rewarded” with endless rocket attacks.

“I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I heard Lapid’s remarks. On the one hand he demands the demilitarization of Gaza and on the other hand he demands that Judea and Samaria be transferred to [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas,” said Struk.

She continued, "Maybe he was not in the country in 2005, when we handed over Gaza to our partner in Ramallah? Or maybe he was on vacation two weeks ago when Mahmoud Abbas was saved from a Hamas coup thanks to the IDF and the Shin Bet?”

"Yair Lapid, stop for a moment and count to 10 or you will find yourself counting 15 seconds on your way to a bomb shelter,” concluded Struk.

Hamas, meanwhile, has rejected the possibility that Gaza will be demilitarized.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Saturday that the demilitarization of any of the Palestinian Arab factions was "inconsistent with international law and our people will not allow it."

"It is not required to disarm the Palestinian people, but rather to disarm the (Israeli) occupation and to ban the American administration from providing it with the weapons that are used to kill children and women," he declared.

In Israel, Concern As Qaeda - Linked Rebels Seize Syrian Side of Border
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsYnet News
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

In a meeting with a delegation of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives, Netanyahu said that 'just now an extension of al-Qaeda in the Golan Heights has kidnapped dozens of UN forces. We must take a joint position in order to defeat them.'

The IDF Northern Command is closely following the recent developments along Syria-Israel border, after Syrian rebel forces, including members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, which is considered more radical than Hamas, on Wednesday seized the Syrian side of the border crossing with Israel in the Golan Heights.  

The fate of the 43 UN Fijian peacekeeping troops kidnapped by the rebels in Quneitra is still unknown. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the abduction on Thursday, and called for the immediate release of the troops. 

The IDF views the latest developments as a further loss of sovereignty of the Syrian army in the Golan Heights. Addressing the issue on Thursday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked it to the activities of other terrorist organizations in the Middle East.

ISIS flag in the Syrian border

In a meeting with a delegation of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives, Netanyahu said that "just now an extension of al-Qaeda in the Golan Heights has kidnapped dozens of UN forces. We must take a joint position in order to defeat them."

From Israel's perspective, the loss of the Quneitra crossing by the Syrian army for now only means the halt in the transfer of apples or preventing the passage of young Druze studying in Syria. At the moment, the only interaction that the security establishment has with the rebel forces on the Syrian side of the border, concerns humanitarian issues, such as the treatment of the wounded in Israel and helping to deliver basic equipment. Deeper into the Syrian Golan Heights, Assad's army is still in control and has is fighting the rebels to prevent them from seizing the entire swathe of the county that runs alongside the border with Israel. By Thursday evening, the fighting between the rebels and Assad's army had calmed down somewhat, after the Syrian army had lost in an unprecedented manner controls over the sole border crossing with Israel. As well as the Syrian side of the crossing, the insurgents also control the old city of Quneitra and in effect most of the border area that abuts Israel.

The only exception is a small zone in the northeast corner of the border, on the slopes of Mount Hermon, close to the Syrian Druze village of Al-Khader. Here too, however, the presence of the Syrian army has dwindled.

Fijian Commander Brig. Gen. Mosese Tikoitoga said three vehicles filled with about 150 armed rebels had converged on the Fijian camp at about 7:30am Thursday.

He said the rebels demanded the Fijian soldiers leave within 10 minutes and insisted they board the rebel vehicles. The Fijians were then taken by the rebels to an unknown location. He said he's been told they were later transported back to their original post.

Aquino III, who was travelling south of Manila, told a crowd that the situation involving the Filipino peacekeepers was "stable."

Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan said the rebels surrounded two encampments about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) apart occupied by Filipino peacekeepers and demanded that they give up their firearms, but the peacekeepers refused. "This resulted in a standoff," he said, reading from a statement.

However, "the potential for de-escalation is still positive," he said. The military leadership in the Philippines was in direct communication with the peacekeepers, he added.

IDF on High Alert in Golan Heights
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

IDF Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, tours the Bashan Brigade stationed at the border with Syria in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, on August 28, 2014. IDF forces have been reinforced along the Syrian border. (photo credit: IDF Spokesperson/Flash90)

As a result of the fighting on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, the level of alert was raised on the Israeli side, an army spokesperson said Thursday, without confirming that it had been increased to the highest level.

The announcement followed several incidents in the area, including the capture and execution of 160 Syrian soldiers by the Islamic State, gruesome pictures of which appeared online Thursday, and the abduction, also Thursday, of 43 Fijian UN peacekeepers by al-Qaeda-affiliate al-Nusra Front at the Quneitra crossing with Israel, where fighting has raged this week between Syrian rebels and government forces.

Another 81 peacekeepers, from the Philippines, were trapped in the area by heavy clashes between rebels and Syrian troops, according to the UN.

Philippines military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said in a statement that Syrian rebels demanded that the Filipino troops surrender their firearms, but the soldiers refused.

“They did not surrender their firearms as they may, in turn, be held hostage themselves. This resulted in a stand-off which is still the prevailing situation at this time,” Zagala said.

Illustrative photo of Israeli soldiers training in the Golan (photo credit: Abir Sultan/Flash90)

On Wednesday, the Quneitra crossing was seized by rebel combatants, including members of the Nusra Front, one of the main groups fighting forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad for control of the embattled country.

“Al-Nusra Front and other rebel groups took the Quneitra crossing, and heavy fighting with the Syrian army is continuing in the surrounding area,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based NGO.

Also Wednesday, at least seven mortars fired from Syria landed in the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. The IDF said it had not determined whether the mortars were fired into Israel intentionally, or were a spillover from fighting between rival factions on the Syrian side of the border.

One Israeli man was lightly wounded Wednesday after a mortar landed near him, and earlier, an IDF officer was moderately injured as a result of stray fire from fighting between rebel groups and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria.

The Israel-Syria border region has seen intermittent exchanges of fire throughout the war in Syria. Although Israel has largely attributed these incidents to stray fire from clashes in Syria, there have been attempts to target Israeli soldiers.

In one deadly incident in June, a 15-year-old was killed when the car he was riding in was targeted by an anti-tank missile fired from the Syrian side, just south of the Quneitra crossing.

In June, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the intense fighting between Syrian government and opposition fighters in the Golan Heights and demanded an end to all military activity in the area. Syrian mortars overshooting their target have repeatedly hit the Israeli-controlled Golan, and UN peacekeepers have been abducted.

Thursday’s UN statement noted that UNDOF peacekeepers who were detained by armed forces in March and May were later safely released.

As of July, UNDOF has 1,223 troops from six countries: Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, the Netherlands and the Philippines.

But the Philippine government last week said it would bring home its 331 peacekeeping forces from the Golan Heights after their tour of duty ends in October, amid the deteriorating security in the region.

In June 2013, Austria said it was withdrawing its 377 UN peacekeepers from the Golan Heights. Croatia also withdrew in 2013 amid fears its troops would be targeted.

Hamas: Attempts to Disarm U.S. are 'Worthless'
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Sami Abu Zuhri

Reuters

Hamas on Saturday declared that any attempts to disarm the terrorist groups in Gaza are "worthless," the Ma’an news agency reported.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement quoted by the outlet that the demilitarization of the factions was "inconsistent with international law and our people will not allow it."

"It is not required to disarm the Palestinian people, but rather to disarm the (Israeli) occupation and to ban the American administration from providing it with the weapons that are used to kill children and women," Abu Zuhri declared, according to Ma’an.

The comments come several days after a long-term ceasefire agreement ended the latest round of violence in Gaza.

Further negotiations on a permanent ceasefire are ongoing, and one of Israel’s main demands has been a demilitarization of Gaza.

Hamas has been demanding, among other things, that a seaport and an airport be built in Gaza. On Friday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon clarified that there was “no chance” Israel would agree to this demand.

"Hamas in essence accepted the terms of the ceasefire as we wanted, without all the issues it tried to bring up - a seaport, airport and prisoners. In accepted a ceasefire as we wanted without conditions," Ya’alon said in a television interview, making clear that "there is no chance that Hamas will receive a seaport - it is not in Israel's interest, it is not an Egyptian interest, it's not even in the interest of the Palestinian Authority."

Hamas leaders have been trying to present the ceasefire as a victory for Hamas, even as videos disseminated on the internet show aerial views of the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza, which was reduced to rubble in the fighting between Hamas and the IDF.

Shortly after the truce took hold on Tuesday, several senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders appeared in public for a victory celebration. They had been hiding underground during the course of the Israeli operation.

Among them was Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior member of the Hamas political wing, and senior Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi who gave a rousing victory speech to thousands of people gathered in a square in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood.

"We're going to build our port and our airport, and if they attack the port, they attack the port. But anyone who attacks the airport will have their airport attacked again," Zahar said.

Hamas Truce Talks Reportedly to Resume in Next 48 Hours
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Islamic Jihad terrorists during Gaza "victory" parade

Flash 90

Truce talks between Israel and the Hamas, Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamic Jihad delegations in Cairo are to be renewed within the next 48 hours according to reports Sunday morning.

The news of renewed ceasefire talks come from Palestinian sources quoted in the Dubai-based newspaper Al Bayan, as cited by Walla!. Dubai is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which reportedly along with Saudi Arabia urged Hamas into the ceasefire by offering massive funds to the terrorist organization.

According to the report, the PA delegation head Azzam al-Ahmed will arrive in the Egyptian capital on Sunday night.

The Arab sources cited accused Israel of not fulfilling its obligations in the controversial ceasefire deal sealed last Tuesday, claiming Israel promised to open all five Gaza border crossings.

However, al-Ahmed revealed last Tuesday that the deal included the immediate easing of restrictions on only the two major Gaza crossings - one of which is managed by Egypt, not Israel - and did not mention all five crossings.

Humanitarian goods were to be allowed in immediately; likewise construction materials were agreed to be let in, despite their use in the past in building terror tunnels and rockets. Additionally, the Gaza fishing zone was to be opened to six nautical miles, later to be extended past its previous limits to 12 nautical miles according to al-Ahmed.

The renewal of truce talks comes quickly, as in the deal last Tuesday the next round of talks were set vaguely to be held within a month's time.

In the upcoming talks the major demands of both sides are to be debated; for Israel the lone demand that has been raised is the disarmament of Gaza.

That demand has been flatly rejected, with Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri saying Saturday "our people will not allow it. It is not required to disarm the Palestinian people, but rather to disarm the (Israeli) occupation and to ban the American administration from providing it with the weapons that are used to kill children and women."

A Gaza airport and seaport - with or without permission

Hamas has tried to blackmail Israel through the terror war it launched last month into submitting to several extravagant demands, including a Gaza seaport and airport.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon last Friday rejected the demand, saying "there is no chance that Hamas will receive a seaport - it is not in Israel's interest, it is not an Egyptian interest, it's not even in the interest of the Palestinian Authority."

However, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar declared last Tuesday that his group would build a seaport and airport in Gaza, even without permission. He hinted construction materials brought in to reconstruct Gaza would be used for the projects, which threaten Israel's security by increasing Hamas's ability to smuggle in weapons.

Another issue to be brought up in the truce talks is a terrorist swap Hamas is pushing for, after the terrorist group refused in the deal last Tuesday to return the bodies of IDF soldiers Second Lt. Hadar Goldin and First Sgt. Oron Shaul hy''d, who were killed in the operation.

Reportedly Hamas is demanding hundreds of terrorists to be released from Israeli jails in return for the bodies, including those arrested in Operation Brother's Keeper, roughly 60 terrorists who were freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal and later re-arrested, and 37 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members, all but two of whom are Hamas members.

They further demanded the release of the 26 terrorists promised in the fourth batch of release "gestures" as part of the Israel-PA peace talks, which broke down in April when the PA signed a unity deal with Hamas.

God is Always First and Will Surely Be Last
Aug 31st, 2014
Thought For The WeekA. W. Tozer
Categories: Commentary;Exhortation

God is always first, and God will surely be last! In the plan of God, man is never permitted to utter the first word nor the last. That is the prerogative of the Deity, and one which He will never surrender to His creatures

Man has no say about the time or the place of his birth; God determines that without consulting the man himself. One day the little man finds himself in consciousness and accepts the fact that he is. There his volitional life begins.

Before that he had nothing to say about anything. After that he struts and boasts, and encouraged by the sound of his own voice he may declare his independence of God.

Have your fun little man; you are only chattering in the interim between first and last. You had no voice at the first and you will have none at the last!

God reserves the right to take up at the last where He began at the first, and you are in the hands of God whether you will or not.

Adam became a living soul but that becoming was not of his own volition. It was God who willed it and who executed His will in making Adam a living soul. God was there first!

And when Adam sinned and wrecked his whole life, God was there still. Adam's whole future peace lay in this - that God was still there after he had sinned.

It would be great wisdom for us to begin to live in the light of this wonderful and terrible truth. God is the first and the last! Revelation 1:8 A.W.Tozer

Germany to Provide Military Aid to Iraqi Kurds Fighting the IS
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Germany has announced that will be sending weapons and armored vehicles to the Kurds in Iraq who are fighting against the IS (Islamic State).

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that it had not been an easy decision for Germany, but a necessary decision in the face of "a very difficult situation".

German Intel Chief: IS Attack in Europe Just a Matter of Time
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Homeward-bound?

Thinkstock

Germany's intelligence head said Sunday that his state, like the UK, France and other western nations, faces a very high danger of citizens returning to conduct terror attacks from Syria and Iraq, where they are fighting in the ranks of the extremist Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).

"We have to expect that these people will return and commit attacks here," acknowledged Hans-Georg Maassen, head of Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency. He cited a "greater abstract risk" of attacks in Germany, reports Reuters.

BfV estimates that no fewer than 400 German citizens have joined the bloodthirsty IS as it conquers large swathes of Iraq and Syria; in recent months Maassen said evidence has been received that five German citizens or residents conducted suicide attacks in the region.

That number does not seem likely to go down, as BfV further estimates that roughly 43,000 Islamists currently reside in German, with members of the Salafist movement particularly gaining strength.

"There is a link between the successes IS has had so far in Iraq and the activities here in Germany and the propaganda and canvassing activities aimed at young jihadists," said Maassen.

An example of German propaganda was seen as early as last November, when a German Muslim convert in Syria fighting for ISIS released a video in German calling for his countrymen to join in jihad.

The intel chief added "the Islamic State is, so to speak, the 'in' thing - much more attractive than the Nusra Front, the Al Qaeda spin-off in Syria."

"What attracts people is the intense brutality, the radicalism and rigor. That suggests to them that it is a more authentic organization even than Al Qaeda," said Maassen. "Al Qaeda fades besides the Islamic State when it comes to brutality."

IS has carried out numerous bloody executions, including the recent beheading of US journalist James Foley by a British IS terrorist. Likewise it has conducted large-scale massacres and systematic rape, particularly against Yazidi minorities, drawing concerns of an impending genocide.

In response to the appalling security threat IS recruitment in Germany poses, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a vote on Sunday to send military aid to Kurdish forces battling IS in northern Iraq. The German opposition has called for a debate in parliament, which is slated for Monday.

Fox Host Won't Apologize for 'Bullet to the Head' Remark
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

James Foley appears in video soon before his execution

Screenshot

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is demanding an apology from Andrea Tantaros of Fox News for comments she made on the show “Outnumbered.

The AAJA statement said that “AAJA calls for Tantaros and Fox News to apologize for the irresponsible, inflammatory statements. We also call on Fox News to discourage its journalists from making blanket comments that serve to perpetuate hate and Islamophobia.”

Commenting on the brutality of the ISIS terrorists who beheaded journalist James Foley, other panelists noted that for ISIS, beheadings are a daily thing, and that the victims include Muslims, Christians and Yazidis.

Tantaros agreed and added that “they've been doing it for hundreds of years. If you study the history of Islam – our ship captains were getting murdered. The French had to tip us off. I mean these were the days of Thomas Jefferson. They've been doing the same thing. This isn't a surprise. You can't solve it with a dialogue. You can't solve it with a summit. You solve it with a bullet to the head. Its the only thing these people understand. And all we've heard from this president is a case to heap praise on this religion, as if to appease them.”

A defiant Tantaros declared today that she spoke the truth and has “no intention of apologizing. Period.”

Ex - IAF Chief: Concept of 'Decisive Victory' Less Relevant Today
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

David Ivry

Flash 90

Former IAF Chief Maj. Gen. (res.) David Ivry says, in a new article, that Israel needs to rethink the concepts of ‘deterrence’ and ‘decisive victory’, which are less relevant in today's assymetrical battlefields.

“Limited-scale, asymmetrical conflicts have become the norm. All-out wars between states where both parties invest all of their national resources in an attempt to achieve a decisive victory have become less relevant,” writes Ivry, who is now President of Boeing Israel, in a paper for the BESA Center.

“David Ben-Gurion’s conceptual trinity of ‘deterrence’, ‘early warning’ and ‘decisive victory’ is no longer fully valid,” he explains. “These concepts should no longer be used as the only or main criterion when evaluating military and political moves made in the context of the new situation.”

“While ‘deterrence’ remains relevant to preventing total war, we may lose the ability to deter violence in specific situations, such as launching rockets at Israel by terrorist organizations,” he posits, and “in the context of limited-scale conflicts, partial military victories are attainable even if no decisive victory is achieved.”

The deterrence achieved after the Second Lebanon War, he says, was not necessarily the result of the severe blow inflicted on the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut and the destruction of Hezbollah’s long-range missiles. Rather, he reminds readers, during the last day before the ceasefire came into effect, Hezbollah launched some 250 rockets into Israeli territory and declared this as a victory. It subsequently acquired a dominant role in the politics of Lebanon – and this political role contributed to the subsequent calm along the Israel-Lebanon border.

“The deterrence of the last eight years seemingly achieved in Lebanon was not achieved because of the accomplishments of the Israeli military,” Ivry determines. “It was not the result of the Israeli military blow, but the result of Hezbollah’s fears of losing their political accomplishments in Lebanon in the event of another conflict with Israel. Indeed, Hezbollah has not stopped preparing forces, materiel and arms for a future war. Instead, deterrence resulted from other developing interests over which Israel had no control or influence, such as the Syrian civil war.”

Under current conditions, with video cameras everywhere, high sensitivity to civilian casualties, and the need for domestic and foreign support, “achieving a decisive victory is close to impossible,” says Ivry, who commanded the IAF when it successfully attacked the nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981. Therefore, “investments should be made in active and passive defense so as to enable discretion regarding the offensive operations. The better protected the rear area is, the less we will be dragged into unreasonable or insufficiently prepared scenarios.”

“It is desirable to plan for short-term confrontations lasting no more than a few days. In this way, the IDF can bring its superior firepower to bear in concentrated fashion, making a powerful psychological impact on the enemy, and doing so before international political backing wanes (as it inevitably does when the images of destruction broadcast by the media begin to gnaw away at support for Israel). Israel must strike swiftly and determinedly while the casualty parameter is still within the range regarded as proportionate.”

Californian Drought is so Severe It's 'Causing the Ground to Move'
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily Newsindependent.co.uk
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Scientists estimate that 63 trillion gallons of water has been lost in the west over the past 18 months.

The surface of the Earth is much more springy than you might think. When you put something very heavy on it, there’s a good chance the ground will sink at least a little bit. And in the same way, when you remove something very heavy, the ground will lift.

As it turns out, 63 trillion gallons of water is pretty heavy.

That is how much water scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego estimate has gone missing from the western US over the past 18 months. That incredible water deficit weighs nearly 240 billion tons, and as it evaporated, the ground began to shift.

A network of GPS devices, the Plate Boundary Observatory, is laid out in the western US, used to study shifting tectonic plates. As small earthquakes happen, the distance that the ground shifts can be measured with the same technology that gets you from here to there in your car.

Below is a sequence of images of Lake Oroville in California, which show high water levels pictured in July 2011 and images taken this month of significantly lower levels caused by the drought

Above: High and low water levels at a section of Lake Oroville near the Bidwell Marina in Oroville, California pictured in 2011 and 19 August 2014

The Green Bridge of Lake Oroville

The Bidwell Marina in Oroville

The lake is currently at 32 per cent of its total 3,537,577 acre feet While scouring the GPS data, researchers noticed that the ground was slowly rising beneath their feet, coinciding with the drought. Taking a closer look, they found that across the western US, the ground has risen an average of 0.15 in since 2013. The effect is much more pronounced in the mountains of California, where the uplift was as high as half an inch.

Using these measurements, scientists were able to put a number on the vast amount of water that the West has lost. Scripps scientist Dan Cayan is hopeful these results can prove to be helpful in monitoring water shortages across the globe. “These results demonstrate that this technique can be used to study changes in fresh water stocks in other regions around the world, if they have a network of GPS sensors,” Cayan said in a press release.

Cabinet Approves Funding for Gaza Belt
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with heads of southern communities

Flash 90

The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting Sunday in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council area, approved a 1.3 billion shekel five-year plan for the economic, social and communal development of Sderot and the communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip. The plan was submitted by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and Finance Minister Yair Lapid. The Cabinet also approved a NIS 200 million plan for security infrastructure and protective components.

Council heads from the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip – Hof Ashkelon Regional Council Chairman Yair Farjun, Eshkol Regional Council Chairman Chaim Yelin, Shaar Hanegev Regional Council Chairman Alon Schuster, Sdot Negev Regional Council Chairman Tamir Idan and Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi – attended today's meeting.

In addition to the foregoing decision, working teams are currently working on a long-range socio-economic development plan for all southern communities; it will be submitted for Cabinet approval before the Rosh Hashanah holiday. Moreover, communities in the south, including the larger cities, have already begun to receive compensation for the direct damages they suffered during Operation Protective Edge.

The additional plan for the development of the communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and the strengthening of the communities near the fence is designed to provide economic, industrial, agricultural, construction and social welfare growth engines. The plan will include incentives for rural settlement, the upgrading of infrastructures in the communities, incentives for employment and anchors for agricultural development. The Cabinet intends to approve investments and additional government assistance to the area in order to encourage economic growth and strengthen communal settlement in the area. Since 2009, there has been continual growth in the number of residents in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip. Steps by the current Government have been designed to ensure that this demographic growth is sustained in the coming years, the Goverment Press Office said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the start of today's meeting;

"I would like to commend our host, Hof Ashkelon Regional Council Chairman Yair Farjun and the mayors and regional council chairmen, our friends from the south. It was your leadership and patience that gave us much strength to lead this campaign with responsibility, sagacity and great determination, as well as with considerable vigor, in order to restore security to Israel's citizens. This was, and remains, our supreme concern. We will make three decisions. Our first decision will be to assist – with a NIS 1.5 billion five-year plan – Sderot and the communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip. The intention is not only to rehabilitate agriculture and repair damage which has been done but also to assist industrial, economic and agricultural development, and of course the construction of additional security infrastructures. This is the first commitment and it will be realized today.

The second thing is that this month we will submit a similar package for the development of the cities and communities of the south. We are committed to them, we have always been committed to them. In recent years there has been accelerated development in the south; we want to strengthen it. The Zionist answer to those who seek our lives is not only to rebuff them and overcome them in any campaign but also to develop our state, in this case the communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and in the south, and to develop the Negev as a whole.

The third thing that we will do today is to fill in the gaps. We will start to fill in the gaps that have been created in security. This reflects our understanding about the order of priorities in security is first and foremost. We have done very great things here but this requires us to make a redoubled effort to allow the IDF, ISA and the security arms to continue to efficiently protect the State of Israel."

Hof Ashkelon Regional Council Chairman Farjun commended Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to hold today's Cabinet meeting in the south.

Abbas: A State Without East Jerusalem As Capital not a Solution
Aug 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Chairman of the Palestinian Authority and head of the Fatah (PLO) organization, Mahmoud Abbas, convened today (Sunday) a meeting of the General Council for the District of Ramallah and al-Bira, Walla! reported, citing the Palestinian news agency, Ma'an.

During the meeting, Abbas addressed the topic of negotiations with Israel, saying, "Even should they offer us the '67 borders but do not include East Jerusalem, then this will not be not be taken into consideration as a possible solution."