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1. Major US Protests Against Ahmedinajad
by Hillel Fendel
Several major protests are scheduled for 12 noon on Thursday, in New York City, Washington, and elsewhere, against Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s scheduled speech in the United Nations.
In New York City, a host of organizations will be gathering outside the UN at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, 42nd St. & 2nd Ave. The rally will call for “freedom from Iran’s nuclear threat to Israel, America and the free world; freedom from the United Nation’s anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel; freedom from the threat of Radical Islam to the free world; and freedom from Obama’s anti-Israel policy of pandering to the Arab world and pressuring Israel to self-destruct.”
Protestors are being asked to bring Israeli and American flags, as well as banners and signs. “As radical Islam is on the march,” Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI explains, “fueled by Saudi and Iranian money and terror, abetted by the United Abominations, one has to be prepared to answer the child’s question: ‘What did you do to prevent this from happening?’”Click here to see the video story: Iranian-Born Americans Explain Protest
The wide range of sponsoring organizations includes: Stand for Freedom in Iran Coalition; Progressive American Iranian Committee; StandWithUs, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; UJA-Federation of New York; National Interagency Task Force on Iran; Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; New York City Central Labor Council: AFL-CIO; American Federation of Teachers; United Federation of Teachers; NAACP - New York Conference; The Cathedral of St. John the Divine; New York Coalition of 100 Black Women; Puerto Rican Coalition; 100 Hispanic Women;
At the same time, in Washington, D.C., thousands are expected to participate in a similar rally, entitled “Stand for Freedom From Iranian Threats.” The said threats include terrorism, nuclear bombs, and human rights abuses. This rally, too, will be held Thursday at noon, at Farragut Square Park. “Join the thousands of Americans who stand for freedom from the threat of a nuclear Iran, as President Ahmadinejad addresses the UN General Assembly,” call the two sponsors, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Community Relations Council.
Other similar demonstrations will be held elsewhere in the United States against Ahmadinejad and his regime's human rights abuses and nuclear aspirations. Standwithus.com and the Israel Project provide this list: Los Angeles: Wednesday, September 23, 6-10 PM at the Federal Building on Wilshire and Veteran Detroit: Thursday, September 24, 5:30 PM, at Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus in Farmington Hills St. Louis: Thursday, September 24, noon, at Jewish Federation, 12 Millstone Campus Dr.
2. Netanyahu Ripped for Bowed Head, Lauded for 'Standing Firm'
by Gil Ronen
MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday over his body language in Tuesday's meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in New York.
"The photo of Netanyahu bowing his head in front of Obama humiliates Israel,” Ben-Ari said. “The Prime Minister is behaving like an American official who has been berated,” he explained. “He must remember that Jewish pride is more important than pleasing the sinking American president.”
Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) disagreed and said that “the Prime Minister's firm stance removed another part of the Palestinian mask.”
MK Danny Danon (Likud) castigated Obama and said that “the meeting proves again that we do not live in a Hollywood film.” Obama, he added, “needs to understand that charisma is not enough for making peace. I hope that the meeting cuts short the Hollywood movie that Obama is living in.”
'Courageous Decisions Needed'
Minister Benny Begin (Likud) said that “what is now happening in New York is proof that Israel did not accept [PA Chairma Abu Mazen's precondition about a complete freeze of construction.” He said that “saying that Jews do not have the right to build in Judea and Samaria means that in the end, there will be no settlement blocs either.”
MK Ronit Tirosh (Kadima) said that “Obama turned over the Middle East's hourglass this evening and we must not ignore that. Netanyahu needs to make courageous decisions in the coming period and factional and coalition considerations must not serve him as an excuse for not progressing in the peace process.”
"In the face of the right-wing front of opposition Netanyahu has to know that Kadima, whose policy this is, will back him in any serious negotiation he leads.”
3. IDF Videos Disprove Goldstone Report
by IsraelINN Staff
The IDF has uploaded two videos on YouTube, apparently as part of the government effort to refute the recent United Nations report by Richard Goldstone that accused the Jewish State of alleged war crimes. The commission led by Goldstone investigated the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign in Gaza from late December 2008 until mid-January of this year.
The following video shows a Hamas terrorist repeatedly attempting to use innocent bystanders, including children, as human shields. The terrorist approaches a group of three children who run away from him, and then the terrorist lies on the ground feigning an injury. Afterward the terrorist walks into a civilian compound and approaches a man who pushes him away, he then enters a civilian building.
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The video below shows a Hamas terrorist firing a rocket from the roof of a house and then calling to a group of children accompanied by an adult to come to the entrance of the house to escort him out.
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4. Netanyahu: Iran is a Weakling
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has labeled the Iran regime as “weaker than people think” and that is susceptible to international pressure. Speaking with Wolf Blitzer of CNN, the Prime Minister said, “The Iranian people detest this regime, as has been plainly evident in the recent election fraud. But, equally, I think that Iran is susceptible because its economy is susceptible. And the time for pressure is now, with or without talks.”
His chiding of the Iranian government's strength came one day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a military parade speech that Iran “will cut the hands off” of anyone who attacks it.
The Prime Minister refuted recent remarks by Russian President Dimitri Medvedev that President Shimon Peres promised him that Israel would not attack Iran, whose nuclear development plans is feared to include production of a nuclear warhead to be aimed at Israel.
Asked about the option of attacking Iran if economic sanctions cannot halt its unsupervised nuclear program, Prime Minister Netanyahu replied, "I'm willing to say what President Obama has said, namely, that all options are on the table is a position we support.” The Prime Minister refused to answer what he called a hypothetical question concerning the possibility of Israel attacking Iran unilaterally, without American support.
He also declined to comment on a declaration by former U.S. national security advisor Zbig Brzezinski, who said earlier this week, that the United States should shoot down Israeli planes if the Jewish State attacks Iran.
Expressing hope that the international community understands the immediate threat of a nuclear Islamic Republic, the Prime Minister added, “There are ways of pressing this regime right now, because it's weak…. It's been exposed for what it is. It tyrannizes its own people. The Iranian people detest this regime, as has been plainly evident in the recent election fraud. But, equally, I think that Iran is susceptible because its economy is susceptible. And the time for pressure is now, with or without talks.”
In a separate interview, Charles Gibson of ABC News suggested to Prime Minister Netanyahu that a weak Iranian regime might make it even more dangerous. The Prime Minister replied, “I think that it becomes more dangerous if it becomes stronger. And it becomes stronger if it develops nuclear weapons. The experience of such regimes is that once they pass a threshold, then you can have even a primitive society - and there's one in Asia - that is almost an anthill society developing nuclear weapons and all of a sudden it becomes important like China or Japan - but much more dangerous. And I don't think Japan [a China are dangerous.”
5. PA Officials: Obama Disgraced Us, Surrendered to Israel
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Palestinian Authority officials traveling with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said that the mini-summit conversation in New York Tuesday was a “disgrace to the PA” and a "surrender to Israel.”
Abbas was in trouble before he left Ramallah to travel to New York. “This [summi is the best recipe to kill the last hope Mahmoud Abbas had as our President. He lost it big time,” one Arab journalist told Fox News’ Michael Tobin.
The PA officials, who did not want their names used, told various media that the summit, arranged by U.S. President Barack Obama, represented “a desperate diplomatic step by the American government.” Another member of Abbas’ delegation declared, “We were disappointed with the positions of the U.S. government that in effect surrendered to Israel and allowed construction of thousands of residential units in Judea and Samaria.”
Hamas, as expected, was even sharper in its criticism but aimed its anger at Abbas for “continuing to surrender to the will of the Americans and the Zionists.”
President Obama made it clear to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Abbas that he is not interested in any more posturing and wants direct talks. He gave them a three-week deadline to make progress towards resuming negotiation on the proposed establishment of a new Arab state within Israel’s current borders.
However, as soon as the brief talks between President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Abbas ended, the leaders already were expressing different conclusions. The Israeli leader flatly stated, "There was general agreement, including on the part of the Palestinians, that the peace process has to be resumed as soon as possible with no preconditions.”
His declaration accompanied a statement by U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell that the United States never insisted on preconditions for talks, specifically referring to the American and PA demand that Israel stop all construction for Jews in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Abbas and other officials publicly contradicted Mitchell and Prime Minister Netanyahu. 'In today's meetings we…demanded that the Israeli side fulfill its commitments on settlements, including on natural growth," Abbas said. Reflecting the pressure from President Obama that he stop placing conditions on further talks, Abbas added, “We believe the American administration will review the positions of the two sides in the coming weeks to make it possible for us to renew peace talks based on our stated position.'
Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh was more adamant, telling reporters that an Israeli building freeze "is a clear Palestinian condition and a stance that would never be changed. Even if the talks are resumed, it had to focus on the six permanent status issues which are Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements, water and security, but the first essential issue is Jerusalem," said Abu Rdineh.
6. The Mosquito: Israel's Unique Micro-Unmanned Aircraft
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) revealed a unique hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at an aeronautics conference earlier this month. The ultra-light UAV, called the Mosquito, was developed in conjunction with the Ministry of Defense for use by combat units in gathering field intelligence.
Weighing only 500 grams, the Mosquito is almost half as light as the micro-class UAVs developed thus far. It has a range of two kilometers and can run autonomously for 40 minutes at a time, even in winds of up to 25 knots. Equipped with a miniature camera, the micro-UAV can be maneuvered from the launch site by troops monitoring it in flight.
The advantage of the Mosquito is not limited only to its size and weight. IAI researchers developed a unique, hand-held launching system adapted from the design of a fishing harpoon. The harpoon design, according to IAI officials, is reliable, compact and especially useful for rapid deployment from within armored vehicles, through narrow windows or from moving vehicles.
Two Mosquito micro-UAVs, the command and control device, and a communications pack can fit in a single briefcase. The system was designed for use by a lone non-specialist soldier operating in most environmental conditions. Guided to a predetermined landing point, which it reaches by parachute, the Mosquito can then be easily packed up for its next mission.
The Mosquito was first unveiled during the design stage in 2005, but it has been slowly developed ever since, culminating in its public demonstration flight at the September 2009 Latrun Conference. As of last month, the IAI had not publicized any client orders for the new design, but recent news of its improved operating success is expected to generate international interest.
IAI's UAV division boasts an "unsurpassed track record of over 450,000 operational flight hours for over 42 customers on four, continents... offering the widest range of combat-proven systems."
7. Holy Temple Mikveh Discovered Near Western Wall
by Hillel Fendel
A 2,000-year-old mikveh (ritual bath) has been uncovered just 20 meters from the Western Wall.
Given its location just outside the Holy Temple - where untold numbers of Jews regularly immersed before entering - the newly-revealed pool is among the largest ever discovered in Jerusalem.
The mikveh was found at the site known as the Western Wall Tunnels, which has long been under excavation and study by the Israel Antiquities Authority, with the support of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
It is located about 30 meters past the entrance to the Tunnels, in the general direction of the Western Wall. Once it becomes open to the public, the 11 broad steps leading down to the mikveh will be seen approximately 8 meters below floor level.
Josephus, the famous turncoat general and historian of the period, wrote that the administrative and governmental center of Jerusalem was located at the foot of the Temple, and that among the buildings there were the National Council and the Lishkat HaGazit, Chamber of Hewn Stone, where the Sanhedrin – Israel’s Supreme Court – convened. The archaeologists feel that it is possible that the luxurious hall aside the mikveh was originally one of these structures.
Archaeologist Alexander Ohn, the director of the dig, explains: “It is interesting to note that in the middle of the first century, changes were made in the grand structure. It was no longer used for public administrative purposes, and in its western wall a large mikveh was installed – with 11 steps descending into the immersion pool. It appears that Jerusalem was growing at this time, and with it the need to provide a solution for the increasing numbers of people who came en masse to Jerusalem, especially on the pilgrimage festivals (Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot)). Ritual immersion in a mikveh and precise observance of the laws of purity were an inseparable part of Jewish life at this time; the importance of a mikveh, especially in this location, was great.”
Parts of the mikveh had been uncovered in the past, but now another hall – one of three – has been revealed. The structure was built of smooth stone hewn in a particularly intricate manner, with high-quality decorations and architectural style. Its importance can be determined by the fact that it is similar to other luxurious structures built by King Herod such as the Temple Mount, the Machpelah Cave, and one in Elonei Mamreh.
