 | ||
 |         |  |
 | ||
| MP3 Radio | Website News Briefs: | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
 |  |
1. Muslim Congressman in Gaza, Tweets ‘Disaster Stories’ Back Home
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Mn.), the first Muslim in the U.S. Congress, has completed a tour of Gaza, where he avoided Hamas officials and twitted back home headlines of heart-breaking crises allegedly caused by Israel.
He promised Gaza students and human rights groups that he will try to convince fellow legislators that the partial Israeli ban on commercial traffic is causing a disaster for the local economy.
Although the Gaza economy has been declining since the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War, and has sunk further following the expulsion of Jews from the area in 2005, the Associated Press told its readers, “The territory under Hamas rule was devastated by last year's Israeli offensive against the militant group. A blockade meant to cut off weapons smuggling has further weakened the economy of the impoverished Strip.”
Gilad Shalit not Mentioned
During his one-day tour, rhe Congressman said that he did not discuss the plight of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, held in captivity for nearly four years without visits from the International Red Cross. His condition is not known.
Hamas said it was not aware of Ellison’s visit, but Gaza City officials arranged a protest by dozens of orphans, demanding an end to the partial blockade Israel placed on Gaza to prevent smuggling of weapons for terrorists.
Egypt also has blockade Gaza at the border, but Ellison called only for an end to the Israeli measures, which he called “mass punishment.”
Ellison used Twitter to send back home messages implying Israeli blame for individual crises among Arabs, despite Israel’s admitting dozens of Gaza Arab into Israeli hospitals every month,
“Hamza, 2, w/ brain tumor. Medical treatment slowed, delayed b/o blockade on Gaza. Parents very worried. HRW says 27 dies b/o medical delays,” read one of Ellison's Twitter messages.
2. Israel Frees Terrorist Who Helped Kidnap-Murderers of Wachsman
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Israel freed on the eve of Passover the Arab terrorist who allowed his home to be used by the kidnap-murderers of Golani elite commando soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994. The terrorist had served his prison term of 13 years.
Nachshon's kidnap aroused the prayers of the entire country, both secular and religious, who recited Psalms for his safety after he was kidnapped by terrorists disguised as hareidi-religious Jews near Ben Gurion airport.
After the IDF and intelligence officials managed to track down and capture one of the terrorists, then-Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin ordered a rescue attempt, in which the commander of the elite unit and Wachsman were killed by the terrorists.
Prior to the rescue attempt, the terrorists released a video of a gun pointed at the head of the soldier, who said, “The people of Hamas kidnapped me and want to free prisoners; if not, they will kill me.”
3. Fire-Breathing Robot among Rafael's New Tech Developments
by Gil Ronen
'Pincher,' a new robotic system designed to disable improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from long distances is in development at Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and another defensive system, the Trophy active defense for tanks, is in its pilot phase.
Ram Fabian, director of Rafael's Land Warfare Systems, told Defense Update that the 'Pincher' is currently in prototype phase and could become operational next year. Pincher fires pencil sized pyrophoric rockets at the charge, causing it to burn instead of exploding and thus eliminating the risk of shrapnel.
Pincher will join 'Thor,' a system developed by Rafael together with the U.S.'s General Dynamics, which uses a high-energy laser and a 12.7mm machine gun to neutralize IEDs from a safe distance.
Meanwhile, Rafael is placing finishing touches on 'Trophy,' a miniature anti-missile system that detects incoming projectiles and shoots them down before they reach the armored vehicles.
A radical change?
The Trophy system “could radically alter the balance of power if the country goes to war again” and its performance “could also have much wider implications as American troops and their Western allies battle insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Associated Press reported.
"I think people will be watching the Israelis roll this thing out and see if they can get the hang of it," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org website. "The future of the United States army is riding on the proposition that something like this can work."
Pilot project underway
The Trophy will compete with "active defense" systems being developed by manufacturers in the US and elsewhere. Rafael officials said the system has passed more than 700 live tests, and already has been installed in Israeli Merkava 4 tanks in a pilot project.
Israel Military Industries is also producing 'Iron Fist,' an anti-missile defense that is expected to be installed on Israeli armored personnel carriers in 2011. Iron Fist using jamming technology that can make the incoming missile veer off course. Failing that, it can create a 'shock wave' to blow it up.
4. King Abdullah: Jordan Was Better Off without Peace with Israel
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
King Abdullah of Jordan has joined the Arab world’s saber-rattling against Israel and warned that the status of Jerusalem could blow up into another war. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he also stated that Jordan was better off economically before it made peace with Israel in 1994.
Taking advantaged of the American-led diplomatic offensive against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Obama's negative attitude towards Israel, he said, “I think the overlap that happened between me and Prime Minister Netanyahu 10 or 11 years ago was not very pleasant. It was actually the three most unpleasant months in the relationship between Jordan and Israel... Our relationship with Israel is at an all-bottom low. It hasn't been as bad as it is today and as tense as it is today.”
In the interview, he warned three times that the lack of a new Palestinian Authority state west of the Jordan and failure to settle the status of Jerusalem according to Arab demands could ignite Muslim frustration and anger.
The king also maintained that "Jerusalem specifically engages Jordan because we are the custodians of the Muslim and Christian holy places and this is a flashpoint that goes beyond Jordanian-Israeli relations." Neither King Abdullah nor the interviewer noted that Jordan denied Jews and Christians access to holy sites when it illegally occupied most of Jerusalem, including the Old City, Temple Mount and Western Wall, between 1949 and 1967. This was a result of its successful invasion of the beleaguered young state of Israel. Jerusalem was never recognized by any other nation as belonging to Jordan.
"The political trust is gone," he said. "There is no real economic relationship between Jordan and Israel. So economically we were better off in trade and in movement before my father signed the peace treaty."
Although Jordan is considered to have the warmest relations with Israel, King Abdullah’s comment reflect a swing towards warm relations with Syria. "We're sort of the power brigade… us and other countries, trying to see where issues of contention between Israelis and Palestinians and make the atmosphere more amiable," he said.
"Jordan's relationship with Syria is better than it has been in a long time; probably the best it's ever been," he told the Journal. "So the engagement now between the Syrian and Jordanian government on economic cooperation are at an all-time high."
He also dismissed ideas that Jordan should absorb Arabs who call themselves Palestinians with roots in Israel, arguing that such a move would create tremendous instability. The interview did not relate to instability in Israel due to the demands of the Arab world.
Instead, he played the demographic card, warning that the Arab population in Israel will be 50 percent of the country "in eight to 10 years."
"I think the long-term future of Israel is in jeopardy unless we solve our problems. Fifty-seven countries in the world, a third of the United Nations, do not recognize Israel. In a way, I think North Korea has better international relations than Israel."
He said that U.S. President Barack Obama has to prove his credibility by resolving the Arab-Israeli struggle and pointed out that the international community is on the side of the Arab world.
King Abdullah also backed the theory that solving the problem is the key to reducing the Iranian nuclear threat.
"If there are those that are saying that Iran is playing mischief, then I say it is being allowed to play mischief. The platform they use is the injustice of the Palestinians and Jerusalem. So if you start taking those cards off the table, then Iranian influence on the Mediterranean through Hizbullah and Hamas in Gaza diminishes or becomes non-existent…. By dealing with the core issue, that's when you start taking cards away from the Iranian regime."
He said that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell and American General James Jones all accept his theory.
5. Report: Mimouna Festival in Israel
by Hillel Fendel
Post-holiday joy and political declarations were the order of the day at the traditional Mimouna celebrations around the country.
While Jews abroad celebrate an eighth day of Passover on Monday night and Tuesday, many Jews in Israel - especially those of Moroccan descent – are celebrating the Mimouna.
Mimouna is a Jewish post-Passover celebratory tradition brought to Israel by immigrants from North Africa. It begins with a festive meal, with families gathering together and opening their doors to neighbors to enjoy singing, traditional foods and spiritual nourishment for the coming months. It was celebrated publicly in Israel for the first time in 1966. In 1968, it was celebrated by some 5,000 people in Sanhedria Park, which had returned to Jewish hands just a year earlier during the Six Day War. The Mimouna's popularity as a public event has grown each year and is now celebrated nationally by hundreds of thousands of people.
One of the main centers of the commemorations takes place in Sacher Park in Jerusalem, where President Shimon Peres was a guest of honor on Monday night. He took the opportunity to offer a dose optimism, saying, “The Passover holiday this year is the best we’ve had in many years. There was never such a large concentration of Jews in Israel as there is now – close to seven million – and there was never such a blossoming economy, and we have never had such security capabilities. The land was never so effervescent; I heard that 2.5 million people went on hikes and trips this holiday – and we can allow ourselves to be happy about this.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commemorated the Mimouna, for the sixth time, with long-time family friends Chaim and Simi Fahima in Or Akiva. Netanyahu and his wife, together with the mayor of Or Akiva, near Hadera, took part in the dedication of the new home of a son of the Fahimas. Chaim and Simi made Aliyah from Morocco in the 1950’s, and have nine children, 26 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. “This is a wonderful home filled with love of mankind,” Netanyahu said, “and I congratulate them with all my heart.”
“Construction will continue in the south, north, and certainly in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister will take part later today in the central Mimouna event in Kiryat Ata, near Haifa, together with Cabinet ministers, Knesset Members and mayors from around the country.
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Education Minister Gideon Saar were in Maaleh Adumim for the Mimouna on Monday night. Saar reiterated the long-known Israeli stance that Maaleh Adumim, just east of Jerusalem, will remain Israeli under any future agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
Mimouna: Expression of Faith
The Mimouna marks the hope and belief [emunah in Hebrew, possibly related to the word "Mimouna", according to some] that just as the Jewish People were redeemed on Passover, so too they will merit the Final Redemption "speedily in our days."
Another explanation given for this day is that because of the stringencies against eating leavened bread [chametz] on Passover, many people would not eat at each other's homes throughout the holiday. The Mimouna is a chance to renew ties between families and neighbors, showing that the Jews are united in brotherly love. The motto of the MImouna is the phrase : Tirvechu vetisadu, (feel at home and partake of our food). It is the opinion of some scholars that the source of the name Mimouna is Maimon, father of the Rambam (Maimonides).
6. Anti-Obama Sentiment Hits Billboards, Doctor's Office
by Gil Ronen
As Israel's leaders and people face up to the reality of a hostile US administration under Barack Obama, grassroots anti-Obama sentiment within the United States is finding original ways of expressing itself.
In the Atlanta area, billboards began springing up in recent weeks with an uncomplimentary portrait of the President and slogans like "Stop Obama Socialism” and “Vote Liberals Out in 2010!.” The billboards turned out to be an initiative by a group of about a dozen local businessmen.
The campaign enables anyone to buy billboard space with an anti-Obama message. It has reportedly generated great enthusiasm, and there are plans to turn it into a national operation.
"There's a group of entrepreneurs, small business owners, that have frankly just said, 'we've had enough' and they're taking the gloves off," Atlanta author and motivational speaker Tommy Newberry told the local NBC affiliate “11Alive.” He described them as political conservatives who are unsatisfied with the Obama administration – especially since the passage of the health care bill.
Upset urologist
In Florida, urologist Dr. Jack Cassell found another way of registering his displeasure with the health initiative, posting a sign on his clinic's door that reads: “If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere.” The sign goes on to read: “Changes to your health care begin right now, not in four years.”
Central Florida's News13 reported that calls have been flooding in to the doctor's office from all over the country, both in support and outrage over the sign. Dr. Cassell said he would not deny anyone care, no matter whom they support politically, but he wanted his customers to know how he felt.
Central Florida congressman Rep. Alan Grayson said he was disgusted by the sign and warned, “There are licensing authorities who will look into what he’s doing, and I hope that they will take action, because frankly, I think a lot of people are disturbed just to go into his office. He’s turned his inner office, his reception area, into some shrine of right-wing nuttery.”
7. Diplomatic Religious War on Jerusalem, Saudi Cleric to Visit
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A Saudi Arabian cleric announced on television on Sunday he will make an unprecedented visit to Jerusalem next week as part of an intensive Arab world effort to claim Muslim ties to the city, which Arabs envision as the capital of an independent Palestinian Authority country.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said no applications have been made for a visa for the cleric, Sheikh Mohammed al-Areefi, and that they know nothing about his announcement.
Al-Areefi told his viewers that he would broadcast his next show from Jerusalem to discuss Muslim claims to the city. Saudi Arabia bans travel to Israel and is one of the most fundamentalist Muslim countries.
The Arab world has been conducting a campaign for several years that aims to deny Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, claiming that the Holy Temples never existed. To this end, valuable archaeological material from the Temple periods has been wilfully destroyed by excavations and construction undertaken illegally by the Arab Wakf on the Temple Mount.
The Palestinian Authority plans to stage a children’s march on the city this week. Two years ago, Israeli police broke up a similar attempt to mark the Arab League's designation of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009.
