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1. Netanyahu on Jerusalem Day: We'll Continue to Build Jerusalem
by Elad Benari
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke during Tuesday’s Jerusalem Day celebration at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva in Jerusalem. As he entered the Beit Medrash, over a thousand students sang the words with which Moses blessed the tribe of Binyamin: "And to Binyamin he said: Beloved by God, he will dwell in security."
The head of the yeshiva, Rav Yaakov Shapira, welcomed the Prime Minister with warm words for his forthright speech in the US Congress, adding that our "roadmap" is the Bible and that all of the land of Israel stems from Jerusalem and has the same indivisible status as the hoy city.
Netanyahu started by recalling how the government ministers sit during their meetings and browse through letters and other reports. He noted, however, that one minister browses through the Tanach and sometimes the Talmud. That minister, said Netanyahu, is Justice Minister Ya’akov Ne’eman, who was sitting on the dais to the right of him.
“For Ne’eman, public service is holy work,” said Netanyahu, “and as such, from time to time he shares with me something new that he’s found. So I’m happy to be here with him and many other great people such as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel and current Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Lau, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and Rabbi Ya’akov Shapira who heads the Mercaz Harav yeshiva.”
Addressing Rabbi Shapira directly, Netanyahu said: “I just heard the song ‘Od Avinu Chai’ (our Father still lives, sung by the students as the PM took his seat). Your father still lives, too. I remember the great Rabbi Shapira, and he still lives in you, in your spirit, in the spirit of all the great rabbis, but above all, he lives in the spirit of all of you students of Mercaz Harav.”
Netanyahu thanked those present for their support during his visit to the United States last week.
“When I was overseas, I received all your blessings and support,” he said. “You wanted to strengthen me and you did it, because during that entire week I kept remembering one verse: ‘Chazak Chazak v’Nitchazek.’ (Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened). May we strengthen one another. We need that strength every day of the year. We’re undergoing a great struggle but we also have some great achievements. 44 years ago, Israel’s soldiers fulfilled the vision of the prophets and brought back Jerusalem to its proper place.
“My friends, almost 2,000 years have passed since the destruction,” continued Netanyahu. “And today Jerusalem is beautiful and is a pride to the entire country. We came back to Jerusalem as builders, and today Jerusalem is growing and flourishing. We need to continue and build and develop the city. We see how the citizens of Jerusalem walk in it proudly. Jerusalem has once again become the capital of the Jewish people. Jerusalem is built, it is joined and unified forever,” he ended paraphrasing Psalm 132. The Prime Minister did not repeat his words to the Congress about finding creative ways to keep the city united and satisfy the Palestinians.
He recalled the government meeting this week, which took place at Migdal David in honor of Jerusalem Day. “Before the meeting I went down to the basement and saw a model of the city from the middle of the 19th century. In the model you see the synagogue standing upright, and then you see another synagogue. And you see the Jewish Quarter. We know that we were turned away from the city, but we came back and rebuilt. The synagogue now stands, complete, just like in its glory days.”
Netanyahu directly addressed the students of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva, telling them, “There is nothing more dear to you than the Torah, the people of Israel and the land of Israel, at the heart of which is its capital Jerusalem…There are a few here who were or will be in the sayeret (military commando unit) in the IDF, and just like the sayeret goes in front of the camp, so do you go in front of the camp to light its way.”
He then offered the students some advice. “Always keep in touch with the camp. A pioneer with no camp behind him becomes lost in the desert, but if he has a camp connected to him he becomes part of a great force. All of you – rabbis, avreichim, and students – you stay connected and I’m sure you’ll continue to stay connected to the entire people. Jerusalem can continue to develop only if the people of Israel continue to develop. And the people of Israel will develop only through unity. There’s great strength in unity.”
The Prime Minister ended with a blessing, perhaps a hint of no building freezes, in honor of Jerusalem Day.
“There’s nothing more holy to us than Jerusalem,” he said. “We’ll keep Jerusalem, we’ll keep its unity, we’ll build it. We’ll protect Jerusalem and Jerusalem will protect us. I say to you not just Chag Sameach, but L’Shana Haba’a BiYerushalyim Habenuya Yoter (Next year in Jerusalem which is built even more)!”
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by Elad Benari
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke during Tuesday’s Jerusalem Day celebration at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva in Jerusalem. As he entered the Beit Medrash, over a thousand students sang the words with which Moses blessed the tribe of Binyamin: "And to Binyamin he said: Beloved by God, he will dwell in security."
The head of the yeshiva, Rav Yaakov Shapira, welcomed the Prime Minister with warm words for his forthright speech in the US Congress, adding that our "roadmap" is the Bible and that all of the land of Israel stems from Jerusalem and has the same indivisible status as the hoy city.
Netanyahu started by recalling how the government ministers sit during their meetings and browse through letters and other reports. He noted, however, that one minister browses through the Tanach and sometimes the Talmud. That minister, said Netanyahu, is Justice Minister Ya’akov Ne’eman, who was sitting on the dais to the right of him.
“For Ne’eman, public service is holy work,” said Netanyahu, “and as such, from time to time he shares with me something new that he’s found. So I’m happy to be here with him and many other great people such as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel and current Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Lau, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and Rabbi Ya’akov Shapira who heads the Mercaz Harav yeshiva.”
Addressing Rabbi Shapira directly, Netanyahu said: “I just heard the song ‘Od Avinu Chai’ (our Father still lives, sung by the students as the PM took his seat). Your father still lives, too. I remember the great Rabbi Shapira, and he still lives in you, in your spirit, in the spirit of all the great rabbis, but above all, he lives in the spirit of all of you students of Mercaz Harav.”
Netanyahu thanked those present for their support during his visit to the United States last week.
“When I was overseas, I received all your blessings and support,” he said. “You wanted to strengthen me and you did it, because during that entire week I kept remembering one verse: ‘Chazak Chazak v’Nitchazek.’ (Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened). May we strengthen one another. We need that strength every day of the year. We’re undergoing a great struggle but we also have some great achievements. 44 years ago, Israel’s soldiers fulfilled the vision of the prophets and brought back Jerusalem to its proper place.
“My friends, almost 2,000 years have passed since the destruction,” continued Netanyahu. “And today Jerusalem is beautiful and is a pride to the entire country. We came back to Jerusalem as builders, and today Jerusalem is growing and flourishing. We need to continue and build and develop the city. We see how the citizens of Jerusalem walk in it proudly. Jerusalem has once again become the capital of the Jewish people. Jerusalem is built, it is joined and unified forever,” he ended paraphrasing Psalm 132. The Prime Minister did not repeat his words to the Congress about finding creative ways to keep the city united and satisfy the Palestinians.
He recalled the government meeting this week, which took place at Migdal David in honor of Jerusalem Day. “Before the meeting I went down to the basement and saw a model of the city from the middle of the 19th century. In the model you see the synagogue standing upright, and then you see another synagogue. And you see the Jewish Quarter. We know that we were turned away from the city, but we came back and rebuilt. The synagogue now stands, complete, just like in its glory days.”
Netanyahu directly addressed the students of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva, telling them, “There is nothing more dear to you than the Torah, the people of Israel and the land of Israel, at the heart of which is its capital Jerusalem…There are a few here who were or will be in the sayeret (military commando unit) in the IDF, and just like the sayeret goes in front of the camp, so do you go in front of the camp to light its way.”
He then offered the students some advice. “Always keep in touch with the camp. A pioneer with no camp behind him becomes lost in the desert, but if he has a camp connected to him he becomes part of a great force. All of you – rabbis, avreichim, and students – you stay connected and I’m sure you’ll continue to stay connected to the entire people. Jerusalem can continue to develop only if the people of Israel continue to develop. And the people of Israel will develop only through unity. There’s great strength in unity.”
The Prime Minister ended with a blessing, perhaps a hint of no building freezes, in honor of Jerusalem Day.
“There’s nothing more holy to us than Jerusalem,” he said. “We’ll keep Jerusalem, we’ll keep its unity, we’ll build it. We’ll protect Jerusalem and Jerusalem will protect us. I say to you not just Chag Sameach, but L’Shana Haba’a BiYerushalyim Habenuya Yoter (Next year in Jerusalem which is built even more)!”
Comment on this story
2. Jerusalem, Then and Now
by INN Staff
In honor of Jerusalem Day, Israel National News brings you photos of the holy city from the distant past, and the present.
Gaze upon the city before the 1967 Six-Day War, when a large part of Jerusalem was occupied by the Jordanians, and how it looks today, 44 years after its liberation from foreign hands.
Israel news photos: Flash 90
Comment on this story
by INN Staff
In honor of Jerusalem Day, Israel National News brings you photos of the holy city from the distant past, and the present.
Gaze upon the city before the 1967 Six-Day War, when a large part of Jerusalem was occupied by the Jordanians, and how it looks today, 44 years after its liberation from foreign hands.
Israel news photos: Flash 90
Comment on this story
3. Most of Shalit’s Captors Killed in ‘Accidents,’ Says Minister
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
“Unfortunate accidents” killed most of the terrorists who captured kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Homeland Security Minister Matan Vilnai said Wednesday during Jerusalem Unification Day remarks at a school.
He told students at a Jerusalem school that even de facto Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and his military leader “do not know where Gilad is being held.” He was abducted nearly five years ago during a deadly raid on a checkpoint adjacent to the Gaza region in which two of Shalit’s comrades were killed.
Hamas has not honored the Geneva Convention that requires contact with the families of kidnap victims and allows for Red Cross visits. Shalit is assumed to be alive, but there have been no signs of his condition since an audio of his voice, obviously under duress, was released two years ago.
He advised that the movement for freeing Shalit at any price – a move that is backed largely by left-wing academics – actually hurts their cause.
Vilnai did not detail what "unfortunate accidents” happened to the terrorists, and the IDF and government generally maintain a tight-lipped policy on undercover operations against terrorists.
Three Gaza terrorists were killed and four others wounded on Tuesday in a mysterious blast at a Popular Resistance Committees training camp near the Egyptian border. Israeli military spokespersons said they knew nothing about the incident.
The Hamas website said it is investigating the cause of the explosion but blamed Israel. It stated, “Israeli occupation forces and its intelligence [sic] apparatuses conduct secret war against the Palestinian resistance factions’ recently Israeli occupation air force assassinated three Qassam leaders, Ismail Lubbad, Abdullah Lubbad and Mohammed al Dayah by the help of its spies in the Gaza Strip.
“Actually, Israeli occupation intelligence [sic] services push its collaborators to plant ground mines inside the training sites of the Palestinian resistance factions to cause a state of insecurity and fear in the Strip.”
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
“Unfortunate accidents” killed most of the terrorists who captured kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Homeland Security Minister Matan Vilnai said Wednesday during Jerusalem Unification Day remarks at a school.
He told students at a Jerusalem school that even de facto Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and his military leader “do not know where Gilad is being held.” He was abducted nearly five years ago during a deadly raid on a checkpoint adjacent to the Gaza region in which two of Shalit’s comrades were killed.
Hamas has not honored the Geneva Convention that requires contact with the families of kidnap victims and allows for Red Cross visits. Shalit is assumed to be alive, but there have been no signs of his condition since an audio of his voice, obviously under duress, was released two years ago.
He advised that the movement for freeing Shalit at any price – a move that is backed largely by left-wing academics – actually hurts their cause.
Vilnai did not detail what "unfortunate accidents” happened to the terrorists, and the IDF and government generally maintain a tight-lipped policy on undercover operations against terrorists.
Three Gaza terrorists were killed and four others wounded on Tuesday in a mysterious blast at a Popular Resistance Committees training camp near the Egyptian border. Israeli military spokespersons said they knew nothing about the incident.
The Hamas website said it is investigating the cause of the explosion but blamed Israel. It stated, “Israeli occupation forces and its intelligence [sic] apparatuses conduct secret war against the Palestinian resistance factions’ recently Israeli occupation air force assassinated three Qassam leaders, Ismail Lubbad, Abdullah Lubbad and Mohammed al Dayah by the help of its spies in the Gaza Strip.
“Actually, Israeli occupation intelligence [sic] services push its collaborators to plant ground mines inside the training sites of the Palestinian resistance factions to cause a state of insecurity and fear in the Strip.”
Comment on this story
4. Jerusalem Day, A Cultural Revolution in Progress
by Chana Ya'ar
This year's Jerusalem Day marks new records for the 44th year of the reunification in the nation's capital.
For a start, Jerusalem is now the largest city in Israel, both in terms of its physical area of jurisdiction – 125.2 thousand dunam (31,000 acres)– and in terms of the number of residents who call the city home.
In 1948, the population in Jerusalem totaled just 82,900 – but by the end of 2010, there were 789,000 residents, approximately 10 percent of the entire population of the state.
This past year also saw an all-time record in incoming tourism to the city, with 2,788,000 tourists arriving in Jerusalem from all corners of the globe – an increase of more than half a million compared to the previous year.
Some 82 percent of all tourists arriving in Israel eventually find their way to the nation's capital, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
The total income of Jerusalem-based hotels in 2010 stood at NIS 1,585 billion ($450 million). Jerusalem was also elected as #13 in Trip Advisor's 2011 Most Desirable Tourist Attractions – that, from a total list of 337 global hot spots.
In the past two years, the city's budget for cultural projects has doubled, tripling the number of cultural events and festivals held in Jerusalem.
The city's five-year plan includes the development of a new artists' quarter in midtown Jerusalem, a new theater center for theatrical groups in Maziah House, a film, art and music complex in the Menorah center, the return of the Bezalel Art School to the downtown area, and more.
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
This year's Jerusalem Day marks new records for the 44th year of the reunification in the nation's capital.
For a start, Jerusalem is now the largest city in Israel, both in terms of its physical area of jurisdiction – 125.2 thousand dunam (31,000 acres)– and in terms of the number of residents who call the city home.
In 1948, the population in Jerusalem totaled just 82,900 – but by the end of 2010, there were 789,000 residents, approximately 10 percent of the entire population of the state.
This past year also saw an all-time record in incoming tourism to the city, with 2,788,000 tourists arriving in Jerusalem from all corners of the globe – an increase of more than half a million compared to the previous year.
Some 82 percent of all tourists arriving in Israel eventually find their way to the nation's capital, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
The total income of Jerusalem-based hotels in 2010 stood at NIS 1,585 billion ($450 million). Jerusalem was also elected as #13 in Trip Advisor's 2011 Most Desirable Tourist Attractions – that, from a total list of 337 global hot spots.
In the past two years, the city's budget for cultural projects has doubled, tripling the number of cultural events and festivals held in Jerusalem.
The city's five-year plan includes the development of a new artists' quarter in midtown Jerusalem, a new theater center for theatrical groups in Maziah House, a film, art and music complex in the Menorah center, the return of the Bezalel Art School to the downtown area, and more.
Comment on this story
5. Islamic Jihad Hosts Abbas in Egypt: Jerusalem a Red Line
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who tells the United States he wants to talk with Israel, met with Islamic Jihad leaders in Egypt who also were hosted by a Cairo Muslim cleric who said, “Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, is the red line for 800 million Arabs.”
Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, welcomed Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ramadan Shalah and his deputy Ziad Al-Nakhala.
They discussed with Abbas reinforcing unity among PA parties, the arrests of Islamic Jihad terrorists and the “resistance movement” against Israel. The meeting was reported and translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Shalah and his deputy condemned statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel, and asserted that Egypt will not abandon a single inch of “Muslim lands.”
Al-Tayeb charged that the United States supports Israel’s plans to “plunder the lands and places sacred to Islam.”
Shalah said that Imam Al-Azhar is the “spearhead of the defense of the Islamic holy sites.”
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who tells the United States he wants to talk with Israel, met with Islamic Jihad leaders in Egypt who also were hosted by a Cairo Muslim cleric who said, “Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, is the red line for 800 million Arabs.”
Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, welcomed Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ramadan Shalah and his deputy Ziad Al-Nakhala.
They discussed with Abbas reinforcing unity among PA parties, the arrests of Islamic Jihad terrorists and the “resistance movement” against Israel. The meeting was reported and translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Shalah and his deputy condemned statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel, and asserted that Egypt will not abandon a single inch of “Muslim lands.”
Al-Tayeb charged that the United States supports Israel’s plans to “plunder the lands and places sacred to Islam.”
Shalah said that Imam Al-Azhar is the “spearhead of the defense of the Islamic holy sites.”
Comment on this story
6. Israel’s Coast May Be Gold Mine of Oil, Says Government Expert
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Israel may have the last laugh to the old joke that “Moses took the wrong turn in the desert,” going to a land of sand instead of oil, which may be waiting to be found under the sea, says a government oil expert.
A geological map presented at Hebrew University last week shows that the Levant Basin, which includes the huge Leviathan gas field, may contain large quantities of oil in deep strata.
Dr. Yaakov Mimran, outgoing Petroleum Supervisor, said that if the drilling in the Leviathan field uncovers oil, there is a good chance more “black gold” is waiting to be discovered in similar strata, Globes reported.
Mimran’s map indicates that several other offshore exploration licensees are in structures that might contain oil.
Israel also may be sitting on huge shale oil deposits, and the Israeli Energy Initiatives company hopes to launch a pilot project by the end of this year that will lead towards production of 50,000 barrels a day, one-fifth of Israel’s consumption.
Oil shale deposits cover 15 percent of the country, according to estimates of the Infrastructures Ministry, which would place Israel as having one of the largest oil reserves in the world.
The World Energy Council estimates Israel's shale deposits might contain up to 250 billion barrels of oil, almost the same amount of proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Israel may have the last laugh to the old joke that “Moses took the wrong turn in the desert,” going to a land of sand instead of oil, which may be waiting to be found under the sea, says a government oil expert.
A geological map presented at Hebrew University last week shows that the Levant Basin, which includes the huge Leviathan gas field, may contain large quantities of oil in deep strata.
Dr. Yaakov Mimran, outgoing Petroleum Supervisor, said that if the drilling in the Leviathan field uncovers oil, there is a good chance more “black gold” is waiting to be discovered in similar strata, Globes reported.
Mimran’s map indicates that several other offshore exploration licensees are in structures that might contain oil.
Israel also may be sitting on huge shale oil deposits, and the Israeli Energy Initiatives company hopes to launch a pilot project by the end of this year that will lead towards production of 50,000 barrels a day, one-fifth of Israel’s consumption.
Oil shale deposits cover 15 percent of the country, according to estimates of the Infrastructures Ministry, which would place Israel as having one of the largest oil reserves in the world.
The World Energy Council estimates Israel's shale deposits might contain up to 250 billion barrels of oil, almost the same amount of proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia.
Comment on this story
7. Netanyahu Meets Pre-Military Students in Lod
by Elad Benari
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu toured the city of Lod on Tuesday. During the tour he met with students at the Maoz religious pre-military academy, as well as with graduates of the Ma’agalim program, who study at pre-military academies around the country. The visit was initiated by Education Minister Gideon Saar, who accompanied Netanyahu on the tour along with Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel and coalition chairman MK Zeev Elkin.
Email readers: click here and scroll down to view video.
The Prime Minister spoke with students and alumni, and heard from them about their involvement in the community in Lod and their activities in the Ma’agalim program, which is designed to prepare them for a significant service in the IDF.
During the meeting, Netanyahu turned to the students and said: “There is an equation which says that without an army there is no country, without an economy there is no army, and without education there is no economy. The place where education appears in the clearest way is in the preparatory academies.”
In response, the students excitedly told Netanyahu that when he addressed Congress, they prayed and studied so that he would succeed in standing against the challenges and pressures being applied on him by the nations of the world.
“I was very moved by the things you said here today,” Netanyahu told the students. “All of us serve. We serve the vision of the people of Israel being in the land of Israel for eternity, and I want to tell you that in the end, our power is in belief. This belief exists in abundance here, and I’m happy that you’re spreading its light around. It is important to settle in our hearts all over the country. Thank you very much! Good luck!”
After the visit, Education Minister Gideon Saar announced that he has undertaken the promotion of a project in which all the preparatory academies in Lod will be involved in community service in the city. He added that he will work to promote this program in the very near future.
Assaf Weiss, General Manager of Ma’agalim and a resident of Lod, said: “The Education Minister’s initiative to make education in Lod a top priority is great news for the city, and I have no doubt that thanks to his work, the education system here will continue to develop.”
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu toured the city of Lod on Tuesday. During the tour he met with students at the Maoz religious pre-military academy, as well as with graduates of the Ma’agalim program, who study at pre-military academies around the country. The visit was initiated by Education Minister Gideon Saar, who accompanied Netanyahu on the tour along with Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel and coalition chairman MK Zeev Elkin.
Email readers: click here and scroll down to view video.
The Prime Minister spoke with students and alumni, and heard from them about their involvement in the community in Lod and their activities in the Ma’agalim program, which is designed to prepare them for a significant service in the IDF.
During the meeting, Netanyahu turned to the students and said: “There is an equation which says that without an army there is no country, without an economy there is no army, and without education there is no economy. The place where education appears in the clearest way is in the preparatory academies.”
In response, the students excitedly told Netanyahu that when he addressed Congress, they prayed and studied so that he would succeed in standing against the challenges and pressures being applied on him by the nations of the world.
“I was very moved by the things you said here today,” Netanyahu told the students. “All of us serve. We serve the vision of the people of Israel being in the land of Israel for eternity, and I want to tell you that in the end, our power is in belief. This belief exists in abundance here, and I’m happy that you’re spreading its light around. It is important to settle in our hearts all over the country. Thank you very much! Good luck!”
After the visit, Education Minister Gideon Saar announced that he has undertaken the promotion of a project in which all the preparatory academies in Lod will be involved in community service in the city. He added that he will work to promote this program in the very near future.
Assaf Weiss, General Manager of Ma’agalim and a resident of Lod, said: “The Education Minister’s initiative to make education in Lod a top priority is great news for the city, and I have no doubt that thanks to his work, the education system here will continue to develop.”
Comment on this story
8. Report: Hamas Smuggling a Rocket a Day from ‘Friendly Egypt’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and the decline of Egyptian army control in the Sinai have allowed Hamas to smuggle a rocket a day into Gaza, according to the Israeli-based Debka website, maintained largely by former IDF and security officers.
Hamas’s stockpile now is 10,000 missiles, including weapons that can down aircraft and slice through tanks. The IDF has introduced a new Trophy protective system to ward off advanced rocket attacks.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee this week that the power vacuum is working to the advantage of Hamas, which is able smuggle weapons and terrorists into Gaza with more ease since the grassroots uprising that ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Foreign media have not reported the smuggling operations, largely because of the calm that Hamas has maintained since the massive bombardment in early April, when advanced missiles attacked seven Israeli towns and cities with 133 missiles.
Hamas backed off the attacks following the firing of a Russian-made anti-tank missile, smuggled from Iran, which hit a school bus, killing a teenager.
The terrorist organization ostensibly ceased fire because of threats that the IDF would stage a “mini Cast Lead” counter terrorist operation, but Debka claimed that the ceasefire was a result of an Egyptian-sponsored deal that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accepted before the Passover festival and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s subsequent visit to Washington last week.
Egypt reputedly promised that Hamas and the rival Fatah faction, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, would reach a unity pact which was signed shortly later. Debka reported that Egypt also said it would take over Israel’s responsibility to supply Gaza with fuel and other essentials. If it does so, it would contradict its statement last week that the re-opening of the Rafiah border would be only for the movement of people and not the transfer of goods and merchandise, which also could include weapons.
Egypt also reportedly told Israel it would resume intelligence operations inside Gaza, a move that could backfire on Israel if the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist groups continue to establish a power base in the Sinai, directly south of Gaza.
In addition, the report said that Egypt told Prime Minister Netanyahu that Hamas would halt all missile attacks and would resume negotiations for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. However, a report circulating from government sources Wednesday claimed that Hamas has no idea where the terrorists are holding the soldier.
The reported deal did not mention the continued smuggling of weapons on a daily basis.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and the decline of Egyptian army control in the Sinai have allowed Hamas to smuggle a rocket a day into Gaza, according to the Israeli-based Debka website, maintained largely by former IDF and security officers.
Hamas’s stockpile now is 10,000 missiles, including weapons that can down aircraft and slice through tanks. The IDF has introduced a new Trophy protective system to ward off advanced rocket attacks.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee this week that the power vacuum is working to the advantage of Hamas, which is able smuggle weapons and terrorists into Gaza with more ease since the grassroots uprising that ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Foreign media have not reported the smuggling operations, largely because of the calm that Hamas has maintained since the massive bombardment in early April, when advanced missiles attacked seven Israeli towns and cities with 133 missiles.
Hamas backed off the attacks following the firing of a Russian-made anti-tank missile, smuggled from Iran, which hit a school bus, killing a teenager.
The terrorist organization ostensibly ceased fire because of threats that the IDF would stage a “mini Cast Lead” counter terrorist operation, but Debka claimed that the ceasefire was a result of an Egyptian-sponsored deal that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accepted before the Passover festival and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s subsequent visit to Washington last week.
Egypt reputedly promised that Hamas and the rival Fatah faction, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, would reach a unity pact which was signed shortly later. Debka reported that Egypt also said it would take over Israel’s responsibility to supply Gaza with fuel and other essentials. If it does so, it would contradict its statement last week that the re-opening of the Rafiah border would be only for the movement of people and not the transfer of goods and merchandise, which also could include weapons.
Egypt also reportedly told Israel it would resume intelligence operations inside Gaza, a move that could backfire on Israel if the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist groups continue to establish a power base in the Sinai, directly south of Gaza.
In addition, the report said that Egypt told Prime Minister Netanyahu that Hamas would halt all missile attacks and would resume negotiations for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. However, a report circulating from government sources Wednesday claimed that Hamas has no idea where the terrorists are holding the soldier.
The reported deal did not mention the continued smuggling of weapons on a daily basis.
Comment on this story
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