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1. 2 Wounded, 21 Rockets and Mortars Fired at Southern Israel
by Chana Ya'ar & Elad Benari
Another sleepless night for the residents of southern Israel as Gaza terrorists launch at least 19 rocket and mortar attacks at communities across the region. Two Israelis were wounded in the night-long barrage, including a baby.
A few minutes after midnight, three medium-range Grad Katyusha missiles were fired at Be'er Sheva. The Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted two of the projectiles, destroying them upon impact. The third landed in an open area on the outskirts of the city. No physical injuries or damage was reported.
At around the same time, the Color Red rocket alert system also activated for Ofakim, sending the community's residents racing for cover.
Radio announcers made it clear they wished they could provide more support to listeners who they knew were being forced out of bed, or to awaken their children, and run for cover.
ג€œI want to express our solidarity and support for everyone who is sitting in the shelters and waiting for the 'all clear' tonight,ג€ said a radio announcer on IDF Army Radio. ג€œThere is not much we personally can do to help tonight, other than to do our jobs, and to do them well, to help keep everyone's spirits up, to play the music and to provide information as it becomes available. We're doing the best we can.ג€
An hour earlier in Ashkelon a 9-month-old baby was hurt by flying shards of glass when a Gaza missile scored a direct hit on a nearby private vehicle. The baby was taken to the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon and his mother told Army Radio on Thursday morning that is expected to be released later in the day.
A second person suffered shrapnel wounds when a rocket exploded in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council district around the same time. At least a dozen other rockets and mortar shells exploded in various open areas around Ofakim, Netivot, Ashkelon, Be'er Sheva, the Eshkol Regional Council district and elsewhere in the western Negev.
Shortly before 2:00 a.m., another Color Red siren was sounded in the communities of Meitar, Lehavim, and the Bedouin town of Rahat. Three rockets were fired at Be'er Sheva shortly afterwards, with one being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and the other two landing in open areas. No phyiscal injuries or damage were reported.
Two Kassam rockets were fired at the city of Sderot after 3:00 a.m. One rocket landed on a road, causing some damage. A second rocket exploded in an open area. There were no physical injuries. Before 5:30 a.m. the Red Alert siren was heard in the Ashkelon area but it was unknown whether any rockets exploded in the area.
All public and summer events in these areas were canceled at the last minute due to the precarious security situation. In the Gaza Belt region, residents were ordered into the shelters; earlier in the day, they were told to remain within a 15-second range of any safe space throughout the day.
IAF fighter pilots eliminated an Islamic Jihad operative Wednesday night as he attempted to launch a rocket attack against Israel. Sources said the operative was a key commander of a Grad Katyusha launching unit in the Gaza terrorist organization.
Israeli army units on the Egyptian border are on the highest alert in response to a concrete warning that the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is planning another cross-border attack. On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz announced that Israel can no longer consider the Egyptian frontier to be a ג€œborder of peaceג€ due to new threats.
Eight Israelis died and 40 others were injured last week in terrorist operations against Israel along the border with Egypt, on Route 12 just north of Eilat.
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by Chana Ya'ar & Elad Benari
Another sleepless night for the residents of southern Israel as Gaza terrorists launch at least 19 rocket and mortar attacks at communities across the region. Two Israelis were wounded in the night-long barrage, including a baby.
A few minutes after midnight, three medium-range Grad Katyusha missiles were fired at Be'er Sheva. The Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted two of the projectiles, destroying them upon impact. The third landed in an open area on the outskirts of the city. No physical injuries or damage was reported.
At around the same time, the Color Red rocket alert system also activated for Ofakim, sending the community's residents racing for cover.
Radio announcers made it clear they wished they could provide more support to listeners who they knew were being forced out of bed, or to awaken their children, and run for cover.
ג€œI want to express our solidarity and support for everyone who is sitting in the shelters and waiting for the 'all clear' tonight,ג€ said a radio announcer on IDF Army Radio. ג€œThere is not much we personally can do to help tonight, other than to do our jobs, and to do them well, to help keep everyone's spirits up, to play the music and to provide information as it becomes available. We're doing the best we can.ג€
An hour earlier in Ashkelon a 9-month-old baby was hurt by flying shards of glass when a Gaza missile scored a direct hit on a nearby private vehicle. The baby was taken to the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon and his mother told Army Radio on Thursday morning that is expected to be released later in the day.
A second person suffered shrapnel wounds when a rocket exploded in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council district around the same time. At least a dozen other rockets and mortar shells exploded in various open areas around Ofakim, Netivot, Ashkelon, Be'er Sheva, the Eshkol Regional Council district and elsewhere in the western Negev.
Shortly before 2:00 a.m., another Color Red siren was sounded in the communities of Meitar, Lehavim, and the Bedouin town of Rahat. Three rockets were fired at Be'er Sheva shortly afterwards, with one being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and the other two landing in open areas. No phyiscal injuries or damage were reported.
Two Kassam rockets were fired at the city of Sderot after 3:00 a.m. One rocket landed on a road, causing some damage. A second rocket exploded in an open area. There were no physical injuries. Before 5:30 a.m. the Red Alert siren was heard in the Ashkelon area but it was unknown whether any rockets exploded in the area.
All public and summer events in these areas were canceled at the last minute due to the precarious security situation. In the Gaza Belt region, residents were ordered into the shelters; earlier in the day, they were told to remain within a 15-second range of any safe space throughout the day.
IAF fighter pilots eliminated an Islamic Jihad operative Wednesday night as he attempted to launch a rocket attack against Israel. Sources said the operative was a key commander of a Grad Katyusha launching unit in the Gaza terrorist organization.
Israeli army units on the Egyptian border are on the highest alert in response to a concrete warning that the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is planning another cross-border attack. On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz announced that Israel can no longer consider the Egyptian frontier to be a ג€œborder of peaceג€ due to new threats.
Eight Israelis died and 40 others were injured last week in terrorist operations against Israel along the border with Egypt, on Route 12 just north of Eilat.
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2. Can a Rocket-Wounded Infant Compete with Jennifer Lopez?
by Chana Ya'ar
Israel's army has turned to social media to publicize the terrifying mortar and missile attacks on the south, in the face of a nearly complete news blackout in the United States.
ג€œGaza rocket hurts baby ג€“ Last night, a rocket launched from Gaza tore through an Israeli vehicle,ג€ the IDF wrote bluntly on its Facebook page.
ג€œSince last night, 17 rockets have hit southern Israel, wounding a nine-month-old baby.
ג€œClick 'Like' if you wish the injured baby a speedy recovery.ג€
Oddly, only 85 people had done so by Thursday noon ג€“ far fewer than those who had responded to the call by the Palestinian Authority for a Third Jihad only a few months earlier.
ג€œNot a f*** word about any of this in the news in Australia,ג€ fumed one respondent to the page. ג€œNot that I've seen/heard... makes me ashamed to be an Australian.ג€
Others simply wished the baby, and other victims, well. ג€œPrayers to all the injured victims of this senseless criminal activity!ג€ wrote Marti M. ג€œG-d be with Israel always and protect her and all that is within her walls and borders!!ג€
Although thousands of U.S. citizens live in the areas being targeted in the near-constant rocket and mortar attacks by Gaza terrorists over the past week, few know about it outside of Israel due to the American news blackout.
The ABC news network tracked a Victoria's Secret model's ג€œbeach bod,ג€ the question of ג€œHow Many Ways Can You Spell 'Gadhafi'?ג€ and events in Pakistan, Syria, Libya and Iran. But somehow the "rain" of rocket terror being visited upon nearly one million Israelis throughout the night Wednesday seemed to have escape notice. A sole news piece first mentioned Israel's air strikes on Gaza ג€œmilitantsג€ ג€“ and then noted the fired rockets, appearing to imply the attacks were launched in response to Israeli provocations.
Even the direct missile strike that destroyed a private vehicle near Ashkelon, sending the small infant and her traumatized parents to a hospital, didn't register a blip on the radar. ג€œJennifer Lopez's Wardrobe Malfunction,ג€ however, ran for at least 12 hours on the ABC news website. NBC news also focused on other events around the world ג€“ completely missing the terror in southern Israel. Only CBS News managed to noticed that a small baby had become the latest victim of Palestinian terrorism.
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by Chana Ya'ar
Israel's army has turned to social media to publicize the terrifying mortar and missile attacks on the south, in the face of a nearly complete news blackout in the United States.
ג€œGaza rocket hurts baby ג€“ Last night, a rocket launched from Gaza tore through an Israeli vehicle,ג€ the IDF wrote bluntly on its Facebook page.
ג€œSince last night, 17 rockets have hit southern Israel, wounding a nine-month-old baby.
ג€œClick 'Like' if you wish the injured baby a speedy recovery.ג€
Oddly, only 85 people had done so by Thursday noon ג€“ far fewer than those who had responded to the call by the Palestinian Authority for a Third Jihad only a few months earlier.
ג€œNot a f*** word about any of this in the news in Australia,ג€ fumed one respondent to the page. ג€œNot that I've seen/heard... makes me ashamed to be an Australian.ג€
Others simply wished the baby, and other victims, well. ג€œPrayers to all the injured victims of this senseless criminal activity!ג€ wrote Marti M. ג€œG-d be with Israel always and protect her and all that is within her walls and borders!!ג€
Although thousands of U.S. citizens live in the areas being targeted in the near-constant rocket and mortar attacks by Gaza terrorists over the past week, few know about it outside of Israel due to the American news blackout.
The ABC news network tracked a Victoria's Secret model's ג€œbeach bod,ג€ the question of ג€œHow Many Ways Can You Spell 'Gadhafi'?ג€ and events in Pakistan, Syria, Libya and Iran. But somehow the "rain" of rocket terror being visited upon nearly one million Israelis throughout the night Wednesday seemed to have escape notice. A sole news piece first mentioned Israel's air strikes on Gaza ג€œmilitantsג€ ג€“ and then noted the fired rockets, appearing to imply the attacks were launched in response to Israeli provocations.
Even the direct missile strike that destroyed a private vehicle near Ashkelon, sending the small infant and her traumatized parents to a hospital, didn't register a blip on the radar. ג€œJennifer Lopez's Wardrobe Malfunction,ג€ however, ran for at least 12 hours on the ABC news website. NBC news also focused on other events around the world ג€“ completely missing the terror in southern Israel. Only CBS News managed to noticed that a small baby had become the latest victim of Palestinian terrorism.
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3. Jordanian Hamas Terrorist Planned Kidnap, Embassy Attack
by Chana Ya'ar
A Jordanian member of Hamas has been charged with plotting terrorist attacks on Israeli targets.
Hamza Mahmoud Yusuf Usman, 28, allegedly joined the Hamas terrorist organization in 2009, according to court papers filed in the Petach Tikva District Court on Thursday. Usman was arrested in the Judea-Samaria region in July.
The indictment charges included membership in an illegal organization, contact with a foreign agent, participation in illegal military training, conspiracy and firearms offenses.
Prosecutors asked the judge to extend the terrorist's remand until the end of the legal proceedings against him.
Usman arrived in Gaza in 2010 for military training. After returning to Jordan he allegedly traveled to Syria and was ordered to obtain GPS equipment and other communications devices for Hamas.
This year he allegedly organized a military cell to planned to kidnap an Israeli citizen in Amman, to kidnap an Israeli diplomat, attack the Israeli embassy in Amman and to fire missiles at Israel from Jordan, according to the indictment.
He began monitoring activities and security arrangements at the Israeli Embassy in Amman. The court papers said Usman and his group also considered the purchase of rocket-propelled grenades for use in a future operation against the embassy.
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by Chana Ya'ar
A Jordanian member of Hamas has been charged with plotting terrorist attacks on Israeli targets.
Hamza Mahmoud Yusuf Usman, 28, allegedly joined the Hamas terrorist organization in 2009, according to court papers filed in the Petach Tikva District Court on Thursday. Usman was arrested in the Judea-Samaria region in July.
The indictment charges included membership in an illegal organization, contact with a foreign agent, participation in illegal military training, conspiracy and firearms offenses.
Prosecutors asked the judge to extend the terrorist's remand until the end of the legal proceedings against him.
Usman arrived in Gaza in 2010 for military training. After returning to Jordan he allegedly traveled to Syria and was ordered to obtain GPS equipment and other communications devices for Hamas.
This year he allegedly organized a military cell to planned to kidnap an Israeli citizen in Amman, to kidnap an Israeli diplomat, attack the Israeli embassy in Amman and to fire missiles at Israel from Jordan, according to the indictment.
He began monitoring activities and security arrangements at the Israeli Embassy in Amman. The court papers said Usman and his group also considered the purchase of rocket-propelled grenades for use in a future operation against the embassy.
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4. Jewish Coin Dealer Murdered in New York
by Elad Benari
A Jewish coin dealer died from Brooklyn died on Tuesday after a group of thieves attacked him near his shop and dumped his battered body a mile away, the New York Daily News reported.
Police sources said 61-year-old Steve Halfon had just closed his shop on Kings Highway in Gravesend and was walking to his car when three men ambushed him just before 5:30 p.m.
The sources said the men beat Halfon, stuffed him in a car and drove away. They dumped his body on East Seventh St. near Avenue N in Midwood and abandoned the car.
A passing motorist spotted Halfonג€™s body and called the police. Halfon was taken to New York Community Hospital but couldnג€™t be saved.
It was not clear if the murderers had robbed anything Halfon had in his possession, but his friends said Halfon had an impressive collection of gold and antique relics and always carried a load of cash.
No arrests have been made in the murder.
The Misaskim Organization said it is working closely with the NYC Medical Examinerג€™s Office to ensure that the utmost Kavod HaNiftar (respect to the dead) is given to Halfon.
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by Elad Benari
A Jewish coin dealer died from Brooklyn died on Tuesday after a group of thieves attacked him near his shop and dumped his battered body a mile away, the New York Daily News reported.
Police sources said 61-year-old Steve Halfon had just closed his shop on Kings Highway in Gravesend and was walking to his car when three men ambushed him just before 5:30 p.m.
The sources said the men beat Halfon, stuffed him in a car and drove away. They dumped his body on East Seventh St. near Avenue N in Midwood and abandoned the car.
A passing motorist spotted Halfonג€™s body and called the police. Halfon was taken to New York Community Hospital but couldnג€™t be saved.
It was not clear if the murderers had robbed anything Halfon had in his possession, but his friends said Halfon had an impressive collection of gold and antique relics and always carried a load of cash.
No arrests have been made in the murder.
The Misaskim Organization said it is working closely with the NYC Medical Examinerג€™s Office to ensure that the utmost Kavod HaNiftar (respect to the dead) is given to Halfon.
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5. Report: Despite Tent Protests, Barak Seeks NIS 2 Million Car
by David Lev
As thousands of Israelis take to the streets expressing frustration at their inability to ג€œfinish the month,ג€ marching in cities around the country over the difficulty of affording even a basic lifestyle, Defense Minister and Labor Party chief Ehud Barak has decided he needs to upgrade his government-supplied mode of transportation.
Instead of his current Audi A6 personal vehicle, Barak has decided that he needs an Audi A8 ג€“ at a cost of between NIS 1.5 million and NIS 2 million to the taxpayer.
A report in the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv this morning (Thursday Aug. 25) said that members of Barak's staff recently contacted the Treasury's Government Vehicle Authority, investigating the funding possibilities for the upgraded vehicle. The report said that Treasury officials turned down the initial request, but that talks were continuing. In a statement, the Treasury said that no official request for an upgrade had been made.
Barak's current vehicle, the Audi A6, is one of two vehicles usually provided to government ministers and High Court judges. The A8 is usually reserved for current and former Prime Ministers. The report said that Barak staff members approached the Treasury with the request based on the fact that Barak is a former Prime Minister, and legally is entitled to the upgraded vehicle.
The Audi A6 that Barak currently drives has an estimated value of NIS 400,000, including security improvements to the vehicle required for protection of government ministers.
In a statement, Barak's office said that ג€œthe Defense Minister did not ask to exchange his vehicle. The decision on which vehicles are given to which ministers is in the hands of the Defense Ministry's vehicle division, in coordination with the [Israel Security Agency] Shin Bet. The Defense Minister does not deal with these issues personally,ג€ the report said.
As Barak's staff made the inquiry, the committee headed by Manuel Trachtenberg began meeting this week, examining ways to cut the cost of living for Israelis. Trachtenberg has made it clear that he does not support price controls or other gross governmental intervention, and tax cuts are being considered as one way to reduce costs.
Several activists commenting on the story slammed Barak, calling the request "insensitive, if not hoggish, especially now when the government is going to have to figure out how to pay for the benefits the middle class is demanding. Barak is known for his love of fancy cars, but it's a bit unseemly to drive around in a NIS 2 million car when people are living in tents becasue they can't afford rent. Isn't Labor supposed to be a party with a socialist orientation?"
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by David Lev
As thousands of Israelis take to the streets expressing frustration at their inability to ג€œfinish the month,ג€ marching in cities around the country over the difficulty of affording even a basic lifestyle, Defense Minister and Labor Party chief Ehud Barak has decided he needs to upgrade his government-supplied mode of transportation.
Instead of his current Audi A6 personal vehicle, Barak has decided that he needs an Audi A8 ג€“ at a cost of between NIS 1.5 million and NIS 2 million to the taxpayer.
A report in the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv this morning (Thursday Aug. 25) said that members of Barak's staff recently contacted the Treasury's Government Vehicle Authority, investigating the funding possibilities for the upgraded vehicle. The report said that Treasury officials turned down the initial request, but that talks were continuing. In a statement, the Treasury said that no official request for an upgrade had been made.
Barak's current vehicle, the Audi A6, is one of two vehicles usually provided to government ministers and High Court judges. The A8 is usually reserved for current and former Prime Ministers. The report said that Barak staff members approached the Treasury with the request based on the fact that Barak is a former Prime Minister, and legally is entitled to the upgraded vehicle.
The Audi A6 that Barak currently drives has an estimated value of NIS 400,000, including security improvements to the vehicle required for protection of government ministers.
In a statement, Barak's office said that ג€œthe Defense Minister did not ask to exchange his vehicle. The decision on which vehicles are given to which ministers is in the hands of the Defense Ministry's vehicle division, in coordination with the [Israel Security Agency] Shin Bet. The Defense Minister does not deal with these issues personally,ג€ the report said.
As Barak's staff made the inquiry, the committee headed by Manuel Trachtenberg began meeting this week, examining ways to cut the cost of living for Israelis. Trachtenberg has made it clear that he does not support price controls or other gross governmental intervention, and tax cuts are being considered as one way to reduce costs.
Several activists commenting on the story slammed Barak, calling the request "insensitive, if not hoggish, especially now when the government is going to have to figure out how to pay for the benefits the middle class is demanding. Barak is known for his love of fancy cars, but it's a bit unseemly to drive around in a NIS 2 million car when people are living in tents becasue they can't afford rent. Isn't Labor supposed to be a party with a socialist orientation?"
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6. Report: Qatar is No Friend of Israel
by David Lev
It doesn't appear that relations between Israel and Qatar will be re-established anytime soon: A report Thursday morning said that Israel has been actively taking steps to reduce the influence of Qatar on Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, after the Foreign Ministry determined that the Gulf kingdom should be considered hostile to Israel.
Israel and Qatar established trade relations in 1996 and in 2008 Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani in Switzerland, at the Davos Economic Forum. Several Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres and Kadima head Tsipi Livni, have visited Qatar.
But in recent months, the Foreign Ministry report said, Qatar has stepped up its activity on behalf of Hamas and other Gaza terror groups. Qatar has been one of the chief backers of the PA's bid to declare an Arab state in PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, and has been a major funder of anti-Israel groups abroad. Qatar also promised to fund all legal action Turkey might take against Israel in international courts over the deaths of Hamas-affiliated Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara last year. Qatari officials made the pledge at a recent international legal conference held in the Qatari capital of Doha on the flotilla issue.
As a result, Israel decided in 2010 not to accept Qatari offers to reopen the Israeli trade office in Doha, which was closed as a result of Operation Cast Lead. Qatar has sought to send building materials to Gaza for various projects it is funding, but Israeli authorities have refused to allow the transfers. That policy is to continue, the report said, and in addition, Israel in recent months has acted to prevent Qatari officials from entering PA-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria. For example, Israel several months ago refused to allow a visit to Ramallah by the president of Qtel, the Qatari cellphone company. Israel also denied a request by Doha to remove its Qatar Foundation from a list of organizations that are prevented from operating in Judea and Samaria, because of its support for Hamas.
Qatar is also the home of Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera, which the Foreign Ministry considers extremely anti-Israel. As a result, the Ministry has worked in recent months to prevent reporters from the network from operating in Israel, and has stopped giving them visas. Currently, the only way for an Al-Jazeera reporter to enter Israel is using a passport from a country that has full diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, but the Ministry is seeking ways to keep these individuals out of Israel as well.
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by David Lev
It doesn't appear that relations between Israel and Qatar will be re-established anytime soon: A report Thursday morning said that Israel has been actively taking steps to reduce the influence of Qatar on Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, after the Foreign Ministry determined that the Gulf kingdom should be considered hostile to Israel.
Israel and Qatar established trade relations in 1996 and in 2008 Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani in Switzerland, at the Davos Economic Forum. Several Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres and Kadima head Tsipi Livni, have visited Qatar.
But in recent months, the Foreign Ministry report said, Qatar has stepped up its activity on behalf of Hamas and other Gaza terror groups. Qatar has been one of the chief backers of the PA's bid to declare an Arab state in PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, and has been a major funder of anti-Israel groups abroad. Qatar also promised to fund all legal action Turkey might take against Israel in international courts over the deaths of Hamas-affiliated Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara last year. Qatari officials made the pledge at a recent international legal conference held in the Qatari capital of Doha on the flotilla issue.
As a result, Israel decided in 2010 not to accept Qatari offers to reopen the Israeli trade office in Doha, which was closed as a result of Operation Cast Lead. Qatar has sought to send building materials to Gaza for various projects it is funding, but Israeli authorities have refused to allow the transfers. That policy is to continue, the report said, and in addition, Israel in recent months has acted to prevent Qatari officials from entering PA-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria. For example, Israel several months ago refused to allow a visit to Ramallah by the president of Qtel, the Qatari cellphone company. Israel also denied a request by Doha to remove its Qatar Foundation from a list of organizations that are prevented from operating in Judea and Samaria, because of its support for Hamas.
Qatar is also the home of Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera, which the Foreign Ministry considers extremely anti-Israel. As a result, the Ministry has worked in recent months to prevent reporters from the network from operating in Israel, and has stopped giving them visas. Currently, the only way for an Al-Jazeera reporter to enter Israel is using a passport from a country that has full diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, but the Ministry is seeking ways to keep these individuals out of Israel as well.
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7. Egyptians Planning 'Million Man' Anti-Israel March
by Gavriel Queenann
Egyptian daily al-Youm al-Saba'a reported Wednesday that Egyptian protest organizers are calling for "a million-man protest" outside Israel's embassy in Cairo on Friday.
The protesters, using Facebook and other social media venues, say the focus of the demonstration will be the demand to have the Israeli ambassador expelled from Egypt and Israel's embassy in the capital closed. Recalling an ambassador is considered a step towards the cessation of peaceful relations between countries in diplomatic circles.
Meanwhile, protesters continue to demonstrate outside the embassy for the fifth day in a row, calling out, "Expell the ambassador immediately." Others gathered outside the ambassador's Cairo residence and called fellow citizens to join them in order to "force the ambassador to leave Egypt."
Anti-Israel protests erupted in Cairo last weekend following reports that at least three Egyptian security officers were inadvertantly killed during a firefight between IDF forces and the terrorists who perpetrated the deadly terror attack near Eilat that left eight Israeli civilians dead last Thursday.
The protesters burnt Israeli flags and threw fire crackers at the embassy building in hopes of igniting the Israeli flag at the embassy. An Egyptian youth later climbed the building and took the Israeli flag down.
The border-fire incident has stirred a diplomatic crisis between Jerusalem and Cairo. Egypt's cabinet said Sunday an Israeli statement expressing regret for the border deaths was not enough, but it stopped short of recalling its Tel Aviv envoy. Israel has determined at least three of the terrorists involved in last Thursday's attacks originated in the Sinai, contrary to previous Egyptian claims Sinai terrorists were not involved in the incident.
The protesters are demanding that the peace treaty with Israel be altered, especially with regards to military presence in Sinai, or completely abolished. The re-militarization of Sinai by Egypt would be a death knell for the 1979 Camp David Accords, which could potentially result in open armed conflict between the two nations.
Egypt's caretaker junta on Wednesday said it planned to develop the Sinai near the Israeli border, while IDFchief of staff Benny Gantz has said he plans to bolster Israel's military strength along the boundary due to last week's attacks.
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by Gavriel Queenann
Egyptian daily al-Youm al-Saba'a reported Wednesday that Egyptian protest organizers are calling for "a million-man protest" outside Israel's embassy in Cairo on Friday.
The protesters, using Facebook and other social media venues, say the focus of the demonstration will be the demand to have the Israeli ambassador expelled from Egypt and Israel's embassy in the capital closed. Recalling an ambassador is considered a step towards the cessation of peaceful relations between countries in diplomatic circles.
Meanwhile, protesters continue to demonstrate outside the embassy for the fifth day in a row, calling out, "Expell the ambassador immediately." Others gathered outside the ambassador's Cairo residence and called fellow citizens to join them in order to "force the ambassador to leave Egypt."
Anti-Israel protests erupted in Cairo last weekend following reports that at least three Egyptian security officers were inadvertantly killed during a firefight between IDF forces and the terrorists who perpetrated the deadly terror attack near Eilat that left eight Israeli civilians dead last Thursday.
The protesters burnt Israeli flags and threw fire crackers at the embassy building in hopes of igniting the Israeli flag at the embassy. An Egyptian youth later climbed the building and took the Israeli flag down.
The border-fire incident has stirred a diplomatic crisis between Jerusalem and Cairo. Egypt's cabinet said Sunday an Israeli statement expressing regret for the border deaths was not enough, but it stopped short of recalling its Tel Aviv envoy. Israel has determined at least three of the terrorists involved in last Thursday's attacks originated in the Sinai, contrary to previous Egyptian claims Sinai terrorists were not involved in the incident.
The protesters are demanding that the peace treaty with Israel be altered, especially with regards to military presence in Sinai, or completely abolished. The re-militarization of Sinai by Egypt would be a death knell for the 1979 Camp David Accords, which could potentially result in open armed conflict between the two nations.
Egypt's caretaker junta on Wednesday said it planned to develop the Sinai near the Israeli border, while IDFchief of staff Benny Gantz has said he plans to bolster Israel's military strength along the boundary due to last week's attacks.
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8. 'Plenty of Jobs', Says Top Israeli Industrialist
by David Lev
If you're looking for a job, Shraga Brosh, chairman of the Israel Industrialists Association, has good news for you. Despite fears of another global recession, the Israeli employment picture remains bright, says Brosh. There are plenty of jobs available, and anyone who is still looking for one is just not looking hard enough. Calling Israelis ג€œa little too spoiled,ג€ Brosh said in an interview that a full 82% of companies belonging to the Industrialists Association said they were having a hard time finding workers. The Association is the largest business lobby group in Israel.
With that, Brosh said, he understood how the technology gap was contributing to the problems of both individuals and companies in finding jobs and workers, respectively. Today, even blue collar jobs required a high level of technological knowledge, since so many systems were run with sophisticated computers. Many of those searching for jobs are older workers without the necessary technical skills, and many of the workshops and courses that are supposed to be preparing them for jobs are not accomplishing their goal efficiently. With that, the rewards for those who do manage to pick up the necessary skills are substantial. ג€œMany of the jobs that are going begging for workers pay between NIS 15,000 and NIS 18,000 a month, and the average worker in Israeli industry makes NIS 11,000. These are salaries that could certainly sustain a family,ג€ Brosh said.
The current unemployment rate in Israel is 5.6%, near a historic low. While some fear that the possibility of a worldwide recession could impact Israel negatively, Brosh says that Israel has been facing a shortage of skilled workers since at least 2007, when 83% of companies reported trouble finding skilled workers. Even in 2009, at the height of the recession, that figure stood at 60%, said Brosh. The figures show that the greatest demand is in the electrical and metalworking industries, where 91% and 89% of companies respectively report having difficulty in finding workers.
Zvika Oren, chairman of the Workers' Committee in the Industrialists Association, said that ג€œdespite the high salaries, there are many reasons why blue-collar jobs like these go begging, mostly due to the poor image of these industries, which many people don't realize have changed significantly. And image is a problem that can be dealt with; ten years ago, people were ashamed to say that they cooked food for a living, and today everyone wants to be a chef. With all the talk about high-tech and low-tech, we have forgotten that the basis of industry is actual labor, with smart 'hand-work' as important as 'brain-work,'ג€ Oren added.
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by David Lev
If you're looking for a job, Shraga Brosh, chairman of the Israel Industrialists Association, has good news for you. Despite fears of another global recession, the Israeli employment picture remains bright, says Brosh. There are plenty of jobs available, and anyone who is still looking for one is just not looking hard enough. Calling Israelis ג€œa little too spoiled,ג€ Brosh said in an interview that a full 82% of companies belonging to the Industrialists Association said they were having a hard time finding workers. The Association is the largest business lobby group in Israel.
With that, Brosh said, he understood how the technology gap was contributing to the problems of both individuals and companies in finding jobs and workers, respectively. Today, even blue collar jobs required a high level of technological knowledge, since so many systems were run with sophisticated computers. Many of those searching for jobs are older workers without the necessary technical skills, and many of the workshops and courses that are supposed to be preparing them for jobs are not accomplishing their goal efficiently. With that, the rewards for those who do manage to pick up the necessary skills are substantial. ג€œMany of the jobs that are going begging for workers pay between NIS 15,000 and NIS 18,000 a month, and the average worker in Israeli industry makes NIS 11,000. These are salaries that could certainly sustain a family,ג€ Brosh said.
The current unemployment rate in Israel is 5.6%, near a historic low. While some fear that the possibility of a worldwide recession could impact Israel negatively, Brosh says that Israel has been facing a shortage of skilled workers since at least 2007, when 83% of companies reported trouble finding skilled workers. Even in 2009, at the height of the recession, that figure stood at 60%, said Brosh. The figures show that the greatest demand is in the electrical and metalworking industries, where 91% and 89% of companies respectively report having difficulty in finding workers.
Zvika Oren, chairman of the Workers' Committee in the Industrialists Association, said that ג€œdespite the high salaries, there are many reasons why blue-collar jobs like these go begging, mostly due to the poor image of these industries, which many people don't realize have changed significantly. And image is a problem that can be dealt with; ten years ago, people were ashamed to say that they cooked food for a living, and today everyone wants to be a chef. With all the talk about high-tech and low-tech, we have forgotten that the basis of industry is actual labor, with smart 'hand-work' as important as 'brain-work,'ג€ Oren added.
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