JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Israel advances plans for 770 settlement homes-[AFP]-July 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli authorities have advanced plans for 770 new settlement homes in annexed east Jerusalem, officials and rights groups said Monday, drawing condemnation from Palestinian leaders and the United Nations.The homes would expand the Gilo settlement on the southern perimeter of east Jerusalem. They are part of a larger plan for around 1,200 units approved some three years ago, said Ir Amim, an NGO that monitors Israeli settlement activity.The land where they are to be built requires technical approval known as "reparcelisation" by Jerusalem's local planning and building committee in order for the process to advance, according to Ir Amim.The committee has now deposited the plans for public objections ahead of possible approval."The plans in question are not new, and were approved three years ago," a statement from Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's office said."Recent deliberations in the municipal planning committee concerned technical details of plot distribution within the previously approved project."The move to further advance the plans drew condemnation both from UN and Palestinian officials.Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank are viewed as illegal under international law.They are also considered major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state.A recent report by the diplomatic Quartet -- the United States, European Union, Russia and the UN -- said settlement expansion was eroding the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict."I strongly condemn the recent decision by Israeli authorities to advance plans to build some 770 housing units in the settlement of Gilo, built on the lands of occupied Palestinian towns and villages between Bethlehem and east Jerusalem," Nickolay Mladenov, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said in a statement.Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the decision "further reflects the failure of the international community to stop Israel's settlement expansion".Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as their future capital.The status of Jerusalem has been among the most contentious issues in peace negotiations, which have been at a standstill since April 2014.
Netanyahu says he’ll quit soon… as foreign minister-Questioned by Knesset panel, PM defends Israel’s PR performance and its battle against boycotts, says country making new allies worldwide, but acknowledges need for full-time top diplomat-By Raphael Ahren July 25, 2016, 6:24 pm-the times of israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he intended to give up some of the four additional ministerial posts he currently holds, including that of foreign minister. But he didn’t say when.At a stormy session of the Knesset’s State Control Committee, Netanyahu faced two hours of critical questions by opposition lawmakers on his foreign policy, including over the fact that he has held the Foreign Ministry portfolio since the 2015 elections. He also fills the roles of economy minister, communications minister and regional affairs minister.He told Knesset members at the meeting that he intended to give up “a few portfolios soon.” He added that, “I don’t want to hold on to the Foreign Ministry forever,” but did not say when he would appoint someone to that post or any of the others he holds. (The prime minister has kept the multiple portfolios under his control to make them available to possible coalition partners, but has also been criticized for the influence he has consequently been able to exert in the multiple fields.)“I didn’t say there is no need for a full-time foreign minister,” he said at the end of the two-hour session. “I am the full-time foreign minister.”Netanyahu rebuffed the often-made criticism that the Foreign Ministry has been stripped of many of its original responsibilities, effectively crippling Israel’s ability to respond in a coordinated manner to international criticism of Israel. “The assertion that everything has to be concentrated in the Foreign Ministry — I don’t necessarily accept.”Regarding past tensions between the foreign minister and the prime minister, especially during the last war in Gaza, he quipped: “Since I am foreign minister, there is great coordination.” (Avigdor Liberman, now minister of defense, held the Foreign Ministry helm at the time.) The prime minister, who was invited to the committee to discuss a recent State Comptroller’s report critical of the coordination between various government bodies responsible for Israel’s image in the world – known as hasbara (literally, propaganda) — defended his policies, arguing that the facts speak for themselves.The annual report, released in May, criticized a range of “failings” in the Foreign Ministry, underlining an inability to present any significant achievements in the battle against the BDS — Boycoot, Divestment and Sanctions — movement that targets Israel over its alleged mistreatment of the Palestinians.State Control Committee head Karin Elharar (Yesh Atid) focused on the comptroller’s allegation of poor coordination between the various government offices in charge of hasbara. Netanyahu acknowledged that there was room for improvement, but disagreed with the report’s conclusions. “There is excellent coordination between all relevant government bodies,” he said.“Hasbara is not a goal in itself, unless you are a virtual politician living in a virtual world,” he said. “How do you measure whether our foreign policy is working? How do you we measure success and failure? You do it by looking at trade volume, the number of visits, and public opinion.”Netanyahu called the BDS movement an “anti-Semitic movement par excellence,” and argued that in recent months Israel successfully rebuffed several boycott efforts. He cited the failed bid to oust Israel from soccer’s governing body FIFA and a number of American states passing anti-BDS legislation. “It’s come so far that they are demonstrating now for the ‘right to boycott,'” he said.As prime minister, he has visited countless countries and welcomed leaders from nations that used to have a chilly relationship with Israel, Netanyahu said.“Some things have changed for the better. Israel is increasingly seen as an ally. Sometimes it takes time for these processes to mature, but it’s happening,” he said.Netanyahu then held up a map of the world indicating which countries have recently improved ties with Israel. “There’s an enormous change,” he said, citing recent overtures and warming of ties with African countries, Russia, Argentina, Colombia, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, India and other countries.As foreign minister, Netanyahu has held an average of four meetings with foreign leaders per week, he said. “People talk about international isolation. What isolation? Good God,” he exclaimed.“My intention is — and I know it doesn’t happen overnight — to change the automatic majority (in forums such as the UN) against Israel with the help of African and Latin American countries.”Netanyahu said he has looked for innovative ways to tell Israel’s side of the story. He cited a video in which he addressed the LGBT community after a deadly shooting in Florida nightclub, which he said has been viewed by 24 million people.Netanyahu also rebuffed criticism of his policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians. “Our policy is simple: the future belongs to the strong. The weak won’t survive.”He later added: “If there is one thing that influences the countries of the world, it’s the question of strength, and Israel is increasingly viewed as country that is strong in several areas,” such as counter-terrorism and cyber-technology.He reiterated his readiness to accept a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state, though he said he was not sure whether the Palestinians were a partner for peace at the current time.Netanyahu also said that he hoped to conclude negotiations over long-term US military aid before the Obama administration ends its term, and said his acting national security adviser, Yaakov Nagel, would travel to Washington next week to try close the deal.
Israel sending official to US to seal defense aid deal-Acting national security adviser to head to Washington next week; Jerusalem won’t take funding bump for 2017-By Times of Israel staff July 25, 2016, 5:47 pm
Israel will send a representative to Washington next week to finalize a defense aid deal for the next decade but will not seek an increase for 2017, an Israeli official said on Monday.Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Nagel, acting head of the National Security Council, will head to Washington next Sunday for meetings with his US counterparts “for the purpose of signing a new MOU [memorandum of understanding] between the two countries as soon as possible,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.An Israeli official stressed that Jerusalem was not seeking additional military funding for 2017 — which falls under the last ten-year package — as had been suggested by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina).“Israel is sending the message that it is committed to the agreements that have already been signed,” the official said. “2017 is part of the current MOU.”In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office added that Israel “places great value on the predictability and reliability of the military assistance it receives from the United States and on honoring bilateral agreements.“Therefore, it is not in Israel’s interest for there to be any changes to the fixed annual MOU levels without the agreement of both the US administration and the Israeli government,” it added.The defense aid for 2017 currently stands at $3.1 billion.Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he hoped to conclude negotiations over US military aid under the current administration, whose term ends in January 2017. He did not give any details about the state of discussions.According to reports, the United States has offered to increase its military aid to Israel, under a decade-long deal set to take effect in two years’ time, on the condition that Jerusalem spends more of the funds on American goods and services, rather than on domestic ones as it is authorized to do now.Negotiations between Israel and the US over a memorandum of understanding for an aid package to replace one that expires in 2018 have been ongoing for months, amid tensions over the Iranian nuclear deal reached last year which Israel vociferously opposed. Israel has charged that the accord signed between Tehran and six world powers, including the US, poses an existential threat to Israel and challenges its qualitative military edge in the region.The US offer currently on the table, outlined to members of Congress earlier this month in a letter by US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, includes a pledge to substantially increase the aid package, worth some $30 billion, and ink a new one that would constitute “the largest pledge of military assistance to any country in US history.” The letter was sent in response to a missive signed in April by 83 out of 100 senators calling on President Barack Obama to increase foreign aid to Israel and sign the new deal.According to a report in The New York Times, the next 10-year deal could top $40 billion, and would include a 10-year pledge to fund Israel’s missile defense systems, an arrangement currently funded separately in yearly installments. It has been subject to much controversy recently as the White House and Congress have disagreed over the size of the annual increase for the missile defense program.The sides have refused to officially provide details of the unfolding deal, but reports have indicated that Israel was seeking a price tag the US was hesitant to approve. A senior Israeli official said last month that Netanyahu was determined to conclude talks but “not at any price.”According to The New York Times, an emerging sticking point in negotiations has been how much US money Israel would be allowed to spend domestically and how much on American goods and services.Under the existing agreement, Israel is permitted to spend about 25 percent of the aid it receives outside the US and another 13% on fuel for its aircraft — allowances no other recipient of US aid is granted.According to the report, that arrangement originated in the 1980s to build up Israel’s defense industry, which has thrived, helping Israel to become among the top 10 arms exporters in the world — and in some fields a competitor with US firms.Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
Democratic convention could feature discord on Israel-In Philadelphia, Democrats to struggle with party email scandal, differences on Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need to project party unity-By Eric Cortellessa July 25, 2016, 2:55 pm-the times of israel
PHILADELPHIA — The Democratic National Convention, which begins in earnest Monday, has already gotten off to a rocky start.Days after the Republicans finished their tumultuous confab in Cleveland, the Democrats were hoping to show themselves far more united. But after the party’s national chair resigned Sunday over leaked emails that revealed a preference for Hillary Clinton over primary rival Bernie Sanders, that objective may now be harder to achieve.Major party conventions are largely massive exercises in managing optics and crafting an appealing narrative for voters. Last week, Donald Trump was tasked with presenting himself as a plausible commander in chief and leader who could bring together an intensely fractured GOP. A series of incidents that dominated the media coverage, however, diminished the real estate tycoon’s ability to deliver.This week, Clinton needs to address concerns over voter perception that she’s not trustworthy, and it doesn’t help that hours before the opening gavel was to hit the strike plate, an email scandal emerged that shows the national party favored her in a contentious primary race with Sanders — despite repeated assurances of neutrality.DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from south Florida, became the target of severe criticism after the website WikiLeaks released thousands of hacked DNC emails that disclosed internal deliberations over how to tilt the primary election in the former secretary of state’s favor. The Clinton campaign responded Sunday by saying the leak was orchestrated by the Russian government to assist in the election of Trump.Regardless of how the leaks and the ensuing fallout came about, such a news cycle prevents Clinton from focusing exclusively on projecting a vision of optimism and inclusion that would run counter to that of her rival last week. Rather, she has to repair the wounds from this episode and still unite a party whose left and center have grown further apart since Sanders’s improbable rise during the primary.In this vein, there will also be gaps between many of the party’s delegates at this year’s convention, including on the Israel issue, as Sanders attracted a base of support highly critical of longstanding Washington policies toward Israel and the Middle East, and more demanding of greater recognition of Palestinian positions.This dissension played out when the drafting committee argued over language relating to Israelis and Palestinians in the party platform. Sanders appointee James Zogby, head of the Arab American Institute, pushed for a provision that would demand “an end to occupation and illegal settlements.”Such language ultimately failed, and the platform instead calls for “a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity.” It also says the future of Jerusalem should be left to final-status negotiations, supports Israel’s right to defend itself and condemns the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.The liberal Washington-based group J Street approved of the final version. Its president and founder, Jeremy Ben Ami, has called it more “balanced” and said the decision to include language that “recognizes the legitimate rights and national aspirations of the Palestinian people alongside its recognition of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security marks an important step forward for the party.”But even with the platform’s language settled, there is still much more to pay close attention to as the convention gets underway.-DNC controversy-The DNC email scandal is multilayered. Beyond the fact that a series of exchanges raised ideas of ways to weaken Sanders’s candidacy, there is also the nature of the proposals that were discussed. DNC finance chief Brad Marshall pitched Schultz on portraying Sanders as an atheist who rejected his Judaism in states where candidates’ religiosity holds sway with voters, like in Kentucky and West Virginia.“Does he believe in a God,” Marshall asked. “He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.”Wasserman Schultz, one of the most prominent Jewish members of Congress, has a record of championing Jewish causes in the House, including the passage of an aid package to Holocaust survivors and the establishment of Jewish American Heritage Month.The Sanders campaign has for months accused her of favoring Clinton, and this latest revelation provides vindication. After Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation — at the urging of Clinton campaign officials — Sanders issued a statement saying she “made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party.”In her resignation, Wasserman Schultz said she was committed to helping Clinton win the White House, and felt stepping down was a necessary step toward accomplishing that goal. “I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future,” she said. “I look forward to serving as a surrogate for her campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory.”According to campaign officials, she will still keep her leadership role at the convention and deliver her scheduled address. For the rest of the election, she will continue to assist the presumptive Democratic nominee, along with other down-ballot races throughout the country. Longtime Democratic strategist Donna Brazile will take the helm as interim chair.While the Clinton camp was quick to respond to the crisis — much quicker than Trump’s was to Melania’s plagiarism scandal — it intensifies friction between factions of the party that they aim to coalesce this week. One of the Democrats’ early tests will be how they respond to the fissure.-Israel-While Sanders recently endorsed Clinton and indicated he’ll work with her campaign to ensure “Donald Trump does not become president,” differences between him and the presumptive nominee on Israel remain — and these differences are perhaps more fierce among their backers.One of his appointments to the platform drafting committee was philosopher Cornel West, who considers President Barack Obama a war criminal and is a full-out proponent of the BDS movement. Some within Sanders’s base of support identify with his brand of thinking about the conflict, and it’s not yet clear how much it will influence their willingness to embrace Clinton.Clinton is trying to thread a fine needle in bringing Sanders supporters into her coalition while also convincing pro-Israel Democrats turned off by Obama’s approach to the region that she will be closer to Israel and less confrontational. Obama himself is slated to speak at the convention, though it is highly unlikely he will mention the Jewish state. Clinton, too, is likely to avoid the issue and not risk alienating any constituency.Clinton, who served as Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, has vast experience navigating the US-Israel alliance, which includes having negotiated a 2012 ceasefire during a violent flareup between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and working to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank to jump-start peace talks.She also laid the groundwork during that time for brokering a nuclear agreement with Iran, and has just selected as her running mate Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was a strong champion of the accord, calling it “a dramatic improvement over the status quo.”While much of the more liberal wing of the party has expressed disappointment over Clinton’s choosing a moderate VP pick, the former DNC chair has a left-leaning record on Israel and has long been a darling of J Street for his support of a two-state solution.Official convention proceedings begin Monday at 1 p.m. EST, and the first evening session, which will feature speeches from Sen. Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Michelle Obama, begins at 8 p.m. EST.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Israel advances plans for 770 settlement homes-[AFP]-July 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli authorities have advanced plans for 770 new settlement homes in annexed east Jerusalem, officials and rights groups said Monday, drawing condemnation from Palestinian leaders and the United Nations.The homes would expand the Gilo settlement on the southern perimeter of east Jerusalem. They are part of a larger plan for around 1,200 units approved some three years ago, said Ir Amim, an NGO that monitors Israeli settlement activity.The land where they are to be built requires technical approval known as "reparcelisation" by Jerusalem's local planning and building committee in order for the process to advance, according to Ir Amim.The committee has now deposited the plans for public objections ahead of possible approval."The plans in question are not new, and were approved three years ago," a statement from Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's office said."Recent deliberations in the municipal planning committee concerned technical details of plot distribution within the previously approved project."The move to further advance the plans drew condemnation both from UN and Palestinian officials.Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank are viewed as illegal under international law.They are also considered major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state.A recent report by the diplomatic Quartet -- the United States, European Union, Russia and the UN -- said settlement expansion was eroding the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict."I strongly condemn the recent decision by Israeli authorities to advance plans to build some 770 housing units in the settlement of Gilo, built on the lands of occupied Palestinian towns and villages between Bethlehem and east Jerusalem," Nickolay Mladenov, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said in a statement.Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the decision "further reflects the failure of the international community to stop Israel's settlement expansion".Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as their future capital.The status of Jerusalem has been among the most contentious issues in peace negotiations, which have been at a standstill since April 2014.
Netanyahu says he’ll quit soon… as foreign minister-Questioned by Knesset panel, PM defends Israel’s PR performance and its battle against boycotts, says country making new allies worldwide, but acknowledges need for full-time top diplomat-By Raphael Ahren July 25, 2016, 6:24 pm-the times of israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he intended to give up some of the four additional ministerial posts he currently holds, including that of foreign minister. But he didn’t say when.At a stormy session of the Knesset’s State Control Committee, Netanyahu faced two hours of critical questions by opposition lawmakers on his foreign policy, including over the fact that he has held the Foreign Ministry portfolio since the 2015 elections. He also fills the roles of economy minister, communications minister and regional affairs minister.He told Knesset members at the meeting that he intended to give up “a few portfolios soon.” He added that, “I don’t want to hold on to the Foreign Ministry forever,” but did not say when he would appoint someone to that post or any of the others he holds. (The prime minister has kept the multiple portfolios under his control to make them available to possible coalition partners, but has also been criticized for the influence he has consequently been able to exert in the multiple fields.)“I didn’t say there is no need for a full-time foreign minister,” he said at the end of the two-hour session. “I am the full-time foreign minister.”Netanyahu rebuffed the often-made criticism that the Foreign Ministry has been stripped of many of its original responsibilities, effectively crippling Israel’s ability to respond in a coordinated manner to international criticism of Israel. “The assertion that everything has to be concentrated in the Foreign Ministry — I don’t necessarily accept.”Regarding past tensions between the foreign minister and the prime minister, especially during the last war in Gaza, he quipped: “Since I am foreign minister, there is great coordination.” (Avigdor Liberman, now minister of defense, held the Foreign Ministry helm at the time.) The prime minister, who was invited to the committee to discuss a recent State Comptroller’s report critical of the coordination between various government bodies responsible for Israel’s image in the world – known as hasbara (literally, propaganda) — defended his policies, arguing that the facts speak for themselves.The annual report, released in May, criticized a range of “failings” in the Foreign Ministry, underlining an inability to present any significant achievements in the battle against the BDS — Boycoot, Divestment and Sanctions — movement that targets Israel over its alleged mistreatment of the Palestinians.State Control Committee head Karin Elharar (Yesh Atid) focused on the comptroller’s allegation of poor coordination between the various government offices in charge of hasbara. Netanyahu acknowledged that there was room for improvement, but disagreed with the report’s conclusions. “There is excellent coordination between all relevant government bodies,” he said.“Hasbara is not a goal in itself, unless you are a virtual politician living in a virtual world,” he said. “How do you measure whether our foreign policy is working? How do you we measure success and failure? You do it by looking at trade volume, the number of visits, and public opinion.”Netanyahu called the BDS movement an “anti-Semitic movement par excellence,” and argued that in recent months Israel successfully rebuffed several boycott efforts. He cited the failed bid to oust Israel from soccer’s governing body FIFA and a number of American states passing anti-BDS legislation. “It’s come so far that they are demonstrating now for the ‘right to boycott,'” he said.As prime minister, he has visited countless countries and welcomed leaders from nations that used to have a chilly relationship with Israel, Netanyahu said.“Some things have changed for the better. Israel is increasingly seen as an ally. Sometimes it takes time for these processes to mature, but it’s happening,” he said.Netanyahu then held up a map of the world indicating which countries have recently improved ties with Israel. “There’s an enormous change,” he said, citing recent overtures and warming of ties with African countries, Russia, Argentina, Colombia, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, India and other countries.As foreign minister, Netanyahu has held an average of four meetings with foreign leaders per week, he said. “People talk about international isolation. What isolation? Good God,” he exclaimed.“My intention is — and I know it doesn’t happen overnight — to change the automatic majority (in forums such as the UN) against Israel with the help of African and Latin American countries.”Netanyahu said he has looked for innovative ways to tell Israel’s side of the story. He cited a video in which he addressed the LGBT community after a deadly shooting in Florida nightclub, which he said has been viewed by 24 million people.Netanyahu also rebuffed criticism of his policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians. “Our policy is simple: the future belongs to the strong. The weak won’t survive.”He later added: “If there is one thing that influences the countries of the world, it’s the question of strength, and Israel is increasingly viewed as country that is strong in several areas,” such as counter-terrorism and cyber-technology.He reiterated his readiness to accept a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state, though he said he was not sure whether the Palestinians were a partner for peace at the current time.Netanyahu also said that he hoped to conclude negotiations over long-term US military aid before the Obama administration ends its term, and said his acting national security adviser, Yaakov Nagel, would travel to Washington next week to try close the deal.
Israel sending official to US to seal defense aid deal-Acting national security adviser to head to Washington next week; Jerusalem won’t take funding bump for 2017-By Times of Israel staff July 25, 2016, 5:47 pm
Israel will send a representative to Washington next week to finalize a defense aid deal for the next decade but will not seek an increase for 2017, an Israeli official said on Monday.Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Nagel, acting head of the National Security Council, will head to Washington next Sunday for meetings with his US counterparts “for the purpose of signing a new MOU [memorandum of understanding] between the two countries as soon as possible,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.An Israeli official stressed that Jerusalem was not seeking additional military funding for 2017 — which falls under the last ten-year package — as had been suggested by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina).“Israel is sending the message that it is committed to the agreements that have already been signed,” the official said. “2017 is part of the current MOU.”In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office added that Israel “places great value on the predictability and reliability of the military assistance it receives from the United States and on honoring bilateral agreements.“Therefore, it is not in Israel’s interest for there to be any changes to the fixed annual MOU levels without the agreement of both the US administration and the Israeli government,” it added.The defense aid for 2017 currently stands at $3.1 billion.Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he hoped to conclude negotiations over US military aid under the current administration, whose term ends in January 2017. He did not give any details about the state of discussions.According to reports, the United States has offered to increase its military aid to Israel, under a decade-long deal set to take effect in two years’ time, on the condition that Jerusalem spends more of the funds on American goods and services, rather than on domestic ones as it is authorized to do now.Negotiations between Israel and the US over a memorandum of understanding for an aid package to replace one that expires in 2018 have been ongoing for months, amid tensions over the Iranian nuclear deal reached last year which Israel vociferously opposed. Israel has charged that the accord signed between Tehran and six world powers, including the US, poses an existential threat to Israel and challenges its qualitative military edge in the region.The US offer currently on the table, outlined to members of Congress earlier this month in a letter by US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, includes a pledge to substantially increase the aid package, worth some $30 billion, and ink a new one that would constitute “the largest pledge of military assistance to any country in US history.” The letter was sent in response to a missive signed in April by 83 out of 100 senators calling on President Barack Obama to increase foreign aid to Israel and sign the new deal.According to a report in The New York Times, the next 10-year deal could top $40 billion, and would include a 10-year pledge to fund Israel’s missile defense systems, an arrangement currently funded separately in yearly installments. It has been subject to much controversy recently as the White House and Congress have disagreed over the size of the annual increase for the missile defense program.The sides have refused to officially provide details of the unfolding deal, but reports have indicated that Israel was seeking a price tag the US was hesitant to approve. A senior Israeli official said last month that Netanyahu was determined to conclude talks but “not at any price.”According to The New York Times, an emerging sticking point in negotiations has been how much US money Israel would be allowed to spend domestically and how much on American goods and services.Under the existing agreement, Israel is permitted to spend about 25 percent of the aid it receives outside the US and another 13% on fuel for its aircraft — allowances no other recipient of US aid is granted.According to the report, that arrangement originated in the 1980s to build up Israel’s defense industry, which has thrived, helping Israel to become among the top 10 arms exporters in the world — and in some fields a competitor with US firms.Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
Democratic convention could feature discord on Israel-In Philadelphia, Democrats to struggle with party email scandal, differences on Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need to project party unity-By Eric Cortellessa July 25, 2016, 2:55 pm-the times of israel
PHILADELPHIA — The Democratic National Convention, which begins in earnest Monday, has already gotten off to a rocky start.Days after the Republicans finished their tumultuous confab in Cleveland, the Democrats were hoping to show themselves far more united. But after the party’s national chair resigned Sunday over leaked emails that revealed a preference for Hillary Clinton over primary rival Bernie Sanders, that objective may now be harder to achieve.Major party conventions are largely massive exercises in managing optics and crafting an appealing narrative for voters. Last week, Donald Trump was tasked with presenting himself as a plausible commander in chief and leader who could bring together an intensely fractured GOP. A series of incidents that dominated the media coverage, however, diminished the real estate tycoon’s ability to deliver.This week, Clinton needs to address concerns over voter perception that she’s not trustworthy, and it doesn’t help that hours before the opening gavel was to hit the strike plate, an email scandal emerged that shows the national party favored her in a contentious primary race with Sanders — despite repeated assurances of neutrality.DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from south Florida, became the target of severe criticism after the website WikiLeaks released thousands of hacked DNC emails that disclosed internal deliberations over how to tilt the primary election in the former secretary of state’s favor. The Clinton campaign responded Sunday by saying the leak was orchestrated by the Russian government to assist in the election of Trump.Regardless of how the leaks and the ensuing fallout came about, such a news cycle prevents Clinton from focusing exclusively on projecting a vision of optimism and inclusion that would run counter to that of her rival last week. Rather, she has to repair the wounds from this episode and still unite a party whose left and center have grown further apart since Sanders’s improbable rise during the primary.In this vein, there will also be gaps between many of the party’s delegates at this year’s convention, including on the Israel issue, as Sanders attracted a base of support highly critical of longstanding Washington policies toward Israel and the Middle East, and more demanding of greater recognition of Palestinian positions.This dissension played out when the drafting committee argued over language relating to Israelis and Palestinians in the party platform. Sanders appointee James Zogby, head of the Arab American Institute, pushed for a provision that would demand “an end to occupation and illegal settlements.”Such language ultimately failed, and the platform instead calls for “a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity.” It also says the future of Jerusalem should be left to final-status negotiations, supports Israel’s right to defend itself and condemns the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.The liberal Washington-based group J Street approved of the final version. Its president and founder, Jeremy Ben Ami, has called it more “balanced” and said the decision to include language that “recognizes the legitimate rights and national aspirations of the Palestinian people alongside its recognition of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security marks an important step forward for the party.”But even with the platform’s language settled, there is still much more to pay close attention to as the convention gets underway.-DNC controversy-The DNC email scandal is multilayered. Beyond the fact that a series of exchanges raised ideas of ways to weaken Sanders’s candidacy, there is also the nature of the proposals that were discussed. DNC finance chief Brad Marshall pitched Schultz on portraying Sanders as an atheist who rejected his Judaism in states where candidates’ religiosity holds sway with voters, like in Kentucky and West Virginia.“Does he believe in a God,” Marshall asked. “He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.”Wasserman Schultz, one of the most prominent Jewish members of Congress, has a record of championing Jewish causes in the House, including the passage of an aid package to Holocaust survivors and the establishment of Jewish American Heritage Month.The Sanders campaign has for months accused her of favoring Clinton, and this latest revelation provides vindication. After Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation — at the urging of Clinton campaign officials — Sanders issued a statement saying she “made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party.”In her resignation, Wasserman Schultz said she was committed to helping Clinton win the White House, and felt stepping down was a necessary step toward accomplishing that goal. “I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future,” she said. “I look forward to serving as a surrogate for her campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory.”According to campaign officials, she will still keep her leadership role at the convention and deliver her scheduled address. For the rest of the election, she will continue to assist the presumptive Democratic nominee, along with other down-ballot races throughout the country. Longtime Democratic strategist Donna Brazile will take the helm as interim chair.While the Clinton camp was quick to respond to the crisis — much quicker than Trump’s was to Melania’s plagiarism scandal — it intensifies friction between factions of the party that they aim to coalesce this week. One of the Democrats’ early tests will be how they respond to the fissure.-Israel-While Sanders recently endorsed Clinton and indicated he’ll work with her campaign to ensure “Donald Trump does not become president,” differences between him and the presumptive nominee on Israel remain — and these differences are perhaps more fierce among their backers.One of his appointments to the platform drafting committee was philosopher Cornel West, who considers President Barack Obama a war criminal and is a full-out proponent of the BDS movement. Some within Sanders’s base of support identify with his brand of thinking about the conflict, and it’s not yet clear how much it will influence their willingness to embrace Clinton.Clinton is trying to thread a fine needle in bringing Sanders supporters into her coalition while also convincing pro-Israel Democrats turned off by Obama’s approach to the region that she will be closer to Israel and less confrontational. Obama himself is slated to speak at the convention, though it is highly unlikely he will mention the Jewish state. Clinton, too, is likely to avoid the issue and not risk alienating any constituency.Clinton, who served as Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, has vast experience navigating the US-Israel alliance, which includes having negotiated a 2012 ceasefire during a violent flareup between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and working to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank to jump-start peace talks.She also laid the groundwork during that time for brokering a nuclear agreement with Iran, and has just selected as her running mate Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was a strong champion of the accord, calling it “a dramatic improvement over the status quo.”While much of the more liberal wing of the party has expressed disappointment over Clinton’s choosing a moderate VP pick, the former DNC chair has a left-leaning record on Israel and has long been a darling of J Street for his support of a two-state solution.Official convention proceedings begin Monday at 1 p.m. EST, and the first evening session, which will feature speeches from Sen. Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Michelle Obama, begins at 8 p.m. EST.
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