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
Likud MK rapped for saying Italy earthquake was divine punishment for UNESCO vote-Foreign Ministry says remarks by Ayoub Kara, who apologized, not reflective of close ties between Jerusalem and Rome-By Times of Israel staff October 29, 2016, 1:13 pm
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara’s remark earlier this week that the earthquake that rattled Italy was divine retribution for UNESCO’s vote on the Temple Mount.On Wednesday, the same day the UN’s culture body voted for a resolution whitewashing any Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, Kara, a Likud MK who serves as deputy minister for regional cooperation, said during a visit to Vatican that “I am sure that the earthquake happened because of UNESCO’s decision that the pope really didn’t love; and (he) even publicly expressed that the Holy Land belongs to the Jewish people.”A pair of strong aftershocks shook central Italy late Wednesday, crumbling churches and buildings, knocking out power and sending panicked residents into the rain-drenched streets just two months after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 300 people. But hours after the temblors hit, there were no reports of serious injuries or signs of people trapped in rubble, said the head of Italy’s civil protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio.Kara’s statement, made days before a state visit by Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Israel, provoked outrage in Italy.The ministry said in a statement Saturday that Kara’s comments were inappropriate and shouldn’t have been made, and that they are not reflective of the strong ties Israel and Italy share.The statement further noted that Kara apologized for his comments and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with the Likud MK for clarification.Pope Francis spoke briefly in St. Peter’s Square with Kara, who thanked him for his “decision that Israel is a promising [sic] from God to the Jewish nation” apparently interpreting the remarks as an affirmation from the pope of the connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.Kara thanked the Pope for his support of Israel and told reporters that “it is impossible to ignore the clear affinity and connection between Christianity and Judaism” and that the “UNESCO decision [earlier Wednesday] constitutes an attack upon them.”AFP contributed to this report.
To be able to dig here... it's overwhelming joy'-At Jesus’s Jerusalem tomb, a race to reach original rock ‘where his body was laid’-Given just 60 hours to work, team restoring site at Church of Holy Sepulchre removes marble layers, exposes new slabs, for first time in centuries-By Times of Israel staff and AP : October 28, 2016, 2:18 am
For the first time in centuries, scientists have exposed the original surface of what Christians traditionally believe to be Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as part of a restoration project.According to National Geographic, the tomb has been covered by marble at least since 1555 CE, and perhaps for hundreds of years more.Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Society’s archaeologist-in-residence and a collaborator on the project to restore the tomb, told NG that the team hoped to “finally be able to see the original rock surface on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid.”NG said that the tomb and the surrounding small structure, known as the Edicule, were being restored by a team of scientists from the National Technical University of Athens, under the auspices of Chief Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou.The restoration project provided the scientists with an opportunity to examine the original surface of the tomb, and possibly formulate a more accurate image of the chamber as it was when it was created some 2,000 years ago.The scientists were also hoping to trace the site’s evolution into “the focal point of veneration since it was first identified by Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine,” in 326 CE.“We are at the critical moment for rehabilitating the Edicule,” NG quoted Moropoulou as saying. “The techniques we’re using to document this unique monument will enable the world to study our findings as if they themselves were in the tomb of Christ.”The restoration team, working in the innermost chamber of the site said to be Jesus’s tomb, has peeled away a marble layer in an effort to reach what it believes is the original rock surface where Jesus’s body was laid.Many historians have long believed that the original cave, identified a few centuries after Jesus’ death as his tomb, was obliterated ages ago.But Hiebert said ground penetrating radar tests determined that cave walls are in fact standing — at a height of six feet and connected to bedrock — behind the marbled panels of the chamber at the center of the church.“What was found,” he said, “is astonishing.”“I usually spend my time in Tut’s tomb,” said Hiebert about the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun’s burial site, “but this is more important.”A 12th-century building sitting on 4th-century remains, the Church of the Holy Sepluchre is the only place where six Christian denominations practice their faith at the same site.The Edicule was last restored in 1810 following a fire, and is in need of reinforcement after years of exposure to humidity and candle smoke. A hulking iron cage built around the Edicule by British authorities in 1947 for support still stands, but is not enough.Renovations at this holiest of spots require mutual agreement by the church’s various custodians, and that is notoriously hard to secure. The denominations jealously guard different parts of the site and often object to even the slightest of changes.Last year, Israeli police briefly shut down the building after Israel’s Antiquities Authority deemed it unsafe. It prompted the Christian denominations to green light the repairs, which began in June.Pilgrims line up throughout the day for the chance to crouch in the Edicule’s tiny room. They kneel before a white marble encasing, said to cover a surface hewn from the side of the limestone cave where Jesus’ body was laid before his resurrection.Church officials closed the Edicule to pilgrims beginning Wednesday evening, and workers used a pulley to slide open the marble slab, in hopes of reaching the burial surface.Underneath the marble was a layer of debris. By Thursday afternoon, workers had finished removing the debris, revealing something unexpected: another marble slab.Hiebert said he thinks the second slab, which is grey and features a small etching of a cross, dates to the 12th century. It is cracked down the middle, and underneath it is a whitish layer.“I don’t believe … that is the original rock,” Hiebert said. “We still have more to go.”The main Christian communities that govern the church have allowed the work crew only 60 hours to excavate the inner sanctum, Hiebert said. Experts are working day and night to reach the tomb’s core and to analyze it.“We will close the tomb after we document it,” said Antonia Moropoulou, an architect at the National Technical University of Athens, which is supervising the renovation.The restoration team wants to tightly seal the core of the tomb before injecting parts of the shrine with mortar for reinforcement, so the material doesn’t seep inside what is considered to be the holy rock.One part of the tomb will remain exposed. Experts on Thursday cut a rectangular window in one of the Edicule’s marble walls, so pilgrims will be able to glimpse, for the first time, a part of the limestone wall thought to be the tomb of Jesus.David Grenier, secretary of a group that oversees Roman Catholic church properties in the Holy Land, stood with a few other Franciscan friars, watching the work crew in awe.“What happened here 2,000 years ago completely changed the history of the world,” he said. “To be able to dig, let’s say, to the rock where the body of Jesus was laid … it’s overwhelming joy.”At one point, a National Geographic film crew documented the site as clergy burned incense around them in a daily church rite.After the film crew cleared out, a pair of clergymen in brown frocks, and an Israeli policeman stationed at the church to help keep the peace, clambered over a pile of work tools, electrical wires and a yellow hard hat on the Edicule floor to lean into the inner chamber and snap cell phone photos of the exposed tomb.“It’s a historic moment, huh?” the policeman said.
It's the first time we've found artifacts from this period in situ on the Temple Mount,' says expert. It's 'very limited,' but it's something-Archaeologists spotlight first Solomon’s Temple-era artifacts ever found on Temple Mount-Carried out in rare cooperation with Muslim authorities, series of digs in recent years at flashpoint site yielded unprecedented proof of biblical-time activity, scholars say-By Ilan Ben Zion October 27, 2016, 9:20 pm
Israeli archaeologists on Thursday presented new details of what they said were the first tiny artifacts, unearthed in situ on the Temple Mount, ever conclusively dated to the time of the First Temple over 2,600 years ago. The discoveries were made during limited scientific excavations carried out atop the flashpoint Temple Mount in the past decade, the first of their kind since the British Mandate.The highly sensitive Israeli excavations were conducted with minimum publicity in cooperation with the Islamic Waqf which manages the incendiary holy site. The artifacts excavated from the mount, detailed in a paper and presentations at a conference at Hebrew University, are said to include olive pits, animal bones and pottery fragments dating to the time of the First Temple, between the 8th and 6th Centuries BCE.Archaeologists have previously found a limited number of artifacts from First-Temple-period Jerusalem, but none of those finds were uncovered atop the mount itself. Rather, they were recovered from the Ophel excavations to the south of the Mount, and from the Temple Mount Sifting Project, which examines rubble credibly believed to have been removed from the holy site and dumped in the nearby Kidron Valley.“It’s the first time that we’ve found artifacts from this period in situ on the Temple Mount,” Yuval Baruch, the head of the Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem region, said Thursday of the discoveries. “As far as the biblical period is concerned, the Temple Mount is a tabula rasa, nobody knows anything,” said Baruch, who headed the archaeological work. It’s still “very limited,” but the tiny fragments of clay and bone are at least something: “It exists.”The digs at the Mount were carried out between 2007 and the past year after the Waqf requested authorization from Israel to perform maintenance work on infrastructure servicing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, the main structures situated atop the Temple Mount. Previous Waqf projects carried out on the Temple Mount, such as construction of the Marwani Mosque in the late 1990s, did not involve cooperation with archaeologists and resulted in the destruction of antiquities and severe tensions between Israel and the Islamic authorities.The IAA had made limited announcements in the past about its activity on the Mount, releasing brief details of First Temple finds, but Thursday’s conference marked the most detailed presentation of the near-decade of work, the finds, and their significance.Excavation of a trench for electric cables in 2007 allowed archaeologists the first opportunity to delve below the surface of the contested holy site since Israel captured it in the 1967 Six Day War. All work was conducted with police escort due to the sensitivity of the site.Although the Waqf received permission from the Israel Police and Electric Corporation to lay the power cable, some archaeologists at the time criticized the operation, saying it wasn’t conducted with “professional and careful archaeological supervision involving meticulous documentation.”Presenting the finds on Thursday after their examination also marked an opportunity for the IAA to rebuff critics who claim the Temple Mount is a scene of archaeological bedlam.While the Temple Mount Sifting Project has rummaged through fill from the holy site excavated during the construction of the Marwani Mosque in the 1990s, these newly described digs were the first archaeological study atop the Temple Mount since the 1930s.The finds on the Temple Mount itself range from a previously undocumented monumental structure believed to be from the 11th and 12th centuries — the period preceding and including the Crusades — to artifacts from Roman times and, unprecedentedly in situ, finds from as far back as the First Temple period.“It’s not an excavation that you go to a place and dig,” Baruch said of the work on the Mount. “It’s more inspection, and in that framework finds are discovered.”Among the most significant of those finds, dug up during the laying of the power cable approximately 400 feet southeast of the Dome of the Rock, was a jumble of remains dating to the First Temple period.“This layer included pottery fragments characterized in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, as well as animal bones and charred olive pits,” Baruch, Ronny Reich and Deborah Sandhaus, authors of the accompanying paper on the discoveries, wrote. “Carbon 14 dating of the olives yielded dates from the 6th to 8th centuries BCE. This date is confirmed by the dates of the pottery.”Another segment of the same trench turned up a Roman coin dating to 383 CE, and iron arrowheads, which the authors said could be “rare evidence of activity in the Roman period in the courtyard between the raised part of the Temple Mount and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”Additional findings from the work carried out on the Temple Mount by the IAA have yet to be published, Baruch said, including conservation work conducted in Solomon’s Stables, a subterranean vault beneath the Temple Mount’s platform, in the past year.The publication “points to the fact that, despite all the statements and such, we’re on the Temple Mount and working, overseeing, and business is done under the authority of the IAA,” Baruch told The Times of Israel on the sidelines of the conference.————————–Follow Ilan Ben Zion on Twitter and Facebook.
Ministers reportedly approve new hospital, industrial zone, schools-In secret vote, cabinet said to okay Palestinian construction in Area C-Debate on building in Israeli-run area of West Bank reportedly kept under wraps so as not to miff settler leadership-By Alexander Fulbright October 27, 2016, 6:48 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
The security cabinet reportedly approved a series of Palestinian building plans in Area C in the West Bank, in a vote that was held in secret in order not to anger settlers and right-wing activists.According to a report in the Haaretz daily Thursday, the vote took place two weeks ago and was part of a “carrot and stick” plan first announced by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in August. Liberman said that the purpose of the plan was to reward Palestinians who support coexistence while punishing those who support terrorism.A senior Israeli official was quoted in the report as saying that the vote was held in secret because it was a politically sensitive issue. The official noted that the leadership of the settlement movement has a lot of influence in the right-wing Likud and Jewish Home parties and is strongly against any construction for Palestinians in Area C.Area C is the portion of the West Bank that is fully administered by Israel. It comprises some 60% of the total territory in the West Bank and is where the Jewish settlements are located. Palestinians often complain that they are not granted permits to build there and allege that Israel is trying to push them out with an eye to future annexation.Responding to news of the vote, the heads of the Knesset Land of Israel Caucus Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home) and Yoav Kish (Likud) called on the cabinet “to fix this embarrassing decision that allows for Palestinian construction during a time in which Jewish settlement is frozen and even destroyed,” according to the right-leaning site Israel National News. They added that the decision “is against the national interest, and we, as representatives of the public, will not accept it and will fight for its cancellation.”The Haaretz report said that the meeting took place on October 5, just after Rosh Hashanah, and was attended by only approximately half of the cabinet’s members. Prime Minister Netanyahu, Liberman, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas), Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), Construction Minister Yoav Galant (Kulanu), and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) all reportedly voted in favor of the measure. Voting against were Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home).The plan was put together by the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COAT), Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, and was presented to the cabinet by Liberman. According to the report, it includes a plan for expanding Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank and the Palestinian city of Qalqilya, an economic corridor between Jericho and Jordan, the building of an industrial area near Nablus, the construction of a hospital in Beit Sahour near Bethlehem, and the construction of preschools and soccer fields in a number of Palestinian villages.The article also noted that a similar measure put forward last year by Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yaalon was thwarted due to fierce opposition from Jewish Home ministers, as well as several of the ministers from Likud. At the time, the Jewish Home ministers threatened to bolt the government and leave the coalition without a Knesset majority should the proposal be approved.
B’Tselem chief: I am not anti-Israel, I am anti-occupation-Hagai El-Ad denies his NGO harms the state, says recent appeal for UN intervention was driven by love of country-By Times of Israel staff October 29, 2016, 8:07 pm
B’Tselem Director Hagai El-Ad on Saturday rejected claims that his recent appearance before the United Nations Security Council, in which he called for world intervention over Israeli settlements, was damaging to the state, saying he was motivated by his love for his homeland.El-Ad told Channel 2 TV’s “Meet the Press” program that his actions were “against the occupation, not against the state.” Furthermore, he said, “We need the world’s help to get out this situation.”The NGO chief sparked fury in Israel over his October 14 appearance at the Security Council session on Israel’s settlements, during which he denounced the “invisible, bureaucratic daily violence” that dominates Palestinian life “from cradle to grave,” including Israeli control over entrance and exit from the territories, and farming rights.El-Ad’s remarks drew fierce condemnation from Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed he would bar national service volunteers from working with the left-wing human rights organization.By contrast, on Friday, the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, said he would examine the treatment of human rights defenders in the region in light of “the severe reaction by the Israeli government” to El-Ad’s before the UN Security Council.“Democracy is not rule of one country over another,” El-Ad told “Meet the Press” host Rina Matsliah on Saturday evening, later adding that, “We do everything we do because we care about the country.”He rejected her argument that the UN was wholly anti-Israel, citing friendly member states such as the United States and Britain. The animosity, he insisted, was toward Israel’s occupation of the West Bank land captured in the 1967 Six Day War that the Palestinians claim for their own future state, and not against the country itself.The B’Tselem chief said Netanyahu’s pro-settlement policies were damaging ties with these friendly nations, which he said are opposed to the occupation and believe that the “current situation has become untenable.”He rejected Matsliah’s argument that B’Tselem’s actions, including his appearance at the UN, undermined Israeli sovereignty and said its work had in fact revived a national discussion on the settlements. “If I hadn’t spoken in New York, you wouldn’t be interviewing me now,” he said.El-Ad also rejected the notion that his organization turns a blind eye to Palestinian attacks on Israelis, which have spiraled over the past 12 months, claiming dozens of lives. “We take issue with all forms of violence,” he said.In the wake of El-Ad’s speech at the UN, Coalition Chairman David Bitan (Likud) announced he would introduce a bill banning Israeli citizens from calling for international action against Israel at international bodies.Bitan called for El-Ad to be stripped of his Israeli citizenship for appearing before the Security Council. But after being advised by legal experts that such a move would not be legally possible, the Likud MK was said to be eyeing a legislative path.The MK’s proposal was met with derision on the left, with several lawmakers warning that such proposals could do more to isolate Israel than any speech by a watchdog group.El-Ad also received some unexpected support from two Knesset members who are resolutely on the right of the political spectrum. Likud MK Yehuda Glick, known for his advocacy of Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount, tweeted: “Stripping the citizenship from B’Tselem’s director? Why don’t we just hang him in the city square? Far simpler and more efficient! Hello? Have we gone mad? Calm down friends! There are limits.”Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich also tweeted that “There will be no revocation of citizenship for Hagai El-Ad!”B’Tselem responded to Bitan’s comments in a statement saying that “these threats won’t deter us and hundreds of thousands of Israelis who oppose the occupation.”The US also lent its support to B’Tselem, expressing concern about the threats against the organization, while the European Union delegation to Israel tweeted its support for “B’Tselem to maintain human rights of vulnerable Palestinian communities.”
Nonsense, says Liberman's spokesman-Palestinian officials: Liberman ‘conspiring’ to overthrow Abbas, sow chaos-Defense minister is charged with seeking to discredit, dethrone PA leader by partnering with his rival-By Dov Lieber October 27, 2016, 8:04 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
A slew of Palestinian officials accused Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman of sowing strife among Palestinians, while trying to dethrone PA President Mahmoud Abbas by boosting his rivals.The officials were responding to statements made by Liberman — who dismissed the allegations — in an interview with the Palestinian daily Al Quds, published on Monday.In the interview with Al-Quds, the first-ever attempt by the defense minister to speak directly to the Palestinians, Liberman accused Abbas of corruption and of shying away from the difficult decisions necessary to achieve peace.On Wednesday, Adnan Damiri, the official spokesman for the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, seemed to assign to Liberman a portion of the blame for an outbreak of anti-Abbas riots in three Palestinian refugee camps on Tuesday.In a report in the PA’s official news outlet Wafa, entitled “Who’s responsible for the crisis in the camps?” Damiri was quoted as saying Liberman “is managing a conspiracy against the Palestinian people… and seeks to ignite the fire of sedition on the Palestinian streets for personal reasons, or to impose certain figures on society.”Damiri does not specify who Liberman was supposedly seeking to foist on the Palestinians, but was likely referring to Mohammad Dahlan, a bitter political rival of Abbas in the ruling Fatah party who was expelled from Gaza in 2011 by Abbas and now lives in the United Arab Emirates.The refugee camp riots were linked to the firing of a popular Fatah politician, after he called for unity within the party, which would mean reconciliation between Abbas and Dahlan.Since August, Abbas has dismissed five leaders from his party over their support for Dahlan. He also recently fired the Fatah spokesperson in Jerusalem, Rafat Alayan, for the same reason.Since August, Abbas has dismissed five leaders from his party over their support for Dahlan.In an article last week, before the Al Quds interview, Mahmoud Jaraba, a researcher at the Erlangen Center for Islam and Law in Europe, argued that the defense minister’s attacks against Abbas, along with rumors in January 2015 of a secret meeting between Dahlan and Liberman, “helped sow suspicion regarding Israel’s position on the Fatah power struggle.”Jaraba added that some Palestinians believe Liberman might also be part of a plan by Arab countries “to ease” Dahlan back into Fatah. Abbas bitterly opposes this plan.Damiri wasn’t the only high-level official to suggest Liberman and Dahlan are in bed together.On Wednesday, Wafa published statements from eight leading figures of the Palestinian Liberation Organization denouncing the recent statements by Liberman to Al Quds.The PLO is headed by Abbas and is the largest political umbrella organization representing the Palestinians.The eight officials all charged that Liberman has been working to discredit and ultimately overthrow Abbas.Amin Maqbul, secretary-general of the Fatah movement’s Revolutionary Council, however, went a step further, suggesting Liberman was looking for Abbas’s replacement himself.Maqbul warned of Liberman’s “attempts to build relationships with Palestinian figures beyond the national front and to create an alternative leadership.”Maqbul also did not mention Dahlan specifically by name.Liberman’s spokesman Tzahi Moshe, in message to the Times of Israel, called the allegations against the defense minister “nonsense, unworthy of being addressed.”Arab leaders, especially in the so-called Arab Quartet of Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have recently pressured Abbas to patch up differences within Fatah and make peace with Dahlan.Abbas has so far been unwilling to welcome Dahlan back into the fold, and even uncharacteristically lashed out against “the [Arab] capitals” in September, saying: “No one will dictate to us any position or idea.”
Elite border cops train for Islamic State attack inside Israel-Commandos see ongoing operations against smugglers as preparation for day when Sinai-based terrorists try to infiltrate-By Times of Israel staff October 29, 2016, 8:12 pm
An elite Border Police unit is training for the threat of terrorists affiliated with Islamic State infiltrating Israel from across the border with the Sinai Peninsula to carry out an attack.In an Israeli TV report, an officer said the fear was of cells of 15-30 terrorists, armed with anti-tank and a variety of other weapons. He noted the immense danger terror groups in the Sinai pose to Egyptian Army forces.The desert peninsula has long been fertile ground for terror groups including the Sinai Province fighters, which has pledged allegiance to the Syria- and Iraq-based Sunni Islamic State.The Israeli security establishment believes it is only a matter of time before Sinai-based terrorists try to infiltrate and launch attacks inside Israel, Israel’s Channel 10 news reported Friday.The Border Police unit is comprised of counter-terrorism commandos who specialize in critical operations such as the rescue of hostages.A profile of the unit on Channel 10 showed balaclava-clad commandos simulating a hostage-taking situation in Nitzana, a tiny desert community some 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Israel-Egypt border.The unit allowed Channel 10 to film its drill, as commandos entered a house with guns drawn in a simulation of a hostage situation.“On a day-to-day basis, everything is calm [and] you do what you do, but we know on the other side [of the border] it’s a carnival,” said one Nitzana resident, asked whether he was surprised to see commandos training near his home.Israel has over the past few years built a high fence with sensors along the Egypt border, similar to those along the frontiers with Lebanon and Syria. But an officer in the Border Police unit said terrorists would try to infiltrate the country nonetheless.“I am sure that here, somewhere, there are people observing us,” said one officer, identified only by his first initial R. Asked whether the convoy was being observed from the Egyptian side or the Israeli side, R. answered: “Both. They know how to work, these guys,” intimating that smugglers who bring guns and drugs into Israel have accomplices among the Bedouins living inside the Jewish state.The construction of the fence reduced the number of smuggling operations, but on the other hand, led to smugglers becoming more sophisticated in their methods, he said.In some cases, a “unit” of up to 20 smugglers splits into groups, with some responsible for throwing drugs and ammunition over the fence, and others solely tasked with engaging any Israeli troops and Egyptian soldiers they encounter on the respective sides of the border.On more than one occasion, commandos using civilian vehicles and wearing disguises followed the smugglers into their own villages, arresting them close to their homes, the TV report said.As far as the Border Police is concerned, countering the smugglers serves as training for the day when terrorists try to infiltrate.The military, R. said, is preparing for a scenario similar to the ongoing attacks on the Egyptian army in Sinai.“We envision an attack by around 15, 20 or 30 terrorists. They have anti-tank capabilities, they have tremendous capabilities and should not be underestimated. And I know their goal is to kill as many as they can,” R. said.And how soon could such an attack happen?, R. was asked.“As I said – it’s a matter of making the decision,” he replied. “They have the capabilities, they have the ammunition. They just need to decide.”
A Brooklyn trailblazer becomes America’s first female Hasidic judge-A lawyer, education advocate and NGO entrepreneur, Rachel Freier fought an uphill battle for the bench — but don’t call her a feminist-By Andrew Katz October 29, 2016, 7:06 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JTA — For much of her adult life, Rachel Freier has been a trailblazer in her Hasidic Brooklyn community of Borough Park: a lawyer, an advocate for higher education, the director of an all-female ambulance service and founder of a nonprofit to aid underprivileged mothers during the Gulf War.Now she has blazed a new trail, this time on a national stage, becoming the first Hasidic women elected to public office in the United States.Last month, Freier was the victor in the race for civil court judge in New York City’s 5th Civil Court District, serving Borough Park and other sections of Brooklyn including Bensonhurst and Coney Island.“It feels great. It feels wonderful!” said Freier, 51, better known as “Ruchie” to her friends and family, when asked about her upset victory. “I feel grateful to God that He allowed me to reach this position.”Freier is OK with “trailblazer,” but don’t call her a feminist.“’The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality with men,’” she reads off Google as soon as the subject is brought up.“I’m not here to fight to be equal to men,” she explains. “Judaism puts women on a platform… When the Sabbath comes, I have my mitzvos; I light my candles and say my prayers. My husband goes to the synagogue and prays with the men. I’m not going to say I’m going to fight for his mitzvah.”Freier wants other women, particularly in haredi Orthodox communities, to take her example.“I hope that in the future, more women from my background will realize that it’s not mutually exclusive, that you can have goals and achieve them without compromising any of the standards we have,” says Freier, a mother of six and a grandmother.-‘Judaism puts women on a platform’-Raised in Boro Park, Freier attended Brooklyn Law School part time while raising a family, eventually practicing law in offices in Brooklyn and Monroe, New York, and serving on the community board in Borough Park.Freier made her mark on her community even before her election as judge. When she saw that the haredi yeshiva system sometimes left students insufficiently educated to cope in the wider world, she took action, founding B’Derech in conjunction with Bramson College.Since 2013, B’Derech (Hebrew for “on the path”) permits yeshiva-educated men to obtain their high school equivalency diplomas and even associate degrees, thus positioning themselves more competitively in the job market, while retaining close ties with their religious communities.As she told the Forward regarding B’Derech and the existing yeshiva system: “I am not here to change it, but I am here to supplement it.”Shortly after she founded B’Derech, some women came to her in need of assistance in creating their own volunteer ambulance corps, especially for women in childbirth. While Jewish law permits male EMTs to provide care for women in a health care crisis, many devout women prefer to be treated by other women.She responded by obtaining her own certification as an emergency medical technician and the support of some key religious and community leaders, including Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind.The Borough Park women’s corps, Ezras Nashim (literally “women’s aid”), funds its own training and emergency gear. The service recently announced plans to expand into Crown Heights.Along the way, Freier has earned awards for pro bono service to the family courts, sat on Bar Association committees and founded Chasdei Devorah, a nonprofit relief organization in memory of a young friend.Freier’s path to the bench began in a courtroom very much like the one in which she now wields a gavel. During her undergraduate years, she spent hours in the Civil Court presided over by her uncle, Judge David Schmidt. New York state requires attorneys to have practiced at least a decade before standing in for a judgeship. Schmidt’s retirement in 2015 happened to coincide with Freier’s 10th year of practice.Many might see pure serendipity at play here, but to Freier it was an example of “hashgacha pratis” — the hand of God guiding circumstances.So the path was clear but the incline steep. Freier’s principal opponent was Mordechai Avigdor. Well-known, connected and Orthodox, Avigdor would fill the 5th District Civil Court bench the way one of Nathan’s Famous fills a bun.Rounding out the field was a candidate with a more secular background, Jill Epstein.For help in her uphill battle, Freier reached out to Yossi Gestetner of Axle Communications and Gary Tilzer to manage her campaign. Tilzer, known for bucking the party machine, already was managing Odessa Kennedy’s borough-wide campaign for civil court.“I put Ruchie together with Odessa to campaign in Bay Ridge and Sunset Park,” Tilzer said. “Odessa did very well among Irish Catholic and Asian voters there and brought in votes for Ruchie at the same time.”Freier may have been expected to face some backlash from the more conservative elements of the Borough Park religious community, but that did not appear to be the case.-‘Such a vote outcome is a huge success for a first-time woman candidate’-“We had a dozen rabbinical voices who publicly backed the candidacy in addition to women rabbinical leaders who also backed the candidacy,” Gestetner said. “Multiple Yiddish-language publications actually interviewed the candidate and were very fair to her. The vote in Borough Park was split in half. Such a vote outcome is a huge success for a first-time, non-establishment, woman candidate. So not only was there no backlash, there were thumbs-up all around.”Schmidt, who had told Freier, “If you still want to be a judge, now is your chance,” when he retired, advised her strategically. She succeeded despite lacking endorsements from any of the big three area politicians — Hikind, City Council member David Greenfield and State Senator Simcha Felder.If anything, Tilzer said, it was the absence of endorsements by the party luminaries that gave Freier a leg up in Borough Park.-‘While I was running on the anti-establishment ticket, I’m not anti-establishment’-“While I was running on the anti-establishment ticket, I’m not anti-establishment,” Freier explained. “People told me that they couldn’t endorse me, but they were voting for me.”Stumbles by her rivals also helped. The Daily News ran an article exposing Avigdor’s growing ethical and legal problems stemming from his failure to account for more than $500,000 from an estate of which he was an executor. Shortly afterward, Epstein ran afoul of campaign finance laws with a dubious $250,000 loan that showed no sign of being paid back by primary day.Along with several Jewish and Yiddish-language publications, the Daily News endorsed Freier.Nevertheless, “We didn’t see it coming,” Freier said of the election victory.- “We had no idea. Our celebration was completely spontaneous.”-Reaction from other elected officials has been overwhelmingly positive.“This changes the conversation about what the community’s doing,” City Council member Antonio Reynoso said when asked about Freier’s victory. “And I’m really proud, really happy about that.”Freier said, “The important thing was to do this without compromising my family.”Watching her husband David, a commercial mortgage broker, beam with pride and admiration as his wife spoke to supporters during a fundraiser at their home about a month before the primary suggested that her family was very much on board and, to a degree, shared her political aspirations.-‘The important thing was to do this without compromising my family’-Her judicial aspirations, meanwhile, are contained perhaps in how she talks about her decision to champion Ezras Nashim. From a strictly legal standpoint, a female EMT corps isn’t necessary.“But ‘pikuach nefesh’ [saving a life] is out there,” Freier said, gesturing toward the wider world, “while I am in here.”The distinction is between an abstract legal concept and what is, for a haredi woman, a lifelong and very personal practice. The challenge is enforcing the former without compromising the latter.As Freier told Tachlis magazine, “I think we ought to take advantage [of the changed legal landscape] and ensure we get the perspective of a heimish Jewish woman on the bench.”
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