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
Israeli officials cheer ‘weakened’ Paris peace summit declaration-Jerusalem takes credit for softened statement by 70 nations, which omits the ‘problematic passages’ of December’s UN anti-settlements resolution-By Raphael Ahren and Times of Israel staff January 15, 2017, 8:02 pm
Israeli officials on Sunday credited the efforts of the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for a “significant weakening” of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of a peace conference in Paris.The one-day summit came to a close on Sunday evening with a statement, backed by the 70 countries, calling on Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to a peace settlement and to refrain from unilateral actions.The statement urged both sides to “officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution” and disassociate from voices that reject that goal. It also called for them not to take one-sided actions that could preclude fruitful talks.The Israeli officials were jubilant that “problematic passages” in a contentious recent UN Security Council resolution on the settlements were not included in the Paris document. Resolution 2334, passed on December 23, had harshly condemned the settlement enterprise, declaring that it has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”Furthermore, the Israeli officials expressed satisfaction over the fact that no further action against Israeli settlements is planned at the Security Council. US Secretary of State John Kerry promised as much to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call from Paris earlier Sunday.Th ostensible success, the officials concluded, was the “result of harsh reactions” voiced by Israel against Resolution 2334.Wrapping up the conference, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters that the purpose of the meet was to convey a sense of urgency about the threat to the two-state solution.He urged all sides to refrain from unilateral actions that could inflame the situation, saying, “Running the risk of making this conflict worse would be giving a gift to extremists.”He added that Resolution 2334 was an expression of the world’s voice on the issue.In his call to Netanyahu from the Paris conference, Kerry promised to prevent any followup action to the resolution, either at the confab itself or at the United Nations Security Council.After a month of chilly ties between Washington and Jerusalem, Kerry updated Netanyahu about the steps he was taking to “soften” the text of the final communique.The prime minister told Kerry that the outgoing administration had already caused Israel damage last month by not vetoing Resolution 2334. No other resolution should be passed, Netanyahu said, either in New York nor in Paris.Netanyahu unleashed a furious attack on the Obama administration after the anti-settlements resolution passed last month with the US withholding its veto. The prime minister has accused Washington of drafting and advancing the resolution, allegations the US administration has rejected.While the Palestinians welcomed Sunday’s conference in Paris, Netanyahu called it “rigged” and cooked up behind Israel’s back to force it to accept conditions that were against its national interests.US President-elect Donald Trump’s administration did not take part, and even the conference organizers weren’t expecting any breakthroughs.As the multinational conference convened in Paris, Netanyahu again dismissed the French initiative, calling it a “pointless” endeavor that was inherently anti-Israel.Unlike Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the bid to reaffirm global support for a two-state solution, and will meet French President Francois Hollande in the coming weeks to be briefed on the conference outcome, diplomats said last week.Paris officials said that Netanyahu declined a similar invitation.During the conference, French President Francois Hollande said the world cannot impose a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a lasting peace accord can only be clinched through direct talks.Agencies contributed to this report.
Netanyahu slams ‘futile’ Paris peace bid as UK said to block EU adoption-Attorney general says releasing tape of Netanyahu could hurt probe, but background chatter meaningless; Palestinian shot and killed by Israeli troops during West Bank clash; IDF chief, 56, to undergo medical treatment-By Joshua Davidovich January 16, 2017, 2:26 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
19:13-Ghattas accuses police of witch hunt-MK Basel Ghattas’s spokesperson confirms he is the lawmaker being questioned by police today on suspicions of illegal fundraising for the Balad party, calling the probe “proof of a political witch hunt” against his party.The MK, already under suspicion in a separate case involving passing contraband to prisoners, says the timing of the police summons is “peculiar” given the fact that the probe seemed to have been closed three months ago.“This is more improper conduct by the police against me with the goal of influencing my legal case in order to create a hostile atmosphere around me,” Ghattas says in a statement.An investigation into Balad financing three months ago led to some 60 party activists being questioned by police, including MKs Hanin Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka, according to the spokesperson.18:50-Netanyahu: Peace won’t come from above-In a eulogy for Peres in the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu praises the late president for his commitment to peace, but stresses that peace “will not come from above” or be imposed on Israel in “futile forums” but will only be achieved through direct talks with the Palestinians.He makes the address a day after the Paris peace summit.“Alongside our aspirations for peace, we must constantly bolster our [military] strength,” says Netanyahu, adding that he believes Peres would agree.The prime minister hails Peres’s contribution to the State of Israel, particularly on matters of defense.In his later years, “Shimon spoke about a new Middle East, in which peace is the solution,” says Netanyahu. “Unfortunately, this has not come to pass.”In his address, Netanyahu does not speak about the graft allegations against him.Opposition leader Herzog lauds Peres as “one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people in recent generations.”“Not necessarily because of his political leadership,” he adds, “but due to his groundbreaking activities in all areas,” including defense, welfare, the economy, and education.“But I think that above all, Shimon Peres will be remembered in Israel’s history books as one who looked reality in the eye and instead of being deterred or trying to keep it as is — he chose to change it,” he says.–– Marissa Newman-18:28-Britain said to block EU from adopting Paris position-Britain has apparently blocked a meeting of EU foreign ministers from adopting the closing statement of the Paris summit, according to reports.The move comes a day after the UK refused to sign the Paris statement, which calls on the sides to commit to a two-state solution and renounce violence.In a tweet, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s ambassador to the US says London’s position is “very strange .. given its historical & moral responsibility in causing the conflict.”Britain expresses reservation#Paris Conf.That's a very strange position given its historical & moral responsibility in causing the conflict.— Amb Maen Areikat (@Amb_Areikat) January 16, 2017— with Raphael Ahren.-16:56-Likud MKs to attend Trump inauguration-Likud lawmakers Yehudah Glick and Sharren Haskel say they are going to the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Friday.Haskel says during the trip the two right-wing MKs will meet with Evangelical Christian groups, US politicians and others and work on forging ties with the new administration.The two also defend the dancing and singing of “Bibi, king of Israel” that greeted Benjamin Netanyahu as he entered the Likud faction meeting hours ago.Both say they are waiting for the results of criminal investigations into the prime minister’s actions.“We need to give him backing,” Glick says.Rumors have swirled in recent days that some Likud members are beginning to prepare for the possibility Netanyahu will be forced out of office.
Gunfire rattles Tehran as drone buzzes over Iranian capital-Military scrambles airforce, fires cannons as quadcopter flies near sensitive area of capital-By AP January 16, 2017, 5:32 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
TEHRAN, Iran — Sustained gunfire rang out over central Tehran on Monday afternoon as anti-aircraft guns targeted what officials said was a drone flying over the Iranian capital.Many residents ran to rooftops and craned their necks to see what was happening. Others sought shelter as bursts of machine gun fire echoed through the streets.The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Tehran Governor Isa Farhadi as saying that the gunfire targeted a drone near restricted airspace in the capital.It wasn’t clear who owned the drone, which he described as a quadcopter. That suggests it may have been operated by a local hobbyist or aerial photographer rather than a foreign government. The purpose of its flight also wasn’t clear.The drone escaped — apparently intact — as Gen. Alireza Elhami, deputy chief of Iran air defense headquarters, was quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying the drone flew out of the restricted airspace once it came under fire.This was not the first such recent incident.On December 23, residents of downtown Tehran awoke to the sound of anti-aircraft fire as the army shot down a state TV drone that officials said had flown too close to the residence of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the implementation of Iran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers, which gave the Islamic Republic relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Mogherini says EU will stand by Iran nuclear accord-In apparent jab at Trump, Europe’s foreign affairs chief insists deal is ‘proof that diplomacy works and delivers’-By AFP January 16, 2017, 12:42 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
BRUSSELS, Belgium — EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini on Monday insisted the bloc will stand by the Iran nuclear accord, bluntly condemned by US President-elect Donald Trump, because it serves Europe’s security needs.“It is proof that diplomacy works and delivers…the European Union will continue to work for the respect and implementation of this extremely important deal, most of all for our security,” Mogherini said.Trump has repeatedly blasted the nuclear accord with Iran as “one of the dumbest deals I have ever seen,” claiming it will not stop Tehran getting atomic weapons and vowing that “my number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran.”However, he has also indicated that rather than scrapping the agreement he would “enforce it like you’ve never seen a contract enforced before” and numerous of his cabinet nominees said during nomination hearings in the Senate last week that the deal should be rigorously enforced rather than ripped up.Trump repeated the charge that the nuclear accord is “one of the worst deals ever made” in interviews with top European newspapers on Sunday in which he also cast fresh doubt on NATO’s role and the EU’s future after Brexit.Mogherini said she would not comment on his remarks, but claimed — on the first anniversary of the accord she helped negotiate — that much had been accomplished.The agreement “has delivered both on the nuclear-related commitments Iran took and on the firm determination of the international community to fully implement this deal,” she said.As far as the EU was concerned, the accord had resulted in increased trade and economic ties with Iran, including a deal with French energy Total and a contract for 100 airplanes from European aviation manufacturer Airbus, “which is really significant,” she added.The accord took years of tough negotiations but was finally sealed in 2015, before being implemented in January 2016, with Tehran agreeing to rein in its nuclear program in return for an easing of punishing Western economic sanctions.President Barack Obama hailed the accord as one of his major achievements, preventing Iran getting nuclear weapons without having to go to war, but Trump has said repeatedly he will ditch it.On Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that “the new US administration cannot abandon the deal” and repeated an earlier warning by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who publicly stated, “If they tear it up, we will burn it,” without elaborating.Times of Israel staff and AP contributed to this report.
Palestinian,17, shot dead in clashes with Israeli forces-Army say Qusay Hussein Umour was the ‘main instigator’ in a violent riot in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqua-By Times of Israel staff January 16, 2017, 6:40 pm
A Palestinian teen was shot dead Monday evening during clashes with Israeli security forces in the southern West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.The IDF said the shooting occurred during a “violent riot” in which Palestinian hurled rocks at security forces in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqua, near the settlement of Tekoa in the Etzion Bloc.“Due to the extent of violence, Border Police fired 0.22-caliber rounds toward the main violence instigator, resulting in his death,” an army spokeswoman said.The Tuqua municipality identified the youth as 17-year-old Qusay Hussein Umour.The Palestinian Red Crescent, quoted by the Ma’an news agency, said Umour was detained by Israeli forces after being shot three times, and only handed over to the Palestinians for medical treatment after he had died.A spate of stabbings, car-rammings and shooting attacks by Palestinian assailants that began more than a year ago has waned over the several months, though sporadic incidents have persisted.Since October, 40 Israelis, two Americans and an Eritrean national were killed in stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks.According to AFP figures, some 249 Palestinians, a Jordanian and a Sudanese migrant were also killed during the violent spurt, most of them in the course of carrying out attacks, Israel says, and many of the others in clashes with troops in the West Bank and at the Gaza border, as well as in Israeli airstrikes in the Strip.AFP contributed to this report.
Rabbinate concedes kosher supervision industry needs ‘fixing’-But religious body’s director rejects Treasury report linking it to high food prices, dismisses ‘monopoly’ characterization-By Marissa Newman January 16, 2017, 6:35 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
The director of the Chief Rabbinate on Monday admitted that reforms to the kosher supervision industry were necessary and said they were in the process of being hammered out by a special committee, telling lawmakers he was “attentive to the criticism” on the issue.During a Knesset Economy Committee session that devolved repeatedly into an angry melee, the rabbinate and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers maintained adamantly that the body did not retain a “monopoly” over the kosher industry, and disputed Treasury figures that put the cost to the economy of keeping kosher through the rabbinate’s supervision at over NIS 600 million ($157 million) annually.Other Knesset members from the Yesh Atid and Kulanu parties accused the rabbinate of hurting business owners by charging high prices for its services and setting out outrageous requirements for kosher certification, with MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) charging that the word “kosher” had become synonymous with “corruption.”But Moshe Dagan, the Chief Rabbinate director, insisted he was “attentive to the criticism. We are aware there are things that need fixing.”Dagan also rejected the “monopoly” characterization, saying the rabbinate received the authority by law to serve as the central authority overseeing kosher supervisions in Israel. He said the rabbinate had established a committee to propose reforms to the process of authorizing certifications.“With all due respect, I think these solutions need to come from experts, professionals, from rabbis who work in the field,” he said. The rabbinate committee issued an open call for suggestions, with invitations extended to MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) and the Ne’emanei Torah Va’Avodah lobbying organization to present their ideas, he said.The committee was formed after the High Court of Justice ruled in June that businesses can only present themselves as meeting Jewish religious dietary requirements (known in Hebrew as kashrut), if they have a certificate from the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. But the court ruling noted the widespread criticism of the current system and gave the rabbinate two years to make improvements.Kosher certifications for businesses in Israel are granted by local state rabbinic bodies, known as kashrut committees, that are under the auspices of the national Chief Rabbinate. Kashrut inspectors visit applicants and supervise their kitchens during food preparation to ensure their methods meet the standards of Jewish ritual law.However, the ultra-Orthodox community also operates a variety of certification committees, known as “Badatz” boards, that provide services for those who adhere to stricter kashrut standards.Dagan urged the unifying of Jewish legal standards on matters of kashrut among all boards that offer kosher approval, including the quasi-private ultra-Orthodox ones.“We need to set two levels of kashrut — basic and mehadrin (stringent) — and I am certain that everyone will fall in line on this,” he said.Monday’s debate centered in part on a draft report released by the Finance Ministry, which maintained that the kashrut industry in Israel overall drains the economy of NIS 2.8 billion ($731 million) per year. The rabbinate’s expenses came to NIS 600 million, according to the report. The draft report — leaked over a year ago — alleged that the industry was causing a hike in food prices.During the meeting, Azaria brandished a seltzer bottle with three kosher certifications on it — from the rabbinate and two private ultra-Orthodox groups.“The cost of the rabbinate’s kashrut to the market is NIS 2.8 billion a year,” she said, citing the Treasury draft, which she described as a “conservative” estimate. “So if every product has three certifications, the costs are much higher, for no reason, and this is a burden on the Israeli public.”The Knesset’s Research and Information Center sought to replicate the Finance Ministry study, concluding that the rabbinate draws NIS 30 million a year in certification fees from some 15,000 businesses. It stressed, however, that there were “insufficient figures” on kosher supervisors, and that, therefore, it couldn’t establish a direct connection between food prices and the kashrut industry, according to a representative from the research center. The rabbinate’s director, Dagan, dismissed the Finance Ministry report, which he said was based on “partial” figures, “without any coordination with the Rabbinate.”“We stand behind the numbers,” said Ma’ayan Nesher from the Treasury at the meeting. She said the finance minister would release the full report in the coming weeks, with a detailed breakdown.Nearly all the lawmakers present identified themselves as kashrut observant. Those who were stridently calling out the rabbinate insisted that their beef was bureaucratic and institutional, rather than religious.Much of the criticism voiced by lawmakers at the meeting focused on the rabbinate’s rules, including preventing hotels from serving corn on the cob and strawberries over fears of bugs and the hefty costs of employing a kosher supervisor. Azaria cited an example of a restaurant in northern Israel, informed by the rabbinate it must employ two supervisors — from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and from 4 p.m. until midnight — at at a monthly cost it found prohibitive, if it wishes to retain its certification. Yesh Atid MK Aliza Lavie said that when her brother opened a pizzeria in the coastal city of Netanya, he was told he could only purchase lettuce from one particular seller at the local market.Countering the claims of exorbitant fees, Amichai Filber, the head of the kashrut department in the Ministry of Religious Services, told the panel that 30 percent of businesses pay no more than NIS 600 in fees a year for the kashrut approval. Some 60% of businesses don’t spend more than NIS 1,200 annually on the kashrut fees, he said. Addressing the complaints regarding the kosher supervisors, Filber maintained that supervisors are for the most part paid minimum wage.If you go into an eatery and buy a falafel, you have covered most of the establishment’s daily costs for kosher supervision, he said.Also rejecting the monopoly characterization were Shas and United Torah Judaism lawmakers, who noted the dozens of private ultra-Orthodox certification operating independently from the rabbinate, while stressing that no one is forcing restaurants or hotels to opt for those more stringent options.But Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg said the “competition is one-sided,” as it only allows for more strict alternatives on top of the rabbinate kosher stamp.
Likud MKs hail beleaguered ‘King Bibi,’ who pans graft probe-PM tells faction meeting the ‘fake investigation’ against him is part of a ‘media conspiracy’; Bennett defends AG-By Raoul Wootliff and Marissa Newman January 16, 2017, 4:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed on Monday what he called a “vast media conspiracy” against him, saying that media coverage of two ongoing corruption investigations involving him constitutes an attempt to remove him from power undemocratically.Netanyahu was greeted at the Likud party’s weekly faction meeting with cheers and chants of “Bibi melech Yisrael” (Bibi is king of Israel) — in a very deliberate show of support and soldarity from party MKs.Taking his seat, the prime minister launched into a diatribe against the Israeli media for publishing what he said were “so-called” leaks of secret negotiations he allegedly held with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes in 2014 to apparently attempt to secure more favorable coverage.“There is a fake investigation taking place against me on television every night,” he said. “[The media] are trying to pressure the attorney general and the police into indicting me for no reason.”Netanyahu described the media coverage of the corruption investigations as a “march to decapitate” him, and accused journalists of acting as if they are “the investigators, the judges and the executioners.”He was responding to an ongoing series of leaks, mostly to Channel 2 news, from the two ongoing police investigations into him: allegations he tried to negotiate a quid pro quo deal with Mozes, and that he and his wife received hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of luxury gifts from wealthy financiers.“Well, I can tell the public something now,” he said: “that there has been no criminal wrongdoing.”Netanyahu went on to say that the media’s “obsession” with the investigation was an attempt to hide the “huge successes” of his government, citing low unemployment and a weak declaration from Sunday’s Paris peace conference.“The public does not buy it. Many, many people support us and realize this disgraceful game, and they are not falling for it,” he said. “I will continue to lead Likud and the state, with the help of God.” His colleagues cheered and applauded.His comments came as left-wing activists called on Netanyahu-appointed Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a former cabinet secretary for the prime minister, who has been leading the investigations, to recuse himself.Education Minister Naftali Bennett, one of Netanyahu’s senior coalition partners, defended Mandelblit’s conduct in the investigation, saying that he is “straight, strong, and impartial.”Speaking at the start of his Jewish Home faction’s weekly meeting, the education minister also alluded to the upcoming inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, reiterating that there are new diplomatic opportunities that Israel must seize in the coming weeks.“For the first time in 50 years, we are being asked what we want,” said Bennett, apparently referring to the new US administration.He presented two alternatives: the annexation of Area C in the West Bank or a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines.Bennett asserted that there will be no Palestinian state, adding, “This will also be the government’s position.”He also referred in his remarks to an Arabic-language media campaign by Israeli ex-generals, launched on Sunday, urging Israel to separate from the Palestinians.“The Israeli public understands that a Palestinian state will flood us with refugees,” Bennett said.Meanwhile Mozes, the Yedioth Ahronoth publisher, who is suspected of colluding with Netanyahu, was interrogated by detectives for the the fourth time Monday. He was questioned under caution by police at the the Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit in Lod. The interview came the day after Mozes spent eight hours being grilled by officers.Ron Yaron, editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth, also gave a statement to police Monday. On Sunday he wrote a front page editorial in which he indicated he had no knowledge at the time of the Netanyahu-Mozes deal, and that if the newspaper’s coverage had been ordered to swing behind the prime minister he, and his staff, would have walked out.In recent days Channel 2 has been publishing leaked excerpts from hours of taped conversations Netanyahu reportedly had with Mozes in 2014 in which they were supposedly negotiating the terms of the agreement, which never came to fruition.According to reports, Netanyahu and Mozes held several face-to-face conversations on the alleged deal under which Yedioth would scale back its critical coverage of the prime minister in return for Netanyahu pushing legislation that would reduce the impact of Yedioth’s competitor, Sheldon Adelson’s pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom free daily.Mozes has maintained that the meetings were Netanyahu’s idea, as was the deal, and he was expected to keep to that story during his questioning Monday, Channel 2 reported.Netanyahu is said to have told police investigators that he recorded the conversations because he believed Mozes was trying to extort him. He never had so much as “half an intention” of implementing any deal with Mozes, the TV station on Saturday quoted Netanyahu as insisting.In the second corruption case against Netanyahu, regarding cigars, champagne and other gifts he and his wife, Sara, allegedly received from Israeli film producer Arnon Milchan, the prime minister’s son, Yair, was to be questioned this week, Channel 2 said Monday. Sara Netanyahu has already been interviewed about the affair.Analysts have said indictments are possible in both cases, and some have begun to see the twin scandals as heralding the possible end of Netanyahu’s nearly eight years in power.Lawmakers in the prime minister’s Likud party have privately indicated some are starting to make preparations for the “day after,” but publicly the party is standing solidly by Netanyahu.Unnamed coalition sources quoted by Channel 2 said that should Netanyahu be charged, coalition leaders will begin pushing for him to suspend himself, though not before.Netanyahu’s predecessor, Ehud Olmert, resigned his office in 2009 before being indicted on a series of graft charges. He was eventually convicted on a small portion of them and is currently in prison.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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
Israeli officials cheer ‘weakened’ Paris peace summit declaration-Jerusalem takes credit for softened statement by 70 nations, which omits the ‘problematic passages’ of December’s UN anti-settlements resolution-By Raphael Ahren and Times of Israel staff January 15, 2017, 8:02 pm
Israeli officials on Sunday credited the efforts of the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for a “significant weakening” of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of a peace conference in Paris.The one-day summit came to a close on Sunday evening with a statement, backed by the 70 countries, calling on Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to a peace settlement and to refrain from unilateral actions.The statement urged both sides to “officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution” and disassociate from voices that reject that goal. It also called for them not to take one-sided actions that could preclude fruitful talks.The Israeli officials were jubilant that “problematic passages” in a contentious recent UN Security Council resolution on the settlements were not included in the Paris document. Resolution 2334, passed on December 23, had harshly condemned the settlement enterprise, declaring that it has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”Furthermore, the Israeli officials expressed satisfaction over the fact that no further action against Israeli settlements is planned at the Security Council. US Secretary of State John Kerry promised as much to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call from Paris earlier Sunday.Th ostensible success, the officials concluded, was the “result of harsh reactions” voiced by Israel against Resolution 2334.Wrapping up the conference, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters that the purpose of the meet was to convey a sense of urgency about the threat to the two-state solution.He urged all sides to refrain from unilateral actions that could inflame the situation, saying, “Running the risk of making this conflict worse would be giving a gift to extremists.”He added that Resolution 2334 was an expression of the world’s voice on the issue.In his call to Netanyahu from the Paris conference, Kerry promised to prevent any followup action to the resolution, either at the confab itself or at the United Nations Security Council.After a month of chilly ties between Washington and Jerusalem, Kerry updated Netanyahu about the steps he was taking to “soften” the text of the final communique.The prime minister told Kerry that the outgoing administration had already caused Israel damage last month by not vetoing Resolution 2334. No other resolution should be passed, Netanyahu said, either in New York nor in Paris.Netanyahu unleashed a furious attack on the Obama administration after the anti-settlements resolution passed last month with the US withholding its veto. The prime minister has accused Washington of drafting and advancing the resolution, allegations the US administration has rejected.While the Palestinians welcomed Sunday’s conference in Paris, Netanyahu called it “rigged” and cooked up behind Israel’s back to force it to accept conditions that were against its national interests.US President-elect Donald Trump’s administration did not take part, and even the conference organizers weren’t expecting any breakthroughs.As the multinational conference convened in Paris, Netanyahu again dismissed the French initiative, calling it a “pointless” endeavor that was inherently anti-Israel.Unlike Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the bid to reaffirm global support for a two-state solution, and will meet French President Francois Hollande in the coming weeks to be briefed on the conference outcome, diplomats said last week.Paris officials said that Netanyahu declined a similar invitation.During the conference, French President Francois Hollande said the world cannot impose a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a lasting peace accord can only be clinched through direct talks.Agencies contributed to this report.
Netanyahu slams ‘futile’ Paris peace bid as UK said to block EU adoption-Attorney general says releasing tape of Netanyahu could hurt probe, but background chatter meaningless; Palestinian shot and killed by Israeli troops during West Bank clash; IDF chief, 56, to undergo medical treatment-By Joshua Davidovich January 16, 2017, 2:26 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
19:13-Ghattas accuses police of witch hunt-MK Basel Ghattas’s spokesperson confirms he is the lawmaker being questioned by police today on suspicions of illegal fundraising for the Balad party, calling the probe “proof of a political witch hunt” against his party.The MK, already under suspicion in a separate case involving passing contraband to prisoners, says the timing of the police summons is “peculiar” given the fact that the probe seemed to have been closed three months ago.“This is more improper conduct by the police against me with the goal of influencing my legal case in order to create a hostile atmosphere around me,” Ghattas says in a statement.An investigation into Balad financing three months ago led to some 60 party activists being questioned by police, including MKs Hanin Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka, according to the spokesperson.18:50-Netanyahu: Peace won’t come from above-In a eulogy for Peres in the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu praises the late president for his commitment to peace, but stresses that peace “will not come from above” or be imposed on Israel in “futile forums” but will only be achieved through direct talks with the Palestinians.He makes the address a day after the Paris peace summit.“Alongside our aspirations for peace, we must constantly bolster our [military] strength,” says Netanyahu, adding that he believes Peres would agree.The prime minister hails Peres’s contribution to the State of Israel, particularly on matters of defense.In his later years, “Shimon spoke about a new Middle East, in which peace is the solution,” says Netanyahu. “Unfortunately, this has not come to pass.”In his address, Netanyahu does not speak about the graft allegations against him.Opposition leader Herzog lauds Peres as “one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people in recent generations.”“Not necessarily because of his political leadership,” he adds, “but due to his groundbreaking activities in all areas,” including defense, welfare, the economy, and education.“But I think that above all, Shimon Peres will be remembered in Israel’s history books as one who looked reality in the eye and instead of being deterred or trying to keep it as is — he chose to change it,” he says.–– Marissa Newman-18:28-Britain said to block EU from adopting Paris position-Britain has apparently blocked a meeting of EU foreign ministers from adopting the closing statement of the Paris summit, according to reports.The move comes a day after the UK refused to sign the Paris statement, which calls on the sides to commit to a two-state solution and renounce violence.In a tweet, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s ambassador to the US says London’s position is “very strange .. given its historical & moral responsibility in causing the conflict.”Britain expresses reservation#Paris Conf.That's a very strange position given its historical & moral responsibility in causing the conflict.— Amb Maen Areikat (@Amb_Areikat) January 16, 2017— with Raphael Ahren.-16:56-Likud MKs to attend Trump inauguration-Likud lawmakers Yehudah Glick and Sharren Haskel say they are going to the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Friday.Haskel says during the trip the two right-wing MKs will meet with Evangelical Christian groups, US politicians and others and work on forging ties with the new administration.The two also defend the dancing and singing of “Bibi, king of Israel” that greeted Benjamin Netanyahu as he entered the Likud faction meeting hours ago.Both say they are waiting for the results of criminal investigations into the prime minister’s actions.“We need to give him backing,” Glick says.Rumors have swirled in recent days that some Likud members are beginning to prepare for the possibility Netanyahu will be forced out of office.
Gunfire rattles Tehran as drone buzzes over Iranian capital-Military scrambles airforce, fires cannons as quadcopter flies near sensitive area of capital-By AP January 16, 2017, 5:32 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
TEHRAN, Iran — Sustained gunfire rang out over central Tehran on Monday afternoon as anti-aircraft guns targeted what officials said was a drone flying over the Iranian capital.Many residents ran to rooftops and craned their necks to see what was happening. Others sought shelter as bursts of machine gun fire echoed through the streets.The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Tehran Governor Isa Farhadi as saying that the gunfire targeted a drone near restricted airspace in the capital.It wasn’t clear who owned the drone, which he described as a quadcopter. That suggests it may have been operated by a local hobbyist or aerial photographer rather than a foreign government. The purpose of its flight also wasn’t clear.The drone escaped — apparently intact — as Gen. Alireza Elhami, deputy chief of Iran air defense headquarters, was quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying the drone flew out of the restricted airspace once it came under fire.This was not the first such recent incident.On December 23, residents of downtown Tehran awoke to the sound of anti-aircraft fire as the army shot down a state TV drone that officials said had flown too close to the residence of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the implementation of Iran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers, which gave the Islamic Republic relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Mogherini says EU will stand by Iran nuclear accord-In apparent jab at Trump, Europe’s foreign affairs chief insists deal is ‘proof that diplomacy works and delivers’-By AFP January 16, 2017, 12:42 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
BRUSSELS, Belgium — EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini on Monday insisted the bloc will stand by the Iran nuclear accord, bluntly condemned by US President-elect Donald Trump, because it serves Europe’s security needs.“It is proof that diplomacy works and delivers…the European Union will continue to work for the respect and implementation of this extremely important deal, most of all for our security,” Mogherini said.Trump has repeatedly blasted the nuclear accord with Iran as “one of the dumbest deals I have ever seen,” claiming it will not stop Tehran getting atomic weapons and vowing that “my number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran.”However, he has also indicated that rather than scrapping the agreement he would “enforce it like you’ve never seen a contract enforced before” and numerous of his cabinet nominees said during nomination hearings in the Senate last week that the deal should be rigorously enforced rather than ripped up.Trump repeated the charge that the nuclear accord is “one of the worst deals ever made” in interviews with top European newspapers on Sunday in which he also cast fresh doubt on NATO’s role and the EU’s future after Brexit.Mogherini said she would not comment on his remarks, but claimed — on the first anniversary of the accord she helped negotiate — that much had been accomplished.The agreement “has delivered both on the nuclear-related commitments Iran took and on the firm determination of the international community to fully implement this deal,” she said.As far as the EU was concerned, the accord had resulted in increased trade and economic ties with Iran, including a deal with French energy Total and a contract for 100 airplanes from European aviation manufacturer Airbus, “which is really significant,” she added.The accord took years of tough negotiations but was finally sealed in 2015, before being implemented in January 2016, with Tehran agreeing to rein in its nuclear program in return for an easing of punishing Western economic sanctions.President Barack Obama hailed the accord as one of his major achievements, preventing Iran getting nuclear weapons without having to go to war, but Trump has said repeatedly he will ditch it.On Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that “the new US administration cannot abandon the deal” and repeated an earlier warning by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who publicly stated, “If they tear it up, we will burn it,” without elaborating.Times of Israel staff and AP contributed to this report.
Palestinian,17, shot dead in clashes with Israeli forces-Army say Qusay Hussein Umour was the ‘main instigator’ in a violent riot in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqua-By Times of Israel staff January 16, 2017, 6:40 pm
A Palestinian teen was shot dead Monday evening during clashes with Israeli security forces in the southern West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.The IDF said the shooting occurred during a “violent riot” in which Palestinian hurled rocks at security forces in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqua, near the settlement of Tekoa in the Etzion Bloc.“Due to the extent of violence, Border Police fired 0.22-caliber rounds toward the main violence instigator, resulting in his death,” an army spokeswoman said.The Tuqua municipality identified the youth as 17-year-old Qusay Hussein Umour.The Palestinian Red Crescent, quoted by the Ma’an news agency, said Umour was detained by Israeli forces after being shot three times, and only handed over to the Palestinians for medical treatment after he had died.A spate of stabbings, car-rammings and shooting attacks by Palestinian assailants that began more than a year ago has waned over the several months, though sporadic incidents have persisted.Since October, 40 Israelis, two Americans and an Eritrean national were killed in stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks.According to AFP figures, some 249 Palestinians, a Jordanian and a Sudanese migrant were also killed during the violent spurt, most of them in the course of carrying out attacks, Israel says, and many of the others in clashes with troops in the West Bank and at the Gaza border, as well as in Israeli airstrikes in the Strip.AFP contributed to this report.
Rabbinate concedes kosher supervision industry needs ‘fixing’-But religious body’s director rejects Treasury report linking it to high food prices, dismisses ‘monopoly’ characterization-By Marissa Newman January 16, 2017, 6:35 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
The director of the Chief Rabbinate on Monday admitted that reforms to the kosher supervision industry were necessary and said they were in the process of being hammered out by a special committee, telling lawmakers he was “attentive to the criticism” on the issue.During a Knesset Economy Committee session that devolved repeatedly into an angry melee, the rabbinate and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers maintained adamantly that the body did not retain a “monopoly” over the kosher industry, and disputed Treasury figures that put the cost to the economy of keeping kosher through the rabbinate’s supervision at over NIS 600 million ($157 million) annually.Other Knesset members from the Yesh Atid and Kulanu parties accused the rabbinate of hurting business owners by charging high prices for its services and setting out outrageous requirements for kosher certification, with MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) charging that the word “kosher” had become synonymous with “corruption.”But Moshe Dagan, the Chief Rabbinate director, insisted he was “attentive to the criticism. We are aware there are things that need fixing.”Dagan also rejected the “monopoly” characterization, saying the rabbinate received the authority by law to serve as the central authority overseeing kosher supervisions in Israel. He said the rabbinate had established a committee to propose reforms to the process of authorizing certifications.“With all due respect, I think these solutions need to come from experts, professionals, from rabbis who work in the field,” he said. The rabbinate committee issued an open call for suggestions, with invitations extended to MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) and the Ne’emanei Torah Va’Avodah lobbying organization to present their ideas, he said.The committee was formed after the High Court of Justice ruled in June that businesses can only present themselves as meeting Jewish religious dietary requirements (known in Hebrew as kashrut), if they have a certificate from the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. But the court ruling noted the widespread criticism of the current system and gave the rabbinate two years to make improvements.Kosher certifications for businesses in Israel are granted by local state rabbinic bodies, known as kashrut committees, that are under the auspices of the national Chief Rabbinate. Kashrut inspectors visit applicants and supervise their kitchens during food preparation to ensure their methods meet the standards of Jewish ritual law.However, the ultra-Orthodox community also operates a variety of certification committees, known as “Badatz” boards, that provide services for those who adhere to stricter kashrut standards.Dagan urged the unifying of Jewish legal standards on matters of kashrut among all boards that offer kosher approval, including the quasi-private ultra-Orthodox ones.“We need to set two levels of kashrut — basic and mehadrin (stringent) — and I am certain that everyone will fall in line on this,” he said.Monday’s debate centered in part on a draft report released by the Finance Ministry, which maintained that the kashrut industry in Israel overall drains the economy of NIS 2.8 billion ($731 million) per year. The rabbinate’s expenses came to NIS 600 million, according to the report. The draft report — leaked over a year ago — alleged that the industry was causing a hike in food prices.During the meeting, Azaria brandished a seltzer bottle with three kosher certifications on it — from the rabbinate and two private ultra-Orthodox groups.“The cost of the rabbinate’s kashrut to the market is NIS 2.8 billion a year,” she said, citing the Treasury draft, which she described as a “conservative” estimate. “So if every product has three certifications, the costs are much higher, for no reason, and this is a burden on the Israeli public.”The Knesset’s Research and Information Center sought to replicate the Finance Ministry study, concluding that the rabbinate draws NIS 30 million a year in certification fees from some 15,000 businesses. It stressed, however, that there were “insufficient figures” on kosher supervisors, and that, therefore, it couldn’t establish a direct connection between food prices and the kashrut industry, according to a representative from the research center. The rabbinate’s director, Dagan, dismissed the Finance Ministry report, which he said was based on “partial” figures, “without any coordination with the Rabbinate.”“We stand behind the numbers,” said Ma’ayan Nesher from the Treasury at the meeting. She said the finance minister would release the full report in the coming weeks, with a detailed breakdown.Nearly all the lawmakers present identified themselves as kashrut observant. Those who were stridently calling out the rabbinate insisted that their beef was bureaucratic and institutional, rather than religious.Much of the criticism voiced by lawmakers at the meeting focused on the rabbinate’s rules, including preventing hotels from serving corn on the cob and strawberries over fears of bugs and the hefty costs of employing a kosher supervisor. Azaria cited an example of a restaurant in northern Israel, informed by the rabbinate it must employ two supervisors — from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and from 4 p.m. until midnight — at at a monthly cost it found prohibitive, if it wishes to retain its certification. Yesh Atid MK Aliza Lavie said that when her brother opened a pizzeria in the coastal city of Netanya, he was told he could only purchase lettuce from one particular seller at the local market.Countering the claims of exorbitant fees, Amichai Filber, the head of the kashrut department in the Ministry of Religious Services, told the panel that 30 percent of businesses pay no more than NIS 600 in fees a year for the kashrut approval. Some 60% of businesses don’t spend more than NIS 1,200 annually on the kashrut fees, he said. Addressing the complaints regarding the kosher supervisors, Filber maintained that supervisors are for the most part paid minimum wage.If you go into an eatery and buy a falafel, you have covered most of the establishment’s daily costs for kosher supervision, he said.Also rejecting the monopoly characterization were Shas and United Torah Judaism lawmakers, who noted the dozens of private ultra-Orthodox certification operating independently from the rabbinate, while stressing that no one is forcing restaurants or hotels to opt for those more stringent options.But Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg said the “competition is one-sided,” as it only allows for more strict alternatives on top of the rabbinate kosher stamp.
Likud MKs hail beleaguered ‘King Bibi,’ who pans graft probe-PM tells faction meeting the ‘fake investigation’ against him is part of a ‘media conspiracy’; Bennett defends AG-By Raoul Wootliff and Marissa Newman January 16, 2017, 4:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed on Monday what he called a “vast media conspiracy” against him, saying that media coverage of two ongoing corruption investigations involving him constitutes an attempt to remove him from power undemocratically.Netanyahu was greeted at the Likud party’s weekly faction meeting with cheers and chants of “Bibi melech Yisrael” (Bibi is king of Israel) — in a very deliberate show of support and soldarity from party MKs.Taking his seat, the prime minister launched into a diatribe against the Israeli media for publishing what he said were “so-called” leaks of secret negotiations he allegedly held with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes in 2014 to apparently attempt to secure more favorable coverage.“There is a fake investigation taking place against me on television every night,” he said. “[The media] are trying to pressure the attorney general and the police into indicting me for no reason.”Netanyahu described the media coverage of the corruption investigations as a “march to decapitate” him, and accused journalists of acting as if they are “the investigators, the judges and the executioners.”He was responding to an ongoing series of leaks, mostly to Channel 2 news, from the two ongoing police investigations into him: allegations he tried to negotiate a quid pro quo deal with Mozes, and that he and his wife received hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of luxury gifts from wealthy financiers.“Well, I can tell the public something now,” he said: “that there has been no criminal wrongdoing.”Netanyahu went on to say that the media’s “obsession” with the investigation was an attempt to hide the “huge successes” of his government, citing low unemployment and a weak declaration from Sunday’s Paris peace conference.“The public does not buy it. Many, many people support us and realize this disgraceful game, and they are not falling for it,” he said. “I will continue to lead Likud and the state, with the help of God.” His colleagues cheered and applauded.His comments came as left-wing activists called on Netanyahu-appointed Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a former cabinet secretary for the prime minister, who has been leading the investigations, to recuse himself.Education Minister Naftali Bennett, one of Netanyahu’s senior coalition partners, defended Mandelblit’s conduct in the investigation, saying that he is “straight, strong, and impartial.”Speaking at the start of his Jewish Home faction’s weekly meeting, the education minister also alluded to the upcoming inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, reiterating that there are new diplomatic opportunities that Israel must seize in the coming weeks.“For the first time in 50 years, we are being asked what we want,” said Bennett, apparently referring to the new US administration.He presented two alternatives: the annexation of Area C in the West Bank or a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines.Bennett asserted that there will be no Palestinian state, adding, “This will also be the government’s position.”He also referred in his remarks to an Arabic-language media campaign by Israeli ex-generals, launched on Sunday, urging Israel to separate from the Palestinians.“The Israeli public understands that a Palestinian state will flood us with refugees,” Bennett said.Meanwhile Mozes, the Yedioth Ahronoth publisher, who is suspected of colluding with Netanyahu, was interrogated by detectives for the the fourth time Monday. He was questioned under caution by police at the the Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit in Lod. The interview came the day after Mozes spent eight hours being grilled by officers.Ron Yaron, editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth, also gave a statement to police Monday. On Sunday he wrote a front page editorial in which he indicated he had no knowledge at the time of the Netanyahu-Mozes deal, and that if the newspaper’s coverage had been ordered to swing behind the prime minister he, and his staff, would have walked out.In recent days Channel 2 has been publishing leaked excerpts from hours of taped conversations Netanyahu reportedly had with Mozes in 2014 in which they were supposedly negotiating the terms of the agreement, which never came to fruition.According to reports, Netanyahu and Mozes held several face-to-face conversations on the alleged deal under which Yedioth would scale back its critical coverage of the prime minister in return for Netanyahu pushing legislation that would reduce the impact of Yedioth’s competitor, Sheldon Adelson’s pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom free daily.Mozes has maintained that the meetings were Netanyahu’s idea, as was the deal, and he was expected to keep to that story during his questioning Monday, Channel 2 reported.Netanyahu is said to have told police investigators that he recorded the conversations because he believed Mozes was trying to extort him. He never had so much as “half an intention” of implementing any deal with Mozes, the TV station on Saturday quoted Netanyahu as insisting.In the second corruption case against Netanyahu, regarding cigars, champagne and other gifts he and his wife, Sara, allegedly received from Israeli film producer Arnon Milchan, the prime minister’s son, Yair, was to be questioned this week, Channel 2 said Monday. Sara Netanyahu has already been interviewed about the affair.Analysts have said indictments are possible in both cases, and some have begun to see the twin scandals as heralding the possible end of Netanyahu’s nearly eight years in power.Lawmakers in the prime minister’s Likud party have privately indicated some are starting to make preparations for the “day after,” but publicly the party is standing solidly by Netanyahu.Unnamed coalition sources quoted by Channel 2 said that should Netanyahu be charged, coalition leaders will begin pushing for him to suspend himself, though not before.Netanyahu’s predecessor, Ehud Olmert, resigned his office in 2009 before being indicted on a series of graft charges. He was eventually convicted on a small portion of them and is currently in prison.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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