Dear Friends
This past week Belgian Jewish physicist Francois Englert, a Holocaust survivor, shared in the Nobel Prize for
Physics and three Jewish American scientists won the 2013 Nobel Prize for chemistry on Wednesday. See
below for more details. This is amazing and calls to mind the wonderful promise from God to Abraham in Genesis
22:18 that “By your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you obeyed my order.”
The Jewish people are continuing to be a blessing to the earth. As Christians we believe that the Jew Jesus or
Yeshua is the greatest blessing.
Finally Amnesty International has issued a report condemning Christian persecution in Egypt. See below. “We saw
over 200 attacks against the Coptic community after Morsi’s removal. We also saw the scapegoating of the Coptic Christians
by the security forces.” The Coptic community was seen as sympathetic to the military's removal of Morsi, and Brotherhood
members have assaulted the Copts in revenge.
For friends in Ireland please note Holocaust Memorial Day. – it is essential to book your tickets before the end of Nov.
Please send an email straight away to info@hetireland.org
Holocaust Memorial Day 2014: Sunday 26th Jan. 2014 from 6pm -8pm
Round Room, Mansion House
Dawson St. Dublin 2
Cost is Free. Essential to book. To receive an Invitation email info@hetireland.org
In addition there will be a Christian Celebration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah on Thur 5th Dec. in a Dublin
Church. Please mark the date for your Diary. More details later.
Blessings
Paddy Monaghan
ICFI
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 14th 2013
ISRAELI KILLED IN JORDAN VALLEY TERROR ATTACK: Another in what has become a series of
serious terrorist incidents shook Israel Thursday night, when an Israeli man was brutally murdered in front of his
wife in the northern Jordan Valley. The horrified spouse managed to escape the scene and alert Israeli security
forces that her husband, a retired IDF colonel, was being attacked by two Palestinians wielding axes and iron rods.
The 61-year-old victim had gone outside after hearing suspicious noises late Thursday night. With his wife
watching from the window, the man was immediately set upon by the two assailants, who managed to escape the
scene after perpetrating their heinous crime. This tragic case is only the latest in a string of attacks on Israeli
civilians and soldiers in recent week. Israel has arrested three Palestinian suspects in the brutal murder, its domestic
security service said Sunday. "The Shin Bet, with the assistance of the army and the police, have arrested a number
of those involved in the murder of Sarya Ofer," agency officials confirmed. Shin Bet sources said Odeh Farid
Harub, 18, and Bashir Ahmed Harub, 21, had confessed to the killing of the retired army colonel at his isolated
Jordan Valley home. (Israel Today) Your strong intercession is vital towards stopping these vicious terrorist
attacks. Pray for the comforting of loved ones who have lost friends and family in these latest heinous
murders – especially at this time Sarya Ofer’s grief-stricken wife, Monique.
REVEALED: TERROR TUNNEL LEADING TO ISRAELI TOWN: IDF soldiers recently discovered a
tunnel, built by Gaza terrorists that led from Gaza to a nearby Israeli community. The discovery was made late
Wednesday night, but was under a gag order until Sunday morning. Terrorists were apparently planning a largescale infiltration and attack, and were possibly planning to bring Israeli civilians back to Gaza as captives.
Terrorists have made several attempts to kidnap Israelis in recent months, with the goal of exchanging captives for
terrorists being held in Israeli prisons. The terror tunnel extended for over 1.5 miles and had been packed with
explosives at various points. Several offshoots had been dug leading off in various directions. Special IDF
engineering troops with went along the tunnel over the weekend neutralizing explosives and locating and sealing
offshoots. (INN)
NETANYAHU: WAVE OF TERRORISM DISTURBS QUIETEST YEAR IN A DECADE: The relative
silence of the "quietest year in over a decade" has been disturbed by the increase of terrorist activities in recent
weeks, PM Binyamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday morning, just after a Palestinian tunnel from Gaza into
Israel was uncovered. "I want to commend the IDF for exposing the terror tunnel," Netanyahu said. "It’s part of our
policy, a policy of aggression against terror, with elimination, with intelligence work, with activities that we initiate
and react to and of course with Operation Pillar of Defense," Netanyahu said. (J.Post)
ISRAEL SUSPENDS TRANSFER OF BUILDING EQUIPMENT TO GAZA: Israel has temporarily stopped
allowing shipments of construction supplies to reach Gaza through Israeli territory, following the discovery late
last week of a 1.55-mile tunnel built by Gaza terrorists into Israeli territory. Last month Israel permitted delivery of
cement and steel for use by the private sector into the Gaza Strip for the first time since 2007, when Israel banned
their transfer fearing that Gaza's Hamas rulers would use construction materials to fortify its positions and build
tunnels for terrorist attacks on the Jewish state. Israeli officials said Sunday that a sophisticated tunnel running 450
meters into Israel and intended as a springboard for terrorist attacks had been uncovered by troops. "This tunnel,
which looks like the New York subway, is apparently intended to kidnap soldiers or for some other kind of terrorist
assault," one official told army radio. "It is impressively executed, with concrete supports," he added. (Arutz-7)
Pray all such tunnels used for transporting weapons, contraband, and for attacks against Israelis will be
discovered and dismantled.
NEW LAW: SIX MONTHS IN PRISON FOR ‘EXCLUDING WOMEN’: Israel’s Ministerial Law Committee
on Sunday approved for a Knesset vote legislation that would increase the penalties imposed upon those who
attempt to deny women their rights in public spaces. The legislation was prompted by recent occurrences in which
women were forced to sit in the back of buses when they were riding in ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. In
several instances, women said they were accosted, cursed, and even attacked when they sat at the front of buses
driving in areas of Beit Shemesh and other communities. The Knesset had already passed laws against such
practices, but the new legislation will strengthen those laws, sharply increasing the penalties for offenders. The law
will apply to any service provider, such as a bus operator, a storekeeper, an office manager, and others who are
responsible for access to spaces that are supposed to be open to the general public. “We must fight this
phenomenon in a direct and clear manner, with the full force of the law,” said Justice Minister Tzippy Livni, a
backer of the legislation. (Arutz-7)
ISRAEL A BEACON OF FREEDOM AND EQUALITY FOR WOMEN IN A SEA OF OPPRESSION: One
of the biggest differences between Israel and her Arab neighbors is in the area of women’s rights. Israel has long
offered her female citizens - regardless of ethnicity or religion - full freedoms, including the right to vote, freedom
of speech, equal access to education and the workplace, and no special restrictions on the way they dress. Women
in the Arab world enjoy few of the rights and legal protections that women in Israel enjoy. In Saudi Arabia, for
example, women are not allowed to vote, drive a car, or go outdoors without everything - including their hair,
wrists, and ankles - covered. In Iraq, women cannot own property and they inherit less than half of what their
brothers do simply because of their gender. In Syria, if a woman wants out of a dangerous marital union, she must
navigate a complicated legal process that typically takes up to two years to complete, while a husband can divorce
his wife simply by telling her “You are divorced” three times. Throughout the region one of the most troubling
issues is “honor crimes,” or the killing of a wife or female family member for alleged sexual misconduct. While
these accusations require little evidence, the honor crimes themselves are rarely investigated or prosecuted. Many
women in these countries also battle domestic violence, which is not considered illegal in much of the region, and
lack access to education. Israel’s commitment to upholding the rights of women, both in law and practice in the
Jewish state, offers a model for the entire region. (IFCJ)
7 RED CROSS WORKERS KIDNAPPED IN NORTHERN SYRIA: Gunmen abducted a team of seven
workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross after stopping their convoy Sunday in northern Syria, a
spokesman said, in the latest high-profile kidnapping in the country's civil war. Simon Schorno, a spokesman for
the ICRC in Damascus, said the abduction took place around 11:30 a.m. local time as the team was returning to
Damascus with armed guards. Six of the kidnapped are ICRC staff workers and one is a volunteer from the Syrian
Red Crescent, he said. Schorno declined to provide the nationalities of the six ICRC employees. While it's unclear
who is responsible for the abduction, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria has warned Western aid workers that they are at
the risk of kidnapping or death if they enter Syria. (CBS)
ATTACKS ON EGYPT’S COPTIC CHRISTIANS ON THE RISE: The Egyptian Coptic Christian community
has faced increasing levels of violence since the removal of President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July,
according to a newly released report by human rights advocacy group Amnesty International. The report states the
community has suffered deadly mob violence and attacks on religious buildings. “What we see is an unprecedented
level of sectarian attacks against Copts,” said Nicholas Piachaud, member of the North African team of Amnesty
International. “We saw over 200 attacks against the Coptic community after Morsi’s removal. We also saw the
scapegoating of the Coptic Christians by the security forces.” According to the Amnesty report the most recent
round of sectarian violence was spurred by the crackdown on former President Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and
pro-Morsi protesters in August. The Coptic community was seen as sympathetic to the military's removal of Morsi,
and Brotherhood members have assaulted the Copts in revenge. International reaction to the attacks has been
relatively muted. Copts have lived in Egypt since their establishment in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 1st century AD.
Egyptian Copts are one of the oldest communities within the Middle East. (Ynet) Pray against the persecution of
the Coptic Christian community in Egypt, and for Christians across the Middle East who are increasingly
being targeted for Islamist violence.
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 12th 2013
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR SHARES NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSICS: Belgian Jewish
physicist Francois Englert and his British colleague Peter Higgs won the Nobel Prize for physics on Tuesday for
predicting the existence of the Higgs boson particle that explains how elementary matter attained the mass to form
stars and planets. Englert, a Holocaust survivor who is married to an Israeli, has maintained a deep connection with
Tel Aviv University for some 30 years. Additionally, three Jewish American scientists, two of whom have Israeli
citizenship, won the 2013 Nobel Prize for chemistry on Wednesday for laying the foundations for development of
computers to understand complex chemical processes from the purification of exhaust fumes to photosynthesis.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said when awarding the prize of $1.25 million, that Martin Karplus,
Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel had pioneered the use of computer models that mirror chemical reactions. The
work helps in complex processes such as the development of drugs. (Ha’aretz/J.Post)
IRAN READIES OFFER TO LIMIT ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM: Iran is preparing a package of proposals to
halt production of near-weapons-grade nuclear fuel, a key demand of the US, according to officials briefed on
diplomacy ahead of talks in Geneva next week. In return, Tehran will request that the US and EU begin scaling
back sanctions. "The Iranians are preparing to go to Geneva with a serious package," said a former Western
diplomat who has discussed the incentives with senior Iranian diplomats in recent weeks. "These include limits on
the numbers of centrifuges operating, enrichment amounts and the need for verification." But by falling short of a
complete shutdown of enrichment, the anticipated Iranian offer could divide the US from its closest Middle East
allies, particularly Israel and Saudi Arabia. An Israeli government official said of Tehran’s planned offer that the
Iranians were angling for a deal that would relieve sanctions but keep the fundamentals of their program in place.
"This is the Iranian strategy that we have warned about all along; cosmetic concessions that leave the heart of their
program intact and give them breakout capacity to build a nuclear weapon at a time of their choosing." He warned
that if the Iranians are not barred from all enrichment, "they can go from low enrichment to high weapons-grade
enrichment in a matter of weeks." (J. Post/Wall Street Journal)
IRAN RELOCATING NUKE RESEARCH SITE TO AVOID DETECTION: The National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which exposed Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy water facility
at Arak, said Thursday it had information about a center for nuclear weaponization research in Tehran that the
government was moving to avoid detection ahead of negotiations with world powers. NCRI said the research and
planning center was being moved to a large, secure site in a defense ministry complex in Tehran about a mile away
from its former location to avoid the risk of visits by UN nuclear inspectors. It said the center employed about 100
researchers, engineers and experts to conduct experiments with radioactive material and research into the
weaponization of nuclear weapons. (Ha’aretz/Reuters)
IN SHADOW OF IRAN TENSIONS, IAF COMPLETES LONG-RANGE DRILL: Amid tensions with Iran,
IAF squadrons conducted exercises this week to practice long-range missions. Squadrons carried out midair
refueling in the course of the advanced training, testing the capabilities of fighter jets to operate far from Israel.
“When one mentions that ‘all options are on the table,’ it’s clear that military operations are also being talked
about,” the IDF Spokesman’s Office said on Thursday. “The air force, which is the IDF’s long arm, is responsible
for realizing this option if necessary, and to that end, squadrons are practicing and strengthening the full range of
their abilities, including long-range flights,” the IDF added. The preparations are aimed at giving the IAF the
ability to carry out both pinpoint and broad, long-range missions. (J.Post)
PEACE TALKS COMING TO AN END? The Palestinians are seriously considering declaring the failure of the
peace talks with Israel, a senior PLO official said Wednesday. Hanna Amireh, a member of the PLO Executive
Committee, said this was one of the scenarios discussed during the last meeting of the Palestinian leadership.
Amireh accused Israel of seeking to “win time” and blame the Palestinians for the failure of the US-sponsored
talks. Amireh criticized Justice Minister Tzipi Livni for stating the talks with the Palestinians may extend beyond
the nine-month deadline set by the US Administration. The PLO official also criticized PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s
demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state. Israel’s political chiefs, respecting the “gag order”
US Secretary of State John Kerry set on the talks, refused to comment on this week’s meetings. (J.Post)
HEZBOLLAH HAS 200,000 NEW ROCKETS AND THE SAME GOAL: Israel’s enemies are taking a new
approach to warfare, and Israel must be ready, Minister of Home Front Defense Gilad Erdan said this week. Rather
than conquering territory, “the preparations Israel’s foes have made clearly show their aim in a future battle would
be to attack civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he warned. Hezbollah in particular has focused on stockpiling
missiles and increasing their accuracy and the group now has over 200,000 rockets. “Every tenth house in Lebanon
has either a rocket launcher or ammunition in storage. A future battle would likely be similar to the Second
Lebanon War, but on a larger scale. Hezbollah would use its most accurate rockets carefully. They’ll try to aim
those where it would do the most harm to daily life. Israel’s enemies plan to defeat Israel by breaking its citizens’
spirit,” he said. “My job, and that of my ministry, is to bring the Home Front to a level of preparedness - to create
an apparatus that ensures that whatever happens, we will continue to function. Daily life must continue, and will
continue, even if Israel comes under attack,” he stated. (Arutz-7) Pray according to scripture: “May those who
plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.” Ps 35:4
AL-QAEDA CONTINUES TO WORK FOR ISLAMIZATION OF SYRIA: Syria is gradually becoming more
Islamic as Al Qaeda continues to rally public support for the establishment of Sharia Law (Muslim religious law)
having already declared the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.” Areas that Al Qaeda controls have already imposed
courts of Islamic Law to enforce Sharia, including implementation of the death penalty, while at the same time
promoting activities to get to the heart of the public via “Dawa” (religious preaching and educational activities).
Within this framework, study groups have been established for small children and teens, as well as leisure
entertainment activities with promotion of Islam at their core, including distribution of gifts to children. The terror
organization also is continuing to hold rallies in various cities, targeting the younger generation. (INN)
STATE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS CUT IN US AID TO EGYPT: The Obama administration will cut
hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Egypt to register displeasure over the military's pace of restoring
democracy following the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. The US provides $1.5 billion in annual aid to
Egypt, but the State Department did not disclose the amount of the aid being cut, according to the report. State
Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US will withhold delivery of certain large-scale military systems, as
well as cash assistance to the Egyptian government, until "credible progress" is made toward an inclusive
government set up through free and fair elections. A US official told CNN on Tuesday about the planned cut to aid
in Egypt, but the administration subsequently denied the report. (INN)
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 9th 2013
ISRAEL’S INFLUENTIAL RABBI OVADIA YOSEF DEAD AT 93: The influential spiritual leader of Israel's
Sephardic Jewish community and the ultra-Orthodox Shas party died Monday at a Jerusalem hospital. He was 93.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who wielded enormous influence among Israeli Jews of Middle Eastern and North African
ancestry but courted controversy with his outspoken views, had been in and out of hospital for months and
undergone heart surgery. Some 800,000 people - 10% of Israel's population - attended the funeral of Rabbi Yosef
on Monday night in Jerusalem. The procession - the largest in the country's history - set off at 6pm from the
capital’s Geula neighborhood and finished at the Sanhedriya cemetery, where he was buried. Shas leader Arye Deri
wept uncontrollably at a press conference before collapsing in the arms of the physician who treated the late cleric.
Referring to Yosef as “our father,” Deri cried: “What will become of us? Who will lead us? Who will take his
place?” (MailOnline)
ISRAEL SLAMS UN DECISION TO ALLOW IRAN TO JOIN WMD WATCHDOG: Israel on Monday
condemned the selection of Iran to serve on the UN General Assembly’s Committee for Disarmament and
International Security. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor wrote in a letter to UN Gen.-Sec. Ban Ki-moon
that a country that is under UN Security Council sanctions because of its nuclear arms program should not be
appointed to a position in which it reports to the UN about the state of weapons of mass destruction." Prosor
compared Iran serving on the UN's leading disarmament committee to "appointing a drug lord CEO of a
pharmaceutical company." The Israeli envoy argued that "Iran’s appointment erodes the UN’s legitimacy and its
ability to promote arms control and disarmament as well as, preserve global peace and security." He said, "rather
than provide a global stage for Iran’s defiance and deception, the UN should shine a spotlight on the regime’s
ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support for terrorism across the globe." (J.Post)
STEINTZ: IRANIAN ECONOMY 18 MONTHS AWAY FROM COLLAPSE: The Iranian economy is 18
months away from collapse, Israel’s Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday. He explained that over the
last 18-24 months the international sanctions have caused $100 billion in damage to Iran’s economy, which has an
annual $450 billion GDP. In addition, he said, inflation in Iran is currently running at 40 percent a year, and
the unemployment rate is between 25%-30%. He said the sanctions have effectively cut Iran off from the
world’s financial system, making it very difficult to do business. At this rate, he predicted the Iranian economy will
collapse in another year-and-a-half, something that led to the rise of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. “The
pressure works, it is effective,” Steinitz said. “If we add to this pressure a credible military threat, the chances will
be greatly improved.” Israeli PM Netanyahu on Sunday said sanctions on Iran are close to "achieving their goal" of
dismantling Tehran's nuclear enrichment capability and should not be relaxed. "The sanctions on Iran are working.
They are very strong; they are a moment away from achieving their goal," he said ahead of the weekly cabinet
meeting. (J.Post)
BRITAIN STARTS PROCESS TO FIX TIES WITH IRAN, REOPEN EMBASSIES: British Foreign
Secretary William Hague said on Tuesday that Britain and Iran had embarked on a process that could lead to the
reopening of their embassies after diplomatic relations broke down in 2011."Both our countries will now appoint a
non-resident charge d'affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations, including interim steps on the
way towards the eventual reopening of both our embassies," Hague told parliament. Iran would need to make
"substantive changes" to its disputed nuclear program if it wanted the West to ease sanctions on it, he added, saying
the future of British-Iranian relations would depend on concrete steps by both sides. (J.Post)
NETANYAHU: THE PEACE TALKS ARE GOING NOWHERE: PM Binyamin Netanyahu said, during his
visit to the US last week, that peace talks with the Palestinian Authority are going nowhere. Netanyahu made the
comments in closed meetings with the heads of American Jewish organizations. He repeated his position that he is
ready for a historic compromise with the Palestinian Authority, but added that "the problem was, and still is,
their refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.” The Prime Minister also said the PA’s ongoing incitement
against Israel was another significant obstacle to the possibility of reaching an agreement. US Secretary of State
John Kerry, weeks ago, asked both sides to keep the details of the negotiations secret in order to give the process a
chance to work and, while Israeli representatives have remain tight-lipped about the talks, PA officials have made
several leaks to the press. A recent leak involved a PA spokesperson as saying that during the negotiations, Israel
agreed to a wholesale deportation of thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria and the transfer of their property to
PA Arabs. The source added that the PA side had rejected the offer as not going far enough. PA Chairman Abbas,
who has for years demanded a state based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War, recently stated
that unless Israel meets all of his preconditions, there will be no peace. (Arutz-7)
“DEFENSIBLE BORDERS” SAVED ISRAEL IN YOM KIPPUR WAR: One important factor that led to the
IDF's recuperation after the initial surprise of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 was the fact that the fighting started at
defensible borders and not in proximity to Israel's heartland. The "1967 borders" could have hardly allowed the
IDF to regroup and counterattack. This is an important lesson for the future that seems to have been internalized by
a significant part of Israel's decision-makers. (Daily Alert)
NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL SHOT IN TERROR ATTACK: A nine-year-old girl was seriously wounded in the
neck Saturday evening in a shooting attack by one or more terrorists at Psagot, in the Binyamin region. Magen
David Adom paramedics were giving the girl first aid as IDF forces began combing the area. She was then
evacuated to Shaarei Tzedek hospital with what was described as "a serious injury to her upper body." David
Tzviel, Spokesman for Psagot, said the terrorist entered the yard where the girl had been playing. The IDF arrested
two Palestinians from the town of al-Birah on Tuesday for the attack on Saturday night. Construction and Housing
Minister Uri Ariel responded to the assault and said: “This reality must not continue! I demand the prime minister
bring back to the government, for renewed discussion, the decision to release terrorists, and that the IDF be allowed
to take tough action against the murderous terror that is raising its head again.” (INN)
ABBAS’ ORGANIZATION PRAISES GIRL’S SHOOTER: Following the terror attack Saturday in which a
terrorist shot a nine-year-old girl in the neck at short range, an official Facebook page run by Fatah praised the
attacker, and predicted he would strike again. Fatah is the organization whose chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, is also
Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the body that has ruled over parts of Judea and Samaria since the early
1990s and with which Israel is conducting “peace talks.” The administrator of the Facebook page makes a
connection between the shooting Saturday and the killing of an IDF soldier by a sharpshooter in Hevron two weeks
ago. "The sharpshooter of Palestine has passed here,” the administrator writes. “He greeted Hevron and rested at alBirah. Between these two parts of the homeland, he left a manly signature. He saluted and went on his way, and
went on to a new place with a new signature, as he tells the tale of those who love the homeland.” The Facebook
page is named “Fatah - The Central Page.” (Arutz-7)
MORE THAN 155,000 TONS OF GOODS ENTER GAZA IN SEPTEMBER: 5,549 trucks carrying 155,312
tons of goods entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing in September, according to figures released by the
IDF on Sunday. These included 1,519 truckloads of food products, 1,244 truckloads of construction materials, 64
truckloads of medical equipment, 258 truckloads of livestock and 2,464 truckloads of miscellaneous items. 46,130
trucks carrying 1,285,946 tons of goods have been transferred to Gaza so far this year, noted the IDF. Hamas,
which violently took control of Gaza in 2007, constantly claims the region is under an “Israeli siege” because of
Israel’s naval blockade along the Gaza coast, which is meant to stop weapons and other materials that can used for
terror attacks from entering the Strip. Hamas, however, ignores the fact that Israel continuously allows
humanitarian aid and other materials into Gaza and has approved hundreds of internationally funded projects in
Gaza. (INN)
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 5th 2013
NETANYAHU: IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM HANGS OVER ITS OWN HEAD: PM Binyamin
Netanyahu was interviewed by the British Broadcasting Corporation's Persian service, Thursday, marking the first
ever interview with Persian media by an Israeli prime minister. The station attracts an estimated 12 million viewers
a week. During the interview, Netanyahu displayed a book by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani which proves
Rouhani took steps in the past to mislead the West into allowing the Tehran government to continue its military
nuclear development program. Speaking half in English and half in Parsi, he told viewers that Israelis are not
suckers. He said the nuclear program is the reason for the sanctions against Iran, adding that if the Islamic Republic
gets a nuclear weapon, the Iranian people will never be free of the tyranny of the ayatollahs who run the country.
Noting the good relations until the rise of the Islamic regime, he said Israelis and Iranians could again by friends if
the regime falls. (INN)
ISRAEL, ARABS, COLLABORATE ON IRAN: Israel has recently held a series of meetings with prominent
figures from a number of Gulf and other Arab states in an attempt to muster a new alliance capable of blocking
Iran’s drive toward nuclear weapons. An Israeli minister said Thursday it made sense for Israel and worried Arab
states to work together. PM Netanyahu has reportedly been supervising a series of “intensive meetings” with
representatives of these countries. The disclosure came a day after Netanyahu, in an overlooked passage of his UN
speech, noted that shared concerns over Iran’s nuclear program “have led many of our Arab neighbors to recognize
that Israel is not their enemy” and created an opportunity to “build new relationships.” The Arab and Gulf states
involved in the new talks have no diplomatic ties with Jerusalem. What they have in common with Israel is the
apprehension that President Rouhani’s new diplomatic outreach will fool the US and lead to a US-Iran diplomatic
agreement which provides for less than the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program. “There is a deep sense of
anxiety concerning what’s happening in Iran,” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor stressed Wednesday. He
said there were messages “from all over the region” being transmitted to the highest ranks in the US government.
Prosser added that Israel is no longer certain the Obama administration would use force against Iran even in a last
resort to stop it attaining nuclear weapons. (Times of Israel) Pray understanding and diplomatic relations will
increase between Israel and other Middle East states as they collaborate on how to deal with the Iranian
nuclear threat.
POLL: TALKS WON’T STOP IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: An overwhelming majority (84%) of
Israelis do not believe Iran intends to stop its nuclear development program as a result of negotiations, according to
a poll published Friday. Asked if they believed US President Obama when he said he would consult with Israel
about everything involving the Iranian nuclear threat, 46.9 % said "no." 66% said they supported the statement by
PM Netanyahu that Israel will stand alone against Iran, if necessary. (INN)
US AID TO ISRAEL DELAYED BY US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: The US military aid to Israel is
being held up by the current US government shutdown, Israel's Minister of Economic Affairs to the US Eli Groner
told Globes. Israel was supposed to receive $3.2 billion for the 2014 financial year on October 1. Groner explained,
"We are not talking about a specific step regarding Israel. There is no budget for most US government activities
because there is no resolution for ongoing financing in the coming financial year, and that includes the budget for
foreign aid." The shutdown is the result of the dispute between the White House and Congress over the Affordable
Care Act, dubbed "Obamacare." Earlier Thursday, US State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf
confirmed that aid to Israel and other US allies would not be transferred on time. In addition, crippling sanctions
that have placed Iran in a stranglehold are no longer able to be enforced - due to the shutdown of the US Federal
Government. (INN)
SEPTEMBER: SPIKE IN TERROR ATTACKS: There was a sharp rise in the number of terror attacks in Israel
in September, compared to the previous month, according to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). The summary
for September counted 133 assaults, compared to 99 in August. Most of the attacks were in the Biblical heartland
of Judea and Samaria, where there were 104 attacks, compared to 68 in August. The vast majority of these - 117
out of 129 attacks - were carried out with firebombs. The Shin Bet statistics for terror attacks to not include rock
attacks. The Jews in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria - including hundreds of thousands of residents and
IDF soldiers - have been braving Arab terror assaults for decades, out of a conviction the land justly belongs to the
Jewish people and that Arab violence must not be allowed to prevent them from living in their historic homeland.
(J.Post)
JAPAN TO TEST ISRAELI CANCER TREATMENT SYSTEM: The Kameda Medical Center in Kamogawa
City bought two systems worth $100,000, developed by Israeli company IceCure Medical Inc., to study their
effectiveness in destroying cancerous lung tumors. The IceCure Medical system is based on the IceSense3, which
was used to treat fibroadenoma breast tumors by injecting liquid nitrogen into the tumor. The system destroys the
breast tumors without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. The IceSense3 has already been approved in the
US and Europe. (Daily Alert)
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 3rd 2013
NETANYAHU: ROHANI IS WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING: Addressing the UN General Assembly, PM
Benjamin Netanyahu said: " Rohani is a wolf in sheep's clothing - a wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the
eyes of the international community. Like everyone else, I wish we could believe Rohani's words, but we must
focus on Iran's actions," Netanyahu said. He noted the only way to peacefully stop Iran from developing nuclear
weapons is to combine tough sanctions with a credible military threat and that if the State of Israel were forced to
stand alone against Iran "it will stand alone." Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly, "Don't let up the pressure
on Iran. The only deal that can be made with Rohani is one that "fully dismantles Iran's nuclear weapons program."
(Ynet)
A CAREFULLY CRAFTED US-ISRAEL MESSAGE ON IRAN: What emerged from the brief joint
appearance by US President Obama and PM Netanyahu after Monday's meeting was an obvious effort to publicly
play down any differences about Iran. Obama sent a message that the US was well aware of what Netanyahu has
been warning, that what was important were actions, not words, and that the US would not be taken in by Rohani's
"charm offensive." Obama also stressed that "all options are still on the table" - alluding to the option of a military
strike if Iran does not back down. Netanyahu did not come out against a US-Iranian dialogue, and expressed his
appreciation for the work that has been done to place the sanctions regime on Iran. The message that Obama and
Netanyahu wanted Tehran to hear was that on Iran's nuclear issue, the US and Israel remain on the same page. (J.
Post)
EGYPT ANNOUNCES FORMAL CESSATION OF ALL DIRECT FLIGHTS AND TOURISM TIES
WITH IRAN: The announcement came Tuesday, with Egypt stating it has ordered an end to all tourism activities
with Iran. These had increased considerably during the yearlong rule of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Whereas deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi tried to improve relations with Iran, seeing it as a natural
ally, the new regime is trying to distance itself from Tehran. The Egyptian security establishment is currently
fighting a bitter battle against Islamist terrorists who have a grip on some parts of the country. "The security
situation does not permit the Ministry of Tourism to support travel to Iran, including flights and trips," said
ministry spokeswoman, Rasha Azaiza. In contrast to the Egyptian decision to cancel flights to Iran, Tehran
announced Monday it was seeking to establish direct flights to the US in continued efforts to revitalize US-Iranian
ties. The move, along with the general rapprochement Iran is seeking with the US, has raised alarm bells across
other Middle Eastern countries. (INN)
AL-QAEDA BATTLES FOR CONTROL ON ISRAEL’S BORDER: One of the largest terrorist groups
operating in the Sinai Peninsula has joined Al-Qaeda. The group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (“The Army of Islam in the
Beit Al-Makdas Region”), has announced its loyalty to Al-Qaeda, and particularly, to the Al-Qaeda leadership in
Iraq. The group in question has carried out many attacks targeting Egyptian soldiers in Sinai. It has also attempted
to attack Israel by infiltrating the border, shooting over the border, and firing rockets on Israeli towns. If the ties
between the Sinai group and Al-Qaeda prove stable, it will indicate the trend of growing Al-Qaeda strength in the
states around Israel. Israel’s defense leaders have previously expressed concern over Al-Qaeda’s strength among
Syrian rebel groups, some of which have gained ground next to Israel’s northern border and the Golan. (INN) “But
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP SAYS 115,000 HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SYRIA CONFLICT: More than
115,000 people have been killed in Syria's two-and-a-half-year-old civil war, including tens of thousands of
soldiers, rebels and civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday. The figure suggested that
around 5,000 people had died in September alone and that the bloodshed has not been slowed by an international
deal for the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons after an Aug. 21 sarin gas attack in the Damascus area. More
than 41,000 civilians have been killed, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women. (J.Post) Continue to pray with
mercy for those who suffer in Syria.
STUDY FINDS US JEWISH COMMUNITY LARGER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT: A study
released by the Steinhardt Social Reseach Institute (SSRI) and Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies has
yielded unexpected information about the size of the Jewish community in the US. According to the study, in 2012
there were an estimated 6.8 million Jews in the US - significantly more than previous estimates, which put the
American Jewish population at less than 6 million. The study additionally shows that over 60% of American Jews
are concentrated in just six states, with slightly over 20% in New York State, 14% in California, 12% in Florida,
8% in New Jersey, and 5% each in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. There are approximately 1.6 million Jewish
children in the US, and around 4.2 million adults "self-identify as Jewish" when asked about their religion. (INN)
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update October 1st 2013
ISLAMISTS MASSACRE 50 STUDENTS AT NIGERIAN SCHOOL: Islamist gunmen stormed a school in
northern Nigeria, massacring at least 50 students, in the latest attack by Islamist terrorists in the region. Coming
just days after a deadly assault on a Kenyan shopping mall by Somalian Islamists, the attack - blamed on terrorists
from the Al Qaeda-linked "Boko Haram" group - underlines the increased threat of Islamist terrorism in Africa.
According to reports, gunmen executed many of their victims as they slept in their dormitories, with up to 1,000
other students fleeing into the surrounding countryside to escape. Sources have warned the death toll could be
higher, as security forces were still recovering bodies. (Arutz-7) Intercede that hideous terrorist attacks in
Nigeria will be halted.
BIBLICAL-ERA TOWN DISCOVERED IN GALILEE: Archeologists claim to have found the ancient town of
Dalmanutha, described in the New Testament as the place Yeshua sailed to after multiplying the loaves and fish.
The town was found in the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, in Israel's Ginosar valley and it dates back more
than 2,000 years. Archeologists determined that evidence suggests the town was prosperous in ancient times.
"Vessel glass and amphora hint at wealth," wrote Ken Dark of the University of Reading, whose team discovered
the town. "Weights and stone anchors, along with the access to beaches suitable for landing boats - and, of course,
the first-century boat - all imply an involvement with fishing," he added. In the New Testament, Dalmanutha is
mentioned briefly in the Gospel of Mark. (UPI) Yeshua "immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and
came to the region of Dalmanutha. Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from
Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, ‘Why does this generation
seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation’” Mark 8:10-11
TECHNION, SHANTOU UNIVERSITY ESTABLISH NEW TECH INSTITUTE IN CHINA: The TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology and Shantou University in China will establish a joint academic technological
institute in China. The new institute will be called the Technion Institute-Guangdong Technology (TGIT). A
memorandum of understanding was signed on Sunday at the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv by the Technion President
Professor Peretz Lavie and Shantou University Rector Professor Peihua Gu. (Ynet)
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
News Update September 28th 2013
THE END OF A JOYFUL MONTH OF HOLIDAYS: The eight day festival that consists of Succot (Feast of
Tabernacles) and Simchat Torah (rejoicing with the Torah) came to a conclusion Thursday night, bringing an end
to the month long holiday season and starting the regular year. In Israel, a popular expression is "Acharei
Hachagim" - lets' wait till after the holidays - as the entire country seems to put off whatever it can from Rosh
Hashanah, (Jewish New Year) until the day after Simchat Torah. Succot marks the last of three yearly pilgrimage
festivals to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple - preceded by Pesach and Shavuot. (INN)
CHRISTIANS PART OF HUGE JERUSALEM MARCH TURNOUT: Over 60,000 people took part in the
annual Jerusalem March held each year during the biblical festival of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles. The turnout
was nearly double the 32,000 that participated in the event last year. Israelis from all over the country ascended to
Jerusalem for the march, as did thousands of Evangelical Christians from all over the world. The Christian
delegations are always the most colorful part of the march, which winds through the streets of downtown
Jerusalem, ending at the walls of the historic Old City. Israelis are fascinated by the demonstration of support by
the Christians, and announcers along the route of the march always make a point of singling out these foreign
visitors both in order to express their thanks and to make fellow Israelis aware of what is happening. For the
Christians, participation in the march is a precursor to the fulfillment of Zechariah 14:16-21, which foretells a time
when all those remaining from the nations will be required to "go up to Jerusalem" during Succot. (Israel Today)
“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even
go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. Zech 14:16
CYCLE AROUND ISRAEL: Some 30,000 cyclists took part in the country’s largest bike riding event this week.
Autumn marks the beginning of bike happenings around Israel. The Sovev Tel Aviv cycling event is so big that the
Ayalon Freeway – one of the country’s main thoroughfares — shuts down to all vehicles until it’s over. This year’s
event got underway on September 25, with more than 30,000 riders participating. Israel is already known as a
biker’s paradise. A small country with diverse topography, Israel has a whole tourism industry catering to bike
enthusiasts, and two Israeli cyclists-turned-inventors recently announced the world’s first handlebar-mounted
swiveling mister. Sovev Tel Aviv is the country’s biggest cycling event, but hardly the only one. The beginning of
autumn marks the kick-off for bike-a-thons – races and benefits – across Israel. (Israel 21c)
ASSAD THREATENS TO ‘BLIND’ ISRAEL, CLAIMS SYRIA CAN TRUST HEZBOLLAH: In a boastful
interview, Thursday, embattled Syrian president Bashar Assad said US President Obama is "hesitant" and
"unstable," and claimed that Syria doesn't need chemical arms to deter against Israel, because it has newer, more
sophisticated weapons which can "blind" Israel in "an instant." In addition, Assad said the relations between his
government and the terrorist Shiite group Hezbollah have "consolidated" the Syrian regime's position regarding
any assaults against Syria. “I am confident the chief of loyalty (Hezbollah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah) can contain
the repercussions of any aggression against Syria,” Assad was quoted as saying in Thursday's edition of the
Lebanese paper Al-Akhba. (Yet)
UN VOTES TO ELIMINATE SYRIA’S CHEMICAL WEAPONS: The UN Security Council adopted a
resolution on Friday that demands the eradication of Syria's chemical weapons - but, at Russia's insistence, the UN
measure does not allow for military action against Assad's government if it does not comply. Russia additionally
vetoed the use of sanctions against Syria - a major importer of Russian weapons - if Assad fails to act in
accordance with the UN ruling. Any punitive actions against Syria, in the event of its government’s failure to cooperate with eradication of its chemical weapons, would require weeks more of UN meetings, debates, etc. – with
Russia sure to veto any and all effective future resolutions against Syria’s regime. Russia, Assad's main ally, has
already used its veto power as a permanent Security Council member to block three Western-drafted resolutions on
Syria. (Ynet)