Israel expresses support to US after Texas shooting

Israeli leaders sent messages of support to the United States in the wake of a Texas church shooting that left at least 26 people dead.

“Horrified by the savagery in Texas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that his office tweeted.  “Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the American people.”

President Reuven Rivlin, on an official visit to Spain, also tweeted his concern.  “Terrible news coming out of Texas.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families,” he wrote.

(jta.org; israelnn.com)

 

Israeli Border Police arrest terror cell planting bomb by security fence

Israeli Border Police on Sunday (5th) released footage of the ambush and arrest of a Palestinian terror cell as it attempted to plant a bomb last Monday (10/30) near the West Bank security barrier northeast of Jerusalem.

(timesofisrael.com)

 

PM: Israel won’t return terrorists’ bodies ‘for nothing’

One day after Israel announced it is in possession of the bodies of the five Gaza terrorists, killed in the demolition of an attack tunnel last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that Israel would leverage the situation to secure the release of Israeli captives.

Calling them “our boys,” Netanyahu referred to the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, held in Gaza since 2014, and two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, believed to be held captive by Hamas after wandering into Gaza territory.

“To defend our country we use a simple rule of thumb: Anyone trying to attack us, we attack them.  Secondly, we don’t hand out gifts for nothing.  We will bring our boys home, there are no free gifts,” he said.

(israelhayom.com)

 

Yemen’s Houthis fired missile at Saudi capital Riyadh – Tim Lister

Yemeni rebels on Saturday (4th) targeted an airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a ballistic missile, Yemen’s Houthi-controlled defense minister claimed.

But the missile was intercepted by a Patriot missile over Riyadh, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said.

A cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fought with proxies, is sharply escalating as the two powers jockey to shape a Middle East regional order devoid of Islamic State.

(cnn.com; wallstreetjournal.com)

 

Saudi says reserves the right to respond to Iran’s ‘hostile actions’

DUBAI – Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday (6th) his country reserved the right to respond to Iran’s “hostile actions,” an apparent reference to a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis who Saudi Arabia says are armed by Iran.

Jubeir also said on Twitter that Iranian interference in the region harms neighboring countries and international peace and security.

(reuters.com)

 

Iran slams Hariri resignation as Israeli-Saudi-US plot

“Hariri’s resignation was done with planning by US President Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia,” said Hussein Sheikh al-Islam, adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sunday (5th).  Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Mr. Hariri’s departure was aimed at creating tension in Lebanon and the region.  He said Hariri had repeated “unrealistic and unfounded accusations” and had aligned himself with “those who want ill for the region,” singling out Israel, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Saad Hariri resigned as prime minister of Lebanon Saturday (4th) and traveled to Saudi Arabia.  From Riyadh in a televised broadcast, he accused Iran and Hizbullah of a plot against his life and sowing strife across the Arab world.  Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah denounced the Hariri resignation as “Saudi madness.”

(debka.com)

 

Rivlin: ‘Anti-Semitism in Spain rose hundreds of percentage points – it must be counteracted’

President Reuven Rivlin said during a meeting with the heads of Spain’s Jewish communities that “According to reports on anti-Semitism provided to the Spanish minister of the interior, there has been a hundred-percent spike in anti-Semitic incidents in Spain.”

“We must not give in to anti-Semitism, we have to fight it.  I’m pleased the Spanish government is taking legislative and enforcement steps to counteract this repulsive phenomenon,” he added.

(ynetnews.com)

 

Israel hosts 7 air forces in largest drill in its history

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is hosting air forces from seven nations in the largest air drill in the Jewish state’s history.

Some 100 aircraft and several hundred pilots and support crews from the U.S., Greece, Poland, France, Germany, India and Italy will be in Israel for the drill titled,“Blue Flag.”  Officers and attaches from nearly 40 countries will also be attending.

The drill will lasts two-weeks and is aimed at improving the type of planning, targeting and coordinated command and control required by coalitions operating together.

India, France and Germany are attending “Blue Flag” for the first time.

(worldisraelnews.com)

 

Museum of the Bible to open in Washington

The Museum of the Bible is due to open in two weeks in Washington, and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely has been privileged to have an early glimpse on a special tour conducted by the Museum’s president.

“This is a unique museum that tells the story of the Bible, the Book of Books,” Deputy Minister Hotovely said.  “The museum embodies our rich heritage from the days of creation and the values the Bible has given humanity such as freedom and equality before God, the connection of the American founding fathers to the Bible, and the places in the Land of Israel where biblical events took place, such as the battle of David and Goliath in the Valley of Elah.”

“The museum is accompanied by Hebrew inscriptions along the way, and there is a kosher restaurant that serves biblical food.  I am very impressed by the museum, and it would certainly be right to establish a Bible Museum of this type in Israel as well,” Hotovely stated.

(israelnn.com)

 

Dog saves Paris-area Jewish family from ‘anti-Semitic’ suspected arson in their home

The members of a Jewish family have their dog to thank for their escape from a fire police believe was intentionally set in their home in the Paris area, an anti-racism group said.

The family was awakened after midnight Friday night (3rd) by the dog’s bark to discover that the front door was on fire with smoke filling up the interior of their apartment.

Someone had doused the door with a highly flammable liquid and set it alight.

The family said they suspected an Arab neighbor , who police detained for questioning – calling the fire an anti-Semitic act.

Earlier this year, Sarah Halimi, a physician and kindergarten teacher, was murdered inside her home by an Islamist neighbor who was motivated by anti-Semitic hatred.

(jta.org)